The other day I was at a friends house and they got a call, the husband says to the wife ( he answered the call), "Do we want any black walnuts? She said, "no." I immediately said I wanted some. So I ended up at an elderly lady's house where whoever mowed the lawn had saved out one bucket but the rest were in the trash can which I got to muck out and pick the nuts out of the wet leaves, twigs and doggie doo. But hey, they were still in their green husks. So I brought them home and threw them in the driveway so I could drive over them a few times to start the husk break down. Today, I sat out there in the driveway and peeled semi-dried husks off the nuts and put the nuts in a plastic crate with holes so they could finish drying. A few were smished so I got a couple of big kernels to taste. The first couple were good, but it wasn't ringing the nostalgia bell. Later I found one and with the taste of gooey husk juice mixed with the nut itself, it finally tasted of childhood memories. Crazy how the brain works, isn't it! But I did make a step in the right direction. I told the lady I would rake up the nuts for her next time she was going to have the lawn mowed. Hopefully that will eliminate some of the doggie doo.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
October 5th, 2011
I look out my bedroom window and see the afternoon light hitting the Grand Mesa just right and the distant aspen's autumn gold shines through the gathering rain clouds.
Autumn- Jesus tells us that the time of his coming will be as sure as the season's changing or as the approaching weather.
We, country people, we know the cooler days and nights mean to gather the last of the crops, to get that 3rd cutting of hay done and baled and in the barn, to bring the houseplants in, to put the winter windows on the chicken coop. We plan our winter menus in advance according to the food we've canned, pickled, froze and jelled.
Do we plan for Jesus return and know the signs of his imminent return from our reading the Bible? I am trying to read more, am I planning enough? I don't know but I do trust in His love and faithfulness. I know that He'll encourage me to look out the window and think of Him. I'll be glad to see He's coming to take me home. Won't you!
Autumn- Jesus tells us that the time of his coming will be as sure as the season's changing or as the approaching weather.
We, country people, we know the cooler days and nights mean to gather the last of the crops, to get that 3rd cutting of hay done and baled and in the barn, to bring the houseplants in, to put the winter windows on the chicken coop. We plan our winter menus in advance according to the food we've canned, pickled, froze and jelled.
Do we plan for Jesus return and know the signs of his imminent return from our reading the Bible? I am trying to read more, am I planning enough? I don't know but I do trust in His love and faithfulness. I know that He'll encourage me to look out the window and think of Him. I'll be glad to see He's coming to take me home. Won't you!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
First Zucchini
Finally, our first eatable zucchini! Not long from now I'll be hauling them off to other people but right now we are so happy to eat fresh from the garden! Just thought you'd like to know!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 3rd
Spurgeon seems to be so perfect both yesterday and today. Yesterday's was:
So he giveth his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2
"Ours is not a life of anxious care, but of happy faith. Our heavenly Father will supply the wants of his own children, and he knoweth what we have need of before we ask him. We may therefore go to our beds at the proper hour, and not wear ourselves out by sitting up late to plot, and plan, and contrive. If we have learned to rely upon our God we shall not lie awake with fear gnawing at our hearts; but we shall leave our care with the Lord, our meditation of him shall be sweet, and he will give us refreshing sleep.
To be the Lord's beloved is the highest possible honor, and he who has it may feel that ambition itself could desire no more, and therfore every selfish wish may go to sleep. What more is there even in heaven than the love of God? Rest then, O soul, for thou hast all things,
Yet we toss to and fro unless the Lord himself gives us not only the reasons for rest, but rest itself. Yea, he doth this. Jesus himself is our peace, our rest, our all. On his bosom we sleep in perfect security, both in life and in death."
Today's:
He will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48:14
"We need a guide. Sometimes we would give all that we have to be told exactly what to do, and where to turn. We are willing to do right, but we do not know which out of two roads we are to follow. Oh, for a guide!
The Lord our God condescends to serve us a guide. He knows the way, and will pilot us along it till we reach our journey's end in peace. Surely we do not desire more infallible direction, Let us place ourselves absolutely under his guidance, and we shall never miss the right road of life, provided we first learn to lean upon him in every step we take.
