Refreshment!

I’ve been away from home for a few days.  Although it was wonderful to be with hundreds of other pastors and their wives, it’s also somewhat exhausting for me.  When I’ve been away it seems to take me a bit to find my groove but as soon as I hit the ‘home-soil’ I begin to feel the refreshment come my way.

It’s a different kind of refreshment, a refreshment that’s hard for me to explain.  Oh, I felt refreshed while I was away.  Refreshed with God’s grace and love.  Refreshed with the rekindling of old friends, literally hundreds of friends.

Both types of refreshment bring exhilaration and stimulation!

But, when I’m away from home, I find a longing to return… – Honestly, never in my whole life have I struggled with being homesick.  I’ve always wanted to go…go…go.  Now though, I just want to STAY!  I must admit that I prefer this calming sense that I feel when I’m at home.  It too is one that’s hard to describe.

I took these ‘ducks on my pond’ pictures last week.   – while I was gone,  I just kept thinking them.

Quite a few months ago I got a new-for-me camera – a Canon 10D.  I really love it but have been {kind of} content to just use it with it’s auto setting because I haven’t wanted to tackle the manual (which now I can’t find 😦 ).  As I was taking these duck pictures I kept thinking, “Surely I can do better!”  So I flipped  this and rotated that and gave it a ‘try’.  I absolutely don’t know anything about what I’m doing but I just have to show you the picture that I took just before the above picture.

just plain old 'auto' setting

'manual' setting with no knowledge of what I'm doing

Can we say together, boys and girls, “Night and Day!”?

Is that a convincer, or what?  It just adds so much ‘life’.  It makes me realize what I could do if I would read that manual.

Really! It’s time!!!

Such warmth to be found in dear friends!

I have a friend, her name is Lin.  Lin is one of those friends that I know was a gracious gift from God.

Lin is always calm, quieting, organized, collected, talented, meticulous and lovely.  She is a gal who oozes God’s love and grace through all that she does.  I gain so much just by being near her and think I want to be just like her when I grow up.  😉

Recently she had my daughter and I over for an afternoon of tea and an opportunity to share in friendship.  She gave me this sweet little hand-knitted, felted bag that she made for me along with a wooden spoon that she bought  in Tanzania, where she was involved with a medical mission’s trip.

I love this gal and I just wanted to tell you that today!

Perfect for a to-go knitting project.  I’ve been working on this green scarf with cables for 3 years.  I don’t particularily enjoy working on it but I am so close to finishing it.  Since I will be on-the-go for the next few days I think I’ll take it along…

Happy Birthday, Sis!

Yesterday was my sister’s birthday.

She is my sweetest sister.

…and my only sister {except for my 2 favorite sister-in-laws}!

side 2 of bottle label

Her name is Arlene!   …Arlene and Elaine ~ what kind of mother does that?

answer: a wonderful one!

good answer, huh?

I went to an estate sale yesterday.  On the 2nd or 3rd trip there 🙂 I went specifically to buy a jar that I could use to put fresh flowers in for my sis.  I love these old jars ~ they’re so full of character.  I had to cut the cork out of it which meant that the inside was nice and clean.  I added a special soldered label just for her and fresh flowers from the florist.  Since I was going to the big city today I was able to drop this off to her at work (thus the boring white wall in the background!).

Earth Day continued…

I love dirt!

I really love dirt!

I love to work it – gather it – touch it – mix it- add to it- move it – own it 😉 …and I mostly love the idea of having healthy, rich soil that will grow pure lusciousness.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to get a load of aged cow manure to add to my garden.  I’m hoping to get a couple of dump truck loads but for now I’m working with this pick-up load.   It’s just so exciting.

As I gathered up my nieces to go to the farm (w/o camera 😦 ) in my dad’s old pick-up truck, I realized that I think that everyone of his grandkids seems to get smitten with this feeling of awe and wonder each time they have an opportunity to ride in his old, dirty, stinky and loud truck.  They almost get giddy and the little girls last night were even slightly twitter♥pated.  It’s hard to explain but each one loves their grandpa so much!

