A Vacation

on the beach

In the above photo, it is hard to see, but I am a bit off the ground.  Not much, the photographer caught me in the air-but  just as I was coming back down.  Watching the sun rise that morning was peaceful, and thought provoking.  GOD is good, HE alone can paint the sky a beautiful color, allow it to reflect in the waters below...
...this photo was taken by a dear friend while we were on the beach at the Christian Midwives Conference in the year of 2010, in South Carolina...

Well, life continues ...it has been several weeks since my mother has passed away.  It is unbelievable -thinking from the human way to think-that I will never see her again while I am living on this earth.  It has been 19 years since my dad passed, and it is easier with all the time that has passed, but thinking about him being gone can still can make me cry.

It has been a difficult year.  Too many deaths.     The beginning of this year, my only brother died....I was able to be with him as he passed into eternity.  Thankfully he accepted Christ prior to his death...just 12 hours before he died.  

To have a brother and a mother die...well to not admit my frailness, would be a lie. 


Scott and I went to Colorado in July, for the Christian Midwives Conference.  But it was a working vacation for me.  The drive out, we almost over heated (him and I-not the truck thank GOD) it was during that extreme heat time the country experienced.  

When I am at the conference, it is all about work. Even though the area is nice, it is still about work.  We took a couple of days after the conference, but not as many as we wanted.  While at the conference, there were a few things that we had to do/spend money where we had not planned and thus had to take it from our budget for our vacation.  So we went home sooner than we had planned.  Taught me a lesson to be a bit more bold with some people so this would not happen again.  Lessons are always learned. 

So that was a working vacation for me, but Scott was able to relax well.  I am thankful for that.  But me-I need a break.
I planned on a road trip with a friend and my sister.  We were to go to see my friend who moved to South Dakota.  The one friend backed out-I just could not get a commitment from her.  And my sister and I could not afford to go with out a third person to help share the costs. 


What I have to do is continue to depend on HIM for my rest, resting on the sabbath and really resting.  Since my vacations do not come often enough!  


  

Sukkot and the Little Midwife part 4

Mom, giving the midwife one of her famous winks!

The little Midwife learned what it was like living in a booth, or also called-a temporary dwelling. She 'lived' in about 5 different dwellings this past week. Her home, her mother's home, 2 different client’s homes, and her sisters home-often she was there late at night even after their mother passed away as they prepared for her funeral.

She learned what it is like to be living in a temporary dwelling, but not the simple one like described in the scriptures. Perhaps another year she will learn about that. But for now, she had lived without knowing where she would sleep, or while during her travels, where she would get to rest, or if she would even get to rest. And as for eating, where and when she would get to eat...

She did not get to rest as others did during this time but GOD still taught her many things, even more than she has shared with others...some of it was for her only and some of it, just too personal to share during this sad time.  Maybe someday she would be able to share it, but for now….it was in her heart…safely tucked away…

It was a long week, but she did make it thru with the LORD GOD YHWH by her side all week.

She will not forget touching her mother’s hair, and stroking her hair as she told her how much she loved her. She will not forget how that felt. She will not forget how it felt to hug her mother, or just to hold her. She will never again know how it feels for her mom to hug her back, or to look into her mother’s eyes and see the love there. Even behind the veil of Alzheimer's, she could see the love in her eyes....

Her mother had been like an innocent child the past year's, living with Alzheimer's, she had trusted all of those who cared for her so.....innocent to what was going on out in the world....tucked away safely in her own home....

Now she envisioned her mother at the feet of YESHWEH MESSIAH and GOD THE FATHER. Enjoying the fellowship with them, and those who went on before her.

She wondered if GOD would take her mother out fishing. Her mother liked to fish…She wondered if fishing was even allowed in heaven.   IF it was allowed, she figured GOD would be the one rowing the boat….

She thought- mom with GOD and relaxing in the boat out on a lake...simple sweetness of being with GOD...

Sukkot and the Little Midwife part 3.

Then on the day we call tuesday, she got a call late in the after noon about her mother. She was getting worse. She was in pain. The hospice nurse had been called to come. After gathering things she would need to spend the night and a few days with her mother, the little midwife left for her mothers house.

She would be spending the night with her mother. Tonight at sundown, a high Holy Sabbath would begin. She knew that the church family would be packing up to leave the little camp ground.  The little midwife did not dwell on this now.

