Tennessee Football

 

Running through the “T”

With the “kickoff” of college football this weekend, many talented athletes will be taking the field.  There are 340 other talented folks who will be on the field as well and need to be recognized.  The Pride of the Southland Marching Band of the University of Tennessee, my alma mater, is one of the most prestigious college bands.  The traditional “running through the T” entrance of the football team has become an iconic performance.  The first time it happened was in 1965 at the season opener against Army.  Head coach Doug Dickey and Band Director Dr. W. J. Julian collaborated on an idea.  Coach Dickey decided he wanted to move the team’s locker room from the east to the west side of the field.  This required a unique entrance to avoid the opposing team.  Creatively, Dr. Julian came up with the formation of the “T” by the band members.  

In 1983, the original east to west formation was replaced with a north to south entrance when the locker rooms were again relocated to the north end zone.  The exhilaration of attending Neyland Stadium with a current capacity crowd of 101,915 in a sea of orange and white, while the Tennessee Volunteers run through the giant “T” is impossible to describe.  The roar of the crowd is deafening.  The charge is led by Smokey, the beloved Bluetick Coon hound mascot and Davy Crockett who represents the Volunteer spirit.  The mascot dressed as Davy Crockett runs onto the field with Smokey and waves a giant Tennessee state flag as the band plays “Down the Field”.  In seasons 1999-2000 and 2000-2021 my brother-in-law, Ron Osbon, was a trumpet player and marched in the Pride of the Southland Band.  At the ripe old age of 40, he was the oldest member of the band on the field.  The other students called him “grandpa”.

The other represented mascot for the University of Tennessee is the one who is dressed up in a Smokey costume wearing a double zero jersey and providing comic relief and energy to hype up the crowd.  This crowd-pleaser Smokey has won three College Mascot National Championships and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008.  The first official costumed Smokey made her appearance in 1973 when Nancy Nelson Wyszynski first wore the costume.  The costume was revised in 1982 when a more realistic version was introduced, however, it was rejected by the students and fans.  Today’s Smokey costume was accepted in 1988.

So why does the University of Tennessee have a bluetick hound as a mascot?  In 1953 the UT Pep Club held a contest to determine their live mascot.  They had already determined it should be a coonhound breed of dog.  At the halftime of the Mississippi game, several dogs were presented to the student body on the cheerleader’s ramp at Shields-Watkins Field.  Each dog was scored by the applause of the crowd.  The winning dog was the last entry, “Brooks’ Blue Smokey” who howled when his name was announced and subsequently howled each time the crowd cheered.  He became the first in a line of Smokeys that is currently, Smokey XI.  The eleventh Smokey ran through the “T” for the first time November 25, 2023.  During game days and while attending official mascot duties, Smokey is handled by members of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.  Mostly, Smokey lives as a pet for the Hudson family in Knoxville.  The original bloodline was Smokey I-IV.  Smokey IV died of cancer in 1979 without producing offspring which ended the initial line. Smokey V, in 1980, was the nephew to Smokey IV, and thus beginning a new bloodline.  This bloodline continued through Smokey IX, who retired in 2012.  In 2013, Smokey X as the first not to be a descendent of the original lineage, but the first to be born and bred in Tennessee.  Smokey XI, the current mascot, is the son of Smokey X and part of the new, Tennessee-bred lineage.

 Under the sponsorship of the UT Pep Club in the mid-1960’s, a Grand Champion Tennessee walking horse also walked the sidelines of the football games.  That tradition was discontinued in the 1980’s as the new artificial turf presented a fall risk to the horse.  Then in 2023, the tradition was renewed at Homecoming with a world champion youth horse, Labeled A Parolee, ridden by Eliza DeKleyn performed for the crowd.  This tradition is specifically reserved for the annual Homecoming festivities.

Tennessee football is rich in tradition and many Tennesseans bleed orange.  From the checkerboard endzones to Power T, to the trio of mascots, to the blaring of Rocky Top, to the Pride of the Southland, the University of Tennessee has a flare for making a football game an unforgettable experience. 

Tammy Harvey

9/10/2025

The Snake and the Ninja

 

The Snake and the Ninja

It was a Monday morning, Labor Day to be exact, at about 8:30am when my phone rang.  I was in bed having already woken up but just dozing off again.  My son Ted on the other end of the phone said he was coming by to pick me up.  He was on a mission.  A copperhead snake removal mission.   My daughter-in-law, Danielle, my oldest son’s wife, had called him to say a large copperhead was in her garage.  It was the first day of dove season and her husband had gone hunting an hour and a half away.  Well, for Ted this was no new task.  Just like his dad before him, he had already been deemed the guy to call in his own neighborhood when someone encountered a snake on their property.  If it was a “good” snake, it was relocated, but if it was a venomous snake it was killed.  When he drove up in my driveway, I proceeded to offer him any of my “tools of mass destruction”.  His choice was a pointed shovel.  By now, he had had time to think about it, and his nerves were starting to get to him.  It is a duty he is willing to do, but not his favorite activity.  In the back seat was my 5-year-old grandson dressed appropriately in his head-to-toe black Ninja costume with plastic sword, ready for battle.  He was excited to be with his dad on this adventurous excursion.

After a short 3-mile drive, we arrived at my son’s home where the snake had invaded the garage.  It was coiled up under a wire shelving rack.  It was big and dangerous.  The first step in the attack was to get it out from under the rack.  Ted chose a golf club (not sure the choice of club, lol) to reach in and pull the snake out.  It was agitated by now and struck a few times at the club.  I was videotaping the event, and at that point, the camera went into a wild spiral, filming the ground, the sky and Grayson running away!   Granted we were not close to Ted; we were standing at the edge of the garage door.  We were rubber necking the event.  When the snake was out, Ted immediately chopped it behind the head with a swift chop of the shovel’s blade.  It took 3 swift chops to finally dismember the snake and still it moved involuntarily.  The head still seemed “alive” as did the body, even though they were in two parts.  It was approximately 2-3 feet long and looked like it was well fed.  Blood ran from the snake’s body, and it looked like a crime scene.   Ted cautiously took the head and body separately and disposed of them near the railroad tracks behind the house.   All the while Grayson was proclaiming “Can I just say, I don’t like this!”.  The garage was safe again.  It is important to rid your property of a venomous snake when your daughter is 2 years old, and the snake is coiled beneath where the bubbles are stored.  I am just thankful that nobody was harmed in the making of this adventure.  Ted is the hero with the help of his trusty sidekick, Ninja warrior Grayson!   

