Our hearts are hurting today. Yesterday we had to help our 12 year old Boston Terrier, TazE, over the Rainbow Bridge.
She was struggling to breathe, rasping… not eating or drinking for the last four days… and lost the use of her back legs twice during that time. Her organs were shutting down.
We were snowed in and unable to get out. It was terrible to see her suffer.
She had lost all kinds of weight since this picture was taken because even when she still was eating, it was very little.
We knew we were losing her, but we just didn’t want to let go. Who will be my walking partner?
Our wonderful neighbor, Rex, spent over an hour with the snow plow on his ATV here in our driveway yesterday plowing us out so we could take TazE to the vet. The ladies at Mountain View Vet Hospital in Sheridan/Twin Bridges were wonderfully compassionate, empathetic, and professional. TazE went peacefully in my arms.
My heart is breaking, but I know we did the right thing… and I believe when I get to heaven she’ll greet me at the pearly gates! It wouldn’t be heaven if our beloved furry family members aren’t there, too! Would it?
Bob won’t miss having the toenails to clip. That was a stressful job!! But he sure will miss his buddy when we’re out on our “Lucille” (she’s our ATV… a red head who is a Ball).
There is a part of Bob’s personality that only surfaces when he is with his Boston Buddy! I will miss that part of Bob!
Happy TazE
In Heaven our TazE will be forever young! Good-bye for now, sweet pup! See ya over the bridge… keep the light on!
God gives us doctors When we cannot heal ourselves. He says, “Lean on them.”
God gives us neighbors When we need acts of kindness. He says, “Bee grateful!”
Our Savior saves us When we cannot save ourselves. He says, “Lean on Me!”
I may have to learn To accept strength from others – Can’t be strong alone!
Single-handedly, I feel slightly “hand”icapped. God says, “Lean on me!”
Have you ever felt Too weak to accomplish all You have on your plate?
Who did you lean on?
Sometimes when we ask God for the strength that we need, He sends us earth angels.
My neighbor, a retired nurse who lives in CA part of the year, just texted. She asked about my hand. When I told her about the upcoming surgery, she wrote, “We will be there to help and if you have any questions, we know stuff :o)”
See … earth angel on her way! And her husband is a brilliant physiologist. He’s part of the “we” she’s talking about! Yup, they “know stuff.” Hah! It will be comforting and helpful to have them back in the “hood.” Just in time! God is good … all the time!
When Our Daily Bread posted on this subject, it wrote:
“We may not be able to touch Jesus physically, but we can entrust the weightiest circumstances of our lives to Him. He said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28).
How blessed we are to have a Savior whom we can trust to be faithful through every circumstance of our lives!
Are you ‘leaning’ on Him today?”
I am leaning on Jesus, and I am Leaning on Bob, too! He’s an earth angel God sent to me.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow (God willing)
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Our dear neighbor, Scott, came by today. He brought his shovel and gave us his all! All the energy he had stored up he poured out!
Our front porch was buried in snow. Our TazE’s exit from the kitchen door was blocked with over a foot of snow. The sidewalk approaching our house was covered with over 2 feet of snow that the wind had blown as a drift yesterday.
When Scott left, the porch and entry were cleared. The sidewalk is passable, so UPS and FedEx can deliver the package we are expecting today. And TazE was able to go out and do her business. Hooray!
The robins who were hovering under the patio chairs yesterday are dancing in the trees today. The sun is out – melting the snow that had clung to the branches.
Happy Holy Week, my friends. Scott gave us his all! He was exhausted when he finished. God bless him!
Jesus gave His all! How much energy – how many coins – are we willing to give?
I send my love to you, my friends. Have a Wonderful Wednesday! See ya tomorrow … Maundy Thursday… Hugs, JanBeek
Grandson, Nick, and his girlfriend, Céline, joined us for Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for family who come all the way from Switzerland to share time with us!
(See the bottom of the post for numbers 2-9 explaining the rest of the photos. Try to guess what you think I may say about each before you peek down there!)
2. Neighbor/friend, “Whooter” (Greg Winden, came at 8:30 am to help Bob prepare the smoker and to help me put the finishing touches on the turkey. I am so grateful for such caring, generous folks. We are blessed to live in this “hood!”
