SPRING HAS SPRUNG.......

Since Spring has finally arrived, I thought I would share a couple of pictures of the flowers in my garden. Since we didn't move into this house until mid Summer last year, I am not responsible for the beautiful flower beds. Believe me, if I had planted them, they would not be beautiful. I pretty much have a black thumb.

Be that as it may, the previous owners had green thumbs and I am reaping the benefit of their expertise. Hopefully I can avoid killing them off.

In other Spring-y news,l golf starts on Tuesday night. I hope it doesn't matter that I haven't golfed since we went to Phoenix in March. Hopefully I won't golf my best since we set handicaps that night.

The countdown has also begun to the arrival of Shyla & Clay. Only four more days to go and they will be here. YEAH!!! I can't wait to see them. Hopefully the weather will stay nice for their visit.

It has been a busy weekend so far. We spent the entire morning working to clean the church building, and hospitality house. There was a lot accomplished. Many hands make light work!!!

That's about it for updated news. I hope all of my faithful readers are having a glorious Spring as well!!!

Surely Not.....

Our oldest daughter's birthday is today - which is wonderful - except that she is 30! How can that be????? I am only 29 myself. Isn't that physically and mathematically impossible?????? I know it must shock everyone that I have a 30 year old daughter.

The hard truth is that I am old enough to have a 30 year-old. Oh well, it sure beats the alternative. Since I don't have a more recent picture, I am including one from her law school graduation last year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHYLA!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

They're coming!!!!!!!!

I am SO excited. Shyla & Clay are coming for a visit!!!!! Yeah!!!! We haven't seen them since August - which is much too long. They won't be here until late April, but I can hardly wait. Now I have to set up some fun things to do!!!

In other news....Spring is trying to arrive in Billings. Monday it was 65 degrees, but then again, Tuesday was 35, and today it is snowing. AAAAAHHHHH Springtime in the Rockies. I know that Spring will eventually arrive and with it yard work - hey maybe Winter isn't such a bad idea after all!!

Another harbinger of Spring is we have more birds coming around. One of these birds is a Flicker. If you know what a Flicker is, it is akin to a woodpecker and that it what it does. It will rat-a-tat on the side of our house or on the metal flue of the fire place. What a sound that is!! Bruce wants to buy a pellet gun, I want to buy a statue of an owl - they are supposed to scare them away, plus owl statues won't put any one's eye out.

In other, other news...Sassy turned 9 on Sunday. For those of you who don't know, Sassy is our tiny poodle. She is barely 5 pounds, but she sees herself as a Rottweiler. Where we live now we have squirrels in our yard - which I love - and Sassy loves to bark at them. I am trying to train her that they are our friends, and we don't want to scare them off.

That's about all that is going on around here. I hope where you live it is warm and sunny. I'll leave you with a little quote about Spring.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.
Doug Larson

OK New Rules.......

Alright its not so much a rule as a hope. It is very depressing to post a blog, see that others have visited it, but no one leaves comments. Was it really that boring that you couldn't think of some little thing to comment on????? Its heartbreaking to look back, anxious to read others impressions on your deep thoughts, and there are none there.

My blog isn't like a national park - where you are supposed to leave nothing but footprints. I want some "trash". So from now on, PLEASE leave a comment, even if it is just a hi. It lets me know that you perused my blog, contemplated on its depths, and were so moved that you just had to comment. Plus, it really boosts my ego.

Thank you in advance.

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.