It Is A New Year!

2010 Out, 2011 In ! !
By: Janette Spencer Sprankle

The end of a year it’s so hard to believe,
It’s here already and New Year’s Eve.

When twenty-ten goes out we'll get up and shout,
It’s gonna’ be a good year, I have no doubt.

At midnight fireworks will color the sky,
With kisses and hugs shared between each girl and guy.

With lots of good wishes and lots of cheers,
To bring in the happy and prosperous New Year.

We’ll start a new book with pages that are bare,
With each new day we will have lots to share.

With new opportunities and resolutions to make,
In God I trust,…and that’s NO mistake!

Yes it’s time to start a new year it’s true,
With lots of good wishes from me to you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR
To all those I hold dear!

And So Comes Another Christmas - A Time To Celebrate!

Merry Christmas – 2010
By: Janette Sprankle
Christmas, Christmas don’t be late,
It’s the birth of our Lord whom we celebrate.

An angel appeared to spread the news of the birth,
To shepherds who were happy and full of mirth.

The Star of David that rose high in the sky,
Led three men to the babe, they were very wise.

They found the sweet little baby Jesus dear,
The angels were singing,… his mother Mary and Joseph were near.

Gifts of all kinds were brought to the stable,
There Jesus was found wrapped and in the cradle.

This day was the beginning of a beautiful season,
For all of us to celebrate for one very good reason.

The birth of Christ, a gift from God up above,
He has shown us how to one another Love.

Never forget all your blessings from one day to the next,
It’s truly a wonderful world in every aspect.

And so again we wish you a Merry Christmas

from our house to yours,
And God bless you and keep you whether rich or poor.

Lyrics to "The Christmas Guest" sung by Reba Mcentire

I love this song/story by Reba. It really tugs at the ole' heart strings.

It happened one day near December's end,

Two neighbors called on an old friend.

And they found his shop so meager and lean

Made gay with thousand bows of green

And Conrad was sitting with face a-shine

When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine

And he said "Old friends, at dawn today,

When the cock was crowing the night away

The Lord appeared in a dream to me

And said "I'm coming your guest to be.

"So I've been busy with feet astir and

Strewing my shop with branches of fir.

The table is spread and the kettle is shined.

And over the rafters the holly is twined.

Now I'll wait for my Lord to appear

And listen closely so I will hear

His step as He nears my humble place.

And I'll open the door and look on His face.

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone

For this was the happiest day he had known,

For long since, his family had passed away

And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas Day.

But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas Guest

This Christmas would be the dearest and best.

So he listened with only joy in his heart

And with every sound he would rise with a start

And look for the Lord to be at his door,

Like the vision he had had a few hours before.

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound

But all he could see on the snow covered ground

Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn

And all of his clothes were ragged and worn.

But Conrad was touched and he went to the door

And he said, "You know, your feet must be frozen and sore.

I have some shoes in my shop for you

And a coat that will keep you warmer too."

So with grateful heart the man went away

but Conrad noticed the time of day

And wondered what made the Lord so late

And how much longer he'd have to wait.

When he heard a knock, he ran to the door

But it was only a stranger once more.

A bent old lady with a shawl of black

With a bundle of kindling piled on her back.

She asked for only a place to rest

But that was reserved for Conrad's Great Guest.

But her voice seemed to plead "Don't send me away,

Let me rest for awhile on Christmas Day",

So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup

And told her to sit at the table and sup.

But after she left he was filled with dismay

For he saw that the hours were slipping away

And the Lord hadn't come as he said he would.

Then Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.

When out of the stillness he heard a cry

“Please help me and tell me where am I?"

So again he opened his friendly door

And stood disappointed as twice before.

It was only a child who’d wandered away

And was lost from her family on Christmas Day.

Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad

But he knew he should make the little girl glad.

So he called her in and he wiped her tears

And quieted all her childish fears.

Then he led her back to her home once more

But as he entered his own darkened door

He knew the Lord was not coming today.

For the hours of Christmas had passed away

So he went to his room and knelt down to pray

And he said "Dear Lord, why did you delay?

What kept you from coming to call on me?

For I wanted so much your face to see.

”When soft in the silence a voice he heard."

Lift up your head for I kept my word.

Three times my shadow crossed your floor

And three times I came to your lonely door.

I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet

And I was the woman you gave something to eat.

