Month: May 2022

Exploring Big Sister’s Campus

I love watching the younglings do something new; why I love just walking and exploring. We can always find something to enjoy when we slow down and ignore the overbearing stresses of life. Take a break. Make yourself take a break.

Exploring Big Sister’s Campus

Throwback Story from (October 24, 2021)

I am sitting with Thea at the side of a pool on the Embry-Riddle campus because we chose to ride down with Christina for her Sunday afternoon flight block.  Thea is laughing at pictures “Anastasia and the Bunny-Bear” from Easter at gym.  (The Bunny-Bear is the Easter Bunny outfit Jaquline & Kimberly wore.)  “The Bunny-Bear loves my gymnastics!” Thea says and laughs.

She jumps around; we’ve already walked the campus and she’s pointed out “safe” lizards (I told her here the lizards are not allowed to be chased) and flowers and bumble bees and honeybees and “boys and girls at Christina’s school.”  She’s asked me almost everyone’s name.  “What’s that boy’s name?” “Who is that girl?” “Are they all Christina’s friends at school?” (She goes to gym-school and all of those participants are her friends, so she assumes everyone at the school you go to are your friends.)

After listening to my stressed-out teenagers discussing life in the early afternoon, I’m convinced I didn’t do a great job of teaching them how to enjoy life and be grateful for the moment they are in.  Sometimes that is really, really hard.  Sometimes life’s circumstances don’t seem good.  Sometimes it’s hard to be grateful – but you have to!  I usually feel like I’m enjoying what I am in.  I am grateful for the life I have; I love my family, my job, my church – those are the important things!  I am so happy for the amazing things God keeps doing in our lives!

Christina and her educational journey is a continuing story of how God keeps answering prayers!

I’m so thankful for the people God has put and keeps putting in the path of my teenagers and young children through church, gym, and friendships.  Becky has learned so much from the mentors in her life.  Kimberly has positive role models who keep encouraging her. 

Our journey has been full of ups and downs like any life story.  We have to find the positive and focus on that.  Like right now.  Thea is running around on the “Water-bridge” after touching the “scary man” (metal statue of Wilber Wright) tentatively.  She’s singing something I can’t figure, likely made up, and I’m typing. 

Perfect contentment while exploring the strange surroundings that are Christina’s school.  I’m sure I’ll hear lots of stories about the man, the critters, and the “boys and girls” she discovered. 

I love watching the younglings do something new; why I love just walking and exploring.  We can always find something to enjoy when we slow down and ignore the overbearing stresses of life.  Take a break.  Make yourself take a break. 

Enjoy the slow down.

It makes life more fun!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Challenge of Transport

I have plenty to be grateful for; challenge of transportation will not get me down!

Challenge of Transport

May 23, 2022

Once upon a time, when we lived 2.4 miles from the sunshine bus stop long before the mask and partition requirements, I didn’t have a working vehicle.  The kids and I bicycled to the Buzz Mart, parked our bikes & trailer, and loaded into the bus with exact change we’d pulled out of the taxis cleaning them.  We’d make the hour ride into town, unload at Wildwood Drive & SR207 and stroll along to the homeschool co-op meeting place – which is now our church home!  Any doctor’s visit or important thing like getting books from the library happened on that day and along the bus route.  We even took the bus to two end-of-year evaluations at the south branch library! 

Some of those days were the most fun outings our family had!  I was able to dispatch (work) while we were about our errands.  We played a million games of scrabble twist and catch phrase.  We met amazing people and listened to their stories.  We learned patience and gratefulness.  We kept some strong legs up too!

Now, we don’t live along the bus route, which is okay.  We also went from three vehicles in the family to one, then two – but now our two equals our passenger capacity.  When we all go to church, we have to take both cars.  I’m thankful one dependable hand-me-down (and totally amazing) 4Runner that is Christina’s car that gets her safely to and from Daytona’s Embry Riddle University.  Christina actually named him Old Blue.

I’m thankful Louis isn’t hurt from the crumpled Toyota Prius with 400K miles (loved that car).  He now drives a Buick Encore (He got talked into a new one… don’t get one, it’s been in and out of the shop with “unknown” problems that ended up being the entire transmission!  We are “waiting on” a replacement transmission – and we’ve only had it 4 months.  Problems and shaking started at month 2.)  At least he has a car.  We were supposed to buy a vehicle outright this time around… oh well.

Our new rental is only 4.8 miles from my work (and Christina & Kimberly’s) so we have biked a few times.  I’m constantly being dropped off early to match someone else’s schedule.  Everything within me is constantly trying to keep telling my own head: find the positive!

I have to keep a positive attitude as chief mood officer in our house.  That is seriously a challenge when more than half my children are over twelve years old and super hormonal.   

Finding the positive in only having enough seats only if we caravan?  Actually, the skinny butts can share a buckle and learn to get along.  At least there are only two workplaces among the five of us who do regular work.  Becky and Christina babysit and along with Kimberly do odd jobs and raise parakeets and Guinea Pigs so sometimes there’s another workplace to toss in. 

