Tis the Day

Tis the day before my birthday

and all through the land

I've been sprinkling sunshine, 

As much as I can!

I've been posting on Facebook

of things funny or queer

things of importance

of what happened that year

the year I was born, 

nineteen fifty eight

it seems rather important

to make note of the date.

Tonight I will party

oh what fun it will be!

tomorrow will just 

be my sweetie n' me!

So, I need to get ready

you know how it goes

a birthday girl has 

to be on her toes!

Make Up and Hair

and Fancy Clothes

Jewelry and Perfume

but NO panty hose!!

Rockin' Robyn is ready

no need to fear!

I think 55 might be my

very best year!!

Reflections

Meet Bossy, Hossy, Saucy and Flossy. Everyone knows Thumbkin.

Several years ago my sweet niece gifted me with these ADORABLE fun winter gloves. I just love them and must admit to seeing raised eyebrows when people see what my fingers are sporting! But hey, I love to play and I love to have fun--- and I don't mind a strange look or two!

I think that is truly something to celebrate... when we reach that time in our lives when we can laugh at ourselves. Not take ourselves too seriously. Being ME and being comfortable in that. That's a gift!

In high school I watched from the sidelines as the popular girls flirted with the jocks, never dreaming they might have had just as many insecurities as I did. They had the looks, the hair, the wardrobe and the personality. It seemed like they had it all. And what did I have? A flat chest, a sad wardrobe, acne, strict parents, bad hair days every day and no idea how to act if a popular boy was to ever give me the time of day!

mooooving and grooooving.  it was theme day at work...

I think going to my high school class reunion last year (35 years) really helped cement the fact that we are all just people trying to live our lives as best we can. We were all struggling in high school to figure out this thing called life and some of us seemed to have a better handle on it then others. Or maybe just faked it better.

I think the first time I looked in my mirror and liked who I saw was when  I was approaching my mid-30's. I saw a clear smooth complexion, curves in the right place, cute clothes to enhance the curves and a much more flattering hair style. I knew more about how to wear make up and not look made up. I was gaining confidence as woman and that went deeper than what I saw looking back from the mirror at me.

goofing off while on vacation

The first time I let my sweetie see me without make up, sporting a bed-head and desperate for coffee was a major step. But the first time I went on a church retreat and let the people in my small group see me sans make up, sporting a bed-head and desperate  for coffee was the moment I knew I had arrived.

what do you call a lack of coffee? Depresso....

I have trembled slightly when I have written the number "55"... it's kind of a big deal you know? BUT I remember feeling like I was OLD when I turned 25 and my first born started kindergarten and my sister remarked that I was a 1/4 of a century old. (thanks sis!) All the subsequent birthdays have rolled by with ease... at 40 years of age I was happily (re)married, working in a job I took great pride in, growing deeper in my relationship with Jesus and loving my life. I did not flinch over my age but happily agreed with the gal in the mirror that I looked as good as I felt. (lest you think I brag, let me assure you, I looked good BECAUSE I felt good and that inner glow makes all the difference)

well, hello there!

At 50, I took stock in my life, assessed the damage that fifty years of good (and bad) living had done and decided that perhaps the bloom on the rose was starting to -- uh--- droop just a tad. Gravity was having it's way, whether I owned a fitness center or not!! Hot flashes, love handles, and some unsightly gray (can't even call them silver-- they were definitely gray) hairs cropping up, were all just par for the course. Still, in spite of those things I realized there were much more important things to focus on; relationships being #1.

I think my relationship with God really moved into a much deeper priority by then and it saddens me to think that it took that many years to place Him that high up the ladder. Yes, I have been a believer since I was 9 years old but I didn't really think about how He might have plans for my life and I might want to consult Him on those plans from time to time. (I realize Moses was in his 80's before God brought him into the ultimate purpose his life was designed for but I think I caught on earlier than that!!)

A few years ago I asked God to help me see myself as He sees me and while I know I still have a ways to go in this, I realize now, I always will. But the confidence with which I pursue life these days comes not just from the life experiences I  survived, but from understanding and believing that I truly am a Child of God; redeemed, forgiven, washed clean, sanctified, set apart and chosen.

