BACKWOODS CRAZY QUILT

The promise of stew for supper...

2012-01-31T17:16:00.005-06:00

In our new home we're much closer to the road. This is the view out of our sliding door in the dining area. In summer we can watch all the walkers. Even in the winter there are a few hardy souls who jog by each morning. It's an easy walk to the mailbox, too! The south end of our house is pretty close to the hiking and biking trail. We may have to put in some trees for a little more privacy! Yum! The stew looks good, if I do say so myself! This is the first time I've tried McCormick's Beef Stew Seasoning, so I hope we like it! (Note: the stew was delish!)
My daughter Micah and granddaughter, Audrey. She's growing like a weed and she's quite a delightful little person. Another little grand will be appearing in September! Brother or sister? It's going to be a surprise!
And congratulations to you and your family, Pom Pom, on the birth of your new grandson, Atticus Jeffrey! Thanks to our families the world is becoming quite well populated! :)

Shalom, all!

"Would you like to delete all of your photos and videos?"

2012-01-27T22:40:00.002-06:00

my camera innocently asked. It had never given me this option previously. At least not that I could recollect. Electronic things usually have some sort of fail-safe device which annoyingly asks, "Are you SURE you want to delete that?" Not this time. I selected what I thought was the NO response, and before my eyes the camera began deleting all of my files without so much as a backwards glance. No warning, no nothing. Suddenly I hold an empty camera. Hundreds of pictures...gone.

Oh well. Actually, it makes me feel kind of...free! I've been deleting pictures a few at a time to make room for a few more for quite some time now. I'm pretty sure I've put most of the important ones on my computer and into Facebook albums. What I haven't saved I probably won't miss. Now I have a whole card to refill! It'll be AGES before I have to delete another picture. Yahoo!

;)

This discovery made my jaw drop!

2012-01-25T09:18:00.008-06:00

Here I am, still browsing through homeschool papers. As I came upon my daughter Micah's work I found one of my teacher journals where I kept track of what we did each day. I found a little bit of history that I didn't expect (please excuse my messy handwriting):

The entry from the day before was a little less world shaking, but marked a big moment in Micah's life. Her first day of taekwondo lessons! She went on to dominate in the sport, so this was a big day! (I'll have to show her later!)

Micah recently.
On a humorous note, here's another of Josh's papers from 7th grade. Sloppy though it is, I thought it showed some ingenuity. The assignment must have been a book report on Covert Bailey's book "Fit or Fat". I actually gave him a 90% on this:

Kiddos' artwork and essays...

2012-01-24T10:36:00.011-06:00

We had some insurance and income tax documents to mail to Jordan so I'm including some of the homeschool drawings he and Josh did in 1995 when they were 11 and 13 years of age. I think they'll enjoy them.

Meanwhile, I came across some cute essays which I photographed. We'll see how legible they are.
We spent a lot of time on Ancient History and used the Greenleaf Guides. Apparently, I asked the boys to write an essay on whether they would like to be a pharoah and this was Josh's (age 10) response, flaws and all! :)
And here is Josh's essay on Thutmose the III:

A photo of the kids about the time these essays were written. Actually, that's Micah (my daughter) in the middle. Jordan on the left and Josh on the right.
Here are some of Jordan's Egypt essays. He writes in a more serious vein, though he's every bit as humorous as Josh otherwise!

One of many of Jordan's pages of drawings done in 1995 at age 13. We were using a book called The Big Yellow Drawing Book.

Some of Josh's drawings from the same time period:

Anyway, I'm enjoying this trip down memory lane and thought Grandpa and Grandma might like seeing these. I have stacks of essays and drawings from all of those schoolyears. I won't attempt to post them all here, though I can't promise I won't put one up occasionally! :D
Josh, Micah and Jordan at the Headwaters of the Mississippi, which is about 20 miles from our home. About 1994.

Shalom!

Another fun project!

2012-01-20T21:08:00.003-06:00

I've been browsing through boxes of my children's homeschool papers from many years ago. I'm especially enjoying their essays and drawings. I keep reading excerpts to my hubby and we're laughing so hard our sides ache! Our boys were (and are) so nutty. They really have brought a lot of sunshine into our lives with their humor. I haven't gotten to much of my daughter Micah's work yet. She was quite a few years behind the guys, but I'll eventually look through everything.

The project I mentioned is my plan to make a scrapbook for each of the kids containing some of their essays, artwork and photos of them. It will sort of be a beginning of their own family history and they can add to it. I think a section will contain old photos of relatives and since both of my boys have written some good stuff recently, I'll also include that. I'm hoping to have these ready for Christmas gifts next year, or, if I'm really organized, I may have them ready for birthdays before that. I know it will be a big project, but I'm feeling the need to get some of these memories organized so that the kids have some tangible family history to keep. Blogs and digital photos are great, but I'd like to have something in an album for each of them since technology becomes obsolete so quickly. Maybe I'll add some photos to this post later, but tonight I have to get to bed so I can get up early for work tomorrow.

Shalom!

Some knick-knacks unearthed...

2012-01-17T19:45:00.005-06:00

While unpacking some boxes I found my long lost collection of salt and pepper shakers!

I love this little sugar and creamer...made in Japan! They have a way with painting ceramics!
I also brought out my collection of old piano lesson books. I even played a couple of easy ones. Fun to dabble at, but I don't think I have a future as a pianist. :D On top of the piano you'll see a copy of Fuzzy Dan (right behind the John Deere mug). I got that for my hubby from Paperbackswap after he mentioned that it was the only book he ever read as a child! LOL! That's daughter Micah on the horse and pics of grandson Nathan. The Welcome to our Farm sign is a Christmas gift from step-daughter Missy from Fargo. The group shot is the gymnastics team for which Micah is assistant coach. Oh, and that's Bob's dad posing in front of the schoolbus on the left. I love to have lots of family mementos on top of the piano.
I may have TOO many knick-knacks. I can always cull them later, but for now they bring a little extra homey-ness to the place!

Embarking on a long project...

2012-01-09T09:00:00.002-06:00

After reading over some of my old posts I decided I would like to save some of them in paper form. I recall creating a website years ago. I put a lot of sweat and time into creating links to tons of info on homeschooling and enjoyed working on it for years. Then one day somebody decided to do away with the whole site and move it. I tried moving my info to the new site and it was a disaster! So, just in case blogspot decides to do likewise someday, I'm saving the good stuff!

I can't believe how many posts I've written over the years. It's going to take some time and several ink cartridges to complete this project, but I'm liking the idea!

Have a glorious day, all who pass by here!

The Writing Bug revisited...

2012-01-06T20:20:00.002-06:00

I did something unusual just now. I actually scrolled way down on my right-hand column and re-read some of my old posts!! It was fun! Kind of like crawling into a time machine and revisiting the past. I guess that's why we blog/journal. I've just been too busy going forward to go back and re-enjoy some old experiences.

One of my first blog posts here on Backwoods Crazy Quilt was called "The Writing Bug" and I find that I still agree with the sentiments I expressed there. Another post about living communally and one about practicing my fiddle and tinwhistle reawoke some old interests. I think I'll do more of this past visitation.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year to anyone drifting by! By looking back we can sometimes get insight into where we want to head in the future. :D

Some new pics...

2012-01-04T10:17:00.014-06:00

Jess and Nathan at the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. (This time of year?? Yup!)
Jordan with his worship team friends, Maria and Jacob. They lead worship at a church in Joshua, TX.
Nathan and daddy Josh at the Botanical Gardens. I love that little shirt on him! It's "his colors"!
Nathan and his cow friend!
Jordan and some little friends doing a dance to the worship song!
Micah and Adam celebrating his 17th birthday. Okay, so this isn't a new picture, but it was new to me! It was actually three years ago. Such cute little kiddos!
Doin' some worship leadin'.
A little pouty face at the Botanical Gardens...
Jordan, Maria and Jacob clowning at Christmastime.

As my son Jordan said when he posted this...

2012-01-02T09:03:00.000-06:00

"Get ready to have a good cry!"

Nathan and Audrey videos!

2011-12-27T12:09:00.008-06:00

I feel like I've struck paydirt! I'm going to post any videos I come across so I have them in one place and so Great-Grandpa Glenn and Great-Grandma Mary can see them. :D Nathan (17 months)performs his daring "stand up on the stool" routine. Ta-dah! His little cousin, Audrey,(5 months)drives her spaceship! (At least, that's what we call it.) :)

I'm having fun collecting videos. Can you tell?

Nathan opening Christmas gift, on You Tube!

2011-12-27T09:34:00.006-06:00

I love the way he taps his foot! What a smart little grandboy! ;) (Son, Josh, assisting.)

And here's Nathan's smart dad! Both of my boys have videos on You Tube and it's so much fun to see them in action. This one was several years ago, but I wanted to put it up so Grandpa and Grandma can see them. (Oh, that's Josh's brother, Jordan, choking him. lol!)

Love You Tube!

Jordan leading worship...

2011-12-25T14:35:00.003-06:00

This is my son, Jordan, on the left, helping to lead worship at his church in Joshua, Texas. We're always glad to come across a video so we can see him in action. Our son, Josh and his family also live in Joshua. We miss him a lot, but we're glad they're doing what they feel the Lord has led them to do for now.

A Quiet Christmas day...

2011-12-25T14:11:00.003-06:00

Well, sort of quiet, except for Audrey's jabbering in the background. She's a lot of fun!

We had a Christmas breakfast of scrambled eggs, waffles, bacon and OJ and then began a very long game of Monopoly. This is the new version with electronic banking. We finally had to take a break. We're also watching an Indiana Jones marathon. How Christmasy!
Audrey ripping into a gift!
Adam's relatives sent over lots of goodies. I'm glad I didn't bake a lot of sweets. We need to spread them out a little!
Hope you're having a great Christmas. We miss those of our kids who aren't nearby!
Thank you, Lord, for coming down to earth to rescue us. Sometimes we don't even know we need rescuing. I'm glad you're smarter than we are! :)

Minnesota State Bird...the goldfinch?

2011-12-12T21:16:00.007-06:00

Some years ago my husband drove what is called The Heartland Express bus. He drove it for about 10 years and transported one young lady who had Down Syndrome. She lived with her grandmother who appreciated the special treatment Bob gave her granddaughter. To show her appreciation she gave Bob a quilt she had made. The quilt is all white and is embroidered with state birds of all of the states, as far as I can figure. Anyway, I put the quilt away in a drawer thinking I would use it someday when the kids were grown and not likely to soil a white quilt. When we moved into our new home recently I came across the quilt tucked in a drawer probably 10 years ago! Finally, I could spread that quilt on our bed in all of it's glory and enjoy it without fear of tiny grubby hands (and feet)!

Anyone who has done embroidery will appreciate the work that went into this quilt. While looking over Ellie's work I came across the Minnesota State bird. Ellie had stitched a pretty little goldfinch and behind it, the state flower of Minnesota, the Lady Slipper. But wait! The state bird of Minnesota is the Common Loon! What? Well, upon doing a little research I find that back in 1932 there was a vote taken to determine which bird would represent our state. The goldfinch won the vote! But apparently it wasn't official and in 1961 the Loon was officially chosen as the state bird. It sure makes me wonder. How long ago did Ellie MAKE this quilt? Wow! Sometime between 1932 and 1961 apparently! What an interesting treasure we've inherited.

I'm feeling very blessed to have been entrusted with this beautiful piece of needlework. I believe Ellie passed away years ago, but I'll be thanking her when we meet in Heaven! :D

Partial family reunion....

2011-12-03T19:38:00.006-06:00

Missy and Trev having a deep discussion.
Of course, it's not a family visit without a trip to Rocky's Pizza. (Left to right: Chelsea, Hailee, Aaron, Missy, Adam, Micah, Audrey, Lisa, Bob, Bob III, Tiffany and Trevor.)
Micah, being domestic!
Bob, visiting with grandson Aaron, Chelsea and ggdaughter,Hailee.
Missy reading to Hailee and a sleeping Audrey.
We had a good visit on Friday with Trevor, Bob and Tiffany, Missy, Aaron and Chelsey and Hailee (our great-granddaughter). Trev flew in from Baltimore, Bob and Tiffany from Longmont, CO and everyone else from Fargo. It was their grandpa's 85th birthday and they were surprising him by having a party for him today. So we got to visit on Friday.

