Visiting Miss Martha

 Most every Sunday after morning worship, Hubby and I go to see Miss Martha. It is part of Hubby's "deaconly" duties to take the Communion to the shut-ins. I realize that some would argue that this not necessary, and I would tend to agree. But, it is probably one of the high-lights of Miss Martha's week.  We only spend a few minutes, but she always has something to share with us...flowers someone has sent, cards, pictures, news of her family. She is 96 years old, and confined to a wheel chair but when you ask how she is, the usual reply is "I'm still kickin', not too high, but still kickin'". 
She loves cats and for a good while there was a big cat in her yard called "Alex". Alex, who had a very tiny voice for such a big cat, had just come there and he stayed for a good long while. Recently, Alex just left. I suppose he finally decided to go back to his old home.
Now a new kitty has appeared. Miss Martha says she hesitated to get attached to any more cats since something always seems to happen to them. First week this kitty was there, both her daughter and the sitter advised us to look out for this kitty as it likes to get under your feet. It really does. It is a leg circling cat for sure.

The latest kitty at Miss Martha's

Kitty looking to get underfoot

Sometimes Miss Martha's daughter has to work away from her home, which is in another city, for a week or so, and she brings her two kitties for Miss Martha to "baby sit". These are beautiful big kitties who both stay inside.  I can't think of their names just now.

There are all kinds of flowers and plants in Miss Martha's yard. I just happened to notice this bush out her front window loaded with red berries. Turns out to be a Holly Bush.  When I lived up in the country in Polk County, we had lots of holly trees in the wild around our house. None of them ever had berries that I recall.  I have heard that Holly Trees are either male or female. I was inclined to think that we just had male ones, but maybe they were all female and needed male ones to produce berries. I would guess you need one of each kind to produce the fruit. Anyway, this one is just covered with red berries. It is so pretty.

Holly Tree outside Miss Martha's front window.

The next two things I took pictures of are the Christmas Cactus that someone had given her for Thanksgiving and the "animal" that her daughter had received. She asked the daughter to leave the "animal" with her for a while.



Lighted Angel Pig complete with wings and halo.
"When Pigs Fly?"



Beautiful Christmas Cactus with Salmon blossoms

And this is the lady herself. Not the best picture but one taken the day we were there after Thanksgiving.

She is always dressed to a tee and waiting for us to arrive.

Miss Martha

I know that in our hustle, bustle hurry up lives it is often hard to "make time" or "take time" to visit the elderly and shut-in's, but when you do you can light up their life and break up their day or week. I know our "Mimi" really enjoys having visitors and even phone calls. It is so important that people realize they are not forgotten and the only way they know this is if we reach out and make contact. Whether it is a phone call, a little card in the mail, or an in person visit, why don't you take time this week to reach out to someone who is shut-in at home or in a nursing home? A few minutes of your time can mean so much to them.  And you might be surprised how much it can mean to you.