Short and Sweet

Erin and Donaleo are having the trip of a life time as you have been following their path.  This picture was taken in Greece with their host and hostess.    They are leaving Greece and have a few more stops then home.    We should see them by August;  it was to be July but you know how that goes. . . just one more peek at a new country on the way home.   They hope to make it to Paris and the Louvre;  England and the Changing of the Guard, then home and back to work.

Once Upon a Time we used this type of telephone and thought it was the best invention in  the world.   

It is Thursday, a beautiful sky out my window this morning.    A few scattered dark clouds passing us by and may drop a raindrop or two.   The sky is a soft baby blue with a tinge of color so we may see a bit of sunshine yet. As I sit and watch the colors are becoming vivid with hot pinks underling the purples in the clouds, some shaped like an eagle in flight . . . beautiful!  Take time out this morning and open your shades and see what is in your sky this morning.

   A good day for a shopping trip.  The groceries seem to disappear as fast as they are bought.    The cupboards are bare so off to make a list and find something for our dinner tonight.     Now if you were in the neighborhood and joining us for dinner I might splurge and buy some of those big luscious shrimp, a bit of white sauce and the skinny pasta . . . um . . . sounds good, maybe I'll buy it anyway. 

I read to Russell yesterday.  We are about half way through the book and we are both enjoying the tales in the letters of World War II family members telling about times in their lives they will never forget.    If you have not read any of the books Tom Bokow wrote, do take the time, you will not be sorry as you relieve the histories of those who served or a family member who gave so much in the big war, the war to end all wars, a time when the world was turned upside down.  When I arrived yesterday to read to Russell, I was told that he had been a bit down, so I read some but channeled his thoughts and words into talking more.   He is lonely for family and friends.   He seems to have little contact with his sons but his grandson seems to be the one who cares.   He misses being needed and useful, one of the drawbacks of becoming 'old'.    I suggested that I bring a pad and pen with me and we will start his family history for his grandson so he thought that was a fine idea.   We will see how it goes and maybe a walk down memory lane will boost his morale.    So, today, think of someone in your life who is becoming an octogenarian and feeling all alone and lonely.   Get out that IPOD and give them a call.  If you have time stop by and give them a hug, or make a date with them to take them to lunch and give them something to look forward to.    Remember, your day will come soon enough and whatever you sow you will reap.     An old saying, but a true one.   Start today, change your attitude, do a few good deeds, light a candle for those who are suffering and smile with your eyes and give someone special a hug they will never forget.    The sun is finally showing behind a big tree, playing peekaboo.  The sky has changed to a deeper blue, the clouds are white and a beautiful day is on its way for us to enjoy.   I hope your day is as beautiful as you.  Hugs to all. 

The Written Word

Soon we will have troops returning home , hopefully to a warm welcome, a big parade and a helping hand to get back to their normal way of life.    

It takes a special person to become a nurse.   It is far from an easy job both physically and emotionally.    They come in all shapes and sizes, some with a desire to truly help and a few who should be in another profession.    I have met some lovely ladies who truly care and they deserve a medal of honor for the work they do.



This article tells of the Israeli people who reacted to our huge storm a year or so ago and started to pack necessary items to send our way.    There was no big write up in our newspapers about the folks who came through but people do read letters to the editors of the local newspapers and keep up with what is going on in our world.     

A sign of the times.     We need a growing economy, work for our fellow man, and a change in the attitude of some folks who think you get something for nothing....I don't think so!  Living comes with a price tag all its own.

Hey, it's Hump Day, comes around so often you would think it was a holiday.     I like Hump Day, mid week, knowing that we are heading for a weekend to do what it is we want to do and usually this time of year it is yard work.    Our weather is 'unusual' a term used when it is not a sunshine day.  It is actually cold here in the house this morning and I am determined not to put the furnace back on.   The weatherman says snow in the higher elevations and maybe even lower for the next couple of days. . . it's May, and May is spring still and that means iffy weather on the coast.     I am not complaining as I just spent a few days up in the high desert country and found out how hot it gets and how dry.    I used to be 'used to it' but after several years of living by the sea in fog and mist, I find the heat and elevation not to my liking.     I have nothing to complain about after hearing and seeing the television pictures of the folks out in the mid west who are suffering untold agony after the tornadoes.     The destruction is heartbreaking for those who have lost everything near and dear to them.    The agony of losing so many children has to be the most sorrowful of all . . . unimaginable . . . and our prayers, our hearts go out to each and everyone of them.    So today, get out the check book and send a donation to the Red Cross who are first on the ground when these events occur.    Help will come to each and everyone of the folks who are searching through rubble and hoping to find a small picture or a tiny bit of what had been their uncomplicated lives.     How little we know as to what can happen to each of us in any given moment.     Think about that and know that today is a day to celebrate each of your 'given' seconds, so make sure you make the best of every one of them.     Yep, smiles through tears;    hugs to share;    kind words to say, a helping hand and smile when someone has the audacity to call you 'goody two shoes', as it is actually a badge of honor, one a lot of folks do not know how to earn.      Be a "good example" and lead the way.     Hugs to all.

