Sunday, December 31, 2006

Beauty Salon!




My granddaughters thought I needed help! So we had a beauty salon and they fixed me up! Isabella brushed my hair, Haleigh made up my face, and Sydney, with Haleigh's help, gave me a manicure! Oh yes, Haleigh also gave me a massage! I don't know when I have received such special treatment! Maybe they will use their tips tomorrow when we go shopping!

2007 Calendar




Back in 1998 Pam started a new tradition for us by making a calendar of our grandchildren. She hasn't missed a year! Haleigh and Miller were both one year old that year. Boy, how time flies! They'll both be ten this year. Everybody loves to look at the new calendar. Here Rob & Jessica are looking at it and I'm showing it off. It's no longer just grandchildren, families are included now, as you can see in the picture. This is Christy's family with our brand new grandbaby, Madelyn! The calendar arrived in the mail just in time for January 1, 2007. Thanks, Pam! We love it!

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Cousin

Well, yesterday a second cousin of mine died. I never met him, although we talked on the phone once. It seems like I knew him because I knew a lot about him and because I work on genealogy he seemed so close. He was 86 years old. He and my mom were the last two living in her family and now only my mom is left. That's sad. Here's a little bit of family history: Ole and Guri (my great-grandparents) had seven children. Only two of the seven had children, Ludwig and Helen. Ludwig married Laura and had four children (my mother being one of them). Helen married Emmanuel and had one child, Howard. Howard never married and he is the one who just died yesterday. Now Mother is the only one left of that whole generation. How sad. I have five cousins living, children of mothers brothers and sister. Family is so important, I must try to stay in touch, even though two of them I have never met and two I only remember as little boys. But, Judy and I have many wonderful memories from our childhood. Well, I'm going on and on here. But, this is my journal and I can write what I want. So there...

Neighborly Holiday Get-together

Last night was the little neighborly holiday get-together that I went to by mistake last week. Jerry was able to go with me last night so it was much better. We had a very nice time. Patricia had delicious snacks. I tried a cheese I've never eaten before and it was good! I forget the name of it but it was runny and had pecans on top of it, we spread it on crackers. MmmMmm.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Snow!




We woke up to snow this morning! There's not a lot but enough for a picture! Actually the snow on the trees is not as plain in the photo. We didn't have snow for Christmas so this is nice! We have friends and family traveling this week though so we don't want too much snow. God is Sovereign and In Control so we'll not worry, we'll just trust in Him for the weather and safety in travel.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Christmas Greetings


Every year I tape the Christmas cards that we receive in the mail on our coat closet door in our living room. They always completely cover the door and spread to the woodwork around the door. Today we got one more card (mailed Dec. 18) but I took this photo yesterday so it's not in the picture, sorry. We love sending and receiving cards, it's the time of year when we hear from folks we love but some we seldom see or hear from. I send out about twice as many cards as we receive so next year I'm going to cut back...way back. If we never hear from some that we send to (I send to everyone in the family that I have addresses for, even ones that live right here in our town) I'm going to have to cut them from my list. It hurts me to even think about it but I really feel it's necessary. So, if you see your card on our door you can be sure you'll get one from us again next year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Monday, December 25, 2006



This little gas station was a gift from Rob & Jessica! It's actually a night light! It's like a gas station that we went to in Saskatchewan, Canada quite a few years ago! In fact, Rob was a baby! We have a picture of our truck being filled up with gas, and this is so real! We love it! Oh, for the good old days when gas was only a few cents a gallon!

Grandma Archer

Today, besides being the birthday ofJesus, would have been Grandma Archer's birthday! She would have been 101 today! She passed away 9 years ago, almost 10 years ago. We miss her too. One of my memories of her is that she would get up early every Christmas morning, drive out to our house, be here before 6:00 to take part in our opening of presents! Sometimes she got here so early we weren't even up yet!

Merry Christmas!






Merry Christmas! We just had a wonderful family time with two sons, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. We wish the rest of the family could have been here but too many miles separate us. We opened lots and lots of gifts and had a big dinner of ham, baked potatoes, 2 salads, corn, rolls, and apple pie, with lots of smiles and laughter. The first picture is of Haleigh, barely Rob, Jessica, and Ted very interested in something! The second picture shows the tree and gifts (they don't all show!), we were so blessed. The third picture is of Jerry, he had just opened a travel mug with cute pictures of Sydney and Isabella all around it! The fourth one is one of those times when you want to say what is it? Well, it's a cap rack bought at an art show! It's very clever! But the best part of all of this day is that Jesus is the reason for the season!

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Jerry

All last week end Jerry had a tooth ache. First thing Monday morning I called the dentist and they got him right in. Well, it wasn't a tooth. The dentist said it must be a sinus infection and prescribed an antibiotic for him. He took the medicine until Thursday with no relief, and in fact, he got worse. But he wouldn't let me call the doctor because the medicine was going to kick in soon and then he'd be better. Well, by Thursday noon he was in such pain he could hardly stand it. So I called the doctor and once again we got right in! By now the pain was excruciatingly painful.The doctor knew right away what it was and put him on a pain killer and also something else to take care of the problem. It has to do with the nerves in his cheek. They also took a blood sample, I think, because they said sometimes people who get shingles also get this. We haven't seen any other signs of shingles though. He's a little better today but I think the medicine is making him groggy and sleepy. This has a nice long name but I'm not a medical person so I don't know what it's called. I praise you, Lord, because You are our Healer!

Embarrassing Moment

Last evening I had a very embarrassing moment! Our neighbors, right behind us, called about a week ago and invited us over for Friday evening, 7:00 for a little neighborly get-together during the holidays. Neighbors on the other side of them had also been invited. Jerry was sick but we decided I should go alone. So I got ready, took a small gift for each of the other two couples and drove over because it was raining and I didn't want to walk in with wet shoes. I was the first one there so I parked in the turn around so I could leave after a short time (since I was alone). I rang the door bell a couple of times before Larry answered the door. He had on jeans and a sweat shirt and looked a little puzzled when he saw me. Something was not right. I said, "Oh oh, have I got the wrong night?" Larry smiled and said, "Are you here for the little neighborly get-together?" I was sure she said Friday evening. "Well," I said, "I thought I was." Oh boy! You guessed it, it's next week! They invited me in and we sat down and visited for about an hour and then I came home. I left one gift for them. I know, I know, it could happen to anyone. But, it happened to me! I think there is a lesson to be learned here...

Friday, December 22, 2006

My Dad

Today would have been my dad's 97th birthday! He left us one year ago on Dec. 18, 2005. I miss him very much. I know where he is and some day I'm going to join him!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Granddaughter #6


Here she is, Madelyn Grace! She's a real beauty! And a sweetie! That's me holding her in case you don't recognize me! This was taken on Sunday, the day she came home from the hospital. So she was only about a day and a half old! What a difference from when I had my babies! I was in the hospital with my babies from 5-7 days! I think I got more rest than Christy did coming home so soon. But, I know I'm old fashioned!!! What makes me sad is knowing that by the next time I see Madelyn she'll look entirely different! She'll only be three weeks old this Friday. Thank you, Lord, for Madelyn and for giving us that special time with her.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

MmmmMmmm!

