The weather was so nice this afternoon, I HAD to move my computer outside onto our deck. The shade from the oak trees and the light breeze felt great. Actually, I hoped it would help me break through some writer's block I had been experiencing.
Lately I sit at the computer and want to write, but my mind feels like a fuzzy blur due to some stressful situations and decisions that must be made. But as I sat out here, enjoying the day, I put on some wonderful prayer and praise music from Soaking.net. It has rested me from the inside out.
As I began a story for Chicken Soup for the Do-It-Yourselfer's Soul, my 7 year old granddaughter came out onto the deck and said, Grammy, can I write a story with you.?"
How could I resist such a plea? So she began her "Once Upon A Time" fairytale as I typed away trying to keep up with the "and then's" and dark, dark, dark clouds, bright lights, fairies and even crocodiles.
At one point I had to interrupt her to explain that with a story, things had to get worse before they could get better, so every few paragraphs, she stopped me to ask, "How can we make this scarier, Grammy?"
So the never ending tale continued for an hour, as she dictated one scary event after another for her three princesses and princes who play together. One recurring theme I noticed is the longing of all her characters to make new friends.
They say an author's first "novel" is a baring of the author's heart. Perhaps my little granddaughter is really unveiling her own loneliness since they moved away from their home to come here for a time. So as I write with her, I pray a little of her loneliness will ease and that God will provide them a wonderful new home and place of ministry (her parents are ministers) so she can make lots of new friends.
I do know one thing: her eagerness to share the writing that I love has blessed me today and I am thankful for God's sweet gifts to us through others. Good things do come in seven-year-old packages!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
Avery "Trump"...
Avery is only two, but already he's got the young executive thing down pat.
Yesterday he had me in stitches as he walked around the house with his own cell phone (a discarded phone with battery removed.)
He pretended it rang, flipped open the phone and began to jabber away in totally unintelligible gibberish. After a few words, he paused as though listening to the other party, then began to jabber again. In the middle of his conversation, he said, "yes," very clearly, then went on jabbering. One minute later, he said "goodbye," and closed the phone, only to repeat the whole process several times.
I can only wonder who he was "talking" to and what he was saying, but I really think we'll be in trouble when he learns how to use the real phone. Donald, I think he's got your number...
Yesterday he had me in stitches as he walked around the house with his own cell phone (a discarded phone with battery removed.)
He pretended it rang, flipped open the phone and began to jabber away in totally unintelligible gibberish. After a few words, he paused as though listening to the other party, then began to jabber again. In the middle of his conversation, he said, "yes," very clearly, then went on jabbering. One minute later, he said "goodbye," and closed the phone, only to repeat the whole process several times.
I can only wonder who he was "talking" to and what he was saying, but I really think we'll be in trouble when he learns how to use the real phone. Donald, I think he's got your number...
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Pieces of the Bigger Picture
Several weeks ago, my daughter and her family went with my husband and I to visit his mom and dad. They live about three hours away and they hadn't seen the grand children in a long time.
Mom has severe arthritis and can't do much. She sleeps downstairs and recently had a bathroom put in on the first floor so she didn't have to struggle to climb the stairs. She tries to keep things handy where she can reach them without too much trouble so things have a tendancy to get piled up in the corners and under tables.
The baby was only 11 months old at the time of the visit and had just started walking. As he toddled through the house, he grabbed ahold of a piece of cardboard lying on a card table. Mom had been putting together jigsaw puzzles there and had one partially completed. She used the cardboard to hold the spare pieces while she concentrated on certain areas of the puzzle.
Of course the cardboard tipped, sending all the pieces flying. We picked up as many as we could find among her bags of sewing notions and fabric pieces stacked around the table. Mom called later to tell us she had found a few more pieces, but there were about 5 that were hopelessly lost. She wasn't angry, but made a point to tell us the pieces were gone.
