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Baby Died

  Leave it to Baby to exit this world on an exciting Eclipse Day.   Talk about a grand departure!   I remember well the day I drove to the pet store.   It was 40 years ago and our youngest enrolled in kindergarten.   The house seemed too quiet all of a sudden.   I needed a friend.   I remember praying before I shopped for a bird.   Not a fragile parakeet this time, but I asked for a strong bird whose sounds would fill up our empty rooms.   I chose a young cockatiel and the family named him Baby.   Baby was a little too loud, but funny to have around especially when Tom came home from his job with the phone company.   He wore a pager back then and got in the habit of turning it off, back on and off again before setting it down by his wallet and keys.   Baby echoed the pager call perfectly and made us laugh every time.   I figured Baby, such a perky bird, would last a long time, but never expected him to hit the typical 15-20 year mark let alone 40!   I should have kept his papers.
Recent posts

Hello August

  We’re smack in the middle of summer but I will pause and count my blessings this season.   Our arid Arizona days have turned into monsoon rains and we are refreshed.   Triple digits are put on hold for a while and cooler desert mornings  allow me longer hours of yard work, especially after the messy, wild storms.   We’ve always grown hollyhocks, but for some reason, they went dormant the last two years.   I remember Tom on his sickbed reminding me to water the seeds he planted near the fence and, like a crazy lady, I watered what seemed like empty dirt all last year.   Was he confused, maybe?   Come spring I saw the fluffy, green leaves sprout all along the fence line.   I got excited when the different colored flowers opened.  You never know what you're going to get! As I watered, I thought of the Scripture verse about “calling forth that which is not as though it was.”   Hmm, I should apply that one to several areas of my life!   I spent last week with family in Tucson.  

Remembering

  A gal at church asked me how I feel about Memorial Day coming up earmarking the first year of my husband’s death.   “Oh, I don’t know how I’ll feel,” I responded.    Grief is funny that way.   It’s hard to predict with its pattern of strong days vs. fragile days, but I felt touched by her concern.   In fact, my take-a-way of this past year, when I think about it, is feeling deeply loved.   Family and friends have been so encouraging. The kids and I continue to carry on their father’s passionate legacy of love of God, country and family.   Our flag waves tall in our front yard with colorful flowers planted beneath it just as he designed.   He feels near.   Happy Memorial Day, dear ones, and stay safe this weekend.   May we always remember those who gave their lives for our freedom in this great country.

Book Review: Homespun Devotions Volume Two

I thoroughly enjoyed Volume Two of Homespun Devotions by Author Cheryl E. Smith.  It is refreshing to read about Cheryl's faith expressed through her family relationships with her husband, Kevin, and son, Zach.  Stories of growing up in a home with wise Christian parents teach us principles which never lose value and are much needed in our present world. I especially liked the old-fashioned country charm seen and felt in Cheryl's words which grace the pages of  compiled stories of her life. Cheryl is the author of Biblical Minimalism: Following Jesus from a Life of Abundance to a More Abundant Life.  She also writes devotionals at http://www.homespundevotions.com and plays guitar and sings on You Tube Channel, Mountain Hope Band.