Count Your Blessings

When upon life's billows
You are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged,
Thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings,
Name them one by one
And it will suprise you
What the Lord has done

Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your blessings,
See what God has done
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings,
See what God has done.
Are you ever burdened
With a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy
You are called to bear?
Count your many blessings,
Ev'ry doubt will fly
And you will be singing
As the days go by.

When you look at others
With their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised
You His wealth untold
Count your many blessings,
Money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven,
Nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict,
Whether great or small
Do not be discouraged,
God is over all
Count your many blessings,
Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you
To your journey's end.
 

Have Lopper, Will Lop

Do you know what loppers are?

I did not know.

When my Mom was visiting I was talking about this tree in our backyard.

I know, it looks like a healthy bush.

However, it is actually scrubby stuff that has grown out of the stump from a Russian Olive tree that had to be cut down as it was falling over.  The stump was clean when Summer began, but is now all gangly.  Earlier this Summer I'd planted a raspberry bush nearby and it had virtually disappeared!

Mom then talked to me about her Lopper.

I must've had a dumb look on my face but I really didn't quite know what she meant.

She took me to Home Depot and bought me my own pair.

When I returned home I just could NOT wait to Lop!  I lopped and I lopped and I lopped...

And guess what, there was still a raspberry bush under all that mess!

In my excitement I forgot to photograph the other Russian Olive tree before I took the lopper to it with surgical precision.  Just trust me when I say it had branches all the way to the ground and they'd all grown there just since June!

Now, it looks kind of pretty with its new haircut.

I just went from bush to bush and tree to tree having a grand time.

Unfortunately, now I  have piles all over that look like this...

Nevertheless, I love my lopper!

Thanks Mom!



Who Says You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?!

I learned a new trick!

I learn how to imbed links!

I always wondered how people made a word in their text into something that you could click to lead to another site.  Well, I had to figure it out.  I've been writing articles for Suite101 but the editors told me I needed to try to imbed my links instead of leaving exposed URL's.... huh?  Well, I went online and studied it.  Some sites were very confusing!  Finally, I found a site that made it all clear and simple!

So there!  Sometimes an OLD DOG can learn a new trick!

Sara's Birthday the Day After

Did you see my great post from yesterday?

No?

Perhaps that is because I never published it!

Oops!

I'm especially sorry because it was our daughter-in-law's birthday!

I'm so sorry, Sara.

My only excuse is that I suffer from a genetic condition, inherited from my own dear mother, called late birthdayitis.  Eventually I hope that you realize it is just our way of keeping that birthday feeling going by spreading it out over multiple days!

So now, to our beautiful daughter-in-law.......

 

Happy Birthday WEEK!

Frisbee Lesson

How to Throw a Frisbee...

Before you even begin, listen carefully to your instructor.

Then,  practice the wrist action.  This is important.

A good wind-up is sometimes useful.

If you do it just right, and your partner doesn't seem interested in catching it, you can sometimes get a really cool roll going.

Try not to be annoyed if your partner doesn't throw it back. 

Just go get it yourself and start the process over.



Most importantly,

HAVE FUN!

Pizza and PlayDough!

Last night was lovely.

Mom is here and Eric, Maria and Cordelia stopped by.

We ordered pizza, which is an automatic party as far as I am concerned.

Enjoying each other's company, we were still sitting around the table long after we'd had our fill.  That's when Cordy spotted the PlayDough containers on top of the fridge.

Last week, while Cordy was visiting, Sam and I took her to Walmart and one of our purchases was a simple 4 pack of PlayDough.

It is a special 4 pack, though, because it was her first time with PlayDough.

Sam spent time introducing her to it, showing her how to stretch it, roll it and just have fun with it.  She was hooked!

She takes her PlayDough time very, very seriously!

I got it down for her again last night and we all watched her play with it.

Before long, pieces of PlayDough were being handed around the table.

Eventually, I glanced around and smiled, realizing each of us had PlayDough going.

We were having fun... maybe revisiting our own childhoods?

