Breath of Heaven -

Today I'm thinking of the song:  'Breath of Heaven'  sung by Amy Grant. It's a beautiful song that reminds me of Christmas - talking about Mary the mother of Jesus. I'm sure it has more history that I don't know about and is sung by other artists - but that's the only version I've heard.
I feel the Christmas feeling coming on, because we had our first little sciff of snow on Sunday.  I know this week is Thanksgiving and I need to do a blog on that - because I have so much to be thankful for.  But for now I'm going to just talk about the past few days.  After my last blog, I did run on the treadmill between 3-4 miles.  But I had such a busy weekend - that I haven't done any other exercising.
   When I went down to Yakima for the funeral - my car was broken in to and the XM radio and Hands free phone kit were stolen.  That of course, causes a lot of bother.  I've had to call around to get a Car window ordered and installed.(which hasn't happened yet). I've had to talk to the insurance a few times to make my claims, talk to the police, Fax the police statement to the insurance, get a new insurance card and registration (since they were stolen out of my car, too), Call and get a new owner's manual for my vehicle. (yep, that was stolen, too.  And I know I haven't said everything, but it is very sad that other people can inflict such pain and sorrow on you - when it is no fault of your own.  Now I'm not saying that this was a lot of pain and sorrow, because it was things that could be replaced.   But it did make me think of all the injustices that people do to other people that cause a lot of pain and sorrow.  It's just not right.  I guess we just have to realize this and make sure that we don't cause pain and sorrow for others.  ( And be thankful that we are not is such despair that we feel we have to rob, plunder, or steal anything.)
Well, enough of that.
L. Judd Allsop's funeral was wonderful. What a good life and good man- who had a great family. This is the kind of celebration of life that you want to go to when you go to a funeral. I've been to some funerals of children and I've been to two where the persons took their own life.  Those were so heartbreaking.

Brother Allsop's life was a testimonial of love and service: he served his wife, children, and many grandchildren with selflessness over many decades; he was a loyal friend; he generously volunteered his time in his community and church.  
As I was sitting at this funeral and listening to his children talk.  I thought that this could be like a funeral for my own Dad. My dad is quite similar to this man.  Very kind, gentle and loving.  I'm so thankful for having these great men in my life - as such good examples of what a man should be.
  Well, that's my 2 cents worth today. 
Jay made it safely home from California yesterday - so I'm happy.  We are going to dinner and a movie tonight!!  This week we are driving to Utah to meet our daughter Staci's family for Thanksgiving.  Rocky is coming,too - but Greg & Heidi won't be able to make it - since they are moving in to their first purchased home (condo).

Trying my best....

Yes, I did 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday and tonight I'm making a vow to do 4 miles.  I'm trying to do better. I'm feeling that I'm not keeping up like I did most all this last summer. Anyways, that's why I'm doing this blog. My mantra...............I can do it......I can do it......(positive mental alignment..)
   I'm going to the funeral in Yakima tomorrow morning of my old Bishop - L. Judd Allsop. (I talked about it in the last blog). I'm sure I'll see a lot of old friends and I'll stay down there a night with my family. 

Jay is on his way in a big U-haul truck to get all of our son, Rocky's stuff.  Rocky has some good furniture and a bed now, so he doesn't want to sale it off and have to get new - like he has been doing the last ten years of his life.  Rocky is an MD......he plans to be a Pathologist.  He has been living in LA for the last year - doing research at 'The House Ear Institute'.  Now he is moving back home while he interviews at all these places for a Residency.  He has already interviewed in New Jersey, Sacramento, CA and next week will interview in Mobile, Alabama.  I'm going with him in December to interview in Memphis, TN and then
Hartford, Conneticut.  He has quite a few more to do in January.  That boy sure keeps Jay and I hopping.  We will be so happy when he finds a good place to do his Residency and maybe settles down for a few years!
He went to Medical School back east in Boston (Tufts) for 3-4 years.  So we went back there quite a bit to see him.  It's been an adventure.
 
Anyways, I have a little something to write today about 'Love'.  I'm pretty sure this quote is out of Marianne
Williamson's book "Return to Love".   I wrote it down one day and I've kept it in my journal - It's something that really resonates with me. Here goes:

There are two ways that love helps me, now and then, to see real people through the filter of my insecurities.
One of them is a growing power to love myself enough to be thankful for what I am, and to forgive myself for what I am not!  I feel this power intermittently, I admit, but I feel it enough to get my eyes off my anxieties about myself and get a focus on what is going on with other people.

Love also helps me to get outside of myself long enough to discover that the people whose favor I need so much are as weak and needy as I am.   They are trusting me to care about them while I am struggling to see them through the haze of my own anxieties.  If I discern them in their needs, I am getting the imagination to catch a moment of grace when it comes.  :)
  

Nov. 16th - not just another Monday

   Last night a great man and influence in my life passed away.  Pres. L. Judd Allsop.  He was my Bishop growing up and then a Stake President in our Church.  I grew up with most of his children.  I knew 4 of them pretty well.  The other 4 were older than me. 2 of them passed away before their time.
I will definitely go to his funeral which is at the end of this week in Yakima, Wash.   I feel a lot of changes around me at this time of my life. (especially Births and Deaths)
 Pres. Allsop's  passing away makes me reflect on a lot of things.
I realize how great it was to grow up where I grew up and had the friends that I had.  I'm so thankful for knowing all these wonderful people that shaped my life.  And I'm especially thankful for my wonderful family and extended family.  That's really what life is all about. Your loved ones around you.
   I had a good weekend - it's always great to go to Yakima Valley and see my family there.  My brother's football team didn't win, but my neice's volleyball team won the championship title.  So  there's always good and bad.....ying and yang.......happy and sad........etc, etc...
Then yesterday I was quite busy with church jobs.  This time of year (as I probably already said in another post) is a time that I'm asked to play the piano and organ quite a bit  for people. (special holiday #'s)
I'm actually getting use to it and enjoy being at the piano - rather than singing or something else.
I'm thankful I can use this talent - in a good way. 
On another note >>>>
    We had a good friend that was re-baptized last night. He had a lot of people there - from our community and Quincy.  It really was an out  pouring of love and forgiveness- especially on behalf of his own family.
It reminded me how powerful Christ's Atonement really is.  That we can really be forgiven for our mistakes.