Finding the positive in every situation is challenging.  My 2nd and 3rd graders learned that this Sunday!  Paul and Silas praised God even when they were in a horrible situation, being punished by the Roman government for a crime they didn’t even do!  Of course, in real life, not petty third world “problems” like having four drivers and nine people share two cars, God shows up to do amazing stuff like break chains, send an earthquake that rattles the foundations of the prison and leaves all the doors open, and results in the freedom of everyone and the salvation of the jailor and his entire household! 

When I think about what is making it hard for me to find positives and compare that with anything real, I have to laugh.  The things causing my frustration like intermittent internet at work, having to wait an hour after work was supposed to be over to get a ride home, or the vystar app crashing, seem unimportant.  We are so conditioned to expect smooth sailing that bumps become mountains.  I have to smile; we have a rental (roof), transportation to amazing jobs (it’s only an hour and a half walk if we really had to), food (that’s another story), and family!  We have plenty to say thank you for.  Then there are the bigger things we never really notice like oxygen for our lungs, humor to make us laugh, beauty in the sunrises and sunsets, clean water to drink, and love to make life worth living. 

I have plenty to be grateful for; challenge of transportation will not get me down! 

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

A Slice of Love

Respect for an honorable man my family loved #SethMichaelPlant #ThousandsOfSmallGestures #PayingRespectToAHero #GreaterLove #SliceOfLove #FuneralProcession #HonoringHisLife

A Slice of Love

May 26, 2022

Monday I stood at the corner of State Road 206 and US Highway 1.  It’s called “Dupont Center.”  It’s where fifteen years ago I almost lost my little brother to another youth whose car ran a red light and crashed into my brother’s motorcycle.  It’s the road we used for fourteen years to go from our house to the beach.  It’s the road from the beach back to Louis’ house when we were dating.  Today I was holding an American flag, squatting in the sun, with Thea holding her flag and sitting on my lap, waiting for the funeral procession bringing a family friend through his hometown and favorite places on his way to the funeral home. 

Seth Michael Plant was coming home.

He was thirty.  He and my other brother Charley are the same age.  I remember the two of them in kid’s church when Louis and I were dating.  My sisters matched his sisters’ ages.  His father was a friend and mentor to my husband before we met.  His mother took time to speak wisdom into my life.  Our families were friends.  I loved them all and prayed for them as they navigated life’s hills and potholes. 

Yet I only knew a slice of his life. 

My heart rips at me for his older sisters.  My heart felt plucked from my chest and shredded when my baby sister died.  I have never been able to say “I understand the hole left in your heart.”  I hoped I’d never have to because I didn’t want anyone else to lose a baby sibling like I did.  The hole never fills. 

We move on because we have hope.  We know that we know that we will be together again in heaven with Jesus.  That is why I stopped screaming “why!” in the car after hearing about my sister’s death.  My soul still hurts because I miss her.  I remember anger because I thought her life too short.  I saw things she would never see on Earth.  Her baby girl in her prom dress.  Her children marching in cap and gown.  Her boys dancing with her in the kitchen, “mom, teach me to dance with a girl!” 

This world is broken by sin; that is why bad things happen.  God cradles those who are forced to leave in his arms.  God’s original plan never included death.  Our souls are eternal.  Hope in eternity together with Jesus.  This is what comforts me now.

I cried for Seth’s family as part of my family waited for the motorcade.  I could see their faces in my heart and remember their laughter together.  Weddings, children’s births, church services & events, my baby sister’s funeral; our families have seen each other what feels like too few times but so many vital points in our stories.  I prayed for their comfort and peace.  I prayed for Seth’s story to be kept alive for his nieces and nephew.  I prayed for all of those whose hearts were closer to his than mine.  Like I said, I only knew a slice of his love.  Sometimes we see people as we first knew them; I still saw Seth as Charley’s friend in kid’s church even though I’d rejoiced with his family as he graduated, started following his dreams, got promoted, and grew into the man he was.

My mind kept saying, “what a tiny silly gesture to show you cared.”  (Standing on a corner holding a flag and praying)  I remembered how special it felt to me with each picture someone shared on social media when Mary died.  Little stories about how Mary touched their lives.  I didn’t know Seth very well; but he was a brother in Christ.  I loved him because of that. 

The police motorcycles caught Lucas’ attention and Kimberly came over to record the motorcade as it passed.  Louis’ boss hollered at him from where he was stopped about to turn onto 206.  I picked Thea up and stood with our flags.  It may be a tiny gesture, but it was something I could do. 

People on the side of 206 as far down as we could see were doing the same thing – standing with their flags, shirts, banners, some saluting, some waving, most crying.  It was so moving to see.  This is how we love.  Taking time from our lives to stand.  In other times, we take time to talk, listen, help, visit, hug.  This was several thousand people all along the route stopping to give respect to an honorable man who sacrificed for others – to touch the family with a tiny slice of their love. 

Thank you, Seth, for protecting those you love.  Greater Love has no man than this; that he would give up his life for his friend.

Rest in peace with Jesus, friend.  Until we meet again in heaven.  I will continue to pray for your family still here. 

~Love and Prayers,

~Nancy Tart

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