You know you don't live in NW Iowa anymore when ....

Thought I would share some of the things that pop out at me that are remarkably different from living in Spencer.

You know you don't live in NW Iowa anymore when you check the temperature this time of year and the real feel temp is higher than what it actually is or when you do that in the summer and the real feel temp is LOWER that what it actually is.

You know you don't live in NW Iowa anymore when you go to the grocery store and there is not a long line of Christmas trees leaning up against the building.  

Or when you get an alert on your phone for Air Stagnation Warning.  Or dust storms that are common and the tumble weeds a normal sight.

I've also noticed a few things in speech, such as nativity is pronounced with a long "a" sound and when people are talking about the Hawks, it is not U of Iowa, but the Seattle Seahawks. ;)

Distance from place to another is described in minutes, not miles or blocks.

Your granddaughter comes home from school with a note saying they had a cougar siting this morning near their school.

You hear on the radio that the season for putting on your tire chains is now.

When having a sprinkler system in your yard is a necessity and not a luxury.

Yesterday was Black Friday.  A cool thing I noticed was all the businesses that gave the day off to their employees.  Not those in retail of course, but many others.  It was a gift to spend more time with their families.  

The Tri Cities is an amazing place to raise a family.  The school systems are award winning.  It is fast growing and full of extremely kind, happy, and talkative people.  Some say it is because of all the sunshine and wine.  Hahahaha.  I'm not sure why, but I will definitely say the sunshine is fantastic and I am enjoying the way you can have a conversation with a person so easily.  Ex. - I did run to Hobby Lobby last night for a couple of things expecting to find a store in disarray and employees ready to go home.  But what I found instead was that with both encounters I had with employees, they began the conversations, shared smiles on their faces and wished me well as I was leaving.  (And yes, they did work all day)

I know I have grumpy times, hurried times, and frustrated times.  But no matter where you live, or how things are different - share a smile with those around you.  Put aside what is frustrating you - many times after a little while you realize it isn't such a big deal.  And slow down - time really does pass by too fast.  Don't have any regrets about places and people you wish you would have seen.  

9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.  Romans 12:9-10

I'm Amazed!

I am totally amazed that I have had well over 5000 views of my blog since I began.  If you would have told me that in the beginning, I would have chuckled.  It has humbled me and I have heard from some people in my life that are appreciating what is being said.  I also am amazed how God is using me.

I am totally amazed at the trails I have access to and the great walking I am able to do.  I am also amazed at all the geese, ducks, etc. that I have seen recently gathered in this one area.  For some reason they enjoy "relieving" themselves on the paved walkway for the trail instead of the in the grassy areas.  Let me tell you, that's a lot of goose poop!  :)

This week is Thanksgiving followed by jumping into the Advent season and Christmas.  Many people are drawn into the sales, bargains, and "hoopla" of Black Friday.  I am totally amazed at the length some people will go to for what they believe is the greatest deal.  And I am totally amazed at the length businesses are going to drawing us in.  A few days ago, we were given "inside information" from an employee about a deal that would benefit us if we came to Black Friday at 5 a.m.  I'll admit that at first I was amazed by this.  And then after I got home, I realized that I really don't like all that Black Friday stands for, all that it creates, etc.  So, no, we are not going after the great deal.

Unfortunately, even as Christians, we too often lose sight and go for the gimmicks, the hooks, or the eye catching snazzy advertising to draw others in.  We get lost in doing this whether it is in to our lives, our communities, or our churches.  I'm not saying we need to be plain "janes" and stay away from all that is colorful.  God has created a beautiful world with many amazing things for us to enjoy and use.  BUT we need to put things in perspective, be amazed by His creation, go after what is important, use what is effective, and enjoy the simplicity.

In life we see many things that amaze us.  For some it may be watching a magic show or seeing great acts during America's Got Talent.  For others it may be the birth of a child, to watching their children grow and learn new things to realizing that there is someone in their life that loves them unconditionally.  Slow down, open your eyes, your hearts, and your minds to what is going on around you.  Be amazed at life and let God use you to amaze others.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This and That

I know, I know - I didn't blog last Thursday (although I'm sure many of you didn't miss that :))

Been struggling with a cold, craziness, and just me.

