Janet's Blog

Lucy My granddaughter, Lucy, is almost two years old. She is an outgoing little girl who warms up to other people quite easily. Unlike most of Meagan and Andy's other kids, she actually enjoys staying in the church nursery while her Mom and Dad teach Sunday School. That is, she enjoys the nursery as long as her friend, Rose, is there, too. Rose is not quite four months older than Lucy. They have been sharing the nursery since they were both infants. Their relationship has not always been amicable. Lucy, as the youngest of six children, knows how to defend herself and protect her playthings from the other kids. It wasn't long before she taught Rose everything she knew about hitting and pushing to get her own way. So, when I was in the nursery with them, the offender had to sit on my lap for a brief time out until they both realized that there were better ways to get along. Now, both Lucy and Rose are speaking in sentences and using their words to express their wants and needs. B...

Last Saturday morning, I went birding with my friend, Vonnie, who is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about all kinds of birds. I've always been excited to watch birds as they flit about from one branch to another, or quibble over a few seeds at a backyard bird feeder, but I can't say that I've ever before gone birding. In the springtime, Vonnie and her parents and kids have been accustomed to taking car trips along Highway 2, between Alliance and Hyannis, just to watch the water birds that frequent the 26 lakes (or ponds, really) that line the road. I wouldn't know how many lakes there are, but Vonnie and her family have counted them. Vonnie's parents aren't healthy enough for birding this year, and her children are grown and scattered across the US and Canada, so she asked if I would like to go with her. Vonnie brought binoculars, and a notebook for recording each type of bird she saw. I brought a telephoto lens for my phone. Vonnie and I had plenty to t...

I used to do it for Mom. I would post pictures on Facebook regularly because I knew she would want to see them. There was a time, not so long ago, when Mom would turn on her computer, play a game or two of Solitaire, and check Facebook to see what her 28 Facebook friends were up to. Mom was on Facebook for one reason only: to keep tabs on her family and a few very close friends. Mom with her greats, just a year ago.   Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.   Proverbs 17:6 So, I posted pictures I knew she would appreciate: photos of wildflowers and western Nebraska landscapes, and especially, pictures of her grandkids and their kids, her greats. Then Mom would dutifully print the photos, often full-sized on a single sheet of plain old computer paper so she could make out the details. She showed the photos to Dad, who never learned how to use a computer because he thought it would consume too much of his time and, besides, he c...

Fifty Years used to seem like a long time. But now that it's been 50 years since I graduated from Fairbury High School, I can honestly say that 50 years is just a short period of time, only five brief decades. My classmates and I may have aged noticeably on the outside, but inside, we're pretty much the same as we always were--same basic values, work ethic, and philosophies. I hope, though, that we've gained much wisdom from our life experiences, as well as more empathy for others than teenagers usually exhibit.  I was pleased to be able to attend my 50th class reunion recently, and catch up with about 50 of my high school classmates. It was so interesting to hear about their lives and families. And, as one classmate stated, we heard hardly any conversation about health or politics. I know that our political views range from one extreme to the other, and I'm sure that many of us have faced various health challenges over the years, but those things faded to the backgroun...

It's been several years since I started walking, first a few days a week, and now almost every day, year-round. At first, I didn't really have a goal, other than to get some regular exercise. I took the dog with me because no one else in my family had any desire to walk with me--and I didn't want to walk alone. It wasn't long until I started using the health app on my phone to keep track of my steps. However, I soon realized that my chosen method wasn't very accurate because I don't usually carry my phone around with me at home. That's when I began to wear the free smart watch Bill had been given at some conference. Now, I'm on my third smart watch... I have been able to meet my somewhat arbitrary daily goal of 10,000 steps for three seasons of the year, but it is harder in the winter. I don't like to walk outside when the weather is cold and windy! Actually, my asthma and arthritis both act up in extreme weather, so I guess I have a good excuse to s...