Early Electronics

An ABC game that the parents weren’t going to give until traveling days.  But Jube found it while Lisl was packing up treasure and toys in a bin to be checked in for the flight to home/Thailand. I hope any Thailand friends will forgive the little feet here.  We funny Americans have no idea that feet are to be hidden out of sight, especially little baby feet like these.  Please forgive me.

Playing With Picasa 3

Havila Glory and Aunt Amy

Some Days Are To Be Gotten Through

Like today.
    An old friend moved back to our community today and I haven't had a chance to go welcome her home. This evening, I will!
    VOM's Tom White committed suicide this morning. Of all people!  He was a great man of God! Why?
    I am babysitting grandbabies today.  Halla needs to be held. Jube has been next to angelic. Really!
    Our two scholars at home have been studying in their rooms every day where I can't see or hear or talk to them. Today was no different. I miss them!
    It's raining. The lawn is shaggy in spots, mossy in others, and the pine cones that we didn't collect are disappearing into the growing grass.  I forgot to buy lawn mower gas. Brad doesn't mind.
   There are little piles of other people's belongings living in the corners of our house right now. Messy but happy messy!
   The tiller is stranded over at Clark's and the weeds are taking over the strawberry bed. The waiting garden is getting to me. Dreaming of rows of flowers and tomatoes, again.
   Dorothy Mullet's status says that she has 15 pints of fish on her kitchen counter. I have been dreaming of canned fish all winter and I wonder how she came to be the one canning fish instead of me!
 
 
                                                                                                   

Current Projects Just For Fun

It has been so busy at home with The Thailand People here with us. I know you all have heard and seen only about them lately.  But having our daughter and her family home for a few weeks after almost two years is BIG.  We have enjoyed every moment of it.
      This week they have gone off to the North Shore gallivanting and visiting the other parents and siblings.  So it has been quiet for a couple days. And suddenly I could take naps easily…I never do, but for once I think I could and not pay at three in the morning.
      It is too cold to garden, although the green grass and budding leaves have their certain allure to come out and look over the iris beds, and lilac buds. So I tackled the Old Chair Project that Lisl  got me started on week before last.
      They brought it up from the “back room” and we all started tearing off the old blue covering. It turned out to be a knuckle skinning project, to be sure. It was not very long until the girls were back to baby minding and I was left alone to yank, pound, scrape, and rip until I had the chair sort of cleared of the general debris.
      Dru collected tools, screws, glue, and courage and worked on sturdifying the bones of it.  I won’t even tell you in what condition are the bones. Suffice it to say that this a ladies-only chair and not for romping or rampaging about by children, either, although Dru did the best possible job for what he had to work with.
      Okay, girls, I did cave in and paint it white. I admit, I have been influenced by the latest trend.  Elv bought a perfect little can of white paint of which there is a lot left and I might lose my self respect even more and splash it about on more surfaces. I was so proud of his choice of paint.  And doesn’t it look good on our poor little chair? Now, I only need to find some more used-shop chintz and create some squishy pillows and tie them on with very large, luxurious muslin bows. I’ll show you one day.

      Another fun project was to develop and frame the picture of Jube and Gwen swinging. It is a perfect companion to our rocker, besides being a successful capture of two sweet grandbabies.

      Elv and I went on a dinner date last night. After a nice quiet time at Norske Nook where they actually serve gluten free meat and taters, we went to GoodWill to browse in the books.  I found this lovely book.
  The illustrations are wonderful and the book is full of information and more detailed illustrations in the margins.

      Elv and I waited entirely too long to have a date.  I have a hunch that a lot of couples in the busy-ness of living need more dates. We didn’t even need to get a baby sitter. We had no good excuse. We just found ourselves hustled along and before long we were like a woods trail each on our own tire track, always parallel but not really being together. It takes effort and planning to stop that kind of living for a date now and then.
      And last but not least, I have been scrapbooking again. I have a few years of pictures left to go of the old stacks.  After that I think I ought to just get this blog printed, don’t you?

Our Little Ones

This picture gives me a lump in my throat. Those of you with grandchildren will understand.  The innocent preciousness of this moment is not to be forgotten. I shall frame it. Thank you Gabe, for this composition of carefree childhood.

Grandchild In My Kitchen

                                

          This child loves to help in the kitchen.  His mother was having his help to make tortillas this morning.

A Picture Post

Halla loves my computer. 

Havilah Glory

We finally got a train out of the box for Jube yesterday. He and Elv enjoyed it together for awhile.

Lisl and Jube made home made tortillas.

Spring of 2012 daffodil rendition. Lovely.

April Tablescape

Easter

Next Sunday we will be studying/discussing the Easter story in Sunday School.  This is the most important piece in history with a direct connection to the eternal destiny of every single life in all the ages past, present, and future. This story truly matters to each of us. So I don't want to have to wrangle through the chronology of who came first to the tomb, and when did the second angel appear. I don't care how many Marys there may have been. It doesn't matter to me just when it was that John peered in there, and Peter lagged behind. Nor how it could be that the angel said to Mary that Jesus was on His way to Galilee, yet when she left there to head into Galilee herself she MET Jesus.

This story matters to our heart condition today. I noticed in my first cursory reading that the newly risen Jesus referred to the disciples as brethren. His suffering and dying has changed Him as well as it changes us.  I had never thought of that before. Now Jesus can in full right and privilege stand there between me and God and honestly say, "I died for her sin, we love her, and please forgive her." to the Father.

I am mostly interested this year in how the resurrection must have affected Mary Magdalene, for instance, out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons.  Can you imagine her devotion to Jesus now? Mary, His mother, was there that morning, too. Can you feel the leap of hope in her heart when she realized that her son was now her risen Savior?  She could easily have been in that time of life when some days are dully dark and heavy without the added dimension of the horrifying nightmarish crucifixion. How can one woman contain the sheer ecstasy of this new knowledge?!

Then there was Peter. He was the guy in the group that said what he felt out loud anywhere and everywhere. He had no tact, no discretion, and believed himself to be in touch with reality around him. He declared loudly, " I will never deny you." And in a few short hours stood there by the fire and blatantly lied about himself and Jesus.  He had the grace to weep bitterly, though, when the truth struck home, thanks to that crowing rooster.  Can you imagine how changed and thrilled he was when Jesus appeared to him afterward?

Our Two Worlds

    Lisl is home just now.  The two of us have had a couple of talk times, amazingly, with all the people and places they must see while they're here from Thailand.
   It is becoming very clear to both of us that we live in two entirely different worlds.  Her church ladies and mine, her home keeping and mine, her shopping and mine, her children and mine are all as diverse as can be and yet we are friends/mother and daughter.  How do we relate with compassion and purpose? How shall we compare notes? How shall I advise her as a mom when her concerns and cares are based out of Asia and mine are based out of these dear old familiar United States?
   But we are learning something important while we realize all our differences.  God's grace  is the most important gift we can give to each other while we seek to understand each others' worlds.  I am so glad for this.
    Psalm 32:10 He that trusteth in the Lord; mercy shall compass him about. I like to apply this verse to my relationships. What I don't understand about her world I can trust with God and everything is fine.
   On the other hand, family needs and home management happen on both sides the globe. So we do have plenty to share. And there's the joys of babies and problems of writing and the discussions that all women have that we enjoy regardless of our differences.