My Favorite Patio

my favorite morning reading spot



my favorite book

beautiful weather

my favorite flowers

my favorite g-granddaughter 2012

I share this plant with a mama dove
 

roses just beginning

 

mr dutch and his beloved




Spring on Lyell Street!

Jasmine is blooming and fragrance is throughout the house and yard.




 A bit windy and about to rain.  But we will take a quick tour of the yard before the rain comes.  Definitely April has come!  Plants are beginning to bloom.  New life comes into the yard which had become quite drab in the past couple of months!

Purple roses

Vivian's Iris's






Flowering begins.




Jasmine blooming in the courtyard again.

The last branches to
be cleared out
after mega-pruning!






Grapefruit blossums.  A few fruit at top.

Orange tree blossuming.  FRAGRANCE is wonderful. 

Camelias almost gone.

Grapefruit sweet
& delicious this year

My one palm tree.

Spring 2013 yardwork is just beginning. Most of the pruning is done.  Light is flooding the house now that the "forest" has been cut back.  Grass needs to be planted.  Flower bed needs planting. Lots yet to do.  Love this time of year!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

the tomb is empty!

ally gets her groove on

Ally does a thank you dance after she gets Auntie Char's Easter package in the mail!

• I got a little dizzy watching her!  Hang in there-she loves to dance!
• Her hair is getting so long!  Love the bow.
• She's getting taller.
• Next Saturday she will be exactly 2 1/2 years old.
• This is the happy girl I remember!
• The girl who is always in motion!
• The girl who does her best to remain barefoot!
• The great granddaughter I love so much!
• Can't wait for her visit in the summer!

You may need to double click on picture & then open to full screen by clicking on the square in lower right corner.....at least that's the only way I could open it

Lingering over this scripture today:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
~Isa. 58:3-8

An American Hero writes "Missing Dog Tags"

Kenneth Eaton speaking at the Sunnyside Library

Missing Dog Tags is one of those books I was not able to put down until I finished.  It is riveting!.  Ken Eaton was an American POW in North Korea.  He spent almost 3 years in Chinese Communist Camp #5 Pyoktong, North Korea.  He writes a true account of his experience.  He escaped 3 times and was recaptured 3 times.  The author made me feel as though I were right there with him.  Because war is such a horror and so damaging, there were times the book was hard to read. Yet, I could not put it down.  I cried. I even laughed.   It is a powerful story written by an American Hero.
 
As I read the book, there were many instances where I could not imagine him making it out alive.  Very few did.  But Ken survived.  I believe the power of a praying mother back home made the difference between life and death.  For me, that is a vivid reminder to pray daily for my family. 

Recently, I had the privilge of hearing Kenneth Eaton speak at our local neighborhood library.  If the opportunity presents itself, I strongly encourage you to go and hear him.  And to read his book.  It's a story about a war that we do not hear much about.  It's the story of a man who never gave up. 

Dedication of the book reads: 
"This book is dedicated to the 8,126 men who were missing in action or prisoners of war and have not yet been recovered according to Department of Defense statistics,  and to my dear mother whose faith in God and His ability to bring me home safely never wavered." 

This brings my thoughts to another book I recommend:  "Evidence Not Seen" by Darlene Deibler Rose.  She survived four years in a Japanese prison camp deep in the jungles of New Guinea during WWII.  In her acknowledgments she says, "I began to write the story of my experiences during WWII for....my sons.  I wished them to know, if ever difficult circumstances came into their lives, that their mother's God is still alive and very well, and His arm has never lost its ancient power!" 

Happy Valentines Day to the love of my life

He's the man!

1. We always celebrate this holiday because we are such traditionalist and Valentine's Day is all about celebrating love!
2. It has even more meaning for us!  It's the day that the Dutchman proposed to me.....so we continue to celebrate this wonderful day which led to our June wedding 32 years ago.
3. On February 14th, 1981, we dined at the Big Yellow House with a group of  12 friends.  I do remember that we had a blast and we were loving life! When he took me home, he proposed.  We went ring shopping later and he surprised me with the engagement ring in an Easter egg on Easter.
4. Today we celebrated by going to a Sushi Bar.  It was great!  We are not nearly as young,  but we are still loving life and having a blast!  
5. He still makes my heart skip a beat when he walks in a room.  Life with the Dutchman is good.  Not always easy, but definitely good.  Yes!  We would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

 

 

Hi Ho Hi Ho

hi ho hi ho it's off to work we go......

 Can you tell it's my first day back at work for the 2013 tax season?

 

It was a such a good day for several reasons: 

• Usually I can't wait to get training over with and begin on live work, however, my attitude is different this year. 
• Last year at this time, when I returned to work, I was leaving the workplace early every day and driving across town for radiation.  Now I can work my full tour of duty.
• Last year I would actually fall asleep at my computer as I was working!  Yikes! 
• I was very tired most of the time.
• I am so grateful to God for good health this year!
 
