Busy day of doing nothings, put in the new old trundle day bed, and Poppie is moving our bedroom around for me.

Today was another day of doing just, you know when you just hang, or just this or that.  Poppie helped me bring in an old nearly antique trundle day bed he got from Herbalist.  It is about the size of a cot set up in the front room it has to metal bed ends a lot like the ones that Poppie made me the pot hanger that he refers to as "garbage".  They, though, still have almost all of their paint intact.  It has two of the smallest metal box frames you ever saw with two striped ducking fabric mattresses on them, again two of the smallest mattress I have ever seen that aren't crib or youth size.  I am cutting up one of my bedspreads to make a fitted cover for it but in the mean time I have two nice, though white, daybed covers that Lady gave me several years ago to cover it for now.  Did I tell you it is spring loaded if you take of the bungee cord off, I don't think original equipment, it wants to spring open into a double, well it would be a small double bed.  It is a nice addition to my front room that is fast becoming a throw back to the early 2000th century for decor, well that is if you don't count the 42 inch black whole that is in the center of the room for better viewing for Poppie, well that and the two computers among the plants..... so it's eclectic so to speak.

I did get Poppie to finish putting in the long table in the kitchen before Thanksgiving dinner.  It was totally cool that the old benches that my dad had made when I was about 12 fit without being cut down, so they are beautiful with all of their character still in tact. I am going to eventually paint the hutch, the table and the benches to match, but I am going to paint them depressed style.  I think painting the benches will protect them and keep them in tact for more years.  I make end up only putting a little paint and a lot of lacquer on the benches.  I do like the Poppie isn't in to deciding what goes into the house as far as interior decorations go, I know some husbands who want it their way, or maybe Poppie is either given up or actually likes my old quirky likes... who knows because he isn't saying.... though it was he that found the day bed and brought it home?

Cubbie spent the night and Bubbles came over at 1:30ish.  They both went home around 4:30ish.  It is nice to finally have just the four of us and the peace and quiet that comes with it.  We are going to veg and watch Oz the great and Powerful.  It is nice to just be us sometimes, especially on a just doing day.  I am just learning to make a braided rug that is all braided and not the sewing the braids together later kind.  Flower Child is going to teach me the finer techniques of the technique, I am so excited I have made many a braided rug but never one I didn't have to sew, so I always liked crocheting them better, this will be cool and finish the look of my front room.  Though I am sure finishing isn't something I will do, it will still be a work in progress thing I am sure.

I pray that your day was lovely, that the Lord had a hand in it.  I pray that you are in the arms of the Lord and you are giving him thanks on this thankful weekend.  I pray for your current salvation, your one to come or that you seek salvation and do not stay lost... tomorrow.

I love the fires of fall, the warm cozy days of just being.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving.  We had all the peoples that we had hoped would come to share with us, some couldn't come, but all were wonderful people that did come to share the day with us.  The food was good, but then that usually happens, the people were there because they wanted to be and not because it was a holiday and they had to be.  The Lord blesses our lives with true friends and some of them just happen to be family.  I missed all the ones I love that couldn't be here or that just no longer wanted to be here with us.  Today the day was a slow paced day of cleaning up all the dishes left over from yesterday.  Cuddling with the Cubbie, the Bubbles, the Yogie and the Booboo in front of the fire. The house was warm with the coziness that only a fire can bring to a home. We had no place to be and nothing that had to be done.  We chilled watched TV and shared life lessons that came up in conversation.  I am so glad for moments of quiet to share with the littles that will be the future of our family.  Poppie was gone for awhile but then came and joined our time of hibernation.  I love days that are for just being and I am a big promoter of the art of hibernation.  Our age tells us that we have to be connected in some way to all of the different aspects of the outside world but we don't have we can unplug even more that we here choose to be normally unplugged.  I love that we are still able to step away and just be as we please sometimes.

I hope today you had time to be quiet with yourself or God.  The aloneness of just being with yourself and knowing you're are never alone with God in your life is like nothing else.  It can be shared with a whole family, yourself or with friends.  God can and does spend time in a silent loving manner in ways that none of us can truly understand.  I think one of the most special things to come is to be able see the wonder of God in a more revealed manner.  We, as humans, only know what he tells of himself, oh, to be in the presence of God in his realm won't that be wondrous?  I look forward to that day, I hope you do as well, and you have assurance that you will be their,with the knowing knowledge, that you are saved and going to live in eternity with Christ Jesus.  Nothing is more comforting to know than that heaven is your future... tomorrow.

Okay so I have five minutes....... The Parade is done, the turkey is turkeying and the goodies are mostly made.

We got up bright and shinny this morning, we started with the Parade on the other channel, knowing that the one on NBC starts at 9.  We were so disappointed, as we were last year with CBS view of the parade that like last year we turned on NBC to watch it.  I never watch NBC as I have said before that I think what they did to Anne Curry is horrible, as it their politic in general, so we don't watch it but on Thanksgiving Morning we have to go against our minds and give in to our children's hearts.  I have always watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on NBC.  I raised my older children watching it as our first tradition every Thanksgiving morning, and my Littles and grands love it as much as any of us have as we grew up.  I give in one day a year and I do pray for the Lord to forgive my weakness.  I truly dislike NBC and so much of what they stand for on air that my conscious won't let me watch any of their stuff and know nothing about any of their new stuff, thought I have seen the commercials for the new MSNBC stuff and even the commercials is totally offensive to my beliefs and I am sure God agrees.  So this morning I sinned a little I am saddened by the lapse and I pray the Lord sees my good intent and forgives my sin.

The girls and the littles helped get the last of the house cleaning done, they said "it was so easy and took so little time"  I said, "when all help it is always like that, all have more time to enjoy their time".    I hope they learned that it is good to help out.  The pies were made yesterday.  Booboo made two all by herself while I took Yogie to the dentist.  I was so proud of her.  I then messed up the pecan pies but thank goodness it was forgiving and let me fix it up.  I ended up buying a cheesecake as I didn't have time to really make one and Mokie love's them and since I didn't make one for her birthday I think she deserved it. We got both turkeys going this morning, one roasting and one grilling (Poppie first and he was looking so forward to doing it.) I also cooked up the last ham from Mrs. Chops, Poppie is heartbroken it is the last,  I told him to butcher one of the small hogs and we can have it smoked by Christmas.  He just might.  I also asked him to see if Son would help in butchering the goats next weekend.  Hunting season will be done so they should have the time.  I can't wait to can the goat meat up, I will keep the shanks as Poppie does like them roasted.

We only have the gravy to make, sweet potatoes to finish in the oven and potatoes to peel.  The hunters (Mokie and Son)  will soon be home, G-Pa, G-Ma and Boy will come along, Herbalist, Professor and his son will be joining us.  The littles are enjoying the free preview from the premium channels.  We have it on the family channels so it is all family orientated.  I hope you are enjoying your loved ones as much as I am this day.  I hope you traveled or they traveled to see you and you are giving thanks to the Lord for all the things he has given you this last year.  I hope all of us give glory to the Lord this day, in our hearts, minds and souls.  I pray that if you haven't received your salvation that this Thanksgiving Day you can know the truth of God, believe, repent and be saved.... Happy Eating...... tomorrow.

Does your life Glorify the Lord? Do you even think of your life in that way? Should you?

