Hippy grandgirls and gramma...

Thursday after work I had a delightful time being with my grandgirls while Mommy went to a college class 90 miles away in Moorhead, MN. This will be a twice weekly occurrence until mid-December. (Warning: lots of photos of grandkids, but you can scroll through it like a flip book if you like!)

"Gramma, can we paiiiiint?" comes the plaintive, oft repeated request. Painting is the special privilege when gramma comes to visit and they never tire of it. :)





 

They requested removal of sweaters because they were too hot. Hence the "hippy" remark in the title of this post. Don't get me wrong, my daughter loves the whole idea of hippyness, as does her mom. :)

This is what Gramma did to the popcorn, so...

 

we had peanut butter crackers instead.

Dd has a wall full of family photos taken recently.

 

 Adam, Micah and baby #3.

 

 Wow, Hazel stood still for a minute!

As most of you know, my husband went to Heaven about a year ago. Someone said of this photo that it looks like Audrey is holding her Grampa's hand. I like that.

I let each of the girls draw in my Drawing Your Life book. They were going through the contents of my purse. Always a favorite activity!

Time out to eat apples and watch some TV!

 

And now, some old school selfies!! I'm looking for a new profile picture. As soon as I decide which one is the funniest! :)

 

It's a weekend off. Such a blessing! It's after 1:00 p.m. and I haven't even turned the television on once! I've been doing a lot of reading and meditating on scripture and also reading some books. I'm thinking about doing some drawing and painting and, sometime this weekend, looking over my accounts and figuring out more of a budget.

The situation with my step-daughter mentioned in the last post is resolving itself quickly. Well, I should say God is working! She is now praying for her ex-boyfriend that he will come to know God and find direction for his life, whether they get back together or not. We'll take it one day at a time.

I've begun reading "My Cape Cod" by Gladys Taber as my breakroom book. It works well for that. It should only take me a year to finish it, ha, ha!

Hope you're all having a dandy weekend. Much shalom to you and yours!

An emotional rollercoaster of a week!

But first, some beautiful clouds. I love the positive/negative thing that God has going on in the sky!

 

You know how God tells us to be anxious about NOTHING? Well, I wasn't listening so well this week. (Surprise!) Son Jordan hadn't checked in for a while, which is understandable. He has a FULL schedule as the music leader in his church. But it had been longer than usual and he hadn't posted on Facebook for a couple of days. Satan decided to plant the seed of worry. I asked myself, "If Jordan had an emergency and couldn't call me, would any of his friends in Texas know how to get in touch with me? How would I know if he needed something?" (He's single and lives alone, so there isn't a d-I-l or roommate to keep me posted.) So, I spent the whole day at work Saturday worrying about him and then called my daughter and cried in her ear about my worries. An hour after hanging up with her my phone rang. It was Jordan, of course. I asked, "Did someone tell you to call me?" "No. I just decided to call", he said innocently. Seems he does the same thing I do. When he thought to call me he would think, "Maybe it's not a good time", and that sort of thing. Moral of story, just try to call anyway. I'll do the same and save myself some grief. All is well with him and we had a good 40 minute chat. He's going to Uganda in January on a missions trip. Prayers appreciated! BTW, his church (Open Door Church, Burleson, TX) has an orphanage in India. There was a hurricane in the area which didn't damage the orphanage, but they need to get electricity going, and they need food and water. If you're so led, here's a link to a video.

 

On the lighter side (before the next dip in the rollercoaster), I've been rethinking my dish situation. While waiting for my oil to be changed at Walmart, I was browsing the shelves in the dishware section. (They always get me to buy stuff when I'm waiting on my oil change!) I'm planning to buy a few dishes at a time. All mismatched with the general theme of "handmade-rustic-earthy". This is the beginning of my collection.

