Sunshine Heavenly Sunshine

I know we really need the rain (especially for our garden) but I am soooooo happy to see the sunshine back this morning. It is a bit chilly but look at beautiful blossoms on our crab apple tree - this is the tree that the bee hive settled in last spring. It does attract the biggest bumble bees you will ever see. And then I got up close and personal with my lilacs, I wish they could last year round. Hubby told me last night that our pear trees we planted last summer have blossoms too. I am really excited about that! Looking forward to our own home grown fruit. How life affirming spring is.

What A Weekend

Finally found time to get on the blog and share what we have been up to. Friday night started off with an 18Th birthday party for our nephew Vinny. He has grown so big and strong and actually has broken 2 school records at Brookville High School this spring in track. The high jump of 6'5" he made broke a 37 year old record. Everyone was able to attend and we had a wonderful evening. Saturday was the "Surprise Baby Girl Shower" for Sara and what a joyful time we had - more baby girl clothes than I have ever seen at once. We are down to 4 weeks until the blessed event and very excited. And today after church we ate a quick lunch then packed everyone up and headed to "the Berg" as the kids call it. Made some plans on where to put the camp and shed we will be starting soon. Momma doesn't care as long as there is a massive front porch for rocking my babies. Papa and I took Raymond on a hike down to the beaver dam - industrious little critters they are - they have pretty much abandoned this one and spend most of their time at some other ponds on the property which are now massive, thanks to the beavers handiwork. Now here it is Sunday evening and we sat on the porch enjoying the thunderstorm and watching the lightning. Hope everyone has a great week!!

Site For New Camp

Well I guess you can say we are going to blog our progress for the campsite at Starberg. Adam is home on leave so he and hubby spent some time out there getting the campsite ready. We chose the spot more than a year ago, now I would like to think of an appropriate name for it. The location is probably two miles or so from the main highway, hidden beyond a rock quarry and around a bend in the hill is a perfect cove - hidden and protected on three sides by hills and trees. There is a beautiful view and the grand kids can explore forever. So far they pulled all the bushes and small trees and and have mowed it a couple of times to soften the grass up. Adam built the fire ring and weather permitting we are planning a picnic soon. Our plans are for a very old-fashioned wood cabin. We want this to be a restful retreat for the whole family to enjoy. Ray even mowed a couple of extra spots in case any friends want to come out and camp with us.

The Best Of Friends

Would you look at this - my amazing friend Lori made this tablecloth for me!! I was so excited we had to put it on the table right away. How appropriate for spring and summer. I have been looking everywhere and haven't found anything near as nice. She sews like a pro, now I am intimidated about starting to quilt with her. I love surprises and who could ever ask for a better friend , when she is at our house she is always bringing nice little surprises. Her generosity is a wonderful treat to all who know her. The hubby was even impressed and liked the flowered pattern. I think we are going to have to take a "girls day" and do some craft and antique shopping - Smicksburg here we come!

Starberg

Here are some pics the hubby took of some property we own, yes it really is known as Starberg, a 540 acre parcel of land that was gifted to us by my parents. The name is fitting because the view at night is amazing. Now comes the hard part - being good stewards of this land. We want to mow some hay and plant some fruit trees this year. But first and foremost it is for the men a hunting sanctuary. We are planning a small camp "retreat" for the family to enjoy. There is so much to explore, I am sure we will spend many years discovering its treasures. My Mom's favorite spot is a beaver dam that has been on the property for years and there are several ponds for them to enjoy. The game commission has relocated some that were considered nuisances elsewhere. We spot them once in a while travelling from one pond to another - it is so much fun to watch them walking down the road. We need to always keep in mind that it belongs to the Lord first and we have the privilege of enjoying it during the short time we spend here.

Pencil Tree - Chapter 4

Now that the excitement of Easter is over we move on to the next chapter in the pencil tree saga. Chapter 4 is "Spring has Sprung" with beautiful flowers, butterflies, apples, eggs and a little birdie and nest to top it off - I think we have accomplished a spring look. I am so excited to plant my real flowers, the hot weather sure has been a teaser. This spring look chapter should be there for a few weeks, hm wonder what will come next?

