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
“The fun part of getting not one, but two black eyes, is making up some wild, harebrained event that caused them.
Sky diving accident?
Or when they turn yellow… trying out for a clown part in an adaptation of a Stephen King novel.”
I think I could pull off a clown part in a Stephen King adaptation, don’t you?
I don’t need to wait til they turn yellow… just match the magenta with my lipstick, clothing, and earrings, and (as Derrick suggested) EMBRACE THE BRUISES!!
It’s getting better – don’t you think?
If you’re just tuning in to this messed up face saga, I need you to know that I got into a wrestling match with a tiger – and I won. The tiger ran off into the woods, never to attack a human again!
And if you believe that, you need to buy my latest novel… published by Porterhouse … available on your next steak.
If you can’t embrace sunglasses and hide the damage, then ya gotta smile and bare it, right?
And while we’re at it, I have another story to tell you:
You know I’d not be likely to buy a case of beer – but good wine, now that’s another story!
Now if you think I have any flawless dance moves left in me, I have a glass of Kool-Aid to sell you. I have waaaay too many birthday stories to tell – and a whole lot of receipts for the Kool-Aid I’ve sold.
… especially the body parts around my knees and ankles!
I’ve had my right knee replaced. How about you, you got any artificial parts so they make you go through the metal scanner at the airport? Bob & I both get the fun of being frisked every time we take a trip!
But, we’ve decided flying is a better way to go instead of driving these days. Driving requires sitting next to one another and trying to talk to each other. After nearly 60 years of marriage, what’s left to talk about? On a plane, if you’re lucky, you get the center aisle – and somebody new to talk to.
Seeing better was a perk of younger years. Hearing better is a perk of aging… but it takes a set of $4000 aids to do it.
As the birthdays pile up, we have to be sure we have our bifocals and our hearing aids before we leave home.
Next it’ll be our walking stick or a walker!!
Try not to lose your glasses or your car keys – That’s one of the problems we multi-birthday folks have. But that’s not as bad a losing your memory.
Did I tell you the story about how I got these black eyes? Oh, I did? It was back on the blog called EMBRACE HARD HEADS –
Remember?
You don’t?
Oh well… That’s a story for another day.
Do you have a story to tell? Come on, be a sport… Entertain me!
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:
Go back to your past Embrace cherished memories Cherish family
Yesterday we celebrated family as we gathered at our son, Ty’s place in Placerville, CA. It was Ty’s mother-in-law, Ruthie’s birthday (behind me on the left with hubby, Darrell). We are so blessed to have such a close, loving family! That’s my niece, Jodie, on the right with her hubby, Bill, and son, Liam. Monika’s in back right. Ty & our grandson, Sam are front left.
We were gathered not only to celebrate Ruthie’s birthday, but the day before we all gathered at the cemetery to honor the life of my sister, Sally.
Here is Sally on the right with her best friend, Bonnie Dauley, at a River Cats game. Bonnie & many of Sally’s friends from the Sacramento area joined our family & friends in Turlock for the lovely memorial. It had to be postponed last December due to COVID.
It was a lovely, blue sky day. Here I am reading my poem about my sis to the gathering. Sally’s ashes joined those of her husband and eldest daughter in this beautiful spot where my parents’ ashes also are.
Bob & I have a “drawer” right next to this one where my parents’ ashes are. You may think this is morbid, but I find comfort knowing this detail is taken care of. Do you relate?
Ty introduced the various speakers who remembered the best qualities of my sis. The remarks helped solidify for us all what a unique person Sally was. She was very devoted to her Rebekah and Odd Fellows Lodges, so those organizations were well represented in the service.
Sally’s daughter (my niece, Jodie) has a best friend, Melissa, who came from Utah to celebrate and honor the memory of Sally DeAngeles Butters. Melissa has been Jodie’s best friend since early high school days. What a blessing best buddies are!
My best CA buddy, Marcie, invited us to stay at her place – and had a mini-class of ’57 gathering the night before the service. What a joy to see my old high school buddies! I was so busy enjoying them, I didn’t take any pictures that night. Amazing!
Here’s Marcie out on her patio. And below there is Bob… enjoying the beautiful California sunshine.
After the service, Jodie & Bill invited everyone to lunch at El Jardin in Turlock. It was great food, and a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to connect.
Marcie & Ty with Monika’s parents and Bob’s brothers & sisters-in-law. Below are three of my cousins, Jan DeAngelis Jones, Maria DeAngelis, and Leni Assali. I had not seen them in waaaay too long! (behind Jan is Tim Allen, who enhanced the ambiance with his music)
Jodie, me & Melissa… so good to have time together!
