Happiness on Marshmallow Ranch

They Say it's My Birthday!

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 04:30:00 -0600

The Kousa Dogwood

Sun, 25 May 2025 05:00:00 -0600

I love going for drives here in my home state of West Virginia. Ever since I moved back here in 2014 (after living in Colorado for 40 years) I soak all this lush growth in like a desert flower drinks the monsoon rains. Don’t get me wrong…Colorado is stunning with the majestic snow capped mountains and the riffling trout streams and the golden quaking aspen in the fall. But, the Mountain State really is Almost Heaven.

The first tree to show up to the spring party is the Eastern Redbud. Drive out any two-lane blacktop in early March and you will see what looks like a lavender-pink smoke hovering in the edge of the road. Your heart sings when you joyfully announce, “The redbud are blooming!!! Look, look!” A couple of weeks later, the dainty white lace of the flowering dogwood shows up in the understory of the woods. It looks like the dainty tutus that stand straight out on a lithe ballerina.

There comes the sad day when the last of these blooms fall to the forest floor. Soon there will be Jack-in-the-Pulpits and May Apples, morels and ramps…peeking out from the leaves that carpet the ground where the redbud and the flowering dogwood made their debut a few weeks earlier. Daffodils and Naked Ladies and Snowdrops and Crocus dot the flower beds and foundations of old houses long ago reclaimed by the unrelenting decay a moist environment brings.

Next up are the irises of nearly every color of the rainbow. The former Mrs. FixIt and I scavenged the site of an old home that was demolished when the owner said, “Take what you want…I’ll never be back.” They were black! Well, a very deep inky purple that, in the right light, appeared black. We planted them two years ago in our respective gardens and this year they graced us with a plethora of gorgeous blooms. (Mine had a little hitchhiker among them…a tiny, yellow iris that somehow tagged along.)

Everyone’s flower beds are trying to outdo each other, everywhere you look. But the one flowering tree that comes out mid-May looks like dogwood. But the tree blooms after the leaves emerge. And they have a greenish tint to them. Four petals…just like the flowering dogwood earlier except these have pointy petals instead of the curved little cup we’re used to. I’ve tried to discover the difference between these two trees. The AI image checkers swear it’s a dogwood tree. This time I dove deeper in my search and found out there are indeed 30-60 different species of dogwood worldwide. They are everywhere around here, and they make my heart sing almost as much as the redbud. I am determined to buy one and plant it here on the homestead.

Mr. FixIt bought me a pink flowering dogwood one year and it was doing great. Then we had a hard, cold winter and she just couldn’t survive. You know…I’ll be 72 years old on the 13^th of next month. I know I won’t have long to adore these beautiful trees, yet I plant them anyway. Why? Because it isn’t all about me. It’s about the grandchildren and the great grandchildren (we have four of them now.) Someday, their parents will take them for a drive and point out the trees and say, “Your great granddad planted that for GiGi one year so you would have something beautiful to come visit.

At least…that’s how I imagine it going.

He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.   Psalm 1:3 ESV

***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the friendship of my husband’s former wife and that we can demonstrate to the family what love and forgiveness can do in relationships.

#Dogwood #Redbud #WestVirginia

Working Outdoors

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:30:00 -0600

There is so much to do at this time of the year. I needed to bake, but the garden needed me more. The “topsoil” we have in the raised garden has absolutely NO organic material in it. It’s just dirt. Mr. FixIt did add a layer of composted manure in the bed but then put more dirt on the top. When this kind of dirt gets wet, then dries, it turns into hard clay. I had an extra bag of garden soil that I added on top yesterday and I’ll gradually mix the two together and distribute more organic material into the dirt. I also started gathering earthworms out of the yard and put them into the garden. Once there are enough of those in there, they will aerate the soil adding castings to further enrich the raised bed. We bought big tomato plants so they are already putting tomatoes on. The Early Girl ought to be producing tomatoes in another month or so. I can’t wait…I love fresh tomato sandwiches!

I had enough of the garden soil left over that Mr. FixIt could put it around his roses. We are getting buds on a few of the bushes. My rhubarb is pushing up a whole cluster of new leaves. And the seeds Mrs. FixIt 1.0 gave me for Christmas are sprouting already. They are a kind of bean with purple pods. She calls them Jefferson Beans and her friend calls them Moon Beans.I wish I would have planted them earlier, but I think there’s still plenty of time for them to grow. They are beautiful trained up a fence.

I planted two of the lavender plants out in the far field. They say the essential oils in them deter the deer and rabbits from eating them. But I wanted to make sure before I plant all of them. I don’t want to lose any. If they aren’t safe out there, I’ll just plant them inside the fenced area around the pool.

I used up almost all of last week’s bread in French Toast yesterday morning. We have enough leftover for breakfast this morning. Then I need to head to the funeral home for visitation. I don’t think I’ll stay for the funeral. There’s so much that needs doing here. It’s supposed to rain the next couple of days, so maybe I can catch up with inside projects.

There’s always something or someone that needs fixing or fed around here! 😘

🩵🌺🩵

“Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today, I am grateful for the space to plant food and flowers…for our bodies and for our joy.

Ahhhh…the Whippoorwill is Back!

Tue, 06 May 2025 01:30:00 -0600

An eastern whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferous) perches on a tree branch in the eastern deciduous forest (Photo credit: birdsoftheworld.org).

It was dusk when I walked out to the camper. The air was cool after a late afternoon rain and the frogs called back and forth in their amphibious love fest. The bunnies froze in place as my headlamp brushed across the new mown grass, their red eyes glowing in the impending darkness. Night birds called here and there as they settled for the night. That’s when I heard her…the lone whippoorwill in the hedgerow at the end of the far field.

Sunday’s hail storm about a mile from our house.

I love the sound of a whippoorwill. It takes me back to my childhood, lying in bed beneath the tin roof at my grandma’s house. Back then, there was a pair of bobwhites on the hill across the road. One night I heard their unmistakeable call followed by the scream of a bobcat. That was the last time I ever heard a bobwhite.

A foggy night at Marshmallow Ranch.

A whippoorwill’s call can get mighty obnoxious if they’re close to the house. I don’t know if you remember the story about the time a whippoorwill perched on top of the old TV antenna at the end of our house. We were “yard camping” and that thing would NOT stop and it wouldn’t fly back to the hedgerow where it belonged. I got up and left the camper to try to shoo it off. I got a big pot and a metal spoon and clanged away but it didn’t move an inch. It called nonstop for 45 minutes and I was about ready to pull my hair out.

The rhododendron is blooming! It seems early to me this year.

I looked around for something else that might work. There was a ball peen hammer laying on the grill for some reason. I grabbed that thing and marched out to the antenna and gave it a sound WHACK! That bird few off and much to my dismay, I didn’t hear it again for three years. I heard it once last year in the early spring, but I’ve heard it several times this year. I don’t think I’ll ever try to scare it off again. These are God’s gifts to us and should be appreciated for their beautiful song.

The beautiful rhododendron…West Virginia’s state flower.

Especially if it’s down in the hedgerow at the end of the far field!

🐦‍⬛

“The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.” Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for the many songbirds who are migrating through WV at this time of year. I awoke to my very favorite bird yesterday morning…the lovely wood thrush with its crystal clear song just makes my heart sing. When I’m out at The Farm, I hear them back up the holler behind the barn and their song echos and rings like a bell choir.

