Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

TenderToucher

I posted this several years ago on this last day of June. It popped up on my reminders today. I decided it was worth posting again:

“There’s nothing like a tender touch to chase away the blues. You need someone who really cares – BEE the tender toucher!”

My sweetheart is a tendertoucher!

I hope you have a tendertoucher in your life!

Reach out to others and show you really care.

Have a Tender Tuesday!

Love, JanBee

Dogs & Baby Boys

Every morning I interact on WhatsApp with my daughter, De, in Switzerland and bonus daughter, Laina, who lives near Baltimore. We exchange love, lives, pictures of our loved ones, and weather reports.

Laina & Leo

Leo’s parents are happy about sharing his face on social media. Laina, his grama, knows how to make him smile. He’s such a happy baby.

DeDe, our daughter in Switzerland, is thoroughly enjoying being a Grama.
This is not Ethan, because his parents don’t want his photo on Social Media
But you can see where Ethan & DeDe go for walks

And that baby up there looks a lot like Ethan did at that age. He’ll be 2 end of October. We hope to go there to celebrate with him. We were there for his one week birthday! But two years is a long time not to be able to see your great-grandson. He won’t know us 😩

Here’s Lacey, Laina’s granddog. He was the “flower dog” in his people parents’ wedding. A real companion now for Leo!
And here is our Kenny, a thoroughly spoiled Boston Terrier, soon to be two.
Kenny has calmed down a lot, but he still doesn’t understand what’s his to chew and what’s not!!

It’s not like he doesn’t have enough toys and chew sticks of his own!

Why does he abandon them and go after our stuff! Ah, pups! Such a challenge!
Look how big Lacey looks next to little Leo!

Kenny loves Yak Sticks. Do you know about them?

That little piece is what’s left of one 10x longer.
If you have a dog, you may wanna give these a try. Kenny loves ‘em.
Best wishes training that active pup, huh?

Only thing harder to train than a pup might be a baby… or a husband?

Hah! I can’t get this guy to stop shouting “No” when Kenny is biting at his slippers. It’s a game. Sigh!

The dog trainer told us “No” is not understood. It’s just paying attention and giving his positive attention for negative behavior. Oh my! We’ve spent two years reinforcing bad habits. Help!

Time for a walk to the neighbors. Isn’t this the cutest baby?

Enjoy babies & dogs? I sure do!

Love, JanBeek

Juneteenth

Celebrate Freedom!

Galatians 5:1
“For freedom in Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, therefore,
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

west irian liberation monument in jakarta indonesia
Photo by el jusuf on Pexels.com

Today is Juneteenth in the USA. It is a holiday that was established in 2021 to celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Texas. The holiday often is called America’s second Independence Day. The day marks the end of slavery in the United States.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 12, 1862, formally freed enslaved people. However, this news didn’t reach parts of the country. On June 19, 1865 (nearly three years later) Union General Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, announcing all enslaved people were free. This was designed to provide absolute equality of personal rights, and rights of property, between former masters and slaves.

Group of people celebrating Juneteenth outdoors with flags, signs, and music
A joyful group celebrates Juneteenth
with music, flags, and food at a park gathering

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if today we could look at our USA and observe that all people in our country are actually free? Free with equality of personal rights?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could witness all people world-wide being treated fairly with equal opportunities for health care, abundance, happiness, and peace?

Limiting and false beliefs about people exist in the hearts of many (outmoded ideas that stunt growth and keep life small and limited for groups in our community). Ask any Black or Native American, Hispanic or Asian person if they think they are treated equally. What do you think most would say?

I long for a world where all people are truly free. Free to truly embrace who they were designed by God to be. I celebrate the freedom that allows all people the right to claim their identity as equal children of God, designed to live and speak and act in ways that truly express their divine talents and abilities.

I celebrate freedom!

a silhouette of people jumping on a field
Photo by Shardar Tarikul Islam on Pexels.com

Happy Juneteenth, my friends.
Let’s continue to work together
to create a world
where everyone of truly free!

Amen?
Amen!

Love,
JanBeek

Beautiful Montana

Gorgeous sky driving in to Bozeman today
Kenny cuddled happily in my lap
Scenery got even prettier as we approached Bozeman with its backdrop of the Bridger Mountains
I got to be pampered… and now I’m red/white/blue: ready for July festivities
Returning to Ennis this was the scene about a mile from home
Wishing you could come visit beautiful Montana… especially our Madison Valley

Have you watched any of the TV series called “The Madison”? It’s filmed right here in and around Ennis.

Come visit!