Our comfort is, that as he is our God for ever and ever, he will never cease to be with us as our guide. 'Even unto death' will he lead us, and then we shall dwell with him eternally, and go no more out for ever. This promise of divine guidance involves life-long security: salvation at once, guidance unto our last hour, and then endless blessedness. Should not each one seek this in youth, rejoice in it in middle life, and repose in it in old age? This day let us look up for guidance before we trust ourselves out of doors"
Aren't these just wonderful words of wisdom? They are to me even though I've used this devotional since 1998. It is like the Bible continually opening fuller to my mind year after year. May these words bless you, also.
So he giveth his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2
"Ours is not a life of anxious care, but of happy faith. Our heavenly Father will supply the wants of his own children, and he knoweth what we have need of before we ask him. We may therefore go to our beds at the proper hour, and not wear ourselves out by sitting up late to plot, and plan, and contrive. If we have learned to rely upon our God we shall not lie awake with fear gnawing at our hearts; but we shall leave our care with the Lord, our meditation of him shall be sweet, and he will give us refreshing sleep.
To be the Lord's beloved is the highest possible honor, and he who has it may feel that ambition itself could desire no more, and therfore every selfish wish may go to sleep. What more is there even in heaven than the love of God? Rest then, O soul, for thou hast all things,
Yet we toss to and fro unless the Lord himself gives us not only the reasons for rest, but rest itself. Yea, he doth this. Jesus himself is our peace, our rest, our all. On his bosom we sleep in perfect security, both in life and in death."
Today's:
He will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48:14
"We need a guide. Sometimes we would give all that we have to be told exactly what to do, and where to turn. We are willing to do right, but we do not know which out of two roads we are to follow. Oh, for a guide!
The Lord our God condescends to serve us a guide. He knows the way, and will pilot us along it till we reach our journey's end in peace. Surely we do not desire more infallible direction, Let us place ourselves absolutely under his guidance, and we shall never miss the right road of life, provided we first learn to lean upon him in every step we take.
Our comfort is, that as he is our God for ever and ever, he will never cease to be with us as our guide. 'Even unto death' will he lead us, and then we shall dwell with him eternally, and go no more out for ever. This promise of divine guidance involves life-long security: salvation at once, guidance unto our last hour, and then endless blessedness. Should not each one seek this in youth, rejoice in it in middle life, and repose in it in old age? This day let us look up for guidance before we trust ourselves out of doors"
Aren't these just wonderful words of wisdom? They are to me even though I've used this devotional since 1998. It is like the Bible continually opening fuller to my mind year after year. May these words bless you, also.
Friday, July 1, 2011
July 1st
A new month begins, they go so fast now that we are old. The devotional reading for today was so good that I wanted to share it with you. It's Spurgeon, of course.
God shall be with you Genesis 48: 21
"Good old Jacob could no more be with Joseph, for his hour had come to die; but he left his sons without anxiety, for he said with confidence, 'God shall be with you.' When our dearest relations, or our most helpful friends, are called home by death, we must console ourselves with the reflection that the Lord is not departed from us, but lives for us, and abides with us forever.
If God be with us, we are in ennobling company, even though we are poor and despised. If God be with us, we are always safe, for none can harm those who walk under his shadow. Oh, what a joy we have here! Not only is God with us, but he will be with us. With us as individuals; with us as families; with us as churches. Is not the very name of Jesus, Immanuel- God with us? Is not this the best of all, that God is with us? Let us be bravely diligent, and joyously hopeful. Our cause must prosper, the truth must win, for the Lord is with those who are with him.
All this day may this sweet word be enjoyed be every believer who turns to "Faith's Cheque Book". No greater happiness is possible. "
Just thought you all would like this, too.
God shall be with you Genesis 48: 21
"Good old Jacob could no more be with Joseph, for his hour had come to die; but he left his sons without anxiety, for he said with confidence, 'God shall be with you.' When our dearest relations, or our most helpful friends, are called home by death, we must console ourselves with the reflection that the Lord is not departed from us, but lives for us, and abides with us forever.
If God be with us, we are in ennobling company, even though we are poor and despised. If God be with us, we are always safe, for none can harm those who walk under his shadow. Oh, what a joy we have here! Not only is God with us, but he will be with us. With us as individuals; with us as families; with us as churches. Is not the very name of Jesus, Immanuel- God with us? Is not this the best of all, that God is with us? Let us be bravely diligent, and joyously hopeful. Our cause must prosper, the truth must win, for the Lord is with those who are with him.
