Learning More About Me...I've Been Tagged!!!

I've been "Tagged" by my daughter, Jessi. So here are my answers...did you learn anything new about me?

JOBS I'VE HELD:

Office worker at 13, in my parents' business office
Apartment cleaner at my parents' apartments to help earn money for college
Young Life Workcrew- Malibu (Christian Camp in Canada)
Young Life College-Prep Counselor
Young Life Leader- Roosevelt Young Life Club
Youth Group Leader- University Presbyterian Church- Seattle
Teacher and Drama Director- Shorecrest High School
Teacher and Drama Director-Hosterman Jr. High-Minneapolis, Mn.
Antique collector-refinisher/seller
Professor of Communications- Whitworth, Eastern Washington University
Professor of Communications- Spokane Community College-31 years (still do full time)
Counselor- Individual and Family (certified)
Communications and Business Consultant- Owner of Own Business Firm- 30 years (still do full time)

MY GUILTY PLEASURES: (and I no longer feel guilty :))

Getting my nails done
Getting massages
Having a week-long annual spiritual retreat at Cannon Beach (without family)
Buying fresh flowers for my home
Getting a hardback book from one of my favorite authors and NOT waiting for it to come out in paperback! :)

PLACES I HAVE LIVED:

Seattle, Washington (grew up there)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (during Tim's internship and residency)
San Salvador, El Salvador (briefly during med school work down there)
Spokane, Washington

SHOWS I ENJOY:

I LOVE live theater- Nutcracker Ballet (every year at Christmas)
Mama Mia, The Lion King (saw in London) and saw Lion King again in Spokane
The King and I and Fiddler on the Roof- Broadway

I LOVE "vintage"movies-Flower Drum Song, Brigadoon, Three Coins In A Fountain

TV- Home and Garden Channel-Decorating Cents, Designed to Sell

PLACES I'VE BEEN ON VACATION:

Canada
Hawaii- Maui (my parents lived there part of the year)
Mexico
Guatemala
England
El Salvador
New York
Washington DC
Cruises to: Greece and Turkey

FAVORITE FOODS:

Fresh Crab
Lobster
Salmon
Steamed Clams
Linnies chicken and peanut sauce dish (#19)
My Mom's "Bunny Rolls" at Easter
Romaine Salad at Lindamans
Anything Ryan Farrell barbeques!

WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY: (or regularly)

Daily when home:
Jessi's
Amy's

Regularly:
Kathi Best's
Kim Ellis
Lorie's

AWARDS I HAVE WON: (that mean something to me)

Most inspirational Skiier- my first ski class at Buzz Fiorini ski school-my only sports trophy
Rose Maiden- Inspirational student as a senior in high school
Outstanding Teacher- Shorecrest High School
Burlington Northern- Outstanding Teacher Award- Spokane Community College
Gold Medalist- Outstanding Teacher for all four year colleges and universities and community colleges in Washington State
Silver Medalist- Second in the Nation (for the same award)

NICKNAMES:

Punkin (from my Mom and Dad)
Punk (family nickname)

From Bert:
Sweetie- Pie
Sweet ums
Love-of-my-life
Genelda (he's Rudolpho)

From Jessi and Amy:
Mommy
Mama
Mums
Mums-me

From Grandkids:
Nana
Nans
NanaBoppa (as one word from Jacob)

What fun to do this!! It brought back lots of great memories!
Did you learn anything new about me?
God Bless! Love, Linda

LIFE LESSONS ON FORGIVENESS

One of the true blessings of a more relaxed summer pace-of-life is the joy of reading and some introspective soul searching. Having that time to reflect on who I am now, where I have been, and where I need to go is a refreshing and yet at times painful "Time out"! :)

Somehow my time at Cannon Beach always produces a "theme". That topic of learning, for both Sharon and me, may come from a speaker or a book we find at the Cannon Beach bookstore that "calls our name!" This year my soul was so hungry for nourishment of all kinds...spiritual nourishment, physical nourishment, intellectual nourishment, and emotional nourishment. Several books provided food for my soul. Forgiveness by Jerry Jampolsky and Grace Eventually by Ann Lamott were mainstays in my Cannon Beach diet. Both of these books focus in part on forgiving yourself and forgiving others. And then the icing on the cake was reading a post my daughter Jessi made on her blog about forgiveness. Yes, it was truly time to once again re-visit that topic.

I must admit that I always ponder how honest to be as I make blog entries. This isn't a diary and it's not, for me, a way to vent personal issues. How much do I say? How vague do I need to be. Yet one of the joys of being 60 is that authenticity seems to lead the way. Personal growth is a goal. So after saying a prayer...here goes.

I loved my parents dearly and they loved me. They showed up in my life in amazing ways. They had my back. I was adored. Yet they were human, just like I am. They both came from very broken backgrounds. My Dad was abandoned early in life and sent on a train at age 8 to live with a father who didn't want him. My Mom's Dad committed suicide after a terrible auto accident and was found by my Mom and her brothers. Their stories of courage, determination, and hard work parallel their stories of pain and abandonment. They had such hurts around family. The common scenario was to have a fight with a sibling or parent, get estranged, stop talking, never deal with conflict, try to drink the pain away (my dad), never truly forgive, and then after their parent's or sibling's death carry a deep, bone marrow depth grief until their own death. My Dad did not speak to his father for 27 years and my Mom didn't speak to one of her brothers for 15 years. The issues that brought about these estrangements were human hurts caused by human people. This pattern terrifies me to the core of my being!

I learned many positive things from my parents. However forgiveness of self and others was not a part of my family culture growing up.

When I was born with one hand, my dad, in deep despair, left. He left my Mom in the hospital to deal with her own grief and he left me. He, to his credit, came back. I carry that "leaving" in my soul. And I have forgiven him. But the little girl inside me still grapples with having a Daddy who totally loved her not as she was. I have spent much of my life trying to be more, to be better so people would love me. I often wondered if just being me was truly enough.

And then in 8th grade I went to Malibu. Recently at church we have sung the song "Thank you God for blessing me!" I have wept each time we have sung it and cried so hard that I thought I might break!

The words of this song have brought back a vivid picture, long forgotten, of that scared 8th grade girl who pretended to be OK on the outside, but was truly damaged and afraid on the inside. At Malibu I learned that God loved me, just as I was. And God forgave me. And Jesus died for me and won't leave me. My whole life changed! This wasn't about theology or which church to go to. This was about feeling and knowing God's love for the first time. I began to "get" that forgiveness and God's grace, while undeserved, were there for the taking. For the first time I forgave myself for having one hand. For the first time I felt "whole!"

Since that time, so many years ago, I have had two goals...and neither are easy. My first is to love the Lord with all of my mind, heart and spirit....and to love my neighbor as myself! I made a sacred commitment to work on both of these goals. While these words may sound like a cliche'...they are the benchmarks of what matters to me. And taking this walk daily is the hardest thing I have ever done!

I am so utterly, horribly and wonderfully HUMAN! I struggle to give my heart over to God and to truly love others (all others) unconditionally. I struggle with forgiving myself for the huge and small mistakes I make. I struggle with the hurts I receive from others.

Just like my parents...I struggle with forgiveness!

Jerry Jampolsky's book Forgiveness: The Greatest Healer of All, that I found at Cannon Beach , has helped me in looking at this topic. In the book he makes several statements about forgiveness that really resonate for me. Here are just a few of them:

What we need to forgive in others may be something in ourselves that we have hidden from our own awareness.

We can choose to have peace of mind as a clear goal.

We are responsible for our own happiness.

