Margaret's Blog

Piper's Homecoming

2010-09-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of the newest McMillan and her family. No doubt, these little gals are pretty cute.

These pictures showed up out of order, but no big deal. Here's finally a good one of Piper by herself, followed by one of Annie with her, and pictures of everyone arriving home.

Now comes the exciting part of parenting--preparing little Piper to leave home and be on her own! Paisley is almost there! . . . so she'll be a lot of help.

Have a great day!

Piper Ann McMillan

2010-09-02T16:00:00.001-07:00

Piper Ann McMillan arrived this morning at 7:58 a.m., weighing 7 pounds, 7.6 ounces, and measuring 20 inches. She's a sweetheart, and big sister, Paisley, is just as excited as the rest of us. These first two pictures were our first glimpse of her, even before being weighed and measured.

Grandpa's turn came a little later, but he's just as proud.

This is in her mom's arms, after having her hair brushed. Those Traudt granddaughters are famous for their full, dark locks. Annie is doing well and we'll have some pictures of her next time.

Here's a sweet one with David and Paisley.

Have a great day!

Summer Adventure 2010--Glacier to Yellowstone

2010-08-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Our lunch stop between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park was near Three Forks, Montana. This park, designated as the headwaters of the Missouri River, memorializes many of the stories of Lewis and Clark expedition.

But, prior to Lewis and Clark's discovery that the Missouri River began at the confluence of three rivers which they named the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin, Sacajewa's tribe, the Shoshones, were gathered at this spot when, as a young girl, she was kidnapped by an enemy tribe. It was not until later during the Lewis and Clark expedition that she was reunited with her brother and the Shoshone tribe she called home.

This cliff is the place where Lewis came to scout the path his travelers would take. It gave him an overview of the beginnings of the Missouri River and the three rivers which joined to make one.

Here's Jacob on a neighboring cliff looking over one of the forks. You can guess the heighth by looking at the trees below him.

Here's that same explorer announcing our entrance to Yellowstone.

Our first night was spent at Mammoth Hot Springs, a fascinating place. Since I can't understand it myself, I won't begin to explain the hydrothermal (?) dynamics of this part of God's creation, but it is truly amazing.

Even more amazing to me, was this little killdeer walking around on this hot water on these hot rocks. Another tourist suggested the springs contain some kind of bacteris these birds love.

On our second day we had two goals--waterfalls and animals and geysers. Doesn't this picture look like a fake postcard? It isn't!

Probably our highlight was seeing this mother grizzly bear with her two cubs walking alongside us on the road. They were oblivious to all the cars and tourists stopped so close to them.

And, here's a buffalo right next to the car. Fortunately, he didn't charge!

And, down the road was this elk just resting near the side of the road. All were exciting sights for us. We were on the lookout for moose and bighorn sheep as well, but didn't have that privilege. Next time!

Our stop for the evening was Old Faithful, and true to its name it erupted like clockwork every 90+ minutes. Just down the boardwalk through the geyers was the Grand. It is the largest predictable geyser in the world. It was predicted to erupt sometime between 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Jacob and I sat down to watch it at 5:00, Jacob deserted me at 6:00, and it finally took off at 6:20.

I thought it was incredible, but when I asked the Ranger to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 for what it can do, he gave it a 6 1/2! Again, maybe next time.

Have a great day!

ACMNP

2010-08-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Jessie spent most of her summer in the Two Medicine General Store in Glacier National Park. This was her "day" job as a part of the ministry of A Christian Ministry in National Parks http://www.acmnp.com/. During her paid work week (usually a full 40 hours) she helped open the store for the season, ran cash register, kept shelves stocked, worked in the cafe/snack area, sold bear spray, and visited with workers and tourists from all over the world.

Her store is a registered national landmark because President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once gave a fireside chat in front of this fireplace, and after him, President Herbert Hoover visited.

On Sundays throughout the tourist season, Jessie worked with a team of 2-4 other college students who provided worship services for park workers and visitors. They had both Sunday morning and Sunday evening services with worship music and a short devotional.

This dapper gentleman is "Jammer Joe," a special friend on the support board of the ministry. They are adults either working in the park or living nearby who provide prayer and encouragement for the students working away from home, sometimes in rather isolated situations. He is a dear man who worked in Glacier as a college student then returned when he heard they were hiring seniors. He drives a "jammer," one of the refurbished red buses in the next picture.

This last picture was taken on the last night of our visit when the other students on the team and a couple friends joined us for a cookout. They are all great kids who love God's creation and serving His people.

So. . . if you know an adventurous college student who needs a great job for next summer, encourage them to check out the website above and start the application process. I would have LOVED this job as a college student. The ministry started in 1951, but no one ever told me about it!

Or. . . if you're ever visiting any of our national parks on a Sunday, be sure to attend the worship service in the park and tell the kids there how much you appreciate them. Most people are not aware the services are available.

Have a great day!

Summer Adventure--Nebraska and Montana

2010-08-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

We are back from the latest part of our Summer Adventure 2010. We were so thankful Jacob was able to go with us, and we hope he had as much fun as we did. It is certain that he was able to see many places he'd never seen before.

Here he is in front of a greenhouse of thousands of pine seedlings at the Nebraska National Forest in Halsey. It is a great stop for a picnic lunch on the way to northwest Nebraska. The Nebraska part of our trip was a re-visit to places we had vacationed to when our children were at home, so it was very special to take Jacob to some of those same places and do some of the same things.

After Halsey our next stop was Chadron State Park. We truly enjoyed our time there. It was probably our favorite cabin of all our stops, and while there we fished, hiked, and had a campfire. And, one of Jacob's favorites--he and I went horseback riding. His horse was Socks, and our wrangler took us on some of the same steep trails that Steph and I had taken many years ago. The difference was that she was much younger and had to ride double with me. The wranger told us they don't allow that anymore!

While staying at Chadron, we drove over to Ft. Robinson, which stills looks just like it did when we were there about 27 years ago. We went on the Chuckwagon Cookout again, and they still serve buffalo stew!

The Nebraska sunset on our ride back to the fort was one of the best we saw during our trip.

Our next stop after leaving Nebraska was the Little Bighorn Battlefield, also known as the place of Custer's Last Stand. On the way, we read a book about Custer's life, so we were familiar with the details of the battle when we arrived. The book made the scenes come alive for us.

This is a stunning wire sculpture honoring the indians who fought there.

These gravestones mark where Custer fell with his men around him.Our next stop was Glacier Lodge in East Glacier, Montana. John and I are enjoying a few moments on the porch of the lodge on our first morning.

Here is a picture of part of the lodge. It is a beautiful hotel built in 1912-1913 by James J. Hill, the railroad baron of St. Paul, Minneosta, who wanted to bring travelers on his trains to the park. His work was successful and travelers still visit the several lodges throughout the park.

None of my descriptions nor any of my pictures do Glacier National Park any justice. The beauty cannot be captured, but must be enjoyed in person. But, here are a few of my attempts.

The trees are magnificent. Here's Jacob inside one of the bigger ones.Jessie, Kevin, and Jacob enjoyed white water rafting down the river and we enjoyed watching them.

This is a picture of one of our many hikes. This is the hiline hike near Logan Pass. You can see it is quite steep, but amazingly beautiful. And, notice how the kids are dressed. The temperatures were in the 40's some of the time!

This is the only glacier that can be seen from the Going to the Sun Road, the only road that crosses the park.

I love this picture of the hike to St. Mary's Falls. You can gain a perspective of the heighth of the trees--the Douglas firs.

This next picture is one of the kids picking huckleberries. Unfortunately, I don't have a good picture of the berries--not sure why, no excuse. They look like a blueberry, but slightly smaller, on the outside, but they are juicier and tastier and the juice is red. They are the main food for bears at this time of year, but we enjoyed them just as much as the bears do. Fortunately, the bears let us have some without bothering us about it. Notice, we had a warmer day this time.

This was taken on our hike to Aster Falls at Two Medicine, where Jessie worked.

This is the lake and mountains at Two Medicine. I just had to try my hand at one of those classic reflection pictures.

And, of course, my blog entry would not be complete without a flower picture. I was pleasantly surprised at the numbers and beauty of the wildflowers at Glacier. This is my favorite photo of indian paintbrush.

Next time I'll blog about Wyoming.

Have a great day!

Rainey and her Featherweight Singer

2010-08-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

This was my first opportunity to have time with Rainey one-on-one, and we did some really fun things. One of the first was, of course, have a tea party. Check out our hats, and don't forget to notice the flowers on the table. Before the tea party we had to make magazine paper flowers, like the ones I made with Paisley. Those are so cool.

But, my main project with Rainey was teaching her to do a little sewing. Her mom and her grandma both have one of these darling little Singer sewing machines--called featherweights and made in about 1955. Michelle's belonged to HER grandmother, so it is quite precious.

Rainey had never done any sewing before and was very excited to learn. Here she is making her first stitches on paper without thread.

She already knew she wanted to make a quilt and she knew she wanted it in rainbow colors. So, we had a fun trip to Joann's Fabrics to buy a 1/8 yd strip of each of the rainbow colors. It took some time, but she had a good eye for what pieces would go together, even though she felt Joann's had a bazillion to choose from.

She did most of the sewing herself. She was a very quick learner and a hard worker. Here she's about halfway done. I thought we would get it started, then she could finish it after I left. BUT, we completed the whole project in 2 days!

This is when the top was finished. Her dog Abby insisted on being in the picture. We had cut out all the squares, then Rainey arranged and rearranged them until she came up with this plan. I think she did a great job.

This is the final showing after we added the back and binding. Isn't it cute?

Another thing I've enjoyed doing is exploring a couple of Austin's nature trails. Brian took me on one yesterday and today Michelle and Rainey took me on a different one. Both were in wooded areas along a creek--different, but similar.

Yesterday we girls went to a farm to buy some local produce. It was rather rustic, but the veggies were great. We bought okra and eggplant, both of which we grilled for supper (yummy!), and red sweet peppers.

Not sure why, but I loved this picture of the workers' gloves hanging on the porch to dry. I just had to share it with you.