Tammy Harvey  9/2/2025

Labor Day 1994

 

Joshua’s Birth

Yesterday was “Labor Day” and of course, I know that means we celebrate the work force of the United States.  But in my mind, Labor Day reminds me of the days in which I was in labor to birth my three sons.  The most interesting of the three is Joshua’s birth, our youngest son.

Joshua was quite the surprise.  We were “thinking” about having a third child when I found out he was already in my belly.  I found out on Jan 13, 1994, which is the exact date I found out about my pregnancy with Thomas, six years prior.  The due date for Joshua was September 16.  Thomas was due on the 19^th of September but was born on September 20.  Joshua was born on Thomas’ due date of 9/19.  With both Thomas (1988) and Ted (1991) the labor was long, and the process included induction, an epidural, and in Thomas’ case also required suction to get him out after 3 hours of pushing.  He was one short procedure shy of a C-section.

Everything was different with Joshua’s birth.  My water broke at 4 am on the morning of September 19.  It was a Monday morning.  Contractions began shortly thereafter, and it was time to go to the hospital. The Peters, our neighbors, were awakened and summoned to stay with our sleeping children.  I sat downstairs at the kitchen table and waited for Jerry.  He was shaving and talking to his brother on the phone.  I could feel the urgency and yelled out for him to come on!  Jerry knew from past experiences that it would take all day and did not seem to be in a hurry.  As we approached the first red light, however, the contractions were coming so close together that he proceeded to run the light.  The hospital was a 20-minute drive, with no traffic and as we approached it, Jerry turned one street too soon and we ended up in a vacant parking lot.  By then it was nearly 6 am and he was getting a little nervous about the panic I was in.  Arriving at the emergency room entrance, we left the car and scurried in and by wheelchair, I was whisked away to labor/delivery.  The nurse checked me, and I was at 8cm, and she told Jerry that if he wanted any photos to go get his camera, but don’t bother to move the car as if there wasn’t time.  I was frantic because I had never had a baby before, the natural way.  I cried out “I can’t do this!”, to which the nurse replied “yes, you can, you already are!” speaking to me with her nose almost touching mine.  Jerry returned, followed by the doctor who walked in just in time to deliver Joshua at 6:26 am on Monday, September 19, 1994.  He was 8 lb. & 6 oz and 21.5 inches.  We did not know we were having another son because during the pregnancy with Joshua, not one ultrasound was performed. (Nowadays, at 34, almost 35, I would have been considered a high-risk pregnancy.)  We brought him home from the hospital on Thomas’ 6^th Birthday. He was born without me so much as getting an IV, no drugs and no intervention.  The natural birth delivery turned out to be the best and fastest delivery I had!  I like to say that I pushed 3 hours with Thomas, 3 minutes with Ted and 3 times with Joshua.  I’m a proud mama to three handsome sons.  This month, Thomas will be 37, and Joshua will be 31 years old.  Ted turned 34 on August 5.

Tammy Harvey  9/1/2025

Storyworth

 

One of the best Christmas gifts I have ever received was a few years ago.  Cassie and Ted gifted me with the Storyworth subscription.  Each week for an entire year, a question would appear in my email.  These questions were chosen by Ted and/or Cassie.  It was a prompt for me to write a story about my life experiences.  At the year’s end, all of the stories were printed and bound in a book.  I will always cherish this book with the numerous stories I otherwise would not have told.  One of the questions, for example, was “What was your favorite thing about Jerry?”

With tomorrow (8/27/2025) marking 42 years since I first met Jerry, I thought it appropriate to share what I wrote on my Storyworth as a response to this question.

What was your favorite thing about Jerry?

My favorite thing about Jerry was his enthusiasm.  He was easily excited about the simplest of things.  Not many people have the high energy he had.  His enthusiasm was contagious but also exhausting for me.  He never seemed to run out of energy and therefore accomplished a lot in his short life.  His face would light up as he spoke of the things that delighted him.  He had a sparkle in his bright radiant blue eyes.  His passion for life was noticeable.  He spoke fast and with exuberance when he had a thought to share.  His ability to carry on a conversation with someone and make them feel like they were the most important person in the world was a gift.  He did this with neighbors, strangers, and I’m sure he did this with his clients and coworkers.  This made Jerry very likeable and easy for him to make friends.  I think this trait is what attracted him to me on the day we first met (8/27/1983).

Tammy Harvey

8/26/2025

Sick and Tired

 Sick and Tired of Being Sick

Living alone can sometimes be lonely, but when I am sick it is especially so.  It all started as a really dull headache and pain behind my eye.  Allergies?  Sinuses?  I was still feeling well enough to go do things, but definitely not at my best.  After several days of this, a stuffy nose is added to the list, as well as a pain in my ear.  I am slowing down now, conceding to the fact that I am not well and must rest.  I spend time at home doing absolutely nothing.  After boredom sets in, I get outside to pull a few weeds but immediately find that it is not a good idea.  I binge watch some series, watch movies and documentaries.  I do my Diamond Art until I think my eyes will cross.  I pick up the Crossword Puzzle book and do page after page.  These activities are occupying but not too pleasant with a headache.  I take Tylenol and feel better.  I shop online!  I think I am over it, and the next day I will go to the pool to relax and take in the beautiful sunshine.  I have cabin fever at this point.  After all, it has been several days now. To my dismay, this activity puts me in worse shape, and I wake up with an earache on my other ear and a sore throat.  I “take to the bed” (couch) and sleep the afternoon away.  I am feeling a lot better.  I shop online!  It has been an entire week now.  I am sick and tired of being sick.  If I don’t die from this annoying sickness, I might die of boredom!  Summer sicknesses when the heat index is over 100 are absolutely the worst.  Everyone, take care of yourselves and try to avoid this virus, if you can.  You can still shop online though!

PS-I almost feel guilty writing this scenario because there are so many people I know who are right now battling illnesses so much worse and definitely more serious.  They are the heroes.   

