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Posts tagged ‘play’

Bloganuary #4 -Favorite Toy

Today’s topic on #Bloganuary is:
“What was your favorite toy as a child?”

Mother-Daughter

Here I am as a young mom with my daughter, DeAna.
I don’t have available with me here on vacation
Any photos of myself as a child at her age.
I’m think my toys were part of my education.

DeDe was born during Barbie era.
She had boyfriend Ken and their playhouse.
She could play for hours with them
And be as quiet as a mouse.

Here is our son, Ty, as a child.
I know what he liked most at a young age:
“BamBam” – his bouncing horsey!
Quiet wasn’t a word on any Tyroneee page!

I didn’t have those kinds of toys!
It was World War Two and we were poor.
We tore our napkins in half to save paper.
We knew the soldiers needed it more!

I was content to play outside.
Rocks and dogs and imagination
Kept me entertained for hours.
No need for a Play Station!

I didn’t know at that time
That we weren’t rich as can be!
I had all the love in the world –
And that was enough “play” for me.

My parents never failed to provide
For all of the things we needed.
If a parent’s goal is to raise happy kids,
Mom and Dad certainly succeeded!

I may have had a doll or two –
I really don’t remember.
What I envision when I think of play
Is our “wedding” in September.

My friend, Frankie, and brother, Aldo,
Lived on our same property.
We dressed up in some cloth we found.
He wrapped it all around us three.

Cousin Bobby was a little younger.
We convinced him to be preacher.
He walked ahead of us down the “aisle”.
My dog, Jumbo, was best man. What a creature!

Our pretend house was a large hole
We dug in the old cow field.
We fixed it up with pretend furniture,
And covered the entrance – truly concealed.

We often climbed down to that “house”.
It worked just fine as a place to play….
Until a cow fell in and broke its leg.
I remember the lickin’ I got that day!

So, what was my favorite toy?
It was probably the neighbor boy!
Eventually we both got accordions –
Music was the “toy” that brought us joy!!

The accordion still is one of my favorite toys!
What’s your favorite childhood toy??
Thank you, Mom, for helping me
know that imagination and creativity
are the best “toys” ever!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow (God willing).
Are you enjoying the daily WordPress prompts?



Embrace Playfulness

Doesn’t that word make you smile?
PLAYFULNESS is underrated!
We all need to have days when
we determine it is the Word of the Day!
Today was that day for me!

Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com

It started with a day to celebrate
my friend, Sue’s birthday.
We met at a local coffee shop
and shared some quality one-on-one time.

We talked about the ways
people whose ideas may differ
in some areas of life
can love each other
for all their commonalities.

Then I spent a couple hours playing
Scrabble with a friend who is
recuperating from surgery.
A little playfulness is good for us all.

Playing in the sandbox
would be a welcome next activity.
Do you have a sandbox available?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I’d love to be at the ocean right now
Playing in the sand with you –
Jumping in the waves, and
drawing hearts on the beach.

Let’s spend time
listening to the waves crash against the shore
and enjoying the chance to
embrace playfulness!
Photo by Daniel Torobekov on Pexels.com

It’s a good day to embrace playfulness.
It’s a beautiful blue-sky, no wind afternoon.
Bob & I are headed to play with friends
Who are so dear… and so much fun to play with!

Terry & Jim – really fun-filled friends!

The Bible reinforces the idea of playfulness:

“Moreover, it is God’s gift that all should
eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.”

Ecclesiastes 3:13

Eating
Drinking
and taking pleasure
in the company
of our “Hood”

Do you have friends who embrace playfulness?

I didn’t get this posted yesterday.
I was having too much fun playing.
So here we are another day…

Bob, TazE & I
are headed out
with friends
on our ATV
(Lucille – the redhead
on which we have a “Ball”)

I wish you could come and enjoy this playfulness with us!


What kind of play is your favorite?
What will you do to enjoy playfulness today?

Whatever it is…
Take joy!


I send my love.
JanBeek

Feelings Check-in

Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Got too much on your plate?
Take a step back and regroup –
Don’t bite the “Gotta” bait!!

