Life Between the Buns

When life gets tough, the tough get crafty...

2012-01-30T23:02:00.000-05:00

I haven't felt a creative bone in my body for months now, but I thought I could use some craft therapy. To be honest, I didn't think of it myself, but took the challenge of an acquaintance after I posted on a local Facebook swap group that I belong to that I was in search of a Valentine's Day wreath. She showed me the one she made and so I set out to try to copy it.

I discovered it is a little late to be shopping the craft stores for Valentine's Day supplies so I didn't get as large a styrofoam heart as I wanted. The one I got is about 13 inches across. I would have preferred something up to twice that size. Then I bought a large bag of red glass stones, the kind you see in vases or in fish tanks, a roll of red tulle, (my friend used red cellophane) and a roll of ribbon. I already have a hot glue gun and glue sticks.

So first I covered the styrofoam heart with the tulle, tucking in the end on the back with a little dab of hot glue. Then I simply covered the entire heart, front and back, with the stones. You wouldn't have to put them on the back, but I'm just weird that way...

In all seriousness, this project took less than an hour to complete. The glass beads made the wreath very heavy, so I was hesitant to put it on the outside of my front door. We are having a lot of strong winds and some snow lately. So I decided to find a place indoors to hang it. This is a funky old desk in our living room, where I am also displaying some vintage valentines I got from the flea market a while ago...

To complete my Valentine's Day decor, I added a store bought banner...

And now will someone please pass the chocolates?

What are YOU doing to decorate for February???

Still opening Christmas presents...

2012-01-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd lighten things up this wintry Saturday morning and share a recipe. My sister Marcella gave me several of these wonderful "gift in a jar" goodies for Christmas and I had the chance to make the first one last night. Here are the ingredients and instructions for filling the jar:

Sand Art Brownies

5/8 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup white baking chips, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

Mix 5/8 c. flour with salt. Layer the ingredients in the order given into a wide mouth 1 quart jar, starting with the flour and sale mixture and ending with the walnuts. NOTE: While the type of jar my sister used is really cute, the brown sugar hardened and was difficult to get out. Microwaving hardened brown sugar softens it, but because of the metal clamps I wasn't able to do that. So you might want to just use a regular wide-mouthed canning jar.

When ready to use the mix, follow these directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease one 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. (I think this disposable aluminum pan was more like 7 " square, so it made the brownies a bit thicker and required a little longer baking time.)

2. Pour the contents of the jar into a large bowl, and mix well.

3. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp. water, and 2 eggs. Beat until just combined. (I used a wooden spoon, not a mixer.)

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 mins. (I baked mine for about 40 mins.)

Oh my! these brownies are SO GOOD! And it was easy and fun to make them!

Last week I had breakfast with my friend Leslie, who gave me the gift of this awesome tiered plate which matches my collection of Pfaltzgraff (Yorktowne) dishes. Even though it was just hubby and me enjoying movie night at home, I set our treats out on the dish. Fortunately we didn't eat them all and I think I'll enjoy another brownie with my coffee this morning!

A new year brings new perspective...

2012-01-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

One of the positive things about getting older is the ability to look back over our lives and see areas where we have grown and changed for the better. Often our physical eyesight weakens with age but our spiritual vision can become sharper than ever if we allow it. We understand things differently because we have lived longer and we have more information and experience. Time has a way of softening and healing. Perspective changes. Confidence grows. Living each day becomes more intentional. I like to think that's what is happening with me.

Every now and then something really major happens that drives home the point even more profoundly. When my brother got his cancer diagnosis a little over two months ago, the earth stood still for me. Suddenly our joblessness seemed like a minor scratch on the record of life by comparison. All our focus shifted and priorities rearranged themselves. I've never experienced a major earthquake, but I've seen before and after pictures. One minute everything is neatly in place and things look normal. Then the shaking and rattling begins. A few seconds or minutes later, a building or a highway or a room is totally unrecognizable. For the people affected, life is never the same.

Life will never be the same for me anymore either. My brother's cancer is incurable. Many of the drugs are new and experimental and risky. We know the worst is yet to come as he faces stronger chemo treatments and a bone marrow transplant using his own stem cells. The unknown looms large even as we hope and pray that the treatment plan will cause this cancer go into remission for a long time.

Moments and days have become more precious. Finding the sacred in everyday living has become the new normal~~valuing relationships more than ever the new quest. Discovering all over again that things can make life beautiful and interesting, but people give life meaning.

Shortly after the holidays my brother came to stay with us for almost a week while his wife needed to make a trip with her high school students. They only live 4 miles away, but he couldn't manage being alone for that long because of some mobility issues due to pain. He teased me that I hadn't babysat him in over 50 years! I can't begin to explain what a gift this special time together was for all of us. We laughed, we cried. We talked, we prayed. Then we talked and prayed some more. We ate together, watched DVD's, received visitors, went to church. With transportation help, he was able to work half days. How often do adult siblings get an opportunity to share this kind of quality time? As I like to say, we got to talk in "complete sentences" ~ something that often is a challenge when our large family gets together with all the children.

One of the things my brother is teaching me is to look for what he calls "God moments". He's seeing them everywhere, and I am too. Hardly a day goes by that we don't hear of someone, directly or indirectly whose life has been impacted in a positive way because of my brother's situation. Strained relationships have been healed. Practical needs have been met. Situations have fallen into place in amazing ways. People are blessing and being blessed. The stories are his to tell. But allowing God to use this cancer for His glory is my brother's heart's desire. Here is a link to the blog he is writing.

Memorial Day '10

Don ran in our town's 5K race. He actually has 11 marathons to his credit.

Relaxing on vacation last June. For the first time ever, all the siblings, spouses, and our mom went to the beach together.

Don has always taken good physical care of himself. Here he is making all of us a juice drink.

Shortly before the diagnosis came, Don and Marcie went to see their oldest son graduate from the Navy's officer candidate school. We could never have guessed the pain he was having was due to a cancerous tumor crushing his L5 vertebrae.

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." Ephesians 1:18a

Move over Olive Garden...

2012-01-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

PASTA FORMAGGIO WITH GRILLED CHICKEN AND FRESH SPINACH

Yes I know...Not exactly a low fat way to start the new year! But for me when life gets tough, I play in the kitchen! Some friends took us to Olive Garden recently for our Christmas gift, and one of them had a very yummy looking dish. Of course I didn't taste it, but I tried to "study" it as much as I could. This is what I came up with...and how I did it...

I took two chicken breasts that I had previously grilled on my George Foreman and had frozen. I cut them in thin slices and set aside.

Into a sauce pan I put 2 cups of heavy cream, 2 T. grated Asiago Cheese, 2 T. grated LeGruyee Cheese, and 2 T. grated Parmesan Cheese, 1 T. flour, 1 tsp. garlic salt. I stirred this while cooking on low heat until the cheeses melted and the flour made the mixture a little bit thick.

Still keeping the heat low, I then added 2-3 ozs. of fresh baby spinach...

and the grilled chicken...and I turned the heat off...

In another pan I had boiled lasagne noodles, about 1/2 a box...

After draining the noodles, I put them into a casserole dish...and poured the sauce mixture on and carefully stirred it up so all the noodles were covered...

As if there wasn't already enough cheese in this dish, I topped the whole thing with grated Mozzerella...

and baked it at 350℉ for about 30 minutes until the Mozzerella melted...

and I garnished it with some more spinach leaves. If we had any good tomatoes I would have chopped some and added that as a garnish as well to make it look prettier. And if I had any fresh mushrooms in the house, I probably would have added some to the sauce.

This only took a few minutes to prepare for the oven. I hope you'll try it. Tell me if you do!

Sacred moments...

2012-01-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

It's only 6:15 in the morning and I've been up for almost two hours now. In the quiet and solitude I have been taking down Christmas. This is the task I always dread...not because of the work involved, but because it is such an emotional time for me. Of course I will need and welcome my hubby's help to carry the boxes to the basement, drag the tree down the steps, and remove the wreaths from the windows. But taking the hundreds of ornaments off the tree (yes, hundreds) is something I almost always do by myself.

I love the Christmas season. All of it. I love what we celebrate, the greatest moment in all of history when God came to dwell among us. I love the story that will never grow old. I hate putting all the stuff away that brings back so many precious memories of Christmas past. Because it's not really the "stuff"...it's the relationships that the stuff represents. God came to live and die as one of us to show us how to have an intimate relationship with Him. Relationships are important.

My ornaments aren't valuable in terms of their retail worth. Many of them are hand made. A few are pretty old and have sentimental value. But all of them hold a memory of a special time or of a person or a place. For 35 years now I've been accumulating ornaments and tenderly packing them away at the end of each season. I don't mean to have so many! But it just happens. The oldest one was my dad's favorite. He first hung it on the tree the year I was born. Then there's the plaster ornaments I painted for each of our boys for their respective first Christmases; the stuffed ornaments I sewed years ago; special ornaments friends and family have given me over the years; Ornaments my kids made when they were little...and now ornaments my grandchildren have made.

These are sacred moments for me. A quiet time where no one except God knows my inward thoughts. Only He really understands why this is so emotional for me. I don't understand it myself. I always cry. My mind always goes back in time to remember people who were once a part of my life and aren't any longer...to former times and places that have helped to shape who I am today. Maybe that's it...These ornaments help tell a story...my story...my life. It's a story of generations too. Four generations of our family are represented here. This really isn't about stuff...it's about people. People whose lives have in some way intertwined with mine. I am so blessed.

Simply Christmas: ♫ 'tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free ♫

2011-12-31T21:15:00.001-05:00

I'm pondering the past month and thinking about what I did differently this year, what I enjoyed, and what I missed from the way things have been in the past. Because of all the care-giving and the lack of extra funds, I did miss some of the "magic" of the preparations for Christmas. I love to have time to bring out all the decorations and make my home look beautiful and special for the holidays. I also love attending parties and concerts and baking, entertaining and doing fun things with the grandchildren. I enjoy the shopping and wrapping and seeing tons of gifts under the tree. All of that was kept to a minimum this year.

So what did it look like? Well, I didn't spend a dime on any new decorations. And I didn't bring out everything and take a week to arrange and rearrange things.

Instead one evening shortly after Thanksgiving, Ethan and Elylah came over and decorated the tree for me. I sat and watched and my heart was full of joy to see them taking such pride in their work. A couple days later I did some finishing touches so there would be some ornaments on the top half of the tree! The garlands on the bannisters I had made several years ago. They only took a few minutes to tie on.

This is something new I had hanging on our tree... Well, not exactly NEW...these flashbulbs were decorated by my hubby about 55 years ago when he was a cub scout! His mom gave them to us this year!

Last year I had made new bows for our window wreaths, and hubby hung those for me. It took no time at all to place garland on the mantle and hang the stockings...

Other than getting out the nativity set and a few Santas and trees, that was the extent of my decorating this year.

You might be wondering how that is different from any other year. Often I like to pick a "theme" and decorate every room in the house to tie in with it. I try to use things I already have, but often it does involve purchasing some new decorations as well. None of that this year...

By joining a couple local on-line "Swap, Shop and Give" groups this year, I was able to barter or purchase things inexpensively to use for gifts. I also sold and gave away things from my home to help others do the same. I parted with a nice old tea cart for only $35 and even took a post-dated check for it to help a stranger out. She originally wanted it for herself, but instead decided to give it to her friend who had just lost her grandmother and had inherited her tea pot. Another girl was looking for a juicer for her mother who has cancer. I gladly gave her ours as we rarely used it and it took up precious cupboard space. A friend of a friend sold me a one year old Keurig coffee maker for $35 that I used for a gift, and included about $20 worth of coffee for free. (This gift went to our son Sam, who very much appreciated it!) I made up several gift baskets by using a small devotional book our pastor wrote, and added coffee mugs and other small items like tea, coffee, and candy and small gifts. The examples could go on and on...but all to say that not only was I able to find nice used things at a fraction of their retail value, I was also able to bless others and in the process I've made some new friends!

This basket, wrapping, ribbon and decoration were all recycled from last year...

Here are a couple of the gifts that were fun and inexpensive to give:

Andy, a lover of anything vintage and especially if it reminds him of his grandpa Sam, inherited this circa 1940-1942 Royal portable typewriter that was my father's.

