Saturday, January 29, 2011

{ caroline, annie and tim }



my week will be consisting of 

this



and this


and this




which used to look like this

a couple years ago


when i brought this lovely lady home from
my friend's antique shop

she was lovingly repurposed by hubby and me
to hold our television set in the living room


she is currently wearing a pretty coat of pale pistachio green
called "sweet caroline" by benjamin moore


i fell in love with that color because it coordinated with the linen pillow slips 
i used to have in the living room


which i still love to this day
(and are now tucked safely away for the time being)

but i noticed during the evening hours when the living room lights were turned on
that pretty "sweet caroline" took on a limey green cast
which i just can't look at anymore

and since my serious hemp-linen grain sack addiction kicked in last summer,
it's been all about these beauties


creamy white with pale red

very french country farmhouse in my mind  ♥


poor sweet caroline just doesn't go with anything in the room anymore.

she has to take a hike

so, this week miss annie armoire is getting a pretty dress of creamy white
to coordinate with the creamy white grain sacks with the pale french red stripes.

but...

she's not the only one that will be wearing a new frock of white

this beautiful primed piece of furniture will, too...


can you guess what room she'll be residing in...?

stay tuned for the reveal!

it's time for me to get busy....!

{ hugs }


{ oh, and many of you inquired about my wednesday water aerobics class
which will now be officially referred to as 

"the evil noodle class"


the morning after class
which
need i remind you
was the morning of my thursday afternoon class
i found myself walking like tim conway
doing the little old man shuffle

i was one sore old lady

but i will be back for more noodle torture this week

because i've lost four pounds in that pool somewhere...
woot woot! }

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 linking with the four linky parties 
posted on my sidebar

see you there!





Sunday, January 23, 2011

~ flip flops, frozen yogurt, and a typhoon ~

you're thinking
"what in the world do all of these things have to do with each other?"

here's a hint...


and another hint...


one more...


why did i pack these things in my beach bag?


(sadly...no....it's not for some tropical vacation)

but it's as close as i'm going to get to one for a while!

i'm spending three afternoons a week here.

google image

well....not exactly THERE ~

more like here...

google image

i'm taking water aerobics classes at a local school!


when i walked in to the class

ALONE

(because my friend did NOT show up....
and you know who you are..................

georgina.... 

*wink*)

the warm humid air hit me like a summer embrace.

the smiles from the 10 other people in class warmed me even more.
(i should'ave known better...)

after sliding in to the 90 degree water
(which was seriously delicious)


i was passed around from person to person
like some novelty item
as they introduced themselves to me.
yes....i was ONE of the youngest students in the class
(not the ONLY one, i'll have you know!)
and i was immediately warned that they were NOT going allow me in the pool
if i was skinnier than they were

SO THERE.....!

then i caught the winking, side glances, and elbow jabs,
and laughter erupted from all of them
like a bunch of adolescent troublemakers.

you know the type ~ 

the ones that always end up in the back of the classroom
disrupting everything the instructor is trying to teach?

there i was
smack dab in the middle of them all.

what in the dilly did i get myself in to....???

i was quickly warned by connie, who is a pastor's wife,
to keep my distance from larry,
who evidently was either an undertaker
or just had a severely demented sense of humor.

i couldn't really tell which 
as he proudly informed me 
that he drove a hearse with a coffin in the back
that had some type of body laying in it
and when he stepped on the brakes 
the eyes lit up out the back window.

hmmmm.....i'm going for demented here.....


"BUT....", he added, holding his finger high above the pool and the water dripping from his full white beard,
"i make a killin' off of the frozen yogurt that i sell out of the casket!"

yup...demented.
(thanks for the warning, connie.) 

linda chimed in and told me to watch out for virginia
who was a total workout fiend
and had a tendency to not watch where she was going

(as the tiny white-haired wonder practically drowned me 
as she typhooned her way across the pool.....

ummmm........backwards.)


so, while the teacher was making us do this

punches, kicks, swirls, and jabs

and ALOT of this

jogging....and no, that is not larry next to me...



no, no, no!! 
none that THAT!!!

are you kidding me???

