I hope you will agree with me, that to be in the presence of a person who is appreciative is a joy! They are a delight! They shun criticism! They welcome the opportunity to serve! They love, and they are loved!

You know, to appreciate something that you have, and still be able to appreciate having it but appreciate not having to use it is
another thing! Well, if you asked me how I felt about a clothesline right now, at this moment, that is how I feel! I appreciate the fact that I am blessed with a clothesline, but boy do I appreciate the fact that I have a little white enamel box affair sitting in my utility room right at this moment that takes the place of a clothesline! Reasoning? With chilly temps of down to -4 at night, with chill factors of -17, can't you see why?

Truthfully, I have never lived in a place that did not have a clothesline. They were a necessity in my early life. Diapers a prime example. There were no such thing as disposable diapers. All diapers were cloth. They had to be washed daily. Where were they hung to dry? Why outdoors, of course, unless it was raining or snowing and would get wetter, then they were hung indoors. Over doors, on wooden clothes racks, over the back of chairs. Temperature did not keep you from hanging out diapers. I recall the days when taking a basket of diapers out to the clothesline, and the temperatures like they are today, they would be frozen BEFORE I took them out of the clothes basket to hang on the line. Your fingers were frozen also. But, even tho I had my babies before the days of the gas or electric dryers, I did appreciate the fact that I did have a clothes line and did not have to resort to drying them on bushes outdoors. That was then.......

And what is the story behind the clothesline? Anyone older then the age of, oh I would say, 20, can remember using a clothesline. It was just a necessity in life. It could consist of a wire strung between two study buildings or between two wooden poles, it could have been heavy rope hung in much the same way, or it could have been a little wire strong from the side of the house out onto a branch of a tree in the yard, however, I would prefer to describe what my life with the clothesline entailed.

Like I said, I have always had a clothesline, and it was usually in place when we moved onto the property, until our last move, in the early 70's, when we purchased a new home, in a new housing development where nothing was in place but the house itself. No lawn, no fence, no curb and guttering, no basketball goal, few, if any sidewalks. Nothing. Even tho I had a dryer, I was still of the 'ole school' who preferred hanging most of my washing outdoors. Especially the bedding. No Bounty or Bounce product, or any similiar product, for that matter, can ever, ever come near to replacing the clean, fresh smell of bedding that has been brought in from the clothesline, placed on the bed, and you get to crawl into that bed, later on that night, put your head on the freshly laundered pillowcase and then, for sure, you think you are experiencing a bit of heaven. I can recall the little 'oohs' and 'aahs' that the children would make when they crawled into bed right after the bedding was freshly laundered, digging their little faces into their pillows and making those precious little sounds. One thing for sure, story time and prayers were usually shortened that particular night! So, being the typical 'lady of the house' I insisted on a clothes line, whereby hubby and son obliged. They got some heavy oilfield pipes, had 2 cut about 8 feet long and another two cut about half that size, then the shorter piece was taken to the welding shop and welded to the longer piece. Bringing it to our backyard, we had to select a place that the north and south winds (where Kansas winds usually hail from) could be handled with ease. Once that was done, holes about three feet were dug in the ground, about twenty-five feet apart. Concrete would be poured into the ground, then the poles sat upright into this area. Once the concrete had hardened, dirt was filled around the base of the pole. Strong, heavy wires, usually two or three were then strong from pole to pole. Hubby was ingenius in that he put the wires on an elongated bolt (I do not know the name of it) and when the wires began to sag from use, I could just twist the elongated bolt and the wires would be nice and straight again, and I would not have to worry about my sheets and larger items hitting the ground as they dried. Touched up with a can of silver paint, we were ready to roll. Hey, that was thirty-six years ago, and that clothesline is still in business! A good investment, I would say!

You might ask, why two or three long lines? Remember, this was the day before the automatic washer. You did not wash a load today, a load tonight, or one early in the morning. No, you had a 'wash day'. Usually Monday. Clothes were usually washed one day a week, with the exception of diapers because of the time consuming labor of hot water preparation and such. And in earlier days, washing was not done in the house, it was done in a wash house, a small building, usually set close to the house, or maybe in a cave or basement, and in winter without heat. In summer, without air conditioning. Water would have to be heated for the washer and then the clothes were washed in one washer, one load of water. All of the clothes. (Water savers??!!). First the men's white shirts and ladies white blouses, then other whites followed. Then would come the rest of the clothes, pale pastels, towels, until, on the farm, the last thing that went into the washer, were the mens heavily soiled overalls, topped at last by the 'cleaning rags'. These were then usually run through two tubs of rinse water, the last one containing a bluing. Trip to the clothesline followed.

It has been said that the clothesline was the best news release the neighbors had about your family. Can you imagine why? More white shirts then just one for church????..... ah been to some parties. More towels then normal usuage????..... must have had some extra guests this past week. More then a couple house dresses and overalls????..............been doing yard work, or field work, or maybe gallivanting a little more then usual. And, what was that? Some baby items on the washline, oops, someone is either having company or maybe having an addition to the family.

There was also a method to hanging clothes on the clothesline. If the wind was from the south, the larger items, such as the sheets and pillowcases and billowing overalls would be hung on the most northern line so they would not flop against the other items hung on the lines. So, that left the south line for the smaller items, and guess what went on the middle line? Well, socks, washclothes, unmentionables and all the shorter items. They were not color coordinated, usually, but the woman of the house took pride in how her clothes line looked to the passerbys. Heaven forbid that you hung a towel, then a wash cloth, then a shirt. Oh no. Not that way. All the shirts hung neatly in a row. The towels were hung side by side, with an extra clothes pin in the middle so they hung straight. The wash clothes were hung side by side and so on down the line.

I have to share with you a precious memory that this ole Granny has........Several years ago, during the middle of the summer, I was blessed to have all the grandchildren come to spend a few days at grannys house. It was hot. So, that meant they played outdoor, basketball, rode bicycles and such until after lunch, then change for the swimming pool where the afternoons entertainment was just that, swimming. Coming home about 5, change of clothes, and then,....they love to come to Grannys house when the County Fair is on, so we headed to the fair. Now, here is Granny, used to living alone. Maybe two loads of clothes a week, max. Can you imagine the shock of all the clothes she had to wash!!. So, guess what??!! The grandchildren were introduced to hanging clothes out on the clothes line. Not only for time conservation but also for water and electricity consersation. Not only that, we could hang the clothes out on the line, and head off for something else to do and not have to wait until they were dry because when they dried on the line they stayed nice and fluffy until we were ready to take them down. What fun it was to teach them to hang up clothes on the clothes line. Lots of tittering and giggling as they did it. The boys trying to skirt around 'certain' items in the basket that seemed to appear to be next in line for hanging on the clothes line. Was a learning experience for them, for sure, and a fun time for Granny! At least now, they can say..'We had to hang our clothes out on the clothesline to dry when we stayed at Granny's house!' And, of course, they will probably end it with .....'just like the olden days!'

Right now, right at this particular moment, I love my electric clothes dryer. But, come warmer weather and summer, step aside, clothesline, here I come!

May I leave you with this challenge?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

"Count your blessings, not your troubles!"

