Aches and Panes

This morning around 6:40, Nathan helped me out of bed to get me started on breakfast. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just the simple routine I am used to by now. Also something that is ordinary is for me to be groggy and slow. My stomach decided to have a bit of aches and kinks in it this morning, causing me to be extra slow. Looking at the time, I discovered that the clock read 7:15 and the bread wasn't buttered. I called to Nathan to butter it for me while I cracked the eggs into the frying pan. Nathan usually leaves for work every morning around 7:35 or 7:40. Breakfast is usually on the table by 7:10 or 7:15 at the latest.

While we were working on breakfast, Scrabble showed up meowing louder than usual and seemingly begging for attention. Not a big surprise to us. Nathan finished buttering the bread and sat on the floor Indian style to give her the much needed attention. After standing up, Nathan chatted a bit with me and all the while, Scrabble meowed as if to say she wasn't ready for all that loving attention to end. We talked to her and looked at her while she proceeded to talk and meow back at us and again, very loud! This was a bit out of the ordinary. I told Nathan she probably wanted him to hold her on his shoulder and walk around patting her back like she likes it. Nathan didn't have time for that and breakfast was nearly ready. In the meantime Scrabble continued meowing and rubbing herself against my legs while I stood at the stove.

Breakfast on the table, we ate quickly, Scrabble meowing the whole time, and pretended this was normal. After Nathan got ready for work, we exchanged goodbye hugs and kisses. Finally, I had the time to give her the special attention that I thought was all she wanted. I picked her up, cuddling her against my right shoulder and perceived that she was shaking! I realized something traumatic must have happened and patted her back while walking the length of the house.
During the second lap, as I walked closer to one of our living room sofas, I noticed the quilt had fallen off the back of the sofa in the right hand corner. I remember thinking it must have been Nathan who did it, if he had been reading in that sofa, but it wasn't an ordinary reading spot for him. Scooping up my furry bundle in one hand, I tossed the corner of the quilt back into place and at the same time noticing our storm window behind the sofa was covered in cracks and missing a whole chunk of glass.

Scrabble leaped onto the sofa again and meowed loud. I gave her reassuring pats and strokes while trying to figure out how this happened.

The best I can figure out is this:
Sunday night upon returning from Cashiers, we began opening up as many windows as we had wood support props. The last window we opened was the far right window behind that sofa. Later that night, before settling in bed for the night we lowered the inner window only and left the storm window as it was: the screen lowered and the glass pane that is on the outside of the screen, we kept up for when we wanted to open the window the next day.

Some time this morning, Scrabble was sitting in the window sill enjoying the morning breeze. Gravity had already been working on the window and the outer glass pane dropped to the down position, cracking the entire window pane while one huge chunk flew out of position and crashed on the pavement three stories below. This happened possibly while we were making breakfast, as I recall Scrabble racing into the kitchen meowing.

I imagine it happened while she was in the window because of the quilts state of array. I know for a fact that our cats do not race through the living room in the mornings and therefore it cannot be caused by the cats, but rather by gravity and it being an old window that often comes off its track sometimes when we raise and lower it. A heavy breeze may have caused it to fall off its track and plummet like it did.

Scrabble did get over it once she knew I had seen the window and reassured her it was ok. She has recovered well and is currently sleeping with Copper in the guest bed in safety. God is good to us and protected my cat from any harm. Through all this we got some extra giggles over Scrabbles behavior this morning and some extra cuddling time.

Bread Maker!

I bought myself a deal of a bread maker on Friday. Actually I left a check with my mother-in-law as Nathan and I were heading down to Ga to visit my family and former church for the weekend. And she paid the used furniture and houseware store for me and picked up my $30 clearance bread maker. Boy am I loving it!! I have used it nearly every day this week except Tuesday. Here you will see a picture of a roll I made using the bread maker to make the dough while I formed it into miniature herb bread loaves and baked it in the oven. Well, ok I lied, the picture is of me eating the roll.
I wish I could have taken a picture of the first loaf I made. It had arms and a head!!! Not a pretty one, that's for sure! My second bread was a banana bread. Then today I made four pizza crusts using the machine to make the dough and afterward I made a lovely smelling maple oatmeal bread. I am told that there is a bread maker cookbook waiting for me in Cashiers! Originally, the cook book that I discovered with the bread maker was dropped off at the store by a lady claiming that it "was too much work!" Whatever! Well my mother-in-law came back without the book and I began to wonder. This week she went back and the lady didn't seem to recall saying that it came with the bread maker. My mother-in-law went to pay for it and the lady gave it to her. Maybe she remembered my enthusiasm over a simple bread maker? Maybe she just wanted to be nice and give it anyway? Who knows, but I am ecstatic over everything bread machines nowadays and will have to remember to thank her for the bread machine cookbook.

what tastes great on a cheese pizza?

Tater tots!!! No totally! I promise it does! Last night I made pizzas and put pepperoni on Nathan's and tater tots on mine. I cut them up into small pieces, topped it all over the pizza, and cooked it. MMMmmmmmm. I loved it! Really you should all try it. It is like a breakfast, hash brown pizza. I even was brave this time and put pizza sauce on my pizza crust. I normally hate pizza sauce, but when I spread the sauce thinly over the pizza crust and topped it with lots of cheese I didn't have to taste thick sauce and was ok with it. But really, the tater tots on top were heavenly! Now go make pizza and get some tots, believe me, you will be impressed with the flavor!

a year from now..

