Gardening

Spring Has Sprung!

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Well, I did it! I finally made it out to the yard, to do some much needed trimming. With the help of our son-in-law, son and daughter, the hedge is trimmed. That is a big accomplishment for me…something that has been wearing on me for about a year now. The birds were a bit distressed for a couple of hours, since that hedge is their home, but they settled down again with the help of some quiet time, and a bird feeder filled to the brim.

I know many of you are thinking, “Trim the hedge, what’s the big deal?” The problem with this hedge is that it grows very quickly. I love that aspect of it, and it was the reason I decided on that hedge. But you have to keep on top of it, or you have trees before long. Our hedge was very tall and I loved it for the privacy, but it was getting a bit scary as well. When you have to trim with a chain saw…it is out of control. Now it is a bit short, but when the leaves fill out, it will be lovely.

The picture at the top is of our magnolia in the backyard. It is pretty right now, all blossomed. I liked the view of the trellis in the background. Come late summer, that trellis will be filled with grapes. You can just make out our garden beyond that. It used to be fairly big, but this year, it may be about half. I did notice a couple rhubarb poking out of the soil…so a few survived the trauma of a few weeks ago. Lesson learned…don’t ask your husband to till the garden when you are in writing. Plants like rhubarb and horseradish, that are not obvious in the early spring, may not survive the helpful husband.

So, with a sigh of relief and a few sore muscles, I write this post. I still have some raking to do and a bit more yard clean-up, but the worse is over. And as I said, it will be lovely in a month or so.

Spring Daffodils
Fountain Fish Pond
Gardening

Spring Is In the Air!

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And I am not ready for it! As I look out my back door, watching the cardinals, (three or four pairs at last count), and the other little birds at our feeder, I groan. My daffodils, tulips and crocus are all coming up, and even my rose bushes are putting on leaves. The magnolia in the backyard is ready to burst with flowers…and I sigh.

Yes, I do love this time of year and I LOVE watching all of the above take place. It is life renewing, and all is fresh and young. It is an exciting time of year…but I am NOT ready for it! The weather here in Kansas has been gorgeous the past week or so and it is holding. Every day in the 70’s, bright sunshine and birds singing.

Usually this time of year, you can’t stop me from being outside and working in the yard. I couldn’t wait to get my hands into the cool soil and start planting. I usually had orders lined up with shrubs and roses waiting to be put into the earth. I purposely planted the hedge of Siberian elm because I wanted a sanctuary for cardinals…and it worked. First there was a very faithful pair and now there are several. They arrive each spring and take up residence in the elm hedge…and I am thrilled. I have planted many things in the yard for certain reasons, to attract little creatures and grandchildren. The grapes on the arbor outside the garden are a popular spot in late summer when the grapes are ripe. Grandma’s yard is snack time…and I love it! I don’t know how well my rhubarb and horseradish will do this year…but that is another post!

Spring has come upon us in a hurry this March. And I am not ready for it! The yard beckons to be raked…again. Roses need to be trimmed, shrubs cut back, and new green sprouts uncovered from their blanket of dead leaves. My little pond needs a good cleaning so that it will be ready for another summer home for lucky goldfish. Usually spring comes with a burst of energy for me…and this year I am not feeling it. Maybe it’s because it IS early…I am a little afraid of some really cold weather still in our future that will do some damage to the excited sprouts of green in our yard.

So, I will be praying for excitement and energy to complete the tasks at hand. Say hello to the little guy in the picture at the top. This is from 2009, one of the baby cardinals of three that year. He was just learning to fly and he spent the day on our trailer in the backyard. It might be just hoping on my part…I don’t know how long cardinals live. But I like to think he is one of the beautiful, plump ones at our feeder everyday, watching from the Siberian elm hedge. His little body a bright splash of red against the bare branches of the olive hedge. Happy spring to all!