Getting settled...

2011-11-24T22:09:00.003-06:00

We're beginning to feel a little bit more settled in our new home. We've got all of the necessities and some of the luxuries, such as my bookshelves and books! :) We still have lots of odds and ends to go through and decide whether we need them in the house or if they could go into storage for the time being.

It was a quiet Thanksgiving for us. Micah, Adam and Audrey had Thanksgiving breakfast with us and then headed to Adam's paternal grandparents' house. They reappeared at our place for a few minutes and then headed off to the maternal grandparents'! Oh well, we have them to ourselves most of the time, so we can't be selfish. Bob and I enjoyed our Thanksgiving feast...twice! Then the kids came home for the night and sampled some of the leftovers.

I took the day off from schoolwork, but tomorrow I'll probably dive into more of it. With the sememster end just three weeks away there's a lot to get done. Hopefully, after December 15 I can spend more time blogging, drawing and posting photos!

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who happens by! :D

Chubby Bright Eyes...aka Audrey!

2011-11-07T20:10:00.001-06:00

Foggy day...

2011-10-14T19:58:00.002-05:00

I just came across these on my camera. Pretty!

My colorful little oak tree.

Still here!

2011-09-22T21:07:00.004-05:00

Daughter Micah and hubby Adam had some really cute pregnant pictures taken just before Audrey was born. I love this one!
Grandpa can always get a reaction!
She still loves to sleep, but lately she's been awake and making some cooing sounds! We're excited! We're getting to spend a lot of time with Audrey because we babysit when Micah works. She grooms dogs on Thursdays and helps to teach a little kids gymnastics class every afternoon. In November she will be the assistant coach for the high school gymnastics team. She's also learning to be a Medical Transcriptionist and hopes to work from home so she can spend lots of time with Audrey.

School's going well. Some days are more stressful than others, but tonight I actually have time to visit blogs, so I must not be too far behind! :D

Having a nice fall here in Minnesota! Hope you are too!

Scaling back...

2011-08-30T19:14:00.002-05:00

I had to make a difficult decision yesterday. I dropped my two nursing classes! I will reapply for next fall, but this semester I need to just concentrate on the three generals I have to finish. Five classes was just too overwhelming and I feel like I need to give 100% of my concentration to those nursing classes when the time comes. My nursing instructor was very kind and helpful. I'm hanging onto my pile of nursing books and I will try to read through some of them in the spring and summer so I have a head start for the fall semester. I feel so much better having more time to work on Chemistry, Nutrition and College Writing II!

I went for a two mile walk yesterday and hope to continue doing some walking at least every other day. Now that I only have three classes I may work in four more days of work each month. That should help with the pocketbook.

The next three years will be challenging intellectually and financially, but the Lord can get us through it! :D

My study area is ready for business!

2011-08-14T21:14:00.004-05:00

I spent a couple of hours today in my study area in the loft. I cleaned out the leftovers from last spring semester and dusted. Then I took the shrink wrap off of all of my new books and installed them in two small bookshelves. Tomorrow I'll check in on my online Chemistry class which the instructor is opening early. I'll feel better if I get a head start! Other classes begin on August 22.
Bob bought me a new lunch pail for school! (Actually, I'll probably use it to store some of my watercolors in!)

I found these two old books at a garage sale. Even if I never read them, I love to look at them. Do I love the covers more than the books themselves? I'm not sure!

This is a book I picked up at the library book sale. I've read it before and I wanted to add it to my collection of writing books. It's old, but lots of the info is still good to have.

Have to get to bed soon. See y'all!

Here comes school!

2011-08-11T20:14:00.003-05:00

I made the long drive to Wadena to the college bookstore to pick up part of my books for the new semester. There were so many I had to borrow the bookstore cart to haul them out to my car! These were just the books for my two nursing classes! I'm hoping that many of them are reference books that will be used for many years to come.

The UPS delivered my chemistry, writing and nutrition books today and I'm expecting another shipment in a day or two with my lab kit. Tomorrow I'll drive back to Wadena to pick up a "nursing kit" that wasn't available when I went the last time.

The huge number of books is a little daunting, but I've decided not to freak out. It's a decision. One day at a time.

Hubby, Bob, and I cleaned out our old camper today. I've stored a lot of stuff in there over the years. I found many treasures in the process. Much of the stuff suffered water damage from a hole in the skylight, but I salvaged a lot of my kids' school papers from our homeschooling days and many old books that I had squirreled away. There were several boxes of books that will be donated to the library book sale, but many others I will keep. There were things in there that I'd forgotten I owned! One tin contained a piece of hardanger that I didn't make. I must have gotten it at a garage sale, but it's very cool. There were also some decoupaged boxes my mom made for me years ago. My collection of salt and pepper shakers were among the finds. I've wondered where those went! I kept a stack of "This England" and homeschooling magazines, along with some "Israel My Glory" magazines. These will be "someday" reading. I'll try to add some photos to this post later.

With the birth of Audrey, the coming of the fall semester and our efforts to sort through a 21 year accumulation of stuff, things are busy around here. I found a copy of "Streams in the Desert" (another gift from Mom!) and I think I'll begin reading it to help keep life in perspective when things get crazy! :)

Shalom and goodnight!

God is good...

2011-07-31T12:47:00.011-05:00

"God IS good ! He's the definition of good. He's the reason we need the word good, so we can describe things that remind us of Him." My son Jordan expressed this sentiment on his Facebook wall yesterday. He's beginning a new life in Burleson, Texas and has lots of time to spend with God and practicing music for his new role as worship leader at his church. I agree with him wholeheartedly!

I thought of Jordan's words as I watched television this morning and somebody said, "I have some bad news." Where did bad news originate? Not from God...so I only see one other alternative; Satan. Up until the time he came on the scene everything was good. That's not just a coincidence.

How often do we give God credit for the bad things that happen in our lives? Doesn't He make the sun shine on the bad people as well as the good? No, I think that sneaky deceiver who poses as an angel of light can take the credit for everything bad that happens.

Did you notice that Jesus healed everyone that came to Him for healing? The Bible does mention two exceptions. There were two towns where he couldn't do many good works because of their unbelief. So I have to come to the conclusion that doing good is His will, but we get in the way sometimes. Or maybe we DON'T get in satan's way when we need to?

I don't say that as someone who has a perfect life. My mother is going down the Alzheimer's road, my granddaughter has extreme diabetes, my husband has many health issues. It's not popular to say, but this is our fault! Or at least mine! God gave us all of the authority we need to come against such things, but we've become wimpy believers in the area of healing. Too many have droned on about healing being something for the past. Why? Why would it be just for Biblical times? We still need it obviously. So, the only solution is to see what Jesus did, and do the same. He said we would do the same things He did and more. I don't know when that all became obsolete.

As a Christian I do have the comfort of knowing that those I love will be healed when they reach Heaven, but I think healing as well as all good things were intended for life here as well as Heaven. Sorry for the sermon; my son just got me thinking. :)

(Afterthought: This post is aimed at myself. I have no business judging anyone else's walk. Somebody may be praying mightily against some illness but healing has not been manifested yet. We have no way of knowing what's going on in others' lives. I'm holding myself responsible because I know I don't pray as I ought.)

And now for some of those good things! I took some photos of my weird assortment of flower containers and some of my tomato plants. As I've mentioned before, I'm a bit of an old hippy, so you'll have to excuse the weeds and rustic surroundings. I kind of like it! :)
I love this old wheelbarrow. My hubby found it at the dump after someone used it for mixing concrete. I only planted half of it with flowers and intended to plant some lettuce in the front, but I didn't get around to it. Oh well! They look very pretty anyway!
Yes, I think this IS a chamberpot that these petunias are occupying. It works! :D
I have so many old water bath canners lying around, they have found a new life as planters. My tomato plant loves it!
And this little bait bucket has lots of drainage for sure. I have to water this little flower more often.
A promising spot of red bespeaks the presence of an almost ripe tomato. I picked one a couple of days ago that was bright red, but not quite ready. So I'll try to be patient!
This clump birch in our front yard is a great place to enjoy the shade on a sunny day. I would love to draw its beautiful bark, so I'm putting it here for that purpose.I love this ancient swamp willow. It was old when we moved here 21 years ago and it, as well as many others on our property has just about reached the end of its lifespan. So, I wanted to immortalize it on film and maybe in pen and ink later. I've enjoyed sitting in its shade overlooking a large vegetable garden we had next to it years ago. Now it's pasture for our horses.

Thanks for letting me share my sunny day! Have a beautiful day wherever you may be!

Sketching and holding the babe...

2011-07-30T19:11:00.002-05:00

It was a lazy kind of Saturday. Bob ran outside and did chores, trying to beat the rain. He didn't quite make it, but he did get the chores done! I sat in my favorite chair and did some sketching and visited a lot of art blogs to watch videos. I got a lot of good ideas and learned a lot about watercolors.

By lunchtime Micah and Audrey arrived to catch up on some laundry. Their dryer is on the fritz, so we did a few loads and Grandma and Grandpa got to hold our cute little peanut of a granddaughter. Micah seems to like her a lot. I think she holds her about 20 hours a day. She's enjoying it while she can!

Have a great weekend!

Two little precious kiddos...

2011-07-23T21:18:00.007-05:00

I just came across this photo of grandson, Nathan Aslan Richards, who lives in Ft. Worth. He just turned ONE YEAR OLD yesterday. I'm not sure if the picture is right-side-up, but it sure is cute! Awwww....

This is our sweet little brand new granddaughter, Audrey Rayne Yliniemi. She just turned ZERO YEARS OLD on July 18! My children were all pretty much bald at birth, so we were amazed at Audrey's hairdo. I guess it's common on her dad's side of the family. Do you notice something in common? Binkies! You gotta love 'em! :D

I just thought that these were two superb pictures. I don't have pictures of all of my grandchildren online. I should work on that. Hmmm.... I could visit Facebook and steal photos from my children's albums. Good idea!

We now have three grandchildren with birthdays in about a one week period! Wow!

Library sale!

2011-07-22T20:30:00.005-05:00

Have you seen on the news that Border Books is going out of business? It's a sign of the times, apparently. It was mentioned that e-books/Kindles are the main reason for the demise of this huge bookstore chain. To that I say...

BOOK LOVERS UNITE!

I, personally, do not intend to succumb to e-books. It goes against everything that is enjoyable about reading to me. I love OLD books with history behind them. Books that have been owned by lots of people before me. The old yellowed pages are part of the charm of the experience.

Determined to do my part to preserve the old-fashioned paper books many of us love, I will continue to grow my personal library so that my grandchildren can enjoy the heft of a good book; so they can turn pages and enjoy illustrations up close and personal. What better way to collect these treasures than through a library book sale!

Below is a list of all the books I found for a grand total of $8! Of course, I also spent an additional dollar for the quilt raffle. :)

Children's books:
(Many of these books I chose for their illustrations and they will probably spill over to my art blog in the future! Others I picked up just because they are delightful books to read to youngsters.)
Ride a Purple Pelican-Jack Prelutsky/illus. Garth Williams (love Garth Williams!)
Arthur's Christmas-Marc Brown
Brownies-It's Christmas! by Gladys Adshead/illus. Velma Ilsley (quirky little old book...reminds me of Scandinavian folk tales)
The Snow Queen-Illus. Bernadette Watts (beautiful illustrations)
Diary of an Early American Boy-Eric Sloane (love his pen and ink drawings!)
Georgie and the Magician-Robert Bright
The Great Cat Chase-Mercer Mayer (a favorite illustrator)
Star of Wild Horse Canyon-Bulla
Groundhog's Horse (These two horse stories are for granddaughter Audrey because she will LOVE horses!)
The Coriander-Eilis Dillon (This may be a YA book. I bought it to read myself!)
On Market Street-Arnold Lobel/illu. Anita Lobel (another favorite illustrator)
I Can Color-Usborne (some coloring activities-cute little book)
The Egg Tree-Katherine Milhouse (unusual Pennsylvania Dutch-type illustrations)
You Are Special-Max Lucado
Fantastic Mr. Fox-Roald Dahl (My 29 year old son, Jordan, loves quirky movies and we've watched a movie based on this book. I didn't realize it was based on a children's book. I'll be mailing this to him as an inside joke.)
When We Were Very Young-A.A. Milne
Now We Are Six-A.A. Milne (These two A.A. Milne books are full of wonderful little illustrations by E.H. Shepard. Drawing practice! What a treat!)
The Little Golden Book of Poetry
Farmer Boy-Laura Ingalls Wilder

For Paperbackswap:
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All-Gurganus
Chop Wood, Carry Water-Fields
The Creators-Boorstin

For me:
Dialogues of Plato (I keep giving away my copy and have never read it!)
Cashelmara-Howatch
Country Woman-Smith
Gossip at Thrush Green, Battles at Thrush Green, No Holly for Miss Quinn-Miss Read
If You Can Talk, You Can Write-Saltzman (This title and next for my writing collection.)How to Write and Sell Greeting Cards-Wigand
The Golden Bible Atlas
Vanity Fair-Thackeray
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Angelou
The Brothers Karamazov-Dostoevsky
The Country of the Pointed Firs-Jewett (about a writer)
The Sketchbook-Washington Irving
(Some of these are classics I just want to maybe read someday and others just sounded interesting. If you see something here that you know is really strange, let me know!)