 

Old Friends

An unusual picture of the dandelion before it changes to its prominent yellows.   If these grew in our yard and covered the grass, I do not think we would mind at all.     

This is the picture birthday card from granddaughter Erin from Greece.    The bear looks ferocious.  

Erin tells us it is very hot over there in Greece and she is ready to jump in the ocean and cool down.   I found this picture of the mountains unusual and had fun looking around for faces and figures.    I see a gorilla, a camel, a face and a bird in flight.  I am sure there are much more to find but that's it for today, your turn.

Aah, the voice . . . I'd have to fight the ladies to get a date with this fellow. . . Sam Elliott, no wonder I like cowboys.

Wish someone had shown me this a long time back then I wouldn't have wallowed in self pity every time I made a mistake.  Some folks delight in making one feel stupid, dumb or useless when a mistake happens and they have a feeling of superiority.    Mistakes are how we learn.   The more we make the smarter we are . . .I said so.    

I had company yesterday, a very old friend from way back came to visit with his significant other and we had a really lovely visit that ended much to soon.    They are on their way to dispose of many household items in their lives and are going to live on their huge sail boat and head out to Spain and then see all that they can see for a long time to come.    I have been invited to join them sometime later and visit for a month but I doubt I can travel that far anymore.   Maybe . . . time will tell.  Just think how exciting that is and I wish them God-speed and good health.     I hope you have an old friend stop in to visit.  It is so wonderful to revisit the old days and the good days when time, good fellowship, love and hugs were there for the asking.     The laughter prevails as old tales come to mind and you take the time to revisit forgotten memories that bring so much laughter into life one more time.  What a feeling of joy to have a visit from a friend you haven't seen in years only to find that time means little and it feels just like yesterday as you grin, hug, smile, laugh out loud and remember how precious friends really are.     So treat yourself to a friend today, old or new, and enjoy the camaraderie, the laughter , the hugs and the whispered words of I love you.  Bring some joy into your life as soon as you can, or go and visit an old friend and bring some joy into theirs.   Hugs to all.

Words

I cannot imagine not having my children in my life.    My children have been my world for a very long time.   We have traveled a long road together and became close as the roads we traveled became bumpy and full of pitfalls.   We survived and travel peaceful roads filled with love and laughter.    



This is a fact.   How sad to think our government officials are not standing up and seeing that our current crop of veterans are receiving the medical aid they so justly deserve.     The cry is out from all kinds of outfits asking us to help the men and women coming back from the 'terror' wars and we  have no way of knowing which one is a true one that will see that the veterans are cared for.  They should not have to beg for assistance of any kind.   It seems that there has been remarks about them being a volunteer army.....they should pay taxes.....they should not expect aid upon their return to civilian life . . . well 'th'ey' should think again and know that without these veterans coming back from deployment there would be no army, no navy, no defense against our enemies and then what would 'they' be saying.....I bet they would go begging!    



We should have this one on the refrigerator door . . . what is that old adage?   "Pataience is a virtue, possess it if you can, seldom in a woman, never in a man."    Wonder who thought that one up?     I know a few patient men . . . mnot many, but a few.     I know a lot of impatient women . . . all because of a man . . . and that could be said both ways......smile!!

Son John has been trying to set up a lap top that daughter Chrstine was generous and left for me to use.   It seems my old computer had become an octogenarian like me and didn't want to move any faster than it had to.    The slowness was  a learning lesson of patience.   The new computer is a dream, much faster and I get to play scrabble without getting thrown out a dozen times.  I had visions of enjoying this new little lap top until I found I am a 'guest' and not privy to some of the set up that is Christine's alone.    I will need an a-b-c- note path to follow in order to get on the blog.    Just getting to the pictures takes half the morning . . . we'll just have to see what develops especially when son John leaves and I have to try to figure out how to turn the computer on.    Time to take notes a, b and c.   Time will tell.

