That's okay. This week was my birthday, but I can't believe I don't have any birthday pictures to show you. We really haven't "celebrated" it in style this week, (although I did go to lunch with our son and daughter in law on my birthday to Perkins, and had a orange/cranberry muffin for dessert as my birthday treat, so I guess that was a special celebration in style!) and we hope to go out to lunch on Saturday with my sister and brother in law and then come back here for apple pie, which either my sister will bake, or she will buy at Costco...it all depends on her energy and time...let's face it! We are all getting older and sometimes we just can't do everything we used to do! Apple pie is a tradition started by my mother for my birthday, and my sister Doris has continued it since our mother passed away in 2006. This is a picture from my birthday party in 2013, where my sister baked TWO apple pies, and my sister in law brought a beautiful Princess Cinderella cake too! Wow! Now that was special!!!! And you can see that I was very happy... (click on the link above for more about that party)
Speaking of getting older, I was cleaning out a dresser drawer (actually looking at things IN the drawer...didn't do much cleaning out!), and I found a little box of baby congratulation cards that were sent to my parents when I was born! Can you imagine that my mother saved them all? I was amazed. Well, I won't share them all with you, but thought of this one, as it is from my maternal grandparents and is a special treasure...(and you remember last week I shared pictures of my grandmother with you) So here you go:]
On the back of the card my Grandpa Tedlie had written a little note....I hope you can read it...
And then my Grandma had written a little note inside, Here is page 1 &3
And here is page 2:
I love their handwriting, don't you? And they were so happy that my parents had another little girl, making our family "perfect"...2 boys and 2 girls.
And here is a picture of the party I had for my 8th birthday:
For other pictures from this week, I really didn't get out and take many. However, my dear friend Sharon, whom many of you have heard about and have been praying for...(Click HERE for an earlier post about her), was taken to the hospital via ambulance on Tuesday because she was having much difficulty breathing. It turns out that she apparently has pneumonia, but they have her on strong antibiotics and she seems to be fighting back and doing well, and hopes to go home in a day or two.Click HERE for a CaringBridge post regarding her current condition I went to visit Sharon at the hospital, and no, I didn't take a picture of her, but I stepped into the chapel of the hospital on my way out to pray for her, and took these pictures:
Beautiful stained glass window with the dove of peace.
I love this picture of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane...He was praying for you and me!
And this sign is in the lobby of the hospital as you come in the front doors:
These are some of the interesting painted horses that you will find all over the city of Ocala:
They are standing just outside the hospital, and I had to stop and visit with them for a minute.
I know many of you already saw ( on Facebook) these cute young deer who were following us down the road as we took our evening walk the other day:
They were a part of the much larger family that had been dining on our front lawn:
Well, dear friends, it is now my bedtime (Thursday night, remember?) and this "Old Gal" is feeling her "OLD" age this week. So I think I'll mosey off to bed, and will get up and finish posting this in the morning (which is when you will be reading it...)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Give thanks for your loved ones and friends...I know I do. We just should not take them for granted...life is short...
Now let us step over to Deb's place at Breathing in Grace and check out what our other friends are seeing and doing!
Happy Belated Birthday! Enjoy your lunch tomorrow. Love the painted horses and lovely deer.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol! I'm glad you enjoyed the horses and deer. I love seeing them too...both the painted horses and the real deer. Such fun.
DeleteEnjoyed all your birthday memories! I don't remember ever having a birthday party! MoM would always have a cake and presents for us, but it was always just a family affair.
ReplyDeleteI know I had a small party on my 10th birthday, with my cousin and two other friends, but other than that one and this 8th one, I don't remember others except for family either. A few of my friends had parties, but not very many either. I guess it wasn't as big of a deal then as it is today. I'm glad. Today there is too much competition for who can have the most expensive party it would seem. Glad I'm not still raising kids!
DeleteHappy Birthday again and again! Good photo's even if they weren't this years!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Somehow we keep getting older even without the parties and pictures! LOL. Time doesn't slow down, does it? Wow.
DeleteOh, sweet Lady, don't feel bad. I always do my FFF post on Thursday, too, and didn't even remember till I had already gone to bed! How's that for being a good hostess! LOL Loved every single one of your fotos, but especially those handwritten notes. So very precious...Keep them! And, the B&W of the birthday party is just precious. I love old fotos and little girls in dresses. That's how I was brought up, too! Those deer...they must have thought you had food in your pockets. HOPE your precious friend is doing much better...have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbie. I look forward to this day, FFF, so we can all connect and share what's special in our lives...even when there isn't anything all that special, just life in general. Yes, I am happy I have these special handwritten notes/cards. They are real treasures and a glimpse into life as it was then. I don't know if everyone noticed that my grandmother said something about the churn was busy and she had to get to the butter...that was really something! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for my friend Sharon. She hopes to go home tomorrow. Thank you again for being YOU>
DeleteYes, it really does get more difficult as we get older. I remember standing in the kitchen all day making goodies and now I do well to bake a cake or cookies in addition to dinner! Mercy. I love the pic of you at 63! What a fun photo and then the little notes and card from Grandma. So sweet. Love she said how your mother got the little girl she wanted and all the good girls bring into a family. We had few parties, too. Maybe I had three over the years that I remember. I bet you played the same games at your party as we did. Drop clothesline in bottle, Pin the tail on the donkey and so forth. I like the painting of Jesus at Gethsemane because it doesn't show a face as some paintings do. Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhat's with the painted horses? Duh, looked again and just saw the link.
Thank you for enjoying this post, and the notes from my Grandma/Grandpa. That was so special to me. I only remember one other birthday party with my friends, when I was 10, and that was just with my cousin and two other friends. Otherwise we just did family parties. I loved that painting of Christ in the garden too. Really touched me that He was praying for us at that moment...and for the great sacrifice He was going to make on our behalf. So amazing. Thank you for visiting. I enjoyed your B&W post so much!!
DeleteHappy Birthday to you!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a beautiful smile. :) have I ever told you that it was your smile that attracted me to your blog, with a smile like yours I just knew you were going to be a joyful lady, and you certainly are.
I had my knee surgery in the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital and it was amazing! The love and care was so abundant from each and every staff member. It was such a memorable experience. That hospital was nearly a three hour drive for us, but well worth it.
Have a beautiful weekend~
Oh Debbie, thank you for that sweet comment about my smile. That really blesses my heart...wow...I am humbled and touched by that. In that particular picture I was listening to the family singing Happy Birthday to me and I think I was directing the "choir". I am glad that you had a good experience with the SDA Hospital. It is wonderful to know that the people there are ministering to the patient (& families) as from Christ. It makes such a difference. Thank you for your wonderful thoughts. Praying for you as you continue to regain strength each day. Blessings dear friend.
DeleteI hope you had a very blessed birthday, Pam! Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol. My birthday has been special, even though we haven't really done any big celebration...it's just been a special week to be thankful. And I am. Thank you, and may God bless you and keep you always.
Delete"Our hospital has recently been purchased by the Seventh Day Adventist Hospitals, and I love that Christ is honored and "expected" to be a part of the healing process here."
ReplyDeleteI love that there are churches that have hospitals!
And...
I love that you are surrounded by an Army of Deer.
Happy Birthday, Pamela!
Thank you, Sandi...and yes, that 'army of deer", sometimes I believe they are like little angels surrounding our home..they seem to feel safe here. I don't feed them, except what they find on the ground and bushes, but they are God's special creatures and I feel honored to have them near. Thank you for your thoughts about the "healing process" of hospitals that revere and honor Christ. I agree.
DeleteHappy Birthday once again, Pamela! Loved what photos you did share here, especially the stained glass and those painted horses - how unusual! Glad Sharon is in such a caring facility, too. Will continue to pray.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Thank you for your continued prayers for Sharon. She appreciates every prayer and kind thought from everyone...and many across the country are definitely praying. So wonderful to be a part of the family of God. Have a blessed weekend dear friend.
DeleteNice memories. I like the birthday photos the best but am always happy to see the dear deer dining on your lawn.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how long chapels will continue on in hospitals since many are now even not labeling newborns as male or female!
Thankful for your friendship and wish I knew you better.
