Memorial Day Veterans

This morning at 8 am I attended our yearly Veterans Day program in Sunriver. There was an appreciative audience mostly age 55+ retirees attended. I was touched by the patriotic spirit shown.

The flags of all the service-Army, Navy, etc were at half mast

A Veterans memorial for those who served our country

Old Glory flies in the middle of all other flags

93 year old Army chaplain Russ Robertson

Amazing so many could fit in their old uniforms

Placing the memorial wreath

Some veterans rode their motorcycles in with flags flying

Everyone either saluted or placed their right hand on their heart

Beautiful eagle statue shows honor and courage

Music and talks were beautiful, taps and bagpipes added so much.

Twins Birthday #20

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TWO
 

Becoming a grandmother

is a chance to connect with another

precious child from above,

giving and receiving the gift of love.

Watching as they grow

become someone new

developing talents unknown

making a life of their own.

Double the pleasure for me

with twin grand daughters, you see.

Both unique though looking alike.

Each with different personalities.

Now they’re twenty years old

their accomplishments can be told:

college students, missionary

service, and talents extraordinary.

Heather or Hez and Em or Emilee

so precious to our forever family

guided to us by heaven’s direction

we’re striving together for perfection.

Change, Conflict, Courage and Fear

Interesting where life takes us and more so how we react to it.

Been running into these words all weekend in talks, lessons given and attended at church and in life's situations. CHANGE-always a constant even though sometimes we'd like to push the pause buttons  on those moments of joy and happiness that seem to be so rare. CONFLICT always a surprise when it rears it's ugly head whether it comes from outside us or inside our own head. COURAGE-needed to go forward with faith in the plan for growing and becoming. FEAR always there and doubt as we listen to negative beliefs and actions that fill our lives. CHOICES are always there before us each moment and each day how we will act or if we will just REACT.

Trip to PINE VALLEY

Time to get away from the city and see nature-trees, streams, mountains again. We took our annual trip in early summer to feel coolness of the forest and enjoy nature with a picnic lunch.

MOTHER'S DAY again

Happy Mother's day to all mothers in our families: Tina, Nedret, Rachel, Deborah, Alicia, Katherine and Sarah for their efforts in raising their children. And thanks to all their mothers and grandmothers who came before us.

L-R Emilee and Heather, me in the mirror reflection

I became a mother in 1966, let's see that makes me a mother for a total of 52 years...AMAZING and a grandmother for 19 years. It's definitely easier to be a GRANDMOTHER! Here I am with my amazing twin grand daughters who stopped by with their family on their way to So. California.

SUMMER overtakes SPRING

Our spring flowers especially roses are in FULL BLOOM, but summer's heat is sneaking up on us. It was 98 degrees yesterday which isn't springlike at all. Oh well, we live in the high desert. Summer always feels like the LONGEST SEASON and spring and fall just commas.

Hubby pruned the roses and they are blooming like crazy

Yellow roses of Texas are lovely

Too many on one stem to cut for flower arrangements inside

Rose plants from Walmart are doing well

Honeysuckles smell so swet plus Oleander bushes are blooming

Then there is our sad garden with onion bulbs going to seed

Little 4 ft peach tree has lots of fruit this year too.

Grape vines are growing back after their massacre!

Tall tree was suppose to be a sage bush, it will have purple blooms

Front yard has volunteer desert marigold and more roses

HEALING

It's been 1.5 weeks since my fall and my body is slowly healing and my patience is getting another test. Pains here and there can be masked with pills, but the ache within to be productive is wanting out. Sitting lots and sleeping lots makes for long sleepless nights with lots of thinking. Wondering how best to use the time I have each day and determine my PRIORITIES is so important. Time is like a maze, each decision we make determines our path eventually.

Having no REGRETS means making each experience negative or otherwise COUNT as in teaching us a lesson or molding our character/personality into something better. Taking time to look back through old JOURNAL pages can bring insights into growth that we've made and also to obstacles or blocks that are still in our way. Life is an ADVENTURE of choices to be made each day. I CHOOSE to love, forgive and go forward.