Thursday Thoughts

Thursday is almost over. I got the "crud" yesterday and spent a miserable day in bed (well, when I wasn't in the little room next door to the bedroom!) It was as if I lived in a protective bubble when everyone else was getting sick. I really thought I had escaped. But on the first day that I could actually crash, I crashed big time. It's unbelievable how good I feel today compared to yesterday.

Thanks for your prayers once again for Kristen. The meds are doing what they're supposed to be doing and she's feeling good once again. I want so badly for her to feel good for more than a week or two at a time!



While we had the girls this time, it was "spirit week" at their school. One day was Crazy Hair Day - Care Bear did her own and I helped Feisty. Care Bear also did Katie's for her.























That was a beautiful pre-spring warm day, and the girls had a great time after school. They decided to do a show for me - Taylor Swift song complete with all sorts of choreography - with a pile of old crunchy snow as the stage.








I had to take a few pictures as I was out and about that day. This is a view on the way to the kids' school - so beautiful.

I just have to ask you -- would you do this ----

if the shoreline looked like this???

I was so excited to get this in the mail this week - right on schedule. It looks white in the picture, but it is a lovely beige (called khaki) and goes well with the little bear I posed with the set. Now I just have to figure out a place to put it in my cupboards - I figure maybe some of my old stuff can pass for vintage at the Habitat store. Thanks again, Becky (Butler's Wife)!







The most exciting thing of the week - last week I took my "lost and found" diamond to our favorite jewelers - the young woman who waited on me was fabulous. She doesn't look anywhere near old enough, but she says she's been there for 17 years. She must have worked there in high school. She had an immediate idea how to salvage my original, sentimental bands, and make the stone secure for the rest of my life. It doesn't stand up high off the band any more, but I love the new look. What do you think??

And last but not least - WOO-HOO!!

Monday Musings

It's been a tough week, but also a very good one. Our new pastor arrived and we had a great installation service this morning, and a delicious dinner together.

The weight loss journey is going well. I haven't felt this in control for a very long time. It's been fun to be on this adventure with my sister and my sister-in-law. My sis and I have fought our weight demons for years, but never together. It's good to be on the road together.

It's been four weeks since we weighed, so it was very exciting. Wearing things I haven't been able to fit in for the last couple of years is really fun - like getting a whole new wardrobe. (BTW, I've also lost 16 inches overall - amazing!)

The verses that go along with each day's study guide are always so appropriate. I especially love this one, from The Living Bible. I Corinthians 6:12-13 - "I can do anything I want to if Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren't good for me. Even if I'm allowed to do them, I'll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can't easily stop if I want to. For instance, take the matter of eating. God has given us an appetite for food and stomachs to digest it. But that doesn't mean we should eat more than we need."

It has also been a very good week in another sense. I won two drawings here in Blogland - this is amazing! First, Gigi offered Beth Moore's newest book, So Long, Insecurity - You've Been a Bad Friend to Us. I am looking forward to reading it, and then passing it on to Kristen. Thank you so much, Gigi!

Then, unbelievably, I won the drawing over at Butler's Wife for this beautiful gift being offered by CSN Stores. I am so excited, because most of my cooking and baking utensils are quite "used up" after 37 years - I often think everyone should have another shower at about 30 years, don't you? Here's what is coming - so exciting! Thank you, Becky!!

I want to share this wonderful story I got by e-mail this week - I love it:

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible - Psalm 23.. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter.

Little Rick was excited about the task - but he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

I have a new obsession - and a confession. How could I have gone 6 years without discovering the show NCIS? I have been overdosing on it for the last two weeks, as they've run marathons which have recorded on my DVR. I love the characters, the writing is fabulous, the interaction of the group is amazing - I like to watch them more than even the plot. I hope I get caught up soon!

I just came back from Hootin' Anni's place and she presented me with this lovely award - thank you so much, Anni! If you haven't visited Anni before, you must - she's a hoot, just like her name implies - and very, very talented.

I always like to leave you with something fun - the twins eating in various places in the house. The final one was tonight - a bit of snack after church - they're spending the night with us - they both climbed on the table and shared Grandpa's food -

Have a wonderful week!

Happy Valentine's Day from LOVEland!

This is a bit of a re-wind from last year, with appropriate changes.

Way back in 1946 an idea came to Postmaster Elmer Ivers, Chamber of Commerce President Ted W. Thompson, and his wife Mabel. They had a vision - a vision to share the romantic name of our town of Loveland with the whole world.

So it came to pass, in the February of 1947 the Loveland Valentine Remailing Program was born. Since 1947, literally millions of valentines have touched the heart strings of loved ones with Cupid's message hand stamped and remailed from Loveland, Colorado.