Northern Lights!

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 01:30:00 -0600

Just wanted to drop in and let you know we are well and happy as little clams. We saw the Northern Lights again this evening. Highly unusual to see them here and I’ve seen them twice in 2024. We’re all caught up and ready for the sun, sand, and surf! I’ll drop a line or two with some “postcards!”

Gone With The Wind!

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 01:30:00 -0600

OMGosh! The wind has been wicked ever since we got here! It’s gusty, noisy, and brings the wind chill down to parka weather! We went fishing on the pier yesterday. We couldn’t stand more than a couple of hours. We didn’t get a bite anyway, so we called it a day, went back to the camper and took a two hour nap! We are catching up on our rest, which we certainly needed.

We went to the grocery store last night to get a rotisserie chicken. Those things are so versatile. We can have sandwiches or a stir fry or just eat it plain with a salad and a baked potato. And, it doesn’t take up much room. On our way back to the campground, we popped over to the sound side to catch the sunset. There weren’t any clouds so it wasn’t spectacular, but any sunset over the water is beautiful.

We had a troop of Boy Scouts across the road from us on Saturday night. They were so cute and had a ball. They weren’t taught campground etiquette because they were running though the campsites of others. We did explain to a couple of them that when they run through someone’s campsite, it’s like running through their living room. After that, there were much less interruptions and I’m sure they shared their newfound knowledge with their friends.

Beach campgrounds are a lot different than the state parks we are used to staying in. There are no trees so when the wind picks up like this, the only things to break it is the dunes. If the wind is coming in over the ocean, that’s fine. But if it’s coming in from the sound side, we’re sitting ducks. It wasn’t like this when we were here in October, so it must be the season for it. We’re supposed to get temps up in the high 70s this week, but it’s a moot point when the wind shakes the camper and gives you a chill when you’re outside.

I’m not really complaining. Any day at the beach is a good day. I am just surprised by these gusty winds. It feels like Kansas! We’ll try fishing again today. Perhaps if we get an earlier start we will miss the winds. They seem to pick up in the mid-afternoon. We can always go to a museum or take a ride to see the sights if we aren’t fishing. OR…we can take luxurious naps. I did get the second sock of the blue and orange pair started. And if you sit outside, you can sit where the camper blocks the wind. That’s not so bad!

💨

”But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.“
Genesis 8:1 NIV

Progress and Perfection

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:30:00 -0600

I got right to work on the taxes yesterday morning after having an epiphany during the night. This happens all the time to me. There’s something I need to do and try as I might, I can’t figure it out. So, when I finally remember I’m supposed to be handing all this mishegas to God to take care of, I hand it over and go to sleep. And nine times out of ten, I wake up and know exactly what I need to do to fix the problem.

It happened again yesterday morning. I went right to the computer and boom, boom, boom…I had the old taxes right in front of me and I got to work. I wore the headphones a lot yesterday as I worked so Mr. FixIt could watch the TV. I love him dearly. I was finding myself overly annoyed at the television though. I have discovered, if I get up thirty minutes to an hour before he does, I can sit in my Big Red Chair and enjoy that first cup of RYZE in blissful silence. Then, when he gets up, I start breakfast and if he turn Andy Griffith on right away and I can eat and watch with my second cup…Mama is a MUCH nicer human which in turn make Papa much happier.

Once we get through that, I usually have my sights set on something productive and that’s when I put my noise canceling headphones on and go about my business. I cannot change him. I don’t want to change him. I just want to figure out a way to navigate my day without getting angry at an inanimate object that seems intent on disturbing my peace.

This brings me to my second discovery. If I reframe the thought “This darned television is making me CRAZY!” into “Hearing the TV on reminds me my husband is still here with me.” When you’ve lost one, you never forget what a huge hole they left in your life. I can’t change him. I don’t WANT to change him. I want him here with me for as long as God grants us to be together this side of Heaven.

I had to stop working by about 4:30 to get ready for our eldest WV grandchild’s birthday party. They had a houseful and we got to play with the grand-doggies. Ivy is a Bernedoodle, about eighteen months old. And the new baby is Cooper, an 8 week old blonde golden retriever. What cute little fluff nuggets! We had a wonderful time with family.

My first husband and his family are in my heart this weekend as they lay his only son to rest on Sunday. I chatted with Daughter #1 yesterday afternoon at the airport. She said the side streets were really bad in Denver, but the main streets were clear and dry. DIA didn’t get very much snow at all and flights were moving pretty much on schedule.

I’ll head to town this morning and get my hair trimmed. I was thinking I’d cut my bangs again, but when I blew my hair dry last night, I really liked it. So maybe just a trim. I don’t know. I guess I’ll figure it out when I get there.

I have to spend the day tomorrow getting ready for the trip up to Gail’s for our knitting retreat. It’s really crazy. I have to have my own pillow. I have a small fuzzy baby blanket that I put on top of the pillow that feels more comforting to my skin than a pillowcase. I had a second, slightly larger fuzzy blanket that I fold up and hold against my chest. I’m a side sleeper and this props up the top arm and keeps it from going to sleep. I have a third fuzzy blanket that I use instead of a top sheet because I love the feel of the soft, kinky fabric against my skin.

Yes. I’m fully aware that I am high maintenance. That’s not really a problem…because I do the maintaining. We all have our own little quirks…things that make us feel comfortable. The ability to self-comfort is a skill we would all do well to know. I learned a long time ago not to depend on someone else for my happiness and comfort. The fact that I have someone willing and able to provide that and that I can reciprocate is icing on the cake of my life that I do not take lightly or for granted.

I remember after Mr. Virgo died, I would get so upset with couples who were unkind to each other on the regular. I wanted to shake them and wake them up to the reality of what happens when your person isn’t there anymore. They really don’t get…till it happens to them.

🌷

”May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”“
Ruth 2:12 NIV

One More Try

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 02:30:00 -0600

When I woke up yesterday morning, the sun was shining brightly and every twig on every tree was frosted with snow. We didn’t get a lot…the sidewalks and roads were bare. It stayed chilly all day and when I sat down to write this, it was 22º. It didn’t get much over freezing during the day. I really enjoyed having coffee with you yesterday morning! I think we should do that more often, don’t you?

I made a nice breakfast…grits and eggs, my favorite! When we were finished and the dishes were done and put away, I sat at my little table in the family room and prepared to work on that cussed blanket. I’ve been trying for over a week and I know i told you yesterday that I was done, but….

I am not one to give up easily.

I knew if I put my mind to it, I could figure out this planet pattern. It’s simple really…you just have to knit 14 rows of each color. The trick is being extra careful to set your counter the same way every time you change color so you have the exact same number of rows in every square. I sat down yesterday after breakfast and set my mind to my work and kept distractions to a minimum and before I knew it, the first strip was finished perfectly. If I don’t overwhelm myself and do one strip a day, I could have the blanket knitted in about two weeks. Much faster than doing it by hand, but still time consuming. When it’s done, it will look like Buffalo Plaid and I’ll use it for a throw when camping.

