Joyous Tomorrows

I posted this on a collaborative Genealogy blog , but wanted to have it for my kids too in case the blog should go away.  I will share with you the past few months of my life.  I worked with the Preserve the War of 1812 Pensions campaign for 3 years.  I loved the purpose and the activity of searching the files and finding living descendants.  When the funding was accomplished, my activity there was little needed, and I turned to other projects. At the same time, my children decided they and their children needed equal time with me and this is a bit of my journey into creating family history with my grandchildren and as I have written about before, bridging the generations. During the summer, we had our first family reunion.  This was important for those who could go because family had not gathered as a unit since my husband, their father, died in 2008.  All but two of 6 children could make it. The single son who was working and a daughter who was...

"There is sunshine in my soul, when the peaceful happy moments flow..." While listening to a variation of this song, by a young woman who was singing of her little daughter and the joy she brought to her, I was transported back in time.  My mind took me on a journey of my six sunbeams in my life, and the tears flowed.  I decided to write a brief love note to each so they will know how much I love them then and now. Just after Ned's funeral in 2008 There was the life changing first child a sweet little bundle of joy, a girl. She was so full of "I've got an idea", bright smiles and loving life to the fullest. She has never failed to amaze me with her abilities to overcome and her capacity to love and give. We are waiting patiently (lol) for her first novel. She is now a mother of 8. Our first trip at 6 months old. 18 months old Number two child and daughter began her life as a little ray of sunshine and continues to strive to...

Back home now after thoroughly enjoying my visits with my two daughters and their families.  It has been so much fun getting to know them again, sometimes a month or two can bring big changes in your family's lives.   While visiting with my daughters, I saw that my love of books as they were growing up touched their lives too. There is joy in reading books. I called my granddaughter last night to wish her a happy 8th birthday and asked if she had been helping her mom. (smiles)... Her answer was "No, I was up on my bunk reading a new book. I love it! It is "The Secret Garden"." Later, her mom told me it was one of the old books she had from her growing up. Loved the old cover. As my children grew up and moved out of the house, I let them pick books from the library that I had accumulated while homeschooling them to use for their own families.  Now, let me explain.  A large number of my book were books from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.  When I woul...

Gosh I can't... well yes I can believe I am this far behind. Going back to December, I missed the December prompt of "Kissing Stories"by Blue Raspberry Sundays... I didn't remember mistletoe being particularly a part of Christmas, so I hesitated writing a post for that.  My number two daughter said, not so, she has pictures to prove it.   Well yes, when she put up mistletoe at her apartment, we smooched under that, but I will tell you my Hero did not like ODA, his acronym for Obvious Displays of Affection, out in public.  Funny guy, it set him up for so much teasing by me.  I was a terrible tease.  I only have one picture that shows me teasing him (a favorite of mine). I would start to give him a peck on the cheek out in public and I would be admonished... "no ODA". Well, confession is good for the soul, so I will tell you, I would wait until we got out of site of people or in an elevator and give him a big kiss.  This was okay until he began worrying ...

I love children’s creativity.   multi-media art by my granddaughter As my 6 children grew up, we would have a room full of toys and they would always go for the oatmeal box as a drum or my pots and pans. Don’t know how many spoons were taken outside for shovels, I still find some occasionally.   The youngest used a hanger to jump out of a loft to catch his fall… that didn’t turn out too well. (oh my)   However, there weren't any broken bones… the daughter twirling knives caused that. Laughing at the memories of the oldest son galloping across the yard with his stick horse his father and I had made for him.   He ended up on the front page of the local newspaper when he took it to town, and the reporter was amazed at a child that was happy with a toy that didn't do anything. Oh yeah it did.   It spurred imagination. Now that I have 23 grandchildren, it has been a delight seeing my grandchildren continuing in the world of imagination and creativ...

I am excited about the up coming movie called "Brave" .  For our family, it is so like our own Crystal and RedBeard.  I have sat and laughed while watching the trailer because I have seen our Redbeard in similar actions.  And Merida, well, they had to have been hiding somewhere and used my granddaughter as a model.  She is the spitting attitude of Merida, not to mention look a like.  Look at my scrapbook page and tell me if you don't agree. This promises to be a fun summer.  

I am sorry this is long, but was quite a story yesterday.  There is more after the picture. Thanks for stopping by)  The day started out well. I had lunch with an old friend. I was dressed in my pale pink gingham outfit, very summery and cool.  As I left the restaurant  to go and meet my family a blast of hot wind hit my face.  Texas is so hot and dry right now. I felt a stab of pain for my friends who are in the throes of fighting a 5000 acre fire 15 miles west of my home.  Homes have been lost and animals.  One friend was involved in animal rescue. I met my daughter, her 2 teenage sons, and 2 toddlers and my son and his wife.  They had just finished eating.  We stopped, picked up flowers, and went out to my husband's grave.  My "adopted daughter" and her 3 sons came over  as they live next to the grave yard.  It was a wonderful reunion of sorts.  I learned that her husband was off helping at the fire. Too soon it was t...

I had the pleasure of being treated to a Belated Birthday dinner with my sister-in-law by my mother-in-law.  Jaq's birthday was on Thursday and mine was in July.  My mother-in-law wanted to take us both out to a nice restraurant so we waited until Jaq came over from Arizona.  What a fun night we had at Carmello's .  The owner treated us very well.  The food was wonderful.  I had the red snapper, yummy.  The company was awesome.  We all had family stories to share.  Dick shared about his Mat having burned up the engine not seeing the oil was empty.  Jaq's family is doing well, and Marie is involved in learning politics and how to be active in her community.  It was lively conversation.  When we left, I went over to my second daughter's home for the night and had a fun day at the park with her and the toddlers and her two. Of course, there had to be a story time.   It was a marvelous way to back up to celebrate your birth...

When April comes in Texas, we have a tradition.  The cameras come out and you load your children in their Easter clothes and head for the fields of bluebonnets.  Everyone wants to their child's picture in the bluebonnets.  My daughter is always out there too.  Today, I went along to help and took the toddler's with me so they could have their pictures taken in the bluebonnets. (if you click on the pictures they can be seen larger, then click the blue arrow back) They were like 'why am I here?' Then vanity took over and the two year old patted the four year old on the shoulder and stepped into the lime light.  The daughter had her two year old, the infant, and teens trying to catch a shot...since the two year old would not leave her side, the shot was in her lap.   She has that shot.  Then there was the reasoning that you must not pick the bluebonnets.  Be careful don't step on them...  That was a take...lol  They finall...