KEEP ON LEARNING.................

This past year I have really been "hitting the books" as they say............

I have been trying to challenge myself to read more; learn more and educate my life on
various subjects I need to apply .........Our pastor has encouraged us many times to "read" and learn more when we have difficulties in our lives.

My husband had major heart surgery 4 years ago; diabetes; nerve damage to his arm and hand and other problems that have risen......Instead of sitting in a chair wondering What I can do for him.........I have researched as much as possible these subjects. I have read; gone online; and asked questions to those who could help in this situation. My own body has had it challenges and again I have found books on this subject and researched why and what I can do to help this has helped many times.

I have also taken much more time in the Bible and taken time to read a chapter instead of trying to hurry through my "daily reading". I still do my "daily reading" but there are times I may switch over to a Psalms or another chapter and "glean from the Word that day........
I have been taught to "write down verses" and keep these verses near me to strengthen me.
I remember have several 3 x 5 cards that I had written down verses and taken these along with me to the hospital . I would read these verses and it would encourage me..........
I might even "sing verses" I had read and memorized...........

I have found books that are written on Marriage; Emotions; Children; Relationships; Joy; Schedule and such and a Christian Ladies Magazine that encourages as well.

I have also taken time to educate myself on "everyday" ways I can save money; earn money; decorate or paint or refurnish something . I have found ways clean something; fix something; or do about anything with a book.

I have also "listened" and learned from others...........Maybe a talk; maybe someone who is
good on a certain subject; or a speaker.
When our children were young ; I would go to church early (while the children were in choir practice) and sit and talk to an older lady in the church about child rearing and also would speak to another older lady about marriage.......these ladies were encouraging and helpful and taught many good ideas.....(these were never times of put down of any family members but teaching times that would encourage and uplift others)

When I was young I never "read much" but when I became a mom I would always take our children to the library and summer reading fun programs.........Now that I am a grandmother
I still love reading to my "grands" and learning all I can.

EASTER 2011...........THANKING HIM FOR HIS GOODNESS

Here are some pictures of our Easter........I just cant thank God enough for all the abundance
He had given this year.........What a feast!
We ended up having about 14 for dinner.......note the "craft that grandma and grandgirl made for
the table! .....ha ha but it was fun.......Getting table set and ready for guest.........I also got to use the dishes my mom gave to me a few years ago ( it reminded me of her).........
Simple white plates; blue and white plates donned the table........white candles lit made the room cozy and comfortable...............Again I thank God for these pretty things..........
We had Ham; homemade potato salad; 7 layer salad; rolls; mashed potatoes; green bean casserole; relish tray; cheeseball and crackers; and strawberry shortcake with whipped for desert.....
Guess who came to our house early Easter morning and just sat there!
Sweetest girl sat in amazement staring at Peter Rabbit outside the window...............
A basket of goodies? .............what a fun tradition........those little white gloves soon had tiny little stains upon them.........
What a precious mommy and daddy and two grands................
Daddy loves his girls................
A time to sit on the porch and enjoy Easter morning before church..............
In my Easter Bonnet...........I just love little bonnets and this little Peep has a precious one!
I Praise God for His mercy and goodness in all things ; especially in the little things of life ...........

KEEPING MEMORIES....AND MAKING NEW ONES

This past weekend we celebrated Easter like so many others.....
I had fun making cookies with our granddaughter; giving out a few gifts; making Easter baskets; and preparing a dinner for 14; attending church and hearing His Word and great lessons to put into my life; wearing my new outfit my husband had purchased for me a month ago; taking pictures of my grands ; hunting for eggs ; and enjoying the beautiful weather God had given...

I "remembered" Easter past....I remembered my children gathering "Easter Eggs" in the yard all dressed in their Sunday best and placing them in their little baskets and then going into labor and having our youngest daughter born on Easter Day! I remember as a young girl going to Easter Sunrise Service with my mom; wearing white little gloves and getting to take home a little plant . I remember having Easter Dinner at home with a beautiful table and the colored eggs
that donned the center of the table that my mother filled with delicious things.....I remember
many times being at my sisters home with my mom and dad coming for a day or then my mom as she spent her elder years with them.....I remember warm days ; sunshine; Ham; mom potato salad; relish trays; colored eggs; deviled eggs; and other great foods............

But.......as I treasured these memories and thought of my mom now in heaven one year this June.........I REALIZED I must make new memories.........Holding on to the past doesnt help anyone....A time to remember; a time to grief is important BUT I have "grands" that need
the NEW MEMORIES and fun traditions..........


