Winter window

How beautiful the trees look with the fresh snow. This is a picture from outside the front window. Winter is really here. Snow is so beautiful to look at, but a pain to travel through and to clean off the car and sidewalks, let alone the driveway. However I cannot complain too much about that. Our neighbor Phil has a snow blower and he is like our guardian angel, he always blows us out. I appreciate his goodwill more than he could ever know.

I just wanted to share the beautiful view. I hope everyone stays safe. Enjoy the beauty in the snow. Like life, it holds a blanket of warm memories and serenity. Like life it can also be difficult to deal with. In difficult times think of the warmth and the beauty; the blessings will always follow.

Just my opinion

I was listening to the news this morning and the commentator was saying that the congress has to get this health care issue resolved before they can devote all their efforts in getting the economy back on track. My question is; why? Why are the priorities screwed up? We have been working on better health care for the last thirty years; yes it's important; but we don't need to rush through it. If it is a choice between getting the United States back to work and heath care; well in my opinion it's a no brain er. Let's get our country back to work first and work on the health care afterwards! Congress is waisting valuable time and energy working on a speedy health care package, that in the end will have more problems than help. If Americans aren't working, they can't buy health insurance, so all this reform is double talk. Let's get Americans back to work and the economy on track, then and only then start to put together a realistic and reliable health insurance package. It's just my opinion. I'd like to hear yours.

Welcome 2010

A puppy's mischief; what a simple way to look at the New Year. As the picture indicates I am hopeful for a promising new year; one that finds me at a full time job and having my book, "Mary's Song" published. I guess that is my New Year's resolution. I am a great believer in the phrase we are what we make of ourselves. I have a great deal of trust and faith in God, I know that He is with me no matter what. As long as I let God be in control I will not have anything to fear. Yet as I write this I know that there are things that can affect my life that are well beyond my control and I am foolish if I do not allow God to help me. I pray that 2010 will be a time where the world will finally get a grasp on peace and good will. That terrorist will cease to terrorize and that the economy will start to create jobs for all of us who have lost them and for the young people just graduating. 2010 is more than just a new year, it is the beginning of a new decade. I pray this decade will bring humankind closer to one another as we work together to fight world hunger, poverty and prejudices. As with this puppy let us resolve in childlike faith to ask God and one another for help and guidance to make not only this year, but this decade one that is profitable not only monetary, but also rich in love and compassion toward one another. God Bless us all and Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas is such a joyful time of year. A time where friends and family join one another to celebrate their lives together, the greatest blessing that God has given to us through His Son, Our Lord Jesus. It is a time that we reach out to those who are alone or unwanted, hungry and poor. Christmas is the time of year that we truly become Christian. As we remember the precious birth of our savior, please remember to keep Christmas in your hearts all year long. Have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas. May the peace and love of His beautiful birth bring everyone comfort, courage, love and hope. God bless us all.

Mike Huckabee's A Simple Christmas

I just finished reading former Governor Mike Huckabee's latest book A Simple Christmas. What a wonderful book. I laughed at some of his childhood antics and his delightful sense of humor. I love Governor Huckabee anyway, but this book is without a doubt a genuine, from the heart book. This is beautiful addition to any library. I truly enjoyed this and I believe you will too.

Innocence

I think this picture makes me feel like five. It probably should since I down loaded and colored a preschool coloring picture. I have always heard that when you get older you long for those days when life was innocent and carefree. I have to admit that is somewhat true for me. Not that I want to be a child again, because in all honesty I truly do not. My childhood was happy and I have many fond memories, but I also had a lot of trauma and tears that I surely don't want to go through again. I do long for those people that I loved so dearly who have passed on. I miss my mom and how she rocked me on her lap and would read stories to us from the Childcraft books we owned. Mom was really good at embellishing those stories too. When I learned to read they just didn't have the same plot, and sometimes not even the same characters.

Sometimes I can close my eyes and smell the Sunday roast cooking with Nanny making dumplings to go in the gravy. I can see in my minds eye Nanny and Francy (her sister) sitting on the couch playing Chinese checkers and arguing about one or the other making an unauthorised move. Or the time we went to Murphy's to go shopping and then we would stop at the drugstore to buy an ice cream soda or go to the candy store for fudge or chocolate covered pretzel. Yeah I have many nice memories.

As I got older my sister and I actually became friends; although we still had our moments. All I wanted as a child was to grow up and do great things. I cannot remember the author off hand, but one of my favorite short stories was the Secret Life of Walter Mitty. For those of you who do not know the story; I will give you a very brief summary. Walter Mitty was a day dreamer. He always imagined himself in different situations and occupations and he was always a sort of hero. I identify with him. When I first read the story I was relieved, I thought I was the only person in the world that did that.

Today I am still a day dreamer; at fifty-six that is a bit scary. Maybe that is why I write, so that I can bring to life all those silly day dreams.

Tribute to Brenda

When we hear the word courage we automatically think of a soldier. However courage is what Brenda had, more courage than I could ever hope to have. For three and a half years she fought her battle with ovarian cancer. For a brief time she actually went into remission, and we her family, thought she had beat the odds. Unfortunately the joy was soon followed by disappointment as the cancer numbers went up and came back with a vengeance; with in a year it had attacked her bowls and her liver. Finally after excruciating suffering, she passed away on November 29, 2009.

Brenda Like most ovarian cancer patients was diagnosed at level 4. (Level 5 is immanent death). That is why ovarian cancer is a silent killer. Pap test cannot locate this killer. The following was taken off the Mayo Clinic web site and gives the symptoms of the horrid disease. EVERY woman should read this and keep the symptom guidelines in a place where you can periodically look at them. Time is an element that is crucial to this disease.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer are nonspecific and mimic those of many other more common conditions, including digestive and bladder disorders. A woman with ovarian cancer may be diagnosed with another condition before finally learning she has cancer. Common misdiagnoses include irritable bowel syndrome, stress and depression.
The key seems to be persistent or worsening signs and symptoms. With most digestive disorders, symptoms tend to come and go, or they occur in certain situations or after eating certain foods. With ovarian cancer, there's typically little fluctuation — symptoms are constant and gradually worsen.
Recent studies have shown that women with ovarian cancer are more likely than are other women to consistently experience the following symptoms:
Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
Urinary urgency
Pelvic discomfort or pain
Additional signs and symptoms that women with ovarian cancer may experience include:
Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
A persistent lack of energy
Low back pain
Changes in menstruation

I hope that you will save the above guidelines. I dedicate this Blog to Brenda and I promise to spread the word so that this killer can be silenced. Brenda, know that we love you and always will.