3. Thanksgiving is a day to be shared. I am thankful for those who joined us to make the day festive.
4 – 5. There’s Whooter helping Bob get the bird in the smoker. And there’s the turkey ready to be carved. I am grateful for Whooter’s tip: stuff the turkey with chunks of apple and orange! It kept the meat so moist! Have you ever done that with your turkey or baked chicken??
6. That’s our friend, Kathy, with Nick & Céline, and our pastor/friend, Mary Grace enjoying a few before dinner refreshments on Thanksgiving Day. Those hors d’oeuvres are part of Thanksgiving “trimmings”!
7. Meantime, in Switzerland our daughter, DeAna was having her own reasons to give thanks. Duchess (Pipo’s queen cow) gave birth to a healthy calf (a future queen for sure) and we gave thanks for his gift of naming her after our De! The calf ids (Diana – pronounced Deanna in French)! It’s quite an honor!!
8. That’s SureShot Lake … frozen over and dehydrated. We gave thanks for the fun of driving up there yesterday, but we’re disappointed to see how low it is. Those dirt mounds out there generally are under water!
9. Most mornings I start my day with a very special “Good morning” and a picture of the sunrise with prayers from my friend, Lisa, in S. Carolina.
Do you have a special friend who prays for you daily and greets you with his/her sunrise? If so, you are blessed indeed! I know for sure that I am!
What else contributed to your day of turkey and trimmings? I’m still celebrating… just finished a bowl of turkey soup made from the leftovers. Yum!
Enjoy your Saturday night, my friends. See ya Sunday. When I count my blessings, you’re right up there with the turkey!! Yup, part of the trimmings!
Bob & me on our 59th anniversary- It’ll be 60 in February!!
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving week, too. Can’t let this weekend pass without telling you how much I appreciate your visits here. Posting on WordPress is one of my favorite hobbies – and it wouldn’t be worth a darn if it weren’t for you. God bless you! Thanks for commenting and telling me a little about those things that count on your list of blessings.
Bee well! See ya tomorrow (God willing)… Love, JanBeek
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.”
Life can beat us down with trials, sorrows and debilitating worries. God’s messages about our future hope can deeply encourage, inspire, uplift and motivate us.
Don’t worry; be happy!
“Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.”
Psalm 16:9
“‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’”
Lamentations 3:24
H ang O n to P ositivity and E ncouragement
As we prepare to return to Bozeman today for more lab work and a bone marrow biopsy for Bob, our hearts are full of gratitude for all the love and support extended to us during this time of tests, unknowing, waiting, and hopefulness. Our faith is strong and our prayers are many. Your prayers for Bob’s good results and proper/effective treatment are heard, we’re sure. Our God cares. Our God’s got this! We can rest in this knowledge. We can feel His loving arms around us. Thank you all!
I will keep you posted as we learn more. Yesterday the gastroenterologist (GI doctor) confirmed that the blood in the stool is not colon cancer… and the cause is more superficial. That was an answer to prayer. Today we are praying the bone marrow scan confirms that this is not AL Amyloidosis (a cancer in the marrow). The doctors are busy trying to rule things out so when they send us to Mayo Clinic, the experts there can move on to finding what type it IS (if in fact it IS that rare disorder)… and then a proper treatment can begin. The symptoms include a lower functioning of both the heart and the kidneys resulting in lack of stamina. That’s really hard for this guy who is used to hard, physical work and never having to think twice about what he is capable of doing!
Meantime, we start each day with grateful hearts for our friends here on WP, our supportive neighbors and family, and our God who holds us all in His care.
God bless you. Have a wonderful Thursday. Embrace Hopefulness!
Love, JanBeek
The Bozeman Library is a great place to be while I wait for Bob’s procedures to be finished!
Do you have a hard head? Have you ever tested it out?
I tested out the strength of my skull yesterday!
Not on purpose, of course.
I was walking to the back of the car to push the button that closes the hatchback. Friends approached from my right, so I turned to greet them as I kept walking. Little did I know Bob had pushed the button and the hatchback door was on its way down. I walked right into it! Ouch!!!
