Town and Country

When I'm near the water...all of my cares fall away.  This is a private lake in town.  It is a great place to relax.  If you throw a handful of dog food into the water, catfish and turtles will come and eat.   

 

 

Locals refer to our National Forest as Gov'ment land.  There is a lot of Gov'ment land in our county.  Deer are prevalent on that land...and they are protected.  These deer are not on Gov'ment land...they are on private property....I'm not sure if they are protected here or not...

 

 Look Mom ... people!  (This fawn is tiny)

 

 

 Back on the farm...good son is disking up the garden.  We have to get these weeds under control so that we can get a fall garden in.   If things are as usual around here...we will work long and hard to get the soil just right for planting.  We will plant the seeds ever so carefully.  We will wait and wait.  We will wonder....and then we will decide that it was just too hot around here for a fall garden!  At this point one might think that we would be discouraged...but we want.   We will plant a winter garden.  Good things grow in the winter. 

 

 

 Look!  Creepy things crawl around here.....

 

 

 I found these old magazines at a little sale the other day. They are dated in the forties.  Americans had to make do with what they had and according to one advertisement not everyone used sheets on their beds...ewwww!  Note to self....something else to be thankful for....sheets!

 

 

 We are having Cowboy and Cowgirl camp at Bella's and Poppy's this week!  Our two youngest Grands are coming up for this.  Their big Sis and Momma are going to church camp!  Ye haw!!! We are going to have fun!

Blessings from the "ranch" that is out in the pasture!

Small Town America

In small town America, great things happen.  I love it when ordinary people do extraordinary things.  At a small fire station in a small community, a family made the decision to honor another family member by providing the funds for a new fire truck to be purchased in his honor.  The honored one has volunteered at the station and has volunteered for many other things for many years.  The community knows that if ever help is needed this man will always be up to the task.  At this very special event.....the community turned out ...for him.  

                                         Volunteer and paid fireman alike, respond when called. 
                                                                                                                              

                                                       Everything clean and in order.

At this fire station....they name their trucks.  The new truck has been named Bubba 1!

The candles on this cake were lit and the cake nearly burned while we waited for all of the kind words to be said.  But no fear....the fire sirens came on and in an instant a fire truck with fireman showed up to "take care" of the fire!   All in fun!

Fireman came  to see the new truck and honor their friend.

Consider volunteering....at anything.  Volunteers have made America great.

Say a prayer of thanks today....we really do live in the greatest country in the world.  Blessings to you from the pasture!

Vacation Bible School

Every summer the beaches become crowded with tourists and locals alike and every summer most of the churches in our country will host a Vacation Bible School.   

This week the sweet country church where Sweetheart and I attend will host theirs.  Every child is so special and it so important that they learn this while they are young.  I will be working on the Mission Team. 

The children will come and sit and my team will put on a puppet show that will explain how missionaries go where the people are that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. ( Because I have never worked with a puppet  before....I'm a little apprehensive....sometimes I get tickled and well...I'm going to try to be very serious.)

This is my family (not the birds) during our Florida trip last year.  I hope the kiddos at VBS will be as anxious for what we will share with them as these gulls were for this bread!

 Is this not precious?  I get to share Jesus with little ones (and bigger ones too) just like him.  This is my adorable Grand-Son.   Sweetheart and I are......crazy in love with our grands!  You know as much as we love them....God loves them even more!  Wow, think on that..

Treasures ... to be remembered forever!  Time spent with the ones we love is so precious.  The children that will attend VBS this year will make memories that they will remember when they are old!

 A walk along the beach just sharing time together.  We will do a lot of  sharing and listening at VBS.  When our kiddos have questions....we have to have the answers!

Well, I've shared some of our vacation pictures with you, while  telling you about some memory making VBS time.  I have VBS memories...I hope you do to! 

Have a blessed week and say a special prayer for all of the little ones who have and will attend VBS this summer!   From behind a puppet stand....this week....blessings to you!

A Sweet Story

This is a story about a World War II soldier.  It is the story of my Dad.  He served with U.S. forces in Italy, France, and Germany.  For furlough, the troops were allowed to go over to Switzerland.  Dad fell in love with the beautiful countryside there. 

 

 

This is my Dad.. posing somewhere in Switzerland during World War II.

When Dad finished his tour.  He came back home.  He resumed life in the free world but never forgot the beauty he saw in Switzerland.

Dad met my Mother when she was very young.  They dated for less than a year and married.  Dad took Momma to many places.  They took some wonderful vacations together.  But Dad wanted to go back to that beautiful country and he wanted to take his bride with him.  They talked often of making this trip but time ... slipped away. 

For Christmas in 2012, a special gift sat under "Granny's" Christmas Tree.  A Grandson decided that it was time Dad's Bride made that trip.  He and his bride would accompany her to that beautiful country.  Grandson invited his sister to come along.... So in July of 2013... Momma and three of her grown grandchildren took off to Switzerland.   It's easy to see what my precious Dad saw.  This place is....beautiful.

  While Dad didn't get to hold Mamma's hand and see everything along with her, I want to think that .... he was there, smiling every time she smiled and enjoying it all along with her.

                                      Blessings.....from Switzerland.....and our pasture here in Texas!

Cooking Camp at Bella's and Poppy's

Beautiful hot weather...perfect time for ...Cooking Camp!

    

The girls came up and ...they are ready for some cooking! 

Muffins were first on the agenda.  They were yummy.  We took some to a dear homebound friend.  She was grateful.  She is also an artist.  My girls were very impressed.  When we came home...they wanted to paint!

We went out to the herb garden and picked us some fragrent herbs to make our own herb vinegar.  They liked doing this...but were not sure if they would ever use it.  You know vinegar is g-r-o-c-e when you are a kid!

We made pizza dough ... the real kind.  Yeast, kneading, rise time, they loved this.  Their Aunt Kee Kee came over and ask if they wanted to go to the pool...hmmmm....really...of course.  Pool over cooking any day!...Can I come too?  Nope....I  stayed home and made the pizza!  (And took a little rest...yep Bella is tired!)

I showed them how to use the grater.  The old fashion kind.   No electric power to operate this little gadget.  Our youngest grand found out what happens when you get your knuckles to close.....some lessons hurt a little!

Swimmers are home....here is one of the pizzas.  Two were made.  The other one was not really picture material....maybe Bella got in to big of a hurry to get it finished so that she could.....rest....! 

Sweet brother-n-law and sis grew watermelons in their garden.  So....we had watermelon!  I love having the kids around.  A house feels like a home when there is kid noise inside.  I love the running in the house, toys strolled everywhere, dirty clothes in the bathroom and always drink cups just about everywhere.  I look at them and realize....this is my heritage....our future belongs in their hands.  Maybe next I'll have Bella's Clean the House Camp....na....no fun in that!  Maybe we'll have a sewing camp....they would love that! 

Blessings from out here in the pasture to all the little ones .. and blessings to you too!

It's Monday!

Mr. Donkey just can't leave these saw horses alone.  If I pick them up he is going to knock them over.  Every ... time.

My Grand girls are up.  We went out early to watch the cows get up and start their day.  Mr. Donkey came right over to us, stood in front of us and stared.

My Loyal Companion wants to be a cow....dog.  If he finds an old horn in the pasture, he will carry it around.  Don't try to take it from him....he want share.

There was a promise of rain!  We need it.  The pasture is so dry.  Part of the creek is even dry.  At the end of the day the promise was just that...a promise....no rain though!  Maybe tomorrow!

My chicken girls have been working overtime.  Mr. Big Stuff wishes I would stop talking about the girls...he likes to remind me of his special-ness.  OK...He is special!

This week at our house we are having a "cooking camp" for our girls!  More to come on this!  They are really so much fun!  There is still work to do on my kitchen...but there is no time to waste...my girls are growing way too fast.  (And they don't care if things are finished or not....they just want to have fun!..me too!)

He put his cow horn down just for this picture!  He threw his head up...ears flying back and barked a hardy audios!  (All the french words are taking place in the kitchen this week!)

Keep an eye out for the little things in life...there you will find so many of God's special blessings!  From cow horns to giggling girls, we are surrounded by love and blessings...From my kitchen this week...blessings to you!

Happy 4th

Celebrate our country! 

It's that time of year.  Peas!  Dad and Moma raised their family on farm fresh peas.  We have all raised our families on...peas!  They grow well down here in the south.  The deer like them as much as we do and lately the coons like them.  This was the first pick of the girls garden.  We stayed up, shelled peas, watched a good movie and had a good time. 

The pile just wouldn't go away.  My peas shellers were getting really purple.  (These are purple hulls, our favorite pea.)  There were six shellers shelling as fast as we could.... while watching a good movie!!

Finally, the shelling came to an end. 

It doesn't matter how many cups we put in a bag, we will eat them all!  Dad used to tell us when we were kids that peas would make our blue eyes bluer! (They will also add inches onto your bod if you over indulge!)

Pea shells!  It makes good compost material, thats about all its good for.

A little color outside in the heat!

America.  Freedom. Celebrate, and  give thanks!

Blessings to you from my American pasture!