HE IS RISEN!

Happy Easter.

Orange Mint in the kitchen window, what a delightful fragrance!



Lunch will be in the carport.



Like the "Easter Grass? Can you tell what it is?
No? You'd have to be a knowledgeable horticulturist to get it right.
Maybe I should let you guess a little, go ahead knock yourselves out.
Betcha can't do it.


How do you like our dining room? It is 2 work horses and a piece of plywood with a king size quilt on it and then another quilted table cloth that has been spilled on plenty, kiddie cornered. It was supposed to rain. We did manage to eat dinner outside and just as we went in the rain came down in torrents.

We had a new family over today from Washington state. They are in the coffee roasting business. They brought their espresso machine over and a carrot cake. We had lattes made from freshly roasted beans for desert. I thought the rapture had happened. I am so easy to please really I am. Just make the perfect setting with great food, good company, and divine coffee with desert.

I cannot fail to mention that this Sunday is also the best day of the year for a believer. If Jesus had not raised from the dead then we of all men would be the most pitiful, and our sins would not be forgiven. But He did rise. He is ALIVE and coming again soon. We know He lives because we have experienced Him in our lives. He was seen by more than 500 witnesses. Rumors of feigned death? Ridiculous, Roman soldiers were in the business of killing. Anyone who has seen death often knows it when they see it. I see it, being sick and being dead are whole worlds apart.
Blood and water spilled from his side, a drink offering poured out, that none of us would ever thirst again for the relief we need. We thirst to be filled, to be whole, to be healed, to be cleansed, to be connected. Connected
to the living resurrected Christ.
He is risen indeed!

It's Good Friday and Sunday is Coming.

Ideas

This kitty is wishing. See him in the window?
The rose arbor is beginning to bloom.


Sanding rockers the after and before.
Where we live we have covenants, what I now think of as a two edged sword. Covenants protect you from having a junk yard next door a common thing in Mississippi, but also limit what you can do. At times the limits are more than I can stomach. But I have the type of mind that will keep working on a problem until I can find an answer.

For the last 9 years that we have lived in this house I have wanted to make our carport into a garden room. My husband thinks I am crazy because of the long months of heat. We do have times of glorious weather. The spring and fall are glorious. Because our "carport" faces the garden it is a natural place for visiting outside. We have used it for parties, dinners, and even church services, even baptisms in our hot tub. It may be hard to believe but the car port is one of my most favorite places here and I have had big dreams for it.

Restrictions. We have had willing neighbors to sell us about 10 feet of side yard so we could build a garage. The covenants have restrictions about changing the lot sizes. Maybe it would be worth all the red tape to hassle with that. I don't really have the energy. Because I cannot build a garage I cannot enclose the carport for a sunroom.

Yesterday while sitting outside enjoying the breezes and dreaming of that space I began to feel the wheels in my head churning once again.

I am sanding down the rockers. They have two coats of paint on them that is chipping and looks terrible. I may be crazy but I like the effect! I was going to re do them but I am going to leave them like this.

Our carport has a regular ceiling and pitched roof with white posts holding it up. I'll take some pictures as I do the project. It has a cement floor. I have been talking with the husband about staining the floor and sealing it. That would not be too costly. As I was sitting there I began to imagine white gauze curtains flowing about. The wind picked up and the thought occurred to me that a breeze in the south can become a tornado and white gauze curtains could turn into a tangled mess of ripped fabric. Hummmm think think think. How about weights in the hems?
Wind could move those too. Then the light bulb went off.

Are you curious? Can I do it? Wooden closet poles or dowels come in any length. They can be attached with cup holders that can be screwed into each side of the posts. If we place one at the top and the bottom the curtains will be secured and also can be removed for washing and storage. so the carport would still legally be a carport. Ah but the carport with its nice floor and pretty curtains could become a lovely place of relaxing respite.

