Welcome December!

"Christmas is coming; the geese are getting fat . . ."

For us, the holiday busyness and festivities began in November:

Please note: In none of this busyness will the real reason for this holiday celebration be forgotten or neglected. For us, all these festivities are in honor of the birth of Jesus, and it's the biggest birthday party this world has ever known (whether they realize it or not). We celebrate Jesus -- the One who is our Savior and Lord!

1. Bought Christmas present (for granddaughter)
2. Traveled to Montana for Thanksgiving visit with family (and snow fun)
3. Bought more Christmas presents (for both grandkids)
4. Selected/purchased Christmas cards
5. Bought Christmas postage stamps
6. Ordered holiday address labels (free from our realtor)
7. Baked Christmas goodies and 3 loaves of carrot bread (with neighbor)
8. Put up lights on house (hubbie's job)
9. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
10. Went hunting for perfect Christmas tree (real one)
11. Put Christmas tree into stand and set up in living room
12. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
13. Made special Christmas card for friend dying of cancer (any day now)
14. Wrapped and delivered loaves of carrot bread
15. Returned to store for returns and exchanges (already)
16. Finished Christmas shopping for grandkids
17. Went out to supper with neighbors (a big first for us)
18. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
19. Made more Christmas goodies and carrot bread (3 more loaves)
20. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
21. Wrapped and delivered Christmas goodies and carrot bread
22. Enjoyed visits in homes of friends (in Vancouver, WA)
23. Baked 3 more loaves of carrot bread
24. Cleaned up kitchen (finally)
25. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
26. Wrapped carrot bread in festive Christmas wrappping
27. Hauled bins of Christmas decorations up from basement
28. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
29. Attended Christmas tea/luncheon at friend's house (in Vancouver, WA)
30. Delivered three more loaves of carrot bread to friends at tea party
31. Shopped for (bought) 7 more Christmas presents
32. Wrapped one Christmas present
33. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
34. Went to Post Office - mailed one Christmas present
35. Edited Christmas letter (written by hubby)
36. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
37. Wrapped and mailed three more Christmas presents (no more to mail)
38. Began decorating the Christmas tree
39. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
40. Finished decorating the Christmas tree
41. Began decorating the house
42. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
43. Went to a Christmas presentation that featured "Evie"
44. Finished decorating the house
45. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
46. Decorated another Christmas tree (a small one)
47. Signed, sealed, stamped, & sent Christmas cards
48. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
49. Baked 3 more loaves of carrot bread
50. Attended (enjoyed) annual Christmas dinner party among friends
51. Shopped for one more Christmas present
52. Tried to get a flight to Michigan after Christmas (to share a drive to Kentucky with sis Dianne, to visit bro Tom and Dad), but failed!
53. Drank a beer to drown sorrows! (Yuk! It tasted terrible!)
54. Snacked on Christmas goodies (to chase away beer aftertaste) Yum!
55. Wrapped more presents
56. Shopped for one more present
57. Wrapped & delivered 3 more loaves of carrot bread to friends & neighbors
58. Went Christmas shopping with son
59. Taped up Christmas cards on pantry door
60. Made my list and checked it twice (actually, more than twice)
61. Shopped for husband's Christmas present (finished my shopping!)
62. Wrapped last 2 presents (all presents are now wrapped & under the tree)
63. Shopped for groceries needed for Christmas meals and family visit
64. Started the housecleaning project
65. Baked 3 more loaves of carrot bread
66. Cleaned up the kitchen (again)
67. Finished all the housecleaning
68. Started the pot roast cooking for the Christmas Eve-Eve dinner

Whew! Got everything done just in the nick of time!
The family will be here in about an hour and a half!

THEY'RE HERE! HOORAY!

69. Hugs have been given and received.
70. Elli is putting more Christmas presents under the tree
71. Dinner is over (yum!)
72. Finished fixing the dinner & ate the dinner (Mm mm good!)
73. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies
74. Cleaned up the kitchen (again)
75. Whole family went to son Jim's church--a very nice Christmas service
76. Enjoyed snacking on Christmas goodies (in moderation)
77. Opened the Christmas presents
78. Cleaned up the mess all over the family room
79. Played with all the new things
80. Ate pizza, salad & ice cream
81. Played some more with all the new things
82. Put the grandkids to bed
83. Filled and hung up the Christmas stockings
84. Played some more with all the new things
85. All adults (except me) went to 11:00 Christmas Eve service at church
87. Cleaned up the kitchen (again)
86. Had fun watching the kids find (and dig into) their Christmas stockings
87. Fixed food for BIG family Christmas dinner (with son-in-law's family)
88. Cleaned up the kitchen (again)
89. Enjoyed family time & dinner with son-in-law's family
90. Chatted with son-in-law's sister until midnight!
91. Slept in till 9:00 A.M.; then soaked up a day of quietness and rest!
92. Tucked in the grandkids for their last night here

This gramma, mom, and wife is soaking up lots of holiday enjoyment with all the family, and lovin' every minute of it!!!

93. Shared farewell hugs and said our goodbyes
94. Cleaned up the house
95. Enjoyed more Christmas goodies (in moderation)
96. Rang in the New Year with a grand celebration!
97. Slept in till 9:45 on New Years' morning
98. Took down the Christmas tree
99. Undecorated the house
100. Took down all the outside lights (hubby's job)
101. Put everything back in storage until December rolls around again

Now all there is left to do is:

Try to get back to "normal" (while hubby hunts for a new job to replace the one he will lose at end of January, and we contemplate the possibility of moving again!)

What a life!

Home Again After a Good Trip

We are back home, safe and sound, and (hopefully) in our right minds! We pulled in last night, mid-evening, after a 10-1/2 hour trip. It felt very good to be home, although we really enjoyed our time in Montana with my dad, our daughter and son-in-law, and our two grandkids.

There seemed to be something extra special about this time of visiting with our "kids". There were lots of fun times with all of them, in various ways -- sometimes all of us together and sometimes just us with our grandkids. Sherry and I also found the opportunity to get off by ourselves for lunch out and grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving day was a wonderful time of fellowship and family fun for all of us, and especially good for Sherry and I in the kitchen as we prepared the meal together.

We stayed at my dad's house and did lots of running back and forth between his house and our daughter's house. It was especially nice to have Larry with me this time, since most of my trips over to Montana are done all by myself. I could tell that Dad was really enjoying having Larry there this time. I was totally surprised by him having a new lady-friend in his life! After a little nervous trepidation, I found that I really like her, and actually enjoyed our times together. But I must admit it was also a bit strange for me to be "double-dating" with my dad and his "girl-friend" -- and to realize that I was the married one, rather than my dad!

We have lots of happy memories of this visit! On our last day there we woke up to a brand new world! The ground was completely covered by a fluffy white blanket, and the trees were decked out in beautiful winter-white finery as well, obviously just waiting for Christmas to arrive! What a cheerful sight to the eyes of those who rarely see snow in our little part of the world. (We get lots of rain and gray skies, but rarely are we treated to snow.) Later in the day, we enjoyed lots of snow play with our "kids" in the yard that used to belong to my parents, and now belongs to our "kids". It's wonderful to see that place full of exhuberant life and noisy fun, with lots of love and laughter.