So, here comes 55 and I think I am ready. I recently lost 25 lbs and this is the least I have weighed in about 20 years. I am walking 3-4 miles almost every day and reaping the benefits of  good physical exercise. I got my hair cut and colored today and feel vibrant and sassy.

the price we pay for beauty...

On the outside, the bloom may be coming off the rose, but inside.... inside, I know my purpose in life --as a writer, as a woman, as a wife, and I love each and every aspect of those roles. God still has a plan for my life. And I am determined, by His Grace, to know it and live it.

for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, plans to prosper you and give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29.11

One More Day... One More Week...

I loved the roller coaster at the fair. Not so much loving the ride my emotions are taking as one more sleep brings a good bye. I find myself fighting the tears as another wave of anxiety and fear rises, I bite back words of snarkiness and push down feelings of resentment. I surrender it constantly in prayer and the peace that comes is fleeting but I press in to Jesus even more because I know He is here with me. I know He is walking with Bruce too, as he scrambles to finish his lists, to make sure that things will not unwind and unravel during his absence. He has a lot on his shoulders, both as trip leader and organizer, and as a working man and husband. So many responsibilities to manage.

Yesterday we knocked a considerable chunk off the list as we navigated the stores in search of supplies he still needed. But at one point, I reached my limit as hunger and weariness got the best of me. Bruce knows me well enough to recognize that if he didn't get some food in me real quick he'd lose his personal shopper so he turned the car and headed to Panda Express for some fast, good food!

~songbyrd is full~

Once my taste buds had been satiated and my tummy was pleasingly plump, I slumped back in my chair in a MSG coma and sighed. Loudly. Bruce reached over and squeezed my hand and those blue eyes I love so much twinkled. When I'm happy, he's happy.

That happiness factor is one of the reasons he is so excited for me to have sister-time. One more day till he leaves and just one more week till my sister arrives. Oh my, our calendar has filled up quickly with things we  want to do. Make jam, drive some country roads, see family and friends, visit old stomping grounds, shopping and tulip fields are on the list. And mixed in with all of that is hopefully making some progress at Mom's place with packing and downsizing as we prepare for her move in the very, very near future. Yes, it's going to be a very full week!

Weekend Happy

Saturday evening, the cool of the day.... just finished supper on the back deck, sipping our iced tea and chatting cozily about our day today and what we have planned for tomorrow....

Today was the memorial service for my Uncle Jack. It was a fitting tribute to a godly, faithful gentleman. It is a sad time for many even as we DO rejoice in knowing Jack is in Heaven with the King of kings!

It was lovely to visit with family after the service. So many of my cousins whom I really only 'see' on facebook anymore! One of my aunties and I hugged hello as she sadly commented that this seems to be the only time she ever sees me anymore... at memorial services. This is true and I think I need to be proactive about changing that! Another cousin commented that we should have a family reunion. Well, I like that idea. Time with family is important!

As hubby and I sat out on the deck this evening we talked about our families... how he has cousins but has really no idea where. He had some leads and wants to pursue them. Connections that were lost, he wants to get them back. Yes, family is important!

We talked about how a lot of my connections were broken during my first marriage so it means a lot to me to be able to spend anytime with my cousins, even when it feels awkward because of how much time has gone by.  Rebuilding those relationships are important!

Tomorrow we are taking some family time as we get whisked away on an overnight island adventure with Bruce's brother and sister in law. We are leaving early Sunday morning and just going for one night but we are so excited about it!! The weather will be lovely and this time away will be so refreshing. Stay tuned for pictures!!

A Simple Country Road

I've been spending a considerable amount of time over at my other blog these last several days. I made an interesting discovery... I think when I wrote "Broken Places" I did it on auto-pilot... sort of a self defense mechanism. Now, doing the edits and letting the story be viewed in a public setting, I am awash with emotions. Letting myself really feel what Gracie, my main character feels. Revisiting those places of hurt. I keep saying that Broken Places is NOT my bio but it certainly comes from a place of authenticity. There is a little bit of me in each of those chapters. And while I have come SO far in the healing and being made whole, it does take a lot out of a person to go traipsing back into the past. No wonder I have been so exhausted and fighting flu-like symptoms.

