I subscribe to the daily paper on weekends only.  

It didn't come this morning.

I was a bit upset.

Normally it doesn't bother me.

Well, at 6 o'clock

this evening I was reading the obits and such online and came across this article

~

sad to say

he was raised by two of the most honest people I know,
and he was one of my favorite little boys!

Here's to you, BEV!

I do love Dr. Pepper.  I just can't drink it too often or my kidneys kick me.

My mom used to drink it when she was ironing.  None of us kids liked it, so she knew that she could have something to enjoy all to herself!  Back then the bottles were green and showed a circle with 10 . 2 . 4. .

When we moved to St. G you couldn't find it (or any ingredients to fix Mexican food - my golly, we were so behind the times), and when my in-laws came to visit from Texas they brought a few cases with them!

I wear lots of hats figuratively - but not too often literally.

I wore hats a bit when I was a very young woman.  My first husband quite liked buying them for me.  I did look pretty snazzy in them.    I had a black velvet on that I especially liked, and a red one that was really classy.  Sorry, no pics.

The hat on the left was given to me by my oldest sister - I added the scarf.  I love it because she gave it to me!

HERE'S MY SIGN

 BUT i REALLY like

THIS

SIGN!

Objects in mirror are CLOSER than they appear.

Now that's a close up!

*

*

*

Subject in mirror appears larger

than subject likes to believe!
Please, no close ups for me ~ I don't even like far aways!

What's on my PLATE?
 LOTS!

I'm sure we all have full plates with kids, grand kids,  some of us - husbands, keeping up a home, a job outside the home, church callings, serving neighbors, volunteering, running errands, trying to keep in shape (round is a shape), or get in shape, and on and on and on!  Well here's to FULL PLATES!  That means were doing what we are meant to be doing!

My plate tonight was literally FULL of yummy goodness...

!

This is the gas gauge in my car this morning.

I made it to work and back to the station around the corner from my house on empty.

She is full, now.

I love my car.

MORNING

My favorite time of day is morning.

 

I love opening the french door onto the patio 

watching the changing colors in the sky as the birds chirp - just warming up for the sweet songs to come.

There is still a little crispness in the air.  The soft fragrance of the roses floats in with a touch of the musty scent of the river. 

It is a quiet time - a time of grateful prayer and introspect.

I cherish mornings.

*

*

*

*

...that is UNTIL

I started seeing this on my drive to work.

Not every morning, mind you, but enough to make me say...

Getting up at 3:30 AM

to drive to work at 4:30 AM

to be there at 5 AM

after working 'til 10:00 PM the night before is making me older than I want to be.

And it messes with my mornings!

Patriotic songs make me cry.

I get a lump in my throat when the flag goes by.

So blessed to live in this promised land.

So much beauty...

America is GRAND!

I just breathe in her beauty every day.
Blue skies and puffy white clouds.  Red sandstone mountains.

I am so thankful for this creation that splashes it's colors at me, and scents the air with fragrant blooms. It cools me with soft breezes, and tickles my toes with textures of freshly mowed grass, or cool sand, or slick rocks.  It refreshes me with gentle rain and trickling streams.  It stirs my passion with thunder and lightning.

Sunlight and shadow, winter and summer, spring and fall... all these contrasts humble me and fill my soul with gratefulness for the Creator of all this

BEAUTY.

My personality, as any of you that know me can attest, 

is

SLIGHTLY CRACKED!

I've become filled with enlightenment, though, over the years by my many varied experiences!

I have new employment, now, and have been absent from the blogging world as I have tried to adjust.

I will attempt to catch up.

But, true to another facet of my personality, I will do that backwards!

ONE

A number that I started out with, but certainly hope changes someday.  You, know, because of the eternal perspective.

The weather on Memorial day was delightful!

we had just gotten through some awful windy days.  It was so pleasant sitting on the patio in the early evening after a great grilled hamburger with family and friend.

CHOCOLATE is still my SWEET of choice!

12 O'CLOCK is just WRONG!

It is either NOON or MIDNIGHT!

"It's not unusual"  - reminds me of TOM JONES!  SIGH!  I so love to hear him sing!  Actually it is his breathing as he sings that really gets me!

"What's New Pussycat?"

Something new in my life is

my new place of business.

Leaving behind the 30+ years of Real Estate and the liability and 24/7 life to a position of reservationist for a rapidly growing company.  I can go home and leave work at work!  WHEEE!

Technology is wonderful as long as someone else figures it out for me and slowly and patiently teaches me.  I'm really good at pointing and clicking and speed dialing!

I STAND ALL AMAZED

{my favorite hymn}

I know He loves me!

I can't live without YOU!

a FAVORITE place to be

is such a comfort in this hurried world.

Usually I just make a mess.  However, I love making this 

now that I learned how from my sweet sister-in-law, CAROL.  I love you!

Lately my snack of choice has been a handful of dry roast peanuts, or a piece of pepper jack cheese!

