I'm A Bou Bev Babe

Grandma Ev

2009-02-21T10:48:00.005-06:00

Though Grandma is gone from this world, I know where she is and where I will see her again. Until then, I must keep my memories, but not to myself. I've got to keep on sharing her as I have always done, so that others will feel as though they've met her and are changed by her. So, one of the first ways I'm doing this today, from the comfort of my couch as I recover from the flu and look out the window at the blue sky, fresh fallen snow and healing light of the sun, is by jotting down only a small sampling of descriptors of a great influence in my life: GRANDMA EV!

Generous - Grandma gave all she had: in her wallet, in her soul, through her prayers (as well as through food and transportation). If someone needed something, Grandma would provide.
Real - She was who she was - no frills and no disguises. What you saw was what ya got, and that was very good.
Amazing - Grandma's heart and determination (or was it subborness?) never ceased to amaze me. Grandma didn't let anything stop her. Things could get her down, but her faith always was with her and held her up in those times, too.
New Creation - Grandma is the one who really instilled faith within me. She is the one who would spend hours talking about her Lord with me - how He saved her, how He saved me, and how life is new every day when Jesus is dwelling within each of us. How right she was and is!
Dependable - If there has been one Prayer Warrior I've needed on my side, that person has been Grandma Ev. She's prayed for me since before I entered this world and I know she's praying for me still, even though she's left it.
Mighty - If anyone has been a strong rock, that person is Grandma. God gave her a mighty spirit that she shared fearlessly. She knew her duty as a Christian in this world.
Admirable - I want to be like Grandma Ev.

Encourager - I think I've had this gift passed down to me from her. I love to support and lift others up. Grandma has done this for me, and I know how it has made me feel to experience her encouragement. It's a life goal for me to encourage others in Christ until the day I die.
Valuable - Not only has Grandma Ev been of great value to me, our family, her friends, and those who have heard about her, Grandma Ev is of even greater value to the Lord. He's showering her with countless and endless blessings in her heavenly dwelling place now and forever more!
Blessed be the life and memory of Evelyn G Ulrich!! AMEN!

Slacking Again...

2008-11-21T08:46:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm digging myself into a big hole here. Much catching up to do once again. I'm probably going to end up doubling up on blessings, but I guess if I do, I'm extra blessed by those things I double up on! Here goes: (70 more...sigh...) - Hey I got to 80!!! :) So, I'm good through 11/22 (that's a note to self - tee hee!)

Grape Kool-Aid
Popcorn the way Mom used to make it when we were little
The Wizard of Oz (these three things go together in my childhood memories!)
Sandbox Towns
Push-Up Pops
Scarves
Mittens!
10 Minute Solutions Work-out DVDs
Mini Golf
Body Scrub
Road Trips
Water
A good book
The Good Book (I don't think I've listed the Bible yet - shame!)
Fruity-flavored teas
Mountains
The Ocean (any of 'em!)
Dreams
God's Groovy Girls (my 4th Grade Small Group I lead)
Laptops
The North Shore/Lake Superior
Camping
Northern Lights
Daisies
Running Pants
Fun fonts (wish I could have some fun ones on here!)
Louie and Louella Loon
Ladybugs (real lady bugs and not those darn asian beetles!)
Arvo Part and his amazing compositions
Very Merry Cranberry
Colorforms (what ever happened to them?)
Paper Dolls (Magnetic Mary ROCKED!)
Walks with the clothesline pole (Grandma Ev was always the caboose!)
Crafts (cheap and cute ones!)
Stamping
My viola (have I said that one yet??)
Charlie Brown Specials
Dolly Madison Zingers
Greg's fuzzy head (when he needs to shave it!)
Goodsearch
Extreme Makeover Home Edition - what a great cry every week!
Lost things being found and returned to their owners
Every day miracles
Plethora
Veritable cornucopias
Faith
Hope
Love
Kindness
Gentless
Self-Control
Goodness
Redbox
QWERTY on my cell
Debb Evans Hackett - my wonderful English friend
Shopping
Socks
Coziness
Spreading good cheer and blessings
Cursillo
Solo Retreats
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Shishkabobs
Time well-spent
"You've Got Mail" - always makes me smile
Accomplishment
Happiness
Joy
Kiwi Strawberry Jell-o
Hiking
Biking
Nature (that's rather broad... eek!)
Friendships old and new
Pleasant surprises
Feeling strong
Strength
Grace
Peace
Endurance
Persistence

Forgetfulness...

