New Year's Eve

It's cold this morning, right now it's 11 degrees.  I just made several trips outside to the storage shed to bring in the boxes for the Christmas things, because today is clean-up day.  I almost didn't put up a Christmas tree because it is a lot of work for these 80-year-olds, but I'm glad I did because we really enjoyed it, and we had people over several times to help celebrate the season.  But now -- time to clean up!

This cold weather reminds me of growing up in South Dakota, walking to our country school in very cold weather, doing chores no matter what the weather was.  And then I lived in Winnipeg, Canada for 3 years and it was very, very cold there.  I didn't have a car, so I would take a bus to work -- first wait for the bus at the stop about a block from my house, then transfer buses on the corner of Portage and Main -- a 15 minute wait on the coldest corner in the city!  In a way winter in Winnipeg was like winter here -- the sun was usually shining in a cloudless sky so it would look beautiful outside, but it was really cold.  From there I moved to Madison, Wisconsin where we got lots of snow and cold weather.  And next I moved to Cleveland, Ohio where it was always gray and cloudy in winter.  I did not like Cleveland - either in winter or summer. 

But the thing is, when you live in these climates you adjust, you dress accordingly and you don't stop your life just because it's cold.  In Winnipeg little children would be playing outside every day, no matter how cold.  They would be totally bundled up so you'd just see their eyes and little nose, but they were having fun.  The older kids would be playing hockey in the streets, and even adults would be out with the curling brooms having on the ice and snow.  Tobogganing was popular.  It was a healthy way to live.

This weekend we will be getting warm temperatures again, the snow will melt and we'll be outside without coats.  That's how Colorado is.

2015 has been a good year for me.  I started January 1 with a resolution to lose weight, and to date I have lost 38 lbs and it wasn't even hard.  I still want to lose more because it feels so good to not carry excess weight around.  So my resolution for 2016 will be to continue with the weight loss, and also see about being able to walk better.  My arthritis has made it hard to do much walking, so I may have to see about consulting with a physical therapist or someone who knows what I should do.  Of course he'll just tell me to do exercises........

The day after the storm

About 8 inches of snow yesterday -- that's the verdict for where we live.  The sun is out this morning, but it will have to get busy to melt all of this white stuff this time!  I grew up in South Dakota where this would have been a typical winter day; I also lived in Winnipeg, Canada for three years where the winters were very cold......however, I much prefer Colorado winters where the cold and snow never last for very long.  So today it's a good day to stay inside!

It's snowing sideways

That's what they say here in Colorado when it snows and there's a strong wind.  Where I come from we called it a blizzard or a snowstorm.  It's been "snowing sideways" since about midnight, and most schools are closed today which I'm sure makes many children very happy. 

My friends and I had planned to drive to Longmont and Loveland today for some shopping in some new stores, but it's been postponed till next week some time.  I am perfectly content to stay inside all day.

This is what it looks like outside our house:

 

But the nice thing about Colorado is that tomorrow the sun will shine all day and most of this snow will melt away.  Solar power is great!

 

But my husband isn't at home -- he had an appointment to have his truck worked on today, so when I looked outside, I saw the tracks heading out the driveway.  With 4-wheel drive, it's not a problem.

 

Tonight is the next Republican debate......it's like watching a train wreck - I can't take my eyes off it!

A certain candidate is already boasting that he will be the winner - not only of this debate but also of the presidential election.  I think he is the definition of an egomaniac...he is a master of nastiness.  All I can say is "Lord have mercy!"

Two weeks till Christmas

I've been too busy to post anything the last few days, but it's been a very good busy-ness.  I am so very grateful that at the age of 80 I'm still able to be active and enjoy my family, friends and many activities.  Yesterday I went to church in the morning for the Bible study group, we are doing the Beth Moore study on I and II Thessalonions, and it is very good.  Then at noon, all the seniors started arriving for our Senior Faith and Fun Club Christmas party.  We first had a delicious catered meal, after which there were some presentations.  I was given a gift of a beautiful scarf because I've been publishing the newsletter for the club for seven years now.  After a short devotional, it was time for the white elephant gift exchange - this was done with a lot of laughter, especially when one of the ladies unwrapped her gift and it was a roll of toilet paper!  She was a really good sport about it and had fun with it -- and a few minutes later found out that there was a $20 bill wrapped up in it!  Then we all wished we had chosen that gift, but none of us wanted to steal it from her -- I guess we were all just too nice!

Monday was another good day.  I teach a Bible study group the first Monday of each month; I started this group in June of 2001 and we've been meeting together ever since and have really bonded as sisters in Christ.  This Monday we had a Christmas brunch and also a gift exchange and a time of singing carols and sharing memories.  It was a really good time together.

And then Wednesday was my Christian Women's Connection luncheon -- again we had great food and a wonderful speaker.  We used to have these luncheons every month, but the last few years we have had to change to every other month, simply because so many women went back to work or left for other reasons.  In October we had our annual "Country Fair" as a fundraiser for missions; we raised over $2,500! 