All this day may this sweet word be enjoyed be every believer who turns to "Faith's Cheque Book". No greater happiness is possible. "
Just thought you all would like this, too.
Monday, May 30, 2011
our mother is dying
Just as surely as my brother Paul sits beside my mother while she slowly relenquishes her bodily hold on the struggle to live, Jesus also sits beside my mother and brother. Jesus is with each one of us kids no matter what state we reside in. We take comfort in knowing that the Holy Spirit is our comforter and makes Jesus' presence so real in our hearts and minds. We have the blessed hope of Jesus returning, soon we hope and believe, to take us to our heavenly home, which is our true home. When He comes back He will wake up Mama and Daddy and all our other relatives and loved ones and we shall all meet in the clouds on our way to heaven.
Sometimes I listen to the small chickens and the music they make as they talk to each other and imagine that we also shall make a very swet music as we ascend to heaven. There are moments when I feel a tiny bit of the glory that day will hold but I am very sure that I only get a very wee glimpse of the glory of that day and that tiny thrill that runs through my body now, will be like one hair rising off my arm when my body and mind see Jesus come and the dead in Christ rise from their graves at the trumpet call of God.
We have so much to be grateful for. We may have bodily illnesses but we live. We have hope and faith in the Bible and and therefore in Jesus Christ, the son of God, who died for our sins and therefore made it possible to have eternal life. Crying out to Jesus is LIFE! Eternal Life!
Sometimes I listen to the small chickens and the music they make as they talk to each other and imagine that we also shall make a very swet music as we ascend to heaven. There are moments when I feel a tiny bit of the glory that day will hold but I am very sure that I only get a very wee glimpse of the glory of that day and that tiny thrill that runs through my body now, will be like one hair rising off my arm when my body and mind see Jesus come and the dead in Christ rise from their graves at the trumpet call of God.
We have so much to be grateful for. We may have bodily illnesses but we live. We have hope and faith in the Bible and and therefore in Jesus Christ, the son of God, who died for our sins and therefore made it possible to have eternal life. Crying out to Jesus is LIFE! Eternal Life!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Rainy days and mondays means books
The sun was shining brightly and the air was warm, the beginning of another hot spring day. As I had all these gardening jobs today I dressed appropriately in shorts and tank top. An hour and a half later the weather blew in rain and freezing cold air. Knowing the rest of my gardening jobs were going down the tube, I ran around and did the errands that were to be the end of my day. Everyone is looking at me, like what an idiot she is in shorts in this cold. I agreed with them. So I ran by the library to pick up the book that was on hold for me and checked out the area of new books. Then I came home to episodes of pouring rain and I laid in bed all snuggly and read the first book, one from the new book section. Box 21 by Roslund-Hellstrom. I read it in 4 hours. The subject matter is unpleasant. About Lithuania girls tricked into the sex trafficing trade in Sweden. But for a can't put it down and twist in the ending, WOW. I was totally blown away by the ending. Don't cheat, take the wild ride to the ending. Moral of the story, to me any way was BE HONEST.
Now I guess I didn't finish on the subject of the lambs last time. The little premature lamb died, I think she had pnemonia or some such thing as the day before she died her lungs started filling up. Then we finally had to put Pecan Pie down, he was so crippled up and sick I couldn't bear to see him suffer anymore. It's always so sad to lose the ones you struggle over with bottles and much time. The rest of the herd is doing great and the babies are growing fast. The baby chickens are in with the big chickens now and soon they will be able to roam out of their coop pasture to be free range chickens.
Pat has most of our garden planted now. Still have to put the tomatoes and peppers out. Weather's a bit scary.
Back to books, my physician's assistant turned me on to Patricia Cornwell's books. Body Farm should let you know if you want to continue, the heroine is a coroner. This time she told me I'd like Tess Gerritsen so I have put a few on hold at our Delta County library system (4 different libraries to get books from). Medical mysteries, she said. We'll see if I like, if I do she's written a bunch of them.
Anyway, wacky Spring to you, too.
Now I guess I didn't finish on the subject of the lambs last time. The little premature lamb died, I think she had pnemonia or some such thing as the day before she died her lungs started filling up. Then we finally had to put Pecan Pie down, he was so crippled up and sick I couldn't bear to see him suffer anymore. It's always so sad to lose the ones you struggle over with bottles and much time. The rest of the herd is doing great and the babies are growing fast. The baby chickens are in with the big chickens now and soon they will be able to roam out of their coop pasture to be free range chickens.
Pat has most of our garden planted now. Still have to put the tomatoes and peppers out. Weather's a bit scary.
Back to books, my physician's assistant turned me on to Patricia Cornwell's books. Body Farm should let you know if you want to continue, the heroine is a coroner. This time she told me I'd like Tess Gerritsen so I have put a few on hold at our Delta County library system (4 different libraries to get books from). Medical mysteries, she said. We'll see if I like, if I do she's written a bunch of them.
Anyway, wacky Spring to you, too.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Ruth and Elk Burritos
Ruth H. called me today and we got on food. I'm making Elk Burritos tomorrow, which I teased her about. I still remember when I shared my lunch with Ruth and she about fell over at how good that left-over burrito was. So I wrote out the recipe for her and will mail it to her. I would very much enjoy it if she would learn to use the computer so we could write bits and pieces back and forth. Infact, I learned this past Sabbath that when Daniel was put in the lions den that he was in his 80's. Ruth, did you know you could journal on the computer and then print it out like pages in a book? We'll see if she can figure out how to find this blog!
Really though, the friends we make throughout life, it just takes a few words and we are like no time has passed, even though it's been months or years. Ruth is one of those people. Won't heaven be good, no more unsurmountable distances with our friends and relatives.
Ruth also told me Meghan is going to have a baby! A little boy named Jackson. It's hard for me to think of her all grown up and married and pregnant. Life!
Really though, the friends we make throughout life, it just takes a few words and we are like no time has passed, even though it's been months or years. Ruth is one of those people. Won't heaven be good, no more unsurmountable distances with our friends and relatives.
Ruth also told me Meghan is going to have a baby! A little boy named Jackson. It's hard for me to think of her all grown up and married and pregnant. Life!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Old People
When is the last time you spent any quality time with old people? They still need love. They still need people to pray with them. What if we took Sabbaath to them? What if we let the old pastor preach to us at his bedside. Do we let them serve us at their convenience? Do we let them teach us? Why don't we take potluck to them? It seems that once people lose the ability to come to church they lose their ability to be a part of the body of Christ. Shame on us. They'll be in heaven with us and we forgot them and didn't feed them or let them feed us. Convenience is a dirty word when it comes to the body of Christ loving each other. I'm going to try to do better because my time with them blesses me in a way nothing else does.
Don't blame God
Why is it when disaster strikes we blame God. God didn't cause it. Remember the enemy of God? His name is Satan who was once known as Lucifer. Satan whines constantly that God is interfering with his principality, the earth. Satan whines that we love God and His Son, Jesus because we have it so good and if disaster came our way we wouldn't love God or Jesus anymore. What an evil fruitcake Satan is. We love God and Jesus because they loved us so much that they provided our salvation and hope before we even existed.. They never turn a deaf ear to our cries. We long for our true home, heaven. So let's quit the blame game on God and put it where it belongs on Satan, our enemy. In doubt, read Job. It's the true story of how Satan works and the confidence that God has in the real power of love.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday's lambs
Suffolk sheep had 2 girls this am, Midnight, 12# 13oz and Twilight 12# 15oz. Then this evening Chilly had triplets, Daddy's girl 7 # 15 oz, Rambuntious, a girl,9# 8 oz and Mr. Spotty 11#. Only 4 more ewes to go; Frosty, Little Kathy, Ute and Little Girl. Phew! Lacy, the dog, entertained the women at my class with her chair chicken-pen-side and devotion to the 7 baby chicks. Then they came down and petted baby lamb heads while we numbered and notched and did supplemental feeding.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday news
Woke up to another lamb. Black Face had a little girl 12# 9 oz. I named her Cutie Pie. When you see her picture you will think she's one cutie pie, too. Well, Pat has 7 chicks out of 8 now. He found out he did a lot of things wrong but considering he had good luck. Now next weekend, I think it is, his second batch should hatch. Lacy is obsessed with the baby chicks. Wonder how many roosters we'll get!
I feel better but still not great, Spring sinus problems are so wonderful. But I'm getting sleep and I'm sure I'll live.
