A Blue Gift....

 This is the artwork on a napkin holder Mom

brought me from Peru.

I wanted to show you

photos of the whole thing

but the photo download keeps turning the 

rest of the photos on their sides.

I dunno why.

Frustrating.

I have much to do today so am not 

willing to fight with it...

but I really did want to join  

Sally's Blue Monday Party.

Have a glorious Monday!

We are setting up for more bad, bad weather.

Snow, Ice and Sleet are headed our way.

Missions...Not for the Faint of Heart

After watching our mothers recover from their 

journey to Peru and seeing a news story out 

of Mexico this week, I am again reminded

that the work of Missions is hard.

It is hard and often dangerous.

This clip is about Nancy Davis, a missionary,

who was shot and killed in Mexico. 

Nancy had gone on fewer and fewer of 

these missions because of the safety issues.

However, for whatever reason she was 

along on this day.

My cousin, Ethan, is seen in the video talking about 

the tragedy.  He had spent time
working with the Davis

family and is taking this very hard.

Please pray for Ethan and Nancy's family

as they process their grief.

Georgia took this picture of some artwork

for sale in a Lima park.  I love it for the colors

but I also love what it reminds me of.

Jesus said in the book of John, Chapter 4:

"I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! 

They are ripe for harvest.  

Even now the one who reaps draws a wage 

and harvests a crop for eternal life, 

so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.  

Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true."

Mom, Georgia and their team sowed seeds in the hearts

of those they met in Peru.

They will likely not be the ones to see the harvest

but that is ok with them.

They were being obedient to their calling.

Lets be diligent to plant the seeds we are sent out 

to plant and be ready always to reap the harvest.

There are many who are ready to come into the 

Kingdom........of eternal life!

Enjoy your day of Worship

wherever you may be!

We Should See Mikey Today....

This was the first week since he moved out

that Mikey has stayed away all week.

The weather had some role to play in that

but I also think he is getting more comfortable

there and is making some friends.

That is a good thing.

I am excited at the prospect of seeing him

today, though.  I'll bet the first thing he does

is toss his dirty clothes bag at me and grin.

He has a washer and dryer at the house.

We got him laundry detergent too....

at his request.  

But, at this point I don't mind.

It is something I can still do for him.

That, and I think by now

he will be ready for a haircut!

He'll be at least this happy to see us...oh wait~that was supposed to be fear.

I think we might go into the city this morning

to visit our friends the Rabe girls.  

They are running our friend, Denny's, shop

while he is away with a family emergency.

I think our trip into the city might involve

breakfast and a bit of shopping at Central Market.

It shouldn't be as crowded today.

I need to get some photos for you to see from 

our trip.  That means I must get batteries for the 

camera.  It is OUT of juice!

Have I mentioned that I love Lancaster County?

Oh, I do. 

When I stand at the doorway in the morning,

early, so the dogs can do "their thing" and I 

listen to the birds chirp, see the farmland across the

way, breathe in the country air....I am so very thankful

for our blessings.  

We may not be rich in the eyes of 

man, but we are 

so very blessed with family, surroundings,

home and heart.  

God has been very, very good to us!

I praise Him!

Precious Faces...

This post may surprise you.

It is definitely a departure from

the Cream Puffs in the last post.....

Alpaca Face

 Such funny looking animals but yet they are 

so cute.....and fluffy.

Their coats are very useful for the making of 

yarn.  We have several Alpaca Farms in our area.

Goat Face

Sleepy Goat Faces

One little known fact about me:

I love goats!

I love how curious they are.

Those little faces with intelligent eyes.

One of my dreams would be to have a farmette

including a few pygmy goats.

These guys were at the 2011 Pa Farm Show.

How in the world they were taking a nap

among the thousands of people 

I'll never know.

But, I love them.

So very precious.

Thanks God 

for thinking to make

goats.

When It Snows...Make Cream Puffs!

