AAAAAHHHHHHH Warm Weather...

Bruce and I took a short trip to Phoenix to see his folks a couple weekends ago. Besides the fact that it was great spending time with his mom & dad, the weather was phenomenal!!!!!!! What a treat it was to have a break from snow, cold, wind, slush, icicles, and filthy cars. The temperature was a balmy 75 the entire time we were there. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the warm weather. We golfed. I think I have put my golf DTs to rest for a few months. I may be able to make it to April now. We ate great food - at home and in restaurants. We watched the beginning of the Olympics. We spend time with some of their great friends. All in all it was a terrific weekend.

Thanks to Dennis and Sue for making our visit so enjoyable. We had a great time and appreciated your hospitality. Can't wait till we come again.

Happy Birthday to me.....

Well, yesterday was my 53rd birthday. I don't feel 53, but of course I'm not sure what 53 is supposed to feel like. I must say that it was probably the best birthday that I have ever had. Not because of the presents I received, but for the people with which I was able to spend it.

My day started with Ladies' class Bible study. Afterwards, the ladies sang to me and had blueberry muffins - YUMMMMMM!!!

I pampered myself in the afternoon by watching "Amelia", which was very good.

In the evening, though, was when it got really fun. Ten of our close friends, and us, went to dinner at Olive Garden then back to one of our friend's house for chocolate chip cheese cake. DOUBLE YUMMMMMMM!!! Outside of my family, there is probably no one I would have rather spent my birthday with than these friends.



When I mentioned to some co-workers that I was going to dinner with 10 close friends, they were shocked. I don't know whether their shock came from the fact that I would have 10 close friends, or the fact that they couldn't count up to 10 with their friends. I told them that I had many more than 10, but Olive Garden couldn't accommodate many more than that.....

God has truly blessed me beyond anything that I could ever have imagined. I thank God for my 53 years and will rejoice in as many more as He sees fit to grant me. So here's to birthdays, family, friends, and multiple blessings. May they ever go on......

Wisdom...

I was reading the Dillonite Daily today (a daily on-line paper from Dillon, MT), when I saw a quote by Abraham Lincoln that said a lot for our society today. I thought I would share it with my two faithful readers.

...You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

...You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

...You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

...You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

...You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

...You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.

...You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

I believe this is something our political leaders should consider when making policy.

Soapbox now closed.....

Now for a serene picture of winter leaves.

January Blahs.....

There isn't much going on right now in our household. That's why I haven't written for a while. The "January Blahs" have set in. We have had a ton of snow. Last weekend it snowed all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We have about 14 inches on the ground, which makes it hard to get around on city streets. Each trip out of the house is a test of nerve and agility, so you only get out when absolutely necessary, which in turn stokes the fires of cabin fever!!! A never-ending cycle.

BUT... February will be here soon and with it a trip to Phoenix. YEAH!!! It has been a couple of years since we have been down to visit Bruce's parents, so we are heading south for sun and, more importantly, GOLF!!! I have been experiencing the golf DT's recently and can hardly wait to slice a ball far to the left (or right - whichever)!!! Wii golf can only go so far to feeding my addiction!! Of course it will be great to visit with Bruce's folks. We always enjoy the time spent with them.

Along with the January blahs is also the "I miss my kids blues". It hasn't been too long since we saw Jim, Alyson and Lily (Thanksgiving)(but even this is too long to go without a hug from a granddaughter!!!), but it has been far too long since we have seen Shyla & Clay (August). Oh for the days when you could grow up, live, and have your kids live in the same town. Since this isn't possible, I guess we just make due with visits as often as possible.

One thing that has been fun lately is that Lily will call and is learning to say "I love you Gaga." I absolutely love to hear her say that. Alyson will also put her through her verbal paces with all her new words. Her vocabulary grows by leaps and bounds. She is now speaking in sentences - albeit of her own concoction occasionally. What we really need to do is video conference more often. I don't want her to forget what Gaga looks like.

Well, enough rambling. I will end with an upbeat quote for the day.....

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. Victor Hugo

Merry Christmas to all.....

Well, Christmas has come and gone once again. It was a quiet one around our house, but we had a great time with our friends. Above you can see the loot - minus the Wii, which we had already installed!!!


Here's Bruce showing off one of his treasures. It was the year of the folding scissors. Each of the girls got him a pair - although very different. He was thrilled as he had lost his favorite pair.


We had close friends in for dinner. We have known Steve & Robin for 30 years. For entertainment, we played Wii, board games and watched football. What else could you ask for???




Here is our beautiful table prior to the orgy of gluttony. We feasted on prime rib, cheesy potatoes, corn casserole, fruit salad, green goop, dinner rolls, pumpkin and buttermilk pies. YUM!!!

Christmas isn't all about gifts and food. The most important thing about Christmas is family and friends and counting the blessings that God has bestowed on you. Bruce and I know that we have been abundantly blessed and we pray God's blessings on you and yours in this new year.

Holiday reflections....

This year will be one without either of our children with us. I would be lying if I said that I'm not just a "bit" sad about that, but unfortunately, we can't have everything we wish for.

Since we can't be with family, we will spend Christmas with some of our church family. Our friends, Robin & Steve, will grace us with their presence on Christmas day - along with their daughter, Leah and her fiance Tom. I know we will have a wonderful time!!! We are all pumped up about the prime rib, cheesy potatoes, corn casserole, rolls, fruit salad, and pies on the menu. We should all be comatose by about 6:00!!!

At this time of year I often get maudlin about things. Tears spring easily to my eyes and my heart seems to be full all the time. This is not necessarily a bad thing. During the holidays is when I miss my parents the most, and other family members that I don't often see. I hope they know how much I love and miss them.

I also spend time thinking of the vast store of blessings that I have received. God has blessed my life "above all that I could ask or think" (Eph. 3:20 - my paraphrase). He has given me a wonderful husband in which I have placed all my trust for almost 32 years - and he has never dissapointed. I've been blessed with two daughters that have brought me more joy than they could ever know. He has blessed me with two sons-in-law whom I love like they were my own. He has given me a healthy, happy, intelligent granddaughter. He has given me an extended family whom I sincerely love. And if that wasn't enough, He has given me a church family that spans the globe and in whom I delight.

Please take time during this holiday season to thank God for all you have been given. My prayer for the new year is for peace on earth, for our troops to be able to come home to their families, and a return to the basic faith on which our country was founded. May God bless each of you during the holidays in throughout the new year.

Giving Thanks....

We spent Thanksgiving weekend with Alyson, Jim & Lily. It was a great time of food, fun, and fellowship. Alyson provided us with wonderful - no surprise to anyone who knows her - and Lily provided us with lots of entertainment. Jim and Bruce accomplished a couple of projects around the house and Gramby got to veg out and play with Lily.
Here is a picture of the "spread" from which we obtained our "spread"!!!

Here's Bruce helping out with the housework. We took down Thanksgiving and put up Christmas.

Here I am chilling with Lily. She loves to play with her daddy's "toys".

As I end this blog about Thanksgiving, I want to leave you with this quote....

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. ~Robert Caspar Lintner