Happy Spring

Happy Spring Everyone!! I know it's a day early but I think we are all ready for Mr. Winter to go into hiding for the next few months. The trees are beginning to bud, the spring flowers are popping up and spring fever is in the air. I am going to Phoenix tomorrow to soak up some of their sunshine, Yippee!! I think everyone's moods will improve when we can see and feel the warmth of the sun on our skin. My white legs are sure looking forward to it. Can't wait to see my kids. I am so homesick for all of you!!

Another Scare

At approximately 5:00 pm today the FAA called looking for a Beachcraft airplane. The pilot had radioed in saying that his cockpit was filling with smoke from the front panel. Shortly after he went below radar and the FAA could not get an answer from him. He had already crossed the St. Johns Airport and the Holbrook highway. All surrounding airports were contacted,no one had seen him. Two airplanes landed here and were asked to keep an eye out for a downed aircraft. At 6:00 Gary and I traveled the Holbrook road for 20 plus miles to see if we could spot anything. It is weird because you are afraid you will find something and afraid you won't. We came back into town and had some errands to run, then about 8:30 Gary called the FAA to check on the plane. Somehow this pilot had made it to his destination. The smoke had fried the radio wires which is why he was not answering. Hello, are you kidding me!! Why would you continue to fly with smoke filling your cockpit??? We suspect that the FAA will meet with him to ask the same question. We are just relieved that he is ok.
The company that picked up the last aircraft reminded Gary that accidents tend to come in 3's, so we were worried that we were starting that trend once again. Cross your fingers that it doesn't. A prayer or two would be nice also!!!!

New Bed

Sleep deprivation is not a good thing! It tends to make one cranky after awhile SOOO Gary and I decided it was time to go shopping for a new bed. Well of course one thing leads to another and we decided to get a King size bed which needed a king size headboard which needed 2 new night stands which needed new sheets, blanket and bedspread. But hey after 30 years of marriage we decided that wasn't such a bad thing. So, we get it here and get it all put together and we stand and gaze at this beautiful sight, in awe that it has taken us so long to do this. We start laughing about how in awe we are, then we look at each other, we both know what the other is thinking, Yip we need to redo the walls and get new carpet. There is good news, however, the dresser that we refinished last summer is a very good match so we don't have to replace it. So it all balances out don't you think? Ha Ha We are very much enjoying the comfort of a good mattress.

Oh No, Not Again!

Yesterday I decided that I was finally going to get to my back room and get it cleaned out. I got done later in the afternoon and was sitting and enjoying the clean room. Gary had gone to the airport to check on our new hire, Patricia. A few minutes later he called to tell me that another airplane had crashed. As I was walking toward the airport I spotted the wreckage and two young men walking toward the terminal. I was so glad that they were out and walking. At first look it didn't look like the crash was too bad but after walking to the plane, I found that these two young men were very lucky to be alive.

The weather was pretty crazy. One minute the wind was blowing and the next, it was calm. When they got to the end of the runway they reported that the wind was calm and they were going to proceed with the planned take off, however when the pilot lifted off a gust of wind caught the wing and it was all in God's hands at that point. The left wing hit first and sent them down hard, hitting the prop, which broke into pieces and was spread all over the runway. Both wheels came off, one rolling down the opposite runway. They spun in a circle heading back in the opposite direction finally coming to a stop. They said it all happened in a matter of seconds.

They were both pretty shook up and kept reminding each other that the plane was not the important thing, they were alive! I felt so bad for them. A pilot thinks of his aircraft as his "baby" even more so than their vehicle. Gary and I ended up driving them to Gallup, New Mexico to meet a friend. We had dinner with them while we waited for their ride to show up. As they sat, the soreness began to set in. They kept saying that they were just glad to be alive and so might I add were we. The video of that scene will replay in their minds for days on end. They had just picked this plane up in October and had begun to enjoy it. The pilot said he was done flying but we encouraged him to get up and get back to it. He had just gotten his license a year ago. They were great guys. We hope all goes well for them. We just hope this isn't the beginning of another round of crashes. We have had enough already!!

Love Looks Like This

I love Valentine's Day and the opportunity to express my love to those that I love. I am so grateful for a wonderful sweetheart to love and celebrate with. I am grateful for 30 Valentine's Days to express love to the love of my life. We send our love to our kids and grandkids. We love you tons!!

Thirty Years and Still in Love!

On January 11, 2010 Gary and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. As we talked about all 0f the things we had done in 30 years it was amazing to us that it has gone so fast. It really does seem like just yesterday we were newlyweds and now we are empty nesters. It is mind boggling that our children are grown and gone and that we are now grandparents! I love the song "Remember When" by Allen Jackson. That song says it all.

On the day of our anniversary I was teaching a Teen Dating Violence class at the high school and I told the kids that it was my 30th anniversary. They started clapping, some said that they didn't know anyone that had been married that long. Thirty years is a long time to be with someone, but even after 30 years my heart still skips a beat when Gary walks in the room. I love how he supports me in whatever I am doing. I love how hard he laughs at movies, I love that he still calls me his bride, I love his surprises, I love how good he is to me. I love that I can talk to him about anything and the first thing he says to me when I walk in the door is "Sit down and tell me about your day". And yes after 30 years, I would do it all over again! The saying "Grow old with me, the best is yet to come" has all new meaning. So as I look for things to be grateful for this year, I am most grateful for my wonderful husband and wish for many more years together.

New Year's Resolutions

This year I decided that I wasn't going to make any resolutions because I just get discouraged that I haven't met them at the end of the year. The past few weeks things have happened to make me change my mind. I decided that I am going to make one resolution this year. I am going to look for the good things in my life and express my gratitude for them. I am going to look closely for the little things that I enjoy daily that I previously have taken for granted. For example I have always taken for granted that I could pay my bills, but as I sat today and wrote out the checks and sent off the bills, I was so grateful that we have jobs and can pay the bills. I recently heard a woman talking about having gone through a disaster and how much she prayed for a toothbrush and toothpaste. Wow, such a simple thing that we don't even think about. It has been fun looking for and paying attention to the little things that make life enjoyable, like the great feeling of fresh, clean teeth. The more you find to be grateful for, the more you begin to appreciate and feel spoiled with the things you have. It is enough. I invite you to join me in this gratitude journey and look for the little things in your life. As we watch the horrible things going on in Haiti, we can be extremely thankful that we are safe. It reminds us to pray for those who are suffering and ask that our prayers are felt by them, that it bouys them up and gives them the courage to hang on. The more we appreciate what we have, the better able we are to see the needs of others. It is a great thing to keep a gratitude journal. Reflect each evening on the things that you have experienced during the day and express gratitude for the small stuff. Happy New Year!