My Thoughts

CATCHING UP...

2011-09-03T14:14:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged. I've been busy these past few months. Lots of changes in our lives. Good changes.

In May, we took a trip to visit dear friends in El Paso, TX., and then it was on to Tempe, AZ. to spend time with Gene's sister Jerri and her husband Scott. Both visits were so enjoyable, and we had a great time. Next, we made our way to San Diego, CA. Our oldest son Breck and his family life there, as well as many of our dearly loved friends. We are always so blessed when we get to take a trip to San Diego. We had such a wonderful time with Breck, Paulette, Shauna and Starsha. We hadn't seen Starsha in awhile, so it was a surprise that she came to see us after getting off of work. She is a blessing to us. We got to stay with our precious friends Anne and Lee. We so enjoy our time with them. Since they've invited us to stay with them whenever we're in town, we are blessed to begin and end our days there with them. It's like we've never been apart when we get to visiting!

On May 27th our sweet little granddaughter Christiana turned 1 yr. old! Ashley and Jason decided to have her 1st Birthday Party at the beach in La Jolla. Friends and family came from all over to celebrate the blessing of Christiana! Our youngest son Michael and wife Patti came from Anaheim. It was so good to get to spend time with them. Some of our friends came, too. Amongst them were Mike and Sharon Slagle - always a blessing to get to spend time with them. We so love them. Andrea and Zyel came. We hadn't seen them for sometime. They are so happy now. I loved getting to see them.

We went on to Las Vegas to get a little more time in with Ashley, Jason and Christiana. Then it was back to Texas until the last of July, when we traveled to Iowa for my family's reunion. We missed so many over the years, so it's so good to be able to catch up with cousins, aunts and uncle, nephews and nieces.

Unfortunately, on the day of the reunion, Aunt Joann, Uncle Mick's wife, passed away very unexpectedly. We were so caught off guard at the unexpected death of a dear Aunt. We all thought of the many fun times we spent with her as well as Mick and Joann. But, in the spirit of the Rabbitt family, we went forward.

We had a great time getting to visit with so many that we see so little! The auction, with my sweet husband Gene and cousin Patrick leading, brought much needed laughter into our midst. Everyone had such fun bidding on items that were auctioned. Enough money was raised to pay for the rental of the building, and some left over. My only complaint, which I am sure is shared by many... one day every two years just isn't enough!

To my great joy and surprise, two of my dear friends from high school days, Sue and Sondra came to see me at the family reunion! I was so surprised and overjoyed!! We had fun catching up and remembering a few things we did during our "rascal days." In all fairness, I'd have to say that Sondra was the good child... while Sue and I were a bit more mischievous! What a blessing, getting to see them!

When we left the reunion, Ashley, Jason, Christiana, and...our granddaughter Sydney came back home with us. The day after we arrived home, we were then joined by our daughter Kelli, husband David, and their sons Jordan and Conor. So, we had a "mini reunion" for the next few days. We had a lot of fun, getting to play games, kidding around, just enjoying being together. The ladies... that would be Kelli, Ashley, Sydney and myself, went for a pedicure and manicure! Ahhhh....love this. So relaxing. Of course, then came the day that Ashley, Jason and Christiana had to leave and fly back to Vegas. :-( But... we are thankful for the time we got to have them here.

The really BIG NEWS in the midst of all of this was that Ashley and Jason are expecting another baby, due in March!!! MORE BABIES!!! More answered prayer!! Thank you, Lord!

By the weekend, we had to say goodbye to Kelli and her family. We were so thankful for the time we had with them. Guess my heart's desire is for all of my kids and grands to live where we are. Isn't that the heart of all moms?

You may have noticed that there was no word about Sydney departing. That's because she came to live with us! She is working and established in the church, loving the college age group, as well as the "girls' group." We are happy that she has left the old behind and has walked through the "open door" into what God has for her! Gene's and my lives have changed a bit. We are retired, footloose and fancy free, but now have to change a few things. We are still living our lives, but working Sydney into the midst of everything going on. She's wanting to learn how to bake, so I'm thinking that at some point, she will be helping me with the ministry I have at church...baking, baking, baking!!

Well, speaking of baking, I have some more to do. So, that's it for now.

JUST A FEW THOUGHTS...

2011-05-05T23:44:00.002-05:00

Well, my last blog I was furiously creating/designing a wedding scrapbook for some friends getting married. I finished it and was happy with it! We were at lunch this week and ran into this couple. She said I needed to start a new scrapbook for her. I thought she meant the one I made was full. She said, "No, I'm pregnant!" It was prophesied over them that they would have children and it would be accelerated. Boy! It came true. Sooo happy for them. Sweet couple who will make great parents.

And speaking of babies, I have also finished a "1st Birthday" scrapbook for Christiana, our sweet little great granddaughter. I loved doing it and had such fun. We get to celebrate with her and the family and friends this month.

We'll get to spend time with our sons and families, as well as several of our San Diego friends. Looking forward to this!

Family is so important, and we have a family reunion this year. I am so looking forward to this time. I love my family and love spending time with them. I just wish we all lived closer together so we could spend more time together.

My "master gardener" has been busy making the yard look beautiful. We shopped for plants ~ that's my part, choosing pretty flowers in colors I love. We also bought some accessories to make it pretty.

This year, we are doing something we haven't done since our kids were all quite young... we, or I should say ~ you guessed it, the "master gardener," planted a raised garden. He planted 3 tomato plants, one cucumber plant, carrots and radishes. I look forward to the harvest. I always loved gardening, and was raised with my grandparents' huge garden, fruit trees, and berry bushes. G. W. and I started gardening the 2nd year of our marriage, and we had a huge garden. We loved having an abundance to share with others.

Again speaking of babies ~ my "baby boy" is going to be 37 this year. It's just not possible! Every birthday of our kids' I think back to their birth, my joy, about when they were growing up and how much I enjoyed being a mom. Then, along come the grandkids birthdays, and I start all over with them, doing the same thing. I am SO blessed with our kids and grands.

I am so blessed with a man who loves me and is the best ever husband. I wouldn't want to walk hand in hand with anyone else. He truly is a "helpmate." We have such fun together. I love spending time with him. We're making up for all those months we spent apart when he was in the Navy! We're doing a great job of it, too.

With Mother's Day just a few days away, I was thinking about all of them, and thanking God for blessing me with each and every one of them.

Moms ~ hope your Mother's Day is an especially blessed one this year. Kids and grandkids ~ appreciate your moms and grandmoms while you have them!

BUSY "SCRAPPING"!

2011-03-08T17:20:00.002-06:00

I have been laboring designing a wedding scrapbook for a wedding this coming weekend. It has been a labor of love, but a lot of labor. I am down to just four more pages.

Usually, once I get started it goes pretty smooth. It's getting the "creative juices" going that takes the longest. I tend to get impatient with myself knowing that I need to get started, but not being able to create. I begin sometimes looking at layouts that I like and then maybe getting an idea from them, or I might like one thing about that layout and go with it, creating my own design.

I have lost count of how many scrapbooks I've done as gifts. I have designed a scrapbook for every baby born in our church. I have done a birthday scrapbook for a lady who was 70 yrs. old and never had a birthday party before. Two of her friends wanted to make her birthday special and throw her a party with one of my scrapbooks to fill with great photos so that she could remember her day. I thought that was really special. What great friends! This wedding scrapbook is my first.

My husband retired from the Navy after 30 years of serving our country. I have bought papers and embellishments, etc., to make him a special scrapbook. That has been in the works for about 4 years now.

I have two scrapbooks to compete for a set of twin girls. Those will be my first twin baby books. I decided to make them identical, even though they aren't "identical." The journaling that their parents will do in them will personalize them.

I got into scrapbooking about 5 years ago. My granddaughter Ashley and her mom (my daughter) scrapped. I decided to give it a try. It is SO addicting!! My first scrapbook was for our youngest son, who didn't seem to have a lot of memories stored up from family and friends times as he grew up. Perhaps because we moved every 2 1/2 to 3 years it was more difficult for him. I made one for our oldest son, also. I figured that the girls will make their own, but the guys would just leave their photos in a box...kinda like I did for waaaay too many years!

A word to you all. Write on the back of your photos; names, ages, places, etc. You "think" you are going to remember all of the details, but trust me, you won't!

Memories are so important as we grow older. It's nice to browse through photo albums and reminisce about those times. I did this very thing just this week. It brought back some great memories of both family and friends.

I've decided it's time to give the photos to our kids and grands so that they can take time to leaf through the memories we've made together.

I think it would be fun to have a scrapbooking club with friends. I used to paint, and I went to classes and taught them, too. It was such fun, visiting, learning about others, laughing, and sharing ideas.

If you have children, you should consider making scrapbooks for them to have. Trust me, they will thank you later!

Well, speaking of scrapping, guess I'd better get back to mine. I've got a wedding album to finish!

CORRECTION WITH TEACHING

2011-02-24T14:21:00.003-06:00

Today has been really great thus far, and I am expecting it to only get better!

I really had a great time with my heavenly Papa today. I love when He speaks to me and - I hear! I love His correction because in His correction is always His love and teaching. And who knows better than He that you are never too old to learn something new or to be reminded of something He has already told you but that you had put off doing.

I remember those days of raising our kids and having to remind them of something that I told them they needed to do and having them ignore me, putting it off. But, I also remember the day when I gave them a deadline to get it accomplished. I have at times been given a "deadline" by my Papa. I always think, "I don't like it when He has to 'remind' me of something that He has asked or told me needs to be done." Why do I do that? Usually it's because it's something I don't want to deal with or I am just plain disobedient.

I am allowing Holy Spirit to remind me. You know, He was there long before all these "techno-support reminders" were.

Well, I just wanted to put some of my thoughts down. More for me I guess than others.

Hope your day only gets better.

DRIFT FACTOR: Minus 10

2011-02-20T15:19:00.003-06:00

Last week our granddaughter Sydney was in Ft. Worth at a conference. We met her for dinner and to be able to spend some time with her since we don't get to see her too often. She is in northern Georgia at school.

So, "I" chose Chili's because Syd didn't have a preference, and whatever G. W. had suggested didn't sound that great.

My question is... "Why is it that we get the "drift factor - minus 10" waitress so much of the time? Is there a sign on my forehead that reads, "Just give us your driftiest waitress! - And, oh yes, one that really doesn't care how good the service is."?

So, after waiting a considerable amount of time, she appeared. We ordered our beverages. I ordered coffee with "lots" of cream. After what seemed to be rather a long wait, she appeared once again, with our beverages. I look down at my coffee cup, and it is maybe 1/2-full at best. I said, "Is there a reason that you didn't give me a whole cup of coffee?" Her reply, "Well, I didn't want it to run over when you put the cream in." Okay, she brought 3 - just 3 of those small little creamers, which at the most would be maybe a teaspoon altogether. So, I asked her, nicely, if I could have the other 1/2 of my cup of coffee. I poured all THREE creamers into the cup, and I don't think the level came up at all. But... it didn't spill over, so for this I was grateful. In what seemed rather another long wait, the waitress appeared once again, this time with an "additional" cup of coffee, filled to the brim, which if I had added the creamers would then have run over. I am not sure if this was a "smart alec" gesture or stupidity. I say this, because as the whole ordering, getting our food, etc. was an "experience," to say the least.

It came time for desert, which she didn't mention because I think she just wanted us to leave so she could go back to whatever she does well... that would not be waitressing. Sydney ordered something - molten brownie with ice cream, and the waitress was off like she had a jet pack strapped on her fanny. G. W. who had planned on ordering also, just looked at me with a look on his face that said it all. She "flew by" our table several times, making sure she didn't slow down just in case we might want something, announcing, "Your desert will be out in a minute." I'm not sure how many times this happened because she was going so fast she was just a blur. When she finally returned with Syd's desert, G. W. quickly asked her, before she would disappear once again, "Is it alright if I order a desert, too?" She didn't catch the sarcasm in his voice. She replied, "If you want one." I was really hoping that he would fore go the desert and just say to her, "No, I was just wondering if it was okay." But, he really wanted the desert, so he ordered it. She made a couple of quick speedy passes by the table, without announcing that his desert would be right out, before it actually did come "right out."

She had a pretty steady attitude... "Who gives a flip if you like your food, service, or this restaurant. Just eat up and get out!"

I wanted to pen a little note and attach it to her "tip" that read... "Here's a tip: don't make waitressing your goal in life because you are probably not going to make it." But, I decided not to. I am trying to improve on my use of sarcasm. I needs to lessen in my life.

P. S. I didn't realize it had been so long since I had blogged. So, as an update, I have lost a total of 45 lbs. and am not walking for exercise, but that is a whole other blog!

EAVESDROPPING... WHEN YOU CAN'T HELP IT!

2010-07-22T21:49:00.002-05:00

So, the honey and I have dates. Last night we decided to have coffee at Starbuck's and play a card game that some friends recently taught to us.

Let me just say here that we weren't "eavesdropping" on purpose, you couldn't help hearing this conversation because she was a little loud.

A young woman, probably in her early 20's was sitting by us. A young guy joined her. And that it began... nonstop droning about herself. The entire 2 hours we were there, he probably didn't get more than 10 words in, and that may be a high estimate.

For all of you young, single ladies, here are a few things you might want to keep in mind that I don't think a guy cares about, and ways you might want to consider getting to know a guy.

1. That you never used to have long nails unless they were fake, but now your nails grow and you cut them and file the.
2. You have really grown in your Christian walk. (You should let others see/tell you.)
3. How photogenic you are.
4. When you make a statement that you know you talk too much, he has probably already figured this out.
5. Don't start every sentence with: "I, me."
6. Try asking him questions about himself so that he gets a chance to be a part of the conversation. A one-sided conversation is boring to others. Especially when every word out of your mouth is about you.
7. Don't drone on endlessly.
8. Try listening more and talking less. (There's a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth!)

I could go on, but you probably get the drift by now.

I glanced over at this guy and he spent most of the time either looking down at the table or out of the window. This told me he wasn't all that interested in her "I-me" one-sided conversation.

Of course, it's also quite possible that he didn't want to look at her "balcony" that was "spilling over." She had a top that wouldn't stay put and kept creeping down until I thought the "ladies" were going to be "falling out of the balcony!"

I thought about a saying that was popular not long ago... I kept thinking, "This guy is going to get to the breaking point and stand up and shout - JUST SHOOT ME!!"

When we had had all we could stand and were getting our things together to leave, I leaned over to the honey man and said, "Since we'll probably never see them again, could I just say a little something to her, like - oh - ZIP IT WOMAN!!" He nixed that.

We've been going to different places to have a coffee or something and playing cards a couple of times a week. It's very interesting the people you meet. We've had some great experiences. This didn't happen to be one of those experiences, but we have had some really nice conversations.

Tonight we went to Panerra and there were some women there who were extremely loud. One had one of those shrill laughs that makes fingernails on a chalkboard seem like music!

We used to tell the kids, "Use your indoor voice." There are a number of adults who never learned that concept.

We have found the Cafe de lux a great place to go. The people working there are friendly and stop by our table to visit. It's a "calmer" clientele.

UPDATE ON FAMILY, FUN AND OUR TRIP!

