~What a Beautiful Day~A Gift from a Gracious Lady!

I received this lovely, lovely house warming gift in the mail today from a dear friend, Joni, who has a Darling shop on Etsy The Blue Plum Shop.
Even tho' Joni and I have never met in person, we have formed a wonderful friendship through crafting and sewing, our shops and our love for our Creator. I was so touched that she would send this beautiful gift to me, I can't wait to hang it! She is so talented! She even made that gorgeous tag with the cross at the bottom, and the sweet wishes on the back. Look at the details! And the chimes sound so pretty, it is quite windy up here so I will indeed be thinking of her often.

Thank you Sweet Joni! You are so very thoughtful!

~Waiting....Waiting....Waiting.....~

How do they know? Everyday this ol' gal will sit by the window from 5:00pm until my husband gets home. It's so funny...how does she know it's 5:00pm?? I don't always know it's 5 and I can tell time!! It's just uncanny how that doggy time clock works. If he doesn't get home by 8:30pm (he sometimes has to work late), she'll sadly drag herself into bed (my bed), and go to sleep. "Sorry Dad, you're on your own." Yesterday I was out watering my little plants and Freeway was hanging around doing what dogs do, and when I was through watering, I looked up and couldn't find her anywhere! I was worried, calling her, and clapping my hands, doing everything I usually do to get her to come running...nothing. Then....I smelled something cooking! Aha!! I walked over to my next door neighbors house, around the corner, behind their fence, and there's Freeway.....just sitting there, patiently....by their Smoker which was fired up and cooking the most wonderful smelling meat!! I think Freeway thought she'd finally found the Smorgasbord!!! That girl!! On the way back home she kept looking over her shoulder, with regret, no doubt...
Blessings~

~The Fragrant Hoya~

I promised you a few days ago to post a picture of the hoya in full bloom! I have ten different blossoms on this lovely plant, you are looking at only one blossom. The Hoya is very fragrant, it is difficult to describe: sweet yet a little pungent. My entire home is filled with this soft, subtle aroma. I must have this plant in a place that it enjoys very much, because it just keeps blooming and blossoming! I have several different varieties of the Hoya, as I find it the most interesting plant. If you scroll down a couple of posts, you will see the flowers before they are actually in full bloom. They are hard and waxy. What a Blessing!
I would like to thank you for your prayers for Kent. His health is improving after undergoing dialysis. A miracle no doubt! Bless you friends~~

~Please Pray~

Hello Friends, today is a special post, a post asking for prayer for an old friend of mine whose life long battle with drugs and alcohol has taken their tole on an aging body. At 54 years old Kent is in critical condition with kidney failure as a result of the abuse. Throughout his life he has come to the Lord, only to slip away...he would come back and then leave once again. He could have been, and once was a wonderful man, a good husband, and father. And now, he is critical. Please pray for this lost soul, that he will find Jesus before his days are done on this earth. Blessings~

~Clouds Over Iowa~

Okay....I understand that you are probably getting REALLY tired of my sky pictures, however, I just needed to post just one more cloud! (right, hmmmm) Look at this cloud that was over my house yesterday!! These are the colors of the cloud, for real!! Have you ever?? I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. It reminds me of a volcano. Look at the dark clouds on the bottom of the page, don't they look like the jagged rim of an erupting volcano? Very majestic. I'll try to pull myself away from the windows in order to bring you the orchid photos. It'll be hard.......

Blessings Friends~

Hello Sheila!! I'm so happy that you decided to blog!!

A Rainbow...And A Hoya Flower!~

What a Blessing this day has been! Relaxing but still getting some things done in a non hurried way. I looked out the breakfast room window and behold!! A Beautiful rainbow that looked as though it ended in my new garden which was planted yesterday!! My hubby said that tomorrow we will look for the pot of gold!! (smiles) Also, big news (for me) my 10 year old Hoya has blooms! When we moved here, I placed the plant in the breakfast room which has big windows on one entire side of the room. And...obviously, this plant loves it there!! I can't even count the number of blooms on this Hoya. This is the first time in 10 years that it has bloomed!! The flowers that you see are not fully opened, but still lovely. Aren't they waxy looking? I will take more photos when they open. Also my orchids are still in bloom...remember those from December? They are still in bloom! More pics of those as well are on their way. Blessings friends~

~Sun Hats, Short Sleeves, & Bug Spray!~

Yesterday Hubby & I woke up at 6:00am and by 8:00am we were in the garden! This garden had so many weeds that truly I couldn't what was a keeper and what should be pulled! Weeds had coiled around wildflowers choking them to limpness (oh those wicked weeds). We decided to clear out the entire garden and begin again! Hoeing, weed whacking, trimming, planting, we added a brick boarder, and mulch....unfortunately, the mulch man closed early and we couldn't finish our project. But it looks soooo much nicer already! I've moved some plants to here and amazingly they don't seem to have minded. It was almost 90 yesterday, and boy were we hot! Lots of sunscreen and gallons of water got us through. Also, my hubs has a wonderful sense of humor, and he keeps me laughing in spite of the heat, bugs and weeds!! What a joy! Blessings on this special Father's Day!!