Hubby scored a vintage (1976 ~ the year we were married) oak shoe shine kit box which I acquired at a good price from someone in the Swap group.

Our South Carolina family was able to be here for Christmas this year, and it was wonderful to spend lots of family time with four generations.

My mom provided these home made gingerbread (graham cracker) houses and the candy for the SC boys to decorate since they had missed the family party the week before.

I re-discovered some Christmas plates and green glasses in the basement, and made a simple lasagna for our dinner. I let go of some pride and used sauce from a jar to save time. A friend sold me some home made artisan bread and we had a simple tossed salad. My mother-in-law donated several dozen of her home made cookies since she knew I had no time for baking this year. It was the easiest holiday dinner I ever made, and it was delicious. There were 14 of us.

Before opening gifts, Ellie led the singing of Up on the House Top and The Twelve Days of Christmas!

Andy, Ellie, and Sam took the three oldest kids ice skating and sled riding downtown Akron...

Four adults and the six kids went to the hands-on Children's Museum in Cleveland one afternoon...

Our granddaughter wanted a birthday tea with a rainbow theme for her family party on Christmas Eve day. We made our own decorations and I kept things as simple as possible by buying deli potato salad, chicken salad & croissants, and some sweets to go with our tea. Even though it cost little more to buy the food ready-made, it saved a whole lot of time and stress.

After the tea, we switched into the Christmas Eve mode and eight of us attended our church service together.The four generations ranged in age from 9 months to 85 years!

Above all else this Christmas, I have experienced peace, love, and joy that transcends all the other blessings because...

A Christmas miracle has come to our family and heartache has turned to hope. Just a few weeks ago my brother was spending most of his time on the hospital bed in their family room, taking morphine by the hour, and hooked up to an oxygen tank. He was in excruciating pain from a vertebrae crushed by a cancerous tumor. This 59 year old marathon runner couldn't even walk more than a few steps. They were wondering if they should tell their out-of-state family not to come for the holidays. On December 14th he had surgery to bolster up the crushed vertebrae. He has finished two rounds of chemotherapy. A few days after Christmas he came over to visit us and walked unassisted, sat in the chair without pain, and even got down on the floor and up again. He was able to enjoy Christmas with his kids and grandkids. We don't know the long term outcome and he has a long road ahead with more treatments and potentially a bone marrow transplant coming up. But I'm so glad I wasn't too busy to witness the miracle! So glad I have been able to walk this journey with him from the valley to the mountaintop. So eternally grateful that Emanuel has come to us and that we have seen His mighty works. Because without HIM, none of this makes any sense. No amount of celebrating, decorating, family time...none of it means anything if you can't see Jesus in it all. Jobs, health, family...you name it. It can all be here today and gone tomorrow. Keep that in mind friend. And hold on to the Solid Rock because life can bring some strong storms. God bless us everyone in the New Year!

My brother Don with his five grandchildren Olivia, Abraham, Aslan, Isaac, and Caleb.

Simply Christmas: Let your heart be light!

2011-12-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

Years ago one of my sisters made a Santa outfit for use at our family Christmas parties. Dozens of men have worn this costume and countless children and adults alike have smiled at the sight.

This year, my brother Bob played Santa at our party the other night...

Some years back my hubby and I decided we would make a practice of choosing a couple families each year and bring a few minutes of Christmas joy to unsuspecting children. We line it up ahead of time with the parents, then Santa makes a quick stop and gives a small gift. I'm his reinDEAR who drives quickly from house to house...

This year we stopped at four different houses and Santa saw 12 children in less than two hours. He handed out $5 McDonald's cards...other years he has brought small gifts in his big red bag...I write out a little cheat sheet for each house we visit with the names and ages of the children so he can play the game easier...

Here are some of the kids he visited this year...

But to tell the truth... we may be the ones who get the most joy...

These last three photos are from last year...we really haven't had our snow this year yet. (I'm NOT complaining.) My hubby is such a great guy to go along with my wild and crazy ideas. Really, it is such a simple thing to do and doesn't take up too much time right before Christmas...Three of the four families we visited the other night were new friends that I have made this year!

So what have you done in December just for fun that didn't require any stress?

"...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God..." I Cor. 10:31

Simply Christmas: love more

2011-12-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

What is God asking you to do? That question was posed to us last Sunday in our sermon, followed by this statement: "When God asks you to do something difficult, He is giving you an invitation to show your love for Him." God asked something difficult of Joseph. He asked him to marry the young girl he was already engaged to, all the while knowing that she was pregnant though they had never been intimate. He asked him to believe that she was a virgin. He asked him to trust that the child would be the promised Messiah. He asked him not to fear.

God has asked me to do a few difficult things this Christmas season. Most important of all, He has asked me to show my love for Him by loving others more. He's asked me to give up some self-indulgence to show love to friends and family. He's asked me to party less and pray more...to spend less and give more...to worship Him more and things less.

I haven't washed anybody's feet lately...but I did wash my brother's hair. The visiting physical therapist showed me how to wheel him over to the kitchen sink so I could do it. It was mechanically an easy thing to do. Emotionally, it was very difficult. I struggled to keep my composure. How could this really be happening? Outwardly I smiled, but inwardly my heart was breaking.

But the funny thing about love is you never have to run out. Because the more of it you give, the more you get back and the fuller your tank gets. So don't be afraid to love more this Christmas. Joseph was able to connect the dots. He took Mary to be his wife. And he gained a Savior. All because of God's love. What about you? Are you loving more this Christmas?

Simply Christmas: simplifying is more than just a word...

2011-12-07T23:21:00.001-05:00

This month finds me care-giving 5 days a week. Three days I watch three grandchildren, and the other two days are spent helping my brother who is having cancer treatments. Hubby is still unemployed. I've not yet been to a single store to do any kind of Christmas shopping. I haven't had time to bake, and only a few decorations are in place, intermingled with the remnants of Thanksgiving stuff, which I haven't had time or energy to pack away. A few boxes and tissue paper have been strewn around the house for over a week. Most have remained in the basement. The month is looking very different from other years...

And yet...it doesn't matter. Because not only am I not doing the things I normally would be doing, I am finding peace in staying out of the frenzy. I'm sure there will be a present of one form or another for everyone to open on Christmas Day. But I have no desire for pretenses or for spending money we don't have. I've actually been making a little game out of buying some used items from the on line swap group I'm in. Next week I am hoping to have a couple of days to get my creative juices flowing and see what I can come up with.

If there is anything I have learned from the experiences of the past year, it is that nothing in life can be taken for granted. Every moment of every day is a gift from God. What we do with those moments is our gift to Him.

Today I pulled out a gingerbread train kit that I had purchased last year at an after-Christmas sale for $5. Elylah (almost 6) and Ethan (just turned 3) had a great time putting it together and decorating it. So glad I remembered to bring my camera...

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...and be thankful...And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17

Simply Christmas: Simple Faith...

2011-12-04T23:59:00.041-05:00

Today at church we learned about two people who had a visit from the same angel, Gabriel. One was Zachariah, who was a priest and an educated man who had served in the temple for decades. For years he and his wife, Elizabeth, had prayed for a child. Now they were old and barren. The other was Mary, a young teenage girl who, though engaged to be married, was a virgin. Both Zachariah and Mary were given the news by Gabriel that a baby was on-the-way. But their responses were quite different.

Zachariah was not only surprised that he was being told his prayer was NOW going to be answered, he was actually full of disbelief and questioned the angel. Mary, on the other hand, did not question "how CAN this be?" but simply asked "how WILL this happen?" (since I am a virgin)

You can read the story for yourself in Luke 1, but basically Zachariah was punished for his unbelief. On the other hand, Mary was essentially told that she would be receiving a gift!

Mary, a young maiden who was most likely uneducated and illiterate, had plenty of things to be worrying about upon receiving news that she would bear a child. However, she chose to worship instead of worry. (Luke 1:46-55)

Do you find yourself in a difficult situation this Christmas? I believe that sometimes God allows what we consider "hard times" to come to us so that we have absolutely no other choice but to place our trust in Him. We are not being punished...we are being given a gift in the form of an invitation to turn our eyes and hearts to Him in simple faith, and to turn our worry into worship. The Lord of all is worthy of our trust.

Here is one of the most ancient hymns of the Church. I love these words and they always expand my perspective of God.

"Of the Father's Love Begotten"

by Aurelius C. Prudentius, 413 A.D.

1. Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

2. Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Savior of our race,
And the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.

3. O ye heights of heaven, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.

4. This is He whom Heaven-taught singers
Sang of old with one accord;
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the Long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.

5. Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.

Simply Christmas: Bless the windows shining bright...

2011-12-03T23:52:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday today. Being pretty exhausted from the emotional tole of care-giving this past week, we had no real plans. The temperature was only 33 degrees, but at noon the sun was bright and we decided hubby would wash the outside windows and I would do the inside~~~downstairs only~~~in preparation for hanging our wreaths. This was a totally spontaneous act, and sharing this chore made us both feel better. It only took about an hour, and that was with a couple coffee breaks! That left plenty of time to accomplish a few other chores too. The house still isn't decorated like it usually would be by now. But we played some Christmas music throughout the afternoon and drank spiced hot tea and ate oatmeal cookies while we worked. I thoroughly enjoyed spending this time together....just the two of us.

Does anyone remember this song? I learned it in the 6th grade in my PUBLIC school. The words seem appropriate as we prepare our hearts and homes for opportunities to practice hospitality during this Christmas season.

Bless This House

Bless this house O Lord we pray; Make it safe by night and day;

Bless these walls so firm and stout, Keeping want and trouble out:

Bless the roof and chimneys tall, Let thy peace lie over all;

Bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.

Bless these windows shining bright, Letting in God's heav'nly light;

Bless the hearth a'blazing there, with smoke ascending like a prayer;

Bless the folk who dwell within, keep them pure and free from sin;

Bless us all that we may be Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;

Bless us all that one day we May dwell O Lord with thee.

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain." Psalm 127:1

Simply Christmas: Waiting...

2011-12-02T23:59:00.003-05:00

Why is "waiting" such a difficult thing to do? We tend to hate waiting....whether it is sitting in the doctor's office, standing in line at the grocery check-out, or sitting at the red light. Earlier this year we waited for our two new grandbabies to arrive. We've been waiting for a new job since last May. Now we are waiting to see if cancer treatments will help my brother. Waiting is hard.

During the season of Advent we remember how the world waited for a Savior. We also remember that we are looking for Him to come again...not as a baby in a manager, but as our King, robed in power, majesty and great glory. A true observer of Advent will have a sense of longing, expectation, and waiting. In the early centuries Advent was a penitential season for the Church, similar to Lent. It represented a period of time to prepare one's heart for celebration.

I believe that God often calls us to wait not because He is hesitant to bless us, but rather because we are blessed as we wait with longing and expectation to see the work He will do in our hearts. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

Here's a 6th Century Advent Hymn that speaks of both the first and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding.

"Christ is nigh." it seems to say;
"Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day."

Wakened by the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.

Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us all, with tears of sorrow,
pray that we may be forgiven;

that when next he comes with glory,
and the world is wrapped in fear,
with his mercy he may shield us,
and with words of love draw near.

Honor, glory, might, and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit,
while eternal ages run.

Simply Christmas: Getting the tree up and decorated

2011-12-01T00:01:00.008-05:00

For years I have reserved the Friday after Thanksgiving as my set-in-the-stone day to get our tree up. The main tree that is. Yes, I've had years where I've had some kind of Christmas tree in every room in the downstairs! I truly love the Christmas season and seeing reminders of it in every square inch of our home gives me a lot of happiness. Usually what happens is my hubby drags the tree up from the basement (we have to do artificial trees because my "decorated season" lasts so long), drags all the boxes of stuff up, and then he leaves me to my own devices. It usually takes me about a week to get everything just the way I like it.

It didn't happen that way this year. Last Friday we spent the day concentrating a whole lot more on people than on things. In the morning we met a couple we hardly knew for breakfast. He had lost his brother to cancer about 6 weeks ago and had been the primary family caregiver. He is still hurting ~ a lot. Then we spent about 3 hours visiting my brother in the afternoon. see THIS post We had no inclination to think about Christmas decorating at all.