Easter Sunday

Is there a better way to celebrate Easter and the sacrifice of our Savior, than to share it with the ones we love? Although there is a gap in our family circle again this year because the military does not consider Easter a "major" holiday - we missed you Adam & Salena. Youth Group made breakfast before church mm mm good. We had perfect weather and lots of good food and an amazing Easter egg hunt. Max is so much fun this year at 2 yrs old and Raymond is growing up way too fast and loves making goofy faces for the camera. From the photo of Sara's tummy you can tell we aren't far away from meeting Miss Maggie ♥ We had some family come for lunch and company in the afternoon - all in all just a perfect day:)

Easter Mums

While doing some grocery shopping today I happened to spy these Easter mums in the flower department. I didn't realize there were spring mums - but here they are in all their splendor. As pretty as they are they didn't completely sell themselves it was the glass jar they are sitting in that had me hooked. Hubby was impressed - he said I would have paid more on eBay for it and wouldn't have gotten the flowers. They really brighten up the back porch and I dubbed myself "smart shopper of the day" ;)

Stolen Nest

Yes, I stole this robins nest from my front porch and put some beautiful faux eggs in it to display. My secret sister really has a clue, these eggs were in my Easter gift basket at church last week. Aren't they just perfect? I put the nest in the tin bucket to prevent it from being blown away - we do get our fair share of wind here. Can't wait until I find some real eggs in a nest :) Also in this picture is the antique chair my Mom bought for our wedding anniversary last November. Aren't the berry vines a nice touch? I enjoy tinkering around on my porch and weather permitting that is where you will find me from now through October.

It Is That Time Of Year Again...

Hard work profits much :)

Mm Mm Good!!

Hubby's "man room" doubles as a nursery.

It may be cold out and the threat of frost won't be gone for about eight more weeks, but it is the perfect time to start the garden. For my family members who may read this blog, don't cry when you see Grandpa's rototiller, smile because you know he is in heaven telling Ray how to do it just right. He already has the spinach, beets, carrots and peas planted. We really have a head start this year and hope for a banner crop. The second picture is my beautiful strawberry plants peaking out from under the hay that hubby covered them with to protect from late frosts. The third picture is not just dirt - it is tomatoes and green pepper plants germinating and we are anxiously waiting for them to poke through the soil and become hale and hearty enough to transplant.

Pencil Tree - Chapter 3

Easter - What an important holiday, really the most important holiday of all and it isn't even recognized as a national holiday. One good thing is that is hasn't been totally ruined by commercialization. I do like to decorate some and make a fuss so here is the Easter Chapter of the pencil tree saga. I sure hope the weather holds up for an egg hunt for the grand kids. It is so nice to share holidays with loved ones and when we need to be reminded of the solemnity of this holiday watching "The Passion" is a sure way to make us aware of our Lords sacrifice.

Extended Family

Wow, when I think of all the family we have been blessed with I am awestruck. We often joke about how difficult it was for our kids to find dates because they were related to everyone in town. And in the case of my 2 daughter-in-laws there are people they are related to twice now because of this, not by blood of course:) We have 8 nieces and nephews on hubby's side and 8 on mine. Over the last few years we have been blessed with great-nieces and great-nephews also. Until Grandma Doc passed away in 2006 my grandson Raymond had 14 living grandparents - amazing huh! And him and Max still have 13. My hubby was talking to an older friend the other day and he asked Ray how our kids seem to be so well rounded, and Ray told him because they have been exposed to so much- they have had grandparents and aunts and uncles and extended family beyond measure involved in their lives. All people of different occupations and interests who have shared their knowledge and experiences with them and taught them so much more than we could have on our own. What a blessing for them! This is a picture of my newest great-niece Addison Nicole who I had the privilege of babysitting this afternoon and she is only eight days old. I hope I can contribute to her life in the same way others blessed my own children.

Happy St. Patty's Day

"May the road rise up to meet you,

may the wind be ever at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face

and the rain fall softly on your fields.