Tammy Harvey  7/29/2025

Sand Dollar Treasure

 

Sand Dollar Seeker

I have always been a shell-seeking and shark tooth-seeking tourist when at the ocean.  I have small boxes of shark teeth that my family and I found during our vacation times.  I have spent hours on the shoreline examining the sand as the tide uncovered the tiny little black jewels or a beautiful seashell.  The shark teeth are very tiny but have a certain luster to them that make them identifiable, but it takes a keen eye.  The last few years I haven’t been very successful at all finding any of them.  This year, I went to Kiawah Island in SC with my son and his family.  At Kiawah, the water from the river meets the ocean to produce rather unique brackish tide pool formations.  To get to the ocean, one had to wade through a sometimes waist high tide pool.  At low tide the tide pools would be only about knee deep or less, which was ideal for my two-year old granddaughter to play in.  It was at this beach, however, that I discovered a new treasure to seek along the shore.  I found sand dollars!  They were plentiful, but not so much that it wasn’t a quest to find them.  Many of them were broken, as they are brittle and delicate.  Flat and sometimes partly covered in sand, they were a real joy to find.  These were 2–3-inch medallions with beautifully star-shaped adornment and five slits magnificently spaced.  These were not alive.  It is illegal to take live sand dollars from the beach.  In the course of a week, I found about 40 sand dollars, cleaned them and brought them home with me.  Seashells, shark teeth and now sand dollars are on my list of shore-seeking treasures!

Tammy Harvey  7/21/2025

I Wonder

 Today's is Ted's 34th Birthday.  I wanted to honor him by publishing a poem he recently wrote:

I Wonder

I wonder what my dad would say,

If he could see our family today.

Or the first thing that my memaw said to him,

When she passed away,

Or if they heard my prayers over them as they saw Jesus

Face to face.

Oh, I never wonder about His unchanging grace.

I wonder if my mother needs her mother when she is unwell,

Or if my uncle losing his twin brother stings like an unending

Ringing bell,

Or if my brothers want to talk about him as much as me,

Oh, I never wonder about His love for me.

I wonder if my grandad’s dementia is somehow a blessing,

Or if he starts each day without knowing and it is refreshing,

Or if he knows how much incredible faith he is showing,

Oh, I never wonder, when he passes, where he is going.

I wonder if my kids will think back on these times 20 years from now,

Or if they will still be looking ahead from life’s bow,

Or if God’s plan will change everything, no matter what He allows,

Oh, I hope they never forget how much they are loved.

I wonder what people do with grief without the Lord,

Bitterness is sure to rock people to the core.

For I am everlasting and eternally assured, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Written by: Ted Ross Harvey on  7/24/2025

The Sauna Saga

 

The Sauna

I grew up as a teenager in the 1970’s.  During that time, I was privileged to have access to my parents’ business, a “health spa”.  Back then, it was a place to work out with other amenities like a sauna and whirlpool.  I often went there to partake of the sauna and whirlpool, skipping the work out part.  It was a wet sauna, with the lava rocks that could be doused in water to produce steam.  Of course, the interior was made of that fresh-smelling wood, and I imagine it would have held 8-10 people comfortably.  The joke that was always told on me by my parents originated in that particular sauna.  I became friends with many of the members, very much my senior, because of my frequent visits.  Marion Brooks was one of those ladies who just happened to be in the sauna with me that day.  We had been in the sauna for a while when she said to me: “your cheeks are red” to which I replied, without hesitation, “which ones?”.  She thought that response was hilarious and proceeded to share it with my parents.  For decades that story was repeated over and over again.  It always began with “remember that time, when Tammy was in the sauna with Marion Brooks?”  I might as well record it here because my mom has passed and my dad is struggling with memory loss, so it may never be spoken again at this point.

In March of this year, I purchased my own sauna from Amazon for a reasonable price.  It is a single person sauna, 27” x 35” x 63”, reminiscent of a phone booth.  It was delivered to my home in a large box.  I assembled it myself, building it in my laundry room.  It is a far-infrared sauna which produces dry heat up to 148 degrees and has that sweet-smelling wood.  It also has a radio with surprisingly good speakers.  Now I sit there in solitude for a 20-minute session, remembering my time with Marion and listening to old classic songs from my youth.  After about 12-15 minutes, I begin to perspire profusely, and my heart rate goes up. Unfortunately, I don’t think this counts as cardio? I conclude my spa treatment with a cool, relaxing shower.  Now, I feel like a rejuvenated teen from the 1970’s! (not)

Tammy Harvey  7/21/2025  

Hope and Honey

 

Hope

“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.”  I read this quote by Robert Ingersoll recently in a book I purchased.  I was really inspired by that statement.  Hope is not just wishful thinking.  Biblical hope is not the same as optimism.  Jesus said that hope is built on faith, love and the promise of eternal life.  It is not based on worldly possessions or momentary circumstances, but on a relationship with Him.  Hope is the assurance of His promises and His character.  It is a confident trust He will do what he has promised to do.  That sounds like the definition of faith, but hope is the object of our faith.   Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”.  Hope is joyful expectations, not with fingers-crossed, but with a boldness.  To have hope is to be courageous.  One scholar writes that “hope” for those who don’t know Jesus is a verb, whereas, for the believer, it is a noun.  It’s not something we “do”, but something we “have”.   In Thessalonians 1:2-3 it says, “Having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech”.  In Romans 15:13, Paul says “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.  God himself is hope and has given us the Holy Spirit so we can abound in hope.  Abound means overflowing.  It is not a static condition, but a never-ending supply that is dynamic in nature.  In Psalm 23, “my cup overflows” suggests a generous and limitless provision. 
Referring back to the original quote, if we have hope, we have honey.  Even if we don’t have flowers, we have honey.  Honey in the Bible is a symbol of God’s abundance, His blessings and provisions for us.  The sweetness of honey signifies God’s grace and nourishment for our souls.  In Psalms 119:103, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”.    Proverbs 16:24 says “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”.  Proverbs 24:13-14, “Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:  If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”  Isaiah 40:31 “Those who hope in the Lord are promised renewed strength and the ability to persevere, even through difficult times.”

The next time you “hope” for something: for example, “I hope it doesn’t rain” or other nonsensical desires, remember that Biblical hope is different and can fill your cup limitlessly.

As the old hymn My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (On Christ the Solid Rock) proclaims:

My hope is built on nothing less,

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness,

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Tammy Harvey  7/17/2025

PS- I just realized that some of my favorite words begin with H:  Honesty, Humility, Honor, Hope, Health, and now Honey!

