spring

spring

spring is in the air
the smells waft on the breeze

it’s in the tree blossoms
that fill the tree lined streets
and gardens that overflow
with scented flowers

flowers, trees and smells
have a way of reminding
me of days gone by

in the flowering rhododendrons
on our farm
that my mother in law
planted many years ago.
when i pick a bouquet
it reminds me of her and her love
of gardening

when i see dogwoods along the roads
and in yards it reminds me of my dad
just a simple dogwood tree but,
memories of him spring to my mind

smells of lilac conjur up feelings of love...
did someone in my past wear lilac perfume?

as i sit here, i can hear the birds chirping
and singing their songs.
i love it.

sunshine. birds chirping.
beautiful bouquets of flowers
that sit at my table

spring
is in the air
and it makes me smile.

it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
it’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

everywhere we go.
the busyness
the hustle
the bustle
the shopping
the food
the family
the traditions

the tree is up
the decorations are up
the fire is lit
the stockings are hung


we are ready

it’s a time for
love
family
eating
visiting
playing
celebrating Jesus

May your Christmas be blessed.


always

the hawk

this post has been on my mind

for so long.

I run it over and over in my mind

but, never put it down in writing.

with Father's Day 

being this weekend;

today seemed the day

to put it in words.

I have shared the story

with a few close friends

but, I never want to forget

so I am putting it here.

My dad was an outdoorsman,

a hunter and hound-man.

He grew up in Wyoming

and was a legit cowboy.

We moved around a lot.

Dad, Mom, and us kids.

and we did a lot together, 

as a family.

Growing up

I never really understood.

Never realized, 

he wasn't like a lot of, other dads.

or those other families didn't 

move around like we did.

He would take us kids and mom

hiking, camping, and hunting.

we traipsed through swamps

with dad's hounds.

we hiked up mountains

just to go hunting.

when we camped,

we usually had to hike to it

& if someone was camping nearby

well, we found a different area!

He was always asking us

if we knew the name of 

a bird or

he would ask,

"see that eagle?"

"see that hawk?"

He knew every single

name, of them all...

and would often ask us

if we knew the name of a

particular bird or an animal.

as a pre-teen and teen

I wasn't very impressed.

I am sorry, I wasn't.

I am sorry it took so long

for me to notice.

to appreciate.

My dad died of cancer 

in the Fall of 1989

and a little while later...

I noticed my first hawk.

it was sitting on a pole along the side road

and I could hear dad say,

"see that hawk?"

I drove right on past it

but, I took note.

I remembered.

I could hear his voice, clearly

asking if I noticed it.

that is how it started.

that one day

a year or so after dad had died.

Now, I notice---

 an owl sitting on a fence

an eagle soaring 

a hawk sitting on a telephone pole

and

I think of dad.

I've begun saying 

to my husband as we are driving,

"see that hawk?" 

"Oh, look at the eagle!"

"turn around, I just saw an owl on a pole!"

I notice.

Last November

my husband and I flew to our 

daughter and son in laws home

in CA.

We were in a car driving to spend 

Thanksgiving with his family.

I was in the backseat

and I kept seeing hawks.

I mean, I stopped counting 

when I had seen at least

 6 of them!!

I reached down 

picked up my phone to text my Mom

to wish her a

 Happy Thanksgiving...

when I noticed the date on my phone!

the date was November 24, 2016

My dad passed away on November 24, 1989

I started to choke up

as I told my daughter

who was in the backseat with me,

how I had noticed

 so many hawks in such a short time,

and how I believed 

that my dad, her grandpa

was sending them

to say,

"I love you."

"I am thinking of you"

I still get a bit emotional 

when I think of that day.

It took over 6 hawks for me

to realize the significance

of that day.

but, I noticed!

I still see hawks and eagles.

I still remember.

I will keep

noticing those eagles.

I will keep noticing those hawks.

one day soon,

a hawk or eagle feather 

will be incorporated into a tattoo.

I will always remember

you, dad.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day 2017

May you feel loved today 

and always.

time

time
marches on
it does not stop
it is a continual forward motion
time

time
keeps spinning
each day a new day
always going
never ceasing
time


no matter how hard
we try to hold on
time does not stand still

our only choice
is to accept.

we can store up
the memories
of time well spent
with loved ones
holding on tightly
to the memories
but, alas we cannot make time
stand still.

so, I choose to
savor.
to soak up the
precious treasures
of family time.

boys playing with sticks, riding tractors,
parades, hiking, basketball, parks,

running, playing at the beach, laughter,
picking blackberries, quad & zoom rides,
cows, helping gramps in the field,
dairy queen blizzards, movie nights,

campfires, skipping rocks, hay forts, giggles
and of course the fights. ;)
sleeping under the stars
pancakes and pop tarts

oh, it was busy.
it was loud
it was crazy
but, it was the best.

pictures and sweet memories
I hold them ever so
tightly and ever so closely
to my heart.

because I know
oh, yes I am sure...
that time does not stand still
and these days and memories
are the sweetest of treasures.

