Have you had more than a few candles put on your birthday cake? Ever had trouble blowing them out? My friends, Kathy & Ron, served a cake at fellowship after church today. They didn’t put all 83 candles on it, thank God… don’t wanna burn the church down! But, they put on a LOT – – – and I could not believe how long it took me to blow out those sparkling candles!!!!
This is just a very brief clip of the process… It’s OK to laugh with me as you watch it!
As you can see, there were only a few left to extinguish at this point… I had been at it for awhile…
Kathy & Ron are on my right. Am I praying I can do this? I don’t know…
This was about try #5 to get them all blown out. My friend, Alex, is there encouraging me!
Yes, things take longer as time goes by… And yet time seems to go by faster as the years progress. How do you figure that?
It was a happy birthday. I celebrated in Bozeman yesterday with Bob. He got me a new travel purse for our upcoming trip to Switzerland. We had a lovely dinner at The Mint in Belgrade.
Today I enjoyed exchanging messages with over a hundred of my friends from far and near on FaceBook. Also, had a wonderful FaceTime exchange with daughters, DeAna & Laina. It’s days like this when most friends and all of our family are far away that I especially enjoy the internet.
Couldn’t sit down face-to-face with DeDe and enjoy a cup o’ java – but we could talk and see one another.
And Laina could share her java with me virtually!
Our son, Ty, and his wife Monika, were not able to be here with us this year, but they FaceTimed this evening… so my heart is full. It took longer for them to reach out this year because Ty was on a Mission trip to Mexico. But I received a card from them… and this evening’s call was the frosting on the cake!
Yes, it takes longer between visits to see our family and friends these days, but thanks to the internet, we can FT and text, message and e-mail. In those cases, communication takes shorter – not longer!
Yes, I tilted toward the computer and my cell phone today!
Where do you tilt these days? And what things do you find take longer? I’m not alone in this, I bet!
Thanks for visiting! Have a great Sunday night – and a wonderful week.
I have taken a week off from blogging… time to enjoy company … time to enjoy summer finally!
July is a month Of special celebrations First: Back on the road
Bob, TazE and I were invited to join our friends, Mike and Julie, on an ATV ride into the Gravelly Range.
Julie & Mike brought their wonderful dog, Zeke.
The wildflowers were out in full bloom, and my friend, Susan Phillips, captured their beauty magnificently. What you see is the Madison Valley and the Sphinx in the Madison Range in the background. Impressive, huh?
Thank you, Susan, for letting me share some of your photos.
I captured some of the panoramic scenery. It was such a pretty day!
The fields of wild mustard and other wildflowers were breathtaking!
The fields are so green. The cattle are happy grazers!
Bob & I thought this was a beautiful place to stop for a lunch break.
That’s Bob holding TazE’s leash… And Julie bending low in front. She and Mike were our drivers… and Caroline & CG were the trip organizers.
Caroline & Chuck- dear friends!
Then, other dear friends, the Tillions, came from California to spend a few days with us.
Ingrid & Alan Tillion
We went to our nearby tourist attraction, Virginia City, and enjoyed time together there. No time to blog… too busy being in the moment!
Ingrid & Alan almost missed the hailstorm – but not quite! We got hammered!!
We went on the 4th to watch the parade from the comfort of our friends’, the Washburns, beautiful yard. They provided breakfast and lunch for an amazing group of their friends. We felt privileged to be included and to be invited to bring the Tillions with us.
Alan, Bob, Jan & Ingrid Such a beautiful Independence Day!
The parade came right in front of our lovely, shaded area at the Washburns. I loved the painted horse.
Back at home, we were treated to our own neighborhood parade with the Welna Family… too cute!
To continue our July celebrations, we went with the Tillions to Bozeman on July 5th, and we all enjoyed a yummy brunch at Jam! (my favorite BZN brkfst)
Mmmmm… it was delicious!
We didn’t stop there… yesterday we invited our pastor, Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds, to come celebrate her birthday with us. So you can see why I have not blogged for a few days. It’s been a wonderful time of face-to-face with people who are dear to our hearts. No better way to celebrate!
Happy Birthday, MGR!! We’re so happy you are a part of our lives! You make us happier with your presence.
It’s good to be back on my blog. I thank you for visiting and sharing time with us. I hope you will share how you are celebrating July, too.
Happy Trails to You!
