Monday, September 13, 2010

The Season Around the Bend

September 13, 2010

I love the season of autumn and so does Myron. Our 41st wedding anniversary will be coming up in October. That means we have been together for a number of years even though some were a bit rocky. We now have learned when to laugh with each other, when to give each other a little space and when to have some really good discussions from time to time as well as when to spend quality time with each other.

We spent a week of our summer at Sky Ranch (A Lutheran camp in Colorado) and had a marvelous time. We also spent a great time with relatives and friends for the other week. We caught up on our reading. We had daily worship and bible studies and some interesting conversations with another family from Colorado. The young college counselors were great and took great care of all of us. We enjoyed the music and the fun times we shared and got to know some great kids and folks.

What I don't like about this season is the fact that I have always battled allergies for as long as I can remember when my dad brought home a pheasant after hunting and I wanted to help him pluck the feathers. I sneezed so bad that the folks had to change my pillow from feather to foam rubber.

Well, now I have my usual sinus infection that I get from time to time which means I cough and have a dry throat, etc. Maybe I should go to a reliable allergist. I already know that I am allergic to dust, dirt and pollen, etc.

The holiday seasons will be coming along sooner than you know it.

Don't you just love it when it gets a little cooler and you can have a cup of hot cider or spiced cider? It's fun to take your grandchild to the pumpkin patch and get a pumpkin for $1.00 or going on a hayrack ride. Take time to have fun with your loved ones. It's worth it.

Always keep in mind that we can do something nice for someone else. We might open the door for an elderly person in the grocery store, we can always drop cans of food or clothing at Doorstep, Let's Help or the Rescue Mission here in town. We can even get involved with helping build homes for Habitat for Humanity, or as a good friend once told me, it can be as simple as saying hello to an older person that may be lonely.

Keep a smile in your heart and have a great day!!! :)

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Pet Peeves and Children

May 27, 2010

I try to think the best of everyone especially if I have a first bad impression. I try to look for the good and hope for the best in people.

Lately I have had some pet peeves that need to be shared.

I work in a public job and my job includes being at the front desk, handling the phone and helping the people as they come in.

Here are a list of my pet peeves:

1. Members that leave stuff at the front desk for others and expect you to give it to them like they will be there in the next day or so and they actually don't come back until the next week.

2. Folks coming in and expecting us to know exactly which location their children are in.

3. Parents that drop their kids off and expect us to babysit them.

4. Children that have absolutely no respect for their peers or adults.

On the flip side, there are a number of children that come in and are very polite and nice and are fun to visit with.

The handicapped children that come in and may be working with the school to help them get a job.

The young gentleman that has a handicap that opens the door for everyone in the morning before the bus comes to pick him up and he tells us goodby as he is leaving like we are his folks and he needs to say goodby.

The fun members that come in to give us a hard time and are fun to listen to.

The older folks that enjoy visiting with you and like to chat and talk.

There are a number of pet peeves that I have but the good folks more than outweigh the troublesome pet peeves and that is what makes my day!

Hold down the fort!

Summer camp is coming to the YMCA along with kids that are out of school. It will be getting busier and we do this every year at this time. Nothing is new so I tell myself to get a grip and enjoy the day as there is never a dull moment at the place that I work.

Isn't that what makes life interesting and fun at that!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Holy Spirit - Pentecost

Acts 2:4

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

We had a great service today at our church. We did hymns of different nationalities to represent the different tongues. We sang them in English of course. It was quite fun. We had a great anthem from the choir called "Fill a Me Up." I did the solo part. For some reason, I was quite nervous and at our practice this morning I kept missing the coming in times. I was nervous because we were doing it without music. It was for the offering. I became calmer before time to sing as the other hymns were good and the Spirit worked with me in helping me to become a little calmer. When it came time to sing it, it turned out wonderful.

After church, we had the ending of the Sunday school for the year and had different things to do for the kids. There was a library corner where some were read to, there was a quilting corner. We had a game for the older kids and adults. Do you remember Name that Tune? That's what we did. It's amazing how many songs you can get when you are in the audience. When I was guessing up front, I couldn't get a one.

After the cakewalk, we listened to the Topeka Children's Show Choir. What a great group of singers. There are about 11 or 12 in the group. They were phenomenal. One of our own from our church is in this group.

Because Myron and I like to sing, we find the Spirit moves us in this way a lot of times. I will be doing something and a hymn or anthem will come to my mind. It could be that it just pops into my head or that something is moving me.

We will be singing again this year at the 4th of July celebration at Grace Episcopal church. A lot of folks come from other churches to be in the choir. It is wonderful singing with 50 to 60 folks or more and sing patriotic songs. This will happen on Saturday, July 3rd since the 4th is on Sunday and we will want to be in our own respective congregations.

Have a great Pentecost season and I hope your day was filled with a Spirit filled celebration at your church.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Gardening in Topeka, KS

May 4, 2010
Tuesday

It is another beautiful morning in Topeka, KS. I am an amateur gardener who loves to plant flowers, veggies, etc.

Our backyard area for gardening is a mess. It needs to be cleaned up and rototilled in order for me to plant my tomatoes and a few other veggies. I like to plant cucumbers, tomatoes, some lettuce. I also would like to plant some pumpkins and zucchini; however, the squash bugs descend upon those veggies and ruin my pumpkins and zucchini. I need to learn how to successfully spray so I will not have those bugs sucking the stems dry and leaving the produce to rot.

I don't have a lot of time this morning to dig up weeds as I have to go to my 3-month checkup at the doctor's office. Then, I will be off to the YMCA for Meals on Wheels (lunch for the ambulatory folks) and then work at noon.

