Don't Feed the Animals, They Are Already Stuffed!

I would like to introduce you to some of my daughters dear little playmates! They are the sweetest little things and she has many good times with them, laughing, talking and sharing adventures. Here is a peek into her little world.

Friends waiting for tea time!

The hostess sampling her handiwork before serving her guests.

Boots getting his first taste!

Look at their sweet little faces.

So well mannered and waiting for their turn for hugs and conversation!

Boots being very content after his yummy cake and morning tea. He won't be swinging around the couch until later when Dora the Explorer comes on!

Here are the Peace on Earth duo. They never fight.

Here is Spot resting by the African Animals where Mary dreams in the afternoon (she takes her naps on this blanket) For more stories about Spot go here.

Mary's African friends

These guys, Barry & Bunni, are from California. My sweet friend, Selina, found them on her travels and brought them to us to adopt.

Linus and Myrtle hang out in the nursery. They are a home spun sort the do not travel far. We did manage to get them to come to the living room for a group shot!

I had to work fast because they do not like to sit still.

For more wonderful treasures and the stories behind them go to Kelli's blog here.

My Mother's Garden

Three things were held dear to my mother's heart, her relationship with the Lord, her family and her garden. These things were rooted deeply in her heart and were closely intertwined. Her relationship with the Lord was the root and from this sprang the joys of her life. My mother's parents were farmers and she grew up learning how to be close to the earth. She loved the rich dark soil of this fertile valley that I grew up in. From it she grew a beautiful and productive vegetable garden and lovely flower beds that had many roses! My mother loved to take flowers to church, for the altar and center pieces for social functions. She decorated our collars and lapels with roses on Mother's day and gave me daffodils for my birthday in the Spring. She would send camellias and begonias with us to school to give to our teachers. What a generous heart she had. Her soul was at peace in her garden and many Summer mornings she would get up early and spend time with the Lord out there before the heat of the day would come. She had many wonderful conversations with my father as they worked the soil in their vegetable garden. He was such a good match for her because he loved the Lord and loved to garden too! From the bounty of their garden they fed us and taught us how to plant and care for things. My brother and I so looked forward to the spring planting. Dad would make the furrows in the loose soil for the seed, Mom would place the seed in the furrows and cover it over and my brother and I would walk with our bare feet, to press down the soil and make the seed secure. It was so exciting and full of wonder to see the seed fall into the ground and then later sprout into these beautiful plants. During harvest times we would pick green beans and then sit under our mulberry tree and snap them in the evening getting them ready to freeze or can. During those times my mom would tell us the stories of her life and how God met her and helped through all her difficulties. My faith was built listening to those accounts as a young child. I grew up wanting the faith of my parents. The Lord was so dear to my mother and she loved Him very much. Tomorrow marks the 21st anniversary of her going home to be with the Lord and tears are falling on my cheeks as I write this. They are not from sorrow without hope but they come from a heart of love. I loved my mom very much when she died but I love her more now. Over the years as I went through my life and had pain and joy, I was thankful of the things she taught me and now that I am married and I have a little girl I appreciate her more than ever before. I thought back to the times that I was small and could not remember her but I knew how she felt because of the emotion I felt at the birth of my daughter and how I loved to get Mary out of her crib in the morning and feel her little arms around my neck. That wonderful precious love of a child and I understood mom's relationship with me and I knew how she loved me. My mother died of liver failure and I was able to be with her before she slipped into her final coma. She looked up and said, "I love you!' and then she said, "God will not take anything away without giving you something better." I didn't see that for a long time. Eighteen years later I conceived my precious daughter the very month my mom went home and I gave birth to her in the very same hospital. At the time my mom passed that particular hospital did not have a maternity ward but later built one and this annex stood in the parking lot that could be seen from my mother's room when she died. I remember looking out the window that cold February day seeing the snow fall there and feeling so sad. Little did I know I would move to Southern California, meet my husband and after 16 years move back up here! That spot that brought such sad thoughts now fill my heart with joy! I believe my mom saw my husband and my daughter as she drew close to eternity. She loved her family but she loved the Lord more. She went to be with Him where the roses are thornless and the lilacs never fail. My brother wrote this poem for her funeral and he put it so well. I will close with his beautiful verses for her.

I put your cane in the hallway closet

And I thought how the slow decline had shrunk your world,

Taking away shopping, watering outside,

Cooking, eating out, and finally church.

I hung your coat near the living room door

And I thought how quickly you felt cold,

Always asking, "Are you warm enough at night?"

Saying, "You make me cold just to look at you."

