A Lovely Summery Hodgepodge

In Louisiana, the Egret is a commonly seen bird, especially in the waterways.

Some friends took a boat ride this past Sunday on Cross Lake, and captured this beautiful bird in flight.  Now this is Louisiana!

Thank you Joyce for this week's questions.  Join us HERE to see how others have answered them.

1. Saturday marks the first official day of summer! Whoohoo! Your favorite thing about the season?

This is not an easy question to answer because summer is not my favorite season.  I like neither the heat nor the humidity here in Louisiana.  I definitely don't like the mosquitoes.  So, what do I like?  

Hummm.

I do like the pretty flowers and the green grass in my yard and those yards around me, and watching the birds play. 

We had the best time watching this male Cardinal bathe and splash in the water of our fountain.

 Right now I suppose my favorite thing would be the early morning water aerobic classes I am going to at our club house three days a week.  The water, exercise and fellowship with other ladies is the highlight.

2. Love it!, labor of love, not for love or money, no love lost, love handles, love does, love-hate relationship, misery loves company, tough love, love will find a way...pick one and tell us how it applies to your life right now.

"LOVE DOES..."

Our son is part of a men's Bible Study that meets once a week.  This past week he led the study and since it was on Zoom, I was able to sit out of the camera range and listen to the discussion.  His topic was "What About Love?"

He did a great job by the way, and there are some extremely wise, theologians in that group.

John concluded the discussion with these 8 topics.  Good to think about.

1.  I must confess my lack of love as sin

2.  I must count on the fact that, in Christ, I died to the sin of unlove

3.  I must choose to love that person

4.  I must trust God to do what I cannot do

5.  I must pray that person into my heart

6.  I must earnestly seek to change my attitude toward that person

7.  I may need to go see that person

8.  I must plan positive behavior

3. What's one thing currently causing you to seethe?

Stupidity, stupidity, stupidity

One thing currently making you smile?

That there are some wise, thoughtful folks who are truly seeking to make a GOOD difference in our country right now.

4. Of the following to-dos found on a summer checklist (here) which three would definitely make your personal list of summer want-to-dos?

roast marshmallows over a fire, go berry or peach picking, dangle your feet off the end of a dock, sit on a porch swing, watch the sunset from a beach, nap in a hammock, go barefoot in the grass, collect seashells, play tennis, go fishing, build a sandcastle, catch fireflies, eat a soft serve ice cream cone, make a pitcher of Sangria, swim in a lake, stargaze, ride a bike, paddle a canoe or kayak, make a summer road trip, throw a frisbee

Definitely make a summer road trip.

If that road trip could be back to Mackinaw Island, then it would also include a bike ride, and afterward a cone of soft ice cream.

Do you make an actual list?

No

5. Thursday is National Splurge Day. What might you splurge on in order to celebrate?

A trip back to Mackinaw Island?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Today, Tuesday, is the birthday of the mother of these grown, precious grandchildren.

I could not have asked for a better daughter-in-love than 

Michelle.  She is a wonderful, loving wife to our son and the best mother our grandchildren could have.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHELLE!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, JOHN

We love you BOTH.

Beauty Without Within Thursday

 

Sally Cox

I actually knew about Sally before I knew Sally!

Before I retired, Hubby would often come home from the gym telling me stories told him by this woman about her grandchildren or things she did in her classroom.  So when I finally met Sally, I felt like I already knew her.

I want you to also meet her!

Petite Bundle of Energy and Charisma

Sally has always been very physically active, first playing sports and later with a faithful workout routine.  At the age of 30, she started running 3 miles five days a week, and did this diligently for 40 years.  Now, she walks on a treadmill for an hour and at a much faster pace than I do.

She attributes her drive and desire to stay active to genes.  She explains that as one of five siblings - two girls and 3 boys - she probably would have been diagnosed as hyperactive if they had known about that sort of thing at the time.  However, she says she has always been driven to achieve and succeed at whatever she does.

