Wonderful Memories

On this day, September 27th,  63 years ago, my dad and mom put on their very best and made their way to a little church in the town where I was born and raised and said their vows to each other.  I'm so glad they did.  My dad had to have a parent's consent.  You've seen the picture before but I wanted to share it again today.  One, because it's one of my favorite pictures and two because I feel so privileged to be their child. My dad is gone now.  I talked with my mom this morning and I could tell that she was missing him more than usual today.  A love like theirs comes along very infrequently.  I've always been very proud to be their daughter.  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

As I flip through pages of words I have written, trying to get that "spark" going again, I came across a poem that my hubby wrote for me in 1987.  We had been married 17 years. In December this year it will be 40,  It's wonderful to know that his words were true then, and as I read them, they remain true today.

WONDERFUL MEMORIES

Autumn leaves of orange, red and gold

Are like wonderful memories that never grow old.

They are always lovelier just as they fade

And sometimes there are tears when gone is the shade.

It's wonderful memories that color the leaves that we see,

And these are contained in the heart of a tree.

And when time gives flight to the leaves from above,

Our wonderful memories fill the heart with God's love.

With bounty and love and visions that be,

And laughter and joy and colors to see

This knowledge of mystery revealed to me,

And wonderful memories live eternally.

I'm so grateful that love cannot vanish away

I'm thankful that memories live on from today.

For the things I count precious are wrapped in loves dreams

And our memories are like brooks, rivers and streams.

They sparkle and glisten and shimmer with light

And forever in progress they shine in the night.

Our love is the voyage we travel each day

And this is the future that can't vanish away.

--Ray Jamison

And in his own words he would say, "not bad for a hillbilly".

Autumn Treasures & Thankfulness

Such a big, blank, white screen.  My mind just goes in a million directions when I open a blank screen.  All the possibilities are just amazing.  In fact, most of the time there are so many different directions it can be confusing.  And yet, these rambling  thoughts provide the backdrop for where my writing wants to go.  I just feel like writing today.  It's a good day.  A busy day.  A day to be thankful, like any other day really but today it seems a bit easier to be thankful than some other days. The thankfulness is always in my heart, it's just difficult sometimes to get my life bent around it.


If you let it, Autumn and thankfulness will bring out some amazing things.  The colors of Autumn are so bright and brilliant.  The air is crisp and clean.  It feels to me as though life is refreshing itself and it's letting me be a part of that.  It always amazes me how quickly the scenery around me changes.  One day a tree is green and the next the leaves have changed to a burning orange and then they fall. Autumn feels like a time for new adventure.  A time to experience new things in life.  A time of exhilaration and of new beginnings. I hope you find some time during the Autumn season to experience new things and to enjoy what the Lord is providing.

Autumn reminds me immediately of looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Yes, I know it's a couple of months away, but I can't help it.  Thanksgiving reminds me to be thankful.  Right now I am so very thankful that my knee is no longer giving me a problem.  The last three weeks of restricted mobility has made me very thankful that it was temporary.  It feels so good to be able to move around and not hurt.  It made me very aware of how much pain my hubby is in each and every day.  I don't know how he does it except for the grace of God and lots of prayer.  

I'm looking forward to, and am very thankful, that I have an opportunity to take a few days to go to CA and visit my family. (I have my camera in my purse Brother Bill and hope to be taking some awesome pictures.)  I would imaging that "up on the hill" as they call it, looking down over the Sonora Valley the scenery is going to be magnificent.  The sunsets are always absolutely gorgeous. I also am looking forward to taking pictures along the way.  I'll have to make a special effort to remember to stop and take pictures because once I get headed South on I-5 I have a hard time slowing down to take pictures.  But it's really important to me that I do that this trip...Aaron's going with me.  I want him to have an amazing time seeing his grandma and extended family.  I want him to remember the beauty of it all.  I want it to be a very special time. I'm looking forward to the conversations going and coming, of laughing together, of remembering the great times we had when he was little and the great times as he grew.  Captive audience don't ya know!  It will be somewhat of a short trip but we have to be back for a doctor's appointment the first part of the next week so we're going to make the most of every single moment.  There are those moments again!

I just have to ask, is this "Indian Summer" as they use to call it, or what?  We go from cool and crisp weather to still, quiet and 80 degrees.  I think the weather's trying to fool us.  For crying out loud, Ray is trying to get me chains before we head south this next week.  Snow chains?  Give me a break!  I don't even have all my Fall clothes unpacked yet.  I'd like to be able to wear the autumn colors for a couple of weeks before we have to start bundling up in winter duds.

