Live to Please God

Galatians 1: 10

"Am I trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ/

Interesting verse, isn't it?

Just how "people pleasing" are we?

Pleasing one's parents?  We know where that went with me.  Even though seeking my mother's approval damaged me emotionally and sometimes physically and even though I write of it often, I say little about my dad.  I think it is because he was working so much, then when he was at home, he was usually outside working on one project or another or in the yard.  I do know that he was proud of me and my accomplishments and of my family.  He would squeeze my shoulder and say "You done good, kid" when he was particularly happy with something I had done.

But otherwise, I know that there is a long list of people that we please.

Spouses.

Children.

Grandchildren.

Other relatives.

Friends.

Employers and others we work with.

In my case....students.

The list goes on.

But when I read this section, this struck me:

This makes me wonder how many people miss their true calling from God because they choose to please people instead of Him.

I remember when I was at ISU someone invited me to attend a campus group similar to the SCAMPS group that the girls sang with.  I hesitated because I was trying to 'fit in' and none of the girls on muy floor were associating with the church kids on campus.  I had attended a couple of sorority rush meetings with my roommate and the girls next door, just for fun, and I had received one bid, from the group that was rather nerdy.  Of course I had no money to be in a sorority and I knew that asking my parents for support in this would be futile, so I dropped out of rush.  I declined the invitation. I was glad I could use the excuse of  'no money' for my reason.  I had also heard that this sorority had sent bids to many girls, hoping to get a decent rush class, because they knew they receive many 'thanks, but no thanks' responses. I didn't want to add to my status of being a nerd or someone who was no fun at all by attending a group associated with a church.  How horrible was that?

I did attend Sunday services with others on my floor, on the rare occasions that the girls actually did stay for the weekend on campus, at the churches on the street bordering the east side of the campus.   I wasn't totally a lost soul!

But after I began teaching, I knew I needed to find a church and accepted an invitation to attend services at the Christian Church in Francesville.  Long story short....that is where Gary and I were married.  We returned to  the church in 2002 after attending St. Mark's Lutheran in Medaryville.  Gary and I, along with Hilary, moved our membership there.  Hilary and Blaine along with Megan and Matt were married there.  Gary and I both served in various roles at the church before we moved to our new house.

But back to the statement in bold.  I often wonder how my college life might have been different if I had participated in some of the campus ministry opportunities.  Different friends?  More varied experiences?  A deeper (and earlier) connection to Christ?  Possibly.

People see what we have been and what we are, but God sees who and what we will become.

When we studied with Jim and Junior and were approaching the time for our baptism, I asked Jim if we could be baptized privately.  He said we could, but he strongly suggested that we come forward at the invitation time and be baptized in front of the congregation.  Why?  Some of the teenagers in the church would be positively influenced by seeing their English teacher professing her faith and her belief in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savoir and being baptized.    I always strived to be a good role model to my students, but this was more than I could have ever dreamed of being to them. I will never forget the positive comments from students, even those who did not witness my baptism, and how good it felt to be an example of a Godly woman to them.


I think it is sad when rituals are more important to us than growing in Christ.  ....observance of certain dates.

When we changed to attending the Christian Church, one of the things I missed was the observance of church holidays, so to speak.  At the St. Mark's I really enjoyed the Advent season.  Lent was an important time for our church as well and I missed the Wednesday night Lenten services.  Advent, Lent, Maundy Thursday...none of those were even mentioned or addressed in Jim's sermons.  This year during the online services on Palm Sunday and Easter, even the familiar songs that I loved were not included.  But attending the Delphi UMC also has differences.   Now I miss the weekly communion that was part of our service at the Christian Church.  Then I wonder why.  Why are churches or is it just denominations so different?  But after reading this, does it really matter?  Does my growth in Christ rely on taking communion each and every Sunday?  Do I need to sing "Up from the Grave He Arose" to really know that Christ did die for my sins and he rose from the dead three days later?  Something to ponder....


Waiting on God's timing is challenging for most of us.

I remember sitting in the front yard at the little yellow house on Brown Street in Francesville one summer evening.  Alicia and I had been talking about life in general and where hers and mine were heading.  She was beginning her freshman year at St. Joe soon.  I was starting my third year of teaching at West Central that fall.  I had followed Dad's suggestion that I stay at WC for at least two years before moving to another school district because he said, and rightly so, that superintendents and principals knew each other.  They talked.  They compared notes about programs and personnel.  I didn't want to be known as someone who 'hopped schools' and couldn't be depended upon.  (and Dad was right---they did know each other!)  But I was wondering if WC was really such a good fit for me.  Did I want to stay there forever in my teaching career?  Did I want to remain Miss Henderson for the rest of my life, especially since there didn't seem to be too many eligible men in the little towns feeding into the school corporation?  Would I want to put down roots and buy a house on my own and call Francesville my home?  Many questions running through my mind that evening.  What did I do?  I prayed about it.  I prayed that God lead me in the right direction.  That if I were supposed to meet someone and stay there, that I patiently for God to put that right guy in my path.  If I were to remain teaching at WC, that I immerse myself in the programs at WC and become a vital part of the school.  I prayed every day for the doors to be opened or closed and the opportunities to present themselves (and for me to recognize them).  It didn't happen all at once. But two things did finally occur.  I met a guy at a 4-H meeting when he came to pick up his brother and sister and then later when the club toured the members' farms to see their livestock.  And when I was passed over for English department chair for someone with less seniority because I wasn't teaching English full time, I sought another position, took a chance by saying either I teach all English or I leave, and I stayed at WC for 33 years as a result.    After that---the birth of the girls after a miscarriage. Leaving WC and going to Ivy Tech for another 10 years.  Finding the perfect property and house for our move.  All of those were part of God's timing.  And I needed to wait.

Personal Reflection:  How are you patiently waiting on God's timing in your life?

Now?  We are waiting for the pandemic to be over, for life to move along as it was before.  I am not sure whether we really want for life to be 'as it was before' because some of the revelations during this time at home have been important.  Family time.  The improvement in speech with Owen and Lynnlee.  The slower paced life.  The decrease in the need for shopping and travel.  Being content with what we have.  More time to relax and rest.    I join others in hoping that life doesn't go back to the way it was a year ago, that we all learn some lessons about what is really important in our lives.

No Other Gospel

Galatians 1: 6-9

So many interesting points in this section.

We must be firm in what we believe, and although we should not be narrow-minded and unwilling to learn new things, neither can we be so open-minded that we are ready to believe anything we hear or read.

I like this statement.  Sometimes I think I am narrow-minded, but I also can be very open-minded about a few things.  I am not ready to believe everything I hear or read though.   One thing I like about the Christian Church and Jim's preaching is that it is all Bible-based.  If Jim inserts his opinion on something, then he always states that it is his and only his opinion.

The pure unadulterated message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true gospel, and anything that teaches that we need Jesus plus something else will lead us in the wrong direction.

We are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2: 8-9 

Gobsmacked - shocked with open mouth and putting hand over it

I have heard it said that the church's greatest troublemakers (both now and then) are not those outside the church who criticize, oppose, ridicule, and persecute it, but those inside who try to change or pervert the gospel--people who take sound theology and twist or distort it.

Faith is a matter of the heart, not the head.

Faith believes what it does not see in the natural realm.

Several take-aways from the reading in this section:

Joyce mentions groups that dictate how a woman should dress and style her hair, wear jewelry and make-up, and restricts activities.  A few things came to mind.  The Apostolic Christians dictate how women must wear their clothes and their hair.  They don't wear make-up or jewelry except watches.  The children, if they are members, are not allowed to participate in school sports.  The youth are not allowed to date.  Marriages are somewhat arranged.  I have never understood why. 

Another thing that stood out to me was this.  When my great-grandmother was sick and close to death, my parents took Greta and me to a movie one afternoon.  My grandmother said not to tell Great-Grandma where we had gone because going to movies was strictly forbidded by the Quakers.  I think we went to see a Walt Disney movie, but even so, it was still a movie.  I didn't understand that either.

