Saturday, March 31, 2012

It's Like Someone Flipped A Switch


The difference in how I feel is amazing.
From deathbed sick to wow......
it feels so good to feel good!

I was nearly giddy last evening.

Then......drum roll please....
I slept the whole night through!
That is huge.
Nights are very long when you wake up 
every hour or two.

I will honestly try to take it easy over the next 
couple of days. 
No relapses desired here.

There is at least one thing 
on the agenda today, though.
Yesterday Chelsea made brownies to 
take for dessert on Sunday.
It's a fellowship meal.
One of the dogs,
most likely Bandit, 
got into them as they cooled on the table
and ate about a quarter of them.

Since I was supposed to be responsible to 
put them in the freezer after they cooled...
Chelsea's instructions before she left for work....
it is up to me to replace them.
Well, that and the fact that she will work about
11 hours today...lol.

I was simply going to make the same thing again
but then came the special request.
Chelsea decided that I could make 
no bake cookies because I do it so well.
She said she remembers them from when she was
about knee high.

Talk about buttering me up.
This girl who has taken over all of the 
sweets making in our house asking for 
a special request....
and saying that they are a favorite 
childhood memory?

Of course I'll do it.

Just have to keep the dog 
out of them.

One important update.
If you followed all of links yesterday
you saw a miracle in process.
More children being rescued from their 
lives behind the walls of indifference ....
and worse.
Those of you who participated in 
meeting the challenge to help 
Laurel and Harmony....
what can I say?
You did good.
So good.

Thank You!

Now we pray that God continues 
the miracle and gets them into 
forever families quickly.
While there is still time.
Time is so short for them.

HE is good.
Whatever HE does,
however HE works it will be good.

Now, I could use a nap.
Maybe another day or two of 
recup wouldn't hurt.
But, I do feel soooooo much better!!
Thanks for your well wishes and prayers.

Friday, March 30, 2012

This Made My Jaw Drop Open!!!

and read what my dear friend Susanna has written....

and then follow the link in that 
blog posting to the 

You, too, can be blown
away by the opportunity we have
to free these children from 
"Katie's Orphanage".

If you don't have a clue of what I am 
speaking of than I highly recommend reading
more at Susanna's blog...Such as Katie's Story 
on the sidebar.  It will change your world.
I promise.

I am totally, completely
blown away!!
Now to get my "2 cents" contributed.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

So S .i .c. k. - Update

Maybe if I make a big hairy deal about it 
I'll start to feel miraculously better.

Maybe if I call the doctor
I'll start to feel miraculously better.

UPDATE:  Dr. appointment at 9:15am.
Maybe they can do something?
Hoping.

Funny, 
on Sunday we were discussing this
very type of sickness.
Stomach bugs.
We agreed that we would rather have a cold
for two weeks than get a 24 hour stomach thing.
I never imagined that I would, this very 
week, be headed into day four
and at least 10 pounds lighter
from the very thing we shuddered about.

Praying that the rest of our family 
and the church family stays healthy.
This is ugly stuff.

Sorry to have been MIA this week.
Hope to be much more 
upbeat very, very soon..


Monday, March 26, 2012

Cheery Daffodils


So cheery,
The daffodil.

Wish I was as bright and chipper
as I write this but it is 12:16 am
and I am waiting for the time to come to leave
the house and go get Jonathan from work.

Many parents do this thing...
but it is not on our top five things to 
love about being a parent.

I am very spoiled, though.
I always have company on the half hour
drive to Jonathan's job site.
Either Chelsea or one of the moms
comes with me.
Occasionally, if things are crazy,
the moms will just go and get him.
But most of the time it is me and one of the others
that dodges Amish buggies in the early hours
of Monday morning.


 

You would not believe how many buggies are out
at this time of the night.
We have counted them on occasion.
Nearly 50 one night when we took the most
populated road.
But, I have a route that allows us to avoid 
the most of them.  
 

It was a good day.
Church was great with time for fellowship 
in the afternoon...inspired by those rascally teenagers
who can't seem to get enough Ultimate Frisbee.
Sadly, Chelsea pulled something in her leg and 
had to stop playing early.
But, I think she still had a good day.
 

It is nearly time for me to go pick up Mom
so we can head out....
Wishing you a happy Monday.
And I am off!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Cherry Blossoms Drifting Down







Every year when the video of cherry blossoms on 
the National Mall begin hitting the news I flash back
to my Junior class trip.






We were a class of 13 in a small Baptist school.
They took us to Washington D.C. in two large vans.
The driver of my van was my history teacher.
He was in his 40's, never married and quite unprepared
to handle a van full of teenage girls.
I'm afraid we caused him much angst as we popped 
out at many stop signs and red lights to circle the van
before returning back to our seats.

Let me just say here, 
that was not safe.
I don't recommend it to anyone.
However, to hear him sputter and holler
at us somehow we just got the biggest charge out of it.







I am aware that these are not cherry blossoms.
but they were nearby and 
totally adorable in their own right.
Aren't they?