We start a new week and the sun is shining this morning.  It is going to be a good day to finish up with the clippings and getting them bagged and ready for the dump.     Today may be the day to water and make sure everything gets a good soaking as the ground is very hard.    I'd like to be able to turn th esoil and use a pitch fork but my one attempt was like pushing a fork into an over cooked piece of mat that had turned to lead.   Angie left yesterday and made it home as she had to return to work today.    It will probably take a day or two to get back into the work mode, but she is a pro and will do just fine.    If you are checking out my Facebook page you will see her comments. 

I have to tell you that Pat and I joined Marcia and went to a special tea.   The group of ladies put on a special tea each year to make money for the education of young women.   There were four recipients there yesterday telling of thier accomplishments and how grateful they are for the opportunity to go on to higher education.  One is going to be a doctor.  The ladies were dressed to the 'nines' and some wore elaborate hats with sales tags on them.    The tables wer decorated with beautiful white tea pots that were filled with real flowers and all for sale.   Beside each plate was a lovely tea cup filled with candies and a gift for us to take home.     The first event was a raffle of a quilt and daughter Patricia won it...It is beautiful and she handed it to me. It's on my bed now and so beautiful as it is shades of green and gold with peacocks.    Her name is on it, so she will have it in the future, meanwhile I am going to enjoy it.     We all tried the silent auction and there was so many wonderful baskets to bid on.   I did get the bottle of wine in a holder but it wasn't wine, a cider I think.   I  gave it to Pat as a thank you for the quilt. . . smile.....not an even exchange by a long shot.   All in all the table trays were filled with every delightful finger sandwich you could mention, and the tiny deserts were lucious.    All in all, it was a lovely affair and it was nice to see the ladies all decked out in their fancy dresses and hats.   So, if you hear of a special tea in your area, don't hestitate to go and partake of all the goodies and maybe you might win the bid on something special at the silent auction.  The room was filled with ladies with smiles on their faces, and I saw many a hug exchanged.   I got a couple of those.  So today give a hug or two to a family member or a special friend, or a stranger or two, make their day a happy one as you make yourself a happy camper as well.     The seconds are ticking away so don't waste them.  Hugs to all.

Puzzle

Erick the painter has an imagination that is fun, imagine sitting by an ocean and your feet are on the dock and the water starts to flow over it. . . would you sit with your paint brush or move on quickly...that's a lot of water.

Here is one with the road ending....hope we have a long straight road ahead.

A great idea . . . focus on the important issues in your life, store the others away for a rainy day and you can take them out and look them over before you throw them away for good.   Life is too short to waste on old unresolved or even unimportant events that have come and gone and are not worth the powder to blow them up with.    Capture the good times, and there are so many all of your own making.   And always you have another moment to change your attitude and make life worth while.  

How true . . . a lesson well learned over the years . . . think first, talk later, nod and smile and zip the lips . . . not bad advice.

Well here it is Sunday and my guest, Angie, has left for Truckee, California and back to work tomorrow after her two week sabbatical.   She has been on the road in her new car and it drives so smoothly and is so comfortable.   She drove down to San Diego and picked up her son Jason, a new Marine, who had orders to fly out of Seattle and on to Okinawa, Japan.   He is going to be one of the Marines who helps load and unload the men returning to the States and it cannot happen soon enough. I had to laugh as she said the only way she was going to get any of his time was to drive him to his destination and he would be a captive audience.  She had news that he arrived safely and met up with a few of his new buddies.    Now she can try and get used to the idea that her 'baby' has grown and flown the nest, a chore most mother's abhor.     It does take getting used to and the tears eventually dry up as the calls and letters come through about the wondrous adventures and new life this youngest of her brood has taken on.     I know just how she feels as I remember vividly the day son John joined the Navy and forgot to tell me as he walked out the door with two Navy men...when I ashed why he didn't say something earlier his remark was "you would cry"....well I did anyway.     All in all Angie and I had a really good time going to yard sales, eating fish and chips at the Hungry Clam, walking the beaches and going to the casino to play a bit.    We got the frame of the new puzzle which is going to be difficult with all the pieces of 'people'  and signs and things that go bump in the night.   A fun one that will take some time to get done.     We played scrabble and she won both games;  close but she did win...sulk, sulk . . .well, it is always best if the hostess loses, right?   Any excuse will do...smile.  Angie left this morning and has to return to her job tomorrow.  She has lots of pictures in her IPOD . . .I think that is what it is called, has a phone, a camera and the fingers do the walking.      She is fun to have about and I hope she returns again soon.   One of the funny stories is that her son owns a big fat black cat who is now eight or nine years old and he was worried something might happen to him.  He said if anything did he would like her to take it to a taxidermist and have it stuffed....she was horrified and said no way;  that was his to do.   As we stopped at a yard sale she found a good sized black Halloween cat with a humped back and bought it. Yes, she is going to mail it to him with a can of cat food.....can't you see his face when he opens that 'care' package....ha.ha.....yep, something to make him smile.    So today think up a trick or two that will make someone you love smile.    It is good for them and for you to turn up the corners of your mouth, show a little teeth, a let out a big laugh or two.   One way to 'make your day' special. . . just like you.  Hugs to all.  
 

