I'm not doing very well keeping up with this blogging.... and no one is following me or checking out my posts anyway....If perhaps someone does check out my posts, I pray you are having a great day and I wish God's blessings in your life. 

It's going to be a HOT day, here in Montana!!! Forecast is for 95F!!! Too hot for me, Thank heaven for A/C!! I have watered the flower beds and our tomato plants. I'll clean up my kitchen and get ready to can WA Bing cherries this morning, and also bring up the dehydrator to preserve part of the fresh pineapple I bought last weekend. Getting ready for winter is hard work, but I do enjoy canning so much. 

Prayers are in for our tomato plants to produce a lot, so we can make our spaghetti sauce and salsa to can. The last jar of spaghetti sauce was used weeks ago, which we canned 2 years ago. Didn't make any last year due to no garden. That was due to flooding in our area, that lasted way into June!! We already have a short growing season, that didn't help!

Today is my umpteenth time of renewing my resolve to lose weight. Actually, I started a couple weeks ago. Haven't done too bad, but really going to make an effort to eat very healthy and stop eating the crap!! This morning's breakfast is a wonderful smoothie of raspberries, blackberries, apple, CLICK espresso protein powder, coconut milk (unsweetened), and ice. Put it all in our Blendtec and away it goes! Tastes wonderful! Get some great antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. I love our Blendtec!! It is a great machine for the smoothies!

In the vein of trying to eat healthy, this last week, I ordered fruits and veggies from a group called Bountiful Baskets... They have an FB page, so look it up if, Dear Reader, you happened to want fresh fruits and veggies, but hate paying supermarket prices. You pay a certain amount of money (for the regular basket) and it is 50% veggies and 50% fruits. In the basket we picked up on Saturday, there were strawberries, limes, mangoes, plums, nectarines, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, bananas, green beans, mushrooms and a few other things, I can't remember right this minute. Extras (that you pay extra for) were the WA Bing cherries, and pineapple. Plus an extra veggie pack that had yellow squash, garlic, onion, parsley and a couple other things. They also have 3 different kinds of bread (that is  bought in 5 loaf packages), organic veggies/fruits and their specially made granola. 

I think it's a great organization. They don't call themselves a co-op..... Check it out,....I hope one is in your area. www.bountifulbaskets.org 

well, I better get to cleaning the kitchen and work on canning the cherries and pineapple. 

Have a wonderful day.

On Friday, Jim and I, plus our son, went to a funeral for young man that Jim had a friendship with. He was only 34 years old.. just 3 years older than our youngest son (who went with us). Jim worked with this young man for a couple years, several years ago,,,, brought him to our home, taught him knot work, and did other things together. Then as the years went bye, we didn't see the young man for several years, but Jim kept in contact with his Dad. His dad would tell us the latest news.

My heart broke when I noticed this bright, smiling faced young man's obit in the local paper,,, included in the obit was "the family chooses not to disclose the cause of death". Sadly, this usually means that the person committed suicide.... which is what happened. . When I saw the obit, my heart just sank, and tears filled my eyes and heart. I knew that I would have to tell my husband, and didn't want to. It was another heart wrenching time, when I showed Jim the notice and let him know.

A couple weeks ago, Jim ran into JJ's father, and got JJ's phone number. His Dad was sad for his son, telling Jim that JJ was in a deep depression. Jim tried calling JJ a few times over the last couple weeks, and got no answer or a reply to his calls. So, sad.... I know that Jim thought "if I could have only talked to him". I'm sure that his family felt  the "IF" questions too.

JJ was in so much pain, that he couldn't see that life is still worth living, and there can be brighter days ahead.... the darkness of his depression would only allow JJ to seek out what was to be his last act on earth; to take a gun and kill himself, to finally end the pain and sadness. Why does this happen?  This is a question that I'm going to ask God when I see Him. When a person is in the depression, do they not think about what suicide will do to their loved ones? Do they not know the heart ache and second guessing their families and friends will have? I would guess that their pain and depression makes them believe that this is the only way out from the constant thoughts and a mind focused on sad things.

The sadness, pain and remorse that I saw in JJ's family, at the funeral, was beyond heartbreaking, I cried through the whole service, held Jim's hand as he also felt overwhelmed with grief. We hugged JJ's Dad, and he cried as we hugged.

I so wish that JJ could have found his way to stay, to fight the demon of depression and alcoholism. I so wish he could have seen how he was the light of his family and a good friend to many. My spirit prays he can rest in the peace he couldn't find in this life. God be with his family and friends.

Anniversary musings

Today, June 7th, 2012 is our (Jim and I) 32nd wedding anniversary! Where did the last 32 years go!!! Our youngest son turned 31 just two days ago. WHEW!!! My oldest son will be 38 on the 29th of June... then Jim and I will be 60 (ugh cough cough cough) during the first week in July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time is marching on faster and faster it seems. SO many things I want to do!!! It's time to stop playing on the computer, FB, Twitter, playing games and checking emails........it's time to get off my butt and MOVE!!!

Ok,,,, I digress.... Jim and I will probably go out for dinner tonight at our favorite 'special occasion' restaurant. We have had some great years, some not so good years, and as we approach our mid-to-late years, I pray we have great times coming. I envy those who write about marrying their best friend...while I love Jim, he is not my best friend... we like different things, think  differently, and have some issues that will probably never be solved to each other's liking. How do you make friends with your husband? I often wonder about that. Since it seems no one is following or looking at my blog, I say these things, never expecting a comment. I'd love to know how others are really good friends with their husbands....(or if the reader is a husband,,,with your wife). We have less days ahead of us, than we have behind us, so I would really like to create a better relationship. Hoping we can, yet not knowing how to do it.

3 am

It's almost 3 am and I can't sleep. So many things are going thru my mind. Praying for friends and family who are battling for their lives, and others who are ready for their lives to be over so they can go on to Heaven. Oh how my heart cries out for the healing that my friends and family members need, and for the peace that those who look to the next world as a good place to go. I'm torn by my belief that God heals and my lack of faith that He really will. Boy, am I a conundrum. My thoughts go back and forth, believing and then doubting. Do others feel this, too?

Too sick to post much, but am out of school for the summer. One more Fall and Spring semester and I will be out of college!!! I passed all the classes this term. SOOO glad! 
I'll come back in a couple days, when this crud is over, to write again. 
I

Lazy Day

For most of this day I was a lazy. I didn't do much at all, but play on the computer, watch (listen mostly) tv and fix some breakfast, lunch and dinner. This evening, I am working on studying for College Algebra Final that will be this coming Thursday. This is a hard class for me, for some reason. BIG SIGH!!!! I am hoping and praying to just pass, in order to get into my Dietetic Technician program. If anyone reads this, I would ask for your prayers & good thoughts!

I am looking forward to having a couple months off from school. I plan on doing some quilt designing, piecing and quilting!!! My soul and heart has missed this part of me so very much over the last few years, since I started school. Today I was looking at Pinterest and seeing all the lovely quilts people have 'pinned'. I loved looking at them and getting some ideas.

Traditional quilts, Traditional with a twist and the modern, art-quilts all draw me in... different parts of me are touched and I just want to get to my quilting room and get going!! I don't understand those people who put down the traditional, or the more modern. A few of the online quilt groups I belong to are traditional in outlook, and some have more of a arty or modern outlook. Sometimes, I read comments from someone who really shows disdain for the different mode of working. Like I said, I don't understand that at all. I think one loses some much that they could be learning, by putting down someone else's work, because it isn't what they like to do.

There are some 'arty' quilts I have in mind. Where I live, I can see the Highwood Mountains! I love looking at them every time I drive off our hill and down into town. They change with the seasons, weather, cloud cover and where the sun is in the sky.  YET, they are the same. If we ever move from here,  I will miss seeing them.

So, my idea is to take a picture, that I can blow up and then design a quilt with the mountains center stage. Then add blocks surrounding them, that remind me of Montana. I haven't set anything to paper yet, but my mind has been going over things for a long time. Hopefully, this summer I'll get to start.

Well, think I will get back to studying. My guys are watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark". WOW, Harrison Ford looks so young!!! Holy Moly, I remember seeing this movie when it first came out!!!

Have a grand day, Dear Reader. Prayers for blessings abundant for you going up. 

OH MY!!! More than 3 yrs later!

I totally forgot that I started this blog!!! It is now 2012!! Where does the time go?

I am still in college. Though, I have finished the Medical Assistant program and graduated in May of 2011! That was a great time. My Mom, one of my sisters and her daughter, my best-friend in the world and her hubby all came to Montana to see me graduate. It was one of the best times in my life!! Of course my hubby and youngest son were here, as well. Graduation was a wonderful experience. I even got my picture in the paper. I will forever cherish all that happened, the people who were here and God for getting me through!!!

Since graduating from the MA program, the college started a Dietetic Technician program that drew me in. Financial aide ok'd me to take the classes, and I am in the process of finishing all the pre-req classes in order to start the program in the Fall 2012. The course is an intense 2 semester course. At the end, I will have to take a national exam in order to be registered. My goal is to use both the MA (medical assistant) and DTR (dietetic technician registered) credentials and work with a cardiologist, an endocrinologist or at the bariatric center. My desire is to help people who are obese become healthier and reach their goals of losing weight and becoming healthy.

One thing I really want to do is to get back to quilting!! I miss designing, cutting, piecing and seeing the quilts come together. Over the last 6 yrs, college with all the studying has taken over my much of my time. Summer break will be a good time for me to finally get some quilt making done!!! YAY!!! I have some designs in mind and a few projects that are calling my name. I am praying that I can answer their calls this summer!!!

I have a dentist appointment this morning for a consult in extracting a tooth that broke. ICK!!! To be honest, I hate going to the dentist. I avoid going like the plague. Very bad experiences when I was growing up left my psychy terrorized. So, this will be pretty nerve racking. BUT, I'm a big girl and can do this.... right?

The sun is shinning and it will be a warm day, here in Montana... at least my part anyway. Montana is such a large state, that one part can be in a blizzard, while other parts are sunny and warm. I am amazed at how small some of the eastern states are, and that people can travel through 2 or 3 of them in a few hours! It takes more that 10 hours of driving to cross Montana!!! So, now I have lived in the biggest states of the Union. I was born in Texas, lived Alaska for 5 yrs and now live in Montana! Those are the 3 biggies!!

Yesterday was almost 80 degrees! It felt so nice to be outside without a jacket or winter coat on!! The hubby and I went to Home Depot and purchased a cultivator (small tiller), a vinyl type greenhouse to place over my herb and early spring food garden, plus a couple other things. Good thing for tax refunds!!! I hope that I will be able to maneuver the cultivator myself. The front yard flower beds need tilling so I can get those icky weeds out. It would be so much easier than having to use the shovel to turn the dirt. I'm soooo ready to work outside in the flower beds and garden!!


Well, I'm signing off for now. Let's hope that I don't forget to post for another 3 yrs! LOLOL!!! Although, there doesn't seem to any one following my posts, but I will try to do this as much as I can.

Have a grand day, Dear Reader. Leave a comment... let's get to know each other! Smiles and Blessings