Sunday Morning Sunshine: Memories...

 Walking the ocean shore at the crack of dawn...

Holding hands with the man I love...

Loving the flowers hubby gives me, tame or wild! 

Watching our grandboys work...

Enjoying fruit...

Loving my Flag! 

Good memories...

And so much more.

Rambling Fridays: What of Life?

Yesterday was my birthday, and I don't know whether I should be happy and satisfied that I achieved another year or be sad because I'm another year older.

Right about now, I tried to make a list of the pros and cons, and other than the usual life's problems, I couldn't think of much to add on the "con" side, so I'm going to share some of my joys of having birthdays.

• I get flowers almost every year from my sweet hubby. I totally love plants and flowers. They cheer me, they're esthetically nice to gaze upon. They make me feel loved. They boost my emotions. 

• I have a ton of wonderful memories to enjoy and reflect upon.  One of our favorite things to do while traveling is remembering. And all the pictures I've taken through the years makes the past come alive!! We could have missed out on this blessing, but we didn't. That is something to be thankful for.

• Sometimes, but not always, I get ice cream cakes! Oh, the anticipation of getting one. Will it be this year? Has my husband forgotten I love them? And the delicious first, cold bite...

• The presents and cards from my son and his dear friend...and my close friends. What fun! Knowing that I have a wonderful son who cares about me. Knowing I have friends who love me. God's blessings for sure. It might be a beautiful card or a simply signed card by an elderly hand, but knowing I have those who care enough to remember...I am blest!

• Knowing that I've been given another year from God is a miracle of love! Thank you, God, for loving me and giving me so many wonderful blessings. 

Life is good.

Sunday Sunshine: A Glimpse into the Past

Do you have a favorite picture of a residence

 or special place in your life 

that brings back fond memories?

Happy Memories!!

Memories from the Past...

LOOKING BACK...

So many good things to remember...

Forget the past ugly bad things,

and remember, God is good.

My three favorite men:

Dan and Jon: sons

Hubby Brown

Love 'em!

2015 Christian Small Publisher Book Award Winner!

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman

of the 2015 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award

in the General Fiction category.

Baby Jonathan was born! 

What a blessing!

Lily from my pond

At Niagara Falls

Chocolate Chip cookies from a favorite niece, Lauren!

Blessings to you in remembering the good times.

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Heat through the cold
Good memories through 2016
Knowledge that God helped through the bad times 2016.
Faith that God will lead and help me through 2017
Knowing that God has 2017!
A strong husband


Blessings!

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Today I'm thankful that:

God gave us a good, safe trip to and from our vacation spot
Grandson Jonathan's laughter when he loved slapping hands w/the other golf cart attendees
The ice cream shared minutes
Good days to have fun
Grandson Wesley's helpfulness in packing up!
The sweet mermaids who kept Jonathan's eyes huge with wonder
Beth's negotiation abilities
Jon's driving ability and reasonableness
Again, time to build memories!

Thank you, God, for a wonderful vacation.

Blessings!

Sunday Morning Peace: The After Affects

The After Affects of Vacation

Tiredness from the busyness
Sadness that it's over
Nostalgia that we won't experience that particular vacation spot again till next year.


BUT
There's also the restoration of sleep deprivation and weariness
The memories made and the echoes of laughter and happiness in our ears
The faith and knowledge that--Lord willing--we have another vacation at the beach in our future.


Thank you, God, for a very special time for us.

Blessings! 

Monday Morning Gratitudes

Thankful . . .
Christ rose for me!
Victory!
As a christ-lover, I can trust him for the end results. :)
Sweet memories
For a best friend who knows all, for earthly friends who encourage, for a hubby-friend who's supportive, loving and the best!
Things that make my heart happy
Spring flowers
Life!
Release from the cold of winter; release from the burden of sin.


Blessings!

