"O" is for Old (Age)

I know you may not like this post but I had to write it! Earlier this week, I was grumpy! I could not have written it a few days ago,  It would have been filled with explicit language! I had a big change to handle at my job and at first I was miffed. Now I am getting settled into my tiny work space so the younger ones can deal with the front office antics! I am content, but I thought certainly I am being pushed out due to my age. But then I thought about what the bible says about age,

I am a righteous person. I was raised with good standards, respect, a good work ethic and honesty. That was before I even attended Catholic school from the age of 5 to my junior year in high school.  So I am going to trust the Lord and go with His way of thinking. 

I know I do a good job and the doctor complimented me telling his new office manager, that I am always concerned about his bottom line! Yes I am! In order to keep a job you have to bring money into the company. If I don't respect the patients who need his services and if I am rude or obnoxious they will not want to come there. If I don't gently tell them they need to be responsible for their out patient referrals to see a Specialist they will be angry when they get a big bill and in some cases my doctor will not be paid at all for services rendered because they went out of their network.

So I am making my case about growing older. I am not ashamed of who I am and where I came from! Goodness, I worked long and hard to get to where I am! I get upset the way the younger generation treats us. The doctor I work for hates to see anyone disrespect an older person. He will look them straight in the eye and say "Be careful how you treat the older folks, you will be there too one day!"

As an older, more mature woman, I have a lot to offer. I have, as they say, been there and done that! I also feel that I have a lot to offer. I have had a good , strong, solid marriage. I have been blessed. The kids are well, they are educated and they have been great ! I know all about babies and the routine you need with them. I handled two toddlers and two elementary age children as well as a teen! Whew! No wonder I am tired these days!

I can dole out marriage advice if needed, and more importantly, if asked!

I feel more vintage than old! I still like to stay in shape. I like getting discounts in restaurants and the thrift stores. You have to look around and ask. I am not ashamed, I am proud! Years ago when I was younger, my friend Bea, who is in her eighties these days, would ask me if she embarrassed me when she asked for discounts and deals! I said never! I am waiting for the day I can get a deal too!

Aside from brittle bones, wrinkles and crinkles, I love my life. I am learning a lot of new things even at this age, So don't feel bad if you are joining me for this new journey in life. Hang on tight and enjoy the ride!

Now please visit Ms. Jenny and join the wonderful world of the letter O!

Let's Mix It Up!

I have been grumpy! New duties at work and a new workspace! So getting organized is a chore as I do not have the space I had previously!  I have been hiding so I would not filter negative vibes to you!

I had a headache last night and was feeling sad because I miss Nick! My grandson was at the Rockies game so I was having a bad night! Good news, Nick called me at ten last night to tell me he was hanging out with Dani from Denver. She is a soccer player who attends Cowley too. Her mom works for the billing office associated with our doctor's practice. My grandson just left. He came to show me photos from the Rockies game! I was jealous, he was sitting about five rows up from third base! The Rockies won, beating the Giants so it was all good!  He even sat in the rain to finish watching the game!

Today is the thirteenth anniversary of Noelle and Roger. Very proud of those two.

I love this sweet photo. My girl was a beautiful bride! Gosh that was a long time ago! Wonderful memories.

A perfect wedding Scripture 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Grumpy me missed my share with sweet Marydon so am sharing now. I love the Love is...comics. This is a special one, look at all those hearts on the curtains and sofa! Love is so integral in marriage and life!

I felt like this wolf howling at the moon these past few days! Life can just kick you when your down! But I like the blue moon here and meant to share it with Sally and all the blue crew! You know I missed posting too! So visit all the colorful blues like I plan to do!

See Lorna's pretty colorful blue shirt? She fits nicely into the Blue Monday theme too! I should be smiling all day long, I had breakfast Saturday with my girlfriend Lorna and two other  cohorts from our days of working at the hospital. Although Sharon and Lorna still work for the hospital, I left and Veronica retired. This is the only photo I took! Lorna ordered steak and eggs at a favorite breakfast place the hubby and I go to. We never have eaten this menu item and yum! It looked tasty and Lorna agreed it was delicious! I call Lorna the "Cat Whisperer" because she has this sixth sense about cats. She is always rescuing some kitty cat and saving them from harms way! We try to do breakfast a few times a year and we were all missing Chris. She is working a second job so maybe next time. My daughter Noelle filled in nicely for the missing Chris! We are girls who have been thru good times and bad. Veronica is a two time breast cancer survivor. Sharon is more calm in her mature state but when I first met her I fell in love with radical black woman empowered agenda! She is always fighting for the rights of someone less fortunate and she is a hoot to be around! Her niece married a gentleman from the Ivory Coast. She said at their wedding she never was surrounded by so darn many Catholics! I guess the major religion there is Catholicism! Hee Hee!  I was raised Catholic and Sharon always tells me how unhappy she was as a kid cause her neighbor went to Catholic school and had a lot more holidays than Sharon did attending public school!  Chris is newly divorced and she is an excellent mom to her two teenage kids! These women are a wonderful bunch of mixed nuts and I love them all dearly.

