Saturday Smiles

Another week of smiles that certainly outdid any negatives that were happening.

 *Detroit Lions beat the New England Patriots in Sunday Night Football when no one including me and my son thought the Lions would even score.  Best thing was I got to watch the game with my son and we enjoyed the win together.

*Got the garage ready for the guys on Monday.  Every year we have a couple guys come and take the garbage we have in our garage out.  This is the large stuff like old furniture, wood, cardboard, etc. that we can't take to recycling or the landfill in our small car.  It helps us get the garage ready for winter when we need to store all the summer furniture, lawn mowers, gardening equip. and move the snowblower, shovels up near the garage door for easier access.  It also helps with space to park the car during the winter. 

*Made a new recipe for chicken wings in the slo cooker and everybody liked them.  I love my slo cooker and am always looking for new recipes to use in it. Maybe I should start posting some slo cooker recipes on my blog.

*With all the drama happening on the news shows, I was happy to find 2 new comedy shows that I liked on tv.  "Last Man Standing" and "The Cool Kids" gave my husband and I a good deal of giggles.  It is nice to be able to laugh at something on tv besides the politicians.

*Received 3 new books that I ordered.  I am excited to cozy up with my coffee, afghan and a good book to read.  The titles are: "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rimes, "The Mystery of Three Quarters" a Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah and "Christmas Cake Murder" by Joanne Fluke (this is part of the Hannah Swenson Mystery series).

Saturday Smiles!

With all the negativity in the world today, I've decided to post on Saturdays what gave me smiles during the week.  I, for one, have found myself too many times focused on all the sad and bad instead of concentrating on the glad and good.  There are enough news programs and people paying attention to what's negative in the world.  I think it's time to pay attention to what's good (at least in my world).

*We bought our tickets to Reno, Nevada to visit my son and daughter in law.  We are so excited to go.  They have a new house we have only seen in photos and it's been way too long since we visited in person.

*Another good thing about the trip to Reno is that our youngest son has been able to get the time off work and go with us.  Our whole family will be together which hasn't happened in a very long time.   To preserve, my son is arranging a photographer to take a family picture.  Who can be sure when we will all be in the same place at the same time again.

*The washer finally gave up the ghost and died.  Now this would not seem like a smile to anyone but it is for us as we have enough money to go out and get a new one.  No laundromats while we save up for a new washing machine.  Big smiles on this.

Not too bad for the first Saturday Smiles of my blog.  I like it!

Weekly Wonderings!

Goodbye Bev!

This week, a friend and colleague passed from this earthly world.  I am saddened because she was one of the most loving, kind people I have ever met.  She was a physical education teacher for many years that I worked with when I was teaching.  She had an infectious enthusiasm for life and she shared that with students and teachers.  She made every student feel special and that they could accomplish anything they set their mind to.  She even got teachers to get into physical exercise (not an easy feat after teaching a full day).  Her faith, her family and her life were all about giving back and helping others.  But with all the sadness that comes with her passing, I find that in a way I am happy for her.  For the last 10 years, Bev has had alzheimers and it was hard to see someone so into life reduced to being taken care of by others and not recognizing those whose lives she touched with her loving and giving heart.  I take comfort in knowing that she is at peace now in heaven with a memory that remembers all she helped and loved and shared her life with.  I am comforted to know that Bev is home and she is happy.

Weekly Wonderings!

Summer's End

"Goodbye and Hello!"

Adios August - Saying goodbye to August, I look back on it like watching the snippets of a film on my life.  After 4 years of remodeling piece by piece, I finally have my kitchen as well as my house done, received health news that was much better than I thought it would be.  Although it is still not the news I would have preferred getting.  My oldest son, Eric went to Spain via Denmark to play in a concert at the composer's request and my youngest, AJ got a promotion that puts him on the track to his chosen profession.  The world lost 2 super people, in my opinion, this month: John McCain, a senator with honor, class and character that many in government do not have anymore and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.  Being a born Detroiter, I feel I have lost a member of the family.  I refuse to comment on any negative things that happened this past month.  There are far too many and it will only upset the positive vibe I have going right now.

Hola September - I greet September with a mixture of regret and anticipation.  Regret in that the summer, my favorite season, is coming to an end.  Soon warm, sunny days, blooming flowers, afternoons at the beach, and lazy days rocking on the front porch will be replaced by cold, frosty mornings, wool sweaters, the storing away of summer furniture and preparing the yards for the coming months.  I will miss being able to have all the windows wide open and feel the summer breeze as it fills my house with the sweet smells of freshly mown grass and lilacs.  My morning routine will no longer be sitting on the deck with my coffee watching the birds, chipmunks and squirrels scamper across my property having their breakfast and enjoying the morning warmth as much as I did.  And yet there is an excited anticipation of September.  The colors of Autumn-red, orange, gold, green-will cover the trees and yards showcasing a beauty that only God and Mother Nature can create.  The taste of hot chocolate with marshmallows in large china mugs and freshly baked brownies as an afternoon treat.  Watching children jump into piles of leaves as they enjoy the simplicity of play.  The sound of the schoolbus rumbling down my road at 6am and knowing that since I am retired, I can just turn over in my bed and go back to sleep.  The beginning of football season and the anticipation of my son and I yelling with frustration at the team even though they are on the tv and cannot hear us.

So with anticipation and regret, I bid farewell to August and greet with a welcoming smile the month of September and remember what is written about life's seasons.

"To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace. "  ( Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)