Yet it's a story worth telling because of the redemption factor. If just one person reads this and finds the courage to leave an abusive situation... if just one person reads this and finds healing and hope... if just one person reads this and meets Jesus..... than it is all worth it.

The other day I took a pleasant stroll down a quiet country road. It was a gloriously sunny day with fresh breezes and not a soul in sight. the lighting was fantastic and the walk was refreshing.

In some ways the walk was much like the rewrite I am doing on the novel. 

Walking a road I've been down before but never by foot. Seeing things I've seen before but from a very different angle. Having time to stop and really look. Seeing God's hand in all that is around me... His perfect creation, even as our sinful nature corrupts it. It was a simple walk but I came back refreshed.

Time with my God does that. 

and I got to see a moo-cow to boot!!

So, it's September...

My favorite month.

I truly do love Autumn but I love the approach of it just a wee bit more... these awesome sunny days that we treasure because we know the rain is coming.... warm days alternating with cool- even cold-- nights! I need to put the extra blanket back on the bed.

and did you see that MOON this weekend??? It was a Blue Moon but I was calling it a Harvest Moon because there was such a nip in the air.

School is starting and because we live right next door to the school, I delight in hearing the school bell and the buses and the voices of kids as they travel across the campus. Our backyard looks right into the football/track field. Last Friday night was the first game of the season. Perhaps it was a Pre-Game since school had not officially started yet. I could smell the popcorn from the concession stand and the lights of the football field make my bedroom glow. The excited chatter of the people in attendance and the MC over the speaker all make me feel contented inside knowing it's starting again.

I moved my peppers into the greenhouse this weekend because I am afraid the colder nights will damage them and this is the first year we've been successful in growing peppers and I really really want to eat one! My tomatoes were put in the garden and I have green promises on the vine and hubby said he'd build a protective wrap around them so they will still have time to ripen.

Suddenly things feel rushed. We wait all summer for it to really feel like summer, here in the Pacific NorthWest... and then so suddenly it's almost fall and there remain many things undone! I want to pick blackberries, we didn't go on one single camping trip and work has taken Bruce away even on weekends.

We have a sweet little get away planned for next weekend. Bruce's brother and sister in law, along with several of her extended family, rented cabins on Orcas Island for a week and invited us to come be a part of the family fun. We are going over for a Sunday-Monday as that is really all we can squeeze out right now. But we will make the most of it!

I suspect this might be my last week of 'vacation' as it is rumored that my new job will demand my presence with in the next 10 days. Today I will enjoy this official holiday, Labor Day, with a late breakfast on the deck, fresh sheets on the bed and a walk around the school track (last one I might get to take since school begins tomorrow). Yesterday was a bad day; woke up feeling like someone poured cement in all my joints and then the IBS kicked in... then I chipped off a tooth while enjoying BBQ ribs.... so I am grateful and pleased that this morning I feel almost back to normal. I want to run a few errands and check on those blackberry bushes down behind the bus garage. I want to soak up the sunshine and read a good book. I plan to work over some more chapters from Broken Places over for the This Robyn's Nest. But most of all, I plan to appreciate everything about this day.

Sits With Sunglasses

the poke in my eye with the sharp edge of a piece of paper has done nothing for my attitude the last couple of days. I can deal with a lot of things, including pain,  but ongoing pain, especially in the eye, is almost too much. thankfully our eyes tend to heal fast but I have found being outside, where moving air and light are strongest, is too much. Even starting at the computer screen adds strain to my poor eye. It's been an uncomfortable two days. I am sitting in the my house, wearing my sunglasses, administering eye drops every couple of hours and alternating Ibuprofen with Tylenol to try and manage the pain.

it's not working all that well.