I put your glasses in the hutch drawer

And I thought how your eyes had weakened until

You couldn't read your romance novels at all

And we read the Bible aloud to you each night.

Momma, you've gone away, gone ahead to a place

I can't follow just yet, a place, I know,

Where the roses are thornless and the lilacs never fail,

Where you soar and sail in profusion of light,

Where you bask, I know, in the warmth of the light of His face,

Where you see right down to the place we've gathered here.

But Momma, maybe this is greedy, maybe it's foolish,

But I wish you were here, how I wish you were still here.

I want to tell you how my day went and

I want to see your pride on my wedding day,

And I've gotten behind in our Bible reading, you know,

And I want to ask your forgiveness for the times I've failed.

But I can't, Momma, I can't. You've gone away,

Gone ahead to the place I can't follow just yet,

Where the roses are thornless and the lilacs never fail.

February 26, 1988

Praise and Worship Sunday

I just watched this on Dawn's blog, 4:53 am and decided to post it here. Thanks Dawn for sharing it! This song touched my soul deeply this morning and I it says so much of how I feel in my relationship with the Lord.

For more wonderful praise and worship songs being shared go to Brittany's blog, Sweet Nothings and check it out. Thanks Brittnay for hosting this. Have a blessed Sunday dear friends!

Tap Fanfare

I am sharing my daughter's tap shoes today on Show and Tell. She just cracks us up with her tap dancing. She loves those shoes. I had originally bought them, thinking I would put them up for later when she was bigger. As soon as we got home, she saw them and begged for me to put them on her. The minute I did, she went into the kitchen and made her little performance with out any coaching!

So with no more comment, here is the video.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

For more treasures that people are sharing from their lives, go to Kelli's blog.

An Award

Linda at Seasons of Life has given me another award! Thank you so much Linda, you are a blessing to me. This is an award for people who know how to make lemonade out of the lemons that Life sometimes hand you. It is also a award for blogs that have a good Attitude and plenty of Gratitude. Your attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how you respond to your circumstances. It’s how you react to events, not the events themselves, that determines your attitude.
Put the logo on your blog or post. Nominate as many blogs as you want, which show great attitude and/or gratitude! Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.Share the love and link to this post, and to the person from whom you received your award.

If you are going through a hard time and trusting the Lord to see you through, then you deserve this award. Feel free to take it and pass it along to whoever you want. Have a wonderful day. The Lord is good!

Wordless Wednesday - Books

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to Dixie at French Lique

Our Special Day!

I had a wonderful Valentines Day with my husband and daughter. Our little girl is our Valentines present from the Lord. I didn't find out I was pregnant with her until I was 4 months along. After I went to the doctor and got everything figured out, I counted back and her sweet spark of life came to us at the time of this wonderful holiday. I have included a slide show of our day. Also my husband gave me the movie, Fireproof, and we were able to watch it when she took her afternoon nap. We loved the movie and it made me appreciate my husband even more! He is such a great guy! I love you baby and this slide show is for you.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Ring

