My Style

Hmm I am supposed to go to Shopstyle.com to choose my style. I will see if I can make this work. I am no where near being an expert doing this but here goes.

Favorite magazine, book and poem.

Well this next challenge is what is my favorite magazine, book and poem.





My favorite magazine is Reader's Digest. They have funny jokes and stories as well as stories that can be heart wrenching. They can be a voice of reason in all the chaos around. They have health tips, maybe a celebrity interview among bunches of other stuff. It is one jam packed magazine. After it is read through it makes a great bathroom magazine. I grew up with it and have continued on in addition to giving my daughters their own subscription. If my son ever moves out I will get him a subscription.






I don't have a favorite book but I have a favorite author. It is Sue Grafton, she writes crime fiction. Her books go by the letter of the alphabet and she is up to to the letter U. The books center around a female private eye. I love her series and I own all of them up to the latest.










Finally my favorite poem is by Robert Frost. It is called Nothing Gold Can Stay. I first read in the book "The Outsiders." I love poetry, love to write it and love to read it.





Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Songs and memories

Ah songs, they play in the background of movies and TV shows but also are reminders of different aspects of our lives.

One song that brings back memories is Alan Jackson's "Don"t Rock the Jukebox" My son Timothy was a little tyke when that came out and he loved that song and would dance to it.




Another song is Celine Dion's "Fly" It was played at my grandson's memorial




Another song is Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy" my daughter Melissa had a boyfriend from high school and they were together for 10 years and he never realized just how awesome and special Melissa is. He kept trying to manipulate her into his mold and missed out on the real Melissa. In the end he treated her horribly before finally breaking it off with her.



Another is Guns and Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" because my other daughter Sarah was in the marching band at high school in the drum section and this was one song that strongly featured the drum section and it was awesome.






The final song is Faith Hill's "Breathe." That is Dennis and my song and we danced to it at our wedding. Every time I hear this song I am so moved by it.



Those are just a few of songs that bring memories. Tomorrow I start a full time job so not sure I will be doing this every day but I will strive to do it at least twice a week.

Ninjas Versus Pirates, in 100 Words

Robots vs Zombies, vs Ninjas vs Pirates

On the other side of the bushes the small group of ninjas stood in a circle trying to plot out what they would do. Behind the walls of the building the pirates were kneeling on the ground planning out their defense. Decisions had to be made what side to come from and what their strategy would be in this skirmish. Finally decisions were made and each side began to run towards each other. Both groups stopped quickly and the leaders reached out, ringing the doorbell at the same time. “Trick or treat” they all yelled when the door was opened.

Worst Advice

What is the worst advice I have ever received? Well the only thing I can think of is when I first starting dating Dennis a friend of mine before she had even met him said I needed to stop seeing him, that it would not turn out good for me. I know she was worried about me getting hurt. However I did not follow this advice and I am very happy being married to Dennis. I love and adore my husband and he loves and adores me.

Best Advice

I am supposed to write what the best piece of advice I have had. I would say one of the best pieces of advice would be don't wash whites and dark colors together, especially red. You will end up with the whites not being white anymore or if one is like me and uses bleach with the whites all colors will be affected. So there that is the best piece of advice I can think of, yes I know it may seem trivial but to me it is an important thing to remember when washing clothes. I don't have money to replace clothes I ruin because I do not heed this advice.

My Favorite Cliché

Serious morning thoughts: Wild Gibraltar Barbary Macaque ape

HMM what is my favorite cliche?? One of my favorite is one my father in law used to say because it reminds me of him when I say it or hear it.

He would say "she'll be on you like ugly on an ape." He would be referring to when one of the grand kids would misbehave and to warn them that grandma was gonna get after them. He was my father in law from my first marriage. After my divorce from their son both my father in law and mother in law still considered me their daughter. They have both died and I miss them so much.

They were the most amazing, caring and loving couple ever.

