A New Poetry Book

Sammy Kaye's Sunday Serenade, Book of Poetry. Marie gave this to me for Christmas. Sammy Kaye was a radio show celebrity. Come "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye." He played orchestra style music and read poetry sent in from listeners. I plan to add a few songs from iTunes soon.

Pg. 57
"I never saw a woman
More like a garden...

And no one loves a garden
More tenderly than I."

Love you Mom!

~Marie

I love the book Marie.

The poem is in the book and was written by Norine Freeman. Here is the complete poem which I want to pass on to all the women in my life. My own Mom, my husbands Mom, my sisters, my brothers wives, my daughters, nieces, cousins and friends :

Alma

I never saw a woman
More like a garden
Than you, with flowers of loveliness
Shining through your eyes.
Blowing all around you
Are the sweet winds of beauty
Singing the majestic psalm that never, never dies.

You may have known the shadows.
Most women know them.
Clouds pass over gardens, too,
And leave them bright with rain.
But love is all around you...
Part of your being.
And any clouds you may have known
Have threatened you in vain.

I never saw a woman
More like a garden.
You give your flowers of loveliness
To all who wander by;
Color, light, and sweetness
To carry through a lifetime,
And no one loves a garden
More tenderly than I.

Tend your gardens ladies!

*madly pulling weeds here trying to keep it beautiful*

Thanks Marie.

Some Day

Alexis, me, Ashlee and Baby Raegan.

So, Christmas 2007 is over! I hope you had a good one. I got lots of things from my family. Doug gave me new outdoor wear. The kids gave perfume, slippers, hair clips, shower gels, soap, a basket made by my daughter Karla, antique trivets, it was sure a fun day with the whole bunch here.

We all worked to make dinner together. We were out on a quick four-wheeler ride and I asked Doug what time it was and it was 2:45 and dinner was supposed to be done about 3:30 so that Klint and Calli could eat with us and still get over to her family's get together too. We hustled home and cooked quickly. Everything was good and we all ate way too much!

Oh boy, it sure can get wild around here with all the grandkids together and watching how they get along or don't get along is interesting. Each of my daughters and their husbands deal differently with discipline. The results are observed in their kids. Gramma and Gramppa are supposed to love, love, love, but love also must come out in the word "No." It really does not concern me that there are some in the world who get disgruntled with that. I've was written to before - by those who think Gramma should only be sweet, smile and never, ever be negative. pppbbbbt!

I don't know if you believe that there are spirits, or demons if you desire, that are with us every day ----since birth. These beings, are determined to destroy every creation of God, especially His most loved creation, me and you. If he can keep us from realizing we have a free gift of eternal life because of Calvary he has won the ultimate game of deception, this for those who don't believe that will have suffered an eternal loss.

In my own war against these beings I didn't know at first that they really existed. I heard people talk about the dark, scary things and thought to myself they all are so superstitious. I believed that that was as far as spiritual activity went. A child comes to us as a beautiful baby and by the end of growing up there are serious self-doubts and feelings that one is not really worth anything to anybody and these come not from God but from God's enemy.

In response to self-doubts and inferiority, I "wilted." Marie noticed and told me one day that I always wilted quickly in every situation. Most people do not react to accusations from spirits as I have. Other people will bristle, fight back, and take out their self-frustations on those around them. These are the ones that are always mad for some reason and no one really knows why. No one has really told us that these spiritual creatures are with us everyday - not only on halloween or on dark nights when things are going bump! bump!

Have you considered if these mostly ugly thoughts have come from a spiritual source? We end up believing whatever they are suggesting and then we take it out on all of those around us. The enemy of God is also mankind's enemy. He is sneaky and will even transform into angels of light to decieve. Sadly, most of us can be decieved much sooner than that though! We spend entire lives holding grudges against others we believe spend their days trying to mess up our own life! So life is not happy with grudges, jealousies, anger, fighting back! Persons finding themselves in this situation are not a threat to the evil one, evil does not want people to know God and if we are busy fighting, we do not have time to know God.

It is truly a sad thing when one does not realize where discontent, dissatisfaction, bitterness, jealousy, inferiority and all that will bring discord into families and friends relationships is truly coming from. Try to suggest that one should pray and ask God to banquish spirit-beings wrecking havoc in a life and many people will look like you've gone bananas and what a Bible-thumping fanatic! hehehe

Someday, these unholy creatures will be entering into the eternal destruction that has been prepared for them and we will be finally completely free!

I long for that some day...

Last Post Before Christmas

Wish all that stop by a very happy season. I hope you each have a holiday that is satisfying and especially pleasant.

All the best intentions are so easily slammed off track occassionally when family and friends come together to enjoy this time of the year together--- I sadly am thinking of myself.

I apologize for my ugly side a head of time and I hope my chili stops boiling over today and the grandkids will be exceptional until these HAPPY times return to normal. ha

Happy, happy Christmas everyone! May God bless you and yours in the coming New Year too.

Now, big smile on the face and back to the kitchen!

Sweet Memories

From my diary:
December 12, 2007

"We (Doug, Klint, Calli, me) are enjoying the impressive beauty of Hawaii once again. I love the trees, the never stopping motions here are captivating. Ocean, clouds, trees, birds all move to bring my heart to be humbled by the creative powers of my Lord and Savior. I am thankful to be here and I thank God for captivating my heart so that I can know Him and praise Him every day. God is so powerful. His imagination has been spilled out in all of creation. Coconuts, papayas, pineapples, plumeria (not in one color alone but many), the fragrances, the rain showers as they cross the beaches. It boggles my mind to imagine how fascinating it had to be to watch each of these being created!"

We learned while we were in Hawaii that Doug's Uncle Dick passed away. He had just begun to go in for dialysis three times a week, he had a heart attack and in the process of helping him with that he passed on. What a great guy he was.

My first memory of him was as a young Mom, meeting for the first time Doug's very large family of uncles, aunts and cousins. I was so shy back then it was painful, but he seemed to understand and he was so kind and sweet.

He sat beside me and helped me beat Doug at checkers and his stifled laugh will never be forgotten and he would whisper to me which checker to move, we ended up winning and he would chuckle and it was good for me. I thank the Lord that I knew him and that he knew Jesus Christ. Someday we shall sit together again and I will hear him chuckle again.

Our prayers have been with the Black's as they learn to function with such a great loss in this world. He is being remembered fondly.

See you again --- we hope soon, Uncle Dick.

All the pictures should show a sentence of explanation if you hold your cursor over each one.

Mele Kalikimaka, Merry Christmas - my family and friends.