I'll think of something

How time slips by! Tomorrow is May Day. When the kids were little they would make May baskets and go to the woods and pick wild flowers and then take them to some older neighbors. Maybe I should whip up some May baskets tonight and send John to the woods in the morning.

Last night Tanner called me at 11 for a ride home. His truck had a major breakdown where the front end just fell when he was turning around in a yard.

I'm so thankful he wasn't speeding down the highway when it happened! He and his buddy are going to fix it--he's getting a lot of good mechanic experience. Tanner has always been good at fixing engines and things that go.

I'm reading an excellent book--"Change Your Heart Change Your Life" by Gary Smalley. It's about the powerful beliefs that aren't truth that are already stored in our hearts. They control us in so many ways and actually drain love from our hearts. The way to change those wrong beliefs is to instill new and right ones.

I'm only 1/4 of the way through but I'm excited! Changing my attitudes and the way I think has been a theme this last year in my walk with God.

Last week when I took John's mom to visit her Dr., I took a picture of a piece of an old quilt that's hanging on the wall that has always fascinated me. There are lots of framed old quilts decorating the walls at Franciscan Skemp.

More tomorrow...

Spring in the Valley

Yesterday afternoon John, I, and 2 dogs went to the valley. Spring flowers are blooming and water was running. Since the flooding last year, our valley looks quite different. Hillsides slid down and new creek beds were formed. It would have been interesting to have watched it happen from above--such force! It was nice sitting by a creek and listening to the water running over the rocks--I love that sound!

Gafton kept laying in the water which was freezing. I found a rock shaped like a pumpkin--complete with the curved lines.

AND this morning we woke up to find everything covered with a thick layer of snow. Now this must be the last of winter.

Hankies

I crafted 7 of these today using some of my hankies.
I started collecting old hankies a few years back and
now have a picnic basket full. I've made some hanky quilts and I just like to take them out and admire
them. Last summer I washed them all and ironed them--very pleasurable!
I think I'll gift people with these--perhaps a florist tube with some pretty little flowers, jewelry, candy, or a note telling someone I Know Something Good About You.

Ugly but Good

Yesterday at 1:30 I put 3 loaves of bread into the warm oven to rise. I'm 56.
At 10 I walked by the stove and thot to my old self, "It smells like bread rising."
OH NO!!! They were HUGE and all glued together so I separated them and
used a toothpick to let some air out. Tastes great! I emptied the freezer in the
basement yesterday cuz I never look in there and it's a waste of electricity. I
found many jars of strawberry jam that tastes good on the funny bread. And
I found a turkey!

More

This morning we went to Winona and found a few garage sales.
It was Not a nice day for it--cold and very windy.

I found these pretty metal juice glasses.
I remember using glasses like these (only bigger) in Taiwan. I can just taste the red
Kool Aide. 10 glasses for 25 cents!!
I also got a metal turkey baster, a Tarzan movie, and a new set of herbal heat packs-
an eye pack, head pack, back pack with velcro straps, and a neck and shoulder pack.
All for $2.75
John took me out for Chinese and my fortune said, "A gathering of friends brings
you lots of luck this evening." I wonder if they're gathering without us--no one's
here.

Saturday Treasures

John got a new(?) tractor today. He bought it
last fall and drove it home today. It's a Massey
Harris 44 and he says it was born the same year
as me so this new tractor is only 56 years old!
What a Deal!! He's a happy farm boy!

I Know Something

Yesterday a little girl at the school read a poem and today when I was
feeling grumbly about someone, I remembered the poem and found it
online.
I Know Something Good About You

Wouldn't this old world be better
If the folks we meet would say:
I know something good about you,
And then treat us just that way!

Wouldn't it be fine and dandy,
If each hand clasp warm and true,
Carried with it this assurance
I know something good about you!

Wouldn't things be more pleasant
If the good that's in us all,
Were the only thing about us,
That folks bothered to recall!

Wouldn't life be lots more happy
If we'd praise the good we see!
For there's such a lot of goodness
In the worst of you and me.

Wouldn't it be nice to practice
This fine way of thinking too;
You know something good about me,
I know something good about you.

So I made a list of the "goods" I know about that person and hung it up in that person's room.
It made me realize the good far outweighs any bad that might irritate me.
And wouldn't I like it if others looked for the good in me rather than the bad?

