Don't Be A Chicken - Join Random Dozen...

It’s Random Dozen time again. Don’t be a chicken, join in this week it is a lot of fun. You can get the questions and then link up at Lid’s place over by 2nd Cup of Coffee.

Here we go…

1. How do you feel about the marshmallow Easter Peeps?

Peeps, not so much. I have never liked them; I think it is the texture, or maybe the thought of eating a baby chicken. I know I am weird! My daughter, however, is another story. She loves them; in fact I am sending her some in the mail with the kids Easter goodies. Shhhhhh… don’t tell her!

2. Chickens are notoriously nervous creatures. When you are nervous, what is the best way to calm down?

Counting sometimes helps, reading my bible, or talking to someone, listening to music, or writing in my journal.

3. People say, "April showers bring May flowers." Do you enjoy Spring rains?

I love spring rains, as long as it is not storming. Nothing like a nice steady rain with the sun shining, then searching for the rainbow, or going out and splashing in the puddles with your grandchildren.

4. When I was randomly flipping through TV channels this week, I saw a show in which tattoo parlor employees received tattoos of a co-worker's face on their bodies. I can't imagine having a portrait of a colleague tattooed on me. But if someone forced you to receive a portrait tattoo (face only) of anyone, who would it be? Why?

They would have to kill me first I do not like tattoos. Sorry…

5. Would you rather have a tattoo (any kind) or a nose ring?

See above and I feel the same about nose rings. You know if that is what someone else likes, that is their business, but neither one is for me!

6. Do you have any special plans for Easter?

No special plans, besides church. We hid eggs with Eden Jade this last week.

7. Cadbury Eggs or Reese Eggs?

If I had to pick it would be Reese Eggs. Cadbury Eggs kinda gross me out. Or the ones I had before that look like a raw egg. Yuck!

8. What was the last thing/person you took a picture of?

I would love to say it was my grandbaby Eden Jade last night, but actually it was the Full Moon. It was sooooo pretty!

9. What book are you reading now, or what was the last one?

I am reading “Beautiful Things Happen When A Woman Trusts God” by Sheila Walsh. So far it is really good.

10. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning?

Taking down the blinds and washing them. They are a pain and one of my pet peeves!

11. How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?

Probably 2 or 3. I also have a silver flip-flop pendant with Coca Cola on it and a little diamond that I received for Christmas. I love Coke stuff, I guess you could say am a collector, and that was a very special addition plus a neat necklace!

12. Which color makes you happiest?

I really think yellow, I usually do not wear it but it does make me happy. Reminds me of sunshine. And what is better than the sun shining?

Now was that not fun? Hope all of you have a wonderful Easter!

Just for the record, we had a wonderful time in Arkansas. Eden Jade is getting so big and amazes me every day with words she uses. I will try to post some pictures this next week and share some of her funny stories. We are probably off and running again tomorrow. Stan’s sis passed away and we are headed to Omaha for her funeral. That is if they do not do Patt’s (Stan’s niece that lives with us) surgery this week. She has an appointment in the morning with the surgeon.
I will try to catch up with reading blogs this next week, so much to do, so little time. Just kidding, that is all I have is time!

until next time… nel

Random Dozen in a New Land...

This weeks Random Dozen is being hosted by Southlakesmom over at I Didn’t Know THAT! She is springing in for Linda this week. That’s what we do here in the blog world.

It’s easy to see Southlakesmom has spring on her mind. If you would like to join us spring on over to her corner of the blog world at I Didn’t Know THAT! And link up. So without further adieu, the theme is spring . . . and any other random questions that crept in.

Now here is my Random Dozen for this week:

1. What is your favorite sign of Spring?

I love when the crocus and daffodils start blooming, the trees are budding, the birds are singing and everything is turning green.

2. Did you remember to spring forward on March 14? If not, how did it impact your day?

Yes, we remembered.

3. If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what vegetable would you plant in a garden this year?

Probably cucumbers, I know that sounds strange but of course I know you are dying to know why. First of all, I love to eat them when they are small right out of the garden. And there are just so many things you can do with them. I have a wonderful recipe for Fire and Ice Pickles that uses Hamburger Dills. They are so good!