I am thankful for traditions that have been carried on..........BUT ........I also am open to the newness of life to come. I love that my son and daughter in law spent their Easter caring for
others; providing a Easter dinner at their church. Visiting and caring about others was their new memory. I love that my daughter ( who had to work that day) cared about her patients and their needs on Easter and made them feel loved.....I love that my other daughter and her family
got to spend the day with us; enjoying a dinner; time with family; and traditions I had known but as well spent they also fulfilled their duties in the positions they care for at church.

New MEMORIES.............you can start today.........Maybe not where you thought you would be; or not whom you thought would be around you; or not the perfect way you wanted but
making each day a day filled with a memory to be in someone elses life.............

BITS AND PIECES OF SPRINGTIME ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE

My granddaughter and I have been working on some little "crafts" together for Spring and Easter...I am Not a crafter. That is its not one of my strengths....I would rather be cooking or baking up a storm but crafts take a little more effort. But........I try and learn little things... So it was with my "grand" these past few weeks.......
Here is just a "Little Tin" found at a thrift store and I places a ring of Spring beads in it to hang from my desk.
My husband bought me this little bunny years back when we were on a special date....My "grand" loves to look at this and pull the string in front to make it roll back and forth...Just
the right little bunny for Easter....teacup was .25 cents at a thrift store. I love the pink!
Little things on my desk....This basket of eggs was my moms........She will be missed this Easter as she went to heaven last June.....She loved eggs; birds and nests...( my other sis gave this to her but said I could enjoy it ; thank you sis); .so this will help me to remember her......A fluer from my sister; a picture from my moms......
I stopped by an Estate Sale last weekend.....It was cold and rainy and no one else was there ( I couldnt believe it) A big old fashion house in our little town.....They had been picked through
alot that morning but she had a few things left. I found these little hand painted sugar dishes
for .25 to hold my jellybeans for Easter dinner. I also found about 10 pretty hankies for .10 a piece. I have them all washed up and ready to press them and keep them to have or give away.
This is the start of our Easter table. My "craft" with my granddaughter.....all white hanging
flowers......white candles........we will set the table in blue and white and white dishes.....The centerpiece held my hyacinths ( they were being watered at this point)............
We took an "old book that was falling apart and some of the blank pages "she " stamped Bible Verses on and we hung them on a cord across the mirror in the room.............
Doily with Bible verse stamped upon them hung on my white curtains...........(a craft )
We took my "silver tray " and added "Pink Easter Grass all around it.......added another one of my bunnies.............This sits on the hutch by the diningroom table.............I wanted it to be a fun day as we decorated......We played the old song " In my Easter Bonnet by Perry Como...."
We took some pages out of the old book and made flowers........We also made a long wreath full of flowers to hand on the fireplace.............
Flowers given my my sister............I always loved how she had her pink flowers sitting in a tall glass vase sitting on tall little round table in the middle of her room........So pretty.
My flowers my hubby gave me (for no reason) Isnt that love?.............they smell so good sitting in the middle of the Table.........This will be replaced with a large platter of Spiral Ham on Easter.
For now I may put my bouquet of White Flowers to work with the white theme.

I enjoy seeing other bloggers ideas on decorating and using some of these ideas to enjoy in my home..........God is good to give us so much...............and enjoy our celebrations!

EASTER COOKIES ...BAKING WITH GRANDMA

The other day my "sweetest girl" and I sat out to make some "Easter cookies"....I love to get
our aprons on and have fun in the kitchen.........There is something traditional about it ; something comforting about it; and a place to make memories....
As she grows.........she learns.........We have fun.......step by step
Of course it helps to have your "best friend" alongside ( note the little dog on the side of the bowl)............Just a time for her and I to make "tookies"
I remember using the "sifter when I was a young girl"...........I loved shaking it or turning the handle to bring out the soft light flour in the bowl..........She also loved it...........
I gave her some flour of her own later.......and she went to work so hard sifting and flour spouting everywhere...............
I love that she wants to be with me.........Precious times for now.............
Simple cookies........not bakery quality but OH so delicious.........making all the colors of Easter
We would pick a color in the " food coloring box" and make the white icing turn "Colors!"
A day of fun.............a day of memories...............
It doesnt have to cost alot..........flour; some eggs; powered sugar; food coloring...........or if you
lack time...........a tube of Sugar Cookie Dough (premade) and a can of frosting and some "sprinkles".............
Its all about building a tradition or making a memory with ones you love............

