Oksana Lee Joyce - Our Granddaughter-Part II

Here is Oksana and her very proud dad, Marc.

Marc was awarded a cow bell, that had been painted Edison's green, that said "Pom Dad". Wasn't that the cutest!!!! Wish we'd taken a picture of it. :o(

Here you can see some of the girls behind the many trophies that Edison won. This Banquet was honoring the 6th, 7th & 8th grade squads. Oksana is the one in the green top. By the way, the plaid shorts were one of the gifts given to the girls, along with a white top that had "POM" in green sequins. The girls slipped the shorts on over their slacks!!

The girl hugging Oksana is her "Big Me", Aubri.

During try-outs each, going to be, 6th grader is assigned to a 7th grader as her "Big Me". This older, more experienced girl, helps the new ones learn and is just there to support them in any way. Oksana was so blessed to have Aubri as her "Big Me". The girls have developed a strong bond and friendship that I am sure will last for years. Isn't that a great idea? Now as Oksana is a "pro" she will be assigned as a "Big Me" to a new 6th grader coming in.

Official Pom photo of Oksana Lee Joyce, 6th Grade Pom Squad, Edison High School, 2006-07

Oksana Lee Joyce - Our Granddaughter-Part I

Last night Grandpa & Grandma were privilidged to attend this Pom Banquet with our granddaughter, Oksana, and our son and her dad, Marc.

She is a member of the 6th Grade Pom Squad at Edison Middle School in Tulsa. If you can read the small print you will see these girls won 4th at the UDA Competition, at the beginning of the season, and 1st (yes FIRST) at State!!!

It's been a very eventful year for Oksana and we are so very proud of her

Paper Angel

I haven't even finished blogging about my angels and God blesses me with a new one!!

Monday night some dear friends, Jack & Mary, invited us over for a delicious dinner of Corn Beef & Cabbage. Mary is a gourmet cook and every meal she prepare is divine and always set on a beautiful table. She has many sets of beautiful dishes and the table setting always blends with what she has prepared. Such a joy and treat always. She even had a home made apple pie. Yummy :o)

Jack and Mary have given me quite a few of my angels and know how I love my angels. So after dinner Mary presents this darling card to me. It is hand made (she got and other delightful designs at a garage sale) out of paper, and then raised fabric, button, yarn etc. Isn't she precious? I love blue and have a lot of blue in my home so she fits right in. Of course, any angel always fits right in. If you go back and look at my post about my 3 fabric angels you can see she almost looks like them!!

In case you're new to my blog page and would like to read about some of my other angels you can do so by going to My Little Angel.

If you're not bored with my angels you can read more here and here. I still have a few others blogs to do about some more angels later.

Thanks for sharing one of my loves and treasurers. I'd love to know about some of your collections and loves.

P.S. I hope these links worked. Remember I'm still learning!!! If not kindly please let me know.
Thanks!

Yet Another Meme

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Yet Another Meme
I'm still very busy scanning pictures and haven't taken time to blog anything for several days. Thanks to those of you that inquired if I was okay because I'd been so quiet!!! I'm fine. Wanted to post something so I've resorted to another Meme so my blogging friends won't give up on coming by to say hi.

A. What accessories do you wear everyday? Wedding ring.
B. What is your beauty routine? Washing my face, brushing my teeth, combing my hair and taking a bubble bath. Just the basic.. I use Noxzema & Olay. I'm not a primper.
C. What was the last item of clothing (for yourself) that you purchased? Three new bras.
D. Do you use a dresser, closet, or both? Both, I have a walk-in closet and my husband has a regular closet. Guess that tells you who has the most clothing!!
E. What type of earrings are in your ears right now? Diamond and emerald (gift from my hubby!)
F. What type of figure do you have? 25 pounds overweight and everything going south!!
G. Do you wear glasses? Yes, I am near sighted and have worn glasses since the 4th grade. I don't wear them all the time, but always when driving or in the car even if not driving. Going to the eye Dr. next month. I'll probably get new frames on my regular glasses. But my sunglasses are really cute and stylist. My husband says I look like a movie star. HA!
H. What type of handbag do you carry? I have an older Brighton but it's a little on the small side. My daughter gave me a nice black one for Christmas. I have a white one I'll change into when it gets a little more spring like.
I. What is your ideal style? Casual feminine.
J. What jewelry are you wearing right now? My wedding rings, diamond and emerald neck less and emerald and gold bracelet.
K. Do you wear knee-hi stockings? VERY seldom.
L. Do you "have" to wear matching lingerie? No, but most of mine is white anyway. I do have a few matching sets for dressier occasions.
M. Do you wear makeup? Very little. Always lipstick. When going out a little foundation and mascara.
N. Do you wear nightgowns? No, I'm a pajama girl but I like cute, pretty sets.
O. What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winters day? A black leather coat with matching black leather gloves.
P. What is your favorite perfume? White Diamonds (even though I do not like Liz Taylor!)
Q. Is your motto "quality over quantity" when it comes to clothing and accessories? I don't have very many really "quality" clothing items. To conservative to spend a lot of money on clothing. R. Do you wear rain boots? Haven't owned a pair since I was a kid. LONG time ago!
S. Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold? I never wear shoes in the house and always have on a pair of white socks.
T. Do you have a set of travel luggage? Yes, just your plain black.
U. If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress? No.
V. Do you wear a watch? Yes, I have a lovely Citizen watch that was given to me by my boss when I retired.
W. What do you wear every single day? Bra & panties.
X. What item of clothing always makes you feel eXtremely beautiful? A real soft sweater.
Y. What is your favorite type of yarn? Guess I don't have one
.Z. Do you prefer zippers or buttons? I like pants and dresses that zipper but of course buttons on blouses.

