my thoughts

For the last six months the airwaves by all means of communication have been full of hate, lies and underhandness. a poor word but my meaning is clear. At 82 and a positive person I am saddened by what is happening to our government. I grew up in a small town during the best time of the 20th century, even if it was the time of the great depression, in my little world it was peaceful and loving. One of the reasons that I love living in Yuma, Arizona is the feeling I had as a child in that small town. The foothills of Yuma gives me that feeling. within walking distance of my church, close to my food store and drugstore and several medical clinics. BUT that ugly undertone is creeping into even this little place of peace.

We are quick to accuse the other person for what we believe is wrong in any area, and then find ugly ways to prove that what was said, written or just thought to be the truth. I am so ashamed of our leaders one and all. Nothing matters except that we get our way. The method does not matter, just so our thoughts and actions are the only way to make things work. We have become selfish, mean, untruthfull and just down right ugly. I suppose many would say that these words are just the ravings of on old lady who is not withit. Oh how I am glad that I was born in 1928 and have lived my life as a Rainbow with a few clouds along the way. Oh give me the slow kind world that I remember as a child. But in the time I have left I shall keep believing that all will be better tomorrow and the Rainbow is still there.

It's Saturday afternoon. The house is clean and I am ready for the shower so I will be clean
then I'll finish sorting the pictures I have for the boys and my son. What a job writing on the back of each picture. who,what,when.and why. Wonder if anyone really gives a darn.

September 19, 2010

I finally got it right and Mary Ellen my sister-in-law was able to access my Blog "Life is a rainbow" These computers can be such a mistery to an old lady of 82 but by george I try.

Got home from Church early today. I did not have to teach. Judy and Gina held the fort down.
I am so proud of the Childrens Church we have created. It is growing well even if it is part of an "old peoples Church" The kids give us an engery that is wonderful. Time to get dinner so I can get to my crafts today.

september 2010

It is the first Sunday of September. We are just before Labor day, soon it will be Christmas. Here in the southwest the problem of snow is not one for us to worry about.
Today at 3:30pm it is 109F. I'm looking for the first of October. The heat of the summer will be over and I can start to get my flower bed,pots and barrels ready for planting. Also my little raised garden. My garden window in the kitchen has become my greenhouse.Oh how I'd love to have a greenhouse but it is to costly to have one here in Yuma.

On Friday I shall celebrate my 82nd birthday. Each year that God gives me is surely a bonus. And I am closer to my goal of 100. My favorite Marine pilot just had his 33rd BD. He is 6 years younger then my oldest grandson. Gosh, pretty soon someone will be scraping the mold off me. Thank you God for the gift of a wonderful life.

Home again,How wonderful!!

We traveled down the coast of Oregon to Ashland and had a short visit with dear friends Ed and Eldora Nelson. They are now living in a lovely assisted living apartment. They are happy there. We all will miss them in Yuma now.

Drove across Northern California into Nevada then on to Orem,Utah for a short visit with a very dear friend of many years, Sylvia Shields. Our last stop was in Havasu City, AZ for a short visit and lunch with another couple Bill and Donna Wendt. We have been friends for over 63 yrs. On the 16th we drove into our own driveway, what a blessing. Home at last. I do love to travel but coming home is really the best.

Now getting back in the groove, that is work too. How very fortunate we are at our age to still be able to take a driving vacation for 4138 miles. Thank you Lord.

meeting Debbie

We met Debbie Simpson the lady in Mel's life. A sweet lady. We hit it off immediately. She was apprehensive to meet us. Poor lady. In her shoes I would feel the same. She and Mel are off to a party this afternoon. Again poor Debbie is to meet folks that knew Susie. Life moves on and Mel deserves someone in his life too. Still anxious to be heading home.

At Susie's garden

August 6, 2010

Here we are in Oregon on the coast. Susie's garden is just a matter of feet away. No matter how long ago she left us it seems just yesterday. Mel has been so very welcoming. To night we will go out to dinner with he and his lady. We will celebrate our 63rd Anniversary which is August 8, 1947. My Oh My!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So many people were wrong. It LASTED. On our Way toward home on Monday Morning

VISIT SOON OVER

Bob and I will leave John and Heather's home on Saturday morning. Going to visit with old friends the Hawkinson's. Bob and Mary worked together at Safeco Insurance years ogo. I'm getting anxious to head home. It is fun to go but not for to long. Besides we do not want to wear out our welcome. It has been so great to see John happy with a smile on his face.

