Promised photos

Okay - so I was never able to get in touch with the appropriate "powers-that-be" re: posting these pics, so I am going to take a chance and put them up.  In my defense, this is definitely NOT for commercial use....and my blog is most assuredly personal.  If it turns out to be a problem, I will quickly remove them and you won't see them anymore!  Unfortunately, that will also mean you won't see any photos from our future trips to Biltmore, and that would be a definite downer because I am so looking forward to the gardens in the springtime!   This is what they look like now....


Part of the rose garden






















Can't you just imagine all the lush beauty when everything is in full bloom?  I can hardly wait....the camera and I will probably spend a full day just in the gardens!  There were a few signs of spring, tho...

.....and of course, loads of beautiful flowers inside...

Having lived in beautiful Hawaii for several years, I'm partial to any kind of anthurium...

We DID have a wonderful time, and I am already looking forward to the next time we head over to Asheville.  I know you were expecting a lot more photos....and I was trying to upload a lot more.  I don't know what the deal is tonight, but I am having a ROUGH time uploading photos to any website!   When I DO get more uploaded to Flickr, I will post the link so that you can check them out.  Until then, why don't you share some of your favorite photos with me?  Using the "comment" space below, upload a photo or link so I can see what has been "catching" your eye lately.

Rainy Day Projects

Since yesterday was such a yucky, rainy day it was perfect opportunity to work on some ongoing projects done....and to start some new ones.

One of the things I had been wanting to do (in my scrapbooking closet organization love-fest....yes, I'm lovin' it), was to separate out some of the buttons....I hated going through this

every time I was looking for just the right button to use on a particular page.  I haven't finished, but I made a good start....

Much better!

Willie spent most of the day downstairs working on some of the boxes for our raised bed gardening.  Three of the six boxes are done...

the top one has the grid on so you can see what we mean by "square foot" gardening.  Depending on the crop, either one, four, eight or sixteen plants will go in each square....and be replanted with something else when that crop has stopped producing.  We have been doing a lot of reading on this method and are really excited about giving it a try....makes perfect sense!  So far we are going to go with three different kinds of tomatoes, chili peppers, sweet peppers, ball carrots, bush beans, radishes, peas, spinach, swiss chard and lettuce.  Oh....can't forget a few herbs for me!  Any other suggestions?  Remember, we are relative "newbies" at this - it has been forver years since we had any kind of garden.

While I was downstairs going through some things I ran across this... 

Sorry....I couldn't get it to orient on the page correctly.

....a cross-stitch project my mom (now 90) had started who-knows-how-many years ago.  I decided that it would be a great addition to our home, so thought I'd get busy and finish it.  Well, now I know WHY she had given up on it.  It is on linen - slightly nubby and uneven weave...great-looking, but a real bugger when it comes to keeping your stitches all nice and even!  But I am going to persevere...even working around some mistakes that she made after deciding that I didn't want to take out any of the stitches she had done.  You see, this got me to thinking of all of the hours that my mom had spent in doing different "crafty" things throughout my life.  She sewed most of her own and my clothes during my growing-up years.  She re-upholstered furniture, made drapes (the old pinch-pleated kind - eeeks!), crocheted beautiful intricate bedspreads, and in her later years she tried some new things....painting resinware figurines, pen and ink drawings on note cards, making purses...and quite a few occasional "Oh, that's cute, I thnk I'll make that" crafts.  So I guess you could say that I came by my love of all things "crafty" quite honestly.  It may not have been genetic, but I certainly was immersed in it from an early age.  So this cross-stitch project is kind of a tribute to her....you see, at 90 years of age, she no longer does any of those things (having recently given up crocheting....on a most basic level).  Vascular dementia and other aging factors have stolen from her the very things that she loved.  Not only does she no longer do any of those "crafty" things, she has given up on playing the piano....and music was always her "first love".  Playing the piano and organ were like breath to her....and now she can't remember how to do it.  Life....sometimes it just isn't easy....but I remind both my mom and dad, and myself, that God knows the bigger picture...and that He has a plan for us....even if we don't understand how that can be. 

So for now, with each stitch that I make, I will think of Mom and be grateful for all of the time and effort that she invested in teaching me a love of things "crafty".  Just one more thing in a looooong list of things for which I am grateful. 

What about you? Leave me a comment....I'd love to hear what you are grateful for today.

BTW - Biltmore photos tomorrow!

Disclaimer...

