Ahh, the sun, the sun!

How good it is to see the sun again after all the rainy, cold days we have had for sooo long!  It was like a flower opening to the sun when I when out for a long walk this afternoon.  I was soon peeling off layers as the sun grew warmer.  I would never complain.  Actually, it is only 58 degrees out, but the sun makes it feel much warmer when you are out under it.  I hear this is it again for a while, as the rainy weather returns in the days ahead. We can't even get our annual plants in.  Heck, it'll be fall before we get them in at this rate.

I've started on my projects for the Relay.  The banners for the parade of teams are all designed and are layed out on the floor in the living room as I put them together.  Michael is so good about walking over and around them and hasn't complain a bit, yet.  I know how much things like that can bother him, but he isn't showing any stress, yet.  Guess I'd better not push it and gather everything up tonight.  He wasn't here last year when I was working on my projects, so this is new to him. 

It has been said

It has been said by many who know first hand because they have fought and seen the many horrors of war.  "There never is a good war."  Even when fought for all the right reasons and for the "ultimate good", wars just take too much sacrifice.  Who are we, who sit in our safe, secure, comfy homes to expect the sacrifice of young lives that have not yet been fully realized?  We need to take the commitment much more seriously before we  throw away the best of any nation. It can't be done on suppositions  or for political gain, but only when there is absolutely no other recourse to save our nation from destruction.

I, personally have never had a loved one in harms way due to war, so I can't possibly know the suffering that so may have experience.  I can only imagine the toll wars have taken.

We will never know what cures may have been made, what president may have been great, or what   discovery may have been made to enhance our lives if those people had had a chance to live out their lives. We can only wonder what glorious music may have been composed or art created for us all to enhance lives of generations to come. We can only wonder.

So,I think the least we can do this weekend is to, not only mourn the senseless loss of so many lives in so many wars, but to mourn the loss to all humanity of the many gifts we have been deprived of realizing over so many years of history.

Can't get any better

It can't get any better than this, getting out my watercolors once again, and painting a picture, while listening to Prairie Home Companion on the radio.  Was it Oprah who said this week "To live you must find your passion, what ever it may be?"  Something like that, anyway.  I know what she means, because there is nothing like looking forward all day,while you get what has to be done, the muffins baked, the laundry done, the workout completed, the husband shorn.  Then and only then, can one finally, with a mind set free of concerns and duties pressing, go and satisfy that passion that calls. 

I haven't been outside for my run all week, with the nasty weather we have had.  Guess my blood is too thin for this wet, windy,cold stuff.  So, each day I drive up the hill to the fitness center and put in a half hour on the eliptical machine and a half hour on the treadmill with some weigh lifting and stretching. Keeps the kinks out, anyway. Great mood lifter, too. 

CLEAN MY OWN HOUSE FIRST

Today I had to clean the whole house by myself (I know, aw, poor thing).  Michael was at the church cleaning up the water in the basement and mowing between rains.  Anyway, I found that I needed to look closer in some spots that had been missed before.  I noticed that sometimes I easily spot other people's dirt they missed, before I discover my own faults.

So, both literally and figuratively I think I need to concentrate on cleaning up my own faults before I worry about other people's.  It is so much more fun to see the sliver in anothers eye and ignore the log in my own.  Even if I don't have a log in my eye, I should still just leave people's slivers allow. Amen

I'm going up to the fitness center soon, since it is windy and rainy out. At least I can get an hour of cardio in some how. Then I can justify my afternoon sweet and tea.  Ah, how I live for these routines.

Cancer gone

We were so thankful to hear from Michael's daughter that the doctor called and said her cancer is completely gone.  She has been a very brave trooper throughout her treatments.  I don't know that I could have done as well.  I have high admiration for people who step up to the plate and handle their challenges with grace and courage.

We're having a little dinner party for my sisters and spouses tonight.  Have to do something when you can't get out much, due to the rainy weather and flooding around town and state. I'm fixing some new to me and new to to them receipes, so hope they go ok.  So, I had vowed not to experiment on company anymore. Does family count? I just thought these sounded interesting.  We're having Israeli grilled chicken (I love this one so it's not new to me), Oriental salad, roasted Parmesan cauliflower, homemade oatmeal, sunflower seed bread and apple crisp with ice cream. Review will follow tomorrow.

Look, Ma, no cavities!

We had our 6 month dental check ups this morning.  I expected I had a cracked crown.  Was I happily surprised when I found out I really didn't, just a blah, blah about blah, but it is fine.  Now I feel like I have an extra $1000 I can spend for something fun.

Michael didn't do as well, but he also doesn't need any work done.  He just got hurt more because he doesn't take care of his gums as well.  Do I love telling him what he needs to be doing?  It sure does pay in more ways than one to heed the dentist's advise.

Sometimes I just get to wondering why my life has been so calamity free compared to so many, when I get to looking around at others I know or reading the news about all the bad things that happen to good people.  I'm not any better than they are, I'm sure.  So it's not like I get rewarded when others get the booby prize. Maybe there just isn't any reason, it is just called life and more happens to some people than others.

No I'm not asking for more of a challenge in life, thank you.  Things have been going just fine for 70 years so we'll just leave well enough alone, thank you very much.

