Previous month:
March 2017
Next month:
May 2017

Halfway There

 

At the end of the day, the good news is that I am halfway there. Half of the house is clean. It is clean, so it can start getting dirty all over again! Kind of like we are born to die! The good news for me is that when I die, I have an eternal home promised to me. One that won't need to be deep cleaned but will be deep in worship!!! Glory be!

There are many personal memories attached to our home. Today, I dusted a sweet Precious Moments Anniversary Plate and a framed scripture from a long-time friend. I dusted the Bible we got as a wedding gift. I thought about the young woman who brought me the gift of a carved wooden box from her time in Iraq. A cherish is the Anri music box my mother gave me, the Big Apple music box that Nan gave Aaron and the butterfly music box that Donna gave him when he was born. There are Beatrix Potter music boxes that were given at our daughter's birth and several music boxes from my Grandfather Etter. The little Swiss Chalet music box that Jo Lively gave Chrissa is pretty special, too. I do love the Capiz glass lamp my parents gave us as well as the framed art hanging above our bed, both gifts for our new home years ago.

 

IMG_4213

 

Remember the little huts of blown glass we would see at carnivals or Six Flags? I love blown glass. There is a beautiful blue shell that was my mother's and then we have several Russian blown glass pieces, too.

 

IMG_4215


IMG_4215


IMG_4215

 

A very tiring day, but lots of great thought time. Oh, I broke something. Don't tell!

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Beautiful jewelry.

17635434_1534517603234128_3703842590707561510_o

 


Cleaning Continued

 

Cleaning is continued, a room each day. Tomorrow, I want to tackle two! Two of the most time consuming, the master bedroom and the living area. It would be awesome if I could polish all of the wood floorings, too. I have until four tomorrow afternoon to get it done. Still, that is not a lot of time when you are focused on details.

Today, for the very first time, I hit my arm and, it cut open like old people's skin does and bled. This makes me sad. Guess I will just embrace the red cut and move on. 

It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow, so that helps me stay focused on cleaning and not picking up my Kindle and going outside to read.

I shared with you the hutch and the Fostoria from my Grandmother Etter from the first cleaning day.

The second day, was Grandpa's study. Here are a few things that warmed my heart.

Peggy sent home with Clinton the TC Wall wooden nameplate we had given him when we opened the new location many years ago. Perfect fit for our T.C.

 

DSCN8404

 

This adding machine was used in my Grandfather Etter's electrical business. One of my favorite pieces.
DSCN8404

 

My mother made the two round pillows. The square pillow is one that I remember sitting in this rocker in my bedroom at home, well, for as long as I can remember.
DSCN8404

 

This is Clinton's PHS baseball letter jacket. A fun addition to this room.
DSCN8404

 

Today was the master bath, a short hall, and both closets. There are many special memories found in these areas. What I want to share though is that after about 25 years, we broke down and bought a beautiful shower door from Reed's Glass. It is a stunning piece of art. No design, a sleek and simple statement. I'm glad it finally became a priority for me. I should have bought it years ago! Oh well. Love it.

Onward and upward! Be kind to all we meet. Don't put too much flour in your gravy. Goodnight.

 

 

 

Fresh Find: A great hide and seek necklace. It is good for hanging your readers on.

45847_1_360px

 

 


Fog

 

Most days I have a bit of brain fog. I believe it is normal, actually a gift to those of us who have entered the over 60 age group. After this many years of brain taxation, we are do a few breaks on our electronic functioning!

this shot that God gave me this morning as a reminder that in the fog, I can find beauty!

 

DSCN8374e

 

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Fun book lamp!

Ea5e61056ba37365775c5f270c953edd

 


It has Begun

 

It has begun. I am six hours into cleaning Casa de la Wall. When I say clean, I mean deep. My goal is two rooms a day, but some days will see me only accomplish one. I will finish in April 2017.

It gets intense. Today, it was so intense that I forgot a meeting. Well, I didn't really forget it because somehow it evaporated from my calendar. When I looked at my calendar last night to determine if I could start today, I was like, sure, nothing on the calendar, but there was. Oops! Forgiveness!

As I was sitting in the floor cleaning every piece of Cousin Carrie's Fostoria that my grandmother gave me for my 16th birthday, I laughed out loud. I was thinking about Easter lunch with friends. I thought that with the six of us there might have been enough information to finish one thought! We are a hoot. An advantage of getting older is that we know who has what information, or we hope they do!

Today, I prayed over many people as I cleaned the dining area, the kitchen, and the entry. While I am remembering the person attached to what I'm cleaning there is time to say a quick prayer of thankfulness for their life. Cleaning is a very spiritual time for me. I dread the undertaking of cleaning, but the reward is great. God is good!

 

DSCN8368

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Fun magnetic clip holder.

Il_570xN.531253964_cdzq

 

 


Egg Hunts

 

There was an egg hunt after worship this morning at First Baptist Church...

 

DSCN8226


DSCN8226

 

And then we had our two "local-yocal" grand-sisters over to do a little egg hunting...

DSCN8276


DSCN8276


DSCN8276

 

We sure did miss not having our other set of girls here today!!! They had a good day, too!

17952515_10210665942462890_5022392458397349921_n


17952515_10210665942462890_5022392458397349921_n

 

Worship was full with the spirit, just a beautiful time! God is good. Good is all from God! Blessed!

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Love this pet sombrero!

41kQHEhC+HL

 

 


Put It On

 

Put it on. Put on your Easter best. It doesn't matter what you have, rags or riches, but when the gift of another sunrise comes, get up and put on your very best to celebrate the Resurrection of the One who deserves our praise!