Now, if all the world had listened to this warning, possibly we could have skirted all the sad news that is being transmitted via our news media these last several days and there would be the possibility that we would not be experiencing what trauma is being endured by our nations nature, in the weather world, that is. WOW! From record lows of frigid weather, down to -26 in areas of Colorado to tornadoes in the beautiful state of Florida, the nation is being torn apart.

Having just left the area of Florida that was affected, am aware that they have been experiencing unusually warm temperatures and even one of the native Floridians expressed concern about the this particular issue and stated that she feared for repercussions of the weather for the ensuring months as a result of the above-average temperatures. Appears her concerns were validated.

Arriving home, encountered very cold conditions, was a temperature of l degree yesterday morning, with a chill factor of -9 degrees, and with some wind, believe you me, it was just a might chilly. With even weather, it creates moments in our lives where we find ourselves at yet another fork in the road. We have to make changes. We need to address issues of importance for the moment.

Clean up, tragedy of lives lost, homes destroyed, life certainly is changed for many of those folks. Our hearts ache for their sadness. Our prayers ascend. We all care. Even tho we cannot be there in body, we are there in spirit knowing full well that they are surrounded by friends, family, neighbors who will provide needed nurturing during this time.

Here at home, with the freezing temperatures, we also have changes to address. See the mounting car accidents on the heavy traffic areas. See people shoveling snow from drives, side walks, parkways and streets. People dealing with downed power lines, frozen water lines, no heat, concerns about the high cost of heating involved in maintaining comfort and safety in their homes. All issues of concern.

But, out of all of this comes something good. I know it is happening. Why do I make that statement??? Growing up, we were told often times by our parents that ..... 'something good comes from something bad'. So, with this knowledge, I go forward knowing that friends are there to help. Angels, in other words.

Friends are the ones who share our life's journey. They are the ones who give you a call each morning to check on your welfare; the ones who bring your mail by so you do not have to get out on the ice and snow; the ones who check to see how your family is fairing in adverse times; the ones who sit by your bedside when you are ill; the ones who see that your children have a way to school or church activities when you are a under the weather with a flu bug; the ones who shovel your drive and sidewalk so you can get your car out of the garage; the ones who make sure you have groceries in inclement weather; the ones who drop with by a pot of hot soup for no particular reason other then..........."I made too much, thought you would like to share some soup with me"; the ones who make sure you have a ride to church; the ones who come by and help you assemble a new computer chair; the one who makes you laugh and forget your troubles and woes when things are going 'down hill'.

Book after book, and volume after volume could be written about friends. We are all travelors in the wilderness of this world and the best that we can find in our travels is a true, honest friend with whom we can share our innermost thoughts. Everyone needs a friend. Everyone needs to BE a friend. No life is so strong and complete but that it yearns for the smile of a friend.

There is no greater feeling, at least for me, then to go down my address book on my e-mail list and see my 'friends'. Some from grade school days, some I have known all my life, some recent, some business associations, some relatives, family, neighbors, they are all to be counted as friends. That is when I wish that more people were computer friendly and were able to enjoy the aspects and joys of being a computer owner so that they too, could be a part of this vast communication field.

So, whether we have to face the ravishes of Mother Nature, or any of lifes daily challenges, may we always be blessed in HAVING as well as BEING a friend!

Challenge of the Week:

"DO UNTO OTHERS AS THOUGH YOU WERE THE OTHERS!"

So, he saw his shadow today. It means we have 46.5 more days until Spring, on March 20. Do you march to their tune? What is your opinion of this infamous Groundhog Day prediction?

It seems that when German and British immigrants came to this country, they brought with them certain customs and superstitions and it appears that the German immigrants are credited with the one about the groundhog. This superstition reveals that if the groundhog awakes from its long winter nap and ventures outside his hole with a bright sun, therefore causing a shadow, it scares him and he retreats back into his warm surroundings and thus we have 6 more weeks of winter. On the other hand, if he happens onto a cloud day, he feels comfortable in believing the fact that spring weather is on its way. Confusing, wouldn't you think a reverse of the situation?

I guess I have to compare this again to the fact that my dad always said that the day of the month on which the first snowfall of the season occured would determine how many snows we would be blessed with that winter. I do know, for a fact, that OUR first snow was November 21,2007, and snow we have been blessed with. Snow, and more snow. Seems like the minute I can begin to see the concrete of my front sidewalk, and the snow is cleared, we have another snow. A friend has volunteered to come and shovel some snow on my sidewalk to keep us from getting more snow....... (Thanks, Wayne).......Unfortunately I failed to keep track of the numerous snows we had before and during the Christmas holidays, but start I did in January. I put a big 'x' on each day that we have snow. How many snows did we have in the month of January? Nine. Nine snows in January. So, I will continue to keep track of the snows, just out of curiousity for my own sake, but I cannot verify because of my failure to do the same prior to the New Year! May need to be reminded to do better next year, just out of plain curiousity and see if it bears any truth in the saying.

I have been exposed to many 'superstitions' in my lifetime as I am sure everyone has. Just how many hold 'any water' to their accuracy? Like 'walk on a crack, break your mothers back'......Ever watch the Monk show where one of the scenes involve his walking on a cobblestone walkway? One gets dizzy watching him walk as he tries to miss the cracks. How about a black cat crossing your pathway. Do you turn your car around when that happens, and go a different direction because the black cat did cross in front of your vehicle? And then, there is walking beneath an open ladder. Bad luck will befall you! These are naming just a few.

Winston Churchill had a famous saying which went like this..."The empires of the future are empires of the mind". Ah, a lot of meaning in this simple sentence.

So is the groundhog destined to be the one who says...'if you cannot be a good example than be a horrible warning?'

I would rather believe that truth is not only stronger then fiction, it is also nowhere near as plentiful, so it is up to us to change it. We have to be the change that we wish to see in the world. We have to find the good and praise it and as parents and grandparents, we must always remember that children develope character by what they see, by what they hear and by what they are repeatedly led to do. It is up to us to take responsibility, not only for ourselves and our familes, but for our communities and our COUNTRY as well!

So, if you are celebrating Groundhog Day today or Super Bowl Sunday tomorrow, whatever, always remember the challenge I leave you with today.....

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

"Good examples have more value than good advise!"
so.....................LEAD BY EXAMPLE~

The challenge during this past week, was the beginning of Lent, commencing with Ash Wednesday. The dictionary is fairly knowledgeable in explaining Lent as "the period of forty week days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, observed in Christian churches by fasting and penitence to commemorate Jesus' fasting in the wilderness'.

Sometimes it starts as late as March, however this year, Lent began on Wednesday, February 6, celebrated in this area by Church Services in the evening, Men's Lenten Breakfasts and Lenten Lunches to bring the community together as a whole in celebration.

At the church services, one by one, the people line up to receive crosses of ash on their foreheads as the pastor says 'remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return', in most instances.

Fasting is associated with these forty days as well. Oftentimes only one meal a day was consumed, then even fish and milk, alcohol and egg products was banned. Having learned this fact, the knowledge is revealed as to what the meaning of this sentence gives....."So, what are you giving up for Lent?". Many people think of Lent as a reason for 'giving something up'. That's normal because most people think of the Christian faith as a list of stuff we're "not supposed to do", quoting Pastor Kerry's writings on this. Stating further that it is also normal, but very short-sighted and that we carry both ideas with us into a penitential and cross shaped season for Lent.

