Unable to post pictures here, I abandoned WP during these past three weeks and used FB to share our travels with friends. It’s been a magical time in England and Switzerland. If you, my WP friends, wish to travel vicariously with us, do click on my FB link and have a look… you can travel backward with us all the way to London and then to Downton where we were privileged to spend three days with blogging friend, Derrick Knight and his wife, Jackie. When I get home to Montana Thursday, I will resume my “Embrace” series.
YOU are your children’s first teacher! You are your child’s life-long teacher, Your behavior sets your most lasting legacy. Parents, be your children’s BEST teacher!!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. See ya tomorrow (God willing)
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 ❤
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
The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.
― Neil Gaiman
More than 500 people came to enjoy the display of art at the Madison Valley Arts Festival yesterday.
Sue Kinn-Brown created something new with pottery. I love her poppy motif.
Another artist created unique purses with beautiful fabric. I love this elegant belt as its closure.
Joe Gillispie used old wood to create a unique table (Thanks, Joe! )
This artist used her photography skills to capture unique images. Then she enlarged and framed them. Aren’t these fox kits adorable?
As a seamstress, “Joy” creates personalized gifts.
You can capture meaningful phrases and create unique wall hangings.
This is personalized fishing gear. Those rod cases and fishing nets include etched names – personalized for your favorite fisherman!
Start your children young – enjoying art festivals and creating their own art… Who says giraffes can’t have red eyes?
This children’s art area also gave kids a chance to paint rocks. Why not?
Always good to have a spot where young artists can create their own unique items that weren’t there before.
Let your photography enhance other folks’ homes! Do you have a wall that needs something that wasn’t there before?
Thanks, Margie Reck, for ordering our 25th anniversary cake. Baking and cake decorating is another way to create what’s not there. And within a half an hour it’s not there again! Festival customers enjoyed this dessert – celebrating with us!
Before these artists created their cakes, photo images, colored giraffes and painted rocks, rod cases and wall hangings, stockings and tables, purses and pottery, those items obviously were not there.
Use your God-given talents and unique inspirations to create what’s not there yet.
The world would be a very different place, a much less interesting place, an environment with much less beauty if we didn’t have artists. Thank God for our artists!
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?
I am so blessed! To live long enough to Embrace Great-Grandchildren is such a gift!
This is Cosette. She is the darling offspring of my grandson, Jordan, and Joss – his significant other.
Joss is such a caring and happy mother!
And I cannot believe how tall Jordan has grown. What a good daddy he is! Here we are at church together yesterday morning.
Can you believe how tall (6’4″) my grandson is? Never in a million years when he joined our family at the age of 3 did we imagine he’d grow to this height!
In this photo, Jordan is the “Tin Man” sitting next to my sis, Sally. Jordy and his siblings each are adopted… gifts from God to Ty (back left in this photo).
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6
The church service was lively and invigorating and inspirational.
My heart is singing God’s praises. How was your Sunday?
We’re having a relaxed morning before heading to spend time with Bob’s brother & sister-in-law and their family in central CA.
How are you spending your week? I hope you are well …
I am including love and lots of well wishes here for you. Pray for my daughter-in-law, Monika, will you? She has a miserable case of the flu.
It’s fun to take a trip every now and then. I’m so grateful that the opportunity to fly from Montana to California is available to us now. We had to cancel the trip last December because of COVID-19.
But – thank God – we are able to use those tickets now… and here we are! On our way…
There’s Bob – waiting in Salt Lake City – for our connecting flight to Sacramento…
And I am communicating via WhatsApp with our daughter in Switzerland…
Don’t you love the way the internet shrinks our world? Hi DeDe!
Hi Mom & Dad … safe travels!
It’s a beautiful day here in Placerville, CA at our son’s house. Ty & Monika treated us to an afternoon at a beautiful winery. It’s just a short, lush, windy, oak-studded 30-minute drive up the El Dorado hills from their house (with lots of squirrel overpasses).
Love it!!
We enjoyed an afternoon of wine tasting and beautiful hors d’oeuvres in this wonderful setting.
My grandson, Sam, enjoyed a good book and some snacks at a table of his own. The weather was perfect!
Then we came back to Ty & Monika’s for a BBQed chicken dinner out on their lovely patio.
Ty at the barbecue with his bottle fence in the background
Don’t you think this is a clever use of old wine bottles?
Moni, Ty, Bob, Sam & I enjoyed chatting time while the chicken was smoking on the Traeger. (Monika is taking the photo)
Their BBQ patio area is covered with grapevines. I love the way the sun plays with the leaves and highlights the baby grape clusters!
I hope you have a relaxed Saturday, dear friends. You can be sure, I will be thinking of you – and praying your weekend is as wonderful as mine promises to be! Peace.
Embrace Travel Opportunities.
After more than a year of missed family gatherings, we certainly will never take them for granted again!
This sign is at the base of one of those grapevines. Such comfort in knowing God’s gotcha covered… … no matter where you are.
When you think of the word, NEED, what comes to mind? Do you think of what YOU need or what OTHERS might need? Have you internalized the difference between NEED and WANT?
Now there’s a belief in some parts of the USA that gas cans NEED to be filled and waiting for future use. Because of a security breach, stations were shut down. Folks NEEDED gas to get to their jobs or wherever…
What is on your NEEDS list?
I NEED hugs. Physical touch is sooo important!
My husband thinks he NEEDS ice cream after dinner each night.