Forgiveness means seeing the light of God in everyone-regardless of their behavior.

The happiest marriages are built on a foundation of forgiveness.

To not forgive is a decision to suffer.

To be happy, all I have to do is give up my judgements.

The power of love and forgiveness in our lives can produce miracles.

The key word in learning to forgive is the willingness to forgive.

Knowing that God loves you and forgives you is a starting point for loving and forgiving others.

Lots of food for thought! I know in my heart of hearts that all of these statements are true! Living them just isn't easy.

As Ann Lamott says, "I have so many bad thoughts in my head about people that it could make Jesus drink straight gin from a cat dish!" I LOVE this line!

My critical and judgemental voice sometimes just won't shut up! I'm critical of myself and critical of others. Even if the criticisms aren't voiced ..they are there.

I learned at Cannon Beach, some time ago, that criticism is spiritual murder...it murders the spirit of the person being criticized and it murders your own spirit to be filled with critical thoughts!

As I leave Cannon Beach I set up a yearly goal...a spiritual growth area for me to work on. This year my goal is forgiveness. Not a surface forgiveness, but forgiveness at the core! Who do I need to forgive? Who do I need to ask forgiveness from? How do I start this process? It's a HUGE topic for me!

Some of this journey to forgiveness will be found on this blog. Stay tuned! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic...over coffee or on this blog.

God Bless! Love Linda

I AM BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE....Thoughts on This Summer!

It is hard, on one level, to believe that my last post was at the end of the school year. Yet on another level I have been so busy LIVING this summer that I have waited until now to write about it! Here are a few highlights:

1) As soon as school was out and grades were in, it was time to kick into full gear with Ironman on the horizon. The Thursday before Ironman I had time with Emma and then again on Saturday night, before Ironman, we had a "sleep-over" at Nana's. I use the word "sleep" very loosely (she got to sleep at 1am). We had a blast telling stories and getting ready to get up at 4am (or at least I got up then). I'd forgeotten many of the ins and outs of getting ready with a toddler. Jessi did a great job packing Emma's "stuff" but the logisitics of kid-time and kid-stuff are amazing! Ironman was an amazing experience. Emma and I had Tri-Fusion colored balloons (and signs that disappeared before we could use them :( , but the best memories of the day were screaming for Mommy and Daddy, Kathi Best, and Uncle Mark! Seeing them all finish, their dedication and perseverence, was amazing. Doing the day with Emma, was even better! Both of us love to cheer on those we love! I love you Rog, Jessi, and Emma...you rock and I am blown away by your athletic skills and discipline!

2) Following Ironman I went to Seattle for the Women of Faith Conference with Amy, Jenna, and Sharon Hartnett! What a blessing to have time with Amy and Jenna at the Westin Hotel, order room service, walk around Seattle, and go to Women of Faith. I have several vivid memories from past times at Women of Faith. Once Amy was in great pain, prior to her back surgery. The other time she and Ryan were praying non-stop to have a baby! God answered both of these prayers! Being in the arena, listening to so many Christian women singing, clapping, laughing and crying is beyond description for me. Doing that with Amy( and Jenna) and Sharon touched my heart! I felt then, and feel now, "Blessed beyond measure" and so grateful for all that God has done!!! Amy, Jenna, and Sharon...sharing my faith with you blesses me beyond measure!

3) Hoopfest came next and we came back from the Women of Faith Conference to cheer on Ryan and Zac! It's such a treat to see them play basketball. I love cheering on family members, no matter the sport!! I love you Ryan and Zac!

4) The next stop on the summer express was seeing Kayla at Horse Camp! She adores horses and loves to go stay at this ranch for a week to groom and care for her horse of the week. She also gets a chance to take riding lessons! How fun it was to drive out to see her in her final horse show! This brought back memories of my horseback riding days at Jimmy Rainwater's in Seattle!... a great memory and it's fun to watch Kayla do what she loves! Thanks Kayla for sharing your love of horses with me!

4) Then it was up to the lake for the 4th of July celebration! Highlights were decoarating the boat for the boat parade, seeing Jacob and Emma waterski, going on the yellow rubber raft behind the ski boat with Emma, the fireworks, and having relaxed time with family and friends! I'm constanntly amazed at the work Ryan and Amy (and family) have done up there. Everything from re-structuring the beach, to a HUGE weeding/ bark project, to building several slate walks, to curtains inside, to getting the rugs cleaned...the list goes on and on! There is no way Bert and I could keep this up without their help! Thank you Ryan, Amy and your whole family for all of your help! We love you!

5) Following more lake time and consulting and doing workshops for businesses, I headed to Cannon Beach for my yearly spiritual retreat with Sharon Hartnett! This really is personal restoration time for me! Highlights were GREAT and honest talks with my wonderful buddy Sharon, time for naps and more naps, walking, walking, and more walking, reading Ann Lamott's books (in fact reading 9 books while I was there), time on the ocean, and time to really reflect on my faith. I did LOTS of self-care and even had TWO massages in one week! I came back rested physically, spiritually, and emotionally! Thanks Sharon for being such a great friend!

6) Next, I loved celebrating Jessi's 30th birthday, post-Ironman! I had such fun going to lunch with her at Twiggs, and decorating a series of boxes and scapbooking messages on what turned out to be almost a wedding-cake sized present. I wanted each box to celebrate a part of who Jessi is as she starts her 30th year on the planet!(home, family, pamper yourself, athlete, faith...)! I was 30 when I had Jessi, so Jessi being 30 has lots of meaning for me! If you want to know what my daughter was like at age 4...just look at Emma!
Happy 30th sweetie! I love you!

7) Special time with my grandchildren and my daughters is a WONDERFUL part of the summer for me!!! I've had time to "snorkel" with Jacob, make trips to Ben Franklin, and be amazed at his alien drawings! I've had time to hold Jenna and caress her sweet face! I've had time to play castle with Emma, have lunch at Nordies and see a movie downtown. I've had time to watch Flicka with Kayla and talk to Zac, and I've had time to talk to Amy and Jessi (just about my favorite thing to do)! I love you all!

8) Special time with my sweetie Bert is also another wonderful part of the summer! Lately we've eaten in some new restaurants, enjoyed time at the lake, and watched movies that we both enjoy. We've also loved going to church together and rocking out to the gospel choir! And of course we talk endlessly....about life, faith, our kids and grandkids, and how blessed we are!

Today is August 1st, and there are several weeks left before summer winds down! I'm preparing for our annual family garage sale and relishing the time left before school starts! I've loved this summer and I'll cherish each day I have left before school begins again and my pace of life moves into high gear!

Recently Amy told me about a person at Safeway who when asked how he was said ..... "Blessed beyond measure!" That phrase really sums up my time this summer! I feel blessed beyond measure!

Love and hugs to all who read this! God Bless! Love, Linda

Thirteen Things I Love About The End of The Quarter!!

This is always an amazing time for any teacher! It is the end of the college quarter and the end of the school year! Everyone is exhausted...physically, emotionally, and intellectually! Yet there is a great sense of accomplishment! Students are graduating and moving on with their dreams. I have been a teacher for 39 years, thirty one at the community college. I have loved every minute of it!

So, since it is Thursday, here are Thirteen Things I Love About The End Of the Quarter!

1) I love reading the final projects that my students submit!

While it takes hours and hours to write all the comments (I have a reputation for writing lots of remarks on what they submit) I want my students to know that I deeply value the time and effort they put into what they do. My comments reflect several things- I read what you wrote and I value what you did!

2) I love seeing the growth my students make!

