Celebrating 40 years together

On September 5, 1970 we started our life together as husband and wife. It was a spectacular day and our faces were sore from smiling so much. We were so in love and looked forward to the adventure of building our lives together. As we drove off in our MG Midget (after unstuffing the newspapers in it and lifting it off of the jack stands my brother in law had placed under the axel as a joke) we were blissfully unaware of what the future held for us. We just knew we wanted to take the journey together.

Now, forty years later we celebrate that journey. Along the way we attended college (and graduated), raised five amazing children, moved several times, enjoyed careers, served at church and in the community, watched children go off to school, got misty eyed when they got married, thrilled at becoming grandparents, took trips to a number of states, camped and fished over the western states, spent a few weeks in Europe, worked along side each other and played...a lot!

I still have my wedding dress, carefully hung in the closet. Reality set in when I realized there was no way I was going to fit into it this week. It was a wake up call to me verifying that time had passed and I was not the young bride I was 40 years ago.

But, then, that's not such a bad thing. I do wish I had the figure I had when I was 21 years old, but over the past 40 years I have had experiences that have helped me be the woman I am today. I have learned that goodness in people is to be treasured, whether it is in a spouse, a family member, a friend, or those you barely know. That no matter what the obstacle, there is a way around or over it. That saying what you are is good, but doing what you are is powerful. That I still have so much to learn and hope I'm always open to ideas and inspiration.

I am grateful to have shared the past 40 years with my amazing husband and look forward to the road ahead with my eternal travel companion. Happy Anniversary, my love.

Friendship

Twenty-six years ago a friendship was forged that has continued and grown over the years. Fifteen years ago, for our 25th anniversary we shared a week in Hawaii with our good friends, leaving our children at home to manage on their own (our 16 year old was put in charge of our younger two daughters and did a marvelous job. Although I'm almost sure the total account of the week's adventures has yet to be told.) Three years ago we planned to meet in Hawaii but plans had to be changed. This year, we once again have been able to renew our friendship in Hawaii, this time on Kauai. Isn't it amazing that with dear friends you can be apart for long periods of time, but when you meet again it's like there has never been a lapse. You pick up right where you left off, with hugs, and laughter, sharing moments from years past, and looking toward the future adventures that our friendship will find. Good friends, a blessing and a joy. A whole LOT of fun, too.

Ahhhhh....California

Just a week ago we traveled to the Sierra Nevada Mountains for the first time this year. What an incredible feast of natural beauty all in one day. Driving from the valley through the bright green foothills of Spring was as refreshing to the eye as it was to the soul. Most of the year the foothills are golden brown but for a brief time in Spring they are vibrant with new growth and new life. And the banquet of wildflowers along the roadways in brilliant hues of purple, yellow and blue are an amazing display of the beauty the Lord has placed here on the earth for us to enjoy. It's as if the multi-colored swaths of wildflowers that catch the eye also catch us before we hurry along missing the beauty that surrounds us. It is said "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" but I would venture that the eye needs to be open to the beauty first. Too often I find myself running fast through the day, so conscious of the hours that are slipping by and not paying enough attention to the beauty that is right in front of me. Wildflowers just seem to shout out to be noticed. And I have. At least on a beautiful day this Spring.

Wii've Come a Long Way

When I was about five years old, (at the dawn of time) my parents bought our first televison set. I sat transfixed in front of the black and white images that filled the screen. Often they would jiggle around due to some unknown intereference, then the screen would be filled with electronic "snow". I'd impatiently wait until the figures on the screen regained normal proportion and the snowstorm passed. I had my favorite shows. I barely remember "Winky Dink" but do remember you had to have a plastic sheet to place across the screen and a special marker to draw hidden pictures on the TV screen. I didn't have the special plastic screen, so tried to use plastic wrap and a crayon. It didn't work very well. I had to use my imagination to fill in the spaces on the screen to form a picture of a firetruck, a girl's smiling face, or a frog. It was a good exercise for imagination, I guess, but I longed for an official "Winkey Dink" set. One day, I'm not sure how it happened, but my sister showed up with one. In great anticipation we placed the plastic sheet on the TV screen and waited for the "Hidden Pictures" part of the show to begin. Poised with special marker in hand, we traced the design. It doesn't matter what it was...I don't remember. But I do remember that I felt as if I had entered a new age. I had interacted with a television program! See it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eclOpNdzMEE
Fast forward about 50 years (or so) to 2009. My darling husband gave me a Wii just before Christmas. Talk about interaction with television! I was blown away with the responsiveness of the (what's it called...the stick thing...oh the "controller"). We laughed so hard as we tried to paddle a canoe down a simple course, ramming into buoys and flags. There was more ping in my ping pong than his and I won most games. Golf, well, not so much. I still have yet to master the fencing game where you bash each other on the head and knock your opponent off a cliff. A little too violent for my genteel taste.
Then, even more amazing, my ever wonderful man gave me the Wii Fit board for Christmas. Now you're talking! What a way to exercise and have fun at the same time. Once I was through the "check in" and winced at my weigh in, I took on several of the balance games. How does this set of flat white boxes know where I am and what I'm doing? It is a puzzlement!
I don't expect to understand the intricacies of the computer language and electronics that make this thing work. I think its a marvel. And I don't think I ever even had a glimmer of a thought back in my black and white TV days that such a thing would ever be real.
Looking forward and using your imagination, what do you see as the real future? The mind reels when you think of how far we have come and the potential of the future. What would you like to see? After all, Wii've come a long way already.

Little Girl Grown Up

Twenty eight years ago a baby girl was born into our family in the wee hours of a cold December night. Since then our lives have been blessed as this beautiful little girl has grown into an amazing woman. She has a gift of seeing the world in a unique way that is often surprising and sometimes very funny. Her poetry and writing reflect her ability to make the mundane magical. Her "Robynisms" are legendary. She has the gift of music with a gorgeous voice that even as a child was sweet and clear. She has the ability to understand children and knows how to encourage them to have the courage to be their best. She's an awesome teacher, loyal friend, loving companion to a terrific husband, caring granddaughter, supportive sister, quirky, funny, fabulous and smart. Best of all, she's my daughter and I love her with all my heart. Happy Birthday!

A Challenge

I have a really good excuse for not updating my blog lately. Two weeks ago I had repair surgery performed on my right shoulder which resulted in having my right arm in a sling/brace. The shoulder is healing nicely but it is rather a challenge to do everyday activities with just my left hand. I have to keep my arm in the sling 24/7 for about two more weeks. I am counting the days. But in the meantime these are the things I have learned. First, I have an amazing and compassionate husband who has been a lifesaver. I simply would have to be a blob on the couch if it werent for his help. I have learned that you need two hands to cut your meat. Hence I've been suriving on finger food and salads unless my husband cuts my meat for me. He says it reminds him of times he cut the meat for our children. Typing on the computer with my left hand is slow and although I'm getting faster it takes a lot of concentration. For a mental exercise you might try it. Buttons are for two handed people. Pants with elastic waistbands are my friend. Putting on socks with one hand...doable but try tube socks...getting the heels in the right place is a neat trick. Eating left handed, since I'm right handed has helped me with my weight loss program. I just get too tired chasing bits of food around my plate. I gave up trying to style my hair and got it cut short in a do I only have to fluff and go. I tried using the curling iron with only my left hand and gave it up as being dangerous. Putting in contacts one handed. Maybe for some of you this is no challenge but for me each morning is an exercise in how long I can keep one eye open and hopfully smush the contact in my eye before I blink. I'm not complaining. I'm finding this a unique opportunity to see how ingenious I can be at performing tasks that pre-surgery were no brainers but now take a great deal of mental effort to accomplish. I'm grateful that I do have two working limbs that I will in a few weeks be able to use in tandem. It has been an eye opening experience. You might like to try this, maybe for a short time. I'd love to hear what you discover, too.

Yosemite

Only a two hour drive from our home lies the majestic Yosemite Valley of California, a land of contrasts where granite crags thrust up from the serenity of the meadowed valley floor and gold-hued leaves of oak trees rustle in the breeze that also passes through stands of pines.

John Muir, noted naturalist and pioneer environmentalist explored Yosemite through it's various seasons. A poet in his own right, he wrote: "Nowhere will you see the majestic operations of Nature more clearly revealed beside the frailest, most gentle and peaceful things. Nearly all the park is a profound solitude. Yet it is full of charming company, full of God's thoughts, a place of peace and safety amid the most exalted grandeur and eager enthusiastic action, a new song, a place of beginnings abounding in first lessons of life..."


This week we took a day to visit this place of beginnings. Everywhere were grand vistas that were testaments to the ingenuity of God in creating this earth. I could only feel enveloped by the wondrous richness of this forested cathedral and humbled by the awesome power of cascading waterfalls over towering granite walls. It was good to put aside the mundane cares of daily life, as noble as they might be, and gather strength from this grand place and remember that this world was meant to be enjoyed, cherished and revered as a magnificent creation of God.