God's Word for Today

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Project 365 ~ Week 21: The Joys of Bad Knees and a really GOOD Sister in Christ!

Sunday, May 20

This was my day…..ALL DAY!

Needless to say I did NOT make it to church. I did manage to hobble to the table for a meal or two and make it to the restroom!

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Monday, May 21

As ordered by almost every one I know, I was obedient and went to the doctor. I have had knee issues in the past but this was by far the most painful episode and it really left me more than a bit inconvenienced. So I was eager to get in the doctors office to try get some relief from the pain and get back on my feet again.

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After a few X-Rays and a cortisone shot I was back in the car heading back home. It seems my knees are as old as I am and can get a bit disagreeable with old age. I have very little cartilage and the doctor said I had probably twisted my knee in the wrong directing and that inflamed my meniscus. What ever it was it sure was painful. I was thankful that he had the tools and the knowledge to get me back on the road to walking without excruciating pain! Well maybe not excruciating pain but it really hurt!

Y’all good fiends are just the best. When Skoots1mom found out I was out of commission she went into action. She showed up at my house on Sunday evening and I was set for dinner for several nights. Is she the best or what!

We had pork roast, green beans from Skoots, the DD cleaned and cooked the corn as well as got everything else warmed up and on the table!

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It was good y’all!

Tuesday, May 22

I was feeling better on Tuesday. I was able to put a bit of weight on my knee but not much. I did manage to get up and empty the dishwasher. Sara posted a picture last week, commenting on how often she unloads her dishwasher only to have enough dishes in the sink to practically fill it back up again. Well here ya go Sara, it’s been emptied and then practically filled right back up again with dirty dishes…yes it happens in every household I think!

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It was a big day for me and the Hubs today. It was our 30th wedding anniversary. It was kind of a downer being incapacitated with a bum knee but the Hubs rose (pun intended) to the occasion and came home with three dozen of these beauties for me. You can click here to read a post I did in honor of the occasion!

These flowers were just the thing to make my day!

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Skoots also brought over some BBQ & buns and some really good watermelon. It was dinner number two on Skoots again.

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Wednesday, May 23

I have been putting my immobility to good use and have made several crocheted dishcloths. I put them in the kitchen drawer and the hubs came in and asked me “Did you mean to put these in here?”

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I was feeling much better by Wednesday, enough that I felt able to get out of the house for a bit. I called up Skoots and she met me for lunch and then we went over to the produce market and I loaded up on fresh veggies. I got tomatoes, peaches, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, cucumbers, green beans and new potatoes.

Truly a southern classic…they were really good!

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Thursday, May 24

Clearly I need to re-read the instruction on the new toaster. My bread was frozen so I pushed the little button that said frozen on the front of the toaster. Not quite a burnt toast disaster but close. It was still a good tomato sandwich despite the extra crispy bread.

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Friday, May 25

My tomatoes on May 5

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Look how big they are now!

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One of the things I love about gardening is how surprising and random it can be. I was out visiting my flowers and veggie this morning and I notices this bright orange peaking thought in the middle of my herb garden. Sometime you just never know where or how things take root.

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I love these bright purple pansy's. I am t4esting my resolve and bought a hanging basket. The trick will be if I can remember to keep it watered through the summer. I have placed it right outside the sunroom window so it is directly in my line of site. Out of site is the curse of death round here…let see it I can keep it alive!

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My mint is finally going strong. I had to replant it, the first seedling did to make it. Sometime it makes it through the winter but for some reason this spring it did not come back so I had to get a few more plants. I love going out and snipping off a few sprigs and keeping them at the ready for my ice tea. I love the fragrance of mint floating from my glass, it just makes the glass so much more refreshing!

I wish y’all could scratch and sniff because it smell really good!

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Well that was my week! I hope everyone is enjoying the first week of summer vacation!

Looking forward to lots of picture of all the fun we will be having over the summer!

For more P365 y’all head over to Sara’s  and link up!

Blessings and let the summer fun begin!

