My Grandparents

This is a story I wrote about my grandparents in one of my writing classes:



My story takes place back in 1967. I remember standing with my Grandfather and Grandmother in front of their house. I am looking up at them with a smile that is radiating so much happiness that they know I am happy to be there.

Their two room house was repainted in basic white, year after year. My Dad grew up in that house and we would visit once a year, in the summer. We would drive from South Dakota to Texas, it was a long drive but a drive we all looked forward to and loved!

The front room, which also served as a bedroom and the couch pulled out for the guest bedroom, which is where I slept with my sister. There was a window in the living room that my Grandmother always left opened on cool breezy days. I can still see her beautiful yellow curtains that took flight with the summer breeze. Grandma’s dresser was in the living room too, and it was the first thing I saw when I woke in the early morning hours. There was a jewelry box, lotion, talcum powder, and her trinket box that held her hairpins always sitting in the same place on the dresser. Always there every year never moving except the lotion and talcum powder to be replaced with new ones.

The kitchen smelled like fresh baked bread and vegetables from their garden. The cabinets were old and white and the light yellow linoleum floor made the kitchen bright in the small house. Meal times were always special at Grandpa and Grandma’s house.
We were served with home made bread, fried chicken, and all the fresh vegetables you can imagine from the garden. My Grandma always made my Dad is favorite dessert when we came to visit, Southern-style banana pudding. Which contained banana pudding layered between vanilla wafers and warm bananas spread just right on top. You could smell the pudding baking all over the house. The sweet goodness danced across my mind many times. My Grandpa was an expert gardner and my Grandmother was a wonderful cook! I wish they both were alive and here today because I can see the sign, “Myrtle Mae and Clyde’s Down-Home Cooked Meals.”

Evenings at the house were filled with stories and laughter. The family would gather on the front porch in the coolness of the evening with Grandpa and Grandma sitting in their porch swing. We would tell stories and reminisce about the events of the day until bedtime.

Everyday was a new adventure. There were always new places to explore and fun things to do. We had to use our imagination! One day we would be Cowboys and Indians lost in my Grandpa’s garden and the next day we could be chasing after frogs.

My Grandparent’s were content in their simple surroundings and it makes me realize that regardless of where you live, your house is your palace

Good Earth Day School

Anissa & Kayle took their children to visit the Good Earth Day School today. It is only about 5 miles from my house! We had such a good time! They got to visit the small petting Zoo the owner has on her farm. They provide a childhood education daycare and a Mother's day out. They have tons of things going on there through out the month and you don't have to have your child enrolled to be a part of monthly activities they provide. They have a blog that has some really good information on it about nutrition, Healthy living, exercising for you and your child....lots of great information!!!

Here is the link
http://dosflamingavocadoes.blogspot.com/

Hope you check it out!!

Monday's favorite blog:)

I love finding new recipes. My daughter Kayle made this roasted tomatoe snack today and said it was delicious!!! I am going to try it this week and let you know what I think.


http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/

Favorite read today!

Our grandparents left Europe, packed up everything they owned, left families behind so they could come here — to America — and be free. They came to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit. They didn't come here, risk everything, work their butts off, only to have our dopey politicians implement the very government programs they were running from.

The Stomach Bug That Keeps On Bugging

This unseen evil & sneaky bug that loves to be a guest in our warm bellies decided to try a different home last week. That is right! Drue had an overnight guest and it was a surprise visit to him. He was not a good host at all! What I am trying to say is Drue got SICK! It never happens! It's like waiting for your lottery ticket to be the winner. You know the saying, when pigs fly? Yep, that was our saying for my husband to catch one of our virus's that we have been passing back and forth for 20 years now.

I know it sounds like I might be a little happy he had a guest but I am not! I felt sorry for him. I always take care of my Man! I made sure he had his own bed to sleep in..I slept on the couch. I made sure he could take his tempature...I layed the thermometer next to him. I made sure he had fluids....after spraying the door knob, putting on my latex gloves, & mask, I would get his glass of gatorade. Thanks to my love and caring ways he was well in 24 hours.

I was not always a germophobic, I do have the Once upon a time story where I never thought about germs. But that was many many years ago in another land before I had children.