Today being the beautiful, relatively warm day that it was, we decided to have a cookout! The temperature was in the fifties, Jerry was out on the deck, in his shirt sleeves, grilling T-bone steaks! I was inside fixing baked potatoes, summer squash, cole slaw, and chocolate pudding. It was sooo good! MmmmMmmm! The steaks were perfect. Mine, just a shade of pink, Jerry's, just the way he likes it. Perfect!!! This is December and we are home in Michigan, aren't we???

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Christmas Trees




Here are our Christmas trees for 2006! The first tree is on our front porch. It's an artificial tree that we actually garbage picked! I have red bows and white styrofoam balls and bells on it with white lights. We have it tied so the wind won't blow it away, but it looks like it's leaning a bit! The second tree is in our sunroom. It's a live tree. It's decorated with all angels, red balls, colored lights and one little homemade sheep! It would seem like one of our granddaughters made it but no...Martha made it years ago when they lived here. You can see it on the left side right beside a red ball. We're not doing as much decorating as we usually do, but that's okay, Christmas is coming anyway! We celebrate the birth of Christ. Jesus is the reason for the season and wise men still seek Him today.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Northern Lights

Last night we watched the Northern Lights. Jessica called and said they were out by the road watching and wondered if we knew about them. We didn't so we walked out to the road in almost total darkness. Cars were even parked by the road watching. It's so amazing! We have seen them better, like the night we watched when we were at the lake in Sask., Canada! But I was glad we got to see them last night too. Then later I heard about them on the 11:00 news. There are storms on the sun causing them! We should be able to see the Northern Lights again tonight and even tomorrow night. I hope the sky clears up, it's all cloudy right now. Some more of God's creativity!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Happy belated Birthday!

Happy belated Birthday, Christy! I wasn't able to get on line yet to wish you a happy birthday on December 10. When you were born we had Teddy, Timmy, and Pammy so you evened up the family and gave Pam a sister! We were all very happy. So, Happy belated Birthday, Christy, we love you.

Happy Birthday

Happy belated Birthday, Rob! I've been posting family birthdays but couldn't get on line to write yours. Sorry about that. Dec. 8, 1972 was the big day when you joined our family as baby # 5! The whole family was very excited and I was totally exhausted! I was very happy too. You were and are loved! Happy belated Birthday!

God's Voice

We were on our way home from Georgia, north of Cincinnati, Ohio, I was driving. The traffic was terrific! Four lane highway. Suddenly something up ahead caused a major traffic problem. We moved ahead at a snail's pace, then stopped dead, then crept ahead only to stop again. Four lanes changed to three lanes, which didn't help any. It was time to creep forward again but I suddenly realized we weren't moving! Oh, no! We had no power! Nothing! I was in the left hand lane so I slowly moved over to the shoulder...but it wasn't a complete shoulder and there was a cement barrier! The back of the car on the passenger side was still in the lane of traffic but I couldn't get the car to move any farther! Neither one of us could get out: Jerry, because of the cars and trucks barely missing us, and me, because of the cement barrier. So Jerry tried starting it again and did everything he knew to do from inside. The car was dead. Would my cell phone connect with Ohio 911 or because my area code is 989 would it connect with Michigan 911? I decided I'd better try. Ohio 911 picked up! Boy, I don't understand all this new technology! I told her our problem and where we were, she called the police for us. We waited what seemed like an hour but was actually only minutes for the police to arrive. There was a service drive, thank goodness. He never would have made it through the traffic. He climbed over another cement barrier, held up the traffic and came over to us, thinking we were out of gas! Jerry explained our problem. Thank goodness the traffic was still creeping along or he would have had a problem getting them to stop. One car was going to go anyway, but the policeman stopped and pointed his finger at the man which told him he'd better not move!!! We put the car in neutral, I steered, Jerry and the policeman pushed our car across those three lanes to the right hand shoulder which was plenty wide. Then he called AAA for us and told us to stay put, to not get out of the car! Before the policeman left, he looked at me and said, "You know, you could have been hit over there!" I humbly nodded and said, "Yes, I know." The problem up ahead cleared up and the cars and trucks were now zooming by us. Every semi-truck shook our car as they flew by. We sat there and sat there, my eyes were glued to the rear view mirror, looking for the AAA wrecker. Oh, yes, we had another problem to complicate our situation. Our credit card had expired and we didn't have enough cash to pay for repairs and meals and a motel for the night! Thank goodness for our children! Pam said not to worry, we could give her number and put our expenses on her credit card! Thanks, Pam. Well, you can be sure we were both praying for help from the Lord. We were both pretty quiet during this time. We just wanted to get home. Out of all the hundreds of cars and trucks that zoomed by us only one truck blew his horn at us and only one car stopped to ask if we needed help! A young guy pulled off onto the shoulder way up ahead of us and came slowly driving in reverse all the way to us to ask if he could do something to help us! Jerry thanked him and assured him AAA was on the way. We'd been sitting for an hour and a half when something said to me, "Start the car." I thought to myself, yeah, right. The car won't start, it's dead. Again, I heard, so clearly, "Start the car." So I sighed and reached down and turned the key, knowing nothing would happen...the engine started! Jerry said, "Rev it up!, rev it up!" I did and it ran like nothing was wrong! He said, "Let's go!" But I said, "Oh, no, I'm done driving." So we both jumped out and switched sides. Off we went! The policeman had given us the police phone number in case we had another problem so I called and asked them to please call AAA and cancel the order, we were okay now. For lunch we ate some sun chips we had in the car and each a can of diet pepsi. We didn't stop until we were in Michigan and had to get gas! I bought us each a chili dog and some nacho chips and another diet pepsi and we were on the road again! It felt like something was chasing us and we had to get home! As we drove I remembered something...we'd been waiting for about an hour when we suddenly heard a ticking sound. We fiddled around trying to figure out what it was, and Jerry hit the emergency flasher button. The ticking stopped. Now we know that the flashers had suddenly started working...we had power again. But at the time we didn't realize it. We also know now what that something was that spoke to me! It was the Lord! I'd been praying, praising Him because He is sovereign and in control, and asking Him to please help us. He answered. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord!

Monday, December 11, 2006

Sweet little Madelyn




Well, we're back home and I'm back on line and blogging again! Here are some pictures I took: All five kids and Christy! Christy and Madelyn; Madelyn Grace. She was awake so I couldn't resist taking her picture. She's a beautiful baby. Thank you, Lord, for her life.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Madelyn Grace

Madelyn Grace made her appearance last night at 11:58 PM which makes her birthday Dec. 1. She weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and is 20 inches long. She has some dark hair and is a real beauty! I've taken pictures but I may have to wait until I get back home to post them. We're all very happy, especially Christy! They'll be coming home tomorrow. I'll probably stay until Friday and then make my way home. How we thank God for a safe delivery and a healthy baby and Mama.

