"Let's hang out a little longer!"

"Let's hang out a little longer!" said the Christmas Stockings.

Christmas Stockings.

A family tradition.
A family keepsake.
Filled with surprises of fun, sweets and love.

It is 359 days until Christmas! It is time to put away, take down and pack up Christmas... so in 300 or so days we can get it all out again....or is it?

We do the same things every Christmas. It can take weeks and months to prepare for it ...but it is gone in just a few hours...or is it?

What if we greeted all people everyday...thrilled and excited like the first time we saw our tree all lit up?

What if wrapped all the gifts of people we have been blessed with...with a hug everyday? 

What if we became that hard to buy gift....personal gifts of forgiveness, grace and mercy to the difficult ones in our lives?

What if we hang out a little longer with the stockings ....by adding surprises of fun, sweets and love to our families' days?

What if Christmas became something we do everyday? 

Let's hang out with Christmas all year!

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 

2 Corinthians 9:15

"Here I am!" said Grief.

"Here I am!" said Grief.

Grief.

It brings heartache.

It is often unexpected.

...and it always brings comfort.

Our community has been touched deeply by grief this past week. A friend's two youngest children died on impact when their car slid off an icy road. Another teen committed suicide. A area teacher was killed in a car accident. Tragedy all around. Many hearts are heavy in grief. Hearts are aching.

Grief is hard. It is hard to explain. It can only be experienced. It is different for everyone. Grief comes in phases and hits in waves. But God always follows grief with comfort. God will offer comfort in many ways...through others, through his word. 

Someone has said, "Grief never ends...but it changes.  It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith. It is the price of love" ~Author unknown~  Grief will draw us closer to God ...if we let it. That is God's desire (my added words). 

Words from a song that comforted me this week. 

"Tell your heart to beat again" 

by Phillips, Craig and Dean

"Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again

Hope is reaching from a rugged cross
Where a perfect love recaptured all the innocence that’s lost
And mercy’s calling from an empty grave
So lift your eyes to heaven
And hear your Savior say

Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again"
                                            How has your grief been comforted?

Be listening for your promised comfort for your grief today. 

"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you."
John 16:22

"What does the hat say?"

"What does the hat say?" at Ruth Short's 80th birthday tea party.

A Vintage 1933 Tea Party.
For a special vintage 80 year old - Ruth Short.

Full of vintage memories.
...And vintage party hats.

Every year my mom faithfully polishes a family heirloom silver tea service that sits on my buffet. We never use it. She just polishes it and polishes it and polishes it...year after year after year.

When we were deciding how to celebrate her big birthday, Cassidy reminded us how she loved to play tea party with her and Kristen as little girls with play tea sets. That memory became the theme of her 80th birthday. We were going to do it...use her cherished silver tea set to celebrate her big day.

The tables were set with tea and treats and nice dishes and dainty old hankies for napkins.  

Banners of old photos telling the story of her 80 years were hung as decorations.

For her gift, we had a collection of 80 used books (she loves to read.) Family members sent us a collection of 80 words and phrases that she was remembered by.(many were very kind and some hilarious!) We made bookmarks with one of those special words/phrases on it. The books were wrapped in clear party bags so she could see the book and the word/phrase on the bookmark. She could unwrap them one by one as she read them making this a gift that lasts a LONG time. It was a mini - memory library in a basket trunk. She loved it!

Many of her friends and family who couldn't be here took part in a birthday card shower. It was a treat to hear her joy in receiving all those special cards.

That sounds like a great party. Right? 

Well...there was one more thing we needed...party hats. Not just regular paper hats...this was a tea party and mom loves dressy fancy stuff. So what else would go with her silver tea service? Vintage dress up hats! Lots of them. It was fun to collect and try on these interesting hats and decide which hat goes to who. Many were found at thrift stores and some were found tucked away in closets. Everyone enjoyed dressing up in their fancy hat for this very special lady.

There are years of love under each of these special party hats...and...it takes a lot of love to wear one! The photos that follow will finish this sweet story and say more then I could ever write. 

So here goes...."What does the hat say...to you?" Join the party and post a comment below!

Ruth(birthday girl)& Bill(husband)

   Dale(son)& Sandy(daughter-in-law)

Johanna(daughter)& Lynn(son-in-law)

Stephanie(daughter)& Gordy(son-in-law)

Eric(grandson)& Cecilia(grand daughter-in-law)

Kristen(grand daughter)& Cassidy(grand daughter)

Nick(grandson) & Nate(grandson)

Natalie (grand daughter) & Emma (great grand daughter)

Judah (great grandson)

Rick(grandson-in-law)& Lincoln (great grandson)

Mom's 80 years are full of love...even in the not so good times. 

Her love for God and family has sure been her life theme. 

SO what do the hats say to me?

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

What does the hat say to you? 

"Gobble Gobble Flush"

"Gobble Gobble Flush", says the Turkey Toilet.

Turkey Toilet.
My newest Thanksgiving decoration.
My most visited bathroom.
My new thankful place.

Catalogs...lots of them are filling my mailbox. They go right from the mailbox to the trash. As I was throwing away a pile of them, one dropped and opened to something I had never seen before. A Thanksgiving toilet seat and tank set cover. That had my attention.

For $12.95 it is packed with Thanksgiving features.  The seat is covered in pilgrim clothes and the tank front has a big smiling turkey face. There is a Kleenex dispenser built into the black pilgrim hat on the tank. Cute. But that's not all...when you lift the lid it gobbles. Yes.....you heard me right... the battery operated sound effect goes off each time the lid is raised or lowered. Really.

This Turkey Toilet really says, "Gobble Gobble Flush!"

Seriously...who really buys this stuff?

I did.

My powder room got a Thanksgiving makeover. 

The reactions to this newest decoration have been priceless.

My intentions were really to have it for my nephew and niece when they visited. 

Lincoln and Emma. 

They are 5 and 3 years old...this would be a fun surprise for them. 

They did totally enjoy it. 

Emma went to the bathroom every 10 minutes. 

Great for potty training! 

Lincoln got a kick out of raising the lid just a little and closing it fast making it start and stop. Each time it half gobbled he laughed louder. 

I am not sure if that is teaching him to close the lid or leave it up??! oh well...

But...I forgot to tell my family about this new bathroom addition.

I received this text from Kristen, "Thanks mom for scaring me with the toilet!" 

Lynn's comment, "Why can't we live in a normal house?"

Cassidy, "Mom you paid for that?"

My sister Steph said her office had seen this in a catalog and got a big laugh over it. She was thrilled to experience it in person.

My mom... I heard her chuckling in the bathroom. I wonder why?

Our cats come flying out of the bathroom after setting off the gobbles by trying to drink out of the toilet but finding the lid down.

Eric just grinned BIG.

We had our small group over last night and I had forgotten about the turkey toilet until an older woman whispered in my ear, "I love your Turkey Toilet."  Big Smile!

Best part is you always know when someone in the bathroom. We all grin when the gobbles go off!

I never thought a toilet could bring so much joy :-). Each time I go into that bathroom it now reminds me to be thankful for the simple things and the people God has blessed me with to share in those simple joys.

What simple thing will you be thankful for that has brought you joy today? 

"The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me."  

Psalm 16:6

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"A shot in the arm..."

"A shot in the arm...," says Sugar.

Sugar.
My once very unwanted pet.
My 7 year old fluffy puffy Ragdoll cat.
My BFF (Best Fluffy Feline).

Sugar aka: Fluffy, Puffy, Precious, Sweetie, Friendly, Fluffa, Fluf-e-Nuf, Nuffy, Shooggie-Booggie, Boog, Shug...need I go on? She is definitely a rag-DOLL. But not so much when she arrived at our house 7 years ago.

Sugar was a surprise birthday gift to me from my family. I did not want her. at. all. We already had 2 cats and a dog (plus many past rabbits and hamsters). They also all came to our house in the same way...I did not choose to have them...any of them...my family chose them. They always got the best of the deal...they got the pet...I got the poop!

They knew I would never agree to another pet. So...by making Sugar a birthday gift to me they thought I would keep her. I vaguely remember doing this pet gifting to my father with a kitten named Goober. What goes around had come around this time...back to me :-).

I made it known...for weeks...that I did not want to keep this little pooping ball of fur. I would not pet her, hold her, feed her or even look at her. I asked for the gift receipt...I was taking her back! Kristen begged me early on to just hold her once. just once. She knew that would be all it would take to get me to want/keep this kitty. I refused to hold her and I was informed that she was 'not returnable'. Sugar was staying whether I wanted her or not. My family was informed by me that I would no longer be the zoo keeper. They were now in charge of feeding and cleaning up after THEIR pets. I was not buying food, feeding pets or scooping poop anymore! The animals were all theirs-not mine.

Sugar didn't seem to care about all that drama. She followed me everywhere hoping for that one first pat on the head. She patiently waited and waited and waited and waited. She pursued me 24/7... even in the bathroom. Where ever I was - she was.

One day her baby blue eyes caught mine...and...I did it.
It happened.

