The irises are blooming!

Every year I wonder if they will come back. I planted some yellow irises that our neighbor gave us several years ago, and they usually appear around the end of May. This year they opened up on May 28--several yellow blooms, brightening the area around our mailbox by the curb.

One year they didn't bloom. The leaves came up, but the blooms never appeared. That fall, I divided the bulbs and then they came back in the spring. I should have divided them last fall, but didn't---but they came back anyway!

I love irises--and perhaps because we have them for such a short time. They will bloom for a few weeks, then they'll be done. These are the only flowers I have in our yard--we have bushes, trees and other plants, but not any more flowers. I don't really have a green thumb. So, I enjoy my irises and the wonderful flowers in my neighbor's garden.

Spring is here at last--the irises, summer birds, and sunshine are testimony to that. I'll enjoy the irises before the heat of summer is in full swing and before we know it, fall will be here again.

Till next time,


Suzi

Weird, but great!

The last few weeks of "back to the past" have been great--reconnecting with old friends on e-mail and blogs. Yesterday we got home from a picnic with friends and Tim checked voice mail.
"Well, I just saved a message from a blast from your past," he said.

It was my old roommate from my grad school days, Lori. I listened to her voice and the story of how she had run into another old friend, Pam, and wanted to relay her encounter with Pam to me. Now, I send Christmas cards to Lori and her family every year, and have received one about every five to ten years from her. I had lost touch with Pam, so I was happy to hear how I could reconnect with her.

I called Lori back. As she and I talked, it was as if I had just seen her yesterday. The years of being 400 miles apart were like nothing as we reminisced about old times and caught up with what's happening in our lives now. She had saved a piece of paper I had written to her once--that I remember saying to her, probably on more than one occasion. Lori was getting some advice on something (political maybe?) from some male friends, and I had said/written to her: "Instead of listening to these men, why don't you listen to your roommate who loves you and who reads the newspaper?"

Maybe it's only funny for the two of us. And Lori now reads the newspaper quite frequently, but at the time she didn't. Anyhow, it was fun to chuckle over something we both remember.

I suppose as I get older, I'll probably be living in the past even more. But hopefully I can still be mindful of the present and plan for the future, all the while trusting God for his will for my life.

Finally, a picture!

I have been trying for a long time to posts pictures on my blog. Tim had some time last night, and he's been posting pictures on his blog quite regularly. But for some reason, it was more difficult to post them here.

He had to jump through quite a few hoops to figure out how to post my profile picture and the one below of the two of us, but he did it! Some of you may recognize the picture of Tim and me from when he posted it on his blog back in February. Actually, I had wanted that picture as my profile mug(s), but he found a fairly decent one of me (not an easy task!) so I'll settle for that one.

Don't know how soon it will be before pictures will appear on Swansmith again, but at least we now know it is possible!

Till next time,


Suzi

Just before Tim devours the cake
Posted by Hello

Regular or decaf, diet or sugar, work or play, vacation or stay at home

It seems like since my last two blogs several topics of discussion have come up. Should we choose nutrasweet over real sugar? Should we choose caffeine over de-caf in our coffee? Should we leave town over the Memorial weekend or stay at home? Should we go to work today or stay home and have fun (or work at home)?

It's a weird day. Mark and Christina only have one final today, so they have a very short day at school and didn't need to be out of bed till 10 am! Tim's busy work schedule has suddenly evaporated--there are jobs on the horizon, but nothing is ready for him to tape (he is a drywall finisher) until next week.

We could go camping, but it's supposed to rain everywhere within 500 miles of here over the weekend. Besides, the kids have "plans" this weekend and are not really willing to go anywhere. In some ways, it was easier when they were little! (I'm sure moms of preschoolers will disagree!)

So, we are left to contemplate, is sugar better than the substitute? As a diabetic, I often partake in foods/drinks with Nutrasweet or Splenda. I like Splenda better, because it is made from real sugar. I do eat sugar, but try to be careful about my intake and watch my blood sugar. (Adding a unit or two or more of insulin helps when I indulge in the real thing on occasion.)

