Facebook is alive with all our friends sharing pictures of their kids and grandkids going to Homecoming. Our Addison is going again, she’s a Sophomore at PLHS.
I love how kids go in groups now. Dates or not, they all go. I never got to go when in high school. I was supposed to but broke up with my boyfriend before the dance. Mom was mad, said I should have gone anyway, but I didn’t want to go with him if I wasn’t happy with being his girlfriend anymore. Long ago loves of lives that don’t stand the test of time. We all have them.
Today’s header photo is all of Addison’s friends from two years at her high school. This is her, and yes, she’s a beautiful young woman. Thank you for saying so!
What a girl! What a dress! Does Dad gave grey hair yet?
The kids had a post party at the home of Addison’s friend, so all was well. These kids have a great world to grow up in. They work hard, and so do all their parents. I hope life treats them all well.
A little more progress on the quilt today, and tomorrow is probably all lost. Mom’s appointments and meetings all day, and picking Addison up after school. It’s going to be a day that goes quickly.
Summer rears it’s head this week, and once it’s settled down, I’m hoping we’re to the fall days, the “ber” days. It’s time. Hope you have a beautiful evening, and see you tomorrow!
It’s the middle of September, with some cooler mornings signaling the fact we’ll soon have crisp mornings, and perfect days for jeans and sweaters or sweatshirts. My favorite.
Today was an early start, with a serviceman coming from our furnace/AC company. With a fairly new system, we had the AC and furnace check/maintenance at the same time. We felt so sorry for the serviceman. He’s only in his early 40s and needing double knee replacement His biggest concern? He has no relatives in America (he’s from India), and therefore, no one to care for his dog while he is laid up. What a kind man! I’m thinking of checking with a person we know to see if she knows of any rescue that could help. More later!
I’m still working with my new sewing machine. It’s wonderful, and I’m very glad I bought it. It has a wider “throat” area, between the needle and the far right of the machine than any one I’ve had before. It will be much easier than trying to cram all that fabric through that small area. There are always new things to make life easier. Isn’t that the nice thing about life?
Earlier this week, Nebraska found out they no longer had a head coach in Scott Frost. I feel for the guy, I really do. But the numbers tell another story, and the powers that be decided he needed to leave. Coach Joseph will be taking over in the interim. Such is the life of college football, especially in Nebraska.
In the midst of all of this, kids are used to school now, high school football is again on the nightly news, and cross town rivalries are renewed for another season. I remember it as great fun. My kids didn’t participate when they were in high school, never went to games, etc. Not interested, and eventually they worked all weekend nights. Such a long time ago, but it also feels like yesterday. This amusement park ride called life has many twists and turns, jolts and spins, and fools us all as the years add up. Then we’re a bit achy and stiff in the mornings, and we realize what ages we’ve become, and isn’t is wonderful we still get to live our lives! God’s been good to us.
The quilt blocks are coming along nicely. I cannot wait to hear what Granddaughter Kayla has to say about it. Pictures to follow, when the blocks are all assembled and quilted. I’ve missed this hobby so much!
As the evening winds down with some reruns of Chicago PD, I’m trimming excess fabric from those beautiful quilt blocks, thinking about how awesome my parents have two great grandchildren to carry our family on. I’ll accept every child who calls me Grandma or Miss Kathy. I answer to anything, really. Kids deserve love from everyone.
Enjoy your evening, I hope you get to relax and enjoy this weekend. It’s bound to be beautiful. See you tomorrow!
Whoever thought retirement is boring, and you watched The Price is Right nonstop, just doesn’t know what ours is like. We love hanging with the grandkids and they aren’t the biggest time we spend in a week anymore. They are busy with friends and school, and we are, too.
I’ve mentioned before the Babe is Quartermaster for the VFW Post 2503 in Omaha. It takes a lot of his time. He is also Honor Guard Captain. He may attend 5 funerals in a week or less. I’m proud he is so involved.
Then, there are the Veterans groups and causes we support. Today, Moving Veterans Forward, had an official ribbon cutting ceremony. Ron Hernandez, an Army Veteran and all around good person, has an organization who supports Veterans as they transition from homelessness to living in an apartment. He has used furniture, household goods, and all the things a person needs to have while establishing their home. Our Post helps collect such items, and we deliver to the warehouse as needed.
The Auxiliary ladies worked the food line and helped people enjoy the afternoon. The Mayor of Papillion was present, congressional representative Don Bacon, and many folks from the Chamber of Commerce to Ron’s volunteers. He is tireless. He is mission driven. His motto is, “I wouldn’t leave you alone on the Battlefield, and I’m sure not leaving you alone at home.” He lives this every day.
I admire the time he makes in his life for his passion. He credits his wife Kim with “letting him do these things.” I’m so honored to know these people. We’ll work more together the rest of the year. We are all better off in a community that cares so much for its veterans. He is always thinking of new ways to help Veterans restore order to their lives. He lives in their reality. No bureaucracy, no red tape, and the encouragement of their peers is the order of the day. Such good things happen.
It’s been a very long day, and tomorrow will be more of the same. Baseball game for Gavin, meeting my cousin’s grandbaby, our new vet’s open house, and the evening with Billy McGuigan. What could be better? Rock of Ages closes tomorrow night. It should be a great night. More on that later.
Have a good evening. Let’s see each other tomorrow! Stay safe out there. And I’m saying an extra prayer tonight for my friend, Ron Hernandez. He does so much good for people. We need more like him. Like Ron, be generous. Be kind. Be driven.
Our Grandson Gavin turns nine today. We get to watch his last home ballgame this evening and have dinner with the family afterwards. What a great day this was! The family was ready for a happy, happy event after losing two people to cancer. Gavin, you restored our faith in living.
It’s been a ride watching you grow from this little baby, who had tummy troubles constantly, to this big boy who claims to eat anything “but sushi.” You make us laugh and you make our hearts feel warm. I swear, every time we see you this summer, you’re taller. You have a great group of friends in the neighborhood, and you’re responsible enough to ride bikes with your homies. What fun! I cannot wait to see what you do in your life. It’s exciting to be your grandparents! Love you.
Today, the year of 2021 is half over. After the year of 2020 and all the disruptions in life, we have enjoyed freedom this year. The Babe and I are fully vaccinated, and I’m happy about that. Many folks disagree with that, but I believe it was the best action we could take. The quarantine time led us and many folks to have serious discussions about life, living, and what we want after death. Most people never have these hard conversations. I’m glad we can.
What do you want to do with this precious next six months?
I want to help others. Volunteering is very fulfilling.
I want to finish my kidlit book and publish it.
I want to sell some of my kid books.
I would like to finish the other two ideas I have and get them ready to publish early next year.
I want to spend as much time with my family as possible.
I want to become more physically fit.
I want to lose some more extra pounds. I’m straying badly from Keto right now, but not gaining any weight, so that’s good.
In the month of July, I want to commit to doing 71 squats a day, making 2200 during the month. I will also do 22 wall pushups a day. This will help me focus on creating ways for our VFW Post to help Veterans. We cannot have 22 family a day lose their soldier. It’s way too many.
We all have the same 24 hours in each day. What we do with those is important. I always have known that. Now, it means a lot more to me how I spend my time. Small changes daily will help me do that. Do it with me. I want July to be a meaningful month as I make changes to be a better person. Do Good. Perform my Passion. Make the world a better place. I think it’s definitely worth the try. As wise Yoda said: “Do. Or Do Not. There Is No Try.”
Again, here we are on a chilly but sunny day at the Home Office in Gretna, Nebraska. The Robins are bouncing along on the lawn, eating their favorite bugs, and the Finch feeder hangs on a Shepherd’s hook just outside my window. It’s a very peaceful scene. Have you ever looked at something and not really seen it?
My reading today quoted someone named Matthew Arnold, who said;
“The endeavor, in all branches of knowledge, is to see the object as in itself it really is.”
The theory is we see only what we think we see; or we see what we want to see; or we altogether miss what’s right in front of us. Things may not always be what we think. The seemingly aloof person may simply have no confidence, fearing rejection and being ignored. We assume our impression is correct, when it really isn’t. The little old lady with the scowl on her face may mean she has difficulty hearing. That causes sensory overload in a large crowd.
My dad had a philosophy, “Give everyone the benefit of the doubt. You never know what’s going on in their lives.” How very true. I’ve met people and disliked them at first. After getting to know them, I find a different person inside of them. I discover the truth about them. Do we reveal our truths to each other? No, you don’t have to spill all your secrets upon meeting someone, but when fostering relationships, do we share important parts of ourselves? If it’s a relationship worth having, revealing your heart is necessary. Trust is necessary. You may uncover some truths about yourself.
It’s hard to step back from situations and let people handle their own decisions and lies, especially if it could affect you. If your adult child refuses to get a COVID vaccination, you have to take measures to keep yourself safe. We don’t like things like this, and we must learn to live with their decisions no matter how bad we believe they are. No two humans react the same to any situation.
It occurred to me the other day, my daughter moved to Colorado twenty years ago. That’s half of her life spent in another state while growing into her own. She is a completely different person now than when she left. It’s good she grew up, and learned to be self-sufficient. I’m proud of her for that. I thought we would always be close, and now we are not. That makes me sad, but I can’t change it. I need to live with it. If I dwell on it, I could make myself crazy. Instead, I choose to write and create things. It saves my soul. Just like music does.
In the meantime, we need to fill our lives with what makes us feel fulfilled and joyful. I love babies.I enjoy my nieces photos on Facebook of their grandbabies. They’re so fortunate. I love other nieces photos of their baseball playing children, and accomplishments of friends’ grandkids. Life is full of happiness.
I hope children learn from my books yet to be written. I hope women (and men) learn from my novel of a young woman learning to be strong, learning the lies she was told growing up were not true. She could, indeed, make her own decision and plot her own course. And that she does. The struggle is real, and it still happens. She learns to believe in herself.
The world is full of possibilities, my friends. We need to make sure we have accurate information and truth before we make decisions about others. We may change our minds, there is no shame in that. Be true to your convictions, gained from thoughtful deliberations. Be Kind. Be Thoughtful. Be Fair. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. It will help make you a fair human. See you tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
When I was in the eighth grade, the Mamas and Papas came out with the song “Monday, Monday.” And “California Dreamin.” They had some good ones back in the day. That time seems much closer than it was, over fifty years ago! That’s forever!
Before graduation, we thought we were the best. We were King of the hill, Queen of the mountain, and the oldest in the elementary school called St. Bridget’s. We were soon to receive our comeuppance when we went to our different High Schools for the first time as Freshman. No longer King or Queen of anything and longed for those glory days. Before we knew it, the upper classmen of Ryan High School were readying to graduate too, some in three years, and some in the traditional four. We had no identifiers such as Seniors, Juniors, and such. It seemed like we were cheated out of our legacy, but we lived.
Looking for a new profile photo for FB. Which do you like?
It is funny how things mean so much to us as we are looking forward to those life events that are significant. If they don’t happen for whatever reason, we live. We may not want to, but we do. And hindsight is always 20/20, you know? Wouldn’t it be great if foresight was a little more predictable? We might have it made if we had half an idea of the outcome. It might help us make better decisions. We need information upon which to base our decisions. It helps us decide one way or another. The more information, the better decision. Unless you are paralyzed by fear.
Fear stops us from doing things. From taking a job. From moving to the mountains. From marrying someone. From divorcing someone. From taking any risk. Freedom is the right to choose. The right to choose from your alternatives. If you have no choice, you are not a man or woman, you are more of a nameless, faceless member, an instrument, a way of getting something done. And dispensable. Learn to face your fears by understanding them. Where did they come from?
I have a terrible fear of water. I cannot swim. At this point in life, I can paddle with a noodle, that’s enough for me. And I want a warm water pool for my joints. Soothing. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense for me to take up scuba diving. If I learned to swim, and loved it, and was comfortable with the water, I could take up diving. But not until.
What about this writing I’m doing? I started blogging a year ago to get into the habit. The more you write, the better you become. Makes sense. Blogging gets your name “out there.” I’m nearing a year’s worth (in about 50 days or so) of posts, and I’m proud I stuck with it. I have about 100 followers. Not bad! I’m grateful for each of you. I only have about 1/3 of those followers engaging in some way. Sharing, commenting, or just hitting “like.” That’s ok. It’s a start. That’s what I was looking for.
As I’m working with a book coach now, I’ll (hopefully) be ready to publish later this year. And next year, publish more. I’m sure to be working just as hard next year, and there should be more interest in what I have to say. If I decide to quit, it’s all on me. It’s because I decided not to pursue. I haven’t thought about becoming a best selling list author (it’d be nice), what I want now is to be a published author. I’m hoping people will want to buy the books. That’s not first and foremost right now. I’ll dig into marketing when the time comes. Putting my blog out there is a step of marketing. Hopefully, it will attract people who would like to read what I write.
I have a huge interest in publishing children’s books as well. I have the story ideas for two – one, about our Roxie and our grandson Gavin. The other story is about a big loss on Christmas. I’m hoping I’ll have a co-author with that, more later on those projects.
The ideas are rapidly forming. I have no idea if they can all be executed or not, but for now, they’ll be kept for future writing sessions, be it a blog post, a kids book, a family book, or a creative non-fiction. Gee, I’m so glad I learned how to type back in high school. It’s made life so much easier. And coding is easier when you know typing. Anymore, I don’t think people care about accuracy or speed with typing. Another lost art!
The two books I’m reading right now, Personality Isn’t Permanent and You Can’t Make This Stuff Up are so interesting. The personality book is helping me learn so much about changes in life and making changes in life. It will be helpful in writing about characters. The other one, I just started on and I’m wanting to learn more about the genre of Creative Nonfiction. It is revealing and informative.
Thank you for reading today, I appreciate it. I look forward to telling you more about “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” tomorrow. It’s got lots of info that is just plain interesting. Take Care. Wash your hands. Wear your Mask. Let’s help each other through the rest of this, whatever it is. We need each other! Thanks.
Happy 244th birthday to our great nation. While 244 is long in terms of human age, it’s relatively young for a country. We are an amazing country. We are a republic. A republic is a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.
Our unusual form of government has no equal. Our expectation has been we elect someone who represents our ideas of how the government should govern us. We cast our votes, and see who won. In my lifetime, it appears the quality of candidates has changed dramatically, and often, people are elected who may not do the best job. Without getting political, I want us to remember no president is right all the time nor wrong all the time. It’s the luck of the draw sometimes. We have to hope for the best when our candidate doesn’t get elected. We perhaps can make our opinion heard more loudly in Congress or the Senate, where we elect someone from our own state for a two year (Congress) or four year (Senate) term to more closely represent what we choose for our futures. Either way, there is always the next election, and we have to put up with an opposing candidate now and then. It’s part of being a grownup citizen who has the privilege of voting in our great country. Let’s be civil with each other when we don’t agree when the other guy (or woman) gets elected. We owe that civility to each other as citizens of this great nation. Let’s not ruin our unity by bickering anymore. Please.
Good Advice.
I heard this on Facebook this morning. Matthew McConaughey is really a pretty smart guy for an actor. Give him a listen here. We will always have work to do, as he says. There will always be someone or something we need to keep in check, aside from ourselves. But we can all work to keep ourselves where we need to be. We need to work together, whether it’s about COVID-19 or about social justice. Let’s breach the divide. Gather instead of scatter. We need to exchange intelligent ideas and proposals to cure what ails us. Reparations and tearing down statues does nothing in my opinion. It just makes one side more dug in with their opinions, and adds to the frustration of trying to find common ground.
With that said, has diversity gone so far where we honor this and that, and forget to honor what this country stands for? It does not stand for one group of citizens over another. We have equal rights, but now some groups have special favor. That is wrong. Have you ever studied the Constitution in school? I have to say I haven’t since high school. That’s my bad. You can pick up a copy at your Congressman’s office. Google it. Look it up at the library (my age is showing there!). Read it. Talk about it. Talk about the truths in it. Talk about the intent of it. Humans have just enough selfishness in every one of us, we’d love to have it favor us. Our group. Our Ethnicity. Our sex. Our sexual preference. Our religion. Our group of immigrants.
That is not how it works. It works by us listening and hearing each other. It works by us explaining patiently what is right and just and true. If we are wrong, we need to apologize. If we are right, we need to help teach the others what we know. Stop acting like spoiled brats. Be better than that.
Happy 4th of July!
I’m wearing a mask from now on when I shop. It’s about the only place I go unless it’s to the VFW. I feel safe there, as the volunteers work very hard to keep the place clean and sanitized. I’m mad as heck, we had a new grandchild in January, and have not been able to go meet him in Colorado yet. Colorado has stopped their re-opening. My daughter feels it’s too risky yet for us to come visit. I understand the risk. I’m not going to be careless so when she feels it is safe, we can go out there. I could be obstinate and balk about the masks, but I’m choosing to endure them so I can have the pleasure of meeting little Cody Wyatt. I want this pandemic to end so I can hold this little guy before he’s 25! Choose to endure rather than complain about your rights being violated.
The book, Personality Isn’t Permanent has a lot of insight for me. It talks of the past, and we often want to change it. (Kind of like removing statues, etc.) We need to see where we’ve been in order to not repeat the behavior. We also need to leave the past alone and learn how to react to it differently. That’s on us. Those past indiscretions are long gone and over, and we are grateful they no longer exist. We see our past and do not want to repeat it. We think of how we once behaved as we learned from others, not thinking of what we wanted for our goal.
We may not recognize the person we once were. A person petrified of public speaking can learn to speak in front of a crowd. When I was in high school, I did not participate in Drama, Speech, Debate, or try out for the plays we had simply because I was painfully shy and could not speak in front of people. As Club Presidents, we had to appear before the Freshman Class and talk about our clubs, in case someone wanted to join. I’ll never forget it. It was awful.
I stepped up, my heart pounding in my ears, my hands and knees shaking from fright. I opened my mouth, and nothing came out. Nothing at all. I swallowed hard and tried to speak again. Nothing. It felt like twenty minutes, but after a couple more tries, I just walked away. My eyes filled with tears, and my face burned. I wish they had prepared those of us who couldn’t speak in front of people before they threw us to the wolves. I remembered that for a long time.
About twelve years later, I was taking classes from UNOs College of Continuing Education, and a required class was “Public Speaking.” I already changed personality wise and finally had the confidence to take the class. I did well. Then I joined Toastmasters. It was a group of business people who met over lunch downtown. People were from Union Pacific, State of Nebraska, The Courthouse, First National Bank, and me from ConAgra. It was the best thing I ever did.
Now, I’m hoping when my books are launched, I’ll be able to talk with different groups at bookstores, libraries, and anyone who may be interested. Your goals are the key for how your personality changes. Your personality is shaped by your purpose. At one time, my purpose was a stay at home mom. I lived and breathed that. Then it changed to that of a business woman. I became that woman during a time when women could be openly discriminated against. It appeared to some people I had no kids because they didn’t call me with trivial issues and I didn’t talk about them all the time. I didn’t have time, I had so much to learn! Things are not that harsh now. I was lucky to study programming and analysis, so I became a technical person. My pay was strictly based on performance and tech knowledge. I could compete and earn a good living. I’m grateful for that.
The best job is a retired Grandma! I’m rocking that every chance I get. I enjoy a lot of things, and writing is now at the top of the list, even ahead of quilting. I didn’t think I’d ever let that drop out of first place. I hope to have it off the back burner once I’m published. Thanks for spending time with me today. I appreciate it, and look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Be safe. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. I’ll be doing that, too.
Kathy Raabe 