Friday, January 30, 2009

i absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day!!!

this is a little valentine i created while on my way to Iowa....well...i created it in a hotel room while my hubby was watching the Steeler game...yes...i AM a fan...however, the only thing i understand fully about football is a touchdown....so while i was close by to catch the touchdowns...the rest of it is a blur...all i know is, they WON... woo hoo...i mean it...seriously...woo hoo....i really DO care, honestly....well anyway...i had purchased a $70.00 set of artist chalks for $15.oo at Michaels before leaving(one end of the wooden case had broken off...everything else was perfect...now that is a REAL WOO HOO)...and was dying to try them out...and this little valentine girl is what came out of that experience!!!!! i know, i know...it is way too early....but seriously...right as soon as Christmas is over...all i have in my head is VALENTINE'S!!!!!!.............. so this little chick of a valentine is for YOU, my beloved blogger buddies!!!!!!!!.........this is only the FIRST one...i gurantee there will be more!!!!!!!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

I'm Baaaaaack!!!!

i am back from the frost-bitten, arctic, blustery midwest!!! and would you believe we DROVE????? we took our trusty lil Ford truck with 4 wheel drive...and my very confident truck driver...the hubs......never batted an eyelash....but I DID!!!!.......he is a little "over" confident....and THAT is what worries me....but of course he and i are NOT on the same page on that subject!!! to him it is a delirious challenge to maneuver thru the beating and sleeting snow and tackling snow drift after snow drift.......all the while my knuckles are blue from hanging on for dear life!!!!! it especially is a "sensation" when i actually hear and FEEL the tires leave the ground and make that little "whisk" noise....oh boy...and that happened several times!!!

the first day of traveling we, of course, ran into a snow storm from Illinois and on......finally after fighting it...we decided to stop.......of course...the Steelers were playing (and won btw...).....that DID help to make Larry's decision....so the next morning when we got back onto the interstate, within 30 minutes i counted over 25 cars and trucks and semis in the ditch, many turned on their tops...some were literally shredded......uh......thank you GOD for the sense to stop....altogether there were over 40 accidents along the way.......

we had a wonderful time with my Mom and Dad......my Dad has an amazing spirit...one of determination...aka...stubborn....one of strong will...aka....made of STEEL...one of delightful humor...aka...a comedian for sure......as we spent our days there he seemed to improve each day in strength...and even got quite obnoxious....in a good sort of way...one in which is known to be quite common...like his old self!!!! my mom and i, on one particular day...looked at each other and said loudly..."he's baaaaack"!!!......he was full of it that day....
my Mom is his wonderful care giver and there is nothing she does not do....she has always "babied" him, and of course he loves it...but now she does so much more...they have a wood burning furnace which needs tending to constantly...and it is hard MAN kind of work, but guess who does it? my MOM , of course! she is constantly getting his food ready...his medicines together....and seems to rarely rest......

man, i am a WIMP compared to them...NK!

and let me tell you.....keeping up with their Dr. appts. and in home nursing care is like juggling 100 balls at once....oh my!.....it made me dizzy!!!!

it was a wonderful week, full of love and laughter...and well...Dr. appts.......

the snow was gloriously beautiful...even tho it froze every orifice in my body......here are some pics on a FROSTY morning....



we made a stop in DesMoines where we have the dearest friends on earth...tho we did not see ALL of them, we saw a few and we had wonderful fellowship!

we ended our stay with breakfast at the ever so famous Iowa Machine Shed Restaurant! yummy.... here are a few pics from there:

Friday, January 16, 2009



please read this wonderful devotional from Joe Stowell....what a blessing and such a good reminder that the least of us can be used of God in such powerful ways...i love the maid who prayed for the success of her employers, and prayed for the baby who was sick to live..and God granted that prayer..which led to the salvation of the father ......



