68 and Counting

How can I be 68 years old already? My Granny was 67 when I got married, and she was ancient! My mom only had 2 years left to live at my current age. I don’t feel that old!

It has been a great “birthday week!” Last Saturday, Ricky’s family came and spent the day. We made homemade ice cream, blew bubbles, played, visited, and I spent most of the day holding sweet Shelbi. Such a delight!

Monday was my LAST therapy session. I’m not “cured”, but I can effectively work at home to continue my recovery. My OT did a final evaluation, which showed significant improvement in every area. My grip strength had risen from 17 lbs (early in my treatment) to 36 lbs. (I can do 52 lbs with my right hand.) We think a lot of my finger stiffness and soreness is from arthritis. I guess the inflammation from everything that has happened made what arthritis I had worse. (I didn’t really notice much, if any, problems before surgery) I have sensation in all fingers now, although it is still far from normal in my index finger and thumb. (I have a lot of hypersensitivity.) My therapist did say I've progressed to the point to where I don't have to worry about seriously hurting myself. Before I couldn't have felt it if I had cut or burned myself. I'm still very careful but gaining confidence. I’m getting to where I can do most anything now…even turn a doorknob…sometimes. My fine motor skills are still pretty limited, but progress is being made!

After my therapy session, we drove to Paris to spend the night. Stephen’s family were gone on vacation, so we didn’t get to visit with them. Instead, we went to watch a movie, “Young  Washington”. There were only about 6 of us in the whole theatre, which is the way I like it! We enjoyed the movie, then stopped at DQ for a treat on our way back to our room.

The next morning we drove to Texarkana to visit with Dennis’ cousins: Jimmy & Sandy and Terry & Sandra. Sandy served us all lunch, and we had a great time catching up with all of them! 

The next leg of our journey took us to our “cabin” on Lake Catherine. It was so nice. It sat at the end of a dead-end road, overlooking the Ouachita River…so quiet and peaceful and beautiful. The weather was overcast (a little rainy) and cool…great for sitting out on our balcony. We spent Wednesday pretty much just relaxing. We did a little shopping in Hot Springs. The main place I wanted to go was a pottery place that has been owned by the same family for 80 years. I love pottery! It was a mini museum, store, and working pottery shop. I kept looking for “just the right piece” and was about to give up, when I noticed a special collection in a glass cabinet. It was all crystalline pottery. I’d never heard of or seen anything like it. It was so pretty and unique! I fell in love with a lidded vase, but it was way too expensive. Dennis insisted on buying it for my birthday. I love it!

sunset

morning mist

birthday vase

Thursday we spent the day with Warren and Linda. It was the first time we’ve had a chance to visit with them in a couple of years. We so enjoyed our time together! I love their new house. Not only is it perfectly suited for their current needs, but it is so light and pretty. That evening we met up with Ben and Laura’s family and Rebekah and Daniel’s family for dinner. It was nice to finally meet Daniel and their 2 sweet little boys. It was a great day!

Yesterday’s drive home went smoothly. We thoroughly enjoyed our little vacation, but as always, it felt good to be home. This afternoon we’re going to Ricky & Amber’s for my birthday dinner. Ricky is grilling us steaks. YUM! I’m also looking forward to some more snuggle time with Shelbi. They say that evenings are when she is most awake, so I’m hoping to actually get to see her eyes! Ha!

Take care and stay cool!

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

July Celebrations and Travels

 Happy 4th of July weekend! We are starting the weekend off by attending Stacey and DJ's wedding tomorrow. So happy for them! Stacey has been one of my girls since we moved here 21 years ago. I'm so glad go see her find such a good man. 

So far, we don't have any plans for Saturday. I do have a watermelon chilling in my fridge, so there's that! Our local fireworks display is planned for Sunday night. I am wanting to watch that. I'm really hoping they have something special planned. I LOVE fireworks!

I am now down to having therapy every other week. It sure is nice not having to drive over there so often. I'm continuing to make slow but steady progress. I saw my doctor yesterday, and he said there is nothing more he can do. He fully expects my hypersensitivity to resolve as the nerves continue to heal. That's good news! He couldn't be as reassuring as far as me getting all of the feeling and function back though. He said we'll just have to wait and see. I still have several more months of healing to do. Nerves take a LONG time to heal!

I am still regaining function. I crocheted a hot pad, sewed a curtain, and knitted a dishrag last month. I have to really pace myself, so as not to over-stimulate the nerves. But it is getting less clumsy to do hand work. I am so very thankful to return to doing the things that I enjoy. Even if I don't get full feeling and function back, I have enough to have a fairly normal life. I'm just a little slower and clumsier than I used to be. 

As most of you have heard, we have a new granddaughter, Shelbi. She is perfect! I try to make it over to snuggle with her at least once a week. She and Amber are both doing great! I have started cutting out squares and strips to make Shelbi a rag quilt. I'm hoping to start sewing a little this afternoon. I'm doing a very different style this time. alternating blocks and strips. Hope it goes well! I am a bit rusty.

Next week, we have a quick trip planned to Amarillo for Arian's wedding. This seems to be the summer for getting married! The following week, we plan a trip to Lake Catherine in Hot Springs. We want to visit with our family in Benton while there. It has been a while since we last had a good visit with Warren and Linda. We are really looking forward to the trip!

