Things We Take For Granted...

There are things I often take for granted. Oddly, my health is one of them. Even with the struggles I've had, I still forget it's something to be thankful for, to be cared for and nurtured. Over the past couple of months, I've had some big reminders as I struggle against some setbacks.

Time with family is another. When everyone is around, I tend to forget to focus on the moments as they're happening. I get wrapped up in the busyness of activity. I need to remember to be taking those mental snapshots, pasting them into my memory. Physical photos can disappear, but the things we carry in our hearts remain with us.

Since Valentine's Day is approaching, I've been thinking about the things I love and what I hold dear. My greatest treasures are my husband and my sons. Each one is irreplaceable. Each one is unique. Each one is loved. I don't often try to put my love for them into words. It's not easy to describe adequately, but they are my heart! I love them beyond measure, beyond words, beyond anything else in my life. If I had nothing else in this life, they would be more than enough!

Just Checking In...

First of all, I'm hating the new blogger layout!  I have a hard time adjusting to new formats, so I feel lost right now.

Secondly, does anyone know how to stop following a blog?  I tried to figure it out, but can't seem to make any changes.  I have decided if I am not inspired, uplifted, connected by friendship... maybe it's time to stop following.  Especially if there are things that I find uncomfortable.  Everyone has the right to post about anything they want, and rather than complain or rant in their comments (which I find that a lot of people do), I'd rather just quietly slip away.  If you know how to do this, please let me know.  I just can't seem to find the right "button" or place to do this.

Life has been hectic.  My family is still working through the loss of my father-in-law.  PJ made another trip with his sister to take care of things at the house, etc.  I'm continuing to work on organizing my home, and trying to plan a graduation celebration for my youngest.  He actually received his diploma in the fall, but we were waiting until good weather so that family could come.  He has been accepted into a very good college and will be living there, starting in August.  I am going to feel a little lost with both sons gone from home.  I do have a long list of new hobbies I want to try, and maybe even take an online course myself, so I plan on keeping very busy.  Even doing that, I know it will be a huge adjustment for me!

I've missed all of you!  I still don't have a new computer, but have this little laptop I bought from MJ. It's a little Apple, and I'm still learning how to use it.  I hope to be blogging more consistently before long!

Wishing you peace...

A Sweet and Sad Farewell...

Today was the funeral service for my father-in-law.  This was such a difficult day, especially for my husband, his sister, and my sons.  He was a WWII Veteran, so has been buried at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.  It was pouring rain, but we got a brief reprieve right about the time we needed the casket moved to the Committal Pavilion, a covered area where the service was held.

As we drove up the hill toward the Pavilion, I saw the soldiers standing at attention.  That meant so much to us.  I had never been to a military funeral and didn't know what to expect.  It does go very quickly, because they have services every hour.  It's handled with dignity, precision, and respect, from the moment you arrive until Taps is played.

My husband and sons were pallbearers.  Even though it's just a short movement of the casket, from vehicle to a transport cart, I was so proud to see my boys do this for their grandpa, and my husband for his dad.  One final act of love and respect for their grandpa, and of my husband for his father.  It's heartbreaking to say farewell, but we believe he was welcomed home by those he loved, those who had made the journey before him.  We will miss him.

I'll be absent for a bit...

My father-in-law passed away earlier today.  I may share about him another day, but today is too soon.  I'll just leave you with a couple of favorite photos...

Fishing with Grandpa PJ

With Grandpa PJ at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center - 1998

Our Lucky 13, EJ with Grandpa PJ

MJ and Grandpa

We have some beautiful memories... We'll miss him so much...

Endings...

We attended my youngest son's final High School Orchestra Concert last night.  It was awesome!  Lucky 13 plays the cello.  He got to riff a bit, on his electric cello, during their last song.  Like me, he gets a bit of stage fright... the shaking hands.  I played piano, and that kept me from going as far with it as I might have.  Singing never scared me as much as playing.  He really pushed through it, and he ended up having a great final performance.

