Tuesday, January 31, 2012


If you stopped by for a cup of tea or coffee today I would share with you something I read this morning.
Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task.  It runs counter to our self-centered nature.  An important part of life is learning to love.  Life minus love equals zero.  Love leaves a legacy.  As Mother Teresa said, "It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters."  You can give without loving but you cannot love with giving.  Love means giving up--yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy or time for the benefit of someone else.  WOW, sounds like a mother to me!!  I was so challenged when I read this.  I needed to be reminded how powerful love is!!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

some favorite things

I want to share with you some favorite things.... the beach, sunrise, wildlife and photography.  On a recent trip to the beach I had fun taking pictures with my new camera. I am a total amateur but i was pretty pleased with these photos.




bird on the beach

another bird on beach

yet another bird

sunrise in ft. lauderdale

sunrise at the beach

a sky only God could create!!










Thursday, January 26, 2012

just call me nonnie

In less than a month, I will become a grandma. I have decided to be called "nonnie". The name is endearing to me because that is what my mother was called by our children. I will now carry on the name "nonnie" and not only be thrilled when I hear my grandchildren call me that, but also know that I am carrying on a tradition that started a generation ago in my family. I never knew my mom's mother, who I was named after. She was Teresa and I am Theresa. I am not sure why my mom changed the spelling when she named me. My grandmother died when my mom was 18 years old. She never got to be a grandmother. Without exception, every person I know who is a grandparent says it is the most wonderful experience in all the world. I can hardly wait. I am counting down the days to when the phone rings and Emily calls to say her labor has begun. I will hang up the phone, book my flight and head to California to meet my grandson.  26 years ago I gave birth to Emily in California. Hard to believe....my baby is having a baby. I like to think of him as our baby. I always taught Emily that she had to share her belongings. Hope she remembers her manners and will share her son with his nonnie. I take claim to him. My grandson. I love how that sounds. Oh, I mean our grandson... I need to share him too!!


Emily at 37 Weeks



Stay tuned... I will be bragging soon and boring you with a multitude of photos of THE most beautiful baby boy in all the world!!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

i celebrate my husband

My hubby Ty just celebrated his 51st birthday this week.  He loves his birthday like no one else I know.  We always celebrate with a dinner party with our kindred spirit friends and eat and laugh together.  It is so important to us to celebrate life as often as we can.  Celebrate our family, celebrate our friends, celebrate our marriage.  Just celebrate.

Ty had a major accomplishment this past year, and I am so very proud of him.  He wrote his first book.  It was several years in coming, starting with the desire to document the journey of starting The Hope Center for Kids. (www.hopecenterforkids.com ) It is a 15-20 year story beginning with God breaking his heart for inner city youth and children.  It has been a wonderful, challenging, exhilerating and sometime heartbreaking journey.  So this past year, "A Thousand Screaming Mules"(www.AThousandScreamingMules.com)  was published.  I am so proud of my husband.  I had no idea how much work it is to write a book.  He labored for months to get it written and then many more months to get it published.  The story of The Hope Center for Kids has been documented and Ty is now officially an author.  He found out through this process that he loves to write and hopes to write more books in the future.  Imagine that, at the age of 50 discovering a whole new passion to pursue.  You go Ty!!!



So today I celebrate my husband, the birthday boy writer.  Can't wait to read his next book!!!