It's Not The Years In Your Life That Count, It's the Life In Your Years!

Happy Birthday Sandy Smedstad Nagorski

Sandy - do you know what year this was? I think it may be summer of 1972 and Jayme was three. I wish you a very Happy Birthday my lifelong friend!

100 Things About Me On My Birthday

I have hit the 100 posts mark and today seems like the appropriate day to do the "100 things about me"- just random thoughts as they pop into my head - so here goes:

1.Today is my Birthday and it is a grand day!

2.I was born in California and grew up in North Dakota and Minnesota Now live in California.

3.I am the oldest of 4 children. 2 terrific brothers and 1 terrific sister.

4.My daughter's birthday is 1 week from today.

5.My daughter lives 851 miles from me, about a 12 hour car drive.

6.We usually take 2 days to get there, stopping along the way and enjoying the trip. Or fly or I take the train.

7.We will celebrate our Birthdays together in San Francisco next week.

8.I have had a wonderful Birthday weekend with my sister.

9l My sister is one of my best friends.

10.My sister lives 10 minutes from me.

11.I am a Jesus lover.

12.My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life.

13.I love to sing - but really do not have the gift of singing.

14.After all these years, I am still crazy in love with my husband.

15.I work very hard at being organized - it does not come naturally!

16.I have two four-month-old dachshunds: George and Gracie.

17.I still miss Bandit and Bianca - our dachshunds of the past.

18.When I was growing up I thought I would be a teacher, like my mom. But instead I had a good and long career in telecommunications. Now I work for the government, but only about 5 months out of the year.

19.The farthest north I have been is Alaska. The farthest south I have been is Quito, Ecuador. The farthest west I have been is Hawaii. The farthest east I have been is the Bahama Islands.

20.I have lived in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Florida and California.

21.I am on week number 6 of going to the gym 5 days a week - I feel great!

22.I am married to a man who is my best friend and the love of my life.

23.I love being home.

24.I love sitting outdoors in the early morning and reading my Bible.

25.I have a Tuesday Night Women's Bible Study in my home every week that started on July 18th, 2005 . God has brought the women & it has been a blessing beyond what I could have dreamed.

26.I am more likely to be on time than late.

27. I am a morning person (just not too early!)

28.I love to read.

29.My favorite book from childhood is "Heidi".

30.I do not like flying - but there was a time in my life when I traveled frequently for my job and flying did not bother me. I don't know what changed that.

31.Did I mention I have a wonderful daughter - also a wonderful son-in-law.

32.I have wonderful memories of my grandmothers and I think that is why I am such a good grandma.

33.I was blessed with a wonderful 17 year old granddaughter who i absolutely adore. I was there at her birth and it's been pure joy ever since.

34.My granddaughter is one of my most favorite people in the whole world and her visits are most precious to me.

35.I am politically a conservative.

36. I have to have my cup of coffee to start the morning. I drink it black.

37.I live a praying life.

38.I see the glass as half-full most of the time.

39.I am a people person.

40.I used to collect dolls but now have 100's boxed up in storage.

41.I love dishes and table settings.

42.I don't do much cooking. Never did.

43.I like having people in my home.

44.I like talking the train = even though it takes so much longer to get where I am going! (Utah)

45.I like the snow, but think it would be too hard to live in it after all these years. (And my husband - that Florida boy - would probably not acclimate easily.)

46.I do not like real hot weather.

47.But I love what the humidity in Florida does for my skin.

48.I love spending time with my girlfriends.

49.I love going to the People's Church Hume Lake Women's Retreat each October.

50.It is always lunch at my house before heading on up the hill to the retreat.

51.One of my favorite bible teachers is Jennifer Kennedy Dean.

52.I have several bird feeders and enjoy listening to an orchestra of birds every day.

53.My favorite season is spring.

54.I love having fresh flowers in the house.

55.I am addicted to buying pens.

56.Jayme, James and Shannon woke me this morning singing Happy Birthday.

57. Mardys just called and sang Happy Birthday. I am blessed with family and friends.

58.My favorite dessert is Creme Brule.

59.Every Thursday night is Small Group in our home. 6 years we've been meeting.

60.I am in a Precepts class studying Hebrews.

61.My favorite meal is calamari steak prepared Abalone style and a Casesar Salad prepared tableside at Francesco's by the Oakland Airport.

62.My favorite holidays are Christmas and Easter.

63.I collect red glassware - have lots of dishes.

64. My favorite vacation spot is any trip with my husband.

65.I like the Central California Coast and once lived there.

66.I do not watch a lot of TV and find it annoying to have it on all the time.

67.I love to listen to the Dennis Miller Radio Program.

68.I have many favorite books, such as "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "God's Smuggler" (Brother Andrew).

69.I love to watch all the seasonal Christmas movies such as "It's a Wonderful Life", "Christmas With the Kranks", "The House Without a Christmas Tree", "White Christmas".

70.I am content.

71.I have allergies, otherwise, very healthy.

72.I have worn contact lenses for 47 years. (I got them when I was a baby :).

73.Yesterday I lost a contact & since I do not like wearing my glasses (I mean coke bottles) & since I wear bi-focal hard contacts which means I can see to read even in a dark restaurant without pulling out glasses - I am pretty ticked.

74.When I was a child, my favorite meal was Creamed Salmon on Potato Chips.

75.I use my libary card frequently. The library is a favorite place of mine.

76.Another favorite place is meeting a friend(s) at Starbucks.

