Happy Birthday Nana Helen!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA

From ALL of US!

WE LOVE YOU!

August 6th is a special day!  It is Nana Helen's birthday.  Last year we were able to pull a big surprise on Nana with a special party...and she was surprised!

I will probably get in trouble for sharing this picture...but it is so cute and shows exactly how surprised she was!

Nana, we love you so much and thank you for everything you have done for us all.  We are blessed by you in so many ways...you are a gift from God!

There is a lot that can be said...but I think simple is best...Happy Birthday with LOTS of LOVE form us all!

It Doesn't Take Much

Have you ever noticed where weeds grow?  It doesn't take much...bad soil, no water and no care...the weeds will multiply. As I looked at the dry, dusty corral where weeds seem to flourish, it made me think....There was no life or activity in that corral, just dust and weeds. 

Just like weeds can thrive in a desolate environment, so can negative things in our life.  If we are dry and barren in our heart and soul, it leaves room for the weeds to sprout up. It doesn't take much of a dry spot for the seed to take root.

Weed seeds can stay dormant for years and grow at anytime.  Weeds can be deceiving.  How many weeds have beautiful flowers on them?  Beneath those beautiful flowers are stickers and thorns.  

Negative people and situations in life can also look good at first glance...but we have to be careful of what lies beneath. 

Weeds also have deep roots, as they have to search deep to find nourishment to survive.  Once they are rooted, they are hard to pull out.  We can pull off the top and often leave part of the root.  Isn't it the same in our hearts?  Resentment, bad feelings, doubt and fear can be deep-rooted.  Unless we really get to the "root" of the problem, it won't go away for good...it will grow back.

So how do we keep the weeds out?  Literally, we pull them out and nurture the good plants.  In our lives, we stay aware of the negative things and don't let them take root.  We deal with them before they get too big.  We nurture the good and positive things and work on replenishing our heart and soul. 

Don't let the weeds take root in your life....let the beauty of everything else flourish and grow!

How Do I Put It In Words?

A lifetime of memories.  Memories and experiences that have molded me into who I am.  There are memories with all of my other family members, memories of holidays, memories of happiness and sadness....How do I sum these up?

I am blessed with the honor of delivering my grandpa's eulogy in a few days.  I have been working on what I want to say.  I am flooded with memories.  I want to encompass what Bopa meant to us all, share the funny stories, the lessons learned and his extreme devotion to his family.  I want to express his faith, the peace I know he now has and what he would hope for each of us. 

I don't want to "come up short".  He was such an amazing man and was a strong influence on all of us...I want that to share all of that. 

As I make notes, gather my thoughts and write this tribute...I am praying a lot.  I will do the best I  know how to do...I will present in love and honor...I know I can do this...I am my grandpa's grand-daughter.

A Penny For Your Thoughts

I made 3 cents the other day!  Three whole cents!  It was off of an article that I am paid a percentage of revenue form the visits.   Obviously, I didn't write the article for the income. I was actually surprised when I saw I had made 3 cents. 

If I were five years old I would have walked to the corner store to buy three pieces of penny candy, but that was back in 1971.  Do they even make penny candy anymore?

Having recently owned a retail store, I found it pretty interesting the way people think about pennies. It is like they are nothing.  Every store has a penny cup that customers through their pennies in.  I had a little boy that came in everyday that never wanted me to give him the pennies in his change.  I kept thinking, "100 of those will make a dollar, that would buy a candy bar!"

From 1793 to 1857 the penny was made from 100% copper.  Today's penny  is made from 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. It is estimated the it costs 1.26 cents to make a penny, hence the debate of whether or not to keep making the penny. 

I for one think the penny should stay simply because it is a reminder of my childhood.  A pocketful of pennies went a long way at the corner store.  I for one, loved rolling pennies as a child.  A little bit of patience and I had a few dollars to spend.  

There was nothing cuter to me when we owned our store than a small child bringing in a fistful of pennies.  We eventually even put in a candy counter. (Although, 5 cents was the cheapest candy available.)  I think pennies are nostalgic and fun.  

I found a few facts about pennies....

• The Mint estimates that it will issue 11.4 billion pennies in fiscal year 2007 .
• The U.S. one-cent coin is 19 millimeters in diameter and weighs 2.5 grams.  

• There have been 11 different designs featured on the penny.

• Since its beginning, the U.S. Mint has produced over 288.7 billion pennies.  Lined up edge to edge, these pennies would circle the earth 137 times.  

• According to the U.S. Treasury, a circulating coin (e.g., penny, nickel, dime) lasts nearly 30 years. 
• The most "expensive" penny is a rare one minted in 1793.  Only four are known to exist today and their worth is estimated at more than $275,000.

• An average of 1,040 pennies are produced every second, adding up to 30 million a day. 

• During its early penny-making years, the U.S. Mint was so short on copper that it accepted copper utensils, nails and scrap from the public to melt down for the coins.

• The Lincoln penny was the first U.S. coin to feature a historic figure. President Abraham Lincoln has been on the penny since 1909, the 100th anniversary of his birth.

• The Lincoln penny was the first one-cent coin on which appeared the words "In God We Trust."

• About half of all coins produced by the U.S. Mint are pennies.  

How about rolling up some of those pennies, head to the store and buy a bag full of candy...just for old times sake!

After the Fire

It is in times of need that our eyes are opened to the wonderful things that are around us.  God will not take you through a fire without something good on the other side.  The key is being aware and having our eyes and heart open to what that good thing is.

Often we are focused on the tragedy or negative situation…the fire…and we aren’t even open to the possibility of the bright point on the other side.

Have you ever noticed that after the devastating effects of a forest fire when everything is charred and black…look closely and you will see new growth. Fresh blades of green grass that pop up once some of the debris is burned away.  Every once in a while a wildflower will pop up…beauty arises out of tragedy.  It isn’t always clearly visible at first, but when you see the simple beauty against the reminder of the tragedy, there is hope.

When things look there worst, open your eyes…open your heart…I truly believe there is a blessing waiting for you.  I have seen this in my life…