Flea Market

We often pass a place about 20 minutes from us where there are some warehouses and a big sign that says FLEA MARKET... and we always say "One day we need to stop there."  So we did.  What a treasure trove. Lots of the things you expect at flea markets.. and lots of other stuff.. like there were boxes and boxes of various kinds of work gloves... masks.. haz-mat suits (I kid you not!).. rubber boots.. and there is a separate "Room" (more like an airplane hanger with construction type salvage.. molding, bead board, lumber, numbers, metal pieces, doors, windows.. it was / is great!

While there we found a bed for my mother. She has a gorgeous old bed that her great-grandparents purchased in the late 30s / early 40s for their younger daughter.. my great-aunt.  Last fall my husband and I made mother a quilt to fit that bed for her 80th birthday.  Sadly, she took a fall in November and will no longer be able to sleep in it as it is high and requires her to lift and such too much. She has to have something low to the ground.  And we found it.... but we did not buy it that day.  We told her about it first and got her ok.

The following weekend we went back to get it (they are only open on Saturday and Sunday).  It was still there.  While waiting for someone to help us haul it out of the building (it was, of course, in the farthest back corner buried under tons of other goodies), I noticed some old Pyrex bowls.  I love old Pyrex and fire king and such.  One set was just solids (I have a set like those that belonged to my grandmother), but they were all scratched up and just not that pretty. Then I saw one big bowl... green... white flowers.. I have seen it called Crazy Daisy or Spring Blossom... not sure when it was manufactured.. I am guessing 70s.. it has that 70s look.  If I found an entire set it would probably run around $40.  I just found the 1 bowl, so it would probably go for $10 or less.

There was no price on it.. so I asked.. what did I pay.. nothing! Nada!  LOVE IT!  I love "FREE"... the lady tossed it in since we were buying the bed. Made my day.. I am rather easy to please! LOL!

I brought it home.. washed it up.. and have been using it ever since.. Yes, I USE my vintage Pyrex.  That is what it was made for.. to be used.  It is a great bowl... has a happy look.. makes me smile when I use it..

The ball is rolling....

A month or so ago it was announced that our church would be making 2 mission trips outside the US this year... both to Haiti / Dominican Republic... one in June (a construction oriented trip) and the other in September (Medical Missions).  Our children (19 & 24.. not really children!) have both indicated they hope to be involved in Missions out of the country at some point (both have participated in the US for years).  This year is going to be Luke's year..just a few weeks prior to his 20th birthday, my baby (yes, he is my baby.. always will be!) is going to hop on a plane for the first time and leave the US.. no doubt for the first time.. to go help build a home for a family in Haiti.  He is pumped!

God has given him complete peace about the financial part.. HE will provide (Jehovah-Jireh!).. so about 3 weeks ago, Luke and I went to the Post Office and applied for his passport.. and today an envelope arrived..

It's Here!  I haven't seen the actual passport yet. Luke is on his way home from Texas where he and a team from our church have been working with Mission Arlington .... doing Missions stateside.  

And so the ball is rolling... June 3 will be here soon and he will be leaving on that jet plane... I have no doubt this is the first of many departures for this one who loves the Lord with all His heart, soul, mind and might.  He makes me proud and shames me all at the same time. I did not have that devotion and passion at 19.. don't think I have it at 49.. I praise the Lord for all He has done and continues to do through my children.  

For Me????

My poor husband had a tough year last year when it came to yard work.  We have about 3/4 of an acre.. not a huge lot, but big enough.  It is a corner lot with most of the yard in the front and side.. takes as long to edge everything as it does to cut the grass. He uses a push mower because he says the yard is really too small to justify a riding mower and because we live of a small hill, so not really conducive to riding.  Last year 2 things happened to make his life difficult.. our son (his help) took a job working as a summer camp staffer and lived away from home.. so he was rarely here to help... and then the power steering on the mower died. We have had this mower for some time now. Hubby and son have serviced it and made repairs as needed, but this was beyond fixing.  So my sweet fella pushed mowed our big ole yard, as well as my mother's (we take care of it too) all last year with the worn out stubborn ole mower.

Have I mentioned I don't do yard work? Not a big fan of fresh mown grass.. tend to make my eyes itch and my nose sneeze.  I tried to use the weed eater thing once.. almost cut off my leg.. hubby took it away form me and has told me to never touch it again.  Tried the electric edger.. and yes as crazy as it sounds I cannot do that either. I am totally inept when it comes to yard work using machines. Now I can rake and weed and water and things like that.

So it is mowing time again... and yes, we still have that sad ole mower... Hubby and I don't do big Christmas for each other... so shortly after the first of the year he said "I want to buy you an iPad as a late Christmas present. I was thrilled at that idea!  and then he added and I want a new lawn mower.. it can be my belated Christmas present. No problem!  That works for me too. He mows.. I play on the Ipad in the air conditioning... what is not to like about that idea!

