Ronnie B Looking Good at Seventy

 Ronnie B is going to be seventy! Wow! I love this invitation Natalie made for his party that will be at her house. It will be fun to celebrate my rugged man who loves the outdoors and gets out in it often. First, we will travel with our dog, Cora, in the rv to get there. That will be an adventure of hot springs along the way and a bit of archeology for Indiana Ron. The hope is that family and some friends can gather to tell tales of Ron’s life and mischief. Even Ron is thinking about what he wants to share. 

At my seventieth people brought recipes. For Ron’s we want to have them bring memories, the more embarrassing the better. Ron is a man of many talents and many loves. He loves archeology, his family, friends, and researching past cultures as well as his own roots. Recently, his love is our Cora dog. I would never believe Ron would be so attentive to an animal but oh he truly is. 

I have written that entering our seventies feels like we are entering our best life. We both have our health, our family and adventures await. This year we are going to Washington, sailing in the Canadian waters with Ron’s brother Paul and Cindy, taking a trip to Egypt and Kenya, and yesterday found out that a trip to the Bahamas after Thanksgiving may be possible. Ron measures adventures with family and archeology. I measure them with family and when I can get in the water for a swim. 2026 promises to be the start of a decade filled with the two of us exploring the world hand in hand. 

The fact that we get to enjoy family sand friends makes life even sweeter. I love that Auggie FaceTimed me with his dad to let me know that my star pillow is still at their house just waiting for me. At two and a half he already knows me. He said Noni love to watch football and doesn’t like cinnamon coffee. What a gift to see others at such a young age. I can’t wait to get to Washington to watch Kayla graduate, Tim sing,  and snuggle Millie, Auggie and Felix. The added gift is our nieces are also in the northwest so we get to spend time with them as well. You can bet there will be lake days of swimming while we are there. 

Happy Birthday to my Ronnie B, partner in crime. I look forward to you being as old as me. Just remember I am 58 days older than you so I am your elder. But Susi will always be older than both of us so there is that. She made crossing into the seventies look good. Seventies are a time when we have the time, health and resources to enjoy life. So let’s get this party started Mr. Barber. Here’s to you.

In Him,

Joyful

5-3-26

Enjoying the Sunshine of My Life

 The past few weeks I have been feeling like I have something wonderful to share. I am not sure what exactly but just a glow that seems to be present. The truth is that it has been an April to remember since I turned seventy and people I love came out to celebrate me. At the same time, I had to say goodbye to one of my closest friends who journeyed to heaven unexpectedly. Somehow I am so happy for her. She always knew she would be in God’s presence and shared her faith to make heaven a bit more crowded when she arrived. I have been trying to assess why I have this feeling of euphoria. But does it really need to be explained or should I just embrace this positive vibe that is in me? Perhaps I am grateful for what life is in this moment. 

Let’s see……..there was a time in my life that I doubted I would ever be a mom or have a family. Here I am with my kids, their kids, and even their kids. My heart is full of a family I didn’t dare to imagine.

A few years ago, long covid laid me in my bed on oxygen 24/7. The exhaustion was isolating and overwhelming. Having lost my sister to covid, I didn’t have confidence I would survive or ever walk through an airport again out of a wheelchair. Here I am oxygen free or at least supplemental oxygen free. I guess my lungs decided to heal and allow the oxygen around me to be sufficient. My energy is not completely restored but I have learned to budget it to do what I want to do in life. 

I have been jealous of others who have friend circles. Now I have a group that includes me and that makes me feel a part of. The beauty is that there is no pressure. I can show up when I can and that is enough. This group of about twenty is fluid. Everyone travels and has other commitments so there is no judgement when someone is not there. Feeling embraced and loved by this group has been powerful to my mental health and squashes my orphan spirit that plagued me most of my life. 

For most of my life I have not felt beautiful. Plain Jane is how I would describe myself with my mousy brown hair and normal features. I struggled with my weight and never felt pretty. Funny as my face wrinkles and my skin becomes crepey, I am finally seeing the beauty that is me. Beauty is not about big blue eyes or a model body. It is about my heart for others that shines through my eyes. Perhaps I am finally seeing myself as my daughter sees me. A random, selfless person who loves others and that is where my beauty lies. Okay, it helps that I am thinner with Zepbound and have been treating myself to self care at All Dolled Up with Pricilla. She is magic with facials and adding eyebrows that I always longed for.

Ronnie B and I are celebrating forty-nine years of marriage next month as we both slip into our seventies. The love of my life is more my best friend and encourager as we age together. How is it possible that we enjoy each other’s company more now than ever before. Life has not always been easy but we have weathered the storms and ended up here still in each other’s arms. Oh how I adore this man of mine. He is incredible. The smartest person I know. Heck, he even knew about hippo’s spinning tails while they poop. How did he know that. I found out because Caleb, our three year old great-grandson is fascinated with animals pooping on You Tube. We will be heading out in our little rv for six weeks soon. I look forward to snuggling up just the two of us traveling together. Hot springs along the way have become our routine. I love my Ronnie B even more now than ever before. I feel more loved by my Ronnie B than I ever have. What a gift that is to both of us. The fact that we genuinely enjoy being together. 

