Inspiration Avenue Challenge this week is....

"B E L I E V E"

This Angel was purchase for my parents Christmas Tree topper Dec. 1946, the year I was born. I remember each year we would carefully get her out of her box. Gently removing the white tissue paper that covered her delicate face & satin dress. I would sit and hold her, until it was time for Daddy to put her on the top of our Christmas tree. I remember laying on the floor with only the tree lights on, looking up at her in awe. She always reminded me of the reason we celebrated Christmas, Even tho I was excited for Santa Claus to come, she touched my heart in a very special way. I would look at her and it would bring tears to my eyes.

Some years back my Mom sent her to our family with a note that said: 

"Dear Mangum family,

The tree here at Granparents Johnson is too small

& the branches too weak for me to sit atop -

so could I come to your house for the holiday season.

I'm sure looking old - well I am old.

Let's face it

I'm old & irreplaceable - huh.

Your Loving

Christmas tree Angel".

It would have been nice if Mom had dated the note or

 I would have thought far enough ahead to date it.

The Christmas Tree Angel has been on the top of our tree

since the Christmas we received her.

This year while watching "The Bishop's Wife", 

we noticed the same Angel on the top of the Christmas tree

in the Professor's home.

We did not put a tree up this year, but I took her out of the closet, looked into her angelic face & knew She played a big part in my knowing in my heart what is it to

"B E L I E V E"

She will always have a special place

in my Christmas Memories.

This year she turned 65.

Inspiration Avenue Challenge this week is

"PEACE"

 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth PEACE,
good will toward men"

Luke 2:14

It's time to
"Reveil Your True Idenity"

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"INCOGNITO"

Inspiration Avenue Challenge

Vintage expression of

"Love"

I chose this picture of my husband's Grandmother

 It was taken when she was 21 years old.

It is a reflection of a vintage photograph 

and someone we all

LOVEd  

dearly.

 

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"HARVEST"

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"PINK"

This weeks challenge is dedicated to my dear cousin, Judy.

She was a breast cancer survivor.

The cancer reoccured and she was a stronge fighter for

many years.

She lost the battle February 27, 2009.

She was an inspiration to all that knew her.

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"UNCALLED FOR"

Lakewood Police shooting kills

four Washington police officers

November 29th, 2009 

The Lakewood Police Department has become the victim of a deadly shooting. Four Lakewood Police officers were killed in a shooting early Sunday morning, and the search is on for suspect or suspects related to the murders. Four officers doing work for the Lakewood Police Department were enjoying coffee at the Cafe Forza coffee house in Spanaway when a gunman entered the coffee shop and opened fire on the officers. The murders are being called "execution style", and it is being reported that the Lakewood police officers were targeted in the event.

The four Lakewood police officers (three males and one female) were at the Parkland Forza Coffee Shop at 8:15 A.M. when a man described as a black male in his mid 20's to mid 30's entered the coffee shop and opened fire on the four police officers.

I was reading over the blogs I used to post on MySpace and ran across this one. It made me think of last weeks Inspiration Avenue Challenge, so decided to post here.
*********************************
Entry May 3, 2006

CHOICES------

DEAL.......OR

NO DEAL 

Read my HOME Group Study?   OR   

Read My Karen Kingsbury book?

Walk GW in the sunshine?   OR  

Take a nap?

Work in my yard?     OR   

Sit & watch HGTV Curb Appeal ?

Turn on Praise Music?  OR     

Have the TV blaring on & on?

Have a sliced Orange   OR   

Eat Candy from the Freezer?





  Inspiration Avenue Challenge of the week   

 "D E C I D E"

To....

             DREAM

CREATE

            

         CARE

        

              LIVE

            

            DANCE

 PRAISE



From "Around my Yard" Summer 2010

"Busy Bee" 

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"SIMPLICITY"

"Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"Coffee? or Tea?"

"Sweet Memories"

Recently I was in Safeway and saw a bag of GINGER SNAPS on the cookie shelf. I thought wow I haven't had these in a very long time, quickly putting the bag in my shopping cart.

Sitting with my coffee cup and ginger snaps,

my thoughts wander back to the summer of 1969. Just moving to live in Custer South Dakota with a brand new baby.

This is when I met HANNAH - my sweet neighbor - who let me hang diapers on her clothes lines. She was my first friend there. She would have me come over, with little Shelly, to have coffee with her.

WELL, we always had GINGER SNAPS! Okay sometimes we would have a piece of her amazing rhubarb pie, that was always in the cupboard during the summer. But, it is the GINGER SNAPS that meant the most to me. Our friendship grew - she was so sweet to me. We moved to Rapid City but we still stopped by to see her, when we were in Custer or if she was in Rapid City to see her niece.

She became very ill with cancer. When she was finally brought to be hospitalized in Rapid City, I went to see her. She was very sick, but she remembered me. I sat by her bed and talked about our times as her neighbor.

The following day her niece called to say she had passed away........

20 minutes after I felt her bedside.

My wise little daughter said,

"Mommy, she was waiting to see you before going to Heaven".

We never know who God will put in our lives, that will leave us with

"Sweet Memories of Coffee & Ginger Snaps"

Inspiration Avenue Challenge

"HOPE"

Inspiration Avenue Challenge

"WATER"

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

" CLOUDS"

"Reflections"

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenger

"PAISLEY"

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"FREEDOM"

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"Circus"

I really didn't know what I would do for this weeks challenge. Then I remembered when I was in elementary school, we got out of school just to GO TO THE CIRCUS!!!

The Shrine Circus came to Salida, Colorado 60 miles away from home. The parents would take carloads of students over on either Thurs. or Fri. to go to the circus AT NIGHT!!! I remember I was going to be a trapeze artist when I grew up. I would come home and my swing set would be all I needed to fulfill my dream of circus life.

When I found the picture online of the clowns, I actually remember seeing them do this particular act.

Thanks for bring these great Circus memories back with this weeks challenge.

This weeks Inspiration Avenue challenge

"WISH"  

I 

"WISH"

I could drop in

to visit with my 3 cousins in Colorado.

This weeks Challenge......

"Summer fun & Relaxation" 

"Down by the Old Mill Stream"

My darling I am dreaming of the days gone by,

When you and I were sweethearts beneath the summer sky;

Your hair has turned to silver the gold has faded too;

But still I will remember, where I first met you.

The old mill wheel is silent and has fallen down,

The old oak tree has withered and lies there on the ground;

While you and I are sweethearts the same as days of yore;

Although we've been together, forty years and more.

Down by the old mill stream where I first met you,

 With your eyes of blue, dressed in gingham too,

It was there I knew that you loved me true,

You were sixteen, my village queen, by the old mill stream.

.

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?"

Last weekend my daughter, Shelly & I

discovered this amazing

Meditation Garden here in Lakewood, WA.

St John Bosco Meditation Garden.

Then this weeks challenge was announce &  
I knew right away what I would submit.

 Today is our daughter's birthday.

What a blessing she is.

I am so thankful that God decided she was meant to be our little Shelly.

She has always been very independent, sometimes a bit strong willed :+).

She loves life.

She's a great daughter, loving supportive wife, great Mom - but like all of us Mom's am sure she has heard "You're the meanest Mom ever!". 

She is a Godly woman, will help anyone that comes along needing help.

If you have her as a friend,

 you know she likes to have fun and laughs a lot!

Honey, I love you so much. 

I am so proud of the beautiful woman you have grown up to be and most of all not only are we mother/daughter,

but you are my best friend.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!!
Love Mom

This weeks Inspiration Challenge is "Architecture".

Tried to think of buildings I have photographed. Nothing came to mind.

Then I thought about the amazing Architecture of a bird's nest  I photographed a cute one this spring out the window where I work.

This one is extra special, because a very industrious little bird incorporated a bubblewand into it's construction.

SO.... here is my "Architecture" submission.

I decide to try Shelly's Lesson for Inspiration Avenue's Blog Party "Lessons".

Below is my "Compact 2 Pictures" results.

Recently I moved a birdhouse planter, I have had for a number of years, to the corner of our deck railing, so the sun could shine on the Hen's & Chick plant, planted on the side of the birdhouse. 

The little finches have recently returned to our yard. I would see the fliting among the pine trees, then landing on the arms of the patio furniture.

Then one afternoon I saw one little guy checking out the birdhouse planter. 

I kept watching as he tried to get inside through the very little hole.

He kept flying back and forth to the hole, hanging there for a few minutes before leaving only to return in a few minutes.

Eventually he had made the hole big enough to get INSIDE!!!

As the days pasted I watching the coming & going of the little guy, bringing nesting material. Squeezing himself and the pieces for long grass into the little hole, disappearing inside. 

He has been working very hard. 

Now I guess we will have a family of little finches, on our deck railing, for the summer.

 

 

Having fun with editing for this weeks Challenge

"GET YOUR BLOOM ON"

" AND THEY'RE OFF "

We had a really fun FIRST time at the Emerald Downs Horse Racing Track in Auburn.\

It was an afternoon where Pierce College students and facility could attend.

It was very interesting all the things that were going on around us through out the afternoon.

We didn't do any REAL betting, just between ourselves as to which horse we thought

would win.....good thing there wasn't any money involved. We picked lousy horses....

but they sure were pretty!!!!

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenger "FISH"

February of 2009 the famous Glass Artist
Dale Chihuly

presented his art

at the Wright Park "Chihuly at Seymour 100"
in Tacoma, WA.

During this presentation

I visted the park with my granddaughter, Kayla.

We took LOTS of pictures.

When the "FISH" Challenge was announced this week,

my first thought was of the picture I took

 of the fish in the pond

with the amazing Chihuly Glass Balls.

The picture I took, is my entry for this weeks Challenge

"FISH"

If you would like to see more of his amazing work

below is the website for

the presentation I attended.

http://picasaweb.google.com/MetroParksTacoma/ChihulyAtSeymour100#

Inspiration Avenue
Weekly Challenge  

"I"

Inspiration Avenue - Challenge Opposites

Barren Corn Field               Lush Corn Field

Inspiration Avenue - Purple Challenge

Purple Challenge

Decorated Sugar Spoon

At our MOPS meeting this week we brought a service piece from home. Then we decorated them with wire and beads. It was amazing how different they all turned out. Mine is a sugar spoon that has a "hooked" area of the handle. So was lots of fun to make....especially the little curl at the end of the wire.

The Greatest Sacrific