Comfort food

Today's challenge is what is my ultimate comfort food and I have to choose just one. You got to be kidding me!! I tend to eat compulsively especially when emotions are haywire so most foods can be a comfort food but since I can only pick one I will pick cheeseburgers. A good cheeseburger just brings ultimate satisfaction to me especially if it is grilled. Dennis knows this and there are times when I have had a rough day that he will make cheeseburgers for dinner. There is just something about the hamburger and cheese together on a yummy bun with mustard, ketchup and pickles. I might sometimes put lettuce and tomato but I am okay without those. Even typing about it makes me want one. YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Safe Versus Sorry

I know my safe versus sorry decision could meet with some hostility but I will share it anyway. When I was a teenager I volunteered with Special Olympics. It was my senior year in high school and it was a class requirement. From working with them just that short time I knew I did not have the disposition to handle special needs children. That conviction never wavered. I admire people who have children like that, they have something within them that I respect very much. Some good friends of mine had a little girl with down syndrome and talk about the perfect parents with all their extended family living nearby. I knew Kirsten was a very blessed little girl to be born into that family.



When I was pregnant with my third child there was a slight chance he could have spinal bifida, I had ultra sounds for the next 4 months till I was 8 months pregnant and the doctor could tell by his size he did not have it. I knew then and there that my son would be my last. I was not willing to take a chance of a future child having some kind of issue.I felt this was a way of telling me no more kids, three is enough. So my then husband had a vasectomy shortly after Timothy was born.



Timothy turned 21 this year so in these past 2 decades I do not ever regret making that decision. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am wired too much like my dad. I won't go into details what that means but let's just go with it was the absolute right choice to be safe versus sorry.

My day so far

This day's challenge is to write how my day was. Well it is still morning so all I can do is write about it so far. I was up way too early, I did not go to back to sleep after Dennis left for work at about 5:40 AM. So I laid in bed for about another hour talking myself into going to the gym that early. I knew it was too early to walk the dogs cuz it was still mainly dark outside. So I got up, put on my workout clothes and away I went.





It is a full moon right now so even though dusk was not far away the moon was still bright and full in the sky. Last night when I took the dogs on their last walk of the day the moon was gorgeous against a black sky. Both were Such glorious sights to see. It is called a harvest moon because it is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The beauty God surrounds us with is astonishing. If there is such beauty on earth what will heaven be like.







So I got to the YMCA and worked out for an hour, came home, walking the dogs for about half an hour. Then I did my Bible study and prayers. Afterwards I read a chapter in the book Finding God by Dr Larry Crabb. I have read it before but it is time to read it again.

So now I am doing my daily blogging. It is a chilly morning. I have windows and doors open but am wearing sweat pants, a thick t-shirt and socks. I also plan to take a nap later on today. I am drowsy now so it won't be long till I can't keep my eyes open. I want to take advantage of being able to nap during the day because when I get a job I won't have the opportunity. I am enjoying not working but I am looking, putting in my resume, etc. It is tough out there especially in this small town. However I hold on to the truth that God has brought us to this place for this time. I know He will provide what is needed.

So that is my day so far.

I want what I want. HA HA

This day's challenge is right now I really want_______________?

Well I gave up drinking soda pop, specifically Coke Zero cuz of acid reflux. It was hard enough I gave up Coke Classic cuz of the calories I adjusted to Coke Zero. But even though I take Prilosec and that controls the acid my doctor thinks the reflux action is still happening which is why I have had a persistent cough for a couple of months. So I looked up stuff to avoid and caffeine and carbonation are two things so bummer. But this is my second day and the cough has not been as much. Usually I would get one after working out to have with lunch and would always end up coughing a lot in the afternoon. There are also foods to cut out and I am working on that. Plus to not eat within 3 hours of going to bed and no eat a heavy meal for dinner. The bonus will be I will drop weight for sure which will help control the reflux. So while I really want a Coke Zero I won't get one because I do not miss the coughing.

Three Songs I Never Get Sick of

Iris by Goo Goo Dolls

This song is what got me listening to the Goo Goo Dolls. They are one of my favorite bands and one of the few I will buy a new CD without having heard any songs on it. But this song is my favorite by them and while I love many of their other songs this one has remained my favorite thus far. The words and music are so well written. But Johnny Reznick is an awesome songwriter and to see this band live is a treat.