This morning, God reminded of the puzzle incident and gave me of the verse in Romans 8:28
"We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose." (Amplified)
My life is a puzzle right now with changes God is bringing about in my life and church. He reminded me that He is putting all the pieces together - they all fit into His plan though I many not be able to see the finished picture yet, He is in control, even when it feels like all the pieces are spilling onto the floor. Unlike the lost pieces of Mom's puzzle, He knows where each piece is and how it fits into His bigger picture.
Help me to trust You and be obedient Lord, as You fit them together one by one.
Mom has severe arthritis and can't do much. She sleeps downstairs and recently had a bathroom put in on the first floor so she didn't have to struggle to climb the stairs. She tries to keep things handy where she can reach them without too much trouble so things have a tendancy to get piled up in the corners and under tables.
The baby was only 11 months old at the time of the visit and had just started walking. As he toddled through the house, he grabbed ahold of a piece of cardboard lying on a card table. Mom had been putting together jigsaw puzzles there and had one partially completed. She used the cardboard to hold the spare pieces while she concentrated on certain areas of the puzzle.
Of course the cardboard tipped, sending all the pieces flying. We picked up as many as we could find among her bags of sewing notions and fabric pieces stacked around the table. Mom called later to tell us she had found a few more pieces, but there were about 5 that were hopelessly lost. She wasn't angry, but made a point to tell us the pieces were gone.
This morning, God reminded of the puzzle incident and gave me of the verse in Romans 8:28
"We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose." (Amplified)
My life is a puzzle right now with changes God is bringing about in my life and church. He reminded me that He is putting all the pieces together - they all fit into His plan though I many not be able to see the finished picture yet, He is in control, even when it feels like all the pieces are spilling onto the floor. Unlike the lost pieces of Mom's puzzle, He knows where each piece is and how it fits into His bigger picture.
Help me to trust You and be obedient Lord, as You fit them together one by one.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Mmmmmm...Pizza!
In "Other" Words
This week's quote is:
"What used to make us stumble, God can use to make us stand. What once made us bow our heads in shame, He can use for His glory." ~ Joanna Weaver~ Having a Mary Spirit
It never ceases to amaze me how God can take something bland and broken, making it into a staple of life. Yet we serve a Creative God Who takes delight in doing just that. He gives us so many illustrations of His power to bring good out of the hurtful or shameful experiences of our life – just check out the ingredients in your kitchen!
For example, yesterday I purchased a 25 pound bag of flour. Pizza is a staple in my household – especially with 5 children and 6 adults living here right now. I have found it’s much less expensive to make 4 large pizzas than to buy them.
If you ate a mouthful of flour by itself, you’d probably choke on it. It has little taste and the powdery texture would be difficult to manage. Whatever you do, don’t inhale!
The flour started as a stalk of wheat which grew to maturity, then was cut down, beaten to separate the grain from the stalk and pulverized until it became a powdery consistency. Ouch! Been there – hurt by the deliberate acts of others.
By itself, the flour is bland, unappetizing and not really good to eat. When you add some water, oil, sugar, salt and yeast, something happens. It begins to take shape and even grow, though it is still an unappetizing, sticky mass. But it is still a work in progress because it has to be kneaded, left to rest, then pressed, stretched and worked into shape on the pan. (Sometimes I wish it didn't hurt so much when God works on my life!)
Though it’s starting to look more appetizing, the pizza is still not done. It has to be topped with sauce, cheese and any other toppings you choose. Here we do one with mushrooms, one with just cheese, one with pepperoni and the 4th with ham, cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, sausage, broccoli and whatever else we can find.
Once the flour dough has been beaten, stretched and pushed into shape and dressed, it’s ready for the final step in the process. It is the exposure to heat that creates the finished product which blesses and fills each family member.
How thankful I am that God invests His time and energy in me to recreate the hurt and broken parts of my life into something He can use - something appetizing and nourishing for others.
If you would like to join us today – simply share your thoughts about the quote on your blog, then visit: "Joy in the Morning" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.
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Monday, June 4, 2007
Lenora's place...
Driving down the back roads you’ll find them if you look hard enough - those little home storefront businesses which are so much fun to visit and give the community “character.”.