Oh yes, I must not forget about this past Sunday.  Our church has quite a large Deaf ministry; on Saturday they had their annual Christmas party but I wasn't able to attend because I had two other parties to go to, so I went to their Sunday School and their worship service on Sunday.  They have interpreters who speak the words out loud for those of us who are not deaf.  The speaker was a visiting Deaf evangelist who was born in Nigeria and raised as a Muslim.  He was very interesting.  He became a Christian after someone kept on telling him about Jesus and what really impressed him was that Jesus had risen from the dead, while the prophets of other religions stayed dead.  This group also presented me with a gift because I have been helping them for seven years.  I don't know American Sign Language, but I wish I did so I could communicate better with them.  We do have conversation with paper and pen.  If I thought I could do two things at the same time, I'd try to learn sign language, but I don't think that's possible....

Today I was at home all day doing laundry and making Christmas cards.  We are scheduled to get some snow tonight which is ok, because the last few days have all been very warm.  I was able to go to all my activities without a coat in the middle of December.  I would very much like to have some snow for Christmas, as long as the roads aren't too slippery so I can't do the things I want to do.

Now it's time to relax in my recliner; one of my favorite TV shows is on today, "Shark Tank".  There isn't much I watch on TV, but I always enjoy this one. 

A trip into outer space

Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, has volunteered to send Donald Trump into outer space......I'll volunteer to light the fuses on the rockets......

Christmas Joy?

Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy.....
That's what's written on all the Christmas cards...
Everyone tells you "Merry Christmas" (except now many are afraid to say the word 'Christmas')..
There are supposed to be many happy times of families happily getting together....

And this year, I am really feeling Christmas Joy.

But I remember many other years when there wasn't much joy in my heart.

I was raised by good, Christian parents, but my Dad could never wait till Christmas Day to give me my present (notice - singular -- one present) so about two weeks before Christmas, he would ask "do you want your present now?"  Of course I'd say yes, and he'd happily give me my one wrapped gift -- but on Christmas Day there would be nothing.  It would feel just like another day.

There was another Christmas, this one in 1968, when my then-husband, daughter and I flew home to be with both sets of parents, and when returning, I noticed a pair of women's boots in my husband's suitcase.....but...they weren't for me, they were for his girlfriend.  It was not a happy time.

The following year in December, I filed for divorce; my daughter and I flew from our home in Cleveland to start our new life in Omaha.  All just a few days before Christmas.  As my husband drove us to the airport, the song that was popular at the time "Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again" came on the car radio, and I started crying.  My husband chided me for crying, saying "there's nothing to cry about"....  Nothing?  The marriage that was supposed to be for life was ending, I was having to start a new life in a new city with no job and no money -- and there was nothing to cry about????  It was not a happy time.

But in 1971we had a pretty good Christmas.  My brother and his family, my daughter and I all were able to go home to the home of my parents in South Dakota for Christmas, and we had a really good time together.  Two weeks later my mother unexpectedly and suddenly died.  She was only 64 years old.  It was not a happy time.

1991 --- By now my daughter was married and living in Abilene, Texas, and I was living in the Denver, Colorado area.  I had no relatives in this city, and since moving here in September of 1988 because of a job transfer, had made some friends, but not really that many.  I knew my daughter couldn't come to see me for the holiday, and I couldn't go to see her or to see my Dad.  It promised to be a lonely day, so I checked around with the friends I knew to see if anyone else had nowhere to go.  I finally found four people and invited them to my place for Christmas.  We all tried to have a good time, but it wasn't like being with family.  But I comforted myself with the fact that at least I didn't spend the day by myself.  Two days later - December 27, my father suddenly died, and I drove to my home town in South Dakota for his funeral.  My brother, his wife, and three of his children as well as my daughter and her husband all also came for the funeral.  The night before the funeral, we all sat in the family room at the mortuary - and had a good time as a family.  This may seem strange - but we all knew that if my father, whose body was in the other room, would know we all were there and we were enjoying being together - he would be happy about it.  So it was a sad time -- and yet it was also a precious time. 

There have been many other Christmases when for one reason or another, I had to work at feeling joy on that day.  My daughter was only 3 1/2 when my first marriage ended, and for her sake I always tried to make Christmas a very special, happy time, but it didn't come easily.  There was another year when we drew names at work for a gift exchange, and there was a fairly small amount that was to be spent on that gift.  However, I had very little money then, and I hated the thought of having to buy a gift for someone in the office when I could barely afford any gifts for my little girl.  That was hard.  But I was mastering the art of pasting a smile on my face, no matter what I felt on the inside.  It's a skill that I have used many times in my life.

My next post will be a much happier post -- I'll share more of the joy that is in my heart this year.

I am thankful

Thanksgiving Day 2015 - so much to be thankful for!

There were many Thanksgiving Days in my life when it was very hard to find something for which to give thanks.  Life was hard and life was lonely.  But these days my life is full of gratitude to God for all He has done for me.  Most of all - the fact that Jesus died for me and lives for me now, and guides me, comforts me. and loves me no matter what! 