I have said that I have asked the the Holy Spirit to help with my life long struggle with weight.  On that vain I was recently down loading free e-books, okay so I am cheap but then I never said I wasn't, but anyway I down loaded a book called The flowers on the wall diet Bible study.  I wonder about the name mostly so I down loaded it to see what it was about.  The Holy Spirit does guide our life, truly he does if we but allow him to do so.  I started reading it and thought it was a good book with thoughts that I could really find guidance in.  I thought I would see how much a physical book would cost me, along the way I ran into more books written in the same manner.  I was reading along in the genre when I found that one of the books had a free on line course that you could take, which gave you a mentor and accountability.  I have said before I will never diet again and what appeals to me about all of these book is that they have nothing really to do with dieting so much as they have to do with Bible study.  They teach how to seek God Word on issues of weight and implement them into your life.  To listen to your body, a body God created to be perfectly capable of knowing when it was hunger, what it needs and how to be the best it can be to glorify the Lord.  I'm really excited to see where the course goes and where it leads and what it brings to light for me in the Lords word.  The course I am "taking" is called the Lord's Table, all free and I think the Holy Spirit lead me to it to give me help toward my goal of Glorifying the Lord in my body, not for my glory but his do I want to loose weight, how can I do what he has planned for me in this life if I am not in the body he planned for me to do it in.  Being in the body he wants for me is only one step in a life meant to glorify God, it is only one step.  We all have steps we can take.  Do you ever think before you make a decision "will this glorify God?"  Is my actions a glorification of God?  We really need to start thinking about all we do in the manner....

The first verse, and the reoccurring verse, that is repeated over and over in the study is,

1 Corinthians 10:31

King James Version (KJV)

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Just think of what this verse really says.  Read it, memorize it and live it, it holds the whole of lives plan for you from God.  I am truly excited to be on my new journey with the Lords guidance.  Really shouldn't we all strive to live a life that Glorifies God??

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, you can chose to live it the way you have always done or you could start living your life to glorify God.  What a way to think about the rest of your life.  The first step of a life dedicated to living for the glory of God is salvation.  You can not glorify God if you do not believe him.  He gave his only begotten son that we might believe on him and have eternal life.  Salvation and glorification can be your new life and it can start today, take a step toward God it is the way to start a journey of unimaginable grace... tomorrow. 

Lamps, Lamps and more lamps...... mason lamps and lamps with defusiers, Poppie is the master.

I answered a game on Facebook this week, it was a game to share something most people would not know about you.  My #7 was that I know more about, and doing, random nothings than most people I know.  Most anyone who knows be would affirmative that.  I really am a jack of numerous trades and a master of none, well maybe one or two.  Poppie is and always has been one of the most mechanically minded people I know.  He can be given a machine to run and master it in a couple three weeks.  He can also put together almost anything, as long as he took it apart himself.  I have recently asked him to make me some mason jar lamps but we had decided that if he is going to do it he is going to do it as accurate to the time frame of the jar as possible.  I have bought him various old lamp parts from various era's from the 1930 forward.  Some are knob and tube and some are vintage 80's parts.  He hasn't actually began to make any lamps for me as he is working on my hanging kitchen "garbage" as he calls it.  I call it a beautifully lit pot hanger.  It is made from an antique child's bed frame, an old board used on a `1954 truck, more than likely from the 50's, it has lovely old chipped paint and is wondrous.  IE, Garbage to Poppie but he loves me and will put together anything I think up, I am truly blessed.

Several years ago I purchased two lamps from WIT, Kelly sold them to me because she knew we had a kindred spirit for seeing old things fixed up so they could once again fulfill their destiny.  I got the lamps home and one didn't work, so we used the one and put the other up for someday.  Well last week was someday.  Poppie checked it out and it just needed a part that I found on eBay.  I also had to find a defusier for it, eBay again. I do still have to find a second defusier because when it got here it fit another old lamp I had had since Baby Sister had given it to me many years ago.  Poppie had plugged it in at the time but it didn't work and he didn't have time to play with it.  He brought it out a couple days ago, I had forgotten all about it.  It is a beautiful lamp (all of them are floor lamps) with a clock (that didn't work), a defusier mogel light and then three chandelier arms with a small light in the bottom that uplights (a true beauty and probably a very special light when new).  He played with it a few minutes and the lights soon all worked, but the clock kind of scared him.  Baby Sisters Hubs had played with it but never got it to work and he is a working electrical man.  Poppie decided he might look today but since Hubs hadn't got it to work he didn't hold out much hope.  He opened it up, knowing that if it had a motor and the motor didn't work we were out of luck.  It had a motor, but it seemed to spin, it also had a wire that was unhooked with old black tape on it, so either Hubs didn't look at it or he missed the broken wire.  Poppie rewired it and I have a 1930, or maybe 20's, clock floor lamp ticking away the time in my front room (an accurate I might add), with the defused light shining down on it, we will up light it later.  I love a man that even amazes himself........ I truly am a blessed woman, and he loves me, yes me.

I pray that you are living for the glory of God.  Nothing in this world is more important or more special and fulfilling.  Your life can't not compare to the life you can have with the Lord in it.  Today he could become part of your life, believe, repent and ask God's forgiveness and you too can have your salvation.... tomorrow.

Bubbles enjoys Church. Cubbie couldn't wait to go all week and Boy just chills.....

Cubbie had been excited to go to Church since her dad told her he would take her to Church this Sunday. She had her dress all picked out and couldn't contain her excitement to go with her dad.  This morning bright and early Boy came over holding both his sister's hands and asked if we could do their hair.  Bubbles was wearing one of the woolen dress I had made, the one with the appliqued sheep on it.  They were dress all warm with boots and coats over their dresses.  I did Cubbie's and Yogie did Bubbles hairs, soon after they had their hair combed Boy took their little hands and took them home to go to Church with their Daddy.  We left soon after, pies, sweet potatoes, cranberries and relish tray in hand.  Today was to be potluck.  Son and the kids arrived shortly behind us.  The ladies got all the food stuffs in the oven, and refrigerator, soon after morning services started.  Bubble was so excited she didn't know exactly what to do, she hadn't been to Church since she had been really little and since she will be two next month she thinks of herself as a big girl.  She sat on Yogie's lap with her hymnal on her lap, she sang along a little but most people wouldn't have guessed she was singing more like she was just making noise.  She got off Yogie's lap with her hymnal in a bear hug and walked around the pews (rows of chairs) looking at the people.  Her Dad and Poppie both tried to encourage her to sit with them but she was most intent on sharing hymnals.  The Preacher told them to leave her be he thought that some one so joyous as to hug her hymnal and share songs books with one and all was praising the Lord out loud and joyously and what more could you asked for. During the worship service I took her back to class with the littles and she wasn't quite sure she liked class but she did dance a little when we were singing Father Abraham.  She enjoyed the coloring and finally just about time to go figured she had had enough of class. Cubbie and Boy were just enjoying having class with their friends and the Violinist.  Church was over when I brought her out of class so I gave her to her Dad and helped the ladies get the potluck ready.

