Expectations

Isn't it interesting how our own perspective shapes our expectations. I expect people to value any question put to them, afterall, what is wrong with a question that is asked in a respectful manner? Does the question itself matter or is the one being asked, insecure with questions? Information is suppose to be a good thing. I am learning that I have done a lot more things right in life than I have given myself credit for. I have failed in the past to recognize that I have given people the right to ask questions without fear of rejection. Hopefully, in the future I will respond to people with a greater degree of kindness. I plan to be attentive to any question asked of me. Those seeking answers are usually very intelligent people who are not satisfied with the status quo. I know one thing for certain, I do not have all the answers...the Good News is I know someone who does. As a Christ-follower I have access to an all knowing, all powerful, and ever present God. My heart can rejoice in the fact that I have entrusted my life into HIS eternal care. My God loves it when I ask for HIS opinion? If you don't believe me, ask HIM!

Not just another day

Today is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I decided when I woke up today to spend my day wisely, to enjoy others, to consider for myself buying wisdom and to laugh. Laughter makes the heart glad and is healing to our bodies. It is interesting to laugh out loud in a room and see who will laugh with you and who will just stare at you. I am persuaded that Laughter is a good medicine that should be taken on a regular basis. It would not be unusual to find me holding my sides in pain as I laugh my way through corny jokes. Sometimes it is the joke teller I find the most amusing. Like my husband, we call him Papa now that the grandkids came along, I start laughing when he starts the joke because I can only imagine where the joke will go off course. There are sometimes varying versions that find their way into his joke telling. None of them are particularly funny in and of themselves, it is his weaving them into the joke that is so hilarious. Never mind, I am laughing as I write this, because I am remembering so many of the jokes where he blows the punch line. I am not a good joke teller myself, however, I recognize that fact. Only the Lord God Almighty knows all the stories of our lives and still smiles down upon us with HIS mercy and grace.

Life is really interesting sometimes

Two days after Thanksgiving and the house is quiet, really quiet. The children and the grandchildren have taken their leave. Papa did a wedding tonight for a loyal friend. The music was superb, the words were outstanding. My heart was touched and my spirit rejoiced. Sometimes we find life unfolding differently than we anticipated. I did not expect to be so moved by the ceremony. It did my heart good to see such happiness. You know it really is the little things that make our worlds go around. My twin grandsons greeting Papa and I in bed the last two mornings was a delight. Seeing all five grandchildren so well behaved during the holiday was truly an exceptional blessing. To see my daughters and their families interact with each other brings joy to my heart. Having my good friends rejoice with me is one of the best parts of this time in my life. Laughing together and crying together we find great comfort in our relationships. God is good and I am looking forward to tomorrow. May each one of you find God at the center of your holidays.

Exhaustion

Did I say exhaustion? I meant total exhaustion! An excellent turkey dinner, family, and friends and it is midnight. Was it really as much fun as I think? Or am I so numb from the noise and constant picking up that I just imagined I was having fun? This blog should be the evidence that a 'Nona's thoughts are not always concise. This Nona is tired and going to bed...tommorrow I will try to get back on track with some actually sane thoughts. I am thankful for God's faithfulness in my life. I spent the day with some pretty awesome people. I never want to take for granted the liberty I enjoy daily in my relationship with God. Good Night!

Somedays even thinking is hard....

This week has been a strange week. I have not been my usual self, I woke up on Monday feeling a little blue. I told someone the truth yesterday and it hurt their feelings; I really love the person so I felt bad. In fact, I felt bad into the wee hours of the morning. Life is not fair! My husband and I were in a car accident about four months agao and had the privilege of finding out today that the person who was responsible for the accident is probably underinsured. Oh, the joy of acceptance. Sometime it sucks having to choose to do what is right. Life is too short to get hung up somewhere in the what ifs?. So, tomorrow I plan to get up and be thankful for my life just as it is. I have a wonderful husband, great daughters, wonderful son-in-laws, exceptional grandchildren, and great friends. I have a good church and I know God personally. What more could any ask for? Well, lets see.....