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Stay cool!

Ps 147:2-3 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

 

Progress!

 I hope everyone is enjoying summer so far! Although the temperatures are rising, we haven't hit 100 degrees yet, and we are still having enough rain to keep things green and lush. It has been a delightful Spring!

We went to Amarillo over the Memorial Day weekend for their meeting. We really enjoyed the trip! The lessons were very good, and it was great to visit with everyone. I handled the trip fine and was able to drive about half the time. It did feel good to get home though.

I'm still going to therapy...just once a week now, instead of twice a week. I was reevaluated today, and my OT was very happy with the results. I'm showing improvements across the board. On the peg test, I was able to put all the pegs in their holes and then remove them in 36 seconds! I'm regaining sensation in my thumb and index finger, and I'm able (barely) to touch my pinkie with my thumb. My therapist wants to continue to see me weekly for the next 4 weeks, then drop to every other week for the following 4 weeks. She thinks by then, I'll be ready to continue on my own. I still think it will be months before I regain full function, but I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel! Hallelujah!

I gave up on trying to knit, yet, because it irritated my hands so much. However, I tried crocheting over the weekend and was able to do a little. I'm slow and clumsy, but it is working! I'm hoping to try doing some sewing this week. I need to make the curtains for the women's restroom at church. It should be all machine sewing, so I think I'll be able to handle it. (There is no way that I could thread a regular needle right now!) It is great to be able to do more normal things again!

Baby Shelbi should be arriving this month. She is scheduled for June 26, unless she decides to come before then. We are all really looking forward to having another baby!

Enjoy the summer, stay cool and hydrated, and be safe if you travel!

Ge 8:22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease."

 

Taking things a day at a time

 Therapy is still going well. My OT evaluated me Thursday, and I had made improvements across the board, except for my index finger. It is taking longer to recover than everything else. She had me do a peg test a couple of weeks ago. I first did it with my good hand, and it took 17 seconds. Then trying it with my left hand, I could only get 3 out of 12 pegs in the holes in a minute. She repeated the test Thursday, and I got 6...twice as many. Still pathetic, but an improvement none the less. She gauged the strength of my grip for the first time. My good hand did 47 pounds. My left, only 18 pounds. So I still have quite a way to go!

I am getting better at using my left hand on a daily basis. I'm trying to use it normally as much as possible. Since my index finger is still essentially dead, I am pretty clumsy. I'm constantly challenging myself, though. I've started working out with weights again, just much lighter than I do with my right hand. Last week I got some chunky knitting needles and yarn and started trying to knit some. Again, it is a clumsy endeavor, but I'm doing it. I pushed a little too hard though. My therapist warned me about that when I told her what I was doing. It was already too late...my hand had a flare-up for a couple of days (intense tingling/stinging and stiffness with swelling). So I had to give it a rest all day yesterday. It is doing quite a bit better today. She instructed me to set a timer when I knit...only 20-30 minutes at a time. I'll be sure to start doing that!

I've been getting out and about more lately. (Extended riding in the car had been irritating my hand.) I'm able to drive fine now, using my left hand. I'm also back to babysitting the littles...even had them sleep over a couple of nights. Last week, we took a quick trip to Paris to see Stephen's family and celebrate the girls' birthdays. It was so good to see them all again! It had been too long. Tonight, Sheila's family is coming over for a belated birthday dinner for Caleb. It has been quite a while since we've seen them, too. It is so nice to get back into a more normal routine!

Well, that's about it for what's been going on around here. Hope everything is going well for each of you!

Mt 15:29-30 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.

 

Happy Holidays!

I love this time of year! The weather has finally turned chilly. Pretty lights are hung around town. Christmas music is playing on the radio. And best of all, we get to spend special times with friends and family.

November was busy! Archer and Kacey came for a sleepover, plus I babysat a couple of other times. Ben’s family stayed with us during the Highway meeting. We loved having them and visiting with everyone who attended. We made a quick trip to Harrison for Ken’s funeral. We were so saddened by his passing! He was such a special guy…always there for whoever needed him. My heart breaks for dear Kelli. She is too young to be a widow.

On our way home from Harrison, we stopped by and picked up Amber and Kacey. Ricky and Archer had gone to the funeral and weren’t coming home until Sunday evening. So the girls spent the night and Sunday with us. Kacey was pretty excited to have all of us to herself!

Thanksgiving was wonderful! It was loud and busy and fun. The weather was beautiful, so the kids spent most of the day outside playing. We all (except Dennis) played a silly game where we took turns acting out instructions given on cards drawn…trying to make everyone else laugh. During Gracie’s first turn, she was acting like a T-Rex going around attacking everyone. Archer was warily watching her. As soon as she got to him, he raised is arms as if holding a shotgun, and shot! Didn’t even have to think about it. No T-Rex was going to get him! Ha ha! A little later on, Kacey decided she wanted to play. She made the rounds to everyone saying, “Strawberries”, very earnestly, getting right in their faces. It was hilarious!

