There is no better way To spend an autumn day Than to take a ride with friends Up into the Gravelly Range
We traveled along the Madison Overlooking the Palisades And enjoyed the river view And the hint of what’s to come
Every mile closer to Antelope Basin, our destination, The scenery became more and more breathtaking!
Lake at Antelope Basin
At the 7,000 foot level The autumn colors amaze The aspen are changing color From green to gold to orange
Golden grasses and blue sky Accented the purple mountains And created a wonderland For this appreciative photographer
Wow!
We went in and out of twelve Or more gates to keep cattle in They stood at the road’s edge Unperturbed by our noisy ATVs
When you sing of purple mountain majesty And you wonder what that might look like, Just come to Montana and you will Wonder no more… you’ll just be in awe!
We stopped by Hidden Lake To rest and have our lunch The lake is soooo beautiful And it really is hidden down there
Chuck and Caroline relaxed with Bob After enjoying a picnic lunch Penny & Rex were with us And TazE, too, of course!
Isn’t that blue sky spectacular? And the colors of the trees glorious? Don’t you wish you could be In an ATV traveling with us?
golden aspen
‘Tis time to return to our pickups Load up the four-wheelers Return down to our Madison Valley And look forward to the next trip.
Wish you could join us! I’ll share a couple more pics tomorrow. Have a good night. Thanks for traveling with me vicariously! Hugs, JanBeek
We thank Thee for all The blessings You give us, Lord. Thank Thee for Jim Reeves!
What a voice!
What a beautiful land we live in… Let’s take care of it, okay? Protect the animals, the trees and flowers, and rivers, And let’s protect one another, too.
Bob & I are so happy that we were able to sing “Happy Birthday” to our daughter, DeAna this morning. Thank God for the internet! Today is the 53rd anniversary of her birth. She is celebrating it with her son, Chris, and her choir at a retreat in the Alps. Wish we could be there to celebrate with her!
Newborn DeDe with her brother, Ty.. Her tongue was always out… I thought maybe we needed to have the doctor shorten it!!!
But eventually she grew some teeth and the tongue stayed in!!
Yup, she grew lots of teeth! And the cutest smile, too!! This was when she was in second grade.
About that time (2nd or 3rd grade)< her Grandma Beekman made her a slip to match her own and curled her hair. That’s becoming a big girl!!
I love this photo of DeDe as a high schooler. Such a sweet and talented kid! Yes, we are blessed!
And here she is today… Celebrating her birthday in Switzerland at a choir retreat with her son, Chris.
Oh, For Blessed JOY!!! The joy of a child’s birthday… Always our baby!
We remember so well the day of her wedding! That’s my wedding dress from 25 years earlier… Ah, sweet memories!
What are some of the JOYS that fill your heart today, my friends? Is it the great outdoors, the animals, the beauty of God’s creation? Is it family and the love of staying connected in spite of this pandemic? Tell me!
See ya tomorrow. Thanks for visiting!! Hugs, JanBeek
Ya gotta read this post! It’s full of gorgeous flowers from derrickjknight
and you don’t want to miss seeing more! It’s full of a variety of humor and thoughtfulness!
Do you know the word “HodgePodge”?? Is it real or is it one that my mom made up? When I put it in Pexels to look for a picture, nothing came up. But my iPhone dictionary had it! Here are some synonyms:
jumble
mishmash
collection
combination
medley
miscellany
potpourri
melange
Don’t you love the concept? It doesn’t say “junk” (which is often what I thought of when I used the word hodgepodge). No, not junk… just a mishmash of unrelated ideas or an assortment of things that can actually be related – like this meat on a grill.
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com A hodgepodge of meats
Need to Share
Today’s blog is a mishmash – a hodgepodge of various things, ideas, photos that caught my eye this week. I saved them because I either loved them or hated them, laughed or groaned at them, and I wanted to share them for your viewing, too.
Love One Another
My blog’s subtitle is “Loving One Another” – so I try to share ideas that represent ways we can reach out in love more fully and unconditionally to one another.
A friend (who was born in Canada but is now a USA citizen) sent me these pictures/memes/jokes/thoughts today. I decided if the election goes the wrong way next November here in the USA, Canada may be my next residency! It appears they have a handle on how to “Love One Another.” Even their graffiti is kinder than ours!!
And if they wear a hat with something written on it, I guess it is positive, too…
Going on with my hodgepodge, I received this meme from a friend today. It made me laugh. I think laughter is what keeps me going these days!
You can’t fix stupid. Don’t even try… unless it’s YOU!! Then get some help…
But God says we gotta LOVE everybody! So, cover those unused socket holes!!
One of my blogging friends wrote a comment this week. She said to me, “You’re a mess!” Should I laugh or be insulted?