R

Friday, May 25, 2012

Being Seventeen . . . the Inevitable Frontier

I explained to my husband yesterday when he came home from work that unbeknownst to him we had officially transitioned into a completely different phase of our parental experience.

It was that thing that all parents know will happen eventually but try to avoid thinking about.

I stood in the driveway and watched my child hop in the car and head off to the movies with her bestie behind the wheel of the car.

"Bring seventeen . . . the  Inevitable Frontier. These are the teenage experiences of the parental mother-ship Be Still and Know . Her mission : to remain calm as her daughter pulls out of the driveway for the first time with another teenage driver heading off to the movies, explore strange new feelings of panic ; to seek out comfort and advice for those that have traveled this road before her; to boldly state “Be sure to text me when you get there!” – Robin, Be Still and Know

Of course you must hum the theme for Star Trek to get the full impact of this profound statement!

Thankfully the DD was receptive to the rules, she was obedient and let me know when she was coming and going and so far so good!

It is going to be a different and interesting summer y’all!

Blessings
R

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

30 Years….Whoda Thunk it! A few things I have learned after 30 years of marriage…

It was a spring day and there was a forecast for afternoon showers. The wedding was at 3:00 P.M.

At 2:00 it began to rain and I was in a panic as the wedding was outside!

Thankfully it was a short spring shower and by 3:00 the sun was out and it was a beautiful day!

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Before I got out of bed this morning I was contemplating the many years my husband and I have navigated the the many different paths our marriage has taken. I thought about some of the unpleasant times, some of our struggles and then I began to think about all the days we have spent together. By my count it’s 10,950 days! Somehow when you look at the days is doesn't seem as long as saying thirty years!

I can honestly say that when I walked down the path to my waiting groom the concept of longevity was the farthest thing from my mind.

I have over the years learned some very valuable lessons. The first ten years of our marriage was a bit on the turbulent side. It was filled with selfish immaturity and a resistance to recognize that we both had to be grownups. Learning how to be responsible adults and learning how to do it together can be a tenuous place. When you toss in tendencies for dysfunction that had been laid for us on both sides of our respective families it was a miracle that we made it past our 10 wedding anniversary.

I can confidently share that the turning point for me was 100% due to the slow and revelatory process of accepting Christ into my life. It did not happen all at once and it was a very difficult process for me. I know that sounds strange to say, however my walk with Christ has been the very definition of the Emmaus experience. There have been a few Damascus Road revelations but with each day Chris was faithful to stand with me with each baby step. Each step brought new commitment, new understanding, new wisdom and renewed love!

After thirty years of marriage what have I learned?

Marriage is never about 50/50, sometime It’s 80/20 other times is 90/10, but the perfect percentage is 100% Jesus first. When I am placing Him, that is Christ first in my marriage then the rest will fall into place. Now I will also share that this was a very long process for both myself and my husband. I will also share that like many other couples I came to this understanding long before my husband did. The power of patient and persistent prayer is a powerful thing. I can absolutely share that praying for a Christ centered husband is NEVER a waste of time. Jesus is always faithful to hear and answers all our prayers.

One of the other important things about marriage for me is to really try to learn and understand what is important to your spouse. Some of the worst arguments we had at the very beginning of our marriage weren't about money, they were about housekeeping. Coming from a military background my husbands mother kept a tidy household, she had to living on base housing. Myself, not so much. My mother was never June Clever, keeping a clean house was just not a priority. I had to go through a very painful process of putting my selfishness and laziness aside (after thirty years I still struggle with laziness but I also realize that sometime ya just have to do stuff that you do not want to do, wa wa cry me a river and just get up and vacuum already!!!!)  in favor of doing things that were important to my husband. Thankfully we have come to a place of balance and mutual understanding about keeping things in order. I am leaps and bound from where I began and I am thankful that he has mellowed a good deal over the years as well! I still try to make sure the kitchen sink is not full of dishes when the Hubs gets home from work and I do try to give the house a once over and pick up a bit before he gets home. Fifteen to thirty minutes of my time is not to much to ask at the end of a long day at the office!

