A love letter to my husband...

Dear Man,

We have been married forty years.  Can you believe it?  Forty seems like a lot and yet it doesn't seem like we have been together that long.

I just want to thank you for the wonderful ride through life, so far. We have been to wonderful places, we have suffered a few of life's tragedies, raised a daughter, and have thoroughly enjoyed our grand children.  We did it together.

We have had poor times and rich times.  We made it through the economic hard times of just starting a life together.  Remember when we only had five dollars to spend for our own food AFTER buying baby formula?  Thank goodness TV dinners were on sale! We knew we would laugh about it some day.  And, we did.  And now, we get to enjoy the fruits of our labors. 

We have had sickness and health. Not just the sickness and health of the two of us, but sickness and health of our daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, our parents, and other family members. Those times always brought out the best in each of us. Times when all we could do was to hold each others hands.  No words, just love strength.

I have loved and cherished you for the last forty years and will continue.  I wish this kind of love for all. As I have said before......you are my favorite husband!  Happy Anniversary in our little place of heaven on Earth, Puerto Vallarta!

Love, Chick

Deer Hunting

I was over at the daughter's house the other day.  It is Fall and the kids are just now starting to have to stay indoors more often.  A hard transition from Summer to Winter.  Boredom was setting in on the girls and the six year old ran into the room and asked her dad if he could take them deer hunting.  Deer hunting??  Here is the explanation:


There is an open field across the street from the daughter's house.  Deer have been spotted there.  One night my son-in-law loaded up the little girls in his truck and they drove across the street, over the curb and into the field.  He shut off the engine and kept the head lights on.  They counted fourteen deer in the field eating.  The girls were amazed.  That was deer hunting.

Grand Daughter and the phone call

I was talking to my five year old grand daughter on the phone. We were going through the routine of saying our goodbyes: the I love yous and the see you tomorrows and how much we loved each other and who loves whom more. You know the routine! Then, as only a child of the 21st century, on a cell phone, would say, "Okay Nanna, I'm going to push the button now, bye!"

Me and God have this mutual admiration thing going on

I know, quite a topic.  I take a rather simplistic view of God.  I always have.  I was brought up in the Lutheran church.  I have spent most of my life seeking God in all the wrong places. Different churches, different religions and it all boiled down to to one thing....Love.  You see, I have found God everywhere I want to be.  Everywhere I need to be.  Everywhere.

It took all of my life to finally understand that God is really Love and that is pretty much it.  No need to not do this or not do that.  No need to memorize and quote endlessly.  All I need to do is to love every single day of my life.  Jesus said it all. 

Love the Earth and take care of her.  Love the Lord and be so very thankful.  Love people.  Love to help. Love to love. 

I'm pretty sure God does not care about a lot of stuff that people think He cares about.  I'm thinking He wants us to take care of each other.  Make life easier for each other.  To love one another in the process. 

I'm also pretty sure he's not real fond of people blaming Him for everything.  Come on, seriously, like He made a tornado to wipe out a town?  Tornadoes are a result of the laws of nature and physics.  So are earthquakes and hurricanes. So are meteorites and comets.  How do people get off saying stuff like that? 

I think a lot about all the people who have said one must believe "their way" or you will go to hell.  Excuse me.....hell????  Hell is sickness and starvation.  Hell is war and fighting.  Hell is not taking care of each other.

On the other hand, Heaven is getting along.  Heaven is tending to the needs of others to make their lives a bit nicer and easier.  Love.  Get it.  Can you imagine if love was the basis behind every decision a leader of a country made?  Or if love was the basis of every decision a corporation made?  We would have life a whole lot easier than it is right now. 

I get a kick out of people who say their God is not the same God I pray to.  That's like saying the air I breathe is not the same air they breathe.  Same God, different way of going about it.  Some people feel comfortable in all the trappings and teachings of a religion.  Rote words and actions to be done daily. I myself prefer spontaneous prayer and thanksgiving.  I want my heart and soul open to the love around me.  That's it. 

I like to read a variety of spiritual books.  I get something out of each of them. There are many religions because there are many types of people.  I would be that free spirited soul who people roll their eyes at.  But remember......the same God and it's all about the love.

Pi Day...3.14

My niece is a high school math teacher.  God bless her.  Really, like who loved math and all its derivatives?  Not many of us.  Thus, not many really good math teachers.  She loves Pi Day.  March 14.  Get it????

In honor of Pi Day make a pie for a math lover in your life.  Be it a teacher, student, engineer, carpenter, or anyone who can balance a checkbook.  Everyone loves pie!