Blue Monday and Love is...

This summer I had a little tea party with my friend Bonnie (pink hat) and two of our three girls. Our youngest was being a nanny for the weekend with a little fellow she has often cared for and we thought we had it planned to a "T"! It was August and it was hot. We had lots of lovely dessert items as well as tea sandwiches. I went all out to entertain my sweet friend my my girls. I forgot to take photos of the little brown gift bags that I decorated using  items each person enjoys. We filled them with all sorts of gifts like these cool fans my daughter Rebekah and I found at the World Market. I wore my favorite blue dress and my pretty blue hat! You can not see the detail of my hat but here is a photo of it .

I love hats and I am planning to buy a new hat for the Kentucky Derby this year.  Although I can only watch it on T.V. I love watching the beautiful horses parade around before the race. Magnificent creatures. My heart is set on a cute orange fascinator,   a large hat like this one in orange and pink or a different style in bright yellow. I will see which one I choose and I will let you know.

 When I was a younger woman I loved to write poetry. I wish I could get back into that mode. I loved writing about my honey and this Love is...could have been the two of us. I hope you will join Sally and the Blue Crew as well as Marydon for Love is...she often has been sharing them at her Face Book Page MD Middaugh.

Fun Facts About Me and Pinks to Share!

My friend Myra said I gave her an idea from Face Book that people share lots of interesting facts about themselves there. So she made a list of things about herself and I thought I would share some too.

I dislike elevators. I am terribly claustrophobic yet when we were in NYC I never flinched when we got on the elevator to zip up 120 floors to the top of the Empire State Building!

I was never claustrophobic until I had neurosurgeon many years ago.

My friend "Fred the Floater" hangs out in my left eye. I dislike him intensely. They tell me he is never leaving.

I faithfully read my bible daily. I surround myself with good things. I find comfort in them otherwise this world filled with wickedness would tear me down.

I would love to live on a property with acreage and keep lots of furry friends there with us.

I love to read and hate having poor eyesight. I don't want to have to trade my books in for audio tapes. I don't like someone else reading to  me.

I am addicted to pinterest. I love it there and sometimes I get so involved in my boards I forget to do other things!

I am one hundred percent left handed. My mother was left handed. She did everything left handed except write! They broke her in Catholic school. They couldn't break me, I vomited on them!

I like to sit next to my daughter  Noelle when we go out to eat. She is left handed too and we never bump elbows!

Two of my children inherited my bad bones. I inherited them from my mother! She had many wonderful qualities. I think being a people person is the only one I inherited from her.

A pink coffee cup for Beverly and the Pinkies! I love coffee and tea. But I prefer tea more. Now that the warmer weather will be here I love ice tea too.

How about a pink tutu for a kids table? I thought this was really sweet.

A pink toaster oven I saw at the thrift store.

Lots of pink blooms at the grocery store.

I love fresh flowers, especially with pink blooms.

I thought these garden chair pots were precious. Do you like the pink one? Orange? Green?

I hope you will visit both Myra and Beverly today.

Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown

SISTERS

I love my sisters. One is in Heaven and the other lives 2 hours away from me! I don't think I would be the person I am if I didn't have my sisters! The photo here are my three girls. Sisters! Would you ever guess that they are close? Such pretty girls. I don't know what I would do without them! They were more challenging to raise than my two sons but they are worth it!

I hope you share your favorite "S" with the Alphabe Thursday gang! Visit Ms. Jenny. I started this "S" post because I wanted to share my late sister Pat with you. She would have celebrated a birthday today. But instead she went to be with the Lord in 2001. She made the best Barbie clothes for all my dolls when I was a kid. She was 16 years older than me. She was the apple of my daddy's eye. His firstborn. His "Patty", he doted on her. What a remarkable person she was.

She looked a little grumpy here. But she never was. Always laughing, smiling and making everyone feel comfortable.

See her pretty smile. I think the day we lost her, my mother lost a part of her heart. It is just not normal that your child would pass away before you. Nine months after her untimely death, my mother passed away too.

See those long legs? My sis was blessed with beautiful long legs! She was nearly six feet tall! She got all the good qualities of our dad.

Such an angelic first communion picture. My sis was a straight arrow. She was always kind, never into any mischief and did not smoke or drink. She was a beautiful person with a pure soul. A woman of God, she studied her bible and knew the Lord well.

My sister and her men. She and my brother-in-law Gary raised five sons. She is holding her first born grandchild and only grandson, Joseph. She and Gary adored him and spent many years raising him. Today he is the father of a newborn baby girl. Oh my sister would be filled with joy! A great grand girl! She always said she would get her girls as grandchildren and was blessed with three Rachelle, Shelby and McKenzie.. A joyful mother, grandmother, wife and daughter as well as sister.

