More Blessings....

We are dealing with cold and wet temps here in my normally warm and sunny South. Praise the Lord not as cold as other parts of the US.  I just don't see how some of my friends up yonder survive!  BRRRRR! Still... I am keenly aware of how blessed I am when I think of others dealing with the elements.  Here are a few things that pop to mind.. picking up from the previous list of blessings...

11. Our Home.. I love it for so many reasons. We have done many things over the last 20 years to make it "ours"... there are sooo many memories attached to this place... I love the coziness of it... it is warm and welcoming... fairly neat most days and yet not sterile or magazine perfect... it has that lived in look.. it is a HOME.  But I am also thankful for it for very practical reasons.   We are warm and dry here.. with a roof over our heads.. walls and windows to keep out the wind and rain... a heater to keep us warm.. there are so many who have no home and many more who have some semblance of shelter that barely provides cover.  Our home may be a bit small for all of us at times.. it may have some issues (don't we all!)... but it is a so much more than many in our world have... and Lord willing it will one day be ours (once that mortgage is paid off!)

12. Heat... I know I mentioned the heater in #11, but I think it deserves its own place in the list this week!  It has done a great job keeping everyone and everything in the house warm.  When we moved into this house 20 years ago, the heater we had was old and our repairman said it wouldn't last long. Our house was all electric and we really wanted to convert to natural gas for the heat. We had absolutely no funds to do any of that. So I prayed for God to keep the old one going or give us the funds for a new one. He did... for about 10 years!  Each year our guy would come and service the heater and say "I just don't see how this thing is still working"... I knew. The year it died we had just received an overdue check for a job my husband had completed and it was early in winter before any real cold settled in.  The money was enough to run a gas line and put in a new heater.  Which we continue to love!

13. Clothes... warm clothes to be exact!  I would never be called fashion forward.... don't have the latest trends or "hot" designers, but I have clothes that keep me warm and dry and so do my husband and kids. Again, there are many who don't have clothing that will do that.  We have scarves, hats, gloves, coats, boots, sox etc. All those wonderful things to layer up as you head out into the Tundra. OK... not Tundra, but it seems like it to this Southern Girl! LOL!

14. Heated Mattress Pad... Hubby and I splurged one year and bought this on sale after Christmas. It was one of the best purchases we have ever made. My mom and daughter now have one on their beds. With the flip of a switch our bed gets toasty warm. No cold sheets when we slide into bed at night (until summer when I will want cold sheets!). I am not a fan of electric blankets. They are heavy to me. The heating pad generates a soft warmth that just makes me want to snuggle deeper into the covers and dream. I love it! (And I love my Hubby who flips those switches about an hour before bedtime!)

15. Soup... I am a total soup nut and I thank God for my dad and his soup making skills.. that he passed on to me. He would make these huge batches of veggie soup. No recipe. No 2 pots ever the same. He just tossed and mixed ... let it simmer all day... tasted.... added this and that... and before we knew it there was amazing hot soup to fill our bellies and warm us from the inside out. I make soup that way.. only I use my crockpots.  Cooking this soup is very freeing and creative to me.. and I love that I can almost always whip up a batch with things I have on hand here. That provides a great sense of satisfaction!

16. Lap Dogs... we have 2.. or more truthfully they have us!  Miniature Long-Haired Dachshunds... I need to say that I think Dachshunds are the best dogs ever... not best behaved, but best to have. I just adore them!  These are the first minis and first long-hairs I have ever had and I have never had more than one dog at a time.. so lots of first with these 2. I love them for many reasons and no doubt they will pop up in my Blessings post again and again.. today I love them because they are lap dogs and love to cuddle and keep me warm!  They are natural heaters which is wonderful during winter. Not so fun come summer, but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

17. Lap Tops... I use my daughter's hand-me-down PC.. she has a MacBook.. so does my son... one day I will have one.  The Lap top is old and doesn't have all the neat bells and whistles BUT I can curl up on the couch with one or two of the furbabies and check emails.. facebook... read blogs.. play games... all that important stuff!  I can even watch something online like episodes of The Office. Very much a luxury convenience and I love it!

18. No Class... Ok this is really more a blessing for my son than me. He is a college freshman and has been struggling with a cold and sore throat. His profs sent him home yesterday and then classes were cancelled today due to the weather, so he has been able to get some much needed rest and is, hopefully, on the way to getting all better!

