May your New Year be blessed with happiness, joy, good health, passion, love and the light of peace.

For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

May the blessings of Christ fill your Christmas with Peace, Hope, Love and Joy

2 year old grandson alert!

My youngest grandson turns 2 tomorrow. I'm heading up to my son's house after work today to join the celebrations. This little munchkin is all about motorcycles ('gotercycles' he says), trains, planes and cars - so Mommy is making him this super cool birthday cake using match box cars.

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Boy!

Over heard in the toy section of Walmart:

"Daddy! I just found something else I want you to e-mail Santa about!"

My favorite season of the year.

Now, that's a road I'd like to travel down!

Happy Birthday Mom! Love ya lumps!

Grandkid Halloween choices this year:

Grandkid Halloween choices last year:

My daughter's new home in Colorado:

At least, I THINK it's in there somewhere. One day's worth of snow fall.

Today is my father's birthday. Well, today or yesterday. It was a HUGE family joke. I could never remember if it was the 26th or the 27th. (And even when I did remember - I 'didn't'). And I would call or come over with presents on the 26th and my Dad would laugh at me, I would wait until the 27th, and he would ask where I was yesterday.

I have my father's birth certificate, his marriage certificate and his death certificate, all with this very important date documented........and I even know where they are.

But, I won't peek. It would ruin the fun. I sent Happy Birthday prayers yesterday, and I'll send them again today. And, with any luck, I"ll hear Daddy laughing from Heaven.

Happy Birthday Daddy! (Or maybe that was yesterday).

Today is my Father's birthday. Well, today or tomorrow. It was a HUGE family joke - I could never remember if it was the 26th or the 27th (and even when I DID remember - I 'didn't'). And I would call or come over with presents on the 26th and my Dad would laugh at me- or, I would wait until the 27th - and he would ask where I was the day before.

I have my father's birth certificate, his marriage certificate and his death certificate, all with this very important date documented - and.....I even know where they are.

But, I won't peek - it would ruin the fun. I'll send birthday prayers today and tomorrow - and, with any luck, I'll hear Daddy laughing from Heaven.

Happy Birthday Daddy! (Or, maybe tomorrow)

It's an Aye-Aye !

A type of lemur from Madagascar.

Name that critter

Got a few of responses. 'It's a weird bat' - or, my daughter-in-law and the director at the local animal shelter (yes, I e-mailed him too) think it's photo shopped. (Altho the director did promise to call me if one shows up at the shelter.)

If anyone knows what kind of critter this is...please let me know. I THINK it's a baby opossum.

World's saddest movie

Seriously

My son compared the candles on my birthday cake to the Station Fire............................nice.

Home again, home again. Jigidee Jig. With this picture of a flower taken by my grand daughter at a nursery by their new home- with my cell - and about 4,692 awesome memories. All in all a great 12 days!

Gone Fishin'

Off to visit my Sweet Baby Girl in Colorado for 12 daze!

I am child of the Most High God
My Father Loves me and accepts me as I am
I am critical to him in the balance of the world He has created
I am loved
I do not have to prove myself to Him
I am because of Him

There is Grace

Locks of Love

This is my grand daughter's braid - after it was cut for donation. I cried like a baby when I saw this picture.
10 inches of love for a child she will never meet -but, who will be wearing her hair.
Last year I wrote a blog about my children being my heroes.
This year...................looks like I'll be writing about the next generation.

WHAT IS LOCKS OF LOVE?
Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. We meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.

I have a hummingbird nest in the leaves of my fiddle leaf fig on my back porch. A few weeks ago I was dive bombed by a hummingbird while I was watering my plants. I found her nest - with 2 eggs in it about a week ago. To help Mom out a bit - I went out and got one of those bright red hummingbird feeders and hung it on a branch near by. From where I sit, right here at my Father's desk - I can look outside the sliding glass doors in my bedroom and watch her flit back and forth from the red syrup and back to her nest to feed her babies. It's awesome.

'We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.'

Moina Michael







"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you
and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them,
though you may or may not have always.


Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.
And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.



Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
1 January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam
Listed as KIA February 7, 1978

I just heard on the news that a major drug company, in response to the difficult economics times, will be giving away free Viagra.


Remember that old saying from the 70's?

"Sex will get you through times without money - better than money will get you through times without sex?"

Drug companies going retro- wow.

Fasinating

Mother's Day Proclamation

The United States celebrates Mothers’ Day with gifts and greeting cards (yep, and that's a GOOD thing) but, this is a good thing also: Mothers’ Day was not originally conceived as such. It began in 1870 as a rallying cry for mothers who lost husbands and sons in the U.S. Civil War, and as a renunciation of war, militarism and patriarchy. Here is the original Mother’s Day :

Proclamation penned by Julia Ward Howe in 1870.

”Arise then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water or tears.
Say firmly:
“We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We women of one country
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own
It says “Disarm, Disarm!”
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress,
Not of Cesar,
But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with it’s objects
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.”

Cherokee Legend- told 2 ways

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Here is the same story, but it is called "Grandfather Tells" which is also known as "The Wolves Within"

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
“The one I feed.” Replied the Grandfather.

"Go Light the World (Carry Your Candle)"

There is a candle in every soul

Some brightly burning,

some dark and cold

There is a Spirit who brings fire

Ignites a candle and makes His home

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

Take your candle, and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to

Light his own candle some other way

See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to

Still holds a candle without a flame

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

Take your candle, and go light your world

We are a family whose hearts are blazing

So let's raise our candles and light up the sky

Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus

Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world

Take your candle, and go light your world

The flowers are blooming on my back porch.

Be careful what you wish for.................

I moved Bob and Robert out of my bedroom into the living room - in front of the sliding glass door. When I am home and weather permitting - I move them outside between the palm fronds in my overgrown garden - where they communicate directly with their free brethren - flying in for the wild bird seed.

B&R appear to really like being outside- except for a few days ago - when it was blistering hot out- they were on the bottom of the cage- wings spread and panting within 20 minutes. Oops.

But, most of the time they yell at the other birds who gather around their cage - and continue the yelling and screeching and tweeting and twerping and cooing and SCREAMING even inside.

As in, I can't hear the T.V. and Toby goes over and stares at the cage wondering 'WTH' - or whatever dogs wonder when their ear drums are being played like a crazed Tommy Lee on - well, whatever makes Tommy Lee crazy.

But, I wanted this didn't I? Yes, I did. And it's really kinda cool. Wonder what the neighbors think.