July 2010

Visiing with our son in Edmonds Washingaton. Im freezing this morning. The cool air is coming off Puget Sound and for a desert rat like me, It is cold. Our grandson Vaughn came for several hours on Sunday and will return this evening to shoot a vidio of his grandfather and father. He is quite the producer of fun vidios.
It will be fun to see what he comes up with.

We have been able to see 3 of our 5 grandsons. What a blessing they are. John's greatgrandfather would be busting his buttons,his great grandson has done a greatjob of keeping the family name going as well as John's son Peter. We finally got a girl however.

Heather John's lady is an angel.She has opened their home and her heart to us.We are so glad that we came.

In Edmonds Washington

UP early and drove to North bend and met Dick and Ruby. They drove off 100 miles of their reg. route to ovely oldermeet us and have a visit for just a short time. what special friends. staying with son John and heather. Lovely older home that hAS BEEN TAKEN good care of. Wonderful visit we are having.

It has reached Friday so Soon. Weather here in Rexburg has warmed up some but Bob still is not able to take off his sweatshirt. Jenny and I went to Porters this morning. Looking for some special tatting thread but did not find much. We plan to leave here on Monday Morning and head for Seattle. Will visit our son and revisit with some old friends. I can't believe that we left there almost 30 years ago.

July 14,2010

left home on Sunday Morning. Spent the night in Las Vegas. in the morning I put 5.00 in one poker and wond 65.50. closed out and kept the money. Had a short visit with Slyvia and came here to our Grandson Peter's home. Nice little reumnion with our Son. He left today for Seattle after the 4 generation pic's were taken. We will leave here next tuesday morning and continue our visit with son in
seattle.

A second postscript

It occurred to me after going over all 38 pages of Life is a Rainbow two things I have done that I left out of the saga---The summer just before I was 16 the Sailor that I spoke about in the early years was going to be in Norfolk, Virginia after a long cruise looking for German subs along our eastern coast and the coast of So. America. One of his sisters just a little older then I had been writing to a sailor on that ship. In a letter to her he suggested that she come to Washington DC when he had his leave time and spend a few days there. Now her father was not to cool about that. Her brother Jim, whom I had carried on a correspondence with was friends with this sailor, he suggested that he come to chaperon. Betty and I got our heads together and we went to her father and told him that I could go on the trip if she could. Then we had to go and convince my Mother that If I went Betty could. Her brother Jim called my Mother and told her that he had arranged for Betty and I to stay in a boarding house that the fellows could not come in to except when she was there. Again I had a guardian Angel. My Mother said yes and then Betty's father had no choice. Now when I look back on it--My Mother must have said a million prayers for us. We got on the train in Elyria, Ohio In July 1944 and what a wonderful trip we had. Those Sailors showed us every important thing that there was in Washington DC in 1944. I remember that 9 out of ten young men were in uniform of one service branch or another. As a small child I looked up at the trains when they stopped in Amherst. I always told myself , someday I'll get on one of those trains and even sit in the dinning car with the white table clothes and really go someplace. God heard my thoughts and made my wishes come true.

Bob and I began to square dance in 1976. So much fun we had and so many lovely people we met. We danced all over the west and Even in Omaha, Nebraska once. I made all of my dancing clothes and most of Bob's Shirts. We danced for about 5 years and then Bob's knees just gave out. Eventually he did have to have them replaced. I missed dancing a lot but found other interests to take up my time.

July 3,2010
Just returned from the printers with all the copies for "my Life" story. Really have a hard time realizing that I could put 82 years on 38 pages. Yet my life has never been dull. Looking forward to the rest of it. As stated before my goal is 100 at least. The blood line that my genes are from are good solid every day genes. It is my hope that my grandsons and my great grandhildren can be as happy as I have been in my life time.

Got lots of tatting and sewing ahead of me. Good afternoon

A postscript

I have reviewed all the posts on my blog that have been my life. I do have some regrets but even with those I still would do the same thing. If it was possible to choose events that could have been stopped. Number 1 would be the death of my father. I remember him as a happy guy with a great smile and warm arms that gave wonderful hugs. Number 2 would be that our daughter could have lived to a full life. She had so much to give to others. Number 3 the death of our grandson Nichols. So young with a whole life ahead of him. My brother and I were brought up to believe in God. He is our Saviour. So he knows why he called all of these, his children home to Heaven. "Ours, not to ask why but, just do and then go home also."