Mother's Day 2009

Since Mother's Day is almost here, I thought you might get a kick out of this Memory Lane Tour that my good friend Ann sent me. Enjoy!

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can hear mother now:

• You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes-walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

• You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

• You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think?

• Wash day on a Monday! Never hang clothes on the weekend or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

• Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle.

• It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather. Clothes would "freeze-dry."

• Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

• If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

• Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothesbasket, and ready to be ironed.

• IRONED? Well, that's a whole other subject!

And if you're not bored by now, you'll also enjoy this:

Ode to the Clothesline

A clothesline was a news forecast

To neighbors passing by.

There were no secrets you could keep

When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link

For neighbors always knew

If company had stopped on by

To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"

And towels upon the line;

You'd see the "company table cloths"

With intricate designs.

The line announced a baby's birth

From folks who lived inside -

As brand new infant clothes were hung,

So carefully with pride!

The ages of the children could

So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed,

You'd know how much they'd grown!

It also told when illness struck,

As extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,

Haphazardly were strung.

It also said, "Gone on vacation now"

When lines hung limp and bare.

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged

With not an inch to spare!

New folks in town were scorned upon

If wash was dingy and gray,

As neighbors carefully raised their brows,

And looked the other way .. . ...

But clotheslines now are of the past,

For dryers make work much less.

Now what goes on inside a home

Is anybody's guess!

I really miss that way of life.

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

By what hung on the line!

Quote:

Only two groups of people fall for flattery: men and women.

Blessings!

Favorite Memories

I remember:

• all the wild flower bouquets hubby picks for me in the summer
• apple blossom bouquets--some of my favorites
• fishing and cooking out trips to the local lake in one town we lived in when our sons were little
• the way Son #1 said "am i nal" for animal, when just a toddler
• the way Son #2 wanted to have any ailments his dad had: hurt shoulder, ingrown toenail, etc.

• all the fun times in the evening when we'd read books, have quizzes and talk
• our boys piano teacher
• traveling together
• one of the first cars we had where the front seats "rocked" every time we had to hit the brakes hard!
• snoopy

• staring up at the waving tree branches
• being scared of summer storms
• the "accomplished" feeling of writing "the end" to my first finished manuscript
• my first car
• my ford mustang! A real hot rod

• my beautiful wedding dress
• the first time I fell in love with flute music
• the big "snow wheels" one winter
• my beige coat with the fur trim
• Saxophone music from someone who knows how to play one

• beautiful fireworks on July 4th and the way Lassie was so afraid of them
• The way hubby flirts with me--still
• computer college
• the day I got my agent
• laughing with friends

What do you remember with fondness?


Quote:
A friend is someone who knows the song of your heart and can sing it back to you when you've forgotten the words. --unknown

Early Week Blessings!

Ancient Words?


An elderly friend emailed these words (lots to do with automobiles) to me. They'd brought wonderful memories back to her. I'm sharing them with you since I love to write about the early 1900's. Enjoy them!

1962 Cadillac Series 62 with rear wheels covered by detachable . . .
Fender Skirts

Curb feelers
steering knobs (suicide knob)
Continental Kits (rear bumper extenders and spare tire covers to make cars looks as cool as a Lincoln Continental)
emergency brake
foot feed (when your foot gets hungry?)
running board (where you exercise?)
store-bought
coast to coast (used widely now, but "back then" was a wonder)
wall to wall
in a family way
brassiere
picture show

rat fink ( a nasty name to call someone)

percolator (replaced with coffee maker)
DynaFlow
Electrolux
lumbago
castor oil

What about some of these "cool" sayings?
See you later, alligator
After while, crocodile
curve killers (straight A students)
mullets (those badly behaved people)
roaches (unpopular girls)
cool dad (a popular young man)

Can you remember the . . .
H bomb

split-level homes
integration
DNA
junk mail
hot rods

(Rat Rod)

T-bucket hot rod

Third World
The Korea War
Civil Rights Movement


If you can, then maybe you have some good memories. And remember: you can never wear out a memory!