Originally we had planned to travel home today (Sunday), but by Wednesday morning the weather forecast began to sound really bad for traveling--looking worse and worse in the coming days, so we made the decision to hit the road on Saturday morning and give it our best shot. Saturday morning we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland with about 5-6 inches of fresh new snow on top of what was new the day before! Knowing that several people were committing to pray for our safety, we stocked our car with provisions for every possible emergency situation, put ourselves in God's care, and set out at 9:15 A.M.

The drive through the mountains looked like a beautiful wintry scene straight out of a Christmas card! It was truly a magnificent, magical, winter wonderland with lots of snow on the ground and the trees all thickly flocked in glistening, fresh whiteness! The snow plows were out in full-force, trying to keep up with all the white stuff that continued to fall while we were driving. Traveling through the mountains, we saw several cars that had slid off the road, even into guard rails. One car was upside down, way off to the side of the road. It was a bit unnerving to see all that, but God kept us safe, and the trip only took us about an hour longer than usual.

We went to church this morning and then out to lunch afterwards. Our weather is rather blustery today, so we've decided to hunker down and just veg for the day! We'll both enjoy a day of total relaxation.

Wow! What a wonderful week it was!

Thanksgiving Time

Tonight I post from my daughter Sherry's house in the Big Sky Country (Montana). Grandma and Grandpa have had the privilege of spending the evening enjoying our grandchildren while their parents are attending a Young Life Staff meeting for the entire Bitterroot Valley region. We're here for the whole week to share a Thanksgiving celebration with them.
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We left home yesterday morning (Saturday) at 6:00 A.M. and made the 10-hour drive, arriving here at 4:30 P.M. While here, we stay at my dad's place (about 13 miles away from our grandkids' home). Since my dad is out hunting (haven't seen him yet), we have spent all of our time with the kids (the grown up ones and the little ones). We visited with them for the evening (last night), went to church with them this morning, went out to lunch after church, and then back here to their house.

It's always a special treat when we get to spend time with them, but the real fun began when the parents left about 5:00, leaving us in charge of supper time. Sherry told us all the quick, easy supper options that were available, but the kind of supper I had in mind was not to be found in the refrigerator, or in the pantry, or in any of the kitchen cabinets. We bundled up and drove to one of the nearest small towns (about 13-15 miles away), and there we dined at the Dairy Queen, enjoying a delicious vegetarian meal -- everyone got to choose whatever type of ice cream dessert they wanted. While we ate we had a fairly serious discussion about what a healthy meal we were having:

1. Dairy - ice cream made from milk (a good source of calcium)
2. Vegetables - chocolate/fudge toppings made from beans (cocoa beans); vanilla flavoring also made from beans (vanilla beans)
3. Fruit - bananas, cherries, strawberries, pineapple toppings
4. Grains - ice cream cone

Yes, we are good grandparents, and just love the job of caring for our grandchildren!
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Overheard in the bathroom at church this morning:

Little girl (6 yrs. old) talking to her grandma: "I really like using the big one (toilet stall) because sometimes I have to do a potty dance, and in the big one I have a lot more room to dance around!"

(Yup--that's my little Elli!)

Anyone, anyone ?

I'm just wondering . . .
Does anyone ever look at this blog to see if there's anything new here,
or if I'm still on break?

I've taken quite a long break. I've thought about returning to blogging, but I'm wondering . . .
Does anyone ever look at this blog to see if I'm still on break, or if there's anything new here?

If anyone is still looking, checking, reading . . . please let me know. Thanks!

Blogger on Break

Blogger on Break

Books

A few days ago I was "tagged" by another blogger to give my responses to the following list:

1. One book that changed my life
2. A book you've read more than once
3. One book you would want on a desert Island
4. One book that made you laugh
5. One book that made you cry
6. One book you wish had been written
7. One book you wish had never been written
8. One book you are currently reading
9. One book you've been meaning to read

Sorry to disappoint anyone who might have been waiting to read my responses to that list, but I really don't have any interest in answering that line of questions. Yesterday I finally decided that I might at least give it a try, but as I started to think through it (and actually started to do some writing on it), I quickly realized that my first thought (of not doing it) was where it would remain. I love to read, and do read a lot, and have read countless good books over the years, but I don't retain much memory of what I thought about each book, or what the titles were that impressed me in any particular way. Plus, rarely do I have only one answer to those kinds of questions, even if I could actually remember any that I would want to comment on. So, I have chosen to decline the "tag".

However, in that same vein of thought, yesterday I did one of my favorite things to do . . . I spent a very long time browsing through books at the local Christian bookstore, and came home with four books. There are many different types of books that I enjoy reading, but the list below represents some of my most favorite type of leisurely reading:

The Zippered Heart (Healing for the Secrets We Hide Inside), by Marilyn Meberg
I'm always interested in anything she writes, and have read some of her books. This is one I've seen before (probably at one of the "WOF" conferences), and thought about buying it, but didn't. Now I'm eager to start reading it, but it will have to wait until I've finished the one that was the real reason for me to go to the bookstore yesterday.

Found (Book number three in "The Firstborn" series), by Karen Kingsbury
Karen is my favorite author of Christian inspirational fiction. I've read most of her books over the last few years. The only ones I have chosen not to read were Tuesday Morning and Beyond Tuesday Morning (a series that was based on the true story of what happened on "9-11" in 2001). I just couldn't put myself into that scene again. This "Firstborn" series is actually a series that followed up on another series (called " The Redemption Series") that I really, really enjoyed. I've been waiting a very long time (since last November) for the third book in this "Firstborn" series. In the meantime, she wrote two other novels, of which I have read one: Like Dandelion Dust, and found it very good, as usual. Last night I began reading Found, and got about half way through it. I had to force myself to put it down and go to bed!

Moments of Grace (Stories of ordinary people and an extraordinary God), by Nancy Jo Sullivan
I haven't read anything by this author before, but I love to read stories of how people's lives are touched by God in wonderful ways.

Treasures for Women Who Hope (a compilation of personal stories of well-know Christians), by Alice Gray
Alice is one of my favorites! I've been personally touched by her life (at a ladies retreat many years ago), and I have read many of her books. Most of her books are simply what this one is -- encouragement from the lives of others' personal life experiences, which is actually one of my most favorite types of reading.

Reading is definitely is one of my most addictive favorite things to do! Once I start a book, I can hardly pull myself away from it until it is finished! I go through "spells" with reading. I'll spend lots of time reading for several weeks, and then take a complete break from it when I realize what an all-consuming hold it has had on my time and attention. It's also like that when I start the project of making a quilt, which is why I don't make very many quilts (have sewn only five quilts in my lifetime--so far).

Speaking of addictive activities that I enjoy, I also enjoy working/playing at the computer, and, of course, blogging is one of my favorite things to do on the computer -- that, plus computer games such as FreeCell and Sudoku. (Yes, I am one of those nuts who got caught up in that new game craze called Sudoku.)

But, speaking of blogging, as I was, sometimes I think I'd like to take a break from blogging. Sometimes I run out of ideas or thoughts for a new post, and think, "Why don't I just give this up?" I've done that before, only to start into it again after I've had a break from it. So, if someday you realize that you haven't seen anything new here for awhile, just figure that I'm in that spot once again, that I just don't feel like continuing with it, or just can't think of anything that is really worth all the time and effort that I put into it, or maybe I've started a new quilt, or maybe I'm spending all of my time with good books to read.

