Lest We Forget

Good morning son! Well, what can I tell you? It's been another awesome week. The weather has been crappy but we survived. We've had tons of rain this week but the weatherman said this morning that we were 2" below normal for this time of year and we caught up this week. So, as lousy as it was, it was a good thing. The rhododendron in the front yard is in full bloom, hot pink, and is beautiful. Everything is lush and green. The temperature has been about 15 degrees below normal for this time of year but by the end of the week we're headed into the high 80's and probably be wishing for the low 50's, and that's the way it goes from here. I'm looking forward to the warm weather. I think dad's looking forward to putting in the air conditioners in preparation for the hot weather. He gets a big kick every year with my reaction every time he mentions it. He knows I HATE window air conditioners but sadly, if we want to sleep in the heat, it's necessary.

It's Memorial Day weekend and the flags are out everywhere. I can't see one without thinking of you. You loved the American flag and what it stood for. Since you were little you use to get so excited when you saw a flag. It is pretty awesome to see a flag completely unfurled in the wind. I don't know what happened to our large one since we moved. I picked up three from the Dollar Store and put them in planters on the porch and they look beautiful.

My solar chandelier

It's been a full week as always. Dad and I are busy all day and at the end of the "work week" we wonder where the days went. I finished my solar chandelier for the front porch and dad helped me hang it. At first the intent was to put 15 W chandelier bulbs in it and then I got this wild idea that maybe I could use the solar lights from Walmart that are $.94 each. I had three of them already in planters and they've been working just fine. It took eight of them, I added some crystals I already had an voile', a solar chandelier for the front porch. It gets plenty of light so the lights charge fine and give us enough light on the porch that we don't have to use the porch light and try to remember to turn it off at night.

I went over to have a pancake and a brief visit with Corey & Josie Friday morning. It turned out to be an all morning visit. I locked my keys in the car again. This Subaru isn't suppose to lock with the keys in the ignition but I guess it's forgotten that! Anyway, we had a good visit and an awesome chocolate chip pancake. Thanks Corey!  Yesterday Jon brought me a beautiful tomato plant. I just wanted one to see how it will do on the front porch. It gets plenty of sunshine so I think it will do fine. It would be really great to have fresh tomatoes all summer long. I think I'm going to use one of my drawer planters for a zucchini plant. One plant should produce enough zucchini to keep us in Zucchini Relish all summer and store some up for winter. I'm beginning to sound like a squirrel. Dad is finishing up the mirror right now and with any luck the weather will be better tomorrow and we'll get it installed in the corner of the porch and I can plant my strawberries. I'll have to find some type of netting to cover them or the birds will have them all.

ZUCCHINI RELISH

10 cups finely chopped squash

4 cups finely chopped onion

5 tablespoons salt

2 ¼ cups vinegar

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon each: Nutmeg, Tumeric, Celery Seed, Black Pepper, Dry Mustard

2 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 green bell peppers, finely diced

Mix first three ingredients well and let stand overnight.  Drain, rinse well, drain and rinse again. Cheese cloth works well.  Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, boil 30 minutes, seal in hot jars. Makes about 6 pints.

This next week I'm going to work on the entry. It's gross! I can't paint all the high walls any more but I can wash down the stairs and next landing, scrub  the "white" woodwork, paint the walls that lead to our front door and I'm going to paint our front door and the entry door in Cobalt Blue. I think I'm going to paint and use one of the old antique dressers I have in the entry so house all our winter gear, knee braces, doggie supplies and such. We have an entry light but it's on a timer and in the winter it usually doesn't come on until you get to our front door which isn't very safe. I usually keep a small lamp in the hall way. It would be cool if the entry gets enough light so that I can again use solar. I'm going to give it a try anyway and see. I think I can get it done in a week so we'll see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.

Dad and I are going to start working on the back deck too. We "found" two 2"x12"s out in the

I can still dream!

yard and are going to make a bench to go alongside the front of the deck. I wanted to build planters but this will be easier and basically the same effect. I'd like to power wash the deck, it really needs it, but I don't know if our landlord has one. We'll see. The niece thing about planting in pots is that it adds tons of color and are easily moved if we change out minds or the plant isn't doing well in the place we put it. Also if need be, we can put them all on the deck for winter and cover them if need be. Dad has his butane and can't wait to start barbecuing. I'm making the barbecue sauce today so he should be in good order for the nice weather tomorrow. I have a lot of scrubbing and cleaning at the back entrance too. It's great to have the time and still the energy to be able to do the things I love to do. We love our home and love fixing it up. God is so good.