One Year Bible

I am reading the One Year Bible with my church. It is becoming one of the most rewarding pleasures I have done so far this year. I am glad it was on my to do list.
The other day one of the bible verses was about rewards in heaven and it really made me happy on the inside to know that I have so much more to look forward to than the things of this earth. Here is one of the many bible verses that talks about treasures in heaven:
" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also. Matthew 6:19

The majority of my life I can honestly say that I was selfish towards God. I always had the attitude that if I did something good I expected something good in return. But, with age, maturity, really getting to know God on a personal level. I now can say I have had an attitude adjustment. I don't know if it came from taking the wisdom from God and using it for others and not me or if God just gave me a swift attitude adjustment kick. I prefer to believe it was not the latter. My attitude now is simply expecting nothing in return for what God asks of me. It is not that God would reward me for doing something good, but that God is expecting this kind of behavior from me regardless.

When I read that verse I know it is talking about money and possessions but it also makes me think of the difference between being Selfish and Selfless. I think of two people in my life that are definitely going to have treasures waiting on them in heaven. The first one that comes to my mind is my husband, Drue. When I think of Drue all I can think about is what a selfless man he is. He is selfless like Jesus was who did not think about Himself but gave Himself up for our sake. A godly husband would love God first and then his wife. Jesus, when on the earth would first spend time with the Father and then minister to the people, in the same way husbands need to spend time with God and then direct his family. This all reminds me of my husband. When I think of Drue I think of a selfless Godly Man.

The second person is my Mother, Patsy. When you look up the word selfless in the dictionary I am almost sure there is a picture of my Mom next to it. (if not I need to start working on that.) I call her selfless because she never thinks about herself. She's constantly thinking about her kids, her family, friends, and even strangers that she's just met. She gives and gives and gives and never asks for anything in return. She deserves the world and even though I cannot give it to her, I know my Lord has something very special for her someday.
I love this quote, "When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."~Joyce

God has a plan for all of us here on earth in Jeremiah 29 it says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

It brings me so much joy to know that my God has a special place for me in heaven and I know that the things of this earth are never going to be as great as what God has in store for me in heaven. :):):)

Lost but Found!

I read a story today that someone had written about being hurt by the church they went to. Wow, did that hit home with me. It took years for me to get over that same hurt. I am not writing this to go into details because it's just are not that important to me anymore. What is important to me is how I got over all the pain I held on to for years and feeling unworthy. First , I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. I prayed for the church, I prayed for the people that hurt us and I also prayed for my family, and for anyone we had hurt in all the mess. Second, I learned that forgiveness begins with letting go of the anger. When this is done, freedom returns. Then I can pray again for the ones who hurt us and remember they too are a child of God. A lot has been written about forgiveness. I always ask, Is forgiveness possible when I feel so betrayed or hurt? But, the time does come when I can honestly say, YES. What makes forgiveness so difficult in one word is : Anger. I knew what anger could do to me and that is take away my need to forgive. I was giving up freedom and the ability to get on with good work! A powerful paragraph I read in a book said it all for me on forgiveness:
" You will set yourself free from all you thought they did to you. They need not ask for forgiveness to be forgiven. They might even believe that there is nothing for which they need to be forgiven. That is fine. Do not concern yourself with how they choose to experience reality, for it has no effect on you, unless you allow it to. For something or someone to affect you, you must first allow it to affect you." ( TOUCHE')
Third: I read the book , "Balcony People". If you have not read this book you need to!! I know choose to surround myself with good people! It all goes back to the same advice my parents always gave me when I was a teenager: careful who you associate with. And don't get me wrong, I too have made mistakes, and will make more mistakes. I believe we are all wired to prejudge people that is our Achillies Heel in life. But if you want to grow and experience life from a perspective other than your own you need to overcome this potentially debilitating shortcoming. If you are able to accept someone for how they look, their shortcomings, what kind of job they hold, and their past mistakes and future mistakes then you have just found the keys to the kingdom. When you are willing to get to know someone for who they are on the inside and not what they are wearing, how much money they make, how popular they are, ect..., well you have done what most people will never do in a lifetime.
I have learned so much over the years but for me now when looking for new friends it is not about outside appearance or how popular they are, or what they can do for me. It is very simple now...Do they have a good heart? Will they go above or beyond their own label to let others who may not be like them inside their world? Do they go out of their way to show kindness? Are they on the balcony cheering me on???
I believe life gives us so many opportunities to meet incredible people. Find the good ones and take time to get to know them.
There is a quote in the book, "Balcony People" and it says:" I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me. Why didn't you stay?" I never want to become that person and I pray my life will be filled with friends that will never leave me alone in my darkness.

I have always wondered...to be part of the Circle of Importance do you have to be important or just feel important?? Well, I guess that is another subject for another article someday:):):)
Oh, and by the way; God did answer our prayers we have found a new church in Austin that we call home. They truly care for everyone and we feel the love:):):)