Merry Christmas! A Christmas Letter for 2012

 

 

It has really been years since I wrote a Christmas letter. After a while it seems like there is no way to catch up so how do you even start? Instead of catching up I’ll just tell you how we are right now and send you our love!  Where I come from that ‘dawg’ will hunt.

Jimmy has become a fine carpenter. He started out "pushin a broom in an 8x12 4 bit room" when we first came to the south. He has progressed to finish work and has a partner and they keep each other entertained with dumb jokes and manage to make an income. It’s amazing really. They even look alike. If I had planned this letter this is where I would post a little picture of the two of them and center it in the middle of the page. However this is not planned, in fact this is late because it is December 21^st ( just in case we had the end of the world?--ONLY THE FATHER KNOWS!) and I haven’t even addressed the first envelope, so no picture. Just imagine if Jimmy had a brother who looked like him, and talked like him and made jokes like him; sometimes worse! That would be Don, Jim’s southern best friend. 

I have not been employed which embarrasses me but it’s unavoidable. Years of steroids for asthma took their toll and I have had to pay my dues with orthopedic issues; nuff said. BUT the good news is you can’t keep a good girl down or a hyper one either so I manage to keep busy and volunteer my time. It seems God gives me an assignment every day of my life. I might not have a plan but I will have a job to do before the day is done. I have been teaching a ladies Life  Group class which is the new terminology for Sunday school. It is multigenerational and the women have named our class the MsFits, if you need a home you’ll fit in with us. We have a diverse group of age, race, occupation, life situation, and God blends us into a cohesive and loving group.  These ladies are the highlight of my week and it is my humble joy to lead them. God shows up big for all of us faithfully every Sunday in spite of the teacher.  

Through some friends of ours that we met when we first came to MS I have started being involved in an inner city ministry downtown called We Will Go http://wewillgo.org.  And this ministry has stolen and broken my heart.   It is amazing to see what God has accomplished with one couple who would say yes to Him and do the unthinkable; move their little family into the heart of the ghetto. Seven years later there are two camps many renovated little houses, a pavilion for church, a food ministry, clothing ministry, mission’s bases overseas and many lives transformed by Jesus. Former drug lords are now serving others and travelling overseas to share their own story of what Jesus can do to transform a life! The whole thing has me shoutin glory to God or on my face having a snot slinging cry. God has placed a call on my life to this ministry and you can pray for Jimmy and me to be united in this. God’s will be done!

Our kids are all alive praise God. They are making their way in the world. They are old enough to write their own Christmas letters and share their own stories. What we get are photo cards which I love and they stay on my refrigerator all year being changed when the new ones come. Now you know how often I wipe down my refrigerator door.  Oh well, when my life is over it really isn’t going to make a hill of beans difference how clean the house was.

Jimmy and I have been seriously discussing downsizing.  We didn’t plant a garden this year. The zinnias came up on their own. In fact between perennials and annuals that reseed themselves the garden happens by itself but still needs weeding and watering.  This yard seems bigger every year and so does the house and the amount of energy it takes to keep it up is more than either of us want to give.  I have really lost the desire to have a lot of stuff and if most of my things hadn’t come from my family I think I’d have one big garage sale. This will work itself out over time and hopefully this year!  We’d like to sell in the spring, when we can sell the garden with its nice house.

Kayla is home for Christmas and we haven’t seen her for 3 years and we are so glad. There aren’t words really for how we feel to have her home!  Heather is our joy she is awesome. Jen and Lindsey and David have become good southerners and Jennifer has been so supportive of me and such a loving daughter. I can never thank her enough.

Jimmy’s batch is all good! We have such cute little grandchildren out in California it is a crying shame that we are separated. We can’t afford to go back so it would be over the moon cool if they all got the bug to live cheap and come our way. We could sure make somebody a good deal on our house DEREK !  Derek and Jamie go to our old church in Felton and live in the neighborhood we left behind. How is that for déjà vu?  Brandon and Mary bought (AMAZING) a house in California and have two gorgeous children together and her son Chris. Jamie is in the same place, with his faithful wife and man-cub of a son Austin at 16 is GROWN!