Is anyone going to come and play along with me?

Holding Hands

I got this picture from Michelle and thought it said so much I wanted to share it and pass it along. If you want to do the same just leave a comment to let me know when you do!

Holding Hands

This picture shows a line of little girls holding hands facing the immensity of ocean waves.

Alone they might be washed away, but together they stand strong.

Thank you for holding my hand somewhere along the way when I was facing a wave of my own.

I hope you will reach for my hand when your own wave threatens.

All of us girls...

Old and young...

Near and far...

Hold special memories of good times we've shared.

We've had our share of hard times when our friends were there to make us feel better.

We've shared...

our hearts

our time

our secrets

our fears

our hopes

and our dreams.

Let us never break the chain of friends!

I thank all of you who I didn't even know 7 short weeks ago. My how my life has been enriched by each and every one of you! ((hugs)) to you all!!!!

Let Go & Let God

Boy, those words are so easy to say and so hard to do. I KNOW because we've raised 4 grown children and it was a very looooog lesson for me to learn. Sometimes I can be a VERY slow learner!! After an age span of 15 years between the oldest and the youngest you'd have thought #4 would have come easy to let go of. No, as I say, I can be a very slow learner.

Back in 1983 a very dear friend of mine, Bev (she's with the Lord now. I'll blog about her one of these days) gave me a plaque for Christmas that she had done in calligraphy and then decoupaged on a large board. It has hung in every home we've lived in since 1983 and will be there when I leave for my Heavenly home!

Some of you may have heard these words already but I'm going to share them just in case you haven't.

LET GO & LET GOD!

As children bring their broken

toys, with tears for us to mend.

I brought my broken dreams

to God, because he was my

friend. But then, instead of

leaving him in peace to work

alone. I hung around and tried

to help with ways that were-

my own.

At last, I snatched them back

and cried, "How can you be

so slow?"

"My child, what could I do?

You never did let go!"

I know I've made reference here to letting go of our childrenl Sometimes as they are first leaving the home and going out on their own, with our blessings or maybe without our blessings. Or even after they've been gone some time and we see them making very bad choices and decisions. But this poem can relate to any "dream" that we are having to let go of. Sometimes just temporarily and sometimes forever.

I trust if you are in the "letting go" process this will be a blessing to you. It is a constant reminder to me. That's why it will always have a prominent place on my wall.

These Three

Not much to blog about today. I am frustrated. My husband and I decided we needed to scan all our pictures into the computer and put them on disc's for our children (now mind you we are 69 and 74 years old, been married almost 48 years, have 4 children, and 6 grandchildren, and, and, and) and let me tell you that is a LOT of pictures. I have been sitting here hour after hour, day after day and have only just begun to make a very small dent in it. This morning I got up and the scanner will no longer work!! WHAT?!!

We had some errands and business to take care of this morning but when we got home Mickey called Lexmark for help. He just got off the phone after a very loooooog conversation with a gal from India (of course!) with the end result that they are sending us a new software CD to install and it should be here in 4-5 days. So I have come to a screeching halt with pictures literally scattered all over this office: floor, computer desk, Mickey's desk, bookcase, top of old photograph console, everywhere.

Let's look at the good side of it......I'll get up in the morning and do some much needed housecleaning, washing, etc. Things that have been waiting while I scanned!! The other point....it's waited all these years.....what's a few more days!!

I found this little interesting item I thought I would post today for something of interest beside my bellyaching!!

ALL THREE

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -

Time - Words - Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person -

Anger - Pride - Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose -

Hope - Peace - Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -

Love - Family & Friends - Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain -

Fortune - Success - Dreams

Three things that make a person successful -

Commitment - Sincerity - Hard Work

Three things that are truly constant -

Father - Son - Holy Ghost

Have a wonderful and blessed day!

A Thank You

Just wanted to send this to all my new blogging friends who are adding richness and spice to my life.

Yet Another Meme

A is for age: 69
B is for books: Love books and reading
C is for career: Retired but work as staff accountant for CPA
D is for dad's name: Henry Errett
E is for essential items to bring to a party: Deviled Eggs
F is for favorite song at the moment: I Can Only Imagine
H is for hometown: Santa Fe, New Mexico
I is for instruments you play: Piano
.J is for jam or jelly you like: Peach
K is for kids: 2 Girls & 2 Boys - All grown
L is for living arrangements: 1 story stone 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath, 2 car garage, BIG yard
M is for moms name: Paulina Errett
N is for name of your best friends: Joan
O is for overnight hospital stays: 4 births, 1 chest surgery, 1 gall bladder surgery
P is for phobia[s]: Hate snakes. Is that a phobia?
Q is for quote you like: "Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little"
R is for relationship that lasted the longest: Forever friend - 63 years: Marriage - 48 years: Couple friendship - 31 years
S is for siblings: 3 older 1/2 sisters
T is for best trait: Caring & Compassionate
U is for unique trait(s): Ability to discern.
V is for vegetable you love: Asparagus
W is for worst trait: Talking too much
X is for x-rays you've had: Chest and back
Y is for yummy food you make: Beef Strogonoff
Z is for favorite animal at the zoo: Lions