As Joyce explained, the rules expressed by Paul in these chapters applied to men and women of those times, dictated by those customs.   Customs have changed for today, and where we live is quite different as well.  However, I do agree that sometimes the customs are loosened too much and some things which shouldn't be acceptable now are.

It boils down to this:

God may ask us to do or not do certain things that are personal to us, and we should keep them between the Lord and ourselves and simply be obedient to Him without imposing those personal convictions on others.

So there!

Because human nature is flawed and wants to earn or deserve what we get, convincing people that they need to do one thing or another to be saved and acceptable to God is easy, and the devil takes advantage of that weakness if we let him.

God's favor--His love, grace, and mercy toward us---is not a gift if it has a price tag!

Pride that drives us to try to earn God's love and forgiveness is dangerous because it can keep us from experiencing true freedom in Christ to become everything we are created to be. 

And finally...

I have found that a simple check on my motives as to why I am doing certain things helps me stay on the right track.  Am I doing what I do to get something from God or to give something to Him?

This last part hit home.  Last year Gary and I took the list of needed items for the food pantry to Meijer.  We picked up a couple hundred dollars worth of items to donate.  Gary dropped them off at church one day when he had a haircut appointment.  Tina helped him carry them in.  I remember looking for a note in the church newsletter thanking us for our donation, and I was disappointed in not finding one.  No mention of our donation was ever made by anyone.  Not in the newsletter.  Not by Jim.  Not by E. Anne.  Not by Tina.  Not by Tiffany who was in charge of stocking the food pantry.  Then I realized that I was not being very Christian-like in my thinking and that hit me hard.  Why did we donate?  Because it was something we could do because we had access to Meijer and everything on the list could be found there.  Because we could afford to do that.   Because we had not been able to attend church services on Sunday mornings and place money in the offering, so this was something we could do to contribute.  Because this would help families who were needing food---and some of them were probably my former students.  NOT because I wanted or needed recognition.  The devil tried to sneak in there, didn't he?

I like this study!  It's a good one, so far.    On to Chapter three in the book :  Paul's Conversion.


 

Grace and Peace

The focus is on Galatians 1:3-5

My marked passages:

Unless we understand grace, we will never understand peace.

I have to admit that this was troublesome for me, mainly because I become so confused about grace.  Maybe my focus when I was growing up was more on pleasing Mom and Dad and I didn't really realize that while that was important, I should have been more concerned or focused on pleasing God, and realizing that He, and only He, could offer me grace.  And...His opinion of me was the most important, plus he would always forgive me.  Mom would not.  And that is what I had to live with.

God created us for His pleasure and ours, and nothing else will ever satisfy us except a deep and intimate relationship with Him, putting Him and His will first in all things.

I did go to Sunday School and church.  I did participate in our rather slim Youth Group program.  But I don't think I ever really understood what an intimate and personal relationship with God was.  When Dad made arrangements for me to talk to our minister about my relationship with Mom, you can guess how livid she was and how she took it out on me.  That was just a very confusing time for me.  Through the OBS and through my talks with friends, I am seeing what I missed in those early years of my life.

We may and should enjoy the things of the world, but God must always come first.
 
I have been thinking so much lately about how much purging I can do of material items.  I then also think about how focused Mom was on her material things and how proud she was of everything and how she delighted in showing off all of her material possessions.  They meant more to her than we did.  I know she often said that she didn't like any of the churches around Wooster and she chastised  Greta and me for our beliefs and our connection to our churches because none of us believed the way she did.  But I am not sure that God came first with her.  Her things did.  I remember also when Dad told her he thought they should downsize to make things easier for both of them and she said that nothing or no one would ever take her away from her house and her things because they were the most important to her...over anyone.  And Dad's face just fell.  How would she feel if she knew that so many of her treasured and valued possessions ended up in the dumpster because no one found any value in them?

The world cannot bging true lasting joy to us.  The important thing is to not get attached to it and to always remember that we are merely passing through.

We may find joy in travel.  We may like driving a new car or moving to a new house (and we have done all of those things).  But we can't take the house or the car with us when we die.  Joyce mentions in the readings that if you drive past a junk yard and look at the items that are rusted and falling apart, you should remember that at some point they were bright and shiny and a prized possession before they became a pile of junk.

Through Christ we can be content while we are on earth, but our complete satisfaction is only found in Him.

One of the things I really enjoy is sitting on the deck and watching the day end.  I also enjoy catching a beautiful sunrise.  How can anyone doubt that God exists when looking at a beautiful sunrise or sunset?  How can anyone doubt that God has a hand in a growing season when watching a field of dirt come alive with green after a spring rain?

Qualified by God

Galatians 1:1-2

Key points for me:

Having a sinful past prior to receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord does not disqualify anyone from being used by God.

  I like this!  I remember that Mom scoffed when my cousin Carol was studying to be a minister.  She recalled that she had been married and divorced and spouted off about some of the things that Carol had done in her life (not sure how Mom actually knew these things which makes the entire concept questionable).  By Mom's estimation, Carol was the worst candidate to be a minister.    Now, I am not trying to do the same thing.  What I am saying is that Carol and Mom's comments about her came to mind when I read this.  I admire Carol for pursuing her degree in divinity and taking a turn in her career path.  This has to be an example of being called by God to serve Him.

Nothing helps us understand someone in trouble more than having had the same trouble ourselves.

And that is why Rhonda and I are such good friends.  We have the same situations with our mothers and understand each other's feelings.

God often chooses people who do not have the right qualifications for the job based on worldly standards, but they do have the right heart.  Their motives are pure, and they love Jesus greatly.

No big example on this one, but I do know that I have felt this way about some of the people I have worked with or about my students, especially those at Ivy Tech.

God doesn't look on the outward man, but on the heart, and David had a heart filled with desire for God.

I love it when studies tie together.  I didn't finish this one with Proverbs 31, but I did start learning about the kings.  I read the story of Samuel searching for the new king and David being overlooked at first.  This story has popped up several times since I studied it.  That must mean there is a message there for me, right?

He was saved by grace, certainly not by any of his own good works.  He was deeply convinced of the truth that we are saved by grace alone and not by our works, and his mission in life became to teach others that same truth.

This one concerns me.  I will have to look at the medallion on the door that we have from Leo's casket.  One of the sayings that he used often was something about letting his works speak for him.  I always thought that was a testament to his service to the community.  As a trustee.  As a farmer.  As an insurance salesman.  As a member of the school board.  As a Lion.  As a founding member of the Bi-Centennial committee for the county.  And he was honored for his service posthumously by his selection as a Torch Bearer for the Bicentennial kick off.    Something I need to ponder...or maybe talk with Tina about

Don't look at the wrong things you have done; look at the right things you can do.

This one hits me hard.  Why?  Because most of my life, specifically in my relationship with Mom, I was told how wrong I was about everything.  Any mistake I made was resurrected and thrown back at me to add to my stack of wrongdoings. I have been struggling this week about Mom's death, her not loving me, Dad's being the Grand Marshal of the Memorial Day parade before he died, and his last birthday that we celebrated.  I have been slipping into the habit of saying "Well, I was wrong again." over and over.  I have been really down on myself.  I need to stop doing that.

Personal Reflection:  In what ways are you qualified for God to use you?  How could He use your past to help others?

From something that Jim told me when I was struggling with Mom's death....The one thing that I learned from Mom was what kind of mother NOT to be.  Jim encouraged me to be a great example to Megan and Hilary and be a wonderful grandmother to Landon, Tessa, Cooper, Owen, and Lynnlee.  God can use me to do that.  I can also help Rhonda through her struggles with her mother. While my struggles are not continuing to grow with each encounter with Mom now, I  struggle with the after-effects sometimes. I hope I can at least listen when Rhonda needs someone to talk to and offer advice if needed.

I think this will be a great study.  I like it so far!  Stay tuned....

