Happy Birthday John

Saturday - January 22, 2011

For 58 years, 6 months, and 14 days you were my brother to whom I could read like a book; I felt your pain and joy; I rejoiced with good news and cried with sad news; I was happy when you found Laurie and gave me my first niece - Dawn; then you added JD and Lindsay to your family. Oh how happy and proud you were of your kids!!!! Then the grandchildren came along . . . oh what a proud grandfather you were!!! You loved your family so very much, and in return they loved you just as much!!!!

Even though you moved away from Huntington, you were always in my heart, and I thought of you and your lovely family daily. January 22 has become a sad day for me - not because I will be a year older, but because I won't hear your voice! It was always a race to see who would call whom first. If I were honest - which I shall be - you were ahead in the race! :):) I love you John and miss you terribly!! We all do!!! There have been a lot of "John stories" being retold whichhas brought smiles and laughter to our family!!!

Happy Birthday my dear brother . . .I LOVE YOU!

Pictures of the "first" set of Layne twins

We were approximately 3 months old . . .

. . .about 6 months old . . .

. . . our grandfather Layne who loved having his picture taken with the twins . . . we were about 18 months old . . .

. . . toddlers around 28 months old . . .

. . . here we are at about 5 years old . . .

. . . Olan Mills pic when we were 6 . . .

. . . we were about 7 . . . missing teeth . . . :):) . . .

. . . Happy Birthday . . . 1970 . . .

. . . instructions for Pappaw on how to hold the grand-baby - Courtney . . .

. . . sibling love . . .

. . . August 17, 1996 . . .

John, we all love you and miss you so very much!

Happy Birthday John

Being Crafty

Monday - January 10, 2011

I was raised in a home where working with your hands was a way of providing for your family as well as making gifts for family, friends, and friends of friends. My grandfather worked with wood as well as growing one of the biggest gardens I have ever seen. He had three different spot on the farm in which he would grow vegetables that would be harvested and stored for the winter. My grandmother preserved the vegetables as well as sew and crochet clothes and other items used around the house. It was their way of life, and it was something they passed on to the next two generations.

As a young girl, I remember helping my grandparents with the garden, canning, and harvesting of the vegetables. Dink, John, and I would go up and spend most of the summer with them to help. We have many great memories of spending the summer with our grandparents. I would watch my grandmother crochet after all the work was completed. I apparently showed an interest in crocheting, and Mammaw started teaching me the art of crocheting.

After getting back home, Mom took over the teaching me how to crochet. Crocheting is an art that I am afraid is about to fade away. Technology, albeit the TV, computer, XBox, or Wii, is taking over the younger generations "free" time. I am so thankful that my grandmother and mother taught me to crochet.

Crocheting is not the only craft that I have taken an interest. I also do cross-stitching, plastic canvas, beading, and soon will try my hand at quilling! Since retiring my evenings now may be filled with me crafting instead of non-stop and never completing grading essays, daily work, and test for well over a hundred students. Ahhhhh, I do not miss that part of my job!

The following pictures are of some of my endeavors at being "crafty!"

A counted cross-stitch of a Victorian Santa . . . using 21- count fabric and beads for a "snow-effect look.

One of the first things I do is to get the materials out that I think I might use when beading!

Next, I organize the materials I finally decide to use, and then put them in my little containers.

One of my finished projects . . .

A couple more finished projects!

I crocheted some capes and hats for some little ones . . . pink ones . . .

. . . a variety of different colored hats . . .

. . . some had a scarf to go with them . . . one year for Christmas I made more than 40 sets for family and friend . . . whew . . .

. . . using cotton thread I crocheted dishcloths . . .

. . . another pink cape and hat . . .

. . . a red set . . .

. . . a white set . . .

. . . a different style of cape with a matching hat . . .

. . . and one of the easiest and fastest projects is the making of coasters and hot pads . . . one day soon, I hope to make matching place mats!

Another thing I love to do is read!!!! Many will say that is because you were a teacher . . . an English teacher of all thing . . . which is what I should love to do! I had a love for reading long before I became a teacher! I can remember going to bed with a flashlight so I could read well into the night. When Mom went to bed . . . we all were to be in bed! :):) I love reading my devotional books, and then looking the verses up in one of our Study Bibles; I also love historical fictions, and certain biographies!!

All of these are things I do when staying with Mom; having a need to keep calm; and when I want to try and make something special for the special people in my life!! I hope the recipients know that all was made with love . . . the same kind of love my grandmother and mother used when they made these special gifts!