Educator

It is this busy, active, high energy lifestyle that Sally has taken into retirement.

 Sally retired in 2006 after having served as a Caddo Parish Public School Teacher and Elementary School Principal for thirty nine and a half (39.5) years.  During that time, she served on the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), having been appointed by then Governor Edwin Edwards.  Since retiring she has also served on the Teacher Retirement Board.  As an educator, she believes it is important to stay politically involved with the legislature and decision makers.

I asked her what she sees as her mission or goal now at this stage of her life, and her answer was -

"To stay active and to retain the freedom to make choices regarding my life as long as I can."

Recently, a local periodical carried an article about Sally and it began like this:

"Retirement means different things to different people."

To Sally Cox, retirement simply means changing jobs.

  

For the last six (6) years, Sally has taught the Gifted Program at the First Baptist Church School in Shreveport, Louisiana.  She told me that this is her passion.

Children are identified for her program as early as 2nd grade and she currently has 25 students through grade 8.

I was amazed at the exciting things Sally is doing with these gifted children. 

She is in the middle of a CSI unit where the students learn deductive reasoning and crime analysis.

The pictures below are of the "crime scene" and laboratory.

All of the suspects sound like shady characters to me!

  As "Detectives & Forensic Scientists" the students have to analysis everything from the "blood" stains, contents of the drinks, fingerprints, smells and fibers found on clothing, handwriting samples, footprints, etc.

I can't wait to find out "Who Done It!"

Other on-going lessons and projects are:

Research and presentation skills by putting together a PowerPoint presentation on the

"History of Shoes"

  Programing and Operating Robots

 "Cross Country USA"

This is a fascinating way to teach analytical and mathematical application using a  program where the children become 18-wheeler drivers crisis-crossing the country.  They have to report things such as:

 1.  The commodities they are carrying and how many they will pick up

2.  Tell about 8 cities they will stop in and what is significant about each

3.  Give name and information about 8 states through which they will travel

4.  Keep an expense and profit account of their trips and check it 3 different ways.

Is this as mind-boggling to you as it is to me?

"Restoration of the Barrier Islands"

In November, she will take a group of the older students down to Terrebone Bay for 2 nights where they will climax this study by seeing first-hand the work being done to save the Louisiana Coastline.  They will also have a swamp and walking tour of the area.

"Spending the Night with the Animals"

Earlier this year, she led an awesome field trip for the fourth grade students and parents that would exhaust the normal senior citizen to even consider doing.

Starting at 5:45 a.m., she took the group on AMTRAK to Dallas, Texas where they spent a busy day seeing sights.  At 7:00 p.m. they arrived at the Dallas Zoo where they had an evening tour and then spent the night with the animals.  Her students had a blast as you may well imagine.

The Real Sally Cox

Words that characterize this woman (and you will see a pattern here) are -

energetic, active, goal orientated, determined, and family.

Her favorite activities are - 

exercising, cooking and traveling with her grandchildren.

That brings up her favorite subject:  Grandchildren

Sally and her husband James, have six grandchildren - 5 girls and one boy - their own personal basketball team and coach.  They took all the grands to Colorado this summer and I can assure you it was well planned with plenty to do.

What is most important to Sally Cox?

Her faith, and her family!

Sally and her 4 remaining siblings (they lost a brother 25 years ago to cancer and this is still a very acute loss for Sally) own a camp together and look forward to times when all of them gather there.

In fact, for Thanksgiving all the siblings and their families will meet and spend several days there where they will enjoy traditions such as a family hayride, scavenger hunt for the 20-30 grandchildren, then a huge football game.

Favorite Quote or Scripture?

1 Corinthians 13, the Love chapter in the Bible

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

And this is my friend, Sally Cox!

Beautiful Without & Within

Links to previous and remaining posts in series:

#1 Jean Anne Williams

Sally Cox

Dana Mosely

Margaret Williams Jones

Sharon Mabus