I did want to give Storey Books a plug. If you get or are going to get new animals. Buy the book about them (and read it). They have helped us so much to learn and care for our animals. Now we are talking about guinea hens, so I guess I need another book! Sigh. But I am glad Pat is getting to be the farmer that he was meant to be and even though they are a lot of work, I love them, too. Now that Pat has figured out the incubator, I'm starting to be worried about what he plans on hatching next. When my friend Dalene moved she gave us her incubator, it's a huge box and you can hatch many, many eggs! (Like a 100, I think)
Well, My first class of the month is tomorrow and the house looks a disaster so I'd better try to tame it a bit. We are making a tea folding card, an iris folding card, a sewing themed card with a bit of dressmaker pattern glued to front (yeah, thrift stores)and a lighthouse scene card. Plus I did several scrapbook pages to try to entice them to buy some kits themselves (more money for me). I'll try to remember to take pictures of them and put on blog. The large collages I made of sheep, 4-wheel drive up Grand Mesa, etc. I can't get to transfer so I'll have to remember to do individual pictures instead.
Also, I did do some new card pictures on my Close To My Heart site. Some of them trasfered upside down and why I do not know and can't get them to go right side up! But that site is:
kathycoady.myctmh.com
Thanks for reading my stuff and letting me know you enjoy it.
I feel better but still not great, Spring sinus problems are so wonderful. But I'm getting sleep and I'm sure I'll live.
I did want to give Storey Books a plug. If you get or are going to get new animals. Buy the book about them (and read it). They have helped us so much to learn and care for our animals. Now we are talking about guinea hens, so I guess I need another book! Sigh. But I am glad Pat is getting to be the farmer that he was meant to be and even though they are a lot of work, I love them, too. Now that Pat has figured out the incubator, I'm starting to be worried about what he plans on hatching next. When my friend Dalene moved she gave us her incubator, it's a huge box and you can hatch many, many eggs! (Like a 100, I think)
Well, My first class of the month is tomorrow and the house looks a disaster so I'd better try to tame it a bit. We are making a tea folding card, an iris folding card, a sewing themed card with a bit of dressmaker pattern glued to front (yeah, thrift stores)and a lighthouse scene card. Plus I did several scrapbook pages to try to entice them to buy some kits themselves (more money for me). I'll try to remember to take pictures of them and put on blog. The large collages I made of sheep, 4-wheel drive up Grand Mesa, etc. I can't get to transfer so I'll have to remember to do individual pictures instead.
Also, I did do some new card pictures on my Close To My Heart site. Some of them trasfered upside down and why I do not know and can't get them to go right side up! But that site is:
kathycoady.myctmh.com
Thanks for reading my stuff and letting me know you enjoy it.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Baby chickens
Today I woke up with a horrid headache, but I went to church anyway. My mind felt heavy and lost and I called Jean, Lucille and she let me know it wasn't Lucille but didn't tell me what her name was and it took me several minutes to think of her name. Sabbath school my folding chair felt like a torture chamber. Got into church and started feeling so dizzy that I decided to go ahead and leave at 11:50 and they were still telling the children's story hadn't even got to the sermon yet! Stopped at the post office so I could mail the lamb hat to Katy as she has lost all her hair to chemo now and Wyoming is cold. I thought I was going to lose my breakfast in the post office but I finally made it home by turning the air conditioner in the car on full blast! Took some ibuprophen and an allergy pill and slept a bit and now I feel so much better. But I missed my nursing home visit today. I feel bad; they enjoy it so much and I enjoy it, too.
Pat's 1st batch of chicks are starting to hatch, 2 so far and our dog is so crazy! We had to put a chair by the box the hatched ones are in so she can look down through the screened lid to check on them. We raised babies last year in the house and she couldn't wait for us to take the sheet off the cage each morning. (No sheet, no sleep for us.) So she just loves these new chicks. Talk about a mothering instinct!
This year they are in the shop.