Just try and tell me this is not amazing.

Speaking of God, how is He? I mean you really do have some first hand experience now. Is He anything like we imagine? I bet not, because all we have to imagine with are the tools that we have here and what we know here. There is just so much more to the universe than what we can even imagine because we are limited by what we know. I would imagine that's why so many people search for more and more knowledge. Sometimes when I'm "cruising" on Pinterest and see the pictures of places people post I am amazed at the beauty here on earth. And to think that there are places here on earth that even surpass what we've already discovered, that will probably be forever undiscovered. To try and imagine that the beauty of heaven is far greater still blows my mind. As I look out this morning on our little piece of heaven here on earth and see the bright green of the grass and trees, the glorious pinks, whites and yellows out my living room window and the flags billowing in the wind, I feel so very lucky. I think of the men and women who over the many years of our country have fought and died so I can have this little piece of heaven I am forever deeply grateful.

Ours is truly a great country and we are so very lucky. We have the freedom to choose. What a freedom that is. Just think about the possibility of not being able to make the everyday choices we take for granted every day. How would it be if we weren't able to choose for instance, when to get up. Who to marry. How many children to have. Who are friends were to be. What higher power we were going to worship. Where we were going to live.

Dad teases me every single day about projects and how many there are. I don't think I'll ever NOT have a project. It's been a lifelong dream of mine to be able to get up in the morning, set my feet on the floor and say to myself, "Hm, I wonder what I want to do today?", and do it. I remind myself every day there are thousands of people in the world for whom that is not possible. Not only do they not get to do what they want to do, they don't have a bed, floor or sometimes, even feet.

What a blessing it is to be in God's world, to enjoy His creation, to be blessed in so many ways and to know, without a doubt, that there is even a place more beautiful yet to come. I rest in this assurance, thank God for the privilege of choices and the miracle each and everyday to set my feet on the floor and live the life I have. 

Happy Memorial Day son. Tell grandpa thank you.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

Another Day, Another Fairy Garden!

Good morning son! How's things in heaven? Things are good here. We're planting and planting and planting. Guess I should really think about a tomato plant or two and maybe some lettuce to keep us going through the summer.  

Josie's been here this weekend and she's been making fairy gardens for her two teachers at the end of school. She started with red baskets from the Dollar Store. She added a red

Josie building fairy gardens

geranium, painted her own fairy houses with "jewels" all over them, added, blue glass pebbles, bark, moss, a little bird in the top of the geranium and a butterfly "flying" over the garden . It was beautiful outside so we were able to do most of the work outside on the porch. Then, for her, the fun really began. She added stickers all around the basket!  She's colored Hello Kitty pictures, painted more birdhouses, painted hearts and glued wooden ladybugs and leaves on them, played computer games before she went to bed and watched some Disney At about 10:15 last night she fell asleep saying "auntie, I can't go to sleep" and slept until 8am this morning when she got up and came and crawled in bed with me. We lay there and laughed and giggled and she told me all about Fairy Beary.

This morning we've already had breakfast. Josie's was a treat, her favorite donut from Duncan Donuts: glazed donut with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. We've fed, watered and let Biscuit out, let the chickens out, we'll actually, I think the raccoons let the chickens out. The screen was out of the window in the chicken coop and the chickens were in the yard. I know

some people think chickens are dumb, but they're smart enough to give you a run for your money when you're trying to get them to go where you want them to go! Dad closed up the window, we got the chickens back in the pen, got some gas and Josie has already painted two birdhouses so "we're off and running".

We've gone from beautiful day yesterday to rain today. It looks, from the weather report, as though we're going to have sun and rain off and on throughout this week.  Hope the rain's more off than on, I have a chandelier I need to finish painting!

We've accomplished a lot this week and thank the Lord for the energy He gives us to do what we do. I was even able to get out in the yard and begin pulling weeds around the peonies. They are loaded with buds this year and I can't wait for them to bloom. The lilac bushes are in full bloom and I need to pick some for the house. Maybe it will dry off enough this afternoon so I can pick a bouquet. Right now, I don't know if I could find a place to sit a vase though!. Everything that we could possibly get out  is out on the floor or my art table. We're going to have some cleaning up to do this afternoon but for now, we're watching some Disney. I think she's slowing down a little bit. If you can believe that!