Maybe the real reason I picked cucumbers is they remind me of my mom. She had a handy tip that no one else has ever heard of. You take a cucumber and cut off about ½ - 1 inch of the end that came off the vine. When cut take the two ends and rub them together for a few minutes. Most of the time a white thick like substance will appear while rubbing, sometimes it is slimy looking. Now wash them off, peel and pare to serve. This will take the bitterness out of your cucumbers.

4. Can’t wait to try it can you? If soil, time, talent and climate were no problem, what fruit would you plant?

Watermelon – who doesn’t love watermelon? It brings people together and brings a smile to everyone’s face. Nice cold watermelon on a hot day, nothing better. I love seeing people smile and enjoying each other.

5. What is your least favorite insect?

Red wasps, I hate them. There seems to be a lot of those in Arkansas, and boy do they hurt when they sting you. Here is another handy tip: I keep Meat Tenderizer in my medicine cabinet and first aid kit. It is the best thing for a wasp sting. I make a paste in the palm of my hand with tenderizer and water mixing it with my finger. I then place it on the sting and bandage it. By the next morning you can hardly tell you were stung. A friend of mine was actually told this by an Emergency Room Doctor. Her grandson had been swarmed after getting in a wasp nest under her deck. He told her to apply the paste then bring him in. He said it would slow down the poison, and it worked.

6. March 22 was World Water Day. To celebrate, here are some water questions. Do you drink bottled water? If so, what brand?

Very seldom do we get bottled water, however we did this week due to pipes that had froze and busted. We have not had water at our house in Arkansas.

7. Have you ever been somewhere that it was not safe to drink the local water? If so, how did you handle that?

I don’t ever remember being where the water was not safe to drink. I do remember a boil water order a time or two after they had a main water line break. And we just dealt with it; you do what you have to do.

8. How many glasses of water do you drink per day?

I am not a big water drinker, however I am drinking or trying to drink Liv Sxinney now. It gives the water a mint flavor, and has all kinds of nutrients and anti-oxidants that are good for you. Trying to drink 64 oz. a day, 8 – 8oz glasses a day.

9. March 24 is the birthday of Harry Houdini. Have you ever watched a professional magic show? Share.

I have never seen any professional magic shows or amateur ones for that matter. Magic has never interested me.

10. Have you ever been a participant in a professional magic show (up on stage!)?

nope!

11. March 24 is also the birthday of Steve McQueen and Clyde Barrow. Do you like Westerns or gangster movies? If so, what is your favorite?

Westerns hands down. Give me a Sam Elliott Western and I will sit back and enjoy. My hubby knows if Sam came along, I would ride off in the sunset with him, and I don’t even ride horses anymore.

12. (Really random) What U.S. state that you've never visited would you like to visit someday?

I would love to go to Virginia. My ancestors on my mom’s side settled there when they came from England. I would love to see what genealogical information I could find. I know it sounds boring, but oh it is not. It is so addicting!

Now wasn’t that a lot of fun! Don’t forget to join us this week and go over and link up!

Just a note: Having a wonderful time in Arkansas, even though we spent Friday evening in the Emergency Room with my daughter Janice. (She is ok. They think the pain is from ovarian cysts.) Then Stan was sick on Saturday, and I was sick Sunday night and Monday. We had a 24 hr bug. Eden Jade is getting so big and it is like talking to a 15 year old. She told me yesterday I was her bestest granny, how much better can you get? Yes, she already knows how to work it. Having a great time! Please forgive me if I do not comment this week, I will try to get caught up next week after we get home.

Until next time… nel

Then Sings My Soul Saturday - Are you singing?

It is time for Then Sings My Soul Saturdays at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders. If you have a song on your heart or one that is speaking to you, join in, share it with us. Last week was my first week, and there were several beautiful songs I had never heard before. If you would like to join in you can link up with Amy at Signs Miracles and Wonders. Join in the fun!

I love Point of Grace. I have seen them in person several times. This is one of my favorites and is on my heart this week. At least it is in my head. The name of it is How You Live (Turn Up The Music). I hope it speaks to you like it always does to me.

until next time... nel

Flashback Friday - First Dates

It is time for Flashback Friday once again. Actually I am a day late, was busy spoiling yesterday. If you would like to join in the fun, hop over to Mocha with Linda and see what she has for you. Don’t forget to go back after you post and Link up so we can all read about your Flashback!

