Month: January 2017

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Bus Rides, Bucket Lists & Bougainvilleas

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Well, we ate our way through Puerta Vallarta and discovered that if we lived there we would loose weight. (I know, I say that about every place I visit). Because the shrimp and lobster were so delicious and it was easier to walk than try to run to catch a taxi, we actually lost a couple of pounds on vacation. The bus rides were so rough, due to the cobblestone streets, it seemed that it shook some cellulite off my rear end. Not enough to wear a bathing suit in daylight, but enough to allow me to not come home and need to buy elastic waisted pants. So it truly was a win-win vacation. Randy loved it because the bus ride cost 15 pesos for both of us to ride which translates to less than a dollar per couple. I loved it because I bought cute little capris for $15/pair and painted blouses and silver jewelry.

It has always been on my bucket list to travel to foreign countries and get immersed in the community around me. To experience life as a local.  We discovered that there was nothing like riding the buses in Mexico to help you feel like a local. Sometimes we were the only Americans on the bus. Sometimes, we rode an hour longer than needed because we couldn’t read where the bus was headed and yet, it was delightful to sit and watch the people of the community as they got on and off the bus. I could sit there on the rusted metal seat of the bus and try to imagine what their lives were like. Were they headed home from work or school? Were they going home to a family or to an apartment alone? We encountered several locals who had moved there from the states and for various reasons decided to stay in Mexico and never left. We met Americans who had gone down to visit and decided that they liked it so much, they now lived there part of each year. As we would arrive back at our hotel, the bright color of pink bougainvillea welcomed us into a world which still separated us from the majority of folks  who worked and lived there. As we shopped in the markets, or ate in restaurants, the mood was always the same. The precious people we talked with were happy and content. They laughed with us about a wall being built and told us we had better hurry and get home or we might not be able to get over the newly built wall. One waiter/owner of a small little eatery, kidded us and told us that he had moved from Southern California because there were too many Mexicans there. (He himself was a Mexican) By the time the week was over, we felt that we had changed some of our perspectives. Yes, we are such a blessed Nation of freedoms and choices. Most of us have wonderful places to live and plenty of food on the table. We have cars to drive and too many clothes in our closets. Yet, there was a feeling around us as we walked the streets of PV that taught me that there are millions out there who are truly content with what they have. The people we encountered had a smile for us as we boarded the bus. Some of the men would get up, if there were no seats left and give them to Randy and I.  One of the young men on the bus actually helped Randy off the bus and then got back on himself. It was a joy to eat at restaurants off the beaten path. The food was truly amazing and we experienced the best flour tortillas (bar none) we had ever had. The shrimp and guacamole became a daily “must”. If you are ever in PV, you have to go to El Patron. When we talked to the owner, we were asking why his prices were so reasonable. He told us that he likes to keep it that way so the locals can afford to eat there. It was that type of attitude which seemed to flow throughout the city.

The young were waiting tables and working hard. They were so thankful to have a job. We came away feeling like they were the ones who blessed us. Their attitudes were gracious, yet gentle. They didn’t ask anything in return. Both of our hearts were warmed by not only the Tropical Sun, but by the outpouring of friendliness and gratitude of a listening ear or smile which they received most graciously!

The trip was so wonderful and we are so excited we were able to experience one of our bucket list wishes.

 

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Mexico Myths

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Here we are in beautiful Puerta Vallarta with some dear friends enjoying the gift of friendship, great food, gorgeous sunrises, sunsets and beaches!  We have discovered that all the ideas we had of what this would be like was totally unfounded. Because all I had experienced had been border towns where we use to drive for Mexican vanilla, huge bags of sugar and brightly painted pottery, my preconceived mental pictures of what we would find here was not only limited but very wrong.  As we flew over the town waiting to land, it became apparent that it certainly would look different from Juarez or Reynosa.  The mountains which stood so majestically around the beached town were so tall and rugged that it just amazed me how diverse the landscape truly was.  We landed and immediately was taken back at how friendly the airport staff beckoned to our every need.   A young man who was missing one hand insisted on helping us and saw us through customs, even helping me fill out a form when I didn’t grasp the questions being ask.   From day one we have encountered people from different social backgrounds, different cultures, different religions, and different lifestyles, convene together in restaurants, around the pool and places we have gone to explore.