Pretend Grandma

Today I got to be pretend Grandma for Grandparent's Day at Hope's

school. Hope is a lovely 8 year old daughter of my friend Melanie.

She attends Coulee Region Christian School in West Salem. The

morning started with coffee, rolls, and visiting with "real" grandmas

sitting by me. The kids from grades Pre-K to 8th grade put on a

great program. I got to visit Hope's classroom and she took me outside

for recess. Then we were fed a delicious lunch. I had forgotten

what the lunchroom experience was like! I left with a sense that

Hope is really fortunate to be in such a nurturing, loving, and Christ

centered environment.

The Guthrie Theatre was next door to the mill so we went to see it.

It had the longest elevators I've ever seen, cool bathroom sinks,

a great view of the river and of the I-35 bridge being repaired.

Mary always gets us a bit of culture when we visit! This was the

observation place just hanging out there.

Mary bought a sewing machine so we had sewing lessons.

Weekend

Had a great weekend in Mpls. with friend Mary. John, I, Matt, Tessa, Tyler, and Jami went up on Friday. On Saturday we went to the Crafty Planet which had pretty fabric, yarn, patterns, and books. Then to the Mill City Museum where they used to make Gold Medal flour. It was a fun place with a great view of St. Anthony Falls. Jami is considering a career in wheat grinding.

Found not guilty

They must have found me not guilty of being a spammer, so I'm back. Don't know what that was about.
Unfortunately my life hasn't been extremely exciting. Been busy running and doing. I'm fixing to have some excitement tho!
Today we're going to Mpls. to visit friend Mary. Plan to see the Mill City Museum and go tothe Crafty Planet so I will have something to add soon....




View My Stats

Sweet, sweet spirit

That is Joyce! Joyce lost her husband last month and tonight some of her friends got

together at her house to say, "We love you" . Watching her walk thru this hard time

has been a faith builder. She's REAL, she's trusting Christ to be her all, and she is

inspiring! She shared with us James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith

developes perseverence. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything."

We all have to go thru hard things. I'm thankful to see her example and know her as a friend

in Christ! Joyce is on the right. Left is Loretta who exercises with me 3/wk.








View My Stats

The sun is shining & John's in the bag

Two days of sunshine!! What a difference sun makes.

On Sat. John went to visit some older neighbors. When he

got there, the lady told him not to take his boots off and she

brought him 2 paper bags and said, "Just put these on. You

won't win any races, but you can get around the house."

How smart is that? Wish I'd thot of that years ago with all the dirty

boots coming thru. I gave up on cleanliness long ago. On a farm

it's not reality.

Tessa thot I was funny making the dog re-enact--I made John re-enact too!








View My Stats

I've never liked giving dogs a bath. Dogs around here rarely get baths unless it is done outside with a hose-which seems cruel (icy, cold water) unless it's a really hot day. A month ago one of the dogs was out barking and suddenly I smelled SKUNK and just cringed. Yes--he got sprayed on the face and chest. He spent the night in the basement near poor Tanner's room. The next day I gathered peroxide, soda, and dishsoap and had to physically tackle him and hoist him into the tub. He kept trying escape and kept shaking skunk water on me. Wasn't pretty and he still stinks!

Last night the dogs got muddy and I asked little Taile if she wanted a bath (jokingly). She took off for the bathroom and jumped into the tub. I thot this rather miraculous so I gave her a bath! She re-enacted it for a picture today.

If April showers...

If April showers bring May flowers, what does this bring? The screen porch doesn't look very inviting this morning. For 2 weeks I've been waking up to the sound of many birds chatting. This morning they were quiet. On the positive side...the dogs aren't covered with mud when they come in and it's not November!

Time Flies

Last Saturday as I drove into the yard, I was suddenly hit with the memory of coming home when the kids were young. They were excited, full of energy, "Mom Mom Mom", and they were SOOO cute! I felt sad that it had all gone so fast. Now there are 4 dogs to greet me with excitement and they're not nearly as cute.
What an awesome privilege it's been to be "Mom" to Tessa, Tyler, Trevor, and Tanner!
The older I get the faster time flies. It's a reminder to cherish each day God blesses me with.

Starting a blog on an endlessly rainy day seems like a good thing to do.

Been really needing sun for a few days and I think I'm not alone. Can't quite take enough Vitamin D these days.

So it's perhaps time to mentally spend a little time in Cozumel where it is probably

85 degrees.