First Dates… hmmm not a lot to say about first dates. I did not date in high school, not what I would consider dating. Our school had a drug problem, of course everyone denied it, but there was. And if you were not one of the cool kids you were one of the good kids, needless to say I was one of the good kids, and to top it off I was very shy and did not have any self-esteem.

After I moved to Arkansas, there was always a group of friends who hung out. We were just always together. I actually can’t ever really remember a date with my first husband. I do remember one time, there were four of us, drove 20 miles to a club called the Golden Arrow. You have to remember this was back in my wild days. We danced a little, drank a lot, then ate at the Waffle House to try and sober up, before driving home. And no back then, we had never heard of a designated driver. We had to stop on the way home in the middle of nowhere, because someone got sick. And my ex and I were trying to prove to each other which one of us were soberest, so we were out trying to walk the yellow line. Stupid, Stupid. Stupid. I did not share this to brag, far from it. It just amazes me every day what Jesus’ Saving Grace can do. How He can take a sinner and give them a new life. He loves us that much. Praise God!

My husband, Stan and I had been online friends for awhile. It was always platonic, just friends, we helped each other thru some difficult times. We started chatting every night. One fall my cousin, Kathy asked me to accompany her to Eureka Springs, and she had a conference to attend. She thought it would give me a chance to get away for a while. So I informed Stan that I would not be online for a few days. His response shocked me, He said, “Why don’t I come down and take you out for dinner?” And I was like, ooooo, ok. I have to admit I was a little nervous, online was ok, but meeting someone, that was scary.

The first night he joined us for dinner. The second night was actually our first date. We went out to eat. And he was such a gentleman. He opened doors and scooted chairs, and was just so sweet. I was not used to this, you have to remember I had been married to a good ‘ol boy.



Stan was like a breath of fresh air. After dinner, we drove up to the Crescent Hotel and caught the carriage ride. We rode around town for 30 – 45 minutes. The weather was beautiful, the stars were shining, and we had such a good time. It felt magical, it felt so right! We then went back to the motel, we were staying at the same one, and we sat out on the bench till 2 a.m. just talking, then he walked me back to my room and kissed me at the door. It was so perfect because he was such a gentleman, and I was so not used to that. 6 months later he proposed. And the rest is history…


until next time... nel

Random Dozen Blarney...

It’s Random Dozen Time once again.

Join in the fun over at Linda’s 2nd Cup of Coffee.

The Ides of March I remember were a singing group from the 70’s that I listened to once in awhile. They have several postings on youtube, but I did not find anything I wanted to post on my blog. I checked out some of the choices, pretty obvious I did not censor what I listened to back then. So I was quite impressed when Lid gave us an English lesson on the Ides of March.

Hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

And here is my Random listing:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how superstitious are you, honestly?

Maybe a 2. I used to drive friends or family up a wall because I would open umbrellas in the house and walk under ladders. I love black cats. My checking acct at one time ended with 666, and people would say why don’t you have that changed, my reply was it was my reminder that I needed to stay right with the Lord, close to Him, because the devil was always there.

I picked 2 because I am sure there is some superstition I agree with, just can’t think of any right now.

2. Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, "I came, I saw, I conquered." Which circumstance or experience of yours does this saying best describe?

Moving to Missouri and leaving my daughter behind. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. Plus I was moving from the middle of nowhere to right outside of Springfield MO. Now that I have gotten used to it, I like it, I miss Arkansas, but living close to the city is nice too. And I am only a phone call away, Thank God for mobile to mobile… There is roughly 180 miles between us.

3. If I peeked in on your day like a mischievous little leprechaun, at what time would I most likely find you blogging?

Around 11 a.m. for a while, and then usually in the evening. Actually let’s be honest, when I do not have something else pressing, I could be on here at any given moment… lolol.

4. Re springing forward for Daylight Saving Time, is there anything you've ever been really early or really late for?

My hubby says late for everything, but that is only because we are not sitting in the parking lot waiting for 45 minutes to go in. Actually, one time years ago, I forgot to set the clocks back and I was an hour early for church, so I took a drive and passed the time.

