Nobody's Perfect

How many times have you heard the phrase "nobody's perfect"?  Not only have I heard it my whole life, but have also used it my whole life--and usually pertaining to something I did that didn't come out quite as I'd hoped.

I've noticed something about the internet--everything seems to portray perfection in life.  Bloggers gain followers based on the content of their blogs, and so everything they post is perfect.  No one wants to write a story about their failures, right?  Most often, failures are embarrassing.  But honestly, they happen more than not, and I'm not ashamed to share stories of life gone wrong.  Take my garden this year, for example--I had wanted to give the soil a rest and thought that planting wildflower seeds and flowers from the nursery would be a great idea.  Fresh cut flowers all summer?  Yes, please!  We had grand plans for the super-lovely flower beds we would have.  Here's what we imagined:

Image from HowStuffWorks.com

Here's what really happened:

Mega-fail.  Drought, squirrels, rabbits.  More squirrels.  More rabbits.  My beds turned into a spring buffet of tender, sweet vegetation for the critters, and there was nothing I could do to stop them.  And to add insult to injury, the squirrels continued to plant and grow peanuts in my bed, long after they had the audacity to eat my plants.  As if giving me growing peanut plants was their way of saying, "Thanks for the buffet, sucker!".

It was not appreciated.

Another good example of imperfection in real life would be our homes.  Who really has a home like the ones in magazines?  As much as I'd love to say I do, the truth is, I don't.  I don't know anyone who does.  We're all so busy with work and life that there's just no time to make our homes magazine-perfect.  And anyone who has kids would know that nothing stays put away long enough to take a picture of a clean room.  Or...a hidden inground swimming pool.  Doesn't every third house on the planet have one of these?

Photo from Pinterest, from WebUrbanist

I always feel inadequate when I look at Pinterest.  So many people on there making every meal from scratch.  "I made my own homemade chicken stock from the chicken I roasted that I raised from an egg and slaughtered all by myself yesterday!"

Photo by Julie Persons, from angryboar.com

Really??  Are you Amish??

Or the "do it all" women: "Make a cleaning list that can be done every day to keep your home looking like a maid cleans your house for you!  Windows on Monday, wipe down the baseboards and door trim on Tuesday, vacuum and dust on Wednesday, change the sheets on Thursday, sweep the floors on Friday..." or, "I also like to bake bread from scratch, using flour milled with my own grinder that came from the wheat I grew using only natural pesticides..." or, "I like to make my own yogurt from milk I milked from my milk cow in the back yard...".   Usually, all of these things are done in one day, because these ladies are just that good.

Image found on HubPages

As much as I'd love to be able to do all of these things, I can't.  I, like most people, have to work during the day, and I live in town, where they frown upon keeping cattle in the back yard.  I think most of us idealize the country way of life--I know I do--but few of us can actually live out the dream of being a homesteader.  Jobs, activities, commitments and location have a huge impact on what a person can do in the span of 24 hours.

So, what's my point?  It's kind of simple, really.  The internet does not portray reality any more than television does.  Don't fall into the trap of comparing yourself to some stranger who had the good fortune to inherit their grandparent's farm and can "do it all".  The world is full of people who want to make others feel bad just so that they feel better about themselves.  IT IS A TRAP.  Live your life the way that works for you; don't try to be like everyone else!

In other words, nobody's perfect.  Go, be imperfect and have fun!

A Bird Pooped On My Day

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."  Ephesians 6:11 (to read the entire passage, click here: Ephesians 6:10-18)

There are good days, and there are rough days.  Yesterday, I had a rough day.

It started out with me finding two earwigs in the bathroom.  Over the past three days, I've been the one to find all of the earwigs that are apparently crawling around in our house: two in my craft room on Sunday, one on the bathroom counter on Monday, and two more in the bathroom yesterday.  Why I'm the one finding these disgusting little creatures, I don't know.  They are in my top three insects that I loathe, the first and second being spiders and house centipedes (the latter I never knew existed until we moved to our current location--*shudder*--if you don't know what they look like, feel free to look them up).  My husband has had streaks of finding spiders in the past, and I guess this is my streak right now.  I've always hated them--we had a LOT of them when I was growing up in mid-Michigan, and they freaked me out back then.  They tend to live in wet areas, and when they can't find water outside, they migrate to wherever water might be, and a bathroom is certainly the wettest place in the house.  Sigh.

Then, I received an e-mail from the person who purchased a notepad in my Etsy shop that morning saying that she changed her mind and wanted to cancel the order.  The first order I've had all month.  The ONLY order I've had all month.  I grudgingly granted her request, but not without some irritation.

I  had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon.  Before I left work, a trustee came in to do water samples in the bathrooms.  He told me that I could still use the toilet, and to make sure that I left the water running in the sink.  Since my doctor's office is about 40 minutes away from work, I wanted to use the facilities before I left.  I flushed the toilet and watched the water swirl, but not go down.  Bummer.  I waited a few minutes and tried again.  Got the same result.  Super-bummer.  I had to tell the trustee, with embarrassment, that the toilet hadn't flushed and to not look in the toilet.

The doctor's appointment was inconclusive.  The results of the various tests revealed that there was a lot of inflammation in my stomach, excess bile production, and an irregular pattern in the way my intestine was working where it was connected to my stomach, but they don't know why.  There also seemed to be some disconnect between the notes of the doctor who performed the tests and the nurse practitioner who was reading the results, which left me feeling annoyed and frustrated.  I'm still to remain on my current medications for the next month or so, and then stop and see how I feel.  I'm also going to have a breath test for both fructose and lactose intolerance.  I'm going to transfer to the local gastroenterologist as soon as I can get in.

When I finally got home, my husband pointed out to me more bird poop on the car.  Now, let me explain: no matter where I park at work, or at the store, or anywhere, I always get pooped on.   It's like I have a target on the top of my car that only birds can see.  And I'm not talking about little spots, I'm talking about the huge, seagull-sized bombs that eat away at the paint job on the vehicle, and I'm also talking about multiple bombing sites on the car.  Why my car gets hit like this, I just don't know.  But it just seemed par for the course yesterday, and when my husband said I had bird poop on the car, I felt it a fitting way to describe my day: a bird pooped on my day.

From Reddit: Gary Larson cartoon--"The Far Side"

All I had to say was, you won this one, Today.  We'll discuss this tomorrow.

A Few of My Favorite Summer Things

"Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."--1 Samuel 12:24

It's been a busy week.  I've started longer hours at work because we are short-staffed for the summer, and it's been an admittedly hard adjustment for me.  Plus, we had some unexpected plans come up last weekend, which put me behind in housework and all of the other things that I normally take care of on the weekend, so I've been trying to catch up in the evenings during the week.  Today I feel exhausted, and struggled to get through my morning at work.  However, I enjoyed the drive in to work--I love the warm, muggy, hazy mornings that only occur in the summer, and this morning was perfect for that.  That inspired a list of my favorite things for the summer season.  What do you love about summer?

I love the smell in the air!  I love how fresh nature smells in the summer.  This is not as noticeable if you live in town, but the fragrance is intoxicating out in the country.  The smell of roses in bloom, freshly-cut grass, dew in the air...the smell of life and growth that is only experienced in warm months.

I love the heat!  I know that doesn't make me the most popular person in the world, but I enjoy it, because it makes me think of how much fun I had during the summer when I was young.  I don't necessarily want to be a kid again, but summer vacation was what I always looked forward to, because all I did was play outside.  I rode my bike around the neighborhood, roller skated (remember those?), played games with the neighbor kids, swam in the pools, and never wanted to bathe.  Maybe that's too much information, but I never wanted to come in at night and take a bath and have to go to bed.  It cut into my fun time too much.

I love to travel in the summer!  Seems like I do a lot of traveling in the summer, and always have.  You don't have to worry about snow and ice storms making the roads bad, and besides, there are just many more events to travel to in the summer, like festivals, beaches, cookouts, and tourist attractions.  I also just love sitting in a car with the sun shining in and the little air conditioning vents pointed right at me.  This usually lasts for about five minutes, and then I freeze, but I like it.  Just a great time of year to hit the road.

I love garage sales!  These only happen in the warm months here, maybe only six months of the year, sometimes less.  I don't know what it is about shopping for stuff in someone else's garage that is just so fun, but it is--you really never know what you might find!