I was the child on the homeless street.

Three times I knocked, and three times I came in.

And each time I found the warmth of a friend.

Of all the gifts, love is the best.

And I was honored to be your Christmas Guest.

Happy Birthday Cheryl ! ! ! !

Had the opportunity to go see the Judds Thursday night at the Energy Solutions Center. I took my oldest sister Cheryl for her Birthday, which is Dec. 12th,...today already. I love the passion and powerful singing of Wynonna and the beautiful voice and entertaining of Naomi. I am so glad we got to go and share the time with one another and have an enjoyable night out. Happy Birthday Sister!!!! Love ya' allot!!!!!

BEING THANKFUL!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Friends and to every member of my family. We have truly been blessed. I am THANKFUL for not only the bare essentials in my life and all that I have, but for God and his love. We live in a great nation and I am thankful for those every day that has made the sacrifices they do to keep us free. To those that are traveling, please travel safe. Love to each and every one of you! Now go get some Turkey!

Letters in THANKSGIVING -
What They Mean To Me
By: Janette – November 2010

‘T’ is for THANKING all my friends and loved ones so dear,
For it is most definitely that special time of the year.

‘H’ is for the HARVEST and the bounty it holds,
And the season’s colors I love from the reds to the golds.

‘A’ is for ALWAYS loving one another,
As Jesus has loved us, what a loving brother.

‘N’ is for NEVER doubting our God up above,
He’s always there with his unconditional love.

‘K’ is for KNOWLEDGE God has instilled in our brain,
To use what we’ve learned, I’m sure it won’t be in vain.

‘S’ is for the SUNSHINE we are always so blessed,
Even on grey days we should ‘shine’ and do our best.

‘G’ is for GIVING to those who are in need,
It doesn’t hurt us one bit to do a few good deeds.

‘I’ is for IMAGINE and having something to create,
Look what God did and it turned out great!

‘V’ is for VISION to see what is true,
To be balanced and square in all that we do.

“I” is for INDIVIDUAL and being distinct,
For we are humans and should go with all our instincts.

‘N’ is for NEW experiences we should participate in,
Do it with friends and all of our kin.

“G’ is for GRATITUDE, a way to express,
To God for that which we have been truly blessed.

Sharing A Story With A Great Message

My son Christopher sent me this in an email. I loved the message! It said to share the story by forwarding it on. I thought those that follow my Blog and who believe in God, would like the message it holds.

THE BRICK

Author Unknown

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.. Why did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic. ‘Please, mister....please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator,

your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet,

your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers

every spring.

He sends you a sunrise

every morning.

Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

All That's Left On This Tree

Eight Little Fall Leaves

By Janette Sprankle

November 2010

Eight little Fall leaves left hanging on the tree,
They better fall off cuz’ they’re gonna’ freeze.
Back in the Spring they budded out green,
And now that it’s Fall their tree is looking lean.
The colors they've turned since it's gotten cold,

Were a pretty red, orange, and now a yellow gold.

All the other leaves have fallen to the ground,

These eight are all that's left but will soon join the mound.
The wind will catch them I am pretty sure,
It will whirl and twirl them before hitting earth’s floor.
Once they are down they'll carpet the ground,
The kids will trample thru’ them to make a crunchy sound.

Someone will rake them and put them in a pile,

The Eight Little Fall leaves will only sit for a while.
For soon all the leaves will be bundled up tight,

In a bag they'll be together during the cold winter nights.

Leaves from the same tree already on the ground

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHRISTOPHER - 11/14/2010

My 37 year old son with his daughter, Diana. I cannot believe how the years just fly by!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ASHLEY!

My 27 year old baby girl!

BEFORE and AFTER

BEFORE



AFTER

A Nice Slice Of Life - A Story of Longevity

I got this through an email. I really enjoyed the story. Take a few moments and read it if you have a few minutes. I'm not sure who wrote it.

