Thankful Thursday

 

Thankful Thursday

Thinking about being thankful each moment of everyday. Our world has turned upside down and things are only going to become more difficult. I prefer prayer instead of scare! But that is just me! 

I like to be thankful because I still have many blessings to be grateful for. I think about adding these simple blessings up each day and it helps me not concern myself with the ways of the world. I think if more folks turned off the TV and stopped believing all the scary world views, they would be happier. I know people dealing with their own struggles,  job loss, health problems, that live for the bad news. You have to realize, this is just to keep the people in line. I have never been much of a follower and I sure don't want to start now. I am happier beleieving something better than this will be coming my way.

If more of us stopped all the scary stuff, the hateful junk, the bullying and mean things we could be a combined H U G E difference in our own homes and even our communities. Think about that next time the news sends you into turning a smile into a frown. I like this quote attributed to Tom Brokaw. He grew up in the same small town as my uncle Tom B. They grew up in Yankton, South Dakota. My Uncle Tom had a wonderful outlook on life. He was always smiling, making others laugh or trying to make them feel more comfortable. He was a solid person, with a big heart and a kindness you don't  always find. I sure miss him and the great stories he always shared of his childhood. 

It is a tiny photo but that is my mom's baby sister Jo and Uncle Tom on their wedding day. He was in the Army Air Corp. (WWII). Many years after their wedding in the Catholic church, they found out that the priest who married them left the church to get married. Auntie Jo told Uncle Tom, do you think we have been living in sin all these years? I am a thankful person as I had all these wonderful people in my life. It made it so much better.

I am very thankful at day's end, my blessing exceed my problems. 

Ellen and Lorianne share in the hosting duties of this fun blog hop. They each select two of the sentences to complete. I hope you eill come join the fun. I will share my answers to these tomorrow:

1. I plan to ________________these last few days of August.

2. I am a ________________.

3. _________________is proving difficult these days.

4. Have I ever told you about that time that I ___________________?

THANKFUL THURSDAY

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wordless Wednesday #rainbow from the twentysixthfloor

Happy Tuesday with More Fun

 

If this isn't a HAPPY TUESDAY face I am sure one does not exist. This strong willed lil lady had the cutest floppy hat but she kept pulling it off her head. She comes to my house and all the dolls who wear a hat, goodbye, see you later.  She is not a hat person. Her brother was eating Dippin Dots, which require a small bank loan to purchase at a sporting event, an amusement park or anywhere they are sold!

Mint with crushed oreos. The person who invented dippin dots... what a concept. I can make funnel cakes like they have at carnivals or Indian Fry Bread but dippin dots, hmmmm no. We can churn ice cream with the old crank ice cream maker. Somethings are just that rare treat you have once in a couple years.

Oh Maxine....me too! All the experts everywhere . That selective hearing comes in handy for those times. 

Aw...Mondays and Love is...

Aw...Mondays 

A fabulous day at the ballpark. Nothing like baseball and being weith some of the ones you love.

 

Here is a Sparks to match my theme today.
 

The weather started out mild, hit the 90's but we laughed and enjoyed the game even if the Rockies let the Diamondbacks one win. (wink wink)

When you are with people you love, Love is the only thing on your list. Have a wonderful new week.

Feline Friday and More

 Feline Friday 

 

1. Why did the cats ask for a drum set? They wanted to make some mewsic!

2. What’s a cat’s favorite TV show? Claw and Order.

3. How did the Mom Cat know she was pregnant? Her test was pawsitive.

4. What normally happens when kitties go on a first date? They hiss.

5. What’s a cat’s favorite cereal? Mice crispies.

6. What color do kittens love the most? Purrple.

7. What does the cat say after making a joke? “Just kitten!”

8. When cats need to go to the airport, who do they call? A tabby.

9. Why did the cat have to go to an accountant? They got caught up in a purramid scheme.

10. What made the cat upgrade his phone? He wanted to finally get pawtrait mode.

The photographer is noted on the photo here but they are here : All3Suns Visit Pink Saturday

 

 This girl Shea has grown so quickly. When she was born she had the skinniest little chicken legs. Her smile is infectious and once she gives you a big smile with all those pearly whites she has, you would be hooked. She is smart and understands everything you tell her. Sometime she gets so mad if she doesn't get her way, but we chalk that up to her age. Before we left the restaurant, her mom emptied the remains of her milk cup into an empty glass on our table. She rinsed it with a glass of water she had and filled it. Jacey had an appointment so we dropped her off and headed home to my house. Shea peeled that lid off her cup and poured that entire cup of water on her self gleefully laughing. She is a very funny girl. I can not believe sometime that she is so grown up and entertains us anytime we are around her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICHOLAS CARL

This child was born at 4 o'clock in the afternoon 28 years ago. He was an unexpected gift. So on August 20th we wish him a  wonderful birthday. He shared his birthday with my friend Sharon. It is going to be a bittersweet day missing her and celebrating Nick. He also shares this day with Richard, our California friend who is also am August 20th birthday. So I will wish Richard a very happy birthday too.

Jeremy with his baby brother on November 26, 1993/ They were taking their CHRISTmas photos. Look at the collar on Nick's shirt.

 Nick is the baby in our phamily. He is very much like me. He likes nice shoes and clothes but he is crazy for Ray Band sunglasses and has several pair.