Have a great day!

Great Texas Balloon Race

2010-08-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

This is probably my favorite photo from the Great Texas Balloon Race which began early last Friday morning. The balloons launch at an undisclosed location and have to fly over a target and drop a flag. The one closest to the pole is the winner. This year the target was at a park just a couple blocks from Annie, so I was able to be very close to the balloons--they were flying right over me.

I love the variety of balloons--colors, color patterns, shapes, and advertising.

On Saturday Annie, Paisley and I woke at 5:30 so we could be at the airport by 6:30. The balloonists study the wind, then launch at least two miles away and try to fly over a complicated target at the airport. This is the sight as the balloons starting coming in.

They drop two (?) flags over a baseball field shaped target and try to drop a ring over a pole at the home plate location. If they're the first balloonist to drop their ring over the pole, they receive $500 plus a share in the $5,000 that is divided among all balloonists who ring the pole Saturday and Sunday. I'm not sure who won, but this balloon was a contender. You can barely see the red flag dropping, but you can see the pole.

The last balloons to arrive are usually the shape balloons. I don't know if they're last because they're bigger or harder to maneuver, or just more careful about bumping into other balloons. They are always the kids' favorites. This one is the purple people eater, which is always at the race in Longview, and the bee is one of two bees that were new this year. Both were fun!

Before leaving for Brian's on Sunday after church, I got to go to Paisley's Sunday School class with her because Annie was subbing for the regular teacher that morning. Their lesson was "God is Strong," and was about Moses and how God used him to rescue the Israelites and destroy the Egyptians.

Have a great day!

Hanging Out with Paisley

2010-07-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

This picture of the crepe myrtle in Annie's yard was supposed to be at the end, but turned up here at the beginning. Still beautiful.

Hanging out with Paisley has been loads of fun. We've done a variety of things together. Here's an interesting clay castle that was fun.

One day we took Paisley's scooter to her local park.

Another day we went to the local Farmer's Market and John was fascinated with this bean sheller one of the vendors had in the back of his pick-up. Customers were lined up for the black-eyed peas (purple hull beans) he was shelling.

Here's Paisley with John, holding the fresh blueberries we bought.

After the market we went to Kid's View, a super neat park with all kinds of towers, slides, bridges, etc.

I love this picture of Paisley peeking through this frame. Aren't her curls darling?

This little horse made from a tire is unique!

One day Paisley and I had a tea party. We planned to do it on the deck, but a downpour prevented that (since Paisley is terrified of even a tiny sprinkle). We planned to wear Paisley's pink hats, but she chickened out on me.

This is a better picture. Notice our flowers--we made them from magazine pages.

Check back for pictures of the Great Texas Balloon Race. It began this morning.

Have a great day!

From Minnesota to Texas in 2 days!

2010-07-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

My last outing with Emily and Bri in Minnesota was to the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. Como is a nice-sized zoo complete with animals, butterflies, and beautiful flowers, as well as playground and picnic area. Although they ask for a $2 donation, anyone can visit for free. But, our special treat for the day was the carousel. It was also free that day. It was built in 1912 in Philadelphia and was a fixture of the Minnesota State Fair for many years.

Emily and Bri were thrilled with their ride. We even went back for a second ride after our picnic lunch.

There were many great animals at the zoo--polar bears, giraffe, lions, and others--but my favorites were the butterflies. They have a beautiful giant butterfly exhibit shaped like a caterpillar.

Another segment of the Como Zoo is the Conservatory, a beautiful garden with a goldfish pond. I loved this picture of Bri looking over the rim at the fish. All the flowers were beautiful, but I chose just this one to give you a taste.

After John arrived in Minnesota to pick me up and take me back to Nebraska, Jacob's baseball team won their district championship, so we decided to drive to Texas to watch the East Texas state championships. He played in Tyler, TX, which is close to Annie's in Longview, so it worked out well. Brian and Michelle and Rainey also stayed with us, so we had quite the cheering section.

Jacob was the starting pitcher for the first game of the series, so that was exciting for us. He did a great job, but later in the game (when he wasn't pitching) they came upon a rough part and ended up losing the game. Here he is pitching and batting. In the second game, Jacob played right field and caught an amazing fly ball. He had to jump, reach, and land stretched out on the ground. But when he got up, the ball was in his glove! Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of that perfect moment--boo hoo! Also unfortunately, they lost the game and Jacob's season came to an end, but his team (nicknamed the Dirt Bags for their scrappy comebacks) had a wonderful ride.

I thought this was a darling picture of John and Paisley at the game.

Here's Paisley and Rainey. They had a lot of fun running around at the ball park.

At the first game we tried to wear red, so Rainey and John cheered for Nebraska at the same time.

Jacob had promised me we could take a picture after the second game, so he kept his word and put on a happy face in spite of the loss. Thanks, Jacob--you played super.We were so honored to be able to watch you.

Fort Snelling

2010-07-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Minnesota does a fantastic job of making history come alive for both young children and grown-up children. The most recent of my Summer Adventure series is Fort Snelling, established in 1819 to protect the fur trade and show an American presence in Dakota lands. It was later the site for military training from the Civil War to WW II.

Entering the gate, we were greeted by this commander of the fort. All the presenters in the fort are in period costume and maintain their character throughout the day. This gentlemen was later our leader for marching and charging.

This round house is the oldest standing structure in Minnesota. It served as a watchtower and was most probably designed for a "last stand," if needed. The thin windows for looking out and shooting are around the entire tower, so the soldiers could shoot outside the fort, as well as inside.

This view from the top of the tower gives a good over-all view of the fort.

This shows the view a soldier would have from inside the tower. You can just barely see the bridge over the Mississippi River.

We arrived at the fort in time for Children's Games (each half hour they have a different activity for the visitors). This kind lady was patient enough to give the girls a feel for walking on stilts. I can remember how Jessie and Megan loved these at the museum in Grand Island. John went home and made us several pairs for all the kids to enjoy.

This picture was taken in the upstairs of the home of Col. and Mrs. Snelling's house. I don't know if they had any children, but I can picture them looking out this window toward the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers.

Another activity was musket firing--quite impressive, but noisy!

Following that, was an opportunity for all visitors to line up, learn to march, then charge with their muskets (raised arms) toward the cowards who didn't join the charge. These are my little soldiers listening to their orders. There is not a picture of the charge because I decided I'd rather march than be fired upon.

We had a wonderful visit to the fort and our only regret was we ran out of time, but that left us wanting to come again. And this picture, as always, is a reminder of all the many brave men and women who have served to protect our country down through the years. Thank you.

And, lest you think all my time with my little girls is spent teaching them history lessons, here's a picture of them having fun at County Market, one of our close grocery stores. As we pulled up, Bri said, "Grandma, do you have any money left? They have a little merry-go-round here."

Have a good day!

Oliver Kelley Farm

2010-07-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today the girls and I went to the Oliver Kelley Farm near Elk River, MN, about a half hour west of here. It is a working farm restored from the 1860's. This was our third year to visit, so we were remembering all the animals we'd seen before. This morning at home, Emily said, "I wonder if Daisy will be there?" She has a picture of her with Daisy from last year. Sure enough, Daisy was one of the first animals we saw!The farm does a great job of teaching children about work around the farm and Emily and Bri experienced several new things this year. The first was laundry. They were given a piece of clothing, a bar of soap, and a wash board. The lady in charge of laundry today was Emily so the two Emily's had their picture taken together. Bri, who loves to play in water, had a great time.

Here you can see some of the wash on the line and a man working in the hay field beyond the house.

I'm not really sure why, but pumping water is always one of Emily's favorite things to do. Although Bri couldn't do it on her own, she helped.

We've always visited their big garden, but today the girls had a very important job--picking potato bugs off the potato plants. Emily loved this and Bri joined in too. After they were done picking the bugs, they got to feed them to the chickens. (Sorry I forgot to rotate that picture.)

In the big barn the main attraction was lots of kittens. A few were sleeping on a stack of lumber. One of the mothers was bringing in a mouse for her family and she dropped it just inside the door of the barn. Of course, Bri asked, "Can I pet it?" She has a strange fascination for dead animals.

Another job the girls had fun with was using the big pitchforks moving the hay from one pile to another. Amazingly enough, no one was injured!

This last picture gives you a better view of the house and shows the oxen going out to the hayfield.

We had a wonderful time, as always. There was some rain and some mud, but the girls were good sports. The only part they objected to was the walk back to the car since it was our first year to not bring the stroller. And, next year, Bri will probably be able to pump water. They are growing up so fast.

Best of Both Worlds

2010-07-09T09:59:00.001-07:00

I love my little house in the country--the fresh air, the open spaces, the solitude when I want it. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But . . . exploring a large city stirs something in me. I love the hustle and bustle, the mix of people and languages, the attractions and events. And, I especially love to navigate a city's public transportation. It is a great opportunity to really get to know a city and its people.

Last week Steph dropped me off at the nearby train station and I took Minneapolis's new Metro North into Target Field, then I took a bus over to St. Paul to the Science Museum exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The exhibit was very thorough, exploring all the details of finding and acquiring the scrolls in the 1940's and 50's, as well as the culture surrounding the time of the writing of the scrolls. Although the scripture they contain is Old Testament, they were written during the time of Christ. They are the earliest copy we have of the O.T., and they agree completely with the copies our Bible is translated from.

Also on display with the scroll fragments are pages from the St. John's Bible, the first hand-written, illuminated copy of the Bible commissioned in 500 years since the invention of the printing press. It will be completed next year after twelve years of work on it. It is a beautiful book.

Minnesota has many beautiful parks, and one of the most renowned in the Twin Cities is Rice Park. Besides being the location for the ice sculptures during the Winter Carnival, it is a memorial to Charles Schulz, one of St. Paul's favorite sons. Of course, my favorite is Lucy reading a book on a park bench.

On another day we visited the Minnesota Children's Museum, also in St. Paul. They currently have a special exhibit about the Wizard of Oz. Here's Emily on a bike like the one the witch rode in the movie.

