Turning the Pages of My Photo Album

It is my day off and I decided to start it by opening up my digital photo album.

Flying Babies!

Babies are everywhere! Baby birds I mean.

Have you noticed? It is that time of year when baby birds are taking flight... sort of. I've noticed some aren't so very good at it. We had a baby blue jay in a corner of our back yard for a couple of days. His parents were very attentive but it worried me that he stayed on the ground so long. Thankfully, Bode isn't much of a bird dog. He was oblivious. I wondered if this guy was one of the attentive parents.

I also had a baby robin plop against our front window one day when I was sitting nearby. She clung to the little lip there for a long time. I could hear her parents encouraging her as well. Finally, she made a quick jump to a nearby tree.

The worst is all the baby birds that fly as far as the middle of our street. They are slow to take off so when I am going to work in the early morning I feel like I'm braking and braking and braking.

They are so cute, though! Babies just are, aren't they? 

Anything But Love

You know how some scents or maybe a song can take you back to a different place and time? For instance, the smell of Dove soap takes me right back to my Grandma Rose's house. I love Dove soap for that reason! Do you have things like that?

Well, lately Mike and I have been taking miniature trips back to 1989 and on into the early 90's. We lived in Montana and Mike was pastor at his first parish. Our first year there I was able to stay at home. It was an especially sweet time with Ben, our second oldest. He was 4 years old and I loved that year of getting to focus on time with him. Several years later I was able to stay at home another year when Sam was a baby.

During those stay-at-home years I also got to see more of Mike. We were living in a church parsonage, only a block from our church. One of the nice things about that was that Mike could easily walk home for lunch. Before he went back to the church for the afternoon, we'd turn the television on and watch this show:



Do you remember that series? For Mike's birthday this year, I ordered some DVDs of the show. Holy Cow! There are a LOT of episodes on just a couple of DVDs. Mike and I are chipping away at them a little at a time.

I'm not going to tell you this show is especially edifying or anything. However the characters are quirky and fun and we are entertained. The best part of watching them again, though, is just spending that time together and walking through those memories of a different time. Those weird little strings of shared memories are part of what is sweet about growing older (I'm not saying "old" yet) together. I like that.

I Still Believe

I Still Believe 

Jeremy Camp

(Click on title to hear song on YouTube)

Scattered words and empty thoughts / seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before/ seems I don't know where to start
But it's now that I feel your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip, washing away my pain

I still believe in your faithfulness / I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word / even when I don't see, I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind / with promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind / It's my heart I see you prepare
But it's now that I feel your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip, washing away my pain

I still believe in your faithfulness / I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word / even when I don't see, I still believe

The only place I can go is into your arms / where I throw to you my feeble prayers
In brokenness I can see that this was your will for me / Help me to know you are near

I still believe in your faithfulness / I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word / even when I don't see, I still believe

28 Words About Ben

 

Thoughtful

Kind

Jocular

Goofy

Smart

Fun

Adventuresome

Insightful

Imaginative

Amusing

Boisterous

Dashing

Bold

Handsome

Popular

Affectionate

Good-Hearted

Amicable

Brainy

Astute

Gifted

Imaginative

Versatile

Enterprising

Suave

Honorable

Ethical

Loved

Happy Birthday, Ben!

We are so proud of you.

We miss you.

 We love you!

On Guard

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post. I just thought you might want to see a different view of my new haircut.

OK, now on to my problem of the week... gossip! I'm talking about those sneaky little situations that pop up and catch you off guard. 

I bet that any of you who have ever worked in a place with a lot of other employees, or maybe with just one other employee, have found yourself standing in the midst of turmoil.  You know what I am talking about, don't you? One person leaves the room and the others start talking about them. It usually is not talk wrapped in kindness. I hate that! I hate it even more if I realize it came out of my own mouth!

The thing I hate most about this is that it is soooooo easy to get sucked into the conversation! I want to be ON GUARD for this. I don't want to even give the appearance of confirming the mean things people say about each other. It is hard to do, though! It is easy to forget who I want to me in such a situation. It takes almost no effort to just ride along with the conversation. It is wrong, though.

I'm trying to prepare myself for such moments. Maybe then I will remember to say helpful words. I have decided that it is usually our own low self-esteem that makes it so tempting to bring others down. That really complicates the whole situation. How do you stop a gossipy situation from progressing without making others feel reprimanded or further demeaned themselves?