My mother's oldest sister and her husband lived near us when I was growing up. They moved from Southern California to this part in Oregon, in the mid 1940s and bought a 5 acre lot, a little ways out of town, and had a chicken farm. Through their move to this area, my mom and my dad became familiar with this part of the state and eventually moved here shortly before I was born. My Aunt's name was Ailene and her husband was Curtis. I have very early memories of going to their house to visit. Before my memories became very clear, Uncle Curtis had a stroke and their only son, Wade, had a nervous breakdown and both Wade and Curtis passed away by the time I was 10 years old. This left Aunt Ailene alone for many years. She was a very independent person but also very lonely. She came over for a lot of family holidays and my folks always helped her with things she needed done around the house. In 1982 I began to see her often as I was commuting to college and her house was midway on my commute. By this time she was 70 years old and her son and husband had been gone for 12 years. She was frail with a handicap in her hands that left them drawn up in a fist. So, I would take her grocery shopping, do gardening, go out to eat, and help with household projects that she needed done. The main thing was that I became a friend. She was lonely and so was I. I was 22 and single waiting for my beloved. We spent many hours talking about our lives. She was a believer and we shared about what the Lord meant to us. She had a lot of life time to share and I always enjoyed the stories of her life, how she grew up, moving from Nebraska to California, meeting her husband and having her son. One warm spring day I was out in her back yard doing some weeding and she came out and asked me to come in because she wanted to tell me something. I went in and she had a large glass of lemonade for me. She told me that when she passed she wanted me to have her wedding rings. She wanted me to have them because I knew all the stories of how she met Uncle Curtis and what their relationship meant to her. I was so honored for her to tell me this. I didn't even know what her rings looked like, because of her hands being crippled, she could not wear them. After I finished my lemonade, I went back out to the yard to finish the weeding. As I worked, I felt the Lord speak to me that day, and said, "Elena, I have seen your sad heart and this gift of these rings will be my promise to you that you will be married." My mind went right to, but who, Lord, could it be? I didn't find that out for another 19 years, but I always hung onto the promise that the Lord gave me that day. My dear Aunt passed on. I went to her house to take her grocery shopping on a February day in 1988 and she did not answer her door. I went in and found her sleeping in bed but she did not wake up when I touched her. I ran to the phone and called the paramedics. They rushed her to the hospital and found out that she had had a massive stroke and it damaged very vital parts of her brain and she would not recover. All my mom's family had a phone conference and decided to let the doctors take her off life support. They said that Aunt Ailene was ready to go home with the Lord. Her husband and son were in heaven and she was waiting these years to go to see the Lord and her loved ones. I walked into the room after they had taken her off life support and she had given her last breath. I felt the presence of the Lord there, he had come to bring her home. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I saw her peaceful form, I knew she was at rest and finally home! After her death, I came into possession of her lovely rings and I will treasure them always. I also inherited the handkerchief that she carried in her wedding with forget-me-nots and bleeding hearts emroidered on it. I have also included a picture of her wedding which was on Monday, September 15, 1941. She was such a beautiful bride and Uncle Curtis was so handsome. They married late in life and had one child and so have I. The Lord fulfilled his promise to me and I am so thankful that I was able to get to know my aunt in her later years and share in the stories of her life.

For more treasures and the stories behind them go to Kelli's blog.

Wordless Wednesday - Love

For more wordless Wednesday posts go to Dixie at French Lique

Birds of the Air

I was watching the wild birds eat at my feeder this morning. I got a shot of a Blue Jay and it made me think of the scripture in Matthew 6:26 that says...

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

The Lord is so good to us and values us very much!

The Dancer

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Almost a 100 years ago...

In the summer of 1910 my grandmother wrote this letter to her best friend, Libby. She is telling her about how the guy she has loved for years has come to his senses and loves her back and they are going to get married. Libby was my grandma's friend all of her life and saved this letter and passed it on to my grandmother's oldest daughter, my aunt, and then Aunt Ailene gave it to me! I treasure this letter from my grandmother that I never met, as she died before I was born. She was a godly woman and I want to be like her. You can go to another post I made a while back to read one of the stories of her life here. I have included a picture of her letter and I also typed it out so it would be easy to read.

