NEW HOUSE

toadstool image

I was trying to do a Macro image for Foto Friday, but this is not really in that category. I'm so proud of the photo however. I took it a couple weeks ago and the toadstool is only about an inch in diameter.. I thought it came out rather well, eh?
It was a long and busy day at the office. I was so excited because I knew when I was done, I'd be heading to the furniture store again. Mission accomplished. Now I think I have spent enough money for a while. Gotta recoup.

FURNISHING OUR HOME

Tonite was like heaven.. I am excited for the Z's in that they purchased a kitchen suite.. table, chairs, and a gorgeous hutch. WOW! Then the evening got even better when we went to the furniture store one more time and bought our bed, frame, mattress cover.. it's a king size and is it comfortable?! YES.
Tomorrow I'm going back to purchase our sofa and 2 glider rockers. This is such a delight to me. The store has a 50% off sale going on, and we are taking advantage. God has supplied the financial backing, and we are moving forward. God is so good.
We still need some chest of drawers and bedside stands, but these are not critical at the moment.
I'll be looking.

Molting

It's that time of year when the chickens begin their molt. I can't believe the sea of feathers all over the place and inside the coop! But it gives me more ideas to work with in my quest to improve my photography skills.
In the mean time, some of the chickens look like they are prematurely plucked, and then others are snowy white with new feathers emerging.
They don't lay many eggs during molting season..

FOTO FRIDAY=LEAVES

All right! It's that time of the week I look forward to.. I LOVE Foto Friday!
You can join us at Renaissance and share your Foto Friday pictures too!!
Please join us.. the more the merrier.
This week we concentrated on 'leaves'.. oh.. such fun! I got to thinking how leaves and people are similar.. take a look..


Young green leaves and the big old one with 'zits'..
"Oh..look.. zits.. bummer.. "... to which the other says "You are so insensitive! Leaf me alone!!"

Leaves love holidays.. so they formed a wreath to celebrate.

Leaves come in many shapes.. just like people

Some are very large, some medium sized and some are small..

Like people, some are just all mixed up

This leaf is trying to show it's all into itself..

I know some people like that

Some are holey.. some are holier than thou

Some have no holiness whatsoever

Some stand up straight and tall

Some you have to handle carefully lest they bite you

Some are tall.. some are short

Some have great external beauty

Like people, they come in many colors

Veterans Day..

Many of my family were veterans.. I thank every one of them for their unselfish service to our country..
Thank you Wendell, Keith Vulhop, Bob and Bobby Imm, Stephanie Imm, Kathy Kremer, Lennie Swecker, Bill Townsend and Andrew Imm

If you can read this, thank a teacher.. if you are reading this in English, thank a vet..

China cupboard

I've been feeling kind of discouraged over a couple of issues. God is so good and understands my kind of nonsense. There wasn't good reason for my discouragement except that so many things seemed to be hitting me at once.

I have been waiting for a most important phone call for a month. It came finally today.. in God's time , which of course, is always the best timing. It seems like I get frustrated with the way He handles things until I realize if it was MY way, it would likely be a disaster. Things happening in His time are always better and I don't want it any other way. In fact, the details of the call were so much better than I'd anticipated.. can't ask for more than that.

I was feeling a bit green this morning and couldn't seem to get my act together, but after the call, made my own call to Wendy to tell her what was happening. I mentioned to her that I was looking for a used china cupboard for our new home, but didn't want to go alone.. I'd have to ask Amanda.

Before our conversation was over, Amanda walked in and asked me to go to some of the thrift stores. This is absolutely true. I had planned to put a note on Facebook tonite to let folks know I was looking for a small used china closet. So when Amanda wanted to go 'slumming'.. I agreed. Can't hurt to look, eh?

We walked into St Vincent de Paul.. and there it was. My heart nearly stopped.. and immediately I searched for the price tag.. $99.99. I could afford this today. It's worth so much more than that, but God had it all planned for us, even the price. I called Paul for help hauling it and Charlie to tell him we had to store this thing for a week. All things worked together for good for us.

When we got to White's where Charlie is staying, Paul, Daniel and John unloaded it into the empty kitchen there, and put the top on the base. My heart about stopped for the second time today. It's so beautiful.. elegant.. more than I could have anticipated. Thank you my children for being so generous with your time and muscle..
Now I have a place to put my beautiful china that Wendell gave me just before we were married. It's spent most of 40 years in either a box or in a cupboard where no one ever saw or used it. We will be using it often now.. I only regret that we didn't start using it sooner. I am pleased.

Handling distress

"But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors."
2 Chronicles 33:12 NLT

In all the years I've been blogging and online (and that's quite a few).. I think Foto Friday has given me more joy and purpose than anything else. I've enjoyed each topic.. and this week it is "leaves".. I've already gone out and taken some pictures and have my plan for next Friday. Thank you Wendy for steering me to Rebecca's site, and Thank you Rebecca for letting me be a part of this fun time.
I'm wishing I hadn't tossed the gourd people.. they might have been fun to keep using for the pictures.. but , Alas! they are gone forever.

