This Is Thursday

A normal Thursday for me is like this,

Get up, brush teeth, take meds, eat a bite, get dressed, go to work, get groceries, head home, make dinner, talk over the day with Hubby, watch a bit of TV, get ready for bed, take meds, go to sleep.

THIS is today:

Get up
Brush teeth
Take meds
Get crock pot ready with dinner for my Hubby because I will not be home at dinner time.
Eat a bite
Get dressed
Go to work...........work is c r a z y....VBS week is always nuts!
Leave for Chicago
Pick up a few things for the addition
Sigh a few times at the fun I am having but always in my mind is ALL that has to be done at home.
Eat dinner
Head home
Clean up the house a bit
Get ready for bed
Take meds
SLEEP

And start all over again tomorrow.

Are your days so full that you find yourself coming and going, breathing hard and sometimes not catching your breath at all???????????

Yes, that is me at the moment.

This too shall pass.

Soon? Probably not. But I intend to have joy in it all. Pure Joy!

Our Back Yard

I put on my boots, grabbed my camera and headed to our river bank.

I took the dogs...really bad idea! Can you say MUD FEST! Wow!

But I snapped some pictures of the ice. For the most part about a foot thick, but there were  many, many chunks that were closer to two foot thick.

As I stood next to the ice covered river, the sound of the ice beginning to crack was a bit un-nerving.

It up-rooted trees, drug large whole trees down the river with it and took someone's cherished dock to eventually end up in the Gulf of Mexico.

Here are the pictures I took Monday.

And the next set I took a mere 24 hours later. The quality of these photos are not as good since I was using a zoom lens.....my fear level was that of "stayin up top on the bank today" the river was running sooooooooooooo fast and the damage and debris were immense.

It will take a while for the ice to melt, the ground to dry and the river to be back within it's banks.

Remember

I know that I have a special place in my heart for New Orleans since our Son and his family lived there for a bit over 5 years, but I cannot go through this day without remembering that 8 years ago the most tragic thing happened.

Hurricane Katrina

Over 1800 lives were lost in the devastation.

Lives forever changed still morn the loss of loved ones.

Let's lift up those who grieve asking for comfort for them on this day that brings back many, many sorrowful memories.

 

 

5 Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I am addicted to HGTV.

Yes, I admit it. I am an addict.

And I am ok with it. "sigh".

 

2. I LOVE the Hallmark Channel!

Yep, that makes me a geek.

Yep, that makes me old fashioned.

Yep, I am ok with it.

 

3. I HATE having my picture taken.

I admit, that is a huge irony considering

that one of my greatest joys is

TAKING photos! But you know the old saying:

"when you can't be in pictures,

you take pictures".

Well, maybe it is not really that saying

but close enough.

 

4. I am a total bath person.

I HATE showers.

Yes, it is true.

I find nothing more relaxing than a tub

filled with water so hot that it turns

my skin beat red.

It is my true sauna.

 

5. I love peanuts....but hate peanut butter.

Yep. True.

Texture issues. This is a real phenomenon.

Many people have this "disease".

I wish I could overcome it.

I have tried. I cannot.

Soft, mushy things make me gag, throw up,

"hork". Wish it were not so.

But it is.

So, for me, no mashed potatoes,

no mushy veggies,

no peanut butter.

Crunchy is good, mushy is very, very bad.

Up-dated Blog Header

After looking at a blurry blog header for ummmm,

about 6 months now, go ahead, judge me as a procrastinator,

I have finally created a new header, cleaner, all photos that I have

taken (well, the old header was all of my photos too)

And I think I like it!

Let me know what you think!

Romantic Dinner 4 Two...and other things

I love my husband....

have I ever told you that before?

Yes?

ok.

Well, yesterday

Thursday (gasp!)

I decided to do a romantic dinner for 2

Have I told you we live on the river?

Yes?

ok.

Well, we do....and this time of the year

it is amazing!

No bugs, light breezes annnnnnd

not much else!

The grass has begun to turn green (really green)

and the trees have lots of green buds on them...

and that is about it.

But, the NO bugs thing is simply amazing!!!

So I decided to take advantage of it

on (gasp again!) a simple Thursday weeknight!!!

WHAT!!!!

Yes! A nothing special night of the week!

A "I want to make things special" night of the week!!

So, I set a special table, on our deck

just to make my husband feel extra special!
 Have I told you before that I LOVE to make my

loved ones feel special?
Yes...
ok!

So, I set a table on the deck....along the river

with normal, everyday things, to simply

make my husband feel a bit extra special

because he IS!!

And might I say....