His Senior year was taken from him by illness, so instead of graduating last year, he is completing his final classes this summer.  He has just two to go, and they will be done at an online High School.  The wonderful thing is, all of the delays won't matter a few years from now.  As I've told him, it only matters what you're doing today!  Don't hang on to regrets of the past.  High School will only be a small blip on the map of your life. 

I am so proud of him.  He played so well last night and with such  confidence!  Another "era" ends, and it's on to new beginnings...

You gain strength, courage and confidence

by every experience in which you stop

to look fear in the face.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Mother's Day... Remembering each of them...

My momma and me...

Momma always took in any stray and found them a home!

PJ and his mom... my mom-in-law

My boys and their Grandma VJ

My grandma and me...

And in later years...

My other grandma and her sister...

No longer here... but never forgotten...

Wishing each of you a beautiful Mother's Day!

Chopped...

Well, I'd been thinking about donating my hair again and last night I chopped it off!  Twelve inches gone!  It feels so light and airy!  I haven't worn my hair this short in a long time. 

We took this first photo a few nights ago for our church's directory.  That's my hubby PJ,  me, and my youngest son, Lucky 13!  Aren't they cute!  You can't really see that my hair goes way down my back. 

 Twelve inches chopped off!

And the first result in a pic my son took.  A little blurry, but it gives you an idea...

I did the cutting after 11 pm last night.  Lol!  A bit jagged, but I did it!  Today, I had PJ straighten out the edges in the back for me.  It turned out pretty well for a non professional home hair cut.  Sorry about the surgery scar... haven't figured how to edit it out.  I'm hoping it will fade some day.

It's been a productive couple days for me.  Got some projects done, boxed up more goodies for the ARC to pick up, and gave myself a new do!  Feels grand!

My Valentine's Day... and Other Stuff

My sweet husband really made my Valentine's Day lovely.  I woke up to find a beautiful card and a gorgeous pink azalea plant waiting for me!  He had already given me Lindt Chocolates, and had baked me my favorite Gooseberry Pie!

 This pie was delicious! 

When he got home from work, he surprised me with three wonderful soaps I had on my wish list; Lavender and Ocean Rain made with Shea butter, and Cloister Garden, a floral fruity fragrance, made with goat's milk... they smell heavenly!  Plus, a beautiful Celtic Trinity Bracelet!  He is quite a guy, and I'm so glad he still puts up with me!  

Other stuff...

Tuesday we had the most beautiful spring weather!  It got up to 64 degrees, a record for February!  Then yesterday came...  Big hail, winds, lightening, then snow...  Needless to say, it was black ice this morning.  I drove Lucky 13 to school... as always, the High School parking lot is one of the most dangerous places to drive, and the only place I slid!  I was glad to get back to my nice, warm home!  Here is a look at what was coming down...

This is supposed to last for the next couple of days... Oh, how I'm looking forward to spring!

Reminder:  The due date for the Brenda Photo Challenge is coming up!  It's February 26th!  The category is "Red" and should be lots of fun.  It's not too late to sign up.  Just go Here!  My photos will be posted over at Nita Jo's Photos, my photo blog.

Wishing you a beautiful day... and stay hopeful, Spring is just around the corner!

Happy 18th Birthday to my Lucky 13!

I posted a "mother" poem yesterday.  Today, I am celebrating my baby's 18th birthday.  He is no baby... actually, never really was after about the age of two.  He has always seemed "tuned in to the world around him.  He had those eyes... brown, dark, people said "He looks at you like an old soul" and, he did. Our Lucky 13... EJ, he learned so easily, reading when he was barely 4 years old. Well, that's when he told me he could read!  I didn't believe him and picked up a book.  "Read this then" I said.  He read it all, smoothly and clearly, and every other page I picked out.  I was stunned!  

 My little Lucky 13 and I... a long time ago

We had always read to him, even his big brother had pointed out words to him.  Sometime before the day he told me he could read, he had drawn a cat on their little blackboard and spelled "cat".  When he showed it to me, I asked how he knew how to spell it... "My brain told me" he replied.  


Even without those things, our youngest is special to his family and his friends.  He's weathered a lot of loss, illness, and more in his 18 years.  He keeps those things to himself.  I believe he has an inner strength that he doesn't even fully realize yet.  

Here he is fishing with his older brother and Grandpa

He has so much creativity.  He has a wonderful, unique sense of humor.  He has a talent for music.  I always loved hearing him play his Cello.  He doesn't play as often, but still loves music.


I know folks get weary of hearing people brag on their children, so please indulge me today... this wonderful day, as I look back over the years.  If my own PC wasn't down today, I'd be posting a lot of pictures.  I'm using EJ's PC, and there very few photos on it yet.  Anyway, I want to say how blessed I am.  I prayed for children years ago, after being told I might never have them.  God gave me two wonderful sons, different and yet, so alike.


My family has been blessed by having our Lucky 13 in our lives.  God knew we needed this child... who is now a man, in our lives.  Happy Birthday son!  Our "Lucky 13"!

Christ Is All, All Is Good...

Hello Friends, before I get to my update I have a prayer request.  Those of you who know Pam Warden at Pam Warden Art and Faith Folk Cafe will be familiar with her husband John's situation with his lung transplant, and the ongoing struggles of her children, Toby and Jessie who both have MS (multiple sclerosis).  Tuesday Pam posted the following on her Facebook page:

John is in the hospital, I'm at a hotel in Madison. They will be doing a bronch in the morning to see what is going on. He is the very sick. Thank you for praying. Also for Jessie and Toby ♥

And yesterday...

Bronchoscopy this a.m. for biopsy's on John's lung. Can they find and stop what ever is causing this? We pray. This was sent to me today...so simple so absolute "Christ is all, all is good."

Pam's faith in God is amazing!  She has so much going on in her family, but she takes time to reach out to others.  She has been such a support for me.  Please pray for her and her family.  Pray prayers for healing, strength, and peace.

As for me...
It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post.  For those who contacted me expressing concern, Thank You!  There have been some health issues for Lucky 13 and for myself.  I won't go into lengthy details... I'll just say more of the same.  I haven't driven since sometime in late November, so I've been here at home.

I've had some old friends get in touch with me, and through that I regained contact with more friends I hadn't heard from in years.  That has been so much fun. 

The past three days I've been having a nightmarish time with my Facebook account.  Each time I go to sign in, I find my account suspended again!  I have spent hours trying to fix this.  It keeps telling me that I've been hacked, but no matter what I try I cannot clear it up.  As soon as I leave the page it locks me out again!  *sigh*

I have been catching up with some of my blogger friends, going through the posts I didn't get around to reading during the holidays.  What a busy, interesting bunch of people you all are!  It is so much fun to leave my little world for a while and see what is going on "out there".

I've been listening to some "new to me" artists on YouTube.  I love music of all kinds, so this has been a lot of fun.

I participated in a "Daniel Fast" with my church.  My Pastor mailed me the materials so I would know what was being done.  I chose to do a partial fast of eliminating a couple of my favorites that it would be hard doing without... for me that was 21 days of no fast food and no chocolate.  That was extremely hard for me.  I also increased my intake of fruits, nuts, and vegetables.  Even without doing the strict version of the fast, I found I got a lot out of it. I've tried a new variety of leafy greens.  I regained my love of salads! 

I spent more time in prayer and meditation.  I cut back on my TV time, also very hard for me.  I tend to put in Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Frasier, etc. or tune in to HGTV as background noise when I'm doing other stuff.  I hadn't realized how many hours the TV is actually going.  It helps drown out the constant traffic noise from the street and the persistant barking of my neighbors dog.  It also drowns out the sound of bird songs, squirrel chatter, wind, rain... all sounds I love.  I'd almost forgotten the joy of the simple sounds of life.

The past few weeks, I found myself taking another look at my life.  My thoughts, my deepest beliefs, my dreams.  It's good to "shake the dust off" what and who we believe ourselves to be; to re-examine our goals, our strengths, and our weaknesses.  To search deeper into our spiritual lives.  It's been a great way to begin this new year.  For me, it is a beginning full of hope and anticipation.  Great things are coming.  I really believe it. 

