Snow Cake From Heaven

Look what garnished our round table on the deck Monday morning--

a snow cake from heaven! 

 

The table was pretty ordinary until it was garnished with such a beautiful covering.

Not having time to saute veggies with eggs like I try to do several times a week for Jonathan's breakfast, all I could manage that morning was scrambled eggs with a few tomato quarters raised in our greenhouse.

A pretty ordinary breakfast plate until it was garnished with slices of jalapenos he added!

And to our ordinary lives God wants to add what will make it beautiful.
I have been reading in Colossians, just a few verses at a time and then praying a verse over each one on that day's prayer list.
This verse sounds like a beautiful garnish for an ordinary table, an ordinary breakfast,
an ordinary life.

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,

put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness...

longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

Love that covers the multitude of offenses and sins,

covering the blemishes and wrinkles and spots.
Love, the snow cake from heaven!

When Moms Need to Take a Walk in the Cemetery--and This is Not a Halloween Post!

Sometimes moms like me take walks in cemeteries. 

No, no, I assure you, I am not weird;

I am just tired of noise, okay?

Well, a couple weeks ago, I was taking Timmy to a place a few miles away where an elderly vet has hired him to occasionally help with caring for his homing pigeons.

That is a whole story in itself. Since then we got books from the library about homing pigeons in general and one or two in particular that were heroes in World War II. These will supplement our schooling!

This vet friend hires out his homing pigeons to weddings and funerals. The pigeons are released at these events and fly straight home again. How very intriguing!

Here is Timmy  near the pigeon lofts.

And just up the street a few blocks from this vet was a cemetery I didn't even know existed until recently when I saw a little green sign out by the main road, "Peyton Cemetery."

It was late afternoon that day, and I thought things were under control at home, so I decided I would explore this place that was hidden up over a knoll, take time for a prayer walk all by myself.  I had to get out of the van to open the wide farm gate and let myself in. And just over the knoll was this entry to a lovely place I didn't know existed.

Ohh, it was so pretty!  A place with trees! A robin! A big old owl.

(No worries. I am not into Halloween, and owls do not bother me. There are lots of them around here.) Even this recently painted water pump!

It was a sunny day, though chilly, and I wandered all over the place, thinking and praying and also reading epitaphs and trying not to feel too doleful. But places like that are comforting to me for a couple reasons--

1) They are quiet.

2) They are usually beautiful.

3) The epitaphs remind us of heaven, loved ones, and the love showered on them.

There is something about a cemetery and all the loving epitaphs that I am drawn to, the thoughts of people who are thinking the best of others instead of the worst.

Love draws me, as it draws others.
Maybe I am strange for sensing love in a cemetery.
But words mean a lot to me, and loving words, even if carved in stone, mean a lot. 

So many flowers are given after people die. So many loving epitaphs, carved in stone.

Why don't we give flowers while they are still alive? Why don't we carve loving thoughts in the tender hearts of those around us?

Sometimes moms get tired of being expected to show all the love when they just need to be loved, too. 
But then, sometimes, we moms who carry myriads of expectations just need to leave the noise and all the people we are supposed to love but get a little tired of,

and go for a little walk, 

and feel that "He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And tells me I am His own.

And the joy we share as we tarry there, 

None other has ever known."

And after that, we can go home strengthened and refreshed. We can give a flower of gratitude or a hug of appreciation or share some moments of time with a child  needing attention, and just be a better mom

because of, face it, a quiet walk in the cemetery.

What Moms Do While the Mighty Hunt--and Preaching to Our Feelings

My jobs, compared to the mighty hunters hunting, are not very glamorous.

I have no wonderful elk trophies to take pictures of, or sunrises in the mountain pines to glory in, or one story after another from the hunts of each day. I don't have stories about the buck deer that appeared just as part of my family of hunters were on the verge of leaving National Forest, and how Jonathan took it down with a single shot!

The afternoon when half the family was packing up to drive home and then texting a picture of Jonathan and Danny gutting the deer on their way home, I found myself in the kitchen with lots of feelings, some of which I could not figure out. They were just a jumble of feelings, most of which were more negative than positive. 

I had spent most of the "free" time of my day helping Hannah sew a skirt we had cut out the night before. 

And in between times, she was keeping an eye on the bird feeders and bird bath and calling me to see various birds bathing or doing their little bird tricks.

I had hoped to do a bunch of editing on stories that are getting ready for publishing, but I only ended up with a little time for editing, with most of my time taken up with keeping chores done, the puppies taken care of and cleaned up behind, and doing school and other things with my youngest daughter.

Hannah had finished her whole ruffled skirt in one day, after she and I had done all the morning chores and such things.

I was trying to make some supper for two, and thinking about the exciting things Jonathan gets to post about.

And how UNexciting and same-old, same-old my last five days had been (except for teaching my daughter to sew a skirt, which is one of my least favorite things to do).
Only the Lord knows how dearly I love to write about exciting events that happen in our lives.
And no matter how hard you try, how do you make an exciting story out of spending the day teaching sewing to your ten-year-old daughter?

And just like that, as I was being made aware of my very negative feelings, I remembered what John Piper wrote some time back, about how in many of the Psalms, the Psalmist was "preaching to his feelings."