Our Christian Walk

Wise Use of Time

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I was just talking with a dear friend on the phone, sharing prayer needs in our lives. It is easy to become burdened with all the ‘stuff’ that is happening in this world today…but when a friend is hurting, it is even more close to home. We will never understand why certain tests are allowed in this life, not this side of heaven. So many things happen that I do not understand, and I can become very frustrated with them. Examples of this:

Why are so many children abused, neglected and just thrown away in this world today? Don’t people understand that they are a gift from God?

Why do some people seem to just be knocked down time after time? One kind of testing, or affliction is hitting them continually, never seeming to give a break. Cancer, financial problems, relationships with others.

Why are people so angry and full of hate? Trying to attack anywhere and anyway they can? Don’t they understand that they are loved with an unconditional love…with mercy and grace bestowed upon them?

My list could go on and on with all that I want answers for…but the bottom line is that we do not live in a perfect world and we are not perfect people. Where people are, sin abounds, and it affects us all on some level. If concentrated on, this could be a very depressing way of looking at life.

When the phone conversation was finished, this song, sung by Joey Feek, was on FaceBook. Many of you know that she passed away on Friday, of cancer. The words are difficult to listen to, knowing that she is gone, but I personally think she lived her life, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

 

This made me think about my own life. Have I lived my life is such a way, that I have accomplished the tasks that I was given? Have I been a good testimony, have I raised my children as unto the Lord, have I been a good steward of what I have? When I was younger, I always thought I had plenty of time to work on all those listed items. Now that I am older, I don’t have so much time anymore…and that’s a bit scary.

So, instead of concentrating on all that’s bad, reliving all the wrongs done, I want to accomplish the life God would have me to live. That means I need to abide in Him, continually and always. No, all the wrongs in this world today will not go away or magically become better. But my prayer life will become deeper, my actions will be more of a testimony…and that has the ability to change my little small corner. What are you doing with the time you have been given?

 

 

Writing

Yippee!!!

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I am so excited…that I just had to share it with all of you!!! My friend, Julia Ryan, who did the cover for To Thee I’m Wed, just sent me her designs for the Rubyville series. They are absolutely gorgeous! I can’t wait to see them in actual book format! Thank you again, Julia for doing such a fantastic job! You can check out her site right here:

Julia Ryan | http://www.DesignByJulia.com

Writing

Want to Be a Successful Writer? Ten Ways to GO PRO!

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The post below is from Author Kristen Lamb’s blog. This post will definitely be more for the writers/editors out there, but I wanted to share it because there is SO much great information. All of us need a kick in the pants every now and then…to motivate, direct and know that there are others behind us. It works wonders. Thank you, Kristen for some great ‘kick in the pants’ posts! Enjoy…

But saying we want to go PRO is easier than knowing what one actually looks like. To be blunt, there are far more people “playing writer” than “going pro.” Even those of us …

Source: Want to Be a Successful Writer? Ten Ways to GO PRO!

Our Christian Walk

Joey and Rory Feek

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Many of you have been following the courageous journey of Joey Feek. I have listened to many of their songs on YouTube, and I have been following Rory’s blog, This Life I Live, scenes from one man’s extraordinary, ordinary life. I would like to give you a link here, but still can’t seem to get that to work. But if you search the title in italics, it will be there to click on. Then you may read about Rory’s life yourself.

All of us have difficult roads to travel, whether it be health concerns, loss of loved ones, money issues. Each of us have been given a particular set of circumstances to deal with while here on this earth. I would just like to share the video below, as a tribute to the way this couple has dealt with the set of circumstances they have been given.

Keep this family in your prayers. Remember the testimony they have had while traveling the journey God gave them, as husband and wife, parents, and their ministry in music. We hurt for them, we don’t understand, but know that God has a purpose in this and I pray for peace in their souls.