It is so hard to believe that this is already November, and shortly, Thanksgiving,... and then 4 weeks after that is .... Christmas!!!!! AAccckkkkk!! I have no shopping done, and will be moving into a new home in a week or so... What to do... what to do...
Maybe I'll just relax, take in a deep breath.. and see what God has planned for us. That is always the best way to approach incoming stress..

I'm wishing that Wendell and I could go to visit Wendy next week while she needs a couple of extra hands. There is so much going on around here...
Wendell is now on 24 hr oxygen, so we have to figure how to get from point A to point B with his mini tank. I think he'll have to use his big portable tank on wheels to do any major moving. Then he's had to change his CPAP to bleed in oxygen at night. They lowered his pressure too.
It's a lot to digest in such a short time.
Next week in the office is going to be pretty busy.. at least 8 patients to see Tuesday and Thursday also. I get tired easily, and packing for our move has slowed down, though I"m still putting our 'things' away. Not a lot left but enough to tire me out in a days time.
Today I did the laundry and got supper. It took me most of the day to get everything accomplished. I don't think I"m growing old gracefully.
Tomorrow is church day.. and I'm wondering if Wendell will wear his oxygen to church. He is sort of backward about it, but it does help him.
It's 9pm.. I'm heading for bed. I've been sleeping in so late the past 2 mornings.. as I said, office takes it's toll on my body and I seem to require the extra rest..
Hopefully I'm all rested again and will be ready for this week.

Foto Friday- Dress up

I have to admit.. this one was the most fun of all.. I had to use my imagination and made up a story about 2 elderly couples.. this was their anniversaries.. and the family photo..
So I marched out to the garden and gleaned everything I could find to make my characters.. and 'dress them up'.. for the photo.


Of course, I have to apologize for putting so many pictures on, but I just kept stumbling over shots I've taken over the years.. This one is our daughters.. Amanda (Mrs Zombeck) and Wendy (Mrs Valentine)

I wondered where Gayle got her 'dress up' thing.. and when I stumbled over these pictures of her mother, I realized that it's hereditary.. This is Wendy impersonating (dressing up) Groucho Marx.. Sorry, Wendy, I had to do it. I didn't put Mr T and Hapo on the blog.. but I am tempted.

Grandaughter Joyce on her birthday.. red pumps, purple boa, shorts and a tiara.. a real princess!

I had to scrub these gourds.. Martha's hair is peanut shells and a peanut nose. Her mouth is a carefully sliced piece of Swedish fish.. and the chickens donated a feather to complete here hat. Her eyes are apple seeds.

I'm thankful for glue guns.

Alfred is always in a bad mood.. no wonder, his walnut shell toupe is a bomb. His mouth is a leaf from the bridal wreath (tonite, the bulk of the leaves are gone)

So we have Alfred, Elvira, Martha, Buck, and his black sheep brother Al.

Here's Buck and Elvira.. Buck's eyebrows are leaves off a pine cone. Not sure what they are called.. I call them leaves. His nose is a half of a crab apple.. Always trying to look her best and keep peace in the family, Elvira dressed up with her blond macaroni hair.. still as pretty as the day they married..Her hat is a bachelor button.. there were a couple left in the garden.. we lucked out.

Buck put on a little weight over the years, but Martha has remained svelt..

Clown Wendy and pirate Amanda.. I loved these dress up days..

That brings me to the present.. Annabelle the fairy. You can almost see her wings.. she had a little blue box for her 'treats'.

Always an angel to me, this is our eldest grandchild, Joyce..

As always, please join us at Renaissance for Foto Friday. Submit your pictures and join the fun!

Sunrise over Butler

Not a single leaf remains here.

Daniel operating the tractor

"And I am sure that God, who began a good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again."
Philippians 1:6 NLT

Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus.
Revelation 14:12 NLT

God's promise to continue working in our lives requires perseverance on our part.

Whether you are an athlete undergoing grueling physical conditioning, an employee struggling under a mountain of work, or a Christian suffering persecution, the key to perseverance is a clear vision of the goal.

While the goal of an athlete is to win the race and goal of the employee is a job well done, the goal of the believer is nothing less than eternity in the presence of the Lord.

The writer of Revelation encourages Christians to keep their eyes on Jesus, who will reward the faithful, and to obey his Word to the end.

When you feel like giving up, remember the glory that awaits you as a child of God.

from the TouchPoint Bible with commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 1136

ELECTION DAY TOMORROW

Get out there and vote people! As Rush says, this may be the Super Bowl of election Fraud.. but just remember, God is in control.

WENDY