Never say Never

I was tagged by someone. Someone I love. She says that she never reads forwards. Never believes the sad sad stories that we are told in the circulating emails. She doesn't ever send them on to 5 of her friends so she will reap whatever is promised. However this one she did. Never say Never. thefamilyenniss.typepad.com
Only for Beth will I do this. I was to snap a photo as I was the moment I received it and post that picture and tag 5 more friends to do the same.
No, I say, No. This is wrong. But it's Beth. Why would you not do this for Beth? After all she will win big if you don't break the chain, I tell myself. How could you deny her the great prize? So here it is, this is exactly how I look as I walk into the house after seeing 5 patients from Vista, to Fallbrook to Murrieta and back to Fallbrook and the home to Lake Elsinore. I haven't even removed my lab coat.
Just as I am


I have titled this picture WHAT MY HUSBAND SEES
I don't have 5 friends to tag beth. Now what do I do? Does that mean I break the chain?

CHURCH IS WHERE I LIVE

When you live your life in a church it can make your heart ache. You get up one day and someone is gone. Never said good bye. Then you wonder. You can't help but wonder. Why would someone, who has been there with you suddenly disappear without so much as a good bye? I figure there are a lot of reasons people leave. Some come and say good bye and explain why. Sometimes that hurts too but at least you know. Sometimes people move away, sometimes they move on because it's right, it's sad when they go but it doesn't hurt. It hurts when you don't know.
Then I look around and see that I'm not alone, not everyone has left, really it's just a few. I had a 12 year old give me perspective today. We were selling tickets for a church event and only sold 12 tickets. She said to me "if only 12 people come, then we will minister to 12 people"
"Yes" I said "that is exactly what we will do."
That 12 year old understands and she reminded me.

When you live your life in a church you learn to let people go. You have to. No matter who goes there are always people who stay.
The ones who stay are why I still live in the church.

This is the church building where my heart lives.
I will not loose heart.

A morning garden tea.

This will not be the last garden tea we serve at the Inn. I received a phone message last evening which went like this.

"Hi, Mamma, Umm, I wanted you to do one of those garden tea parties when I'm available,
I just wanted to call and say that cause I really wanted to go,
I love you and I miss you very much."
That was a message from my almost 6 year old granddaughter. Do you think I might be having another tea party?
You can count on it.


Three of my favorite women in the world came to my tea party. I think we had a great time.


We ate Zucchini fritatta warm from the oven, served with a fresh fruit medley topped with freshly picked strawberries.
For a sweet we enjoyed, freshly baked this morning, vanilla bean shortbread.
We enjoyed a bottomless carafe of orange spiced sun tea and music by Jack Johnson, conversation about injustice, rummage sales, responsibility, flamingos, stalking and revenge. Oh yes we did a quick google search for a particular person (for stalking purposes) which scared us a bit at how easy it was to find someone. Just the usual tea party conversation I suppose.



Mostly, the tea was for me. I got to spend the morning with three of my eight.
None of the bad stuff that can come with people, just fun, laughter and relaxing.






I almost forgot. Everyone went home with a lovely parting gift of their choice.
And I must mention, because of my gratitude that I also received a lovely parting gift from one of my guests.

Garden Tea Party Hosted By The Inn

CHATEAU DE PAIX INN would like to invite you to a morning garden tea.
To be held on the morning of April 22 from 9am to 11am
A lovely tea will be served.
We hope to enjoy your presence.

The Innkeepers wife.


We are busy at the INN making all the goodies for tomorrows, Morning Garden Tea. The tea is brewing in the sun, the strawberries will be picked fresh from our garden and much more. Hope to see you all.
RSVP in the comment section.

Reminders

Sometimes I have days when I can't seem to remember much good about myself. Do you ever feel like that? Days when the fog rolls in so thick that it blurs my vision. I can't see where I'm going and feel I may have wasted my life. I begin to feel like no one likes me. Sometimes it's immobilizing when I believe it's true. I don't know if others ever feel like this. I do. That's why I have the envelope made of fabric. My daughter made it for me. It sits on my nightstand. In my envelope I hold the words that have been written to me from the people in my life that remind me. Apparently there are a few people who think I'm alright. I don't take the cards out and read them really. They just sit there. I see them sitting there and they remind me because I remember what they said. I just need to remember on those days when the fog rolls in.



Who reminds you?

Who fills your envelope?

