Can It Be...51 Years???

Seems like such a long time since I've last posted - so busy but with so little to show for it.

This evening, however, I must stop and count my blessings! Fifty-one years my wonderful Bob has put up with this old girl! That is amazing?! My, my! It hardly seems possible - until I begin to think about all that has transpired in those years or as they say "so much water has passed under the bridge". God has certainly been good to me...to us. I want for nothing, I need nothing more than I have, and I am content. Wow! How blessed am I...are we! And THANKFUL!

Being Crafty

It's been a few days since I last posted and these days have been full to overflowing. Among other things, it's been Vacation Bible School at our church and I'm one of the craft ladies. We've had an average of 170 pre-K to 5th graders each day - and for this old girl that spells "weary". But it's been so good, too. These precious little ones come in all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, eager to do whatever it takes to create their craft and their eyes are filled with eager excitement when they get to carry them home. Tomorrow is the end day and I think I'm ready. (I knew there was a reason I never wanted to be a teacher.) I think if we could harness all that energy that is generated in our room alone - we could light up the whole city.

What a real privilege to rub shoulders with these young ones. They are our tomorrow! May God bless each and every one!

A Precious Little Bubzie-Girl ~

Just sharing a new picture of our littlest grand-girl. The innocence in her eyes just got to me. Oh, how much life she'll have to experience if she lives a normal life length.

P.S. This is what you'd call a "punked out chick"...right?

Uneventful Day...Maybe

At first glance, my day was quite uneventful. Awake too much during the night so I slept in. Too late to go to Bally's for my swim so decided to do a bike ride. I did. Ended up at the coffee shop with my senior friends and had a ton of laughs while having my coffee. Went grocery shopping and birthday gift shopping for my Bobby-boy, and had my "free" birthday lunch at the Mongolian Bar BQ. Came home, pulled weeds, worked at straightening up things in the house a bit and then took my Emily-girl to her Figure Skating lesson. Half way through, Bob joined me at the rink and when she was finished the three of us went for a burger to Burger King. Then took Emily home and before I could back out of the driveway, her daddy came running out of the house with a beautiful bag of cubed, seedless watermelon! Ymmm.

Now, as I re-think my day - it was pretty darn full of "events". Actually, it was a really great big blessed day. Thank you God!!!

Flowers and Friendships

Friendships are like beautiful flowers. You see their pure colors, their soft petals, their blending in with other blossoms or greens around them. They all have their own individual shapes and sizes - but together they are exquisite.

That's alot like "real" friendships I think. Today I had the wonderful experience of visiting with one of my favorite people in all the world. We've been friends for forty-five plus years - raising our children, sharing stuff that is deep and personal, walking together through the deaths of precious ones, becoming grandmothers - and on and on through so many more steps of life.

Since we live many miles apart, we rarely have the opportunity to do what we did today...just sit on the deck of a quaint little Deli, enjoying our friendship even more than the delicious food. Our time went waaayyy too quickly and then it was time to say our farewells after one last hug.

I LOVE friendships!! I think God gives us friends so we can really know how He wants to interact with us. I feel so rich today.

Friends Are Fun!

I recently received an email from a friend of mine and I thought I'd post it so I can remind myself that the enemy is always lurking out there. Here's what my friend's email:


"My new motto! Live my life in such a way that when my feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says:

'Oh NOOO....SHE’S awake!!"


Is that cool?

So much for today.

Remembering My Mama

Today is my mama's birthday. June 9 - it'll always be a day that is dear to me as I remember her. It's already been six years since she graduated to her heavenly home and I still miss her every day! There are so many times that I have something to tell her - only to realize I can't. It's really a very strange thing...the way the brain tricks us.

But here is my tribute to her. She was a wonderful, giving, sharing lady who had a huge heart~big enough to hug all of us plus all our friends. She was a woman who loved God and served Him the best way she knew how! She was a woman of sooo many talents...cooking (!), baking, sewing, gardening, canning, listening, giving, caring and sharing anything and everything she had! But she was tough, too. Many were the spankings and reprimands we kids received, but unlike today's generation - we knew when we deserved it and never, ever doubted her love or her motives. She was in it for our best! Her life had such an incredible influence on so many folks, literally around the world. Her doors were always open, her kitchen always wafting delicious aroma's of bread baking, chicken frying, cookies coming out of the oven or meats roasting. And! Her table was always beautifully set and WELL-laden with scrumptious things to eat - no matter how many were at the table. Most of all I guess, she was able to put up with me!!! Now that's a big one!

I will always love you, my dear Mama!

We often wonder out loud, my siblings and I, what it was - or how it was that or what they did, she and our Daddy, that insured our family stayed close all these years. My five siblings and I all love each other so much. We all get along so well and always have over these many years. No big blow-ups or mean-nesses. We just love being together and we love each other's mates like they were born into the Schmidt clan. We love those foster sisters that became part of our family because our parents hearts were big enough to invite them in. So, it amazes me how that all came to be. So many of my friend's families seem to always be in turmoil or are always battling over one stupid thing or another. It's just an amazing thing that I ponder today, looking back over the years of this family. Mama was the heart of it all! Thank you, Mom, for all you were and all you gave to me...to us, your kids. As long as I breath - you live on!!!

A Day of Rest

What a very nice day today has been! My Sunday morning routine of an early visit to the Pancake House (this week with my son), my routine swim at Bally's, and then a really lovely worship service at church with lots of music interspersed with scripture. And, as I was about to leave the church building, there was a delightful meeting up with an old friend from days long gone. Fun! Then off to a graduation party with relatives. There's something very special and comfortable about gathering with family at occasions such as this - sharing recent happenings and remembering old times. I'm so fortunate to have such a broad, rich heritage with such wonderful people. They are so kind and generous...and we seem to love one another with no holds barred and no put-on faces.

Another very special treat today? Returning from church and finding between our side doors, a beautifully-presented large, white envelope with big green, very fancily decorated letters reading "Happy Birthday Shirley Girly"! (They had been place there several days ago on my actualy birthday but since we rarely use that door - we found it later rather than earlier.) It was no mystery from whom this special little package came because there aren't too many folks who call me "Shirley Girly". My little Brennan friends, Riley-Roo, Joe-man (and their mom) had made and placed beautiful drawings and letterings (plus a card) for me out of brilliant colors and lines and words of greetings. Do you know how that makes the heart sing?! They now proudly hang on my fridge - and each time I walk past, my heart and my face just smiles.

Well, it's now the end of this day that God has allowed me to enjoy and the "tireds" have hit. How very thankful I am for all that has been placed in my world today.

Time Flies When Your Having Fun

It's only been a year and 4 months or so since I last posted...maybe it's time to post once more. I'll try this once again. But later as I have places to go and people to see this morning.

Bye for now...