A look back...

This week SITS is hosting a Back to Blogging campaign to get everyone back in a blogging and commenting routine. I've not really been in a routine so I'm going to use this as a starting point for a routine.  My first post was memories of my Dad and I'm going to share it again, even though it's only 6 months old.  Here is that post...

My Dad use to call me his l'il pea picker, hence the name of this blog.  He has been gone for 24 years but over the past several months I have been thinking about him and remembering the good times.  You know, the times when he hugged me or kissed me on the cheek when I was sleeping.  Those times.  You see, my dad was an alcoholic .  That was a difficult thing for me to admit.  I was at college and we were studying alcoholism when I had to face the fact - it was hard and for more years than I can remember, all I thought about were the bad times, so I'm grateful to be thinking of these good times because times were not always bad.
He use to hug and kiss us and would rub his new growth of stubble into our cheeks just to hear us squeal!  We would watch the Sunday afternoon movie together, there were only three channels back then.  He was proud to walk my sister and I down the aisle, even if it meant wearing a "monkey suit" - which he secretly loved.  He loved his grandsons, he had three within a seven month period.  The youngest of these was only 16 months old when Dad died.

When we were little, there were 4 of us, 2 girls and 2 boys, Dad worked away during the week and was home on the weekends.  Sunday evenings we would all get in the car and take a drive.  He would need to pickup his check, then we would drive and often end up spotting deer - I don't think it was illegal back then.
Dad was always very patriotic and served our country during the Korean war.  He belonged to the American Legion and the V.F.W. He was proud to be an American and instilled that patriotism in us.  I get tears in my eyes every time I hear the national anthem.  Memorial day he was generally involved in the arrangements for making sure the veteran's graves received new flags and for honoring those vets.

He remained active in the Army Reserves, serving one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer.  When he would come home from summer camp, he would bring us something special.   We have pictures where my brothers are wearing the gun holsters they got and my sister and I got Barbies!  Another time we each got fishing rods!

These are special memories because we did not get gifts except at birthdays, Christmas, and when Dad came home from summer camp!  My son received little gifts frequently, I think my Mom thought we were spoiling him - we probably were! The gifts from Dad were special!

I'm surprised at all the memories that are coming to mind - this has been a good thing or me to do!  Other memories include, fishing, Storybook Forest, and Sea World, but I've save those for another time.

Sometimes I wondered if he loved us but now I know he did and that I loved him.

Linda  <3

Thanks to the SITS girls for this challenge this week and thanks to the SITS Back to Blogging sponsors: Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances.

Celebrating the 4th!

Saturday the hubby and I celebrated the 4^th.  I guess that’s what you would call it.  We had a picnic at Shawnee Park.  Why I hesitate to call it a celebration is because it was just the 2 of us.  You see, this is the first time we haven’t been with at least some family for a picnic for the 4^th of July…since we started dating 30 years ago.  Hubby’s aunt always had a picnic with lots of family until 3 years ago and we always looked forwards to going and getting to sit and talk with everyone.  The past two years we were with at least some family but not this year.

Is it a bad thing to have spent the day together – just the two of us?  No I’m not saying that, it was just different.  Of course, if we lived closer to our son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, I’m sure it would have been different, but we aren’t able to change that situation at this time and besides things are in God’s hands.
I don’t mean to sound a little day about it all; guess I’m just missing family.  The past few months I’ve wanted to reunite with family.  I think God has been speaking to me about the importance of family.  Unfortunately, due to my mental and physical health, our relationship with family has suffered somewhat.  Also as nieces and nephews grow, everyone seems to be busier.

We are living a somewhat simpler life these days and I like it.  It puts things in perspective and you really start to see that money and things aren’t important.  Love and family are!

Til next time!
Linda

PS Discussion:  What did you do to celebrate the 4th?

Father’s Day Memories

One of my best father’s day memories doesn’t involve my father but by husband and son. 

It was June 16^th 1991 and 2 days before I had a total abdominal hysterectomy for uterine cancer, so I spent Father’s Day in the hospital and was not able to plan anything special for hubby.  No worries because Jacob, at the age of 6, took matters into his own hands.  He planned a “party” for his dad with the help of his Grammy A.  He asked her to get some crackers and drinks and invited people to their place after church that night for a celebration.  If memory serves me correctly, they had pizza with the crackers.  The memory of this still brings tears to my eyes.

After the party they came up to the hospital to visit me; it was after visiting hours but at the time I worked there and was able to take a few liberties.

I would love to be able to do that with my grandson someday.

What is your favorite memory from Father’s Day?

Til next time,
Linda<3

How was your Mother's Day?

Mine was great! Hubby took me out to dinner, something we do not do very often these days.  It was a good time with good food that I didn’t have to prepare.

My son called from Florida and we had a nice conversation and I got to “talk” to my grandson briefly, he’s only 13 ½ months old so isn’t really into the talking thing much yet.  I found out how they celebrated the day to make his wife feel special.

The best part of the day was being in church.  We have not been attending faithfully for quite some time.  When I was working, I spent much of the weekend sleeping and well, that has continued since being off. I know I’ve missed many blessings by not being there and I cannot change that but I can go o from here.  It was such a blessing to hear Pastor preach about Hannah and her son Samuel.

Hannah was a godly mother and raised Samuel to fear and love the Lord God.  Pastor pointed out how Samuel came to be a godly man even though he lived most of his life in a home where much ungodliness was happening.  You see Hannah promised God that if He gave her a child she would give that child back to Him. She only raised Samuel to the age of 4 or 5 then he lived in the temple with the priest whose sons were wicked.  How did Samuel become so godly in this ungodly environment?  It was because of his upbringing and the things in him by his mother in those few short years; read I Samuel chapters 1 & 2.

What can we take away from this?  Those first years of a child’s life are so important and impact their entire future.  As Moms we need to be sure we are teaching them the ways of God during that time.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Pastor did point out that if we did not do this then we need to start now.

I am thankful that even though we have not been faithfully attending church now, when Jacob was little we did go and he was trained in the things of the Lord.

Til next time,

Linda <3

Mother's Day Card

I enjoy making things and many years ago started making cards for holidays and birthdays.  Back then I made them using rubber stamps but now I like using my computer and so here is the card I designed for Mother's day this year.

This is the finished card front.

and

This is the original ad that I used.

I changed the picture using Adobe Photoshop software.  I am enjoying my classes at the Art Institute and am learning so much.  I really hope to have my own business someday.

Til next time...
Linda <3

Mother's Day Memories II

As I was thinking about my previous post on Mother’s Day Memories, I realized that I don’t recall doing anything special for my Mom on Mother’s Day as I was growing up.  I remember celebrating after I was through college and working on my own but not before that.

I realize Mother’s Day has become much more commercialized in the last 30 some years but when was it first celebrated?  I decided to do an internet search and here’s what I found…

Apparently it was first celebrated in ancient Greece and in the 17^th century “Mothering Sunday” was celebrated in England.

Julia Ward Howe suggested it in 1872 in the U.S.  She wrote the words for the Battle Hymn of the Republic, but the first known observance was in Michigan in 1877 on the second Sunday in May.
In 1914 it was declared a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson.  There is a lot more interesting history that you can read here if you would like, but for my purposes this is what I wanted to know.
When I was growing up people ate at home, in fact businesses were closed on Sundays ( Sunday Blue laws), so there was no taking Mom out to eat after church.  This meant Mom cooked her own celebration meal in our house.

I guess what matters most is that I love and respect my Mom.  One of my fondest memories of her is that of her sitting at the back of the living room with her Bible open on her lap.  She is a godly woman of great faith and one day I hope to have as great a faith.  She saw to it that my siblings and I got to Sunday school and church each week.  I am sure it is because of her and her faith that I found Christ as my Lord and Savior.

What better legacy can a person have?  She is always available when I need something and helps me as much today as she did when I was growing up.

I love you Mom!

Linda <3