Spring Isn't Far!!

When I've gone through two boxes of my favorite cookies...

When it's 80 degrees two days in a row with sunshine....

When the daffodils and redbud trees are blooming...

When I get to ride on the new motorcycle, dig in my garden, and hit some tennis balls with my granddaughter all in one day...

When a storm rolls in with fresh rain, high wind, & dark skies...

Spring CAN'T be far away!  I love it!!!

Just a Taste

I know that the last two days have been "just a taste" of Spring and that by mid week Winter will most likely make a return.  But oh, how I've enjoyed being outside these two days!  Most everything in the garden is brown and much of it needed to be pulled out in the late fall, but since Mr. Winter decided to make an early appearance and stay full time instead of taking a break now and then, it didn't happen.

Imagine my surprise when I found this bright spot of green growing beautifully...

 What is it?  Why it's a cousin of this next little green spot...

Yep, they are both weeds!  Why is it that those weeds can grow, prosper, and live even through the winter when nothing else does?  Or why are the mosquitoes and flies and wasps out after just two days of warmth?!!!
It's kind of like life: the things we don't want (to do, to have, to experience, to endure..) are often plentiful, yet the things we want to grow in our lives (peace, patience, kindness, joy, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, long suffering, and self control*) take lots of cultivation.

I tried something this year I've never done... I brought a geranium in the house and have tried to keep it alive and healthy.  My grandma in Indiana used to bring her geraniums into the detached garage that had a sunny window and set them there for the winter.  They always survived, got bigger and more beautiful the next summer, and created a sweet memory for me.  My grandpa did wood working in his garage and I loved to be out there with him when he was working on something.  He was a man of few words but didn't seem to mind the magpie chattering away next to him...

But since I know this is just a reprieve from winter, I'll enjoy the Paper Whites while they last.  They have a quick, short life but they are a nice little pick-me-up with lovely fragrance to hold me over till spring.

*Galatians 5:22

A Postscript

Lest you think I am "a brave soul" (as Amy commented), I should give you some background on "Me & The Motorcycle"...

For years I was adamantly against motorcycles.  I had a nursing background... I knew what could happen on a motorcycle (I also read news articles...)  My hubby wouldn't have even thought of getting on a motorcycle, knowing it would have brought my wrath down upon him!

  Then just a few years ago DH was leading a young men's Bible study & they were going through John Eldredge's book, Wild At Heart.  Wanting to know more about the subject, I picked up the book one day & began reading through it.  On page 43 John says, "So many guys have been told to put that adventurous spirit behind them & 'be responsible,' meaning, live only for duty."  One of the things the guys had discussed was what things they might one day feel they had missed out on or wished they had done.

  So I asked DH if there was anything he felt he'd missed out on, or that he wished he had done or could do.  Of course at first he denied having any of those thoughts.  But we were married at age 20 (after dating for nearly 3 yrs.), so I probed some more.  Finally he said, "Well... I would liked to have had a motorcycle to ride."  Without hesitation I said, "Your kids are raised, your insurance is paid up, go for it."  Not believing my response, he had a motorcycle within two weeks!  He says he didn't want to give me time to change my mind.

Of the two of us, he is the cautious one... He has the title of "Safety Man" in our family and in our church family and friends.  So he got a temporary motorcycle license (oh yes, it's a different license that is temporary until you decide to go for the driving test that gives you a permanent one & allows you to carry a passenger).  He was very careful, always wears a jacket full of body armor, riding boots, padded jeans, gloves, & of course a helmet.  He moved up from the first motorcycle (small) to a bigger one, then on up to "Blue".

 Eventually he asked if I would like to try riding with him... he knew a coworker who had a helmet I could borrow (now this gal is not my idea of a "motorcycle woman"... whatever that is!  She is petite, feminine, dainty...)  I told him I'd give it a try with no promises.  He brought the helmet home the next day!  I felt very claustrophobic with the helmet, but went for the ride.  And I really enjoyed it!  When I told him both of those things, he said, "We can get you a better fitting helmet."  And within a week I had my own helmet & full-of-body-armor jacket!  The rest is history...

I know people get killed on motorcycles (people get killed in lots more cars).  I know that there are a lot of reasons not to ride a motorcycle...  But at our stage of life, there are very few "daring" things to do & we no longer have the responsibilities of having a young family.  So that's my story of the motorcycle...