(all photos belong to melody-mae do not borrow!)

putting one foot in front of the other

i've often been asked

how i kept so upbeat and positive

while going through a cancer diagnosis

twice.

 while losing both of my breasts

and all of my hair

and just plain

being sick.

hmmm-

i have thought about this myself

actually!

i guess we never really know

how tough we are

until we NEED to know

how tough we are! 

my dad passed away

when i was 30 years old

from cancer...

a mere eight years later

i received my first diagnosis:

"you have breast cancer"

my girls we are still so young

it was hard for me to even fathom

not being here for them

so

i kept waking up

and putting one foot in front of the other

trying to keep life

as normal as i possibly could

for my girls

for me

for my family

sure, my girls saw mom

getting sick-

after each chemo treatment

sure, they saw mom

lose all of her hair...

they were not immune 

to it...

no they were right in the 

middle of it all.

on the journey 

right along side 

my husband and i.

we

tried to keep up

daily living

and traditions...

i went to their ball games

volunteered in their classrooms

sang on the worship team

at church...

life just went on.

i woke up

and put one foot in front of the other

and kept smiling---

even when 

sometimes, that smile

didn't reach my 'eyes'

i kept smiling!

it wasn't in me

to quit.

to give up.

i always had hope & faith.

years later

after i had been clean and clear

for a very long time

almost getting complacent about it all;

my husband was diagnosed with 

cancer! *

are you kidding me?

really?

now, you know...

some people

could say,

"that poor family, haven't they had enough cancer?"

but, you see

never once did

i think 

after losing my dad, or me having cancer twice

 or my husband too...

not once, did i ever even entertain the thought---

"why me?"

it would've been easy

to feel sorry for myself

but, truly what good does that do?

no, i wouldn't give up

HOPE!

