Stick Horse Cowgirls

    Someone new arrived last month to join adoring siblings who all want to hold her!  She WILL be spoiled, but hopefully will be as sweet and peaceful as she looks in this photo!   Big sister and imp, Emma Rose, will have to share the limelight!     She seems a little interested and sometimes sweet, but there have been a couple of incidents—such as climbing into the bassinet and a little love pat administered to new baby sister with too much gusto!     It’s fun to play dress up with high heels when you’re not holding new sister!   I loved dressing up in my mom’s high heels when I was little.  I especially remember my mom’s open toed black patent leather stilettos!  I  loved my pair of plastic high heels when I was five.  It was my consolation prize for having my tonsils out!  I can still remember clattering down the halls of the hospital in my “heels”.  I think they were sparkly!...

 This is NOT me, but it could be!  I'm frustrated! One day recently I should have been at work, but had just found my glasses--I am so myopic I cannot go anywhere without my glasses! It's embarrassing to call in because you can't drive to work because you can't find your glasses! Apparently the cat knocked them off the vanity and they blended in with the wood floor. I had been been on my hands and knees all over the house searching for them! I used to wear contacts, but no more! Just one of the "benefits" of getting older! I suffer from dry eye syndrome and I cannot use Restasis drops--they make my eyes ache so bad they are not worth it! So no contacts for me--just the ugly glasses that make me look even more matronly! It's not fair I tell you! lol My hand is still recovering from surgery last month and I am in a hand brace. It hurts to type so I am REAL slow, mainly using my "good" hand. The custom made splint is better than the bulk...

Recently I had a family in my office, gathered around my young-father client who was experiencing marital difficulties.  This son of the family was going through a divorce he did not want, and his parents were present because they are loving, involved grandparents.  Sometimes I see parents of my grown clients who are really running the show behind scenes; and I have to separate them, visiting with my client alone, guiding him or her notwithstanding the parents’ inappropriate input.  But I did not sense that situation here.  No, these were sane, rati onal grandparents who were present because the breakup of their son’s marriage was a family tragedy, and there are young children involved.  These grandparents were focused on the children; they were not bashing the young wife who was intent on leaving; they were not jockeying for financial position.  They were worried, sincerely, about the kids.  They were saying things like, “ We wish she would go t...

Earlier this week I posted about my special granddaughter, "J", and the wonderful day we had with our little picnic at the park. There wasn't time to tell about all the things that make her special, but on the occasion of her birthday, I wanted to take the time now to write about just that! I've often lamented to my family that my dad isn't alive so he could have known "J". I just know that he would have loved her and appreciated what is so unique about her. "Some people are just naturally funny", he would say. And "J" fits that bill! Like the image ingrained in my memory of two and a half year old "J" standing on a chair at the kitchen sink, washing dishes in a sink full of bubbly suds. She was wearing a purple fairy costume with sequins, topped by a purple cone hat with flowing purple scarves (vision a damsel in distress costume)! She scrubbed those toy dishes over and over! Two years later, I see her kneeling at the batht...

Several weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday morning, hubby and I picked up our only granddaughter "J", from a birthday slumber party. We took "J and our dog, Dudley, to a local park to have a little fast food picnic! "J"'s mother, our eldest daughter, had just gotten out of the hospital for pregnancy complications and had undergone an ultrasound revealing the gender of her unborn child (YAYYYY, it's a GIRL!!!!!!),due this July. Granddaughter "J "and I had shopped for the birthday gift; hungry, tired and cranky kindergarten brother in tow! Wasn't I just doing this myself for my own three kids a few years ago?! Anyway, the gift was chosen, wrapped in the parking lot, card signed and we delivered "J" to the party just in time! The next morning, after picking "J" up, off to Pinnacle Mountain Park we went --yes, it is a "little" mountain as mountains go, but hubby and I climbed to the top summer before last which was...

I love the concept of covenant. I truly believe that when the Lord enters into covenant with us, He never breaks that relationship. I'll probably never have the theological debates over free will and the gift of faith figured out, but I'm glad that I don't need to understand exactly how it all works to have the faith which has been granted to me, for even faith itself is a gift. Pure Grace - unmerited favor. Our family had the delight of our newest member, Jack, wearing his great-grandfather's Christening dress that he wore in 1907, receive the gift of pure grace this Easter. If only he will grow up to be half the man his great-grandfather was, I would be happy. My father-in-law was such a man of unfailing love for his family and honest, kind, and faithful. These are all  praiseworthy attributes which I hope little Jack inherits! So here is a photo of Jack trying on this lovely hand-embroidered dress which is now 103  years old! Youngest daughter and I took Jack o...