Aw...Mondays

 

Aw...Mondays

Great advice from love is....

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. Albert Einstein 

Sparks says it well today. Have a blessed day.

Time flies away

 My phone does not sync with my laptop so I could not post while we were on our little mini vacation. We had a very nice time with Nick. He was really hoping his siblings could come along but no one could. We enjoyed being treated so wonderfully on our flight out of town. Because Nick's job scheduling flight crews  has afforded him enjoying lots of new friends. First rate flight and first class crew. A fun fact DIA, Denver International Airport is the only one US state that has a unique airport. On a top ten list list of unique airports Denver is the only US state there. I was happy to read it as my middle brother Ed worked on that airport and he has always done a first rate job and I am very proud that his work ethic is first class too.

I follow a mom named Kaylene Yoder. She has so many wonderful resources to help me in my Christian walk. This verse was imprinted on my heart yesterday as we left Las Vegas and flew home. Here is the reason why.

We were flying home and this photo out of the plane's window was over Buena Vista, Colorado. You need to know that we saw the first pilot coming into our waiting area and he looked to be approximately 11 years old! I was praying because I think of pilots like Sully who brought a plane down on the Hudson river without loss of life. As we board the plane the second pilot who may have been 12, greeted passengers. Now I was a little nervous. I know we hit turbulence when traveling over the mountains so that was a no brainer. But I was nervous and Avery and I prayed before we took off and all through out flight. Nick was socializing with the crew as they all have stories to share about being scheduled, cancelled flights, etc. As we were heading out to take off the pilot announces that Edward (the American Bald) eagle is flying on the tail with us. Now I feel like maybe things will be ok. We were sitting behind one of the emergency exits. The four people sitting there agreed that in case of emergency they would be prepared to help. We fly into the sky and the pilot is speaking to us and he seems calm and friendly. He comes back on several times to tell us there is a storm and he would like us to stay seated and buckled up. We hit some bad weather and we are bouncing along. Now I figure with Edward back there we might be ok but when the plane tilts a bit I think , boy this kid (pilot) sure knows his stuff! We bounce around quite a bit and suddenly we are 35 minutes to landing! W O W ! This flight was something else.  As we flew into those clouds I assumed either we would meet Jesus or I may just be too old to appreciate a young pilot who had incredibly terrific skill piloting that plane. I knew God was holding us up there and an incredible peace came over me. 

Hello Lord, these clouds are very pretty, the sky is bluer than it was fifteen minutes ago. I am guessing you are pushing us through this weather situation with the help of these two young incredibly savvy pilots! 

Did I mention the young man behind me was griping my seat and holding on for dear life. A sweet lady across from us, had felt ill and they moved her closer to where the attendant in our section was sitting so she could keep an eye on her.  Avery and I prayed so hard on that plane and I felt God 's presence there. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken for He is right beside me. It is the truth and He held on to every single person on that plane to make sure we all remained cool, calm and collected. What a ride, one I will always hold close to my heart.

WHILE IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE OUT OF CONTROL, BEHIND THE SCENES THERE IS A GOD WHO HAS NOT SURRENDERED HIS AUTHORITY  A.W. TOZER

 While  sometime it looks like things are out of control, they are not. God has proven to me many, many times no one on this earth is in control. He ultimately is and He holds up those who need holding. He proved it to me once again August 24, 2023. Thank you Lord!

 I had to post this sweetness! My friend Shirley and her husband Scott have been married 47 years on August 20, 2023. Shirley and I worked together at the County Treasurer's office in my hometown and she retired from there! Oh My Goodness! She and Scott are the perfect couple, they belong together and always have. She shared this cute meme too. 

I always wanted to stop by this purple zebra and snap a photo with him. In a quick, quiet moment Avery took these shots of me. 

We stopped for a cool beverage on our way back to our hotel room.  We aren't much for liquor so the bartender at our hotel poured us a tall cool glass of 7 Up!

We had a good trip and some fun experiences. I will continue our story tomorrow at my other blog as these days race away and we are still recuperating from running around and then coming home and getting readjusted into our daily lives. We sure missed our adjustable bed. A nice blessing in our lives.

