Ella Mae's Top 3 Tips for Living a Long Successful Life

Today I got the privilege of celebrating Ella Mae's birthday after morning worship services. Ella Mae is 98 years young this week and she is such an inspiration to so many. I first got to meet Ella Mae at church almost four years ago and since then I have enjoyed many meals at her house on Sunday afternoons. She loves sweets, so when I get in a baking mood she gets a few treats from my kitchen. If she had her way she would eat dessert first and skip all the vegetables. In hopes of gaining a little knowledge and wisdom from Ella Mae I asked her for her secret to living a long life. I know the Savage Girl could use a little knowledge and wisdom so I listened carefully to her talk and reminisce about the secrets to living a long life. So to summarize her tips and pointers for all of us "younger generations", here are Ella Mae's Top 3 Tips for Living a Long Successful Life:

1. Enjoy life.
2. Keep going no matter what.
3. Word hard.

 

Her tips were simple and sweet but so true and from the heart! A little food for thought...Ella Mae grew up in the country, then she married a farmer, and she claims that she never really went anywhere or did anything but farm, enjoy the simple things in life, and work hard laboring in the fields until she was in her later years. In her later years she moved to town and began to travel seeing places, people, and things around the community, county, state, and occasionally outside of Kentucky. When Ella Mae said everyone should "keep going" she was meaning that we should keep traveling and seeing places, but I also believe that she meant that we should never give up no matter what adversity or challenges that we might come across in life. Ella Mae is a "go getter" with lots of fire and spunk within her small frame and she is not afraid to speak the truth whenever needed.

 

We all could use a little Ella Mae in our life! I challenge you to find your own Ella Mae. Stop and ask questions about his or her life. Listen to the stories. Then be open and willingly apply something you learn within your daily life. There is wisdom and knowledge out there, but we need to seek it out and find it amongst the golden diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald generations who are waiting to tell us a few stories when we give them a little of our precious time. Unplug from your crazy life and go visit your own Ella Mae today, because a little dose might be the best medicine you receive all day!   

Handmade Gifts & Birthdays

Birthdays are celebrated in my family usually in some form or fashion. I love giving something that is handmade, unusual, and/or unique. Sometimes if I am unable to make the gift myself I will turn to someone who is crafty and purchase a handmade or handcrafted item. There is something about a handmade gift that is special...I think that it is the time, the effort, and extra thought. There are times when handmade gift are not called for...it all depends on the person...I have learned this first hand. I made my dad a UT Deco Mesh Wreath for Father's Day and he did not like it...he thought I was playing a joke on him, so he left the wreath at my house! I had to deliver the gift and place it on the front door. Everyone else loved my creation, but he don't appreciate it because he doesn't see the point to decorating the front door. Oh well...this was a lesson learned for me! But for my granny a handmade gift "Deco Mesh Wreath" was exactly what I wanted to do for her since I knew she would love it!

Here are the directions on how to make a Deco Mesh Wreath yourself...these aren't technical terms, but they should help you figure out how to make the wreath at home if you have never made one before.

Deco Mesh Wreath

Supplies:

• Work wreath with branches
• Deco Mesh (assorted colors and sizes of ribbon width)
• Embellishment(s)

Directions:

1. Unroll about 3 feet of your art deco mesh. 
2. Scrunch up the end of the mesh into a small bundle in your hand and place it against the top of wreath. Use the branches on the work wreath to secure the bundle by twisting to secure it in place.
3. Grab and scrunch another section of mesh and place this bundle against your wreath about and use the second set of branches to secure the next bunch of mesh.
4. Scrunch, bundle and tie mesh to the wreath until you have worked all the way around the wreath. Keep using the work wreath branches to secure to deco mesh in place.
5. It is best to start on the outside of the wreath and work your way to the inside. If you see some bare places, go around the wreath again, adding bundles between your first layer of bundles.
6. Cut the mesh from the roll very close to your last tied bundle.
7. Fluff up the puffy sections of mesh between the bundles to give your wreath a full look.
8. Embellish as desired.

 

 

Back to why I made the wreath...This weekend my Granny Trixie celebrated her 81st birthday. Some call her Tippy, mostly the great grandkids, but to me she will always be my Granny Trixie. We had a small celebration of life for her on the farm at my parents’ house. A total of 18 were in attendance out of a possible 24 people. A few cousins and their families were unable to make the journey because of distance, but we were blessed by all those in attendance. I hope everyone can make it next year for her 82nd birthday. She was super excited to see everyone and her expressions were priceless.

Here is a photo of Granny Trixie and I & the gift I made for her for her birthday. I love my Granny and I am very thankful for her! I am the youngest of 7 grandchildren and I will always be her baby girl even though she now has 5 great grandchildren. She calls me Lara Jane, even though my name is Lara Christen. My middle name is after her...Edith Christeen. She has been there through some of the rough moments in my life and some of the greatest times of joy. If I ever need advice and council that is sound, honest, and very truthful I can always count on Granny Trixie. Sometimes she gives the advice and council without even being asked. I guess that is a grandmother's instinct. I might get a little history and fluff with in the mix too, but that's OK. A lot of characteristics from my granny make up the "Savage Girl" in addition to many traits and characteristics from others.

I applaud granny for her patience on all those Saturday mornings I visited her on the Savage farm in Vernon. She helped my mama begin my culinary training in the kitchen when she would let me "help" make biscuits and wash dishes when I was big enough to standup in a chair.   

Tonight at church I was reminded that older generations are to help train-up our younger generations and share their wisdom and expertise to help teach others. I have always been accepting of advice and teachings from others especially my elders. This lesson made me think of my granny since she is the matriarch of the family. To me my granny has always been a good example in training-up those that are younger. She is an example of Titus 2 in teaching the younger generations in the family concerning what is good, to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled, to be kind, to be a keeper of the home, and not to show evil toward God's word. She taught everyone in the family in some form or fashion, but that doesn't mean that everyone always listened to what she had to say every time. I'm not perfect, my family members at not perfect, and neither is my granny, but then again no one is! Everyone makes mistakes along the way, and she has always been woman enough to own up to her mistakes and I believe she passed that down to everyone else too. She is loving, accepting, and forgiving of others faults and mistakes even when we might have displeased her with one of our decisions. I believe these are gifts of godly women that everyone should implement.

I am going to leave you with one question...just answer it to yourself for you will be the one who has to give an account for your life, not me..."What are you doing in your life to help teach others like is outlined for us in Titus 2?".