friday love

you know what i love? i love when it's friday and you can sigh and feel the end of a really good week.

i love when you get your jacket on, and grab your coffee and go walk around the yard, and the colors are SUPER saturated.

i love when the birds don't seem to mind the rain, and you have the feeling that the sun might break out later in the day.

i love the quiet, and the feeling that right at this moment, everything is perfectly exactly perfect in your world.

i love today :))
i hope that each of you is blessed with a day that you love as well.

lessons from a dandelion

so, i have a cute story for you. yesterday as the work day was winding down, i decided to go outside and tackle some of the zillion dandelions that had popped up in the yard over the last few days. they are pretty, but give em an inch, and before long you don't have a lawn!

i have a funky tool for pulling dandelions. which makes me superior to my neighbor, who is fond of poisonous chemicals. basically, it is a little pole that has some kind of contraption on the bottom that 'grabs' the weed, you twist, pull it up and pop a button to release the weed into a garbage bag.


it's kind of fun to use. anyway, i'm out poppin' dandelions out, and of course, my little neighbor girl sees me (she loves me) and comes over. so, i teach her how to use the tool. then, her brother shows up, and i am teaching him....as we are in the front yard, before i know it, FIVE kids have gotten off their bikes, and are begging, BEGGING to be next in line. i am finding it a good opportunity for encouragement, so i am yelling things like "you ROCK at dandelion pulling!" and "next one to get the WHOLE dandelion out gets BONUS POINTS" - ps. bonus points are a big deal when you are a 9 year old kid.

before i knew it, the yard was weed-free, and i had some happy little campers who jumped on their bikes and continued on their way. and a nice little feeling in my heart that if you engage kids, teach them, tell them they are awesome, they will enjoy ANY task you give em.

whew. maybe i AM ready for that vbs week i volunteered for after all :)

hair x3

well, day 3 of the haircut, and it has looked totally different every day! so far, yesterday fared the best. today is more bobbish, but still okay. i am liking the change :)

nothing like sitting out on the stoop taking pics of yourself in the monsoon-like winds. the neighbors do stare a little bit.

ps. i can start rocking the botox any day now, no?

follow-up: yesterday was a perfectly sunny, still beautiful day in brookings. yes, there were tears, but i dearly love my family. thinking of sandi, betty, don, jon, and jim today....


i am not exactly looking forward to today.


this afternoon, i will drive to brookings and watch this cute little house be sold on auction. it is my aunt's house, and i will miss having it to come 'home' to when i visit brookings. luckily, my mom and dad and whole family will be there, and that will be good.


i will bring my brand new haircut and a box of kleenex along for the ride. please pray that the sun will be shining, that will make it so much better.

snuggle weather

another grey and rainy day. i am kind of not used to these, but it has been nice. i have gotten this idea in my head that i should make another quilt, after i found this adorable kit, but i am afraid of buying more fabric for another project, just to store in the closet!!

sigh. on a day like today, though, i imagine snuggling up in this, and it seems good.

:) back to monday!

hug another tree

even though yesterday was earth day, and today is cloudy and windy and kind of yucky out, it IS the day that the flowering crab tree decided to live up to its name.

last night, i was walking to bring out the trash, and i thought 'why does it smell so GOOD and non-trashlike?"

then, i looked up and found this.




:)

pearfect

in my continuing efforts to recreate the garden of eden here on earth, i decided to buy a pear tree today. this is a seckel pear, mostly purchased for its cold-hardiness, and its dwarfness (10-12 ft).

i cannot even imagine how fun it will be to have a pear tree!!! and to answer the question that i know you are wondering, yes, i do also have partridges back there :)




happy friday blog ones!

the $1 chair

these spring days have been flying by quickly. yesterday i got to have lunch with my bff carey, which is really kind of a rare occurence. we were talking about how we are looking for God this summer, which really only happens by choice. she has had a number of sightings recently, and i have had a call to become more of a 'looker.' not sure what or when or how, but a desire to look for Him in everyday opportunities, instead of only looking for my own stuff.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
Psalm 24:6

it is true that those who look for God find Him. it's such a simple thing, really. on the way back from lunch, i was pondering the meaning, and i decided to swing by my local VOA thriftstore.

as i pulled up to the parking lot, i saw the crack-cocaine-like sign that every thrifter dreams of: $1.00 for all chairs.

the parking lot was FULL of chairs, all well loved. all singlets. all needing ME.