5. What are you most looking forward to concerning Spring?

I love the blossoms on the trees and flowers. Love seeing the little calves and ponies kicking up their heels in the fields. Love seeing everything coming to life and getting green again!

6. Shamrocks are the national flower of Ireland and are picked on St. Patrick's Day and worn on the lapel or shoulder. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day?

Not so much anymore, when I worked I always did.

7. One of Caesar's assassins, Casca, said, "But, for my own part, it was Greek to me," which of course means he didn't understand something. Probably his own lines in the play. Anyway, what is something that is "Greek to you," something incomprehensible or indecipherable?

The game of chess is Greek to me and always will be.

8. Is March behaving more like a lion or a lamb where you live?

Like a lamb. We had a fantastic light show the other night that I watched from the garage. It has rained some, but nothing to amount to anything.

9. "An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn is all that we ask in return for dazzling gifts. We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later." -Winston Churchill. If you had one extra hour per day every day, what would you do with it?

My hubby sure has his opinions; he said to put down I would sleep. The nerve! lol. Actually I told him it would be like the others they would pass so quickly, it would be gone before I realized it.

10. Legend says that every Leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden deep in the Irish countryside. Aside from real gold or money, what material item would be in your dream pot of gold?

A material item… hmm a new vehicle for hubby and myself. I mean if you’re going to dream, it might as well be big.

11. "The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you." Robert Louis Stevenson. Look around you right now and tell us about something essential or beautiful very near you that you take for granted every day.

I think the ability to worship the way we want to. Our freedom of Worship, that is beautiful. To be able to worship the Lord anytime we want. There are so many countries that are not able to do that. We take so many things for granted. We should enjoy that privilege, because we do not know what tomorrow or next year or 20 years from now will bring.

12. Just for a bit o' fun, click here (www.blogthings.com/irishnamegenerator/) and then report your Irish name. Mine is "Zoe O'Sullivan." I love it!

Your Irish Name Is: Jade O'Keefe. Hmmm, almost sounds like a working girl...

Now isn’t that just a bunch of blarney! But oh so much fun! Don't forget to link up with us over at Lid's. There is a link at the beginning. It is a lot of fun, and you meet the neatest people!

Now on to other things… We are off to Arkansas Thursday morning. We will be gone until Tuesday, March 30th. Talk about some spoiling time… I can’t wait!

I would like to apologize now for not commenting on your Randoms or any other post you might do. We do not have Internet at our house at Appleton, unless my friend has her wireless hookup on. She knows that we can get it, and has no problem with us borrowing it. But the weather is a major factor in connecting. So it is up for grabs whether we will connect or not. There is a little café that does have wireless up the road from us, but I am not going to Arkansas to sit in the café…lolol. My daughter has dial-up, yes you heard me right, dial-up. And talk about slow… wow. So needless to say I will probably be out of pocket for the biggest part of 12 days. Will miss everyone, but believe me I will not be upset or crying… cause there is a little girl named Eden Jade who will capture all my attention! What can I say? Arkansas here I come!

Birthday Rambings Amongst Visions of Arkansas...

This birthday was a little different for me than others have been. Actually this was the first birthday in 28 years that I did not spend with my daughter. But we postponed our trip for a week; plans are to watch Eden Jade and her bubba Cain during Spring Break. Am I up to that… sure I am! Actually looking forward to it, I have a few ideas bouncing around inside the head. I am sure I will have pictures!

Now back to the birthday, first of all I would like to thank everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday in my comments. Bloggie buddies are the best!

I knew we were going out for my birthday but was not sure all the details. My sweet husband surprised me with a stop by one of my favorite Christian Bookstores, Mardels. I always love going in there, they always have awesome sales going on. I picked up two books for 99 cents each, 3 Veggie-tale DVDs for $5 each and a journal for $2.99. What a deal! Eden Jade thought I was silly because I bought her a present for my birthday. And the journal, I am so excited about the journal it is really cute. It is brown with pink polka dots and a little crown on it and in the corner it says “All About Me…” This just screamed Eden’s name to me. It will be a perfect place to jot down the funny little things she does or says, and then I will present it to after she is grown on a special occasion.

