Rambling(s)

This is from my sister Sandy's visit to Oregon back in October.I am on the left in green,Sandy is in the middle and sister Jane is on the right in the flowers.:)I found and met sister Jane on Christmas Day 2003 here in Oregon via ancestry.com.We had been living just a few miles from each other since I had moved to Oregon from California in 1991 and I did not know it till 2003!How good God is!This was Sandy's first visit to see me in Oregon and her first time meeting Jane.We all had great fun together.

We have been busy here preparing for our friend's arrival from Canada tomorrow.They live in Vancouver BC,Canada and are on their way down to California for the Christmas holiday.We see Patricia and Brian at least every other year and just love their all too brief visits.Lots of laughter and some serious conversations are all part of their visit.We all share a common faith in Jesus and I have been friends with Patricia since the late 1980's when we were both single and attending church together in California!They are chicken farmers up where they live and we just love their stories of life on the farm.:)

Our Christmas preparations have gotten smaller and smaller over the years as life losses have done their work.This year I did not even send out cards as I just had other things to work on(like me :) ).As mentioned in a previous post we had to sell off all our Christmas stuff(and nearly everything else)a few years back at a downsizing garage sale(in 2005 I think).It was painful and yet by that time I think I was ready to really simplify our life.Stuff and all it's trappings are deceptively dangerous or can be anyhow.We had just survived husband's stroke and surgery and my diagnosis of a pre-cancerous condition followed by a complete hysterectomy and were definitely ready for some simplicity in life.Those were just the two biggest things we were dealing with at that time.There were countless other issues,both big and small also going on at that time.No wonder I readily identified with Job.:)So,Christmas prep is pretty well done here.Looking forward to 2010 and all God has for us in it.

Blessings all~Sharon