Dallas...

My husband is off to the Father's Day car shows, which is tradition for us.  We'll be celebrating with our sons, this evening, over dinner and a movie.

I'm sitting here watching the pilot of Dallas.  JR is back!  Yes, I was a huge fan of the show back in the day.  I still remember where I was when I watched the episode, "Who Done It?" revealing the question millions had been waiting to see the answer to... "Who Shot JR?"  It was being shown on a big screen TV, in the upstairs room of a local pub.  I was with a group of friends, and it was definitely the big deal of the day.

According to Wikipedia, The "Who Done It?" episode received the highest domestic ratings at that point, with over 90 million American viewers tuning in for the answer.  That record was broken only by the last episode of M*A*S*H in 1983. Wikipedia states that internationally, Dallas still holds the record for the most-watched episode, with nearly 360 million viewers tuning in to see who shot J.R.

I'm enjoying this new episode so far, but I don't know if it can pull me in like the original series did.  That was a different time for me.  I was totally wrapped up in Country Music, cowboys, and the fantasy of striking it rich.  Youthful fantasies.  It is fun looking back and remembering who I was, or at least who I thought I was.  I always got a kick out of Larry Hagman, from the time he was Captain/Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie, until the iconic roll of J. R. Ewing on Dallas.  Larry's definitely looking his age.  In fact, a lot of my favorite stars and musicians are either older, very elderly, or have passed on.  I guess that means I'm not as young as I think I am.  I still have "young" thoughts, and then I catch a glimpse of an older, greying woman and realize that's my reflection looking back at me.  I'm not complaining, it just still surprises me a little bit.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Father's Day weekend, I certainly am!

Weary Heart

Father's Day weekend was hard for me this year.  I'm not even sure why.  I do miss my Grandpa so much, but that wasn't it.  My mil's birthday would have been yesterday, and I still miss her.  That wasn't it either.  My family was together, husband and my two sons.  Our brunch was wonderful, and we had a really nice time.  I just can't put my finger on it.

Do you ever just slip into a "blue funk" for no apparent reason?  I'd love to write something cheery and entertaining, but it's just not there.  Mahalia just came on... "Trouble of the World"... I have to say that's not cheering me up.  The songs come up randomly, and this one just happened to fit my state of mind today.  "I want to see my mother... going home to live with God..."   *Sigh*  I don't want to "go home" to see my mother, father... any of my loved ones... not today.  Not anytime soon.  I love this life.  I love my family and my friends.  I just wish I were seeing more of my prayers answered... well, answered the way I wanted.  So many people suffering with illness, job loss, sorrows...

I guess I have a weary heart.  I know tomorrow will be better... this evening may even be better!  I'll leave you with these thoughts...

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive.

One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life."

~~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, 

anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."  

~ Anonymous

and when I get weary, I remember...

 The joy of the Lord is your strength.

~ Nehemiah 8:10

It's A Beautiful Day...

First, I wanted to remind you to visit The Brenda Photo Challenge.  I didn't participate in this photo challenge, but I wanted to post the link so you could see all the amazing and fun photos that were entered.  Go to:

The Brenda Photo Challenge    (click on the name to go...)



It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me.  I will spare you all the details, but I'm glad to be back posting.  This beautiful, sunny day is perfect for all the activities going on in our surrounding communities.  In my little town we are celebrating Dairy Days.  You don't see a lot of dairy farms anymore, much of the farmland is now subdivided into homes or shopping.  Our community still honors our dairy heritage with a carnival, farming/animal events, a parade, and more.  My husband's car club participated in the parade last night.  It was a 50's theme.  Their float was for awareness of Alzheimers, which my husband's mother had. All the classic cars followed along behind.  I may be able to post a picture later on.


Also, this weekend is the Emmett Cherry Festival, A vintage car show in Eagle, Idaho, another Vintage Car Event in Boise featuring Jerry and the Stingrays, and the Gay Pride event in Boise.  My husband is fitting in the Eagle car show and going to hear Jerry and the Stingrays.  He hates to miss the Cherry Festival.  He has participated in it for years, but it just happened that everybody picked this weekend for their events.  I don't get out to many of these events, as it just gets too warm for me (this is an MS issue).

My niece, JP, is singing in a competition at the Gay Pride event.  There was an elimination event this week and she was in the top five.  She has been singing almost from the day she was born.  Some of my family will be there to support her, some won't.  Her choices aren't supported by our faith... well, the faith we were brought up in.  I will always love and support her no matter what... I was not placed in this world to be a judge... only to show love to others... all others.  If you met her, I know you couldn't help loving her too! 


I am looking forward to a Fathers' Day Brunch for my husband tomorrow.  My oldest son is joining us for steak and eggs!  Yum!  We'll eat, do gifts, visit for a while, then Paul will be off to the Fathers' Day Car Show.  This is a huge weekend for "Car Guys" in our area.  He looks forward to it all year.


I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Take a moment to celebrate the Fathers' in your lives...  both earthly and Heavenly...

Father's Day Reflections

Well, I made it through another Father's Day. My dad passed 18 years ago but my grandpa, who holds the title of "father" in my heart passed, away just under two years ago.


First dad... He was a funny, warm man who popped in for the occasional birthday or holiday. Sometimes he'd bring my brother with him. That was always a treat! Sis and I loved playing with RR. Dad would usually pick up a guitar at some point and start playing "Keys to the Kingdom". He had a Merle Haggerty kind of country voice. Grandma would often harmonize in her low, low alto/tenor. Good times!


Dad became more of a regular fixture in our lives after the birth of my Sis's first child. The first grandchild... a granddaughter. I remember he brought her a stuffed Garfield the cat for her first birthday party. Two years later, Sis added another granddaughter, and I added his first grandson to the family. Two of my favorite pictures of him are with his first granddaughter and grandson. The final years we spent getting to know him were very special ones, filled with shared stories and laughter.


Grandpa became "father" to me when I was 8 years old... long story to be saved for another day. Anyway, he was the best. A gospel minister who loved to sing in a painfully offkey voice, but the joy that came with that voice was infectious. He drove my sister and I to school every morning and he had made up a little tune that we all sang together. "The sun's gonna shine this morning..." we'd chime in "Yeah, yeah, yeah" (a kind of Beatles after part). It would set us off laughing. Grandpa had a laugh that would lift the heart.

Here I am at Christmas time at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

I just found this photo recently and I love it. Grandpa almost always had that smile on his face! I couldn't find the pictures of my Dad with the grandkids so I'll have to add them at a later time.

My grandpa loved to garden. He tended the vegetables and flowers with equal care. He loved his grapevine and his gooseberry bushes. For years, he mowed the lawn in an old pair of slacks and a white button up shirt... usually long-sleeved. I still remember when he was given a denim jacket and a pair of jeans. He put them on, and he looked so out of character. My whole life I had never seen him in jeans!


My grandpa took special pride in a lilac "tree". He carefully tended one slender lilac branch, pruning away each year until it had thickened into a trunk and grew into a beautiful little tree. There were some who laughed at his little "stick" in the ground that were later amazed at how lovely it turned out to be.

I love the fact that I have so many good memories to dwell on. Sure, there were some hard times, but I have so much joy to remember. I like to think there were lessons learned from the difficulties, but the best lessons came from the love and the laughter that we shared.