I love gardening!  Even though I call it my "practice garden", I still enjoy tending the garden beds.  It's great for learning what works and what doesn't; for instance, this year, broccoli didn't work.  It bolted before we could get anything harvestable.  No big deal, I'll try again when I have a large garden--I also think that I didn't have enough room for them to grow.  I'm getting potatoes already, so I'm pretty excited about harvesting those soon.  I seem to do well with lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, and bush beans.  I'd love to grow carrots, strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, and other things, but now's not the right time.  I look forward to having my dream garden someday!

Enjoy the hot summer weekend, everyone!  And thank you to everyone who checked out my turtle cookie recipe in the Little House Living recipe blog hop last week--it was the most-clicked-on link in the linkup!  I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as we do!

What's Important?

Over the past month or so, that question has been running through my mind a lot more than usual.  It's a result of several things going on in my life right now: work changes, health issues, a general realization of time not standing still.  My life goals seem to have changed in the last ten years, since I said good-bye to my college life and self and married my husband.  I think that as a result of where our marriage has led us, having lived in three states now, I would say that my desires in life have changed, or perhaps matured.  My old hopes for my life included a job in the design/architecture field, living in a large city (I had Chicago or Indianapolis in mind), having a big group of friends, having some pets, and someday getting married--things that seem unfulfilling to me now (except marriage, of course).  Since meeting my husband and getting married, I've been surprised at what has become important to me.  I think that my Christian faith has helped shape and mold my priorities.  I know a lot of women quote Proverbs 31 (10-31) as the ideal way to live as a Christian woman, and certainly I agree with that.  But there are other passages that women are supposed to follow as well, and I keep thinking about them too (Genesis 2:18, Ephesians 5:22-24, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:1-4, etc).  I decided to really think about where my heart seems to be pulling me, and I thought I'd share them.  So, here are my new(ish) life goals:

1) I'd love to be a housewife--I've worked since I was 15 (wow, over half of my life!  And that doesn't include babysitting before entering the "real world") and I've had enough jobs to know that office life does not suit me.  At all.  I can't seem to balance my need to take care of my husband and home with the responsibilities of my job.  Plus, I find it difficult to live out the Biblical life that God intended for me as a wife.

2) A comfortable home out in the country, with lots of land--This one has developed in the past five years or so.  There have been far more bad neighbors than good in our past experiences, so the more space between us and the crazy people, the better.  Really, though, we would love to have enough land to live off of, if my hubby wants to hunt and I want to start growing fruits and veggies for us.  I wouldn't mind having a few animals, either--maybe chickens, a goat or two, a pig and cow for meat, and of course, a horse.  No farm should be without a horse.

3) A garden that would feed us throughout the year--This goes back to #2.  It's my way of providing for us, if I can grow and preserve food for us to eat all year long.  Good thing there's only two of us!

4) A return to simplicity--I hate modern technology, really.  I can honestly say that I can live without television (read a book!) and cell phones (write a letter!), but I am addicted to being able to access the internet.  I think it would be healthy for me to detox from cyberspace, but I wouldn't be able to do it unless I had to.  Hence, the need to return to simplicity.  Maybe one day, I'll just stop cold-turkey, and see how long that lasts and how well I do.  Maybe.

5) I want a dog--I had a great dog when I was growing up.  He was technically the family's dog, but we hung out together most of the time--going for walks, teaching him tricks, or just watching TV together.  It relaxed me to sit and pet him, and he liked being petted, so everyone came out a winner.  I still think about him fondly and miss him from time to time.  I think it would be great to have another pet companion to take for walks and have fun with.  It would also be nice to have a dog for the times when my husband has to travel for work, to take away from the loneliness of being at home alone.  Plus, dogs are great at chasing squirrels and other small animals (and some bigger ones, too!) away from your garden .

Why is the copyright on this picture so HUGE??  It's the same size as the bunny!

6) To live out my days with my husband and best friend--I want this more than everything else on the list.  I never thought I'd have such an amazing relationship with another person, let alone a relationship that keeps growing and deepening as time goes on.  It's such a different type of relationship than any other that I have in my life.  I want to live a peaceful, quiet life with him, sitting on our front porch watching the sunrises and sunsets (oh, who am I kidding--neither of us has ever been a morning person), with no one in the world caring at all about us.  I want us to be free to live our lives the way we want to, and are intended to live.  I want to take walks together through our garden.  I want to curl up under an old quilt with him in front of a roaring fire on a cold, snowy night.  I want to wake up every morning for the next sixty years looking at the same handsome face that I married almost ten years ago.  I want to never grow tired of hearing his stories or learning from him.  I want nothing to come between us for the rest of our days, and I want God to always be at the head of our marriage.

Is all of this too much to ask from life?  I like to think not. 

Addicted to Garage Sales

I love garage sales.  I make no apology for it.  There is something exciting about finding things that I need for an incredibly low price, even if it is used.  I've found some great things over the past few summers; among them were a large baking pan that works great for a granola recipe I picked up from a bed and breakfast last year, and a pair of pint-sized glass milk jugs that I keep on the counter for flowers.  Many times, going to garage sales results in no finds, but once in a while, I find real gems.  This past weekend was one of those weekends!

I think half of the fun is just spending time with my husband as we drive all over the town, and sometimes into the country.  I enjoy getting up on a Saturday and knowing that my hubby and I will be spending the morning together shopping...what girl wouldn't like that?  Shopping with her best friend!  Usually it leads to finding other fun things to do around town. 

Our garage sale quest led me to find three things that I had been looking for, after several weekends of driving home empty-handed: a cold frame for spring planting, a potato pitchfork, and three glass power pole insulators for a craft idea.  Score!  Grand total for everything? $21.  The cold frame was new in the box, never used, for $12.  The pitchfork, very much used, was $6.  The insulators were $3.  Finding what you were looking for at discount prices and spending time with the hubs: priceless.  :)

Happy hunting during this summer garage sale season!

Dog Days Already?

Woof.

Wow, I can't believe how quickly the weather seems to have changed.  We went from extremely wet and cool to August heat and a welcome dry spell.  There is a saying in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and I'm sure every other state that goes, " just wait five minutes and the weather will change".  Well, that's certainly been true lately!  I'm not complaining, though; I do like the hot, humid summer weather.  It reminds me of when I was young and loved to play outside during the summer vacation.  We didn't have central air, just a window air conditioner in the upstairs where the bedrooms were located, and that was turned on at night only when it was too uncomfortable to sleep.  What fun it was to spend all day outside playing with the neighborhood kids!  We'd ride bikes, roller skate, play games, swim, or play on the swing set in the back yard, and it never seemed to get old.  I never wanted to come inside for the night, and I couldn't wait to get outside again in the morning.  I was probably dubbed the "smelly kid" because I didn't even want to waste time bathing.  Just let me go out and play!  It's too bad that we tend to lose that playful nature as we mature, and the pressures of being grown-up seem to swallow what adventurousness we might have otherwise had if we were still carefree.  Happens to all of us, I know; but wouldn't it be great to have that back again?  If you had one week out of your life, where money, time, physical fitness, fear of the pain of injury, and all of the other concerns of an adult were just completely forgotten, what would you do with that blissful innocence?  I know what I would do--everything I am too old and out of shape to do now!  I would play on the jungle gym, and swing on the swings, and run through the sprinkler, and eat a tuna sandwich at the picnic table.  Then I would run around, and get a cramp from eating, and not let it bother me; I would go get the biggest, shiniest kite I could find and fly it all afternoon.  After that, I'd come back and have a grilled hamburger, because it's not summer if there is no grilled meat, and then I would jump in the pool that had been warmed all day by the sun and swim around until the mosquitoes were too much to bear and the fireflies were putting on a spectacular light show.  Only then would I resign myself to the confines of my home's four walls, although gladly would I fall exhausted into bed for the night.  Those would be the days!

I hope others have the same type of memories that I do.  It was great to have the freedom to have fun!  There are truly days where fun is a very elusive notion, and if I'm not careful, I'll find it to be a distant memory.  Every day is a gift from God Himself, and should be treated as such!  So why is it so easy to let life weigh down so heavily on our hearts that we lose the freedom our spirits long for?  As long as we look at the blessings that God gives us on a daily basis, we should find our hearts full of joy and gladness.  Blessings of family, love, stability, comfort, rest, relaxation--James 1:17 says perfectly what I'm describing: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  Not every gift is tangible, but every gift--every blessing--can be felt in our hearts.  What blessings are you thankful for today?

A Fart By Any Other Name...

Note: If you are offended by adolescent humor, you have two choices: 1) don't read any farther, or 2) read, learn something, and hopefully laugh!

"A fart is just a turd honking for the right-of-way"--My husband

Marriage is a fascinating journey.  For many people today, it doesn't suit them.  But for me, it's the one relationship I can't imagine going without in life.  It's ordained by God.  It's a constant lesson in give-and-take.  It's the most rewarding attachment we will ever have.  I love that in our marriage we just don't care about how we are aging right before each other's eyes.  I guess that's part of the fun of growing old with another person...and no two days are exactly alike, so I see, hear, learn, and/or do something new every day.  And, it seems, we never stop learning about each other.  So having said all of that, I feel compelled to say that it is also peppered with some awkward, and sometimes smelly, moments too.

I guess what I am referring to is, is it just me, or do our bodies seem to have more "extra air" to expel as we get older?  To my best recollection, I can't remember having so much gas when I wake up, eat something, or for no apparent reason in the middle of the day.  (Thank the Lord that I don't have co-workers who sit next to me!)  So, my only conclusion is that this stuff just happens as we are getting older.

Perhaps we are conditioned to see this necessary bodily function as funny.  Maybe there have been too many sitcoms or too many home movies on America's Funniest Videos that have conditioned us to  automatically burst out in giggles when we hear that familiar noise.  Is this why we have whoopie cushions?  (And yes, I had one when I was a kid.)  My husband actually brought into our marriage a video tape (remember those?) of a preacher who made the most bizarre faces when he preached, and someone had the idea to insert a certain reel of sound effects whenever he made the faces.  It's called "Pastor Gas", and you can view a clip from YouTube here.  I'll be truthful and say that it does make me laugh!  You can find a plethora of gassy clips on the Internet, everything from people to cats to sound clips.  Whatever the reason, it seems to be a common occurrence in our home.  And to be honest, I don't really care.  Better to laugh at it than to be mortified by something so silly after years of marriage!  Oh, the stories I can't tell you...

But why do we have this problem?  A few different medical websites suggest that we begin to have problems with digestion as we age.  Certain foods become harder to digest or process, and the bacteria in the intestines that easily digested sugars in food when we were young have a harder time breaking it down as we age.  The more sugar there is to break down, the more bacteria you need, which causes the bacteria to multiply.  This multiplication is what causes gas.  Who knew?  See, we learned something new!  Now that I know the cause, I will...well...probably not change a thing about my diet.  At least, not right now.  I love sugar too much, so my hubby will just have to put up with my puffles for a while longer.  I love you, hon!

With all that we've experienced together so far, I can't help but wonder what the future will be like.  Will we have to give our guests gas masks when they come to visit?  What will we look like when we have wrinkles, gray hair, and hip replacements?  Will we need Life Alert devices for when we fall and we can't get up?  And most importantly, when we've been married 50 years, will we be sharing the same dentures and offering each other Beano?

Beware The Ides of February...Oh, wait...

I Feel Like Ramblin'
I don't know why I chose the Shakespeare reference for my title this time, I just felt like being random.  So!  I've been getting much of what I wish for lately...first I wished for lots of snow.  I sure got that wish!  Then, I wished for it to all melt and for spring to come.  It's been spring-like and the entire 12+" of snow that covered the ground has all but melted away!  Now, I wish that the spring weather is here to stay, and that I had millions of dollars!  I'm very much looking forward to the days when I can open the windows to air out the house after along and stuffy winter...get some spring cleaning done...get my garden planted!  I'm ready for all of the sickness to fade out and the sinus problems to disappear for another year.  Last year at this time, I was preparing for my sister's wedding, which I still think about often.  It was one of the best weddings I've ever been to!  Everyone had a great time.  And it was so nice and warm out!  Lately I seem to be waxing nostalgic.  I keep thinking back to my sister's wedding, back to good times with friends...college...people that are no longer here.  Life sure is full of changes.  I know, the only thing constant in life is death and taxes.  What would life be like if no one or nothing ever changed?  What if you could stop time when you finally accomplish everything you always hoped for when you were young, and just bask in the happiness?  What if you never had to say good-bye to people you loved?  I guess that's where faith in Jesus Christ comes in, even though your faith doesn't save you from going through some pretty difficult situations in life.  I think that I feel like I'm in a stagnant part of life right now, which makes me look to the past instead of planning for the future.  It's easier to look at the past--you already know what happened.  No one ever knows what the future will hold.  I guess that's why we should appreciate what we have right now, and who we have right now, because there may not be a tomorrow.  Carpe diem!  Carpe chocolate!

Uncertainty can be troubling, and unfortunately, life is full of it.  There are many verses in the Bible about trusting God when life seems questionable.  I like this one: "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."  Psalm 55:22.  Honestly, it's not always easy to trust that God has the best things in store for us, but He does!  You might see it right away, over time, or never at all, but God's way is always the best way, and He will always watch out for His children.

What Is Love?

I have the urge to write about love, partially due to the movie Becoming Jane, but also because I feel so incredibly blessed every day to truly love another person and to know what that love feels like in return.  I cannot imagine my life without my husband, and I hope he knows it each and every day.  Love cannot be defined by any one word or phrase; even the Bible has many words that only attempt to describe it.  I believe it is, ultimately, undefinable by anyone but the lover, because it is different for each person.  But to me, it is an emotion as well as a commandment, and it is not the same thing as being in love.  To me, love is what I feel my entire life toward my spouse (or, at least, I should!), but being in love is more akin to the beginning infatuation with another person.  For me, love is being unable to imagine what my life would be like if my husband were no longer in it, and the thought of such a notion brings me to tears.  Love is knowing that his happiness is more important than my own, because we share joy and we share grief--when one is affected, the other is touched as well.  Love cannot be forced, although many have tried to do so over the years: royalty married for power, poor women were married to wealthy men for status and security of her family, wealthy men arranged the marriages of their daughters, and so on.  In some cultures, it still happens today.  Can you imagine what that would be like?  It's a horrible thought!  I'm so grateful to have been able to choose freely the one man who understands my personality, sense of humor, and mood swings!  There is nothing better.  No amount of money in the world can buy what God has created between me and my husband, and no amount of money will make our relationship stronger or better...that can only be done by hard work, as well as complete and total devotion to the other person.  Thankfully, we both have a relationship with Christ, and while that doesn't assure an easy, stress-free or "discussion"-free marriage, it does allow us to work through things upon which we may disagree.  I am blessed with the kind of relationship with a man that I always secretly hoped for but never dared ask God for, and I don't know why I was given such a great gift, but I know better than to ever take it for granted.  When I imagine what my life would be like to have never married, or to have settled for someone else, it makes me so sad...oh, all that I would have missed!  And, heaven forbid that it should all end tomorrow, I like to think that I would live with the comfort of the love that I had for a short time, content that I had experienced the kind of relationship that so many others can only dream about, being married to the best friend that I would ever know.  There is no other relationship that can be substituted for that!  Thank you, my husband, for the privilege and honor of being your beloved and devoted wife.

It's Friday!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Well, it's the end of another week.  It seems like time just flies by anymore.  Where has the year gone?  I suppose it only goes faster with age.  I guess Fridays don't mean that much to me, especially when hubby works that weekend.  This holiday weekend marks the unofficial end of another summer...and I'm okay with that!  I'm really ready for cooler weather, sweatshirts, jeans, bonfires, and so on.  It will be a perfect weekend for anyone that has outdoor plans this holiday weekend, and if anyone is grilling, eat some for me and my husband!  Maybe we'll be able to grill on Monday.  Mmmm, steak on the grill!