Shaunaus is out here near us and works all the time and if she is not working she is cooking something wonderful. She is an undiscovered chef. Her latest toy is a smoker. There is no telling what she will come up with. I just want to eat it.

My good friends moved to Felton and their son Conrad is going to Belhaven because of my blog. How is that for a small world? Meredith came to visit and I just couldn’t get enough of her. I love that girl! It is awesome how friendships made long ago grow and deepen and just get better. Distance can’t erase love. Time can’t erase love. In fact nothing can erase love, especially the love that God has given to us through Jesus. It is the love of God that binds us together. This Christmas I have been reflecting on how truly humbling it was for the God of the universe to consider his position nothing, and let it completely go. To be born as a helpless baby feeling hunger, needing everything and grow up to become a man; amazing. We tend to think of Jesus as half man half God but he was fully 100% man, and fully 100% God.  Part of his humanity though was growing by faith into the full realization of who he was and His purpose here. I really don’t think that Jesus had the master plan of the universe in his mind as a two year old. When you think about it like that, how it wasn’t an automatic ace in the hole, it’s really meaningful to read;  that he was tempted in every way just as we are and yet without sin.

(Sin…ewww did she really say that in her Christmas letter?) Yeah I did because I want you to know what “sin” means.  It’s simple, it means to miss the mark. If you are an archer and you don’t hit the bull’s-eye.  The target is holiness and the standard is set by God. Perfect holiness is the only A game and if you miss the target even once you lose.

How amazing is it that God set the standard and then made a way to give you a perfect game?

Jesus stepped in and hit the standard in perfection and then paid the penalty for all of our mistakes. Justice requires judgment and penalty. If everyone that was ever sentenced got off Scott free why would we even have a justice system? We have an inner compass that screams for justice. We want payment for wrongs especially other peoples. It’s harder when we take a look within. When we do look and we do remember, and we do regret, that is when Jesus steps in and says,” I took the judgment for that, I did your time.”  Jesus took it for everything, and everyone that is willing to receive it. What hurts me is that even if you don’t want it, he still took it. Every lash of the whip, every beard hair ripped out. In Isaiah it says he was marred beyond human recognition. He had to be God to survive to make it to the cross. He had to be God not to explode like a nuclear bomb with all that was heaped on him.  

He was born to die, placed in a stone manger in a miniature version of his future tomb that we may truly live and never die.  This Christmas it is our prayer that this Jesus who we love to serve and live to love, is the Lord in your heart and life.  It is the greatest news we have ever heard and the hope in our hearts.

 It doesn’t matter to me what is politically correct!  In Colombia I learned from the people that whatever is the most important thing going on in your life; that is what you talk about FIRST. Your first conversation shows the highest priority in your life. We can learn from that. I learned from that. This Christmas I am sharing with you the highest priority in my life, Jesus. He took my heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh. He gave me a future and a hope.  He gave me peace.  I hope with all my heart you are celebrating his birth, life, death, resurrection and peace too. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love Karen and Jimmy

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

 WELCOME to our cheery entrance! My cousin came over and did this and I think it's beautiful. My husband added some lights tonight, not our usual glitz fest like when the kids are home going berserk lighting everything that can have a light hung  on it but it's definitely Christmas.

 Inside too. Every year I cut cedar branches from the trees we brought here from California. We named them after them. Every year I tell the same story to my kids who can recite it now and ask me If I would like to show them where the trees are planted? Zing--- that makes me feel like an old lady.
I love the fresh cedar, it's not pine but it's free.

 Jennifer and the kids decorated the tree they did a beautiful job. Once that happened it got me started. As I went through my decorations. I thought I have way too much of these things, but then there are the ones that are so special.

 This one I bought in Mt. Hermon California at a crafts fair. I thought it was the cutest little baby Jesus. They used a miniature wreath and made this so simply. The end result just stole my heart. It was $1.

 My old nativity set has born around for longer than I remember. I bought some fancy ones a couple of times and didn't keep them. I love the Willow Tree nativity set but it's got a pretty fancy price tag. This is the one the children have put out year after year. This is the one that makes me think of Evie's song about the little shepherd in the nativity scene trying to get closer to see the baby. I make sure he can see.