What delightful temptation

sits on our dining room table

at this very moment!

I don't think I have
to say who
made these.
However, I have made cream puffs
and could do it....
if ever there was a need.
Just sayin'!
lol

Vanilla filling in every one....

Choice of Powdered Sugar or Chocolate topped confection.

Sure, I'll have some tea with mine...

How about you?

S.N.O.W.

Not much visibility this morning

S - Sparkles which are

N - Naturally Occurring

O- Offering few Options

W- When behind the Wheel.

What do you think of when you think of snow?

Want to play this acrostic game with me?

Warren is heading for work for the 

second time today.

The first time was a "no go".

He was at the local restaurant for breakfast

and "the scoop" when EMT's eating

breakfast got a call for the road 

he uses to get to work.

I was watching our local emergency web 

site and saw the same accident.

Of course I worried that it could be him.

So...I was happy when he pulled back into the 

driveway not long after.

He said the roads were just terrible.

This early snow caught everyone by surprise.

It was supposed to be just a dusting.

It was three inches!

Now we are in a break between weather

makers so he is headed in to work.

Another several inches will come this evening

and overnight.

Taking Inventory....

Since Chelsea is in the process
of completing two years in one

so that she can graduate in May
it is of some benefit to do regular 

inventory on the process.  

Yesterday was one of those days.

We took the list of required items
and checked off

what is done....

A LOT!

There is plenty left to keep her 

busy until the end of the year.

Definitely a challenge.

But Chelsea, like me, does 

best when challenged.

What seems strange to me is
that she needs me for 

so little of it.  

This is probably a good thing
since she does so much 

of it late in the evening.  

My brain is sludge by then.

Mornings and late nights are
prime work time for 

Chelsea. 
An afternoon that isn't filled with other 

activities is seen as an opportunity to create a recipe

for dinner.  Last night we were
treated to chicken breasts

stuffed with rice, broccoli and cheddar cheese.  

But they were only stuffed 

after she had marinated them in 

lemon basil sauce of her own making.

Oh, it was so good.

She lightly breaded them and shook a bit of 

Parmesan on the tops before baking.  

Yum!

So, I'm thinking, her afternoons should be left open

in the weeks and months to come.

It works so well for me! 

(Shameless Grin)

What have you taken inventory of...

lately?

Time Ticks!

It occurs to me that we are nearing 

the end of January 2011!

We are at the very beginning of a new

week.  Monday brings with it just a taste of 

the new beginnings feel we get with each

New Year's Day.

Options stretch before us for the new week.

Will we meet it with joy?

What do we want to accomplish?

Whom will we impact this week?

So often people refer to Monday as a downer.

Back to school or work....

but this morning it occurs to me that it is a 

wide open door of opportunity.

Are you ready?

Step on through and make this

week a blessing in your life and 

in that of others!

Should be amazing!!!

Finally!

After what seems like months of illness

and candle overload we are once again

living up to our name....Hospitality Lane.

Four young men visited 

most of the day, yesterday.  

How fun!

They went outside and had an airsoft war

before coming in and enjoying a warm lunch.

Overhearing their conversations as they set 

in the living room blessed my heart so much

Such nice and kind young men.

My boys are truly blessed with great friends!

Today, after church, we will enjoy the company

of The Cozy Comforts family, hopefully our Moms

will feel up to coming, and Pastor Mike.

We would have more but feel this is all we can

comfortably squeeze in

during this time of the year.  

It will be sweet to host a gathering again.

Chelsea came home from work and did some cleaning,

made the lasagna and a cheesecake.

Now I am up early to get the rest of the food started

and the tables set.

Hospitality Lane....

back in business!

I had better get to it!!

Have a great day!!!

By the way, just for fun

since it is sooooo cold outside

I brought back the orange tulips for this post.

Think Spring!!!!!

Have I Shown You....

Chelsea's Senior Picture?

