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Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Aw,,,Mondays Happy Tuesday Tuesday 4 Maxine Cracks Me Up

 Awww......Mondays


When I was a small child my uncle Louie told me the story of Bruce. He was an only child and was the son of my maternal grandmother's cousin Frances. Bruce loved America and went to serve us in WWII. He was a Mariner.  Bruce was a few weeks shy of his 22 birthday when he perished.  Buried at sea near Rabaul.  He is on eternal patrol.  Uncle Louie gave me this photo. I can not imagine his mother's pain knowing he passed away but no bodies were ever recovered and so his  death is simply considered considered buried at sea.  52 submarines lost at sea during WWII and 3,506 officers and enlisted men . Bruce's story incredibly is  sad yet so powerful especially during these dark troubling times in our world. I can not understand those who are against our country and our freedom. 

Although he perished at sea, Bruce received the Purple Heart. 

Memorial Day is much more than simply a holiday weekend. 


We have had lots of rain pouring down on us. But the grass is very green. Life is everywhere. 

" May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please , but the opportunity to do what is right." Peter Marshall

Happy Tuesday

This would be a great refrigerator magnet!

I can't say I don't do anything but I enjoy being home. I have caught up on lots of reading, completed a few smaller projects and  watched kids and pets too.  Life is joyful and of course it leads to happy days!

BEDDY BYE

 Hello! Nice to see you back for another Tuesday 4 which was begun by Toni Taddeo and kept up in her memory.    It might be nice to talk about our homes and how we like our rooms to be ordered and used.  What about the bedroom.. a place of comfort and peace.

 


 1. How do you make up your bedroom and bed... colors? blankets? Quilts? Bedspread? Comforter? Throws? Pillow? what goes into making your bed comfy for you? We have light gray walls and a white ceiling. Our curtains are room darkening in light sage green. The white comforter has a floral print on the top half in purple and dark sage green. We use our old heated blanket which is no longer heating in the cold months and take it off in the warm months. We have a top sheet and a Minky lavender and white checkered blanket that covers three quarters of the bed. We don't have room for many pillows but we do have many of them.  Cool gel pillows and an adjustable bed make our golden years very comfy. 

2. What is in your dresser? Is it organized or messy? My dresser drawers are organized but the top of the dresser can get quite messy so no photos today.  We have way too many things in our bedroom so we are in the process of downsizing lots of them. We have lots of wall hangings, with pictures and lots of things we enjoy. 

3. What's in and on your night stand? We have tall nightstands with five small drawers so they are filled with our personal things. Candy, books, things we are working on. The top of the night stand has a lamp on either side, my is a pineapple shaped base with a white shade. He has a touch lamp that is white and gold trimmed.  We have our cup of pens & pencils, scissors, little things and way too much stuff. We are in the spring fever downsizing mode so we will see how it turns out. 

4. Do you read in bed or watch TV before going to sleep? Both. some nights we watch TV before bedtime and often we listen to the bible on tape. I like to read being comfy so I often settle in with a cup of tea and read to my hearts content. My sweet husband does the same. We also use our laptops which go into our drawers of the nightstand. 



Monday, May 22, 2023

Aw...Mondays with More Fun

 Aw....Mondays


Love these elegant creatures. They were favorites for our sweet  great grand boy Alastor Avery. I like to remember him through these lovely spotted animals. If you go to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which sits at the base of the beautiful Pikes Peak mountains  , you can feed these friendly vegetarian's. Alastor loved to reach out and touch them and giggle.


If you love reading, I highly recommend this book. The author was new to me but RaeAnne Thayne, an author I follow recommended this book. On Thursday I did nothing but pad around in my pjs and read this book in one 353 page sitting! Sometimes you just have to have one of those days!


Blaise Pascal lived from 1623-1662 and his words for this SPARKS share are relevant today.


Always.....love is.... has the best advice to keep your heart young. I love these because MaryDon shared with me many years ago at her blog. It was the common thread between us and I have stacks of these little messages from the 1970's when I first fell in love with these little bits of love . Please pray for MD as she is back in the hospital. She is such a brave lady and so filled with goodness and always shares the very best of her days. 


