I found a blessing-------

while continuing to clean out things in the house,
I found a 2 lovely pictures of Papa David Hubby-
-that were taken in 1966 the spring before I met him-
I did not know he had these pictures with his box of stuff..
.I am so happy that I am ''high''--LOL-

they are so precious and I will take them down this week
and make copies for the girls-
-as they do not have pictures that old or before us or them---
--he was so handsome-- and cute and--------blond.
I was a bit shallow at that time as I was so young-
like just barely 18(that summer)
-so I went out with him for his looks and his car--LO
Land love came to stay with us-
and we were married in October--(1966).

I have been cleaning odds and ends in the house
for a couple of years now-
a day here and a day there
*going through all those boxes where one tends to stuff things for later.........
...and these were in one of papa hubby's evelopes that he kept special things-
I never went into his things before his death as
we were very respective of each other's private things--
---he was the same with me.
it has taken me about 2 years to get where I am
( cleaning things we gathered over the years but knew we were keeping )--
and I found 10 dollars too
so that will help pay for the pictures to give the girls copies-
I want to do them for Easter gifts----
-what a family blessing!--
hugs from Meme

I could have blogged....

all day yesterday about papa hubby
my heart was so filled with memories
but it was not a sad day
just day of remembering the
way he was
some day I will share some of his testimony
as cancer was not the only battle he fought
in his life.........
he became a hero of the faith
in 1987 and he knew the joy
of becoming a new man in Christ
I found a picture or two of him
hiding in the computer--LOL
I will share them with you as time goes by,,
although his death is my loss
it is his gain.....
he had this saying before he died
while he was still able to have the
energy to speak more than a word or two
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH-
THE TOUGH GET ICECREAM
and he did- he loved his ice-cream
(he needed something to help swallow his pills)
and woe to a nurse who tried to use
yogurt instead--
he was a quiet man but he let anyone
know that he was not eating yogurt
ever---never
so he had a standing order of ice-cream
-he did not ask for much very often
so if he asked his doctor for anything
the doctor would insist that it was an''order'.
hugs from Meme and off you go-
for ice-cream

ps- yes that is a picture of papa hubby before cancer on a seniors outing

his favorite thing to do--

I heard the birds

• it is not feeling much like spring here
• if we look or feel the weather
• but I heard the birds yesterday
• and today
• they are bravely coming back
• to Alberta- the province of sunshine
• they are a little late this year
• I remember how the robins
• came last year early
• and entertained papa hubby
• as he sat in his chair
• they were a reminder to us
• that cancer cannot take away
• your hope......
• even though papa hubby
• was not healed
• he kept his hope in the Lord
• and I know that the Lord
• kept His promise to papa..
• I will miss papa hubby this spring
• but I will keep my hope.......
• hugs from Meme

Meme update

• the fire took out the building but it is finally out
• they had to tear out with a bull dozer
• in order to stop it from spreading
• but no lives lost and only one small
• injury
• Meme is mending too
• and thinks she is hanging out to late
• with the teen -ager that lives here
• and also allergies that come and go
• there are 4 business lost and 4 homes
• so this week we will try to help
• the folks who are homeless now
• generally poor folk to begin with
• but we know that God is good
• and we can do something for Him
• many times we are the answer to some-ones prayer
• if we stop to listen to God speaking
• to our heart
• --------
• we can always hear His voice
• if we listen in the silence-
• ----
• THEN YOU SHALL CALL, AND THE LORD WILL ANSWER,
• YOU
• SHALL CRY, AND HE WILL SAY,
• HERE I AM.
• ==HUGS FROM MEME==

Meme is off ......and foolish

• having a sick day here but I did do the dishe
• sand also 2 loads of laundry- one in the dryer but not feeling up to going out to get it now-
• my dryer is in the cold old porch
• happy sigh--though as I remember the days of no dryer
• = I am camping out in my bed - with some tv and reading
• I be back and oh yes-
• Meme must confess being foolish- there is big fire down town about 5 blocks away and I walked down to see what is ....-
• the one side of the street is burning and all old connected buildings- so we are losing some of our history
• but I should not have gone out as it is below freeziiing here and I am sick and also the smoke set my cough off-
• some times Meme gets into foolish things and this was one of them-
• when I hear about the fire damage I will let you know
• pray for our town and Meme
• hugs from Meme

your gray hair is showing....