You don’t “Gotta” do nothing
But eat and breathe and live.
Set aside the burdens and
Sort life with a sieve.

Sift out what is draining,
And give yourself compassion.
Let go what’s upsetting
And let yourself start laughin’.

Yup, go find yerself a sandbox
And sit in it with friends.
Share the stuff that troublin’
And watch how the sadness ends.

And when the sandbox play
Comes to an end, get up
And bid the spiders, bees, and ants
Good-bye while you go and fill your cup.

Have a cup of kindness
With some honey to sweeten it.
Chase those blues right out the door.
Tell your stress you’ve beaten it!

When you look at each day smiling,
There is really no denying it,
You can beat the blues and stressfulness.
Go out fearlessly … Bee a Leo: Lion it!!

Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Got too much on your plate?
Set some aside – and get some rest –
There’s always tomorrow; that’s not too late!

Thanks for popping in!

Have a good night!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Image

Will You Be My Neighbor?

Two For Sale signs went up in our “hood” this week.

That Mercer sign is for a 7 acre parcel right next door to us.
We could be next-door neighbors!

The ERA sign is at the end of the cul-de-sac – just a stone’s throw away – down where you see the telephone poles in the first photo.

Mercer sign w our house

See, there’s our house up there –  just beyond the sign. Aren’t you looking for wide open spaces and Big Sky, fresh air and a friendly, cheerful, inclusive neighborhood? Here we are!! You can build your dream house right here.

Hocking House - blue sky

This beautiful home with the best neighbors imaginable, Rex and Penny, could be your neighbors … besides us, the Beekmans with the robin babies in our back yard. Hey, look closely! That one on the right has her eyes open!

2 baby robins

This nest is on this porch where I am sitting right now with my laptop, Rita and Robbie are coming and going, feeding their babies, paying no attention to me! I love it!!

The nest is in the shadow just left of the small bedroom window. My chair is in the sun with my tabletop in the shade. I have a bird’s eye view of the robin activity.

3 joggers - cartoon

This morning was a beautiful, sunny. warm, still day – perfect for a walk in Lion’s Club Park by the Madison River that is less than 5 minutes from us. I met a couple of TOPS friends and we walked around by the river, the baseball field, the playground…

Madison thru weeds

From this view of the river, there is a bench, a painted sculpted fish, and a gorgeous view of the Madison Range across the valley.

Come go for a walk with me. There are benches along the way, picnic tables, barbecue pits, a baseball field and a playground. Young children usually flock here. But, I was early. They started to arrive as I was leaving.

On the way to the post office after my walk, I passed another For Sale sign. Our friend, Niel, died recently after a long battle with cancer. His cozy little house in town is for sale. Maybe you’d prefer this. You’d be on a smaller lot in a more modest neighborhood downtown. Look at this lovely place. Interested? Call the ERA number on the sign at the top of this post.

Niel Kent house

Your neighbors across the street have this lovely tree – and these beautiful opium poppies. What a great little town our Ennis, Montana is!!

Driving home from there, I took the golf course route. Here’s the scene just a mile from our home:

They keep it well maintained and lots of our neighbors love getting out on the course on a day like today.

Peaceful, beautiful, clean, clear, friendly …
 … what more could you ask?

Oh, I forgot to add there’s a darling little lake at Lion’s Club Park where the kids can fish and keep the trout they catch. The Madison River has a “catch and release” policy to preserve the natives. And there’s an old tractor at the park where the kids can climb and pretend FARMER. We have a lot of cattle and wheat farming in our Madison Valley.

But it’s best known for the Madison River and the fly fishing.

fish on Madison - painting

Will you come and be my neighbor?
Caroline & Chuck are building right down the hill from us.
They’d be great neighbors for ya, too!!

CBD92DE9-1A2D-407B-9293-6BD4FCA70A8B
Have a Wonderful Wednesday.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Are You a Writer?

Photo by Retha Ferguson on Pexels.com

What’s a Writer?

How do you define a writer? Are you one?

Not everyone who reads my blog has a blog of their own. Not everyone who writes a blog has anything published anywhere else.

Must you write a blog or have something published in order to consider yourself a writer?

Does writing in a journal qualify you to call yourself “Writer”?

