Quarantine...Shelter In Place

A New Year an New Adventure! Life is an adventure is 2020's understatement. This year certainly began with a bang and I'm not referring to fireworks and gun shots of New Year celebratory activities. January got off to a rocky start with lost jobs, a lost pregnancy and lastly lost time. The older we get the faster the years pass and the less time we have to do the things we want to do, see the people we long to see, have meaningful conversations with the oldsters about their future, snuggle the youngers with hugs and sloppy kisses and I love yous. Never enough time for coffee dates, or game nights, no time for girls nights or Sunday afternoon movies. I never thought those times would end but the faster the years pass the less time there is for those things that mean so much...to us.  Kids are grown, grands are off to discover the world while we hang on to every second that the littles can still find joy in our presence. Soon the time will have slipped us by and we will just be...just the two of us, wasting precious time.

So the adventure part happened the end of January when it became clear that the world was facing a pandemic of apocalyptic proportions, the likes of not seen for a hundred years. Today, half way through the year it's obvious that what turned our world upside down in 2020 is a lie. How easy it is for Satan to deceive...wake up! 

How Long Lord? Emo...

The questions of the day, How long will these tears flow, how long till this cracked and broken pot is whole again, how long till my mind will stop remembering, how long will I blame myself, how long will you allow my enemy to escape consequences, how long until you close these floodgates and give me peace. I'm so sad and feeling so low. This pain, sometime it's so far away then with a word it comes rushing back to destroy me again, will it ever be over will it ever end. How long Lord will these thoughts and doubts stop me in my tracks and knock me on my knees. [sigh...] praying

January...One Month & Counting

One month into the new year and 2020 is rolling along. Heartache seems to be the norm these days as we grow older, loss has so many faces, but these times of sadness are the reason God sent a comforter. He walks with us through the valley, listens to our tears, carries us to the mountain top and sets us back on solid ground where we can rejoice in our adversity and be grateful that once again God made a way...

I'm batting a thousand with my New Year Resolution of remembering my grands birthdays. One down in January so far, remembered it on the day but not soon enough to get that birthday card in the mail. I'm much better at remembering my kids birthday than the grand kids but so thankful for facebook and the ability to make my birthday greetings via social media. Let's see if I remember the next one. We have three January grands now. two in the arms of their mama and one in the arms of our Saviour. Our newest tiny grand arrived in heaven this month. We will love you forever sweet angel baby.

No snow yet this winter although it has been mighty cold. Some mornings have been double hoodie mornings only to have temperatures rise to enable us to shed the outer hoodie and long for an early Spring. Our reasons for flying south for the winter is to avoid the snow and escape the cold but it is nice to see some flakes of the white stuff with total confidence that it will be gone in a day. Maybe next week...this week temps will be in the 60's.

Another resolution is to lose weight and get healthy. We are well on our way, intermittent fasting, removed sugar and gluten and cut our half and half consumption in half. If it weren't for our sweet Liberty, we would be very large lumps on logs. Libby keeps us walking multiple times a day, we're drug/doctor free, not typical among our RVing friends, faithful with our supplements and continuing to learn of ways to encourage my thyroid to work properly.

So, January's view from the mountaintop is soon a memory...

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new every morning
Great is your [His] faithfulness.     ~Lamentations 3:22-23

It's a New Year...

Hello 2020! Ok so it 9 days in and I'm late at posting this but hey, it's not March or April so give me some credit... I have a few resolutions for this new year, here goes:
 1- Lose Weight
 2- Get Healthy
 3- Remember my grands birthdays!
 4- Remember my grands NAMES!! ;) LOL
 5- Be Cellophane
 6- Love Unconditionally
 7- Forgive Totally
 8- Pray Fervently
 9- Vacuum Diligently and
10- DON'T WORRY SO MUCH!!

Where's Thanksgiving and CHRISTmas is not a "Holiday"...

