Category: A Day to Remember

It has finally arrived! Today is the last day of school here in our little town. Graduations have finished and now it’s…summer. For children, anyway. Can’t you just feel it? That sense of excitement and anticipation…no school for a couple of months. No getting up early in the morning, for school anyway. Going to bed later. Long, hot days that seemed as though they would never end…and that was a fantastic feeling!

Follow along for just a bit…relishing that period of time that was like no other. For me, as a child, every summer consisted of swimming lessons…early in the morning. Roll out of bed, put on a damp swimsuit from the day before and have a bite of yogurt and granola, (yes, my mother was very much into us eating healthy!) You would get to the pool, yawning and freezing, your towel wrapped around your shoulders. You would stand there shivering, dreading that moment when you would have to jump or dive in, knowing it was going to take your breath away for a second. Then the water would become liquid warm, gliding over your body.

Then we would head home, do our chores and have a sandwich. As soon as the pool opened in the afternoon, we were back again and stayed until the pool closed. Those days weren’t about the tanning for me, but practicing all that we had learned that morning. If we were very lucky, my parents or friend’s parents would pick us up and we wouldn’t have to make that trek back home. Although it was pretty fun to stop by the little building that sold candy and stock up for the walk. (And no, my mother would not have been happy about that!)

We managed to fit so much into our summer days! Bike riding, lemonade stands, and playing cards on rainy days.

My husband’s summer days included camp every year. When I became a teenager, we had moved to the east. The finish of school for the summer was just as filled with anticipation and excitement. But now the swimming was accomplished on pristine lakes with extremely cold water. Those shivering mornings were nothing compared to jumping in that lake in the Adirondack mountains on a sunny afternoon! After a few minutes, the water warmed and it just felt…delicious.

My teenage summers also included staying with a cousin at her parent’s cabin in New Hampshire. Those were the summers I learned to row a boat, making sure to stay clear of the lily-pad end. Having an oar tangled in that is no fun! Rainy days still included playing cards on the enclosed porch, listening to the rain beat on the roof. Sunsets were gorgeous, of course! Oh, the memories!

Sometimes I wonder about the youth of today. My childhood was filled with activity, special days, friends to play with and a sense of just…belonging. You knew your place in the world and what was expected. There was a time for work and then a time for play. You interacted with others.

So today…summer begins. Have a beautiful day with lots of sunshiny memories!

Waiting for a baby to make an appearance really pushes the patience scale. I know that five times over with my reluctant-to-arrive children. Each one was at least two weeks overdue. You wait anxiously for that due date…and then it passes! What? Then every day thereafter is pure torture. The first week the questions and little ‘jokes’ about your due date being passed, are somewhat bearable. The second week, not so much. You avoid going out in public and the stares of mercy from people you don’t even know. At home, you snarl at those you love and level gazes at them that would shrivel a prune. And you wait. The days, hours and minutes slow to a turtle crawl.

Our two youngest and I are now in Ohio, waiting for the arrival of grandchild number four. TODAY is the due date…and it’s not looking good. Now begins the wait.

People offer suggestions to help speed up the process. But all of us know that a  baby has a mind of its own…and he or she will express it very loudly and clearly concerning their entrance into the world. They have us in their itsy-bitsy hands.

So, here I sit in Target, sipping on a Starbucks coffee…writing to all of you. Our three youngest girls are off shopping for baby items that are always needed at the last minute. As I have mentioned before, I’m not much for shopping anymore. So the set-up suits me just fine. Well, it kind of suits me. They don’t sell Krispy Kremes here. Have a wonderful Monday!

Tomorrow we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection. Remember that it’s not about the bunnies, the eggs or how much chocolate you eat. It is about what He has done for us. This song I am sharing from libbyallensongs says it very simply. Tomorrow, as you enjoy your family and friends, sunrise service, egg hunt and way more chocolate than you should…remember what Christ sacrificed for us. Most importantly, remember that He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father!

No infringement intended. Only sharing a song. Please go to libbyallensongs for more of her music. Thank you!