My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car.
He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet. 'In those days,' he told me when he was in his 90s, 'to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it.'
At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in:'Oh, bull----!' she said. 'He hit a horse.'
'Well,' my father said, 'there was that, too.'
So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars. The Kollingses next door had a green 1941 Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street, a gray 1936 Plymouth , the Hopsons two doors down, a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none.My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , would take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother, brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together. My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. 'No one in the family drives,' my mother would explain, and that was that.
But, sometimes, my father would say, 'But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one.' It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.
But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown.
It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts,loaded with everything, and since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.
Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother. So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. 'Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?' I remember him saying more than once.
For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work.
Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage. (Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)
He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustine 's Church. She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home.
If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."
After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: 'The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored.'
If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, 'Do you want to know the secret of a long life?'
'I guess so,' I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.
'No left turns,' he said.
'What?' I asked.
' No left turns,' he repeated. 'Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn.'
'What?' I said again.
'No left turns,' he said. 'Think about it. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights.'
'You're kidding!' I said, and I turned to my mother for support 'No,' she said, 'your father is right. We make three rights. It works.' But then she added: 'Except when your father loses count.'
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing.
'Loses count?' I asked.
'Yes,' my father admitted, 'that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again.'
I couldn't resist. 'Do you ever go for 11?' I asked.
'No,' he said ' If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week.'
My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.
They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one.My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)
He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.
One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.
A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, 'You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred.' At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, 'You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer.'
'You're probably right,' I said.
'Why would you say that?' He countered, somewhat irritated.
'Because you're 102 years old,' I said.
'Yes,' he said, 'you're right.' He stayed in bed all the next day.
That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.
He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said:
'I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is dead yet.'
An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:
'I want you to know,' he said, clearly and lucidly, 'that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have.'
A short time later, he died.
I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.
I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit making left turns.
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about those who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.'

Time to stick my neck out & get down off my post!

It's Time To Take A Risk

By: Janette

I'm taking a risk

I cannot say how,

In due time I may tell

But this will be it for now.

I can always stand to hear

A positive word or two,

Of encouragement, it helps

Or a pat on the back from you.

I was told to come in

And "WOW all of us there",

I'm pretty sure I did just that,

But it still turned out unfair.

I try to be positive

I hate when I'm not,

I try to do good

But "not good enough" is what I got.

So, for now just wish me luck

And yes, in due time I may tell,

For now, my spirit they have broken

And THEY have made me feel like hell!

I don't know how many of you read my post about turtles as part of what I'm thankful for last November, but if you did you will know that a turtle doesn't get anywhere without sticking it's neck out. And a quote from my cousin back in VA, "Turtles may be slow but they are tenacious and single minded. A lot can be accomplished with those traits." Just because a turtle is older, it doesn't mean it can't get a job done, AND the older they are, the wiser they are. I was told once that maybe it's time to take a risk and be like the turtle I wrote about and stick my neck out. It may have been meant in a different way, but I get to choose the way I do it!!! It's that time,....I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. And in time, we will see how much was accomplished by doing just that.

Something Strange & Hard to Explain

Caught Between Here and Somewhere

By: Janette

It was such a weird feeling

I experienced today,

I was caught between here and somewhere

But it's hard for me to say.

When all things went bright and white

All around me it was such a blur,

It seemed to last forever

A feeling I did not prefer.

I didn't know what I should do

So I just stood there and held on to the pole,

I prayed I would not fall down

I was in a state I could not control.

I struggled with words that

I could not get out,

People were talking to me

I didn't know what it was about.

No, I didn't know what was happening

like being in another realm of glory,

I did finally make it through all that

And now I share this story.

I put a post on Facebook yesterday evening after I got home from the U of U football game. It was an awful feeling that came about. Diana and I went to use the girl's facility and get something to drink for her, Christopher, Ashley and myself. But after going up the stairs from our seats, everything went very scary and weird. After what seemed like hours (maybe 10 minutes or so), I was taken in to the First Aid Station at the stadium. The medical people came to the conclusion this was all due to dehydration. It was much hotter at the game than we all thought, in fact it was miserable! I had to put Ashley's jacket over my legs because the sun was burning them through my pant legs. She brought it with just in case it was to cool down later on. When we first got there, I bought a bottle of water ($3.00) to share until later in the game. Well part of a bottle of water and none earlier is what caused this situation. Once they started getting water down me, I started feeling better. The above was what I was feeling during all of this. I'm telling this story so you all know, ....... fluids, fluids, fluids ! ! ! ! when it's hot, hot, hot ! ! ! !

It's been a MONTH of non-stop! Maybe I'll post soon.

NOTICE:

Today is under construction.

Thank you for your understanding.

Today will be ready tomorrow.

(maybe)

Birthday Wishes All The Way To Heaven!

