An exercise in praise and thanksgiving.

On Sunday we had a missionary speaker, who teaches at Black Forest Academy in Germany. He prefaced his message on Psalm 103, with the following requests.

He asked us to write down eight things God has done this past week.

Upon completing that, he asked us to write down two things we
were grateful for that God had done in our lives.

And finally, he asked us to write down four things we have learned about God.

With this exercise, we have a foundation for praise and worship, which led right into the Psalm which is a call to worship and praise.

I hope to do this exercise on a daily basis, as it was a true blessing to me.

I will share what I wrote for the four things I learn about God in my life.

He provides.
He loves me!
He is constant.
His love never fails.

And with that I wish you all a wonderful week!

Bold and Free Thursday 3

Its time to choose three things to showcase. I want to share my ceramic lamb which is an antique that my Mom had. He claims a corner on the living room carpet and is a great conversation piece. His length is about 30".


This plate was painted on porcelain in 1928 by a great uncle. Mother displayed it in the china hutch, as I do today. The handles are gold, but seem not to show up properly.


This is a hobnail cake plate from the early 1900's. It was often used at Mom's dinner parties at dessert time. Always beautiful! I remember a cake on it once that was decorated all around the edge at the bottom with fresh summer flowers.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit from my history!

Come..... sit by my fire with me!!

I didn't really make a fire......but I was tempted. Today is a very dour day in Oregon. The wind is blowing, the rain is raining, and it is cold!! I thought I would have liked to build a fire in the fireplace...but of course, I didn't. Perhaps tomorrow wil be a more pleasant day. I hope so! Fall is in the air, I'm thinking!

Remembering Dad

Thirty years ago today, our Dad at age 75, suddenly, without any warning, dropped dead and was instantly in the presence of his Lord, Whom he loved so deeply and served so well!

After thirty years, its like he is a dream we all shared. The vitality of his life has lessened in our lives, yet in our mind's eye his memory remains precious!

Our Dad didn't know a stranger! He witnessed to everyone he ever met, started a kid's club at church when he was sixty eight, and had over one hundred kids every Wednesday night. He loved those kids, sent them to camp, wrote to them, called them, fed them and when he died, almost everyone of those kids were at his funeral.

He wrote missionaries regularly, corresponded with out of state grandchildren and wrote our kids when he was on a trip and sent letters to his kid's club kids--even when they had left the kid's club as they left their teens. He was a one finger typist, on an old portable Royal, and his letters were something to behold! He didn't have spell check and as long as the recipient could figure it out, that was all Dad cared about. He didn't have the patience or the time to stop and erase. (I still have some of his letters and they are treasures!)

The eighth child of fourteen, Dad had a hard life. He left home in his early teens, worked as a farm hand, herded sheep, had a stint in post WW I army, and some time in there began working for Safeway. He became a manager, then branched out and owned his own grocery store. Always a salesman, he eventually retired from a brokerage which handled gourmet foods.

He and Mom were married in 1931 and remained deeply in love all of their married life. They were a true example of what marriage is all about. Dad never had a problem helping in the kitchen, doing the dishes, presiding at his dinner table, often crowded with guests, and being part of the team, we knew as Mom and Dad.

Dad, age 28

Dad was highly opinionated, as I am, so he and I clashed mightily during my teen years. As the years passed, he mellowed, and I matured a little. After I had children and I had the privilege of experiencing my Dad as a grandfather, I learned to appreciate him with all of my heart.

When we lost our Dad we lost a mighty force in our family. Our children lost their wonderful grandpa who never missed one of their sporting events, and loved each of them unconditionally. He spent more time with the Portland grandchildren, but always visited the California grandkids once or twice a year, plus the California family came up often...so he knew all of his grandchildren well.

Over the years that have passed, I have often longed for one more good visit with Dad--just to glean a little of his common sense wisdom. I have wished he could know my grandchildren. He would have gotten along so well with Elliot and enjoyed him. He would have loved playing games with Molly, as that was one of his favorite pastimes with the grandkids.

Dad and Mom had enjoyed the reading of I Corinthians 15 together that morning at the breakfast table. Some of the verses became very precious to us in the days that followed.

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up on victory. O death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?'' But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, know that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
verses 54, 55, 57, 58

And so, on this date, 30 years ago, as a shocked and grieved family, we said our good byes to our strong leader, faithful husband and father, and our Godly influence, we could say with the apostle Paul, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ..."

We were blessed!

I salute my Dad, whose name was simply Bud, today, in memory of all he was to me and all that his memory means to me.

haicuts and girlie girls.....

My Molly girl has been visiting this week. She was anxious to have a new hair style, so today we went for a hair cut and style. Oh wow! Does she love it!! According to Molly, it is exactly the look she wants. So, I will share my sweet girl's new haircut and "do."

I guess its a good 13 year old look!