FIRSTS:
First job: Answering phone in my father Real Estate office.
First funeral: My father-in-love
First piercing: And only - ears at age 23
First tattoo: NEVER!
First credit card: Don't remember the name but it was to buy a TV
First favorite musician/band: Elvis Presley

LASTS:
Last movie watched: Passion of Christ
Last beverage drank: Glass of milk
Last food consumed: Doughnut
Last phone call: Daughter Suzette
Last CD played: Vern Jackson
Last website visited: Seeds in My Garden

Single or Taken: Taken
What do you miss? My parents being alive
Hair color: Gray
Natural color: Gray use to be light brown
Eye color: Hazel
Makes you sad? Seeing our values & morals declining in this great country we live in.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns ------ All three missed it ---

This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance Very fascinating.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?
21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1


3. Why are his gloves wet?

His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.


4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not?
He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.


5. How often are the guards changed?
Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.


6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30."


Other requirements of the Guard:

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives.

They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.


The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.


There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.


The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.


All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.


A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.



Among the notables are:

President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.


Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.


ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.


In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.

We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

Music - Music - Music

I love music and I have been so blessed this past 10 days with so much wonderful music.

It began on Tuesday night, March 6th. We drove 85 miles to Perry, OK with some friends to hear

The Singing ChurchWomen of Oklahoma

This group was organized in 1989 and is divided into 2 groups, Eastern & Western Oklahoma. Each group has about 250 woman, pianist, organ, keyboard, percussion and handbells.

They put on an absolutely spectacular two hour concert. When they began they marched in on the side isles and across the front. The director stood in the center isle and directed as they began performing. They did a couple of numbers with our getting this "surround sound" effect. Then they continued singing as they marched to the front forming the various high rise rows.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then the following Tuesday, March 13th, we drove 100 miles to Blackwell, OK to hear

The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma

This group was organized in 1960 by the Church Music Department of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. It was the first choral group of male choral in the Southern Baptist Convention. As a result of this influence, nearly every state convention in the SBC has a similar choral group.

There were 250 men and a full orchestra. To say the concert was "heavenly" is an understatement. I kept closing my eyes while they were singing just to get the full affect of the beautiful sounds.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then last night we attended the 5th and final performance of our Signature Symphony for the 2006-2007 season.

Debby Boone

doing

Reflections of Rosemary

all songs of Rosemary Clooney, who was Debby's mother-in-law.

Debby is married to Gabriel Ferrer, son of Jose' Ferrer & Rosemary Clooney's son.

The entire performance was magnificent. Debby has a very melodious voice and sings like an angel. Accompanied by the Symphony it was just outstanding. She also is quite beautiful, soft spoken and lovely besides.

After the performance, and a thunderous applause and standing ovation she came back and sand

You Light Up My Life

the song that made her an overnight star in 1977. She said, "You didn't really think I wouldn't sing this one for you did you?".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Debby & Gabriel will soon celebrate their 28th anniversary. They are parents of 4 grown children. In case you didn't know, or have forgotten, she is the daughter of Pat Boone and the granddaughter (on her mother's side) of Grand Ole Oprey star Redd Foley.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you ever get the chance to hear either Debby or The Singing ChurchWomen or The Singing ChurchMen I would sure recommend you attend.

You'll have a wonderful evening. We surely did!

In This Skin

Morning Glory is hosting a Woman's discussion on various topics each Tuesday. I'm a little late posting this but she said it was okay.

In This Skin is a subject I think I know quite a bit about. I've been in this skin 69 years and am one of the older bloggers I've "seen" on here.

I grew up in an atmosphere where I knew that age really wasn't the issue or didn't matter. The reason for this is because my father was 52 years old when I was born and yet he never seemed "old" because of his young at heart stance on life. My mother, who was 21 years younger and 31 when I was born, always seemed a little older acting than my father.

From a very early age my father use to tell me "Beauty is as beauty does". This instilled in me the fact that beauty of the skin was just that........only skin deep. True beauty emanated from who we truly were in actions and deeds. Being saved at age 18, and being aware I was made a New Creation in Christ, I became more fully aware of developing the "real" me that lived in this skin and peered out of these windows called eyes.

Society has always tried to make a big issue out of age. I remember when I was in my early 20's (the 1950's) one of the leading TV commercials was a face care product advertised "For The Woman Over 25" like that was some type of plague. Advertising like this helped promote the idea that somehow aging was something to be dreaded. I never did.

Don't get me wrong. I think it is very important to take care of ourselves and look nice, pretty and well groomed. After all I want my husband and children to be proud to say "That's my wife" or "That's my mom". For the way I look and the way I act.

I believe the excessive attention being paid to outward appearance in this day and age actually borders on insanity. Plastic surgery, tummy tucks, breast implants, etc., etc. It is totally based on falseness and narcissism (self love as described by Webster). It is one more way in which we dethrone the true King of King's and Lord of Lord's and set ourselves up as God. True idolatry.

I'm even going to broach the subject of dyed hair. (oh-oh I'm already dodging the rocks being thrown at me!!!) Don't get me wrong. I think it is fine to touch up your hair color. Especially during those years when it is beginning to turn gray and is in that awful look stage. I did it myself for a number of years. But having said that, I think it is perfectly ridicules for us that are truly older to be dying our hair. Even the Bible says "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." Proverbs 16:31 I've earned every one of my silver gray hair and I'm very proud of it. You see these older woman with purple hair, bright red hair or pitch black hair and it looks so harsh and out of place. Kind of equates to the bald man that combs his 5 looong hairs around his head!!!

