The virtual tour...

My sons, Jordan and Josh, were wanting to see my new place so I took a bunch of photos to give them a virtual tour. Hopefully they will load quickly today. (They did!)

My reading and computing corner. If you watch HGTV you'll know that having a sofa in your kitchen is all the rage in the UK, lol! Pom, you asked about an art table. I think this little kitchen table will fill the bill. I'm searching for a vinyl tablecloth. Walmart didn't have any. They just have fabric tablecloths; mostly Pioneer Woman. I'll try Ben Franklin's next. I want something I can wipe paint off of. ;)

Lots of cupboards. The uppers are crammed full of my art supplies. Who needs dishes? :) Oh, and, Gretchen, I didn't make the curtains. They came with the deal. The apartment was furnished, but I'm replacing some items. The table came with it, but I brought in some old chairs I had. The little bistro chairs that were here were too small. I almost fell off one the other day, ha ha!

This is the hallway back to the bedroom. The bathroom is on the left and the  entryway on the right as you go down the hall.

I love my cute little granny kitchen. The cabinets are pale sage green. Most of the walls (paneling) are either pale green or white. It feels very cabin-like. I love that!

I have a very nice gas stove! My electric stoves in the past have always had wonky elements so my eggs would slide to one side of the pan. This one is so solid and level and, of course, it's nice to have more control over the heat level. And there's a microwave for reheating your tea, Gretchen. ;)

The bathroom is just the right size. You can see the shower reflected in the mirror. That huge mirror opens up with lots of storage behind it. There's also a little cabinet above the toilet.

My little entryway. The furnace is on the left behind the door. The hot water heater is on the right behind that curtain and there's a little coat closet to the left of the front door.

Like that tiny bed? There was a queen size bed here, but I didn't want to use someone else's bed...yuck. I figured a twin would give me more space. I don't roll around a lot. :)

The other end of the bedroom. The bedroom needs some TLC to brighten it up. It feels dark. The main culprit is those dark, thick curtains. I looked at Walmart for something brighter but couldn't find anything I like. I'd like to get something airy, with a white or pale yellow background. Maybe a woodsy print. The current curtains are so stiff you can't even push them open. They just spring back. I will find a solution. I'll also put up some pictures. Just waiting to get to town to buy some Command strips, which my daughter highly recommends.

The other corner of the bedroom. I rarely use the TV, so I decided to put it in this hidden corner where I can view the occasional movie. I have cable TV, but after not having TV for over a year, I really don't even want to use it. I figure if the world comes to an end someone will fill me in, right?

This is my end of the trailer house. My kitchen window is just behind that low hanging branch. I have a little deck and a little flower bed along the side of the trailer. I'm facing south, so it might work for a little gardening. Does anyone know how all the pine trees might effect crops such as tomatoes or squash?

The yard next to the trailer. That little post in the lower right of the photo is a hookup for an RV. It's right where I park my car, so if someone rents that spot I'll have to park elsewhere. Okay by me. I can plug in there in the winter.

This is the view out of my kitchen window. (Excuse the dirty windows!) It was so nice to see the sun this morning after days of cloudy, snowy, sleety weather.

So, there's my virtual tour. The Lord has brought me to a nice place. I think He's gently guiding me along from the apartment, which felt safe while I was getting used to being on my own. This feels more like a house, and more like country. I thank the Lord for His goodness! I think the bedbug incident was instigated by the enemy, but the Lord turned it around for my good. I'm praying that all will be resolved at the apartments so that my old neighbors can be comfortable once more.

It looks like my seasonal job counting seedlings is petering out. We didn't work yesterday because the seedlings were all encased in ice from the ice storm the day before. They spent yesterday trying to thaw them. We don't go to work until noon today. There are rumors that we only have a few more days of work. I think it was a bad year for trees. No worries. I will just find other seasonal work. I'm well provided for, thanks to the Lord and family. I'm feeling very blessed.

Love you guys! Have a great day filled with God's shalom!

Whoops!

I didn't even notice that my header said Backwoods Crazy Quilt, which is the name of my old blog. I'll be changing it to avoid confusion!

I'm going to spend some time with the Lord instead of spending too much time on YouTube today. He's been opening my heart to some new ideas. Well, actually the ideas are as old as eternity, but I'm getting some personal insight (revelation?) concerning them. Little bouts of depression and fear have been visiting me regularly my whole life. They leap to the forefront when things aren't going well. The Lord impressed on me that I should turn my thoughts to Him when these negative feelings try to influence me. Just thinking of something He's said in His word and reminding myself that the circumstances of today are nothing compared to the hope I have in Him goes a long way toward banishing dread and depression. Jesus can take care of me no matter what I see happening in my world. He's greater than all of those things. It's hard to explain how this made an impression on me today. It was just one of those light bulb moments when something goes from your head to your heart and you understand it in a new way.

I hope you're all well. We're having very cold, un-spring-like weather. Thanks for all of your kind comments!

My dining room/kitchen table looking out at the pine trees.

And this is the little loveseat next to the kitchen table.

I'm having some issues getting photos where I want them, so I'll just leave it for now. :)

Shalom, my friends!

Voila! A new home!

Well, things happened fast and I'm moved into new digs. My daughter's friend had a place for rent and I snapped it up. It's actually half of a trailer house that's been made into an apartment. It's located in a small RV park here in Nevis, so in the summer I'll have RVers for neighbors. I think it will be kind of a unique experience. Right now I'm surrounded by lots of pine trees and I'm enjoying the sound of the wind in the pines. My neighbor (who rents the other half of the trailer) is an 82 year old gentleman, who is very quiet. One of my neighbors at the old apartment used to live in this trailer and she said "neighbor Bob" is very friendly, so I look forward to meeting him.