There is so much unrest in the world and I am thankful that I live in this country.  We are comfortable, well fed (perhaps too well fed), are free to do the things we want to do -- especially free to worship as we please.  We do not live in fear.  We are not in daily danger because we believe in Jesus. 

I am thankful for good health.  I do have arthritis which does cause some limitations, but other than that, I am quite healthy.  Last year was a difficult year health-wise because I had three major surgeries in two weeks due to a staph infection after the first surgery.  This has been a good year.

I am thankful for family.  I love them and I am loved -- what more could I want?

Compared to most of the world's population, I am wealthy.  I'm not wealthy if I compare myself to one of the presidential candidates who boasts about how rich he is - but he is not deserving of any comparison.  I am comfortable with what I have.

Thank you Jesus for being so good to me, for rescuing me from a difficult past and for promising me a glorious future.

A beautiful day in November

Here in Colorado we are so blessed with over 300 days of sunshine a year, and today was one of those days - a gloriously beautiful day.  The mountains are now covered with snow which adds to the beauty of this place.  I am so grateful God brought me to this location 27 years ago - a move that I have never regretted.  My life has been very blest here.

Sadness has been in my heart lately because in the last three weeks, four of my friends have passed away.  Two were former high school classmates of mine - and with only 21 people in my class, we were all very good friends.  Last night one of my lady friends died, and this morning another one died.  All had been ill, but still - I am saddened.  Evidently at my age this happens more and more, and I better get used to it!  The great thing is that all four knew Jesus and are now in heaven. 

I've had a busy day doing grocery shopping as well as some other running around, and now the dinner dishes are done and it's time to sit down with a good book and relax.  I have been reading a very good book - "When God Doesn't Fix It" - by Laura Story.  I had never heard of Ms. Story, but evidently she is a Christian recording artist, so of course I got one of her CD's and played it while driving around today.  One of the songs is especially good - "Blessings" - it talks  about "what if blessings come in rain" - and her book is her story of the pain she and her husband have endured and the blessings that they received through those difficult times.  I can relate because I have had many years of great difficulties, but it was through those hard times that I really came to know God and experience blessings from Him. 

Saturday's thoughts

I recently celebrated my 80th birthday, here is a "selfie" I took that day:

 

 

I won't tell how many tries it took to get a good picture!  Yes, I am still a natural blonde......when I was very young, my hair was almost white - especially in summer when I played outside all the time.  I expected to be gray-haired by now, but I'm not complaining! 

 

I was a little unsure how I'd feel about this birthday, because everyone else who is 80 is "old"...... and I don't like to think of myself that way, mainly because it means I probably have no more than twenty years of life left.  I know I'm going to heaven some day and that will be wonderful -- no more arthritis!!!  But I don't want to leave my dear ones....

 

But the birthday was great - there were several celebrations and I felt lots of love from family and friends.  God has been very good to me in these so-called golden years.

 

My two special grandchildren whom I'm going to call Frick and Frack from now on for privacy's sake were recently baptized.  It was a private service, just for family, and it was done in a more meaningful way than many other baptisms that I have witnessed.  The pastor talked about how God had this special plan for both of them to bring them from far away and place them in our family, and also has a plan for the rest of their lives, and they need to ask for God's guidance as they go on in life.

It brought tears to my eyes....

 

This picture was taken in front of the church after the service.  No, we're not all the same height - we're all just standing on different steps.  I love these two so very much!

 

 

 

Once again we are in a presidential campaign and mud is slinging all around.  I have a really hard time with some of the candidates who claim to be such strong Christians, and yet they are taking a strong stand against letting the Syrian refugees enter our country, as well as sounding off against all Muslims.  Do they ask themselves "What would Jesus do?"  I don't think so.  Many of these refugees are women whose husbands have been killed, women who have not had opportunities to have an education and learn a skill, and now they are alone with their children fleeing their homes with nothing but what they can carry.  I realize the risk of a terrorist being able to infiltrate the refugees, but there are ways to only admit the ones who are genuinely in need of help.  What would Jesus do?  What if I was one of those refugees, fleeing with my young child, or my young grandchildren -- where would I find food and shelter?  Who would help me?

 

There is one presidential candidate (I won't mention his name) who is not only completely unqualified, but he's also a bully and totally without tact or polish.  And because he says things that are so politically incorrect - people are crazy about him.  Do these people not think for themselves?  The things he promises to do are not possible for a president to do.  I don't think he understands at all how government works.  When I was a teacher, I taught Civics and about the three branches of government and the powers of each branch and the reasons for those powers.  This candidate thinks he would be king - or dictator.  I don't think our country would survive if he would win the election.  He reminds me very much of Hitler....and that is scary. 

 

So - enough for today.  Thanks for listening.



I am back -- I think

I stopped blogging more than a year ago because there was a problem with the host site -- but it may be fixed now -- if it is -- I'm back in the blogging world!