Key Truths

Something old is new again!  I discovered that I could add the Nook app, the Kindle app, and the Overdrive app to my iPad.  This happened after my Nook died on me....again...and I was frustrated because I couldn't check out books from the Tippecanoe Public Library through my Overdrive account.

My Daughter the Librarian came to my rescue and helped me with the process of adding the apps and registering my Overdrive account.  I am all set now.

And one of the first things I did was purchase a book called Galatians:  A Biblical Study, written by Joyce Meyer.

As I stated yesterday, I just finished reading Dangerous Prayers and that OBS is over.  A new one begins later in June, but I wanted something to focus on in the meantime.  Just scrolling around in Amazon led me to this particular book.  I like Joyce Meyer.  I have studied several of her books in the past.  So this seemed like a perfect fit for me right now.

So far I have read the intro and have found these key truths in Galatians. 

• Our relationship with God is based on grace, not law.  We are to reject legalism and embrace grace in every area of our lives.

• In Christ, we can be set free and we can stay free. 
• ok...I can't erase this bullet point for some reason.
• We are to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. 

• We reap what we sow. 

One thing - I have had trouble with this verse, that we are saved through grace by faith  That always confuses me.  So to read that in the introduction was a light bulb that was kinda clicking on.  Maybe that verse would click with me finally.

Another thing - I know there is freedom in Christ.  I just don't always remember it.

A third thing - throwback to the OBS about walking in the Spirit and not the flesh.  Love it!

And finally, reaping what we sow.  I can relate this to the 'send me' part of the Dangerous Prayers  study, because I need to be brave and pray more about this.  One of my favorite parts of the book, and one that was an 'aha' moment for me, was "What you feed grows.  What you starve dies."  I loved that concept because it relates SO much to me and my life.  I hope that this study will help me continue to sow the good, feeding it, so that I may reap the benefits of its growth.

Wish me luck.  No....pray for me to be encouraged and enriched by this study...and pray especially that I stick with it and finish it.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Dangerous Prayers - The End

It's been a good OBS.  

Perfect timing.  Short chapters.  Poignant examples.  Pertinent messages.

I slacked off in the last week with my reading, but I did finish today.  At first I was thinking that I had also slacked off in the message that the author and the leaders of Proverbs 31 were sending to me, but I don't think that is true anymore.

Why?

Because those last chapters hit me hard---once again.

The focus on the final two weeks of the study was Send Me.

I am not planning nor would I want to go far away on a mission trip.  But I can see myself being 'sent' to help others come to Christ, such as in our family.  Setting a good example for the kids, for instance. 

Also there needs to be a shift in focus in my prayers.  Instead of praying for things for me, I need to focus on praying for others or for bigger, all-encompassing things.  This pandemic is a good example.

Praying for the wisdom of our elected officials and the knowledge of the authorities relied upon for advice - that it be guided by God, that it be accepted as it is and not distorted by others for their own agendas.

Praying for those around us to be considerate of others, respect the opinions of others, and not show anger or bully those whose opinions are different

Praying that everyone practice safety in their own personal regimens as well as those when dealing with other people

Praying that people come together as families, enjoy their unstructured time, and adapt to a slower paced lifestyle

Too often my prayers have been focused on keeping Gary and me, as well as the girls and their families, healthy and safe from the virus.  While that is important, it is also very self-centered.  God is Almighty. He is in control over EVERYTHING and everyone.  He has the power to  work wonders in this world situation.  Why am I not praying for that?

Some of the high points in the reading of the final chapters:

• Rather than ask God to serve us, what if we told God we are available to serve him?
• Surrender your own plans and preferences and go where he tells, when he tells you, how he tells you, to meet who he tells you, and to do what he tells you. (interesting---using the wh- questions!)
• God's call prompts you to live beyond yourself, to not just be about your own comfort but to completely surrender to his bidding.  To do.  To serve.  To build.  To love.  To fight.  To pray.  To give.  To lead.
• If you are going to ask God to use you, then a genuine encounter with him goes a long way in trusting him.
• God is too mighty to disrespect.  He is too holy to treat casually.   He is too good to speak to with ungrateful familiarity.  He is too majestic to casually take him for granted. 
• Be is awe of his grandeur and glory.
• God is not playing hide and seek. He wants you to know him and delights in showing himself to you. 
• It starts with experiencing God's presence.
• To truly get to a point of submission and availability to God, and to be fully aware of his presence, we are wise to recognize and understand our sinfulness.
• When we see how good God is, we become acutely aware of how good we are not.  His holiness reveals our sinfulness.
• Giving your life to Jesus begins with  an awareness of your need for salvation from sin.
• Your life is not your own  You belong to God.  You are his servant.  His ambassador.  His representative on earth.
• When you submit your life to Christ, your spirit comes to life.  You are born anew and your spirit is connected to God's Spirit.
• There is a battle between your flesh and your spirit.
• What you feed grows.  What you starve dies.
•  Over time your spiritual side grows stronger.  And your selfish side starts to die.
• When God uses you, you will want more. More fulfillment.  More joy you find in sacrifices.  More blessings that come from obedience. 
• Instead of existing passively, start living aggressively, watching for opportunities to exhibit faith.
• Take the focus off yourself and notice the needs of others.  Listen with your heart and not just your ears.  Read between the lines and look for a way to serve.
•  Small acts of faith teach us to depend on God.  They draw us close to him.  They build our trust.
• Lord, I give you my eyes...my ears...my mouth...my heart...my hands...the steps of my feet...my whole body.
• How do you think your life might change if you prayed daily a daring, faith-filled prayer of whole-life devotion to the one who gave it all for you?
• The content of our prayers tells us more about us and our relationship with God than most people might imagine.  What we pray for reflects what we believe about God.  If most of our prayers are for ourselves or what matters to us, then the content of our prayers communicates that we believe, deep down, that God exists primarily for us.
• It's time to pray with courage, to risk, to open yourself up to a different path to a better destination.
• When you pray dangerously, your life simply can't remain the same.

Decoration Day

One of my memories from growing up was going with Grandma and Mom to the Damascus cemetery to decorate the graves of my great-grandparents at the end of May.

When I stayed with Grandma during the summers after we moved to Mt. Vernon, one of our nightly excursions was to drive to  Damascus, retrieve the watering can out of the trunk of the car, fill it with water at one of the faucets provided for that purpose, and water the flowers in the big concrete urns in front or to the sides of the graves. We would pull weeds around the stones, walked over to the Clemson stone and water the flowers there, then Grandma would tell me stories about other people who were buried close by.  Some of Great-Grandma's friends and neighbors were still her neighbors since they were laid to rest by her.  Sometimes I felt a little reminiscent of the poems I had read in Spoon River Anthology where the dead appeared outside of their graves to tell the stories of their lives.  After we finished, if I were lucky, we would drive the long way home and stop at the ice cream shop in Beloit for a cone.

Years have passed.

Grandma and Grandpa Ritchie have joined my great-grandparents in the cemetery.

Uncle Dean is also buried there, but in a different section, much to my mother's chagrin.  Actually I think Grandma and Grandpa had spaces for both Uncle Dean and Aunt Joretta and Mom and Dad next to them, but both Mom and Uncle Dean were too stubborn to be buried there, especially if the other were to be.  Another story for another time...

Anyway...three years ago Mom died just before Memorial Day.   Her funeral was on May 23.  After the girls and families returned home, Gary and I stayed behind to start on the process of the house, the clothes, and other details.  

Memories of Memorial Day flooded back, of course, especially the one when Dad was the Grand Marshall of the parade through town which ended at the cemetery. He placed the wreath at the veterans memorial.  He smiled and nodded toward the right from his seat on the brick path to the memorial and mentioned that soon he would be at home in that spot, indicated the sight of his grave.  Even though we didn't want to think of that, we had to agree that that time would indeed be coming sooner than we wanted. Mesothelioma was progressing through his body then.