Here we go again, our favorite time of year, chock full with memories of children's laughter and anticipation of Christmas Eve celebratory fun, food and family. Yes, that's what has made our memories. The kids, The laughter, The anticipation, The food, The fun...and yes the gifts too. I just can't wrap my head around how today the words Merry Christmas is an offensive phrase. My kids always knew what the reason for the season was. We celebrated CHRISTmas for obvious reasons. Even though memories of the season revolve around the fun, food and frolic, the reason for the season was always because of Christ. It's not Holidaymas, it's CHRISTmas! Why we celebrate in December I don't even know the answer to that. Christians celebrate Christ daily...in prayer, in thanksgiving, in testimony of His goodness and grace. Without Him we are nothing, we have nothing...it's ALL His.

I can't help but notice, now that I'm on this 'offensive' Holiday subject, that Thanksgiving has also gone by the wayside from my memories of Thanksgiving past. I remember the aroma of turkey roasting in the oven, the sound and smell of coffee percolating in the pot, my parents pushing the kitchen and dining room tables together, excitedly waiting for out of town guests, spending hours and hours at the table eating our Thanksgiving dinner, desert pies and fresh fruit. Snacking on cracked nuts and hard candy between meaningful, reminiscent conversation with family and friends while kids raced from room to room making their own precious memories only to do it all over again with the leftovers. What happened to that Thanksgiving??
Today we don't even come together at Thanksgiving as kids grow up, get married, have families of their own, maybe move out of town or out of the state and begin their own traditions. I won't lie, my heart hurts sometimes. Christmas and Thanksgiving are not what they used to be. Used to died and now took its place my husband often says. Sadly, today Thanksgiving is all about Black Friday when that day was always reserved for tree decorating and Cyber Monday was when the cookie baking began for Christmas gift giving. Even though I lament what used to be I understand what is and cherish the memories, love the pictures, tearfully watch those dreaded home videos and vow to go on into the bright future that God has provided, making memories for our adult kids, their spouses and our grands including copious amounts of hugs, sloppy kisses and I Love Yous, the knowledge of 'knowing' Christ and yes, memories of tons of gifts under the tree.












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Pressing On...

Heartache is inevitable in life I suppose. In my 63 years my heart has been broken and put back together so many times that it’s probably unrecognizable. My heart broke with each of my miscarriages. Knowing I have children in heaven with my dad is comforting. My heart broke when some of my grand babies met the same fate. God must have been longing for them, I tell myself. My heart broke when our younger daughter was sick and then when our older daughter got sick...when I thought I was going to lose my sister and when my mom believed that   my brother and I hated each other...with the demise of “best friendships”, betrayal  of trust  and the loss of marriages and the death of beloved family members... even the four legged ones.

When your young you don’t ever think about growing old, when you’re old you’re always wishing you could turn back time and have a do over... I don't think I'll  ever get that do over, my mistakes are many,  but I  can purpose in my heart to have a start over. The Bible  says in Phillipians 3:13 to forget what lies behind and to press forward to what  lies ahead.  I'm  pressing God...pressing on.

Joy Stealers

September 2019  is gone, Autumn has been here for a week official, but the temps are unseasonably warm, an understatement, it's a HOT and humid 91* feeling like 99* Personally I can do without the heat at any time of the year but Fall should be cool balmy breezes at the warmest and hoodie weather at it's coldest. It missed us obviously but whatever the reason, we'll survive. I have a feeling when the cold temps arrive in December and January I'll have my days of complaining about the cold. Someone remind me how hot it was in September LOL

Trying to keep my mind off of that which is attempting to steal my joy and it's not the heat. It's always something, right? Politics, friends, family... LIFE! I’m supposed to not worry about stuff. Worry Less Pray More! Sorry, not my nature. That doesn’t mean I lack faith or I don’t pray, it simply means I love to deeply. I could never understand how some parents of adult kids weren’t affected by their kids heartaches and heartbreaks, estrangement and sometimes anger. I was always so proud that none of my adult kids hated me like so many of my friends and acquaintance and even some family members have shared...sigh

Back to separating myself from what brings me  the most joy. I get better at it with each crack of my heart...

💔