Tim, though he may not like to admit it, is slowly adding de-caf to his evening coffee--at least at friends' homes. He usually drinks regular instant, and insists that this does not have the power that brewed caffeinated coffee does. Not being a coffee drinker, I do not normally engage in this debate, but I have found that if I drink caffeinated pop after, say, 4 pm, I may have trouble sleeping all night long.

I like drinking water--although I like my water jazzed up a bit. My favorite is H2Oh!, which is carbonated flavored water. I don't like any sweeteners added to water, but I don't mind the carbonation and flavor. Maybe I'm weird. Tim likes it too, so it is almost the only drink we can share. (I don't do coffee--he doesn't do diet.)

As for the work or play debate, Christina had a short day yesterday at school, so when I picked her up we were off to job search! She is 15 1/2--a bit young perhaps, but she can be very responsible and pleasant and SHE LOVES TO SPEND MONEY. So, time for her to earn her own shiny pennies, I say. I told her I remember when my mom took me out to job hunt when I was 16. I landed my first job as a waitress at Big Boy, and that was an eye-opening experience for me. It was hard work. I had to work with and for difficult people, but it was good for me and I met a lot of wonderful people there too. My favorite part of the job, I have to admit, was coming home and rolling all those coins I had earned in tips. (I think waitresses now get mostly bills. I was very, very happy if I got a few dollar bills here and there. Now it's very common to see at least a five-spot on a table for the server.)

I guess there are always things to debate in life. We are debating now whether or not we will heed the weatherman's gloomy forecast for the weekend. The sun keeps tempting us to come outside and play, then just as we do, it hides behind the clouds and the heavens open up with a flash of rain.

Keeps life interesting.

Till next time,


Suzi

Blogging for change

As I posted yesterday, I do not normally blog on controversial topics, just on daily life. Thank you to those who chose to comment to lift my spirits a little. But I do want to recognize those bloggers out there who are changing the world.

This morning, as I was looking for commentary to help me on my post at Blogging for Light, I came across an article at Crosswalk by Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Seminary. His article was entitled "A Common Culture in the Age of Blogging?" and wrote about how bloggers have retreated from the mainstream media and begun a new phenomena of their own--the blogosphere.

Among other things, he writes: "In a strange twist of irony, the culture of Western civilization may survive through the efforts of a core of dedicated bloggers who are unwilling to see it die. The media elite will simply have to watch from a distance, scratching their heads as they watch their audience disappear and their influence dissipate. The long-term impact of the blogging revolution is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, the toppling of the mainstream media's monopoly is a cultural achievement in itself. May the revolution continue."

I will try to keep my corner of Western civilization alive through blogging about my daily life (which includes, by the way, helping my son study for his finals test in his Western Civilization class at his Lutheran high school.) Blog on, defenders of traditional values! Our voices are varied and we often disagree, but we do have voices, and some are turning the tide of culture by the words they pen (ummmmmmm, type).

By the way--I think change needs to begin with the spell check on blogspot. After many months of blogging, spell check still does not recognize blog, blogging, or blogosphere. Let's revolutionize spell check as well!

Till next time,


Suzi

No controversy, no comment

I've been blogging for awhile now--it will actually be two years in July! Wow! Time flies. I've read hundreds of others' blogs and left comments here and there, but mostly soaked in what others had to say. As I sit here in our office at home, I hope maybe one or two people will read what I have to say and maybe it will bring a smile, give a bit of information, or maybe even be a cyber hug to someone I know or may not know.

As a journalism major (oops--should I let that secret out--now you'll be wondering why my blogs sound so much like streams of consciousness instead of highly crafted news or feature articles), I hope that daily writing hones my craft a bit and communicates something to people who come across my page. On my other blog, I hope that the daily comments I make on Scripture readings may inspire others, too.

My husband Tim has suggested that I should write on more controversial topics. I should be opinionated, encourage discussion in the comment line and respond with informed answers of my own.

Even though I would love to see my blog meter sky-rise, I guess I shy away from controversy in this forum. I enjoy writing about what's on my mind, which is usually my home, family, neighborhood--my little corner of the world. Maybe my blogs are boring. Or maybe I'm afraid of writing controversial things because I want to be liked (rather than be read?) and would instead seek to avoid negative comments.

Perhaps I'll address a controversial issue or two in the future. Perhaps I'll look back on an old blog and say--"Did I really write that?" But every day my computer calls me, and my mind and fingers engage in these little essays on my life. Controversy or no, comments or no, I am at least putting words on a screen. And for me, at least, that is a bit of an accomplishment.

Till next time,


Suzi

Finals week

It's finals week for Mark and Christina. I have to say I'm very pleased to see them studying and reviewing notes week, starting tomorrow, their schedule will be altered--as they will only have certain classes, for extended periods each day. Some classes, like band, will become study halls, and their lunch period will be lengthened as well.

Friday will come very soon and then summer break begins! I will enjoy these last few days while they are in school and try to make plans for summer--Mark will probably work with Tim most days, and if Christina has her way, she'll sleep, have friends over, and shop. But summer plans for her may also include drivers' training, job hunting, and baby sitting.

Tomorrow is our final day of BSF for the year. We've been studying the book of Acts and several of the epistles. Part of our assignment for the week is to review what we've learned this year. I suppose I should do that--it's like a final test for me.

Learning and studying are lifelong, and it's good to take some time to review what we've learned. I know God has been working in my life this year--and it's time to evaluate and give thanks!

Till next time,


Suzi

Blogging for that "ear to ear smile"

I love reconnecting with old friends. We attended a wedding this weekend and caught up with friends from our old church. We also went to a graduation open house and saw more friends there. One of the young ladies there (I remember her as a high school student) is married and expecting their first baby (her parents are younger than I am..........).

Internet connecting is fun too. I don't know what I did in the days before e-mail and blogging. I've had a small part in encouraging others to blog, too, including my sisters, my dad, my friend Theresa (all their blogs are on my sidebar) and now an old friend Rick.

Rick is a family friend from my youth who discovered my name while searching for another friend on classmates.com. He dashed off an e-mail, I responded and told him about my blogging. Before I knew it, he started his own blog, found here. In just a couple of days he has already posted three times--and his latest post particularly touched me. It is about his coaching experience, and specifically about coaching a young neighbor boy named Mike.

He writes: About 3 weeks ago, Mike's mom asked me to come over and help him. Mike was getting down about Little league. He had not been picked for the main league and was now playing in a "developmental" sort of lower level. In laymen's terms he was not any good. Mike's mom knew I had coached for over 15 years and said she thought maybe I could help.
I spent some time joking around with him, building some trust, and just playing catch. Mike is a great kid who loves baseball, but, is not blessed with inborn talent. Like lots of kids his age Mike wants to pitch. Now being a former high school and college catcher, I think pitchers are dumb as rocks, and I told him this. He laughed and said he still wanted to pitch. I spent about an hour with him and gave him 2 small things to work on. Both of these involved positioning his leg.....this way he could just throw the ball and not try to reinvent the wheel.

I had forgotten about this session when Mike's mom came by last night and said Mike had a game, would I like to go ? I was pretty stuffed from the restaurant show...(see yesterday's blog) and really wanted a nice "sit-on-the-deck" type evening but I never miss a chance to see kids play ball. So off I went to the local park. When I arrived, I stayed out of sight for the first several innings. I did not want him to feel any additional pressure having me there....after all, this is the developmental league. Now don't get me wrong, pressure is great for kids. We don't give kids enough credit these days. We think they are these tender little butterfly's who can't take any pressure. Quite the contrary....they THRIVE on it. Anyway, enough preaching.

Well I watched Mike and almost cried. He was doing exactly as I had instructed....leg came up parallel to the ground and delivery was perfect. HE LISTENED ! Now Mike did not pitch a perfect game and his team won...but not completely because of Mike. But the kid came off the field, hugged his mom, and was smiling ear to ear !!!
Some people coach to get their kid a good spot on the team, and some coach because they cannot admit they were not good enough to keep playing at the next level. Well.....I coach for that ear to ear smile. That's it. 100% (Read more....)

That ear to ear smile. I have that ear to ear smile when reconnecting with old friends and seeing God at work in their lives. Like Rick, I love kids and their responsiveness. I've been away from kids' ministry for awhile--but maybe it's time to do some reconnecting with the younger generation. And one of the greatest rewards a kid can give a teacher, a mentor, an adult friend, is that big grin. I love it.

Till next time,


Suzi

A rainy Saturday morning

It's raining again--just drizzling a little--but we're glad, because we bought some black dirt and Tim has now sprinkled grass seed over it. When nature cooperates with our efforts, it is a blessing indeed.

I hope things clear up a bit later. Christina has a track meet today, and her friend Pete just picked her up. They were out last night and Pete's car broke down, our Mark went to pick them up, brought them to Pete's house, then Pete's dad went back for the car and they (Christina and Pete) followed him home (to Pete's home) in their van. This morning Pete was late picking up Christina for the track meet, but I'm just glad she still has a ride. I asked Christina why she didn't just come home last night with her brother, but she said she felt bad for Pete and didn't want to leave him. Teenage logic--sigh.

We have a wedding today and an open house to attend this afternoon. We'll be cutting things rather close, too--Tim took the pick-up truck I drive (I do not drive his large cargo van truck) to help a friend get some shots of things our church wants to sell on e-bay. I am hoping he is home in plenty of time to get the open house and the wedding. It seems our most common disagreements come about when we have too many things scheduled in one day and we are not always clear about exact time commitments.

Anyway, I will try not to worry and hope this turns out to be a nice day for the graduates whose open house we will attend and for the bride and groom. I think it was raining the morning of our wedding, but cleared up by afternoon. (We were married at 2 pm.)

In the meantime, I should get ready and try to get a few things done at home. And I will try not to worry about getting places on time. But I am glad for cell phones so I can check in with certain parties.......

Till next time,


Suzi

One more week

School's out in one week. This week the kids have been reviewing, taking quizzes and finishing up units, to prepare for finals next week.

I've been looking forward to the end of the school year--variety is always good and I enjoy a change of pace. I also look forward to the start of the school year--to get back into a routine and try to develop some sort of schedule.

So far we only have two big things on the calendar for summer--our annual trip to Cornerstone Festival and the kids week at camp in mid-June. We may do some camping close by on weekends throughout the summer, depending on Tim's work schedule.

Right now it doesn't feel a lot like summer. It's cool and overcast--although not as cool as recent days--it's up to the 50s now this morning. I'm sure before long we'll be complaining about the heat and humidity. And before we know it the leaves and the temperatures will be falling again.

The changing seasons. Variety. I love God's creativity. I think life in an unchanging climate would be--well, boring.

Till next time,


Suzi

An anniversary

Yesterday I forgot until the end of the day what the significance of May 18 is to our family. It was on that date, 14 years ago, that my mother arrived from Romania with our little daughter, Christina Lee, after an exhausting plane ride (never mind the months of chasing around the country and dealing with papers and people for my mother and her wonderful interpreter/friend Mia!).

But after all that effort, Christina was placed in our arms. She was about 19 pounds at 17 months, skinny but with round cheeks, bright eyes and an eagerness to reach out to others (especially to touch their hair--she still has an obsession with hair today).

She's come a long way from that shy toddler who didn't talk till she was three. She is an outgoing high school freshman, athlete and musician. She talks a mile a minute and isn't afraid to express her feelings or opinions on most subjects. Even though these years can be difficult, she still holds our hearts captive as they were the first minute we laid eyes on her at the Minneapolis airport.

Thanks Mom & Dad and Mia, for all you did to make it possible for us to adopt Christina. And thank you Lord for giving us such a delightful gift of a daughter. We are grateful for the spark she brings to our family who would otherwise be overwhelmed with quiet stodgy Scandinavian/Germans.

Till next time,


Suzi

Afternoon blog

It's late--2 pm to be exact. I usually blog between 8:30 and 9:30, but today I got up a bit late, made lunches, got the roast in the crockpot and the bread in the breadmaker, and went off for my walk with Raven. By the time Raven and I got back from our rainy route and I jumped in the shower, it was time to head out the door for our last BSF class. Next week we will still meet, but it will be a "sharing" day--we won't be meeting in our small discussion groups and there won't be a lecture. Class members will share with the larger group (about 200 women, I think) about how God has worked in their lives through our study of Acts and the Epistles this year.

Now I'm home, having read my e-mail and a few blogs, and having written my other Bible study blog. I'm reflecting on all the Scripture I've read these past months, through my BSF study and my blog. It's been wonderful to see how God used the early church in the book of Acts, and to read the letters of the early apostles. We've read not only Acts, but 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, 1 & 2 Peter, James and Jude, and maybe some others I've forgotten to mention. In my blog I've read Philippians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Esther, Ruth, James, and probably others I've forgotten to include here. Right now I'm studying Genesis--a wonderful look at how God moved in the early days of mankind.

As I read Scripture, I marvel at how truths that were written so many centuries--even millennia--ago are still relevant today. We make the same mistakes as Bible characters, and can find the same forgiveness from the same God. God's character and his promises throughout Scripture are unchanging--we can claim his truth today and forever. God's love and mercy continue through the generations. I am so grateful for such a wonderful God! I can find newness in texts of Scripture each time I read them, but there is also a steadfastness and unchangeableness about them as well.

Till next time,


Suzi

Graduations, weddings and confirmations

May is always a busy month--especially if you have students or know students. The calendar is filling up with confirmation celebrations, graduation parties, and weddings.

It's always fun to gather with old friends at these get-togethers. (Plus the food is always great.) I don't remember attending confirmation or graduation parties when I was growing up--I wonder if this "open house" thing is a Minnesota event. Before I lived here, I always thought of an open house as when you visited a home that was for sale, and the realtor was showing it on a particular afternoon. Although Open House means that, too, it usually means that someone is opening their home to celebrate a graduate.

Last year we had an open house when Luke graduated from high school. It was a fun event, though lots of work. We enjoyed seeing a lot of people, although I spent too much time in the kitchen and not enough with friends. When attending others' open houses, we can become a little exhausted visiting many houses--sometimes two or three in a single day--but it is always worth the effort. I love catching up with old friends and hearing how God is working in the lives of long-time friends.

After all, these big events only occur once in a young person's life. It's great if we can be there to help them celebrate.

Till next time,


Suzi

Tonight's the Night!

Tonight the last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond will air. Tim and I have been watching episodes (mostly re-runs) for almost the past two years--and we've seen lots of them twice or more. Now we've been "TiVo-ing" them so we can watch them at our leisure, and they are kept for two-three days, to make room for the next episodes.

Another sitcom that Tim and I used to watch before bedtime was Newhart. We loved Bob Newhart and his deadpan, stuttering ways, and the assortment of town characters were entertaining as well.

It's good to end the day with laughter. I think we sleep better and can unwind from the day's activities. Falling asleep after the evening news can cause restlessness, nightmares, and general uneasiness. I'd rather dream of Frank falling through the stairs as he tries to repair Raymond's house (the stairs were actually fine--and Frank recovered well from the fall) or of the three brothers, Larry, Darryl and Darryl (the Darryls don't talk) on Newhart.

Tune in tonight at 8 pm central on CBS for 90 minutes of reminiscing and the final episode. And have sweet dreams with a smile on your face.

Till next time,


Suzi

Movie Night

Last Saturday, as I blogged about a week ago, was our anniversary. Our gift to each other was our time, and we spent the day touring old houses, as I mentioned. But we decided we really needed a tangible thing to celebrate. (Besides, our parents had given us money to spend, so why not?) I reminded Tim that I had gotten him a book for our anniversary. He said I had never presented it to him, so it didn't really count. I said that his discovery of it too early meant I didn't need to "give" it to him. But oh well--we went out shopping.

We headed to Best Buy. It was a cool, rainy night--perfect for movie viewing. We decided to splurge and buy the cheapest DVD player/recorder that they had. Then we even bought some DVDs to bring home.

Last night was watched "The Gods Must Be Crazy." I guess this movie is something of a classic--it came out in 1980, filmed in South Africa--about a bush man who discovers a Coke bottle that comes from the sky (from the gods, he assumes), but how that bottle causes disharmony in the tribe because everyone seems to want to use it and there is only one bottle. So, he ventures out to throw the bottle away at the end of the world. The adventures along the way are really amusing--even though a lot of it is slapstick humor.

It was fun to spend the evening doing something we rarely do--but perhaps will do more often now that the kids are older and not home as much. It was a nice way to unwind from the day--especially for Tim who's been so busy lately with work. If you're looking for a fun movie that's clean (well, the bushmen/women don't wear much clothing.......) and appeals to men and women, this one is it. There are parts I and II--can't wait to see the sequel! (The DVD came with the pair.)

Till next time,
'

Suzi

Catching up

Yesterday I balanced the checkbook. Well, it is a secondary checkbook, but still an important one. I had gotten behind during tax season--in fact, I discovered I was further behind than I had even realized, so it was good to become current. I've called the bank occasionally or received balances at the ATM, so I always had an idea where we were at, but it felt so good to balance each month's statement.

I still should make a list of things I need to catch up on since tax season ended. We still have stacks of papers to be sorted and general stuff we should get rid of.

The problem is to get motivated to do this. Today is another cloudy, cool day, so the sun is not tempting me to be outdoors. However, it is also a good day for reading a book, or surfing the net, or taking a nap.......

Till next time,


Suzi

May and April have flipped

We had a lovely April. (Of course, I missed half of it because I was in an office most of the day during tax season.) The sun shone, the temperatures soared into the sixties and even seventies--it was basically a delightful month.

Now it is May. Today I have the fireplace going because we refuse to turn on the furnace. It is 40 degrees (which is 4.44 degrees Celsius). Brrrrr.

Today Raven and I walked in the rain/cold stuff falling from the sky. I had on my winter coat and mittens, hood pulled up over my head. This weather is very March-like. Poor Christina has a track meet tonight--and it's up north of here about an hour or so, where it's likely to be even colder.

The fishing opener is this weekend, and folks on the radio are joking about bringing their augers for ice fishing.

As for me, I'll stay inside now and wait for warmer days that are sure to come soon.

I think.

Till next time,


Suzi

Running again

Not much time to blog today. I'm running off to BSF and I'm already pushing the clock. Luke stopped home this morning with laundry--his washing machine quit mid-cycle, so I've been putting his second load in the dryer for him. The kids and Tim needed their lunches made, we had to fill out a form and write a check for Christina's track pictures, I had to walk the dog, make breakfast, gather up all my stuff for BSF, shred some cheese for our luncheon today.........


So, I'm off like a flash. Hope you all have a good day.


Till next time,


Suzi

Where did I put it? Or, I forgot again

I've recently read blogs where middle aged writers have been posting about forgetfulness. I've had a major case of this in the past couple of days. For example:

Yesterday morning I missed a lab appointment I had just scheduled the week before. I called the hospital in the afternoon and was able to reschedule for today.

This is not my forgetfulness, but the environment I help create at home may have contributed to this one. We were talking about a friend's daughter's upcoming confirmation, and Tim suddenly remembered that we had been invited to another friend's daughter's confirmation open house party. I have been searching for the invitation, which probably came during tax time, and have been unable to locate it. I left a message on the phone at our friend's house, apologizing because the party was probably over a week ago.

This morning I went to my lab appointment. I was going to blog before I left, but decided I'd try to get there on time, maybe even early, so I waited till now (12:45 pm) to blog. So, I left for my appointment, parked on the 5th floor of the parking ramp, waited forever for the elevator, and got to the admitting desk only to realize that I HAD FORGOTTEN MY LAB ORDERS AT HOME.

Fortunately, the kind young lady at the desk and technology saved me. I called my clinic and was able to have them fax the lab papers over to the hospital. Then I waited my turn, got my blood drawn, got a parking pass, and went on to the grocery store and then home.

And Cheri, I haven't forgotten (kind of) about the pizza muffins recipe. I'll probably e-mail it to you (unless I forget). For the rest of you, it can be found in Joanna Lund's book Cooking Healthy with a Man in Mind, available at Amazon.com.

Till next time (unless I don't remember),


Suzi

A lovely weekend

We enjoyed a lovely weekend. Even though it was overcast most of the time (and last night we got a good rain/thunderstorm after 8 pm), Tim and I enjoyed some wonderful time together. On Saturday we visited some remodeled homes on the Minneapolis/St. Paul home tour. We love seeing the restored rooms, filled with magnificent woodwork, chandeliers, stained glass, hardwood floors, built-in hutches and cabinetry, interesting nooks and crannies, and wonderful gardens. It has more appeal to us than the popular Parade of Homes, which features new homes. It's fun to visit the new homes, too, but more enjoyable to see how people recreate and restore older dwellings.

Sunday was Mother's Day, and I sat with my husband and my three children in church--a rather rare occasion since Mark is often playing guitar, Christina is with the younger children, and Luke no longer lives at home so we don't always see him at our church. We enjoyed lunch together at Leann Chin, and in the evening, Tim's side of the family gathered together to celebrate Mother's Day with his mom and also to wish his dad a happy 70th birthday! (To see pictures, go to Tim's blog.)

Today is my dear mother's birthday. She had a nice mother's day--she and my dad visited my brother and his wife and kids. They have two wonderful boys and their new daughter was dedicated at their church yesterday--Emilee. She is the only Wells granddaughter outside of our Christina--and Mom and Dad have 10 grandchildren now--ranging in age from 25 to 3 months!

Happy Birthday Mom--I hope you have a wonderful day. You've made so many of my birthdays so special--I know Dad will make sure your day is wonderful too. Thanks for being a terrific mom and grandma--I can't wait to see you later this summer. Missing you and loving you lots and lots!

Till next time,


Suzi

Happy Anniversary Honey!

Wow, it's been 22 years already of wedded bliss to my favorite person, Tim. It seems like it was just last week that I was blogging about being married for 21 years. Before we know it, it will be 25 years! I remember thinking that a couple was pretty old if they had been married 25 years. Now it seems that even 50 years of marriage to the right person will fly by.

I'm so thankful for Tim--he is a great dad, a hard worker, a good friend, faithful to me and just all in all a pretty wonderful husband. I am still so thrilled to wake up next to him every morning and to hear his truck pull into the driveway at the end of a work day. Thank you, Tim, for always being there for me and for the kids. I love you!

By the way, I missed another important anniversary this week. On May 5, 2004, my sweet husband first ventured into the blogging world. You can read his past year of blogs at this site.

Happy anniversary, sweetheart!

Till next time,



Suzi

Gender greetings

This morning was a beautiful day for a walk. The sun was shining after our rainstorm last evening--the birds singing, the greenery everywhere--flowers are popping up--all the lovely stuff that comes with early spring was going on.

We didn't encounter any dogs in our path (some behind fences), so that is always a good thing. We did encounter some people to greet, which is always nice. (I'd like to greet pets, too, but Raven is a little unmanageable when he sees another beast.)

Today we greeted two young men (somewhere between 14-17) and a woman. I think it's interesting the way men and even boys often greet others. They may not speak a word, but nod their heads as if they were Japanese. (I learned from our exchange student from Yokohama that nodding is a common way to acknowledge someone.) Women, on the other hand, almost always speak a greeting, smile and/or wave.

Now, there are plenty of men who will say good morning or hello or even wave. But I've just noticed that in brief encounters it seems men are more likely to nod and women to smile or say hello.

Just an observation.

Till next time,


Suzi

Bringing color to our doorstep

Yesterday I picked up some flowers I had ordered through our local AFS chapter. Every year we get impatiens in hanging baskets--and they always survive the summer in spite of my lack of gardening skills. We enjoy the color that they bring to our gray-colored home.

Already birds are flocking to the flowers. I'm not sure what kind they are--they are little birds--red and gray--I'm guessing the red is the male and the gray the female. Tim thought they were hummingbirds at first, because he could just see their wings as they hovered over the flowers. They may be chickadees or finches--but I'm not sure. I should try to do more research on our local birds and find out exactly what winged creatures are out there.

Meanwhile, I can identify the flying fiend (not friend) at the back of our house. I don't even have to see him to know that a woodpecker is again pounding at our siding--back to the task he left last fall. It doesn't appear there's severe damage, but I suppose we should check it out at some point.

But for today, I will enjoy the front yard birds and flowers with the wonderful sights, sounds and scents they bring.

Till next time,


Suzi

I'm sore

Today I could barely brush my teeth, because my hand is so sore from spotting nails. But it's okay--because I'll get a break from the world of hawks and knives and drywall mud and go to Bible study and run errands.

My hand is feeling better already--must be that typing is good therapy. Hopefully I'll be ready to help Tim whenever he needs me and I'll try to do it without complaining--something that's not easy for me to do!

Till next time,



Suzi

Back to drywall land

Tim's working on a big house now--major renovation and lots of new sheetrock. Going to this house is almost like going to a new construction site--the rooms are open and not full of household items, and the smell of fresh sheetrock and drywall mud is in the air.

Since this house is so big and the homeowners are anxious to move back in, Tim has asked for my help. Yesterday I donned stilts again for the first time in several months. Luke helped steady me as I jumped up and strapped them on, but once I got up I was able to get around pretty well. I've got a bit of a stiff neck from spotting the ceiling screws with taping mud, but not too bad. Today I'm going back for more fun. The ceiling is going to be smooth, so it will need three coats of mud, instead of the usual one. The walls need to be second and third coated as well--I finished 1st coating a lot of the house yesterday.

I did manage to get the freezer defrosted after work yesterday, too. I figured we are looking at our last days near the freezing temperature--so I could store the frozen food on the back porch while I worked on getting the ice build-up off the freezer shelves.

Now I just need to catch up on paper work and clean out the refrigerator--it really is true that a woman's work is never done......... Sigh.

Till next time,


Suzi

Blustery days

When Raven and I went out walking yesterday, it began to sleet. Little white pellets accumulated on Raven's black back--reminding me of those little decorative balls that people use to decorate cupcakes. Before long, his back was covered in white, and it seemed more like February or March than May 1.

On our honeymoon, in early May, 1983, we traveled to the Black Hills, South Dakota. On May 9 the weather in Rapid City was warm and almost 80 degrees. On May 10, as we awoke in Custer State Park, we looked outside to see not only buffalo wandering nearby, but snow covering everything--about 2 inches of it.

I know that snow and sleet's days are numbered--the grass isn't turning back to brown and the leaves are still green on the trees. I will not get my winter boots out, and we haven't turned the heat back on yet. But I'm still drinking hot tea or hot chocolate and wearing my winter coat.

We should be sipping lemonade and iced tea and wearing tee shirts and shorts again very soon.

Till next time,


Suzi