I had a video chat with a dear friend of mine who was honored to sit with President Biden yesterday for a meeting. She said it was a surreal experience and a memory she will cherish forever. In Mr. Virgo’s line of work, he had the pleasure of meeting many presidents, dignitaries, royalty, and celebrities of every stripe and he was always humbled by it.

I’ve met or seen several celebrities in my time…Harry Belafonte, Gene Shalit, Marilyn McCoo, Danny DeVito, George Hamilton, Beverly D’Angelo, Kurt Russell, John Denver…just to name-drop a few. When you live near Aspen, your chances of running into celebrities creases exponentially. We were always careful to give them a wide berth. They weren’t zoo animals…they were people trying to live their lives as uninterrupted as possible. But I will say this…it was lovely to share space with them…even if for just a moment.

Mr. FixIt and I watched a couple of episodes of Bull then I had a video chat with my brother. He got a hair and beard trim yesterday afternoon and he looked really sharp. We are both thrilled we can see each other via the Echo 8. I wish I would have gotten him one a long time ago, but I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to use it and it would just frustrate him. They have made these devices more adaptable for people with disabilities and it’s made it much easier for him to use.

I fixed my famous lamb chops with sautéed mushrooms for supper last night along with seasoned air fryer potatoes and steamed broccoli. I’ve got this recipe down now and can whip together a restaurant quality meal in 30 minutes or so. You know what they say…the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

🩵

”There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.“
Hebrews 4:9-11 NIV

A Me Day

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 02:30:00 -0600

The World’s Best Dish Cloth from Rada Cutlery!

While it wasn’t a day of self-indulgence, I did have the day off to myself with a trip to town. I met some girlfriends from my high school for lunch which was just delightful. After lunch I picked up the former Mrs. FixIt to run an errand with her since her car is in the shop. When we were done, I stopped at a darling little shop in our town. I would have loved to just spend an hour or two browsing, but I had too many things to do. I did have a goal in mind there. One of our granddaughters gave me a really cool dishcloth she bought there and I wanted some more. They are great! They are textured enough to clean your dishes and wring out so well, they dry quickly and never smell. I selected four so I always have a clean one handy.

My next stop was Hobby Lobby for some yarn then Sam’s. I love going there. I have several things that I buy over and over and I know where they are located in the store so I can get in and out of there quickly. A stop at Rural King for birdseed and it was time to meet my sweetheart at the diner for an early supper. I made one last stop at the big box store to pick up a few things then headed home.

It rained all day yesterday and was a balmy 53°. By the time I headed home, it was nearly dark and was very foggy. It was hard to see very far in front of me. It wasn’t long and I had a string of cars behind me. I hate doing that, but there are so many deer out this road after dark, I didn’t dare go faster. Mr. FixIt beat me home by twenty minutes and met me in the driveway with the dolly. I got everything put away and I was done for the night.

The yarn I bought at Hobby Lobby will help me finish the baby blanket and make some more babies. I can do that today. Mr. FixIt will be going to town this afternoon to meet one of his buddies and go to the funeral home for the mother of one of his bowling buddies. I am expecting to stay home today and play in my studio. I just love these little babies and they are so much fun to make!

🩵

”Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.“
Hebrews 13:16 ESV

Screen Time

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 02:30:00 -0600

Look what showed up on my computer when I opened it yesterday!

I worked all day on the FB page, adding photos to the names on the list. Mr. FixIt went to town to run some errands and take our daughter out for breakfast and left me with a quiet house. I made my “coffee” and settled in the Big Red Chair with my lap desk and computer. I asked Echo to play the Spa Station and settled in to work. I didn’t look up till 4:00 and Mr. FixIt came home.

That was perfectly fine. We run around with our hair on fire all summer. There’s a reason God created winter. It’s our reward for all the work we did the rest of the year. It’s our time to rest. And, daddies need to spend time with their girls…even when they’re all grown up. He gets to do a lot of things alone with our son, but he hasn’t had as much of an opportunity with our daughter. It was a really good day for them as well.

I checked in with my brother this week and he sounded great. They’ll be doing some more tests to see what is going on, but he was feeling much better. The other prayers were for someone special and she is home now from having surgery. It doesn’t look like cancer and she is on her way to a full recovery. So, we are breathing a sigh of relief this weekend.

A day of softness was most welcome. As I copied photos from an online yearbook to paste into the list document, memories wash over me. All these people, all these familiar faces brought back such feelings of love. I didn’t necessarily have the happiest of childhoods in some ways. I was bullied in school by some people because I was a quirky kid. Yet, as I poured over the pages of smiling kids, all I could feel was love…and pride that I went to such a wonderful school.

Things change with time and not always for the better. Our high school was always a source of pride for our class. It was instilled in us as we sang the Alma Mater under the Friday Night Lights. We walked through the hallowed halls of this gorgeous building and everywhere we turned, there were reminders of students’ achievements. I don’t hear great things about the school now, but that may be the norm anymore. It’s been a long time since I had a child in school and my grands aren’t necessarily forthcoming in discussing the ins and outs of school. You know how kids are…they get to that geeky teen age and it’s hard to get more than a sentence out of them sometimes.

It will take me a few more days to get this done, but I’m determined to stick with it. And it’s the perfect week to do it with the weather changing in the coming days. I’m tickled to death to stay right here in our little nest.

❄️

”And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.“
1 John 1:4 ESV

Things are Looking Up!

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0600

I was pretty concerned about my brother when we were here the first week of July. He was unkept, his hair and beard needed trimmed, and he looked like a homeless man. I had some long talks with his house staff and come to find out, they’ve been trying to help him at the level he is entitled to in this setting, but he wasn’t letting them. His sense of pride and modesty made him refrain from seeking help or letting them assist with his hygiene. I told you yesterday that he had a long man-to-man chat with Mr. FixIt and he seemed more enthusiastic..or perhaps more accurately…relieved afterward.

Yesterday he was a totally different guy we sat and visited him for quite some time at the day program and I started asking him about sports figures childhood memories. We named a player and asked who they played for and he knew every single one we could name. I asked him what color the rooms were in the house where we grew up and he knew everything. Again he promised he would come to day program five days a week. He was clean so obviously he allowed the staff to help him. I left feeling lighter than I have in months and I felt really good about having him in this location.

After we left my brother, we went to the courthouse. I’ve hit a snafu in trying to get Mr. Virgo’s military headstone. As it turns out, for some odd reason, they listed my name as Ginny, not Virginia. He died in Mesa County and we are in Garfield. The gal on the phone from Mesa County said she would need a copy of our marriage license. So, I stopped in the County Courthouse to get a copy. When I explained what I needed it for, she said SHE could get me a copy of the death certificate! So, I hit the jackpot and now, hopefully, the government won’t care that my name is wrong on the certificate and I can get his headstone. I know it’s crazy that I’ve waited all this time, but it was just too hard for so long, then it was too final. I’ve been ready for over a year to get this done, but I knew I’d have to take care of some of it while I’m here.

Once I had the certificates in hand, we moseyed over to the Brew Pub for supper. Mr. FixIt had an awesome looking Reuben sandwich and I had the BEST summer salad…mixed greens with strawberries, walnuts, and Gorgonzola cheese topped with seared salmon. Even though it was 95° out, we sat out on the patio in the shade across the street from the old Amtrak Station. There was a lovely breeze and we didn’t mind it a bit.

