Fae Perkins

Heaven gained an angel a couple of weeks ago.  Fae Perkins got her heavenly wings and was greeted by Jesus as she entered into heaven.  She made such an impact on so many lives during her tenure here on earth.  She was an avid church worker in so many areas. 

She touched my life when she was a GA leader so many years ago.  I will never forget the many lessons on missions she shared with so many young women through the Girls in Action program.

The other great skill that was often shared was the preparation of meals at the church for a family having a funeral.  During my time as a stay at home Mom, I was blessed to be placed on a “cooking" committee with Miss Fae, Miss Evelyn, and Miss Margie.  I was taught the art of cooking not only for the masses but making sure food was delicious.  I give Miss Fae credit for teaching me to make the best green beans ever from a can.  She could take anything in the cabinet and make it “homemade”.  What a joy and delight to have spent time with these amazing Christian cooks in the church kitchen.

I learned a lot more than just cooking from those wonderful women.  I learned about a servant’s heart. Fae Perkins had a true servant’s heart.  She was always willing to give of herself, her time and her talents to show Christ’s love through her loving spirit.  In teaching me literally how to make green beans to feed 25 people, she also taught me to how important it is to be an example of compassion, kindness, and generosity. 

I will be forever grateful for the time I spent with Fae Perkins.   

10 Things That Changed the Day My Daddy Died

10.  I worry about my Mother dying as she is the last link to she and my Daddy as my parents. I'm really just one parent away from being an orphan.

9.  Honor your father and mother.  There will come a day when you don’t “have” to make the drive to your Daddy’s house for Father’s Day.

8.  Enjoy every holiday with your Mother, because one day you won’t have her to make memories with on holidays.

7.  Pictures keep memories alive.  Take as many pics as you can of your parents.  It is a vivid reminder of the great times you shared as a family after they are gone.

6.  Don’t complain about your parents in front of me.  I would give anything to have one more conversation, dinner, or drive with my Daddy.

5.  Losing a parent is like joining a class of people that you don’t want to belong.  How do you “opt out” of the “I lost my Daddy Club”.

4.  You can’t explain it to people who still have their parents.  When you lose your Daddy, you have a hole in your heart that can never be filled.

3.  Life goes on – we call it “The new normal”.  It's far from normal.

2.  Holidays are never the same.  You can be determined not to mourn but it is still never the same.

1.  You may rock along for months, and then one day you just lose it all over again because you realize that your Daddy is just not coming back.

I miss you every day.

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day.  I've got a really great Mother.  She is kind, loving, stern, and has incredibly high expectations.  Everything I learned about being a Mother was from her example.  She taught me so many things about myself, the world, how to work, and how to entertain graciously.  She gave of herself to more than just her children and grandchildren.  She is a role model for all Mother's!

I've also had the fortunate blessing to have a bunch of other great Mother's in my life.  Some have been surrogate Mother's to me living next door and growing up at their home. Some have been shining examples of what great Mother's do.  Other's have taught me something along the way as they came into my life.  

I'm blessed because not only did I have a great Mother, but my Mother had wonderful friends who were also great Mothers.  She exposed me from a very early age to what wonderful mothers should be.  She made sure that I was involved in church which showed me that great Mother's ensure that Christian principals are taught.  She encouraged me to love, hug and express my love for those that are special to me.  

As I grew older, one lesson I learned from Mother is that you are known by the company you keep.  I feel blessed that so many of my dear friends are shining examples of great mothers.  These are ladies that love their children, give of themselves and have hearts of gold.  I'm so grateful to have these amazing examples in my life of such wonderful mothers.  Their friendship  makes me a better mother to Jake.

Lastly I am blessed to have married Ray who gave me two beautiful stepdaughters.  I'm not their mom, but I love watching them be a Mom. They are Godly, loving, and kind.  They provide warm and wonderful homes for my six grandchildren.  They teach them how to have a heart for God, raise them in Christian homes and provide a real family life for them.  

Really, all I can say is BLESSED.

The First Fruits of the Harvest

Yesterday I took the first fruits from my vegetable garden.  I really was on a mission to inspect it following the horrific hail storm on Monday that brought marble sized hail and a lot of damage to my plants.  I realized that I had a huge ripe onion ready to pull.  I promptly pulled the onion.  I cleaned it but haven't decided what to cook with it yet.

I could cook a hamburger and have fresh sliced onions on it.  I thought of shaving little rings and frying them as onion straws.  You can always saute them and top a good tenderloin fillet with them.  I suppose there are a million different things you can do with an onion.  

What to do with this "first fruit" of the vine?  It then hit me that the I should really just bow and give thanks for the bounty to which God has bestowed on us.  Our home, our family, our friends, our co-workers, our professions..............all of our many, many blessings.  That is really what the first fruit should represent.   We should stop and give thanks to God who gives us all things.

What do you think of when you think of "first fruits"?

Gardening vs. Cooking

Today is going to be a challenge.  The weather will be divine for being outside. However, I feel the need to cook.  Do I work outside in the sunshine and build a new flower bed or two?  Or, do I stay inside and create a delicious dish?  

What do you think?  Check back in later tonight and see how the day went!

Learning Something New

Each day when we arise we learn something new.  Today I learned that dog is not man's best friend.  Dog is woman's best friend.  Dog's love their human Mama.  They know that love will come, as will breakfast, the praise often, and the attention regular!  

It is with great pleasure that Ray and I are now doggy parents again.  "Sadie" has come to live with the Crass family.  She lived with Jake for a while, but is ready for some serious spoiling and attention.  Ray and I are ready for a new family member to love and adore, since the loss of our sweet Coco, 18 months ago.  

Stay tuned in the future for lessons learned from Sadie! Pictures, too!

The Bonds of Friendship

Every year in January, five beautiful young ladies gather for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.  Each may or may not bring her "feller".  A companion can be a daughter, son, or sister.  But it happens every year like clockwork.

As the group makes their way to the rodeo, many great memories are rehashed, new ones made and stories of the past revisited.  It has been over 46 years since these bonds of friendship formed.  There are many memories of childhood, dating, marriage, babies, grand babies, death, and disaster.  But whether the memories are good  or bad, happy or sad, old or new, the bond among these five remains strong.  

This group together can withstand anything. It doesn't matter what the tragedy, the celebration or the incidental action, the five stand undivided.  Their bond is beyond strong, woven together with the toughest of fibers, and yet at times stretched to the thinnest of thin with the demands that are put forth on them.  No matter the test, the bond holds true.

You may not like one of them, two of them or all of them, but they are a package deal.  If you make an enemy of one, you make an enemy of all.  Their loyalty is fierce, their love for each other surpasses the tallest building, and their zaniness hits an all time high when in the same vicinity.  

They may go days or weeks without seeing or speaking to each one individually or as a group.  They may play phone tag at all hours.  They may drive within 5 miles of each other with no time permitted for a meeting.  Regardless of the space or distance, this group is tight.

They are my sweet dear friends.   They are Ya Ya's, Yum Yum's, and the Cashmere Mafia.  They have seen me at my best, and supported me at my worst.  They are frightfully honest, unwaveringly open, and not afraid to tackle any conversation.   I am blessed to have them in my life.  Thanks for the memories.  Looking forward to many more!

In honor of Amy, Carla, Dana and Gayla!