...our car will be paid off.

cold

So today was really cold. 15 degrees outside is hard to endure inside. I have been bundled up in front of our heater and knitting nearly all day. Tomorrow is scheduled to be warmer, and Wednesday even warmer. In four more weeks it will be spring. I can't wait to transform my screen porch into my knitting, tea sipping, and book reading haven.

An Old Hobby of Mine

It has been a while since I have knitted. Last week I was hunting down all my knitting books and tools to consolidate them. That was when I found my favorite knitting needles. I probably shouldn't have picked them up. Now I am planning an afghan and trying to endure hand cramps along the way. I can hardly type this, cut the chicken up for our soup dinner tonight, sweep, wash dishes, wash my hands, or merely hold any object with my right hand without it cramping and contorting in pain. I have experienced this with crocheting. I thought for sure that knitting would be different. I just never have gotten this serious over knitting before. Do you think four hours of knitting is too much for one sitting? Probably. But it is addicting when I can see the end result of my afghan and the anticipation of it is what pushes me to keep at it.

OK so I am sure I am boring you about afghans and cramps. Life hasn't had too many turning points or life changing events for us much right now. I did enjoy a wonderful Valentine's week with Nathan last week.Wednesday night I made him a special chicken noodle soup with candle light, doilies, and fine china attiring the table. Thursday, Nathan took me out to Fatz and gave me a teddy bear with chocolates. Friday, he drove me out to Waynesville for my first time. We mainly went to the Walmart and for the beautiful drive. Saturday, Valentine's Day, I had a rose delivered to Cashiers where we stay on weekends. Nathan had to work that day so I was sorry we couldn't spend that day together, but I did have a wonderful time babysitting Cici and being with Mama and Daddy (my in-laws). Sunday we had a church soup and sandwhich gathering to celebrate the addition of a new elder.

It was a wonderful week for us and very enjoyable at that! This week is much slower. The most I have done is just housework and knitting around our house. Not much else has been needed. And it has been cold out so not warm enough for walks. I will be glad when spring comes along.

My hand tells me I need to quit.

lack of inspiration today

This morning, I sat by my kitchen window like I do when I need inspiration to write in my blog or journal. I sat expecting that I would know just what to write. On this beautiful sunny morning, nothing came to mind. Usually drinking coffee in my favorite mug helps me. I even had a blanket wrapped around my shoulders and was all cozy. Nothing came to mind. A big blank. hmmm. I want to write something beautiful and rich, but fuzz is in the way. I have of lately, been experiencing a longing to write from my imagination, and the one things that usually inspires me to write, has failed. Was it because my hands needed to be wrapped around bigger mug? Maybe I should try tea instead of coffee? I sighed to myself and prayed to God for a peaceful heart and mind and when I opened my eyes I found contentment and thankfulness for the beautiful trees, mountains, and the bright blue sky. I decided just to drink it all in and not worry about writing anything beautiful. Instead, I would enjoy what is before me and know that not everyone can share this view or this moment. I am living in a home, with food on a daily basis, clothing, and even though it is cold in our home in this season, I have ways of warming myself. Writing is the least of my worries and is just something I do for pleasure. I am not unfulfilled if I can't think of something to write. If tomorrow comes for me, I can always try again! God is wonderful to me in giving me today and sustaining me through the night. He is all I need in life, but yet I still am richly blessed with all the material blessings I have. I dont need them, but He cares for me and provides them for me.  What a wonderful life I have in Him. 

doilies, drapes, and a USA flag pillow

Currently I am in the crafting mood and have been enjoying planning and creating things for our home and for gifts. I had finished a doily for a Christmas present back in December for and extra gift "just in case!" I enjoyed making it so much that I found myself wanting to crochet some more doilies. A visit to a friend's house gave me the desire to crochet smaller doilies and frame them to give them the antique look. I have yet to get frames, but I have found dozens of small and antique looking doily patterns. The vintage style will look just wonderful on the wall and in frames. All I have to do is glue some scrap material on top of the cardboard backing of a frame and spray a fixative to the material where I will place my doily. So far I have completed three doilies and am nearly done on a fourth one. Two of these are small enough for framing.

Living in an old apartment complex has proven cold on winter days when the cold fronts come through so Nathan and I have been trying to find ways to make it warmer. Next after buying a propane heater we found a fleece blanket to use for a drape next to my side of the bed over the nearest window. Nathan was going to tape it, but I refused. Instead, folded the fleece down five inches and used my sewing machine to make a "pocket." I hung it on a metal curtain rod over my window, which currently has an air leak. The blanket had only cost us 3.79 at walmart. The next day Nathan and I returned to wal mart to get four red blankets and found that they were down to $2! I sewed them into drapes and had them hung that very night. The look of the red wine drapes was magnificent to our eyes. I have plans of adding lace edging to the bottom and at the sewn seam. Because we liked the results, we went yet another day and picked up four more fleece blankets. two blue, one red, and one tan blanket (the color of our original drape that was for my window). I had them all sewn and hung the next day. The blue for our guest bedroom, the tan for the dining room, and the extra red for our bathroom. Already I have noticed a huge difference in the temperature indoors. I have not had to use the propane heater, but only four days.