Reading a good book is a very good use of my time! Maybe someday I'll work on giving my answers to that list I mentioned at the beginning of this post . . . nah! It just ain't gonna happen, so don't hold your breath waiting for it!

Big Surprise!

What an incredible surprise I had this afternoon! When my phone rang, I glanced at the caller I.D. screen, and could scarely believe my eyes!
I thought, "This can't be real...it just can't be true...how could this name be on my caller I.D.??? I was in such a state of shock I almost didn't answer the call, and I was sure it couldn't possibly be who it said it was. Finally, I picked up the handset, and said almost timidly, " h e l l o o o ? " Yup, sure enough--it really was him -- RALPH SUTERA . . . one of the Sutera Twins, of the Sutera Twins Revival Fellowship Ministry!

Talking to him this afternoon gave me such an incredible surge of joyful excitement. The Sutera Twins ministry is a very special part of my life story, so I will always have great enthusiasm and excitement when I think back on that time in my life. That was in 1972! God did amazing things in my life, and in the life of my husband, and in our lives as a family, as a result of being involved with that ministry experience many years ago. Maybe someday I'll write the story.

Getting a phone call from Ralph today, all these years later, is such a wonderful highlight for me! We had a really nice phone visit this afternoon--almost like talking to a long-lost special relative! Plus, he put me in touch with a lady from one of my old churches back in Michigan -- a lady I have fond memories of and great respect for, who is their ministry secretary. I have sent an email off to her, and I have no doubt she will probably fall off her chair when she gets it.

I still can't believe he called me today! The last time I experienced this kind of "high" was when I found myself standing beside Tommy Smothers, in a small circle of people at one of my husband's business conferences. I had no clue who I was standing next to until my husband began introducing me to everyone who was already standing in the little group, talking, before I joined them. He began the introductions with the person to our left, and worked his way around the circle, naming each person. When he got to the person who was standing right next to me on the right side, he said, in the same casual manner, and this is Tommy Smothers. (He had already told me that Tommy Smothers was to be the featured entertainment at the conference, and would be on-stage after dinner one night.)

Who is Tommy Smothers, you ask? Well, if you have to ask, you are probably much younger than I am. He is a one of the well-known "Smothers Brothers" duo, who had their own TV show back in the late 1960's. They were big name stars who performed hilariously funny, musical comedy routines, plus made some "records", and continued to be popular professional entertainers for many years.

Fun With Fotos

It's amazing what you can do with photo enhancement--using computer programs designed to "fix" fotos. In the group of sunset pictures shown below, the first one is the original--taken this past Sunday night.
(It is the same picture shown in the blog post just before this post.)
Last night, just for the fun of it, to see how I could change the photo,
I enhanced it, using a program called "Picture It" (by Microsoft).

First, I clicked on "Levels Auto Fix", which automatically changed the color tone to a much bluer looking picture. Then I did some manual adjustments to the "brightness" and to the "contrast" levels, for both pictures of the two different color tones. Here's the enhancement results:



Our lives are like original pictures that sometimes need a little adjustment. When we realize that we are not happy with the way we look, or are feeling "down and out" emotionally, wouldn't it be nice if we could just click on "levels auto fix", and be quickly transformed into our best look and feel? What if there was a little gadget we could run over our bodies and click on the bad spots (i.e. face, hair, mind and heart)? Presto! Instant transformation of all that's not quite right!

Transformation of people doesn't occur that easily or quickly. The only real solution I have found is to let God make the changes that He wants to see in me. As He puts His finger on the bad spots, and says, "Jeannie, there is a problem here", it's up to me to say, "Okay, Lord, go ahead and make the necessary transformation." Sometimes that process hurts a bit, but the kind of changes He desires to make in me, will always be worth the hurt. He always knows what's best for me, and He knows the best way to do His work in me. I'm glad I can trust Him for that.
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Today Larry and I are celebrating our 37th wedding anniversary.
We've seen God do a lot of change in our lives over 37 years of marriage. Things are far different today for us than when we first began this lifetime partnership. The experiences we have shared (both wonderful and difficult) have served to deepen our care for each other and to cement our love for each other. Our differences have served to provide richness and contrast, and to give us greater understanding of (and for) each other. We are enjoying the benefit of a higher quality of life as we have begun to learn the true meaning of the word "love".
Enhancement to the portrait of our marriage has been a gradual process, through trial and error--continual try & try again.

If I had it to do all over again . . . . . I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to make the same choice I made at 19 years old. Larry is the man I would still choose to spend my life with.

My anniversary message to the man I married 37 years ago:

"I knew you were special the first time we met,
and though time has brought changes, I'll never forget
all the sweet things you've done, and the "firsts" that we've shared,
all the times I've been happy just knowing you cared.

Through the years, as a husband, a partner, a friend,
you've been someone on whom I know I can depend,
someone kind who will help any way that he can,
and I'm proud to be married to that kind of man."

Love, Jeannie

Sunset After a Gorge-ous Weekend Away

We spent the weekend (three glorious days) out in the Columbia River Gorge. "Home base" was at The Dalles, Oregon (about an hour and a half away from home), but our gallavanting included both sides of the river--along the southern border area of the state of Washington, and the northern border area of the state of Oregon.

In addition to sight-seeing, we toured several museums, (including the famous Maryhill Museum), plus some very old homesteads. We also visited the Maryhill winery where we enjoyed wine-tasting and listening to a little light jazz combo under the grape arbor. Plus, we found time for swimming and relaxing around the pool at our hotel.

It was a wonderful time away, with perfect weather (warm and sunny)--just the way we like it!

"A Girl Named Jeannie Annette" - My Life Story

A new idea popped into my head during the past weekend--perhaps a crazy thought! I may be biting off way more than I want to chew, and I may come to regret starting such a project . . .

I've decided that perhaps it's time to tell my story. Perhaps you are interested--perhaps you are not. However, I have decided to make an attempt to tell it, for my own reasons, if not for anyone else's benefit. So, I have started a separate blog, just for my autobiography. I have no idea how long it will take me to complete this story, or if I will ever finish, but at least I will make an attempt to do it.

Last night I wrote the first chapter. If you are interested in reading it, click on the link: "A Girl Named Jeannie Annette". If you plan to continue reading as I continue writing, I would suggest that you save the url (website address) in your list of "Favorites". For your convenience, I have also added a link to it, in the sidebar of this blog (near the bottom).

A Great Weekend!

On Saturday afternoon Larry and I went hiking in the gorge -- the super gorgeous Columbia River Gorge that stretches for miles and miles, encompassing several hours of driving through unsurpassed, magnificent natural beauty. There are several huge waterfalls within a 30-45 minute drive of our house, so we chose that area to do a little hiking and sight-seeing--an area that we never tire of seeing. Click here to see pictures.

On Sunday afternoon we met our friends, Jim and Sara, for supper at Island Café -- one of our most favorite eating spots on the river -- totally outdoors, at the end of a dock in a marina. After that, Larry and I went to the "monster truck" show at the Clark County Fair (in Vancouver, Washington, where we used to live) . . . because I LOVE IT!

