Tackle it Tuesday - Garden Stuff...

We had a LOT of rain recently and instead of being good for my garden, it seemed to wash all the nutrients right out of the soil. There didn't seem to be enough breaks (that I was willing to take) to get out there and fortify the garden with compost, so it started to really break down badly.



MY EXCUSE (LOL):


Here in Florida, we have a basically "sandy soil", and rains will wash compost and nutrients right through the needed root layers. It is important to consistently feed the garden with organic compost. However, I will admit to my laziness on this point. It has been HOT and HUMID!!! When it's cool enough to get outside, it means that it is about to rain, so you have to work really fast and get a little bit done before you get struck by lightening (we are the lightening strike capital you know, lol). It is also cool right after it rains, but then you get eaten alive by the most monstrous, hungry mosquitos!!!! So, I have basically neglected my poor little veggie patch, and it needs tending.



Today I was determined to get out there and turn under my green bean plants in order to let them decomose and return nitrogen to the soil. It's a small patch, but it's so hot and humid, that it's hard to be out there for long!!! Yuck. I also need to pick my next to last pinapple and cut up and freeze the 3 pineapples I have in my fridge for smoothies, yum! Pineapples don't seem to care about sandy soil, they grow great here!



Here I go...That green clump in the middle is my little bean patch before turning it under...

After turning it under and breaking it up. I use a shovel, and do it by hand, as I don't have a tiller, so it's a bit of work... I will need to get some organic compost to spread over the top and bury the "remains", lol. Now I am HOT and in need of a shower because I was out there for 20 minutes, lol. Will winter ever come? :)

Another project I REALLY need to tackle today is the fabric that I have too much of! Now, don't get me wrong, I have projects and patterns in mind for pretty much all of it, and I am currently working on a sundress. However, with that great sale (see my Photo Challenge post), I have now accumulated more than will fit in my sewing/craft closet. Since this room is shared with my hubby as a computer/music/sewing/craft/ room, I am invading his space, lol. I need to get this stuff neatly and carefully packed into my closet...I'll have to post a photo later on how I do that, I'm working on it right now, lol. :)

Have a blessed day!

Titus 2 At the Well - Raising Godly Boys

This is a topic that hits close to home, right in the home as a matter of fact, lol. I have one son, he's 19 and recently joined the Military.

I was not living for Christ when my son was born, nor was I for the first 6 years of his life. When he was 4, I became a divorced, single Mom. I lived that way for 6 years. When he was 8, I met a wonderful man who 2 years later became my precious godly husband, and Father to our son.

I understand the struggles of a single Mom trying to raise a boy to be a man of God. From my own experience, I KNOW that it is an extremely difficult job, but one that MUST be done. It is first and foremost a Father's job to train his sons, this is God's perfect design for a family. Women are nothing like men, we don't and can't think like men, and shouldn't try to act like men...however, as we study the scriptures, we do learn what a man after God's own heart looks like, and that is the ground we stand on.

For the Single Mom:

Single Mom's out there, be careful that you don't raise your sons to be sissies. Don't baby them too much. Don't confuse babying with love. On the other hand, don't expect them to be the "man of the house" at the tender age of 5 either! There is a fine line here and I have seen it crossed on both ends many times.

What do you want your son to grow up to be like? Tender and loving like you, right? However, he MUST also become a MAN. A man who is devoted to his family, strong, protective, obedient to the Word of God. Study the scriptures, teach your son what God's Word says about men. Encourage him to be useful in the home (age appropriate, of course - 4 year old billy can't unclog a sink!), teach him to treat you like a lady, teach him to treat other girls and ladies as his sisters in Christ, with respect and admiration. Do not try to "become" Daddy. It is your job to set an example of what he will look for in a wife someday.

If you have a friend who has a godly husband, spend time with that family, let them know your struggles, encourage your son to see your friends husband as an example of a godly man. Don't allow yourself to believe that entering him into all the sports activities will make a man out of him - too much of that will more likely make him a self-centered, proud, young man. Teach him to read and understand the Word of God.

A warning: Do not use your ex-husband as an example of what they don't want to grow up to be. No matter the pain you feel, or the things they have done, it will be damaging to your son to use this as a example. As he grows, he will see things as they are .