Heavenly Birthday Wishes for Dad
August 7, 2010
By: Janette
Today is but a special day
In so many, many different ways.
Happy Birthday to my sweet dear Dad
Eighty-two of those are what he would have had.

Although Heaven is where he has gone to reside
He’s got Grandma and Grandpa forever at his side.
Today is the day he comes ‘home’ for a visit
No doubt in ‘his’ chair,….if only in spirit.

In the Temple he’ll be sealed forever
To his Mother and Father so dear.
There will be members of the ‘Spencer Club’
Who will witness this great ceremony of love.

His presence will be felt in the place that he stands
There will be Love abounding and spiritual shaking of hands.
I’m sure there will be wishes he has for us all
That will be delivered by angels from that Heavenly Hall.

Families can be FOREVER Dad, and from this day forward, you’ll be having Happy FOREVER Birthdays!

AS I RECALL,.......

Grandpa’s Old Truck
By: Janette Spencer Sprankle
July 2010
Grandpa’s truck, well it seemed mighty big,
It surely was an enormous huge green rig.
Next to it us kids were all so small,
But it was the best darn truck to make his hauls.

In the back of the truck we’d be so high,
Back then it seemed we were high as the sky.
My dad and us kids would help load it up,
It was fun for us all to be up in the truck.

Sometimes when we were done, Grandpa would say,
“Climb on in”.…. then we’d be on our way.
Off to ‘market’ us few would happily go,
With all the produce in the truck we’d go real slow.

It was fun when Grandpa would say “click-click-click”,
From one red light to the next he’d do a magic trick.
For just as we approached the dreaded red lights,
The magic did happen, the green would pop up bright.

No stopping for us,…no not at all,
On through the intersections we’d go at a steady crawl.
My Grandpa was special cuz’ he could make it happen,
Those of us with him would do a lot of clappin’.

We'd take Beck Street in to the big city,
That turned into 3rd West that got kind of busy.
Pretty soon the Market Place would appear,
Grandpa would sale his stuff and say “we’re out of here”!

It is hard to recall the year, model and make,
If Dad were here he could tell us with no mistake.
I was always so happy when the truck would pull up,
So I could climb up in to my Grandpa’s Old Truck.

It's Independance Day !

Happy Birthday America ! ! !
By: Janette Sprankle
July 4, 2010

The VA is the place that I work,
It’s top notch in every way.
It employs great doctors and a whole bunch of nurses
Who take care of our Veteran’s every day.

It’s my ‘home away from home’ no doubt,
I’m happy to say I LOVE what I do.
To serve those who serves us all,
And to honor the RED, WHITE and BLUE.

Independence Day is the birthday of our Nation,
It’s what the founding fathers fought for.
If the parchment hadn’t been signed on that day,
What would our country have had in store?

As I think of our fallen soldiers,
Those who sacrificed and fought until the end.
I can’t help but feel in my heart,
They are my heroes, their bravery I will commend.

Our country is so unique,
From sea to shining sea.
When we celebrate this great holiday,
We’ll think of those who keeps us free.

While standing at the parade and as the flag passes by,
The anthem will surely be played by the band.
I’ll stand with pride at attention,
And to my heart I’ll raise my hand.

When night-time comes upon it all,
The fireworks will begin to rise.
The colors that light up the heavens above,
Will surely make us look up and marvel at the sky.

So Happy Birthday America!
It’s time to come together and strike up the band.
While we eat our hot dogs, potato salad and corn on the cob,
We’ll celebrate the freedom of this great land!

Watching The Skies Together - Sun., 6/6/10

I was over at my mom's tonight when we started seeing thunderstorm and flood warnings around northern and western Utah, along with parts of Wyoming. It was so amazing to see the clouds rolling in as the sun was beginning to set. Pretty soon I could hear thunder and seen some lightning. Didn't get much rain out of it all however. I didn't have an actual camera, but I had my phone so I decided to start taking pictures. The picture above is my favorite. Actually, Whitey had been taking pictures with her Nikon camera and we were able to get the same cloud formation that probably floated above her house right before mom's along the mountains. Since my pictures were taken with my phone, they weren't as nice. I loved being outside while all this was happening. Mom was in and out with me. I came home and wrote some thoughts down on paper and came up with this.