It's where we get to watch and holler as trucks run an individually-timed race through a very rough, dirt obstacle course, full of big bumps, deep ruts, and a water pit. They recklessly speed their way through the muck and mire, sometimes going airborn, sometimes getting stuck, sometimes hitting the humongous logs that outline the course, sometimes flipping over, and often getting seriously damaged--such as burning up an engine, breaking tie rods, losing a rear axle, blowing out the clutch, smashing or popping out windows, totally destroying tires...you name it--it happens! Smoke billows, dust and mud goes flying, vehicle parts come lose and flap around (or fly off), or get dragged until they drop off. Tow trucks are needed frequently, and the emergency crews (ambulance and fire truck) stand by, waiting to jump into action.

Last night's show was not a disappointment! An all-time record was set -- there were four roll-overs! YESSSS! Such excitement...such a wild and crazy adrenalin rush! Amazingly, no one gets hurt (usually). Only one vehicle caught fire last night, and all the drivers survived their mishaps. The crowd (including yours truly) yells and screams and frequently jumps to their feet, loving every minute of the crazy excitement, as we sit on the edge of our seat just waiting for the next awful thing to happen!

I don't know what gets into me, but I just cut loose and go nuts with gleefull, frenzied abandon! I guess the deeply hidden-away "red-neck" in me gets a chance to break out of her cage for one wild evening, once a year! And, now, after admitting to that less-refined side of me, I shall go play the piano--returning to the more dignified and lady-like person that people usually assume me to be. Ha!

Life's a Dance

A song has been playing in my head, ever since writing the post that I wrote earlier today (see below or click here).

"Life's a dance you learn as you go--
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.
Don't worry 'bout what you don't know--
Life's a dance you learn as you go!"

I don't know how to go about putting into practice all that I wrote about it this morning. It seems like a tall order (a hard "dance" to learn), but it's something I want so much to put effort into. So, I guess I'll just have to learn as I go.
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Here's the song: Life's A Dance
(From the album "LIFE'S A DANCE", by John Michael Montgomery)

When I was fourteen I was falling fast
For a blue eyed girl in my homeroom class
Trying to find the courage to ask her out
Was like trying to get oil from a waterspout
What she would have said I can't say
I never did ask and she moved away
But I learned something from my blue eyed girl
Sink or swim you gotta give it a whirl

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go

The longer I live the more I believe
You do have to give if you wanna receive
There's a time to listen, a time to talk
And you might have to crawl even after you walk
Had sure things blow up in my face
Seen the longshot, win the race
Been knocked down by the slamming door
Picked myself up and came back for more

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go

First Rule of Blogging

I haven't felt much like posting anything on my blog for awhile, but while I have been refraining from it, my mind has been pondering this dilemma:

• Is blogging really a worthwhile use of my time?
  (I'm not totally convinced it is.)
  


• Is blogging sometimes used to fling out thoughts and opinions that should really be kept within one's own private space?
  (Yup, I'm totally convinced of that because of some things I've read on blogs.)



• Is it possible to speak one's mind without offending someone else? (maybe not)



• Would it be worthwhile to try?
  (Yes, I truly believe it would be worth putting effort into.)



• Why? Because I do care whether I offend others by speaking my mind. (Sometimes it's necessary to speak my mind on something that might seem abrasive or offensive to the listener, but usually that can be done, and should be done in private conversation.)

Flinging out my personal vendettas into public reading space--without first giving careful consideration to what I say and how I say it--is, I believe, inconsiderate of those who read what I write. Taking my audience into consideration is important to me. (I realize that bloggers will never know who their entire audience is, but we do know the ones we list in our blog links.) My goal is to lift up whatever is right and good (as I see it), but surely that can be done in a way that is not rude and disrespectful toward others who may disagree with my point of view. It just seems to me that, somehow, there must be a way to avoid being overtly offensive, or inconsiderate of the feelings of others.

This world is becoming more and more self-centered and inconsiderate of others. I see it and hear it all around me constantly -- "ME FIRST--regardless of what anyone else thinks or feels." What has happened to human kindness and respect for others? What has happened to exercising restraint, and caring more about the feelings of others than the right to do and say whatever one feels and thinks--with no thought given to how it will be received by others?

I've pondered this subject for a long time--both in the blogging world and in the real world -- the lack of sensitivity and consideration shown in what is sometimes said (which often prompts an equally insensitive and inconsiderate response). We tout our own right to freedom of expression, as though it doesn't matter if anyone is offended or hurt by what we say. When I was in elementary school I was taught that my freedom stops at the end of someone else's nose. In other words, I may have freedom of speech, but I do not have the right to hurt someone else by what I say. Oh, I am so guilty on this count! How often have I said something that hurt someone else, and then defended my right to my own opinion--and to say whatever I think! Freedom of speech and the right to my own opinion does not give me the right to be rude and disrespectful toward others. How I'd like to be able to take back some things I've said! How I wish that others would also realize the need to carefully rethink what they've felt free to say! Oh, what awful pain we can so carelessly cause to others!

These thoughts came into sharp focus this morning when I read the following bit of wisdom:

"First Rule of Blogging (in my world):
Don't hide behind the anonymity [of blogging] to say things that would hurt, or slander anyone. Be kind, be honest, but be respectful!"

That so clearly summed up what I've been thinking and feeling lately. It was written by another blogger as a comment on her young daughter's blog. I've just recently started reading "Super Mom" and find it really worthwhile. This morning I also read her daughter's blog, and was quite impressed! This 13-year old girl has insight way beyond her years!

As I pondered all of this stuff this morning (giving thought to writing about it), it occurred to me that when I point my finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at me--because there isn't a one of us (including me) who isn't guity of being inconsiderate of someone, sometime. But, I want to make an attempt to turn a corner here, and start thinking more about how I can put into practice what I have just said. I want to be one who at least tries to make a difference in this inconsiderate, self-centered world, rather than just accepting the current trend of indifference toward what anyone else thinks or feels. Yup, change has to start with me--today.

Puppy-sitting

Well, I've gone from spending a week with my grandkids, to spending my week taking care of a neighbor's puppy. Puppy-sitting is a little like baby-sitting, except I'm only on duty every 3 hours.

Daisy is her name -- peeing is her game! Yes, she pees every time I get her out of her kennel. I guess she's so excited to see me (or to get out of her kennel), she just can't wait till she gets outside. I dont know--maybe she thinks she is supposed to pee for me as soon as she steps outside the kennel--right there on the floor, in front of her kennel.
(Won't her "parents" have a big surprise when they see what she has learned to do while in my care.)
Well, she is a little cutie -- just a soft and curly little blonde furball -- a cockapoo (part cocker spaniel, part poodle). Our day with her starts at 6:00 A.M. Actually, I should be honest here and admit that Larry has the early morning duty. I get to spent about an hour with her every 3 hours after that. Our last time on-duty is 11:00 P.M. Then she has to wait for our attention until 6:00 A.M. the next day.

This has been a good thing for me. It has convinced me that I really don't want a puppy, no matter how much I think I do. No matter how cute and sweet they are, and how much fun they are to play with -- puppies are a lot of work!

What a Week!

The week with our grandkids has come and gone--just the memories are left (plus one forgotten item--Tano's computer game, "Wakeboarding"). But, oh what a week it was!