:)) i got out, and started making my way thru the selection (probably 50-60 chairs). there was a young guy who works at the thrift store, sitting in one of the chairs with an older woman. i started a small-talk convo with them, and the woman stated that she had found hers, it was very comfortable (it was the one she was sitting in). although she did not have a way to get it home, even though she lived close by.

cha-ching! God spotting. i quickly volunteered to bring her chair home for her. what i did not realize at the time, is that the barcalounger that she wanted was big, cumbersome, and kind of smelly :) the handicapped boy working the lot was not going to be much help, so i threw my back out and got it loaded all by myself.

then, she told me she didn't have a dollar either ;)

and all the while this was going on, she told me about her life. her prayer for a car so that at age 67 she could learn to drive and go to phoenix to visit her grandkids. her need for a job. her path as a single woman who picked the kind of guy you never should pick, and had 4 kids with before he left her. her cats, who had clawed her other chair up pretty badly. her daughter, who would help her pick out drapes to match it. to be quite honest, i'm pretty sure she wanted to tell her story, far more than she wanted the dang chair.

i left her with a hug and a prayer that Jesus would bless her life that day, and reassure her of His love. nothing major, in fact i am pretty sure she did not even recognize His presence. but as i got in the car and drove back home, i am pretty sure that i did.

tulips pt 2

well, thankfully you said that 'repeats' didn't bother, because the tulips look TOTALLY different than last week. the yellow ones are now giant and more orange than anything. and the reddish ones have a really cool fringe on the edges. i wish they would last forever.

oh, and the plum tree went from sort of blooming to 'hello!' in a day also.

so there. just when you think things cannot possibly get better, they DO.

repeat

i can already tell that you guys are going to get sick of all my repeat photos of the yard this year. i can hear myself now: look at that bush! look at that bird! look at that bug! stunning!

well, i cannot help myself. this is really, truly one of the prettiest springs i EVER remember. i kind of almost cannot remember this.

anyhoo. don't want you to think i am one-note, so i am also thinking of these things:

scones. with vanilla bean glaze. i made a half batch last week. they are, um, gone. that vanilla bean glaze ROCKED.

coffee. drinking some yucky store brand stuff. although i have become too 'frugal' to go out every day for a coffee, dang, i do need some of the good stuff. pronto.

work. making a fun website today. that should be an oxymoron, fun and website in the same sentence. ps. it's official....AP decided we can now say website instead of Web site. wow - they are with it, aren't they?!!! better call a couple of clients, and one copywriter who will rejoice at this fine news.

that's it. the rest of my head is pretty much empty. happy tuesday from the BF.

beautiful

hi all! happy springness. things are quite pretty and springey here on the back forty. i am joyful, for a monday even....(did you catch the snagglepuss-likeness of that response?)

i am feeling relieved. i have a big business decision to make today, and yesterday at church the pastor spoke directly to my decision, by saying 'don't make decisions out of a place of desolation.' now, my life is not exactly what i would call desolate, but the basis of my decision had a LOT to do with feeling rejected, used, a 'has been' and not wanting to feel that way.

it was funny how it struck my heart. although in my mind the decision was kind of almost a no-brainer, the reality of what i am choosing is the opposite. i think i will call it a God-brainer :))

anyway, today i am feeling secure in the choice. thank you Lord for being my Helper.

heavens to murgatroyd

somehow, somewhere, the phrase 'heavens to murgatroyd' has gotten stuck in my head and will not come out. i currently say or think it, about 7 times a day. i did not even remember where it came from!

i googled it, of course, and then remembered snagglepuss, who i loved growing up.... all of the hanna barbera stuff was my favorite.

heavens to murgatroyd, the 60s seem like yesterday :))

this is the day

today started out as:

- thursday

- tax day

- 'oh my gosh i woke up at 4:30am and how am i gonna make it thru' day

and suddenly, it has turned into:

- 'the day the tulips decided to open' day.




- or maybe even this day.

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

fly me away

so, i placed an order for some more flower seeds today. i have decided to break up the back garden space a bit, and plant some more flowers, and a few less veggies. last year, i had a weedy mess for some of the garden, specifically the melons, which take up a lot of space. this year, i'll buy a cantaloupe at the farmer's market, and call it good.

so, i am excited for the 2 plants above, joe pye weed and butterfly (milk) weed. both are said to attract butterflies. the joe pye weed gets HUGE, will plant it up against the neighbor's fence. i love the purple and orange, don't you?

just for fun, i also got:

lemon bee balm


4 o'clocks - a wonderful annual that reminds me of my grandma


light blue star morning glories


a special breed of california poppies,
from diane of diane's heirloom seeds.

I am excited to have more color in the garden this year. although i love my perennial beds, they do tend to have periods of inactivity, depending on the bloom seasons. annual flowers from seed are just so old school, they do require patience, but in the end, are better than almost anything you can buy at the greenhouse.