On the lighter side of things, I did manage to be productive with a HUGE box of produce hubby brought home the other night. Beans and more beans stacked the bottom of the box, along with several over sized zucchini, some heads of romaine, a passel of carrots, rutabagas and onions and some snap peas to top it off. The first thing I did was sort it all out on my back deck. There were 3 types of beans so I sorted the yellow from the green and the re-sorted the yellow as there were skinny ones and fat/flat ones. From sorting came snipping, followed by washing. Finally they were ready to be blanched and frozen. I prefer freezing over canning and I don't have a pressure cooker anyway. But my freezer has limited space so it was a jigsaw puzzler's challenge to make it all fit!! Along with all the luscious berries and corn on the cob that has gone in in weeks previous, getting in my freezer is a little daunting. But we'll eat well this winter. And some of those berries will be coming out in the next few weeks for jam making. Yum!

I have not  heard anything from the Post Office. I debated contacting them and decided I would wait until Monday, which would make it exactly two weeks since I got my letter with the news of the job. I do recall the man who I met with saying that there was other paperwork shuffling that was taking place in another part of administration and there was no 'usual' time frame to quote me as to when I might hear more. But he seemed confident that I would hear something by that week's end.... and nothing happened. Meanwhile, I have enjoyed this week with no thought of going to work, other than wondering when it would happen.

This week had it's highlights, that is for certain. Monday was the lunch with the girls from high school-- still sighing with delight over that one. Not rushing anywhere all week has been a gift, even if we had monetary setbacks and stresses. Yes, even the pain in my eye cant compete with the peace of knowing God's in charge of ALL THINGS.

my sister and I at the Columbia River, fall of 2010

One more thing I want to mention to wrap up this week.....

A very fun thing I had had the pleasure to be a part of, is helping my SISTER create her own blog!! Using skype to connect and tutor her on blogging has been satisfying and I am just delighted with her launching out this way. You will find her theme of light quite illuminating, if you'll pardon the pun ;) I am sure she would welcome a visit so feel free to pop over to AniLouMinary and take a look.



Have a marvelous weekend friends!

You Just Have to Laugh

They say laughing is like aerobics for our insides. I love to laugh. 

I love to feel my insides jiggle and jog and I giggle and snort.

 I am blessed to be married to a man who makes me laugh... 

even when I'm grumpy, tired, or, angry. I mean, look at this face---

just the fact that he would willingly hop in the cart and ride the wild pony ride with me says a lot, but the man totally gets into it!! It reminds me of a time we were vacationing on Lopez Island and we stopped to explore a sweet little church perched a top a hill... and the hill was so perfectly sloped for rolling down that to not roll down it would have been a sin, and who wants to sin in a church yard for heaven's sake?! I said "Let's roll down the hill!" and I really didn't expect or even think he WOULD but he DID. I chuckle just thinking about that day.... (and I wish I had pictures.....)

Well, this has been a week where laughter has saved me. So many things have gone awry. Or not come to fruition. We've been handed some disappointments and frustrations. Faced some uncertainties and been a little afraid. Not that this is anything NEW. Not in our life anyway. Welcome to the New Normal it would seem, to have life be so upside-down. So whaddaya gonna do? It's much better to laugh about it than to stay home and pout. Pity Parties are NOT ALLOWED.

I will admit that I struggle often with self image or self confidence. Too often I have let people or circumstances define me. Finding my self worth in the eyes of other people is dangerous. What if they don't like what I am wearing? What if they don't like ME? During my school years I was defined by the circle of friends I had or did not have. During my 1st marriage I let his abusive behavior define me. I struggled hard to find things to laugh about, believing it was easier to laugh than to cry. And I had learned early on that being a sort of clown gave me some control over how people responded to me. Much better to have them laughing at me because I was funny, then to laugh at me because I was a freak!

As my husband and I were driving to a family function the other day we both admitted to the stress we were feeling before we even arrived, knowing certain people would be present. People who often make us feel like we are gum stuck to the bottom of their shoe. And I was reminded of that quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt about how no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. We started thinking about whether or not we'd been giving people permission to treat us as inferior.... really examining that, and we decided we needed to be more pro-active about not letting this happen.