Now to some myths of aging. When I was 45 my husband and I went through a very difficult period in our marriage. During this time I began attending a Woman's Support Group. One night a woman who was 63 made the statement "Now girls if you think you'll have it all together at age 63 I'm here to tell you "you won't". I thought, "Oh no"!! There went yet another burst bubble!!! Well girls, I'm here to tell you, "You won't have it all together at 69 either"!!! Sorry about that, but that's the truth.

What is also the truth is, I'm enjoying life to the max. I've never been more satisfied, content, happy, optimistic, etc. in my life. It's a wonderful time of freedom and joy. My husband and I are both blessed with good health. For that we Praise our God. My husband and I consider ourselves "recycled teenagers". It's nice to finally get to the point in life where you know you're not going to figure it out or control everything so you relax and enjoy the ride.

One other truth.......you don't "feel" as old as you are. It's always a little bit of a shock to me to look in the mirror!!! I remember discussing this one day with a friend of mine and she said, "Of course we don't "feel" any older because our Spirits, the true us, do not age". What truth, our Spirits are going to live forever and in God's realm there is no time. Isn't that wonderful?!!!

I love being in this skin!!

Another About You Meme

I found this post at Jackie's and thought it looked like fun to do.

WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL DAY OUTFIT? Sweats in the winter and shorts in the summer with T-shirt. Either stocking feet or barefoot. NO SHOES
WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE OUTGOING? Yes
EXPLAIN HOW YOU ARE OUTGOING? I love people and learning about people and what they think. I always introduce myself and speak to someone new.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY? Definitely Christmas because we celebrate our Lord's birth and it's such a family time and the entire world gets a little sweeter. And it's my birthday, too!
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOLIDAY? Halloween
WHAT FAMILY MEMBER DO YOU GET ALONG BEST WITH? We are a very close family and all get along. If I had to pick one I'd have to say my hubby.
IN WHAT WAYS? We truly have each other's interest at heart and we just love being together and sharing. With my hubby we truly LIKE each other.
WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU NO MATTER WHAT? My forever friend, Joan, who I've known since the 2nd grade. That's 63 years girls!!! Even though she lives in NM and I live in OK she would help me and be there for me with a telephone call.
WHO DO YOU CONFIDE IN? My husband. There are absolutely no secrets between us. Don't tell me something if you don't want him to know too because I tell him everything.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST-FRIEND'S NAME? Joan and also Don & Barbara
WHAT CHARACTER FROM THE MOVIE 'OVER THE HEDGE' ARE YOU AND IN WHAT WAYS? No clue. I am not a movie fan or watcher.
DO YOU LIKE BLOGGING? Yes, I love blogging. It blows my mind to think I can have instant connection with someone 1/2 way around the world. I love hearing about others lives and thoughts. I've been amazed at both the depth of discussion on one hand and the inane and petty discussion on the other.
WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE PET PEEVE AND WHY? Someone who tried to manipulate me or a situation.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO? I love studying The Word and anything related to my Lord: preaching, music, discussions.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Don't play them but I use to like Monopoly
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Don't have one.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? Hands down, Arthur Murray on Prayer. This book changed my life.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? In the garden, Impatients because of the many colors and the massiveness of the planting.
WHAT ARE SOME THINGS EXCITING AND DANGEROUS THAT YOU WANT TO DO? I would love to go to Israel. I think that covers both categories in the world environment today.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF SHOES? Sandals, flat or high heeled
DO YOU BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION? NO NO NO Noway not for a second
LAST ONE:IS THERE REALLY UNICORNS IN THE WORLD? No..not to my knowledge.

You're tagged if you want to be. Please let me know if you do so I can come read yours, too.

Angels #4

The angels I am going to share with you today are VERY special ones to me.

I have the joy of being born on Christmas Day.

I have always gotten a lot of comments like "It must be awful to have your birthday on Christmas and only get one present that says Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas". My parents were wonderful about that and I never felt that way.

One of the drawbacks of being a Christmas child was that a birthday cake was not on the Christmas menu, along with the pies and other normal Christmas desserts!

I can only remember two times that I had a birthday cake on my birthday.

Once was when I was 16 and my mother had a cake made for me that looked like a present.

It was wrapped in blue (icing) and the name tag read "To Susan". I was so thrilled.

The second time was about 10 years ago when my son-in-love Dave (married to our daughter Suzette and who loves to bake) made ME a birthday cake. When he made it he, of course, had no idea it was only the second time I had ever had one.

Talk about being surprised and happy. I was.

Christmas 2005 was the first time in a number of years that all 4 of our children were together for Christmas. It was such a wonderful and blessed time. Our daughter, Jacque, who had survived hurricane Katrina, had moved here with us. Our son, David, who lives in California had just married Nicole in April and they were here with us.

Just a grand time!

After dinner, and opening presents, Jacque walked out with this birthday cake!!! Now the cake alone would have thrilled me beyond words but as you can see......the cake was topped with four 3" porcelain angels. The angels each have a name and a different colored glass heart stone. Left to right there are: Hope (David) - Faith (Jacque) - Love (Marc) - and Joy (Suzette). I was weeping with joy!!!!