when Miss Ashley was sick and I took her to the doctor
she needed a prescription which meant we had to stop
at the drugstore
we were told we had about a 20 minute wait
which meant to me 20 minutes of wandering or is
that wondering?-
really for me it was both
as we had time to walk around and I
had no idea how much the prescription would
cost
and to Miss Ashley it meant
20 minutes of shopping
now she is a needy needy hinter
hmm- I need new eye liner
or shampoo or/and
cheezies for dinner or
you know the story
of needy grand girls....especially
in a store where make up
is sold-- but
alas Meme is past the stage of falling for hints
so we were both just wandering/wondering
the isles
window shopping and we went past the
hair dye and I hear the voice behind me say
''Oma, we need hair dye
Your gray hair is showing''!!!
now Miss Ashley is difficult to dis-own
and I had to be the only Oma in the store
that day-
I tried not to laugh -- but it was the serious
tone of her voice that made me crack...
alas- Meme was not ready to hide her silver that
is hidden , I hope and pretend
among her gold. --
I will but another day
like a pay day that does not require prescriptions =
and
I got off blessed that day as we only got
one pretty pink hairbrush re breast cancer
and the prescription
I think I may have bought the hairbrush
out of guilt of trying to pretend I did not
know her--LOL
huggles from Meme aka Oma

our supper

• we baked our supper from last night that I got ready
• and it turned out great and enough for tomorrow
• it passed teen age inspection
• and of course, Dogman too
• and it was so nice to just turn on the oven
• and let it do the cooking tonight
• the nice thing is that we can control
• the fat and salt etc.
• ------------
• it is warming here - we got up to minus 17
• with a promise of a very nice day
• tomorrow - up to around minus 1 or 2
• and sunshine too
• it is a good thing as I need to clean
• Dogman's pee patch
• as he has created yellow ice
• as it has been so cold
• = he is a funny little dog
• and likes to go in a special spot
• but I don't want him to fall
• he is old and did slip once
• and dislocated his knee
• I think that is what they call it on a dog??
• he had to have it popped back ....
• ---
• have a wonder day tomorrow
• here us a good quote

''TODAY, CLEAR AWAY THE ICY FEELINGS OF DESPAIR AND UNCOVER THE GLADNESS BURIED IN YOUR HEART,

HUGS FROM MEME AND DOGMAN WAGS

cold out----hot recipe

we feel like we are in a deep freeze-
the house has that chill to it----------
and feels dry but cold
we have a kettle of water
to bubble out some slow steam
to keep some moister in the air
I did not get much done today
played hooky but dishes are done
found this neat toss casserole which is
adjustable to your family--
also have this recipe ready to go tomorrow
********************************************
2 pounds of ground beef- cook- and drain

1 cup macaroni' - any shape you like- cook

1 cup grated cheddar cheese-

1 can of tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce- about 2 and 1/4 cups( when ever I find
that I am short an ounce or so of sauce I add water to make the correct amount of liquid)

and/ or ----1 cup of left over cooked veggies

and /or ---- 1 pepper diced- semi cook in pan you cooked hamburger in

onions are optional - cook same as pepper

salt and pepper to taste- I use about 1/2 teaspoon of each

-let all cool for 15 minutes and then mix everything together
place in greased casserole dish-and refrigerate
tomorrow night bake in 350F oven for 45 minutes-

- you can adjust the amounts of any ingredients to make the
size that fits you house hold plus using your choice of veggies-
I have made with out the options also
I like this recipe as it is a make a head and just needs to bake- a neat thing to have if around-
if you are expecting a busy day ----- it is so less expensive than eating out and the baking time takes no longer than service in a cafe- you can serve a side salad and you are set to stay home.
hugs from Meme

it is cold outside........

• a very cold Monday here- brrrrrrr
• and I
• heard a sad comment on TV
• about the recession
• that many folks would be driven to religion
• sigh with a prayer that they find our God
• and yes, maybe that is what God must do--
• when we have the good times folks
• some how decide there is not need for
• our God
• now we are finding hard times again
• folks are looking.....
• but what are they looking for?!
• a God is is like Santa Claus
• or a God to love and worship
• I pray that many will find God
• and receive in Him into their heart
• and realize that God is here and He is
• the same today as He was yesterday
• and He will be the same tomorrow,
• as today
• He does care and He loves us
• and He is the shepherd
• who will lead us up the mountain
• and stay with us in the valley
• He was with us through out our
• cancer journey and He is with me
• now as I learn to live my life
• as a widow- following her Shepherd
• --------------
• have a wonder week ////
• and I will pop in again soon
• brrrrrrrrrrr again= about minus 30 here
• but no wind....
• freezing hugs from Meme

Happy Birthday, Miss Ashley

today Miss Ashley turned 19
what a wonderful day as I
remember her birth day
it was much warmer than our day
was here today--
and we were so excited
we were allowed to go into
the birth room with her mommy
they set it up for papa hubby to be there
very private for mom and yet he could
be there
to see what God had done
**papa hubby went home with the angels
in the same room
that Tammy, (mommy)
labored to give birth to
Miss Ashley
she had a easy labour and we
were able to be with her from
the beginning to the end==
papa was a better coach than Oma
Oma was a basket case--LOL
Ashley was a wonder baby
and lived at our house for 5 years
and returned to us last spring
when papa hubby was so sick
she was wonderful to him
and was a gentle nurse grand-daughter
she could hear better than me
during the night and would be
flying by Oma like an angel
if she heard an odd sound
from Papa's room
today is bittersweet
and we both had a smile and a tear
about papa hubby not being here
this year - I found her some gifts
but it was harder shopping alone
as papa always had good imput
and was more willing to over-spend(wink)
Happy Birthday, Miss Ashley
- hugs from Oma aka Meme

