Love

I am helping with a wedding this weekend.

I have had many opportunities to talk with the bride and groom over the last several months as they went through the process of being friends to the commitment of marriage. They are not in the first blush of youth in their lives, yet making the commitment to marry and share their lives forever seems overwhelming at times.

We had many opportunities to discuss this thing called love. Is it a feeling?? Is it a commitment?? Is it passion??

As we talked, and I continued to think, I realized that truly loving someone is trust and contentment. It is deciding to walk the path of life together and then working to make that walk enjoyable. Sometimes there is passion. Sometimes the feelings of joy are overwhelmingly wonderful. But, most often marriage is trust.

I am thankful that I was able to find someone to love and trust early in my youth. We have had a good marriage and I do love him more today than when we married 38 years ago. After many life experiences I trust him more too. Has our life been easy?? NO!! Have we made mistakes and disappointed each other on occasion?? Yes. Yet we have tried to work out the differences and keep walking, learning to trust and depend on each other through each bump we encountered.

I tell my children that they can win in the game of marriage only when they keep trying. It is if they choose to quit that they will lose. Trying to figure it out is a winning effort. In time everything improves.

Yes, love is passion, a feeling and a commitment. But, mostly it is trust and a feeling of contentment.

A Stitch in Time

I have spent a good deal of time in my sewing room lately. Not sewing from a piece of fabric and a pattern, but taking things from my closet and store rack that are not quite what I want and unpicking and restitching until it is.

It has been quite rewarding to remake a few garments that fit my budget but not my taste. Through all of this remaking I hope to have a few items in my wardrobe that will gracefully go from suitcase to summer event. We have a bit of travel planned for the next few months and I want to feel pretty.

I have learned that just because something does not quite fit the latest fashion does not mean it has finished it's wearability. Sometimes it just needs a new hem, changing out a cuff or choosing a different waistband. Every girl knows that adding some new jewelery makes a big difference as well.

I have had fun creating in my treetop kingdom of lace, ribbon and elastic. I hope all of our plans for summer fun come together as well as the ruffled blouse has.

Rich Blessings

When my children were little they would ask what I wanted for Mother's Day and I would tell them, "a clean house and happy children."

I want to send a great big thank you out to all of my children. Goal accomplished!!

This year I was able to spend some portion of the weekend with my children either in person or on the phone. All of them are happy, and that means a lot to a mother.

My sweetheart and I have been working hard over the last few weeks getting the house clean and organized, so that was a yes as well.

The sun was shining, it was a pleasant spring day. My sweetheart and our sons prepared a delicious meal. Filled flower vases brighten our home.

Sometimes the richest blessings are the simplest things.

I am a rich, rich woman. I have a sweetheart who I adore and he loves me. I have 6 happily married children and 16 grand children who are doing well. We have a new baby expected in just a few days that will bring the number of grandchildren up to 17. I have a comfortable home, and enough food to eat. I am happy and satisfied with my life.

I am a rich woman in all of the things that matter in life.

Strawberries

Sometimes good living gets in the way of better living.

It is spring--finally.

Time to wash bed linens and change out heavy quilts for lighter blankets.
Time to wash windows and clean light fixtures.
It is time to throw open those clean windows and let the fresh air in.
Time to take notice of the garden and get your hands dirty.
Time to move the furniture away from the wall and vacuum the dark corners.
Time to pick some strawberries and put some in the freezer for next years cold, dark days.

Last week my sweetheart and I took two buckets and headed out to the local strawberry patch. In less than a half hour we filled those buckets and headed home. The berries were beautiful, large and flavorful. In an hours time we had them cleaned, sliced, sweetened and sitting in our freezer. We made 7 quarts this trip. That makes it about $2.30 a quart for a touch of spring in the dead of winter.

This morning I took a spoonful of the ruby red sweetness and spooned it right onto a warm bowl of oatmeal. Topped it off with some yogurt and a few walnuts--YUMMMM--dessert for breakfast.

This next week we have a date with our son and his wife to go pick some more. My sweet daughter in law is due to deliver her baby in 3 weeks. My mother went strawberry picking just before I was born--I am praying she comes early--will this be the trick??

Strawberries--they make me smile.