Friday, November 24, 2006

At Christy's house

Well, here I am at Christy's house. We're awaiting the birth of little Madelyn Grace. I haven't been able to post blogs but now maybe I can again. Things are going well here, keeping busy with the other children in the family. Christy has been ordered to bed for the duration because of high blood pressure. That's not easy when you have four children demanding attention so that's where I come in! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Sean's parents house. Our contribution was dinner rolls and apple pie. Christy went too but when dessert was over we came back home. Sean and the kids stayed for the evening so we had a nice quiet time together. They all came home at bed time. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Our ass. pastor's wife had her baby 10 min. before Thanksgiving Day! I'm very happy and excited for them and I can't wait to see little Mary Hannah. But most of all, I can't wait to see and hold little Madelyn Grace! I'll let you know when she makes her appearance! She'll be our 13th grandchild! A baker's dozen!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Annie! Annie is our oldest granddaughter, her birthday is Nov. 23 so this year it came right on our Thanksgiving Day. Annie is Canadian and now living in Malaysia so we didn't get to celebrate with her but we still love her and wish her the very best. Annie is now a teenager! Yup...13 years old. Boy, how time flies when you're having fun! She has always been a delight!

Friday, November 10, 2006

Middle East Nativity

I just received this new Nativity set by UPS yesterday. I bought it when I was in Washington. There is a wonderful ceramics club where my mom lives and several of my sets came from there. This is my latest. It's a little early for Christmas but since I just got it I'm going to leave it set up. After Thanksgiving I'll get the rest out and do my Christmas decorating. Jesus is the reason for the season!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Ted! I remember this day, Nov. 10, 1961. Jerry took Pammy next door so Aunt Marian could take care of her until my Mom came to help out. We were so happy to have a little boy, only 6 pounds 10 ounces. Our smallest baby of the five! We were to go home on the fourth day and would you believe it I came down with a hard case of flu! I was put into a private room, couldn't have my baby to feed or hold. I was devastated. After seven days we got to go home but I was ordered to bed for another week. My poor Mother, she really had her work cut out for her! But we all made it and Pammy loved her baby brother, Teddy!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Indian Summer




I think Indian Summer is here this week. It's really nice out. Jerry cut a tree down this morning.
Well, these pictures are in the opposite order that I put them in! Oh well. Maybe when it's posted they'll change order?! Okay, maybe not. But you can see what a big job this was. The picture of the tree tops is because when Jerry cut the tree it got caught in the top and couldn't fall down! Then you can see part of all the logs he has to split! My job was to carry all the logs out of the woods and then later I get the job of stacking the logs after he splits them. That's nothing compared to the cutting and splitting he does! We'll be thankful this winter when we have a nice fire going in the wood stove!

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Deer

This morning we were blessed to see a deer about 30 feet from our sun room windows! We hadn't seen any for so long, not since I last wrote about them! There was a youth hunting season and we heard lots of shots so were afraid they were all taken...but now this morning we had a doe right in our back yard! Of course the regular hunting season begins Nov. 15 and goes to Dec. 1. Then bow season is after that. The only time I don't like deer is when they run into a car! That happened to Ted, Sydney, and Isabella when they came last weekend! Thank goodness the damage wasn't too bad. The deer were only stunned and ran on their way. It could have been so much worse. Thank you, Lord, for your protection.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Dammon's

Sometime, I don't remember when, I must have signed up for a birthday special at Dammon's restaurant. It came through e-mail, if printed it out and taken in before Nov. 7 I'd get a free entree. So we went last evening and ordered fillet mignon! Well, the manager came to our booth and said they were out of fillet mignon. What?! So we each ordered New York strip steak and it was very good. But I was disappointed and wondered if it was because I was getting mine free or if they really were out! Who knows! Dammon's is one of my favorite restaurants so I don't want to think negative thoughts about them. Their ribs are so good!

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Christmas cactus

Here is my Christmas Cactus already blooming! This is just a start off Betty's plant. After it finishes blooming I'll give it some tender loving care and transplant it to a bigger pot. It's a little early to bloom for Christmas but that's alright. I'll take flowers anytime!

Friday, November 03, 2006

Self portraits



What to do on a cool autumn day! Too cold and cloudy to go to the fun zone or the nature center...lets make self portraits!

Visitors



Today is teacher conference day in Holland so Ted took the day off work and brought Sydney and Isabella to visit us. How fun!

My Birthday

Well, it's a couple days now since I came home from my trip and a couple of days since my birthday. I have to tell you I made out pretty good! Jerry gave me money to buy myself a new outfit, which I did yesterday. I bought a brown pant suit and a white shirt. I was also given a unique humming bird feeder; a beautiful pendant; a keepsake of my dad's; a book; a bowl made by one of my little granddaughters in her art class; and a special gift bag of various things from cookies to soap and more! I also got atleast 12 birthday cards! And Jerry took me out to my favorite restuarant, Logans, for a steak dinner! I also had several phone calls wishing me a happy birthday. So it was a very happy day for me but I'm glad it'll be another whole year before I have another birthday!

Muscles

I was in a news shop in one of the airports, I forget where I was, and beside me was a young man with huge arms! He had on a tight tee shirt and his muscles were so big, I stared at him! After he left I said to the salesman, "Did you see his muscles? I've never seen such big arms!" The salesman smiled and said, "Yes, he's a professional wrestler!" Wow!!!

My Friends

When I was in the SeaTac airport waiting and waiting for my flight, I heard some Oriental people talking. I'm sorry but I listened closely because I recognized the sounds of their words. I finally got up enough nerve to ask if they were Hmong. Yes, they were! We had a really nice visit then. They were going to Minneapolis, where there are lots of Hmong. They even knew some folks that I know. Friends are one of God's blessings to us.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Lorraine and Mother




Lorraine lounging in her bed in her new apartment! Lorraine, Mother, and me.

Happy Birthday to Mary and me!



Lorraine and Mother put on a birthday party for our friend, Mary, and for me. Mary's birthday was yesterday and mine today. She is exactly one year older than I am. We had cake and ice cream and root beer floats! Mmmmm!!!
Notice the pendant
I'm wearing! It was a gift from Mother and Lorraine. It's very special and when I see you I'll tell you about it!!! And I'll show it to you.

View



On a clear day I could see snow covered mountain peaks. I hope you can see them. They are so beautiful. They are a little hard to make out, in fact they look a little like clouds but they are mountains. In real life they were so beautiful and stood out clearly. Oh well, I have the picture of them in my memory. I added the second picture here but they still don't stand out. Sorry, I guess you just have to be there!