I am trying to come up with some set responses, things I have in my head and can access easily in the heat of the moment. Do any of you do this? Do you have any great ideas for me? I really think it is possible to do this and to get others to follow a more positive track in a discussion!

So, give me some ideas. If someone is saying snippy things about Mary Louse (I don't really know any Mary Louises) can I just interject something positive about her, such as "Mary Louise did a nice job cleaning off the desk this morning." ? In the moment I may not come up quickly with something positive that is unique to the situation or person. How about, "We all struggle with that sometimes, don't we?" That may work for a more wide variety of conversations.

I need some help here, people! Please give me some more one-liners that I can tuck into my little head. I want to have encouraging, kind and positive ways to do this. Give me some ideas!

While I wait for your responses, I'm going to memorize the following verse. It was in my daily e-mail message from KLOVE today and it really fits into what I've been needing lately.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, NLT

The Will to Live

I am always surprised by the determination to live displayed by some plant life. While flowers in the big pot on my deck threaten to die if I miss one day of watering, these guys seem to be thriving while growing out of Independence Rock!

A few of us at work today were talking about the strong will to live.  It seems to me that some people seem to have a much stronger will to live than others. I was telling about a man, well into his 90's, who would undergo some very scary and painful treatments just to survive a bit longer. I do not think I have that strong of a will to live. Maybe it is because I don't have much fear of death.

Don't be worrying about me! I have never struggled with suicidal thoughts or anything. OK, there was that time when I was 3 and attempted suicide by black widow spider, but since then I have been good.  I believe I am supposed to honor this life and to live it well. I just believe that what comes next is even better. The stickler about death is the part about leaving those we love and causing them pain. I don't like those thoughts. When compared to eternity, though, our time of separation will be brief.

The very first verse I think I memorized was John 3:16.  Perhaps that is why I don't so much fear death.

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

WAIT! Back up...

I was just looking through my photographs and realized I had some good ones from Saturday that I didn't yet show. Around noon Saturday we gathered at a local park for a Father's Day celebration of some sort. There was time for lots of good people-watching.

Cotton Candy!

Snuggling...

Fancy Dance Moves

Elise got a little wild!

Cordy was looking all summery.

We were there to watch Eric and his band play.

Eric is quite a musician!

It was a fun time!

Yesterday Was A Hairy Day...

So Many Hairstyles - So Little Time!

I am a bit bipolar when it comes to my hair. I want it long, then I want it short....oops, mistake. I want it long again. I've been doing this since I was about 17 or so. I don't know why. 

Imagine my delight when I heard of Locks of Love! It gave me a mission! Who knew that growing and cutting off hair could serve such a purpose! Also people who may have thought a middle-aged women shouldn't have hair this long surely wouldn't complain if it is for a charitable purpose! Yep. I went from crazy-hair-lady to noble-lady! I'm still bipolar about my  hair, but at least my craziness helps others.

The first time I donated to Locks of Love (2004) I gave 22 inches of hair. It was kind of fun! I went in to my hairdresser's on a Saturday morning. No one else was there when I arrived. However, just before she cut off my ponytail, her husband stopped in with her 4 or 5 year old son. He stood watching as she cut. Really, 22 inches is a lot of hair and when it comes off all at once, I guess it looks rather dramatic. Her son started screaming, "Mama! You broke her hair! You broke it!" He was so distressed; I quickly reassured him that I wanted her to do it but I am not sure he ever believed me. He may have been scarred for life. I hope not.

I kept my hair short for awhile after that. I thought I was too old to grow my hair long again. I was also expecting it to go gray any minute, but it didn't. So, I started growing it out again.

In 2009 I donated again to Locks of Love. At that time I was working as a chemotherapy nurse. Ironic, huh? I was giving other women drugs that made their hair fall out yet I easily grew mine long again. I got the bright idea that I would ask one of the patients if she wanted to cut my hair off before I went to get it styled. I chose a woman who had battled cancer repeatedly for years. She told me she had lost her hair at least three different times. She had a good sense of fun and was delighted to accept my offer. As it turned out, someone at our clinic asked me to have her do it at a cancer survivor party. I agreed. I didn't realize that the local tv stations would be covering the event, as well as our newspaper! What a strange experience.

