If you landed here, it must mean that you are interested in or have questions about the one who created this site.
First of all, I would like to say that without the inspiration and guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ, I could never have come this far. This entire website is dedicated to Him and has become my way of spreading the Good News to anyone who finds me here on the Internet. If I can touch the heart of just one non-believer, my goal has been accomplished.
Now, just how much do you really want to know? The oldest of a family of five children, I was born and raised in a small town in New Mexico until the age of 16. At that point we began to move every one or two years and ended up living in California, Texas and points in New Mexico. Moving was not a problem for me, as I believe that you can be happy anywhere and can make yourself miserable anywhere. The Four Corners part of New Mexico has been my home since 1978. I love it here and if you get me started talking about this area, I sound like I work for the local Chamber of Commerce!!
Growing up and through the years, I have been very fortunate to have a wonderful relationship with both my father and my mother. Our whole family is very close and we continue to stay in frequent contact, not only with my siblings but also their spouses, my nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins. What a blessing to have such a large and loving family!
Of my four younger brothers, I can honestly say that each of them is my favorite brother. I have always loved each one equally for each one has his own special qualities. In addition, I have a very special brother-in-law who is just like a brother. I have also been extremely fortunate to have such special sisters-in-law. Each in her own way has added great quality and love to our family. And they all have such cool children and grandchildren!
When my husband and I married, he brought with him my first two children, one boy and one girl. He and I then proceeded to have two boys. All four of my children are wonderful and I love them deeply. Actually I should say all eight of my children, because I have been blessed with three wonderful daughters-in-law and a wonderful son-in-law, so I usually say I have eight kids! Combined they have given me thirteen absolutely outstanding grandchildren. When we all get together (especially at Christmas!) it is total chaos and I LOVE it! Their ages range from 25 down to 5 years (you can see them on Photos of pk's Angels page). It's hard to describe just how blessed I am and how much I love my family.
If you have been to my memory pages, you know that I lost my father in 1985, my youngest brother in 1994, my first husband in 1996, my second husband in 2004 and my mother in 2011. Each loss was very difficult but with the help of our Lord, time has healed much of the pain and I continue to hold each of them close in my memories.
"Til A Tear Becomes A Rose" by Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan had sorta become "our song" in the last few years. My husband passed away shortly after midnight and that evening I received a single red silk rose from a local florist. The card read, "Til Your Tears Become a Rose...Love, Butch." I really lost it! Later I found out that he had made arrangements with my Forever Friend to call in the order as soon as she received word of his death. This was just one of the songs we played at his memorial service. And it's still hard to hear it, but the WAV is on his memory page.
After my husband died of melanoma cancer, Mother moved to live with me. I am very thankful to have her with me and know that it would have been much more difficult without her. I am also very fortunate to have my husband's parents living right next door. They also have helped tremendously in my adjusting to being a widow. After being part of their family since 1963, I feel as though they are another mother and father to me. I can't begin to tell you how my children and my grandchildren have helped me through my loss, even while dealing with their loss of a father and grandfather. See, I told you I am blessed.
For a year after he died, I continued to work and then decided life is too short to be stuck in a stressful job. So I "retired" and am busier now than I was when I worked full time. How ever did I get it all done before? There are two full acres here to maintain plus normal maintenance on the structures and overseeing an additional three acres. These three enormous lawns really keep me so busy that the weeds in other areas seem to grow 2 feet tall overnight! But it is good therapy and exercise and I get much personal satisfaction when they look nice. The flower gardens always need something done and the vegetable garden still needs to be planted.
Many things I have learned in the last 16 years....
....how to work on and sometimes fix my garden tractor,
....how to replace in-ground sprinklers,
....how to repair broken irrigation pipe,
....how to prune trees,
....how to get up on the roof,
....how to paint the house,
....how to service my air conditioner,
....how to charge the battery when I forget and leave the tractor lights on,
....how to change the oil,
....how to grease the places that need greasing,
....how to use the air compressor to air up the tires or just blow the dust out of the air cleaner,
....how to clean the spark plugs,
....how to back a trailer,
....how to use a chain saw,
....that a shovel works much better on larger weeds than a hoe,
....how to clean the debris from the sprinkler heads,
....how to set a trap for gophers,
....how not to over fertilize the lawns,
....how not to stand upwind when you are burning tumbleweeds (it singes your eyebrows and eye lashes - sure glad I had a cap on),
....how to buy a car on my own,
....how to remember to have the oil changed,
....how to stand up for myself,
....how to make decisions for which I am wholly responsible,
....when it's time to have the septic tank pumped,
....how to move the motor home in and out of the shop with clearances of less than 8" on each side, whew,
....how not to run out of butane in the shop,
....how to buy tools to make it easier when you don't have the physical strength to do the job and then put them together,
....how to sleep alone,
....how to fill the time when you get lonely,
....how to be independent and yet be able to ask for help when it is right,
....how to enjoy some of the new found freedom,
....how to enjoy being able to do things the way I want them,
....that I can wear hats or caps whenever and wherever I want just because it pleases me - And I do, all the time! See some of them at pk alamode.