For lunch we had a picnic at Harriet Island--not really an island--but a very nice playground for the girls.They always have fun--whatever they're doing.

There are so many parks, we could probably go to a different one each day for a month.

I love this last picture. Emily came out with this outfit on (all on her own) and Bri just happened to be wearing her froggy Peace shirt. Aren't they a couple of hippies from the 60's?

Have a great day!

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary

2010-07-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

This week I was almost convinced I'd died and gone to heaven!

Steph and the girls took me to the oldest wildflower garden in the United States, established in 1907 --just ten minutes west of downtown Minneapolis. It is a fifteen acre garden filled with woodland, wetland, and prairie flowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses.

There are trails throughout with plenty of benches for resting and enjoying the scenery. The paths were quite manageable for the little girls with lots of plants for them to see and learn about.

This little chipmunk was visiting a rock under one of the bird feeders at the shelter/office.

This picture of the lily pad, one of my favorite pics of the day, was taken at a beach in a different area of the park.

Not only did we enjoy the walk through the park on Thursday, but then on Friday I was able to return for a Wildflower Photography class. That was truly a bonus. These are some of my pictures from that excursion. I hope to visit one more time this summer to study birds. (Hint, Steph.)

I could certainly bore you with many more pictures, but these will suffice for today. I have a long summer of nature pictures ahead of me, so I don't want to lose you too early in the season. But . . . Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Garden, I can't wait!

Have a great day!

Summer Adventure 2010 Begins!

2010-06-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Steph has a great blog post about her trip to Nebraska at http://stephaniebrandt.blogspot.com/ and some cute pictures, but these are my pictures of the same days.
I love this first picture of Bri from the Firth playground.

I was really excited to take the girls to the Prairieland Dairy Days because I'd never been to it. It is quite the event! My hats are off to all the Prairieland people for their tremendous gift to our community. We need to ALL be buying their milk whenever we can.

Emily's milk moustache, of course.

Emily and I explored the tunnels under the giant haystack. That was fun!

Even though we had ice cream at Dairy Days, we had another cone that evening. Never too much ice cream for the Traudt/Brandt girls! Plus, it was a reward for working so hard on their stepping stones for my garden. Now their stones are next to Jacob's from 10 years ago. Next will be Rainey's, and Paisley's, and Piper's. I can't wait!

The McDonald's we stopped at on our way to Minnesota didn't have a Playland, but did have some fun old tractors to climb on. These pictures are for Great-grandpa Miles!

This picture is out of order (not sure what happened). We had a wonderful tea party with Jessie's tea set (thanks, Jessie) and some strawberries, blueberries, and granola bars, and lemonade, of course.

Last time I was in Minnesota in April, I took the girls over to their nearby park in the double stroller (just like always) and now they're riding their bikes! They've grown up already--sad, but exciting, too.

Hope to keep you posted on my Summer 2010 adventures.

Have a great day!

Storm Warning by Billy Graham

2010-06-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Storm Warning by Billy Graham is a compelling (and very apt to our times) account of the four horsemen of the Revelation to John.

Graham continues the theme of his 1992 edition of this same title and his earlier book, Approaching Hoofbeats, by sounding the warning to those who are ignoring God’s plan for His creation as revealed in His Word. One by one Graham discusses each of the four horses released in Revelation 6—the white horse of deception, the red horse of war, the black horse of famine, and the pale horse of death.

Billy Graham, who has called people to faith in Jesus Christ for more than sixty years, holds nothing back in pointing to the sin and deception of our world. He warns that the culture of self, the destruction and threat of terrorism, the trauma of starvation and disease, and the prevalence of abortion and AIDS are daily evidence of the truth of God’s warning to all of mankind.

Graham does not exclude the believing church from these warnings, but calls all of God’s people to use the signs of our times to minister to our world through intercession, service, and witness.
Graham’s Storm Warning is the perfect blend of scripture, autobiography, and contemporary commentary. I recommend it highly and thank Thomas Nelson for the privilege of reviewing it.

Stormy Skies

2010-06-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

Although some parts of our country have had too much rain, we've had just enough to keep plants watered and make some beautiful stormy skies. These first pictures were taken last night.

Lightning or lightening--God does both.

This morning started out beautiful and clear, but another quick storm soon rolled through.

This is Ingrid's barn as the sky darkened.

But, in the midst, I caught a shot of this eight spotted forester moth.

I hope all your storms have been beautiful ones.

Have a great day!

A Walk in the Woods

2010-06-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I walked down along our creek and back into our woods. Who needs Glacier National Park, anyway? We have some beautiful sights right in our own backyard. Sure, Glacier has huckleberries everywhere, but right now Nebraska has mulberries everywhere.

My excuse for going to the woods was to look for mushrooms. I've always wanted to find some morels, but so far have never seen any. Any hunters out there who want to guide me? Since we've had cool, wet weather, I did see loads of tiny mushrooms, but nothing edible (I don't think).

And, there were a variety of flying attractions. Frittilaries, dragonflies, and birds.

I thought this bright blue dragonfly was beautiful!

And . . . blue seemed to be the color of the day. I had the privilege of watching an indigo bunting pair along the creek. Although I have occasionally seen them in our backyard, I hadn't yet this year. They are so pretty.

And, last time I promised a picture of the oriole pair at the feeder. This is my best shot at that.

And for those who like their birds a little larger, here's a turkey strutting on the edge of our front yard. We typically have a small flock down in the field in the mornings, but once in a while one will venture a little closer to the house.

Hope you enjoyed this little nature walk.

Have a great day!

Kittens, Kittens, Kittens, and an Oriole

2010-05-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

When Steph and Annie and Jessie were little, they always loved to play with baby kittens for many hours during the spring and summer. They named each one and remembered their names even long after the kittens were gone. We used to tease Steph that her picture albums had more cats in them than people.

Well, last year with Jessie gone to camp most of the summer, the kittens didn't get named until Jacob came and figured out a fitting name for each. But, since he wasn't here long to play with them, I soon forgot their names.

Now we have 5 little kittens from a no-name mother. Aren't they cute? Aren't all kittens cute?

I've titled the first picture, "Jessie, where are you? Or Rainey, or Emily, or Paisley, or Bri? Where's a little girl to snuggle with?"

"Moving Day"
They were born in our old garage, but today the mother decided to move them up closer to the house--I suppose that means we'll have to buy more cat food! They are almost too heavy for her to carry. First she carried one and three followed, then she must have gone back for the fifth one.

"So CUTE!"

At card party tonight, one couple said they would take two. Yippee! How many do you want?

Of course, I had to add a picture of the oriole that has been coming to my feeder. He is eating grape jelly from the orange cup. I so enjoy watching them from the kitchen window. He is gorgeous and his song is beautiful. His mate also comes. I'll try to get a picture of both of them.

Have a great day!

What's in a Word

2010-05-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

In modern English the homophones “flour” and “flower” are worlds apart, but in Elizabethan times the top quality ground wheat (reserved for royal tables) was called the “flower of the wheat,” meaning the very best. The two spellings were interchangeable until the nineteenth century when they began to have quite different meanings.

This is just one of the many tidbits gleaned (no pun intended) from What’s in a Word by Webb Garrison. Thomas Nelson has recently re-issued this book of stories about the backgrounds of more than 350 words and phrases.

Some of the phrases, like “thorn in the flesh” and “skin of our teeth,” come from the Bible, and others, like “crystal” and “diamond,” have Greek and Latin derivations, and others, like “washout” and “stump,” come from the American frontier.

What's in a Word, although not a definitive work, is a fascinating read for anyone interested in words. The book has little value for actually looking up information on a specific word (if you think of a phrase, it probably won’t be in the book and the index is little help even for the words in the book), but in the author’s words, “the vignettes included here are brief enough for bathroom reading.” Enjoy!

Minnesota

2010-04-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

While in Minnesota last week, we got to watch Jessie in her tennis match against Northwestern. This is a cute picture of her with her doubles partner.

The next day Jessie took us around to see a few of the Minneapolis sites. This is Minnehaha Falls, a beautiful spot. Steph has lived in Minneapolis since 1994--how come she never took us here?

Here's a darling picture of Emily and Bri on the day of Emily's ladybug birthday party. She is quite the little lady.

I had fun sewing Emily's Snow White dress. Now Paisley is Cinderella, Emily is Snow White, Bri will be ?, and Annie's little girl-to-be will be ? We are going to have a little string of princesses!

This is my favorite picture of Emily.

And, this is a cute picture of Bri and Kevin clowning around. We had a great trip and it's always good to see our little girls, as well as our bigger girls and their guys.

When we arrived home, everything was blooming--the crabapple tree, the tulips, the bleeding heart, and the plums. Beautiful and fragrant!

Have a great day!

Embraced by the Father

2010-04-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Are you a faithful fan of “Dancing with the Stars”? Yes? Keep reading. Not so much? Keep reading. Are you curious about what Hagar, Sarah, Esther, Elisha, Gideon, and others have in common with the waltz, the fox trot, and the jitterbug?

Embraced by the Father, Susanne Scheppmann’s latest Bible study, uses a background of dance themes to teach us that God wants us to dance through life in His everlasting arms.

Susanne weaves the stories (some deeply moving, some incredibly hilarious) of her own life of wanting to be embraced by the father with the stories of Bible characters finding God’s grace in the names of God.

Embraced can be appreciated in several layers. You can read the stories of Susanne’s life as a young girl growing up in a seemingly impossible family situation before being rescued and redeemed by an almighty, loving heavenly father. Or, you can study the stories of Bible characters in their journeys with the same gracious father. Or, you can read Embraced to learn the Hebrew names for God and the relevance of those names for us today.

As women, we all seek safety, strength, and security. Embraced by the Father, available at www.NewHopePublishers.com, points all women, regardless of age and circumstance, to the only father who can perfectly provide for those desires. Read and study through Susanne’s recent work and learn to stand on Jesus’ feet as he leads you across the dance floor of his kingdom.

Read Susanne’s blog at www.susannescheppmann.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

We're back!