 Jennifer made this out of tuna can in kindergarten. IT was the first thing she ever made for me at Christmas. She chose a bunny because her nick name when she was little was Bun-Bun or Bunzarellie. one if the ears is missing now.

 This tiny mouse in half a walnut shell is one of the cutest ornaments I have ever had. An old boyfriends mother gave it to me. I really liked his mother, she sent cute ornaments at Christmas. We were pretty serious and when we broke up it hurt his parents. It broke my heart but then I ended up finding my true love. I hope he did.

 This little doll was made by old ladies in the very first nursing home I ever had a job in. I was 22 years old. That makes this sweet little doll 34 years old she looks great don't you think? In my mind I see Anna smiling, drooling down the stroke side of her mouth while she is making this. I have never forgotten those old women from my first job. I treasure the few of these I have. To someone else they aren't anything at all, just a little out of style trinket. For me it's a memory of other lives and days long past.

 My daughter painted this her first year back here. All my kids are such good artists. Wish I was. I think it's so cute. It'll be a keeper and come out every year.

Jennifer gave me a set of ornaments about the 12 days of Christmas and I put the entire set on a small tree in the dining room. I love the meanings of each of these symbols, especially the two turtle doves taken to the temple as an offering for the baby Jesus.

This season has been unique for me. I haven't been to the mall even once. I ordered some gifts for the little grand children in California off the Internet.  I stood in line on black Friday for the first and last time to buy a printer that we needed. I got the great idea of renting a kiosk next year and selling coffee and hot chocolate to the people standing in those lines for hours. Ka ching!

This year I have been giving away my own special treasures, and found a lot of things that are really nice to give away for free.  I still had plenty of jewelry to share and good books on the shelves. I am maing aprons.
If Christmas is about giving why does that mean shopping? Don't we have plenty to give?  I thought of children who need one pair of shoes so they don't injure their feet in the dump while scrounging for something to eat. I thought of clean water projects, and changing the course of a families life by buying them a couple of chickens or a goat.  These gifts just seemed so much more for the Christ child. It is His birthday we celebrate after all. Who else has a birthday where every one else gets the presents? As sweet as the lord Jesus is he doesn't begrudge us our presents. He enjoys the smiles of children.  It was just more important to me this year to relieve some misery in the world, not because of me,  I think I am finally beginning to just see.  It's amazing how when we stop our own, "I want," talk and look around at how much we already have, how much easier it is to see those who have nothing.

I haven't been blogging because I don't even know where to begin. Last year I watched my friend Elysa have a house fire, rebuild her home, get called to Africa, downsize like crazy, give away all her animals and move to a ministry in inner city Jackson with her husband and seven children. She left a country hobby farm and moved into a rebuilt crack house. http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2012/12/all-those-interruptions.html

 Someone wise said, "Look around and see where God is working and join Him in it."  You don't have to start a project. God is busy. Look around and see where He wants you and say yes.
I started going to this ministry in the ghetto. Now I am watching as God is showing us to down size, to sell our house , to relocate our animals and get ready to go wherever He asks us to go.
It's an amazing process.  We have begun the journey. I know we are on the right path because I am not afraid, not even a little. I know it is right because I don't have any emotional need to hang onto things that have always held on to me.  I am actually excited, very excited. It is like I have been waiting all of my life to begin to live and now this year, this special Christmas, we are being born.
We are getting ready in so many ways. Ready to see our family, ready to share gifts, ready for change, ready to serve, ready to have the most excellent adventure.

Like Bilbo Baggins who stepped out his door....

Yeah What the Turkey Said

Just Talk

I woke up early this morning. The weather changed from 82 to 48 in just a few hours and the bone in my hip is throwing a wall-eyed-hissy-fit. However I am excited to say that a fresh pot of veggie 15 bean soup is on the stove and I can wear a sweater today! I am very happy to pull out the warm clothes. Lying in bed this morning petting a big purring furball, my mind went back in time to other fall seasons, little girls in dress up clothes, visiting the punkin patch, and taking trips out to Watsonville for apples.

sigh... I have lived a great blessed life. My joy is full and my heart is grateful. All those years that seemed so hard have distilled down into a sweet savory cup; I only remember the joy.

the struggles--gone

the quarrels--gone

the stuff we never could afford like a swing set--didn't matter

all the stuff of worries--never happened.

How do I know that?

I pulled out picture boxes  piled them high on the bed, with a good cup of hot Good Earth tea in hand, furball purring, and went through the visual reminders of my life,  it was good.

I pulled out a bunch of costume pics to share that will be fun. It's work though I have to scan them into the printer and then onto the lap top but they are so cute I just might. No promises!

I have such a long list of stuff to do. I finally got a wedding present finished and in the mail. I made it. I am taking the time and effort to go back to my roots of home made. It saves money and it means more. But I am not the whiz I was. I have had aprons to cut out on the kitchen table long enough to gather DUST.  Really?  The good positive perspective is there is still hope that I will get to it! I didn't pack it up and put  it away which means it will never get done. So there is hope.

I could lay out an excuse. I can't stand long because I have another CAST. This tendon has been messed up for 6 months. 6 weeks in the cast and then if it's still not healed another trip to the OR. Really I am a surgical junky, 10 surgeries in 25 years. A bit nuts! Everything with me seems to call for a knife.
But God. I am not complaining. 

No worries.

How do I know that?

Because of two words; but God.

I went for my yearly ya know, it's breast cancer awareness right now. I had done a BSE and felt something different, not a lump but not right either, something thick and dense. I thought maybe it was because I can't raise my arm above my head so I figured I'd go in and get my physical.

My doctor didn't like it much. I went to the hospital for a mammogram and an ultrasound and they are both normal which is great news. But there is a but; my mother died of breast cancer and she was diagnosed at 45. My daughter has already had cancer and had a total hysterectomy at 30. So we drew the blood test a BR AC to see if I carry a mutation gene; but medicare won't pay for it because I haven't had cancer myself .  The test costs over $3000. I don't have that kind of change. So much for government health care.  It can only get worse! Politicians do not have any business regulating health care they have got it so screwed up we can hardly work, just ask anyone in health care.

Because of my family history I have a referral to an oncology surgeon on November 12th. We'll decide then what do about my mass if anything. I'm kind of leaning toward taking it out. It may be benign now but whose to say it will stay that way? I don't know. It's weird. I'm willing to listen to the experts first. That's why they get paid the big bucks.

I smell soup. I always said that if I ever got cancer I would do a juice fast and a vegan diet for healing. I have started that without the answer. I'm praying that by November 12th the mass is gone. My God loves me and He is able to do that. I would love to tell you that my faith and prayers, made that mass go away. What I can tell you now is that I have peace. I didn't at first, I cried and felt really scared and emotional. The mass in my breast is in the same place as my mothers was. Freaky.
BUT GOD whose arm is not to short to save. He is my rock and I am standing firm. I believe and it is good to be a believer.  Times like this is when I really thank God that I am.

and just in case you haven't done it lately go get your mammogram or whatever screening you choose, because life is sweet it really is.

Springing Into Fall

 It's still warm here. The nights are cool and the humidity is gone so this is actually what I call our California spring. Perfect weather. It won't last long a few weeks, but each day is just spectacular.

 It's a bit messy but that's how I roll here.

 My 15 pound feline, totally spoiled rotten.

 I have some ambitious ideas of turning men's shirts into aprons like this one.

 This is a big stack of possibilities.

 These are going to get made first if and when I get them cut out. I am desiring to become more productive again.

 If I can quit losing stuff. I literally lose things that cannot be found anywhere in this house.

 Do you think he is maybe burying my stuff in the yard somewhere?

 I decided since it isn't so burning up hot that I could do a bit of something while I am sitting. Still waiting on that Achilles tendon to mend. This is my current project.

This is a finished baby blanket that I made for a friend, can't wait to give it to her. It would really be something if I could learn to follow a pattern. All I ever do is make blankets. I know there are books but I am a visual learner think a class is in order.

