She is really a 10!

We have been traveling around a lot lately,
ya know, with our business, and
we happened across Tuscon and we took
the opportunity to visit with our little niece
Tenalyn.

It was so wonderful to see her,
sometimes you just need to hug your family.
It was a quick visit but she welcomed us with
open arms and we were loved on and sent
on our way.

What a wonderful plan it was to give us
Families!
We are so grateful for the love of family
and friends.
This has been a wonderful trip, but it was
made outstanding by the love and
attention of our darling Niece.

Thanks Ten! We LOVE you!

Wishing well

I was blog surfing and came across Momza's Wish List post.
It got me to thinkin.....
What would I put on my wish list?

My world is very full
I have everything I need
and a ton of stuff that I want.
You wouldn't think this would be that hard
but it is!

What do I wish for......
What do I wish for .....Hmmmmmm?

Ok, here goes

I wish for ........
* a sauce pan that sits still when it is on the stovetop heating up
(it got warped in one of my, if med heat is good, High must be better
cooking episodes).
* a chance to see my little grand babies everyday (all 10 of them).
* better organizational skills
* better communication skills
* the ability to be nicer to people naturally without having to work at it.
* that 'Sunday Feeling' to last all week.
* a Williams-Sonoma baby food maker for my Daughter-in-law.
* that dead spot in my lawn would go away.
and finally, I wish for world peace.

Man, I better get going, this list could keep me busy all afternoon.

Gossip anyone?

I have a darling friend, Jen at Gordon Gossip. As a matter of fact I think of her as my personal assistant. She doesn't know that she is my personal assistant but the fact is she is constantly on the lookout in blog world for wonderful ideas that lighten and brighten my day, makes her just that. I have used many an idea that she has brought to my attention, and while the ideas may not be hers exactly, she is the carrier, and I love it!

It would be a very good idea for any of you out there to visit her blog as she has fabulous taste and apparently she knows how to use her time so wisely she has time to be my personal assistant.

Thanks my dear friend!

Spell check

I just read my post from yesterday about favorite words and realized that I had misspelled the word misspelled, Crazy huh? How do you do that? I mean with spell check and everything, it seems inexcusable (another tough word to spell). But luckily I could just quickly run into edit posts and fix my snafu, oh if only we could do that with life as well. Not that you can't fix your life snafus, it just takes a little more effort. But the rewards are so much greater, so it is worth it, don't you agree?

PS Snafu is another fun word!

WORD

I was just reading Momza's blog (hi Momza) and her post for August 2nd stuck in my head, I mean not the subject matter necessarily but one particular word caught my attention and I can't get it out of my head. Epiphany....epiphany...as in, I think I just had an Epiphany! What a great word! I keep saying it over and over in my head...ya know..like when you get a song stuck in your head. This is just a fun word to say and have. I also love the word Sizzix! It is a word that just rolls off your tongue.

I believe that some words were made up just because of the way pronouncing makes you feel. I also love the sound of chocolate ganache (and the taste) and to be perfectly honest, I may have misspelled this particular word, but no matter, I still like the way it sounds.

Words are fun and funny, they can smooth the roughest of waters or create a firestorm the likes you might see in a very dry summer lightning storm.

How about you, do you have a favorite word? Share!

Cambodia Job Foundation

I just came across a most important foundation and I wanted to share it with you all.

My daughter-in-laws parents Wilf and Suzanne Stagg recently returned from Cambodia where they served an 18 month mission. They were deeply touched by the people there and the hardships that they live with every day, so much so that they came home and started their own non-profit foundation. With this foundation they help the people of Battambang Cambodia learn new skills which help them gain employment to care for their families. They also help the people of this small village set up home based businesses. Their foundation supplies the poorest families with food and basic necessities of life.

Suzanne has also written a book about her experiences there over the 18 months called 'Conquering my fears in Cambodia' and with every $25 dollar donation you will receive a free book. I read this book and it is very inspiring and well written and I would recommend it to everyone. Check out their blog here and read up on the work they do. They also have a website here.

I have known Wilf and Suzanne Stagg for several years, they are wonderful, caring people and I know that every dollar goes directly to the people of Cambodia and all donations are tax deductible.

Healing

I am having one of those thinking moments, you know the kind where your mind just won't shut off. Mine started at 4:00 AM today. It started to roll pictures through my mind as if I were at a picture show. The pictures were there with vivid colors but it was the emotions that kept me awake and staring at the ceiling, so I finally got up.

The main feeling I was having was a heaviness on my heart that kept me from taking deep cleansing breaths, you know the kind that makes you wish that you could have a good cleansing cry but the tears won't come.

My thoughts centered around my dear little Sissy and some conflicts that have been assailing her for the past couple of days. Mr Darcy calls it 'Drama' but the true word to describe it is conflict. I have found myself in similar situations in the past and so I know the suffering that comes with it all to well and because of this I find myself mired in a funk of melancholy that sits like a weight upon my heart.

We are all human and therefore we are subjected to human feelings and reactions or should I say over-reactions that bring heartache and sorrow not only to us but to others as well. My daughter is having a human experience brought on by other humans that have allowed their overly sensitive situations to bubble and froth and ooze all over every aspect in their life right now and innocent bystanders find themselves in the line of fire. Is this what we would call 'friendly fire'?

Anyway, it has caused me to have a moment of thought, contemplation, empathy, whatever you want to call it and I find myself wrestling with my reactions. Logic tells me one thing and my heart tells me quite another. While I have always been a creature of logic, my first reaction is usually emotional....then after some walking, sometimes lots of walking...I come to the logical conclusion...one that will not have me repenting any more then I constantly have to.

But this time is different..... My logical mind has abandoned me, leaving me with no recourse but to allow those human emotions to trample all feeling of empathy that may try to find a foothold. I am finding a desperate need to share me, myself and I with someone, but not just anyone, someone that would understand my troubled heart and not judge me for the human way I am dealing with the hurt my daughter has been caused by an unthinking, unfeeling human being.

So here I sit, hoping against hope that seeing the words in print will shock my logical self back to the forefront so that I can better help my bruised and battered baby girl. And then my heart whispers to my truest friend, 'help me do the right thing for the right reason' ...the dam breaks and the cleansing tears come...the healing has started.