Thanksgiving cookies

The next day was Archer and Kacey’s birthday party. Since it was also Amber’s 30^th birthday, Ricky had asked me to surprise her with her own cake. She was surprised! I had a close call with her the day before, when we were getting leftovers out of the garage refrigerator (where I was storing her cake). She followed me to help, and I had to block her to keep her from looking in the fridge. She thought it was odd, but understood as soon as I brought in her cake to the party. It was a great party and lots of fun!

birthday bunch

Kacey's new kitchen

Amber's birthday cake

Dennis killed his second deer last month. It was a nice 10-point! He leaves this Saturday to go to South Texas for his drawn trophy hunt. He’ll be gone all week. I sure hope he brings home the best deer he’s ever gotten. He is pretty excited! Diane plans to come spend a couple of nights while he’s gone. Then next Friday is our annual viewing of “White Christmas” at the Grapevine Palace theatre.

Tuesday evening we went to watch Nam’s choir concert. It is amazing how much improvement was made since last year! The kids did great! Then yesterday, Amber and the kids are came over for the day. Again, we had beautiful weather, so we were able to get outside and play: riding the 4-wheeler, swinging on the rope swing, pushing the kids around in the deer hauler, and just enjoying the warm sunshine. Like I said before, I love this time of year!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Fall Fun and Health Issues

 Amber and I took the kids to our local Pumpkin Patch the last Saturday of September. We all had a blast! The kids could have happily spent all day. Archer rode the little mini-train a couple of times. Kacey was a little too scared to try it. They loved playing in the dried corn tubs. There were also games that they played, as well as little houses to play in. At one point Kacey saw an Adirondack chair next to a food truck. She made a beeline for it and settled herself in nicely…just like she does in mine. LOL! I love being able to take the kids to stuff like that and watch them have fun!

Kacey crawled in the train but got out before it departed.

The next weekend we enjoyed a quick trip to Paris to celebrate Shepherd’s birthday. We gave him his present first thing…a small air hockey table. After he and Jesse assembled it, they immediately started playing. Things got a little rowdy! Ha! After supper we spent the evening relaxing on the front porch watching the kiddos play. Such a perfect night! The weather was just right, and we didn’t even have to worry with mosquitos. We visited and played with the kids Saturday morning, enjoyed a nice lunch that Mandy fixed us, then headed home. Lovely!

Sheila was scheduled for surgery the next Monday morning, so we headed to the hospital first thing. Dennis stayed until he was able to see her after she had awakened from the anesthesia and was settled in her room. I spent the night so Matt could go home to be with Nam. Even though she was in some pain (although not too severe), we were able to enjoy our visit that evening. We stayed up talking until after midnight. She was released around noon the next day. Surgery went well, everything checked out ok, and her recovery has been good.

After we got home from the hospital, Dennis and I both came down with a nasty cold. We felt bad for a good 2 weeks. Ricky’s family also had it during the same time. We are pretty much over it now and able to get back to a normal schedule. We didn’t get much of anything done for those 2 weeks though!

Dennis went bowhunting Monday and killed his first deer of the season…a nice big fat doe. All I had left in the freezer was 2 packages of jerky meat and 1 package of hamburger, so I was very thankful to see more meat come in! I had made up a double batch of jerky on Sunday. I just love how good the house smells when I’m drying it. I have just enough meat left to make up another double batch right before Thanksgiving. My boys (and others) love to snack on venison jerky!

Yesterday I took Amber and the kids to the FW Zoo. The weather was perfect! We had such a good time. Kacey is finally old enough to really enjoy the zoo. We rode the carousel, and she did so well…sitting up on her horse like a big girl. The kids enjoyed the petting zoo and “brushing” the goats. They loved playing in the playhouse area. I think they could have stayed there all day. Archer really liked the snake house and even petted a snake. Kacey was pretty much freaked out by it and was ready to leave! We ended the day with a trip to the gift shop, where I let the kids each pick out a stuffed animal. Kacey made a beeline for everything pink and ended up with a rainbow colored lion cub. Archer took much longer making up his mind. He really wanted something that could fly, but he couldn't decide what. He finally opted for the CUTEST bat. He is very soft and cuddly and has amazing wings! Fun day!

Kacey loved riding piggyback, but hasn't quite learned to hang on well.

Worn out little guy hugging his bat

Tired little girl with her colorful lion cub

While I was down with my cold I was able to crochet a shawl using Tunisian crochet. It took a little while to get the technique down but worked up nicely once I got the hang of it. It will be nice for the cooler temperatures that we are supposed to start getting this next week.

Yes, it has pockets!

I hope you are all enjoy this beautiful fall weather that has finally arrived and are able to spend it with loved ones!

Mt 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Hello, Autumn, my old friend!

 It doesn't really feel like fall yet, but it is officially here...and the forecast shows a cooling trend for the rest of the week. Bring it on! I went ahead and put out my fall decorations over the weekend. I'm always happy to enter into this season!

Things have been really busy over the past month! We began by celebrating Matt's birthday on Aug.16. It was nice to have him and Sheila and Nam over to celebrate. The following week I started suffering with my annual Labor Day sinus stuff. Happens every year in late Aug/early Sept. I finally broke down on Saturday morning and went to Urgent Care to get some antibiotics and prednisone. That REALLY helped. I had a busy week the next week getting ready for Labor Day weekend. The prednisone gave me the extra "oomph" needed to get everything done! Melissa and Jared's family came and stayed with us for the whole long weekend. They were such a joy to have in our home! We loved visiting with them and everyone else who gathered over the weekend at Lake Mineral Wells State Park. We also loved having all of the visitors with us at Eastside on Sunday morning. We actually had a pretty full house! It was great!