It is SO rewarding to have students come and say, as one did yesterday, "my whole family is being changed since I took conflict management!"This student has made substantial positive growth this quarter! He has moved from "I'm always right!" (a 9/1 style) to trying the art of compromising!!

3) I love seeing how courageous my students are!

Many of my students have overcome so many HUGE obstacles to be in school. Many are single parents with little support! Others have had life traumas that could be the script for a made-for-TV movie! My students are brave! They are so courageous! They are role models for others about real courage!

4) I love what I teach!

Teaching communication skills is life giving to me! I genuinely feel like taking these classes and practicing these skills can change your life in ways you can't imagine. I love teaching, and I love what I teach!

5) I love what I learn from my students!!

I am not only a teacher in my classes, I am also a learner! As my students share their lives, I learn so much from them!

6) I love that we have fun in my classroom!!

Every day my students are greeted by music and snacks! I want them to want to be in my class! I want them to look forward to being in there. I love it when they say, as one student did this week, "this class makes my day! Learning is so fun in here!"

7) I love the diversity my students represent!

My students are young and old, a rainbow of colors, men and women, abled and disabled, rich and poor, healthy and ill, single, dating, partnered, divorced and married...the full-range of God's humanity!

8) I love that teaching for me is more than a career...it's a calling!

What I know for sure is this...God made me to be a teacher! It is in my soul!!!

9) I love that I love my students (and they know it)!

I cry when they leave! I keep contact with them during their lives! I go to their weddings and I go to their funerals!

10) I love that I hold my students to high standards!

I have high expectations for my students! I believe that they are capable and smart! If I have to remind them of that and "hunt them down" to get them to do what they are capable of...no problem!

11) I love that I am going to two graduations!

I have lots of law enforcement students!! I love having them in class! Since my son Erik is a police officer, I know a bit about what they are getting into in this career! The two law enforcement teachers are not able to be at their graduation tonight! The graduating law enforcement students asked if I would come to their graduation and be there for them and shake their hands as they leave the stage. It's my honor!

12) I love that the grading is almost over!

I was here most of the weekend and until 8:30 pm last night! I need sleep and rest and while I will miss my students, I am ready for a break with grading!! My grades will go in next week!!

13) I love that I'll be back in the fall doing this all over again!

Many teachers my age, who have taught for as long as I have, are retiring. I'm not ready to yet! When I don't love this job passionately..then it will be time to go. I'm not ready to go yet!

So...thanks to all my students...past and present! Thank you for the honor of being YOUR teacher! God Bless! Love, Linda

WE ARE BLESSED!! - Welcome Jenna Marie!

It just doesn't get any better than this! I feel overflowing with love and gratitude in God's miracle of Jenna's birth!

This baby is a gift after three years of faithful prayer...and she is so loved and wanted!

It has been a joy to pray for her conception, her safe nine months of pregnancy, and her healthy birth and to pray for her whole family in this process!

She is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! At nine pounds, 21 inches... she is amazing to watch and look at!
Amy took such good care during the pregnancy, and it shows in Jenna!

She is SO loved by her amazing Mommy, who adores her with all of her heart and sees her as a gift from the Lord...her adoring Papa, who can't stop beaming at her and calls her his "precious daughter", ...her "big brother" Jacob, who can hardly stand to leave her side, ...her"big sis" Kayla, who loves her completely, ...and her"Big Brother" Zac, who at 13 is welcoming a wonderful little sister into his life.

Besides being marinated in all of that love...her Nana and Boppa love her to the moon and back, as do her other wonderful grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles!!!

Jenna----We are SO blessed to have you in our family! You are such a gift from the Lord!
We can't wait to hold you, love you, and get to know you!!!

God Bless to all who read this! Linda

Dancing In The Rain! A New Favorite Quote!

"Life Isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
but learning to Dance in the rain!"


This weekend, after a crazy week of busy schedules and medical tests, Bert and I took a trip to Sandpoint Idaho. We found a funky little shop, in the Cedar Street bridge Public Market, that was filled with garden art, steel sculptures, and printed sayings.

This quote about dancing in the rain caught my eye, and I brought the hand-painted board back to Spokane to display in my classroom.

The past few weeks have been filled with challenges, unexpected changes, and great blessings...for me and those I love!

I know, after 60 years of being on the planet and hearing my blessed Mom say in my mind and heart, that..."this too shall pass!"

Yet, when you're in the eye of the storm.. it isn't easy.

I watched the old video "Twister" when I was up at the lake this weekend. The storm, wind, and debris followed them, swirled about them, and uprooted their lives! As I watched the movie, Diamond lake was in the midst of a storm...wind blowing, white caps on the lake, and sheets of rain falling. Another unexpected storm...yet we were safe inside!

What I know for sure is that in the midst of every storm...God is there!

God is there, learnings are there, new growth, no matter how painful, is there! Change is there!

Today the sun is out, and I am back at school. I missed my students while i was gone. No matter what storms come at me this week, I am bound and determined to hold God's hand and ...

Dance in the rain!

Sending you love and hugs! God Bless! Love, Linda

It has been a time of change and challenge. But what I know for sure is that God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

I go in today to have my ankle scoped again. Recently it has taken to getting very swollen and "clicking" when I walk..also shooting pain. So we'll see if they have to do surgery, pin it, re-break it, or what!

I am optimistic! I know God loves me, looks out for me, and DOESN'T give me anything I can't handle!!! :)

So...stay tuned!

Love and hugs to all who read this! God bless! Linda

Resistance To Change

I've long thought that I was a creature of comfort who resisted making certain changes. I love to go to work on the same familiar path. I often order the same food at restaurants that I know I'll enjoy. I sometimes resist changes....even the small ones. Even the ones that are good for me. I'm often sentimental and nostalgic about keeping things the same.

This is a time of great change, and many of those changes aren't easy. I find that I even argue with God about..."Do we really have to do THIS???"

I know that change creates a lot of hard work, requires a lot of creative ideas, and interrupts the regular routine.

I also know that it's easy to fear the unknown and change often brings a dose of the unknown.

What I know for sure is that God is with me in it all! He walks with me and encourages me as I face changes, some I long for and others that scare me.

My prayer is that I face the upcoming changes with a new sense of confidence, knowing that I need to "Let Go!...and Let God!"

Hugs and God Bless! Love, Linda

CATCHING UP WITH MYSELF and OTHERS!

Where has this last month gone? Much of it has gone into a major Communications Conference at Spokane Community College. Over 650 people attended, my dear friend Sharon Hartnett was the keynote speaker, I did a major workshop and worked with a group of amazing students on a major publicity blitz, setting up conference facilities, decorations, food, coordinating a follow up luncheon...whew! It was to some extent all- consuming. In the midst of all of this, some rather major conflicts emerged. I find today that I am breathing more and smiling more! The conference was an overwhelming success...and the lessons for me are profound.

I work on learning life lessons from everything I encounter. I want to be open to learning about myself and others. I am still sorting out the lessons from this major event and time consumer!

What I know for sure is to be grateful for it all. Yet sometimes that is easier said than done!
Some challenges and obstacles hurt physically, emotionally, and break my heart. Yet leaning on my faith helps me to come through with a new perspective. There is SO much that I can't control. People at times make choices that have a huge impact on me. Yet I continue to learn that God is good all the time and all the time God is good! God is THERE in the midst of EVERYTHING...holding my hand, wiping my tears, and restoring my courage!!

Perhaps some of these really tough moments are actually life defining. Do I REALLY lean on God? Do I really believe that He holds my future in the palm of his hand? Or are those words I kinda, sorta put into practice.

