another tired day...

I am just not a good learner apparently. After Jerrell took me shopping last week and it tired me so bad and he and I seeing just how bad my back and breathing is; nothing would do me but get Jerrell to take me back again today. We did go here in town rather than out of town this time. I had gotten some money from three different people for my birthday and I guess it was just burning a whole in my pocket! I really thought just two stores and it not being too crowded on a Monday I would fair better, but that was not the case. As before, Jerrell was better at finding my size and what I like better than me. I did find a pair of capris before I had to get home. I do not plan on doing that again. I will just have to shop online.

I had such a good time with Stephanie and Caroline when they visited last week. Caroline had grown since I had seen her last and is making complete sentences, it just fascinates me at how well she talks. She is also potty trained now and has been for a while. She is such a big girl .
Here is a recent picture of she and her dogs, Maggie and Gracie. They are big and hard to lead, so when she comes here she loves to go outside and she takes the leash and walks Roxy! She will walk her til Roxy's tongue is hanging out..







I had a telephone call while I was posting this, so I am going to make this one short today. I hope you all have a good weekend.


God Bless!

catching up...bit by bit...

I have so much to tell since I have taken a blog break that I will just have to pick up where I am now. I do have many new pictures but of course cannot post them all. I really want to figure out how to make the pictures smaller, yet viewable.

My overall health and not feeling well is and was my main reason for not posting. Many times I would come and sit down and draw a blank as I am sure many of you have, so I just decided to leave it for a while- which I did. It is certainly not that I am too busy some days or that nothing is going on in my life, exactly the opposite. We are much busier with Jerrell having retired the first of February and he has been such a help and a blessing to me. He has stuck with me for 40 years and I can truly say we are closer in our older age than ever before it seems. I try so hard not to take him for granted and thank him for all he does for me and always let him know I appreciate him.

I sometimes neglect to share my oldest son, Kevin and his family with you all and because of his job I have to be careful not to mention names, work places, etc. His name is on the internet only in professional and work related articles, book and journal entries, etc. However, I can share some things. They both do extensive travel, both in the US and other countries. They recently spent spring break in Puerto Rico, along with my daughter in law's parents. I am posting a few pictures as it is a beautiful place. They have asked and tried to get Jerrell and I to go on a cruise or visit some place, but neither of us feel like our health will permit it. Also, Jerrell just refuses to fly again and riding is one thing that I just cannot do, therefore we are even unable to vist them in Ohio.



This is my son, daughter in law, step granddaughter and my daughter in law's parents in San Juan.



This is a beautiful view of El Morro with the ocean in the background.

Speaking of pictures, somehow I found a way to break my camera. I cannot get the screen up that is "to take pictures". I think it is too complicated for me and in trying to fix it, I clicked on just too many options. I have my camera phone that my neighbor gave me a cord to use to upload them from the phone to the pc and she also loaned me the software to download to make it possible. I have decided I am just not a good picture taker. Our azaleas are just beautiful so I went outside and took a picture and had my finger over half of the "eye" and therefore only had half a picture. I will practice some more. :)

I have got to get dressed and Jerrell and I have to go to the grocery store, so I will stop for now.
I hope you all have a great day and I hope it is a pretty day where you all are as it is here today!


God Bless!

my day...sorta

I am here to share a piece that touched my heart. I received this today and it especially touched me. This being my 64th birthday I felt totally blessed anyway and after reading this I wanted to share with as many folks as I could. Thanks to Grammie I have felt inspired to post to my blog although I have been very busy this week. I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and had some bloodwork done. Yesterday the doctor's office called and told me I was dehydrated. I am constantly drinking something, usually bottled water so I was a bit surprised. I was blessed with Steph and Caroline coming over on Tuesday. We went out for lunch and came back and Caroline enjoyed walking Roxy. On Wednesday my best friend Paulette came over and took me to lunch, so I have had a wonderful but tiring week. I want to thank Marci for the pretty birthday card I received in the mail and for all she does for me and for all she means to me, I love you. Also my thought and prayers have been with Clara and I am so thankful they have her cancer under control. And to my wonder friend from Texas, Connie I appreciate your emails and prayers and I love you my friend from Texas.



Robby's Night True Story Worth Reading !!!

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability.. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students. However I've also had my share of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel but he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn.Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, 'My mom's going to hear me play someday.' But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons .I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability,that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching! Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital.. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital.? I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing 'Miss Hondorf, I've just got to play!' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'curtain closer.'Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed, then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. 'Why didn't he dress up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?'Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo. From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age.After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause.Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? 'Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Hondorf, Remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning and well. .. She was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special.'There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy . . Of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil for it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.