Window Treatments

My antique bottle and doodad collection has been returned to the upper windows in my living room. Dusting will be a little trickier now, but they look cheerful and friendly up there, and I could use a little bit of cheerful and friendly.

Now that the blinds have come down (when we painted...), the morning sun can come in. I call that minute the sun comes up over the horizon "the golden moment" because it turns my kitchen and a corner of my living room to gold. It's a seasonal thing and I must remember to treasure the gift.

I Can't Believe You Said That....

Old post, new circumstances.... Actually, this post might refer to several circumstances right now. It seems as though the world has gone mad and we are along for the ride. 

Sunday, January 03, 2010

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:8

Extenuating circumstances have left me contemplating the power of the tongue and how quickly words can destroy character and reputation. Words can be a healing balm or a deadly poison. Once released, poisonous words seep deep into the heart and soul, set on a course to destroy. They can never be totally undone or erased no matter how sorry the speaker may be.

Words reveal the condition of the heart, as Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." The mouth is a leaky seal releasing the contents of the soul. Where the heart is given to God, blessings will come forth, but where lies and deceit reside, cursing will pour out.

As you may have guessed, we are struggling with the effects of an unbridled tongue and seeking the wisdom of God in how to deal with the situation. It would be easy, in some ways, to lash back, but that is not a real solution as we are not seeking to alienate, but restore. (At least that is what we want to want. The truth is, sometimes it is difficult to pray a blessing on those who hurt us. That is, none the less, what Jesus desires us to do, and we want to follow Him)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Y is for Yawning

Y is for yawning.

Bo Cat was just waking up from a nap. Still feeling rather sleepy, she opened her mouth in a huge yawn. I laughed when I saw the photograph. She looks dangerous and scary and... funny.

To see the other participants in the new round of 
ABC Wednesday, click here!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday was cold, but not near as cold as today. I think I shall endeavor to stay inside, now that I've already been out to stand at the end of the driveway with Emma. The bus arrived on time. Alex and I waved her off and hurried back inside.

I suppose I do need to go out with James later, his van inspection is expired, but then I will hurry back home to the wood stove and my pile of warm blankets. If there weren't still so many cookies hanging around I might turn the oven on.

Angel Toes

We stopped to visit Angel yesterday afternoon. Her little grand daughter was there and offered to paint her grandma's toenails. Angel was very agreeable. (She also told us about the time she wore sandals to work forgetting that Autumn had given her a pedicure... I don't suppose she will have to worry about that this week. It isn't sandal weather.)

Autumn also painted Aunt Lindsey's nails. She looks very pleased with herself, don't you think? I can hardly wait until my granddaughter is big enough to paint my nails!

Saturday

It's Saturday, at least that is what the calendar says. On "normal" Saturdays I run errands; the bank, the grocery store... anyplace I haven't been able to go throughout the week and need to. Today I don't need to. I went shopping yesterday. I even went to the post office and mailed out three boxes that didn't get into the mail before Christmas. Today is dark and dreary, a good day to curl up with a cup of hot tea or coffee and a good book. It is a good day to sit and talk with my favorite second mom, or maybe to take a short nap.

James and Hannah have gone out together. They have taken my van, and that is okay because I have no plans to go out, and no desire to. I am happy to sit home, fold laundry, and check the computer. I am not eating anymore candy or cookies. I had fruit and nuts for breakfast and am now enjoying a second cup of half decaf coffee with Gingerbread Latte creamer. My eyes are tired and my vacation is nearly over. Maybe I really should take that afternoon nap...

Sand Through the Hour Glass

There is not much left to the year 2011. Another 26 hours and we will be counting the seconds until the arrival of 2012. Hopefully I will be wise enough this time around to sleep the new year in instead of to stay awake and stumble through the next day in a fog.

I have been considering New Year's resolutions... It seems every year they are about the same; eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, along with be more thankful, smile more often, and forgive more faster. ;) (Yes, I do know that's bad grammar.)

My treadmill remains in my daughter's basement. I miss it, but there isn't any extra space in my living room. (It once lived here in another room, but that now belongs to my mother...) Is there hope for this now middle aged woman? (I'm talking about me.) I am not liking what I see either in the mirror or in photographs... Maybe I need to go on a soup and watered down juice diet. That would cover my fluid intake and be lower in calories!

Constantly Praying

An old friend stopped by today. She came to bring some medicine to her auntie who has been sick this week. She is constantly on my heart and in my thoughts. The pictures are seven years old, but the love remains constant as it has through the years.







Please continue to pray for my friend and her family. Her father was her best friend...

De Colores

Aren't colors fun? Cameras are fun too. :)

That's my favorite Little People guy there. He's wearing overalls.

Okay, so I'm a weirdo...

X is for eXcitement

X is for eXcitement.

Filling seven to ten Christmas stockings is a big job, so my husband and I have relegated that responsibility to our now grown children. They fill each other's stockings by purchasing one or two small gifts for each. Ben livened things up this year by depositing a scorpion sucker into each red sock. That's a little too exciting for me. (And Jim thought Moose Poop was fun...)

I must say, though scorpion suckers may not be my weakness, there are far too many tasty treats around here that do call my name. I am in serious need of some eXercise, but really I feel more like taking a long nap. :)

To see the other participants in the new round of 
ABC Wednesday, click here!

December Gifts

I haven't shared my "gifts" in a while, and though December has been hard, there are still gifts to thank the Father for...

