Hello beautiful sunrise from my dear North Carolina friend!
Hello Montana Snowdrifts!
Hello, dear friend, who walked over the 3’ drift to come say, “I’m here to plow you out!” (Oh my, look how the snow came in the front door!) God bless our helpers!
Hello Daughter#2 back in Maryland. Thank you for your love, hospitality, transportation, and luscious food! We miss you already.
Hello Lacey! You’re such a lucky pup to have your “People Grama” taking care of you while your parents are on their honeymoon!
Hello Daughter#1… So glad you’re back safely in Switzerland, enjoying a luscious dinner with your hubby. 👍🏽
Hello PicNick! Hey, DeDe, How fun that your #2 son came to visit and to show you his new car! Congratulations, Nicky (my #2 grandson). We’re so glad for you!!
Hello again, Lacey! Yes, I know, you need attention!!
Hello Montana sunset! Another day gone by, and we are so grateful for clear skies, for friends, neighbors, WP contacts and their comments, and for our local chiropractor who helped relieve my body aches!
(That was my first visit in my 83 1/2 years to see a chiropractor. I wonder why I waited so long!)
Have you ever been to one?
Whew! Feeling like an Angel just touched me! I hope you’ve had a blessed day, too, my friends.
Bee 🐝 well- and free of pain!
See ya tomorrow. Hah! It’s tomorrow already… I forgot to click “Publish” on this one yesterday ;o(
God Bless America, My home sweet home. From Detroit to Houston From San Francisco to New York, It’s time to say, “I love this land!”
There’s nothing like a good ole hometown parade… Celebrating our freedom – Celebrating our love of this land.
Our little town of a thousand Saw about 20,000 pour in today To watch our old fashioned parade. It’s like stepping back 50 years!
No fancy floats worth thousands With hundreds of hours donated To create a great big splash… No sireee! Just good ole home-spun fun!
The Grand Marshalls were ladies From the Madison Valley Woman’s Club Celebrating one hundred years of Service to this wonderful community.
You know you’re in Montana when The town’s physician and his wife Enter the parade on horseback Celebrating their equine family!
Thanks, RJ and Andy!
We’re so blessed to have the MVMC (Madison Valley Medical Center) In our little community… so blessed! Our nurses and doctors’ kids donned the float.
Bob & I had the fun of front row seats Because our friends who live Right on the parade route invited us to join them. Main Street would not have allowed us these views!
Barbara & Roy … Thank you!
Their darling grandkids kept us entertained As they watched the parade, too – And ran to gather up the candy That some of the participants threw to us!
We saw vehicles of every kind, Decorated with flags and competing To be chosen as the most unique Or most beautiful, or most aged.
The Shriners are annual participants
Businesses used this parade as an opportunity to advertise.
Ray Easter is a mainstay in our parade… A native of Ennis – a rare breed, indeed!
Wouldn’t be complete without ponies!
The children love this little guy!
Puppies for Patriots
Maybe you can put Ennis, Montana on your calendar for July 4, 2022. Come and enjoy the fun!
I think it was 2019 when our daughters, De & Laina, were able to be here. Of course, we missed the parade in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Maybe they can return to enjoy this holiday with us next year!
So nice to have this fun event back again And the weather cooperated. Parade was 10: to 11:30 and the Rain didn’t come until later this afternoon!
Rain? Yup, surprise! It was not predicted… . .
If you’re in the USA, what did you do to celebrate this special Independence Day today?
In another country? Do you have parades like this?
My friend, Lee, sent me a You.Tube video today. He said it was “worth your time and thoughts.” I agree!. It was narrated by a guy with a wonderful British accent. I bet it was created several years ago. The words in blue below are his. The red is my editorial comment about that item!
Whether you wear a $300. or a $3. watch, they both tell the same thing.
But the whole deal is, this watch does so much more than tell time! And it costs way more than $300. . Price tag = $539.98
Whether you carry a $300. or a $30. handbag, the amount of money inside is still the same.
This one actually is a $2,350. Guggi If you buy it, you’ll certainly have less money to put inside! Don’t you have better things to do with your money??
Whether we drive a $150,000. car or a $30,000. car, the road and distance are the same… and we get to the same destination.
But, the Ferrari is so much more fun! And you can certainly go faster! (If you survive at those speeds, that is)
Whether you drink a bottle of $300. or a $10. bottle of wine, the hangover is the same.
But Wine Spectator Magazine says, “It’s not as if wines that cost $10. or less are going to make you feel bad, or that wines that cost over $50 are never going to give you a hangover… How much wine you consume is the biggest variable…” So, in both cases, it’s the whole bottle? Not a good idea regardless of the price!
Whether the house you live in is 300 sq. ft. or a huge mansion with 30,000 sq. ft., loneliness is the same.
Yes, you can be lonely in a shack or you can be lonely in a castle. The size of the house has little to do with it. But, remember loneliness and alone are two different animals. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. And just because you have a kajillion people around you doesn’t mean you feel loved. It has nothing to do with the size of your house… it’s the size of your heart!
Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down – you go with it.
True! But aren’t some seats safer than others? An article in the Huffington Post – when asked about the safest place to sit to a plane – wrote this, “Each incident or crash is unique. Impact could come from a nosedive, a water landing, or a runway collision. As a result there is no safest seat.”The good news in that article, though, is “Air travel is the safest form of transportation in the country.” Bon Voyage!! . .
In that same video sent to me this morning by my friend, Lee, this interesting addition was included:
Triolet – The triolet is a very brief, tightly rhymed poem that takes part of its structure from the repetition of entire lines. The triolet is composed in eight lines. You see the pattern easily.
Darn the ole car wash
Force of water cracked windshield
Like to sue ‘em, by gosh!
Darn the ole car wash
Met with a nice guy, Josh
Said I’d lose – so better yield
Darn the ole car wash
Force of water cracked windshield
…
Triolets were originally written in French of the Middle Ages.
This is Bob’s brother, Bill, with his wife Marge. The wonderful vehicle is one that Bob & Bill bought back in the early ’50s. Look at how wonderfully Bill has maintained and restored it! It is in great running condition, too – and is obviously well loved.
Aren’t those wheels magnificent?
Old Cars Haiku
Look at some old cars Forlorn – dilapidated While some others thrive
This one rusts away In a distant field of weeds It needs more than love
It’s like some of us Feeling secluded – rusty Needing more than love
But love is enough To shine up a human soul Try it on someone!
Photo by Yaroslav Danylchenko on Pexels.com And these priceless treasures should not be tampered with! (Well, I guess a chuckle is needed in these trying times!)
There are some aged ones who are wise beyond imagination. They deserve to be heard! (Well, this grandma isn’t really aged… is she?)
Wizened aged ones deserve to be preserved and appreciated . However, I learned that my grandmother’s old Victrola was worth much more in its original state – before I had it restored!! Preservation and restoration are not always one in the same.
But, I believe every soul is in need of constant restoration. Just as we need to remove the rust from the old cars to restore and preserve them, we need to remove those rusty spots from our hearts. You know what they are:
greed
anxiety
lust
jealousy
hatred
grudges
God can help us replace the rusty spots with:
generosity
peace
Agape love
compassion
joy
forgiveness
Ask the Lord to help you. Train your mind – Restore your soul.
I’m like Vintage wine. I think I improve with age. God grants me wisdom.
“But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
Yes, the Bible is old … a Vintage Book … and the language of the King James version really is old.
Gratefully, the old scripture, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient copies of the Torah or the Tanakh were not discarded. And as scholars are busy writing new, modern translations of the Bible, we still have the old language. It sings to me and rings true, and teaches me to study and keep learning. When I come to an archaic word that escapes me, I use http://www.dictionary.com and I increase my vocabulary. I may be vintage, but I am a life-long learner… constantly renewing my mind and seeking to learn.
Upbraideth: root word: upbraid to find fault with or reproach severely; censure
Like this wise, old owl, let’s keep our eyes open to new opportunities. Let’s keep our minds open to new learning. Let’s keep our spirits open to renewal. Let’s keep our hearts open to restoration.
I may be vintage, but I’m not old in my eyes. My mind and spirit and heart are ready for daily restoration. How about yours?
It did not occur to me until yesterday that the decade to come, the 2020s, lends itself so perfectly to the idea of CLARITY. When you have 20/20 vision, you have CLARITY. You have perfect eyesight.
The message at the “Jesus Culture” church in Folsom Sunday was delivered by a dynamic young woman named, Debra Giles, whose topic , “Every Word,” was all about looking into scripture, and looking at ourselves, and looking toward the future with Clarity.