Now that I think about it, I have so many reasons to feel optimistic and grateful. Life is good, better than good. Life is fantastic. My advice is don’t wait until you turn seventy to see your beauty and the beauty of your life. Even in the struggles there are moments of sunshine.

In Him,

Joyful

5-2-26

Let My Seventies Begin

I am beyond blessed. It has been a beautiful, emotional, and family-filled April so far. These beautiful flowers are from my sweet Freedom who always says and does the kindest things. She makes me feel special and loved. Her words are those I hope to focus on rather than the negatives I tend to put in my own head. I hope that I can live a life that matches the woman she sees in me. 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of joy, grief, and community. Ronnie B and I drove to Northern California to celebrate a life that was just short of a century. Aunt Helen was an example of a life well lived through hard work and family. The next week I was honored to speak for my friend Pat at her life celebration. She also was evidence of the impact we all can make through the carefully chosen stitches of her quilts. Her humble generosity and tireless work wrapped others in the love and warmth of her faith and calling. 

Often the loss I experience in life also gives me an opportunity to reflect on my own life and how I am choosing to live. Touching others and the connections are what impacts those around me. Saying yes to opportunities to serve, to connect, share my faith, and to love is the value of life. It is important for me to lean in and embrace opportunities that come but also create those opportunities. 

I have a friend who has shared the impact of aging in a couple of her friends. One is wringing her hands and fretting about everything rather than trusting her life and the ones she loves with Jesus’ love and ability to use even the most difficult circumstances for good. Another moves farther away from others and isolates while making her world smaller and smaller. That is not how I want to move into my seventies. I am already not inclined to be a yes person. So my concern is that I will move away from others rather than toward them. Being intentional in how I spend my time and energy is the way to age well. Am I slowing down in life? Absolutely. But I am grateful for others in life who lift me out of my aloneness and thrust me into community. 

There are new relationships in my life and I am so grateful for the Tubbies for their getting together weekly to hang out and sip a beer or a cider. Go out and find a group to be a part of. Whether it is a church family, a common interest like a book club, or a group of people in their sixties to nineties enjoying a drink together. Find a group to be a part of. This was unexpected for me. These people who have moved from strangers to acquaintances and now some into a family of friends. It has given me the opportunity to make a call to have lunch or coffee with others one on one and really get to know them. 

At Pat’s life celebration, I ended my sharing with Matthew 25:21 Well done my good and faithful servant. There will be time for rest in my seventies, time for gathering with old friends and new, and time for serving others even now. I may not be able to help you move furniture any longer but I can listen and pray. I can pick up the phone to encourage others and connect. I can bake cookies like Heather for those who are celebrating and those who are crushed. I can pray with you and for you and let you pray for me. My seventies are the beginning of my next chapter in life. I am the one who gets to write this next part of my story. So I joined the Tubbies, the gym, and am walking Cora with Ronnie B once again. Who knows where my next deep friendship will develop? What I know for sure is that sitting on my couch playing games on my phone won’t move me to connecting with others and living out my life verse. Let love and kindness be the motivation in all you do. 1 Corinthians 16:14. This is not only how I treat others but also myself. So expect a text or phone call from me. Or hit me up for an adventure. Today I am driving Fancy Pants, my convertible Miata, down for lunch. One friend will let the wind blow through her hair on the way down and another will ride back with me. Who knew indulging my desire for a sports car would be so fabulous. God knows. I just have to listen. It is chilly out today but no worries. My car has heated seats and a great heater. So let the ride begin.

In Him,

Joyful

4-22-26

Oops! I Said it Again

 Ok, that is a bit of a stretch but I do have random thoughts at all times. It is true that some, not all, of them need to be shared. I am learning that the weirder they are the more selective I must be in choosing who to share them with. There are laws you know about when, where and to whom we share our inappropriate thoughts. 

A couple days ago, Jenn showed me a video from a couple years ago. I was at the doctor and she and Lissa were with me. They were both on their phones while we waited for Michelle, my friend and primary care to come into the room. In the video I started chuckling and said…….Don’t make me laugh Barb. Ok, yes I was talking to myself. These are two people I am most willing to share what probably should not be shared so either it was that bad or I recognized they were engaged elsewhere. I ended up having a herniated disc and was in so much pain. It just shows even agony doesn’t stop the weirdness in my head. 

Natalie says that my randomness is an attribute that she loves about me. Here I am a seventy year old, great-grandmother and I still can’t control my mind. Perhaps it is time to quit trying and just embrace who I am and hope that as I age my filter of when and with whom to share doesn’t slip. I would hate to spend my eighties in prison for offending the wrong person. 