I would like to obtain some short concrete pillars and place a slab of granite on them for a table. The table could be used for meals but also art projects, pottery making and even some of the husbands carpentry projects. The slab would be the most expensive part of this project. But I may be able to find one in a natural uncut shape for less I will have to investigate.

Then to trim the room with small lights to have for evenings, and place potted plants in just the right spots. We will play the music and set the table, sit down and enjoy the beauty of being out doors right her in town, in a carport, and won't it be lovely?

Blossoms and Blooming

Another young woman ready to graduate.
Isn't she beautiful?




He's pretty handy in the garden.


Spring is here, and we are supposed to have another cold snap down into the 30's. All this cold weather sure makes a case for global warming don't you think? Oh wait, that's right, now it's climate changes. Regardless of what the latest debate is from the folks in politics, what I see is a another beautiful spring, and another beautiful granddaughter ready to move on into growing up.
We aren't concerned with the current debates because we are enjoying the blessing of our home.
God is faithful.

Brunch of Stuff!

The FIRST garden bouquet! The irises are blooming! I have roses starting too, which means the heat is about to begin....
I so do not like to sweat...so you that are cold don't have even one pang of jealousy. When you are having your comfortable days in August, I will so be wishing to be in some beautiful beach resort with a fanning attendant and nice cool drinks on ice. As long as I am fantasizing here, made by the Noble Pig, guaranteed to be beautiful to look at and enjoy.











We had some friends over for brunch. The garden is getting luscious. I wanted to get some photos but the sky was really overcast. Our friends stayed for a leisurely time of eating and visiting, we gabbed for a long time. Just the way I like to visit best, over food and tea. They spent 37 years living in Colombia working as missionaries. They are wonderful people and fun! There was a lot of laughter amidst the story telling today, and we all ate like SNORTS!

Check out that loaf of bread right out of the oven! This time I followed Karey's recipe for Breakfast Bread. The only thing I changed was that I used 1/4 c. of real buttermilk instead of powder, omitted molasses, and used 1 Tbsp of cinnamon. She says to use raisins or dates, I used 1 c dates and 1 cup cran raisins with the whole ground up orange. I really cannot describe to you just how delicious this bread is! It rose out of the pans and started breaking on the side. the loaves were huge! If you want the recipe go over to her blog and ask her about it.
She's on my blog roll. Karey's Overflow. I'm still rereading her book. She talks in it about life, raising kids, and faith in God. I'm getting more out of it the second time.

You'd think that would be enough for one day, having a lovely party, lots of laughter and sharing. These friends helped get our hearts ready for our neighborhood Bible study. This Saturday we have invited everyone on our block to come to our home in the afternoon for a "getting to know you" open house. We will then invite them to come back for an informal Bible study discussion group. A lot of prayer goes into something like this. It's not our idea. God has been leading Jimmy in this and after about 6 months of wishing it to go away, ( and it didn't) here we are. We start on the 4th! I thought the perfect people to encourage my husband to jump out of his comfort zone would be a couple who has spent their whole life listening to God and saying yes. They were.

After that my husband surprises me with a plan for a really big vegetable garden, goodbye lawn (weed patch). I really wouldn't put it where he wants to put it, but it's his gig so I shut up. Yeah, I know you are shocked. Sometimes my mouth does close at that opportune moment. It is rare but it can happen.

Well, that should be a really full, really great day right? I came up here with the intentions of writing a short post about the bread. But over at The Righteous Buzz my friend Coffee Bean has something for me. She gave me a sisterhood award. It's cute the denim pocket and the flower, but what is very special about it is the write up she did on her post, about all those she shared this with. CB is hysterically funny, and sometimes she has hid behind her humor. This woman has developed more courage and VOICE in this past year than some people do in a life time.

Some people never share who they really are. I loved the way she talks about blogging friends and how this process we participate in actually makes a difference in other peoples lives. She talks about how one persons victory over a struggle makes it seem more possible for victory in her own life. Isn't that true? When we meet the kind of folks who are "the rubber meets the road" people, the "salt of the earth" people, the faithful when others are faithless people; we become inspired. We believe we too can aspire to achieve.

I believe that there are many people in this world connected by this www, who are actively seeking to make a difference, blooming where they are planted. Some of us encourage others. Some teach others. Some share their talents of art, humour, homemaking, friendship, and the list goes on; but the point is we share. We stop being a part of the mindless rat race to express ideas, to connect, to change, and to be heard. It's ironic really that computer technology is enabling people to make this earthy, rich, deep, grassroots connection, and ya'll wonder why we are so "addicted"? Reality contact! We were made to produce, not just consume. We are made in the image of God full of life and creativity. We are made to connect.

(I am going to take some time to share with my 10) enough for one day already! Besides everybody on Coffee Bean's list would have been on my list, except for Rick,. nominating a guy for a sisterhood award, now that is hilarious! Go read his comment over there you'll fall out.)

PS please pray for Stellan over at MckMama's, he's a 5 month old baby CRITICALLY ill with a major heart problem. She is on my blog roll too. you can click on my blog roll to hop to another blog. This baby was supposed to die at birth and didn't. The problem the doctors predicted has now surfaced now that he is 5 months old.

Days Are Done.

My week is finished. I am adjusting to my 3 12hour shifts. I can't do anything else on those days but work and sleep, it's a total immersion experience. When it's done though it's done and I can relax, rest and enjoy life. This is not a bad way at all to get the bills paid. I do need to be careful of my back it is just killing me tonight but a few days rest and we will back in business. I don't really understand it but it seems once you've had a bad injury to your back your just more prone to back problems. I've hurt mine plenty. I have been very careful to use proper body mechanics. sheet leverage, and even breathing; and still I am on fire; but it will pass. I really don't know why I'm talking about this, it's NOT the subject of my post!

Recently my dear dear much loved friend Debbie in CA. (which is also dear to my heart) wrote a post about her best recipes for pie crust and biscuits, and she recommended some recipe books.
Well, the truth is no book she recommends is ever bad, not even mediocre. There are gourmet cooks like Cathy at Noble Pig who I am sure never makes anything that is a flop. There are gourmet artists and craftsmen you know people whose excellence in what they do is just plain inspiring. Debbie is on that level with books. Every book she has ever placed in my hands has delighted me. When we had the joy of being neighbors for a season and God wove our lives together we ministered to each other in beautiful ways. I was a nurse for her darling children and adored them all. Rachel Kaye was a newborn babe with her little dried cord still intact. I immediately fell madly in love with the little newborn. The next little girl was the busiest fairy princess I have yet to ever meet again; her world was in her imagination she dressed the part with lovely little frocks and stories coming freely about her candid adventures with her imaginary friends. Move over Darby O' Gill and the little people, you have been one upped. The eldest girl was a dear, moving towards adulthood with the firm hold on her position of eldest she was ever mindful of every ones needs and careful to assist her parents with the family's daily schedules. The boys were special needs people; as our society calls them. To me and to their family they were, and are the special joys! My little buddy loved opera and books. He really did, though he couldn't speak, he communicated very effectively with great sounds of gusto when happy, and big outbursts of laughter when tickled. He was crazy in love with baby RK, totally smitten. I introduced them to the Gaither videos, after their initial shock at hair spray and big belt buckles; and Debbie introduced me to her collection of books. Her excitement over what she is growing or cooking or reading is always spilling over and it very contagious. I'd listen and nod and then devour whatever it was that she said,"I simply must read." I found myself coveting her children's' home school life and wishing I could be one of her children which wouldn't work out very well since I am quite a bit older than Debbie!

This rambling epistle is to introduce the cookbooks she recommended. When Debbie recommends a book it is an E.F.Hutton type of moment. Be quiet and listen! After looking at them on line some were just irresistible. since discovering used books on line they can be purchased quite cheaply. I found a Farm Life Cooking book by Susan Loomis in nearly new condition for 72cents! The most appealing one was of course, "The Amish Cook." It arrived today, it is a documentary of Amish life, and also the story of one family. I started reading it and am just in love with the tale. While reading, I realized just how much that I have been blessed in my own life by similar simple country touches.

My own mother grew up on a farm in East Texas. Her mother had 9 children and was widowed for the third time when my mom was only 5 years old. Mother's only recollection of her father is that the funeral home shaved his beard, and she had never seen him without it, so she felt oddly confused and upset at his burial. She said he had red hair. Since Granny was poor she sharecropped and her children had to work in the fields with her. They worked cotton. They also raised vegetables and canned. Mama used to run off with Big Red the plow horse and ride him bareback for fun. He wouldn't let anyone else ride him like that, which of course made her very proud. She was a little hellion and had a tiny fraternal twin. Other kids picked on her sister at school and mama would fight them. When she got home she'd get a whuppin for fightin, and do it again the very next time someone picked on her little twin. She was tough. Mama learned to cook in the country without a recipe book. She never saw a recipe book. Everything was prepared with knives, spoons and forks. Measurements were done in the hands and with regular table cups and bowls. You learned to scoop by eye and pour until the batter was right. She trained me to cook in this same way. To this day my idea of cooking is to look in the refrigerator or the pantry and see what I have. After thinking about what sounds good together I just get started and "cook something up." It is most always delicious. I also have an uncanny knack to take the ingredients apart in a dish I haven't cooked and figure out what is in it. I can come pretty close to duplicating things we eat at restaurants and don't have a recipe for, unless it's totally foreign to me.
While reading The Amish Cook tonight I reflected on what a rich blessing this is in my life. My mother taught me to make something from very little, or something special when their is a lot.
My grandmother taught me her traditions from Europe and Denmark. I learned a great deal from her. My grandfather and father taught me how to bake. I also grew up and had these experiences before the technological age. TV was very new. TV was black and white and we had channels 2,4,5, 7, and later 9. We only watched it in the evenings and on Saturday morning. TV had not moved into our homes like it has today. Families spent time together teaching and enjoying. Our family had rich traditions of food and laughter at the table. I can remember so many festive gatherings with a table loaded with mouthwatering dishes, so many aromas to choose from and the excitement of the feast. Mother loved to set a pretty table and she lit candles and made bouquets from her flower beds. I do the same. My husband says I love to set the mood. It's true. To prepare wholesome and delicious dishes accompanied by just the right music and pretty lighting, does something to the soul and the stomach. It lifts our hearts and makes us merry. We feel festive, we relax, we unwind and enjoy. People begin to talk and share ideas, sip a little wine and sigh over a tasty morsel. This is abundant living. To enjoy the produce of our work. To enjoy the company of family and friends. To take a real rest from every day strife and stress. To enjoy a simple meal prepared in a beautiful way. It can have the same effect as a vacation to relax like this. It sure beats shopping and running up a credit card bill. It's up to us also to pass it on, to let the younger women know these joys.

This evening as I relax and unwind from my intensive training in intensive care, I am planning a quiet lovely meal. Times of refreshing for the weary, and I am thankful to my mother, my grandmother, and my friends, that have shared their gifts with me.

SERIOUSLY STOP!

I'm usually the last to know, but does the government really need to stick it's ugly hands into our back yards? Organic gardening is beginning to put a dent in the commercial growers wallets.
I love farmers markets, fruit and vegetable stands, and the FREEDOM to chose what kind of food I want to buy or grow.

There are 2 pieces of legislation to stop all of this in the name of safety. Give me a break. Safe food does not have tons of chemicals sprayed on it. The government has almost destroyed the small farmer in terms of cattle raising and dairy production. Now they turn their ugly eyes onto vegetables. STOP this MADDNESS and call your representatives today, do it NOW!

HR 875 and S 425. check it out this is for real.