Thirty-Five

That's right. Thirty-five years ago today, at 11:30 AM to be exact, a young woman held onto her dad's arm and walked down the aisle to join the young man she would spend the rest of her life with. That day was beautiful and was filled with family, friends, and so much love. On that excessively hot, yet joyful, late June Saturday in 1991, as I excitedly thought about decorating the second-story apartment we had just rented, and the life we would be starting, thirty-five years seemed an eternity away. If I could talk to that young woman in the white satin wedding gown, however, I would tell her that thirty-five years will pass in a heartbeat. I would tell her that those years would be blissfully happy and, at times, devastatingly sorrowful. There would be unbelievable joy and heartwrenching loss. There would be apartments, houses, jobs, babies, baptisms, weddings, parties, deaths, funerals, pain, laughter, Christmas trees, and Halloween costumes. There would be cute little kittens, precious puppy dogs, and even a fish or two along the way. There would be dinners at the kitchen table, vacations to the beach, evenings on porch swings, and ice cream cones after supper.

Most importantly, I would tell her that, on that day, when she knelt before the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed that she and her husband would be blessed with children, her prayer would be answered. In God's perfect timing, of course. And I would tell her that while everything else is nice, the family she and her husband have created, and the beautiful Catholic faith they shared, is by far the very best and most important thing to come of that lovely wedding day, thirty-five short years ago today. 

As my Momma always said, "Life is but a dream!"

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

Billie Jo

The Last Friday In June

Hello! Happy Friday. This week went by so quickly for me. Did it for you? It was Monday morning, then Wednesday, and now it is Friday again. What happened to what my momma used to call the "lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer"? Remember when summer days seemed to last forever? We got up early. Ate a Poptart while watching The Price is Right. Then we would put on our play clothes and head outside, or put on our suits and head to the pool. After a bit, we would come home, and Mom would make us lunch. My favorite? She would put some ham and Swiss cheese on two slices of Wonder Bread, wrap them in a paper towel, and microwave them just until the cheese started to melt. I can still taste those sandwiches! After lunch, we would watch some TV or play a game while my mom ironed or talked to my Grandma on the phone. At 4:35, my sisters and I would gather around the TV to watch our favorite show, The Brady Bunch. After that, we would help Mom get dinner ready. Sometimes I would make a pudding or a jello pie for dessert.

By 5:30, my dad had pulled into the driveway from work, usually in his truck, his arm resting on the rolled-down window. We would sit at our spots at the table in our yellow daffodil kitchen and talk about our day. After dinner, my sister Margie and I would clean up the kitchen and then either head outside or run through the backyard to the playground. The playground had activities from 6:00 to 8:00 every weeknight. We would play kickball or swing until we were ready to head home. Most nights, Dad would ask who wanted to go for a ride, and we'd pile into the truck to drive around our small town, and sometimes we'd stop for a hard ice cream cone. When the sun finally faded, we got cleaned up, grabbed the pajamas that we had put under our pillows that morning, and headed to bed. My two sisters and I shared a room, so sleep was secondary to games, books, giggles, and arguments. Finally, I went to sleep in my cozy spot on the bottom bunk, happy, content, tired, and blissfully unaware that those precious summer days would not last forever.  

Now, the days seem shorter, and the weeks pass more quickly, and suddenly I am the mom of grown kids. I pray I gave them the same wonderful summer days when they were young. Looking back, I remember we sure did have fun. And we still do, because there is no expiration date on having fun with the people you love, is there? 

My camera roll is filled with pictures from morning walks, and that is about all! We did get rain, so everything is green again. And the pond is filled once more.

If I am not walking, doing laundry, cooking, or homeschooling, you will find me here, on our screened-in porch, coffee in hand. 

And lastly,  a few images from Pinterest to finish off the week, just to remind anyone dealing with OCD or anxiety that you are not alone. Sometimes it can pop up out of nowhere when you are just living your life,  simply to remind you it is still there. Just acknowledge it for what it is and move on. 

One more to leave it on a lighter note:

Have a nice weekend, my friends!

BillieJo

Would Your Rather Wednesday

1.

OR

2.

OR

3. 

OR

AND 4.

OR

Asking for a friend. : )

Have a great Wednesday, my friends!

And... if you are wondering, my answers are down below.

Billie Jo

My answers:

1. Hot dog. Always.

2. Rainy and cozy. Yes, really.
3. Pie. I will always choose pie over cake. Every time.

4. Reading. I am happiest watching all the activities from a distance!

Monday Morning Coffee

Good Monday morning, my friends. I hope your weekend was all you planned and then some. We had a nice weekend at the condo, celebrating Father's Day. The kids planned a nice, relaxing day for him filled with some of his favorite things: time with his family, time by the beach, an Indy car race on TV, and some delicious food he didn't have to make. And a nice phone call with Peyton, too! 

It was a great day for a great guy. We went to evening mass, and then packed up and headed home. By eight o'clock, I was back in my spot on the couch in my cozy clothes, and Steve was out for his walk.  

This morning I went for my walk and was greeted by the beauty of the start of a brand-new day. It's funny, isn't it, how in different seasons of life, we notice things in an entirely different way. Years ago, on a random Monday morning in June, I would have looked outside to check if the weather was nice enough for the kids' swimming lessons before they woke, and I would have started breakfast before piling them into the van with towels, sunscreen, and goggles. Today, on this random Monday morning in June, I look out to check the weather to see if I can take my little Mocha on our daily walk. The kids are grown; thankfully, they all know how to swim. They no longer need me to make their breakfast before they venture out into the world. Although sometimes they humor me and let me do it, and I immediately grab the pans for French Toast or muffins! Anyway, here is a peek at our walk today.

Pretty, quiet, calm, and full of promise. Today, I am going to work on schoolwork, plan meals for the week, do some laundry, and maybe go for a swim. Since I haven't done a meal plan yet, tonight we are having a summer staple for dinner: hot dogs on the grill. I'll probably sauté some zucchini from the farmer's market and make a simple tossed salad. 

I hope you have a wonderful day, my friends. Thank you for visiting! I'll leave you with some things that made me smile. Ok. Maybe laugh out loud. Because. Monday.

Have a happy day!

Billie Jo