2010-07-15T23:53:00.003-05:00

Update on my new way of life. I weighed in on Monday, and have now lost 32 lbs. But, even better than the scale numbers is the fact that I am losing inches. I am fitting into clothes that I haven't worn in awhile. I kiddingly refer to them as my "old fat clothes." because some of my newer fat clothes are beginning to get too big. I have one pair of capris that I don't wear out of the house because I am afraid that they might fall off. :-)

We just returned from our trip to LV to see our new great grandbaby, Christiana. We are totally smitten! Even "Mr. Macho Man." He said on our way home, I really wasn't looking forward to the long trip, but that it was worth it, Christiana is so cute."

The first time he held her, they were both looking into each other's eyes, and I thought, "This is Ashley and him all over again! She has him hooked! I think I saw her "pinky finger" extended and him being wrapped around it!"

She is so alert. I loved when I would hold her and talk to her and she would focus on you like she knew what you were saying, and then she would smile. She smiles a lot. I can't remember when they usually start smiling, but she was only a month old. She is a snuggler, who loves to lay on her tummy on your chest and sleep.

We all went to San Diego, where Breck and Paulette and Mike and Patti joined us for a family BQ. We prayed over Christiana as a family, welcoming her into the family and praying blessings over her, etc. Her uncles or I should say her "great uncles" were just as taken with her as they were with her mommy when she was a baby.

I loved watching Jason with Christiana. Speaking of being smitten! He has all these "rules" in mind, but I am telling you, he is going to have a hard time with that little angel.

Ashley and Jason are going to be great parents. Christiana is going to know she is loved and she will be raised knowing and loving Jesus.

Ashley's friend Jen did a photo session with all of us and also of G. W. and I with Christiana, and then with just Christiana with each of us. The photos are great.

My friend Raymond says, "She should be a Gerber Baby!" He won't get any disagreement from me!

All in all, our trip was wonderful. I am so thankful to our Lord that we are able to travel more now and see our kids and grands.

We stayed with our friends, Anne and Lee while in SD. They are such great friends. We are so blessed with friends. We enjoy spending time with them always. I have to admit that I miss our SD friends. God blessed us with them.

Well, guess that's "My Thoughts" for now. I am grateful for a loving, heavenly Papa, who's grace truly is sufficient. He has blessed us beyond any idea of what blessings could be.

UPDATE ON MY NEW LIFESTYLE OF EATING

2010-06-21T12:45:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been a little over two months since my breakthrough into a new way of life. The honey and I have been experimenting with new low-carb recipes. We bought a book - one of those "-- For Dummies" which is low carb recipes. I have to say, if you've never tried this way of eating healthier, it is really good. I was pleasantly surprised that I really like the food.

I have discovered that when you eat right, you tend not to have cravings for the things you don't need. We have cut out sugar and flour. I have also discovered that those diet foods that I used to turn my nose up at taste very good when you do not have regular sugar in your daily lifestyle.

The reeaalllly great news is that I have - the last time I checked, which was about two weeks ago, lost a whopping 26 lbs.!! I know I have a ways to go, but that is not what I am focusing on. My focus, first of all, is on the Lord, who is helping me change my life - giving me a new life. A friend of mine who has lost over 70 lbs. told me when I asked him how he was doing this said, "It's really God. When I find myself wanting to eat, I get alone with Him." That really resonated with me and stuck in my mind because when I began this journey, I knew it had to be with the Lord or it wasn't going to work. I told my friend that he had really motivated me and helped me with that word.

Now, let me just say here... I am not going to be one of those people who blasts you constantly with "how you can to this, too." I am sharing from time to time here because I know that I need to be open with those who know me. And let me say this, I appreciate friends who I have shared this with being supportive. When we go out to eat with friends, they will ask where a good place for us to go because they know I am not eating fast food, etc. It's really good to have friends who support you and care about you, and we are blessed with those friends.

Along with the weight loss, I have lost inches, which is really important. I have "shopped" for something to wear in my closet. By that I mean that I have an array of sizes that I "grew out of," and it is exciting and very encouraging to me when I try something on that I couldn't wear before and it fits! I have also experienced some of the clothes being a little too big.

What about G.W.? Well, he lost weight right off because he had an abscessed tooth and couldn't eat for about a week. And then, when he could eat again, he lost more weight! He has to be a little careful, however, because he has pants that are waaaay too big and could be embarrassed by losing them! He had bought a new belt because his old one was too big. Now, the new belt is too big and he needs to get a new one. He was "complaining" about this the other day, to which I responded, "Look, if you're going to complain about something, could you make it something worth complaining about?!" He has wanted to lose the tummy thing mostly. The low carb way of eating is great for this. He is losing. He was also complaining that he had lost a whole lot of his butt. I told him I would gladly give him some of mine!

Well, I just wanted to take a minute and share this with the people I care about and who care about me, and say, "Thanks guys, I appreciate your support!" That especially goes for my honey, who is and always has been very supportive of me. Love you all! Blessings to you!

SHE'S HERE!!!

2010-05-27T23:16:00.003-05:00

Our little Christiana is here! She was born at 6:05 PM, weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and is 20 1/2 inches long. Daddy says she has a little hair.

She was born C-section after Ashley had been in labor for 17 hours and little miss Christiana hadn't turned at all. The doctor decided to do a C-section. I told Jason to tell Ashley I love her.

When Jason called, he hadn't gotten to hold her yet. So, I told him to be sure and tell Christiana that I love her. Funny, isn't it - how you can love someone you've never even seen yet.

Her Uncle Jake says she is "freaking cute"! He's gone the way of uncles and grandfathers in this family... hooked! Christiana will forever hold their hearts in her hand and have them twisted around her little finger.

I can't wait to see pictures of our little prinicess! I want to see her mommy and daddy holding her and the love and awe and wonder on their faces.

Chloe and Hershey - move over, there is a new ruler of the castle coming home!

I wish Ashley's mom, Kelli, lived closer. I think about how we were so blessed when Ashley was born, being in the same town for her first 2 yrs. before G. W. was transferred. We were so blessed.

Well, I just wanted to "chronicle" Christiana's debut into this world. Be blessed everyone. This family certainly is!

SOON WE'LL BE GREAT GRANDPARENTS

2010-05-26T19:50:00.002-05:00

Well, tomorrow is the day Ashley enters the hospital to be induced. So, sometime between Thursday and Friday, they will be blessed with a baby girl. Christiana will enter the world that will be filled with love from a family who has waited for a long time to have a little one born!

My prayers for Ashley are that she will not have a long labor.

I think about when each one of our kids were born, and I remember like it was yesterday, the first time I got to hold each one of them. You don't take the doctor's word for it that they are perfect, have all their fingers and toes... you have to check for yourself. I don't know that there are words for how you feel the first time you hold them; the love, the awe; the reality that now you are responsible for another life other than your own. You become an instant "warrior woman," ready to defend them unto death and have no doubt that you would lay down your very life for them.

I was telling our grandson Jason, the new daddy, that when you hold that baby for the first time, you experience a love that is like none other. It isn't like your love for God, for your spouse, your parents, siblings, friends... it's unexplainable.

And then, before you know it, they are starting kindergarten, and the next day - or so it seems, they are graduating high school, entering college, getting married, having their first baby. Where does that precious time go? No matter how much time you spend together as a family, that time seems to slip through your fingers. But, if you've spent great time together, making memories, recording them - of course scrapbooking them, then you will have something to look back on that will be pleasing.

We played a lot of board games, spent time at the beach, went on picnics, took trips to the mountains, always ate our meals together at the table. Now, that last one might not seem to "fit in" with the rest of the "activities," but it does fit, and perhaps it is one of the most important things you will ever do with your children. It's a time for sharing, everyone getting to say what happened throughout their day, interacting with one another. And... never, but never is it a time to scold or talk about negative things. Table time is for good memories.

I told our granddaughter Sydney, who is Kelli and David's daughter, that I think that God gave us a smaller home here because He knew I would take all of my grand kids and have them come live with us! And I knew that wouldn't be His plan for them, so He just took care of that up front! :-D

We are blessed to have "six of our own." That's three that are our "biological kids," and the three that were "grafted in" when they married our three! Just what I always wanted, 3 sons and 3 daughters! And then, there are the seven grand kids! You can never have too many of those!! And now, we are being blessed with a great granddaughter. Can it get any better than this?

Well, I will keep you posted and make the grand announcement of little miss Christiana's entrance into the family as soon as I have word!

Count your blessings... one by one!

IT'S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME SINCE...

2010-04-30T14:34:00.002-05:00

Well, I got back from San Diego yesterday, and I had promised my friend and new mom Rhonda that I would babysit Daniel because his nanny wasn't available.

Daniel arrived at 8:30 AM. And funny thing, just like Chloe, Ashley's Yorkie, he immediately took to G.W.

I fed him the remainder of his bottle and G.W. took on the job of burping him because Mommy said he burps really well if you let him stand up in your lap and kind of jump up and down. After a couple of manly type burps, we held him and talked with him. I remembered that our granddaughter's little "baby jumper thingy" was here, waiting for us to take it to LV after Christiana is born. So, G.W. put him in that, turned the buttons on and Daniel was entertained with the moving fish, water, and sounds. Incidentally, it also has a vibrator like in a recliner!

He seemed tired and a little fussy, so G.W. picked him up and rocked him in the rocking chair. He promptly fell asleep for a short while. When he woke up, he was fussy, so I told G.W. to bring him in on our bed and I'd get the diaper bag. I figured he was due for a diaper change by now.

Well, as my grandfather used to say, "He's not only wet, he's 'muddy'!" My first thoughts were, 'I don't know if I can do this." I have a very low tolerance for "smells," and I usually begin gagging. I just have to "think" about it and I'm headed for the bathroom!

Now, Daniel is very active - his hands and feet are going a mile a minute, and trying to change a messy diaper that had squished around a little - make that a lot, was - I could see, going to be an undertaking. So, I told G.W. to hold his feet so that he didn't kick into the mess. Good idea, however, he got loose from him, and you guessed it, right into the pooh. Somehow, G.W. had it on his hand and when he leaned back, it got onto the sheets and pillow cases!

At this point, I got Daniel cleaned up, stripped off his entire wardrobe, and started from scratch.

What I didn't say here is that, as the TWO of us were in the midst of changing this diaper, we started laughing hysterically at our lack of ability to change a diaper and because we knew this had to be an hysterical sight for anyone who would have been watching. Talk about two incompetent people!!!

I am certain that if Daniel could talk, he would be telling his Mommy not to ever leave him with us again until they had a little more "experience" in babysitting!

He seemed okay when he left. Hopefully it wasn't so traumatic he'll need deliverance for it one day! :-)

I think G.W. and I need to go buy a book on taking care of babies and refresh our memories. Maybe even buy a Cabbage Patch doll and some diapers and practice a little on diaper changing methods!

Neither of us could remember the last time we had changed a diaper, so I am guessing it must have been a very long time. We were really "out of practice"!

But, once he was cleaned up, Daniel was once again happy. He had had his second bottle, and was ready for another nap. Probably thought he'd survive better if he slept and we didn't have to do anything else that we were way out of practice doing.

2010-04-10T23:11:00.002-05:00

I have spent some time with the Lord today, listening to CDs, studying the Word. I've been in a 'funny mood.' Do you ever feel like just going back for more? You know, you've read your Bible, spent time talking with and listening to the Lord, and doing some praying, and then you go about doing other things, and then you find yourself back doing it all over again. It's been one of those days for me.

I am looking forward to church tomorrow. I have an 'anticipation' of something good is going to happen.

I have been preparing for my trip to San Diego on the 20th. I am really looking forward to seeing family and friends. It seems like there was a 'drought,' where we just didn't get to travel, and now, we've been going more.

I am also excited about going down to Beaumont, TX. in May. God's got something planned and we are to go back again. He does some awesome things when we're down there, so I am anticipating with great excitement and expectation. I love it when He shows up and does what He has planned to do! I also love being His vessel. God is doing some wonderful things in the people we minister to there. It is so rewarding to see God growing them and changing them and healing them! He's got some plans for that family!

My 'new lifestyle way of eating' is going so good. I know God is helping me. I do not crave anything that I shouldn't be eating. THAT has to be GOD! :-) I feel so much better since making the decision to make some changes in my life. It's about doing some things that God had already shown me, so I am just being obedient and letting Him do the rest.

My scrapbooking has 'engulfed' the office, so my sweet husband decided to find a solution to organizing things and keeping it together. He was going to build me this really neat work station/computer desk, but it would cost too much. So, he went shopping for a desk that has a work station with it, and found a really nice one on sale. LOVE sales! He took me to see it and ordered it today. I think he's planning on assembling it while I am in SD. So, I'll have something to look forward to on my return home besides seeing my honey, who I will miss. I wish he was going with me, but he's got a plan to do some things while I am gone and out of his hair. :-(

Well, I just felt like writing a few words and now I am done! Blessing to you all who read this!

BREAKTHROUGH - WOO HOO!

2010-04-07T13:02:00.002-05:00

Well, a little over a month ago, I went to a rhematologist to see about treatment for arthritis. Since moving to Texas, I have been steadily getting worse. I allowed this to put me in a place where it was "ruling" my life. As the pain got worse and I could do less and less, I began to feel a bit worthless. I couldn't do the simplest of things, like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. I would keep trying, but the pain was so bad that I would just give up.

Well, as you all know, your metabolism slows down as you get older, so unfortunately, I was also gaining weight. I seemed to be in a vicious circle... couldn't do anything to burn calories (apparently the 500 trips I make between a chair and the bathroom each day doesn't burn enough calories!) ^^

As I gained weight, I found myself being depressed. The enemy took full advantage and began spewing his lies of how I wasn't worth anything, I was just dead wood, etc. What he didn't count on was that I would cry out to my heavenly Papa, spending more time with Him, worshipping, listening to praise and worship CDs, etc. The Lord kept speaking to me about breakthrough was coming, it was at the door; making sure that I was hearing HIS voice over the lies of the enemy.

Well, a little over a month ago, I told G.W. one night that I had to lose weight, it was a matter of life and death to me. I had been praying for God to show me how to do this.

God sometimes speaks to me with one or two words, especially as I awaken in the morning. The next morning, I was awakened with, "Dr. Atkins." I got up and went to the computer, looked up Dr. Atkins, and read all about his plan. I printed a few menus out. When G.W. got up, I told him what Holy Spirit had spoken to me and what I had read. I told him I was going to follow this plan of learning to eat healthier. He, being the supportive, loving man that he is, said he would eat this way, too.

So, when I went back to see the rhematologist, he said, "You've lost 11 lbs. in less than a month! That is really good!" I wasn't even aware that I had. I like him because he tells it like it is for my good, and he is very encouraging.

Today, as I was getting dressed, I saw a pair of slacks that I had not been able to get zipped up. I took them off of the hanger, thinking, "Let's see how close they are to fitting again." I put them on and they zipped up!!! What an ecouragement this was.

I have to say that I know that this is totally the Lord. He has helped me. I eat and do not get hungry in between meals. I do not crave anything that I shouldn't eat! Honest!! Not sweets, not pastas, bread, nothing! I have had opportunities to "cheat," if I had chosen to do so, but I have no inclination to do so. I have not been tempted to eat the things I do not need.

