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Marni Jameson is a nationally syndicated columnist, author, and speaker.  She's an expert on lifestyle and all things "home." I have enjoyed her weekly columns in the Orlando Sentinel since they started.  I'm not always interested in her subject of the day, but I love the way she writes.  She shares herself so, over the years, I've learned much about her; and I love that she lives in Winter Park, so she's practically my neighbor.  

This past Saturday she told us she's been traveling for a while and was happy to be back home.  And then she listed 21 reasons why.  Following are a few with which I can totally relate.  

1.  I like drying the dishes and and putting them away because I know where they go.

Me too!  I don't use my dishwasher.  I love warm soapy water and, after I've put the dishes away, I enjoy wiping down the stove and counter tops. 

4.  I like making the bed and turning it down; it feels like putting a pair of bookends or parentheses around the day.

So, Marni, Admiral H. William H. McRaven, who wrote the New York Times best seller, "Make Your Bed," and I agree on this one.  

6.  I like being in control of my thermostat.

At night, I like mine a 67 degrees.  

9.  I like knowing where everything is and that it is all within reach because it makes me feel like the master of my domain.

Unlike the "Seinfeld" episode, mastering my domain means I have everything I need handy.  I keep socks, hand lotion and my evening devotional under my pillow. 

12.  I like getting the morning newspaper (Yes, I still get a print paper) every day.  I find this reliable, tangible and connection to the world somehow comforting. 

Yes, I'm with Marni.  I've tried to wean myself off this extremely expensive habit, but nothing else works, not even the e Edition.  

16.  I like being around my art and objects because they stir memories and reflect my life.

Me too Marnie.  I'm kind of a minimalist but everything in my home is precious to me.  If and when it no longer is, I give it the heave ho.  I visited my neighbor's home earlier today.  It's lovely and she, too, has only objects that stir memories and give her joy. 

20.  I like cooking, whether whisking an egg, chopping a tomato, or adding spice to a simmering sauce because I like to know what is in my food. 

 I'm on a very low sodium diet and due to that. and a super sensitivity to closed in spaces with lots of people, I prepare my own meals.  I like preparing "clean" and tasty (to me) dishes.  I also eat at odd times. Why?  Because I can.

  As Marnie says, It's an ordinary life, which is what makes it extraordinary. 

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My Lamps

 

Several decades ago, at least 40 years, I acquired six lamps exactly like the one pictured.  At that time my husband, Ken, was a United Methodist minister.  He had the reputation for being able to deal with unusually hard situations so, as this is the way the United Methodist system works, we were sent to "trouble shoot" some very difficult situations.  

He wasn't always the best minister in terms of holding the hands of little old ladies, but fixing disastrous  situations was his strong suit.  And I was right along side him, especially as we dealt with racism in the 60s and 70s in South Florida.  

During that time, ministry itself was changing.  When we were starting out, ministers mates (we just called ourselves "wives") were in a state of flux.  We were pretty much expected to be seen (often) but not heard.  

 

Our family moved often but most ministers moved often during that time.  They were seen as "itinerant" ministers, modeled after John Wesley.  

Meanwhile, I, and some other minister's wives were trying to create change within the system when it came to families.  At our annual retreats we discussed how to do this and some wives put on crazy, funny skits about going from one green shag carpet home (parsonage) to another.  

Somehow I found what I thought were these beautiful green and brass lamps and a fantastic price, so I bought at least six of them.  I loved them. I wonder if all my children remember them.   They went with everything, especially green shag carpets.  Along the way I got rid of all but two, and, until today, they've been on the night stands in my bedroom.  They are pretty much the last things I have from all those long years ago.

The United Methodist Church is still changing.  Currently, the issues are far different from whether or not wives (now mates) should work outside the home or be  chastised for not wearing pantyhose to a picnic.  The issues now are about how we love and accept others in the way Christ calls.  For the past few years we've had many troubled Florida Annual Meetings, trying to be who God's calling us to be at this point of our evolution as a world wide denomination.  

Yesterday Pastor Rachel (who, by the way, is married to another pastor and the mother of three wee little children) preached a sermon on the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells us not to worry.   Our senior minister, Pastor David, told us that our recent Annual Conference was the best he's attended in 35 plus years of leadership. 