The next weekend, Stephen's family came and spent the night. It was so good to have them here! The kids are all growing up so fast. We don't get to spend nearly enough time with them.

The following Friday, Amber brought the kids over early and left them so she could work on another sculptured cowboy boot cake. It is hard for her to do such an involved project with 2 little ones to care for. We went ahead and kept them overnight so Rick and Amber could enjoy a date night. As always, the kids were so good, and we had a lot of fun with them. Their parents came after lunch on Saturday to get them and spent the afternoon visiting. I love having them so close!

Ricky had to go out of state for work this week, so Amber and the kids came over yesterday to go to church with us and have a sleepover. They spent all day today, too. As well as enjoying our time with the kiddos, I really enjoyed getting to visit with Amber last night after everyone else went to bed. It is rare for us to have one on one time! We barely made it to bed before midnight. Thankfully the kids didn't wake up too early this morning!

Dennis' cataract surgeries both ended up being very successful, and he is really enjoying his much improved eyesight. He can see better than he's been able to for MANY years! It makes me look forward to having mine done next year. I'm hoping for as favorable results as he has had.

Dennis finished up the men's restroom at church and has started working on the women's. He got everything demo'ed and is making good progress putting up the new sheetrock. Our (very) old building isn't easy to work on...nothing is square or level, and there are holes everywhere. It should really look and function so much better when he's done remodeling it!

I wish that I had thought to take a "before" picture. The difference is remarkable!

I haven't done much handwork lately. I was so busy getting ready for company and having company that I just wasn't really in the mood to get ambitious with my crafting. I haven't touched my linen stitch (knitted) hand towel in weeks. It is so slow going and gives my old, arthritic hands a hard time. I did try out a new kind of crochet, Tunisian crochet. It took me a couple of false starts, but I finally figured it out and made a hot pad. I love how it worked up! I'd originally plan to use it for a dishcloth, but it is thicker than I like to use for that purpose (doesn't dry quickly enough, so it can sour easily). But I love the thickness and texture as a hot pad. When I got my fall decorations out, I decided to replace the stems in my crocheted pumpkins with crocheted ones (instead of the cinnamon sticks that I'd originally used). The kids like having soft toys to play with and throw, and I was worried that the sticks might hurt someone...besides the fact that they like to pull them out. So I crocheted up some stems and sewed them on. They were a hit! Crocheting also bothers my hands, but I bought some compression (fingerless) gloves to wear when working. I still have to rest my hands occasionally, but the gloves definitely do help.

Tunisian crocheted hot pad

We have a local farmer's market that is open 2 Saturdays a month "in season". It had been quite a while since I'd checked it out, so I went Saturday. I was much more impressed with it than times past when I'd gone. I got a free-range chicken, some fresh eggs, some local mushrooms and honey, and a couple of other small items. So far, I've only tried the pioppino mushrooms. I'd never even heard of them before. I put them in the boeuf Bourguignon that I cooked for supper tonight. Amber and Dennis seemed to like them. They pretty much tasted like regular mushrooms to me, just a little firmer in texture. I'd like to try out some of the other varieties that they had. I'm really looking forward to cooking the chicken and eggs that I bought. I love being able to buy fresh, local produce.

This coming Saturday is the opening of our local pumpkin patch for the season. Amber is planning to bring the kids, so we can go together. The last time we took Archer to it was 2 years ago. (Last year we took him to the one at Clark Gardens.) I'm excited to see both him and Kacey enjoying the activities they have planned! Life is so much fun with littles!

The following weekend, we plan to go to Paris to celebrate Shepherd's birthday. October starts our busy birthday season. We have Shepherd, Dennis, Mandy and Stephen in October. Then we have Archer, Nam, Kacey and Amber in November. The last 3 months of the year can get quite festive and full!

Take care, enjoy the changing colors of autumn and cooler temperatures, and remember to give thanks in everything!

 1Th 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

Summertime

 Here it is late summer already. We have had a very mild and wet summer up until about a week or so ago. Temperatures are hitting the 100°+ mark regularly now, though. We did have a lovely rainstorm earlier this week, which is always welcome in August! I’m really thankful for the milder weather this year, but I am already looking forward to fall.

Since my last post we had a sleepover with Nam. He wanted me to teach him to crochet. We gave it a good go, but I think he’s still a little young to have the necessary left hand dexterity. You don’t realize how many things you need to think about and do at the same time when crocheting until you try to break it down to teach someone. Maybe in a year or so he’ll be ready, if he’s still interested.

Dennis had cataract surgery on his right eye back in late July and on his left eye this week. His right eye has done amazingly well! He could immediately see much better out of it. Things didn’t go as well on his left eye. The surgery went well, and all is good, but he’s had some swelling which has caused his vision to be blurry. It is slowly improving every day. He can see pretty well out of it now, but it isn’t nearly as sharp as his right eye yet. He has been amazed at how clear his vision is now, and how bright everything is. He’s never been one to wear sunglasses, but he has had to since his surgeries. My cataracts are due for removal next year. At my last eye appointment my ophthalmologist said they were getting close, but we could put it off another year. I can tell that they’ve gotten worse in the few months since then.