So, to wrap it up,  thankfulness is all around me.  I hope I never forget to be thankful.  Life literally "hurls" things lately but I always want to remember to be thankful...to matter who "hurls" what. I need to remember to spread that thankfulness.  To let others see the thankfulness.  I want people to know that I have a a heavenly Father who wants the best for me. Of course I don't always like it or agree.  Do you always like and agree what happens to you?  Of course you don't.  But you know what, we can spend our time disgruntled and unhappy or we can take a look around and fine the one thing at that moment to be thankful for.  As hubby says, "every day above ground is a good one!".  Ya think not?  Think about the alternative....and then be thankful.

This Amazing Life & It's Moments of Joy

I continue to be amazed every single day. And I find that it's a very good thing. It opens up new possibilities that I might never have considered, allows me to meet new people; make new friends, try new things, continue with old things, visit with "old" friends, re-experience "old" things. It's just amazing these days what the Lord gives me. I have a free "bank" each day that the Lord gives. I make the choice how to spend those days. I can basically do anything I want to with that day. Actually I'm down to how I spend each moment because basically, that's all I have at any given time; the moment I'm in. Let me tell you, I'm learning to spend these moments wisely. I'm learning to relish each conversation, to be aware and pay closer attention when having a conversation. You know what, you can learn a lot when you listen. People in general are very interesting. I hate to think of the things I could have learned in my very early years if I had but listened. I'm looking for something new each day. Something I hear, something I see...doesn't matter. I just don't want to miss any more moments and I want them all to mean something. They'll all mean something...because I want them to. Well, so much for that bunny trail.

Okay, so I started this blog yesterday and I'll probably ramble along for awhile in the midst of life events. Back to how I'm learning to live within the moment...well, some of those can literally come up and "bite me in the butt", and I do mean literally! Have you ever been in the bathroom, have the toilet seat slip and pinch you? Let me tell you, that's what you call living in the moment. You actually have several options: sit still and and scream bloody murder. In doing so you take the chance of having someone come flying in to find you with your drawers down and try to help not knowing what the problem is. Now there's a moment you wouldn't want to miss! Or, you can sit there, hold your breath which at this point isn't really a problem because the pain has already taken away your breath. But, you involuntarily catch yourself screaming under your breath that isn't there, your your blood pressure goes sky high, you pass out, fall off the seat, but, problem solved; aside from the four inch blood blister that magically appears on your under side. Or, you could scream, jump up, trip on the mat, land in the tub on your head and laugh hysterically. Probably not your best choice, but hey, it's your moment! We all have them, these things called moments. Good, bad or indifferent, find the joy in the moment. You think that once that pinching moment is over you're not going to be joyful? Take it from me. Getting up off that toilet seat that's pinching your underside is probably going to be one of the best moments of joy you'll ever experience!

Another of my moments of joy come from my friends and family. I would imagine that they think these acts of kindness they do or say don't really have that great an impact. But, they really do. Dozens of people check on me every single day at work. One surprised me one day with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her garden. One brought me a beautiful bracelet she had made. Many friends call me almost every day to see how I'm doing and say hi. I love that people drop by on their way to somewhere and say hi. Hugs are great too. Smiles are wonderful. One friend surprises me with little thoughts and messages in my mail at work. Just a little post-it-note with a special thought. I'd like to share the poem with you that I received today. This I will always hold and share.

JUST FOR TODAY

Thy strength, oh Lord, just for this day
I pray You will impart.
For me again renew my faith
As this new day I start.

Reach out to me and keep Thy hand
On everything I do.
Direct my path to things undone
And guide to paths anew.

Give me the patience that I need
To do for others now
The things that You would have me do
And kindly show me how.

Through doubts and fears and heavy loads
I struggle on my way.
Yet through the rugged path I know
That You are near today.

You steer my feet and lift my heart
And make the light to shine
Then all my troubles, aches, and pains
I gladly leave behind. AMEN

I consider my life totally amazing. I consider the fact that the Lord loves me enough that He gave His only Son to die a horrible death for me amazing. When I consider He would have done it even if I had been the only person in the world, I think that's pretty amazing. I have an only son and when I think about giving him up to die for everyone, sorry, I love you all a bunch but I'm not willing to go that one.

In thinking about my Son I try to think in terms, not that God is taking him, but that God needs him and has a greater purpose for him. In my particular faith, something parents commonly do is "dedicate" their child to the Lord when the child is very young. I can't speak for everyone else, even for Ray, but for me, what that meant was saying to God, "I consecrate this child to you and will teach him and train him according to your word. He is your child. I will love him, protect him, care for him, teach and train him". Never in my wildest dreams did I think that part of God's plan would be to call him "home" at such an early age. No parent things about that. Right?

