Off and running like a herd of turtles

Some days I just cannot get it together...........no really I mean it. I'm scattered at best. I do have a routine that I try to incorporate in my life, but at times it doesn't' work out like I want. I would like to add some stretching and yoga into my daily routine.....the only stretching so far that I've gotten into is reaching for the coffee pot. LOL.. I would like to have a mulligan on my choice of care of my body as I matured. OK? I know that's not possible,... but,... how does one make themselves do what they no longer like. I used to be VERY athletic, I was on the track team, tennis team, I taught PE my senior year of high school, in college, I fenced (not on the black market), took swimming, walked, skated, rode a bike everywhere...........now that most of my body has gone south and further south than Kentucky, I'm wishing I'd kept up with that as I got older, and heck now that I'm pretty old, it's catching up with me. OK, I'm going to quit whining now, and go get my Yoga DVD and put it in the player and enjoy my coffee while I watch it...........Peace!

I voted

I voted this morning at 6:30 a.m.....there were no lines, but hey I live near a small town, (thank goodness). Go vote, it's important! Peace

Time Change

I love falling back, it's easy, it gets light earlier, can you tell I'm a morning person? I don't like it getting dark so early, but hey, if we didn't do everything "by time", we'd not know the difference. Native Americans didn't run around with watches and had to "hurry", or get stressed out by "running late", they lived with the flow of nature. I'm sure they got stressed out by lack of food, or getting very cold out on the plain....but not by time, they lived by doing and by watching nature. I try to get things done early so I have the day to do what I want and by the time the sun goes down, I'm ready to relax and get to sleep. I do not wear a watch, I carry a cell phone with the time on it, but most of the time, I don't know, nor care what time it is. Whew, three "time" words in that last sentence..............see how much importance we put on time? Ok, I'll quit now, it's time to work. Peace!

It's quieter now

Autumn has descended on our area, the days are shorter, the nights much longer, I am looking forward to December 21st, when the days start to get longer again.

The house is much quieter now, the kids have gone back to Iowa and their busy lives. I look forward to the possibility of my brother and sister-in-law coming down for Thanksgiving. That would be a nice break for them. They deserve it, they work hard, they have not gotten away, just the two of them for a long long time, I hope they come.

I am back at it, I'm working on jewelry for my website. I created a whole line for the gallery in Savannah, GA, and now I must repopulate my site with goodies for the eyes. So today that is the plan, I've had a some ideas rumbling around in my head, and I need to see them come to reality. I love the quiet activity of creation, however Duke hates not sitting on my lap. Peace!

Fun with Beck and Brad

On Sunday last we took a train trip into the Big Southfork National Recreational Area near our home. We took Becky and Brad out for the day and made some great memories. This train winds down the mountain, into valley's, through abandoned coal mines, ghost towns of shorts, across rivers, one goes back in time to another era. The weather was perfect, the sky was blue, the trees were in all their glory, and our daughter was here..............what more could we ask for?!? Beck and Brad gave us a whole week, Jeff and Brad fished on Wednesday, Beck and I played cards with the "girls", we ate, drank a little wine, walked in the leaves, and I loved them being here. The weather was perfect, cool and crisp, and them to the 80's, then back to cool. This morning it was in the upper 30's, extra blankets, I'm not ready for that cool yet. We rode the golf cart, shopped, laughed, made plans, and enjoyed each other. Becky saw a much more relaxed mother, happy and content. Heck she even saw me run.....our dog Duke took after a fox that ran across the street and up into the woods, and I was still in my PJ's and took out after him. I guess this old girl still has a bit of spunk, no track star, but I caught our dog and got him home.
Here's Becky with the "girls", these are the women of my mountain whom I've become part of there life and they mine...we play the card game; "Hand and Foot" every Wednesday, we talk about EVERYTHING from food to men, to life, and back to food. I enjoy the diversity in the ages, and lifestyles. These women are gracious, kind, generous, and I'm thankful they are in my and Jeff's life. They welcomed Becky as a daughter, she brought 2 bottles of Octoberfest wine from Galena, Il with her, they were gone before we knew it and so was the day. We had a few more days of bliss, and then Becky and Brad left this morning after breakfast, back to Iowa, to their home, their jobs and busy lives, I'm thankful they gave us a week of the precious time off and shared it with us. Peace.

Oh, I've added some of the other photos to the slide show on the left of this screen , if you double click on the slideshow, it will open into a larger new screen, I hope you enjoy them....

They're Heeerrrrreee!