Since Dennis has been restricted (on lifting and doing anything that might get stuff in his eyes), he hasn’t gotten much done on the church house lately. He should be able to get back to it next week. He is close to finishing up the bathroom vanity in the men’s room. After that, he just has to finish out the trim in there. He won’t begin on the lady’s restroom until after Labor Day. The Young family is having their annual Labor Day get-together at the MW State Park this year, so we want both restrooms serviceable when we have the extra visitors. We are really looking forward to having it so close to us this year! We had to miss last year, since we were babysitting Archer and Kacey that weekend.

We kept the littles last Friday, because Amber had a very busy cake schedule that day. Since Ricky’s birthday was the next day, we fixed supper for them to celebrate. We fried fish, shrimp, French fries, and hushpuppies. We also had fresh cantaloupe and watermelon. After supper the guys went out to the shooting range. They hadn’t been gone 30 minutes before Kacey started throwing up. I was pretty sure (from her stomach contents) that it was a virus. Sure enough, Archer got sick the next day, then Amber another day or two later. It was a nasty bug! I really felt sorry for all of them. I couldn’t go help out, since I had to take Dennis for his surgery early Tuesday morning. I couldn't afford to get sick or get him sick. They made it through ok, but they really had a rough few days!

I’ve just been working on a couple of knitting and crocheting projects lately. I found this really pretty pattern for knitted dishcloths and towels. It works up looking like it is woven. It took me a couple of tries to finally get the hang of it. I still have to really focus on it while I’m working. I normally like to do handwork like that while watching tv, but I can’t with this pattern…otherwise, I mess up. My hands don’t hold up to doing much at a time either (my left hand goes numb on me), so it is really slow going. I’m trying to do a kitchen towel that is about 12”x18”. It is taking forever! When I don’t want to concentrate so hard, I’ve also been making a crocheted pouf out of t-shirt yarn. I’ve been going to a local thrift store, where I can get a paper grocery sack full of t-shirts for $5-6. I’m mainly doing it just to try something different. I figure the littles will enjoy climbing and wrestling with it once it is completed. It’s really ugly, so I’ll only pull it out when they are here. It keeps me busy though.

I did one other small crochet project last week. I love old-timey wooden blocks and keep some for the littles to play with. I’d had them in a paper sack, which finally bit the dust. So I needed a new container to keep them in. I decided to use bits and pieces of leftover yarn from my stash and make a basket just the size needed to hold them. It only took me a day or so to work it up. Kacey loves dumping and filling containers of stuff. She’s pretty good about putting things in their proper containers, too.

Amber told me a really sweet Kacey story from the weekend: when Archer started throwing up, Amber was trying to get him cleaned up and comfortable. Kacey ran and brought a bowl to him, then went and got his favorite blanket to cover him up with. Such a sweetie! She knew just what to do.

I ran out of pepper jelly (my favorite!) last week, so I made a new batch this week. I decided to go “hot” this time. The batch I made last year was very mild…could barely tell it had jalapenos in it at all. This batch definitely has some heat! I made a batch of sourdough hamburger buns yesterday. The recipe makes 8, so I always freeze the extra in pairs using my vacuum sealer. They hold up really well in the freezer that way. When Dennis grills burgers, I always have him make extra, so I can freeze them the same way. That way, we can have grilled hamburgers on homemade buns whenever we get the hankering for them! In my opinion, you can’t hardly beat a good burger!

Well, that’s been our summer. I hope yours has been going well and hasn’t been too hot. Stay cool and show kindness to all you come in contact with.

Col 3:12-13 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.

Just Living Life

 Things have been pretty wet and stormy around here lately! Thankfully, we haven’t had anything other than rain and lightning/thunder. We had a little hail last week, but it wasn’t heavy at all…no damage from it. I am very thankful for all of the rain! Our lakes are full, which is a very good thing around here. Hopefully, we can make it through the summer with no water restrictions.

Things have been fairly routine around here. Dennis is spending most of his time working on the church house remodel and going to (routine) doctor appointments. After having had a stroke, those doctors really like to keep a close eye on him! Everything is fine, though. He does need cataract surgery, but he’s putting it off until after our vacation.

I try to keep busy with my various crafts and bread baking. We get to see the littles about once a week or so. Earlier this month, they spent the night with us while their parents went to a Ranger’s game with Ricky’s boss. They were good, as always. They came over Monday with their mom and spent the day. Archer and Grandad spent most of their time building a bird house. Archer is so good with his hands. He can drive and pull nails very well! He loves to work!

We had a couple of visits with Sheila’s family last week. Nam had a choir concert last Tuesday, so we met up with them and Andy and Sherry for supper, then headed over to the school. Then on Saturday, they took us out for a belated Mother’s Day lunch. Nam gets out of school this week, so he’s planning to come spend the night early next week. It gets harder to plan sleepovers as he gets older. We look forward to each and every one!

When the littles spent the night, Kacey was helping me take clothes out of the dryer and grabbed a pair of pj pants that I’d recently made. For some reason, she really liked them and wanted to wear them. I ended up tying them around her waist, and she kept them on the rest of the day. So I tried to come up with something I could make her using the leftover material that I had. I ended up making her a little apron that she could wear anytime she likes. Of course, since I was making her one, that meant Archer wanted one, too. So I found some blue material and make him one. (He wore it all day today while working in the shop with Grandad.) Kids are happy with such simple things!