Your family, husband, children are extra special too!!!

Here is a picture of the table I set.

The small round table was a free gift...

the table cloth was a gift...

the dishes were my everyday, normal dishes

the food was simply

grilled burgers and grilled zucchini

along with a tomato, cucumber salad
(the recipe can be found here on my blog)

and just my love!

Every day can be special

Every meal can be fun

Everyone is WORTH that teeny, tiny

bit of extra effort....

and they will more than likely

feel amazingly loved by you....

on a very normal, day after hump day

Thursday night at home.

Today....My Friend

Today....

Something none of us is guarenteed.

Today, I spend praying, worrying, hopeing, loving and

waiting.

You see, my dear friend, Diana

is having surgery.

She was diagnosed last week with

a very rare (her Dr. has only seen this once before)

form of breast cancer.

She is a huge blessing to me.

Her friendship is one of those in which we laugh,

uplift, love, talk, and share our wonderful

realationship with our Lord and Savior.

I ask for your prayers.

I ask that you think of, pray for and

remember my friend.

She has her family,

friends, and most comfortingly

her Savior with her today.

BREAST CANCER

Two of the most powerful words in the english language.

Two words all women hope to never hear.

My friend has heard those words.

My friend will deal with those words for

many weeks and months to come.

BREAST CANCER

I not only pray for my friend, but for all those

beautiful ladies that every day

get the diagnosis, are in the throws

of the treatment, having the follow-up tests,

or are adding to the years of "cancer free".

BREAST CANCER

May we soon have a cure, better treatments

and quicker diagnosis.

May we soon have a world where it is in our history and not in our future.

 

Random Thoughts

It is the weekend, Saturday to be precise and I am home alone

except for the dogs, who occasionally need to be let out,

but beyond that, they have left me to my leisure day.

I have taken things from my closet to be given to the second hand store.

I have made fresh whole wheat dough which turned into 3 pizza crusts,

par baked, thin crust (which is necessary for my husband)

and 2 are in the freezer, waiting for a busy night when making

a full dinner is out of the question.

I will be able to pull out a crust, put on a bit of sauce, add

pre cooked Italian sausage (which I have done in the freezer also)

some roasted peppers (again in the freezer) and cheese!

voile'! all home made, just done in minutes from pre-planning!

I cleaned out a cabinet in my dining room. AAAAAnnnnd,

the reason I did this, is because I thought that my fabric medium and new stamp was hidden in there.

And it was not.

I HAD planned on paint stamping my napkins

for the Easter Dinner that we will have.

Guess that will have to happen next week.

Do you make your bed everyday? I do. I just like to climb into smooth sheets each night, and also, I think it shows my sweet husban how much I care.

He should have that "oasis" to end each day in as he works such a physically demanding job.

Again, it is my want to spoil personality.

Dinner was soooooooooooo  good last night!

We had southern fried catfish, fried outside in a huge cast iron skillet by my husband, who does not like catfish, but cooks it like no other!

We also had shrimp, baked-stuffed eggplant, Italian beans,

salad and key lime parfaits (sugar free of course).

I am currently sitting in front of a beautiful fire, in a big ole chair

with a laptop, feeling a bit accomplished, talking to you and asking you....

"Do you know where I put that stupid fabric medium at???"

Some Random Thoughts

I am in transition.

For the last 3 weeks, we have had

"visitors"

as Gus-gus would say

in Cinderella.

And now I am on the "down side" of

"life as I know it".

And in some ways, I am NOT ok with it

and in some ways, I am completely "ok" with it.

I love life with just my amazing husband and me.

And I love life with a house full of fun,

 munchkins and

children!

I want to share with you life as "I" know it.

It can be full of life, busy, tooooooo busy,

boring, restful, lively, lovely, wonderful

and quiet.

I, am fine, with all of those!!!

Is that weird???

No?

OK!!

I. am. content.

I am content....that sounds weird, I know.

But it is the truth.

It has taken me a looooong time to feel this way,

but it is my truth now.

And I believe that it is what I am SUPPOSED

to be.....content.

After all, do you really want to live life without

contentedness? I don't!

I love life!!!!

I REALLY do!

And I love coming here, sharing with you,

and showing you the fun things I do in my

contented, crazy life!

Truth told!

Soooo, here is a picture of some of my contented life.

Well, 3 pictures.

How sweet are they!!!!!!

And let me tell you....

they are NOT the only 3 reasons

I am content in this life....

there are so many, many more reasons

that I am content....

from the great north of the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan,

to the deep south of the Louisianian state,

I am, one content woman!

Is it my "comfort zone"?