The nurse came; but the little midwife did not listen like the hospice nurse did to her mother’s chest and the beating of her heart.  She had already done that this past week. She did not take her blood pressure -instead she just sat there --being a daughter.  She knew from listening before that her mother’s heart was not beating well...she had already listened to the abnormal beating of her mother’s heart….she knew by what she was hearing that her heart was failing.  She did not want to listen again...

She did not want to be a nurse today; today she just wanted to be a daughter…

For the little midwife, the nurse in her was quietly tucked away deep inside somewhere-hiding, this was to allow her to grieve. 

 The hospice nurse called to get medicine to help with her mothers pain. The little midwife watched her mother breath heavily, breath fast. She counted 46 a minute which was very fast. Her mother was in pain and struggling....

It was the middle of the night, and the hospice nurse was trying, fighting the hospice doctor, who was an angry doctor for being awakened in the middle of the night.  The hospice nurse was fighting to find a pharmacy to open up at this late hour to get the medicine the doctor who was angry -had ordered.

Finally all was done, and the medicine was on the way. It would arrive later, the midwife and her family sat beside her mothers bed, talking quietly. When it arrived they gave her some of it right away, it was to help with the pain and slow her breathing. But it did not slow her breathing. The little midwife and her sister who was also a nurse, took care to make their mother more comfortable, positioning her carefully. Then everyone but the little midwife left for the night.

The little midwife was sitting on the mattress she had pulled out to the floor, looking at her mother. The little midwife was so tired, and her flesh cried out for rest, cried out to just lay down onto the mattress on the floor and rest. She had lost so much sleep this past 7 days from births and her mothers care. She thought of the little cabin, but did not dwell on that, knowing she was where she needed to be right now.

The little midwife prayed to GOD to help her to stay up with her mother like she did at births.  She fought with her 'flesh', fought her urge to sleep and she thought, I can stay up at a birth; I have to stay up with my mom. The little midwife knew in her heart this would be the last night on earth for her mother, the Little Midwife knew this to be true.   She wanted her mother to have a familiar face to see---when she opened her eyes during the night.

She read scripture to her-from psalms. She read and read...

But thou OLORD art a shield about me, My glory and the lifter of my head....Psalm 3:3

Give ear to my words O LORD, consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my KING and my GOD, for to THEE do I pray. In the morning O LORD, thou wilt hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to THEE and eagerly watch...Psalm 5:1-3

then she beganto sing...

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path...

When I feel afraid, think I've lost my way

Still your there right beside me

Nothing will I fear, as long as you are near.

Please be near me to the end.

I can not forget your love for me and yet,

my heart forever is wandering

YHWH be my guide, hold me to your side,

I will love you to the end.

Then she sang the song amazing grace to her mother...

As she sang and read scripture, her mother relaxed. The little midwife asked her mother if she was in pain, and her mother said yes. So the midwife gave her mother one more dose of pain medicine, more water to drink and made sure she was positioned comfortably and then she sat beside her bed. Soon her mother would close her eyes and rest. She rested for 3 hours, and so the little midwife also rested.

The midwife never really went to sleep, as she had done with the woman in labor-she rested with out falling asleep. This was so she could lay there listening to her mother breath. Her mother was still breathing fast, but the little midwife took comfort in the sound of her mothers breathing...as long as she could hear her -she knew she was still alive.

She thought of the story her niece had told her.  Last week her niece had witnessed the midwives mother (who is the nieces grandmother) starring for a long time up into the corner of the room, without blinking. She asked her: “grandma, what are you looking at?” and after a long pause, she said: 'GOD.'  The niece said, “up in heaven,” and she answered-‘no, right here in the room.’

The little midwife knew that GOD had been telling her own heart for months now that she should prepare for her mother’s passing...that it would be happening soon.

Finally the sun was coming up, as morning came, more family came to visit. A long time family friend came too and spent over an hour visiting with the midwife.

Later the hospice nurse came to see her mother, she would give her mother her last bath...just a gentle bed bath, and make her mother comfortable with the other sisters help. During this time, the little midwife would leave to go to the doctor in town with her husband.

Before she left she bent down to her mother and whispered in her ear that she had to leave for awhile, but she would be back. She told her mother that it was ok to go see the LORD GOD while she was gone if she was ready. She told her that she loved her so very much...and she would miss her, but it was ok.