So, it's time for the old green lamps to go.  I've replaced them with these little guys.  

Home Remedies

I talked with a man in the church parking lot this morning who'd just read my book.  How exciting that this is still happening from time to time.  Anyway, we had a little discussion about home remedies.  He wasn't a fan.  I am.  Are you?
 

Do you have home remedies you swear by because they work?  One of the main themes running though my book, Florida, A Love Story, is "healing."  Our lead character, Cole,  reminds us that healing is not the same a curing.  Cole saved a man's life by cleaning him up from head to toe and sewing up his gaping wound with his wife's needle and thread.  

I love home remedies for several reasons.  I grew up with no medical care.  None.  We had to just figure it out.  The Bible advocates home remedies.  John Wesley, advocated home remedies.  Some of them are referenced in my book. 

Even in this time of almost daily breakthroughs in science and medicine, home remedies are sometimes the better way to go.  During COVID, prior to the vaccine, people all over the world were saved from horrible deaths by wearing a mask and washing their hands.  

I subscribe to a group called "The People's Pharmacy."  It's all about home remedies.  One of the most popular is putting a bar of soap in your bed to cure leg cramps.  Sounds weird.  I don't understand it but it works.  Another one of their most popular remedies is eating nine raisins soaked in gin to relieve arthritus pain.  I've never tried this because I don't have arthritis.  But if I did, I would.  

I do suffer from fairly severe attacks of nausea.  My doctor gave me a strong medication to relieve it but I just couldn't tolerate it.  I now have the nausea pretty much under control by drinking massive amounts of ginger tea and wearing anti nausea wrist bands.   

In the book we address the Civil War and the horrendous suffering and death, much of which could have been avoided by washing hands.  

Yes, I do go to the doctor and I do take my prescriptions but I also sleep with a bar of soap.

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Space

 

I'm developing a little bit of a bad attitude about our space program.  It's strange because we've had such successful blast offs in the last few months.

Some sending real astronauts to the International Space Station and some giving celebrities a ten minute thrill ride to space and back.

Why?

I understand the experiments, such as establishing the James Webb Space Telescope and growing vegetables.

But why?

I recently read an article explaining how we need to continue exploring because we've messed up our planet so badly that we're going to need another place to go.  We already have upwards of 100 trillion bits of space junk orbiting our atmosphere.   

Again, why?

Many years ago, my husband Ken, like almost every person in Florida, loved the space program.  Back then, we could see the Cape Canaveral rocket (about 50 miles away) take off from the middle of the street by our condo.  One day we were watching a potential launch on television when Ken decided he wanted to see it from the street.  He was very ill, suffering both physically and with dementia.  

I was helping him get outside when I noticed something else going on.  There was a relatively new stop sign at our corner and a lurking police officer had pulled over a woman who did not come to a complete stop.  She was sitting in the car crying and yelling at the cop.

Oh oh, I wanted no part of this.  After getting Ken out to a flat surface I said "you're on your own" and went back inside.  I could see Ken shaking his cane and trying to tell them about the lift off.  

After I watched it on the screen I looked back outside.  The woman was out of the car and the three of them were standing in a row, looking toward the sky, with their backs to the stop sign. All three of them clapped when they witnessed the take off.  

Maybe that's why.

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Artificial Intelligence

 

What is scaring the bejeebers out of us today?  We have so much to choose from.  

We're learning that technology has hit a new threshold and soon artificial intelligence will overtake us humans. It will be breathtaking and a complete game changer.

 I just spent many days rescuing my computer from satanic invaders so I kinda get the fear factor. 

We're learning that AI will change the way we solve problems.  We're hearing that it could, on one hand, cause global extinction but, on the other hand, AI will find ways to cure cancer and bring about unprecedented positive change in all areas of our lives.

In the '80s the "Information Age" emerged.  I tried to get myself up to speed because I was invited into several companies as a consultant to encourage workers to embrace this new technology.  For instance, when computers were brought into the workplace and typewriters disapearred, many workers quit.  For a while, they found other work but then, eventually, the only person left using typewriters was Tom Hanks. 