cold feet---

brrrrrrrrrrrrr- it is cold outside
we got our snow storm
with wind and snow and cold
walked down to the church
and some of the drifts were higher than my boots
and my boots are high-
and heavy but warm
papa hubby insisted that I get these boots
before he went to the hospital the first time
he was worried about me having to walk
although he would never have let me
walk any where and never in this
kind of weather
but he knew best in his heart..........
it is a blessing that God laid the boots
on his heart as we did not even know
of the cancer the day I bought them
I bought them to keep his heart happy
and now they keep my feet warm
I have getting tough now as the cold
does not bother me much
I just bundle up and head out
I am looking forward to spring
coming this year as it has been
a long cold winter
but the same God who sent the snow
will melt the snow for our summer crops
Meme is off to find her hot rice socks
to warm her feet
warm hugs

a blue day

• having a blue day today
• no particular reason
• perhaps the long winter
• and the missing papa hubby
• and a little bit of this and that
• the Bible tells us that there is
• a time for everything....
• a time to laugh and
• a time to cry
• I know that my redeemer lives
• and that this too shall pass
• tomorrow is a new day
• and I shall be glad in it and
• rejoice
• soft hugs from Meme who is hanging
• on the Master's hand as
• tight as I can*

why ''papa''?

so many have asked me why I call my dear husband ''papa''
and or papa hubby (David)
it started over 20 years ago at the birth of our first grandchild
we are not even sure who started the name but
the name soon fit.......papa
and then when
our one grand-daughter lived here from birth
until the age of 5 we all, referred to him as Papa
in our everyday talking,,,,.......
when papa David was on his cancer journey
I spent most of my time with him
and also he was used to me calling him
papa- as the grand-kids were often here
I had my own pet name for him which was
POPPY
but now that he is gone I want to keep that
POPPY
for me and him- as it was our special name
but now back to rest of the story
when papa needed help to get up and down
(he could not lift himself out of his chair)
I would direct him where to hang on to me
(he asked me to tell him so that he did not hurt me)
and one day I said ''David, put your arm around me''
and he said- please, call me papa = because I like the way
you say it as I can hear the love in your voice and then I
don't feel like you are my nurse- then I feel like you are
my wife.''--
I never called him David again except to the nurses
as this was so important to him to be called ''papa or 'POPPY
he did not want his family to call him
anything else although he let his brother call him
brother David--LOL
and he always would stop the nurses and ask them
to call him David rather than mister piesse (pro-
nounced peace)
the cancer and the chemo and the medicines
took so much of him away and
he had so little control of what was
happening in his life to him and around him
that I was happy to see him tell us
what he wanted to be called by=
so for me now he will always be ''papa David'' or
''papa hubby-""
---and in my heart POPPY
- and that is our story
Hugs and Blessings,
from
Meme aka Oma (papa's wife)

sense of safety with no commas

one of the things I do miss about the old days is the sense of safety
that we had
brother Bill and I would walk to grandpa's farm 3 miles away
1/2 mile was side road
and the rest was the main road
there was no phone to use to say
we were coming or
that we had even got there
and the next day we would walk home
we walked to our friend's houses miles
away and again no phones
we were never afraid
and our parents were not either
they had taught us road safey and we
all walked to school every day
and nothing happened
all the kids in our area could do the same thing
now I am afraid to walk to church
after dark and this week-end added
to the fear
in town next door to our town or about 8 miles away
a young lady-age 16 - was kidnapped from the back
of her home
she had gone to the store to get some apple juice
due to a sore throat
an hour later her dad looked out the window
and saw her car sitting there with the lights on
and the door open
when he checked it out- her purse and juice were
in the car and he immediately called in the police
great police work -20,000 posters put out with
in hours and loads of volumteers to help
they knew she was in the city due to pings
off her cell phone
they could not pen her down to a place
as the kidnapper kept her on the move
they did not give up and
the good news is after 46 hours she got away and
got to a pay phone for help
she called her daddy-- daddy daddy-
I begged for my life--
she had been kidnapped and raped by a man
56 years old- the girl had begged for her life
and finally ran for her life
she was smart in that she took something
of his with her to help identify him
sigh-
they got the man today-
how sad is this world that a young lady
can no longer drive to a store and
safely come home again with out fear
pray for the young lady whose name is Jordan
honor student and so very hurt
she did receive injuries but the doctor let her
go home as that was where she needed to be-
this is such a sad story and true to
how we have to live today -
I often think how our world has changed
and some for good and some for bad
hugs from Meme who is praising God for this
girl coming home