We had a joyful potluck all were well fed and I think Son for the first time was comfortable being at Church the Lord had sure blessed our family this week, Son sought his salvation and he is the better for it.  His children are already reaping the bounty of his decision.  I hope soon Mokie too can join us at Church.  I think that in the end salvation is a choice we each have to make, a parent can, love, harass, cajole and do many other things to try and make their children seek salvation but it is a choice one has to make for themselves, in their time and on God's schedule.  This week Son made a choice his father had long prayed for but in the end it was done on Son's time frame and how Son chose to do it.  I pray that you have sought your salvation.  It is never to late, God is a patient God and knows your heart, he does but call and await your choice today.  Is today the day you answer him for yourself, of your choice?  I pray so, nothing is more sweet to see or hear than a lost child of God calling for his father's love and acceptance, the gift of salvation awaiting... tomorrow.

Do ever wonder why and think about it and really know why?

This past week has been a bit of a roller coaster, with seemingly devastating  lows and highs that brought joy untold to my heart.  I think that maybe God was telling me that I don't have to go into being devastated if I but call him before I over think myself into trials he is was not going to make me endure if I had just sought him before the devil talked me into being distraught.  I do wonder why; and when I get a little time to stand back from the situation I know why?  God had wonders to revel to me but I didn't await the outcome I instead tried to fixes things or worry them to death before his time frame reveled itself to me.  I am always trying to answer the why in the midst of the dark when if I had just awaited the dawn, God's dawning would have shown it's self in the completeness he had intended.

My reacquiring trial reared it's ugly head this week and I let myself be overwhelmed when in the end God was trying to give me a blessing, and the reality was that once I asked him what he wanted and what was his plan he blessed me more than I had ever thought in the mater.  He also used the situation to bless our family in a way that the whole of us could not have seen coming.  He chose the time to bring another of his lost sheep into his fold and the whole trial was for good.  Some of us need the dark to see our way to the light, and God was helping one more lost sheep come home while he had the 99 others of us not know why or how.  I am blessed but the lost sheep is much more blessed by the out come and the whole of his family will reap such future blessing in the end.

Sunday is to be potluck, and to me it will be especially blessed because one person there will be there for the first time, in a long time, because they wanted to be and by their choice not one made by them by others.  The choice was made freely and with God's asking, how more blessed can anyone be than that.

I hope you are in a dark place and put there by God so he can lead you to the light of understand and his love.  He is asking you in a way that can be life changing for you, and your loved ones, heed his call and walk forward to accept his gift of salvation in your life and know that the second death has no claim on you...tomorrow.

Do you ever look down the long road of life and just wonder why some things are?

I think on mornings I wake up with pain that won't go away even after time and ibuprofen have tried to work their magic, and didn't, I tend to become introspective just to manage to smile and put one foot in front of the other.  Today of all days I do not have time for this.  I have had the littles since quarter of 7 and they need things that someone who wants to stay in bed grumbles to have to do but I do it anyway, it is usually easier to fill the cuppie than to listen to the never ending request for it.  Cooking the eggs is better than listen to the whines of a hungry child.  I am lazy that way, doing it the first time in most cases is the easiest way to survive.  Just watch water rolling down hill sometime, if it encounters a stick it just keeps pushing and pushing until the stick get out of the way so it best to just let it flow.  Littles rarely care if you hurt they can't feel it and just want you to see things their way or maybe just as they need.  I do thank the entertainment of TV sometimes, though I still want it to be something that teaches so "no, they can not watch this or that, just what Nannie actually allows" after all I have not lost my mind the pain just makes me whine not go crazy.

I do so wish that like so many of my friends that my "friend" of 40+ years would go away and never come back, well to be honest she is trying to leave and never come back but something in me just won't let her go, I wish I could figure out what and make it stop asking her back.  She has tried repeatedly in the 18 months to go, and not return; but now she is just mean and pain full and doesn't really come by she just phones in the pain.  A friend of mine, who I might note is 5+ years younger than me, asked me about my friend because my dear Mokie told her I was going through a lot of what she is.  I told her which symptoms I had and told her that my mother enjoyed her friend until she was about 54, to which she replied she didn't think it was enjoying, (you think) and I full think I will not get rid of my friend tell then either but I do hope I am wrong. I thought that her final far well coinciding with my 53 birthday could be my present for the whole rest of  my life, but no.  Well she really hasn't come to visit but she is making painful grumbles about my inhospitable thoughts.  So today I am in pain, and can't make it stop, have been for a couple days, but the ibuprofen usually eventually works, well if I add chocolate it seems to work better so I am going to go raid the chocolate chip canister.  I do thank the Lord that I had my friend's visits until the girls were well and truly old enough to understand her visits but since they will soon have their own friends to come visit I think I should get a reprieve.  Well alas I will close, the chocolate is really calling and sitting in one place long enough to type this is worse than just walking around and suffering.

I pray for your salvation and your life in Christ.  I pray that you seek yours or if you already have I am gloriously happy that you are a saved loved member of Christ's family...... tomorrow.

Bubbles is such a joy sometimes..... toddlers can be such a wonder.

I rarely have gotten to spend one on one time with Bubbles.  Isn't that the way of it, the oldest child or grandchild get lots of one one one time, and eventually the youngest child or grandchild also get one on one time but the littles in the middles sometime get lost in the shuffle.  Bubbles is not a middle child as yet but she isn't the last child so she is still having to share all of her time with the older kids.  She rarely demands anything.  She is, as I have said before, very bright and does everything way ahead of time.  She is nearly all potting trained and won't be two of a little while.  She spent most of the day yesterday doing very well until Booboo came home and taught her a new game, she got so engrossed with the new of it she forgot to go.  She was the first one to run and get something to clean it up, the puddle.  She decided since she had Nannie all to herself she would have me read every single book in her book box.  I keep a large basket with all of her books probably twenty to thirty in it.  She began with the hardboard books and finished with the paper page books that she usually doesn't get to play with, once done we had to start all over.  She knew when the growls would come and the cockidoddledoo's of chicken little's friend cocky locky needed to be said.  She really likes roosters because that was her favorite first book, the one where she could say cockidoddledoo, even if it sounded like cluckacluckado.  I think she will be an avid reader when she grows up. She knows now that there is something in those books she wants and can't wait to figure out just what it is.

Today I am going to make pies for Poppie and I am going to let the littles help.  They watch as Booboo can make pies all by herself and they want to do that.  Cubbie especially likes to roll pie dough, she got to roll all the dough when we made pies for her mamma's birthday.  Bubbles likes to help but she mainly likes to use the pie dough as play dough, and when she is done we cook it up into pie dough cookies, she is just as proud as if it was a fancy french souffle.  Booboo wants lasagna for dinner so we will get that made and ready to bake.

I applied for the sub job at the Library recently, knowing that it would not be a very active job and it would give me some time out but they would probably not need me a lot.  I got a call yesterday telling me that I was one of the two ladies hired, that was nice, it will be something to look forward to but won't in the short term disrupt my scheduled non-scheduled life.  I think I will really like it, it is the first job I have actually really considered since I left the sheriff's office over 8 almost 9 years ago.  The Ladies are getting older now and thought the grands need me I might just need a bit of a change.

I pray for one and all.  I know that some of you pray daily and the Lord is hearing and answering all of our prayers on his time line.  I pray more for the ones of you who do not pray, or know not how to pray, or don't even know to whom to pray.   I pray for the glory of God in all of your lives, for those of you who know him as father, as old friend, new friend or maybe are just interested in getting to know him.  Salvation is the most important thing in this life beyond all else and any one who doesn't know that, or denies it, I am truly saddened for...... tomorrow.  