King Of Anything by Sara Barellias

This is a new song but the first time I heard it I was hooked. The words are great. "Who cares if you disagree, you are not me, who made you king of anything" All the lyrics are so much fun to sing along with.

How Far We've Come by Matchbox Twenty

I used to have this song as a ring tone on a old phone I love it so much. Matchbox Twenty is another one of my favorite groups and one of the few I will buy a new CD without having heard any of the songs. As for why it is one I can never get tired, not sure, just the words, the music, the feel of the song,. Rob Thomas, who also has a great solo career is so awesome as a songwriter and singer. Matchbox Twenty is great to see live.

Ah High School

This day's writing is on something embarrassing that happened in high school. Well the one I will write about happened my junior year. I went to Yuma High School. I rarely wore dresses and after this incident I think I quit wearing dresses in high school except one time during my senior year. But I digress, my junior year, it was my first year at this high school having moved to Yuma from Flagstaff just before my junior year. It was lunch time and in the cafeteria. I was sitting at a table with a few friends unaware that when I sat down my dress went up in the back and I was flashing my underwear at everyone sitting behind me. Thank goodness this was before the day of thong underwear but even it had been I still wouldn't have worn it with a dress. So I was sitting there chatting and such when a friend, Jeff. came up behind me and told me about my dress. I quickly tucked it under me and while I was embarrassed I didn't get up and run out of the cafeteria which would have made it worse. I look back now and think big deal but in high school it was a big deal.

Quote I dislike

Today's is my least favorite quote and the one that is one I absolutely dislike.

"Do as I say, not as I do"

That quote is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Especially as parents, we should be good role models for them. Your kids might and I mean might do what you say but they will almost always do what you do. I also remember once at a job I had when I was 19 years old. I was told by the store manager that if my immediate supervisor wanted to sit around and do nothing all day then that was okay. Wow what kind of example is that setting for employees. Or a dad who beats his wife telling his son you don't hit girls. Uh I am guessing that it was no big surprise that he beat his wife. So that is one quote I dislike very much.

Favorite quote

Skipped another day but my husband and I went to a hotel in town for our anniversary which was this past Monday. It was a great time. We stayed in the Hilton right by the Snake River. We walked to the Brownstone Brewery that is down the street, walking along the river. It was good food and just so beautiful outside. The hotel was just gorgeous and the room nice and spacious. We had coupons for a free breakfast this morning which was yummy. And even though it was in town it was a nice and relaxing overnight stay.





So today's is what is my favorite quote and why. The above clip does not contain my favorite quote but it is a clip from the person who wrote it. It is Michael J Fox and the quote is from his book "Always Looking Up"

"So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back, but after a time with Parkinson's, I've learned that what is important is making that one step count; always looking up."

Here is a man living with a degenerative disease and has maintained a positive attitude. He has his difficult and negative times but he keeps a good focus. And this quote inspires because I see what he faces and if he can keep looking up then in the things I face I should be able to do the same. That those times when I feel like I am walking backwards more than moving forward to just make the moving forward matter and keep looking up.

TV Character

So today's is what TV character do I think I am most like. I can't think of any specific character. I believe I am like all those woman in TV shows who have faced hard circumstances in their lives and were victorious through them. Roseanne who lived paycheck to paycheck persevered with her husband and they worked together to keep things going. Or Jeannie Boulet a Physicians assistant on ER on contracted aids from her husband and still worked in her profession. Or Olivia on Law & Order SVU who was conceived when her mother was raped and herself came close to being raped when she went undercover in a women's prison. I could even point out Shirley Partridge who when widowed with 5 children became part of her kid's band and they went on tour. I could go on and on about women TV characters who have withstood hardships and were victorious through them. I have had many hardships and horrible circumstances throughout my whole life and I believe I have been victorious through them. And while at times things can still be tough I know I can withstand and come through whatever happens in victory.

Re-live one year NOT!!

