Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category

Fireworks, Music, and Parades


I’m watching the TV fireworks broadcasts in New York, Minneapolis, Cookesville, and Houston … big cities with great big fireworks displays all over the USA tonight.

Photo by Designecologist on Pexels.com

But, the music to go with the fireworks just didn’t do it for me. San Francisco and Chicago Symphonies are wonderful, but no, sorry, I need PATRIOTIC music to go with the fireworks! Rhapsody in Blue?? Just didn’t fit!! Try this one:

Oh, maybe we are trying to avoid the subject of battles on this holiday?
Wasn’t it a battle won that won our nation’s freedom from England?

Well then, how about this one:

Or how about celebrating our Independence Day
by recognizing our
INTERDEPENDENCE?

We need one another …
We need our One God…
We need to celebrate and
STRIVE FOR UNITY.

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com

One thing that unifies us is our love for family, right?
We all want the world to be a better place for our children.
A modern version of “The World is One” is playing now.
Ah yes, our children unite us.
Did you get to spend time with your children or grandchildren today?

Sienna and Xander, my great-grandchildren brightened my day.
Isn’t that little Sienna a cutie?
TazE is peeking around the corner here.
Xander is a Mickey Mouse fan!
Here is Hope, our granddaughter, and her husband, Drew –
– parents of those two dear great-grandchildren –
We’re so glad they came to visit today.

On my post this morning, I told you we were not going to have our Ennis 4th of July Parade this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, our neighbors, the Welnas, fixed that problem. They have their grandchildren visiting them, and so we had a private parade provided by the kids! (With a little help from their moms and grandparents)

We brought our chairs and a flag out to the front lawn when we heard the parade coming.
TazE saw them coming… she was all ears!!
Low Budget – High Quality
Best Parade Ever!!
Grandpa Welna, the parade leader
Two moms, two grandparents and three little boys…
One of the boys dropped his bike and ran after TazE!
They gave their necklaces to us… such fun!
And notice the other child in the parade –
He’s the little one asleep in the stroller!
Here are the two moms… great sports…
Helping their little ones experience their very own parade.
Too much fun!
How about this patriotic grandma?
Sue Welna is such a good sport!
Don’t you love her antennae?
Bob & I have never enjoyed a parade more than this one!!

Oh, by the way,
remember that one surviving petunia
I showed you a few days ago?
Look at our wheelbarrow now!
The antelope don’t like that solar light…
Good tip for keeping your plants safe from your neighborhood animals!

I hope you had a Happy Independence Day.
You can see we did!
Our Pastor Steve and his dear wife, Elaine, joined us for BBQ dinner.
That was the frosting on the cake of a great day.

See ya tomorrow, my friends.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, Family, flowers, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, holidays, Love, Montana, music, pets, relationships

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Let’s Go Swiss


A couple of months ago we took a little stroll through my home state, Montana, via the lenses of several very talented photographers.

Then the next day I invited you to Switzerland where our daughter, DeAna, lives with her husband and family. It’s our go-to place when we have saved up enough to travel… and are free to do so. Three of our grandchildren are there. Of course, it’s a wonderful place to “have to” go!!

Today in my “Antelope and Attitude” post I told you I dream of traveling in 2021 back to Switzerland. For my new followers, I dug out this old post and decided to update it and let you see why I love Switzerland so much.