I wouldn't trade this month for anything! Yet I'm delighted to have time again to look around, smell the flowers, and appreciate my life!

Hope you are loving yours as well! God Bless! Love, Linda

LOVING TRADITIONS ...AND PASSING THEM ON!!!!

Yesterday was Easter, and I am still walking around with a grin as I recall our celebration. It was laced with old and new family traditions!

First, Bert and I went to church and our gospel choir rocked our souls! We celebrated God's deep and abiding love!

Next, family gathered at our home and we had a potluck feast with strawberry waffles (thanks Aim for making the waffles), Nancy's famous egg casserole :), great meat dishes by Eileen :), super juices by Jessi:) and fruit trays and other Easter treats!

Then we opened Easter baskets which had been sitting out with balloons tied to them! Jacob and Emma were so patient, yet kept taking litttle peaks of what was inside! :)

Finally, we had the annual Easter Egg Hunt! I can still hear the voices of my grandchildren and family during this event! Here's the tradition: The eggs all have names on them. When you find an egg, if it isn't yours, you have to call or go get the egg's owner, before you can move on!! :) :) My creative brain came up with this new tradition a number of years ago...and now we hear all over the yeard..." Zac!!", "Emma!!", ""Jacob!!", "Kayla!!" and "Madison!!"

Rog and Ryan were the egg hiders, with expert help from Bert, Rog Sr., and Gary! When the eggs got opened up you could hear the younger kids squeel...." I have a dollar!!" "Oh my gosh, I have five dollars!" Rog Sr. said to Bert, with a smile on his face,..."Remember when we felt like that about a dollar?!!"

I grew up in a wonderful family that had traditions for every holiday!

For Easter my Mom made bunny rolls, decorated our table (I still have the plastic bunnies), and we had an Easter brunch!

We didn't just decorate for Easter, we decorated inside and out for every holiday! As I put the giant bunnies in the yard yesterday I missed my Mom, but I was SO GRATEFUL for the traditions she gave me that I could pass on!

At times, in the midst of our busy lives, it's easy to take family for granted. After all, they'll always be there, and I'll get to them down the road. I know first hand that in an instant they can be gone!

Yesterday was a great reminder to me to gather family together to celebrate holidays and most of all each other!

A family is your glue... that stuff that holds you together when you are falling apart! A family has your back...when everyone else is gone! A family sees you at your worst...and loves you anyway! A family makes time to spend with you...nothing is more important! A family steps up to the plate to help you with a willing heart...remembering that countless times you have done that for them! A family is loyal to you...they are the ones who wouldn't let someone say something negative about you without paying a price.

I love my family with my WHOLE heart!!! All of the family and all of its extended members!

I loved yesterday and carrying on my Mom's traditions (and making some of our own). :)

I hope your celebration of Easter lifted YOUR heart and made you grateful for those around you!

Love and Hugs to all of you reading this!

God Bless! Linda

A DELICIOUS SUNNY DAY! HAPPY EASTER!

The weather is stunningly beautiful. The warmth is bringing out the leaves, buds, and flowers, and I have loved digging in the garden! It's so satisfying to my soul! Tomorrow is Easter, and I'm beyond JOY as I put Easter baskets together and get eggs ready to be discovered by my precious grandchildren.

Yet at the same time I am so aware, and so deeply grateful, for God's deep and abiding love.
I keep humming tunes I learned in Young Life as I dig in the dirt!

What I know for sure is that the true meaning of Easter is all about re-birth and renewal... and it's all about Jesus!

I am so grateful for my life...for all of it! For the great joys and great sorrows, for the confident expectation that HOPE brings to my life! I am full of joy to get up every day, no matter what that day brings!

May you enjoy every moment of the sunshine, know God's love for you, and have a blessed Easter!

God Bless! Love, Linda

THIRTEEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT SPRING BREAK!!!

I am SO delighted to have a break from the usual school routine. Here are thirteen things I love about spring break:

1) I love that instead of my usual getting up at 3 or 3:30, I can sleep in until 5 am!

2) I love getting a first cup of coffee and really having time to sit down, taste it, and relax!

3) I love seeing the green plants break through the crinkly leaves as spring approaches!

4) I love having the time to cook one of my favorite chicken dishes and deliver meals to four people I love!

5) I love having time to talk on the phone and not say, "Whoops, I've got to go to class!!"

6) I love taking walks and seeing tulips and spring flowers start to bloom around the city!

7) I love knowing that it's Lent and observing with anticipation Christ's gift to me!

8) I love having time with grandkids to play castle, eat popsicles, and watch fun movies!

9) I love being home in the morning when Bert gets up and not having to write an "I love you note!", but deliver a kiss in person.

10) I love getting Easter goodies for our annual Easter egg hunt and sending Easter goodies to grandkids who live in Puyallup and Texas!

11) I love anticipating the next group of students I will be blessed to have in my classes spring quarter!

12) I love having the time for a leisurely lunch with Amy and coffee with Jessi!

13) I love that Jesus died for me and that I get to celebrate His gift of love on Easter Sunday!

May you have a blessed day and enjoy our gorgeous spring weather!!
God Bless! Love, Linda

Faith, Boldness, and Self-Confidence

"Confidence is a wonderful thing
that allows me to face life with
boldness, openness, and honesty."
-Joyce Meyer

I truly believe that as a Christian I am loved, valuable and safe in God's will for my life.
When I embrace these truths it is easy to step out and try new things, even though I will make mistakes along the way. When I focus on God and His love, I am able to expect success rather than fear failure.

Some weeks this is easier said than done.

It seems that there is lots of hurting going on right now.
I can listen, but I don't have all the answers.
In fact, I have very few answers to these complex problems.
On some days, if I lean on my own understanding, I feel drained and fearful.

When I remember to lean on God, I feel bold and self-confident!
This self-confidence is rooted in God's love and energy, not my own!
I'm working on letting go and letting God!

I know that I need a break
It's around the corner.
Rest will help me to see things in perspective!

All I can say today is that through faith I expect good things to happen and problems to be solved!

God bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION ! It's Finals!

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, March 16th

"One of the nice things
about being pulled apart..

is that you get to
come back together again"

-Bert Salisbury March 16th over coffee

No one gets it unless they go through it!
That quote applies to life.

It certainly applies to college teachers at finals time!

I love my job!
I am made to do this!
It is a calling!
God meant for me to be a teacher!

I love my students!
Having time with them in a classroom blesses my life!
I will always be their teacher!

Yesterday was my last day with students this quarter!
There have been countless days of getting up at 2am to grade.

So many have said, "Why do you make so much work for yourself?"

My answer is simple:
My students derserve the best I can give every day!
My students deserve to have high expectations to live up to!

Hard work builds character!

I still have 90 notebooks to grade and 90 take home tests to grade ....
and then final grades!

It's all worth it!

I have been pulled apart...and I am coming back together again!
God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION !

Friday's Favorite Quotation for Friday March 2nd

Having a place to go
is a home

Having someone to love
is a family

Having both
is a blessing!

Today I am so grateful for both..and on top of that...the sun is shining!

God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION !

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, February 23 rd

'WHAT IS REAL?'

asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day.
'Does it mean having things
that buzz inside you
and a stick-out handle?'

'Real isn't how you are made,'
said the skin horse.

'It's a thing that happens to you.
It doesn't happen all at once.
You become.

It takes a long time.

Generally by the time
you become real
most of your hair has been loved off
and your eyes drop out
and you get loose in the joints
and very shabby.

But these things don't matter at all
because once you are real
you can't be ugly
except to people who don't understand.'