The Downtown Farmer’s Market is held every Tuesday evening from 4-8 in the summer. They had just finished setting it all up when we were done eating so we wandered through the booths. We bought some Palisade Peaches and homemade granola. Again, I only saw two people I knew. This town just isn’t the same anymore. However…it is still lovely. Just WAY too busy for me. We haven’t even considered going to the hot springs pools. At this time of year, it’s what my daughters referred to as “People Soup!” Ugh!

Feeling relieved, we are heading back to Denver today. I’m looking forward to a few days of lay low action as we wind up our Colorado vacation. We head out a week from today.

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.””
Genesis 8:22 NLT

Hello, May!!!

Mon, 01 May 2023 01:30:00 -0600

My, how time flies when you’re having fun! It seems like yesterday when I started my big project while also piecing a king sized quilt. The trip to the beach seemed far away…and now it’s passed. We did have a great time and it’s always sad to be over. We’re already looking forward to our next trip down.

When we went fishing down at the Oregon Inlet last week, we entered the beach right beside a campground. We’ve been down there so many times, but we never noticed there was electric and water service at many of the sites. While we were waiting for my portable air compressor to fill the tires back up, we got on the phone and looked it up online. Sure enough, there were 47 sites with hookups. No sewer service, but that’s ok. Ever since our honeymoon, we love going down to the OBX in October. This time we’ll bring the camper and camp right by the ocean! We made our reservations, as well as a couple more camping trips this summer.

Now that we’ve sold all our extra campers, we’re on a roll and looking forward to lightening our load some more. Mr. FixIt still needs to empty the load of old shingles in the back of his Tundra and get it cleaned up so we can sell it. Then we can get to work on the stuff in the building. I’m telling you…there’s never a dull moment here once the grass starts growing!

We have a wet week coming up so the mowing will have to be done between storms. I mowed about six or seven laps around the big fields yesterday afternoon but it started sprinkling again and I was forced to quit. We also need to mow out at the farm soon. We just need the weather to cooperate. There’s still lots to get done inside so it’s not like we’ll have a lack of things to do.

The bridal shower for our eldest granddaughter is this weekend. We have a camping trip over in the mountains near my uncle and cousins in the middle of May. The wedding is in the first half of June followed by another camping trip with some girlfriends. Then we can head to Colorado to visit the family. We have two camping trips scheduled in September. Being retired means we can camp mid-week while the kids are in school. And our favorite time to camp is in the fall when school has started again.

See? We haven’t even gotten into the real warm weather and we’re already scheduled out into October! It seems like a lot to do but here’s the thing…life is uncertain. We have no guarantees either one of us will be here tomorrow, let alone a few months from now. It’s not the destination that matters. It’s the journey to get there. It’s taking a deep breath and enjoying the process of living each moment the best we can.

That little dash between the dates on our headstones is what counts most. How did we spend that time? Did we love others well? Did we share generously? Joyfully? Did we devote ourselves to others while taking care of ourselves? Did we make memories that will make our loved ones smile when they remember us after we’re gone? That’s what I’m working towards. My legacy may not be a huge house or bank account. It may not be “stuff” at all by the time we take leave of this life. I’m hoping the legacy I leave behind in the words I’ve written these last ten years will be a tangible gift to others that offers hope, encouragement, love, and some laughs.

In that, I am content.

““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
John 13:34 NIV

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It’s Tractor Time!

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 01:30:00 -0600

The view from the end of the far field…my other happy place.

It was quite a job, but Mr. FixIt and I got the blades turned around right without having to take off the mower deck. Believe me, it was not easy. We were both rolling around on the driveway, reaching as far as we could and jamming a piece of 4x4 in there to keep the blade from turning as Mr. FixIt tightened the bolt. As soon as we were done, we gassed it up and added oil and I was ready to go. Wouldn’t you know, just thirty minutes in, the belt popped off again! But once we had it back on, it stayed on and I had the mowing done in about three hours.

Our Flowering Quince…one of my favorites here at Marshmallow Ranch!

We decided to clean up and head to town to eat at our favorite homestyle diner for the huge salads they serve, then we went to City Park and walked a lap. We had to stop at Lowe’s…again! I think I’m going to have to forward our mail there as often as we go! But, once that was finished…we were done for the day.

The pear tree I thought was dying has bloomed after all!

I went for a walkabout last night when the light was so pretty and reflecting spring in that greeny-gold way it does at this time of year. Between the flowers at the park and here at home, my heart was as full as my tummy! It was a beautiful day. I told Mr. FixIt on our way into town that being out and working like we’ve been this week has felt like such a reprieve from the long, dark, cold of winter’s grip.

A closeup of the Flowering Quince.

I’m sure we’ll be sore today, but it’s the good kind of sore that come from an honest day’s work. I look at what my cousin Tammy and her girls accomplish raising cattle and lambs, gardening, and putting all that food by on top of the mowing, and I have it easy, really. As I was rounding the last lap of mowing, my heart swelled with the love I have for this life with Mr. FixIt. The love I have for this land…for West Virginia in general. I know I said I was going to leave the far field unmoved to create a pollinator garden this spring, but it’s just so beautiful when it’s finished. It takes me less than four hours to mow it all. And the seed to create the field the way it needs to be done is expensive. We’ve just decided we like it this way so this is the way it will stay for as long as we’re here. I mean….we live in West Virginia. It’s not that we’re lacking the availability of pollinator friendly meadows all around us.

I always love the view down in the far field when the sun has gone down behind the ridge. Soon, those trees will be leafed out!

I’ve been seeing tons of butterflies this spring. And there are bees galore. Mr. FixIt came out the back door the other night and there was a bat hanging from the light fixture over the stairs to the basement. I haven’t seen any snakes yet this year. The field is filled with mole and vole tunnels….little ridges that stick up high enough for the mower to scalp them.

Flowers at City Park during our walk.

We may go out to the farm today to see if we can get the old John Deere started and get that yard mowed for the first time this year. I need to get downstairs and finish up that quilt by Monday so I can get it to the quilter. I hope you all are getting outside shaking some of the winter blahs off!

“I will sing for joy in God, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.”
Isaiah 61:10-11 MSG

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Scratch, Scratch, Scratch

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 02:30:00 -0600

I sleep in the camper whenever it’s warm enough and we’ve been getting some lovely, unseasonably warm weather this month. When I came in yesterday morning, Mr. FixIt was still snoozing so I went to the kitchen to make my tea. While I waited for the kettle to boil, I heard a noise. At first, it sounded like it was in the bottom kitchen cabinet by the refrigerator. I was almost afraid to open the door, but I finally screwed up my courage enough to take a peek fully expecting a raccoon to pop out at me. Whatever it was it sounded big!

Relieved that Rocky Raccoon wasn’t taking up residence in the kitchen cupboard, I tried to follow more closely to see exactly where it was coming from. I finally made my way into the hallway on the other side of the wall from the kitchen. There, very clearly over by the door…something was definitely in the wall.

We live out in the country on five acres. We get critters from time to time but none that sound this big. I was ready to tear the wall apart, but the ever wise Mr. FixIt stopped me because then we would not only have a big hole in the wall, but we would also very likely have a critter in the house with us. He assured me…if it found its way in there, it can find its way out. Just give it some time.