Another important things that a lot of couple struggle with is balance between being parents and being a couple. It can be very difficult in the early years when the children are little and demand almost all of your attention. However you must always try to remember that you were a couple first. Children will understand that they do not always come first! The reality is that if you are placing your children ahead of your marriage then you are sending the wrong message to your children for what a healthy marriage looks like! Remember that they learn how to be married from what they see you and your husband do! If you do not nurture the bonds that cemented your relationship as a couple then your marriage will suffer. Those children will be flying from the nest in a blink of an eye and then it will be just the two of you again. Keep making the depots in the couple trust fund and you won’t find yourself staring at a stranger when you are back to being just a couple again!

Lastly, never underestimate the importance of words of affirmation. It may not seem like an important thing, but remember recognition of the small things (and the big things too!) is very important. I try very had to recognize and thank the hubs for all the things he does around the house. I think when time is taken to acknowledged hard work with appreciation it goes a long way! If you have not thanked you husband for mowing the yard or for whatever it is that he does then start right now! It will make a difference I promise!

Thirty years is a long time! I pray for wisdom for another thirty years!

I am thankful beyond words for the man that I have in my life, it hasn't all been a bed of roses, don't forget that roses have some very sharp painful thorns. He still can send me over the edge quicker than any human being on the planet.

Remember this morning when I told you about my early morning reminiscing of our early years. I was laying in bed pondering some of our more turbulent times and finding myself being a bit miffed at him. I am laughing at myself right now at how young and stupid we were back then. It really is a wonder that we made it out of our first ten years…suffice to say that God really does protect fools before they even know who he is! The Hubs still at times re-cleans things that I have just cleaned. He still can make me nuts but y’all he still bring me flowers, holds my hand when we walk down the street, remembers the things that make me happy and he still opens the door for me!

I got me a good one y’all!

Blessings

R

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Project 365 ~ Week 20

Sunday, May 13 ~ Mother’s Day

Went to church, came home took a nap, read, sent the Hub’s and DD out for fried chicken that evening for supper and basically had a wonderful day. It was a perfect day to spend listening to the rain and resting!

Tuesday, May 15

The son and family were coming over for dinner so I made a trip to the produce market. I had gotten some really good corn and cantaloupe the last time I was there. I have decided that due to the reality of the poor produce at most grocery stores it simple does to pay to purchase fresh produce, the last batch of corn I bought at the grocery store was not very good and neither was the cantaloupe.

However I did have to really work for this last purchase. I got there at 10:00 only to see the sign on the door that they would be open at 10:30, no worries I drove down to Starbucks and got a cup of coffee and then came back…..30 minutes later still no proprietor. I waited and waited, passed the time with a phone call to a friend a waited some more. Finally after ANOTHER 30 minutes I gave up and went on to the grocery store.

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I did manage to make it back out to the market later in the afternoon and it was worth the extra effort as the corn was excellent as well as the cantaloupe. I programmed their number into my phone so I can call before I head up to make sure someone is actually there before I make my next veggie run!!!!!

Before everyone arrived for dinner I did a quick pick up. I think I must have some form of newly diagnosed shoe disorder, as I looked around I spotted several piles of shoes and yup they were all mine! It’s a good thing the hub’s really loves me….because that woman he married is a slob!

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My son brought me a belated Mother’s Day gift, a Starbucks card and one of their cool travel cup’s! I cant wait to break this one in!

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Just a few shots of the summer color in the backyard!

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Wednesday, May 16

Just look at this awesome blue sky!

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It seems that Elmo has hypnotic qualities………………………………………………………

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Thursday, May 17

Skoots1mom had one of these last week at our girls group and was raving about it! I had to go and get my hair trimmed and its just down from the Starbucks so I popped over after I was finished and picked one up! When she is right she it right! Very good and refreshing! I give it a thumbs up! I hope everyone likes it and they decide to keep it. It is being tested in this area….

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Friday, May 18

It was waffles for dinner….and they were really good!

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Saturday, May 19

It’s a vicious circle, I know I should be more physically active yet when I try a simple thing like going up a small set of steps…kaplouie, the knee goes out! Needless to say I am more than a bit frustrated and irritated. It hurts, I’m cranky and I am tired of feeling like an old woman, yet when I try to take a short walk my knee shouts a giant OUCH! It is getting on my nerves in a major way!