I'm growing tired of my faux-country mismatched dishes and am looking for something more "authentic". It's just an artistic affliction of mine, I think. ;) I'm going to pare things down to just maybe four of each item (4 bowls, 4 plates, some dessert size plates, etc.) instead of heaps of stuff I won't use. Taking my time. Not breaking the bank. After all, gotta have money to send to orphans. Let's keep things in perspective. :)

 

 

Another dip in the rollercoaster (besides my worrying over son mentioned above). Texts from my younger step-daughter. She's having a crisis of faith. She's had a really hard time with her dad's death and now it seems she and her boyfriend (live-in, so more like a marriage) have broken up. She is a very emotional person and is "hating" (her word) god (her lower case "g") and her boyfriend with a vengeance. Her older brother is in close contact, though distant geographically, and is doing his best to help. I'm feeling insufficient for the task, but I know God IS sufficient.

 

 

Having a contemplative day off. Enjoying more of the "imagine" book, reading scripture and just sitting and staring out the window at a nice, sunny, fall day. In a few hours I will be babysitting Audrey and Hazel. I must pack my granny bag so I have something to delight them with. :) They are a delight. My dd will be driving to Moorhead, MN (90 miles) twice a week between now and December 14 for a photography class she's taking for college. I've arranged my schedule so I can watch the girls. I really have to work on the not worrying thing (all that driving!). I know the scriptures; it's just remembering and trusting! God loves my kids more than I even know how to love them!

 

Sorry I rambled on so much. Lots of text and few photos makes for a long post sometimes. If you read this far, God bless you real good! :) I hope you are all well!

 

Shalom on your day! XXOO

A nice day for it...

It's a nice warmish, breezy, fall day.

I was sitting here reading blogs when I heard three gunshots in close succession very nearby. What's going on?!? Then, wafting in on the breeze, I heard the Marine Corps Hymn being played on a trumpet. It was followed by a very slow, beautiful rendition of Taps. A funeral, of course. It is a nice day for it. I have cemeteries bordering my property on the north and south, so I've experienced overhearing these ceremonies many times over the years. My husband's funeral was on a cold, blustery day toward the end of November last year. We all huddled in our coats to say our last farewells. (Of course, I knew my Bob was LONG gone! No more suffering through these northern winters for him. Thank you, Lord!) I'm glad to know that today's funeral attenders had a milder day in which to lay their beloved veteran to rest. May God give them comfort in the days ahead.

A lone visitor. Very unusual. The deer that come through my place usually travel in groups of 3-5. I wonder where everyone else is?

 

Mission #16 for Drawing Our Lives-Draw some items from your portable studio. Michael encourages us to create a small bag of drawing tools to take with us so we can draw on the go. I really don't do that because I don't do much waiting around anywhere in town these days. I'm always in a hurry to get home after work and it would be awkward to draw in public in the little café in my town. Everyone knows you around here! No anonymity (sp?) at all. :)

 

I've been doing a lot of Bible reading this morning. I began in Galatians 3 but got sidetracked by a reference and spent some time reading the romantic story of Abraham's servant finding a bride for Isaac. Love that story! Then read a bit out of my current Beth Moore book.  After a stop for lunch I'm continuing my reading of "Imagine. a vision for christians in the arts" by Steve Turner. (Thanks, Pom!) Oh, and I drew the picture above. I look forward to more of the same!

 

This is a picture of Audrey (in the green leotard) and her little cousin Cali, in the orange shirt behind her. Audrey wasn't feeling like joining her gymnastics class on Tuesday and spent some time clinging to Mommy and crying. Eventually, cousin Cali came over, took her by the hand and began leading her over to the circle of gymnasts. Then she got behind her and gently pushed her the rest of the way. Cute! I'm glad Cali lives next door to Audrey. They enjoy being cousins. :)

 

 

I hope you're all having gorgeous fall weather. Let's savor it while we can! :)

 

Shalom to all!

 

A nice evening...

I've just been sitting out on my back porch, drinking coffee (bad idea!) and watching the day turn to twilight.