Can't Make this Up

 

The Universe Speaks

True confession: I am an avid thrift store shopper.  It destresses me to browse the aisles of a thrift store in search of a “treasure” that someone else has discarded.   One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, as they say.  You never know what you might find, and I think that produces a dopamine rush in the brain.  Unlike other stores whose inventory is predictable, the choices are new there every time.  I have several friends who also love to shop at thrift stores.  One of my friends, a fellow thrifter, had a Birthday and of course, I went shopping for her a gift at our local thrift store.  She would not mind receiving something that was not new, as these “finds” are more unique and usually not available in the typical retail stores.  These are vintage items that are nostalgic and uncommon, something she wouldn’t already have.  I thought I had found her the most perfect gift when I found a rather dainty decorative glass dish with a lid and a small matching saucer.  It was heavy and made of beautifully cut clear glass with a pretty yellow accent color.  I pondered about getting it and even left it there the first time, but I went back and purchased it after giving it some extra thought.  This is something she would like and probably doesn’t have already, I imagined.  I wrapped it up so it would not get broken and presented it to her at our weekly trivia night dinner at a local restaurant.  As she began to open the gift, a broad smile came upon her face, and she immediately asked her daughter to close her eyes.  She said how funny it was and that her daughter would tell us why when she saw it.  Slowly she opened each of the 3 pieces until she had the little dish on display.  Now her daughter opened her eyes, and they began to laugh.  My friend had actually donated this to the thrift store, and it had been in her daughter’s bathroom prior to that.  I had given her a gift that she had donated!!!  I was so embarrassed.  I wanted to become invisible at this point.  I never ever dreamed that she could have been the donor.  Honestly, I don’t think you could make up a better story.  Out of thousands of items to choose from, I had chosen the perfect “treasure” to her.  Apparently, the universe wanted her to keep this precious little glass dish.  And so, she did.

Tammy Harvey  7/15/2025

   

License to Steal

 

License to Steal?

In honor of Andrew’s 40^th Birthday, Ted and I drove to Charlotte on Saturday, June 28, for his birthday celebration.  It was the first road trip in my “new” car and Ted was my chauffer.  It was a short 155-mile trip, but the traffic was quite heavy.  We stopped once briefly to gas up in Pittsboro.  Ted was at the pump the entire time.  I didn’t get out until we reached Andrew’s home.  When I say he lives in downtown Charlotte, I mean the Bank of America Stadium is a 1.5-mile drive from his house.  We arrived there about noonish and decided to visit a while before going to explore some of Charlotte.  The party did not officially start until 5:00pm.  Around 1:30-2 pm Ted and I left.  Upon reaching the driveway, which is not visible from the front of the house, Ted exclaimed, “Mom, where’s your license plate?"  My license plate had vanished!  There were some deliveries during our stay, and we suspected  someone had stolen the plate.  Renee graciously checked the cameras they had and found no suspicious activity.  Lost or stolen, either way I had to make a police report.  I first called Raleigh, but they directed me to call the Charlotte police department.  I called the non-emergency line and gave the necessary information for the report.  The official gave me a report number to keep on my person; in case we were stopped on our way home.  I know my plate was on there on Friday because I had gone to the store and had opened/closed the trunk several times.  The plate had been attached by the dealership when I purchased the car.   It was my original plate from the car I traded in.  Could it just come loose and fly off the car on the interstate?  I find that highly unlikely, although it did only have two screws holding it on.  I have noticed since then that most people are driving around with only 2 on their plate.  We drove back that night, arriving home around 11:00 pm with no incidence.  We didn’t get stopped by the police, which was a big relief.  I looked on-line to identify what I needed to do to acquire a new plate.  I printed the required form and on Monday morning I was at the bank when it opened to have the form notarized.  From there I arrived at the Motor Vehicle office in Cary that specializes in car titles, registration and plates.  There were approximately 40 people ahead of me in line.  Surprisingly, it was only a 35–40-minute wait and I had my new plate!  I also purchased 4 plate screws from them.  I was determined not to ever have to go through this process again.  I put the new plate on in the parking lot with 2 screws.  When I returned home, I drilled two pilot holes into the black plastic bumper and added the other 2 screws.  It is completely secure.  I did note that the mounting was inferior to most cars I have had.  The four screws just attach to a very thin piece of plastic with no access to the backside.  This is the nicest car I have ever purchased, and yet it has the worse plate mount!  So, did the plate fall off, or did someone cleverly take it?  You decide. PS- I haven’t heard anything more from the police who would notify me if they found it.

Tammy Harvey  7/8/2025

The Cement Pond

 

Cement Pond

The “cement pond” located outside my dad’s apartment at his assisted living facility is a treat to behold.  It is located in a courtyard area, providing a beautiful aesthetic to the otherwise sterile patio.  The rectangular pool is approximately 20 ft long and 8 ft wide.  Cascading waterfalls flank each end of it like bookends.  Large rocks stacked strategically with water flowing from the top create a waterfall with a trickling sound which adds to the relaxing atmosphere.  The sound is reminiscent of the babbling streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The rocks are covered in a green mossy algae giving it a natural look.  The pond is inhabited by brightly colored koi fishes ranging in size from a few inches to a foot long.  Some of the koi are beautifully colored orange and white as if they represent the local Tennessee Volunteers sports teams.  The surface of the pond is almost entirely covered by glossy heart-shaped lily pads.  Other pond vegetation is also purposefully planted to make it more inviting.  The lily pads are sparsely dotted with the lushest grapefruit-pink water lily flowers.  These flowers are perfectly formed stars with a thick yellow center of petals.   The sun shines off of them, and they are absolutely gorgeous.  Some stand on sturdy stems a few inches above the water.  Each of these flowers last 3-5 days before fading and sinking.  The blooms generally open during the day and close in the late afternoon.  One more observation is clear to see in this most interesting pond.  A faux alligator, half-submerged, is placed on the rock along the side of the pool.  He is fairly realistic and could give a little fright, especially from a distance.  His job, however, is to keep birds of prey like hawks from taking fish from the water.  Between the babbling sounds of the waterfalls, the beautiful fish and flowers, and the adorable alligator, this pond is always fun to visit. What a wonderful addition to an assisted facility that elderly people call home. 