(we're not THAT good....yet.)
*snort*

wednesday IS "noodle" day, however

"...a much more intense workout..."
from what corina told me


MORE intense?????
oh boy.....

so after an hour and a half of
laughing
huffing
puffing
groaning
sweating
and steering clear of typhoon virginia

i crawled out of the pool
dragged myself to the locker room

(as i heard larry bellow to me "so how much yogurt do you want..???")

hauled myself to the car
and once home
collapsed on the sofa

all because i want to morph into this


by march.....


yikes.....



(and i'll pass on the yogurt, larry...

unless of course, it's fat free/sugar free.....)

Thursday, January 20, 2011

~ a huge, simple thank-you ~



i was recently given a couple of sweet awards
by a couple of sweet friends

michelle at shells shabby shack
and

they both awarded me this


how sweet are they??
thank you so much, my new friends!

now....to be perfectly honest with you
i really don't see myself as being a stylish blogger

just a simple one, really

just a christian gal who wants to share 
a little of her life
her loves
and
her rooky-ish crafts
with her friends

while lurking
stalking
envying
drooling over
and
be crazily inspired
by you awesome blogging friends out there

my cup runneth over with gratitude!



 in order to accept this humbling award, here's how it goes:

  • thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award
  • share 7 things about yourself
  • award 15 recently discovered wonderful bloggers
  • contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 things about myself

1.  i have vacationed twice on a tiny little island, called caye caulker, located off the coast of Belize and loved the bohemian, 1970's, hippy feel to it.
i would still love to travel to Australia, and Prince Edward Island, Canada someday.

2.  i fell through the ice on a lake many years ago while riding on a snowmobile with my hubby.  
we were in 8 feet of water. 
do you know how cold that water can be 
and how heavy a snowmobile suit becomes once waterlogged?
i've never been snowmobiling, skating, skiing, or walking on ice since.

3. i am an only daughter
thus
i am spoiled
and will readily admit that

4. i played piano for 8 years as a young girl, taught myself flute for a year, 
and have always always wanted to learn how to play the guitar
(i'm just a renegade hippy at heart...)

5.  some foods i love:  thin crust veggie pizza, creme de mint ice cream, crab legs,
diet sierra mist, caramel skinny lattes, mashed potatoes and gravy, 
and chocolate-covered cherries

6.  some things i love:  playing volleyball or tennis, porch swings, mowing my 3-acre lawn,
vintage 1940's pick up trucks, writings by Thomas Merton, 
spending 'gad-about days' with my hubby,
and, of course... shopping

7.  i have always wanted to design and build a house.
i have the design already imprinted in my mind
and can see it completely finished
right down to the cupboard pulls
and doorknobs

7 1/2.  i had a beautiful arabian/thoroughbred gelding when i was 18-22 years old 
and learned how to barrel ride 
which was so much fun!

(sorry....just had to add #7 1/2....) 


now i must choose 15 blogs
which is next to impossible for me
 because
i am inspired by so very many of you
not only because you 
teach me
but because you
bless me ~
so here is a special shout-out to some of my favorite recently discovered friends!

1.  tricia at a rosy note
2.   donna at an enchanted cottage 
3.  jane at blondies journal
4.  ginger at cottage on rosewood
6.  leslie at feathers in my nest
7.  elizabeth at just following jesus
8.  jennifer at keswick country
10.  hilary at sweet as june
11.  cindy at the heart of your home
13.  alicia at time worn style
14.  elizabeth at my tattered rose
15.  laura at my summerhouse

be sure to check each of these fabulous bloggers ♥

they will open your eyes to beautifully styled homes
wonderful crafts
and
yummy trinkets and treasures



now....scoot!

go do something crafty, 
then take a break and and pay a visit to my new friends!



{ grateful hugs }


















Saturday, January 15, 2011

~ there's no place like home~




debbie's home!




i just spoke with her on the phone

{it was sooo good to hear her voice....}

the first thing she said was how glad she was to be home

for some odd reason

one doesn't get much sleep in a hospital

go figure....


so she's really looking forward to sleeping in her own wonderful bed tonight

photo houseatthelake

she is feeling good

tired, of course, but good

she wanted to thank you all so very much for your prayers and cards

your love is overwhelming to her

and you really helped get her through some days of fear and uncertainty


she will go back next week for a check-up
and to receive more test results


so.....our battle is not yet over, my beautiful warriors!

we must keep praying that the test results come back clean and clear
and that the cancer was contained and removed entirely~

armor up, girls!