Feline Friday and Friendly Fill In's and Pink Saturday

 Feline Friday

A tiny sleepy kitten, look at those cute pink paws. Precious.

Friend Fill In's

Ellen and her co host Lorianne share making this fun Meme. I hope you will join the fun and share you answers too.

1. A sight I would like to unsee ______________________.

2. I plan to __________________before the summer is over.

3. I sometimes forget that __________________isn't considered normal by most.

4. If my life were a book, the current chapter I'm in would be titled__________________.

My answers:

1. A sight I would like to unsee is the day my Boots passed over to the rainbow bridge.

2. I plan to jump in a swimming pool before the summer is over.

3. I sometimes forget that we all have weird habits that isn't considered normal  by most.

4. If my life were a book, the current chapter I'm in would be titled Organizing 101: You Can Do It!

Pink Saturday

This reminds me of a place on our mini vacation that I want to visit  where everything is perfectly put together in pink! Thanks Pinterest for always having pink goodness to share with me. 

So now you know my secret, like a kid, I was messing around at Snapchat and took this silly photos.

My poor husband has these filling up his gmail account to see when he has a lunch break or when he gets home tonight. But have no fear, I have loaded and unloaded and reloaded the dish washer as the day goes by. I have stripped the bedding and changed it. I have rounded up a herd of dogs running by the fence where Duke waits for them on one side. Mean dogs on another. Barking fools on the other side and peace and quiet from my neighbor Mark's yard. I was up at 3 A.M. to see our youngest head out the door to a weekend trip to Pittsburgh with a mini layover in Chicago. I watched his uber drive away from the house. Nick turns 30 this weekend and he is still our baby. Hannah is our baby girl. Rebekah is Avery's twin , Jeremy is the first born son and Noelle the first born daughter. What can I say, I love them all? 

Happy weekending to all of you! Any plans? We will make our weekly trek to the Farmer's Market for fresh veggies and a Limeade. We will have a sleepover with two grandsons Saturday night. They are finished with their basketball league so we are sad until they join a new one. 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

 

Thankful Thursday 

Since it is black cat appreciation day I always love to share my boy Boots. I just wish I had more photos of him He was very photogenic and somewhere in boxes of photos I know I will find more.  But he was a beautiful black cat with his striking white markings. 

My black cat magnet is too cute. That is about right with a cat in your home.

Even though he has been gone from my life since 2012 Boots has his photo front and center on the fridge. I miss him every day.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

                                     #indonesia

Tuesday4 Maxine Cracks Me Up Happy Tuesday

 

It's For the Birds

 

Hey there Tuesday 4 fans.  It's so good to have you back.  I hope your week went well and if it didn't then I hope the coming week is stellar for you.

Can we talk about the birds today? Did you know that birds sing all day long but particularly 3 times a day which correspond to the prayers of Daniel the Prophet. His 3 prayer daily corresponded to the 3 daily services in the temple at Jerusalem..  

1. Do you have a favorite bird?

Growing up my parents had two canary birds, Elmer and Oliver. It is hard to choose a favorite bird in the wild though. But I love the common little sparrows. They seem so busy always hunting, looking for food and shelter. 

Matthew 10:29-31 " Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground  outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs on your head are numbered.

2. Do you find singing birds comforting or annoying?

Ok we have an owl and a Woodpecker who both can be a bit annoying. But we also have mourning doves and their sweet song early in the morning is quite comforting. Robins and Blue Jays sometime are bullies. But just like people, we all have are good traits and not so good ones too. 

3. Can you recognize the songs of particular birds or is it all the same to you?

Owls, Woodpeckers (haha not really musical are they??) and mourning doves are so unique to me. Now Hawks and crows are a little more dramatic almost ornery plus we have to watch the larger birds with our little dogs, especially Mollie weighing in at a whooping three lbs.

4. Every year many birds die from being fed too much sugar.  Grape jelly glues shut the beaks of birds and honey , corn syrup or other substitutes to white sugar does the same to humming birds. We are warned to use only white refined sugar for humming birds.             Do you feed the birds or provide water or shelter for them?