Tammy Harvey

6/25/2025

Origin of Idioms

 

Origins of Idioms

I’m a lover of the etymology of old idioms.  When I discover the origins of these old familiar sayings, I am tickled pink.  For example, the origin of “tickled pink” dates back to 1922 and alludes to a person’s face turning pink with laughter due to being tickled and therefore indicating pleasure or happiness.  Recently, while driving in the car with my eldest son, we encountered a roadkill being devoured by turkey vultures.  I immediately blurted out they were acting like a “duck on a Junebug” to which my son was puzzled.  Having never heard of that term before; I explained it to him.  The origin of this phrase is not definitively documented but of course, indicates the swiftness with which something occurs.  I’m sure my son would readily know what “barking up the wrong tree” implies since he is a hunter.  In the 19^th century the phrase was coined referencing a hunting dog that has treed a raccoon but has chosen to bark at mistakenly the wrong tree.  This phrase was quoted in stories and discussions as early as 1830s by well-known frontiersman, Davy Crockett.

 I always like to refer to my granddaughters as “cute as a button”.  Upon researching this phrase, I found that cute is short for “acute” meaning sharp-witted or clever.  Some theories see the phrase as referring to a button quail which is small and cute.  Others contend that the phrase is in reference to a flower (bachelor button).  In any case the saying is to all references describing someone who is small and appealing.  Buttons are often associated with neatness, orderliness and a sense of smallness. It most likely evolved from the English saying, “bright as a button”.  Buttons, especially military ones, were known to be polished and shiny and thus bright.

“Madder than an old wet hen” is one that I remember my mother using.  It originated in the Appalachian Mountains and referred to how angry a hen gets when doused with water.  Apparently when the hen was overprotective of their eggs and tried to deter the farmer from collecting them, the farmer would dunk the hen’s head into a bucket of cold water to make them comply.   “Road hard and put up wet” is another idiom I remember from my childhood.  This saying refers to a horse who is not allowed to cool down after working up a sweat while running.  Horses should have their saddles removed, receive grooming and be allowed to walk a bit before being housed.  This idiom is used to describe those that are overworked, ill-treated or neglected and not cared for properly.  This phrase was popularized by western singer Tennessee Ernie Ford.

I could probably go on for days about all of the different idioms I’ve heard, but I don’t want to beat a dead horse!

Tammy Harvey  6/13/2025   

An Unlikely Visitor

 

Unlikely Duck Visit

Sometimes after preschool pick-up, my son will bring his 2-year-old daughter by my house for a visit.  On this particular day, it was sunny outside and she, with her sun hat already atop her head, immediately requested that we go out to do bubbles.  My bubble machine was out there, and she knew it.  Unfortunately, the bubble supply had run out so we couldn’t fulfill her request.  She settled into playing in the bubbler fountain that is next to the patio.  As she splashed her hands in the water, an unusual thing occurred.  A female mallard duck came swooping in and landed in my courtyard only a couple of yards from the fountain.  I had never had that happen before.  After all, the area is fenced in and the only entrance for a duck is to fly there.  This mallard and her partner had been residing in the pond behind my house for weeks but never attempted to visit me.  My granddaughter was elated.  She pointed and began yelling “duck, duck”.  Her father encouraged her to go see the duck as it waddled its way around the courtyard.  The duck was not scared easily and neither was my granddaughter.  It remained with us for several minutes and gave us a delightful sight to see before flying over to the pond.  I wonder if the mama duck was looking for a place to nest.

Tammy Harvey

5/24/2025

Also, Happy 2nd Birthday to Nellie (6/17/25) today!

Like Climbing Mt Everest

 

Like Climbing Mt Everest

My youngest granddaughter is a very petite baby for her age.  She was born a month early and has hit all of her milestones, but she is the tiniest.  When she began crawling it was an “army crawl” using her elbows and feet to shuffle across the floor.  At nearly one year old, she has perfected that technique and can move at a fast rate of speed.  She also pulls up and stands up and probably will be walking soon.  Her latest show of strength is her ability to climb to the top of the flight of carpeted stairs in their house.  There is a total of 14 stairs to surmount.  There are seven, then a landing, a turn and another seven to the top.  With her mother following along behind her for safety, I recently watched a video of this new trick. She took the first 5 then looked back at her mom as if to say, “look at me!”  Her mother encouraged her by saying “keep going, you’re doing great”.  She giggled and cooed her way to the landing.  To accomplish her climb, she first put her hands onto the next step then her knees on the previous step would rise to her feet as she propelled herself on up.  With an occasional look to her mother for support she made it to the top!  I feel like she should have planted a flag at the top like she was ascending a mountain, because for her it had to seem like Mount Everest.  Way to go Hannah girl!

Tammy Harvey

5/24/2025

Graduation 2025

 

Another Proud Moment

I attended both of my grandsons’ graduations this week.  The older one “graduated” from the 2^nd grade and the younger from preschool.  The ceremonies were well thought out and honored the children and teachers.  All the hard work and accomplishments were celebrated.  My oldest grandchild, Charles, received a medal for “Dean’s List with Distinction” which meant he had all A’s on his report card all year.  This is a phenomenal achievement, and we are so proud of him.  He also won the superlative “most creative imagination” for his classroom.  All in all, I’d say it was a successful year for him. 

His brother, Grayson, was the front and center of his class’s performance.  He sang out with confidence and did all the hand motions to perfection.  They sang “Step by Step” and recited John 3:16. The highlight of the performance for me was a recitation they did about the “ABC’s of God” with coordinating hand signs.  I am sharing it with you:

The ABC’s of God

Almighty

Beautiful

Comforter

Dependable

Everlasting

Father

Good and

Holy is He!

Immanuel (repeat 2x)

Jesus is

King of Kings and

Lord of lords

Miracles, Meets our

Needs

One and Only true God

Prince of Peace

Quiets us (yes, He really quiets us)

Rescues us (repeat 2x)

Jesus has

Saved us from our sins!

Treasure of the

Universe

Valuable and

Wonderful

X-alted One

Yes, God’s Son

Zillionaire!

We declare

JESUS IS LORD!

Grayson and Charles will be attending the same school together next fall.  I know their parents won’t miss the double drop-offs and pick-ups they experienced this year.

Tammy Harvey

5/24/2025

 

Fly a Kite

 

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

The old idiom “go fly a kite” is directed to someone who is annoying, and the words are asking them to go away.  In other words, leave me alone!  But “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” invokes a totally different image.  In the movie “Mary Poppins”, Dick Van Dyke sings a lovely, jovial song about flying a kite, together with his family.  My experience recently is certainly the latter of the two sayings. 

