Spring, A Gift of Life

I love Spring, the season when beautiful colors of nature come back to life. The rain has been good to us this month. I don't want to be ungrateful, but I would love to have some warm sunny days for getting out and enjoying all these beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.

Book Review

I recently read A Mountain to Climb written by Keith Allison. This is a true story about a family’s love and devotion to each other as they struggle to survive after losing their home, farm, and business. It was inspiring to read how this family of twelve, helped each other with loving hearts through these difficult time. It is a story about the strong bond of family; their faith in God, and a journey of faith that has changed them forever. A Mountain to Climb, by Keith Allison is available at Amazon.com, Createspace.com, and on the website - www.amountaintoclimb.com.

Check out A Mountain To Climb Website under My Favorite Blogs.

Cut Spending

In today’s economy more and more people are looking for ways to live a simple life. The prospect of finding employment is down, and the folks that are working, their hours have been reduced. One day the market is down and the next day it is up. We are living in fragile times, but I believe the market will come back and jobs will return. In time all of these things will turn around, but while we are anticipating this turn around, we can cut spending on unnecessary items. There are several ways we can cut spending on entertainment, groceries, and utilities.

Entertainment
We can go to the community parks and play softball with our kids or wade in a creek and enjoy a picnic lunch. My kids always liked movie night at home. After dinner and homework, we would gather around the TV and watch a movie and eat popcorn. There are lots of creative ways of having fun without spend a lot of money.

Groceries
My grocery budget also includes our eating out money, so one of the easiest ways for me to cut my grocery expense is to eat out less. We cut coupons out of the ad pages that are enclosed with the Sunday paper. We use the store brands instead of the brand names; we make a menu and shop for the menu, by doing this we can shop for the week without running back to the store several times a week. It is amazing how much we save by making fewer trips to the store, because I always end up with more stuff than I was shopping for.

Utilities
By flipping the light switch off when we leave a room, we can save on our electricity. When we turn the water on for the shower, we place a bucket under the facet to catch the cold water while waiting on the hot water; we use this water to water our plants. We have cut some of the extra channels on our cable TV bill.

There are lots of ways to cut spending and live a simple life. It is fun to gather the family together and let everyone suggest a way that the family can cut spending. Kids have great ideas and enjoy being included in the decision making process.

MY DAD HAS GROWN OLD RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
I wonder if he thinks about the days gone by.
The days of his youth when he went off to war or
the loneliness of being in a foreign land away from his
home and family to fight in the war.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
Dad and Mom have grown old together with their
marriage of sixty-three years.
I wonder if Dad and Mom talk about the days of
our births, the four of us, they brought into the world.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
I wonder if he thinks about the young man inside.
The strong young father that lifted me high and
gave me the joy of flying through the air.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
I watched his sadness when his first child passed.
You can still see the heartbreak in his eyes. I guess
Parents never get over the death of their child.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
I watch his sons and grandsons pass him by without
a handshake or a hug, but a word of goodbye.
I wonder what stands between them that keep them
apart or is it just pride that they both feel in their hearts.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
His grandchildren fill his days with joy. Hugging him
and staying close while he peels an apple or orange for
their joy.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
The man that fills a room just by being there, and
a man full of wisdom for those who take the time
to listen.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes.
I wonder how he’s lived this long with all the
hard work and hardship he has endured in his life;
While supporting his family and trying to raise us right.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes. He tells
me he loves me often and brings joy to my heart. Being
his only daughter has been the treasure of my life.

My Dad has grown old right before my eyes, and
I thank God for letting him grown old, right before
my eyes.