Sunday, November 26, 2017


Phoebe and I are looking forward to a blessed Christmas season. Thanksgiving was so full of thankfulness that it's spilling over into Christmas. Sadly my sister, Danna and I had to say good bye to our mom this month. She graduated too glory and is now enjoying the company of our Lord and many loved ones who went before her. Losing a loved one makes you hold those still with you all the closer. We are wishing you a blessed Christmas; a time of relaxing, regrouping and rejoicing. Merry Christmas everyone. Thank you for visiting my blog. Sandra

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Oregon Is An Inferno!!

It feels like all of Oregon is on fire right now. In this breathtaking photo by Brad Hutchison you can see the growing Eagle Creek Fire.















The news reported that this fire has jumped the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington. It is also threatening the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge as shown in this photo below by KATU's Jason Nguyen.















Early reports are that the fire was started by teenagers playing with fireworks. My goodness, what is the thought process there? There are thousands of acres burning; homes destroyed, families displaced, wildlife snuffed out, pets lost, thousands upon thousands of dollars in damage. What will money do? Will it give back the forests or the homes? Will it give back the security of the families who lived there? Will it resurrect the lives lost?

This is not the only fire in Oregon right now. There are many fires burning and many, many men and women putting their lives on the line to put them out. The images on the Internet are stunning and heartbreaking at the same time. It's hard to see the stories on the news and see the pictures and hear the heartache and tears and even gratefulness of the people who are in the middle of it all.

Washington above us and California below us and even Canada are also fighting wildfires this summer. I went outside with my morning coffee this morning and my chairs and my car were covered with ash. It was a reminder of conditions when Mt. St. Helens blew her top. The state was covered with ash then also.

This link will show you a time lapse of the Eagle Creek Fire.
http://www.kgw.com/news/timelapse-of-growth-of-eagle-creek-fire/471285079

In the midst of all the chaos and evacuations and firefighting and tremendous loss, there are people helping people. There are acts of heroism and sacrifice. Don't watch the news without a box of tissue. 

At 6 PM on September 5, 2017 the Eagle Creek fire is zero percent contained. Please pray for the victims of these devastating fires and for the teenagers who may be responsible for the Eagle Creek Fire.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

I have sort of seen myself as the keeper of the memories in the past. I have always had a very good memory for past events, names and places. I have always taken everything other people didn't have a place for in their life anymore. I have attached a memory/story to every item I possess. At times people have marveled at how accurately I remember things and my kids always loved hearing the stories of each and every thing I displayed in my home.

Things, times and people change. Things that have changed are the cost of renting and buying; also the restrictions put on pets, appliances, changes to a dwelling. Times that have changed are the unrest and overall insecurity of the world around us. People age and the things that meant so much to them in the past are transient later in life and all that matters is the relationships and quality of life.

I don't think I am going to be the keeper of the memories anymore. I've imparted all I know to impart to my loved ones. I will continue to share my memories and life experiences as long as they want to hear them and find them enriching and enjoyable. The keepsakes I've collected through the years are mine and, in the end, they don't mean as much, if anything, to my family/kids.

Honestly, seeing the life my kids have been carving out for themselves, there really isn't room for the many (too many) items I've kept so close to my heart through the years. They either have not settled into a life yet with home and roots or they have a different style of what they like and all these "things" simply don't fit.

I'm ready to give up my past and settle into what is left of my life. I plan to make it as good and joyful and peaceful and comfortable and exciting as I want at any given time. I still want to surround myself with things I love and things that make me happy and make me smile. They might be things from my past or treasures I've found along life's highways. (No, not dumpster diving. LOL)

I know there will be times that someone might say, "How can you give that up? It's been in the family for years". Or, "You can't let that go, it's always been so important to you". The thing is, no one else wants it or it isn't important to them or they don't have room for it or it doesn't fit their style or they can't take it now, but maybe in the future.

There's a few things that fill me with joy and memories galore. They will stay. For the time being almost everything I own is in one of four storage units and I haven't seen them for nearly a year. I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted and deciding what will fit into my limited space and what will leave for a future journey with new owners who, I hope, will love them and add to their stories.