To the "re-married" Mom, or any Mom in general:

It is first and foremost a Father's job to teach his sons to become men. If your husband is not active in training your sons, your first step of action is ...NOT nagging! Prayer. Pray that God would turn the heart of your husband toward your sons, to train them, even from the time of birth, to be men of God. Encourage your husband with kind words and love, encourage your sons to look up to their Father.

If, on the other hand, you have been blessed with a Man who is willing and wanting to take on his role as leader, step back and let him!!!!

Key Points...

*Teach your son the Word of God- being obedient to God and parents, head of his home, loving toward his wife and family (someday he will have one)

* Teach your son to be masculine - building things, using his hands, fixing things around the house, NOT Macho, but masculine, LOL

*Teach your son to respect women and girls. Boys will be boys and they are GOING to notice pretty girls. If they point out a cute looking girl, encourage them to see that God made that girl beautiful on the outside, but to look for the heart and see what's on the inside. Teach them what to look for in a godly woman, and be an example to them of the wife you would want for them someday. Remind them that someday they may have a daughter, how would they like a young man to look and think about their own daughter???

*Teach your son to own up to his mistakes. To be honest and true. Not to be proud, to be able to admit his mistakes and go from there.

*Teach your son to pray.

* Love your son, and teach him to love with gentleness and tenderness. His wife will want hugs and kisses, his daughters will need a Daddy to love them, and his sons will need a man to teach them how to be a husband. :)

Last but not least, do NOT be discouraged if you have done it all by the Word of God and things don't turn out the way you planned. Teach your children, love your children, and if they stray, pray and have faith that they will return to what they know in their hearts. God is faithful.

Have a blessed day,

100 Things about me...

I saw several blog posts that were "100 things about me", I thought, hmmm, that's kind of a neat way to get a bunch of info out all at once, lol. Sooooo, with that in mind, here are 100 things about me...










1. I was born and raised in Texas (for the most part)



2. I'm 5'5"



3. I like chocolate :)



4. I drive a bright yellow 150 scooter






5. I enjoy shooting guns, lol




6. I LOVE to garden (veggies, tropical fruits, flowers, anything...)




7. My favorite "cultivated" flower is a rose




8. I haven't changed my hairstyle in 30 years, lol




9. I love Jesus!




10. I am especially irritated by being called honey or sweetie,...UNLESS you are from the south (and have the drawl to prove it) and/or are much older than me. I can't tell you why, but it raises the hair on the back of my neck, lol.




11. I don't like Chinese food unless I make it myself




12. I like REAL Mexican food




13. If a restaurant doesn't serve sweet tea, I probably won't go back




14. I've made several wedding cakes




15. I have the funniest husband in the world - he makes me laugh every day




16. I always wanted to be an actress




17. My first car was a 1983 Burnt Orange Toyota Corolla with dark tinted windows and ice cold A/C




18. My dream car is a 1968 Candy Apple Red Mustang Convertible with White interior (well, that's one of them)




19. One thing I will NEVER give up is ice cream, lol




20. I have the most rewarding job in the world :)




21. I want to parachute - maybe next year... :)




22. I have been bungee jumping - it was fun, but I won't do it again




23. I enjoy snorkelling




24. If I could live anywhere and money was no expense, I would live on 10 acres - a mixture of woods, rolling hills and green pastures in a 2-story old wood house with a wrap-around porch and a fantastic view of the sunrise and sunset. :)




25. I love to dance




26. I was in the Air Force




27. I lived in England for 5 years when I was little




28. I'm the baby of 6 kids (4 girls, 2 boys)




29. I turned 40 this year - yikes.




30. I am a sinner - freed by the grace of God, but still a sinner none-the-less




31. I love to photograph flowers




32. I LOVE being a Mom



33. I was going to make my own wedding gown and bought 22 yards of satin before my best friend told me I had too much on my plate, lol (I'm still making "things" with satin, lol)