Back then, I thought I was a little ahead of the curve but, in reality, I had no idea how much our lives would eventually change - for the better!  I'm pretty much homebound but, at all times I have my cell phone, smart watch, supersonic hearing aid, and computer.  And I have a big television with many platform layers.  

All of this fantastic technology is neither good nor bad.  People are both.  I'm counting on the worldwide network of AI experts who are working hard to develop international codes of conduct so that  that we'll all be held accountable for using this new found knowledge for good.

What if we had no more floods, hurricanes, forest fires, or chronic pain?  

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God is Awesome

 

Warning.  This is a bit of a rant. 

I am attending a series of classes on grieving.  I consider the leaders to be good friends and they. too, are awesome.  The small group of hurting, grieving people has been a blessing to me each and every time I have attended.  I feel like it's holy ground.

The video that's shown each week is well done.  It moves quickly and affirms every feeling grieving people might have.  There are short messages from outstanding experts on the subject of grieving.  The videos are Christian based but our group, and others who use the videos are from various backgrounds.

What we have in common is loss and grief.  

So, what's my rant about?  Once in a while the video shares an explanation of scripture that makes me crazy. Yesterday was one of those days. 

The scripture was Psalm 139:16, You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book. "

I like this Psalm.  But it's been interpreted many ways. Many parts of the Bible are open to interpretation.  That's why we have thousands of denominations and and fringe groups.  For the most part, they're all Bible believing - but have different interpretations of scripture. 

So, yesterday,  the video quoted Ziz Ziegler.  By the time he died, in 2012 Mr. Zigler, who was a salesman, author and motivational speaker,  had built a huge, billion dollar business.  He said this on the video:  Psalm 139:16 clearly states that our life every day is measured, meaning simply-God knows the exact time that we will die. 

So, I'm looking at these suffering people and wondering what they're thinking about God having already decided when their loved one would die.  If this were so, why should we do anything to try to save lives, either our own or anyone else's?

Why did I drive my husband Ken to the dialysis center at 5:30 am, three days a week for 8 years?  Why do I exercise?  Why should I "bring my seat to an upright position" when my plane is landing?  Why should we do anything to try to save a person's life if God's already decided?

The average life expectancy in the US today is 77.28 years. in 1900 it was 47 years.  How did that happen?

A few days ago my friend's daughter was murdered.  Should I call her and tell her God was responsible?

I could go on and on.  But I know you're tired of my rant by now.

In the last 20 plus years I've had several tragic loses.  I was sometimes angry at people, including myself.  But I was never angry at God.  I don't believe he snatched up my loved ones or purposely caused my suffering.  Quite the opposite.

OK....one more thing, the ministers at my United Methodist Church are currently preaching a series based on the Book of Revelation.  As you know, it can be a scary book and has been open to many interruptions. Some of them terrifying and life scaring.  But everyone one of these sermons in this series has been exceptional. 

Here's what I know for sure.  Our God is An Awesome God.

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Serendipity

 

This morning, while on our two mile walk, Mary and I talked about serendipity.  My favorite definition is "a happy surprise."

Later on this morning,  quite by accident,  I read the following:

In a 1754 letter, Horace Walpole explained his concept of Serendipity,... in which the royals were "always making discoveries of things which they were not in quest of."

Why do some people (like me) have a lifetime of serendipities when others seem to never have happy surprises?

The answer is, you must pay attention, have an open mind, and most importantly, be curious.  

Are you curious?  Do you ask questions - and then carefully listen  to the answer? Sad to say, a number of my peers are no longer curious. Makes me sad because they miss a lot of "happy surprises."

I met Mary last summer at the pool.  When that season was over, we began early morning walks.  A couple of neighbors have said to me they "never saw that coming."   I suppose they meant that Mary and I don't have much in common.  

We are very different in some ways but one of the traits we share, besides having lived long lives, is "curiosity."  We both pay attention and have open minds. Of course we discuss our woes from time to time but mostly, we talk about ideas, like fibonacci and serendipity.  

  I've had many happy surprises while walking with Mary. 

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