I remember showing you a whole host

of others that I loved.  But, it is her big

day and it was her choice which picture

to use....

This was the one she fell in love with.

I like it too.

Ironically it was the last one we took
that Fall day in the Gardens.

Kind of as a whim.

Isn't that usually how it is?

We turned it in to the Grad Photo Committee last 

evening and picked up copies 

at Costco to mail out with 

her announcements.

Total Bill:  $8.54!

My Senior photos long, long

ago cost a whole lot more that that!

Gotta love the digital age!!!

A Very Busy Day Ahead

Good Morning Friends!

This is going to be "one of those days".

Busy. Busy. Busy.

So...I'm keeping it short and will

leave you with this awesome passage....

Praise be to the LORD,
   for he has heard my cry for mercy.
 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise him.

Our Moms Are Home....Prayer is Needed

From Mission Team Facebook Page

I watched for the Mom's arrival.

They pulled in shortly before 4am this morning.

Thankfully we live close by 

because when I went over to help

them unload at Mom's house

I could tell that Georgia was very, very ill.

She could barely stand

and was shaking violently 

from fever.

We got her to her house and got her

things unloaded.

She was headed straight to bed

when I left her...

but we are going to see a doctor this morning.

Thankfully they were able to work her in.

Prayers are needed!

My Mom is not feeling real well 

either but so far has avoided the 

extreme sickness that is 

plaguing Georgia.

UPDATE:  Georgia is doing quite a bit better

this morning. 
While still feeling awful and having
severe flu/digestive
symptoms, the shaking has stopped.
The doctor saw her this morning and
they have ordered appropriate meds.
Hopefully She and Mom will get rehydrated
and get over the rest of the sickness.

Out The Kitchen Window

A wonderful evening out with Chelsea, Mrs. Rabe and Emily 

last evening ended up a bit of a nail biter as I drove

in snow.  

Not being one who enjoys the uncertainty of 

whether the car will stay on the road

I found myself wishing we had headed 

home just an hour sooner.

However, taking it slowly we did just fine.

This is the view out my kitchen window.

I'm loving that!

I had to add more photos after
a quick trip out with the
dogs....the ice is thickening.
However, it is supposed to
begin warming so all should be well
in a couple of hours.

Blue Monday...A Gift

Have you ever purchased a Christmas

gift for someone and then forgotten to 

give it to them?

Well, I have and I did again this year.

My Mom might end up seeing this gift

here before she sees it in person....

if she ends up on the computer again

before coming home from Peru.

The Mission Team is back in Lima and

they are preparing to return home.

It will be so good to see them.

Anyway, back to her gift....

At the craft show I did this year I was 

placed back to back with another table.

This vendor painted glass.

She did it beautifully.

A tricky art....glass painting.

So often the scale is off.

But this woman had the gift.

Don't you just love the curve in this

piece...and the tiny little flowers so 

 consistent and pretty?

Not to mention that it is blue so I thought

of  Sally and Blue Monday.

Perfect, right?

So, this week, I will say goodbye to this

adorable piece of art and Mom will find a

home for it at her house. 

Hope she likes it!

It Is Well....With My Soul

Over the past few days I have been following 

a life changing event in the lives of another family.

I learned about this family's 

tragedy from Angie at Bring the Rain.

The mother, Joanne, suffered a stroke and 

subsequent seizures while at home.  Her 

daughter found her and got help.

Joanne is now in intensive care in a medically 

induced coma.  Her family is exhausted and 

praying for a miracle.  The swelling in her brain is 

severe and what they are asking us to pray for is

a miracle.  I am committed to pray with them.

Would You?

Toben, Joanne's husband is keeping people

up to date with Twitter and Joanne's blog.

Reading of this event and their struggle takes me

back to Warren's Dad's fall and brain injury.

As they discuss seeing the CT Scan results and 

the damage I flash back.