The love of true friends is a blessing from God not to be taken lightly. Can you imagine living with out sorrow, I look forward to it.

It always amazes me how much satan ( I know the computer wants me to give him a capital letter on his name but I will not) pays attention to the lives of people.  He is after all in charge in the earthly realm at this time.  I do so look forward to the time, well if time is no more is it really time?  I look forward to the Lord Jesus's rule in my life.  I find when I get to a place in my life when all seems to be going along smoothly I am enjoying my worship with the Lord, the kids are doing wondrously and I can see head way and maybe a time of prosperity to come the demon devil has to put his nose into my life.  He sees when God has strengthened me and he sees that I am joyous in the Lord, he hates it and sends all manner of trials, fears, doubts and problems to try and destroy my life in Christ.  I got hit yesterday and while I tried to mistakenly fix it myself, which made the devil do a happy dance, I sorrowed and I feared and I let woe sneak in. I spent wasted time trying to deal with my demon on my own.  I finally took myself in hand and gave myself to the Lord's service.  I prayed, and though it did not take the trial away, God comforted me.  He told me all would work out and he had a time frame to give me back my peace, he will be with me through my struggles and that is very comforting to me.  He reassured me that he is indeed truly in charge this morning because when I opened my computer there awaited me a message out of the blue, from a dear friend of mine, my dear Vegas, she had sent me a quick note of her love and support.  How wonderful she is and how much the Lord knew I needed her love this morning.  The devil may have power on earth, but only the power that God allows him to have, and God will not let us endure anything we cannot handle with him to help us.  I am truly blessed even in my moments of doubts, trials or as I walk through valley of the shadows...... my God does comfort me.

I just want to add that we are living in a time when the evil whisperers have more say than the good hardworking in this country.  We live in a country that has allowed anonymity to bring out the evil ones who lie and can false witness, they never have to come out of the shadows and they can have long lasting effect on your life because they are guided by satan.  Our country has allowed it on many levels.  The laws are becoming more and more evil in the name of " for the good of all."  The Bible never says that this world in this age will experience peace on earth, in fact it states exactly the opposite.  The powers that drive our society in this day and age are running ever faster, in the name of peace and love of all, head long to the evil enticements of the devil. Evils and vileness that would not have been tolerated a hundred years ago are the norm and all of it is in the name of letting every one do their own things.  Oh, how satan does whisper to the ungodly and lead them to destruction's and we the lukewarm allow our lives to be controlled by the few who make the rules, yes we the silent majority are allowing satan to manifest himself into all corners of our society.  We have allowed abortion, we have allowed 15 states to bring shame on the sanctity of marriage, yes we have allowed the laws to be insidious and destructive to the family unit, yes we have allowed our schools to teach it to our children while we are looking the other way or maybe just now aware enough to care.  We are truly living in end times, whether it be coming tomorrow or in the next few decades or maybe centuries but we are witness to the end times.... I do hope God doesn't allow the evil to destroy the good but then the bible says we will be in horrible times and they are a coming don't kids yourself.....

Please take heed because tomorrow could be the day that the Lord Jesus comes as a thief in the night to take the saved home and then the trumpet of doom will come to all that are not saved.  Please don't wait to long and don't be one of those who were almost but lost...  Seek your salvation the Lord is awaiting that one last soul to end this age are you that one last soul? Maybe not but soon that last soul will be saved and no more will be....tomorrow.

What is good to eat anymore? Do you know? I am resolved even more to eat as close to the ground as I can.....

I have a couple of friends that have been really into knowing what is in there diet for as long as I have known them.  I have been given the advantage of ones practice of forwarding any info, or maybe a lot, of the info she finds.  I have limited my use of milk and cheese to almost none that my goats don't produce for several years.  http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/food/article/-/13441814/milks-hidden-additives/, http://www.naturalnews.com/039244_milk_aspartame_fda_petition.html, These two links are two of many articles on the stuff in milk you don't have a clue about.  I think when I started to take notice when I read about the amount of puss, yes puss, allowed into our milk.  I was also highly concerned when it was connected with Chron's disease.  My Mokie has Chron's, did I enable her getting it?  My Booboo has some form of IBD that is quite possibly acerbated by drinking milk at school.  I shall go on from milk.  Oh, but before I go if milk is bad, and we know it is, cheese is 10 times worse.  You might want to decide on both of them yourself in your diet.  What about how the milk industry trying to put aspartame in our milk and again not put it on the label?  http://www.naturalnews.com/039244_milk_aspartame_fda_petition.html

I have always canned but in the last couple years I have begun to can all the canned foods we use in our diet I have read about the lining of cans being bad and lots more that just came out this month. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/eating-processed-food-can-cause-cancer-expert-warns/
  Okay so canned goods are no longer on my shelves.  Pop or soda exited 5 years ago.  I have grown most of my veggies, bought local and with the event of BBFC I have started getting some from them, but then I don't always get the organics so I am getting veggies from Mexico and all over the US sometimes.  I do know that if it isn't organic I am just canning the pesticides in them but I am at least trying to go better.  Where does it stop?

We have grown our own goats for the last few years and our pigs provide us with pork.  I then have to consider the grains I might give them or I am no better than the meats that are grown here in the US and where ever else it comes from.  We feed the goats grass hay of organic quality hay, not always certified but we do the best we can. We buy our grain from a local farmer for the pigs.  I do like beef and can't afford to grow it so I do the best I can.  I can't afford organic's and I try to do my best to buy grass fed but sometimes I have to buy from the store what is on the market.  I never really thought about it until I read and article in the spring about the Russians banning American meat.  http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/ractopamine-meat-additive-your-plate-thats-banned-almost-everywhere-america?page=0%2C0.  I have a friend who won't buy Costco meat because it comes from Canada, Mexico and Argentina.  I decided to find out if there's is worse than the US meat the Russia banned because of ractopamine after all?  Well Argentina has a scare of hoof and mouth disease so only canned meat is allowed in the US and I don't buy canned food so that isn't a problem.  Canada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef and Mexico have the same inspectors and rules as the US except for Mexico http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/default.aspx?Country=Mexico has banned ractopamine too.  http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/grass-fed-vs-feedlot-beef-difference.html.

Okay so the bottom line is it is a full time job figuring out what to eat, what it has in it and what is being hidden in the stuff we think is okay, like veggies, milk and meat.  Think if the ones we thought were save are that hard to figure out we know the ones that we already thought are bad are horrible.  Remember that twinkies have a shelf life of say a hundred years, ever wonder why?  I can bake a loaf of bread that is plain and simple and whole wheat, it will mold in about a week.  If I buy a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, even the good ones or the organic ones, they last a lot longer than that so what is in them keeping them from molding?  Is it really on the label, milk doesn't have to have it on the label, so are you sure??

I think it all boils down to we do what we can and that is the best we can do.  Pick your evils because they all have them and we only really have so much money to buy our foods.  I do the best I can with what I have and I have a friend that once told me she didn't have a clue how I feed my family on our income.  We probably eat things she would not have to is the reality but I work hard to see that it is as limited as I can get with the bad stuff that gets ever more present in our diets.  Do you think maybe that our American  food is what is causing the cancer in America and somebody somewhere is putting it in there on purpose by law.  And don't even get me started on canola oil..... okay I digress. Climbing down because the reality is we can only digest so much in one sitting, food or the horrors of what we are eating.