See ya again soon, I hope. Have a beautiful rest of your week. What will you be doing? Tell me…
My friend in our local senior living center is in his 101st year on earth. Next week he’ll celebrate another birthday. We want to have a special party … a wheelchair parade … with balloons and horns and a lot of hoopla. But he’ll have none of that. No siree! Just celebrate it with all the other April birthdays … don’t make no big deal about it.
But it IS a big deal! Don’t you agree?
Do you know how many sunrises and sunsets that is? More than I care to count! However, God bless him, my friend can count them all. His mind is still sharp as a rack. How does he do that?
I need to go ask my friend, Anita. She’s about ready to celebrate her 100th, and she’s sharp as a tack, too! Stay tuned. I’ll get the secrets from both of them … and I’ll share it here. I wanna get to be 100 and still have all my marbles in place, too.
I already know one of Anita’s secrets. Keep busy doin’ for others! She was a member of our Montana’s Senior Companion Program well into her 90s! Always out there “helping the old folks” by taking them to their doctor appointments, helping them get their groceries, shoveling their walks, you name it! What an inspiration!
Another senior friend of mine, Carol Orr, was in her 90s when this picture of her and me was taken. Like Anita, she kept her marbles polished and in place.
I asked Carol a few years after this photo to share with me some of her life lessons – and I posted a blog about that about a decade ago. I’ll find it and give you a link tomorrow.
Meantime, I want you to ponder that 101 birthday coming up. S’pose he should have a parade just for him? Maybe not, if he doesn’t want it. But, shouldn’t we do SOMEthing special?
Paul Soren made a suggestion below. I like his idea. Don’t you?
Have a Happy Day, my friends. It’s a beautiful, blue sky springtime day here in Ennis, MT. Time to go plant some iris in honor of our new great-granddaughter, Mable Iris McSparron.
Today (22-02-2022) -or 2/22/22 as we record it here – is a palindrome day, which is a number or word that can be read the same way forwards and backwards.
Several commenters were excited to celebrate their 22nd birthday on the same date as “Twosday.”
Also, starting at 2:00 pm in Las Vegas (touted to be the wedding capitol of the world), 222 couples said their wedding vows in a group ceremony that ended at exactly 2:22 pm.
Would you dash to Las Vegas to be part of such a crowd for such an important occasion in your life?
I wouldn’t!
How did you spend your Twosday?
Bob & TazE and I spent ours at home – snowed in with two foot deep ( appropriate for 2’sday) snow drifts behind my car and a pickup that was unable to start – Frozen in -10 degree temperatures! Brrr!
If my mom were alive today, she’d be celebrating her 106th birthday. Born 11-15-1915, she was an Scorpio, through and through.
Do you put any stock in the Zodiac signs? Here’s what the internet reveals about people born October 23 to Nov. 21:
Scorpio
Scorpio is one of the most misunderstood signs of the zodiac. Because of its incredible passion and power, Scorpio is often mistaken for a fire sign. In fact, Scorpio is a water sign that derives its strength from the psychic, emotional realm. Like fellow water signs, Cancer and Pisces, Scorpio is extremely clairvoyant and intuitive.
What makes this water sign unique is its distinctive venomous sting. Like their celestial spirit animal, the scorpion, Scorpios lie in wait and strike when least expected. Life is a game of chess for these calculating water signs, who are constantly plotting several steps ahead in order to orchestrate an eventual checkmate. This doesn’t mean their intentions are necessarily nefarious. Scorpios simply know what they want and aren’t afraid to work hard and play the long game to get it.
This is one of my favorite pictures of mom and me. She knit my sweater and sewed the skirt that went with it. She fixed my hair so meticulously! Look at the little watch on my wrist. Don’t I look loved and cared for?
My Scorpio mom was not afraid to work hard – for what she wanted and for what she wanted my sister and me to have. As I mentioned in a recent post about self-confidence, she planted in me the firm belief that I could do and be anything I set my mind to.
November 1937
That’s my mom (Elizabeth) with my dad (Salvadore) at their wedding. They met on a double date set up by mom’s younger sister, Emogene. Later known to me as “Aunt Jean,” Emogene was Sal’s date and Elizabeth was matched with Sal’s best buddy, Joe Cabral. By the end of the evening the couples had switched partners. Two months later Sal & Elizabeth (soon to be known as Betty) were married. Yes, as early as 1937, Mom was a Scorpio who knew what she wanted and managed to get it (him)!!
Long before the word “Selfie” was established, Mom knew how to take one! Here she is in front of the bathroom mirror, capturing a shot of her new hairdo. Quite striking still even well into her 80s, don’t you think? She had flawless skin… very few wrinkles! But she didn’t spend a lot of time out in the sun either – and she creamed her face with the best of products morning and night.