I am a day behind because yesterday the internet was down all day. So the next writing challenge is if you could re-live one year of your life, without changing anything, which year would you choose? Some years were awful, some so-so and some great. I say none of them, because how could I go back knowing what I know and not want to change something. Which would then affect where I am today so no I choose none of them. I am content where I am at and can look back and know that each year since my birth has been a path to here which is a path to the future, whatever that may be.

My life is a process moving towards perfection in Jesus Christ which will not be fully achieved till I die and am in heaven. Each moment of my life shapes and molds me, prepares for what is ahead. Yes there are times I slip or choose a wrong way but God is always there with me even in those times I mess up. He is my Abba Father who loves me unconditionally and not only that He likes me, faults and all. He wants to use me as I am, not who others think I should be or sometimes even who I think I should be. So all those years that have passed have been towards God and to go back is to look back and remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back as Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed. Pillar of salt!

So I will look ahead, strive to remember the lessons I learned from the mistakes I made in the past but I would not want to go back to re-live a year in my life. I want to remember that the bottom line is to glorify God. I constantly lose sight of that but God always brings me back to that truth.

Perfect Saturday

Today's challenge is what would my perfect Saturday be like. Well first off it would all be spent with Dennis. We would sleep in late then take our time to get up. We would get dressed, have a quick breakfast, take the dogs for a quick walk then head to the farmer's market to see what goodies we could pick up-fruit, veggies, breads, etc. and sampling other things like candy apples, chocolate covered pretzels. After we were done we would go home and put our goodies away.

We would pack a picnic lunch, water, dog biscuits and gather up our dogs into the car and drive over to the Greenbelt area and walk the 2 mile loop with them. It is an awesome walk by the Snake River and the falls. After we walked the loop we would get our stuff from the car, find a picnic table, loop the leashes around one of the legs so the dogs are secure. We would give the dogs biscuits and water then eat our lunch while enjoying the sound of the falls, which is on my list of favorite sounds. After we were done we would pack stuff up and head back home.

At home we would just relax for the rest of the afternoon, catching up on emails and other stuff. Before dinner we would take the dogs for a quick walk. Then for dinner we would walk to Texas Roadhouse which is just a block away. Have a relaxing dinner, order dessert to go. That evening we would spend it on the couch cuddling up and watching a movie plus enjoying whatever yummy dessert we ordered. Later that evening we would take the dogs for a final long walk, enjoying the cool air.

That would be my perfect Saturday.

A funny thing!!

This is the third day of this new challenge and it is something funny that happened yesterday. Oh my all day long little things happened that made us laugh, it is like that most days. It could be one of the dogs acting up or something one of us said. We tend to laugh a lot. Dennis says I am goofy. He loves that about me, that I make him laugh. But he also makes me laugh and he never thought he was a very humorous guy till we started dating. I believe it is important to be able to laugh in a marriage. Things will get tough throughout the years but laughter can break tension.

But I will say yesterday we took the dogs for a walk and went by a small strip mall near our house. There is a Staples and we remembered how another time when we were walking in the same area and a guy was locking up the Staples and our dog Lucy "wooed" at him. He jumped out of his skin then he turned around and we all laughed about it. Let's face it is was very funny.







Lucy gets so excited when she sees people, she "wooes" at them. Sometimes she does it when she is excited about going for a car ride she will "woo" at whoever walks by as if to tell them what is happening. She can get so excited about things be it time to eat or when Dennis comes home. Heather is more quiet but she will wiggle when she gets excited, which is such a funny sight to see. Our dogs keep us laughing for sure.

Strengths I have

Back to the writing challenge and this is what I feel are my greatest strengths. Ah how shall I brag on myself. Here are 10 strengths I feel I possess but they are in no specific order just wrote what came to mind.

1) An amazing and varied sense of humor
2) Faithful to God, friends and family
3) Reliable, people know they can count on me
4) Sympathetic to others, people always cry on my shoulder
5) Strive to not judge, who am I to do that
6) Eyes that are windows to my soul, those really close to me know this
7) Sarcasm, someday it will be considered a spiritual gift. :)
8) A great smile
9) Intelligence, my dad was a member of Mensa so it is genetics
10) Discernment.

