PHAMILYBLOG

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.

Aw...Mondays

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

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.

Feline Friday

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!

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Wordless Wednesday

Monday, May 1, 2023

Happy Tuesday Maxine Cracks Me Up

Happy Tuesday

Gillian

Joe Becigneul

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.

Friday, April 7, 2023

GOOD FRIDAY

Growing up, my mom had simple rules but on Good Friday, no TV, no radio, eating small meals. I appreciate my childhood, the way I was raised. Today I turned on my music, hymns like Blessed Assurance, Amazing Grace, This is Amazing Grace, and many others. I sat listening and thinking, He gave His life for me. No greater love is there. Jesus walked this earth as a human and suffered unimaginable pain and suffering, to take on the entire sins of the entire world. It still stuns me to this very day. So I try to follow Him as closely as I can, and I am so imperfect . But I know He loves me. I know I never walk alone, through happiness, sadness, and everything in-between. What an incredible selfless act for all.

The artist Richard Hook (1938-2010) painted the original colored piece of Jesus. It is called a "Hook Head". I was able to have the black and white version put on canvas later. But a friend from high school, Randy Pape worked at the local Christian bookstore, Scripture Supply in our hometown of Pueblo and gave me the colored art piece. I have seen many renditions of Jesus but I believe this is about as close to the biblical description of Him as there is.

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. ISAIAH 53:2

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Philippians 2:5-7 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Matthew 17:2-3 “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”

Grateful for the gift I was given of Jesus Christ. I really came to understand who He was in the 2nd grade. I knew no saint, no person, no church authority could save me. I learned it from the parish pastor who like Jesus, was a simple man and a carpenter.

MAY THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS SACFRIFICE. HIS RESURRECTION AND HIS LOVE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ON THIS EARTH TOUCH YOU ON THIS BEAUTIFUL EASTER WEEKEND.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

MY FATHER

I lost my father on this date 38 years ago. It never gets easier. But for all the wealth in the world, I would not wish him back to suffer in these difficult times that are coming to our once beautiful USA and our once beautiful world. I wait for the day when I will be able to share a reunion with him and so many others.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8