Love, JanBeek

Rescued

In my devotional, “When God Thinks of You, He Smiles,” the message fit perfectly for us today. I was invited to “Think of a time when God rescued you.” Yesterday I mourned the loss of one of our beautiful big evergreen trees. It blew over in a 50 mph wind storm. God heard my unspoken pleas. Obviously Bob & I needed help cutting up and removing that fallen spruce. We didn’t have time to think about that task before three different friends reached out and offered to come and help us. It was certainly something they (and for sure God) knew we could not do ourselves. Our bodies just lack that capability at the ripe age of 87!

So, that tree that once stood at least 20 feet tall snapped off right at its base… and lay there Sunday pathetically waiting to be removed… and dear friends came Monday to cut it up. A big job for two men with chain saws, a pick up and a borrowed trailer. Took three trips to the dump to get most of it removed. Tomorrow the rest will go and the trailer will be returned to the generous owner. We are so blessed to have such caring, capable friends!

The devotional this morning began with, “God’s love leads Him to do more for us than we can envision.” Certainly the Godly servants of the Lord that He sent our way did more than I could envision.

The message went on to say, “No matter how often you need Him, He will always be there. Trust in Him, for He is faithful and true.”

Thank You, God, for rescuing us. I do trust in You. Thank You for sending Your beloved followers to help us. We delight in You.

My devotional says, “When God thinks of you, He smiles.” Well, guess what, when I think of God, I smile.

Do you?

Love,
JanBeek

Monday Mournings

This is the anniversary of our pup, Owen’s death. I posted “A Day from Hell” in my blog. So many dear friends wrote, called, came to offer condolences and support.

A different kind of death

Yesterday we had a different kind of death here. One of our beautiful evergreens succumbed to the 50 mph winds. It was 25 years old. Looked healthy on the outside, but when it blew over, it was revealed that there seemed to be no root structure to hold it. Hmmm … how had it survived all those years?

Even with roots, a tree can be toppled.

But that tree was young and immature.

Life can be like that. Young, immature, lacking a sufficient root system.

So today I mourn our tree, our loss of Owen, but most of all the loss of friends’ young sons.

Two of our friends lost 30 year old sons to suicide this past month. No tree or dog can compare. It’s an unimaginable sorrow. My heart goes out to those families.

Monday mourning

God bless you. May your life be deeply rooted in love and purpose.

Hugs, JanBeek (with my life’s love … thank you, Bob… I am so blessed!)

Here we are at a recent amazing Pittsburgh Pirates game.

Ninth Inning

Oh my goodness! What a ballgame!

My first pro baseball experience
Pittsburgh Pirates

The first 3 innings were exciting … but we trailed the Minnesota team 3-4. No scores in the next 5 1/2 innings. Then, one man on, bottom of the 9th, Pittsburgh home run! The stadium erupted!

And the drone light show that followed the game was nothing short of phenomenal!!
Each of those lights is an individual drone. Amazing !

Wish you could have been there!

Look at how close we were! Yes, we saw that home run get smacked outta the park!

Great experience!

And today we went to a beautiful church service in Sewickley, PA with my niece, Jodie. Gotcha in my prayers.

God bless you!

Have a great weekend!

Love, JanBeek (& Jodie)

Hospitality

The gift of hospitality

Cannot be taken for granted

It’s a gift to be treasured

A gift that cannot be measured

Our niece, Jodie, is a gracious hostess

and…

… her husband, Bill, is generous beyond measure
Yesterday he barbecued steaks, chicken, veggies, etc. and created a meal fit for royalty!
Of course, Jodie was responsible for all the prep work. No small feat!
In this home, tucked among the trees, love grows.
And they treated us to a night out on the town, too. A wonderful banjo event!
My maternal grandpa played the banjo, so this took on extra nostalgic meaning for me.
Could you hear me singing along? I loved it!🥰

Tonight we’re headed to a Pittsburgh baseball game. So, stay tuned! I’ll be back!

Love, JanBeek

Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, PA
Here I am… ready to tour this beautiful exhibit.
The theme is Alice in Wonderland
Amazing displays!
Gorgeous displays
Time for a rest. Lots of walking!
Some glass art still on display from the Chuhuly (sp?)
exhibit
Thanks to my niece, Jodie, for her gracious hospitality!
Many fascinating flowers!
Wish you could have seen these in person with us!

Thanks for traveling with me vicariously!

Love, JanBeek

Just Write

No prompt needed

Just capture life

Sitting at the back

Row 19 out of 20

Gives you an interesting perspective

Look at all those people

Look out the window

Row after row

Nothing but houses

A city coming up

Let’s land at the airport

No prompt needed

Just look at life

Exciting, isn’t it?

Time with niece, Jodie
Time with her son, Liam

Jodie’s husband in his way home

Life is its own prompt

Enjoy!!

Hugs,

JanBeek