I still read the scriptures daily, and am reading a Cluff family history that my brother Jim gave to me.  I used to think we didn't have any pioneer stories, but both the Cluff and Lofgreen sides have some really fantastic ones!

I heart my friends and family!

Grass is green and green is cool.  I live in a hot place, therefore grass is WONDERFUL!

 

i love me mum!

Kisses from my grand daughter makes me happy

and kisses from my daughter!

I love my kitchen

in all it's messy glory!

{ok, already!  I'll do some repenting, too!}

 Every day it's primp & polish!

This is a smell I adore

and I went without it for a very long time.

Hello, Red Door!  Welcome home!

I am inspired daily by so many family and friends.

I am truly lifted and led by

these men.

Such great examples.

And here I am

One happy lady!

I'm almost caught up!  It's past midnight, but I'm not giving up!  This is like my world in 60 seconds!  But by heck and hankies, I'm gonna' get this done!

If you look at the very top of the branch, you will see a tiny bird.

Andi & I were on the patio one morning at the first of May and saw one of the tiniest humming birds that I've ever seen.  There were two of them, but I could only get this shot of one!  They were almost diving at us before they landed!  What a treat for us to have these little creatures visit our back yard!

OK, then.  By GOLLY that was FUN!

Here is something I wore today.

I have never worn much in the way of makeup.

When I was younger and my skin was pretty I only wore eyebrow pencil and a little lipstick.

After having babies, I started using a little light foundation just to blend the splotches, a touch of lipstick, taupe brow pencil, and mascara.

As I aged and my skin got drier, I started using a heavy moisturizer.  Still only using a little light foundation, switched to using a brow brush instead of a pencil - now in grey instead of taupe, gloss instead of lipstick, and because of my lash extensions - NO mascara.  I do wear eyeshadow to contour my sagging lids, and a smudge of liner on my lower lids.  It's sprunch spray for the hair, and fake perfume.  Always rings on my fingers, and earrings!

...and my boring black and white (o, sometimes I have some color) wardrobe.

This is the eye level skyline from my back door.

I love it.

The abundance of roses (have tons more than this shows) this spring make it especially pleasant to feast upon with my eyes and have that wonderful fragrance fill the air each time I open the door.

 This same skyline with the eye raised just a tad captures the beautiful silver dot of moon.  Heavenly little orb that fascinates and captivates me and sometimes won't let me sleep!

My niece and Dexter spent the last week at our house.

I love them both to pieces.

But...

O, how I enjoy the 

Peace

&

Quiet

when they are gone.

The thing that makes me sad is not being able to attend EVERY occasion that involves someone I love - whether it be lack of time, too far away, not enough gas in my car, a previous engagement,  whatever.  I want to go to every blessing, baptism, missionary farewell, wedding, graduation, birthday party, anniversary celebration, reunion (class or family), lunch, tea party, shower (baby or bridal) ...  I just want to share the time and let all those I love know how much they mean to me before I go (or can't) to their funeral.

CIRCLE

The first thing that came to mind was

but, then this picture popped into my brain

goodness knows why "circle the wagons" would come to mind.  However, there have been times in my life that it was necessary to get me through a trial.

...which leads to this

To be circled about with a loving family can't be matched by any earthly feeling!

...which leads me 

full CIRCLE

back to the Elton John lyrics of 

"Circle Of Life"

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give

In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life

Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars

There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

At 1 p.m. today I was reviewing my primary lesson for tomorrow.

Then preparing necessary visual aids.

Then the handouts.

And, I'm still  cutting out the handouts.  

I love my calling.

I especially love the children in my class.

(the whole dozen of them)

But, can I just say this ~

I really do not like cutting things out of paper!

Well, I went to sleep on the couch watching a movie with my girls, got up and went to bed without doing my blog post last night.  

You see...

being newly employed means

getting used to a new routine and it has not been a piece of cake for me!

Don't get me wrong - I am so very grateful for a JOB!

Because I am still in "training" I am being scheduled at various times to be able to work with different trainers.  Yesterday I had to be at work an hour before I normally wake up!

So, therefore the early bedtime!

...and missing my blogging time!

It's a fact

BLACK & WHITE

are predominate in my closet.

Today it was black over white with black pants.

Yesterday it was black over white in a different way - 

white pants & black blouse.

Black purse & shoes today.

White purse & shoes yesterday.

Kinda' boring.

Zzz Zzz Zzz

Looking down

the path I've followed ~

~ if I had it to do again,

I would maybe open gates instead of climbing over, or move the rocks instead of tripping.

Perhaps I wouldn't have strayed so far from center to see the mirages on the outer sides.

I've had some hills, and fences, and thorny places...

BUT

I know that I am wiser and stronger.

I've been humbled.

I've been led to restful places of comfort and beauty.

I know the way and am grateful for 

my Redeemer

who has prepared the path before me.

I am enjoying the journey and the companions I share it with.

AND

I prefer to look UP!

I'M GRATEFUL FOR...

AND

  

AND

MY NEW JOB

I AM TRULY BLESSED!