When that appointment with the doctor was over, the little midwife would go back to her mothers home. She spent another hour there and then had to leave again. More family members were on their way to sit for the day.

The little midwife bent to whisper once again in her mothers ear-telling her she loved her very much, so very much. She told her that it was ok to leave and go home to see GOD, to go see her husband, the little midwives daddy-and to see the little midwives only brother who had just passed on only 9 months before.  (he was her mothers oldest child, and only son). She reminded her mother that they and others were all waiting for her in heaven...
~she told her that if she was still here after she got back from her errand, she would see her again, but if she had to go now, before the little midwife returned to the house, it was ok... she understood, and that she loved her very much.

After the Midwife left her mothers home, her mother immediately began to stop breathing for several seconds and up to a minute. Seven minutes later after that began; she would enter eternity to spend 'forever' with the LORD GOD.  

It was not meant that the little midwife be there when she left this earth. 

She was driving in her car, something she did a lot with the work she did…  When she had left, she knew that her mother would be gone before she returned to her mother’s home. Tears flowed freely... she was very sad, but she did know that her mother had heard her words of love and encouragement, it was ok. She had spent the time with her all night, and she knew her mother was ready to die. 

The little midwife had midwifed her mother into eternity. 

When the midwife returned later to her mothers home...she looked at her mothers lifeless body on the bed, the little midwife would now know what it was like to not have parents...

The little midwife knelt beside her mothers bed, she leaned in and whispered 'oh momma'...she reached for her mothers still lifeless hand, and held it... 
....she let the tears flow as she wept...

Sukkot and the Little Midwife part 2

The little midwife sat with her mom all day, she enjoyed this time just looking at her mom, knowing in her heart that this would be one of the last days she would get to spend with her mother like this. She tried to memorize each look her mother gave, each smile...storing those memories in her heart. Her mother slept and she watched her sleep. This was the woman who raised her, who had help to make her who she was today. She had taught her many things, some she did not even know were important until this time of her life as she watched her mothers life slip away.

The woman from the hospice care service, would come and give her mother a bath...a simple thing and so personal. The little midwife would continue to sit with her mom, as she watched her sleep.

That evening the midwife would go home to a dark empty house...her husband at work, she quietly ate her supper alone...

It was night and except for the moon-it was dark, the little midwife went out to the deck and stood looking at the stars in the sky. She remembered a night almost 18 years ago, when she received the news that her father had went home to the LORD. She had stood under the same stars then, and gazed at their light.  Some things GOD made are the same for ever and ever and other things are ever changing....
~after getting ready for bed, the little midwife snuggled down into bed, closed her eyes and sighed.

Her eyes opened with the ring of the phone only 20 minutes later. Someone was ready to have her come to their home to help with the birth of their little baby. She hurried out the door into the dark cool night and drove to the couples home. It would be a long night as she helped this couple. No sleep except for a few short hours, since Wednesday night. It was now Friday night. The midwife was tired...she rested on the small love seat in the couples home, unable to even stretch out her tired legs, listening to the sounds of the mother in labor as she breathed thru each contraction. Listening to the sounds of the husband snoring she found herself wishing it was her resting and snoring right at that time. Content to rest only, she became the guardian of the birth. 
    All night long this went on...guardian....

The little midwife watched the sun come up through the windows and the house hold come to life with the dawn of the day.

Hours later, before Noon, the midwife said to the couple, it was time to go to the hospital. The little midwife drove the couple to the hospital, and there a kindly doctor took over her care. But the midwife did not leave the woman’s side. She stayed with them for hours -until they decided to take the woman for surgery....

The midwife was sad for the natural birth that would never take place, but she rejoiced for the healthy baby and mother. It was the right thing to do to bring the couple into the hospital. Sometimes you have to. 

She rejoiced for the help from the doctors and nurses. And when she knew that everyone was safe, the little midwife went home to her husband. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. Cry for the woman and for the natural birth that did not happen, cry for her own mother -who she knew was dying...

The little midwife knew she would miss the evening service with her church family, a special one-
~she knew that for what ever reason, GOD did not have that in HIS plan for her to attend.

The husband took his midwife /wife out for dinner and after the meal was over, drove her home and held her as she drifted off to sleep...

