Tag: Memories

Daily Thoughts

Small Blessings

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Happy New Year to all and hope that 2022 brings you joy, laughter and blessings, both large and small. As we took the lights off the tree last evening and carried the tree out to the garage to wait for the tree bag we ordered, I began to just think about this past year. I decided to just sit down and look back over the pictures from the year to see some of the events or people who had been a part of my 2021 year and some of the joys that brought a smile to my heart. Isn’t it wonderful that we have the capacity to do that. To just flip through our photos to see things that not only touched our lives, but people, places and things that give us wonderful memories. As i began to look, stating last January, it became evident that last year truly was a different year. I remember the first time we got to go back to church in person. What a joy to sit with others and hear people around you sing and then just the sweet feeling of fellowship that we could not get watching church online. In February, the weekend of the freeze we moved. Need I say more? We moved back to Frisco, from down in Dallas and was so thankful for the house that the Lord truly provided for us. As I look around and see some of the things I had ask Him for, and Him, “giving us more than we can ever comprehend or imagine” did just that.
Windows, lots of windows, had been a huge priority that I had ask for. A kitchen where I could see outside while standing at the sink. A pantry, and oh my if you could see my pantry. It is larger than I have ever had, even in larger homes we had lived in. Sitting here typing, there are 8 windows and a door I can see out of. We have neighbors who know us and we know them. We have a bedroom for Randy to office out of. These were all answered. Then we had our daughter, Jodi fly in to help us move in. By the time, her plane took off (4 days later than expected due to the freeze), she had emptied out every box. All I had to do was put things away. We had more family members move here from Austin, Jamin and Shannon. Blessing upon blessing has been seen this year. Of course, there are some times and circumstances which we would not have choose, but God is always faithful to see us through and as we continue to live and ask God’s guidance for our days, He does so.

This Christmas was very special. For the first time in about 24 years, all 5 grown children along with their kids were here for the holidays. We had a ball. We had a lady come to take our pictures and are suppose to be getting the pictures back today. we had meals together, the kids (and some of us who think we are kids) did some crafts together and even played outside. We loved hearing the laughter and sounds of them actually not being on their phones. All this to say that this past year, even though it was still different because of Covid, saw its blessings, large and small. But one of my favorite blessings was on Christmas Eve. It is something that will stay in my heart for as long as I have memory. Sitting beside our 12 year old grandson, Caleb during Christmas Eve Service, we begin to sing Christmas Carols. I couldn’t sing as I began to get chocked up from the sound that was coming from beside me. Caleb was singing every carol with such feeling and from his heart. He sang as if he were singing right to Jesus and it still makes me cry to just remember this special night. Thinking about this, it gave me such joy to know that he was not ashamed to be singing his heart out and how we should all be so grateful for the joy that is ours and for Christ who gives us that joy. Thank you Caleb, that even though he was spending his first Christmas away from his dad, he still had joy and was celebrating Christmas by giving what he had to give…..his heart. May I remember to do that as well in this new year, no matter the circumstance.

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Marriage Memories

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January 2nd, 2020. Where did 2019 go? In fact, where has the last 25 years gone? Years ago, I remember hearing old people say, “oh my goodness, the older I get, the faster time flies.” Now, I’m one of those old people and indeed it is so true. Each week just seems to go faster and faster.

Randy and I were driving home yesterday from doing errands and we passed an Old Chicago Pizza place. As we drove by it, a memory flashed in my mind from 24 years ago, to a night either right after we married or shortly before we married. He had picked me up after work and said, “I want to take you to one of my favorite places for pizza.” Well, you don’t have to ask me twice. So off we went, and me, always loving a sense of adventure, didn’t even ask where we were going. I love surprises and knew that if it were one of his favorite places, then it surely would be one of mine as well. When we drove up to Old Chicago Pizza on Beltline in Dallas, I looked at him and the look of love was all over his face. You could tell he was excited to take me to a new place that he loved and I was so excited to be going to someplace new. So as we sit there, he begins to tell me why this is his favorite pizza. I sat there with stars in my eyes, hanging on every word, knowing that this would become a new favorite of mine as well. The pizza is delivered to our table and we both pick up a slice of pizza. He is in heaven as he begins to ask me how I like it, I respond, “oh my goodness, this is the best pizza I have every had. I’m so glad you brought me here and I totally understand why you love it so much. It is just delicious.”