Photos


I was walking from the cabin when I saw these two eagles and they let me take their picture!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary, Pam & Gene! October 30, 1982. We wish you many, many more happy years together. I'm sorry I'm a day late with this. I had so much on my mind yesterday because of leaving my mom and coming home that it just slipped my mind momentarily.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Eagles

I have never seen so many eagles in my life! Today one was soaring above me and then I saw one in a tree, no...I saw four in a tree!Unbelievable!

Last day here

Today is my last day here. I'll leave this evening about 7:30 for the shuttle to take me to the airport. I'll stop in Minneapolis and Detroit and arrive home at 12:55 PM tomorrow. I'm just about ready now and it's only 12:30. I have to go back to my cabin and get my flight bag and lock up. Last evening I went to the neatest program. It was entirely put on by kids, even the emcee was a boy about 13 or 14. The ages went from about 5 - 18. They all played violin, bass vile, cello, piano, fiddle, etc. One boy surprised everyone by coming in from the back playing bag pipes! They sang, told jokes, recited scripture, and played tunes. Most of the songs were old songs like Hey, Good Lookin', What Cha Got Cookin'! They called themselves The Ratpack! Well, I've had a good time here with my mom and the last two days with Lorraine but now it's time to go home. So, so long!

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Mother

Yesterday I went with my Mom to the doctor for a shot to relieve her arm and shoulder. The doctor removed eight vials of rusty colored fluid from her shoulder! The size went down quite a bit as you can imagine. It's still bigger than it should be though and it still hurts. He said the cortizone shot should start working in a day or two. So we're hoping for tomorrow. So please keep praying for her.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Another Day

When I got to my Mom's yesterday (after I wrote my blog) she was not doing well. I felt guilty for getting on the computer before I went to see her. But this computer is a community computer so I use it when it's available. This morning I went to see her first. She's in a lot of pain because her arthritus is really getting bad. Her right shoulder is a little larger than the size of a soft ball! She sees a doctor today so hopefully he can help her. She's resting right now.

Jerry blew so many leaves he burned up his leaf blower! I said he'd better buy a new one. I don't want him raking. So yesterday he went shopping. He found a couple at Wal-Mart on sale because they are trying to get rid of them and put out snowblowers! He bought one of them, I suggested he go back today and get the other one too. $14.00 is not too much to pay!!! I hope the other one is still there! Normally they are closer to $100.00!

Well, I'd better go check on my mom, make sure she's still resting. Please pray for her. She's in a lot of pain.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Beautiful Day!

Well, here I am again. Today is a beautiful crisp fall day. I'm staying in a cabin on the camp ground within walking distance of my mom's apartment. So I get a nice brisk walk every morning and evening and sometimes inbetween! My first two nights here I stayed in a room down the hill from my mom's and it was nice but on Monday I was able to move to the cabin where I have a cozy little house all to myself. I took pictures of a couple of eagles so after I get home and can post them I'll show them to you all. I've never seen so many eagles as this trip here this time. Yesterday I went with Mother to the audiologist in Everett to get a second hearing aide. I can already tell a difference in her hearing but it's up to her if she decides to keep it. It's very expensive. A good friend of ours here in the senior center, Esther, fell in the night and broke her foot, so she's now in nursing. She'll have to keep off of it for about four weeks! We're all thankful she didn't break her hip. Well, until next time, keep looking up and keep trusting our Maker!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Small World

Yesterday Mother introduced me to a woman who is a retired missionary to Thailand. Her children attended a school in Malaysia. This was many years ago. A few years ago her son and daughter-in-law were house parents at that same school. It happens to be the same school where Tim and Shauna are house parents! How small our world is!

American Bald Eagle

This morning I was out walking about 7:30 and I heard the rather distinct call of an eagle. I searched the tree tops and there it was...an American Bald Eagle! So beautiful and majestic. Then suddenly two more came soaring through the sky right above me! I could see their white heads and tails so plainly. I looked over to the one in the tree top and another one flew into view. Four bald eagles in one morning! I had just climbed a very steep hill so I was already out of breath and then to see four eagles was almost more than my heart could take! Once again I found myself praising God because He is my Creator!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Rush, Rush, Rush!

What a day yesterday was! I got up at 4:30 AM to do all the last minute things I needed to do, like putting a roast beef dinner in the oven for Jerry, watering plants, etc. We left for the airport at 6:40, my plane was to leave at 7:40, I had an e-ticket so I didn't need to be there an hour or two early. I only had carry on luggage, but when my flight bag was going through the x-ray something showed up that the woman didn't like. It turned out that I had to have all my tooth paste, shampoo, etc. in a zip lock bag. So we put everything back in and I went to the gift shop to buy a zip lock bag. Fifty cents for one quart size bag! I put everything in including my hand lotion. Had to go all through the line again. A different lady didn't like something this time. My hand lotion was too big, even though it fit in the zip lock bag it was too many ounces! I couldn't take it with me! I couldn't believe it! I told her it was my best lotion and it was expensive, she didn't care. So I left it with her and went on to board my plane. When it was time to take off the pilot came on the speaker and said we couldn't take off until something was signed and the only person that could sign was a mechanic. Since this was Saturday he didn't know if they could find one. It could be five minutes or up to two hours before we could take off! We all just sat there and sat there. Well. lucky for us a mechanic showed up in about a half hour! But even so that made it bad for folks with connecting flights, myself included. We arrived in Minneapolis and I took off running to the other side, down the escalator, caught a bus, up the excalator, out ran everyone else on the moving walkway, heard my name on the loud speaker!, and made it to my gate just in time! They closed the door just after I got on board! My next stop was Boise, Idaho. I got there in time to buy a blueberry muffin, I hadn't had a bite to eat yet! There was a coffee shop right by my gate, the girl tried to tell me there were resturants up stairs. I told her I just came from upstairs and I don't have time for that, just sell me a muffin so I can get on my plane. Then she gave me a banana to go with it! I guess I must have looked really hungry...well, I was! So I boarded that plane, ate my muffin and banana, and a diet coke. We got to Seattle and I realized if I hurried I could catch the earlier shuttle to Marysville. So once again I ran though the airport...I made it! I called Lorraine and asked if she could meet me at 2:10 instead of 4:10. Yes, she could. So my whole day was rush, rush, rush! But that's not the end of my story! On the shuttle, near Everett, we had a very near accident with a semi cab pulling a long horse trailer! There is always lots of traffic on I 5 and all of a sudden the driver of the semi-horse trailer decided to move into our lane. Well, we were there and there was no place for us to go. My driver laid on the horn and slammed on his brakes which slowed us down enough so the semi merged right over in front of us. A little later we were neck and neck at a traffic light so we all looked over to see who the driver was of the semi. A woman with long blonde hair! She looked at us and made a very obscene gesture and then fell back behind us. Our driver was going to just let it go but some of us said she may have fallen back so she could get his number to report him (even though she was at fault). So he decided to write it up and we all reminded him that he had our names and numbers in case he needed witnesses. So that was my day yesterday!!! What a day. But, I'm here safely and my mom is well and glad to see me.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Procrastinator


I'm such a procrasinator I get mad at myself. I have a Hibiscus plant that didn't have any flowers this year at all, but it grew very tall. Pam suggested we prune it so Jerry got the shears for me and I planned to it but later. So yesterday Jerry pruned it, really pruned it! We'll see how it makes it over the winter. Maybe it won't make it at all! But that's what I get for procrastinating!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Harvest time


This is for Annie! She wants more pictures of autumn but the trees aren't so pretty any more. So this is my outside harvest decor. The goose has a hooded shirt on for warmth. Someone took off with one of my ears of Indian Corn! I wonder if the new motion light came on in the night! Well, probably not!!!

