Sunday Inspiration

The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.

                                                                                            Terri Guillements

Sunday Inspiration

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:16-20

Sunday Inspiration

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  And angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on the earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:8-14

Sunday Inspiration

"Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

For the Mighty One is holy,

and he has done great things for me.

He shows mercy from generation to generation

to all who fear him.

His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

He has brought down princes from their thrones

and exalted the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away with empty hands.

He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.

For he made this promise to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children forever."

Luke 1:46-55

Sunday Inspiration

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 1:9

Happy Thanksgiving!

photo source

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.

                                                          ~  Cicero

Sunday Inspiration

photo source

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture.

Kak Sri

Sunday Inspiration

Delicious Autumn...if I were a bird I would fly around the earth seeking successive Autumns!

George Eliot

Happy Veterans Day

photo source

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe.

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

Lt. Col. John McCrae, M.D., Canadian Army

Thank you to all of our veterans and their families for all of their sacrifices and service to our country to preserve our freedoms.  We salute you!

Sunday Inspiration

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black,

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

                                                                                             Robert Frost

Sunday Inspiration

It's late and we are sleepy,

the air is cold and still.

Our Jack-'O-Lantern grins at us

upon the window sill.

We're stuffed with cake and candy

and we've had a lot of fun,

but now it's time to go to bed

and dream of all we've done.

            

Unknown

Sunday Inspiration

On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises from his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys to all the children.

                                                                            Linus-"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"

                                                                                              by Charles Schulz

Boo!

I love Halloween.  I look forward to the first of October to dig in my dungeon basement and bring up the box of Halloween decorations.  I like interspersing the decorations in every room in my house.  Here are some pics I took of the different decorations that I like to set out...

This is a vignette that I set up in my guest bathroom.  I got the picture from The Graphics Fairy.  I thought, like her, that this woman looked kind of creepy.  Kind of reminds me of the wicked witch in "The Wizard of Oz".  I thought I should add a tag to the frame that says something like "Eek!".  You know, so that people won't think that I put out a picture of my great-great-great Aunt Agnes ca. 1883 in my bathroom. :-P

I have this hanging on the wall.  This came from Target on clearance last year at the end of the season.

This is one of my favorites.  These spine-tingling candles flank my china cabinet.  They are Dept. 56 candles and they were the last set at a gift shop near our house.  I scooped them up. 

In keeping with the creepy skeleton theme, I have a ceramic skull sitting in my china cabinet lit up with one of those battery-operated tealight candles.  (cue diabolical laughter).

Here is my mantel.  The lights are jack-o-lanterns and they came from Target on clearance a few years ago.  (See a pattern here?);-)

This is on one of my end tables.  I love my haunted house.  I ordered that at a Partylite party many years ago.  That is a keeper.  The pic is my son and I taken around 7 years ago.  I try to dress up to pass out candy.  I'm still a kid at heart.:-)

I love Snow Babies.  I believe I got this from Avon, if you can believe it.   It is also one of my favorites.

I have other decorations throughout my home such as pumpkins and spiders.  These are some of my favorites.

Thanks for looking in!

Sunday Inspiration

But I remember more dearly autumn afternoons in bottoms that lay intensely silent under old great trees.

C. S. Lewis

An Autumn Walk

Sunshine.  Crisp fall air.  Changing leaves.  Perfect day for a walk.

In our hometown, one of our favorite places to go for a walk is on the grounds of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent.  It is located right smack dab in the middle of town, but feels like it is miles from civilization.  It is very peaceful and I love the architecture.

On this walk we encountered some wildlife including:

some buzzards...

a few ducks...

and about 783 geese.  (Not that I counted or anything).;-)

We admired the architecture...

and the different statues.

Very peaceful and tranquil.  A good place to meditate and get some fresh air and exercise.  I am so glad that these sisters have their grounds open to the public to enjoy.  We are very blessed to have a place like this to go to.

Thanks for coming along.  Until next time....

Hot Dog!