34. I enjoy sweet, romantic movies




35. I wanted to be a ballerina, and took ballet for 5 years




36. I had a cat named "dog"




37. I drink a lot of water




38. I'm running out of things about me, lol




39. I enjoy cooking and baking healthy food




40. I actually enjoy cleaning my house




41. I love to hear the birds begin chirping at sunrise




42. I'm hardly EVER up that early, LOL




43. I love sunsets




44. I love the sound of a babbling brook




45. I love the smell of sea air




46. The longest friendship I have had has lasted 32 years




47. I enjoy exercising, as long as I have A/C, lol




48. I can make some really funny faces




49. I didn't have "big hair" in the 80's...or ever, lol




50. I love to sew




51. I have green eyes




52. I love to laugh




53. I have the cutest dog ever :)




54. My favorite color is pink



55. My favorite kids book is "I'll love you forever" - and I have never gotten through it without crying



56. My favorite wildflower is the Texas Bluebonnet





57. I would like to see the Northern Lights someday


58. I am afraid of sharks and big dogs that I don't know


59. I am beginning to realize that there isn't much to say about me, lol


60. I played a clown in the 2nd grade play because I was the only one who could do a cartwheel


61. I miss my son and can't wait for him to come home!


62. I enjoy reading Jane Austen's novels


63. I have a pretty strange imagination, lol


64. I like to stargaze (as in the "Sky", not "hollywood")


65. I've watched my favorite movie probably 20 times


66. I haven't watched "TV" in almost 10 years


67. Salad is one of my favorite foods


68. I like to ride horses


69. I'd love to go white water rafting someday


70. I have parasailed


71. I like Avocados


72. I lettered in Drama in High School



73. I collect "Cooking Light" cookbooks and love to try their recipes



74. I have been to Mexico several times (high school in a border town = Friday nights in Juarez!)



75. I was a flag girl in high school



76. The only soft drink I drink is Virgils Root Beer from the health food store



77. I still have my tonsils and all my wisdom teeth



78.

Photo Challenge - Numbers

This is my first post for the photo challenge and the theme this week is "numbers". We are to post 2-3 photos depicting "numbers", so here I go...

#1 Bouganvilla leaves, too many to count - beautiful

#2 My "score" at the clearance (75% off ) sale at Walmart's fabric section...over 50 yards of NICE fabric and trims for $53.65. If purchased at full price it would have been $213.19!!!!!!!!

#3 - I wonder how many blades of grass there are in just this shot?

To see more "numbers" participants, visit http://www.lovedandengraved.blogspot.com/

My Husband Rocks - Building

My husband rocks for so many reasons that I find it hard to just name one, but I will pick one out of my head. :) My sweet, precious husband rocks because he is a "builder of things", all sorts of things. He has worked so many hard years to make our home "homier" by building with his own sweat, tears and hunky muscles (hee hee). Some of the things that come to mind are: a kitchen remodel, which included raising the ceiling, adding 3 linear feet of space, building new cabinet doors, floors and countertop; Building a workshop/shed, building a gazebo just for me!, a fort and swing set for our son, a 30 foot long screen porch, a wall unit for our tv and movies, a wall unit for our sons bedroom for school books/desk, etc.. (when we were homeschooling), shelves and workbenches for his garage, a potting bench for me, a swing for under the fort,...I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but you get the picture. :) He is a builder of things, and a builder of my heart and home! :)

Gazebo and Swing...

Kitchen rebuild with Arch and shelves...

Shed...

Back Porch...

Wall Unit for Living Room...

I LOVE HIM!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

I love chocolate syrup. On my icecream, drizzled over angel food cake, in my coffee, you get the picture...
However, I know that Corn Syrup is a main ingredient in store bought chocolate syrup and that stuff is just NOT good for you! Look it up. :)

So, here is a recipe that I use for chocolate Syrup. It is versatile in that if you make it with water, it is more like the store bought kind, if made with 1/2 and 1/2 it turns out like fudge topping for ice cream.

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
dash salt
1 cup water OR milk OR 1/2 n' 1/2
1 tsp vanilla

Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan; stir with whisk. Whisk in water (or milk), and mix until smooth. Bring this mixture to a boil, and allow it to boil for 1 min. 30 sec., stirring constantly - don't let it boil over the top. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp. Stir in Vanilla.