Back to the Dentist!

Today was my second and last visit to the dentist for the gold crown! Two weeks ago I went in like it was a routine cleaning and got the works! So today I went in expecting the worst and came out ten minutes later with a smile and "We'll see you in six months!" I had to look in the mirror to make sure there was gold in there! It's there, shining brightly!

Class # 3

Class last evening went very well! Me...As A Mother. There was lots of discussion and laughter and some serious time as well. Next week is a break and then Nov. 1 we meet again. Thanks for your interest and prayers.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Morning and Night

How does a marriage work when one person is a night person and the other one is a morning person? That's what we have going on here! Jerry is a morning person and I am a night person. We've been happily married for 47 years. It hasn't always been easy and this morning was no exception. We've been doing several big jobs together here in our house. Today we were going to clean the bathroom fans and also clean out some cupboards. We get up around 7:00 every morning, Jerry makes coffee, we each drink two cups and then I make breakfast. After we eat I immediately get on the computer. Well, this morning I realized he was bringing the ladder in and getting some things around, so I asked if he was ready to start the fans. He looked at me like...dah. It was only about 8:30! I asked if I had time to get dressed. He sighed and said yes. I closed my eyes and said, "what about a shower first?" He turned to me and with kindness and patience in his eyes said, "I think I'll go to Lowe's and look around." I sighed and looked up at him, "Thanks." What a guy! I suddenly flew in high gear. By the time he came home, and by the way with a motion light for the front porch, I had showered, shampooed, dressed, straightened our bedroom, cleaned the kitchen, and was half done with cleaning out the cupboards. Well, we cleaned the fans, he took the ladder back out to the pole barn and we still sat down to watch The Price Is Right at 11:00 AM! Oh, I could never be a morning person! I'm just getting my energy level up to par when he's ready to sit down, read the paper, work the sudoku, watch the news, etc. It takes a creative God to join two such different people together and make it work!

Leaf Blowing # 2

This photo was supposed to be with the one I posted yesterday but I had a big problem getting them on, so I gave up on two and just put on one. It worked. Now I've decided to try this one again. What do you know, it worked!

Monday, October 16, 2006

Fall


Jerry is out blowing leaves again! This is the fourth time he has cleared our yard of leaves this fall! And it won't be the last!

Comments

As a relatively new blogger I look forward to getting comments. It shows me that people really care about me and my world and are interested, as insignificant as it is. So even though my blogging is journaling for myself, I still check every day to see if someone wrote a comment to me! I prefer comments with a name, first name is sufficient. So...may I hear from you?

Sunday, October 15, 2006

National Grouch Day!

Today is National Grouch Day according to my calender! So if you are a grouch today is your day! I used to be a grouch but I don't think I am any more. You see, I'm not a morning person. I move really slow in the mornings and I used to be really grouchy in the morning. It all came to a head one morning years ago. I was the caller for the substitute teachers here in our town, so I had to get up really early in the morning to take the calls and get the subs for the day. It wasn't easy getting up so early every morning, but I was determined to make this job work. And I was pleasant on the phone at 6:00 AM. One morning Jerry and Pam and I were talking about something and I was a very big grouch! Then my school phone rang and I answered it with a very friendly, "Good morning! This is Anita, may I help you?" I heard Jerry and Pam laughing about something so I turned to look at them to see what was so funny and I suddenly realized they were looking at me and laughing at me! It only took a second for me to know why they were laughing at me. I had been so grouchy with them but over the phone I was as sweet as I could be! When I got off the phone I began to laugh too...I was caught. And I was cured! I determined not to be grouchy in the morning with my family any more. I'm sure I probably slipped a few times but I really tried to end my grouchy days. So National Grouch Day is for someone else and if it's for you I hope it is a good day!

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Tigers!

The Tigers are going to the World Series! Yeah!!!

Map

Today in the mail we received a map of Malaysia where our son and family are! It's a good big map! We can see where they go to the mall, to church, to eat, etc. It makes us feel closer to them! It reminds me of two things: several years ago... okay, a lot of years ago, when I was tutoring English as a Second Language, one of my Japanese students was a young boy in first or second grade. His name was Susumu. He was a very good student and a sweet little boy. One day I took a map of Japan to our class. The writing was all in Japanese so I couldn't read it but Susumu could. When he saw that map he grabbed it and ran to an open space in the room, spread the map out on the floor, and laid on it! He was a homesick little boy and that was as close as he could get to Japan and home! Looking at this map today is as close as we can get to Tim, Shauna, Annie, and Kaleb for now. But one of these days we're going to fly over there and see these places and people in person! I can't wait! The other thing I am reminded of is that God is Omnipresent! He is in Malaysia and Japan and Canada and USA, He is everywhere all at the same time! I praise Him!

Friday, October 13, 2006

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. I'm not superstitious and I hope you're not either. We are, however, looking into installing motion lights on the front of our house! It's a good thing to see when someone approaches after dark. We'll also probably see more wild life, but that's okay too since we're nature lovers!

It's snowing!

It's snowing outside my computer room window where I am looking out at the most beautiful trees. I'll not take anymore pictures! :) But believe me, it's strange to look out and see snow coming down against the colored leaves! The snow is melting as soon as it hits the ground. The ground is covered with leaves like a thick blanket. Jerry has blown the leaves off a couple of times already. I've been so thankful I bought the leaf blower for him a year or two ago, he's just not up to working like he used to. Jerry went to visit his friend, Lin, yesterday and they gave him three small bushes to plant in our yard. They will have white flowers and then will have berries that the birds love. He's got them planted, one on each side of the house and one on the other side of the far drive. He put stakes in beside them so we'll know what they are next spring and not pull them up!

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Hibiscus

This is my beautiful Hibiscus. It has atleast nine more buds on it yet to bloom! We brought it in the house a couple of weeks ago and I was afraid the change from outside to inside might be too much for it but here it is! The flowers only last a day or two but they are so unique and beautiful! Only God could create a flower like this!

One more picture for Tim!

