Friends & Neighbors

  • Aunt-ing,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Memories

    Wacky and Wild Mail

    13 ounces or less. The wonderfully wacky things you can mail! Last week I wrote about my love of good ole fashion snail mail, and included that I would write about when I did a “out of the box” mail camp with my niece. Well, I can usually pat myself on the back for documenting things with photos. However, I remember sweating and being stared down by a postal worker while I attempted this fun adventure with my then four year old niece, who by the way was and is an excellent child! I believe the worker was perturbed that my mom and I would engage in such silly business.…

  • "Life" Books,  Aunt-ing,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Memories

    Smiles Delivered

    “When I see a mailbox, I see a friend. I see something that can connect me to the people I love. I see an entity that can take my words and send them, in reliable snail speed, across the planet. Sure, email and social media are faster, but they’ve got nothing on the magic of a physical object arriving in my hands from thousands of miles away.” The Year I became Snail Mail Superstar by Sara McNally Oh what joy it is to find happy mail among the bills and advertisements, can I get an Amen? I can remember vividly as a child receiving mail. We had a post office…

  • "Life" Books,  Aunt-ing,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Mommy,  Pass it On...

    Be Alert. Gather the Facts.

    I laugh at this photo because if only the parenting know-it-alls knew what was coming for parents, would they have been so hard on my parents for allowing a black and white antenna tv in my room when I was sick for long periods of time? I mean how much could a little Lambchop or Skidamarink looping up and down with periods of black and grey lines do to me? And pacis, they already gave up on those – I found those as soon as they tried to hide them! (fun fact- never had to have braces!) Recently I had a conversation with a friend about the amount of “alert”…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents

    Clean Underwear

    “Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you are in an accident and they have to cut you out of your clothes.” That’s what my grandparents would say. Or if not an accident, you never know when you might get stuck in traffic, or have to go to the hospital, and the list went on. Matter of fact, my grandma was so sure this was going to happen that she always had an extra pair with her in her purse! Why do I share this? Simply because I was watching the View this week and this came up in conversation, and it hit me – this really was a…

  • "Life" Books,  Chronic Illness,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  Jesus,  Migraines,  Pass it On...

    You are Loved.

    Eighteen days into 2024… And what a year it has already been! Maybe your beginning of the year hasn’t been eventful, or maybe be it has been very eventful, even milestone marking eventful! I know a brave little girl who has made tremendous literal steps in her journey this new year, and I am over the moon for her and her family – many prayers spent on knees, tears, hard perseverance and truly leaning hard on Jesus has brought them this far and HE will continue to supply and sustain, I truly believe!!! New life has come. And some have gone. Good news has been reported. And tough news has…

  • "Life" Books,  Friends & Neighbors,  Grief,  Jesus

    Walking in Truth

    I’m back! 😊 I had to take a pause last week to digest some life and celebrate my little girl! I am still a bit foggy, so hang in there with me today! My new year started off with celebrating the coming together in marriage of one of the kids, now a man, and his now wife! I cannot express how honored I have been to be able to witness these “kids,” now mature adults, grow and seek God’s will for their lives! In 3 John 1:4, it says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.” This captures my every emotion! I…

  • "Life" Books,  Aunt-ing,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents

    Who Knows What the Children May Become?

    If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to have confidence. If a child lives with praise, he learns appreciation. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. If a child lives with acceptance…

  • "Life" Books,  Children,  Family,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Memories

    These things you don’t forget…

    “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Greek Proverb The above quote has been among my favorites for a long while. I believe this because I have been blessed to have had multiple men and women who have prayed, encouraged, invested their time in my life. On our back porch last month we had a small glimpse of seeds being “planted” that were not intentionally planted, yet they fell on good soil and bloomed. Let me give you a little background on our soil. Before we plant anything in our back porch area, we have to dig a big hole…

  • "Life" Books,  Adoption,  Being "Single",  Chronic Illness,  Friends & Neighbors,  GRANDparents,  Mommy,  My Little,  Single Parenting

    What does it mean to leave home?

    Let’s start today with a question: What does it mean for someone to “leave home?” I really want you to take time and think about this one. Think about what defines leaving home physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationships and so on. Think, think, think, as Pooh Bear would say, before continuing. Why in the world would I bringing this to your attention today? First, I have overheard some comments made recently about adult children living with their parents. Second, I happen to be an adult daughter living with my parents. (which I will address the word “child” being used after adult, below) Third, I had to do some real…

  • "Life" Books,  Friends & Neighbors,  Grief,  Hydranencephaly,  Jesus,  Mommy,  My Little

    Soul Share

    Today, allow me to share with you some friends I have met along my journey in the past few years. If you have been reading along for a bit, you have most likely gathered that we moved from my childhood home in early 2020, right before COVID hit hard. We moved to our lake/vacation home not too far away, while our new house was being built. Side note: Thank you Jesus for providing a lake home all these years, because COVID plus not having space that was familiar would have made this move incredibly harder. Anyways, the closest store for miles is a Dollar General, which we depended on for…