Seasons of Life

Yesterday, April 23rd, it snowed in Lucas, Kansas!  Now snow in Kansas isn’t out of the ordinary, but snow in April is pushing the limit.

 In April, flowers are suppose to be blooming, wheat fields are just turning green, buds are on the trees and with all that comes the renewing of my heart.  I always feel a sense of anticipation, and sense of “advent”, a feeling that to every day there is a new beginning.  With spring comes a knowing that soon we will have warm days and sunshine, time to putter outside, or camp at  Wilson lake.  After a few months of being stuck in the house, I long for Spring.

That’s is one thing I love about Kansas…the four seasons.  Being 49andcounting, I have the privilege of having experienced several seasons of life.  I watch young mothers, and feel for them as they hustle to keep all the bases covered (feed the kids, go to work, keep romance in their marriage, sponsor and attend every event imaginable).  I watch my daughters who are not yet married and choosing career paths and remember that time that every decision I made directly affected where my future would go (though I didn’t realize then the impact those decisions would make).  At 49andcounting I see the seasons of life much clearer, and I appreciate what each brought me (even when I was pulling my hair out trying to keep everyone happy and clothed). 

And sometimes with those seasons came a Snow Day…a time when I wept tears and felt that I had taken two steps back.  A time that I felt overwhelmed and life seemed out of control.  A time when I didn’t know the answers to major questions in life.  A time when life felt…hard.  And this I know…

I held on, I made it…the flowers bloomed, the sun shined, the snow melted.  I held on to God.  I held on to my faith.  When those snow days came, I believed that God had a perfect plan for my life.  That I needed to grab my strength by leaning on Him.  I cryed, I prayed…and slowly I saw change.  Slowly, I realized I was in a new season…slowly He worked it all out. 

And at 49andcounting I can absolutely tell you…

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”-Ecclesiates 3:1

Hold on…Spring is coming.  God holds your life in His hands.  He has a perfect plan for you.  Love and Blessings…

Family Tradition…

I just unloaded the dishwasher from Easter Dinner.  It’s the day after 18 people have squished in to my 10 people dining room and as I sit with my morning cup of coffee I’m chuckling to myself thinking of family traditions.  Yesterday my Big Boy’s family came for dinner…I was the out-law looking in…they were all blood.

It cracked me up as I opened the refrigerator door and saw a completely full jar of green olives…note to self…Big Boy’s family does not like green olives..or black at that!  And the bag of turkey white meat, I’m going to be eating quite a few sandwiches!  (funny thing is, I wouldn’t be caught dead eating the dark meat that they all love)  But that’s how I grew up…white meat lovers…family tradition.  Orange jello salad…well, it must have been on the table more for decoration than anything…it’s headed for the trash. And as I’ve been in his family, I’ve learned you always have mashed potatoes with every holiday meal.  Who would have thought it…I thought potato casserole was an option. Yesterday I saw how food is a family thing.    It’s not just my Big Boy, it’s all of them…it’s what they learned.

I learned that you always have a fancy table (I kind of failed at that yesterday), you always have ham, and you absolutely must have cauliflower with cheese sauce!  We go to church, we pray before the meal, and then we eat…until stuffed…that’s my Easter tradition.

And the bunny thing!  I think my jaw dropped when the kids woke up and sauntered down to the kitchen.  No “has the bunny come?”  “where did he hide my basket?”…at my house as a little girl, and when my children were little…it was like Christmas…you jumped out of bed in anticipation of the bunny…and all adults were jolted out of bed to be a part of it.  At my Big Boy’s house…that wasn’t the case.  We spent a fun-filled afternoon with a big Easter egg hunt in the yard.  At my house it was always naps in the afternoon, after the stuffed from Easter dinner part!  Tradition, just not the same.

It all brings to mind the saying, “We live what we learn”.  Isn’t it amazing that a life-time later, we still want the holiday traditions of our childhood?  We still remember those times with such clarity.  They still warm our hearts.

I know that with marriage comes the blending of two families or more…son-in-laws, daughter-in laws, in-laws, out-laws…so we change, although we fondly remember, we make new traditions.  And that’s a good thing.

One thing for sure…thank goodness that deviled eggs are important to both families.    Some traditions just have to be!

 

Honey, Do You See What I See…

You know that nice little mirror on the visor above the passenger’s seat?  Comes in pretty handy when you’re late for somewhere and you still have mascara to apply.  Or do you ever have those moments that, being the passenger, you’ve become a little bored…so you pull the visor down and open the mirror just for the sake of something to do?

So…my Big Boy and I are on our way to somewhere (that has already slipped my mind, I was so traumatized by the following event)!  In mid conversation, I pull down the visor and flip the mirror open…talking and taking a good look at, you know, just what a girls face looks like at 49andcounting.

And then, with just a twist of the head, a tilt of the neck, I see it!  I shriek to my Big Boy, “Honey, I’ve got a chicken neck!  A saggy chicken neck.”  “Oh my gosh, I’m getting old!”

From the driver’s seat came his response, “Yup”.

“Yup?!”  “What do you mean, yup?!”  “You’ve known it was there?  You’ve noticed it before?”  “I’ve had this chicken neck for some time and you haven’t told me!”

Slight nod from a now silent Big Boy who is grinning.

I take another quick peak at the mirror.  There it is.  That saggy neck thing going on…you know with vertical wrinkles.  When did this happen?!  I’m thinking, overnight!  I’ve seen women like this…old women!

And at that moment, I reached another milestone…not one I’d ever looked forward to or one I’m to happy about…but age is beginning to show in ways I’d never imagined.  And I am now a somewhat sad member of the “Chicken Neck Club”.  (and my Big Boy, he’s still remaining silent on the subject!) Good choice.

Welcome to 49andcounting.

Why Putting Your Mind in the Toilet Can Be Quite Heavenly

Reblogged from masterpieceintheworks:

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"You have to come visit! I want to show you what all little ol' Lucas, Kansas has to offer."

My buddy, Michaela, has been cranking my arm through the cell phone waves for over a year to come visit.

And I have honestly meant to, but you know how time just meanders away and no one knows where it went. She's only three hours away, however I had failed to head north.

Read more… 937 more words

Here's a favorite for you. The unique small Kansas town I live in, written by my favorite "gonna be famous someday" author. You'll want to add her blog to your favorites!

A Grandmas Gotta Worry…Or, Not!

I believe that being 49andcounting brings with it a unique perspective on life.  We’ve been around a few years (okay, maybe quite a few!), we’ve seen what life has been like “back then”,  we remember “when”.  And my, though I never imagined I’d be the one sitting in this position, I remember life before the dishwasher or microwave!  I remember phones attached to the wall.  Or tv’s with rabbit-ear antennas. (and when did the channel changer come along?)

Has it always been this way for those that reach the mid-century mark?  Have those over 50 always felt that life has changed at a break-neck speed?  And along with all those changes, at least in my world, has come fear.  Fear for my children, fear for my grandchildren, fear for those sweet little munchkins at church.

My heart aches and my head spins just thinking that schools aren’t a safe place any more.  Or knowing that children are abducted playing in their own yards.

My grandbabies can’t ride their bikes to the grocery store alone.  Some of my favorite memories are riding to the corner filling station and spending my allowance on penny candy.  And absolutely every summer day, I rode my bike blocks and blocks away to the swimming pool.  More often than not, I’d leave to play somewhere within our block, early in the morning…make a stop at home for lunch, then off again until dark.  Our mother’s knew that we were “playing with friends”, and we would all pass through ‘now and then’.  I didn’t have a cell phone to keep in touch, I didn’t need one.

And so, this Grammy worries.  About the state of our world, about the safety of everyone.  About the loss of Christian morals and beliefs.  About how life has “changed”.

Then today, I read this scripture:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4: 6

and this:

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” –Psalm 118:24

And it came to me.  I am to be anxious for nothing! All these changes…God has it handled.  I am to give it to God in prayer, with thanksgiving…this is His day, the day that He has made!  And this Grammy…well, I will surely be trying to Rejoice instead of worry!

 

 

This One’s For The Girls…

When I started this blog, I’ll have to admit, it was for the girls.  I was nearing 50, my body seemed to be falling apart and I was experiencing all kinds of new “old” symptoms.  (from wrinkles on my chest to chin hairs)  Guys, I warned you!

Since then I’ve found that I have a few guy readers…at least my brother, he’s my biggest fan!…and my preacher…who’da thought it!

But, this one’s for the girls.  It’s been haunting me since mid-December.  Let’s just start with the fact that…I’m not a shopper.  Walking the mall, browsing aisles of clothing, trying on “cute” outfits…is just not for me.  Any outfit I’ve taken the time to try on has not been “cute”…usually I experience the “Lord, I’ve gotten fat” moment.  And, well I promise you,  that’s just not a “feel good” moment.

So when Christmas came around, the UPS guy became my new best friend.  Don’t get me wrong, I love giving.  I love coming up with the perfect gift.  Just what they want.  But the search, in a store…not so much!  Which brings me to my shopping horror of horror’s.

I’m going to tell you a little secret.  When I do shop for others,  I find myself noticing things that I would like to have.  Or more often than not, things I need.  Because, as you may well realize..throughout the year I haven’t spent much time shopping for those items.

I’ve given in and gone to the mall.  And in the store that starts with “D” and is not Sears or JcPenney (lol, they don’t even start with D)…I walk by the undergarment section.  “Hmmm, I really need a new bra”  (no trying on for this girl…take a good guess and go)  WELL, you won’t believe this, or maybe you will, but I was floored.  The bra I picked up…was $62!!!  $62…are you kidding me!  What in the world, have times changed that much since I made my last purchase?  Ok, I did breeze by the lacey things…at 49andcounting I thought some changes were in order.  The tatas need a bit more “support”, in fact, they need dragged up from points beyond and stuffed in…cinched up below my chin with something substantial…but $62!!  I think my heart stopped for a moment.  “Wow, is this what it means to ‘grow old’ ?”

Needless to say, I’m still walking around in my $22.95 undergarment.  But I’ll have to admit, the thought has now been placed in my head…”is part of getting older paying more to ‘put it all back in place’?”

And I kind of have this aching feeling that before it’s all over that UPS guy will be coming to my door, and unbeknownst to him…he’ll be delivering a tiny little box that gives me that “feel good” moment and is worth its weight in gold!

Jan. 1, 2013…

For weeks now, my thoughts just haven’t been coming together.  No, aha, moments on what I might blog about.  And when the thoughts aren’t there, I don’t write.

This morning, January 1, 2013, I woke up from my slumber and the first thing that went through my mind…I mean the very first thing…was a song.  “Up From the Grave He Arose…”, which then led to a groggy…”I know it’s a holiday”…”Easter?, maybe?”

By then I had cleared the fog from my head and it came to me…”a new year..today is New Year’s Day!”

I hopped out of bed singing (well, in my head).. ”Up From the Grave He Arose…He Arose…He Arose…Hallelujah, Christ Arose”.

What a great way to start 2013.  Just wanted to tell you

Happy New Year to You…Wishing you love and peace for 2013.