Fini



There are words for those who walk among us with cameras very early in the morning and not nice ones....It was Mother's Day and the puzzle had to be finished.  A second time around for Pat and I as we had done this puzzle earlier in the year.  Daughter Christine seemed to think it was fun to do and she's good at it.  Some one stole John's original copy of Bev Dolittle painting so we got the bright idea to redo the puzzle and glue it and  John framed it.  It now has a place on his office wall.




A masterpiece, a very difficult puzzle with the rocks and snow but it looks great on John's office wall.




The bears are back in Brooking for the summer months.   I understand the owners will leave one behind this year so we can all enjoy it.   Wonder which one.  Guess we will find out by the end of summer.




The Alaska town folks of Newtok, which is 480 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska is about to become known as "the First Climate Change Refugees" as the people have to be evacuated and moved on to safer quarters.   The town is being washed into the Bering Sea as the Nenglick River flows past the north side on its way to the sea.   100 feet of shoreline is gone from melting permafrost.

I have company this morning, Angie is here, and what a delight.   She looks great although her heart is a bit heavy after seeing her son Jason off to his first deployment to Okinawa.    It is hard to let go of your youngest, but the day comes so much sooner than you expect.     He left from the Seattle airport so she had quite a drive and took advantage of her free time and stopped to visit with friends on the way home.   A boon for me as I do not get to see her as often as I would like.   She was ready for a walk on the beach even in the misty rain drops.     I started a new puzzle, which daughter Patricia gave me for my birthday, and it is going to be a doozy.   It is filled with people and things and the cover of the box tells me that the puzzle is not like the picture on the box cover, but a mystery of changes.   Well the last one we did like that was fun, so hopefully this one will be the same.   It was very difficult getting the frame done, now on to the innards.  Angie gave it a good try and found the pieces of frame I didn't see when I was plowing through the thousand pieces.     We will take a beach walk again today and enjoy a trip around to visit the bears and have fish and chips at the Port.    When you have friends stop in the weather is unimportant, rain or shine the seconds are to be shared and enjoyed.    I hope someone surprises you and drops by today and gives you reasons to smile.     Get the hugs ready and remember three little words . . . I love you . . . how they make the heart soar.     Hugs to all.



Catching up with Erin

Erick the artist does some really strange and wondrous work.   It reminds me it is time to pull my travel roads out and off for awhile and pick up on some of Erin and Donaleo's travels in Greece.



Here is Erin showing us a bit of the coast of Greece.   She looks great and is having the time of her life.   




She went for a dip in the ocean.   




I'd say the two of them look like they are enjoying life and travel.    We can't be a little bit jealous without showing it as we would all like to be tagging along enjoying the sights and sounds.   They have a list of places to see before they leave for home sometime around the end of July.     They will say farewell to all of the new friends they made and will have to fall back into that working mode.




This reminded me of Erin when she was this age.  There was an attachment that came in yesterday talking about falling asleep at the drop of a hat.     After Erin returns from her travels she might just repeat falling asleep standing up until she gets used to the change of time and pace.




This was cute, wonder how it stays in place, one turn and ouch!



It is Friday, all day, a weekend coming up for us to enjoy.    Daughter Christine has returned to her home and arrived safe and sound.  She was a bit tired but happy to be in her own home.   We will miss her until she returns and luckily it will be in June so I don't have long to wait to enjoy some of her time.    Son John is back on the honey-do list and is tall enough for me to have him remove all those lovely glass vases from the top of the cupboards so I can wash them and make them shine and be even more beautiful.  I don't know about you, but I love glass pieces from vases to dishes and enjoy the sense of shape and colors.      The sun shines through the windows and catches the color and I have rainbows inside.     The outside is colorful right now as the rhodys are in bloom.  There are deep purple, pink and red ones that are huge in size.    We have some showers going and it is cool, an Oregon day.     I hope that each of you have a wonderful weekend enjoying the weather, the ambiance of your home and the folks who surround you with a little of the love you have shared all week.     If you have been to busy, then get busy. . . and make up for lost smiles and hugs, one can never have to many.     Share YOU today and  don't be surprised when someone special tells you how wonderful you really are.   Hugs to all.