My strongest memory of our actual time in 
Washington was seeing the Jefferson Memorial with 
the blossom laden trees reflecting on the water.
I remember climbing the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial
and looking up upon the large statue of this 
dedicated man so vital to our past.
There he sat.
So regal and "frozen in time".

As Chelsea and I played under the cherry trees
at Longwood Gardens on Monday I scanned
these memories in my mind's eye one more time.
So precious.
Don't discount the impact of taking your children
and young people to see historical sites.
While I may have seemed just like another flakey 
teenage girl on that trip I was absorbing the things
I saw and heard.  They had an impact.
I've never forgotten.
Mr. M.  may not have been the most effective at keeping
us in the van but he struck gold as a teacher for being
willing to take us to see these sites.
To apply the things he had been teaching 
us all year long.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

More From Longwood Gardens....





The photos above were all taken along the mini brick walk in the Conservatory.
It is so much fun to see what they have growing along there.
It is a combination of variety with perfection in height management.



While the weather was actually perfect during our visit we were commenting
on how amazing it would be to sit in here during a rainstorm.





Chelsea said I made the find of the day when I discovered a wonderful bench
under some fabulous pine trees.  It reminded me of places my brother and I used to 
play when we were kids.  
We would build forts under the pine trees.
Of course sometimes we would have to climb the trees....
but that wasn't an option yesterday.


From the outside...looking in....


From the inside...looking out....



The graceful sweep of these boughs is so pretty.
It reminds me of a book duo I loved as a girl,
Patsy of the Pinewoods 
and
Patsy at Pine Cottage
by 
Marian Schoolland.

I think I am going to have to find copies of 
these books.
I read them over and over again.




A gorgeous day to sit on a throne.
Especially if one happens to be color coordinated
with that throne.

It was such a nice day.
My favorite photos are yet to come.
The cherry blossoms....and forsythia.

Have a happy day!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Vee is Hosting A Note Card Party

You would think this would be simple for me since
I have already done this exercise to find photos
which I have actually turned into note cards.
Those are already for sale in my Etsy shop.

But, I just had to make this about finding
new photos note card possibilities
and kind of with a theme.
I actually have a whole file of photos
to make into note cards 
and NONE of these is in it.
Really just couldn't bring myself to 
not have the whole searching out photo
experience....*smile*



Otherwise it seemed a bit like cheating.



So, I went with flowers....
Surprise!
LOL




Of course I considered our pets,
funny signs, and other theme ideas
but as I browsed former posts 
these are the first four that popped out
to me.




If you would like any of these in the form of note cards,
just ask.  I have my local printing company 
on standby. 
*wink*

I hope you have enjoyed your visit here and 
will take a few minutes to visit other 
Note Card Party Participants.
I've been to most of them and can 
tell you that you will be inspired.....
Thanks Vee!
You are such a blessing!!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Longwood Gardens Showed Off for Us....


After checking out the weather forecast on Sunday evening we decided that 
cloudy conditions and 70 degrees would make for a good day at Longwood Gardens.
So, when we left our home in foggy conditions we had no expectation that by the 
time we pulled into the parking lot in Kennett Square the sky would be 
brilliant blue and the sun would warm our backs.


But, as you can see, that is exactly what happened.
It could not have been a better day.
Wow!
What a treat.

I have so many photos that they will just have to come out in batches.
Mom, Chelsea, Jonathan and I had a delightful visit.


Chelsea and Jonathan love that Grandma Ruth is always ready to play along with their silliness.
We have a bit of a mini tradition of taking goofy photos on the benches that are found
all over this lovely garden.

Mom and Chelsea check out a miniature room.
It is adorable.

And now back to the vegetation....
Pink perfection!



Orchids are the featured plant right now.  
Look at the floating orchid jars...love those!
Chelsea said something about how they even make the dirt pretty
at Longwood....smile.




I totally love the mini brickwalk in the conservatory but there is another 
spot that we have to visit each and every time.
It is found within a bamboo "forest".
I spotted Jonathan taking advantage of the quiet beauty.
Well, it was quiet until I got there.
Then I started "speaking" to people who were too far away to 
hear me...begging them to move out of my photo space.
I mean, really, did the man have to stand in the doorway?
Just look...at the before and after in the following photos.
Anyway, I had to be quiet because I was interfering 
with Jonathan's relaxation. 
LOL






Ahhh...I need to stop writing this post and get to work.  I have a very ambitious agenda
ahead today.  It involves filling candle orders, taking them to their happy new owners.....
taking Oliver to the vet to see how much damage was done by something that bit him.
He has two very nasty looking puncture wounds.  
We'll get his vaccinations updated too.

I need to clean, do laundry and do some cooking.
This keeps getting back burnered to the people and candle business
but the time has come that they really can't be put off any more.
So....I have a couple of projects to get started on today.

I hope your day is good.
Thanks for stopping by.
Don't miss Chelsea's testimony.  The link to get there is in 
the post prior to this one.
So amazing how God has grabbed her heart and 
changed everything.
Just everything.