The Psalmist would start off his Psalm with despair and depression and prayers from the agony of his soul.

And then by the end of the Psalm, he would be saying to his soul and spirit, 

"Hope in God! For I will yet praise Him, Who is the help of my soul!"

 "Feelings!" Piper would say to his feelings. "You must not believe lies. You must believe truth! You must obey God's words of truth."

Piper preached to his feelings instead of letting his feelings preach to him.

He had to learn to be in charge of his feelings instead of letting his feelings be in charge of him.

Instead of letting feelings say, "You aren't doing anything important! Look how you have nothing exciting to post about like others do!" Piper suggested saying something like this:

"Feelings, look what a wonderful day you spent with your daughter! You don't very often get to spend one on one time with her. Look what you made out of a piece of fabric someone gave you long years ago!

Look how excited she is to have a new skirt to wear with this pretty new top that didn't have a matching skirt until she sewed one all by herself!"

"Feelings," Piper would say, "you must submit yourself to God's Word which says, 'Do not covet,' and 'Let all envy and jealousy be put away from you,' and 'Let your Christian lives shine without complaining and grumbling.'

'In everything give thanks,' even if you don't feel like it.

While other mothers wonder where the next bowl of rice or beans is coming from to feed their families in Haiti or Nicaragua, you are making one pumpkin roll cake after another.

Soon the hunters will be home with too much meat to fit in the freezers.

You have a healthy, normal young daughter who loves to learn to do things on her own. 

You have healthy, normal older children who love to hunt with their daddy.

You have a wonderful husband who was willing to learn something new and was willing to spend days in freezing weather with the children hunting with them,

 and he is coming home to you tonight.

He hasn't been killed in a freak accident like happened to his friend six months ago, leaving a young widow pregnant with her fifth child, born two weeks ago with a rare genetic disorder.

And your husband is coming home to you, like he always does, instead of sneaking off to someone else like so many spouses do.

Feelings, behave yourselves! 

God is very good to you."

So while the mighty hunters return home, a mother preaches to her jumble of feelings,

and endeavors to bring her thoughts under captivity to Christ.  

And someday down the road, I hope to take some time off and do something wonderful, too!

Love Lights Home Fires in the Darkness

One evening last week I was out walking the dog at sunset. When I turned around, this was such a pretty scene that I ran in for my phone to take a picture. 

What I had first noticed was the silouette against the sunset,

 but later, looking at the picture, what I noticed most was the light in the windows!

There is something so beautiful about a happy home with light streaming from the windows!

It is a place where supper is served on time, even if it is just

biscuits and gravy.

Home is where supper is served.

May it be on time, even if it is simple.

And may it be served with love.

May there be love, like light, streaming from its windows and doors,

enough love to share to share all around with each other,

and with all those we meet.

How Barley Green Continues to Help Me

Today my order for premium Barleygreen arrived.  There was a special offer on top of the good pricing I already got, that if I would write a testimonial about barleygreen on my blog, the company would give me a $10 rebate on the order I just got! So not only did I get free shipping since I ordered four jars (planning to share with a daughter), but I also should get another $10 off.

I've used Barleygreen to help with energy, immunity and health for many years of my life. This brand from www.vitabase.com contains powdered juice from young barley grass, combined with brown rice powder, organic maltodextrin, and kelp. This brand is brighter green than some others, not as gray-green, and neither does it taste quite as much like hay, as do some other brands I have tried. (Yuck, by the way.) 

Some of the goodness in this product is that it contains iodine from the kelp, and 240 mg of Potassium, besides chlorophyll and Vitamins A, C, and iron.

I plan to add it to my daily cup of water to which I add a packet of Slim Drink from Plexus, something that has been helping me a lot, too, since the Slim Drink contains chromium which helps to stabilize blood sugar. I don't need to lose weight, but the chromium has helped me.  The barleygreen is alkaline, which helps to cut down the acidity of the Slim Drink for me.  I mix the two together in about 1/2 cup water, down it as quickly as possible, and then drink some plain water to rinse down, since the powdered grass is, to be honest, just that--powdered grass. 

However, it is worth it for the energy and health it gives me.

Check out the website for more information. I found other places, such as on Amazon, that are trying to sell the same or similar product for well over $100 a jar! I can't imagine how they are selling any. Ridiculous. Order from  www.vitabase.com. and get a better deal.

Sam's Sunday as First Responder

Two weekends ago, just before National Grouch Day, by the way, Sam had some excitement as first responder at the fire station. (Not that Grouch Day, Sam, and the fire station are related.)

  Sam has to stay Saturday nights on call at the fire station because he is one fireman who can be trusted to remain sober all night and all weekend! 

 

After a medical call Sat. evening, he was alerted to an accident about sunrise Sunday morning. He was the "senior fireman" on shift, so away he went with a probie (fireman-in-training). A big rather new pickup had T-boned another pickup at a crossroads because the latter's driver had been blinded by the sunrise and didn't see the other truck coming when he pulled out at the crossroads. Sam parked his fire truck across the road to protect everyone and then went to ask if each passenger was okay. One said he hurt here and there, but there were apparently no serious injuries. 

