My Southern Heart My Southern Heart -

Fresh starts

Two weeks ago, I sat down to write a long overdue post in My Southern Heart, the blog I’ve been writing since 2007. If you read my blog from 2007-2012, the posts from my life in Oregon have been archived in a separate location. I appreciate your following my blog through this journey and invite you to continue to do so.

As I logged on to my blog host, I realized I had not upgraded the most recent WordPress. I was tired and not paying attention at the time. I made the big mistake of upgrading from the blog host site instead of my website! I lost my format, three years of posts and all of my links and photographs! I had not backed up lately depending upon the blog host – another big mistake!

Nothing could be done to solve it, so I will press on. I will rebuild what I can and start fresh. Isn’t that the way of life? If there is anyone left on the planet who is still reading, thank you! I will start writing afresh and attempt to see this as a blessing in disguise.

Blessings,

Dianne

Growing older…

My Southern Heart, Reflections

I remember the beginning. Fifty-three years ago, when we were all young, life stretched out ahead of us. Children in our future…grandchildren beyond that. A path we were laying out in neat little stones leading to what we thought would be our future. Even then, time seemed like it would go on forever. I know you’ve said it: “if only I had known then, what I know now”. I wish I had known then that I didn’t have all the time in the world. We thought we did of course. There’s something to be said for surviving the storms and the valleys though. You’re a whole lot wiser once you’ve come out on the other side.

There are hundreds of photographs from those fifty-three years. They’re loose in boxes and in albums that are falling apart from too many moves. This winter, I plan to catalog all those photographs and place them neatly in albums for the children. They are my children, but they’re all grown with children of their own.

So what has me thinking about this stretch of life that’s passed and thinking about the time I have left? It has been a couple of weeks of mostly routine doctors appointments and tests for both of us. And news from family who aren’t doing well at the moment.

Ten years ago, when I was living in Oregon, my ENT there diagnosed a usually benign tumor beneath my eardrum. He was so excited when he found it, he asked if all his colleagues could come look as well. He told me it was slow growing and I probably had nothing to worry about. After experiencing dizziness and Ophthalmic migraines periodically for the last couple of years, I saw my ENT last week. I thought the symptoms might be related to the tumor. He said the tumor was growing and it was time to get me in to see a specialist. Monday, I saw the specialist, an otologist/neurologist. Yes, that’s spelled correctly. There are three in the whole state of Iowa. He seems excellent. That’s good because he’s removing the Glomus Tympanicum tumor on January 23, 2020. Apparently, its an outpatient surgery that takes about an hour. There are too many risks to leaving it in and letting it continue to grow. Not to mention the fact, I’m tired of feeling the pressure and hearing my heartbeat – thump, thump, thump -in my ear! Pulsatile tinnitus.

In the meantime, there are Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to, shopping to do and lots of baking. I will not be able to fly for several weeks after the surgery, so hopefully we can fly to Montana to see my firstborn and his family before then. Flying has seriously bothered my ear for years. Now I know the reason for that.

The bench…

Decorating, Family, Reflections

I saw an advertisement in our local Facebook Marketplace the other day for a red bench. Amish made, sturdy, in excellent condition and only three twenty-dollar bills. The memories started flooding in. I’ll have a birthday soon and my memory isn’t always that reliable but I just knew that, somewhere in time, we’d had a red bench. I contacted the owner and we picked up the bench right after my eye doctor appointment last Friday. It was perfect. The color is a gorgeous burgundy red. It is sturdy and I have no doubt Amish made. She said it used to belong to her parents. They’re probably about my age. We’re the right generation for the Colonial America look. I love the bench. It’s sitting in the dining room right under the framed photo of Terrace Hill, the Iowa governor’s mansion. The print is addressed to Doug’s parents and personally signed by a former governor of Iowa

Below: After some looking through old photographs research, I have some answers.

We did have a bench, probably purchased 50+ years ago when Bill and I bought our first sofa and chair.

First, it was painted black with gold trim around the wooden legs.

When we moved to the little house on Cherrydale, the bench went in the hallway.

Here’s Christy playing dress-up with her little high heels and earrings walking by the bench.

A couple of houses and a few years later, the bench has been antiqued blue and it’s sitting in the kitchen in Ellendale.

Christy holding her baby brother Justin.

And with four of us (Bill, Justin, Christy and me) sitting on the same bench…

Below: Quite a few years later…and I was right. We DID have a red bench!

The same one painted red this time, sitting on the porch of our house in Terre Haute, Indiana!

Bill with his mom, Bobbie.

Guess my memory isn’t so bad after all!

Thirteen years…

Family, Grandchildren

Thirteen years have passed between these two photographs. This little angel is now fifteen and a half years old. This cute as a button toddler turned into a beautiful young lady with a giving, tender heart. She’s very smart, quite talented and a whole lot taller than her grandmother. She plays the piano and the marimba beautifully (it’s an instrument that looks like a gigantic xylophone and sounds amazing). And she swims competitively. Yes, I know I sound like a proud grandmother! Today was grandparents day at her school. Grandpa Doug and I were so very happy to be there with her today.

My Southern Heart again…

Family, My Southern Heart, Reflections

If you read my blog, My Southern Heart, from May 2008 to August 2012, then you’re going to think this looks totally different. You’re right – it does. All the entries from my time in Oregon have been archived and I’ll have a book printed just for me. Five hundred pages full of reflections, photos, family, farm life, gardening, travels, the Pacific Northwest and so many delicious recipes. But it was time to put it all away and start My Southern Heart all over again. (The posts that you see in the pages and archives here are from My Southern Heart…the Stories. These blog entries were compiled in a book and copies given to my family one Christmas. The personal stories are here if you’d like to read them…and for my safekeeping.)

There are so many things I want to write about. A lot of the categories on the righthand sidebar. I’ve been working on family history for two decades. I can’t think of any better place to chronicle those stories of the South than here. That’s just a start. Right now, I’m in the midst of laying out the website and working out the kinks, so it will be a work in progress for a bit. I’ve purchased a few photos with a personal license (like the beautiful magnolia) and I plan on taking lots of photos with my new Canon EOS Rebel T6i. For the moment, it’s over my head but I will learn. One is never too old to learn.

I appreciate those of you who noticed I’m writing again and reached out to me. Thank you. If you’re following along, welcome!