Yes, I love my dog.  This year for Halloween, I bought him his first official costume.  When I put it on him to try it on for size, I was imagining what was going through his head.  I'll let him tell the story:

Oh, boy!  What in the world is my human mama thinking about dressing me up in this ridiculous costume?  I mean, I thought that the human species was the only ones stupid enough to dress themselves up in something so crazy.

What did I do to deserve this?  I've never bitten the post man.  I rarely, if ever, chase cars.  I try to obey commands.  And besides, if I have to wear this, at least don't put mustard and relish on it.  You know that I love my hot dogs either plain or with ketchup only.  Geez!

So, all I can say is, I hope that I get extra treats for wearing this getup.  What my owners won't do for attention!  Oh, and another thing...you had better not even THINK about putting this on your blog!


Isn't he the cutest?  I could tell he did not like it because he had his tail firmly between his legs the whole time I had this costume on.  But he was a pretty good sport.

I love my dog!:-)

Sunday Inspiration

Sunday Inspiration

I'm Feelin' the Love!

Blog love that is!  Melissa at Honeyscrap sent me this award.  (Aww shucks! *blushing*) :-)  She has more talent in her pinky than I have in my entire body.  She is a crafting queen and her recipes are mouth watering!  So if you need some crafting inspiration (check out her Disney-themes crafts!) or a yummy recipe go over and pay her a visit.  You will not be disappointed!

I am paying this forward to other bloggers that I find equally talented and hope you enjoy reading their blogs as I do.

First of all I need to tell you of some rules for receiving the button:

1. Accept the award and post it on your blog with the name and link of the person who sent it to you.
2. Pay it forward to five other blogs that you have recently discovered.
3. Contact those bloggers to let them know they have been chosen.:-)

Here are the five blogs that I enjoy checking out on a regular basis:

Tracy at Tracy's Treasures is what I call my Canadian Cyber-buddy.  She is another who has talent galore and we have this bond in that we both lost our dads at around the same time and she has been such a source of comfort to me.

Regina at Scrapping Ladybug is another blogger with loads of talent.  She is a devout Christian and I love her obsession of ladybugs.  Every time I see one, I think of her!

Keshet at Over The Rainbow is a scrapbooker extraordinaire and I am really wanting her challah bread recipe.  Yummy!

Jen at My Pair-A-Dice is another talented scrapbooker and is a brand- spanking -new blogger.  Go check her blog out.  If you are a scrapbooker, you will get lots of inspiration!:-)

Cindy at Cameras and Chaos is an awesome photographer and funny to boot!  We are both University of Michigan fans (Go Blue!) and I'm so glad I found her blog!

Sunday Inspiration

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.

                                                                                                        Lucille Ball

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY!

WE LOVE YOU!

THANK YOU CURLEY FAMILY!

Over the last few weeks, we have gotten these cute cards in the mail that are signed "Guess who?" and "Me again!".  In these cards were pictures of Ryan taken when he visited them at their grandparents cottage on Lake Huron and gift cards for a treat from Wendy's or Panera Bread.  It has been so nice getting these surprises in the mail. :-)  This family is our former neighbors who became like a family to us. When we heard that they would be moving a thousand miles away, it broke our hearts in about a thousand pieces.:-(  But since their families still live in the area, we try to always get together with them.  We always pick up where we left off when we meet.

Anyway, the doorbell rang and it was the UPS man dropping off a package.  It was a decent sized box, and I couldn't figure out what it could be.  When I opened it, this is what was inside:

Aren't they cute?  This is a cookie bouquet from Cookies by Design.  They are too pretty and cute to eat!  But I'm sure they are yummy:-).

I think that this one....

resembles our furbaby.  What do you think?

Again, thank you Curley Family!  You are the best!  We are so happy to call each of you our BFF!

Sunday Inspiration

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.

So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

                                                                                            Nathaniel Hawthorne

Sunday Inspiration

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

My chili that is.  When there is a chill in the air and the days start getting shorter, I like to have a "Soup Night".  I may make soup, stew or chili.  Since I am trying to go through the contents of my pantry and freezer, these are the things I had on hand.  Perfect for a pot of chili.

Speaking of Babies....

Check out what we witnessed last night.  It was a breezy afternoon, but sunny.  Since our house was blocking the wind, we were still able to sit on our deck to have our dinner.  We have a number of tall trees in our backyard and in one of them is a squirrels nest.  Apparently, either the baby squirrels were spooked out of their nest by the wind or decided they wanted to do some exploring.  Here are some pictures to help tell the story....

"Have you seen my baby?"

"Is he here?"

"Here I am, Mama."

"Oh, there you are! You had me so scared! Here, let me get you down from there and take you somewhere safe."

"Have you seen my other baby?"

"I'm over here, Mama!"

My Baby's Not A Baby Anymore!

Waaaaaaaaaah!  My baby started a new phase of life this school year.  He is starting high school.  Seems like yesterday he was starting preschool.  Where has the time gone?

He is going to kill me by calling him my baby on this post.  But I can't help it.  I am a weenie when it comes to my son.  So sue me.

If you want to know what a budding high school student looks like, here he is as he was getting ready to go out the door this morning.

I tried getting a shot of him walking down the sidewalk heading to the bus stop, but it came out blurry.  I tried taking it as I was looking out the front door.  Heaven forbid if I walked outside to take a pic.  Did not want to embarrass him.

When he got home, I asked how his day went.  He said it went okay.  It will take him a few days to learn his way around the new school.  But he seems like he likes his teachers and his classes.  Whew!  I think it was harder on his dad and I than it was on him.  Hopefully, his high school years will be good ones that he will have fond memories of.  Wish us luck!

High school.  The mouse race that prepares you for the rat race.  Author Unknown

Sunday Inspiration

Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower.

                                                                                 Shigenori Kameoka

Sunday Inspiration

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.

and Grace, my fear relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far

and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

When we've been we've been there ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun.

                                                                                                          John Newton (1725-1807)

Rest In Peace

Today we said our final goodbyes to a great man.  He was not a famous writer, or won a Nobel Prize or a great sports figure.  But he was the epitome of what it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ here on this earth.

For the past couple of days, we were told time and time again that he was a kind, good man and was never judgmental and treated every one the same.  If he had a difference of opinion with someone, he always respected their viewpoint and never argued with anyone.  He was always quick to give someone a compliment and a helping hand.  He was tall and strong, yet meek.  And he was always considerate of everyones feelings.

He also had a corny sense of humor and we could always expect a joke whenever we saw him.  He loved to see people smile and would make people laugh even if they were having a bad day.

He loved his wife and children with every ounce of his being.  My mom and dad were married for over sixty years yet still acted like newlyweds at times.  Sometimes my mom would be walking by him and he would reach over and give her a little swat on the rear.;-) And something that will be with me for the rest of my life is how they always give each other a kiss and hug and said, "Love you!" if one of them was going out.  

Early Saturday morning was no exception.  As my dad was drawing his last breaths here on earth, my mom was saying her goodbyes and telling him how much she loved him and giving him hugs and kisses, he took what was the last ounce of his strength and reached up and hugged her.  That is something that will always be with me.  That and the look of peace that overcame him as he took his final breath.  It was truly a blessing.  

I will miss my dad so much.  But I have peace in knowing that he is reunited with his loved ones who passed before him and he is free from all of the pain and suffering.  And most of all he is with our Lord and Savior and basking in the glory of God.

I am closing this post with a couple of bible verses that my mom had written down that had given her comfort in challenging times.  I hope this will bring comfort to others as it gave us comfort:

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears off all faces.

Isaiah 25:8

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever."

Isaiah 32:17

Sunday Inspiration

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

and that He will stand upon the earth at last.

And I know that after this body has decayed

this body shall see God.

Job 19:25-26

Sunday Inspiration

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

                  Matthew 5:3-10