We sat on a patio with this view eating raclette with our daughter last time we visited her in Sierre, Switzerland, spring of 2018.
We visited that quaint village and attended the wedding of a Swiss friend.
Here are our three Swiss grandsons, Mike, Nick & Chris. That was several years ago when we visited at Christmas time. They’ve changed considerably since then!
Here’s their mom, our daughter. DeDe. Such a sweetheart! She never changes.
Her sons, on the other hand, do! But, okay, let’s look at some of their Swiss scenery. That’s why you came, right?
The lakes are sites to behold!
Castles are plentiful!
Riding in the car with my son-in-law driving on these switchbacks is an experience to remember!!
Flowers in springtime are everywhere!
Towns often were built almost to resemble fortresses.
Grape vineyards border towns and cities where the ground is fertile.
How they built castles on such high, rocky mountain peaks is beyond me!
Every square inch of the sunny mountainsides of Switzerland is terraced and planted with grapes. (This is Lake Geneva). It is near Valais, the canton where De & Andre’ live).
The lakes in Switzerland are numerous, clear, clean and so picturesque!
Castles in Switzerland are plentiful and always points of great travel interest.
In every town and village, the church steeple is always the highest point!
The way they tuck houses into crevices is amazing!!
Trains are a wonderful way to see Switzerland.
You can set your clocks by the trains and their arrival/departures.
The train system is amazing in Switzerland. Andre’s uncle was an engineer who helped design some of these bridges!
Mmmm… Cheese Fondue!
Delicious melted cheese with potatoes, pickles and onions
is “the best” delicacy of Valais! (Of course that’s in my biased opinion).
Raclette is my favorite Swiss cheese.
I love the Swiss cows. We have one of the queen cowbells hanging in our kitchen here in Montana!! I’ll show you that another time.
We usually visit in springtime or in winter (Bob loves to ski), but autumn is a gorgeous time in Switzerland, too.
The Matterhorn is one of Switzerland’s most famous landmarks.
This year De & Andre’ were working at a mountaintop restaurant at a ski resort where the only access was by chairlift. Can you imagine the views??
I love the springtime the most. Flowers are everywhere and the mountains are green and alive.
Oh, here are some more of those gorgeous Swiss cows!
Switzerland is beautiful in every season!
Thank you for visiting a few scenes with me. Thank you to #IloveSwitzerland for most of the images. Some are mine, though. Isn’t it an amazing country?
This is my oldest grandson, Mike with his significant other, Tania. We can hardly wait til the next time we get to go and visit with them. Kids grow up so fast, don’t they?
Doesn’t matter what season it is, we know our “DollyWolly” will be there to greet us!!

Thanks for visiting with me for a while. Hopefully someday we will go back… and I hope you can visit Switzerland for real yourself someday, too.

The Lord be with you and keep you safe.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
See ya later!

Category:

blessings, children, Family, flowers, food, holidays, Love, mountains, nature, photography, relationships, Travel

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Montana ATV Father’s Day


If you lived in Montana – west across the valley from the Madison Range – with two mountain ranges north and south of you filled with trails for All Terrain Vehicles, and you had an ATV, how would you spend Father’s Day?

Yup, you guessed it! We went on “Lucille” (our red-headed ATV who is a BALL) up into the Tobacco Root Range to the top of the world this afternoon.

Come and take a ride with us… way up to the snow area where snow drifts caused us to have to turn around and head back down. We’ll start up there and head down

Below that snowy area, there is a gorgeous lookout where we can view the valley below. I took a few photos from that lookout to share with you.

Looking east to the Madison Valley and the Madison Range.
See our Boston, TazE, by the road there?
Looking west from the Lookout
The fields were covered with beautiful little flowers.
On our way up to tha lookout, we stopped at Sureshot Lake.
TazE appreciated the break after the bumpy ride down.
You can see the lake below to the right of the window.

We saw twice as many campers in the camping areas this trip compared to any other year, and we’ve been traveling this route for nearly ten years. During this COVID-19 pandemic, word has gotten out. Montana is a great Big Sky place… with lots of fresh air, space, and unbelievable beauty.

And this “crowd” of campers is nothing compared to what you’d experience in California or Florida or other vacation destinations!

Time to head toward home…. there’s our Madison Valley down there.
These are called “Jack Fences.” They don’t have to be buried, so they survive the snow and freezing temperatures longer than posts that need to be pounded in.
Tucked back into these mountains are some really beautiful horse farms.
TazE knows when we get close to home. She gets up and goes on high alert!
We’re happy you joined us for our Father’s Day adventure.
Back to the pickup near this lily pond in McAllister.
Time to put “Lucille” on the trailer and go home for a barbecue.

