The love of my life. Share the JOY

As we near Father's Day 2014, I am reminded of my own father who was absent from my life starting at age 8.

 

He was ill from alcoholism.

Something I did not understand as a child.

 

I promised myself I would never marry an alcoholic.

 

This is that man.

Loyal, faithful, dependable, humorous.

 

I was attempting to take a photo of him and our son talking at the graduation party for our grandson.

Just as I focused, he turned and started to walk towards me. 

The JOY I felt as he turned my way reminded me how much we still love each other after 54 years.

Love causes JOY in one's heart.

Love washes away all the struggles and bumps along the way.

JOY is in my heart as I think of all the fathers in my life.

 

My father,

our sons and

my

JOY

their father.

 

 

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Journey beads for the Missions-Share the JOY

I worked for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky since 1970's.

Have been an Associate of the sisters for over 10 years.

When I was younger I did many things to help the sisters carry out their missions.

Went to missionary sites, took part in sitting up and planning activities, volunteering for many of their causes.

I cannot do the things I once did.

But I do what I can.

Journey Beads

are made from a quarterly magazine published by the SCNs named 

The Journey

These magazines are used to make paper beads then strung into lovely jewelry and sold to help finance the work of the sisters.

That is how I now help to carry on their work.

Making Journey Beads.

 Cutting the strips from the magazine to be rolled into beads.

Rolling the beads

Trimmings used in the making of the jewelry.

 Brown and black

After the beads are made they are sprayed with shellac to retain their shape.

They are sturdy but not waterproof.

Using pinks and blues.

A complete set consists of necklace, bracelet and earrings.

There is always something that can be done to help others.

Lifting and digging and cleaning away debris in disaster areas is not my way of helping these days.

It once was.

The JOY of being able to help in less demanding roles is what I am experiencing these days.

Please go HERE for more JOY stories.

Share the JOY Thursday

Sure do need a reminder to find JOY today.

This weather is getting to be a downer for sure.

This little lady always makes me smile.

Finding JOY in humor.

What sparked the fire of joy in you this week?

Notice joy.

Cultivate it.

Celebrate it.

Share it.

 Just saw two great movies.

The Butler.

Hard to watch but award winning acting by Forrest Whittaker.

Captain Phillips.

Of course anything with Tom Hanks is good.

I remember, just like it was yesterday, this story unfolding on TV.

So sad those liners not allowed to carry weapons in dangerous waters. 

Hope that has been changed.

Guess I will have to do some research.

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Share the JOY with Meri

It is so easy to forget all the blessings that we have when everything is going our way but developing the habit of finding joy in simple things and blessing we have helps us find much peace in our everyday lives.


I admit I do not care for winter.
When I was young and busy I would go about my day working, caring for my family and adjusted to which ever season was upon us.

Now retirement and some minor health issues find me spending my days enjoying my home and hobbies.

Jewelry making, etc.


 

 
 Tom and I enjoy feeding and watching the birds outside our kitchen window.
Thankful for our warm home.

Looking after their feeding needs gives us a feeling of helping to care for God's gifts of nature.
The red leaves of the Japanese Maple remind us our gift of having each other still, after 53 years.
We planted that tree on our 40 anniversary.
Sharing our JOY with others.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging friends.

Go here to share all the JOY with Meri and friends

 

Share the JOY

Last Saturday there was a shower for our granddaughter 

Cindy

who is expecting her first child and our first great grandchild.

How exciting to be waiting for our family to go into the fourth generation.

Cindy and
Graham Harrison Delk


And that is not all expecting in April

Nikki
and
Maxon Otho Armani

There will be a shower for Nikki and Max closer to the due date.


There can be no greater JOY than 2 new family member.
We can hardly wait. 


Go here to share JOY stores with Meri

Share the JOY

I love to take a daily walk around our property.

Just enough for a good walk and there is always something growing whether planted by us or not.

Nature's gifts give me JOY

 Probably hit by the mower last week but still so white and hanging on til dry, cold, windy weather takes its toll. A survivor.