~Bathing Beauty~

Look at this little girl!! She's so funny! I really think she is adjusting well to her new home (smiles). Ten years old now, and still takin' in the rays..It's not good to fall asleep when you are sunbathing, so I woke her up, took her in, and gave her a doggy treat. Aaaahhh...it's a dogs life!

~A Very Eerie Sight!~

As I was walking in the yard yesterday, pulling up weeds, watching Freeway frolic in the grass, contemplating the wonder of nature, I happened upon this old tree in front of our home. Underneath is a beautiful little cluster of Lily of the Valley. I love their delicate little bells. I looked up at the sound of a bird in song...What did I see?? Yikes! Isn't this the weirdest looking anomaly you ever did see? It was rather startling, because it clearly looks like a face to me! Do you see it too? It is large, about two feet long, and it is looking up the road. It's neat...but creepy, don't you think? Very unique.......Very Eerie.....

Blessings~

~What Me???!!! I Don't Have A Problem!!!

Okay....maybe a little one! :-) During this whole moving process, I have been procrastinating putting my sewing/computer room together. I did get everything out of boxes a week or so ago, however....nothing, I repeat, NOTHING was organized!! Well, in these last few stormy, rainy days, I worked in this, the last, room in the house to organize. Holy Cow!! Do I have an obsessive/compulsive fabric problem? Is that my diagnosis? Geezzzzz!

In my other home, I had boxes of fabric packed away, never having the entire collection (yes, that's a good word for it...collection), in one room! Now, all of this fabric is together..sorted by hue and texture. Double door lighted closets really help for the vision impaired, getting up there in years kinda gal that I am..Two white stand up closets for the overflow of lace and yarn!!
Not a single space left over! Now that the fabric is put away...(Lord, please don't let there be a fire!), I can begin to decorate and nest...I'm good at that (smiles). Well, I never realized that I had so much fabric, with everything stuck in closets throughout the house, boxes, drawers...you name it! Soon, I will have curtains, and frillies, and my husband will go crazy!! Hee hee! It must be hard to be a perfectionist and live with the likes of me!!! Truly though, he's very tender and kind...really good at turning a blind eye to my comforting confusion. Thank you Lord, you found me the PERFECT Gentleman!

Blessings all!

~Stormy Weather.....~

Oh my goodness! What a storm--what a sky! These colors are so beautifully blended, one color highlighting the next. You may have guessed by now that I am an avid sky watcher. We have just recently moved to a home situated on top of a hill in Iowa with a panoramic view of the sky and surrounding farmlands and prairie. On a clear day, the neighbors say that one can see for 10 miles in every direction! Oh how I love this view unencumbered by fences and walls...just wide open. Robert Frost, in his poem, " Mending Wall" expresses disdain for walls between people, and ponders the words of his neighbor, "Good fences make good neighbors." I was thinking about this poem this morning, then I turned to read my favorite blogs. As I was reading, I thought that Robert Frost, if he had lived today, would be shocked to find that many of these walls have eroded, fallen down, or never even existed. I love the way that we can share our lives with each other, without hiding behind a facade. If one is hurting, we pray for them. When another is joyful, we rejoice with them. Every accomplishment by one of us, holds a sense of shared pride for all. We encourage each other, care for each other, and respect each other. I am so grateful for all of you this day. What a blessing you are to me!

Yummy New Recipes!!!

I found a blog a few days ago, Mennonite Girls Can Cook
They have Wonderful recipes for all occasions, appetizers, brunch, main entrees and fabulous desserts!

I tried the garlic ribs, Wow! My husband loved them. So the next night, I tried the Mexican Potato Casserole and served it with steamed tortillas. Another hit! Most of the recipes included ingredients that are already in my pantry. Easy! Really good food, and a great blog. Let me know if you enjoyed it too!!

Blessings~

~A Bit of Rain~A Beautiful Bouquet!~

Just a bit of rain coming down from the heavens, reminding nature that Our Lord has not forgotten even the tiniest blossom. It doesn't take much...just a small gesture really, and everything springs to life abundantly! Sad, weepy little plants stand up straight and open up their blossoms for all to enjoy. A very touching sight...a very insightful lesson.