 

017_edited-1

 

My mother could sew like nobody's business. Both the picture above and the one below are from Easter 1958. Wasn't I the bee's knees? 

 

Scan0001

 

This picture is of my mother, Lorena, me and my brother, John, in the early 1960s. We were headed out the door to celebrate Easter at First Baptist Church. I have been a member of FBS for 60 years. Wow! My mother made both her dress and mine.

1961

 

838c60be6385a9090ff40ae6dd875f60

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Find: A beautiful scarf wrap.

Il_570xN.989659720_8arv


Fishing

 

From the time I was old enough to travel well, I was with my grandparents on fishing trips when school was out for holidays and on weekends. We fished mostly in New Mexico, some in Texas, a bit in Oklahoma, more in Colorado and into Wyoming. I was not patient enough to sit long periods of time to fish, but I did do my share of baiting and casting. I mostly loved watching the red & white float bob along the surface. I even learned how to run a trout line.

For many, I think it is not about catching the prize fish, but enjoying the prize of solitude with Jesus. 

I love a stream. There is something about the living water that pulls me into a place of worship, a place to seek forgiveness for my sins and to rise refreshed and renewed. I long for it.

Psalm 46.1 As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God.

My mother loved streams, too. I think most people do.

FH000011


Here is a sweet picture of our daughter playing in the stream.

Aaron and chrissae

 

I enjoy this picture of our two children and their cousin, Chelsie, fishing with their Bo close by.

038e

 

Our Miss A is fishing with her Uncle Chase this Good Friday. Not on a stream, but a lake...still peaceful.

17965547_10210649958183293_603439907_n

 

 

 

 

Fresh Find: I like the idea of these wireless light controls.

41EpedH8ubL._SL1000_

 


I Wonder...

 

I wonder if the person who hit this sign really did S-T-O-P? Makes me wonder about people and how you might end up hitting a stop sign. It says stop, but I guess it needs a warning label that reads, "STOP before you hit the STOP sign."

I suppose one could be forced into hitting a stop sign from an accident. I see signs like this often though, not all stop signs. Just wonder how many happen because of texting and driving? Glad it was just a pole that lost its standing.

 

DSCN8133e

 

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Great bags and bow-ties seen today at your local Walmart.

IMG_4200


IMG_4200

 


Comparison

 

I finished off the weekend with our Relay For Life of Hale County and felt good. Felt good about the people involved and we feel it was successful. It may not have been the most money raised in our local Relay, to date, that is yet to be seen, but many teams raised more than they expected, or dreamed.

I got home Saturday, got the car unloaded, put things away, wrote a blog, ate a coke float and decided I was tired and went to bed about 10:30 p.m. About 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, I woke up with that terrible hurting in the stomach that you know is never good. At 3:30 a.m. it hit hard & "lucky" for me I had nothing in my stomach. So, I got to dry heave a couple of days. Yup, the flu. This is my second case and much more severe. I'm still running a slight fever today, day three. The worst part was how very weak I got this go around. I just hope no one else gets it. I saw a lot of people but had no idea I was going to get sick. 

As I lay there thinking about things in my fitful rest, God showed me a comparison that I needed to remember. Coming off of a successful Relay all I could think about is how my mother, a pancreatic cancer patient, could go nowhere in her last months without her throw up bag. She had them everywhere because she never knew when she would need one. The closer she came to Glory, the more she used the bags. Saying that I do not like cancer is an understatement. I thought about how tired, how sick, how drained she must have felt. She did not know she had cancer until eight days before she died. She just knew she felt horrible and kept what hope she could.

I thought about friends who have taken chemo, and how exhausted they must feel, so weak they can't move.

I knew, as sick as I was, fighting cancer is way worse. We walk at Relay to remember the journey, the battle that our loved ones make. We honor them in their fight. They truly are heroes!

I suppose you could say that the "good" thing would be the weight loss. I have lost right at 13 pounds during this process. Actually, I did not need to lose weight, okay, maybe a little, but I will be trying really hard to eat to gain strength. I know that cancer patients would pick any other way to lose weight or to not gain fluid weight. The disease and treatments are brutal.

A week of no blogs, no Facebook, only what I felt must be done on social media and email. No pictures and I missed some great events this week!!! Sad.

I'm pretty certain I will take that flu shot next season. Just such pros and cons about it. I forget that I'm old, and things like the flu are just harder on us oldies, but goldies!

Might I suggest that you make a monetary gift to the American Cancer Society for research? We must be open to God showing us a cure.

My God comparison was his still small voice saying make a difference through this experience; you have the flu for a purpose, use it for my glory.

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

 

I ventured outside on Monday afternoon and barely made it to a chair. As I collapsed into the chair, God's sunshine shone on me and warmed me and then our friend stopped by to say, Hello!

 

DSCN8100e

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Cute CUTE trains!!!

17862841_598973756967969_6153901016825176696_n

 


Easter

 

Next Sunday we will celebrate Easter, my favorite day of the year. The day God fulfilled his promise of Salvation for us through Jesus. A day where I find myself in awe that anyone would love me that much, but he does.

Today we had our local Relay For Life, and I was reminded of those who have gone before me and the peace I know in where their souls are. Love is great, but Eternal love is greater.

This is my brother, John Hugh and me one Easter, many years ago. Yes, we were going to worship & praise. I still find joy there.

 

EasterJP2

 

 

 

Fresh Find: Love all the detail work on this artist's pysanka eggs!

Il_570xN.150953336