Always Remember...

dayspring

P.S.  I Do Too!!

Making Progress

I've been trying to get this room in order for months, actually for a couple years.  It's finally happening!

The first picture was taken  earlier this year ~ shortly after craft shows and the holidays ended.  The "mess" in the foreground is the top of my desk.  Picture #2 was shot just over a month ago, right in the middle of sorting and packing up.  You can even see a tiny corner of the desk top in it!!  It's the brown spot right below the black chair. The final photo was taken last Sunday. Everything is boxed up and out of the room, except for the mess on the desk. Yes, it's a mess again, but in a orderly sort of way!

This room used to belong to my son Joe. He loved posters.  Large posters, small posters and every size poster in between.  He also loved to re-arrange his posters.....many, many times!  Notice the white spots on the walls?  Bill's been busy spackling nail and pushpin holes. There were a lot of them ~ but they're all filled in now!  The sanding was done yesterday and Bill is painting the ceiling today.  

Woo Hoo!!!   Pretty soon............ 

...Fairy tales do come true!

Random Monday Memories

Summertime 1990

Here's my children on a family trip to Florida.

We were at Sea World.

I thought the penguin mural would make a nice background for a family photo.

I really wanted to capture the memory of the REALLY GREAT time all of us had on our visit.

How'd I do?

Kevin was loving every minute of Sea World!  Joe seems to be a bit puzzled and Katie seems very concerned about the (painted) penguins.  And Mandy ~ well as usual ~ she's just happy.  Sort of!

Family vacations are the best!!

Especially with the "I love this place" teenager.

Giveaway Reminder

There's still time to enter my giveaway for a sweet book called

The Painted Garden. 

Check out the link in my left sidebar.  It's the first one.

Please leave your comment on that post if you'd like to enter. 

  

I'll be choosing a winner on Thursday.

I'll also be including a couple little handmade goodies as well.

Puddles

Umbrella Dance

Hope Dances In The Puddles

'Til The Sun Comes Out Again

Sometimes you find the best stuff inside a greeting card!


Linking to:

Weekly Words To Live By

and

I'm reading a new book called Having A Mary Heart In A Martha World (written by Joanna Weaver).

My daughter Mandy is doing a Bible study with some friends and they're reading this book.  She thought it might be a good book for me to read right now.

I just started it and if the book weren't Mandy's I'd have already highlighted most of what I read in the first chapter.  Sometimes I start a book and I know immediately that it's going to really minister to me right where I'm at in my life.  That's what happened this time! 

"When we put work before worship, we put the cart before the horse. The cart is important; so is the horse. But the horse must come first, or we end up pulling the cart ourselves. Frustrated and weary, we can nearly break under the pressure of service (work), for there is always something that needs to be done.

When we first spend time in His presence - when we take time to hear His voice - God provides the horse power we need to pull the heaviest load. He saddles up Grace and invites us to take a ride."

Page 10

The Good Old Summertime!

Some of my family went to "Annie's Playground" last Monday.  Elijah has been here before but it was a first for Charlotte.   I think their conversation in this photo goes something like this:

Elijah - "Well cuz, here it is!"

Charlotte - "Wow, this is amazing!"

I mean look at that body language! Can't you just hear them!

They had a marvelous time! We only stayed for about an hour because it was HOT!  But they got to swing....

And they played on the slides ~ there are a lot of slides!  This playground is near Elijah's house. It's about an hour from my house.  It was worth the ride ~ even in the heat.  We'll definitely go back again.

I know Penelope would love it there too!  She was sick when we went last Monday (she's better now) but she had some fun of her own the last two weeks of June.  She and her mommy went to visit her other grandmother in Florida.  Here she is on a beach in Pensacola.  Love the hat!

Penelope is keeping a close eye on the water ~ rumor has it that she wasn't too fond of the water or the sand.  She did enjoy sitting under the beach umbrella eating snacks though!

(Jacqi's mommy took these photos.)

Giveaway Time!!

Giveaway is closed.

I'll announce a winner Thursday (7/15/10) evening.

Back in April I posted about a new book I purchased. I recently picked up another copy of the book and I'd like to share it. So to celebrate my second anniversary of blogging and to celebrate 100+ followers I'd like to have a GIVEAWAY for this book ~ plus whatever else I come up with!

There are so many beautiful pictures in this book and it's filled with quotes from artists and gardening enthusiasts.

"Never fail, as you go by, to record what bush is to be moved, and which retained, and which , on consideration, is held unworthy of too prominent a place."