When no one was around...I petted her. The little unwanted fluffball crawled onto my lap and into my heart. For a few days, I continued to pet her when no one was looking. One day I was secretly petting her and my husband Lynn caught me in the act. He said, "What are you doing? You can't pet her...she is NOT yours!" It was then I had to 'fess up and ask for forgiveness for rejecting such a special gift.

I did want this cat. She has become a really sweet cat to me. She is definitely mine.

Fast forward 6 years...I developed asthma last year and had some allergy testing. Guess what I am allergic to? Dogs and cats! The options were to get rid of pets, to move out or to get allergy shots. Getting rid of the pets was...let's say...not received well...not happening. I offered to move out of the zoo and get my own pet-free house on a lake nearby...not happening either. Sugar stepped in and said, "A shot in the arm...do it for me...I am worth it!" For 6 months I went every week for that shot in the arm. I am now on the 5 year maintenance of 'once a month softball sized welt giving shots' in the arm.

How did all that happen?
I realized that I really did love this cat...but it really happened because...She loved me first!

What did I learn?
I will take a shot in the arm for a new BFF anytime. There is blessing in forgiveness and sometimes life gives us circumstances we do not want. But God is always there waiting for us to see his love and his best in the situation. It is always worth the cost.

"We love because HE first loved us."
1 John 4:19

What gift (circumstance) do you want to return?
Where has God shown you his best in a bad situation?

Your comments are gifts to me! Share yours below by clicking on 'comment'.

(Use the name/URL option...just type your name there...if the other options are not your thing.)

"Don't Floss..."

"Don't Floss...", says my dentist.

Dr. John Sinclair Jr.
My mouth's best friend.
My always there tooth expert.
My smile maker.

As a dental hygienist, I always preach and endorse flossing at every opportunity. I never thought I would hear those words. "Don't floss..." from my dentist! 

I have made it over 50 years without any major dental work. I have prided myself in my nice smile because I do take good care of my teeth. Even though some of my body parts are failing me as I age..I counted on my great teeth to never fail me.

That all changed last month over a tiny blackberry seed. I bit hard on it not knowing it was there in my yogurt. Pain. Intense and instant.

My trusty dentist discovered a crack which led to a root canal and days later a chunk of tooth cracked off leaving behind a jagged sharp canyon in my tooth. Then my overly curious tongue became my cut up ulcerated tongue...and in all this ...my oral surgeon husband sarcastically kept saying he could easily extract it and save me all this pain...(he is kidding but it was an option.)

I opted to save the tooth...so today was my crowning day :-).. guess I really am royalty now! After my dentist placed the temporary crown, his words were..."Don't Floss...THAT tooth until you get the permanent crown."

Made me smile to be given a little grace in this big ordeal. Made me grateful for a caring dentist who is always there for routine visits and unexpected problems too. Made me also think of the many everyday routine things I take for granted until life has an unexpected problem.

My smile just got bigger knowing I can count on God always being there in the good and bad. I need to watch for the little graces he gives to keep me smiling through all these temporary problems  ...until I get my real crown in heaven. :-)

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:17-18

What little thing made you smile today?
Share your smiles by commenting below. I love getting your comments!

(Use the name/URL  option...just type your name there.. disregard the URL and Google stuff if that isn't your thing.)

"Having flowers is like having babies!"

"Having flowers is like having babies!" said Granny (Ruth Hayes)

Granny.
My Grandmother.
My mom - Ruth Short's mother.
My 'make you think and smile with her many wise words' grandma.

My mom loves to garden and so did her mom. Me...not so much. Gardening is just work to me. So it was a good deal when my parents moved into a condo without a yard to take care of...my mom began digging in my yard. She has created some beautiful flower gardens over the years.

My dad is my mom's garden assistant and our dog Jewel would always be right there with them. Jewel loved being outside with my parents. She would get so excited when they came because she knew she could be outside a long time with them. My parents and Jewel became good gardening buddies over the years.

So...when Jewel passed on to dog glory a few weeks ago 

("It's a no wagging day.") my mom wanted to remember her in a special way.

A Jewel garden. 

I have a back yard garden below my kitchen windows. It is at the top of a retaining wall making it really hard to get to it and... it had turned into a jungle of weeds. Of course this is the garden she wants to plant for Jewel. Not just a plant 'a few flowers' garden...oh...no...It was going to be a bulb garden and... not just a few bulbs...200 bulbs. So if and when we ever finished this big work... we would not be able to enjoy our work until the Spring - when the the bulbs came up.

About 10 minutes into the huge weeding/bulb planting project, I made some comment about it being WAY too much work. My mom was quick to reply, "Granny always said, 'Having flowers is like having babies...they are lots of work but so worth it later!' "

Made me smile. I could so relate with my own 3 grown babies....in some ways I have enjoyed the laters and in so many other ways...I am still waiting for the laters. :-) This is the same grandma who also said 'only give a baby as much food as you want to clean up off the floor'. She was wise in such a fun way by always making the work fun with something to look forward to or to think about.

1983

Our Jewel garden took 4 hours to weed and plant. We worked hard and I can't wait for the later...to see it come to life next Spring. It will be a beautiful memory garden that I made with my mom. Not just to remember Jewel but Granny too. She passed away over 20 years ago...and her wise and fun words are still at work today.

Makes me wonder....
     What words of mine will be remembered? and...
          What work will I enjoy today because it will be worth it later?


"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, 
    and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, 
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 
   so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, 
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." 
Isaiah 55: 10-11

"Are you working hard or hardly working?"

"Are you working hard or hardly working?" says Bill.

Bill.
My 81 year old father.
My kids' grandpa and great grandpa to my nieces' kids.
My model of how to play and have fun in life dad.

He is 81 and still playing. He loves to play.  He knows how to make life fun because he knows how to play in life...all of life. Music, games, sports, puzzles and words are his favorite toys. He is really good at making work play. It has been fun to grow up with him.

1962 (me in front)

2012

1983 

Dad is known for his dry humor and play on words. He loves playing with words...making you think and then making you laugh...from really funny stories, fun jokes/puns-what my kids call 'grandpa jokes" to some great one-liners.

One of his favorite sayings is, "Are you working hard or hardly working?" 

I had always heard that one as one way or the other...you either worked or not. 

I finally get it. 

It is his way of saying that life is both...hard work and making it like not work...making it fun. Dad has always worked hard. He has had some very hard things to work at in life from jobs, family and health. Looking back I now see how he made the hard times fun times by playing with the fun gifts and talents God gave him. 

God often takes us through hard times, challenges and tests. It is our choice of how to go through it. We can work hard at it... or... hardly work at it... or do both. I choose both...it's just more fun. :-)

"...The joy of the Lord is my strength."

Nehemiah 8:10

"It's a no wagging day!"

"It's a no wagging day!" says Jewel.

Jewel.
My almost 15 year old Brittany Spaniel friend. (105 in human years!)
My husband's great bird hunting pointer dog.
My miracle dog. (She beat cancer 3x's and has outlived most Brittanys.)

I never wanted a dog. 

I never grew up with a dog. 

And I never thought I would love a dog. 

To me dogs were just dogs...until I met Jewel. 

I knew I was in for it when a kennel showed up on our kitchen. 

That weekend we drove for hours to pick up this tiny orange and white pup. 

Kristen gave her the name Jewel 

(named after 1 of the '101 Dalmations' pups).

A JEWEL she was..

She was a great pointer.. she even could point at the dust in the sunlight and at the drips from melting ice sickles and catch every one. 

She was a great friend to us all, to all our cats and to every dog on the street. 

She loved everyone... even strangers.

For almost 15 years, 

Jewel was our loyal, always loving and tail wagging friend.
Her tail said it all. It wagged non-stop...like a never ending smile. 

This past month her tail has stopped wagging.
Jewel has been saying, "It's a no wagging day."

Her long dog life is soon coming to end. You can tell she is ready to go by her no wagging tail. The fond memory of her tail wagging smile will always be with me. I love you Jewel and I will miss you! The poem below says it all...

JUST A DOG

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," 

or "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, 

or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," 

but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," 

and in those days of darkness, 

the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort 

and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," 

then you probably understand phrases like 

"just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of 

friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog"

but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future,

the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me 

and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that its' not "just a dog"

but the thing that gives me humanity
and keeps me from being "just a man" or "just a woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog,"

just smile,

because they "just don't understand."

~Unknown Author~

Thank you Jewel for being more than 'just a dog' to me. 

Thank you God for giving us pets to love and enjoy! 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..." 

James 1:17

"Stay steady on!"

"Stay steady on!" said Sara (Perry)

Sara.

My best of friends.
My spiritual mentor and colleague.
My fun loving sister in Christ.

I met Sara in 1998 at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). Sara passed away in 2008 from leukemia. In those 10 short years we became the best of friends.

Sara had a way of making the best of any situation...often by pointing out God in it.  

She had a smile that would light up a room and everyone in it. 

She loved to laugh and we sure laughed well together. 

We made some amazing and fun memories.

I. miss. her.

Sometimes I wish could talk to her. Sometimes my car tries to drive down her street to visit her...just out of habit. Those sometimes are not as often now as the years go by since her death. But every once in awhile it hits me. I wish I could hear her voice... laughing with me and encouraging me.

One of those times hit me a few weeks ago. I was disappointed. I felt let down. That thought to call Sara hit me out of the blue. Just to see her smile or hear her voice would make me smile, forget it and move on. But reality hit me too...a phone call to Sara wasn't happening.

So I turned on the car radio instead. An old 'Point of Grace' song was playing. Made me smile to hear these words just when I needed them...

"My God has never let me down! 
My God has turned my world around!..." 

I knew right then that was God's way to personally encourage me through that song. I didn't need Sara...I needed God to encourage me that day. Made me smile even more!

I wanted to hear the whole song again. I knew I had that CD called "Steady On". So I pulled it out and opened it and guess what I found?  

...there was a little post-it note stuck inside - written by Sara. 

My smile just got bigger.  I had forgotten that Sara had given me that CD years ago. 

Sara said on the post-it,

"You are my Sonshine! 

Stay Steady On!" 

The next weeks that followed had more disappointments and let downs. God continued to use Sara's "Stay Steady On" to encourage me, to stay steady on and also to point me back to the reminder that... My God will never let me down and my God can turn my life around ...sometimes he even adds big smiles from the past!

Life will disappoint us. People will let us down. 

We can stay steady on because God will never let us down. 

He will turn our worlds around! 

"So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless." 

1 Corinthians 15:58

"This ride never ends."

"This ride never ends," says Stephanie.

Stephanie.
My favorite fun little sister.
My wise friend.
My 'loves to share her grand kids with me' sister.

Stephanie had the next shift of watching her grand kids - Lincoln and Emma.

(Check out previous post for the 1st shift story.)

http://johannahyland.blogspot.com/2013/10/its-super-late-notice-but.html 

We had made plans to do something fun with the kids that Saturday. It was a beautiful day to go to Gull Meadow Farms....a glorified pumpkin patch/apple orchard/corn maze/country store/apple cider in apple sippy cup kinda place. None of us had ever been there....and I had a coupon.

New, fun and a deal - so off we went!

This great big apple pumpkin play place was loads of fun. Lots of fun kid things to do. 

They loved the water pump ducky races, the hay bale maze, 

the giant bouncing pillow and the obstacle course.

The big hit was the giant drainage pipe tube slide. 

Steph and I went down once. We got our monies worth on just one time down... 

The kids went over and over again on that great big fun slide. 

2 hours went by quick here. We still needed to visit the petting zoo and take the wagon ride. 

We rode the bumpy wagon through the apple orchards and the pumpkin patch to get to petting zoo. Except we had our backs to the petting zoo side and we missed our stop...so... around we went...1 more long bumpy ride ...again.

This time we made sure we were watching for the petting zoo stop. 

Not sure how we missed it...there was a huge sign that said The Back Forty! 

That must be it...the rest of this fun place is in the Back Forty...of course. 

The Back Forty had lots of animals and more fun.Emma loved the animals.

They even had mini pumpkin checker games.

Lincoln was the pumpkin checker champion....yes, he loves to say he beat Aunt J'hanna. 

We were all played out. We walked out of the Back Forty to catch the wagon ride back.

As we waited, a smaller train came by and stopped. We got on it thinking it was our ride back. As we got going we thought maybe it was the scenic very bumpy ride back...no...we were going back to the Back Forty whether we wanted to or not.

After a very long time and a full circle of the whole Back Forty...it stopped at the petting zoo and everyone got off. A good sign to get off too but we were waiting for the parking lot stop - not that stop. The little train just kept going this time. It went right by the wagon stop and we were on our bumpy way around the Back Forty.. again! Even the kids had had enough of this ride.

Steph wisely says, "Ok...I get it...This ride never ends...if you don't get off!" 

We took her wise advise...we got off at the petting zoo and walked out of the Back Forty to the wagon stop. That trusty wagon did finally take us back.

It was a wonderful day. That ride did eventually end. We left with lots of fun memories, bags of apples, jugs of cider, and words of wisdom..."The ride never ends...if you don't get off."

Sometimes in life we get stuck on a ride. Some rides are fun...some rides are not. God takes us around those sometimes bumpy, sometimes tiring and sometimes painful rides until we decide to get off.

If you end up in a Back Forty ride of life today...It will end. Another ride will always be waiting. In the mean time, take in the scenery, the memories and the wisdom God gives you on the way.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you.You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring you back..." 
Jeremiah 29:11-14