2010-03-26T10:30:00.001-07:00

We have had some internet problems the last two weeks, but now we're back. As always, computer glitches can be so frustrating, but there was some good too. It gave me much extra time for other things and caused me to think carefully about the time I do spend on the computer.

Mainly, I regretted not being able to tell you about all the fun Bri and I had during her Spring Break visit with Jessie and to show you some of the pictures of her. Sorry this took so long, Bri, but I'm thankful for the extra time we had since I couldn't "worry" about all the important (!) e-mails I was missing.

Anyone who knows Bri even a little knows that her #1 favorite pasttime is jumping. These first two pictures show her in action. The second one was taken at Lost in Fun and I was pretty excited about how my camera caught her in action. And, one of her #2 pasttimes is making silly faces. The other three pictures show this in action.

We did many things not chronicled here--Mexicali VBS at church, fed the kittens, played in the surprise snow, went to library story time, went to the Lincoln Children's Museum, went to Investigation Station at the State Historical Museum, visited great-grandparents, made waffles, baked cupcakes and cookies, and had a tea party! We were busy, but had great fun. I love it when I have each grandchild all to myself!

Thanks, Bri, for being brave enough to come so far for such a long visit. I hope this will be the beginning of a long annual tradition.

Have a great day, everyone reading this!

Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts

2010-03-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, third edition, is probably the finest book, and certainly the book with the most value for the price, that I've reviewed for Thomas Nelson.

The 470-paged book is a wealth of full-color photographs, maps, and graphics for any student or teacher of the Bible. Organized book by book through the old and new testaments, it has information on authors, dates, themes, literary structures, characters, and events, as well as detailed outlines and informative charts for every aspect of each book. For a map lover like me, the maps alone (I counted 84) are worth the price of the book.

To give you a close up of the book, consider these features: the six-page entry for Ephesians contains a paragraph about the author, two about the date of Paul's writing, three about theme and literary structure, a chart of "Ephesians at a Glance," an outline of the book, a map and discussion of the city of Ephesus, and a comment about Paul's phrase "in Christ," which appears thirty-five times in the book. Acts, a much longer book, has 12 pages, including 7 charts and 9 maps, for its entry.

And, Thomas Nelson keeps on giving with this volume. All the maps and charts are available for free download at their website. This feature is invaluable for teachers and Bible study leaders who want to provide visuals for their students. Thank you, Thomas Nelson, for publishing this fantastic resource, and thanks for my complimentary copy and the opportunity to review for you.

Happy Birthday to Paisley!

2010-02-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Feb. 11, when we set out for Texas, we had no idea that we would drive into snow. This first picture looks like it could be Nebraska or somewhere on our way to Minnesota, but it was our worst stretch of driving in southern Oklahoma! It was snowing good and only the driving lane was clear. Fortunately, we made it safely to Annie's in Longview.Friday morning we woke up to 3-4 inches of snow. David remembered only one other time of snow in Texas and that was when he was in high school. It was exciting to build a snowman with Paisley.

Isn't he cute?

This is my favorite picture of Paisley for the week.

Since we had gone to Texas for Paisley's birthday, we enjoyed partying with her and all her friends. Here she is with the Cinderella cake that Annie made her.

Here she is in her Cinderella dress, holding a tiny Cinderella. We think the big Cinderella is the prettier one!

Last, but not least, here she is with Grandpa on Valentine's Day. Two of my sweethearts! Grandpa celebrated his birthday, too, and David's is today.

Happy Birthday to all our Februarys!

Antonio Meets His Match

2010-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Antonio Meets His Match, the latest in Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends DVD series by Tommy Nelson Publishing, teaches children and adults alike that God commands us to love our neighbors, even when those neighbors are very annoying. A group of kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing, Scottish red ants move into the garden, and Antonio and Hermie are immediately offended by the newbies’ habits and attitudes. The Scotsmen don’t give an inch, and tempers flare.

After a couple altercations, Antonio and Angus agree to settle the arguments by some traditional Scottish games. Antonio is winning handily until the bagpipe playing—then, not so much. Antonio loses the contest and has to move. Both sides learn a lesson about neighborliness when Billy Croaker takes matters into his hands.

Although the actual story of Antonio Meets His Match was a little slow starting, the outcome was good and the story was true to God’s Word. We are commanded to “love our neighbors,” and not just the ones who are easy to love.

In addition to the actual story, I appreciated the Bonus features of the DVD, especially the sing-along, “How Could Anyone Not Love Me?” because Angus’ Scottish brogue was difficult to understand during the story. The other bonus features are great, as well.

Beautiful Snow

2010-01-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

We are in the midst of a truly, old-fashioned Nebraska winter. We have had several days of fog which only adds to the beauty by frosting the trees and turning the landscape into a Winter Wonderland.

You can see the beauty of the pine branch and the blur of the fog and snow behind it.

I thought our little girls might like to see Grandma's slide on the swing set. The snow doesn't look particularly deep here, but you can see everything covered in white.

This picture was taken straight out the car window on my way to Wal-mart on 98th street north of Saltillo. The plow made only a single path through the snow and the snow is piled deep, close on each side. I would have loved to ride on the snow plow as they cut through some of the deep drifts. Even though we've had some warmer days with some melting this week, the snow is still 8-9" deep in our front yard.

These days have reminded me of all the good snow stories I've read. I think first of Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter, a classic prairie snow story. More recently, I read No Time on My Hands, by Grace Snyder who lived through many a rough winter in the Sandhills from the 1850's to the 1950's. (Just after that book I read The Snowball, a biography of Warren Buffet, but, no, it has nothing to do with Nebraska winters!) And, I noticed another, long-forgotten book on my shelf--Winter Thunder by Mari Sandoz, another Nebraska author. It is the courageous story of a young teacher and 16-year-old bus driver who survived with seven children in a 1949 blizzard when their bus tipped over in the snow and burned. I think it is a fictional account, but based on a story of the author's niece.

And, poetry, too, comes to mind. What about Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," as well as his "Dust of Snow"? "Snow-Bound" by John Greenleaf Whittier, is the poet's simple observations of his family members as they amused themselves while snowed in. Although more about fog than snow, I'm reminded of Sandburg's "The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on." We have certainly had fog, but it sits looking and does not move on!

Rachel Field in her "Snow in the City," says "Snow is out of fashion, But it still comes down, To whiten all the buildings In our town; . . . And not a million people, Not one of them at all, Can do a thing about the snow But let it fall!" Isn't that the truth?

One last poem for my little girls: "Snowflakes" by Marchette Chute: I once thought that snowflakes were feathers And that they came falling down When the Moon Lady feathered her chickens And shook out her silver gown. And then I began to look closer, And now I know just what they are--I caught one today in my mitten, And there was a baby star."

One of my students this week remarked on the extra bonding time his family had over Christmas vacation. I said, "Yes, some families probably had more bonding than they wanted." But, he replied, "No, we really enjoyed it." I thought that was good coming from a high school boy. I'm proud of him and applaud his family for using the snow to good advantage.

Have a great day!

Rediscovering God in America by Newt Gingrich

2010-01-06T22:53:00.001-08:00

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has written a beautiful little book about the importance of godly faith in our nation. Rediscovering God in America takes the reader on a tour of Washington, D.C., reminding us of the godly leaders and their wisdom in guiding our country through perilous times. Gingrich's reflections are accompanied by the outstanding photographs of his wife, Callista.

From the Washington Monument, to the Library of Congress, to Arlington Cemetery, Gingrich gives historical background of the person honored and/or the planning and building of the memorial as well as discussion of the religious influences and inscriptions present in the monument. Some of the stories he relates are familiar, but many more are not. I was particularly impressed by FDR's prayer asking, "O Lord, give us faith in Thee," and his call to the American people for "devotion to the word of God." This example and others reminds us of our nation's rich Christian heritage.

Rediscovering God in America, published by Thomas Nelson, has a message important for all Americans, but is a must-read for anyone traveling to our capital. The only thing missing is a detailed map, so we can find our way around.

Holidays are over--New Year has begun

2010-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas was fantastic--14+ inches of snow and all. We went to KC early to miss the storm, but came home a little too early. We drove into a snow drift about 1/2 mile from home and had to walk the rest of the way. But, a very kind neighbor pulled us out later and all was well. This is a picture of Jessie after she shoveled a one-lane path down our sidewalk.

Now we are beginning 2010, and, interestingly enough, today's date is a palindrome--the same frontwards and backwards. See--01-02-2010! I love little bits of trivia like that.

And, I love the new beginnings of the New Year. I am usually in the midst of reading through the Bible chronologically, but it typically takes me longer than a year. But, it happens that I'm starting over just as the new year is starting. If you want to follow my pace, check it out on my Twitter account--margarettraudt. Sometimes I post a verse from Psalms instead of my chronological reading, but it's all good.

And, this Monday I'm starting a once/week online editing course with Christian PEN. It will be fun to be a real student for a while. I'm anxious to see all the things I thought I knew but really didn't.

John and I went to see Invictus today. It's a great movie--very inspiring! Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon were both excellent in their roles. I'm hoping to read the book--Playing the Enemy.

In a day or two I'll post a review of Newt Gingrich's book Rediscovering God in America. So, check back.

Hope you've enjoyed this potpourri of trivia. Have a great day!

Winter Rainbow

2009-12-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

This morning, besides the 11 inches of accumulated snow, we had a beautiful snow rainbow. I don't remember ever seeing such a sight before. Have you? In the middle picture, you can just barely see both ends. The upper arch was not visible at all (maybe earlier in the morning). It lasted for a good hour until the sun was too bright. Leave me a comment if you're familiar with this phenomenon of nature.

First Snow on Wittstruck Road

2009-12-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

We have been having snow off and on since Sunday morning. Yesterday at mid-morning it measured 4 inches. This morning it measured 6 inches and it is still snowing. We're supposed to get the "BIG" storm tonight. We'll see!

If you click on the picture with the bench, you can actually see the snow.

(Again, these pictures are not lining up for me! But, they will position themselves differently when I actually post them.)

As we look down our road, we're wondering if we'll venture out today.

Have a great day, whatever your weather is!