We have a wonderful Son. Golly, Not many people believed that we would even make a year of marriage. WE FOOLED YOU!! Whatever I have accomplished in life I owe to my Mother. She set the standard for me to follow. I have strayed from the straight path`many times, but the sound of her voice in my ears and the strong hand of God have pulled me back from the brink of many bad mistakes. She helped both my brother and I KNOW that we must learn to lean on God, HIS love and FORGIVENESS to move forward in our lives.
LIFE TRULY HAS BEEN A RAINBOW!

July 2, 2010
We are looking forward to a summer trip to visit friends and family. Our grandson Peter with his sweet wife Jenny has given us 3 beautiful great grandchildren. The Oldest "Will", Robert William Stilling named for both of his great grandfathers begins the next generation of the Stilling family. How proud his Great great grandfather Nels Peter Stilling would have been. Sidney. FINALLY we have a grand daughter. She is just what every grandmother hopes for in a granddaughter. Then Samuel the youngest. Really hoping to get to know him much better this visit.

A visit with our Son John and the 2 other grandsons. Vaughn who is a number1"fixer" of most anything. In fact all of the boys are very knowledgeable with tools. Just runs in the family. Then there is Kyle our former Marine. He did two tours in Iraq and again God was kind and kept him safe to come home. He is studying to become a surgical Nurse. Blessings each and everyone of them. They are all the colors in my RAINBOW.

The Golden Years

RETIREMENT--For me meant that I would have time for all the things I had put aside to do "when I have time". `Now that I am almost 82 yrs old it has come to me that I'd better get busy. Not sure just what God permits in Heaven. Being busy is bred in my soul. All the way from my Pennsylvania dutch great grandmother to my grandfather and my dear mother. At times I am sure that I drive people crazy--but I have the feeling that one must not just sit and do nothing. Tatting, crocheting hand stitching seems to take care of that obsession. Having learned that some dust and a few dirty clothes in the basket are not a crime, it is easier to sit and do the things I find enjoyment from. My dear husband tells me that I am on a merry-go-round. Lordy it is fun. Also takes care of the feeling to be needed.

The Yuma Potpourri Artists is a wonderful organization. Through the membership of this club New and special friends have come along into my life. They have enriched every day living so very much. A special Friend Joyce especially. She grew up in Oregon. Has one daughter. Been on her own for over 20 years and has done such a great job making her life happy while rearing a daughter that any mother would be Oh so proud of. Joyce lost her older sister who would be my age. So I have become her older sister. We have so much in common and enjoy so many of the same things. I accuse her of being fussy. She is but in a sweet sort of a way. She leaves Yuma for the summers and heads to cooler northern Arizona and Oregon. She visits family in Oregon each summer. In April 2010 Joyce and I joined a team from my church Gila Mountain Methodist to walk the 24 hour "Walk for Life" for the cancer fund. She for her sister and I for Bob's and my daughter Susie daughter. We lost her in 2004 at the age of 54.

Each year in the spring the county fair is held here in Yuma. Fairs are so much fun and bring back so many wonderful memories of the Lorain County Fairs that my grandpa Wilson would take Brother Bill and I to each summer when we had our wonderful vacation time time with him. Both of our grandpa's were great guys but Grandpa Wilson was the most mischievous. I am sure that I inherited some of that from him. He was so much fun. He grew the most wonderful gardens and made the best home made beer. We called it grandpa's pop. I am off subject--At the Yuma county Fair the artist group I belong to accepts, catalogs, judges and displays all the art from the general public. For all this work we have the use of the building for 2 3 day craft shows a year at no charge. It is work but fun at the same time. Like any other group there are a group of members that always can be counted to be there. Each member and any helper that they bring is given credit toward the table fee during the two shows.
This organization also supports the Yuma County Library. In the years past craft shows were held on the lawn of the old library now known as the Heritage Library. We now have 4 wonderful new modern libraries in the county system. My husband came up with the idea to hold craft shows at the new libraries. We tried and it worked. We move around to a different location during the winter season. Bob and I are in charge of getting the dates and setting up the show. His help is so important and it something that we can do together.

In our almost 63 years together we have traveled many a mile together. Many miles back to Ohio and then Nebraska when we moved to Washington State. All the miles with our Airstream Trailer as well as 3 trips to South Africa and a trip to Switzerland. In 2009 we took a month long trip, during which we bought ourselves a cute little Toyota Rav 4. We plan to do the same this summer. Bob says this may be our last long trip but if I can keep in stretch class and walking he will stay in good shape. He will get "anncy" and we will go again.

It is my plan to live to be 100. Why just because no one in my family has ever done it. I had a great grandmother we lived just short of her 96th birthday. I shall try to pass her her record. From beginning to end my Life has been an adventure in Living. Happpiness, Sadness, excitment, disappointment and all the other things that can happen in 80 plus years. God has granted me many blessings along the way. If I had a chance I would do it all over again. What I have lived has made me the person that I am and it is my hope that along the way my path has crossed others paths and it was as much of a pleasure and blessing for them as it has been for Me. Thank you God for traveling sthe whole route with me.

NEW AND WONDERFUL ADVENTURES

In 1973 while Bob worked in Los Angles for Boise Cascade by accident we were offered a Trip to Tahiti because of the unfortunate illness of a fellow in the sales department. He had won the trip along with others in the Sales department. It was an ulcer that did him in. Bob's boss offered us the trip. Bob called me to tell me we were having photos taken that evening for passports. When he came in the door of the apartment I said that "I can not go, I don't have a thing to wear." Susie who had come home from her job marched down the hall and came out of our bedroom with her hands full of clothes and had a few choice words for me. You know that I did go and wow, what a time we had. Never having been to Hawaii this seemed to be the next best thing.

RETIREMENTbegan in 1988

Now we are "retired" Bob is still repairing trailers and I am into my crafts. Selling what I make MOSTLY AT THE FLEA MKT with a friend who began as a customer. Since I did all the phone work I really got to know the people that Bob worked for. Some I'd rather forget. A certain lady, Beverly became a very special friend. She and Dale her husband, were really snowbirds from Illinois. This past year 2009 they sold out and moved back to their home state because of poor health. That happens a lot now for all of us. Thank goodness we were smart enough to make this our permanent home. As time passed I began to do more alterations and before I knew it I had a full blown business again. I joined an artists group also and through that club I branched out and left the flea mkt selling. In the mean time I had joined a Methodist church here in the foothills and became very active there. First joining the choir and then serving on the board of Trusties, and serving on the building committee for the present church. This began as a church of retired people
Slowly younger people began to attend and then join. When we moved to the new church a Day Care center and Pre-school was added. A nursery was offered for young familes.
Then it was time to have a Sunday School. We began slowly with only a few children. I became involved with the children's program and left the choir. Several other persons including 3 young mothers took turns teaching the class. At first we all met in one room and the lesson plans from Coksbury Christian Publishing. about 3 years after first beginning the "Children's Church" a young family joined the church. The Mother Wendy is a school teacher. She and I are born and raised in Ohio so immediately had a bond. At one time she served on the Peace Corps in Kenya. The father, an officer in the Arizona National Guard as well as working for Game and Fish of Arizona. They have two Children The little boy was only 2 and his sister almost 5. Wendy and Dan lived 90 miles east of Yuma and each Sunday Morning drove into church. As time went by Wendy and I organized and made the Sunday Church work and happen.Now 9 years down the road it is a well organized unit with a nursery program, one for the toddlers, one for 4-10 and a group of tweens and teens. Numerous people help and quite frankly I am proud of the Children's Church. It reminds me of the wonderful Sunday School I attended as a child. "A little Child shall lead them". Without this program Gila Mountain Methodist Church would fade away just like so many other churches. We have a hard working group of young people and with their children keep the church alive.

We still had our home in Seattle and after three years of going back and forth we sold our home of 34 years in Seattle. It was a bitter sweet feeling but made sense. The taxes were going up and the cost of the trip back and forth became more costly each year. So Yuma became our home. My first home was Ohio, then Nebraska, Washington State, down to California for two years, back to Washington and to Arizona. My husband calls this house our 2nd in Yuma, Gods waiting room. He designed both of our homes here in Yuma on his little Mac SE. computer.

I mentioned our meeting with Margery and Julius Fredenthal from Johannesburg SA. Margery passed away from heart problems in 1986. Strange things happen for a reason. We had decided to call Julie and Marge for their wedding Ann. on September 7. When the phone rang in their home their grand daughter answered. Julie was off on a lawn bowling touranment but would be home in the following AM. He would call us. He did but only to tell us that Marge had passed just hours after he returned home. How fortunate we called when we did. I always promised Marge that I would see her country and that we did together, Julie, Bob and I. But I know that Marge knew I kept my promise.