At the beach last week, my nearly two-year old granddaughter was experiencing a trip of her lifetime.  She was enjoying playing in the sand and swimming in the tidepools at Kiawah Island, SC.  This is a fearless little girl who will try everything yet cautiously.  She is brave.  She firmly held a hermit crab but pointed to the jellyfishes lying on the shore and shouted, “no touch”.  Her ability to comprehend is astounding, and she is just getting her own voice to speak in sentences.  I brought a kite with us on this trip, specifically for her to watch it fly.  The wind was strong and constantly blowing at the spot we resided at the ocean.  On the second or third day of our trip, I remembered to bring out the kite.  I struggled to put it together properly and could not get it to fly at first attempt.  I put it aside, disappointed that the colorful butterfly kite was a bust.  She really wanted it to go “up, up, up” and so did I.  Her uncle came to the rescue and corrected the mistake in the assembly.  The kite promptly went sailing high into the sky.  My granddaughter was mesmerized.  It certainly created the response I had hoped for. 

At some point, my son suggested allowing her to fly it on her own.  I was skeptical because the wind was strong, and it tugged pretty hard on the string.  He put the kite string holder in her hand and her little fingers made a fist around it.  She hung onto it like a professional.  She did it all by herself for a very long time.   It was a proud moment for all of us.  The joy that she had flying it on her own was soaring, pun intended.  It was the best $10 I had ever spent.

Tammy Harvey

5/23/2025    

40th Wedding Anniversary

 

Would of, Could of, Should of

I have found as my years of wisdom have accumulated, there can be no “what-ifs”.  Today would have been my 40^th Wedding Anniversary, if my husband had survived.  As it were, we had 33 years of marriage.  There are many "would of, could of and should of" feelings that arise when you lose someone so suddenly.  We had 9 months to prepare, but that isn’t really long enough to do or say what you really want to do or say.  There is much numbness in the anticipation of an impending death.  Acceptance of the situation brings about peace.  If I go back and consider the “what-ifs” it just introduces scenarios that weren’t meant to be.  God’s plan has a purpose.  We had three beautiful children and thirty-three years as a family.  I reside in that fact. 

Tammy Harvey

Married to Jerry Harvey on May 25, 1985   

Memories never Die

 

A Memory

The old gentleman sat on the worn floral sofa as he had for the last 60 years.  His face was solemn as he peered into the kitchen.  All was quiet.  She had prepared his last meal there and her passing was deeply felt.  His heart felt broken, but he smiled as he envisioned her there at the counter with her apron covered in flour, making her mother’s fried pie recipe.  It was her blueberry-filled fried pies that she loved to make for others.  They were flaky with just the right amount of crunch.  A pinch of salt, a portion of sugar and a whole lot of love went into each one.  As she would brush her hair aside with the back of her hand, a smudge of flour residue was left on her face.  He almost chuckled at that thought.  It truly was a labor of love as she carefully rolled out the dough and cut it into triangles.  She then placed a generous dollop of homemade blueberry jam onto the flattened triangle and placed another triangle atop of the jam.  She took her fork and sealed along the edges all the way around each one.  Not only were they delicious, but her pies were charming.  After all the pies were assembled, she got her cast iron skillet hot with sizzling butter.  The pies were fried to perfection. The buttery pastry would melt in his mouth and the sweet blueberry filling would burst forth onto his tongue.  He remembered how they had gone together to pick the blueberries at a local farm together and it warmed his heart.   He saw that only two fried pies of the last batch she had made remained on the platter under the dome.   He knew they were the very last ones.  The sun streamed in on the lovely pies, and he knew just what he would do.  The minister was coming over for a visit soon.  He would brew some coffee, and they would each have a fried blueberry pie.  It would be a special tribute to her, as she would have wanted him to share them.  Afterall, he still had the memories associated with the fried pies.  That memory will never go away.

Tammy Harvey

5/19/2025   

A Collection

 

A Collection

Why do I find myself having such an attraction to antique figurines?  These are mostly Victorian depictions stamped on the bottom with a red “Japan” or “Made in Occupied Japan”.  They are usually brightly painted and many have gold trimmings that attract my eye.  Some would find them gaudy or even ugly, but I find them charming.  They are a piece of history. I suppose that is my infatuation.  It was certainly a different time.  “Occupied Japan” refers to the period between 1945-1952 when Allied forces, primarily the United States occupied Japan after World War II.  The occupation of Japan was led by General Douglas MacArthur.  It involved the implementation of reforms and policies to demilitarize and democratize Japan.  This is fascinating.  I am in awe that these figurines made during this time are still around and generally I find them perfectly intact without chips or breakage.  They are commonly on the shelves at thrift stores.  It is like a treasure hunt I suppose.  I have dedicated a curio cabinet to house these particular finds.  My collection is growing as there seems to be no shortage of these goods.  Some of them are tiny, but the detailing on all of them is exquisite.  Some have a bisque finish while others are glossy.  Some are accompanied by animals such as horses, dogs or even a pig.  Others feature musical instruments being played or dancing.  I even have a few that were my grandmother’s.  They sat on her what-not in the corner my entire childhood.  They bring me joy.  I hope you have a collection that brings you joy, as well.

Tammy Harvey

5/1/2025     

The Passing

 

The Passing

On Mother’s Day 2025, I feel the need to write about my mother.  Just 3 months ago she went to her heavenly home.  At 91, when asked what her secret to her longevity was, her response was “hard work”.  I would have to say that she could work circles around me even in her 80’s.  She was born during the Great Depression on a farm where hard work was both necessary and expected.  She raised my sister and me to do chores.  One of us would be required to dust and the other would vacuum, clean our bathroom and keep our rooms tidy.  She was quite particular about the way a job was done.  It needed to be thorough and not “half-ass”.  When we were old enough to mow with the riding lawnmower, she gave us the task, and she trimmed the edges with a push mower to form a nice square for us.  I did the backyard, and my sister did the front.  My mother would run after us yelling to get the full strip, the width of the mower blade.  She was particular.  In fact, she never let us do the laundry, because she had “her way”.  Some clothes went in the dryer and others had to be hung up after the wash.  The light and dark clothes were meticulously separated.  I did my own laundry once I went off to college.  My mother got us up in the wee hours of the morning in the summer to trim along the curb in front of the house.  She had to do it before it got too hot.  With her mattock she would chop all the centipede grass runners along the curb, and we would come in behind her with a broom and bag to pick up the trimmings.  I remember complaining profusely as a teenager about this activity.  My mom was tough and there weren’t many tasks she could not tackle.  Her determination and positive spirit got her through many health challenges later in life: breast cancer, mastectomy, chemotherapy, a stroke, heart arrhythmia resulting in a pacemaker, lymphedema, a cardiac stent, knee replacement, hip replacement, etc.