I called upon the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me.  ~Psalms 118:5

I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live. 
~Psalms 116:1-2


{ hugs }

xoxo



Wednesday, January 12, 2011

~ update ~



photo by Secret Garden Cottage

first of all i want to thank all of you for your prayers of
comfort
strength
trust
healing
and encouragement
for debbie
 
you are awesome
 
 i know that debbie would want to wrap each and every one of you in a 
great big hug
and thank God for you...



i received a call from her hubby late Tuesday evening

debbie is doing well
 
 
she went in to surgery about 1:30pm on Tuesday afternoon
the doctors did a complete hysterectomy along with taking some lymph nodes
they also ended up taking a few inches of her small intestine
due to scarring from her crohn's disease
so surgery took a little longer than they expected
and she'll be in the hospital a few days longer than planned
 
she is in some pain ~ but is on some good pain meds
 
her wonderful husband is by her side 
along with her loving daughters
 
 
the prayers that she needs now is for
complete and pain free healing
and that the tests for the lymph nodes come back clear
 
 
heavenly Father

we lift debbie up to you today
we thank you that her surgery is safely past
let her now rest in your abiding presence
relaxing every tension
releasing every care and anxiety
receiving more and more of your healing life into every part of her being
 
you are the only source of health and healing
 the spirit of calm and peace in our hearts
 

Lord, you know how debbie is feeling today
her thoughts, her fears, and her pain
we pray for healing in whatever way you know will help her
 
 
look upon her with mercy
and rest your healing hand upon her
let the test results come back clean and clear
 
send your life-giving power flowing through every cell in her body
and into the depths of her soul
cleansing
purifying
and restoring her 
to wholeness and strength for service in your kingdom
 
grant her a tremendous consciousness of your indwelling and surrounding presence
so she will permit you to give her complete healing and strength

 
in moments of pain help her turn to you for strength
in times of loneliness let her feel your loving nearness
in a very tangible way 
 
we trust completely and totally in your healing power, Father

in your name we pray

Amen





{ grateful hugs }
 
 







Monday, January 10, 2011

~ in His grip ~



When our faith is strong,
we believe the everything that happens is part of some vast plan
for cosmic good.



But then there are times when we wrestle with God.


We ask the hard questions ~
sometimes repeatedly.

There aren't always answers


but out of that wrestling
comes blessings.

Beautiful memories
deeper relationships
thanksgiving for what has been
insight into what is yet to be.



None of this makes the hurt go away.

But it can temper it to the point where living can continue;
where the work that God continues to put before us can get done.



Our Debbie is wrestling with God right now.

I know I am wrestling with God right now.

And you may be wrestling with God right now, too.

But it also means that we are all firmly in his grip.



God's is the hand that holds on - even when we don't.

Or can't.


I am holding fast to that promise for Debbie...



"Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you.

Not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
~John 14:27


He gives the deep
enduring
tranquil peace,
the inward quiet of acceptance;

the mind stayed on God ready for anything
because anchored on His eternal Reality -
indifferent to its own risks,
comforts or achievements,
sunk in the great movement of His life.



"Do not be anxious about anything
but in everything by prayer and petition
with thanksgiving
present your requests to God

And the peace of God
which transcends all understanding
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus."
~Philippians 4:4-9




Dear God,

Let your hand of loving calm be upon Debbie,
bringing rest and peace into her mind and body. 
Bring to her remembrance the skills of her physician and his attendants, 
who have been prepared through the years by the gift of your Spirit.

Help her to recall the history of your grace in her life -- 
all the trials and dangers, both seen and unseen, 
from which you have been her Rescuer through the years.

Enable her to know you now,
for you have been trustworthy in all your doings. 
Take away all anxiety from her and those who love her.

Lord, look upon her with eyes of mercy.
May your healing hand rest upon her.
May your lifegiving powers flow into every cell of her body
and into the depths of her soul;
cleansing
purifying
restoring her to wholeness and strength
for service in your Kingdom. 

This I pray in Jesus precious name,
Amen




{ grateful hugs }