Finally around 3:00 it stopped scratching around and we assume it made its way out of the wall the same way it got in there. If it continues today, it will warrant further investigation, but for now…I’m sleeping in the camper out of the reach of the wild things! Mr. FixIt just laughs at me. He’s lived in the country a lot longer than I have!

What started out as a cloudy morning gave way to gusty winds, then the sun broke through and it was gorgeous. Mr. FixIt got out more baseboards and took them outside to paint. I work on the big project and made pizza. That was about the extent of the excitement in my world yesterday…which is fine by me.

We’re supposed to have temps in the mid-70’s today, but it’s going to rain most of the day. Another home day! The grass is greening up and it will be time to mow before long if this keeps up. With this early warmth, I’ve been listening for the peepers to start singing. They shouldn’t be out this early, but the last few years, they have been. Climate change will do that. Although I’ve seen posts on Facebook affirming their presence, I have not heard them here at Marshmallow Ranch.

I have been hearing more and more birds in the last week. The songbirds have been warning up their pipes at the first light of dawn. I especially notice them when I’m sleeping in the camper. We keep the feeders full so they can get some quick fuel when they arrive from their winter grounds. Lots of suet blocks so they get some fat for energy. They make my heart sing. I still have to laugh at our little Tufted Titmouse that taps on the window…telling Mr. FixIt the window feeder needs refilled.

The world is waking up. God’s promise that life does go on…in spite of us. I know there is such a large swatch of the nation facing winter storms today. My heart is with you. Please…be safe out there!

“Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”
Song of Songs 2:12 NIV

Throwback Thursday - Spa Day!

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Photo Found on Facebook

I was around sixteen years old when I received a hairdryer for Christmas. It was in a plastic avocado green case with the bonnet and hose…the whole shebang. It even had a little knob with a pipe cleaner attached to it that I pulled out, dipped in perfume, and put back in. When the air blew through the tube into the bonnet, it picked up the scent from the perfume and just like that…my hair smelled like some Avon stuff I found in the bathroom closet. It was trés chic, to be sure.

My foster sister and I took turns using the dryer on our long locks. We only had one set of curlers, so we took turns with that, as well. We washed our hair with Prell or Herbal Essence shampoo…something that smelled vaguely of sage and pine cones. We used some sort of hair rinse. It was a green liquid and you added some to warm water in a measuring cup and poured it over your head. I always had a lot of static in my hair in the winter, so I started using fabric softener instead of the green stuff. Créme Rinse was something older ladies used. We didn’t have money for the fancy stuff.

When we rolled our hair up on those monstrous rollers, we used Dippity Doo to help make the curls stay in longer. Some girls used orange juice cans. We couldn’t afford juice so there was none of that. I remember later on in high school, we ironed our hair so it would be long and stick straight. Never mind that we were frying it in the process. Oy!

My foster sister and I painted each other’s fingernails while the hair dryer blew Evening in Paris over our sage and pine scented hair. It was always a pale neutral color, or more likely clear since that’s what we had handy to stop the runs in our pantyhose. There was a small vent in the base of the dryer case that would help blow the polish dry.

We did all this without our noses pressed to a phone screen. We figured out how to take care of our beauty needs without the benefit of Google searches. We weren’t texting our friends or taking selfies. The extent of our self-absorption was limited by how long we could stay in the bathroom before someone started pounding on the door and yelling, “What on earth are you doing in there??? It’s been twenty minutes! Hurry up…the commercial is almost over!!!”

Our evening entertainment was limited to the little handheld transistor radio where we caught the evening radio show on WPAR… “The Station With the Happy Difference!” We finished up our homework then went in to grab some milk and cookies and kiss the folks goodnight. I am so glad we didn’t grow up with the internet. It was a simpler time. And, our tomfoolery wasn’t recorded for all posterity!

I wax poetic because I met some of my high school friends for lunch yesterday and we were chatting about times past. There was a lot of what-happened-to-so-and-so going on. As we were getting ready to leave, one of the gals came back over to the table and quietly asked if turning 70 bothered us. This one said yes, another said a little, everyone allowed it is indeed a monumental birthday.

When it came to my turn to chime in, I said it didn’t bother me at all. As a matter of fact, I embrace the change. There are so many of us who haven’t been blessed with as many years as we have. Mr. Virgo, for one. And my dear friend, Sparky. I am obligated to live…really LIVE every day of my life! I don’t have time for this “I’m too old” nonsense. Oh, I was having a few moments of uncertainty a few months ago. But I’ll take aging over the alternative…any day of the week!

Besides, the temperature was a balmy 75° yesterday. How could anyone feel bad on a warm, sunny spring day with friends?! I finished my errands with the sunroof open, wind blowing in my hair. We had warmed up pizza for supper and I “yard camped” last night!

It was a wonderful and much needed break!

“My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!”
1 John 4:11-12 MSG

Earthly Love Isn’t Perfect

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Love is grand, isn’t it? We meet someone and something stirs within us. Our curiosity is piqued. We dance around each other…no different than the mating rituals of exotic birds. Feathers fluffed strutting our stuff. We go through a pretty standard procedure of “Here’s who I am…now who are you?” Somewhere in the process, we either let go and move on or we hang on for the ride of our lives.

It’s all so perfect when it’s new and you think that no two people could be more perfectly matched. Love is designed that way. If you approached it like a job interview or an investment strategy, it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun now, would it? We love to be in love. The thrill of the chase and the triumphant march of the conqueror is as addictive as any street drug.

Then…real life hits the fan. He snores. She can’t cook a lick. They may decide to make babies. Or maybe the decision was made for them. Or maybe they don’t. The point being…you’d better have a good, strong foundation if you expect this grand romance to last when the shine is off the bumper.

A lot of young people don’t make it very far in marriage. My first was fairly short. Long enough to give me my beautiful firstborn. The second lasted a whole lot longer…two decades actually. I thought it was the one for the long haul but it turned out not to be. My prize from that marriage was quirky, perky baby girl. Then Mr. Virgo came along. We were “perfect” together. We never fought. We never even raised our voices to one another. We never got to the point where it was necessary because he just up and died on me.

Looking back now, I can clearly see the mistakes I’ve made along the way. So, when Mr. FixIt and I crossed paths after knowing each other since 1968, we’d both had a lot of the rough edges worn off. We became a soft landing place for each other. And we found something special. A playmate. A lover. A confidant. A best friend. A partner in everything from inside jokes to planning major purchases and running this business of life.

Putting the label of “perfect” on a marriage is a dangerous thing…especially in the age of social media comparisons. What IS perfect, anyway? Is it The Waltons? Leave it to Beaver? When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless in Seattle? Marriage isn’t Hollywood. You have to take the bitter with the sweet, just like anything else in life.

Something remarkable happened to me a couple of months ago. I was having trouble sleeping and it was affecting every area of my life…from my memory to my bodily functions to my mood. The longer it went on, the worse it got and I was frustrated. Angry. Scared. When you’re going through rough patches, the first person you take it out on is the closest person at hand. And that person was my infinitely patient, ever so kind and gentle husband.

I could see the hurt behind his eyes when I lashed out and it broke my heart. I hated myself for it. I’ve been in a place before when things got dark. Depression is the next stop on the angry train and I wasn’t about to go there again. I especially didn’t want to take my sweetheart on that ride.