I've just come home after working and then babysitting Hazel for a while until her mom and sister got home from gymnastics. It's fun to just be with Hazel now and then. We ate our Subway sandwiches, then she watched some Bubble Guppies while I washed some dishes. (I like to do that to help Hazel's mommy who has a lot to handle these days with two little ones and one on the way.) I had a nice visit with Micah and Audrey upon their return, and then headed home to feed the kittens and relax for a bit.

As I was sitting on the porch I noticed several dogs barking in the distance and wondered what they were so upset about. Then I noticed the almost imperceptible sound of a football game. The school is only about five blocks away, and I heard the occasional cheering and I think I even heard the quarterback shouting numbers! (I may have imagined that.) On my other side I heard voices of a group of people on the trail. It seems everyone was outside enjoying some unseasonably nice weather. I realized how much I like this little town of about 300 souls. I haven't gotten to know people really well in the 25 years we've lived here. I mostly heard about people's lives through my extroverted husband, who knew everyone, or my daughter who was involved in school activities. But it's a nice town full of nice people, living their little lives and, for the most part, being kind to one another. I've been blessed to raise my kids here, surrounded by natural beauty and people who
appreciate this way of life.

These were waiting in my mailbox! I have no idea if they're good. But it will be fun to find out!

 

Micah, Adam and the girls came over for supper on Saturday and later we played cards and visited. The girls were all ready for bed, and it's a good thing because we stayed up pretty late!

 

This is my latest drawing for Drawing Our Lives. Can you tell what it is? LOL! It's one of Audrey and Hazel's toys and I was beginning to rue the moment I decided to try to draw it! It's very complex!! But I persevered. ;)

 

Yup, they're still here! I saw them flying into some trees across the street. They're very impressive when they take flight!

 

Looking forward to seeing this character! Have a good trip, Badger! :)

Off to check email and enjoy the rest of the evening. God bless and shalom to all you nice folks!

 

3030 Challenge, kittens, etc.

I've just signed up to do Joyce Meyer's 3030 Challenge. This is just a way to get into the habit of regular Bible study by studying 30 minutes a day for 30 days. Then to hopefully continue that habit for a lifetime. She doesn't give you a to-do list of what to read or anything like that. (That's the part that took me a moment to figure out.) Just lots of little videos and other small encouragements to help you along. You can study any part of the Bible you want and go as slowly as you like. Just do it everyday for 30 minutes. I'm dusting off my Eerdman's Handbook of the Bible and getting familiar with my Kindle copy of Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. Digging a little deeper! I'm starting with Galatians since I'm already studying John through Beth Moore's book, The Beloved Disciple. I really want to stick with this!

I hurried home tonight to feed the barn cats before dark. I bought some soft food for the kittens to supplement their milk and some chicken scraps from the deli for the bigger cats. My plan was to give the bigger cats their scraps first, then run in the house and warm the milk and put the soft food on a plate for the kittens. I figured if the older guys were busy with the chicken they wouldn't bother the kittens. When I got back outside I saw that the kittens are more self-sufficient than I thought!

 They were chowing down and the bigger cats didn't seem to mind at all.

I also put the milk and food in the shed where the kittens have a snug place to sleep. They should be stuffed!  Here are two of the older cats.

 They are all of the extra-toed variety. There is another orange one somewhere.

Anyway, I'm glad to know that Mama Barncat taught her children some eating skills before she vanished. I don't think she deserted them. She's been around for a lot of years and has always been a good mother and provider for her kittens. She was a great mouser/hunter. We have so many eagles around, I'm wondering if one of them snatched her.

Continuing with my Drawing Our Lives course, here is the latest.

 

Mission #12-Go for a walk and draw three things that you see. Well, it's cold out, so I took a virtual walk! The squash is in my kitchen, but the other two things I drew from photos.

 Mission #13-Draw a stranger. Again, from a photo. (I'm supposed to go have a meal at a café and draw people, but that doesn't really work well out here in the sticks where a café is not always handy!)

