Been too long

I did have a more recent blog (back when Windee, also known as Peewee) was injured by the coyotes. It almost didn't save for some reason so in my attempts to keep from losing all I had typed and the two pictures I had posted with it, it saved weirdly and no one could find the comment poster so I just deleted it. It was ugly in the format that I saved it with.

This is starting out to be a bit of a "down" day. Two of my children are so down in the dumps (for justifiable reasons) that I feel their pain so I am blue, too. I did get a lift when my child, who no longer blogs, called me yesterday. I also got a lift with my child who is waking up his creativity and starting to really get serious about writing again... I do so love all my children. They are just so dear to me. They all have children and I know they know what it means to feel the pains of being a parent with no control over life's dealings of your children, especially when life gets so sucky (coining that from a daughter) as it is right now for so many more people in the world than just my children.

Hope to find a creative picture to write abut soon, but not today I feel... :(

Twas Three Days Before Christmas

Twas three days before Christmas when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse,

The doggies were outside enjoying the cold,
While I alone was within, trying not to feel old,

When out on the lawn there arose such a chatter,
Of doggies barking intensely, oh my, what was the matter?

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
Not a miniature sleigh nor eight tiny reindeer,

As I peered out my window, such a sight to behold,
Was a strange looking creature standing so bold,

By my deck he was starring not uttering a sound,
Looking toward my back door, hummm, what had he found?

Where were my doggies? I thought with distress,
They had now stopped barking, oh, I was a mess,

As I opened my door my doggies burst through,
They rushed right past me, well, wouldn’t you?

This creature just stood there in his brown and white coat,
With thick horns on his head, why, he was a goat,

I ran for my camera to get a quick shot,
But when I returned, the goat he was not,

So I opened the door in hopes I could see
Where he had run to, where could he be?

Oops, there was the goat right up on my deck
I shuttered then said, oh, what the heck?


So I grabbed two quick pics before he hurried away,

Feeling nothing I could do would get him to stay,

And so I exclaimed as he walked out of sight,
He’s just Richard’s pet goat, so no need for freight.

Great Grandchildren Thanksgiving 2008

The two oldest great grands shown here with their proud grandmom.

Here's Madison. The September baby of Josh and Felicia.

I thought this was Staton the 4 month old son of Andy and Jessica but I am having second thoughts. Comments, anyone?

This is Lola. She's 2 years + 2 months and cute as a button.

Thanksgiving 2008

Here we are with our three daughters on Thanksgiving Day! We had lots of fun with each other and all of those other family members who came as well. Some could not come. Some were ill, some were working. We missed them very much. You will have seen the great grandchildren as they looked on that day in the next blog. As you can see, I caught Dad napping. No surprise there. :)

Windee Warmth

I declare. Sometimes we have to just cuddle where ever we can find a friend. Poor baby.

Fourth Snow?

Well, we woke up to fresh snowfall and the previous one was not yet gone. We may not see our North or East deck floors until Spring. :) It has not snowed this much up here so early in the year since we have owned our property (2004). Global warming? Maybe. Is this a sign of winters to come? Maybe. At any rate, we are purchasing new tires with steel studs as soon as December money hits the bank on November 28. We do not want to feel trapped up here since road clearance on Glade Mountain Dr does not appear to be a top priority for our Board of Directors. Some of us homeowners are looking into that changing....


It is still snowing, I might add. Was supposed to have started around midnight. This must be going to be the biggest one yet. Maybe 4-6 inches. Hummmmmm, glad we have plenty of food in the pantry, frig and freezer. Sure do hope the roads will clear well by Thanksgiving Day as the family are all due here for dinner (and even breakfast for some).

Reflections

I feel a need to reflect on why on earth God gave me life. Why did God bless me by allowing me the joy of becoming a Baha'i? Why did God bless me with such a wonderful husband? Why did God also so generously bless me with four beautiful and wonderful children? And why am I further blessed to have 17 beautiful and wonderful grandchildren? Gracious, three of them are even "great!"

What else am I supposed to do with my life now that I am in my sunset years? Much earlier in my life after I became a Baha'i, I used to dream of going pioneering to some far away land to shed Baha'u'llah's Fragrances more globally. Alas, that was not to be. Instead, because of the love for our children, the Love of my life and myself chose homefront pioneering so as not to uproot our children from their more comfortable environment here in America. Even then, we had to wait until we had obtained our undergraduate degrees lest we have difficulty finding lucrative work elsewhere in this country. I sometimes wonder how different life for our family might be today had we gone to Australia or New Zealand back in the 70's when we first had desires to go.

Who am I and what does life mean to me? Now there's a good head scratcher. Where do I start? Let's see, I am basically a good person in that I aspire to never be the cause of harm to anyone. That's not to say that I never lose my temper or get bent out of shape about something and act like a b...head, then feel remorse for it later. I am basically a happy person. I laugh a lot, including at myself when I do something of an ignoramus nature. I strive to pray more throughout the day each day for I feel that enables me to deal with life on better terms. It also gives me the "wherewithall" to ask God to please protect my family and friends from harm.

Now that our "nest" is empty, I take that longing desire to see and be with my children, more often than they could bear, by transferring it to our two dogies. I smother them with love and affection and benefit greatly when they love me in return with their tail wagging, their "kisses" and their warmth when they lay sleeping close to me in a chair or by my feet.

I look out across our horizon and take in the beautiful views of God's wonders in these mountains we have been so fortunate to live among for these last years. The tiny, fluttering wings of a hummingbird gives me great joy as does watching them sip from our nectar filled troughs. Even the many butterflies that grace us here at Windy Ridge (what we call our little 5.47 acres) give me a tremendous feeling of awe as they flutter from one flower to another.

In the evening when my Love and I settle in front of the TV, I often reach out and hold his hand or he holds mine, just because we share of ourselves with each other so naturally. It gives us warm fuzzies.

Even though I am uncertain if I deserve it, I say, "Thank you, God, for giving me this life."