Ultimately my identity is found in Jesus Christ. I've been redeemed, washed clean, set apart and made whole, holy and blameless as I stand before His Throne of Grace. I need to remind myself of this daily, moment by moment some days. I was quiet that day at the family gathering, preferring to sit and observe and every time the little nagging voice of low self esteem whispered an assault, I was quick to kick it to the curb with the sacred reminder that THAT was NOT who I was. I am accepted. I am secure. I am significant. I am free. It was amazing what reminding myself of this did for me! I felt peace in the day and I found much to laugh about too.

I am really always trying to see my glass as half full. 

I think I do a pretty good job. Yes, I fail occasionally. 

That's what the wine is for. 

Dance a Little Jig!

I PASSED MY EXAM!!!!!

I have to say, yesterday started out really stressful. I was anxious about the drive to the testing center, since I had never been there before. Driving AND map reading at the same time are about as safe as texting while driving. I always read the map for the driver which is usually my husband! Still, I found the place in record time and sat in the parking lot for about 30 minutes reading a book-- NOT the postal workers exam book-- just a good book, to calm myself. Then at the appointed time I went in, took my test and drove home. No WORRIES!! The facilitator at the testing site said I'd be notified by email as to how I did and would probably even hear by the end of the day. Sure enough, when I checked my email later that afternoon, there was a confirmation from the USPS that I ACED MY TEST. SWEEEEEEETTTT!!!!!

To celebrate last night, I sat on my back deck, in my favorite sling back deck chair, with a plate of cheese and grapes and fresh picked strawberries from my little strawberry patch, and a nice glass of wine; Chateau St. Michelle, Harvest Sweet Riesling. Yah, been saving that baby for just such an occasion!! Hubby was at a men's gathering from church so had to celebrate all over again once he finally got home. ;)

I was so jazzed about passing, because up until that moment, I think I'd been pretty nonchalant about the whole job opportunity. If I get it, I get it, if I don't I don't sort of thing. And I drove home from the test thinking 'there's no way I passed that thing-- I totally failed on the memorization part' but HA HA that was not the case. Even if I don't get the position I applied for, it's a feather in my cap, personally speaking, for one more thing I went after and succeeded in!

I still remember the fear and trembling with which I approached getting my CDL so I could drive school bus. And the exuberant jubilation I felt after I passed that test! I count these things as milestones in my life. achievements earned that say "I CAN".  I guess there is still a part of me--- a small, wee, tiny part-- but a part no less-- that whispers on occasion "you are a screw up. you suck. no one wants you"
Now, I know that's just the enemy talking and the seeds he planted a long time ago went deep. They were cultivated through abusive experiences and festered for a long long time. Thank God, thank God, for setting me free from that-- from eradicating those ugly seeds from my life and bringing healing!! Still, every once in awhile, like a phantom pain, those scars from the wound act up. shame on me for letting that happen.

But last night was all about celebrating!! And thanking God for this new experience. For giving me the strength and confidence I needed to go after it and for helping me succeed! I have no qualms about the position I applied for because I know God's got this covered.

Today I take my mom for a doctor appointment, (the foot doctor) so that means afterwards, we will get pedicures. whoot whoot! Lunch will be on the agenda plus a sweet friend with a bounty of raspberries has invited us to come and harvest a few bushes. And if we are not too exhausted after all that, hubby said "Come out to the lake and see where I'm working". It's another gorgeous day in Whatcom County and a drive along Lake Whatcom would be splendid. Not to mention the view at the lake and the houses being built out there.

A full day ahead!!  Be blessed and be a blessing.

what says Spring in your neck of the woods?

it's not the daffodils popping out of the planter boxes

or the absence of rain for the 3rd day in a row

it's not the birds chirping mightily in the Camilla bush

or the bush itself heavy with ripening buds

even the pussy willow tree sprouting it's feathery greens
doesn't convince me that Spring has Sprung.


What signals Spring in my neighborhood like nothing else
is the sound of the high school marching band
practicing as it marches round the football field next door.