-The Velveteen Rabbit


On this special Friday may you find the freedom and confidence to be the real you, the you that God made and cherishes!

God Bless! Love, Linda

THURSDAY THIRTEEN : Re-Focusing On Thirteen Goals I Have For 2007

I love February, with my birthday and Valentines day. I love March. It is on the horizon with the promise of spring on March's heels. Yet while I love every day, every week and every month, time seems to slip away so quickly.

It's time to re-focus my goals for 2007. Where am I now? Where do I want to be? What am I learning?

Here's goal #1. I'll share the other twelve over the next few weeks. These come out of a program developed by Joyce Meyer.

Re-Focused goal #1: Break Away From Other People's Expectations and Focus on What God Expects from me:

I struggle at times with wanting to make everyone happy. I often pick up on unspoken expectations and feel sad when I disappoint someone or irritate them. I wish they could tell me what they really need, and we could reach a compromise.

What works best for me is when people can voice what they need . What works best for me is when people don't keep score. What works best for me is being around people who are affirmers, who truly love me for me. Those people light up my life! Those people boost my spirit and soul!

What works best is when I focus on what God expects and let go of criticism, real and imagined.

Silent criticism, judgements and score keeping can be joy robbers if you let them! When I am critical, judgemental or keeping score I rob myself of my own joy!

Once, at a Cannon Beach Retreat, the pastor said,

"Criticism is spiritual murder! It murders the soul of the person being criticized and the person doing the criticizing!"

I believe this to be true.

Now that I am sixty, I am learning (again) that I cannot be all things to all people-not at work, not at home, not in my family, and not to friends, students, and consulting clients. As much as I wish I could, I can't meet everyone's expectations.

I am learning (again) that I need to focus on what God wants and expects me to do!

My new and re-focused goal is to be true to the Lord and His expectations.
When I do this I will have a new sense of freedom, peace and love in my life!

My re-focused goal is to take criticism out of my own life. I don't want to internally or externally keep score of others!

May your life journey in 2007 also lead you to a new freedom as you re-direct your focus away from the expectations of others, away from keeping score, away from criticism. May we all move toward what God wants and expects from us!

God Bless! Love, Linda

Thought for the Day! ...Perseverence and Continuous Effort !

Winston Churchill once said,

"Continuous effort-not strength or intelligence- is the key to unlocking our potential."

I wonder if he was thinking about teachers at this point in the quarter?

The book reports are coming in, most students are exhausted, and one third of our faculty (including me) is sick with a bronchitis/flu bug!

If asked "how am I doing?"...my human self says "I'm just plugging"!

Yet a small voice inside me, heard between the hacking coughs, says ..."You are not alone. I am here through it all! I will help you find the strength for that continuous effort!!!"

This morning as I came to school, took all my medicine, and got ready for class...that small internal voice said "THANK GOODNESS FOR JESUS!!!"

So with HIS help, I will put forth a continuous effort, unlock my potential, and I will persevere through this "nasty bug."

God Bless! Have a great Tuesday full of continuous effort! Love, Linda

Friday's Favorite Quote!

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTE
for Friday, February 9th

"I can be changed by what happens to me

But I refuse to be reduced by it!"

-Maya Angelou



Now that I am sixty, I find that I look back and review the large and small events in my life. Many were life-changing. Some were beyond my control. However, how I let those events define my life IS in my control.I will learn all the lessons, and be grateful for them.However, I choose NOT to be reduced by anything that has happened to me!


Have a great Friday! God Bless! Love, Linda

I'M SIXTY!! Say It Loud...and Say It Proud!!!

February 5, 2007


"Live a good life

And in the end

It's not the years in the life,

It's the LIFE in the years!"


I feel so blessed to be alive and be sixty! I cherish my life...all of it. It all makes me who I am today!

This past weekend we had a wonderful birthday dinner celebration! I received a memory book that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I was marinated in love! I felt God's love down in my bone marrow! I felt the love of my family and friends!

And I arrived at school this morning to find my room, my door, and the hall already decorated with signs and well wishes!

The tears of gratitude just keep flowing!

God is good all the time! And all the time, God is good!

For most of my life I have had the tradition of sending my Mom flowers on my birthday! It was a way of saying thank you for having me...thank you for loving me...thank you for being there for me...thank you for adoring me!

Today, and every day, I miss being able to hug my Mom, call my Mom, and share with my Mom. But I talk to her anyway, knowing that her spirit is right here!

Someone told me Saturday night that they couldn't believe how much love I give to others. While I was born with a heart that overflowed with feelings and love...the answer to that is simple. I love others because God loves me! The love isn't just mine to give...it flows through me.

So today, on my 60th birthday, I thank the Lord for ALL of my life. I thank Him for all the joys, all the heartaches, all the growth and all the learnings!

I thank Him for my two amazing daughters Jessi and Amy, my wonderful husband Bert, my two sons Erik and Chris, Ryan, Roger, Theresa, and Nancy, the spouses of my wonderful children, my 12 grandkids Jacob, Emma, Zac, Kayla, Jenna (who will be born this June), Emmett, Emily, Rosie, Anderson, Mikaela, Quentin and Sienna...and my adopted grandkids Madison and Anna! I love you all to the moon and back!

I thank God for my special hand as it has taught me about differences and compassion. I wouldn't be me without my "lucky fin"!!!(as Kayla calls it from Finding Nemo)

I thank God for my 1st husband,Tim,his gift to my life of two daughters and the years we spent together. I thank God for my extended Seppa family...Grandma Elaine, Kris, Grandma Phyllis, Dave, Di, Bazz, Craig, Steve, Joanna, and all of their kids!

I thank God for all of my dear,dear friends especially Sharon, Eileen and Nancy, my soul sisters and Linny who has known me since I was 14 months old!

I thank God for my blessed job at SCC, every student I have had in 39 years of teaching! I have loved it all!

I thank God for all of my consulting clients, my friends from high school and college, my pastor, my church, my church choir...the list goes on and on!

If you are reading this, I thank God for YOU!

I thank God for every day I have been on the planet and every day left that I have here! May it all glorify Him!

Have a WONDERFUL February 5th!! I AM!!! God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION !

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, February 2nd



Sorrow looks back

Worry looks around

Faith looks up!


On this Friday may your life be full of faith, leaving sorrow and worry behind!

God Bless! Love, Linda

THURSDAY THIRTEEN... for February 1, 2007

Thirteen Blessings In My Life Today!

1. I feel blessed to be alive!

2. I feel blessed to know in my deepest heart of hearts that God loves me!

3. I feel blessed to be married to my very best friend and the love of my life!

4. I feel blessed to really know my daughters as unique and precious adult young women and to see them be amazing moms!

5. I feel blessed that I grew up with a Mom and Dad who adored me!

6. I feel blessed that I have a career in teaching that I would do for free and that utilizes the gifts that God has given me!

7. I feel blessed as a consultant to be of service to organizations so they can grow and be more healthy!

8. I feel blessed to have a positive attitude, a passion for life, and an energy to go with that passion!

9. I feel blessed to have friends and relatives who love me just as I am, but also give me honest and realistic feedback!

10. I feel blessed that my ankle is healing and that I can walk ten blocks without stopping!

11. I feel blessed to have a church home where my spirit is nourished!

12. I feel blessed to have a good brain (so that learning is easy) and a big heart that feels life deeply.

And last, but certainly not least....