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

When you create a grocery list or a list of your “To-Do’s” for today, you are writing. Does that make you a “Writer”?

Definition of Writer

noun

  1. a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist.
  2. a clerk, scribe, or the like.
  3. a person who commits his or her thoughts, ideas, etc., to writing
  4. (in a piece of writing) the author (used as a circumlocution for “I,” “me,” “my,” etc.): The writer wishes to state….
  5. a person who writes or is able to writea writer in script.
Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

The Key to Being a Writer

The key to being a writer lies for me in the definitions number 3 and 5 above. It’s so obvious!

To be a writer, you must write! You must commit your thoughts and ideas to writing! Not just the ability to write (like writing your signature on a check or signing your name on a card), but the ability to put your thoughts and ideas down on paper or computer or someplace where others can read them.

Are you a writer who writes for others?

Play at Writing

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

Write like a child at play –
words are the beads;
string them together
one bead at a time.

Writing should be fun! Cristian Mihai on The Art of Blogging says, “Just punch the damn keys.” In his post today, he reminds us also that we are never finished in our quest to be anything… writers, artists, body builders, you name it!

His blog is about Art
inspiration
motivation
passion
Personal Development

Cristian Mihai wrote in the blog I imbedded above (for your ease in going to read it in its entirety),
“… we are all works of art. And we are never, ever, ever complete.”

He quoted 70 year-old Seneca who wrote,

“I am still learning…”

Cristian went on to remind us,

“One thing of extreme importance in life is never, ever to be complete.

To always strive for more.

To be able to reinvent yourself on a constant basis.”

He said, “We are not nouns, but verbs. Action is what defines us. And we can change what we do as we learn and develop new skills.”

I appreciate the ideas I glean on a daily basis from Cristian Mihai. He helps me put into action some of my better impulses, and to do it with the Spirit guiding me.

Let the Spirit Guide Your Writing

Let intentionality
yield to spontaneity.
Let the spirit
guide you.

Spiritual direction is as important to the life of a writer as good editing is to the life of the mind. Both deliver us from the blindness of a solitary thinker.

Being a solitary writer squeezes our vision and makes us myopic. Being short-sighted cuts us off from the wonderful world of criticism. Your spirit can guide your creativity, but seeking one’s own center does not mean we should discount others’ opinions.

Writers Are Not Indifferent

In his book, Saints and Writers – On Doing One’s Work in Hiding, Belden C. Lane wrote the following about prolific writer, James Joyce:

“James Joyces’ wife, Nora, loved him for his ordinariness. She paid little attention to his writing. With critics, Joyce had to second-guess himself. With Nora, he never had to prove anything. It was worthless even to try. Loving indifference can prove a safe place – a hidden center – from which one’s creativity grows without being turned back onto itself.”

I am not indifferent to the responses of others to my writing. Unlike James Joyce, who evidently came across as “ordinary” to his wife, my husband treats me like I am anything but ordinary – a very special, talented writer whose ideas are worth reading. He reads each of my blogs before I post them. I am not indifferent to his editorial ideas, and I appreciate his input.

Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

Let Your Creativity Grow

Just as Cristian Mihai reminded us in his blog today, never ever be complete! Never consider your skill set as mastered. Always keep learning and growing and seeking ways to improve.

You ARE a writer! You DO commit your thoughts and ideas to writing.

A few of your ideas expressed in the comments below will not be met with indifference by this writer. I LOVE hearing from you. You help me to keep growing!

See you tomorrow.

Faith is What it Takes

April snow falls so gently
On our Madison Valley town.
Trees and bushes are covered
With God’s pure and flaky gown.

Pintail Ridge is quiet –
Even robins hunker in
Partly finished nests of
Grasses and twigs so thin.

The air is misty stillness;
No folks are out about.
Spring snow falls so softly
I want to go out and shout:

“COVID-19 LEAVE US!
We don’t need your deadly germ!”
The virus didn’t hear me…
But the robin caught a worm!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com


Our birds will not go hungry –
And neither, friends, will we.
As God is in His heavens,
He’s also here to comfort me.