But something the friend we met for breakfast said in response to my lagging Christmas spirit jolted me into action. I made a decision that in spite of all that is going on in my life this year, that I wanted to enjoy the moments I have with my loved ones in a sane, simple and sacred way. So I invited our Ohio branch of our immediate family ~ our son, his wife, and their 3 kids over a couple nights ago for a simple soup supper and to decorate our tree.

It was a totally stress-free evening of fun. We opened two large boxes of ornaments that were not particularly fragile and let the 3 and 5 year olds go for it. I didn't even help, I just watched. I REALLY watched. I saw the excitement, the smiles, the childlike pride in helping. 90% of the ornaments are on the bottom 1/3 of the tree. Two days later, I haven't fixed it yet. When I feel like it I will get the more fragile and sentimental ornaments out and rearrange things a little. But for now, I'm letting my mind and heart photocopy this priceless evening of togetherness and joy.

Simply Christmas...

2011-11-29T22:23:00.001-05:00

Coincidentally our church is advocating our members to consider simplifying their lives this Christmas season. I say "coincidentally" because with our current situation of unemployment and now a family health crisis going on, it had already been on my mind to somehow celebrate the birth of the Savior in a more appropriate and thoughtful way than we have in past years.

I do love the entire Christmas season. I love decorating our home, baking the cookies, giving and receiving the gifts, going to the parties and concerts and special church services, and the hundreds of other little things we traditionally do non-stop for about six weeks out of the year.

I'm not sure at this point what exactly I will do differently this year. I'm still thinking about what that might look like. I had the idea that I will do a brief blog post each day starting December 1st and going through the entire season~both for the purpose of keeping myself accountable and also to share with you my ideas. I hope you will share some of yours with me as well.

"...I am the light of the world..." John 9:5

Life Interrupted...

2011-11-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

My world has been knocked off its axis. No, it isn't about the ongoing unemployment. That's just been a little bump in the road. We've been down that road before, and eventually it will smooth out. There are options we haven't even begun to explore. Something will come together and we will survive unemployment one way or another.

A few weeks ago Bob and I were enjoying dinner at Olive Garden with my brother and his wife. They were treating us in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary. Don winced every now and then...his back was still bothering him and physical therapy wasn't helping. He was disappointed because he had hoped to be training for his 12th marathon. At age 59, he was the picture of health and vitality. He had been running for fitness and stress relief for decades. But this new pain in his back was bringing all that to a screeching halt, and he was having all kinds of scans and tests run to see what was going on.

One night he ended up having to go to the ER, the pain was so great he felt he couldn't move. He was admitted to the hospital for more tests and morphine. A few days later he sent us a text message late at night. "got the test results. news not so good." As my husband read the details to me, I was at first stunned and then angry. I wanted to start throwing things. I felt sick to my stomach. I thought I was having a nightmare and I just wanted to wake up to my normal life again...life as it had been before this news.

I'd heard of multiple myeloma before. Our grandmother died from it 40 years ago. It is an incurable blood cancer that settles in the bones. It is very rare, representing only about 1% of all cancers. And just a few years ago I had done a little research on the internet when I had a small tumor removed from my inner elbow area. Mine was not malignant but I was curious as to the symptoms of multiple myeloma. That was when I found out that in spite of many new experimental drugs, radiation and chemotherapy, not much progress has been made in finding a cure or in survival rates. Still, the doctors are saying this cancer is "very treatable". So we hope.

In my brother's case, a tumor was found on his L5 vertebrae, and had in fact crushed it, causing the severe pain he is experiencing. More scans, more tests... The good news so far being the cancer has not metastasized in any other bones. Chemotherapy begins in just a few days.

As I sat before my brother yesterday while he rested on the hospital bed that has been set up in their family room, he held both of my hands for a long time. He is taking a liquid morphine every 2 hours so he faded in and out as we talked. He wanted to tell me about the good things he sees happening already as a result of his suffering. "God stories" as he calls them. His faith is strong. He is determined not to "waste his cancer".

We don't know where this road is leading. It's not a journey any of us would choose to travel. Only God knows the end from the beginning and the number of our days. In spite of the shock, the pain, and the uncertainty, as individuals and as a family we will choose to say "Blessed be the name of the Lord." And we would so appreciate your prayers for healing, for strength, for faith to remain strong through the storm. Thank you friends. I know you will.

Don Lichi

Sept. 2011

Everyday life...

2011-10-30T17:34:00.001-04:00

Little drops of water,

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean

And the pleasant land.

So the little moments,

Humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages

Of Eternity.

So the little errors

Lead the soul away

From the paths of virtue

Far in sin to stray.

Little deeds of kindness,

Little words of love,

Help to make earth happy,

Like the Heaven above.

In 1845, Julia Fletcher Carney wrote this poem, titled "Little Things". It ended up in the McGuffey Reader and probably was learned by millions of American school children in the early classrooms. My mom wrote it out for me from her memory when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and I've never forgotten it either.

Sometimes this is how I feel about my own life. I think just about everyone has a need to feel like they are part of a bigger picture and are a piece of a puzzle that comes together to be something beautiful and meaningful. And just like we don't "see" an entire ocean when we look at a single raindrop, we understand the principle that eventually enough raindrops do form an ocean.

When one gets to the age where they realize they have already lived more years than they have yet to live, there is often some evaluating and reassessing that goes on. Things that used to mean so much no longer drive or control us. I can remember a time back in high school days that I kept on my calendar a record of every outfit I wore so I would not wear the same exact thing twice in a month's time. Looking back, I have no idea how I pulled that off because as the oldest of 7 children, it's not like I had that many clothes. I must have done a lot of "borrowing" from my three sisters! Now I have what I call a couple of "uniforms" ~ a few outfits that pretty much work for me and I wear them over and over and I'm happy with that.

In looking over my calendar for the past week, it does seem like the essence of my life has been made up of a lot of "little" things. I've had opportunity to reach out to a pregnant mom who has her plate more than full, and passed on some used baby equipment. I did some cooking for a local inner city ministry that helps women come out of a life of drugs and prostitution, and I organized a small group of women at my church who did the same thing. My daughter-in-law fractured and sprained her foot recently, and so I've been doing a little extra cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and taxiing for her. Yesterday while at the grocery store, an 83 year old lady stopped me to ask my opinion about a product, and we ended up having a pleasant chat for five or six minutes. I sorted and distributed bags of used baby clothing to 5 different young moms, three of whom were total strangers. And I baked dozens of cookies for the funeral lunch of a local firefighter, also a stranger.

I'm not saying any of this because I keep track of my good deeds or because I am patting myself on the back. Because to be honest with you, I have often been told by well-meaning friends that I don't "have a life"! When people say that, I understand that they mean I'm doing so many things for other people that I don't have time to do whatever it is they think I should be doing with my time. I prefer to say "this IS my life!"

I do take note of that third verse of the poem, however. In spite of all my good intentions, I'm still a sinner saved by grace, and believe me, I have my share of little errors that seek to lead me away from the paths of virtue and Godly living. Funny how she stuck that right into the rest of the poem, which is all about the humble little things we do with our lives that have positive eternal consequences. Food for thought.

What about you? What are the little drops of water and little grains of sand in your life that make a mighty ocean and a pleasant land? What little deeds of kindness or little words of love have you done or spoken lately to make someone else's life a little more pleasant?

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

Help my unbelief!

2011-10-19T07:20:00.009-04:00

Something has healed in me. As I sat in church this past Sunday morning, it was just one of those times when God broke through and touched something deep inside.

Being as old as I am and having been in the church my entire life, there are some things about being a Christian that I take for granted. I know God is everywhere and is able to do anything. I know Jesus paid an awful cost to seal my redemption. I know there is an eternity beyond this life and though much of that is a mystery, I rest in knowing I will be there and it will be good.

If I'm honest, I also know there is a lot about God that my heart just doesn't fully comprehend, claim, or appropriate. In my mind, Christianity is a package deal, and I'm sold. When I read the words of Scripture, I know every one is trustworthy and true. But somehow there are still truths and promises that I block my soul from fully receiving. Why, I do not know. I have no trouble claiming them for others. I have a sneaky suspicion I may not be alone in this.

But as I was worshipping last Sunday, the familiar 23rd Psalm came to my mind. And this is how the words played:

"The Lord is MY Shepherd, I~SHALL~NOT~WANT"
"He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures"
"He restoreth MY soul"
"He leadeth ME in the paths of righteousness..."

on and on and finally...

"Surely GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow ME... ALL~THE~DAYS~OF~MY~LIFE..."

Friends, I've been living in the valley for a while now. It's so easy to become discouraged when I'm feeling weak, tired and worn out by the storms of life. Circumstances these past months have taken me almost to the breaking point at times when I've allowed myself to indulge in self-pity and worry. With my head I fully have known there are so many others in much dire life situations, yet my heart still cried out "how much longer, Lord? How many more roller coaster rides before things normalize again?"

Don't get me wrong. The temptation to look at circumstances and fall into a sea of despair is still there. I don't see any hard evidence our economy is getting any better. Every time I turn around it seems someone else I know has lost their job~and all too often it seems that older employees have a target on their backs. It's easy to lose hope...

unless..

we turn our focus back to the One who is all about goodness and mercy, and take hold of the truth of His Word. That's where hope is found. Thank you God for reminding me again.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." ~Philippians 3:12

Celebrating 35 years of grace...

2011-09-25T10:25:00.000-04:00

*I told "our story" on here two years ago. I thought it was worthy of republishing today, our 35th wedding anniversary~not because we are anything special, but because it truly is a story of God's grace and love.

September 25, 1976 was a beautiful, sunny fall day, with a hint of summer still lingering in the air. It was also our wedding day, and rather unconventional as far as wedding days go. We were a little older, being 27 and 28, and both of us had been pretty disillusioned from previous relationships, and so when we decided we wanted to get married, we set out to do it simply and "our" way.

We had been high school friends, but had gone our separate ways for almost a decade before we dated seriously for two years. Our little secret is that one Friday night while enjoying pizza, we started playing "footsie" under the table, and, well, the rest is history.

We gave our families exactly 12 days notice of the time and place. We found a preacher, a Reverand Jacobs, who we were told would "marry anybody". He was connected with Kent State University's campus ministry somehow, and we had friends who had used him. We had exactly one pre-marital counseling session with him, which consisted of a little questionnaire he gave us to see if we were compatible. Then we talked about what we wanted the ceremony to look like, and he showed us several formats from a collection in a notebook. As we leafed through them, he told us if we found one we liked but it had "too much God" in it, he could always customize it more to our liking.

We ended up writing our own, changing the traditional vows that say we would stay married "till death do us part" to "as long as our love shall last". We threw in some familiar scripture verses, including the passage from I Corinthians 13 about love. Then we found a friend of a friend who would play some guitar music, and sing some songs from the '70's like "Morning has Broken" and "The Wedding Song". I stopped at a florist on the way to the ceremony and bought some flowers and candles, we had the marriage license, the rings, and we were all set.

Our immediate family and a couple close friends were the only guests in attendance. My parents hosted a small reception in their home, and at my request, my mom made us stuffed cabbage rolls and mashed potatoes, and I can't remember where the cake came from.

We were in the middle of real estate training classes at the time, so we didn't even go away on a honeymoon. Instead, Bob moved into my apartment, which he tolerated for exactly one week, and then we put an offer in on our first little house.

Thus began the journey of our lives together. While we started out thinking we were in full control of our destiny, little did we know that God had a plan for us. Because as you can see from the above description of how we started out, even though we knew better, we were not really acknowledging God's presence in our lives or inviting Him into our marriage. Neither of us were living our lives to God's glory. We just wanted to live happily ever after, but we had no clue how to achieve that.

Looking back, it was really nothing but a recipe for disaster! It always is when we try to put ourselves at the steering wheel. I share all of this because today we can look back and see God's amazing grace has been at work in us in spite of ourselves.

During the first year of our marriage, God put some friends in our lives who invited us to church, a different denomination from the one I had grown up in and felt alienated from, and it was there that God wooed me back to Him right away. It took Bob another year or so. I'll never forget the night the pastor called him and asked if he could come and visit at our home. Bob's answer made me want to crawl under the floorboards: "you're welcome to come and visit, but don't expect me to join your institution." But this faithful minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ came anyway, and he and Bob hit it off right away. Before long, we were attending an"inquirer's class", which was a non-threatening way of saying "Basic Christianity 101".