It was her body that was worn out.  Her mind was still quite sharp until the last breath.  Her health had been failing her the entire year of 2024.  She had one urinary tract infection after another.  She began retaining fluid, especially in her arm with lymphedema.  She fell several times even with the use of a walker.  She was miserable.  I knew she was not well when I went for my surgery on January 21, 2025.  It was elective surgery to have my right breast removed. (I had breast cancer/mastectomy in the left breast diagnosed in September 2023.)  I had scheduled surgery in August and had been anticipating it for months.  I waited until January because I turned 65 and went on Medicare then.  I had the option.  Do I go forward with my surgery or postpone because of mom’s health issues?  I decided to have the surgery, and my mother was admitted to the hospital the very next day.  I’m in NC and my mother is in TN.  Fortunately, I have an angel of a sister who was there with her the entire time.  I had a 10-day to 2-week recovery with a drain tube.  My post-op was February 3.  I couldn’t fly with the tube in.  I had another critical decision to make.  Do I drive there, come back to get the tube out, then return to TN again?  I decided to wait and go to TN on February 4.  For 2 weeks, the nephologist worked with my mother to try to jumpstart her kidneys.  She was in kidney failure.  It was hard to wait to see her, but it had been my decision.  On February 5, two of my sons drove me to TN.  By this date, the doctors had done all they could do, and her kidneys did not respond.  We knew her destiny.  It is a 7-hour drive and as we drove along, my sister would ask our ETA.  Apparently, my mother was requesting to know.  At one point, I saw a text message come up on the screen in the front seat where the GPS was displayed.  It was written only to  the boys from my sister.  I immediately asked what she was telling them that I wasn’t privy to.  My son handed me his phone.  My mother had told my sister she was dying but was trying to hang on until we got there.  I wrote back and asked my sister to tell her that it was okay to go, if she needed to.  I would understand.  She was stubborn and determined, as usual, and when we arrived at 5pm she was still alert.

Her breathing was not good, and she coughed a lot.  We visited her and made some Facetime calls with other family members.  We said our “I love you’”.  At one point I asked her if she had seen Jerry (my husband who passed in 2018) and she replied, “not yet”.  At 10 pm, we asked the nursing staff to please give her something to make her comfortable.  She was given morphine and after that, she was never responsive again.  Her death was imminent.  It was just a matter of time.  I stayed with her that night.  She was restless and still seemed uncomfortable.  The next day she went under Hospice Care.  The morphine increased and she began to breathe easier.  My sister stayed overnight on Wednesday, and the Hospice nurse was to return the next day, but didn’t expect her to make it through the night.

To their surprise, but not ours, she was still hanging in there on Thursday morning.  We told them that she does things her way and that her death was no different.  She is not predictable.  On Thursday night, we decided to leave her alone.  One of us had been with her 24/7 since Monday and thought she might need some time alone to sort out her own passing.  At this point, she was sedated, but peaceful.  It is both a mental and a heart preparation to leave this earth and I knew she was making herself ready.  On Friday morning, we found her still breathing but her breath was shallow.  My sister and I, two of my sons, watched as the distance between each breath grew longer.  At noon, she drew her last one.  On February 7, she left this hard-fought life for a place of true peace. 

We miss you, Elizabeth Julia Ann Langston Paschal!

Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day.  5/11/2025

Day By Day

 

Day by Day

A strand of pearls is made by placing one pearl at a time,

A precious creation.

A brick wall is built by laying one brick at a time,

A strong foundation.

 A marathon starts with the first step, then one at a time,

A test of endurance.

A soaking rain falls for hours, a raindrop at a time,

A blessed assurance.

A fortune is made one dollar at a time,

A source of giving.

Gray hairs are earned one year at a time,

The price of living.

Day by day, by day, by day,

God loves us in every way.

(Now just read every other line to see what the Lord has for you:)

A precious creation.

A strong foundation.

A test of endurance.

A blessed assurance.

A source of giving.

The price of living. 

Tammy Harvey

5/1/2025

Ducks on the Pond

 I'm a day late.  My apologies.

May Day, May Day

Behind my house is a retaining pond, sometimes the water is low and other times it is filled to the brim.  It all depends on the weather, as with any pond.  When rain is lacking, the marsh-like grasses are prominent along the bank.  The mud is dry and crusty, and the wind moves the grasses in a gentle sway.   When it is filled to the brim, the water is glistening and bright, reflecting the sun’s rays.  Either way it is a beautiful site.  Either way it is a small retreat for wildlife to come and enjoy.  There are turtles basking in the sun on any given day.  Canada geese find their way to this watering hole and enjoy its offerings.  I have seen river otter frolicking in this relatively small body of water.  I have spotted a variety of ducks who come and go.  Most recently, however, a male and female mallard have taken up residency at the pond.  The male is all colorful and majestic with his emerald-green head and white-ringed neck.  The female is dull in color but still sports a beauty in her graceful movement.  They spend their days dipping their heads into the water in a process of foraging for food called dabbling.  They are no doubt going to raise a family.  Nevertheless, they find that only a couple of hundred yards away from the pond is a swimming pool.  It is off-season, so no humans are swimming, and the water is clean and fresh.  Like any other couple, they probably want a vacation to a lovely resort, away from their daily routine.  These mallards make their way up the hill, across the road, through the fence, and into the swimming pool!  What a site to see.  How surprised the on-lookers are to see a couple of mallards in the pool!  It is only a short-lived visit, and they return to their natural habitat.  This morning, they were happily foraging in the pond with their heads underwater and their bottoms in the air.  They may have thought the grass was greener on the other side of the road but soon found that they were exactly where they needed to be:  in the pond oasis behind my house!

