End of Year Thoughts

Well it was an unintended absence, I didn't plan on being away from my blog for so long, it just happened. I knew I didn't want to stop blogging but out of necessity it had to be put on the back burner.
Life has now quieted down a bit and it's time to reflect and look ahead. It's been a difficult year for us because of my husbands step mother's passing. There have been lots of things that needed attending to, and that process is still not completed. What has caught me by surprise the most has been all the emotional upheaval that the whole process has unearthed. We are both still in the midst all of that and with the anniversary date coming up, we will probably continue with that process.

We have spent the last couple of months loving on those we care about. There was a trip to see our Grands, as you can see, they are not so little anymore. The trip was enjoyable and the weather was perfect. We now have compatible phones so we can face time more frequently which is helpful because we still miss them a ton.

We also made a trip to see my family for the holidays. This is the third year we have done this so it's kind of become a tradition. We got another family photo and the young ladies in the group wanted us all to assume the same pose with each person staying in the same position as they were the year before. Time passes so quickly. I tell moms of 'littles" enjoy them because before you know it they will be grown. Hard to hear when your in the midst of raising your young ones but it's true.

Looking ahead I know some of the things I would like to do. I would like to once again do a 365 photo challenge, I will start on January 1. I found my photography also took a back seat last year and the challenge of taking a photo a day was a good exercise for me and would like to start blogging again on a more regular basis, we shall see what happens.

Here are some of my favorite moments from this past year, there were many good memories in the midst of all the busyness. Moments that went by too fast. 

Looking ahead, next year could again be very busy. We have a graduation and a recital in the spring, more plans to see our Grands and who knows what else the Lord may have in store for us. I have found myself looking ahead with apprehension at times, I think it is the season of life we in, so many changes. 

Despite all the change in our life, God has remained faithful, I can't even begin to list all the ways he has protected us this year, met us in our need and directed our steps. When I get discouraged  I need to remember this or when things seem to be going terribly wrong or not according to my plan. He is still in control and this is part of HIS plan

So looking ahead for next year, I hope to find the joy again that only comes Him

Being Thankful

A question was asked of us the other day about thankfulness. Here's the question, if you woke up tomorrow and only had what you were thankful for today what would your life look like?

I take so much for granted without even a thought of how blessed I am. Thankfulness should be as natural as breathing to us, but for me it's not. I was freshly convicted last night and reminded of how much the Lord has given me each and every day. Simple things like water when I turn on the tap, lights when I flip on the switch, food in my pantry and fridge.

I have a loving husband and family, friends and a church. God has control over my life, my eternal future, is secure,  I have so much to be thankful for and yet I find it so easy to complain, this should not be. Looking to be more thankful in the days ahead.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you  1Thessalonians 5 :18

Being Light

I was listening to some teaching the other day and heard something that stuck with me and has given  a new way of looking at things. Perhaps you will find something you can take away from it as well.

Family can be hard to share your faith with, they know you, they know what you believe, they don't want to hear it. I've heard the comment "Quit trying to save me" So I pray, Lord send another Christian into their Life to share their faith with them, share the Gospel with them.

What I never thought about though, is that there may be a family member of someone I have regular contact with in my day to day life that is praying the same prayer  for their loved one. We may be that person someone is praying for that will bring light into their family members life. Gave me a new perspective on being light in the lives of those I have regular contact with, maybe this will resonate with you as well.

Caught Off Guard

When you live on the coast your ears perk up anytime there is mention of a Hurricane or Tropical Storm off the coast. You tend to listen to the weather report a little more often, maybe tune into the local news to see the latest track of Hurricane whoever. It's pretty typical for storms this time of year, that's what happens when you live on the coast.

Last week we were watching Matthew as it was making it's way in the Atlantic. in the beginning of the week it looked as if we could be a target, so we began our customary preps. We took our patio umbrellas down, removed most of the hanging plants and started tidying up a bit. The forecast didn't show anything happening till the weekend, so we figured we had a few days to finish our preparations.

Our local weather guys announced Wednesday that a cold front was moving through and would push the storm away from us. Matthew wasn't going to effect us after all, we were in the clear.

Since the storm was no longer a threat, we went about our normal day to day business, we would finish our preps later, there was no longer any urgency we had a couple of weekends yet to get the summer stuff put away. I really didn't pay any attention to the news anymore, everything seemed good.

Fast forward to Saturday, my husband and i had separate things going on, he was helping a friend with some home repair and I went to an Estate Sale, going about our normal business.