No new lambs yet but Sneezy has Pat wrapped around his finger. Sneezy decided he liked those supplemental feedings from the bottle and when he sees Pat he runs over and starts sucking on Pat's fingers. So of course Pat takes a bottle down so he and Sneezy can have a bit of daddy time! Snow White hates the bottle and won't drink, Sleepy can take it or leave it. Their mom, White Face is looking much better now but this will be her last time to have babies. She is a very nonchalant mother this year; "maybe I don't feel like standing up so you can drink", I imagine her saying. It took quite a bit of effort the first day to get her on her feet so the babes could drink. Lambs don't drink except on their feet or as they get older, on their knees.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the lamb and chicken happenings.
Pat's 1st batch of chicks are starting to hatch, 2 so far and our dog is so crazy! We had to put a chair by the box the hatched ones are in so she can look down through the screened lid to check on them. We raised babies last year in the house and she couldn't wait for us to take the sheet off the cage each morning. (No sheet, no sleep for us.) So she just loves these new chicks. Talk about a mothering instinct!
This year they are in the shop.
No new lambs yet but Sneezy has Pat wrapped around his finger. Sneezy decided he liked those supplemental feedings from the bottle and when he sees Pat he runs over and starts sucking on Pat's fingers. So of course Pat takes a bottle down so he and Sneezy can have a bit of daddy time! Snow White hates the bottle and won't drink, Sleepy can take it or leave it. Their mom, White Face is looking much better now but this will be her last time to have babies. She is a very nonchalant mother this year; "maybe I don't feel like standing up so you can drink", I imagine her saying. It took quite a bit of effort the first day to get her on her feet so the babes could drink. Lambs don't drink except on their feet or as they get older, on their knees.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the lamb and chicken happenings.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
More babies
Today Brownie had 2 little boys. Brown Sugar was born first 11# 12oz and next was Pecan Pie at 8# 1oz. I'm having trouble getting my collages to blog now so...no pictures until I figure out the problem.
Monday, March 28, 2011
triplets
Well, White Face got her hooves done just in time to have babies. First was a little girl, Snow White 10# 13oz, 2nd was a little boy, Sleepy 11# 8oz, then quick as a wink out pops another little boy, Sneezy 9# 10oz. Snow White is all white, Sleepy has brown legs and is sleepy and Sneezy has brown tipped ears and did just that, sneezed.(I think he had a bit of mucus inhaled) but while weighing him I realized he could have been named wild indian. Quite the little fighter he is. Can you imagine carring 31# 7oz of babies, plus all that placenta and amniotic fluid and all that milk for 3 little ones! I forgot to bring my camera and by the time we fed them some colostrum supplement to be sure they all got that first dose, weighed them, notched the boys ears and put numbered tags in all their ears and put the elastrator on Prince Charming's tail, I didn't care anymore. So pictures will come tomorrow. I may even find out they look different in the daylight. White Face is acting a whole lot perkier without all that weight! Good night
Monday, dreary Monday
Another Monday, more wind, more spitting of various types of moisture, no real water to the earth just moisture in the air. We got White Face's hooves trimmed so she could bear to stand up a bit better on her arthritic pregnant legs. Her babies have dropped now so her backbone looks like she is starving but it's just all that weight dragging her down. She either has 2 very huge babies or more than that. We feel so sorry for her, probably the end of her having babies. She's had babies for 7 years now. Pat got the other 2 stalls cleaned out and we gave White Face the biggest stall so she can walk a bit more. So we have 3 empty stalls for BABIES and MOMs and probably will let Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming out of confinement tomorrow. He is listening to his mom and comes running when she calls now.
We are getting close to 1st batch of incubating eggs being ready to hatch.
the asparagus is starting to come up and the honeysuckle leaves are unfurling. The Nanking cherries have pink buds which we are praying won't get a hard freeze and hurt our crop.
Ahh, Spring, the undecided time of year, still fond of winter against our wishes.
We are getting close to 1st batch of incubating eggs being ready to hatch.
the asparagus is starting to come up and the honeysuckle leaves are unfurling. The Nanking cherries have pink buds which we are praying won't get a hard freeze and hurt our crop.
Ahh, Spring, the undecided time of year, still fond of winter against our wishes.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Fog and creating
This morning I woke up to fog so deep and low that you couldn't even see more than 10 feet from any window. You know what belongs in the view beyond but you could imagine anything, if you did not know. I'd like to imagine a lush green lawn and zillions of flowers. And when the fog lifted, the willows are turning green. The willows loved the rain last night.
When I was cleaning and rearranging in my craft room 2 days ago, I found a quote I had copied down and I'd like to share it with you.