Next stop was “Lonestar Steakhouse.” Mmmmmm it was so good, we definitely ate too much. We started off with a Texas Rose, and they brought us a little loaf of bread and butter. Wow don’t you know that is good for you? Then on to the important stuff, the Filet Mignon was so good; it almost melted in your mouth. I also had a baked potato and salad. That was enough, no room for desert.


After eating we went to the movie theater. I was so glad we purchased our tickets early, because it was packed. We watched Blindside. What a fantastic movie, I fully understand why Sandra Bullock got an Oscar for ‘Actress of the Year’.

It was an early night we made it home by 9:30, where Patt had my birthday cake waiting for me. We finished the evening with a piece of cake and ice cream. What a wonderful birthday even if it wasn't in Arkansas!

“O GIVE thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 136:1

Bend In The River...

This is my first week to join in "Then Sings My Soul Saturday." I may not join in weekly, but if I have a song on my heart, you can count me in. And I am sure they would love to count you in. This meme is hosted by Amy over at Signs, Miracles and Wonders. Don't forget to Link up if you join, so everyone can enjoy your selection.

Today I do have a song on my heart. It is called "Bend in the River of Life." Karen Peck and New River made this song popular. I have a cassette where a friend at the church where I attended would sing this song and I recorded her. This song spoke to me when I was going thru a difficult time in my life. I would get down and out and troubled and I would put my cassette in and it would always remind me He was going to deliver!

It seems we have a lot of blogging buddies having a hard time right now. I know several who have asked for prayers or have stepped back from blogging because of pressing matters in their lives, hopefully to return at some point. We need to remember to pray for each other. We as Christians, are under attack. But most of all remember, it's just a bend in the river of life and our God will deliver!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9

until next time... nel

Flashback Friday #1...

Check out the new meme over by Linda's at Mocha With Linda. This is the very first week and I am sure it is going to be fun!

This week's flashback revolves around our early driving experiences:

How and when did you learn to drive? Do you have any particular memories associated with getting your driver license? How old were you when you got your first car and what was it? Who paid for it?

I think this is going to be a fun meme. Flashbacks, wow talk about flashbacks!

I know you are just dying to read mine. Here it is:

I had Driver’s Ed in High School. If I remember right, we had ½ year of class and simulator, then a ½ year driving. It was quite an experience, especially since my partner had some problems. Our teacher would put a candy bar on the dash and if we made it thru our lesson without the bar being slung off the dash it was ours. Needless to say, I had a candy bar every time, but my poor partner, that candy bar would slide from one end of the dash to the other, just going down a straight road, and when she stopped always ended in the floor.

We lived in a suburb of Chicago, so during the winter it was cold. They would flood a corner of the back parking lot. Our teacher would be in the car with us, and he would tell us to pick up speed, like 25 or 30 mph, then he would slam on his brakes, and we had to pull it out of the skid. Of course he had a steering wheel to if we got in trouble. But all in all I think it was really good practice. I was never scared to drive in winter, I knew you better be careful and if I was faced with problems, could usually handle it.

When I went to get my license, I had a bad feeling when I took the driving test. When the instructor got in the car he knocked his hat off and hit his knees getting in, and I thought ohhhhh great. He was a big man, pretty intimidating for my short self…lol. Everything was going good and we got to the parking. I had to park on a hill. And he told me to do everything except putting it in park and setting the emergency brake. So I did. He failed me because I did not put it in park or set the brake. He told me everything else was perfect. I was so upset, I told him I did what he told me to do, and he informed me that I could not listen to my passengers; I needed to always do it the proper way. Ohhhh I was pissed! I was told they had a quota they had to fail every week. I went back 2 weeks later and did not have any problem.

I drove my mom’s car once in awhile but not very often. It was a Dodge Dart Swinger. Oh I hated that car, I thought it was an old lady’s car. I did not have my own car until I graduated. My parents paid the down payment for my graduation present. I graduated in 1975, and I got a dark metallic blue 1974 Chevy Nova Hatchback. Just what I wanted. My payments were $89.00 for 3 years. My dad gave me a magnet to put inside my car that said, “The quickest way to get back on your feet is to miss a couple car payments.” Several friends thought that was cool and so funny, but trust me, he was not being funny, he was very serious. If he would of ever had to of made a car payment, the car would of been his that month.