But the thing that hit me the most was that it was one of the few times I was in Ohio when I could step back in time and re-visit the tradition Grandma and I had of decorating the graves for Memorial Day.

There were no live flowers this time though, other than in Wooster.  We had planted geraniums in front of the stone when we visited Mom at the hospital on Mother's Day.  Those had been displaced when the gravediggers had dug Mom's grave several days later.  But the other graves?  No one to water them or care for them, so we went the route that Agnes always did.  Artificial flowers.

A stop at Walmart or Lowe's---I can't remember really where we found the sprays, but we set out for 'over home' to visit the cemeteries.

Damascus Cemetery -  Great-Grandma Eva and Great-Grandpa Howard Cattell.  Grandma Greta and Grandpa Wilbur Ritchie.  Uncle Dean Ritchie.  It took a while and some ducking under and around some very large bushes (after all, Grandma and I had placed flowers in the 1960s and those bushes had grown!!) but we finally found the Clemson graves.

Sebring Cemetery - Grandpa Darl and Grandma Elizabeth Henderson. Aunt Mildred and Larry Grimm.  Uncle Vernon Henderson.

Back to Wooster and replacing the geraniums in front of Mom and Dad's graves.

This year we bought flowers at Dollar General for the graves here.  Agnes always bought flowers there or at the 5 and 10,  and she and Leo would drive to the cemeteries to place them.  She always shared with us what they had done and I could tell that was something that she enjoyed, as much as one can enjoy doing that.  Later they would ask us to go along, I think so that we would carry on that task for them when they no longer could do it.  Soon we were buying the flowers (and she would always give us money to do so), then driving around ourselves with them along to show us where the graves were.  Eventually we bought the flowers, placed them at the cemeteries, then shared the pictures with them and Leo would nod and say thank you and Agnes would have tears in her eyes.  Lately one of the grandkids would go with us.  I remember Landon saying that we were taking him along so he would know how to do is when we were dead.  Nice thought, Landon!  But a little bit true too.  Passing the torch....

On Tuesday after my haircut appointment we visited the cemeteries.  There was no dawdling....it was drizzling and cold.  But we stopped at the St. Mark's Cemetery in Medaryville and placed flowers on Grandpa Herman and Grandma Tamma Siemens' graves.   

On to the Bowman White Post cemetery and flowers on Leo and Agnes' graves as well as Ann and Bud's.

Next stop the St. Peter's Cemetery in Winamac.  Flowers for Aunt Katie Fenters, Uncle Jim and Aunt Catherine Nufer, and Grandpa and Grandma Winter.   Side note---this year we walked to the stones without wandering all over that section because we couldn't find them.  Why?  Because last year I found a landmark to go by---the white barn across the road is directly north of the stones.  

No grandkiddos with us this year, but I think we will probably take a drive later this summer to visit the graves again.

I told Gary that I was a little sad that we couldn't go to Ohio and decorate the graves as we did three years ago.  He surprised me by saying we could go and do that next week if I wanted to.

I do...but I don't.

In this time of pandemic, I don't really want to travel.  Plus it is a long distance to drive just to visit the cemeteries in one afternoon. I wouldn't feel right to visit my cousins, especially with the social distancing conditions right now.

So I will remember instead.  Many memories on this Decoration Day.

I miss Grandma.

 

Unexpected Dinner Guests

Since this Pandemic started, we have stayed at home, of course.  There are occasional runs to the grocery store for pick-up of our online orders.  We discovered Save-A-Lot in Delphi which has wide aisles, small crowds, and most of the items we need, although most are off brands (and they were stocked with yeast a couple of weeks ago!!!).

Because local small town restaurants have lost their dine-in crowds, we have tried to order take out from Stone House at least once a week and occasionally will order from one of the bigger restaurants in Lafayette.

Yesterday was one of those 'big restaurant' times.  We had ordered from Cheddar's a few weeks ago and had taken advantage of their chicken fingers family bundle dinner for $19.99 adding in a large family salad with, of course, honey lime dressing.  When we picked up our order, which was delivered to the Escape, we were shocked at the amount of food we received.  Actually it was enough for the two of us to enjoy for at least three meals.

Ordering the family bundle again was the plan.  The price had risen by $5, but still it was a great deal for us.  Our two Family Sides were cole slaw and carrots, plus the meal came with 6 of the buttery croissants which I love.  We also chose the honey mustard dipping sauce for the 18 tenders.

Soon after we returned home, had unpacked the large tote bag of food, and were sitting at the island, we noticed the black minivan in the drive by the barn.  Landon hopped out to check on the pigs and goats and feed them. Tessa was walking across the grass to the swing. Of course Owen (who was shirtless) grabbed Fin, one of the yellow barn cats, and was carrying him around.  Hilary was helping Landon.

Of course they all drifted to the house.

Tessa was first to come in the door.  As she came to the island, she said "What are you doing?" which led to her paper plate with a croissant.  The rest of the crew joined her in the house soon after that and before we knew it, placemats were on the table, chicken strips were distributed, carrots were shared, mounds of slaw were placed, and drinks were poured. 

Of course Hilary was protesting, saying that they needed to go home, that her plans for to fix a meal for them after the chores were fnished, but no one moved

Soon the buttery croissants had vanished, there was one chicken finger left, and the containers for the carrots and slaw were in the trash, and everyone was full and happy.  Even more of the dirt pudding had disappeared.

After the clean up, the kids blew bubbles.  Landon swatted at bees with the tennis racket.  Hilary and I searched for trampolines online with no success.  And Owen decided it would be a good idea if Daddy built a swimming pool in the yard for all of us to enjoy.  He even called him at work with that suggestion.

Hilary mentioned at one point that she had good memories of sitting on the deck at Grammy and Grampy's house in the summer, just talking and enjoying a beautiful outdoor evening.   In some respects the torch has passed. Landon was a little bored, but we tried to impress on him the importance of making memories with his siblings, his mommy, and us.  Not too sure we were successful with him, but I know that the three adults on the deck were enjoying that moment.

Nine o'clock rolled around and it was time for the munchkins and their mom to return home.

One more time when I was happy that we had moved.  I was thankful for the deck, the red chairs we found at the At Home store too years ago (and have added to in the last two summers), and for the warm summer night.

And I am really thankful that we had ordered the family bundle of chicken fingers last night so we had dinner for everyone!

Cross Another One Off the LIst!

The deck is stained!

I finally went back to sleep around 5:30, turned off the alarm for 7:30, but awoke in time for the online 8:30 service from the Francesville Christian Church.

By the time Jim was starting the sermon, Hilary and Landon had come over to walk the pigs so Gary went out to help them, and I was alone to watch and take notes.  Once again his sermon was just what I needed to hear, but that is a topic for another post later on.

After breakfast it was time to finish sealing and staining the deck.

Gary had started it on May 13 (I remember the date because I had called Jane Ann for her birthday and he was outside with the roller and the stain).  The wood on the deck was soaking up the stain fast and he was using more than anticipated.  It was also colder than I wanted it to be for me to work out there, so we decided to find more stain and finish the deck another time.

Today was the day.

What he had stained before looked really nice.  When the rain came, the water beaded up nicely, which is what we wanted it to do.  However I don't think it had ever been sealed because the stain really soaked it.  We could tell a difference in what we applied today, or at least I could.



Gary worked on the railing and the posts on the north side of the deck and the little section beside the steps to the yard.  I painted the posts and the railing on the east side next to the flower bed.

Other than the lower sections of the horizontal posts and the back side of the slats, everything was finished in about two hours.  It was hot--- the thermometer was approaching 90 degrees.

After we finished, Gary moved all of the chairs, the tables, and the gnomes back to their proper places.  It looks great!

Sometimes it's amazing what a couple of cans of stain/seal can do for a deck. It's amazing what a facelift some color can add to a place where we can sit and enjoy conversation and food.

And for me, it's thrilling to cross that item off the 'to do during the quarantine' list!  Slowly but surely items are coming off and the place is becoming more like our home!