Wanted to catch up with you on a few things though.  Observances that I have had.  First of all, remember that great place by the river that is just a couple of blocks from my house?  Well I was relaxing there one afternoon waiting for Phil to get off of work, enjoying the peace and beauty of the area when all of a sudden I hear this high pitched whining sound - much like that of a high pitch chain saw.  When I looked over from where it was coming from I saw something I have never seen before - remote controlled hydroplanes!  Yup - there they were racing in circles on the river when there were others there trying to enjoy the peace as well and catch a few fish for supper.

On a side note, they do hold hydro plane races on the Columbia river every year the last weekend in July.  Looking forward to seeing the full sized ones next year.

Well we did get everything moved in to our new home from the storage shed.  And as usual, some was a surprise (I forgot I had this) to (Why did we bring this) to (there is no way we need this).  Yes one car full of things went to be donated already and I'm sure there will be more.  I really thought we had gotten rid of a ton before we moved.  And then when we were moving things in we had a good laugh .....

First of all we had way more chairs than we needed or could use.  Guess I was still planning for those Sunday lunches I had in Iowa.  We also had more dishes than what I was going to need.  Was good for a laugh.

The Tri Cities is know as the Windy city.  When I first heard this I thought - no way, that's Chicago.  Well Chicago is know for that for the hot air the politicians blew years ago (or maybe not so long ago.)  And then I thought, no way - its always so nice here and calm and beautiful.  Well, it is - except when the wind decides to blow - it blows big time.  And along with the wind comes dust storms due to the make up of our "Desert Oasis" and not a good time to cross a bridge.  I can't explain it, something to do with the way the weather travels through the Columbia River Basin.  I'm sure many of you understand it better than I, I just know make sure things are tied down when it does blow.

And another observation I have had is the great diversity there is in cultures here.  Yes, you can see this in the variety of restaurants - Asian, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Indian, Italian.  But the one thing that really caught my eye was seeing a East Africa Food Mart.  Phil asked if I wanted to go in, I said I would have no idea what to look for.  :)  Looking forward though to the day we can put it in our budget to check some of these out.

Looking forward - the church that we are calling home right now, Hillspring, provides the experience of a live nativity each year for several performances.  They use live horses, donkeys, sheep and camels - and the characters are even live.  (haha)  I am volunteering to be a guide and looking forward to meeting more people and seeing this production.  

No matter where you live, no matter what it is that God has you doing - we can find things we would rather do with out.  Whether it is the wind, the noise of someone's hobby, the clutter of things - we can always wish for better.  But let's flip that over and see the amazing things God has blessed us with.  I have amazing friends and family.  I am overjoyed with the support, the notes, texts, and connections that come my way.  And I do miss everyone back in Iowa tremendously - but what a gift to live in an age that I have internet and smart phones to keep in touch.  

When I was taking a walk by the river the other day, I saw a Loon.  I love Loons, their beauty, their calls, their commitment as a pair to make the nest and incubate the eggs, their long underwater swims when they dive.  I don't see them often, so I'm always fascinated when I do. So, naturally when I saw one the other day - it made my day.  It also felt like God was reminding me that He is here, no matter where I am or what He has me doing.  Remember for earlier blogs?  He's got this.  I have to keep telling myself that.

Do you see the light?

You know, as I was reading my devotional for today, it was focusing on being the light in a dark place.  You know, a reflection of God's light for others to see.

Well, I love light.  I have night lights everywhere to dispel the darkness of the night.  The first thing I do in the morning when I get up is open up all the curtains so the light of the day can shine in.  With the new car we purchased, it has a moon/sun roof.  Love to have the light shining in on me.  

So naturally when we were looking at the possibility of moving to the SE part of Washington State, the news that they deal with over 300 days of sunshine sent me to dancing!  Gotta love the sunshine.  

Well, the last few days here have been cloudy and drippy.  With the time change and our position in the time zone, our sun has been setting around 4:30 p.m. and on the shortest day of the year in December it will be 4:12 p.m.  Wow, that's hard for a light person like me.   And it can easily turn into being a depressing time or a negative one if I'm not careful.