I couldn't resist taking one more picture for Tim. This again is outside my computer room window. Everyday I have different view! It's so interesting and beautiful! God is such a creator, how can I not believe in Him and praise Him!

Weather # 2

Well, about five minutes have passed. The sky is blue and the sun is shining brightly! Like I said, this is Michigan!

Weather

Well, this is Michigan! The sun was shining. I laid down to rest. Thirty minutes later I woke up to a blizzard! It's cloudy now, no sun but no snow either. Let's wait a few more minutes!

2nd Class

Ohhh, last evening was the 2nd Dilemma of Young Mothers class, Me...As A Wife. We had three new people. I was glad for them but it also made it a little difficult because they missed the first class. But we made it and there was lots of discussion. I even had to insist we move on at one point so we'd get through the entire lesson. I had a tape to play at the end and I didn't want to skip that. I played Steve and Annie Chapman singing Who Are You? It was very fitting at the end. Next week our lesson will be Me...As A Mother.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Scare

Boy, did I have a scare last night!!! It wasn't too late, 10:00 PM. Jerry was in bed asleep, I was sitting in the loft, reading. All of a sudden someone was pounding on the front door! I froze! I hadn't heard anyone walk on the porch like I usually do. Then I thought it's only Rob. But he usually calls first. He began pounding again! And my heart was pounding! I grabbed my robe and started down the steps. I couldn't see well enough to know if it was Rob. Then he shown a flash light through the door window! Ugh! It wasn't Rob. When I got to the door I could see it was a young man in a uniform. I wished we had an intercom so I could talk to him without opening the door. But I slowly opened the door because I was almost sure he was a sheriff's deputy. He asked if Patrick was here. Of course I said no Patrick lives here. He asked a few more questions and then thanked me. I told him he scared the daylights out of me. His car was parked half way between the house and the pole barn and he must have tiptoed across the porch so Patrick would not know he was here! It'll be interesting to hear more about this later in the news or from someone who has a police radio. My heart was still pounding when I went into the bedroom to tell Jerry what had just happened. He said he heard me talking and thought it was Rob. You know what...I've always thought if anything ever happened, like a kidnapping, I'd make sure I had my cell phone with me. I always take it upstairs with me at night. Well, last night I never even thought to grab my phone when I got my robe! Well...if there's a next time...

Monday, October 09, 2006

Trip

I haven't been out to see my mom since June so I'm going out again this month. My plan is for Oct. 21 - Oct 30. I've got my plane ticket, I still have to get my shuttle ticket and a place to stay but I've got time so I'm not worried. This will be during the break in my class that I'm teaching. I've got a lot of work to do here before I go. I'm talking about fall house cleaning! :( We did some major cleaning jobs this morning, like cleaning ceiling fans. That's a job we do together. Well, I've got some pumpkin pies to bake now so until next time...

Holidays

Today is a double holiday! Columbus Day here in the states, no school here in our town. Thanksgiving Day in Canada. So Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian family and friends, especially those in Malaysia!

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Autumn colors

Okay, Tim, you wanted to see pictures of autumn so here you are! The first picture is at our church in the back of the parking lot. The second picture is outside my computer room window. The leaves are falling so quickly now, it won't be long til the trees will be bare. We went for a ride in the MG this afternoon so I could take the pictures at the church. Today was a beautiful day. Later in the week it'll cool down and possibly snow Thurs. or Fri.!

Out cruising!

We were out seeing all the beautiful colors and taking some pictures, then decided to look up some friends who have recently moved here to our town. Jerry took Dale for a ride. It's a beautiful day! Here are these two old guys out cruising.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Thank you, Lorraine!

Yesterday my Mom called me just to chat. She had been reading my blogs, (Lorraine prints them off for her), and so she just wanted to visit. How nice! We did have a very nice little visit and when we hung up I was left with a nice warm fuzzy feeling! So thank you, Lorraine! I know it takes a lot of paper and ink to print them off.

Coming of age celebration


I just came home from a Coming of Age Celebration breakfast. Elizabeth is turning 13 and several of us were invited to breakfast at Bob Evans Restaurant to help her celebrate. This was not a birthday party, I'm sure she'll have that with her peers. This was a time for some of us who have had interaction with Elizabeth through her growing up years. I have known her all her life and I taught Club 56 the two years that Elizabeth was in it, so I was invited. It was a privelege to be a part of it. In the picture Elizabeth is the fourth person back on the right hand side of the table. I'm the second person back on the left. Everyone has written a short message to Elizabeth with words of encouragement and love, these were given to her to read and keep in a special album just for this day. Her parents gave her a beautiful white gold ring with a little heart on it to wear as a reminder to keep her body pure until marriage. She also received a few other gifts, like CDs. This is my third coming of age celebration to be a part of and I think it's a wonderful way of showing these young girls how important they are to us and how they are entering an exciting time in their lives. God loves you, Elizabeth, and so do I!

Friday, October 06, 2006

City Water

Hurray! The judge ruled in our favor! We get city water! Of course, the man who doesn't want city water can still appeal the judge's decision, but we think we'll still win. It'll all take time though. It'll be months before we get can it but atleast it's in sight.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Foot, Shoulder, Hand

Yesterday when it was raining Jerry fell and hurt his foot. Actually he was carrying a big box from the pole barn to the garage filled with smelly papers to go out with the trash today. It was ackward because of the size and it was rainy, well, he stepped off the edge of the driveway by mistake and down he went! Thank goodness I was in the pole barn so I ran to him and helped him up. Then I got the dolly for him, which he should have been using in the first place. First his foot hurt (not broken), then this morning his shoulder hurt, and now this evening his hand hurts! He insists he'll be okay. He's moving slowly today but atleast he's moving!

New phone?

Is it time for a new phone? We just drove home from town and the leaves on the trees are brillant colors now. I wish I would have had my camera with me. I didn't think I would ever want a cell phone with a camera...but, it sure would have been nice today. After all, we always have our phone with us, right? Take the other night. We were at a fellowship time with folks over 50. I wish I would have had my camera with me! Several folks had cell phones and were taking pictures. Oh well. The more we have the more we want!

Gold

This morning I went to the dentist for a crown on a molar. It won't show so I went for the gold! But I didn't know what all was involved with getting a crown! I went sailing into the office, a smile on my face, until he got out a needle and said, "Okay, open wide. This will only hurt for a second." Yeah right. It's one thirty now and I can't even eat yet because my mouth is still deadened. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. Oh well, he says it'll last a life time. Well, we'll see about that too. I guess I'm a little skeptical.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Betty! Betty is Jerry's sister and she is 10 years older than I am right down to the month! Not the day but to the month. So now if you know how old I am you also know how old she is!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Dilemma of Young Mothers

Ahhh! First class is over! The class is small, but I prayed that the Lord would send just the right people. I was quite nervous but then I calmed down because the women were so responsive to everything! When I handed them the booklets I'd made up they seemed so pleased and then when we read over what each lesson would be they said, "Wow, this is just what I need!" So, tonight we talked about Me...Who Am I? I told them how the Lord just led me along in the planning of each lesson and one said, "I believe it because this is exactly what I need. When I read what the lessons will be I wondered how you could know this about me!" "So thank you, Lord, for guiding me and giving me this privelege of teaching this class to these young mothers."