Just Thinking

Two days from now a traditional holiday with turkey and cranberries will arrive. The turkey is great and the cranberries always home stewed with orange peel will be awesome I'm sure. My favorite part of the holiday is the three girls and their families all here at once. The noise level is sometimes deafening and the house looks like a cyclone passes through on a hourly basis, but the reward is family together. I'm trying to figure out a way for Papa to heat up the loft over the garage so the kiddos will have a place all their own to fill with noise. Good friends will arrive, one is actually baking homemade bread and the other will bring her helping hands to complete whatever tasks remain undone. The joy of celebrating our right to love God, serve God, and actually know the forgiveness of HIS son, Jesus Christ, will be celebrated with hearts of gratitude. We are truly grateful this year to reflect upon the survival of our past, the hope for our future, and the assurance that God is always with us. May each of you know for yourselves the delight of HIS love as you celebrate Thanksgiving in 2006!

What is a good 'Nona'?

When my three daughters were little their exposure to grandparents was not the norm. Both of their paternal grandparents had been married three times; composing a possibility of eight grandparents. Their maternal grandparents were in the middle of divorcing and finding new possible grandparents. Four more maybe grandparents in the making. By the time all the would be grandparents settled down with their new partners my children were grown. Needless to say, grandparenting, was not modeled to my children in a normal fashion. Now I find myself the 'Nona' and wonder if I am a normal grandmother. I am still married to the original grandpa...they all call him 'Papa'. Papa and Nona love their roles and probably push the limit on what is allowable for grandparents. Movies or as they call them moo-bees and popcorn while we snuggle on the couch are priceless. Treats are expected pantry occupants at our house. The little ones bring their appetites and we attempt to drive back the hunger pains. Cereal pronounced ser-ral is in constant demand. Rice milk for the ones who are lactose intolerant and whole hormone free milk for the others is a must. Papa makes latte for the little boys up the street on a regular basis. Have we started an addiction to early...? For those of you who are suddenly concerned about caffeine...it is a hot steamer with torani syrup...not real coffee. Relax! 'Chill up' as Papa would say. Playing in 'Nona' stamp collection is always a big hit and "can we do a craft" is a regular question around here. Hot-tubbing is in high demand. Just about anything goes. Papa and I love them, spoil them and then send them home. Our daughters are great moms and are really generous in their allowance of over indulging grandparents. If I am not the normal, don't ruin it for me. I am having a great time and love the memories I am able to make with each and every one of the sweethearts who call me 'Nona'.

Words are Cheap

Part of the definition of character is keeping our word. Our current culture seems to be void of the integrity it takes to be people of our word. Keeping our word is a reflection of who we really are. Honor is not given often times where honor is due. Why is it that the values of our past are no longer valid? I want to think the best of people and I want people to think the best of me. Society, however, has arrived at the place where we judge one another from the negative position. A negative position is established because no one keeps their word, integrity is lacking, and honor is a thing of the past. So, when we finally meet a person of honest character and integrity, we are suspect and withhold the honor they deserve. Seems to be a merry-go-round of emotions that leaves us dizzy at best. It is my hope that I am a woman of my word, that I don't cheapen my character by living something different than what my mouth speaks. I want my words to be valuable and trustworthy. I have five wonderful grandchildren who should be able to trust their 'Nona' to keep her word. They deserve to see adults who value integrity and give honor where honor is due. I am committed to making my words valuable and trustworthy; are you?