Here’s lookin’ at you!
Happy Father’s Day, my friends.

Til next time – Happy Trails to You!
See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

flowers, holidays, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, pets, photography, Travel, trees

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He Left Us


He Left Us

He left us his roses and hydrangeas,
and his garden with zucchini,
but he forgot to take the old wheelbarrow,
and he forgot the bocci ball court.
He left his mother’s crucifix on my wall,
his watch in the top dresser drawer,
the Balsamic vinegar in the cupboard,
but he forgot to take his Gallo Burgundy.
He left in each of us his love of family,
his teary-eyed sentimentality, and he left
the aches and pains of his earthly body,
but he forgot to take his spray paint, and
his love of convertibles with the top down.
He left the wife he loved so faithfully,
the family and neighbors who miss him so,
and the unconditional love; but he
forgot the collection of nude calendars,
and he forgot to take his twinkle.
I know – I have it!

I thank God that my daddy and I had such a wonderful relationship. I am so grateful for Dad’s unconditional love and warm hugs. This photo was taken in the early 1960s when I was in college… home for Father’s Day weekend.

And here is my dad with Mom, “the wife he loved so faithfully,” at their 30th anniversary, back in 1968. Can you see the twinkle is his eye? He and Mom were married for nearly 60 years before he died in 1998.

Happy Father’s Day to my dear hubby, Bob, father of our children, Ty & DeAna. In this photo, he was enjoying a day out on the Madison River last year on Father’s Day weekend. The weather prevented us from getting out today, but the fish are waiting. We’ll get out there soon.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.
How will you spend YOUR day?

In another couple decades, when Bob & I leave this earth,
his poem will look far different from my dad’s.
Parts may be the same, because
he will leave his unconditional love
in the hearts of all who know him, but
other parts will be quite a contrast:
no Gallo Burgundy for him!
And he won’t leave his Runquist Wines behind… no way!!
It will all have been consumed…

Cheers, my friends!
(Sante’ – as we “prost” in Switzerland)

Enjoy your Father’s Day.
See ya tomorrow.
Hugs, JanBeek

Category:

children, Family, Fishing, God, Gratitude, holidays, Love, Memories, Montana, Poetry, relationships

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Love those Bostons!!


Did you know Boston Terriers are the one breed created in the USA?

The Boston terrier breed originated around 1875, when Robert C. Hooper of Boston purchased from Edward Burnett a dog named Judge (known later as Hooper’s Judge), which was of a bull and terrier type lineage. … The American Kennel Club cites Hooper’s Judge as the ancestor of all true modern Boston Terriers.

It’s very appropriate that this adorable furry friend should greet you on Memorial Day 2020. The Boston Terrier is a lively little companion recognized by his tight tuxedo jacket, sporty but compact body, and the friendly glow in his big, round eyes. His impeccable manners have earned him the nickname “The American Gentleman.”

Our TazE brings us such joy. We bought her from a breeder in Indiana after seeing her with her four siblings in a picture on-line. We were going to name her “Angel,” but then we met her two weeks later when she was delivered to us by a http://www.U-Ship.com helper. (That’s a story I wrote about a couple of years ago on JanBeek at https://janbeek.blog/2018/08/26/a-love-affair-with-bostons/)

Meeting her, seeing her bounce and be in constant motion, we realized she was no “Angel.” With the help of our son’s creative advice, we named her “Taz” (for the Tasmanian Devil) and “E” the ears that dominated her presence. She has calmed down now. Her sweet soul kept me company today and helped me have a very Happy Memorial Day weekend. I hope you had one, too.

On behalf of our sweet TazE (notice how she is turning white around her eyes as she ages) – and us (the 2Beeks) we wish you a very meaningful Memorial Day evening. God bless you, dear friends.


Did you have a memorable Memorial Day weekend?
Tell me about it.
See ya tomorrow.

Love from JanBeek & TazE

Category:

Animals, friendship, holidays, Love, pets, relationships

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Free to Do, Free to Bee…


Thank you, Guideposts, for your inspirational daily messages. On this Memorial Day that is so different from those past, I am grateful for the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.

Free to Live and Build

I am grateful for the freedom to live in this beautiful place in Montana where the robins sing, build their nests, lay their eggs, and feed their babies right outside my dining room window! I’m free to just bee… free to do nothing but sit and watch today… if that’s my choice!

I see that wall to the north of my dining room table. The window there leads to our bedroom.
I watched Rita and Robbie, the robin duo, build the nest and lay the eggs. Fifteen days later, they hatched!
Now Rita Robin brings worms to the babies.
They are hungry little robins, begging for more.
Rita Robin leaves… and Robbie Robin comes to feed them next! Robins mate for life. It is such fun to watch them take turns caring for the nest. Rarely is it left uncovered like this these days.

Free to Bee… Free to Recover…

I found this beautiful, stunned bird sitting on the front porch this morning. Is it a wren? It’s really tiny. Even when TazE (our Boston Terrier) went out to sniff at it, it didn’t move. It was free to just bee… bee still for a while. A half hour later, it was recovered – and thankfully flew away. Free to recover. Free to fly.


Free to Marvel

As I sit here and watch the robins take turns in the nest, I am eternally grateful to those service men and women who gave their lives that I might enjoy the peace I have today. Peace to sit here and marvel at nature. Free to enjoy the peace, and to FaceTime with my daughters across the continent and across the Atlantic.

De & Laina

Peace to watch Bob head off with a neighbor to fish the Madison today.

I hope he is free to catch a big one, like my friend Susan Phillips did this week… and then free to catch and release so someone else can be free to have the thrill of catching this beauty! Our Madison River has a “Catch & Release” policy because the trout all are natives… no “planting” allowed. It’s a world-class fly-fishing mecca!!

The pristine Madison River in Madison County, Montana

What are you free to do today?
Tell me about it.
And what are you most grateful for?

Bee grateful
You are free…
Free to
Bee silly…
Free to just Bee!

See ya tomorrow.
Have a Meaningful, Peaceful Monday.

Category:

Animals, blessings, children, contentment, Family, Fishing, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, holidays, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, nature, peace, relationships, Serving One Another

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Must We Die for Freedom?


History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday. This Memorial Day weekend feels very different from years past. Even though we are not having lock-down, stay-at-home orders in Montana, still most of us don’t feel free to have a large gathering with a picnic potluck as we usually do. We need to find new ways of honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Memorial Day is this Monday, May 25th, a day for us in the USA to honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States Military. It was originally known as Decoration Day after the tradition of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers. Women in Pennsylvania began this practice as early as 1864 following the end of the Civil War. Soon other states and cities did the same.

Waterloo, New York, held an annual community-wide event beginning in 1866. This led the town to be recognized as the birthplace of Memorial Day by the federal government in 1966. Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971. In 2000, Congress passed a resolution, urging Americans to set aside 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day “to observe a national moment of remembrance to honor the men and women of the United States military who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.” 

Thank you, Shutterstock, for this image.

Do You?

Do you celebrate Memorial Day? If so, how are my fellow Americans planning on celebrating Memorial Day this year?

I’m curious: How do those of you in other countries remember the people in your nation who have served in your military (or do you)?

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com

Wonderful Dream

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful dream-come-true to have us all just love one another? No fences, no walls, no borders, no nation against nation… just one world, unified, working in tandem for a better life for everyone?

Wouldn’t it be a dream-come-true if we all felt a sense of freedom without anyone having to die to maintain it?

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful dream if everyone stopped hoarding and just shared generously? Share toilet paper! Share the Good News! Share LOVE!

