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Sunday, June 3, 2018

What I Learned This Spring (2018)


The months of March, April and May were filled with all kinds of change and excitement.

I learned lots of things, about my family, myself and some random things as always:

1. Empty Nests don't always stay empty.

My youngest daughter who is getting married in a mere 35 days announced that she and her fiance' were expecting AND excited to take us up on our offer to let them bunk in our lower level after the wedding to save money for a few months. I certainly won't be lonely when my husband travels! After six years of being in Spokane, Sarah is ready to return to her childhood hometown as she starts her new life as a wife and mommy.
"In Christ's economy, if He ever sends you back, it's because he's sending you forward."             Beth Moore
2. I have more than one Hollywood connection.

Currently, my daughter-in-law Amy is working hard in L.A. to break into the entertainment business as a writer. Sometime soon you might see "Amy Brown Carver" in the credits.

Growing up, my claim to fame was my Uncle Jim. James Pande' Young was the executive producer of the Soap Opera "General Hospital" from 1963-1975. Before that, he had been an actor. He was in the 1951 movie, "The Thing From Another World" and several other movies. He's the good-looking actor on the left in the photo below.

Uncle Jim's ex-wife Judy, was the stepdaughter of a famous actor named Joseph Cotten. He was in lots of movies back in the day. Do you recognize him?


Photo source: Pinterest


Judy's biological mom was Lenore Kipp LaMont and Judy was two when they married. Lenore was a pianist and died at age 56 in Italy. Perhaps my Allie gets her talent for the piano from her! It took me a while to track down some of this information because I was spelling his last name Cotton instead of Cotten.

3. It's an honor and fun to be on a book launch team.

I was excited to be a part of the team getting the word out about Maria Furlough's book, Breaking the Fear Cycle. I  received the book and some extra surprises early, and we have an encouraging Facebook group. My bible study group is currently reading it together.
It never hurts to ask...you might get chosen!



4. It's never too late to take a road trip with your sisters.
My two older sisters, Ann and Jill, live in Indiana. Due to distance, jobs, kids, money, etc. we have never taken a trip together. Crazy right? So...they flew West to attend my daughter's Bridal showers since they can't be here for the wedding. We spent two and a half days in Oregon. We saw the Multnomah Falls, did Powell's bookstore in Portland, ate like Queens at McCormick and Schmick's at the Marina, hung out near the Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, hit a couple McMenamins (Edgefield and Sand Trap), some boutiques, and generally enjoyed just catching up.


                                                       Why do I always "pop" up my knee in photos?

5. My husband and baby Hazel both LOVE their music.
My husband adores the "Yacht Rock" station.  Baby Hazel loves the "Raffi" Pandora station. Young or old, music makes people calm and happy.

6. In my quest to become more of a minimalist, I am failing in certain areas:

I have never been a light packer for trips, I have a plethora of beauty products and make-up and then there are my dish sets: Fiestaware, plastic bird plates from Anthro, simple white and Dansk white with the blue rim that I received for my wedding. Oh, I also have Christmas Spode China...

7. I love the Ocean, but I prefer the warmer beaches.

I know I live on the rugged Pacific Coast and it's beautiful, but I'd much rather spend time on the beach in Florida or Southern California. 


 PNW-beautiful, but chilly
Anna Maria Island, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico

8. I truly am blessed with the BEST friends
I hope all of you reading this have dear friends who will love your children whether they are still in school or are young adults. My daughter was given two bridal showers by my friends and they were so special!

Every day is an opportunity to learn... What did YOU learn this Spring? I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman's blog.

In His Grip,
xo Jane



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