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the hollow of his hand."

Spring Has Sprung!

This may not be as exciting to everyone else as it is to me, but yahoo - I have my rocker back on the porch for the summer!! I bring them in to protect them from the severe winter weather in addition to the fact that they might end up in Ethiopia or somewhere from the wind we get here. I am so looking forward to nice weather; seeds are ordered for the garden, we started working in the yard and I am getting the planters out for spring flowers :) Have to wait a little while to plant the flowers - we can have frost here through Memorial Day. Just the fact that I think all the snow has finally melted is such a relief. Spring is not my favorite season (I'm a fall girl) but I am surely loving it this year.

Pistachio Dessert

I made this for a dinner at our church tonight and everyone loved it.

It was very easy to put together. I thought it was appropriate for St. Patrick's Day weekend. I actually like it best with chopped pistachios on top as garnish.

What You Need!
36 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1/2 cup toffee bits
Make It!
MIX cookie crumbs and butter until well blended. Press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
BEAT pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min.; spread 1-1/2 cups onto bottom of crust. Stir half the COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spread over pudding layer in pan. Cover with remaining COOL WHIP and toffee bits.
REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm.

♥ Bundle of Joy ♥

Well here is the ticker to count down for granddaughter #1. Since Sara is such a well behaved daughter-in-law I know we won't be too far off from the May 24th due date. It kind of dashes my hopes for my birthday present on May 10, I really don't expect her that early. However, the chances of hitting another special day are pretty steep. May 17 is Mommy and Daddy's 7th anniversary, May 20 is Aunt Katie's birthday, May 25 is Uncle Adam's birthday and May 29 would be her Daddy's birthday - now how special would that be! As you can see May is a fairly busy month in our family. What a special blessing grandchildren are, for the first time ever we were able to see our little bundle of joy through 3D or 4D ultrasound (not sure which it is) so I feel like I already know her. Her Mommy has had a couple of issues along the way and is scheduled for an echo cardiogram next week - but I trust completely that all will be well. I think of her often and pray for her safe arrival daily - if her personality is anything like her two big brothers we are in for a treat!

How precious new life is - the following excerpt from Psalm 139 says it all;

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me
were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Sunday Lunch

Not the best picture but here is a crock of french onion soup from the batch we made Friday night. Ray and I love cooking together and trying new recipes. I found this one on Recipe Czar. We usually pick one that sounds good and doctor it up to our own tastes. You start by slicing five pounds of onions - thank heavens for an electric slicer! But that was the only part that made us cry :) We toasted our own french bread croutons and then melted the provolone cheese under the broiler. Mm mm good! We will serve it after church tomorrow with a small roaster of hot and sweet sausages for sandwiches and a casserole of baked ravioli. I had fun making blue and purple jello jigglers for the grandsons. We never know for sure how many will be here to eat, anywhere from 6 to 14 so we always make lots. The leftovers help out all week long and we sent a quart of the soup down to Grandma Minnie.

Hubby's New Girl

Here is Cat-O (the name that Adam picked out when he was 7 years old because he thought that it was Spanish for cat. lol) and the hubby. Cat-O has mainly been an outdoor cat until 2 months ago when our other pet cat, Baby Shadow, (Cat-O's son) was killed in a malicious attack by some wild barn cats. A traumatic experience in our family for sure. Ray heard the ruckus but until he got outside and beat the wild cats off him it was too late. We think baby Shadow died protecting his Mother. So we brought her indoors immediately to keep her safe and now we think that she believes she is Ray's mate. She talks to him and rubs noses - follows him around the house -cries for him when he is outside etc.... She loves it when he puts breath mints in his mouth, she just sniffs and sniffs at him, which is what she was doing here in this picture. I think we have a standoff between Cat-O and I - she tries to worm her way in between us in the bed at night. But we love her and she is around thirteen years old so we let her have her own way, the frightening thing is now Ray is purring back at her ☺

I'm A Little Teapot ....

