In 1976 our oldest child and only son, Bill, came home from school one day. He was 8 years old. I remember it as if it were yesterday. "Mama, will you write a poem for me?" Evidently they had been studying something about poems that day. I didn't know then what an important part of my life would begin that day. I had always loved poetry in school, but having a family and at the time raising two children, poetry was the last thing on my mind. How could I resist that wonderful smile, hazel eyes and blond-headed imp? "Okay," I told him, "Mama will give it a try." I really couldn't believe how quickly something came to mind and it was like it had a life of it's own. I will print it in just a moment to share with you.

The reason I am sharing this info about our son is because we received a Christmas card in the mail today from him. As some of you have read some of my blogs, then you know my husband is disabled now and I work a full time job, a part time job and have my little greeting card business on the side. So it is hard to make ends meet and I have finally turned everything over to God, since it takes too much of a toll to worry about things you can not change. Our dryer went out sometime ago and so it's back to hanging the clothes out, which isn't really too bad actually. I have a couple of racks out on the porch and as soon as the clothes rinse, I hang them on hangers and hang them on the racks, When they are dry, I just hang them in the closet. Of course I do miss the lazy ironing way of just putting them in the dryer for a few minutes to get the wrinkles out.

My husband just called me into the living room to see what Bill had sent. A $500 gift certificate to Home Depot to get a new dryer. But that wasn't all. A check for $500 to pay bills. (of course he knows me too well and put a ps, (Mom remember, only supposed to be for bills!) I am guilty of buying for others.

God works through others everyday. We have to be aware of this. We are so blessed to have the children we do. Are they perfect? No way! They weren't raised by perfect parents either. There are two threads that has always run through our family no matter what, LOVE OF ONE ANOTHER & LOVE OF THE LORD. What an incredible blessing!

Dreams of Tomorrow

Wishful thoughts of future hopes
That seem to seed then grow,
To become our dreams of yesteryear
That sometimes lose their glow.

The young become the hopefuls
Of the old who were once young,
But of course they were the young
Who were the hopefuls of the old.

Around and around it seems to go
A never ending circle of many,
A special bond of all who grow
Dreams of tomorrow? Are there any?

Dreams of Tomorrow was dedicated to our son Bill. He asked for a poem and this is the one that I wrote all those years ago.

My prayer to each and everyone of you is to love God. "Through Him all things are possible." He is a loving, caring God. Let Him into your hearts if you haven't done so already. I have read so many heart wrenching blogs. My advice, for what it's worth is, "Take stock of who you are and place value onto yourself. Try to get your life in control with God's loving help. Down through the years, God has blessed me and my family through so many dire situations. My mother used to call me a Bible Thumper. Now through the years she has realized how important God is and how effective prayer is. I tell her whenever I talk to her that I have been praying for my brothers and she tells me she knows because things are better for them. I pray for my friends, family and Brothers and Sisters in Christ, but I especially pray for those who do not know God or are searching for Him. The best way I know to stop the hurting because someone has "done you wrong" is to not be angry or vicious, but to pray for them. Prayer cleanses your soul, and those you pray for are blessed also. It may be only a short time until you see a difference, or a long time, or you may never know when there is a change in them, but there will be if your prayer is from your heart. Turn the things that we can not personally change over to God, and then sit back and see what happens. And, I'm not talking about one prayer, but pray whenever you get the chance, anytime, anywhere!

May each and everyone of you have a wonderful day! Take them one at a time, and if you live with depression, please seek a doctor's help like I did. God works through people remember? He gave us all the different talents so we can make a difference among people. He blessed me with a talent to write, a good eye for photography, a love of children, I even painted two oil paintings. I even surprised myself with that one.

I believe my main objective for blogging is to meet other bloggers who may benefit from the wisdom and talents God has blessed me with.
So many of you are here for the same reason. What a blessing to be able to share and uplift those who need uplifting! So many of you have uplifted me as well. Thank you for doing that. ROIE

I had a great time with my granddaughter today and my best friend's granddaughter. It is so funny as my granddaughter is so tiny compared to my friend's granddaughter, although they are only three months apart in age, both 4 years old. But they had a great time here. They made their Christmas cookies and what a mess and so much laughter.