Bob began reading the Bible from cover to cover, literally. God was at work in both of our hearts. We were surrounded by a group of people from the new church who loved us and taught us. We began to grow spiritually. By the time we were expecting our first child, we drove a stake once and for all that we were committed to living not for ourselves, but for the One who died to save us from ourselves. We received God's gift of grace in our lives and have never looked back. Scripture tells us that God's paths are beyond tracing out. (Romans 11:33) We don't know how He accomplished this in our lives, but we know that He did it. Left to our own devices, our marriage most certainly would have failed. We are so grateful that He saw fit to save us.

The Wedding Song (There is Love)

by Paul Stookey

He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on His part.
The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love,
there is Love.

A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
And they shall travel on to where the two shall be as one.
As it was in the beginning is now and til the end
Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again.
And there is Love,
there is Love.

Well then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it love that brings you here or love that brings you life?
For if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh there is Love,
there is Love.

Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love,
there is Love.

One Big Fish Story...

2011-09-20T15:31:00.000-04:00

Along with 14 million other Americans, we're still dealing with the reality of unemployment around here. This is our third round in the last nine years, and in all honesty, it's been the hardest emotionally and psychologically. Financially we are still surviving ~ it's been almost four months so far. Obviously we can't go on forever without an income, but for now we are ok.

The first time it happened and lived through it I told many people "we survived but we'd never make it a second time." Not exactly a statement of faith or thankfulness, was it? When it happened the second time, I said, "Lord, I was just KIDDING!" And again, our needs were met and we survived. When it happened again this year, I admit I've been pretty stunned. The previous two times set us back financially right at the time of life where we are supposed to be thinking of saving for our retirement years. With the economy in the dire shape it's in, it has been a whole new ball game for my hubby trying to maneuver his way through the job search process. Companies are thread bare with the employees they have, yet they are reluctant to invest in additional staff because of the dismal world-wide economic forecasts.

And so we wait. We wait on the Lord for His provision. We seek to discern His wisdom and direction. We work. Hubby treats every day as if it were a normal work day. He gets dressed and into his office early in the morning and stays there until quit time. He researches, he tweeks his resume, he answers ads, he takes tests, he networks, he applies for positions, and the next day he gets up and does it all over again. So far, the net has caught no real fish.

Last night I read a familiar Bible story that has given me strength for today. It is found in Luke chapter 5. Peter, James, and John, a couple of career fishermen who lived 2000 years ago, were doing what they always did. They worked all night long in the cold and dark from their fishing boats, casting their nets but they kept coming up empty. No doubt discouragement set in. They were already cleaning up their equipment at the end of a fruitless time of labor. But Jesus had His eye on them. He told them to go out into the deeper water and let their nets down. Peter answered him, saying, "Master we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so I will let down the nets."

We all know the rest of the story. The fishing nets were so full they were breaking. Peter had to signal his partners to come and help him. And then it hit him. This man Jesus was more than a teacher. He was one who could perform a miracle in his time of discouragement and need. In fact, Peter was so astonished that he said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" He realized that he was small and sinful compared to this big and mighty God-man.

I don't know what the outcome will be of our present frustration, and yes anxiety of our time of not knowing where our next paycheck will come from. But this I do know: Our story will end well. This same fisherman Peter turned fisher-of-men Peter, wrote these words of hope:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:3-5

Did you catch that? Because of our merciful God we have a living hope and an inheritance that can never be taken away. Until then, we are shielded by God's power. We do know how our story will end, and it is all good. It's sort of like watching a movie that gets scary and makes your heart beat faster at times...but you know the story ends well, so you can go ahead and endure, even enjoy watching it.

Said another way: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." II Corinthians 4:16-18

can't really call this LABOR...

2011-09-05T22:33:00.000-04:00

Most of you know I enjoy playing in the kitchen. But it has to be clean, and I need to have TIME. Well, today was the day. Having no real plans for Labor Day, hubby and I just took it easy. Well I guess I better speak for myself, since he did trim some tree branches today. But I was still in my jammies at 2 pm. Seriously.

Remember that peach pie from the other day? Well, I still had 4 pie crusts left to use up. So for our breakfast, I made us a quiche. It's got to be the best kept secret in the world how easy it is to make these things, judging by the price you pay for a slice at a restaurant.

There are so many varieties of quiche to be made, but today I just used what I had in the house. So this one was 8 eggs, beaten, and about 1/4 ~ 1/2 cup milk. To that I added cut up leftover sausage that was already cooked, some fresh mushroom slices, chopped scallions, and about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. For seasoning, I used a little dry mustard and some Tony Chachere's original Creole Seasoning. Then I poured it into an unbaked pie shell and baked it at 375℉ for about 35-40 minutes.

This coming weekend I will host a brunch for my daughter-in-love who is coming in from out of state for a wedding. I will plan on making five different quiches using ingredients such as spinach, kalamata olive and feta cheese, chicken and swiss cheese, ham and cheddar cheese, tomato, green pepper, pepperoni and mozzerella cheese, and another one like this, sausage, mushroom and cheddar cheese. My pie crust recipe makes 5 crusts, and I will have the meat cooked ahead of time. The rest is simple: I will set out all the ingredients and assemble the variety of quiches. I will serve the quiches with some fresh fruit. Sound good?

Here's the recipe for the pie crust, which my aunt gave me when I graduated from high school 44 years ago!

Never-Fail Pie Crust

5 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
cold water
Method:
Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add shortening and work into the flour with two knives until course, about the size of peas, (or use a pie crust cutting tool.) Into a one cup liquid measuring cup, break one egg and beat slightly with a fork. Add vinegar, and then enough cold water to make one cup liquid. Add this to the flour/shortening mixture and mix into a good consistency for rolling.

Tip: divide the dough into 5 equal sized balls. Work with one at a time, and cover the others with a clean damp dish towel to keep from drying out while you are working. Roll out crust quickly on countertop or board covered with flour. Try not to handle the dough more than necessary--just roll into a circle to the desired thickness and circumference, carefully fold it in half, then in half again, and center on your pie plate, carefully opening up the sections. Press into ungreased plate gently. If there is too much excess dough hanging over the edge of the plate, just cut it with a knife or scissors, and tuck edges under evenly. Flute with fingers.

I decided I wanted to make another pie today to take with us when we went to visit my mom and her neighbor tonight. I didn't have any more fresh fruit in the house, so I decided to make a chocolate pie. Using another pie shell that I only had to roll out, I followed a new-to-me recipe. I don't have a doube boiler anymore, so I was very careful when I heated the following in a regular sauce pan, and it worked fine.

Mississippi Mud Pie filling

3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
3 TBSP corn syrup
3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Note: I removed the pan from the direct heat when I added the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla

Next, I baked the pie shell for 10 minutes at 425℉ and then I added the filling, returning it to the oven for another 35-40 minutes to bake at 350℉.

The baked chocolate filling had the texture of a brownie on the outside, but inside it was more of the texture of a pecan pie filling.

I served the pie with a dollop of cool whip on each slice, sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

If I thought the entire pie would be eaten at once, I would have just spread the cool whip on top of the cooled pie, hiding all the chocolate, and sprinkled the entire top with the chopped nuts OR chocolate shavings.

I was not happy with what the extra pre-baking of the crust did to the texture. It also made it way "over done". So the next time I make this I will not pre-bake the crust. I also think I will double the pie filling recipe to make the chocolate part a lot thicker, and then I will most likely need to bake the pie a total of about 45 minutes.

So if anyone is counting...I STILL have one pie crust left. I think I hear a lemon-meringue calling my name! I can always bring it to a meeting hubby and I will be attending tomorrow night...

Other than playing in the kitchen and the visit to mom's condo tonight, we spent a good bit of the day just reading our books and relaxing. A very good non-Labor Day! What did YOU do today?

2011-09-04T19:24:00.000-04:00

So today, hubby and I decided to blow the stink off and went to our local mall to walk around. "Blow the stink off" is an expression we use when we need a change of scenery or to get an attitude adjustment. It is a rainy day and we both were feeling a little discouraged over general principles. So off we went. Oh my. We pulled up behind THIS car while at a stop light...

Now seriously, I would be afraid to drive that car around town. That's all I'll say about it right now.

Once inside the mall, of course we visited the Apple store first. Yes, we touched all the forbidden fruit. I made hubby explain all the things that started with "i". You know: i-Pad, i-Pod, i-Phone, i-mac...I'm sure there is more. Did you know a MacBook Light weighs just over 2#? Amazing. It's fun to go to stores like that when there is absolutely no chance of having to make some agonizing decision.

So we did some more window shopping. As we passed Abercrombie & Fitch I did a double take. Their website advertises "sexy, casual clothing" but this was too much. There was a big poster of two guys standing as though facing each other, with their jeans zippers partially open. The caption read "are you in?" How do they get AWAY with this?

After some more walking and a little snack, we sat for a few minutes on a bench while I took a cell phone call. In front of a store and directly in our line of vision was a nice looking young female employee who was changing out a sign stand. She repeatedly had to squat to do what she was doing and each time we saw far more of her backside than anyone would have desired to. I told hubby I wanted to walk over to her and say "excuse me, do you realize that every time you squat down like that your crack shows?" Now I have to wonder, is she totally aware or unaware of this?

We finally left the mall and got home. I feel like one of Beatrice Potter's bunnies returning to my safe little rabbit hole. Sometimes it really does feel like it's too big and too bad a world out there.

When life hands you a ...

2011-08-31T22:11:00.004-04:00

~~lemon~~ PEACH !

Over the weekend I came down with "something" so suddenly I couldn't believe it. We were on our way to a function on Friday night and five minutes after we got into the car I told my hubby I was just exhausted! I chocked it up to a busy week and didn't think much more about it until, as the evening wore on, I felt like I might actually collapse unless I got home and into bed. We got home within 1/2 hour and by then my throat was on fire, my body ached from head to toe, and I started running a fever, which went up to 101.8℉. I stayed in basically the same condition all through Saturday and a good bit of Sunday. By Sunday night most of the symptoms were gone except that my throat felt like it was closing up on me and my glands remained swollen.

I was ready to function on Monday, more or less, and the three grandkids that I watch arrived bright and early. I was so happy that my d-i-l was exceptionally organized that morning and had them all prettied up for the day. We had a low key morning and then it was time for the oldest to get to Kindergarten. The other two got a nap. Thank God for "easy" days now and then, and especially when we need them the most!

Tuesday morning found me feeling much better except for the nagging swollen glands and thick throat. One of my friends asked me point blank if I was going to call the doctor, or was I in this for the long haul? (She knows me too well.) I decided in a split second that this day would be my only hope of having the TIME for a doctor visit, so as is my habit, when I'm feeling oh so much better, I finally go on in. Good thing too. Strep throat really isn't anything to fool around with.

My d-i-l made alternate arrangements for the kids on Wednesday so I could have more time to recuperate. Supposedly after 24 hours on the antibiotics I wouldn't be contagious anymore. I'm still hoping and praying that all the people I came into contact with before I knew don't get it!

Here are some of the things I was able to accomplish while on my little sick leave. I took plenty of breaks and only did what I wanted to do and what I felt I COULD do. I didn't push myself at all, obviously, but I am finding it amazing that I was able to tie up some loose ends, something I can't seem to find time for when I'm a lot more alive:

*cleaned out the tub/shower surround while showering. (By using a non-toxic, natural, peppermint scented soap, this was very pleasant and easy, since I was already IN there)

*ran a couple small loads of laundry and hung them outside on the line to dry. (We've been having some beautiful sunny but not too hot days, with a bit of breeze, so this made perfect sense and got me outside for some Vitamin D)

*hubby and I made some decisions about some of our insurance policies, and I spent some time on the phone implementing them. (amazing what you can get done in a quiet house!)

*on the way home from the doctor appointment, we stopped at Swenson's for lunch. It sure tasted good to finally eat some real food after mostly subsisting on water for a couple of days. (No, I didn't intentionally expose more people to strep throat. Swenson's is an old-fashioned drive-in that serves the best burgers on the planet~picture in my header!)

*made another stop on the way home to the jeweler's. My engagement ring, which is 35 years old this month, needs some work. (My estimate of how much that might cost was WAY off...and so it will stay in my jewelry box a while longer until hubby gets re-employed.)