We continued the wonderful evening knowing that this was another reason that we were soul mates. We both loved pizza, hated salmon, green peas and sushi….fast forward 24 years…

After driving by OCP yesterday, that memory came back to me and I began to laugh. When Randy ask me why I was laughing, I had to admit that all those years ago, when he took me to OCP, I was so in love with him that I went along with his “love of OCP” I really hadn’t liked it at all because I”m a thin crust pizza girl and that was deep dish which i really do not like at all. But, because it was important to him that I like it and he wanted to please me, I had lied and told him what he wanted to hear. Isn’t that what girls in love do so many times.

Because I started to think of how I would handle that situation now was what made me laugh. If we had walked into OCP like we did those 24 years ago, would I just sit there, let him order what he wanted and then eat it like it was the best pizza ever? The answer to that question was what made me laugh. I can just see the scenario now….”dear, what do you think of the pizza, isn’t it wonderful” Randy would ask. “Do you really expect me to eat this? You know I only like thin crust pizza and yet you bring me to a pizza place that only serves thick crust pizza? Why didn’t you tell me where we were going and I would have reminded you that I don’t like thick crust pizza. See, you never listen or pay attention to me when I talk to you. If you had you would have remembered that I don’t like thick crust pizza.” Hum……..what a difference 24 years makes!

As we rode in the car after passing OCP and laughed at the difference between then and now, it reminded us both that maybe 2020 might be a good year to work on some of our attitudes with each other. Do we love each other still? Absolutely, even more each day. But those little differences creep in to our lives and we don’t accept those differences or opinions as well as we use to. We sometimes get so caught up in our own likes and dislikes that we expect the other to change to who and what we feel they should become. A couple of years ago my word for the year was kindness.
(I wrote a post about that if you would care to go back and read it on the blog. Just put in One Word in the search bar)
Maybe this new year I need to make that word one of my goals. We all have times which we find it hard to be kind to those who are closest to us. But, remembering that night so long ago and how good it made me feel to keep my opinion to myself and how good it made him feel to know he had pleased me by taking me to one of his favorite pizza joints, gives me a new desire to choose kindness more days in this new year.

As long as he doesn’t try to take me to one of his new found food love places, Sushi and Salmon R Us, it will be a little easier to be kind….

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Pumpkins & Cherries

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Do not worry, this is not a recipe that combines the two. Simply a post which speaks of some memories through the years as we begin to think of Fall which leads to Thanksgiving, which leads to memories of some of my greatest things to be thankful.(remember that women’s brains are like spaghetti and one thought leads to another) Most of those memories are probably the same as some of yours, health, protection, provision and seeing God’s Hand of faithfulness in our lives, no matter our circumstances. But then there are other things, Things that might not seem like blessings at the time, but have filled my heart with joy through the years. When I bought that pretty little pitcher, it never dawned on me the joy of memories I would have from serving so many from it.

As I washed my little pitcher this morning to make ice tea for the day, some memories came flooding back to me. Randy and I had just been married a short time when he decided to take me to my first Cracker Barrel. Yes, I was 46 and had never eaten at a Cracker Barrel, I know, and I call myself a Southern Girl. Thank goodness, I kept that a secret for a long time. But, here we were walking in and giving our name to the hostess when we were informed that it would be about 30 minutes before she could seat us. That didn’t bother me one iota. There, now you can tell I really am Southern. As my eyes quickly darted around the salesroom, it was all I could do to contain myself and tell Randy that instead of eating here, could I just spend the money I was going to spend on pancakes for some of the goodies that was quickly calling my name. My eyes landed on the most precious little pitcher with cherries painted all over it with a red lid. Randy quickly realized that we would not be leaving without this quaint little pitcher. That was 22 years ago and it is still the pitcher we use every day for tea. It is one of those little treasures that I wrap ever so carefully with each move we make. As I think back about the people that have poured tea out of that pitcher, it brings back so many precious memories of so many different folks we have had in our homes. As Randy and I close our devotion and prayer time each day, we close with the same scripture prayer,
“O Lord, that you would bless us indeed, that you would enlarge our territory, that Your Hand would be upon us, that we would not cause pain.” I Chronicles 4:10. And bless us, He has. Our different moves to different parts of the country have certainly enlarged our territory and given us so many friends, of whom, continue to bless our lives.

This week has been the designated week which we pull out the Fall Decor and hope that as the pumpkins adorn our tables, the temps will get the hint and begin to “fall”. It got the hint. It is only 103 today instead of 106. Ah…the magic of pumpkins. But once again, as I place the pumpkins and foliage around the house, different memories come that make me realize how truly blessed we are. As I think back to last year and the year before, trying to remember just how and where I placed the different pumpkins, it is impossible to not think about how God showed Himself faithful to us this past year. Have I taken the time to just thank Him for the strength to do what I am doing this week? Have I thanked Him for the memory of knowing where the pumpkins are suppose to go. Do I take for granted the fact that I can get out of bed and walk to the kitchen and make pumpkin muffins? Do I give thanks for friends who drop by to share a new recipe with me for pumpkin cake?

We all have so much to be thankful. As we place each pumpkin out this year, why not pause and give thanks for blessings that comes to mind. Then, after you finish decorating, sit with a glass of tea and write a note or text to someone who has been a blessing to your life. Remember, “life is just a bowl of cherries” and lets add this year, “each day, give Him thanks for His Faithfulness and blessings to our lives, no matter how small.”

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Lessons from November

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They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but this ole lady learned some things this past month. Having some of our kids come for The Thanksgiving week was such a treat, but I did learn that I am certainly not as young as I once was. No longer can I cook until midnight and then wake up at 6 to cook breakfast for 8 people without thinking that I deserve a 2 hour massage. I also learned that things do not have to be perfect to have a memorable Thanksgiving. In fact, it seems the less perfect, the more fun and the best memories are made. The night the kids all came together, they requested King Ranch Casserole for dinner. Well, I was so proud of myself that I had made the casserole ahead of time so I could spend more time out of the kitchen and look “oh so Ina Gardner’ by having things well prepared and ready for the oven. We sat down to a lovely decorated table that Martha Stewart would be so proud of, only to dish up a most liquid King Ranch casserole. The tortillas had totally dissolved and it was just almost like chicken soup. But since we had their favorite dessert of chocolate sheet cake, they quickly forgot that dinner had to be eaten with a spoon.

On Thanksgiving morning,  we learned that the sanitation department here does not take Thanksgiving off and because our collection day is Thursday, Randy rolled out our garbage can and we continued to get everything ready to put on the table. All at once, I heard the truck approach our street and at the last minute I thought “wouldn’t it be so nice to take some cake and candy out to the worker collecting the trash, since he is having to work today.” So I hurriedly packaged up a plate of goodies to run them out, only to find that he had already passed our house and was a couple of doors down. I decided to run and catch hm. So here I am, running in my house slippers with a plate of desserts and just as I would catch up with him, he would take off for the next house stop (which in our community they stop every couple of houses instead of each house because two garbage cans are side by side to avoid them stopping every house). So catching my breath and finding enough strength to run to the next stop, I would frantically wave at him, hoping he would see me in the side mirror and stop…well, after about 8 houses down and one heart attack, he finally saw me and stopped the truck. By now, I could hardly catch my breath and was trying to tell him thank you for working on a holiday and I hoped that he enjoyed the desserts I was trying to reach up inside his window to hand to him .  Even if he didn’t want it, he took it out of pity for the old lady that had run down the block screaming for him to stop.

Maybe our family didn’t have the funniest of memories this year, but I bet that all the other families which were sitting down and glancing out the window,about the time I was running down the street, had some great laughs at my expense. Of course, Jodi, with her sweet loving heart, was laughing so hard when i told her, all she could say, was “oh how I wish Randy would have video taped that”.  She is just the most caring daughter EVER!

So I did learn that…1. Have a plate ready to give to anyone driving by, instead of having to chase them. 2. Do not make King Ranch Casserole too far ahead of time, unless you want King Ranch Soup. 3. Enjoy your family and friends without having to have the house, the meals, the decorations perfect. They are there to see you, not the house…ok, maybe they might be there a little for the meals, but remember that meals are best remembered when there is laughter and fun around the table.

ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WITH A GOOD MEAL….even if it isn’t perfect!

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#ButtertobeHappy

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What can I say except, YUM!!!!! Today was one of those days which will remain one of my favorite food memories. If you are like me, you have those special days of falling into different categories and today, well, all I can say is,
“I had a great time.”. We arrived in Savannah an hour before our RSVP of 1:15 at Lady & Sons. After 45 minutes of driving around trying to find a parking place, we were about to give up and just chalk it up to maybe we weren’t suppose to be there today. I told Randy that it was ok, it wasn’t that big of deal (all the while just trying not to act disappointed) and that he didn’t have to waste anymore time trying to find a parking place. We had gone to 3 public parking garages only to be turned away as they were all full. Randy, knowing how much I wanted to go told me that he would make one more loop around the block (we had driven around these blocks probably 5 or 6 times already)to just see if maybe we would be lucky enough to see a car pulling away, giving us a parking place. Knowing that this was not going to happen, I resolved to the fact that it just should not be that important to me. We turned the corner onto the one way street which runs right in front of her place and low and behold, it was just like the Lord just waited until our car was in perfect position to pull into the parking spot that a car was pulling out of. I have to confess, I got tears in my eyes that the Lord did that. We were parked and walked in the door to the gift shop and began to pick up a few (maybe more than a few, ok, a lot, a whole lot) of kitchen items which will adorn my new kitchen in AZ. I think our new friends there will get the idea that we are Southerners since we bought everything from a pillow to spatulas to measuring spoons to coffee cups with “Hey Ya’ll or It’s a Southern Thing” written all over them. Then, because it is a dream of mine that Paula read my book, I took a copy in just in case. Knowing that it would really never happen that she be there, (but a girl can dream) I asked the lady checking us out if Paula came in to the store and restaurant. She (Betsy) replied that she had just been in with her whole family on Friday. Getting excited, I ask her if I gave her a book would she promise she would get it to Paula. She had been kidding Randy about all the kitchen spatulas I had bought and she told me that if I would sign it, she promised to give it to Paula. Also Betsy’s husband drives the limo which drives Paula’s family around so if she didn’t see her in a few days, she would give it to her husband the next time he picked Paula up to give to her. Now my heart was beating so fast, we walked to the car where I proceeded to go on FB and find Paula’s page. After finding it, I wrote and told her what I had just done and in about 30 min,she or someone who writes for her (yes, I like to think it is Paula, herself) answered the comment saying that she could not wait to read it. All I can say is, this day was better than being let loose with an unlimited credit card in HomeGoods for 8 hours. Even Randy had a great time, feasting on delicious fried chicken and mashed potatoes at the Lady & Sons. It was a fabulous day and cannot wait to hang up my new kitchen towel, drink from my new coffee cup while whipping up a butter cake with my new spatula. It will be grand to go relax on our couch, laying my head on the new “Hey Yall” pillow.
It was a very “butterful” day!

Daily Thoughts

Memories & Memorial Day

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This past year has brought some new feelings regarding Memorial Day. Besides Randy’s father, who served in WW2, I had really never had any connections to anyone who had served in any of the wars. This year changed my thoughts of gratitude towards people who had served and sacrificed so much for all of us. Let me begin with a few years back.

All of my life, I knew that the father who raised me was my adopted dad, as I was 8 months old, when my mom and dad, (Carl) had married. My mom had always told me that my real father was just not a good man and I never realized how much her feelings for him had influenced my feelings for a man who I never met. After years of her telling me that after they had married, he had impregnated a lady in California and she had told him (his name was Gene Gipson) that she never wanted anything to do with him or never wanted to see him or have him see me. So I never got to see my dad.

In 1976, she finally admitted to me that they were never married and that Gene had come back and tried to convince her to marry him, but her pride would not allow her to give him a chance and she had married Carl because she felt he would make a good dad for me. And a good dad, he was. He was one of the most gentle and patient men that I have ever known. He was a devout Christian who volunteered with the Gideons.  From time to time, she would reminisce about Gene and what a selfish, no good man he was and how glad she was that she had never married him. As I grew up, married and had children, there was always the desire to find out information about Gene. I knew that he had died in 1973, but I also knew that I had at least 1 half sister, which I wondered about. Were we at all alike? Did we share any of the same characteristics? Because I was an only child, the desire was greater than if I had brothers and sisters. Because my mom had shared with me some time ago that she had really never forgot Gene and often wondered what life would have been like, should they had married. She was never a happy person and really struggled with her marriage, she didn’t ever speak positively of either Carl or Gene.

Because of the continued curiosity of wanting to find out any information that I could find about my birth father plus wondering about any half siblings, I began to seriously search. This past year I finally found the obit that listed facts about him and also found that besides the half sister, I had 4 half brothers. The article stated that Gene had been a pilot in the Navy. He had married and had 4 boys and was the owner and operator of a golf course in Peru, Indiana. He was a member of the Methodist church.

Truly I am so sorry that I never had the chance to meet my birth father or any of his other children. It made me think of how many others might be out there, with stories of parents, or siblings which they had never met. After reading the obituary, it began to dawn on me that indeed, both of my fathers, had served in the military and even though neither served in a war, I’m sure that there were sacrifices made.

Thanks to each person who has served, given us our freedom and so many opportunities that we would not have had otherwise.

Here’s to both Gene and to my dad, Carl, both of you in your own way, were heros! Just wish you both were alive for me to tell you thank you for your service not only to our country, but to your families. It made me sad that I had allowed my mom’s emotions and feelings to be my own towards him for all these past years.

Daily Thoughts

Happy New Years!!!!

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2014 is almost gone. So many memories, some good some not so good. I don’t like to use the word “bad” because some of the “bad” memories, in the end, allow new and exciting experiences that happen in our lives. This past year brought many changes in our household. Randy retired, we moved from California back to Texas, we have a new granddaughter, Payton, and I completed my first book.

Randy’s retirement, in itself, allowed us to travel from the West coast to the East coast. We visited our kids along the way and ended up marking one thing off my bucket list….going to eat at Paula Deen’s Restaurant, Lady & Son’s. We learned that we can be together 24-7 (or is it 365 days, 518, 400 minutes as it seemed when we were traveling in the car some days).

After 2 months of traveling, we both knew when it was time to put away the suitcase and find someplace to nest. And nest we have. We are so grateful for the time spent on the road and grateful for the new memories that we collected. As we look back over the last 12 months, we are grateful that we were able to live in California for almost 4 years and experience living where we could watch the Rose Parade set up. We learned that there are precious people who touch our hearts, no matter where you live. We learned to love Lebanese food, In & Out Burgers, the mountains, walking along the seashore (and yes, all the while I would be looking to see if anyone famous was walking past). God provided a dear precious friend who told me that she would do the behind the scenes work on the book, if I would complete it…I did and Kathy did as she said…she turned it into book form. I remember kicking and crying as we drove across the desert, back in 2010, when moving to California; never dreaming that it would be while living there that this goal would be accomplished. But God did and He used it to fulfill what He had ask of me.

We are now nested in our new place. We look back with such fondness for the people and experiences that were ours last year…but are looking ahead with excitement for what God has planned for us. We don’t know yet what that is, but we know that we can always trust His heart and whatever that plan is, may we grow in our faith and trust to fulfill what He wants us to accomplish. Living back in Texas has given us an opportunity to get to know the kids who live near us as adults. Looking back over the past year, we had no idea that last year would be the last year we would be living in Pasadena and how God orchestrated Cam, Mandy, Jodi and Eric to come out for the Rose Parade is one of those, “this is such a God story” times.
So here is to 2015…a new year, new memories and new adventures. May Randy & I both look expectantly ahead and allow God to use us as He sees best.
Thanks to each of you who have taken the time to read cbocolatecastles! That blesses my heart that it might be bringing a smile to your heart! Happy New Year to each of you…….
Continue reading “Happy New Years!!!!” →

Daily Thoughts

Mothers Day Memories

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Mothers Day almost conjures up more emotions regarding family than Christmas or Thanksgiving. When I received a phone call this morning from one of our children wondering if we were going to be home in the morning for a delivery, my ears and my heart perked up. Remembering through the years of some of the Mothers days are bringing back some sweet, some funny and some not so sweet or funny memories.

