People come together with their families to celebrate Easter. What better way to celebrate than to spend a few hours going on the journey of Christ’s life. Roma Downey
Yes, I remember. I remember the Easter Egg hunts as a child. Finding colored eggs. Dressing up in the fanciest clothes, sitting in church with the grown-ups. I remember all family getting together, saying grace, and eating so much food that we needed to run it off. I remember baby lambs and baby chicks.
Now that I’m an adult, I have the power of mind to make my own choices. I have the ability to listen and to read about Jesus Christ. I can choose to believe or choose to believe it is all hog wash.
I think it helped me when I read in the Bible that I would have to sell myself to the devil for a slice of bread. I know the fear was planted when I learned that I would burn forever in a fire with no escape.
Yes, I have my memories of Easters past but I am very thankful for the choices I have made as an adult.
It is Sunday morning. I awoke to white coverage on the ground. We are to receive up to ten inches of snow by dusk.
I am sitting on my bed, gazing out my window, and I think about the friend I made over the summer. Mr. Gopher and I have learned to communicate through gibberish words and sounds.
I watched with interest through the Autumn season, as his instincts told him to prepare for the cold winter.
Daily he would travel yards of coverage, gathering supplies and then carry each tidbit to his under ground hole; which happens to be in our backyard.
I haven’t seen him lately, but I won’t forget him. I miss our talks and the closeness we once shared.
I carry hope, that with the beginning of Spring, we shall once again continue where we left off.
This last paragraph reminds me of someone I love dearly. There was once upon a time, a closeness shared, with another soul. I never thought distance and changing thoughts and split paths, would ever cause us to become two pieces of driftwood.
Now, as I feel about Mr. Gopher, I also will look forward to a new Spring. I will carry thoughts of continuing our relationship and becoming close once again.
Yesterday was the day for Christmas sharing with my kids and me. I always look forward to this event. The meal planning, making sure there is a favorite of each of my three kids sitting on the table ready to eat.
Things can’t be as they usually are, when you are no longer in your own home, but I tried my best. My legs didn’t work well, which was a good thing as far as the meal went. Our menu was based around Stouffers, lasagna.
I had prepared ahead of time the seven layer salad, deviled eggs, butterscotch dessert and fudge. The recipes for these many year return foods are:
Seven layer salad
Fry up and break bacon. Layer chopped lettuce, bacon, frozen peas and shredded cheese. After final layer, spread a layer of mayonnaise over entire top. Cover and chill 24 hours. Stir and enjoy .
Butterscotch Pudding Dessert
Mix 1 cup flour , 1 stick butter and 1/2 cup of nuts. Mix and pat into 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. While cooling , mix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 package cream cheese, 1 cup of cool whip. Use mixer. Pour this over crust and spread to edges.
Next, mix 2 regular size instant butterscotch or Chocolate sugar free or regular pudding mixes with only 3 cups of milk. Pour over cream cheese layer. Last, spread rest of regular size cool whip over entire dessert. Garnish with nuts. Eat and enjoy
The fudge recipe is on the back of the Milnot cans. 5 minute fudge. I had baked a berry pie and had Michigan cherries.
My daughter arrived late, which is very unusual . She was ill and had went to the doctor. She had a sinus and ear infection with no voice. I appreciated her coming, although she belonged under the covers. She brought her daughter . Her husband remained at his parents home, due to health issues with his father .
My daughter in law brought 2 of her three kids. It was an alright day. It could have been better , but it could have been worse . The afternoon ended and near supper I received an invitation to supper, so I accepted and we went to Pizza Hut.
When I arrived home I went straight to bed to rest my legs. I slept all night and am now getting ready to go visit my bestie for a few days. Sunday I go back home.
It’s been a few days since I have blogged; but I have been busy. As you all know I moved after Al, my brother passed away. I just couldn’t face the home we lived in each day. My mourning was so deep, I couldn’t see anything but him every step I took.
I moved down to my daughter’s area. I knew that I had Parkinson’s and my deep emotions made me believe I would be better off in a new area. I am not positive of the real reasons I moved here. I should state, I don’t know if I made the decision or God allowed the move.
I do know that being away from Warsaw did me a lot of good. I was able to spend more time with my family here in Kentucky. I was introduced to baby chicks, great pets, friendly people and quiet living. I did have a better chance of healing from losing Al. I still think of him daily, but I am better. I have to look at the positive of being out from under those walls he and I shared.
I have been here 8 months. In this time, I have done everything in my power, aside from standing on my head to locate a job. Throughout doubting myself as a suitable candidate for hire, I discovered, that it isn’t so much your qualifications you have obtained; but rather who you know.
Maybe this is true in any small town, or maybe it is due partially to being in the south. I will always admire how family sticks together here and looks out for each other. I don’t see that so much up north.
The job never came. Interviews came and went. No one knew me, so passing me over for someone they knew was their option they took. The weather here is much better. The snow is less, the heat is hotter. More mountains, more trees, more beauty.