I have read where people consider this kind of blog would be self absorbed and self centered. I don't think it is, there is nothing wrong with looking at yourself and knowing what some good things are about you. I know for me it takes the focus off of how negative I can be about myself. So look and discover those strengths you have and celebrate them as opposed to beating yourself up for weaknesses and magnifying them larger than they really are.

Do You Remember

Today is Sept 11, 2010 and 9 years ago started like any other day for me. I was at work early when a co-worker came to tell me that planes had flown into the World Trade Center. I thought she was kidding but she wasn't. We had a TV in the break room and those of us there watched it. I went back to my desk and to call each of my children, I felt I needed to connect with them and let them know what happened. There was shock and disbelief and tears. I called a friend also and told her and her first words were he finally did it, took the towers down. I asked her who and she said Bin Laden. Then I remembered the 1993 attempt to take the towers out by detonating a truck bomb below the North Tower. Of course that attack failed to take the towers out but this attack did not.

On this 11th day of Sept people were glued to their TVs watching with horror, shock and disbelief as people in the towers jumped out windows. Watching footage that was shot of the second plane that flew into one of the towers as the other tower had smoke pouring out of it. And there was sobbing as the towers came crashing down, smoke billowing out with people fleeing and knowing there were people in those collapsing towers including firemen and policemen who had gone into the buildings to help as they are trained to do. There was also the news that a plane had flown into the Pentagon. Planes were ordered to land at the nearest airports and no more were allowed to fly out. There was an accounting of planes and talk of missing planes. Then word came of a plane that went down in a field in Pennsylvania that had presumed to be heading for either the White House or Capital building. Passengers on that plane knew they were going to die so they were reported to have rushed the terrorists which caused it to crash in that field. Finally all planes were accounted for. The Capital and White House were emptied and monuments shut down. Airports were shut down, no flights going in or out. The four flights had originated from Boston, Dulles and Newark.

Where I worked a quick meeting was called because our CEO and our payroll manager were both in the Boston area, one for work and one on vacation with her husband. We were told they were safe, that they had not been on any of the planes. And also if there was someone we needed to call to go ahead. I remember calling my mom to check on a nephew that I knew was in Baltimore and for some reason I thought was at the Pentagon but she said no he was not. But I also called to tell her I love her. This was before I knew Dennis but he was stationed on the George Washington and they picked up speed to the New York Harbor and were parked there for three days. Someone he knew was in New York at the time of the attack and said the sight of the aircraft carrier in the harbor made him feel safe.


The time frame of when things happened is a blur because I was in such shock but I will never forget that day or where I was when I was first told of the attacks or even that day with images and footage. If I glance at a clock and it is 9:11 I pray for those whose lives were directly affected by the attacks. That day stays with me and I think with most people feel the same way. How could anyone not come away from this tragedy without it staying with them.

HMM my flaws??

I am starting a new 30 day challenge that a friend came up with. I enjoyed the first one so I decided to go ahead with this one. Today is what do I feel are my biggest flaws. HMM, let's see how I can put myself down.

Oh well there is one flaw-I can cut myself down so quickly and harshly. I would not put another person down like that but I don't have a problem doing it to myself.

Another flaw is I am an extremely punctual person and I get very frustrated with others who aren't.

Another flaw is I hate waiting in line, be it traffic, grocery store. I can become very impatient when I have to wait.

Another flaw is I can procrastinate, put things off till I have to crunch at the last moment.

Another flaw is there are times I can be extremely pessimistic about circumstances even minor ones and it can bring me way down.

Another flaw which is really nothing I can control is being bipolar. I don't like that I am but I take my meds that I am supposed to and have learned to accept it as a part of who I am.

And for the final flaw I can think of is when I make a decision about something I will still wonder if I made the right one or if I write something and submit it, be a story or an email to someone,I always think of something else I could have written.

So there ya have it my biggest flaws but I am sure after I finish this I will think of more and beat myself up for not thinking of them while I was writing.