....how important it is to enjoy the positive things and take the negative things in stride because we never know who will be next to go,
....how to do simple electrical wiring like changing out light fixtures,
....how to repair and texture walls, prep and paint,
....that the most important things in life are not things,
....that I can live alone and enjoy it,
....that you really should live each day as if it is your last because it might be,
I could go on and on but you get the picture. Some of these I have practiced most of my life, but they are even more important now. It is a difficult thing to lose a mate, but life does go on and life is what you make of it. I choose to make mine a happy one and enjoy as much of it as I can for as long as the Lord allows.
Besides my church, my family and my friends, my interests include making many different types of crafts, sewing, gardening, canning, crocheting, watching the deer in our yard, listening for pheasants in the pasture, watching birds-especially hummingbirds, listening for the frogs each year after the pond fills up, spotting an occasional squirrel, hawk or eagle, computers and web page building of course and doing anything related to Christmas.
Our house is so decorated at Christmas that people come and bring others just to take a tour. It generally takes me about two weeks to get the whole house decorated. I start right after Thanksgiving and the decorations don't come down until mid to late January. In fact, one year it was the last day of February. Yes, it takes almost as long to take them down. Don't guess I would ever get tired of the decorations. They are all so pretty and have such memories as many of them were gifts from family and friends and many I made myself. Guess you can tell Christmas is a very special time of the year for me - not only because we celebrate the birth of our Savior but also because it is a special family time. My children lovingly give me Christmas Eve as a time when we are all together so I don't press too hard for them to spend other holidays with me. They always know they are wanted at other times but the decision to come or not is theirs.
I would like to learn to weld since I have the equipment and it would be helpful at times around this place. Maybe one day I can get started. I would also like to take a basic carpentry class. You are never too old to learn something new. Just look at this website!
Lest I forget, I must mention how thankful I am for the many friends I have both near and far. I have a number of very close friends, the dearest one being a special lady I have known since junior high. We have a closeness that cannot be explained. Our friendship is like two bodies with one heart. We have always "been there" for each other through thick and thin. Oh, the secrets we share. Sure glad we aren't into blackmail! Without her support and encouragement, this site would have taken much longer to get online. She even has a few comments to say about me in A Simple Task. You might want to check out her new poetry!
Building this website has been extremely time consuming but I have learned so much in such a short time. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Within a couple of months after we finally got online, I knew I wanted to do this and now it's up and available. I hope you all enjoy flying around as much as I have enjoyed building its cocoon and watching it emerge full grown.
Somewhere in here I feel compelled to mention that I am extremely conservative. I am absolutely Pro-Life. (Life or death is God's decision!) I abhor abortion, child abuse or domestic violence (click here) of any sort.
You might ask why all the butterflies. Aside from the fact that I love butterflies, a number of years ago I started wearing a butterfly pin on my left shoulder. I call it my butterfly of happiness.
Happiness is like a Butterfly...
If you pursue it, it will elude you...
But if you turn your thoughts toward others
It will come and quietly land on your shoulder.
When you tell people you are wearing a butterfly of happiness, how can you be anything else? (Mother actually started wearing a butterfly pin on her shoulder several years before. One day she handed me one of her special pins and asked me to join her "Butterfly of Happiness Club" and I've been wearing one ever since.) Then my kids gave me the beautiful poem of "Born Again" which you will find in the Butterflies section. That just fit perfectly with the idea of wearing butterflies. Now I try to use this theme to tell others of the joy of knowing Jesus.
As the song goes "I'm the luckiest girl in whole USA!" but when you come right down to it luck has no part since everything we have comes from Above. Thank you, Lord! I know I don't deserve all the blessings I receive and that's part of the beauty of knowing Jesus - He blesses His children!
Thanks for listening and check back often. Who knows what will show up next?
For an update on the life of pk, go here.
Loving prayers, pk