I pray that you have the luxury of eating nothing the government "fixes" for us to eat.  I pray the Lord has provided all you need and he will if you asked him.  He give us all we need as we pray to him for it.  He is a loving giving father and he wants to be your Father as well.  Salvation is your for the asking, read his Word, listen to your heart and find your faith, believe in God.  Believe that he gave his son that you might live, asked and repent, he will give you Salvation through his Grace.  Today is the day, there are no hidden agenda's with God it as pure and simply as believing... tomorrow.

Diets a lifetime relationship that I no longer befriend, to do's and do dones.

I think the word diet has been in my vocabulary for the whole of my life time.  I remember my momma being on the cottage cheese diet before I knew what a diet or cottage cheese were for that matter.  My momma and my Grand-momma Gladys were on every diet you can imagine in my memory. The grapefruit, the saccharin, the cabbage, the whatever and then there were the pills, the chew tablets and the whatevers that the diet company's put out at the time and in hindsight I know that they still had amphetamines in them back then.  My momma went from diets to loving you with food and back again, come to think of it my Grand-momma and my great-grandma supplemented their love with food on the table and snacks in between so no wonder I am in a love hate relationship with dieting at my age.   I myself spent a good many years trying diet but since I rarely as an adult had the money, or maybe didn't want to short my families food budget, seldom had the money to buy the things on the diets that I would have had to have to do them exactly right.  I have done my versions of atkins, alli, and may others, I never did the low fat, or vegetarian ones, after all there are some thing I never would have given up any way.  I have read almost every diet book ever printed, and for those of you who know me reading a book in a few short hours or maybe 1/2 hours is nothing so I have read more than most anybody would ever want to.  I decided about 4 or 5 years ago I am never "dieting" again.  I have lost 100 lbs and gained it all back more that once, and maybe as many as three times, and I know big yo-yoing is more dangerous than just being fat.  Yes, I said it I am fat.  I know that.  Years ago my doctor told me that, well he actually told most of his patients that, but I wanted to say to him "and you don't think I know that, I have a mirror".  So for those of you who think I missed that I am fat it is not news to me and has never been.  I however have learned a lot from years of experience and years of studying the situation.  I have not lost weight in years but I have learned how to cook right, just look at my lovely ladies, 15% body fat, someone is doing something right for them, and I am the one in charge of their diet.  I know how to eat right. We have in the last 5 years given up most of the evils in the modern diet.  I just got my new driver's license and was amazed that though I am the same size as I was 8 years ago, I am not ruddy and puffy, my photos looks a lot healthier.  I also know I need more exercise or I need to change the right food to a right amount for me considering I can't get the exercise I really need, not just the three I take care of.

I have many friend who have lived a similar co-dependent life with dieting and food as I have.  All of us meet this challenge in a way that makes sense to each of us.  Some of my friends are juicing, some are on new diets, and all sorts of different thought processes toward overcoming their own personal battles.  I wish them all the best of luck with their personal demons because in the end we all have to battle in our own ways.  I have come to the determination that I can only battle the demon on my own so far.  I have to live a lifestyle not a diet, yes eating a diet is a part of a lifestyle but being on a diet is not a lifestyle.  I have decided, and did long ago decide not to diet again, but I have decide to life my lifestyle diet with in the confines of my lifestyle.  I have to live it with in the confines of what I actually can afford to eat the rest of my life, I have to eat in a manner that is something I can maintain for a lifetime, I have to live and eat with in my lifestyle.  I have spent the greater part of the last year canning food.  Did you know that you can't can fat in any great way, and for the most part I can can healthy foods.  I get to decide what I put in the can, no extra salts, no extra sugars, not chemicals and msg's to make people eat more than they need to.  I have become a BBFC addict and they are soon to offer meats, yay.

I know the right things to do, I know I have to exercise more but with a baby most of the time it has been difficult, but I can do more with the time and space I have.  I recently figured out that dieting was a demon, I have tried and tried on my own to do it and have always failed in the end.  I finally realized recently that I can take it to the Lord and asked that he have the Holy Spirit help me.  I know I am probably not supposed to ask the Lord to do for my what I can do for myself but in the end I have realized that I can not after 30 plus years of trying actually do it on my own.  I have asked that the Lord help me and if he can have the Holy Spirit help me have the discipline and strength to live a lifestyle that will actually get me to the age of 94, which I really believe is the age he has given me to live on this earth, I don't actually know why but for some reason I believe it.  I want to be of service to him, my family and friends for the time he gives me here on earth and with his help I can succeed and be the person he wants me to be.  I have been doing really good on my lifestyle changes since I asked the Lord for help, down more than 10 pounds already.

I pray that all my friend accomplish their dieting success, I pray that the Lord has a hand in their changes and they succeed in their lives.  I do know that I can not do it alone and for me the Lord is the answer.  I think he should be everyone's answer as well.  I hope you start by asking him for your salvation for that is where all relationships with God begin....tomorrow.

My computer is back from the dead, well sort of and almost.

Two days ago I shut off my laptop computer and when I restarted it my operating system would not work.  I got on my PC and took awhile but I was able to update and use it again, I don't use it much the kids play games on it but that is pretty much it.  I finally got on Blogger and I had a page error that would not let my use my new post pages of blogger.  Not matter what I did I could not blog.  The next day I spent a good deal of the day on a chat with Dell fixing my laptop, all the way back to factory installed operating systems.  All my data gone.  I do have an external drive but I had only ever backed up my PC.  I am thankful that my new camera had all the photos I have taken and down loaded on it, as I had never deleted any, I don't have any of the other data like recipes and such, sadly I learned my lesson.  I am also thankful that my dear Poppie had bought me an extended warranty on my laptop, it even has two more years so that is good.  I got done on the chat and the real work began, reloading all the programs, printers, passwords and goodness knows what, still have lots more to do before my computer is anywhere near normal.  I think I might even have the cloud now so now I have to learn to use that.  I am here to tell you I missed you all and had actually wrote a blog that I could not save or post that got lost, I think maybe I wasn't supposed to post that one as it is gone away to who knows where now.  I have lots to do still and really no time to do it, but I am now coming to you from a chrome browser because the one I was using still likes the error page code and I can't use it anymore to blog with.  So I am learning lots of new stuff in regard to the insides of my computer, I even know what the fn button is and how to use it sort of.....

I pray that your day is spent in the arms of the Lords Grace and love, I pray that the Lord Jesus is the door you are believing in to go to heaven because all others go somewhere else.  I pray for your salvation and know that nothing is more important than that in this life....tomorrow.

Soap to make, a stove to test, and a hutch top gets nearer to finished....