My dear "deer" Annie, I also would love to get to know you better...I feel as though we all have this screen we sort of hide behind here (the computer screen) that keeps us "safe" from anyone getting too close...and it is so easy to portray ourselves only the way we want to be seen, and perhaps not always the way we really are. I try to be very open and honest with my feelings and thoughts here, and yet, I know that there is much that remains safely tucked away inside me so no one can see "too much". However, that being said, I believe that our spirits and souls tend to reach out beyond this screen and touch each other's lives with our deepest being. We can see with spiritual eyes the beauty within each other regardless of our warts and faults and defects. Perhaps one day we will be able to truly see and embrace each other face to face...but until then, we will connect through God's spirit waves across the land, where there is no interference of time and space and physical barriers. That's how I feel about many of our dear friends here in 'blogland'...it is a special bond that we share as we pour out our hearts here together. As far as the chapels in hospitals, etc., I pray that we will always have the choice of Christian backed hospitals available to us in this land. Still praying for our nation and our leaders, especially right now as they are in a very strong battle between what is holy and what is unholy...what is dark and what is light...this battle is much bigger than what the media even will ever understand. Praying for us all.
DeleteO congratulations on your birthday. You are 12 years older than me, just as old as one of my sisters. So funny that old photo of your birthday. You all look so neat!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Aritha. I am glad your sister and I have our "old age" in common! Ha ha! Yes, that birthday party was a memorable day, although this picture is the only thing I remember about it! I do remember all of the kids in the picture, and some of them I will see soon at my high school 50 year reunion! Many of us went to school together all 12 grades, and we have tried to stay in touch throughout the years, even though many of us have moved far and wide away and back again! We have some priceless memories. May your day be blessed today, you "young" lady! :)
DeleteHaha, "young"... Great, such a high school reunion!
DeletePam: I love the painted horses. The cards are interesting reading. I spotted you in the old photo before I read about where you were in the group. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cecelia. Thinking about you and yours... Ha! You could pick out my little freckled face in the group! I just realized that was 60 years ago...wow! I didn't think about it before, but that was my 8th birthday, and now I am 68. I will see some of those "kids" at my 50 year class reunion in a few weeks. Amazing!!!
DeleteWhat wonderful keepsakes are those notes from your grandparents! I love the horses and of course, the deer! That photo of you with your arms in the air... precious!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terri. I love those notes from Grandma and Grandpa too. I have so few memories of them, so when I find something like this it is truly a treasure. In the picture of me, I was listening to them sing Happy Birthday, and I was probably directing the "choir" as well. I tend to be rather silly on my birthday (and at other times as well). Have a blessed day my friend.
DeleteBeautiful memory photos and I loved the painted horses along with the deer and stained glass window too Pamela. Have a day of blessings ahead my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Toni. I am thankful to have a few memories of childhood still tucked away. I can't believe the birthday party was 60 years ago! I will see some of those same "kids" at our class 50th reunion in a few weeks! Have a blessed day as well, Toni. Enjoy "fall" in your area. Send us some cooler weather, please?
DeleteHappy belated birthday Pamela. It was fun to see your old photos and also the best wishes from family members on the occasion of your birth. My mom had 2 boys and 2 girls too. I agree that the older we get we just don't do the things we used to like cakes and parties and so on. I definitely have slowed down with the family dinners I used to make for loved ones. It is nice though to have some unique family traditions isn't it? Like your apple pie for your birthday.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joyful! Where were you in the family lineup of 2 boys and 2 girls? I was the baby. We still TRY to get together for family birthdays as often as possible...but sometimes things just get in the way and we can't, especially as we get older and our "old" bodies don't always cooperate with our plans! I have been looking forward to an apple pie today, but not sure it is going to happen after all. My brother in law is not feeling well, so they may not be able to make the 2 hour trip here. So, I may just bake my own pie! LOL. Have a blessed day!
DeleteAlways love your posts and photos. So many deer! How cool is that. I have cards that were sent to my parents when I was born as well. I love to read messages written so long ago. Such sweet memories! Have a blessed day.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday Pamela, I see that we both share September birthdays! Such a sweet picture of you with your birthday cake and pie! I'm sure whatever apple pie you were blessed with, was delicious and enjoyed! I so enjoyed the picture of your walk with the deer, I find that they like to play hide and seek with me too as we walk! So fun to interact like that with them! I will pray for your friend, and trust that she is able to quickly recover, how wonderful that you were able to spend time in the chapel praying for her! What a precious postcard to receive from your grandmother, such beautiful handwriting, what a keepsake! Always enjoy my visit with you... Blessings and hugs to you today :)
ReplyDelete