He sends the gentle snowflakes
To spread quiet, lovely peace.
He sends birds to remind us –
Here come the Canadian geese!

Photo by Brandon Montrone on Pexels.com

Our feathered friends are signs
Real spring is on its way.
Soon we’ll see the flowers
With colors to brighten our day.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

But for now, be still and listen.
God whispers through the flakes,
“The birds will not go hungry –
Trust, be calm; faith is what it takes.”

April snow falls so gently
On my neighborhood today.
But there will be a sunny morrow…
And we’ll all go out and play.

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com


Children will be back in school.
Yay! We’ll all go out to play.
Fishermen fish, golfers golf, workers work –
We have faith – we’ll see that day!

Faith is what it takes.
Let’s remain positive together, okay?
God bless you!

Happy April 1st to you.
What’re you going to do to make today memorable?
I’ll see yo tomorrow.

True Friends

True Friends

img_8064
Terry & Elaine w/ me

God has blessed my life
With a circle of true friends.
Some are close enough to hug,
Others are scattered to earth’s ends.
.
Regardless of their physical proximity,
My true friends are always with me.
When we reach out to each other,
Their love stretches out to gift me.
.

Some soul sisters I have known briefly,
Others are friends a decade or more,
And a few treasured true friends
I’ve known since I was young and poor.

ib83MDMqTeqWX8m2ulUimw_thumb_af29
My sis, Sally & me
MarcieJudyBobSandersMonica
Marcie, Judy, Bob, Jerry, Carolyn & Monica

Some are older, wise, and vibrant,

img_8998-e1567176654177.jpg
Elaine Forsberg

Some are family living far away,

img_7153
DeDe & me

Some are neighbors, always near and supportive,

img_8528
Our neighbors, the Ducsays & Laquas w/Tammy & Henry

Some are my buddies who join me in play.

img_8394
Me with Caroline & Penny
img_0308
The Curreys

Some are families who make life special –

Some are in-laws who keep in touch –

Margie & Bill
Bonnie & Stan
Ann & Bruce
ed-maria-19th-anniv
Ed & Maria

Some are couples who invite us over – 

All are a part of me… and I love them so much!

Kuan Tao-Sheng as quoted in Theodor Reik’s book, Of Love and Lust:
“Take a lump of clay,
Wet it, pat it,
Make a statue of you
and a statue of me.
Then shatter them, clatter them,
Add some water,
And break them and mold them
Into a statue of you and me.
Then in mine, there are bits of you,
And in you there are bits of me.
Nothing shall ever keep us apart.”

God has blest my soul
With true friends who make me whole.
I carry bits of them where e’re I go.
They round me out so I can roll.

Bob Jan TazE ATV
TazE, Bob & me
Laina w/ Bob & me

I roll with the punches life flings,
I weather the storms life brings;
I reach out to friends, and they to me.
So no matter the trouble, my heart sings.

animal avian beak bird
Life is better with a friend and a song!

Thank You, God,  for life’s true friends.
Thank You for God’s Holy Spirit, too.
He is the friend who’s with me always.
I pray that He’s a True Friend to you.

make-friendships

God bless you, my dear blogging friend!
Thank you for being a friend who visits and comments.
Your participation in my blog means
the world to me!

box cheerful color cute
See ya tomorrow.

How Do We Stay Together?

Happy 19th Anniversary to Ed & Maria!

Ed & Maria Platt

Happy 55th Anniversary to Bruce & Ann

Bruce & Ann Beekman

Happy 57th Anniversary, Bonnie & Stan

Bonnie (Beekman) & Stan Hunt

Happy 60th Anniversary, Marge & Bill !!

Bill & Marge Beekman

And Happy 57th Anniversary (58 in February) to Bob & me
– as we enjoy this 80th year of our lives
– and celebrate our togetherness
– and thank God for our health

Jan & Bob – How’d ya do it?

How do couple stay together so long?

That’s a question Bill & Marge were asked at our granddaughter, Faith’s wedding when the 4 Beekman couples were the last ones left on the dance floor after the disk jockey (DJ) said, “All couples married less than 55 years sit down.”

Wow! Here we were… eight old farts still standing, still dancing, still together.

