My Grama's Soul

Sending Christmas greetings out into the world today. BELIEVE in what you hold dear. xo Jo

For those of you living in colder parts of our country, I wanted to share pics of what it is like in Arizona right now.  Flowers are blooming like crazy as it has not turned so hot yet. The jasmine has bloomed and the fragrance is truly heavenly...but it doesn't last for long.  So we do enjoy it while we have it. The lavender and dianthus are taking off as are the bottle brush bushes.  The bees are especially fond of the lavender and the hummingbirds LOVE the bottle brush. We have a resident humming bird who lives in a tree nearby and often vacations in our little courtyard.  He loves the Buddha fountain I have hidden under the bamboo. Most evenings he comes here for water and to take a little bath while Skyler and I are in our TV room watching a movie.  We can see him through the window as he often comes to show us how lovely he is by putting on a display in front of the window. I always like to think th...

It seems as though there is nothing positive that is being shared in the news of the world as of late.  This can cause one to pause and reflect on our situation. Music lover that I am, I often seek solace in song.  Yesterday I came across one of my favorite CD's....THE PRAYER CYCLE.   It really does not matter who or what one prays to...I think it just matters that we PRAY.  When you pray...you believe there is hope....and all of us need hope. This particular piece is about GRACE...I want to share it with you. Father won't you carry me For the ocean is wide Father won't you carry me For my boat is so small Father on this moonless night Help me cross the stormy sea Out here in the darkness Help me find my way back home Father won't you carry me For the ocean is wide Father won't you carry me For my boat is so small When all appears lost   and hope is on the wain......just Pray.. Me thinking ou...

"The most wrenching fear that one experiences is the fear one feels for others..when one loves, one fears for the other." David Brazier Why is doing the right thing oftentimes the HARDEST thing? When rescuing becomes EN-NABELING ...you have totally missed the target.  This has been a hard lesson for me to learn and I have suffered greatly because of my fear. Perhaps this time the lesson has been learned.  Who knows? Just me.... Jo  

"Don't cry because it is over.  Smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss This is a photo of our two beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  Sophie, in front and Skyler behind.  Soph...as we call her is 14 and Skyler just turned 5. These two pups have given us such joy it is hard to describe in words. Today, unfortunately, we have had to make the decision to put our older girl, Soph, down.  It is one of the hardest decisions a pet owner must make but we know it is our final loving responsible act. Tomorrow morning we will have the vet come to the house and lay our girl to rest. I know it will be the saddest of days but one that any pet owner must ultimately face in the end.  I titled this post as I did choosing the words I chose for these reasons. I need God's HELP in seeing me through all this sadness:  just as God helped me pick Soph as a puppy all those years ago. I want to THANK God everyday for having...

My daughters CT scan came back with positive results......yeah..... She still does have some health issues but it is not as serious as we feared......Thank you GOD. We all can now breathe a sigh of relief. hugs, Jo

Last night I watched the movie GRAVITY on Net flicks.  I did not see it last year when it came out and I can see why it won as many awards as it did. It was truly a visual wonder filled with suspense the entire time.  In fact.....I had a hard time sleeping after watching  it.   I know this post is entirely out of sync with this joyous Holiday Season...but perhaps if we delve a little deeper it is not.  For me, the end of another year ALWAYS brings a time of introspection. In fact, I believe this movie has an important message during this time of gift giving and shopping....baking and partying.  Whether you believe in God or your own version of the Creator.... our Universe is beyond imagining.  We each believe we are so very important with our small every day problems and tasks...but the reality is we are such a minute part of this incredible whole...and so very often we don't keep this in the forefront of our thoughts.  We are...