… a pet, and toilet paper
and a lotta LOVE!

Our military generously give their ALL.
The least we can do is give them a day of Gratitude for their service…
and a dream that one day we will all live as ONE,
end all wars, and live in PEACE!

God bless you, my dear Blogging family.
I pray that you have a peace-filled weekend.
I’ll see you tomorrow.

Hugs, JanBeek

Wait, don’t leave until you comment!!
Tell me about how you honor your military
or tell me about your dreams for ONE WORLD of LOVE!

Category:

Giving, Gratitude, holidays, Life and Death, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

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Marvelous Moms


Our marvelous moms

Their unconditional love

Speaks eternally

My mom & dad
Our DeDe and her Mother-in-Love
One of my favorite “Other Moms”
Mom to thousands of adoring students
Love to moms whose children are distanced by this pandemic
Love to our adopted moms/ AFS moms/ chosen children
God bless our children on this day!
Our son, Ty, and his beautiful spouse, Monika, mother of 4 of our grandkids
Special love this day to wanna-be moms who would’ve if they could’ve
And extra love ❤️ this day to all the guys who made us moms… and grammies…
… and great-Grammies!
Love to all future moms on this day, too. I pray they marry first!!
God bless you all!

Happy Mum’s Day!

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blessings, children, Family, God, Gratitude, holidays, Love, relationships

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Remembering May Poles


The Way it Was

When I was a child at Bonita Elementary School in Crows Landing, California, May Day was a very special occasion. We always created a May Pole around the flag pole at the front of the beautiful, two-story brick building. We dressed in colorful clothes and practiced days in advance to be sure we knew how to weave the ribbons properly. Parents came to watch as students assembled in the front of the school. The band played. The principal spoke, and teachers did special art projects in the classrooms.

I especially remember Mrs. Horwedel, my 4th grade teacher, who had us go out into the fields near the school and pick wild flowers. Then we made paper baskets, filled them with the flowers, and created unique cards.

They weren’t as pretty as the one pictured here, of course, but we thought they were! Some of us took them home to give to our mom. Others hung them on a doorknob of a friend’s house as they walked toward home. (You hang it, ring the doorbell, and run to hide). It’s a surprise! A few decided to hang them on the door of a favorite teacher’s classroom.

Today’s World

In today’s world, there are few schools surrounded by fields with wildflowers, and buying flowers is too expensive. So, the tradition of the May Day baskets has pretty much gone by the wayside, right?

But May Poles didn’t cost much. Just a few bucks for some crepe paper or ribbon strips, and time to practice. I think it’s a shame that in most places we seem to have forgotten this day’s history and we have failed to preserve it.

History of May Day Celebrations

According to Wikipedia, “May Day is a public holiday usually celebrated on 1 May or the first Monday of May. It is an ancient festival of Spring[1] and a current traditional spring holiday in many European cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the festivities.”

Moving Forward

Let’s get back to dances, singing, and cake! Let’s reinstate the celebration of spring. Let’s recreate the May Pole. Let’s make it a part of our “new normal” once this VOVID-19 pandemic allows us to go back to our schools and hug our neighbors. What do you think?

I hope your day was a happy, memorable one.

What are your favorite May Day memories?

See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

art, children, flowers, friendship, Giving, holidays, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, relationships

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A Different Easter


My post yesterday was titled with the single word:
Rest!!
I’m hugging you in prayer today.
I pray you were able to rest on the Sabbath –
and I pray you are ready
to sing his praises
as you celebrate a very happy and meaningful
DIFFERENT Easter Sunday today.

Here is my favorite Easter hymn. If you grew up in a traditional Christian church, you know this as well as I do… and you won’t be able to help yourself – – – you’ll HAVE to sing along!

God Bless You!
Have a good rest…
a very unique Easter…

… and a day filled with blessings.

Category:

blessings, contentment, Faith, God, holidays, Love, music, peace, prayer

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