In the end, I know from being the age I am that no one is going to take care of me; but me. I say this in all good faith. Of course, if I was in an emergency situation or needed health care or a nursing home, my family would be right there for me.
I am not at that point though. Nursing homes enter my mind; but down the road, and hopefully way down the road. Using a cane I guess is not that bad. It enables me to still walk. I could be so much worse and hopefully I won’t be worse for a long time. I did learn that I want to live. I can’t sit and worry about what tomorrow will bring, and that is what I was doing; waiting and wondering. What I didn’t do when I was back home was have enough faith in God that as each point came in my life, he would help me solve the problem.
I just know that it didn’t work out here and I must go back home to Indiana. Of course, I will be thrilled to see my 2 sons and all the grandchildren. Definitely, I will miss my family down here.
I have to work. I must have some income flowing into my life. I can not live on faith alone and I refuse to live on hand-outs, so I have made this decision to return. I will be moving back to Indiana May 2. I was able to obtain a nice apartment which is even close to a dear friend of mine. I have already applied for a position there and if nothing else; I can return to Hospice work.
I hate the thought of renting, but I can’t kick myself repeatedly for the decisions I have already made. There is a part of me that doesn’t want to own property any longer. Next week I will be 61 and I am not sure owning property, upkeep, taxes, and worry is something I really want at this point. I guess I look at it as; I am paying rent in order to live a stress-free life.
So from here until the next 2 weeks, I am doing that nasty thing we all have done at one point or another. I am packing, cleaning and moving.
Jeanneclaire Probst has chosen the topic of family poems.
She feels that families are more important than we realize. It takes families by trial and error to remedy situations that arise so that there is no dissension among loved ones. It will take the same remedies that work within families to help solve world problems among people of different tribes, tongues and nations. All were put here for a time, and a purpose; with none being more important than the other. We all learn from one another, and can benefit from one another if we are willing to look at our neighbor as our “family” and work out situations that might hinder growth and peace. I believe we were meant to be able to work out our problems and move forward with the eyes of hope and the love of hearts.
This is the twelfth poem contest for Poetry in My Mind group. The most likes will win on March 31st , midnight. The winner will choose the next month’s poetic format or topic and have his/her picture placed where Jeanneclaire Probst is for March. You cannot like your own poem. The 4 administrators will remain neutral because we will serve as tie breakers, if needed. (Marcella Leff, admin.)
If you could un-invent something, what would it be? Discuss why, potential repercussions, or a possible alternative.
I know you are going to think I am crazy when I write this post, but I am a crazy gal. I like the word, FAMILY. Family to me represents the good up-bringing I had. The sitting down at the table together as a family; holding hands and one of us kids saying grace.
The routine of baths after dinner, homework and if we got finished in time we were allowed to watch TV with mom and dad. Bedtime came at the same moment Monday through Friday, and an hour later on weekends.
We had a routine. We always knew we could depend on our parents. We knew the rules of going to school and what our chores were on the weekends. Family, a strong unit, somewhat broken from technology of cell phones and computers.
Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if there were guidelines as there were when we were bring raised. Perhaps time limits on cell phone use and computer time. Not only do the kids today not go anywhere without their cell phones, most of them have computer technology on the phones.
I can’t begin to count the number of times I have entered a public establishment and notice zero smiles. I don’t see people looking up at me and with a nod of the head acknowledging my presence.
Kids, parents, adults, elderly, almost everyone has updated with the times. What happened though? The term, family, the eating, praying, talking together, the guidelines, chores, what happened to family? Without our even realizing it, we ever so quietly traded good habits into a phrase of it’s all about me.
This is sad, more young girls pregnant, elderly respect has been lost to the seas. Looking out for our neighbors has slipped right past us. Maybe it is the era I was brought up in. So for this prompt, I would undo the technology of cell phones and computers, if even for one day. Stand up and take notice. Drink that coffee with a smile. Go outside and smell those flowers. Wave and say hello to your neighbor, just for one day.
I watched one more movie tonight. If you are looking for comedy, innocent romance, no foul language, no killing, and an excellent movie, this is what I would give as a rating to this movie, Blended. FOUR STARS.
Blended is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci and written by Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera. Starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with an ensemble cast featuring Bella Thorne, Emma… wikipedia.org
I don’t know where the time went today . I planned on writing to you earlier. Now it’s evening and thoughts are turning to preparations of tomorrow’s big turkey day.
Tomorrow I will be spending the day with my daughter and my thoughts will be also with my family and friends back in Indiana. So many things change in our lives as we get older. I say a silent prayer and thank God for allowing me to have spent many years with my parents and my brother.
Maybe I will take a quick ride to heaven and sit with my family at the big table. I will tell them how much I love them and miss them, then hurry back to the people who love me here on earth.
So to each of you no matter where you are I wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day. God bless you and your family and enjoy what ever you are doing tomorrow.
Who I am 