Grandmother's Peony

Today is the first day in a long time that I've spent over 5 hours working on the yard. I was motivated by the beautiful, sunny, but cool weather. It was perfect for doing the little things that must be done. Weeding, weeding and weeding. I jokingly call this our campground because that is what it usually looks like...a boyscout camp. Ron mowed. Tim was here helping and that made the area shape up nicely. Things got edged, driveways swept, etc. I even trimmed one of the trees a bit. After putting in a flower bed week before last and filling our large pots with flowers, with today's work, it looks fairly nice around here.

I am sad to say that the nice weather we had this spring caused my peonies to bloom a couple of weeks too early. My birthday is tomorrow and I had always cut my favorite flowers for in the house. They have bloomed and died already. Today I cut off all those dried ends.

Thought you would like to see a picture of Ron's Grandmother's Tree Peony that came to us through his mother. Our daughter got them when Gladys passed away. We got them when she moved to Florida. The peony tree loves its new spot and blooms splendidly.

Spring and Prom

Lauren is home from the university for the summer. Her friend Aron will be joining her there in Alabama this fall.

This spring Lauren and he went to his school's prom. They really are a sharp looking couple. They don't need a proud grandmother to tell them that. But here I am and with pictures!

My Wish for a Reunion

It is wonderful to have the 'kids' come to visit. Tim is here now from Florida. Looks like he plans to stay the summer. Can't blame him. IT is terribly hot down there now. He is at a time in his life where he can choose to do that. He just has to close up his condo and head north. Wish it were that easy for us to go south in the winter, at least for a couple of months. I would choose January and February.

Next week, coincidentally the week of Ron and my birthdays, John and Beth will be bringing our new grandson to visit for a day or so. Now all we need is the other four kids to magically appear. It would be great to have them all together and get a family photograph made. Oh well, I'm just dreaming now.

Today's layout is a picture of John and Caleb made back when he was a newborn in February. I'm finally getting caught up with Caleb's baby pictures.

Christians: Not Perfect, But Forgiven

Ron would like me to add this to yesterday's post. Would you believe he is not perfect? Of course you would. No one is, not even Christians who are striving to live a life pleasing to God. We all sin and fall short, but God has shed his blood on the cross to cover our sins. We are forgiven.

My Godly Man

I am very happy to be married to a Godly man. He truly lives his life as a Christian. He's at church twice a week, in other Bible studies three to six times a week, prayer breakfasts twice a month, and with lunch buddies once a week. Of course, he is also at the YMCA every morning, where discussion often turns to religion. I certainly can not keep up that type of schedule, choosing to sit here at the computer much of my spare time. But I'm very happy he is that interested in doing God's will and sharing with others. This layout is of him and his friends at lunch. Another of the guys, Hank, took the picture. Ron is the one back in the corner with white hair.

Ladies' Retreat

The ladies of our church have a Ladies' Retreat every spring in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We invite friends and spend our days in Biblical study, 'fellowship' , crafts and eating.

At night we sleep on cots in the cabin...those of us who dare spend the night there. Some of us are 'too old' to enjoy a slumber party. We go home and come back again in the morning.

It is always a memorable time. Christian sisters do have fun.

Every year we fill out a form of what we would like to do different next year. I wouldn't change a thing.

The Protection of Family

It was delightful to come upon a swan family while boating this weekend. We have never seen the cygnets on this end of the lake chain, only the adults. We found these in a quiet channel that ran behind a neighborhood. The swans were pretty calm until we turned around to exit... there was no outlet. The cob (male) looked as if he might attack if we made the slightest move he didn't like. The cygnets stuck close to their mother, the pen.

It is so pleasant to see a family living together with father protecting the mother and his young as God intended for us humans.

A lot of divorces happen because the couple has trouble managing money. And naturally it gets even more costly when trying to maintain separate homes. As things get tougher financially, it will be harder for families to live apart without each other's support. If you are married, please try harder to keep it together, for everyone's sake. If you are not yet married, don't do it until you are convinced you love the person enough to make the sacrifices necessary to hold it together. Believe me, you will be happier in the long run than you would be running off to find greener pastures. Green pastures don't grow by themselves. They need nurturing.

Show true love, and more likely than not, it will be returned to you.