Tamm Harvey

05/01/2025

Quite Precocious

 

Grayson, the Conversationalist

My five-year-old grandson, Grayson, is a laid back, go-with-the-flow, second-born child. As a toddler, he was slow to speak, and his mother was worried.  Then when he started talking, he never stopped! He lost his first tooth on April 1^st.  He made sure to tell the waitress at the restaurant about it in detail at Sunday lunch.  He loves humor and can tell jokes quite well.  He is always saying things that need to be written down. In particular there is a saying that he uses if his mother or his baby sister is crying.  He has a compassionate soul and gets right up into their faces to say: “It’s okay, we never don’t love you.” 

He reminds me so much of his dad, my middle son, when he was little.  They are both very personable, very confident and very funny. With blonde hair and big blue eyes and an innocence that only a child can express, it is delightful to hear what he will say next.

He once told me that a “googol” is a one with 100 zeros after it.  I sometimes wonder if he is a mathematical prodigy.  His ability to manipulate numbers, add or subtract, is amazing.  He also just spontaneously started to read a few months ago.  With no teaching or training, it just seemed to come to him naturally.  He is quite precocious for a little fellow.

Tammy Harvey

4/8/2025

Our Loss, Heaven's Gain

 

The Loss of a Matron

I have lost my mother, I knew I one day would,

 She died just like she lived:  courageous and assured, 

I’m not selfish enough to want her to linger here in agony, 

I know she has a place of peace that one day I will see, 

She, at 91, had lived a full and caring life,

For 73 years, she was my father’s wife, 

She was a successful businesswoman, far surpassing her education,

She had moxie that spurred her diehard determination, 

She was a hard worker, like no one I have ever seen, 

Her energy was contagious, if you know just what I mean,

She was a people person and could read the room quite well,

I loved how much she laughed and the stories she could tell,

She led by example and made her expectations known,

Kind but stern; there was confidence in her tone,

She was always resilient, enduring many of life’s trials,

Her positivity was admirable, giving away her joyous smiles,

As Mother’s Day approaches, a large void will be there,

Our first one without her, and painful hearts we will share,

But I’m happy for my mother to be resting peacefully in glory,

We are all proud of her and her amazing life story.

In Memory of (Elizabeth) Julia (Ann Langston) Paschal

On this earth October 12, 1933- February 7, 2025

Tammy Harvey

4/8/2025

So, it is April

 Oops! Did I say I'd be back in March.  Well, March has come and gone.  I am trying to get some writing done to continue my blog, but the well has run dry.

The creative creek has been running dry,

I am not sure I can explain why,

It's kind of like telling the sky to rain,

There is a drought within my brain,

It's not like dropping a bucket into a well,

Or turning on a faucet, as far as I can tell,

Creative writing comes to me,

Like an unexpected storm or a blooming tree,

I can't make it thunder or control the timing,

I guess you'd say, I'm at a lost at rhyming,

My goal is to continue to produce for the blog,

I just have been like a knot on a log.

Tammy Harvey  

Break Time

 Taking a Break....  Stay Tuned...  Be back in March!  Tammy

A Cup of Water

 A Simple Cup of Water

I was flying non-stop to Raleigh from Nashville, TN via Southwest Airlines.  I had been at the airport for a few hours and once we boarded, I had an incredible thirst.  My throat was dry, and I sat there wishing I had purchased bottled water.  I had chosen the second seat on the aisle, so the flight attendant was readily available.  I debated about asking for a cup of water then finally I caught her attention with the motion of my hand.  She came to me, and I politely asked her.  She asked me if I had medication to take.  I said, ‘no ma’am”.  She said that she wasn’t allowed to give me water on the ground unless I had medication to take.  Well, then they held our loaded airplane at the gate for the arrival of 11 passengers whose connection had landed late and were in the airport.  They were giving them time to get to our gate which I thought was very nice of Southwest.  I had never gotten that consideration from American Airlines as I have run through the Charlotte airport to catch a connection only to find they had just closed the doors.  Missing a flight through no fault of my own has become a pet peeve of mine.  It wasn’t going to make our original flight late because we had a tailwind.  The pilot said to allow about a 15-minute delay.  Well, the passengers arrived, but another delay was announced because their luggage had not made it over from the other gate.  The pilot said maybe another 7 minutes.  At that point, the flight attendant came to me carrying a full cup of water.  She said, “Here is your water to take your medication”.  I guess I wasn’t smart enough to say I had medication to take or maybe I’m just too honest, but I was so happy that the flight attendant was so accommodating.

Tammy Harvey  Jan 2025

The Rocks Cry Out

 

Don’t Miss It

The rocks will cry out.  In Luke 19:40 Jesus describes how if the people stay silent the rocks will praise Him.  This was in response to his entrance into his own city of Jerusalem.  It echoes the sentiment of Psalm 19 that declares “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands”.  I see so much of the majesty of God in nature.  Some things in nature are so overwhelmingly beautiful that it takes my breath away. How do I view a beautiful sunrise without feeling the splendor of God?   The intricacies of nature and the animal kingdom are astounding and hard to fathom.  How do I witness the birth of any creature and not feel the awe of God?  He is the creator of all things and even if a person had no knowledge of Him, the beauty in nature declares His glory.  All around us, evidence of the Almighty God is apparent.  It is in the seasons, the tides and the way our plants grow.  It is in the stars in the night sky.  It is in the depths of the ocean.  It is a vast array of beauty that cannot be ignored.  It is in the symbiosis of all living things.  Dare we take credit for any of it?  We are but a minute part of the whole.    We cannot deny the power of the wind, the rain and the storm.  Who calms the storm and sends the rainbow afterwards?  Who hasn’t looked up in awe at a colorful rainbow covering the sky and not found joy?  If the rocks will cry out, how much more should we praise Him for the beauty of the Earth.  “For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies”, For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies, Lord of All, to Thee we raise, This our Hymn of Grateful Praise”. (For the Beauty of the Earth, hymn written by Filliott S. Peirpoint in 1864.) We are but travelers, and our journey here is brief.  May we not miss the splendor that has been set before us.  I encourage you to stop what you are doing and set aside some time to enjoy nature and the beauty that lies therein.  Go outside and be in awe of the wonderful miracles occurring every day:  The grass grows, the birds sing, the leaves flutter down from the trees, etc.  Don’t miss it.

Tammy Harvey

12/19/2024