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Friday, June 26, 2015

Looking Back...and a Five-Year Blog Anniversary


Our front porch in Whitley Hills, Fall 1997

Five years ago this month I wrote my first blog. Back then I didn't even know how to add photos. I still struggle with the techie side of blogging and I'm not a consistent or talented writer, but over the last five years, I've penned 315  posts. My hope is that as I process the ordinary, daily things, that you might be encouraged and learn some new things too!


Five years ago this weekend I was saying goodbye to the town and people I loved in Gig Harbor and moving to Illinois.  Windows and Walls was written as I said goodbye to our yellow house in Whitley Hills.

Quite a lot happened in a span of five years: one son married, lots of graduation ceremonies were attended (one high school, three college, one graduate school), I packed, moved and lived in lots of places (a Colonial in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, the basement of a friend's home on Raft Island, a studio apartment near Horsehead Bay, a pretty rental on Fox Island and now to our dream home in downtown in Gig Harbor), we said goodbye to our beloved dog Sadie and rescued our adorable Sydney,  Zoe the cat ran away and found herself a new owner, Tigger stayed chubby, our other boy got engaged, Mike changed jobs and I found my passion working at a baby boutique called Charlie Barnes. We said goodbye and hello to dear friends and our church.

We learned lots of lessons during our two years back in the Midwest.

Through it all...through all the changes, tears, blessings and moves, God was there and God was good. He showed us grace and mercy and love. As I sit on my deck overlooking my gorgeous Harbor town, I try to remember not to hold on too tightly to all we've been given. Who knows what the next five years might bring?

In His Grip, 
Jane


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

I Must Be Famous


Perhaps I've had a little too much time on my hands... Perhaps my bedtime pain meds are playing with my mind... Maybe I just decided to pretend I'm famous rather than worrying about my bandaged nose. Here is my list of reasons why it must might be true...
  • I have a personal assistant, live-in nurse, cook & bartender and groundskeeper. His name is Michael and he takes very good care of me.
  • My entry is guarded. OK, it's my puppy-dog Sydney. She does a great job!


  • The weather here has been sunny and hot. Maybe I'm really in Los Angeles on a Harbor "set?"

  • I've been signing a lot of autographs. Do birthday cards and graduation cards count?
  • A professional washed my hair Saturday. I couldn't get my bandage wet so my "personal assistant" took me to our salon around the corner. Having someone else wash your hair is the BEST!
  • People flew into town to visit me. A new friend from Tennessee and my son from Spokane!
  • My city put on a festival just for me! Due to our downtown location, I could hear the music and boats honking during the weekend's Maritime Festival. It FELT like it was just for my enjoyment!
  • Even though deer have not been spotted since we moved in from Fox Island last September, one came all the way to check on me yesterday! She respected my privacy and stayed at a distance.

  • I have a professional make-up artist on "stand-by." Yes sweet Inga, I will most likely need you when my sutures come off and stitches come out...
  • I must be playing the part of a princess because I spent a lot of time trying to get comfy in bed with peas.
  • When I go out in public (rarely) I wear a hat and dark glasses to stay "incognito." I also throw off the paparazzi by driving an unknown car. Or...I might have loaned our convertible to my son and his finance so they could have a fun drive up to Vancouver, B.C.

All valid reasons to believe I might be famous, right? I decided it's more fun to pretend I'm famous, then to wallow in self-pity since I look like I have a pig-nose. Have you watched the 2006 movie, Penelope?
It's a fact that we often believe what we dwell on. Self-talk can be helpful or harmful. I'm trying to believe that the inner-package really is more important than what is on the outside, although I am way more vain than I even thought I was. 

God's word has lots of good reminders for me (and any of us) who are feeling a little insecure in our identity.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:2
"We are God’s temple." I Cor. 3:16
"Our purpose is that our lives might bring praise to the glory of Christ." Ephesians 1:12
"We were chosen by God." Ephesians 1:11
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

What is your mind telling you lately? We need to remember that you and I are sons and daughters of   the KING!

In His Grip, 
Jane xo

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Monday, June 1, 2015

What I Learned in May

June is here!  Since I awoke to a new month, it is time to share a miscellaneous list of some things I learned as I reflect back on the month of May.
My love for Poppies continues!

1. The best place to pick up baby-sitting jobs is at your Mom's place of work. That is, if your Mom works at a baby store. My college daughter was visiting me at Charlie Barnes one morning and she now has quite a few jobs lined up for when she returns to the Harbor after her summer school session ends. That particular morning a bunch of mommies I know (who know my daughter) came shopping so they were able to connect and share contact information and dates.


2. Sip and See. What a fun idea that I'd never heard of! In the south, as an alternative to a baby shower, women host "sip and sees." Friends stop by to sip on tea (or wine?) and to see the new baby. I think this concept can be adapted for SO many things! Come see my (you fill in the ____________.) I'm sort of having one Wednesday! My friends are coming over to see my nose bandaged and we just might sip some vino.

3. I won't be serving that one particular bottle of French wine. 

While on vacation with my husband during his Palm Springs business trip we went to dinner at a French restaurant.  Glancing at the wine choices, we checked out glasses vs. bottles. One particular bottle cost a mere $12,750. Really? Perhaps that price-point  isn't shocking to some people who live or vacation in the desert, but this Mom-of-four-who-often-shops-at-Grocery Outlet, thinks that amount of money could be spent in so many smarter ways to help others... I'll stick to my $6-$12 wine budget at Trader Joe's. 

4. Perhaps Trader Joe's needs to hire me. I brought some of my favorite items that I buy on my trips to TJ's to raffle off at our last MOPS meeting and gave my spiel about them. Afterwards, some of the Mommies said my enthusiasm was evident and perhaps I should be Trader Joe's traveling Public Relations gal. I like that idea!

5. When you only pay $10 for an online swimsuit it will arrive the day after your trip to the ocean. I won't be sharing my source because after I ordered it I actually began navigating the online catalog and found out their idea of dance clothes and mine were NOT the same. Ha! Anyway, the one-piece is OK and fits. Hoping the floppy little "skirt" keeps the eye off the 10 pounds I need to lose...


6. The Drought in California is another reason to give up bottled water. While on our trip, I didn't experience a lack of water. It was in the hotel pool, endless drinking water was available and golf courses looked green. The ways I personally noticed a lack of H2O were: ice was only available at the hotel if you requested it, water wasn't automatically brought to your table at restaurants, and the big Mormon church near my son and daughter-in-law's apartment has chosen to allow their lawn to die and go brown. The big topic to residents is bottled water. SO many companies that produce bottled water are right in the heart of the drought areas of California. I learned that many private labels are manufactured in lots of states all over the country. I'll just keep refilling my bottle with tap water (thankful the Harbor water is so fresh and yummy) and I think I'll start reading the labels to see where it's manufactured...



7. There is a tool to help us take better "selfies!" Have you heard of the new product for your cell phone? I walked by a whole display of them last week at Michael's.

I suppose it would help keep those awkward arms out of the way but won't it be awkward to carry around? How often do we need to take selfies? Here is an example of what NOT to do, followed by a selfie of my hubby and I enjoying the ocean yesterday.
My sweet friends & I in the dinner line. Notice the bunny ears?

8. Sometimes you need to keep the door open and stay standing (Literally and figuratively!)
My friend Andrea and I were given the task at the retreat of setting  up the lunch salad bar at the  house where we were staying.  After doing just that we sat down and had a lovely visit. After a bit we heard a noise so I thought maybe I should check the front door.

photo source: babble.com

Imagine our surprise when we saw all the retreat attendees (almost 100) waiting in a friendly line winding up the street.They were NOT grumpy like the nanny applicants in Mary Poppins, but that scene did come to mind.  I laugh just thinking about it! So sorry friends that you were hungry and kept waiting for lunch Saturday! Please knock next time!!

I learned SO many things about becoming FREE over the weekend at retreat. Our guest speaker was amazing and my housemates were a blast. I'll have to share some tidbits in a future post.

It's always a bit hard to return from a sunny "mountaintop experience" back to the ordinary and gray skies. And yet...
God is good, all the time!

I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman at Chatting at the Sky.
What did you learn in the month of May?

In His Grip, 
Jane
xo

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