My dear Libby,
Will start a letter to you today but do not suppose I can finish it. I know you are very busy if your folks are still gone.
Well, dearie I started this letter Sunday but felt tired and nervous so gave up writing then. So it is now Tuesday. I would have finished it yesterday, but I was sick. I always like to have plenty of time and feeling good when I write a letter. Especially to you. I am afraid of giving the blues.
We are very busy sewing. I am going to start to Ohio one week from tomorrow. I hardly know whether I want to go or not. Madge did think about going too, but I had a letter from her yesterday saying that she could not go. Some ways I would like to have her go and some not. In fact, I am rather glad she is not. I wish it was possible for Mamma or Edna to go, but they cannot. I am afraid I will get home sick in a week or two. For I am not acquainted with many of my relatives back there. I suppose it won't take long to get acquainted though. I have so much to tell you, dear, I feel like I could never put it all on paper. To make a long story short, it is, Bert loves me! I am the very apple of his eye. Don't laugh at me dearie. I am in dead earnest. Maybe he has told you. I hope not for I want to be the first one to tell you. But, I must tell you all that led up to the present.
The night of the closing concert at the Gem, Vena came home and was there. Bert took me and that night, in the road home, he was awfully blue for it was the first time he had seen Vena since she was married. Of course, he was fighting a great battle. This was Saturday eve. He said he would not be over the next evening. But would come the Sunday a week. I said, "No, Bert this will not do. If you do not come tomorrow eve, you can not come any more." But he did not come the next night.
Sunday afternoon, Mr. & Mrs. Richardson and Hazel and Lester were all here. Hazel and Lester boarded at Jim Winters. Hazel was with a young man, Frank Sims, from near Phillips, who has an auto. He was here too. Lester and myself and Hazel and her beau all go to church in the auto. Lester was a fine looking fellow. About six feet in height, broad shouldered, dark hair and brown eyes. Papa said he was the finest base singer he ever heard and I know I never heard better than he. Of course everybody thought that I had a case on him and had ditched Bert for him but that was a mistake. Bert got scared up a little then and kept phoning and writing me every day or so. I wrote back to him and I tell you I made him believe his cake was dough. I kept going with Lester here and there every night or so and didn't pay one bit of attention to anything Bert said. He wanted to come and see me so bad but I wouldn't let him. He wanted to come to so bad he said, "Clara I want to see you so bad but I feel like starting to run and never stopping until I get where you are." But I never answered that letter at all. Then he wanted to take me to Aurora on the 4th but I would not let him. I was rather enjoying turning the tables on him. Do you blame me? I went to Aurora with the folks and in the afternoon I was with Willie Groelz and he brought me home. Maybe you think Bert wasn't worked up. When he heard it he said he felt like he had been stabbed. He was shocking wheat when he heard it. He worked on for a while but hardly knew what he was doing. Finally went to the house. Could not eat or sleep for two days.
The last night before we made up he sat up until nearly midnight writing me. Said he could hardly keep from coming over here in the middle of the night. I believe him too. For he was nearly crazy. He thought he never could go crazy over anybody but Vena. I think I have showed him that he was mistaken. Don't you? I thought I had carried things far enough. So, I sent him a note telling him that he could come over and have a talk with me any night that suited him, that I would be home. He got my letter about 5 o'clock last Friday eve. I tell you he was over her by 8 o'clock. Faster than he used to come. Wasn't it?
I got in the buggy with him and we went riding. I tell you, I got a real loving if I ever did. He said Vena was nothing to him now. There isn't any for her now. I tell you that sounded good to me. We didn't get in until one o'clock. Could hardly tear ourselves away.
We are going to be married about Thanksgiving time or a little later if nothing happens to prevent it. The folks are fighting it. Say, they have no confidence in him. That his love may last two weeks or maybe less. But we can prove to them that, that is not so.
We are not going together publicly until after I get back. Because it would look rather funny after the way I have been cutting capers.
You always said, "go with some one." But I never had a good chance before. I knew it was what Bert needed. I did not write and tell you before, for I did not know how it was all coming out.
I wrote a long letter to Bert, Sunday. So, was too tired when I got through to write to you. I had a spicy little note from Bert today. Mamma wanted to know if he had changed his mind yet? I informed her that he hadn't.
We are not going to have any wedding because his mother would not be able to come and would feel so bad. I don't want it any way. We are going on a trip but don't know where just yet. Bert is coming tomorrow night and we will finish making our plans then.
Do you blame me for hating to go to Ohio just at present? Bert can't hardly bear to think of me going, but we had written and told the folks that I was coming and I had my clothes nearly all ready so he says for me to go. Also says I must write him a letter every day. But I don't know about that. I think about every other day will be enough.
I haven't told the folks yet that we are going to be married this fall. They will have a fit. I ought to stay home and learn to cook. Don't you think so? I fear we will have to live on love for a while, if I don't. Bert, poor boy, is just skin and bones. Just looks awful. But, I love him anyway. Wouldn't you? I say I want him to weigh 175 lbs before we are one or I fear I will be "boss". I will any way. No our Heavenly Father will be our boss. We have Him to thank for all this. How much we owe to Him. Oh, Libby won't we have a happy home? I want you and Theo and Frank to come and see us. Won't we have a good talk. I can hardly wait. I get to thinking so much I can hardly sleep.
I had applied for our home school and Luther was going to teach the winter term. I withdrew my application the week before Bert and I made up. I knew very well what was coming.
Well dear, I must draw the line some place. I feel like I never could stop. I am so happy I feel like I could almost fly sometimes. I know you will rejoice with me too. We must win the folks over yet and that worries me a little. Bert is going to ask for me soon. I hope the folks will not object too much.
Emma Winter is here and wants to take her music lesson. They have a new piano. It is a fine one too. Must close. Write to me if you have a few minutes to spare.
Much love,
From Clara

Grandma did not go to Ohio that year. She married Grandpa on Monday, October 10, 1910 and and they went to the World's Fair in Chicago for their honeymoon. They were married for 38 years and had 9 children. Grandma died at the age of 60 due to complications of diabetes. All her children grew up in the knowledge of the Lord and served Him all their lives. Here are a few pictures of her bride's book. So sweet and romantic.

For more treasures and the stories behind them go to Kelli's blog.

Wordless Wednesday

For more wordless Wednesday posts go to Dixie at French Lique