So can I just ask if I am the only one? Do you think about asking strangers for a bite of their food or if you can get a picture with them? Does it cross your mind to give candy or cards to people you encounter but do not know? No, I am not that weird….I don’t give candy to children from my car. Even I have my guardrails. I send puns to my grandkids and scratch my head when one is a bit over the top for a teen from their Noni. The last one I sent was within the acceptable range. Sure, Alexander Graham Bell was great, but I’m more impressed with his brother Taco. Innocent, not off color and it passed the sniff test. Chalk up one for Noni. 

So I will continue being me and listen to Ronnie B when he says Filters, Noni, Fiters. Because each of us and especially me needs that person who cares enough to be the filter that doesn’t quite work as well as it should. Thank you Ron but you don’t need to shush me from my peeps that may roll their eyes but love me in spite of my wandering mind and words that escape. Love you all and thank you for your generous acceptance. 

In Him,

Joyful

4-20-26

70 will Surely be the Best Decade Yet!

 Apparently, I am no longer in my 60s. I love that my grandgirl decided to celebrate me with this gathering. This seventy decade promises to be the best one yet. Not that I didn’t enjoy each decade along the path to this one. They all had their own joys and heartaches but ultimately led me to who I am today and the community I get to enjoy. 

Before this birthday,  believed that 40 was the best and it was. All my kids still lived at home under one roof. I knew that by 50 they would be out finding their own path so I relished our time as a family of six. 

Those were the good old days and here I am heading into my older days as a retired Noni to grands and great grands.What a gift to have Ronnie B, the love of my life, beside me to enjoy a beer at our hometown pub, trips overseas and in our Chinook casita on wheels, and all the family and friends that make up our community along the way. 

A couple days ago I was treated to a massage. It was incredibly relaxing as well as eye opening. Here I am at 70 and I have no chronic pain, no incontinence (tmi), and a health that I doubted only a few years ago when I was tethered to oxygen. Well, the oxygen is just at night now and I have joined a gym and walking with Ronnie B once again. That season of long covid taught me that the world won’t fall apart if I slow down and don’t micromanage every little thing. 

There is more time for Bible studies, writing and hopefully podcasting at some point. I love the life I live now and am so grateful for all the life that has come before to get me to this moment. The heartbreak of losing our son and too many loved ones have had silver linings that we never expected. Losing Ryan gave Ron and me the opportunity to walk beside other families through loss. It provided me with a boldness to share my faith through the journey of losing Ry with the book of blog entries that catalog how Christ stayed close through the decade after. Easter Sunday, tomorrow, marks sixteen years since we lost our son. The lessons we learned and the lives our story has touched could never bring Ryan back into our arms but we know that it matters that we shared our grief and faith with others. So I want to share a few lyrics from a song that is my truth about what the future holds for each of us when we are finished having earthly birthdays. 

This is our last goodbye. 

We won’t have to say it again.

The next time we meet in heaven we will be.

This is our last goodbye. 

Last Goodbye Spotify

Until then, I look forward to life in my seventies and hope I am still sharing my stories at eighty and beyond. Today will be a glorious day of good food, friendships, and a whole lot of laughter. I guess it is time to jump in the shower and get ready for the decorating crew to arrive. I will post pictures in case you aren’t here in person. Again, thank you for reading my heart, my faith and my story.

In Him,

Joyful

4-4-1956 oops! 2026

Ronnie B and Me Springtime!

I just love that spring is popping up everywhere. The colors and smells of this season just brings joy to my heart. Along with the new blooms comes the tasks that bring me outside to bask in the warmth and sunshine. It is pleasant to be clearing out the old growth getting ready for the new. Ronnie B and I planted jasmine, forsythias, and lilacs last weekend. We power sprayed the porch to rid it of cobwebs and started planning for the flowerbeds that will add color to our summer. What a gift that we are healthy enough to be enjoying life as we get ready to enter our 70s. I truly believe this is going to be the best decade ever!

 

I Appreciate Your Prayers

 How do you be there for someone but not overstep? I want to be available to Pat’s daughter who just lost her mom. This is a time when it is all about Stacey and her kids. Losing Ryan taught me that at a time of heart crushing grief, it is hard to be honest about what I needed. Stacey has lost not one parent but now two. While she was busy planning for her dad’s service next weekend she lost her mom suddenly and unexpectedly. While she prepares for relatives and friends for her father she is also meeting with the church and having her mom cremated. How can that be? Too much for anyone to handle. 

So I want to go with her to the church and support her. But I don’t want to be one more person for her to deal with. It is about her not about me. So how do I convey that to her. So she can be honest that she needs me or that it would be too much to have me there. 

Isn’t it hard sometimes to read if our good intentions get in the way of what others need? All this to say that I would like prayers to know whether I am journeying to Albuquerque tomorrow or staying here to pray for my sweet friend’s daughter as she navigates the impossible. Thanks ahead of time for your prayers not only for me but for Pat’s family and loved ones. 

In Him,

Joyful

3-29-26