*after stopping for the burger in the early afternoon, we weren't hungry again until it was time to go to bed! I made a quick pot of tortellini soup ~ here's the recipe if you are interested ~ and we each had a bowl. (I've had my days and nights totally mixed up since I was semi-comatose over the weekend and slept in 15 minute increments mostly around-the-clock!)

*paid some bills and balanced the checkbook. (again, think quiet house)

*ordered a free credit report on-line to make sure we were squeaky clean, since hubby is job searching (we learned that potential employers look at these too!)

*hubby and I together wrote and published a blog post for our church ~ which you can see here.

*cleaned out the fridge

*finished a 500+ page (really good) book I've been trying to read all summer. (Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy) When I try to read at night when the house is quiet I end up reading a couple pages and then fall asleep!

*signed up for a fall ladies bible study

*and last but not least...drum roll please...I made a fresh peach pie today! Is it that food is just starting to look and taste good again, or could this possibly be the best pie I've ever made? I do make my own pie crust (recipe here ~ scroll down, you'll see it) and this is how I made the filling, done according to instructions by my FaceBook friend, Vicki: 5-6 cups peaches, peeled and sliced, 3/4 cup white sugar, 3 Tbsp. white flour, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Dot with 2 Tbsp. butter before adding top crust. After sealing top crust, I brushed it with a little milk and sprinkled on a small amount of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then I baked the pie for 30 minutes @ 400℉, then lowered the temperature to 325℉ and baked it for 40 minutes longer.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Divine appointments...

2011-08-27T11:44:00.001-04:00

Hubby and I try to discern what we call "Divine appointments" in our ordinary, daily lives. A Divine appointment is a situation you can find yourself in that turns out to be something meaningful in a way you weren't anticipating or an unplanned encounter with someone that leads to a discussion of a spiritual nature. It is "Divine" because we believe it is a God-ordained opportunity to encourage or help someone, often sharing our knowledge of Him. In other words, God had it planned ahead of time and even though we may not be aware of it until it happens, (or maybe never realize it) we try to be prepared and sensitive to what He might be asking of us at any given moment. I have a friend who travels by air frequently and she actually prays before each trip, asking God to give her an opportunity to be a blessing to the stranger who would be sitting beside her. She has shared many stories of these Divine appointments and encourages others to look for them as well.

I don't know if the encounter I had yesterday was one or not. I was with my mom at the grocery store and I had my sweet littlest granddaughter with me. (If I must say so) she is so beautiful that whenever I take her in public, she never fails to draw attention and strangers stop all the time to fuss over her.

As we were leaving the store, it happened again. This time it was a man about my age, and just looking at my granddaughter must have given him a flashback or something. This stranger began telling me that some years ago when he was 45 and his wife was 40, they found out they had their first baby on the way. He proceeded to tell me how they had always been "pro-choice" and that he told his wife it was up to her what they were going to do about it. After a few days of thinking about it, his wife announced she would continue the pregnancy and they would become parents. He wasn't in favor of it and never really wanted kids.

While following me out to my car, he continued his story. His son is now 18 years old and the joy of his life. While it wasn't always easy raising him, especially through the teenage years, this man realizes he has a dimension to his life he would not otherwise know. I said, "well I am so glad you made the choice that you did." He said, "I'm trying to figure out how I got from where I was to where I am now". He said he was still "pro-choice" but couldn't imagine his life without his son. Then he explained how his wife was one of five children and she was the only one without kids of her own, and what a "God-send" this baby ended up being for his mother-in-law, who died happy, knowing that all her five children had children of their own.

All I could come up with was "well I think you just answered your own question: it was a GOD-send!" Though it didn't seem appropriate to get into a heavy pro-choice/pro-life debate, I wish I could have thought of something more profound to say. Whether he thinks about it anymore is up to him and God. As I finished loading the groceries, mom and baby into the car, I gave him a wave of the hand and said "thanks for sharing your story, and best wishes to you."

Have you had any Divine appointments lately? Do you ever look for them?

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15~16

My week at a glance...

2011-08-05T23:05:00.001-04:00

Sometimes at the end of the week I can't even remember what I did with my life. I think that's why I get so caught up in documenting some of it before I totally forget! Here's some meaningful-to-me events from the past 7 days:

❤Hubby and I attended a 50th wedding anniversary party for the parents of a friend of ours. It was a casual, yet lovely get together and what a blessing to see another committed couple hang together through all of life's challenges. Our friend played the piano and sang a song to honor her parents...

(photos enlarge when clicked)

❤Three of our grandchildren were in my care for about 27 hours this week, plus I had the baby an additional 6 hours. I invited the granddaughter of someone I know to join us on Monday for 1/2 day too so Elylah could have a girl to play with for a change. I don't do this for money, I do it for love. And fun. MY fun...

❤Some treasured grandchildren quotes of the week:

*Me: "Eva is really getting fat!" Elylah: "Yes Grandma. Pretty soon she is going to be just like you!"

*Ethan: "Grandma, can you take your skin off?"

*Ethan: "Grandma, you have cracks in your eyes." Me: "Cracks??" Elylah: "Yes Grandma, those red lines."

❤I brought order to a small corner of our garage, yes I did!

❤On my day "off", hubby and I toured an inner city ministry that our church supports and we ate lunch at The Front Porch, their new cafe. We are becoming more involved with local outreach and every time we go to one of these places my eyes get opened wider and my heart expands a little more, and I am humbled.

❤I enjoyed sunny days and beautiful skies...

❤One day I pressed my mom into service and she and I took all three kids to my favorite Salvation Army store with the purpose in mind of finding some school clothes for Elylah, who starts Kindergarden later this month. Then another day mom and I took just the baby and drove to a nearby city where a garage sale had advertised the required size 6 girls clothing. We were not disappointed on either outing! Name brand clothing in fantastic condition for roughly $1 per item. Seriously she will be among the best dressed at her new school!

❤I enjoyed a breakfast outing with my friend who leaves next week to return to England. We had a soul soothing time of sharing and prayer together. (I forgot to take a new photo but here's a bad one from a couple of weeks ago...)

❤Other than this, not much going on around here! What about you?

Have you ever made scones?

2011-07-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine, Christy, is in town (from England where she is living) for 5 weeks and I had some precious girlfriend time with her and my other friend Jennifer for a couple of hours the other day. First we ate Mexican food, then we went next door and hung out at the coffee shop. Christy held an event at our church and Jennifer and I contributed home made scones. I thought I'd share my recipe here. They are very easy and fun to make!

Blueberry Scones

4 cups all purpose flour

6 tablespoons sugar

4-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, divided

1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk eggs and 3/4 cup milk; add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto lightly floured surface and gently knead in the blueberries.

Divide the dough in half and pat each portion into an 8 inch circle. Cut each into 8 wedges. Place on greased baking sheets. Brush with remaining milk and sprinkle a little sugar on top.

Bake at 375 ℉ for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Serve warm. (I decided to drizzle a powdered sugar frosting on top. I've also made these using chocolate chips instead of the blueberries.)

"A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17

Moving on...

2011-07-24T20:17:00.000-04:00

I've been on the vacation channel since May and had I known I would write so many posts about the subject, I would have been a little more organized! It WAS a major "life between the buns" event and I kept thinking of things I wanted to document...Thank you gentle readers for bearing with me! Sadly, our time at the beach already seems like a distant, though very pleasant, memory!

The reality of my life since vacation has consisted of hubby being ~~under foot~~ home working very hard on his job search. We would appreciate your continued prayers for us in that department! Since I am babysitting 3 of our grands several days a week, I've tried to give him as much quiet space as I possibly can to do what he needs to do. That means I've frequently piled the kids into their car seats and taken them out and about. The other day we went to a couple of parks so I could ~~wear them out~~ give them a chance to romp and play. I had to laugh when hubby called me about 1:30 pm and said he was just wondering what I was planning to do about lunch...silly man.

This past week, with the temperatures in the '90's and my son's and daughter-in-love's air conditioning being on the fritz, they all slept at our house for several nights. I insisted, as I couldn't bear the thought of them roasting in this heat when we have plenty of space for them. It seems like their A/C is fixed now and that's a good thing, because it sure is hot and humid in our parts.

What's going on with the rest of you??

Vacation Highlights: Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, and the wild horses

2011-07-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

We had all agreed ahead of time that everyone was free to spend their time however they wanted, with no pressure to do "group" sight-seeing. So we pretty much all did our own thing, though we had enough "togetherness" to enjoy each other's company as well. One afternoon, hubby and I decided to take off and visit the famous Hatteras Lighthouse. Cape Hatteras is about 1 1/2 hours from our beach house.

As soon as we got there and started to walk around, I experienced one of those unexpected moments of emotion and tears as I thought about how much my dad would have loved being here with us. He loved lighthouses, and had painted many of them, including this one.

It was so breezy that I couldn't keep my hat on. This photo gives perspective as to how tall the lighthouse is, and we definitely were not up for climbing the narrow steps! We toured the keeper's quarters, which is now a museum, and watched a video that explained how this lighthouse was moved inland almost 3000 feet in 1999 to save it from coastal erosion. It is just an amazing story that I will never be able to comprehend.

This photo was taken standing at the original location of the lighthouse. Before we left the area, we also enjoyed a park ranger's lecture on pirates!

Another day, the whole group of us took a short ride to Kitty Hawk to see the Wright Brothers Museum. Being Ohio natives, we have a great sense of pride in Wilbur and Orville Wright, who strategically took their invention to the shores of North Carolina to test it out!

I just can't get my mind wrapped around the fact that only 66 years after this historic event, a man landed on the moon.

The National Monument...

Here I am with mom and sister Marcella...

One morning, the ladies decided to go on a tour to see the wild horses. So we all piled into a tour van and had the time of our lives!

The guide, of course, knew right where to take us.

The horses are Spanish Mustangs, and are protected by the U. S Government. People are not allowed to approach them or try to feed them. It was so weird to be driving on this beach so close to the water. I felt like we were in the middle of "nowhere". What a breathtaking sight it was though!

from left: Connie, Lynn, Marcella, Mom, Barb, Marcie, Jacque, and Cindy.

Vacation highlights: side stops on the way there...

2011-07-08T00:55:00.001-04:00

On the way to the Outer Banks, we caravanned with one of my brothers and his wife, and mom took turns riding in each of our cars. Our route took us through Somerset, PA and so we stopped there to have a picnic lunch. We also went to nearby Shanksville, the location of the crash of Flight 93 on 9/11/01.

A permanent memorial is in the process of being built. The wall that can be seen in this photo (click to enlarge) follows the trajectory of the flight. The grassy area beyond the wall is the hallowed ground and resting place of those who lost their lives there that day. Read more about the memorial here.

Since it was a two day trip to the beach, we stopped the first night in Fredericksburg, Va. After checking into our hotel, we found a nearby Italian place to eat and the food was excellent!

It was nice not to have to rush the next morning to finish our second travel day and so we took the morning to look around the town...

Definitely my kind of place, and I can't wait to come back and spend a few days seeing the historical sites. We stumbled into a classic car show on the main street...

and I did cross the street to get one of these:

We came upon this museum, which was an apothecary...

We enjoyed the interesting presentations...

but they can keep these leeches!

I love this picture of my brother and his wife, who recently celebrated 40 years of marriage.

We found a great coffee shop...

and finally we got back on the road. I was so excited when I saw this on our GPS:

Vacation highlights: two creative activities

2011-07-02T17:36:00.000-04:00

We only had 1/2 day of rain the entire week, and it came on Sunday morning, our first full day of vacation. It didn't bother anyone really, and one of my sisters came prepared with a couple of creative things for us to do!

Would you believe that she taught us all how to etch a stenciled design onto glasses?

My sister Cindy demonstrating how to do it

The hardest part was choosing the stencil I wanted to use

Next step is to trace it onto clear, transparent contact paper

Hubby and I working on ours together. You peel the contact paper apart
and carefully smooth it onto the glass.

From left, Sis-in-law Marcie, sister Cindy, mom, and sister Barb

Next, with an Exact-o knife, you cut out the stencil

Using a paint brush, you then apply the glass etching cream

only to the areas to be etched.

After waiting 5 minutes, you rinse the cream off

I thought they came out pretty nice for our first try!

Toward the end of the week, we did one more creative activity. Using photos that everyone had taken through the week, we made these cute albums!

