Fast Forward 30 Years

Today, the doors of college open to me again for the first time since 1979. Perhaps not your typical student, this new season of my life finds me returning to college after 30 years to finish my education. I guess you could say it was on my “bucket list.” My goal is to obtain a degree in psychology with a concentration in Christian counseling, as I have deep desire to more effectively counsel hurting women, borne perhaps from my own life experience, growth, and recovery.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to study on-line as a distance education student, something not available to me as a young person, even had I had the direction and focus to pursue a degree through completion. I will be attending Liberty University, the largest and fastest growing Christian Evangelical university in the world, founded by the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.

I am studying Introduction to Christian Thought and Development Psychology.

My Review of Seersucker Women's Plus Size Bigshirt with Shirring & Pleats by Mainstreet Blues®

Originally submitted at WomanWithin

Seersucker bigshirt with shirring and pleats looks so lovely. We provide the finest plus size blouses and plus size shirts for the price.

• button-tab sleeves to roll up or not
• patch pocket
• shirttail hem
• the highest quality casuals

Seersucker women's plus size bigshirt with shirring & pleats by Mainstreet Blues®

Not My Favorite!

By Woman Within from Knoxville, TN on 10/7/2009

3out of 5

Sizing: Feels too large

Length: Feels too long

Sleeve Length: Feels too long

Pros: Comfortable

Cons: Poor Fit, Washes Poorly, Wrinkles Easily, Oversized Sloppy

Best Uses: Casual Wear

This was not my favorite and I was disappointed. It was oversized and sloppy, and does not have any shape because it is so lightweight. Wrinkles way too easily. Wore it once and won't wear it again.

Tar's Sunday Morning Offering

Tar is a pretty lazy old dog. These days he doesn't do much but eat and sleep, so we were pretty surprised when we opened the door to let him in after his morning's constitutional this morning to find he had befriended a turtle on his way home. We were at first concerned for it's welfare, seeing as how it sat so still, head and limbs tucked securely inside its shell as turtles are apt to do. Closer examination revealed the turtle had fared quite well, no harm done; Tar must have carried him with care, although he guarded him on our doorstep as prey caught for the kill.

Gingerly placed back in the woods behind our house, surely the turtle will find his way back to his creek bed and Tar will eat his normal breakfast as usual.

For the Love of Chocolate!

Do you feel this way when you eat chocolate? This is my grandson Drake at his first birthday party. His expression speaks for chocolate lovers everywhere!

Fish . . . or Foul? A My Town Monday Post

This lovely, serene spot on Watts Barr Lake less than 1/2 mile from my Kingston, Tennessee, home might seem the idyllic place to rest, reflect, and fish.

We even caught these dozing turtles resting on a large log:

Then, we noticed the sign. Translation: Throw All Fish Back!

I wonder, were one to catch a catfish or a bream, would one risk eating it? Not I. Not even one meal per month. (The homophone in the title of this blog post was intentional; now you know why.)

Happy Easter!

Drake had a fever so he couldn't join us. He stayed home with mommy. Still, he was full of smiles and giggles even with his pink cheeks!

Mud Bath

I have heard that mud baths are great for rejuvenating and revitalizing the skin, total mind and body relaxation, and joint and muscle pain reduction. All the benefits of this luxurious spa treatment escaped me yesterday, however, when I took my own form of a mud bath.

That's right, just outside my front porch, I slipped in the mud and fell face down in the cold, gooey stuff. I was unable to stop the fall as my right leg slid out from under me, ultimately stretching as far as it would go before I hit the ground. When the shock wore off after a few seconds, I immediately felt the burning in the back of my right thigh, but I sort of dragged myself to the porch railing then limped up the stairs, chucking my muddy shoes on the porch before I entered the house.

What a sight I was! Mud from head to toe, I limped to the bathroom and put myself back together, but I was in pain. My dear, compassionate son, who's also a CNA, insisted on driving down from Oak Ridge (30 miles) to make sure I was okay. I was; no torn muscles, just overly strained (from never having been used, no doubt). Nothing was broken, either a testament to the soft muddy ground or my soft, flabby body. My thigh ached and I had to sit on the edge of the chair to avoid putting pressure on the bruised area. My son reminded me that he had suffered much worse traumas from playing soccer all those years.

I am better today; most of the pain has subsided and I can walk without limping. Now I can laugh about my mud bath. I don't think it's what Cleopatra had in mind. At least I can now say that I have learned to do the splits.

Don't expect pictures.