G.W. has lost weight, but... probably not so much from eating the new,healthy way, but because just days after we began eating healthy, he woke up with an abcessed tooth! He's lost about 14 lbs. because he's been eating soup, sugar-free jello and pudding, scrambled eggs; whatever he doesn't have to chew much.

When I found out I had lost 11 lbs., it was like losing 100 lbs., I felt that good!

I am not looking at the long path I am on to health and a skinnier me, but just walking each day with my Papa who loves me... just the way I am, but wants me to be healthier and feel better physically as well as emotionally.

My time with Him just gets sweeter and sweeter. It's the favorite part of my day. In fact, there are days when I just keep going back for more again and again. That "bread of life" fills the emptiness in my life!

A friend of mine said to me, before he even knew what was going on, "Something has been lifted off of you!"

Yes it has! That spirit of heaviness! I have put on a new garment, the robe of praise!

Thank you, Papa. You always answer my prayers and are always with me.

When God tells us to seek Him with all of heart, all of our mind, all of our soul, I think it's because He wants us to come deeper. If we only get to the 'surface,' then we don't have a strong hold on His hand and we're likely to slip away. But as we allow Him to draw us deeper, we have a grip like - if you know the game 'Red Rover, red rover..." you know how you grasped the person's wrist with your hand as they did yours... it was a grip, a bond that was not easily broken! So, when Satan comes, he finds a bond that is not easily broken!

You will note that I did not say that I was going on a diet. Diets don't work, they are just temporary fixes. It was about 'change.' I had to not just change my way of eating, but change my mindset. God says in His Word - Jeremiah 29:11, that He has a 'plan' for us. Well, God had a 'plan' for me. I had to work through a lot of stuff to get to the door He would open for the new way, but, with Him, and persevering, I got there. I don't think about how many pounds I am losing, I am just living each day for Him, listening to Him, eating like I should.

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH! I truly can do all things through Christ Jesus!

LOVE, RESPECT AND ADMIRATION

2010-02-12T13:15:00.002-06:00

I read this article written by Tracie Miles and thought it was worth sharing. I didn't just read it, I asked the Lord to show me what I needed to see and change. You are never too old to learn something new or to change... and to improve and make your marriage even better!

"However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:33 (NIV)

When I married my wonderful husband twenty years ago, I fully intended to unconditionally love, respect and admire him. I had great intentions of being the perfect wife, with sweet words, a romantic kiss and dinner on the table every evening. But then careers took off, bills increased, children were born, laundry piles grew, and life got chaotic. Along the way I subconsciously created a measuring stick of expectations for whether my husband actually deserved my love and respect.When marriage doesn't meet the unrealistic expectations we imagine before the wedding, and real life kicks in, women can inadvertently get lured into tearing down their husbands, and their marriages as well.In fact, the longer couples are together, the easier it becomes to not only see each other's flaws, but to mercilessly criticize them. This eventually leads to low tolerances, short tempers, minimal patience, and a woeful lack of marital bliss. As a result, those gifts of unconditional love, respect and admiration that were once offered so freely become gifts that we are not so willing to offer at all.A few months ago I picked up The Man Whisperer, written by my friend and author Rick Johnson. The title intrigued me, as I was anxious to rekindle some passion in my own marriage Little did I know that God would use the truths shared in this book to step on my toes and cause me to take an inward look.Many relationship topics are covered, but as I read, God convicted my heart about things I had said to my husband just days earlier. As I recalled some of the critical comments that had rolled off my tongue so easily, I be came overwhelmed with regret and disappointment. I had fallen into a bad habit of tearing down my man with my words, not fully realizing the toll it was taking on him. Most importantly, I began to realize the powerful influence I have on my husband and marriage by simply choosing words that encourage, instead of discourage.As women, we have the power to build up or tear down our husbands every day, merely by the respect we give and the amount of faith we let him know we have in him. Respect and admiration are two of the most powerful tools a woman has to influence her husband. I realized I had fallen short lately in giving those two precious gifts to my man.I prayed, asking God to help me control my tongue and fill my heart and mouth with words that would make my husband feel appreciated, admired, respected and loved, regardless of whether I felt he deserved it. I prayed that God would convict my heart when critical thoughts crept into my mind, and help me avoid the temptation to say them out loud.Within just a few weeks, I saw a change - in me, in my husband's demeanor, and in our relationship: a change that rekindled that unconditional love, respect and admiration that I set out to give him all along, and that I also wanted in return.Through a wife's gifts of unconditional love, respect, and admiration, we can help our husbands become the great men that God created them to be, and in turn, create the marriages we always dreamed of.

Dear Lord, help me to tame my tongue and focus on building up my man. Help me break free of the habit to criticize, even when warranted. Open my eyes to the positive, not the negative. Draw us closer, and help us both nurture a strong and loving marriage. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

2010-02-09T12:48:00.002-06:00

If you've read my previous blog about the young couple who had decided to divorce, I have good news!! They've decided to work on their marriage, through forgiveness and counseling. I give God the praise and glory for answered prayer...his mother I know prayed, as did I for this precious couple.

One thing they 'discovered' through all of this was how the enemy had used their 'pride' to try and destroy their marriage.

When this young man called me a couple of days ago to tell me the wonderful news, I could see a change in him, he had humbled himself before his Lord as well as his wife, and she in turn had humbled herself before her Lord and her husband. It is amazing how when we are willing to do this, what God can then do.

He began telling me about all of the things that are now falling into place for them. With obedience comes blessing!

I think they've discovered that 'there hands fit together for them alone.' I suspect that they will one day be '90 years old, walking along, holding hands,' more in love than ever.

I want to say here that I never gave up on what God could do in this young couple's hearts. I continued to pray and decree that the enemy was not going to come and steal, kill and destroy! I declared in Jesus' name that this marriage would not only survive, but that it would thrive and be a testimony unto the Lord, the one who heals, brings life, and sends His Spirit to humble us, and change our hearts, as we submit ourselves to Him. One day, they will be helping others who have come to the edge of the cliff and can only see a chasm where there was once a bridge, and show them how to rebuild the bridge back to their commitment, their covenant to one another and to their Lord, and a marriage until death do them part!

By the way, he reminded me that they've been married over 7 years now, and I told him that they are still in the time of getting to know one another! I don't think that time ever changes...getting to know one another... finding new things about yourself and your spouse. I know this is true of my husband and I. I like finding out new things about him.

We have to learn to let the old things die so that God can bring resurrection ... new life!

To God be the glory!!! Thank you, Papa for answered prayer!

HOW WELL DOES YOUR HAND FIT?

2010-01-11T00:53:00.002-06:00

I was talking - through email a few weeks ago to a young couple, who mean a great deal to me. They're having some serious marital difficulties. Serious enough that they've decided they cannot forgive/forget, and so they're taking the pathway to divorce. It saddens my heart beyond words. They've been married a little over five years. Five years... you're still newlyweds. You are still learning about one another, learning to truly do what those vows say...preferring one before yourself. That's what marriage is, learning about one another for the rest of your life together. Forgiving and forgetting, knowing that when you ask for forgiveness, you will receive it, and that the breach can be repaired. Why do people think that marriage is going to be one long honeymoon where you never disagreements, don't like each other at times, want to be left alone at times, etc. - (But always loving one another.)

I related some of G.W.'s and my marriage to them. I told them that during the time before he retired from the Navy, there were many moves, which could be every 2 1/2 to 3 yrs. And, then there were the separations when he would be on a ship for months at a time. Keep in mind that during this time, there were no computers and cameras to communicate. It was 'snail mail,' which many times would take some time to arrive. We learned to number our letters because sometimes the mail would be stuck somewhere and the ship would get newer mail. You can imagine how confusing that could be! There were no cell phones, either.

So, G.W. and I were talking, and he was a little down. He said he felt bad that he was away so much of the time, missing out on birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc. He felt that moving so often was really hard on the family, especially the kids.

I went and got my Bible and turned to the Book of Ruth, and I read aloud to him, the covenant promise that Ruth made to Naomi: "Where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you. " When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more. And that it where the conversation ended with G.W. and I. He KNEW that I would be with him no matter what. He knew that I loved him and would be with him always.

We've never renewed our vows because that day was a renewal of what I had said to him the day we were married; whatever... I will never leave you.

I was talking with G.W. about this young couple, and I told him that they just couldn't get past 'how they felt.' They could not grasp that this was an assignment of the enemy to destroy their family. They've allowed pride to destroy their family. I told him that if I were a pastor, before I would marry couples there would be a requirement of them attending a pre-marriage class of at least 6 months before the wedding date. I would give them both a copy of the wedding vows they were going to say to each other and to God, and I would give them an assignment to write down in their own words what these words meant to them. And, until I felt they truly understood what they were saying and doing, making a covenant promise to each other and to God, there would be no marriage. And if they chose to go elsewhere rather than participate, so be it, because I wouldn't want to join to people together to become 'one' who would always be 'two.'

I have something I do with G.W. every so often. I remember the first time I did it... I asked him to come to where I was standing. I took hold of his hand, my left in his right, and said to him, "Our hands fit just right, and they would never fit anyone else's hand because we were meant to be together." He smiled and squeezed my hand.

I also remember one time when we were walking along and there was an elderly, quite elderly couple walking hand-in-hand ahead of us. G.W. said to me, "That's where I want to be when we're 90 years old... walking along holding your hand." I have to tell you, there is nothing he could ever buy me that would be as precious and valuable to me than those times he says these things to me. I feel secure in our relationship. I know he loves me. I know I can trust him in all things. I have no doubt in my mind that he would literally lay down his life for me.

I have seen a trend in young couples who have been married 3, 4, 5 years and divorcing. These are Christians, who should be getting counsel, working things out on their knees.

Our marriage has thrived because of our relationship with God. There is a 3-fold cord that is not easily broken! When your mate has done something wrong, take it to the One who knows covenant, not to the courts who treat marriage like a contract to be broken.

Let me say here, I know there are times when divorce cannot be helped because of abuse, when your life is in danger, etc., so I am not, no would I ever, stand in judgment of anyone.

I am concerned about the 'family' in this day. I can't help wondering what the relationship with God is like for these couples.

OUR VOYAGE TO LV

2010-01-07T19:34:00.002-06:00

Well, as many of you know, G.W. and I decided to go to Las Vegas for Christmas. We drove because G.W. wanted to. Actually, that is only partially true... he wanted to drive and me to fly. I guess after over 36 years of driving in the car with me he wanted/needed a break. But, I wasn't going to give him one! :-)

Our trip to LV was a good one, though l-o-o-o-n-g! I tend to get a little "chatty" when trapped in a vehicle, so I am sure at some point, The Man tuned me out. For those of you who are little older, you might remember the "Walter Mitty stories." He was this guy who would "zone out" into his own little world. I think that's what G.W. does. I think he likes it better when I sleep a lot.

Now, I am sure I am not the only one who dreads the "potty breaks," or rather "where" we take the potty breaks. It used to be that McDonald's was a clean spot. However... not so much anymore. We stopped at one where there were two stalls. The one was flooded with about 2-inches of water, and the other had a line out the door of women waiting. Now, let me say this, we generally stop at rest stops, however, because of the cold weather, apparently some states close their rest stops, probably because of pipes freezing. BUT... for those of us not living in these states, we have no way of knowing this. So, you go along thinking that you will stop at the rest stop, only to find out the next 50 of them are closed!!! So, having said this, you might understand that I had now gone for a long, long time, many, many miles, having to make a pit stop. So, when we got to the McDonald's, I knew that even though the line was long, if I opted to go somewhere else, I might not make it.

So, I waited patiently, saying a little prayer, "Okay, could you help me not pee my pants, Lord?" as I stood waiting for each woman to take her turn and hurry up. At long last, it is my turn. I go into the stall, barely have my tush on the seat when this woman rudely, and in great anger, says, "Are you about done in there?!" Well, normally, I would have said something nice to her. However, remember, I had waited my turn and was in dire straits, and had not said anything to any of the other ladies ahead of me, so I said, rather rudely to her, "When I'm done I'll be out!"

I guess she hadn't thought about the fact that when I WAS DONE IN THERE, she was going to have to come face-to-face with me, having made her rude, loud remarks. As I came out and she nearly knocked me off of my feet, she said, "Not a good time to have only one bathroom working." Sorry lady, too little too late. It was was past time for the "sugury, sweet voice." You had crossed the point of no return. I am happy to say, however, that I did not respond with anymore ugliness.

And then there was the next stop, where you have driven many, many, many miles and arrive at the other side of the Hoover Dam. What was it about the horrible experience at the New Mexico McD's that we had forgotten and so we stopped once again at another one?? Just as we arrived, a bus load of teenagers, a Christian group, came flying off of the bus at break neck speed, and had you gotten anywhere near them, you'd have been swept off your feet from the sheer force of the wind they created. I am quite sure that the females outnumbered the males 5 to 1, so yes... the restroom was FULL! They were, however, hungry, so they moved rather quickly along. I came out of the restroom, looked at G.W., who had got caught in the middle of the whirlwind of teens, and said, "Let's go somewhere else for a coffee." I didn't have to say it twice.

Now, here comes a bad part. I think I need an intervention from family and friends. You all know I do like my Carmel Machiatos at Starbuck's. Well, as I made a running leap to get into the honkin' big Texas truck, I stopped in mid-air as I saw a used, thrown out Starbuck's cup. I said, "It's a Starbuck's cup! Someone threw out a Starbuck's cup! That means there's a Starbuck's around here somewhere!" G.W. knows not to try and talk me out of a CM at Starbuck's, nor to get in the way of a woman on a mission! So, he did look for one. But, there wasn't one. Some inconsiderate person had thrown out their cup from who knows where! I hope the next SB's they get tastes terrible!

Our next stop was Ashley and Jason's! Hooray!

I'll write about our return trip later. It will give you something to look forward to! :-)

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GIVING...

2009-12-13T20:28:00.002-06:00

This past month was a busy one, and this month looks to be yet another busy one.

In November, our church as an annual Arts & Crafts Fair, and when I offered to take it over for the awesome woman who had been doing it, I called on my "right and left hands" to be a part of the teamwork. That would be my husband G.W. and our granddaughter Ashley. They both are awesome organizers, planners, and whatever it takes to get things done! And, most important of all, having a wonderful, sweet grandson, who "loans" us his wife for a couple of weeks. Without them there would be no Fair.

Besides being on the production end, getting it all together, Ashley and I plan something that we can do together to sell. While we want to at least break even, it always ends up that we give a lot away. We love blessing people!

This year we decided to do cookies-in-a-jar, using some old family recipes, along with a couple of new ones. We dubbed it "Grandma's Cookie Jar." That was Ashley's idea. It was a lot of work, and I can't remember how many jars we filled, but it was a whole lot! It begins with Jason "loaning" us Ashley. Let's face it, she brings life into the room! Anyway, the best part of it is the time we get to spend together. We laugh and talk a lot! I tell her stories about our family history, recalling memories of past times we did things together, talking about when we were raising our daughter Kelli - her mom, and our sons Breck and Michael. We giggled and talked for days! I told her stories about my mom and dad, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles.