You have four choices for how to survive this virus: champ, chump, clump, or chimp. What will it be?
Oh, Other Options?
You say you have other survivor options? One way my blogging friend, Derrick Knight and his wife, Jackie, are surviving this pandemic is by being voracious gardeners. And Derrick is a phenomenal photographer. Let me add to my hodgepodge today by sharing a couple of my favorite photos he posted recently from his rainy vistas in Great Britain:
Derrick’s peach rose Magnificent!!
Derrick’s Mamma Mia Amazing!!
Derrick’s gladiolas I love ’em!
Derrick’s California Poppy – My favorite.
Pictures Bring Back Memories
In my past life, some of you know I was a teacher for 24 years and a principal for 9 years and worked in the district office as curriculum coordinator (wearing a hundred hats with all kinds of responsibility and no authority to back ’em up!)… and then I decided to do what I loved most – and go back into the classroom before I retired. I taught a first grade and took them on to second. Oh, what a joy that was! Many of those students are my FaceBook friends today… 21 years later!!
That poppy brought back those memories because the school where I was principal for 9 years was Caswell Elementary in the Ceres Unified School District in California. Our school song was:
“Poppies, Golden Poppies, Gleaming in the sun. Closing up at evening when the day is done. Pride of California, Flower of our state, Growing from the mountains To the Golden Gate.
We’re the Caswell Cougars, We are Number One. Green and yellow banners Waving in the sun. Caswell is a place for Learning and for fun. We’re the Caswell Cougars, We are Number One!!
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com The Cougar… our mascot
And the HodgePodge Continues…
Cord and Ruby
Yesterday, if you read my blog, you know we went for a farewell ice cream social to say “See ya later” to our two favorite little Sunday School friends, Cord and Ruby. We are praying for their happy resettling on their dad’s home ranch in Jordan, MT. It’s a six-hour drive from here. They’ll have horses and cattle and dogs and cats and lots of room to roam. Our love and prayers go with them. We gave them great big farewell hugs and told ’em how much we love and will miss them.
Vissoie, Switzerland
Great HodgePodge Finish
A great end to my hodgepodge for today is this wonderful photo that I JUST received via the magic of WhatsApp from my daughter, DeAna. She wrote,
“I took this photo from the parking lot near our restaurant this morning while thinking of you.”
Ah, our children certainly know how to melt a mothers heart, don’t they? Nothing could make me happier than to know that when my daughter sees a symbol of our faith, she thinks of me! What a gift, huh?
Maybe I am not so disturbed after all!!
A Puuurfect Ending
What HodgePodge of thoughts captured your imagination today? I hope they were a medley of love and laughter, memories and musings that lightened your soul.
This place is the best for me. I love living in Montana. After watching that video, Can you understand?
There’s no place like Montana, But Switzerland comes real close. Both have beautiful mountain majesty! I love visiting our family in Valais.
What places do you love? Where do you like to visit in this world? My grandson shared the following pictures today. Italy’s one of my other favorite places.
Mike and his girlfriend, Tania, Are vacationing in Italy this week. They are enjoying great days in the sun, Hiking, shopping, swimming, loving it!
Mike & Tania – such a cute couple!
Tania on a shopping trip in Italy
Tania – out for a swim – beautiful young lady, huh?
They have a great view from their balcony.
Meanwhile, back in Switzerland, my middle grandson, Nick, is out for a hike with his girlfriend, Celine.
So good to see Nick & Celine so happy!
What a place to hike, huh? That’s Nicky out there!
It’s hard to beat Swiss scenes like this!
Back in Sierre, Switzerland, our daughter, DeAna, is enjoying an afternoon with my youngest grandson, Chris
De and Chris in Sierre, Switzerland
This could be their hiking path.
Not to be outdone, our son, Ty, is enjoying life, too. He and his oldest son, Sam, are relaxing in the high Sierra-Nevada mountains. This is the view Ty sent me today:
Ty’s view from his hammock
Ah, summertime, and the livin’ is easy… Fish are jumpin’ and the mountains are high. On this lazy summer Sunday, what are YOU doing? I’m gonna post my sermon notes from this mornings message.
Then I’m gonna go enjoy the lovely outdoors, too. What are you doing this beautiful Sunday afternoon? Go out and appreciate the beauty around you, And remember to thank the Lord for His handiwork.
Tell me about your day… what did you do? If you could put yourself into one of those photos today, Which place would be best for you? I’m wishing this pandemic was over so I could go to one of them!
But, life is good… I’m not complaining. Thank God for the internet and for kids who care – Care enough to include Grammy & Grampy In their adventures today. Oh, how I love ’em!
See ya later. Thanks for visiting. Please leave your comment!