I had the Best Birthday

THINGS I LOVED ABOUT MY BIRTHDAY:
1.Breakfast with my dear friend at my favorite breakfast place:


Ramoshouse.com

2.A Movie with snacks with my girls:
We laughed out loud at this movie. There were some very funny parts. Touching parts, (or maybe I should say scenes).
There were some bad parts too so I can't recommend it.

3. Dying Easter eggs with my grandchildren. For those who are offended by the thought of easter eggs. Well all I can say is
we probably aren't close enough that you're reading this anyway.

4. The best, I mean the BEST Good Friday service of my life.

5. Meeting someone who shares my birthday for the first time in my life.

6. All the Happy Birthday wishes on facebook.

7. The birthday letter from my daughter in law which will go in THE ENVELOPE. (I'll tell you about that soon)

8. Receiving a vase of beautiful hand picked red roses from a friends own garden hand delivered by my God daughter E.



9. Opening a package from my baby sister which contained all her favorite things, super soft slipper socks, dental floss,
chap stick, and a scented candle.

10. Getting a card from really old sister saying happy birthday, I'll be on the road on your birthday. (then she called me
anyway.

11. Being given a lovely hand designed card from my daughter with a gift card from anthropologie. Only I don't get to keep it,
It's for me to give away on this blog. I have plans for that already. It's pretty cool when your daughter believes in you.

12. Because my husband had to work all day and all night on my birthday (good friday) my birthday happened again on
Monday. I got to do whatever I wanted all day.

13. Opening a package that sat in my house for 5 days without being opened until the 10th, A frame which says
"Best Friend" for my pooch.

14. Spent an hour in a great nursery, walking around and around, up and down the same isles again and again. Still he didn't
say a word, he even picked out a plant or two himself. I never heard him say once, "you about ready to go?". He just
walked and when I was ready, he brought out his ATM card.

15. We went to the Bakery on Main St. Flour Fusion and bought soup made by Bob and sandwiches wrapped to go. Then we
drove to the movies. We watched a great "end of the world" movie with an actor that shall remain nameless because I was
taught; If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. But if you like seeing the end of the world, the
effects were great.

16. Came home and planted all the plants my husband bought for me.









17. My choice for dinner. California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza and a Bag of Salad from the grocery store.
which I'm going to go eat right now.

That was just a great birthday.

Embrace what you love

An amazing day reflected in two photos.
The love, the embrace, the badge.
When it's over, embrace what you love.







Jackson, you're a good man.

P.S. For the money shot with the wife go to thefamilyenniss.typepad.com

Happy Birthday Giveaway, Winner

Jurvaun Trier, Thank you for your sentiments regarding your dear husband. It is my pleasure to send you the gift card that you will be able to honor your husband.
It's interesting to me how difficult it is to choose a winner. Everyone mentioned deserves to be honored. Thank you for playing the game.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD APRIL 7TH

TODAY IS MY FATHERS BIRTHDAY. IT'S NOT AN EASY THING, TO BUY A GIFT FOR A MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING HE NEEDS. WHEN YOU ENTER INTO YOUR GOLDEN YEARS YOU DON'T WANT TO ACCUMULATE MORE THINGS YOU ACTUALLY START THINKING ABOUT GIVING THINGS AWAY. STILL I WANT TO BUY A GIFT FOR MY DAD BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DO FOR PEOPLE YOU LOVE. SO I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT HE LIKES TO DO. AND I SENT HIM A CARD WITH MONEY SPECIFIED FOR ONE USE. I TRIED TO BUY HIM A GIFT CARD, BUT WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE STORE IT WASN'T JUST CLOSED IT WAS GONE. I SENT MONEY, INSTEAD OF DRIVING TO THE NEXT TOWN OVER, TO THE NEXT NEAREST BASKIN & ROBBINS.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD.



THE NEXT THING YOU DO FOR SOMEONE YOU LOVE WHO HAS EVERYTHING IS TO GIVE THEM HONOR. THIS IS MY FATHER WITH THE B24 LIBERATOR THAT HE PILOTED IN THE WAR. THE VERY ONE WHO SAW HIM SAFELY THROUGH 32 SUCESSFULL MISSIONS. EVERY MISSION WAS SOBER AND NEVER WITH A HANGOVER. SO TODAY I GIVE HONOR TO MY DAD FOR THE WAY HE HAS LIVED HIS LIFE. BY WATCHING HIM I LEARNED TO WORK HARD AND TO WORK WITH INTEGRITY. MY DAD WORKED THE SAME JOB HIS ENTIRE CAREER. HE TAUGHT US TO BE STEADY. HE NEVER WAIVERED IN TAKING CARE OF HIS FAMILY. HE HAS BEEN MARRIED TO MY MOTHER FOR OVER 60 YEARS. TOGETHER THEY RAISED FOUR CHILDREN WHO ALL KNOW THE VALUE OF FAMILY AND THE VALUE OF HARD, STEADY WORK. I LEARNED TO RESPECT OTHERS, USE SELF CONTROL, VOTE, GO TO CHURCH, RESPECT MY MARRIAGE VOWS. MY DAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE THINGS OUT OF WOOD, TO BUILD A CRADLE FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN, AND TO BUILD A FENCE LEVEL AND PLUMB.