I've painted a couple of signs this week. I used an old try from a high chair for one and my old cow wall hanging that I use to have in the dining room. I've painted another chair and did it in red,white and blue for dad for the porch. It came out really nice. I'm going to put a seat on this one though rather than leave it open for a planter. Now we need to get started on the back deck. I'd like to do some sort of fire pit on the back deck. We'll see how it goes.

Tuesday, May 21st is your Aunt Bonnie's birthday!

 

Happy Birthday Bonnie!

 Well, guess that's about it for this week. 

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom.

PS Dad has a virus on his computer, where are you when we need you? LOL

It's Mother's Day, Where's My Card?

Good morning son! I woke up this morning expecting to see "Happy Mother's Day" emblazoned in a rainbow across the sky. And lo and behold, there it was, right out my living room window. Gotcha! But I know you're thinking it and wishing you could do that. I saw it in my minds eye. Does that count? It counts for me and right now, that's what matters. We had such awesome Mother's Days together.  I remember the year I said I wanted to go to Wild Animal Safari. You and dad just looked at each other and  rolled your eyes. The entire day was always about what I wanted to do or go. I can remember when you were pretty young and you were upset because you didn't have any money and you didn't want dad to give you money to buy me anything because you said, "It would just be another gift from dad and not you and you'd have to buy what dad wanted because it was his money". I have no idea where that came from but I know you were upset and there was no rationalizing with you at that point. So, I told you that from that point on all I ever wanted from you on Mother's Day was a hand drawn card. I love those cards and I'm so thankful I have them. You never failed to make me one and I looked forward to each and every one to see what you would create. Thank you for great Mother's Day memories and all the love you shared with me. What a blessing you were. Keep up the good work! I'd say I'd expect my card again this year but I think that's stretching things just a little.

Today dad and I are re potting a new Double Delight rose. The weather got my other one last winter. I continue to work on the porch and having a great time. Corey found a mirror frame

along the street, the boys picked it up for me and I re-did it yesterday in red. The mirror was missing but dad and I found a mirror and today we'll put it all together and it's going out on the porch. I have plans to add a tray with strawberries to it...and probably a few other things. It will be a challenge to see who gets more strawberries, dad or the birds but I bet dad wins. After all, we're talking strawberries here. I've re potted about a dozen fern that dad dug up for me from out back, planted red geraniums and yellow pansies. Dad bought me some pots and planting mix for Mother's Day. That's what I requested.  I have them ready to put up today so we'll do that. Later today we're going to Jon & Corey's for ice cream. She's working in her garden today too. That's what we both wanted to do today. They're getting ready for 31 more baby chicks. The foxes got in last week and took almost all the chickens so it's good timing. That girl should be on a farm!

Georgia Jean

Well, we have yet another new baby in our family. Jenny & Phil have a new baby girl, Georgia Jean. All are healthy and happy. She looks so sweet. It's always nice to have a new baby in the family but to have two new ones within a couple of weeks together is really nice. I love the idea that they'll be able to know each other at a young age and hopefully make some memories together. I know that it was really great to have cousins to grow up with and go to school with. Jim and I had some great times together.

Allegra Taylor

Guess who grew up while we weren't looking? I don't know how she went from this tiny, tiny little thing that use to sit on the counter and play while we cooked to a stunning young lady going to her senior prom. Where did  all the years go?  They've all grown up. She'll graduate from High School May 24th and plans to attend college. She loves school. Who knows where the next steps will take her. I remember this little girl who grandma and I would take to school, pick up from school and on the way home she'd be jabbering, literally 90 mph, about everything she saw along the way: the cows, "moo", the manure (we were living in the San Joaquin Valley), "yuck", the train, "twain, twain", and "I want pink milk (which was a McDonald's Strawberry Milkshake) and fries. That little girls loved trains and everything about them. Dad and I finally found one for her that she could ride. It took up half our family room but she loved that train. She loved to be read to and I know we watched Lion King at least 200 times. We wore out one tape and had to buy another. She was so easy to please and so happy. She was always a joy to have around and I miss her. I miss them all. Sometimes it seems they are so close and yet so far away. The Lord willing we'll get to see them all sometime this year. That's the wish anyway. The Lord knows the desires of my heart.