These 4 very little angels have a prominent spot

Not only to remind me of a very special moment and my 3rd birthday cake in 68 years

but to remind me of the 4 special and very unique children My Lord has blessed me with!

Grandparents Day With Aric

Mickey and I had the privilege last Friday to attend Grandparents Day at Skelly Elementary in Tulsa with our grandson, Aric.

Here are Aric and I walking from his classroom into the cafeteria for a boxed lunch........................
We've already had our prayer and Grandpa is opening his drink can and making preparations to eat. If you look closely you can see that Aric has already opened his cookie and is proceeding to eat it first. Hmmmmm.....bet if Dad

were here he wouldn't be doing that!! But you know how grandparents are :o)
With the cookie partially eaten Aric proceeds to unwrap his submarine sandwich and prepare to eat.
Here's two of the favorite guys in my life. Grandpa Mickey and Aric just before he goes back to his class to finish out his day.

It was a fun time and we are so thankful to be a part of Aric's life and activities.

Three Word Meme

I found this over at Momma Roar blog. I thought it looked like fun so I decided to give it whirl. The rules are simple.Answer each question in three words.No more, no less.

01. Where is your cell phone? In my purse
02. Boyfriend/girlfriend? My wonderful husband
03. Hair? Salt & Pepper
04. Your mother? Residing in heaven
05. Your father? There with her
06. Your favorite item(s)? Bible, computer, angels
07. Your dream last night? Can't remember it
08. Your favorite drink? Water, coffee, 7-up
09. Your dream guy/girl? I have him
10. The room you are in? My home office
11. Your fear? My husbands driving
12. What do you want to be in 10 years? Closer to God
13. Who did you hang out with last night? Hubby doing pictures
14. What are you not? Young or thin
15. Are you in love? For 48+ years
16. One of your wish list items? Totally debt free
17. What time is it? Eight ten pm
18. The last thing you did? Church missions banquet
19. What are you wearing? Slacks, sweater set
20. Your favorite book? Murray on Prayer
21. The last thing you ate? Cherry crumble cake
22. Your life? Blessed beyond words
23. Your mood? Content, optimistic, joyful
24. Your friends? Special, faithful, loving
25. What are you thinking about right now? Limiting to 3
26. Your car? Red Cadillac Eldorado
27. What are you doing at this moment? Thinking really hard
28. Your summer? Travel with friends
29. Your relationship status? Married, mother, grandmother
30. What is on your TV screen? Nothing right now
31. When is the last time you laughed? Reading posts today
32. Last time you cried? Praying this morning
33. School? Very little college

I hope someone will give this a try, it was fun. Come back and let me know if you do it so I can come and read yours!

Angels #3

Welcome to my 3rd introduction of some of my angels.

This is my largest angel at 2'2""/

She is made of concrete and was given to me as a Christmas gift from my son, Mrc,

soon after we moved into our home in Coweta.

When you come to visit us she is there to greet you as you walk up our drive & walk.

This is a current picture and

yes, those lovely pansy's and buttercups are blooming now.

Sorry to all of you northerners still suffering in the cold!
As you proceed up our walk and onto the porch you will see this sign.

Yes, the blood line has been drawn around our entire family and our home.

We stand on His promise : "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation: there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh they dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over therr, to keep thee in all thy ways" Psalms 91:9-11

Thank you for coming to visit and letting our angels greet you..

Have a wonderful and blessed day.

Mr. Right Meme...from The Jungle Hut

My friend Rita posted this from Fiddledeedee! to her post and I thought it would be fun to do.

It is about my husband, Mickey. My Mr. Right

His age? 74

How tall is he? 6'

How long did you know each other before you got together? We meet one week-end at mutual friends in Santa Fe, NM> He was living in Colorado Springs, Co. - I was living in Albuquerque, NM. The following week-end he came to Albuquerque, NM> The following week-end he came to Albuquerque to visit part of the family of the mutural friends and 7 of us went to a drive-in movie. The next day,The friend called me and said, "Mickey said you were the girl he was going to marry." I not only was shocked but a little put out by the presumption. We married 9 months later!!

What physical features attracted you to him first? His good looks, especially his blue eyes.

What color are his eyes? Blue

His hair color? Black and he still hasMOST of it with some slight graying.

Hair style? Parted and always combed nearly.

Normal outfit? Blue jeans and boots when I met him. Now more casual slacks and buttoned shirt and loafers.

How did you meet? Oops...already answered that above.

How serious is it? Totally. We've been married 48 years and God has truly made us "one flesh".

Are you "in love"? Totally and it grows more and more each day.

Do your parents like him? Yes they did. Very much.

Do his parents like you? Yes they did and treated me lovingly from the first day I met them.

Do you trust him? Totally and completely.

Would you share a toothbrush with him? Yes without even thinking about it.

Would he let you wear his pants? We're not talking figurative are we.......they wouldn't fit!! NO, but he has a way of letting me "think" I do sometimes.

Do you have a shirt of his that you sleep in? No.

Do you like the way he smells? Yes, well....after he's taken his bath from working so hard on the yard and in his garden.

Can you picture having kids with him? Proudly wear that T-shirt!

What bothers you the most about him? That sometimes he doesn't listen to me as closely as I would prefer.

Does he have a temper? He can have if pushed to far, but his basic nature is calm, cool and collected and I love that about him.