I heard a loud crack when it hit. A softer head would have split open and (as head wounds go) it would have bled profusely! But, I have a hard head, my friends! The blood stayed inside and created a black and blue goose egg!
Ah, thank God for friends!
Speaking of friends, Bob drove me home. My head was throbbing like crazy! I called our neighbor/friend, Janet, who is a nurse. She came right over. Ice packs, pain killers, Hugs and consolation… then alternating heat & ice. Just what the doctor would have ordered!
TazE in my lap
As if the care of a friend wasn’t enough, I was blessed with a very concerned, loving TazE. She never comes and crawls in my lap, but yesterday she wouldn’t leave my lap (except to get up every now and then, look me in the eye, kiss my cheeks and chin, and then crawl back into my lap). Aren’t animals amazing? So intuitive! She knew “Mama” was hurting… and she was there for me until the neighbors all arrived to make sure everything was OK and to pamper and feed me. Then TazE was content to go back to her own bed!
This morning, after a shower and a couple of pain pills, I was smiling once again… feeling no pain… and grateful that the swelling had gone down and the bruising had not traveled too far into my face.
Ah, my friends, EMBRACE HARD HEADS! They come in handy at a time like this!
Oh, and by the way, watch in the direction you’re walking today, okay? Hah! No point in testing how hard-headed you are!!
It helps to comb my hair over the bruise. You can hardly notice it, right?
Vistas Broad, expansive Ridge to Valley Valley, Mountains, Big Sky Beauty
Poetry Embrace Elfchen It’s eleven words Set in number pattern Fun!
View from Pintail Ridge at Ducsay’s
Montana Mountain Majesty Expansive blue sky Delightful precious generous friends Home
Our neighbors’ new flagpole A great addition to the “Hood”
Neighbors Beautiful “Hood” Always making improvements Delightful to have around Friends
Look carefully! That’s the Hockings’ flagpole from a different angle
Changes Always beautiful As evening came, The shadows grew longer Moon
Sundown Pink reflection in the north-east Cool, crisp, refreshing air Beautiful
Mmmm… steak and wine!
Invitation To dinner On Father’s Day Couldn’t have been better Delicious
Thank you, Charley & Janet for your food, your friendship, and your love!
Visitors From Alaska Friends from Pakistan Young man I tutored Gratitude
Zahid & Maryam with cup of gratitude
Gifts Beautiful Friends Staying in Touch Long after they move Blessings
Meantime Back Home Father’s Day roses Showing evidence of love Forever
Father’s Day Roses
Flowers God’s Beauty In full bloom They always are appreciated Roses
Elfchen is a form of poetry Sometimes called Elevensies Because it consists of 11 words In this configuration: 1+2+3+4+1 = 11 (You probably figured that out by now.)
Write an elfchen for me in the comments below, will you? Be sure and use the word BEAUTY in your poem!!
Home Embrace Beauty Come visit us We’d love seeing you Welcoming
Music Tells stories Ed Sheeran sings In a musical video Beautiful
Define What’s beauty? I’m not beautiful… Beauty’s as Beauty does Hugs
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a wo(man) who fears the Lord is to be praised. … Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your lord.
Embrace Fellowship Cherish being together Time is so fleeting
Enjoy sharing time So much, you forget photos! Just be in the now.
Presbyterian Women at Ennis Art Festival and Fly Fishing Festival
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Today our Presbyterian Women met at a gorgeous home right on the Madison River.
Those pictures above were taken several years back at our two annual fundraisers.
Today I intended to take some pictures to post here for you to see how much we enjoy our fellowship. But, I was having so much fun, I forgot to capture the event with my iPhone!
Instead, it is stored up in my memory bank. There were eleven of us. We had Bible Study, then dessert, and then our business meeting.
We planned future events – among them our volunteer schedule at the local Blood Draw next week – and our participation at the Ennis Art Festival (it was cancelled last year due to COVID).
Not being able to hold those functions helped us realize just how much fellowship means to our mental health. We really missed the connections!
I’ll bet you had the same reaction. Being isolated, socially distancing, wearing masks, cancelling events… all took their toll on us! How good to be back together again!!
Dining at Sidewinders in Bozeman
Now we are able to go out to restaurants again. We socially distance, but we don’t have to wear masks. It is so good to feel safe in the company of others!
