Two Days of Sunshine

Let me clarify. Two days in a row of sunshine. What did we do to deserve this? I don't know, but I'm thanking God for smiling (shining?) down on our corner of the world. (Sadly, this is the lack of sunshine capital of Pennsylvania.)

I was talking to my Parisian sister on the phone this past Sunday and she said I suppose you're knee deep in snow. To which I replied, "No...I'm looking out the front windows at green grass. We had snow a couple of days ago, but it warmed up and rained and the snow is all gone!"

Little did I know. That was 4 o'clock (my time, 10 o'clock hers) and by 5 o'clock we had blizzard conditions! No kidding.  Six inches of snow fell in less than an hour. For a while there we couldn't see our cars parked 15 feet outside the kitchen window/french doors. Crazy. But that was Sunday. Today, Tuesday, it's sunny and warm and except for a few piles in well shaded areas I can't see a trace of that snow from Sunday. Did I say, crazy?

I was out on the porch, sitting in the sun, catching a bit of vitamin D, reading. How wonderful. How amazing. How blessed and happy I'm feeling. A glorious change from a couple of days ago. Thanks God, I needed that!

(Lack of sunshine capital? Maybe that's a blessing in disguise, because oh how we appreciate the sunshine when we see it.)

My Own Joe Paterno Story

I worked in the Atheltic Department Ticket Office at PSU from 1970-1973. The ticket office was in Rec Hall, down the corridor and across the hall from the Football Coaches Office. I became fast friends with Joe Paterno's secretary. These were the days before secretaries were given the more elevated and well deserved title "administrative assistant". Tom and I left State College in 1974, but return to visit family and friends. Occassionally I dropped in at Rec Hall to say hello to my friend who was still there, still administratively assisting Joe Paterno. One time I had David along. He was just a little guy, maybe 2. As she and I chatted Davy wondered around quietly looking at pictures of famous Penn State football players. When I realized that David was out of sight I called to him. From Joe's office came a pleasant reply, "If he's blond and wearing overalls he's in here."

Mortified that I had carelessly let my toddler intrude on Mr. Paterno's work space I dashed into his office to collect my kid... apologizing profusely. The great Joe Paterno waived off my apology. He pointed little David to a basket of mini-footballs and invited him to take one. My friend, his secretary, introduced me and told him I had worked in the ticket office (like 15 years ago!).

And Joe Paterno, The Joe Paterno, very convincingly... feigned remembrance.

What a guy, huh?

Read on...

My good friend's Joe Paterno story: taken from the facebook page of Ellen Herman Campbell -- Ellen blogs at Nana Knits and Jams

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In 1993 shortly after we moved back home to State College, Matthew was hit by a car in the high school parking lot. He (and we) spent almost two weeks at Hershey Medical Center as he began his recovery from a near fatal brain injury. When he returned home, this photo was delivered to him at our home. It says, "To Matt, We are thinking about you. Your Friend, Joe Paterno."

Matthew has considered this good man and great legend his friend ever since....
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Ellen's husband, Jim, worked at Penn State. Joe Paterno was truly a family man. Penn State was family.

May God bless the family of Joe Paterno and comfort them in their season of grief. Amen.

Mid-Month, Mid Life

How long do I get to keep claiming mid-life? I mean really, who wants to admit they are on the down hill slide, past the halfway point to the end? I thought it so clever when I turned 50 to described it as entering the second half of my first century. But this year I'll leave the 5th decade behind and begin my 6th...not until October, mind you.

Sixty is the new forty, right?  The Bible suggests we are allotted 120 years, but I don't know anyone who would want to live that long. And come to think of it Psalm 90 says, "Our days may come to 70 years, or 80, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."

On that happy note, here's to looking forward. I'm past the halfway point to heaven, which is what I've got my sights set on. Until I get there, I'd like to live life to the fullest, use what I have until it's all used up, and help others to do the same. 

My previous post was from Florida. I arrived home from the sunny south on Tuesday to a brisk 40 degrees. For those of us who are used to the north, that's actually quite mild. As the week progressed temps dropped and clouds gathered. By Friday we had blizzard conditions, which made for great skiing -- downhill for the youngsters, cross-country for me. Now it's warming up again. Mid January...the end of winter is only a few months away. Enjoy it while it lasts!

It's a wonderful world and a great life. Thanks for every bit of it God.

Florida!

This is quite a change from the last post. Then the weather was 10 degrees and 2 feet of snow. Now 75 degrees and sunshine. I am enjoying a conference in Orlando Florida. Meeting wonderful people, worshiping God beside them, eating together, talking, laughing, learning. And sneaking away to bask in the sun and dip in the pool. Yeah, that too! One more day of this then off to see Mom and Dad a bit further south.

Winter Storm/Wonderland

It's absolutely beautiful if you don't have to go anywhere. And I don't.