Off to a Great Start...

My week has been so busy, I just noticed how long it's been since I posted.  My "new year" is off to a great start!  Lucky 13 has been doing very well with the online school.  His health has improved some since my last update!  I'm feeling better today than I have in quite a while.  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

I've tackled a small portion of my reorganizing job, but I found that I am out of filing space.  Now I need to purge a lot of old files, before I will be able to file anything current.  I don't want to purchase a new file cabinet... that would just add to my huge inventory of paperwork, receipts, and ephemera. 

The main goal is still to simplify.  I know my creativity is hampered by too much stuff!  I've been visiting a few blogs and checking out photos of their work spaces.  Many of you have shared such great organizing ideas.  I just need to put time and thought into what will work best for me.

THOUGHTS ON...

TIME:

"Waste your money and you're only out of money, but waste your time and you've lost a part of your life."    ~ Michael Leboeuf

CREATIVITY:

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless."    ~ Thomas Edision

"Ideas can be life-changing.  Sometimes all you need to open the door is just one more good idea."    ~ Jim Rohn

TAKING A CHANCE:

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."    ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Give Away, Warning, and Update on Lucky13

Hurry to sign up for a wonderful give away at Castle And Cottage Signs.  Paula is giving away one of her signs, pictured here... "Believe"

To go there, just click on her highlighted blog name (above).  All you need to do is leave a comment. Go now because the drawing ends Sunday evening at 7 PM!  While you're there, take a look through her beautiful blog!

~  ~  ~ 

A Warning Note:  Donna, of Made in Heaven had her Yahoo Mail and FaceBook Account hacked!  They now have the name of the hacker.  She was able to have her mail restored, but her FaceBook is still shut down.  A reminder to be cautious of unsolicited email and of FB applications.  I am choosing to stop most applications on FB for the time.  You can read about what Donna has gone through by clicking on her blog name above.

~  ~  ~ 

While I'm online, I want to thank each of you for your prayers for my son.  The diagnosis was Epstein-Barr Sydrome, which began as a virus last spring.  It can be a long road before it is out of his system, but we are trusting in God to carry him through this.

He is in less pain, but the dizziness and exhaustion are persisitant.  We had to withdraw him from High School which was hard because it's his Senior year.  The school district provides a free online school.  He began classes a couple weeks ago.  He'll take one or two at a time.  So far he has all A's!  How all this will empact getting into a university of his choice, we just don't know.  We were counting on his involvement in Orchestra to help, but there is no way to do that online.  Lol! 

One of the greatest blessings in all of this... his online school counselor has been through Epstein-Barr.  Her daughter was housebound for a year with it.  The counselor had to take a leave of absense to care for her.  She said she will do whatever it takes to support Evan and make sure they accomodate him until he graduates.  We are so blessed!

Update on Lucky 13...

All biopsies came back negative! No cancer! We are so thankful for that. There are some health issues, but nothing which is not treatable.

God has been good. He has been feeling better, less dizziness, but still nauseous and exhausted. We are hopeful that it will just be a matter of treatment options and that his life can get back to normal.

We did have to withdraw him from high school... Senior Year. This was a disappointment, but something we can live with. It's actually a relief for him. It was stressful to know he was falling so far behind as he's always been a good student. We are beginning the registration process to get him ready for a class with an online school. He will start slow, and add classes as his health continues to improve. This is a blessing! It wasn't that many years ago when this would not have been an option.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement, love and prayers! It has meant so much to us!

November Ramblings...

Wide awake, listening to my niece sing (on YouTube... HERE ), and thinking bout tomorrow... well, later today... Lucky 13 has some medical tests. Praying for answers. Thankful that my husband took the whole day off to be with him. Much better for him to have Dad in the room than Mom. I'm at the tailend of a cold, and I'm glad to be able to sit home, sipping cups of hot tea, while I wait for a phone call telling me everything is alright....

Just read on Silver Vally Girls blog... HERE , that it is National Blog Posting Month. I'm already behind on that, but will try to blog at least a couple times a week.