I took a whole roll of film and going to write a story in poem form to go along with the pictures and make it into a book for each of the girls. They played dress up also. They both love to dance around and be the princess of their respective families. I'm Grammy and my friend is Granny.

My friend has cancer and tomorrow she goes back to the doctor for a whole barrage of tests to see if it has spread into any other part of her body. She had a double mastectomy, 5 of her lymph nodes had cancer, she is fighting an infection, but she has such an upbeat attitude.

Why is it that it seems like so much tragedy happens around the holidays? My son-in-law received a phone call this afternoon from his mom that his dad was in the hospital here and was taken by ambulance to Austin to the heart hospital. It was more for precaution so far, but not sure what is happening. He is my granddaughter's PaPa and her Mommy, my daughter, is expecting a baby Feb.1st.

Sorry to hear
Things aren't quite right,
As you experience
A health-related fight.
If you need anything
I'm a phone call away,
So please do not hesitate
Anytime of the day.
I'll be right over
To assist you through,
Those difficult moments
That are upsetting you.
So I had to take time
To let you know,
I asked God to give you
A health-related glow.

God Bless all of you who happen to drop by and are either experiencing a health problem or someone you know who is ill. I send up a prayer for each one of you.

"My Dear and Gracious Heavenly Father, please bless those who are experiencing ill health at this time. Please be with them and their family and friends. Please strengthen each one in body and spirit. Dear Lord, You are Our Life, whether it be upon this earth or at Home with You in Heaven. May we all look to You for the answers we seek and please give us comfort. AMEN"

I left a comment over at Coloconnect and I decided to copy it and bring it over on mine as well. HOW LAZY CAN ONE PERSON BE? I wanted to post, but alas my hubby is one of those on the go guys when he has something to do, and we have to go to Wal-Mart this morning in another town near here to get his tire fixed. It also is the town our little princess granddaughter lives in. Now if you have ever gone to Wal-Mart to get your tires done, then you know it could be a long waiting period. So we will go early, he will drop me off at our daughter's home and then HE'LL get to go and wait. A great plan as far as I'm concerned. Now I'm not bragging (WELL I AM ACTUALLY),but I have to tell you we have the cutest, brightest, sweetest and most adorable little granddaughter in TEXAS, nope I amend that, in the WORLD! What can I say? She just is! All kidding aside, OR NOT, she is so much fun to be with. She is very sensitive, so when she gets her feelings hurt, she has her little pouting places to go to. Here in our house was our closet. I say WAS because it used to have a mound of clothes in the bottom of it she would throw herself on, but I finally weeded through the mound this summer and no more pouting place. WHERE DOES SHE GO NOW? Anywhere her little broken heart desires. OOPS, gotta go. I've had my 30 minute warning from hubby that he is leaving with or without me. YOU GOTTA LOVE THESE MEN, DON'T YA? Well maybe not sometimes. I think I might just send him to his own pouting place for awhile. Little boys each and everyone of them. No wonder our world is so messed up don't you think? Now you guys out there just ignore that last comment. It was just between me and the girls you understand. Bye for now. Gotta run-LITERALLY!

Good Tuesday Colo! Does anyone sleep around here? Just wondering! I love all the graphics. How do you do that? I'm a little illiterate about that. I sure hope my youngest daughter will think about second chances bless her heart. She and her boyfriend mutually broke up, and she periodically calls me in tears. Last time it was while I was at work at the video store and I was the only clerk with a store full of customers. Now that was a trick trying to console her and wait on customers. Good thing we are a mom and pop store, not a Blockbuster. Most people around here in our little town understand things like this. Hubby and I will be going on the 27th to see her and other daughter and son-in-law for a week. They live 8 hours away driving time. I think I might steer her your way so she can read your blogs. I think it would be good for her. I guess the worst part is he is already dating someone else AND my daughter lives right next door TO HIS PARENTS. She'll survive, she just doesn't know it yet. I went through it when I was 19 and then voila, in walked her daddy into my life and the rest is history as they say, whoever THEY are. I told her when you least expect it! God does have a wonderful sense of humor! Have a blessed day! WE SURE WILL. We get to play with our granddaughter for the next two days. We'll be baking and icing Christmas cookies. Come on over and have some! They are twice as nice when they are made with the laughter of a child and the unconditional love of Grammy & Granddaddy.