For as long as I can remember I have been searching for Grace. It has been right here all along...not something to be plucked up somewhere along this ever-winding trail we call life. But right here~~just waiting to be found.....With a racing mind it will forever elude me. A still mind offers up the prize.  Calm thoughts always have a beginning and an end. It is the space between the end and the next beginning where Grace is offered. I pay attention..... I find Grace........ Have a beautiful day. Jo Photo:  WISE WOMEN

I turn 67 today.....and actually I feel better as the years accumulate.  Since I've gotten older I actually have decided that I will celebrate each day during the month of October...just being grateful for being healthy and alive.   I hope each one of you who follow this little blog of mine celebrate each day along with me.... Here are some of the things I have planned for my birthday month: 1.  Listing our current home the end of the first week in November.  We are pretty excited to be moving into a little smaller spot as it means less work and maintenance.  We just want to be able to live more and work less.  Although we still have not found our new spot.....we know it is out there.   2.  Taking a 15 day cruise on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Budapest.  We will visit 5 countries along the way.  One of the stops will be in the place I was born....Nuremberg, Germany.  My  family  left Germany right...

so simple...so true. Also made me chuckle! xo Jo

Tomorrow is the 5th of May......in Arizona, as in many Southwestern states, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  This is a day for Mexican's, American's and Mexican-American's to celebrate Mexican heritage and pride. In Mexico, specifically in the region of Puebla.....it is a celebration of The Battle of Puebla.  It is the battle where Mexican's beat the French forces on  May 5th, 1862.  It IS NOT Mexican Independence Day, which many of us were lead to believe....that is celebrated on September 16th. Here, in Arizona, the day is spent eating, drinking and dancing and in general just having a great time. Since we have such a large Hispanic population in our state it really is a holiday in which all nationalities participate....I think that is as it should be. I've shown you pics today of a Milagro I just finished. It is based on traditional Mexican talismans.  Milagro means "Miracle" in Spanish.  These personal charms can remind us that "...

Have you ever considered the fact whether you were an extrovert or introvert?  I have....and I am so pleased that some kind soul finally wrote a book comparing the two styles. I have always considered myself....shy.....or in other words an introvert.  Oh....don't get me wrong....I can carry on lengthy conversations if required....but I much prefer listening to talking.  By doing so, I can interject comments occasionally if appropriate...or keep quite if I so desire. Often, if we are attending a social gathering I will size up our companions and decide which one, I believe, will carry the evening so to speak.  Or, I will ask my wonderful soul mate if he is in a "chatty" mood....his comment usually is we are going to see "so and so" so he doesn't need to be.  LOL LOL I always believed there was something wrong with me because I was not more of a "chatty Kathy"....but now....I realize there probably are a lot more folks out there...

Isn't it????? xoxo Jo Photo:  Style Carrot

I think this is quite lovely for a Wednesday. xo Jo  

"Life is not the way it is supposed to be.  It is the way it is.  The way you cope with it is what makes the difference." Virginia Satir A life lived is not without hardship.  At times....many of us have had hardships we thought we could not bare....but we did. During the holiday season with so many people being joyous and merry it is easy  to enter a mind set of ....... well.......I would be joyous too if I only had his or her life.   Well.....in reality....we do have his or her life.....we have LIFE......period. We were given this life to live to the fullest.....not to sit around complaining about what we don't have or being sad because our life is not the same as someone else. The Buddhist tradition believes that each day you wake up.....may be your last day on earth.  Would you want your last day on earth to be one of moaning about what you don't have. Let's think about this during this wonderful season of the year.  Acceptance and being g...

Thanks to each of you who stopped by with your kind comments yesterday......as they say TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY!!  Can't stay in the doldrums for long.....I'm saving all of everyone's muchness in my heart and now it is Pink and fluffy~~ as it needs to be  . Here are a few Christmas pretties to share over this cold, cold weekend. We have our wonderful grandson this weekend....going to get a fire going and make a Gingerbread House......It could be the first one he has ever made....and I know it will be my FIRST! (O: Hugs and warm thoughts to all, Jo

As a woman of a certain age, I am always interested in little ways to "age gracefully" as they say. One cannot stop the natural aging process...so little insights are always helpful. Came across these little tidbits from a site called "The Happy Seeker"... thought they were valuable so I wanted to share them with you.  Here is what he had to say.                    1.  Learn from nature                  2.  Be still                   3.  Be persistent                  4.  Value little moments                  5.  Love balance                 6.  Be interested in other people                 7.  Be kind I'm sure there are many more t...