Have I said how much I love November? It's my favorite month of the year. Maybe because it's my birth month, maybe because of Thanksgiving, or that it takes us into all the celebrations that lead up to Christmas. Concerts, gatherings of family and friends, community services, memory making times. I am in my happy place right now! Blessings to all!

Lucky 13...

I've had messages of concern from some of you, so I wanted to let you know I may be inconsistent (more than usual) with my posts.

My son is having some health problems that are giving us great concern. He will be having more medical tests this coming Tuesday. The doctors aren't even sure what they're looking for, or if they do, they're not saying it to us.

To those of you who pray, please remember him in your prayers. He's my youngest, called Lucky 13 on my blog. He has missed about 5 weeks of school. It's his senior year, and because of all this, he will be leaving his High School. He will take online courses to complete his schooling when his health improves.

I believe all will be well. God holds us... He holds all things in the palm of His hands.

Thank you for your prayers and your concern! It means a lot!

Blessings,
Nita Jo

Endless Yard Sale and Excess...

We are having such beautiful weather here. Perfect cool days and cold nights. Tomorrow promises to be a grand day for garage cleaning. If I had time to prepare, it would have made a perfect "last yard sale of the season" day. My husband has taken the day off to spend with us. Maybe take our son for a much needed haircut and run some errands.

Did anyone watch HGTV's 2009 Endless Yard Sale? Every time I see an episode, I want to be there! The Route 127 Yard Sale starts in Ohio and finishes in Alabama, taking you through Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. That's 654 miles of yard sale bargains! Unbelievable! Tons of antiques and collectibles along with great deals on newer items. I love getting a bargain, but haven't actually been to a yard sale since early last spring. I made a deal with myself that I would eliminate all my excess "stuff" before bringing any new treasures home. That has been hard!

Trimming my excess has been hard too. And, I'm not just talking stuff. Over the past few months I have gained so much weight, and now we are heading into my favorite "eating" holidays. Part of the problem is that I have lost all desire to diet, and exercise is only what will make my arms and legs feel more normal, rather than what will make them look better... but I digress...

My excess "stuff" is still all around me. I've posted before about my good intentions to simplify. Impressive talk, but no action. I love all my goofy trinkets and keepsakes. And if, God forbid, they were all taken from me tomorrow, I know I would be fine. But they're all still here. Most of them anyway. Another big box went off to charity last week, and I have plans for more to go to the big Orchestra fund-raising yard sale next weekend. This will help pay for Lucky 13's spring Orchestra trip to Seattle. So see... I've been hoarding all these goodies for a reason!

I hope my craziness brings you a smile!

Blessings!
Nita Jo

A Few Thoughts on Life

I'm a long way from "Monday, Monday", my last post. I have gone through a variety of emotions during the past week.

• Frustration... that my son is not much better.
• Sadness... that I can't fix it. Aren't mom's supposed to fix everything?
• Thankful... for friends who are praying and a God who cares for us.
• Tearful... I don't know why, but I put in an old movie and just slipped away from reality for a while. Seemed to do the trick.
• Joyful... Autumn is so beautiful. I love the frosty cold and the colorful leaves.
• Reflective... I've had some quiet moments where stories have come back to mind. Things I need to put into writing before they slip away again.

Life is a continual forward-moving force. If we don't pay attention, it can slip right by us. It can leave us wondering what we did with all that time. I decided there were some things I needed to do differently, so I told myself to: Make a plan to notice each day; to celebrate the little moments, as well as the big events. Surprise old friends with a phone call or a visit. Surprise myself by trying something new. Find meaning in my life. Live with a purpose. Drink it all in... all of it!

And in doing all that, remind myself to thank my Heavenly Father for every minute of life He has blessed me with.

I hope your day is filled with blessings, both large and small.

Monday, Monday...