My bookshelves are bulging, but I keep culling and adding new things. I love the feeling of knowing I can always find something wonderful to read anytime of the night or day!

I feel like I had a baby....

2011-07-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

Actually, my daughter Micah did all the laboring and delivered a beautiful Audrey Rayne Yliniemi into the world yesterday at 6:23 p.m. Audrey weighed in at 6 lb. 12 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. The doctor thought she was a month early, but we think they miscalculated, because she's a fine size and very healthy.

I left my laptop with Micah at the hospital so she would have something to do when she wasn't feeding and holding her new treasure. This computer tells me I don't have disk space to hold more photos, but here is the link to the Facebook photo album I made of Micah's birthing day. Hopefully you can still see them even if you aren't on my Friends list!

Micah began having back labor on Sunday afternoon. She and husband, Adam, were on a shopping trip to buy baby stuff with Adam's two sisters (one of whom is due with her own baby any day). They were 2 1/2 hours from the hospital and didn't have their delivery day suitcases with them in the car. After all, she wasn't due for 3 or more weeks! So they ran home, got the bags and headed to the hospital. Micah labored the rest of Sunday, through the night until Monday afternoon, at which time she finally opted for an epidural. Poor thing! She worked really hard at labor, but she was so relieved after the epidural. She had had about 1 1/2 hours of sleep, but she really perked up after the epidural. She labored a few more hours and Audrey came into the world. She has the greatest doctor and the nurse was so good with her. Micah and Adam are 20 years old and have been married for 2 years. They are eager to learn how to care for their little girl, so she is staying in the hospital until tomorrow to get familiar with this new little person and also because she has a blood clotting condition, so they want to watch her. She's having no problems, praise God!

Grandma (that would be me) acted as photojournalist, and I posted pics on Facebook as quickly as I could so Micah's six brothers and sisters and assorted friends scattered over the continental U.S. could follow her progress.

All is well, and Micah and Adam are excited to be parents and finally see their little girl. Grandma and Grandpa are excited to get to do some babysitting!

Ira Sleeps Over...

2011-07-16T20:40:00.007-05:00

This is my latest Paperback Swap acquisition. I loved reading this book to my boys years ago. I think I liked it more than they did.
I love Ira's intellectual/musical family....
and the charming old New York row house they live in...
I love the way his parents are so easy going and slightly hippyish...
I love the secure feeling of having a best friend that lives just next door, so sleeping over isn't so scary!
And I love this little attic bedroom. Bernard Waber really captured the fun and tribulations of sleeping over. :)

The demise of the cloth diaper...

2011-07-11T20:00:00.006-05:00

My dear daughter, Micah, is due any minute and a baby shower is planned next Saturday. After looking over all of the elaborate plastic "stuff" that has been created in order to separate young parents from as much cash as possible, I decided to take a more practical route. Though Micah intends to start out using disposable diapers she is open to also using cloth, so I thought I would set her up with diapers, pins, waterproof pants and a pail. I never realized how difficult it would be to reach this simple goal!

I purchased two dozen cloth diapers at Wal-Mart. Mysteriously, they do not carry waterproof panties or pins. What do they expect people to do with the diapers? Oh, I see. It says you can dust furniture with them!

So, I drove to both 24-hour grocery stores, Family Dollar (where the lady said, "Oh, nobody uses those anymore."), a pharmacy...and then I gave up.

I did find a pail at Family Dollar that will suffice as a diaper pail. For the waterproof panties and pins I had to resort to ordering online from clothdiaper.com. I also found a good article on caring for cloth diapers at The Diaper Pin which I will copy and include with the pail, etc.

I realize that the majority of people opt for disposable diapers, but I think they're ridiculously expensive, not to mention...where do they all magically disappear to when we throw them away? I also know that there will be days when the money to buy a box of astronomically expensive diapers may not be there, and that's when I can feel good knowing that Micah has a backup plan! :D

Good luck to all of us old hippies who still believe in cloth diapers! And thank you clothdiaper.com!!!

I brake for garage sales!

2011-07-07T14:06:00.011-05:00

Actually, I rarely go to garage sales because I know myself well enough to know that I'll bring home lots of stuff I don't really need. Today we were supposedly taking our daughter in search of inexpensive furniture for their new home. She did manage to find a coffee table and end table, but mostly I had fun buying "lots of stuff I don't really need"! And heeeeeere it is! :DA northwoodsy throw complete with loons and a cabin. I love loons...AND cabins!
A little duck family and "Strawberry Girl" by Lois Lenski. Love those illustrations!
A colorful crocheted throw. I don't crochet, so I'm always impressed by those who do. I want to learn some day if only to crochet my own pot scrubbers!
A couple of cute tea cups embossed with leaves. Teacups are another favorite thing of mine.
See! :D I love the little detail inside of the cup.
I think the pictures on this set are beautiful. My love of drawing influences even my choice of dishes!
Here's the set. Minus a cup, but a steal at $3! (And I can only use one cup at a time anyway, lol!)
A cute little bluebird plaque...
...and a another plaque with a good message.
A Psalm plaque, a couple of "I Spy" books for when Audrey (my granddaughter who's almost here) is old enough...maybe six years from now? And a cute roll of wallpaper border with colorful birds.
Oh, I almost forgot! I also got a Sewing Genie, which is a tiny sewing machine, for $2. Hope it works! I don't have a machine and am not a sewer, but every now and then I wish I could stitch some quilt squares together or something, so it's nice to have.
Gee, I guess I really DO need all of this stuff! :D

My baby...and my grandbaby!

2011-06-30T11:06:00.003-05:00

I love this picture of my son Josh and grandson Nathan. They're cooling off in the backyard pool of Josh's in-laws. I'm thankful that Josh and his wife, Jess, and little Nathan are staying with Jess's parents while they finish college. With a new baby on the way they have a lot on their plates and it's good to know they have family support. It's a long way from here to Joshua, TX where they live, so I don't get to hug them often. I was glad to see their smiling faces!

In answer to your comment, Pom-Pom, we did get down to see them in May, but it may be a long time before we can go again. We're having to learn to let go! :( It is easier knowing that they're in the palm of God's hand. We lean on Him a lot!

Fear in the driver's seat...

2011-06-27T22:55:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while I allow fear to drive my decisions. Okay, more than every once in a while.

Yesterday, I had a little meltdown and spent an hour in tears talking to my son Jordan, who was kind enough to listen and respond with appropriately sympathetic sounds. I had decided that I was finished with college. Didn't really want to be a nurse and didn't see how I could survive the fall semester with more credits than I had ever taken before. I didn't want to spend 8 hours a day hidden away studying when my new granddaughter will arrive right before school starts. I also didn't want to keep wracking up debt if I might find out I don't even LIKE nursing when I'm finished. I was a wreck!

The Lord finally got a word in edgewise as I lay in bed trying to sleep. I realized that Satan was doing a number on me! FEAR. That was the basis of all of this! Fear of the unknown; fear that God can't provide; a shapeless, nameless fear of stepping outside of the box of everyday life.

Anyway, I'm glad I didn't shoot my mouth off to anybody about the way I felt (except my son, who will keep my secret) because today is a whole new ball game. I CAN survive fall semester. I may have to allow myself to get something less than A's, but I can do a decent job in school. I can also make time to spend with my daughter and granddaughter, and school will not last forever. Satan has worked so hard to discourage me in this journey, I'm getting suspicious. Maybe he's afraid God will be able to use me more as a nurse and he's trying to derail me before I can even get started. With the Lord's help I can do anything, and I'm going to try to remember that!

What I'm reading...

2011-06-16T19:17:00.003-05:00

I just started reading "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle. It reminds me a little of C.S. Lewis's space trilogy, only for a younger audience. I believe this book was written for children about 14 years old, since the protagonist is about that age, but, as C.S. Lewis has said (paraphrased), a really good children's book should still be good reading for an adult. He also said, "Someday you will be old enough to read fairy tales again." :)

A new blog!

2011-06-11T10:09:00.006-05:00

I just created a new blog called Pen and Ink and Maybe Some Paint. I think I have as much fun creating new blogs as I do creating anything! This blog is meant to inspire me to get out the pens and practice drawing. We'll see if it works! Come on over and look. Hopefully, this blog won't go the way of my Exercise Blog and Practice Time Blog. It's just for fun, after all!

A satire on the Middle-East...

2011-06-06T08:10:00.000-05:00

Anti-Israel propaganda or don't believe everything you hear sung by a pop artist...

2011-06-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

Pom-Pom...

2011-06-01T16:23:00.004-05:00

Here are three photos, one outside and two inside of my house. You can't see much, but you can get an idea that it's rather rustic. I like to think of it as "bohemian", lol!

Son Jordan and great-granddaughter Hailey.
Son Jordan, son-in-law Adam, dds Missy and Micah.
Our front porch. I love my wild roses and my hubby used tree trunks for the corner posts. Still no roof, but...someday! :)

More watercolor dreaming...

2011-05-31T17:21:00.023-05:00

Well, acrylics might be in my dreams as well!
I spent some time at the library this morning browsing the shelves. I haven't done this in AGES. I came away with a couple of books for learning to paint with watercolors. I also brought home books with pictures of things to inspire my painting, such as crazyquilts, hooked rugs and folk art. Among my finds was a book called "Illuminating the Word: The Making of the Saint John's Bible". It shows the process by which this Bible was written and illuminated by hand. I can't wait to look through it more closely!
Another find was Mary Randoph Carter's "Garden Junk". A treasure trove of junk to peruse for painting subjects!
My fascination with crazy quilts never seems to be satiated since each one is so unique. They remind me of the "I Spy" books I used to enjoy with my kids. The longer you view a quilt the more interesting details you notice. Cindy Bricks' "Crazy Quilts" is full of beautiful quilts and crazy quilt history. Here are a few beautiful quilt blocks I found online:
This little crazy quilt star gives me some ideas for combining pastel watercolors with painted stitch work. I realize I have to be careful not to violate any copyright laws when using images, so I'm trying to just get ideas. If I should ever sell a painting to a greeting card company, for example, I don't want anyone tracking me down! lol!
These blocks show some of the pretty details that are so much fun to explore.
Hooked rugs have been a favorite of mine for a long time and would also offer good ideas for painting. I think acrylics might work better to capture these designs.

Gillian Tyler's illustrations have caught my eye lately. Aren't they beautiful?

She has a series of beautiful maps like this one. Aren't her paintings fun to look at?

While reading "Crazy Quilts" I came across one quilt that took the creator 40 years to finish. How awesome is that? It's not about arriving at a finished product; it's about the enjoyment of the journey. It's looking forward to a lifetime of creativity. That's what I'm looking forward to with painting. I'm not in any hurry to become expert. I'm going to enjoy the learning experience. It will probably be slow as I make time for it between other life events, but knowing that this creative outlet waits in the wings for those quiet moments is what makes it so much fun!

A dream: illustrating children's books...

2011-05-29T21:27:00.003-05:00

Every so often I get this dream out and dust it off. I don't really think I'll make a career of illustrating children's books, but I COULD see myself enjoying painting as a hobby and maybe even submitting a few paintings to a greeting card company. This video was a lot of fun to watch and made me feel like I could really DO this. YouTube is full of painting tutorials, so even if I don't become a great painter, I'll have fun learning!