We always have tons of photos and lately I have had some issues with storing my overload of photos. Any suggestions? I am not too tech saavy.

Nick attended Cowley Community College on a two year track and field scholarship. When he earned his two year AA degree he transferred to the Kansas Wesleyan University and completed his studies there. He has had a rough time starting in October 2020 when he was so ill. In December, he ended up in the hospital and while all the hospital docs said he had the virus two specialist were called in and looked at his lungs. D U H ! Pneumonia. Once he had the correct diagnosis and correct meds he was able to recover but it has taken him a really long time. 

Nick with some of his running buddies. Louis on the far right was a godsend. We would take Nick to meet him and Louis would give him a ride back to school and they were roommates at KWU too.The

running days were some of the most fun times for Avery and I when we could attend races. Nick ran in middle school, high school and five years of college.

Nick was smitten with with Miss Susie his first pre school teacher in 1996. This is a favorite photo of mine.

We are planning to go to our very first baseball this SONd

ay with Nick. We have not been to a game since 2019. Tomorrow we celebrate with cake and enjoy some phamily time.

 

 

Thankful Thursday

 Thankful Thursday

My sister Pat was such a beautiful soul. She graduated high school and one year later married the  love of her life. They both left this earth too soon but I am thankful they are not here to witness the destruction that is happening today.  August 18th is the date of their anniversary. Missing her and my brother-in-law Gary today. I am thankful they were in my life.

When Uncle Louie married Auntie Ang in October 1946 the pastor was Father Daniel Gnidica. He reminded me of Jesus because when he was not saying Mass or officiating at some church function,he was wearing overalls and working on carpentry projects. I always thoguht he was so cool, just like Jesus and his earthly father Joseph. My grandmother was my best friend forever and I miss her terribly although she left the earth in 1967. It always seemed so unfair to me that she was taken away so soon. She worked so hard to continue raising her phamily after my grandfather was killed in a gold mining accident in 1927 with my mom's older brother Tony who was barely 17. My grandmother went on to raise five surviving daughters, one who was  an infant. She took in boarders and fed hobos and made a life for herself and her children. There was zero privledge in my bloodlines so I turn a deaf ear when I hear it. My grandparents, all four of them, escaped communisim in Eastern Europe so I have no guilt. None of my relatives were anywhere to shake down or harm others. They dealt with their own serious life problems, like raising children without a spouse or in the case of my paternal grandfather working a full time job, coming home and doing all the cooking and cleaning because my other grandmother was not in good health her entire life. My grandfather worked a very difficult job and he worked long hours and never once complained. He did what he had to do to survive and keep his phamily fed.

Auntie Ang has spent her birthday in heaven since 2000. She was a hard working woman who taught me lots of good habits, except smoking, she loved smoking cigarettes. She and my mother worked in the laundry together. It's funny, today, half the world has no desire to work.  No one today could have survived the lives our ancestors lived and that is a cold hard fact. Auntie Ang came from a huge phamily. Sometime I will sit down with my friend Rob, his mom Anna was my aunt's niece and he can clarify exactly how many children their parents had. My grandparents came from large phamilies and they had large families. Our lives today are a breeze compared to what they had to deal with. Thankful for all of thjem and all their sacfrifices.

My strong willed ways come from Auntie Ang. She always told me to be up front and don't fall for baloney. Boy would she get a laugh out of the way our world is today. She was always matching her outfits with a handbag and lip and nail color.  She was creative and talented and she cooked like a dream. I would love to bake a pie from scratch like she did. But she left me many recipes and some of them are in her handwriting. They are priceless to me.  She loved shopping and going out to lunch. What fun we had. I miss those days. As she and uncle got older Avery and I were honored to drive them everywhere they wanted to go. So many memories and I am so thankful I was born into the phamile that I was given. I would not trade any of them for the whole world.

August is a big celebration month. Two birthdays for both of our sons, three anniversaries, including my late parents, our oldest daughter and my big sis. Friday the 20th is Nick's birthday but it is also the birthday of my late friend Sharon. It is going to be a tough day,thinking of her and hearing her laughter and her firing off all the rights and wrongs in the world. People like Sharon and auntie Ang and my sister Pat, they don't make people like that anymore. Sometime I feel like I live in Stepford land. Somany people are like robots minding the  worldly master and nodding their heads as they are told exactly what to do. Not Sharon, she would fight back. She spoke her mind and she was gifted with a brillant mind.I will never see here again but I pray we meet in our next chapter of life without the wickness of this world.

I hear my mother's voice inside my head, life is hard, pray harder and so I do and try very hard to stay in my own lane. It is getting harder day by day by day. This world is heading down a destructive path that will have no turning back. Pray for those in Afghanistan and other parts of the earth who are being persecuted and dying for their faith. Pray for the innocent people just trying to ink out a living that are being invaded by evil forces and no one wants to help them. It is like a bad nightmare. I pray Jesus will return and that is why I am keeping my eyes upward. Thankful for the faith I was given as a child and for the parents who raised me.

I understand why my friend Debbie went off the grid of social media. She felt called to pray and she gave up her blog, her social media contacts , everything. I am starting to understand why now  as each day more horrors are happening. We can not stop evil but God can and we can pray. For that I am forever thankful. 

Wordless Wednesday

 Wordless Wednesday

image courtesy of Wikipedia