A week ago today (last Saturday), we drove out to Wildhorse Canyon (in Central Oregon) to pick them up, after they rode a tour bus from Missoula, Montana. For us it was a 4--4-1/2 hour ride, but for them it was about 11 hours or so. Not having the heart to stick them right back into the car for another long ride back to our house, we stayed for awhile and let them play in the pool. Wildhorse Canyon is the Young Life ranch on a piece of property that encompasses 100 square miles, out in the middle of nowhere!

In addition to our two grandkids, we had one extra kid (their cousin) to bring back with us, to give him a ride home after spending a week in Montana, going to Bible camp with Nathaniel. (It was their first time to go away to camp for a week -- what fun they had!) Very shortly after getting on our way home, all three kids were sound asleep, which made for a nice quiet ride for awhile. But, then we had to wake them up half way home to stop for supper, so the quiet ride came to an end. After returning Ben to his parents in Vancouver, Washington, we arrived home about 11:30 P.M. on Saturday night.

Sunday morning we opted to let everyone sleep in, and then we had a family worship time here at home. Uncle Jim played his guitar for singing and Grandpa led a little interactive devotional time. Then we all headed out for a river-tubing adventure which took most of the rest of the day.

On Monday all of us (including Jim) went to the coast (2 hours away) to camp overnight at an ocean-side campground. On Tuesday we spent all day at the beach, playing in the water, building sand castles, flying a kite, exploring a dark cave-tunnel, climbing up the stairs in a lighthouse, and touring the Tillamook Cheese Factory (mainly for ice cream cones)!

On Wednesday I took the kids to a park in Vancouver, Washington, for a few hours of playground and water fun with family friends--Jennifer Beatty and her three boys. After lunch Jennifer took all the kids back to her house for some more playtime, and then took them to their cousins' house to spend the night.

Meanwhile, I came back home just in time to shower and change, to go help with a funeral luncheon. We had received the tragic news during our ride back from Wildhorse Canyon, that one of our close friends lost his daughter (in her mid-twenties), as the victim of a brutal murder. Larry went to the funeral and I joined him later at the luncheon.

On Thursday morning I drove back to Vancouver to pick up the kids, and then back into Portland, to spend the rest of the day at the zoo. On Friday morning we drove back out to central Oregon to meet the tour bus returning from Wildhorse Canyon, to reunite the kids with their parents for the long ride back home to Montana. I arrived back home at 5:00 P.M., and they arrived home this morning sometime after 1:30 A.M.

It was a whirlwind week, with tons of fun -- seemed like only half a week! When it was almost over, I was ready for the week to start over and slow down a bit. Already I can hardly wait for next year's week with the grandkids! Click here to see pictures of the week.
Click here to read about the wild week at Wildhorse Canyon.
Click here to view a short video of the Wildhorse Canyon experience.

BEWARE: The Crazy Animals Are Loose!

(Book 2 in the nonsensical series called "Why Is An Orange?")

"The Crazy Animals Are Loose"

A collection of Short Stories by Elliana (age 6), Tano (age 9),
Uncle Jim, Grandma Jeannie and Grandpa Larry (ages unknown)

These stories were concocted as a cooperative team effort, while riding in the car today. We took turns in choosing the next word in the stories, as well as for the titles of the stories, and for the title of the book.

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Story 1 – “Giant Tadpoles Unite Against Lemonade”

Once upon a time a boy said, “Hello. My--my name is—is George”, and he showed lemonade to his giant frog’s tadpole, because the tadpole wanted to swim in a pool near frog eggs. Gently, as the feather floats up, down came a ton of frog eggs, filling tadpoles with gummy worms that were real green and slimy, just like snow.

The End
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Story 2 – “Hello Kitty Cooties Are Squirmy”

High up in Hello Kitty treehouse lived a mouse whose name didn’t make money. One day beautiful dogs said, “I’m going to warn the others that there’s two dogs and one elephant nearby the treehouse. Please don’t feed the elephant or kiss the mouse until you pay the piper with money and trees that squirm whenever you drop your shorts and toothbrush.

The End
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Story 3 – “Dentistry Is Needed For Money”

Today, I played crazily at the playground, but a bear came to eat me. Fortunately, I could run away slowly and play checkers on the bear’s head, because he had no teeth. Someday I want to apologize again to the bear’s mom for crowning his head with a black checker, and I saw the bear’s cutest, toothless smile. Tomorrow I plan to let my self eat the bear’s mom’s lasagna, because she had no teeth either.

The End
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Makes no sense, you say? Well, neither does “Why is an orange?” (or other semi-related topics), but it was lots of fun-– crazy, silly, hilarious fun, with uproarious laughter and uncontrollable giggles! Guess you had to be there. Come to think of it, guess we weren't "all there" either, but we sure had fun! Ha Ha Ha!!!

The story-writing project helped to while away the time as we drove to and from a tubing trip down the river (2 miles of fairly fast current), which included shooting the rapids (3 different sets of rapids), and sometimes free-floating down the river! Woo hoo! What a ride! (Both in the car, and down the river!)

Tomorrow we'll head over to the ocean for an overnight camp-out (right at the ocean) and a day at the beach. Who knows what other creative, juices will be flowing!

Red Skies at Night -- Jeannie's Delight!

Tonight's sky -- pictures were taken from my deck and in the back yard down below.

Even better than my delight in red skies at night,
is my delight that my two grandkids are coming for a visit!

Tomorrow the fun begins! Saturday morning we'll head out for a nice long drive (like, all day long), and half-way through the trip, a two-some will turn into a foursome! We'll be driving to central Oregon, to a place called "Wildhorse Canyon" (near Antelope, about 4 - 4-1/2 hours from here), to the Young Life ranch where our daughter and son-in-law will spend a week with their bunch of high schoolers. (They are directors of a "Young Life" group in Montana.)

We have lots of plans already set for a week of fun with our grandkids, (including an overnight camping trip at the ocean), and this grandma can hardly wait for it all to begin! We had a week with the grandkids last year also, so I'm already filled with excitement as I remember how much we enjoyed it!

So, if you don't see much new posting going on here next week, just know that I'm out and about everyday, trying to have as much fun as I can possibly fit into one week -- the one and only week of a whole year that we get our grandkids all to ourselves!

Yea! Let the fun begin!

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Update on our "broken" laptop: It seems to have succombed to either dementia or alzheimers (sometimes its hard to tell the difference). It has either lost its memory or its mind--or has a mind of its own that we can't figure out! Perhaps it's just fed up with the internet and refuses to have anything further to do it! Larry plans to completely empty the hard drive and start over from scratch. If that doesn't work, we'll sign the death certificate and buy a new one.

Oh my...my philosophical mind could easily take off on this one! Sometimes, something just doesn't work right anymore and must be dumped! No matter what you try, it just can't be fixed, so you just have to throw it away! You know, like an old pair of shoes that has a hole in the sole, or they're just not comfortable any more. Well, I guess if the problem is that they just don't fit well any more, they might not need to be thrown in the trash--you could just give them away--they might be a good fit for someone else. But, who would want a broken computer--one that is continually problematic because it has lost its ability to think straight? Of course, it might be good for laughs! On the other hand, it might cause nothing but constant frustration and irritation, in which case it's probably best to get rid of it! Wow! I guess I should have written a separate post for this subject!