Variations and Tips:

• I like to use Sucanet instead of sugar, but this will give it a slightly "molasses" flavor, sometimes I use 1/2 sucanet and 1/2 sugar
• Sometimes I will add 1 tsp cinnoman to the dry ingredients
• The longer you let it boil, the thicker and/or harder it becomes, so be careful
• I have found the best consistency comes with 3/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup water

Store in fridge. :)

Awards...

Well, it seems that my best friend http://homesteadersheart.blogspot.com/ has nominated me for an Award. While I am quite honored, of course, I also know it's a given, LOL. She IS my best friend, it was at HER encouragment that I started blogging, so of course she's not gonna leave me out, LOL, or she would certainly be questioned. :) Just kidding, I'm sure she did it because of my Peanut Butter Pie!!!! :)

Well, I haven't been blogging very long, and I really haven't visited too many blogs, the ones I seem to visit frequently have recieved the award recently as well. Soooo, if you are getting this twice in one week, just think of yourself as doubly special! :)

Brooke - The first Award is a "secret award" because it goes to my best friends daughter (whom I call my "niece"). Her blog is private, so you won't be able to check it out. But I am so proud to have her in my life. She is a sweet young lady with a beautiful heart who will make a wonderful godly wife someday - she makes excellent biscuits, and she shares my love of sewing! :) So, the first nominee is Brooke. :)

Peggy at http://thesimplewomanscannery.blogspot.com/ is next. While I haven't left too many comments, I have visited there often. I love to cook, and I love to garden, so she is right up my alley. I would love to learn more about canning, and I enjoy reading all she has to teach - her blog is a head full knowledge - with pictures to help!!! :)

Next is Iris at http://www.eph2810.com/. I have gleaned so much from reading her blogs, and I am truly thankful for Thankful Thursday, because it helps me to concentrate on something specific on that day just to be Thankful for. She really opens up her heart and is very transparent, and I am thankful for that.

I have to add in here Chelsey at http://joyfullyliving.blogspot.com/ because she is an inspiration and has such a sweet spirit about her. I love that she followed the Lord's "whisper" and started the Titus 2 at the well ministry, which I believe is going to be a blessing to many many women.

Last, but not least, I nominate Lisa at http://stopnsmellthechocolates.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-award-and-class-reunion-recap.html I mean, how can you leave out a woman who puts CHOCOLATE in her blog title???? :) Ok, seriously, I have really enjoyed reading her blogs and I think she sounds like a really nice person.

Have a blessed day!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for the days when I wake up with a praise song in my heart...today I woke up singing...

Give Thanks with a thankful heart
give thanks to the Holy One
give thanks, because he's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now, let the weak say I am strong
Let the poor say I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done
Give thanks....

AMEN! :)

Have a blessed day,

Works for Me Wednesday - lunches

I typically make salads, wraps, or sandwiches for my hubby's lunch, as he is unable to heat up meals at work. However, I am not a big fan of processed lunch meats. I know it is possible to buy lunch meats that do not have nitrates or nitrites in them (big baddies), but I am just not into eating meat that is chopped up pieces of meat all smooshed together and compressed into a large egg shape, then seasoned with who knows how much of what and sliced to look like "sliced breastof turkey". :)

Soooo, what I prefer to do (and yes it takes a little time, but it's worth it), is grill and slice chicken breasts myself. I marinate 2-3 breast halves in my marinade of choice. Homemade varieties are great, one of my favorites being a fajita type marinade, however for "quick and easy", I like to use Newmans Light Balsamic Vinagrette. Grill as you would for chicken.

When it is done cooking, place on a plate and cover with foil, let sit for about 5 minutes to let the juices do their thing...

Before slicing your meat, remove all the blackened bits. Yup, they are crunchy and tasty, but they are full of carcinogens, and that stuff is really bad for you. Don't even give it to your dog.

You can slice it warm and then chill it, or refrigerate and slice later. It saves me time to slice now and chill for later, but it's easier to slice when it's cold.

