Not god.

The hardest thing about parenting for me has been enduring my children's choices that are different that what I would choose for them.

Since they were babies I loved and prayed for these beloved humans.
I know was flawed.
But I never didn't pray or try my hardest to make choices that were in their best interest.

And then they become adults.
Or kind of adults.
Someones idea of adults.

And they make choices that smack you in the face and thrown you to the ground in
disbelief and dismay.

And you wonder how someone could hear you preach something for their whole lives and do the opposite.

It is especially difficult for me since I have always been a rule follower and a straight arrow.
Ridiculously so.

So I don't understand someone not taking my most excellent life advice to heart.
I do not think I ever will understand this.

My husband is not as shocked as I am.
He had a colorful past.

 I suppose I was filled with pride expecting to be listened to and respected.

I know Elisabeth Elliot would say, do it as unto the Lord.
If you are doing whatever you are doing as unto the Lord, you will not fail.
(Because you had the right motivation.)

And maybe sometimes I had the right motivation and sometimes I didn't.
Obeying me would protect them from lots of woes.
Seriously.

And yeah, yeah, yeah, they have to make their own mistakes and learn from them (or not.)

But it's hard not being god...even tho you didn't actually know that's what you were up to.

And so as the last birdie flies the nest,
I will feel relief that I am off sentry duty.
But our sweet times will be missed.


When I am feeling blue I feel like I failed my life's calling.
When I am not having a pity party,
I know I did what I wanted to do and I think I would do it again,
because there is nothing I love more than being a mom.



"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:16

It's hidden in the heart.

******

"... but you can love completely without complete understanding." 
A River Runs Thru It



“No whimpering, madam! You can't have the joys of motherhood without some of its pangs! Think of your blessings, and don't be a coward!—” 
~ Kate Douglas Wiggin, Mother Carey's Chickens
Teaching me things 25 years later.



From a little poster I have in my house from Lindsey Letters;

Believe the Best
Forgive the Rest and say
I love you.



Mean it.
Donna Elsie

World Photography Day 2019

There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone, and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead, and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all

~the Beatles

A quick moment of joy and happiness.

~credit Zach Caddy

Our beloved parents.

Happy birthday dad.

Aunt Sunnie gave me this picture.  What a gift.

Colorful slice of life here in Verona with my Katie Grace.

Canon Sureshot.

Served me well when my children were small.

film camera.

Sue, Dad, Me.  

1960

Sweet, sweet memories

Those quickly changing babies.  Oh!  You have got to capture their delightful faces!

Busy, beautiful Boucher boys.

Aunt Dorothy with Patrick.

Grandpa Glyman with Dad, Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Mel.

They are at an airport.  Our dad looks so much like Cindy's boys at this age.

I had my camera a month.  The sun came out in Paris, the shop owner put out some flowers and I took my shot on Automatic. Medium Fine.  

I didn't know how to use my digital camera very well yet but

this proves a even an amateur can take a pretty picture.

Blurry fave.

Just a simple digital camera shot.  But I will always love this Chalk-henge picture.

Grandma Glyman with Matthew.

Six weeks.

Mom and Janice in Twin Lakes.

More blur.  I like my world blurry unless I am looking at people I love.

So much touching and hugging in these favorites.

I didn't choose those on purpose.

Photos help me remember,

they bring me such joy.

I loved picture books when I was young and love that I can make my own pictures.

Pictures make my life better.

I need them.

"Send me a picture!"

Donna

Back when her room was clean.

Remember how I said it took me two hours to find the cake with the handprint picture?

Well.  In that dive into the digital files, I spotted this precious picture.

This was back when I was in charge of the room and what went on the dressers and walls. 

IT'S SO CLEAN!!!!

Katie chose the two colored walls.  

She is just a teeny tiny tyke isn't she?

We will be taking Katie to college at the end of August.  She is going to Bennington in Vermont.

A new room for a new chapter in her life.

Neat thing about Bennington, they live in houses on campus. Hers will be a white colonial.

Her roommate is from Nepal.  And we thought Katie was traveling far from home!

She's a little bit bigger now and her hair is shorter and I would never think of posting a picture of her in her undies now!

But this little slice of forgotten life....

it's worth remembering.

So much love.

Encourage one another,

Donna

My favorite Pioneer Woman recipes

How I love Facebook memories.

This time year I vacationed a lot! We visited, Chicago in August and Oklahoma and went to see Cheryl in Rhode Island.  Oh yes, today there were pictures of me and the girls with Cindy in Wausau!

It's just the best fun!

Here is a funny comment from ten years ago.

*****

This was before Ree wrote her first cookbook. :o)

That's pretty wild!  

The other day I wrote down my favorite Pioneer Woman recipes.

Recipes I have made more than once....and thought were delicious.

Here is my list.