Blessings to you friends, may you be gently rained on today!

~A Prairieland Sunrise~

This old bird's morning perch!!!

A Day late.....Good Morning Friends! Well as usual, I am a day late in posting my sunrise pictures...It has been so hazy here, that yesterday the pictures looked like soup! Had to wait until this morning to get some better pictures. Can you see the Red, White and Blue Chimes in the back? Our wonderful neighbor Bill (from our old house), made those for us. He also made the birdfeeder just to the left of the chimes. And of course...what home would be complete without a fire hydrant (hubbys yard art)!!! Hee hee! Men....you gotta love em'. I worked in the yard pulling weeds...alot of weeds! Mulched, and fell into bed exhausted! There were prairie gardens here, you can see the backyard by the chimes is a prairie garden. I'm not sure what that means..hubby says, "It means alot of weeds!" He's probably right although truly I'm not sure what is a flower, or what is a weed!! So, I've decided to redo the gardens (of course). I pulled most everything up, laid garden cloth to keep the weeds out, and replanted. Now I am off to the nursery to bring a little color into my garden!!

We were so delighted that the previous owners left the old wagon in the yard...I'm sure that they couldn't move it without breaking it apart. Another job!! My husband will restore it, he loves working on antiques, and soon it will be ready to weather a few more years.

I am going to fill my day with flowers and music......catch you on the flip side!!!

Blessings~

~Magnificent Splendor~

Just look at the colors in this stormy sky? It was quite a welcome to your new home event! The rain came down in sheets...literally. Thunder rolled and lightning lit up the entire sky! From our home, it is possible to see the storm coming from several miles to the west, then leaving us travelling several miles to the east. Outstanding! I guess you can tell...I love a storm! I was hoping however, that this wasn't a regular event. But now and then a strong storm is good for the soul. This photo was taken as it moved east after it had passed over us. Thankfully there were no tornadoes reported in our area.

I feel a little stormy myself, as if everything is whirling around me at a rapid speed. Buying a house, selling a house, moving in, boxes everywhere, (thankfully that part is over), and now I am taking a few days to work in my yard, leaving everything else to itself for the time being. The calm after the storm. It is so pretty here, everything is fresh and new...a blank canvass bordered by big old trees, and new trees as well. I am picking up my paintbrush and planning beautiful gardens in my mind. What a gift to be able to live in such splendor, what fortune, what favor! My hubby loves it here and Freeway (the dog) loves it here as well. What could be nicer? We are indeed blessed.

I was so busy weeding, digging and laying mulch that I forgot to take pictures today. I will do that tomorrow. I can sit on our back deck and watch the sun come up in the morning, sipping french vanilla coffee, as the light reflects on beads of early morning dew. Every little thing is a delight! Well, I'll see you in the morning with some pretty sunrise photos! Blessings~

~We're Heeere!! We're Blessed~We're Ready for a Rest!~

Hello Friends! I'm back! Whew....I wondered if I'd make it :-)! We are in our new home in Iowa, and believe it or not....we are almost unpacked! I believe the Lord gave me a super boost of energy to help me get through it. And I am ready for some R&R. (smiles) Yesterday hubby & I went back to Illinois to our old home which had not sold yet :-( We cleaned and blew and chopped and raked, mopped and vacuumed....getting ready for our last open house before the company my husband works for takes over the home. We said good bye home-Be well old girl! And took off! It was hard, as every single flower in the yard was blooming and what a beautiful sight it was! I walked around and remembered who had given me each flower, and of course dug up some cuttings for my new home (which is sadly lacking the beauty of an abundance of color...temporarily!) and we took off for Iowa once again. Half of the way home, my phone rang! It was Judy, our real estate agent. The house SOLD!!!! We were so overjoyed!! Immediately my hubs & I gave thanks to our Lord for this wonderful blessing! Then.....we called everyone we knew to give them the Great News!! It has been on the market for 3 long months without a single offer...and two days before we have to turn it over to the company, we get an offer we can joyfully accept! Boy, the Lord keeps you on your toes!! Believe in prayer~never give up hope~trust God! During this three months, those are the words I heard over and over again from my mom..God Bless her! Thank you Lord! So, even though we are bone tired, we are rejoicing! I am so happy to be back on line, I have missed all of you so much and simply cannot wait to read your blogs to see what I have missed this last two weeks. I wish a Blessing in each and every one of your lives this week~Be watching...it's coming! Hugs & Blessings, Sharon