This video was made by Alicia Padron. You may want to go to YouTube to watch it so you can see the whole picture.

A squadron of swans...

2011-05-25T10:50:00.003-05:00

I was outside planting some tomatoes on my deck this morning when I heard what I thought was a flock of geese flying over the house. It dawned on me that the honking had a different "timbre" than that of our local geese. As I backed up to get a better look a flock of about 15 swans came swooping over our rooftop! I'm glad to report that swans are making a comeback in our area. When we first moved here 20 years ago I didn't see any; now they are a much more common, but still amazing, sight!

My husband, Bob, wasn't so sure that swans flock together like this, but after some research found that they do during migration. I guess that's what these folks were up to. BTW, this is a stock photo I found online. Too bad my camera wasn't close by!

Semper Fi

2011-05-20T22:26:00.002-05:00

Click on photo to enlarge.

Unto the Hills by Billy Graham

2011-05-17T09:48:00.002-05:00

As a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson I recently received a copy of Unto the Hills-A Daily Devotional by Billy Graham. I selected this book to review because Billy Graham holds a special place in my heart. At the age of sixteen I asked the Lord into my life while watching a Billy Graham crusade on television. That was way back in 1973, and Billy has continued to faithfully preach the Word throughout his long life.
Devotionals can play an important part in our spiritual lives. With such busy schedules we often have little time for inspirational reading. Billy’s devotions are short enough to be read quickly with plenty of time left to close our eyes and meditate on the message, claiming it for the day ahead. A devotional such as this also brings us into contact with portions from a variety of books of the Bible, which we might not see for quite some time in the course of our Bible reading. While I’m working my way through the gospels Billy will bring to my memory a scripture from Isaiah, Jeremiah or the Psalms. This makes it a wonderful addition to my regular Bible reading.
While reading this morning I was reminded that although Satan had obtained permission to sift Peter like wheat, Jesus had prayed for Peter so that his faith would not fail, and had admonished him to strengthen his brothers when he turned back again. How often we feel we’re being sifted. I was reminded that Jesus is praying for me during these times and fully expects me to prevail and return to Him! Unto the Hills by Billy Graham is full of spiritual treasures to help us in our daily walk.

Road trip!

2011-05-16T18:58:00.003-05:00

Hubby Bob and I hit the road for ten days and just arrived back home on Saturday afternoon. This is the first vacation (unpaid, of course) we've taken since the kids were small and Bob's first time to visit my hometown of Angleton, Texas.

I won't bore you with all of the details; just some of the high points! :D

The purpose of this trip was to visit my folks in Angleton, but since several of our kids live along the path, as well as a brother, we did a lot of visiting enroute. First of all, my brother James, and his family live in Kansas City, MO. He and his family are active participants at the International House of Prayer there and he works as a bookkeeper. We haven't seen each other for about 27 years!! Needless to say we had a fantastic time catching up on old and new times. There was a lot of chatter and laughter and it was wonderful to renew old ties.

Our daughter, Tammy and our granddaughters Esther and Victoria live in Haskell, OK. It's been many years since I've seen them, though Bob saw them a couple of years ago. We ate breakfast at IHOP (the "other" IHOP)and had a great time.

My two sons, Jordan and Josh, along with Josh's wife Jess and baby Nathan, live in Joshua, TX. We enjoyed two meals (Chinese and Mexican) together, got to meet Jess's folks and siblings for the first time, and went to church with them on Sunday. It was so good to see them all.

Our time with the folks (Glenn and Mary) was very restful. Glenn cooked up a storm and we had fun just chilling together for three whole days. Mom and I enjoyed watching our favorite movie "Inkheart". We also drove to Galveston Island and Bob saw the Gulf of Mexico for the first time. We ate some wonderful seafood at Fisherman's Wharf and just had fun sightseeing along the way.

On the trip home we drove through East Texas and Western Arkansas. Bob was surprised to see how many trees there were. He thought Texas was all sagebrush! Arkansas was so gorgeous. We stopped in Kensett, IA to visit the grave of Bob's great-grandfather, Hans Langseth, who is in the Guiness Book of World Records for having a beard that's 17 1/2 ft. long.

I've never seen so many armadillos in my life! Wish some of them had been alive. When the armadillos were replaced by raccoons we knew we were home in Minnesota. (Isn't that gross?)

Alive and Well by Jordan Richards

2011-04-29T22:08:00.003-05:00

This is a new song my son Jordan wrote recently. He claims he wrote it in the shower...and now his guitar is all wavy...

Find more Jordan Richards songs at Myspace Music

The Wicker Basket

2011-04-20T12:41:00.002-05:00

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson.

Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could..

One day the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book.
What good does reading the Bible do?'
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.'

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out be fore he could get back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water;
I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!'

'So you think it is useless?' the old man said.
'Look at the basket.'

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible.
You might not understand or remember everything,
but when you read it, it will change you
from the inside out.'

Moral of the wicker basket story:
Take time to read a portion of God's word each day;
it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.

Thought for Today:

God's Love is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings
but not its end.

I really like this story because I don't retain things too well
anymore...age may have something to do with it but I figure my brain just gets overloaded!
God isn't concerned about my brain anyway;
He's more concerned about my heart.

First walk of the season...

2011-04-13T10:44:00.004-05:00

I walked ONE WHOLE MILE down the hiking trail adjacent to our property. Things are still brown but I needed to get my slothful self out the door and get my system working. I'm trying to take it easy, starting with a mile and working up to two. When that's too easy maybe I'll speed up to a shuffling jog. I tend to go out and do too much at first and then I'm so sore I can't get back out there for a while. I'm also doing some crunches and some arm exercises with 5 pound weights. Starting low on the reps. Guess I'll have to fire up my Exercise Log blog to keep myself accountable and keep track of my progress! It's mid-April, so we could still have some snow, and it was pretty brisk out there this morning, but at least I won't get too hot. Up, up and away! :D

(Two year old photo.)

April showers...

2011-04-12T21:47:00.003-05:00

The rain is gently pitter-pattering on the steel roof of our log cabin and a small fire is burning in the woodstove. If I'm smart I'll go to bed soon, but I just had to visit Jody's messageboard and read a few blogs before turning in.

Only three more weeks of school and then summer break! I'll be working full-time at the deli for the summer, but I hope to fit in some reading and walking. Bob and I are planning to make a car trip down to Texas to see my folks in May, and we'll stop off to see kids in Oklahoma and north Texas on the way. Dear daughter Micah and her hubby, Adam, will do chores for us, bless their little pea-pickin' hearts!

Little grandson Nathan. One of the loved ones we'll see in Texas!

I'm off to visit a couple of blogs then I'll throw a couple more logs on the fire and turn in.

*yawn* :]

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem...

2011-03-24T18:06:00.002-05:00

I really love this view of Jerusalem!

Psalm 121 (New King James Version)
A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

A little William Cowper...

2011-03-20T19:20:00.001-05:00

A letter from William Cowper
TO REV. JOHN NEWTON
November 30, 1783. . . .
Let our station be as retired as it may, there is no want
of playthings and avocations, nor much need to seek them,
in this world of ours. Business, or what presents itself to us
under that imposing character, will find us out even in the stillest
retreat, and plead its importance, however trivial in reality,
as a just demand upon our attention. It is wonderful how, by
means of such real or seeming necessities, my time is stolen
away. I have just time to observe that time is short, and by the
time I have made the observation, time is gone. I have wondered
in former days at the patience of the antediluvian world, —
that they could endure a life almost millenary, with so little
variety as seems to have fallen to their share . It is probable
that they had much fewer employments than we. Their affairs
lay in a narrower compass; their libraries were indifferently
furnished; philosophical researches were carried on with much
less industry and acuteness of penetration; and fiddles, perhaps,
were not even invented. How then could seven or eight
hundred years of life be supportable? I have asked this question
formerly, and been at a loss to resolve it; but I think I can
answer it now. I will suppose myself born a thousand years before
Noah was born or thought of. I rise with the sun; I worship;
I prepare my breakfast; I swallow a bucket of goat's milk,
and a dozen good sizable cakes. I fasten a new string to my
bow, and my youngest boy, a lad of about thirty years of age,
having played with my arrows till he has stripped off all the
feathers, I find myself obliged to repair them. The morning is
thus spent in preparing for the chase, and it is become necessary
that I should dine. I dig up my roots; I wash them; I boil
them ; I find them not done enough ; I boil them again ; my wife
is angry; we dispute; we settle the point; but in the mean time
the fire goes out, and must be kindled again. All this is very
amusing. I hunt; I bring home the prey; with the skin of it I
mend an old coat, or I make a new one. By this time the day
is far spent; I feel myself fatigued, and retire to rest. Thus,
what with tilling the ground and eating the fruit of it, hunting
and walking and running, and mending old clothes, and sleeping
and rising again, I can suppose an inhabitant of the primaeval
world so much occupied as to sigh over the shortness of
life, and to find at the end of many centuries that they had all
slipped through his fingers, and were passed away like a shadow.
September 18, 1784. . . .
My greenhouse is never so pleasant as when we are just
upon the point of being turned out of it. ... I sit with all the
windows and the door wide open, and am regaled with the
scent of every flower in a garden as full of flowers as I have
known how to make it. We keep no bees, but if I lived in a
hive I should hardly hear more of their music. All the bees in
the neighborhood resort to a bed of mignonette opposite to the
window, and pay me for the honey they get out of it by a hum
which, though rather monotonous, is as agreeable to my ear as
the whistling of my linnets. All the sounds that nature utters
are delightful, — at least in this country. I should not, perhaps,
find the roaring of lions in Africa, or of bears in Russia,
very pleasing; but I know no beast in England whose voice I
do not account musical, save and except always the braying of-
an ass. The notes of all our birds and fowls please me, without
one exception. I should not, indeed, think of keeping a goose
in a cage, that I might hang him up in the parlor for the sake
of his melody; but a goose upon a common, or in a farm-yard, is
no bad performer. And as to insects, if the black beetle, and
beetles indeed of all hues, will keep out of my way, I have no
objection to any of the rest; on the contrary, in whatever key
they sing, from the gnat's fine treble to the bass of the humble
bee, I admire them all. Seriously, however, it strikes me as a
very observable instance of providential kindness to man, that
such an exact accord has been contrived between his ear and
the sounds with which — at least in a rural situation — it is
almost every moment visited. All the world is sensible of the
uncomfortable effect that certain sounds have upon the nerves,
and consequently upon the spirits; and if a sinful world had
been filled with such as would have curdled the b'.ood, and have
made the sense of hearing a perpetual inconvenience, I do not
know that we should have had a right to complain. But now
the fields, the woods, the gardens, have each their concert, and
the ear of man is forever regaled by creatures who seem only to
please themselves. Even the ears that are deaf to the Gospel
are continually entertained, though without knowing it, by ',
sounds for which they are solely indebted to its Author. There
is somewhere in infinite space a world that does not roll within
the precincts of mercy, and as it is reasonable, and even scriptural,
to suppose that there is music in heaven, in those dismal
regions perhaps the reverse of it is found, — tones so dismal as
to make woe itself more insupportable, and to acuminate even
despair. . .

This is an excerpt of the many letters of Cowper found at the address below:

http://books.google.com/books?id=sy1DAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA525&dq=cowper+letters&lr=#PPA532,M1

Reading the back of the Celestial Seasonings box...

2011-03-17T12:59:00.008-05:00

Really! I had two and a half-minutes to fill while my mug of water heated in the microwave, so I started reading the box. I had to smile when I read this little blurb:

"Our Natural Heritage
In 1969, Celestial Seasonings began picking fresh herbs in the forests and canyons of the Rocky Mountains and blending them to create healthy, flavorful teas. This tradition...continues to this day."

Doesn't it just conjure up pictures of gentle hippies wading through knee-deep undergrowth in a lush forest, carefully choosing a sprig of peppermint here, a little chamomile there? How do they fill all those millions of boxes we see on supermarket shelves using this labor intensive method??? Well, actually, they don't. As I found out they import their herbs from 35 countries and buy most of them from, "small farms within their indigenous areas. This ensures that the plant products Celestial Seasonings buys are collected or harvested without undue harm to the environment, while local jobs and businesses are supported."** Hmmm...could it be that it's also cheaper to buy these products from poor third-world countries rather than producing them here? Ah, sweet cynicism.