When we talked about doing the whole "Grandma's Cookie Jar" thing, the plan was to give people something that would bring them together to have fun, doing something with someone they love... like we do. It seems like people don't take time to talk and listen to each other, and just spend some fun time together.

I loved spending time with my grandmother too, listening to her tell stories of the past. I decided that I wanted to do something that would honor her, so I used part of a Scripture from Proverbs 31 ~ "...she willingly works with her hands," on our paperwork, and it will always find a place on our labels, etc.

Out of all of this, came my plan to make Christmas baskets for gifts. As I was baking over several days, getting a Christmas basket ready for several families, I was thinking about grandma. She was a wonderful, loving, godly Christian woman, who had 1 Corinthians 13 down to a "T". She loved you and you knew it! Every Christmas she would bake mincemeat pies, her filled cookies, make divinity, fudge, and various other specialties of hers. She would make 10 baskets, filled with all of these goodies. They were for her 10 children and their families. She didn't have a lot of money, but she had a lot of love, and she put some of that love in each of these baskets. "Silver and gold had she none, but such as she had ~ she gave!"

It took my well into my adult years to appreciate what it took to do all of this. You see, grandma did this well into her late 70's, when she could no longer stand on her feet all of the hours it took to do this. And, this had to be very difficult for her to do. But, she wanted to do this for her family because it was giving a part of herself to her family. It was my mother who then lovingly took it over when grandma could no longer do it.

It was because of them that I decided to do something to honor their memory ~ give something from my heart to others.

I can honestly say that this hasn't been easy, baking for several hours for several days, being on my feet. But I can also honestly say that I did it for the same reason they did... out of love.

And, my sweet husband had a big part in this, too. He helps in ways that facilitate the process and goes on "yet another run to the grocery store," never complaining that I had forgotten something he could have gotten on his last trip to the store. He truly is a patient, kind and loving man, and I am blessed to have him by my side, walking through this life together. I love you, G.W.!

One of the most wonderful things that came out of this Arts and Crafts Fair was that one of the ladies who participated found a new church home at our church. That was a blessing to find out! The other is that I made a wonderful new "sister lady friend." A woman who was planning on participating got the news that she has cancer, and had to back out. Through all of this, God connected us, and I have the privilege of praying for her, and we are going to get to meet face-to-face after the first of the new year! God had His own plan in all of this, and I really love His plans!

Someone else that we sometimes forget about at this time of the year amidst all of the hustle and bustle, who did something that was not easy, so painful, but the MOST loving act of love ever... Jesus! He gave the greatest gift of all... "The gift of God is eternal life." ~ Romans 6:23

And, I just want to say to all of you, "Merry Christmas to you and yours," and a very Happy Hanukkah to all of my Jewish friends!

Who would have thought He'd trade a throne for swaddling and a manger,

appearing to the world He made as just a tiny stranger?

Who would have thought this tiny humble Babe would one day be

the King we'd praise, adore and serve for all eternity?

LOVE AND MARRIAGE - A PUZZLE

2009-11-13T11:40:00.003-06:00

I was on Facebook - or "Spacebook" as my husband calls it - yesterday. You know how we ladies are, bragging about whose husband is THE BEST. Well, I wrote that my husband was the best because he had had a lot of years to work on it. One conversation led to another, and it got me to thinking about what I had written and what another lady, Glenda had written.

She said that her husband had been working at it for over 40 years, and neither of them are perfect YET, but at least they're still working on it together.

To which I responded: I didn't mean he's perfect...if he was, he wouldn't be living with me. :-) I think you learn over the years that you are together that you are to "complete" each other, not "compete" with each other, and that differences are good. We fill in the strengths and weaknesses of our spouses. I love that we fit together like a puzzle!

Glenda wrote: I like the word "puzzle" to describe a good relationship! Marriage is always a work in progress, and with God as the "foreman," we know the building will be properly built at each state.

That word "puzzle" got me to thinking. Have you ever been working on a puzzle, especially when you were a kid and you were trying to fit a piece of the puzzle in and it wasn't quite right; almost, but not the right piece, so you tried to force it into place? I likened this to our relationships with our spouses in our marriage relationship. When we want him to do something or be a certain way, we try and force that "piece of the puzzle" into place, and if necessary, pound on it a little bit with our words, instead of letting The One who sees the entire puzzle, do the "fitting the pieces into place." When we do this, the "puzzle" - our relationship with our husband, is not a true fit, so the "picture" isn't right. If we will just ask God to help us, He will. In fact, I've found that when I have said to my heavenly Papa, "Could You do something with him, could You change him?" He gets to work.... changing ME! :-)

I applaud you Glenda that you and your husband are still working on your marriage together! It truly is a laboring, but... it truly is a "labor of love." And by the way, you and your honey have a few years on us, we've been married 35 1/2 wonderful years.

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

2009-10-20T17:49:00.002-05:00

Well, we left on October 4th to drive to Las Vegas. The main purpose of our trip was to move Ashley and Jason's belongings that were here in Denton to LV.

Gary volunteered to help G.W. The two of them drove the moving van and probably terrorized every waitress between Denton, TX and LV. Ashley and I drove the "Big-honkin' Texas truck." We had a great time travelling. Chloe Belle accompanied us. She is a great traveller.

We made great time, stopping in Albuquerque for the night. We went out for dinner with G.W. and Gary. Gary picked the restaurant and it was a good one. In fact, he picked three restaurants and all of them were great.

We took the long way into Las Vegas to avoid going over the Hoover Dam. There is construction and big delays going that way. However, that was not the reason we avoided the dam. I do not like high bridges. The guys arrived about an hour before we did and were already unloading the truck.

We enjoyed a relaxing dinner together, with only "minimal" harrassment of the wait staff. We all went to bed early and arose early. The early rising was due to the construction in the neighborhood. I cannot remember the last time I awoke before sunrise, watching the sun come up. While it was beautiful, I really could have slept a couple more hours. This was a daily routine while we were in LV. We went to Tommy Bahama's for dinner and really enjoyed the food there. They have a wonderful goat cheese with roasted macadamia nuts on top appetizer.

Ashley and Jason's home is beautiful and reeeaallly big! They are going to have a great time decorating it. We talked about colors for paint, with accent walls. We looked at the model home like their home, and they had some great ideas.

Gary returned home on Wednesday, and the four of us went to San Diego. It was a short trip of about 4-4 1/2 hours. We got to see Breck and his family and spend time with them. We also got to see some of our friends.

We had lunch at D. Z. Aikens' - that is G.W.'s all time favorite. We met Kimberly and her two little cuties there. They were very well behaved and it was fun to get to see them. Kimberly is one of Ashley's friends from her single days, and so we got to know her well and she's one of our favorites.

Anne and Lee Hartness graciously offered for us to stay in their home, which worked great. We began and ended our day with them, so got lots of visiting time with them.

We drove on to Anaheim to see Mike and Patti and spend a few hours with them. it was good to see them again. Patti's Mom, Elizabeth took time off to have lunch with us. It was really nice to get to see her again. I really like her. We enjoyed our time there. Jackson was his usual friendly self. :-) His attitude is pretty much, "Don't bother me and I won't bother you," which works for me! :-) Then it was back to LV again.

We returned to San Diego the following Wednesday. We again spent some time with Breck and Paulette. We got to get some time in with Carole and Bob Howes. I got a day with Carole. It's always so good to get to have our time. It's a mixture of fun and spiritual!

We once again drove to Anaheim for lunch with Mike and Patti. We went to a place called Paul's for lunch. Really great food, and I'd recommend it highly. Everyone liked what they ordered. It was a short visit, but every chance you get to spend with your kids is worth it, no matter how long it is. Then, we hopped back into the truck and took off for Vegas.

It was up early to start the long trip back to Denton. Ashley returned with us for the preparation of our craft for the craft fair, as well as helping to run the whole show. Without her and G.W., there wouldn't be a craft fair. They are the best!

Our trip home.... where do I begin? ....... Much to my surprise and dismay, G.W. had decided to take the route over Hoover Dam because it shaved off 45 minutes of travelling time. Of course, this doesn't take into account what it does to me!!! I rode with my eyes shut the whole way, and - of course, leaning to the left, which has been an unconscious habit of mine since having to travel over the Coronado Bridge in San Diego. I guess I feel if I lean to the inside of the bridge we won't go over the edge!

G.W. spotted a Denny's restaurant, and he wanted soup, so we stopped there. Even though I spotted a tour bus full of elderly, French Canadian tourists and commented that it might take a long time to get our food. But, Mr. Man was sure it would be okay. Why is it that we always get the one waitress in the place that it shy of 47 cards of having a full deck????

On to Albuquerque it was. We got in late and tried reaching Brad and Cindy Parker, friends from our Navy days. We decided to go ahead and eat. As I said, it was late and therefore the choice of restaurants were few. We settled on a Chili's. Now, let me just say, because of the hour, they weren't all that busy, so exactly why did the hostess feel the need to set people right on top of us... literally. We couldn't even get out when we were through eating, which couldn't happen soon enough. There was a woman with them that obviously had never heard the term, "use your indoor voice." She was so loud, we couldn't hear our own conversation. When her husband told her she needed to quiet down, she said she didn't think she was talking that loud, it was just where they were sitting and so it was bouncing off the wall!!! NO!!! You talk too loud!!

We went back to the hotel and were ready to get some sleep. That was not going to happen. I was just dozing off when I heard loud voices in the hallway. I thought, "Well, it's just a bunch of guys who've had too much to drink and they'll get into their rooms and quiet down." Not!!

Finally, G.W. went out into the hallway and returned shortly (no pun intended) to report that it wasn't a bunch of guys, it was one small, midget talking loudly on his cell phone!! This went on for some time. Even Ashley could hear him with earplugs in! I suggested to G.W. that he might go out and ask the guy if he is staying there, and if so, perhaps he could go to his room. And if not, then to please leave so we could get some sleep. I also suggested that if the little guy didn't want to cooperate to tell him that if he doesn't quiet down you are going to take his cell phone and put it up his tiny hinney! What is it with some people who feel they have to scream into the phone?

The rest of our trip was fairly uneventful, but looong. It's good to be back, but I want to go again, just not right away.

CHLOE BELLE'S LAST WEEK WITH US

2009-10-01T01:40:00.002-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe Chloe has been with us for 3 months. She has endeared herself at times and not so much at other times.

One of those "not so much times" came this evening when she decided to poop on the runner in the entryway. That was bad enough, but G.W. (excuse me a minute while I stop laughing) walked right into it. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper! Chloe took off running to find a place to hide until things had cooled off a bit. She knows that "Big Dog" doesn't stay mad very long, but until he cools down, she doesn't want to be in the same room with him. She doesn't like scolding.

She is afraid of anything that is slightly larger than her, or even smaller than her. It's funny to watch her jump when a blade of grass moves. I don't know what she was frightened of this morning, but she was outside enjoying the beautiful weather when all of a sudden she flew into the house, stopping only when she was safely hiding under my robe!

A not so much one... when she finds anything on the floor, i.e. Kleenex, paper towels, bits of paper, etc., and sees just how finely she can shred them. If we didn't already have a paper shredder, I'd put her to work.

We took her to get her groomed with the guy who used to groom Molly. Lavelle is a super guy and loves animals. One of the other groomers was telling me that they refer to him as the "dog whisperer of grooming."

Well, apparently Chloe isn't very nice when it comes to grooming, so she's always been sedated. Lavelle said they don't sedate dogs because it's already traumatic for them to be at the groomer's.

The girl who bathed her said she seemed to like that bath. Lavelle said she did very well with the grooming. When we went to pick her up at Petsmart, we could see him doing Chloe's nails. It was so funny to watch. If she could have reached him, she would have bitten him, but since she was tethered on the grooming table, she settled for baring her teeth frequently to express her dislike for what he was doing.

She looked sooooo cute after being groomed. He put her hair up into a bow like they do with Yorkies. She looked like a little lady. That didn't last long, however. It didn't take her anytime at all to get that bow out after we got home. She rubbed and rubbed her head on the carpet, rolled around until she finally got the bow out. So, I decided I was going to try one of the bows with a clip. They really fit tight, so I thought she wouldn't be able to get it out. Not so!

Ashley wants her to have a bow in and Chloe doesn't. Want to take any bets on whose strong will wins out??? It's a pretty good match!

I keep telling myself that I am not going to miss her, but I think I will. I can't remember when we haven't had a dog or two in our home. I won't miss her being under my feet, literally! I have been afraid that I'll trip and fall when she does this. G.W. says he won't miss her, but I think he will. She follows so closely behind him, on his heels, that he actually accidentally kicks her. Not hard. But, she keeps on his heels, wanting to go wherever he goes.

A few more days and Jason will be her new "Big Dog"!!!

STAY ON THE PATHWAY!

2009-09-13T23:03:00.004-05:00

First of all, let me begin with - if you're a guy, you might want to just sign off because this might not be something you want to read about. Okay, you've been forewarned.

My friend Kathy, somehow, as she was scaling the stairs to the second story in her house, managed to trip and possibly break her toe. This got me to thinking about an ongoing problem for me.

I am at the age, never mind what age, if I wanted you to know, I would have said how old I am. Sorry, didn't mean to sound grouchy there. Anyway, I am at that wonderful age of not sleeping through the night. Well, let me re-phrase that.... I am blessed if I sleep more than an hour or two at a time. Why, you might ask? Well, it seems that after a certain age - I said never mind, I am not telling you what age, your bladder, which for some unknown reason, can no longer hold on until morning. This has always puzzled me. It's not like you're storing up more liquid, or that your bladder has shrunk, so what's the problem.

I get up about 1 to 2 hours after I've fallen asleep. My bladder is calling out, "Hurry up and get to the bathroom," to which I respond by jumping... okay, slooowly getting up, and stasggering in the direction of where I'm pretty sure the bathroom is. My eyes are not open yet, but after this many trips each night, I've worn a pathway that should be easy to follow. Except that sometimes, when I am exceptionally tired, I wander off the pathway, and run into the door jam to the bathroom door... usually with my little toe on my right foot. That wakes you right up! So, you're probably thinking, "Well, I can see where that might have happened." To which I would reply, "Yes, but not 5 or 6 times a month!"

Now, being a "the glass is half full" kind of person, here is my take on this. The bright or good side to this is that once I have stubbed my toe on the door jam, which has woken me right up, I am now wide awake with the throbbing of my toe, for the next hour for when I will once again need to take the pathway to potty land, and because I am wide awake, the chances that I will once again slam my toe into the door jam is much less. See how easy that is.... looking for the "positive" or as my Mother used to say, "There's something good in everything that happens to you."

I truly am going to try and remember this and repeat this the next time I hit my toe in the middle of the night, instead of saying things I shouldn't under my breath.

I considered once of just sleeping on the potty, but then I realized that I would probably fall off and hit my head, which could be much more serious than my toe. Besides, G.W. is a sound sleeper and I would bleed to death before he noticed I wasn't in bed.

Now, if you're a guy and have - after my warning, continued to read this blog, and you are embarrassed, well, it serves you right. Next time, pay attention to the warning!!!

FAMILY

2009-08-26T19:48:00.002-05:00

Well, it's taken all of G.W.'s life thus far to find out some family history on his dad's side of the family.

