Something Beautiful

On sale at Aldi's through this Tuesday  - - - - Whole Pineapple 99 cents - - - strawberries are 79 cents.  They are in a 'sauce' of 4 parts orange juice and one part honey which in this dish is 1 cup to 1/4 cup.  Let sit (in the refrigerator) at least an hour for it to get sweeter.  The honey will dissolve so don't worry about it happening while cutting up your fruit.

 Lots of flowers blooming and also transitioning to leaves very quickly.

 

Side by side with the beauty is destruction once again from tornadoes that visited the area a week ago Friday.

 

The storm targeted different neighborhoods this time.  In this neighborhood, it seemed to leapfrog houses because only a few were selected.

  The Praise God about this storm is in our area, there were not any fatalities that I am aware of.  Also, the tornado touched down right next to an elementary school and the community college where it uprooted LARGE trees  - - - that did not touch the buildings!!!  As we have said the past few months, it's "only money and materials" at this point.  It's wearisome but it could be worse!!!

And my posting will still be sporadic since we are very busy - - - painting inside & cleaning outside - - - will blog about them another day.  I am trying to read everyone of you still  - - and have even commented on a few!  Miss you but will catch up sometime - - maybe.  The good news for me is I feel no pressure to post since my main reason for doing this is to update out-of-town family and also make a journal for us.  The bonus though is getting to meet new friends!

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time . . . .  Ecclesiastes 3:11a

 

Been Busy . . . .

 

Went to a consignment sale with my daughter and bought a couple of things for the new grand-baby - -  - we will know if it's a he or she the third week of March!

Have worked out on the elliptical 3 - 4 times a week for the last three weeks.

 Photography class met outside tonight.

 

We did some macro shots.

  The next one shows shallow-depth-of-field.

 The good news about my camera is it is an "intermediate" - - - a step or two up from a 'point & shoot' - - - which gives me some options - - but not more than I can handle.  I have learned to improve a few things which makes me happy.  It's just a hobby for making memories for me.

What's kept us the busiest - - - besides our jobs - - - is working around the house.  What we are doing now is optional.  Bill has two coats of paint on the ceiling but may do one more - - - just because it will look better.   He is a great painter and has worked hard on our projects.  The next plan is to paint the walls - - - change the counter-top and put in a tile back-splash.  (We will hire someone(s) for the last two items.)

All that to say, we have been to stores, looking at options, and at this point, these are our final colors.  The dark sample on the white paint will be the counter.  Latte on the right side of the pic is the wall color and the horizontal tiles in plastic are accent for the larger tile.  Our cabinets will be painted white.  We will keep you updated on progress - - but suffice it to say, our weekends will be busy for quite a while.  (Paint is from Sherwin Williams.  They do an excellent job of matching colors exactly to their samples.)

 I am behind on reading and commenting on your blogs - - hope to catch up here and there over the next week.

If the Lord does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless;  Psalm 127 1a

 

January?

 

Do you see what's blooming here?  

This is not supposed to happen in January.  And tonight, the forecast is for below freezing so the flowers may be deceased tomorrow.

However, our winter rye should be fine.  Remember it was sown about three weeks ago?  It started growing this week!  I was quite excited to see the results.  The straw looks the size of branches but that gives you an idea of how tiny the grass is.

The above picture was taken with my 'macro' turned on.  I know many of you probably use it a lot.  However, I am camera/computer shy unless someone tells me what to do.  I don't experiment cuz I don't want to break anything.

Well, this week, I started a community digital photography class at Cleveland State Community College.    We will have six 90 minute classes once a week.  This week's class was entitled "How do I Work this Thing?"  Our instructors are fun, very knowledgeable, and talk quickly - - - so we learn a lot in our little time.  This week we were told to keep our camera on program, highest resolution, and practice.

As you can see, I was fascinated with the macro setting.  That's my water bottle and below is a small hand-painted vase.

Before class I had a quick supper with our older daughter at Chick-Fil-A.  On Friday, my husband and I ate lunch with friends at our favorite Mexican Restaurant.  Today - - some of our favorite men visited us again!

 Remember last week my husband was scraping the "texture" off the ceiling?  We knew we couldn't paint over it because some had already started to fall.  Plus we like the look of a flat ceiling.

  

Our kitchen had an old fluorescent light fixture recessed into the middle of the ceiling which of course did not illuminate the counter tops adequately.  We decided to replace it with the canned lights.

 And here is the finished product  - - thanks to our contractor, Mark Beaty, his assistant, Tyler, and Ownby Eelctric!

 (hmmmmmm - - something didn't come out right with that pic - - - - see the "texture in it?)  The patch in the ceiling still needs another application of drywall mud and then it will be ready to paint next week.  My poor husband - - - it's a never-ending story with those paint cans!  Just think what a trim waist he will develop with all that reaching with the brush and roller!  He's precious.

. . . construction has continued from then until the present, but it is still not finished.  Ezra 5:16b GNT

 

Seven Scrumptious Suppers!

I am blessed, blessed, blessed!  These roses were the centerpiece of yet another birthday dinner held for me!  My friend Judy prepared a meal in her home for a total of nine of us.  In addition to the real roses, she made some paper flowers, too.  They hung over the table and added to the festive party aesthetics.

 

Each guest had their own place-card in the form of a check-out card for a library book!  Can you tell she spent quite a bit of time preparing for this?!!  The food was DELICIOUS!  Judy can do anything and whatever she does, she does extremely well.

 

The library card theme circulated to the wall to show the reason for the occasion.