 A Thank You To Men

My husband is working this weekend.  I always know to expect nice weather when he is working...it seems like that's the way it has gone this whole year.  Or, this past winter, he had to go in right after every snowstorm we had, but before the roads were plowed, of course.  Whenever he's had his days off, or vacation time, the weather has not cooperated.  I feel so bad for him.  He does it to provide for us, and we're both certainly grateful for a stable income, but I know that there are nights when he would much rather stay home, and tonight was one of them!  I want him to know, and I want all providing men to know, that your wife appreciates it more than you can know.  Having that dedication to do something that you don't always enjoy is, in my opinion, something that only God can give you.  It's a testament to your faith in the Lord, if you are a believer.  Even if you are not a believer, it's still true that God has given you the ability to go out and provide for your family, and they might not say it or even realize it, but they do appreciate it.  Thank you to all of the men willing to go out and provide for their family every day!

Last Garden Update For The Summer

Well, the garden has come to an end for the year.  It is, after all, September now (despite what the heat says)!  I will be pulling up the remaining plants this weekend and taking advantage of the beautiful weather that is forecasted.  I think I may leave my tomato plants until the frost gets them, but the beans, peppers, herbs, and border flowers will all be gone, and I will have to start prepping the beds for next spring.  I'm already looking forward to it!

Reminders
Don't forget to check out my Recipes,  Regional Events and Things For Sale pages.  Feel free to forward my blog address if you know someone who might be interested!


We've all had to do things in our lives that we have not really liked or wanted to do.  When times like those come along, my husband always reminds me of I Corinthians 10:31-33:"31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-33even as I try to please everybody in every way.  For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved."  Whatever we do, we should do it to honor and glorify God!

The Joys of Marriage

Oh, the joys of marriage.  We've been married for six years now, and I'm still learning new things about my wonderful companion.  I suppose we never stop learning, really...I mean, the relationship would get really boring if you knew everything about the other person, right?  I'm sure my husband could write a really long entry about the faults and quirks he has discovered in me over the years, but he doesn't have a blog :).  With my hubby's current job position, I have had to get used to being on a different schedule than him for half of the year.  That includes not going to bed at the same time at night.  When he switches from night shifts to day shifts (and vice versa), I have to get used to either being alone at night or having someone next to me at night.  I was made quite aware of hubby's presence in bed when he switched back to days a few weeks ago, after having baked beans two days in a row.  Need I say more??  I seriously considered camping out on the couch!  And yet, we can both laugh about it.  It's funny the things that we inadvertently subject our better halves to, such as the repercussions of two days in a row of baked beans to frigid feet/toes/hands to snoring, having conversations in our sleep, and whatever else you can think of (I'm sure that there is much more that you can add to the list).  I think that it's great to have such a deep and meaningful relationship with another person that you can be so comfortable, and even vulnerable, with another person.  Marriage is great like that, especially when you have found that one person.  Yes, it is a LOT of work, you have to choose to love your spouse each day, hour, and minute, and you don't always agree with your spouse, but isn't it worth it?  I am amazed that we are capable of having such a devoted and intimate relationship, but God has always meant for marriage to be that kind of relationship--different and greater than any other relationship that you have in your life.  He created us to be with another person, to want companionship, and marriage is the greatest relationship we can have with a fellow human being.  I love it!  That's how we can put up with flatulence that wakes us out of a dead slumber.  That's how we can tolerate the cold feet.  That's how we can laugh about the conversation we had with our spouse, who doesn't remember any of it, from the night before.  It's an incredible blessing from the Lord, not to be taken lightly or entered into without a lot of thought.  And, hopefully my husband would agree, entirely worth it!

The Bible is full of passages referring to marriage, and what should be expected in a marriage relationship, but I find that I am always drawn to I Corinthians 13 4-7 to find what is expected of me, and what I should also expect:  "4.Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  5.It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  6.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  7.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  The passage does not just apply to a marriage relationship, though.  It applies to all relationships we have.  If you want something more marriage-specific, then perhaps you would like Colossians 3 18-19: "18.Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  19.Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them."