This is the “chalet” where our daughter, DeAna, is spending this weekend with her friend, Kade. While they are enjoying the hot tub, lovely meals, and the fantastic scenery, Andre’ and his brother, Roger, are out on a motorcycle adventure.
Another of De’s views
A Swiss aperitif
Meanwhile, Andre’s refreshment…
I’d like to be in that hot tub with De – Sante’!! …
… enjoying the view from the balcony.
Which room would you like?
Dream Big
Don’t forget to Dream Big! My friend, Terry, and I have been studying Bob Goff’s on-line Bible Study titled, “Dream Big” – and this is one of my dreams: To return to Switzerland To visit DeAna and her family and to rent a “chalet” like this one and have all kinds of friends come and stay with us.
Are you on? Dream Big!
Keep Unfulfilled Dreams Alive
Don’t forget to keep Unfulfilled Dreams alive and well in your heart. It makes tomorrow ENCHANTING!
This 12 minute video shows mainly city areas, but it gives you a great idea of the diversity of Switzerland’s landscape and architecture. (I hope you are not interrupted by Montana political ads like I was)
My Favorite Swiss Places
My favorite places to visit in Switzerland are not the cities… although Geneva and Lucerne, are indeed lovely spots. My daughter lives in Sierre, a much smaller city, and I love to go there in the Rhone River Valley, to that “sun city” because people are more important than places to me.
The “Swiss Weekend” pictures are from a little village outside Geneva. I want to go there! Also. De & Andre’ have purchased a restaurant in a village called Vissoie. It is up the mountain from Sierre. I want to go there!
What Are Your Favorite Spots?
After visiting the 10 top spots via that You.Tube video (if you had 12 minutes to view it), do you have a favorite spot you might want to visit in Switzerland?
Have you ever been to Switzerland before? If so, I know why you want to go back. If not, I know why you want to put it on your “Bucket List.”
Keep Dreaming! See ya tomorrow.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the tiger inside me!!
Job 5:9 “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”
Every day is a MIRACLE!
The fact that I was able to go on that ATV ride yesterday on those bumpy, rocky trails is in itself a miracle. You know I had hernia surgery on my mid-section last month. To enjoy yesterday with Bob & our friends was a WONDER, for sure! And today I am no worse for the wear… Thank God!
I remember now The terrible destruction And our lack of help.
I wonder why we Didn’t do more to assist? Do you wonder, too?
Google says, “The Micronesian nation offers beautiful white beaches, exotic wildlife, and intriguing culture and history.”
Through the miracle of You.Tube you can take a virtual trip to Guam and you can learn about its history and see its beauty… and you will WONDER how many of these gorgeous places might have survived or been destroyed by that hurricane. This video was created in 2016 and the hurricane was in 2019.
Like me, you will WONDER why this site doesn’t list the PEOPLE who died in this tragic event. Certainly they are more important than the $3.3 million in damage. And you want to hear stories of the MIRACLES of survival in the midst of such devastation, right?
As I quoted from the Bible at the beginning of this post, in Job 5:9 it says, “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”
Everywhere we look in this world, there are wonders and miracles to behold. Open your eyes to them, my friends.
I told you some of the ones I see and some I would like to travel and see. How about you? What miracles do you see? What wonders do you want to see?
How do you see yourself? Do you know YOU ARE A MIRACLE? How alert is your funny bone?
Are you ready for the miracle of laughter that brings healthy endorphins into your body?
Are you laughing?
Keep on laughing. It does wonders for your mental health! Love ya, JanBeek
Can you bee an artist? Maybe you already are! How about beeing a bee artist?
We may not all be endowed with the skill to play the piano like this, or … (hang in there and keep listening)… another guy plays the Flight of the BumbleBee on several different sized trombones. It just gets more and more unbelievable. WOW!!! It’ll leave you smiling. How does he do that?
Maybe your artistic talent doesn’t lean toward music, but you’re good at painting and drawing. You can bee a bee artist like Luisa Fernanda Otero Prada. Isn’t this colorful art enchanting?
Here is another bee by artist Luisa Fernanda Otero Prada
Sometimes it’s not music or painting or drawing that makes us artists, but the ability to write – to put words together creatively for entertainment or education, inspiration or just to vent. I recently found a new blogger named Amy who wrote about bees on her post:
I wrote her and told her she was “spot on” about the health benefits of honey, but honey doesn’t make good candles! They’re ineffective and sticky and they don’t burn. Nope! It’s the bees wax, not the honey. She was kind and wrote back to say she believed me :o)
I have written on the subject of bees many times, too, because (as many of you know), my husband Bob is a retired beekeeper. With a name like Beekman (Bee-keeper-man), how could he bee otherwise?
Bob grew up on a “Honey Farm” and learned the relationship between natural honey and good health at a very young age. “Bee”ing a good beekeeper is an art of its own!!