Recently, G.W. contacted a second cousin of his, Bill Russom. They emailed back and forth, Bill giving him some great information. And then, Bill told him that he and his wife, Beverly, would be spending some time in Austin with their daughter and her family. They would be going to Wichita from there, and it was decided that we HAD to spend time with them.

Bill and Beverly came this past weekend and left today. We had such a great time, getting to know them and hearing stories, finding out things that were never known before.

Bill and Beverly are the kind of people that you immediately like. We felt like we had always known them. We treasured every moment we were blessed to spend with them.

We are looking forward to spending time with them again not too far in the future. They are definitely "keepers!" In our family, that means, we want to have them around as much as possible!

We're hoping to get to meet their daughters and their families, too.

I don't know who was more excited over their pending visit, G.W. or I! It is so great to now have family that we never knew existed!

Bill brought a stack of papers that trace their family back to the Mayflower! It's so neat to read this. G.W. has had his nose in this day and night, literally! He also shared photos of family, including G.W.'s grandmother, Elsie Blankenship, whom G.W. and his sisters never got to meet. He was thrilled to find out what a wonderful lady she was. Bill thought of her as his second mother. He and Beverly took her into their home and took care of her until the end time of her life. We loved the stories he told of her.

Family is so important, and while we wish this could have come earlier in our lives, we are so thankful to have finally made contact with family and learned more about the extended family.

By the way, there were real life "cowboys" in G.W.'s family! Somewhere along the line, that disappeared because you couldn't get the man near a horse let alone get him to ride one! :-)

IN SOME COUNTRIES IT'S A COMPLIMENT...

2009-08-16T19:20:00.002-05:00

So, we are sitting in church today, listening to Chuck Pierce speaking. I hear this strange sound that sounds like someone growling. A little strange, but I return to listening to Chuck. And then, a few minutes later there is another "growling sound." At this point, I realize it is coming from the woman sitting in front of me. I looked at G.W. who is sitting beside me. He gives me a puzzled look, and then once again we resume listening to Chuck. And then, again, the growling noise, that I finally realize is this woman BELCHING LOUDLY!! Kathy, who is sitting next to me has this kind of horrified look on her face... she can't believe this woman is doing this either. She just keeps it up, over and over.

The look on the face of the woman sitting next to her was priceless! In fact, G.W., Kathy and I all had to concentrate on not laughing out loud!

I leaned over to Kathy and said, "Several years ago, our youngest son Michael, who belched loudly and somewhat proudly at the dinner table, and was told that wasn't polite and he needed to say excuse me, came back with... 'In some countries, that is considered a compliment to the chef.' To which I replied, "Well, this doesn't happen to be one of those countries." I guess someone didn't tell this woman.

I told G.W. later that it was a good thing Chloe wasn't there, she would have "growled" back at the woman! :-)

I have to admit that on a scale of one to ten, this woman's belching was nothing like the woman who many years ago was sitting in front of G.W., Michael and I and had gas throughout the service!

Could you people take it outside, please?!!

CELEBRATING G.W.'S BIRTHDAY!!

2009-08-11T21:56:00.003-05:00

Today is G.W.'s birthday! Happy Birthday to a great guy from his biggest fan! We celebrated a little differently than we had for previous birthdays.

We started by taking the "trips" as I refer to them as. They are the 3 grandsons of our friends, Kathy and Gary Patterson. They are "made up" of a set of twins, Andy and Aiden, and their younger brother Corbin. They are a trip!

We started by taking them to feed the ducks at the Lake Dallas marina. There are "herds" of ducks there, who always seem to be hungry hippos! It was fun watching the boys feed them.

Next, we went to lunch. I voted for a place where we could get a "healthier lunch" than fast food. However, I was voted down 4 to 1 for Jack in the Box.

The boys wanted to see Chloe, so we came back to the house and turned Chloe and the boys loose in the backyard. I don't know who tired who out faster! She had a ball running and chasing after them. Corbin wasn't so sure he wanted her chasing him, but his brothers soon talked him into giving it a try, and he was laughing and running as Chloe chased him around the yard. Then we came in the house where they continued to play with Chloe some more.

Next it was ice cream for the guys! G.W. had bought "one of everything" at the store, so they had a good selection to choose from.

Then, we took the guys home, came back home to rest a little and then it was on to celebrating G.W.'s and his buddy Gary's birthdays with friends. We went to dinner at Carrerra's Italian restaurant. Great food and even better fellowship!

G.W. and Gary have had an ongoing thing where they buy something weird, strange, and/or funny for their respective birthdays. This year was no exception!

Gary's gift from G.W.: a mug that reads, "I don't know, so don't ask!" And then they've got this whole "frog thing" going on that they try to find a bigger and/or uglier frog to give to the other one, so Gary got a frog. The last "gift" was a diaper. What can I say?

Gary and Kathy had been to an auction, where Gary found the "perfect gift" for G.W. - something no one should be without. It's a brass stork, standing on one leg, with a "hook" on it, that no one could figure out what the purpose was. My guess was it was to hold a small gong so that when G.W. wanted to sing one of his songs that he's made up words to, I can "gong" him.

Well, tomorrow will be the beginning of a new day and another year for the boys to hunt for yet another gift!

And, no, they did not behave at the restaurant! But then, do they ever??? But, ya gotta love them.... somebody does.

CHLOE BELLE'S OUTING TO STARBUCK'S

2009-07-30T23:01:00.003-05:00

Chloe apparently hasn't been socializing much during her life. She wasn't handling a trip to Petsmart very well while Ashley was here. So, G.W. (aka "Big Dog") and I decided that we were going to start taking her in the truck with us and making little trips here and there where she can be around people and/or dogs.

Tonight we decided to try Starbuck's for Chloe's outing. She did very well. She loves the foam on my Carmel Machiato.

We've also been working with her to sit and not jump up on you, especially when there are treats involved. She's a smart little pooch and learns quickly. She is doing very well with the "knowing outside from inside" when it comes to doing her business. Ashley discovered that if she puts a puppy pad on the patio, Chloe will do her business on that. She isn't fond of wet grass.

She is also doing some training of her own to the humans living in this house. She is now barking at us when she wants to go outside. If her water dish is empty, she runs to where you are, barks at you and then promptly runs to her dish and sits there.

She really likes it when "Big Dog" feeds her by hand, instead of having to eat out of her bowl.

She has gone back to her "2nd fav" person - G.W. since her Ashley went home. He won't admit it, but he does enjoy having Chloe here.

WHAT I DON'T DO FOR THE MAN THAT I LOVE!

2009-07-25T22:46:00.002-05:00

Well, Ashely, G.W. and I were out and around and realized it was lunch time. Unfortunately, G.W. realized that we were only moments away from a place he has wanted to try since we moved here. What's the big attraction about this place? It's called "Keller's Hamburgers." He seems to have a fixation about that name!! :-)

Now, for those of you who know me, you KNOW how picky I am about cleanliness where I eat. This place is a pre - pre- precursor to Sonic, having been built somewhere in the 17th century I think. And, apparently they liked it so well they've never done a thing to it since. Words cannot express how run down this place is. It's falling down, the awnings are corrugated tin, and the "car hop" was so old she didn't have any teeth. I am not kidding! She sounded a little like Daffy Duck. As you looked around at the other people sitting in their cars, guys grouped around a truck... they were not eating, they had stopped in for a beer.

G.W. doesn't ask for a whole lot in life, so I said okay. I ordered a burger and coke, thinking afterwards that perhaps I should have ordered something with alcohol to "sterilize" what I was going to eat. I prayed over the food, telling God that I realized He gives us wisdom to make wise decisions, and while this probably wasn't one of those wise decisions, could He bless the food and keep us alive and well.. and oh yes, pulleeeezzzee.. don't let there be any added "protein" in it.

We all survived, and I am convinced that it was all due to the Lord!!! I also told the honey man that we had now fulfilled his desire to eat at this establishment, and that if chose to make a return trip to please leave me home!

CHLOE HAS A NEW BIG DOG!

2009-07-12T22:46:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't already know it, we have a dog. No, G.W. did not give in to my persistent bugging him for another dog. We are keeping Ashley's little Yorkie, Chloe.

Chloe has spent most of her life running the great outdoors with her playmates, two Golden Retrievers. She bit their feet, chased them, just played like dogs play together.

One of the first things we were experiencing was Chloe's "need" to chew on our feet, hands, etc. At first, we thought she just had a bad habit of biting. However, as I watched her with G.W., who had become her favorite person, after Ashley left for Las Vegas, I realized that she had found her new "BIG DOG" to play with. She chases him, tries to get him to chase her, bites on his feet, nuzzles him, sits on his lap, or at his feet, runs to the door if he leaves without her, jumps up on the arm of the sofa and sits watching him until he comes back in the house.

I said to G.W., "You've become Chloe's new favorite big dog!" I explained it to him. I'm not sure he likes being her new big dog, but I definitely think she is growing on him! :-)

I think I'm going to get T-shirt made for him that says, "Chloe's Big Dog."

We have Chloe until the last of August, when she'll go to live with Ashley, Jason and Hershey (their cat). I don't know that Hershey is real thrilled about the new addition to the family, but I have a feeling that he is going to be less crazy about becoming Chloe's new "BIG DOG," when she no longer has G.W.

FAMILY REUNION

2009-07-07T23:22:00.002-05:00

We had the BEST time in Iowa at my family reunion. I remember as a little kid going to our family reunions. This was my mom's parents - The Rabbit Family Reunion. What fun we had! There were enough cousins, aunts and uncles to start your own city! We hadn't been to a family reunion since we moved from Iowa to California in 1975. G.W. was in the Navy for 30 years, and we never seemed to hit the right timing to be able to go back for the reunions, so it had been a lot of years since we had seen everyone.

Of my mom's original siblings, (10) there are only three still living, and only two were able to attend. My generation and beyond has GROWN! There were over 100 in all, and that wasn't all of us. It was such fun getting to meet some of the "new Rabbitts" who've married into the family, as well as all of those younger ones born over the past 30 plus years. My cousin Marge was the one who planned and put it all together, and she did an awesome job! I was impressed at how well everything went. The food was great. I'm sure her husband Bob was in on all of this hard work, too. I wanted to say, "Thank you SO much! Everyone appreciates your willingness to do this."

The weather was God's gift to us! It was beautiful... a cool breeze blew as we enjoyed sitting outside of the cabin instead of having to be inside in air conditioning. We couldn't have asked for better weather! It was such a blessing to get to visit with family we hadn't seen for so long. And we missed those who weren't able to be there. Hopefully, they will make it to the next one. I think we settled on 2 yrs.

G.W. and I and our kids and grands went on an expedition, looking for the homes we lived in while we were in Iowa. We started with the house in Urbandale, where I lived with my parents and brothers. It was fairly easy to find. It's still yellow. The trees are huge now, and there are so many houses and business built in that area, where there had been open fields when we lived there. We weren't able to find where we lived in Altoona, however. Boy! has that place grown! And then we went to Ankeny, and no luck there either. But, we got to see some of the towns where we had lived. We also drove by the zoo where we used to take the kids. It's grown, too. I know I'll have more thoughts to share with you all, so I'll let this be it for today and when I think of some more great moments, I'll jot them down.

A YORKY FOR ASHLEY

2009-06-23T22:40:00.002-05:00

God is sooooo good! I was on facebook with my friend Roseanne, who is a friend from Charleston days. She lives in NY state now. Anyway, she was telling me about her Yorky, Lucy, who thinks she is the size of a Great Dane apparently, because she bites the paws of Samson, a Golden Retriever. Roseanne said she was afraid that one day Samson was going to take a bite of Lucy!

I was telling her that it has always been Ashley's desire to have a Yorky. She said she could have Lucy if she wanted her. Well, it turns out that Roseanne lives just 90 minutes south of Buffalo, and Ashley and Jason would be driving through on their way back from Athens, GA., where they were visiting Kelli (our daughter... Ashley's mom). They connected and stopped to pick up Miss Lucy to take her and give her a new home!

I told Ashley that I thought this was so like when we got Molly. It was totally God's doing, meeting the desire of my heart to have a Westie... for free! Long story that most of you know. But, I told her it wasn't a coincidence that I was on Facebook viewing all of Roseanne's dogs, and then our starting a conversation about them.

Incidentally, Roseanne is a pretty special lady. She's down right amazing in my eyes. She has done some pretty wonderful things since I've known her. Her most recent is their getting two Golden Retrievers that they want to breed and be able to give to people who need working dogs! How neat is that?! Most of all, Roseanne has a huge heart for others. She's a great wife, mother, and friend, whom I am honored to call my "Sister Lady Friend" for all time!

The really neat things is that I get to keep Lucy for Ashley until they get moved into their house in LV! My friend Kathy said, "Is Gene going to let you do that?" (Keep the dog - because he said no more dogs!) I said, "We're talking about Ashley here!" That cleared that up! :-)

IF NOTHING, I AM PERSISTANT!

2009-06-06T23:37:00.002-05:00

So, since we've sold the camper... HALLELUJAH!!! Yes, I am still rejoicing!! I told G.W. that I was pretty sure that was now going to want to fulfill my lifelong dream of owning a 1976 Camero. Apparently, I read him wrong.

Well, ya gotta hang in there. Even the Bible tells us - "You have not because you ask not." So today, I suggested to him that perhaps he could at least put a great set of pipes on the truck. He didn't jump on this idea either. I'm beginning to think he just doesn't want to have any fun at all! I told him if he isn't careful he was going to grow into a crabby, old man who didn't have any fun in life at all. This didn't seem to phase him either. Hmmmm...I think I just might be losing my touch!!!

On another note.... he did go to Wichita and spend some time with his sisters, Jan and Jerri. He said that their cousin Donna suggested that they take her car... a 1996, RED, Chevy, convertible to Victoria. So the three of them rode around Victoria with the top down. Guess who got sunburned on his head?

I am glad the three of them got to have this time together.... it was long past due. Hopefully, there will be more times of getting together, and this time, Scot (Jerri's husband) and I are going to come along and spice up the party!! :-)

It's nice to know that after 36 years, you still miss one another when you're apart! It's good to have my honey man home again.

THE CAMPER

2009-06-01T15:20:00.002-05:00

Okay, for those of you who have not followed my comments on "the camper" over the past 4-5 years, and asked why I did not want to camp...

My idea of camping would have been to actually take the camper and camp somewhere I wanted to camp, not in the city of Denton! For that matter, not in Texas at all. Why you ask? Well, allow me to enlighten you on camping in Texas. If you'd like to sit outside and enjoy the weather, that's not possible because it's way to hot and/or windy. You couldn't sit outside and eat because the giant mosquitoes drained your rich, northern blood in a matter of seconds. Now, the only time you could sit outside and the mosquitoes didn't bother you was when the wind was "gusting" at 30-80 MPH, and the mosquitoes were clinging to the trees for dear life in order not to be blown into the next state. And, along with those mosquitoes being blown into the next state, would also be your food which had been blown off you plate. And, even if you weren't eating, who wants to sit outside in the midst of "tornado force winds blowing"? Not me.