Vacation highlights: food is love.

2011-06-28T09:40:00.002-04:00

I just thought about grade school days when every year we would be required to write an essay on what we did with our summer vacation. Did you used to do that too?

This vacation was truly "historic" in that while we are a close family and get together often, we've never done anything quite like this where we all took a week to be together as adults. I like to say we had a chance to talk in complete sentences. (We did have my youngest nephew along with us, but he was the only exception.)

The 14 of us had dinner together every night except the last one, when we were on our own. Each family took a turn preparing the evening meal and doing the clean up. I volunteered to have our night early in the week so as to avoid the pressure of the competition! My meal was creamy chicken enchiladas (home made tortillas) with all the toppings.

Other meals prepared by my sibings included grilled Italian sausage sandwiches and all the fixings, Greek pitas, grilled fresh shrimp & steak, taco salad, and Cincinnati chili. There was always an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, a variety of local wines, and yummy desserts.

While we had agreed we'd all be on our own for breakfasts and lunches, it seemed like there was always something someone was making to share or serving up leftovers. A couple times we brought lunch to the beach. One morning I was served breakfast in bed! My favorite dessert was the brownies made in cupcake wrappers and stuffed with a miniature Reece's peanut butter cup.

It all added up to 4 additional pounds by the end of the week...groan!

Re-entering the real world...

2011-06-18T10:34:00.000-04:00

I couldn't possibly tell all that has gone on in the past month in one blog post. Our vacation has come and gone and my grand-maternity leave will be over in just a few days! I'm actually looking forward to getting back to life-as-normal, as good as it all has been. I have so enjoyed the break and the traveling, the company, and the chance to do some things around the house. Summer is finally here in northeast Ohio and that always makes me happy! AND I've missed being in touch with so many of you in blogland and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with you!

Just before the Memorial Day weekend, we did hit a bump in the road around here. For the third time in the past decade hubby became a statistic of our faltering economy and his job was eliminated. I'll write more about that when we are on the other side of it. For now, we would appreciate your prayers as we once again lean hard on our knowledge that God is our Provider. We trust Him completely with our past, our present and our future. In our human-ness, this is not an easy place to be, as many of you know from your own first hand experiences, but with God, all things are possible. So we wait on Him. He has never failed us.

I just loved ALL your comments on my last post! The bathing suit issue seemed to strike a universal chord and thank you for letting me know I have plenty of "company"! I want to report that I was actually surprised to see so many "modest" bathing suits at the beach. I DID see lots of suits with "skirts" and another thing some of the ladies did was wear some kind of "sport shorts" over their suits. There was only one incident where I wanted to throw a bocce ball at someone, and that was when the highly sculptered and very tanned blond beauty felt the need to play football with her beau right in front of our beach umbrellas, obstructing our view of the ocean and distracting our men with her ill-fitted bikini. I won't tell you how I hoped a crab would bite her on the toe and send her away squealing. HA!

Seriously, we had a wonderful time and the weather was perfect! We had about a 1/2 day of rain at the beginning of the week, but every other day the temps were in the 90's and the sun was out! We all knew this was a historical week: All my siblings, (six of us) our spouses and our mom (and one of my nephews, the last of the minors) a good friend who is part of the family, and two dogs. By pooling together we were able to rent a huge house just a very short walk from the beach. There was plenty of room for privacy when needed, comfortable bedrooms with bathrooms, and all the necessary furnishings. We even had a nice heated pool and a jacuzzi which got used every day!

I'll post a few photos here and in the coming days I'll write about some specific things we did. I hope you'll hang with me! It's good to be BACK!

After two days of traveling, I got so excited when the GPS showed our path ended at the ocean!

We arrived at dusk, but of course we had to walk down to the beach!

Here is the huge house we rented. See the single window in the middle on the top floor? That was our "love nest" as I named it. It was on the 4th level, and ours was the only room up there so it was very private.

It was perfect and a lot of fun! We had our own bathroom too.

My two brothers and their wives playing bocce

Scandanavian hubby wisely stayed covered up a good bit of the time.

Brother-in-law Rodney who lives to fish, caught a sting-ray, ugh!

We were in Duck, NC, Outer Banks

I just love this photo of my mom

lots of relaxing...that's what it was all about!

me enjoying the morning's first coffee on one of the many balconies

private heated pool

my nephew preferred the pool to the ocean

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven..."

Ecclesiastes. 3:1 NIV

A Personal Pre-Vacation Predicament!

2011-05-20T08:42:00.000-04:00

I think it was near the end of last summer when the subject first came up. Discussion began about the idea of all the siblings and our spouses taking our mom to the beach the following year. We would have roughly eight months to save up the money to rent a huge beach house where fourteen of us would vacation for a week. We would surprise her at the family Christmas party with the plans. The Outer Banks of North Carolina would be our destination.

Excitement built with each deposit of money made for our share of renting the beach house. And that’s not all, for soon I was personally on a roll. I lost 10 pounds and 10 cholesterol points. I could almost hear the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean as the waves rolled in. I could visualize the colorful umbrellas and beach towels laid out on the hot sand. It would feel really good to bake in the sun after a long northern Ohio winter. Though I still had more weight to lose, I was not only feeling good physically and moving around easier than I had in a long time, but I was confident the progress would continue.

Before long, “The Holidays,” that wonderful time of year between Thanksgiving and New Years, began. As soon as the calendar page was turned to November, it seemed like pumpkin spice lattes began appearing everywhere. There they were at every coffee shop and all the fast food places. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked. You would think they were part of the new food pyramid. Next came Christmas cookies, and everything else that sabotages the best of dieting intentions during that season. But I really wasn’t doing all that bad. I wasn’t losing any more weight, but I was pretty much keeping off what I had lost...until...

Winter just wouldn’t quit this past year. Records were set for snowfall and cold temperatures. Comfort food became the order of the day more often than not. Memories of long ago winters and my mother’s good home cooking became reincarnated in my own kitchen. The hard boiled eggs, salads, and fresh fruit of last summer gave way to pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy. Still I did not give up the dream of being comfortable on the beach in a bathing suit. As soon as winter was over, I would be able to get outside, get much needed exercise, and start dropping unwanted pounds again.

Supposedly we are having Spring now. The calendar says it is May. But the weather has been nothing but record rainfall and dark dreary days. Nothing to make the body want to get up and get moving. I’m beginning to panic. We are counting “days until vacation” now instead of “months”. Still I tell myself I have “time” to lose a few pounds before we hit the beach.

At one of my lowest psychological points when fretting about all of this, I found the book of my dreams while browsing through Borders one Friday night. The title jumped out and screamed at me: HOW TO NEVER LOOK FAT AGAIN by Charla Krupp. “Over 1000 ways to dress thinner~~without dieting” is the subtitle. I really didn’t care how much this book cost. I HAD to have it.

I have been having a great time using this book as my second bible. Complete with pictures of the right and wrong way to dress, it is not only humorous, but it has helped me be a little more realistic. Sure, I still want to lose weight...the pounds I rediscovered after I had lost them and the pounds that never did get lost over the long winter and dreary spring. But I set out to do the best I could with what I had to work with.

I used to enjoy watching the TV show “What Not to Wear” with Clinton Kelly and Stacy London. The lucky nominee would win a $5000 credit card and a trip to New York City to purchase a new wardrobe. The only catch was the contestant had to follow the rules laid out for her body type. I decided to have the same kind of fun, with Charla Krupp’s book as my guide, and instead of the big budget and the exclusive clothing shops in New York, I shopped my local thrift stores so I could practice my new way of dressing.

Good results were almost immediate. I started accumulating an affordable wardrobe of the “right” kinds of clothes, and I emptied my closet of stuff that didn’t fit right or didn’t do a thing for me. Confidence grew as I became more comfortable trying new ways of dressing and faithfully following the rules. In Charla’s book I have been introduced to clothing items and body issues I’d never even heard of before. I had no idea that women were wearing heavy artillery underwear such as high-waist bike shorts and compression body suits that can extend from the midriff to the calves. All to make the best of bodies that have muffin top bulges, big booty, Buddha belly, or any number of other “flaws”.

If you’ve never been in, ah, my situation, you really have no idea how traumatic it can be to shop for a bathing suit. But there is simply no way to have a beach vacation without one! Yes, I’m what you might call a “mature” woman, but I’m not ready to wear skirts to swim in just yet. And Charla Krupp says I don’t have to! After trying on about a dozen new swim suits in stores, I found a $3 bargain at my favorite thrift store. It meets all the guidelines though I would be happier if it was one size larger. But for $3, it will pass. But I still needed another bathing suit~~a new one that had as high a compression factor as shapewear. So I went on line and searched through hundreds of them, trying to follow the rules without breaking the bank. Charla recommended ordering nine suits: three in the size I think I am, three one size smaller, and three one size larger. The idea would be to keep one or two and return all the rest. I felt lucky to find ONE suit I liked that seemed to meet all the requirements and it was about half the price of most of the better suits I saw, and with free shipping.

I held my breath for several days while waiting for the new bathing suit to arrive. Finally I saw the package stuffed into my mailbox. My heart pounded with a combination of fear and excitement as I tore into it. I raced upstairs to the privacy of my bedroom to try it on. I pranced around and looked in every available mirror and from every possible angle. Not too bad, all things considered. It will work.

My joy was tempered by the sudden realization that a high compression bathing suit does it’s magic for certain body flaws, but it doesn’t cover everything! I still have what Charla calls arm flap and thunder thighs to deal with, and no bathing suit on the market at any price can help me there! With vacation only two weeks away, Lord help me find an appropriate cover-up, and soon!

*a note to my gentle readers: while this is a true story, it was written as a writing assignment and meant to be humorous. I share it with you in that context. Please comment and let me know you laughed with me!

Spring cleaning, organizing, and thrifting...

2011-05-19T11:29:00.001-04:00

I'm still enjoying my grand-maternity leave before I resume caring for grandchildren three days a week. My days have been full, but in a different way. Since our rainy spring has kept me inside more than normal, I've been using some of my time to organize things at home.

I've been cleaning out closets and bookshelves, and filling bags for the Am-Vet truck to pick up. I know there are many great charities to donate to, but Am-Vets make it so easy by coming right to my front door about every two months. All I have to do is put the stuff out on my stoop. This has become a ~~regular~~ necessary part of my routine because of my addiction to THRIFT SHOPPING!

The Salvation Army store was packed yesterday, as it was 1/2 price day. Here are just some of the things that less than $15 netted me:

This cute candle goes with my decor and stll had the original tag on it. It glows in the dark. I snagged it for a mere 25 cents! It is about 7" high.

Also 25 cents, how could I leave this primitive-looking toy behind?

I forked over 50 cents for this pretty hanging basket of flowers. All I needed to do was fluff out the bow and press the tails. I stuffed tissue paper in the loops and held the steam iron up to it for a few seconds. Presto! looks like new. If I don't hang it inside somewhere, it will go outside on the people door to our garage. Almost ALL of my outdoor wreaths are from thrift stores ~ we just have no protection from the weather and so if I have to toss them after a couple of seasons, it's no great loss to the wallet!

This was my "find" of the day! A beautiful Christmas dress for my oldest granddaughter. It is taffeta, fully lined, and has some amazing detail such as covered buttons on the sleeves, an invisible zipper in the back, and lovely smocking. It's a Charter Club brand for only $2 and I doubt that it has ever been worn!

Elylah already has a nice long sleeved white shirt that will look great with this Osh Kosh Christmas jumper. Would you believe, $1?!

She spotted this one herself and I splurged $3 on it. She loves "twirly" dresses, and this definitely fits the bill!

I've also been doing a little spring cleaning (pretending that we actually are having spring this year). I'm enjoying it more since I discovered THIS:

Dr. Bonner's magic soaps! My favorites so far are the peppermint and lavender scents. I've been using this for everything from mopping the kitchen floor, cleaning bathtubs, sinks and toilets, to washing my wood furniture! You can read about these natural products here. I have been able to find them at grocery stores or health food stores also. It only takes a couple drops in some water and so I don't feel like it is an extravagance to use these soaps and I definitely am happy to use non-toxic products around the house. A 16 oz. bottle is about $10.

One of things I cleaned this week was the sole plate of my iron. Something had melted on it and it was a mess. I was ready to buy a new one until I found this product at JoAnn Fabrics:

It is a non-toxic cream. All you do is put some of it on the cloth in the kit, and run your hot iron over it until it comes clean. Then you get any excess cream off by ironing a second soft cloth that is provided. It was well worth a half hour of my time. It was a little expensive ($14) but not as expensive as a new Rowenta. Next time I need to purchase this I'll be sure I have a 40% off coupon with me.

So how is it going in your corner of the world this Spring?

Do you have any cleaning/organizing tips for me?

"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness."

Proverbs 31:27

Please meet my friend Hilary!

2011-05-13T23:21:00.002-04:00

I've been meaning to feature Hilary Bernstein and her blog, Accidentally Green, for some time now. Hilary is one of the young women I am so blessed to have in my life. She and her hubby were friends with my son and daughter-in-law first and before too long, they became our friends as well!

Hilary has written a book with the same title as her blog, and is patiently waiting for the right publisher to discover her. I know it will be a huge success when that happens, and I'm right there in her cheering section!

A gifted writer and an avid researcher of cleaning products, personal care products, and just about anything that affects the health and safety of her family, Hilary seeks to honor God by making wise choices in her everyday living. In the process she has discovered that many of these choices are not only personally healthful, but are kind to the environment as well.

Hilary and I have a lot in common despite our age difference. First and foremost, we are sisters in Christ. We both love a good bargain at the store, and we are both committed to the well-being of our families. We take seriously our roles as keepers of the home front. Hilary has joyfully accepted her calling to be a wife and mother, and she uses her researching and writing talents passionately to help others.

I heartily recommend following Hilary's blog as well as Accidentally Green's Facebook page, where you can scour for topics that would interest you. She frequently has give-aways too. I was the winner of these fantastic personal care products not too long ago.

In fact, Hilary has a giveaway going on right now. Leave a comment and tell her I sent you! Check it out! www.accidentallygreen.org.

"...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

2 Corinthians 7:1

Life is good between the buns...

2011-05-07T19:26:00.003-04:00

One of my sweet friends commented recently about my being on-the-go a lot lately. It's true that life has been busy. I'm still on my "grand-maternity leave" before I start babysitting again near the end of June. So while I've been busy catching up with friends and family, organizing around the house, shopping, and doing some ministry-related things, I've had a little more "down time" than usual as well. Mission accomplished! My next goal is to find a regular time to read and write. I may have to leave my house to do this...it seems there is always something to distract me from these things when I'm at home. Anyone have a suggestion for me here?

In the meantime, let me share what I've been up to. Our church recently changed it's name from Hudson Community Chapel to Christ Community Chapel. The reason for this is because we now have four campuses in four different cities within two adjoining counties. Our new name reflects our unity as one church in several locations. Our newest campus is in the Highland Square area of Akron, OH and it has been up and running for about a month now. Hubby and I have been showing our support by attending there, and trying to discern if it is where we should be for a season. It's a very exciting time in the life of our church, to plant a campus in the middle of an ethnically and socially diverse area of the city. There is much work to be done and much to learn, so if we end up there, it definitely will not be for the purpose of warming a pew. Prayers for direction would be appreciated!

My hubby and I maintain a blog for our church's local outreach ministries, and we are part of the Local Outreach team as well. So we get opportunities to hear, see, and do local ministry related things and we are learning all the time about folks who are serving and those being served. One of the things I've done recently is help organize a team of ladies who are willing to make casseroles, soups, and cookies that are delivered once a month to Rahab Ministries in Akron. Currently our church supports eight local faith-based ministries, and we hope to expand that number in the future as God opens doors and opportunities.

Something I've been doing on my "grand maternity leave" is trying to get a little one-on-one time with the Ohio grands. Ethan is almost 2 1/2, and we recently spent a day together. He is a precious and smart little boy, strong and full of energy too!

My time with baby Eva, now 5 1/2 weeks old, has been necessarily limited so far, but I've had little spurts of time with her now and then while her mommy runs a few errands. She is adorable and growing so fast I can hardly stand it.

Eva's first Easter

Last weekend I was blessed by a friend to receive two tickets to the Ohio Ballet. So it was a date for Elylah and me. She loves the theater and we had a great time enjoying The Wizard of Oz!

Here is my friend, Kim, and her daughter Sarah, who played multiple roles in this performance.

I can't forget to tell you I got to attend the ROYAL WEDDING!!!

OK, so it was from the comfort of my family room...I invited my mom and two friends, Rachel and Jennifer, and we enjoyed a little tea party while we watched!

Yesterday my mom and I and three of my aunts went out to lunch at a special Italian restaurant, Papa Joe's. We basically were honoring my dad's sister, Aunt Angie, who will turn 92 next week. Doesn't she look great?

Another of dad's sisters, Aunt Mary Ann, who turns 80 this year, and my mom, 82

me with an aunt-by-choice, Helen, 91, who is Aunt Angie's sister-in-law

I have to tell you that these mature ladies inspire me. They are full of life, and always look put together. Aunt Mary Ann still has her hubby, Uncle Ed, who has some health challenges. The other three are widows and each still live in their own homes. Mom doesn't drive at all anymore; Aunt Angie drives minimally. Both of them suffer from macular degeneration but otherwise are quite healthy. Aunt Helen has such great vision that she doesn't even need reading glasses!

For the Mother's Day weekend kick-off, I went to a lovely tea today with my mother-in-law. It was held at her church.

Olena Stager, 85

For entertainment, this group, The Stairwell Singers, sang a medley of sacred music. They were accompanied by piano, flute, and cello. Now that was a real treat!

Life is good between the buns...the only thing that could make it better is for my South Carolina family to be visiting, which we are hoping will happen soon. With their 3rd little boy just 5 1/2 weeks old, Ellie's bow tie business, and Andy just starting a new one year venture, being mentored by a church planter, I need to be patient. I know many of you are away from parts of your family too. It doesn't get easier, does it?

Letting 50 pictures tell the stories...

2011-04-26T10:07:00.001-04:00

Thrifting for Therapy...

2011-04-20T11:20:00.000-04:00

I'm still having a lot of fun with my new book, How To Never Look Fat Again.

I've been making more frequent than normal trips to the thrift stores to work on my wardrobe and yesterday was no exception. My mom, one of my sisters, and I spent the entire day at thrift stores and consignment shops. I'm pretending like I won the makeover on the What Not to Wear TV show but instead of using a $5000 credit card at the fancy stores in NYC, I'm staying within a reasonable budget that could only be stretched by shopping at Salvation Army and the like!

My sister frequents a more upscale consignment shop in her town called Fashion Finds Boutique. We spent several hours there yesterday. The owner welcomed us as we came in the door an offered to take our jackets and umbrellas so we were more free handed while browsing around. The building is a charming old house and every room is full of stylish, clean and "new" looking women's name brand clothing. There are several dressing rooms and a large bathroom with mirrors, and even the side porch is full of accessories such as sunglasses, scarves, and jewelry. Throughout the store the displays are very suggestive and draw you in to visualizing how you can put outfits together. There is even a $5 room upstairs, where I found these great shoes. Another room is full of formal wear.

I mostly concentrated on casual tops for summer...but I also found a lightweight cotton blazer with the stripes going vertically, which seem hard to find for some reason. I'm also trying to be a little more "colorful" in my selections since I have so much black in my closet! Brown is also a color I'm trying to get attached to, since it is popular right now...

Notice how I'm sticking to the "rules" with my V-Necks and 3/4 sleeves. I hope it doesn't get too monotonous. Finding pants, capris, skirts and dresses I expect to be a lot more challenging, so I will have to dedicate another day to looking for those.

The only non-clothing items I purchased yesterday:

I'm really excited to have found this Brita UltraMax water dispenser for my refrigerator. It is "new" and was still in the box at Goodwill. Retailing for $41.99, I picked it up for $14.99. It even came with one filter, which is worth about $6 itself. It uses the same filters that I already use for my Brita pitcher, so that keeps it simple. We try to drink filtered water whenever possible.

With it being Easter season and all, I couldn't resist paying $1 for this hardback book on rabbit collections put out by Country Living. I don't know anything about vintage or antique bunnies, so I think it will be a lot of fun to read.

To ease my conscience for bringing more "stuff" into my house, I had a front porch full of bags and boxes that the AmVet truck picked up yesterday, and already this morning I cleaned out the foyer closet and have some things ready for the next time they come by.

So that's what I've been up to recently. What about YOU?

a call to pray!

2011-04-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, our family has recently welcomed two new babies: a grandson born March 28 and a grandaughter born March 30. We are grateful for their safe arrivals and that they are both so healthy and thriving so well. It seems we rarely even consider that babies today could be born with any problems and we just go along our merry ways, rejoicing in the blessings of these little ones.

However, just in the past week I have been made aware of three babies who belong to friends of friends or relatives who are in need of our prayers. Would you join me in lifting these precious ones before the throne of our Father for their healing and strength and also the parents who love them and who desperately want them to live? Thanking you in advance~I know you will.

Alexander, born 11 weeks early on April 13 @ 2# 7 oz. to first time parents

Pierce, born at 1# 8 oz by emergency C-Section to first time parents on April 12. He is the most critical of the three babies, and you can follow his progress here.

Julian-Peter, born a premie with a good weight but having breathing problems. This is a military family and dad will be deployed later this summer. It's a large family so mom will have her hands full.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

On taming the tongue...

2011-04-14T07:48:00.000-04:00

Meet Kevin Offner

Today I would like to feature a guest who has some challenging words to say about the way we use our tongues. Kevin calls for readers to consider a different kind of fast during this Lenten season. It is an appropriate challenge for all of us and with his permission, I reprint his words. Kevin is on staff with Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship and does campus ministry at Georgetown University. He and his wife Amy and their son David live in Washington D.C.

One of the strongest indicators to other people and to ourselves of what we are really like on the inside is how we use our tongue. The kinds of words we use, the amount of words we use, our tone of voice, what we say in response to another person’s words or actions—all flow out of hearts that are agitated and insecure, or quiet and at peace.

In the Book of James we are told that the tongue is quite a powerful part of our bodies. Like the small rudder of a big ship, how we use our tongues can have an amazingly big impact on other people, either tearing them down or building them up.

Perhaps one of the hardest disciplines in life is to learn to be quiet. When someone says something critical to me, I want to say something critical back to them, whereas to remain silent feels like a mini-death. When someone seems to misunderstand what I’m doing, I want to use words to justify myself, and to say nothing makes me feel out of control. I want others to notice and appreciate me, so I’ll often draw attention to myself with my jokes or verbosity.

Let’s fast today from using words to criticize others or to justify ourselves before others. Let’s think before we speak. Let’s take inventory of how much we use our tongue as a primary means for seeking to be in control of our lives, and instead quietly ask the Lord to be in control of our day today.

When we do speak today, let’s choose to speak words of edification and thanksgiving. Let’s think throughout today of specific things we have to be thankful for, in other people and in God, and let’s thoughtfully choose to express these words of gratitude at appropriate moments.

Fasting from words of criticism, cynicism, self-justification and self-glorification, and exchanging these words with either gratitude or silence, will remind us of how much we need our Lord’s help to be the kinds of sons and daughters that He’s called us to be. If what we say outwardly is a good indicator of what we are like inwardly, and if what we say is often not pleasant, it will remind us of our need for the Lord to change our hearts—something, ultimately, only He can do.

"Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear…Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”
Ephesians 4:29; 5:18b-20

Giving Myself a Break...

2011-04-12T14:14:00.002-04:00

I've been talking about my need for white space (margin) in my life. I've been doing a little better. Part of the need for margin is so we have time in our lives to rest or to be creative or to do things that are relaxing so we can restore body and soul. Sometimes that means just giving ourselves permission to do what is pleasurable for ourselves. Everyone is different as to what form that might take.

Some of the things I miss when I allow myself to get too busied out with everyday life are reading for pleasure, thrift store shopping, primping my house up, playing in my kitchen, and writing. This past week I've done a little of all of these things. In the process, I've regained a little of my sense of humor too. That's a good thing.