Loretta is the cousin of my high school and lifelong friend Yvonne. Loretta is a cowgirl and she makes me laugh ever single day of my life!  My husband will often say, is this something you got from Loretta? Even he knows her so well.  God and a cowgirl, hey at least she is asking for future reference!

The Ice Cream Man

This sign was in front of the Ice Cream Food Truck, one of many delectable desserts you could purchase. I am kind of sorry we never bought the bucket of Nachos////sigh...


My sister-in-law Lucy found more photos to share with us. Oh how handsome he was in his Navy Blues! Loved my father-in-law Carl. He was a character who could make you laugh. He was an orphan and his take on life came right out of the Word of God. He was one amazing man. His wicked ole aunt sent him off to the Navy at the tender age of 14. She fibbed on the paperwork. So by the time he was 19 he had traveled around the world and had been in6 out of 7 seas and 3 out of 4 oceans. His work ethic, his love of family and everything he did in his life was done simply because he never stopped learning. 

Feline Friday


There are some who have the absolute life of Riley! He bullied poor Finn off this comfy cozy corner. He looks innocent, do not believe it. 

At the Carnival Food Truck event this past weekend, we saw so many different kinds of food and fun! Many people had their pets with them. It was a good time. 

Back the Blue

I hope never to see another one of these in my little city. This officer gave his life trying to defend someone in a domestic violence call in 1984. The park where all the outdoor events are held is named in his honor. 


We had a fun weekend even with all the hard work we did around the house and yard. Plus we saw the grand kids at Brody's final basketball game and we watched Blake while dad went to his 20th school reunion and mom and Addy and Brody went to Kamrie's recital. Kamrie is their cousin who plays basketball with Brody and she had her first dance recital. She is a girl of many talents too. 


This handsome fella spent some quality time with us Saturday. His dad's barber has a daughter who is going to be a rock star like her dad! She gave the boys their haircuts and did a fantastic job. My twin wearing his Jamal Murray number 15 jersey. I should have snapped a photo of us together.


Brody loves basketball. He is so good already and plays very hard. Now he plans to do some street hockey but he did ask Zach to teach him to skate on the glass! I see the hockey league coming his way. 


Thursday, May 11, 2023

THANKFUL THURSDAY AND MY BOJON HERITAGE

 Thankful Thursday


I am very thankful for the rain. Concerned about the flooding reports we keep hearing but grateful for all the moisture. We can't control the weather, But God can, so I trust Him, regardless of what is happening. 


I recently read a lengthy article about Janis Joplin. I am thankful I was raised by wonderful parents. She was not so fortunate. It is interesting, I worked with a lady who came from the Padre Islands in Texas too. She was also raised with non loving parents and spent her life searching for someone to love her. So very sad. I wonder if anyone told Janis that God loved her? Her incredible talent was overshadowed by her use of drugs and alcohol. Such a tragic life.


This silly kitty made me smile. I love seeing such precious shares like this. Thankful to see creative hearts and grateful to have a silly kitty.


Ha! I sure got a kick out of this. A mom I Know with triplets and a busy husband who is a Navy surgeon shared this.  They recently moved to a new state and just are settling in to their new home.



Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Happy Tuesday Maxine Cracks Me Up My BoJon Heritage and Wordless Wednesday

 Happy Tuesday


So this fellow graduated from his Pre-K school to kindergarten. We attended the short graduation last night. It was so much fun.


What I want t be when I grow up....

This boy wants to be a Ninja! I want the artwork. It is a priceless Picasso to me. Boys with goals in life make me happy. I loved the little girls that said they wanted to be princesses. A few girls wanted to be firefighters.  One girl said A chef. I want to know her. A personal chef, sounds so good. Lots of boys wanted to be police officers. A high school friend, Stephanie, told me her son Ryan wanted to be a police officer from the time he was a small boy. Yes, he fulfilled his dream ! I pray for Ryan everyday, you may join me if you'd like to.

I didn't get a photo of Blake. We all went to dinner at Brody's favorite Mexican restaurant .Blake needed to use the bathroom. I was honored to take him. He is the funniest kid and watching him wash those little hands like a surgeon preparing for surgery cracks me up every single time. He makes me very happy too. 


I love making up words like Maxine! This one is terrific and makes me happy today. It is cold and rainy and the skies are so gray. I've been singing Don't Let The Rain Come Down by the Serendipity Singers!  I love happy songs!