Poppie and I went out to Flower Child's this week and picked up the gas stove we made a deal on. The deal took us about nine months to work out, mostly because I had so much to do and Poppie didn't want it in my kitchen.  I had been trying to work on him since I burned  my electric one up this spring canning.  We had a back up stored so Poppie just put it in, it is a terrible stove and it has a smaller oven than my dead one.  It also did not fit the space for it in the kitchen, it drove me crazy right away but it took some time for Poppie to come around to the possibility that we could change it out for the one I was to get from Flower Child.  He finally decided he would go look at it but he still didn't want it in the house but he would set it up for canning.  He saw it and decided it if works I can have it in my kitchen.  It is a modern one, much newer than I thought it would be, sort of sad from my point of view but Poppie thinks it will work better than he thought so better from his view point.  So today we see if it works and if it fits the space and if Poppie will actually put it in. 

I haven't made soap in a bit over a year.  I had a mega summer of making soap last year and haven't actually needed to make any.  This year I froze a bunch of goats milk knowing that I would eventually need to, and want to, make more soap.  I picked up coconut oil at the Amish store last week knowing I needed it to begin soap making again.  I didn't realize until Flower Child called me, before we went to get the stove, that I was out of Shea butter.  I have to order some but I do have a bunch of coco butter so will be making at least the first batch with the coco butter.  The coco butter I have is food grade and smells of chocolate so I am going to just make oatmeal goats milk soap.  It is one of my favorites because it is so natural and pure, no scents, well it might smell like chocolate this time when it's done.  It usually smells like honey, I have no idea why because I don't put honey in it just the plain goats milk soap with oatmeal.  It is very mild and gentle on any skin.  I did see a honey oatmeal recipe I want to try to but it is hot process, and I have never actually made hot process soap that wasn't liquid so can't wait to try a new process, but that will be the second batch.  I am thinking I will put some oatmeal flakes on the top of the soaps before they cool and cut it just for decoration.  It will be fun to have new soaps to add to the closet, which still has a bunch of soap in it.  It also smell heavenly and when you open the door it makes the whole house lovely.

Poppie still has to finish the hutch top, he is close to being done with it but things get him going this way and that.  I am hoping to paint it, and the big table I have for the kitchen but haven't been using,  in a distressed manner.  I have the primer to paint the flour bin and the sugar bin.  I have to seal the inside as well one has some rust so have to see what it will take to seal it for food use.  I hope I manage to get a nice aged look on the table and the hutch, I have the old benches that my dad made in the 70's that have all the age, wear and tear of raising 12 kids on them.  My mom gave them to me, she thought they were junk and was going to burn them but I rescued them.  I hope I can paint them to looks as old as the wear and tear says they are.  They were once stained but now just old gray batter wood.  I can't wait to have my kids sitting where we all sat as kids so long ago.

I hope your day is wondrous.  I pray that the Joy of the Lord is in your heart, in your life and in your spirit.  I pray that the Holy Spirit has spoken to you and you have sought your salvation, if not I hope you are seeking God's Word to see what God's gift is.  I pray that you believe God and know that Jesus is his son who died for you......tomorrow.

Not feeling well so hybernating a little, Bubbles sings......

Poppie has been sick off and on, mostly on, because he won't set down, rest and just be sick.  He has tried to share with me several times but for the most part I get a bit of a symptom and then get back on track.  I have been sick to my stomach with a horrible headache and achy everywhere for two days so maybe he has well and truly shared.   I have been taking it slowly for this morning. I read The Joy of Following Jesus by J. Oswald Saunders.  It was a very good book with many insights.  It really gave me comfort but it also gave me some assurances that the Holy Spirit is working in my life and trying to change me into a disciple of Christ Jesus the way the Lord God would have me be.  I got a message from Niecy this morning of the wondrous way the Holy Spirit is working in her life so that just makes my heart sing.  Joy of Joy the Lord is so good and he is good to us.

I want to recount a funny thing that happened with me and the Littles this week.  I was singing the B-I-B-L-E  to them one day.  Cubbie was trying her best to get the letters all in the right order, Bubbles was just trying to see what we were doing for the most part with a big cheesy grin on her little face.  We played and sang for about twenty minutes and then the girls went off to play with their toys and books.  I feed them lunch and Poppie came in and had lunch with them.  It was a short time after lunch when Bubbles crawled up in his lap for Poppie time.  She started saying run together sentences at the top of her voice.  Poppie looked at me and said "what is she doing?"  I looked at her and watched her for a few minutes.  She went on and on, a big cheesy smile on her face as she said her little run together sentences.  I paid a little more attention and the letter b started to pop out at me and then an L.  I listened a little more and she sort of had a rhythm.  She was singing at the top of her voice her rendition of the B-I-B-L-E.  The Lord be praised the Holy Spirit has put the Bible in her little heart and she was singing out to God in her joy.  Poppie and I were amazed and in awe at her joy. 

I hope one and all feel well, I hope you are well in your relationship with the Lord.  He so wants to send the Holy Spirit it be in your life and share with your spirit the love of Jesus and the ability to become a disciple of Jesus.  The Lord so loves one, and all of his creation, and does not want even one to perish because they don't believe God or in his son.  Today is the time, and the day, for you to believe, repent and accept your salvation in Christ Jesus.... tomorrow.

The truck, Silver falls out on the street, Mom is a crazy woman....Green Pear salad

I remember when we lived in the basement, we called it the basement because Dad never finished building it before he took a job in Grangeville Idaho and moved away from our Darby home.  Mom liked to take us to town, which was Hamilton it was bigger, it was about 18 miles from Darby on payday.  She would buy us all her favorite treats, sno-balls, pink ones, and mountain dew pop.  I can't stand the taste of either to this day, and I really didn't like them back then, but they were a special treats she bought us.  There were the four older of us, Me, Silver, Red, Sister, for the most part and Little Brother came along during that time.  We went to Helena to pick him up.  We had spent a lot of time in Missoula with a Lady named Mrs. Hall before we got to go get him.  He had a pacifier when we picked him up, and Mom did not want to have any of that so she threw it out.  It was a long trip to Missoula before we could buy him a new one. He could cry really really loud. We had normally had to stay with Grandma Thelma when Mom would go to the hospital and then she and the baby would come home, but not Little Brother we all got to go get him, and even Mom went with us.  It wasn't even a hospital where we got him.  He was bigger and could cry a lot louder than the others when they came home. (He was three week old when we adopted him, but to us he came the same way, we picked him up and took him home, sort of like going to the store and getting a new model), 

Mom liked to buy stuff on paydays, sometimes a new to us vehicle at the car lot, some times wood at the wood store the others side of Hamilton at Woodside, sometimes sheep at the stockyard auction, but we always bought something on payday and "surprised" Daddy with our purchases when we got home.  One day we were on main street in Hamilton, the Safeway on one side and the bank on the other, kitty corner from one another.  We were in the pickup that mom had gotten at the car lot, we hadn't had it very long and the 4 of us were in the seat beside her, Little brother had not come yet.  All of a sudden the door on the passenger side came oven and Silver fell out on the ground, the other three of us started screaming and jumping around, no one wore seatbelts then, I am not all that sure the vehicle even had them as it was not a new truck and it was 1965 so probably not.  My Momma stopped the truck and seemed to go crazy, she jumped on the street left us screaming in the truck, cars were coming to a screeching halt all around us.  My mom pointed at the man that was just getting out of a car and told him to get in the truck with us kids, he didn't make us stop screaming at all we didn't know him from Adam.  Mom ran around to the side of the pickup and scooped Silver up, he wasn't breathing and had a bump on his head.  A woman came over to my mom, the lady from the car the man in the truck with us had come out of, she was all dressed in white.  My Momma and the lady got in the car and drove away, the man left his car and drove our truck after them.  We drove down a street and came to a great large building, funny it looked like the hospital where we picked up Little Sister, I couldn't remember when we picked up Red or Silver but it was the place we got Little Sister for sure.  Mom and the woman got out of the car, mom holding Silver and they ran into the building, Silver looked all white and floppy as they ran with him.  The man helped us out of the truck and walked us into the big building.  He had to carry Little Sister she didn't walk very fast like we could.  When we got in the build there in the hallway was Momma and the lady in white, a man with a big can that had a clear mask on it had put it on Silver, there was another lady pushing a rolly bed toward us with a man in white running after her toward where Silver had the clear mask on.  The man lead us away to a room with chairs, magazines and a TV.  He put it on and we got to watch it. 

