She Would Cry

This holiday season has been a tearful one. I find myself crying at any moment. Happy times. Sad times. Lonely time. Times when I hear a traditional Christmas song sung perfectly. I wonder if this comes with age.

Mom would cry. I would be perplexed when she cried when it was a happy time. Momma, it's a happy time, don't cry.

Now I know. We cry for Christmas past. Memories that come back with emotion. Those that are not with us that were such a big part of our lives. Gone. Relationships that are hurting, seemingly never to be repaired. Families that were torn apart because of some vice. All these can't be fixed by us, but God longs for us to be filled to overflowing with joy and with God all things are possible. We can't be filled with joy apart from His grace for joy comes from Him!

In my fallen state I cannot be without tears. I know someday we all will stand with Jesus and it all will be right! No more tears, that is a promise. No more tears!! Imagine a life without such heartache. I can't but I do have hope.

Merry Christmas! Such a shallow word in today's fallen state....".merry". It is hard to have for so many. Blessed Christmas! A much better greeting for it calls on God for all that is wonderful. God blesses us with joy! "Joy unspeakable."

Here's pictures from our 2019 joyful get together.

Trumpeter Granddaughter

Yesterday we went to watch our granddaughter Reese's concert. It brought back memories from the times we went to watch our own children at their school events. I found it to be a happy evening even if it was crowded with people I don't know. Being with my family was a blessing.

The first concert was for a younger bunch than our granddaughter and I found it to be so funny that the "Christmas" program had nothing to do with the season but was about being green --- recycling. Ok! Well the choir looked like they were having fun. I missed the songs from my children's youth.... hurry santa, jingle bells, all I want for Christmas is  my two front teeth; or the music from my youth Silent Night, T'waz the night before Christmas, Frosty the Snowman... sigh. I know things change but do they have to?

Christmas 2019

Every year Christmas is different. Every year. This year my brother Toby and his son Caleb died, two weeks apart. Caleb died, we joined my brother and his wife as they remembered their youngest son...taken much too soon. Two weeks later my brother dies in an unfortunate steam bath accident. This year my husband Doug's dad John also passed away. We suspected he was soon to leave this earth so we flew out to Florida to see him. Two days later he passed away. We take comfort in knowing he knew Doug and I were there even if he could get up and greet us in his usual hugging way. Things change. Our connections grow smaller if we do not work at being a friend to others. Jesus called us friends. I love Jesus. I love that He was willing to die to make a way to be with Him in heaven forever if we will just believe. How simple is that? His ways never change.

When we lose those that we love, the season can be hard of our heart. It is on mine. I find myself tearful just at the sound of old Christmas songs. Silent Night. My dad used to have my husband and I sing it in harmony. Sometimes if we didn't start out right he would say, "Wait, wait... start again." I miss my Dad and my Mom. Dad brought stability to the family and I miss that about him. He was a believer in God's plan for salvation so I know I will see him again when God restores all of us and creation to the perfectness He had created the whold world before our enemy Satan tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden. I believer and if you do you will also be saved from the wretched hell that is the destiny of Satan and the angels that followed him out of heaven. We all have a choice. I hope you make the right one.

Connie

Vera

Kathy, Connie

Fall 2018

Seems like 2018 was just booming in. We live in the fireworks area so on NY's and July 4th we hear a lot of fireworks. It's not too bad as long as it does not go on for days and days. I suppose if I was Gorilla Fireworks I would say differently!

We did a lot of work on the property this summer and I love it. Cleared a lot of trees down with the help of a good friend! The trees had grown so much that we could not see the lake. Now, it is there again and I love it. I also have been doing a lot of burning of fallen trees. Every summer we have an ongoing war with carpenter ants, a bad thing if you live in a log home! So pulling fallen trees out and burning them makes me feel like we have made their lives a bit more challenged! Yay!

The swans are passing through here in the Valley so I thought I would post a few swan pictures. I was not a threat to them as I pulled trees out of the woods and burned them because they soon were standing lakeside preening themselves. Now if he could Mo would have been a threat for he wanted all the treats I was tossing out to the swans for himself!