Cozy and warm on a cold winters day and sharing a hot cup of tea with a friend, is there anything better? I love my teapots - it is an eclectic collection; some were gifts, others were garage sale finds and a couple were passed down through family. My favorites are the ones from England, of course no one makes a better cuppa than the British. Hot tea reminds me of the song "Lets get back to the basics of life". My favorite blend from Smicksburg is blueberry vanilla. So come on over when you can spend a few minutes - and enjoy.

New Treasure

Back to collecting..... I love vintage enamelware and my friend Jenny is carrying some in her shop, His Light In Our Valley - the most unique little Christian book and gift shop. Since she is located in the same building as my office I have the opportunity to keep up with her inventory. I happened to be over there when the latest supply was delivered and look at this little treasure I found. It is a sugar bowl in fairly good condition. This is the first time I have seen this particular piece and I was so happy to snatch it up quickly. I looked on eBay and haven't found anything similar so it must be unique :)
Lucky me!

Sandwich Generation

They say my husband and I are part of the sandwich generation which is people who are still caring for their children and have become caretakers to their parents, but that is not how this generation applies to me. How blessed Ray and I are that our children are all grown and independent and our parents still have their health and independence too!! I probably could write a book about my parents and still would come up with things I feel the need to share, there are so many memories. Describing them in one word: Constant. Constant in their faith, their love for us and most of all each other. My sister, Missy and I often joke how we had such a great up-bringing and were so smothered with love and security that we weren't prepared for the "real world" as adults. Such great examples they were - when life is tough - you get tougher!!! And there were no illusions, truth and honor and integrity and hard work is what God requires of us and so did Mom and Dad. Forgiveness was taught AND demonstrated in our home, an attitude of service and not selfishness will take you places in this world. Their love and devotion to each other for almost 50 years is a constant example to all. Our family has so much to be thankful for that it should far outweigh anything the future throws at us.

Sing ... sing a song...

My weekend project. I am having a fling with organization right now; cleaning out drawers, cupboards, closets, boxes, everything in my path - one way or another I am going to get this house organized! Now herein lies the problem, when your are blessed(?) with a bit of an OCD personality you can become your own worst enemy. I decided the project to tackle this past weekend was organizing my Cd's and downloading them onto iTunes for easy access and mixing play lists so that I can load my MP3 Player and the new iPod Shuffle my sister got me for Christmas. I am a music lover for sure - I like all types - starting with my favorite Christian, followed by Country, Classic Rock, some Pop, Bluegrass, Classical, Island music, a little Rap (depending on the lyrics) just about all of it. And this is where the OCD issue comes into play - once I started the downloading process I couldn't stop until it was finished. I didn't realize how long this would take (and my computer is fairly fast) but needless to say I didn't get much of anything else done all weekend!

Pencil Tree - Chapter 2

Well I warned you that I am into my pencil tree this year. Who knows what you may see on it next. Right now we're geared up for St. Patrick's Day. Not as colorful as I like - green on green, but it will have to do. I do have a bit of the Irish blood running through my veins. Perhaps that is where my stubborn streak comes from. Not sure about the luck o'the Irish - I don't really believe in luck. I do believe that our lives are a combination of the choices we make and the will of God for our lives, and where one stops and the other begins isn't always obvious. As far as the pot of gold ..... I settled for some gold raffia at the base of my tree.

My Three Sons

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails .......... let me tell you what boys are really made of, perpetual motion! Even though they are grown men now, when I see them together it brings back all the memories of years gone by; of how every activity can be a competition and "tough guy" contest. Spending every waking moment possible outside building tree houses and cabins and playing games. Backyard football could be more intense than the Superbowl (without pads) Hunting and fishing until it was too dark to see. Tearing bikes and battery operated vehicles apart then reassembling them for more speed and power. And using their sister as a crash dummy or paintball gun target. Memories of broken bones, stitches and wounds galore!! I thank the Lord for these three young men who at times I thought would send me to an early grave with worry. Now here they are; a school teacher (Ray) a telephone lineman (Tyson) and a Marine (Adam) This picture of them setting up a canopy for a party was so funny - it became a tug-of-war and he-man tough-guy contest! Little boys really never do grow up ... and that's just the way I like it!

