Owning What Is Mine

Learning to own what is mine: my messes, challenges, failures, and weaknesses has been helping me to pull away from blame and hopelessness. As long as it is someone else's fault when I am sad or have made a mistake I am paralyzed to help myself. Vision and forgiveness are also mine. So is the fact that we are all human, as in, we are not angelic and we goof up.
Yesterday my dog made a mess in my friend's house, smack dab all over her entry carpet. I stepped in it to discover it. I know, that's gross! Every single time I get the brainstorm to take Ruger along for my neighborly visit, he does something embarrassing or some random born-yesterday-with-no-training act. It was my dog, so it was my mess. I could have blamed her dog who was causing Ruger to lose his dignity, or the strange surroundings, (he's been there multiple times). Truth is I know better. After this I ought to  remember that I own a dog...an ordinary doggy kind of dog that WILL lose his dignity and patience under certain conditions. I need to make decisions accordingly: tie him to a table leg at home and let him howl or chain him to a tree in my own lawn. I am in control of this situation. I can make sure he doesn't get a chance to embarrass me again in the same way. I own a dog and I need to keep him on a leash in a safe place.

In the same way I own other challenges. Do I have to be more specific than that? I own a wheat intolerance. It's my problem and I can do what it takes to be healthy.
We own common, ordinary children who make mistakes.We also own an ideal or standard for bringing them up in the right way. We need to courageously use that standard to get it done. Every other family in town owns some sort of standard or non-standard, if you will.  When we fail to stick by the standard we own, we're obliged to own the resulting mistakes. But that's good. We can learn and change rather than stay stuck and blame.
 I own 24 hours in a day that I can waste or utilize as I wish. It's my fault when the work I own doesn't get done.
If I own it, I can change it. If I blame others for my problems I automatically allow them to control the outcome of my unsolved problems as well.

                                                              ORDINARY DAYS

 Sunshine dryer. Summer days are here. God gave me the most amazing, oddest summer. I keep mentioning this, but I just have to praise Him out loud again. THIS SUMMER IS BETTER THAN LAST SUMMER. I feel happy. We don't go by feelings, but, we do! Let's just be honest about that.
The odd part is Elv being gone from Monday to Friday or Saturday on a logging job miles away in the land of Minnesota. But there is so much going on in my personal world that it is just fine. I know that I am content about this because God had a special plan this summer for us.

I am sad for my friend, of course, who has to have chemo this summer. Even so, I feel privileged to be able to walk with her this summer through the wilderness of illness, because she inspires me, I know it won't be easy for her at all. I have no idea how well I can do this journey with her, but I WANT to do it. She keeps saying, "I don't want to waste this." By God's grace, I want to join her in that.
There are no ordinary days. Every day is a gift to see what's in it from Him.

                                                                Princess Anne Hazel

 The garden is mostly planted now. We have flowers, green beans, greens, tomatoes, and flowers. We're looking forward to cut flower bouquets.

                 An LP tank set and filled at last. Isn't she pretty sitting there? No more hot water shortages in this house.

              This next batch of pictures are of when we were in Nebraska last weekend to see the new princess Anne. We squeezed as much family time in as possible. You'll see that here.

                                             Myles' eyes are doing great. I love his goggles.

 We made good use of Francis' porch swing. These are some of the grandchildren, of course. The only legal, unmitigated pride-grandchildren!
We're lovin' it!

                                                   Francis and Josh's Cottage in Milford

       These good looking guys share a name. What I really want to say is that Jimmy is one of those comfort babies. He lets us love on him and play with him and everything. No fear of beards or bossing in him.

                                                  Grandpa time. It's fun to watch. And it is NOISY!

                                                   Except when he's holding the princess Anne.

 This picture plopped in here out of order. That's ok. We inherited a box of old letters and postcards from Elv's mom. We found the letters Elv wrote home to his folks when he was in Red Lake. I lost mine in a house fire, so these are treasures I am glad to have.
Mom had no idea which box those letters were in and I didn't know they existed. Elv doesn't remember writing them. They're interesting and well written and fun. Now they're mine.

 Grammy had this book of magnetic "paper dolls" in her loot of give away stuff. I gave it to Gwen who seems to be enjoying it. Perfect.

Auntie Amy watching over two nieces.