Dear Blog....

Dear Blog,

I know it's been a mighty long time since I last wrote, but I've been thinking about you for some time now. Wanting to write, but then not wanting to. My life has changed, no not physically, I'm still in my home, but mentally, I guess. Since my sweetie passed away in September and with his Memorial Service in November I have felt a huge chunk of my life is gone. You can easily say that my sweetie has been "gone" for a long time. Indeed he has, mentally. But physically he was still with me. I could still reach out  and touch him, I could still give him a kiss, I could still whisper in his ear, "I love you."  But with his passing, that too is gone. I truly did not think I would mourn his passing to the extent I have. But one never knows how mourning comes to us. This was not a happy Christmas season. Yes, I spent lots of good times with friends and family, went to church events, out to eat, attended musical events, went on a Christmas House Walk. But with all that merriment, I still felt a sadness, I just couldn't get into the spirit of the holidays. I didn't decorate this year, which is absolutely the first time in my 74 years, that there was no Christmas tree in my home. No decorations, no tinsel, no lights.  Indeed the Grinch dominated my scene this year.

In less than a week it will be a new year, 2018.  I want this to be a good year. Between what is happening in our country, what is happening in the world, and what has happened in my life 2018 merits to be better in everyway. Strife will continue, there is no doubt about that but we can still continue to pray for a more peaceful world, Trump will still be President, but again we can pray for good decisions, and life continues, and that is for certain.

Looking back, I really took some terrific trips this year, Arizona, Door County, Lexington, New Mexico, Colorado, Germany, and Prague. I already have trips planned for Arizona, California, Utah, and Hawaii. Nothing overseas....yet.  My life is blessed with goodness. I have good friends, a great family, a wonderful church community, my two kids....life is good. The loss of my sweetie will always leave a hole in my heart, but knowing that he is in a much better place also fills my heart with joy.

Scenes from Christmas....

Anticipation of presents to come...

Sisters....

Come on Dad, you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.....

Joy oh joy...

Surprise....

We have a new doctor in the house....

Are we done yet....

Grands and Great Grands....life doesn't get much better 

Happy New Year Everyone....!!!!

Until next time,

For the Mouth Speaks What the Heart is Full Of.....

Oops, missed blogging two days in a row, but you know what, that's OK. It certainly didn't mean I didn't have joy filled days. It was dance recital time which always brings me great happiness.  This year Lisa decided to base her program on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, primarily on the old movie where Gene Wilder characterized Willie. It's been years since I have seen that movie and after seeing Lisa's production I feel the need to search Netflix or Amazon Prime to enjoy it again. And it's always delightful that the people sitting behind you (who have no idea who you are) chat about how wonderful the show is, and how much craft, time and effort is put into the production, especially by Miss Lisa (my daughter..... insert proud mother)

Here's us, me, Lisa and Bailey. Bailey and Boone (the cat) came home for the weekend from her current job assignment in Champaigne, IL. to dance in the recital. And then she left again yesterday afternoon to return. It was a short, very short visit....and it feels a bit empty without them. Because she is staying in a Residence Inn, they allow pets so she was able to bring Boone. Makes her so happy to have someone to cuddle with after a long day of work.

Yesterday morning I went to church and the first words that our Pastor spoke was to talk and pray for the victims in Orlando, FL. Up to that point I had not read a newspaper or turned on the TV so it was a shock to hear of such devastation fueled by hate.  He continued with a reading from the Gospel of Luke 6:37-38
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

And continuing to verses 43-45,

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Such lessons to be learned from these few verses, inwardly do not judge or condemn and outwardly forgive and give good things from the heart.  "Hate will never win", to quote James Cordon from the Tony Awards last evening. 

"In the external scheme of things, shining moments are as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings are what eternity is made of - moments when we human beings can say "I love you," "I'm proud of you," I forgive you," "I'm grateful for you." That's what eternity is made of: invisible imperishable good stuff."  ~  Fred Rogers 

Until next time,

Reflection

Oh my, have I been neglectful of this blog, wow. No updates since October. It looks like I fell off the blogger wagon, which I did but with the New Year 2016, I hope to do much better. I'll admit I don't seem to take as many photos as I used to, no reason, just lazy I think.

Last week in church, our Pastor asked us to reflect on this past year, reflect on the good as well as the bad and that is what I have been contemplating all week.  Little snippets of the year have drifted in and out of my brain for most of the week.  I should have written them down, since the operative word in that last sentence is "out". Images and thoughts have wound their way thru my brain like snow, landing but either whisk away by the wind or buried by others falling from the sky.

This past year what has not disappeared is....

I have found delight in my travels, Paris being the highlight. And a close 2nd is Arizona. What a nice getaway each year.

I have become lazier, spending way too much time on my I-Phone, checking emails, facebook and instagram or playing some benign game. Time I should have been making pictures or writing a blog post.

I am beyond blessed with finding a church that has totally embraced me.

I am distraught over the violence in the world, one that I alone cannot overcome.

I am buried in books to read, only wish my eyes wouldn't tire so easily. To help resolve this I have begun to download audibles when affordable.  Read for awhile, then listen until the eyes regain clarity. (falling asleep while listening has also become a slight issue, it's nice that you can set a timer with audible)

I found this Christmas holiday a little sadder than usual. My calendar was quite full of lunches, breakfasts, celebrations, holiday musicals, church events, but in the midst of it all I felt a sadness that my sweetie isn't here with me, more so this year than in the past. No wonder they title this disease as "The Long Goodbye".

I am delighted that there is a toddler in our midst. Matilda Mae is just pure delight. So inquisitive, so focused, pure joy.

I am not happy about the increasing expansion of the waistline (probably due to the laziness issue, see above), the addition of more wrinkles (don't let anyone convince you that there is a product that removes wrinkles within a week, 10 days, 2 weeks. Not happening.)

This year our Fall was beyond beautiful. Colors so deep and lush, with some leaves hanging on until our first snowfall.  And the light was tailor made for photographing those lovely shades of yellows and golds.

I was introduced to Netflix last year which probably added to the "laziness" issue.  In defense, there are some darn good series on Netflix and Amazon Prime.  Right now I am watching "The Man in the High Castle" on Amazon Prime. The premise is what the USA would be like if the Axis powers, Japan and Germany had won the war. Something to think about.

I presented my first book review last year and if I do say so myself, I think I did an admirable job. I belong to 3 book clubs.  Two of them we read a book a month and then discuss it, the 3rd book club is a luncheon along with one of the members reviewing a book.  I call it "the story-time book club." I kept the delivery quite animated which in turn kept everyone awake. Giggle if you will, but after a nice lunch and a comfy chair it's quite easy to nod off. The book I reviewed was "The Red Notebook", a charming story with Paris as the location and a main character a bookstore owner.

I participated in my 3rd Open House in November where I sell greeting cards and calendars created from my photography.  The profits of $576. went to the Alzheimer's Organization. Going to put my thinking cap on this year to come up with more ways to expand.

Family time is certainly the best time.  Thanksgiving brought my whole family together around our table to eat and give thanks for our many blessings.

I hope this new year of 2016 is good to us all.  No resolutions, no word for the year, I tend to fail miserably at both, so I am just going to focus on appreciating life and the goodness and love that surrounds me.  I wish new hopes will always be a part of your life. Happy New Year.

Until next time.....

Celebrating the 4th....

Finally after 3 months of not seeing my great grand we spent the 4th with her and her Mom & Dad, aka my grandson and his wife.  Matilda Mae was the star of the show all day.  She had taken an early nap and had eaten lunch by the time I arrived so she was ready to keep us entertained.  Her Grandmother aka my daughter and Grandfather aka my son-in-law and her 2 aunts aka my granddaughters were all there to celebrate with her.  There were definitely a few pictures taken, me with my big girl camera and I-Phone and everyone else with their I-Phones.  I think we flooded instagram with pics of Matilda Mae on the 4th.

Here she is all decked out for the 4th of July.

With her Aunt Brie

Her Grandma

Her Great Grandma

Her Mom

And the family....

And Matilda Mae telling us that she has 2 teeth, but boy those others are taking such a long time to come in....meanwhile I will continue my drooling and putting everything I can into my mouth.

After my bath with my ballerina PJ's on, I must always brush my golden locks....(while I continue to drool)

We didn't see any fireworks this year....between terrified dogs and baby Matilda, we decided that there was enough excitement for this crowd.

Hope your 4th was as great as mine!!  Happy Week and 4 days until Paris!!!

Until next time....

The Neglected Blog....

Oh my, I have neglected my blog again.  I have absolutely no excuse other than I have been out and enjoying our Spring weather.  Up until yesterday when the winds began to blow, it had been an absolutely gorgeous Spring.  Even Easter Sunday was pleasant enough to sit outside and that is sometimes a rarity.  But Sunday brought rain, wind, and much cooler temps.  I had almost convinced myself that the warm weather was here to stay. I should know better, Spring is totally untrustworthy, one day 70's, the next 40's.

I hope you have a little time because I have a boatload of photographs to post.  First is the "grand" the day before Easter.  We had gathered together to celebrate the life of my son-in-law's father who had passed away.  He had been quite ill for several months and was in great pain, but he is now in a much better place.  I took this sweet picture of my great grand....oh to be nearer so I could take pictures all the time.  She is already 7 months old, has her first tooth, pulling herself up to a standing position, doing the low crawl and moving faster than a speeding bullet.  Also has 2 words in her vocabulary, Mamama and hi.  I know, she is absolutely brilliant.

The next day was Easter Sunday and the 2 grands, the boyfriend, my daughter and son-in-law all gathered to celebrate Easter, enjoying the belly pleasing brunch and the warmest Easter we have had in years.

Me and my Girls

Lisa & Sam

With the warm weather, Spring in all it's glory has arrived.  I went to the Arboretum 3 times in one week, each day seeing some newly emerged beauty.  

The Forsythia.....

The Daffodils....

The Magnolia's...

The Azaleas...

The Flowering Trees....

 

God is good!!  

"If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke 

Until next time.....

Still Waiting....

Some of you may be wondering about that expected great-granddaughter I have mentioned a couple three dozen times or more and how she could come just about any day (ahem, that was 3 weeks ago), but as to this minute, this hour, this day we are still waiting.  However, after a trip to the doctor's on Wednesday there won't be much more waiting be assured.  In fact the doctor was shocked she had not made her appearance yet, IF she doesn't make herself known to this wonderful world and welcoming love by next Wednesday, guess what, Labor will be induced.  Shall we take bets on if she will come prior to the inducement??

The Grandmothers....

Remembering my own two pregnancies, one came without any coaxing and right on time, however my son decided, like my great-granddaughter that he would take his sweet time in making his appearance.  After a trip to the doctor's on a Friday, and he could determine that "everything" was ready and in place the Doc sent me home and scheduled me to go to the hospital on Monday to be induced if nothing happened over the weekend.  Well, nothing happened at least in the "baby delivery" department, but I did clean the house from top to bottom (small apartment at the time), scrubbed the kitchen floors on my knees, cooked up a storm, but NOTHING....not a twitch.

So come Monday morning, hospital here we come.  After breaking my water (I don't know how they do it these days) and telling me to join my husband in the waiting area and walk, that is exactly what I did.  It wasn't too long after that the pains of childbirth began and my son was delivered shortly thereafter.

Grandparents, Awaiting New Mom and Dad....

So my hopes and prayers are that our long-awaited sweet girl will come into this world safely into the loving welcome arms of their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and this great-grandmother. Stay tuned for the upcoming announcement!!

"If I am thinking correctly," said Pooh, "a new baby is probably, undoubtedly, the grandest gift of all."

PS  - Please hop on over to my collaborative blog FOL where I am musing on the "Distractions of Fall.

Until next time....