Memorial Day Rain and Other Things

Do people really blog every day and have interesting things to blog about?  I suppose if their life is full to the brim and they are constantly involved in hundreds of things then they might have something to blog about every day.  I also guess if a person is filled with wisdom and insight and want to jot down their thoughts of the day then they could blog every day.  Me, it looks like I find a little to write about every couple of weeks.  Look out world....here I come....slowly and not too invasive. LOL

May 26th and the rain is coming down.  Of course it would rain for Memorial Weekend.  I remember the camping trips in the rain.  Not good.  I lost it many times because of the mud, wet clothes, 6 of us cramped into the trailer.  Oh you get the picture and if you don't get the picture you should try it.  What an adventure!

Now life is quiet and dull.  And that is not bad at this age.  All of the the camping, weekend activities, running from here to there, going, going, going, it is all for the young ones.  Right now the wind is blowing, the rain is coming down, the woodstove is warm and I am comfy in my chair.  Ah, Memorial Weekend in the rain.  It's not quite as bad as I remember.

Sunny Day But Not So Sunny For Others

Have you ever really thought about the day?  I mean really thought about the day?  My day today was just like so many others.  Alarm went off at 7 am.  Got up about 7:10 am.  Shower, dressed, makeup, coffee and off to work.  Wrapped up work at 5:15 and headed home.  Dinner, read the paper, did the dishes and....I decided to write about the day.

The weather was sunny today (finally) but my thoughts were on others.  There is a young woman I know and love who has a battle before her.  She just gave birth to twins daughters a couple of weeks ago and in the process of all of that they found cancer.  She is in her early 30's.  She has a husband, 2 small sons and now 2 baby daughters.  And she has cancer.  Where in the world did that one come from???!!!  Those kind of things are unexplainable.  God is the Father of love.  He does not cause those kinds of things to happen but He can prevent them from happening.  He makes miracles happen.  I am expecting a miracle for her and her family.  I want her to live a long, happy. healthy life.  She is wonderful.  She deserves better than this.  All I can do is pray for mercy, peace and healing.  She is young, strong and determined.  If anyone can beat this, she can.  I am hoping for sunny days ahead for her.

The neighbor lady lost her husband a couple of days ago after caring for him for many years.  He was past 90 years old and maybe past 95.  He had lived a long, good, full life.  But now she is alone to deal with the day to day things.  She is one of those ladies that always has a smile and a kind heart.  She will find the sun shine even when it's not there.  She will miss her husband, her friend, her helpmate.  She will have to figure out what to do now.  I am hoping for sunny days ahead for her.

Another neighbor lady lost her husband several months ago.  They had been married 50 years last summer.  I drive by her house and the outside looks just the way he left it.  I never see her outside and rarely see her on the road.  I am sure the sunshine doesn't matter for her.  I wish I knew her well enough to stop and ask how she is.  I wish I could do something other than say a prayer for her.  I am hoping for sunny days ahead for her.

There was a lady who helped my son and his family while he was in college.  She was over 95 and passed away a couple of days ago.  She had no children and her husband passed away more than 10 years ago.  She was involved with everything and everyone up until the day she died.  She was still driving for Pete's sake!!  She was quite the woman.  Very educated.  Quite wealthy.  Very opinionated.  She will be missed by many but she lived a long, full, eventful life.  Her story will be remembered by many and I will always think of her and her generosity towards my children.  I hope she is enjoying sunny days right now with the Lord in heaven!

My brother-in-law had emergency surgery yesterday to remove tumors.  We just saw him 2 weeks ago and everything was fine.  Where did this come from??!!  We have no results.  He and his family are hoping for the best.  My husband is scared for his brother.  I am hoping for sunny days ahead for him so he can get back out on the golf course!!

So these are just the people in my little world that have had "UN" sunny days.  Each one is on my heart, in my prayers and not far from my thoughts.  It was a beautiful, blue sky, sunshine day on the Oregon Coast today but the dreary little rain clouds were still hanging around in the lives of people I care about. 

My solace in all of this is my faith in knowing when life here on earth is through the "SON" will be shining for eternity. 

Vacations and Family

A break from work is good! If you take a vacation and stay home you don't really get a break because if you are like me, you work at home on projects you couldn't get done during the work week.  So my idea of vacation is to leave home.

Part of my family, daughter and her family, live over 200 miles away so I love spending vacation time near them.  They are busy and life for them, with 4 kids is constantly moving, but just being close and involved in a few things is great.  All 4 grandkids spent the first night of our vaction with us and we packed it with swimming, walks, shopping, food, movies and just time together.  It was only 24 hours but it was good!  At least for me it was.  Grandmothers love being with their grandchildren!!