Being in a rural area that has a significant Amish population, we are blessed with several such businesses. Today I took my Daughter and granddaughters to Lenora’s Place. Allissa is from the Triad - Greensboro, Highpoint and Thomasville NC area where she can shop at every store imaginable, so rural Garret County MD is like a culture shock for her.
But I’m working hard to charm her with our community’s out of the way treasures. Lenora’s place is one of them. We waited all week to go because Lenora is only open on Friday and Saturday. We weren’t sure she was even open, except for the little red “open” sign in her window as we pulled up to the white barn-like structure.
The inside of the shop surprised my daughter as she found buttons of every size and color tucked into Ziploc containers, zippers, and quilt fabric in the first room. But she was even more surprised as we trekked into the second room – a large open barn style area full of ends of bolts of tee shirting, quilt fabric, denim, and even a table of black knit socks for 25 cents a pair.
I found a piece of plum color tee shirting material to match Eve’s skirt she made earlier this week for $1 per yard. There was another precut piece of white that I picked up just in case the plum didn’t match well. I even found inexpensive bolts of John Deere fabric to make summer shorts for my 2 year old grandson, Avery, who loves his “turaters.”
But that wasn’t all – there was a third large room full of yarns and cotton threads for weaving cotton carpets. Material wide enough for king sized sheets adorned one table along with other fabric in a large box for $1 per pound. Hand made carpets and comforters were piled helter skelter on another table. Leona used to have real wool along with spinning wheels and knitting machines in that room as well, but she has downsized some.
My daughter will be talking about that shop for some time to come. Hmmm. Next time I think I’ll have to take her to Yoders …
Being in a rural area that has a significant Amish population, we are blessed with several such businesses. Today I took my Daughter and granddaughters to Lenora’s Place. Allissa is from the Triad - Greensboro, Highpoint and Thomasville NC area where she can shop at every store imaginable, so rural Garret County MD is like a culture shock for her.
But I’m working hard to charm her with our community’s out of the way treasures. Lenora’s place is one of them. We waited all week to go because Lenora is only open on Friday and Saturday. We weren’t sure she was even open, except for the little red “open” sign in her window as we pulled up to the white barn-like structure.
The inside of the shop surprised my daughter as she found buttons of every size and color tucked into Ziploc containers, zippers, and quilt fabric in the first room. But she was even more surprised as we trekked into the second room – a large open barn style area full of ends of bolts of tee shirting, quilt fabric, denim, and even a table of black knit socks for 25 cents a pair.
I found a piece of plum color tee shirting material to match Eve’s skirt she made earlier this week for $1 per yard. There was another precut piece of white that I picked up just in case the plum didn’t match well. I even found inexpensive bolts of John Deere fabric to make summer shorts for my 2 year old grandson, Avery, who loves his “turaters.”
But that wasn’t all – there was a third large room full of yarns and cotton threads for weaving cotton carpets. Material wide enough for king sized sheets adorned one table along with other fabric in a large box for $1 per pound. Hand made carpets and comforters were piled helter skelter on another table. Leona used to have real wool along with spinning wheels and knitting machines in that room as well, but she has downsized some.
My daughter will be talking about that shop for some time to come. Hmmm. Next time I think I’ll have to take her to Yoders …
Saturday, June 2, 2007
How to survive the YS season...
Yesterday, for the first time this season, I went "yard saleing." This is a sport I love to participate in each year, though when I was working full time, I didn't have much opportunity. (Now, I don't always have the money! LOL)
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a good sale and come home with lots of items you don't really need, spending far too much money that you don't have... So I've developed a life saving strategy to make the most of my YS experiences.
1. I check out the list of yard sales and make a round trip route based on how far I want to travel and what items they have for sale.