Learning the Difference Between Necessity and Luxury
When our son, Ty, graduated from high school, he spent a year as an AFS (American Field Service) foreign exchange student in what was then Yugoslavia. He lived with a family who was communist. They wanted their son to learn English because the next year he intended to travel to the USA to attend college.
The family was “well off” by that country’s standards. The father was head of what we might call our EPA: “Environmental Protection Agency.” They lived in a small (less than 500 square feet) apartment in Beograd (Belgrade). The family of four had two bedrooms (one for the parents and one for their daughter), a very small kitchen, one bathroom, and a living room which converted into a bedroom at night for their son. Ty shared that space with the son.
Our son learned very quickly how very privileged he was growing up with us in California with plenty of space and a swimming pool in the back yard. He learned overnight the difference between necessity and luxury. He learned his NEEDS were much smaller than he once thought – and people could live happily with soooo much less.
We all NEED a friend- and if you have a true friend, you are rich, indeed!
Happiness does not NEED a big house, a fancy car, or a lotta money in the bank. But, it does NEED at least one true friend… and a bunch of ’em is a bonus!!
Happiness does not need a room full of toys. Children who can build their own tent, play together in the woods, and go home at the end of the day of play to a loving family and a nourishing meal are blessed indeed!
I used to think that I NEEDED a glass of wine and a sushi meal every now and then…
… or a cucumber roll
But then I googled my needs and I discovered:
Hah! What do you NEED?
A pup to snuggle with?
All you NEED for Christmas is your two front teeth?
Maybe all you need is a blanket and a good book!
Sometimes all I NEED is a nice warm bath!!
A baby only needs milk, loving hugs, a clean body, and a swaddling cloth!
And we all need a dream – Someone who believes in us – and encourages us – and teaches us how to live our dreams.
I NEED time in the wide open spaces, time each morning in my sanctuary to pray and to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, and I NEED music in my life… because it lifts my spirits and strengthens me.
I don’t NEED a tattoo! But, isn’t that a hoot? I NEED laughter!
Hah!
See ya tomorrow. Have a great rest of your day wherever you are.
Embrace NEEDS. See the needs of others – and fulfill them if you can!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek. I NEED your comments!
Updated 10:20 AM ET, Sun May 9, 2021 Lynne Moody in a promotional photo for the ABC TV series “That’s My Mama.”
(CNN)Lisa Wright always knew she was adopted, but had no idea her biological mother was a star on one of her favorite television shows.Now Wright is sharing the story of having been reunited with actress Lynne Moody after 50 years in what reads like the perfect Hollywood ending, according to NBC’s “Today.” “I grew up watching my mother on TV and didn’t even know it,” Wright told the morning show. “‘That’s My Mama’ — that was our must-see TV. We all sat down and watched ‘That’s My Mama’ every week, and who knew? No idea. … And that’s my mama!”
Wright said she knew very little about Moody, who was 18 when she gave birth, and had a closed adoption.
“My (adoptive) mom told me, ‘Your mommy loved you, but she was really young, and she knew she couldn’t take care of you. I wanted the baby so bad, and that’s why your mom let me take care of you,'” Wright said. “You weren’t abandoned. This was just the best thing for you.”More of CNN’s Mother’s Day coverage
But encouraged by her son a few years ago to do genetic testing, Wright first tracked down an uncle who told her the family had been searching for her all these years and who led her to Moody, who, like her daughter, was living in Los Angeles.
Moody called her birth daughter.”A voice on the other end says, ‘Is this my daughter?’ And then I just went, ‘Oh, my God, is this my mother?'” Wright said. “And then she goes, ‘Yes, sweetie, this is your mom.’ It was just the most indescribable feeling.”It was a deep connection for Moody, who never had any other children and never thought she would find her beloved child.”When I found out that she was my daughter, at that moment, it was like I was giving birth,” Moody said. “Because I lost my legs, I was on the floor in a fetal position, screaming and crying. I didn’t know how deep that hole was.”
And the actress best known for roles in the TV series “Roots” and “Knots Landing” had a Mother’s Day message for all.”Life is full of surprises sometimes, so hang in there no matter what your circumstances are,” she said. “Be open to miracles, be open to surprises, and keep the faith.”
I have four adopted grandchildren. This story touched my heart for obvious reasons. On this Mother’s Day, there are many children out there who have been raised by loving adoptive parents. There are many biological parents out there who gave up their child for altruistic reasons. Some of them have located their children and have a happily-ever-after reconnection story. Others have reconnected, but the results were not so glorious. Still others have not tried to find their biological parents (or children) and live with that sense of unknowing, not sure that filling in the blanks would be helpful for anyone.
Whatever the situation, it is always heartwarming to me when I read about these cases of rejoining. It is sweet to know there are cases where the child can find his/her roots – and the parent can fill that empty spot with fresh discovery. I know when it happens and it is positive, God’s hand is involved… and it makes my heart sing.
I am grateful for the mom who gave her child up for adoption because she knew she could not provide a suitable home. I am equally grateful for the family who took the child in – and loved him or her completely – fully embracing him or her as their own.
On this Mother’s Day, may all those adopted children feel a sense of gratitude for the mom who gave them birth – and for the mom who raised them. May they know, whatever the circumstance, they are loved. They are wanted. They are not an accident. God don’t make mistakes!!
Embrace Anticipation! You never know what God has in store for you around the next bend.
Lynne Moody in a promotional photo for the ABC TV series “That’s My Mama.”
