What a sweet rain we just enjoyed. I sat on the porch and just watched and listened. Be still and know that I am God. 

Fresh Find: Great learning A-Z pencils!

From the time I first can remember living in a particular house, we lived at 313 Irene Street. I have pictures of my family when we lived in what we called the "little house" out behind my grandparent's house. Their house was a two bedroom, one bath tiny house. It was 729 square feet. So, you can imagine that the "little house" was a tiny-er house before tiny houses gained recognition on HGTV! I guess the "little house" was about 350 or 400 square feet.

Before I was born, my father, mother, and brother, lived in the Crow's Nest Apartments, that once were located at 9th and Quincy Streets.

313 Irene Street was certainly a move up for my family. This house had 1,273 square feet. It had two bedrooms and one bath. I was by that house today, and it got me to thinking. I should look it up online and see if there are pictures of the inside. I have not been in it since the late 1990s. Wow, talk about a flood of memories in the few pictures that I found.

This picture of the house is very similar to how it looked growing up. We had a Dayton sign hanging on the front porch, though. There was a Mimosa Silk tree where the tree is now when I was young. It finally got so heavy it was leaning nearly to the ground and was difficult to mow under so, my dad took it out and planted this tree. I remember when my dad built the carport, and I remember sitting in the car on Sunday's looking at the paper just waiting on the neighborhood kids to come out to play.

We did not have central heat and cooling. We had evaporative air. Our windows were sealed. My parents turned off the cooler at night in fear of fire from a burned out motor. The hallway you see here is where I would often lay on the floor trying to catch a breeze from the air vent. The house was all carpeted. Look at the beautiful wood floors now!

This was my bedroom. The west bedroom. Well, my brother's and my bedroom until he moved out to go to college. He was seven years older than me. When I was young, his bed was butted up to the wall of windows shown in this picture. My bed was on the other wall with one window (sealed) behind the wrought iron headboard. When he left, my mother moved my bed to where his was and put in a loveseat sofa sleeper on the wall where my bed had been. The middle window in this picture inside the shutters is where I found my charm bracelet after many years of being lost. We had cornice boards and a roller shade with the shutters and a beautiful loosely woven curtain over top that my mother made.

This bedroom was on the east/front of the house and was my parent's room. It had the same window coverings as our bedroom. In front of that middle window was the old sewing machine that my mother sewed with. She was a meticulous seamstress.

Here is the kitchen. This cornice board was made by my father. I doubt it is still there but isn't it beautiful? The light over the sink looks like the original one. They took the doors off of the two top cabinets. The hole in that door is there because my dad drilled it to allow the hot water heater to ventilate better. There was no vent hood in those days.

Back in the day, all of the walls were painted a sweet and peaceful green. It is the only house I lived in until I got married. Here is the outside of the house today. I love their pop of turquoise!!!

There use to be an amazing rose garden behind that fire hydrant. We spent lots of summers playing in the fire hydrant water spray as the firemen tested it, too!

What a fun walk down memory lane!

Fresh Find: I like this phone car mount.

I have these color books that were mine from my grandparent's house. They lived on Nassau Street. I'm pretty sure these came from Mrs. Breland's. As I look through them, I found where I started lots of pages and must have found another page I liked better because the page I started is not finished. There are pages that I did finish, and it is obvious that I'm not a color book artist! It is fun to look through them and remember.

This creative thought came into my head. I wanted to take two shirts and sew them together; flannel and a solid. I went to Broadway Treasures and found them. I spent $2.00. My project is not complete because I need to get my machine out, but here are the fabrics of the two shirts. Thinking Fall time!

Fresh Find: How about a Madsen Cycle?

Today, I stopped by the Abraham Gallery on the campus of Wayland Baptist University. I had been to the Plains Art Association's show and purchased three pieces. I picked them up.

"Buffalo" Gary Ward in Pastel.

"Sunset In Santorini" Carolyn Warrick in Acrylic.

"Laughing Woman" by Joe Garnett in Oil.

Anyone can buy and collect art. That's right; I said, anyone. No previous knowledge of the art business, experience collecting art or degrees in art history are necessary. All you need is a love and appreciation of art and the ability to view with a heart prepared to be touched by emotion; to release or accept.

Fresh Find: Love these boots. 

The bad news is that a squirrel has ripped open a patio pillow for stuffing for its squirrel nest. The good news is that it was a very old pillow and so far not the chair cushions like before.

The Chocolate Silk Mimosa Tree is doing good. See how the green leaves turn to a chocolate color! 

Notice how God created the Trumpet Vine. Look at how the little seed pod grows and grows into a long trumpet bloom. The perfect unfolding of the end to reveal the trumpet is so amazing! Look closely. God is perfect. He created it ALL in perfect harmony to bloom! This includes us!!!

Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Fresh Find: Very cute neutral leather sandal.

We had the Wall family reunion today in Lubbock. It was nice to see everyone who was able to attend. Here is a picture of the entire group of Wallflowers!

This is a picture of the Cousins present...

The brave attending grands & greats...

The oldest and youngest just happened to be Grandpa TC and Baby Bo...

Here is TC's family minus a few...

No, we are not getting wet Ushka!

A little toe dipping!

Sweet laugh...

Earlier sand play...

When we got home Miss J and I went to the Tejano Music Festival. It was a fun end to a great day! We missed our DFW kiddos, though.

Fresh Find: Fun, fun skateboard swing!

Today, I sat in the backyard watching this Western Kingbird do touch and goes. Up and fly, turn and land. It did it over and over with different dips and patterns. It had to work with the wind today, too. I think it had a great evening of learning.

I feel like I do touch and goes quite often. I take off and then find I must return quickly to my area of comfort. I go and then return, then go and return. It has been nearly three years since God revealed the name of my operating system. I don't dwell much on the fact that I am wired with exceptionality through Aspergers, but knowing has helped me to understand more about myself. It is a joy to honor him for creating me with such beautiful artistry. I am still learning and being sensitive to where the Holy Spirit calls me to share.

Fresh Find: Great two-spoon rest.

Fresh Find: 

So much is tumbling through my head. My brain rarely rests. It is always creating, organizing, looking for ways to keep things going, improve on them, working, working...except for dusting!

First, I want to share that I had the opportunity to deliver something to a beautiful friend, Sonny Coffey. She has always been a delightful inspiration in my life. I certainly was the one blessed on Wednesday! I got to see her daughter, too. Doubly blessed!

Growing up on Irene Street, we had a pink Mimosa Silk Tree. I always loved those pink blooms. You don't find many Mimosa Silk Trees in nurseries these days. I have always wanted to plant a Mimosa Silk Tree, but in 25 years here in our home, I never did.

I was visiting with my dear friend Stephanie B. about her yard and trees, and she mentioned a Chocolate Mimosa Silk Tree. That was it. I knew I wanted one. Of course, they were not to be found. I called nurseries all over the state of Texas. Then, I found one online. They had two and only sold them in the Spring season. I wasn't sure if they would ship it since it was so late into the season, but they did. I knew it would be tiny, and I wanted one that was big, but beggars can't be choosers! I got a nice stick with a stick to secure it to. 

I carefully planted it according to their instructions. She is doing well.

I'm in love with our little Chocolate Mimosa Silk Tree!

This is what it will look like as it grows up!

Fresh Find: I like these purple Ball jars!

Last weekend, the first leg of my flight was from Lubbock to Dallas. I ran into the mom of our son's classmate. I had not seen her since they moved away over 20 years ago. She asked if "they" could sit with me. Of course, and they sat down & buckled up. The "they" was a wonderful young woman who attends Texas Tech and is a toxicologist. Her home country is India. The two of them had met waiting on the plane.

She and I talked the entire flight. I learned so many interesting things about her and her husband, who is also a toxicologist that graduated from Tech, but is practicing in Chicago. She was on her way to see him for summer vacation. He is from India, too.

One of the many things we talked about was the use of Copper to purify water. I have started drinking a lot more water than I use to. I was very interested in what she had to say on many subjects, but this one was one I wanted to try.

I bought a Copper pitcher to keep my water in overnight to purify it. There are health benefits from Copper, too. 

Research it to see if it is something you might want to try. Someone asked if it tasted metallic. It does not. I was surprised at the amount of discoloration that our water did to the Copper when it reacted to our city water. The Copper will react to each water differently. Interesting.

Fresh Find: Copper drinking straws instead of plastic or paper. Interesting!

Today I went to the Go Skateboarding Day competition at Skatepark Plainview from about 10:30-4:30.

The best thing about today for me was having the Go Skateboarding Day competition organizer come to me and ask me to pray with him for today's event. My friend, Sally, and I had prayed for the day and seed planting together earlier, too.

The winner of today's competition stopped by during the event and shared how skateboarding had kept him out of trouble. He stayed focused on his sport and was not distracted by worldly things.

It is my honor to worship the one who blesses me over and over again. Today, as I watched these athletes, the Holy Spirit covered me with peace. Like everywhere, there are troubled young people in our midst, but I know that God has the plan to prosper them into beautiful testimonies.

Fresh Find: Cute belt!