And then there was the camper itself. Would someone please tell me what the designers of campers have against putting a few LARGE windows, instead of what seems to be peepholes in them? I don't know about you, but a few days inside of a dark camper can tailspin me into a deep depression. And, why would I want to sit inside of a "cave" when I could be at home where it is brighter and not so depressing?

And then there was the nights. You had to sleep with the AC on of course, because it was so hot. The AC blew directly on you, and was too cold, or if you pointed it away, it was too warm.

G.W. and our late Westie, Molly really dug the whole camping scene. I gave it my best shot, but I just couldn't do it any longer. Trust me, eventually my kind, sweet husband would have been tempted to kill me and dump me in the lake! It wasn't a fun time.

We took the camper on an actual "away camping experience" one time. We went to San Antonio to see "The Lion King." That was the one and only time we went outside of Denton. It was actually a great trip. The weather was beautiful, "TLK" was awesome, and we had a great time. But, really... one time??? Not good enough odds for me.

We would take the camper to one of the local campgrounds, set it up, check everything out, G.W. would do any upkeep/maintenance on it, we'd invite friends over for a BQ, clean up, go home to sleep, and come back the next day to pick it up and take it back to storage. Kind of an expensive place to entertain wouldn't you say?

And, the whole "experience" turned the usual jovial G.W. into "Mr. Crabby Pants. He knew I hated the thought of camping. All he would have to do is just "say" the word camper, and I wanted to go hide! The fact that we'd bought this thing and now it was just sitting didn't go down well with him. For me, it was "out of sight...out of mind." But, he's the bill payer, so he was reminded of the "money pit" at least once a month.

While I wished it was gone, I have to say that my favorite part of camping was two things: 1) When it was in storage, and 2) when it was on it's way back to storage!

In all fairness, when the gas started going up, up, up, it was too costly to take the camper anywhere. We had envisioned being able to take off to SD, Georgia, No. Carolina, etc. But, we would have had to take out a loan for the gas!

My mother used to tell my brothers and I to look for something positive in everything. So, my positive about the camper................... WE SOLD IT!!!

And by the way, my suggestion that he buy me my classic Camero... he didn't bite on that.

HALLELEJAH...HALLELUJAH...etc., etc.

2009-06-01T00:44:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty sure I heard the angels singing, "Hallelujah!" THE CAMPER IS SOLD!!! We got a call yesterday and someone was interested in buying our camper for $2,000 under our asking price. G.W. had just lowered the price this past week and said that we couldn't take any less for it. It really is like new... having been used for one out of town camping trip and 3-4 here in Denton! Only 2 of those were to actually camp... the others were to set the camper up and check it out for any maintenance needed. We had a lot of extras, plus all the appliances, camping stove, table, etc. So, he told the guy, "No." We went by the place where we had it for sale today to show Mike and Patti, and it wasn't there. G.W. stopped to talk to the salesman, and he told him that the guy came back with his wife Saturday night and she wanted it and they paid full price. The sales guy was going to call us Monday A.M. to let us know. Wow! that was answered prayer!! Guess we're going to have to find a new hobby "not to do."

I'm thinking G.W. should buy me my classic Camero...what do you think? There's a drag strip right outside of Denton....

BACK HOME AGAIN

2009-05-26T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well, it was a really great trip to San Diego. We had fun spending lots of time with Breck, Paulette, Shauna, and Ashley. Starsha had to work, so we didn't get to see much of her until our last night.

We hung out, ate at favorite restaurants, watched classic movies, talked, told stories, reminisced, and laughed a lot!

Things have changed a lot... building everywhere. We toured the town, seeing what was new. We went on the Coronado base and shopped at the exchange. G.W. bought my pearl ear rings that I wanted for our anniversary, but couldn't find at the Ft. Worth base. And, they were a huge bargain! We had a Japanese woman waiting on us, and she was a hoot. G.W. was giving her a hard time, and she would say, "No speak English." We laughed and had a great time.

It was so good to see our "little one" - Shauna, laughing and talking. She went everywhere with us.

We pretty much kept on Texas time getting up and on California time going to bed.

We didn't get to see everyone we wanted to, but the Lord really impressed upon us and it was confirmed through my good friend Carole, that this was family time. I did get to spend part of one day with Carole. Our relationship is a "God appointed" one... both for the spiritual aspect and having lots of fun together. We had some good talking time. We stopped on our way from there to see our dear friends Anne and Lee Hartness. Anne was another one of those God things. These are the best friendships! She and I love to create things using our Hug Club clip art, and had many fun times while we lived in SD. So, of course, she had to take time to show me some of her latest creations. She is so talented! Her cute little grandson was there.

This weekend Mike and Patti will be here. HOORAY!! They are on their way back to Anahiem, CA. to live. That is where Patti's family is. It will be fun to have them here for a couple of days as they make their way to California.

I think our next trip is next month to Iowa for the family reunion.

But, G.W. is going to Wichita, KS on June 5th, where he will meet up with his two sisters, and then go on to Victoria, where they will be taking their parents ashes to bury. I told him I thought that he should go without me and let this be just the three kids.

Then, Ashley and Jason will be here the last of June for a day or two, on their way to moving to Las Vegas, NV. They are going from the "frozen Tundra" to the heat of the desert!

It's always so good to get to spend time with family and friends. God has blessed us with both being the best ever!!

Well, guess that's all I have to say for today.

LEAVING ON AJET PLANE...

2009-05-13T15:22:00.002-05:00

Some of you might have heard that song! "Leaving on a jet plan, don't know when I'll be back again." But, we do.

I am looking forward to tomorrow night...we will be in San Diego for the first time in over four years! I looked at the weather, and it is going to be awesome...in the mid 70s.

Things I want to do: 1. See Breck, Paulette and the girls. 2. Eat fish tacos at Fins. 3. See Ashley. 4. See friends. 5. Eat fish tacos at Fins. (Texas does not know how to make fish tacos!) 6. Eat at DZ Akins. They also do not have a great Jewish Deli here, so G.W. is looking forward to some of that "Jewish Penicilan." Just have a great time!! So many people to see and so little time!!!

We are actually staying at the same hotel we stayed at before we left San Diego to move here.

Breck and Paulette are taking a couple of days off, so we'll get to spend time with them! Looking forward to that!!!

When we get home again, we have one day and then a weekend conference that we're working. By that Sunday night, we will be falling into bed!

Well, for those of you in San Diego, we'll see you in the next few days! GET READY!!

100 THINGS

2009-05-08T14:32:00.003-05:00

100 Things
Copy and paste it into your blog and then just bold the things you've done!

*The brown highlighted are the ones I have done

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Gone on a hot air balloon ride
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon (Does running after kids count?)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (Does U.S. Navy Ships Count?)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Pig Latin- FLUENT!)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant A young couple celebrating their anniversary - looking at the prices on the menu - were going to leave, we decided to pay for their meal)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (In a dream I did)
67. Bounced a check (A long time ago!)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem (ONE DAY I WILL!)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own - this one!

A "P.S." TO "JUST A MOM"

2009-05-05T12:48:00.002-05:00

I would just like to say to those of you who are "spiritual moms," God Bless You for being there for every 'kid' that needed you!"

If you aren't familiar with what a "spiritual mom" is, that's a woman who may or may not have children. She is the woman who loves all children, who is there for wise counsel, godly wisdom and advice, to listen, and to just love the kids, unconditionally." BLESS YOU, ONE AND ALL!! This is a rewarding "career."

JUST A MOM?

2009-05-05T12:22:00.002-05:00

I had to share this with all of the women in my life. I can attest to this story as fact. How many times I was made to feel "less than" because I didn't have a "career." That is, until my Heavenly Papa showed me that HE had given me the most important "career" that a woman could have...
BEING A MOM!
I just wish I had thought of this "Title" to throw out there at those women who looked down their noses at us! :-)

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself, "What I mean is," explained the recorder "do you have a job or are you just a...?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom."

"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it? I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right.

I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't?) in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of0-the mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants - ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to making than "just another Mom." Motherhood!

What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research Associates in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates?" I think so!!! I also think it makes aunts Associate Research Assistants."

And so, as we approach Mother's Day, I say to all of you "Research Associates, and Assistants,"

May your troubles be less,
Your blessings be more,
And nothing but happiness come through your door!

When all is said and done, in our latter years, we will remain the "blessed ones"!

AMEN!!

HAVE A HAPPY AND BLESSED MOTHER'S DAY!!!
(I know I will!)

Blessings With Dinner

2009-05-01T18:07:00.002-05:00

G.W. and I went to eat lunch at a place that we've said we needed to try for the 5 yrs. we've lived here. It is a Mexican restaurant by the name of "El Guapo's." The food was great as well as the service.

He decided he wanted to eat dinner there tonight, so we did. We happened to get the same waitress. In visiting with her, I found out that she was raised for a little while in Israel and then Jordan. She was raised in the Greek Orthodox church, but one year ago, she became a born again Christian! Her name is Minal. She is going to Sudan on a missions trip with her church. She speaks is fluent in Arabic and speaks a little Hebrew. Her parents are not Muslim, but they are not yet believers. We had a great conversation with her. I told her I was going to be praying for her trip.

What was neat about the upcoming trip is that while her parents had become citizens, she had not. She had her green card. In order to go on the missions trip, she had to have her citizenship, as well as a passport. She went to take the test for citizenship, and was taking a letter along with her to ask that they hurry her application along because of the missions trip.

Now, ordinarily, it would take 2-3 months before you could participate in the swearing in ceremony to become a U.S. citizen. But, she didn't even have to show them the letter. The woman asked her if she would like to do the ceremony that day! And in Minal's words, "That was God!"

We decided to seed into this trip, so we left her a nice tip. We are looking forward to being able to return to the restaurant after her trip in June to see what God did with this new Christian.

There was much more to our conversation, and we were so blessed by this on fire young woman. She is graduating college from UNT, here in Denton this month, and is contemplating going into the seminary. She's not sure what God wants for her yet, but she knows this... she wants to serve Him in whatever way He has for her.

I BECAME WHAT I SENT...

2009-04-26T22:25:00.002-05:00

Well, some of you will remember a hilarious email that I sent some time ago about why women go to the ladies room in twos! If not, allow me to refresh your memory. It was about a woman who had gone to the restroom, stood in a long line, finally got into a stall, only to find that there was no tissue, no hook for her purse, no seat covers, etc.

Well, today we went to lunch with friends after church. I committed the "original sin," I went alone. Well, after finally getting into the stall, I look in front of the commode to see water on the floor. Now, I am thinking, is the commode leaking or is it pee. And then I realized does it really matter... either way, your slacks are going to be in it. I quickly note problem two, there is no hook for my purse. So, I hung my purse around my neck, so as to free my hands to then hold onto the legs of my slacks to keep them out of the water on the floor. Thank God there was tissue, but now I had run out of hands to get the tissue. I had to decide do I let go of one pant leg, or is it possible to hold onto both with one hand, all the time with this big purse hanging in front of me, pretty much blocking out any view beyond the purse., not to mention the fact that it was so heavy that I was probably going to need to visit the chiropractor to get my neck adjusted Note to self: carry a smaller purse, with a longer strap, and NEVER. NEVER go to the restroom alone!

I suddenly realized I in my present predicament that I had become the very email I had sent out to you all!

I'M BEHIND THE WHEEL AGAIN!!!

2009-04-22T00:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I have not driven for over 6 mos. The reason? I had a torn rota tor cuff, and my chiropractor was working with me to strengthen it and heal it so that I didn't have to have surgery. He told me not to drive the "big honkin' Texas truck." So, today I felt that it was time to give it a try. As always, I prayed before I left the house. Trust me, it's a good idea with the crazy drivers out there; if they're not on the phone talking, they're texting, if they're not on the phone, they're putting make up on, eating, and yes, reading books! Everything except driving!!!

Well, I had a nail appointment this morning, so I drove. The Lord reminded me about having patience with the crazy drivers (my words, not His). I am within a few blocks of home, stopped at a traffic light, when I notice the car ahead of me rolling backwards. I decided it would be wise to let them know I was behind them, so I tapped on the horn. The care kept lurching forward and then rolling backwards, coming ever closer to the truck. I couldn't go anywhere because there were cars behind me. I finally decided that the woman was driving a stick shift and she wasn't very good at it. I am sitting there, with no place to go, watching her rolling closer and closer to me. Finally, I HONKED at her!! The traffic behind me cleared out and I was able to get around her. As I glanced over at her, I could see she was probably going to be there for sometime. As I looked in the rear view mirror, she was still lurching forward and then rolling backwards. Hopefully, she got the whole clutch, gas thing worked out and isn't still where I left her. May I just say, "If you cannot drive it, then DON'T!!!"

IT'S BEEN GOOD...

2009-04-21T14:03:00.002-05:00

Within the past year, I have been blessed to re-connect with many family and friends whom I had lost touch with. I am a firm believer that many of our friends have been a part of our God given destiny. Some friends are for a season, while others are for a lifetime. Now, those lifetime friends are those who were instant connections... you just came together like magnets! You knew you were to be together. And, these lifetime friends are also ones who you not talk to every day, every week, or even for a year or more, but...eventually, they come back into your life. And when they do, it's like you had talked to them yesterday! I love that.

Our family, on my mother's side, is huge. Like we could start our own city... maybe even our own state, and in some cases, it would be bigger than some countries! It was so much fun growing up in the Rabbitt family. Unfortunately, as our generation became adults, job transfers, etc., caused us to move away from one another. And also unfortunately, we all got busy with our kids and grandkids, and just life in general, and lost touch. Now, this is totally unacceptable! I plead guilty! However, we're doing a reversal... we are beginning to get in touch with one another via email, Facebook, blogs, and even phone calls. I have been so blessed by this!

I even discovered that my Uncle Jack's son, John and his wife are living here in Texas, and not that far away from us. John emailed me and said, "Let's get together." We are definitely getting together with them! My cousin Jim called me this week, and we talked for over an hour, catching up. We both agreed that it was best that we didn't live in the same vicinity while our sons Scot and Michael were growing up. What one of them didn't think of to do, the other one did! They were so cute, but so mischievous!

So, to all of you who are family and reading this blog, get ready for an AWESOME REUNION in June. Don't miss it because we don't want to miss you!!!

I have said it before, but I am going to say it again, I can hardly wait for the Family Reunion in June!!

THIRTY SIX YEARS OF WEDDED BLISS!

2009-04-17T10:43:00.002-05:00

Well, G.W. and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, April 14th.

I entitled this "Thirty Six Years of Wedded Bliss." Now, you are probably saying, "Oh come on, not every day has been 'wedded bliss.' And I say, "Oh yes it has!" And, I can say this because I choose to remember the good times and even those that weren't so great times. So, how does that make it 'wedded bliss,' you ask. Because, from those trials and tribulations, we have grown closer to God and to one another. When we hit those bumps in the road, we choose to take hold of each others hand and help the other one over those bumps, forgiving and moving forward.

G.W. spent a lot of time away from his family, but he always made sure he wrote letters to all of us, so that he would not be disconnected. I still have some of his letters that he wrote to me. I love reading them again and again. It reminds me of how we felt, what was going on in our lives, and of our deep, abiding love for one another.

If you don't build a good foundation to build your marriage on, when you get older, the kids are grown and gone from the nest, you will find yourselves with nothing in common... nothing to talk about, and this is when men and women tend to look elsewhere for what they need.