To demonstrate how Mom was a Scorpio who embraced “Life [as] a game of chess … constantly plotting several steps ahead in order to orchestrate an eventual checkmate,” let me tell you a story.
It was a hot California Valley summer. The temperature in the kitchen was a few degrees warmer than the triple digit figures outside. The house had no air conditioning. Betty (my mom) was in the kitchen, roasting to death as she roasted a prime rib for a special birthday dinner for her daughter (me) who was home from college to celebrate with her parents. Betty needed a cross breeze to cool off the kitchen. She had asked Sal (my dad) many times to replace the stationary window above the kitchen sink with one that would side open. He had not done so. Frustrated with his lack of follow through, she decided to force the issue. She took a hammer from the kitchen tools drawer, stood back half way across the room, and threw the hammer through the window. How she avoided getting shattered glass in the food or on her or me was a God thing! But, needless to say, she had a cross breeze – and soon after she got the window replacement she needed.
How my dad stayed married to this crazy Scorpio is beyond me! He had the patience of Job! He obviously loved her spunk and her “incredible passion.” He recognized that she was “extremely clairvoyant and intuitive” – and he gave her a lot of wriggle room! Mom was a poetry lover, a whiz at mathematics (she was Dad’s company’s bookkeeper), and she was a winner at Bridge (I never learned to play it).
She was stylish and impeccably dressed and groomed – until her last days. It was then that I knew she was not long for this world… when I picked her up at her Senior Care Nursing Home to take her one afternoon to a doctor’s appointment and noticed she had her blouse on inside-out. I called it to her attention and suggested we go back up to her room for her to fix it. Her response was, “Oh, who gives a shit?!”
Now, that was not my real mom! Dementia had stolen her from me! The scorpion lost her usual sting and Alzheimer’s replaced he “calculating water sign” with something else… something nefarious. Instead of “[using] emotional energy as fuel, cultivating powerful wisdom through both the physical and unseen realms,” she became careless and caustic. It was not a transition I was prepared for. Dementia can do that, you know.
Here is Mom with me and my sis, Sally (who also had dementia before she died last year), and my daughter DeDe… during the a celebration of my brother-in-law’s birthday. (That’s his picture posted behind us.)
Mom’s flowered, Hawaiian shirt speaks of happy times when life was full of the days when she knew how to “work hard and play the long game to get [what she wanted].”
Happy 106th Birthday, Mom!
What’s your Zodiac sign? Does its description fit who you are (most of the time? some of the time? not at all?) … Tell me about it!
I am a Leo. Born July 24th, parts of this description that fit … but I hope I have matured in my Christian life enough to let the Holy Spirit round out some of the self-centered tendencies and make me more compassionate than this would suggest: “Roll out the red carpet because Leo has arrived. Passionate, loyal, and infamously dramatic, Leo is represented by the lion and these spirited fire signs are the kings and queens of the celestial jungle. They’re delighted to embrace their royal status: Vivacious, theatrical, and fiery, Leos love to bask in the spotlight and celebrate… well, themselves.“
I was named Janet – after Janet Gaynor, the first female Academy Award winner. That’s where I get my ham! But, I am more than happy to share the spotlight… and celebrate YOU! Tell me about your sign!
Thanks for visiting. See ya tomorrow (God willing) Love ya, JanBeek
Are you blessed with a daughter who is your DollyWolly? We are! Today is her 54th birthday. Happy Birthday, DeAna Laura Beekman Solioz!
Born August 29, 1967, DeAna was given her name because it was as close as we could come to having the DeAngeles (my maiden name) carried on. Just drop the tail on the g and that’s how the spelling of DeAna came to be.
Here she is with her brother Tyroneeee… at about one month of age… always sticking er tongue out!
DeAna and me when she was about 8 or 9 months What a cute little button nose, huh?
Her second Christmas… with Santa and brother Ty
I love this picture of her as a 1st or 2nd grader. Sparkly eyes… healthy new front teeth… and perky pony tails. So cute!!
This is such a precious photo of DeDe with her Grandma Beekman <3
One of my favorites – – to show DeDe’s perky smile – about 8th grade, I think. Time flies!
And before you know it, she was getting married – and would soon move to Switzerland to live her life there as DeAna Solioz.
But we were very blessed to be able to put a bottle of our favorite Runquist wine in our suitcase, hop a plane, and spend time in Switzerland with her every other year (until COVID)!
Within 6 or 7 years, De and Andre’ had three sons – and watching Mike, Nick & Chris grow up has been a wondrous opportunity… (as they came here every other year during the first decade of their lives).
DeAna has retained her best buddy from her days at Downey High in Modesto, CA (and we have claimed her as or Daughter #2)… We treasure the times De returns to the states and we are able to celebrate happy times together with De and Laina. (That picture was 2019 before COVID) .
Recently DeAna had surgery… and it was hard being a mom with a daughter so far away at a time like that. But I sent her encouragement and love – like this meme:
And she sent me pictures to reassure me that she was doing OK. Thank God for the internet, huh?
Now De and Andre’ have a new restaurant and (God willing and the Delta variant doesn’t go crazy) we are going to be able to go there in October to see them and their place in person.
Happy Birthday, DollyWolly! We are so grateful to God for giving us such a wonderful daughter!
If you have the blessing of a daughter who is a DollyWolly in your life, embrace her once for me, wouldja?
And have a good night. See ya tomorrow (God willing) Hugs, JanBeek
I really appreciate all the Happy Birthday wishes extended my way this past weekend. Thank you so much!
Even though I am happy to tell you I am starting my 83rd year on earth, I am also happy to tell you that I am a fan of Jack Benny. Now, if you are too young to remember who Jack Benny was (or you are in another country where Jack Benny was not a nationally known figure), let me tell you: Jack Benny was a comedian who embraced 39 – and decided to stay that age forever more!
Actually, I embrace aging (I wrote a blog using that title once) – I I have no desire to be stuck at 39 or any other age.
Each year brings new insights. Each year brings new joys. Each year brings new challenges. I don’t want to miss any of them.
How about you?
“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.”
Each day I pray for wisdom. Each day I ask God to increase my understanding and I thank the Holy Spirit for the fruits of the spirit that are mine: LOVE, JOY AND PEACE. And I ask God to help me with the other fruits of the spirit: patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… those that I work to increase as I mature in my faith.
How about you?
As I gather up those birthdays and mature in my faith, I remember to keep a child-like spirit. Enjoy that song. Sing it often. Teach it to your grandchildren. Sing it with your great-grandchildren. Put it in your heart.
You can’t be a lemon or a grape if you wanna be a fruit of the spirit!! Who wants to grow up to be a lemon anyway?
Work on that patience, Jan … your great-grandchildren need to see you model it! And your grand-dog needs you to exercise that gentleness and kindness, too. Ain’t always easy.
How about you?
My great-grandson, Xander, needs my love and joy, and I need patience, kindness and gentleness in abundance!
On my birthday, Ty (our son) and Bob went out fishing (not catching… just fishing) … and that required a lot of patience! I went along for the joy of the ride. It was cool on the water in the morning, but the afternoon warmed up.
That evening Ty and our daughter-in-law, Monika, Bob & I went in to Bozeman for dinner and dessert. We had a delightful time at a table out front of “Hooked Sushi” enjoying the music being played down the sidewalk a half a block, and the people and dogs walking by. Such fun!
Only in a college town would you find this kind of vibrancy. I love it!
We went after dinner to a very popular ice cream store … and had great fun with some college students who were in line ahead of us. Look at this cute kid! (Ya, I had fun teasing him …)
Bob, our new friend, Jan (me), Monika & Ty – Pretty sky, huh?
That’s our son, Ty, with me
We enjoyed the fun of chatting with our son & Moni while we waited.
Back home we found a wonderful bottle of wine waiting for us – a gift from our dear neighbors. Thank you, Charlie & Janet!
Birthday roses from my granddaughter – Thank you, Hope and Drew!
Flowers from our friends, Kathy & Ron- with a really cute card! Such fun! So nice of them!
Happy Birthday wishes from our #2 daughter, Laina… I loved hearing her sing to me – from Maryland to Montana <3
And our #1 daughter, DeAna, sang Happy Birthday and sent us a picture of her beautiful flowers at their restaurant in Switzerland. Lovely, huh?
Sunday afternoon Bob, Ty & Monika went kayaking/paddleboarding while TazE & I found a shady spot and relaxed.
TazE found some cool grass and took a nap until…
Eloise and her Grandma Susie came. With such good company, I put my book aside and TazE left the shade to get acquainted.
It was a smokey day in the Madison Valley… Lots of forest fires in the area – and the wind blows the smoke into our little piece of Paradise on Earth.