Our Wish for You - 2011

Saturday - January 1, 2011

2011 is officially here. Many of us make (and eventually break) New Year’s resolutions. We make them knowing deep down that we more than likely will not follow through with them for the entire year. Life seems to get in the way! A friend of mine posted a Happy New Year’s wish she had come across and shared with all her friends on FB. I asked her if I could borrow it and she told me she that it was one that had been written and shared with others, but the author was unknown and that it was fine with her! Thank you Sonja for posting this!

It seems as we get older, we tend to experience more loss and sadness – especially when you have a large extended family to which you are close. As we get older, I believe we start really understanding that we are not invincible and that life cannot and should not be taken for granted. It doesn’t just happen to other people; it can and does happen to us as well.

For the past 20 years we have lost grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and siblings. Even though we know they are now in a far better place and that they are rejoicing with the angels, it hurts – sometimes it hurts so much – especially around the holidays and birthdays. This past year was no exception with our loss. We lost loved ones, and we loss our faithful companion who had been with us for over fourteen years. We both still miss him very much each and every day.

2010 did bring some stability and happiness to some of our loved ones! David is now the Pastor of First Baptist Church Bedford, OH; Cora is going to become a big sister in June, 2011; Jeni is getting to be a stay at home mother; Bill’s surgery was a success with no sign of cancer; and Mom celebrated her 90th birthday in February.

What will 2011 bring? God is the only one who knows the answer to that question. Each day we are here on earth is a gift from God. We know that as we get older those days are more precious as each day passes. We don’t take it for granted that Mom is still with us. We thank God every day. She has been really battling the high blood pressure for a long time, but for the last three to four weeks it has been a real battle with two trips to Now Care, a trip to the ER, a call to the doctor, a visit to her doctor, and with a scheduled appointment to go back on the 11th, if not before. We are all trying our best to help her.

We want to wish all of you a Happy New Year with the following as a reminder of how easy we can brighten our days along with prayers!

Our wish for you:

“Comfort on difficult days,

smiles when sadness intrudes,

rainbows to follow the clouds,

laughter to kiss your lips,

sunsets to warm your heart,

hugs when spirits sag,

beauty for your eyes to see,

friendships to brighten your being,

faith so that you can believe,

confidence for when you doubt,

courage to know yourself,

patience to accept the truth,

Love to complete your life.”

Happy 2011 our dear family and friends!

Christmas Past - 2010

Monday – December 27, 2010

Another Christmas has come and gone. Ours did not go as we had planned, but the circumstances that caused the changes happened to be part of what life throws at us sometimes. We may think we have everything under control and all will go as planned. The dreaded “GI” virus hit the Laynes/Hardins leaving those of us who had it so sick and weak. Even with the virus symptoms, I had many things I had to do to prepare for our trip up North and to help Mom with her Christmas. So, I tried to push the queasiness and icky feeling to the back and pretend I was not going to catch the virus. We also were dealing with Mom and her blood pressure. I took her to Now Care on a Tuesday; called the doctor on Thursday; and Mike took her to the ER on Saturday (with a wait lasting from 8:30 PM to 5:00 AM)! Then I took her to the doctor on Tuesday before Christmas, with the doctor trying to tweak her BP from going as high as 257/78 as it was when she was in the ER.

After the visit to the doctor’s office, we had Mom on her new meds, which we pray will help her BP. I stayed with her and then Mike was with her that night. Then it hit . . . not only did it hit Mom, but me as well . . . . the dreaded virus had made its presence known!! After coming home, I had worked in the kitchen until after 10:00 PM making goodies for Mom’s and for us to take to Bedford. My legs felt weak; my stomach was not feeling the best; and I felt nervous – all which I thought was from worry about Mom. However, around 1:00 AM, I found out what was wrong with me!!!! Let’s just say that the bathroom became my room of choice! Unbeknownst to me, Mom was hit with the virus around midnight. When speaking with her the next morning she sounded so weak. I know I was weak in the knees, and I could only imagine how she felt. This on top of her battle with her BP, she was not feeling the best in the world. She was weak, not hungry, and her color was not the best. She is now feeling better, but her BP still needs to be tweaked!

Bill and I were to leave for David’s the next day. Bill had already packed clothes and all the other “stuff” we were going to take. All we had to do was put them in the car. We didn’t want to miss out on our trip, but at the same time, we did not want to take this “virus” in on Cora and Jeni (who has been so sick due to her pregnancy)! So we decided it would be best to stay home. It really saddened us not to be up there for Christmas. I’m sure there are some who would think we should have gone regardless of the virus or the concern we all had over Mom. We had to make a hard decision that we felt was best for all.

