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Often I am not a good "waiter" and I don't mean serving food. I love to see spring come with all its new life and a "fresh start" for those of us looking for it. For some reason this new year it has been extra hard for me to wait---day after day dreariness seeps into my spirit and soul. I have asked the Lord to make be thankful for what He gives each day and I do well for a few days then the big blah arrives! On my way out to the pottery shop this afternoon, I saw two faithful friends also waiting for spring. I wonder will they be waiting a long time or do they have their seasons mixed up? Do they know that winter is not over yet? Or are they trying to bloom too soon? Here are my new friends, so much like me!!!
I believe that's how I am sometimes--waiting for something that I want with all my might, but then realizing I have to wait on the Lord's timing because His ways are perfect. So I will just sit back and trust Him to allow me to "bloom" when His time is right for me--He knows best! The season of Spring will come in the Lord's appointed time and the "Spring" in my life will also come at His appointed time.
This will be a quick post but a very special one. What a difference a year makes!!! One year ago today I was sitting in the recliner, at my oncologist, receiving my final infusion of Chemo. I was bald, weighed a puny 106 pounds and looked quite different than I do today. I never did get sick from the Chemo, just never had an appetite. I now have a healthy, full head of hair and I have put most of lost weight back on and my energy level increases each month. I AM BLESSED.
This a picture of me with two of my precious granddaughters, Elizabeth and Emery, who gave me a beautiful Breast Cancer Flag with that awesome Hope filled ribbon on it. This flag hung in our front flower garden all year, as a constant reminder that breast cancer can be beaten. I am living proof, one year later, I have been declared CANCER FREE.
A very special thank you to my incredible husband, Charles, who has walked every step of the "our" cancer journey together. He is always there with encouragement and anything that I needed. And believe you me, it has been a journey but how great is our Lord and how wonderful is His Mercy, Grace, Love, Healing and Protection over us. I love you, my Tiger, always your Kitten
Today, I would like to pay tribute to a very special man in our lives. My precious father-in-law, Charles B. Brown, Sr., Popo, who would have been 102 years old today--but he has the joy of celebrating this special day in Heaven. He went to be with his Lord May 9, 2005, at the age 95. What a man he was and what a life he lived.
When I first met Popo, a little over 50 years ago, it was "love at first site"--such a quiet and loving southern gentleman. He accepted me as his future daughter-in-law from the moment I met him and Memo at the airport in Orlando, over Christmas 1962. This was my first introduction to the whole Brown family. From the big hug and huge smile on his face as he greeted me, he won my heart and I knew that I had won his. After all, not just anyone could marry "his son" Charles B. Brown, Jr., and I was a Yankee from Chicago to beat all. Over that holiday, Popo introduced me to grits (which I thought were Cream of Wheat cereal), turnip greens (which I thought was spinach that had gone bad) and hush puppies which I loved but tasted like a northern version of corn fritters without the corn. Yes, this was my Big Debut to becoming a transplanted "Southerner". Charles literally had to translate for me during this visit, because Popo had this slow, southern drawl and I had a bit of trouble understanding it all. But I never had trouble loving this man "of few words" and when he did speak it was like E. F. Hutton--"everyone stopped to listen". He was a man of simple but great wisdom.
Popo loved his wife, daughter, son, his other daughter (me), his grandchildren and his great- grandchildren. At Christmas time, his birthdays and other special occasions, we would always give Popo some "spending money, to keep his pocket warm". He loved this. He would sit on the couch, flatten each bill out, count them and then hand to our son Rob and Popo's banker, for safe keeping until he left to go home. Thus the picture you are seeing below, I believe this was taken on Popo's last Christmas with us. This picture is from an album that our son Charlie, Heather, Conlan and Keegan gave Memo this past Christmas. That is Memo's 97 year old hand holding this album. They were married 68 years when the Lord took Popo home. What a priceless "keeper" this memory is for all of us.
Popo was a wonderful mentor and teacher, in my life. He taught me bait my first hook, with live shrimp. The only shrimp this Northern girl had ever seen were the ones fried to eat and laying on a plate, with french fries and cocktail sauce. He always took time out to find out what was going on in our lives--taking in everything around him but sometimes never speaking a word. But even then he taught me so much by example. He was an incredible Popo (Grandfather) to our grandchildren. He and Memo seldom, if ever, went to the beach for the day or a week-end, that the grandchildren didn't receive that exciting phone call saying, "pack your suitcase, we are headed for the beach, coming to get you!!" He was also Mr. Fix-It, not always quite the professional way, but the "Popo Fix It Way", as we still call it today. We had kidded that Popo went to Heaven with duct tape in one hand and WD40 in the other--probably to do some work on the "Pearly Gates"- the Popo way.
