It's soup weather

The other Saturday we got together and made some chicken corn soup. We had been talking a few days before that about the volume of soup Grandma Smucker used to make for wholesale for a local farmshow food stand. We were glad we no longer need to add that hectic schedule to our current crazy schedule but decided we were hungry for Grandmas' soup again.



Jay had some cases of chicken that needed to be used so it was cooked, deboned and added back into the broth in the kettle.

Our version of 'steamy' pictures.

Added noodles, corn and parsley - we don't put eggs in ours like some do.

Made sure it passed the tasters inspection.

It's nice to have a place where we can make a big batch, a big mess and then hose 'er down.





I think 140 lbs. of soup should last us awhile, don't you?!

We have a few more lessons to teach these young-un's though - no sittin' down on the job.... in a puddle of water, no less.

As the Weeds Tumble

Last evening my daughter and I had a little chuckle over the phone together. Her blog is 'Me and Him and the Tumbleweeds' and her life lately has truly been a roller coaster ride. My phone rang several times a day this past week as she attempted to keep me up-to-date. For a few days it seemed like their plans were changing every hour. I admitted to her last evening that I hold my breath when I see the call is from her - not knowing if she will be crying or laughing when I say hello. It's been a surreal 'As The World Turns' which we referred to last evening as 'As the Weeds Tumble'. Laughter truly is a medicine when life seems to be tumbling.

Coveting your prayers as they continue to make plans 'just for today' while they wait and see how God will direct their next steps as they decide where to hang their hat.

There is no long term planning involved right now - then again that could have changed overnight & I'm just not aware of it yet. =) At this point it's "I think we know what we're doing today". Lots of phone calls and connections need to be made. Just collecting boxes to pack their things up - again... and alone this time - is difficult in the middle of nowhere. The boxes we emptied just a few months ago are packed full of the ranchers things when we cleaned his stuff out to make room for theirs while he made plans (too late) to build his house. In fact those boxes will now need to be unloaded off of Mr. Studly's horse trailer so they can make room for their boxes.

Something seems out of focus about needing to always be moving someone elses things before you can move yours ..... just one of the many indicators for their reasons to find other pastures.

Growth and change are not always fun or easy. Grandchildren are grumpy because their new little teeth are coming through their gums -but steak is in their future. Changing routines to create better ones takes time to adjust and relearn - and efficiencies are achieved. Learning to adjust to something being empty where there once was something warm and loving - we yearn for heaven where no tears will be shed. It's all a part of this stage of eternity we call Life.

Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have is not permanent.

~Mignon McLaughlin

Sunday morning we sang one of my favorite songs....

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!

Last evenings sky gave testimony to a day planned and colored by God - the One we have our Hope in.....as the weeds tumble.

Chappy

My dear husband has lost his tag along companion today.

CHAPPY

an amish word for friend

Chappy was running beside Jay's truck today as Jay was leaving to go for a haircut and I guess he just got too close. That ball of fur was my 'thorn in the flesh' because of the extra work he would make - Pug hair sticks like glue, he was often under foot, and he smelled like a dog. But I didn't wish him dead simply for Jay's sake. Taking care of Chappy was my act of love for Jay - I didn't love Chappy like Jay did but because I loved Jay I acted. If Chappy needed a bath I bathed him. When Chappy had a vet appointment I took him for his appointments. Chappy followed Jay everywhere at the shop - and they both loved Saturdays cuz they'd be together all day. When Jay went inside the shop Chappy would wait outside the door for him. When Jay was mowing the grass at the shop Chappy would run along beside him, or around the mower and when he tired of running he'd lay along the side somewhere and watched him until Jay moved to the next plot of grass. Chappy was Jay's dog and he knew it. Jay was never on his recliner without Chappy in his lap.

And as much as Chappy frustrated me I still spent the afternoon in tears. Jay will come home alone tonight. Chappy would have been all muddy from running around in the rain and I would have needed to bath him so he could find his usual spot on Jay's lap for the rest of the night.

I would gladly welcome the opportunity to give him a bath tonight.

I'm sorry Jay. Chappy was so good for you. He made you love dogs. =)

Stairs

Ok, who thinks of these things? I'm trying to be creative enough not to make the same menu items week after week. I can come up with some crazy, hair-brained ideas about putting something 'here' instead of 'there'. But the minds of some people must never shut off. First someone needs to 'think up' the idea, present it and then someone else needs to agree to fund it or give it a whirl. Amazing.

Some of these stairs are just way cool.




Let me see you carry a clothes basket of wash up these stairs.

Going down..... Going up.

A His and a Hers?

Fun in the workplace?

Wouldn't these be fun to decorate for each of the seasonal holidays?