Wordless Wednesday


The water then flows into rivers and lakes, eventually returning to the ocean. The cycle then begins anew as the sun evaporates water from the surface, creating more moist air that will eventually rise and form new clouds. 




Monday, May 8, 2023

Aw...Mondays love is.... My BoJon Heritage Sparks

 
Aw...Mondays

My sister Mary once told me this sweet meme looks like her kitty Chompers. He is an Angel Boy these days. 


love is...always makes smiles ,,,,Kim had such a sweet way with words for love for her husband . 

" To understand your parents love, you must raise children yourself. "Chinese Proverb

Hello Monday, Hello Sparks 

I am posting a second one today:

" Love your parents and treat them with loving care. For you will only know their value when you see their empty chair." Anonymous



Since we celebrated our wedding anniversary  Avery's sister Lucy made us a lunch to celebrate yesterday. I will have to share the gifts she and Leah gave us too. We had turkey breast with two kinds of potatoes, sweet and mashed. She roasted veggies and also parmesan asparagus.  Fresh fruit included watermelon, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Plus two cakes, a fresh banana cake and an angel food cake with whipping frosting and fresh fruit. 


A wonderful weekend spent with so many loves ones.


This is a really beautiful gift. It will hang on the wall and we love the sentiment.


This was too precious, it is a small piece and stands on our end table in the living room.


Love these magnets! We out them on the fridge. We had a really good weekend.  We had a great breakfast Saturday morning at one of our favorite places where we get a morning pick me up. I drink the Morning Meditation with an extra boost of vitamins and Avery does the Kale with the same vitamin boost. We headed over to Brody's basketball on Sunday morning then on to Lucy's. All in all we are so grateful for our beautiful phamily and each one of them . Here's to a new week and blessings for everyone. 




 

 
 

 


1/2 cup (120 ml/grams)freshly squeezed orange juice (2 - 3 large oranges)

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

8 large egg whites (240 grams), at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) cream of tartar

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar (Sugar 2)

Orange Glaze: (optional)

2 cups (240 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing), sifted

1 tablespoon orange zest

4-5 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon (13 grams) melted butter



Read more: https://www.joyofbaking.com/OrangeChiffonCake.html#ixzz818hmNoLp
Follow us: @joyofbaking on Twitter | joyofbaking on Facebook

Friday, May 5, 2023

Thankful Thursday Feline Friday Pink Saturday and Life

 Thankful Thursday Ok Brian's home, you are terrific because you host faithfully. Good folks and felines too.

I am stuck on Pink this week! But a tiny kitten in a pink tea cup made me smile and now I need tea. I was going to hang my sheets outside to dry but my son-in-law is smoking something delectable and now the sun went down and the sky isn't as bright so I will use the dryer instead. We have lime green sheets. They are beautiful but I always wash them alone. We also have turquoise ones and  they are bright and beautiful but I wash them alone too. I am a sucker for color, especially brightly colored sheets. Thankful for all the bright colors in the world. Thankful for all the delicious dishes the kids whip up and thankful for hot tea that I can enjoy.



Kitty paws for Feline Friday. My cat has big ole feet but I guess he does cause he is a big boy.  At least it makes sense to me. Mimi, you are a real sweetheart for hosting here. Thank you!

Pink Saturday



A kitty to wish you all a Happy Pink Saturday. Thank you Beverly for hosting. You are a gem. 

Love this quote. It would have been perfect for Sparks too so let's share it both ways, life in general and Sparks. 
We celebrated 39 glorious years together on May 3. We had a fun dinner at the Saltgrass Restaurant. It is so delicious but Texas hospitality is casual here. We loved our dinners. 

One final Pink note:
 
 

These handsome dudes crack me up. Brody told his mom he will get all the ladies wearing this pink shirt because they love pink! 

Spread some P I N K sunshine around! 

Monday, May 1, 2023

Happy Tuesday Maxine Cracks Me Up

  

Gillian is a seven-year-old girl who cannot sit in school. She continually gets up, gets distracted, flies with thoughts, and doesn't follow lessons. Her teachers worry about her, punish her, scold her, reward the few times that she is attentive, but nothing. Gillian does not know how to sit and cannot be attentive.
When she comes home, her mother punishes her too. So not only does she Gillian have bad grades and punishment at school, but she also suffers from them at home.
One day, Gillian's mother is called to school. The lady, sad as someone waiting for bad news, takes her hand and goes to the interview room. The teachers speak of illness, of an obvious disorder. Maybe it's hyperactivity or maybe she needs a medication.
During the interview an old teacher arrives who knows the little girl. He asks all the adults, mother and colleagues, to follow him into an adjoining room from where she can still be seen. As he leaves, he tells Gillian that they will be back soon and turns on an old radio with music.
As the girl is alone in the room, she immediately gets up and begins to move up and down chasing the music in the air with her feet and her heart. The teacher smiles as the colleagues and the mother look at him between confusion and compassion, as is often done with the old. So he says:
"See? Gillian is not sick, Gillian is a dancer!"
He recommends that her mother take her to a dance class and that her colleagues make her dance from time to time. She attends her first lesson and when she gets home she tells her mother:
"Everyone is like me, no one can sit there!"
In 1981, after a career as a dancer, opening her own dance academy and receiving international recognition for her art, Gillian Lynne became the choreographer of the musical "Cats."
Hopefully all “different” children find adults capable of welcoming them for who they are and not for what they lack.
Long live the differences, the little black sheep and the misunderstood. They are the ones who create beauty in this world.


I wanted to share the story of Gillian. A friend of mine gave me the reason behind this beautiful story and I had to share it here. My friend Becky Bailey Strong was related to Lillian Covillo . She along with Friedan Parker created so much beauty in this world, for they were the co-founders of the Colorado Ballet. These are Becky's words I am sharing here. Becky said she will never forget them saying ..." Children were not created to sit inside of a house in front of the TV. That only creates boredom. Children were created to dance their passions in life. : Becky had shared this story with me a few years ago and she does not participate at FaceBook much these days. For whatever reason she opened FB and saw that I shared this story again. I find it incredibly beautiful. I hope you did too.

HAPPY TUESDAY!


" You were once wild, don't let them tame you." Isadora Duncan

" You gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth." William W. Purkey

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane.
by those who could not hear the music." Friedrich Nietzsche



Aw...Mondays love is.... more

 Aw...Mondays


Oh how these months fly by. Avery and I will celebrate 39 glorious years of marriage on May 3. Where did the time go? We had some nice rainstorms so grateful that God opened up the skies and sent rain pouring down. We have a new lilac bush to plant and some flowers to grace the front porch. But alas....those naughty, naughty rabbits already ate one of my beautiful star lilies out front. Lil vegetarians! I had that over five years and they must have loved seeing the Bronco orange color of it! 

Springtime sweet kiss. I have enjoyed the beautiful artwork of Kim Casali since the 1970's.

Remembering all the Sparks that Annie use to share when she blogged.  I've been away from my blogs but I miss them so much. Lots going on with the warmed weather. Trying to keep busy but wanting to be here as well.

"Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch. " Judy Blume

" Not everything has to have a point. Some things just are." Judy Blume


I need this shirt! I am so grateful I was young and stupid when there wasn't anyone recording everything and posting it all over the internet! But as I grow older, I have become much wiser. I lived through the 60's  -- fun times and also turbulent times. We live, we learn and we move forward. So I would like to tell all the younger people out there, don't mess with us. 

SPARKS... I love posting these.


A boy getting ready to graduate from pre-K and his daddy from kindergarten. 
Some of my happiest times are spending it with the grands. Avery & I had to move slowly on Saturday spending the evening with the B&B connection. Those two have the most vidid imaginations. That little one made me go to jail with him. When I said I was scared, I've never gone to jail, he said, that's ok grandma, I will take care of you. He loves law enforcement and he likes to play jail.  He also made grandpa go to jail. We're were jailbirds for a while.  His big bro is a sports nut just like his dad. But both boys will be able to play together next year. 

Will you pray for some folks? Betsy who lost her oldest son Bert last week. Such a sadness to lose your child. Riley Faith waiting for Jesus to carry her home. She has a rare cancer that has traveled to the portal vein to her liver. Madison with leukemia, Madison II diagnosed with a form of autism . Reid also leukemia.  God loves all His children. Hurting hearts are so hard to see.

Mark 9:36-37
Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”  

Thank you.