Lookin' good!

(and as I tell Gary so often, I am SO glad we moved here!)

Too Hot!

 I am awake again at nearly 2:00 in the morning.

I was awake at midnight too.

Sweating.

I was just too hot.

The room seemed to be closing in on me.

I was tired.

My legs hurt.

I was just hot.

I needed to open the door and let the air circulate.

I woke Gary and he brought a fan to the room, plugged it in, and closed the door.   I felt closed in...again.

I think I fell asleep for maybe an hour.  I awoke again..sweating.   Finally I just came downstairs to find a drink and sit in the recliner.

And I feel better now.  I feel cooler, I am not as thirsty, and I feel more relaxed.

I don't want to return to bed. It will be hot.  I will toss and turn.  I will feel closed in.  I won't sleep.

There is something about this whole pandemic that has affected my sleeping in a negative way.  Fortunately it is summer now and the days are longer which means the nights are shorter.

Why is that a good thing?  Because the darkness makes me feel so enclosed now.  It makes me nervous.  It makes me scared.  I don't like the night.

It's funny too, because I love the night time during the winter.

I like the glow of lights at night, feeling cozy under a blanket and reading by a light over my shoulder.

But since this pandemic has happened, I just don't like the night.  I don't like trying to sleep.  I don't like being awake in the middle of the night for sometimes an hour or more.  I don't like feeling tired the next day.

And I don't like being hot.

Soon Gary will discover that I am gone.  He will come downstairs and ask me why I am here.  He will wonder why I am typing on the laptop.  He will tell me to turn everything off and come back to bed.

He just doesn't understand.

I will still be hot.  I will still feel closed in.  I won't be able to sleep.

Why?

It's Been a Good Morning!

I slept for 10 hours last night!

Can you tell I needed some serious sleep?  I went to bed before 10, read a little bit but my eyes were heavy so I had to stop.  I fell asleep immeidately, I don't remember Gary coming to bed, and I was up a couple of times for the bathroom, but I returned to sleep.

My alarm rang at 7 so I would shower and be ready for Zoom with Megan the Trainer, but I shut it off and returned to sleep.  When I finally woke up, it was 9.  Really? 

After I showered and dressed, I came downstairs to find Blaine cooking breakfast on the griddle grill on the deck.  Landon was making pancakes on the griddle on the stove.  Gary was cracking eggs into the bowl to whisk for scrambled eggs.

Hilary and the kids came in about 15 minutes later since they had been to Lauren's house to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Blaine, Hilary, Landon, Tessa, and Gary sat at the table to eat while Owen and I were at the island.  At some point Landon decided we needed more pancakes so he mixed up more batter.

After everyone had finished eating, Hilary, Blaine, and Tessa and Owen left for some errands in town.  Landon and Gary went to the Party Barn to retrieve the mowers and start in on the yard.  Landon bought a mower for himself so he can help out with the mowing here.  What a kid!

Gary took all of the placemats to the laundry room to toss in the washer (and forgot to close the lid so you know what happened there...nothing! )  After I shooed everyone out, I cleaned up the kitchen.  The dishwashers is running.  The griddle, large pots and skillets are clean and put away, and the table and the islands are cleaned off.  The floor is swept.

What a great surprise for the morning!  The food was great.  Family time is special.  And I love it that everyone feels so comfortable doing this.

We called Aunt Greta to tell her Happy Birthday.

Later Megan, Matt, and the kids are arriving so Cooper and Lynnlee can spend the day and overnight with us while Megan and the other bridesmaids have a COVID-19 style Bachelorette Party for Heidi at her house.

Life is good.

It will be a fun day.

It's been a fun morning so far, so what can follow except a great day!

In the Sewing Room

It was a sewing day today. 

First I finished the patriotic table runner for our dining room table.

I love the colors in it.  Red, white, and blue, but the red is a darker, deeper red, kind of a rusty color.  The blue is more like the country blue.  They colors are similar to those we used in the fireplace room when we re-painted it around 15 years ago....after my 30th year of teaching, and I retired after 43 years, four years ago.  Geesh. It sounds like a  long time, doesn't it?

Anyway, the table runner is cute, and I like it.  I don't keep many of the things that I make, which I really didn't realize until Gary mentioned it last night.

Other than the quilt on our bed, I don't think any of the other projects I have made are still here in our house.  Baby quilts.  Dinosaur quilt for Owen.  John Deere quilt for Landon.  Curtains all over Megan and Matt's house. Rag quilts for Christmas gifts.  T-shirt quilt for Clay. 

But the table runner is staying here.  It looks good.

Next project was one that I dreaded.  I had made several masks for our family.  Three out of dinosaur print for Megan, Hilary, and me.  Cubs face masks for Gary, Matt, Blaine, and Landon.  My intent was to make more and donate them to hospitals or nursing homes or wherever they were needed. 

But I didn't.  Why?  Because I  didn't like making them. 

Trying to attach the elastic was frustrating.  It never wanted to lie correctly.  When I turned the mask right side out, the elastic was unevenly placed.  I thought it was even, but it wasn't.

Then the machine would stick and run over and over on the same spot.  The fabric would be caught up under the pressure foot and the stitches would then be uneven. 

After I finished those seven, I was done.

And I felt bad about it because so many people were donating to the cause by making masks.

Heidi is getting married next week.  Megan and the other bridesmaids, Jill and Ellen, wanted masks to wear with their gowns.  Since I have a yards and yards of a gray print fabric (not sure why I have so much but I am sure there was a reason), it would be perfect to sew three masks for the girls.

But I don't like to make masks.

But Megan is my daughter and she asked me to do that for her---and Jill and Ellen.

So I agreed. 

I was putting it off and putting it off until there was no more time to put it off to.   Since the Bacheloretts Parts is this weekend, it would be a perfect time to deliver the masks and try them on for size.  If adjustments are needed, then there will be time to do those.

But one more is needed too.  The Man of Honor needs a mask also.

Ok....

I sat in the sewing room this afternoon, debating about what to do.  I finally pulled up the instrcutions I had used for the other masks, cut the fabric, found the elastic, and started the sewing process.

Once I started, the process really wasn't too bad.

After stopping to make dinner and eat, clean up, and start the dishwasher, I returned to the sewing room to finish.  The goal was to be done by 9.  I came upstairs at 8:30.

Mission accomplished.

It was a good day in the sewing room.   Table runner?  Check!   Four masks for the bridesmaids and the Man of Honor?  Check!

And I cleaned up the sewing room too!  No more piles of fabric all over the floor.  The table is a little neater as well.

Next project?  Finishing the quilts for Tessa and Lynnlee.

More projects to check off the list!

Another Sleepless Night

I know why I wake up between 2 and 3 a.m. 

Bathroom call.

But why can't I return to sleep after I visit the bathroom, which is much closer to our bedroom than it used to be?

My mind starts working, and I can't shut it off. 

Here I am. Sitting in my recliner in the living room.  Light is on.   I checked FB.  I read emails.  I signed up for the next Proverbs 31 OBS.  I posted in the forum where Rhonda and I share our thoughts on a daily devotion. 

And I am awake.

Soon Blaine will be driving in to do the chores before he goes to work, and later he will tell Hilary (or mention to us) that when he was here he noticed that the living room light was on.

And I will nod and say..."That was me.  I was awake again at 3:00 in the morning."

Gary will ask me why, like he always does.  He will tell me that I should just close my eyes and go to sleep.  He will shake his head and not understand why I can't be like him and just nod off whenever I want to. 

It just doesn't work that way for me.  Why?  I don't know.

It used to frustrate me so much when I was teaching.  I knew that the alarm would be ringing at 5:30 and I needed my sleep, but there was no way I could stop my mind from racing everywhere.  Usually it would be some thoughts about Mom or my anger and frustration with her that would keep my eyes from closing.  But that is over now.

But maybe that is really what is bothering me.  Tomorrow is the three year anniversary of her death.