Welcome to "Jeannie's Salt and Pepper Shaker"! Hmmm...I feel a whole new blog idea coming on... Oh, no! Not another blog! Help! Somebody, quick, please tie my hands behind my back and drag me away from this computer!

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LATE NIGHT BREAKING NEWS -- THIS JUST IN:

The laptop computer has been completely emptied of itself, reloaded with all the essentials, and is now up and running -- alive and well again.

It has reconnected with the internet, plus the virus protection and firewall are back in place, keeping us safe from all the bad guys out there in cyberspace! (Guess we'll keep it around for awhile longer.)

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Take Two!

My husband asked for a retake --

Is this better?

Well whaddya know --

He does look younger!

He's a changed man!

I wonder if he could
go to work dressed like this.

Hmmmm....

Defending My Husband's Honor

Well, it looks like it's time for a loyal and loving wife to come to the rescue of her dear husband's honor!

As a result of my last post, he was accused of being "old". Well, I suppose that's true if you consider 57 to be old. Wow! Since I'm only one year behind him in age, I wonder if I'm old too. Well, no matter -- "You're only as old as you feel", right? Believe me when I tell you, he certainly doesn't feel old, nor does he act old, and, I love the way he looks!

A comment referred to him as an old person, first, by way of appearance (his attire), in contrast with the more youthful look of my son's "knock-about" attire. Aw 'cmon now--that's the way this businessman dresses for work in the morning, and, fortunately, that's the way he looks when he returns. I mean, really! If he came home in different clothes than he went to work in, I'd be a tad concerned, or at least confused! Give the poor guy a break! That work-worn man has a nightly habit of immediately sitting down on the couch to unwind from the stress of his day in his pressure-packed job. At my encouragement, he picks up the laptop and checks his email while I finish getting dinner ready. Last night there was no benefit gained by that little moment of rest, for he was greeted by a black screen with a very strange message that indicated something was very wrong with the laptop! Not only could he not sign in to check his email, he couldn't get rid of the strange message on the black screen, nor could he reboot! For the next half hour or so, Larry and Jim brain-stormed and attempted recovery, without success. Jim finally admitted his diagnosis: "Yup, it's broken!" So, immediately following dinner (without changing his clothes first), Larry returned to the couch to spend the rest of the evening working on restoration of the laptop. (Even after undergoing an extreme make-over, it's still not back to its old self.)

Secondly, said comment also made mention of the fact that he was using an "old peoples tray with the beanie bags underneath to put the computer on". Now, this is just too funny! That clever little item was made way ahead of its time! First of all, yes, it is old -- it originally belonged to Larry's mother, who died a couple of years ago at the ripe old age of 93! (I considered putting it in a garage sale, but then I discovered what a handy little thing it is.) I wonder how many people, besides us, still have them around because they have found some great uses for them. Besides occupying space on a shelf in the closet for these last two years, we discovered that it serves well as a heat shield between one's legs and the computer (not to mention the comfort factor). Larry quite often has the laptop sitting on his legs all evening, and by bedtime he is sweating from the heat that emanates from the laptop. (I would love to hear your solutions for this problem.)

On a sidenote: When Larry and I went out for a walk late in the evening (in the dark), I offered the "old peoples tray" to our son to use, since it would be sitting idle while we were gone. Being a "young person" (not yet quite as wizened up in years of experience as we "old people" are, and perhaps still a little more vain in his desire to appear youthful--in his 30's), he agreed that it was probably a good idea, but he just didn't feel the need to use it. (Maybe by the time he is as old as we are, they will have figured out how to have a built-in heat shield in these machines--if indeed laptops still exist by then.)

Just as "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", age is only a mindset -- "You're only as old as you feel." So there ya have it: "Too soon old, and too late smart!" I'm not sure what any of those old cliches have to do with anything (I suppose mostly they sound like something an "old person" would say), but they just came to mind, and these days, when something comes to mind, I find that if I don't write it down quick, I'll forget it!

Thanks, Rebecca, for your interesting observation and funny comment!
It gave me something to post this morning!

P.S. How many of you out there in blogger land, who know us well, think our son looks just like his father? Let's hear your votes: Does he look more like his father or his mother?

Like Father -- Like Son

One of those rare photo-ops that I just couldn't resist grabbing!

I had been working/playing at the computer in the office for awhile, and finally decided I should come out of hiding and be sociable with the two in the family room. This is what I saw . . . dueling laptops!
And, here I thought maybe they were missing me or something -- silly me! Well, it made for a good laugh!

Are we a bunch of computer geeks, or what???

Tonight our laptop crashed, but, have no fear, our systems administrator was near! He tried a little of this and a lot of that, but finally concluded: "Yup, it's broken!" It has taken lots of time, but little-by-little, it's being reloaded and may just rise to live again! (Fortunately, I rarely use that computer, so I couldn't get blamed for the mishap.)

We really do enjoy having Jim (our son) living with us.

Penticton Photos

For anyone who is interested in seeing a few more pictures of my trip to Penticton, British Columbia, CLICK HERE. This album isn't complete yet, but it's a start. I've tried to avoid posting pictures that have already been shown on my blog or the blogs of my sisters.

Wake-up Call

It's amazing how much better one can feel after a really good night's sleep! I'm one of those many women who usually sleep very poorly, but last night I had the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time. I slept all night long without waking up even once, as far as I can remember, and I actually felt ready to get out of bed this morning! Boy, that feels good when that happens! Now I've enjoyed coffee and toast, and some "quiet time" with the Lord, and I'm ready to start my day.

Yesterday morning wasn't quite like that. Our weekend had been exceptionally busy, with almost non-stop activity--fun activities and wonderful times with two different sets of friends, but nevertheless an exhausting run on the treadmill of life! We finally fell into bed Sunday night sometime after 12:30 (A.M.), after making a trip to the airport to pick up our son from his trip to San Diego. Then, after a very fitful night's sleep, I finally gave up on trying to sleep in a bit, and dragged myself out of bed to start a new day. Mechanically, I headed for the kitchen and made coffee, hoping to clear my foggy brain and jump-start my nearly-dead battery.

In my sleep-deprived state of weariness and half-hearted interest in being awake, I must have suffered another attack of mental-pause as I made coffee. I poured water into the coffee maker and touched the "on" button and then walked away to do a few things while I waited for my desperately-needed shot of caffeine. When it was ready, I eagerly poured myself a cup and headed for the living room to have my "quiet time". After getting all settled in with Bible, devotional book, afghan, plate of toast and cup of coffee, I prayed and then quickly swallowed my first sip of fresh-brewed "wake-me-up".

"Hmmmm," I thought, "it just doesn't taste quite like I expected." Then the light dawned... "I don't remember opening the bag of coffee --uh-oh-- I used yesterday's coffee grounds, and only added fresh water!" Needless to say, not only was the first sip rather disappointing, there wasn't much "wake-me-up" in the cup! The pot of "fresh-brewed" coffee was absolutely worthless! So, I set aside all my provisions, unwrapped myself from my cozy blanket, and plodded back to the kitchen to dump it out and make a fresh pot!