For dessert, we remembered my sister’s love of holidays with cupcakes decorated with all her favorite days.
Wasn’t that a clever idea?
Before returning here to Ty’s in Placerville, we stopped by my cousin, Adrian’s in Modesto, for more visiting time.
Adrian DeAngelis
Leni Assali & Laura DeAngelis
God bless Jodie & Bill! They worked so hard to make this a memorable occasion – One that honored my sister’s memory and will live in our memories for as long as we live.
We wish our daughter, DeAna, and her hubby Andre’ could have been here – but they are in Switzerland. Too far to come … and they are busy with their restaurant right now. But the picture above is De & Andre’ with Ty & Monika two years ago. You can see they enjoy one another’s company! My hope is that someday Ty & Monika can go to Vissoie to visit De & Andre’ and their gorgeous Swiss Auberge.
Sante’, my friends. Thank you for visiting JanBeek today and sharing this important family time with me vicariously. Today is more chance to spend time here in CA with loved ones. We will have two of my other grandchildren plus my sweet great-granddaughter, Cosette, joining us today.
I hope you have a blessed weekend. What are you planning to do?
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.
If you can laugh at yourself, Laughter will always be with you. We do the darndest things!!
Flight Attendant
On our trip home from Eugene, Oregon via Seattle, WA, we “lost” our carry-on suitcase. Because of a shortage of overhead bin space, we were asked to leave our carry-on at the entrance of the plane. At the end of the flight, the cart rolled out with all the luggage and ours wasn’t on it. There was a blue bag like ours, but it had a strange-looking lock on it, and it was a little bigger than ours, and the color wasn’t exactly right.
We figured somebody had accidentally picked up the wrong bag. We reported the missing bag to the flight attendant.
“You’re sure this isn’t yours?” she asked.
“We’re sure!” we both chimed in.
So, this gracious masked flight attendant escorted us to the Alaska Airlines Passenger Assistance desk. On the way we exchanged pleasantries. She discovered we’d been married 59 years. She asked about our destination. We asked about her life. We had plenty of time to share. It was a long walk to the help desk.
At the customer service desk, the attendant took our phone number and other contact information and assured us that we’d be contacted when the person who mistook our bag for theirs realized their mistake and returned it.
We thanked her again and got her contact info from her. Later she sent us a picture of herself unmasked so we’d recognize her if she came to visit us in Montana. We really hope she will!!
As we were headed for our next departure gate to continue our travel home to Bozeman, MT, we saw another flight attendant wheeling a blue carry-on toward the help desk. Something caused us to turn around, follow him, and inquire about that suitcase when he got to the Alaska Airlines customer service area.
Our sweet and helpful flight attendant still was in that area. She came over to see the blue bag that was left behind and get an update on what was happening. The two attendants looked at the bag, turned the tag on it over and examined the name/address on it.
We felt soooo stupid! We BOTH had denied that bag could be ours. We had created a hassle for the flight attendant and ourselves. NEEDLESSLY. We felt like such morons! We profusely apologized. They chuckled. We laughed out loud… a laugh filled with embarrassment.
Our sweet flight attendant patted us on the back. Gave us a comforting smile and said, “It could happen to any of us. Don’t worry!”
She said she wanted to adopt us as her “Marriage longevity role models.”
Thank you, Lisa!!
Ah, 59 years together! We often tell folks it takes the two of us to complete one another… two halves make a whole.
At that moment we thought we had both become slightly senile. Neither of us felt like half of a whole!! Maybe a quarter?
We can’t afford to have BOTH of us lose a few marbles. HELP!!
As we rolled our bag – hmmm… why hadn’t we noticed that lock on there before? Hmmm … was it really this size? Hmmm … why hadn’t we noticed the shade of blue?
We got the giggles. We laughed at our own feeble-mindedness and decided what we needed was a good glass of wine, a taco snack, and a chance to just sit and relax before we boarded the next flight.
I received a text from our dear flight attendant. She assured us that we were the highlight of her day. She sent us a picture of her beautiful family and invited us to come visit her if we are ever in the area where she lives. I can just hear her sharing the story about this “adorable old couple, married 59 years, not recognizing their own suitcase” and getting a good laugh for years to come.
We’re able to laugh about it, too. We hope she really will take us up on it and come to visit us in Montana!
