Today was the first baby shower for Benjamin Thomas!  It was given by the members of our son-in-law's parents' church family.  Joshua was a member there for years as well as their youth pastor.

 The theme was ducks.  It was inspired by a punch recipe.  I don't know what their proportions were today but I know they used the blue Hawaiian Punch, White Grape Juice, a soda like Sprite, and vanilla ice cream.

 At first I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the taste but this was DELICIOUS!   I highly recommend it if you need it for any theme dealing with blue - - - even a beach theme.

 My husband and I were thankful to be included with this group who loves our "kids".  They  did a beautiful job and also gave them some very nice and useful gifts.  And as a bonus, we got to eat lunch at "Mamaw's house" before the baby shower.  She is does an amazing job of cooking for her family every Sunday.

Last night was all about the grandson, too.  Amanda and I went to a BIG consignment sale.  We had early admission since she is a consignor and Bill and I are helping with the clean-up for this next weekend.  I was able to get furniture type items for our home that retail for $270  - - - - for only $118.   Those in town know the Ashley-Lauren Sale being held this next week.  You can see pictures if you go to the link.  Not shown on their website is the furniture in the outside tent.

Yesterday - - before last night's sale - - - we worked in the yard.  My contribution is to weed eat and cut "volunteers"  for up to an hour each week.  Even at that, it is going to be amazing if I ever get my part done.  Bill does mowing and clearing - - sticks, limbs, and tree trash on the roof.  It is very difficult on his sinus at this time of year - - - however now is the time for the most moderate temperatures.   What you see below is just a very small portion of what was on the roof and in the gutters.

 We won't even have the discussion about gutters and stuff not getting in them, etc.   We have a history with that, too.   Instead I will say it has been a great weekend - - a bit tiring - - - but Praise God for health and energy to do these things!

. . . . for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.  Psalm 43:5b

Friends

Today my younger daughter and I went to the wedding of family friends.  The bride was in Bible Study with Amanda as well as having university connections.  The wedding was at Lee University Chapel.  It's the first time we had seen it since it was built.  It is GORGEOUS!

The reception was held in a renovated barn.  The owners also have a plant nursery.  Although I took the pictures with my phone, perhaps you can still get an idea of how beautifully it was decorated.  Both sides of the long barn had azaleas, lilacs, green trees, and trees that were just branches which were decorated with lights.

It was exquisite both visually as well as in fragrance.  The lilacs' aroma was delicious!

This was one of the most organized weddings & receptions I have attended.  We had an extremely enjoyable time - - - - - got to meet some new friends at our table who liked to converse as much as me!

The flowers above were given to me earlier this week by the grandmother of the bride.  She and I became friends in the library when she moved here almost ten years ago.  It is a bouquet for Easter.  The vase was scalloped at the top to look like a broken eggshell.  For those who live in Cleveland, Perry's Petals did this arrangement.

A co-worker friend had a significant birthday this week.  One of her friends gave her a balloon bouquet.

When she entered the front door - - - as seen here in the top of the picture, she was greeted by paper footprints leading to the library door.   The footprints were numbered beginning with "one".

They ended with her new age!  For those who know her, they would tell you she does not look five decades old!  She liked our footprint joke.

And tomorrow we will be with more friends - - - our son-in-law's family.  We will first worship with him and our daughter before joining all of them for lunch.

This week has been very good - - - - I hesitate to say it's almost been normal because the last time I said that, it got a bit hectic and crazy again.    We have some more construction that needs completion at our house but can schedule it is when it is convenient for us now - - rather than because it is an emergency.

However, the weekends keep us VERY busy with the usual chores and occasionally we complete an optional project.  It's nice to do optional.  My sweet husband worked extremely hard today.  This morning was a bit easy.  It was the annual (free) Hazardous Waste Day where multiple organizations combine to collect trash that needs special disposal - - - - - like paints, chemicals, medicines, computer monitors.  Then this afternoon and evening, Bill mowed our "new yard" for the first time.  It was very tiring as the ground is still settling so it is more than a little lumpy in spots.  He is so precious.

 - - - and it's time to hang up - - - gave you more to read than you might have bargained on.

  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly : and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.    Proverbs 18:24

Last Week

 

On Monday, March 20 - - - - the man who owns the roofing company said, "We can do your roof tomorrow."

We weren't expecting him until June.  We hadn't even picked out shingles yet. 

However, this roofing company owner is in high demand so we were thankful to get him earlier than expected.  My husband went out on his lunch hour and picked the shingle color.

 

Bright and early on Tuesday morning, they began the job - - - worked thirteen hours that day - - - and finished before noon on Wednesday.  The shingles have blue, brown, and gray in them.  They look great on the house!

On Friday and Saturday, we had already planned to be in the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge area with our younger daughter and her husband.  Our first stop was at the Apple Barn Restaurant.

We went in the gift shop to get cinnamon apple jelly for our older daughter.  I saw this sign and thought it was fitting for this time in our lives!

No trip up there is complete without us visiting this mall.  We did not buy much there this time - - - didn't see anything that we "needed" or even wanted - - other than a couple of items of clothing.  Is it just me or is it more difficult to buy clothes?  Tops are cut low and the knits are very thin.

This week has been busy - - -especially at work.  The reading program finished up and totals had to be figured so gift cards could be ordered.  Computer servers were being moved and offices shifted which caused only a slight inconvenience to us. 

At home, we are playing a bit of "catch-up" after being gone last Saturday.  We are just trying to stay even with cleaning up the yellow pine pollen, hard-shelled bugs, and strings of beaded seeds that are falling.  It's the yuckiest time of year for allergies in our area but it too will pass.  How do you like our supervisor?  He is guarding the remainder of our basement blocks that will be used  in another project.

Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee  Isaiah 14:8

Green Day

We reseeded our yard today with 75 pounds of Fescue seed.  We purchased this from Beaty's on Wildwood.  They were recommended by someone who has not steered us wrong yet.  Beaty's delivered the seed and bales of straw for us.

 I went a little crazy with the straw to start with.  There is a lot of beautiful winter rye grass underneath that straw . . . and the straw is not as thick as it looks.  It's just the camera angle.  As you will see in the next picture, the winter rye grew beautifully.

 The grass held the bare ground and kept it from washing off in the heavy rains.   However, the winter rye cannot survive the heat and drought of our summers.  Remember these pictures from the week before Christmas?

We have come a long way in the five months since the basement wall collapsed.

 

On a day when many are wearing green and celebrating a man (St. Patrick) who gave God glory and honor by spreading the message of forgiveness and salvation - - -  we, too Praise God for His protection, provision, and strength in this chapter of our lives!

Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  While I live, I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being!  Psalm 146: 1-2

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