The Changing Seasons

Welcome to a new week and a new month! I am hoping that with the beginning of this new month will also come the beginning of the end of summertime for another year. I find so much enjoyment in the changing of the seasons...and I love each season in a different way. Fall has always been my favorite, when the days get shorter, the air gets crisp and chilly, and the leaves change into vibrant colors against the backdrop of a perfect blue sky. I love going to bonfires on cool evenings and visiting the local apple orchards to buy fresh apple cider and apple donuts. Mostly, though, I love looking forward to the holidays and wintertime, with the fresh blanket of snow that covers the dead grass and gives character to the dormant trees. I love when every time there is a fresh snowfall, the sun comes out afterward and shines on the new frozen world, reflecting off of the individual flakes like millions of tiny diamonds and creating a brilliant brightness. Eventually, though, it has to melt and give way to the lush greenery of springtime, with the early crocuses and daffodils creating cheer in an otherwise cloudy and blustery world. Then come the rest of the springtime visitors, like bees and fireflies, as well as the leaves on the trees beginning to open and hyacinths and lilies blooming for Easter. Then, in a blink, it is hot out again, and the trees are full of leaves, their heavy limbs creaking and groaning in the winds of a mid-summer thunderstorm, while the flowers continue to provide us with happiness of sunflowers and Gerbera daisies, and then I realize that another year has passed.

As the seasons and years pass and I get older, it seems that life becomes more complicated and difficult. There are days when the full weight of the pressures of life are pressing down on me, and life seems quite unfair. But who ever said life is fair? Long before I was a Christian, I thought I had a plan for my life, and that I was in control of how my life turned out. Silly me! Isn't it funny how rarely our plans align with God's? We all have a reason for being here; we each have a path to travel. . Sometimes I find myself comparing my path to someone else's, and I've come to realize that this is a dangerous road. It's easy to find myself questioning God's reasons for whatever difficult circumstances I might find myself in, but then I realize that what I'm really questioning is God's wisdom. As if I could possibly know more with my relatively few years of wisdom than Him! I guess it’s just one of the many things that I struggle with. But thankfully, God has put many wonderful people along my path to try and keep me going the way I need to go. My husband is one of those people. He straightens me out when I wander off-course. I have great family and friends who are always willing to help, too! I am truly blessed to know the people I know during this lifetime.

How do you handle uncertainty and disappointments? Feel free to comment at the end of this post.

I always enjoy reading the book of Ruth. It's a wonderful story about devotion and loyalty when things seemed their worst for these women. I can relate to the deep devotion Ruth has for someone she loves, and her loyalty is revealed in my favorite passage in the book, Ruth 1:16: "But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."

Laments of a Housewife

Hello again! I was thinking that I would add a new post once a week, but at the behest of my hubby, I am creating another post already!

I would like to address housewives everywhere. I am one, not because my husband wanted me to be, but rather the state of our economy has forced me into this profession. I have struggled to break the mindset that my worth is based upon the amount of money that I contribute to our household income, a notion that has been around since before I was born. I have been to numerous interviews, sent out even more resumes and applications, but the good Lord has seen fit to enlist my services at home at present. I really don't think there are too many more professions that could be considered as noble as housewifery; one could argue that a doctor or nurse, firefighter or police officer would be just as important, and they would not be wrong. However, I believe that being a housewife is also a calling from God. Perhaps I should clarify: being a good housewife is a calling from God. It may not be what you planned to do with your life, and I certainly did not think it would be where I ended up five years out of college, but sometimes we are called to do things that don't fit into our plans. The great thing is, though, that God knows better than we do what we can and should do! I have found great satisfaction in keeping house, and I would have never expected that. It's wonderful to be able to care for the people you love most. I have found that I like cooking (and I like baking even more!) and that it's nice to have a clean house that I can be proud of. I truly love being able to take care of my husband at home the way that he takes care of me when he goes to work to provide for us each day. I am thankful for the husband I have and for the life he provides for me.

For some, being a housewife and mother has always been their plan. For others, it's a dream that they hope to attain someday. There are also those who don't want any part of that lifestyle. For those who choose to be stay-at-home moms, the reward couldn't possibly be greater--your children grow up knowing you! Not only that, but you are also blessed with the opportunity to watch your children grow up and (hopefully) become respectable adults. That time is certainly precious and short-lived. In a day and age that exalts feminism and liberal ideas and morals, and really looks down on those who choose to stay at home, be there for their husbands and raise their children, I salute you! You should be eating chocolate and celebrating your bravery!

Although my path has not always been clear, I can always find comfort in the following verses from Psalm 46: "¹ God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea...¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."