Watching the Skies Together

By: Janette Sprankle - 6/6/2010

As I sit here with my mom.
There’s a lot that comes to mind,
In the early hours of the evening,
There are thoughts of every kind.

The sun is slowly setting
In the blue skies to the west,
Through the years I think of pretty sunsets
In Utah, they are the very best.

The clouds are starting to gather,
The thunder starts to roll,
It won’t be long til’ it starts to rain,
The breeze is soothing to my soul.

It was such a sight to see
It was beautiful to say the least,
We went in and out of the house
We looked to the west and then the east.

As my Mom stood out beside me
And we looked up with our eyes,
She said “Dad was up there for you girls
Swirling the clouds around the sky”.

And now the sun has disappeared
Behind the island of the lake,
The clouds are forming big grey puffs,
This is so beautiful,…we’ll just stand here and partake.

Mother's Day

With Love On Mother's Day - 5/9/2010
By: Janette

Of all the Mothers on the earth,....I confess,
That my Mother is the very best.
You raised me to give all my love,
To those who are here and up above.
I was the one that was sweet and good,
You did not hesitate to tell it, as well you should.
You taught us girls to sew and clean,
And how none of us should treat others mean.
You made sure our clothes always looked nice,
Having clothes with wrinkles would not suffice.
Our hair was always fixed just right,
Even when the scissors made you feel contrite.
The pixie dolls you made for us girls,
Had our own hair but not enough for dad to twirl.
You were always there to wipe my tears,
You taught me how to have no fear.
There are times when it's just you and me,
We sit and watch your shows on t.v.
I love you Mom and glad you're mine,
God sent me to you with his love divine.
You are always patient and forgiving,
Every day I have you is a day of thanksgiving.
I'm not your favorite, but I'm pretty sure,
I'm definitely one of your 'top' four.
It's hard to explain the love for my Mother,
It seems you're always there like no other.
This is your poem Mom and I want to say,
I hope you have a Happy Mother's Day!!

A Mother's Day Funny

There was an elderly lady whom was waiting in the waiting room with her daughter.The nurse entered the waiting area and announced for the elderly lady to go on back to see the doctor. The nurse spoke louder but still she could not hear.The elderly lady's daughter leaned over and said, "mother let's turn your hearing aid up." Then she yelled in shock,"That's not your hearing aid, its a suppository!The elderly mother replied,"Well, now I know where my hearing aid went! Happy Mothers Day to all you Moms out there!

Grandpa - True Story Or Not, It's Funny!

The IRS decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to the IRS office. The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney. The auditor said, 'Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I'm not sure the IRS finds that believable. 'I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it,' says Grandpa. 'How about a demonstration?' The auditor thinks for a moment and said, 'Okay. Go ahead.' Grandpa says, 'I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.' The auditor thinks a moment and says, 'It's a bet.' Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor's jaw drops. Grandpa says, 'Now, I'll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.' Now the auditor can tell Grandpa isn't blind, so he takes the bet. Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Grandpa's attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous. 'Want to go double or nothing?' Grandpa asks, 'I'll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between.' The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there's no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again. Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can't make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much goes all over the auditor's desk.The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win. But Grandpa's own attorney moans and puts his head in his hands. 'Are you okay?' the auditor asks. 'Not really,' says the attorney. 'This morning, when Grandpa told me he'd been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty-five thousand dollars that he could come in here and pee all over your desk and that you'd be happy about it!'

Don't Mess with Old People!!

Friendship

I don't know if this is really National Friendship Week or not, but regardless, this is a good story and a lesson to be learned.

Source Unknown - There once was a little boy who had a bad temper... His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence... Over the nextfew weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed; They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us. It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends and family how much you care...I just did.

The Window Through Which We Look

Picture taken by Whitey & worked in Photo Shop

I received this in an email from somebody that worked with me on my team down at the VA, but is now working at HAFB. This message says a lot in just a short paragraph.

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside. 'That laundry is not very clean,' she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.' Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments. About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.' The husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.' ........ And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the window through which we look. And a good reminder not to judge unless you have looked within first.