Mother of One Daughter

Sugar and spice and everything nice ..... that's my girl - NOT!! She is a tough one, had to be -remember she was the crash dummy and target for my three sons. Katie is a unique girl, she decided to wait until she was 25 to choose what she wanted to be - an architect. She attends PTI in Pittsburgh and lives with the love of her life - her dog Petey. She says she is not looking for a perfect man just the perfect man for her. Hm - smart girl! She loves outside more than inside but seeing that she is accident prone that makes her life very interesting. Speaking of accidents you should see her poor little Dodge Neon - dents and all, she truly believes it is an animal magnet (several deer, possum, a raccoon and one porcupine) have had encounters with the Neon. One thing for certain you usually don't need to try and guess what Kate is thinking she is quite willing to inform you:) I love that we have reached the point where we are friends now not just mother/daughter. I thank God that in this house full of testosterone He sent me an ally!

Give Me A Reason ...

to give a present that is. One of my favorite activities is to give gifts. For anyone and for any occasion - it makes me happy to see someones face light up and watch their reaction to receiving a present. So birthdays and any legal holiday are fair game. My husband thinks I'm crazy because I look for any excuse to buy someone a gift. My brothers once told me that I never have to be concerned with being wealthy because I give everything away - and I took that as a compliment. Sometimes I think it causes the hubby to worry (especially times like now when he is on lay-off from work) and money is tight, but gifts don't have to be expensive - just a little something to show that you care and appreciate others. So here is my work table with the goodies I plan on delivering tomorrow. I hope you all get a special gift this Valentines Day ♥

Glass Jars

I love my glass jars - I guess I have been thinking more about them now that our local Glass Plant is closing but I have fun displaying and organizing things in them. It is nice because you can actually see what you are looking for instead digging through boxes and bins. And they look nice sitting on a shelf. I am always looking for more ..... just another hobby to add to the list.

Collections

Here is an interesting question - how many items does a collection make? I like to say I collect many things. But do I need five or ten items or can it be anything I am always looking to add to? Just for fun I cleaned off my small hutch and placed some bottles we have accumulated through the years on it. My hubby is always in the woods - digging ginseng, blue and black cohash, bloodroot, goldenseal etc and picking mushrooms so he runs across some interesting finds. Anyways here are some of the glass bottles he has found plus one hand blown favorite of mine.

Scavenger Hunt

OK - maybe that title is a little formal for what I do, cleaning out the basement and closets etc.... but when you have lived in the same home for 26 years and during each of those years collected some things that you stashed away - well what else should I call it. I found this cute little hand painted slate that hung by my Grandma's kitchen door for as long as I can remember. I was excited when I found it! The most amazing thing is I keep finding things I have totally forgotten about. Now I will try and track down where and who it came from - there may be a little family history that goes with it. I hung it in my "work" room and every time I sit at my table in there I look up and see it :)

Bible Study

It never ceases to amaze me how energized I become when we start a new study. Tonight was the first meeting for our study "Having a Mary Spirit" and it was great. We have a wonderful group of ladies enrolled and always have room for more. But here is the amazing thing - I am the one who suggested this study and after the books were delivered started having second thoughts .... why would I do a study on the one part of scripture that I struggle with? The story of Mary and Martha is so well known, I mean here we have two ladies entertaining our Lord - and Martha is rushing around making sure everything is fit for a king (which He is) and Mary is sitting there listening to Jesus like she doesn't have a care in the world. For anyone who doesn't know me personally - I am sure you can guess which personality type I am. And what does Jesus do? He rebukes Martha for wanting a little bit of help! BUT - I am learning!!! And taking comfort in the fact the there is a time and place for each personality. Each one had their shortcomings and THAT is the essence of the study - whatever personality you are blessed with - we all need work. Not one of us has it all-together. Here is a quote from the book that pretty much says it all "I am so glad we have a Saviour who loves us just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way." Joanna Weaver