Watching "Thomas the Tank Engine" together

Watching "Thomas the Tank Engine" together
Originally uploaded by Hearts Rejoyce.

Having a Fun Time Together

Having a Fun Time Together
Originally uploaded by Hearts Rejoyce.

Simple Pleasures, Lasting Treasures

For me, there is no joy in trials but there are "hugs" from God and I received a couple this weekend.....

It was a hard week, full of disappointment and discouragement. I remember a while back a friend of mine was going through some trials and she remarked that the Lord was "developing" her character and she said, " I guess my character needs a lot of work." I laughed at the time but now it's not so funny.....Still, in the midst of the storms of life, if you will, the Lord "hugged" me. I define a "hug" from God as a favor or act just to let you know that he is there and he cares for you......It can be a kindness from a stranger, an unexpected phone call to encourage you, an act that you know could only come from a benevolent God, something unasked for or unexpected but wonderful......

Anyway, my husband dragged me up from my bed and insisted that we go out for a ride. I wanted to ride our bicycles but it was too hot so instead we went for another one of our stress reducers--a motorcycle ride. This time we rode to Publix to get his check cashed and then he let me look around in JoAnn's ETC for a while. It's silly, probably, but I like to look at all the scrapbooking stuff. I just walk up and down the aisles looking......Then when we had tired of that, we rode off to Michael's--another craft store. We happened to notice that in the same mall, Shoe Carnival was having a sidewalk sale and if you're looking for a bargain, they usually have them. We weren't intending to buy anything for ourselves--just look. But we found a great deal on some shoes for Shane--in his size and so we called him up to see if he wanted us to get them for him. Hey,
$90.00 Rockports for $15.00 is too good a deal to pass up! So, off we went, back on the bike with me clutching the shoe box in between me and Doug.....

As I said, it was a typical sweltering July day. We went down Highway 60 instead of the back roads and whenever we stopped for a traffic light, the heat would rise up off the pavement and hit us in the face. We decided we wouldn't attempt any more bike rides in the middle of the day at least not until November or so.....However, a quick trip to Dairy Queen for a cooling Caramel Moolatte was well worth it! Yum!!

Now, for the best "hug" of all.....Shane and Angie invited us over for Sunday afternoon. They fed us a lovely meal and we played games, Shane beat Doug BAD at ping pong and we laughed and watched parts of "Bruce Almighty". But I had the absolute best time playing with my grandson! Shane and Angie showed us how Landon likes to play Hide 'n Seek and I was off to hide--under the coffee table! Next Doug and Alyssa and Shane took turns hiding and I would count with Landon. Then we'd go off to find whoever was hiding.....Shane "hid" behind the coffee table with a pillow on top of his big ole body and Landon couldn't find him! After a while, Landon got so he would count with me (at first he played shy and wouldn't count even though Shane and Angie assured me he could). Recalling my childhood version, I would say "Ready or not here we come" after the number 10 to give the person hiding more of a chance. One time as Landon and I were beginning to count, he stopped, said no and proceeded to say "Ready or not....."! Then when we all tired of that game, I would "chase" Landon through the house and he'd run into his room and onto the bed, laughing and giggling as I tickled him from head to toe! He wanted to play this over and over, calling to me "Danma, run!" The first time we played the tickle game, he got behind his bed and the wall and I asked him if he was "stuck". After that, he would climb in between the bed and the wall and tell me "I stuck!" And I would have to "rescue" him. What an incredible ball of energy my little grandson is!

I thought maybe I was being the "bad" grandma running through the house with Landon but Angie assured me they didn't mind--they like for Landon to be a child. What special parents Landon is blessed with! Grandma had fun being a child, too.....

I know I sometimes write looonnng blogs but I can't apologize....this was one of the best days of my life.. Not too long ago, I was fretting because I thought my grandson didn't like me. So, I accepted that Landon was Grandpa's boy.....Now you know why I call this past Sunday, a "hug" from God....It was definitely "Danma" day and I loved it......

Owen & Mary

Owen & Mary
Originally uploaded by Hearts Rejoyce.

Mary & Kris

Mary & Kris
Originally uploaded by Hearts Rejoyce.

Margaret

Margaret
Originally uploaded by Hearts Rejoyce.

Ken & Linda

Kelso Visit
Originally uploaded by Hearts Rejoyce.

Kelso Visit

On Wednesday, the Kelsos came to visit on their way to the beach! It was a wonderful time for me, seeing Kris and Mary after a year (when I was last in Tennessee) , visiting with Ken and Linda, whom I had not seen in many years and meeting Linda's sweet mom Margaret ( whom I think I've met before at a wedding or other event).....You would've thought the Queen of England was my honored guest, the way I cleaned (the apartment really needed it) and fussed. I didn't realize that I was so lonely for Christian fellowship! And the Kelsos WERE honored guests....

It was great spending time with these dear people, talking over old times, sharing in the joy of the new baby to come and of course, Owen. This cute little toddler was so good. I dragged out a box of Alyssa's old toys that I had gotten together for our grandson Landon the last time we babysat him and Owen was content to play with the hodegpodge.......An hour and a half went so quickly! I wish I had taken more photos than the four that I managed to snap.......I pray that they will stay longer next time. I will have to lure them with some good Cuban food!

My 4th of July

This was not the Independence Day that I had hoped it would be. Whenever the weather is hot, the days sunny and the skies blue, I long to be on the beach....It was that kind of day. We didn't go to the beach like we usually do on the 4th, for a couple of reasosns. (1) Doug thought we should conserve gas and (2) we both had to work the next day so being at the beach for fireworks would've brought us home around 11pm or later what with traffic and all.....

We decided to deliver phone books to an apartment complex in Apollo Beach. We were quite thankful when the manager told us to just leave the books under the cluster of mailboxes--thereby saving us from having to walk them to each apartment.
Doug pulled into a shady spot for us to bag some more in preparation for our next drop. He was in the back of the van tearing open packages (the phone books come in bundles of six wrapped in plastic) and I was standing outside the back of the van bagging. A man appeared out of nowhere and startled me. He asked me where the office was and I pointed in the direction. Ordinarily, I would not have thought much of it but for some reason, I felt creepy, like this man had another agenda. It was the strangest feeling....his eyes seemed glazed to me, like maybe he had taken drugs. It was subtle but for a few seconds, I felt vulnerable. Thank God my husband was right there (the man probably didn't see him in the back of the van)....

When we got home, we decided to go for a motorcycle ride. A friend of Doug's loaned him his Honda so we would have alternative transportation. I have not been on a motorcycle in a long, long time. Doug has had several bikes throughout the years and we've sold them all as the need arose. Consequently, we no longer have motorcycle helmets. Doug assured me that we would just ride through neighborhoods not much on the busier highways.....So, we spent our Fourth of July riding through Fishhawk and other residential neighborhoods, looking and dreaming......After a while, we were butt sore so we stopped at Starbucks and got a Frappucino to share. It was fun. I wrapped my arms around Doug like I had done so long ago, got my hair whipped around and enjoyed the freedom of the moment. About a quarter of a mile from home while we were stopped at a traffic light, a blonde girl passenger on a motorcycle close by in the other lane smiled and waved at me. I waved back.
Doug told me that she broke the "rules". "What rules?" I inquired innocently. Then my husband educated me. "When you're on a Harley, you only wave or nod at other people on Harleys." Oh. Oh, well--I felt cool!

Later we watched the fireworks on tv at the Capitol. The Beach Boys were on. I enjoyed hearing "California Girls," even though I'm a Florida girl, Kokomo and Good Vibrations. And yes, I danced.......