:)) happy thursday!

mean green mowing machine ;)

80 degrees and breezy

that's the M.O. for S.F. today. very bizarre for april! i have visions of drought and awfulness in the upcoming months. i wish i had more faith ;)

i am happy to report i have a handy man on a trial basis. today he installed the ceiling fans that i have had in the garage since last fall. ceiling fans have many, many small parts.

tomorrow, he is going to clean the gutters and possibly install gutter guards, depending on the estimate. oh, and hook up the rain barrel.

i may go buy a lawn mower tonite, and hire him for assembly.

then, i have on the list:

door/window trim
pantry in kitchen
tiling in bathroom

it might be cheaper to date and find a husband ;))

the flag lady returns

whew. another monday. who is making them come faster and faster?!


had a great weekend. although 'great' weekends mean i am too tired to move on monday. there is only so much fun that 47 years of livin' can take ;))

first off, the yard is almost, ALMOST ready for spring. i have a bit more work to do in the back, but overall, feeling pretty good. gardening is not only a cure for my aching head, but i can hear a few muscles that have not spoken in a long time, yelling at me. cannot be a bad thing.

secondly, went to visit a different church yesterday. the pastor preached on going deeper in worship. can we all say a-men to that?!

thirdly, the neighbors had their first 'harley' party of the summer, and my head did not actually twist off my body. let's hope that next time, they go to somebody elses house, just in case God has not completely finished renewing my mind ;)

fourthly, bill the cat, who i prayed for all of last week, is healed. or, at least, healing. thanks, God!

ps. added bill's pic so you can see what a good God healing looks like :))
that is his brother ted cuddling up next to the pinky shaved belly.

fifthly, casting crowns concerts are fun. they revive tired old ladies into worhip-filled flag ladies ;)) that is what the tenth avenue north guy called me. i KNOW he was talkin' about me. if you haven't gone to a christian concert before, you should try it. i think the best witness for Christ is not the worship during the concert, it's that you have a better chance of not getting cut off leaving the parking lot. ha.


happy week, blog ones!

there's always a day before

i read this post yesterday, after getting sucked into this website. it seems the man who wrote the post died earlier this week, at the age of only 53.

as someone who tends to spend waaaaaaaaaaay too much time worrying about things that never come to pass, i thought it was a beautiful piece of prose.


Live each day as the day that all of the Gospel is true.

Live this day and be glad in it.

Live this day as the day of laying down sin and taking up the glad and good forgiveness of Jesus.

Live this day determined to be useful and joyful in Jesus.

Live this day in a way that, should all things change tomorrow, you will know that the Lord is your God and this is the day to be satisfied in him.

ham and bean soup

okay, i know that this seems like a 'winter' recipe.

but, i had been CRAVING some homemade bean soup, so i made this on Good Friday. it was seriously the best bean soup i have ever had! i think maybe the mustard powder is the secret ingredient. if you have some leftover ham from Easter, it might be good for you, too.



yummy. today, with the clouds and rain and all, it will be perfecto.

Ham and Bean Soup:

• 1 pound dry great Northern beans
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ham hock - ps. i left this out.
  
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1. Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
2. After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
3. Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

pregame begins

wow, what a wonderful few days we have had! i don't remember such nice weather in march, well, EVER.

it makes my mind shift into gardening season, big time.


that's probably a good thing ;)


i am about 50% of the way done with the beds around the house. they seriously don't take that much time to do, even though they were looking horrifically bad.

the back yard is next. the whole garden is there, just like it was last september. only slightly browner ;)) the bunnies obviously have spent a bit of time there, if the bunny poop is any indication. hope that tomatoes like that particular brand of fertilizer.

thank you God for spring clean up! actually, thank you for cleaning us up year-round ;)

even the rocks cry out

are you all having a good Easter week? for some reason, i have been more in tune with God, and what He did for us during this holy week, than at other times in the past.

last sunday at church, we read and discussed the 'highs' of holy week, as Jesus was ushered into Jerusalem on the donkey.

Luke 19:28-40
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. (From John 12, we discover they came with Palm Branches along with their coats.)

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

our actual discussion was about the week itself, how we can go from glorifying God, to completely abandoning Him in such a short time period.

what has actual struck me MOST during the week is the last line of this passage: 'the stones will cry out.'

as a Christian, i believe that we were made to worship God. what amazes me so often, is the thought of all creation worshipping God. i have visualized this before, during prayer, the combination of Heaven and earthly inhabitants gathered at the throne of God. i also behold what i believe to be worship in nature. this morning, as i sit and contemplate the day, i cannot help but want to experience deep worship. i know that i am not alone. i hear the birds outside, calling madly and deeply. i think of angels around me, beckoning me to come. and i KNOW that i know that i know,

even the rocks cry out.


have a great Easter, everybody :)

flip flopping away

i know you are not supposed to wear white after labor day. which does not bother me too much, because white clothing is not a chubby girl's friend.

the thing i need to know is: how soon can one begin wearing flip flops - officially? i have been wearing these around the house for about a week. can i bring them out now?

can i? can i? CAN I?