"Janet Oxford feels the thing that ultimately inspires all creative people, whether they acknowledge it or not, is that "we are made in the image of God". Since creativity is an attribute of God, that makes it a part of what we are."
from: For the Love of CrossStitch Sept 2001 Leisure Arts
I know that is most exciting thing I figured out about my self as I got to know God better, that He had shared His creative power with me in so many ways and that it makes my life joyful. So know that the talents God gave you are an extension of Hmself that make you His child indeed.
When I was cleaning and rearranging in my craft room 2 days ago, I found a quote I had copied down and I'd like to share it with you.
"Janet Oxford feels the thing that ultimately inspires all creative people, whether they acknowledge it or not, is that "we are made in the image of God". Since creativity is an attribute of God, that makes it a part of what we are."
from: For the Love of CrossStitch Sept 2001 Leisure Arts
I know that is most exciting thing I figured out about my self as I got to know God better, that He had shared His creative power with me in so many ways and that it makes my life joyful. So know that the talents God gave you are an extension of Hmself that make you His child indeed.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Cranes mean Spring
This morning the cranes are migrating and huge swirls of them fly overhead with their unique noise that heralds Spring. The garden is plowed and manured. The lilacs have swelling leaf buds and the plums and cherries are starting to develop buds. Oh how I love spring!
It's been a long difficult winter. The ram got me just before Christmas and I broke a couple of toes in my left foot and toes and bones in my right foot. So I spent a lot of time in my easy chair with feet up and did counted cross stitch like a mad woman to busy my mind. I burnt out on that and now I'm into crocheting. I made a cover for my Kindle and library card, a cover for my cell phone, a pocket (sort of like a fanny pack) to wear with all my clothes that don't have pockets. I assume I am getting old since I'm so into pockets that I am threatening to sew pockets, without them matching, on all my clothes. Why do they think women don't need pockets? We don't want to carry a purse around the house! Now I know why women used to wear aprons all the time, it had a least one pocket and the skirt would be bundled up to be one big pocket.
Now I am working on a rug. You know those potholders that have a double thickness with only one seam. A chain stitch that is gone around and around with no increases in single crochet. Well, I've found that they make good rugs, too. You just make them real big. I'm doing this with cotton yarn so it will be absorbent for in front of the shower.
Speaking of Kindles, Pat gave me one for Valentine's day. I can't afford to read much on it but I found out you can get 2 free first chapters of a book, so if I hear of a book that sounds good, I read the first two chapters for free and then try to find the book in the library. So far I've found and read, Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl (she's the editor of Gourmet magazine), The Help by Kathryn Stockett, the time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer (which I didn't finish as I ran out of time and others were a faster read. It was a good book but one you should own it so you could take your time and digest all the facts.) Now I'm reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I have One Good Dog by Susan Wilson waiting next on the table.
I got into a bit about trying new recipes for about a month and found a few new ones we liked. Korean Won tons, Cranberry Biscuits with smoked turkey (sandwiches) and Sweet and Sour Meatballs. It's awful what a rut you can get into cooking the same thing all the time. But one of the best things for my taste was the trying of putting about 2 cups of dried lentils into my Zatarain's dirty rice mix (one box) and added appropriate water,for the lentils, cook til lentils tender and liquid absorbed. It's a great veggie option that Pat likes too, if he has some meat along side.
So other than stamping and teaching classes and visiting my 3 ladies at the nursing home and taking care of Gene's leg ulcer and working on Mabel's house to get rid of and organize many, many years of hoarding; this is the story of my life since I last wrote. The Sabbath school class that I facilitate (we're reading the Bible through) is in Ezekiel now is going good. We are all learning new things and identifying with the various people in the Bible.
Pat's sister, Katy, has cancer on the larynx and metastasis to a lymph node in her neck and is undergoing chemo therapy at the present. She has a severe case of thrush secondary to the chemo right now and is miserable. We pray that they are able to eradicate the cancer. Pat's dad had a accident about 3 1/2 hours from home and rolled his truck. He broke 2 ribs and was battered and bruised but otherwise is okay. The insurance is fixing his truck so it wasn't totaled, thank God.
One last thing, the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami, doesn't it seem to you that surely Jesus is coming soon and Satan is trying to wipe out God's children as fast as he can? Make the hymns and bible texts your comfort now so they will be in your mind when you need comfort later.
I'll try to do better with keeping up this blog this Spring. Thanks for being patient with me. My love to my readers.
It's been a long difficult winter. The ram got me just before Christmas and I broke a couple of toes in my left foot and toes and bones in my right foot. So I spent a lot of time in my easy chair with feet up and did counted cross stitch like a mad woman to busy my mind. I burnt out on that and now I'm into crocheting. I made a cover for my Kindle and library card, a cover for my cell phone, a pocket (sort of like a fanny pack) to wear with all my clothes that don't have pockets. I assume I am getting old since I'm so into pockets that I am threatening to sew pockets, without them matching, on all my clothes. Why do they think women don't need pockets? We don't want to carry a purse around the house! Now I know why women used to wear aprons all the time, it had a least one pocket and the skirt would be bundled up to be one big pocket.
Now I am working on a rug. You know those potholders that have a double thickness with only one seam. A chain stitch that is gone around and around with no increases in single crochet. Well, I've found that they make good rugs, too. You just make them real big. I'm doing this with cotton yarn so it will be absorbent for in front of the shower.
Speaking of Kindles, Pat gave me one for Valentine's day. I can't afford to read much on it but I found out you can get 2 free first chapters of a book, so if I hear of a book that sounds good, I read the first two chapters for free and then try to find the book in the library. So far I've found and read, Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl (she's the editor of Gourmet magazine), The Help by Kathryn Stockett, the time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer (which I didn't finish as I ran out of time and others were a faster read. It was a good book but one you should own it so you could take your time and digest all the facts.) Now I'm reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I have One Good Dog by Susan Wilson waiting next on the table.
I got into a bit about trying new recipes for about a month and found a few new ones we liked. Korean Won tons, Cranberry Biscuits with smoked turkey (sandwiches) and Sweet and Sour Meatballs. It's awful what a rut you can get into cooking the same thing all the time. But one of the best things for my taste was the trying of putting about 2 cups of dried lentils into my Zatarain's dirty rice mix (one box) and added appropriate water,for the lentils, cook til lentils tender and liquid absorbed. It's a great veggie option that Pat likes too, if he has some meat along side.
So other than stamping and teaching classes and visiting my 3 ladies at the nursing home and taking care of Gene's leg ulcer and working on Mabel's house to get rid of and organize many, many years of hoarding; this is the story of my life since I last wrote. The Sabbath school class that I facilitate (we're reading the Bible through) is in Ezekiel now is going good. We are all learning new things and identifying with the various people in the Bible.
Pat's sister, Katy, has cancer on the larynx and metastasis to a lymph node in her neck and is undergoing chemo therapy at the present. She has a severe case of thrush secondary to the chemo right now and is miserable. We pray that they are able to eradicate the cancer. Pat's dad had a accident about 3 1/2 hours from home and rolled his truck. He broke 2 ribs and was battered and bruised but otherwise is okay. The insurance is fixing his truck so it wasn't totaled, thank God.
One last thing, the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami, doesn't it seem to you that surely Jesus is coming soon and Satan is trying to wipe out God's children as fast as he can? Make the hymns and bible texts your comfort now so they will be in your mind when you need comfort later.
I'll try to do better with keeping up this blog this Spring. Thanks for being patient with me. My love to my readers.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Dying
Glenda called me yesterday to tell me that her mom, Shirley, was having strokes now and they thought she would be dying soon. Shirley has thyroid and lung cancer. I went to tell her goodbye yesterday afternoon. She said she was ready to die now and asked me to pray with her, which of course I did. This morning I woke up early and she and Judy, another daughter, came to my mind so I was praying for them and the words, Sitting at the Feet of Jesus, came to mind but no other words. So I got up and looked up the song and listened to it on YouTube by the Gaither Family. Then I found the lyrics and printed them out. It's a beautiful song and I've listened to it several times this morning. Just type in (song, sitting at the feet of jesus) in your search engine and it will bring it right up so you can hear it too. The song was written by Asa Hull who was born in 1828. It's always so amazing to me how God speaks through song and the years matter not. It's like God is indeed the same today and yesterday and all the years of our lives.
Death can be sweet to those who love Jesus.
Death can be sweet to those who love Jesus.
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