Waiting is an Art

2009-12-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Last summer, as a gift, I received a devotional book titled I Want to Live These Days with You. It is a year's worth of short excerpts from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian of the twentieth century who was imprisoned and executed for his part in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

I thought today's writing was excellent, and I want to share it with you:

Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But all too often the greedy eyes are only deceived; the fruit that seemed so precious is still green on the inside, and disrespectful hands ungratefully toss aside what has so disappointed them. Whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting--that is, of hopefully doing without--will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment.
Those who do not know how it feels to anxiously struggle with the deepest questions of life, of their life, and to patiently look forward with anticipation until the truth is revealed, cannot even dream of the splendor of the moment in which clarity is illuminated for them. And for those who do not want to win the friendship and love of another person--who do not expectantly open up their soul to the soul of the other person, until friendship and love come, until they make their entrance--for such people the deepest blessing of the one life of two intertwined souls will remain forever hidden.
For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait. It happens here not in a storm but according to the divine laws of sprouting, growing, and becoming.

Thanksgiving and Getting Ready for Christmas

2009-12-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

I have no clue why these pictures ended up all over the page, but you know how it goes with me and pictures and blogs! But, anyway, you can see some of the pictures from Emily's pre-Thanksgiving visit and a couple from when the rest of her family arrived. It was so much fun to have her here for her first official visit all by herself--the first of many, we hope. And, we're already looking forward to Bri's and Paisley's visits on their own. Jacob, of course, has been coming every summer for several years.

The first two pictures show how Emily "earned her keep." She had to feed the cats and make waffles every morning. Some of our fun things to do were getting out my nativity scenes and having a tea party with Jessie's tea set.

After Thanksgiving, all the girls worked together baking cookies. Is that Jeremy in the background doing dishes? And, we put our Christmas tree up and set up John's old train around it. The train was a huge fascination for the girls. It is John's from when he was a little boy in the 50's and it is in incredibly great shape. The track and transformer are modern, but the train is all the original. And, it whistles!

Well, I'm going to post this and see where the pictures end up then.

The White Horse King, the Life of Alfred the Great by Benjamin Merkle

2009-12-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Before reading Benjamin Merkle’s book The White Horse King, the Life of Alfred the Great, the only thing I knew about this ninth century monarch was that he had “Great” in his title. I finished the book published by Thomas Nelson with a great appreciation for this godly man who courageously rid his land of the fierce, marauding Vikings and then installed a system of protection, a plan of literacy, and a foundation of justice in his area of early Great Britain.

Merkle’s well-researched story may be a little long on battle stories for my liking, but he does an excellent job of showing his readers that Alfred isn’t just a battle-worn commander. Alfred becomes a compassionate, God-honoring leader who sets a goal of providing education for the common man in his country so all have access to the early writings of church leaders. Alfred, himself, learned Latin and then translated the first fifty Psalms and Augustine’s Soliloquies for his countrymen. Alfred generously established monasteries, churches, and schools, but wanting to give more of himself to God, he resolved to give one-half of each of his days to study and prayer.

In Merkle’s own words, “Alfred truly was the great king of England, the one monarch who rightly understood the needs of the nation and unrelentingly gave all he had to supply those needs.” He is a model for all who aspire to leadership.

I was fortunate to read this book under the auspices of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program. You can read about more of their books at http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.

The Power of Respect by Deborah Norville

2009-11-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

How was a waitress who refused to show her gap-toothed smile turned around to become a successful finance graduate?

How did a veteran teacher make a difference in the life of a young “unteachable”?

How did a CEO avert the downward spiral of a company caught in the stranglehold of the economy?

These life stories and others are woven through Deborah Norville’s The Power of Respect. Norville has written a well-researched discussion of the destructive fallout of disrespect and the redeeming value of simple, sincere respect in families, classrooms, and workplaces. And she doesn’t just talk about the good and the bad; she gives step-by-step ways to instill respect in our own lives and in those around us.

Although Mrs. Norville uses little Scripture, the Golden Rule permeates her book. Like her, I’m thinking, “Why do we have to spend so much time and effort discussing this?” There were times I thought the writing could have been more concise, and although she says, “Respect begins at home,” I feel her book would have the greatest value in the workplace—especially now when workers are trying to hold onto jobs and management is trying to increase the productivity and satisfaction of the workers they have.

The most valuable statement in The Power of Respect is on page 2: “No one is too unimportant to be ignored. No one is so significant that others don’t matter.”

The Fantasticks--fantastic!

2009-11-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

Last weekend in Minneapolis we were able to go to North Central's musical, The Fantasticks. It has a cast of only 15, but Jessie was excited to be a part of the chorus. The production was fantastic--the acting, the singing, the songs, the story.

The story is so good on so many levels. It's a story of boy loves girl, the story of two fathers who pretend to feud to keep the boy from the girl when really they're scheming to bring them together, the story of the blindness of love until the light of day and the reality of life, the story of man going into the world seeking adventure and finding cruelty instead, the story of trading the thing most dear for deceit, and finally the story of finding contentment back at the beginning. Add to all that some delightful lyrics and melodies and a couple buffoons straight out of Huck Finn. I hadn't realized it would be so funny!

It's easy to see why The Fantasticks has the world-wide record for the most performances of a musical ever!

Congratulations, Jessie. You did a great job in your first college performance.

Have a great day!

Atchison, Kansas

2009-10-25T13:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I need to catch up with this blog! A variety of things have been going on.
First, my good friend and fellow grandmother, Susanne, was here last week with her 3 little doggies. This first picture is Taffy, the oldest, and the second picture is John, playing with the other two, Tulip and Tiki. Taffy was a little too mature for roughhousing with him, but the other two loved it.

Then later in the week John took me on an outing for my birthday. We drove down to Atchison, KS, where we enjoyed looking at the beautiful mansions, like this one, and the gorgeous fall colors. In its hey-day, Atchison had the largest per-capita number of millionaires in the country. That was in the famous days of the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe railroads. At one time up to 85 passenger trains per day stopped at the Atchison depot. I can hardly imagine that!

This picture was taken along the bluff-lined Missouri river.

We had our first stay at a Bed and Breakfast. The house was built in 1948 as an example of Italianate architecture (if I remember correctly), by Mr. Fred Stein, who invented the first radio which ran on electricity from the wall rather than from the cumbersome battery cells used previously. Go to the following to learn more about a fascinating man http://www.steinlite.com/history.html.

This is a picture of The Professor's Room, our bedroom. Yes, there was a bed and a bath as well!

Part of the reason for going to Atchison was to visit the Amelia Earhart home and museum and see the new movie Amelia. She was born in Atchison and lived with her grandparents for most of her early years. This is a portrait of her in the upstairs of the house.

John and I were the first "official" guests to a special exhibit of some of her own clothes and other items, as well as some from the movie. I don't remember seeing this outfit in the movie, so not sure where it came from.

For the movie, we went downtown to the only theater in Atchison. It was so old I wondered if Amelia had gone to movies there, but never heard anything about that. When you walk into the theater, you're standing under the screen and facing the audience. Although every seat was full for the movie, I wanted you to see how tiny it is. There were only 3 seats on one side of the aisle and 6 seats on the other, for a total of 116. (If you do the math, you'll see that doesn't come out right. Our row had only 2 seats because of a curved jut in the wall.)But, I think they had divided their old theater into two theaters, so the original would have been double this. We were glad we arrived more than a half hour early so we could sit together. Late arrivals weren't as fortunate!

At any rate, we enjoyed all the sights of the small town. I would recommend it as a short jaunt of a trip. And, for those "in the know," we did go to Nell's Hills. If you're not "in the know," as I wasn't, you'll have to figure that out on your own!

Have a great day!

Finally Some Sunshine

2009-10-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day in about two weeks, I think, that we've had some sunshine. I apologize to all the people over the years that I've said, "Fall is beautiful in Nebraska--it is our only predictable season." Well, not this year! We've had damp and gloom for a loooong time. One person said it reminded them of when they lived in Washington state. Now you know we've had it bad!

My reading deprivation lasted for about one week (maybe less). It was just too hard, but I did finish a sewing project during that time, and did some cleaning, and a teensy bit of cooking. But, one day I had to go to the library for something else (it's the library's fault!) and the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society leapt off the shelf into my hands. I had never seen the book, but a neighbor had raved about it last year, so I knew it would be good. And I was not disappointed.

It is so funny, you just have to laugh out loud in places, and so touching, you want to shed a tear in other spots. It's all about books and writing and publishing and the World War II Nazi occupation of Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel. I think it is an entirely fictional account, but so believeable. The story is told in letters back and forth among the characters, so you feel like you're privy to every secret in their lives.

The truly inspirational part of the story for me is that it's the first published work of a woman who was 81 years old when she wrote it. Unfortunately, she died before it was released, and her niece, who is a published author, did the revisions for her. The niece applauds her aunt for being the master storyteller of their family. I wonder why she hadn't written a book earlier.

If you haven't already read Guernsey, find a copy ASAP and settle down with it.

Reading Deprivation

2009-10-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

Last post I mentioned the book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. She talks about how to bring out your creative side, and one of her "requirements" is to write everyday. (She says to write 3 pages, but I'm pleased if I finish 1 page each day.) One thing this writing accomplishes is to "unblock" your creativity. In other words, you're supposed to write about all the things, people, circumstances that are keeping you from being creative, so that once you've written about them, you've moved them out of your way and voila! you're free to be creative.

But, then she goes a little far and says that one thing that blocks creativity is too much reading! So, she recommends a season of reading deprivation so your mind can think about the things you want to create instead of focusing on what other people have created. Actually, I have to admit that she makes a good point. I find that I can really become wrapped up in a good book, or in a series of good books. Like lately! She doesn't say this deprivation has to be long term but until you've spent some time "creating" and you're no longer blocked.