 Don't care for spiders but have to admire this natural work of art.

Took the spider away but destroyed the web since this particular one was just below my bedroom window.

It gives me JOY to find such simple things right in my own back yard.

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One of my granddaughters said to me.

"When the new great grands come you are going to have to

change your name to Queengrandmothermamaw."

Holly

Love i.t

Share the JOY Thursday- Honoring Holly

This week one of our granddaughters received a very special honor.

She is a freshman at a fine private school.

She is a champion basketball player.

Smiles all the time and never meets a stranger. 

On Tuesday she was awarded an honor bestowed on a class member called
Model of Mercy.
By vote of the entire class.
Each class has one winner.

The honor is named after the congregation of  Sisters that founded the school
Assumption High School.
The congregation is
The Sisters of Mercy.

 Our daughter Rachel, gd Holly and SIL Gregg.

When Rachel called to tell us on Monday she had tears of such JOY that my heart just sang and tears of JOY flooded my eyes.

To be given such an honor by your peers cannot be beat.
It is a large class and many did not know Holly well but well enough to see the example she sets in her everyday dealings with her peers.

Congratulations to all that know and love Holly and to her great  parents.

Go

here to share JOY with others

Share the JOY Thursday

Little things mean a lot.

Have 4 herbs growing on my deck.

This is Chocolate Mint, so called because the stems are chocolate brown.

A few springs of lavender, which reminds me of my mom, one of my cobalt blue bottles and a conch shell from Florida.

These are in my kitchen window just over my sink and I get to rejoice in them each day.

Sometimes I say my morning prayers over my sink looking out this window.

JOY

is one of the first feelings of my day.

Which brings on feelings of gratitude to my God for all my blessings.

Go visit Meri to share more

Joy

here 

A Rose is a Rose is JOY

 

Share the JOY Thursday.

We wait through winter, rain and chill in Spring and finally that first rose.

 HH loves to sit on the patio in the evening,as soon as it is warm enough to stay outside and watch the grass grow. 
I tease him that is what he is doing.
In this case he spotted the first rose and brought it inside to me and presented it to me in one of my favorite blue bottles.

A two JOY situation, in this case.
The first rose and HH's gift.

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Share the JOY Thursday

Share the JOY Thursday with Meri

"Even though there may not be a reward now for the effort you put into your relationship with God, He has promised an eternal reward for those who see Him."

Jeremiah 29:11-13

We have lost two dear friends to cancer in the last two weeks.

They and their families has a firm faith in God and the afterlife.

The JOY of knowing your loved one is with God after death brings an element of JOY of a life lived in God's care.

Go here for more JOY to be shared. 

Share the JOY Thursday-Sharing the JOY in our family

Congratulations to our dear daughter
Beth
Passed her Certification Test yesterday on her way to apply for her license to be
LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Beth Jones, MSW,LCSW
Nothing gives a parent more
JOY
than seeing their children and grands fulfill their career ambitions.
Congrats Beth.

 
Congrats Rachel on completing 3 more credit hours toward your MBA

Thanks grandson Thomas, for your photos from
Rome.

 Never a dull moment in a big family.

Come join Meri here for JOY

Share the JOY Thursday

I love the berries on the Nandina bushes.
I love playing with PicMonkey too.

They give our landscape a little color during the winter months and color outside gives me

JOY. 

They have been orange, then red and now turning ripe. 


Tulips are coming up soon, we will have blooms. 


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Hope springs eternal. Share the Joy

Oh the JOY of tulips
They make my heart sing
New life, a new spring

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

-Alexander Pope,   
An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733

Also linking up with
Vintage Thingy Thursday

Found this old tiny frame in one of my searches through my stash for old jewelry to use in my art and craft making.
It was my mother's.
There is no date or other mark on it but I know she had it a long time.
I made this yarn bombed rock and trimmed it with some gold and placed my granddaughter's wedding picture in it for a little birthday surprise for her.

Go visit Coloradolady for more fine things   


Go here and find JOY for your day