When Jason was about 6, he and his older cousin walked to a store about a block from our house. They had taken their money to go find the perfect gift for their moms. Upon opening the present on Sunday, my eyes fell on one of the gaudiest and largest necklaces that I had ever seen, yet, being the “great mom” I was, I oohed and ahh’d over it like it was a strand of pearls. Wore it to church and tried to wear it when I went places that I figured I would hopefully not run into anyone I knew. The cousin’s mom had a different reaction. She told her son that it was just the most awful thing she had seen and made him take it back to the store. That broke my heart for my nephew. Then there were the years that Jodi, in her sweet little gesture, would hunt around the house for something and put it in a box and give to me. It was those times that the acting of being surprised and pleased would have qualified me for an academy award. Jamin seemed to not be into presents and felt that if he went through Mothers Day without me having to spank or yell at him, that was his gift to me. Truly it was.

As the years have gone by, there have been times when Mothers day was just perfect. Most of the kids would be with us, (some living out of town) and we would sit outside watching grandkids play and receiving cards that sounded like they were written by Martha Stewart herself. You knew that the kids were just there for the free meal they didn’t have to cook and they were getting free babysitting. Kids are smart. They know that if they come over to eat, Nana and Pops would insist that the precious little ones remain behind for awhile. So before the last of the dessert is off the plate, they are out the door and now I was left to clean up the dishes, entertain grandkids and try to figure out what to do with all the leftovers. I would spend the rest of the day thinking to myself, “wow, am I a great Mom or what?”

A few years ago, when I was really missing our kids not all living in the same town, there was a knock at the front door on Friday before Mothers Day, Jamin and Tina had bought me a beautiful bracelet and was having it delivered. One of Jamin’s friends’ mom had died and I guesst that made him think about that time in the future of loss of someone dear to him. Because of him experiencing his friends sorrow, he wrote a sweet card to tell me his feelings along with a beautiful bracelet that I cherish to this day.

Isn’t it interesting that when we are young, the thought of just receiving a photo as a gift didn’t mean that much, but as the years go by, that has become one of my most treasured gifts from family. Pictures are the belongings that we never mind dusting. I remember the first year that I received cards from Christi and Cameron. That meant the world to me, as I had just married their dad and to think that they were sending me such a sweet thoughts made me so thankful of the blessing that they had become to me in such a short time.

Today, because we are such a far distance from our children/grandchildren, we would love to have the gift of being able to have them all in one place. One of our favorite memories came a couple of years ago when we were all in Dallas because of a funeral. All the kids were present. The church was about an hour away from Dallas so we were in a couple of cars, following each other. Since we arrived a little early to our destination, we decided to stop for a coke before proceeding to the church. One of our children, (I won’t mention his name, but he is only related to us by marriage, and oh yes, by love) gave his order to the “box” at the drive through window in a voice that had a rather strange accent. Let’s just say that he would have qualified for being on Duck Dynesty. We all got so tickled that we were doubled over. We swore that we wouldn’t tell anyone that we had laughed like that, after all, we were headed to a funeral. But it is times like that that seem to linger in our minds of the sweetness, the friendship and love that builds among your adult children. Those are the memories that outshine any gift. Yes, sometimes I admit I do have visions of what I would consider the perfect meal, if it were just being cooked for me, or thoughts of gifts I would receive that show me how much my children “love me”, but…the memories of being with them top all those expectations. Well, guess I should wait until after tomorrow to see what is being delivered before I really decide on that last  statement….hum….memories; or a giant box of chocolates or cupcakes or fruit, or a trip, oh my, maybe it is a trip, or……