13. I feel SO blessed to be "Nana" to 11 1/2 beautiful grandchildren who enrich my life daily!

May today be a day where you too can count your blessings! God Bless! Love, Linda

Broken Pieces- Cracked Pots

Some days, and even some weeks, we are aware of how flawed we are. It's almost as if
the glaring weaknesses are in bold print. They are hard to escape and harder yet to rectify.

As I approach sixty, one of the things I've learned is this-
God loves me just as I am, but He loves me too much to leave me like that!

Yesterday I was impatient with a student. True, his behavior wasn't kind or charming. His sarcasm was biting to everyone around him. While I love teaching...this wasn't one of the fun moments.

Truth be told, I was tired. I had been up since 3am in the morning. The student's last sarcastic comment brought an impatient response from me. I've felt that from the start of the quarter he has been testing me, but that's not the issue. Few folks would have thought my response rude or uncalled for. However, I knew the inner emotions that were disguised by my remark...and they weren't pretty.

I can not bear unkindness in others. I hate it even more in myself. I felt like an old clay pot with a crack going down the side...flawed. I know there is a lesson in this moment of truth for me.

I truly believe that God works through jars of clay or "cracked pots." This means that we are all flawed. So when people look at us, and see amazing things happening, they know it must be God at work because it certainly could not be us.

So today, I'll work to forgive myself and I'll apologize to him.

He may not have any idea why I am doing that. My remark probably wouldn't register in his book of unkind comments. But it didn't feel right to me. And I know it didn't feel right to the Lord! Ah..you gotta love being human!

God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION !

Friday's Favorite quote for Friday, January 26th


Don't tell God
How big the storm is.

Tell the storm
How big God is!



I remember my Mom using the expression "When it rains, it pours!" Sometimes, since we lived in Seattle, she meant that statement literally. We had LOTS of rain.

Other times she meant that sometimes life has a way of coming at you with multiple challenges, and you will feel you are being pelted with heavy rain.

It has been just that kind of week.

So many people I love and care about are facing new challenges. Andy, Kim, Dale, Grandma Phyllis. And today Erik, my son, has surgery in Seattle. None of the challenges are small. There are some tough mountains to climb.

Not long ago Amy gave me a CD with some Christian songs that have brought me comfort during this storm, this downpour.

On one of them the chorus says,

"So come on home
His arms are open wide.
His name is Jesus.
He understands.

He is the answer
You are looking for.
So come home running
Just as you are!"

Every morning this week I have listened to these songs, cried myself down Thor and into the parking lot at school, and worked on saying in my prayers...please God, help my friends. Please God bring relief. Please God bring complete healing to their bodies and their spirits. Please God be there with all those who love them. Please God bring them comfort.

While I can make food and visit, I can also pray.

So today, I will remember that His arms are open wide. He is the answer I am looking for. I can come home running, just as I am. Today I will yell at the top of my voice.."LOOK STORM.. LOOK HOW BIG GOD IS!!!!"

God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION !

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, January 19th

that which
masquerades
as a trial
to my spirit
today

will
dreass as
the teacher
of my
life
tomorrow.


-mary ann radmacher


As I approach 60, more and more I realize that some of my greatest personal learnings have come from great challenges...losing my parents, having one hand, going through a divorce, health issues. They ALL have, in the short run, been difficult. In the long run, they have taught me a great deal about faith, hope, tenacity, and courage!

May your "trials of today" allow for new and profound learnings!

God Bless! Love, Linda

THURSDAY THIRTEEN : SELF- TRANSFORMATION 101

For the past few weeks I have been struck by the power of mindfulness. I have worked at being INTENTIONAL about my goals, even the ones I DON'T want to work on or I struggle with prioritizing!

Every day I am doing so many things that I want to do and find joy in doing. What I have added to that list is doing at least two things EACH day that I DON'T want to do. Many of these are on-going concerns and issues.

So...today's Thursday Thirteen List is made up of areas where I commit to being mindful and intentional. I am making progress in each area,and I will continue to make progress:

1) As a college teacher I see 90 students each day and have countless papers to grade. So far this quarter,I have returned EVERY assignment the day after it was turned in. I have also included detailed comments on each one to let the students know I read what they wrote. While this is exhausting on one hand, not having a "pile" of ungraded papers relieves my mind of stress. Also, seeing the joy in students' eyes as they get papers back promptly motivates me to continue with this practice. I'll continue being mindful and doing this all quarter long!

2) I am eating oatmeal every morning. Yuk! I have heard all my life that a "good" breakfast is so important. I have read that oatmeal helps to lower cholesterol. So I will continue to eat oatmeal whether I like it or not!

3) I have been walking 10 blocks three times a week. I have also been getting to school early to walk. And then I fell. I am getting back on the horse and walking again!

4) I hate to bill my consulting clients. I wish I could just give my services without charging them, but that isn't practical or possible. I will take a day in the first week of each month to do my billing so it isn't hanging over my head. So far so good for 2007!

5) Can I state the obvious...I need to lose weight and KEEP it off. I need to schedule going to Weight Watchers just like I schedule going to physical therapy for 4 hours each week. While I have lost 13 lbs and kept it off...I have LOTS to go! So,
now, in my 60th year, it is the time to MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!

6) I am deep cleaning one room each weekend! I feel happy and relieved to be doing this! So far...both sun rooms and the living room!

7) I can NEVER have enough time and contact with my fabulous grandchildren! I love seeing the ones who live in Spokane and feel a deep missing with those who live out of town. I just got postcards to send my out of town grandkids, and I will email to keep in touch.

8) I will take a nap whenever I can, and I WON'T feel guilty about doing so!

9) I will be intentional about growing my faith in new and exciting ways!! I am getting up earlier for prayer time, reading the Bible, and getting to church on Sunday!!

10) "Worry isn't prayer!" I hear that regularly from Amy! I inherited my Mom's worry gene and find as I get older that I worry more. I will "let go and let God!" It's time, when things come up that I am concerned about, to turn them over to the Lord!

11) I want to appreciate EVERY minute that I have with my sweetheart, Bert! I want to say and do things so he will know that I adore him!

12) I want to clean my car so Emma and Jacob don't have to say.."Nana, this is a MESS!!!" By the end of next weekend it will be spotless!

13) I want to celebrate EVERY blessing in my life! I want to be aware of all the little things that are gifts from God! I want to be GRATEFUL and not take anything for granted!

Onward and upward on these goals! May you feel blessed as you do some of those things you DON'T want to do too! God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION !

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, January 12th


The jump
is so frightening
between
where i am and
where i want to be...

because of all
i may become
i will close my eyes
and leap!


Today I want to take the risk to become all God meant me to be, in EVERY area of my life!

God Bless and Happy Friday! Love, Linda

SELF-TRANSFORMATION LESSON.... ON FRIENDSHIPS

Thoughts on Friendships-

As a young girl I remember singing the rhyme-

"Make new friends

But keep the old

One is silver

And the other..gold"

As I approach my 60th birthday, I have been paging through old photo albums, looking at worn snapshots of friends in grade school, high school, college and beyond. I am struck by how many of those dear people, who mattered so much, have faded into the past, their whereabouts unknown.

My oldest fried is Linda Wise, otherwise known as "Linny". We have been friends since we were 14 months old. She turns sixty in a few weeks, and my birthday follows shortly after. We have been friends for almost sixty years, have traveled together, shared the loss of all of our parents (who were dear friends), and know each other's history and "story".

I have friends like Sharon Hartnett, who lives in Seattle, that I talk to almost weekly and travel to Cannon Beach with each year for a spiritual retreat! We laugh ourselves silly, the kind of laughing that makes you pee in your pants and saves your soul. She is someone I can always count on. She prays for me, and I pray for her.