I'm so tickled Beck and Brad have arrived and it's like we've not been seperated by time and space. Sunday we took the train down into the Big Southfork National Recreation Area, just south of our place, and had a ball. The day was warm, the sun was bright and all is well in the world. I'd love to have the whole family down here someday, we'd tear the place up with fun and giggles. Our autumn has been beautiful so far, out trees are already heavy with color, crimsons, ochres, garnets, blood oranges, breathtaking! I'm glad the kids could see our mountains full of texture and colors. Brad wants to fish today, so he's going down the road to Mary and Gary's dock and drown a few worms. I plan of just enjoying the fleeting time with our oldest and her hubby their time here will be too short. Peace!

I am counting the hours until they arrive

The kids are coming, the kids are coming. For a whole week, what fun we'll have, and they can destress, unwind and breath. Both Brad and Becky have stressful jobs, they are a busy couple socially, spiritually, they always are running here and there....now in Kentucky, you go up yonder and sit a spell.........we'll do that too. The trees are beautiful right now, the earth is starting to take a sit too, so we'll just enjoy the peace and quite, take a little golf cart ride, a train ride and fish alittle too. I can't wait until they are here! Peace!

Sadness

In my post just before this I spoke of my grandchildren and the joy they bring, and with that I wrote of the promise of a new life to grace the face of the Earth next year. This was not meant to be, little Naomi Rae went to be with the Lord yesterday, and I never was able to see her face. But, someday I will. Peace

Miss Them

Sarah my "bead girl" .................................... Grace, easy to be with, loves to laugh............
Alex, smart, inquisitive, cool guy.................. Ian & Anniken, sweet hearts who loves to laugh..

All these children are part of me, their mannerisms, smiles, frowns, likes and dislikes, and I miss them terribly. Sarah loves to bead, make her own earrings, or crown as she is wearing in the photo, I saw her born, quite and peacful. Grace is great to snuggle with, she loves to tell stories, she'll be 9 on Friday, I was there at her birth, it seems like just a few days ago, her warmth fills a room, Alex is full of questions, ideas, and opinions. He loves creepy mouse, and laps are his favorite place to sit. Ian is a shinning soul, with wit, warmth and goofy laughter, his birth was somethig to behold, he never took his eyes of his mom, and Anniken is finding his voice, his smile is contagious, and his heart big. These little people will have a new playmate next year, a new little soul will venture into our crazy world, and bless us with smiles and laughter too. I miss them, I miss them. Peace

September is here...

I am looking forward to cooler days, and colors of our leaves to change. They are past their goal of green, and changing each day as I watch them. The lake is less busy, families are home, back to their routines, its quieter now, I'm glad. The lake has been so still. We had a mother and her baby deer pass by our front porch last night, they were a soft tan, and looked well fed. They crossed the road and disappeared into the forest. Quietly nature presents itself to us, and I pay attention to the life around us and I'm grateful. Peace.

Jewels

As I look around I see all a facets of this life, I use the metaphor "facets" because I see my life as a jewel. Light (life) bounces all around and shines back at others. We go though different phase, friends, struggles, highlights, and day to day living, but I've learned that my attitude makes all the difference. I have learned to be at peace with my life, the good and the bad. The part that sparkles the most is my family.
My husband is WONDERFUL, he's caring, honest, loving and kind. He cares deeply for me and shows it each and everyday. We have an easy relationship, we respect each other, and care about each others lives. I'm lucky.
Our family is also one of the facets in my life.
I miss my family, my grown children with a deep ache, my grandchildren, their lives, their growths, their special moments, but in my heart, I know I'm close, I'm with them. I miss my friends, I only had a few, but I miss them too. I have made new friends, and that has been a great liberation for me, as they have "taken me in" just as I am, not what I can do for them, or title I posses, but just because. These women are spectacular each in their own way. However they do not replace family. My family is the most precious thing to me. I don't own them, I don't posses them, I just love them with all my heart.
Our oldest daughter and her husband have just become "parents" to a 7 year old girl named, Sylvia Nanjala, she lives in Kenya and they support her. She is beautiful. Becky hopes to go meet her next year on a mission trip.
Our youngest daughter is expecting in March of 2009, she hopes for a girl, she has 2 boys. She is excited and scared at the same time. Life will be busy for this family for at least 18 more years.
Our son has 3 children, they are wonderful parents and wonderful grand kids, they are one of the facets in my life.
They all posses light, they reflect that back to me and my life, that jewel glows brighter. Peace