Hey, don't forget to read Friday, July 13's interview blog with Cindy Woodsmall. THEN leave a comment or email me to enter a drawing for one of her books. You won't regret it.


ACFW conference coming up soon--September!


Quote:
Joy is the echo of God's life within us. --Joseph Marmion


Stormy Day Blessings . . .

I've Been Tagged!

Now I didn't say I was arrested for erratic driving. I haven't been rejected . . . lately. Nor cursed, insulted, ridiculed, or blackmailed . . . that I know of.

Nope, none of the above. Just tagged.

Blog-tagged to play "Eight Random Things" by my dear critique partner--Deb Vogts. (Remember her? Interviewed last month? The one who was recently agented?)

So that means, today, you've gotta read (if you're my friend and reading this . . .) Eight Random Things about ME! Gulp. Big smile. Here they are:


Eight Random Things (about me, of course!)

1. My nickname when just a little tot was Sunny. (Is that why I love the word sunny?)

2. I positively, and definitely, and irrationally HATED picking green beans when a teenager. (but I sure like to eat them. Naturally.)

3. I wanted to be an airplane stewardness or a detective when in high school. (didn't become either one, but I can write about them now--better, and much more satisfying!)

4. I used my hands a lot, when a kid, and was trying to convey (word of mouth. Smile) my thoughts.

5. I didn't like studying much in high school, but now I love research. (Could that be because the teachers failed to teach me what interested me?)

6. I wanted to be like Jo in Little Women and have eight boys. (Changed my mind after two!)

7. My favorite food memory was when Mom would fix this hamburger sandwich creation with all sorts of things on it we loved. Then we'd put all sorts of trimmings on it and top it off with a yummy gravy over it. Weird? Delicious! A Friday night specialty we loved!

8. Being a cheerleader and screaming our lungs out with the lyrics about Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe!


So . . . here's who I've tagged:
http://www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com/ Miralee Ferrell
http://www.teresaslack.blogspot.com/ Teresa Slack
http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/ Cindy Woodsmall
http://www.jennesswalker.com/ Jenness Walker
kbhwfe.blogspot.com Jude McCoy
http://www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com/ Cecelia Dowdy
http://www.sallybradley.com/ Sally Bradley
My Photo Friday Hmmm . . . guess who!




Some people do not have pleasant memories of their mothers. Here's a few ideas on healing and help for you:

1. Acknowledge that you need help.

• Help to forgive the erring parent.

• Help to sympathize with her situation.

• Help with thanking her/him for giving you life.

• Help with your own feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, or selfishness in not wanting him/her in your life now.

2. Next, let her/him back into your life emotionally if hot physically.

• Realize and thank God for the gift of life you have.

• Ask God to help you forgive her/him and to help you forget the past.

• Try to realize that there were difficulties in his/her life that perhaps prodded them to behave as they did.

3. Lastly, speak the words outloud.

• "Mother/Father, I honor you." Will the hurtful things from the past evaporate? Will the memories be erased? No. But with God's help you can bring a measure of peace and hope into your own life.

Examine and admit.
Confess.
Ask for help.
Forgive and acknowledge your willingness.
That's the key to peace for YOU from a not-so-wonderful parent-past.




What did you say? You think you know the answer to yesterday's trivia question? Hmmm. If you guessed . . . "The Big Dipper is a group of seven bright stars, three which form a handle and four which form a bowl" then you guessed right!

Today's question: What type of trees yield the resin used to produce turpentine?



AND we have five contestants for the Mother's Day Contest! YEAH! Keep 'em coming. YOU might be the winner. Tomorrow's the last day. Tuesday, I'll announce the winner.

And don't forget to email your address to Donna Fleisher to get your free book! donna at donnafleisher dot com



Quote:
If your dream doesn't scare you, it's not big enough. --Cathy Leckner

Blessings.