Now these I could really use! Great idea.

New twist to 'where's my shoes?' 'On the steps, dear'.

Now these are my absolute favorites. Finally a place to put all the books and every single one is within reach.

I'd have way too many doctor appointments with these in my house.

STAIRWAY to HEAVEN
Poem by Helen Steiner Rice
The stairway rises heaven high,
The steps are dark and steep,
In weariness we climb them
As we stumble, fall and weep,

And many times we falter
Along the path of prayer,
Wondering if You hear us
And if You really care,

Oh, give us some assurance,
Restore our faith anew,
So we can keep on climbing
The stairs of prayer to You,

For we are weak and wavering,
Uncertain and unsure,
And only meeting You in prayer
Can help us to endure

All life's trials and troubles,
Its sickness, pain and sorrow,
And give us strength and courage
To face and meet tomorrow!

Helen Steiner Rice

STAIRWAY TO DESTINY
I see this downward stairway yet

I’m trying to go up;

where I believe that at the top the

Lord will fill my cup.

It’s a very icy stairway that is slippery and wet.

Yet I know He wants to take me to a place I won’t forget.

If I will take that firststep, it will get me off the floor.

Step up and up and up again where there’s an open door.

The door that holds my destiny, that’s where I want to be.

Where I can reach and touch the world that

God wants me to see.

While others all go down the stairs,

I’m destined to go up.

I can’t forget that is the place where God will fill my cup.

I don’t know why it’s facing down when up is where I’m going.

I have to reach that place in God where love is overflowing.

Norma Daniel Jones April 30,2004

In your Goings up or goings down - I hope your have a good day!

I do not need a nap

Grandma came to my house one day while Mommy & Daddy went to work. Grandma thought after lunch that I looked tired and needed a nap.



Mommy told her I didn't sleep much the night before.


I'm watching one of my favorite movies.....

My eyes are open - they are not closed.

(He stood there weaving slightly side to side barely blinking.  When the movie was over he fussed a little going up the steps but he soon fell fast asleep.  This isn't Grandma's first day off the banana boat.)

Fall leaves

The colors of fall are some of my favorites. It's my favortie time of year also - when the heat of summer is gone, soup is a great menu item and you need to decide if you should wear a sweater or not. Love it.

A longtime friend of mine, Cindi Kanagy Reeser, posted these pictures on her FB page and graciously granted permission to share them here. Thanks Cindi.

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November." - Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden, 1905

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." - Stanley Horowitz

"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools." - Henry Beston, Northern Farm

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

In The Beginning

Last Friday evening Jay & I had the privilege of seeing a magnificent production "In the Beginning" at a local theatre, Sight & Sound Millennium Theatre. It was an amazing experience. I have always loved the story of creation and have a great fascination with even the smallest details of creation.

I love the way this theatre takes liberty with 'filling in the blanks' and using creative imagination as to how Adam was introduced to Eve, the joy Adam must have had in naming the animals, the conversations that may have taken place when they were driven from the Garden, the idea that some of their children would not believe that the Garden existed, the pain of being cast from the Garden of Eden forever - especially after having experience THE garden of perfection.

These productions are always true eye candy! Large, vibrant, shimmering color....live animals, some amazing, very 'live looking' animals...... giant sets moving in and out of scenes... a heavenly looking Tree of Life. The sound system and acoustics provided sounds that were actually felt. It's a sensory overload - especially the last scene that depicts when Adam & Eve will once again be in God's presence and joining us in singing praises to the One and Only Creator! I'm not charismatic in worship but I fought the urge to stand up and shout Hallelujah!!!!!

Of course no photos are permitted to be taken inside so you grab the ones you can.


The Lion and the Lamb statue outside the main door. A popular photo shoot and always full of people -- I don't know who the little sweetie is on the left.


Dad was taking the picture while we waited for friends to join us for the evening.


Looking forward to seeing the next production "Joseph" scheduled for 2010.

I love creativity

Seeing that things are rather quiet in Blogland at my end I'll steal from Facebook. I received this on my FB page today and so very much enjoyed it. Somewhere, sometime, somehow, someone thought of this idea and ran with it. Enjoy!

Word fun

I haven't played much Scrabble in my life but enjoy doing word puzzles/games. A year ago I purchased a game soley because I loved the packaging - what a neat marketing idea.






Bananagrams can be played with 2-8 people who use their own letter tiles for their own collection of connecting and intersecting words.




I thought I'd use the letters to spell out some words I received through an email.

The email took words and rearranged the same letters to spell a second word.

And I pray this does not describe me.....

A sign that I've seen before --

DESSSERTS spelled backwards is STRESSED.

Although I think it is more like STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS.