Julie and Ron

It is almost impossible to describe how delightful a couple our friends Julie and Ron are. Imagine a perfect birthday party and add your favorite meal for the party, then add your favorite ice cream and cake, and then add your favorite entertainment group to delight a whole group of people, with everything all decorated and sparkling ! If you put that combination altogether, you might only come close to describing the combination of Julie and Ron and the fun we have together. It all happened by accident last year when Ron and Julie were guests in the park, and we were not yet working. We just started hanging out together on Friday nights in the Saloon, just talking, laughing, and having fun. Julie and I exchanged emails and kept on being in touch all through the summer, and I just couldn't wait until they arrived back in Kerrville this past fall. THEN 1HW and Ron became friends, as well, and we have been having the the most wonderful of times together, and we do include buddy Byron in the mix. It is almost impossible to describe all of the fun we have had this past fall (Ron and Julie went back to Minnesota in December, then arrived back in January, and have now decided to stay until April... YEAH) and now this winter. We have gone all over so many places in the area (as 1HW's blog tells), had so many numerous dinners together, and have shared so many campfires, laughs, and fun.

Tonight Ron and Julie made an extremely wonderful Italian dinner, which would make Tyler Florence druel and eat out his cooking tools and Chianti over! Ron found a fabulous Chicken Marsala recipe from the Olive Garden, which he and Julie served with Tuscan Romano Soup, Italian Salad, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Garlic Breadsticks (just like the Olive Garden menu). They even had a chocolate/mint dessert, for which we had little room! We peons provided only the wines (Chianti, Pino Grigio, and Muscato) and hungry company, and I must say every bite was thoroughly enjoyed! What a treat! Ron and Julie provided an extraordinary meal, and we ( and Byron) thoroughly enjoyed very bite! And, as usual, we all laughed through through the entire dinner over so many things!

How extraordinary that we have all met, come together, and have formed such fun, valued-related, comfortable, special, and lasting friendships! Thanks, Ron and Julie! We love you you two!

Susie and Al

Without question, I have one of the dearest sisters in the world! She is pretty, intelligent, talented, loving, kind, and incredibly funny! For years, as kids, we only did things together when there was a family occasion, as she is six years younger than I. But about the time she was in college, and I was pregnant with daughter #1, Susie traveled to Washington, D.C. over spring break for a visit. That was a beautiful spring with the cherry blossoms in bloom.... behind the armed guards with bayonets and guns, standing arms' lengths apart, positioned all around the city. It was the spring of 1968, when literally all hell broke loose, not only in D.C., but in Detroit and many other cities. I can vividly remember the awful spectacle of the monuments lit up by the glow of flames and fires. It was frightening. And yet, we managed to see the areas and enjoy the visit because of the beautiful flowers of spring, and we laughed so much. If you mention my wearing panty hose when I was pregnant, she will probably break into gales of laughter. That began our real sisterhood of friendship and love.

We have weathered so much together, as do most sisters. We went through divorces, the death of parents and grandparents, and other family difficulties, all of which have brought us closer together. And so, as any time I am able to spend with her is precious, we were so happy to hear that she and her husband Al were planning to visit Kerrville this week. Even though we had to work on the days they were here, we still had a wonderful visit with them and their friends Steve and Jan from California. The only sad parts were that I forgot to take pictures and that they needed to leave too soon!

Even better, we will be able to see more of them this summer in Albuquerque and Durango, as they have homes in both places! That is terrific! More laughs, more shared time together with both of them makes me smile! Thank you Susie, for being a simply wonderful sister and friend! We both love you two (to the moon and back)!

The Olympics Getting Personal

It used to be every four years, but now it is every two years, on alternating years, to be able to watch the Summer and Winter Olympics. This year, even as before, we have been enjoying watching these sporting events and cheering for each sport, although I tend to cheer more for ice skating and 1HW more for snow boarding, with both of fascinated by the skiing. It has proved to be even more fun this year with so many Americans winning medals and doing well. What fun to cheer these beautiful and talented youngsters on! The best part is that they seem to be thoughtful and humble, as well as talented and successful.

Tonight, while watching, something else caught my attention in a commercial in between the events. It showed so many things happening with parents cheering the kids on, which was absolutely lovely. And then at the end of the commercial, the caption in the middle of the screen read, "Thank you, Mom." This really hit home with me.

Like many other hundreds of thousands of mothers, I car-pooled and drove kids to so many places; took kids to see fun events (Balloon Fiesta, for example); attended meetings, meets, games, and competitions; found clothes for them for special events; worried over how events would turn out; tried to welcome kids over; and tried to make our house a welcome home where they and their friends would feel welcome, even until today! This is nothing unusual or spectacular worth noting. That is what moms and families are expected to do, isn't it, regardless of how old the kids are.