i just keep putting one foot in front of the other

and

i kept looking UP!

~~~~

it seems like every day

i hear of someone i know

or someone who knows someone

who has just been given a 

cancer diagnosis.

i do not think

anyone can say,

that they do not know of someone

who has not been touched 

by a cancer diagnosis!

cancer is ugly.

just plain U.G.L.Y.

it doesn't care

if you are rich, poor,

old, young.

pretty or not so pretty

popular or not so popular...

if you are married or single,

have kids or have never had kids...
if you are

black or white...

republican or democrat ;)

cancer just doesn't care.

it is UGLY!

i do not know why

cancer seems so prevalent---

is it in our water, food the air we breathe?

why can we not find a cure?

i do not know.

but,

i do know this:

 that someone

out there

TODAY

maybe, right NOW---

is hearing those 

ugly, ugly words...

"you have cancer."

i wish i could

wrap them tight in my arms.

pray with them,

just love on them...

sit with them

hold their hand

smile at them

and really just let them know,

they are not alone.

that someone cares.

that

they are loved!

no matter what

they are LOVED!

there is always 

HOPE.

that no matter what 

HOPE 

shines through!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 & 13

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails....

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

* my husband and i are both healthy and cancer free!
thank you, Jesus!

**bold italic in scripture was done by me.

time does not stand still

a week has past.

it has flown by so quickly
i am still struggling with
jet lag.
after a two week visit
to vienna, austria...
this granny's body
still wakes up between 3-5 am
every morning!
ha.

it's been a week
since we hugged and said, "good bye"
to our missionary family
living overseas.
a whole week already
since i saw those sweet little faces
and held them.

but, oh how i will treasure the
time.
the time i spent in the presence of
laughter and love.

time spent with family and those you love
is never a waste of time.
it is something to be gathered
and held on to.
closely.

i will NEVER regret
the time and love
that i have spent in the presence
of my family.

i am blessed
i am thankful

oh, yes.
so very thankful.

treasured moments

treasured moments

treasured moments
and memories
stored in my heart

i sit here,
very early this morning;
after just returning from
visiting our family in
austria.
yes, the time change
has made me wide awake

at 3 am!
eek!

i quietly woke and grabbed
a very long, hot shower.
washing away the dregs from
a thirteen hour flight.

now i sit
and take time to
reminisce;
all the wonderful
sights,
sounds,
foods,
laughter,
giggles,
nightly bedtime book reading,
zoo trips,
museum excursions,
river boat rides,
parks,
long scenic walks,
good talks,
new tattoos,
our grandson's dedication,
first birthday celebrations
and more love
than i can ever, ever measure...
all stored up
to treasure
in my heart!

this trip
meant more to me
than anyone really knows!

i had desperately wanted
to go visit
as soon as my daughter
announced she was pregnant with
their second child.

oh, the yearning
and desire in my heart;

it couldn't be quelled by
anything but,
hopping on an airplane
and seeing this sweet family.

it took almost a WHOLE year to do it
but, oh how happy it made me!

pure tears of joy!

the beauty of the city of vienna...
was absolutely breathtaking!

but, more than any 'THING'
in the world,
more than any one 'THING'
that mere money
can buy, (other than a plane ticket!)
was just spending time
with two of my favorite boys
and their parents!

i plan to savor these moments.

i plan to go through my photos of the last
two weeks
revisiting the time spent.
storing as much as i can
in my heart.

savoring these treasured moments.
these treasured memories,

that made my heart

soar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


We do not remember days; we remember moments. ~Cesare Pavese


What greater blessing to give thanks for at a family gathering than the family and the gathering. ~Robert Brault

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. ~Thomas Jefferson

life is good!

life is good

oh yes, indeed.

you see,

i can count on one hand

how many days

until i see my overseas family!

for real!

i have patiently waited

while my husband's work commitments

 kept us home

i have patiently waited 

as 'things' 

kept us home

i have patiently waited

as my six year old grandson

got more and more mature

i have patiently waited

as my newborn grandson

grew and grew

and now...

it is for real.

in less than a week

i will be

 holding & loving

my two beautiful grandsons.

i will be laughing with

 my daughter and son in law.

oh the joy.

oh the excitement.

oh the happiness.

i have patiently waited

and 

i plan to savor and soak up

EVERY single moment of

EVERY single day.

life is good?

oh, yes indeed.

thankful. blessed. grateful.

sigh.

oh yes.

my heart is ready.

this granny's heart is ready!

compassion

the last few years i have joined in
choosing a 'word' for the year.

at the beginning of this year
i chose the word
compassion.

my mother in law was in a rest home
battling alzheimers
and my husband and i were visiting
every day and making sure her needs were met
and that she was happy.

it was time consuming and stressful.
my husband was sad,
as he watched the daily decline of his mom
as was the rest of the family.

there were days when i wanted to scream
because, i felt the burden and stress of it all.
my husband was buried in the stress and worry
and it took a toll on us as a couple as well.
(not my proudest of moments)  :(

and then one day, as i sat thinking of what word
i would pick for this year, a small voice whispered
compassion.

to have compassion on my mom in law
who was sick and couldn't help it.
it wasn't her fault she was so needy-
then there was compassion for my husband
and his siblings, because they were losing
someone they loved dearly, and it was so very sad.

as i grasped onto the word compassion,
i felt my heart swell into something new.
something had broke free.
i was able to let go
and compassion grew in it's place.

i wanted to go visit mom, and love on her
as much as i could,
because i knew without a doubt
that our days with her were numbered.

she passed away only two short months
after i had chosen the word, compassion
and i have absolutely no regrets.
i was there til the very end with her.
my heart was full of compassion
and love for this lady
who had been such an amazing woman
in her prime!
she not only raised 5 boys but, adopted
two girls...and worked her fingers to the bone
on their dairy farm and in her amazing garden!