 It was a restless sleep, but she slept.  She awoke-opening her eyes and looked around.  Where was she?  It took a moment for her to come out of the dream world and remember where she was, even who she was.  She wanted to go back to her dreams, it was safe there...and her mother had been there-and she was not dying...

She got up out of bed and slowly got ready...then she drove to the camp and the little cabin and picked up her things. No one even noticed her as she made trip after trip to carry her things to the car. No one even noticed that she had even been there. She stood in the cold cabin, listening to the gentle rain on the roof. She felt a coldness, and wondered if anyone really cared about her or if they only cared about....being 'religious'  ~~No one had called her, they knew what she was going thru this week, but yet- Here she was, alone. She thought about how sweet it would be to just lay down in there and rest allowing GODs gentle sounds of the rain ~sing her to sleep. 
Instead, she quietly drove away, the rain flowing from the heavens like her tears flowed from her eyes...she thought how she wanted to stay and hide in the cabin, away from what was happening in her life.

The rest of that day and the next several days were a blur to her.  Very little food was eaten by her and the nights were late, late nights to go home into bed.

During this time of Sukkot, the people of Israel was to remember their time in the wilderness. They were to spend time carefully building a booth, it was built under special instructions, using special materials.

The little midwife thought about her booth, it was suppose to be the cabin, but now? It was where ever she was at... 
~her booth this week was at 2 different women's homes who had given birth it was also at her mothers home...She had 3 booths she was staying at...and she was alone~

The little midwife thought how she would not get to stay in her cabin.

She thought about how her booth was ever changing- daily this week it's location changed. She was actually wandering during this week, wandering in a wilderness- like the children of Israel did for 40 years....from one booth to another...never knowing each day where she would be, where she would end up, what she would eat, when she would eat, or even if she would get to eat at all for that matter. She did not know if she would sleep, when and where she would rest her head...

She was not in a stable booth, where she could remember the wilderness~

She was in the wilderness and all alone.

Except for GOD.

She knew HE would continue to guide her...

Sukkot and the Little Midwife... part 1

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwellin booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Lev.23:29-43)

This was a time when the Jews traveled to Jerusalem to worship in the temple and to offer sacrifices and offerings to the LORD. This is a time of thanksgiving as we acknowledge GOD's provision for us. It is to be a happy time, a time of celebration and of joy and rejoicing. We are to remember how GOD delivered Israel from Egypt, and for the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness and lived in tents and worshiped at the tabernacles / booths which were made as instructed by GOD in Leviticus 23:42. For 7 days you were to live in this booth, as a reminder of the days in the wilderness. Two things characterizes the feast of tabernacles from other feasts. One is the illumination of the temple and the other is the pouring of a vessel of water into a basin that was located at the base of the altar.

The Feast Of Tabernacles / Sukkot-was coming!

The little Midwife was so excited.  She would get to spend the week with her church family, and relax.  Something she rarely gets to do.  The feast is a great time of rejoicing, praising the LORD GOD YA for all HE has done and will do for her, and remembering where she has come from.  She had a dwelling place, not made as described in the WORD of GOD, but one of wood, that was rustic.  Just what her soul longed for -to be away from the world, in a simple place for the week. She looked forward to watching the stars above in the night sky (in the description of building a booth you are told to leave space to be able to see the stars thru the construction). She looked forward to the nights of sitting before a fire and listening to the night sounds of the wind in the trees, the birds and the insects.  She looked forward to those songs of the night wrapping around her as she drifted off to sleep.

 The little Midwifes husband would get to join her on the weekend.  She was happy about this as she has hardly seen him lately.   His boss at his work --has him working nights, so he sleeps during the day when the midwife is away from her home to see women in the land that are expecting a baby soon. 

This was to be a joyous week! 

The first day they were to camp, she knew she would not get there until just at sundown, which is a Holy Sabbath.  So as she worked all day, she planned to hurry and go to what would be her dwelling place for the week. That day of work, during her lunch time she took her bedding and supplies to the little wooden cabin.  Before that and after that, she went from one happy momma to the next as she gave them their special time of hearing the baby's heartbeat, and listening to each woman tell her all about their week.  She asked them how they were eating, she always makes sure they are getting the food, water and sleep they need. She even saw a new person today, pregnant with her second child, and she saw 3 women whose babies were already born, just to see how they were doing.  With everyone, all was well.  She then she saw 3 more women who are all waiting on their babies to be born-they too are all well.  The little midwife had driven hundreds of miles today....The little midwife finished her visits in time to drive back to the little cabin just as the sun was going down. 