But at the end of the commercial, the big caption read, "Thank you, Mom." Sometimes kids don't realize what parents are doing in the altogether. I know that I didn't! One of my biggest regrets in life is that I never had the chance to tell my mother a big, huge, loving thank you for all she did for me, and I would give anything to have just one little moment to tell her thank you not only for all she did for me, but also for the fun times we shared. I keep hoping that she is feeling what is in my heart and mind, but I so regret that I didn't realize that her time would be cut so short, that I would never have that chance to tell her all of the things I wanted to, and just to give her a big hug to tell her thank you and how much I have always loved and appreciated her. But then, it seems to me that quite often most of us seldom realize that we do not have enough time in our lives to appreciate those who are dear to us while they are close to us. And then, we are not able to tell them that and enjoy their company because they are gone. I guess that is why 1HW and I try to enjoy our families and our lives together as much as we can and as much as they will allow us to. Life is fragile and frequently all too short, so it is so important to live each day to the fullest and to love those around us as much as possible.

And so once again, I say, "Thank you, Mom, I love you!" I hope our children and grands can remember us and feel the same. None of us mothers are perfect. We try hard, we make some good decisions, and we make some huge mistakes. But almost always, we have our children's best interests at heart, and we love them all. And so, in spite of all of the mistakes, for the times when some children have returned the thoughts and have said to me, "Thank you, Mom, I love you!" I cherish the thoughts and the words. Thank you, Dears! I love you, too!

My Sweetie!

I am married to the absolutely most thoughtful and loving man on the earth! I am so sure of it! Not only does he cook, clean up, and do many other thoughtful things, he is my best friend, my constant companion, the person who always listens to me, comforts me, supports me, and makes me laugh (hard, too)! He is loving and cheerful, fun to be around, and we have never had a reason in 20 years to have a fight. There is just too much love for that! And on top of all of that, he spoils me tremendously! Yesterday he took me to one of my favorite places, James Avery's jewelry shop, where it was founded here in Kerrville, and bought me a beautiful silver spring butterfly! It is absolutely lovely! Then today, he came home with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever seen, along with a sweet and lovely glass plaque about love! What a wonderful surprise! How do I love him? I could never even compute the ways! Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetie! Love you to the moon and back, always and forever!

Values and the Changing World in A Palindrome

Our friend Byron send us a thoughtful piece today which is based on palindromes. 1HW, being a true mathematics person, has always enjoyed those. However, this one is somewhat different.

As you probably know, a palindrome reads the same backward as forward (as, ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA). This video reads the exact opposite backward as forward as a palindrome, but not only does it read the opposite, but the meaning is also the exact opposite. This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video, and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen...forward and backward.

The video was submitted in a contest by a 20-year-old. The contest was entitled "u @50" by AARP. This video won second place (I need to see who won first). When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. It is so simple and yet so complex. Take a minute to watch it! Let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Dear Friends Here

Sometimes in life we often receive the unexpected blessing of making friends who are absolutely delightful, understanding, fun to be around, and who share many of the same thoughts and convictions as we do. That has been particularly true for us here in Kerrville at the Guadalupe River RV Resort. For the past two years our friendships have grown abundantly and have provided us with the happiest of days, even while working. 1HW has referred to several of the men he works with, so if you have been reading his blogs, you understand. But since I have not been blogging as regularly, I have not mentioned the outstanding people here, and it dawned on me that I should be singing their praises to the skies!

We met Byron, Julie, and Ron last year, and the five of us just kind of began hanging around together. We can all fit into Julie and Ron's Ford or our old Buick, which provides a very humorous vision. My position is in the middle of the back seat because I have the shortest legs. Chuck and Julie trade off in the front passenger seat with more leg room. Either Chuck or Ron drives. Sometimes there is a cooler in the trunk, but we always leave room for the packages we are sure to find and bring home. We are already thinking about a field trip to Gruene (pronounced Green) for some shopping and lunch at the Gristmill. We frequently end up spending a cocktail hour (or two or three) and one of our places, then maybe gravitating to an other's for a campfire, as we do not have a firepit at our place. Everybody brings food and drink to share, so sometimes we find we do not even need to think of dinner. The one constant factor in all of our outings is the laughter. It does not seem to matter what time of day, where we are, what we are doing or talking about; within a few minutes we are all cracking up laughing about one thing or another. It a warm, comfortable friendship, as though we had all grown up together and known each other for years. I just know, regardless of whatever we plan in our future, that we will all remain friends and continue to keep in touch and see each other. What a blessing, indeed!!! Thank you, dear friends! Next time I'll write about my great co-workers! Look out, ladies!

Quote of the Week

One of our friends sent us this quote this morning, and we thought it worth sharing!


