George and Jane Jetson Have Landed in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Posted by Barbara Techel

With the weather warming up nicely we are preparing for more guests during the spring and summer months. Winter can be a lonely time with very few visitors.

Saturday I spent the day preparing to welcome our guests. I brewed up a lovely, tasty concoction. I also purchased a pretty potted bright pink geranium for them to feast their eyes on when they arrived at our front door.

They were coming back to the Midwest from the South and if the weather cooperated it wouldn’t be too long before they arrived.  Since they don’t carry cellphones with them they were unable to let me know there estimated arrival time.

So I waited… and waited… and waited.  I sat with Frankie looking out the front door early Sunday morning, gazing out into the yard hoping to see or hear some sign that they had finally made it.

I grew impatient so called my Mom to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day. As I was expressing my concern to her (still looking out the front door) that my special little visitors had not yet arrived, it was as if by magic, Jane zoomed right up and made herself right at home…. she perched her delicate  little self atop the red metal flower holding the special nectar I had made just for her and George.  Later that day George finally arrived. He wouldn’t ask for directions so had gotten lost along the way. Jane just shook her head.

Yup, George and Jane Jetson are the yearly hummingbirds who flit in and out all summer long, drinking to their hearts content (sometimes we even join them) ha!  The Jetson’s was one of my and John’s favorite cartoons when we were young so it seemed fitting to call our little feathered friends George and Jane. We love to sit in awe of them as they zoom in and out and all about. This is one of my many moments I call Joyful Paws.

 

 

It Wasn’t My Choice to Be a Mom or To Have a Paralyzed Dog

Posted by Barbara Techel

For many, many years I couldn’t understand why I never had the instinct to want to have children of my own. I carried a shame in my heart around that for a very long time. It wasn’t until I was in my early 40s and Frankie became paralyzed that I realized God had other plans for me.

Frankie becoming paralyzed wasn’t my choice either. It was hard to imagine how my life would change when the prognosis came when she was six years old that she would likely never walk again. Caring for her would be somewhat like caring for an infant child. It seemed cruel and unfair to me that I was being handed this challenge.

It wasn’t my choice to be a Mom or to have a paralyzed dog, but reflecting back on that today I have absolutely no doubt this was how my life was to play out. As hard as it was to imagine how I would take care of Frankie after her paralysis, it was harder yet to imagine what blessings would come of it.

It wasn’t my choice to be a Mom or have a paralyzed dog, but it was my choice to look for the blessing in the challenge that lay ahead with Frankie in a wheelchair. It was my choice to follow my heart and write Frankie’s story and share her with young children. That choice led me to realizing God’s bigger plan for me which was being a mentor to thousands of children.  Though I’ll never remember all their names, I’ll forever carry all of them in my heart. A part of each child I have met along the way because of Frankie will always be with me.

So on this Mother’s Day I no longer carry a shame in my heart, but give thanks for the Mom’s who were meant to be, and for the unfolding of my life as it was meant to be.

Pictures that Bring Back Memories

Posted by Barbara Techel

I’ve had this picture for at least 20 years. It’s actually a card I got from a friend who was my “mom” away from home. I worked with her many moons ago at Kohl’s Department Store and we share the same birthday.  It brings back many fond and warm memories of my friend and I always think of her everytime I look at it.

I loved the card so much that I couldn’t part with it, so I framed it. It has been a part of my decor for as long as I can remember.  It is by Annie Benson Muller and titled, “Everyone’s Welcome.” Isn’t it just the sweetest photo?  I just had to share with you today and share that I appreciate and am grateful for those of you who follow along on my blog.  Like this photo that warms my heart, having all of you part of my community, warms my heart.