Animals | JanBeek

Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘Animals’

What Do You Miss?

There I am in the top-middle – happily holding my two bells, ready to practice with the Ennis Bell Ringers. This photo was taken last December before all this COVID-19 pandemic was known. We learned a series of songs to play at a Christmas concert, and were set to start learning patriotic songs so we could give a concert here in Ennis on the 4th of July. And all of a sudden, everything was cancelled. You know the feeling.

I sing in our church choir, too… and those practices had to be cancelled.

I volunteered (past tense) at our Senior Center as a sous chef, and at our local hospital as a receptionist one day a week. Those opportunities to serve were cancelled.

I miss:

singing with the choir
playing with the bell ringers
volunteering as a sous chef
volunteering to work one day a week at our local hospital
visiting my friends at the local nursing home
having neighborhood parties
hugging my friends
the carefree safety of flying to California or Pennsylvania or Switzerland to be with my children and their families, my sis and my niece
the freedom to shake hands with people I meet
and so much more…

I am grateful that we live where we do because here in the Madison Valley of Montana, we still are able to:

go four-wheeling in the mountains with friends in the wide-open spaces
attend church services outside on the lawn
hug one another (Bob & me… thank God!)
wear a mask and socially distance at CostCo or our local grocery store to do our shopping
interact with family and friends using the internet… here’s my sister in her last FaceTime meeting with her daughter and grandson (a real smile – yay!)

Yay! Thank God for the magic of the internet!

We still can hop in the car and go to see the beautiful scenery around us. In places up high, there still is snow on the ground!

And thanks to the internet, friends who go to visit Yellowstone Park can send pictures of the bison – and we can enjoy the sights they see vicariously!

So, instead of focusing on what I miss, I guess I should look at the joys we still can enjoy, right? My grandson, Mike, in Switzerland, went to a friend’s wedding last weekend – and he sent me a lovely picture of him with his darling girlfriend, Tania. I miss seeing him in person and meeting his friend in person, but I am grateful that he reaches out to me and that he sent this terrific photo:

Tania must have been a bridesmaid, don’t you think? Lovely dress!!

They have those same beautiful mountains there – even prettier – that we have here in Montana. See them behind the couple? The Alps are pretty spectacular! And of course, you noticed that foot that’s stuck in the photo there, right? Someone’s having fun. I can feel the joyfulness, can’t you?

What is it that you are missing?
And what are you grateful for today? Tell me!

I’m grateful for life itself…
and for my health.
Cheers, my friends!
I’m grateful for YOU!!

See ya tomorrow.
Love ya…. thanks for visiting
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, contentment, Family, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, Life's Challenges, Love, Montana, mountains, peace, relationships

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Revisit HodgePodge on Tuesday

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 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…

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.

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!!

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.

See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, children, contentment, Faith, Family, flowers, God, Gratitude, happiness, humor, Life's Challenges, Love, Memories, photography, prayer, relationships, Sharing

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Peace Be With You!

Good morning from Madison Valley, Montana

Peace from Antelope family – Jeffers, Montana

Peace from this Beautiful buck – Jeffers, Montana

Peace from this Moose duo at Madison River for a drink

Peace beside this Fish sculpture – Madison River

Pace in our Home sweet home in early spring

Ed Coyle Photography – Peace at Madison River ‘s sunset

Peace is living here
In the Madison Valley
Fun is sharing it

Safely visiting
When this COVID is over
Can be your next goal

Let our peaceful place
Put calmness and joy in you
Let me spoil you

God has spoiled me
Blessed me to be a blessing
I long to share peace

Peace be with you, my friend.
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, flowers, friendship, Giving, God, Gratitude, Haiku, happiness, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, peace, photography, Poetry, Sharing

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Wordless Wednesday – 8/12/20

Thanks for sharing a little
of my Montana Wordless Wednesday
with me.

It was a great day!
See ya tomorrow.
Love ya,

JanBeek

Category:

Fishing, flowers, friendship, happiness, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, peace, pets, trees

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The Tiger in Me

There’s a tiger
Inside of me –
It growls and
Wants to be in control.

But the tiger
Can be intimidating.
It’s not a peaceful
Influencer.

If I want to influence
Peace and kindness
In the people around me,
I need to unleash Pussycat!

There’s a pussycat
Inside of me.
It wants to cuddle and purr
and reach out in love.

There is wisdom
In that purring side of me.
Should I let the
Pussycat rule?

Yes, there’s a pussycat
Inside of me.
She is submissive
And sweet.

Will my tiger
Give in to her?
When is it right to
Let the growler rule?

Do you have a tiger in you?
And a pussycat scratching to get out?
I think we all may be a little of each.
What do you think?

Have a Happy Sunday.
We’ll have church services outdoors again.
It’s a beautiful blue-sky-day.
I’ll post my sermon notes later.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, peace, Poetry, self-acceptance

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Come Ride with Us!

Bob is a wonderful driver You can feel very safe going in our ATV, Lucille, up to Sureshot Lake and the lookout… with TazE in your lap. Here we are on the top of the world.

The following video was taken just outside of McAllister, Montana as we were headed up to Sureshot Lake and the lookout above it.

We had the fun of friends, Julie & Mike joining us … and Julie’s sis, Megan, & her friend, Martello. Julie & Mike brought their dog, Zeke, and of course, we had TazE.

This location on Sureshot Lake is about a 30 mile drive on our ATV from our home.

Just down the hill from this single thistle
was a collection of fireweed.
Beautiful prolific lavender groupings –
God’s flower bouquets along the route.
Derrick, you & Jackie would have loved these.

From the lake we went up to the lookout at about 7500 feet and had our lunch.

From this view at the lookout, you can see Willow Creek in Petosi Canyon.

The trip up to the next lookout (which is 9,600 feet) is rather scary for me… especially since it is so rocky and this was my first ATV ride since my hernia surgery about a month ago. But, I need to relax. Bob is a careful driver!

That’s Upper Twin Lake near our ridge view. As you look way out into the hazy Madison Valley, you can see Ennis Lake below.

Pictures just don’t give you the depth of field…
Turn around from this view,
and you see the snow-crested Tobacco Root Mountains.

Martello and Megan enjoyed that view, but Megan was not content to sit there. She spied those rocks to her right and decided to climb up and see what it was like from up there.

Megan’s more sure-footed than a mountain goat!

It doesn’t look as bumpy on the video as it felt!!

We stopped at the McAllister Presbyterian Church
and checked out the condition of the roof.

The cattle came by while we were there. Fun to see them!

Two horses greeted us as we entered the valley floor.

Back home. Time to relax.
It’s been a beautiful day.here.

Thanks for joining us.
Someday you need to come to Montana
and take this ATV ride for real!!

See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, flowers, happiness, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, Travel

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Bee Kind to Yourself

Bee kind to yourself –
You are a special person.
You “moose” treat yourself with love.

Bee kind to yourself –
Wrap yourself in perkiness.
Smile in the mirror.

Bee kind to yourself –
Find the most perfect head wrap.
Wrap yourself in love.

Isn’t she beautiful?
Go to 720Royal.com and treat yourself …
Be Kind to Yourself!

There’s where I found those beautiful head wrap pictures.
I may have to “Shop Now”
to find that perky, beautiful fabric.
Will you teach me to tie it that way?
Will they make me a gorgeous as those lovely ladies?

Our daughter, DeAna’s
a perfect “head wrap”
for her hubby, Andre’

Bee kind to yourself –
Hug your sweetheart every day.
Don’t let life skunk you!

God bless Ed Coyle,
Photographer extraordinaire!

Bee kind to yourself –
And share your love with others.
Reach out to loved ones.

With today’s virus,
Social distancing’s a must.
Don’t let it stop you!

Sharing’s essential –
And loneliness is rampant.
Kindness is two-way!

Share kindness with friends.
‘Cuz what you give blesses you.
Imitate Jesus!

Kindness lifts others.
Just as Jesus lifts you up,
Imitate His love!

Be kind to yourself –
Go find a beautiful spot,
And share it today.

Julie and Lisa
Shared with each other the view
And walk in the park.

Beauty’s more lovely
When shared with one another.
Who might walk with you?

Or who might visit,
Enjoy the flowers and porch?
Reach out to someone.

Lisa shared her lake view in South Carolina

Let your love brighten
The life of those around you.
Be kind to them, too.

Share your gorgeous views
And notice how your love shines
And kindness returns.

Love and prayers sending your way.
Bee well … Bee Safe … Bee Kind!

What did you do to “Bee Kind” to yourself or others today?
(Or what do you plan to do?)
Live intentionally.

See you tomorrow.
Hugs,
JanBeek