My girlfriends and I went to ceramics to paint some plates which we will be so proud to take home and Show off our “talent” of Mexican painted  brightly colored flowers and fruit. As we were painting, a same sex couple came up to the young man and his wife who run the painting hut.   I saw them give money to the couple and told them to put the money aside for their two children for college or weddings.  The young mom cried and thanked the men.  When we heard them talking, the story unfolded.  The men had been coming here for several years and had met Irwin and Graciela the first year they visited.  From that point on the couple had saved all their change and had converted the change into dollars, which is the money they had given them  while we were there.  I’m ashamed of what my thoughts were when I had watched the same sex couple walk up that day. My mind had immediately began to focus on their lifestyle, which is very differently from what I feel God had intended for us! But as I watched this kindness transpire, I realized that even though our lifestyles and opinions are very different, their acts of kindness had shown me something.  I need to start looking a little more closely at people and listen. Listen to their stories. Listen to their dreams or needs. I know I can’t give every person I meet money or pay for their children’s education, but I can listen to them, and treat them for what they are…children of our great Creator, who made each of us unique in His image .  That they are not just people helping us at airports or carrying our luggage to the rooms or driving the buses which take us to markets. They are individuals who are loved by God and who deserve to hear how much God loves them.  It is my prayer that my eyes will be open to seeing the people who are truly put in my path and to not only open my ears to listen to them, but to open my heart to how God may use me to witness to someone, anyplace, anytime.

That is my dream!

 

 

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Baking, Math & Grandkids

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It finally happened. Last night, I was sitting there watching Wheel of Fortune (oops, I mean Extra,makes me sound much more hip)) when my phone rings and my grandson is FaceTiming me. I answered and out popped out of his mouth, “Nana, can you help me, I have a problem” Well, you can imagine the feeling that set in. It was finally happening; grandchildren, running to their Nana for problem solving. Before he could actually state what he needed, I had visions of questions that I thought might pop out of his precious little mouth, such as, “Nana, there is a pretty girl in my class who I want to impress, what should I do, or Nana, my parents don’t understand me, can I talk to you,” well, I was preparing to pour out my heart to him when I hear, “nana, what is 1/2 of 3/4 cup”. It wasn’t…

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Words & Wonder

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Saturday morning I went to a brunch where friends from our Bible Study gathered together around the dining table to share some great food and to share the word that the Lord had given to us for 2017.

About 4 years ago a dear friend use to tell us about having a “word” that she had ask the Lord. This “word” would seem to show up in devotions, in sermons, scripture or songs and she always told us that it was a word which the Lord would use to teach her, more of Him. So those of us who took Bible study from her began to ask the Lord if He would give us a word. I remember the first year that I began to ask for a “word.”  I wish I could tell you that I prayed with a believing heart that He would lay something upon my heart but as I prayed I felt myself wondering if truly, I would hear from Him. Each year, always in different ways, He would reveal a word to me that helped me focus on a certain aspect of Bible study which invariably  led me into a deeper knowledge of God and what He desired from me. The first year my word was serve, I began to write down scriptures which I would come across that centered on “serving”. As that year progressed, I found myself serving in ways which I had never thought about.

The following year, being thrown into a year of disruption of our lives and circumstances, the Lord clearly gave me the word, “restore” as I struggled with finding a new purpose, all the while knowing that He still loved me and wanted me to know that just because my circumstances had changed, His will for me had not ,and that was to continue serving Him, just maybe in different ways.

Well, in November of 2016, I began to pray, asking God to reveal to me what word He wanted me to have for 2017. As weeks passed, I wondered if He was ever going to give me the “word”.  On December 20th, I woke up at 5:30 a.m and the word, “tenacity” was just what I woke up saying. I wondered what in the world it meant. It was a word which I do not ever remember saying, much less using it in a sentence. I fell back asleep and woke up at 7 a.m and there it was again, “tenacity”. I thought about it all day and told Randy that “I think the Lord has shown me what my word for 2017 is going to be.” A couple of days later, there in my daily devotion, the word “tenacity” jumped off the page at me. It was then that I realized that yes, the Lord had truly spoken what word my focus would be for the year.  Looking up the definition, i realized that it means to “persevere” and to remain faithful through any circumstance.

As the ladies gathered around the table, last Saturday,we began to share just how God had revealed their words. This was new to each of them, but as we began to share the words which the Lord had given to us, we begin to realize how intimately God wants to be involved with our lives. Most of us were in circumstances which we would not have chosen, but God, in His infinite love and mercy had given each of us a word which shows His love and faithfulness to us. As we listened to the stories that morning,  some of the words which we revealed the Lord had given to us were; hope, steadfast, trust, rest, and calm. It was such a blessed morning to hear how God had been working in each of their lives and how they had been given their word for 2017. As I came home, I began to think about what had just transpired. Women who had never before ask the Lord for a word, had just shared how God had spoken to them, all in a different way, but each one, feeling so blessed by God that He loved them and answered their prayers of receiving what they had ask, a word that would be encouraging and cause them to remember how much He loves each one.