So, that's what I've been up to other than work. I'll be peeking in on your blogs as well. Glenn, haven't heard from you in a while. I may be checking up via email! :)

Everyone have a glorious evening and a great Friday! Shalom.

A lazy day off...and some kittens.

I tried not to do too much today, hee, hee! I did a lot of reading, some TV watching, and went to daughter Micah's house for a few hours to watch Hazel while Micah took Audrey to gymnastics. We, of course, had a nice long chat afterwards.

Here is Mission #11 for my Drawing Our Lives course. I was supposed to draw my teapot, but I was too lazy to try the whole teapot thing, so I drew my mug of microwaved tea! :)

I'm enjoying this relaxed style of drawing. I usually stress too much over trying to make the lines perfect, and after all that stress it turns out "different" anyway. I guess if I want something photo realistic I can use my camera, right? This was fun.

My Mama Barncat seems to have disappeared, leaving 4 kittens that are about 6 weeks old. I took them some milk this morning and they dived in (after I backed off a good distance). I also made them a little insulated cave in my garden shed. I think they'll be okay for now. They're wild little things, and are all six (or more) toed. So now I have responsibilities! If I can get them a little tamed maybe I can find homes for them.

Early rising tomorrow, so goodnight for now and shalom!

More Drawing Our Lives...

I'm trying to keep up with my daily drawing missions for Drawing Our Lives.

 

Mission #9. Draw your feet.

 

 

Mission #10. Draw the contents of a random cupboard shelf. 

I picked up some Burger King after work and went to daughter Micah's house for an early dinner. We spent a couple of hours chatting and laughing at Audrey and Hazel's antics. Now I'm winding down for the evening. Working this weekend, so it's early to bed.

The wind is howling around the house and there's a mixture of rain and snowflakes. Winter's trying to set in, but I hope we'll have a bit of Indian summer first!

Good night and shalom to all!

Bird watching this morning...

I've been watching all the activity outside my window this morning. There are dozens of fat little starlings pecking about in the dirt. (All photos borrowed. Sorry, but my camera just can't capture anything small!)

 Wouldn't it be great to see them do this? I think they're gathering for the big move. Some people find starlings a nuisance, but I think their singing talents outweigh the bother.

 There are quite a few flickers that hang out in my yard as well. I think it must be a whole family. I believe they will stay around for the winter.

I saw what I thought was a lone robin, but then several more showed up. Come on you guys, you'd better hurry before the cold sets in!

A cold has already set in with me. Achy, scratchy throat. I think I'll try some tea with cayenne. Glad for a day at home!

Check in with you later. Shalom!

ATC's and other things...

Well, here are my ATC's for the House Shaped Halloween swap! It was fun coming up with ideas and I enjoyed using my colored pencils. I'm slowing down on the ATC swaps because they seem to make me feel a little stressed. I think I try too hard! I find myself spending too much time on each card and feeling like there are other things I would like to spend my time on. SO, I'm not going to say I'm quitting them, but I definitely want to slow down. (There's an owl swap I just may have to do, but the cards aren't due until the end of November. That may work, lol.)

 

 

I came home today to this little sight! I remember sprinkling some poppy seeds in my garden last spring, but I had given up on them doing anything. Now, at the last minute, this little red poppy...popped up! The majority of the leaves you see are foxglove, which didn't do anything. The rest of my garden is done for the year and we'll probably have a hard freeze tonight or tomorrow night, so I took a quick picture!

 For the little art course I'm taking I drew a little accordion journal full of Pom-Pom's drawings. Drawings of someone else's drawings!

 Then I drew my shoe. This turned out better than I expected. The perspective was really tricky! One of my favorite parts was the stitching.

Micah and Audrey dropped by for a few minutes on their way to AWANA. Micah needed to borrow my iron to iron a little patch on Audrey's Cubbies vest. Audrey found a Little Critter book that she wanted to look at, so I sent it along with her to look at on her way. She loves AWANA!

I'm pretty worn out after a day at work. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow. :)

Shalom to all!