We live right next door to the high school... our backyard looks over into the football field/track and we are privy to football games, track meets and marching bands!

I hear the whistle of the band major and then the pa rum pa pa pum of the drum and then the trumpets pick up the pace and everything else falls into sync. From my bedroom window I can look down into the field and get a birds eye view of the band.

They are warming up for the parade season. Memorial Day -- our local Sea to Ski Parade will be here before we know it.

Sometimes I try to take a morning nap (getting up early to get hubby off to work eventually catches up to me!) but on band marching days that will either wake me up or prevent me from dozing. Ah, it always makes me smile a little inside. Because this, more than daffodils, or birds chirping or the absence of rain, says Spring to me like nothing else.

What signals Spring in your neck of the woods?

Be Happy NOW

So stop waiting
until you finish school, until you go back to school,

until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds,

until you have kids, until your kids leave the house,

until you start work, until you retire,

until you get married, until you get divorced,

until Friday night, until Sunday morning,

until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off,

until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter,

until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth,

until your song comes on,

until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up,

until you die,

to decide that 
there is no better time than right now to be happy.

 Author Unknown

Effervescent JOY!

(Inspired by this)?
half empty ? half full? what's your answer?

my glass is  
half full

with a
bubbly effervescent

like pouring soda in a glass
rising to the
top
overflowing
then settling back down
making

room for more.

yes. that's my life.

Home

 *Sigh*

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs, Farmgirl Paints . She was talking about home and I was stirred by the feelings her topic touched on.

Yes, I am a home body. I love the days when I have no places to go or people to see or things to do. It's an irony given the fact that I also have a deep seated wanderlust in my bones. Perhaps there is a wee strain of gypsy in me... I constantly daydream about travel and moving and starting anew some where else. My ultimate dream (aside from the one of seeing one of my novels in print)  is to buy a sweet little R.V. and embark on the mother of all road trips: in and around the U.S.of.A. and travel, travel, travel for an undetermined amount of time.

Yet, this I know about myself: I will always be glad to come 'home' at the end of each day. Regardless of whether my home is right here, right now, (living room, sweats, favorite chair, near the fire) or a cozy camper (parked near a sparkling stream in the middle of heartland America-- or the middle of the Kmart Kampground) there is something about arriving home...

Although my mom received excellent care during her extended stay in the nursing home and she made friends and kept busy, I could tell how relieved she was to be back in her own home again. We all have our routines and we know where everything is and how things will be done. 

Yes, there is something about home...
it's... where your heart is.


I can't even begin to imagine (cue the song I Can Only Imagine)  my eternal home coming arrival, when I will be able to curl up on the couch of Heaven, hanging out with my Jesus, celebrating the fact that I have finally arrived!

THAT brings me a truly contended *sigh*

Autumn, Vibrant, Golden

 One of the distinct pleasures about my little rural town is the ability to take a walk down to the river.

 to be able to look up at the mountain side, it's color palette loaded with glory

to know that the road runs east and west and both directions will take you a little bit closer to heaven.

that neighbors won't mind if you stop in their yard and enjoy their generous display of crimson. in fact they welcome you!

that you can find surprises where you least expect them....

and still be awed by little furry creatures

my favorite place to go in all of Deming is just down the street, turn right and cross the rail road tracks...

the river has changed course so much over the past years but it still takes my breath away to see it

rain or shine, the Nooksack River is beautiful

winter~spring~summer~fall anytime is a good time to visit the river~~

~~shimmer and shine; sunshine on the water looks so lovely~~

~~take a stroll down the river dyke and sing a little John Denver~~

relax on a "rock"ing chair~~ :) and sing some more.....

sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!

sunshine on my shoulders makes me high

~~if I had a day that I could give you, I'd give you a day just like today~~

goldenrod and sage

 a perfect day for reflection and praise!

and yet, summer is not completely gone....

for in my yard, a little bloom lingers

I love the overlap of the seasons.

happiness

my daughter posted this sweet picture on my facebook wall and I just had to share it.
You see, this was the song I sang to her (to both my babies, actually) when I rocked her to sleep at night. Or stood over her crib. Or while we rode in the car.