I postpone the iPad shopping since I heard a new one was coming out.. Hey, I want the newest one.. who knows when I will have an opportunity to upgrade!  In the meantime the search for the mower is one. We saw one at Sears and it had a key to start it.. and I did it... I opened my mouth.. what possessed me I will never know... "If you got one that starts with a key I might be able to mow the back yard."  Now the back yard is flat and not super large.. the easiest thing to mow here. But still!

I saw my husband's eyes twinkle with delight.  We kept looking and finally 2 or so weeks ago we found it... a new orange baby.. self-propelled and yes, it has a key to start it.  I haven't used it yet... but I think my time is coming.. this weekend!  Pray for me.

Oh yes.. the iPad is coming this week too.  At least I will have something fun to do while I recoup from my foray into yard work!

Newbie and Oldie

p.s.  I can now say I have a Husqavarna... mower not sewing machine! 

Petunias in March!

I love Petunias.. always have.. and we pretty much always put some around the yard in pots in the summer for their big splash of color.  At the end of summer, my husband just left the pots in the beds.  Normally he takes removes them and cleans everything out to get the pot ready for next year. .. but for some reason he just did not get that done this year.. and I, for one, am glad!  Why? Because much to our surprise, the petunias (which we dead and gone from what could be seen), have come back out in the pots and are blooming!  In March!  It is fun to see  both petunias and pansies blooming at the same time!  Not the norm here at all.

Look at these beautiful blooms...

Feed the Birds..

In the movie Mary Poppins there is a lovely song that says "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag...." It is about a little old lady in the park called the bird lady who sells bags of crumbs for others to feed the pigeons.

Well I have no bags of crumbs to sell, I am not in a park and their are no pigeons here. .. and I am not an old lady .. yet!  But I do love birds and they find plenty of feed and water and even shelter in our yard.  Yes, there are 2 wild wiener dogs who live here. One has always ignored the birds.. the other use to always bark at them, but they ignored him.. so now he just occasionally raises his voice to them.

Living in the sunny south, we have a wide variety of birds year round. Some make their home here... some vacation here in winter.. some just pass through.  No matter. I love them all.

We have blue birds scouting around for a place to make their nest. We are once again advertising 2 lovely condos on our fence. They have recently been cleaned out and are close to the local pub which provides an all you can eat buffet 24 / 7 and plenty of water for drinking and bathing. I have no doubt a couple will snatch it up soon.

We also have cardinals.. these lovely red birds are my mother's favorite birds and so they hold a special place in my heart.  I recently got to watch a couple dining at one of our feeders and even got a few photos...

Here is the husband chatting with a little finch....

And here is the Mrs. waiting her turn...

Take some time to stop and watch the bird today.. they are fascinating creatures.  

Apologies and Blessings

I am ashamed to say that I have done a horrible job posting here and a worse job counting my blessings!  I started the 1000 Blessings last January and only posted twice! 20 Blessings!  I could list 20 a day for the rest of my life and not count them all!

So today I am starting again.. with #21.. and hopefully I will do a better job posting and counting in 2012.

21. Sunshine!  I live in the South, so sunshine is pretty much part of my steady diet. But we have had a lot of grey days lately and while I actually like a bit of rain now and then.. good excuse to stay home with a good book.. I love the Sunshine.. and I find as I get older that I seem to need it more. It was grey this morning, but when I walked out shortly before lunch the sun was shining so bright and it just seemed to lift my mood. When my kids were wee ones we would see streaks of sun streaming through the clouds and I would say "Look, God is smiling on us!"  That is how Sunshine feels to me.. as if God is smiling... a warm comforting smile and encourages and comforts and strengthens the soul.

22. Music... I love music.. just about any kind. I love to sing.. love to dance... to listen to music.. to play the piano (something I don't do much these days... but I am thinking I need to start playing again just for the fun of it). Music effects my mood more than just about anything. My dad was a musician at heart.  We listened to a lot of music growing up and at times he would lie on my bed and sing to me at bedtime. Those were magical times to me. Sweet sweet memories! Which leads me to my next blessing...

23. My favorite musician.. my son.  From pretty much day 1 it was obvious music would be part of his world. He "sang" as a baby... loved to hear music. My husband bought the sweetest little stuffed dog before Luke was born. You wound it up and it played "How much is that Doggie in the Window".. just the melody.. all tinkly and bright. Luke loved it! When he was 2, we were in Walmart and he was in the buggy looking at something and singing.. he always sang no matter what he was doing and quite often still does.  I was getting something off the shelf and turned away for a sec.. turned back and there were 3 or 4 elderly people standing around the cart listening to him. He was totally oblivious.. had no idea they were there. It was precious. God has gifted him musically.. he plays many instruments and sings.. and since he was 13 he has been involved in leading worship in church and other functions.  It is a huge blessing for this mom to see her child walking out the calling God has placed on his life.

24. Light at the end of the Tunnel.. my precious girl has been going through a wilderness season. As she and I are learning together in Bible study, the wilderness may not be fun, but God has a purpose for it.  I know He has been at work in her life.. it shows!  And it appears she is on the edge.. she can see the Jordan River and the Promised Land just past. Her journey will not end.. there will be more wildernesses (is that a word?) ahead.  But it looks as if this one will soon be in her past and for that I am truly grateful!

