Tag Jesus

Broken? Beyond repair?……not so fast my friend.

SimplyB 4 Comments

Are you one who gets excited to fix broken stuff? Can you part with items that simply do not function anymore? Some folks really find joy in diagnosing and fixing up and repairing….and then there’s me. I once declared our dishwasher as a goner and insisted that it simply could not be fixed. My husband tried to trouble shoot it but alas, all attempts to make it function failed. Bought a new fancy high dollar dishwasher, installed it, pretty impressed with its shiny new features, turned it on. Uh, it wouldn’t turn on. Tried this, tried that, looked at each other, shook heads and exchanged unpleasantries.

Continue reading “Broken? Beyond repair?……not so fast my friend.” →

Stroll or scroll?

SimplyB 6 Comments

Last evening around 9p I went for a walk. It had been a routine hot summer day in Kansas but my legs told me, “get up, woman, and take a walk”. It’s just so easy to fall into a habit of sitting with cellphone in hand, scrolling through news clips and social media, fogging the old brain with far less than uplifting content.

Continue reading “Stroll or scroll?” →

Little People and Toy Boats

SimplyB 4 Comments

Little people. And toy boats. On the ledge of our bathroom’s whirlpool tub. Does this scene bring a tear to your eye? Likely not. I mean, usually I stay calm and tear free when I see them….unless I’m fixing to clean that tub. Then growls, tears, sighs all indicate my distaste for cleaning.

Continue reading “Little People and Toy Boats” →

Mad Skillz? Nah…??

SimplyB 6 Comments

Our retired life plans involved RV life and travel. The opportunity to combine that with volunteer work at various faith based organizations across the country presented itself shortly after retirement. And it seemed like the perfect fit.

Continue reading “Mad Skillz? Nah…??” →

What YOU lookin’ at anyway?

SimplyB 4 Comments

Well today I had a little flashback as I was doing my morning face routine in the mirror.

Do you happen to recall your very least favorite song when you were a teenager? The mirror reminded me today. “At Seventeen”. Are you familiar with the song?

I learned the truth at seventeen that love was made for beauty queens…..

Continue reading “What YOU lookin’ at anyway?” →

Need to Know Basis

SimplyB 10 Comments

The new year, 2022, came right on in the door and sat down. Looking suspiciously similar to the past two years. I feel certain that I’m not the only person on the planet who is done with the pandemic. Every news clip on COVID, vaccines, deaths, hospitalizations? I just can’t anymore. Not that I don’t care. That’s not it at all. I do care. The numbers, the news, the pictures, the personal stories really break my heart.

This morning when I woke up my mind was filled with an intensely awful memory from when I was around 5 years old. Involving a life altering event to my parents and sisters and myself. You won’t get details, but the effects of that event were permanent and sad. Anyway, as this flash of memory hit my brain waves I sensed God asking me “Can you be thankful even though….?” What a difficult thing to ponder. Especially at 5 in the morning. I couldn’t answer right away.

Continue reading “Need to Know Basis” →

Gifts and Givers

SimplyB 10 Comments

In your own experience, who has historically been the parent most likely to shop for and/or create all the gifts given in your family? For me it was my mother. As a result, I really don’t remember many details about the gifts she gave me. Except that she generously gave to her children. So many gifts over the years. And so much of herself.

Continue reading “Gifts and Givers” →

Walls, foundations and bucket lists

SimplyB 15 Comments

We like to travel. Actually, we love to travel. I was born with the “let’s go” gene. And I believe the hubby was, too. So, we have done a lot of traveling when possible. Life has put a bit of a cramp in that plan, but still, we travel.

Continue reading “Walls, foundations and bucket lists” →

Speaking silently

SimplyB 8 Comments

What speaks to your soul? For me, it’s almost always the wonders of God’s creation. We travel a lot to beautiful mountains, lakes, oceans, and so on. But sometimes the wonders of creation are in my own backyard.

Continue reading “Speaking silently” →

A moment in time

SimplyB 8 Comments

I had a “moment” the other day. It all started when I saw my hairbrush while getting ready for the day. It was full of gray hair. FULL of gray hair. And in that moment, I “saw” my mom. Of course when my eyes lifted to look in the mirror, there she was again.

Continue reading “A moment in time” →

Is there really no place like home?

SimplyB 6 Comments

We were driving through the Flint Hills of Kansas yesterday. Isn’t it beautiful?

Maybe you do this too……read on.

There are homes in this picture. You can’t see them well from this view but I assure you they are there. We drove down several lovely country roads while driving to and from this location. The views were just stunning, I’m not exaggerating. And as usual, I love seeing the homes on these acreages. On absolutely serene looking acreages that just scream “Perfect Life”. Do you know what I’m talking about? I look at these homes and think how awesome it would be to live there.

So….do you dream and imagine and envy a bit on drives like this? Like I do?

Continue reading “Is there really no place like home?” →

The Eyes Have It

SimplyB 2 Comments

Again, I have been given the opportunity to reminisce about my mother. Several days ago I had cataract surgery. Soon I will have cataract surgery on my other eye. Just a short appointment, quick recovery, and voila, good eyesight. Maybe even no prescription eye glasses needed once my other eye is done. Just that simple.

Continue reading “The Eyes Have It” →

Dear Younger Me

SimplyB 11 Comments

My breath was taken away and tears came to my eyes. Not gonna lie, they even rolled down my cheeks.

A friend of mine shared a photo with me. She’d found it in an old yearbook of her mom’s.

Me. Age fifteen. The one school picture that never made it to a frame on the top of the piano with the other pictures of me and my sisters. I had totally forgotten about this particular photograph. I doubt there are prints of it anywhere, except of course the old yearbook.

Continue reading “Dear Younger Me” →

Young. And Old. And Future.

SimplyB Leave a comment

Sixty three years ago on this day, my 15 year old sister loaded up my pregnant mom and my two other sisters in our old car and drove to the hospital 25 miles from home.  My sister’s skills included driving a tractor and she could drive a car, too.    Dad was working, driving a road maintainer for the county. Probably far out in the country on a dirt road and there weren’t cell phones in that day.  He was probably clueless that the whole hospital thing was happening.  I don’t think I was quite due to be born yet. The first and last time I was early for anything.  Continue reading “Young. And Old. And Future.” →

To Hear Him Sing

SimplyB Leave a comment

Music.  It’s really everywhere around us.  Radio.  You tube.  Movies aren’t movies unless there is a soundtrack.  TV advertisements couldn’t exist without a catchy tune.  Elevators, subway stations, restaurants….. we are surrounded with song.  Continue reading “To Hear Him Sing” →

Remedies and Remedy

SimplyB Leave a comment

Did your mom have her list of go-to remedies for every malady you might experience?  I’m thinking your answer is probably “yes”.  My mom sure did.  

Milk of Magnesia would cure everything.  Tummy ache?  Take some milk of magnesia.  Tired and worn out?  Take some milk of magnesia.  Ingrown toenail?  Same remedy….. well yeah that might be an exaggeration.   Continue reading “Remedies and Remedy” →