It’s Me! Back Again! (Continued)

New post with more pictures from June through December. I think I had forgotten how wonderful blogging is for keeping up with the happenings in your life. I’m getting a new perspective on all the blessings I have enjoyed.

Women’s Association officers for the Tulsa Boys’ Home

A visit from Amy, Kate, and Jack

Garden party with Sunday school class with

Games such as croquet, cornhole and outdoor table tennis and burgers and hot dogs!

A trip to Branson to see the Sight and Sound Jesus production and 

then a stop at Lambert’s on the way home with my friend Marianne.

Grilling burgers for the boys at the Tulsa Boys Home!

Kids and grandkids in Oregon for a wedding and vacation!

Nephew Chase with his precious kids.

A visit from my dearest friends, so much fun packed into one weekend.  

I don’t think there was ever a moment of silence, except when we slept.

I love these people so much!

Daughters of the King celebration in July. Susan and I being silly.

The theme was running the race.

Trunk or treat with Goldilocks. My costume was a chef, which didn’t really go with our theme. 

Kind of a last minute thing.

Meet with a couple of friends from high school for our 55th reunion

My niece, Robyn, and her husband.

Wishing them all the very best!

My sister and Don with their daughter and her new family.

With my new friend and neighbor, Jeannie.

The ladies Christmas banquet at our church.

Our ladies retreat in Arkansas.

 

Trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving

And a beautiful day at the Garden of the gods.

Jeannie, Cheryl and I at Victory Church for their Christmas program.

Lunch with a few ladies from Sunday school at the Pink House in Claremore.

Lunch with Jeannie on Christmas Day.

Trip to Texas for Christmas and dinner at Babes Chicken House. 

These are just a few of my favorite things, and I am so looking forward to all that 2023 will bring.

It’s Me! Back Again!

Well, this is my first visit here in quite a long time. I just haven’t felt the need or inspiration, or whatever it takes to write about anything, but this morning as I let my dog outside it seems like this is what I need to do. So silly. Annie sits in front of me and gives one of her hard, longing stares letting me know it’s time for a walk. Well, when it’s 28° outside, I don’t feel like a walk. So I look at her and say, “if you think I’m going for a walk outside, you have another think coming.“ So then she runs to the back door to go out. Now, that is a silly thing to share, but it’s just one of those little things in life that’s funny. (To me, anyway.)

The pictures below are some of the things that I’ve enjoyed from, I think, early 2022 maybe. Suffice it to say that the last two years have been chock-full of things to do, discovering many friends, just enjoying life. But I’m finding I still need somebody to share those little details of life, every day things. I’m still looking for a close friend here. I left all my precious friends inTexas, and have made many new friends here, but I still need a really close friend to do things with, to share things with, maybe even to travel with.

The ukulele band that I’m privileged to be a part of. It’s going even stronger these days. 

It’s so much fun to visit the assisted living and nursing homes because the residents so enjoy the music and fun. We love them so much and look forward each time to singing for them.

I love helping in the kitchen at our church for various events. 

These ladies and sometimes gentlemen are so much fun in the kitchen. 

Many hands make light work.

I’m a member of the Women’s Association that supports the Tulsa boys home. 

We have many fun events to raise funds to provide monetary support

 and also many of the boys’ basic daily needs. This is at one of our fundraisers.

These are from a visit from my nephew last summer.

I belong to a card club, and the picture above, along with the article are about one of our members who passed early last year. She was truly in the forefront in her day with feminism, a woman of many talents combined with a gentle, beautiful personality. We still miss her.

Our Sunday school class regularly meets together for lunches, get together’s, and other social meetings. We’ve made some dear friends in our Sunday school class.

Just good times!

These pictures are from one of the fundraisers for the boys home. It is called Run for the Roses and is the biggest event for them for the year. There’s a huge gathering of about 800 people raising money centered around the Kentucky Derby. A contest for the best hats, watching the races, betting on horses, secret auction, and serving dinner, are among some of the fun things at this event.