Friday, after I had help hanging the drapes in the dining room, I decided I wasn't done sewing and wanted more to do. I remembered I wanted to make a USA flag pillow for our guest bedroom, which is our red, white, and blue room. I already had a small hand flag I had found for a quarter at a thrift store in Cashiers. I used a stitch ripper to take off the white loop that kept it to the plastic flag pole and then sewed a better edge in its place. I happened to have an antique pillow form my Mom had covered with three or four layers and had given to me when I needed throw pillows for my apartment. After taking off all the layers, I had stuffed it in a closet and forgotten about it until now. Placing the flag over the pillow, I was shocked to find that it would fit perfectly without having to sew scraps of fabric to add to the flag's width and length, which I was planning on doing if I chose to go the route of using a pillow form. Using a navy blue fabric and lace I pinned everything together once I cut out the shape for the back of the pillow. It took me nearly an hour to pin it all and get ready to sew it. I wanted it to be perfect. I remember making a note to myself about backwards, inside out and right side in for pinning it and sewing it, knowing full well it has to be flipped right side out for the inserting of the pillow later on. I have done this many times and have made several pillows. No sweat, this will be a piece of cake, I thought to myself. HA! When I had finnished sewing three sides to the pillow cover and flipped it right side out, the flag was wrong! I had spent the past hour and half getting it all right, and now THIS!!! It was depressing. "I will be known for being a USA hater if I leave it like this," I told myself. I made my way to the guest bedroom, groaning the whole way, to show Nathan how "cute" the pillow is. I hugged it to myself with stars and stipes on the inside and blue backing facing him. I flashed him a huge smile as best as I could muster and then flipped the pillow around. He smiled too! Right before putting his hand over his mouth and laughing! I showed the pillow to my sister-in-law later that day and got the same results. *Sigh* It is really cute! I just wish I hadn't pinned it together wrong. The part about the flag slippped my mind because I was so worried about the lace boarder being perfect I didn't stop to think about the flag being BACKWARD when I flipped it out. I did however do research to make sure it didn't make me a USA hater if I went ahead and left it the way it is and sew up the fourth side to complete the pillow. I am not a USA hater and am not carrying around satanic signs of conspiracy against my country. There is no "backward" flag, it is only the perspective of being on a different side of the flag while it is waving in the wind. If you notice the USA flag patch on the right shoulder of USA troops, the flag is with the stars to the right instead of the left. This is a symbol of courage and also signifies the flag as a soldier runs to battle with the flag flying back in the wind as one stares at it from the right of the soldier.

I now plan to find another flag and do a seperate pillow and have them both on the same guest bed. There will always be a story behind this pillow. Only this time the other pillow I plan to make will have the stars on the left top corner. Though I won't call it the "right" way and I won't call the one I have now, "backwards" because when on a flag pole it is all relative and can't be bawkward. So how can it be backward when really they are meant to fly on a pole in the first place, I just happen to put it on the pillow instead.

I hope to post pictures of the doilies, drapes, and the pillow. Right now my camera batteries are dead.

Christmas Blues and New Years Resolutions

I really enjoy the Christmas season. Really, I do! Following shortly after Christmas, I have found myself down in the pits and wondering what the cause of it is. I had not felt this way before? I wake up, make breakfast, kiss Nathan goodbye and hold onto him for as many seconds as I have left before we tear apart and go our separate ways for the rest of the day. Immediately following Nathan's departure, I am in a cloud and can't get out of it. What is wrong with me? It dawned on me yesterday that it is just the simple case of the Christmas Blues. Where after Christmas, I am left with nothing more to do than take down each Christmas ornament one by one while remembering where I got each one of them and hoping I don't break any of them.

This year Nathan and I got a real Christmas Tree. Nathan didn't get to go with me to pick it out, but he helped me set it up and put the lights on it. Not only that, but he saw to it that I got a Christmas angel to put on the top instead of last years gaudy blinking star! Today, I took down all the pretty tree ornaments and put them in their boxes slowly and carefully. I thought about all of the wonderful memories of Christmases in times past and all the warmth and sharing that came with them. I also thought about my family and all that they mean to me.

I don't have many Christmas ornaments since last years Christmas tree was three feet tall and this years tree was five feet. Not to mention we have only had two Christmases as a married couple. So it didn't take me long to take them all down and put them in their rightful boxes. It did take me long, however, to pull off the lights since this time Nathan wasn't here to help me. The tree being up against the wall makes it hard to walk around it. But, I was able to go partway around the tree, hang the wound up lights on a branch, go around to the other side, pull them toward me, wind some more, and get them all completely off the tree. I hated taking down the ornaments and lights. Stripping the tree of its skirt, I felt so sad and almost moved to tears that it had to end to suddenly. I didn't even have time this past Christmas to make hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and sprinkles on the whipped cream and sit under the tree reading my favorite Christmas story. I didn't even get to read a Christmas story. I stayed so busy.