I was giving some serious thought yesterday to trying this, but then because of a new tutoring student starting today I had to read Lord of the Flies last night. (It's amazing I'd never read it before because it seems to be required reading for many high school students. I think that trend may have started in the late 60's after I was out of high school.) But, I was able to finish it in less than 24 hrs. So, now, I'm back to considering the deprivation thing. I'm not going to give up my day-to-day readings that I'm already committed to, but I may have a season (a short season) with no "pleasure" reading. (Not that my day-to-day reading isn't pleasurable--maybe frivolous would be a better adjective--for the reading I'm giving up, that is.)

Hmmm--what will I do with that extra time? Is there something creative I should be working on? We'll see! I do have a sewing project started, or some knitting, or maybe I could do some creative cooking, or work in the yard, or. . . . .

If you have an opinion about the reading deprivation, let me hear it.

Have a great day!

Two More Books

2009-10-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

This week I finished two more books--very different from each other, but were they?

The first was Barack and Michelle by Christopher Anderson. It offers some interesting insight into the early years of our president and his wife and their beginnings as our First Couple.

My second book was The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I had noticed it on the best seller list for some time and had read an excerpt in Reader's Digest. The subtitle is The Story of Success. Gladwell gathers information from others who have done the research and presents their studies and statistics to support his own views about how success works. I'm not usually one to spend time reading about "how to become successful," but this book was fascinating. The examples and the ideas are VERY interesting--in some cases, different than what we would expect. I won't say any more, but give it a try.

I'm also in the midst of Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges for my ladies' Bible study and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney for Sunday School and The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron for my time with my walking friend. These are all excellent, but I read and study them one chapter per week. Most importantly, in God's Book I'm reading Romans, also very slowly as there is so much to think about.

As you can see, I'm using my extra time to do some reading this fall. The time may become filled with other things soon enough, but for now I'm enjoying!

Have a great day!

End of a long career!

2009-09-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

I said on Sunday, "I am beginning my 25th and last year of being the parent of a teenager." Brian turned 13 in 1985 and Jessie will turn 20 in 2010. But, actually, when I did the math, I realized I had a four-year break when Annie turned 20 in 1999 until Jessie turned 13 in 2003.

So, does that mean I'm an expert?--BY NO MEANS. Just ask any of my kids! I have no special insight and no particular wisdom. It was only by the grace of God that any of us survived.

My friend Susanne Scheppmann just did a workshop on Parenting Teens at the D6 Conference in Dallas. True, her career was a little shorter than mine--probably only 10 years--but she has put some serious footwork and study into the subject. Look her up at www.susanneonline.com, and if you are struggling with your teenagers or know someone who is, order her book Divine Prayers for Despairing Parents. She has some great insight into traveling through those years.

I must say, too, that I had some great teenagers. Sure, there were trying times here and there, but God is so faithful! He worked in spite of all my efforts to derail what He was doing. He deserves ALL the glory.

Have a great day!

Home from Louisville

2009-09-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

John and I have returned from a "working" trip to Louisville, Kentucky. We had a good week of work setting cosmetics in an Ulta store.
The drive to Louisville, although about 11 hours, is really a very pretty drive and is divided easily into 3 fairly equal parts--home to KC, KC to St. Louis, St. Louis to Louisville. As you can see, we drove right past the St. Louis arch.It's interesting, too, that each of these three major cities sits on a major river--the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio. But, we know that many of the early settlements were on rivers because rivers were major sources of transportation for both people and goods before we had railroads, highways, and semi-trucks.
Here's a view of the Louisville skyline. I'm thinking about posting some skyline pictures to see how many you can identify.

One evening I was able to take the car and do some sightseeing on my own. John was exhausted from work and doesn't really care for historical sights anyway. So, I found two places not far from our hotel that I could find without having to drive on the interstate system!
This is a picture of the home of George Rogers Clark. He was the brother of William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame and supposedly the founder of Louisville. His home is on a beautiful piece of land called Locust Grove in a beautiful neighborhood of Louisville. I wasn't able to go in the house because it was closed for the day but enjoyed walking around the estate.

Not far from Locust Grove is the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. Taylor was the 12th president of the U.S., but died just over a year into his presidency. His father, Richard Taylor, had served as an officer in General George Washington's army during the American Revolution and received 6,000 acres of land in Kentucky for his service. So, although Zachary was born in Virginia, his family moved to Kentucky soon after his birth.

This picture is of the grave of President Taylor and his wife. The stone object in the background is the original grave and the mausoleum structure is the current burial place. Several members of their family are buried in a plot to the left of the picture, but then the rest of the land is a national cemetery.

If you have never been to a national cemetery, you should try to visit one sometime. It is interesting to see the uniformity of the gravestones and to walk among the graves and see which war the soldiers served in. Most importantly, it gives you a tiny glimpse of the numbers of valiant men and women who have served our country. I'm curious to know when this particular piece of land first became a national cemetery because the oldest grave I noticed was from the Spanish American War. But, I didn't walk throughout all the graves.

The next night John took me on a date for the highlight of our week! We attended the National Quartet Convention at the Louisville Exposition Center. The auditorium holds 20,000+ people and it was nearly full. This picture is not the best, but I thought the colored spotlights made quite a sight. The stage is the white segment.The music was excellent. It started at 6 pm and we left at 10 pm although the music continued until 11 pm. That was 4 hours of solid music from quartets and other small groups. Even while they were setting up for the next group, they played black and white films of old groups singing. Each group peformed for 17 minutes and the convention was Sunday night through Saturday night with concerts every afternoon and every evening. That's a LOT of quartet singing!

All the groups were very entertaining, but the most exciting for us was seeing the Bill Gaither Vocal Band. This next picture shows how they announced each band with their name in lights around the auditorium.

Thanks for putting up with my travelogue with a little history thrown in!

Have a great day!

Two books this week

2009-09-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have just finished the second of two books I read this week. They have some common points, but yet they are so far from each other.

People of the Book and Dewey are both about people who love books, they both have a central narrator along with several other characters surrounding that narrator, and they both have a thread that moves forward while at the same time moving back in time to tell other stories. The authors of both books are skilled and passionate about their stories.

People of the Book is a fictional account of the making and preserving of the Sarajevo Haggadah. The narrator, a conservator of ancient manuscripts, is called to work on this precious prayer book commonly used at the Jewish Seder. As she searches for clues about the book's past, the author recounts stories of each stage of the haggadah's journey from its beginnings in Spain in the 1400's to its current display case in the museum in war-torn Bosnia.

Dewey is about a library cat in Spencer, IA, and the librarians who rescued him from the book drop on a very wintry morning in January in 1988. This tiny golden kitten readily adopts his new surroundings and wins the hearts of everyone who meets him.

Are both books redemption stories? Dewey Readmore Books (his official name) certainly gives his life day-by-day to redeem Spencer at a time when it was facing economic collapse. People of the Book is a chronicle of God's chosen people, which is always a story of redemption, but that is an underlying theme of this particular story. Neither book is a "history" book, but a telling of the stories of the people in those times and places.

Both books are great reads, but really at opposite ends of the spectrum of "types" of books. People of the Book is a very serious work--rather dark and intense, but yet intriguing and powerful. The author, Geraldine Brooks, is a masterful storyteller, already proven by her Pulitzer Prize for her book March. Dewey is a light-hearted account of a darling cat growing up in a library in small-town America. The author, Vicki Myron, is a librarian surrounded daily by books, but she's never written a book before and I doubt she'll write another. People is for mature readers (rated somewhere between PG-13 and R), but Dewey is for anyone who loves cats or libraries or the Midwest (totally G-rated). One book wrenches the heart; the other warms it.

It's good to read a variety of books--that's what I was about this week. It's doubly good when a book-lover is blessed with books about books!

Have a good day!

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

2009-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the rest of my life, but isn't that what EVERY day is? I know God has a perfect plan for me, but I'm not sure what it is. I don't want to miss it. But, while I'm waiting, here are some pictures.

The first two are from Texas when I stayed with Paisley. The first is at the park near Paisley's house and the second is Donavan at the parakeet house at the Tyler Zoo. Scores of parakeets and a few other birds flock to the seed-covered sticks you hold in your hand. Paisley wasn't too sure about all the birds flying around, but Donavan and I enjoyed seeing them.

These two pictures are Jessie's dorm room at North Central University. Emily and Bri were excited to see her room the day they picked me up.

These two are some pictures of Jessie and I enjoying some loving from our little Minnesota girls.

The last two are my dear friends Mark and Susanne, Jeremy's folks. They were so sweet to just happen to be in Minnesota with their motorhome and planning to return home through Nebraska just when I needed a ride. Susanne and I had great "girlfriend" time on the trip. We didn't mind that the detours and stops along the way caused the trip to be longer than intended. Thanks, guys, it was great fun!

Have a great day!

A Beautiful Nebraska Day

2009-08-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those beautiful Nebraska days--the kind we have most often in the fall. It's a cool (60's) morning, clear blue sky, with the promise of warming up to the 80's, no more.

I celebrated this fantastic day by riding my bike. My car is fixed (thanks to Don), so I attached my bike rack, loaded up my bike, and headed into town. I started at 56th and Hwy 2, rode to 27th and Hwy 2, turned south across the bridges (Jacob knows), and rode almost to Old Cheney. I figure a round trip would be 6+ miles--a good start for me.

Since it was such a wonderful day, and because it is Saturday, there were loads of people on the trail. After I turned to head back, I counted 44 people who I met or passed or who passed me. They were walking, jogging, rollerblading, and biking. It's nice that Lincoln has such great trails and even better that so many people take advantage of them.

Have a great day!

The Summer's almost over? How can that be?

2009-08-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Where did the summer go? I'm home from a great weekend of visiting Annie and David in Longview and babysitting Paisley while they went on a couple's retreat. Paisley and I had a great time--we played, went to the zoo, read books, shopped a little, and just snuggled.

This afternoon I went to lunch and a movie with my walking/Bible study gals. We saw Julia & Julie and so enjoyed it. It's a really sweet movie, especially if you remember watching Julia Child on TV, or if you enjoying cooking now, or if you're a blogger, or if you've just turned 30 and need a little pick-me-up.

I'm looking forward to the routine (if there is such a thing) of the fall, but am excited/sad too about taking Jessie to college in Minneapolis in a couple weeks.