Other friends like Eileen Thompson and Nancy Gossett are also spiritual soul sisters. We have been through so much..major illnesses, children's ups and downs, our aging process. We have laughed and cried. I can call and ask them to pray, and I know they will lovingly follow through. Our friendship times are cherished as we squeeze them in between work and busy schedules.

I am blessed to say that my daughter Amy and my daughter Jessi are my friends. I am their Mom, but as adult women we share our lives and our hearts.

I can count on Amy to love me just as I am, but challenge me to be more than I thought I could be. She is one of the "truth tellers" in my life, and the day she became a Christian was one of the best days of my life. We share our love of the Lord, our love for our families, and can talk for hours about personal growth and family. She is the most unselfish person I know and someone who is one of my role models for courage and change!

Jessi is my friend, and we share a love of teaching, family, traditions, and each other. She challenges me to get healthy and stretch what I think I can do athletically. She'll get me just the right book to read, a pedometer to measure my steps, or a sentimental card that brings me to tears. Her abilities, self-determination and self-discipline blow me away. She and I have a friendship that has grown in leaps and bounds in the past several years.

Jessi and Amy know, in their deepest hearts, that I will love them forever, like them for always, and for as long as I'm living and beyond, my babies they'll be!

Bert, the love of my life, is my best friend. I love him to the moon and back. He loves me as I am and even thinks I'm cute. He believes in me, prays for me, and knows my heart through and through.

I have friends at school and friends at church. Female friends and male friends. Old friends and new friends. But somehow..there is never enough time to catch up with all of them. Some are silver, and they all are gold!

As I get older, I have the strong desire to hold on to the important friendships in my life... to give more time to them, more love to them, more patience to them, and more forgiveness to them. I want to remember their birthdays, their anniversaries, the days that mark the loss of a loved one. I want to connect and reconnect. I want to share the stories that make us laugh, make us cry, and make us who we are!

My Mom was a great role model for deeply caring about friends. She remembered their anniversaries, even after their beloved spouses had died. She called them just to say hello or check in on an illness. She sent cards, letters, and love.

I want part of my self-transformation to include more lunches with friends, more "spa dates", more spoiling my friends so they will never doubt how much I love and adore them. I want more real moments where we let down our guard and bare our true souls. I want more honest moments where we give each other the tough and loving feedback that challenges each of us to be our best selves....I want more moments, period!

When they are gone...and I am gone...I want no regrets!

God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION!

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, January 5, 2007

Well-behaved women
Seldom make history!


Today is a landmark day for all women, no matter their political party. For the first time in 200 years, there is a female Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This is the highest office ANY woman has ever held in the US. Nancy Pelosi has made history!

I come from a very politically active family, I double majored in Communications and Political Science, and I am active in politics. My Grandma was a Democrat, my parents staunch Republicans (I trick-or-treated with Julie and Trisha Nixon when I was little), and I am an active Independent, voting for the person I feel will best do the job! Women only got the right to vote in 1920, and SO many women paved the way to this historic moment. I only wish my Mom was alive to see this. She always said..."Someday they'll figure out that smart women can effectively run ANYTHING!"

While I still believe that having good manners and being tactful is an important skill to develop, there are times when women need to be outrageous, step outside the box, and exercise all of the spunk, courage, love, joy and passion that God created in them.

Both my Mom and Grandma had great manners, but they also had moments of stepping up to the plate that were perceived by some as not being "well behaved." My Mom, in her fifties, helped to rid the University of Washington apartment area of drug dealers. She took pictures of the offending parties, orchestrated a petition, spoke with the police, and had a phone removed where drug buys took place. When she saw a problem or an injustice, she took action... she did something...she spoke up..even when others thought it "wasn't ladylike." My Mom and Grandma, just like all of the STRONG women who came before them, made history. They are my role models for having a voice!

So, to all of you who read this, find a moment to step outside your box, put "well behaved on the shelf. and test out your own unique courage! As I approach sixty, I've learned that when you do this, you'll find a new inner strength and a core value of authenticity!

God Bless! Love, Linda

SELF-TRANSFORMATION 101

Tennessee Williams once said, "Openings come quickly, sometimes, like blue space in running clouds. A complete overcast, then a blaze of light..."

New Years for me is like a blaze of light. It's a fresh start, a new beginning, and a chance to grow, change, and transform. It's an opportunity to be mindful and intentional about the "openings" in my life!

On New Years Eve, Bert and I have a tradition that sets the tone for the year to come. We sit down and share our reflections of the previous year. We talk from our hearts about our high moments, low moments, challenges, fears, and proud moments of the previous year. This conversation is a time for reflection about what has gone before, what we want to have happen in the present, and our dreams for the future.

This time of sharing is so valuable as it cements some of the important "learning moments" and gives us energy and momentum as we approach the year ahead. It's what we call an "updated postcard" about where we are with ourselves and each other.

This year, as I approach my 60th birthday on February 5th, I have set up a list of goals for 2007 that involve a transformation inside and out. Some of these goals are areas where I want to celebrate my continued progress and use of the gifts that God has given to me. Other goals involve areas that have nagged at my soul and NOW is the time to work on them.

So, I invite you to stay tuned, comment, and share your thoughts about this new part of my human journey. I'm calling it Self-Transformation-101! Perhaps some of my learnings and struggles mirror your own.There will be more to follow. I am anticipating break throughs, AH HAH moments. I look forward to discovering more of who I am and who I want to be!

Happy New Year! May God bless you with His love and grace! Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION!

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, December 29th -the last Friday in 2006!

As the New Year approaches, and we think about change and personal transformation, this favorite quotation from Maya Angelou comes to mind:


We delight in the beauty of the butterfly,
but rarely admit the changes it has gone through
to achieve that beauty!


May your journey to personal change be one that challenges you to be your BEST self!
God Bless! Love, Linda

WALKING, WALKING, and WALKING SOME MORE!!

Recovery from an injury is a slow process!

If you are impatient, this may seem like an eternity as progress comes in inches, not in feet or yards.

I am working SO hard at recovering my full strength and mobility after shattering my ankle.

Six months ago I was newly in a cast, and I often still had to use crutches.

The cast came off in mid October, and I started intense physical therapy.

We have five flights of stairs in our home and going up and down them multiple times a day was agonizingly painful and dangerous, as my footing was unsure.

There were times when I read about the athletic accomplishments of others that I felt side-lined and almost ashamed that there was so little I could do.

BOTTOM LINE: I DIDN't GIVE UP! Hard work, guts, and determination pays off- in recovering from injuries and in every other area of life!

I may have other illnesses or injuries down the road, but with hard work I can give it a shot at coming back at full strength!

Giving up is not an option I can live with!

Today I can walk ten blocks at a time without stopping and keep up a pretty healthy pace as I walk at the mall twice a week!

I just got back from doing TEN blocks in the freezing cold (and I do mean ffff..rrr...eeee...zzz..ing... cc..ooo...l...d), and I am THRILLED and GRATEFUL to be walking, walking, walking!!!!

VACATION FROLICS!!!!!

I am SO thrilled to have a break and be on vacation!

The first part of this "winter retreat" was filled with Christmas delights! I LOVE Christmas because it is filled with family fun and traditions and reminders of my faith and joy in the birth of Jesus! I LOVE Christmas because it's a reminder of what can happen when you view the magic and majesty of life through the wonder of a child's eyes! A few of the best 2006 Christmas moments for me include:

Going to Anna Seppa's Christmas choral concert- the beauty of those angelic voices and the majestic Church setting still remain in my memory.