(Always use refined white sugar (regular table sugar). Never use honey, corn syrup or raw, unprocessed sugars. Powdered sugar (also called confectioners' sugar) often contains additional ingredients, such as cornstarch. Therefore, it is not recommended for use in creating hummingbird food)

We had a hummingbird feeder but those nasty paper wasps were drinking the nectar so we left it up but left it empty. It is very sad because humming birds are such unique little creatures. We have a small birdcage, it is kind of decorative hanging outside near the barbeque grill area. We used it once for an injured bird but he did not make it. But is kept him safe from predators. With the wasp problem in the summer it is not a good idea to try to set up a bird feeder too but I admire all who do take care for them. 

Tuesday4 Thanks to Annie who keeps this blog hop going in honor of the late Toni Taddeo.

Happy Tuesday

Blake and Brody had their final basketball game yesterday. It was fun watching them and we hope they get into an other league soon. Rebekah and Zach were in Chicago this weekend for his birthday * HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH AND ALEXIS " He shares that birthday with his twin sister. They met in Chicago to eat good food, visit some places friend recommended and they went to see Harry Potter at one of the museums. Noelle and Nick joined us to watch the boys plays basketball along with Brittany's parents . Those kids have so much energy. I would like to bottle a spoonful of it.

Being with the grands is a happy place. I did not get  but one photo but we watched Harrison and Shea Saturday night while mom and dad took in a concert.  Harrison likes to watch programs or use the laptop but Shea is currently into Banana Bash and we played so many rounds with her. She is something else. She told me she fell and got a boo boo on the ramp to her Grammie Lisa's tea trailer, We did compare our injuries. 

This girl was tired after her game winning play with Banana Bash. Her face is priceless when it is close to that darn monkey popping up! She and grandfather needed a snooze session. You can not be sad around her. She radiates H A P P Y!

Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven. Henry Ward Beecher 

Children's children are a crown to the aged , and parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 17:6

Children are our most valuable resource. Herbert Hoover

That final quote struck me and made me a bit S A D while I talk about happiness. All I know is times have changed and not for the better.

Oh Maxine...what can I say?

 

Aw...Mondays and Love is.... with Sparks

 

Aw...Mondays

I am not wishing for snow, not yet anyway, but this panda playing in the snow is cracking me up.

I shared this love is... because when I was a kid my auntie Ang always gave my uncle Louie a scalp massage. He had jet black hair nearly all of his life. She was such a great wife to him and he did appreciate those scalp massages.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman

I started to put my posts together extra early and my laptop was shutting down randomly, giving me grief. I am just grateful I was able to finish before the night got away from me.'''

Thank you for being here. 

Memories

 

                                                       

                                                         December 18, 2018 - August 4, 2019

As the years pass by there is not much that I can say. So I pray and know that although our hearts will always be broken on this earth, God has Alastor Avery in His tenderly loving care. I wonder what he would look like ? Would he be as kind as little sister Shea Avery Marie? Would he be the mirrored image of big brother Harrison James? I know he would have started kinder this year. But I know all we can do on this end is hold him close to our hearts until we see him again. Grandfather says it all the time, God gave us an Ambassador of Heaven to have on this earth for the short time we did.  We pray for all of us hurting as the day, weeks, months, years pass by. But spending eternity with this beautiful boy is a goal I want to meet. So make sure you will stroll through heaven with us Alastor Avery when we meet you there someday.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that even though Alastor Avery was here so briefly I will never forget his laughter, his big blue eyes, his funny little expressions. I will not forget him and I am very thankful for that.

This little walks in my front door, she is eating a chocolate chip muffin top. Then she announces, "Choco milk, pllllleeeeaaaassse."  After that she insists "Brush my teeth, brush my teeth". We go to get her special toothbrush. We put the toothpaste on it and she says to me, "Oooh it sparkles Grandma, look at it sparkle. ' Then we play at least 12 rounds of Banana Bash and everytime the end of the game is getting close she makes the best facial expressions cause she knows that monkey is gonna jump for joy! Her daddy plays with us and he wins, he wins again and he wins a third time! She is tickled pink cause she is a daddy's girl. She spent the day with her daddy and his friend and his kids. They go swimming and she is wearing her bathsuit under her dress. She tells us those are strawberries on my bathsuit but not the real kind. They have to leave because mommy needs to be at work in the morning very early. My house is quiet and I say to my husband, God gives us exactly what we need when He knows exactly what we need! THANKFUL

Feline Friday

Mom says, "move along my kittens are really none of your business. Meow!"

