Sandra's Sunshine

Every Event Under Heaven Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey Written 8/4/2008 A few weeks ago, my parents called me with some devastating news. The home place of my paternal grandparents had burned to the ground. The family was devastated and saddened by this news. My grandparents lived there for about 60 years and there were so many wonderful times shared there. The house was on a beautiful dairy farm and was serenity at its best. There were no street lights, no traffic. The vegetable garden was bountiful, the milk fresh each day, and “Mamaw” knew how to cook. There was a clothesline where the laundry was hung. The sheets on the bed after a wash smelled country fresh and is something that I haven’t experienced since I was a little girl. “Papaw” tried his best to teach me how to drive a tractor, which was great fun. As a game, I hit every cow pile in the field causing a really big “stink”. “Mamaw” could hear our laughter all the way to the house. Those memories will forever...

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey One of my favorite things is watching for the mailman on Saturday in anticipation of his delivering my People magazine. It’s even sweeter when it arrives on Friday! My routine is to study the cover for a few minutes and immediately turn to the weekly crossword puzzle to complete. There is no reading until the crossword puzzle is finished. It is a routine that I have practiced for many years. After the crossword puzzle was finished this week, I sat down to read a great article about a man named Alferd Williams from Missouri. He was the son of a sharecropper and worked very hard from the time he was a young boy. There wasn’t time for school, only work. The article was about his new experience of beginning first grade at age 70 because he wanted to learn to read and to keep a family promise. It talked about his day and the encouragement he received from his six year old classmates. What an inspiration Alferd Williams was for me this week and ever...

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey We’ve heard of great change that needs to come in a world filled with great economic strife, violence in our communities including our schools, and the seemingly unrest in our society. We’ve often used the phrase, “Why can’t we all just get along” many times to describe our frustrations with the many issues before us. It takes great courage and leadership to make a change in the world. Our forefathers had a dream many years ago and faced many obstacles, including the threat of death, but surged forward with determination to make a change to benefit a better society in America. Their ideas for a better society were fueled by their passion for change and their belief in God and good moral standing. Their courageous battle for independence was costly, but worth it. Our hopes and dreams may be different. Some may want to be a great success in business or art or music or to be a great parent to our children. Many of us want to better serve our Lord. One key ...

Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey It has taken a long time to realize that no matter what my age, my mother will always see me as twelve years old with that “sassy, fresh mouth”. She told me a few years ago that she felt destined to be a mother from the time she was a young girl. It was the path she knew she had to travel for definitive contentment. Mother has a breathtaking soul. Her talents are many and she shines like no other. The most miraculous and revered mother in the world would have to be Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was obedient to God and carried the Christ child who would be ultimately sacrificed to save the sins of man. She was brave and courageous and never faltered in what God’s plan was for her, Joseph and their son. Mary must have been a very strong woman to have endured such great pain and loss when Jesus died on the cross. However, can you imagine her great jubilation when he arose from the grave? A mother gives her children positive directives, discipline, love, c...

Written: January 31, 2008 E-mail form to "My Family, Friends, and Outlaws" Well......it's been quite some time since I've written a note, but what happened to me this morning was most definitely "story worthy". I take great pride in my job and this includes projecting a professional appearance at all times. Today, several coworkers from different Cardinal Hill centers across the state were coming to a training class that I was conducting on database development. This included our legal counsel and several director level coworkers. This was the day for me to be "sharp"! I began my day by putting in my "eyes" (contact lenses), brushing my teeth, and hopping into the shower. Upon exiting the shower, I decide it's best if I floss my teeth since I've spent a fortune on them the last three years and it is just good dental hygiene. I am one of those dental patients who brushes, then flosses, and then the final rinse with Listerine that t...

Well, the outpour of support for my writer's block was unbelievable! I'm blamimg it on the weather and the fact that Jonathan was out of town last week -- I'm worse than Crabby Road's Maxine without my Jonathan. When he got home, he reminded me of an EXCELLENT story that I have not conveyed to any of you. It was triggered by the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner salesman who came to our door Friday night. My great uncle Curtis Bradley (Neenie's older brother) was a Kirby Vacuum Cleaner salesman, but he also had a big honkin farm in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. His property was off a state route road and he had a gravel road as a driveway -- you had to pull onto the gravel road and stop to unhitch the gate to drive up to his home. He had a nice home -- a pond that was in the bend of the gravel road, and the cattle were always grazing nearby in the lush green pastures. He and his wife had a wonderful life there. One day, he bought a brand new car. He and his wife turn off the stat...

Trickle, trickle trickle….Once an annoying sound at 3am from the bathroom faucet, has now become an anthem in the Frey household as the ICE IS MELTING FROM ICE STORM 2009 IN KENTUCKY!!!! Remember that line in the Wizard of Oz said by the Wicked Witch as she is melting after Dorothy doused her with water? “I’m melting! I’m melting! What a world! What a world!” Yesterday as Mr. Frey and I shopped and drove around completing our Saturday errands – one errand being to purchase bird food and I’ll get to that story in a moment, we marveled at the beauty of the sparkling ice that was beginning to melt. It looked like millions of diamonds sparkling in the sun. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Our breathtaking winter wonderland will soon turn into flood waters I’m sure, but for right now, I’ll take the melting, icy diamonds. You have to marvel at mother nature. We had willow trees bent over 20 feet in the front of our court from the ice storm, but today, they are back in ...

The January Blues Submitted by: Sandra Harris Frey The packages are unwrapped. The decorations have been taken down and are now in their boxes and stored in the attic. The new year has been celebrated. The first few weeks back to work after a holiday season and the winter depression is ever present. Is it the lack of sunlight? Is it the ice, snow, and cold temperatures that seem to put the big freeze on our emotional well being? Here are a few tips to help remedy those January blues. · Plan a summer vacation. There is nothing better to put you in a better frame of mind. If you are a beach vacationer, there is nothing more refreshing in January than to plan every aspect of your beach trip right down to the flip flops you intend to pack. · Get rid of the “clutter” in your life by organizing your drawers and closets. The freedom you will attain by this simple task will be positively liberating. · Take at least 30 minutes a day to read your bible. Select u...