In Memorial

Being raised in a traditional Irish Catholic family there were certain traditions that were maintained throughout my childhood and throughout our family. It wasn't that we were told that we had to do these things but more that they became ingrained in each of us. One such tradition was reflecting and remembering loved ones and the date they passed on. I don't remember ever giving it a second thought when my parents would reflect on family members no longer with us; it is no surprise then that these patterns became my own.
35 years ago today, my mother died from a stroke; it was very sudden and unexpected. I was just 22 years old when this occurred; not mature enough to really have known my mother as an adult. We did not have the best mother-daughter relationship for a variety of reasons but in the years that followed I wished that we could have had a relationship when I was truly an adult. It took me many years to understand my mom and her behaviors, her strengths and her weaknesses.
She was such a giving person to so many, to those in need she was always there. Staunch in her beliefs and characterized by a strong Irish personality, she was one who loved to have fun as well. She loved to tell stories of the Old Country, speak with a brogue and dance a jig.
As I've grown, I see so much of her personality in mine-a strong faith, many strong Irish tendencies and a love for others. I also inherited a love of writing and reading from my dad.
My brother shares many of her traits as well~a strong business sense and work ethic as well as a very witty humor.
Often when I hear others complain about their parents, while I might understand I also realize that once they are gone you realize how much you loved them just for being your parents.

Have a wonderful, joy-filled weekend my friends.
Hugs, Noreen

Thankful Thursday

A friend emailed me this and I thought there were some things to really consider as we go through each day. Today, being Thankful Thursday, I am thankful that I live in an age of computers and that friends can communicate so easily, no matter what the distance is between them.
I am thankful for wisdom that comes with age and for each day I am alive to live and learn and love. I hope you enjoy this.
Maya Angelou said this:
'"'ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'
'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands, you need to be able to throw some things back...
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Our lives are so short and each day we impact others, whether we realize it or not. It may be a smile or act of kindness to someone who is having a tough time, it may be an encouraging word or just a gentle spirit. Each of us have the ability to show God's grace and love to others; won't you take the time today to share a bit of sunshine to someone you meet along the way.....
Be blessed, Noreen

I have been on a search for a crock ever since we moved into our home last October. Each time hubby and I would go antiquing I always checked out the crocks we saw, to no avail, due to price or condition. A few weekends ago, our dear friends took us to a little town near Boulder and guess what I found...not only one but three or four to choose from. The poor economy has impacted many in this little town and I was able to get this at a bargain price. The following day hubby and I ran to a craft store and got these dried branches. I love this new addition; it won't stay in this corner for much longer for with spring upon us, my snowmen will be packed away and my other goodies will be back up~but for now it is perfect. I even get the scent of Eucalyptus when I come down the stairs.
My days have been so busy lately with running errands and spending time with those I love. I have found that my time on the computer has been less that I anticipated so if my posts aren't as regular as usual, not to worry, I'll be back as time allows. It is much more important to meet the needs of my husband, family,grandkids and spending time with the Lord. I will be stopping by your blogs too; just every now and again we need to re-evaluate where our days are spent, for this life is short.
Be blessed this day, know you are in my thoughts and prayers~feel free to email me if a need arises.
With hugs and love, Noreen

In Humble Fear And Hope

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him. Upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death. And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul hath waited for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him. Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us. According as we wait for Thee"-Psalm 33:18-22 (Eng. Rev.).
"God's eye is upon His people; their eye is upon Him. In waiting upon God, our eye, looking up to Him, meets His looking down upon us. This is the blessedness of waiting upon God, that it takes our eyes and thoughts away from ourselves, even our needs and desires, and occupies us with our God. We worship Him in His glory and love, with His all-seeing eye watching over us, that He may supply our every need. "
My soul, wait thou only upon God. Taken from Waiting on God by Andrew Murray, Chapter 10.

Have a peaceful, quiet day waiting upon Him.
Hugs, Noreen

Good morning dear friends-yes it is the day again to give thanks for all things in life-good and bad. If you woke up a tad bit off this morning, I would like to suggest that you go over to read Lynn Donovan's post at http://unequalmarriage.typepad.com/ because she has a hilarious story to share. I'm still giggling!
Today I am especially thankful for the Word of God, the truth of it, that His promises never return void. Yesterday I met with a couple of gals for our weekly study; one lady is a brand new baby Christian. She kept asking me if I believe that all of God's word is true to which I quickly responded "without a doubt". She has so many questions about trusting God and about faith so I was able to direct her to specific verses and encourage her to memorize them. I am thankful for God's saving grace that brought me from death to Life and for the Spirit's presence in my life daily, whether I see Him or not. I am thankful for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin and that as far as the east is from the west His love saves me,covers me, forgives me, cleanses me, renews me and molds me into who He wants me to me. I am thankful that nothing can separate me from His love and that if God is for us, who can be against us. I am thankful that He calls me His precious daughter and He loves me as I am.
May you experience the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life today.
Hugs, Noreen

With All Faith

One of my all time favorite worship c.d's is Revival in Belfast; I just love this c.d. and one reason is because of the Irish tone to the songs. One of my favorite songs on this c.d. is With All Faith by Don Harris. May this be our prayer for today.

With All Faith
Press in to the heart of the Father
Hold fast to the grace received
Breathe in the life of the Spirit
And with all faith believe
And with all faith believe

Believe on this
The Word of Life
Our Lord the Christ
Has come to save us
Receive by faith
His blood supplied
That the power of sin be cursed
And the Father be glorified

Press in to the heart of the Father
Hold fast to the grace received
Breathe in the life of the Spirit
And with all faith believe.

Hold fast today dear friends.
Believing.....Noreen

On A Lighter Side

Ever since we moved from California, hubby and I haven't eaten at hamburger places very often-mainly because we couldn't find any that compared to In-N-Out and also because I wanted us to live a healthier lifestyle. On Sunday evening we met our sil at a furniture store to help him pick up some new pieces for their home. Our oldest grandson was there eating french fries and they smelled so good so yesterday when hubby and I were out running errands we had that taste for a hamburger and fries. We had heard about a fairly new restaurant in a nearby town and decided to give it a try. The name of this hamburger place is Five Guys Burgers and Fries; apparently they are all over the east coast and have a great reputation. It was very similar in appearance to In-N-Out but subtle differences in the food. I can honestly say this is the best burger place we've found in northern Colorado and meets our need for quality hamburgers. They even have peanuts for the customers to eat while you're waiting. We won't be going there on a regular basis, for health reasons, but it is nice to know when we are in the mood we have a great place to go.

Have a fun day!

Monday Morning Musings

Good Morning All, As I've sat watching the continued effort in Haiti I well remembered the aftermath of a major earthquake we went through in California. Long after the shaking stops, the emotional tremors continue. We were in close proximity to the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 in northern Ca. Being a native California girl, you would have thought that once everything was over I would be fine. I'm here to tell you that delayed stress is a very real problem with those that go through such an ordeal. For months, every time the floor shook I went into a panic attack; our lives were changed by that earthquake~ we now have a lantern in our master bedroom(even though we aren't in earthquake country) and I know I will always remember the fear that engulfed me for so many months, after the quake. So my prayers for the people of Haiti are not only of being found and the city rebuilt but also for their emotional health. For the doctors, nurses, volunteers, soldiers etc that are going to help, I'm praying for them as well because they will carry those images with them for a lifetime. God's word is true~He is the maker of the heavens and earth; many are wondering why He allowed this to happen but we must remember we live in a fallen world. Although our eyes are on this disaster, there are people all around us living in the midst of discouragement and death, those without hope. For those of us that do have Hope, we must be willing to throw them a Lifeline to the One Who Can Save.
Noreen

Photo: 1/15/2010

This week we have been blessed with blue skies and sunshine. It is still somewhat cool, in the mid 40's with snow on the ground, but the promise of spring has been here and I love it. The Canadian geese are here in droves, our Bald Eagles have returned to winter with us and life is good. There is only one minor exception in our neighborhood-that of a black German Shepherd who lives at the house on the street behind ours. During the snow he must be kept in the garage or in the house because we don't see or hear him. However, now that the sun is out, the owners leave him in the yard starting about 7:30 every morning. For all who know me, you know I am a dog lover but hubby and I have always felt that to leave a barking dog unattended is a nuisance to the neighbors. This dog, who is not friendly, stands in the middle of the yard with his head looking upward and barks non-stop. I don't know whether the owners are home~I would hope they aren't or they'd be taking care of him. As dog owners, we've all had times or days when we were gone for several hours and unfortunately there are those times when a dog will bark out of boredom or just wanting to be with the family. So today I am praying for this dog that whatever is causing it to bark, non stop, all morning long will stop. The thought has occurred to me that I should just talk to the owners but I want to be understanding and not create more problems.
So I'm choosing to be thankful that I have ears to hear and that I am at home every day.
I'm off to cut fabric for the latest baby quilt and hopefully start sewing on it this weekend.
Have a blessed day.
Love, Noreen

Today I wasn't sure what I wanted to post about because of the devastation in Haiti; however with much thought and prayers going up for the people, I realized how thankful I am to all the organizations that are sending relief packages to the country, the individuals and their dogs who are going to do search and rescue. I am thankful we live in a time when, even in the midst of a disaster, many are still able to contact family and friends around the world reassuring them that they are safe. I am thankful that we are a country that lends a hand to those in need. I am thankful that at least one orphanage that I know of(Danita's children)was unharmed. I am thankful for a God who hears the cries of His people and answers.

With the weekend upon us, I wanted to recommend a video hubby and I watched last weekend...
it is from a Beverly Lewis book and the video is called Saving Sarah Caine. I had read this book many years ago but hadn't seen the movie. It was such a good family flick that I passed it on to my oldest, her comment after watching it was that it was one of the best she's seen.
We got it from NetFlix-hubby got a gift subscription for Christmas and we've been enjoying it.

I am also thankful that in this big old world there are still wonderful friends out there. I am blessed.
Noreen

Haiti

As many of you are already aware, Haiti suffered a major earthquake last night and they desperately need our prayers. I have a friend who travels to Haiti, to work in a orphanage, and she reported that there wasn't damage done to the one she goes to but I have also heard from others that the damage is overwhelming and the loss of life is high. This is such a poor country with so many orphans-please remember them.

Tuesday afternoons, hubby and I join our dear friends and go to the movies. It is wonderful to get a bargain movie, especially in the midst of winter and spending the afternoon with our friends is great fun. The movie we saw yesterday was Leap Year with Amy Adams; it was filmed in Ireland and the scenery was so incredibly beautiful. It was a light-hearted fun flick with lots of laughs.
I am always cautious about movies I recommend but this is one I do. In fact, I'm hoping our youngest daughter will see it with her hubby for their anniversary~because she loves Ireland as much as I do.

Our days are short, live life to the fullest, seek the Lord while He may be found.
Hugs, Noreen

Fun Family Field Trips

Last Saturday hubby and I joined our oldest daughter's family for a field trip to Wings Over The Rockies Air & Space Museum. The museum has Cockpit Demo Day the second Saturday of every month and this gave us a up close & personal look at the planes. The boys, including hubby, loved climbing aboard and looking at the cock pits. They were all enthralled to see the disabled bombs as well.

It is hard to imagine a grown man climbing into such a tight space.

The girls loved the pedal planes!

What would a museum be without Jedi and X-Wing fighters? This seems to be the boys latest interest and they wanted to just hang out there for a bit.

Throughout the morning, I could only reflect on the dedication of so many Americans who have served our country faithfully. To all those, past and present, I salute you.

Have a blessed day. Hugs, Noreen

A Look At The Past

1950s Sandwich Menu from Woolworth's

Note the complete lack of any mention of hamburger!!!

1950s Sandwich Menu from Woolworth's. ...
Our Generation's Fast Food.

If any of you have doubt about what we kids paid for a coke and a sandwich at

Woolworths (How many don't know what Woolworth's was?)

in the 1950s, here's proof of the era we lived...Can you imagine getting a Banana Split for .25 cents, hot chocolate for .15 cents or apple pie for .15 cents. I'm not even sure our children or grandchildren could make these so cheaply. Those were the simple days, days of innocence and times when children could be children without any fears. I well remember riding my bike across town, to Stanford University, when I was in grade school. We played in the hills and were often out for hours at a time without supervision; I can't imagine that being the case today unless you are blessed to live on the land without neighbors. To those who are raising little ones in this day and age, I pray that somehow you can carve out an area in your life that allow your children to play with wild abandonment, to run free and experience the joy of being in nature. For those who live in the cities, I pray the Lord gives you creative alternatives that allow you to get your children out into nature and enjoy their childhood. Of course a good dose of warmth would help; maybe during winter it is the time to build forts inside and play with Lego's or to go cross country skiing as a family.
Have a blessed weekend enjoying the simple things of life.
Noreen