When Silver came home we got to eat Green Pear Salad, it was one of the only things that my Grandma Thelma made that I can remember.  I think it made my Momma closer to her mom to share that treat with us during Silvers recovery.

Grandma Thelma's Green Pear Salad

1 jar of home canned green pears,  ( it was very easy, green food color in the pears as you can them)
Iceberg lettuce chopped, or you can tear, momma always chopped
Cottage cheese, your choice of your favorite.

Momma chopped the lettuce up and put a little on each plate, she put one half green pear on the lettuce, and put a scoop of cottage cheese in the hole of the pear.  It was pretty all green and white.

I as an adult now know that the lady in white was a nurse going to work, her husband had been taking her and that my mother saw her uniform and that is why she had told the man to take care of us.  When we got to the hospital a man had just fixed the oxegen tank at the entrance of the emergency room and the nurse put it on Silver as he was not breathing from the time he was picked up off the street.  He was in a coma for 4 hours before they could revive him.  He did sustain some brain damage, and the Dr said he would have some difficultly getting a concept into his brain but once there you would not be able to get it out or change his mind.  The Dr was dead on, Silver has learning disabilities but once he gets it it is there forever.  He really worked hard for some of the D+'s he got in high school, but he could type 120 words a minute with his fat thick hands, I never knew how.  He knits beautiful sweaters for Ladies at his Church and all of his grandkids.  He is as stubborn as a mule and you can never change his mind on any subject he sets his mind to. 

It was a great scare for us as littles but we knew the love of God in our hearts, God was the only reason that every thing lined up just right and my brother didn't die on the street at 4 years old.  Praise  God for his love and kindness, I hope you do as well..... tomorrow

Zootown trip, Amish store run, teachers conferences, a long day behind me.

I had a very busy day yesterday.  I was up and on the road with Belle by 8 and we were off to Zootown to take one of her Littles, Little Miss, to the Dr to have a brace made for her leg.  She has had numerous operations to fix her leg.  She was born with a disability and the Dr is trying to increase her abilities to use her left leg.  She is a brave little girl that always has a smile on her face and has never let her limitations disable her in anyways.  She is a go getter that is on a path and never lets anything get in her way.  We were going to go to Costco before the Dr but it was not open when we got there so decided to find the Dr's office that we had to go to, good thing, it was in a lot different place than originally thought.  It was in a part of town I rarely go to but since I did sort of know more of the town than Belle we found it, it just took a little longer than we had thought.  We meant a elderly gentleman at the Dr's office that was  pleasure to listen to, as he told us stories of his youth.  The Office had a blind dog that one of the employees had brought so she could have her groomed.  The little dog was well trained but you could see she was nervous of her surroundings.  The Dr's office trip done we stopped at Goodwill, I got Poppie three shirts, all with long enough arms, yay, and a cake pan to make cake pops for a steal, yay.  Belle got a few items and then we stopped at Costco shopped and eat at the food court.  We were soon on our way.  Little Miss was wore out from all the walking, she uses a walker and keeps up well but her arms wore out so we pushed her in one of the big carts, the regular carts are not right for the angle her legs need to be.  She had a great time, and her and I raced Belle and her brother, Soul Winner, to the car.  We almost won, we probably wouldn't have even been that close to winning if Soul Winner would have known we were actually in a race....

We were office to the Amish Store in St. Ignatius.  The snow was just starting to come down and the wind was blowing as we went up Evaro Hill.  Shortly we were at the Amish Store, got all the goodies we could find and we off to home.  We got home around 5ish.  I had plenty of time to cook dinner and be off to the teachers conferences.  I was not happy that mine was so late.  We had had open houses at the school the last five years but now we have a different superintendent  and they did not have an open house this year.  I was disappointed that we didn't it was nice to get to meet the teachers in an informal format and we also got to sign up for the teachers conference in time slots that fit our lifestyles.  We didn't get to go to Church as they didn't take our Churches night into account when they randomly set up the conferences.  The conference themselves were wonderful.  The Ladies are doing wonderful, as usual, they are both great students, respectful to their teachers and a help to their class mates.  They are helpful to others and truly joys to their teachers.  I was so proud of them, and always am.  We were home just after bedtime so the long day had come to an end.

I hope you have a great day, I hope and pray for your salvation and that you have a growing relationship with God.  Nothing is more important or more joyful in this life.  May your joy be boundless in the Lord....tomorrow.

New missionaries, snow a real wonderland of innocence, handles, tomatoes and more.....

Church was nice yesterday, all was mostly normal, well except Niecy had forgot to set her clock back so blessed us with her and her littles presences for two hours instead of just her normal one.  My Ladies are graduated to the adult class, the Preacher decide a couple of weeks ago that there were to many kids for the space, and that the ages was to broad for one class, so the older (above 4th grade) kids should just come to the adult class as the building doesn't really allow for a second class room.  The Ladies said they are really liking the adult class as they were really to old for the little class.  Booboo and I went to evening Church last night, we got to meet a couple and their little boy that are currently visiting Churches to get support for them to go to Papua New Guinea to be missionaries.  They told us lots of info about their destination, they shared their excitement of going into the missionary field and their longing to share the Gospel with people that have never heard the word of God.  They will face a lot of challenges, some dangers, in their spreading of the Gospel.  It was fun to share their excitement in the Lords calling to them.

We were on our way to Church last night when the first few flakes of snow began to fall to earth.  The ground was lightly sprinkled with the snow here and there when we were one our way home from church.  This morning there are about two inches on my deck rails and on the ground.  The day is almost frosted in appearance.  The bright shinny white with the dark forest green of the fir and pine trees peeking out from under the snow on their branches.  The snow is virgin and crisp no one has dirtied or marred it's beauty it is a newly wrappered gift from God in it pristine state, just as he sent it to us.  The kids and dogs ran into it with all the joy the first fallen snow of the season brings.  The wonder of it never grows old as each year passes and brings it newly again each time.

I have three handles to pen and ink this morning, I have to use a red pen on two of them, never actually done that before.  I have a 80 pound pumpkin that is awaiting my making it into chips and puree.  Boy won the pumpkin weight guessing contest at the local grocery store, Castles.  He came over on Friday and asked me if I would can it for him for half of the pumpkin, I told him no, because I don't actually can pumpkin anymore, it is considered unsafe so I am baking, pureeing and freezing it. Oh, and drying some of it into chips.  I have some other computer work that needs doing and littles to watch so my day is full.  Poppie still has goats to harvest as it has actually been to warm most of the fall so far so we need to get that done this week.  His pressure tank will be here between the 11 and the 13th so that to be done as well.  Life goes on full and ever changing.