I had wanted to watch Little Women at least once for a good Christmas movie. That didn't happen either. (And by the way, the newer movie has a Christmas feel to it for those who never watched that for a Christmas movie.) There were so many Christmas traditions I wanted to start, but none of them happened. I did however get to bake cookies, drink hot coffee on cold mornings while gazing out the window, bring out my best sweaters and wear them, host a Christmas party, see my best friend for three or so hours, but all in all, it is the before Christmas Day time that is more exciting than the day of Christmas. As soon as everything is opened and paper is thrown away and food is eaten, its over! It happens too fast, and this year much much too fast. I do enjoy watching people open their gifts from me and seeing the looks on their faces, but even so, it seemed like so much more in the box with paper and a bow around it.

I thank God for all the times spent on Christmas Day or any day that I spend with family and friends, but it is the weeks after Christmas that are so sad. Especially the un-lighting of the tree and un-hanging the ornaments. I know in another week I will be over the Christmas blues. I look to God for comfort in these lonely and quiet times.

I now know why people come up with New Years resolutions, to get on with their life after Christmas and to help get over the Christmas blues. It has helped me. This year, my resolutions are to start on Christmas presents right away, doing three gifts or more a month, and to read through the Bible in a year. So far so good. I have nearly completed one gift and I have been keeping on track with the Bible reading schedule and enjoying it. I don't remember if I have ever on my own read through using one of those schedules. So this year I am going to see how I do. It has been an adventure for sure.

I do look forward to the coming months ahead of me and what this year has in store for me. Nathan and I will be married two years this May, I have hopes to start selling books on ebay here shortly, and hope to help Nathan rebuilt and sell a computer of his and raise money this way so that one day we might be able to build and sell computers to help out with the finances. We have just been discussing the possibility of making money this way. It is worth a try. Since my salsa idea really hasn't made much to count for anything, I have been a little disappointed in that field, but I have to move onward and keep trying new ways. There aren't many openings for employment in our area for either of us to make more money so that one day we can have a home and kids. And we really have no desire to live elsewhere. We like living in the mountains where we get all four seasons and snow comes with winter. Prices of living may be higher up here, but jobs sure are hard to find. So I really do hope I can start selling items that we have, and don't need, on ebay. Then if I make sufficient amounts of money and do well with ebay I would love to put it aside and save for a downpayment on a home and second car.

I have great exepectations for our future this year.

Why Christmas comes only once a year.

Christmas is over and I am hoping to be back into routine schedule this week. I always enjoy Christmas, but with this Christmas came hectic and leaving me frazzled most of the time. Christmas will never be the same and will never be easy again like it was when I was living with Mom and Dad. I no longer have just one Christmas to plan for. I have four Christmases! No joke either.
My first Christmas this year was our Christmas party we hosted the Thursday before Christmas. We were given a free turkey from a member of our Church the end of November. Putting it into the freezer to save for a later date, became our plans for a Christmas party at our place. I never thought I would ever see the day when I would roast my first turkey. I never imagined it would be this early in our married life. It proved to be the best turkey I had ever eaten and the most fun time I have ever hosted. We had corn, stuffing, turkey, green beans, sweet potato praline, rolls, and chocolate coated pretzels for the h'ors-doevres. Afterward, we drew numbers for the white elephant gift exchange. I was the only one there who had ever played this game so I explained the rules and then we had fun picking out our gifts.

My second Christmas was with Mom and Dad and the kids on Christmas morning. We drove down to GA the night before Christmas Eve and told all the kids we would only be spending Christmas Eve with them and leave after dinner. Well on Christmas Eve during dinner, we told them we couldn't open presents that night, but that we could in the morning. I loved the looks on their faces and the sputtered questions when they still didn't understand that we were staying for Christmas. Presents were opened the next morning. We received mostly home decor gifts and one book for Nathan. I enjoyed all my gifts and enjoyed giving our gifts to the kids.

The third Christmas happened at 10am at Gam's house. We all drove up to her house, brought our gifts to her, and exchanged gifts. Gam gave us a plant stand, a cookbook, two small bird houses, and an item that has slipped my mind at the moment. Nothing really that Nathan could enjoy, but he was a good sport about it and told me he was happy we got things for our sunroom. Most of all the decor we received is because everyone knows that we have a sunroom and wants to help us dcorate it. I got a kick out of all the sun room items we got out of the GA gifts. It really tickles me to think of how Mom and Gam thought of my sunroom when buying gifts for me. Ends up that I left half of my sunroom decor in Mom and Dad's house by accident. We remembered everything else, just not the ones that I could use the most right now. The watering can meant for a plant, a wheel barrow that is oh so cute. A cow bell that would look cute hanging on the wall. And one other item I am forgetting. Oh well! We will be down there hopefully in February. Mom is holding onto those items for us.

Finally, our fourth and last Christmas came Christmas afternoon and after our trip back to NC.
We dumped out our stockings and watched Cecilie open her gifts around 4:30 and 5 (really can't remember exact time). We then greeted the Greer's as they showed up soon after Cecilie opened her first gifts. Actually they greeted us since we were told to stay seated and not get up. I won't mention any names, but we were instructed not to go to the door as it was interrupting our stocking openings and Cecilie's first Christmas. That was very harsh on Mama and I. We wanted so much to go say "hello" and be at the door. After Cecilie went down for naptime, we ate dinner and cleaned up. Jake arrived and we all sat down to open presents together. Nathan got a new shirt and over jacket, a couple other items, and, his favorite of all, a flat screen LCD monitor for his computer. This, he didn't ask for and didn't expect, but we knew he wanted it. Oh the look on his face!! I couldn't express my joy for him enough. Everyone was excited to see him open that. He didn't know what it was at first and didn't read the box until he turned it over to see the other side (which looked exactly like the front side). I got a cookbook, photo frame, a coat, a much wanted book called Dewey, and a Zune mp3 player.