What no one was expecting was the cold front and the tropical storm kind of collided and turned into a Northeaster and it was a doozy. The 1-2 inches of rain that had been forecasted turned into 12 inches and the wind was twice as bad as they thought it would be. Add the factor that we had tow high tides during the storm. Our city had flooding everywhere.

We both got home before the flooding was bad and we didn't have any damage. We had left our car out in the street and it took on some water but it started and will just need some time to dry out. Why didn't we put it in the driveway, because we never expected our street to flood. We lost power for about 12 hours as well and like the car we didn't prepare for that either, all our little devices, like my phone were just about dead when the power went out because I had neglected to charge them. I didn't expect that we would lose power.

I was thinking about this whole event yesterday and how it can have a Spiritual analogy. How often do we get so caught up in the business of today that we forget or neglect the things of the Spirit. Are we living each day as if the Lord could come at anytime or that we could be called home at any moment? Are we preparing for the return of the bridegroom? Are we in prayer for those that may not be Saved (especially those we love) with the urgency that he has called us to have. Are we preparing our hearts daily, are we keeping our focus on Him, looking for his return?

I am guilty of getting caught up in the day to day, of being complacent. Feeling thankful today that he continues to remind me, even with a storm, where my focus needs to be.

Closure

Last week we made a trip to the Mountain House, that's five trips this year. It's hard for me to believe we have made that trip so many times in such a short span, but we did. Our trip last week will probably be our final one and one of the purposes was for Closure. Does "Closure" really even exist?

My husband wanted to pick up the split black walnut logs that were stored in the basement of his parents home. His grandfather and my husband had split those logs years ago back on the farm when he was growing up. The wood represents a memory for my husband of his grandfather and of times they spent together on the farm.

The house is empty now, the household goods sold months ago. The outside has been kept up and mowed regularly but the flower beds that they were so proud of, are weed filled and overgrown and the fountain they loved so much, hasn't been used in almost eighteen months. Everything is a shell of what it once was.

There has been so much the Lord has shown us through this process. The biggest thing is how fleeting life is. Everything you strive to obtain in this life will be picked over by perfect strangers and sold to the highest bidder or donated to wherever or just tossed in the trash. Think about that please! How much better it would be to invest in the eternal instead of the temporal. 

We were able to take some things that held memories. Things that wouldn't mean anything to anyone else or have any value to anyone but us, that have been a blessing and a comfort to my husband. Many of those things were from his grandparents farm and stored in an attic.

The Lord has used this and continues to use this event to shown me how desperately I need a Savior. Feelings and hurts that had long been buried came to the surface with each visit. Wounds that only Jesus could heal, sin exposed that Jesus stands waiting to forgive. It is a work in progress but our Lord is so faithful in our need for Him.

It's and end of an era of sorts. My husband has had family living in that little town for over a hundred years, they are now all gone. Nothing last forever except eternity.

The house will be on the market soon, as will the small farm with the falling down buildings my husbands grandparents owned. We were able to rescue a clump of daffodils from the farm last spring, I'm hoping to see them bloom next year, it will help remind my husband and Sweet Lady of their grandmother. I'm told that little piece of property looks nothing like it did years ago.

The one thing I want to emphasis is how FAITHFUL God has been through all of this.  There were so many "but God" moments. Things that happened that shouldn't have happen, grace upon grace upon grace was given to us. So even though it is sad to see this chapter close we know God is and has been directing this and will continue to do so, this we can be sure.

August Moments

Can you believe that it's September already, summer has flown by for us and it's time again to put together a monthly memories post.

August was a kind of settling month for us, after our youngest son left in the middle of the month, we started to find our routine again. The house was quiet, it was just my husband and I.

My oldest son and wife continue to send photos of our grandchildren on their family outings,we love getting updates from them. Have you guessed that their favorite Baseball Team are the Orioles. Shortly after they got back home from visiting us,they went to another baseball game closer to their home. I heard they had a lot of fun. My son went with his two oldest children, all three ended up getting all ball, which excited my granddaughter most of all.

My husband and I took a little get away in August to the mountains of North Carolina and once back home we tried to enjoy the many little free outdoor events available in our city.

This past August marks the two year mark since our oldest son and his family moved across the country. The children have grown up so fast, they are now all in school full time. I still ask the Lord why they have to be so far away but I am much more at peace with it. There are times when I wonder what's next, but because we have been so busy, those moments don't last long.What I know to be true is that the Lord is faithful in all things, he has been in the past and he will be in our future.

Our life will continue to change, there will be disappointments, grief, joy, successes and failure( a fact I'm really aware of the older we get) but I'm trusting God (who never changes) to see us through and direct our paths along the way. Aren't you thankful we don't have to do this on our own strength.

Summer Memories

In case you think by the look of this post my family is still visiting, they are not. My son and his family left almost a month ago, I'm just that late getting this post up.

My oldest son enjoys baseball and doesn't mind traveling to see a game. Shortly after we heard his family was coming for a visit, he called to tell me that he wanted to get tickets to an Oriole Game. His family was going, did we want to go too? Did any of my siblings want to go? He also wanted to visit his grandparents as part of the trip.

We didn't want to miss spending the day with them so we agreed to make the drive. I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the idea because it meant a really long drive, we would leave at daybreak and wouldn't be home till close to midnight.

I'm glad that I went because it ended being a lot of fun. My brother planned a cookout, several of us met there visited with my parents, got a bite to eat then continued on to the game. When I think of the logistics of this event I amazed at how well it went. My brother remarked that we should make this a tradition, it could be our "Christmas in July" (We are generally only able to get together at Christmas time because we are all spread out around the country) Who knows it might happen.

After the game (which our team won with a Home Run in the bottom of the ninth inning) we gathered together for a group photo before we all went our separate ways once again. Love the memories we had the opportunity to make this summer.

Grand Visit

 This was a long awaited visit. We hadn't seen our Grandchildren since the fall and we weren't too sure we were going to see them this summer until I received a text back in March asking us if we could have a crew come pick them up at the airport in July. We were thrilled to say the least.

We stayed busy the entire time they were here and before we were ready, it was time for them to leave. We had all decided early on that we would let them set the schedules, after all it was their vacation and we would do or go wherever they wanted to go. We have a beach, they do not, so you can guess where they wanted to go the most.

I'll have to admit, I'm not really a beach person and by that I mean, I like the beach, I just don't like lugging all the stuff you need for a day in the surf and sun, and although I like the water, it's usually too cold for me and I don't like the "jellies" or whatever other critter might be sharing the water with me. In my imagination everything I step on is a crab ready to bite my toes. All that to say our beach days were wonderful, warm warm, no "jellies" and the only other critters we saw were dolphins swimming about 15 feet further out. I spent a lot of time in the water and enjoyed every minute of it. And because we had so many hands, I really didn't have to carry much at all.

Other things we did were pool, zoo, Top Golf and as a treat from my son and daughter in law a Bushel of Blue Crabs. Oh and there were ballgames, two of them in one weekend.

It was a week full of memories, and as always, a chance to reconnect and love on my grandchildren. There were a couple of memorable events, the details of which I will omit, but I will never read Ten Little Monkey's again without thinking of Little Red.

Our Biggest Need

It seems we are being separated into groups, like Republicans and Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives, Black and White, Young and Old etc, etc etc. more and more these days

But something our Pastor said the other day has changed the way I view things

Basically he said There are only two groups of people in the world Those who need Jesus and know it and those who need Jesus and don't know it, pretty simple isn't it.

It  has changed the way I look at situations, gives me compassion for people and it reminds me to pray more, criticize less.

We all need Jesus, lets prays for others with that in mind.

July Moments

 I didn't do much posting in July because our days were busy. Our house was full of some of my favorite people. Here's a little preview of our July memories.

There was an unexpected visit from my siblings and an unexpected opportunity to watch my youngest son perform. There was lots of beach time with all of our visitors, trips to ballgames and lots of good food, including some Blue Crabs, a treat from my oldest son and my daughter in law.

Our CSA was going strong, with tomatoes, corn, squash, melons, berries and most recently eggplant. I'd love to hear your ideas on cooking with eggplant, so far we have mastered Baba Gnoush.

My flower garden has about peaked and we are now getting ready for the August heat. Lantana and Black Eyed Susan's are blooming now, with the last of the Day Lilly's done.

We did a lot of running around while family was here and the time went by way too fast. I loved every minute of it though and will treasure the memories made. How about you,

what was your July like?

Sibling Visit

 I am a real planner, I don't usually do things spontaneously, to a fault sometimes. In recent years I have been trying to be more open, still have a plan, but try to be more flexible to opportunities that the Lord might have for us. These past several months have really tested my willingness to let go, and although it's been challenging at times, it's been okay. Well it's been more than okay, it's been a blessing

We had one of those last minute opportunities last week. My sister had taken a weeks worth of vacation to watch her grandchildren, then at the last minute, she found out that she wasn't  needed. Since she had taken the time off,  I suggested she come and visit me. I honestly didn't think she would take me up on the offer but she did and she she came with one of my brothers.

Our time together ended up being a lot of fun. We spent most days at the beach and my brother came prepared to cook for us every evening. When I say he came prepared to cook, I mean, he planned the menus and brought a cooler full of food to prepare. We were treated to crab soup, steamed shrimp and lobster (we love seafood) It was his thanks for our hospitality. We were blown away at how delicious everything was.

Another unplanned event was that our youngest son got a gig in town while siblings were visiting, so they got to visit with their nephew for an evening. (and hear him play with a local group) How sweet was that? Plans are good, and I'll probably never stop being a planner but being flexible can have it's benefits.

So how about you, any surprise visitors or unexpected trips this summer?

Quotidian

I came across a post format idea awhile ago and wanted to use it on my own blog. After contacting a blog friend I found out that Jennifer Jo was the one that had this idea, so I contacted her to get her permission to use it on my blog and she said yes.  So here is my first Quotidian Post. Thank you Jennifer

Quotidian  (7/18/16)
                   Quotidian: daily usual, customary, everyday, ordinary, commonplace

Lot of DIY going on over at our house this week. When the weather is rainy it's time to do the inside projects that have been waiting to be done. This door hasn't been painted since we have lived in this house, it was still the "Country Blue" that was so popular in the 80's. Now it matches our front door.

Young son paid us an unexpected visit because he had a job in town. These shoes were left behind in a closet, we boxed them up and shipped them to him. He was here earlier in the month as well, and left a pair of shoes that time as well that we ended up shipping.

It won't be long for tomatoes, I have three plants that are just covered. I shouldn't really plant them because we also get tomatoes each week in our CSA basket but I can't help myself

Airing out scarves that have been in storage for years, looks kind of festive doesn't it?

One of the last of the Day Lilly's blooming in the yard

Coming for a visit soon!

Hope you all  have a wonderful week!

June Memories

Our days have been so busy, that it's been hard to get back to my blog but I wanted to post my June memories, so here it is, better late than never, this is a glimpse of what our June was like.

 Our 41 Anniversary was this past June and we decided to take a long weekend to Charleston. It's a charming place to visit and there was  a music and arts festival going on called Spoleto while we were there Lots of music events going on in town as well as some art shows. It was an added little benefit we hadn't planned on.

Our garden really came alive in June. We have had quite a wet spring and it has really made our garden flourish this year, plus I didn't have to water as much. That's always a plus.

Our youngest son paid us a visit for a couple of weeks before he had to head off to his summer job. He helped do some organizing of the Mountain House items and joined in some cooking, including making a delicious carrot cake that we devoured in no  time. Thats one way to get our veggies. 

Of course I had to include some photos of my grands. They attended a Daughter Daddy dinner, and sent us some pictures of the girls all dressed up, they are getting too big, too fast.

It was a busy month and July is following suite. How does the time go by so quickly?? I'm afraid summer will be over before I know it. What kind of things have you been up to?

Cooking Class

When my sons were growing up cooking was more of a necessity than something I saw as fun. We were like every young family with schedules that were full with school, sports, work and managing a household. We cooked for fun during the holidays and I still remember the big batches of salsa we would all put up together in the summer, but most of the time, cooking was pretty basic. I had two sons and they were always hungry, meals were made to fill bellies and hopefully they were tasty too.

Now that we are Empty Nesters we have been able to experiment a bit with cooking and it's something we both enjoy doing. We both like trying new recipes and my husband has perfected some awesome Sourdough Bread which he makes on a biweekly basis. (from a start he received from our youngest son almost two years ago) Our youngest son also enjoys cooking and when he's visiting the kitchen can get a bit crowded with all of us cooking but it's a lot of fun. When he was home last he made a killer Carrot Cake. When I looked at the size of it I was sure we would never eat it all but that wasn't a problem, it was gone in a week.

We have always wanted to take a cooking class so when we went to Charleston we found one that had spots available so we signed up.The class turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip (and yes I learned a few things too) If you come to my house I now know how to make a quick dessert of seasonal fruit and puff pastry (special tip, use frozen puff pastry) We made a four course meal and ate as we cooked, it was a delightful evening, so much so, that we are looking to do it again, perhaps in our little city. So tell me, do you enjoy cooking? Have you ever taken a cooking class, did you enjoy it?