It's time for a disclaimer.  I know I promised photos of our time at the Biltmore Estate (which was absolutely awesome), but in reading through some of our brochures, I noted that photos taken on the Estate are for personal use only.  I don't write this blog for profit (how I wish!), so in a sense it IS personal...but I also know that since it is a public blog that anyone can access it.  Thus, my dilemma!  I guess I'm going to have to contact them and see if I can legally post the pics on the blog....if not, I will have to just give you wonderful descriptions!!

We have been busy today on some "rainy-day" type projects....perfect, since it is a VERY rainy day...and I'll try to share some of those with you tomorrow...on another very rainy day!

I was thinking (no....don't keel over from shock) that this is the first time in a long time that we have been able to be involved in on-going Bible studies....so we are certainly taking advantage of it!  We are in a Starting Point class on Sunday mornings after the worship service and have recently started attending a mid-week small group study that is based on the book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, by Kenneth E. Bailey.  Very interesting and thought-provoking....and timely, wouldn't you say?  We will also be attending a mini-conference next weekend.  In addition, I am attending a ladies' Bible study based on Jennifer Rothschild's book, Me Myself and Lies.   Every week I am reminded again of how wonderful God's timing is....I have heard these truths for so much of my life, but for some reason it has taken this long for some of them to really take root in my heart.  Guess He knew when I would be ready!

By the way, what's in YOUR thought closet today?  Are you speaking truth to yourself...or are you letting yourself be drawn away from the truth by things around you?  Let's speak God's truth to ourselves today...it is what He wants for us.

Gardening and other "stuff"

Today I'm playing "catch-up"....on a few chores AND on my posting!   Remember a few days...okay, it was more than a week...ago when I shared that I had been doing some indoor gardening?  That has been (and will continue to be) an ongoing process.   It all started with this.... 

.....the Christmas cactus that has accompanied us on all of our travels the past ten years.  It is what is left from a plant that had been my un-met mother-in-law's (unfortunately, she died even before Willie and I had met).  I had been wanting to start some cuttings for some of the kids....one such attempt had failed miserably, but in the past couple of months one cutting had taken root and actually produced new growth. 

 I transplanted it and put another section into yet another pot...

Let's hope it does as well!

Encouraged by one success, I brought in my snow-covered chives from the back deck....after thawing out, they looked a little bedraggled!

A week later....

Oh, I'm believin' that spring might actually be on it's way!

I thought....wow....I'm on a roll here, so let's get on with some more of this planting stuff.

And now we are making plans for our "square foot" garden (actually, we are going to do six square foot sections)....so I got busy and started the spinach and swiss chard. 

 I'm hoping they like that nice sunny windowsill!

Oh...remember those chives?  They look like this now!

We haven't only been urban farmers this week....we've been busy with other projects as well....

 

My wonderful hubby got the bluebird house put up and actually made one from the pattern he made from this one, a gift from some new friends.  I think he could get "hooked" on making birdhouses....maybe a good winter-time anti-boredom activity for him?

He also made a holder for my scrapbooking ribbon collection....I came with a basic design for him, and look what I got!  

 I love it....the spindles slide right out with no problem, but lock in place.  No more searching through bags of ribbon to find the one I want!

Lest you think that my little stint of indoor gardening was all that I did around here, let me assure it was NOT!  The ole sewing machine was out for quite a spell, and I was working on those pillows that had been begging to be finished for some time.

Phew....one project down....now to get to some of the other things I want to do to make our living room seem a little more "ours".

And for those of you keeping up our "goings-on", we did make that trip on Friday to Asheville, NC and the Biltmore Estate, but you'll have to check back later for more on that!

Celebrating Love and Valentine's Day

Yesterday was Valentine's Day...and it was sixteen years ago on another Valentine's Day when  my honey proposed!  In the card he gave me on that day he shared that it was both terrifying and exciting....after all, we weren't exactly spring chickens (tho' in looking back...we sure were a lot younger than we are now), and we had both been through our share of disappointments and heartaches through the years.  He was right, tho'....at times it HAS been terrifying, other times it has been wonderfully exciting, and sometimes it has been filled with the day-to-day ordinary, normal (?) stuff that life is made of.  But  through it all, I remain convinced that God knew what He was doing when He brought us together, and today our love for each other is stronger than ever.  Love ya', baby!

As wonderful as my honey is, he has not always been the best at picking out appropriate gifts for special occasions....after the one time he picked out a ring for me, his exact words were, "I'd rather donate a kidney!"  Consequently, for our fifteenth anniversary, he sent me off to pick out my own ring!  And I must say I did a very good job of it!  Hehe!  Anyway, THIS year his choice of Valetine's Day gifts ranks pretty high.....a year-long pass to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC (about a 90 min. drive).  He remembered how much I enjoyed our visit there years ago, and knowing how much I love to take photos, he came up with the plan.  I must say I was more than surprised.....I was thrilled, and we are making our first (of many) visits this Friday (temps in the mid 60s....oh, yeah!), so look for some photos next week.  Since this was a gift that was for both of us, he asked that I not get him anything....and as hard as it was for me to comply, I did.  BUT that didn't mean I couldn't fix him a super meal, did it?  I didn't think so....consequently, I got busy yesterday....