I know you might think this really amazing and not true, but there really are time when I just can't have a conversation. Telephone calls are the most difficult right now. It's as though it takes so much energy and I just can't. Please don't think that I don't love you and please don't give up calling. If I don't call you back it's most like because I haven't checked messages. I'm very forgetful right now. If you don't get a call back send me an email via Facebook or at jan@auntiejan.net and tell me to check my messages. I love Facebok. I can stay in constant contact with friends and family, be in the conversation, comment and "run", following the comings and goings. It's great. Thank you all so much for making me a part of your lives. I love you all.

Enjoying The Fruit of Our Labor

The first Monday in September, observed as a holiday in the United States and Canada in honor of working people. That's what I do, "celebrate the work of my hands". I hope everyone is able to do that this weekend. Celebrate what you are able to do! I think we should do that every single day. There are plenty of people out there who would trade with any of us for every single day we are able to work. As much as I am looking forward to retirement there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the Lord for the job He has given me, the friends I have at work, the laughter we share, the tears we we share with each other. It's great to have a job where I love to go to work every single day. It doesn't mean there are days when I'd like to be able to do something else but it's so great to love the place and the people where you work.

Talent comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. For me, I'm looking forward to laboring (if you can call it that) with my hands this weekend at home; working in my craft room. I'll be making signs and working on chairs and a high chair that my friend Rita found for me. It's great to have an opportunity to be creative. Crafts just happens to be my choice for my outlet...what's yours? We all have things that we do exceptionally well. We shouldn't let those disappear. We should use them. If you want to feel really, really good, make something with your own two hands and give it to someone who you think could benefit. Doesn't matter what it is, it's the giving and receiving that gives the uplift to both the giver and receiver. Don't try to tell me you don't have any talent. God didn't make any of us without a talent. Now you may not have found yours because you've never looked. Doesn't mean you don't have one, just means you need to start looking and find it. Some examples could be: Read a book to someone, this time of year you could go to the Dollar Store and pick up some school supplies for someone that really needs some help; clean our your closet and give those clothes that just keep hanging there to someone who really could use them, bake a cake and take it to someone, pick up groceries for someone, write a letter for someone, sing someone a song, give someone a hug and a smile....we all have those!

Well, I worked with my hands this morning, I shopped. That's a form of working isn't it? I finally had to give in and hit JC Penney's for dress pants. I've found over the last several years that I can dress pretty well out of Goodwill and St. Vinney's without ever hitting the mall. But I had to give in this time. Winter's on the way and I haven't been able to find anything. I did hit Goodwill just in case before I went to Penney's though and found a couple of really good tops. Time to start looking for sweaters too. I actually get more excited about the challenge to find something at Goodwill and St. Vinney's than I do going to the mall. It's really great to be able to find a name brand, most of the time almost brand new for $3.27. New it would probably cost $40. See my point? Ray and I became real bargain hunters about 7 years ago when we began cutting back on expenses in preparation for my retirement. We looked at what we had to have new, which isn't very much, and then shop used for everything else. We labor hard for what we earn and we try our best to spend it wisely. I though today as I left the store that these pants will probably be the last work pants I have to buy. They'll be great right through Spring. Penney's has some really good sales going this weekend and it can be very tempting but I'm happy with what I found and glad to be home.


The Oregon Ducks are playing their first game of the season. One of the rewards of laboring and working is that it allows you to buy luxuries occasionally. Two years ago we treated ourselves to a new TV for our anniversary and Ray's 70th birthday and my 60th. It's a real treat for Ray to be able to relax after all his years of laboring and working to provide, to sit back and really enjoy a football game. Hard work does pay off and I'm thankful that we have both been strong and healthy and able to work. The game isn't that exciting today, Ducks 28, New Mexico zip but...oops, 35 - zip! It's great to see the team see the results of hours of labor and work. Are you getting the drift here. Success in life requires labor and work. It comes in thousands of shapes and sizes. What is challenging for one person may be simple for another and vice versa. What is that saying again? "Things in life worth doing are worth doing well".

I believe there are also times in our lives when God sets us aside from labor and says. "I have something else for you to do". This is probably the most difficult for me. I do not sit still well for very long. I want to be up and busy and see what I'm accomplishing. Sometimes though, God says no. I'm still working on this one. Sometimes I have to be still for God to use me. Sometimes it's an example God wants to shine through and not actions or words. It continues to be a challenge for me and probably always will be. I'm getting better at recognizing these times and try to make sure I'm listening so that I know when those times are. We should not feel guilty when God says He has something else for us to do. He will make sure that our light shines through without the physical labor and work. As Aaron says, "God has a plan, I may not like it, but I will do it".