This past week or so Ruth shared a link with me and it really touched my heart.

 Old Barns and Old People

A Stranger came by the other day

with an offer that set me to thinking.

He wanted to buy the old barn

that sits out by the highway. 

I told him right off that he was crazy.

He was a city type...you could tell by his clothes,

his car, his hands, and the way he talked.

He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn

sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it

was for sale.  I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.

Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. 

But then, there's been a lot of winters pass with the

snow and ice and howling wind.

The summer sun's beat down on that old barn

till all the paint's gone and the wood has turned

a silver gray.  Now the old building leans a good

deal looking kind of tired, yet that fellow

called it beautiful.

That set me to thinking.  I walked out to the field

and just stood there gazing at that old barn.

The stranger said he planned to use the lumber

to line the walls of his den in a new country

home he's building down the road.

He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful,

that only years of standing in the weather, bearing

the storms and scorching sun can produce

beautiful barn wood.

It came to me then.  We're a lot like that...you and I.

Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us.

Sure we turn silver gray, too...and lean a bit more

than we did when we were young and full of sap.

As the years pass, the hard weather of our lives, the

dry spells and the stormy seasons beautify our souls.

And to think, how often folks holler because they

want life easy!

Well, they took the old barn down today

...hauled it away to beautify a rich man's house. 

And I reckon someday you and I'll be

hauled off to that Great Ranch in the Sky.

So, hope there's peace with you today and

just trust that you're exactly

where you're meant to be.

So, hope there's peace with you today and

just trust that you're exactly

where you're meant to be.

I'm sincerely grateful and thankful for my

wonderful family and friends who care about

me even though I show signs of weathering!

Elaine Cormany Official Music Site's Blog 

You were a great son while the Lord shared you with me here on this earth and I know that God is so enjoying you there in your heavenly home. What a privilege it was to have you for the short time that God shared you with me. And I know that when I say me I mean your dad too. I know that because of who you were while you were here many lives are better, I know mine is. You were a living example of what every mother wants in a son and I know that because of who you were and strived to be other mothers have better sons.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

God's Landscape

Butterflies and lilacs.

Good morning son! Another gorgeous day here in Troy. I'll bet those pearly gates really have a sparkle to them. Do you miss the seasons in heaven; no snow, rain, Fall leaves? Of course that also means, no cleaning gutters, shoveling snow or raking leaves so I guess there is an upside.

It's been yet another busy week. It is so great to be able to be outside in the sunshine to work in the yard. Just about the time we get it the way we want it it will probably be winter again but so what, we're having a wonderful time. You would have laughed your head off yesterday. Along our back deck we have many fern coming up. I decided before the kids get back there and trample them all down I'd transplant them for our porch and deck. Dad found me several pots in the basement. We both thought, and I know we did but can't find it, brought a shovel with us when we moved. I couldn't find it and I think Tom (the landlord) probably has all of his in the garage here. So, being the resourceful person that I am, I headed to the kitchen to get a long handled serving spoon! Well, what else was I going to use, a stick? I managed to dig out five of the small ones. I think I'll go borrow a shovel from Jon this morning. Needless to say, digging like that, I had charlie horses most of the night last night. Sure was gratifying though to get them planted.

I've almost finished my garden chair for the porch. Remember that high chair that Rita and

My garden chair...almost there!

Morris found for me at the Habitat Store in Eugene? Of course I brought it with me. How could you even think otherwise. I'm going to make a sign out of the high chair tray and a plant stand, as I said, for the front porch. I'll finish it up today and dad will add the gloss sealer and it will be ready for the porch. 

Did I tell you about the very nice, reclining, leather couch dad found at the Habitat Store week before last? Well anyway, we rented a trailer and went over this last Wednesday to pick it up. Of course they loaded it for us. And with recliners on either end it is NOT a light weight couch. It fit the 4x7 trailer perfectly. When we got home we moved our current couch out on the front porch. I vacuumed and damp mopped where the couch was going to sit and brushed down the cobwebs. We could do that with cobwebs every day around here. They are the busiest little creatures at night! Dad backed up the trailer up to the front porch and put the tailgate down. Just about that time Ethan, from the third floor came home. He'd told dad earlier that he would help him move it so that worked out perfectly. Ethan got in the trailer and dad got on the tailgate end. Umph! They stood there for a minute and the, umph! Have I said this couch was very heavy? The couch we had at one time with recliners in either end was simple to move. The back sections of the couch unlocked and slid off so we just turn the couch on it's side to move inside and then reattached the backs. This couch the backs were stitched in place. I wasn't going to mess with stitched leather. They got the couch out and onto the porch. As I sat there looking at it and the door of this house built in the 1800's I thought uh oh! You guessed it. The landlord has "jeri-rigged" that front door with 2x4s, 1x4's, shims and everything else which took up about 1 1/2" of width. Well, there we set with two couches on one porch