We miss you every day but would not want you back--we know that you are too busy helping out in Heaven and enjoying the presence of your Precious Lord and Savior. But I want to say to you Popo, thanks for accepting me just like I was, loving me more than any father could love a "daughter" and blessing me with your life. We could write volumes on this man who said very little but spoke so much through his life. Thanks for the "Memories", Popo, always your Lynne
Our very special son, Chris "Bubba", celebrates his 42nd birthday today. He is our third born son and was born on a sunny day in Orlando, Florida. From his very first appearance into this world, he has been a "special treasure". We called him our little love bug. He had a very shining love for everyone he met. He was fairly quiet when he was younger (he always had two older brothers to talk for him). He loved people and people loved him. He still has a real gift for "never meeting a stranger". Even now, he is soooo good to and with people--always a friend, loyal and true.
Today, he has grown into a fantastic young man, who loves his wife, Jenny and two children, Kayleigh and Jacob. He has always been a hard worker--he has worked since he was a pre-teen. When both Kayleigh and Jacob played sports, baseball, basketball and volleyball, he was always there, a lot of times coaching but always cheering them on. Chris enjoys cooking and grilling-out and often he cooks dinner for his family. He loves to make french toast for breakfast on Saturdays--a real family man!!
He is active in the church and for many years, played the role of Jesus in our Easter musicals. No one could play the role like him. I remember one particular Easter and it was at the part where the nailed him to the cross--I heard the sound of the hammer with those nails going in his hands and feet and the sword piercing his side (symbolically) and I just wept and wept. Then all the lights were out in the church except for the one shining on the cross, Chris' (as Jesus) eyes began to gaze at the people from one side of the church to the other--at one point his eyes were fixed on me--and I almost felt like Mary must have felt, seeing her Son on that cruel cross. That moment actually took my breath away. Such compassion, such love, such mercy, such grace and such humility. That's our Chris.
Our family is all about "memories memories". So starting this year as each of our children, their spouses and their children (our grandkiddos) celebrate their birthdays, I am going to share a little bit about them. Angela, one of our wonderful daughter-in-loves (Randy's wife) had her birthday last week. Bless her heart, she was not feeling well and I think her celebration will come later on.
Now I want to share about the joy that Angela is in our lives. She is always so caring, concerned about each one in our family. She has such a tender heart and has a real gift of a "listening ear" and "compassionate spirit". She rejoices when we rejoice and she weeps when we weep. Her job as a nursing supervisor is very stressful, as she works in an extended care facility on the week-end shift. But she takes most things there in stride and has such a love for her patients and employees.
She is an incredible wife and mother. She loves our Randy so much and their precious "gift from the Lord", daughter Aniston. So I am posting a picture of Angela at Aniston's 3rd birthday party the first of December this past year. Aniston had a "Hello Kitty" party and what fun it was. When it came time to light the candles and sing happy birthday, Aniston slid down in her chair and hid. But on went the singing and Aniston finally came up to blow out her candles. As Angela was cutting Hello Kitty cake, Aniston proceeded to pick off first Hello Kitty's nose and ate it (all of these were sugar pieces), followed by both eyes, all the whiskers and was headed to the large pink bow on Miss Kitty's head. Angela to Aniston. "don't you think that you have had enough?" Aniston to Angela, "I don't think so!!" With that Angela lifted off the candy bow and Aniston popped 1/2 of the bow in her mouth and then turned to her mommy and this was the thank you kiss you are seeing. A kiss filled with icing and pink bow, but most of all filled with LOVE!! What a very special "daughter" you are to us, Angela.
I am so grateful to be able to announce my new blog to all of you. With the patience and fantastic help of my blog designer (see below), I am able to communicate all of the "wonders of my life" to all of you. It has been a very trying, sometimes stressful past nineteen months for me and Charles. But we have come through victorious and WE ARE BLESSED BEYOND WORDS AT THE LORD'S FAITHFULNESS TO US. There will be so much more to come on this site, but just had to let you know that we are in the "land of the living" again. It feels sooooo good!!!
In the next few week I will be adding another blogspot site called Butterfly Creek Pottery Studio, where our pottery creations will be featured and can be purchased. We will let you know when this is ready. Thanks for all your encouragement and prayers through these past months and years. Blessings, Lynne
This a picture of me with two of my precious granddaughters, Elizabeth and Emery, who gave me a beautiful Breast Cancer Flag with that awesome Hope filled ribbon on it. This flag hung in our front flower garden all year, as a constant reminder that breast cancer can be beaten. I am living proof, one year later, I have been declared CANCER FREE. 
He is active in the church and for many years, played the role of Jesus in our Easter musicals. No one could play the role like him. I remember one particular Easter and it was at the part where the nailed him to the cross--I heard the sound of the hammer with those nails going in his hands and feet and the sword piercing his side (symbolically) and I just wept and wept. Then all the lights were out in the church except for the one shining on the cross, Chris' (as Jesus) eyes began to gaze at the people from one side of the church to the other--at one point his eyes were fixed on me--and I almost felt like Mary must have felt, seeing her Son on that cruel cross. That moment actually took my breath away. Such compassion, such love, such mercy, such grace and such humility. That's our Chris.