I remember some years ago, we were living in San Diego, and G.W. and I were walking along, and there was a very elderly couple walking ahead of us, holding hands, obviously enjoying ne another's company. He turned to me and said, "That's what I want, to be 90 years old and still holding your hand." Well, we aren't 90 yest, but we're still holding hands, laughing, enjoying one another's company.

G.W. is the epitomy of a servant, a man with a servan't heart. I've learned much from him. He always puts himself last, thinking of his family first. I'm not as good at this as he is, but I am still changing.

If God is your "matchmaker," you've got the best... forget all those matchmaker organizations, He knows what He's doing. And, if you keep Him as the center of your relationship, you will grow old, still in love... still laughing together... still adoring one another... still feeling that you are the most blessed person in the world because God blessed you with him/her...and still holding hands!

TRY IT.......... YOU'LL LIKE IT!

The other ingredient in a great marriage is laughing together! I have always tried to find the humor in the midst of a trial. Trust me, it's there... you just have to look for it. Laughter truly is the best medicine to heal what hurts!

And so, to my wonderful... the most wonderful husband, I say, "I'm looking forward to at least 36 more years of wedded bliss with you! The best IS yet to come!

Looking Forward To...

2009-04-09T21:47:00.002-05:00

Well, we've made our reservations and will be heading to San Diego in May for the first time in 4 years! We are looking forward to seeing Breck, Paulette,Shauna and Starsha, as well as all of our friends.

It's nice to have friends who are always your friends. Even when you don't get to see them very often, when you get together, it's like you saw them yesterday. Those are your "God-given" friends! And He has richly, abundantly, lovingly blessed us with them!

At the first of the year, I was once again having a conversation with my heavenly Papa about missing Breck and his family... and wondering if we were going to get to see them THIS year. He answered, "May." Well, I asked G.W. to go online and check and see what the comparison would be for us to fly vs. drive G.W.'s "honkin big-Texas truck." Let me interject here, we've been saving for this trip for a long time. He went online and checked it out. He found a vacation package that includes airfare, hotel (4-star), and a car rental for the exact amount we've saved! When you have God as your "travel agent," He takes care of you! I love it!!! Praise God!

I don't know how we're going to fit in seeing everyone we want to spend time with, but... guess my travel agent will take care of that, too.

We are exactly where God wants us, of this I am sure. But, that doesn't keep us from missing our kids, grandkids, and friends who live elsewhere. When you are in obedience to your Abba Daddy, it doesn't mean that you get to have everyone you want around you. You have to make a choice. If you chose obedience, He will always bless you. With obedience comes blessing!

WE ALL HAVE TO BE A NOAH SOMETIME

2009-04-05T14:47:00.002-05:00

I was talking to someone a while back, answering some questions she had to about Jesus, and having Him as your Lord and Savior. She has had some reservations about her family not following.She doesn't like where she is, but is hesitant of getting into something that is so unknown to her. Even though the "familiar" isn't really where she wants to be, it's more comfortable than the unknown. I told her that there are times in our lives when we have to be the first one, A Noah, the one to lead the others.

This got me to thinking about Noah. What if when Noah had gotten his "building instructions," along with his "passenger list" from God, and then began thinking about, what if his wife and children would think he'd gotten into something really strange, and what if they wouldn't get on the Ark. What if some of them wouldn't go? He didn't want to go unless everyone in his family would go.

Noah had to trust God, that if he was obedient and built the Ark and filled it with all of the animals, etc., that God would take care of the rest of it.

This wasn't just about building the Ark, it was far bigger than Noah's family. It was'nt just about them, it was about all the generations after his. The same is true with us. When we are willing to be a "Noah," to be obedient to God, do whatever He calls us to do, go wherever He sends us, it isn't just about our family, it's about all those lives we will affect through our testimony. How many people come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and then through them, how many come to know Jesus, and so on and so on throughout your neighborhood, your city, your state, even other countries. Sound a little like Peter, Paul, John, etc.? Disciples!

So, what about the original concern of this woman? Well, here's my take on it. If you speak wisely, because of who you are in God, when you open your mouth people will believe. It may take them a little while sometimes, but eventually, they will see and hear what has been revealed to them. You just have to be willing to go onboard the "Ark" first.

It's all about stepping out in faith.... just trusting God!

And by the way, I speak from experience. How do you think we ended up in Denton, Texas? It was about being obedient and trusting God for where our "Ark" would "land." When we left San Diego five years ago, we had no idea where we were going. God said, "Get in the car and I will show you." We did and He did!

FAMILY HISTORY

2009-03-26T15:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I have lived most of my life knowing very little about my dad's side of the family. I knew we had family in Canada because my great grandmother moved there and became a Canadian citizen. She had several children there. After her husband died, she came back to the U.S. to visit with her daughter Beulah, who was my dad's mother. Great grandmother never returned to Canada, but lived out her life in Boone, Iowa, where she died in her late nineties.

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from my brother about a letter he had from a cousin in Canada, wondering if we could give her any background on the family. He decided that I would be a good one to communicate with Marlene. I emailed her immediately.

Marlene and I have been emailing back and forth now for some weeks. She has been a great help in "painting" the blank canvas of our family's history. I have been forwarding her emails, along with photos, to my brother Doug, along with his children, my children, and our grandchildren. I don't know how they feel, but I have been absolutely thrilled to finally find out about our family.

I was kidding with G.W. after one of Marlene's emails, telling him that he had married me under false pretenses; I am not a northerner, but a "southern belle," at least on this side of the family. It appears that my great great grandparents were from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. And, great great grandfather, Thomas Lucas, fought in the "war of northern aggression," (as it was called in So. Carolina) on the side of the confederates... he wore the gray!

He and his wife traveled across the U.S., heading west. She gave birth to great grandmother, Mary Alice, somewhere on the prarie in Illinois. They lived in Illinois for the next five years, adding to their family.

Well, I will add more to this story as it grows. I have asked Marlene if she knows what country or countries our ancestors came from.

ONE OF THREE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO

2009-03-11T16:05:00.002-05:00

Today I got to do one of my three most favorite things in life.... a visit to the dentist.

It started the same way as most of my dental appointment... x-rays, then the cleaning, and then the dentist comes in to tell you if you need any work done. I've been very blessed that I haven't had to have anything done other than my 6-month cleanings. Well, that ended today!!! I have had a tooth that I paid a great deal of money to have a crown put on several years ago. It promptly fell off not even a month later. The dentist adhered it again, and it promptly fell off again. At which time they wanted me to pay for another crown. For what???? to fall off again? I don't think so. Well, that was 6-7 yrs. ago, and I haven't had any problems with that tooth, so my philosophy is simple... LEAVE IT ALONE!! And, pray that God will miraculously give you a new tooth.

Well, today the dentist informed me that I needed to have a crown put on that tooth or I was going to end up having to have a ROOT CANAL!!! That set me into a spin! Giving birth to 3 babies was less painful than the last root canal I had! I considered asking God if I could trade a baby for a root canal here. But then, I realized that the pain,trauma and nightmares will eventually fade away, while a baby... not so much.

I'm sensing that the dentist realized that unless he got moving on this today, he would never see me again, and he suggested we get going with an impression and temporary crown today. I knew I probably wouldn't make an appointment for pain, both to my mouth and purse, if I left. So, I agreed to start today. Besides, just the dentist saying those two words "root canal" could cause my to have counseling for the next 6 months.

The dental tech put this "jack" between my upper and lower teeth - I don't know what else to call it - to keep your mouth wide open while the dentist is working on your teeth. I didn't think the human mouth was supposed to open that wide! However, mine does now! Talk about pain!!! He did a little drilling, right after he gave me the novicaine, which leaves you drooling all over yourself, the chair and the floor; especially when the dental tech puts that little water hose in your mouth and tells you to close your mouth. You think you've closed it tight, but somehow, there was a part of your mouth that didn't heart that command from your brain, to close your mouth because she was going to squirt water into your mouth and you don't want it flowing like a river out the other side. I had to stop him once through this procedure because my jaws felt like they were going to drop off my face it hurt so much! I asked him if there wasn't a bigger one that he could use! Either he is a very patient man, or I am the only patient like me he has to put up with in a day, so he seemed to handle it all very well.

Next the dental tech brought this little thing to put into your mouth to make the impression. She filled it with what looked like the caulk you use on your bathtub, then said to bite down firmly on it for 3 minutes. I did. When the 3 minutes were up, she took the form out of my mouth, only to discover that I had bitten down a little too firmly! So, we had to do another one. She got a different mold to use and squirted the caulk into the mold, put it in my mouth, told me to bite down firmly but not as firmly as the last time,and hold it for 3 minutes.

When the 3 minutes were up, she said, "Okay, you can open your mouth now. To which I tried to do. However, it seemed to be stuck. I said, "Au ou sir ou didna pu sooer goo on nis?" (Translation: Are you sure you didn't put super glue on this?") I thought she was going to have to get a crowbar to get this thing out of my mouth. I just kept trying to move it until - POP! my mouth came open all of a sudden. This one was perfect! I knew this because I could see the look of relief on her face as she went dancing out of the room!

Next she put some kind of stuff on the tooth to seal it and make a temporary crown until I come back for the permanent crown. She stuck a light of some sort into my mouth to set it, and off I went.

I had grabbed hold of the arms of the chair and held on so tightly that my muscles reacted... my arms were shaking violently! I think she thought I was having a seizure. I assured her that I was fine and that I wasn't having a seizure or reacting to the novicaine, it was only the result of my terror/fear of the dentist, to which I react by clinging to the arms of the dental chair, with my body so taut you could bounce a quarter off of it! It was a normal reaction for ME!

And then, when I handed the paperwork to G.W. - (remember him, my loving, kind, sweet husband?) He said something about what it cost... $461.50. I thought he thought that was a lot, so I - in my drool cup language, was trying to explain to him, "Dis is jus wha we ha to pay. Ou surance comny pays da res!" Translation: "This is just what we have to pay. Our insurance company pays the rest." To which he answered, trying hard not to laugh at his drool cup wife, saying he wasn't saying that was a lot, he was surprised that was all it cost.

I just want to interject here, that while I admit to having a sick, sometimes morbid sense of humor - it's a family thing - I never laugh at G.W. when he's had novicaine, nor do I try to engage him in conversation that would lead to his drooling all over himself. Apparently, however, he needed a little "lift" today! And being the loving wife that I am, I was only too happy to provide a little humor in his day!"

You are probably wondering what my other 2 favorite things in life are.... what else??? the mamo and PAP!

Well, the novicaine is wearing off and I'm thirsty, so I'm going to get a cup of tea. We'll talk later...

WILL YOU DANCE WITH ME?

2009-02-13T12:42:00.002-06:00

Read this very slowly...it's pretty profound.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming, or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration; mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids or friends dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched TV?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" The reply, "I can't, I have clothes in the dryer. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain." And my personal favorite,: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get the little one toilet trained. Well entertain when we replace the living room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of, "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of roller blades, and skip and elevator for a bungee cord...

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple decker! If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to... not something on your "should do" list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call to make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I am writing this to you.

ave you ever watched kids playing on a merry-go-round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or watched the sun as it fades into the night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask someone, 'How are you?' Do you hear their reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told you child, "We'll do it tomorrow," and in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Ever let a good friendship die? Just call to say, 'Hi?'

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...thrown away. Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Show your family and friends how much you care.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here... we might as well dance!!!

Now, if you can spare a few more minutes, I'd like to share a couple of things with you.

1. Last night a small plane crashed in Clarence, NY. This happens to be where our granddaughter Ashley and her husband Jason live. The crash site was only 4 miles from where they live. I had several "instant thoughts." Was Jason the one in the ATC tower, on duty. When we heard where it had crashed... 'call Ashley to make sure she's okay, and see about Jason.' And then I thought about those who had died... did they know Jesus?

2. Today, I thought about what is written above...

3. When Gene and I were first married, there was an "older" gentleman, who was stationed with him who gave me a golden nugget of advice. He said to me, "When has asks you to go with him, put on your hat and go!" I'm sure he has no idea how this affected our lives and how I took his advice to heart. I found out later that his wife had chosen to stay where her family lived rather than go with him as he was transferred with the Navy.

And 4.... If you call me and want to "do lunch," I'll put on my hat and go with you!

I didn't blog this to depress you, I blogged this to make you think, and perhaps even change your priorities so that you will learn to enjoy your family and friends!

THE PERFECT MISTAKE!

2009-02-04T19:30:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine sent this to me and I wanted to share it with you. It's a little lengthy, but give it a read, if it doesn't remind you of something you've done before, then perhaps it will come to your remenbrance when you come to a place like this one.

My mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. he was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "it's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the U.S. He wanted to visit all of the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my Grandfather's small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top. The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.

But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, I have to remember this in these times of trial with my own family. May GOD bless your week.

Look for the "perfect mistakes."

Ahhhh.... The "Culture of Texas"

2009-01-20T17:18:00.002-06:00

Well, other than seeing "The Lion King" production, we've been starved for theater since moving to Texas. We had to drive to Houston to see this. We've watched the Dallas theater, but haven't really found anything that caught our fancy.

So, G.W. was "surfing the net" and found a local (very "local") theater production of "Forever Plaid." We decided that we're going to give this a try. While not professional, some of these small theaters have some great talent. Notice how positive I am being about this? This theater is in Gainseville, which is a very small town north of Denton.

We decided to drive to Gainesville today and take a look at the theater. It is in an old library building. We've invited a couple who are good friends to go with us.

We drove through what is known as the "historic district." You wouldn't believe the beautiful, huge, old homes in this tiny little town! I was amazed. However, as I as looking at them I couldn't help but wonder how these people had made a living who had built these homes.

We thought we'd go to dinner before the theater. So, as we began driving around looking for a real restaurant and not yet anothet Texas BQ place, it became quite evident that we probably were not going to have too many choices. Of course, there was a billboard that advertised "Fatty's BQ." I just gave G.W. "the look," which after this many years of marriage, he knows... "Don't even think about it!" I envisioned a "lovely" little local spot, where you wouldn't want to sit down let alone eat, with some guy who looks like he just might have taken a bath a few years ago, when at the same time he got a shave and a haircut... dressed in a stained t-shirt - and if you were lucky, it didn't have some unthinkable picture/saying on it, other than maybe "Fatty's BQ... the best BQ in Texas." That's how every BQ place in Texas describes itself. That would change if I could write for a paper, critiquing restaurants. But, that probably wouldn't keep Texans from eating at these places because they love their BQ, and the spicier the better.

I'll fill you in after our "date night" - dinner and the theater in small town, Texas!

Do any of you remember those Calgon commercials on TV years ago? I cannot tell you how many times I've thought about that line... "Calgon, take me away!" It doesn't work. When you open your eyes... you're still right where you were... Texas! :-) Well, since I'm still here I guess I'd better go fix dinner for the honey!

CAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING SOLVED!

2009-01-13T01:51:00.002-06:00

Al Gore isn't as smart as he thinks. He is WAY OFF as to the cause of global warming. It isn't about gas fumes, etc.

The cause of global warming is that all of the Baby Boomers turned 50, and are hot flashing! :-)

So, the next thing is to find out how this can be used to heat homes and businesses!

MY FIRST NIGHTMARE OF 2009!!!

2009-01-07T20:06:00.003-06:00

Okay, so just when I thought I was safe and that my nightmare of camping was over, G.W. broke it to me that if it doesn't sell before Summer, he's going to take it out of the place where we've had it to sell and.... try camping again! Surely there is SOMEONE who loves to camp and needs a camper. It's like new! It was only used one time out of Denton! The rest of the time it rested in one of the local campgrounds, where it was set up, checked out, and IF the wind was "breezing at 80 MPH, or the mosquitoes weren't attacking me," we might grill something, clean up, and then go home and sleep in our comfy bed. Not that the bed in the camper isn't comfy, it's just that I don't want to sleep in it.

Camping brings to mind the HOT weather and the HUGE Texas mosquitoes! Which then made me wonder, why didn't Noah just swat those 2 mosquitoes and save us from all this misery? I know they are in the food chain of eating some other creature, etc., but surely there is another bug that would be willing to step up and take it's place!

Perhaps I just need to fast and pray on this one!

YET ANOTHER GREAT OFFER!

2009-01-06T15:03:00.002-06:00

I received yet another great offer!!! It's called "Stretch Mark Repair... Plastic Surgery In A Bottle."

Now, I have to tell you, my entire body is one big stretch mark! So, if this comes in 10 gallon drums, I just may look into this.

Today was run errands day. One of my stops was the Michael's store, where I was to exchange a scrapbook album for Ashley. It took my forever to find it because it wasn't with the rest of the albums. But, once I found it I made my way to the front and the check out, only to discover that there was one check out counter open, along with the customer service counter. The CSC was occupied with a woman returning 5 bazillion small items. The other counter had a huge, long line. So, I got into this line. The little old lady who was being checked out was buying Christmas items that were all marked down. Every item she wanted she asked the clerk to scan so she could see how much it was. Finally, another check out counter opened and a herd of women came from who know where, and that took care of that one. Well, unbeknownst to the customers, there was a man way down at the other end, who had been open, but was keeping it a secret! An employee said to me, "You can go down there and he will check you out." So, when I went down to his counter... he was really thrilled to have been "discovered," and I kiddingly said to him, "You need to wave your hands and shout, 'I can take the next customer down here. We didn't know you were open.' To which he replied, 'Well, I did move some things around.' Could you tell me what this had to do with letting people know you are open?

And then there was Central Market, where we go to get our veggies and fruits because they are fresh and last longer than 1/2 a day like the grocery store produce. One of my most unfavorite things in stores is the "taste testing." You don't get people who come to "sample" the food, they have come to "graze!" And of course, they block the entire aisle with their carts. Have you ever noticed that many of these "grazers" have nothing in their carts? It is my belief that they come for lunch, not to shop.

Personally, I think they should give out wine samples so that those of us who are having to put up with the "grazers," could mellow out a little! :-]

Well, we are back home and the produce is now in their "little green bags" that G.W. purchased through some catalog that he gets in the mail. They really do work... one of the few that he's sent for from this catalog.

For those of you who are family members, my cousins David Rabbitt and Marge Thompson have taken on the task of organizing a family reunion. They are shooting for June, July or August, realizing there is no perfect date for everyone, it will be whenever the majority can come. We will be going! For my kids and grandkids... let me know if there is a date you cannot come, so we can let them know.

We spent the weekend with Audrey St. Andrew and her 3 kids and grandkids in Beaumont, Texas. We always have fun and enjoy our time with them. Audrey's siblings and family live there, also, so we've had the blessing of meeting them. We love them all! Andrea was there with her little one, Zyel (prounounced Zi - el). What a cutie she is, so happy and inquisitive. It was good to see our Andrea again. Angel and her girls are doing great. Angel is really growing in the Lord, changing and healing! She's such a great kid! Her girls are cuties, too. DJ is preparing to leave for San Diego in two weeks. He has grown into such a wonderful young man. Audrey is managing an apartment building where she lives... one of those things God arranged. She has been asked to start a prayer meeting there! We were blessed to spend time with them.

Well, guess that's our news for now. Be blessed and bless someone else!

HAPPY 2009!!!

2009-01-02T19:54:00.002-06:00

It's my first blog of 2009! We've been keeping kind of busy lately. So, we've decided it is time to take a little break.

Tonight G.W. and I decided to go to a little Mexican restaurant that we like. It's a local spot, not a chain. Now, it's difficult in Texas to find a Mexican restaurant that I like because I do not go for the hot, hot, reeeaaallly hot food that gives you dead ancestors heartburn who've been dead for over 100 years! Plus, there are two things in Texas that apparently "real Texans" love... and that would be yellow mustard and cilantro. The mustard I like in moderation. Cialanto... not so much. If they discovered that global warming had destroyed cilantro, I would not be heartbroken. Anyway, back to the restaurant. I ordered chicken fahitas.... I got chicken enchiladas. Now, if fahita and enchilada sounded alike, I could understand, but they're not even close. I decided I would just eat the enchiladas, even though I prefer cheese enchiladas, just because I didn't want to wait. One bite and I turned into Tom Hanks in the movied "Big," in the scene where he eats caviar, and begins gagging and spitting it out on the floor. NO! I didn't spit it on the floor... just in my napkin. So, I told the waitress that I couldn't eat the enchiladas and she brought what I had ordered... chicken fahitas. They were very good.

The accoustics in this place are really bad; high ceiling and lots of noisey people, talking loudly. The adults were far worse than the kids! That's probably because the adults were drinking VERY large margaritas! :-)

There were three gentlemen sitting at a table beside us. The older gentleman was telling a story that you could hear plainly, so I wasn't "eavesdropping." It seems that he raises horses. He had gone to the vet to get the innoculations he has always done himself. Most ranchers and farmers do this as it saves a very expensive vet bill. He had gone to the same vet for many years, and this is where he lost me... either the vet had taken on a new partner or had sold his business to a female vet. She didn't want to give him the meds. Hhe told her the other doc had always done this. They "chatted" back and forth about it, and she came back with a question. She asked him, "Do you take your horses to the Fair?" He said, "Well, I used to, but they ate too much cotton candy and wanted to go on all of the rides, so I stopped!" I thought this was rather humorous.

I decided to use the lady's room before we left. Well, there's a small hallway that leads to the restrooms. There is a guy, kind of a redneck dude, starting to go into the men's room. The woman who was ahead of me said, "Hey, I heard that there is a nude picture of a man and a nude picture of a woman in the men's room, is there?" To which the guy, who it was quite apparent, did not know her, replied, "I don't know." Without missing a beat, the woman (you'll notice that I am NOT using the term "lady") said, "Would you go in and see and let me know?"

By this time, I really need to use the restroom, thanks to the 10 Dr. Peppers I drank, so I gave her a look that said, "Are you going in or not, woman!" She wasn't the brightest bulb in the place, but she caught on to "the look" - okay, so my waving my hand towards the door might have helped her figure it out, too, and she said, "Oh, go ahead, I'm just waiting here." I said, "Yes, I know... to see if there REALLY are nude photos in the men's room!"

So, Jason is going to apply for a position in Las Vegas. There aren't any openings at this time at DFW. The good news about this is that this is about the ONLY place you can fly for a discounted fare from DFW. There are no bargain flights from here like other cities.

G.W.'s sister, Jan was here this past weekend with her "rescue," a Llasho Apso, she named Morgan. He is really cute. Poor little guy spent the first 4 yrs. of his life in a kennel at a "puppy mill." She was telling us how he was afraid to come out of his kennel at first. She said he wouldn't eat unless he was in the kennel because that's where he had literally lived all of his life. He is blind in one eye and the sight is going in the other, and he is only 4 yrs. old. Jan has the perfect personality and compassion to take a dog like Morgan. She loves him dearly. She's a pretty terrific lady in my book! By the way, there was a man who rescued 37 dogs from an auction where Morgan was to be sold, too. He asked a guy what they did with the dogs that didn't sell, and he told him, "We shoot them." He told the guy he would take them, and he brought them all back to a shelter in the Wichita area, where Jan got Morgan. This is another good reason to rescue. Most of you probably are aware that you can go online and find any breed you want at a "rescue sight." I know, because I am on them A LOT! :-) I'm still trying to wear G. W. down, so he agrees to get another dog!

Well, I have a few things to get done, so I'd better get going.

I wish God's best and abundant blessing on you in the year 2009. May you not miss a thing He has for you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

WOO-HOO...I'M A WINNER!!!

2008-12-17T12:38:00.003-06:00

December 17th

Woo-hoo!! I just checked my email, and I've won a years supply of diapers!!!

Now, under the best/worst of circumstances, this is not what a woman of my age wants to "win." It means one of two things... either Gene and I are being tapped to become a Sarah and Abraham of this century, or... I am in need of "adult diapers." These people really know how to make your day, don't they.

Why is it that I am never the "lucky recipient" of $100,000.00 - or a brand new NON-gas guzzling vehicle? How about a trip to Israel? If I knew where there was a place where I could email and make a request for what they were going to bestow upon me, I certainly would take advantage of that. Maybe I could write Ed McMahon and see if he could help me out....

KUDOS TO ASHLEY AND JASON, TOO

2008-12-16T00:23:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to say how proud I am of our granddaughter Ashley. She had the opportunity to come here for Christmas and leave Jason in Buffalo because he, as an air traffic controller, has to work. He said he was sending her home for Christmas because he didn't want her to have to be alone again, but she made the decision that her place was with her husband. That speaks volumes to me... she has grown a lot and knows her place is with her husband. When you get married, your spouse comes first. Both of them were thinking about the other one, and that is what a relationship is all about.

By the way everyone who reads this blog,if you didn't already know it, you can scroll down and see a place for "comments" - so feel free to put your two cents worth down. I welcome your thoughts here, too.

The Beauty of Chrstmas Lights Hung On The House

2008-12-15T12:34:00.003-06:00

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

It has long been the desire of my heart to have Christmas lights hung on our house...wherever we lived. Well, I have for 35 years now asked, pleaed, begged, perhaps even threatened a few times to hire "professionals" to do the job (to hang lights, not to kill him), and even bought icycle lights to get G.W. to put on our homes...ah but alas...to no avail.

Our kids can attest to the fact that Christmas did not bring out the "best" in him. In fact, his favorite "Christmas phrase" was "Bah Humbug!" That is until I threatened him...you're thinking with divorce...nothing that easy; with a slow, painful death if he uttered those words again. It worked! I guess I'm more threatening than I realize.

One year I was asked once if I thought G.W. would play Santa for the kids. After laughing uncontrollably, I responded with, "He probably would, but do you really want them to be traumatized for lifewhen instead of him saying, 'Merry Christmas,' he instead came out with, 'Bah Humbug.' as they sat on Santa's lap, eager to tell him all of the things they wanted for Christmas?" Needless to say, they didn't ask him.

Well, I finally talked him into showing some Christmas spirit...he said he would hang Christmas lights on our house this year. Just go to this website to see the beauty of his works! It makes you wonder why he fought it all these years! Enjoy!! Ho-ho-ho!

http://www.cybersalt.org/funny-misc-pictures/3734

Truly My Thoughts About The Past Few Days...

2008-12-14T21:35:00.004-06:00

December 14

Well, as you scroll down this page, you are going to see "my family" in stick figures. It's G.W., myself, 'twins,' and a 'Carin Terrier." Now, you are probably saying to yourself, "It happened! God did a "Sarah and Abraham" on them!" Let me just say here and now, that is incorrect. These would be the twins that I have been praying about for Patti and Mike! I've told them I've waited a long, long, long time for more grandbabies, so I decided we needed to catch up and began praying for twins. I am still waiting, and am very close to starting to pray for triplets! I told Mike that I can keep going... quads, etc. so that they might want to start taking this matter seriously, unless they want MULTIPLES!!
And then there is the Carin Terrier... I told G.W. that I am ready to start looking for a dog. His reply was that he wasn't. After a "friendly fireside chat" about the subject, I asked him why HE gets to be boss. He replied that he wasn't. I said that yes he was because he always gets the final say so on decision making. He repeated that he was not the boss. So, I said, "Okay, then I'm getting a dog!" Yes, I know... I tend to "bait him," but it's so easy!!
Ashley was here for a little over a month, and we were watching TV, when this person said that it is a proven fact that people who have pets live longer and have healthier hearts. So, I tried this one on G.W. He wasn't buying it. Well, I'm not giving up.
Well, the church had a very nice brunch for the women of the church. We had a delish meal that was served by some of the hubbies, including mine. One of the best things was that no one had to bring a "covered dish." I don't do well with these things. In fact, I tend not to go because I've actually gotten ill after eating a teaspoon of a few items that looked safe.
GOZ started something new a couple of months ago. We now have Women's Houses of Zion, which is basically a bible study in someone's home. We have a total of 10, which is really good. Well, we finished this session a few weeks ago, and the head of the Women's Ministry decided to let some of the women give a little testimony - the key word here being LITTLE. Good grief, thre are just some people you NEVER give a microphone to, even if you do tell them they have a two minutes, because apparently they cannot tell time!! I was zoned out at some point, trying to figure out how I could "escape" without being noticed. And finally, I was to the point where I did not care if everyone noticed me running out the door! Why is it that women's ministry tends to be "torturous"? I thought it was supposed to be about having fun, fellowshipping, etc.
Well, I guess I've ranted long enough about that, so I'll sign off for now... talk with you soon.

SAVE THE TA-TA'S!

2008-11-27T14:01:00.004-06:00

Well, this is my first blog. And I've decided to start with something that we all need reminding of.

And so it comes... that time of the year... the dreaded "grab and smash"!! :-(

The letter reads, "It is nearly time for your next mammogram." I guess they send it this way - it is "nearly" time, so you have a little longer to agonize over the pain! Oh yes, and then there is the embarrassment... like when I showed up for my annual fun and games time wearing a denim jumper and a t-shirt underneath. What's wrong with that you ask? Well, think about it - you have to remove your upper clothing, right? Well, normally you would have slacks on or perhaps a half-slip. Not so! Well, the quick thinking radiologist gave me several of the "stylish jackets" they give you to cover up your top half, and suggested that I just "tuck them into my panties." So, I did. It looked like a strange tu-tu thing. I waltzed out, did a full turn around, hands lifted up like a ballerina, and asked her, "So, do you think this is going to catch on and be a new fad?" She laughed and thanked me for the humor.

Seriously though, they have newer means of detecting "areas of interest" now, which is comforting. There is full field digital mammography for screening and diagnostic exams. Digital mammos yield high quality images and allow radiologists to better visualize areas of interest, especially in women with "dense" breasts. (That would translate large ta-tas!)

Many years ago a dear friend who thought she felt something in her breast, went in for an exam but nothing was detected. She was scheduled for a breast reduction and it was during the surgery that the surgeon found a mass. It is important to do self-exams and use every means you can to detect anything. I thank God that she went in for this surgery because if she had not, I might have lost a dear friend to breast cancer, just as I lost my mother only months later.

So, I would encourage you all (or as they say in Texas, "Y'all) to schedule your "grab and smash" today. Hey what's a little pain? We birth babies!!

Do it and....