Kacey in her new apron

Archer's apron

I’ve also recently tried my hand at some easy furniture refinishing. I’ve had this old chair that used to be Sheila’s. It has sat in the corner of the small guest room for years, just being used as a place to stack pillows. It was in pretty bad shape and wasn’t fit for sitting on. I had bought some material when we were in Paris last month just because I thought it was pretty. I didn’t have anything specific that I had planned to use it for, but I knew it would be useful for something eventually. So I decided to recover the chair’s seat. Then I made a pillow cover for a kid-sized pillow to lean against the back of the chair (which wasn’t cushioned). I bought some paint to match the material and repainted the chair frame. I really like how it turned out! Now it is actually fit to sit in! Doing that inspired me to do another project. We’ve had my old piano bench just sitting in the corner of the dining room. I mostly just use it to set my sewing machine cover on or to move my table runner to when entertaining. It was stained a dark brown and had scratches all over it. So I painted it and lined it with wallpaper to use as storage for my trivets, hot pads and bowl cozies. It actually looks like it belongs in the space now. I have one more piece of furniture that I eventually want to refinish. Not sure when I’ll get around to it though. It is fun to try new crafts!

We plan to leave on vacation in about 2 ½  weeks! It will be our first big trip since 2020. We are really getting excited! We plan to see Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Yosemite, and the Sequoia National Park. I’ll share pictures once we return. I can’t wait to see everything! We’re hoping these old bodies hold up okay to all of those hours riding in the car! We try to space out our travel, so as not to be too hard on them.

I am really enjoying my new “laundry stool”. It is a real knee-saver! I’ve also used it for other things. I like being able to roll around so easily while doing a job. Dennis has used his for years for many purposes. I’m glad that he got me my own to use!

Well, I guess that’s all for now. I hope to have a lot of beautiful pictures to share with you in a little over a month. Take care and stay cool!

Ps 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions-

Spring Blessings

I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful spring. The weather is glorious (although windy), and the wildflowers are so beautiful right now…the vibrant hues of the bluebonnets, the bright coral of the Indian paintbrushes, the gorgeous fuchsia of the horse mint, and the pale pink of the primroses. I love springtime!

Nam came for a sleepover last month during spring break. We really enjoyed his visit, as always. He is growing up so much! He is now old enough and tall enough to ride in the front seat of our vehicles. He really enjoyed riding in the front of Grandad's truck! The whole dynamic of our relationship is changing. It’s still good…just different. Our three boys are getting so close to adolescence! 

Diane came over the week after his visit and spent the night. We got up the next morning and drove to San Saba for our annual pecan purchase. It was fun having her along for the trip! We also picked up pecans for others that wanted some, so we had a LOT of pecans to bring home. (Of course, we also bought a few treats to eat on the road!) It was a nice day for driving through the countryside. The bluebonnets were just starting to bloom, but it was still a beautiful drive.

The church in Hurst had their meeting the first weekend of this month. We were able to make it over there Friday night and Saturday. We enjoyed the lessons and felllowship. After the Saturday morning assembly, everyone went to Koh and Michelle’s for lunch and more visiting. It was pretty chilly out, but we all enjoyed the food and the time spent together. It was great to catch up with so many loved ones. 

This past weekend, we drove to Paris to celebrate Stephen’s girls’ birthdays (a little early). Friday night, we met up at the park for Shepherd’s soccer practice. (He is completely healed from his appendix surgery!) We took the other kids to the playground while he practiced. It was fun. Little Rosie never slowed down or stopped smiling! That child always has such a big, sweet smile on her face. Afterwards, we went out for Mexican food to a restaurant with outdoor seating. It was such a nice evening to sit out and visit. Saturday morning, the guys and kids fished Stephen’s pond while I played with Rosie and watched. They caught a few fish and just enjoyed the beautiful day. I really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with our sweet little 2 year-old. She is such a doll! 

We had quite a few visitors at Eastside yesterday. The Joiner clan had camped out at the state park over the weekend, and most of them joined our assembly. It was good to see all of them and have a bigger crowd than usual...and hear a good lesson from Andy. Later that afternoon, Sheila’s family came over for dinner to celebrate Caleb’s 20th birthday. (Can you believe that?!) As always, we really enjoyed their visit! It has been so nice to be able to see all of my grandkids within the same week. 

I am now officially drawing Social Security! There were a few hurdles to jump through to get everything lined out. Poor Dennis had to spend ALL of one day on the phone, trying to sort out a mistake that the SS administration had made on the form that he had to sign in order for me to draw off of his earnings. He finally got through to talk to a real person the first thing the next morning. So all has been sorted out, and I got my first deposit on the 2nd. That, plus having our house paid off, will really make a big difference in our monthly finances!

I’ve been working on some small projects this past month…knitting dishrags and pot holders, and sewing some quick items. I decided to make memory bears for the grandsons out of Dennis’ army dress uniform. I’ve finished one, so far. I’ll probably start on bear #2 next week. I have 4 total to make. I’ll share pictures after they are made and gifted. I also made me some PJ pants and some hanging kitchen towels for Mandy. I hope to get some towels made for Amber this week, and maybe another pair of PJ pants for me. I’m doing lightweight cotton that comes to just below the knee for cooler summer sleeping. 