FRIENDLY FILL IN'S:

Ellen and her co host Lorianne each choose two questions for the fill in's. 

1. I hope I never have to______________________.

2. I must remember to ________________________.

3. I learned about ________________when_____________________.

4. _______________has been occupying a lot of my time these days.

My answers:

1. I hope I never have to go back to work. I don't think I would be able to get back into that routine.

2. I must remember to write our appointment's, schedule changes etc. on the kitchen calendar.

3. I learned about American History when I attended Catholic school from k to 11. I learned it well and am forever grateful.

4. Trying to navigate the wild weather has been occupying a lot of my time these days. Hot days, rainy evenings, weeds growing too quickly to control.

Pink Saturday

I try not to get caught up in the nonsense that many revolve around. But I saw this Barbie Anna May Wong doll on ebay. People were budding lots of money to own her. She is available at the Barbie dot com site of Mattel. A few years ago I read Anna May's book. It was quite sad to see the prejudice she had to deal with because of her race, Chinese. Although she was extremely talented she always seemed to be on the back burner of the Hollywood elites (shocking right??) I highly recommended her book although it is an older book.

Although she is legend today all the punishment she dealt with, the pain, sorrows, prejudice I believe cut her life short. 1905-1961

Asking for prayer for my cousin Joanne who lost her husband Arron to a short illness this past week. They were together 40 years.  He was a really wonderful man and very kind hearted. Thank you. 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

Wordless Wednesday

Cool Cat @ Pinterest

Tuesday4 Happy Tuesday Maxine Cracks Me Up

 

Friday, July 28, 2023

Rainy Days and Mondays

 

Welcome to  Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we ask just 4 questions each week to get you blogging and thinking and meeting other bloggers!

Rainy Days and Mondays was a song about being down but, not everyone is down on a Monday or a rainy day.

1. Do Mondays get you down or did they ever? How about a rainy day? What makes it better?

I don't have a problem with Monday's but when I had to work I did not like to see SONday coming because I knew I had to go to work the next day. Grateful not to have to deal with that any longer. We have rain tonight. The lightening and thunder is wild. But the rain is always needed.

2. How do you like to spend rainy days?

It depends on the temperature. I still will walk in the rain if it is not storming. Some people act as if they are going to melt away. I enjoy the rain. If it's cold I like to curl up with a good book.  We have had many rainy days this Spring and Summer. So the only down side is trying to get outdoor things done. Our backyard is a disaster. We have a section not sodded or for cement or anything. The weeds are wicked and wild. 

3.Do you like to take a walk in the rain?

Yes I do if the lightening and thunder are not wild. I like the fresh air the rain often brings. I am not sure I could live somewhere that gets the constant rain showers but I am never sad when it rains here. We always need extra moisture.

4.What is your weather like this summer so far? What would make it better or worse?  What is your ideal summer weather?

This summer has been weird. So hot and when the rain showers come, which most times have been short and sweet the humidity kicks up and I do not like humidity. But we had a rainy Spring so that spoiled me somewhat.  I like temps in the 60-70 degree range. But that would be in a perfect world.

 Happy Tuesday

....a land of sheltered homes and warm firesides  - firesides that were waiting - waiting for the bubbling kettle and the fragrant breathe of tea -- Agnes Repplier , To Think of Tea!

I miss the blogs that use to host tea cup exchanges and giveaways. I use to love doing the giveaways myself as well. I received a few lovely tea for one sets and so many beautiful tea cups and saucers. With lots of fun extra tea time goodies. Happy times.

I remember hosting a postcard giveaway too. I received over 200 postcards from all over the USA and many other countries.Intense Guy won the giveaway which consisted of several Colorado themed items.  I tried to do a second postcard giveaway but 2020 spoiled it. I did admire the sprinkle of true sweethearts who did send a postcard. Their generous hearts really made me smile. A happy time and place.

Remembering good memories from other bloggings long ago. So many still here and so many no longer blogging for many reasons I suppose. Happy memories.

   

Iggy

He liked those orange traffic cones.  Apparently, Maxine does not! hahaha