I did have fun in my car, a lot of miles were put on that car and a lot of memories were made. Good memories!

Don't forget you can join in the fun too. Go over to Linda’s at Mocha with Linda. And when you are finish don't forget to go back and link up.
This is a brand new meme, and I think it is going to be a lot of fun! Thanks Linda for hosting it.

until next time... nel

Happy Birthday Me...

Just wanted to take a little time and give you a run down of how I got to where I am today. I am so sorry for the long post, no I'm not who am I trying to kid. I write like I talk... non-stop!

I was born on March 12, 1957, at Elmhurst, Illinois. There were 3 of us kids. My oldest brother James was born in May of 1942 and Tom in September 1948. Do you notice the age difference here? Plus the fact I was the youngest and the only girl, I didn’t have a chance, that is my story and I am sticking to it! James said he knew about me when Mom handed me over the back seat of the car and said here meet your baby sister.

Life was good, I was told at first we lived in a small trailer in a trailer park, I don’t remember anything about that. Later we moved to Roselle and lived in a farmhouse that my dad rented from the farmers. That is where my life began.

There were several instances that stick out in my mind. I remember when it would snow, it would drift so badly, one particular time, my brother told me to go look out the front door, I was around 4 years old, and I ran and opened the door and there was nothing but snow and I started crying. Of course it was not because of what I had seen, it was because Tom had told me we were buried alive. Dad made the boys go out the back door grabbing the shovels and they had to dig their way in to the font.

I remember when we got the huge chest type freezer, or at least when I was little it seemed huge. Tom actually told me if I were not nice to him he would put me in there when mom and dad were not looking and I would be frozen by the time they found me. So needless to say I was scared to death of the freezer.

I remember in Kindergarten I came home crying one day and was so upset. Us kids had talked at recess about where we came from. I was crushed, all of them were there because their families loved them, but my story was different. My brother told me that they found me in the garden, under a cabbage head. (yeah that was before Cabbage Patch Dolls) He said that was why I was so much smaller than them.

Do you see a pattern here? lol Maybe that is why I had so many issues with self-esteem and being shy when I got a little older. Hmmm yeah let’s blame it on him. lolol Which in all fairness I might mention that I would cover my face with my hands and laugh, and my dad would think I was crying. He would holler at Tom and say "Tom what are you doing to her now, you better leave her alone." And I would look at Tom and stick my tongue out. Hmmm maybe I deserved part of it...

My brother James (above)was really not around a lot that I can remember. I do remember asking my mom who that guy was that came and stayed with us during the summer and mowed the yard. And she said it was my brother, and I remember getting upset and saying no, that Tom was my brother. See James lived in Arkansas with Grandma and our step grandpa Dolan, while he was in high school, so he did only come home in the summer.

Fast forward until 1975, I graduated from West Leyden in Northlake, IL. Our families would get together and go camping on weekends. I was pretty independent by that time, by graduation I had bought my little Jayco pop-up camper, and Dad helped me get my car following graduation. That summer me and my bestest friend Kathy took off for Colorado for 2 weeks. I posted about Kathy here.

Let’s fast forward again and it is 1978. I came home from work one Friday, and Dad asked if I was ready to go sign on that 1978 Pontiac Grand Am, she was a beaut. And I told him no, that I had decided to move to Arkansas. Mom and Dad were born and raised in Arkansas, moved to Chicago after the war and always dreamed of retiring in Arkansas. I knew my Dad would not move if I didn’t go first. Remember, I was the only girl. The smile on his face is something I will never ever forget! Still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. So in the spring of 1979 I moved.

What an adjustment for a city girl, I think that is a post in itself. But it was the best decision I ever made.

I met my daughter’s dad in 1980. For a long time I just laughed at him because he was 5 years younger that me. I told him that age difference would bother him in later years, but we agreed if it did we would want to remain friends. I never considered it a mistake, if it was it was the best one I ever made. We married June 1982 and she was born July 1982… you do the math. Just for my benefit, you have to remember at that time I was not a Christian, I had never been brought up in church. We had a lot of good fun years together. Janice was the light of our life.