I remember that morning.  I was upstairs at the old house, dressing for Tessa's pre-school program.  I was in Megan's old room finding my clothes when the phone rang.  Gary answered it, and I could tell by his voice that it was Greta, and I knew why she was calling.

Even though I was expecting it.  Even though I felt a weight lifted.   Even though inside I felt relieved.  My  mother had died.

Just typing that now brings tears to my eyes because that was the truth. 

My mother had died.

Both of my parents were dead.

Three years ago.

Maybe that is why I can't sleep.  It's been on my mind.

I'm Getting Too Old for This

We spent this beautiful Saturday afternoon outside.

Gary was mowing.  The yard is much larger than at our old house, and it takes longer to mow.  Plus there are so many indentions and rolls in the yard that mowing hurts his back and he can't complete the entire yard plus the lane and the grass along the road in one day.

My plan was to plant everything that we purchased yesterday morning at Lowe's (we went at 7:00 a.m. and were out by 8). 

I started with the flower bed in front of the garage.  The start I had with weeding a week or so ago was barely noticeable now.  I pulled more weed in one area.  I planted the new clematis by the trellis.  I had pulled out old growth last spring and planted a new clematis them, but when I cleared out some dead growth in August, I must have killed the entire plant because it died a complete death and did not return this spring.  I also planted a new creeping type plant with the hope that it would over the area to the right of the older clematis.  That one was tipping forward from the weight of the new growth.  I noticed a bolt in the brickwork so Gary found a wire and we were able to straighten that plant.  Planting a flower box of marigolds and petunias was next and I placed it on top of the fanning mill that was left on the front porch by the former owners.

Next I pulled weeds by Dad's iron kettle that is on the circle near the flag pole.  There is a rock plus some tulips and a mound of irises there too.  Last fall I planted a perennial in that kettle and it might be coming back to life.  I think I will search for a pot of pansies or petunias to put there until it does.  One thing that scared me while I was weeding....I felt something on my leg near my sock and looked down to see a gray frog on my leg.  Ewwwwww.....I screamed a little and flicked it off.  Fortunately I was wearing gloves!  Yuck!

Next was planting the marigolds in the seeder by the barn.  I pulled out the new terra cotta colored plastic long flower container and it fit on top of what was in there.   I added in some of the potting soil/top soil, then planted 8 marigolds.  Gary found the box of pine cones the kiddos had picked up for me, and I placed those not only around to top of the seeder but inside the container with the flowers.  I hope that keeps whatever ate the flowers off last year away.  The thing is....I planted marigolds around the light pole at the other house EVERY year we lived there (which was for 42 years) and nothing ever ate off the flowers or the plants.   I hope Grant Davis' advice about the pine cones works.

Finally the iron kettle left in the garden by the deck and the big flower pot we moved here that used to sit on the front step by the flag needed new plants.  I added in more soil in the kettle and planted probably 15 marigolds.  The other pot had a volunteer pansy already blooming, so I added in a couple of marigolds and a few petunias.

Everything got a good drink of water, including the new lilac bush and the Preen that I sprinkled in the garden in front of the garage.

I did decide that something has to be done about these flower gardens.

For one thing, I really like them.  I love the perennials that are in them and the way  they bloom through the summer.  There isn't much of a need for planting annuals, except in the kettles and flower baskets.  I can handle that.

What I can't handle anymore is the weeding.

Bending down to pull weeds hurts.  My knee hurts.  My back hurts.  My legs hurt.  My feet hurt. 

My sinuses hurt from leaning over.  I had to wear my winter headband again today; otherwise, my glasses slip down my nose.  The headband keeps the glasses in place, eliminating the need to continually push them up (which is not a good idea with gloves that may have touched poison ivy).

Gary doesn't want mulch by the house.  Hilary suggested rock.  Megan suggested pea gravel. I need something to put into those two areas to eliminate the need for weeding.  If the perennials return each year, then there would be no need to distrub the gravel or rock or whatever we put down.

I just know that this gal is getting too old to continue to weed the flower beds.

No One Is Yelling: "YEAST KILLER" Today

Success!

I made cinnamon rolls and I didn't kill the yeast.

Quite the accomplishment, if I do say so myself!

I wasn't in a good mood this morning, or early this afternoon, and I didn't want to sew.  So I decided if I had to be in a bad mood, I might as well try another recipe and see what happens.

The trick for me was to go through the list of ingredients, measure every item, and put it in a custard cup (spices) or bowl (sugar, beaten eggs, melted butter).  The bowl to put the finished kneaded ball of dough in to rise was ready.  The rolling pin was out.  

Plus I used the step by step visuals from the author of the recipe with her tips as I worked through the instructions.

That helped.

The milk was heated in the microwave and the meat thermometer used to test the temp.

The yeast did foam, so that was a good thing.

The bread hook on the KitchenAid worked well.

But when I added the 4 cups of flour mixed with the cinnamon and salt, the dough was too sticky.  I added in more flour, as suggested by the recipe, but after another 1/2 cup was added, it was still sticky so I worked it up anyway.  Mistake.  I should have added more before I tried to scoop it out of the bowl onto the counter.

I was a little concerned with the dough ball didn't really double in size.  But it did roll out well.

The cinnamon/butter/brown sugar mixture looked great and spread well.

The rolls looked perfect in the pan, but they didn't rise much before I put them in the oven.

However, when they baked, they looked perfect!

The cream cheese icing was so good, and it melted over the tops of the rolls just right.

Because the cuts every two inches in the roll of dough resulted in 13 cinnamon rolls, we had a good division for our three families.  Five rolls for Hilary, Blaine, Landon, Tessa, and Owen. Four rolls for Megan, Matt, Cooper and Lynnlee.  That meant four rolls left for Gary and me.  One of them was eaten before it cooled ---it fell apart as I was removing the individual ones from the pan to take to the kids, so someone had to eat it, right?

 

Now that I was successful with this recipe and know what I am doing, I need to make another batch in a few days.  I know I will add more flour while the dough is still in the bowl and being mixed with the dough hook.

And another time I just might try the recipe that Greta sent me.  It sounded good also.

But for now...I am just happy that I didn't kill the yeast.

Maybe there is hope for me after all!

It Did My Heart Good

Today is Jane Ann's birthday!  She and I have shared birthday weeks for a long time, probably since we turned 13 in 7th grade. Since this year we turned 69, do the math.  That would be 56 years that we have been friends and 56 years we have celebrated May birthdays together.  Yikes!  But we are NOT old.  We decided that already.

I was going to text her this morning, but instead, I picked up my phone, accessed my contact list, and called her.

She was happy to hear my voice.  

We laughed.  We talked.  We share concerns about this virus that has us under its spell.

We shared news about projects we are working on.

We laughed more.

We did, as we always do, mention that we really do need to get together again.

We talked about past fun we had had.

It was just good to talk to her.

Happy Birthday, Jane Ann.  You are one of my dearest friends, and I love celebrating our birthdays the same week!

Mother's Day 2017

If my memory serves me correctly, the last Mother's Day I spent with my mother had been in either 1972 or 1973. 

Those years the Hendersons were still living in Mt. Vernon.  Well, kind of.  I was in college at Indiana State University.  Dad had moved to Shreve, Ohio in the late winter of 1973 to take a new job at Diamonite.  Mom and Greta were still in Mt. Vernon until after Greta's high school graduation.  I graduated from ISU on May 13, 1973.  That could have been Mother's Day, but I am not sure.  I do know that Mom was the only one who attended my graduation since Dad was in Ohio and Greta was at Kings Island on a band trip.  Mom was not happy about having to attend my graduation, but if she hadn't, I would have had no family at the ceremony.  She came.  I graduated.  We drove home. 

From 1974-1976 I was teaching at West Central.  It was too close to the end of the school year to take a weekend trip to Ohio, especially when I would spend some time around Memorial Day there.  That would be the time of Mom and Dad's anniversary and Dad's birthday and I would have more time before my summer school classes began at Purdue.

