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?
We did it! Couldn’t look at that boathouse and not experience it!!
But the climb… oh my!This is the easy part… but the ramp with no railing… that needed someone to help us!It’s steeper than it looks here!Loved joining the friends down here.That’s LeighAnnAnd here she is with daughter, IslaBig blue eyes, dimples, and a devilish grin —- oh my —- what a cutie!
Meantime, Marcie sat up there and watched us.
Hellooo!!A break in the rain… Such a pretty day in SoddyDaisy, TN
Visiting Marcie meant being able to share time with her daughter Stacey, son-in-law Jeff, & grandchildren. Such a privilege! Jeff & Marcie showed us around the area and treated us like royalty. Stacey & Jeff treated us to dinner in their lovely home! We feel totally loved!
The friendship, the children, the scenery and gorgeous hospitality all are beyond wonderful!Thank You, Marcie!
What a treat to travel up to Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain and see the homes & vistas up there!
Hope your day was beautiful and you had (have) that kind of helpful mother (I did!)And I am blessed with this very loving helpful son and…… these two very sweet, helpful, loving daughters.
This week my dear friend, Mona Durham, age 96, died peacefully with her family gathered round.
Mona’s family and the leadership team of our church decorated the sanctuary and fellowship hall beautifully for her memorial service today.
Her ashes, in a container under the purple cloth, were sent into the hands of God as Jesus and St. Peter must surely have welcomed her into heaven. She was a True Believer.
The floral arrangements were spectacular.
There was a beautiful display of photos depicting Mona with many of her beloved family. She had four children and seven grandchildren. Four of the grandkids shared stories about how her life impacted theirs in such loving, meaningful, lasting ways.
I took notes (as is my habit) as I listened to their stories. Here are my notes:
Mona Durham’s was a 96 year life well lived. She lived heartily loving and laughing; Tough, fair, sarcastic, always available, Humble, reliable, stable, and always hospitable.
Mona wasn’t delicate or sheltered. The last of three daughters, she was the son… The son her dad never had! How he loved her! Oh how she loved him, others, and this Madison Valley!
She was a woman of grit and grace, loyal and hardworking. Volunteered with church, History museum, blood draws, Elections, Women’s Club & Cattle Women’s Association. Her later years were less busy, but never less purposeful.
She gave her life to quietly helping others. Her strength, honesty, love, and strong values Were the glue that held the family together. Also the fact that she always had fresh cookies!
Mona’s strength was grounded and rooted. Her faith was deep, honest and clear. She carried struggles quietly with endurance. Her life will endure in each of us who loved her.
Following the service, there was a time of fellowship with beautiful trays of meats and cheeses (prepared by Deemo’s in Ennis).
Deemo’s also prepared this beautiful, tasty tray of veggies.
The family extended a special thank you to the caregivers at Home Park and Madison Valley Manor for the dignity, kindness, and care they showed Ramona in her final years. In lieu of flowers, they asked that donations be made to Madison Valley Historical Museum (where Mona was a faithful, treasured volunteer) or Bear Creek Schoolhouse (where she attended 1st to 4th grade and then later volunteered to help with fundraisers to maintain it – and organized pinochle parties every March). She loved playing cards, doing 500 – 1000 piece puzzles, and keeping in touch always with her family and friends. She will be sorely missed by us all!
Mona’s smile was infectious!
Mona’s granddaughter, Tori, summed up what most of her family would agree was an important take-away:
“I see so clearly that her impact isn’t simple or singular, it’s generational. What she has given us goes far beyond memories, she’s given us a way of living.”
“She never once told me how to live, but she sure as hell has shown me!”
Your shared love inspires us to pass it on. Thank you, Mona.
Weekly we are given an invitation to write a six-sentence story using the word prompt from GirlieOnTheEdge. This week the word prompt was “Fly.”
I had fun trying to write about as long a sentence as I could for each of the paragraphs today. And I enjoyed giving you, my faithful readers a glimpse of my childhood from kindergarten to sixth grade. What do you think?
Time flies… but I can recall when I was a little girl of about five, my sister Sally and I walked from Fig Lane (where we lived in a lovely little two bedroom, one bath home with our parents) to P Street School in Newman, California where I was a happy little kindergartener.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was six, my sister and I continued our daily walks (it was about a mile each way) to P Street School where I was a very happy, very outgoing first grader in Mrs. Awe’s classroom, my favorite primary grade teacher who kept in touch with me for the rest of her life, even after our family moved away.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was seven, my dad quit his job as a mechanic at Newman Garage and he sold our lovely little two bedroom house on Fig Lane and we moved into an old house next door to my paternal grandmother, about five miles out of town.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was eight, we moved to a remote house twenty miles from anywhere except the stinky Tallow Works that my dad owned with three sorta relatives who also had old houses moved onto the remote property and my sister and I walked about two miles to the bus stop every morning to go to Crows Landing’s Bonita Grammar School where Mrs. Yetter (who was almost bald and looked as old as Methusalah) was my 3rd grade teacher.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was nine and ten we still lived out there in the sticks by the smelly Tallow Works and we still had that long walk to the bus stop every morning – and walked back at the end of the day – but my life was much better because Mrs. Horwedel was my 4th and 5th grade teacher and she was a wonderful square dancer who taught us all to square dance and she let me be the “caller” – – – I was in 7th heaven!