It feels, in other words, like the Christian January lst, the New Year, where we all roll out of bed with a list of spiritual resolutioins that we have promised ourselves to keep. So, whatever is on our 'Lenten list" therefore becomes subject, basically, to the same dynamics that attended our New Year's resolution list. Good ideas ... rightly applied...but often subject to failure. And, how is that. Failure, in not keeping our promises to ourselves or to to God. Not living up to our best intentions, giving up before getting there.

I do believe that Lent is .... and can be... a wonderful time of renewal in our lives, just like the spring which will soon come where now there is only SNOW. And, with the abundance of snow we have received since the first of the year, we can be reminded daily without any problem whatsoever! My front yard and street will attest to that.

Lent holds a special place in my childhood memories. Yes, we always went to church on Ash Wednesday. We ate no meat that day, and mom usually prepared a light fare for the day. Something like homemade noodles, boiled with potatoes then browned in a little butter, along with a fried bread, called grebble. This was a bread mixture, used without a leavening agent in the recipe, that was very thin, and dropped in a pan of hot grease and fried quite crisp. We would dip it in Karo syrup for sweetening. Breakfast was usually cereal.

Did each of us 'give up something' for Lent on an individual basis? Not that I recall, but there were things as a family that was absolutely forbidden for Lent, for us to do. For instance, no card playing. Cards were taboo during Lent. No dancing. And, if I recall correctly, there were no weddings during Lent, as a general rule, because when I was growing up, it seemed like everyone had a wedding dance when they were married. So, remembering that fact, it would appear that the community in which I grew up, must have carried out this tradition on a whole.

It was only later on, as a teenager, that I became exposed to Lent as being the time that you had to 'give up something' in an individual basis, rather then a family unit. Again, it could be the fact that we moved to a different community and was exposed to other ideas, other congregations and denominations as well. Here is when you gave up all those good chocolates.....no movies....meat on Fridays...went on a diet....gave up ice cream....vowed to be nice to everyone, even to brother or sister who tested you on a daily basis...........vowed to help Mom more around the house, dry the dishes every night, make your bed without being told to do so. The list could be endless.

The month of December finds us counting the days until Christmas, the birth of our Saviour, whereas in Lent we count down the days until our Saviour's death and resurrection, Easter.

So, to me, when you give up something for Lent that you really, really, really love, like chocolate or food, and every time you want that particular thing, you are basically reminded to change your focus, focus instead on what Jesus had to give up for us. It does set us to thinking, doesn't it?

I have to admit that I find myself being an eternal optomist, and I am grateful for that, (most of the time), but I believe that growth moments are woven into the rhythm of our lives and we have to let go of the fear of failure because, being of a human nature, we are bound to fail from time to time. But, the joy of all of this is, we all need to remember, that, in Christ, we will never be a failure!

So, this week, I am going to close with a little prayer instead:

PRAYER FOR LENT, let this be a challenge for 40 days:

"Fill us with the Spirit that recreates us and sets our feet back on the right path when we fail".

Must admit, I was fortunate to have a 'special day' today even tho I never left the premises for the cold, blustery weather we were experiencing today was playing havoc with my allergies so, instead, the special greetings received in the mail from family members, siblings, niece, cousins, friends are sitting on my dining room table as a reminder of this special event and the thoughts they conveyed to me!

Then, this morning, BEFORE I arose, the phone beside my bed rang, now bear in mind my daughter lives in a different time zone, so that was my excuse for still being in bed when she called to wish me 'Happy Valentines Day, Mom'. Happy to hear the tone of her voice. This, in conjunction with a Portals of Prayer book from son and family (oh yes, included a 'Hug Coupon' for a car wash and vacuum, YEH, am gonna take you up on that, son) was what made this day what it was, for in that book was the days devotion entitled 'Greater Love'. And, will you join me in saying that there is no greater love then that of family and friends????

The devotion started with saying that the writer joined those that considered Valentine's Day as the LEAST romantic day of the year, going on to say the reason for that opinion was because we were EXPECTED to be romantic, and if we aren't we stand a chance of being in trouble with our sweethearts! The thrust of the lesson projected that if you did something romantic, say a couple of weeks from today, you would be a hero! Hey, everyone likes that characterization!

So, give it some thought. Does todays world confuse love and romance? Do we think that Love is just about chocolate and nice feelings rather then about hard work and serving? Should love be used as a tool for taming our bad habits daily and putting the other first even when we don't want to? Love here, is defined as that setting aside what you want in favor of whats best for others, that is the love that strengthens relationships even tho it is far, far from easy to sustain, because being of the human nature that we are, it is just a natural thing to not want to love by serving with hard work. We want others to serve us! As Christians, we certainly know we can give thanks for Jesus' love for us, because He did the hard work for us, laying down His life for His friends even tho we were enemies.

So, what did YOU do special for someone for today? Send flowers? A box of chocolates, a card with a special verse? I am always amazed how the categorization of HOW and WHAT each individual should do is used as an advertising tool. Hallmark is supposedly advertising that they made 530 different kinds of Valentine cards for this special day this year! Wow, see the $$$$$ rolling in?

How often should we say 'I love you" to those we hold dear? Of course, you will certainly agree with me that it should be oftener then just on February 14. In our family, each parting, both in person, and via Ma Bell ends with that phrase! "Luv U". It is easy to say. Maybe I can be considered to be 'from the ole school', or maybe I am just plain
"old-fashioned", but chocolates, well you know what they do to a diet and flowers tend to wilt before very long and even tho these are thoughtful gifts of love, those that linger on seem to be the remembered hugs, the day someone cooked you a special candlelight dinner or maybe picked up your cleaning at the cleaners or run a vacuum without being asked, or the unexpected phone calls, or the surprise knock on the door of a friend who ' just dropped by' for a cup of coffee, a hankie dotted with red hearts tucked away in a special little greeting, and even better then all of this, is that special backrub from the love of your life after a long, harrowing day! All of these things take me back to my childhood days and I can hear my mother saying......'actions speak louder then words'.

The importance of all of this seems to be making time to love and to be loved. Happiness and love are just a choice away, OUR choice, remembering that we cannot do a kindness too soon, for we never know how soon it will be too late and we have not done that which we had intended to do!

So, another Valentines Day is marked off the calendar of our lives and with it goes the memories of yesterday, of today, and gives us a promise of tomorrow! What a blessing!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

'Celebrate your love everyday'.

When I say small town, I would gestimate that we had less then 200 people in the whole town. It covered an area of about 5 blocks long, with two blocks west and three blocks east. The main traveled road we sort of named Main Street as there were no named streets in town. Who needed them? We knew where everyone lived. If you happened to be walking down the street, and a car rolled up and asked where Mrs. Dietz lived, it was simple, turn at the next intersection, go right, and she lives in the second house from the corner. That is all you needed to know after all we all knew one another pretty well.

Practically the whole town went to the same one church we had each Sunday morning. On Saturday morning we would have Church school for the older students, some in town and some coming in from the surrounding community. Even tho we never addressed our elders by nothing but Mr. or Mrs. Strecker or Mr. or Mrs. Karst, we knew what their first names were because we heard our parents address them by their first names; however, we did not. We respected our elders. We knew, for the most part, their grandparents as well as their aunts, their uncles, all the siblings and cousins. True we were all different. No duplicates. All definitely different DNA's and fingerprints, but we were happy to tell anyone that we knew everyone in town, and we were not bragging.