THIS IS MY DAD AND HIS FLIGHT CREW. 32 SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS. TOGETHER THEY FOUGHT PROUD FOR OUR COUNTRY. THEY FOUGHT FOR THE FREEDOM WE ENJOY TODAY. UNTIL THE DAY I DIE (OR GO DEAF) I WILL THINK OF MY DAD WHEN I HEAR A JET GO OVERHEAD. A SOUND MY DAD TAUGHT ME TO LOVE. MY DAD GAVE ME AIR SHOWS AT MOFFETT FIELD, THE BLUE ANGELS, THE FOND SMELL OF SAWDUST AND WET CONCRETE, TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, MIDNIGHT SNACKS, (hey that's your fault I like to eat late at night) A STABLE HOME (at least until the remote control was invented), A HOME WE CAN STILL COME HOME TO.
I LOVE YOU DAD
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
MARTY


WITH THAT SAID BECAUSE IT IS MY DADS BIRTHDAY I AM GOING TO HAVE A GIVEAWAY. IN MY DADS HONOR I AM GOING TO GIVE A BASKIN & ROBBINS GIFT CARD WORTH $10.00. I WOULD GIVE MORE BUT IT WOULDN'T SEEM RIGHT TO GIVE AWAY MORE THAN I GAVE MY DAD, AFTER ALL IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY.
TO WIN; YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND TELL ME WHO YOU WOULD HONOR TODAY BY GIVING THE GIFT CARD YOU WIN.
I WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER BASED ON WHAT YOU WRITE. SINCE FAMILY IS MY MAIN READERSHIP, FAMILY CAN WIN. I WILL BE FAIR AND CHOOSE THE ONE THAT MAKES MY HEART SING
. I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER TONIGHT AT 9PM.

I LOVE SPRING AT THE INN

Mondays, the Innkeeper and I always go to the beach. This past Monday was no different, EXCEPT! this day he said
"Let's go to that nursery you love, the one in Fallbrook.
"You mean Myrtle Creek?"
"Yeah" my heart begins to jump.
"Why? Really? You mean instead of the beach?"
(I'm going to disneyland, I'm going to disneyland, is the mantra singing in my head"
"No, along with the beach."
"OK" I say calmly as I start to plot the places I will fill with flowers.

That means, I get to spend the day with this man, have lunch on the beach, actually at the beach. We don't pack a lunch we actually go and find a restaurant on the beach where we can first walk dodging waves. Then we dine at a window seat and watch the waves roll in and out, in and out. We being restored in this process.
That is what we do every Monday because the ocean is life giving to my husband.
But today we get to stop at Myrtle creek Nursery because it is spring at the Inn. We have been working hard to prepare the gardens for the season and that means flowers and pots and hanging baskets. The Southern Veranda at the Inn was taken over during the harsh winter months and we have cleared it, lizards and all. Now we need to restore what the winter took.
If I could I would turn every bare place into a garden. In the front of the Inn we have flower gardens, shade trees, rolling greens for the kids to roll and trees made simply for the wind to whisper through. In the back is our garden of produce. We tend to our small orchard of organic fruit trees and wait for the garden to give what it's promised.
Today, we get to go to Myrtle Creek because it is life giving to me.



WWW.mytlecreeknursery.com



Sometimes this nursery is the garden I walk in.
I imagine that big yellow pot at the Inn and exactly where it will go.






Now we are driving away.


No this is not our truck filled with flowers to plant. This is simply part of their marketing display to entice you to buy plants. As if to tease you and say "it's this easy, load up your truck, just like this one and drive on home with flowers just like these" No we are driving off without so much as a pack of seeds. What is wrong with this man? How can he walk through this disneyland of plants and trees and not find one thing he loves. I guess he is driving off with me.
I wonder if this is what it feels like when we walk through the marina, looking at all the sail boats and drive away without one?