I pray that today your life changes, that today you respond to the Gospel of Christ Jesus.  I pray that today is the day you seek your salvation or maybe just remember to praise God for your salvation already received.  Salvation is the only way to life ever after with the Lord, and Jesus is the one door to it....tomorrow.

Who is in charge of your life? Do your friendships reflect it? Do you train your childern by your actions or words?

I have spent my life in some form of relationship with the Lord.  I was born a child of God, as we all are, but not all of us know it.  We are in the cradle of his love from conception until accountability.  Some of us never have a time of lapse so are a child of God our whole lives.  I am not sure I can say that because I think there was a time when I knew I was a sinner and was accountable for it before I sought his Grace,  I repented my sins, prayed for his forgiveness on my knees with tears streaming down my face.  The happiness at being saved by his Grace flowing from my heart and eyes.  I received the Holy Spirit to guide me and showed the world of my acceptance of his gift by being Baptized in to Christ our Lord Jesus. I was never one to really talk about my salvation, especially the dearly special moment of it that I kind of like to keep special just for me and the Lord. I have tried to tell others about the Lord and winning souls but I am not sure I have ever done it quite right.  I don't really feel comfortable telling of my day of salvation and maybe some have gotten the idea that I was ashamed of it, or didn't account it with the value I do, but I always wanted it for me.  I have tried to read the Bible but for some years of my life I was not as faithful to the reading of the Word as I should have been.  I have said before I was a carnal Christian and fell so far below what God wanted of me that I feel a guilt that is hard to let go.  The Lord has forgiven and forgotten but I just can't let the shame go sometimes. 

I have tried to make the second half century of my life more about the Lord and a whole lot less about me.  I read my Bible, even the parts that I find boring and used to see as useless, you know like the kid in class who wanted to know why he needed to know fractions to work at a mill?  Well for the most part the mills are gone now and somewhere he is wishing he knew his fractions.  I do wish that I had read my Bible more often and sought intimacy in my relationship with the Lord Jesus in my youth.  I recently read a book where the author described intimacy with Christ like this.  She said that with any intimate relationship or marriage you have to spend time together talking and getting to know one another before you can have a fruitful relationship.  I can't say that I had ever thought of my relationship with Christ as being like a marriage. I know as Christians we are the bride of Christ but I never really connected the here relationships with the heavenly or spiritual relationship we are to have with the Lord before. I knew that to have a true marriage I needed to intimate with my husband on many levels too be fruitful but do I need that kind of intimacy with the Lord to be a fruitful?  I knew in a heart beat the author was so right and I had never thought of it just that way.  We do need to have moments where we whisper, share secrets and talk things over with the Lord.  We need to share our dreams, our days and our lives with the Lord continuously.  We can only become more like him if we really really know him intimately to our souls.   I now read my Bible seeking to know him more and more, you know like you seek to know more about your spouse, or child, the other intimate beings in your life.  I know my spouse loves to hear when I find he has done something for me how much I appreciate him, how much I love him and want to be with him.  Does our relationship with Christ deserve any less than our praises or much much more?  Christ has done so much more for us than our earthly loves and spouse could ever do for us so we need to praise him so much much more.  We need to think about him in all we do, we need to think of all we do in this life in regard to how it will bring us closer to God and how it correlates with our eternal life.  Will our life here be a praise to God, will it bring him shame or ridicule? do we fall short of what he wants for us daily?, and does he love us anyway.  Yes, he does but I should try and do better everyday.  I know when I hurt Poppie or bring shame on him I know he loves me anyway but I really try hard to do better so why should I not try harder with my relationship with God daily.  I just never thought of it like that before did or do you?

Do the friends I keep in my life detract from my relationship with God, no, but I am not sure that I can say that about my whole life.  Should our friends be a praise to God?  Should we take that in to consideration when we chose our friendships?  Should we train our children by telling them how to life or by showing them the right way to live?  Do they see their path to God in our lives or are they clueless about who God really is and wonder why we go to church in the first places?  Do I have a responsibility to give them the knowledge of the Gospel and how wonderful a life  in and with God in it can be?  Do I do all I can to be fruitful and lead them to God, knowing they have found their salvation in God and will have life eternal?  Is that one of the most wonderful moments of my life?  Right up there with the day of my salvation, is the day of my children's salvation, and then the day I meant Poppie, the day I married, the day each of my children were born and the day my grands were born and all is down hill from there...... Life is about priorities, where does God stand in your life?  Is he your all, if not you need to find out how to make him the most important things that ever was in your life.  He will give all the rest to you but you have to ask him for what you want and the most important thing you can ever ask him is for forgiveness, and know that Jesus is his son who died and arose for you,  he will give you salvation and all the rest as he does love you and wants the best for you..... tomorrow.

Bountiful Baskets Day, Poppie made me "garbage" and the pressure tank died and we are awaiting a new one to arrive.

Today was BBFC day, we had a great distribution, all went like clock work, lovely baskets and great volunteers.  The Ladies helped out with cleaning baskets and set up, they also help people out with their bounty.  I think Yogie liked it as much as Booboo does, Booboo has been going so it an old pro by now.  We stopped at the store on the way home and picked up a Brussels sprout tree, I have seen them grow but never thought they would sell them on the stem, too funny.  I got some shoulder cream for my left shoulder.  My dad has had his left shoulder rotator cup fixed and the right was to bad to have fixed.  I now understand why he can lift anything below his shoulders but can't even raise his hand above his head.  I am struggling to raise mine without pain, I read that if I am careful with it it will mend.  I should be careful with it until I can lift my hand above my head or sleep on my shoulder with no pain.  Hot and cold is good and I am hoping the rub cream will help.  Done whining and going on. 

Poppie has finely made, or started to make, my pot rack.  It is made out of an antique rusted child's hospital bed frame.  One old board with chipped paint from a 1954 Chevy pick up, that set in a field so many year a 18 foot tree grew through the frame where the motor was to go. (the board from the side rail will be my chandelier for about my kitchen table Poppie will make it next)  It is a truly lovely work of art, Poppie is going to add three antique jars, and make pendent lights, from it.  We are waiting on the repro two strand cotton covered wire to finish the lights.  I so wanted to get blue but know that the blue would look modern on the piece and ruin the effect of it being old out of authentic piece, so we went with the black for authenticity. The Ladies, Belle and I think it is beautiful, Poppie says it was made our of garbage and this is, how said he can not see the beautiful in his creation, we can and that is the important part.   I will post photos when they are done.

Our pressure tank on our well died this week, I ordered a new one that will come to the house, it was faster for it to come to the house than to order it to the store.  Poppie is going to leave the old one on for more water holding.  Luckily the well still works the water is a little cloudy and the pump runs more but we are not stranded without water.  Poppie is working on my hutch today and we might get to burn this after noon, so autumn cleaning will be done soon. 

I pray for your life in Christ and hope that it is all that you with God can make it.  I hope the Grace of God abounds in your life.  I sorrow for those of you who have not heard of the Gospel or more for those who have heard and have hardened your heart to the Word of God.  I pray for one and all.... tomorrow.