We loved Gene so very much....before his 

accident.  But the love God gave us for him

after this event was supernatural.    Admittedly

he was not my spouse...but we were very close.

And closer yet as we took up so much of his care.

I would not trade the hours, days, weeks and months

that God gave us with the "different" Gene...unless

it didn't have to happen at all.

But obviously it did.

And we know that God has used it for His purposes.

What we know after this is that God was never more

obvious in His workings.  The details that just came 

together....the things that others said couldn't happen.

My prayer for Joanne, Toben and their entire family 

is that when this trial is complete they can say....

It is well.

God was so present with us.

It is very well...with my soul!

Fragrance Blending....

 

When I was an Avon Representative we would 

talk about fragrance layering.

You know, 

first you used the shower gel, 

then the roll-on antiperspirant,

the powder 

and finally the cologne in a given fragrance.

But, as a person who loves and burns candles

how many times do I think about 

whether the candles I light

actually work together?

Not always.

Customers who purchase just one 

fragrance because they want consistency 

in their home make me think about this a bit.

Yesterday I decided to light several

candles at the same time and so 

I chose hot chocolates and candy cane.

You got it!

Chocolate Mint!

A wick test leads me to think that this larger mug needs three wicks.  It is now for sale.Freshly made with three wicks. $15

Yum!

This combo was amazing.

Just perfect for a very, very cold winter day.

I enjoyed having a grouping of 

candles with their beautiful flames

dancing and bringing warmth to the room.

My candle website can be found HERE.

You can mix and match fragrances

that go well together for you.

Some ideas:

Vanilla/Blueberry

Vanilla/Candy Cane

Hot chocolate/Strawberry

Cinnamon Stick/Fresh Apple Pie

Just to name a few.

Mention this post when you order

two or more candles and 

I will add a four ounce in

one of the fragrances you have chosen

...at no additional charge to you.

A Most Enjoyable Evening

I did not have the camera with me but

we enjoyed a bit of a progressive dinner

last night.  That was not the original plan.

Our dear friends Jon and Sue, as well as 

Pastor Mike, Warren and I were planning

to meet at Willow Valley for dinner and a 

time of chatting about life at church.  

Warren and Jon are Elders and Sue and I 

were delighted to be included in the plans

for the evening.

We have been friends for almost eleven years.

All of us.  

We have been through so much 

together over the years in a very small church.

Our family had just moved to Lancaster County

when we met Jon, Sue and Mike.  Sue was the 

first to introduce me to our Amish Grocery Outlet

which has saved our family so much money 

over these years.

Anyway, back to last night.

Warren and I were the first to arrive at Willow Valley.

It was dark.

There were no cars in the lot.

Being the brilliant people that we are we got the idea

that perhaps they were closed.

But that made us curious...why?

Turns out it was explained on the door....

Winter hours!

Hmmph!

So, when Jon and Sue arrived we began to hatch

a new plan.  However, a phone call to Mike's Cell

phone brought a new idea.  

Pasquales.

That was a most excellent idea.

We jumped on it right away.

Everyone piled into our van,

Sue in the far back.

She pointed out that she was the smallest

so it was most convenient for her....

Thanks Sue!

For putting me in my place 

and 

for getting into the back.

Friends!

Pasquales makes the best food.

Italian.

I went safe with my usual choice

of Chicken Parmesan, bread and 

a salad with the house dressing.

Yummy!!!

However, we quickly realized that our

hopes of having a serious discussion of

any kind was not happening there.

This was because of a very large table next

to us who were having a very, very good time.

Lots of wine was being consumed and at one 

point the owner came out and offered them 

straws for their bottles.  They could get it 

faster that way....he said.  

Hmmmm......

It was a festive atmosphere but not necessarily 

conducive to the conversation we were hoping to have.

I suggested we head over to Friendly's for dessert.

That suggestion was readily accepted...

So back in the van we went.

Sue, way in the back again.

It turned out to be the 

perfect choice of places.  

We asked for and received a table way in the back and got 

to laughing so loudly as we reminisced

about an event that happened to Jon 

at a wedding reception recently

 that people were turning to 

look at us.  

Oops.  

Now we were the loud ones.

We had a wonderful discussion and are all encouraged

with the things the Lord is doing in our congregation.

It is going to be so exciting to see where He leads 

in the future.  

That is what we depend upon...

His leading.

It is wonderful to spend an evening with people who 

know you so well and love you still.

Old friends are comfortable and fun, indeed.

Have you had an evening 

out with friends lately? 

We do this so rarely because we 

just don't think about it

and get all caught up in our daily lives.

We must do it more....

Look out friends who might be

reading this....

we'll probably be looking for an opportunity to 

spend an evening with you.

Just Chatting....

I took these photos at Longwood Gardens one year ago.

We must get back over there.....
So much beauty to enjoy, so little time!

Mikey's work and class seem to be going well.

He scared the daylights out of me by insisting on

coming back for skating, groceries and laundry 

last evening.  The roads were not good and there

was so much drifting.  I wished with all of my heart

that he would have stayed put...tucked in, snug and warm.

But, he is an adult now and all I can do is worry.

At least he let me know by way of Facebook that 

he got back safely.

It was wonderful to see him and see that he is beginning

to make the adjustment to living away.  He seems to 

be enjoying his first class and the challenges it will bring.

A little update on our Moms in Peru.

They should be back up in the Andes

Mountains.  They were to be working with 

250 children this time around.

Mom's arm was doing better before they left.

She said that the range of motion was back.

What a relief!

The three days in Lima really seemed to 

help them rest and recover.

For that, I am thankful.

She said they will be fine as long

as the bus doesn't fall off the road.

Sigh......

the roads are carved into the sides 

of the mountains.

Have a very wonderful day.

It is very cold, windy and snowy here

so we will bundle up as we head out to 

the first day of our last semester of 

homeschool co-op.

Hard to believe that this time has come.

Our kids are nearly grown.

Yikes!

The Purple is Gone!

Whew!  What a big day for Chelsea.

I thought it was going to be tiring for me

too but would you believe that I had almost nothing 

to do with the painting itself? 

Just a bit here and there.

Chelsea invited her friend Emma to come and help.

Having recently gotten her driver's license Emma drove 

herself over and they laughed and had a great time

working together.

So...from purple this morning...

to brown and tan this evening.

So much better!!!

We have some touch ups to do

and a few items to buy to just

finish it up.

We want an area rug that goes with the color in

her new comforter.

The comforter was a Christmas gift from

Grandma Georgia.

A throw pillow, or two,  would

be nice too.

Oh!  And a window treatment 

is on the wish list.

This room makeover is Chelsea's graduation

present.  We have been picking up items 

for the walls and working on color ideas for 

a while now.

The metallic flowers are what we got with

a Target gift card I won from Barb

at Bella Vista.

They are so much fun and I wanted Chelsea

to have them!

Michael's was a great resource for Chelsea

to find artwork that she loved. 

The floating frames were separate but we 

love how they came together so perfectly.

Another Christmas present came from 

our friends in Michigan, at Blue Barn Bulletin.

Isn't this Cappuccino picture so Chelsea?

More flowers over the bed...

The chest my brother made for Chelsea when she was just a tot.

He made it and painted it.

A very nice piece, indeed.

Cuteness for her jewelry.

She saw this some time ago and finally 

was ready to get it yesterday...

great timing as it was on clearance!

Finally for this post...

precious gifts from our friend Shelley.

She stays in Chelsea's room when she visits

and has left these adorable little critters

behind on her last couple of visits.

I think that the room is coming together very 

nicely.  It is so much fun to watch Chelsea 

at work.  She did a very nice job.

Thanks for all of your interest.

I was amazed at how much you care...

Hope you like the results.

See you later!