All the gifts we gave for Christmas were: two movies for Chad, two teddy bears for Susanna (I made the scarves for them), a book for Nathan, plates for Mama, a clock for Daddy, a scarf for mom, a covered brick bookend for Dad, books for Sarah, Hannah, and Marjory, a kite for Laura, Hannah, Marjory, and Alaina, a book for Michael, a chopping block for Jack and Miranda, cookies for all my siblings, a movie for Gabe and Lacey, cookies for the Greers, a Monopoly game for Jake, a scarf for Samantha, a picture in a frame for Gam, and a picture in a frame for Aunt Laura. I think that covers it all. I have to say the framed photos were the easiest gifts. But now that my camera doesn't work, I can't do that for Christmas next year, unless I get one for my birthday. My favorite gifts I gave this year were the cookies, the book for Nathan, and the teddy bears for Susanna. My favorite gifts I received were the book Dewey, my Betty Crocker cookbook, and my mp3 player. Though I enjoyed all the gifts I received and all of them involved a lot of thoughfulness put into them.

My new years resolution for 2009 is to work on the presents starting in January. That way we aren't broke working on Christmas just in December. I agreed with Nathan that I will at least work on two or three gifts a month. That isn't too bad and isn't hard at all. Even if a gift is bought, it is the smarter way to go. Only one or two gifts bought a month is not going to put us on the streets. I really like this idea aned am going to start right away at writing a Christmas list.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

How would you like your salt?

Last night, I made a crock pot roast beef for dinner. With it I made mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, and a side of mixed vegetables. Our all time favorite southern meal.
After Nathan blessed the meal, I grabbed a biscuit and was buttering it while Nathan was cutting his roast beef and salting it using our dove salt shaker. I started for the beef plate, when there, in the middle of the beef juice, was the dove shaker looking much like a duck in a pond. "Nathan!" I shrieked his name. We both stared at the salt shaker, like it just happened to land there, then we burst into uncontrollable laughter while Nathan wiped down and replaced the shaker to its stand. I would expect this out of my brother, with no surprise, but never Nathan! What was he thinking?

What we have!

When I woke up this morning and found that Obama had won the election, I was sorely disappointed, but I began to think. Will this really change things for us? Will it make us completely different people? Obama speaks of changing things. He cannot change our voice as Christians. I have hope that America can become better than this. That we can change things for better in this nation. We need to quit hiding and being embarrassed to stand up for Christ.  

I wanted to be angry at all those who refused to vote altogether and at those who refused to vote for the lesser of two evils in order to assure that Obama didn't become president. But I must not let my anger drown out what I, as a Christian, should show the nation. The light! We mustn't let our anger drown out what an awesome opportunity we have to share His light to the nation. We still have the freedom of speech here! Be thankful for this! 

I know that God still is. "I AM that I AM." He is the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end. That gives me hope. Romans 8:28 reminds me that He brought this about, he knew Obama would become president. He allowed this to happen. It will bring about good in our Nation. I have Him to thank for that! I can thank God for this newly elected president, because of our opportunity we have to proclaim His Word to our nation. Obama may try to stop our voices, but he will fail. God never fails! We shouldn't be afraid of what will happen to us, but what will happen to those around us we care about that are not saved. The everlasting result is what should be our concern today. Please remember this.  

As I was going about my morning routine, I was reminded of a hymn that is most familiar to us.

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.

'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved 

How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers toils and snares, I have already come;

'Tis grace has 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.

And when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil a life of joy and peace.  

These stanzas John Newton wrote in 1779. They are still words we remember today, 230 years later! And they are a reminder that God's grace will still be with us. Romans 8:28 comes to mind when I sing the line "The Lord has promised good to me." I am reminded of this verse daily. 

God's grace will prevail! His Words shines ever on! It will never fail! We must not be angry and must not let our anger get in the way of using this time to witness to those who don't see the light and who want to give up on America. We shall not give up! We have God on our side! What a wonderful opportunity it will be to show our faces and let His light shine through us! We must remember to "Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice!" Do not forget His voice!

What makes unpacking a house similar to Christmas?

You never know what you are going to unwrap when unpacking boxes labeled 'breakables' and 'knick knacks.'  

Yesterday I found sea shell after sea shell and other treasured collectibles that had so many memories attached to them. This has truly been the highlight of unpacking. Remembering much of my past in these object. I am nearly done with the un-boxing and I almost don't want to see an end to it. Every little item boxed up has an event and memory I treasure. It is the memory behind it that makes it more special than the object itself, ho

wever ugly or knarled it may be. 

Yesterday, I came accross this small, tan, and ugly donkey statue  that my Mother once had in her bathroom and that previously used to belong to our Lake Burton house. No one else had wanted this donkey when Mom's siblings divided the possessions among themselves after the lake house sold. Mom reluctantly took it home with her remembering that it used to be hers. She came to find out that Dad really liked it, so we kept it in o

ur living room for the longest time until Mom decided to put it in her bathroom.