I have a new camera but I lost my manual before I could read it. So I am still shooting on auto. I'd like to learn how to take pictures instead of snapshots. I have a big pile of library books right now.
One on knitting and crocheting, two on digital photography that don't speak English, and a fun read called " What the Dog Saw," by Malcolm Gladwell. He is a journalist and this book is a compilation of his favorite articles over 20 years. He can take just about any subject and make it an interesting read. I definitely left my usual genre on this one and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yesterday I baked a sweet potato pie and discovered why the butter has to be melted and not just softened. As you can see having the butter stay all in one spot didn't deter us from eating it. I was reading about pie crust in my JOY of cooking cookbook and I do believe I am going to get back into making pastry from scratch. I have been buying the rolled ones but now that they cost the same as a 5 pound bag of flour I think I will get  back into making my own. My husband loves pie maybe I can make him a pie a week. That would be nice of me wouldn't it? I need to do something to earn my keep, as my mama used to say. Just wait until I turn the AC off, I'll really get hopping.

How about you? Has fall inspired you?  Fall is really my favorite season. There is just something about the colors, smells, harvests, and fun that just never gets old. It's always a joy to smell apples and see pumpkins. The food is so great too, waffles with applesauce and just about kind of pie and soup. Now if it will just cool off enough for me to wear a sweater my joy will be complete!!

(and if I can find my lost stuff....)

Couch Potato Get UP!!

 What do you do when you really want to get some creative juices going? How do you get energy and excitement to begin a project?  I have been struggling lately because of my feet. Inactivity and pain is a great recipe for watching your bohiney grow. I am feeling better now and my cast is off. I still can't walk a lot but I can get up and move around some. What I am really thankful for is a decrease in pain.
The main issue now is one of those physical laws about a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest.  Picking up the remote and turning on the TV has become my first resort instead of my last.

 A friend told me that Jan Karon's newest book, "Return to Holly Springs,' is a really great read. I decided to go to the library and check it out. It wasn't there so I ordered it and while I was there I began browsing. Do you ever think about how truly blessed we are in this country to have libraries? Free knowledge to all, at our fingertips. AMAZiNG!
I want to learn to knit. I can crochet. Knitted things are so beautiful.
I love goregous hand knitted multi color socks.
 I have piles of yarn just waiting to be used.
There are babies coming that new blankets could adorn. Blankets I can work on while sitting.

 Another book that caught my eye is this one about gluten free baking. Some of you have been going wheat free and losing your "wheat belly".  I want to lose my belly, bohiney, and about one half of myself, so this looks verra interesting!

 Of course you know a title like this has got to have something between the covers.

 Yesterday I groomed Sam and bathed both the boys. That was my big feat of the day. When I bathe the dogs that also means that all the bedding gets washed, theirs and mine. Whatever happened my legs especially my thighs feel like they have had a major workout! Whew, feeling the burn.

 The hair on Romans ears refuses to grow. I don't cut it off it just stays short. Sam's ears are already really long and pretty. He actually looks too pretty to be a boy, poor thing.

 How about sewing? With limited funds buying clothes is definitely a no no. I don't NEED anything. Do you get depressed when you can't ever get anything new? I'm a greedy little punk so I do. I have material though. I'd like to make some shirts for fall. I found a couple of patterns that look really versatile. I cannot believe the price of patterns!!! GAH, nuf said. 

 

 Look at all this just waiting for a creative person to get busy and so something with it.

 Everything is ready to go except me. Today I fixed some clean good food. Quinoa and veggies with carrot juice was breakfast and lunch.

 That's already been a good bit to do today.  To start getting off of the couch I'll sit in the chair, and read. It's a change anyway.

If you don't stop a car before you put it in gear you wreck your tranny.

Today I'll read some of these library books and think about getting from the couch, chair, bed,  to the sewing room. Hopefully some of these books will be inspirational.

How do you overcome inertia?

