Being Thankful

When life gives you pumpkins, make pumpkin puree!  I am thankful that there were leftover pumpkins from the church Harvest Festival and that no one else wanted to bother with the work of turning them into fresh pumpkin puree, which is what I have been busy with while waiting to get updates on my brother's condition.  I am thankful for the prayer warriors who lifted him up in prayer.  Praise God, he is doing much better and I am thankful for these small signs of recovery.  He is not out of the woods yet, but my sister has promised she will hold her cell phone up to his ear so that I can tell him how much I love him.  So, although I never thought I would say this, I am thankful for cell phones, since there are no land lines in the ICU rooms!  These are only a few of the thankful feelings I have today......how about you ~ what are you thankful for?

Holiday Preparations

This time of year is always difficult for me. My Mom passed away 3 days before Christmas the year I turned 19 ~ in fact, the last time I saw her was on my 19th birthday. Growing up in the military made a big difference in how we celebrated the holidays, and my Mom always tried to make sure we kept to our traditions, as best we could, no matter where we were living. If we were in Arizona we would have Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandma’s house and then everyone would troop over to our house for Christmas dinner. I can only recall two times that the grandparents came to us on Thanksgiving – the year my sister, Susan, made a surprise appearance two months before her due date and the year my Mom passed away. That year she was just too ill to travel, so we did Thanksgiving at our house. It was the last holiday we would all celebrate together.


When I got married and was out on my own, we would invite all of my first husband’s single friends over for Thanksgiving dinner – he was in the Air Force and there were a lot of guys who were single – and boy could they eat!! During the years I was divorced the family would gather at my other Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. Nowadays my husband and I have Thanksgiving dinner at our home for anyone who wanders in – Steve’s brother usually joins us, and we extend the invitation to others in our life who are without family, so we’re never really sure who is going to show up! It is always a good time – and it definitely keeps me busy! I also take the week of Thanksgiving off from work so that I have time to bake and prepare for the feast.

Our Christmas tradition when I was growing up was to decorate the tree on my birthday. I always strung popcorn to hang on the tree, and we had many ornaments that each of us made in school, along with the glass balls and lights. We opened gifts on Christmas morning but had to wait until whichever of my siblings was the youngest at the time to wake up. Pinching them usually worked! LOL!! Then the grandparents, aunts, uncles and all would come to our house for dinner. I think the strangest Christmases we spent were when we lived in South America. Christmas comes in the summer there, so we were on summer vacation and would get gifts like swimsuits and such. And there were no traditional pine trees to chop down and decorate, so my Dad bought us a Star Pine in a huge pot and we brought that inside and decorated it each year. All in all I have many wonderful memories and try to keep those foremost in my mind during this time of year.

So as the holiday season draws near, I try to keep busy, carry on the family traditions as best I can and, most importantly, stay focused on the many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me.

I would love to hear how some of you celebrate and manage to keep family traditions alive!

Thank You For Your Service!

Veterans' Day holds special meaning for me. My Dad served in the United States Air Force - he was my hero - but it wasn't until I was an adult that I realized he was also one of our nation's heroes. My Dad passed away in January 2008, shortly before his 80th birthday. I was asked to draft the obituary for my Mom and siblings to review and approve. As I was trying to decide what to say, I remembered he had always said, "just say that I was a fighter pilot." But serving in the military goes so much deeper than that. It is true that he was a fighter pilot, that was his career and it was his passion. But my Dad, and anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the military are protecting our God-given freedom and our inalienable rights. That is an awesome responsibility and I, for one, am eternally grateful to those men and women who, through their service, have made possible my ability to live in a country where I can freely worship God; a country where I can have a comfortable home, hot running water, indoor plumbing, a garden, pets ... whatever it is that I want and am willing to work for. This photo is just a tiny portion of a wall in San Antonio, Texas that contains the remains of some of those brave men and women. I humbly thank each and every one those who serve and their families for their sacrifices.

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

Pay It Forward - Blog Giveaway

From here
I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!

The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Just cut and paste this one if you like, which I did. *Change the From "here" link above to now link to my blog on your new post.