I don't get it

I was having a conversation with someone about their deteriorating sidewalk.  That person said they couldn't get it fixed because their taxes would go up.  Ok, I get increased property value taxes go up and we dispute why, just because we are improving the property. So you let your property become an eyesore and increase the chances of a law suit if someone trips on your sidewalk because you don't want to pay a few extra dollars to fix it up.  Sure, no one wants to pay more taxes for the sake of paying more taxes.  But, we treat taxes as a curse that we avoid at any cost and in the process we miss out on things we really want.

We want our kids to have the best education, yet we vote down mil levies.  Then vital programs have to be cut and our kids suffer.  Oh, we say, kids don't need foreign languages, music, arts and PE as much as I need my extra cup of Starbucks  that would pay for them. These are the things that make a society great and our citizens educated, vital thinkers.  A society crumbles without these things that give it sustenance.

Why are taxes so demonized without any regard for the fact that, when carefully monitored, they really can help our society be a better place?  Sure, we need to be very critical about how they are used and assessed.  We need to be discerning, sure, but not closed minded abut taxes without thinking if we are cutting off our own noses.

Well, I hope you get the point and I'm sure this will ruffle feathers.  Good, that means we have something to discuss.

Sister weekend a done deal

We have our sisters' weekend in July off and rolling.  We have our tickets to the musical My Fair Lady in hand and reservations at an adequate motel near by made. Now to check out the white water rafting for a little extra kick. We always have a good time, getting away from any male influence and condemnation.  So we can get pretty silly at times, but that's what it is all about.  Letting our hair down and just having fun. 

Great!  The sun is out again, for a few minutes anyway.  Did get my pansys planted and tree spikes in while the rain quit for a while. Michael is out checking on the water levels around town.  There are streams pouring down several streets in town and areas are under water.  How much I won't know until he returns. At least we don't have to worry about water in our house.

I must say, I have a very fantastic daughter who can do anything she puts her mind to and nothing stops her from tackling any job. She has just finished taking up the tile in her kitchen and retiling, all by herself.  And she did a beautiful job, too.  So far, in her home this year she has removed wallpaper, painted, removed popcorn ceilings, tiled her bathroom floor, walls and foyer. She learns how to do everything by trial and error from the internet and her trusty hardware store. Incredible!  She is so gutsy!  All this when she's working full time and raising two little kids by herself.  Hats off to her!

We may be small but...

We went to our little StJames church this morning.  The faithful were there, even though there wasn't a clergy person to conduct the service.  The dozen of us had morning prayer together with a read sermon written by some priest from somewhere.  Low key yet we were bound with the same concerns and love of God as any megachurch congregation. It is comforting to be with a few good people who know you and take the time to chat and catch up during coffee hour.  Yes, even we have coffee hour. I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond, I guess.

Speaking of fish and ponds, it is beginnng to feel like we are fish in a pond around here with all the rain we continue to have.  Heard we have the high rainfall for the state.  Someone said 7 inches but I don't know if that was bragging or complaining.  Anyway most basements are getting flooded in town, so people are pretty preoccupied with getting the water out for now.

Personally, I'm tired of being inside everyday, looking out at the rain.  So today I am going out for a walk in the rain.  When you can't beat em join em, I say.  I'll feel energized, Im hoping, anyway.

The rain in Spain has to be warmer

Rain, rain, rain.  I'm not adventurous enough to run in the rain here in Montana.  Big difference in rain: you look forward to it during a run in Florida but rain in Montana is brrry cold and just makes you cold and wet all over.  So, we have been going up to the fitness center the past few days.  Michael is hoping his calf is healed enough and that working out on the elliptical machine will keep him in shape enough to do a half marathon in Bozeman June 5th.  Hope so so we can see my daughter and grandkids. That's how I manage to get around, he does a race and I get my agenda satisfied too. 

I haven't picked up the paint brush since I've been here.  I've been reading alot about how to paint and about successful artists over the ages, but haven't gotten the paints out.  The question is where do I set myself up here?  It is too cold and wet outside on the deck and too dark and dreary inside at the table.  Do I risk it and paint with carpeting under me?  I just need to figure it all out so I can get started.  Don't want to get rusty and forget all I learned so far, which, granted isn't much according to my critics.

Settling in in Montana

We're getting back into the Montana routine again.  Michael wonders what we are doing here, though, when the weather is 49 and rain here and 90 and sunny  in Florida.  I told him you just can't be chasing the weather around all year. I bought a new basil plant (didn't survive the trip from Florida) and a tomato plant.  They will be kept inside until July probably.  Don't want to lose them again.  I'm planting a salad in a pot, tomatoes and lettuce.  Hopefully, we'll get a salad out of it before we leave again.

I've been working on generating money for the Relay for Life that we will walk in Jane's memory.  I'm not shy about it. Heck, if something is important to you, you just have to go after it and not get all worked up about what other people think. I told the team members the important thing is to show up that night to remember Jane.  It doesn't hurt to bring a few dollars along to support the battle against cancer too, though.

Mother's Day

Rusty and Michael are out this morning running their hearts out at the Indiapolis Mini marathon, Rusty's first half marathon so expect he'll be a bit sore.  Makes me almost feel motivated to do another one, but not enough to train for it. 

They just got home.  Michael hobbling from a cramp in his calf.  don't know what causes him to do that, when he never has a problem while training.  We'll get the mile by mile report later.

More later.  Got to take pictures of the warriors.