77.I always carry a book with me. (I think it is a Rogde trait)

78.The best fish I have ever eaten is Walleye Pike in Minnesota.

79.A favorite time of mine in 2008 was when my brother came out from Minnespolis and we had a week together.

80.I live in a one-story house with a nice yard that I enjoy.

81.Watching the sunset give me great pleasure. and sunsets on the ocean are glorious.

82.I do not like chaos.

83.I love Christmas Eve at my sister's house.

84.My daughter and I talk on the phone daily, more than once.

85.One of my most important possessions is my ipod.

86.I used to have a housekeeper to come in & clean every week - it was one of my favorite things. I miss that!

87. I just had a Happy Birthday"phone call from my wonderful brother Dan in North Dakota. I am blessed with family,

88.One of my favorite scriptures is Zephaniah 3:17.

89.I love these young women in my Tuesday Night Women's Bible Study".

90.I love the smell of gardenias.

91.My favorite word is "grandma".

92.I do not ever tan. I do sunburn.

93.A favorite speaker of mine is Lisa Harper.

94.I like seafood.

95.I love to go to Disneyland.

91.I like bright colors.

92.My favorite birthday cake is a Princess Cake.

93.I love hanging baskets of red geraniums.

94.My favorite smell is the sea air.

95. My sister just brought me beautiful birthday flowers on her way to school. I am so blessed.

96.I enjoy friends around my dinner table - a good meal and conversation flowing.

97.I like Alfred Hitchcock movies - Rear Window is a favorite.

98.I am reading "John Adams" by David McCullough and it is fascinating to me.

99.I enjoy music, particularly Christian contemporary, as well as the old hymns,

classical music, some opera, jazz and pop orchestras. Not much for country music.

100.My verse this week is Ephesians 3:17-19....how wide and deep and long and high is the love of Christ. I am wrapped in His love today and I wish you who read this may know His great love for you also.

This was much harder to do than I thought it would be! Who wants to talk so much about themselves! It is a wonderful birthday and my heart is filled with gratitude.

Emily all decked out for her photo shoot!

Babies are such a wonderful way to start people!
Little Miss Emily with her mom and dad.

Loving Thursday Nights!

I heart my Thursday Night Small Group! We've been meeting for five years (or is it six?). It all started with a "Purpose Driven Life" (Rick Warren) Small Group of forty days. A group of people who signed up by zip code.........we did not know any of them as they arrived for the study. And here we are several years later. Pretty Cool!

Families Are Tied Together With Heartstrings

Aunt Sue

Tom and Susan Barclay

Special Friends from the same Family Tree!

Aunt Sue and cousin Susan and Tom are here to visit. A fun time....eating and reminiscing. I again discover that a cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost!

Recipe - Five Star Carrot Cake

This carrot cake makes for one happy husband!

Recipe: Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 small can crushed pineapple

2 cups grated carrot

3 cups coconut

2 cups chopped walnut

Frosting:

1 cup sugar

1 cube butter

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tbs/ light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together first four ingredients. Beat eggs, add oil & buttermilk, sugar & vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add to dry ingredients; mix well. Mix in pineapple, carrots, nuts & coconut. Pour into lightly greased & floured pan, 12 x 9". Bake in moderate oven, "350 degrees", if metal pan is used. For Pyrex, set oven at 325 degrees. Bake 55 minutes 'til done.

Frosting: Mix sugar, butter, baking soda, buttermilk & syrup in saucepan. Bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla & pour over hot cake.

Sift together 1st 4 ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt.

Beat eggs, add oil & buttermilk, sugar & vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

Add to dry ingredients; mix well.

Mix in pineapple, carrots, nuts and coconut.

Pour into lightly greased & floured pan. Bake 55 minutes 'til done.

Frosting: Mix sugar, butter, baking soda, buttermilk and syrup in saucepan.

Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes.

Remove cake from oven. Pour frosting over hot cake.

Voila!

Student Driver on the Road.........it's Alex Smith!

Alex is driving - and today she stopped by to see me. Made my day!

Snoozin' on a Sunday Afternoon

Dutch is dozing off as he sits outside in the swing with our cute puppies. It makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon.

I'm In Love!

Meet two new members to our family.....yet to be named! We have had them about one hour now...a boy and a girl.
I guess those pictures Shannon emailed to me really got to me! - so here we go again. We have just added two dachshunds to our family! Two hours ago the Dutchman, who was out and about doing some Saturday morning chores, called me and said "be ready, I'm picking you up in five minutes to show you something".....I was ready-he took me to a family of dachshund puppies -we both fell in love. And we now have two three month old puppies as part of our family!

Happy Birthday David Rogde!

My brother has a birthday!! I wish I was in Minneapolis today to celebrate with him. He is a man of intellect and kindness and oh so enjoyable to be around. He is also a charter member of the F.C.B.C. Happy Birthday David!

Check out his blog at http://homeblogde.blogspot.com

A Tribute to Bandit and Bianca

Shannon emailed these pictures with this note: "here are the pictures of bandit....i miss him but dont get too sad looking at these just think of them as good memories......i love you!!!!"

Bandit was a prince among dogs. And my heart just melts looking at these pictures .....and my heart just melts everytime I hear from my grandaughter! Thanks for the pics, Shannon! I love you too!!!

And my heart just melts everytime I look at this adorable man of mine! I think I will add one more picture of him - this time with Bianca....we miss you too Bianca!!!

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
— C.S. Lewis