19. Books.. again, this may get listed in the Blessings post more than once as I am a huge Bibliophile.  Reading is one of the things I do best and I enjoy the most. I don't just read a book... I savor it!  Fiction provides an escape for me... a way to de-stress... I love it. And with the cold temps and dreary weather, it is just perfect reading weather (pretty much all weather is reading weather to me but dreary, cold and / or rain just seem to create a bit more perfect atmosphere).  I am thankful for books... I am a big fan of the library, used book sales and Paperback Swap.

20. Quilts.. yet another item that will be mentioned again and again. I have always loved quilts. I have some from generations past and 7 years ago I dove in and tried my hand at it.. and it worked! LOL!  I will definitely share more about the blessing of old quilts and about the creative process of quilting, but today the blessing is in the quilt itself and its ability to provide warmth and a sense of love.  Seriously... to me there is something comforting and safe about a quilt.. and that translates to love. They are the perfect addition to snuggling on the couch while reading or playing on the laptop and both the furbabies flock to my side when they see a quilt!

Think I will go grab a quilt and curl up on the couch with my little lap dogs and read a bit... sounds like a great way to spend a cold afternoon...

Blessings... Day One....

This is certainly not an original idea... not for me and not for the blogger who has inspired me to give this a whirl.  I think it does us all good to stop and count our blessings. Helps change our attitudes and gets us focused on the good things in life.. and there are good things no matter what your circumstances!

Oh, here is the blogger who inspired me.. she started last Aug and has 20 days of post scattered through out her blog up through this month. She is aiming for 1000 Blessings.. has 600+.

One Thousand Blessings - Day 1

So here is the start of my list.. early on I have no doubt there will be all the things you would expect... the challenge will come after the obvious blessings have been listed!

1. God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  If I had no other blessings to list, this one would be more than I ever deserved and all that I ever need!
2. My parents... my dad is in Heaven, Mom is still going strong.  I was blessed to have great parents.. not perfect.. but great. Unconditional love, discipline when needed, boundaries, encouragement, support, great childhood memories and so much more!
3. My big brothers... I have a mismash... 1 is my actual biological brother, 1 is a half-brother and 1 is a foster brother. They all hold special places in my heart. And I, for one, was always glad to be the only girl!
4. My husband... I was so young and immature when we met and married. We dove in head first.. following our hearts and not listening to our heads! LOL!  But 28+ years later I am still crazy about the guy and I am pretty such he likes me too! LOL!  We are truly one of those couples who make each other complete. We enjoy doing things together and spending time together. And I look forward to what the future brings for us.
5. Our children, who aren't children any more!  Our daughter will be 23 in a few weeks and our son is 18. They are two of the most remarkable young adults I know. Their faith is rock solid. They both have servants' hearts and they each minister to others in their own callings.  They love each other and have always enjoyed spending time together. We rarely had the sibling rivalry and fussing and fighting some do. I praise God for that!  Like all of us, they are not perfect, but they are the perfect kids for me!
6. Friends from all walks of life... old friends.. new friends.. in person friends... online friends... I love that God brings friends, usually sisters in Christ, alongside me at just the right time to help me walk through a tough season and He has granted me the privilege to do the same for others.  How does one survive without friends?
7. My church home... I am nuts about our church!  Again.. it isn't perfect.. but wow, what a heart we have there!  We love the Lord and it is our desire to glorify Him and be His hands and feet in our community and the world!
8. Clinton, MS .. this is where my husband and I have lived for the past 25 years. It is a bedroom community.. one of several in the metro area.. and we knew the moment we drove into town all those years ago looking for a place to live that this was it. It is a great place to live.. a great place to raise a family... there is a small Christian college here that provides wonder events and activities, a strong Arts community, a sense of community and small-town-ness and of belonging.
9. Dogs.. yes, I am a dog lover and I have had some great ones over the years.  I have been blessed by their waggy tails and sloppy kisses.  I am partial (translate obsessed) with Dachshunds and have been blessed to be owned by several over the years... my first at age nine... Snoopy, my kids first dog, also a Doxie, Woodrow... and not 2 of them (Oh my!) Mac and Mia. They drive me nuts at time, but it is worth it.. most days! LOL!  I have to add 1 more dog that blessed me... not a dachshund.. hubby and I had a sweet mutt.. mostly hound, named Bogart (Bogey)... he was such a sweet loyal fella... needed more time and play than we gave him.. he brightened our lives and was, in a sense, our first baby.
10. Birds.. NOT in cages.. the ones in the trees and bushes who sing and chirp and make all sorts of racket and put up with Mac barking up a storm while chasing them... and they come back in spite of him!  I am a bird watcher (Thanks to my mom)... love them!