This Little Light of Mine
“You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before men.” Matthew 5:14-16
I have a lot of favorite stories, but this one has to rank near the top. My friend Paul Eshleman is the founder of the Jesus Film Project, which arguably has been the most important evangelistic outreach of the last 50 years—perhaps in the history of the church.
When Paul was strategizing how to market the film globally, he got an audience with the marketing group of a major Hollywood media conglomerate to get their advice.
The meeting provided the impetus for the international launch of the film. In fact, as of today the Jesus Film has been translated into over a thousand different languages and millions have come to know Christ as their Savior. But as significant as the extraordinary outcomes have been, God had an additional plan for that meeting in Hollywood. The marketing executive who chaired the meeting pulled Paul aside afterward and asked, “Could I talk to you for a minute?”
They went into his office and the executive began his story. “My wife and I had a child that was deathly ill. One day as I was walking down the hall, I noticed through the crack in my maid’s door that my maid was on her knees. Later I asked her, ‘Are you okay?’”
“‘I’m fine,’ she said, ‘Why do you ask?’”
“‘Well, I saw you on your knees in your room.’”
“‘Oh, I was praying,’ she replied. ‘Every day since your baby took ill I have been praying that God will heal your child. In fact, when I came here to work I started praying every day that when you and your wife leave and go out to work that you would be successful and that God will prosper you.’”
The executive explained to Paul, “After that we brought her down to the front door every morning to pronounce a benediction on us when we left. And more importantly, thanks to our maid’s prayers, our baby recovered.”
“And then,” he continued, “not long after that my wife was diagnosed with what looked like incurable cancer. One night, as she lay in the hospital, I was deeply troubled and decided to walk down the street to our synagogue hoping to talk to my rabbi. But it was bingo night so I kept walking. A couple blocks later I noticed a church with the front doors open.”
“When I walked in, the pastor said, ‘Can I help you?’ and I poured out my heart to him. He put his arms around me and prayed for me.”
“The next day I went to the hospital and my doctor said, ‘I thought you were Jewish.’”
“I am Jewish!”
“‘Well if you’re Jewish, then what was that pastor doing here all night sitting next to your wife’s bedside ministering to her?’”
The executive concluded the conversation by saying: “Paul, last week our maid died and I have nobody to get me to God. Can you help me?” And before Paul left, that executive was on his knees asking Christ into his heart.
Don’t miss the heroes of the story—three people who lit up Hollywood with far brighter lights than those on the silver screen: a praying maid, a compassionate pastor, and my friend Paul who had the privilege of turning on the light of Jesus in a Jewish executive’s heart.
And don’t miss the point of the story—you and I, regardless of our station in life, can be lights for Jesus by taking every opportunity to faithfully bring the love of Jesus to those who need it most!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

guess what they taught in 1892???

these two pictures are calendar parts from an 1892 calendar, advertising EMULSION!!!...whatever THAT is.....i think it might be cod liver oil......anyway.......you HAVE to click on the calendar so it will enlarge and read it!!! what a hoot!!! i think i LIKE the teachings of 1892.......DO NOT BE THIN!!!!!.....HAVING FAT IS HEALTHY!!!........my, my, my, how times do change!!!!!!

this is one of MANY of the wonderful little "treasures" i reaped from cleaning out my mother-in-law's stashes!!! more to come as i have time!!!

btw...SCROFULA???? are you kidding me????....oh my goodness!!! has anyone on this earth EVER heard that term??? i have heard the term consumption...but NOT SCROFULA!!! it sounds like a naughty word if you ask me!

lookie!!! Scott's Emulsion is still in business!!!!! Holy Cow!.....does that mean we REALLY shouldn't be thin???????????

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

"vintageness"










so, you know i LOVE vintage....here are some lovely vintage images, just to provide some eye candy for you.......before i make an announcement i have been dreading to make......


























i have been dreading this announcement all day.....but have had to come to a decision today..........because of REAL LIFE , i have had to come to the conclusion that my little Etsy shop is NOT going to happen this month, and probably not next month.........and WHO KNOWS???......i am not giving up by any means.......and honestly, if i can possibly work it in.....i am still going to do a giveaway...i know just what i have been planning to do and am really excited to get it done......but alas, for now........it will not happen this week or next, certainly.
to enlighten you ...Larry and i each have a parent who is critically ill....my Dad has a terribly diseased heart and it is causing him such sickness, in fact , yesterday he was taken to the hospital via an ambulance because it was in the middle of a snow storm (in IOWA).......thankfully he made it safely there and has been undergoing tests and evaluation for a continuing declining heart condition.. now he is experiencing added problems to top the already expansive and devastating list of ailments.........
at the same time, my husband's mother , who has been in a nursing home for several years, has had pneumonia for the 2nd time in just a few months and is battling much difficulty concerning that, having trouble with breathing and eating and choking.......she is basically immobile because she cannot walk and can barely move, due to a stroke........which only adds to the pneumonia troubles.......neither can she speak understandable words....tho she tries so hard.....it is so very sad and so extremely heart breaking......she has had such a good spirit most of the time, but we are told her spirit is down, as well...who in the world could blame her???
needless to say......we have imminent family issues to deal with and we will be traveling to both parents...one in Iowa and one in Pennsylvania......
with so much on our plate, i cannot commit to something that i really need to devote time and energy into......
but don't give up on me, fellow bloggers!!!
I SHALL RETURN!!!......
i certainly hope to be blogging as much as possible,
it is therapy for me! ;-)
God's timing is best in any and ALL situations.......so i must yield to His will and timing for us right now!