The moral of the story:
The next time you do something stupid, give each other a high five. Get a good laugh at yourself, and realize:
You are not alone! Laugh together. No one can laugh AT you, if they are laughing WITH you!
And, by the way, do you have some kind of bright florescent ribbon that we can tie onto our luggage?
Something that we can’t mistake for someone else’s?
Send it along to us!! And have a great Thursday!
Love, JanBeek
Hah!!
Oh- and by the way, that girl at the top with her tongue out? That’s Bob’s niece, Tammy. She has a great sense of humor. As a nurse – especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, Laughter has been a saving grace! Gotta keep your spirits up!!
I could have called this “Embrace Maturity,” but that would have been pussyfooting around the issue. Not everyone matures as they age, but aging is not an option.
You do it or you die.
However, I embraced this meme when I saw it:
Aging is a privilege only given to the lucky ones, you know. So, yes, I will count this year … but at 81, I sometimes forget if it is 80 or 81 and if I try to get by with the lesser number, I have an 82 year old husband who is quick to remind me.
Hah! Can’t fool him… He keeps a check on me – – – but he’s not big on donuts. Darn!
My daughter (most of you have met her on this blog in the past – DeDe – lives in Switzerland) sent me this a little while back. She particularly liked it because one of Bob’s nicknames for me is “Rocky”
Most of you also know that I have a sanctuary where I spend the first hour most every morning… and in it I have three antique rockers. Ah, yes, it’s the perfect image of me!
But the chair that brings us mutual joy is the one we put in the back of our ATV and pull out when we stop for a break. The best way to embrace aging is to find a hobby that you can enjoy with someone you love.
For Bob and me, it is joining friends and going four-wheeling on these wonderful Rocky Mountain trails. .. stopping to fish the mountain lakes. Ah, that’s livin’!!
What hobbies make your aging process more enjoyable? One of our mutual hobbies (besides four-wheeling) is teaching Sunday School.
Here are darling Ruby & Cord.
COVID got in the way of being able to meet each Sunday morning with these two darlings and one other… and then these two moved away. As they age, their mom sends us pictures.
Getting picture from family and friends is a great way to welcome the new day and look forward to the next time you can visit.
Aging is easier to embrace if you have dreams – something to look forward to, right?
We dream of next October – when COVID-19 will be controlled and it will be safe to travel to see our daughter, De, and her husband, Andre’ – and stay in one of the hotel rooms above the restaurant.
As we age, some of the benefits outweigh the struggles that come with aching joints and lowered energy levels.
One of them is, when your grandkids act up and get on your nerves, you can just send ’em back to their folks!
Couldn’t do that when you were younger and they were your own kids!
Gotta look for the perks in this aging process!
Oh my! Take ’em home!!
Another advantage of aging is that we have time to reminisce about the “Good Ole Days” and the songs we used to sing that these youngsters with their guitars and drums don’t seem to understand anymore.
And if those songs and the memories they bring aren’t enough to make you feel good about still being on this earth, try singing this one:
Another way to “Embrace Aging” is to relish the extra time you have to just find a good book, pour yourself a hot chocolate or a glass of wine, curl up in front of a warm fire, and spend some uninterrupted quality time.
When you were younger, that luxury was seldom yours, right?
Now, if you are a youngster (under retirement age) reading this blog, you are probably thinking that I am a dreamer. You’re right. I am! And each day I dream up all kinds of things to keep me exuberant about life.
Yesterday it was effervescence. The day before it was … oh, do I have to go back that far?
Nope! A trick to aging gracefully is to remain playful. Keep your hobbies, and make up ways to keep the sparkle alive. Take those boots that were left at the front door and get creative!
If you can’t get out because you’re snowed in – and you’re longing for sushi, but the nearest place is an hour away, send money to your kids and tell them to go out for sushi on you. But make sure they send you a picture… and drool all over the computer screen when they send it!
Ask your friends to send you a picture of the table they decorated for some recent holiday – and then marvel at their creativity as you sit down for the 10th night in a row at your kitchen counter… thanking God for your life, your food, your kids, and your kitchen counter.
A trick to embracing aging is to always remain thankful for your blessings… even if they aren’t at a yacht club!!
Now, here’s a couple who knows how to live it up: My friends, the Rosens.
Embrace Aging by feeding your mind Hope, Truth and Love on a daily basis.
Don’t let your mind tell you you’re OLD. That’s a state of mind for the senile. It’s not for you!