IN MEMORY OF MY DAD

Clyde Spencer

Aug 7, 1928 - April 15, 2007

As I think back on this date 3 years ago, I remember thinking that I had just witnessed one of most miraculous things that can happen to a human being in their lifetime,..... ‘death’. I admit at that very moment when I watched my Dad slip away from us, all I could feel was sorrow. BUT (and it took a while) I realized that this thing called ‘death’ even though it was a bittersweet experience, it was mostly sweet. I finally came to the realization the way my Dad would have to live the rest of his life had he survived the accident, it was a blessing that he got to go. He was now with all of his loved ones that had passed on before him. What a reunion that must have been. I can just imagine him talking to all of them about all of us. And I am pretty sure he was telling them how proud he was (for the most part) of his ‘girls’ including Mom and Sue. He had lots of grandkids, great-grandkids and one great-great to tell them all about. I often think of the song sung by Paul Peterson on the Donna Reed show. Because I am not a son, but a daughter, I changed the words around a little bit. It goes like this:

My Dad
original words sung by: Paul Petersen

He wasn’t much in the eyes of the world

He never made history

No, he wasn't much in the eyes of the world

But he was the world to me

My dad, now here was a man

To me he was everything strong

No, he could do no wrong, my dad

My dad, now he understood

When I brought him troubles to share

Oh, he was always there, my dad

When I was small I felt ten feet tall

When I walked by his side

And everyone would say "That's his girl”

And my heart would burst with pride

My dad, oh I love him so

And I only hope that some day

My own son’s will say

"My grand-dad, now there was a man"

A Nursery Rhyme

Ladybug! Ladybug!

Fly away home.

Your house is on fire,

And your children all gone.

All except one,

And that's little Ann,

For she crept up under

The frying pan.

For being a nursery ryhme, this seems to be a bit sad. I think I need to find a different version, what about you?

Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away

I have decided I like ladybugs. I think they are cute. And they are good for the garden. Just thought I would share that fact with you all. Maybe possibly more to come on them, but then maybe not. Who knows.

There Is A Birthday,....A Very Special Birthday !

Happy Birthday Sue! Lot's of memories, ....... fun times, not so fun times, beautiful sunny days and very gray days, school days and summer days, childhood days to grownup days and so much more. They were all shared between an aunt and four nieces that loves you like a sister. We all feel very Blessed that you are OURS!

Love You!

EASTER TREE - 2010

My Easter tree for 2010 is done. Besides the white lights that are always on it, I came up with what I think is some cute stuff. After looking at the picture of the tree, I realize I need to make some adjustments of the ornaments. I bought the glass egg shaped ornaments (Dave says they look like light bulbs) at Ben Franklin. I wanted to fill them with something different than what they filled their’s with, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. After much thought and deciding what I wasn’t going to put in them,…..I came up with these (there are twenty of them). Five of the eggs has shredded pastel blue, pink and yellow paper. Here is a picture of the shape the paper is after coming out of the shredder. I folded each piece of paper accordion style. It took 200 pieces to fill an egg. I doubt there are 200 in all of them (5), but this particular one I counted. Second I decided folding the paper was crazy and took up too much of my time, so I bought the same three colors in Easter (non-messy) grass. The result was this. Next, I found some cute rubber Easter ornaments at Ben Franklin also and the other day when I went over to the store to see what else I could put on my tree, Ashley brought some cute little polka dot flowers to my attention. They were actually made out of flower shaped chip board, covered with scrapbook paper with a white button in the middle and placed on a stick that came out of the ‘party’ section. I was already to make me some of these flowers, but they didn’t have all of the supplies I needed. One of the nice employees sold me the whole bouquet and decorated can they were in for $5.99 !!!! I couldn’t pass that deal up,…..So the flowers got stuck randomly all over the tree. I have some other projects for Spring I want to do yet,…..so stay tuned for more.

THE WEARIN' O' THE GREEN - HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY !!!

As some of you might know, my office (HRL&E group) have been moved to a different building on the VA campus. I haven't got all unpacked yet, BUT I have decorated one half of my cubby for Saint Paddy's Day. I also helped with advertising the luncheon Mary and I decided to get put together in the break room. I helped her with decorating the front office and she's gone around and put shamrocks etc. on our name plates by our office doors. We have such a good time doing this. We had a big ta' do last year, and nobody had planned anything for this year, so I guess we are doing it. We have all been under alot of stress from the move so it's time to relax and have a good time. This is a picture of my tree at home with all the decorations on it. There will also be a picture of my cubby ( so you can see where I live 9 hrs. a day), and also the board I did in the break room and a picture of the front office we decorated. I posted these on Facebook because alot of people don't do the blogging thing. Also below is posted my 2010 St. Patrick's poem that is not on FB. It is on the board in my cubby with last years's poem, along with 14 Irish Blessings I printed out. People come in and check them out that I work with and have picked their favorites out. Enjoy!