PJs

one of Mandy's towels

Well, that’s what’s been going on around here. Let’s keep those who are facing serious health issues in our thoughts and prayers, as well as reaching out in other ways that we can to help. And remember to count your blessings! 

Isa 61:11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

(New) 1st Annual Girls' Trip

 I used to love my girls' trips with Sheila, Jessica, and Paula. We had such good times together, but life happens and things change. I've missed them, though. A couple of years ago, some other friends and I started talking about getting a trip worked up. It sounded like fun, but we didn't really take off and run with the idea. Then last year, Lesa approached me at Zach and Morgan's wedding and asked WHEN were we going on our girls' trip?! It so happened that Diane and I had a sleepover planned soon afterwards, so we worked out the details. This was the week it happened.

Lesa and Kelli drove down together, and we all arrived at Diane's house Monday afternoon. We ordered pizza to be delivered for supper, visited awhile, and turned in fairly early so we could be fresh for traveling the next morning (best laid plans). About 5:00 a.m. the storm sirens started going off, and we all got up and turned on the weather. There were thunderstorms and up to 80 mph winds blowing through the area. We had a little hail, but it was small and didn't last long. I didn't hear of any tornados, but the straight line winds were horrendous! Since the winds were so fierce, the storms blew through pretty quickly. Thankfully, Diane didn't have any damage. We ate breakfast, loaded up, and hit the road.

Our first stop was Buc-ees in Hillsboro. It was Lesa's first time. We refreshed ourselves and bought some glazed nuts for the trip, then headed south towards Waco. Our next stop was the Homestead Heritage. I love that place! So many interesting shops to browse through and learn about the various crafts made there. We had lunch in their restaurant, which was yummy. I really enjoyed visiting with the fabric craft ladies. They do such beautiful weaving! After we exhausted our options, we drove by our rental house to make sure we could find it. We still had an hour or so until check-in time, so we headed back to West to get some kolaches for a treat. (It was also Lesa's first experience with kolaches.) About the time we finished our snack, I received a text from our "host" that the house was ready, and we could check-in anytime we wanted. We got settled in, played some rip-roaring ping pong games, and laughed until our sides hurt. Then the power went off. (The winds had still been fierce!) I notified the host, so he could make sure the local power company was aware of the problem. Then off we headed to Walmart to buy battery operated light sources. It was suppertime, so we stopped for a quick bite at Chick-fil-A; then headed "home". The lights were still off, so we started trying to figure out how to install the batteries in our new lights. By the time we got them working, the power came back on. So we enjoyed a quiet evening and turned in at a reasonable hour.

Our vacation rental

Our next day started with breakfast at Magnolia Table, which is an experience in itself. We were so stuffed when we left that we decided to skip lunch and just have an early supper. The next stop was The Silos. What a lovely compound! I had no idea that it was such an expansive venue. There were a lot of shops with so many lovely things to look at, beautiful outdoor sitting areas with various activities available...and of course, the Magnolia Bakery. We spent several hours there. Afterwards we hit a few antique shops in the area. For our early supper, we decided on Mexican food at Ninfa's. We were having so much fun, we had to sit in the car for about 5 minutes until we could quit laughing. After filling our bellies, we drove down to the Brazos River and walked across the footbridge. Then back to the house for more ping pong, card games and a VERY rousing game of Apples to Apples.

The Silos

Magnolia Table

Crossing The Brazos River

Breakfast at The Magnolia Table

Beautiful old pews in chapel at The Silos

at the Magnolia Bakery

playing Apples to Apples

Thursday was our "off" day. We didn't really have any plans...just decided to play it by ear. I found a bowling alley that opened at noon, so we had an early lunch in West at a family-owned Czech/American diner, then headed to bowl. None of us had bowled in a good long while, so our scores weren't impressive. We had a good time though. No serious injuries occurred, although we did suffer a few minor aches and pains (and one very graceful fall by person or persons to remain unnamed). More shopping at local antique shops and boutiques, then back to The Silos for one last time. After getting back to the house, we finished out the day playing games and laughing a lot more. 

Bowling

We got up Friday, ate some luscious pastries that we'd gotten the day before at the Magnolia Bakery, packed up and headed north. The drive home was uneventful, other than getting stopped in traffic for awhile when we hit the FW area. Once we got to Diane's, we all went our separate ways. Lesa and Kelli had a long drive home. It was a great trip, and we are already talking about what we want to do next year! I laughed more than I have in years and thoroughly enjoyed my time with these special ladies!

On a less pleasant note, I heard from Stephen Tuesday afternoon that Shepherd was in the ER with suspected appendicitis. They confirmed the diagnosis and referred him to Childrens Hospital in Dallas. He had surgery Wednesday morning, and they discovered his appendix had ruptured. Thankfully, it was contained to a small area, and he recovered very quickly. He was released from the hospital Friday afternoon. I hated that I was out-of-pocket while that was going on! It put a slight damper on my mood, at times, but the companionship of good friends, and their support and prayers, helped me through the worry. 

I am so very thankful to have such wonderful friends that I can spend time with, laugh with, pray with, and enjoy special times together. I look forward to next year's adventures!

