Valentine Wishes

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope each of you have a wonderful day today, celebrating the love in your life. Love of the special people in your life. Love of family. Love of friends. Most of all the love to God for you.

You are very dear to my heart and I wish I could deliver a valentine to you. In person. Since I can't I will share these vintage valentines from the collection my dear little mother saved from my childhood.

We are dining in tonight. As I teach piano lessons this afternoon my crockpot will be simmering away. Working on a special Valentine's Day dinner. We decided to invite my dear little mother to join us this evening. To include her in a special time together. She protested when we gave her this invitation. But we 'won' and convinced her that we want to celebrate love - not just ours. Hers. The love she and my father shared. Most of all the love of Jesus in our lives.

Valentine's Day is particularly difficult for widows. Especially the first year. It is a good time to remind them that love encompasses so much more than just the love of one person. A good time to shower them with our love as friends and family. To make them feel special and to let them reminisce and recall the love of their lives. To remember the blessings and joys of that love. To share it with us. Next year I plan to have a Valentine's luncheon or tea at my home. Just for widow friends. Something special. A nice table. Wonderful menu. Laughter and fun. A time to share their love stories. A special little gift. Most of all the gift of loving them enough to allow them to have a new Valentine's Day memory. And to share their memories with dear ones who will listen and understand.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Beach Signs

We did! We left the sand at the beach. We came home last evening after a wonderful time together at the Oregon Coast. We were blessed in many ways and it was a most special birthday treat for my dear little mother. We didn't want to come home, but we did. Our home seemed strangely quiet last night without the roar of the sea outside our window. Back to the routine of real life today. But we are so thankful for our time away together. There were many blessings we could not have planned. There is so much to share - I will. Soon.

Thank you for your kind comments and birthday wishes for my dear mother. She was overwhelmed that so many 'friends' she has never met took the time to give her birthday greetings.

I am far behind with responses to comments. Each of your sweet comments mean so much to me. I hope to catch up soon. In the meantime I will try to stop longing to be where I am not - by the waves of the majestic Pacific Ocean. Instead, I will do what I must and will treasure the time away to rest and relax and be with the people I love so dearly.

(A gentle reminder. Slow down - breathe - relax.)

Precious Memories

This morning we are leaving town for a few days. My dear little mother will turn 85 on Tuesday and we are taking her to the Oregon Coast for a few days. She recently had a heart attack - her 2nd through the last years. She is not well at all and her strength has been decreased very much. My sweetheart and I have rented a lovely home on the bluff above the ocean where we can sit and watch the waves through the windows. My dear mother is not strong enough for a big family celebration so we planned this trip for a special quiet time together. Just her, my sweetheart and I. She and I will visit an antique or thrift shop together. Slowly. One at a time with rest in between. We never know what a day will bring and we are trying to make each day special and value each moment together. That's what we should all do - always - all the time - with everyone in our lives. So I will be away for a few days and will share about our trip together when I return. Until then we will be talking and reminiscing much about our memories. Our precious memories.

Precious memories, unseen angels,

Sent from somewhere to my soul;

How they linger, ever near me,

And the sacred past unfold.

Chorus

Precious memories, how they linger,

How they ever flood my soul;

In the stillness of the midnight,

Precious, sacred scenes unfold.

Precious father, loving mother,

Fly across the lonely years;

And old homescenes of my childhood,

In fond memory appears.

In the stillness of the midnight,

Echoes from the past I hear;

Old time singing, gladness bringing,

From that lovely land somewhere.

As I travel on life's pathway,

Know not what the years may hold;

As I ponder, hope grows fonder,

Precious memories flood my soul.

Song: "Precious Memories"

Words and music by J.B.F. Wright

The Gift of Friendship

What would we do without friends? Good friends. Kindred-spirit friends. I think I would be lost without them. Friends who are there in the happy times. Friends who are there in the sad times. Friends who love to laugh with me. Friends who love to question and challenge me. Friends who let me be there for them. Friends who are precious treasures to me.

Early last evening my phone rang. When I answered I heard the voice of a very dear friend. "Hey, you posted a comment on the blog of a friend of mine at 4:37 this morning!" That was all it took for a long phone conversation to follow and plans made to spend time together - doing some very fun things. We talked and dreamed and planned and scheduled. This friendship began quite a few years ago. She was my boss. Unlike any boss I had before or since. I tell her that she spoiled me and no boss after her could compare. And I did compare them all to her! She was caring and understanding of the people under her supervision. She knew how to make a dark day bright. Sometimes roses from her garden for each desk. Sometimes a time away from the office for coffee or lunch. Sometimes just a few minutes alone in her office to ask how things were going. Then I left the company and soon she did too. That's when our friendship really began. Cemented for life. She moved out of state - minutes away from the college where our son attended. There were times I stayed at her home while having a mother-son college weekend. Times later to just visit and be together. Through her moves to several other places we stayed in touch. We have dreamed and made big plans together. Talked of going into business together. Thrifted and antiqued together. Just a wonderful friend. Once again she lives close to me. And we have plans. Scheduled-on-the-calendar plans. We love spending time together.

One of my dearest friends has been a kindred-spirit friend since college days. We sat on each other's beds in our dorm rooms and laughed and dreamed and cried. We often sat in my dorm room where we could look from my big window across into the windows of an adjacent classroom building and watch and 'dream' of a certain young man or two as they unsuspectingly sat in class. When our college days were over we continued our friendship by phone and letters. We married within months of each other and were in each other's wedding - a special honor to be together as we each walked into the future with the loves of our lives. Through the years we shared the births of our children, the adventures and sorrows of life. Then came email! Oh, how that changed our friendship. Every day contact was possible. And it continues. We share our joys and sadness. Frustration and excitement. Hopes and dreams. Pictures and precious gifts. One gift - this friendship calendar - sits by my computer and reminds me each day of the wonderful gift of friendship.

Another dear friend who lives nearby has a very special place in my heart. She is a remarkable lady and a friend who loves dearly. A friend who never fails to drop a note in the mail to say thank you. Or 'I miss you'. Or 'I'm praying for you'. I met her many years ago when my now-grown children were very young. At a really tough time in my life. She was there and her friendship was like an anchor in a storm. She taught a Bible study at our church and it seemed each week what she shared and how she applied it was just meant for me. We moved away and lost contact for a time. Then, a few days before my dear father died she walked back into my life. When I needed her most. She was the Hospice chaplain and she was there for us during another tough time. Our friendship was rekindled and has grown stronger than ever before. Years ago she began a ministry that touches the hearts of people all through the Portland area. She asked me to join her on the board of a special part of her ministry and I was honored. Beyond words. Friend To Friend is a monthly dessert fellowship time just for women. For the purpose of helping women make and enjoy friendships. She makes it a special time and there is no end of fun, laughter, hugs and encouragement. And often tears. Tears as we love and support each other through tough times and in the happy times. We enjoy good food, beautiful centerpieces and table settings, lots of fun door prizes and always a special speaker who touches our lives deeply. Sometimes a deep spiritual challenge. Sometimes an incredible fashion show (modeled by us - ordinary people). Sometimes organizing or decorating ideas for our homes. Sometimes ladies who attend sharing their wonderful talents or businesses or ministries. Always special. Always fun. Always meaningful. Beyond helping my dear friend with this and other ministries we have a wonderful, deep friendship that we both cherish. She is quick to give little gifts. The ceramic heart at the top of this post is one of those gifts. Part of a gift this last Christmas was this heart that means so much. It hangs on the wall of my office. Not just for the holidays but for every day.

And then there are the many other friends I wouldn't want to be without. The everyday friends who pass through and touch my life often. And you, my dear blog friends, who have come to mean so much to me. Each one is so special. While I treasure gifts from my friends, most of all I treasure the gift of friendship.

(I am off today to lead music at Friend To Friend. If you live in the Portland, Oregon area and would like to know more - and maybe join us in the future - you can read more about it here. If you decide to attend please let me know you are coming. I want to meet you. I'll save you a seat! I'm sure you'll be glad you came. You will definitely meet new friends.)

Special Friends And An Award

Before I began my blog last May I started reading some blogs that I enjoyed a lot. I often wondered if I would have enough to share if I had a blog. Like other blog friends have mentioned, I wondered if anyone would read it. I decided to give it a try. A creative outlet for my love of writing. A place to share myself and my heart with others. Here I am a bit more than eight months later and I can't tell you how many wonderful new friends I have made through blogging. I am very particular about what blogs I read. I have certain things I look for and I have found more blogs that qualify than you can imagine. I have 'met' many friends who share much in common with me and who have added to my life immeasurably through these months. Friends who have walked through the joys and sorrows of life with me. Friends who have sent sweet messages of congratulations, encouragement and comfort. Friends who have taken the time to send me a personal email. Friends who have offered advice when I asked. A friend who went out of her way to take pictures of our former home in another city. Friends who genuinely care even though we've never met. I have learned to see my world (and my home) through different eyes than before - and my camera is always close at hand. My family doesn't find it strange anymore when I take pictures as I prepare a meal. And they don't find it strange that I'm taking pictures of odds and ends of thrifting finds. Or ugly 'before' pictures of a soon-to-be-done project. They humor me by allowing me to photograph things they don't understand. And they love me and are proud of my blog, especially when I'm bragging about them.

In the blog world there are so many ways to honor each other. I am always amazed when someone mentions me or lists my blog as one of their favorites. Every day I enjoy the creativity and beauty of the lives of the special people I've come to know a bit through the past months. One of these friends is Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses. I 'visit' her often. Her home and the things she shares have been graced with her talent and the beauty she creates. I would love to be able to sit down and share a cup of tea with her but the many miles between us don't allow that to happen. Perhaps someday! Rhondi sweetly and graciously gave me a blog award that I treasure. She gave me the "You Make My Day" award. I can't tell you how special that is to me, Rhondi, because you really do make my day. Thank you for your kind words and your friendship.

Now the hard part in accepting these awards it to decide who to pass it on to. That's the way it is with these awards. We don't keep them for ourselves - we pass them along and share them. I would like to share this award with Katherine at Yellow Rose Arbor. We have so much in common. Our faith. Our love of yellow roses. Our collections of yellow depression glass. And many more things. I've enjoyed sharing them with her. She is another far-away friend who I would love to visit with over a cup of tea in her home. I hope you will stop by and visit her soon. You will find a gracious lady whose blog shares her world in such beautiful ways. I'm sure you will enjoy her, too. Katherine, this one's for you - you truly do make my day!

Seekers Of Your Heart

Until we give You first place,

Until we let You begin

To fill us with Your Spirit,

Renew us from within.

Nothing matters,

Nothing's gained.

Without Your holy presence

Our lives are lived in vain.

Lord, we want to know You,

Live our lives to show You

All the love we owe You,

We're seekers of Your heart.

Because Your heart was broken

Because You saw the need

Because You gave so freely,

Because of Calvary

We can now be

Called Your own

Completed creations

Filled with You alone.

Lord, we want to know You,

Live our lives to show You

All the love we owe You,

We're seekers of Your heart.

Words and Music by Dick and Melodie Tunnley and Beverly Darrall

Photo: "Small Church in the Woods" by James Davidson

Valentine Memories

My dear little mother saved some things that bring back happy memories of my childhood. A couple of years ago she gave me a box of greeting cards that were given to me through my childhood years - special things from very special people. The vintage valentines in my header were among the cards she saved for me. Each given by a special friend. Each one brings back so many memories. The messages inside and on the back of these treasured valentines are sweet. The valentine shown here is big - about 8 1/2 inches tall - with a little cardboard 'stand'. He has soft, fuzzy fur. On the back is this delightful message.

Over the next few days I will share my sweet, old valentines with you. And there may be a story or two along the way about the dear people whose names are forever inscribed on my heart.