I seem to be having problems uploading pictures. Probably because my wifi here isn't as strong? I'll try to upload some pictures later, but I wanted you to all know about the move.

Right now I'd better get off this computer and start unpacking some things. I'm having fun playing house! Oh, I even have a little deck outside. When I came home from work there was a large white rabbit under the deck. Wonder where it came from? I'll have to ask my new landlord. ;)

Love you guys! Thanks so much for all of your encouragement over the last couple of months!

Shalom and blessings!

Broken record...

Aw, I appreciate all of your congratulations and sharing my joy at the defeat of the bedbugs, but I've now been back at my kids since Thursday. The "few bedbugs" just kept on biting and I wasn't going to hang around and get more bites. With multiple bites around my neck I was going bonkers with itching and just feeling yucky. SO, here I am again. I'm thinking it might be time to look for another apartment. The problem may get cleared up in the future, but I can't be a guinea pig any more and I want to find a solution so my kids can have their life back. They are being so good to me and don't act like I'm a bother, but I feel like it anyway. I'll keep you posted.

Faye, you asked how I keep from bringing the bedbugs to my kid's house. I've tried very hard to make sure all the clothing and things I bring over are clean or have been heat treated. There's no way to be 100% sure, but I do the best I can. These critters seem almost demonic in their ability to survive! (Well, not ALMOST. They're just another example of Satan's hold on this planet.) If I move I'll probably leave behind my bed, couch and recliner. I'll just be careful with everything else. I'm not going to drive myself crazy over-thinking things because, believe me, I'm capable of doing that, lol.

Anyway, I've worked one day at the tree nursery. It's rather repetitive, tedious work. I already knew that, but 8 hours of that kind of thing really brings it home. I plan to keep going. It's tough on the back muscles but hopefully they will get stronger as I go. I've missed two days being sick, but I hope by Monday I'll be feeling better. I think I'll try wearing a face mask while working because there's so much dust and pollen flying around as we work.

I'm so thankful to the Lord for providing family to help and to take me in. I'm so blessed to have a roof over my head and family to love. Besides my family here, all of my kids and step-dad have been giving me support and suggestions. It seems like in the last few months I've had only a few days that I've really felt well. It's either been bug bites or the latest wave of sickness. Thanks everyone, for lending an ear and being so kind.

Happy Easter to all! He is risen!
Shalom.

I'm back home!

Hello, all! I'm back in my apartment after about 3 WEEKS living with my daughter and her family. They are such troopers and saints to put up with me that long!

The exterminators came last Friday (April 7) and I moved back in that evening. I have a few new bedbug bites, but they tell me that's normal. There will be a few bugs that live for a while. They will come and re-inspect the place in 3 weeks. I hope this is it for the bugs!

I enjoyed the time with my family, though all of that youthful exuberance can be taxing when you're not used to it 24/7, lol. Two year old Adele is going through a phase of being moody, so she was the main challenge. I also got strep while I was there, and, of course, you don't know you're contagious until it's too late. A couple of the girls got sick later, though not with strep, thank goodness. Audrey missed four days of kindergarten, but her teacher has also missed some days being sick. It seems this year is particularly bad for folks getting sick. Are you guys getting that?

But I do love those kiddos...

I took Hazel's picture...

...and then she took mine!

Adele on the new bike/scooter she got for her birthday.

Audrey home from school sick.

Bouncy little Sullivan, aka Bubba.

 

And here's my baby holding her baby.

As you can see from the photo of Micah and baby Sully above, things haven't greened up yet in our neck of the northern Minnesota woods. We do have a tinge of green grass and some buds. I think a little rain and some sunny days will cause all to bust out in greenery very quickly. Birdies are finally coming to visit my feeder again. I've seen blue jays, a robin and a purple finch, along with various sparrow types this morning.

Here's my high-tech bird feeding system...

Yup, it's a shoe tray. I can get by with this because I'm on the second floor and squirrels can't get to my balcony, lol. I also have a hanging bird feeder right above it for the shy birds. I'm still deciding on whether I want to bother with a hummingbird feeder. It's more stressful than pleasant to watch them fight over it, and they totally ignore the flowers. Speaking of which, I'll soon be emptying the flower pots you see above.

I used a sheep manure mixture in my pots last year. Just trying to be different, I think. Many of my plants turned yellow. So, this year I'll try something else. Potting soil? Topsoil? What do you guys recommend for containers? I'm going to stick with some simple annuals. I do use Miracle Grow, but I'm probably not consistent enough with it.

I brought home a couple of thrift store items this week. A little patio table...

...and a little chair which I thought would be good for doing chair yoga. My other chair has arms on it and doesn't work so well for the yoga.

I've finally begun walking on the trail near my apartment. I have one route that is 2.2 miles long and another that's 2.4 miles. I'm alternating and walking every other day. I hope to do some yoga and small weights on the other days. I'll also find some other good walks around town. I like to have some variety.

Otherwise, I'm trying to catch up on some ATC swaps. My new one-month-long job starts tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes.

I don't know about you all, but I don't know how anyone does this thing called life without Jesus. He is our only real hope and the only thing that makes it all worthwhile. Yes, our kids and family are so precious, but without Him we would have no hope to share with these loved ones. I'm so thankful for Him and I have to keep my eyes on Him when everything seems to be going wrong. Keep your eyes focused on Him and keep your thoughts on things above. Satan will try to pull you down with everything he can think of, but don't listen to him. God is good and faithful. Keep on following Him!

It may not be Easter yet, but He's already risen! Woo hoo!

Love y'all! Shalom to all!