We certainly haven't done anything exciting. She went to the dentist with me yesterday. We went out for a late lunch and came home to work on cards and books. She made a sweet fold book and then put in her pictures from the summer. The title was 'The Summer of '08.'

Today we both sat in the office and made cards. She is creative and it is fun to see what she comes up with in her card making.

I record John and Kate plus eight, so we have watched an episode of that together each evening. We've decided there is a lot of noise with that many little kids!!

She goes home tomorrow night...and then to camp on Sunday afternoon...so a busy summer is coming to an end. This summer is the least I have ever had the grandies. They are growing up and have their own social lives in their community and church. Elliot will come next week, Lord willing, for a few days.

School days will soon be here!

Root Canals, August Thoughts, and Blogging

Did you know that the going price for a root canal is $850? And the price of the cap is $1200? And there is something called a "build up" that is $250 more? I received all of this enlightening information this morning at my "emergency" dental appointment!! After I got over the shock, I decided I was thankful that I could pay for it--(that's two cruises down the drain) and will hopefully find some relief from this situation which has been going on for several weeks and being ignored....so Thursday is the day for the root canal and then I don't know when the cap goes on. I even get a 5% discount for paying cash!! Now, isn't that special??



On to thoughts of August...before I retired I always got a tight stomach thinking that summer was almost over, that I had to get to my classroom and get it prepared for the first day of school, and a recurring nightmare I endured each August--I arrived at the first day of school and there was nothing on my bulletins boards, no name tags on desks, nothing on the board, and I was in my bathrobe!! Thankfully all of that angst no longer is part of August. I enjoy August now, because it is all mine--not one day is shared with the school district--I can go when I want, come back when I choose, I am retired!!

(When Mt. Hood loses its snow, its time for school to begin!)

And lastly, I haven't been a very good blogger reader this summer. I read the blogs and think I will come back and leave a comment, but I have fallen down on that....and I am sorry. I am hoping that fall will bring renewed committment to posting and reading blogs. I do love visiting your posts!!

I've had some wonderful studies this summer in some of the Psalms which I hope to share soon, when I can collect my thoughts!

Have a lovely August, which is almost half way over!!

Bold and Free Thursday 3

We are to share three things. Ruthie shared three of her special pictures a few weeks ago and I thought it was a lovely idea, so with her permission, I am sharing three of my special pictures.

This picture is one that belonged to my grandmother. It was a wedding gift to her from a dear friend. I am thinking that was about 1900. Hasn't it weathered the decades well? It is all embroidery. Enlarging it will allow you to see all of the intricate stitching!

This picture is called "The Helping Hand". I bought it over forty years ago at a Home Interiors Party. I loved it and the children all loved it as they grew up. About ten years ago I took it out of the garish frame from Home Interiors and had it professionally framed. It is above the piano in the living room.

Last, is one of the treasures from the ceder chest I found about three years ago and had it framed for my blue, yellow and white kitchen. I painted it when I was taking oil painting lessons in eighth grade. It was stuck between some old pages of a Seventeen magazine. I had it framed and now enjoy it so much on the wall in my kitchen eating space!

I couldn't resist.....

Here are the two kids that wore those outfits in the previous post!

Now we are a couple of old antiques!!

Treasures in the Cedar Chest

In 1950, my brother, a junior in high school, made me this cedar chest in wood shop. It has had many things in it over the years--Story Book dolls, my precision roller skates (yes, I was a roller skater in the late 40's much to my Father's displeasure), my collection of Nancy Drew books and on and on and on. Many different things have come and gone.

To really appreciate the hand work on these articles, double click and you will be able to see the details so much better.

About a month ago, I decided that my brother's daughter should have it since it was made by her Dad. So..............we unloaded it to get it ready for a ride to California. It took me for a walk down memory lane. So many memories. I am going to share a few with you. I didn't iron anything because I wanted the "look" from so many years captured in that chest.

On the very top was Jonathan's blanket sleeper. If you look closely, you will see that the side with the animals on it is picked bare! Jon sucked his left thumb, while using his right hand to roll up fuzzy balls to make sucking more pleasurable. If you double click on it you will see how thread bare it is. He also had a small teddy bear that had nothing left on it. He called it his bare bear!

Next out was a heavy flannel jacket my mother had made for me before I was born. It has crocheting around all the edges, and dainty little flowers embroidered down the front.

A handmade appliqu'ed crib coverlet was the next keep sake. It is still in excellent condition
and is a real treasure. I don't know the history, but suspect it was something Mom made for my layette. She was a marvelous seamstress and did a lot of handwork.

These were brother and sister tops to an outfit she made when we were about two and four. My brother had white wool flannel shorts and I, a little white matching skirt. We had straps over the shoulders which were threaded through crocheted threads in the shoulder seams. As you see, our names were embroidered on the front. Truly, ironed and starched, they were smashing little outfits. They were only one of many mother made for us to wear together
during our preschool years.

Well, that's enough for one night. Can you smell the cedar??

Stay tuned--there will be more!