She would not get to stay there tonight; she would need to go home to be with her husband when he came home from work.  But she could sit by the fire for a while this evening before she had to drive home.  Once the stars were out in the sky, and the large full moon was above the tree tops- it would be time for her to drive home...

The next day, day #1- the little midwife would be able to go to the little cabin in the afternoon.  She would again, not get to stay the night, but would get to enjoy the evening with the church family by the fire and once again as the stars came out and the moon rose above the tree tops, she would drive home to be there for her husband.  That evening the little midwives mother was on the midwives heart....she was a bit restless about this, as she knows GOD speaks to her this way....She asked for prayer about the work she does with helping women at birth, but she failed to ask for prayer for her mother.  That weighed heavily on her heart as she drove home... 

So on the next day, day #2, she would need to see 2 women who were waiting on their babies to be born.  Then when she was done with their visits, she could go to the little cabin in the woods and rest. She looked forward to resting but also to spending time praising GOD with her church family.

Her husband thought he would go today too. He would go and enjoy the woods and beauty of the changing trees until he had to go to work in the evening.  

 But early that morning her little phone rang, and as she listened her sister told her their mother had just had a stroke.  The midwife knew she would need to go to see her mom.  So she got up and ready, went to see her 2 ladies who were due to have a baby....trying to hurry them with their appointment because she was worried about her mother, she told them she was needing to get to her mother and what had happened to her...but the women, were as usual, enjoying their visit with the midwife, and they did not hurry....The little midwife was patient with them as she needed to be….but her heart felt divided…..

The midwife finally made it to her mommas house, she and her sisters waited for the people who help --to arrive.  They would bring a special bed and supplies to help them to take better care of their mother.  This made the little midwife very happy.  She was with her mother all day, until the evening when she went home to wait for her husband to come home from work.  She did not sleep at all, but sat up waiting....her husband comes home very late, after midnight.  That night he was working even later, and the midwife still waited.  But before he would come home, her phone rang.  Someone would have a baby tonight.  The midwife left her home and out into the cold night to help the woman have her baby.

 She thought, maybe she would not get to be at the little cabin during the next day as she wanted to.  As she sat waiting on the birth of the baby she thought how she would miss the time praising the LORD GOD with her church family.   She began singing the following song: 

~LORD we have come, to this birth where we love to sing your praises.

~We lift this mom, and the babe to you the KING of all the ages.

~Hear me LORD I pray, come YHWH come, keep this baby safe.

~And meet us here, meet us here LORD.

~We are few, we are strong when you surround us

~Meet us here, meet us here LORD. As we birth, in your name-meet us here.

She did not get back home until after the sun was up the next morning...she would lay down for a few hours, getting almost 3 hours of sleep before she would get back up to go to her mother’s home. It was now day #3 of the feast...

 So the next day the midwife went back to her mother’s house and waited for the people who gave them the bed-- to come back so they could all talk again. 

She was there all day again.  She was very tired. A few hours of sleep was not enough.  She thought of those who were at the camp, who were spending their time before GOD praising him..., she missed the special time with her church family praising GOD...  She thought about the pouring out of the vessel of water...
The little midwife knew what it was like to pour herself out like that...

Are You Letting the Enemy In?

Yes, that is a snake.  It is trying to get in one of our basement windows.  A special window well, done for basement windows where a basement is.  Often snakes are found here, they try to get in, but thankfully can not.  The snake is often referred to represent the enemy of GOD ALMIGHTY...

 Just as this snake is doing -trying to get into our home, thus our lives-so this is just like the enemy of GOD, the fallen angel, satan and his demons who also tries to get into our lives.   Many Christians think -oh we don't want to talk about them, and I have heard many say, well, I am not sure they are real.  This is just what the enemy of YHWH wants people to believe.  That is how he-satan- gets into our lives. 

How well is your windows in your lives?  Are they strong enough to keep the enemy out? If they are not, that is because the LORD GOD YHWH is not in charge, is not first, and you are not submitted to HIM only.