One evening I was searching through my old photos and came across the sweetest picture of Mr. FixIt. He was gazing into the camera with such deep love it twisted my heart and made me yearn for those early months of our relationship. So I talked to my doctor about what was bothering me and it turned out I was terribly sleep deprived.

We’ve made adjustments and I started taking a medicine I used a long time ago that helps me sleep and is not habit forming. Trazodone is also a mild antidepressant. Now I’m getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night, my mood is much better, my memory has improved, my anxiety is reduced, and Mr. FixIt is the beneficiary of all of the above. Two months ago, I couldn’t have dreamed of attempting this big project I’m working on. I didn’t have the bandwidth or the energy. And now? Now I’m cruising along, firing on all cylinders again. And Mr. FixIt and me? Well, were back on track and have much more fun.

Too many people call it quits when they hit a bump in the road because they think a marriage has to be perfect. It doesn’t. It has to be REAL. And it really helps when you can put some fun in the mix. We may not be perfect…but we’re perfect for each other and that’s what matters most.

Here’s my advice…when you have one nerve left and your spouse is standing on it, find a picture where there’s love in their eyes and go where that leads you. You can’t change them…but you can change how you react to them. Then ask yourself this one question… Which is more important? Being right…or being happy? You aren’t going to change each other. Just as the way to God is not easy, neither is the path toward marital fulfillment. It does take effort and due diligence. But the rewards are unimaginable.

““Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.”
Matthew 7:13-14 MSG

#Marriage, #Happiness, #Effort

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Yesterday was Mr. FixIt’s birthday! Until the middle of June, he is two years older than me…then I’ll be 70 and he 71. I remember my mom telling me she never believed she would live past 35. I don’t know why, other than she had a hard life. I’ve never been one of those people who can envision herself in her declining years. I guess that’s one of the hazards of living “in the moment.”

Mr. FixIt, Jr. and his family came over last night with a cake to share to celebrate. There were seven of us and we made short shrift of that tasty dessert. I had fixed his favorite meal earlier…seared jumbo sea scallops, steak, and pasta primavera and I’m telling you, it was as good as any meal you would get at a restaurant…and a lot cheaper, to boot. I didn’t go out and spend money for his birthday because we have some major outlays coming up this year. I told him I would buy him something when we go to the beach in April and he was thrilled with that.

Mrs. FixIt, Jr. and I sat and talked in the living room while everyone else went downstairs to play pool. We were talking about the rough patch we went through when our kids grew up and were heading out on their own. I did not handle my first heading off to college very well. I wasn’t ready. It was a little easier when the second left for school, but her dad and I parted company when she was 10 years old, so our world already looked different by that time.

I love when the kids come over. It adds joy and sparkle to our daily life. If I could have afforded it, I might have stayed in Colorado. Then, maybe it would be the Colorado kids coming over to visit and help with little odd jobs I might need. I’ve never known what it’s like to have them just drop in or come over for meals regularly. I hear about them visiting the other in-laws and I’m tickled to death for them that they get those visits. It’s too bad we don’t have a house in both states. The ideal would be to lasso a rope around the stated and draw them closer together. I do envy folks that have close family nearby that visit.

I’ve found FaceTime to be a passing substitute for in person visits and you can do that anytime, it’s free, and you get to see each other’s faces. I want to try to get something that my brother can use to have video visits. If I could see the Colorado peeps more often, maybe that year in between visits won’t see so far away.

What about you all? Do you have family nearby that you get to visit? Our daughter-in-law was telling me last night that she has a friend whose kids live right here in town yet they never see each other. I’d think that would be heartbreaking. For those of you whose family lives far away, what do you do to help make the time apart go faster? What have you found to be the best way to see your kids?

“Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost.”
Proverbs 22:6 MSG

Simplicity

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

The other day I was browsing through my Facebook feed and saw a friend from high school had posted pictures of his wedding back in the mid-‘70s. It reminded me of my own to Hubby #1. We were so young. I haven’t seen the pictures for many years. I gave the wedding album to Daughter #1 a long, long time ago, but I can assure you…it was a quite simple affair.

I wore a dress I had made for a dance program in my senior year. It was white dotted Swiss with long, sheer sleeves and an empire waist. My Maid of Honor was my best friend, Martha. She wore my formal from the Sweetheart dance I went to in the spring before graduation. My parents didn’t have money for a big wedding. And big weddings weren’t de rigueur…not in my circles, anyway.

One of Mom’s friends made little almond tea cookies. We borrowed the punch bowl and made the usual “punch” with orange sherbet, ginger ale, and cranberry juice. There were a couple bowls of mixed nuts and the obligatory wedding cake. Quite a modest spread compared to today’s over-the-top extravaganza. The average price for a wedding this year will run a whopping $29,000! I’ll bet we didn’t spend $200, and that included flowers and decorations.

I have had three weddings since then. My most extravagant was with Mr. Virgo because that’s what he did for a living…hospitality management. We got married in my favorite restaurant and had a sit down brunch for 75 people. It was a lot fun and including the photographer, we probably spent $8,000. Of course, we highly expected it to be my last wedding so we went all out. And we know how that ended.

If you’ve been around a while, you know Mr. FixIt and I got married in the near field here at Marshmallow Ranch. (I used to refer to our place as The Ponderosa, but Marshmallow Ranch gives credence to the grounds.) We rented a tent. We bought bales of hay for the seating and covered the bales with a collection of old quilts. We had a two tiered cake made. I made my bouquet and Mr. FixIt’s boutonniere with silk flowers from Michael’s along with decorating the tent with twinkle lights, balloons, baskets of mums and assorted pumpkins. I smoked four pork butts and served pulled pork sandwiches, chips, and soda. Pretty simple stuff and we maybe spent $2500.

Simplicity. There’s something to be said for it. Gone are the days when I lived the affluent life. And honestly…I am quite happy living this simple country life with my Mr. FixIt. As with most of the people I know, our retirement income is pretty well fixed so we are careful with our money. And we are creative in ways to bring more in while we have the wherewithal to do so.

You don’t have to live on five acres to have a peaceful country life. I’ve lived every bit as much a country life on a main thoroughfare in Denver. “Country live” is as much a state of mind as it is mowing and tending to a large parcel of land, gardens, and animals. I stumbled across a trove of Mother Earth News Magazines back in in the late ‘70s. I canned our food, baked our bread, cultured our yogurt, made grape nuts from scratch and raised a garden in the side yard. I sewed clothes for my daughter and myself. AND worked full time putting Hubby #2 through medical school.

I took the weekend off from my studio where I’ve been working on my new project. I needed a good break. I didn’t feel well Friday night wasn’t sure I’d make it to our youngest great grandson’s 1st birthday party yesterday, but a good night’s sleep and a hot shower and I was ready to go. We all had a great time at the party at one of the fast food restaurants with a playground for the kids. The adults got to visit while the littles ran around like their hair was on fire…whooping and hollering.

I’ve ended up being exactly where I want to be.

““Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.”
Matthew 6:19-21 MSG

Santa Pays Attention!

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

I mentioned a while back that I wanted to take up painting again. Mr. FixIt read that…either on my FB page or on my blog. And then, Santa brought me a set of paints and some canvases! I love that he listened and remembered and helped me make a step closer to doing something that brings me joy.