Back to School

Listening to people talk about going back to school brought back memories for me .
I was thinking about my childhood and lunch boxes. Did you have a metal lunch box? Do you remember what a status symbol your lunch box was?  I always hoped to have the coolest one but never did. One year I thought for sure I had one of the best and this girl showed up with a drawstring bag, she had the only one and she got best lunchbox. She was also biggest snob.

What did you love about going back to school? Did you make book covers from brown paper bags?
Did you love the smell of new crayons? Did anyone else like to smell the leather in their new saddle oxfords? The most uncomfortable shoes ever made, I swear they felt like 5 pound weights. I begged my Mom for them and hated walking home in the heat with those monsters on.  Me and Huckleberry we would have been buds.

I was kind of an academic kid. I loved the books. In elementary school I would read the "reader" the night I brought it home and then ask the teacher for a new book the next day. That didn't go over to well.  It also got me tied to the chair.

If I was a child today there would be no hope for me. I could hardly manage to sit still between recesses unless I was really interested in what we were doing. Now there is no recess.  We all looked forward to the lunch HOUR. That's where we made friends and played games or got into fights and all of that baloney. Kids today barely have time to eat and use the bathroom, they get 15 minutes at my grand kids school. I remember learning about the schools in Red China. The children wore uniforms and worked long hours without play. I felt so sorry for them. I don't see much difference between them and us anymore, in our schools.

Childhood is so short. There is enough time to cram data into our children's heads. In this day of information you really need to know how to find information. More importantly you need critical thinking and how to evaluate what you read.  Children need to know how the world is made, how things grow, how to treat each other and learn to work. Makes sense that farm kids turn out so well. They get a lot of fresh air, sunshine and real life experience. I don't know why we turn over our most precious commodity; our own children to failing institutions, or any institution for that matter. Have you ever really thought about that?

I'm so grateful that I learned about home schooling and that my granddaughters were the beneficiaries of that. Those years were such joy for us. We were able to CHOSE what we wanted to study and where we wanted to study it. There is nothing like studying the sea at the beach!
The world is really your oyster when you teach your own.

It;s great to be able to take a big tote bag or basket to the library and go hog wild checking out books, and then read them! After the book is read you take it back not belabor it until what you learn is to hate reading. How do you know if a kid reads a book? You read it too and talk about it. Or they write about it and you read it. We think we need a degree to teach but teachers with degrees are so busy trying to maintain some sense of order and keep records of who is where doing what; how much time do they have? Even those with the best of intentions have a very tough time of it.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. She is a 6th grade math teacher in a poor school. They have a beautiful building. They have new stuff. The problem is the teachers came from that same neighborhood, they tell the kids they are stupid. A lot of my friends students are at the 2nd grade level. She can hardly maintain her class because of the rowdy behavior of the kids. What are those kids supposed to do? They have no time to run, they don't understand what's expected of them and they are told they are stupid. No government program will ever solve this.
We talked and were trying to drum up ideas to help reach the kids. Then I asked her how many students she has. Because kids are sent to a different classroom for each period she has 163 students. How on earth is she expected to inpact any one of them much less learn their names?

I admit that I was leary of teaching the girls in high school. For one thing I am challenged when it comes to math, my spelling is atrocious, and I still don't have good punctuation and grammer.
When your thinking about college you want your kids well prepared. I knew I could handle the elementary years. Then I found out how much is out there! We have on line schools for almost any age or subject. There are computer classes for anything you can't teach yourself and groups of other home schoolers to join and share activities with. The sky was the limit again. I never was big on work books or regurgitation. I taught the girls to think, to analyse, and they loved to learn. They love to read. They know how to find information. They know how to work hard. More importantly the have an artistic flair for life that is their own, they have knowlege about life itself and the world and how systems work together and are integrated. They are intelligent people. That is what education is all about isn't it? Can you tell I feel pasionate about this?

I have other memories of school. Memories of crying at my desk trying to write "I will not talk" for the 1000th time. Memories of being socked in the back by a teacher, of having my mouth taped shut.
Or how about being chosen last for sports? Knowing they don't want to chose you at all. How about being made fun of by other kids? How about being kicked by a group of girls for being friends with a little Mexican boy? School is educational alright. Educational for what?