Are you happy to be with him? We have been pretty much with each other 24/7 since 1976 when we opened a business together and then we were REA::Y close when we lived 4 years in our 30' 5th wheel while we traveled around the US and Canada.

Does he embarrass you in public? No, but sometimes I'm shocked by how direct he can be. For instance, asking a young person with a pierced nose, "Does your mother know you did that?"?".

Does he smoke or do drugs? No never on drugs. He use to smoke but Praise God gave that up..

Does he have any piercings? That would NEVER happen!

Any tattoos? No, and I'm so thankful for that because many of his age and veterans did that during the war.

Does he have any scars that you know of? Yes, on his leg from a childhool accident with his brother and a cisycle.

Is he a party dude or stay at home? He enjoys being with people, especially good close friends, but he also enjoys staying home.

Is he outgoing or shy? Very friendly6. People like and respect him. Little children love him.

Does he love his mama? Yes he did very much and that is one of the reasons he's been such a wonderful husband. If you want to know how good a husband you will have watch how much he loves his mother and how he treats her.

Would he hang out with you and your friends? Yes, he often does and is quite comfortable doing so.

Sing? Yes in church but not too well (neither do I!!). but he whistles great.

Angels #2

I

I decided today to show some of my most treasured possessions with some of my angels..

My Bibles.

Not all these books reside on this table all the time. They have been placed here for the picture! What resides on this table are the current ones we are studying out of,

The King James and The Message, plus two devotional books and our prayer journal.

The angel on the back corner lives on this table with our daily devotionals, Bibles and books.

She is holding in front of her the letters L O V E with "my family"

written on the heart that forms the O. I bought her at a garage sale.

Since she is made of fabric I decided to include my two other fabric angels.

The one sitting on the left corner was given to me by our dear friends, Jack & Mary.

The little one sitting on the big Family Bible usually sits on the blue Fostoria bowll

on the lamp table behind. I purchased her but I don't really remember where.

These are the only fabric angels I have.

Sitting in front of my Message Bible is an angel made of tin. I know she is hard to see.

She has a blue robe with red trim on the bottom, sleeves and neck. She is holding a candle.

Her hair is yellow and her wing is dark pink. She is a Christmas ornament

that I bought in New Mexico. She lives in the corner of a picture frame.

The other two, sitting on The New American Standard Bible, are matching napkin ringsmadefor meby our good friends, Don and Barbara.

Now for the other books and Bibles on the table.

In the far left corner is our daily devotional book My Utmost For His Highest

by Oswald Chambers. While visiting my forever friend in Albuquerque

in October, 1997 she had one of these and I really liked it.

For Christmas of 1996 it was part of my Christmas gifts from Mickey.

We began it on 1-1-98 and are now in our 10th year of reading it daily.

To the right of the Large Family Bible is one of my many favorite books.

It is Andrew Murray on PRAYER. I received a gift certificate

for a local Christian Book Store from some girls I worked with,

just before we left on one of our long journeys to the

Eastern United States and Eastern Canada.

When I went to select books before we left this is one I purchased.

We began reading it in July 2000 and have since re-read it 4 other times.

This is a book that changed our lives in the area of prayer.

To the far right is The J.B. Phillips New Testament in Modern English.

I have had this New Testament for many years..

To the far left front is our LARGE Print AMPLIFIED Bible.

Sitting on top of that is my newest addition...it is a

Franklin Electronic KJV Bible.

This was my Christmas gift from my dear husband, Mickey this past year.

I love it!!

To the right of the Electronic Bible is our Prayer Journal..

This journal was a gift from my dauthter-in-love from a business trip she made

to Bangladesh in 2006. It is all handmade paper and very beautiful.

SOME TIMES YOU SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST,

The Bible in the far right corner is my King James Version of the Bible.

It reads Presented to.....

"My Wonderful & Lovely Wife - Susan"

From

"A devoted husband - Mickey"

"on our first anniversary - October 4, 1959"

It is my most treasured possession.

When asked the question, "If you could only save one thing what would it be?".

I never have to wonder or think twice. It would be this BIBLE.

After 17 1/2 yeqars the pages are paper thin,

We had it rebound in May, 1978 because it was falling apart.

I love THE WORD of GOD.

We also have a Living Bible.

The Marked Reference Bible by Vondervan

and a Spanish New Testament.

No Hay Amor Mas Grande

Mickey has a The Scofield Reference Bible. It was given to him by the Pastor when he was saaved on March 27, 1959.

In addition to the various Bibles.

we also value our reference books: W.E. Vine's An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Word; Vine's Complete Expositor Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words:

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary On The Whole Bible;

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible.

One of the MANY things I have always been thankful for is being born at a time

in history where we have so much knowledge at our fingertips in books.

Never, did I fathom the knowledge that is now available to us at our fingertips

clicking away on a keyboard and accessing all knowledge known to man.

WE ARE SO BLESSED!!

My Little Angel

Do you believe in angels? I do! Why do you believe in angels you ask? Because the Bible speaks repeatedly of angels. As nearly as I can count, there are 289 references to angels in God's Holy word.

My very favorite verse about angels is "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2. Isn't that an awesome thought....we might have, or possibly will have, the honor of entertaining angels!!!