I don't have a fancy slicer, I just take a real nice sharp knife and slowly and thinly slice the chicken longways. This is excellent tossed on a salad with tons of veggies, or in a wrap with a light mayo and a dash of dill, or on bread with spicy mustard and mild yellow pepper rings.

YUMMO!

Happy grilling!

In Other Words - Home Building...

What an honor it is to build a home. My heart aches for the women I see, women I know, who don't see the value, the honor, the awesome responsibility and importance in building their homes.

I have been there before, there was a time, before I knew Christ, that I worked hard at tearing down my own home. I succeeded, and I paid dearly for it.

Since that time, God has restored my life and He gave me a fresh start. He has given me another chance, a chance to try again, and live life according to His plan. A new home to build with the precious gift of a godly husband. I am thankfulm, so thankful for his amazing grace and I'm determined to work daily at buiding up the home He has blesssed us with.

Now that I have an "empty nest", I have had several women ask me "what I will do with my life now". Will I go out and get a job? What could I possibly do at home? Am I bored? Will I make myself "useful"? It's an easy answer for me. I will keep on doing what I am doing. Building my home did not end when my son moved out. When children are in the home, they are an integral part of building a home. However, I am my husbands wife - I am building OUR home.

I love to care for my husband. This includes everything from being there to smile at when he wakes up, having the time to bake break, make cookies, grill chicken for his lunch, iron his uniforms, cut his hair. Whatever he needs, I am happy to do for him. Taking care of our home is joy, as I want it to be a place of refuge when he comes home from work. Taking care of the gardens are a pleasure, I enjoy that he loves to see our house as he drives down the street, with flowers swaying in the breeze. I love to wash and fold his clothes, so that he will never have to worry about having something clean to wear. I could go on forever, but building my home is never gone to be done. It is a daily pleasure to work at, even when the children are gone.

:) Have a blessed day,

Read more "In Other Words" Posts here...http://joyfullyliving.blogspot.com/2008/07/in-other-words.html

Peanut Butter Pie

I made this yesterday for my best friend Kim's birthday (http://homesteadersheart.blogspot.com/. I am not a big Peanut Butter fan, so I was fine with just a sliver. However, her entire family seemed to LOVE it, lol....sooooo, if you are the peanut buttery type you will probably love it too!

Pie
1 9" graham cracker or oreo crust (I used oreo)
8 oz light cream cheese (softened)
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp butter, very soft
8 oz whipping cream
1 tbsp vanilla

topping
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
1/8 cup chopped peanuts
1/8 cup mini semi-sweet chococlate chips

For best whipping, chill your bowl, beaters and whipping cream in the freezer for 15 minutes. Whip cream at high speed until soft peaks form, add vanilla and whip until firm peaks form. DO NOT overwhip, or you will have butter and buttermilk! :) Set aside
In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and butter. Slowly add sugar while mixing at med-low speed. Beat in 1/3 of whipped cream. By hand, fold in remaining whipped cream. Spread in crust in chill well.
For topping, melt chocolate, butter in a double boiler, or over VERY low heat. Put in a zippy bag and snip off one corner. Drizzle in a criss-cross fashion over pie in several directions. Sprinkle top of pie with nuts and chips. Chill until ready to serve.

We all thought that freezing it might work well, removing to fridge about an hour before serving. Just a thought, let me know if you try it! :)

Titus 2 at the well...

What does being a Titus 2 woman mean to me?



It means that as I grow in God's grace and through His Word, I am to share what I have learned with other women. It is my understanding that younger women does not necessarily mean women who are younger in age only. There are women out there who are older than me in age, but new in their relationship with Christ and understanding the word, they too are in need of encouragement and life lessons.

The beauty of this is that we learn from one and share with another... it's a chain reaction so that we are always learning and always teaching.

Bean and Rice Veggie Soup

We have been having a lot of rain lately, and there is nothing I like more for dinner when it's rainy (even if it is 85 and muggy, LOL), than a bowl of soup with a hunk of homemade bread.

Here is yet another recipe I made up one night when I needed to use up some cooked rice. While there are quite a few ingredients, I think you will find you have most of them in the pantry already (if you don't, you should, lol).