Stockpiling

I have been reading a lot of blogs about stockpiling lately and decided to throw my two pennies worth in! Stockpiling is not just for emergency preparedness – but rather it is a way of life for many people – particularly those who closely adhere to a budget – which nowadays is nearly everyone I know! To me, stockpiling means keeping staples on hand and buying often-used items when they are on sale. It also means that I cook large quantities of dishes we like a lot and freezing them to have on-hand for a quick meal. Some folks call this OAMC (once a month cooking), but I am not that organized – I cook large quantities when the mood strikes me or when I get a really good deal on one of the main ingredients, like meat. I like having meals ready to pull out of the freezer on those days when I am not inspired to cook! The other “stockpiling” thing I do is canning and/or dehydrating – “putting up” as my Grandma called it. We are blessed in this nation to have access to many fruits and vegetables all year long – but when something is in season, especially if it is grown locally, I take full advantage of the low prices and can, freeze or dehydrate for future use. My garden also provides many of the things I use – herbs, veggies, etc. But you don’t have to have a huge garden to take advantage of this way of living. It only makes sense to me to be able to put together a healthy meal, or luscious homemade baked goods by going to my pantry or freezer and pulling out everything I need. Check out some of these ideas for yourself, if you are interested in saving time, money and, sometimes, your sanity! Get started by visiting Rhonda at her wonderful Blog down---to---earth - she even has photos of her pantry and some good recipes as well!

Never Forget

As I was driving in to work this morning I reflected back to my drive into work on September 11, 2001. As I was leaving the driveway my husband said that he heard that a “plane had hit a high rise in New York City.” As horrible as that sounded, I could not even begin to imagine what that really meant! As I began my trek I found a radio station that was broadcasting the news and heard, much to my horror, that it was so much more than what I originally thought. Then, as I arrived at the office and turned on the television in our conference room I became even more horrified as I realized that this was no accident – and then watched in stunned amazement as yet another plane flew directly into the other tower.

There are lessons to be learned from this horrific attack and I pray that we will never forget those lessons.

May God bless ~

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Adventures

This has been a wonderful day! We have had some rain here in the Valley of the Sun these last couple of days, so this morning I got up early and went to check to make sure no damage was done in the garden after the heavy winds. All is well – nothing was uprooted or pounded into the ground. The sunflowers are going to seed, the morning glories are blooming and the pumpkins are just peeking through the soil (I got them in a little late, but I think they will do fine). Then I began prepping for my weekend cooking-for-the-freezer fest while sipping a delicious cup of coffee and enjoying having my doors and windows open for the first time in ages – a nice breeze was flowing through the house and for a change it was not dust-laden. We left around 9:00 a.m. and drove smack dab into a gully washer! It was wonderful!! Well, it was until we got within a couple of blocks of our destination and the road was closed – but fortunately my husband knows the Valley like the back of his hand and wound us around through some old neighborhoods (my how things have changed in that area!) until we arrived at our destination. We got soaked getting from the car to the entrance of the warehouse and even more soaked, if possible, getting back to the car with our purchase. Yes, I suppose we could have turned around and gone home to wait until the rain passed, but what fun is that?? It was quite the adventure and we loved every minute of it. God has blessed our Valley with some much needed rain and it is supposed to continue through the long weekend and I plan to enjoy it while it lasts! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend – and take my advice – grab your adventures where you can and enjoy them to the fullest!

Addlepated

Don't you just love that word? And, unfortunately, it describes my state of mind lately to a T! It seems like I have not had time to breathe lately, much less write! But things are finally slowing down a bit here, so I now have time to catch up on my posting.


First, thank you so much to Marlene for the Premio Meme Award - that is so cool! Is that anything like the Screaming Meme Award? LOL. Seriously, I am honored that you granted me this Award and once I figure out exactly what the rules are, I will follow them! I don't really know 7 other blogs to award, but I can certainly give 7 facts about myself. Thank you again!