It does not mean that you are not going to have hard times, it does not mean that the enemy will not be after you and your family, trying to cause problems.   In fact, I find that if I am living my life for CHRIST JESUS, aka YASHEUA, that the enemy will be on my tail even more!

So I say, check your windows everyone!  Check your doors, be sure every small or large opening to your home is sealed well to keep out the snakes, bugs, mice and the winter wind!  

But for your heart and your life-guard that too, allowing GOD to come in and seal those openings where the enemy tries to get in!

Whats New!

Well its been awhile since I have posted! What a busy spring and summer so far. But then, isn't it always? We built new garden boxes this year, and the tomatoes and some other plants are doing great! Tomatoes on the plants-they just need to ripen! Hopefully I will get enough to can!

The peppers were eaten by bunnies and goats, so had to replant those and they are not doing as good. Getting enough cucumbers to eat, but not can-so will have to purchase those. Enough yellow summer squash and green zucchini, last year-one or two plants did not produce enough and then this year, well 2 plants of each are keeping us in enough for a family of about 20!

So I need to replant some things, the carrots, beets, beans, radishes...as well as a few others. Thankfully there are family farms around here who also grow organic where I can purchase items if needed!

We have some new chickens. Got a bakers dozen, and lost all but about 6. That is not good odds! But those that survived are doing well.

Our youngest son, Dustin, his wife-Samantha, just left for the air force (boot camp) and Dustin will have to learn to cope with out his newlywed wife(just over 2 years married...so they are really still newlyweds!)

We still have barn siding to put up, a new chicken house to build, more saw dust around the outside of the garden boxes, and line that with stones to keep it in, stuff to move around on the farm to straighten it up a bit, and a garage that needs cleaning so very badly, a basement that needs stuff cleaned out (since all the kids moved out and left some stuff behind plus all of my old stuff) and new garage door...... THEN- New fence on the back land, and my front herb garden is still undone its a huge weed mess! Then this fall, we HAVE to repair our little cabin that the squirrels have destroyed! But we are waiting on the mosquitoes to die before going into the woods!

I love spending time around the house, gardening, sewing, knitting, even cleaning!

Marriage...Beginning Our Sunset Years...

Marriage Is......

It is sharing and caring, 
Giving and forgiving,
Loving and being loved,
Walking hand in hand
 

Talking heart to heart,
Seeing through each other's eyes,
Laughing together,
Weeping together,
Praying together
 

And always trusting and believing
And thanking God for each other.
For love that is shared is a beautiful thing
It enriches the soul and makes the heart sing.

Helen Steiner Rice

Today is our anniversary, we have been married for 31 years, but actually we have been together for 36 years.  That is a very long time in todays world-which is full of divorce.  At our ages, (54 and 48-almost 49) we are working towards our older years, thus coming what is known as the sunset years.

Here we are -as we looked when we 'met' all those years ago...

I always wondered how people stayed together for so long, and it seems like -wow-how quickly I am 'there'.  Our lives are not perfect, we are not perfect, but what we do have is commitment.

   The other reason we have stayed together for so long is our commitment to YHWH / GOD -and HIS ways.

There are actually 3 of us in the marriage-me, Scott and GOD.  That is the big 'secret' to making any marriage work.  If your selfish and only thinking of yourself, and not the other person, your marriage will fail.  If you do not keep yourself only unto your spouse, your marriage will fail.  Do not look at others and think-if only my spouse was like that, or looked like that...Accept your spouse with out any conditions to change.  Have good listening skills and be ready to say your sorry, then say it and mean it.  Dont say I am sorry, but  (we call it leaving the butt out-I guess that could be considered mooning to leave the butt out! So don't moon your spouse when your sorry!)  So just say those 3 little words-I am sorry- and adding -it was my fault --is a good thing too.!

Sometimes when our children listen to us talk, they get frustrated with how we communicate, but for us-it works.  Again, we are not perfect, but we love each other, so we will keep going in our relationship.

I love my husband, can not imagine life with out him.  As we grow older, the love is not the same as when you are first together, nor is it the same as those first few years.  It becomes a deeper love, with a knowledge that you can not really explain-just need to experience.

Grand Children Visit

the two youngest grand children visited today...we began by eating cheap pizza for lunch, and about a dozen oranges to combat the bad effects of terrible cheap pizza that is full of junk.  (although I did add extra cheese that is real cheese to add a bit of healthy stuff to it!)