You can barely see the mountains outlined back there… not a typically beautiful day on Ennis Lake. Pray for the forest fires to be contained and the firefighters to be safe!
My friend, Caroline Feldman, took this photo at Ennis Lake last year with the swans clustered.
Here’s my photo taken from that same area at Ennis Lake last winter… See, you’re supposed to see the mountains!
Meantime, the paddleboarders returned – And we returned home to enjoy our last evening together. Ty & Monika left this morning…
Thank you, Dear Ones, for coming to help make my 82nd birthday so memorable and special.
Now TazE and I are stretched out, relaxing, and looking forward to an evening watching the Olympic swimmers.
What are you doing this Monday evening besides surfing the net?
It was a very Happy Birthday… Forever 39 at heart… Thanks to all the friends who sent greetings. I love you!
“ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
My Prayer for Today
“Gracious God, how grateful I am to rest secure in Your grip forever.”
God’s Not Gonna Lose Me
In today’s devotional time, Daily Guideposts 2021 reminded me that while I may misplace my sunglasses or my phone occasionally, God never misplaces me!
In his comments, Bill Giovannetti recalled a time when his daughter asked him, “What if I lost God? Or what if God lost me?”
Her younger brother responded, “Right, Josie, you’re the only person in the whole wide world that God forgot about!”
Reading Romans 8:38-39 together, Bill and his son reassured Josie and asked her, “If God keeps His Word, what is that verse telling you?”
“It’s telling me God never loses His sunglasses,” she said, “Or me!”
Today Bob & I celebrated my birthday (I’ll match Bob’s age – and be 82 tomorrow). Our hands certainly show the wear and tear of work and years!
But, like that hold God has on us, we’ve got a grip on one another – and we’re not letting go!
GG (Great Grandma Jan) with Xander
Taking a clue from us and God, Xander’s got a grip on his GreatGrandma Jan (GG – that’s me!) and he’s not letting go!
Sienna & Hope (my great-granddaughter and my granddaughter)
My great-granddaughter, Sienna, gets a grip on her mommy, my granddaughter, Hope. When children have a hold on loving, devoted parents, God smiles.
Sienna with Ty
It’s a double blessings when Grandpa gets down on the floor with his granddaughter. Our son Ty helped Sienna learn how to get a grip on puzzle skills.
Sienna with Monika
Children are blessed indeed when they have a grandma who reads to them. Sienna gets a grip on what books are all about with Grandma Monika’s help.
Hope, TazE, Sienna, and me
How special to get a grip on my great-granddaughter, Sienna, and her mommy, Hope … while they get a grip on TazE, our Boston Terrier!
Monika, Sienna, Hope and Bob
Not every family has the privilege of gathering 4 generations together! Get a grip on longevity … and the joy of embracing great-grandpa!
Xander and TazE
Such fun to see TazE getting along so well with Xander!
Xander decided he needed to get a grip on those puzzle skills, too.
Monika and Hope with Sienna & Xander… They sang Happy Birthday to help me get a grip on turning a year older. Not older… just more mature, right? So nice!
Ty & Monika brought their big dog, Nakota…
… and TazE had trouble getting a grip on having such a big buddy!
She was exhausted! Time to get under the table and get a grip on some rest!
Happy 26th birthday to our new pastor and dear friend, Mary Grace Reynolds!
If you’ve followed my blog for a week or more, you have seen posts about Mary Grace Reynolds.
For the past year and a half, my life has been consumed by the Pastor Nominating Committee. The search was arduous, extensive, long and detailed… and successful!
We reviewed over 100 Pastor Information Forms, Followed up with phone calls, texts, ZOOMs and reference checking on at least 40 of those. The bottom line: We believe Mary Grace was God’s choice for us!
Happy 26th birthday, Mary Grace! God bless you!
Just two puffs – and all 26 candles were out!
Do you remember your 26th birthday? Where were you? What did you do? What was your station in life?
1939 +26 = 1965; I was a new mom. On this day, my baby, Ty, was 3 months old. We were living in San Francisco – Park Merced, near San Francisco State Univ.
I was teaching in Daly City, California. Bob was working for Shell Oil in S.F. Mama Fran was our babysitter – But, I had the summer off.
Ah, to be 26 again! What would I do differently? I am not sure. What would you do differently?
This was March of 1966. Ty is 11 months old!
Yes, I was 26 once upon a time. Seems like an eternity ago. Would I change anything if I could go back and do it again?