This was our town, we were proud of it. We had several grocery stores, a hotel where there was a place to get a coke, or a beer for the guys, and a regular 'hang-out' place on Saturday night. Couple garages, and one had two gas pumps in front where we bought gas for the vehicles. We had a dance hall where many a newly wed couple entertained their wedding guests after the wedding ceremony, and also there were other polka dances, and on weekends when there were not dances, the hall would be used as a skating rink and we skated away many a Friday evening. Also, a school, housed all eight grades, which I attended. The first two years of grade school we had two rooms, then it was condensed into one room, one teacher. And, this is where my dream of becoming a school teacher began, as once we reached the fourth grade, we gained the honor of helping with the lower grades if we wanted. I loved it. And, can't forget the bank and the post office. Both very necessary establishments.

There are several instances where I saw that community become so bonded it nearly wrenched your heart from your chest. The one time was when we had 2 boys and l girl from our school who came down with polio. Note this was the day before we had the polio vaccine. The families had no insurance. One boy was in an iron lung. So, at the dance hall, we had a big community charity gathering and all the proceeds from the cake walks, the bingo games, the play, the admission fee, all went to the families. There were tears of joy and sadness shared by many, as I recall that night.

The second instance was when the bank was robbed. In those days, the banks carried no insurance, so the people would rent deposit boxes, much like todays vaults which contain the little boxes, and the people would put their money in the boxes. From the sale of cattle, of wheat, or whatever money each family depended on as their source of income. The robbers blasted the vault open and emptied the boxes. I remember the despair that I saw in the faces of those townspeople that next morning when the news got out. The banker discovered it as soon as he opened the door that morning. Grown men cried. They lost everything. Cash, bonds, all gone. Even some soldiers who had been in service and sent their checks home, were robbed. Everything was taken. And, like I said no insurance. Then, since the vault was open, and thankfully they had missed some boxes, it had to be guarded for several nights in case the robbers would decide to return as the sheriff and his assistants had been there but they had not yet arrested anyone.....thank goodness they did find the robbers later, but no money was ever returned, so far as I know............and here again, the men of the community, taking their guns from the closets, would take turns standing guard until the vault was repaired. The whole town was ill at ease for nearly a week before things returned to as normal a state as possible.

Emily Dickson wrote ... "Where thou art, THAT, is home". We valued our homes. Each night, after supper, especially during the winter months, we would listen to the radio, do home work, play cards on the dining room table, mom would crotchet or sew, we would play with our toys, often we had the neighbors pop in. The summer evenings found us sitting on the front porch, or in screened porch areas to defend ourselves against the prevailing mosquitos. Then were the games of hide and seek. May chase lightening bugs to see how many more we could get in our jars then in those of our friends. Or we roller skated on the best sidewalks in town, no later then ten o'clock of course. Magic time for all good little boys and girls to be in bed!

Today, when I see and hear people say they do not know their neighbors, I just cringe inside. They have no idea what they are missing. Listening is just as important as talking, and that is what a good neighbor does. Both. Sometimes at the same time, LOL, but a fellowship that abounds between neighbors, to me, is a lifelong bond.

Another thing this e-mail quoted was about the language and using the 'four' letter word. If that word was ever used in many households in that town, I would bet a million bucks that the children heard these words..."Hush your mouth! I don't want to hear words like that! I'll wash your mouth out with soap if you ever say that word again, do you hear me?"
Did you doubt your mothers words? Don't think so? So, did we speak that word? Need you ask!

What a comparison to the words that spill from the mouths of our babes today. No wonder, listen to the exposure that abounds in their daily lives to the wonders of the television set. My parents had both passed on before television exploded with the verbal abuse we are exposed to these days developed, and you know, I wonder what my reaction would have been if I were in the same room with them today, whatwith the language which we, as viewers, are faced with on a daily basis. I wonder. Just what their reaction would be???

Yes, it is true, living in a small town was wonderful. We learned to love and appreciate our neighbors, our friends. The peace and tranquility we enjoyed together is basically something we find hard to explain as we see and experience the everyday fast pace of life forced upon the families of today where two careers are a must in order to maintain an even average income for survival. Sad.

We may never again hear words like the ponderisms I am going to throw out to you .....example: 'Don't slam the screen door, the baby is asleep'...... 'Here is a dollar bill, run to the store and get a pound of hamburger, some hamburger buns and a carton of pop and don't forget to take the bottles from the kitchen cupboard so you do not have to pay a deposit on the bottles, and be sure to bring back the change'............. 'Wash your feet good before you get into bed, you been playing barefoot outside all day'.... 'You can have a piece of cake but be sure to put the tea towel back on it so the flies don't get on it'..... 'I told you to watch out for broken glass, now, run in the house and get the ZMO bottle so I can put some on that cut'............ 'Here is a dime, you cleaned the house good today so go and buy yourself a coke and a Snicker bar (my favorite)'.......and the best one of all..... "Take this dollar bill and go fill 5 gallons of gas in the car for dad"...........!!!!!!!!!

Just a 'touch' of small town living, but I loved it!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

"A HOMETOWN is where the great are small and the small are great".

Everyone has a hometown. Regardless of its' size ...so always....Share it. Enjoy it and above all, cherish it!

When I say small town, I would gestimate that we had less then 200 people in the whole town. It covered an area of about 5 blocks long, with two blocks west and three blocks east. The main traveled road we sort of named Main Street as there were no named streets in town. Who needed them? We knew where everyone lived. If you happened to be walking down the street, and a car rolled up and asked where Mrs. Dietz lived, it was simple, turn at the next intersection, go right, and she lives in the second house from the corner. That is all you needed to know after all we all knew one another pretty well.

Practically the whole town went to the same one church we had each Sunday morning. On Saturday morning we would have Church school for the older students, some in town and some coming in from the surrounding community. Even tho we never addressed our elders by nothing but Mr. or Mrs. Strecker or Mr. or Mrs. Karst, we knew what their first names were because we heard our parents address them by their first names; however, we did not. We respected our elders. We knew, for the most part, their grandparents as well as their aunts, their uncles, all the siblings and cousins. True we were all different. No duplicates. All definitely different DNA's and fingerprints, but we were happy to tell anyone that we knew everyone in town, and we were not bragging.

This was our town, we were proud of it. We had several grocery stores, a hotel where there was a place to get a coke, or a beer for the guys, and a regular 'hang-out' place on Saturday night. Couple garages, and one had two gas pumps in front where we bought gas for the vehicles. We had a dance hall where many a newly wed couple entertained their wedding guests after the wedding ceremony, and also there were other polka dances, and on weekends when there were not dances, the hall would be used as a skating rink and we skated away many a Friday evening. Also, a school, housed all eight grades, which I attended. The first two years of grade school we had two rooms, then it was condensed into one room, one teacher. And, this is where my dream of becoming a school teacher began, as once we reached the fourth grade, we gained the honor of helping with the lower grades if we wanted. I loved it. And, can't forget the bank and the post office. Both very necessary establishments.

There are several instances where I saw that community become so bonded it nearly wrenched your heart from your chest. The one time was when we had 2 boys and l girl from our school who came down with polio. Note this was the day before we had the polio vaccine. The families had no insurance. One boy was in an iron lung. So, at the dance hall, we had a big community charity gathering and all the proceeds from the cake walks, the bingo games, the play, the admission fee, all went to the families. There were tears of joy and sadness shared by many, as I recall that night.

The second instance was when the bank was robbed. In those days, the banks carried no insurance, so the people would rent deposit boxes, much like todays vaults which contain the little boxes, and the people would put their money in the boxes. From the sale of cattle, of wheat, or whatever money each family depended on as their source of income. The robbers blasted the vault open and emptied the boxes. I remember the despair that I saw in the faces of those townspeople that next morning when the news got out. The banker discovered it as soon as he opened the door that morning. Grown men cried. They lost everything. Cash, bonds, all gone. Even some soldiers who had been in service and sent their checks home, were robbed. Everything was taken. And, like I said no insurance. Then, since the vault was open, and thankfully they had missed some boxes, it had to be guarded for several nights in case the robbers would decide to return as the sheriff and his assistants had been there but they had not yet arrested anyone.....thank goodness they did find the robbers later, but no money was ever returned, so far as I know............and here again, the men of the community, taking their guns from the closets, would take turns standing guard until the vault was repaired. The whole town was ill at ease for nearly a week before things returned to as normal a state as possible.

Emily Dickson wrote ... "Where thou art, THAT, is home". We valued our homes. Each night, after supper, especially during the winter months, we would listen to the radio, do home work, play cards on the dining room table, mom would crotchet or sew, we would play with our toys, often we had the neighbors pop in. The summer evenings found us sitting on the front porch, or in screened porch areas to defend ourselves against the prevailing mosquitos. Then were the games of hide and seek. May chase lightening bugs to see how many more we could get in our jars then in those of our friends. Or we roller skated on the best sidewalks in town, no later then ten o'clock of course. Magic time for all good little boys and girls to be in bed!

Today, when I see and hear people say they do not know their neighbors, I just cringe inside. They have no idea what they are missing. Listening is just as important as talking, and that is what a good neighbor does. Both. Sometimes at the same time, LOL, but a fellowship that abounds between neighbors, to me, is a lifelong bond.

Another thing this e-mail quoted was about the language and using the 'four' letter word. If that word was ever used in many households in that town, I would bet a million bucks that the children heard these words..."Hush your mouth! I don't want to hear words like that! I'll wash your mouth out with soap if you ever say that word again, do you hear me?"
Did you doubt your mothers words? Don't think so? So, did we speak that word? Need you ask!

What a comparison to the words that spill from the mouths of our babes today. No wonder, listen to the exposure that abounds in their daily lives to the wonders of the television set. My parents had both passed on before television exploded with the verbal abuse we are exposed to these days developed, and you know, I wonder what my reaction would have been if I were in the same room with them today, whatwith the language which we, as viewers, are faced with on a daily basis. I wonder. Just what their reaction would be???

Yes, it is true, living in a small town was wonderful. We learned to love and appreciate our neighbors, our friends. The peace and tranquility we enjoyed together is basically something we find hard to explain as we see and experience the everyday fast pace of life forced upon the families of today where two careers are a must in order to maintain an even average income for survival. Sad.

We may never again hear words like the ponderisms I am going to throw out to you .....example: 'Don't slam the screen door, the baby is asleep'...... 'Here is a dollar bill, run to the store and get a pound of hamburger, some hamburger buns and a carton of pop and don't forget to take the bottles from the kitchen cupboard so you do not have to pay a deposit on the bottles, and be sure to bring back the change'............. 'Wash your feet good before you get into bed, you been playing barefoot outside all day'.... 'You can have a piece of cake but be sure to put the tea towel back on it so the flies don't get on it'..... 'I told you to watch out for broken glass, now, run in the house and get the ZMO bottle so I can put some on that cut'............ 'Here is a dime, you cleaned the house good today so go and buy yourself a coke and a Snicker bar (my favorite)'.......and the best one of all..... "Take this dollar bill and go fill 5 gallons of gas in the car for dad"...........!!!!!!!!!

Just a 'touch' of small town living, but I loved it!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

"A HOMETOWN is where the great are small and the small are great".

Everyone has a hometown. Regardless of its' size ...so always....Share it. Enjoy it and above all, cherish it!

And my reasoning on this decision?? Well, have to blame it all on Valentines Day approaching within a matter of days for it all came about this past week when I was doing a little shopping, picking up valentines for 4 of some of the most important people in my life.......my grandbabies (Oh, I knew they would love this decription of them, LOL)......... and what an eye opener. Oh, the cards were beautiful, gushy, some truly appealing, and some you could even record your own voice on the card along with the verse.... but I figured they did not need to be bombarded with any more 'gushiness from Granny', they get that enough on their birthdays! Prices were amazing also! But, standing there at that counter, reading all those things, I really became nostalgic. Memories started to flood into my trend of thought. And, for just a minute or two, I was able to see how far we, as a nation, have come from the true values of life. From simple, loving of life, to the 'throw away, not caring except for ME and how I can benefit' era of today. Sad, so sad. Almost to the point of utter heartbreak.

Today, we spend, spend and spend more. Most of the time more than we can......more than we should.........and now it is not even OUR own money, but others as well, and being done without cause or care of the future.

But, lets take a little trip 'back' to the days of penny valentines. Adorned with possibly a picture of a smiling clown, or a bear (lotsa bears) or animals of any kind, but always, and I mean ALWAYS it contained a heart of some shape or size, and maybe the card itself would be in the shape of a heart. Simple verses..........'You're all heart!'.......'You make me smile!'.......'Be Mine!'............'From top to toe, your'e great!'..............'You're a special friend!'..

Made of paper, lace and cupids, arrows and a pierced heart they always carried a message within that would make any ones heart give a little flutter at the thought of the person from whom this delightful message came. And the most important message of all.............just three or four or five words but it all narrowed down to this fact..........WILL YOU BE MY VALLENTINE? or just simply HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Growing up in the era of World War II, sugar was on the ration list, but somewhere, someplace during the week of February 14, cupcakes or heart shaped cakes appeared from nowhere~ Our moms saw to that!

Remember, this was the days BEFORE the introduction of cake mixes. So, all cakes were either white or chocolate! To give them a change of scenery, our mothers would be challenged to make white cupcakes with chocolate frosting, or chocolate cupcakes with white frosting, but nearly always, atop each cupcake or on the cakes, would be those little hard valentine shaped candies with all those neat little verses. Verses could not be long for the hearts were tiny, so ah, give it some thought, they were more affectionate, more provaking, so to speak...................I LOVE YOU........BE MINE.........TRUE HEART..........YOU ARE MINE........SAY YES.........TRUE LOVE...........

Maybe you will recall this also, but I remember vividly when the marashino cherry came into existance............oh do I remember. I do believe my mother had a fettish for them once she discovered their sweet flavor, their ability to withstand a lot of beating and battering......and as a result, we had marashino cherries frequently. On top of the little cupcakes, perched there, the little stems giving a romantic little curl as well, there would be a marashino cherry. Or, she found that she could cut them up and put them into the batter of a white cake, making it more attractive. Or she would make a cooked frosting and chop up the cherries and add them at the last minute before frosting the cake.......and oh yes, they even ended up in a rice dish or two, now and then!