No, this isn't a rant against big businesses exploiting poor herb farmers. Just the weird wanderings of my ever-curious mind. After living on the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado (where Celestial Seasonings is located) from 1966 to 1980 I couldn't quite believe they ever found enough herbs in the "forests and canyons of the Rocky Mountains" to make more than a couple of boxes of herbal tea so, of course, I had to investigate. Perhaps they do make an annual pilgrimage into the hills to collect a few handfuls of herbs (which would be getting more and more difficult to find considering the way the population of Boulder has exploded since my days there) so they can legally continue to feed our childlike belief in the gentle hippy legend on the box. It's a wonderful visual, I must say. And I do love their tea! (Gotta try that Morning Thunder.)

** Celestial Seasonings quote

This is SO ME! :-)

2011-03-12T21:08:00.010-06:00

I've been watching all of my favorite home design shows on HGTV and decided to do a Google search to find my perfect living room. And here it is!

Cozy, cheerful, casual (okay, sloppy), lots of books, and the TV has been relegated to the corner! The designers on HGTV would have a COW over this, but I love it!

And while we're at it, let's put it in this little hippy house!

I love this simple little house, though it doesn't have to be perched over the river. That makes me nervous. Of course, it would be pleasant to see Mole and Rat paddle by in their little boat. :D (Grass on the roof, optional.)

I've just added a new blog, called "enhabiten" to my list. It seems to be about living simply and I'm looking forward to exploring it. I found it while looking for "hippy house designs", so it might be interesting.

In recent years I've discovered, to my surprise, that I still love the old '70's music, from the secular to the Christian stuff I listened to when I was a teen. I guess that's when we really develop our "style" and it doesn't really change. I always thought my style would change as I got older, but it really hasn't. I'll never give up my jeans!

I guess you can't take the hippy out of the old girl! :D

Library Book Sale!!

2011-02-15T17:01:00.003-06:00

For a few years now I've been waiting for a copy of "L'Abri" to become available at Paperbackswap. So imagine my thrilled suprise when halfway through the boxes of books I found what looked like a brand new copy of L'Abri sitting right in front of me. I gasped audibly and grabbed it! It seems like at least one of these "treasures" pops up each time I go to a sale.

I went through about 150 boxes of ten cent books and found a complete set of The Chronicles of Narnia. I had to get them, of course. They were only ten cents each! Their deal of the day was all the ten centers you could fit in any size box for $1! I only found about 12, so it wasn't a big savings, but it was tons of fun.

Picked up some fun books and donated some back. Gotta keep the shelves full, but not TOO full. :)

The Law of Undulation...

2011-02-04T19:32:00.005-06:00

Every couple of years my mom sends me a copy of this part of C.S. Lewis's "Screwtape Letters". I love the message and thought I'd put it here for all to read. For those who haven't read this book, Screwtape is a demon who is mentoring his nephew Wormwood. So when he refers to the Enemy, he is talking about God and when he refers to Our Father, he means Satan. Enjoy!

MY DEAR WORMWOOD,
So you "have great hopes that the patient's religious phase is dying away", have you? I always thought the Training
College had gone to pieces since they put old Slubgob at the head of it, and now I am sure. Has no one ever told you
about the Law of Undulation?
Humans are amphibians—half spirit and half animal. (The Enemy's determination to produce such a revolting hybrid
was one of the things that determined Our Father to withdraw his support from Him.) As spirits they belong to the
eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object,
their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest
approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation—the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a
series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every
department of his life—his interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down.
As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional and bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of
numbness and poverty. The dryness and dullness through which your patient is now going are not, as you fondly
suppose, your workmanship; they are merely a natural phenomenon which will do us no good unless you make a good
use of it.
To decide what the best use of it is, you must ask what use the Enemy wants to make of it, and then do the opposite.
Now it may surprise you to learn that in His efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, He relies on the troughs even
more than on the peaks; some of His special favourites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else.
The reason is this. To us a human is primarily good; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our
own area of selfhood at its expense. But the obedience which the Enemy demands of men is quite a different thing. One
must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would
gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome
little replicas of Himself—creatures, whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like His own, not because
He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to His. We want cattle who can finally become food; He
wants servants who can finally become sons. We want to suck in, He wants to give out. We are empty and would be
filled; He is full and flows over. Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into
himself: the Enemy wants a world full of beings united to Him but still distinct.
And that is where the troughs come in. You must have often wondered why the Enemy does not make more use of His
power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the
Irresistible and the Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely
to over-ride a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do)
would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For His ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the
creatures are to be one with Him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve. He is
prepared to do a little overriding at the beginning. He will set them off with communications of His presence which,
though faint, seem great to them, with emotional sweetness, and easy conquest over temptation. But He never allows
this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all
those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone
duties which have lost all relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is
growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which
please Him best. We can drag our patients along by continual tempting, because we design them only for the table, and
the more their will is interfered with the better. He cannot "tempt" to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to
walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their
stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring,
but intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have
vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.
But of course the troughs afford opportunities to our side also. Next week I will give you some hints on how to exploit
them,
Your affectionate uncle
SCREWTAPE

Grandbaby alert!

2010-12-27T15:30:00.004-06:00

My dear daughter, Micah, (and youngest child at age 19) just announced that she and her hubby, Adam, are expecting a little babe on August 16, 2011! My baby's having a baby!! :*D Of course, the event has been duly announced on Facebook. What an age we live in!

Micah on right, with brother Jordan.

It's just not Christmas without this song...

2010-12-23T13:22:00.003-06:00

...sung by this particular man! Talk about anointed. I cry like a baby and can't even sing along because I'm so choked up! ;-)

Of course, you can see it better on YouTube and here are the lyrics if you want to TRY to sing along!

Mary did you know that your baby boy will some day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the Lamb---.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is Heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great--I--AM---.

Little Nathan Aslan Richards' first Christmas...

2010-12-15T21:54:00.004-06:00

Are you crying, Grandbaby Nathan? Don't like that big Santa hat? :-/
(No, I'm told by his mom that his dad is holding him up in the air and he's giggling!)

Finished with finals!

2010-12-15T21:50:00.002-06:00

Another semester under my belt. Now to enjoy Christmas break!

cute little cousins...circa 1984...

2010-11-21T09:19:00.002-06:00

My son, Jordan, in the front at about 2 years of age. Other cousins, left to right, Jeremy, Jason and Kimberly. (Son Josh was a new baby and probably inside.)

Decorating for Christmas early!

2010-11-04T10:40:00.004-05:00

WELL, JUST MY BLOG...

HOW VERY ENGLISH! (Wouldn't it be fun to sing in this church?)

AND NOW FOR THE ANNIE MOSES BAND VERSION...

My ever changing point-of-view on the universe...

2010-10-28T21:41:00.005-05:00

***I told God, "I really hate this stuff! I hate chopping the body up into little pieces and examining and analyzing how each cell works. I'm more of a poetic, romantic type who would like to keep some of the mystery in life. Can I survive a nursing course with that attitude?"***

That's an excerpt from my September 12th post. I can't believe how my attitude has changed in six short weeks! Yes, Anatomy and Physiology is still my hardest class and I have to study hard to memorize all of the information, but I'm SO impressed with God! How can anyone study the inner workings of the human body and not glorify God! We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each little cell and each little organism within the cell knows exactly what to do to keep the body alive and functioning. No amount of evolution could have produced even a single cell; only a Great Designer, far more intelligent than we can even comprehend, could have done this. Of course, I already believed this, but I REALLY believe it after seeing what miraculous things happen inside of this body He created. Then there's the rest of the universe...

Fall has fallen...

2010-09-17T18:51:00.004-05:00

The air is getting cool and dry and it feels good to start up the woodstove in the morning to take the chill off of the house.

It's dusk right now and I just started the fire again. There's a definite tang in the air! I've been studying a lot today. Another test in A&P on Tuesday. I'm not dreading it as much this time. I got good grades on both of my Psyc tests and my A&P test last week. Computer Fundamentals is kind of fun. We're making brochures and flyers, something I never tried before. I'm also enjoying Nature Writers, a literature course involving reading a lot of writing by naturalists and nature lovers of old. It's a pretty laid back course, which is nice.

Well, I'm off to do some more reading! Enjoy Fall!

Crying Over A & P...

2010-09-12T13:10:00.003-05:00

Seriously, I just plunked down my Anatomy and Physiology book and had a good boo-hoo. I told God I really hate this stuff! I hate chopping the body up into little pieces and examining and analyzing how each cell works. I'm more of a poetic, romantic type who would like to keep some of the mystery in life. Can I survive a nursing course with that attitude?

Well, after I had a good cry and washed my face, I felt a lot better. I spent some time outside feeding one of the barn cats and her kittens and just enjoying the sunshine and drinking in the greenery of the woods around me. After a little time doing human things and enjoying nature I was ready for another go at A&P. I have a test on Wednesday on things we've done in the lab portion of the class. I also have tests in both of my psychology classes between now and Wednesday! Thankfully, one is open book and the other teacher allows us to bring in as many notes as we can on a 4"x6" card. I'm going to write very small!

To answer my own question, no, I probably wouldn't survive this nursing course if I thought for a minute I would end up working in a hospital the rest of my life. Though I may have to do some training in the hospital, home-health nursing is what I really want to do, and I have to keep reminding myself that this is the only way to get there. If all else fails, I can always be a home-health aide instead. I want to help people to be able to stay at home rather than going to a nursing home. I think that would be rewarding.

Off to study some psychology! (Or maybe visit a couple of blogs first!)

Finished my first two Developmental Psyc papers!

2010-08-28T15:12:00.002-05:00

Woo-hoo! I'm exulting over just finishing my first two papers for Developmental Psychology. They were sort of a mental hurdle I was having trouble even beginning. But the Lord gave me the words and I even got a little testimony in there. (They had to ask whether religion or spirituality is decided more by nature or nurture. They opened the door right up!)

My instructor calls these 250-500 word essays "comments", which makes them sound so easy. I'm going to call them "papers", because I worked HARD on them and want them to sound more important, lol!

Just taking a snack break and then I'm back to the old study. Gotta get outdoors and soak in a little sunshine for a few minutes, at least!

Bye y'all!

First week of fall semester comes to an end...

2010-08-27T20:34:00.002-05:00

Five classes and five teachers, each with their own style and agenda. It can be mind boggling! I'm still sorting through all the online syllubus(es)(i)(?), handouts, audio lectures, virtual flashcards, course schedules, ad nauseum. And that doesn't even include the textbooks, study guides and lab manuals! It may take me a few weeks to really feel like I have a handle on how to use all of these resources, so I'll try to relax and keep an eternal perspective. That always helps!

After the first day of classes I decided that taking two science classes with labs back-to-back just wasn't going to work. I gave it some thought, made an appointment with my advisor and told her I was switching to the LPN track and dropping Chemistry, which isn't a requirement for LPN's. We replaced that class with another psychology class, so now I have introductory psychology and developmental psychology, anatomy and physiology, a literature class and a computer fundamentals class. I think this is a do-able, though certainly not easy schedule.

I have a great bunch of teachers. Not a sour puss among them!

I had a long day at the deli, so I'm going to bed early and then tomorrow I'm going to re-attack my homework. I have lots to do, so I'd better not procrastinate!

Goodnight!

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

2010-08-20T16:38:00.004-05:00

This is one of those rare books that really makes you think and then makes you want to change how you relate to God.

Donald Miller is so willing to be transparent and vulnerable about his own life. His style is casual and often humorous. My 28 year old son, Jordan, loaned me this book and I'm so glad he did. Blue Like Jazz has a stream-of-consciousness sort of feel to it. It breaks many of the rules I'm learning in college writing classes and I think it's great! I found so many quotable passages reading through it that I'm not sure where to begin, but I'll try to choose a few to whet the reader's appetite.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"I wonder what it would be like to use food stamps for a month. I wonder how that would feel, standing in line at the grocery store, pulling from my wallet the bright currency of poverty, feeling the probing eyes of the customers as they studied my clothes and the items in my cart: frozen pizza, name-brand milk, coffee. I would want to explain to them that I have a good job and make good money.