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Well Miss whinny cranky pants is done for the week!

How was your week? For more P365 y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

R

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Project 365 ~ Week 19: WOW! I can’t believe I am posting early and Happy Mother’s Day Y’all!

I had a wonderfully calm, restful week. Thank you Jesus! I puttered around in the yard, continued to sort through several cluttered up places and my pile of stuff for my planned yard sale is growing bigger each day!

Here is my week y’all!

Monday, May 7

The herb garden is busting out….mint, parsley, basil, lemon thyme, marjoram, oregano, thyme and rosemary! Just an FYI, I take a small bundle of the lemon thyme pour some boiling water over it and let it steep for a few minutes, sweetened to taste and then pour over ice and it make a very refreshing ice herb tea!

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Tuesday, May 8

Back in the day my school project consisted of hand drawn illustrations glued into a home made construction paper booklet. Now the illustration are still hand drawn but then they get scanned and then inserted into a Microsoft Publisher document!

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Wednesday, May 9

The hubs is out of town so there were individual pizza’s on the menu.

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Friday, May 11

I had to do a bit of shopping for a bridal shower I was going to on Saturday, but as I was strolling down the isles of the store I found a new box of drinking glasses in my cart. My drinking glasses were getting a bit old and dingy looking and I just wanted something that was new and different.

I have been reading a book I downloaded about kitchen organization. It talks a lot about feng shui, now I do not hold a lot of stock in this ancient Asian philosophy but one of the suggestions it did give was to remove any broken or damaged equipment from your kitchen. Well we have been living with a broken toaster for almost two years now so I seized the moment and threw caution to the wind and along with my drinking glasses I came home with a brand new shiny four slice toaster as well.

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My lunch with my new drinking glasses and a turkey and cheese sandwich on toasted sourdough bread…

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Later in the day it was such a wonderfully cool in the later afternoon that I pulled up a chair and just sat for a few minutes enjoying my back yard. After a few minutes it hit me that after several years of working I finally can sit and have a moment of enjoyment. It as such an affirmation for me. One of the things I missed the most about our old home was the late afternoon just sitting out on the deck with a glass of Ice tea and enjoying the end of the day. I was so blessed by the moment that I snatched up my phone and snapped off a few pictures. My fancy camera will actually do a stitched together photo but I just pieced these three photos together at the last minute. I wanted to share the moment

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Saturday,  May 13

On the way home from the bridal shower I had to pass right by Chadwick’s, it is know round these parts as having some of the very best fresh produce around. I very rarely get over in that direction so I don’t avail myself of the opportunity very often. When I do I am always very pleased. I picked up some fresh corn, ripe tomatoes and a cantaloupe. It was all good. I can officially say that summer has arrived, even thought it is still spring.

This is my perfect summer meal!

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So how was your week?

For more P365 y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

I hope everyone is having a blessed and special Mother’s Day!

All y’all deserve it!

Blessings

R

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Random Thoughts…a little time off, a decision, lettuce, my brain hurts and a teenage crisis

The Hubs left this morning for a short business trip. The DS work schedule has lightened up so he has a few days off so Muffinhead has not been filling up my mornings. I must admit that even thought I miss her terribly the time off has been a much needed rest. The dog is going through withdrawals as he looks for her every morning to no avail.

With my bible study coming to and end I am enjoying the fact that I do not have to do any prep work during the week to get ready for my class. I defiantly do not miss having to lug my laptop to church with me on Sunday so I could preview the video segment for Wednesdays class. However now that the study is over I am faced with the decision of what to do next. Do I sign up to facilitate for another year or do I take a bit of time off. Knowing how weak I am I also know that I have to have some form of formal study to give me some accountability. I would love to be disciplined enough to maintain a daily study without the weekly accountability but, truth time, it just doesn’t happen. So I am pondering what my next step will be in that area.