I found some pictures from the family farm on this search: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beekman-and-beekman-hughson But discovered that internet site name is “unclaimed.” Hmmm… I know they have a website that has been claimed. I’ll have to keep looking.
This is definitely the honey that was produced by the bees of Bob & his brother, Bruce, (and now his nephew, Matt) and it is bottled and sold at the ranch in Hughson, California in their tasting room. Bruce’s wife, Ann, is the brains and creativity behind the Tasting Room/Honey House and the Beekman&Beekman label.
Matt’s wife, Sarah, is actively involved with him as a beekeeper. She raises queens (that’s a topic for a future blog) and she travels with him to North Dakota where Matt & Sarah take some of their bees for the summer. She’s a wonderful example of a mom who cooks with honey!
It’s an art to create an attractive label and an inviting “Honey House” and it is an art to be a good salesperson! It’s an art to take beautiful photos of people, products and places.
California sage – by Beekman and Beekman
Beekman & Beekman Honey farm also has lavender products and a beautiful field of lavender just south of the house.
Bee Honey Wise
I kept searching and I did find the actual Beekman family website at http://www.beekmanandbeekman.com … It’s been 15 years since Bob retired as a partner in this bee business, but honey runs through our veins after a lifetime with bees and beekeeping!
On the Beekman website I found a link to another way to Bee an Artist… Culinary Arts! There is a link to “Cooking with Honey” that gives you tips on how to do so successfully.
Go to the website and learn more!
Bob reminded me that Bruce & Matt are not the only Beekman beekeepers and that I should not forget to mention his nephew, Bryan, who is one of California’s largest beekeepers. He has over 10,000 hives that he places all over California’s central valley, mid-coast, and southern CA. Bryan and his wife, Michele, also have a honey sales room. In the area outside Fresno, CA, the Honey Hut is a unique place in Sanger, CA. You should consider visiting it if you are ever in that area. You can learn more about Bryan at http://www.fcfb.org/About-Us/BoardMembers/Beekman.php
Bryan and his cousin, Matt, are members of co-op, Sioux Bee Honey.
You can Bee an Artist in so many ways – with:
Music
Visual Arts
The Written Word
Culinary Arts
Photography
What can you add?
Bee Clever!!!
Have a BEEutiful Sunday. Go to church and worship God! Thank Him for all the artists who enhance our lives!
When troubles come… Where do you go to be lifted up? I go into the mountains. There God fills my cup.
Elaine Hundley Photography
I was not able to go with Bob these last couple of weeks when he took our ATV up into the Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range.
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I had surgery to repair a hernia a couple of weeks ago. The doctor said those bumpy rides on our four-wheeler, “Lucille” (she’s red-headed and she is a BALL), were off-limits.
So, Bob took our friend, Julie, last week… and this week he took our friend, Elaine. Both of them loved it. I’m so glad he shares the fun with friends who appreciate the beauty of Montana’s mountains as much as we do!
Elaine Hundley and Bob Beekman
Elaine is the wife of our minister and friend, Steve Hundley. I share my poetic sermon notes each Sunday with you. It’s Steve who preaches those captivating messages! Elaine took the pictures I am sharing with you today. She has some real beauts here!!
I told her she needs to enlarge and frame this one!!
You can see the tip of Lucille’s tire here … obviously Bob stopped many times along the trail so Elaine could get out and snap a shot of the view. As you can see, they traveled up above the tree line into the snow. It’s mid-July and Montana’s mountain tops still have snow. Bundle up! Yup, it was cold up there while I was enjoying a 75 degree day down in the Madison Valley.
Elaine must have had more than an iPhone 6 for this shot. You think?
I thought that was “Lucille” but look again… it doesn’t have a red head!
The camera doesn’t do justice to the fields of wild flowers. But, you get the idea.
No camera lens is as miraculous as the lens God gives each of us with our eyes… especially if we have 20/20 vision. But, a skilled photographer can come close with a good camera. I love the composition of this one with the rocks on rock in the foreground, don’t you?
In case you were wondering about their altitude…
Thank you, Elaine, for sharing with us your day with Bob and God! We are so blessed to be friends with one another and with nature and with our Creator! I love you! <3
And thank you, my WordPress friends, for going with us into the mountains where we can all feel closer to God. There, He fills my cup! Did He fill yours, too?
Be at peace. God bless you!
I added the words below here to my blog from a couple days ago where I had a video posted of Susan Boyle singing this song… but some folks weren’t able to access the video.
I leave you today with this wonderful Peace Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi. Make Me a Channel of Your Peace…
Thank you, Lord, for your great creation. I find such peace in Your mountains!
I hope you did, too, my friends. See ya tomorrow. JanBeek
