Winter Continues

(Reality)
Old man Winter teased us last week. He acted like he had headed to Australia to bless them with snow, but he came back. We received about 4 inches of snow last night and this morning. I don't mind winter - after all I do live in Montana, so it's expected - but enough is enough. I am suffering from a bad case of Spring fever.


(Desire)
I can hardly wait to go golfing. I also plan on getting my bicycle updated so I can go riding in my neighborhood. I want to go floating on the Yellowstone this summer with Bruce, too. We hope to do more fun things this spring & summer since we don't have a house to remodel.



Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Fun with Friends

Saturday-Valentine's Day- we attended a part at a friend's house. There were several other couples and we played "The Newlywed Game". What a hoot!!! Bruce and I played against three other couples who have been married about the same length of time as we have. We lost miserably!!! The funny thing is, when we were first married, we played against people who had been married quit a lot longer than us, and we won by a mile. Oh, well. I guess he and I will just have to spend time getting reacquainted.
The best thing about the evening was spending time with friends with whom we have so much in common. We attend church together and enjoy spending time with them so very much. It is such a blessing to have good friends!! I hope each of you have good friends to spend time with and share good times.
Here's my quote for the day:
"Stop telling God how big your storm is and start telling your storm how big your God is."

The Bucket List

I got this list from Alyson and the ones in italics are ones I have done. There are several more on the list I would like to do as well. In addition, I am going to make a short list of my "to do's " which weren't included:

1. Visit an elephant reserve.
2. Visit Australia.
3. Visit all 50 states. (I have been in about 40 or so)

I'm sure I will think of more later.

The Bucket List:

1. Started your own blog (DUH)

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor (two, actually)

6. Given to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm

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 (Been to the statue, but after they changed the rules about going up in it.)

18. Grown your own vegetables (not a fond memory)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Drank an entire Sonic Route 66 by yourself

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

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (the gondolier didn't sing though)

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Traced your family tree at least 4 generations

35. Seen an Amish community (have seen a Shaker community, though)

36. Learned a new language (tried French in High School - disaster)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (I am sooooooooo blessed!)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (My absolute favorite! Could have sat an looked for hours!!)

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (MANY, MANY TIMES!!!

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Swam with a dolphin

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance (have ridden in two with Alyson!)

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (AMAZING!!!)

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 (Tupperware!)

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Cut your own hair

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 (Dachau)

67. Bounced a check (Not my fault---really!)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (many!!!)

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (He's my favorite President)

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Driven a stick shift

75. Been fired from a job (Not my fault ---really!)

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards 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

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House (I have even been in the West Wing - the Oval Office and the Rose Garden)

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 (President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and a few Senators)

92. Read an entire series of books by one author

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby (had two beautiful girls)

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Seen the Pacific Ocean

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person

101. Learned to play an instrument ( Does the tambourine count???)

52 And Counting.....

Today is my 52nd birthday. As of yet there has not been a birthday that I have "dreaded" or have really stressed over. Having more birthdays beats the alternative, so I'm a happy camper!!

Over my 52 years I have been blessed by being raised in a Christian home with loving parents and many (11) brothers and sisters. Of course life has had its ups and downs, but the ups so outnumber the downs, that the down times pale in comparison.

I love my husband, my daughters and sons-in-law, my sweet grandaughter, my extended family and my friends. My life is full and rich and I thank God for it all!!!

It's a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood

I was just thinking about how blessed I have been. I have a wonderful husband, two beautiful daughters, the best two sons-in-law in the world, and a the most beautiful granddaughter ever (as is evidenced by the picture). Besides that I have a wonderful extended family and a church family that truly brings joy to my life. God is Good. While thinking of my blessings, I also think about things that are weighing on my heart right now. I have a good friend who is battling cancer. Friends who have lost jobs. Friends who are going through personal struggles. These things are hard to understand, but I still know that God is in control and that He can work it out, if we allow Him to do so.
My prayer for each of you is that you put God first in your life and see how the blessings pile up.

On a lighter note.... The weather here has warmed up a bit. Hopefully the groundhog does whatever he does to show that Spring is close at hand. One way or the other, it should be warm by May!!!

Inauguration Day 2009

Well, we have a new President. I did not vote for Mr. Obama, but I will support him. I believe that the presidency is larger than one man and our country us much too important to be divisive. The important things to me in a president are morality and a clear vision for our country. We are truly the greatest nation on earth and we need to conduct ourselves as such. I do not mean by this that we "lord it over" the rest of the word, but that we should lead by example. We must live up to the ideals of our founding fathers. They had a great vision for their new country and I believe that, in many ways, we have been letting them down for a long time.



Whether or not you voted for our new president, I would like to challenge you to rise to the occasion we have to move forward. Get involved in your community. Volunteer. Stand up for the oppressed. Determine to leave this world a better place than what you found it. Live a legacy.



Starting today, let us not be a nation of Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Let us be a nation of Americans and to proudly stand for what is right and just, and may God bless us in our effort

Birds of Prey

I love birds of prey. I love to watch a hawk or an eagle in flight. This one was perched on a stump in my back yard a few weeks ago. He just sat there as I took pictures through my sliding glass door. They turned out pretty well.

A few years ago, when we lived in Dillon, Montana, I was driving home when I saw a Kestrel in the middle of the road. As I passed by, it didn't fly off, so I knew something was wrong. I turned around and went back to see if I could help it. It scuttered off into the borrow pit and I really had to look hard to see it. It was quite camouflaged. I was able to gently pick it up and take it home. I put it in a box with a towel and gave it some water. Now what was I to do? I had a wild hawk in my house. I made a few calls and finally found the Raptor Conservancy in Bozeman, Montana, who cares for injured birds of prey. I called them and told them what I had. They sent someone (113 miles) to pick up the bird. They told me that the kestrel was a young female. I was glad to have been able to help it, but I was also sad to see it go.

The bird had no broken bones - thank goodness - but it was bruised. The conservancy kept the bird for two weeks for rehabilitation. When it was healthy enough to be released, they were very generous to come back and release it in my back yard. It was so cool to see it fly again.

This experience was very meaningful to me, seeing as how I do love to watch them fly!!! Next time you see an eagle or hawk in flight, thank God for the experience.