After 1976 not only was school being in session a factor in my not traveling to Ohio for Mother's Day, but Gary farmed and May is not exactly the time to be taking a trip anywhere!    It just didn't happen.  We would usually go to Ohio at some point in the summer, but not for Mother's Day.

Later farming was an issue, and even after I became a college professor and graduation was usually around my birthday, we still didn't make a trip to Ohio.

In fact I dreaded Mother's Day where Mom was concerned.  She never acknowledged receiving a card.  Greta would go to Petitti's and buy two hanging baskets to deliver on that Sunday, one from her and one from me.  She wouldn't acknowledge that either.   

I would call her,usually when the girls were around so that we could ALL yell "Happy Mother's Day" and chat a bit.  Once again when I heard about it later, it was always a call too late or too early or she was busy.

One phone call I remember was when Blaine called and we all yelled and chatted and joined in the conversation.  Later I heard that Blaine had called her but I didn't say anything. 

Nothing I ever did was right.  Nothing was appreciated.  Everything was ignored.

But then in 2017 both Greta and I were with Mom on Mother's Day.

Gary and I had been on a spring trip to Charleston, SC, then to Myrtle Beach.  Our trip was to end with a visit to Mom in the nursing home over Mother's Day weekend.

Well, plans changed a bit because Mom wasn't paying attention to the directives from the nursing staff at the care center.  Instead of ringing for help to use the bathroom at night, she decided to go on her own.  She fell.  She broke a hip.  She was admitted to the hospital.  She was not recovering well.

When we arrived at the hospital, Mom had sepsis.  Neither Greta nor I wanted to enter the room.  We stood outside the door and waved at her.  Finally Gary donned the gown, mask, and gloves and entered the room to help her with writing messages on a white board for us.  Communication was limited at best.  But she did know we were there.  She acknowledged our presence.  We told her Happy Mother's Day, and when I left, I told her I loved her.  I remember her waving one hand at me as I turned and walked away from the room.

That was the last time I saw her alive.

We returned to Indiana on Tuesday.  I could have visited her again on Monday, but I didn't want to.  I didn't want to try to enter the room.  I didn't know what to say.  I just didn't want to go.  So I didn't.  Each day after that Greta called me with updates.

One of the ministers at Greta's church visited her.  He talked with her.  He asked if he could pray with her. 

On Thursday evening the nurses said she had been agitated.  Restless.  They called Greta.

She finally calmed in the night.  And early on Friday morning she died.

The strange thing is....up until after dinner this evening, on this Mother's Day when I had been thinking about my two daughters and my mother-in-law, I hadn't remembered that Mother's Day 2017 was the first one I had spent with Mom....and the last one of her life.  It was the last time I ever saw my mom alive.

Sometimes It's Just the Little Things

It's no secret that I love living in this house.  I say it often, probably at least twice a day.  Really. I do.

If I don't say it, I do know that I think it.  And that counts!

This morning was one of those times.  Actually most mornings these thoughts run through my mind.

I like having a master bathroom.   It's just a few steps from the bed to the bathroom which makes trips during the night easy and quick.  Much better than walking down the flight of stairs, through the fireplace room, through the living room, down the hall to the bathroom, then repeat the process in reverse.

I like having a master bathroom. Yeah, I know.  I said that already.  But this is a different reason. I like taking a shower, fixing my hair, applying lotion and face cream, moving into the bedroom to dress and grab my hearing aids and glasses and rings, and walk out, ready to begin the day  There is no running back and forth from the upstairs to the downstairs, forgetting anything, being distracted by the kitchen and food or brewing a mug of tea.  It's all right there, and I don't need to return once I leave the upstairs!

I like that I can flush the toilet, then hop in the shower, and have plenty of water pressure.  For years I couldn't flush the toilet before getting in the shower, so I had to wait until the water caught up.  If someone turned on the water in the kitchen, then the water pressure in the bathroom decreased and the water ran cold.  Don't even think about starting the washer either.  In fact, in this house?  I could take a shower upstairs and Gary could take a shower in the main floor bathroom AT THE SAME TIME and we both would have plenty of pressure AND hot water!

And speaking of water pressure.....last Saturday Gary was power washing the patio and the  wall around it.  As he was working on eliminating the moss and grime and whatever else was on it, he paused so I could sweep off some of the debris.  I mentioned that this process would have taken SO much longer at our old house.  Why?  Because of the water pressure.  Every time I watered the flower beds with the hose at the other house, I had to stop for about 10 minutes so the water pressure would catch up.  Then I could water for another 5 minutes or so, then wait again.  Amazing what having water pressure will do for you!

One more----related to water pressure.  The dishwasher.  We did have a dishwasher for a few years, one that was portable and had to be moved to the front of the sink with a hose that attached to the faucet.  After a while there were leaks and the water pressure issue didn't allow for smooth cycle of washing and rinsing.  We finally moved the dishwasher out and returned to the conventional method of using the sink, detergent, a dishcloth, and our hands.  One more thing that excited me about this house----a built in dishwasher!!  I love it.

Now I have read that dishwashers used too much electricity and water, that they don't clean the dishes and pans and glasses as effectively.  I have even read that some people actually enjoy standing at the sink, watching out the kitchen window, and having some great alone time while washing the dishes.  Well, doing that is not all it's cracked up to be, unless there are people helping you at the sink and you can carry on meaningful conversations (like Angie and I used to do at Thanksgiving).

Let me tell you----clean up after a meal is SO much easier now that we have a built in dishwasher.  I can rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher while Gary is putting away the leftovers, then he takes care of the pans while I clean off the tops of the islands and the counters.  Soon we are done and ready to move on to the living room or outside and whatever project awaits.    I love it!

Yes..sometimes it's just the little things that make me happy.  That make me smile.  That give me some peace.  That make me SO happy that we found this place and that God put everything in order so we could buy it.

And you know what?  We could run the dishwasher AND take a shower AND flush the toilet and still have water pressure!  That makes me SO happy!

Another Trip around the Sun

Happy Birthday to me!

It didn't start off too well, but the day did get better and the ending was fantastic!

I awoke around 5, crying because the poison ivy on my arms was hurting, was weeping, and I felt terrible!  Gary was watching television in the living room, but he returned to bed so I could lie on his shoulder and sleep.  I finally fell asleep and stayed asleep until 8.  Not the way I wanted to begin my birthday.  It was worse after my shower when the poison ivy seemed to be red, swollen, and weepy--again.  I did coat all of the spots with the new Calamine lotion so that helped. 

As Gary and I were making the bed, Landon, Tessa, Owen, and Hilary burst through the doors, coming in from the hall and the bathroom. Landon was carrying a box of donuts from Flour Mill and there was also a gift of a canvas with a painting of a wreath, three cardinals (with the names of Landon, Tessa, and Owen under them) and a note that said "We Love You, Mamaw!  I loved it!  And the donuts.

There were TWO donuts with maple icing and nuts.  Oh my!  Delicious!  I also ate a glazed tiger tail that just melted in my mouth.  SOOOOO good!  It was fun to sit with Landon at the island and enjoy the pastries.  SOOOOOO good!

After donuts we sat on the deck for a while.  The morning sun was really hot.  The kids played in the yard, Gary was around with the truck and looking at the pigs and goats, and Landon was walking the pigs. My legs were really hot, and after Hilary and the crew left, I looked at my legs and patches of red had appeared on them. It seemed like the sun had burned the skin through the fabric of my denim pants.

Time to open cards and gifts!  There were cards in the mailbox from Karen and Clay (and a gift card for dinner from Cheddars!), Tina Davis, Susan Gift, and Jane Ann.  I opened the box from Greta which contained some shower gel and soap, SIX packets of YEAST!!! and a card.