2565. Early morning sunlight turning the room to gold.


2568. Hannah playing her piano.

2577. A frosted world bathed in sunshine.


2587. Christmas carols, red kettles, and Jesus!


2597. Lips, chapped and dry though they be


2607. Memories of childhood...


2610. A God who hears our desperate cries.


2617. New furniture


2640. An unexpected package from my beautiful nice, Annie


2653. Grandmanita's safe arrival


2661. People; friends and family come to love and encourage the hurting


2662. Being a part of it, How humbling.


2664. Hearing my childhood friend say, "I love you."


2665. The husband God gave me and the man he has become


2669. A place of peace in a world gone mad


2670. Snippets of sleep

Christmas Passed

Christmas is over for another year. I thought I would be ready early this time. I had done some prior planning, even purchased and wrapped several presents just after Thanksgiving. I had plans; plans to shop, to bake, to decorate, to attend Christmas services, and to enjoy the season, but the month of December didn't go as planned.

I am thankful God put it in my heart to do something ahead of my usual schedule, at least my grandchildren had presents under the tree. Thankfully, my children have learned not to expect anything too grand and glorious, perhaps one of the perks of having a half a dozen. James' mom made a wonderful chicken soup while we were at church yesterday morning, and this was made extra special by homemade noodles. (At this rate I'll never be gluten-free... :)

Tension remains high amongst family members. Please pray for our deeply troubled and hurting son and his family. There are some things moms and dads just can't fix. We need Somebody much bigger, but then again, don't we need Him all the time?

A Christmas Wish

This Christmas I wish peace and comfort for my friends turned family, the ones who were my childhood friends before I married their cousin. I pray that God would be near to them each day, that He would wrap His loving arms around them, dry their tears, and bring them that peace that passes all understanding.

I pray that memories of happier days would carry them through the dark and lonely moments, and that the love of the Father in heaven would fill their days. I pray that they would cherish the time they had together and thank God for a dad who loved them without question. I thank God for my own memories of this man, for songs sung, dinners shared, encouragement given, and a love unspoken. (Here he sings to Bethany back in May of 2004. If only we had a video.)

And So This Is Christmas

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. 

- Dr. Seuss

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I have often wished for a way to simplify Christmas and this year Christmas will be just that, simpler. We'll gather for a meal, some games, and maybe a Christmas movie, but the gifts, wrapped gifts, will be few, and that's okay. We have each other and we have Jesus, and that is gift enough.

About Those Presents...

I'm not complaining, I have been abundantly blessed with gifts this month. I'm just looking for something to smile about and Lucy makes me smile. :)

My eldest son will be home tomorrow night, and though there is not enough time left to create the Christmas I'd dreamed up in my mind, we still have Jesus and He is the reason for having a Christmas in the first place. There will be more food than we can eat, there will be laughter, and there will be gifts. I'm hoping there will be forgiveness as well.

It Can't Be Christmas

How can Christmas be coming in four short days when my family is falling apart? Why has my son chosen to stir up a ruckus on top of a tragedy? Why would my oldest son want to drive seventeen hours home to this?

I am emotionally and mentally drained, stretched to the limit. I don't think there is much hope of salvaging this Christmas...  but at least there are cookies.

A Little On the Sleepy Side

It has been an incredibly exhausting two weeks. Sunday we went to calling hours and yesterday was the funeral service and luncheon. Around 2:15 pm we headed out on a journey to Toronto where James' aunt had to catch bus which would take her another two hours north. Both the E-Z Pass I bought for NY City and the licenses we had enhanced, were put to good use. The trip to Toronto and back took about 7 1/2 hours, and on our way home we stopped to say our final goodbyes to family that were leaving town today. (And enjoy some stuffed artichokes.)

I found it nearly impossible to sleep last night. When I closed my eyes I saw highway lights passing by, and when the lights weren't there my brain wouldn't rest. I must say that in spite of the original news story going nationwide (one family member said it was on the news in southern California), the media kept their distance this weekend.The church was packed and there were more people at the cemetery than I had expected. My own brain just keeps replaying old memories along with the events of the past two weeks. It still seems more like a terrible nightmare than real life.

Being with the family was healing for me. I find myself constantly vacillating back and forth between being childhood friend and present family member, not knowing quite where to fit in. I do know that I love my old friends become family and they love me. We've told each other so this time, and I can't imagine it any other way.

W is for Woodpile

W is for woodpile.

The woodpile on the back porch grows and shrinks with whether the temperature is high or low. We keep the wood stove going most of the day, but don't worry too much if it goes out at night. We live in snow country, but apparently the snow has other plans this year. We've not had more than an inch or two on the ground at a time. No need to shovel the walk, pointless to plow the driveway, and I can get away with wearing shoes instead of boots. That's okay with me. My house is warm and cozy, and there's still plenty of wood stacked outside the back door.

To see the other participants in the new round of 
ABC Wednesday, click here!

December

December has gone terribly wrong this year...

I think maybe I need someone to come over and make cutout Christmas cookies with me... on Wednesday.

Old Pictures

Once upon a time a young couple embarked on a journey to Niagara Falls. It was not an overnight honey moon, but rather a day trip with family. Along with the young couple was their small son and the young man's mother. The mother owned a rather nice camera and had taken up the wonderful hobby of photography which she intended to practice on the small family.

I'm sure the young couple stopped to look at the thunder- ing falls, this was, after all, back when one could park along the boulevard, get out of the car, and walk across the sidewalk to see the spectacle. It was a bright and sunny day, warm and fair. Not far from the falls was a park with paddle boats and a trail to walk along, a perfect place for taking pictures.

:) I like When Grandmanita brings old pictures.