I took this photo a little over a week ago… the snow on the mountains was pretty and in my opinion that was about the only positive thing regarding it.
But…today is sunny and I can feel the sun’s warmth. It is a silent promise for me…a renewal of all things beautiful to me…leaves popping through tight little buds and creating a canopy of shade for future hot summer days…flowers stretching and pushing through the warming soil to form a colorful landscape that always puts a smile on my face.
Okay, so perhaps I am being a bit premature with these predictions but don’t we all need something to lighten our load; something to perk us up from the cold winter and allow us to dream a bit? It sure helps me!!!
This young lady and her brother keep me entertained and are a constant reminder of how blessed I am to have such a great passel of children and grandchildren.
Skylar is a very confident girl…give her a chance to try something different and she never lets you down. I know much of the challenge to do this comes from having an older brother who is self-confident and anxious to learn as well.
And did I mention that they both love to sneak up on me, or just hide and jump out at me?…they have really gotten good at that skill. Jai can scare me half a dozen times in the course of 10 minutes. He has even crept up to the kitchen window in the dark and just stood there with his face an inch or two away until I spot him!!
And Skylar is constantly sneaking into the house and walking up behind me to tell me ” I gotcha Grammy!”
I can tell you that having them around or having some of the other 10 grandkids just stop in for a visit is what is keeping me from hiding away. My heart is happy when I see them running by the window or just hanging out together with cousins or friends.
I have also been busy going to basketball games to watch some of the grandkids play.
Granddaughter Logan has had an exemplary high school career…Years ago she set her sights on breaking the Hoosick Falls Girl’s Basketball Individual Career Points record and I am so proud to say she did just that….and on her Senior Night playing her final home game. What an accomplishment…she has also broken the school record for individual single game points (41) and also for career assists and either career blocked shots or rebounds ( I have lost track!!!)
And to top that all off she has been recruited to play for the UAlbany Great Dane’s and has been given a full 4-year scholarship…I may have mentioned that part before, as she signed in the fall.
Here she is with high school assistant couch Maggie…also known as MOM!…who has coached most of the girls on the school teams on various AAU teams since Logan was 7 or 8. That was when her dream was born to excel at the game and Mom passed on her knowledge and love of the game to her.
(Coach Maggie played ball for RIT and had some records of her own.)
So I guess this means it runs in the family. It has always been her dream to coach and she achieved that along with the great experience of sharing Logan’s dream of breaking records of her own. So proud of them both!!! My only regret is that Dad and Grampy wasn’t here to celebrate with us. I know he would be very proud of them, also. Consolation in knowing his spirit is living among us…
And Logan has 2 brothers who are up and coming in basketball and baseball…Dad helps coach them in AAU Baseball. So blessed!!!!
Moving on to other news, Grissom and Stella are having some health issues…Grissom has two very large fatty tumors on his chest that are causing a bit of shortness of breath and is making it hard for him to get up and down. Vet told us 2 years ago that they were too close to his heart to operate on and they have since grown larger and are becoming more solid. But he forges on and other than the breathing seems to be ok…he is becoming very bowlegged in the front but still runs and plays with the other dogs from time to time!
Stella is almost deaf…I have noticed over the winter she is less apt to jump up unless she is facing whatever reason there is to do so. The Vet said with all the infections she has had in her ears through the years he is not surprised. But the treatments for that have done only so much to prevent the deafness which has become inevitable.
So I am hoping they have a while left here. Unless they seem to be in pain or become too defensive they will be here at Bejosh for some time…
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I would be very appreciative of some continuing positive thoughts and prayers for my sister battling Leukemia and two friends with health issues; one with lung cancer and one with heart issues. God Bless.
I know sometimes our prayer lists get too long…but perseverance in that form of help with healing is always welcome.
Congratulations to Dr. Emilie Blough for opening her brand spanking new Vet clinic out west…She has been a source of great pride in another young woman who had a dream…with a strong faith and hard work she has made her dream reach fruition.
Anyone who has the opportunity to see her at the work she loves can truly appreciate the time and effort in achieving all she has…
When we were on my Farmer’s Journey in May 2018 his one set destination was Goshen, Indiana where Emilie had moved back to a few years ago to be closer to her family.
This extraordinary young woman had left a lasting impression on him (both of us) without even trying. She is one of those people that can impress a total stranger with her work ethic and knowledge of many, many different things in a matter of minutes.
I am grateful that they had some time to spend together before his health declined and that she and her mom Michelle were able to come out here later that summer to attend his funeral.
The mutual respect and love they shared is a testament to them both and is sadly lacking in so many others.
I remember the day she showed us the land she had bought on which to build her very own clinic. She was so excited as were both of us for her. “She had a vision”, he said as we headed further west,” and she would see it through”… Ed was so right.
She has ‘planted ‘ some of Ed’s metal art flowers in front of the new building; a true testament to their relationship and our friendship. I couldn’t be more proud of her.
I am planning to make a trip out there at some point this year and bring her another gift from Ed. He had told me what he wanted her to have when her dream came true and I will make sure I bring it to her in person. CONGRATULATIONS EMILIE!!!
And finally, as I look ahead with spring just around the corner and turning the clocks ahead tomorrow night I am feeling a sense of peace. I see and hear Ed’s voice in everything here…but now I feel like it will be ok…I will be ok.
All those tears that I cry because I miss him and the sadness that he isn’t coming back are a bit easier to handle. I have family and friends that show me and tell me it isn’t a bad thing to feel that I can manage my feelings of loss better now. The loss doesn’t go away ; I guess I just understand and deal with it better
He is forever in my heart and was the best part of my life. I cherish what we had, the good and not so good times, because we came through everything together. I have a family we made and I am deeply thankful for that. Grandkids are the bonus…each in their own way….loved so much. Some I see often, others not so much. But all hold my heart strings…parents and kids alike.
So I look forward to 2020 in many ways. A time of renewal ahead for myself and those that are mine. Bring it on…
Until next time…Hugs and Love to all. Love and miss you, Farmer!