Have a great day!

Balloons

2009-07-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here I am: sad one minute and happy the next!

That's all for now!

I Give Up!

2009-07-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

I spent all afternoon today--from 1 pm to 8:30 pm--trying to put some new pictures on my computer and then my blog. The blog was entitled "I Keep Trying." But, after much frustration, I've decided my time would be better spent on something else. So, I'm giving up on blogging until someone volunteers to sit next to me, teach me each step, help me write down each step, then watch over me to make sure I've learned it.
So, if you have been checking this blog, I'm sorry. Don't bother anymore! Just look at Steph's blog and go to everyone else's from there.
If you want to see any of my pictures--my grandkids, the balloons, the fireworks, the bats, the spiral staircase of the Kansas state capitol--just ask me in person.

Have a great day!

Feathered Friends

2009-05-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just have to tell you about all the BEAUTIFUL birds I've had at my feeder the past two weeks: Baltimore orioles (thanks to Jeremy starting them out with some grape jelly), rose-breasted grosbeaks (my favorites next to the orioles), goldfinches, indigo buntings (really a prize), downy woodpeckers, a rare hairy woodpecker, red-breasted woodpeckers, cardinals, a brown thrasher and a nuthatch, as well as the nuisance blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, starlings, and grackles. On the ground I've had turtle doves and robins. One day a robin was in the feeder (a very rare occurence), sampling the oriole's jelly! (Jer, I'm into my second jar of jelly.)

If you can't identify any of the above, look them up in your bird book. I wish I could show you some pictures, but that's challenging through the kitchen window without scaring them away. I'll work on that.

I think that's pretty impressive for just a small-time feeder in the country near Roca, NE! I have a feeder with just sunflower seeds and a little cup (actually a green plastic cup from the gelato place in Austin) for grape jelly; a finch feeder with thistle seed; and a suet feeder (which is now empty--where's Jeremy when I need him?); and my bird bath.

I can only watch them while standing at my kitchen counter, so it really helps pass the time while I'm doing dishes and cooking.

I hope your days are going as well as mine!

Graduation

2009-05-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

All our family was home for Jessie's graduation last weekend. We had a fantastic time. Here are a few pictures.

This first one was taken the night of the Honor's Convocation. You can see Jessie and her girlfriends wearing their Honor Society cords.

This is Jessie singing her mini-solo at the Show Choir Show.

You can get a glimpse of our "decorated" garage for Jessie's party. It was so nice to not worry about the weather and the pink and green and black colors looked beautiful.

Here's a great picture of all our family after Jessie's graduation. You can see all our kids and spouses and grandkids, plus our nephew Curt.

Have a great day!

PROM Pictures

2009-05-03T13:37:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Prom. You can see Jessie's dress somewhat. The first one is of her "twirling" around while she was waiting for Brad to arrive. The second one is one of my favorites with her by herself. The last one is at the Haymarket. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day for picture taking.

Now onward to graduation!

PROM

2009-05-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight is Prom, so you're probably on the edge of your seat, waiting for a picture! Well, I had every intention of posting one tonight (we took many, and many of them are really good), but Jessie took my camera to Brad's prom. So, check back tomorrow night. Maybe I'll have some then. Sorry!

Prom Dress

2009-04-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Jessie's Prom dress is finished! It was fun to do and everything went well (I think!) Pictures will be forthcoming in a couple weeks.

Now, we're on to the next details of the end of senior year. If the weather holds up there will be 4 tennis matches this week, plus piano recital, plus district music!

Have a great day!

MEXICALI--A Fantastic Week!

2009-04-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to all of you who prayed for us in Mexicali. The week went soooo well--your prayers were vital and very evident. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

This is Ricardo, a sweet little guy at my site--Robledo. He was always sitting so quietly and attentively, and loved doing all the crafts. This was a cross that had colored strips woven through it like a basket. It wasn't easy for them to do, but he persevered.

This is Jessie and Brad at El Campo, a big open field where kids come to play in the afternoon. It was our service project for the first day, so we picked up all the big rocks, glass, etc. that were strewn across it.

Some days we held an impromptu mini-VBS at El Campo. The puppets are always ready to perform.

This is a picture of boys just wanting their picture taken at El Campo. Their school is in the background on the other side of the fence. They loved to play soccer and were usually able to beat our high schoolers!

MEXICALI--Here we come!

2009-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Jessie, Brad and I at church Sunday following the commissioning service. As usual, it's a dorky picture of me, but it will be a good reminder to you of how very much I need your prayers!

We fly from Omaha to San Diego Saturday morning and will arrive in Mexicali by RV Saturday night. We will drive back to San Diego Thursday night and fly out of there early the next Saturday morning.

Please pray that our time with the kids coming for VBS will be effective and many will come to know the Lord and be strengthened in their faith. And, that each of us ministering will grow in our faith, as well.

Have a great week! I'll try to report back after our trip.

TENNIS

2009-03-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Jessie won her first match of the season! Her singles match was 8-6 (they play an 8-game pro-set), and her doubles match went 5-8. It was extremely cold for the spectators and became colder as the matches wore on. But, everyone looked good. Gretna was a good match. I think this is only their 3rd year for tennis, so their girls were at about the same level as us.

John made it to the match to surprise Jessie with her graduation present/car! I haven't really seen it up close yet because Dave was riding with John and needed to get home. So, he left the match and we rode home with Helmink's. John and Jessie went to Dave's this morning so she could drive it to school.

Tomorrow Norris has a triangular with Waverly and Blair at the Nebraska Tennis Center--indoors, I hope!

The prom dress is almost finished. I put the straps on yesterday/this morning and hope to finish that up tonight after Jessie tries it on one more time.

Tonight we're cooking lasagna for the bands for the concert tomorrow night. Brad's band and another one are playing at church tomorrow night for a benefit for Mexicali. I hope lots of kids come out for it!

I know--I need to be putting some pictures on, but I didn't take any last night.

Have a great day!

DIARY CONTINUED

2009-03-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Jessie's prom dress is nearing completion! Today I sewed in the bodice lining and tomorrow or Friday I will work on the straps. It fits well, but the straps will be crucial. If they go as well as everything else has so far, I will be ecstatic! I can't wait to show you a picture, but Jessie doesn't want Brad to see it before prom, so you'll have to wait.

Tomorrow is Jessie's first tennis match. She's playing #2 singles and #1 doubles with Melissa Seifert, who is the #1 singles player. I just hope it warms up a little--for the spectators. The girls are moving around.

Have a great day!

FOOD +

2009-03-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

My recent issue of "Healthy Cooking" arrived a couple weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to trying some of the recipes. Last Thursday I made the Spicy Chicken Chili and we all three really liked it. I just finished it up for lunch today. It's similar to a Chicken Tortilla Soup I've made before, but it doesn't have salsa or tortilla chips in it, although I sprinkled some broken chips on mine instead of crackers. I actually left out a lot of the "spicyness" like the hot peppers and the hot sauce, but the chili powder and cumin carried it quite well. We were out of sour cream when I made it, but I tried it with a dollop today and liked the cold contrast.

I have the zipper in Jessie's dress, but can't continue before another fitting. The daily fittings slow everything down for me, but I don't want to do something I regret later. Making sure the bodice fits snugly, but not too tightly, is a challenge.

I did finish Jane Eyre and really enjoyed it. I could see a few connections to the Thirteenth Tale, but I liked Jane much better. It was so romantic and taught some good spiritual lessons as well. I suppose I should stick with the classics--they never disappoint me!

Have a great day!

Diary of a Prom Dress

2009-03-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today was the BIG day--well, not the prom, just the beginning of the real dress! This morning I cut out most of the dress. This afternoon I made the skirt (not the hem). This evening I made the bodice (mostly). So far, so good. I haven't had to re-do much and it's been fun! It seems to be fitting well. Tomorrow I'll attach the skirt to the bodice and cut out the bodice lining and maybe sew the lining together. Will I get to the zipper? We'll see--could be tricky. I might sew the zipper in by hand.

I think there's a good chance I can have most of it done by next Saturday--my goal. Jessie is still deciding on some of her embellishments, but they can be done anytime. I'm just concerned with having most of it complete before Mexicali.

Keep checking in!

Have a great day!

God of this City

2009-03-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

In February 2008 when we were in Austin, we attended church (Austin Stone, I think) with Tama and Jacob. During worship their pastor was talking about the song "God of this City" and a story that Chris Tomlin had told him about how the Irish group Bluetree had written this song while visiting a city in Thailand. The story was very moving and, although I had never heard the song before, I liked it immediately, and when I got home I bought a Passion CD it is on.

Well, if you listen to Christian radio at all, you know they play this song everyday. It is still one of my favorites, and I'm still touched by the story, but because of the content of the story I won't relay it here. Look it up on your own. You can read about it at http://extendingthekingdom.org/?p=64, or a shorter version at http://michaelgianopulos.blogspot.com/. It's a wonderful story and they were talking about it on KLOVE today.

The picture I'm posting today is from the Chris Tomlin concert last month in Council Bluffs. During the concert I was so disappointed that he didn't sing "God of this City," but was glad when he saved it for his encore! The tickets were John's Christmas gift to me--we had a great time! Thanks, Hon, that was sweet of you.

FAITH

2009-03-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

This morning while reading Psalm 108, these verses jumped out at me: "Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly, it is he who will tread down our foes."

I was reminded that everything I try to do on my own is in vain, but with God I shall be valiant. So whether my foes are difficult people, or difficult circumstances, or my own difficult sins, I need God's help to conquer them. I don't see myself having "foes" among any people, but sometimes I let circumstances discourage me, and certainly my recurring sins are enemies to me. I need the reminder to ask for God's help with all things. He wants only the best for me, and nothing is impossible with Him. So, . . .what am I waiting for?

Have a great day!

Pictures of Paisley!

2009-03-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures I took of Paisley when we were there for New Year's. I have copies in my tutoring room and enjoy looking at them each day. Isn't she cute?

You can go to Steph's blog to see some pictures of Emily and Bri!