It was the song my mother sang to me.  And the song my daughter sings to her children. Love that!

My daughter had a Winnie the Pooh bear that she had to sleep with every night. When her first baby was born, she found a little musical chip that played this song and sewed it inside the bear so her son could sleep with her Winnie the Pooh and she would sing to him in time with the music box. I found a little music box that played You are My Sunshine and gave it to my daughter for her birthday one year.

As you can see, it is a special song in our family.

I celebrate the family tradition today along with the fact that we also know the TRUE Sunshine of the world; our Heavenly Son-shine.

~~blessings this Friday~~

fresh and new

going to get my haircut this morning and I am excited. nothing too different really, just a trim but even a trim can make your hair style feel so much better. and I'm long overdue for a trim.

looking out the window at the rain-stop. the birds are chirping and while I don't see any sunshine, there is a hint of warmth in the air and the grass is dewy and the trees glistening with left over rain drops.

fresh new day. fresh new perspective. 

the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His tender mercies are new every day. Great is His faithfulness.

Lists

It's Friday...
what a week it's been! A good week, a challenging week.
As I head into the weekend, I have lists.
What to pack for our road trip next week.
Food to prepare, food to buy.
What still needs to be done, cleaned, arranged...
yes I have lists!!

I also have a long list of prayer requests.
Almost every day I get an email from someone asking for specific prayer needs.
Someone is sick, had a serious accident, is in the hospital, in hospice...
A friend is fighting cancer and preparing for a bone marrow transplant. Infections charging and fever spiking are weekly occurrences.
A family member goes to court today over child custody issues.
Another family in crisis, others out of work, and all around me, relationships needing reconciliation.
There are always things to bring me to my knees in prayer.

But if I have a list of things to do and things to pray for, I also have a list of things to celebrate!

Grandchildren!
from a plump newborn to the oldest one who just joined a swim team and is loving it!
My mom, who is so very close to moving back home.
Quality time spent with a niece this week.
My man home safe and happy after his wilderness excursion.
Our trip together next week and the anniversary reason behind it (15 years on the 28th!!)
Fresh promises and insights EVERYDAY from God's Word.
Songs to sing.

Even the very things that bring me to my knees have praise-worthy content if I look carefully. 

Ah, Saturday, How I Love Thee!

I usually sleep in on Saturdays. Bruce goes to a mens breakfast/bible study most every Saturday morning, kissing me good bye on my cheek... if he can find me under the blankets. I will stumble down the stairs a couple of hours later, blindly feeling my way to the bathroom, then coffee station, and do numerous things by rote as I slowly find consciousness. Coffee mug in hand, I will sit in my chair in the living room and s-l-o-w-l-y wake up.

Sleeping in is wonderful but I've made a sad discovery of late. It makes for a whole day of low productivity. Something goes awry with my inner clock when I doze into the next sleep cycle. I will feel groggy and lazy for several hours after I finally get up, where as on the mornings I defy logic by getting up when the alarm clock says, once the coffee has peculated inside my brain, I'm on the train full-steam ahead! Crazy huh?

This morning I got up shortly after my husband did. He was in the shower and I acted like it was a regular work day morning!! GASP!! I made the coffee, fed the cat, let the cat out, started --GASP-- a load of laundry and --another GASP!!-- made the bed!  All before 7:30. Um, am I feeling alright?

Yes, yes, no fever, I'm fine really. I just woke up and decided to get up and stay up. I don't know why. I watched Bruce leave; he was humming and smiling. He loves his mens group and I love that he loves it. I contemplated my choices and going back to bed was not one of them. I just feel awake and leaning towards productive and I am glad to be alive and enjoying this beautiful morning!

I had a date with my husband last night-- that's two Fridays in a row-- and we have something fun planned for this afternoon. All which makes me feel relaxed, happy and cherished.

I visited the Weekend Link Up page and read some new blogs. I checked Facebook and I felt the sun on my face. And you know what? This mornings activities have been just as cozy and comforting as hitting the snooze button and snuggling under the blankets.