. Ethan needed to get ready for work and so we decided to take a break and "think" about this predicament. Over lunch dad and decided that dad would call and tell them we couldn't get it in our house and we were bringing it back. It was already 3pm and we had to have the trailer back by 6pm. Habitat didn't answer the phone. Sometimes they're so busy they just can't. Dad called again and left a message but no one called. As the clock made yet another circle we decided we had to make a decision. So, I said, Let's load the couch back into the trailer and take it back. You can talk with the manager and if he doesn't want to take it back we'll just 're-donate' it and they can unload it and we take the donation for taxes!". So, here we are, trying to shove this monster white whale back into the trailer. It argued, dad said "PUSH"! I did, and he went sailing. If he'd been back another three inches he would have gone flying over the end of the trailer. We were laughing so hard it took a while for dad to tell me his foot, yes, of course the one attached to his bad knee, was trapped under the couch. I still don't know how I did it, but I lifted that couch by myself so he could pull his foot out. Nothing broken but the next day we did end up at the doctor's office just to make sure. 

 Well, to make a longer story shorter, the manager said, as he was point to the very large sign that read, ALL SALES FINAL, MEASURE CORRECTLY, "Ill let you trade for something else but I can't give you your money back". Made my day! Dad and I decided to do the exchange for something half the amount and donate the rest to Habitat because they had already moved that monster once and now they were going to have to do it a second time. As it turns out, someone bought the couch again before they got it off the dolly. Hope they measured right!!  

Last night Josie, dad and I had a "date night". Dad cooked dinner and Josie and I built a fairy

Josie building her fairy garden.

garden. Actually, I dumped the dirt in the container and she did everything else. It was so great to be out on the front porch in the sun and working in the dirt. A couple of years ago I found a doll cradle somewhere and it was in pretty pad shape. My intent was to redo it for Josie's classroom. Somehow the school year was gone and I still had the cradle. I though it make a very cute fairy garden container. I had plants, rocks, moss, bark, "fairies", "water", dirt, spade, rake and water can. Yesterday I pulled the cradle out and low and behold, I forgot I had never replaced the bottom! Yikes! So, your resourceful dad went downstairs and crafted a bottom for the fairy garden container. After dinner Josie and I headed to the front porch and as the sun was setting we laughed, joked and she created as I watched. She used the blue rocks to create a "lake". By the time she was finished the fairy garden was sitting in a "lake". I gave her the option of making her own fairy house for her garden or of taking her pick of the collection I have. She decided to pick from what was already done. (She painted one later and a birdhouse as well.) She picked a blue one with a door shaped as a heart and proudly took it out and added it to her garden. She did an amazing job. It turned out so cute and we had a great time . We were still painting when Jon and Corey came to pick her up. Now she has decided we need to make one for each of her teachers before school is out. Guess we'd best get busy this week!

While we were on the porch last night we sat and watched and seven deer crossed the property and headed up the hill to bed for the night. They are so beautiful and it's amazing to see them casually meander across the property as if they don't have a care in the world. At one point Jamison barked and they just turned around and looked at him and continued to graze their way up the slope.

Why not dream big!

I just feel as though this is a very special time in my life and our lives together your dad and I. It's becoming a time to really enjoy nature around us. I don't remember ever really being that interested in yard work and gardening. I always did it because we had to, but for some reason this year it has more meaning and enjoyment. I'm looking for more ways to bring butterflies in, birds, to spend time on the deck and porch. We need to get some comfortable padded chairs on our porch, those old wooden things are not only falling apart, they're murder on my backside! My favorite page on Pinterest is Gardening. There are so many cool ideas. Speaking of cool ideas, I'd best get back to finishing my garden chair.

With all the love in my heart, until next week, be Aaron, love mom