Thanks For the Memories

I never dreamed I would ever do this... I wasn't sure I'd like it at all before I tried it... I thought of all the "what ifs"...  but I am glad I let some of the daring in me seep out so I could join my hubby ...

  

I found out I really enjoyed it (in *small doses... more on that later), and that it was fun, and that it was a great way to spend some time with my hubby (we have ear phones & microphones in our helmets...)

and that I could even be "stylin' in color" while taking my life in my hands (though I pray a lot, before & during a ride, I don't worry... my life is in His hands anyway.)

Even another family member got in on the pleasure of the ride (good thing we're the same size!)

*I found out that riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway 265 miles in weather a little too cool for comfort was not fun for me!  I am a fair-weather rider: not below 65, not above 85... I know, it's a small range.  And I prefer the sun to be shining or at least just hiding behind a cloud or two.

So today as "Blue" rode off on someone else's trailer, I had to say, "thanks for the memories..."  And I said to the new owner, "I hope you enjoy it as much as we have."

But don't be sad for us....

Bigger is not always better, and "Blue" was just a little too big.

"Grayson" is a tad smaller and will still carry both of us... and is waiting to be outfitted with a topcase so I'll be able to ride with him again. (In motorcycle talk, that's the case that sits on the back that the rider can lean against...)

Stop & Smell the...Flowers

There is a fragrance in our house that is a hint of spring...

In the kitchen it is hyacinth...

And though I love the white in my kitchen, I'm hoping that those planted in the yard will be a variety of colors as shown on the package...

In the sunroom the Paper Whites have gone crazy!  Remember how small they were just a few days ago (see post on 2/11)?  Yes, in 3 days time they have gone to this!  I told you that you could probably stand there & watch them grow!

(I thought maybe you could get more of an idea of their wildness size with a darker background...)  Realizing that they could set off the motion detector on our alarm if we were gone, I knew I had to do something with them.

So I got out the little plant stakes & wire I had just found 2 days ago cleaning out a junk drawer.

Now they are standing tall and no longer a threat to a false alarm such as we had about a week ago when a picture fell on the floor (and broke the glass in the frame) early one morning when we were sleeping a little late because it was pouring rain and since we hadn't gotten properly registered when we eliminated our land line the deputy sheriff showed up in his long rain coat and waterproof hat, and I had to bring hubby's ID out to prove that he lives here...

So the sunroom is filled with a different fragrance!  And with a few warmer days this week, spring really is on the horizon...

Valentine's Day

Hearts and flowers and cards and candy and romance....  Those are the things we typically think of for Valentine's Day.  For those with a sweetheart it's a day for celebrating love. For those without "romance" it can be a tough day...
But this Valentine's Day was a graduation day for one sweet lady... she finally "won" her battle with cancer.  One of her daughters posted this on FB this AM:

‎"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us 


alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace


 you have been saved." Eph 2:4-5 


Mom just left for her Divine Date with the Lover of her soul. Happy


 Valentine's Day, Mom. I love you. See you soon.


With Jesus as the Lover of my soul, I will never be alone (even when I may be lonely); I have nothing to fear (even when I am fearful); I am always unconditionally loved (even when I am most unlovely); I am safe (even when I am in a dangerous situation); I have a secure Home (even when foreclosures are going on everywhere); I have the promise of a Divine Date when I will go to be with Him forever.

Sunday Reflections

 I received this in an email today, so I want to give credit to whomever wrote it (but I don't know...)

But what a reminder that everyone needs Christ and we may have to leave our comfort zone to reach some...

Living Bible:   His name is Tim. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.. One day Tim decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tim  starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable,  but no one says anything. Tim gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tim. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tim and worships with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion.... When the minister gains control, he says, 'What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget..' 'Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people willever read!

What's Your Favorite?

I LOVE this time of year (NOT weatherwise) for one reason:

What's your favorite?

Here We Grow Again...

If you've been reading my blog for long, you know that I LOVE plants and flowers; and that winter is NOT my favorite season; and that I can hardly wait for spring (warm weather, getting my fingers in the soil, warm sunshine...)
But to enhance the wait for spring I like to plant some "indoor bloomers" to give me a taste of what's to come.
So on Jan. 21 I planted some hyacinth bulbs inside...

(Sorry for the poor quality of the photo...)

 And this is what they look like today...

Yes, that is a bloom peeking up from the top!

And like last year, I planted some Paper Whites, which grow so fast that I think you literally could stand there and watch them grow!

The blooms are about to "pop" on them so I'll have more pictures in a couple of days.

And the Amaryllis is on its second blooming now...  The stem is 15" and it's a good thing it is sturdy because it's going to have to support 4 big blooms!

So that's my tired of this stinkin' cold! "earlier-than-spring" garden for now...

Utmost Comfort

It seems like so many people are going through "rough times" right now, whether small annoyance-type or major intense ones and everything in between.  A friend shared the quote below that I found such an encouragement and hope it will be for you, too.

"There's nothing which shows our ignorance so much as our impatience under trouble. We forget that every cross is a message from God and intended to do us good in the end. Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible, to drive us to our knees. Health is a good thing, but sickness is far better if it leads us to God. Prosperity is a great mercy, but adversity is a greater one if it brings us to Christ."
- JC Ryle

Real Comfort Food

There's something  "elegant" about being served in nice surroundings by nice people and having nice food... (oooh, why didn't someone tell me to "fix the hair" before this picture?!)

And when the presentation is so nice, the food doesn't even have to be the best (which this was more about presentation than taste...)

Though this combination is pretty hard to beat...

But back on the home front, there's nothing like real comfort food like we had for dinner tonight:
whole wheat linguini with homemade pesto from last summer's garden... mmmmmm!!

Turn on a Dime

It's amazing how quickly things can change...  Last week the little man had croup, which he usually gets every winter and had avoided so far.  He was pitiful: lost his voice, dark circles under the eyes, "droopy" in stature, and just felt miserable.  But the medicine began to do its work and he didn't have to visit the ER this time.  The girls were doing great and went to "WinterJam" (a Christian "rock-fest" with big name groups), on Sat. night with their mom.

Then came Sunday AM: one of them woke up with a fever and cough.  But the other one was fine, peppy, and her usual happy self.  I hugged her in the church lobby and watched her go off to their regular seats (yes, we're all such creatures of habit that if we miss church others know it...)  By Sunday afternoon she had a fever and cough!  By this AM the first one had an earache and little man seemed to be slipping a bit.  So off to the germ factory Dr.'s office they all went.  He was okay, first girl had no ear infection (probably a cold with fever), and #2 girl... PNEUMONIA!  She rarely gets sick, but when she does... wow, she really does it!  After a breathing treatment and a prescription for a breather/inhaler she got settled on the couch with a humidifier (while the other two were settled in the same room so they all could "breathe".)

And I did what any grandma would do: I put on the homemade chicken noodle soup.  Made a big pot of it and took it over, holding my breath when I put it on the stove and quickly exited.  There, I've avoided the germs... until I got the call...

To hear your daughter sobbing because her daughter is having trouble breathing 45 minutes after a breathing treatment results in throwing all caution to the wind!  I told her to call the doctor back and that I'd be right over ("and don't argue with me... I am coming over!")  In my subconscious once a nurse, always a nurse I drudged up what she might need, and mostly prayed.  It's sure good to be needed, but I'd rather other ways of being so.

Turns out that after going from downstairs to upstairs she got winded, and with pneumonia that means trouble.  She was back on the sofa when I got there and breathing fine.  But it is scary and having had it myself, I reassured her that taking slower breaths and not trying so hard would help.  Later when she asked her mama, "Am I going to die?" I just about lost it.  Putting words to a fear was probably very difficult for this one, but she let it out.  I thought the love for this little gal was going to overwhelm me!

It was another reminder of the tremendous love the Father has for us and that He cares so deeply about everything in our lives.  The depth of love I have for my children and grandchildren is indescribable, yet small in comparison to God's love for me, for us, for all those who belong to Him!

It also reminded me that life can turn on a dime: but God never changes.  How thankful I am to know that!

Oh, The Joys!

Oh, the joys of being a grandparent!

Seeing the fun that snow brings without being out in it (except long enough to run out and take a few pictures...)  I don't claim to be one of those who loves cold weather!!!

 Getting to laugh at the "snaggle-tooth" and remember going through that phase with my own children...

(The tooth on the left had moved almost to the center because it was so loose, but it really wasn't quite ready to be pulled.)

And then seeing the "proud results" (and laughing some more!)  He really doesn't look like Fang Mouth because he had to pull his upper lip back for me to see his gap.  Usually his smile barely shows what's missing.
He is such a sweet little fellow and he comes up with the funniest things (his mom has said for a long time that he just keeps her in stitches...)
Like the other day he came into my bathroom and when he looked at the rug in there he said, "Mimi, is this a giraffe?"

I'll admit it does look kind of like the pattern on a giraffe, but it's black and cream...
I asked, "Do you mean is it a giraffe skin?"  "Yes," he replied.  "No," I said, "but it does look like the giraffe's pattern, doesn't it?"  "But this is black... What color is a giraffe?"
"It's brown," he said.  He's SO smart....!  And so cute!!!
Yes, those are some of the joys of being a grandparent.

What's Yours?

What do you get when you put 14 women of various ages together for an evening in a home setting with pretty Valentine decor at the table, candlelight, & lots of yummy desserts?  I imagine the answer could vary depending on the women... But these 14 are in Life Class together (that's the more "hip" name for Sunday School).  Some knew each other more than others, but this was our evening to get to know everyone better & just relax.
 Now the dynamics of this group is quite interesting: two are over 60 (yes, I'd be one of those); two are pregnant (and one of them will be having her baby on Monday!); one (who is not part of the 60 group) has grown sons; one has a newly adopted baby who is almost 3 months old (yes, she was able to leave him for the evening in the hands of his very adoring daddy) and another has a 3 month old baby; two had sick children at home (so they really were ready for an evening out); and all were ready for some "girl talk!"
  I loved the way everyone seemed to shift from one cluster to another throughout the evening, engaging with different gals.  And though we didn't seem to have trouble finding something to gab about, eventually we all sat in the same room for an "ice breaker".

There were three options as to what each one could share:
1) What do you miss about being a little girl.
 2) What's the most favorite pair of shoes you've ever had.
3) If you had plenty of time, what hobby would you like to try?  Some answers were sweet & poignant, some were funny (to the point that we were all rolling with laughter), and some were revealing about the "secret desires of the heart".  My daughter's was one that I'd have to tag along on... for a "hobby" she said she'd have Samantha Brown's job of travelling all over the world, staying at luxurious places, eating at fine restaurants, seeing all the beautiful scenery, and getting paid for it! (Uh, I think that's a job instead of a hobby, but like I said, I'd tagalong!)                                                

Since we only got to share one last night, I thought I'd share all three of mine today with you (time for bloggers block to stop!)
1) I miss being with my grandma who always made me feel loved, special, welcome, part of her household when I was there (as in, helping with chores that seemed much more fun at her house than at home; letting me help her cook/bake; knowing where everything was, etc.)  Although she never knew Christ and had no real interest in spiritual matters (though she went to church every Sunday and helped with every church function meal), she was my example of being a good grandma.
I have tried to make sure my grandchildren feel loved, special, welcome, and part of our household when they are here, while also trying to impart Christian principles and values to them to reinforce what they are getting at home.

2) My favorite pair of "shoes" was my marching boots when I was in high school.  They were heavy, clunky, and white, which meant that they had to be polished with white shoe polish every time I was ready to wear them.  But having them meant of was in the "Rhythmettes" which was really cool to be a part of.  We wore purple corduroy long sleeved, very short skirted outfits that had white bunny fur around the cuffs, skirt bottoms,  & collars.  We marched with the band at games and in parades, and did a "dance routine" (I use that phrase very loosely because it was nothing like the ones today, but more precision with lots of high kicks) using purple & white pompoms.  We also wore a little headband of the same materials as the outfit.  So putting on those white boots gave me a real sense of achievement in that I had made it!

3) The hobby part has nothing to do with lack of time but more of lack of "guts".  I think I would like to sky-dive, but so far I just don't have the guts to try it.  Maybe one of these days...

So now you know more about me than you ever wanted to know....
And I'm glad you came back in spite of my respite from blogging (which was totally unintentional.)