What I didn't do and haven't done was think about the other 50-60 days.  So we don't have sunshine all the time, but we do have it 86 percent of the time.  See the positive.  That because of days like we are having I have the desire to cook several different homemade soups.  All those drips that are falling are being soaked into the ground and supplying a need to all that grows there.  

So it's darker outside, I turn on the lights in the house, light some of my favorite candles.  There are plenty of days and places in our lives where we need to remember that if the light isn't bright - we can do something about it.  

Because of the mercy that God lavishes on us each day, because of the grace that He has showered upon us we can "turn on" the light.  We can shine so others can see.  

Dog Friendly

So, I've got to say, I've never seen such a dog friendly place as the Tri Cities.  Of course we were always able to find pet friendly hotels as we traveled out here and then again for the 3 weeks we lived in one while waiting to get into Amy & Aaron's house, but it didn't stop there.

I have seen a dog bowl of water sitting outside of several businesses such as coffee shops, etc.

And when we finished climbing Badger mountain and was returning through the park, we saw a water fountain, paused to get a drink and then noticed there was also a "bowl" located near the ground for Abby to get refreshed as well.  

I've seen people with their dogs in Home Depot as well as other stores and twice we have seen someone on separate occasions in different churches have their pooch at worship.  Enough said.  

Pets are amazing and become important parts of our lives, our families.  A few days ago, a special part of our family, Casey, was relieved of her pain and suffering.  We left her in Spencer with Timothy when we moved.  We knew the move would be too hard on her.  And still it was hard to say "goodbye" again.  And very hard for our son to be the one to take her to the vet.  

Our pets are gifts from God, He is the creator of all things.  And what a gift they are to us.  Unconditional love, companionship, and fun!   And He expects us to care for them properly.  I believe how a person treats animals reflects much as to how they would or do treat humans.  Our pets love us unconditionally: They don't care what we look like, how much money we make, or what we do for a living. All they ask is that we give them a bit of our time and our attention. 

But they are a living thing, and there is nothing alive that won't go through death.  That's the hard part.  Saying good bye, going through separation.  

Each one of us will face death someday.  And though it is hard to say good bye to ones we love, we have the assurance and hope from God that when we profess Christ as our personal Savior - death is not the end, it is part of the journey to eternal life with Him.

Celebrate each day, love your pets, have fun with them.  But remember to share your story and His story with others, about the promise of eternal life with Him, about the forgiveness of our crud and the grace waiting for each of us.

It's the little things.....

Have you ever noticed that no matter what your wish list is or shopping list or whatever, it's usually the little things that bring the most joy?

This past weekend some more things arrived at our house to make it more our home.  On Friday our Washer, Dryer and Refrigerator were delivered.  I have a Laundry room, well some would call it an over sized walk in closet - but its my laundry room!  I'm tickled and will make it special.  The frig came, I once again have ice on command.  I love ice water and drink it all day long.  WooHoo!!!!

We picked up the couch on Saturday morning.  Then went and got our new bed.  The bed sleeps like a dream.  I'm so excited. And we have a queen bed, something we haven't had since before we had children.  WooHoo!

I can walk to the Columbia River's edge in 2 minutes and then take the trail in either direction.  I have always loved the water and now I nearly live on it.  

Abby and I are loving the walks.  WooHoo!

I opened a few more boxes today.  Found a wall hanging that Emily made for us before we moved and a "drawing" that Lyla did as well.  WooHoo!!!

And then there was the rain we received this weekend.  Its a big deal when it rains here, I mean when it really rains.  And it did Friday and Saturday.  This was followed by some amazing rainbows.  Beautiful.  

  

Or here's a simple one, you know how you seldom where socks in in the summer, well, that is for girls anyway.  I have begun wearing my favorite socks again and they feel like a hug for my feet.  WooHoo!!

I love it when I receive an email or a text from someone just to say hi.  Makes my day.  Or when you have a grand daughter say how much they love something you made.  Or the sound of your grandson saying "Gamma"  and come running to you.  Or to be texting with one of your children and they tell you they love you or they are proud of you.  WooHoo!!

All of these little things add up to more than anything I could put on a wish list or shopping list.  All of these things are blessings showered upon us like a beautiful sunshiny morning.  

Feel the rays, enjoy the day, count the little things.