It's been a long Monday. It started out this morning, when I glanced out the kitchen window to see if the bus had picked up Lucky 13. I was just in time to see a car racing toward him, slam on the brakes, he jumped forward... Heart felt like it stopped! Then he got on the bus. The bus driver had been honking the whole time, trying to get the attention of the driver. Later on, my son told me the driver's windshield had been dirty. This was in a lighted intersection, bus lights flashing, some boys crossing just ahead of my son. He said he had one of those "hair on the back of the neck" feelings, heard a whirring that he realized was tires, saw the light from the headlights coming up fast and he jumped forward. She was within a couple inches of hitting him. After Lucky 13 got on the bus, his driver continued lecturing her out the window. Huge scare for all of us. We were very blessed that it was just a scare and not a trip to the hospital!

The rest of the day was spent catching up on sleep, filling a box for donation to the ARC, taking Lucky 13 to his follow-up doctor appointment... more tests. I didn't get much done this evening other than watch Dancing With the Stars. Then I decided to check my email.

There was a note from my niece, Nicole. She got three of her songs placed on YouTube. I'm very excited for her. She's a wonderful singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist. Multi-talented! Here is a sample of her work.



Original song, Come Back Tomorrow.
Acoustic demo recorded in Seattle WA 2009.
Words and Music by Nicole Peoples (c) 2004
----------------------------------------

I've got the slippers on my feet, broomstick in hand
You say I'll understand; "Come back tomorrow"
It's always tomorrow
But I've followed this road for too long now
That I cant turn around, and go back now

I'm on a road, signs leading nowhere
It's gotta end somewhere
Only I just don't know
And I've followed this road for so long now
I wont turn around and go back now, anymore

Turn out the lights, lock up the door
Pull out the drive, hop on I-84
And I know I'm not coming back anymore
No, you wont see me around
You wont see me around

The freeway is quiet, this time of night
Scattered and sparse are the on-coming lights
The slower cars better keep to the right
cause I won't wait for anyone
I won't wait for anyone

Oh my! It's as if I've waited my entire life
Caught inside a stained glass bottle fermented in wine
But it's more than just a state of mind I'm in
More than just a state of mind, my friend

Reflections on Trials and Faith

Well, it's been a long, long week. I am still dealing with MS issues, even with the three day course of steroid infusion. My youngest son has now missed 6 days of school... not a great way to start his Senior year. This is likely a continuation of the Epstein Barr Virus he got in the spring. He had to have further bloodwork done yesterday and has at least one upcoming medical test.

The mind hears littles whispers... why would God??? where are the miracles??? what have I done wrong???

My spirit just keeps reaching out to God believing, and knowing, all is not lost. We are not forgotten. Life sometimes just is what it is, and we are expected to make the best of what we are given. Like the story of three who were given talents from the Master, if we are given only one, we are still expected to make the most of it.

If my eyesight fails further, I have my boys who would proof-read my writing for me; I have a husband who will make sure I get where I need to go, and keep me safe; I have friends and family to talk to; I have ears to hear books on tape and beautiful music. I have a voice to encourage my boys when their lives seem to be unbearable. To say to them, "Faith will see you through even this... and one day you will look back on all the challenges and adventures of your lives and thank your Heavenly Father for all He has done for you! In the mean time, do not be discouraged. Make the most of what you have been given."



Copyright 09-25-09 ajj

May Is Almost Over...

May is almost over! Where does the time go? Lucky 13 is almost done with his school year, although he plans to take a couple of online courses this summer.

I am seeing a bit better each day, but I am definitely needing the reading glasses! Thank goodness for the discount stores. I now have two pair, which is helpful when I misplace one!

My Grandma turned 91 years old today. I'm planning on visiting her tomorrow or Monday. I still have to make time to go shop for a gift. I'm thinking some slip-on summer shoes, or a new blouse. My uncle visited her today and took over a handful of cards friends had sent to her. She loves getting cards!

We are fighting a war with dandelions and clover in our front lawn. If I lived out in the country, like I did growing up, I'd just let them be. Maybe make a dandelion greens salad! Since I live in a subdivision... with covenants that do not allow anything other than strictly manicured lawns, we are forced to poison them. Oh well... I probably wouldn't have felt like a salad anyhoo!

I hope everyone is having a peaceful weekend. I'm loving mine!