Why do we continue to wonder if God still speaks, when it tells us in His Word, that He has given us His Holy Spirit to speak truth to us.

John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

Psalm 91:15 “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver hi and honor him.”

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do to know.”

 

 

 

Chocolate · Desserts · Uncategorized

Cappuccino Crinkles

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img_3919Looking for a new cookie recipe, I came across this one in Better Homes & Gardens Bars & Cookies recipe book.  Since I didn’t have any yogurt, I substituted sour cream. What I can tell you is that Randy and I ate so many of them as they cane out of the oven that I am having to make another batch tomorrow for the event which I was suppose to take them to. They are a great cookie and you will not be disappointed in the coffee-chocolate flavor.

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tables instant coffee crystals

1 teas baking soda

1 teas ground cinnamon

2 egg whites

1/3 cup vanilla or plain yogurt (I used sour cream)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teas vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa, coffee crystals baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until combined.

Beat in egg whites and yogurt and vanilla extract. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. If it gets to thick, use wooden spoon to mix in any remaining flour.

Place the granulated sugar in a bowl. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons (I used the middle size cookie scoop)  into sugar and roll into balls. Roll again in sugar. Place balls 2″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Makes about32 cookies.

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Petsmart Prince

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Last week we were so excited about going to California to visit friends and spend NYE celebrating with folks who are so special to us. Before we left, we began to think about what we would do with Oliver. If you remember reading when we first got him, you will know that I have never been a dog person, but was willing to become a dog owner for Randy. The sad part was that when we bought Oliver, Randy was in no shape to care for himself, much less a dog. So the responsibility fell to me. It wasn’t that I minded, as Oliver storle my heart from the beginning. But as he grew, well, you know the story, when they aren’t the adorable little fur balls they were when they are puppies, I found myself lacking as much patience with him upon occasion. So as months went by, I began to think about the good ole days, the BO days, (before Oliver) when we didn’t have to take walks at 10 p.m. Or have to wake up earlier than I wanted because Oliver wanted to go out. Then there were the times, when he would run out the front door and I would have to go chase him. And that sight will probably be forever etched in our neighbors mind when I am running in my robe, yelling “Oliver, come back and I’ll give you a treat”…I know…yes we need to have him trained, we wil be doing that as soon as we can. But back to the story. We decided that Oliver would need to be boarded as our daughter was going to be out of town also. The morning that we were to leave for the airport, I had Randy to call PetsMart to see what all we were suppose to take for Oliver and he informed me that Oliver could have his bed, a blanket and his toys. So I gathered up the bed, both blankness (he has one that he sleeps with and one that he lays on during the day, so of course he needed both of them) and all of his toys. I included in his little diaper bag a list of his schedule, which in my mind, I truly thought they would appreciate knowing when he usually eats and so on and so forth. I guess this is a good time to mention that I just couldn’t go with Randy to take Oliver, as I was crying too hard as he left. It was breaking my heart that I couldn’t tell oliver that we would be back, that we were not deserting him forever. On a day back in November when I was scrubbing the carpet after a little accident, you had told me that I would cry because oliver was leaving for his first boarding stay, I would have told you that you were crazy. It never dawned on me that I would be so worried about him. And Yes, I called every day to check on him. So I guess I am more of a dog person than I ever thought I would be.

We get to the airport to fly home and find that our plane wil be late getting home so Jodi offered to go get Oliver and let  him play at her house for a while and then she would bring him home so he would be here when we got in. That was great as I was just so worried about him having to spend another night in that awful place that would not even feed Oliver his morning toast with butter, cut up in little bites. So we get home and there Oliver greets us and life is good. Jodi had followed my directions that I had given her from the airport, to leave the living room lights on for him, to turn on the TV so he would have noise, be sure he had food and water and that his toys were all out of the bag and that she walk him before leaving him here all alone for an hour before we were due home.

 

The next morning Jodi calls me and tells me that she and the lady at PetsMart had quite a conversation about me. The lady told her that Oliver was suppose to only bring one toy, one blanket and his bed and that she had had to log  in 13 items for the little Prince.  Jodi informed her that I had done the same thing to her when she went to camp; at least they didn’t have to endure hourly phone calls like the camp counselors did back then.

