Janet's Blog

I was five that summer, the only summer we lived in the First Street house in Norfolk. After supper one evening, Mom and Danny and I piled into the car with Dad to visit a junkyard of some kind, before it got dark. I loved it when Dad said, "Let's take a ride," because we were sure to see something new, or have an adventure of some kind. And, on the way home, I was always hopeful that we would stop at a Drive-In for an ice cream cone. I don't remember if we rode in the blue, '55 Ford, or if we had the red, Rambler station wagon by then, but I know there were no seatbelts in our car. I probably rode in the back seat, cruising from one window to the other, or leaning over the back of the seat in front of me to talk to Mom. Danny may have been sitting in Mom's lap, or next to her on the front bench seat. I don't know what Dad was looking for at the junkyard, but he and Mom got out of the car, and he told me, quite firmly, to stay put. So, I did what I alw...

I bundled up for my walk the other day, with my stocking cap on top of my balaclava, and my hood on top of that, and a warm scarf wrapped around my neck. After I pulled on my ski pants and warm boots, I zipped my coat, donned my heaviest gloves, and set off with Jackson, who was strutting along in his red and blue striped sweater, ready for a walk in any weather. Brrr--it was downright cold, but the new-fallen half inch of snow was beautifully white beneath my feet. The wind had settled down, as it often does at sunset, so the walk was bearable, even enjoyable. As we walked briskly along the snow-covered path, I couldn't help but think of David's lament in Psalm 51:7, where he says:  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  After all, what is whiter than fresh snow? One thought led to another, as I considered just how often I need the forgiveness Jesus offers. Even the Apostle Paul said, "I daily sin much,...

I've been feeling a little "under the weather" for more than a week now. It's nothing serious, just some sinus congestion and a few sniffles, but it doesn't take much to set off my asthma. I awoke more than once last night, coughing and laboring to breathe, so I'm taking a precautionary sick day today, in hopes of avoiding another trip to Urgent Care. I slept in this morning, later than I ever stay in bed, before enjoying a leisurely breakfast and a nebulizer treatment. After that, I opted for a hot shower, which often soothes my aching muscles and relieves my congestion. I donned my lounging clothes, as Levi calls them, a long sleeved, red, Henley shirt and star-sprinkled, black, velour pants that are just too warm for me to sleep in at night. Then, I thought of the old home remedy my mom used to apply when I was feeling congested. I rooted around in the bottom cupboard to find something resembling the Vicks she always kept on hand. I didn't have that...

It's February--Groundhog's Day, to be exact. Today, our local groundhogs saw their shadows, for sure, because the sun has been shining all day. Only six more weeks until spring! I've hiked year-round with my family ever since I could walk, in every season. Doesn't everyone go hiking in mid-winter? We've even enjoyed many picnics while we sat, shivering, at a picnic table in some deserted park. The last two days, though, have not been typical western Nebraska winter days, so as soon as I heard that the temperature would top 60 degrees this weekend, I made plans. The Monument Valley Pathway provides a wonderful view of Scotts Bluff National Monument and the North Platte River. Yesterday, I took Jackson with me to hike the Monument Valley Pathway that borders the North Platte River, on the Scottsbluff side, from the YMCA to the Y camp, a total round trip of nearly three miles. It had been a long time since I had taken that path, since I have to drive a couple ...