Changes

The older I get, the more I think about the changes in my life. They fall into categories: 1. Changes I've made. 2. Reluctantly made changes. And 3rd. Forced change.
Each day is a change. Our date changes, our routine sometimes changes, (thank goodness), and well I guess that is what keeps things fresh. It is said that people in general hate change. But, I like it, it keeps me guessing, aware, alive, moving forward. Wouldn't it be awful if each day were the same as yesterday?
It would be like being in prison. I was thinking about that the other day. I actually know someone who will spend the rest of their natural life in prison. No freedom, no choices, no changes. Oh, maybe to the menu of the day's food, but no changes. Day after day, the same. Year after year the same. Nothing to look forward to, except maybe a visitor now and then, but after a few years I think that would dwindle...oh change would be wonderful for this individual, low boredom threshold, but that was given away with the freedom. Imagine, no vacations, no events, no room for change, no freedom to make changes, no changes at all. Same clothes, same walls, same view..........oh I know I'd go crazy, not to mention being with the same people you were forced to be with day in and day out.
So...really is change that awful? I think not. I know I have the ability to change. I love to see what the day will bring me, what present it holds for me, what adventure I can make with my choices and changes, whether it be in attitude or mood, or decision of what to do that day. Changes have been an integral part of my life, change has made me "who I am" today. I feel like I've not been a spectator of my life but a full-blown participant. Oh yes, there are some who are spectators, the live the small, flat-butted life, watching their lives go by and not having any desire to have a say in it, no, no changes for them. No names, no judgement, just an observation, but true none the less.
Changes I've made...I've moved, gotten a divorce, remarried, started my own business, learned to drive a motorcycle and a golf cart, took up golf, laid down golf. Became outspoken on domestic violence, stepped out of my shell, and into the world.
Changes reluctantly made...not too many here, just a few because of growth issues... lost touch with those once part of my inner-circle.
Changes forced to make...buried parents, grandparents, cut off communication with people who are judgemental and self absorbed and tiny in spirit and kindness.
Each choice has shaped me, whether I liked it or not into me, just me, and I do like me, I know my Heavenly Father likes (loves) me, so that's about as good as it gets. Change is good. As far as my life...I want to go out with my hair on fire. With zest, vigor and skid marks. Heck I only get to do this once, so I'd better take care of this present and change today for the better. Peace!

Reaquaintance

This has been quite a morning, after i finished my work and emails I happened to go on a website that allows you to peek into the lives of people you once went to school with. For me, high schools, well, that's been a long time ago. Faces, really not recognizable if met on the street, however faintly familiar are attached to some of the names. Thank goodness maiden names were there for the women, and some I still didn't remember. I left a few hello's not knowing if these will in fact ever be read by their profile owners, but my friendly nature compels me to do so. To my delight I was contacted by a friend from the late 60's, that I'd left a hello to. I must say I had a terrible crush on in my junior year in high school, and he even attended a picnic with my family out near Iowa City on hot summer's day. Fleeting is a word that would describe our relationship as he was older and off to college. Our paths have not met since that summer, yet I smiled as I read his words. He is on a journey to find enlightenment, and I am on a journey to life each day as a gift. We are not so different, yet our paths are, I believe are the same, yet very different..... I guess, simple is the word that delights me, I live very simply, yet I believe I stretch each day to it's fullest, and give all the glory to my Lord. I know that I'm not the wisest person on the planet however I choose to go for the truth, or the truth as I know it. It makes my days longer, my eyes clearer and my sleep sweeter. I am neither judge nor juror. I am excited about life, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, it's part of the rhythm of life. At times I whine, but then since I have no cheese, I quit....ha ha. I've had moments of deep sadness that have made me a better, stronger person, more caring, less judgement I believe. I enjoy an even keel, a calm sea, and a gentle breeze. I hope my friend finds what he is searching for, he'll find it in quiet, peaceful times, and gentle smiles for those that love him. Peace

A new day a new "thing"

Hi, Nancy nurse here, It's funny how life throws ya a curve once and again. I don't like to talk about medical maladies however this one is a growing concern in the medical field. Vitamin D deficiencies. I was just diagnosed, it has a long litany of side effects. Suppressed immune system, bone loss, 70% greater chance of death...the list goes on and on. That might explain why I was so very sick in the spring and could not get better! So, I am speaking out, asking you to ask your doctor at your next appointment, or if you have a blood draw coming up to have a Vitamin D level checked. Normal range is between 32 - 100, I was at 24.7, and had symptoms I was unaware of having. However my doctor spotted them. I will not list them as I don't want people doing the self-diagnose thing. Don't go out and buy mega doses of this vitamin, you should not self-diagnose, you need to be seen by a professional. I have been placed on 50,000IU for 8 weeks, dosing one pill a week, then I will get a recheck.

Physicians are saying with people being indoors, lactose intolerant and other factors this deficiency is showing up more and more. My neighbor who is 70, her tongue was cracking down the middle, Vitamin D deficient. Who knew?!?

So, be your own health advocate, ask for a check and stay healthy!

B-T-W

I'm making a public announcement!

'I fixed the dishwasher myself."

Now, let's see how long it lasts............Peace