For the sake of space I won't type it into every line, but I use organic when I can, especially if it grows underground (carrots, onions, potatos, etc..)

Kathy's Delectable Vegetable Rice Soup

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice (use whatever rice you have, of course)
1 small onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
Just the stems from one head of broccoli, peeled and chopped
2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
32 oz organic vegetable broth (or 4 cups homemade, dilute 1/2 with water if yours is strong)
Bottled roasted red bell pepper (enough to equal roughly one pepper)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Herbs de province
1 can organic diced tomatos, drained
1 bay leaf
2-4 minced (or pressed) garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground Pepper

In a food processor or blender, puree the beans, roasted bell pepper and enough veg broth to make it smooth, set aside.
In a soup pot, heat about 2 tsp. olive oil over med-high heat. Saute onion until soft. Add carrots and broccoli stems, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Saute 3 minutes. Ad remaining veg broth, bean puree, wine, vinegar, tomatoes, herbs de province and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Add rice and garlic. Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove Bay Leaf before serving. Serve with fresh bread. Yum!

Thankful Thursday - Trust

I am thankful that God has blessed me with a husband I can trust without even giving it a second thought. He is the most honest, upfront person and doesn't beat around the bush, or give false hopes. He is a solid godly man, who himself trusts in the Lord, and that comes out through who he is. Thank you Jesus for the gift of Mike, my precious husband - trustworthy.


Kathy C.

Beans and Rice

Let me start by saying that I was raised in a Texas border town, in a family of 8 with a "lower than average" income. In other words, beans and rice were a staple at our dinner table, lol. I have come to acquire a taste for the simple "quick" meals that are based on those two ingredients.
My husband works shift work, and we no longer have a child at home, so several nights a week, I am alone for dinner. Because of my husbands job, it isn't convenient for him to have "reheatable" leftovers for his dinner, so I make him salads and/or sandwichs/wraps, fresh each day.

While I really enjoy cooking, I have no intention of preparing a 3 course meal for just little ole me, so I opt for simple, quick throw together bites. One of the easiest things to throw together is "beans and rice" and they can easily be "tweaked" to change them up from Tex-Mex to Mediterranean, to just plain ole tasty. Easy for just one or two people as well as for a family of 8.

I'll try over the next couple of weeks to post a few of my favorite bean and rice dishes.
As a note, I always like to make a big batch of Organic Brown Basmati rice and keep it in the fridge for a few days. When hubby needs a snack, it's a great little thing to heat up. It's also good to toss into salads and have ready for side dishes, etc..

Tonight I decided on a basic Tex-Mex dish. These instructions are so basic, so you can alter the amounts and ingredients to fit your family.

Preheat oven to 375.

Drop into a baking dish the following:

Cooked Organic Brown Basmati Rice
Organic Refried Beans (try Amy's!)
A dollop or two of softened Cream Cheese (if you don't have that, try shredded cheese and a little sour cream)
Corn (defrost if frozen)
A couple of spoons of your favorite Salsa (I like Newman's Own)

Optional:
Want a meat? Add some precooked shredded chicken
Want some kick? Add some Texas Pete, Tabasco, or a little Adobo Sauce
More Veggies? Try some pressed garlic, chopped onion, minced jalapeno, diced bell pepper, chopped tomato

Stir it up real well and spread it into the pan evenly, check to see if you want to add more of anything. Cover and bake 20 minutes or until heated through (this will depend on if the ingredients were just cooked or came out of the fridge).

How to serve:
Wrap in warm flour tortillas for burritos, add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc., as desired

Serve in small bowls and dip with tortilla chips - serve a simple salad on the side or cut veggies for dipping!

Put a dollop of this directly onto a salad - YUM!

There you have it, a quick, easy, simple meal that doesn't require a meat to achieve a protein. It's filling and fun to eat. Enjoy!

Check back later this week for another bean and rice recipe...

Have a blessed day,

Photo Hunt: Support

My best friend http://homesteadersheart.blogspot.com/, provides great support! :)
Have a blessed day...
Be a part of Photo Hunt and/or find other people who are at tnchick.com.

I am thankful for the beauty that surrounds me

I am often in awe of the wonders of God's creation. When I sit and look around at a clear starry night, perfectly blue skies with beautifully formed puffy white clouds, vibrant colors streaking through a sunset, the delicate sounds of birds at sunrise, the amazing complexity of each different variety of flower, the smell of a rose...

I am reminded that God didn't need to make these things as beautiful as they are. Food could have simply been nourishing for our bodies, it didn't have to be as sweet as a fresh picked strawberry, or as succulant as a warm peach right off the tree. Birds have a job, but God chose to make so many varieties, all different colors and shapes, all with unique and beautiful songs. Every thing in creation, great and small is so filled with magnificent beauty and I am thankful that our graciuos God made them that way - in my heart, I am certain that He has done this for our pleasure, and that we might see his handiwork through them.



Have a blessed day!

Happy Busy Hands

I love to sew. When I was a teenager, I didn't have a machine, so I would sew things by hand. I made little "jean men" (like gingerbread men) for my nephews, sewed embellishments on jeans or tops, changed sleeves, etc... When I was 12 I made my first "real" outfit from a pattern, to wear to my sisters wedding. I was allowed to use my Step-mom's machine (which was packed away in storage). I used a pretty pink fabric, and silky ribbon. I frustratingly worked my way through the steps, moving ahead without using the instructions; because of this, I did a lot of taking out seams, and repairing mistakes, one slow step at a time. When I was finally done, I was quite proud of my accomplishment, and thrilled to wear my outfit!

Since that time I have had the pleasure of making cute tanks and shorts for my toddler (when fabric was cheaper than clothing!), "evening" dresses for myself, frocks for an entire girls choir, I even made my own maid-of-honor and flower girl dresses for my wedding!

As time has gone on, life has settled down and I don't have many occasions to make "pretty" clothes. Lately it has just been sewing patches and stripes, and hemming pants for people that work with my husband. However exciting it may be to bring in a little extra income, I had almost forgotten that joy I feel when I am creating something pretty.

Well, to my delight, I have decided to throw a small 'Jane Austen style" tea/luncheon for my "neice's" birthday. It will be just her, her mother and me, and we will be dressing in Regency fashion. Now I am tasked with making dresses for all three of us to wear and I am having such a fun time. It's a thrill for me to feel the fabric between my fingers. To "tweak" patterns to make them just a little different, and to watch it all come together. I had almost forgotten how my hands love to be busy with "fun work"...but I really must get those stripes sewn on as well! :)

Have a blessed day!

I came across this photo as I was looking through albums last night. Yup, that's the same boy as in the post below! He was ready to join even then, hee hee. Please do not consider me unpatriotic, at that time in my life, I really had no clue that I was mistreating the flag by allowing this. :(

Have A Blessed Independence Day!!!

Let this day be much, much more than fireworks, hot dogs and games - let us never forget what we are celebrating, and why we have the freedom to do so.

Today I am thankful for the blessing of my son! He has recently graduated from Air Force Basic Training, and is about to start his job training. We are very proud of him and love him so much. I am especially thankful that he will be coming home in 3 months for a visit!!! :)

Happy Independence Day!!!!

I want to be a crown...

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. Proverbs 12:4 NIV

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. Proverbs 12:4 KJ

Wow! Those are strong words. As wives, we have a great responsibility. When people see our actions, hear us speak, see how we dress, watch how we treat our husbands, our children and all others, they see not only us, but they see our husbands as well.

Who we are and how we conduct ourselves is a direct reflection on the men we love. When we are noble and virtuous, we will be morally pure, modest, honest, good, loving, gentle, patient, kind and generous, and then we will be as beautifully adorned crowns placed gently on the heads of our husband's.

However, when we are grouchy, impatient, unkind, selfish, ungiving, and dress immodestly, we harm not only ourselves and our reputations, but we harm the men we love. It would break my heart to ever think that I could act in a way that would be a disgrace to my husband, or that would make him ashamed.

What do you want to be to your husband? How do you want to reflect him? As a shining crown or a rottenness? I know I want to be a crown for my husband. I want to strive daily to be a joy both inside and outside of my home, to let my every action, word and thought be like precious stones set into sparkling gold.