Trying to find "just the right gift" for my loved ones.

Going to Zac and Kayla's Baptism on December 10th at Crossover Church! What an important and life-changing moment for these two special grandchildren. Looking over and seeing the tears streaming down Ryan and Amy's faces really touched my heart! Being there with family and three sets of grandparents and all of their parents there was such a perfect Christmas moment!

Getting dressed up in Christmas glitter, going out to Azteca for lunch and then to the NUTCRACKER BALLET with Jessi and Emma! I anticipated this event all year long, got the tickets in September, and LOVED every moment of doing this with my daughter and her daughter! Seeing Emma watch the magic of this ballet will stay with me forever!

Taking hours and hours to decorate our tree with an "old-fashioned" Christmas theme.
Our tree is decked out with old photos of my parents, celebrating Christmas in Hawaii, and family photographs, past and present! The day before Christmas eve I even put roses (with water tubes) in the branches!

Drawing my own Christmas card, spending hours in pen and ink and watercolor pursuits, with the final drawing showing Santa by a Christmas tree "checking his list! The list had the names of my grandchildren on it! Then it was glitter time!!! Each card was individually "re-colored" (after being color copied by Kinkos) and GLITTERED!! Kayla, my grandaughter, helped me with that! What a hoot!! Too much work you say? Not work at all for me! I get lost in drawing and doing art, and it revives my spirit! Put on Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby..I am as happy as a clam at high tide!!

Having lunch with Amy and Jacob and then heading to do some shopping! Seeing Jacob hop up on Santa's lap was amazing and a memory I will store in my heart!

Going to Ryan's 6th grade class at Riverside and doing an "art" Christmas project with his kids! We got wooden ornaments at JOANNS (one of my favorite craft stores :))
and Kayla and I had a blast in Ryan's class as the students made ornaments for their parents! He is an AMAZING teacher! What fun!

Celebrating Christmas at Clinkerdaggers with my dear friend Sharon Hartnett! The decorations there are wonderful and put me in a Christmas mood!

Having time by the fire drinking coffee with Bert as we laughed and remembered Christmas moments when the boys (Chris 45 and Erik 42) and girls (Jessi 29 and Amy 27) were little!

Going out for Thai food with my grandson Zac is a fun tradition we enjoy! It's a one-on-one time to catch up!

Seeing Charlotte's Web with Amy, Kayla and Jacob was so much fun!! That story holds SO many lessons!

Going to Jacob's Christmas program at Montessori and seeing him as a reindeer singing his songs..it warmed my heart! How fun to hear him say to his teacher "My WHOLE family is coming to my program"!!

Talking to Emma about Santa's upcoming visit and seeing the wonder in her eyes as she told me about what she had asked Santa for...well it just doesn't get better than that!

Drinking coffee at Starbucks with Jessi as we shared our lives. Seeing Emma sleep peacefully in Jessi's lap brought back so many of those memories for me when I did that with Jessi!

Having Christmas dinner (with turkey and trimmings) for the Farrell family at our home! What a fun family time and seeing the presents opened and enjoyed was WONDERFUL!

Christmas morning and breakfast with Jessi, Rog, and Emma was amazing, and it was so fun to hear Emma recount that Santa had stopped at the house the night before and knew her name!!!

Listening to Christmas music, watching White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street, and reading my Bible to recount the real Christmas story! All of these helped me to have a "Christmas Heart!"

The "magic moments" of Christmas go on and on, every one of them a moment to cherish!

SO WHAT ARE MY "LIFE LESSONS" ABOUT CHRISTMAS AS I APPROACH 60?

It's easy to get caught up in the pressure, stress and "I'm SO busy" state of mind that can turn Christmas from a JOY into a series of obligations. My learning has been to only do that which is meaningful to ME at Christmas time!! Throw away the imaginary "timetables"..send your cards or letters early or late or not at all. Take time for cherishing the real spiritual reasons for this season! Go and sing Christmas carols to your neighbors all by yourself, if no one else wants to go! Set aside your "adult mentality" and role model your excitement about this special time of year from the children around you!

What if you knew this was your last Christmas? How would you cherish it then?

May the wonder of this Christmas stay with you throughout 2007 and may you anticipate
all the miraculous blessings God has in store for you in 2007! Love, HUGS and God Bless! Linda

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME!

I remember as a small girl singing the "Christmas Song". It went like this:

C- is for the Christ child, born on Christmas day

H- for herald angels in the night

R- means our redeemer

I- means Israel

S- is for the star that shone so bright

T- is for three wise men, they who traveled far

M- is for the manger where He lay

A- is for all He stands for

S- means shepards came

And that's why there's a Christmas Day!!!


As I approach sixty, the true meaning of Christmas for me is still found in these
profound but simple lines! I hope you and your families had a very blessed Christmas! God Bless! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION!

Friday's Favorite Quote for Friday, December 22nd

December 22nd has a special meaning in my life. It is my parents' wedding anniversary! They were married Decembember 22, 1941 and were married 50 years, before my Dad passed away.

They loved each other, and they loved me!

Today's "Friday's Favorite Quote" is something I heard from my parents every night of my life...until I left for college. Even in college and beyond, and in the worst moments, they would look at me and say these words. Today's favorite quote is for you Mom and Dad...


Mommy and Daddy

Will ALWAYS love you

No matter what!



I miss them every day, and especially at Christmas time! They taught me about unconditional love, and I will always love them ... no matter what! One of my "life lessons" as I approach sixty is fully appreciating the love my parents had for me, their absolute devotion, and how God blessed me by allowing them to be my Mom and Dad.

OH...YOU BETTER WATCH OUT! : )

There has been a sighting on the South Hill !!!!

Neighbors are talking, children are whispering....."WHO is in that bundle of jacket, scarves and hat that circles the blocks of 12th and Thor, even before it is light out???"

Who is that masked woman(hard to tell how old she is because she is SO bundled up) who takes the same route three to four times a week?

Some Guesses At This Holiday Time?
Secret Santa? Mrs. Claus?

No...you better watch out....it's an exercising NANA! aka..Linda doing TEN, read my lips, TEN blocks at 4am this Sat December 16th.

And she's even humming.."Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why...Linda Salisbury is walking and coming to town!

God Bless and Holiday HUGS to you all! Love, Linda

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION!

Friday's Favorite Quote for December 15th

Dedicated to my beloved husband and life-partner Bert


when i say,

"i am
going
home"


i mean
i am going
to
where
you are.


Bert- Thank you for loving me for 25 years, for being my best friend, supporter, truth-teller, sweetheart, and the love of my life!

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION!

Friday's Favorite Quotation- for December 8th

EVERYTHING
is a
gift.

It's just that
some things
don't look
gift wrapped.


Have a wonderful Friday! God Bless! Love Linda

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING!!

The expression.."when the going gets tough, the tough get going" is one of the expressions I constantly heard from my Dad. He used to say it so often that it sunk into my bone marrow. Giving up and giving in just wasn't an option. Hard work and taking the risk to fail was the answer. So....Dad...even though you're no longer here...this one's for YOU!

This morning, in the dark and freezing cold, I got up early, bundled myself up, and WALKED SIX BLOCKS!! That's right..SIX BLOCKS!!

NOT THE PREVIOUS THREE BLOCKS..

SIX BLOCKS!

When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

FRIDAY'S FAVORITE QUOTATION!

Friday's Favorite quote for December 1st

God has understood
your tears,

He has visited
your prayers -

Be confident He
will come and
care for you.

God Bless! Love, Linda