10 blessings... good start... I encourage you to start your own list, whether on a blog or in a journal or somewhere else...

Barb

Winding Down 2010

One of my 2011 resolutions needs to be to do a better job at blogging. I think about it.. I even say "I need to put that on the blog."  But life has a way of happening and I get caught up in it and don't blog.

I didn't think I would ever get in the Christmas spirit this year. Not sure I ever really did.. at least not the way most folks do. God has a wonderful sense of humor. Christmas Eve night I slammed my foot.. little toe to be exact... into the leg of a chair and did a bit of damage... swelling and bruising commenced... I was certain it would be fine by Christmas morning. Nope!  Couldn't walk on it at all. So I spent Christmas and the day after sitting with my foot propped up ... being waited on others. I say often that I want a day like that... I lie! LOL!  I got tired of it quickly and then it hit me..... like so many things in my life, it is about control. I wasn't in control and it was driving me nuts. Could my husband and son really bake the brunch casserole (which I had made the night before) as well as I could? Would we have all the foods I planned? Would it be done "right" (which means done my way)? 

Guess what... we had plenty of food and it was great... it was a lovely day and whether it was done my way or not, it was right.  It ended up being one of the most relaxed days I have had in a very long time. That was the best Christmas present ever, just wish I could have gotten it without the pain in my foot! LOL!

As always, my husband decorated the house in and out... it was magical... here are a few pix....

Mia loves to chew on our coco mats!  We have tried so many things to stop her, but nothing has worked. See her handiwork on the bottom corner?

This next photo has nothing to do with Christmas. It is just so rare I get a good photo of Mia.  I think she is an Amish dog and fears taking her photograph steals her soul!  I caught this shot of her truly by accident. 

Mac stood at the front door while I took pictures. He couldn't understand why I was outside without him! LOL! Look at that sweet little face watching his Momma.

My husband will tell you he doesn't care for wiener dogs... he prefers big dogs and wants a chocolate lab. Ha!  I have evidence that he spoils them... he is giving them a sausage and cheese ball (actually a pinch off one not a whole one each!) They both adore they Daddy! 

On a different note... I do a word of the year each year... well, I have for the past 3 years. My 2010 word was Change and it has been perfect!  There have been a lot of changes in our lives... 1 child graduated from High School (I homeschooled him all the way.. no more homeschooling is a big change!)... and he started college... the other graduated college. She was headed to grad school in another city.. ended up staying home.. is working.. and seeking God on what she needs to do next. Lots of changes with my level of activity at church (all good!)...  changes in income as retirement deposits and insurance premiums have gone up.. but also changes on deeper levels... and with priorities.  So it seems fitting that here at the end of 2010 I would make a big change. When I was a little girl I had long blonde hair... then in junior and senior high I went short.. Dorothy Hammil Wedge!  In 1996 I mentioned I needed a hair cut. My husband said "Let it grow" so I did. Over the years I have had small trims and given hair to Locks of Love twice.. 10" once and 12" another time. On Dec. 16 I donated 14" to Locks of Love and then got about 2" more cut off to create the new do.

Here is a before and after of the back of my hair:

I am pretty sure the friend who cut my hair added all that gray in the process! I don't remember it being there! LOL!  Maybe that is another one of those 2010 changes!  Wonder if 2011 will bring more...

Happy New Year Y'all!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a most wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  I truly think it is my favorite holiday.  Unless we are traveling to see family, we open our home to anyone who needs a place to come. Over the years we have had a number of elderly widows (friends of my mom's), an exchange student, and friends who are estranged from family or live to far away to go visit.  This year it looked as if we would have just the 4 of us and my mom.. which would have been just fine. But at the last minute, God sent us some folks to love on.... 2 of my daughter's co-workers and a friend of my son.

My husband is very artistic and loves to create lovely decorated tables for the holidays. He is a master at using things we have had forever (many bought at thrift stores or on clearance) and he always brings touches of the outdoors inside. Here are some photos of this year's Thanksgiving Table....

I think the kids and I take for granted having such a lovely table, but our guests always love it and feel special because of his efforts.

I wish I had taken a photo of the table filled with people.. it was a lovely sight.

After the big day, we spent the rest of the holiday hanging out at home.. enjoying each other's company... working on various craft projects... watching movies... reading... doing yard work (the boys not me! LOL!)... Mac and Mia loved having everyone home.