 

If you have no PlayDough at your house, I think you should get some.  Apparently it is not just for children!  And no, I was not asked to do a commercial for PlayDough and unfortunately I am not getting paid for this little advertisement.

 



Jesus Said of Little Children

Jesus Said of Little Children

Jesus said of little children,

Suffer them to come to me,

For to such the heav'nly kingdom

Shall a home of welcome be.

Clifford R. Lanman 1937

MOM!

My Mom is going to be visiting me for a few days - Yay!

I love having my Mom around...and have I mentioned that she is beautiful?

Here are some pictures to enjoy.  They were taken a few weeks ago when Maria and I took Cordelia to visit Grandma Grace.

 

How Could This BEE Happening?

I was walking Bode, innocently sauntering along the sidewalk, when I was attacked! 

No, it wasn't thugs.

It wasn't even a lone bad guy.

I'm not sure what it was but I know it was

BIG

and it got stuck between my glasses and my eye.

It STUNG me before I could get my glasses off!

Thankfully, it got me just below my eyebrow, not right in my eye.

It hurt a LOT!

I suppose it was a bee.  Maybe it was a wasp or even a bat (I'm telling you, it felt really, really big) but for the purpose of this post, I am assuming it was a bee.

I instantly wished I had Benadryl on me.

I realized I had my cell phone in my pocket....good.

But, if I went into anaphylactic shock, would I be able to dial 911?

I started walking really fast to be sure I got home before the drama began.

Wait, wouldn't walking fast just make my blood pump faster, causing the vile poison to stream through my body even more quickly?

Ok, walk kind of fast but not too fast.

Be calm.

Wait...

Oh, a sudden realization...

I'm not allergic to bee stings, Mike is!

Whew!

 And here is how a bad thing became a good thing...

Recently I took some photos of bumble bees.

None of the bees posing for my photo shoot seemed annoyed by me and never once threatened to be mean to me.

 I wanted to use the photos on my blog, but how could I casually insert of photo of a bee into my conversation?

Well, Walaa!



This week I received a large package in the mail.

I always love receiving packages, don't you?

I knew this was my prize package from when I entered that give-away at http://www.whoopsidaisy-tonya.com/ so I had an idea of what I was going to find.

And I wasn NOT disappointed!

My prized included Tully's Coffee, Evergreen Blend.  I also received a cool porcelain eco cup.  The real surprise was a box of  Hottie Biscotti.  She'd chosen a Savvy Sweet Salted Caramel for me.  How did she know I had a thing for salty sweets?

All this was prettily presented in a cool little rectangular basket.

I've been enjoying this delicious prize already!

If you want to know more about the lovely lady who sent all this to me, check out her blog at http://www.whoopsidaisy-tonya.com/

My Work Daughter

Yesterday I had a lovely morning visiting with my daughter and my "work daughter".

I work from home now but for quite some time I was working at an oncology clinic. 

I really enjoyed working with that patient population, although I hadn't meant to be an oncology nurse...that's a story for another day.

At the clinic, I worked with some really, really great co-workers.  I developed relationships that sustained me through some pretty rough days, friendships that I still value today.  One of those relationships was especially unexpected.

My first summer at the clinic an unfortunate chain of events occurred one week that left me as the ONLY full-time nurse working in an area that needed a minimum of 3 nurses.  A nurse practitioner came to help part of the time, but she wasn't used to working in that area and she had her own responsibilities that she kept having to go do as well.

I was frantic!

It was that week that a new nurse came to work there.

She was in her early 20's and as desperate as I was for help, I admit that I was disappointed to see such a young face arrive.  I'd hoped for someone more experienced, preferably someone with chemotherapy experience.  

Well, as they say, don't judge a book by its cover!

Her name is Kerry and as it turned out, she was like an angel sent from heaven that week.  All I had to do was show her something one time and she was able to remember it.  She was also incredible at taking the initiative and noticing things that needed done without even being told.  She was fearless!  That is not easy when you are thrown into a new situation, especially one as busy as that! 

I'm a middle-aged woman.  It feels weird to even write that because in my head I've not yet grasped that whole middle-aged thing.  Nevertheless, there it is.

This young nurse, Kerry, became one of my best friends.  We don't really have that much in common, I suppose, but somehow we just clicked.  I really came to admire her for her spunk, her intelligence and her nurse's heart.  I also felt very protective of her. 

I worried when Kerry had to face the reality of enduring the death of patients.  We would often get very close to our patients, which was great, but it made a loss all the more painful.  She was so young to have to withstand this heartache so frequently.  One day we were talking about that.  We are both people of faith and I made some comment about when we get to heaven we will know a lot of people.  Kerry was quiet for a moment and then smiled a little smile and said, "Yeah, we'll be the popular girls!"  I knew then she also possessed a quiet strength well beyond her years.

Somewhere along the way, after hearing me speak of "Kerry this" and "Kerry that", my own daughter (who is actually older than Kerry) said that Kerry was like my "work daughter".  It was kind of funny and we often referred to her as that from then on.  Kerry has a lovely mother who is my age.  She's close to her mom and had no "mom void" to fill.  I also have a relationship with my daughter that is beyond anything I ever imaged.  I had no void to fill either.  But nevertheless, a small part of our friendship probably is a bit like mother and daughter.  However it is defined, thinking of Kerry  makes me smile.

One day recently, Kerry asked if I could try to crochet a hat for her baby daughter.  She wanted it to have the look of an owl.  I wasn't sure that I could do it but gave it a try.  Since that day, Maria and I have made many, many hats to sell either on our shop site or at craft fairs or to any shop that wants to carry them.  We are having so much fun making these hats,  making them up as we go.  I thank Kerry for getting us started!

Yesterday Kerry and her two kids came by and posed for me with their new hats.

Shane as a bear.

Shane as a very serious bear.

Riley, probably wondering why this lady

is making her wear a hot hat on a warm August day!

Mountaintop High

We held our church service up on the mountain Sunday.  It was lovely! 

This is the shelter where we met... 

We were there early so as Mike prepared for the service, I wandered around enjoying being on the mountain.  I found some really large and fresh pine cones.  They were just too perfect!  I had to collect some.  I greedily gathered up as many as I could carry, hugging them to my chest.  After dumping them into our vehicle I realized my hands were sticky and gooey.  Even my sweatshirt had goop on it!  Oh well, I'd seen the water cooler already set up.  I  knew it was for drinking but I figured I could dribble a bit on my hands and make it better.  

That's what I did but I was really, really heavy duty sticky, not just ordinary sticky.

Then I rubbed...

still sticky...

rubbed some more...

seemed even more sticky...

gathered up some dirt to rub on my hands, hoping to dislodge the tenacious goop...

still sticky and now dirty...

back to the cooler to dribble more water on my hands, hoping no one noticed...

still sticky...

wait a minute.........!

It was NOT a cooler of water.

It was lemonade!!!

I laughed out loud at myself!

I am grateful that my friend, Cheryl, helped me out.

I confessed my problem and stupidity to her and she produced a bottle of water!

More people arrived and I entertained myself taking photos.  Unfortunately, I hadn't thought to charge the battery on my camera so the photos started getting more and more blurry and then the camera went to sleep.

Here are a few pictures I took before the camera-hibernation set in....

This cross hangs over the big fireplace.

  

It was chilly but the fire kept people warm...well, only the people near the front, which was pretty much just Mike.

My son, Sam, thought this profile looked presidential and should be on a penny.

I think she has one of the prettiest smiles, don't you?

She also found a way to entertain herself as we waited for the others to arrive.

The service was lovely.

People clapped.

People smiled.

People sang.

People prayed.

People shared communion.

People worshipped.

After the service, we enjoyed a lovely potluck picnic.

I brought a salad made from broccoli flowerettes, strawberries, sesame seeds, toasted almonds and Monterrey jack cheese cubes topped with a mixture of red wine vinegar, mayo and sugar.  I was kind of proud of myself as I actually followed a real recipe, well, except for the sesame seeds, they were my own idea.  And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I also admit I didn't actually measure anything as I added it but still, I LOOKED right at the recipe as I mixed it all up.  That counts, doesn't it? 

I just wanted to share that day with you!



One Issue Voter

I admit it.

I am a one issue voter and I don't apologize for this.

Actually, it has made it easy for me.  I don't even have to pay much attention to most candidates as so few remained on my radar.  After my one-issue eliminating factor was considered, there were few candidates whom I would support.  Normally, I'd believe that candidates should be examined by the entirety of their platforms, but I simply can't ever see myself considering electing someone to office, any office, if their platform supports the right to abortion as a legitimate choice.

I believe that the evil side made a big coupe when people were convinced that abortion was an acceptable choice, that a baby in utero is not a real person... unless of course it is a baby who's mother wants it. 

from Elfwood.com

 I was listening to Ron Paul speak at the Iowa Straw Poll.  Click here if you are interested in hearing what he has to say...  http://www.ronpaul.com/  To be honest, I didn't mean to be watching the Straw Poll at all but when I turned on the tv it was on that channel already.  I was about to change the channel when I caught a few of his words.  I had to listen more.

He spoke of a time during his training as a doctor.  He said that he was observing an abortive procedure where a baby was born crying and breathing.  He watched as the staff put the baby off to the side, letting it die.  Later, he was observing a baby, about the same size, born prematurely.  He watched as the staff worked diligently to save that baby.  He realized something was very, very wrong with the discrepancy of treatment for these two babies.

The difference between the two babies?

One was wanted and one was not.

Is that what makes us human, being wanted by someone?

I decided if Ron Paul could display such boldness, so could I.  I've written an article that I hope will catch the interest of others via the internet.  If you are interested, you can read it here:

http://www.suite101.com/content/ron-paul-speaks-out-against-abortion-at-the-straw-poll-a384651

As I listened to him I remember thinking, "He's sure brave to speak so potently against abortion while running for president."  I also thought, "He doesn't have a chance."

I kept watching, though, and found that he was not the only candidate to do so.

I'm wondering, are the times changing?

Are more and more people realizing that in utero or out, a human is a human?

Dear God, I hope so!

But it does mean I'm going to have to pay more attention now.

Jesus, Refuge of the Weary

Jesus, refuge of the weary,

Blest redeemer, whom we love,

Fountain in life's desert dreary,

Savior from the world above:

Often have your eyes, offended,

Gazed upon the sinner's fall;

Yet upon the cross extended,

You have borne the pain of all.

Text: Girolamo Savonarola, 1452-1498; tr. Jane F. Wilde, 1826-1896

Tune: Herrnhut, c.1735

Bendy

I like to think that I am a flexible person.

I'm really not.

Even as a kid I noticed that I wasn't as "bendy" as other kids.

Thankfully, I did not pass this trait on to Sam.  Yesterday I moved the computer to a new desk as the old one was threatening to collapse.  The new desk is not really made for computers and is pretty small.  In fact, the front drawer has to be pulled out to have a place for a keyboard.  This is temporary.  

Sam was not pleased and complained that he couldn't sit at the computer with his legs crossed anymore.

Keep in mind that Sam is 6'3" now.

When he speaks of crossing his legs at the computer he doesn't mean draping one leg over the other at the knee like a normal person.  He means folding his legs in front of himself much like other people fold their arms across their chests.  He can still do this and reach his long arms around to the keyboard. 

Now that's "bendy"!

I expect he won't pose for a photo to help you get a visual of this but I did run across this old photo that kind of gives you the idea.

Peaceful Kingdom

After yesterday's post, I'm supposing some of you may be wondering what I received for my baptismal anniversary this year, and how it was tied in with the event.

Yes, I got a bag of Cheetos!

First, Mike said that I had to come up with a tie-in of my own.

I looked at the bag and  saw that it said it was made with

REAL CHEESE

so I said it is because we believe in the

REAL JEEEEEEEEEESUS!

I thought that was pretty good given that I had to come up with it on the spot.

Mike then had me read Galatians 6:6 "Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher."  He then pointed out that this particular bag of Cheetos was family size...

So, I shared with him.

He also made some comment about being brought into the "peaceful kingdom".

What?

OK, here's the story...

The first year we were married I gained an ounce or two and announced I was going to diet.

Mike, being the helpful husband, decided to assist me in my efforts.

When he found me eating from a bag of Cheetos, he snatched the bag from my hands.

Rude!

I did what I had to do and tried to snatch it back. 

Cheetos are really yummy!

We playfully wrestled over the bag and in the effort I kicked at him. 

Don't worry about him, I wasn't even wearing shoes.

He was wearing cowboy boots.

I broke a toe!

Seriously, it hurt sooooo bad!

Peaceful Kindgom?

Sure, as long as you don't get between me and my Cheetos!



Baptismal Anniversary and Grady

In our family we celebrate our baptismal anniversaries.  Today is mine! 

We often do weird gifts for these anniversaries, always trying to make them correlate in some way to our baptisms.  One year, while living in a small town with very limited shopping, I gave Mike a package of 3 pairs of undershorts for his baptismal anniversary.  He looked at me like he didn't get it!  Duh!? 

3.... the Trinity!

White... Purity!

It's almost like I had to spell it out for him.

I was fully immersed when I was baptized at age 10.

Mike was baptized by what some call "sprinkling" but actually I think it was more of a "pouring". 

At any rate, we discussed these different traditions at length when we were dating.  

One year, for my baptismal anniversary, Mike gave me a lawn sprinkler.

 Now you don't feel so bad about me giving him the Tidy Whities, do you?

(picture from Hanes)

For the record, I do NOT recommend using the search engine for a picture of underwear...yikes!

On a sadder note, today is also the 1 year anniversary of the death of our old dog, Grady.

Grady lived to be almost 15 years old, which is pretty good for a large dog.  Even so, it was a hard day when we had to say good-bye to him.  Do you think we'll see our dogs again in heaven?  I do.

I Miss Ben

Today I am feeling especially lonely for our son, Ben, and his wife, Sara.

Ben and Sara live a long way from us right now.  I am ok with that most of the time.  They have had some really wonderful opportunities and it is fun to hear of their adventures.  We talk on the phone quite a bit, and I am very grateful for that.

Today, though, I just want to give my boy a hug.

Tying the Knot

Yesterday, after a lovely morning playing with Cordelia and visiting with her parents, we decided it was time to Tie the Knot!  

You see, one of the things Mike and I really enjoy is to float the local river.  Because I was too sick last summer, we never got a a chance to do it at all.  So far this summer we've held back because the river was flooded and not so very safe.  Some years we've actually had to stand up and carry our inner tubes because we were dragging bottom!  Not this year!  But it is below flood stage now so off we went!

Somewhere along the way we bought a 2 person raft, thinking we would upgrade from the inner tubes.  I'm not sure what 2 people would be comfortable in this raft, though.  It is pretty small and crowded.  We've improvised.  Mike floats in the raft and I float in the innertube.  However, we tie them together (get it, tie the knot?) so we stay close.  I think it probably looks pretty funny.  It also makes paddling a bit of a challenge as one oblong rafter tied to one inner tuber makes for a situation of being unequally yoked together... I know, I know, I'm just so very funny.

 

We sometimes go in circles but that just adds to the fun!

Yesterday we chose to go out of town a ways and float in for a couple hours.  We passed one row boat with fishermen in it right away but after that we had the river to ourselves until we were landing.  We ate our lunch, carefully gathering our garbage so as not to spoil the environment.   We chatted. 

We listened to birds singing.  In bursts we'd paddle like crazy to avoid hitting a log or smashing into bushes along the edge, but mostly it was relaxing and beautiful.

When we came to our landing spot we found quite a few people getting ready to launch.  They looked at us kind of funny I thought.  One was putting in his jet ski and others were putting in rafts big enough for 10 people to ride comfortably, cup holders and all.  

 

Well, we may have looked odd but we had a lovely afternoon.