Thoughts

This question was posed at church on Sunday and I have been thinking about it ever since:

What do you think about
when you have nothing to think about??

What you are thinking at those times reveals a lot about what is most important in your life.

What's in your thoughts??

200 posts

I started writing my blog 18 months ago to record my thoughts and dreams as well as memories and insights. I was spending plenty of time on the couch recovering after foot surgery and my husband brought home the movie Julie and Julia that I enjoyed and it started me thinking. My daughters all had blogs, my good friend Nancy had a blog that I enjoyed, and I had musings that I thought I might like to record and share. I thought about it for a while and decided that I would try it out.

My blog is different from those my daughters write. I do not add pictures (don't know how), but I try to paint a mental picture of things that I have enjoyed or thought about.

I had my 57th birthday last week, I have been married for 38 years. I have 6 children who are happily married and they have blessed me with 17 grandchildren. With all of these life experiences I had a few things I wanted to say and I have enjoyed doing so.

Since I started this blog I have added 3 new grandbabies and I have traveled around the world to see my grand children who live far away. I am in a transition period of my life--from working woman to full time grandma (I hope that soon my husband will be able to join me in the full time grandparent department). In the last 18 months we have remodeled our kitchen and laundry room as well as finishing up the master bedroom and bath redo. Many changes for a short period of time.

Today is a warm summer day in the south, we are going for a record hot summer. I have 4 beautiful grand children visiting with their mother for the week and we are having a good time. Today we went for a picnic at the park, yesterday we went with 3 local cousins to their pool. Thursday we will take a day trip to the beach, Saturday 3 more cousins will show up for some hours of fun before we go to church on Sunday to participate in the blessing of the newest cousin, Preslee. After the baby blessing we will all gather here at the house for some good food and laughter as cousins play and siblings talk, tease and bond.

Tonight I sit on the couch after gargling salt water and drinking down a glass of warm tea made of lemon juice and honey. I am trying to get well--seems my sweet Ella caught a sore throat from her daddy and she has shared it with me. I am trying to rest, but there are grand children visiting and fun to be had. Gotta get well, I have some memories to make, Ella would like me to create in the sewing room with her. Brody would like me to read him a book, Coleman loves to cuddle as he drinks his bottle and Dallin has a pancake eating record to set.

I can't believe I have now written 200 posts. My grandmother filled a number of journals recording her thoughts and memories. I am enjoying my blog and hope you have found something interesting here that makes you think. Sometimes it is good to stop and realize that life is good and worth living in the happy lane.

Walking the Wall

My daughter took us to see the sights in downtown Berlin. For the most part it is a modern European city. A few interesting looking buildings here and there, a beautiful city gate, and the remnants of the infamous Berlin Wall.

We walked along the wall for a few miles, and thought about the people who woke up one morning to find it there.

It was a wall built, not to keep people out, but to keep people in.
To keep them from knowing what was happening across the street and throughout the world.

It was a day for deep thought.

Freedom to come and go. Freedom to know what is happening. Freedom to think and act. Freedom to meet with family who live down the street, on the other side of the wall.

Thankful for the freedom to walk along the wall on the east side, for me and all people, on a warm winter day.

Is a Tub just a Tub?

After ten years I am blessed to have a bath tub once again. It is not a super whirlpool with lights like my friend Phyllis just had put into her home, but it is a 5 foot garden tub with with a ceiling light on a dimmer. My sweetheart calls it the focal point of the bathroom. After 10 years of waiting for our bathroom remodel, I am thankful to have my own bathtub.

The best tub was the one in our last home. It was a 6 foot whirlpool with a nice window. I had two doors between me and the children. It was my late afternoon retreat after a crazy day.

I have been enjoying the tub at my daughters home this last week. Her home in Germany sports a European tub, 6 feet long and slim. As I put my 5'7" body into the tub I have to stretch to keep my head above water.

My mother is a tiny thing at just 5'1" when she was at her tallest. She is planning to use her first ever passport to come visit her granddaughter in Germany. I think of mom's excitement as her dreams are fulfilled and she gets her passport stamped for the first time. After the long flight I know she will want to take a bath and I laugh as I picture how she will slip and slide while she tries not to drown in the longest tub she will ever bathe in.

I ran water this evening and put the two youngest into the tub. They played and giggled as the dirt of the day washed off. I dried them off and dressed them in their jammies while I made a mental picture of their sweet smiles.

A tub for bathing can be a simple bowl of water while camping or a jetted spa with chasing lights. Dirt and grime from everyday living is washed away. When the stress of the day becomes overwhelming, a fresh perspective can be achieved after just 5 quiet minutes of peaceful bliss with warm bubbles jetting around you.

Is a tub just a tub or is it an opportunity for a fresh, clean start?