2. I go to the bank and take out only a certain amount of cash - when that's gone, I'm done, (though I always take the debit card and have a list of nearby ATM machines so I can get more out if I find something I absolutely have to have and can justify with my budget, but it costs just a little more than I have with me. LOL)
3. I go armed with a list of items I need or want - usually children's clothes for the grand kids, with a complete listing of sizes and types of clothing I need (seasonal, etc.) or specific household items (anything from microwave safe cooking dishes to household decorations). Of course there's always a miscellaneous line item for things I see that I didn't realize I wanted or needed before I started out.
4. Occasionally, I take a friend with me so they can tell me "NO," and hold me back if I'm tempted to buy something absolutely unnecessary. I'm available to do the same for them. but what usually happens is that they help me find reasons to justify the purchase.
5. I have a date in mind so I can set up my own yard sale near the end of the season to get rid of all the unnecessary items I bought that year or the things I was able to "replace" with new/old YS items.
Okay - I guess I don't really have a strategy for YS survival. So the moral of the story is, "Let's just have FUN out there!"
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a good sale and come home with lots of items you don't really need, spending far too much money that you don't have... So I've developed a life saving strategy to make the most of my YS experiences.
1. I check out the list of yard sales and make a round trip route based on how far I want to travel and what items they have for sale.
2. I go to the bank and take out only a certain amount of cash - when that's gone, I'm done, (though I always take the debit card and have a list of nearby ATM machines so I can get more out if I find something I absolutely have to have and can justify with my budget, but it costs just a little more than I have with me. LOL)
3. I go armed with a list of items I need or want - usually children's clothes for the grand kids, with a complete listing of sizes and types of clothing I need (seasonal, etc.) or specific household items (anything from microwave safe cooking dishes to household decorations). Of course there's always a miscellaneous line item for things I see that I didn't realize I wanted or needed before I started out.
4. Occasionally, I take a friend with me so they can tell me "NO," and hold me back if I'm tempted to buy something absolutely unnecessary. I'm available to do the same for them. but what usually happens is that they help me find reasons to justify the purchase.
5. I have a date in mind so I can set up my own yard sale near the end of the season to get rid of all the unnecessary items I bought that year or the things I was able to "replace" with new/old YS items.
Okay - I guess I don't really have a strategy for YS survival. So the moral of the story is, "Let's just have FUN out there!"
Friday, June 1, 2007
A stitch in time...
When my granddaughter first moved in with us, she wanted to learn to sew doll clothes, so I began teaching her how to hand sew little designer originals for her babies and Barbies .
I have some very fond memories of "sewing bees" with my neighbor's niece on their front porch during warm summer days. I still remember the scents of their house, the crinkling of the fabric and plastic cushions on the outdoor furniture and the warm fuzzy feelings of having a "best sewing buddy" for that summer week she visited. How fun to sort through scraps of fabric, choosing just the right one for a new Barbie sarong or skirt.
Now I have those same memories with my granddaughter. But then an inspiration hit me! She should also learn to use the sewing machine and learn to make clothes for herself. I know, she's only 7, but she was eager and ready! So we went to WalMart and bought patterns, fabric and notions to complete a great peasant skirt.
Since it was all straight seams, it was fairly easy. What fun! Eve helped me pin and cut the pattern. Then she sewed and pressed the straight seams. Two days later, voila! She has a new skirt that she helped to make herself and I have wonderful memories.
I have some very fond memories of "sewing bees" with my neighbor's niece on their front porch during warm summer days. I still remember the scents of their house, the crinkling of the fabric and plastic cushions on the outdoor furniture and the warm fuzzy feelings of having a "best sewing buddy" for that summer week she visited. How fun to sort through scraps of fabric, choosing just the right one for a new Barbie sarong or skirt.
Now I have those same memories with my granddaughter. But then an inspiration hit me! She should also learn to use the sewing machine and learn to make clothes for herself. I know, she's only 7, but she was eager and ready! So we went to WalMart and bought patterns, fabric and notions to complete a great peasant skirt.
Since it was all straight seams, it was fairly easy. What fun! Eve helped me pin and cut the pattern. Then she sewed and pressed the straight seams. Two days later, voila! She has a new skirt that she helped to make herself and I have wonderful memories.
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