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Frankly, I don't know what it is about California , but
we seem to have a strange urge to elect really obnoxious
women to high office. I'm not bragging, you understand,
but no other state, including Maine , even comes close.
When it comes to sending left-wing dingbats to Washington ,
we're number one. There's no getting around the fact that
the last time anyone saw the likes of Barbara Boxer,
Dianne Feinstein, and Nancy Pelosi, they were stirring a
cauldron when the curtain went up on 'Macbeth'.
The three of them are like jackasses who happen to
possess the gift of blab. You don't know if you should
condemn them for their stupidity or simply marvel at
their ability to form words."

--columnist Burt Prelutsky , LA Times

Let us know what you think!

Game aftermath

(This was actually written by 1HW, who got to my site by mistake. But that's OK!)
We enjoyed the game, I think. It was very loud, and my hearing is not what it used to be, but I believe the Saints won the second half and the game. I was rooting for Peyton Manning, as he was the only one I have heard of before. It seems good that the Saints won, as apparently they have never won a Super Bowl or even played in one. I do like the underdog to win.

We had a drawing for prizes at the end of the third quarter. I do not win stuff but was left tickets by Gordon and Byron. Neither of them won anything, either. However, Foxy who is always a winner, won a large football - Budweiser advertising thing. It is about 3-4 feet long and can be hung from a ceiling. Foxy did not really want the football hanging thing; she wanted the Miller Lite blow-up plastic chair, which can also be hung from a ceiling. It was won by a friend, and Foxy decided to work her feminine charms on said "friend." He gave in, and they traded. Now we have won a very large blue plastic chair that can be hung from a ceiling. It is inflatable and therefore can be deflated and stored. Foxy thinks it would be cool to sit on it and float in a pool, with a drink in hand. I think it will turn over and be quite unstable. Perhaps Foxy will take it for a trial float on the Guadalupe River. We will soon include a picture of this stunning addition to our home. Happy travels.

Concerns

There was an editorial in the San Antonio Express-News this morning which helps explain my concerns about the border ministry program in Mexico.

www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/Violence_in_Mexico_is_cause_for_US_concern.html

It seems to me to be food for thought, and maybe it should be more widely read. But, what do I know?

Choices

All through our lives we all make choices, some for the better, some for the worse. I know I have made many of both of those, some choices good and some awful, and I will probably continue to do that same thing for all of my days.

1HW and I also try to be loving and giving, not just to each other, but also to our families, friends, church, and community. Sometimes it is more evident than others, because both of us believe in that "pay ahead" philosophy, and often others have no idea of the extent of our giving. That is as it should be. We hope it is helpful to others and pleasing in God's sight. It is a remarkably wonderful feeling to give your gifts, time, and talents to others in many varied and different ways. In some ways, it does show the love we share for many people, and we try to show that love in our actions, as well as our gifts.

It has also occurred to us, however, that we can truly love someone and also say "No." This has really become evident to us lately. We realize that we can disagree with those we love while still loving and praying for them, even if we disagree with what they are doing. This has turned into quite a conflict within our family, as one child and her family are in the final stages to become missionaries.

That sounds wonderful, doesn't it, having a child who finds it a calling to serve the Lord in the mission fields. I would have thought so also, if it were just the two of them pursuing this dream. However, there are also five children involved from ages 11-16, and the family's goal is serving in Mexico as part of a border ministry. Since we have been living in Texas off and on since 2000, we have become quite aware of what it is like to for non-Mexicans (as well as Mexicans) to live in Mexico along the border. We read stories in the papers about it every day, about the fears, the drugs, the war-lords, the gangs, the violence, and the killings, all across the border from Juarez to Laredo. With that in mind, we cannot possibly support the idea of taking five children into that territory. We know the arguments about God protecting them, and we are quite sure some of the priests who have been killed reassured their families in the same way. There are many innocent victims whose families would have liked to believe that, too. However, the reality is, the fear is there. We also have concerns about their living in New York City's inner city for a period of training, as we have visited schools and communities there, complete with armed guards. And the idea of their obtaining language training for six months in Cuernavaca, home to some of the gang lords, is also causing us concern. For that reason we say, "No, we cannot support your ideas about doing this." It has been difficult to take this stand. However, it is because of our love that we do so. Does it mean we love them less? Quite the contrary. Can we convince them of that? No. So are we the unfeeling, the unsupportive bad guys? It makes us feel sad and hurt to be thought of in those terms, but it will not cause us to change our minds.

Are we wrong? Maybe. But could we live with ourselves for backing these plans if something happened to one of them? No. So we will maintain our opinions and beliefs. We would love to be able to have a different view, but after much thought and prayer, we feel that God is also on our side as well and understands our position as well as theirs.

Last Sunday our pastor John gave a wonderful sermon on I Corinthians 13: 1-13, in which he spoke about how somethings seen or done in today's world are not clear, but seen through a mirror dimly. We guess our stance is being seen through a mirror dimly. We only hope that at some point, then, later, our views can be seen and appreciated fully. "The greatest of these is love," and we do love with all of our hearts!