Since 1962 a high school senior girl has been chosen to represent the program and the city as "Miss Loveland Valentine". Personal appearances representing the City of Loveland take this ambassador around the state of Colorado. An appearance at the Colorado State Legislature and a personal visit with the Governor are just two of the highlights in her busy schedule.

In 1964, a specially designed Valentine card was produced to offset some of the expenses of this costly program, and the Official Loveland Valentine's Cards continue to touch the hearts of people around throughout the world. Loveland Valentines can be purchased through the Chamber of Commerce , from their Official Loveland Valentine web site, or through any of the participating Chamber merchants. Every year there is a contest for the card's design, for the message on the inside, and the cachet that is stamped on the envelope. Here is this year's winner, front cover, inside message, and the cachet on the envelope:

Heart-shaped messages on the light posts around town can be purchased by anyone who wants to leave a very public "heartfelt" message to someone they love. It's fun and a bit corny, but is the "heart" and soul of town. It does represent somewhat of a hazard as you drive and try to read the messages!

Loveland's "Valentine Sweethearts", Ted and Mabel Thompson have now passed away. The Loveland community feels their absence. To commemorate their vision and love of Loveland, their memory lives on through the annual Valentine Remailing Program. A bronze relief of the Thompsons is featured in Thompson Park on 4th Street in Loveland. (portions copied from the Loveland Daily Report Herald).

An average of 200,000 letters are stamped each year with the cachet and with the postmark from LOVEland. I read that Oprah even sent her cards here one year for the Valentine cachet. People from 110 countries send their cards here for remailing. The valentine program is so popular that there is a volunteer waiting list of 45 people.



And now for the announcement of the winner of the book by Marilyn Meberg, What to Do When the Roof Caves In. Our friend, Miss Pea, is the winner. I'll look forward to hearing what she thinks of it. So, Pea, just send me your mailing address and I'll get it to you.

Valentine's Day, oddly enough, has been overshadowed in our family ever since Kevin was born on the 13th in 1977. Happy 33rd Birthday Saturday, my dear son.

So Many Books, So Little Time!

As anyone who has read me very long knows, I love to read. I rarely buy a book - the library and I have a very close relationship!

Mostly these days I read while I'm on the elliptical, the recumbent bike, and the treadmill at the gym. It's a great way to multitask. I decided to share a few of the books I've read lately.

I read a slew of Christmas books this year - really fun. They were by Debbie Macomber, Jennifer Chiaverini, and Donna Van Liere. I've caught up with the latest books from my favorite authors - Sue Grafton, Faye Kellerman, J.A. Jance.

The above book, Where Hope Begins, was disturbing, but good. I can't say enjoyable, but worth reading. I saw the family on Dr. Phil and wanted to know more about their story. I hadn't heard of the situation before the show - it is about the Wesson family - Marcus Wesson, the cultish leader of his very large family, the murders he committed against them, and the long journey to hope by the survivors as chronicled by the television journalist who invited them to live with her.

Beautiful Boy was equally difficult to read, but well written and important. David Sheff wrote about his son, Nick's, struggle with meth addiction. It is a subject near to my heart, and I always hope to read a success story. This one doesn't really qualify. But it is a good book.

Lynn Austin is a new favorite - she has written so many books that it'll take me a long time to get through them all. Though Waters Roar is her latest, and it is wonderful. She weaves a fantastic tale in each book, and this one begs for a sequel! It follows 3 generations of women who involve themselves in important social issues, with the 4th generation finally beginning to figure out what her life should be all about. I loved it, and hated to come to the last page.

I saw Josie's Story reviewed, probably in People Magazine, and it intrigued me. Sorrel King has made a huge contribution which came out of an incredibly sad family disaster. She took on the medical industry and its lack of communication, which led to the loss of Josie. Again, it is a sad, but very worthwhile, redemptive read.

If you've read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, you know that anything he writes is worth your time. Have a Little Faith will not disappoint. Mitch had left his faith back in his childhood, but came face to face with both a rabbi and an evangelical in a book that will lift you and challenge you.



As promised, this is my 500th post and I want to offer another book - this is one of the five I bought at Women of Faith last fall. This one is written by Marilyn Meberg, a psychologist who has been a widow for a long time, and delights WOF crowds every year. What to Do When the Roof Caves In covers such subjects as "Money Cave-in," Infidelity Cave-in," "Pleasure, Addiction, and Our Roofs," "Death, the Ultimate Cave-in," "Heaven, No More Cave-ins," and several others.

Just leave a comment, indicating your interest, and I will draw the winner on Friday, the 12th.