I ordered my favorite item on the Sidewinders menu: Reuben sandwich with sweet potato fries. MmmMmmmMmmmm!!
Sidewinders in Bozeman – Reuben sandwich
This afternoon, after our PW meeting, our new pastor, Mary Grace Reynolds, came for dinner and a fly casting lesson. Bob took her to the back yard and she practiced. Mary Grace is going to love going out on the Madison River. The guys are all lined up ready to take turns…
I took this slo-motion video so she can critique her technique. She’s a fast learner!
It was such a beautiful evening here. We thoroughly enjoyed our fellowship with Mary Grace. The Pastor Nominating Committee process was a long, arduous task that lasted about a year and a half… but MGR was worth waiting for!
Speaking of worth waiting for…
Today our daughter, De, sent us links to this event coming up in Switzerland. (You remember our DeDe lives in Vissoie, Valais Switzerland, right?) We’ve been to this fun event in the past. “The Cow Fights” are an annual event. They are well attended. People go not just to see the excitement of the cows selecting their “Queen Cow” by the survival of the fittest, but for the fun of fellowship with as many friends as they can muster. They bet on the cow of their choice, drink their fill of Swiss wine and beer, and enjoy a picnic lunch high up in the beautiful Alps.
We won’t be there this weekend for the event, but we look forward to fellowship with our daughter and her family this October (God willing). We learned yesterday that she has a polyp on an ovary. It was detected during a routine annual physical. We are waiting for the biopsy report. Please pray with us that it is benign – and she can have it removed with no long-term adverse affects.
Looking out today at our neighbor’s house here in Montana, I can’t help but thank God for this beautiful place we live. I thank God for our “Hood” … gracious, loving, helpful neighbors. The Hockings, across the field from us, installed a gorgeous flag pole while we were on our trip to CA. What a great addition! We look forward to future fellowship with them – soon!
Family time in Placerville
Meantime, here we are in this video – back in CA, sitting around the table at our son’s house, enjoying family fellowship, singing to our grandson-in-law, Drew, who celebrated his birthday back in Montana.
Ah, Family Fellowship… there’s nothing like it! I thank God each day for it. With Father’s Day coming up Sunday after this one, I look at these fathers in my life, and I thank God for their loving hearts.
I hope you have the gift of loving fathers in your circle of fellowship, too. Never take them for granted! Not every child is so blessed!!
EMBRACE FELLOWSHIP
IT’S GIFT FROM GOD!
Happy Bob with his big catch! Catch and Release!! Fellowship with Fish!!
I pray all you dads out there can slow down this week, enjoy life (it’s fleeting – passing waaay too fast), and Embrace the Fellowship of family, friends and fish.
(And I pray Bob can take some time to go out fishing… He’s been working waaay too hard this last few months.)
When a friend comes up with an idea And you concur, what do you do? Do you encourage your friend to progress? Do you join in and help the idea come true?
My neighbor, whom I had not seen in a while, Said, “We need to have a get together.” I concurred and suggested a dinner – A progressive dinner – pray for good weather!
Well, the weather cooperated, and so did The “Hood” – our neighbors on our ridge. Last night we had a wonderful time… Time to set aside masks – cross that bridge!
So we did it… the first hosts had appetizers. Then it was lasagna at our house with yummy bread. Across the road we went for dessert — Our tummies and our hearts were well fed!
“The Hood” dinner at Beekmans
Rex & Penny served cake for dessert The Hocking House is a perfect gathering place!
We are blessed to live in a place where we All get along with our neighbors as friends. We’re so relieved this pandemic’s isolation Has finally subsided – The separation ends!
Penny & Rex’s cat supervised the event
When a friend comes up with an idea, Encourage the thought and run with it! You never know til you give it a try How very much you’ll have fun with it!
Back at home – beautiful evening sky
The outcome of Karen’s idea to get together As more successful than we could have guessed So – if you have an idea, my friends, share it! Don’t keep the outcomes buried in your chest!
What idea are you ready to share and run with? Trust your instincts. EMBRACE the OUTCOMES!
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Come join us for dinner!
See ya tomorrow. (God willing!) Have a great weekend.
JanBeek 
Written
on November 27, 2021