25. Wind.  Yes, Wind. No I do not care for damaging winds and tornadoes.. but I go love the sound and feel of wind.  I loved sailing when I was growing up.. and riding in our boats (motor boats).. and riding on a motorcycle.. or in a car with the windows down... or biking.. anything where the wind blew across my face and whipped my hair around.  I love to feel a gentle breeze on a Spring Day.. to stand in a cooling gust shortly before a storm on a hot sticky summer day.. to hear the leaves rustle.. the wind chimes sing.. as the wind goes through on its merry way to who knows where.  "Who has seen the wind? Neither I not you. But when the leaves hang trembling, the wind is passing through. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I. But when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by." (Christina Rosetti)

26.  Poetry... call me old-fashioned.. dreamer.. romantic.. I love poetry.  I use to read much more of it than I do now.. another something I need to remedy (like piano playing).  From Browning and Shakespeare's sonnets.. Odes to Haiku.. long narratives.. Sandburg.. Rosetti.. cummings.. Longfellow.. Keats.. Bryant.. Whitman... Dickinson.. and so many more... I love poetry just for the sheer sound of hearing it.. poetry should always be read aloud.. and the way it evokes memories, feelings, sights, sounds.. Poetry is music with a silent melody.

27. Water.. H2O.. I drink almost nothing but water.. I love the stuff.. and I am regularly reminded how blessed I am to have access to clean water for drinking, bathing, cooking, cleaning, sanitation and more. In so many countries, the same water source is used for multiple uses and often that source is a river or lake with no treatment plant or filters. Many many diseases could be prevented.. which means deaths could be prevented.. with clean water.  There are many charities that look to provide this blessing to others... 2 I would recommend are Blood Water Mission  and Water for Life

28. Giving... it truly is more blessed to give than receive. If you don't believe me, try it. Start small. Pay for someone's meal .. you don't even have to tell them.  Take a bag of groceries to someone in need (again, you can leave it at the door.. ring the bell and leave if you want it to be anonymous). Like most, my husband and I live paycheck to paycheck.. and many folks would think we don't have a lot.. and we don't compare to much of our nation.. but we are truly rich compared to most of the world and how blessed we are to be able to give to others.  And giving isn't just about money. Give a service (mow a widow's yard)... give time (read with a child)... give ability (teach someone a skill you know and they want or need)... there are many, many ways to give... you will be so blessed if you do!

29. Russell Stover Coconut Nests.. LOL!  Yep Easter candy that I do NOT need, but oh how I love it! Chocolate and Coconut.. how can you go wrong with that. They use to put jelly beans in the center to look like eggs.. I had to pop those off and give to hubby or throw away... not more. They got wise and started making them without those nasty things. YUM! And I am thankful they are only available for a short while once a year!!!!

30. My Kindle... my daughter and her fella bought me a Kindle for my birthday. I didn't really want one, but smiled and took it. I love books.. love the feel of them in my hands.. turning pages.. the whole process.  But there are a lot of freebies available for Kindle and I do love saving $$$... and I love love love to read. So I tried it.. and now I am hooked!  Yes, I still read traditional books, but how I love the convenience of the Kindle and the fact that I can adjust the font size!  And you can play games on it. That is icing on the cake!

So 10 more blessings... and hopefully I will stick to it and write more in the days ahead. In the meantime, I hope you are opening your eyes and looking for the blessings that swirl all around you.  Start counting!

Still Winter????

So technically it is still winter and while it is not unusual for us to have warm days .. really all year long down here!... we are definitely having a burst of Spring Fever!  The grass is growing and green (my fellas mowed for the first time this season today!)... buds are poppin' out on plants... flowers are blooming... birds are out looking for homes... I really am feeling like it is mid to late March not February.

I love the weather we are having ... everything is feeling fresh and new and at the same time wonderfully familiar...

Our winter pansies were basically dead... not any more! And yes, that hummingbird feeder is full as it the other one in our yard. The finches love to drink from them and we will probably have hummers here within a month.

The daylillies are waking up....

but the Iris' are ahead of them... 

It may be difficult to see the new growth on that Spirea, but check out that daisy.. yep that is a dead bloom which means some time in the last week we had an open bloom!  I hate that I missed it!

And look at the mint!  So green... and what a smell!

The Nandinas are still full of color and berries...

The neighbors plum is blooming and that bluebird house was cleaned out last week... just in time for the beautiful male I saw scouting it out today!  Cannot wait for the bluebirds to set up house... one of my favorite parts of Spring here...

And yes... despite the fact that it is February and still Winter as far as the calendar goes.. and actually still rather cool.. our Azaleas have decided they are ready to wake up and brighten our day!  One end of our house is covered with these bushes and they provide a lovely view from the breakfast room and kitchen.  

Some are saying that plants have been fooled into thinking it is Spring... I say God knew we needed the rebirth of Spring early this year.  A reminder of His grace and glory!

Makes me think of the hymn.... For the beauty of the earth.... For the glory of the skies...