Mac guarded the iron while I was sewing....

but his resistance was weakened by the sunshine and he fell asleep....

Mia enjoyed sitting and sleeping in the sunshine too.... she is our pretty princess girl and she knows it!

Mac snoozed with on the bed with out daughter....

and Mia choose the couch.. I found this position interesting!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Here's looking to a lovely fun Christmas season!

Catching Up... Looking for Fall... Flower and Garden Show

I have been woefully negligent with blogging.  I am too busy enjoying the journey to blog about it, I guess!   We are in search of Fall here. I live in the deep South and Fall isn't really a season here. It is more like a guest for a few weeks.  We have had hints.. some cooler temps and breezes.. but then the heat and humidity came back. I think they were jealous of the attention we were giving the crisp cool weather.  That taste of Fall is enough to send us into Fall mode. My husband is a very artistic and creative fella and he loves to create with flower and leaves and such. He had a blast decorating the house for Fall.

Here is our front door....

I love that he also decorates the back door. You have to come through the garage to get here, so pretty much the only folks who see this are us... he figures we deserve some loveliness too!

Of course there has to be some decorating inside too...

the Breakfast Table

I was given some pears... these are just a few... they have been peeled and sliced and cooked until nice and soft. Tomorrow they get pureed in the food processor and then they get turned into Pear Butter.  My first time to make it.  Hope it is good!

Last Friday, Hubby and I went to a Fall Flower and Garden Expo. It is in a small town south of us and is a huge deal. The largest show of its kind in the Southeast with 1000s of folks coming. It was really lovely and I am sure it will be come a regular excursion for us. Here are just a few pics of things we saw...

That is the joy I've been finding on my journey... I hope you find a bit every day as your journey through life.  Look for it.. it is there!

Semper Fi!

I have a number of nieces and nephews (and now great ones too!).  My niece, De'Ana, was the first.. born just 19 weeks after my 9th birthday... the last is my nephew, Collier, born 1 day after my 27th birthday. Most of the crew lean towards De'Ana's end of the age spectrum. In fact, my mother call all the grandkids born before my daughter (who is 19 months older than Collier) the big kids.  My 2 kiddos and Collier are the little kids... although at 23, soon to be 21 and 18 they are not so little any more!

Being wedged in age between my 2 kids, Collier and my 2 spent a great deal of time together at our house...at their house.. and often at Mamaw and Papaw's house.  In many ways I feel like Coll is one of mine.  I have no doubt he has no concept of house much I love him. He has one of the best smiles that stretches all the way to his beautiful blue eyes.  There is a mischief behind those eyes and a wit that is very similar to his dad.  Like my kids, no matter how grown he is I still picture Collier as a little boy with a blond bowl haircut running around laughing as he played.  

Today that sweet child of my heart graduated from Basic Training and is now a Private in the United States Marine Corps.  I am proud for him and of him! I know this was more rigorous than I can begin to imagine, but I also knew he had what it takes to persevere... and persevere he did!

Funny thing... when I look at this picture of Collier.. the man... the Marine... I still see glimpses of my Collie-Bug behind those serious eyes.

I love you, Coll....

Turn Around and You're a Young Man Walking Out the Door

There is a song from the 60s called Turn Around.  Part of it goes like this...

Where are you going
My little one, little one
Where are you going
My baby, my own

Turn around and you’re two
Turn around and you’re four
Turn around and you’re a young girl
Going out of the door 

I am experiencing a bit of this today... only it is a young man who walked out the door. The younger of my 2 children... my son... had his first day in college today.  I am not nearly as emotional about it as some thought I would be. This child was born running towards an independent life.  But it is still one of those moments where you stand back ... watch... remember... and ponder what is ahead.  

I sent an email to my husband that said "The strangest thing happened today. I was in Luke's room this morning... he was playing in his crib all cuddly and sweet... I turned around to put some things away and when I turned back he was up and dressed and headed out the door to college!"

I feel as if it really were just that fast at times... but then I also have 18 years of memories that prove it wasn't quite as quick as that. I had the privilege of homeschooling my son from 1st grade through graduating this past May.  I would not trade one minute of that time with him and his sister (whom I homeschooled from 5th grade on).  It was a precious season of my life. And soon I will be able to sing more of this song and a new season will begin...

Turn around and you’re tiny

Turn around and you’re grown

Turn around and you’re a husband

With babes of your own 

"And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40