Here we are in the dog days of summer. Anyone else needing a little boost?
What better way to change your mood than checking in with an old friend?
I loved learning some new things about my friend Brenda. And I’ll bet you’ll find a refreshing spritz of inspiration from her too.
You might know she taught high school English for 28 years, but do you know what she’d be if she could magically snap her fingers and become anything? Read on to discover the answer to not only that question, but many more.
What’s Your Favorite…?
Brenda and I are in a book club, Pageturners, together and I think we have similar reading preferences. We might have had a couple of disagreements but we didn’t come to blows! I definitely agree with her three top choices for must-reads. And I love her favorite songs, too. You can click on the book title to see it in Amazon and click on the song title to hear it in YouTube.
- Favorite books: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, NIGHT, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
- Favorite songs: THE MAJESTY AND GLORY OF YOUR NAME, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, IS HE WORTHY?
- Favorite activities: Boating, bicycling, reading, traveling
- Favorite vacations: A two-week tour of Israel and Egypt tops the list.
Family Traditions
One of the most rewarding traditions Brenda’s family has is known as “Papa and Nana Week.” For 13 years, their grandchildren have spent a week during the summer at Brenda and Bill’s (aka Nana and Papa) house.
Having three teenagers this year, all of whom have tennis, baseball, golf, swimming, volleyball, and camps, threw up insurmountable obstacles to achieving this year’s grandparents’ week. But she said she’ll always be grateful for the sweet memories made during those weeks.
I love the memory books Brenda made for her grandkids. She gave them to the kids at Christmas to help them remember. I’ll bet they would have remembered anyway, but the books are a precious keepsake.
Her Perfect Day/Weekend
“My perfect weekend would be a family-filled one with my two sons, their wives, the five grandchildren, and, of course, my beloved husband of 53 years. We would be sitting at our table in the kitchen after a huge meal recalling past times when the boys were young or memorable times with their grandparents or catching up on the lives of the grandchildren and all of their numerable activities. Because our elder son Blake lives out-of-town, there are only two or three times during the year when the whole clan of 11 gets together. There is usually much laughter, times recalled between two brothers that Bill and I were not even aware of, and an indelible memory made for me.”
Her Latest Passion
“My latest passion is being a facilitator for a Women’s Bible Study group. I can become completely immersed in the current study that is being offered by FBC Paducah. I thoroughly enjoy delving more deeply into the Bible, and I always see paths of study relating to the topic that I explore and can spend hours seeking and learning related information. The women that I have met through this ministry have blessed me with their knowledge, eagerness to learn, and sweet Godly spirit. I’ve been a participant in church all of my 73 years, but I always learn something new about our great God and His Word when I participate in women’s Bible study.”
Looking Back, Traveling Forward
Traveling has always been an important part of Brenda and Bill’s lives. They have visited Britain, France, Italy, Romania, Israel, Egypt, China, Hawaii, Alaska, the Carribbean, and most states in the U.S. They had a trip booked for Africa in October 2020 that was canceled because of the pandemic. (She’s always wanted to go on a safari and see big game up close and personal. Yikes!)
She said, “At my age, anything can happen to prevent any more traveling, but I hope that, God willing, my dear husband and travel partner and I can enjoy another adventure together. We certainly have had an incredible journey for the past 53 years.”
Their next trip will be by train, the Danube Express. They’ll travel from Milan, Italy, through Switzerland and Lichtenstein to Vienna, Austria.
It sounds amazing!
Oh, and as for that magic snap of the fingers? If you guessed she would be a translator at the U.N., you’d be correct! With that travel bug she has, she’d benefit from knowing other languages, right?
Jane Sykes
Sweet profile of my long term (not old) beautiful friend.
Tracey Buchanan
You’re right…the best kind of “old!”
Julie Kleet
Thought I knew my dear friend well, but didn’t know she wanted to be a translator at the U. N.
Tracey Buchanan
I love it that we can know someone well and still be surprised! Keeps life interesting!