A Day to Remember

Wal-Mart Wardrobe

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Some pretty outrageous ‘costumes’ have been circling Facebook for the past few months. Of course we all click on it and see what all the fuss is about. It can be fairly entertaining for a few minutes. The thought always goes through my mind, “Did you pass by a mirror before you left the house and maybe have second thoughts?” This post is in no way written to offend anyone. We all have the right, within legal limits of course, of what we wear. But here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

Even when I was still in high school, I remember people generally wanting to look their best when they went somewhere. You didn’t want to have holes or rips in your clothing, or have stains or food on them. You really did not want to appear as a Hobo. You dressed the best that you could and you generally wanted to look your best when seen in public.

Today, that does not seem to be the case any longer. People go to weddings and funerals in jeans and a t-shirt…and I’m not talking nice ones. So, is it really that difficult to put on something decent before you leave the house?

Think back even fifty years ago. Going out of the house was a special occasion. Even to the grocery store. My grandmother did not leave her house without hose, gloves and a hat. It was required to be seen in public. Most men wore suits for church, weddings and funerals. Every man had a suit, even if dirt poor…and you wanted that because you didn’t want to be seen as well…a Hobo.

Yes, even I have become more sloppy in my dressing over the years. I still do wear a dress or very nice slacks for a wedding or funeral. I consider it an honor to show respect for those people. I can put a little effort into their special day, a little effort and respect into a family’s funeral. And it doesn’t kill me. I may be a little less comfortable for a few hours, but again, think back to the way people dressed one hundred and fifty years ago or so…and I think we will survive.

This post was written today because of my thoughts on Easter, which is coming early this year. For many of us in my generation, Easter Sunday was the day you debuted new spring clothes. It was a big thing at our house to see what we would purchase for  Easter Sunday. And yes, my sister and I did wear fancy dresses, hats and gloves. And I loved it!

Kreston, Jennifer, and me, Easter 1971

This picture is one of my favorite and I hope my brother and sister don’t mind me sharing it on here. I am the oldest and I was around four to five years old at the time. I know I had not started school yet.

So, think about it the next time you go to Wal-Mart. Pass by a mirror on your way out the door. Would you really want people seeing you like that?

Our Christian Walk

Happy New Year!

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Yes, I know I am about 57 days late…but did I wish you a ‘Happy New Year’? With the shootings in Hesston, Kansas yesterday…people and their actions have really been on my mind today. We have friends that have family in that area, and it’s pretty close to our little town…more close than is comfortable. People are frustrated, hurt and angry. They are living their lives without hope, and they are striking out. It is difficult to live in a world today that doesn’t seem fair…hard work is generally not rewarded, pay for a job well-done is not heard of anymore. You struggle and struggle and never seem to get ahead. The rich get richer and the poor become destitute. If you dwell on this, it is depressing…and seems as though there is never going to be a way out.

Then I heard this song today. It is not deep, but very simple. And just because we are 57 days into 2016, doesn’t mean I can’t wish you a ‘Happy New Year’…because we still have ten more months to focus on the light and the good. If you are a Believer, your hope is in heaven. If you are not, you can change that. It is all up to you.

Just For Fun!

Winter Again!

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One week of weather in the 60’s and the 70’s and we are all very spoiled! It is lovely to go outside and not break a sweat or have to catch a breath, as the cold air sears your lungs. Today it is in the 30’s again…and yes, I will take that over the year we spent in Duluth, Minnesota.

Duluth is a beautiful city on the shores of Lake Superior. I loved it from the standpoint of that lake. It was just like being on the ocean, where I have always wanted to live. I think I spent almost every day…a part of a day, down at the lake. We lived just a few blocks away, which would not have been impossible to walk.  But with four children trailing behind like little ducks, along a very busy road…just didn’t happen.

You could stand on the shoreline there, and close your eyes, listening to the waves lap at the rocks. Some days the wind would push big waves in, and it was almost like the ocean. The view across the lake was very much like the ocean…water to the horizon. Every once in a while, a huge barge would pass, and the children always thought that was great. We had picnics there, many walks, and sometimes just drove around the little park situated on the shore.