Since then, there have been so many memories attached to this donkey, but the most memorable one happened when Hannah was just learning to use the potty...

Hannah was 2 or 2 1/2 years old. Because Mom showed her how to use the potty in her bathroom and because that was where

 her step stool was, she only used Mom's bathroom. One day Hannah was needing to use the bathroom and had run to the the toilet, but came running back sobbing and shouting out, "Mommy, he is looking at me." Hannah took Mom's hand and led her to the bathroom pointing emphatically to the donkey statue that was posing by the sink and facing the direction of the toilet with that whimsical smile on his face. Thinking that Hannah was merely scared of the donkey,  Mom removed him from the bathroom momentarily while Hannah was in the bathroom and placed it back where it was when Ha

nnah had finished washing her hands.

This went on for a couple of weeks. One day, Mom happened to be in her bathroom cleaning or taking out the laundry from the hamper, when she noticed the donkey was turned with its face to the wall. Hannah must have had to use the bathroom so bad that she couldn't wait for Mom to take Donkey away from the room so she turned it around instead. What we had all mistakenly thought of as a fear of the donkey itself, was really just the need for privacy. For several weeks Mom had grown accustomed to seeing the donkey faced away from the toilet and often would forget to shift it back to its original position. Then Hannah grew out of her ways and the donkey was forgotten and later put among a pile of give-aways in the hallway. In memory of Hannah and the donkey, I couldn't resist and adopted him as my own. 

Truly a Miracle

Now that I have a little bit more time to relax, let me tell you what has happened in my life recently.  

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 started out like most days for me. 

We had our friend Jake over for dinner the night before and he had asked about the apartment for rent of which the sign at the top of our drive was announcing. I knew it wasn't one of our apartments in our complex. So I told him I hadn't a clue. 

On Wednesday, I told him I would call and ask for him. His friend needed an apartment that was affordable and that was a little more private than the one she is living in now. I called and found out it was $450 a month and a $200 deposit. I was shocked at this information. Surely she would be able to afford that! I began to get excited for her, hoping I would be her neighbor. I relayed the information to Jake and left it at that. The next day, I found out that she wasn't interested, but I thought maybe I could take a peak at the apartments just for curiosity sake. I called the owner and asked more detailed questions. "How many bedrooms?" was my only curiosity about the apartment for rent. She told me there are really two apartments with two bedrooms, one is a cottage and one in the complex and they are both the same price and deposit. I set up an appointment for the next day to see both of them. I thought about our friend Keith and how he has been wanting to move into a more private apartment. I knew that the cottage would be of interest to him. 

Friday, October 17, I met with Helen Henson and saw the complex apartment and was in shock that for two bedrooms, a bigger kitchen than ours, a sun room, dining room, living room, screen porch, and washer and dryer it was still only $450 a month. And still just a $200 deposit. Even though I was in awe, I knew it wasn't for us. And that is how I was going to view it, no more, no less. The cottage came next. It was just two bedrooms, a screen porch, kitchen, and living room area attached to kitchen. Nothing big, nothing fancy, but cozy. Just a tad bigger than our apartment. I went home and relayed the information to Nathan. Keith had already set up an appointment with Helen and was going to see both as well around 5:00. Nathan told me, "let take the big one." He didn't have to see it to know he wanted it. I had already asked the lady about cats and found out she didn't want animals in her apartments. I decided not to tell this to Nathan and called the lady up. I asked her if I could please pay a pet deposit on top of the $200, because my husband really wanted the apartment but would be broken without the cats. After thinking it over, she told me we could keep the cats and only pay the $200 deposit. Nathan saw the apartment, didn't say anything about wanting it, and went on to the cottage and spoke with Keith. Keith was taking the cottage. I was so happy I could cry. I was getting a dear friend for a neighbor as well. When we got to Helen's house, Nathan spoke up, "We'll take it." I quickly replied to him, "really?!?" My excitement overflowed. Tears were unstoppable at this point. On our walk to the car, I do believe a tear escaped. We talked it all over on our way to Cashiers for the weekend.

Saturday October 18, we paid the deposit and started packing some of my knick knacks. Monday and Tuesday all our possessions except our bed and cleaning solutions were moved. Wednesday we were officially living in our new apartment. This was a miracle that it even happened. Truly a miracle. Nathan and I had always planned that he would have to get a better job in order to be able to live in a bigger apartment. Never did we think we could get a bigger apartment with a second room on what we make now. And with a second room, we can have guests, a baby one day and still have room for another baby another time. There are two rooms right now, but our sun room will convert into a bedroom as soon as we can get rid of one of the sofas in our apartment one day. It belong with the apartment. I am going to ask if I may buy it from her. If that happens, then I will trade it at a thrift store for a chair. God has provided us a miracle that I never dreamed would happen. And it only took three days to get moved into our new home. Though it is new to us, the apartment complex is an old old building built in 1929. It was built with cement walls and floors. No need to worry about termites. We went from having one window and a sliding glass door, to having 27 windows. Literally, I am counting my blessings one by one. I was happy with where I was and saw no need for another place for a long time, and here I am sitting in a miracle that happened in our lives. I call it a miracle and that is what it is. Truly a miracle!

Busy!

Well, we are moving! Up the driveway to a bigger complex where we live on the third floor. Well depending on which side you look at. On the one side, we are the third floor, but on the other side, our entrance is up one flight of stairs and on the second floor. Because of a bank on one side, we are the second floor up through the entrance. I will be very busy for the next couple of weeks.

Sorry...

I know I haven't been updating as often as I should. Lately I haven't had much happen in my life. I applied for three jobs at the Macon County Library, haven't heard from them yet. I will be applying for a job at a  bank as soon as they post the job on their website. I know it is available through a friend who works there, but I just haven't seen it on the website yet and online is the only way to apply. Besides that, I don't really have much to talk about here. So I am sorry you don't have an interesting update. I have been cooking, cleaning, eating, making sure Nathan eats only the good stuff, finding ways to preoccupy myself now that I am not working at the chocolate store. They aren't doing a lot of business. I do struggle to find things to do all the time. I can't read all day, and I can't clean all day either. And there is no driving if I don't have a licence. If I get one of the four available jobs, I will go ahead and take the test and put my name on Nathan's insurance and start driving Nathan's car myself since he doesn't use it. He carpools with a friend and saves gas. Well that is really all that I have to say right now. I wish there was more for me to write about. 

well I am hungry. When I am inspired to write something I will do so, until then, this is it!

Christmas preparations must begin now!

I can hardly believe that Christmas is just a few months away. Although I have trouble imagining that we will already have elected a president by then, I know that Christmas time will come no matter which candidate is in office. For now I must not worry but leave all things into God's hands and begin on Christmas presents. I have already wrapped one Christmas present and set it aside and am working hard on hand-crafting most of my gifts for this year. Last year's plan for Christmas presents were a success in my opinion and so I have already come up with new ideas for hand-crafted presents for this year. I have written out my ideas next to the gift receivers' names and have embaked on a journey that will probably last me until Christmas time at the rate I have started and at the looks of the list. This should keep me busy for the "home season," as I have decided to call the cold season where I have to stay indoors until spring rolls around or until I get my drivers license. As long as a list is made, it will get done. The feeling of accomplishment is worth it in the end.

 I  believe that there are only a small handful of people on my list for whom I am buying gifts. The rest get hand made items. And then there are those on my list that I have no idea what to get them. Generally that means it must be a male gift receiver. Guys are just too difficult to get gifts for and generally have no clue what in the world  it is they just opened up on Christmas day. It then becomes the present of the day he least wants to open because of the guilt in not having the knowledge or understanding that it takes to be able to say, "thank you so much for this _____, I am looking forward to using it!" If I make anything for those few guys on my list, I will be sure to attach instructions to the gift!

For now, I have only one hour left of the day before Nathan comes home. Although I enjoy the sound of the door opening and Nathan's greeting to the kitties at the door, I know that I won't get much done with my big baby being home. :D He is a big distraction and will attempt to foil my plans of trying to accomplish anything important! 

A blessing from God

Thursday September 2nd I went to my chiropractor for and adjustment of my lower back, upper back and kneck. It was while he was feeling my spine that he said the words to me that I hace been longing to know all these months of going in and being adjusted. He described to me that what he felt now and what he saw on the x-ray were not the same, that he knows if I had an x-ray done sometime soon that it will show that my scoliosis is going away. He believes that it is much different than it was when I had x-rays taken. He also thinks that in time my scoliosis will be completely gone. Some of it will depend on my body and how well I take care of it. I did nearly cry while sitting there with a dumb face while he told me all these things. I had been wanting to hear those words for some time now. My scoliosis came about because of my horse accident when I was 14 years old. I just didn't know that my hip would come out of place and cause all that at the time. I used to wish none of that had happened to spare me from all the pain I suffered to my hip and lower back. But as Nathan tells me again and againg, if that had never happened, I may not have become the person I am now. That God causes these things to happen for a reason. I may not have been content with what I have now and how I am now. I truly believe Nathan is 100% correct when he tells me these things. 

    He is right. I know it in my heart that God wanted me to feel the full effects of a blessed Christian by going through what I went through in order to get better and know that He is the one who heals and takes care of me. At the beginning of my visits I had my doubts and the chiropractor had his doubts that my spine would ever allign itself to  the normal spine curvature. I know that even if it doesn't completely return to the norm, I will still have gone through all this for 

a reason. To see God's hand in all this. He truly is an awesome God. He can heal me where other doctors don't believe there can be a change! Through my chiropractor, God is healing me. Most doctors will tell you that there is nothing that can be done about scoliosis. They don't always tell you that there is the option of chiropractic care. Most doctors don't really believe chiropractors will help. It is only in the last few years that chir

opractors have been accepted by medical and health insurance companies. 

   I pray that my scoliosis will completely go away.

 Even if it doesn't, I know that all this did happen 

for good and was not in vain. 

I recently got a laptop (as of yesterday) and am having so much fun with the web cam included. It is fuzzy and not the best camera, but it works!

plans of poundcake and how it turned out...

Yesterday, between five loads of laundry, I pulled out Nathan's mother's sour cream pound cake recipe and got to work making his birthday cake. After making a royal mess and enjoying the work, I filled up my castle bunt pan with the wonderful smelling pound cake batter and put it into the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let it bake for an hour. During that hour, I cleaned the kitchen and folded clothes, every once in a while checking on the cake and the next load of laundry. And to add to my growing list, I still had yet to get him a birthday card or birthday cake candles. Not only that, but I had no idea how I was going to sneak getting ice cream to go with his cake, since Nathan was going to be going grocery shopping with me. It wasn't until an hour before he got off work that I found the perfect plan. It happened like this...