One Last Moment

So the last day of this first 30 day challenge. It is one last moment and I will choose a couple I had today since I work up. It is chilly, cloudy and rainy outside and for a brief moment I thought about staying in bed but it was only for that moment. I got myself up and took the dogs for a longer walk then I thought I would. It was not raining at that point and it felt good to out and about. So we got home and my next moment was not going to the gym but again it was only for that moment but I worked past it and went. I am glad I did, it felt good to workout and then come home take a shower and put on comfy clothes. It is still chilly, cloudy and rainy outside but I feel like I achieved a milestone by working through those negative moments and doing a couple of positive things.

Life should be lived one moment at a time and in some of those moments we can be faced with decisions, some minor or some major. It is those moments that matter. In a moment I can tell my husband I love him, offer a quick prayer for someone or just close my eyes and breath deeply. Things can change in a moment, a loved one can die or a baby born. A job can be lost or a job can be found. And all these moments add up and well most of the time we go through moments in our life just living, making dinner or cleaning house, there are those defining moments, major or minor, that can impact us.

Today's moments for me may seem minor but for me they were major, they were healthy choices in the face of chilly weather because I am not a fan of cold but here I live in a place that will get much colder than it is today. If I had chosen to stay in bed or not go to the gym when it was only chilly then how will I react when it is actually cold. In those moments I hope I choose to get outside and get moving. So let's just take a moment to breath deeply and forge on.

My aspirations.

It is down to the last two days of this first challenge and it is my aspirations. Right now it is just getting a job and coming to really knowing Idaho is home. The job thing is frustrating and today got another rejection call. It brings back those emotions of being so far away from my family, having to move away from a place I really loved living and leaving a job I liked.

I am just trying to hold onto "Trust in the Lord with all your might, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."Proverbs 3:5-6 I know He brought us here, there are no coincidences and the fact is Dennis was able to get a good job doing what he really wanted to do and his daughter lives in the same town we do. So I know God brought us here and He has the perfect job out there for me so I have to just keep looking to Him. And to accept and know this is my home. However both these things I need to know with my heart and not my head and I realize I am not there. I will keep praying for wisdom through this storm and trust Him as He takes me through this.

There is a book called "Hinds Feet In High Places." by Hannah Hurnard that is allegory of a Christian devotional life. It follows the journey of Much-Afraid in her journey from her Fearing family to the High Places of The Shepard guided by her companions Sorrow and Suffering. It's title comes from Habakkuk 3:19 "The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places." I have read it a couple of times and I believe it is time to read it once again.

I miss

It is getting close and today is something that I miss. Well I am changing it to someone or actually 2 someones I miss. I miss my daughters, who live in Phoenix so very much. When I lived in San Diego they were a 5-6 hour drive away. Now I am a plane ride away, while it is a quick plane ride it is not cheap to fly. I miss hanging out and just talking and laughing. The many nights we stayed up all night, especially Melissa and I. Shopping, going to movies, hanging out, all that stuff. I miss them so very much and I know they miss me so very much. However where we moved to is where Dennis's daughter lives so it is not a coincidence that he got a good job here. And this will give him a chance to develop a good relationship with his daughter, something they don't have right ow. So I know God is in our being here in Idaho and I will trust in that. However I still miss my daughters so very much.

My favorite place

It is now day 27, wow, can't believe almost 30 days has passed. Time flies whether you are having fun or not. So today is my favorite place. There are so many ways one can go with that so let's see what my brain spits out. One place I love is Coronado Island across the bay from San Diego.














Crossing over the Bay Bridge into the town of Coronado is like taking a deep breath and releasing stress. It is a small town and the atmosphere is just one of friendliness and warmth. Walking down Orange Ave near the Hotel Del Coronado is wonderful.

































We have done it with our dogs and without, either way is okay. It is a very dog friendly place. There are great places to eat like Village Pizzaria or Beach Diner, where their motto is life is to short, eat dessert first. Right next to the diner is Moo Time which has the best, most awesome ice cream ever plus a statue of a cow and one of Elvis. (thank you, thank you very much)

































The beach is clean and relaxing. They even have wheelchairs available that go in the sand and when my sister, her family and mom visited we took advantage of it to get mom up by the surf.


