20/20 VISION (12-29-19 sermon notes)
This is the end of The fuzzy and mean teens decade. This is the beginning of 20/20 Clarity. You are made In God’s image and you’ll see Clearly in these next ten years. You are made in God’s image, And you will hear through 20/20 ears. You are made in God’s image And this is the decade to say What is in your heart. Speak clearly from your 20/20 heart today. Speak, hear, and see with Clarity.
Amen? Amen!
20/20 Clear Vision or Blurry?
As you welcome this new year, this decade of the 2020s, are you wiping the clouds from your life? Are you sweeping the fuzzy deterrents from your path? Are you putting away the distractions that keep you from moving forward with clarity? Have you decided what those things are?
Looking Clearly Forward and Backward
I am looking through 20/20 lenses at the freshness of this new day. I am looking at opportunities with clear anticipation. I am taking a backward glance at the things we have given away… and am grateful for the love and joy those things are bringing to others.
An example of such a thing given away is the little red Porsche that Bob & I used as our only means of transportation when we were first married. It is definitely a California car and I can see with clarity that it belongs here, with our son, Ty, and not parked in a garage in Montana because the dirt roads and snow-covered terrain are not conducive to safety for its low-slung frame. Our son loves it… and is taking such good care of it. Clearly, it belongs here!
With clear vision, I am looking forward to a future filled with new joys, new opportunities, and new friends. I see our church growing in love and filled with the Holy Spirit. I see our neighborhood enhanced by new (and old) friends building new homes and moving into our “hood” with their uniqueness and their hospitality a welcomed addition.
Welcome to Ennis
Happy New Year
It’s New Years Day, and many people are creating their list of New Year’s Resolutions. Can you see with clarity what your 2020 commitments need to be?
We were asked at dinner last night what our plans for the new year are. What are our commitments/resolutions? We went around the table. My grand-son-inlaw, Kyle, had a wonderful, impressive list. I commend him for his 20/20 vision of what he hopes to accomplish. When it came my turn, I said, “Walk the Talk” – – – see why?
What is your 20/20 Vision?
Have a wonderful January 1st – and do “Walk the Talk!”
One dictionary says,
1) the quality present in a thing or person
that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind,
whether arising from the sensory
(as shape, color, sound),
a meaningful design or pattern,
or something else (as a personality
in which high spiritual qualities are manifest),
or 2) a beautiful person or thing
(as work or art or building),
or 3) something excellent of its kind
(My old car was a beauty)
In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
with a sub-title of “Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life,”
authors Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat wrote:
“Walk the path of beauty.
Relish and encourage its inward and outward expressions.
Acknowledge the radiance of creation.”
Find Beauty in Others
Observing and appreciating beauty
is a spiritual practice for me.
It enhances my ability to see the world
through Jesus glasses!
There is beauty in each of us.
Look for the beauty in others
and watch your happiness factor increase.
Find Beauty Within
Last weekend my grandson, Chris, and I went to see “Breakthrough.” It’s a new movie starring Chrissy Metz, a true story of a high school-aged boy who fell through the ice in a lake and was underwater for ten minutes before being pulled out. Presumed dead after a long and arduous attempt to resuscitate him, the story focuses on the power of prayer and the results of a loving, passionate mom who would not give up. The beauty of Chrissy Metz as she superbly played the role of the mom was undeniable.
(You may recognize her… she starred in the TV series, “This is Us” and told her personal story in the April edition of Guideposts Magazine.)
When we see compassion and love in the eyes of another, in the behavior of another, we see the inner beauty that shines through. We are encouraged to emulate that behavior.
Chrissy’s ability to passionately demonstrate the power of
unconditional love and an unwavering faith
showed us what beauty there is
in the treasure of life.
Find Beauty in Nature
While looking for greater meaning in life, I find inspiration in the beauty of nature. A week ago as we were experiencing snow in April, and last Sunday when our Sunrise service was drenched in rain and no sun was visible, I wondered if spring would ever come to my part of the world. Yesterday we had a gorgeous sunny day. Hooray! This morning, look what I found outside my kitchen window:
Yes, this is a sign of spring… it’s here! Never give up hope!
Enjoy the beauty of nature
Let it remind you of God’s unfailing love for our earth and for us!