We were married for almost 18 years when he pulled the rug out from under me; decided he did not want to be married anymore. I am so glad by that time I was a Christian, there is no way I would have made it without Jesus carrying me! See my Daddy died in 1998, I lost a dear friend in 1999, and then he left in 2000. Pretty stressful, but I survived. Our daughter graduated in 2000.

In 2002 I had to have a pacemaker put in, seems I was born with an electrical short and it decided to start acting up. He said stress could of triggered it, so I blame my ex with my heart problem, he broke it! Life is good now, we are friends and I love his last wife to death. Just for the record, he was not the only one at fault. But I truly believe every thing happens for a reason.

Life was different, dating in your late 40’s was not fun, but I did not want to spend the rest of my life alone either. I met Stan online first, we chatted for around a year just as friends, and then we met in 2005. I truly believe we were meant to be together. That might have to be a post also. 2006 was a very good year; my grandbaby Eden was born in July, a rough start, but a blessing and we were married in September of the same year. And here we are celebrating birthdays and life together. A good life I might add, and next weekend I will be enjoying my kids in Arkansas.

So hey HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME!!!

until next time... nel

Just another random dozen...

It is that time again… Random Dozen Time! So jump on over to Linda’s at 2nd Cup of Coffee and get the questions. When you get them answered stop by her place and link up so everyone can learn a little more about you. It is a fun time and you meet a lot of wonderful people… so go on, go for it!

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?

Wow… I have a pair of hiking boots that are probably 20 years old. They were good leather ones, and I only wore them when we were up on the mountain, or out looking for mushrooms. They are still in really good shape.

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?

No I haven’t yet. But probably will this coming weekend. My favorites are: Trefoils, Lemonades, Dosidos and Tag a longs. Will have to have 1 box of each.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to?

We had ballroom dancing in high school. Not sure if I would remember it, but it might come back. Oh I would love to know how. I love watching a couple that can dance and they are so in to each other, and it is almost as if they are just floating. It is so pretty…

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager?

I would think so. I was a good kid. Never did drugs, never drank anything until I was of age. I was pretty much a homebody. I was very shy… yeah I know hard to believe. lolol If my parents asked me to do something, they knew that it would be done.

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see?

Would you believe just one… “Up”

6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself?

I can’t watch blood being drawn; I get light headed, no matter who it is being done to.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why?

When I was working it was always Friday because the weekend was around the corner, but since I do not work anymore probably Sunday. I enjoy spending time with my church family.

8. Do you miss anyone right now?

Oh yeah… I miss my daughter, and my grandbabies, but will be seeing them in a couple of weeks. Woohoo! And lately I have really been missing my mom and dad. Dad passed in 1998 and Mom in 2007 and they have been on my mind a lot lately

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?

Not really.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you.

Ohhhhh Do I have to decide? lol. Hobby Lobby, could I have fun there! Or CBSO Christian Book Store Outlet… Oh man… books, music, and pretties, for the whole family; yep I could do that one too.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?

As long as it is basically the same or tastes the same, I am a generic sort of girl… or which ever is cheaper.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?

Either way works for me. I am an eyes person, you can tell a lot about a person by their eyes. Can usually tell if a person is truthful by looking into their eyes.

Now wasn't that fun, what are you waiting for, now it is your turn, join in the fun and hop over to 2nd Cup of Coffee and link up. You won’t be sorry. It is a lot of fun and you meet some wonderful people, and we all could use another blogging buddy!

But before you go, I have to share something with you…

I was the winner over at Kathy’s corner at Mimi’s Mini Tales giveaway. I received my winnings in the mail last week. My grandbaby Eden Jade is going to be so excited.
She loves puzzles, and this has Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Pinocchio. There also was a Jumbo Play Pad, with pictures to color, Connect the Dots and all kinds of fun games. I think her bubba Cain will enjoy that. If you have never been over to Kathy’s blog click above and check her out. She is a wonderful lady who adores her grandkids.

until next time... nel

Not always as it appears...