I LOVE MONDAYS.....WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS CAN YOU MAKE LEMONADE?

I have heard the statement many times..........."When life gives you lemons............Just make lemonade"!

Isnt that how life is sometimes.......all our hopes; dreams or plans dont always going as We think they should.........But that really isnt the case at all........

Sometimes we cant see the whole picture at the time.......but God can........ I love a statement made by someone who said " We sometimes think God cant see whats going on in our lives when all He has to do is look over and He see's your whole life"........I think I knew that but since that time I could just picture God looking down right into my life........

.Not uh oh I didnt mean for that to happen but I allowed this to happen for your good

. I try and make a tentative plan each Monday morning on things I need to get done; meals for the week and schedule for the week
But..........as I know plans change. Someone comes by for the day; papers need gone through; rooms need cleaned; things break down; time comes for "baby grands"; husbands need you; friends need you; others need help and life just comes.............

When I was younger I used to become unsettled by such things. My heart said yes but deep in my heart it was perplexed by all the change.........As I grew older I could see God was trying to teach me to "See things" His way.......His plans.

Instead of life giving me "lemons" .......I would just turn it around and make "lemonade". If your sweeper broke down and you didnt have money to buy a new one right away; take your broom and sweep and sweep as hard as you could to keep it clean. If you dryer broke down.......hang the laundry or go to the laundrymat.......

Inconvenience ...Yes but life if full of them. God has sent me directly to encourage another lady in these very places.

I loved an article written on "Journal for Women" ( my sidebar) on Problems and Solutions. She said "If you have a problem ( and everyone does) try and find a solution"....So simple yet so right..........

What we want to do is complain about it ......so everyone hears. Who does that help? Certainly not anyone else or myself.........

I remember "complaining about being so tired". I know this but had been so "thrilled" for everyone to hear about my "being tired"... but one day ...........I told God "Im sorry about complaining about this so much" and you know what?

A solution came: Eat better; take your vitamins that you havent been taking; dont take on so much ( no one asked me to); and take a nap or rest if you need to ( my sweet husband asked me to do this).......It worked........I probably will complain sometime again about being tired but if I do " I have a solution".........

Whatever it is that life have been given to you..........What is the BEST you can make out of it?

EASTER TABLE DECORATING AND FLUFFING AROUND THE HOUSE.....

I just love Springtime......I guess I love the beginning of each new season.............but Springtime and Easter go hand in hand..........Some years my husband and I and children would travel out of town to "grandma's house" where we would sit down to a delicious dinner on Easter along with the traditional "colored eggs" and the promise of new things to come...........

This year will be the first Easter without my mom. I remember just last year talking to her
about making her "potato salad" ...Oh it was the best! And she would put it all in a pretty big bowl and decorate it with rings of green peppers and slices of boiled egg and paprika!

My sweetest girl granddaughter and I have been making little decorations in White with doilies and anything white that we can string or hang! .........We plan on making the table all pretty and
nice for Easter! I guess that is a tradition and I want her to remember the fun we had making the holiday special! Just a few doilies; some string; white candles; white tablecloth; twinkle lights make it magical!
We all seem to enjoy "coloring Easter Eggs" with the cups full of vinegar and colors so bright!
And the mess just seems to be part of the fun.........We plan on making some "Steeter cookies"
as she says tomorrow.........cut out you know .........with frosting in pinks; yellows
You dont have to be fancy or have alot of money (if you read my blog alot I always believe in being frugal and using what you have)............Paper plates can be used ( these are pretty ones) and you can find them at dollar stores or Walmart........Use you imagination and have fun
building a TABLE.................Use things from around the house; use your best dishes; use candles; maybe a tablecloth could be the one thing.............
Then RELAX and enjoy yourself and company............If things spill; burn; melt just enjoy the
time and tradition together...........
Make something together; have an Easter Egg Hunt; make cookies for your family or for someone in need of encouragement...................
REMEMBER ...........JESUS.........and the CROSS.........and the meaning of Easter..........
Wear your best and take time out to go to church.............I can remember wearing my little hat and white gloves and starched pink dress going with mom to Easter Sunrise Service.........
It was special................

Springtime is fluffing out the rooms; opening the windows for a bit of fresh air...........
Adding a new Spring comforter to your bed; decluttering each room.........cleaning and sweeping off the front porch.........raking the leaves in the flower beds..............filling the bird feeders
and Fluffing about this season.