The reasons I have been addlepated are many, including dental work, car "issues" and other mundane bits of life; but the good things are (1) I have been preparing for Vacation Bible School, which started this week. I am one of the Snack Ladies this year - what fun! Our theme is Polar in nature, so naturally I had to line up a Sno Cone machine! (2) I have been sewing like a mad woman - neck coolers for our troops, with a few extras thrown in for our workers; baby "stuff" for my new Neighbor Grandchild; holiday pillowcases and various other projects. (3) I am planning/planting my fall garden - pumpkins, gourds and various herbs and such. And (4) I am finally getting some items gathered for an Etsy shop!


Somewhere in here I need to find time to finish sorting through old family photos to add to my Family Photo Wall so I can (finally!) get all of the vintage frames I have collected out of boxes and up onto the Wall.


Here is one I will not be hanging - but only because they mixed up my name with Loretta Hopson's - it has nothing to do with the broken arm or the "pose" (yeah, right - anyone want to buy some swampland here in Arizona?)! LOL!!

Going with the flower theme - a mystery!

Some of the blogs I follow are hosting a Flower Treasure Hunt, and being an avid gardener myself, I could not resist posting this photo of flowers that I grow. The blossoms measure anywhere from 3-6" across and the plant itself can grow to be up to 12 feet tall - maybe taller if I would let it! The mystery is that so far no one has been able to definitively identify this plant.

I gleaned a cutting from an abandoned homesite in the middle of the downtown area here in Phoenix. This plant and the foundation of what used to be a very nice little bungalow were all that was left on the vacant lot. The plant was huge! And considering that this is the desert and there had been no care of any kind given to this plant for years, I was amazed to round the corner on one of my daily walks to find it absolutely covered with blossoms such as these! So the next day I went back and took my trusty scissors with me and brought back a couple of cuttings, stuck them in water and waited to see if anything would happen. The cuttings started rooting in the water within 3 days, so I took a chance and once they had plenty of roots I stuck them in the ground. LOOK OUT! This could be the next sci-fi movie - The Plant That Ate Phoenix! You need a lot of room for this plant, but oh, does it bloom, and bloom and bloom..... One horticulturist said it might be some sort of heirloom hibiscus, but he just wasn't willing to commit to that. The others to whom I have taken it did not have any idea at all. I must say that in all my years of gleaning plants, this one has really been the highlight. And what, you may ask, became of the donor plant? Sadly, where once was a lovely little house with, I am quite sure, a wonderful garden, there is now a parking garage for one of the highrise buildings that dominate this area of the city. I am so glad that I was able to take those cuttings - and many friends now have this glorious, abundant plant growing in their gardens too!

As for the Beautiful Flower Treasure Hunt, please start at my friend's blog at http://tapestry316.blogspot.com and follow the path to some wonderful flower photography and a chance to win an ACEO from one of these talented artists! And while you are at it, visit their Etsy shops - you will be blessed!

Happy Father's Day to all!

I lost my Dad to cancer in January of 2008 - one week shy of his 80th birthday. It is still hard to believe he is gone from this earth. He was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force and he was my hero. He left me with so many wonderful memories, life experiences and good lessons. When I was sitting with him toward the end, I shared with him some of those times and it occurred to me that he may not have realized just how important some of the things were that he had taught me! He looked at me in wonder when I thanked him for not letting me drive my "new" car (a used Rambler Station Wagon he had just bought me for the princely sum of $500!) until I had read the owner's manual. Well, I read it and then went to tell him that I was finished (or so I thought) and to seek the keys to my chariot! He then took me out to the driveway and had me show him that I knew what the various parts and check-points were in the engine compartment, that I could check all fluid levels, AND he made me change a tire! A perfectly good tire, I might add! But you know, that was a very valuable lesson that came in quite handy more than once in my life. I am so grateful for everything he taught me and for the wonderful life I have experienced and I am especially grateful that I was able to tell him, in person, what a wonderful father he was. I miss him dearly and still find myself reaching for the phone to ask his opinion on something. Take a moment today, if you can, to thank your Dad.

