A Tribute to Mothers

In honor of Mother's Day, The Professor has written a poem in tribute to the mothers in his life, as well as to each mother who has given so much to her family.

More than Flowers for Mums

On this day for our mothers

I search the green mountain side

not for wildflowers blooming,

but for words that abide

For daisies and marigolds

make a fine show, then fade

but a bouquet of true verses,

on the heart can be laid

For my dear mother, Janice,

my loving caregiver from birth,

you are bright, bold, beautiful,

the mom I cherish, of infinite worth

You showed me compassion and faith,

you nurtured me with skill and great love.

You taught me goodness and kindness,

and the grace of the Lord Jesus above.

For my beloved wife, Tami,

my best friend and eternal flame,

you are great, godly and gorgeous.

Wife of excellence is your name.

You are thoughtful and sacrificial

your virtue towers in plain sight

you give so much to your children and husband,

our home shines bright with your sweet light.

For my supportive stepmother, Billie,

who graced our family later in life,

you are lovely and so hospitable

and to my dad, a faithful wife

You share stories and cook goodies

we have laughs and talks with weight.

Your generosity is always noted

we're joined by God and not by fate.

For my charming mother-in-law, Nita

the red-headed granny of my daughters and son

you are good, giving, and hysterical,

a woman of honor, a barrel of fun

You are a hard worker, a good listener,

a loyal and decent matriarch

I've watched you serve with true devotion,

like few others, in days light and dark.

And now for all the "mothers" in my life,

who have gone on to be with God,

I thank Him deeply for you, too,

for your presence on the paths we've trod.

For Grammy - oh my sensational Grammy!

How I've loved you since I was a boy

Your faithful life is an inspiration,

our vast time together, a spring of joy.

For Grandma Buckles - most dignified lady!

I am so grateful for our time

you showed me grit, principal and wisdom,

your steady mind and hand were sublime.

For Great Aunt Lois - dear quick-witted auntie,

how I miss the many fun times we would share,

your generosity has impacted our lives immensely,

your Godly example is a treasure quite rare.

For Great Grandmother Pearl - sweet-natured servant

you were a precious, playful friend.

Your love was unconditional and constant

and your loyalty knew no end.

Other "Mothers" too I hold within my heart,

like Great Grandma Davis, funny and spunky

and Great Aunt Alice, creative and smart.

To all of you fine women,

the Mothers and their type,

I give you thanks and many cheers

you merit all the hype.

Happy Mother's Day. You're terrific!

You're awesome! You're the best!

With all your love, your prayers and your labor

our lives you've greatly blessed.

Johnny Buckles

May 6, 2016

Mothers, may you have JOY in knowing you are loved!

Tami

Cleaning the Shower

Well . . . if you want to or not, ever so often you have to clean your shower. I spent the morning doing just that. Being totally honest here, it was way overdue. As I was scrubbing away, it dawned on me that you, my readers, just might benefit from knowing some of the cleaning wisdom I have gained.

In an effort to try to stay away from strong smelly chemicals that reek havoc on my lungs (the lungs that are still attempting to recover from having pneumonia), I went in search of an alternative cleaning solution. I remembered reading that white vinegar is suppose to be a good cleaning agent. After googling white vinegar, I made a paste of baking soda and a solution of white vinegar and warm water. I have to say, this solution worked pretty well. I will probably try it again. I have used baking soda in the past, but adding the white vinegar worked even better. The chemical reaction and all the fizzing when the two were mixed together was actually quite fun. I recommend it!

When using a toothbrush to get into those tiny corners, I recommend a toothbrush with stiff bristles. I used an old toothbrush of one of my kids that had soft bristles. I am totally convinced that stiff bristles would work much better.

If you see that the drain of the shower is . . . well . . . rather gross and is in desperate need of being cleaned, by removing a couple of screws the cover will come off and you can then proceed to clean it. I do recommend that you don't attempt this if you have just eaten because it could cause even more of a mess.

You should be very careful while the drain is sitting there uncovered. If you drop the before-mentioned toothbrush down that drain, there is no retrieving it. I am not saying that I did this. I am just saying that it would be very wise to be careful.

If, like me, your birthdays have added up and you can no longer see things that are right in front of your face without your glasses, I recommend not having the water too hot. If the water is too hot, your glasses will fog over and then you won't be able to see at all.

Not only have I experienced this personally, but I have also done a little research on the ever so trustworthy internet and believe that when it really comes to killing everything that is growing in all those grout lines and tiny little corners, bleach is your best bet. It works well if you scrub the shower first then spray it with bleach cleaner and leave the room. That way you are not breathing it. You can come back a little later when the fumes have died down to rinse it out.

Just like a dirty shower that is in need of cleaning, so are we! Thankfully, because of God's great love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus, it is possible.

We are told in I Corinthians 6:8-11:

Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

How beautiful is that? No matter what dirt and grime is in your life, it can all be cleaned by the Spirit of God! Just like bleach can get into every crack and crevice to thoroughly rid my shower of all the gross stuff, the Spirit of God can do the same for my life and yours!

May you have JOY today in being cleaned by the Spirit of God!

Tami