As I stood there pouring out what appeared to be fresh coffee, the thought occurred to me that our lives can become like that worthless coffee. We can appear to be fresh and new, putting on a smiling face and saying all the right things, but inside we can be like tasteless, stale, reused coffee grounds! Unless God does His work in me each day--unless He adds newness and freshness to my heart, there will be no real vibrancy. Without His daily replenishment of "fresh grounds" to bring refreshment to my soul, there will be nothing to perk up excitement in my life, and there will be nothing to stimulate others in their stale and stagnate weariness with life.

My desire is that I will experience God's daily wake-up call to a fresh-brewed life!

38 Years of Mini-Golf!

Tonight we celebrated another anniversary -- the 38th anniversary of our first date (a blind date). (We're such incurable romantics!) So, tonight we did what we always do on July 10th -- we went and played miniature golf -- just like 38 years ago! Fun! Larry beat me this time (51-54), but he doesn't always win at this game. I think the loser should get a back rub, right?

Now we're gonna have some ice cream topped with those yummy raspberries! C'mon over!
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P.S. I guess we both won--we both got back-rubs last night.

Sisters Three -- The Twins and Me

After growing up like triplets (14 months apart), we so quickly fall back into the role of "The Three Musketeers" whenever all three of us are in the same place at the same time! It's funny how the 35 years of separation just slip away whenever we get back together. And, or course, if we're all three together in one spot, with a guitar anywhere nearby, we will not be content unless we're singing togther! That's how we grew up, and that's how it's always gonna be! But, when it comes to dancing, the twins shine! They learned (and love) to do country line dancing. Me? Either I have two left feet or a brain that just can't learn to follow dance steps!

Just the Berries!

Larry and I picked almost nine pounds of raspberries this afternoon--not bad for about an hour of picking (including a little eating as we picked)! The yellow ones are "Anne" berries (with just a hint of apricot flavor), and the red ones are "Willamette" berries. Both of these are the sweetest of the local raspberry varieties . Mmmmm, mmmm, good!

A Warm Welcome!

It's hard to believe the first week of July is almost gone! Didn't it just begin? Oh, I guess my focus was on a wedding when the month of July arrived.

July 1st: Canada Day; my niece's wedding day, and the bride's birthday -- all on the same day! What fun, complete with fireworks, beautiful warm sunshine, and the best scenery you can imagine! It was a wonderful family time, but it's always nice to come back home!

I came home on the "Fourth of July" to find a yummy little picnic supper awaiting my arrival.
We ate outside on the deck: outdoor-grilled cheeseburgers, potato salad, corn on the cob, wine, and freshly picked berries,
(raspberries and boysenberries, hand-picked that very day, by Larry himself!) generously spooned over little sponge cakes, with whipped topping. We stayed outside for the rest of the evening and watched the fireworks from our deck.

What a fun way of welcoming in July, and a delicious way to be welcomed home!

Tonight They Tied the Knot!

Or, should I say, "They got hitched"

What an incredible setting for a wedding!

Time to Hit the Road Again!

Bright and early tomorrow morning, I'll be driving to Penticton, British Columbia, for a family gathering and the wedding of my niece. Larry is unable to get away from work, but my son is going with me, and we're picking up his girlfriend at the airport on our way. Both of my sisters, one of my brothers, and my dad will also be there.

I'm looking forward to this little reunion of sorts, and lots of fun together as a family. (That usually means lots of laughter and a few pranks.)
I'll be returning on July 4th, hopefully in time to enjoy watching the "Fourth of July" fireworks with my husband.

Now, it's time to get back to the laundry, ironing, packing, and...uh-oh...
I also have to go to the bank to get some Canadian money. I hope nobody remembers me there as the mental-pausal lady who mistakenly claimed she lost her keys in their bank, and had the manager take apart the trash receptacle to look for them. (Maybe I could put a bag over my head with two eye holes. As long as I'm not holding a gun in my hand, it should be okay, shouldn't it?)

Phooey! If only we could just hit the "delete" key and erase some of the things we do!

Off Again

Tomorrow morning (bright and early)I'm off to Penticton, British Columbia, for a family gathering and wedding of my niece. Hubby is unable to get away from work this time, but my son is going with me, and we're picking up his girlfriend at the airport on our way north. Both of sisters and one of my brothers, plus my dad will be there also. I'm looking forward to a great visit with my family, and lots of fun. I'll be home again on the July 4th, hopefully in time to enjoy watching the "Fourth of July" fireworks with my husband.

The Bathing Suit Tip

On the day of Summer Solstice, I mentioned bathing suits in my post called "Wednesday Weekly". One blogger commented that she still gets a chuckle out of a bathing suit tip I gave her while we were vacationing together in Hawaii. Another blogger commented, "Do tell!" I responded that I would have to send it to her in an email (which I did). Her emailed response to me: "That is hilarious...your tip is great and I think you should blog it, I really do! Makes you real to the rest of the world!!!"

Hmmmm...not so sure about that! So, I checked with my husband, showing him the letter I had written to give my "tip". He smiled, but shook his head and said, "...not so sure about that...no, I don't think so." I replied, "But, she seems to think so!" He reminded me that "we live in two different parts of the world, with two very different cultures; and in this culture, it would be inappropriate to put that on your blog." So, (trying to be the submissive wife that I'm supposed to be), I've chosen not to put it on my blog.

That does not mean that I am not being real! I AM REAL! (My husband assured me that I'm as real as they get!) What you read on my blog definitely depicts the real me! However, I also try to exercise discretion with my reading audience.

So, if you are interested in knowing my bathing suit tip, feel free to request it by comment here, or send me an email, and I will gladly send it to you, in "brown wrapper", to be enjoyed in the privacy of your own home. (I think my readers already have my email address, but if you are an unknown reader, you're probably out of luck unless you want to leave your email address as a comment here.

Mental-Pausal Moments

What an interesting book I'm reading! I've just discovered the cause for some of the strange things I've been experiencing lately. According to this book, hot flashes are related to being mental-pausal. That explains everything!

Tonight while I was fixing supper, I suffered a moment of mental-pause. I looked high and low throughout the kitchen, including every drawer, the refrigerator and freezer, the dishwasher, and the waste basket. Then I went throughout the house, checking every room that I might have gone into during the time period that I was working on supper.

I had hoped to keep this problem to myself, but finally, in total exasperation, I bemoaned the truth to Larry: "Honey--I lost the pot holders!" He had already surmised, by my strange behavior, that something was very wrong, but he was kind enough not to ask. (He has seen this happen before.) When he heard the defeat in my voice, admitting yet another one of my mental-pausal moments, he quickly got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. I was thankful for his willingness to help me out, but when he headed straight for the kitchen drawer where they are usually kept, I thought, "How silly to look there--I've already looked there several times!" However, I was careful to hold my tongue rather than belittle him for trying to help. He pulled out the green pot holders and said, "Is this what you're looking for?" ! ! !
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One day last week I went to the bank. As I headed back to my car, after finishing my business inside the bank, I reached into my purse to pull out my car keys. They weren't there! I slowed my walk as I continued digging deeper, checking every little pocket of my purse. Nope--not there. I checked my pants pockets (several times), and again checked my purse pockets (several times). Nope--still not there!