• Nice, crisp salad
• Fresh steamed asparagus
• Sauted Gulf shrimp
• Parmesan baked salmon on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes
• Wheat rolls

What didn't make the photo was dessert...sorry....as soon as I set it out....well, it was gone!  Remember those browning from last week?  Just imagine a nice moist browning, with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with warmed strawberry preserves!  Yum, yum.

I MUST have done something right, because he has spent most of the day downstairs, designing and making a holder for all of my spools of scrapbooking ribbon!  Gotta' love it....and I do!

Hope you are feeling the love of those around you....especially of the One in whose image you are made....food for thought, isn't it?

Busy, busy, busy!

Whew!  Life has been busy around  here these past few days.  Let's see, our trip to Nashville included....

• Dave Ramsey Live Event...thanks again, Jon, for the tickets and the hospitality!
• Lunch on Sunday with my brother and sister-in-law (Ray and Linda - yay!) and a couple of their grandkids
• Nice dinner out with my mom and dad (they always enjoying eating away from the Center!) and time spent visiting with them
• Watching the Green Bay Packers best the Steelers....sorry, Ray....I know you are a big Steelers' fan!
• Making (and indulging in) chimichangas...at Jon's request...oh, but how we enjoyed them
• A safe....and uneventful...trip to and from Nashville in spite of the snow and rain!

Only problem with a trip to Nashville is that there are soooo many friends and family members either in Nashville or along the way that we don't get to see unless we have more time...bummers!  We may have to make a "dedicated" trip...one dedicated to seeing all those we'd like to see but don't normally get a chance to during our whirlwind jaunts.

Since we have been home there have been the normal "post-trip" chores, along with some more "settling in" chores.    Finally found something for the middle of the dining room table..

Ooops...the color is "off"

Found the bowl at WallyWorld, the balls at Michael's (gotta' love a 40% off coupon), the pine cones are from our back yard, and the table runner...well, actually, it is two placemats put together!   I have searched and searched for something I felt would work that was at a price I was willing to pay....and I think these work real well, at least for the time being!  I also found some everyday dishes (once again, at a price I was willing to pay) at Ross....

and they had two boxes (eight place settings), so I grabbed those puppies up and put 'em in my shopping cart before you could say, "Jack Rabbit"!  I REALLY had gotten tired of using our limited number of dishes that we had carried arouund in the motorhome all those years!  It all works together very nicely, don't you think?

Yesterday was baking day....yum, yum...the freezer now has a fresh stash of baked goodies for our and/or our guests' dining/snacking pleasure.  My oven is HUGE....I think I could cook a whole Thanksgiving dinner in it all at one time, so when I fire it up I like to take advantage of all that nice heat and do several things at the same time (saving on that electric bill, ya' know).  All in alI my baking efforts yielded two batches of brownies,

two batches of Weight Watcher's chocolate pumpkin muffins (mix one box of devil's food cake mix with one 16 oz. can of solid pack pumpkin and bake for 20 min. at 400....how easy and lo-fat is that?)...I used my mini-bundt pans for one of the batches....sure would be good with a little ice cream with chocolate syrup on top, but then I'd add back in all the calories and fat I just saved! 

My baking list also included two batches of the carrot apple muffins (recipe from Mother Earth News) I had tried a couple of weeks ago.  This time I made some of them using my muffin top pan (LOOOOOVE that thing....great for making giant cookies, too),

Mmmm....my mouth is watering now!

...and then I remembered how one year I made or gave something to my honey every day starting with Feb. 1st and ending with Valentine's Day.  I realize it's a little late to do that, but I thought I could do a little something special for him every day from now until Valentine's Day....

Apple carrot muffin with cream cheese icing....tastes just like a mini-carrot cake.
And all dressed up, to boot!

Add to all that baking a little cleaning, a little indoor gardening (I'll share that with you another time), planning our garden (can hardly wait for all that organically grown fresh produce)....yes, we have been busy! 

And in the midst of it all, God keeps showing me new things....things that are helping me deal with some stuff that I have carried around for a loooooong time.  Sometimes I wonder how He has the patience to keep working on me....after all, I am approaching what I used to consider old age very quickly (no, 60....not 70 or better yet, 50!).  You'd think I would have more of my "stuff" worked out by now....guess I'm a slow learner, but I'm so grateful that He doesn't give up on me...just keeps showing me things and giving me those "Aha!" moments.  Thanks, God...you ARE pretty awesome, and I am so blessed to be one of your children!

O, yeah, baby!

This afternoon we had the privilege of attending the Dave Ramsey Live event in Nashville, TN (thanks to our son who works for Dave).  Can I say, WOW?!!!  It was informative, awesome, inspiring, eye-opening, inspirational, motivational, entertaining AND funny.  You might expect an event on money management to be informative and eye-opening, but entertaining and funny?  Before attending FPU (aka Financial Peace University) several years ago I would have wondered the same thing, but let me just say....Dave's "shoot from the hip" straight talkin' style makes it interesting, entertaining and, yes, funny.    Thanks to following his principals, we were able to pay off the last of our debt this summer, and when we purchased our home this fall we did it with his teaching in mind....good-sized down payment and a 15 year mortgage (planning to pay it off sooner).  We are also furnishing and decorating it on the "Dave Ramsey Plan"...i.e., NOT dipping into our retirement (even tho' we are retired) and doing it on a cash-only basis.   Which just might explain my desire for spring (and all those wonderful yard sales) to arrive!  

I knew even before we arrived at the event site today that it would be hard for me not to feel a strong sense of regret and guilt.  After all, I didn't always follow those principals....especially as a single mom.  I think I was just in survival mode!  I do wish I had done a better job as a mother when it came to setting an example in financial matters....but I can't go back and change the past.  What I CAN do is encourage young people to check Dave's principles and plan out for themselves....and to let them know that it DOES work!  If  I had done it earlier in life, I feel I could have had a more positive impact on my kids....but thankfully, the Lord can take our messes and turn them into something beautiful.  

Back to that sense of regret and guilt....I knew it would be knocking on my door today, so I was sooooo glad for yesterday's lesson in the Bible study I have just started at church....Me, Myself and Lies....about making over our thought closets.  Today I was armed with scripture and focused on the truth that I am not perfect, but am made perfect in Him.  So no self-flagellation allowed!!  What a difference....I am inspired, not dejected, hopeful not guilt-ridden....such power in His Word.

Have a blessed day tomorrow!

Changes!

As you can see, I have been making some changes to this blog....and will continue to do so, so please keep checking back.  And if you think what you are seeing/reading is worth sharing....well, recommend me to your friends, and I would love it if you became a "follower"!  There will be a lot of new things coming in the near future, and it would be great if you are here to be a part of the evolution of this blog!

Let me know what you think by commenting below, and if you have any good suggestions I would love to have you share them with me.

Talk to you soon!

P.S.  Be sure to check out the tabs above!

Beautiful

I saw these verses today on a friend's FB post....and I just had to share them with you...so awesome! 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.    Romans  5:1-2  

God is just sooooo amazing....the more I try to understand what He has done for me the less I can "wrap my mind" around it!  I am still processing some things from this past weekend's conference, and I am sure there will be more from the Bible study I am starting tonight....so stay tuned as I share what God is doing in me and in my life!

Okay...on to more mundane things...like.....PILLOWS.  Yes, I am in the pillow-making business, but only have three done, and don't want to show them until I get a couple more done.   So....instead I WILL share another project I have been working on...pressed flower cards!

These cards are something I have been doing sporadically over the past several years, and slowly the demand for (and my use of) outstripped my supply until I was left with zip, zilch....you got it...none!  I had put off making any more because I just couldn't find the kind of cards (had to have an embossed border) that I was accustomed to using.  At least at a price I was willing to pay!   In going through my scrapbooking/crafting supplies, I discovered that I had a couple of dry embossing templates, so I thought I'd give it a try....embossing my own cards!   It was so successful, that I am busily making cards for.....ooops!   You'll have to check back later to see what in the world I am talking about.

Here is a peek at just a few of the cards that have "come into being" over the last week.  Remember...these cards are all handmade.  The flowers/greenery have been gathered from cultivated and "wild" sources and then dried.  The cards have been embossed and then designed....each one is unique...just as God made each one of us unique!

Impatiens



Pansies



Verbena and wildflowers

Pansies

Hydrangea

Just as God has made each of these flowers unique and beautiful, I know that He has made each one of us unique and beautiful.  So why is that that concept is so hard for me to internalize?  It's in my head, but it seems to slip in and out of my "heart" far too easily.  I'm praying that God will help it to soon take up permanent residence!  What are you struggling with today?