A Day of Fun,...St. Patrick's Day

By: Janette Sprankle

2010

The man St. Patrick was a patron

They say a Saint in every way,

In Ireland he taught the folks

Of God, and to Him they should pray.

They say Ireland is the Emerald Isle

Where the fields of clover grow,

The folks they dance the Irish Jig

And sing, "My Wild Irish Rose".

The Irish have a lot of stories

Some are false and some are true,

The one is how St. Patrick

Drove the snakes right out of view.

And as I was sitting here and thinking

Of St. Paddy's day of yore,

The celebrations they were having

In a land far from our Eastern shore.

An Irish song I played years ago

Was a favorite of my dear sweet Dad,

"I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover"

Was one of my favorites too, I might add.

It tis' the day we wear our green

Heaven help us if we do not,

For a pinch here and a pinch there

I'm sure will hurt a whole lot!

And even tho' I'm not an Irishman

There is one thing that's for sure

My wish for you, ... all the Irish Blessings
That you could possibly endure.

HR Is On The Move!

My new cubbie in a room of four. My NEW computer won't be in until tomorrow. Also, this is before all my boxes were brought in. It's going to be another clean-out day once they get there and I start unpacking. PURGE, PURGE, PURGE ! ! ! ! I can't believe how much stuff I have collected over the last four years when we moved in to the building we've been in. I think I must of not thrown anything away before that move to have had all that I found I had over this past week. It will be nice to get settled again. Eight more days and I will have been at the VA for TEN years! Can hardly belive it!

The Great HR Move of Twenty-Ten
By: Janette Sprankle

HR moved in Feb. of Two-Thousand-Six
From Bldg. 11, it was a mess and couldn't be fixed.

It is now March of Twenty-Ten,
We're going down in history once again.

Move number two from Bldg. T5
Has got us in a dither, but we will SURVIVE!

Paper and boxes everywhere,
Oh my heavens what a scare!

In every room and cubbies too,
Big boxes, little boxes, we're far from through!

Pens and pencils, files and phones,
Don't have to listen hard to hear all the groans,

Four years of collecting and storing our stuff,
For some of us here, it's going to be tough!

But we'll get it together so we can start anew,
In Bldg. 4 we'll be making our newest debut.

Once we are there with our wits about us,
The Salt Lake VA will wonder what was the fuss.

Thank you Paula & the Engineering crew,
And everybody else that helped get our move approved!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SON

I wanted to wish my son Nathan a very Happy Birthday. He is working down there in Arkansas on his 'day'without any of his family. Your Dad and I have you on our minds today, going back 35 years to the day you were born, January 20, 1975 in Concord, MA. You were born about 3 minutes after 1 p.m. (during my Soap Opera, All My Children) which was on the t.v. I don't know how you feel about poems,....especially those that are about you, but this is the way I express myself. I could have gone on and on with phrase after phrase about you, but the poem would have never ended. We love you N8!

Happy Birthday My Son
Written With Love, by Mom - 1/20/2010

You’ve always been a warm spot on my heart,
In fact, it’s been there from the very start.
In the beginning your dad and I knew,
Such a spirit you had when you made your debut.
People came from all over Boston to see “our” boy,
Within hours you were famous, you brought such joy.
You were a blessing, a gift from God up above,
In our arms you were delivered with a whole lot of love.
Your hair was dark auburn, you had curls too,
Freckles on your face, people said “he looks like you”.
When you developed your little southern accent,
We couldn’t help but smile, when talking you were so intent.
When you were little you gave us such pleasure,
A gift from God, you were such a treasure.
You have so many talents, it’s plain to see,
Your abilities are numerous, all would agree.
When you play your music the feelings it brings,
There’s so much passion that comes from the strings.
I miss the days when I tucked you in bed,
And bent down to give you a kiss on your head.
I listened to your prayers to Father in Heaven above,
For you, your Momma has a heart full of love.
Although I miss your younger phase,
I would not trade who you are today.
Yes, you are all grown and on your own,
I look forward to visits when you come back home.
Happy Birthday Nathan!