Some pretty outrageous ‘costumes’ have been circling Facebook for the past few months. Of course we all click on it and see what all the fuss is about. It can be fairly entertaining for a few minutes. The thought always goes through my mind, “Did you pass by a mirror before you left the house and maybe have second thoughts?” This post is in no way written to offend anyone. We all have the right, within legal limits of course, of what we wear. But here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

Even when I was still in high school, I remember people generally wanting to look their best when they went somewhere. You didn’t want to have holes or rips in your clothing, or have stains or food on them. You really did not want to appear as a Hobo. You dressed the best that you could and you generally wanted to look your best when seen in public.

Today, that does not seem to be the case any longer. People go to weddings and funerals in jeans and a t-shirt…and I’m not talking nice ones. So, is it really that difficult to put on something decent before you leave the house?

Think back even fifty years ago. Going out of the house was a special occasion. Even to the grocery store. My grandmother did not leave her house without hose, gloves and a hat. It was required to be seen in public. Most men wore suits for church, weddings and funerals. Every man had a suit, even if dirt poor…and you wanted that because you didn’t want to be seen as well…a Hobo.

Yes, even I have become more sloppy in my dressing over the years. I still do wear a dress or very nice slacks for a wedding or funeral. I consider it an honor to show respect for those people. I can put a little effort into their special day, a little effort and respect into a family’s funeral. And it doesn’t kill me. I may be a little less comfortable for a few hours, but again, think back to the way people dressed one hundred and fifty years ago or so…and I think we will survive.

This post was written today because of my thoughts on Easter, which is coming early this year. For many of us in my generation, Easter Sunday was the day you debuted new spring clothes. It was a big thing at our house to see what we would purchase for  Easter Sunday. And yes, my sister and I did wear fancy dresses, hats and gloves. And I loved it!

This picture is one of my favorite and I hope my brother and sister don’t mind me sharing it on here. I am the oldest and I was around four to five years old at the time. I know I had not started school yet.

So, think about it the next time you go to Wal-Mart. Pass by a mirror on your way out the door. Would you really want people seeing you like that?

It is never fun to sit in the hospital. Whether it be the emergency room, visiting someone or waiting for someone during their surgery. The only exception to this may be waiting to hear about a new baby…but there is still that hospital atmosphere. I don’t mind that atmosphere if I am taking blood pressure, helping someone to eat, and generally taking care of them. I really like that atmosphere then, but the other side is…difficult.

Yesterday our son had his fourth surgery on his left ear, his sixth ear surgery, and his tenth surgery since he was born. We have spent a lot of time waiting and praying. For all of the ear surgeries, they were way more complicated than the two doctors expected. That added several hours to waiting when we thought a surgery would be over in a couple hours. Those hours are scary for parents. Yesterday was the best day. Yes, we spent the entire day at the hospital…waiting, but it was good news…and somehow that makes it more worth the wait.

One nurse stood out in my mind…and she made the day much easier. She came into the waiting room every half hour or so, more often if needed, to give updates to the family and friends waiting for their loved one. Each person had her undivided attention, she explained as much as she was allowed and able, and she did it with compassion and patience…over and over and over. She sat and talked if needed, gave encouragement and let everyone know that she and the staff were there to help, just call.

This nurse was being paid to do a job, just as all the other hospital staff were, but she went above and beyond…and you don’t see that much anymore. This nurse turned our day around after we had been greeted and treated as if we were idiots when we first arrived in admitting. This nurse did her job to earn a paycheck, just as we all do, but many of us don’t extend ourselves and put our best foot forward.

Thank you to this nurse for her exceptional work ethic. It was appreciated yesterday. Let it be a reminder to all of us that we shouldn’t just work to get paid, but to make a difference if someone else’s life. And you don’t need to be a nurse to do that. You can work at Dairy Queen, drive a truck, or work at Wal-Mart. Make someone’s day special. It will be remembered.

As I look back over the past year…which is what we all tend to do on this day…so many emotions swamp my thoughts. Some years of your life have been generally good, some years not so good. This year for our family has been hard to pin down when it comes to the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ aspect. The fiery darts have seemed to come from all directions and the blessings have trickled down through the smoke. But there have been blessings.