I was looking through some of my past writings and I wrote this piece 6 years ago when I was 52. I love going back into my thoughts of the past. I thought I would share it with you.

At the age of two, the most important things in life were the simplest. How many things can I grab within the space of a few seconds?

At the age of twelve, things became a little more complicated. How many parties can I be invited to during the year?

At the age of twenty-two, with my husband in Viet Nam, and the birth of our first child, things can get a little off center. How strong can one person be?

At the age of thirty-two, with four kids, including a set of two- year-old twins and a husband who worked all the time, things were a little too wild for one person to handle. How many places can one person be at the same time?

At the age of forty-two, with five kids and holding down a full time job to make ends meet, things moved too quickly with someone always being lost in the shuffle. How much energy can a single body possess?

At the age of fifty-two, holding down two jobs, a husband who still works too hard ,despite having had a heart attack and stroke six years previously, a newly married daughter, twin daughters in college, our son had to move back in after his home was flooded, our youngest daughter on the verge of being in the high school graduating class of 2000 with a health issue that will make a difference in her choice of a major, things seem to want to gravitate ever so close to the edge. How can someone pull themselves back toward the center of gravity?

Depends on what or WHO represents that center of gravity. God has been my Center for a very long time. He knows how much I can handle, so I've learned to always look up, especially when it seems I am very close to tottering over the edge. But I have also discovered something very tangible and exciting by looking toward the heavens.

The sky is the most glorious creation. It changes so rapidly that it is my Canvas In Motion, much like living life itself. I can't claim to be an artist, but I certainly can hold a camera and push a button, and oh what wonders I have been witness to and have captured that once in a lifetime wonder on film. The sky changes moods, much like our life mood swings, with colors so brilliant that it would be impossible to duplicate the exact glorious hue of God's creation. Nothing compares to life's dramatic changes as much as the skies above us.

Take time to look up. What you will see will give you the strength and endurance to cope with what is happening around you.

At fifty-two, I look forward to the next ten years and what surprises God has in store for me. In the meantime, I will have albums filled to the brim with delightful photos of the ever-changing sky with not one exactly like the other. What a wonderful life God has given me!

Well, I will be 59 in March, so in a few years I will be writing about my next ten years. So much has happened to date, but I don't want to give it away-although if you have read my other posts, you probably already know.

GOD BLESS and have a great week!!!

I was looking through some of my musings, and I do have a lot of them. I came across some I haven't had a chance to put into the computer and this is one of them. My last post was about my father-in-law and this one was after his death, May 1, 1999.

What should we do now?
Our saddened hearts ask,
Our beloved Dad and Granddaddy
Has finished his earthly task.

A Godly man, so gently strong
Many called him Charles, Dear Friend,
Always there to give a helping hand
From the beginning through to the end.

At this instance, this moment in time
It is difficult to smile through the tears,
Yet reminiscing all his unique qualities
We celebrate his eighty-four years.

His dear precious wife, Betty
Has been waiting with open arms,
Missing his smile and his humor
His wit sprinkled with boyish charm.

As time will inevitably march forward
The earthly plan constructed by God,
Our Heavenly Father gives His approval
With Son Light and a discernible nod.

"Come Dear Charles, I am waiting
It is time to return back home,"
As we all bid our earthly farewells
Remembering we are never alone.

We will see you soon, Dear Charles
Dad, Granddaddy, Dear Friend,
We celebrate your new beginning
We will join you at our earthly end.