The paint set he bought me was lovely…but it was mostly watercolors and try as I might…they’ve never been my forte. I’ve tried oils to no avail. But acrylics and pastels are my jam. I love the fact that I can leave them alone for a time and pick right back up where I left off. And if I don’t particularly like a certain color, I can paint over it without making a muddy mess.

I love mixed media and landscapes and still life and just about anything without eyes. I don’t do people or animals well…try as I might. I do such an odd variety of subjects and styles. I once entered three paintings in an art show and I overheard one of the judges remark that if he didn’t know better, he would think the three paintings were done by three different artists. Perhaps they were. I tune into different parts of my psyche when I paint. I see things differently than most and it depends on the mood du jour as to how I’m going to interpret something and express it and with which medium.

I’ve always attributed this to being a Gemini…only my “twins” are more like quadruplets. Maybe it’s ADHD. Maybe it’s where I sit on the broad spectrum of what is commonly called “autism” but it explains creatives more clearly. I’ve never been happy just doing one thing over and over and over. It bores me to tears in a hurry. So I do “this one thing” till I’ve done it to death then I move on to “another thing”.

I have managed to reel that in a bit the last few years. After Mr. Virgo died and I downsized so drastically, I didn’t have room in my living space to keep all the accoutrements of every hobby I enjoy. Now I make a concerted effort to finish one project before I move on to another. I kind of broke my rule when I started knitting Christmas Stockings after the sweater instead of getting right back to the king sized quilt I’m making for our granddaughter’s wedding in June. I’m almost finished with the sixth or seventh stocking so today I’ll wrap that up and head to the sewing nook. That quilt isn’t going to sew itself and it needs doing now.

The weather has given us a wonderful reprieve from the dastardly cold snap we had before the holidays. We’re back up in the 60’s for a couple of days with rain. I don’t care about the rain and gloomy grey skies when I can get a few warm days in mid winter. And the icing on the cake??? Warmer nights to go with those warmer days which means…I get to sleep in the camper!!! Monday night and last night…two lovely nights in a row in one of my happiest of happy places! “Grace!”

Oh, to sleep snuggled under a pile of blankets in a camper listening to the rain on the roof! All this rain has the creeks roaring…an added bonus to the sounds of the night. Mr. FixIt and I went to town yesterday to run errands and we actually had lunch INSIDE a restaurant! It wasn’t terribly busy and we were in a booth somewhat protected from others. It was a lovely little island of normal and we had a great “date”! This man goes all out for me and it doesn’t go unnoticed!

“Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.”
Ephesians 5:25-28 MSG

I’m on The Right Way

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 02:30:00 -0600

Several years ago, Daughter #2 went to visit her dad. He and his wife had made the life changing decision to sell the house he and I bought together when our daughter was an infant. This is a good thing. It was time to move on…personally, professionally. They needed a fresh start…I get that. I had long since let go of the house we shared. It represented a life I no longer lived and I had no emotional attachment to it.

I didn’t really know anything about the house they purchased. I have no idea what I expected it to look like other than something similar to what we’d always known. He is a frugal man with simple tastes. However, when our daughter arrived, she sent me a photo of something far different than I would have imagined. Grand. Palatial. Sprawling. Gorgeous!

I’m sorry to say, my very first response when I saw that stunning home was… “That was supposed to be MY house!” Never mind that I was in a happy relationship with Mr. Virgo. Never mind that all those years had passed. Somewhere deep in my subconscious, I had a mental image of what my life was supposed to look like. And it was supposed to be in THAT house.

It didn’t take long for me to shake that thought loose and follow it up with the clear realization that…along with that house, should I be living in it at the time, would come the husband that was in it. And I had long since realized we were not good for each other. Let’s just say, it was the final part of letting go of what I thought my life would look like at that point.

Truth be told…my sweet little two story, three bedroom, 2.5 bath home on the top of a hill at the foot of a mountain was nothing to sneeze at. It was the finest home I had ever lived in. It matched the little house I dreamed of escaping to when things got too hard to live with in that marriage. It was the little house I built once I recovered from the darkest moment of my life to that point. It was what I created after my second divorce when I felt lower than a snake’s belly.

I built and decorated that home and eventually welcomed Mr. Virgo to share it with me and my youngest daughter. I never dreamed there would come a day when I would gladly sell it to get away from the painful memories that lurked around every corner after Mr. Virgo suddenly died. My new “home” had wheels and I set out with new images of what life should look like.

Living in the camper and traveling around the country tore away every preconceived notion I had of what my life SHOULD look like. And it gave me ample peace and opportunity to CREATE the life I wanted. The WAY I wanted it. I finally came to a place where I didn’t need to have a man to make my life complete. I didn’t want someone to “complete” me. I came to understand that only God could do that. And that’s when I learned to find joy in the story I was actually living.

Mindfulness is an extraordinarily powerful tool for finding the joy in any given moment. Giving up preconceived notions of what your life SHOULD look like as opposed to reality goes a long way towards finding inner peace. That’s not to say you should give up on dreams. I’m not saying that at all. And if you are not in a good place and you are seeking a safer, more loving and accepting environment, you deserve to work toward that vision. I’m talking about turning disappointments into opportunities. I’m saying the grass on the other side of the fence just might be greener because it’s full of….ummmm…fertilizer. If you catch my drift.

Finding joy wherever you are planted is one of the biggest blessings you can attain in this life. Joy and gratitude will take you a long way. And when we keep that focus, more of that joyful abundance will filter in. Mr. FixIt and I may not have a ton of money, but we are exorbitantly wealthy in other things and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere or be with anyone else in the whole wide world than where we are in this moment.

“Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.”
Psalm 16:11 MSG

Merry Christmas, Ranchers!

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

As I fumbled around, trying to find just the right story to bring you today, I kept circling back to the word innocence. With the birth of Christ came the purity of God in the form of man. Jesus was without guile. He came into this world, laid in a lowly manger, and grew to teach us every thing we ever need to know to be a good human. He came to teach us to love. To love as we wish to be loved.

In this time of divisiveness, it is hard to see the true goodness in the world. As I looked around for inspiration, I was drawn to this beautiful video. My brother has cerebral palsy. I’ve always been his champion…his protector…his bestie. Ever since I was a little girl. Why? Because he’s my Bubby. And if the tables were turned, he would do the same for me.

We speak on the phone two or three times a week. So when I didn’t hear from him for several days at the beginning of December, I went on the prowl to find out what was going on. As I imagined, he had lost yet another cell phone. The organization that cares for him made sure he got a new one and he finally called me on Friday.

Phone calls with my brother are long and tedious. He has a terrible stutter and a speech impediment. I have to have the house quiet so I can turn all my focus on him. He’s very patient and if you can’t understand what he’s saying, he’s happy to spell a word for you. When he called after a month of little contact, his voice was absolutely jubilant! It warmed my heart and I was filled with glee.

When I see others like my brother who aren’t as fortunate to be cared for as well, it breaks my heart and makes me cry tears of sadness. And, when I see the incredible character in those who treat people like him with grace, kindness, and respect…it makes me cry tears of joy. This is what happened when I found this video and it was a gift I wanted to share with you today.