Each of us can choose to concentrate and remember the bad, the fiery darts…or we can make a conscious decision to be absorbed in the good. This doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to what has gone on or that we forget, but our effort and thoughts go into the edifying and building up, not the tearing down. I’ve done a lot of tearing down this year and if I were to make a New Year’s Resolution, it would be to spend more time building up and encouraging. And if you think about it…you just feel better when you build up and encourage and love the other person. It takes a lot of energy to hate, be bitter and stay angry.

This year, we lost my husband’s mother, but she gained heaven and the joy of being with all those that have gone before her. This year we ‘lost’ another daughter, but gained a new son-in-law. Our son has had a couple more surgeries with more to come, but he was also okayed for two new hearing devices. God has provided the insurance coverage for those surgeries. Our son being able to play guitar and sing, as he is so talented in doing, may be more of a reality again in 2016. My husband resigned as a pastor, but in that we also know of two young men that are very gifted in teaching God’s word and it’s exciting to see what God has planned in all of that. Again, the blessings trickling down through the rough and challenging times.

My writing has taken off in 2015 and I am so very excited to see where it flies! It is a gift to me that I pray I am able to share with many in 2016 and the years to come. I would never have thought all of this would have been possible last year at this time.

Life is difficult and filled with challenges. We still have some to work out in our own personal lives. But we will have the answers at some point and more obstacles will come. Choose to look at the good, concentrate on the blessings and your cup will be running over. Have a Blessed New Year 2016!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. With that one line, most of us know the story. I wrote that from memory, so I do hope I have it correct! Tonight we will hang our stockings, or fill the ones that have been hanging for a month now, collecting dust. We will set out the presents and sneak off to bed by midnight if possible. Your tree will look something like this, as ours did back in 2008.

Another line that is very familiar to us is this: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11, KJV)

Tomorrow is the day set aside to remember the birth of our Savior. No, it probably was not on December 25th. But that is the day we celebrate. As you cherish the day with family and friends, opening gifts, and eating way too much food…remember. God’s son was sent to us, born as a baby and grew to be a man. He walked on this earth, lived a life of a carpenter and was a testimony of what we should be in our own lives. Then he died for us, giving us the opportunity to accept or deny him.

I pray your day is filled with joy. Merry Christmas, from me to you!

On this date, back in 1987, at about 2:30 in the morning, I had just delivered our first baby…a girl. It had been a very long three days to get to that point, involving several trips to the local, small hospital and then eventually an ambulance ride to Albany Medical Center. But she did finally arrive and she was a big one…9 pounds and 6 ounces. I was a little bruised and worse for wear, but elated!

On Christmas morning, she was brought to me as all the babies were, in a red stocking. The woman in the cubicle next to mine had had twins, so she received two stockings. I have always thought that was pretty special. With a little finagling, I was able to go home that day. I ate Christmas dinner on a plastic donut and our oldest was passed around like the best-tasting mashed potatoes, but I had my present!

Today this daughter has three of our grand-children and they live near by. She is my proof-reader and editor for my books…the computer guru that gets things done. She is the oldest, the bossy one and a bit cranky like me at times, but we all love her anyway.

Happy Birthday, to our first child, the one that made us truly a ‘family’ and paved the way for four more siblings. We love you, Baby Britt!

Wow…less than a week until Christmas! How did that happen? We’ve all said it. When we were children, Christmas took FOREVER to arrive. We started counting down the days after Thanksgiving. (I’m sorry, I think Thanksgiving should have its own, special time and I don’t really remember Christmas decorations being put out in homes or stores until AFTER Thanksgiving.) At school you anticipated the long break coming up. It seemed like you would be gone for ages, rather than just a couple of weeks.

Your mother baked mounds of goodies, you decorated cookies and ate way too much raw dough, (yes another bad thing we did as children if you’re my age). You also sampled frosting until your tongue was green. The build-up for Christmas Eve was almost unbearable. Finally, the day would arrive!