Last Monday we made a trip to Kansas City to the eye doctor again. Thank God Stan does not have to go back for 6 months. For a change of scenery we took a different way home. We love an adventure; you can see pictures by clicking on the photographer in the sidebar.

As many of you may know, if you have looked at my pictures, I am a barn nut. I love barns, all different kinds, old or new. Barns have a lot of character, if the walls could only talk, what stories they could tell.

When I was young we lived on a farm in Illinois. The farmers grew acres and acres of sweet corn. We leased the house from them; and there was a big barn.
I think at one time it was a dairy barn; there were two levels and the hayloft. On the one end they called it the corncrib, which is where they would put the dried corn stalks, then they would feed them to the cows. In that room there was a ladder against the wall that you could climb into the loft, where the hay was stored. It was a good ways up. My older brother Tom and my cousin Butch would climb up there and jump off into the corn shucks. And when I was tagging along they would let me jump also, even though Dad had told them it was too dangerous for me. Oh it was so much fun, we laughed a lot, it was such a rush jumping. Until one day…

I was around six years old; Tom was nine years older than me. Butch was spending the weekend with Tom and they decided to go play in the barn, and of course they let me tag along. I might mention I was the youngest in the family and the only girl… spoiled maybe a little…lol. Out in the barn they decided to do some jumping, it must have been in the fall because the room had a lot of corn shucks in there. All three of us climbed up to the loft, and Butch went off first, then Tom and I followed right behind him. It scared him and he turned quickly and caught me in the mouth with his elbow. You guessed it out came both front teeth, in the shucks, the room full of shucks. Of course, I started bleeding a little; I think it scared Tom to death. He wanted to take me to the house, but I refused. I had to have my teeth to put under my pillow, the teeth that were lost in the corn shucks. He said, there was no way they could find them, and I replied you better or I will tell daddy you were letting me jump. Was I a brat or what? lol Needless to say, they did find my teeth, after searching for a long time, and all was well in my world again. Dad never found out about them letting me jump, and Tom felt so bad he put money under my pillow too. Memories…

You know, so many times things are not always as they appear. We ran across this barn on our adventure and I had to take a picture of it. From the front side it appeared to be in pretty good shape. It was old and a little weathered, missing a board or two. But it still stood strong, it had character, and if it could talk I bet it could tell us the stories. As you can see though when you moved to the side, it was a different case. The whole backside was rotten, boards partially missing.
The thought that came to me was how many of us are like that barn? On the outside, we seem to have it all together, going to church on Sundays, living the good life, doing what is right, but on the inside it is a different story. We have our secrets, things that no one knows about, things that we hide from others, our closets. But the thing about it is He knows... He knows everything about us...

" For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known." Luke 12:2

until next time... nel

Enjoying Creation...

I decided to change seasons on the blog. I am so ready for spring! I know winter is probably not over, but we had a beautiful day here in Missouri. The sun was shining most of the day and it reached 64 degrees. We had to run some errands, and then we came back by our city park here in Willard. It was so nice; a lot of people were out enjoying the weather, playing and flying kites. We decided to walk around so I could snap a few pictures.



The little pond is covered in moss, quite a sight, but the birds still enjoyed it. The blackbirds were having them a time splashing in the water. We sat and watched them for a long time, they were having so much fun.



And there is a pair of Canadian Geese that seems to have taken up residence.

I looked them up online, Wikipedia states:

The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada Goose from all other goose species, with the exception of the

Barnacle Goose, but the latter has a black breast, and also grey, rather than brownish, body plumage The male usually weighs 7–14 pounds, and can be very aggressive in defending territory. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter at 5.5–12 pounds, generally 10% smaller than its male counterpart, and has a different honk.
During the second year of their lives, Canada Geese find a mate. They are monogamus, and most couples stay together all of their lives. If one is killed, the other may find a new mate. The female lays 3–8 eggs and both parents protect the nest while the eggs incubate, but the female spends more time at the nest than the male. During this incubation period, the adults lose their flight feathers so they cannot fly until their eggs hatch after 25–28 days.

After reading this it assured me that the one that came out of the water close to us was probably the male. We were getting to close to their territory. It will be fun to keep watch this spring for goslings. Just enjoying God’s Creation, that is what it’s all about!

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31a

until next time... nel