I love to give charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace." (quote from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller p.84)

"The days and weeks before a true commitment to Jesus can be terrible and lonely. I think I was feeling bitter about the human experience. I never asked to be human. Nobody came to the womb and explained the situation to me, asking for my permission to go into the world and live and breathe and eat and feel joy and pain. I started thinking about how odd it was to be human, how we are stuck inside this skin, forced to be attracted to the opposite sex, forced to eat food and use the rest room and then stuck to the earth by gravity. I think maybe I was going crazy or something. I spent an entire week feeling bitter because I couldn't breathe underwater. I told God I wanted to be a fish. I also felt a little bitter about sleep. Why do we have to sleep? I wanted to be able to stay awake for as long as I wanted, but God had put me in a body that had to sleep. Life no longer seemed like an experience of freedom."
(p. 98-99)

"I am wanted by God. He is wanting to preserve me, to guide me through the darkness of the shadow of death, up into the highlands of His presence and afterlife. I understand that I am temporary, in this shell of a thing on this dirt of an earth. I am being tempted by Satan, we are all being tempted by Satan, but I am preserved to tell those who do not know about our Savior and our Redeemer. This is why Paul had no questions. This is why he could be beaten one day, imprisoned the next, and released only to be beaten again and never ask God why. He understood the earth was fallen. He understood the rules of Rome could not save mankind, that mankind could not save itself; rather, it must be rescued, and he knew that he was not in the promised land, but still in the desert, and like Joshua and Caleb he was shouting, "Follow me and trust God!" (p. 100-101)

I'm finding it's harder than I thought picking out passages to quote because they must be read in context. These quotes don't really capture his "writing voice", but the parts that do get rather lengthy. I don't recommend this book for youngsters as he gets into some nitty-gritty aspects of his life, but us oldsters may learn a thing or two. If you're struggling with too much "religion" or just asking questions about Christianity this book will give some fresh perspective. I found it quite life changing.

Is fall almost here already?

2010-08-20T16:08:00.005-05:00

Another summer has flown by! I suppose doing summer classes helped to rush it along. Now fall classes begin next week!

I've enjoyed my two week break from school and especially the three days spent with my mom and dad in Texas. Mom, if you're reading this, thanks for taking care of me and showing me the sights. I really enjoyed seeing all our old home places and taking pictures. Angleton has changed a lot, but there is still a lot left of the old Angleton I remember. Glenn, thanks for all your great cooking and for the copy of "Miss Potter" WITHOUT subtitles. What a treat! Now I can visualize you two going through your daily routines down South and I don't feel quite so far away. I'm looking forward to seeing you again in the Spring, and I hope to also look up some of the cousins.

Bob and I spent a couple of hours cleaning the garage yesterday. We're in the midst of a huge cleaning campaign on our little farm and I hope the momentum keeps us going until we have it looking a whole lot better.

We had a big rainstorm last night. Usually the grass is brown and crunchy this time of year, but we've had so much rain this summer that everything is green and lush. My petunias and marigolds look pretty healthy for late summer.

Well, I work this weekend and then on Monday I drive to Wadena for a day of orientation classes. My online classes also begin on Monday. Then it's off and running for the fall semester! I'll be glad when I'm all finished with school!! (But I'll try to get a good attitude going and enjoy it as much as I can.)

If I don't blog for a while, you'll know why! ;)

Miss Potter with subtitles...

2010-08-10T15:03:00.002-05:00

I had a hankering to watch "Miss Potter", the story of Beatrix Potter, but all the videos had been removed from YouTube except this one with Spanish subtitles. I love this movie and all the English scenery and beautiful old houses! Enjoy!

Questioning the (College) Powers That Be...

2010-08-03T15:14:00.006-05:00

Two more days of Introductory Algebra to go. It's a good thing. My brain has reached the saturation point and the excess algebra is running off into the ditches of my mind. Thankfully, my grade to this point is good, so even if I bomb on the final test, I should pass comfortably. Of course, I will study and do my best, but that brings me to the subject of my rant...

What's up with all the prerequisite classes in college? No matter what you want to major in, algebra is required. Oh, that's because you need algebra in order to understand chemistry. Well, you need chemistry in order to understand nutrition. At least that's what I've been led to understand are the reasons I've been required to take these classes. Then, of course, you need College Writing I and II. (I'm going for a nursing degree here, people!) And don't forget Nature Writers!

Okay, let's dissect some of this. A gal in my Introductory Algebra class already has her LPN (for which she didn't need algebra) and is going for her RN. Now she needs the algebra. She tells me that to be an LPN the only algebra she used was a formula for finding the volume of a liquid or some such thing. (I don't pretend that this is a scientifically researched opinion piece. Ahem...)

She also has to take chemistry to become an RN. I remember taking chemistry in high school, and since the class I'm taking in college is Fundamentals of Chemistry I'm thinking it probably won't cover much more than high school chemistry. Now just how much do you suppose an RN has to actually know about chemistry? I suspect it isn't a whole lot.

Now for nutrition. Okay, I'll admit a nurse probably needs to know about this.

That leaves College Writing I and II and Nature Writers. Does a nurse do much writing beyond filling out charts and forms? Yes, her writing should be legible and accurate so no mistakes are made, but if someone gets to this point in their life and can't write a decent sentence, they probably aren't going to learn from a class. Sorry. This sort of thing is picked up through life experience. Nature Writers? Give me a break. (Though I do think I'll enjoy the class if I have time to enjoy it due to the stress of trying to do so many other "required" classes at once.)

My point is this: why not put together one class for nursing students that covers the little bit of algebra and chemistry they will need for their specific job? Throw in some writing practice. Not tons; just enough. Then they may have the energy to do all the Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology and actual nursing courses.

Of course the real reason we're required to take all of these classes is that colleges couldn't survive financially without making us believe that we NEED to take LOTS of classes. "Why not space the classes out and take longer to get your degree?" an innocent bystander asks me. Because I won't qualify for financial aid unless I'm taking enough classes to drive me batty. All of this in the name of becoming well educated and broadening our horizons, right? Ppphhhttt! (I laugh.)

I don't remember signing up for Renaissance Woman 101 and I can educate myself as well as broadening my own horizons, thank you very much! Heck, I've been an autodidact all of my life. Why should someone else decide what sort of trivia I need to stuff my brain with? I can do that very well myself.

And so I come to the end of my rant. I rather doubt that my opinions will change the college system any time soon, so I, like other students, will continue to jump through the hoops that have been fabricated in the interest of filling the college coffers. Good luck, fellow students.

Listening to Firestarters...

2010-08-02T21:53:00.003-05:00

I'm watching a live streaming video of The Gathering 2010, which is a 9 day long Christian gathering in Ottertail, MN. My husband, son and daughter are there, but I had to stay home to finish some algebra homework, so I'm watching and listening as I can. The video begins each evening at 7 and will be aired through August 8. If you're curious you can watch at www.firestartersmusic.com. It's kind of radical stuff, but it challenges us to get "out of the box" in our spiritual walk. It's over an hour drive to get to Ottertail from here, but my family makes the trip and feels it's well worth it. We love these folks!

I just have 3 more days of algebra and I'll be finished with summer school. Woo-hoo!
I was thinking while driving home from school today about what I wanted to do with my nursing training once I graduate. (That's two years down the road.) I realize I'll probably have to work in a hospital for a while to get experience, but that's not what I want to continue to do. My real interest is to do home health nursing. I would like to enable people to stay home instead of needing to go into a nursing home and to make their lives a little easier. I think I would enjoy traveling around from home to home and having lots of variety in my day. I'd also like to do some medical missions trips, either to third world countries or even poor areas of our country. So this is one of those phases of life when training takes place that may not always be enjoyable (though I hope to enjoy some of it!) but is necessary to reach the end goal.

Well, I stayed up too late last night listening to The Gathering, so maybe I'll turn in earlier tonight so I can catch up on my sleep.

Shalom...

Wild raspberries...

2010-07-21T16:45:00.008-05:00

The wild raspberries are ripe and ready for picking in our woods! I picked a bowl full on Saturday and we're still enjoying them. On waffles or by the spoonful they're tangy and sweet and just fun to eat. (Hey, that sort of rhymed!)

It's kind of fun to climb over the fence and wade into the waist high prickly raspberry canes to hunt for the elusive berries. They really are effectively hidden under the leaves, so you really have to work at finding enough of the tiny berries to fill a bowl, but it's worth it. Homer the dog accompanied me on my expedition and every few minutes I'd hear a rustle in the underbrush and find that he was sitting close behind me. I think he's scared of the woods!

While looking for an appropriate photo to accompany this post I found this delightful painting by artist Delilah Smith. Please visit her blog called "Painting of the Day" and enjoy her other paintings. You'll be glad you did!

Almost finished with summer classes!

2010-07-15T19:47:00.002-05:00

Just 3 weeks of Introductory Algebra left and that's it for summer classes. From August 6-22 I'm off and I hope to get down to Texas to visit my folks!

Beginning August 23 fall classes will include Developmental Psychology, Nature Writers, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Fundamentals of Chemistry, Computer Fundamentals and Home Health Aide. It should be quite challenging for an older gal like myself. I'm hoping to get my study area organized and have a real desk. I only drive to Wadena two days per week and the rest of my classes are online.

I know; exciting post! LOL! Just wanted to put something down so they don't delete my blog!!

I took a 3 mile walk and enjoyed the sunshine and greenery. I have a lot of Algebra homework over the weekend, so I'm trying to do some each day and also get in some outdoor time and exercise. I really need it!

Might visit some of my bloggy neighbors now. See ya later!

Wild at Heart-Book Review

2010-06-21T14:03:00.003-05:00

As a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishers I recently read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. This book is a must read for every man...and woman! For men it is a guide to getting their hearts back. For women it is a guide to understanding the men in their lives and how they can help them to become what God intended for them to be from the beginning.

It all began back in the Garden of Eden when Adam stood passively by, saying nothing, as Eve fell into Satan's trap. This man, who was created to be her protector, failed this most important test, and things have been dicey ever since.

"Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man," says Eldredge and his book drew me along on a fascinating inside look at what makes men tick. He shares the stories of men searching for those missing elements which will give their lives meaning as they seek healing for "the wound" in their hearts. He speaks of their frustration as they live passive, "nice" lives and their longing for a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue and an adventure to live.

Wild at Heart is chock-full of encouragement, information and stories designed to help men find their way back to the center of their hearts. It gives them permission to pursue an adventurous way of life; the way of life God created them for.

Clinicals and tornadoes...

2010-06-21T09:33:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week I worked in a nursing home in New York Mills, MN. This was the clinical portion of my CNA training and thus ended my coursework for the Long-Term Nursing Care class which is a prerequisite for the nursing program. Glad to be finished! I'm still working on my online College Writing I class and am in the critiquing stages with my third paper. Next Monday I begin Introductory Algebra.

On Thursday evening our area was hit by tornadoes. I worked at the nursing home just 15 miles from Wadena until 2:30 on Thursday. There was a tornado watch at that time, but by the time I got home (60 miles away) the watch had changed to a warning. The tornadoes hit Wadena, which is the town where my college campus is, and a couple of other small towns. It also hit a lot of farms. I drove through town on Friday going to my last day of clinicals at the nursing home and saw a lot of the devastation. I've never seen that sort of thing firsthand and it was unbelievable! The folks at the nursing home were sleeping in a little later than usual because they had been up late taking refuge in the hallways while the tornadoes tore up the countryside nearby. This area hasn't had a tornado in 125 years and it will take a while for them to recover. There were a couple of sad deaths but, considering the devastation, it's a miracle there weren't many more.

Our son, Jordan, moved back from Texas and arrived last night. We (hubby, me and dd Micah) met him in Ottertail, MN and went to worship and fellowship at The Creamery, which is an old creamery that has been converted into a church. It's also called Firestarters because that's the name of the ministry team that refurbished it. Four hours of music and spontaneous preaching. A good time!

I have the week off from driving to school, though I will be working a couple of days and I have to work on my online class, but it will be a nice break. We look forward to catching up on Jordan's life.

Shalom! =0]

Surfacing...periscope up! =0]

2010-05-28T17:53:00.003-05:00

Whew! This school thing is taking more of my time than I imagined! And I haven't worked a day at the deli for a week. (I do GET to work this weekend, though...)

I think just getting acquainted with procedures for writing papers and submitting them has been a challenge. There have been lots of chapters to read and then I wrote an 850 word paper on how taekwondo has given me more confidence. I also had to critique four other students' papers.

