Dear Sweet Norm......

September 15, 2012

"Walking with a friend in the DARK....

Is better than walking alone in the LIGHT.  

Helen Keller

We recently returned from a week in Rogers, Arkansas......tagging along with our friend Sue as she wrapped up the final arrangements for her husband, Norm's, gravesite.  

Norm passed away in May of this year.......

But as we stood over Norm's grave, remembering the wonderful times we've all had together; Alaskan cruise, summer trips to Missouri, weekend dinners at the lake..... I couldn't help but think how much Norm and Sue have added to our lives....how blessed we've been by their friendship.

Blessed indeed........

I read a quote today as I neared the end of a book (which everyone needs to read, BTW) called "The Harbinger" I'd like to share with you.....

"You're only one heartbeat away from eternity.  

Everything you have - your life, your breath, this moment, 
it's all borrowed, it's all a gift.  

And at any moment it all ends with a heartbeat.....
just one heartbeat, and there's no more time.  

One heartbeat and the chance to be saved is gone.  

One heartbeat and there's no more choosing - 
it's all sealed for eternal life or eternal death......

If you don't choose to be saved, then you've chosen not to be saved.  

Your life and your eternity....it all rests on one heartbeat.  

And what will you do on the Day of Judgment?"

Rest In Peace, sweet Norm......

Rest In Peace.

  

Quote For the Day - Septemver 10, 2012

Monday, September 10, 2012


"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives
but are grateful for the abundance that's present...we experience heaven on earth."

 

Not A Single Drop......

 Tuesday, August 28, 2012

.....We didn't get a drop of rain from this fantastically beautiful storm last night

Not A Single Drop.

"If you spend your whole life 

waiting for the storm,

you'll never enjoy

the sunshine."

There Are No Words........

Saturday, August 25, 2012

"Sweet Is Pleasure After Pain"

John Dryden

"Thank you, Father, for the many blessings 

You have sent our way and blessed us with....

I feel such peace in the midst of a storm....

it is so unlike me, 

but its because I have turned my life over to You....

You are driving me through the balance of my life.  

Help us turn over the decisions in our lives to You 

so that we can live the maximum life imaginable 

in this temporary home of ours."  

Liz (8-25-2011)

I wrote that prayer in my prayer journal exactly a year ago today after riding the motorcycle through rain, sleet and snow up 14,240' to the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado.  Little did I know at the time, it might be one of the last times Chuck would ever ride the motorcycle.

But today...........HE DID.

For the first time since his accident, Chuck rode the motorcycle again!!

There are no words......

And today's sunrise......well.......

There are no words...... 

Liz In An Apron........

August 24, 2012

LUNCHES OF LOVE!!!!

Well folks, I'm pretty sure most of you know Liz doesn't cook.......AT ALL........EVER.....it's just NOT my blessing......matter of fact, I actually had that put in our wedding vows when Chuck and I got married.  I didn't want there to be any confusion 10 years down the road when the honeymoon was over and Chuck started nagging me to cook......I could simply play the wedding video for him and remind him he agreed to this.

That being said, I must admit I love wearing an apron and "pretending" I know what I'm doing in the kitchen.  To me, its truly all about the apron.  So I jumped at the chance to help "serve" food here in Mt. Vernon at "Lunches of Love".....a combination of different denominations coming together to feed the chidren from disadvantaged homes here in our community......so long as I could wear an apron!

This was my last week of serving.....and let me tell ya......I've had a BLAST.  The first week, they put me on "gravy" duty...which consisted of simply pouring gravy on top of the mashed potatoes.  EASSSSSSSY.  

The next week, I was moved up to "vegetables"......a bit tougher.  I found the carrots were going pretty well, but the cauliflower just wasn't moving at all.  After about 15 minutes of no action on the cauliflower, one of the little old ladies came up and whispered in my ear, "That's "Broccoli" sweetie...not "Cauliflower".  Ughhhh......

The following week, they moved me over to "Green Beans"......pretty much a step backwards from the prior week....I'm guessing it was cause of the simple little mess up on the cauliflower/broccoli issue.  Personally, green beans are about the only vegetable I like, so I couldn't imagine why the kids weren't wanting any of them.......so I just told them to put ketchup on them and it would be like eating dessert.  Guess what?  They LOVED it!!!!!  Came back for seconds and thirds on green beans with ketchup!!!!  YEA!!

And this last week, I finally made it to serving the main entree....yep.....they put me in charge of "Chicken".  Oh happy day!!!  I had a blast asking the kids if they wanted American chicken, Russian chicken, African chicken...etc.....and watching them look at me like I had 3-heads.  

Next year.....

they said I could get an apron with my name on it!!!!

WHOO HOOO!!!!

Kruger....Our 1-Claw Cat

Thursday, August 23, 2012

What's gray, has a look of terror on its face and is dripping wet???

Kruger....the 1-Claw Cat

Last night, as we were sitting on the deck enjoying the cool August evening (kinda sounds like an oxymoron, huh?!?), Murphy, along with 3 of his closest friends, were enjoying an evening harrassing Kruger the 1-claw cat under the deck chair.  

Kruger seemed to be taking it all in stride, showing them all her razor sharp 1-claw she carries around proudly, when suddenly she bolted across the deck headed towards the lake.  With 4 dogs right on her heels and an oversized butt following close behind, she ran as fast as her fat little legs would take her......unfortunately.......and this is a BIG unfortunately......she got to the lake a little quicker than she calculated and flew.....through the air......1-claw straight out.....

into the lake.

Three out of the four dogs abandoned her and found amusement elsewhere, but Murphy......her big brother.....the one who started this harrassment in the first place, stayed by her side barking from the sidelines following her as she swam, desperately trying to find a way out of the lake, until we could get to her and rescue her.  And it was Murphy who licked and licked her once she was rescued and safely warm in a blanket.

So, what is the moral of this story??  

I don't know.

In Everything Give Thanks........

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

"In Everything Give Thanks"

I'm thankful for the FANTASTIC fall-like weather we have been BLESSED with most of the month of August.....AUGUST folks.....this is TEXAS......

I'm thankful my oldest granddaughter squeels with joy at getting my old laptop computer that has written a zillion blogs, visited no less than 20 states, is missing the ESC key and has my dirty fingerprint DNA all over it.....

I'm thankful for crazy granddaughters who take after their crazy Lele......

And I'm thankful......No.....BLESSED......to have granddaughters who make my heart leap with SMILES each time I see them and they see me and they scream my name across the school cafeteria....

LELEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Awwwww.........so thankful!!!

Someone Better Sleep With 1-Eye Open Tonight.....

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Ok.....so this was Family Weekend at the lake.   

HOPE...ing he'll go away!!

As payback to me for making them endure taking family pictures, 

my niece Jacque 

and her husband, Matt, 

thought it would be great fun to hack my Facebook account and place all kinds of Obama rubbish on it.  Things like.....

"Support our President!!!  Go OBama!!!" 

under MY Facebook name.

As you might guess, the comments started flooding in immediately......LONG before I ever knew this retarded comment was making the rounds to my FB friends...I was receiving comments like:

"Liz a closet Obamanist??"

"She is playing with us or has been bitten and is now a Obama zombie"

"You caught some democrat disease??"

"She has drank the kook aid...OMG!"

"Someone drive by her house real quick and see if there is a big O sign in front!"

"Did you get bitten by West Nile Mosquito!!

"Liz's blog hasn't had this much activity since she ran Charlie into the water fountain at the hospital"

Yep.....this is what I'm dealing with over here folks.

All I can say is......Sleep with 1-eye open tonight, Jacque and Matt.....

SLEEP WITH 1-EYE OPEN!!

Heeeee Heeeee Heeeee Heeeee

Just What I Needed.......

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

JUST WHAT I NEEDED.......

Due to the cooler temperatures this week and the BLESSED rain we have experienced almost every day this week......

What would be better than a bike ride on a nice clean bike......

And a gorgeous sunset......

Yep.....Just what I needed

Endurance.....

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

"There is a sense in which life on this earth is an endurance contest.  It can be helpful to view your life this way; because then your not shocked or disappointed by the many trials you encounter.  God knows exactly how much you can bear, and He set limits to your suffering.  Your job is to continue trusting Him in the present, waiting for Him to provide a way out - in His way and timing." 

Sarah Young

ENDURANCE

Is it just me or has 2012 been an especially difficult year for most of us?  It seems most everyone I know has struggled with more-than-usual crisis' this year.....

(Mom)

Death......

(Our good friend, Norm)

Illness.....

(My sweet friend, Cici)

Pain.....

(Broken-Hip-Chuck)

Injury......

I have been wrestling with myself trying to get past this writers-block I've been experiencing the past few months......not really realizing why the words didn't just fly off my fingers like they usually do.  Maybe it was because I was bummed and didn't want to bum you guys out......maybe it was because of the old saying Mom used to say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".....It never stopped me back then, but it sure-as-sherlock is shutting me down now.

But wanted you to know that, even with all the trials this year has thrown at us, we have grown from these burrs-in-our-saddle (that's East Texas talk for "pains-in-our-butts").

But through it all, God has been there steadily reminding us He's near by providing us with jaw-dropping rainbows in our back yard.......

.....memories of Colorado to keep us cool (in the form of 5000 photos) from the 105 degree heat.....

.....and providing a man that not only gets on my nerves and causes me to roll my eyes constantly, but loves me inspite of my lack of patience and zillions of other issues....

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.  It is His megaphone to arouse a deaf world."  C.S. Lewis