Hopefully, I can have a little time this evening to play outside a little.

Have a great day everyone! Enjoy the outdoors, sunshine and your day! :)

Praise God for his bountiful beauty and goodness!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Marvelous ladies bookclub

April 19, 2010

Two hours ago, I just got home from our monthly book club meeting and I'm always amazed at the in depth discussions we have on the books we have chosen to read for that particular month.

The book that we read for this month, April 2010 was "The Help." It was a very interesting story and we had a wonderful discussion. It was about black maids in the south that worked for white women. It was during the 50's and 60's, and for a northern girl like me, a "Yankee" I learned more than I thought I knew about that era.

I grew up in the 50's and 60's; however, being from Davenport, Iowa which is a Northern state, I was somewhat unaware of how the south still felt about integration/segregation and how the black and white people had to put up with these issues. I knew, of course, about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks not being able to sit on the back of the bus and Brown vs. Board of Education simply from history since I lived in that era. I did go to Jr. High and High school with black kids and I remember an incident with the football players, one being black and the other being white and the fight they had that broke the trophy display case and how they were suspended for a day or two.

This novel was written by Kathryn Stockett who was raised in Jackson, Mississippi.

The novel took place in Jackson, MS. She told the story about 2 black women and 1 white woman. The white woman wanted to interview the black maids as to what it was like to work for a white family. The story has many characters and the author tells the story about what it was like to be in the south during the 60s as she is interviewing the 2 black maids.

It is a wonderful story that tells about what the black women had to go through to work for the white people and about their lives in general.

I recommend this book. It was educational for me as well as entertaining and a good read.

The ladies in my book club are just as entertaining and full of stories of their own and I always learn something when I go.

One of the reasons I started to go to the book club was so that I would pick up a book and read more as it never was a passion of mine. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

The majority of the ladies are friends from the church I go to. Over the past few years since our group has started, we have added new ladies to our group which makes it very worthwhile.

I always learn something from almost every one of them and come home with knowledge of something I haven't known before. Isn't that what life is about?

We never leave the group without having a little chit chat and laughing about something someone says that strikes all of us as being funny.

We are a Great Group! Now, I am hooked.

I recommend joining a book club if you haven't already. I know you will like it.

Also, pick up the book, "The Help" at your library or you can purchase it at your local bookstore. Happy Reading. Good night.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Mark's Birthday

April 17, 2010

Our younger son, Mark, is 36 today! My, where does the time go. My mom always told me time flies by the older you get. I truly believe that now that I am older myself.

Mark was born at Stormont Vail Hospital at 1:55 p.m. in the afternoon. He was 8 lbs. and 4 oz. I'm sorry to say, without looking at his baby book, I can not remember how tall he was at birth. He is over 6 foot now. What joy there was at our home when we brought him home. In those days, you stayed in the hospital a few days before you had to come home. That was nice. You could bond with your baby a little while and enjoy him being with you.

Mark is a fun loving son and I like to think he takes after me quite a bit. He loves to laugh with me when we watch something funny together. He will laugh out loud where his Dad just chuckles to himself sometimes. We enjoy going to see Science Fiction type movies (Startrek, Starwars, Avatar). We also enjoy good movies that involve true life stories like Blind Side or Romantic comedies or some that are slapstick, silly and fun to watch.

Mark is an artist and loves to doodle with some fun pictures of art. I would call it somewhat modern art.

Today, we plan to go to the downtown area and view some art work by different folks and see what they have to offer. I know we will have a fun time meandering and enjoying the sites of the downtown area. Topekans are trying to revamp the downtown area and make it attractive for visitors to come and enjoy.

Myron and I will then take him out to the restaurant of his choice and have dinner. Then Myron has a surprise for him later.

Being pregnant with my two boys was the best time of my life. I never had morning sickness except maybe one time. I did have a bad backache though. The backache was the only thing that bothered me. I feel bad for some of the new moms now that have such morning sickness that they have to take medication to help keep their stomachs settled.

Have a great day everyone and enjoy the view wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

Sally's First Scriptural Blog

April 13, 2010

Scripture Verse for the Day:

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens Me.

For some of us, we tend to think that we can't do everything that Jesus wants us to do and we have negative attitudes about things and we whine that we can not do it. When we let Jesus enter our hearts and our minds, we can do anything through Him if we just ask.

We can plant flowers. We can climb mountains if we ask him. We can help our neighbor by being kind, by doing them a favor if they need it. We can feed the hungry by donating food to the local food pantry. We can visit the sick. We can even pray for others as well as ourselves in times of need.

These are things Jesus calls us to do.

Spring is the best time of the year for me along with the autumn season of the year.

There is a young couple in church that would like to start a community garden at church. I am thinking of being in this group. I might learn something new that I don't already know. Then, too, I may be able to use some of my wisdom and share that with the group.

I am an amateur gardener. There are still a lot of things I need to learn how to do and grow. I love to plant flowers and veggies for my garden. I love to walk with my friends at the Farmer's Market in downtown Topeka.

This weekend, my husband and two friends will be taking a road trip to Henry's Plant Farm which is a little bit west and south of us. We have never been there so we are looking forward to a fun little trip and time for friendship and conversation. We will be purchasing plants and maybe some veggies to put in the garden that will be ready to plant now.

I told my hubby (he is not a shopper) if he didn't want to look at plants that he could walk around the garden area they have there and enjoy the country air. Maybe he can read a book on a garden bench for a while.

Have a great weekend everyone. Smile, it is a healthy thing for you to do. You may make someone else's day and give them some of your sunshine!! :)