My biggest challenge was not having the right kind of word processor. My instructor wants us to post our documents in a .doc format, but my computer only did .docx, which some students can't open on their computers. So, yesterday I finally got my new laptop and with it a program that will allow me to do .doc papers. That's been a huge thing and I'm glad that problem is solved. I also downloaded Microsoft Office which I hope isn't going to be a waste of money. It's way more word processor than I need and it sort of takes over and tells you what to do. Sheesh!

I reached my first milestone college-wise with the submission of my final draft of my first paper for College Writing I. Today I began work on the second paper. It should be a lot of fun. It's a 750-1000 word essay in the form of a fairy tale starring one of my fellow students. We create a questionnaire for the other student to answer and we learn about each other by email, then we take the info we glean and write a story in the genre of our choice (mine was fairy tale) using some of the details we know about the other person. As with my last paper, we also critique four other students' papers. We also have to write a 150-word piece describing the genre we've chosen and we do a bibliography of our sources. I've written this short piece and I've posted my questionnaire on the class discussion board. I think I'm the only one who's done these so far, but since I have to work over the weekend, I thought I should get at least that much done.

Despite all of my talk about writing, my main goal is to become a nurse and I was really intrigued to see a Jewish Voice special on TV the other morning. They do medical missions trips all the time and take the gospel to the Jewish people as well. Medical missions is something I've been interested in for a long time, but didn't have any training. Now I can keep that goal in front of me to help me through when school gets challenging!

It's glorious outside! The sun is shining and the wind is really gusting through the trees. I think a storm is blowing in. I stopped off today at the local Fleet Supply and picked up some petunias and marigolds, but I'll wait for milder weather to repot them outside.

We have two new baby goats and a new colt named Bill. He's having a great old time running circles around his mom who is trying valiantly to keep the other mare in the pasture away from her child. It makes for great entertainment!

Well, I'll probably go outside and help Bob with some chores in a while, but first I'm going to visit a few blogs. It's been a while!

Shalom!

First day of school...

2010-05-17T17:17:00.003-05:00

Things are coming together!

I drove into town to listen to 3 audio lectures because I thought my computer wouldn't "let" me do that. After the librarian had to do some tweeking on her computer so I could listen to the lectures I decided to try the same tweeking on mine and, voila, it works on my home computer as well! Just had to enable some add-on thing and remove a pop-up blocker.

My books arrived, so I'm ready to begin reading the chapters for which I already listened to the lectures. (That was a convoluted sentence!)

I have 5 chapters to read this week and a 2-3 page paper to write, so if I don't procrastinate I'll have plenty of time to finish. I have the weekend off, so I'll do my final typing of the paper then. Then it has to be put on the discussion board next Tuesday so another student can critique it. Whew! I've got some learning still to do as far as making sure it's done on Microsoft Word (which I'll have to go to the library for) and how to put that on a "thumb drive" (my daughter has one) and then get it onto the discussion board. Technology sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it after doing it a time or two. Thankful for my daughter's help!

I look forward to having a laptop with all the right bells and whistles so everything can be done in one place!!

Farm Work and College Talk...

2010-05-14T18:54:00.003-05:00

What a gorgeous day! It's been raining almost non-stop for WEEKS, but today was sunny, beautiful and in the 70's. Perfection for northern Minnesota!

Bob and I (it was a day off for me) enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and just relaxed, watched some news and discussed plans for the day. Then, when we felt like it, we got ourselves outside and began the job of putting up two sections of electric fence. These were necessary to make a buffer zone between two pastures of horses we didn't want too close to each other. Untangling barbed wire and dragging it around was a good little workout. After the fences were up we turned the horses out into fresh pastures and they all looked so happy! We were tired and hungry after a few hours outside so supper sure tasted good.

Looking out my window now I see the lengthening evening shadows with sunshine still lighting up the treetops. It was a day well spent!

My last post sounded a little negative about the college experience, but things are smoothing out. I just have to hang in there during the nerve-wracking parts and know that "this too shall pass". I messed up my FAFSA a bit by putting in the wrong year for my birthday!! =0/ But I've sent in a correction and I think everything will turn out okay.

Got registered for two of my classes at the registration on Tuesday and then screwed up my courage and registered for a third class from home using the online registration. Sitting in the room full of registrants trying to figure out the registration process was a new and slightly scary experience, but I soon realized that most of the others in the room were in the same boat, so why worry?

Bob and I made a quick trip to the college yesterday (about an 80 mile round trip!) so I could ask some questions, since you can never get through to the right person on the phone. Like the last time we turned up unannounced, Pam the receptionist answered all our questions. That lady is a-MA-zing! They don't pay her enough!

Anyway, I'm all signed up for classes and I picked up my Algebra text, which I won't actually need until June 28. The materials for my "Intro to Nursing in Long Term Care" class will be handed out on the first day of class. I also ordered my "College Writing I" texts online. (A young gal who is Pam's assistant showed me how.) I'm taking CWI via Distance Education because it's an evening class. I'm really liking the people I've met at the college so far. They're very down-to-earth and helpful.

My "College Writing I" instructor emailed all of his online students and asked us to tell him something about ourselves and give him our contact info in case he needs to call or mail something. I enjoyed coming up with a short piece about myself. He sounds very nice and I'm looking forward to beginning that class on Monday.

I hope you're all having a wonderful day!
Shalom!

Catching up on my reading...

2010-05-08T16:40:00.003-05:00

Looking over my course descriptions for the next year I get the distinct feeling I won't have much time for recreational reading. So, I'm quickly finishing up a few books that I have been reading slowly.

Just finished "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. A good book that inspired me to live out my Christian life in practical ways instead of just thinking about it! Long road ahead...

I've been reading "Hamlet's Dresser" at work on breaks and I'm nearing the end. For a man who had an emotionally damaging childhood his adult life turned out pretty well. Interesting reading. Not for young folk because of some language, but an interesting inside look at a dysfunctional childhood. Also full of behind-the-scenes glimpses of theater productions of Shakespeare.

Now I've got to speed read "Wild at Heart" to write a review. I've read it before, but this edition has some new stuff. I want to get that review done and out of the way ASAP. (It's a wonderful book, BTW.)

My daughter has been trying to help me find my way around the college website, but I'm still having problems with passwords that don't work, etc. Hopefully we'll get these things ironed out on Tuesday at registration. It looks like I'll be doing an online class here and there to get everything in.

Au revoir for now! =0]

Officially accepted!

2010-05-06T22:42:00.004-05:00

My transcript has been recorded and I've been officially accepted to the college!

I had to fill out another FAFSA and a form for summer semester financial aid, which is separate from the aid you get for the fall and spring semesters. That should do it for financial aid forms. Now...I wait...

Next Tuesday I will go to orientation in Detroit Lakes since I will hopefully be on vacation on May 18th when Wadena has their orientation. Between now and then I have a "trial schedule" form to fill out with the classes I plan to register for for summer and fall. I'll work on that this weekend.

I still haven't told my boss. At what point do I accept the fact that I'm going to college...for real...and my boss probably needs to know?!? Maybe that point is after I've registered for classes. Sounds good!

I'm off to bed. My deli job is wearing me out. I feel sore and stiff every morning. Almost like I did a vigorous workout the day before. Man! I'm gettin' too old for this! Hopefully all of this bookwork will be a welcome change.

Shalom! =0]

Journaling About My College Journey

2010-05-04T21:01:00.002-05:00

It looks like college preparations and classes will fill a lot of my life for the next two years. (Speaking in faith.) So, I will try to journal about this experience for the benefit of others my age who might be interested in dipping their toes in the waters of collegiate life. =0)

"Collegiate" sounds so fancy and big-time. The school I've applied to is a small community and technical college in a small Minnesota town.

Hubby and I (he went for moral support and hopefully to think up some questions that I might miss) visited with an advisor at the college today. I had hoped to register for classes, but my high school transcript had not yet been "officially" entered into the record, so I will go to an orientation next Tuesday where I will be able to finally register for summer classes.

One other hurdle we had to finish jumping was to fill out a FAFSA application for student financial aid. This didn't take very long online here at home. We need to call tomorrow to see if we filled out the correct one.

This will be a journey of many little steps and lots of details!

I was nervous this morning before our meeting but Bob (hubby) was very encouraging and assured me that I am very smart (his words!) and can do a great job. It's nice to have someone give you a nudge when you begin to stall! The advisor was very nice and our meeting went smoothly.

It looks like I'll sign up for "Intro to Nursing in Long-Term Care" (CNA training) and "Introductory Algebra". Since this is a summer semester these classes will be compressed and intensified, so they should keep me busy. My daughter, Micah, gave me her Algebra book from last year which should be the book I will be using. If not, I can still use it to get a head start! Algebra will be later in the summer.

I still haven't mentioned any of this to my boss at work! I'm waiting to see what happens at registration next week and how much financial aid I qualify for. I will probably still need to work Fridays and some weekends. I have to balance things so I have the energy to keep up with school but we also need to eat. (Well, maybe not as much, lol!)

In all of this God is our provider and Matt. 6:25-34 is our motto!

I'm hoping that by acquiring nursing skills I will be opening up some new areas in my life that God can use.

The journey continues...

This Ride Is Speeding Up!

2010-04-29T20:25:00.005-05:00

Feels like I'm on a rollercoaster that keeps going faster! We went to the school and nobody "official" was available to help us, but the receptionist seems to run the school, so she helped us!

She answered questions and then sat me down to fill out the registration form online. Then she asked if I could come back at 1:00 to take the Accuplacer test! I wasn't expecting that quite yet, but I took it and aced the reading comprehension part. I got a 43 on the Elementary Algebra, which isn't surprising since I've never had Algebra! (41st percentile, so I wasn't at the very bottom!) Next Tuesday I go to see an advisor to sign up for summer classes. Probably Fundamental Computer Concepts, Introductory Algebra and Intro. to Nursing in Long Term Care (CNA). I might have to take more credits to qualify for financial aid, but I'll find out then.

Whew! This is mentally exhausting, but I'm praising the Lord for giving me peace all day. I'm just going to enjoy this experience as much as I can and try not to be fearful about anything. =0)

What's really fun is that my dd will be doing summer classes, too...
She will be doing hers online and will be living close by so we can talk shop and act like old study buddies. What fun!

Looks like I'll be updating my immunizations before the nursing part of my schooling starts, but I have to rack up 12 credits of generals and get my CPR certification before that.

Thank you, Lord, for this new adventure! Help me to keep my eyes on you and on the goal of using this training to care for others. Amen!

I may be going back to school! College at MY age?

2010-04-29T20:24:00.002-05:00

My hubby surprised me a couple of days ago by asking me if I'd like to go to college. Don't laugh now, but this was right after we had been watching Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith. For those who haven't seen it, it's about an older woman who returns to Smith College to complete her college degree after her children are grown. ANYWAY...

I've mentioned on numerous occasions that I wish I'd taken advantage of the opportunity to go to college when I was younger. My step-dad was going to pay for my college education, but I didn't have any idea what I wanted to study and didn't want to waste his money, so I didn't go.

I've always known that I DON'T want to work in the deli forever, but didn't really have a plan. I sure didn't think I would go back to school, though it sounded like fun to take a class or two.

I've been interested for a long time in nursing at some level. I'd like to work maybe with geriatric patients or doing home-care. What I'm considering is going to a two year community college and getting an Associates Degree in what they call "Nursing (Generic Option)-Associates Degree (RN)".

It's a little scary in a lot of ways. 1.)Is my old brain capable of all this learning? (But I've seen lots of people who seem less capable than me who are nurses. Yikes!) 2.)It's a 100 mile round trip to the school, but my boys did the same thing for 4 years, so I could probably manage. 3.)I would give up my job, because I can't possibly do both, so financial aid/grants would have to be enough to pay some bills while I do this. We are very much living from paycheck to paycheck, but this would have to be the Lord. Nursing would be a ministry of mercy in my thinking, not just a career. I'm not sure it will pay much more per hour than I'm making at the deli, so that's not the reason I'm doing it.

It was my husband's idea and he's not worried about the financial part. He would also have to give me some space and quiet for studying, which would be the hard part for him, LOL! We're driving down to the school in Wadena, MN on Thursday to talk to someone. Our kids have all gone to community college, so we know the registration process will be a pain in the neck, but that's okay. Anyway, we'll find out a lot on Thursday.