I am looking forward to the rest of the week relaxing and spending time near the family.  I am blessed daily but extra blessed this week!!

The Sun Is Shining And Life Is Whirling

It's a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast!  The sun is out and it is warmer than yestersday.  We have all needed some sunshine and here it comes.  But it is funny that though the sunshine is out it is still a whirlwind of a day.  That would be because of my job.

I do love my job.  I love my friends at work and I love the work I do.  I work for the City.  I work for the City Manager.  I work for the urban renewal agency.  Right now we are working on the budget.  Budgets can be a bear and of course everyone knows this because of what does or doesn't happen at the federal and the state levels.  We are just a little city and it is still a whirlwind.  Trying to make all of the pieces fit is hard and sometimes it is even harder.

Right now we are trying to figure out my job.  That makes it a bit more stressful for me since it is my livelyhood we are looking at.  Not only that but my job was not an issue until today and the budget needs to be ready in just a couple of days to present to a committee.  Arghhhhhh.  I'm not worried but I do feel sorry for my manager who has to have it worked out and ready to present.  Not only that but he and I will need to discuss it prior to that and come to some kind of agreement concerning my wages.

I will spend the next couple of days looking at this from my perspective and then on Monday we will look at it from his perspective and hopefully we are both on the same page or close.  Today things are in a whirl but I am hoping by then everything will be peaceful.  Time to wait and see.

I wonder if the sun will be shining or if the rain will be back.  Whatever will be will be.

Palm Sunday

Church was beautiful this morning.  The Triumphal Entry of Jesus in Jerusalem was the topic of the morning from worship through the sermon.  It always amazes me how the Holy Spirit moves and aligns the worship part of the service with the teaching part and nobody even compares notes beforehand.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a baby donkey.  He did not come in on a huge, white stallion waving a broad, gleaming sword before his followers.  He rode in on a little, baby colt.  He could not have come into town more humbly.  The people shouted "Hosanna to the King!"  The people shouted at the man they knew was coming to save them from their oppressors.  They knew He was going to overthrow the Roman government that had caused them so much grief and hardship.  Little did they know what the week ahead would bring.

This week I will think about the week Jesus had.  I will think about the price He paid.  I will think about what happened after He died on the cross.  Humbly He died for me and for my sins.  He is my King!

Baby Showers and Birthday Parties

There are months and months that go by without a baby shower or a birthday party.  Then they come in one day.  And at the exact same time frame.  Figures. In preparation for these 2 events I have thought about both. 

A new baby coming into a family is so exciting, most of the time.  Whether planned or unplanned it is a huge event and it can be scary.  This new baby coming to my friends is their first child.  A girl.  I know she will be a joy and bring them happiness unspeakable.  She will bring some tears in the years ahead also.  The parents are strong in the Lord and will be able to handle all that comes their way.  This little family will be blessed for God is with them.

The birthday party is for a wonderful 6 year old boy I have watched grow all these years. Though he is shy and quiet he a light in his family already.  His dark, dancing eyes and bright, brillent smile light up a room and a heart.    He will have a wonderful testimony one day as the story of him and his mother coming into the lives of my best friend and her family is incredible.  The hand of God moved and they were here.  It is a beautiful story.

I do love baby showers because I love babies.  They are faith, hope and love all rolled up into one beautiful, little bundle.  I do love birthday parties especially for the children.  The excitement they bring into the lives of family and friends and the joy of watching them grow is fulfilling, inspiriational and incredible.

I am blessed to be a part of both of these events today!!

April 15 and still raining!

So here it is April 15 and raining...still!  I decided today to create this blog and write.  We each, at one time or another, feel the need to express ourselves.  There are people who jump out of airplanes as an expression.  There are others who climb the highest peak they can find.  Others create something beautiful. 

I live in Oregon.  You have probably heard it rains in Oregon.  Oregon is really green at least where I am, on the coast.  We get about 90 inches of rain a year.  That's a lot of rain!  And then when it is not raining it is cloudy and grey.  But on the days the sun is shining the colors are magnificent!  The blue of the sky is the exact shade of blue God intended it to be.  The many shades of green are amazing.  The colors of the rivers are from almost navy to turquoise.  The colors of the Pacific Oceans as well as the shores of the beaches are incredible!  The mountains in the Coast Range are rugged and impressive.  I absolutely love it here! 

But it rains!  I write on rainy days.  My expression of me.