Mildew

Ohhh! I've been working out in our pole barn emptying a file cabinet. It's been out there since we moved here in 1996! I have thrown away folders and folders and folders of papers. Some things I can't quite part with. Some I think I can scan into my computer and then throw the original away. Everything smells like mildew. We then moved the file cabinet to the garage so I can use it. It's a good plan, I just hope I don't end up sick from the mildew odor!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Put on the spot!

Oh boy, I blew it. Sunday morning before church started our senior pastor came down the aisle, saw me sitting there, stopped, smiled, and said, "How's it going?" I smiled and said, "Okay. Just the same old, same old." A few minutes later our assistant pastor came by, sat down beside me, smiled and said, "How's it going?" I smiled and said, "Good! How about you?" He told me about a frustration so I know how to pray for him. Then I told him about the day before when I talked to a young mother about the new Wed. night class I'll be teaching. I was very excited! He's praying for me. But right after he left I began to feel guilty. Why didn't I share that with my senior pastor? Well, when I'm put on the spot my mind goes blank! He did that to me-put me on the spot. My assist. pastor sat down by me and we talked together. My mind didn't go blank, I thought about something I wanted to tell him. I actually wanted to tell Pastor Dave about this too.This is a new class and we're all hoping it'll go over. There was something else I wanted to tell Pastor Dave about, something I think he would like to know. But I didn't. And I didn't ask him how things are with him like I did with Pastor Shane. Maybe he wouldn't have said anything...but maybe he would have. He's got an awful lot going on right now. I'm praying for him anyway. Ane I'm going to remember this and try not to clam up when I'm asked a simple question.

Almost here!

One more day and I'll be teaching my class on The Dilemma of Young Mothers! It'll go for the first three Wednesdays of Oct. Then a small break, and then the first three Wednesdays of Nov. And that's it! All done! I'm ready. I'm scared but I'm ready. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow evening. Please be praying for me.

Beautiful fall day

What a beautiful autumn day! We went for a ride in the MG this afternoon and the odometer turned over to 99,000 miles! It runs like a charm. Jerry will soon be putting it away for the winter so on a beautiful day like today we had to go for a ride! We're supposed to have rain and lightning and thunder tonight and tomorrow. But right now the sun is shining on the green, yellow, orange, and red leaves. It's so beautiful!

Good Old Days

I just came home from town. Guess what I bought! Good Old Days November issue! My Dad's story about remembering World War I is in it. I bought mine at Barnes & Noble Book Store. The name of his story is I Remember World War I and is on page 44. I plan to read all the stories though because I remember the good old days back as far as 1940s!

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Friends

I went to a friends house this afternoon and I felt loved! My friend had a lot of company but that didn't matter, I went in any way. Oh my goodness! I got so many hugs, even from young men that I had known as boys. Have you guessed where I went? My friend whose house I went to is Hmong. I don't think hugging goes along with their culture, I guess they have become Americanized. The children I had taught English to are grown up and married and have children of their own! Oh, where have the years gone? A lot of my former students and their parents were there. I couldn't stay very long but I'm not kidding you, I left there feeling very loved! I am richer for having Hmong friends. God loves them and so do I!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Visitors

The other day a van pulled into our drive and two women came to our door. One of the women I recognized. Several other people were sitting in the van. The woman I recognized has been here many times. She always brings a different person in with her because she says she loves our house and wants to show her friends. Then she tells me she has some booklets for me to read. I take them. This time she said there were some good articles about the end times. She asked if I think the end is near. "Well," I said, "It could be." She told me to read in the third chapter of II Timothy and just see if it's isn't near. So I said okay I would and then I said to her, "And I'd like to suggest to you that you read the third chapter of the Gospel of John where Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. I'm a born again Christian and Jesus is alive within me!" Her answer was that I'd better be careful because Satan is going to and fro seeking whom he can devour. I said I know that and that's why I'm glad I have Jesus living in me! Then she began to try argue with me but I didn't say any more. I don't have to argue with anyone about Jesus. I know what I know. I do pray for her because she is being deceived and I know she'll be back. I always try to say something about Jesus and my relationship with God through Him every time she comes and she still comes back. God's Word will not return to Him void. I do admire her and the rest of the people waiting in the van for their courage and persistance in going to houses trying to convince people that they have the answer to all of our questions about life after death. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:11-13.

Nature

I'm a nature lover but even I cross the line once in a while and say, "okay, we can do without that!" Living in the country we have all kinds of nature: deer, turkeys, foxes, coyotes, racoons, possoms, rabbits, etc. But last evening sitting in our living room I began to smell something that I have smelled before outside. I asked Jerry if he smelled a skunk and he said yes he did. All our windows and doors were closed and yet we could faintly detect a skunk! It had to be close by for the odor to invade our house! I turned on the porch light to see if it was on our porch! I didn't see anything. I opened the door just a crack and realized that was a stupid thing to do and quickly closed it again. I sprayed room deodorizer all over our house. This morning the odor was completely gone outside and inside. No trace of a skunk anywhere. I asked Rob if they smelled a skunk last evening and he said they did too. Well, like I said, We can do without that!!! Thank you very much!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Dentist

Good morning! Today is a rainy day. Yesterday Jerry and I both had dentist appointments at the same time. I got done first, but I have to go back next week. I'm going to have a crown put on a molar. It's tempting to just have it pulled but I don't want to lose too many and someday need false teeth! Crowns are very expensive! Our dentist's mother was in my class at Spring Arbor College! He is close to the same age as our youngest daughter and they were friends as teenagers. He didn't live here but they were in the same choir made up of teenagers from all over the eastern side of Michigan. He also knew our middle son. I'm not sure how he ended up here in our town. But we always have a nice visit when he doesn't have his fingers in my mouth!

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Tree cutting


A big job done. Yesterday Jerry cut a large tree down and cut up and split the logs. I stacked them on the log cart on the front porch. It completely filled the cart. My part wasn't much but I think it helped a little. The tree was dead and should be just right for burning this year. I tried taking a picture of him cutting the tree but my camera didn't take so I put in new batteries and got this picture. It was a full days work.

Another big job is done!


Another big job is done! We've got the camper all cleaned up and put away for the winter. This picture shows Jerry using his new power washer rinsing off the soapy wash. We didn't use our camper very much this year. Tim & Shauna stayed in it when the whole family was here and we took it to family camp. And that's all. But we've used it alot over the years as you can see by the map on the side. Maybe next year we'll take it some where far. I want to take it to Alaska! But we have to both want to go!!!