My backdrop is not pretty but Lorna is a real live doll! She won this pretty girl at a Christmas tea last year and did not have room for her! She knows I am a sucker for dolls. Miss Merri Kristi is living at my house and I love her dearly. I named her after one of my late cousin Darla's daughters. Her second daughter Merri Kristi was born, yeah, you guessed it, on Christmas Day! So this velvet dressed dolly is perfectly fitted for the name Merri Kristi!

Lorna also gave me these fairy dolls on the left and in the middle! They are so cute. The fairy on the far left doll is an Autumn Fairy! The lavender dressed doll is in the seated position and I love her little Roman sandals. Miss Peachy Keen is a thrift store fine for four bucks! I sure love my dolls!

Do you all know Rhissanna Collins at etsy? Shhh....don't tell her, I am addicted to her dolls! This is "Bad Fairy"! She was my best buddy the day she arrived when all these new changes fell into place at work! Boy I needed a Bad Fairy to cheer me up!

If I miss visiting you or I forget to say how much I appreciate you , I really love you all bunches! I love my girlfriends here that way too! So here is a pink quote saying it all! I also forgot to say Happy Pink Saturday to Beverly  and all the pinkies! So this pink is for you!

A reminder to pray every day! I know personally I would not get through my day without it! A final note, a funny one to share. The other day two ladies who live at the Buddhist Temple here in Denver were in our office. Sitting next to them and chatting with them was a lady who had an appointment for her grand daughter! Now I am not making this up when I tell you, the little girl was named Karma! HeeHeeHee! Aw....c'mon on, you know you smiled!

"N: is for Nick and Noelle

Having so much fun playing with Ms. Jenny and all the wonderful participates of  Alphabe Thursday.  I have really been using my phamily in my posts. I love talking about them, being with them and always telling tales about them!

Here is a hint! This is one of my "N" lettered children! He does this because he loves it!

Aw....my tiny little baby Nick! He turned 20 on August 20th! He was a quiet and sweet little fellow. He grew up into a wonderful young man.

A 2012 Christmas photo. Nick is bright and funny. He has a good heart. He works hard at running and harder on his grade.

A favorite photo of my blue eyed baby with his sweet cousin Sarah. They both have the prettiest blue eyes. Nick has a soft spot for little ones and always for the cats and dogs we have!

Winning the Nike Southwest Boys Open Race in Arizona November 21, 2011. Margaret Kelly Photography captured his win! I remember running and screaming as he came to the finish and I could hear my heart racing and I could hear my voice inside my head! Yelling his name. He worked long and hard and attended the Nike Southwest Race in Arizona all through his high school career. He won that race in his senior year after he suffered with shingles. We were so proud of him.

This was Nike Southwest in 2010. I always tell him " Never forget your mother because other than the Lord Himself, no one, I repeat, no one, loves you like your mother!" Now that he is into his second year of college and his final year at Cowley, I get teary eyed thinking about what is next for this handsome young man I call my son Nick!

Noelle and Roger will be married 13 years this year. We are so proud. The have had good years with their marriage and that is what makes life happy! They have a 17 year  old son Colton.  Andrew and Christal are Roger's son and daughter which both are parents so that makes Noelle a really young grandma of 4!

A wedding dance. It is nice to have Noelle and Roger a few doors away. We have lots of summertime get togethers and good memories to share.

A favorite wedding photo of the happy couple with my sweet mother. A very good memory.

Oh goodness another nice memory! Colton and Roger. We all have our favorites and this one is special because of their huge smiles!

Goodness Noelle and Roger were very young here. It is so good to feel so blessed. I have a remarkably wonderful phamily and these are two of my five kids! I have received a wonderful gift in my life, a terrific hubby and five kids. Blessed with grandkids too! Life is good.

I never get to visit much with my sweet friend Suzanne and her Vintage Thursday Thingy so I have been waiting to share this cool butter dish! It is a thrift store find and it was only a couple dollars! It is full of 1970s harvest gold, burnt orange and avocado green colors! I think it is just precious!

Now you have seen my "N" tribute  please visit our nifty teacher Ms. Jenny and come back here soon!

OLDER BUT AM I WISER?

Love does lift the gloom! I have been a little moody lately. Lots going on! Nick leaving for college, Jeremy and Rebekah traveling to Vegas for a vacation. I worry. I know I shouldn't. They are, after all, in the hands of the Almighty. But my honey does a good job of keeping me on an even balance. He has his younger brother staying here. It is difficult. Hard to explain and worse to talk about it! But he is sick so prayer is always good. I hope while you are here, you will stop by and say hello to Marydon and share a favorite Love is...

Blue skies are good whether you watch them with the sun coming up or going down! Look how blue the water looks too!

A serene and very peaceful place with blue skies to cheer you!

How about these pretty blue rocks which I think may be at the beach in case you are near one!

Now I know you want to see more blues so go visit Sally and share a blue or two!

I am getting older and I wonder often am I really wiser? Sometimes I don't trust myself and other times I feel I am able to help others understand the Word of God even if it is just a little. A good example today,  a young friend of mine said her older daughter talked disrespectfully to her and her hubby when they told her to come to breakfast. She refused so they told her she could wait until lunch to eat, because she had missed breakfast! They felt bad but also felt that if she does not learn to respect her parents who will she respect? Certainly not herself and certainly not any type of authority around here. Anyone who knows me very well can tell you I am not a big fan of a lot of authority. I think sometime adults often do cross a line with kids. Particularly with school aged children. I think no matter your age you have to earn respect. If you disrespect someone how can you expect them to respect you? Another good example, the school lunch program. I have seen children be put down by some overworked cafeteria lady because they can not finish their lunch. That "starving children in China in would love to have your food" did not impress me as a small child and today I feel the same way. I don't believe I have to be responsible for the world. I can help one person at a time. I think we all can.

This is my youngest grandson Colton. He is 17. Since he has been a very small child he has always talked with me on the phone or in person and has always asked me how my day was. I love my time with him. Last night we were hanging out, waiting for the hubby to return from the airport with the Vegas bunch! His girlfriend called him. I whispered I would leave the room, give him some privacy and he whispers back, you don't have to go grandmother! A good solid trusting soul. There is much hope for this younger generation. If we teach them the truth.

Between this beautiful quote and the Scripture I shared above I think we have to teach our children more than just what is going on in this world. After all it will not be here forever. There is  something better awaiting us at the end of our lives if we are willing to trust the One who gave His life so we may live. When I feel sorry for myself I think God doesn't love me like he loves, let's say, someone with a lot of things! But I know deep down He does love me. The verse spells it out so beautifully and twenty years ago I would not have put it together. Today I understand it perfectly. Age adds to our wisdom. Something I constantly have to pray about. I think God is listening.

 Maybe you will visit Charlotte and get some encouragement from other wonderful folks who drop by the Spiritual Sunday blog. People sharing their hearts and giving something back to each one of us. Please come join the weekly shares.

I forgot to post for Beverly and the pinkies! SO here are a few pinks although I am very late!

Pretty pink birds! It looks as though these two are sweet for each other.

A pink parking sign. But you have to be a princess to park here! Hee Hee!

A final pretty pink! You should always dare to dream big!

Do you remember this song? It was called "Hey Mickey" and I can not get it out of my head! I tell you this for two reasons, first of all I missed class with Ms. Jenny. I had a good "M" to share and my week was all messed up! Mourning my children going on vacation and one leaving for college. A sad Momma! So my hubby and I were talking and he said our new kitten "Tiger" has a perfect "M" on his forehead! Well, everywhere I see orange tabbys I see their"M" imprinted on their forehead! Now the hubby has been calling the kitten Mickey and he is starting to remind me of a Mickey! So quick, faster than a speeding bullet, hopping, jumping, par kouring off the furniture! He is a pill! But we love him no matter what we call him!

My little Mickey Tiger with his perfect M designed into his forhead!

My, my, my, our Mickey has grown since we shot this photo in Jessica's truck! If you don't believe me that he has a perfect M on his forehead watch the Meow Mix commercial, those two orange tabbies have the perfect M too! I think it stands for mischievous!