The afternoon was a little depressing.  Suddenly it hit me that I am now 69.  That seemed to be just SO old!  Poison ivy on my arms.  Burned skin on my legs.  I felt like I was just falling apart.  What was happening?  If I felt this way now, how would I even make it through next year?  Yikes!  VERY depressing!  
I spent some time in the sewing room.  I watched a little bit of the Game Show Network.  I searched for fabric online with no success.   Then the people came!

Not just people, but Megan, Matt, Cooper, and Lynnlee.  They brought a chocolate cake with white icing (my favorite) and sprinkles on top!  I also received a hanging basket for the front porch (really my Mother's Day gift).  Catastrophe for the night happened when Lynnlee was at the swing and it came toward her, she didn't move out of the way quickly enough, and it hit her on the nose.  Matt returned her to the deck.  Megan was holding her.  Then the blood began to flow! A bloody nose!  There is still a few marks on her nose, but she bounced back and I don't think it was broken.  Fortunately.

Then Hilary, Blaine, Landon, Tessa, and Owen arrived.  The FOOD!  Hilary had been to Olive Garden to pick up take out for our dinner.  Suddenly there were take out containers everywhere.  Ten salads.  A huge box of breadsticks.  Entrees to reheat everywhere.  A bottle of wine.  A discussion about the Party Barn and not wanting to eat in the dining room (mainly because there wasn't enough room for all of us and we didn't want to re-carry everything out to the PB) resulted in the suggestion of moving the cars out of the garage, the tables from the PB TO the garage, and having dinner out there.  It was perfect.  Tessa and Owen at the little kids table.  Landon and Cooper ate at the end of one of the big tables.  Lynnlee moved from Megan to Matt to eat.   The rest of us enjoyed salads, then entrees, and breadsticks.  It was great!  The salads were huge.  Since it was 'buy one, take one' we had plenty of things to eat including the kids dishes.  The end of the meal was chocolate cake with white icing---and sprinkles.  It was perfect.

After dinner the kids went out to the barn.  The best part was seeing ALL of the kids with show sticks, Cooper showing a pig, and Lynnlee following Uncle Blaine and Landon around with her show stick trying to hit the pigs to keep them walking. Owen was showing one of the pigs too.   It was great!  Later they were all in the goat run with Dotti and Junior.  All of them had so much fun playing with the animals. I think Dotti and Junior enjoyed it too because after everyone left, Dotti was standing at the gate, wistfully looking toward the house as if she were wondering what had happened to everyone.

When it was time to go, the tables and chairs were loaded into the pick-up,  moved to the Party Barn again, the garage was swept out, and the Escapes returned to their spots.  Everyone piled into their cars to return home.

It was a great evening.  It was the first time we had ALL been together in over 8 weeks.  Even on Easter we were not all altogether.  Megan and Hilary and the kids had been here on Saturday to give me the lilac bush for my birthday, but that was for a short time and the guys were not here.  

Even though the social distancing is still a factor, none of us felt like we had been infected and that there would be danger in having dinner together in the garage.  Hugs were given by the kids, but not the adults, and that was fine.  Megan had hand sanitizer and that worked for everyone.

I loved my birthday!  It was just a good day.  Between the FB posts, messages, and texts, I read close to 200 birthday wishes today.  That was amazing!

One more trip around the sun.  As my sister always says, you have never been this age before, so enjoy it!  Embrace it!  Make it the best!

But 69?  Geesh!  That still sounds old!

How Does This Happen? It Strikes Again!

You know, I take precautions.  I wore long sleeves. Heavy gloves were on my hands.  I didn't touch anything that looked like it had three leaves on it.

But it happened.  

Poison ivy.

When I showered on Sunday, I noticed that there were a couple of bumps on my right arm, just above my wrist.  A couple more appeared a few inches from that first bump. I was hoping that something had bitten me when I was outside on Saturday.  However, by Sunday evening, I knew I was wrong.

Those bumps had spread and little pustules appeared.  

No mistaking it.  Poison ivy had found me again.  And it was just the first day of my outdoor work!

I re-traced what I had done.   I pulled weeks around the hostas behind the house.  I used the rake to pull out leaves and old stems.  

I cleaned out around the patio.
 
I moved to the area behind the kitchen and dining room and removed a few leaves and raked out dropped pine needles.

Then the area on the north side of the deck.  More leaves.  More weeds.  

All of this I picked up and threw into the trash can that Gary brought out from the garage.  It was filled to the top and we had to force the lid onto it.

Earlier I had pulled some weeds in the flower bed to the east of the deck.  Those piles I carried to the ditch and threw them into it. 

To top it off....I didn't see anything that even looked like it might be poison ivy.  

It might be a long spring.

Always Read the Directions - At least Twice!

You know that old adage:  "Measure twice, cut once"?  Before one cuts anything---wood, fabric, pipe, countertops, screens, window blinds...you name it....always measure at least twice to be sure, then cut.  Why?  Because once one cuts it, it can't be put back together to make it longer.  Cutting off more to make it shorter is possible, but longer?  No.

I do well with that in my sewing room.  I always measure several times, re-figure on paper and with the calculator, because my math skills are not my strong suit.  Remember?  I am (or was) an English teacher.  Ask me to write about it and I will whip up a description of composes a paragraph with ease.  But measuring?  No.

The same thing applies with recipes, except I always put a different spin on it.  For me it is always 'read the ingredients lists twice or three times and double check the measurements before any ingredients are added.'   Why?  Because it would be too easy to switch baking SODA for baking POWDER or tomato SAUCE for tomato PASTE.  And when I am measuring items from the spice cabinet?  I usually will pull out the cinnamon and nutmeg and allspice and vanilla, then double check to be sure if I need a teaspoon or 1/4 teaspoon or 2 tablespoons of an item.  Can you imagine what snickerdoodles  would taste like with  1 T of salt instead of a teaspoon or 2 teaspoons of almond extract in the coconut cream pie filling instead of 1/2 teaspoon?  

Today was one of those times when I didn't double check the recipe.  I was making pancakes for brunch after we watched the online service from the Francesville Christian Church.  I read the directions.  2 c. of bisquick mix  1 1/4 c. milk, 1 egg.  Ok.. I can do that.  Easy peasy.  But I was talking to Gary, heating up the griddle so it would be ready for the first pancake batter to hit the hot surface, and I didn't double check.  Two cups of bisquick mix.  Check!  Hmmm..I think I will use the whole milk I bought for the coconut cream pie since Gary doesn't use it for his cereal.  I pulled out the larger liquid measuring cup, retrieved the milk from the fridge, and poured out two cups.  I had to smile again because for some reason I can pour into a liquid cup and stop just at the right spot, then when I bend down to check at eye level (as I was taught my Miss McIntyre years ago in 8th grade home ec.) it is always right!  I poured out two cups, added it to the dry mix and began to stir while checking to see how many eggs I needed.  One egg.  OH NO!!!!!!!

I had added TWO cups of milk when the recipe called for 1 1/4 cups.  I didn't double check like I usually do before I add anything to the mix!!!! What to do now?  

Fortunately it was an easy fix.  I added in two more cups of the Bisquick mix, then added in another 1/4 cup of milk and TWO eggs so I had a double batch.  Good thing I had just opened the box of Bisquick mix, isn't it?   I also added in some chocolate chips.

The griddle was hot and ready.  As I poured the batter onto the griddle, I knew we couldn't eat pancakes from a double batch of batter, so I needed to come up with a plan.  While Gary suggested just refrigerating the batter and using it another time, like tomorrow morning, I really didn't want to do that.  So plan B was to cook ALL of the batter and refrigerate the remaining pancakes to reheat whenever we needed them.  That seemed to be a good solution.

We each had four pancakes along with sausage for brunch. There were 8 extra pancakes that were cooled and slid into a ziplock to re-heat tomorrow morning for breakfast. 

It worked out this time.  But if that had been the last of the Bisquick or had been low on eggs, we would have had some soupy pancakes to deal with. 

Yes. It is always better to read the directions AND the ingredients list often during the cooking/baking experience. 

I will try not to forget the next time!