Another verse I like is "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" Hebrews 1:5&6

I received this little angel on a Christmas package when I was 8 years old. That makes her 61 years old!!!!! She has hung on my Christmas treeevery year until December, 2005 when I decided not to pack her away but leave her out to join other angels I have around my home. I have 25 angels around my home, plus a sign on my front porch that reads: House Protected By ANGELS and angel border wallpaper in my master bathroom. My angels range in height from 1 1/2" to 2'2". Many of them are very special to me, and I will be sharing more of my angels in other posts in the future, but this little angel is my favorite.

The reason this little angel is my favorite is because she reminds me of me. If you notice closely, her halo is crooked. So is mine!!! She is missing one wind. She's been through a lot. So have I!!! She's a little soiled. So am I!!! The beauty of her face is almost gone. So is mine!!! Her hands are still folded in prayer. So are mine!!! BUT she is still here, and so am I!!!

We had a pastor who use to make fun of "sissy female angels" saying that real angels are huge, masculine, massive and strong. I am sure they are, but I still love my pretty angels and they are a blessing to me. Thank you for letting me introduce you to this little angel. I hope you will enjoy meeting my other ones, too.

Early Years

I was going through some old photographs and decided to post this one of me and my 12 year old sister, Marion, taken in 1938.

Marion was so beautiful. She had dark brown hair and blue-blue eyes. I was blond with hazel eyes. My mother was 19 when Marion was born and 31 when I was born. My father was 52 when I was born. (I invite you to read my tribute to my father which I posted earlier.)

Marion died in 1985 of cancer. She was 60 years old and far to young. She preceded my mother to Heaven by 5 months. My mother grieved horribly over her death. I missed them both so much.

Home Making Memo

My friend Morning Glory at Seed From My Garden offered up this meme to anyone who wanted to play along. I think I will. It's called the

Homemaking Meme.

Aprons - Y/N? If, Y, what does your favorite look like?

No, I don't wear them but I love the idea of them I remember when my mother always wore one. When I was first married I did wear one.

Baking - Favorite thing to bake:

Banana Nut Bread. I have a recipe that has crushed pineapple and it makes it so moist and good. My entire family loves it.

Clothesline - Y/N?

No, I used a clothes line for years. In fact I didn't get my first dryer until after my 4th child was born. My parents bought it for me as a gift because with the 4th and more laundry they felt I needed one.

Donuts - Have you ever made them?

No, but I sure do like to eat them!

Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day:

Make the bed as soon as we are both up and out of it. I cannot stand an unmade bed.

Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?

Yes,. We also have an old 2nd refrigerator for overflow items.

Garbage Disposal - Y/N?

Yes. Don't have one when we travel in the 5th wheel and I miss it.

Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?

None unless you count cookbooks. I have a lot of them.

Irong - Love it or hate it?

I certainly don't love it but I do iron most things. I love freshly and crisply ironed things. When my two sons were in private Christian Schools one of the teachers commented to them, "You always look so nice and neat and your mother is one of the few that irons the clothes". I was really honored when my son told me that!

Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?

We use to have one but don't any more. The kitchen table seems to be constantly having to be cleared off though because we lay mail and other things on it. My computer dest is ALWAYS cluttered. My husband's desk is always neat and clean.

Kitchen - Color and decorating scheme.

One wall deep burgundy. The others wallpapered with a fruit cluster design with a matching border in the dining area which is white.

Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking?

Keeping a nice, tidy, clean home. I'm one that believe "cleanliness is next to godliness". I believe our home should radiate love, joy and peace. I want people to feel and sense those things when they walk in my door.

Mop - Y/N?

Yes, I sweep first and then mop with an old fashioned rag mop. Every so often I mop on my hands and knees with a mop bucket and a rag to be sure and get the corners clean.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?

In the washing machine.

Oven - Do you use the window or open the over door to check?

I have a lighted over with a window and I do look in it but usually end up opening the door. I can just see it better that way.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?

I do not make pizza. When we go out to eat it we get pepperoni usually. I prefer deep-dish style.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?

Read, work cross-word puzzles. The past few weeks - BLOG!!!

Recipe card box?

Yes,. Mine looks like a treasure chest.

Style of house?

We live in a single level brown stone with cedar trim. The cedar is painted ivory. Around the windows, doors, eves, etc. it is painted burgundy. We have a very large back yard that backs up to a green belt which rally makes it nice.

Tablecloths and napkins -

I love tablecloths and have a variety. We use paper napkins when it's just us but when I entertain I usually use matching cloth napkins. I love setting a pretty table and have 4 sets of dishes!!!

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?

Organized.

Vacuum - How many times per week?

Once at the most and some times longer than that since it's must my husband & I.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do per week?

Three or four. I remember when the kids were home doing many more.

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?

No. I do write myself notes about something important to remember. For big projects I make a list so I don't forget something.

Yard - Y/N? Who does what?

My husband does all the mowing and yard work. I do some weeding.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?

Turning out the lights and checking the thermostate. My husband makes the coffee.

This is a brief look into my home. If you'd like to join in and tag yourself, let me know so I can come read yours.

Katrina - August 28, 2005

August 28, 2005 a day thousands will never forget, but many others have. A day that will be in an indelible memory to our family.

Our daughter, Jacque, and granddaughter, Jessica, were residing in Ocean Spring, Mississippi. We are watching the news channel and all the reports through the night about the hurricane watch and this massive storm heading their way.

An evacuation notice is put out for the area where our two precious ones live in a lower floor apartment of a two story apartment building right on the beach. This is not a new experience for them. The prior evacuation they had actually packed all they could in their car and headed north to Memphis to Jacque's Aunt Helen's home. Fortunately this time they have a house on higher ground to evacuate to and decide to stay there. A policeman instructs them to take one of their cars and park it on higher ground than even the house they are going to. They heed the policeman's advise.