I don't believe so, for, the truth is

that I have 3 children.

One (and her family)

lives 7 hours NORTH of us.

One (and his family)

lives 16 hours SOUTH of us.

One (and her husband)

lives 15 minutes from us.

And besides our family dynamics,

I am called on to sing, teach,

and speak to crouds of people

more often than I am ever

comfortable with.

I have a strength though.

One that goes before me.

One that expects me to find that contentedness

in what ever situation I am in.

God is good, life is good, I am in

love with my husband,

and in love with life....

does it get any better than this?

Not this side of heaven!!!

Life Changes, Again, and again and again.........

Life..... crazy, contented, full, boring, joyful, sad, sigh filled, laughter filled, the list goes on and on.

New directions are taken, old ones held on too. We change, over and over again. As women it is even more frequent! I know that for me, life can change moment by moment and yet stay the same for long periods of time.

But, one thing in my life NEVER changes. God. I change....boy do I change! I try to be what God wants me to be all the time, failing miserably and having victories on a seemingly daily basis.

And then let's add in all the people and things that surround me that push me into changing even when I don't want to.....I don't believe we can wake and begin a day without pressure from some outside force wanting us to change. I mean, really, how many times can a company "re-make" a product!!! All new! Improved! All in an effort to get ME to change....purchase their product instead of the one that I currently use, ugh!

Environmental changes....it is spring here and green and other beautiful colors are popping out all over the place! OK, this is a change I LOVE!

Family, moving away. To a place I love, to a church I love, to friends I love. It IS a good thing, but again, it changes my life drastically!

Well, a song that speaks to me SOOOOOO LOUDLY is where I choose to Stand today. In the midst of change all over my life, I CHOOSE to STAND.

"I'll stand with arms high and heart wide open,
In awe of the ONE Who gave it all,
I'll stand, my soul, oh Lord, to You, surrendered
All I have is Yours,
All I have is Yours."

God is security, love and peace....even in a crazy, ever changing life....like mine.

Life is....Crazy, Wonderful, Full, Contentness.

Well, here we are already into February....wow! During the month of January, we have had our family move in with us (temporarily) I have gotten and survived food poisoning, made a trip to New Orleans, had our eldest daughter come from 7 hours away, two weekends in a row (wooohooo!) made a weekend trip to Chicago and prepared for the "storm of the century" to hit our area! It did...and we are all still digging out!

Philippians 4:11-13 (New King James Version)
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.


How do you handle a crazy life? I find that I am blessed. Period. For if the Lord had not given to me these children, we would be alone. If the Lord had not given us our snow bound home, we would be homeless.
If the Lord had not blessed us with the means to buy food (even tainted as it was) I would be hungry.

No matter the twists and turns that my life takes, I am content. I am content to be where the Lord desires for me to be, even when I am, at times, disobedient, He still guides me to His desired goal....contentedness.

The Papers Are Laughing At Me!!!!

But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness....Psalm 5:7-8a
My life is over full. Alot by MY own choices, but much by HIS choices. A phone call from a frustrated wife who wants to just walk out of her marriage, an unexpected call, and I am to be the advice giver...that is from God, not from me. But on the other hand, the need to put my home back into some semblance of organization is all on my shoulders, as I let the piles grow during the holidays, and now they stare me in the face...almost grinning and I swear (you know, the good kind of swearing, not the awful words kind of swearing :)] I can almost hear those piles of papers laughing at me when I walk into the room!!!!
I guess, that every new year, we all must on some level, feel the need to "get organized" as is evident in every store that you walk into during the month of Jan. with all the bins, tubs, drawer units, etc. that are filling their isles, all shiny bright colored and suggestive of the major "life change" that you can have if you will only purchase these products right now!!!

Well, as I have been reading through a psalm or two this week, the above one stood out to me. LEAD me Lord, in YOUR righteousness. Hmmmmm, nothing about ME taking the lead. Nothing about how I can make my life less full, crazy, overwhelming. Just God, taking the lead. So simple, yet so difficult for our human egos, minds, attitudes or what ever it is, to grab hold of.
I believe that if God (and I do) has put all this in my life, HE will lead me in the paths of ability, workmanship and righteousness. He will be the strength to endure. He will be the joy and laughter in the midst of an overwhelmingly full day. He will be the endurance to run the race. He will be my All in All.
So, even though I am still going to have to tackle that pile of laughing at me papers, even though I am still going to have to do laundry, teach Sunday School, work, cook, clean, help with Awana, etc....it WILL be the Lord who directs and leads me to HIS righteousness. And THAT makes me breath a huge sigh of relief.