Several trips to Texas and meeting up with old friends in the top photo, the middle one is lunch with a few ladies from church, and the bottom is a birthday celebration for one of the ladies in our card club.

Special times with Grandkids!

I serve with Awanas at our church helping first graders Learn Bible verses each week. 

These kids are so precious.

Playing pickle ball!

I know this is picture overload, but they really only covered through May of last year. 

Two’s company, three’s a crowd. That’s what they say anyway and I know what they’re referring to, but, “crowd” is usually what most people enjoy at Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Our crowd on this past Thursday was three. My brother Phil, his wife Susan, and me. Everyone else was scattered around with other relatives or separated by distance. And although they were missed, still it was OK.

We had a very nice dinner which I, for the most part, prepared and Susan added the vegetables and cleaned up the kitchen. They had just returned from Branson for a quick visit to celebrate Susan‘s birthday and a time of getaway for them before my brother has hip replacement surgery this week.

While they were gone, I kept their dog, Howie. He was somewhat disoriented at first, but he came around and made himself quite comfortable here. 

I think Annie was also disoriented and wishing she were still the main dog here. (Kind of funny to see the luxurious bed Howie has compared to Annie's plain little bed. Hmmmm.)

On Friday, I began to bring down from the attic my Christmas decorations. I discovered the lights weren't working on my larger tree, so I decided to get over to Hobby Lobby and get a new (and smaller) tree. What. Was. I. Thinking!??? Clearly, I was only thinking about the tree because I completely forgot it was "Black Friday." Ugh! Crazy traffic and the parking lots were full. Amazingly enough though, I selected my tree, got through the checkout line, and had my tree in the house within 30 minutes. That is the difference when you live in Tulsa as opposed to the Dallas metroplex. 

I have another tree like this which is my Jessie Tree and I will put an ornament on it each day of Advent. I look forward to this as I read the Scripture for that day and look forward to Christmas.

I’ve already listed in a previous blog most of the things I’m thankful for. The thankful list goes on and on and is never ending because we are so richly blessed. But now another Thanksgiving is in the books and we are moving into Christmas to see what that brings. Life is good, and as I reflect on this past year In a new season of life and a new location, I am amazed at all the wonderful people who have come into my life and how very much I have to be thankful for in this place. For all these things, I give thanks. So hard to believe next week it will be two years since Jay passed. 

This time two years ago, we had just returned from Branson and were celebrating Thanksgiving with a bigger crowd. I’m so glad we had those times together.

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 

I say to myself, 'The LORD is my inheritance; 

therefore, I will hope in him!'" 

(Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT)

Garage Selling Weekend

I confuse myself sometimes. This claims to have been published in October, but I see it as a draft. I am publishing now to get it on the books.

After spending the last couple of weeks in preparation, this past Saturday turned out to be one of those absolutely perfect October days and perfect for a garage/yard sale! We pulled out most everything except glassware from the garage to set on table outside. The lady who was in charge of organization was truly one of the most organized and energetic women I have ever met!!! Several of the people who came to our sale commented on how organize everything was. We had a kitchen section, bath, crafts, linens, patio furniture, baskets, jewelry, clothes, art, glassware and so on!!!

Like the energizer bunny!!!

Anyway, long story short, it was a tremendous success and the next door neighbor to the president of our women's association said he would match whatever we made. Wow! Did he know what he was getting in for? The profit far exceeded what any of us had hoped for and he not only matched it, but added another few thousand dollars on top of the match! (I am not sharing amounts since this is to benefit the boys' home.)

I arrived at 6 am on Saturday (on time dark o'clock) only to find busy bees already at work. 

Saturday night everybody was wiped out! What a day! So pleased to be a part of such a worthy cause. 

Loading up leftovers for Salvation Army. 

Lots of good stuff left over.