  Judy even had a game for us to play entitled, "How well do you know Lynda?"  She had asked me questions a few days before the party.  She divided the guests into two teams and they had to guess the right multiple choice answer on subjects ranging from favorite color to years married to number of siblings and types of jobs I had held.  It was fun. We laughed and I came close to crying at the outpouring of love from those fabulous females.  Not only did they travel on a very blustery, rainy, dark night but they showered me with gift cards as well.  Because of that, I did not eat at home all week in the evening!!!

On Wednesday, we went to see the first ultrasound of our grandchild!  Amanda has those pictures on her blog.  It seemed easier to see them on the monitor though since it magnified them.  The baby is right on target in growth.  Praise God!

Friday morning saw the installation of a new basement door.  It still needs some trim and painting but that's called job security in chasing away boredom!  Ha.

On Friday night, my 104 years old friend and I shared frozen chocolate yogurt from Perkits.  It's one of her favorite treats.

 This morning I made pancakes and ham for breakfast.  My hubby needed a full stomach since scraping some of the texture off the kitchen ceiling was in his plans.  Less than a quarter of this ceiling is left to do.  In addition to some future painting (there's that word again), you will see another difference in this area - - maybe within two weeks?

We put a drop cloth over the cabinets and sink to keep the mess minimal.  Even though there is a tool that holds a bag to catch scrapings, we have found a plain scraper works best.  Spray the ceiling with water and gently scrape.  Repeat one or two times.

 

Talk to you next weekend . . .

Long life is the reward of the righteous; gray hair is a glorious crown.  Proverbs 16:31

 

 

Sweet 16

Transpose that number and you might have my age today.  

 It's still freaky to have arrived at any number over fifty-nine.  It really, really did happen fast - - - especially the last fifteen years.  However saying that, I have had fun celebrating - - with lots of food!
1.  Steak dinner at Mamaw's house a week ago Sunday.  She is the sweet grandmother of our son-in-law and a wonderful cook.
2.  Lunch at Olive Garden yesterday paid for by our precious first-born.
3.  Supper tonight at Outback.  It was a gift from a library co-worker.

My new name may be Petunia.

 But the best gift this week was a miracle from God.  We heard the heartbeat of our grandchild - - - our two inch long grandchild!  Isn't technology wonderful?!!  This week will be the first ultrasound.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  Psalm 139:13-14

This Week

 

A new ministry began a few months ago at First Baptist.  The "ministers" meet the first Thursday of the month.

 

A trio of women felt God telling them that perhaps not everyone will go on an overseas mission trip - - - but they could contribute to the trip in a unique way.

 

During the year, at least three mission trips from our church are to orphanages.  The goal of the FBC Women using needles and thread is to make a quilt for each child and staff member at the orphanage.  These quilts will be delivered by the mission team visiting that area.

 

Other than the original trio, many other women arrive at the church around 9 am and stay until 2 or 3.  In addition to the massive amount of work they accomplish, individual dishes are brought for a potluck luncheon.

 

God is strengthening these women spiritually during these times, too.  One way is their box of fabric has never gotten empty.  Contributions continue to come in. 

Also, the ladies are making fleece quilts for the homeless shelter here in our city. 

In other news, my husband had "minor" surgery to remove a cyst on his lower back.  It was one of those that looked small on the surface but was like an iceberg - - - got bigger the deeper they cut - - with local anesthetic.  He has fourteen external stitches - - - but is healing extremely fast with less pain than anticipated.  However, he is not allowed any strenuous activity - - for weeks.  We'll find out what that involves in two more weeks when the stitches come out.

 Our contractor, Mark Beaty, returned this week with the backhoe operator.  More grading was done on our yard - - - AND today, I reseeded half of this with Winter Rye.  (We are trying to prevent any rain from washing the dirt down the hill.) The other half of seed sowing happens tomorrow.  We underestimated the amount we would need - - - and the straw to cover the seed did not get delivered due to delivery truck problems.  We are hoping no birds discover it and have a feast!

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Matthew 6:26

 

 

Last Day!

It's the last day - - not just of 2011 but also of my vacation.  It has flown by so quickly but it has been wonderful to have little or no schedule and get eight hours sleep every night.  Bill and I know we are definitely looking forward to retirement within the next few years.

But until then, 'regular' life goes on.  Here was the activity at our house the beginning of Christmas week.  We woke up to the backhoe in the yard about three days in a row.  Praise God!  They came to put these blocks in front of our two basement walls that get the most stress from the ground.

Each block weighs 4,000 pounds.

 

It was fascinating to watch them but it made me nervous for them, too.  Even though the backhoe lowered them, the guys had to guide them in place while making sure none hit the house or injured a worker.

Nothing can get to that wall now!  I don't have all the pictures of the process since I was at work.  However, I was told that stone was put in the area to the right and left of these blocks.  Long drains are between the house and blocks.  Heavy stucco/masonry metal is attached to the blocks and the basement wall.  It is covered with heavy, heavy black liner.  Then dirt is added to all of it.

These are the backhoe operators who worked some very long days.

 

However they have taken us from this yard . . . . 

 

to this!

This year is about to be finished and so is our outside construction.  They have done a fantastic job.  We made new friends in this old year but they will rejoin us once again in the new year to smooth us out just a bit more.

 

Even though you see LOTS of rain outside - - - - our basement is DRY, DRY, DRY!!!!!  Praise God!!!

 See ya next year when we will all share new adventures together.

 Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it . . . Psalm 127:1a