Butterfly in the Wind

Thankfulness in preparation  for Advent Thanksgiving is a time of reflection for all that the Lord has given us. In 2013 I wrote about the tradition of reading Wind in the Willows.  The Gis-Butterfly post was simply titled, "Family." June 2014 In 2014 Abbie and Tim got married and Ian graduated from High School. There is no post for Thanksgiving, but I know I was thankful that Abbie had a wonderful marriage and Ian had safely completed his first year of Wildland Fire Fighting from looking at the post from October.       1st Thanksgiving in the Nest There were no words that first Thanksgiving in the Nest. I went to Abbey New Clairvaux  for a three day retreat and spent my Thanksgiving meal with strangers who also were seeking. Emelia Claire Arrived August 2016 A Thanksgiving Poem for 2016. I had begun to settle into my life at the Nest and I was given the title: Grammie. Only two years before I had posted, "when will I get to bake cookies with Grandchildren :)" 2016

  One the back reads:  "Love and Prayers, Mama" The past couple of days I have been thinking about how people are missing out on hugs. I had a co-worker approach me and say, "I need a Deena Hug." Of course, I gave her a hug. However, I had to check over my shoulder for the Covid Police. PSA- How to Hug I have seen so many different memes on "How to Hug" during the pandemic. Everyone has an opinion on  what is and is not going on with 2020. I am just stating the facts. I have to wear a mask or shield with a drape 6 hours a day at school. I know my life is not as stressful as people who work 8 and 12 hour shifts with the masks on. Those people are the heroes to me this year.    I miss hugs. I was surprised that the children learned so fast to keep their hands to themselves. There is always that one kid who can't keep his hands off others, but the huggers are the ones who I am talking about. There is one sweet little girl in third grade and every day last

Easter 1964 This week I have thought a lot about my mom. Virginia Lee (Harris) Orr was born on January 7th, 1935 and she passed into God's arms in June of 1986. She never meet any of my children. Now that I have lived 10 years passed the age she was when she passed away I am baffled at how much she did cram into those short 51 years. She married my Dad when he was 18 and she was 16 on August 4, 1951. In the picture about she was only 29. I was three and half. In 1966 our family moved to Susanville from Prineville, Oregon. She drove a station wagon full of girls, a dog and all our belongings that didn't go in the moving van. It seems like a very brave thing to me. When my sisters were in high school she decided to finish school. She got her high school diploma the same year as my older sister. She work as a yard duty at my elementary school and decided to go to college to become a teacher. In the 1970s Chico State was giving out Life Time Teaching Certificates. She became a teac