Apparently I might need to find a different boarder next time we need to leave Oliver as my reputation as a “hovering mom” has even found it’s way clear out to Arizona.

So our little PetsMart Prince is back home and once again, enjoying his morning buttered toast and treats when he escapes out the front door. If he could talk, I know he would be telling me not to take him back to that awful place that just treated him like a regular dog.

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Thanks For The Memories

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Happy New Year! Randy and I are in California for a few days celebrating the blessings from 2016, but also looking forward to what 2017 has in store. As most of you know, leaving California in 2014 was one of the hardest things we had done, after living here for almost 4 years. Those four years turned out to be one of the biggest and best blessings of our 20 years together. Our hearts felt at home here as God placed so many wonderful folks in our lives. We struggled so much as we drove out of town back in Feb of 2014, knowing that God had revealed to us that our time here was done, but still fighting with Him about putting our wants before His will. Each time we came back here to visit, the old desires of wanting to live here would surface and it made it hard to leave the place which we had come to love so much. As we both fought what we knew was God’s plan, we began to converse with each other thinking, “God would want us to be happy wouldn’t He?” Why would He ask us to live someplace other than where we want to? But as we both know, our hearts were not in a surrendered position to hear and obey His will. We did move back to Dallas for two years and discovered that just like the old tv show, Father Knows Best, truly our Heavenly Father does know best. We had two years to spend with our kids who lived there and was blessed to be there for our granddaughter to be born. It was great to be around old friends who had mentored both Randy and I and who we loved dearly. We both had lots of resentment in our hearts because of Randy having to retire and needed some healing to take place. We both learned that until we gave God our surrender and forgave some of the circumstances, we would never find the peace which God has promised. After two years of filling up on Tex-Mex, and finally surrendering our will to His, we knew that our time in Texas was behind us and moved forward (not only phisically but emotionally) to Arizona to live near our daughter who drew the short stick of being the one who would help us as we grew older (well, he might grow older, but I have decided that I am going to stay 66, just not in any shape to get older. I think I probably should have taken better care of myself and done more exercise and eaten healthier foods had I planned to really grow old).

We have now been in our new home in Arizona and love not only our new home, but our community and new friends. We are only 6 hours away from people here in California so it is so handy to drive out here to visit and some have driven to Phoenix and visited us.

As we have been back in town here in Pasadena for 4 days the old struggles have surfaced, as they always did. Yes, I got teary eyed after going back to the nail salon that I always went to. Of course I had to wipe my eyes at church yesterday as we sat there and remembered all the wonderful Sundays of getting to come and worship with people we adored. We have eaten our way through the places we loved to go and stayed with friends that always treat us like family. I havent’ got to the point yet that I can drive by our house here. So fortunately, since our street gets roped off for the floats to line up, it is impossible to drive by today (just when I think I’m truly strong enough to see our house without crying), but Randy knowing I needed some extra comfort, drove me to Dots’Cupcakes and bought me a dozen mini cupcakes. Ok, life is good again. What I have learned this past year are seveal things.

Knowing God’s will isn’t what brings about peace and comfort, but knowing and OBEYING God’s will. It has been hard some days to actually do that. All along when I knew what HE was asking, I fought with His will or listening to what I thought was best. When I surrender, it makes even the new places good.

I John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

It is really not the location that makes us comfortable and full of purpose, it is the people that God plants in our lives which give us so much pleasure and purpose.

Proverbs 21:30-31 “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed againt the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

That each new place (or season) which God takes us through is for our benefit and for His Glory. That faith grows when we confess our weaknesses and realize that only in Him will I feel complete and fulfill my purpose.

Isaiah 40:29″ The Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Because of His great love for me, I can trust Him to complete His perfect will in me and know that He will give me the desires of my heart as long as I am praying His will be done.

Isa 26:3-4″ You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”

Will I ever get to move back to California? Only the Lord knows the answer to that. What I want to learn more of in 2017 is to truly lean on Him and trust that His way is perfect, whether I live in California or New York. What I need to do is to lean into Him and trust that He knows what is best for me and to know that He loves me;  that walking in His will takes us into adventures which we never dreamed would end up some of our best blessings.

Isa 43:19 “Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth; Do you not see it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

May 2017 be a year of Jubilee as we all remember to “let go and let God” be our guide!

Happy New Years! My prayer is to learn to say “yes” to Him before I know the question!