Fortunately, I had my spare set of keys with me, so I was able to get in the car. I sat there thinking, Should I go back into the bank, carefully retracing my steps, hoping to find them somewhere? Should I go ask the teller if a set of car keys has been found? But, then I thought, Well, maybe I actually left them at home, and used my spare set of keys to drive the car. (Although, I NEVER do that.) But, since strange things have been happening to me more and more frequently, I figured it could always be a possibility.

So, rather than embarrassing myself by going back into the bank, I decided to drive back home and see if I left them at home. I went into the house and looked around everywhere I thought they might possibly be, but they weren't there.

So, I drove back to the bank and went inside, carefully retracing my steps to look everywhere I had been, plus asking the teller. Nope--no car keys. On the way out, I stopped one more time at the counter where I had stood to write out my withdrawal slip, thinking, They must be here somewhere.

That's when I spotted the trash disposal slot built into the counter, and thought, Yup, that must be it -- how embarrassing to realize I must have stuck my keys into the trash disposal slot when I actually intended to put them back into my purse! I poked my fingers into the slot and tried to figured out how to see into the little trash receptacle. Then the manager noticed my strange activity and came over to see if I needed some help. After I briefly explained my predicament, he took the trash receptacle apart and looked through the contents. Nope -- no keys!

By then, everyone in the bank was looking in my direction. I shook my head and said out loud (to no one in particular), "All I know is that I came into the bank with keys in my hand, and when I walked out the door, I didn't have them." But, no one had any solution to the mystery, so I finally got back in my car and drove back home again (using my spare set of keys again).

When I got home, and went into the bedroom to set my purse down in its usual spot, I noticed the bag sitting near where my purse is usually sitting. I had placed that bag there to remind me to take it with me when I went to the bank, because I also needed to go to a store to return something. Not only had I forgotten to pick up the bag when I picked up my purse to leave the house -- that's where I found my car keys (in that bag)! Go figure!

Now, it also occurs to me that it was exactly one week ago today that I was writing out my experience of finding myself stuck outside on the deck--fully believing I had locked myself out of the house-- when actually, I had simply forgotten which door I used to go outside! Goof-ball!
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Oh, I also learned in this book tonight that hot flashes are actually power surges which may or may not be helpful during mental-pausal moments.

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Warning: I refuse to accept any responsibilty for unplanned, unpredictable, unexplainable, totally bizaare behavior which may occur during mental-pausal moments.
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Wednesday Weekly

Well, I guess I never did get around to starting my "Wednesday Weekly" routine, did I? Isn't it funny how we get ideas that we think are actually worth something, only to realize later that they were silly! I guess this "Wednesday Weekly" idea was one of those that turned out to be just "Jeannie looking for something new to do with her blog!"

Or, was it? Well, here it is Wednesday again, and I haven't posted since Father's Day. I feel like it's time to post something new, but I have absolutely no idea what to post, since there really is nothing exciting going on in my life right now.

If I was in Montana, I could probably go hiking today with Cary's Wednesday weekly hiking group--the "Hallelujah Hikers". Or, I could go over to Camp Utmost where my daughter is teaching this week, and spend some time with my grandkids. (Dontcha think someone oughta be keeping on eye on them as they enjoy the run of the camp, while Mom is busy with the ninth graders?). Both of those ideas sound like fun, but alas, I am not in Montana.

If I was in Heaven today, I'd be visiting with my mom, my husband's mom and dad, and my grandparents, plus getting to know a whole bunch of "brothers and sisters" in Christ that I've never met before! Although, the One I mostly can't wait to see is Jesus! Now, that's the One I really want to visit with face-to-face! Sometimes I try to imagine what that's going to be like, but very honestly, I have absolutely no idea! I just know I so long for that day to come!

Hey, I just noticed on my calendar that today is the first day of summer!
I guess that's a good reason to celebrate today! Happy Summer Solstice to y'all! Yippee!!
Time to get yer bathin' suits on! Now, if only I had a beach nearby, and some friends who aren't afraid to put on a bathing suit and do some sunning with me.
Anyone . . . anyone?
(we three sisters at Lake Michigan last year)

Happy Father's Day To My Dad

My dad has always been and will always be my hero.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!
Thanks for being such a wonderful dad to your kids!

This is my dad, in whom I am well-pleased!

These are Dad's wonderful friends who are always there for him, and have become an extension of his family. They have taken him into their hearts and homes, surrounding him with loving care at all times.

Thank you, Louis & Cary and Larry & June for taking good care of my dad when I can't be there. I appreciate you more than I can ever tell you!

Happy Father's Day To My Husband

You know how much I love you, but do you know how proud I am of you, too?

I'm proud of your successes -- your skills and talents, your hard work and accomplishments . . .
But, even more important than these, I'm proud of the man you are inside--the goodness and generosity which are so much a part of your daily life, the warmth and caring which are so wonderful a part of the joy you bring to our family . .
You are truly a special person, and I feel fortunate beyond all measure to have been given the gift of a husband like you.

Happy Father's Day, Honey!
I love you!
Jeannie

Goof-ball !

A couple of days ago, while I was sitting in the office, my cell phone rang--it was a friend calling. As per usual, our conversation was interrupted by a lost connection. (That happens a lot here--living on top of a "mountain". Now, I would hardly consider this a mountain, but, locally, that's what it's called--how silly!) When she called back, I stepped outside onto the deck, thinking my cell phone might get better reception outside. After our somewhat lengthy conversation, I started to come back inside, but was shocked to find the door locked! Tugging hard at the handle on the sliding glass door, I broke a fingernail, far down past the quick, but still had no luck getting the door open. What on earth??? How could that door latch lock behind me? (This door handle can only be locked by moving a side lever into the lock position, which can only happen when you're on the inside of the door.)

For just an instant I felt the tiniest bit of panic, which quickly brought on a hot flash, as I realized, Oh great--I'm stuck outside on this deck until Larry gets home. (Since our house is built on the side of a hill, the main-floor deck is actually at second-story level from the ground behind our house, and there is no staircase down to the ground.) As the hot flash subsided, I quickly realized I was starting to feel a bit chilly, being outside in a sleeveless shirt on a cool, gray, rainy day. I also began to feel a bit embarrassed as I imagined myself having to holler "Help!" to anyone who might happen to hear me and come running to find out what was wrong. Trying to regain my calm and collected sense of control in a tough situation, I sat down in a chair, looked at my watch, and thought, Well, maybe Larry is getting close to time to leave work. (It was 5:15.) Fortunately, I had my cell phone, so I called him to ask, "Where are you, and when are you coming home?" I was happy to hear that he was already on his way home.

When I explained to him the predicament I was in, he said, "Oh, you went outside from the office, forgetting that door stays locked when you open and close it." (There are two doors out to our deck--one in the family room and one in the office. However, the door in the office also has a storm door, so I never close the inside door when I step outside from the office.) Instantly, the light bulb went on in my head! I had been trying to get back inside through the sliding glass door in the family room, forgetting that I went outside from the office! The office door (which I didn't close behind me) is the open door!! I quickly said goodbye, and went back inside to the warmth of my home, scolding myself...
Oh, Jeannie! How can you be such a goof-ball?

Now I know why Glynna is interesting in having me help with Women's Ministries. Every fun ministry team needs at least one goof-ball to keep us from taking ourselves too seriously! Sometimes ya just gotta laugh at yourself! (But, I still can't believe I did that!)