I love this photo of Pat. She is gorgeous.  She and Audrey Hepburn could pull off this short hairdo.  My sis spent years as a military wife and mother living in lots of different countries and eventually settling in Radcliff, Kentucky which she loved and called home until her untimely death.

Although I can not find a photo of myself with my two sisters here is one of my mom with my pretty sisters, from left, Mary, Pat and mom.

Blue Monday

I have missed one of my favorite play times for a few weeks. I love Blue Monday but my work place has been blue so I have been stressed and unable to enjoy my few hours of personal time each evening.

Having spent a few days in NYC with part of my phamily I took some fun photos to share here. You need to look for all the blue I captured and than visit Sally and the Blue Crew! Here is a shot of the city from the Staten Island Ferry.

New York City is fun and full of life. My friend Deb, who grew up in Philly gave me some wonderful advice. She said to enjoy the food and the sites and just go have fun! I was excited to get away for a few days with the kids and hubby. Watching Nick run is such a pleasure. He has worked hard to get where he is and getting a solid education in the process has been a real blessing. Although this is a google image, I love the blue you will find at Time Square.

 Lady Liberty looks good bathed in blue skies. This is a google image and here is my shot at sunset. Now hop over to Sally's and share your own blues.

I also hope you share you favorite Love is...here

Although Nick left this morning and is settling in at his school, he will be coming home before we know it! We know the road to Kansas well. So we are studying up on the best route to take and what to do once we get there! Goodness, time flies! Visit Marydon and share your Love is...too! She often posts her Love is.. at MD Middaugh on Face Book!

This precious pooch isn't wearing any blue and he's not a Love is... cartoon but he is so darn cute and his face says it all! I had to share it here. Have a wonderful week!

"R"andom Thoughts

I am late for Ms. Jenny and the "R" gang this week but I am here and spreading random thoughts. Here is my offering for Think Spring! We are dropping twenty degrees to start our Springtime weather in Colorado. If you have lived here your entire life like I have you would not even flinch. Snow in May!? Why not, we wait and wait and wait to plant. Then we get some fun filled with wonderful color all summer long even in the dreaded 100 plus temps! So now that Spring is officially here enjoy it everywhere you are!

Not very colorful but a favorite running quote. Billy Mills was the only American to ever win the 10,000 meter event in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics! In case you missed it, running is related to the R words and posts we are sharing this week.

Easter will be here before we know it! Although I was raised to celebrate the traditional reason of Christ's resurrection I like some color and fun too! This faux chocolate rabbit is calorie free!

I love Audrey Hepburn! She was a classic, a true celebrity and wonderful actress. They don't make 'em like her anymore and I was going to mention I am incorporating my  Beverly Pink's here today. I know you will see more than just this pink here!

I am stuck on running! The popular song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen is used in an awesome and hot pink running quote!

Reading the Scriptures daily are very important to me. I like this verse in the pink heart.  It is a sweet crafty heart with words to live by.

A random thought about reading. Plus it is pink! I love reading and I read about 80 to 100 books a year. Recently "Fred the Floater" and I have became good friends. I have one of those annoying floaties in my left eye. Of course, my left eye is the weakest of my eyes and I hate not seeing as clearly as I once did. But age does funny things to you so you have to take care of those peppers and keep reading! I am not a big fan of someone reading to me because my whole life I have read and when I stumble across an unfamiliar word I stop and research it! Not such an easy task when someone reads the words to you.

Now please visit both Ms. Jenny and Beverly and share your R's and pinks today! Enjoy a restful weekend!

Pink Saturday/Spiritual Sunday/Blue Monday/Love is...

I know you understand! Hello to Beverly and all the Pinkies! I have been away for a while but wanted to say hello and share a pink or two with you!

I wanted to say hello to Charlotte and everyone who participates in Spiritual Sunday. It has been a while since I have visited with many of you.

Often life can be cruel. It can bring blessings, no matter what our days are like. God is always with us. I am grateful. He gives me strength because otherwise I would not be able to go on in this world with all its problems.

I wanted to share this prayer of Saint Patrick. I am so tired of all the political correctness for the St. Patrick Day parade. I dislike the fact that people use this day as a time of drinking and acting foolishly. I can tell you, having been raised in the Catholic church, St. Patrick did not spend his time drinking and carousing!  As a girl raised in the Catholic faith and attending Catholic school from "K" to 11 I know a lot about the Saints of the Catholic church.  St. Patrick was a missionary and a bishop of Ireland.  At the age of 16 he was captured from his home in Great Britain and spent six years as a slave in Ireland. He was able to escape and return to his family. He is credited with being the first Bishop of Armgh in Ireland. His death on March 17th has been celebrated as both a religious and cultural holiday.

The Prayer of St. Patrick

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.

 

Oh the photo bomber in my John Travolta share for Sally and the Blue Crew! This was in New York City at the M and M Store. Don't you just love his platform shoes? I will share more about the trip to see Nick run soon. My life has been a whirlwind of activity.

Ah...the warmer weather will soon be here. The hubby and I love chilling out and some day's it is not as easy to get some free time. We enjoy our time together and often daydream about doing this! So say hello to Marydon and share a favorite Love is..with us today!

Mind Your P's and Q's

I have been missing phun here! Pink Saturday, Love Is...,Blue Monday, Spiritual Sunday and Alphabe Thursday. So I am going to go backward and get all these meme's caught up this weekend.

Peas for the letter "P"!

P's and Q's!

"Q" for Queen! Princesses and Queens! They fit together in my double Alphabe Thursday post!

I feel like a Flamingo in a flock of Pigeons! That's all I can say! Except "P" is for Pigeon too.

I have wanted to downsize some of the things I have. Dolls, books, knick knacks. But I like this quote. "Q" for quote and "P" for poetry, perfect and piled! I am a collector of magazines. I receive many in the mail and still love reading a magazine. So I keep them for at least one year. Then you run out of room! Sigh!

Say hello to Ms. Jenny and all the wonderful folks at Alphabe Thursday.  I will catch up with Pink Saturday, Love is... and Blue Monday as well as Spiritual Sunday this weekend too. Thanks for stopping by.

A Proud Mother's Journey

Two smiling faces! Hannah and Nick! In a few shorts days Hannah and I will be seeing Nick and his team run at Nationals in NYC! These guys will be joining us:

Rebekah has a new job so she will hold down the fort with her sissy:

and the grandson Colton! They will care for the pets and make sure Uncle John is doing good.

This prayerful image is my life always. Work is rough, I need prayer. Life is great with the phamily, I will always pray.

My mother would say this, I am like my father, I am fearful sometime. Worry wart. Emotionally charged. Life is cruel. It is tough. My mother would simply say "Pray harder". I do.

My son Nick would tell me this. When I run, and with the cold wintry weather, it has been difficult, he will encourage me. He is the one person, when I am sad or having a really awful day, that will text me something simple like "Love you mom".It is always random. I often miss hearing from him. I know he is busy with school, with studies, with running, with training but he is always reading my thoughts and shares his love for me. It always makes my day easier.

Oh how simple life would be! Kindness is getting to be a rare gem, along with good manners and thoughtful, respectful folks. I am blessed. I know many and I concentrate on them. I have never had a negative comment about my behavior with patients in twelve years. Once I was reprimanded for discussing politics but I only did because the patient who engaged me thought a lot like I do and so we got chatty! I talk to an average of forty people daily when I am at work.  I can honestly tell you most people with the language barrier are some of the kindest folks to deal with. They like me because I have patience. I guess it is a rare gift today. I always think that if I am kind and someone is really hurting I might have made their day just a little better. We never know what is going on with people we see on the street. I try to make an effort to exude kindness. It is the way I was raised. Women are hard to read. When I call my scheduled patient list each day I speak to half of the folks on my list. Older ladies are usually very kind. Some well mannered young ones too. I make a list of the people who give me a bit of encouragement. Than I pray for them. I keep a prayer journal. I have found that prayer is all I can rely on 100 percent of the time. I fall back into it even when times are tough.

My favorite running quote. The greatest runner in my day. I wish I had been able to see him run live and in person. He is an incredible role model for young runners today even thirty nine years after his untimely death. He is a tremendous force in the runners world.

Nick is my baby. My other kids often think I favor him. Untrue. Equal love goes around this home. No one is better than his next sibling. Love from a parent is a force that is incomprehensible unless you yourself are a parent! Nick is like me. Same temperament! The baby, the youngest child. Both of us born of a mother who was nearing middle age. If you have never read it, please get a copy of Kevin Leman's book "The Birth Order". You will find yourself in the order. It is something amazing.

Now that the time is drawing near for Nick and his team mates to run at Nationals this is the advice I will give him. Then I will tell him this :

Please pray for all of us as we travel to see our fantastic son run in the two races he qualified for the 1000 meter as an individual and the distance medley relay as a team. He will run the 1200 as the first runner out of the pack of four. Pray their feet are light and they run well without injury. Have a wonderful week!