I spent some time in the back yard yesterday and got my cucumbers and zucchini replanted. The first round all died. They were very small seedling and did not survive my lack of watering nor the bout of unseasonal warm weather we had. I was having a conversation with one of my fellow gardeners, who is much more experienced than me in the horticultural arena. She puts me to shame every time she mentions the correct name for all the flowers in my yard. Anyway we were discussing our respective gardens and sharing how much we have enjoyed our yield of lettuce this season. One of the things we have both noticed is that it is amazing how long our fresh picked lettuce will last in the refrigeration in comparison to the store bought version. I have had a bowl of fresh picked lettuce in my refrigerator for several weeks and it seem that the store bought lettuce in the bag is turning brown in a matter of days.

With the success of my first planting I am making big plans for a more divers salad garden in the fall, I can’t wait!

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Do you read many classics?

I shared with y’all my winning a Kindle Fire just before Christmas this past year. Well I have been putting it to good use. I have found tons of free downloads. Most of the classics are all public domain so they are all free. I have read Frankenstein and now I am about a 1/3 of the way through The Count of Monte Cristo. I have to share that for as much as I was looking forward to broadening my literary horizons I am struggling. I have managed to read several other contemporary fiction books in the span of the time it takes me to wade thought just one of the classic selections that I have in my queue. I am enjoying The Count of Monte Cristo but I have to resist the urge to skim over the more wordy sections. Authors just don't write like they did back in the day. I have to make a concentrated effort to sort through the plethora of vocabulary that hitherto has escaped our contemporary literary offering of today. It makes my head hurt y’all! What is even more amazing to me is that all this classic verbiage was all written by hand with a quill and ink well and that these authors actually knew all the words that I am having to look up. No spell check or thesaurus function for Alexander Dumas. He knew the meaning of interstices….I had to look it up, an intervening space especially a very small one…now I know!

Confession, I did not like Frankenstein at all. From my perspective, with all the various film version of this classic story that I have seen,  it is my firm opinion that they did much in the way of literary interpretation to make the story more interesting for the big screen.

My advice skip the book and go straight to the movie!

Lastly I have been informed that the headphones I purchased for the DD before spring break no longer work. This in the world of a seventeen year old constituted a crisis as she was explaining how unacceptable it was to listen to her iPod with only one working ear bud. Needless to say mom is not going to be breaking any world speed records to replace the CHEEP headphones anytime soon. Isn’t it amazing how things change when the prospect of spending ones own money enter into the game. Will I be buying anymore CHEEP headphones….that would be a BIG NO!

So what random things are going on in your world today?

Blessings

R

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Project 365 ~ Week 18:

Sunday, April 29

The week began with a crunch…you can click here to read a blow by blow description of the entire exhausting day! Needless to say I was not a happy camper and it put a damper on my attitude for the rest of the week! I wish I was more like my husband in certain aspect of my life. Men have that wonderful capacity to just let things go. Me not so much!

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Wednesday, May 2

In an effort to distract me from my anxious thoughts I focused on finishing this prayer shawl project that had been lingered in my crochet bag for a very long time. The pattern is called the Corner to Corner. It is a fairly simple pattern, however, its a bit time consuming. It is a very beautiful but I would not call this one a quick project by any stretch of the imagination.

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Friday, May 4

I had an appointment at a body shop. After multiple conversations with various insurance folks I have managed to shake off some of my residual anxiety that was sticking to my attitude. Thankfully we have a policy that does not raise our rates due to an accident and since I have a good driving record our deductable is only $200.00. I have been convinced by multiple friends as well as our agent to allow the folks who know how to handle situations like these to earn the money we pay them for.

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The hubs came home from his business trip bearing flowers. He is so sweet to try and soften my week with a floral surprise.

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Saturday, May 5 ~ A little Then and Now!

May of 2010 ~ Check out the Rosemary tucked into the corner of the herb garden!

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May of 2012

Now look at it today!

The Rosemary bush has grown a bit don’t y’all think! It’s in desperate need of a good hair cut!

If anybody needs any rosemary y’all just head on over, I have some to spare I think!

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Well that’s it for my week!

For more P365 y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

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