Hubby and I took time out for a real date last Friday night. After a nice steak dinner, we had the afterglow at our local Borders where I found the book of my dreams:

I've been having a lot of fun reading this book. Not only is it humorous, but I'm learning some good hints on how to dress to maximize what I have to work with. Back when I had more time, I used to enjoy watching the TV show What Not to Wear with Stacy London and Clinton Kelley. (I don't even know what channel it's on anymore.) But instead of a $5000 shopping spree in New York City's best clothing stores, I headed on over to my favorite Salvation Army thrift shop yesterday and tried following the rules for my body shape. I purchased four tops with V-necks and 3/4 sleeves similar to this Talbot's for $3 each:

While I was thrifting, I found a few other items. I usually don't try to "bargain" at the thrift stores, but this time I did some "negotiating" just for the thrill of it~not at the Salvation Army store, but at another local thrift shop. This small wooden table, which I plan to use beside my chair in the family room, had a price tag of $7, and I was able to acquire it for merely $5. All I need to do is cover the green paint with some barn red that we've used elsewhere in our kitchen. I talked the store owner into giving me the blue painted frame for $1 instead of the $3 on the price tag, pointing out it was "just" a frame. I plan to make a hair bow holder for my granddaughter as seen here. The mug was unbeatable at 84 cents, a discount off the 99 cent price tag. The mug is a Currier & Ives "The Homestead in Winter" design. A friend had given me one for Christmas and so now hubby and I can drink hot chocolate next winter in matching mugs. (After all, it's only 257 days till Christmas.)

Recently I was taken aback when visiting in a friend's home. I noticed she had a bowl full of pretty Easter eggs sitting on her table. I mean I temporarily became totally disoriented. (Remember I still have my Christmas cards in a basket on MY end table.) Eventually I realized it is only two weeks 'till Easter and if I'm going to have any decorations out, I better get started. So I dug out this wooden bunny that I had thrifted for a couple years ago, found these eggs and grass in a drawer and put it together in this cute basket I picked up yesterday for 49 cents. (There, you can see the barn red paint I will use on the little table I just bought.) Today I will change out the wreath on my front door for the one I made last spring, and I will hunt down the arrangement of daisys for my kitchen table. That will probably be the extent of my springtime decorating this year, but it will do.

As part of my "getting a grip" campaign, I finally got a much needed hair cut. I've had trouble getting the cut I wanted and the last trip to the beauty shop was such a disaster, I let it grow out to be way too unmanageable. Hubby insisted on taking a photo this time for future reference. It's still a little too short in places, but the general idea is there and I'm OK with it.

(An Ann Taylor thrifted V-neck)

In times of stress, I usually run to Jan Karon's novels. She takes me into another world and I fantasize about living in a place like Mitford. Cynthia and Father Tim model for me the way I want to relate to people, with kindness and devotion. Jan Karon's most recent book is on loan to me and I'm making time to read a little each day.

And to prove that I am regaining my sense of humor, I need to tell you a few family secrets. Being Italian and all, we eat pasta of one kind or another frequently around here. I try to have dinner ready when hubby walks in the door ~~when~~ ~~my priorities are not misplaced~~ as a rule. Since he wears an ironed dress shirt to work, I've been making him take it off before he sits down to eat spaghetti sauce. For a long time I've been saying that someone should make us some "adult" bibs. Well, here they are:

When we were in South Carolina recently, my daughter-in-law handed these to me. "You know how you're always saying you should have some adult bibs for when you eat spaghetti? Well, a friend of mine makes these for the nursing home..." We had a good laugh, and by golly, we've been using these things. They really make perfect sense! (You ARE laughing, aren't you???)

But WAIT! There's MORE! Unbeknownst to Ellie, I had already commissioned my cousin to make a custom spaghetti bib for hubby for his birthday last week. She went all out, even making buttons out of clay that are plates of spaghetti & meatballs. The "bow tie" is a napkin, and the little pocket holds wet naps. Along with the bib, hubby got a homemade spaghetti & meatball dinner. You need to know that he is still speaking to me!

Our small group met this past Sunday evening, and I brought these "polka dot" cupcakes as a treat to honor Bob's birthday. They are really easy to make and taste so much better than a boxed mix. (To find the recipe, you'll have to scroll through the post in the link, but you'll get there.)

So, you can see I've been doing some things I enjoy, and at a reasonable pace. I've even had a couple of the grandkids over one-at-a-time and just for a couple of hours, because they too bring me much joy.

I hope you've enjoyed catching up with me, and I'm also in the process of catching up with MY blog reading. I so appreciate the friendships and connections I've made through this amazing technology! I don't take you for granted, gentle readers! Are you preparing your hearts for a blessed Easter, friends? In the midst of any chaos we may have going on in our lives, the words of Jesus still ring true...

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:9-10 NIV

New Kids on the Block...

2011-04-11T08:16:00.003-04:00

I only have one word to explain why it's taken me so long to write this post: exhaustion. (See previous post, "Creating Margin".) And I want to thank my friends who left comments and shared your own struggles on the subject. It really blessed me to know that you understood and sympathized without judging me negatively. I'm doing a little better and I have some white space on my calendar in the coming days. Our small group met last night and I am feeling the strength of the fellowship and prayers of local friends as well. So without further delay, please meet our newest family members!

This handsome dude is Wycliffe LaVeer Stager, our 5th grandchild! His parents are Andy & Ellie and they live in South Carolina. He made his grand entry into the world on Monday, March 28 at 5:35 p.m., weighing 8# 12 oz. and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. He is one day old in this photo and with those huge, intense eyes, he's obviously destined to be one of the world's greatest thinkers!

We brought the big brothers to see Wycliffe when

he was just about two hours old...

Grandma time was short but sweet. Wycliffe was much more interested in some nourishment. Brand new, and already he's got the dominant male Stager trait: "I want food!"

We arrived in SC on the Friday afternoon before Wycliffe was born. Andy & Ellie got to go on one last date before the new one arrived, and we got to spend quality time with the other boys. Saturday and Sunday went at a nice pace as we enjoyed the family time, and alternated resting and doing a few activities. By Monday morning, Andy & Ellie were on their way to the hospital and the excitement REALLY began to build! We were so happy to learn that the new baby would arrive before we had to leave to go home on Tuesday morning!

And we did need to leave that next morning as soon as we dropped the big brothers off at their Pre-School. We had a full day of driving ahead of us and Wednesday would prove to be another blessed day in the grandbaby department.

Isn't she lovely? This precious package, our 6th grandbaby, arrived at 10:32 am on Wednesday March 30. She weighed 7# 9 oz and measured 20" long. Her name is Eva Raye Stager. She belongs to Sam and Joanna, and her big sister is Elylah and big brother is Ethan. Another princess to pamper and love!

Ethan seems to be coming to grips with the realization that he is no longer the baby of the family!

So...just in case anyone is calculating, our two newest grandchildren arrived about 41 hours and 500 miles apart! And we were able to welcome both of them within a few hours of their births! Both families are doing very well and we are so proud of all of them!

Creating Margin...

2011-04-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

I know I have written on this subject before. A couple times in fact. (Click the label "margin" on my other blog if interested.) Today I find myself reassessing once again. My body and soul have been screaming for rest and restoration for weeks now. Why is this such a constant, life-long battle? I have no idea how the month of April has arrived when a basket of Christmas cards still sits on an end table in the family room. Yet a fourth of the new year is already gone, and I find myself worrying the entire year will slip away without my feeling that I have lived it intentionally.

I've been doing a lot of soul-searching (again). Why is there such disparity between what I know in my head to be true and what my heart longs for, and what my life really looks like if I am honest? When left to my own devices I can sure make a mess of things and push myself till I am worn out physically and my body aches from head to toe. Not only that, but emotionally I am ragged and lose my sense of humor and begin to think not of how to make the most of each day but more along the lines of how I can just get through it. Spiritually I let myself get depleted as well during these times to the point it is hard to stay awake long enough to do any real praying or bible reading, things that I know would nourish my weary soul.

I came across this quote on the sidebar of Rebecca's blog and it has really grabbed me today:

"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney, Simplify Your Spiritual Life)

It's a hard thing to think that perhaps I am living my life with misplaced motives. Do I struggle in this area because I merely want to save time and be more organized? Because I want to do good deeds? Or, even more dreadfully, because I want people to like me? "For me to live is Christ..." say Paul in Philippians 1:21. Does my life look anything like His?

Last night I lay in bed, contemplating what I might do to get a grip again. I thought of all the things that I want to be a part of my life. I think I will begin by making a list of those things and taking a hard look at them, and then examining my motives. I know in my heart that there are many good things with which to fill my days, but I need to determine what are those things that God has ordained for me from before the foundation of the earth? Have you ever honestly asked yourself that question?

The Amplified Bible says it this way in Ephesians 2:10:

"For we are God's own handiwork, His workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus (born anew), that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live."

It is such a comfort to know that God himself has preplanned a good life for us to live when we choose the paths that He has prepared for us. What are you doing to discover what specific good works God has prepared for you to walk in? What do you do to regain balance when you feel things are getting out of control?

More stuff between the buns...

2011-03-10T05:45:00.000-05:00

"You only have two or three weeks to live." These are essentially the words the daughter of my mom's long time friend said to her mother this week. My mom's friend will be 93 years old next month. She is totally in her right mind, but her body has been failing her for a while now. Recent tests showed that her blood count was dangerously low, indicating she was probably bleeding internally. The doctor told her daughter she needed to be hospitalized and receive blood transfusions. Can you imagine sitting your elderly mother down and telling her the choice was go to the hospital or you will die within a few weeks? There were some tears, but the choice was made. She's ready to go home to Jesus and has wanted to for some time now. Of course she is torn, not wanting to leave her family, but she knows where she is going and she is weary. My mom and a few other close friends, the "brown baggers" as they call themselves, gathered with her the other day for lunch and some card games, then they prayed together. I've been weepy, thinking about this scene. Yet in some ways, isn't it really a wonderful blessing to know your time is almost at hand, and to be surrounded with the love of family and friends to bid a temporary farewell?

*****

By contrast, we are anxiously waiting for our 5th and 6th grandbabies to arrive toward the end of this month. A little boy is due to be born in SC around the 23rd, and a little girl is scheduled to make her appearance via C-Section here in Ohio on the 30th. I can hardly wait to cradle these new lives in my arms and look into their eyes. What joy and excitement new babies bring to families who are already full of such love for them!

*****

Yesterday, a babysitting day for me, was also picture day for my five year old granddaughter at her Pre-School. She arrived at my house before 8 in the morning, bubbling with excitement. She'd already had her shower and hair washed. She brought a darling outfit to wear, and couldn't wait to start primping. She painted her toenails, fingernails, sprayed herself with strawberry scented cologne, and applied clear lip gloss. I attempted to "curl" her Asian hair ("don't forget my bow, Grandma) and finally it was time to get dressed. Oh my, what will prom day be like?

*****

I took my mother-in-law to her first follow up doctor's appointment since her fall and hospitalization. I unnecessarily lost a little sleep the night before, worrying about how things would go. She didn't want to ride in my car because she was afraid it would be too difficult to get into. I didn't want to drive her car because I never have before, and was uncomfortable at the thought. There were several other minor "issues" that had potential for making the morning challenging. But as we know, prayer changes things! Grace abounded and everything went really well. She agreed to "try" to get into my car and I agreed to drive hers if we needed to (we didn't). We actually had several meaningful conversations. At one point, while I was carrying all her stuff as she pushed her walker, she noticed my wedding band and remarked at how similar it was to hers. Now I've been married to her only child for almost 35 years and I did think it rather odd she was just noticing that...but hey...The best news was that her 85 year old pelvic bones were healing themselves right on schedule. Is that not amazing? We see another doctor tomorrow, but I'm not going to be anxious about it. Things are going well.

*****

My Christian psychologist-brother, Dr. Don Lichi, is having his first book published very soon. I'm honored that he sent me the final draft and asked me to proofread it, along with a few other pairs of eyes. This reading is only for any potential glaring errors, as the publisher is just about ready to go. I'm very excited for him, and I'll give you more details at the appropriate time. I believe this is a very important book and I can't wait to get my autographed copy. It is titled, Broken Windows of the Soul and is about sexual addictions. Don co-authored it with one of his former pastors.

*****

I'm participating in some Lenten disciplines that I hope will help me to focus on more holy living in the coming days. I'm also working on some ministry-related things that I'll tell you about soon. This is enough about me for today~~What's going on with you?