I've already checked out some library books to start refreshing my memory in the area of chemistry and algebra. Heck, I've never even taken algebra, how can I refresh? But I can get familiar with it before I have to take the Accuplacer test.

I'm excited though a little nervous. All my life I've talked myself out of doing things because they looked hard. It's called FEAR. I've been working on that and I'm not going to listen to that little voice anymore! Amen?

Any nurses among you who can give me some input?

Now I'm off to peruse "The Joy of Chemistry" before going to work at the deli. =0)

Loving Jesus...

2010-04-21T10:20:00.002-05:00

I'm still reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It's going slowly because, as usual, I have too many books going at one time! But I came across a few things that made me stop and think. (His book does that a lot!)

He quotes John Piper from his book called "God Is the Gospel":

"The critical question for our generation-and for every generation-is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?"

Francis Chan talks about his Grandma Clara who was "madly in love" with Jesus. He said, "Every morning Clara would kneel by her bed and spend precious hours with her Savior and Lover; later in the day, just the sight of that corner of her bed would bring joy-filled tears and a deep anticipation of the next morning spent kneeling in His presence."

The chapter begins with this prayer:

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long." A.W. Tozer-The Pursuit of God

This is certainly something I need to pray about and work on. Living in this world can really dull our senses and take our eyes off of the One who means everything.

Shalom...

How many times do you get to see a meteorite in "person"?

2010-04-15T10:40:00.005-05:00

I'm sure you saw it on the news this morning, but I watched it last night as I was sitting in my favorite living room chair. It was about 10 p.m. when a ball of light caught my attention through the living room window. Our window faces south so this fireball was gliding slowly from west to east (right to left from my perspective). It was blueish colored at the top of its arc and turned orange as it got lower. It was so COOL to watch. My hubby was sitting at the computer and I said, "Oh my gosh! Look at that!" By the time my comment registered with him it was too late for him to get to the window. We were concerned, at first, that we might have witnessed a plane crash, but we didn't hear an impact, so we came to the conclusion that it was a meteor. He had a great time teasing me about it being a dream, but I was vindicated this morning when it was headlining the news!

As I lay in bed this morning I could hear the news on TV and as I heard this news story I said, "AHA!!" My hubby, in the living room, just chuckled.

This video must be filmed quite a bit south of our position because the meteor goes from left to right, so they must be filming looking north. Anyway, super-cool! Thanks, Lord, for that wondrous experience!

Due to ANOTHER computer virus...

2010-04-09T10:45:00.002-05:00

I'll be offline for a while, other than the occasional trip to the library to use their computer.

Be back as soon as we get this figured out! ;0)

Crazy Love, worry and stress...

2010-04-04T17:40:00.004-05:00

I just started reading "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chan and was struck by this paragraph:

"Basically, these two behaviors (worry and stress) communicate that it's okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we've been forgiven, that our lives are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small, indeed.

Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?"

Just a little taste to whet your appetite. You'll have to get the book and find out what happens next! =0)

2010-04-02T22:00:00.001-05:00

2010-04-02T21:56:00.002-05:00

John Bunyan by Kevin Belmonte

2010-04-01T14:45:00.002-05:00

As a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishers I recently finished reading John Bunyan by Kevin Belmonte. I found this little 142 page book (not counting appendixes) hard to put down. Having read Pilgrim's Progress many years ago I was curious to know more about the life of its author. Mr. Belmonte did a fine job of taking me back to England in the years between Bunyan's birth in 1628 and his death in 1688. He paints a vivid picture of Bunyan's childhood influences, his growing up and his life as an adult who is jailed for many years as a dissenter. A lot of English history is compressed between the covers of this little book and it is not dry reading. It captures much of what shaped John Bunyan's character as he grew and as his life was transformed by his encounters with the Son of God who would become his Savior. The book is sprinkled generously throughout with quotes of famous men who were influenced by Bunyan's writings; men such as G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Brown and many others. Later authors whose writings held references to or seemed to be influenced by his writings would include George Eliot, Jane Austen, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Samuel Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. With the insights provided by this biography I am inspired to re-read Pilgrim's Progress. I know I will see it with new eyes.

Movie day...so far!

2010-04-01T10:53:00.002-05:00

It's a lazy day off. I've watched "Monsters, Inc." and now I'm watching "84 Charing Cross Road" for the umpteenth time! Maybe later I'll go outside and do some yard work! I also want to do a little reading. I'm reading a bio of John Bunyan right now that I'm really enjoying and I want to get to "Crazy Love" which my son Jordan loaned to me.

Have a great day!

A fun stitching project!

2010-03-27T21:40:00.006-05:00

While checking out Jody's Gumbo Lily blog I saw that she was stitching tiny little samplers she calls itibits.

Looking over her recent blogs I found that she had gotten the idea from a blog called "39 Squares". It's such a cute project for practicing various embroidery stitches, I thought I would share it. One more thing I'd love to do, but probably won't get around to! LOL! Find out more here...

39 Squares

Learning about history a la Agatha Christie...

2010-03-27T21:00:00.004-05:00

I was reading Agatha Christie's autobiography and found it fascinating to learn about her "school" life. She was mostly taught at home by her mom and later went to a couple of unique boarding schools. She mentions that one of the things she enjoyed was learning history by reading a book called "The Great Events of History". It begins with the crucifixion, which I thought was a very good place to begin. I found it on Google Books and thought some of you might enjoy looking at it.

Great Events of History

I look forward to reading this! =0)

I'm also reading a biography of John Bunyan and found a couple of very old books he read online. (Well, HE didn't read them online. They're AVAILABLE to read online.) =0/ This biography by Kevin Belmonte is intriguing to me because I'm kind of an Anglophile (look it up, hee, hee) and it is written in a very non-highbrow style. Interesting details.

I've been having a good Saturday off. A nice mixture of cooking, reading, Bible study and working outside. (Bringing in firewood, yard cleaning and trimming goat hooves!)

Have a great weekend!

Faithfulness Farms Giveaway!

2010-03-23T20:45:00.005-05:00

Gail, over at the Faithfulness Farms blog, is celebrating her 100th blog post by having a giveaway! All you have to do is post a comment, become a follower and mention her contest on your blog to enter! (Hey, that's what I just did!)

The prizes are:

Click on the old barn logo below to enter:

Wildlife extravaganza...

2010-03-22T22:14:00.003-05:00

Here is an interesting look at the life of a barn owl named Molly. She's sitting in her nest box and we can watch what happens! Click here to watch her.

In other wildlife news, I went outside earlier to check on our dogs and to find out why they're all barking. I heard a really weird high pitched yapping in the back pasture. Training my flashlight beam in the general direction of the sound I saw two glowing eyeballs. A fox? I think so. He sure was noisy! He didn't seem the least bit scared of me and just kept on yapping. I can see why the dogs would bark. Heck, I'D bark if I was a dog. =0)

Yea, Spring!

2010-03-20T22:31:00.002-05:00

It's kind of a pardoxical first day of spring. It started out at 12 degrees this morning and only made it up into the low 30's. At least the snow has all melted.

Jordan, Josh and Jess have been here for the last week visiting. They drove up from Ft. Worth and we were so glad to get to visit and give them a few hugs. It's a long way from Texas to Minnesota, so visits are pretty precious. On Friday, their last day here, we had a small pizza party/baby shower. Quite a few friends showed up and it was fun with pizza, treats and lots of dodge ball and Apples to Apples being played by all ages. Josh and Jess got many nice gifts for the baby expected in late July.

The paradox I mentioned in the first paragraph is that the kids left here this morning with no snow in sight and are now spending the night in Kansas where it's snowing like crazy! Our sons are experienced at driving in snow, so all should go well. Of course, we pray for them constantly. (And all of our kids!)

With the coming of spring (at least according to the calendar) I'm looking forward to planting a small garden. Maybe just a few rows of corn, some tomatoes, zucchini, (not a lot...I still have pureed zucchini in the freezer) and lettuce. I'll have to give some thought to what else I might grow. I'm realizing that I'm not into canning and don't have room for lots of frozen veggies, so I'll mostly grow things to eat fresh.

Another project is cleaning up the yard and outbuildings. We're hoping to work at this a little at a time over the summer. As we get older this gets to be more of a challenge! But it would be nice to see things cleaned up!

Time to stoke up the woodstove and go to bed.

Vaya con dios!

First walk of the spring!

2010-03-14T15:42:00.002-05:00

I suddenly realized this morning that I can go walking! All the snow has melted from the streets and the walking trail. It's kind of brown, muddy and uninspiring out there, but I think I need the fresh air and quiet. This has traditionally been a good time for praying and meditating since our house is small and it's difficult to find a quiet place. I really need the exercise after doing very little of that over the winter! Gotta shed those winter pounds!

I walked a little over 2 miles, which is enough for the first time out. Maybe I'll get around to doing a short stretching routine later.

Our son Josh and his wife Jess, plus our son Jordan have all been living in Ft. Worth. As of this morning they're headed this way for a visit. They're driving, so it'll be late tomorrow, I expect, before they get here. Looking forward to seeing them and giving them a big hug!

Shalom...

Funny!

2010-03-13T10:18:00.000-06:00

"Dangerous With a Pen" Contest!

2010-03-03T14:43:00.002-06:00

Follow Lindsey's progress as she writes her first book. Then enter her contest here>>>
Dangerous With a Pen Contest

I guess I'm into biographies and memoirs these days!

2010-03-03T13:28:00.003-06:00

It seems like I've got a lot of bios and memoirs either on my bookshelves at home or on my reminder list at PaperBackSwap! I enjoy reading about others' lives. The exception is the book I'm waiting for in the mail called "In Fairyland" by Andrew Lang. Really! It's an old children's book and I also collect those when the illustrations are really good. It's my version of an art collection, I guess.

Among the bios I've already read are:
One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty
Agatha Christie-An Autobiography
The Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Bill Peet: An Autobiography (A favorite children's book illustrator.)
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
Myriam Mendilow-Mother of Jerusalem by Barry Cytron
Ben Israel by Art Katz

Those I'm looking forward to reading:
E.B. White-Some Writer! by Beverly Gherman
J.R.R. Tolkien by Tom Shippey
Roughing It by Mark Twain
Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir by Bob Smith
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
Through the Burning Steppe: A Wartime Memoir by Elena Kozhina
We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust by Jacob Boas
The Biography of Hudson Taylor by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor

I'm home from work because of a strained neck muscle, so I should be able to do some reading! What luxury! =0)

Paperbackswap and what I'm reading...

2010-03-01T09:50:00.003-06:00

Had a little virus scare thanks to PBS, but I'm back online. Glad we had an old backup computer! Later I'll try to fix the infected one.

Speaking of PBS, I was just there on the community boards talking about my latest reads and thought maybe I'd post about them here, too.

I've been reading "Breaking Intimidation" by John Bevere for a while now, working my way through it slowly. This is something I really think I needed to read. He teaches about a spirit of intimidation which prevents us from operating in the gifts that God has put in us. What I've thought of as "being shy" I'm looking at with new eyes after reading this. I really recommend this for those struggling with that feeling of intimidation that tells you that you can't do something that you really feel God is leading you to do with your life.

I'm also re-reading "Fearless" by Max Lucado. I love his style of writing and the way he has so much fun with words, even when dealing with a serious topic like fear. There were a lot of "light-bulb moments" for me when reading this the first time, and I'm seeing even more the second time around.

My third book is "Agatha Christie: An Autobiography". I figured she would be a fascinating person to read about, and the book has been interesting, but I'm looking forward to reading about her adulthood. Her childhood has started to drag on, but she is getting older as I read, so I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, LOL! She says many wise things including this on contentment:

"It is astonishing how much you can enjoy almost everything. There are few things more desirable than to be an accepter and an enjoyer. You can like and enjoy almost any kind of food or way of life. You can enjoy country life, dogs, muddy walks, towns, noise, people, clatter. In the one there is repose, ease for nerves, time for reading, knitting, embroidery, and the pleasure of growing things; in the other theatres, art galleries, good concerts, and seeing friends you would otherwise seldom see. I am happy to say that I can enjoy almost everything."

Amen to that! We're beginning to see some signs of spring here in northern Minnnesota, such as temps in the 30's. Everything is still snow-covered, but it looks like we've weathered the coldest part of winter.

Shalom and have a great day!