Wanda's Wacky Wonderful World

Be Brave My heart was pounding in my ears. As my surgeon carefully explained the biopsy and breast cancer diagnosis I was facing;  my mind was exploding with questions - but my mouth could not form words. The options were petrifying; but  the treatment frightened me more than the disease!   Should I have a mastectomy? Would radiation be enough?   Fear of the unknown threatened to swallow me. Decisions only I could make - had to be made. And so; another surgery was scheduled - followed by 33 radiation treatments. Would you like to know the best decision I made that day? I made up my mind, that  cancer would not win! I chose to defeat fear with knowledge.   I set out to learn everything I could about cancer.   How did I get cancer?   Was surgery and radiation the best treatment?   Was I at risk for other cancers?   Were there treatment options besides surgery, radiation and chemotherapy?   What about Holistic and Alternative Medicine? Where could I find Naturopathic advice?   My first da

Everybody needs a hero!  My family and I are blessed to live in a community rich in hero heritage! We should never forget to thank these incredible men and women for their service.  But what about us?  Wouldn’t YOU like to save the day for once? We can!  Even if we are not in the military, a public servant or a first responder; we can all be of service to our family and community. Without signing a contract or a legal agreement; you can make a difference today.  S - SAY THANK YOU       If someone holds the door for you - smile, and say, “Thank You”. E - ENCOURAGE Throughout your day, when you see someone making an effort; smile and tell them they are doing a great job.  R - RESPECT If you see a funeral procession or an emergency vehicle on the highway;  carefully pull over and show respect to the situation, saying a prayer for all  involved, while you wait.   V - VALIDATE Give verbal acknowledgement to those you love and cherish. Smi

  Belle and Chase Kaui - LOVE>covid Holy Pandi-mony The girl - the guy.   The sparks - they fly! They date - they mesh! The ring! The dress! The date. The colors. The maids. The flowers! The music. The cake. The favors made. Yes, all was chosen   Plans were set. And then   Coronavirus hit! The courthouse closed for days on end Their April date came rushing in! No license? You’re kidding! No more than 10 at the wedding? The love they felt for one another Made all this chaos just one small hurdle. While everyone thought; “They could just wait” The girl - the guy They weren’t dismayed. So in the breeze They said “I do” They walked the parking lot And all horns blew As friends in cars Cheered and cried When the handsome groom Kissed the beautiful Bride. COVID-19 You’ve made a mess. But even you can’t stop. A bride in her dress! In early April, we were still very limited and unfamiliar with all of the COVID-19 restrictions. Undaunted by each new ruling, this young couple made the decisio

My husband is a window shopper. Yes, my friend, he can walk thru the entire mall and never make a purchase. Never enter a store. Unless he's on a mission, he's just looking.  Fortunately, shopping is not a passion of mine; and we have stayed married over 45 years! I might dodge in a store occasionally then catch up to him; but here's my point;  If I was to see a pair of shoes in the window - I wouldn’t walk in and buy those shoes without doing my due diligence! Do you have those in a size 8? May I try them on? There is nothing more miserable than walking around in a pair of shoes that don’t fit right. No matter how cute they are!      Well, maybe there is something worse - If your life is not fitting into your reason for being on this earth - you might be miserable   If you are not passionate about what you are doing on this planet but living day in and day out going against your gut and your passion. Yes... that would definitely be sad. PASSION What is passion: a reflectio

  Butch was 12 years older than me – The same day I graduated from kindergarten - he graduated from high school later that evening.  Pattie was 10 years my senior and she was the spoiler. But it was Butch's goal in life to make sure I did not grow up to be a brat...  so we have him to thank him for my humility and grace. He taught me so many things.  He taught me to be thoughtful and considerate. He taught me that whatever I did, should be done with excellence.  He taught me to eat all the mashed potatoes off the spoon and not savor them one lick at a time.  He made sure to remind me that just because I was the baby of the family did not give me special privileges in his book - (although he rewrote his book as we got older and became best friends). Oh the many conversations we’ve had where he would vent - pour out his heart and describe all the details of his woes. I would listen - carefully ask questions to make sure I understood it all - and tell him to get his big boy britches o

  Help me! Life was probably more hectic and painful than it had ever been. Most of our days were spent back and forth from the hospital. My dad was in end-stage heart and kidney failure. Watching him struggle and knowing he was nearing the end of his days; we were determined he would never be alone.  We took turns spending the nights with him and worried about our little momma; who would rarely leave his bedside.   I breathed a sigh of relief as I settled into my recliner on this particular evening; I needed to unwind before I could go to bed. I had caught a glance at several texts from the kids and needed to read them more thoroughly.  We had five grandchildren and loved all the little pictures and videos their parents sent throughout the day. I giggled as I watched a video from Amanda. Their youngest daughter Sydney was strumming a pink guitar and singing her little heart out.   I showed my husband, Jeff,   and we watched it several times. Although we couldn’t make out the words, it

Reading through the Old Testament each year makes me grateful I was born in this dispensation of Grace. I often feel sorry for the prophets whose lives were directed by God as analogies of His impending judgment upon Israel. However, lately, I have wondered if God may be directing my life as an analogy as well. Recently, at a private retreat - I was doing water aerobics - trying to be healthy and take care of my body. I was feeling good about my commitment to start each day with exercise. I didn’t realize how close to the pool’s edge I had drifted until the cement steps and my right foot connected! I knew by the excruciating pain and the audible crunch, that something was broken! After accessing the situation, I thought, “Thank God it wasn’t one of my important toes!” I felt like it could have been worse - because it wasn’t my big toe - or even my pinky toe... it was the "this little piggy had roast beef" toe. However, the pain from that insignificant broke