STEAK BITES

I pretty much only cook steak like this. 

We love them.  Everyone who tries them loves them.

Patrick eats them with ketchup and Katie and I like them with béarnaise sauce because we are fancy.

OLIVE CHEESE BREAD

I love this simple, delicious recipe.  I am the only one who eats it so I have to save it for company.

Once I brought food for a friend who had surgery.

I brought her Olive Cheese Bread and Chicken Spaghetti.

She was very happy :o)

I wish I had this right now.

Olive Cheese Bread

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

I love this recipe because it is like lasagne but it is not lasagne.

You know how lasagne is so yummy and easy to bring as a 'caserole'?  

Well, Chicken Spaghetti steps in when you are afraid your guests have had enough lasagne.

I buy a roasted Chicken to make it easier.

Chicken Spaghetti

PASTA PRIMAVERA

This is the best ever. 

I do not make it often because it is hard to do.

It's a little too hard for the Easy Chef (me) but the taste is perfect.

I made it for a big gathering at my house and really everyone raved.  

But I was sweaty and worn out.

haha

Pasta Primavera

MACARONI SALAD 

with the spicy pickles

Easy and different and delicious.

Macaroni Salad

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

The herbs and flavors in this dish are fantastic!!!

In fact I try to use similar herbs and spices when I make Chicken Pot Pie.

Ree makes corn meal dumplings but I make plain old flour ones. 

This is so good even Katie will eat this with me.  She leaves the vegetables in the bottom of her bowl, and then I eat them.

This is also a time consuming dish to make BUT in the winter I am more likely to...slave over the stove!

Chicken and Dumplings

I wonder whose handprint that is???

CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Easy and perfect.  We all love this.

I made it with my whipped Red Cake frosting once and made Ding Dongs.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

CHOCOLATE PIE

This is the French Silk pie, not the pudding one.

Katie loves it so much she chooses this for her birthday and for pie day!

YAY

French Silk Pie

Oh lordy,

It took me two house to find that picture!!!

Technology is wonderful and awful isn't it?

Encourage one another,

Donna

What is your best easiest recipe???

The most delicious German Potato Salad ever!!!

We loved the German Potato salad our mother and grandmother made. Suzy thinks it was Grandma Glyman, I seem to think of Grandma Hansen.  Let's say Sue was right :o)

Oh how I remember peeling those boiling hot red potatoes!!

This is tangy and so delicious!  

You can not find a more delicious German Potato Salad.

Make it yourself!

Encourage one another,

Donna

John Updike again.

August

The sprinkler twirls

The summer wanes,

The pavement wears

Popsicle stains.

The playground grass

Is worn to dust,

The weary swings

Creak, creak with rust.

The trees are bored

With being green.

Some people leave

The local scene.

And go to seaside

Bungalows

And take off nearly

All their clothes.

~John Updike

Encourage one another,

Donna

pictured above

Cindy, James and Janet, Donna, Sue and Jeff

I can't figure out the year.  

Classic Miz Boo

I grabbed the boys one by one as they were packing the car to leave on Wednesday morning.

Sit here.

Look up.

Beautiful eyes.

Beautiful skin.

Sweet faces.

Put three boys together in a picture and it's usually chaos.

But even when it's not.....

the photographer forgets to change the aperture and the children wiggle from their spot....

And you get another classic group shot by Miz Boo.

This one is the best of the bunch.

The rest have one or two boys out of focus.

Aren't they beautiful?

Happy Friday friends!

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
-  William Shakespeare  

Encourage one another,

Donna Elsie

MOHS surgery for Miz Boo

Sleepy Donna

This is my going home bandage.

I will leave in on for two days.  Then I have regular band aids with Vaseline.

This bandage was putting pressure on the wound.

I felt I was cared for.

She cut the outside of my nose more than I ever imagined she would.

So I cried and the assistant ran off to get the doctor.

(The Doctor got all the cancer in one try.  So I only had to wait for results once.

I was thankful that I did not have to stay another three hours. )

The Dr. showed me samples of how the body heals and she showed me dramatic pictures of before and afters.  She didn't feel I needed to see a Plastic Surgeon tomorrow.  She asked me to come back in to see her in two or three weeks.  She felt quite sure I would heal well.  And if things need help we will consult a Plastic Surgeon then.

It just shocked me and so I cried.

The Doc was sweet and rubbed my arm and tried to reassure me.

I was sleepy and wobbly from the medicine.  I did not say strange things but I did sleep in the lobby like a champ.  (I can not sleep ANYWHERE)

Patrick came with me and was very sweet.  He marveled at his sleeping wife and brought me a Pink Drink.

I feel ya Jack.

I feel ya.

Thank you for the thoughts and prayers.

I'm doing okay.  

Still a little dopey from the medicine.

Lots of love

Donna Elsie