• I enjoy working and do well on a schedule.  I become quite OCD over my routine, asleep by 9 pm or so.  Up at 5 am.  Make my lunch.  Eat my oatmeal and blueberries.  Have my "quiet time" with the Lord.  And coffee.  Always morning coffee!  Leave the house with time to spare.
• Weekends will take on a whole new meaning again.  And I will enjoy them to the max.
• I will have a new appreciation for Fridays. 
• Did I mention....I just enjoy working! 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 



My Little Reader

The Dutchman enjoys his great-granddaughter!

 

She is the apple of his eye! 

"I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am." –

John Newton

My Week In Review

• Sunday 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Perspectives Class. Rich! Rich! Rich!  Love this class.  Three hours flew by! Originally,  I took this class in 1999 in Santa Rosa.  Life changing.  As alumni, I am attending free. (vs. $250.00....and worth every penny!) All  the speakers are different from when I first took this class, and they come from all over the country/world.   I feel as though it is all new to me.   Larry Walker from Pioneers International was outstanding as speaker for this first lesson: "The Living God Is A Missionary God".  This course asks 1) Who is God?  2) What is He doing? 3) How can I be a part of what He is doing?
• Tuesday is always a highlight of the week because in the morning I have my Precept class, an Inductive study of Daniel.  Then the  evening is WOW....Women of the Word.  Tuesday night women's bible study that has been meeting in my home for about 7 years now.  "Study this book of the law continually.  Meditate on it day and night...." Joshua 1:8
• Wednesday.  Took the Dutchman to his dental appointment where he was sedated.  By the time I brought him home, he was still out of it.  Hid car keys, hid truck keys.  Dentist wanted me to know how serious he was about "no driving",  told me a couple of "horror stories" regarding people who "snuck" the keys and drove after sedation.  Not pretty.  The good news is the Dutchman stayed out of it all day, into the evening.  Awoke for awhile, then slept all night.  Otherwise, no doubt there would have been a little battle over car keys!  :)  "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything."  Philippians 4:6
• Thursday, a much needed hair cut.  Of course, I leave thinking...oh no!  this is too short!  Oh well!  Too late now!   5 p.m. met with prayer group for Perspectives class.  I feel so privileged that they have invited me!  Then Evangel Home that evening.  (Friday's post).  Two beautiful women from my prayer group, Janine and Tracey,  were praying intercessorily For EH that night.  Oh yes!  Their prayers were answered!  "Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord...."  Lamentations 2:19
• Friday night was marvelous!  Janice Stain concert.  It doesn't get any better than that!  Here's a YouTube video of her "More Than The Stars" --- just a snippet of what I enjoyed last night.  How much does He love us?  More Than The Stars!

Reflecting on last night

See previous post from November stating I was back to blogging on a regular basis.  Ha!  Sometimes life just gets in the way!  Now....no excuses.  Here I am - ready to share a tad bit of my life and some thoughts. 

Reflecting on last night when some of the Tuesday Night Ladies went to Evangel Home to put on the Chapel Service with Pastor Kim as our speaker. How marvelous it was.  Besides feeling a love for the women who are living there, and enjoying getting to know them a wee bit,  and singing and worshipping together, we heard from Pastor Kim.  A sermon?  No.  She said that's for Sunday morning.  This was a conversation she had with all the ladies as she shared her heart using play dough and scriptures to illustrate how we need to know who God is....and the god He is not.  Even those who were disengaged earlier in the evening were caught up as the conversation got going! 

My take aways from the message:

God loves me.

God adores me.

God knows me.

 and

that is what He wants of me.

To  love  Him.

To adore Him.

To know Him.

I will get to know Him from His Word.  Checking out everything I hear about Him by going to His Word. 

My second take away was this:

I  praise Him for who He is.

I thank Him for what he does.

 



My evenings just don't get any better than this one!  And now, to top off this post, here's a photo of some Tuesday Night Bible Study Ladies.  DeeDee.  Luz.  Moi. Anita.  Many are missing. 

Another highlight this fall





Here's Emily............

  

three years later!



I had forgotten what my blog looked like!  No kidding.....over a month since I have been on here and that's after a post of renewal, saying I'm techie secure again and ready to blog regularly!  No excuses, just caught up in the daily grind.  Also, lots of happy moments since my last post,  I will start with the happiest:  a trip to Utah for Jayme's birthday in October and then Ally's 2nd birthday party on October 6th.  Traveling by Amtrak I arrived after 24 hours of travel.......loooong train ride made easier because of my kindle,  the privacy of a sleeper car, dining with interesting people and again...my kindle!  Lost cell service a good part of the trip and no wifi from Sacramento to Ogden!  Happily,  I did a lot of reading and gazing out the window at incredibly beautiful country. Very comfortable way to travel if you have the time and the patience.  Driving straight through would take 12 hours.  Driving is the Dutchman's style (I cannot even see him enduring a train ride!  enduring it would be for him!) and due to his workschedule, he arrived in Ogden on the morning of the birthday party.  Loved it that he was able to be there! 

happiness is a bounce house!

jumping was the best....until she discovered the slide!

cousins



birthday girl



whee!



ally



pinata time!