Well, all the musical #'s and the talks were great.  But I do have one saying that I remember from one of the talks:
Sometimes God calms the Storm-
and sometimes he lets the storm rage....and calms his child.

P.S. I did 3 miles on the treadmill today.

Friday, the 13th....of November

I'm really embarrassed to say that I didn't walk yesterday or today.  I do hope next week is better than this week. It's been a crazy week for me, but I did get 2 - 1 hour sessions of pilates in this week.
I know that exercising is the first thing to go for me - when I get too busy.  That is why I started this blog - to make me feel more accountable to exercising.  I must say that it has helped me, because I did accompish the marathon this fall.  But I know I want to keep going and do more 1/2 marathons and maybe, another marathon. 
Anyways, last night - Jay & I went to see a movie 'The 4th kind'.  It was very eerriieeee... It made me have nightmares last night.  Not a movie that I would want to see again.  But it made you really wonder if it was true about some kind of alien abduction or if this Physiciatrist woman was totally insane.  Well, that's all I will say about that.  I'd really rather not think about all that. I'm so grateful for my life and I want to keep it that way!
Right now it is snowing outside and Jay hasn't finished harvesting the trees.  This will definitely put them behind.    I was planning to go to Yakima tomorrow to see my neice play in a State Volleyball Tournament
in the Sundome and then see my brother's football team from Zillah - play in the district play-offs.   But now I don't know.  I really hate driving in a lot of snow.  We shall see - maybe Jay will drive me, if the snow is still on the ground.
I found a great quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh:
 'My life cannot impliment in action - the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds.'
That's how I feel.  I really have wonderful family and friends that I would love to spend more time with, but life doesn't really give you enough time for that..
Oh, well.........................

Here's a pic of  my side of the family 'The Winters family' this last July in Newport, Oregon.  We all had on the shirts that Greg (our son) gave us from his job. (A Sports novelty company)

Nov. 9th, Monday

Yes, I did my 4 miles this morning.  I will try and do it - every other day this week.  So I should be writing in here again on Wednesday.

All is well.   Thought I'd post a sideways pic of a breakfast I had a long time a go.   It just was something I had on my Iphone.  I don't normally eat a big breakfast - just cereal.  But I sure eat well for dinner. I'm always plenty hungry at dinner time.
Tonight is Pilates - so hopefully, I won't eat as much.  When I have pilates in the evening, I don't usually eat so much.  Good idea......I should probably do pilates every evening - but I'm always too tired.
ce la vie...

Nov. 7th - TAPS

I did jog 4 miles on the treadmill, but it took me all morning.  I kept getting phone calls that interrupted me. But that's okay. Jay is working in the tree harvest and I have some time today.
My song for the day is the famous bugle song "TAPS"
I've never known the words before but a friend e-mailed them to me.  So here they are:

Day is done
Gone the sun.
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky
All is well.
Safely rest
God is nigh.
Fading light
Dims the sight.
And a star
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright
From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise
For our days.
Neath the sun
Neath the stars
Neath the sky
As we go.
This we know
God is nigh.

End of the Week, already!

Yes, today is Friday and the last time I wrote on here was Monday. It's been a busy week for me. I've been going to a lot of different things and doing some Christmas shopping. It always speeds up this time of year for me. Especially with Church functions.  I play the Organ and piano for things in church.  And our Choir has special #'s that we are working on for the Holidays.  We have special Christmas parties and functions that we plan for and put on, too.  There's always something!

   Anyways, I haven't been doing a lot of walking this week.  I plan on 4-5 miles tomorrow morning. But that's it.
The above is a picture of our oldest son - Rocky. He was Hulk Hogan for Halloween this year. This picture really surprised me - because he's our Dr. and not at all like this in real life!

These are the good ole' days...

Yep, that's the song on my mind today. 'These are the good 'ole days'  by Carly Simon...
I really need to be thinking of my blessings - this is the season to reflect and be grateful.
For some reason we always think it's going to get better later -or better after something happens.
I like to listen to Marianne Williamson a lot and she speaks a lot of truth to me.
She has a great perspective on life.  She preaches from some books titled " A Course in Miracles".  Last year she had a thought every day from "A course in Miracles" and I loved most all of them.  They basically preach the way Jesus taught  in the Bible. Very good stuff.  I may have to get ahold of those books some day.
But I have been blessed to be able to read a lot of good books and belong to a church that generates a lot of good reading.  #1 being ' the Book of Mormon'.   I'm so thankful to belong to this church - I've learned so much from being a member and growing up in the church.  I've had lots of wonderful friends and still do have from being a part of  this church.  I really couldn't see my life any better without it.  In fact,  I know it would be worse.
I'm also thankful for all my friends from other faiths and denomonations. I feel that we are very loving and accepting of each other - even if we disagree on some things.
       Well, I've gotta get ready for Pilates.  I did get a chance to walk 4 miles today.  It was a beautiful sunny day - so I got to go outside!   It was fabulous......:)
 Today is the 1st day of harvesting the trees (for my husband)  He is a tree nurseryman ( mainly fruit trees).  He is out there on a big tree digger right now.  I do hope harvest goes well this year.  It usually takes 2 weeks or so.