Tell your mind that aging just adds to your story… and you’re not finished telling it yet!
I am grateful for you, dear WordPress friends. I pray your day was blessed indeed. Merry Christmas!
ZOOM Christmas
Did you get to actually be with your family? Or did you ZOOM with them as we did? The picture above is Christmas Eve morning. Bob & I had the opportunity to see and talk with (left to right) our son, Ty, [then that’s us], group shot of our grandson and granddaughter with our son’s in-laws, then my niece, Jodie & her husband, Bill and son, Liam, from their home in PA, our daughter #2 Laina in the Baltimore area, and our daughter-in-law, Monika, in CA. We had a wonderful hour-long conversation. Next best thing to being together in person! Thank you, ZOOM!!
Bob gave me this wonderful, warm sweater.
Laina sent us this warm greeting this morning. She is such a thoughtful, loving daughter!
Our grandson sent us this adorable picture, thanking us for the slippers we sent to him and his adorable girlfriend.
My dear friend, Terry, gave me this Willow Creek angel for Christmas. You know how angels are an important part of my life. How sweet and thoughtful of her!
What are the gifts that brightened your day today? I hope you are feeling as blessed as we are.
A photo from our daughter, DeAna, in Switzerland brightened our Christmas. So nice to see her with her hubby, two of her 3 boys, plus her mother-in-love.
Our dear neighbor, ,Scott, treated us to a very special bottle of wine. We are decanting it to enjoy it with our special dinner… a standing rib roast. Wish you could share it with us!
We’re looking forward setting up and learning to use this gift from our son and his wife. Technology continues to amaze us… the advances are amazing!
Bob & I are using our relatively new smoker to smoke a standing rib roast for our Christmas dinner. Like technology, things like smokers and cell phones require a learning curve. We’re on the uphill side of that curve!
We called our neighbor/friend, Whooter, for help this morning when we were trying to figure out how to do this. Dear Whooter texted us back, sent us a photo that made our day, and gave us the advice we needed. Love that guy!!
I’m sure he didn’t intend me to broadcast this photo, but you needed a good laugh, too, right?
Whooter gave us a great recipe for a rub to put on the meat, and meat thermometers to help us know we are headed in the right direction in the smoking process. God bless him! Do you have neighbors who are life-savers for you at times like this?
Our good friends, the Delektas, had a present under our tree today. It’s a gorgeous knife that will be the greatest tool for carving this roast if it ever smokes sufficiently for us to eventually eat it!
Don’t get in the way, TazE… it’s sharp!!
As we prepare for our Christmas dinner, we are listening to the horrible news about the bombing in Nashville this morning. So sad that there are such sick people out there! How could someone intentionally do something so devastating?
Our prayers go out for those who were injured and prayers of gratitude that there are no known fatalities. We have friends who live in Nashville- not far from this blast. And I have a cousin who lives there. My heart goes out to all those in Harm’s Way. We all are affected by such atrocities. It makes us all feel vulnerable. It saddens my heart.
God be with those firefighters who were injured. May they recover fully and be home with their families soon.
I am enjoying this beautiful pillow that our friends, Sue & Jerry gave us this Christmas. What’s a favorite gift that you have been given?
Thank God for each minute you are given to share the love, joy, and peace that are Jesus Christ’s gifts to us. Have a very Merry Christmas, my friends. Our standing rib roast WILL be done soon. I am counting on it.
Sigh… The smoker keeps shutting off. We may have to call Whooter again! (That’s just an internet photo!!)
Merry Christmas, my friends. What did you do today?
Some days we just can’t focus We move from this to that We look for life’s chuckles And invite a friend to chat
Today was one of those days I gathered stuff for fun And thought you might enjoy A random walk when day is done
So come and take a tour with me And see a few things I enjoyed You might pick a favorite Or say which ones annoyed
But hey, not every day is easy Some days are a deep black hole Meander with me through this and that And if you smile, I’ve met my goal!
An ad from the 40’s… we’ve come a long way, Baby!!
I gotcha covered, my friend I’ll cover your back when you need me Cuz when you find me sad and hungry I know I can count on you to feed me!
A little bread and a glass of wine Heck, that’s all I’ll ask Take my hand and lead me home And don’t forget your mask!!
See ya tomorrow. Have a good Thursday night.
Pray for my grandson, Mike, in Switzerland. He was diagnosed positive with COVID-19. He’s getting better… but this pandemic is nothing to fool with! DO WEAR YOUR MASK when you’re out in public.