Going through my array of cookbooks recently I came across some of my mothers recipes from those 'made from scratch' days. Was interesting. The titles of the cakes were, in themselves, something about which a book could be written, but just a few were: ...'Lady Baltimore Cake', ..'Sour Milk Devil's Food Cake',.. 'Cream Cake'.. 'Orange Cake'.. 'Sour Cream Raisin Cake'.. 'Eggless Cake' .. 'Burnt Sugar Cake'.... and on and on, and as I was reading these delicacies I could even remember some occasions that I helped in the kitchen while my mother was baking them. Memories!

And, what about the love songs of those days? Remember some of these........? 'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?'..' Candy Kisses'.. 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart'.. or how about ending it with the song that used to be the last number played at school dances and wedding dances and every couple was sure to join the throng on the dance floor, twirling round and round as the band played ..."Goodnight Sweetheart, well its time to go.. I hate to leave you, but I really must say, Good Night Sweetheart, Goodnight"...........AAAAHHHHHHH.. Remember that each song had numerous verses, not singing the same words over and over and over again.............

Yes, the thing that makes the world go around....LOVE....is going to be tops and foremost on the minds of one and all this coming week, so why not make the most of it. Opportunity awaits. Loving others is not so much an obligation as a privilage, isn't that great? And, maybe, just maybe, if we, ourselves LOVE life, why life may just love us BACK!

Interject a hug or two into this weeks activities.

Hugs are just a 'round about way' of expressing affection and the best part of a hug is the fact that you don't have to worry about getting or giving the right one, for they come in ALL sizes. A one size 'fits all' type of gift. No special wrapping. Not a costly item so will fit your budget. But absolutely one of the best gifts in the world to give! And hey, I like to be on the receiving line as well.

Entwined with the fact that happiness in your life solely depends on the quality of YOUR thoughts, possibly by now you may agree that we do have it all wrong....

We DO need to think of others.
We DO need to love others...
We DO need to give forethought to what we demand of others...
We DO need to care....
We DO need to get to work and quit being so selfish and thoughtless and wait, with outstretched hands, for handouts and freebies...
We DO need to simplify.
We DO need to cut back.
We DO need to quit spending money foolishly.
We DO need a change.
and top and formost.....

WE NEED A CHANGE OF MIND AND HEARTS!..

Challenge of the Week:

"Taste from lifes simpliest JOYS for they bring to our HEARTS, the sweestest of PLEASURES"..............

That very thing came into being, in my particular case, this past week.

A week ago today, a special friend and I, decided to check out a local auction planned for early Saturday morning. Nothing else really special to do that morning anyway. We arrived at the designated auction place about half an hour before the scheduled starting time so as to enable us to 'check out' what was being sold. Box by box, down the rows of table upon table, we saw the life history of the sellers unfold. Dishes, cookware, furniture, jewelry, pictures, everything that a normal family needs to maintain a household. All ready for the auction block. But one thing that I find myself looking for, at each auction, is a copper bottom wash boiler.........(INSERT, no son, I promise, on my scouts honor, I will not buy it for he keeps telling me, 'don't go to an auction, mom, HAVE ONE', and he is smart, he knows what he is talking about, Mom just hasn't listened to his advice, as yet, with her whole heart however)........ and, yes, we found the clothes pins, the wooden bushel baskets that used to have liners that needed replacing periodically to keep the clothes from sticking to the sides of the basket and being damaged......but no copper bottom wash boiler. AH!

To those of you familiar with this type of wash boiler, you are familiar with the fact that galvanized rinsing tubs were usually used as a rinsing tool on wash day, but the boiler was just that.....used to boil the water in advance of washing so that the very first load of clothes.......the WHITE items, were given special attention. The water was HOT. Scalding hot.

Washing the first load of clothes, bleached to a snowy white, and while the water was removed from the boiler to the actual washing machine, Mom would always leave about a depth of 8 inches or more, depending on the amount of clothes she intended to boil, in the boiler, on the stove, and boil the white items special before they were even put in the machine. WHITE clothes MUST be WHITE. No dinghy grays. No spots. And even tho she emphasized this greatly on the white shirts,.... sheets, pillow cases and handerchiefs, the dish clothes and tea towels were vitally important to be as white as they could be. After all, that was the sign they were CLEAN. "Would you ever wash your dishes with that dirty ole dishrag?" I could hear the voice of my mother saying.....why she would 'roll over in her grave' if she ever saw any of her family members using a dish cloth that, intended to be white, was NOT white.

Keep in mind that one of moms favorite sayings would be.......if the person referenced had passed away and rather than make note of the fact per se but to still emphasize the fact that we were being reminded, or punished for not doing something correctly.............'why she would roll over in her grave if......" and then go on to tell you WHY she and/or he would roll over in their graves if they could see or know what YOU were doing. Just her own significant little way of teaching tactics, realized now.

Normally, the order of the washing day routine included white shirts and blouses, of which we wore quite a few in our household, washed in the very first load. The men always wore a white shirt to church. That was a must. Colored shirts did not exist in our world. Then there were, after the white shirts, the white undershirts, the white pillow cases and sheets, then the white towels and tea towels, last the white hankerchiefs. The usual order for washing of the whites!

Now, back to the boiler.............it can more readily be described as important in the fact that it was the heavy copper bottom construction that held the heat and controlled the temperature of the heated water so well. Oval in shape, about 4 feet long, a couple feet wide, it took my dad to lift it when it was full of water. It was heavy in itself, and filled with that much water, it seemed to weigh a ton! A beautiful thing, and at todays copper and gold prices, I can't imagine what price it would bring at an auction, if in good condition. But, guess my son can rest in peace, none was there, at least that I could see, and so I went home empty handed.........nearly!

Well, as it would happen, while at a community center this past week, and after our session of cards, another friend and I were washing up the coffee cups and saucers we had used for a little taste of tiny sandwiches and donuts, and I was doing the washing, she was trying to find a white dishcloth to use to dry the dishes......no dishwasher. Low and behold, there was not a WHITE dish cloth to be had. Oh, they may have been white at one time, but now they varied in a hue from grey to black! And, I am not kidding. Maybe used for scrubbing the floors.........but washing dishes..........never.......not in Mom's house. So, being the faithful dutiful daughter she raised, I resorted to using a colored towel to wash the dishes..........at least 'I could not see if IT was clean, Mom'...........and then I gathered all the white, or similiar colors because some of them could not properly identified as to color, and put them in a plastic bag and brought them home to see what I could do about restoration to meet Mom's approval.

Happy to report. After a whole night of soaking in hot water, with bleach and soap, washed the next morning (you should have seen the dirty water that had accumulated during the soaking, ugh!!!), they were then washed again. So, now, a little more on the bright white side, I hope to take them back to their home for further duty in the hopes that,........... please custodian, learn the use of bleach and hot water!!! ...... It is true that anything worth doing may take longer than you think, but IF you do it right, YOU will feel better about it.....and Mom, 'rest in peace', I did the best I could do with the best that I had!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK"

"The REWARD of a thing well done, is to have done it"

and keep in mind that refers to everything in life that we do!

