WHEN MY SISTER AND I ARE OLD
we shall wear Purple!
We will spend our Saturdays seeking out every garage sale within a ten mile radius. We will critique the bargains
and say
"Oh, remember this---we need to have one of these!"
.
We will grocery shop all about town, hunting down the sales and tasting deli samples at each stop. We will make promises to each other, like
never wear nylon plastic rain bonnets
never wear nylon knee-highs with a dress
and
always keep a pen and paper next to your bed so you don't forget those night-time thoughts.
We will walk the Malls at 7 a.m.
and wear shirts that say
SISTERS ARE FOREVER FRIENDS
We'll have a glass of 7-up at dusk, gossip a little and giggle a lot. We will do all these things and more
MY SISTER AND I
when we grow old and
wear purple
.
Jody Loughton
I really like this poem, since I have sisters
The poem really says we'll drink wine, but 7-up is better with me
Beth and I love yard sales. She can scan the whole thing in just
a few seconds, and can tell whether it's worth another look or not.
We can do 15 yard sales in less than an hour and a half
unless of course you have a baby in a car chair to move in and out
Don't take babies to yard sales.
Once in Sunday School a sister with a lot of children told us you should never count your money, just count your blessings. Very good advice
We are not rich, but count our many blessings
To begin
we have a car that gets us there and brings us back again
It isn't shiny, won't go fast, but mostly we have fun
and we have a house that's big enough
.
Not room for everyone
but we can always get all the kids around the table
when it's time to eat
and we have lots of good things, sometimes soup, not always meat
but we have LOVE enough to go around and some left over for friends
'cause when you have a family like ours
love never ends
NO BOOK IS WORTH ANYTHING
WHICH IS NOT WORTH
MUCH
NOR IS IT SERVICEABLE
UNTIL IT HAS BEEN READ
AND RE-READ
AND LOVED AND LOVED AGAIN
AND MARKED
SO THAT YOU CAN REFER TO THE
PASSAGES YOU WANT IN IT
Ruskin
Dee and I have always had a problem(at least he does) when I mark the books with a RED pencil. But I figure when I want to find something again, it needs to be underlined or circled. You should see my scriptures. My son Linn says when I die he wants my scriptures. He won't even have to study, just go through and read all my red underlinings.
.
When we got the new scriptures back in 1981 Dee hated to change, because his were all marked up, and now I can understand why. I can't study without my journal and a red pencil. People on e-bay want books that are unmarked, like new. They wouldn't want any of mine
ABOUT BLESSINGS
Sometimes when we get blessings
they are hard to recognize
if they're not what we expected
and wearing a disguise
.
Mr. Blessing came to town
late one winter night
He wore a long, black overcoat
and not a ray of light
.
was shining out, so we just gave up hope
that a blessing had come our way
We expected blessings dressed in white
all bright and gay
.
like little children , those we recognize
but the other kind is hard
until he takes off the over-coat
we don't see our reward
.
but if we don't complain, invite him in
and ask
"Can you help me grow?"
Maybe Mr. Blessing will be
the greatest gift we know
.
BUTTERFLY-ING
A butterfly is never hurried
ever peaceful, never worried
even when she's being chased
She knows problems
are erased
by
slowing down
Only she who floats
goes by
with dignity
*
This is one of those kind of days. A floating day. Nothing I really have to do, so I'm just doing nothing. Except of course, nothing can be quite time consuming. I started to type some poetry, stopped to look for a picture in one of the 20(at least) photo albums and now the bed is covered with stuff.
*
Oh, well, no one cares. That's the best thing about having all the kids grown up and out of the house. I can leave things laying around anywhere I want, and they are still there when I come back. Things like scissors, and pencils, and other things I haven't lost before myself.
*
I spend a lot of time helping Dee track things down, he's worse than I am. But that's OK, I have lots of time to look, on days like today, when I'm just floating around.
TWENTY THINGS TO REMEMBER
.
1. Faith is the ability to not panic.
.
2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you prayed, don't worry.
.
3. As a child of God, prayer is kinda like calling home every day.
.
4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
.
5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.
God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
.
6. Do the math. Count your blessings.
.
7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
.
8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.
.
9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
.
10. Laugh every day - it's like inner jogging.
.
11. The most important things in your home are the people.
.
12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
.
13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. Come on in.
.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
.
16. We do not remember days but moments.
Life moves too fast so enjoy your precious moments.
.
17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it;
otherwise it's just hearsay.
.
18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again.
Just be sure to flush when you are done.
.
19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage.
The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.
.
20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation.
Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. Leave gentle fingerprints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.
.
MANIC AND ME
When I was first diagnosed as manic (bi-polar) my color was red...BRIGHT RED!!!
Slowly, over the years, as I've stayed on the correct level of medication and tried hard to mellow-out, some days I'm that rose color like on the right.
Once in a while
I even manage to hit the pink and white, soft and slow.
The only thing that saved me when I was diagnosed bi-polar (manic) after three years of depression was I also got the gift of poetry. Most manics do, but mostly in the beginning it's garbage. Reading over early 1981 journals, I find I wrote ALL my journal entries in poetry. Interesting reading, like someone else besides me wrote it. But slowly I think Heavenly Father said,
"If this girl is going to write poetry, I'd better help"
and it graduallly, after many years, got better.
Here's one I really like:
.
Poetry took me by the hand and said, "Please come with me
I can take you to a land that most men cannot see
and I can lead you beyond madness"
.
so I reached and let her lead
and Oh! it was a journey I did write!
So many need to know
another has gone on ahead
beyond depression's roar
.
Past madness
into gladness
to the light they knew before
.
The light feels really good. Thanks, Heavenly Father
Please let it stay
.
One of the Prophets used to say "Never go to sleep angry" Here's a cute joke from the Reader's Digest
When I asked a friend the secret to his 52
years of marriage, he replied,
"We never go to sleep angry"
"That's a great philosophy" I noted
"Yes, and the longest we've been awake so far is
five days."
Very cute
ALLEN AND #28 GRANDCHILD
My brother Allen came to visit yesterday with his family (a few of them) and I just can't resist showing off this cute little Abigail Snyder. He's caught up with me on grandkids, and has a few kids to go, and will pass me up by far, since they had 11 children.
My folks had 7 and Mom always told us to not pass her up, but obviously Allen didn't listen. Nine months and a bundle of energy 
Amazing Oatmeal Cake
1 ½ cups Water
1 cup Oats
Mix together and set aside
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Mix ingredients and add oats and water previously set aside. Pour into a greased cake pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Frosting
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 cup coconut
¼ cup milk
Combine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread over hot cake. It's delish!1 ½ cups Water
1 cup Oats
Mix together and set aside
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Mix ingredients and add oats and water previously set aside. Pour into a greased cake pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Frosting
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 cup coconut
¼ cup milk
WHITE HAIR
My Mom had white hair from the time she was 39. It just got more beautiful as she got older, and I loved it. So I just assumed I'd also have white hair.
It just hasn't happened yet, even at age 75. But I am greying somewhat now. All of my siblings have beautiful white hair, and I'm not sure why I got passed up.
When my sister Beth (the youngest and a later in life baby) was in kindergarten, she asked my Mom not to go to things because she was the only kid whose Mom had white hair.
*
Anyway, last Sunday I was on my way to church and had Dee snap a picture so I could remember what 75 feels like. Actually, not that bad, with white hair or not.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
— Mother Teresa
A TOUCH OF JAPAN We had a fun day Monday when Linn and Keiko dropped in with Keiko's sister Kaori, from Osaka, Japan. She was in America for the first time and we did lots of "firsts"
We got subway sandwiches, which took a while with so many choices, and the fact that Kaori spoke very little English. Then we were off, with Thomas driving, up the hill about 5 miles out of town to Morgan Lake.
Such a nice place to spend a couple of hours resting and visiting. She was happy to see and video a snake, rather rare in Japan.
On the way home we saw a deer in someone's yard, which she tried to film out the window, but he moved too fast. Then we got home and there was one right in our own orchard. Lots of gifts were exchanged both ways, and she and Keiko taught me how to make an origami box. 
I had met Kaori years ago, in 1985 when I'd been in Japan with Linn and Keiko, meeting the family before Linn and Keiko were married. when she was a high school girl, not the lovely young woman she has become. All in all, it was a very fun day.
I GOT A NEW RAGGEDY ANDY
I love dolls.
All kinds of dolls, and this is how it began
ABOUT DOLLS
Back in the year 2000 I did a very dumb thing that turned out to be great. I met a lady at a yard sale who had a basement full of dolls which she was going to sell since she had to move into town. I saw some that were very valuable, being old, and I said, "I think I can sell some of those for you on e-bay and make a lot more than you're selling them for."
*A few hours later, I unloaded my car and had 58 dolls in the living room, all over the lIving room. The interesting thing about this was not only did I know nothing about e-bay, I didn't even use the computer. My husband had been after me for a long time, but I kept ignoring him, saying I was too old to start something new.
*Within a few weeks (or was it months?) I finally figured ouT how to list, got my son to take digital photos, and was on my way. The first thing I sold were some dolls named BABY BEANS.(like the pink one pictured) I had five of them, and got them listed. Amazingly the bid ended at $105.00. I was puzzled when the buyer wrote back and said she only wanted the yellow one, and would pay the whole amount. Seems her son had a yellow one when he was young, and she wanted to give him this one for his birthday. So off it went in the mail
*I relisted the others and they sold for a good sum also, and I was in business. Selling dolls proved to be great fun, doll collectors are wonderful people who like to correspond and visit and compare notes. I shipped dolls to Italy, Germany, France, Canada, China, Japan, Brazil (that one was a problem) and many states. In the end, both the lady and myself made $1500.00, and by then I knew much about computers.
* I later found a lady (another yard sale) who had an attic full of dolls. Her mother was old, living in San Francisco, and she had knitted outfits for many many dolls, moved to Oregon and shipped all of them to LaGrande. She was happy to sell them to me for $1.00 to $5.00 each, and I made even more money. Many days we tromped up and down the narrow stairs with bags full of dolls. Some of my favorites were RAGGEDY ANNS, and it was hard to part with them. But I knew some more would come later on.
AND THEN CAME BIG ANDY!
This big Andy is 36" tall and the biggest one I've ever had. When we were at the coast, in Lincoln City we found this little toy and antique shop, and in the corner on the very bottom shelf there he was, just stuffed in. He was mine, you can just tell when something belongs to you, even before you pick it up.
They say that grown up people who like dolls just didn't have enough when they were little, but I think I liked them so much then, I just always will.
+
DOLLS AND OTHER STUFF
I am amazed at what people will pay for the dolls they find on the great E-BAY
The baby-boomer folks it would seem
want to just relive their childhood dream
A Barbie doll or a Mickey Mouse
or Chatty Cathy or a tin dollhouse
Sometimes it seems like we are haunted
by things we didn't get, but wanted
or things we got and Mom threw away
when whe was cleaning house one day
OR
Mom is looking to replace the dish
that she used to have, she will hope and wish
that she'll find it there, on the e-bay line
then everything will be just fine
OR
Dad will want to check out old books
or sports car things or fishing hooks
Somehow it doesn't seem quite like shopping
if you're on the computer just channel hopping
and the mailman comes with priority
and the box brings joy to you and me
for I am the seller
and the money you send will make me happy
I won't pretend
because I'll simply turn around and buy
the things that are listed by some other guy
Oh, E-BAY
there's one thing about'cha
I don't know how we lived without'cha
THE COW WHO MOVED
TO THE MEADOW
This is the story of a cow who really was a fool
She should be in the pasture
but she won't obey the rule that says
STAY IN!
She tends to jump the fence so she can get outside
and she'll go "moo-ving" up the road
and wander far and wide
+
The cow said to herself
she said
"I'm tired of that fence! It holds me in too close
I need to run!
It makes no sense to stay all locked up!
There's a neighborhood that I must go and see
I want to meet the animals who live next door to me!"
and so
she "moo-ved" along the road, three dogs joined in
and ran behind
They said, "We want to go with you and see what we can find"
Across the road, one house away, two geese were in their bath
their feathers they were ruffling, it made the young cow laugh
The dogs joined in
the geese, insulted, turned and waddled on their way
across the meadow
then they stopped and honked! and they did say
"Please let us come with you, we'll introduce you
to the horse who lives next door
In fact
we'll ask him for a ride! we've never done that before!"
"Neigh! neigh! said the horse, I do not think
that you'll fit on my back
but if you want to try, I will "
He lay down on the track and both the geese and all three dogs
got on, please do not ask me how
and next It was a miracle!
They lifted up the cow! and off they went
Oh, what a ride it was, across the field so green
and then the cow yelled
"STOP! that is the best grass I have seen! and I must have a bit"
however, as she ate, she did not see
a hive of bees a-buzzing there, underneath the tree
I'm not sure just what happened next
there was such a great confusion
They had not been invited and the bees felt an intrusion
and they did not understand
the neighbors only came to play
The bees were MAD!
a swarm they had and chased the cow away
and as she "moo-ved" across the meadow
She was followed close behind
by three dogs who were certain that the cow had lost her mind
and by two geese, still riding on the horse
they could not stop to quack
They were much too busy holding to the horse's back!
and so
the cow went home, she'd learned a lesson
which is very hard
THE SAFEST GRASS IS USUALLY GROWING
IN YOUR OWN
BACKYARD
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