I realize that many people enjoy school. There are excellent schools out there and dedicated teachers. What I am saying is to question it. Not everyone feels good about letting there children go away for the whole day. Those people don't have too! That is the beauty of living in America. The standards and requirements for each grade are in public domains. With research about compliance and great materials, a pubic library and some group activities, parents can opt to teach their own children.

The memories I have of little girls discovering the world with wonder are a priceless joy that I would never give away to someone else. I wanted them with me. I enjoyed relearning and watching them.  Life through the eyes of a child make us look at the world again fresh. It's joy I tell you, pure joy!!

Our Silver Wedding Is Here

Time goes by so fast doesn't it? I am really having a reminder of the speed of time because we have just hit the 25 year milestone in marriage. WOwZas!

I think about the weddings and dresses that are in vogue today and I think it is just NUTS!

Our entire wedding cost $300. My dress and shoes were one hundred dollars a fortune in those days. I actually bought my dress before Jimmy asked me. I loved it and I loved him. I was absolutely crazy in love. I reasoned that since it was peach I could just wear it, but I just knew we would marry.
People that in love have to marry! We also did NOT have an intimate physical relationship before we married. You may think that is bizarre but because I had given my heart to Jesus Christ I couldn't do that. Jimmy believed the same way so there was some serious kissing going on. Steaming up car windows at our age imagine....well don't.

But you know what? God made me a REAL bride that day.

 What do you think of that leg huh? And look at all the hair Jimmy had! I just thought he was bald.

The Survey Says...

Isn't there some kind of game show that says, "and the survey says!" ? I'm sorry but that is the best I can phrase that question. It's a lack of hormones issue. My brain scan was normal. I can't claim dementia for an excuse and that makes me a perfect idiot!!! So my survey says estrogen loss and heat don't mix. Estrogen loss and intelligence don't mix either, that is kind of like water and oil.

The survey also says that these factors do not a good writer make. Structuring a cohesive thought requires that the thoughts are not rabbit trails. Wabbit wabbit.

For the past three months I have been struggling with my feet. A ruptured capsule in the Achilles tendon on the left leg and plantar fascitis on the right foot. I think both are the results of obeastity.
No typo there, my play on words. I have been working on weight loss. I stopped the Leanness Lifestyle University program. It is too regimented for my abilities. I don't like getting automatically generated letters that remind me to be successful I need to do x y and z. Not because I don't want to do x y and z. I cannot do x y and z. Not to much flex in the program.  I did however learn a lot. If you have no physical limitations and you like to eat a lot of meat, go for it. I should be able to let an automatically generated letter not bother me right? Too type A, I guess. The survey is out on that one.
I have had a lot of trouble trying to get a partial refund. The coach just won't answer my emails. Guess I may have to just write off that hundred bucks. I could use the 6 months but I didn't want to get those letters and eat more chicken..... I don't like chicken that much. The survey is out on that one too.

OK that's enough beef. If I had to pay $10 a pound then boy howdy alright!!

 I have been having a great time lately!
The survey is in on company and it's great!

 My grand baby came for 10 days.

 she had her birthday...

 the pups luvved her...

 the survey says she is prettier every year....

 and our hearts grow fonder. Pa has the same birthday. 23 years ago she was a little 4 1/2 pound present.

 Hummm look at the previous pic and then scroll down quickly, see anything different?
I swear that dog likes his picture taken.

 Feelin the LOVE!!!

 Sammy is smitten she called him Sambodian.

 Why is it that once I begin to lose weight I look so overwhelmingly FAT?!?!?!?!?!!!!!
We are out celebrating birthdays and also our 25th wedding anniversary is coming up.

 

 My brother and his sweet wife came for a weekend visit to celebrate birthdays too.
My hunny is 75. A very handsome and hunky 75, the survey says.
There is that dawg again....check the survey on poodles and cameras.

 We also had little people come to visit. These two kept us in stitches they were so funny all we did was laugh.

 Family love.

This beautiful lady is one of the biggest blessings in my brothers entire life. The poodle and the survey says, just sayin.