When I think back on those years…I don’t really recall the actual presents and what I received as much as the emotions and feelings of that month. It was more the simple pleasure of the preparations for the Big Day. The emotions of family and friends, the close unity we all shared.   We all were gathered for a purpose, and enjoyed being there.

In previous posts, I have mentioned the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas. I wanted to share a few of those here. These pictures of our small town were taken Christmas Eve of 2008 by our second oldest. Boy was it cold outside! I loved it, because it had a ‘Christmas’ feel to it.

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These are some more pictures from that Christmas, seven years ago. I have a village that I used to arrange on my piano. I absolutely loved it! I have always adored miniatures and this was just perfect to display every Christmas. But now it has grown too large and I need a bigger area to display it. Not a bad problem to have! But I have really missed it the past couple of years!

These two pictures are from that Christmas day. One showing that anticipation I was speaking of. The other of three of our daughters with the aprons I made that Christmas.

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I think for most of us, Christmas isn’t about the presents we are going to receive, (unless we are under the age of twelve). It’s about the preparations, time spent with family and friends. The cards you receive from miles away, the shopping for gifts to give and watching as those people open what you have chosen especially for them. It’s all those emotions that are tied in from being with special people in your life.

I think that is totally appropriate. God planned for and provided those people to encourage us, help in times of need, give us accountability and love us. Who else would you want to spend such a very special day with?

The aromas of Christmas. If you close your eyes, you can smell them. Crisp, new-fallen snow. Clean and cold in your nose, filling your head with freshness. Cinnamon and cloves, boiling on the stove-top, the taste of apple or pumpkin pie on your tongue. Sugar cookies baking in the oven, lovely and golden on the cookie sheet.

Currier and Ives Painting

The sights of Christmas. Sparkly lights upon the tree. Each ornament a memory of Christmas’ past. Candles flickering upon a table or in a window, a halo of melted ice upon the pane. Snow piled high against a tree, branches lifting white fluff to the sky. A snow man here and there, stick arms pointing crazily. Colored lights adorning houses, icicles ‘dripping’ from the eaves. Snowflakes dancing on the wind, each one unique.

The sounds of Christmas. Carols being sung around the piano, groups trudging through the cold to the next door. Favorite songs come to mind, floating on the air. Children shrieking with joy, crumpled paper upon the floor. Laughter and reminiscing of long ago, my grandfather’s whistle wafting through my memories.

These are from my Christmas album. Each of us has our own. Christmas at my house while growing up was a really, big deal. We lived in large homes and had several trees. One year, the Breakfast Room tree had only edible items on it. We strung popcorn and cranberries, and gum drops as well. We made sugar cookies and decorated them, a hole at the top for string. My youngest brother loved that tree and really enjoyed it…literally. I don’t think there was a decoration left on it by the time Christmas arrived!

My memories come from places that are cold in December. Colorado, Vermont, New York and Minnesota. But for a couple Christmases we lived in Arizona. My mother kept the air-conditioning on so it would seem ‘cold’ in the house. We painted ‘snow’ on the window panes. With a few, frosty mornings, it even seemed more wintery. My mother was great at creating the ambience of a season.

Have I accomplished that for my own children? I’m afraid I probably haven’t. Putting up one tree each year is more of a task than what I want to do. With only one child still at home, the desire to decorate is even less than it used to be. It just seems like a lot of work to drag out all the decorations, put them up for a month and then put them all away. I would rather enjoy the ‘ambience’ at someone else’s house.

Thankfully, our second to youngest and her husband came over yesterday and put up our tree. We went through the ornaments, reflected on the special ones…the years receded. Our daughter took home the ones that were hers, to display on the beautiful tree she and her husband decorated for their first Christmas.

And life goes on. Christmas is the celebration of our Savior’s birth. All the tradition’s that come in from all over the world are what make the memories that each of us have. It is what makes our Christmases special. Each December, we want to remember those aromas, sights and sounds. We want to pull-out those memories, dust them off and relive them, share them with others and make new ones. THAT is why we drag out the tree and boxes of ornaments. We bake far too many goodies for one family to eat, and burn candles, listening to Christmas music. We want the ‘ambience’ of Christmas.