2011 Really!

Can it really be 2011? I believe time is going by much faster than it use to. Not sure how it happens with all the complaints from the adults. Children even comment that time is traveling so fast. I know time is slipping away. Jared will be 14 this summer and Rachel and Zach will be 13. Even Jackson and Clara will be 2 by this fall. Even Ed will be turning 67 in just a little over a month. Iam still 29 so how is all this happening. The stars must be rotating out of control. At any rate we have started 2011 with excitment. I have a lot of plans for the summer. Trips to Williamsburg, VA.; Charolette, N.C.; Huntersville, N.C.; Seattle, WA.; Holabird, S.D.; and of course LeClaire, IA. And all of this before school starts up in the fall. I still don't see how time can fly so fast. Any way, Happy New Year to All. May God bless you with all you need and a little of what you want.

Where Does Time Go

Oh my! I have been married for 42 years. My son turned 39 years old. How can that be? I am only 29 years old. Really!! I went to girls camp this past week. Surrounded by some 75 girls ages 12 to 18 showed me I was not 29 any more. I can get by the years of marriage and even my own children flying past 29 but these girls were something else. The heat was unbareable, the late "noisey"nights were long and I lost alot of energy. I have been sleeping for 3 days to regroup. The slip and slide down the hill into the mud was fun but my body could only take one trip down. Wisconsin Dells will find me sitting with the babies most of the time.
Truely I tend to think young but my body tells my brain to mind my age for I have little engery. Do you have the problem of too many projects? Well that is how my life is; I want to do all kinds of things that my poor brain tells me to. I am crazy. When I do it any way my body takes revenge. Maybe I am not 29 any more, maybe I need to remember I am going to be 59 years old, boy is that old! I believe you are only as old as you feel, but I don't want to feel 59.

Mothers Day

Mothers day has always been a day to enjoy. I remember making gifts and cards in school for my mom. In my adult years I tried to buy her gifts that would make her happy. Now she has passed on and all I can do is think of her and wish I could see her, talk to her, hug her, and tell her how much I love her. For now those times are gone. I must look at myself as a mother and my daughters as mothers and wonder if I had an influence on their motherhood. I know my mom influenced the way I was a mom, so Iam sure I have influenced my daughters. At any rate another Mothers Day has come and gone. More memories have flooded my heart and I am grateful to be a mom and a grandma. One of the greatest gifts God has given me. Happy Mothers Day, Mom.

Reflections

A new year is upon us. As my husband retires this year, as I have broken my wrist, as I sub verses teaching my own class, as days go by turning into years, I reflect.

I reflect upon my days, the good and the bad.

The good. Remembering the fun days, the days that warm my heart and water my eyes. Those days were filled with family and friends. I can't bring up a memory that is with out them. I remember my dad pulling us down the country road with a tractor, us on an old car hood. The snow was deep and so was the homemade sled with me, my siblings, and the neighbor kids. We pushed each other off, we ran to catch up, we laughed, and did it all over again.

I remember my dads' sister, Dorthory Kruger, and her family coming over on Saturday nights for dinner, dancing out in the yard, and playing "ditch" a form of hide n seek, after dark. She had eight kids we had seven. WE had a blast.

I remember birthdays filled with more love than presents, Christmas filled with people and food, late nights at the drive in movies. We laughed and laughed. There are more of the happy memories many to private to share, but they all had something in common, family and friends.

I remember a special friend that taught me I had worth. One that laughed with me and cried with me. Helping me to become the person I am today.

The bad. I remember mom and dad fighting, I remember waking up to a cold house with the coal stove even colder. The teachers in the schools mean to kids who lived in Hawbuck. Family members abusing children in many ways.

I remember all of this and much more. All memories are filled with good and bad but the memories have all the people I love. Family from my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins too. Friends from childhood, friends from the years all are special.

Life continues to evolve. Life evoles no matter what. Maybe thats alright. The best part of the evoltion is family and freinds. They are always there, from on egeneration to another. God, thank you so much for amily. Thank you so much for being our Heavenly Father, now and for ever.

North Carolina in June

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to visit my children. As of this month, visiting my girls in N.C. is the thing to do. I have renewed my relationship with Laura's' 3 children, Jared (soon to be 12), Zach (11 in Oct), and Megan (3 in Sept). How fun! Megan has been so much fun especially when she plays with one of my 4 new pets. Megan will hold Cherrie for hours, putting her in the baby stroller and pushing her around the house. Smokey Gravy, Crooked Tail, and White Sauce are glad its not them. No, this is not any thing from the menu, its my new girls, 4 beautiful Fancy Rats. Sarah found them for me on Craig's List. They came with one very grouchy rat. She did not stick around for more than one day, especially when the pet store discovered she was a he. Consequently, I may be having alot of new babies. Zach thought they would make good food for his Bearded Dragon. I hope there will be no babies. We'll see! Sarah's' daughter, Emmalynne celebrated her first birthday on the 6th. She knew exactly how to celebrate. My adventures continue until the 6th of July. I will be sure to enjoy being a grandma with lots of adventures.

Their are NO Winners

Divorce is a terrible thing. Some people are just not meant to be together. They part and life goes on; but when children are involved......how sad. When my son and his wife divorced it was extremely sad. Children just can't understand. If the parents don't emotionaly support the children in all ways they have an even harder time understanding. That seems to be the case for my granddaughters. I love them very much. They will never hear me speak bad of their mother. She is the best mother they will ever have and they love her with all of their hearts. And that is the way it should be.
I am proud of my son for taking all of the verbal abuse that has come his way without playing the dirty game. It does make me sad to see lies being told. The girls share with me comments that are being said but can't express that they don't like it or they are made to feel bad for loving their dad. Why must adults act worse than children? The children can set a good example to follow.
As the girls get older they will look back and remember who did what, who said what and be able to judge for themselves. They are smart girls and I trust they will come to understand what has really happened. The truth will come out.
If you are in a divorce; please try to put your anger away. Don't let divorce hurt children any more than it has to.

Moving on!

Life in Danville is once again coming to an end. How many times must we live through a phase? I guess until we learn the lesson that is in store for us. The question is: is the lesson the same each time. I have lived in Danville three seperate times. The first time I was born here. My life was formulated here. It set me on the road for where I now sit. The second time was truely meant to be. That one helped me reach the point where I could let go of the hold my parents had on me. I began to grip myself. And now, once again Iam living in Danville. Here Iam living alone, if living next to my son, Jason and his family, is being alone. Ed is still in Deatur, waiting for my return. I have officially announced my withdraw as a teacher at North Ridge Middle School for the 09/2010 school year. I am moving back to Decatur when school is out. Its hard to explain why I am here alone. Its just something I had to do. Its just as hard to explain why this time is coming to an end. I like being able to spend time with my extended family and I like being alone. But its time to leave. I can't say (at this time) what I have learned. That is not for sharing at this point. It funny how things come to an end where they began. The lessons we learn in life can help us for a moment. a life time, or even an eternity. I have experienced all three and all three will be with me for eternity.