Tribute to women in the arts

I have been privileged to be around great artists for a good portion of my life - unfortunately talent does not "rub off!" However, there were two very special women and their daughters - all of them artists - whose work I admire(d) greatly and feel very blessed to have known. Both of the women have passed on - the daughters are still creating. So I wanted to encourage the two daughters to keep creating - your work touches hearts and lives in ways that you may never even know about. I can only pray that I was able to let these women know in some small way how much I admired them and how much they influenced my young life! I would also encourage those of you who are fortunate enough to have women like these in your life, that you will let them know that you appreciate them! So, here is to women in the arts and, most particularly, to Kathy and Becky, the daughters of two very talented artists who are no longer with us, but whose work lives on!

Good morning!

So there I was, early morning, I had a pot of beans on the stove (er, in the crockpot), bread starter smelling yeasty and yummy in its bowl, the "herd" was all fed and I was ahead of schedule! So I went to the garden to pick some tomatoes and herbs and check on the hummingbird feeders. While I was at it I planted a few more sunflower seeds and gave the compost in the bin a quick turn. The drive to work was easy, no emergencies were awaiting me when I got to the office. The weather is beautiful, unseasonably cool for the Valley of the Sun in mid-June. What a great day the Lord has made!

Have you ever been so full of joy and blessings that it all just bubbles over and splashes on everyone around you? That is how I am today! Sure, there are some trials and tribulations in my world, but I choose to count it all joy and today is such a splendid day of joy that I just had to share!

Tonight I will get home from work, mash up some of the beans, chop the tomatoes and lettuce and fix homemade tostadas for dinner, feed the herd again, bake the bread and maybe, just maybe, have some time left over to work on some of my sewing projects.

How are you choosing to spend your day?

Pondering.......

I was thinking on my way to work this morning how wonderful it is to reflect on how people move in and out of one’s life and what sort of impact each and every one of them has. A few years ago I began writing a letter to each of my siblings and my parents at Christmas time, telling them how much they meant to me. Not mushy, lovey-dovey letters, but rather letters telling them how they had impacted my life. I started with telling my siblings the story of their birth and childhood from my perspective. I was the oldest of four children born to my mother, and I was five years old before my next-in-line sibling was born. As such, I had very distinct recollections about the day each of them was born. So, I told them each their story from the perspective of a 5, 9 and 12 year old big sister. I also told my Dad and stepmom the ways in which they had influenced my life – ways they were not even aware of! And, as I was thinking about friends I have had over the course of years and how they had made a difference in my life, I thought it would be good to tell them the story of how they influenced my life……..so that will be my goal. Those “old” friends that I can find and those who are in my life now will soon hear from me! I encourage everyone to let the people in your life know how important they are to you! Tell the story...............

What to do - a quilt question

Here is another of Grandma's quilt tops. The pattern is called Baby Bunting and the quilt design is already marked lightly in pencil - mostly the outline of what appear to be flowers - irises to be exact. The question is, do I quilt this beautiful top, or do I continue displaying it unfinished? I think it would honor Grandma and Aunt Margie (they did all of the piecing on this particular top) if I finish it - but what if I mess up??!! AAACCCCKKK!!

First - the memories

I had no idea what to write about until a friend mentioned my avatar. The quilt block! Yes, I could write about the quilt block, or rather the memories associated with this quilt block. This particular block is one of many that I inherited from my Grandma, Anna Howard. The piecing is very precise and the color, a beautiful deep red, is still as bright as the day it was stitched together with the muslin to create this beautiful block. I have several blocks, quilt tops and scraps that had been stored since the 30s and 40s. Amazingly, most are in good shape - one even has the paper pieces still attached in places - bits of news from the 30s attached to the backside. The real story, though, is how my Grandma, along with her mother and sisters, would sit when the day's work was finished and create these quilts. The hands of these women, and most women from that era, were never idle. They stitched, crocheted and knitted. They cut up clothing that had been passed down and remade so many times that there was nothing left to do but glean the not-so-worn bits to use in their quilts. The buttons, snaps, hooks and eyes, zippers and any decorative bits were all carefully removed and set aside to be used in a new garment. Very rarely did they purchase new fabric just to make a quilt! Nothing was wasted in those days. I believe we could take a hint from these frugal women...........