So, for the first time in 22 years of marriage, Bill and I spent Christmas alone at home! Mom and I both were feeling better Christmas Eve, so after she and Dink both asked us to come down for a little while, we got in the car and headed to Mom’s. Food was everywhere. I had taken her some of the “finger” foods earlier in the day, and then Rhonda and Debbie added a variety of other goodies . . . all of which I’m sure was delicious – I just wasn’t food ready! Mom perked up and was feeling better. She had her three surviving children, their spouses, and some of her grandchildren with her. We all made a promise to Dad before he passed away – we all will take care of Mom and make sure she is well taken care of and happy. Christmas Eve she was happy! I was so glad we were there because she and Dink both were so happy. It made our hearts full of joy to see both of them laughing.

Bill and I stayed for a little while and then we headed back home before the snow was to hit . . . yes more snow was on its way. This was one of the main reasons we were not planning on going to Mom’s on Christmas. Mike and Debbie were spending the night and would make it a great day for Mom. We woke up with an additional three to four inches of snow on top of what we already had! This was the first time that I can remember we were by ourselves – David always was with us on Christmas Day when he was still living in Huntington. If for some reason he wasn’t with us, then we would go to Bill’s side of the family or to Mom and Dad’s. It was different, but it was nice.

Mom opening up a warm fleece outfit we took her early Christmas Eve . . .

. . . I love my mother and cherish the time I have with her . . .

. . . Dink surrounded by Billy, Jamie, Debbie, and Bill enjoying all the goodies . . .
. . . Dink is just like Dad, he loves to have the family near him . . . we weren't planning on going back to Mom's, but he sent a plea for us to come . . . it made him so happy . . . .

. . . another Christmas where Mom had her children surrounding her . . . we cherish each and every time this happens . . . even though John and Dad are absent from the picture, they were there in spirit!

Another Christmas is now a memory. A memory that will live with us all for years to come. Sadly, we never know who we will be missing the next time we gather together for the holidays. As we get older, this seems to bear on our minds a little more than they did when we were in our 20's and 30's. Love your family near and far every day of the year.

Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum

Thursday - December 10, 2010

In fifteen days we will be gathering together with family and friends to celebrate Christmas. What does that mean to you? As a child it meant many things: decorating a live pine tree; Mom making her Orange Cake from scratch; and most importantly, it meant reading and hearing the story of a little baby boy born in a a crude stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a manger. As I got older, I started to understand who that baby boy was, and how He was the one God sent to die for all our sins.

The impact this story had on me as a child has stayed with me as I have reached the "senior" years! There was also a movie that was shown to us at school every year by our elementary teachers. It was called "The Little Match Girl." It is a short story about a little girl who is on the cold streets trying to sell match sticks to earn money for the necessities of life . I could tell you more about the story, but I don't want to cry at the moment! If you could find the time to read it, it is a story that will touch your heart, and make you much more thankful for all you have. Hans Christian Andersen wrote the story back in 1846.

Another "story/song" that tugs at my heart is "The Little Drummer Boy." Originally known as the "Carol of the Drums," it was written in 1941 by the pianist, Katherine K. Davis. It too tells the story of a young child who had very little as his own. He wanted to give a present to this special baby boy, but had nothing to give! Then it came to him. "I can play my Drum for Him!" Oh what a thought gift that was!

I think I can relate to these two characters on paper a little because of how little they had. We had enough when growing up - not as much as some, but we had the best of all . . . the love of caring parents who taught us it was much better to give than to receive. They gave uncoditionally to us . . . doing without so that we would have what we needed. They taught us the scarifice God gave . . . His Son. Slowly, as I grew older, I saw all the different ways my parents gave to others even with money being very sparse. Dad would physically help others in need with his knowledge of carpentry, home repairs, and working on the electronics of the day - TV and radio. Mom was always making up a cake, pie, or crocheting something as a way of saying you are loved by the Layne family. It was not a matter of how much or how many presents given/received; it was and always will be the thought behind the gift.

When choosing a gift for anyone, I think about who that person is. Then I try to find a gift that suits them. I love being able to find the perfect gift and seeing the surprise and appreciation from that person. Sadly, there have been many times when the gift(s) were not what the recipient wanted, liked, or appreciated. I love giving to others!! It saddens me that I can't please those I love all of the time. This year's gift giving is going to be sparse. However, I hope the recepients know what we give is in the same giving spirit as "The Little Drummer Boy!"

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

Little Drummer Boy: Lyrics

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

That smile said it all . . . ."Thank you, and I love you!"