Signs of Summer

The signs of summer are all around. Yesterday as I drove down the park road, the road that leads to my house, I was taking in the view...The city park was buzzing, kids were swimming, moms were playing with their children, people were practicing baseball, there were walkers on the track. It feels good doesn't it? When seasons change, it makes us feel like we can too. For some, summer means vacations, family picnics, and reunions. For others, it means baseball games, swimming holes, and lazy days. I know for me it makes me feel like eating healthier and exercising more...which is never a bad thing! The grass is green, the trees are in blossom, and flowers are sprouting...color abounds. Yes, summer is a happy season.

Look for summer all around you. Breathe in the warm air. Enjoy the longer days. Love every minute of it!

Winds of Change

The winds of change are blowing through 1306 N. Proctor...

that's where my Granny and Grandpa live. 

 That address has existed my whole life...

my whole thirty years. 

 When I was born, 

my Great-Granny Pearl and Great-Grandpa John lived there. 

It has always been a place where love abounds...

where Sunday dinners are cooked and EATEN! 

 It is where we gather every December 24th 

and celebrate...

make memories, exchange gifts, play music. 

 When my Granny and Grandpa James (Pearl and John) passed away in the 80's, my Granny and Grandpa moved there. 

 My cousin Curtis and I had 

the reign of the house for a good amount of years, 

the two oldest grandchildren. 

 We had foot races around the garden 

and made the green house our personal dwelling place. 

 We built things and took things apart. 

 There were clubs and club houses...

the age of entry always changed according to how old my cousin Lindsay was...

hehehe...

we always had to keep it one year older than her. 

 You may say it was mean, but we had FUN! 

 Real fun. 

 Now, there are 15 of us, cousins. 

 Four of us are married. 

 The two oldest, me and Curtis, 

we have children of our own now. 

 My cousin Lindsay, the one who was never "old enough", 

well, she is going to have a baby this fall. 

 Things are changing...

the winds of change are blowing. 

 We have always been a family who loves to have a good time. We don't sit around. 

 NO, we go out...we do things. 

 We're busy! 

 That's us. 

We've lived in the same small town for decades. 

 People know us. 

 I'll say, "my mom was a Barney", 

and people's eyes spark up 

and they look at me like they know exactly who I am...

I'm a Barney. 

 My Granny and Grandpa have 

made a good name for us over the years. 

 My Grandpa had a stroke last June...

a massive stroke is what the doctors told us. 

 For us Barneys, this rocked our world. 

 My Grandpa, one of the strongest people I know, had a stroke. It took a while to sink in...

weeks for some, months for others. 

 Almost a year later, 

we're still going strong and 

by the grace of God, Grandpa is getting better. 

 He's regaining his speech, slowly but surely. 

 He's getting stronger and 

beginning to use his right side again...

more and more everyday. 

 Yep, the winds of change are blowing. 

 These past couple of weeks we have been changing things in my grandparents house...

a remodeling of sorts. 

 Funny thing is...

my Grandpa hates change! 

 I was laying on the bed last night 

in the newly remodeled back bedroom of my Granny and Grandpa's house and I was thinking...

thinking how this is probably driving Grandpa crazy! 

 But it is looking SO good! 

 I can tell my Granny is happy...

happy to have some new stuff in this old farm house. 

 We're taking up old carpet and tile, 

and replacing it with beautiful faux wood floors and new carpet. We're scrapping off old wallpaper and giving everything a fresh coat of paint. 

 I've taken a huge load of CRAP...

oh, I mean "stuff" to Golden Rule...and the dump! 

 We've recycled things and 

given things back to their "rightful owners"...

funny how things collect at Granny's House. 

 I think it's giving my Granny a refreshed and renewed since of spirit...

boosting her morale. 

 Yes, winds of change are blowing...and it feels good...