But, when I stopped and gave it another thought, I remembered that another 'helpful' item that many families had were large iron kettles that could be set over an outdoor fire. As a rule, these kettles would hold 30 gallons or more and for the more fortunate, these kettles would be built into a brick foundation inside a building, resulting in a stove of sorts, complete with stovepipe, damper, and a door in the front through which a fire could be tended below the kettle. Many times, these kettles were in the washhouse (and those of you who are German can remember them being called BACKHAUS ('back house' which meant it was out in back of the house) or a SOMMERKUCHE ('summer kitchen' which many people used to cook their meals in when the weather was hot to keep the house cool enough to be able to sleep in at night).

Remember the paragrah before where I said that the kettle had a door in the front though which a fire could be tended, well, no natural gas available, so again, nature was necessary to its greatest 'green' function. Wood, of course, was the best source of heat, but not always available on the Great Plains, so cow chips often fueled fires under those kettles as well.

I, honestly, truly, admit to never have 'enjoyed' this chore but I have been told story upon story of how wheelbarrows of cow chips from the pasture was really what they liked to use as chips burn fast and give out lots of heat! ...????...

When one went searching for cow chips, they would carry a long stick, or hoe, and turn the chips over, right there in the pasture, to see whether they had dried sufficiently as only very dry chips burn well. When it met with approval, the chip would be given a hefty flip, tossing them a little ways away from were they had been deposited earlier by animals, allowing the
creepy-crawlies the chips had been harboring, to escape. Both,,,, from its location and the person picking up the chips. Some even harbored a rattle snake now and then, in addition to flies, spiders, ants, and the likes!

Like the copper boiler, this kettle was put to many uses, and sometimes of a similiar nature. Heating water, cooking meats, (UMMM especially making KOPTWURST) or headcheese, or making lard.

Anyway, back to 'wash day of yore! Washing clothes in years past bore not the slightest resemblance to todays marvel of white, and silver models of washers and dryers with multi-level selections of water, washing time, washing level, types of clothing being washed and on and on. Why, today, all you have to do is throw your clothes in the machine, shut the door, add your detergent, and bleach, if desired, turn the knob to 'ON' or 'Start', and either take a nap, read a book or even dance all day if you wanted you, anything to your hearts desire..........well, days of 'yore' bore no earthly semblance to that at all when it came to clean clothes!

First of all, you had to have soap before you could wash clothes.........Did you go to the store and buy soap? Guess again. So, you made your own soap.

White lard played an important role in making soap. And where did the lard come from? Grocery store??? Well, hardly, first of all, butchering day was scheduled, hog was butchered, the meat was cut and smoked, or salted or 'fried down' and canned in jars and the fat was rendered into lard. Not an easy task. Lots of work, involving the entire families, and often times, neighbors, who helped you......and when they butchered, you helped them~!!!

Hog, naturally and normally well known for the amount of fat it contains, was natures way of providing cooking and cleaning from the lard it produced for each piece of meat was trimmed of as much fat as possible, prior to making the finished product. This fat, than, was 'rendered'. That means, it was put in large containers, possibly using a boiler, or most people used the heavy black kettle, and the lard was placed in the container, cooked at as high degree of heat as available, in order to liquify the fat. Than, as the liquid formed, it would be scooped off with ladles, like a soup ladle and usually stored in heavy crock jars. Women of that day prided themselves in keeping a watchful eye on the lard as it was being rendered, scooping the fat frequently so that it did not burn, for to have a nice, pretty WHITE lard was 'in'. Now, this I did help do!

After the lard was rendered, and all the crocks filled with, what was normally, a full years need for lard, it would be stored in the coolest available place, like an underground cellar of sorts, and guess what was left over??? Why the cracklings, of course.

Today we go to the store and buy pork rinds and pork cracklings. This is not a new treat! Nothing new! They originated in 'yore'. That was our treat for the last thing from fat that was utilized, was cracklings! Pleasurable treat, and remains same as today!

White lard was a necessity for making soap, basically the most important ingredient. And, hey, how can we wash clothes without soap? No one needs to be told the answer to that question!

Well, that is another 'challenge'..........till next week, please keep this in mind.........

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

Please remember....."Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident and it is not a matter of circumstance, but of CHOICE".

If the truth be known, and all facts assembled, I believe we would be truly amazed how many people really, really do associate February 14 as one of their favorite days of the year! And why not?

What other day can you send a special greeting of love to someone you just barely know without fear of rejection? What other day of the year can you send a special red rose to a friend for fear of them wondering if you had lost it? So, why not step up to the mound, grab a bat and go for it! Don't waste that opportunity to do something you have been wanting to do for a long, long time, and just did not have the guts to do it!

You know, the greatest gift you can give is when you can give of you, of yourself while bringing happiness to others and to yourself as well!

So, I dare you!

REACH OUT ..... buy some of the prettiest Valentine cards you can find, purchase a few of those pretty stamps at the local post office, and mail out cards to your mother, your father, your siblings, your children, your teacher, your pastor, ..... the list is endless! *Do not, for heavens sake, forget an extra special one for your spouse. Just today, one of my dear friends expressed the fact of disappointment that she no longer receives a very special Valentine card and a new teddy bear for Valentines Day..........she has been a widow for over ten years!

REACH OUT ..... and touch the stars in the dark winter sky! Do it with some else, not alone.

REACH OUT ..... and let one of the many snowflakes that seem to be ever present in our area of late, melt gently in your hand, but first taking the opportunity to breath in the beauty of one of God's most beautiful creations, that of the snowflake, before the melt!

REACH OUT ..... and let those brisk, cool winds of the cold heady air of February along with the wind of the Spirit sweep all those many cobwebs from your body, your mind, your spirit and enjoy the thought of life and the opportunity of being able to greet a brand-new day!

And, the best part of Valentines Day is the fact, that you, yes you, can REACH OUT and place your arms around those you love! You can wrap your arms around your friends, your neighbors and encircle them with compassion.

If we were truly honest with ourselves, we may have to admit to the fact that today we often have no time for the child buried somewhere deep inside of each of us! We forget what we experienced as children as we bury our feelings and spontaneous joys because somewhere along the way, it has become easier not to show our feelings. So, on come the masks!

I remember special Valentine Days!

I remember a mitt, filled with powder, that I received from a Secret Admirer in the 4th grade! I hate to admit it, but I still have it, but you know, I cannot even remember the name of the giver!.......I remember the memories of Mother buying Valentine cards in a large box, small with tiny envelopes, and the time I took selecting just the right Valentine for just the right recipient, writing their names on the front of the envelope and practicing my calligraphy, even back in grade school days! I remember the Valentine boxes we had to put the Valentines in at school. I recall some of the party events! I remember receiving a special red plastic Valentine Box, filled with some of the most delicious chocolates I had ever eaten, accompanied by a pearl necklace, bracelet and earring set, received from one of the most important people in my life! I remember the Valentines parties for my children....the fun I had acting as Home Room Mother and the anxious faces of the wee ones as they eagerly opened their Valentines and gifts! Even today, I enjoy receiving a Valentine from an unexpected sender, and I enjoy sending them out as well!