this woman deserved admiration and praise
and i was so thankful to have her in my life.

i am also thankful that compassion
won in the end
that i was able to give her
the love and the respect
that she so dearly deserved!!

compassion.

we all need it in our lives.
we all should give it as well
as get it.

a lesson i learned

am so glad i did.

be happy

just a simple message today-

be happy!

live, laugh & love.

be happy.

coffee...it's a family affair!

coffee- 

in our family

coffee 

is like a love language! ;) 

for as long as i can remember,

coffee was the only drink of choice

in my family.

my parents 

were never without of pot

brewing.

dad carried an old tupperware tumbler

before there were travel mugs!

his old truck smelled of coffee.

to this day,

the smell of black coffee 

brewing in the morning,

reminds me of my parents home.

i began drinking coffee

as a young pre-teen.

it was inevitable really...

i mean,

a pot of coffee 

was always on in our home

as a kid!

i remember coming home 

from school,

where i would find mom

sitting at the kitchen table

with a cup of coffee.

as a teen,

i knew she was there

if i needed to talk,

sitting at that old table 

with her coffee. 

it seemed so very natural

when my brother, casey

decided to try his hand at coffee roasting.

for one, 

we live in the pacific northwest

so, yes...coffee houses

are everywhere

but, also with the family's

love of coffee...

it also seemed to be the perfect path.

casey

is

a micro-coffee roaster

and 

his coffee is amazing!

(no, i am not partial)

i sit here this morning,

with my french roasted coffee

and am so proud of 

my brother,

casey.

he just opened a website

where his coffee can be ordered.

http://www.caseyscoffee.com/

his gallery is awesome too...

it has pictures of his own family 

along with pictures of my mom & dad

and 

also his siblings-
which means, me along with my
two brothers! :)

http://www.caseyscoffee.com/gallery/

his different blends:

http://www.caseyscoffee.com/products/

you cannot go wrong with any of these blends!

if you decided to try some of his coffee

and you order it...

please let me know!

i would LOVE to tell him...

that one of my friends order his coffee!

*by the way this was NOT a sponsored post!

i truly LOVE his coffee

and wanted to share it with you!

thirty-five

*love is-

this weekend my husband & i
will celebrate our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary!

sometimes it doesn't even seem possible
that we have been together that long.
i mean, that is a LONG time.
but, then i think about all the
memories; the good and the bad
that we have experienced together

-in sickness & in health.

he is really just a part of me.
the two make a whole.
i can't imagine my life without him!

no need to hit the rewind button.

no do-overs needed.

but, let me tell you this:
marriage is work!

*love is not proud.

i have been around far too many people who are just
trying to convince themselves and
all their friends on social media,
going on and on about their sweetie...gushing and oozing...
just how wonderfully perfect their marriage and their lives are!

okay...who are you trying to convince? me or you?

*love does not boast. is not self-seeking.

our marriage is good &
i am happy & content
but, i don't feel the need to convince myself or others
how happily married we are.

*love never fails.

marriage is a commitment and it does take work.

but, it IS worth it!

*love always trusts. is not easily angered.

i do not want my daughters (all married now)
to ever think it is a cake walk!
that we haven't had to work at it
because we have.
it isn't always
sunshine  & roses!

our faith in our marriage
and faith in God
have been the key to making it work!

we couldn't have done it without God.
or without our faith in Him and in our marriage.

*love protects. hopes. perseveres.

we love each other
and we both think our marriage is worth the effort!

*love is patient. love is kind.

i am more than happy to say that i still LOVE the man
that i said, "YES" to thirty five years ago.


we are blessed.
thank you, Jesus.

*it never fails.

1 Cor. 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails

happy new year

just a simple wish.
that you would have a wonderful and blessed new year.
that 2015 would be good to you.

my word of the year: compassion.

with the family moving my mom in law
into a rest home---
my word was easy this year: compassion.

to show more compassion and love.

my mom in law doesn't recognize me a lot of the time
but, she knows i love her.
i tell her every time we visit.

she might not remember who i am
but, she knows she is loved.

i want to show more compassion
to her and to her sons/daughters
who are going through this scary and sad time.

just loving on her
so she knows she is cared about.
spending time with her.
cherishing sweet moments
with her.

that is what my goal is for this year.

compassion.
shining my light.
loving others.
smiling.

there is hope & a future. -jer. 29:11


peace and blessing to you and yours
this 2015.

simple things.

this time of year
sometimes it's a bit hard to see the sweet moments.

with the hectic shoppers in the stores,
crazy traffic on the roads
the all around busyness & stress:
the cost of gifts, the food to bring, clothes to wear,
which parties to attend...
attempting to make everyone happy
it get's a bit exhausting! :(

sometimes it's a bit hard to see those sweet moments.
but, i know they are there.
in the simple things.

a hot cup of tea.
candy canes on the tree.
attending our grandson's christmas preschool program
an evening at home
relaxing by the glow of twinkle lights.
new christmas scented candles and room fresheners.
the arrival of family who live far away.
satsumas and chocolate in the house.
witnessing christmas through the eyes of a child.
christmas music. all. day. long.
baking. eating. baking. eating.
thank goodness there is a new treadmill in the house too! ;)

in all this and more i feel/see
love. love. love.
family. family. family.
joy. joy. joy.
and i am more than thankful.
more than blessed.

there is joy in the simple things.
in the small things.
in the little things.

maybe it was one single moment this week?
did you see it?

just maybe in the hustle and bustle,
you stopped and took notice of
something beautiful.
something lovely.
something sweet and simple.

i hope you took the time!

be still and know.
you are loved.


will you join me?
will you share your sweet moment with us
by linking to: SWEET SATURDAYS!!

and last but, not least---
i wish you the merriest
and the most magical christmas ever!

that you can feel the love, hope and wonder
this time of year brings.

be blessed.