Things I'm Lovin Thursday!

I have a new Cuisinart Kuerig and absolutely LOVE it! My old Kuerig wasn't making very full cups and it was time to replace it so this is what I chose! Bill and I are enjoyingt how well it works! Nice full cups and it is fast and quiet!

We go see Shrek tonight at Fair Park! I am so excited! This is the last of our DSM (Dallas Summer Musical) season tickets. We will do that again for sure next season!

I think I need some green ogre ears, don't you think?

La Hacienda, in Dallas is where we plan to eat! They have wonderful fajitas and more!

I love to have a Pumpkin Spice Latte, skinny please! It just goes with Fall! I'm lovin it!

Fletcher's famous corn dogs at the Texas State Fair in Dallas! Thank you Lord for things on earth we get to enjoy!

Lady Jane who put her handprint on my heart

Jane Smith is a wonderful mentor and a lady who made a handprint on my heart.

When we first moved to San Angelo, back in 1959, my parents built a house on the corner of A&M street and Yale Avenue. Just up the block, several houses from us, on Yale Ave. a family named Smith moved in. We became lifelong friends. My dad was a medical doctor and found common ground with Dr. Smith, a phychologist. Jane and my mom, Dixie, were instant friends and had much in common as doctor's wives and mothers of small children. Jane was a degreed teacher and my mom a licensed dietician. Both our families attended First Baptist Church of San Angelo at that time.

I have so many childhood, teenage, and then adult memories of Jane. My mother and she would babysit for each other and one weekend my parents and brothers went to Big Bend without me! I stayed with the Smiths and I remember Jane putting me to bed early, as I am sure my mother instructed her to, but when I snuck out and crept in to see what the others were still up doing, she caught me and returned me to bed with a swat to my behind! I never let her forget that she "spanked" me! We joke about that still.

Jane taught me how to pack and stop a bloody nose like a pro! The neighborhood was predominantly boys so there were frequent bloody noses and Ms. Jane always knew how to remedy them quickly and with no squeamishness at all. She knew just how to mix a poultice of baking soda and water to soothe ant stings on my little girl legs and how to adjust roller skates out on her front driveway. She taught me how to make yummy ooey, gooey, smores! Jane's house was the place to be for the kids on that block. Always a cardboard box house to play in or a welcoming back yard to imagine in and dream up plays to perform for her when we were ready for an audience! She would clap and cheer for our drama team and encourage us to do more!

My favorite memory of being a child on Jane Smith's block was that every year, near Christmas, she wuld rent a reel to reel movie called "The Littlest Angel" from the Tom Green County Library. She'd have a big movie screen and projector set up in her living room and invite all the neighborhood over. We'd sit and watch this sweet movie and then after the viewing Jane would bring out a birthday cake with candles on it and have us all sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus! She did this every year when we were kids. I still like to make a birthday cake for Jesus and put the little plastic baby Jesus in his manger bed, borrowed from our Nativity, on top of the cake and remember how Ms. Jane started this tradition!

As a teenager and then as an adult, my birthday was always remembered by Jane in a thoughtful way. She always made me a card and sometimes wrote me a special poem! As an adult I received things from her on my birthday like a personalized lovely picture frame with gold writing on it and a special photo inside.

Jane and my mom, Dixie, had a very special friendship that endured for over half a century! A few weeks before my mom lost her battle with Leukemia, she had me take her over to visit Jane. That October of 2008, we had such a nice time talking, looking at pictures, and laughing! We had to repeat some of our stories over again when Jane would ask an occasional question of us that she had already asked us a few minutes before. You see, Jane now has Alzheimer's disease but you wouldn't have known it, not right away, that day, if you didn't know she had received this life changing diagnosis.

Jane has helped so many children and students over the years with her passion and special training to work with Dyslexia and help students with reading difficulties. She has imprinted the hearts of numerous students in the Concho Valley with her positive spirit and her gentle and joyful teacher's heart. Jane has an infectious laugh and a truly delightful sense of humor.

Alzheimer's disease is slowly dimming this amazing lady's memories and fading them away but her impact and touch on the lives of others like myself and so many students will never fade.

Dr. Steven Smith, Margaret Jane Smith Wimpee, Dr. Paul Smith, and Mrs. Jane Smith.These photos are from 1975, according to my dad's handwriting in a photo album I found recently.

Steven was with me when I was 5 and we were climbing a tree on Yale Ave. I fell and broke my right arm! I wonder if I helped motivate him to become a doctor? He is a bit younger than me but as a toeheadded little guy on the block he did his best to keep up with all the big kids running around!

October 2008 when Mom and I went to visit with Jane. What a wonderful visit we had!

Two Sock Monkeys and Raggedy Ann

I was at Bed Bath & Beyond a few days ago and saw these two brown sock monkeys. My mind was flooded with sweet memories of my two older brothers who each had a doll size sock monkey when we were children. They took their well worn sock monkeys with us on car trips and outings. I carried along my soft huggable Raggedy Ann doll. We all three had our "cuddly" and in these chosen items we found comfort and security when we ventured out into the big and sometimes scary world.

This is my Raggedy Ann doll from my childhood! I am so glad I kept her!
When we were little kids we made a lot of fun memories together. Blake would build me the most amazing two story Barbie condos! Marc would agree to scare away the monsters for me when I was fearful at bedtime. Both my brothers have unique and very different personalities from one another. on family trips Blake would often keep us laughing with his funny comments and amazing noises he could make! Marc was the serious one who "just wanted some peace and quiet" and kept himself busy reading or drawing.

Marc is very intelligent, ananlytical, good at math, and very musically talented. He has always has a natural charm with people and has always wanted to help others. He is now a very good doctor and his patients love that he is a good listener. Marc also has a keen interest in the Stock Market.

Blake is also very smart and very good with his hands. He can envision amazing dwellings and all kinds of things and then create them and bring them to life with his building and construction talents! He is high energy, talks fast, and he has an amazing memory for details. he loves reading the Wallstreet Journal.

In November of 2008 we lost our mother to Leukemia. We all three, technically, became orphans. This past year and a half or more has been filled with processing grief, settling our parent's final estate, adjusting to our new reality, and allowing God to comfort us. His word has been much more than just a "cuddly" to comfort us in this big and sometimes scary world.

When we rode in Mom or Dad's Oldsmobile as a family, to head to church, out to eat, or on a trip, I almost always had to sit in between my two brothers in the back seat. (Once in a great while I got to sit up front in between Mom & Dad because I was the smallest! :)) On long trips I usually ended up with a bruise on each arm, one from each brother! We three monkeys, as Daddy called us, knew to keep it down to a certain level or Daddy's arm would come back toward us, gently but firmly, he'd touch us on the knee, reminding us to "keep it down!" Blake can still make me laugh as he describes Daddy's arm coming back over from the front seat to correct and quiet us!
Isn't that how our heavenly father teaches us, reminds us, corrects us, and quiets us when we get out of control, unruly, or just too loud? Gently but firmly, He reaches back to us with His loving arm and touches us. He reminds us that He is in charge and He is driving. he calms us and quiets us, corrects us when needed, but makes sure He gets us to the destination ahead.
How I miss my Daddy and my Mom. How thankful I am for my brothers and I am thankful that no matter what, we are family, and we always will be. We love each other fiercely and even if we squabble, fuss, or fight, we will also forgive, say "I'm sorry", and kiss and make up!
How comforting is God's word in Matthew 5:4 as it says, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted." and how encouraging is Philippians 4:13 when it says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." How hopeful are the words of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."