Well Versed

I think everyone I know strives to be well-versed; at least in their field of interest. I am, however, a bit intimidated when I meet those who are well-versed at being well-versed. I have a few areas of interest and I can honestly say I am not as well-versed as I would like to be in any of them. I have periods when I focus my attention somewhat compulsively in one direction or another, then I burn myself out and take my obsessive nature in a different direction. If I were truly well-versed at writing I would read the works of successful authors, instead I read selected authors....most of them are not published; they are related to me. If I really loved medicine, like I say I do, I would go back to school and renew my license, instead I am forgetting more everyday than I actually know. If I really wanted to succeed as a crafter I would dedicate myself to the hobby, instead I make excuses for why I haven't used all the supplies I bought last year. Then if I really loved God like I want to, I would become consumed with HIS heart, HIS ways, HIS word, HIS people, and with those who have never met him. I would serve my fellow man with compassion in order to be like Christ. The older I get the shorter life seems. I am compelled to ask myself "will my life count"? My attention turns towards my children when I ask myself that question. My daughters married some pretty well-versed guys. One who is well-versed at being well-versed, one who can debate with the best theologians around and one who can literally do anything he puts his mind to. I guess after writing that last sentence I can say I am well-versed at producing some pretty savvy daughters....they picked some awesome men for husbands. Most of all I am very well-versed at being proud of my family; now I am off to consider becoming well-versed at ...............

Change

Boy! Have times changed? By the time I get on track to buy one of my grandchildren a specific toy, the stores have green tagged them for quick sale and the only place I can find the toy of my choice is online. I don't do particularly well with change when it comes to entering my personal identification onto the world wide web. Prior to the superhighway of information, my personal ID was stolen and it took me almost two full years to clean up the mess that my Nona impersonator had created. The protectors of the innocent (the real Nona) were not especially helpful in my plight. The merchants who got ripped off by the phony Nona were not all to happy with the genuine Nona. What's a Nona to do? Change, not this year. I am going to ask my son-in-law to use his personal ID to purchase the toys I want for his children for Christmas; then I will be happy to sign with love, NONA!

New thoughts

Well, today is another day in the many that are strung together to make up the culmination of my life to this particular point in time. All and all it was a better day than yesterday. Which is not to say that I am content with the quality of my life. I discovered for myself some new thoughts that I have chosen to call 'truths for living'. The real trick to navigating life is whether I can apply the 'truths for living' to my daily existence. I want to change and grow for the better in my relationships with others. Wanting, however, does not seem to be enough to affect change. It takes time and dedication, not to mention flexibility. So, at the end of a long day I have to ask myself if I am ready to invest the energy that is needed to bring about change. Tomorrow I will contemplate change itself. Tonight I am tired and hungry and will just settle for the status quo of my current state.

To publish my thoughts

I won a state-wide writing contest when I was fifteen. Now that I think about it, I realize I did not cash the prize check...I wanted to keep it for sentimental reason. Yeah! Yeah! What is sentimental about an out of date check? The ribbon would have been sentimental enough. Besides that, my true confession is I don't know where the check and the ribbon are. I can't decide if I even care. Today I remembered them because of my commitment to writing through the years. It's the writing itself that has some emotion attached to it. How easily we get steered off course. I love to write or maybe I am enthralled with thinking itself. Anyway, this blog is the perfect place to marry writing and thinking. Nona's thoughts are just that, thoughts that pass through the mind of a grandmother that five little darlings call 'Nona'. My daughter and her husband blog becasue they love words also, so maybe I just wanted to join into this display we call writing.

My first blog!

My thoughts for today are filled with uneasiness. Why is it we think we know what 'life' is? Life is something different to each and every person. Normal routines without stress use to define my life. Now life is defined by the degree of stress I encounter each day. Last night, my favorite pilot in the whole world (also my son-in-law) was in his second car accident in five months. He is a really good guy who loves British cars and life has dealt him the fate of removing two of his favorite vehicles from the roadways in 2006. He and whiplash are well acquainted, over introduced in fact. I am also the mother of an extremely hard-working young lady who finds herself trying to navigate her own health issue. My daughter seems to be able to hold onto her optimism and hope while I find myself in fear of the diagnosis. Life is uncertain that is for sure. The real issues are defined now by comparison, the things that really matter up against the stuff that is hollow without those we love intact. The rabbit trail continues as we contemplate what does intact mean exactly. I am also keenly aware of the fact that I do things I believe are right and good and others interpret them as something else. Trying to navigate each day as it presents itself to us without hurting anyone or ourselves is life. Some days we are successful and other days we are not.

Nona