Friday, January 9, 2009

let's talk about a clean start!

ok, so....i finally got ALL of Christmas down...well, i DID leave up a couple snowmen and a bowl of pinecones, after ALL...it is still winter, tho here in the South, it doesn't feel like a true winter...you know, without all the storms, ice, power outages, sidewalk shoveling...slipping on the ice, breaking bones from the fall.....no slush in the streets.....no heavy coats, boots, scarves, mittens.......hmmmmmm.....i don't know if i really miss all that or NOT!!!....maybe NOT!!!......i do, however, miss the beauty of the snow and the icicles and the clear blue winter skies of the midwest! having said all that.....every Jan. always brings for most everyone a feeling of "newness" or refreshment, or maybe a time to start over and to do better......well, i haven't really had that feeling until yesterday, when i had my first opportunity to take Christmas down, tho it saddened me....i was especially fond of my tree this year..... i love the warmth and coziness it brings to our little townhouse....but in the same breath....i love taking it down and neatly (or not ?) putting it away for another year.....and the feeling of freshness and cleaning up the debris from a leftover, albeit wonderful Christmas....tho my house looks a little bare.......it is a look i like......a cleaned up look, a fresh look.....maybe even a look that is READY for something NEW!!!.......like new paint color......or maybe new pictures....or maybe a different arrangement....i know you understand, huh? us womenfolk seem to need to change and "add" new accessories......and for me, in particular, doing so is really a delightful and joyous thing! can i get a witness???
along with this feeling of a fresh start also comes the dreaded elephant in the room problem...the number ONE resolution...LOSING WEIGHT...ugh......i hate the word, i hate the thought, i hate the process, i hate talking about it, i hate people who OBSESS over it, i hate it when you sit down to a wonderful meal and someone reminds you how many calories is in the dish that you just HEAPED your plate full of.......yeah, you know what i mean.......but nevertheless......the elephant can't be ignored......and MANY of us need to do it......ugh again.......and i am NO exception......
i will tell you, one good thing about being OLD (in body, not mind and spirit) is that i NO longer wish to be thin....(not that i ever WAs.....ha ha)...but i DO want to be HEALTHY.....so along with that wish MUST come some weight loss......
Larry and i have resolved to "work" on this problem.....we started slowly before Christmas.....pretty much fell off the wagon during Christmas.....but not too bad......and now we are back ON the proverbial wagon....we are just trying to be sensible....you know.......less carbs.....less calories....good choices......less sugar......more water.....more fiber......etc.
what we lack is EXCERCISE......oh my goodness.....i hate it.....i HATE to sweat.....but i am going to try to walk......i know it is a good start.....so wish me luck.....
well i have touched on the "biggies".....now what about a fresh relationship with Christ??
just like i am ready for something new in my living room.....i am ready for the Lord to show me something new, something fresh....
i desire that so much and will be amending my devotional time this year, that i may grow in Christ....how bout YOU?
lastly, i am going to insert some great words from one of my fave author's....Max Lucado.....
Happy Fresh Start to each of you!

Love God more than you fear hell
Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.
Make major decisions in a cemetery
When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
Succeed at home first
Don't spend tomorrow's money today
Pray twice as much as you fret.
Listen twice as much as you speak
Only harbor a grudge when God does.
Never outgrow your love of sunsets
Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some
'Tis wiser to err on the side of generosity than on the side of scrutiny
God has forgiven you; you'd be wise to do the same.
When you can't trace God's hand, trust his heart
Toot your own horn and the notes will be flat
Don't feel guilty for God's goodness.
The book of life is lived in chapters, so know your page number
Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.
Live your liturgy.

To sum it all up:Approach life like a voyage on a schooner. Enjoy the view. Explore the vessel. Make friends with the captain. Fish a little. And then get off when you get home.
the following is from Our Daily Bread:

What if you were to ask God what He wants you to change, improve, or begin this year? He might tell you to:
* Demonstrate more of the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).
* “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who . . . persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
* “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
* “Be content with such things as you have” (Heb. 13:5).
* “Walk according to His commandments” (2 John 1:6).
As believers and new creations, we can be free from old patterns and failures. We must ask God to help us live each day in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then we can shed the old and embrace the new (2 Cor. 5:17). —Cindy Hess Kasper
How can we live to please the Lord?By knowing what He says to doAnd trusting in the Spirit’s strengthTo make us into someone new. —Sper
Resolutions are easier to keep when you rely on God.

Monday, January 5, 2009

my Hopie/Buster overnite experience

Hope and her new puppy and dearest PAL, Buster Jolly Hixson came to our house Sunday after church!!!......we had so much fun! i was quite worried how our VERY grumpy and DOG HATER-DOG, Simba, would accept little Buster...and well, let's just say...HE DIDN'T!...no surprise...he is anti-dog social...well...anti anything and anybody social.....suffice it to say.......HE HAS ISSUES...VERY unresolved issues...a dog shrink would have to go to a people shrink, just trying to get over any attempt to "fix" our very NON-FIXABLE dog!.....he is a Shiba Inu....need i say more????....however, HE is a Shiba-Inu times 100,00 mentally disturbed Shiba Inu's!!! SERIOUSLY


well.....of course he acted just as i expected.....of course Buster wanted to play and i think he loved seeing a dog quite his own heighth.....but one big GROWL and warning from mr. grumpy and Buster knew there would not soon be a friendship there! actually i was VERY impressed with Buster......most puppies, in their darling stage of innocence and extreme desire to play, would FORCE themselves on someone like Simba....but Buster took the hint...RIGHT away!!!....what a smart, smart little grandog he is!!!

well, we had a GRAND time.....and i absolutely fell head over heels in love with that dog......he even slept with me!...Larry left early for work this morning and after i took Buster POTTY at 5 in the morning...ahem!....(not my cup a tea, i gotta tell ya)........i put him in bed with me.....and the little darlin curled up safe and sound with his head on LARRY'S pillow!!!!! LOL!!!.......uh.....i know another grandog who did that one night....WITH Larry in the bed!!!....that story is waaaay back in the archives of my blog..... of course i will have the sheets clean for you know who, when he gets home......EVEN tho Buster is non-allergenic...or so they say!!!!

of course Hopie and i primarily worked on little art projects, interspersed with the watching of Cheaper by the Dozen 2....which we have viewed together 892 times...at least!!!......and of course we chased and played with Buster, NON stop!!!!

and Simba?......well......he pouted in the corners.....i KNOW he really wants to play......he just can't "give in" to that inner self ......of being a nice and pleasant doggie!!!

(nap time on the hearth)


(chewing on a bone almost as big as he is)

(what a DOLL)

Friday, January 2, 2009

remember this project?

this image was the original one i posted before Christmas, telling you i was going to attempt this little guy to serve my family on Christmas Eve.........wellllll..............i did....and mine....looked like.......... this: !!!!!!!!!.........uh, not so close.....ugh..........
here the little creatures are, nesting in my freezer, waiting to be eaten alive......

but let me tell you..........it LOOKS easy............and guess what???? it WAS NOT!!!!!...........of course i am not very patient with small details like this........but every time i would place the eyes, nose, tie , arms, buttons ON the dear little creature and ever so carefully place them in the freezer.......by the time i opened the freezer for the next one.......everything had slidden off the snowman!!!!!...........uh, not so fun! so i had to fuss with them a LOT.....but of course they brought squeeeeels of delight for about a 1/8 of a nano second from the grands......so that made it worthwhile...........would i do it again??? ..........
well, NO

i did a kick out of when i posted it before Christmas...i got a comment from the BLUE BUNNY MAN!!! no kidding!!! how funny is that??? go down my column and see for yourself! if you click on his name it will take you to a very cute Blue Bunny Ad.........and i will say......the homemade vanilla ice cream from them is wunnerful!!!(maybe he will comment again, since i have posted the picture again....lol......hmmmm......so does that mean that all the "art" i copy and paste off different sites can be tracked back to me????...yikes)