Sam was filling out reports when we had to leave for church in Denver,so he attended in Elizabeth,

 

but met us for picnic lunch. Before we got home, we saw smoke down southeast of us, and sure enough Sam had to head out before long.

 I think over 300 acres burned, and Sam was involved in "mopping up" as they call it. They were sawing down old trees, and one hollow log had flames swirling around and around inside it, he said.

The fire chief sent Sam a couple of these evening photos with him in it. Sam is the fireman on the far right, helping with making sure the fire is all out, and getting brush dealt with.

That night, Sam deserved a rest!

It's not often he's found sitting in the rocking chair by the fire, so it was irresistible to get a photo of it.
Below is a picture from this summer that I got of Sam (center of photo, in blue cap) involved in a pancake breakfast the fire station put on in Peyton.

Here he is again, though the picture is blurry. Crystal and Hannah helped that day as well.

 Sam's involvement as a first responder has brought a lot of spice to our lives in these years between teenage graduation and whatever God has for him down the road.

Babysitting--and Tail Ends!

Carrie got such a kick out the leggings of the dear baby girl she sometimes babysits!

It's her former employer's darling little girl. Here they are doing dishes together. Of course, baby is being a big help! :) :)

Hannah is a huge help with caring for Prishita and entertaining her.

I don't think there is much of anything more adorable than a baby sleeping.

 Even Sam got a turn to hold and play with the baby a few nights ago, since baby stayed overnight with us due to the bad weather and roads.

Baby on Sam's shoulders at the end of the hall.

I couldn't resist this sweet picture of the toddler watching out the door as the children were loading truck and trailer for going hunting.

A few months ago we took pictures of Prishita's first birthday to which we went to celebrate at the restaurant. I downloaded them to my blog long ago, and am just now putting them on. Hannah loved to hold Prishita. All the baby's hair had been shaved off because it is thought that this helps the hair grown back in thicker and better. There were several special kinds of Indian food made by Gaya, the mom.

Baby dressed up for the occasion, with both mom and dad and sister.

Now with several of the employees and friends, including Carrie and Rose, although Crystal was also there and was in another picture which I don't seem to have.

I helped cut the delicious cake.

There were these tiny sweet bites of deepfried batter made from chickpea flour, I believe.

Crystal and Hannah helped take care of Prishita that evening.

Lots of pictures were taken, and then Crystal took the baby over to the retail shop where Crystal sometimes worked as cashier.

Weddings and Babies and Dishes and Waffles

A week or two ago, Jonathan's dad sent me a few photos of my niece Stacy McVey's wedding. 

Stacy always dreamed of riding into her wedding on a horse. The lady for whom Stacy cleaned stables kindly provided two horses for the occasion, on Saturday, September 21st.

The groomsman to the left of the groom is Jacob Ford, a friend of both Stacy and my daughter Crystal with whom he attended Penn View. 

In this picture the father of the bride is reading a Scripture, as did the father of the groom.

The bride and groom with the two sets of parents

It was very special how the bride and groom mounted the horse after the ceremony and rode off together. 

Stacy's uncle Rob had managed to climb the hill behind the ceremony to get this picture from a distance.

The bride with her three siblings (below), and the groom with his three sisters. Stacy married Sebastian, whom she met in Australia when she was a student there. I really liked Sebastian's family.

Stacy's family. 

L-R Rebekah, Jon and Esther, Stacy and Sebastian, Vanessa and Ryan.

Stacy is the first grandchild of Jonathan's parents to get married.

Several weeks ago, three of our children were back in Pennsylvania for a visit. Timmy is holding new baby Eliana, Gabriel and Elizabeth's new baby.

Meanwhile, at home, I chop piles and piles of vegetables.

In almost every spare minute when she is not doing school or helping with chores or birdwatching, Hannah is knitting. Actually, I think these may be booties that Rose knitted.

Getting Indian corn ready to dry and hang.

Long weeks ago, Crystal sewed this lovely apron and is modeling it for me.

One way to save money--give your own haircuts. 

I wish I could do a professional job, but I  just do the best I can.

I got a waffle iron recently at an estate sale. We have been enjoying waffles ever since!

The first batch stuck terribly, sending me to google why waffles stick.

I found out that the secret is to make sure you use enough oil in the batter.

We didn't have any more problems when I found a good recipe with enough oil. I use mostly buckwheat flour. A friend who gives Carrie violin lessons gave her a bag of roasted buckwheat which smelled so good! I ground it just like regular buckwheat, but it does require more liquid in the recipe.

Below, Rose is making pancakes on the woodstove one day.

Jonathan replacing worn out window seals. I helped by scrubbing the dirty window panes, etc.

I loved Carrie's cheerful updo this day. 

She said she just "threw it up," but I thought it was so cute anyway. I wish I had learned a few more hairstyles. Right now since I started taking chelated iron several  months ago, my hair is growing several inches longer and is thicker, I think, than it used to be. I'm thankful to be able to sometimes try a different hairstyle because of that.

Hannah and I doing dishes.

Kitty getting a treat.

One of the children found something interesting!