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Haleigh and Brandi



Here are Haleigh and our friend and kind-of-new neighbor, Brandi, with my goose. The girls just helped me change her clothes. She'll be a little warmer now with a turtle neck shirt on and a denim cap. I actually made this shirt for Tim when he was a boy! We tie the sleeves in front of the goose. Notice Brandi is holding a pop sickle. It's quite a cool day but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy eating a pop sickle! Thanks for your help, girls! Come again soon!

Happy Birthday, Max!

Happy Birthday, Max! I will never forget twelve years ago today. We had driven down to Alabama because you were expected to be born any day. We had taken our 5th wheel and had also taken our time driving down, staying an extra day here and there. When we finally arrived at your parents house there was a note on the front door: We're in labor, come to the hospital! Here are directions:-------. We set up the 5th wheel and then found our way to the hospital. Yup, your Mom was in labor! You were born several hours later! We got there just in time!!!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Autumn


Autumn has arrived! My favorite season! This is what I look at out my computer room window. I'll take another picture when the colors reach their peak. Time to change the clothes on my goose on the front porch. I need my Annie to help me! Jerry has put our stone water fall away for the winter (before the water freezes some night) and it won't be long before he'll put the MG away for the winter, also the 5th wheel. This is all kind of sad. How can this be my favorite season? Well...the air has a different feel, the leaves change to brilliant colors, it's harvest time, time to make some wardrobe changes, time to get back to a regular routine with school starting. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 2:1

Friday, September 22, 2006

Work and fun!

Today is a cloudy sprinkly day. I think we'll get more rain tonight. Jerry washed the house down yesterday afternoon, it was so nice out. So now I've got to get the windows washed because they all have water spots on them left from yesterday. Actually I've been waiting for him to do this big job so I can get my fall work done. So now I can. We watched two fawns today in our woods. It was so fun. Now we're wondering if we have deer quite often and just don't see them! These two fawns wandered around and then finally walked down our driveway, ran across the road, and jumped the fence into the field across from us. Thank goodness no cars were coming. I'm very worried about hunting season this fall. I hope the buck that we see will stay out of view. Hunters will be active farther back in the woods and even have blinds built. They won't even care that we now claim these deer as our own!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Experimenting

Oh boy, now what have I done? Well, we'll see. I'm just hoping I can get black ink for printing!

Print color

I am trying to change the color of the print from gray to black. Please be patient with me because I'm getting frustrated. Lorraine, please comment on this so I'll know how it came through. When I print out Shauna's blogs they have black ink so I should be able to get black too, but I don't know what I'm doing!!!

Autumn

Autumn isn't supposed to begin until this Saturday, however, here in Michigan autumn is here. It's so cool mornings that we have had a fire in our wood stove every morning so far this week. This morning I made oat meal for breakfast just to warm us inside and I'm thinking I'll make chili for supper!

Lorraine

I had a nice, long chat with my sister, Lorraine, last night. She's been home from Japan several days now but I wanted to give her time to get beyond the jet lag before I called her. She's getting rested up. I know how jet lag takes all the get-up-and-go right out of a person. I've been there and done that! :) She had a good time in Japan, saw lots and even got worn out, but she said it was all good and she's glad she went. There were some interesting cultural differences that she noticed. For one: Japan is the cleanest country, not a piece of litter anywhere. Two: Her daughter was singing in a concert and afterward the people clapped and clapped and clapped...Lorraine wanted to say stand up and get it over with! But no, there were no standing ovations, just clapping, clapping, clapping... Then when they were leaving the concert hall out the stage door, to their surprise, was a long line of people waiting to greet Christine and get her autograph! I'm sure Joe, Lorraine's grandson, has some interesting stories to tell his classmates. He had to keep a journal while he was there, as homework. I wonder what he wrote! He's about 8 years old. What an experience for a little boy!

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Good Old Days Magazine

My brother, Richard, called me yesterday to tell me he has an article coming out in the Good Old Days Magazine, November special issue, which he just received in the mail. It's something about our family when we were kids. Our family photo is in it taken in 1950. There is also an article by my dad about World War I in the Good Old Days Magazine, Nov. (regular) issue. There is a difference in the regular issue and the special issue in case you're interested in checking it out. (I tried posting the photo that is with the article with this blog but it won't post.) The November issues are not in our book store yet, only Oct, I just checked. So I'll keep checking.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Club 56

Wednesday evenings are tough now because I'm no longer a part of Club 56. I was the teacher ever since it's beginning. Before that I taught the 4th & 5th grade class. Now I walk past their new room, peek inside and see all the kids and all the activity, and walk away. It hurts a little not to be a part of their lives anymore. But...last week something special happened! As I was leaving church one of the girls in Club 56 came to me, her eyes twinkling, and said, "Guess what?" Well, I had no idea so she told me. "I tried out for our play at school and I'M ANNIE!" I was very excited for her, but maybe even more for me because she sought me out to tell me her exciting news. I miss those kids and all their excitment and zest for life but she came to share with me! If we're here when the play is put on you can believe I'll be there for her!

Monday, September 18, 2006

National Thank you Day!

According to the calendar that my brother, Richard, made and gave to our family, today is National Thank You Day! So thank you, God, for giving your Son for me so I can have eternal life. Thank you, Jerry, for loving me. Thank you, Mother, for giving me life. Thank you, Richard, Lorraine, & Bill for putting up with me all these years. Thank you, Pam, Ted, Tim, Christy, & Rob for being my loving children. Thank you, my daughters and sons in law for putting up with all my idiosyncrasies. Thank you, Andrew, Matthew, Kaleb, Tyler, Annie, Max, Megan, Haleigh, Miller, Sydney, Isabella, and Mason, and the one who is yet to be, for being my wonderful, precious, unique grandchildren! And thank you to all the rest of you relatives and friends who make up the circle of my world. I love you all and thank you.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary, Christy and Sean! How time flies...1993! We love you!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

As the deer pants...

This morning as Jerry and I were eating breakfast in our sun room deer appeared in our back woods again! We watched and counted five. The buck with antlers was one of them and atleast two fawns and one or two doe's. We watched them wander over to the side of our woods and then across the front. Spring and fall we have a stream that wanders across the front of our yard and they walked right down that stream bed. It's only about fifty feet or less from our house. What a wonderful way to begin our day, seeing another part of God's creation. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

Saturday, September 16, 2006

For Kaleb!



This is for Kaleb! This balloon landed in the field right across the road from our house! There was another one that landed in the same field. They went right over our house! There were probably about 30 or more again today. It was foggy this morning so they couldn't go up but it was perfect this evening.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Balloon Festival




This weekend is the Remax Hot Air Balloon Festival. We watched this evening and plan to get up in the morning and have our coffee while watching the silent colorful balloons go soaring above us again. The weather has turned out perfect for such an event.