2008-11-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

Well, I'm noticing that I left some blessings out. If I'm really going to do this, I'm really going to do this! Here are a couple of days I inadvertently left out from my bloggy-blog:

Libby, our Jeep Liberty :)
Fleece blankets
Sharing candy with kids
Encouraging words (receiving & giving them)
Willing souls ready to give (& with enthusiasm, no less!)
Freedom that is felt from decluttering & throwing out (wish I could bring myself to do it more!)
Recharging through reflection
Laughter
Eternal Life
Newness in Christ
Wii-Fit
Days off
First snows
Bartlett pears
Friends & Family Holiday Sales (this was a particular Caribou Sale - go REINDEER BLEND!
Unconditional love
Cleansing
Majohng Tiles (darn it, listed more than once!)
Luis Enrique Cedeno - our Compassion International Child
Glitter - even though it's messy & you find it's remains FOREVER!!

Slacker, I am!

2008-11-15T07:46:00.003-06:00

Well, since I've slacked for almost an entire week, I'd better catch up on the blessings homefront! Yesterday, I sat at a coffee shop (it WASN'T Caribou, so I'm not even going to say where I was - I feel like a traitor, but there wasn't one around!) and jotted down 70 BLESSINGS. See what happens when one falls behind? Anyhow, it was a good day to think about good things. There's been a lot of crummy stuff happen this latter part of the week & I really needed the blessing reflections to bring me up. So... here's what I came up with that I've been feeling blessed by:

Hot water - especially when I'm otherwise cold!
Sunshine - I may have already listed it, but it's worth appearing more than once!
Free coffee samples - when you least expect 'em!
Gift cards - the best when you find out there's more left on them than you expected - WOO!
Dollar stores
Khan's Mongolian Grill
ABBA
Christmas Songs - starting to listen to them on November 15th, the annual date for me to begin feeling festive through song :)
Facebook - a great way to keep in touch and find people I'd lost track of
Operation Christmas Child & the chance to make Christmas even more special!
Earth tones - so calming & cozy they are!
Knowing you've made someone's day & you didn't even try to!
Verizon & the "in network" - love talkin' for free!
My Wii Fit Trainer - she's so encouraging!
Honeycrisp Apples - hope they're around a tad bit longer!
Smiles
Waves crashing on the shore
Fond memories
Nellie Skordahl - I'm so sad she's gone from this world
Louisa - a true saint, who I miss greatly
Leslie - I don't want to lose her, too...
Warming up
Double stick tape
Mr Rogers - his neighborhood, too :)
Fireflies
Dad & his never ending knowledge of & connection to people
Lost things being found & returned!
Fall colors - long gone right now, but I still am blessed by them!
Cat naps
Tigger (speaking of cats!) :)
Jack-o-lanterns
Compassion
Orbit Gum
Charlie Brown tv specials
Uncle Joel - he's taught me so much!
Christmas Cactus from Katy Thurston
Finding blessings when it's a no-good day
Freedom
Slowing down
Alone time
Together time
Falling asleep to the sound of crickets
Sunny Disposition (stick) from Origins
Good reviews from supervisors
Giving
Play-doh
Feeding bread/Grandma's Cinnamon Toast to the sunfish
Coloring
Massages at a spa... :) ahhhhhh...
Journals
Prayer
A comfy chair
Health
Sharing good things
Saving the best for last
Facebook flair
Finding a bargain
High School Musicals - the "real" kind - even "Footloose"! :)
Snowflakes
The first snow
Shoveling - crazy that I list this as a blessing...
Majohng - hope I didn't like THAT one more than once!
Thanksgiving Dinner - yum!
Flashlight Tag
My ancestors - go, Native Americans! I love knowing where I come from!
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Hugs - nice big ones!
Peanut Butter Banana Sandwiches
Weight loss - being a CHAMPION & WARRIOR
GOD'S GUIDANCE FOR MY PATH!!!!!

More Where That Came From...

2008-11-07T08:20:00.003-06:00

Here are even more blessings :)

My SWEET NIECE, EVIE JO!
Caribou Coffee (Reindeer Blend is on the shelves, people!)
My JUMP Small Group
Crunchy fall leaves
Corduroy pants
Brown - it's so cozy :)
Sharpies (but I hate it when they bleed through the paper, ugh!)
Jon & Kate Plus 8 (the sextuplets are THE CUTEST!)
My dear, forever friend, Sarah
Rejuvenating & peaceful sleep - ahhhhhh...
Libby, the Jeep Liberty
Fleece blankets
Sharing candy with kids
Encouraging words (receiving and giving them)
Willing souls ready to give (and with much enthusiasm, no less!)
Freedom that is felt from decluttering and throwing out (wish I could bring myself to do it more!)
Recharging through reflection
Laughter
Eternal Life
Newness in Christ

Election Day '08 - Blessings #4

2008-11-04T19:24:00.002-06:00

Well, happy Election Day! Here are my blessings for day #4 of November '08!

The right to vote (WISELY, too!)
Honking Canadian Geese flying overhead (they REALLY are blessings when they flyover without pooping on those of us walking below!)
Running a 5K every day!
Cranberry Apple Crystal Light (the Great Value brand from Walmart!)
Freakishly warm November days/nights (especially when a person can go to sleep with the window open & the nighttime low doesn't get below 50 degrees!)
Toddlers going to vote with their parents - cutest EVER!
Gas prices BELOW $2 a gallon! WOW (I'm recalling gas between .99 & $1.29 only a few years back... sigh)
My friend Wendy, whose words bring a smile to my heart & affirm me in the Lord's work that I do
Peanut Butter Kisses
Fun pajama pants (especially if they're pink!)

Blessings for November 3

2008-11-03T17:48:00.005-06:00

Top 10 Blessings I thought of today:

Ducks quacking
Spiritual breakthroughs
Jesus (I've already listed him, but he could be listed every day - he's worth it)
70 degree days in November in MINNESOTA - REMARKABLE!!!
Baby Carrots
Running - I canNOT believe I'm saying that running is a blessing (just the other day I was thinking about how I believed cross country running was the dumbest high school sport EVER. I never thought I would be a runner - guess I just don't know me like I thought I did!)
Strength that can only come from God
Crying
Superchick
Worship

2 Days of Blessings (& # 3 is on the way!)

2008-11-03T17:22:00.006-06:00

Well, I had encouraged the parents of my kids at church (as well as myself) to record 10 blessings every day of the month of November - to do our best to combat the short days and many gray ones at that (although we haven't seen them yet!). So yeah, & here I sit - not having written down ANY! So, I'm going to hop to it. Here goes for November 1 & 2...

God the Father, Christ His Son, & the Holy Spirit (they count as one, since they are three-in-one)
Mom -I'm listing her first, since she carried me around for nine months & has, therefore, known me the longest :)
Dad - Gets to be second, since he was rather involved in my creation :)
Tam - Third, simply because she's my sister, has put up with me forever, & is my best friend of ALL TIME!
GREG - the LOVE OF MY LIFE! Need I say more?
Grandma Ev - My spiritual mentor & biggest cheerleader. I get through life because of her love & prayers.
Grandma Joan - My former roommate & forever friend. She brings a smile to my face & to my heart.
My entire extended family - I'm lumping them all together, since I could easily take up most of the days if I were to list everyone individually. I gotta be a LITTLE bit creative!
Trunk-or-Treat - it was HUGE on Friday night & worth every ounce of blood, sweat & tears! What a franktastic event it was - I know we reached out to more than ever before!
Saturdays - because they are generally "days off"!

K, those were the first 10 blessings. Now for the next 10...

My job - I get to plan stuff for kids & think of fun ways to share the love of Jesus with them. Could there be anything better to do? :)
Flamingos!
The color pink - I just want to smile whenever I think pink or see it ;)
Sunrises
Sunsets
Warm November days - surprise!
Leg & foot rubs from Greg at the end of the day
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Forgiveness & freedom in Christ
Raking leaves in 60 degree weather - how often does THAT happen in MN?

And for the rest of the month, the blessings will continue to be blogged!

In Autumnal Awe

2008-10-04T14:15:00.009-05:00

Autumn's sky.
It has a different bright blue hue,
Than that of summer - perhaps just a bit less of the brilliant blue?
There's still a brightness that captivates the eye.
In the morning hours, it's a relief
When the sun finally brightens up the sky
That seems to stay dark so much longer
Than it did just days ago...

There's a crispness in the air now.
What can I compare it to? I don't know.
It's not stale, but it's not fresh either.
It's just that "crisp" that only comes with fall...
It kind of acts as an indication that dormancy is on its way.
Not very far off.

That season is coming when everything growing from the earth
Takes a much needed rest.
I sometimes feel I could or should fall into that category. But I don't.
Couldn't I just be a bear for those months & snooze the
Cold days & nights away?
Nope, I need to remain awake.
But the trees & the plants.
The gardens & those that call them the garden & ground "home".
They slumber.

The mornings are chilly now.
There is a slight blanket of frost & sometimes a fog that covers the
Landscape.
A very cool fog, unlike the warm fog of summer.
A mist that means change is on its way.
Don't forget. It's drawing near, so get ready.
Put summer to bed & get the sweaters out from hiding. Now they're "it".

The greens outside fade into browns, reds, golds, rusts, & oranges.
The colors contrast perfectly with that blue in the sky.
There's something refreshing about this color clash.
So much life in the spectrum of various hues.
They are so different from one another, yet they go together perfectly.
They mesh & blend quite well.

So well, in fact, that it could be a world-renown painting.
A work of art by a Grand Artist.
Countless strokes of genius before me as I gaze at the landscape.
Simply award winning, but nothing simple about it all.
This beauty I see.
It can't adequately be captured by a camera lens or with mere words.
One can only view it live & in person.
Be prepared to be
Awestruck. Completely stupified in amazement at the glory of it all.

You know, this Artist knows what they're doing.
This Artist has greater skill than any other.
He has put it all together - made total sense of every
Contrast & clash of color.
Every change that occurs is part of His annual award-winning Masterpiece.
Yep, He knows what He's doing.

I stand in autumnal awe of what The Artist has put together before me.
Time & time again, I stand in awe...

Gotta Love the Bou Bevs

2008-09-20T07:52:00.005-05:00

I'm an addict - I must confess. A Bou Bev is what I love best. I stopped with the "fru-fru" drinks long ago. No more Light White Berry for me these days. I don't even do the Carmel High Rise or any of that great flavory goodness. Nope. I'm hard core - gimme the Perennial Blend, Reindeer Blend, Fair Trade (tried it? AWESOME!), etc. LOVE IT! Add some Equal, a dash of cinnamon & nutmeg - DELISH! This summer, I branched out a little - got the cool type of drink. Not what you're thinkin' though. I went for the Mango Iced Tea. Now, that's some GOOD stuff! Not kidding. It's great hot, too. But on a warm summer day, talk about refreshment!

Ah, the 'Bou. If you're not yet a fan, you need to check it out. It's been my favorite for many years. I discovered not too long ago that Caribou Coffee isn't in all of the 50 great states! I introduced my friend to it (she was visiting from TX). She immediately fell in love. She's going to have to order the 'Bou Bev online, I guess. Or come visit me more to get the "fix" she may need...

Personally, I can't imagine living where Caribou is not. Guess I'll never be a TX resident. Not beyond a visit, that is! (I'll be sure to bring some of my own 'Bou Bev stash to tide me over, too!)

Gotta sip...