We receive the first phone call informing us of all the above. We wait. We are glued to the TV set and constant weather reports. The hours pass. Later we receive the second phone call. We can hear the roar of the storm over the phone. The home where they are at is a split-level with the main floor being street level and the lower floor under that opens up to the outside with a creek behind the home. Jacque informs us that the lower level of the home is flooded and the water is beginning to come up onto the main living area. Two navy wives from next door with 3 very small children have joined the husband, wife and son homeowners and Jacque, Jessica and Jessica's boyfriend, Doug. The 11 of them are going to evacuate and go across the street to another house that sits on higher ground. Jacque is calm, Jessica is almost hysterical. We are informed they have some life jackets and rope. I assure Jacque they are going to be fine. She says, "I know it mom".

We hear nothing for more than three days.

We stay glued to the TV and the phone. We are concerned, naturally, and yet both Mickey and I have "the peace of God that passeth understanding". FINALLY around 1:00 pm the phone rings. It is Jessica saying "Grandma this is Jessica". Sweeter words are seldom heard!!! They are okay. They have driven to Mobile just to be able to pick up a cell phone connection so they can call. Jacque is driving while Jessica is talking to us.

The story: they had waded across the street in chest high water. A single man lived across the street by himself. His home set on a little higher ground, why they had gone there, plus he had a second story if the water had gotten up that high. Thankfully it had not. These 11 people, some of them strangers a few hours before had weathered out the storm together.

The crises is over. Ours are safe. Many others are not.....we all know that. Now comes the nitty gritty facts of trying to figure our where to go and what and how to do. Because they had evacuated so many times before and nothing had "happened" this time, not only did they decide to stay in town but did not take much with them. They thought they would be gone probably a day or so. Jacque had a pair of jeans, a couple pair of shorts, a shirt and some tops, flip-flops and tennis shoes. Jessica had about the same but no tennis shoes. Can you imagine the devastation and having to walk around in flip-flops? Jessica's car, the one they had driven to the house was completely flooded and ruined. So was Doug's. Jacque's, which thankfully they had parked where the policeman had instruction them, was okay except both the front and back windows on the driver's side had been blown out. There was no gas to be found. They had siphoned the gas out of Jessica & Dougs cars and put in Jacque's to get to Mobile to make the phone call. They are okay on food and walk long distances to obtain bottled water. They cannot find Jessica any tennis shoes.

Disastrous times bring out the very best and the very worse in people. You find out your true "metal". When finally some gas trucks got into the area they had to pay $5 a gallon for gas. Price gorging? They finally got to the Salvation Army trying to get some money. They would not give them any. They were giving food and clothing but not cash. FEMA-----you know the news stories on that at the beginning. Who did come to their aid? The churches and Christians of course. Jessica finally got tennis shoes!!! They got more clothing, water and additional food.

We are frantically trying to get money wired into them. The banks are down. Finally we find we can wire money to them through Walmart but not the Walmart in Ocean Springs. We have to wire it to Pascagoula and they have to get there to get it. The same with trying to buy a cell phone. Took them 1/2 a day to buy a cell phone.

One of the "funniest" things was people would say to us, and to them, "Can't you go over to the apartment and salvage some things?". The entire 2nd floor of the apartment building had fallen onto the lower floor where their apartment was. As Jacque told us "When we finally got to the apartment area to see it we could not even tell exactly where our apartment had been".

What is the end of my story and how are our two precious ones doing? Fabulous! Jacque decided the best thing for her to do was come back to Tulsa. So on September 14th, 17 days after Katrina she left and drove to her Aunt Helen's in Memphis for the night and then arrived at our home in Coweta on September 15th. Now remember she is driving a car with both the driver's side windows blown out and the door won't open so she has to get in on the passenger's side. But get here she did. Jessica decided she did not want to move to Tulsa because of boyfriend, Doug. We were not happy about that decision but she was 19.

If you've been reading my blog you know that we own a 30' Jayco 5th Wheel. When we decided to stop our travels and settle down at home and church we put up the 5th wheel and the truck for sale. The truck sold immediately. The 5th wheel did not. We tried for one month and then decided it just wasn't God's will. Mickey had already poured a second driveway, on the other side of our property, to the back yard and had electric, water and sewer connections set up for it. We parked the 5th wheel there. Guess what? That has made a perfect home for Jacque since arriving here. She is right here with us and yet we have our privacy and she has hers. It NEVER ceases to amaze me how "God works everything together for good to those that love him".

One more thing I want to say and point out. When Jacque got to Tulsa she got excellent help immediately from both The Salvation Army and FEMA. Maybe that was because they did have the tremendous load here in this area, although there were quite a few here from Katrina. They bused in people to Fort Gruber, an old National Guard Army Base.

Jacque began an entirely new profession as a pharmacy tect with Walgreens. A position she was able to get through some church friends of ours. She is well and happy. We are delighted to have her home. We are delighted that she and her sister, Suzette, and brother, Marc are enjoying each other. Her niece, Oksana, and nephew, Aric, absolutely love having her here because she spoils them!!!

I do want to say that the pictures I have included were not taken by Jacque but were ones that were sent to her. I would give credit for them if I knew who to credit. I am thankful to have them for this post because they really show what it was all about.