I think this is going to be a really great day! Hope yours is too.

A Day with Miss Millie

a quieter day today and time to process things a bit...

Among the other things we did yesterday was pay a visit to dear Miss Millie. Still living alone at 94, in her cozy apartment in Lynden, Millie was thrilled to have us stop by. She served up coffee and a plate of homemade peanut butter cookies -- yes-- that she baked herself just the other day! Her eyesight is nearly gone but she still keeps active.

We know Millie from our days at the little church in Deming. She has often taken credit for the two of us 'young people', as she calls us, getting hitched. You see the first time Bruce and I made an appearance at church together was one of those 'we are going public with the relationship' moves that can set tongues a waggin'.  the little old ladies in the church were just delighted to see that poor young man smiling and looking so twitter-patted.  And they whispered their delight behind wrinkled spotted hands and winked at each other with conspiratorial knowing. Except for Millie. Miss Millie has NEVER held back when it comes to speaking her mind.

I still remember how she approached us after church. Standing close to one another-- but not too close-- in the fellowship room-- and trying to look as nonchalant as possible about having arrived together and having just sat together in church. Millie leaned towards me and with the twinge of Oklahoma still strongly apparent in her voice, asked straight out "Well are you two kids goin-to get married or what?"
I was taken back with surprise but I am sure Bruce was ready to faint!! I think I sort of laughed nervously and said 'Um, we've only just started dating!"
Millie looked Bruce up and down then turned back to me and said quite emphatically "Well, if he keeps you danglin' too long you send him to me. I'll get him on track!"

We had a good time visiting with Millie yesterday. She regaled us with tall tales of her youth back in Oklahoma. She was raised by her pa and ma (grandma and grandpa) because her mother died when she was just a few days old and her daddy had to work and had a whole brood of kids to care for.  Millie is full of what we call "Millie-ism's"
Phrases such as  "I was too sad to cry and to mad to cuss." 

She talks about her aunties; There was my marrying aunt-- she's been married about 5 times. And my drinking aunt-- don't have to ask why we called her that! And then there was the prissy one who married a Doctor and don't she think she was fine stuff from then on!

Meet Millie on the street and ask how she is and she is likely to answer most flippantly "Drunk!" and keep on walking. When she served us coffee she asked  "Now do you take anything in it because I'm out of cream and I drank all the whiskey." She makes a lot of jokes about drinking whiskey but I doubt very much she has ever touched a drop in her life. She just likes being funny and she loves to raise your eyebrows.

She loves her kids, babies, and Jesus and loves telling stories about all three.  Millie is in her own words 'fat and freckled and still a red head!" I'd say at 94, that's a good thing to be!

Like An Old Denim Shirt

"Saturdays should be like an old denim shirt." I said this morning to Bruce as we sat on our front porch sipping coffee in the sunshine.

(Except he thought I said "...like an old Deming shirt." and was trying to figure out which of his shirts looked like our little town of Deming.)

But really. I have an old denim shirt and it's awesome! It's large enough to hang loose. It's soft from many washings. It's light weight and easy to wear. I don't have to worry about spills because it already has paint stains in a couple of places. I can roll up the sleeves and get to work if I need to. It will fit over other clothing. It is comfortable and comforting. It's the perfect Saturday shirt and it is a perfect example of what Saturdays should be like.

So today, I put my old denim shirt over my P.J.'s and basked in the morning sun as I sipped my special brew and chatted with my sweetie about our plans for this day. I love Saturdays and all they are intended to be. A day to catch up on sleep. A day to enjoy a second cup of coffee without feeling rushed or guilty. Time for contemplation. No hurries, no worries. Pancakes with fresh strawberries for breakfast. A dump date* with my sweetie!  I think I'll wear my old denim shirt.

* dump date: a day where we take a load of garbage to the dump. it may not sound romantic but it's a measure of uninterrupted time together that always seems to spark deep conversations. Maybe it's the subconscious thought of hauling away the old junk to make room for fresh and new that causes the reflective conversations. Whatever the case, we have a lot of fun doing it.