Thought I would share this picture of my Dad. He served as a Seabee during WWII.
For those years I thought anyone in a Navy uniform was my Daddy! Wasn't he a cutie!

I've been reading "Jessie" by Lori Wick. At one point in the book one of her characters talks about becoming a pupil of the pupil. This is how she puts it . . . the following are excerpts from her book:

"What does the pupil in the eye do when it encounters light? It shrinks. It diminishes. Unless damaged or impaired by poor health, the pupil gets as small as possible as fast as it can. . . . . How do I respond to light, and by light this time I mean God's light? Do I see my own smallness? Do I grasp how tiny I am in God's light? . . . . .When I compare the shrinking of my pupil to humility and an understanding of its place in my life, I realize that when the light shines, "I" must diminish. I must grow tiny and know my place. . . . . I must shrink when I see how huge and amazing the Creator is who made eyes. Eyes that don't have to be trained to get small when the light comes in. Eyes made exactly as we need them because God is a perfect, Creator God."

What a concept! Our eyes are created to respond to light in just the right way. We, however, let our own egos keep us from responding to the "God's Light" in a humble manner. This certainly needs to be thought about.

Housekeeping chores

Ok -- I'm learning how it is done! I removed the four single pictures and got the slide show back.

This has been a very busy week -- My friend has almost finished the hooded cape she is making, and has been brave enough to fix her own problem when the thread wound itself around the bobbin case. She is still sewing on the decorative ribbon else it would have been a great day for Hannah to have worn it. It was cold this morning!

I bought some black posterboard for the picture exhibit I'm doing for the Anniversary/Reunion. OD -- where are you when I need your scrapbooking talents!

V and I have been working on her spelling and reading skills (she was restricted from TV for two days due to a sassy mouth.) She normally makes high grades on spelling but last week she failed the test. Have no idea why. She gets in too big a hurry, I think.

Class went well -- had just the Chinese students this week and we worked hard on opposits. hot/cold hard/soft. etc., and they learned quite a few new words. They did excellent work on the lesson on reading comprehension. I used a new book and think perhaps it is too easy. Both of them wrote in their journals and only required a few corrections. They have these marvelous devices that allow them to type in an English word and get the Chinese translation. There are some English words that are difficult to translate without using other, equally difficult, English words. Sometimes I just have them look them up on their little machines.

Well, I need to say Good-night and get the dinner put away -- Catfish Veracruz! Yum! Tomorrow night we dine with friends.

I had a slide show of some Alaskan pictures but it died. Don't know what happened but I haven't been able to resurrect it so here are three pictures -- I asked for more but this is what I got.
Oh, well, perhaps I'll figure it all out one of these days.

Alaska is a wonderful place to visit -- I'd like to go back again.

This evening didn't turn out like I expected. I had planned to shop a little, then go home, eat left-over Mexican food, and then do nothing in particular.

I was walking around in the new Hobby Lobby, talking to Sweetie on my cell, and someone called my name. It was a former ESL student. She was with her little daughter and they were looking at sewing patterns. We started talking and someway, don't ask me how, I ended up at her house giving her a sewing lesson. She has a new machine but no scissors that are descent for cutting cloth, didn't know how to thread the machine or to load a bobbin. We had to make a quick trip to my house for scissors and stopped off and bought pizza. It was an interesting evening and she is going to show up at King's Quilters on Monday -- is canceling her other plans so she can be there. We will probably finish the little hooded cape on Monday -- it is 75% done. She asked if she can come to our quilting meetings even if she does not quilt. I said yes, but quilting is a wonderful way to learn to sew. We'll see what happens. I have a sewing project that I want to do and a quilt top pinned and ready to be quilted -- and is a cute thing. I used a scrap of material someone gave me that has dinosaurs in primary colors against a white background. I sewed "logs" around it each dino, also in primary colors. The backing is a print of fish bones in primary colors. I know fish bones aren't exactly compatible with dinosaurs but somehow it works. Now it just needs to be quilted and bound and it will be ready for some new little baby to love.

Sweetie hasn't called tonight -- perhaps he went to bed early. I don't know what time they will leave tomorrow but they must break camp and repack before they leave. Will be a long day.
Hope all goes well.

Goodnight all!

OGS didn't show up this morning -- he was supposed to be here at 10 am to earn the money for his move. Didn't show! So much for his sense of responsibility. I'm sure he is still asleep. Oh well, not my problem.

Beautiful cool morning -- turned the a/c off again last night and slept well. I've been busy all morning. Tonight I'm dining out with a friend. That should be fun!

I think I'm going shopping Saturday. My last "free" day before Sweetie returns. I've really missed him.

What do we do?

OGS has decided to move to another city, about 3 hours from here. He thinks he will get a job (instantly, of course), move in with two strangers that know someone he knows and who can't easily pay their rent, and life will be grand.

I, on the other hand, think this is a disaster waiting to happen. Someone suggested that I save some money to take to bail him out when it all hits the fan!