Marge Beekman’s answer was, “Never go to bed mad at each other.”

Bill Beekman was asked for his answer. He said, “I agree with Marge.

The DJ said, “Did you see that? Did you hear that? He let her answer first and then he just agreed with her. There’s the secret to a long married life!”

Are There Other Secrets?

Well, if he had asked me, “How have you stayed together for 57 years?” I would have answered with not just one, but TEN ideas! (He would have had to cut me off!)

These ideas have worked for us in our long marriage – and have contributed to my ability to tell you, “We’re not just still together, but I love him more today than I did the day we married.”

What Are the Tips for Longevity in Relationships?

  1. Pray together – make the Lord central in your relationship – ask Him to guide your days and help you with every decision. Listen for His Holy Spirit to speak to you and help you as you walk daily in His Will to the best of your abilities.
  2. Give each other space – you are a couple, but you are also people with your own ideas, your own needs, and your own agendas. Allow each other the right to make individual decisions and keep your own identities bright and alive. We even have separate checking accounts. As long as the household needs are met, I don’t have to account to him for every penny of my retirement money that I spend… and likewise, his retirement play money is his to play with as he chooses. Give each other individual freedoms!!
  3. Listen to one another – really hear! Care about what the other thinks and find out why he/she really believes that. Never stop learning from one another.
  4. Go to church together – find a worship community and cultivate their friendships. We are Christians – and we want you to be able to see that in our love for one another and our love for YOU. “They will know we are Christians by our love <3 ” is not just a song we love to sing, but a life we strive to live. Our Christian friends are our support system, our help in time of need, our prayer partners. There is no friend like the long-term friends you make under the cross of Jesus!
  5. Play together – you may each have your own idea of what “fun” is (He fishes, I don’t. I love movies & popcorn, he doesn’t. He skis, I don’t. I go to Writer’s Group each Friday, he doesn’t. He loves yard work … or at least does it masterfully, I don’t. I love to volunteer at the Sr. Center, the Medical Center, help seniors in need, he doesn’t.) You get the idea. But we love to go riding on the Montana mountain trails with friends in our ATV – and we love entertaining friends in our home, hosting over-nighters for a week or a month or even a year in our home. We love going out to Dave’s Sushi or enjoying a BBQed dinner with fine wine at home. The idea is, find your areas of commonality and play happily together!
  6. Treasure and Appreciate One Another – Bob’s nickname for me (he has many, but my favorite ) is “Precious.” I appreciate his expressions of love and affection and his readiness to show appreciation. He often comments on things like, “My, you look pretty today!” or “I like the way you added that spice to the ______ (fill in the blank) for dinner tonight.” In return I try not to take for granted his beautiful yard work or the delicious waffles he makes for breakfast or his warm and plentiful hugs. Thank you is such an important word in any relationship!
  7. Love One Another even when you don’t Like each other! None of us is perfect. We often do things to “piss each other off!” It could be something as simple as leaving the toilet seat up or not putting the lid back on the toothpaste. Or it could be a major thing like staying out late without saying you were going to do so – and not calling to say where you are. Showing LOVE for one another is treating your partner the way you want to be treated and expressing yourself clearly without anger (if possible) when your expectations are not met. Loving is compromising and not always expecting things to go your way. Love is forgiving and trying NOT to be the annoying one in the relationship!
  8. Be Kind and Compassionate – Yes, we all make mistakes. We do stupid things. We say things we wish we could take back. When we are at our worst, that’s when we need kindness most. It’s when our partner is at his/her worst that we find it most difficult to be kind in return. But harshness begets hatred and ugliness begets violence. Our response is crucial. Of course, there are caustic relationships that are unhealthy and are not meant to be sustained. No one is called to be a doormat. My heart goes out to those who are in relationships with those who inflict mental or physical abuse. Especially when help is offered, but refused. Sometimes leaving is the most loving option. Kindness/Compassion is a two-way street!
  9. Trust! – Without mutual trust, the relationship is doomed! My husband, Bob’s ski buddy is Nancy. She is a 50-something dynamo who is a ball of energy and fun. She’s a fantastic skier and loves to do those double diamond runs – just like Bob does. If I didn’t trust Bob, I could be jealous of the time they spend together on the slopes and I could conjure up all sorts of images of what I think might or might not be happening. But, Bob & I always have lived with mutual trust – and so instead of worrying, I treasure Nancy’s friendship, too. I love getting together whenever we can with her and her fun-loving husband, Dan. In fact, she’s the one I told you about a few days ago when I said I wanted to adopt a Daughter #4. You gotta trust – and in that confidence enjoy a multitude of friendships and a plethora of opportunities you might miss otherwise!
  10. Respect! – It’s the bottom line. Without mutual respect, you may as well call it a day NOW. I have been around couples where one of them is so disrespectful to his/her partner that it smells up the room. The air is so caustic, you don’t want to be within ten miles of ’em. You want to shake ’em and wake ’em up to what they are doing to one another – or what one is doing to the other. But, rarely does intervention help. You sigh, shake your head, and vow not to ever do that to YOUR loved one. That’s a vow worth keeping if your relationship is worth having! ALWAYS show respect to your partner… and while you’re at it, respect yourself. God don’t make no junk … you’re a treasure!