More progress on the dress project--today I made the petticoat. That gave me something to do while we wait for the fabric to arrive.

Have a great day!

Making Progress!

2009-03-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

After hours of searching websites, I think Jessie may have settled on some fabric today! I'm anxious to get started on the "real" dress and watch it take shape. I won't give any details--just keep checking in.

The practice dress is still a work in progress, but I think it will be as good as it will get today. I just need to take the straps off and re-do them a little.

As for reading, I'm getting into Jane Eyre--hoping to unlock some of the secrets of the book The Thirteenth Tale that I read a couple weeks ago. Jane Eyre is such a classic I'm ashamed to admit that I've never read it. I remember Wuthering Heights fondly, but have never read much more of that era.

In the Bible, I'm in the midst of Ezra--always interesting. At our Bible study we're watching a series of DVD's made by Anita (I can't remember her last name). She does a wonderful job of portraying women in the Bible. Today we watched Sarah and Martha. It's amazing the talent of this woman in recreating these women's lives.

Have a great day!

Amazing Grace

2009-03-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I finished reading a little book called Finding God in the story of Amazing Grace by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware. Ever since the 80's when I used to read everything Charles Colson wrote, I have been curious about the life of William Wilberforce. I had never heard the name before, and Colson was always talking about him because Wilberforce was his ultimate hero.

Last year I read Wilberforce's book Real Christianity and saw the movie Amazing Grace based on his fight against slavery in the British Parliament and on his friendship with John Newton, a former captain of a slave ship and the author of the hymn Amazing Grace. The book I just finished is a mini-biography of both Newton and Wilberforce. The "amazing" thing about this book is the way the authors have woven the lives of these men around the various aspects of God's amazing grace--from His maternal grace to His long-suffering grace to His sufficient grace to His compelling grace. The title of each of the brief 18 chapters is an adjective describing a feature of God's grace, and each chapter describes how God transformed these men so they might transform our world. I could see how God was arranging the world of Newton and Wilberforce for His purpose in their lives and in their world. And, I was reminded how God does the same thing for me each day. Amazing!

On a different note, progress on Jessie's prom dress is going forward! Yesterday I re-did the practice dress somewhat. Today I'm going to sew on the straps and figure out how much material we need. Jessie's having trouble finding the right fabric, so we're on a search for that. Any suggestions? Otherwise, so far, so good!

Have a great day!

SOLO!

2009-03-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is my first post to put a picture on by myself. I did it! Obviously, this is a picture of Jessie cheering. Her cheerleading season ended on Monday when the boys lost the district basketball game to Beatrice. Boo Hoo! But, now we're looking ahead to tennis, Mexicali, and graduation. It won't be long!

I fear all my readers have hastened to Facebook, leaving me here all alone! Isn't that just the way life is--as soon as I learn something new, everyone else has learned something newer and I'm still behind? Oh, well!

My latest project is sewing Jessie's prom dress--I agreed to do this because she asked--I didn't offer until then! My goal is to work on it a little each day and have it complete before we leave for Mexicali on April 4. Prom is May 2. I'm making a practice muslin dress first, and yesterday I sewed the practice bodice to fit it on her. Today I'm going to try to re-do that a little, or make an alternate choice. Pray for me in this. She already had one nightmare about it before I even started. I think it will be fun--as long as I work on it slowly and carefully. After all, I did make my own wedding dress, but that was 40 years ago. The sewing machine is the same--is the seamstress? We'll see!

Have a great day!

I'M BACK!

2009-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

Steph is here so she's teaching me how to put pictures on my blog, so here's my first effort! This is Bri at the indoor playground yesterday. Check back with me and I'll see if I can do it on my own next time.

FAITH--Lifted Up

2009-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Remember when I mentioned that when God wants to teach us something, he comes at us from a couple directions? Well, that happened yesterday again. I'm in the middle of two different Bible studies, but each had a verse in Psalms that grabbed me. Psalm 27:5 says, "For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock" and Psalm 3:3 says, "But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." In other words, in difficult days (actually on all days) God protects me from the trouble around me and even lifts me above it. He enables me to rise above the circumstances and lifts my head so I'm not dwelling on them. Thanks, God (and Susanne).

On a more humorous note, I noticed this verse in Psalm 58:8: "Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime . . ." Isn't that a picture? I can just imagine a little boy throwing this phrase back to one of his cohorts, "I hope you turn into a snail and just dissolve into slime! So there!"

Have a great day! I resolve to take some pictures today and work on posting them--soon--be patient with me!

More Food

2009-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

I've tried a few more recipes in Healthy Cooking magazine--all are things I already have a recipe for, but they had some slight variations. First, I made the tuna casserole and really liked it. (I know most of you don't like tuna casserole, but that is something we eat occasionally.) John didn't like it--I'm not sure why! Then, I made the cheesy vegetable soup. It is very similar to Brenda's recipe, but just a little different and almost as good, I thought. Yesterday I made the crock-pot meat loaf. John is the only one who likes meat loaf, so I make it when I know Jessie won't be here to eat. She's very good about trying most things, but probably because of my own aversion to meat loaf, I don't press it upon her. And, meat loaf is something I don't really have a recipe for--I just throw it together. (Maybe that's why I don't like it--DUH!) Anyway, John and I both liked the meat loaf. I put it in the crock pot before church, but it seemed it wasn't quite done after 3 1/2 hours on low, so I put it in the oven for another 1/2 hour. And, it's a big recipe, so John will have enough for supper tonight while I'm tutoring and Jessie is working.

And, I just made the spiced apple tea (very good) and forgot to mention earlier that I made the double-chip pumpkin muffins. I didn't have the cinnamon chips, but I substituted toffee bits. It's a huge recipe, so I froze most of them for Bible study at my house this week. I'm also going to try the makeover apple bread.

This past Saturday was the first Show Choir competition of the season. Norris got second in class B. It was quite respectable since it is practically impossible to beat Grand Island Northwest. They are the same size as Norris, but they always go over the top with their Show Choir. The next competition is the 31st at the Lied.

A fun thing for me at the competition was visiting with Mary Zimmer, a Norris alum who graduated with Annie, I think. She is now the music director at Pius and she just happened to sit down by us. It was fun to catch up with her and her family.

I'm going to add another "f" word to my list--feeding birds! (I'm trying to give some integrity to "f" words!) I just counted 10 goldfinches either in the tree or at the feeders. I want to thank Jeremy for thinking of me at Thanksgiving time and taking the time to go to the Wild Bird store and buy me a bucket of REALLY NICE bird seed. I had been neglecting the birds and he was feeling sorry for both them and me. THANKS, JEREMY. Your gift has been much appreciated.

This is getting kind of long. If I don't learn how to do pictures SOON, I'll probably lose all my blog readers!

Have a great day!

Faith, Food, Frustration

2009-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of adding another word to my list on the sidebar--frustration! Last week I wanted to post a picture of my dad from his birthday, but in trying to transfer the picture from camera to computer I erased the picture from my camera--I was soooo disappointed. Then, when I tried to blog about the whole experience, I lost the blog update before I could post it! So you can imagine my FRUSTRATION. Will I never make the transition to technology?

So, I'm turning to FOOD! A couple days ago the latest issue of Healthy Cooking arrived. It always renews my excitment for cooking and meal planning. And, a couple of you have the same magazine, so maybe we can share some of our successes and failures. Yesterday I made the Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken and we thought it was pretty good. (John probably wouldn't pick it, but I noticed he had two servings.) Jessie thought it could use a little more seasoning in spite of the 1 tsp. cumin already in it--maybe a couple dashes of hot sauce. This morning I made the Nutmeg Waffles. I thought they would be yummy, but they were a little heavy--maybe less flour and more oil would help.

Now I want to say something about FAITH. Isn't it interesting that when God wants to teach us something, he comes at us from several different directions? In our ladies' Sunday School we're studying Susanne Scheppmann's Birds in My Mustard Tree, a study of faith, and we're having some great discussions about faith and how it grows. For Christmas Jessie gave me a wooden plaque that says, "FAITH, ordinary people with faith can do extraordinary things." I have it hanging by my kitchen sink to remind me that I'm very ordinary, but God has chosen to use me to accomplish his purposes. He even gives me the faith to start with and the experiences to grow it.

Have a great day!

The Last Lecture

2009-01-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

My friend Brenda loaned me her copy of Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture before Christmas, so I read it as we traveled. Since it has nice short chapters, I could manage it without becoming car sick. Anyway, it's quite good and has much good advice for the New Year. Mr. Pausch recently passed away from pancreatic cancer, so his book is a legacy for his family and for anyone else who wants to listen in.

Mr. Pausch was an extreme computer nerd, so I find it interesting that he praises the value of handwritten thank you notes. Since his last lecture was to college students, he directs his advice toward them. "Job interviewers and admissions officers see lots of applicants. They read tons of resumes from 'A' students with many accomplishments. But they do not see many handwritten thank-you notes. If you are a B+ student, your handwritten thank-you note will raise you at least a half-grade in the eyes of a future boss or admissions officer. You will become an 'A' to them. And because handwritten notes have gotten so rare, they will remember you." He closes the chapter with "It's just the nice thing to do."

I am so tempted to send a quick thank-you email or use a telephone call to suffice, but I know how much I appreciate a written thank-you note which comes via snail mail. I have received many treasured notes over the years (I wish I'd saved them)--many more than I've sent. I want to keep an old custom alive through the age of technology.

Thanks, Brenda, for passing your book to me. I truly enjoyed it. Uh, oh, should I send a note?

Happy Birthday to my Dad--84 years young today (or yesterday?).

2009-01-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm starting out 2009 with a blog. We'll see how it goes.

These are pictures of our family, so you can see everyone is looking good!

We were at Brian's in Austin for Christmas, then went to Longview to spend New Year's with Annie and her family. We'll return home tomorrow, Jan. 2. We've had a great time in both places. We've spent much too much time eating, some time playing games, and some time shopping.

John and David are busy building a playhouse/swing set for Paisley. We'll see if they are able to finish it today!

We pray all of you are looking forward to a fantastic New Year praising and serving our Lord.