Pr 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

 

Out with the Old, in with the New

Winter has definitely set in. Of course, we always have nice days interspersed with cold ones here in North Texas (one of the many reasons I like living here). Last week, we missed most of the snow that everyone else got. We got some, and it was beautiful coming down, but it didn’t really stick…just a light dusting. I’m so glad that all my grandkids got enough to play in though.  I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and videos of them! Another blue norther came through today. No precipitation is predicted, but the temperatures are supposed to be pretty chilly.  I don’t get out much when the thermometer drops below freezing. I made my (hopefully) final run to Walmart today, so I should be stocked up for hibernating. 😊

This was about the most coverage we got.

We had a sleepover with Archer and Kacey in early December, so their parents could attend Ricky’s work party. As usual, they were really good! Then a couple of weeks later, their family all came over for an early Christmas celebration. They were heading to New Mexico the next week. So fun watching the kids with their presents! I think Kacey like the little crocheted ornaments the best. LOL!

On the 17^th, we did our annual viewing of “White Christmas” at the Palace Theatre in Grapevine. Gwen and Gina went with me. We met up at Diane’s house, where she and Debbie P were waiting. Then the 5 of us rode together and had supper at Uncle Julio’s. It was Taco Bar Tuesday, so we decided to go with that. We had a blast! Then off to see the movie, where we met up with the rest of the gang. It was great, as always! The drive home was even fun, since I had Gina and Gwen with me. I love our girls’ outings!

We were so shocked and saddened by the death of James Speed! When Dennis came in to tell me, I kept waiting for someone to call and say they’d made a mistake. He was way too young to be gone! My heart absolutely breaks for Chelsey and the kids. He was such a special guy, and we will all miss him terribly. His funeral was in Paris, so we went the night before to get in a little extra visiting time with Stephen’s family.

We had our 5^th Sunday guest speaker and potluck on the 29^th. Layne was our speaker. After the assembly, everyone came over here for lunch. I made a big pot of jambalaya and some homemade ciabatta bread for the occasion. It was great spending time together and enjoying good food.

Sheila’s family came over on New Year’s Day for our annual seafood boil. We all look forward to that! It’s a once-a-year treat. Of course, we enjoy every opportunity to visit with them, too!

Ricky’s family came over and spent last Saturday. We went out to lunch, then went shopping downtown. The littles really enjoyed the outing (as did we adults) ! Archer especially loved Garrett’s Pawn Shop. They have a practice of handing out free ice cream sandwiches to their customers. The guy who runs the place took a shine to Archer and also gave him a free toy race car. That little guy made out like a bandit!

Ricky worked out of town last week, so Amber and the kids had planned to come spend the night. With the weather turning bad, and knowing we’d all be stuck indoors, we figured we’d all enjoy the change of pace. However, Archer woke up with a fever the morning they were supposed to come. Poor little guy felt rotten for about 3 days! He was heartbroken (as were we) that he couldn’t come over. Thankfully, Ricky was able to come home Wednesday night to get ahead of the storms. I know it helped Archer having his dad back home!

Ricky is supposed to be working out of town next week, too, so we are going to try again. Amber and the kids plan to spend a couple of nights and then head out to be with Ricky for the weekend. Hoping that nothing gets in the way this time!

Rosie was sick this week with a high fever. After 2 or 3 days her fever broke and she broke out in a rash…probably roseola. This is a rough time of year for littles! I sure hope no one else gets sick for awhile!

After getting out of my boot and going back to my podiatrist last month, he sent me for airrosti treatments. I was skeptical, but they really helped! It involves some very deep tissue “massage”, which breaks up scar tissue, relaxes muscles and increases blood flow to the area. Exercises to do at home are also prescribed. My foot/ankle is doing great now! I just have to continue the at home exercises as needed. After my first 2 (of 3) treatments, my foot felt fine, but I had developed a pain in my hip that wouldn’t go away. So my therapist focused her efforts on it for my last treatment. It was immediately better, and completely cleared up in another couple of days of home treatment. I’m a believer now!

I made several small projects during December. I did Santa hat towels for a couple of my girls, crocheted ornaments to go on all the presents, crocheted a toy basket (for here) and a highland cow (for Archer), made a snowman table runner and knitted a cap. Then this month I finished up my embroidery journal and crocheted a gnome. I’m currently working on a crocheted hedgehog, but it is much more problematic and time consuming than I expected. The yarn that I bought for the spikes is very hard to work with. It got all snagged and tangled, so I’ve been working on rolling it into balls for the past few days before going back to crocheting. The technique used to make the spines is very slow and tedious, so I’m going to play around with it to see if I can find another way to do it. If I ever get it finished, it should be really cute! So much work for such a small toy!

toy basket

Highland cow

gnome

Snowman table runner (I think this one is my favorite)

I like to begin a new year doing some cleaning and reorganizing. For the past couple of weeks, I have been cleaning out and straightening all of my closets and pantry. I finished the last one today. YAY! I made a trip to the thrift store yesterday with a bunch of stuff to donate. Now I have a bunch more to take. Everything looks so much better and is easier to locate. Now if I can just keep them all that way....

I guess that’s all for now. Stay safe and warm during this cold snap!

Ps 147:12, 16-17 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion…He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold?