Happy New Year

Look! What I found!

My Prayer for my family!

Dear Santa,

This has been a good year for us. We had many good blessings to thank God for. We have learned to negotiate the conflict of having so many adults living under one roof. We are still attempting to catch up with the financial blows of past years, but we have taken a good chunk out of the debt that we had clouded over us. We got to visit NY and see some family, after 10 years of being away. This did alot to boost my morale. I still have a long list of wants, even though I haven't really been nice for the whole year. I hope you will show mercy to me, even though, I don't deserve it. I am grateful for the blessings and the tokens that my children give, but I wish they would look at the list, a bit more. Thanks for being there to send a letter of wants to. Yours Truly, Jayne

All my sisters and brothers rolled down the hill but me!

Everyday we went to Rochdale, it was my job to take care of baby Abdul. The mountains loomed around us and I was too old to do the things the little ones did. I missed the feeling of freedom of rolling down the hills that seemed so fun, but still so far below me.

I almost made you miss such a beautiful feeling, as well. I was concerned about the health risks. I didn't want all that dirt in your hair and Emily's asthma scares and the look of it, etc. But you girls weren't deterred in the least. I said don't do what those other children are doing, rolling down the hill, at the ice cream social at the Family Conference and there you were rolling with your ice cream in your hands and hair and eyes. I was embarrassed, but laughingly. I could understand completely, but still very angry that you didn't listen. Does your mother really know what's best in those situations? What if we were to have to take Em to the hospital with an asthma attack? We didn't though. She laughed and had no other repercussions of those dirty and soiled interactions. We all laughed and even the babies, who were Enoch and Evie got completely filthy of ice cream and dirt and grass, so that I had to miss the evening session washing all that filth off of you guys! Wasn't that fun?

I miss it, everyday for the grown people that you guys have become. I go to work and I tell every little child that I see, don't miss any hill you can roll down. Don't think that you are too grown to do that? Don't think that the responsibility is yours to sit by the baby children while everyone else is rolling. You Roll! And you know what? They do!

Yesterday was a beautiful 70 degree day and I went outside and William put his sneakers on the minute I said, let's roll!

Celebrating serving my family!

Today!

Is a bunch of thoughts projected to my Elyseee! You know that don't you, Elyse. Even though the rest of the children have access to it, it is mainly for Elyse. They each have their own blogs, which are accessible through the links on the sidebar which are marquees with their names on them. I have a fictional blog link, "Don't Beg!" and a devotional blog, "Devotional thoughts".

All these expressions of love, sent to my children and any who may traverse this way on the internet are dedicated to encouraging and informing my dear ones of my current thoughts, for whatever value they may present.

Today, really today, Tuesday, December 19, 2017 is a beautiful, sunny day and I am thinking about the pleasure of serving my family for the benefit of helping them enjoy the Christmas Holiday!

I feel a part of a wonderful "Maternity" of unsung elfish women, whose silent service of washing and vacuuming and clearing up stuff and shopping, etc. make Christ clear to their loved ones. The others can bring the sermons and send the presents and write the stories about the wonder of Christmas, but the joy of finding the joy of giving yourself in service to your loved ones, is a gift in itself.

Today, I am celebrating the people whose joyous expressions have become part of my motivating portions of serving my family. I do pray that their encouragements and sweet spirited, motivations always find you and give you a glimpse of what you are doing, Elyse!

Irma Bombeck, Helpful Hints from Heloise, Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, Patti Labelle, cooks and cleaning women, that I have watched in hotels and offices, where we have been and now Ree Drummond has come into that sphere of personal motivators.

I will talk about the last one first and if you have any questions about the others, which I have pointed out to you, from time to time, just ask.

Come and Get It!

Her sweet face on the cover of that book speaks volumes. Is that the spirit that you invite your family to come to the holidays?

Home is where the heart is and Home is the grounding place that protects your family from the lightning of the world's burnings. How can you make it that?

Your sweet face, at the table and over the cookpot, when you can, is a tradition that we never want to lose. Other people can make the food and place it on the table, but there is nothing as filling to the soul as someone that you love planning and creating the menu for your holiday meal and being with you in the midst of it. Is it as you imagined it? Is that the right combination of cinnamon and nutmeg in the apple pie{I am imagining my cousin Lauren's delicious pie}? Is that home to you?

It sure is and it is your job to make that happen for people wherever you are!

This is one year after the horrible attack on my child in Charlotte!

I am grateful that he survived, but still wondering when the criminal element of our city might be subdued. It was swift and wonderful assistance that we received, from law enforcement and from the hospital, but I do hope that no mother ever has to go through that again. They took the car from him and threatened his life and beat him, so sadly.

Thank you Lord for your great deliverance, last year and for the wisdom that we received from the horrible event!

Odd Pals

Laughter is the clearest best medicine for us and our pets, also! Evidently!