Down the beach away from the Hotel Del is a dog beach. Dogs run around without a leash. We have also taken our dogs there. It is fun to see them run in the surf, chase tennis balls, grab them out of the water. The homes in Coronado are gorgeous but too pricey for my pocket book. However if someone offered to buy and give me a house anywhere I wanted I could say Coronado, preferably across from the beach. Another plus is there is a Naval Base on Coronado so would be near all the benefits of hubby being retired military.





And another bonus is Coronado is just a 5-6 hour drive to Phoenix with Yuma about in the middle so I would be near my family once again. So there you have it, my favorite place to be but I would only want to live there with Dennis. Anywhere he is my absolute favorite place.

Winnie The Pooh

I love Winnie The Pooh stories. This specific book has 3 stories of it. The copy I have is from 1965 that I picked up at a yard sale about 1988.. My favorite one out of the 3 is "Pooh Invents A New Game and Eeyore Joins In." A.A. Milne has a wonderful way of writing the Pooh stories with the different characters and interactions of them. In this story Pooh, Piglet and Roo are playing a game of Poohsticks where they drop sticks off of one side of the bridge and then run to the other side to see whose is first. All of the sudden Eeyore comes floating by on his back, swirling around in an eddy or two. Pooh drops a stone into the water to try hooshing him out but instead it almost lands on Eeyore and he ducks under and swims to the side. So then they ask how did he get in the river and he says he was bounced, by Tigger he suspects. When Tigger comes to where they are, he is asked if he bounced him and he says no he coughed and it happened while he was behind Eeyore. It is quite a funny story and when I was reading it to daughters we were cracking up.

What do I fear

Today is day 26 and in the home stretch for this 30 day challenge. However I will start a new one once this is done because a friend of mine made up a list for another 30 day challenge. Today's is my fears. What am I afraid of?


My fears that are phobias are heights. This picture is of the Coronado Bridge in San Diego for the Bay Bridge walk. Getting to the top and looking down makes me a bit dizzy.














Another phobia is free falling and this one is so bad that even office chairs have to locked in place so it won't lean back accidently, making my heart race. This picture is of the half pipe slide at Sunsplash in Mesa AZ, it is not me but gives you an idea of what this slide is like. My kids were going on it and so I decided what the heck. Well I should have come to my senses when the person manning the slide at the top is harnessed to it but I merrily went ahead. The second the guy let go of my tube I knew I made a mistake. Melissa said the look on my face was like someone was murdering me. Oh man I was terrified the whole time.


















One that I realized the other day is walking by geese. They can be mean suckers and I don't want any nipping my leg. At the Greenbelt area there can be quite a few so I will veer off the path to avoid going by any of them. When they are in the water they do not bother me but when a bunch of them are up on the grass, YIKES I avoid them.




















My other fear started after my grandson Matthew died, fear of one of my children dying. It is not everyday like it was for a few years after he died but it will still come up when I find I am really concerned about them. The worst of the fear went away when I was finally at peace about Matthew dying, when I was not so angry at God and came to trust Him about it.

A First-Ladies and Gentlemen-The Beatles

Today is day 25 and all it says is a first. So hmm what first could I write about. I will write about the first time I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was February 9, 1964 It was a few months before my 6th birthday. We were living in Indian Harbor Beach Florida. My dad was in the Air Force and stationed at Patrick AFB. I knew who the Beatles were, I have 3 older sisters who introduced us younger ones to rock and roll. We were all excited to see them. we had a black and white TV.



















My dad only had two rules, we had to be ready for bed and we were not allowed to scream when they came on TV. I was in the bathroom getting my PJ's on and all of the sudden they were announced. I remember clutching my pajama top to my chest and screaming really loud. Talk about Beatles Mania!! It was alive and well in our household. I did not get in trouble though. My dad understood the historical significance of what it meant for these 4 guys to be on the Ed Sullivan Show.
















So that is my memory of the first time The Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964. They appeared two the next two Sundays in February but I will always remember that first appearance.