Thank You's

Sweet birdies

real or decorative

This picture really says it all ;-)

Garden inspiration at an Amish farm.

 Baskets waiting to be filled.

 Happy horsies saying hello.

Pink glass doorknobs

Peekaboo Lucy Cat

What are you thankful for today?

Going on a Moon Spree

(a neighbor's home; photo by hubby)

The sudden severe storms that whooshed down on us last Friday knocked power out to an estimated million or more people across the state of Ohio before going out and doing the same in Washington, DC. The governor of Ohio called for a state of emergency. It hit in the middle of a stream of 100 degree days so being without a/c was misery. First day, the house was surprisingly cool, but that night and the next day were torment. Thankfully, we had all ready planned a trip to Harrisburg for our anniversary, so we drove away in our air conditioned car quite happily on Sunday morning. When arrived back around 10:30 pm Tuesday, we had regained power. There are still residents to the south of us who may not get their power back until this coming Tuesday. We had to throw out a fair amount of food which was sad since I work hard to buy things on sale and use coupons. Such a horrid waste. We saved what we could by packing it with ice. Thankfully, we only lost a minor tree branch which fell straight to the ground without any incurring any damage. However, one of our plastic Adirondack chairs had two legs knocked off. 

(one of many blocked side-streets; photo by hubby)

While the above scenes from our neighborhood are somewhat impressive, the damage was even more terrifying to behold about thirty minutes south of us. Which is right where I happened to be when the whirlwinds descended. I had driven down to give our wedding bands their every-six-month check up, but the storm hit exactly as I drove into the mall parking lot so I did not succeed in running my errand - only driving a two hour round trip in the awful storm (kinda funny now looking back on it). There I was waiting out a storm  in my tiny red car as 82 mph winds rocked it up and down. For a minute, I thought the car's body might fly right off the chassis! The lights of the town flickered on-off-on-off before snuffing out for good. Being it was a Friday night, restaurants were packed to the gills when it happened. I can only imagine the mayhem that must have caused! Large trees, branches and wires went down everywhere in a matter of 15 minutes or less. Some bushes were flattened as if by a strong down draft as their branches all lay on the ground from the center outward on every side. Severe lightning and all sorts of crazy debris swirled around outside my car window. I couldn't believe what I seeing. It took me over an hour to drive home when it had only taken about 30 minutes to get down there. All the traffic lights were out and there were several people on the roads choosing to go whenever they wanted rather than in the order of a 4-way stop as they should have. I would drive down one street, only to have to turn around to find an alternate route due to the road being blocked by huge trees laying across the way. It was like a tornado had struck. Some trees came up root and all! I was so glad to be home that night! We ended up being without power for 3 and a half days, but if you drove north just 30 minutes most of those homes didn't even get the storm or only lost power for about 2 hours that first night. 

So what's a girl to do when the air conditioning is gone and the house is consequently nigh on unbearable to move around in? 

She imagines herself to happier times and places planning future crafting adventures and home improvement projects. She makes mental lists of what she would still like to accomplish with this blessed summer break. She takes refuge in reading good books. 

(and tries valiantly not to lament her loss of the internet)

I admire how L.M.Montgomery's Jane of Lantern Hill took to escaping away to the moon when circumstances did not quite suit her fancy. Rather than allowing perilous situations get her down, she let her imagination take her to new and delightful places:

"...she began to build for herself an existence in the moon where she ate fairy food and wandered through fairy fields, full of strange white moon-blossoms, with the companions of her fancy... Since the moon was all silver, it had to be polished every night. Jane and her moon friends had no end of fun polishing up the moon... Those were the nights when the moon seemed brighter than usual... She was supported through many a dreary day by the hope of going on a moon spree at night."

~ excerpted from Jane of Lantern Hill pages 22-23, copyright 1937, 1989 edition

My dear friends, whether you currently find yourself in sunshine or storm, I do hope that you can take it with Jane's superior attitude and find secret splendors to help you find joy in each new day.

Happy moon polishing!

A Week for Visiting

Hard to believe it has been nearly a week since my last post! 

Lately, life has been full of visits from out-of-town friends and family which has been very nice for me as it gave me a chance to explore our town's nooks and crannies with fresh eyes. Odd how we can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day that we do not take full advantage of the local pleasures that are only a short walk from our doorstep. 

Now that my week of receiving visitors is over and done, I look forward to nestling into my cozy office chair for a chance to catch up on visiting my favorite blogs. I hope your week has been a fully and happy one.

Looking forward to visiting you soon!

P.S. Check out this blog here to enter a lovely crochet giveaway.
What a cool new crochet blog!

Life's Happy Distractions

 

As I was penning some thoughts in my journal, I couldn't resist the charm of a bowl filled with bright, yummy Starbursts. Oh, the joy of savoring a candy from my childhood. I bit into the tart confection and remembered those gloriously long summer days outdoors playing with the neighborhood children. We would share our smuggled handfuls of the treat and feel like we were on top of the world. 

How simple things were then. 

Wishing you a heart full of happy reminiscing.