Reginald Farrer

In a Yorkshire Garden 1909

Since July 15th is mentioned in the photo below, I think that will be the day I pick the winner. On the days leading up to the 15th I may add some other goodies to the giveaway!

To enter once just make a comment here on this post.

And for a little twist if you'd like a second chance to win go and visit my daughter Katie's blog and then come back here and leave a second comment telling me something you learned about or saw on her blog. Katie recently made a commitment to herself to post on her blog faithfully. It's helped her be more faithful in taking pictures of Charlotte and actually helped her become more organized around her home. I'd like to see her encouraged as she joins in this very special land of blog. So maybe you'd even like to leave her a comment! Tell her that her Mom said hi!!

So if you have a chance please visit her and then come back here and tell me all about.

In My Garden

I can't decide if I should wait until they get red or pick them now and make this recipe. What would you do?

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

3 medium, firm green tomatoes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Happy Independence Day!

May we experience a revolution of dependence...on God who has blessed us so richly.  Have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend!

O! thus be it ever, when free men shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Star Spangled Banner  (4th verse)

What to do with my Dryer Sheets

I was browsing the internet last night ~ trying to come up with a cute idea for storing my dryer sheets (anyone have one?) ~ and I came upon this fun project.  It doesn't have anything to do with storing them but it is a great recycling idea!

Dryer softener sheet sachets! 

Aren't they cute?!

Wouldn't they be pretty made with tea-dyed dryer sheets and some vintage bits of lace?

I'd like to make some of these this weekend...we'll see what the weekend brings!

inspired at home

Speaking of making things, my granddaughter Charlotte recently did a little creating ~ with her Momma's help.  Click here to see what she made and how she made it.  It's "messy"! I love it!!

 

A Swap with my friend Joyce

I participated in a swap with my friend Joyce at Scrap for Joy last month (I can't believe I'm saying last month ~ didn't June just begin?!).  We were paired up for The Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue Swap.  This was the latest swap from our Swap For All Seasons group. Love this group by the way ~ great swaps hosted by the wonderful Linda!

I was so excited to find out that Joyce was my swap partner ~ I've shared about two years of blogging friendship with her and I treasure that.  Someday I'm going to meet this sweet gal who knows me so well!  She sent me the most wonderful things!

Sorry about the blur here ~ I was just so excited to get to the opening of these very fun packages.  I couldn't hold the camera still!

   

I think my "something old" is my favorite group.  A lace collar, a jello mold, a pretty wedding photo and that sweet baby spoon and fork set!  I love that it was all wrapped up in pattern tissue!  My favorite piece in this group is the pin.  It's a pin of hatpins and it's beautiful.  I didn't get a great shot of it ~ so please click here to get a better look.

I don't know ~ maybe my favorite group is the "something new".  This journal is perfectly me!  "Note to Self" ~ I've used that phrase in blog posts, I love it!  The colors are wonderful.

Joyce also sent me some paper and some handmade (by her) tags. She knows I love (fat) birds...

 

...and I really love squirrels.  Joyce's tags are so adorable and beautifully made. 

I really appreciate her attention to detail!

  

Okay now, I'm starting to get a little confused....mabe it's the "something borrowed" that I love the best!  His and Her potholders!!  Red potholders!!  Vintage potholders!!  These are so cute!!!  I love them (and red) very much!

Did I pick a favorite already?  "Something blue" has to be it!

Birds and nests ~ the collage is beautiful and I love the Bible verse on it.  The little blue bird makes me happy (cause that's what blue birds do you know!).  She came in the cutest box ~ click here to see it.  And how about the shaker full of wisdom?!  I know I can use all the (pearls of) wisdom I can get!

But wait ~ there's more!  This is really truly my favorite.  A garland/banner for my laundry.  I dropped a subtle really loud hint for one of these.  Isn't it wonderful?

Doesn't it all look wonderful?

This is a peek at my "new" laundry room.

Here's a look at it last year.  Here's another look and another.

The laundry room has been sitting around looking like this for almost eight months.  Receiving the banner from Joyce was just the push I needed to get it decorated.  I have a little painting to do and I want to make a "skirt" for the lower shelf to hide the dryer vent, etc.  There's a couple more things I need to find to put on the shelf.  Once that's done I'd love to show some photos of the whole room.

It's looking pretty good. I was kind of in a rut about finishing it.  Hugs to you Joyce for helping me get out of it!  I love all my swap goodies!!