The greatest gifts in this life are surely not the things we find under the tree. They aren’t things money can buy. No…the greatest gifts are loving each other. And teaching our children to love and look out for those who are less fortunate than they are.

I do hope you find joy in the giving of yourself this Christmas Day in whatever way possible.

In His Love…

Ginny

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“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.””
1 Samuel 16:7 CSB

Stepping Out in Style

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I have the best friends. Remember how we were talking the other day about normalizing regifting and repurposing items? I love a thoughtful gift that is shared from the heart. One that was selected with just me in mind. A few months ago, my mermaid friend in Cali sent me a beautiful selection of items she no longer had a home for. She chose exactly what she knew I would love and sent them to me with gobs of love and light. And I received them…with all that love and light intact. It was enough to make my heart explode.

My friend didn’t spend a dime on me specifically. But that didn’t make the gift any less special or personal. I loved it! Well, I got a couple of boxes delivered yesterday from my friend from New Jersey. They were waiting for me when I got home. One box had a few items wrapped in colorful Christmas paper that I’ll place under the tree. The other held something REALLY special. A pair of very gently worn L.L.Bean plaid wool Sherpa lined boots! OMGosh!They are GORGEOUS and I’ll wear them proudly!

She texted me the other night and wanted to know my shoe size. The boots were a little too snug for her. I always wear heavy socks with boots, and with those socks, they will fit perfectly. I squealed with delight when I opened them!

We had a really long day yesterday. We left for town, stopping along the way to get breakfast sandwiches. I usually let my sweetheart know ahead of time what I would like for any gift giving occasion on the horizon. I mean, Christmas is next week and I hadn’t given it a bit of thought. After all…we just put a new roof on. We bought a new camper in September. We pay for our April beach vacation in December, unfortunately. And seriously…I don’t NEED anything.

I was preparing for bed the other night. I haven’t had a nightgown with long sleeves for many years. I usually just throw a long sleeved shirt over a short sleeved gown. But as I was changing I thought…I’d really like to have a couple long sleeved night shirts. I went out and described exactly what I wanted and Mr. FixIt said I should come along with him to pick out them out.

You and I both know there is no such thing as a quick trip to town, and that was certainly true yesterday. One of our stops was Kohl’s. Mr. FixIt patiently wandered around with me while I found the perfect jammies. Unfortunately, when I got them home, one was slightly small and I don’t like anything binding at night. The other gown was perfect. So I’ll take the smaller one back and exchange it for one in the different style.

As I snuggled up under the covers to write to you, I had my new Christmas nightgown on. It’s amazingly soft…a pale grey and white miniature leopard print. And Mama’s a happy camper! It’s the little things. Yes…I could have bought these for myself. But they mean so much more that my man wanted me to have exactly what I wanted.

I have been incredibly blessed with husbands who always want to celebrate me and make sure I’m feeling happy and loved. Mr. FixIt is such a gem in that regard. I’ve been thinking about Mr. Virgo this week, too. He loved Christmas…it was his favorite holiday. He was happiest when he watched me open the gifts he carefully planned and purchased. I think back at the extravagant gifts he gave me…diamond earrings, a full length Icelandic blue fox coat, a fancy deLonghi espresso machine, among others.

Those gifts were lovely…truly. It meant the world that he bought them for me. However, I don’t need, nor want such extravagance. I’ve had the things. I’ve had the fancy houses and the fancy cars and the fancy stuff. And you know what? After a while, they’re just…things. “Stuff” doesn’t make me happy anymore. Spirit moved my friend to share her abundance with me in the form of boots. And the two nightgowns bought on a trip to town with my sweetheart while he patiently waited for me to pick out the perfect ones…with a stop for pizza on the way home?

You can’t put a price on those things. That’s heaven!

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 ESV

A Sigh of Relief

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 02:30:00 -0600

I don’t really consider myself a vain person. Not anymore. I used to be much more self-conscious and tried to “keep up with the Joneses”. But now that I AM a Jones and live out in the country and I’m rapidly closing in on 70, I find my beauty comes from within. And I’m good with that.

I stopped cutting my hair simply because of covid and then…it just seemed to be pretty cost conscious to avoid the salon. I got used to pulling it back in a ponytail and braiding it to keep it from tangling and breaking. This kept it healthy, but I’ve been toying with cutting it for a few months now.

As I told you yesterday, I wasn’t really thrilled with it when I got home. I thought maybe the cut itself was bad because it looked really choppy. It turns out, my hair has changed drastically in the three years since I stopped cutting it. There are several reasons for that. One is my age. Grey hair has a tendency to be more coarse and wiry. But that doesn’t explain the curls that made an appearance since my last cut.

I’m sure braiding it all the time has trained it to curl more than it was before. And, my hyperparathyroidism seems to have been a factor. I asked in my Parathyroid Support Group if others had seen a difference in their hair and the response was an overwhelming “Yes!” Interestingly, the results were about 50/50…some had gone from straight to curly like me, and some had just the opposite effect. They went from having abundant curls to slightly wavy.

I called my regular salon yesterday. The gal who used to do my hair isn’t there any longer so they gave the name of another stylist who has over thirty years experience. I felt comfortable with that. Kendra spent a great deal of time with me. I’ve known the salon owner since high school. He came over and consulted and the two of them agreed it really wasn’t a BAD cut…but it did need a little finessing.

It turns out, my hair is entirely different than it was three years ago. Though it was nearly stick straight and baby fine all my life, there was a LOT of it. And now, it’s coarse and really curly from my ears back. The whole back of my head. So when I blew it dry like I’d always done before, it did nothing but frizz out.

Kendra showed me how to style it to keep that from happening. We made a plan to let it grow and we’ll keep trimming it till we get the layers grown out, then maybe down the road, we’ll want to try a different approach altogether and embrace the curls. At any rate, I felt immensely better when I left the salon than I did when I went in. I bought some really good professional quality shampoo and conditioner to keep my hair healthy. All the girls in the salon were so envious of my color. They said they get women all the time that want them to put low lights in their hair like I have and mine is all natural.

When I was finished at the salon, I went to Sam’s because it’s close by. We needed a few things, but the store wasn’t terribly crowded and I decided to just browse and people watch. I’ve been wanting an enameled cast iron Dutch oven for forty years and never bought myself one. Sam’s had one for $45 so I bought a beautiful fire engine red model!

I’ve also been looking for a way to watch the movies from my iPad on our big screen TV. I have the first generation Apple TV, but it no longer works with the newer technology. When I saw one at Sam’s for $65 dollars off, I picked one up. The bonus is, I can download an app from the Apple Store and watch Big’s college swim meets on the big screen! I hear of people ditching Satellite in favor of online TV and it’s much cheaper. I’ll be exploring that. It’s always a good idea to be more frugal in entertainment to keep the cash flow for the things that are currently more expensive.

I reached Daughter #1 by phone on my way home. We don’t always get a chance to just sit and talk at any length. She’s very busy and with the time difference, we miss each other a lot. This time we talked for a good forty-five minutes and it did my heart good. I ended my night feeling MUCH better…lighter, healthier, less stressed. One might call this “retail therapy.” I prefer to call it killing many birds with one stone that saves money in the long run and made my heart and mind healthy and happy.

And…I got a really rad Dutch oven to boot!

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 ESV

#Health, #Happiness, #Peace