No, don't put grandmothers pillows from the couch on the floor.

But look grandma-they make a side walk..

but they are not made to walk on so put them back on the couch...

twirl in a circle until you fall down and hit your head...then come cry to grandma

put the pillows back on the couch...

ok lets go out to the play ground (grandma and grampa's area they built for the grand children, swings, slide, 2 story play house, toys, merry go round, toy little tyke cars to drive around...and a chair for grandma!)

large bee bothering us.  Well actually he just kept coming up and watching us, flying in place about 2 feet away all the time, and after 15 minutes decided he had watched us enough so flew away.

grandma looks for bees nest and finds none.  gotta watch for that in the play area...

kids getting hot, drinking a lot of water...wanting grandma to push them on the swing, but grandma has been on the phone to an insurance company for over an hour...sigh.

Kids tired, hot want to go inside now.  Grandma hot, tired and off of the phone, and wants to go inside too.

Decision to pick dandelions and blow their seeds all over to reseed grandparents yard.  Must not run out.

Grandma decides to have kids pick the yellow dandelion flowers and she will make fritters out of them.

flour, real maple syrup, salt, pepper, a dash of chicken season and some olive oil and mix together and then apply to the dandelions and fry in some hot oil.  yum.

kids try them

one spits it  out after chewing away the flour mixture, and the other swallows his but no-does not want any more

put the pillows back onto the couch

curious george is on...kids like that...

crying, after brother throws a toy truck onto him

sitting on the couch, eyes droopy

grandma must stay awake

twirling and twirling (not grandma)

now big brother is sleeping

little brother is  jumping on the pillows -again....

grandma up to sweep a floor and do laundry...

Life goes on...

An Inspiring Story...

   I use to spend summer time

wading in the 

neighbors pond

 out in the field across the road from my home, looking for 

tadpoles, catching them and 

watching them turn into frogs.

Sadly, that pond has dried up  since my childhood...

But as a young child- 

I was thrilled when I could 

find frog 

eggs...so I could watch 

the process from egg to tad 

pole to

 frog..

so when I first saw this story, it did bring back fond 

memories for me of my 'study' of frogs....

"A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. The other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two unfortunate frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs tried with all of their might to jump out of the pit. The other frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that they wouldn’t be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible. They continued shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead.

But the two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could and became quite weary. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief.

The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted. Once again, the crowd of frogs started yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and—wonder of wonders—finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom and then, gathering around him asked, “Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?”

Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.  (what does GOD's word say about our tongue?)

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

So my 'moral of the story' is: 
(and was as a young mother-) 


I needed to discipline my children for their wrongs-for not following rules that are set up for their protection, because you can get into serious trouble if you do not obey the rules,  it can even cause death-


But I also needed to encourage them, not just 'yell' when they did things wrong-but educate and encourage them to learn from their mistakes, and move on...not give up.  


We are their cheering section in life!


A parents job is to guide them, help them learn from the small mistakes in life so as an adult when they encounter larger decisions on the path of life--decisions that if the wrong decision is made--it could have life threatening results.


 I want to trust that they will make the correct decision...

PLAY DOUGH

Some of you might already have this recipe, but for those of you who do not-here it is!


1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
food coloring (or you may use natural dyes from plants-see below)


Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last.  Stir over medium heat until smooth.  remove from pan and knead until blended smooth.  Place in plastic bag or air tight container when cooled.  Will last for a long time.


Kool-aid packages can also be used for dyes.


Natural colors -(these might not last as long -or may cause the play dough to 'spoil' sooner because of the food included-but usually the salt prevents that from happening..-so just check the play dough now and then)  There are many plants that are used for natural dyes, but I have only listed things here that will not have a 'medical' effect like many of the plants may have.


RED- beets
         Hibiscus flowers
         Wild ripe black berries
         choke cherries




YELLOW-Turmeric (brighter yellow)
                  Sunflowers (yellow)
                  Paprika (orange yellow)


BLUE-blueberries
           grapes


PINK- raspberries


GREEN-spinach
               grass


VIOLET-elderberries
              grapes
              blueberries


ORANGE-carrots


BROWN-walnut (the shells of black walnut )
               Tea