God Bless You

I love you

See ya tomorrow

Making Friends

It’s easy to say, “Make Friends.”
But how do you do that?
It’s not as easy as it sounds.
Not like putting on a hat.

To have a friend, you must
Be a friend, they say.
I say that’s important…
But there’s another important way.

To have a friend, you must
Reach out and share your heart.
You can’t be afraid of rejection –
You just have to be the start.

Be the start by helping others.
Be the start by praying.
Be the start by being compassionate.
Be a friend who’s there for playing.

Play the games they like to play.
Invite them over for tea and toast.
Go out riding on your ATV, or
Ask them what they like the most.

Don’t limit talk to texting words.
Don’t just “friend” on a Facebook page.
Call ’em up. Send a card. Drop by.
Go out for lunch or go dance on a stage!

Friendship is like Love, I think.
It’s a verb, an act of doing.
Lost a friend you used to love?
Reach out and start renewing.

Renew your commitment to be the one
Who is steady, honest, and true.
That friendship can be kindled afresh.
But being a friend is UP TO YOU!

See ya tomorrow.

Happy Birthday x2

Today was a joint birthday party for
my granddaughter, Hope,
and my great-grandson, Xander

Hope +X @Xander's2nd

It was a crazy busy day…
but  I can’t go to bed without sharing a few photos
to let my JanBeek followers in on the fun!

V PUSH 4 WHEELER

It was a beautiful blue sky day (thank you, God)
and the children loved playing out in our back yard.
This little girl, Victoria, was a hoot to watch!
Her moods were many … what a cutiepie!!

Victoria @Xander's2nd

She was curious about everything!

Dining room @Xander's2nd

She loved riding with Xander on his new four-wheeler.

V + X @Xander's2nd
He wasn’t always too sure he always wanted her on it with him!

Victoria+X on 4 wheeler @Xander's2nd
But he got used to it!
(Awww… what’s not to love?)

X on 4wheeler@Xander's2nd

He actually needed her help to figure out how to get it to move!

cake @Xander's2nd

Besides the four-wheeler, his other favorite thing was the cake!

cakemess@Xander's2nd

But, he had trouble getting it into his mouth!
His mom was smart to take his shirt off before this mess started!

Mary+V+X+Hope

He wasn’t too keen on opening presents.
That’s his mom, Hope, on the right.
Victoria’s mom, Mary is on the left.

Xander couldn’t figure out why these things
had to have paper around them!
He liked the ones that didn’t come wrapped the best!

Like the “Build a Bear” he received
from his maternal grandparents…

kiss bear @Xander's2nd
Sweet!

It was a beautiful day … and everyone had a good time.
But now I’m pooped! I know why God gives kids to the young.
Time to go to bed.

4 kids @Xander's2nd

Kids wear ya out, don’t they?
But, aren’t we lucky to have such a nice big yard…
and such good weather today?

Happy Birthday, Hope and Xander!

And Happy Mother’s Day all you moms out there.

See you tomorrow!

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