*I’ll admit, I get the same feeling!

I really love dirt!

Earth Day Musing!

I live on a piece of land that, when we make the official purchase (we’re waiting for another home to sell 😦 ), we will be 4th generation land owners.  That’s amazing and wonderful to me.  I love this place.  It felt like home as soon as my folks started building it in 1983.  I love how Mr T. has fallen in love with it right along with me.

My dad, who lived on this property for 26 years (with my mom), is an avid Tree Farmer and he has loved and nurtured these trees for even longer.

I started planting trees with my dad when I was about 12 years old.  That first planting is quite an impressive stand now.  {since trees grow so slow, I guess that dates me}

I helped him plant this stand, with the help of my son in…

…well, I guess it was 1991.  Several years later I painted this sign.

Wow!  What craftsmanship!  🙂  Why would I ever question my artist abilities???

planted in 1991...maybe even by ME!

I love our little cabin.  It sits there so photogenically.  I just had to snap a shot to share with you.  We actually started building this on my parent’s property several years before we ever dreamed we would  live here.

If you ever want to come to my neck of the woods for a visit, I just might put you ‘up’ there.

I was able to get my little pond/water feature {that my brother built in jr.high} clean out and running yesterday.  It sounds so nice but it’s very difficult to keep clean.  You can see a bit of my chicken coop in the background.  It’s coming along nicely!!!!

Enjoy Life!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed?

I’m sure feeling it right now.

It’s a struggle that I will have each Spring.  Because it arrives a bit late (like, just this week), I am suddenly behind in all of my work, inside and outside….and beyond!

It causes me to hold dear, all the more, how very blessed I am.  I love where I live and although it comes with an amazing amount of work, I couldn’t be more happy.

So…now it’s my turn to ‘pull up my big-girl boots’, stay as focused as I can and work, work, work…which ties quite nicely into enjoying life (in my neck of the woods, anyway)!

these are some of my very first blooms

One of the things that I love to do every day is add a post to this vibrant community.  Knowing that I shouldn’t even be sitting here right now, 😉 I know that I have to lighten up a bit and add a post as I can.

Blessings to each of you as you Enjoy Life in your own inspired way!

p.s. my chicken coop so close to being finished!

I just love my new sugar cubes!

I keep asking family members, “Aren’t these just the greatest sugar cubes”?…

…I’ll say, “Don’t you just love my new sugar cubes”?

Since they are so kind and thoughtful to me at all times, they completely refrain from rolling their eyes.

…I think that they refrain from rolling their eyes!?!?!~

You’ll find these in tea shops.  I love the sweet, rustic elegance that they display.

Mr T and I enjoy our morning cup of coffee.  It’s the first thing we go for when we crawl out of bed.  This vintage coffee pot perks a perfect cup and the wonderful coffee jar was a gift several years ago from a thoughtful friend.

♥    ← ↔ →    ♥

I transplanted my seedlings into larger pots today…

…leaving them in a slight state of shock!  😦

My chicken coop is coming along nicely – it leaves me excited and completely exhausted!

Chickies in my future!

Yesterday was a fun, productive day around here.

A day that I have been waiting for, for a very long time…possibly 8-9 years.

We started building a chicken coop.

My chicken coop.

For my chickens.

For the 12 chicks that I’ve ordered.

It’s funny how something so small can make a girl so happy.

Cash is really quite excited too.  He loves to chase things , eventually leaving feathers strewn all over our yard.

We celebrated by having S’Mores.

…discovering that Peeps work great in S’Mores.

chickie charm

Sunday Inspiration!

I’m thankful for the hope

that each one of us can realize in a personal way

because of the love and life that Jesus so freely gave to us through the Cross.

Looking forward to Easter!