Some years back, I had experienced some trying events during the month of January, and as an expression of thankfulness, during the whole month of February, each Friday night, I would invite enough people to fill my dining room table, and as they entered my house, it was totally dark with the exception of glowing candles, accented in red for Valentines Day and of course, we all enjoyed a quiet Candlelight Supper, followed by an entire evening of just sitting around the table and delighting in the presence of one another! What fun! Several of the people attending, admitted to the fact that they never had truly enjoyed a Candlelight supper more! My heart was even more filled by this opportunity to reach out and share an extra special hug while sharing this precious moment. They had reached out and been there for me when I needed them..............and now, here I was, trying to reach out in return, in the simplicity of the candles and the meal as an expression of thankfulness!

So, my special CHALLENGE to you for this week, is for YOU to put on your thinking cap................and think of a way that YOU, in your own special way, can REACH OUT and bring happiness to others...........and to yourself as well!

But it is amazing, here it is, just two days away from that awesome special day of February, Valentines Day, and I am wondering how many people are thinking all of a sudden, 'Holy Mackeral, I have not sent a card to --------'. Well, so you missed getting a card in the mail. There is still time for flowers! A phone call! A note on the e-mail! A special unplanned dinner out! Dropping by for a quick visit! Cleaning the drive for a neighbor! Sending a pizza via a messenger with a special message!.... There are endless and countless ways of expressing your appreciation.... Your thoughts!

However, an incident happening just this morning kinda caught me by surprise! Being the eternal optomist, I have a tendancy to think that people are always thinking on a positive note about love around Valentines Day, WELL, was I wrong!
Engaging in a business adventure, I happened to mention the upcoming holiday and sort of hinted to the clerk assisting me, that he would probably be having a nice dinner out with his wife for Valentines day as I noted the date as I was writing a check to pay for my purchases...........I just assumed.......(???). Well, I was in no uncertain terms informed that he did not believe in Valentines Day! Not believe in Valentines Day! To me, that was like saying, he did not believe in Christmas or Santa Claus! In this situation, I had to quickly remind myself that to have joy we must have hope while looking for the good in every situation. So, in the further conversation, I gingerly added that I loved the holiday. I like the Valentine cards I receive, the phone calls, the times I received flowers, had breakfast in bed from the efforts of some thoughtful and loving family members. So.........what to do! Ah, I had the solution! I was carrying some extra foil covered chocolates, shaped like hearts in my pocket, so I just reached into my pocket, pulled out one, handed to him, wishing him 'Happy Valentines Day'........and politely took my leave............But, you know, I left with a heavy heart. Did I fail? What more could I have done? It is said that love reduces friction to a fraction, so what should I do in this case?....... YOU GUESSED IT! LOVE!

By loving, the first duty of love is to listen!

We both did, in our interactions! He listened to me,........ I listened to him. So, maybe even tho he did not realize it, he was celebrating Valentines Day and the greatest celebrations in the world are anniversaries of the heart! ..... I read somewhere that we should love the people who treat you right and forget about those who don't. But you know, in this case, he really did not treat me wrong, he just expressed his thought, right? .......... SO..... (I am just gonna say a little prayer, all by myself, that he thinks it over, and maybe goes and buys a little box of chocolates to take home to give to his wife tonight, think it will work???!!!???)..........aw, naughty me!

So, this Valentines Day when you open a card that says.........."Mothers do things out of love, never imagining that what they do may become unforgettable memories in the hearts of their children"..............OR one that says "Throughout the years, your've been such a special aunt...you've helped to shape my life in more ways than you know" ....... OR one that says "I've always admired you, enjoyed being with you, and felt so very close to you...and I hope you know you'll always mean so much to me"........OR "On Valentine's Day and always, thank you for all the ways your friendship makes my world special" ..........OR one that says simply "Happy Valentines Day" ....... keep the thought in mind that we all have a choice in life and we can be happy or miserable, we all have seen both............but remember what does make the WORLD GO AROUND!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

"Let LOVE always find a home in YOUR heart and remember that to LOVE someone is to learn the song in their heart so you can always sing it to them when they have forgotten."

And, of course, with the month of February still holding us in its grips, we are just coming down from a high...... with all the heart shaped boxes of beautiful chocolates that tempt the diet. Hearts, hearts were everywhere...... And now, all of the candy and beautiful accessories are half-price. How can we not indulge?? Ah, and such is life.

Earlier this week, it was necessary to make a trip to the larger metropolis of Hays to pick up a few items not able to purchase in our small community, and as I was driving, I was listening to the radio, to help pass the time. I was amazed. Have you listened, I mean, REALLY listened to much of todays music??? It is mind boggling. "I LOVE YOU, YAH, YAH,.....I LOVE YOU, YAH, YAH" and it goes on and on and on. Same words. Nothing changes............ Lyrics must have taken a side stand in todays music world. Where are all the good stanzas of a song which build and build, until the final verse is sung, sort of a final 'AMEN' to the song itself? I guess I really should have counted but instead, patience overcame me, and it was time to push the buttons to another, though less familiar station, but one that at least had Rush Limbaugh on, a definite change of tune!

I couldn't help but think of the tunes from Granny's Days. "Heart of My Heart"......"I Left My Heart in San Francisco"..... 'Deep In the Heart of Texas".....just to name a few. There were verses to these songs. The singer actually had to memorize what he or she was singing, no hum drum stuff.............

I have to admit, I have a fettish about hearts for you see, I 'doodle' hearts. Know what doodling is? Maybe it, too, is 'old fashioned', but it is when you have pencil in hand, a piece of paper nearby, and your mind is wondering, and to keep your hands occupied, yep, then it happens.....you 'doodle'. And you know what my infamous favorite 'doodle' is?? You guessed it.............a heart!

Now, I had sometime tell me one time, as they observed all the 'doodle' marks I had left on a sheet of paper on my desk, that what we 'doodle' tells what is really in our heart!!??? I was then told that whoever has a heart full of love always has something to share! Well, I considered that a compliment, and I have never forgotten it.

But, as I observed the hearts which I had drawn, they were a little misshappen. Not the regular sized heart. In fact the left side always seemed to be about as regular a heart shape that you can make, but when I came to drawing the right side, I went a little askew! It would sometimes be high and narrow, sometimes big and fat, sometimes high and fat, but it always ended the same. The bottom line usually touched the left side of the heart, but there was always an extension, with many times a fancy little curl at the end.

Another fetish I have are pins! I love to wear pins. Have scads of them, and always looking for another 'just the right one'! And, you can imagine my delight while shopping one day, I found a silver pin, just exactly like the one I usually doodle! Just had to have it! And I do. Though a little oversized, I still find just the right costume to wear it with occasionally. Will probably be one of the pins I decide to keep when I get the urge to scale down a bit in the jewelry department!

Combining the 'shape' of the heart, with its favorite color, either 'red' or a shade thereof, it is no wonder that the heart shape is the favorite for Valentines Month..........February............for red symbolizes subtle strength. Combined colors of red, as power, and the softness of white, the end result is pink. The most feminine color of all, projecting love and romance in a soft unassuming way.

I am all for keeping HEARTS as the symbol for the month of February!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:

"LOVE doesn't make the world go around....but it makes the ride worthwhile"!