Nathan got off work, came home to me, dropped me off at the grocery store while he went to Wal-mart to get the second season of Stargate SG-1, picked me up at the grocery store, then drove home where I unloaded all the groceries without him ever noticing the ice cream. Not to mention that I sneaked the card by walking to town at 3:50 to purchase one in a local gift store.
The first surprise came when we were sitting down to eat his birthday dinner, an egg and sausage quiche. I had ordered him the third season of Stargate SG-1 thinking we would already have ordered or bought the second season, but not knowing that Nathan would be getting it on his birthday. This I had placed, fully wrapped, by his dinner plate just prior to him getting off the computer to join me in his birthday dinner. After he had finished his second helping and gulped down the rest of his milk, he unwrapped season three and was totally surprised and had quite a joyful expression on his face. After the kisses I received, we cleared the table and called my mother to ask her how she was doing. Just prior to Nathan's departure from work, I had called Mom to ask her a question only to receive a hurried explanation that she had been in a car accident. She is ok and all the kids that were in the car with her are fine as well.

Earlier in the day, a package had come in the mail (from my family) for Nathan and me. We opened that package but only Nathan opened his present. A G.A. Henty book that he didn't already own. I had several presents wrapped, but a message telling me "Please on the gifts on the birthdays 18th and 22nd." While I was on the phone with Mom I asked her about this message and she replied, "I had to rewrite that message two times because of Alaina and it still isn't right?" The first "on" of the message was supposed to be "open" as I had already figured out. I liked it better the way it was though, knowing full well that love was spend in writing it and besides, that is the mother I remember. I will never forget seeing her handwriting on a grocery list saying "pink ponk balls" and knowing that she wanted us to get ping-pong balls.

After "happy birthdays!" were shouted over the phone to Nathan, I spoke to Hannah on the phone until the phone's battery started chirping its dying "beep" song. Saying "good-bye," I hung up the phone and plugged it in to the charger and then cleaned up the dinner mess and threw away the gift wrap while discussing with Nathan which we would watch that night, Walking Tall or SG-1. It was decided that we would watch a few episodes of SG-1. I figured that would be the birthday decision. Just prior to going to the bedroom to watch, I pulled out Nathan's hidden castle, inserted a lemon votive candle in the middle, and lit it singing "happy birthday" and walking to Nathan's computer chair. Sitting in his chair, Nathan's face showed complete ecstasy and surprise at the castle cake. I don't think he knew that I would make it in my castle cake pan, but I am sure he was expecting a dessert of some form. Nathan blew the candle out slowly and said "thank you, Dorry. I don't think I can top this!" He was referring to my birthday this Friday. I told him, "well I did have all day to plan this, but I am sure you will do fine!" While he had his back turned I hurried to the freezer and popped out the pint of vanilla ice cream and quickly served the plates of cake, topping it off with the ice cream. That was another surprise for him. I still had two more surprises left.

Upon finishing the dessert, Nathan gave me a big hug and kiss and expressed his love and appreciation for what I did to make the end of his day special. While he put the cake back in its place, I hid in the bathroom to write on his birthday card. I placed it in front of the tv, where he would surely see it while he inserted the dvd into the player. He did discover it and enjoyed it. The last surprise of the day was our newly washed sheets. I had been behind on changing them and finally got around to doing it and washing it. Upon slipping his feet under the covers, he sighed and told me he loved me so much and that he was proud of all that I had done for him in just one day. We cuddled up together in bed and watched two episodes of SG-1 then turned off the light and tv, snuggled up, said our "I love yous," and somewhere between giggles and kisses, we fell asleep.

a break...

While working at the chocolate store just last week, I noticed a huge slow down and change in the days. Hardly anyone was coming into the store and buying products or gift merchandise. I suspected that I probably wouldn't be needed for awhile until tourism picks up again in October. My suspicions proved correct and so I offered to be considered an "on call" employee of Chocolate Obsession. This brought relief to Sharon, since I could tell that having to let me go for the rest of the season would not have been an easy thing to tell me. I am glad that I spoke up and suggested it first. This way she knows that I am ok with her decisions and nothing she says will hurt me or cause our friendship to end. After giving her a hug on Thursday afternoon and leaving, I knew I would miss being busy all day everyday during the weeks, but I also knew that this means that I have more time for making salsa. It is my prayer that I will be able to make enough money through selling salsa in order to live a little more comfortably financially. I have already dropped off my first batch at the chocolate store where I hope they will sell. Now I just have to wait. Until they sell, I will not be canning any more. These two recent happenings are sad for me, but are for the best. However, I am enjoying planning out different ways to please my husband! Today is his birthday. I have lots to plan and lots that I have already accomplished. So far five loads of laundry are complete, the kitchen is clean, the bedroom is clean, and my plans are already set in motion and working, only they won't be done for a good bit yet. I will get back to you on how the day goes, seeing as Nathan may read this (then again he may not). God's timing is perfect. If I hadn't taken off for the season at the Chocolate Obsession store, then I wouldn't have been able to accomplish all that I have done today!