O Give Thanks

When the seagrape tree in the front yard became heavy with large, thick bunches of grapes, my brother looked at the sky. He pointed at the wispy, high altitude clouds and told me that we would have an active hurricane season. The fact that the tree was heavy -laden with fruits, he said, supported that idea. However, when he told me the storms would take the seagrape harvests, I did not laugh. I claimed Malachi 3:11. The harvest was so rich that we could pick seagrapes in the morning and afternoon!

As for the storms, I shared my dreams.After Rita we joked about what would happen if there were more storms than names. We found out that the Greek alphabet would be used for names. My brother said there would be Hurricane Gamma. I told him about Hurricane Epsilon and gave a warning that it should not come in from the south. All the dreams I had showed flood water. In one dream, only the top of a horse's back could be seen. A horse appears taller than both of us. We laughed at the idea of Gamma and Epsilon; but now it is no joke. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a hurricane with a name that is a Greek letter. Worse still is that Epsilon would be a December storm. While I did not pay attention to storms in the past, I have since discovered that hurricanes have formed after the end of the hurricane season.
Will we end with Epsilon, Zeta or Lambda?

For what are you thankful?

Since I believe in God and the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, I have countless reasons to be thankful. David in Psalm 103:2 says to forget not all His benefits.

Recently I composed this poem.

Thank You God
for beauty
flowers so fair
birds in the air
people who care.

Thank You God
for rocks
darting fish
fruits in a dish
for granting my wish.

Most of all, I thank God for His help in my time of distress. The computer technician cleaned my computer and I could not find the CDs so that he could reinstall the programs he removed during the process. Among them were Print Artist and Photo Impressions. I am the editor of a Christian monthly publication so I was concerned for the subscribers. I asked God if He was still interested in me producing the newsletter or if I should refund the subscription costs. God is so serious! While I did not find the CDs, I found a newsletter: God Is Love- the first for 2005. Somehow He did not want me to forget! I have been working on two issues as I am behind with publishing.

A new day has dawned (12:20 A.M.) and I look forward to completing the (hard copy) newsletters and printing them for distribution. There is always a group of peoople whom God sends across my path to ask me about the newsletter and request a copy I thank God for them. He puts the thoughts in their mind to give me a gentle reminder.

Today provided significance because of a health matter. In fact, it was an awakening regarding my health. Have you ever felt safe then had a rug pulled from under you? Let me employ a flashback.
In July 2005 I looked forward with enthusiasm to my morning jaunts in nature. First, the walks served a dual purpose. The Ripple of Love Plan included nature and scope for my hobbies. While I enjoyed a one mile plus hike along the coast, I photographed scenic beauty and marine life. Writing poetry is my forte; but the walks allowed me to develop prose ideas.

During one trip I accumulated over two hundred photographs. Another journey netted a little more. What fascinated me is that some photos demonstrated the artistic flair of my younger brother. His art is exceptional; and when he takes a photograph he is aware of lighting and perspective as well as other factors. Additionally, he does not photograph the mundane. He believes the photograph must convey at least a thousand words! All of this came to an abrupt end one morning.

Have you ever experienced seafood or any food poisoning? Well, the negative is that even looking at a photo of fish recently provoked itching in my brother and me! Call it psychosomatic or whatever you will. We laughed at ourselves; but it was not funny. The positive aspect is that we became thirsty for good health. During the poisoning bout we tried different remedies and adjusted our diet. Our B12 dose was super in an effort to maintain energy- until I discovered a local distributor for Himalayan Goji. He was my nephew, a Physical Fitness Trainer at a local gym.

Today, I entered Phase 2 of the Health Quest through an awakening. Whenever I visit the doctor, my blood pressure zooms. One time I met a baby who had the same problem. I soothed her; and my blood pressure had a normal reading. Between Triage and the room where I saw the doctor, my pressure dropped by 30 (top number). I credit Goji or the fact that God intervened in answer to my prayer. It may have been both. But the bottomline is that the reading was too high. Even though I have lost weight, I have to lose more. There is a relationship between overweight and hypertension.

Well, I am ready to write my own book on how I conquered weight and a killer disease. The name is not evident yet; but the book is a reality. A search online told me that weight loss is a lucrative market. All the curious cats who want to know how it is done have to pay for the opportunity. What I know is that I did it(weight loss) before when I was in college; and I can do it again. Although I got only a C for my efforts, losing several dress sizes was a fitting reward. Even my Mom could not believe my size!

My first task is finding a juice extractor. Keeping an accurate food journal is not the challenge. What I write in the journal is vital. There are foods I have to eliminate and replace with others. Fruits and vegetables will be my mainstay. As a lacto-ovo-vegetarian (who ate fish sometimes) for umpteen years, meat is no problem. An exercise program is a necessity. It may mean walking home from work (1-3 miles).

Now that I am awake, how can I return to sleep? Who will join me on this health trek to fitness, weight loss and a normal blood pressure reading?

Tonight I feel elated and thankful. Tropical Storm Gamma skirted the Bahamas and Florida, dumping much needed rain and providing a cool temperature. The last hurricane that came through (Wilma) wreaked havoc on Grand Bahama and some of the other islands. Some settlements in Grand Bahama have disappeared and are merely memories. But the hurricane season is not over. It ends on 30 November 2005. However, one year, two hurricanes were bold enough to show their face in December! While I am thankful that New Providence was spared the ravages of a killer storm, my heart empathizes- shares the anguish and distress of those who lost everything.

The writer in me looks to God, the Source of our supply. He says that we should not forget the benefits. Look at the goodness of God and His mercies throughout the years. I thank God for flowers fair and birds in the air. One milky vine with an unknown name has exploded in the front and backyard. It has a white flower. Another vine with gigantic leaves is hugging the coconut tree. When I pass Ms. Clara's house, her essence remains in the aroma of jasmine.

As for birds, I cannot forget the royal blue one that perched on the old satellite dish and hopped so gaily on the porch's railing until I noticed it. Recently,the birds have been camera shy. They give me their back when I try to film them! But one, about the size of a finch, shook its yellow tipped tail then disappeared among the leaves of the seagrape tree. I watched, awestruck(or awestricken!)at its beauty and freedom. A binocular camera is high on my list.

Love ripple capsulizes a seven point plan which has been dubbed ripple of love. The plan was prefaced with a poem.."Watch the tiny ripple swirl in lithe dance.." However, since it is late, I will talk about that at another time. Stay tuned for prose, poetry and photos.