I wasn't blogging yet then, but my daughter did a post about the event. You can read about it here if you'd like, just keep in mind that my daughter wrote it. She's the president of my fan club! When I look back at those photos I remember a day of fun and joy. We were celebrating life and friendship. The woman who cut my hair, Sharyn, survived a long time after her first diagnosis of cancer. Sadly, the day did come when we had to say good-bye to Sharyn. I will always remember the fun she had that day, though. She really got into it and charmed all who watched her short hairdressing career. I went to my hairdresser later that day. I didn't choose my own style but instead, let my hairdresser do whatever she wanted. 

This time I'm going to change things up a bit. For one thing, I've been researching hairstyles on Pinterest for a month or two. Just when I've decided on one, I see another I like. So many hairstyles; so little time! If you are looking for a new hairstyle, follow Only the Manager on Pinterest and check out my hairstyles board. Don't be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the choices, though. As I type this, it is a matter of only hours until I go get the deed done and yet I've not decided on my style. 

For another change this time, I'm thinking I will send my ponytail to Wigs for Kids. I don't really care which organization handles it, as long as someone who can't grow their own hair gets a turn at combing and curling and primping and styling.

So, how do you manage your hair? Do you like to try different styles or have you found one that just feels like YOU and so you stick with it?

Good-bye long hair...for now.

These Are The Days - Father's Day at Independence Rock

Mike had a request for Father's Day.

He wanted us all to go to Independence Rock.

So we did.

Sam came along with us and

Maria and Eric and girls followed behind

We were missing Ben and Sara.

Mike and Elise greeted with a snuggle.

We weren't short on dogs!

This was the first time for Bode to meet our new Granddog, Atomic Betty Sprinkles (Betty).

He liked her.

Maria and the girls and dogs partway up Independence Rock

We sent the guys on up while we relaxed in the shade.

The nearby creek was a hit.

Water and kids just go together!

Like I said...

It was a hot day.

The dogs were so happy to cool down.

Bumblebee kept rubbing her face in the mud.

Yes, Bode is urinating in the creek.

Elise didn't want to leave.

Bode is still urinating.

Our daughter was mistaken for a professional model this week-end.

Can you see why?

The scenery on the way home was lovely, very Wyoming.

Sam and Bode had a little trouble getting comfortable in the back seat.

I'm kind of afraid Sam will be mad at me for using this photo,

but I couldn't help myself.

He's really easy going.

He'll forgive me.

Pretty sure.

Wedding Sweetness

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, love each other 

deeply, 

because love covers 

over a multitude of sins.

The wedding on the mountain went well yesterday. 

I was proud to be the date of the most handsome man there.

There was a few unplanned events that occurred. I expect they will be the things those families speak of for years to come. My favorite was when the sweet little flower girl got almost to the wedding party when she kind of froze. I saw the groom beckon her to come to him, which she did. He then bent down and seemed to reassure her. Then, he calmly leaned down, scooped up a handful of flower petals and tossed them about. The little girl then went and sat down, calm and happy. It pleased me to see the groom deliver the petals. It was sweet.

Don't you think the things that go wrong at a wedding are sometimes the best parts? Tell me some stories of things that happened at your wedding, or any wedding, that made you smile or touched your heart.

The Grandma From Adams Park

Last night I went with Mike to a wedding rehearsal and the dinner that followed. As a pastor, he is usually invited to rehearsal dinners. I didn't know anyone in the wedding party but I went along as Mike's date. It isn't always my favorite thing because I feel awkward, but I usually end up having a good time. Also, my friend, Celia, was related to the groom so I was hoping she'd be there as well.



At the dinner the groom started introducing us to his family. One lady came rushing forward saying, "You're the grandma from Adams Park!" I must say, no one has ever called me that before! It took me a second but I realized she was the other grandma from Adams Park.


Last Saturday I took my granddaughters to the park, remember? Well, she was that little boy's grandma and we'd visited for about an hour that day. Toward the end of our time at the park, our daughter Maria came to meet us and she also met the lady. Her grandson had run up and given Maria a hug that day, much to his grandmother's surprise. She had told us that he never gives hugs.

Last night, as I visited with her, I learned more. I saw my friend, Celia, arriving. I asked the other grandma if she knew Celia and her husband. Well, indeed she did! She was my friend's sister! There's more to it than that! My granddaughters live in the house where the other grandma, and Celia, grew up!

To be honest, I didn't really even want to go last night. I had gotten up at 4:30 yesterday and an evening of relaxing sounded pretty good. But see, I had a delightful time and learned all these cool little connections.

These Are The Days - Library Story Time