Time flies, but I can recall … when I was eleven and twelve Mrs. Marlow was my teacher and she let me fly to my highest potential by recognizing and rewarding my talents by letting me go every day during spelling time (because I didn’t need it) to the kindergarten where I volunteered to help the teacher … and learned early on that I wanted to be a teacher, too, someday.
First February Festivity: the 11th for our 64th anniversary- A reason to celebrate and share a fabulous memory. The year was 1961 and Bob was stationed in Germany I was teaching a 1st grade in CA; he was in the US Army.
I married that handsome fellow when he flew home. I left my darling first grade class in Stockton, CA to go roam. Left my apartment, my language, Suzie, my roommate, My family and friends… all that was familiar. Not great!
The wedding was spectacular and the reception would make Family and friends smile & cheer us on and marvel at our cake. At our 50th anniversary we asked a bakery to duplicate it for us. One after another they said “Impossible” in an incredulous chorus.
I landed a job on the army base school in Germany, a first grade class, And finished out the year joyfully, learning a new culture. It was a blast! Back in California, I continued to teach the little ones in Turlock And then in San Francisco & Hillsborough… while Bob graduated from SF State.
We started our family during those SF years… a boy, Ty, and girl, De. They were a delight to us then … and still are a blessing each day to me! Here’s a picture of Bob & me with Ty when he was a sweet little babe… And one of DeAna with me in matching dresses I made!
As the years have gone by and our children have grown We moved from the Bay Area back to the place we had known As children and young adults; Bob joined the family with bees While I continued to teach and moved to principal and District Office with ease.
Our 50th anniversary was a time to gather five decades of friends & family For a weekend in Palm Desert where we golfed, ate, and reunited happily. The memories of that grand occasion are alive and well in our hearts, And we continue each February to connect with friends from our life’s parts.
When we retired, we continued to celebrate our February dates with flare! But we’re doing it in Montana. Twenty years ago we moved ourselves there. We love living in Big Sky Country, Ennis Montana, where the antelope roam. We celebrate life every day and invite you to come share the joy in our home.
February 11th is a day each year to celebrate the joy of being together. Valentine’s Day we celebrate at a Wine Pairings dinner – regardless of the weather. It’s at Madison Valley Ranches, a beautiful setting for sure, with great food and friends. Come join us if you wish… spaces are available … right out here where the river bends.
Time to celebrate! This February Festivity is my favorite one. Having you here to join us would make it extra fun. Call Manu at 406-660-2959 for your Valentine’s Day reservation. It’ll make us so happy to see you! Come share in our celebration!
Traveling from Ennis to Bozeman along the Madison RiverI happily wait for Bob as he gets a haircutOur “Bonus Daughter,” Laina, has a pretty day in Maryland, too. And DeDe, our daughter in Switzerland, sent a picture of the scene from her balcony this morning. Laina is enjoying time with her grandson…While DeDe is reading to her grandson … so cute!Meantime, Bob’s Diggin’ in to our wonderful lunch at Dave’s SushiDon’t you wish you’d had this delightful Thursday with us?
The “Six Sentence Story Blog Hop” from GirlieOnTheEdge1.wordpress.com for this week is CROSS.
As a child I obeyed without question whatever my mom or dad told me to do.
Likewise, I did not do what they told me I was not supposed to do.
I was a very obedient child.
But as a teenager who began to exert my independence, I had ideas of my own, and they didn’t always coincide with those of my parents.
Oh boy, do I vividly remember those first verbal clashes when I wanted to go my own way – and we crossed paths and mine wasn’t the direction my parents thought was okay!
I asserted my will and to my increasingly cross parents, I shouted, “It’s not up to you!”
“Don’t be so bold, you sassy thing!” Love, JanBeek
GirlieOnTheEdge invites us every week to “Write 6 Sentences. No more. No less. Use the current week’s prompt word.”
Today’s prompt word is “Trick.” Here goes:
The innocence of young children captivates my heart. Halloween is a time when a test on the innocence might start. When children are introduced to “Trick or Treat,” treats are expected. Some years ago tricks were handed out – no innocence respected. There were apples with a razor inside, or popcorn balls with poison inserted. Many children have had to stop the door-to-door so danger was skirted.
Let’s just love, shall we? Protect the innocence. Love, JanBeek
