Happy Birthday!!! DL!

I have been blessed with so many amazing and wonderful friends.  I feel gratitude for the bounty the Lord has provided in the friend department.

Today is my amazing friend D.L.'s birthday.

She has been through so much with me.  She loves me inspite of my craziness and my crazed and hair brain ideas.  She supports me, lifts me, helps me, loves me, strengthens me, teaches me, sustains me, feeds me (literally and emotionally).  She makes the killer, best in the world (though I will take applicants...but I am pretty sure you can't beat her...) Chocolate Chip Cookies.  She is FUN!  Really she reminded me about having fun.  I grew up with really fun sisters (I have always been a little uptight) but my sisters live so far away.  She has been that sister for me.  Now she lives far away too and that makes me sad (do I smell?  People keep moving far away...even my youngest brother moved this year).  Anyway, she has been that sister for me, not just a sister, a sister in Christ...the one that builds and lifts me.  The one that keeps me on the right path.  The one that helps me stick to my dreams even when I don't think I can accomplish them.

I thank her mother for the gift she gave the world when she brought D.L. into it!  She has helped, served, sacrificed, given so much for so many.  Often she goes unappreciated, and this always makes me feel sad.  But I appreciate and love her very much. My husband has never had an easy time with my family...don't get me wrong...he loves them all.  But my family didn't all come together the traditional way.  And so it has taken some years for him to get used to them.  But D.L. has been 'family' for me in every sense of the word.  She has watched my children when I needed to run errands, or have a baby.  She has painted my big pregnant belly and assured me it isn't the biggest belly she's ever seen in her life (though I know it was ;)  She has taken my children in her arms and hugged, loved and kissed them as if they are her own.  I love her.  She took awhile to get used to MUSHY, GUSHY, LOVEY me ;)  But I think I have rubbed off on her a little.  I know she has rubbed off on me.  I trust more.  I am more patient.  I am more fun.  I am more free spirited.  I take better pictures.  I LIVE more!

I love you D.L.  I love you, just the way you are!  I love what you have helped me to become!  You are among the truest and best of friends that I have had in my life.  For you I am grateful every day!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ethel!!!  You're the Best!!! Love, Lucy ;)
I hope it was a great one!
(Sorry I couldn't call...I was watching 11 kids...something I never could have done before I knew you! ;)

Life is precious and short!  Make it a great day!  ONLY YOU CAN!~

It's Chili out here...

Today it rained...not just a drizzle...but a down pour.  This did not work into our plans well.  Today we had places to go and important people to see and making Chili at 9 am was NOT in my plans.  But you see I was raised by a TRADITION LOVIN' Mama!  Our mother had traditions for everything, special plate, Special colored ribbons and brown paper packages at Christmas, special treats...German Chocolate Cake was mine, Frozen Pineapples for one sister, another sister loved when mom would pop some popcorn in the skillet with Butter (yea, back before people freaked out about butter) on the stove in a cast iron skillet...2 Christmas Trees, Decorations for Holidays (Valentine's Day, Easter, St. Patricks, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...and others if she thought of them!)...and then there was RAINY DAY CHILI.  Rainy Day Chili was a kind of CONSTANT in our life.  It was something we could count on.  It was like the North Star that would lead Mariners on the ocean...Chili brought us home, around the table.  The tradition went as follows:  On the first truly rainy school day after school started in September WE COULD COUNT ON mom making a huge pot of Chili.  I really don't ever remember her NOT doing this...it was a tradition.  And my mother LOVED tradition.  One of her favorite movies was Fiddler on the Roof and one of her favorite songs in that movie??? You guessed it Tradition...TRADITION!!!

The forecast said that it would rain on Thursday this week.  That worked out nicely for me.  I planned for Thursday, and planned around Thursday, but then this morning I awoke to rain.  We had places to go and I did the unthinkable, I cooked the meat and threw everything in the Crockpot...stirred three times and pressed 8 hours.  Off we went.  We had a fabulous day with loved ones.  We came home to warm Chili and actually to my surprise my daughter said it is the best I have ever made.  NOW...I have mixed emotions about that.  Is she saying that my throw in the Crockpot Chili can even hold a candle to my sweat over the hot stove all day, stir and stir and add all the mommy love in the world CHILI???  Hmmm....if that is the case, I may be getting that Crockpot down again soon!  Regardless, we followed TRADITION and it felt good.  I know that mom and dad are smiling today.  Yesterday another family member had written, they had their Rainy Day Chili last night, because they got their first rain yesterday.  Mom and Dad might be gone physically from us for now...but the traditions keep them very close.

Life is precious and short!  Make it a great day!  Only YOU can!