Thoughts about life that trouble me

1. No matter how I say the following items somebody will be mad about it.

2. Over the course of my life, I have lost 99% of respect for pastors. This is in no small part due to personal experiences involving several of them acting childish and narrow (together, of course). And I don't have a satisfactory answer as to what good they truly perform in our society that cannot be otherwise done while holding down a real job.

3. Why must people yell and scream and bully their children, then get so surprised and offended when their children repeat this behaviour? Guess what! They are watching YOU and I for cues. Such a difficult concept for adults!!!!!!!!!

4. If we cannot change the pain, and we cannot alleviate the pain, we can only integrate the pain into our existence. Which sounds......painful.......may God allow an existence full of grace.

5. YOUR THOUGHTS HERE

Websurfing www.cleanjoke.com (all jokes adapted from website)

A nurse, dentist and army general are flying in an airplane and decide to drop something out.
the nurse drops a medical kit.
the dentist throws a toothbruth out.
the army general drops a bomb.

when they land they go to see what happened.

they find a young man bandaging up his arm, and old man brushing his dentures
and a very young boy laughing his head off.

confused, they ask him what is so funny.

"My uncle farted and just blew up his house!" the small boy explains between laughs.........

A Little Riddle

Arnold Schwartzenegger has a big one.
Madonna never had one.
The Pope doesn't need one.
Bill Clinton uses his often.
We never saw Luci use Desi's.
WHAT is it?

"A Surname" hahahahaha and I had you thinking something else didn't I????


"The trouble with being puctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it." Franklin P. Jones

Why have I never seen the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery" ?

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains? (My son says it is because they are not socks.)

Why don't they make the whole plane out of the stuff they make that indestructible black box outta?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitos, huh?

If CON is the opposite of PRO, is Congress the opposite of Progress?

The Fertile Momma Cow

A Cow had triplets. While grazing in the pasture one day the first calf comes up to momma and asks "why did you name me daisy?"
Well honey, replies the cow, when you were born a daisy fell from heaven and landed on your head. The calf loved this and ran off happy.
The next day calf number two says "momma, why did you name me Tulip?
Well honey, replies the cow, when you were born a tulip fell from heaven and landed on your head. The calf ran off very happy with this.
The next day, calf number three dawdles up to momma and asks his question.
"Momma, why did you name me COWPOO!"
Well honey when YOU were born ......
......it was just the most amazing thing......

Here is Ben's little dog Sweety. Ain't she cute? She has alot of personality too.

The Storm

Icy cold wind blows into the room
Making me remember what I wanted to forget
It settles into a chair near me and wants to shake my hand
Makes me tremble as though I am weak again

Grin of the devil wants me to believe in kind intentions
I was born yesterday. and that is long ago enough to know
How terribly cold this awful wind can be
The wind drones on I tighten my scarf and button my coat

I tighten my scarf button my coat
Stand at full height and stare him in the face
The wind musters another gusty blow allthewhile grinning
I put on my cap and mittens now

Stand at full height face to the wind
I am strong enough to pass through this storm
Hold tightly to my hands children we are walking on
We are walking on and on and on as wind blows all around us

I think my darling children felt the chill, ice petals forming
I am a good seamstress and so
We have fleece coats for the whole family
To keep us warm against the blasts (we never know when)

And when it is all over, I think to myself
How good it is to be here
To be from Minnesota where the people
Are strong (lend me your strength oh my good friends)
Are brave (no we won't back down, we won't back down now)
We know how to stand against the wind

Thoughts as I think about Those I care for at the Nurse Home...

You are old a tired
But I can still see it,
the smile of a little girl still graces your face.

Oh! You must have been a beauty
You have lived a life
You have your smile and wedding photo to show

I am young a full of life
Thats what you old folk tell me
Though I know someday I will be sitting in your place

I hope the caregiver
Wipes my chin and my butt
Hopefully she isn't in too big a hurry to brush my hair

Maybe my children will be like yours
Taking time to really see me
Not just "popping in" for a minute and gone again

When I confuse my words
Please don't say "uh hum" and walk on
Please try to hear me or at least give a moment

May God smile down on you
May He grace your final years
That they are pain free, full of joy and peace

May it be the same for me when I am
Quietly without hearing and sight
Sitting in your place in your chair at your age

What I have learned since moving to Fillmore County!

Lets see..... think think think....

1. MN has better roads than IA. At least, anyhow, if yr Amish we do, because at least Fillmore Co has a shoulder (I mean a horse n buggy lane).


2. Straight roads DO exist. I never would have known that if I lived always in Houston Co.

3. Dutch heritage, the houses are much more square than German built farmhouses, especially the roof structure, and their coffee floats TWO spoons.

4. Schoolhouses make good homes. :)

5. Bluff country is pretty dang nice place to be, and it ends (or at least levels off some) just past Mabel! Out here its "rolling prairie"

6. I have a great family!! (ok I knew that already!) they have all been out here at least once or at least done a drive by if I wasn't home! You guys rock!

7. If you live in a "rolling prairie", that means the wind ALWAYS blows!

8. I really love it out here, they folks have been so good, the neighbors have been very welcoming. Makes it easier to forgive the wind for taking my hat!

9. Having alot of Amish in the area is a good thing.

10. I can be pretty happy in a half-remodeled house. :)

11. I'm not the only stubborn quack out here who's motto in life is "I can do it myself" lol

12. Old is good. Antique is better. Anything old increases in value if brought to the Harmony antique mall.

13. I can get lost on pretty much any backroad (but usually come out somewhere close enough to figure it out anyhow! LOL)

14. Tiny towns are wonderful. Get a copy of the local church cookbook and your on the way to becoming a community member.

15. Changes in life are not always negative! :)

Our Treasure

Its a beautiful thing

when you can find it

That realization that all will be well

that at the end

of an ugly day-

it will still be alright, because

together

Together

At the end of a not-all-right day

Its still gonna be

Alright.

That is what we have found, he and I-that space and time

where its gonna be alright together.

Oh God, I had no idea!! it was supposed to be like this!

Sweet quiet happiness, I am ready.

remembering.....

A few days ago, i was sleeping in the middle of the day. (Because I work nights, I don't sleep at night very well.) I had a beautiful dream!
I dreamed that I was in a most lovely place on earth-my grandparents front yard. You see, their yard over looks a deep valley and the hills sort of rise out the the mist in the morning, and greet you with a kind of eternal beauty hard to match elsewhere. And in the winter, they have the best view of snow covered bluffs anywhere except perhaps right on the Mississippi.
In my dream, I was running across the yard yelling out "Grandma! Grandma!" and she was standing in her door way smiling at me. As I got closer she said in her sing song way "I have cookies....." I must have been about 10 years old. The grass was so very very green and her smile was so very genuine, as my grandma always is. Her smile was like it is supposed to be.
Then I woke up.
All of a sudden I am 32 again and my grandparents don't live there anymore and my grandma is in the nursing home dying of cancer.

I cried.