Dinner in Paris

 A few weeks ago, our church hosted a Sweethearts Banquet. I loved the ambiance the myriad of twinkle lights brought into our normally drab gymnasium. The replica of the Eiffel Tower actually went all the way to the ceiling! Amid the backdrop of French music, we laughed together at the antics of the youth group who were both our servers and our entertainment. They each wore a combination of black and white Parisian stripes with accents of red. Two of the girls even dressed up as mimes and went from table to table greeting us in silent hilarity. On a more romantic note, each couple was presented with a blank canvas and a set of paints as an opportunity to create something together that would commemorate the very special evening. All in all, it was by far the best church dinner I have ever attended. A big thank you to our event coordinator who truly outdid herself!


Dreaming of Paris,

Sweet Serene Sundays

  "The love of learning,

     the sequestered nooks,

      & all the sweet serenity of books."

               ~ William Wadsworth Longfellow

Sunday afternoons typically find me wrapped in the coziness of blankets piled a mile high as a peaceful instrumental plays softly in the background. Lit candles add a gentle glow to the room.  Stacked books and magazines along with a basket of WIP's, a cup of tea, my Bible, and my journal are all scattered close beside me - nothing further away than an arm's reach.

You may consider this oddly indulgent behavior, but I find it to be the absolute perfect way to rest, restore, and rejuvenate before the start of another crazy work week. There is nothing like the simple pleasure of holing myself up in bed and falling into a deeply comfortable sleep amid a mountain of fluffy pillows. 

What prompted me to commence this Sunday afternoon tradition? 

Well, back at the beginning of this year, I returned to work from Christmas vacation realizing how unusually well and rested I felt. I eventually connected this blessed difference to my more relaxed holiday schedule. 

Coming from a conservative Christian background, I grew up knowing that the Sunday (aka the Sabbath Day) was supposed to be a day of rest, but that principle entirely flew out the window when I started college life back in fall 2003. Naps? Free time? All gone. Over the last decade, I just remained caught in the trap of using Sunday afternoons as the time to catch up on anything left over from Saturday - answering emails, folding laundry, grading papers. 

I became increasingly dissatisfied with this maddening Sunday rush. Church in the morning, run around playing catch up all afternoon, and another church service in the evening. Heading back to work the next day was torture because I was all ready feeling so spent.

 But not so any more. 

My afternoon lull between services is now one of my favorite times of the whole week.

I am not normally a proponent of New Year's resolutions, but this year, I felt I needed to closely re-examine my life. I knew I was not in the place I wanted to be spiritually. An afternoon with God, my Bible, and my journal brought to me an important illumination ~ taking care of myself and following God's principles for living actually prepare me to more aptly minister to the needs of others throughout the new week. God instituted the Sabbath Principle from the very beginning. His ways are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Why did I suddenly think that it was no longer applicable to my modern lifestyle?

Committing to keeping Sunday afternoons quiet, restful, and technology-free has been one of the best decisions I have made in a very long time. I am happy to report that even though it is now 3 months into 2012, I have remained faithful to keeping this resolution. Not only that, but I am looking forward to keeping it for many years to come.

May rest & restoration be your close friend!

Button Swap

I just joined my first blog swap! 

I am a collector of buttons of every shape and size, so I love how this will give me the opportunity to diversify my collection even more. To join in the fun, head over to noodleBubble's blog before March 14th. 

Partners will be announced on her blog March 21st. 

(Please note that it is an international swap, so you could be partnered with someone out of your country).

Happy swapping!

Bits n Bobs that are adding gratefulness to my day

This pillow from the Country Living Fair 2011. Reminds me of a lovely day spent with Mimsie soaking up the sun and good deals.

 Peppermint Fudge deliciously handmade by a dear saint in our church.

Pretty spoon handle that hubby sweetly and uncomplainingly installed 

on our kitchen cabinets for me.

 My Japanese lantern from Epcot 2006. 

The lacy parasol was from my wedding this past July.

 My very own miniature Gog and Magog purchased in June 2004 from the gift shop in one of Lucy Maud Montgomery's childhood homes on Prince Edward Island. The caretaker who gave us the tour actually let me hold one of the originals! It dated back to one of her seafaring relative's ocean voyages in the 1700's. 

 Handspun Amish yarn wound about vintage wool spools. 

Markers creating a lovely bouquet of color on my craft desk.

Glitter shining out of corked bottles.

Stacks of vintage silk thread on wooden bobbins in their original boxes. 

Everywhere I look I see another happy memory. They may seem like small, simple things, but in my eyes they are the treasures that make up my life. I am so grateful to have so many beautiful people in my life with whom I can make a myriad of precious memories. 

May your times with loved ones shine like bright memory jewels for years to come!

Organizing...

... the light of sanity during a dreary winter day. Now don't get me wrong. I love winter, but some days, the gloom can seem fierce. I chase the grey away by keeping my hands busy with all the myriad projects that need done, but rarely are accomplished when warm breezes stir the curtains beckoning me outside to play. 

May your greys be chased away today by happy utility,