Each day there are so many blessings, if we would just stop, acknowledge them and give the Lord the praise due His name. I love the idea of writing them down and this was truly my thoughts when I began this blog~someplace to journal, for my grandkids, what the Lord has done for me.
Today I am especially thankful for the gift of health for our granddaughter, Mackenzie(aka Peanut). Mackenzie was born with GERD and a sensory problem. For the first 2 years of her life she had many, many issues and was in and out of the hospital several times with very few answers on what could be done for her. Finally, through the wisdom of a close friend of mine, our daughter and son-in-law took her to see a specialist here in northern Colorado. After some very expensive tests the doctor determined the root cause of her problems and has treated her with natural supplements. This has made an incredible difference in her life; she is now a healthy two year old engaged totally in every area of life. Such a contrast from the past when she was on adult strength medications that really affected her personality. She still has some sensory issues and probably always will, but it is my miracle, a blessing from above on a family who deserved it. So I count Peanut's health as my Christmas gift and miracle. Our daughtet, is pregnant, now 6 mos., and in the past had many problems with each pregnancy. It is difficult enough with a normal pregnancy to care for three active children but when Peanut wasn't doing well it was even harder on her. This time though through some additional help with a chiropractor, she is doing well. I am so grateful for both of these answers to prayer. I am also thankful to the countless others who have faithfully prayed for our Peanut and her mom; may the Lord richly bless you for your love. I am so grateful to our Abba Father who blessed our lives with each and every grandchild and wonderful daughters and sil's. Again, the song from yesterday resonates through my mind and heart-How Great Is Our God.

How Great Is Our God

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD

VERSE(1):
The splendor of a King,
clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
all the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
and darkness tries to hide
it trembles at his voice,
trembles at his voice

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great
How great is our God

VERSE(2):
And age to age He stands
and time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
the Lion and the Lamb,
the Lion and the Lamb

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great,
How great is our God

CHORUS(2)
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
how great is our God
Name above all names
you are worthy of all praise
and my heart will sing
how great is our God


CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great,
How great is our God


In the midst of these uncertain days we live in, we must continually focus on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We must once again kneel before the throne of Almighty God and cry out to Him in repentance, begging Him for mercy. He hears us and will answer our cry.
Will you trust Him today for all that you are facing, all that you are fearful of. Join me, grab my hand and come before Him. He loves us with an everlasting Love and desires to meet us now.
Hugs, Noreen

To all my faithful friends, Today I encountered a problem that some of you have experienced of late and that is comments left, in a different language, from someone unknown. I remember one of the blogs I follow had the same situation occur-I do not want to make my blog private but need advice on how to curtail this problem. If you are the person leaving the comments in Chinese please stop. Thank you.

From My Library

This Christmas I received two books in my stocking and of course they were my favorite authors because I picked them out myself. They were both easy to read and so thoroughly enjoyable; I've already given one daughter Cindy's book because she loves her writing as well.
Jennifer's book was added to my collection; I have all of her fiction books except the book of recipes and of course her pattern books. I met Jennifer many years ago at the Road To California quilt show. What a delightful young woman she is.


If you happen to live in snow country and can't get outside today pick up a good book and enjoy staying in. Hugs, Noreen

A Song in My Heart

Happy New Year to all my friends~ Hard to believe this is the first Monday ever; boy do the days fly by. This year is full of promise and hope and all we have to do is choose it because gratitude is a choice as is contentment. So much has happened over the last week or so, since we lost our faithful dog Sadie. Never having had an older dog still at home after their companion dies, I didn't know what to expect. I'm never quite sure if Reggie's behavior is grief or is he getting sick? Needless to say my anxiety rises a bit when I worry about him. There are many dear friends who have offered me advice and kind words about dogs going through grief-I just wish you were here with me so I could know. Thank you to Miriam and also to Lynn and Becky for your insight and prayers-more for me than the dog.
So this day I am choosing to trust and hold on, to breathe deep and try to relax. I never thought of myself as high strung or tightly wound but lately I'm seeing more of those family traits than I ever wanted to have. This morning I thought it was so timely to wake up with this song on my heart and I'll be singing it all day.

I Need You More

(Chorus:)
I need You more, more than yesterday
I need You Lord, more than words can say
I need You more, than ever before
I need You Lord
I need You Lord

(Repeat)

(Verse:)
More than the air I breathe
More than the song I sing
More than the next heartbeat
More than anything
And Lord, as time goes by, I will be by your side
Cause I never want to go back to my old life.

Chorus
Verse
Chorus

Right here in Your presence is where I belong
This old broken heart has finally found a home
And I'll never be alone…Chorus…
I need you more…'cause I never want to go back

Blessings to each of you this day, be filled with hope and joy, knowing He has you in the palm of His hand.

Love to each of you.
Noreen