What can we do? Pastor said some people just have to learn things the hard way. Guess this is one young man who has to do it that way. He hasn't been working for over a month -- actually, more like 2 months, I think. Didn't like working and didn't like having to pay "rent/food" while living at home. So, he just quit. No income, no having to pay -- right? Never keeps any job he gets so why does he think it will be different when he moves away? My Mom said he will end up sleeping on a park bench. I just hope that is the worse thing that happens. I don't want to think of him dead under a park bench.

I'd really like to convince him to join the army. It would provide so much of what he needs -- discipline, job training, camaraderie, a sense of belonging, discipline, getting to travel, a regular pay check, clothing allowance, and did I mention -- discipline? There are many army jobs he could apply for that might send him in the right direction.

I know about his plans because he called to ask me if he can come and work for me and get paid so he will have food money for two or three days, while he is getting his job. He said that "someone" doesn't think he has it all together and won't provide any money. Well, "someone" doesn't have money to provide him with and he doesn't have it all together. He is supposed to come over here to wash windows on Thursday.

Here we go again -- worrying about the kid. No matter how much he beats his chest and proclaims that he is an ADULT, he is really still just a kid!

This sounds like a disaster to me.

What do you think?

It is happening -- RAIN. Thank you, Lord. We needed it!

Just Playing

With Sweetie gone I'm having a week that is not my usual fare. Not much in the way of schedule -- oh, I have some things that have to be done at certain times but in other things I get to suit myself. Yesterday my BF and I went shopping and then to lunch. Hancock Fabrics had a Columbus Day sale and I had a gift card and coupons and decided to just get what I wanted! I did -- used up the gift card, the coupon, and some of my own money, but it was fun. I LOVE fabric! I bought some blue and some red for the "Texas" pot holders that I am making for my students, several spools of thread (1/2 price!), a number of "fat quarters" for a project I have in mind, and some insulated batting (for the pot holders.) Such fun! I enjoyed talking sewing and quilting with the clerks.
After shopping, BF and I had salads and talked and thoroughly enjoyed the time together.

I was loaned a book about Sitka, Alaska, and enjoyed looking at it. In one picture there is a picture of a Priest (Russian Orthodox?) wearing a beautiful cape. I looked at that cape and saw a quilt! So, I sat down to my computer and my EQ5 and designed one -- which I named Sitka!
What fun.

(The Quilt Show is coming, Hooray, Hooray!)

Another stop in my morning out was to the garden center where I found a large rosemary plant at 70% off! I have wanted one for some time but refused to pay the price asked. 70% discount is more my speed! Now I just need to make "Rosemary and Garlic Chicken."

I have laundry going and have been watering some. I am hoping the Lord will water for me today -- and I hear rumbles in the distance, but it hasn't come here so far. Haven't had real rain since the day after Ike.

Sweetie has asked my how I picture MY retirement. Do women who don't work outside the home get to retire? That is the question I am currently interested in. If Sweetie retires, (and he does plan to one of these days, Lord willing and the stock market doesn't crash) he won't get up and go to work every day. That will be a very visable change. What will change for me? He will be here more, and that will be nice. But, that isn't a BIG change in my routine. I joke that we are going to have a new "Division of Labor" when he retires. Does that sound logical? I wonder what other women have done. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Sweetie went off on a big adventure, without me (sigh, sniff). I could have gone but wanted him to have this time alone (with 3,000 others) so he could experience it to whatever degree appealed to him. This trip is his birthday gift from himself to himself. Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Meanwhile, back at the farm, I'm lonesome. Wouldn't you know, there is no good TV tonight and I don't want to start sewing because I'm already tired. I guess I can do a little genealogy and then read or go to bed early. I have a lot planned for the rest of my time alone but tonight was a little vacant.

Before they left (3 in all) I was asked to pray for their safety. Of course, by then I was already teary eyed and I sniffled through the prayer. I know the Lord heard, however, and am trusting Him to provide the safety that I asked for. Sweetie kissed me several times and I guarantee you he didn't have tears in his eyes. He was just tickled to be going and excited to the bone! Have a great time, my love!

Are any of you lonesome?

Showers of Blessings!

I'm home again -- a week or so ago a parent has to be hospitalized. I left the next morning and drove to be with them during whatever ordeal was in coming.
10 days later I went home -- parent over the ordeal and at home and doing oh-so-much-better!
What a blessing. We had so many people praying for all of us.
Sweetie came down for two days and one night -- it was lovely to be together. (On my way home we met in a small near-by town and ate lunch together -- talked and talked and talked. That is something I miss when I'm away from home -- the sweet fellowship we have.)

Then, another blessing. After I got home friends called and invited us to join in on an impromptu get-together. Steaks on the bar-b along with this and that on the side. I took ice cream and we all pigged out! Friends are such a blessing.
This morning was church. Another blessing -- so many friends hugged me and complimented me on my haircut and told me I had been missed, etc. Lots of visitors, so I was very busy. Wonderful sermon. Yes, showers of blessings! We sing about them but it is so much more wonderful when we experience them.

"Morning by morning new mercies I see!"
How true.