We're So Thankful For What We Have

 WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE


This Thanksgiving Day was so enjoyable, spending it with family, and having our Mom with us.  Mom at 93 years of age has moved in with us recently, and we praise God that she is in fairly good health and can get around by herself with the aid of a walker.  She occupies 2 rooms of our home and has the use of our guest bathroom, and says she is very happy living here with us.  A lot of her own furniture and personal pictures and "things" moved here with her, so she has familiar treasures around her.


When Mom came to live with us, it is because living expenses in an assisted living facility had gotten so expensive (this is the case with many of our elderly). We know of quite a few people our ages who are now inviting their parents to live with them because of this reason.  As long as my Step Dad (age 101) was living with her, they were able to afford the unit, but since he went into a nursing home last winter, it has become increasingly hard on her financially.  So, we invited her to come live with us, knowing that it would enrich all of our lives...which it has.  Mom is enjoying our pets, too, just as she knew she would.  She's finally learned all their names, and that was a real accomplishments.  Try keeping 3 black cats straight when they all sort of look alike!  Then there's the grumpy old lady cat who we've had for over 10 years, given to us by my daughter who had had her for 3 years & didn't know how old she was when SHE got her.  So she (Peaches) is just trying to lay claim to her territory that she had long before the 3 black cats came along.  Mom knows them now as Mama Mitsy, Daddy Tommy, and "baby" Owey (who tops out at about 22 lbs.).  Then there's the dog Bosco, who is over 9 years old now.  He's quite a character and understands everything we say (especially when we don't want him to).  All of this has added much to Mom's life.

Mom has also taken up the piano again, and even with her bent finger, she can play pretty well.  Right now she is practicing some Christmas carols so she can accompany me on the flute over the holidays.  We may even invite some family and friends over as time allows.  We marvel at what she remembers of the piano, and she can play so many songs and even jazzes them up a bit.  She still plays from her mother's set of music books, and song books she has collected over the years.  Here is a picture of Mom playing her old piano (which is in our house now), and her captive audience of "baby" Owey.  They love to hear her play, and at first couldn't understand what she was doing...because they rarely hear ME on the piano.  So, we are thankful that Mom can still play the piano so well, and we all enjoy hearing her improve with each passing day. 

 Yes, we have so many things to be thankful for.  Our families who are scattered from Texas all the way to Alaska and includes 4 children, 14 grandchildren + 1 in heaven, 4 GREAT grandchildren, and ONE ON THE WAY that we just found out about and is due in July sometime.  We miss those members who haven't been around much, more than we can say, and hope that they are doing well this holiday season, too.  We are so thankful for those family members who include us in their lives...ALL are precious to us & we thank God for every one.  We continue to pray for our family, & that God will heal parts of our family and our nation.  Please join us in praying for our troops, our nation and our leaders, and that in these trying times that they will make the right and Godly decisions for our country.  We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, and hope you will have a wonderful holiday season.  God bless you all and keep you safe.

"The only people who are truly free are the ones who walk in a continual spirit of forgiveness."

EMPTY NEST "KIDS"

How many of you have tried to fill the dark hole of "empty nest syndrome" with little furry friends? Well, we definitely fall into that category, and find ourselves spoiling them more each day. This little guy is our "Owey", our "baby" who weighs 20 lbs. now, and he's only a year old. As you can see, he's always the first one at the breakfast bar, saying "Set um up".

You might wonder right now, what has this got to do with "Becoming God's Woman"? So, I'll tell you. When our children have left our homes, or in some way disappointed us or neglected us, our faithful little pets are always there for us. In my quest to "become God's woman" (the best that I can be), I have discovered that the comfort of pets is like a "warm fuzzy" in the depths of loneliness or depression. They can lift you up when humans just don't cut it. Did you know that they have discovered that just petting your furry friend can lower your blood pressure? It's a fact...and I use it quite frequently:-} They also have an uncanny sense of when you're not feeling well; I have one cat who won't leave my side when I'm under the weather. So why shouldn't we dote on them, feed them, love them and protect them? After all, it's showing compassion for the little creatures that God made for us. When you reach out to one of them, you become a better person. Later I will post more pictures of our "babies" (1 large dog & 4 cats) all of whom we rescued; now they are rescuing US.

Introducing Myself & My Book

Hello Everyone, I'm the new girl on the block and thought I'd just drop by to say "Hi" and introduce myself and my book. Aside from my 2 children, it is my life's best work...and the longest to complete. I'm a little ashamed to say (but not daunted by the fact) that it took me over 35 years to complete, and perhaps might never have been finished if I hadn't met and married my husband. He was my greatest advocate and encourager over these last 7 years, and through his constant prompting, I finally got with it and kept at it until the task was done.

You probably want to ask, "Why did it take you so long?" My only excuse is that the abuse of my childhood led me to make bad decisions and choices in my younger years, and when you do that, you find yourself starting over...and over...and over again. That resulted in years of counseling and reconstructing my fragmented heart and mind. Well, you can't get much done in the way of writing, when you're so messed up that you can't think straight. Way back then I tended to choose husbands in the past who needed "fixing"; THEY needed my attention, were either alcoholics and/or abusive, and were not supportive to me when it came to writing my story. So, only when I married my 4th (and last) husband, was I finally with someone who would support me in every way...and he has, praise the Lord.

Now, we are an older retired couple, living in the foothills of the Cascade Mtns. of western Washington State, and enjoying our individual projects, and our family who live nearby. We have a big dog whose name is Bosco, an older orange tabby cat named Peaches, and a family of black cats we rescued over the past 2 summers: Mama Mitsy, Daddy Tommy, and "baby" Owey who weighs 20 lbs. now.
They are a joy to us since they have become our children in our empty nest. My husband has his hobby of restoring old cars, and I write magazine articles now to try and help others and to reach as many victims of child abuse as I can. We both keep very busy in our retirement.

I would like to invite anyone who has a problem with child abuse, needs to heal their wounds, or knows anyone who needs help, to email me or blog me back. My desire is to help others get through what I know is the hardest hurdle they will ever encounter...and to do it sooner, rather than later like I did. Nice to meet you all, and I pray each and every one of you have a wonderful New Year.