A few days ago, someone shared a video they had made of the ice-stacking on Lake Superior, taken in Duluth. Yes, we did see it in person, while there. It is pretty fantastic and a bit scary. Very loud! This video made me think of our year there, and winter always comes to mind. I usually enjoy winter from the standpoint of cooler weather, the snow is very pretty, and you have a little downtime before the growing season begins again. Our winter in Duluth was a test of my endurance.

It seems as though I would be exaggerating if I said it snowed every day that winter, but it wouldn’t be by much if I did. If it didn’t snow all day, it snowed for part of the day or looked like it was about to snow. We lived in the city and we had to keep our sidewalks clean. The two oldest girls and I pretty much kept a rotation going to keep them clean. If you didn’t do that, you were slinging some pretty heavy stuff! Of course it always snowed on Saturday night. The first few Saturdays, I made sure the van was cleaned off and ready to go so we could leave for church more easily. Sunday morning would arrive, van buried. So, I stopped cleaning it off the night before and just got up early. The drive to church was a challenge as well. Since we lived close to the lake, everything was uphill from there, including our church. Clear roads…no such thing. They were snow-packed the entire winter, which, if you had good tires, made it a little easier to get around. Now, if you noticed, I said ‘I’ a lot in that past paragraph. If my husband had been home that winter, he would have at least cleaned off the van in the mornings for church and shoveled a path to it. But he worked for JB Hunt that winter, out of Missouri. He wasn’t home a lot for all the fun.

So, when I think of winter, Duluth comes to mind. Spring doesn’t happen until about June, when the ice is finally gone from all the lakes. So, I will take the thirty degree weather we are having now. A little snow storm wouldn’t be unwelcome either. You know, to just get a bit of a feel before spring and summer begin. But, if you get a chance, watch the video below. The ice-stacking is pretty fantastic!

Our Christian Walk

What would you do with a few million?

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Probably rush right out and spend it, just as the statistics say most people do. But isn’t it fun to dream just a bit? It is tax time again. For many years it was almost like Christmas for us. With five children and me not working during those years, every spring was a chance to get everything caught up. I remember many years ago, a friend had commented on that time of year not being so wonderful for them because they no longer had any children at home, and they usually had to pay every spring.  That reality has become more clear to us.

So, what would I do with a few million? As I get older, it isn’t as much about all the ‘things’ I would purchase as it is about being comfortable and helping others. I would certainly make sure we were debt free…no house payments, car payments or credit cards to worry about. We would have a house that was comfortable and met our needs without being over the top. A huge criteria would be land, for lots of room. A couple vehicles in good running order would be great. And then the rest would be to help others, our children first in line.

green-meadow-with-mountains-in-background-190x190A view like this one would be great, add some water in the form of a river or lake and I would be all set!

As a parent, you hate to see your children struggle in life. You want to think that they will never have to experience all the rough times that you did. In reality, they probably will…and they will have a whole set of tests that you did not go through. So, what can we do as a parent, or grandparent? Just throw them a few thousand and say “Good Luck, life’s a bummer, but you’ll survive?” Because basically, that is true.

What we can do is, live by example. Teach them to survive difficult times by watching you and the way you handle your own trying tests. Stay patient and calm…and believe me, I’m preaching to myself here! Stay focused on God and His Word. The problems probably won’t go away, but you will get through them. The goal is to come out on the other side with more insight, to have learned a lesson, and become more mature and strong.

Am I there yet? Well, of course not! Any one of my family and friends would say I have a long way to go. But that is life…the journey God has set before us. He does not want us to take the easy way out…hand out the millions. He wants us to survive on the lesser and train our children to do the same. If you have abundance, be thankful for it and use it wisely. Be a testimony to your children and others around you. Nothing we have on this earth is really ‘ours’. We have it for a time…our lifetime, and then it is gone…and it really doesn’t matter anymore. It has been the same before us, and it will be after us. That is a 100% guarantee!  None of us will leave this earth driving our new Ferrari, or our U-Haul packed with our new 70 inch TV, leather couch and vacation home in the Hamptons. It will be just us…leaving the same as we arrived.

orange-clouds-at-sunset-190x190