Kansas Sunflowers

Nothing says Kansas like a field of Sunflowers basking in the heat of a Summer day. Near Peabody, Kansas is this field of sunflowers. If you look really close, you'll see Dorothy hiding out with Toto. Auntie Em told me that Dorothy is famous for getting lost and staying out way too late, way too often.

Sunflowers are the State flower.

After roasting in ovens, the "whole seed" (fruit) is sold as a crunchy snack.

Sunflowers can be processed into a peanut butter alternative, sunbutter.

Sunflower seeds make great bird feed, great for salads and in cooking.

The list goes on!
Sunflowers may be used to extract TOXIC ingredients from the soil, such as lead, arsenic, and uranium.

They were used to remove uranium, cesium-137, and strontium-90 from the Chernobyl disaster. Enough said.

Have you heard that saying that you are like a flower in the garden of life? I'd probably be a sunflower. What flower would you be? Hope you'll share.

Enjoy your cheery disposition. May you have a relaxing week-end and God Bless you! Now I have to go chase Dorothy out of this field. Auntie Em is hollering for her to come home. Time for supper. The fried chicken is ready.

~Deanna~

I Tried!!!

With an old gown, a string of pearls and a little girl...I gave it my best try and then the camera's batteries went dead. Still had a good time. Fun is sometimes just a blur.

Another photo session will have to take place in the near future. Between a fast moving child, a digital camera and a dead battery this was the best I could capture. Hope you have a relaxing week-end. Thank you for stopping by!
~Deanna~

Blessings, blessings and more blessings...

Thursday Tea

Blessings to you! Won't you spend some time slowing down a tad so we can unwind and relax before the week-end soon comes. This past week I was fortunate to go to an out of town SURPRISE 25th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Wichita, Kansas. My baby brother and his bride were pleasantly surprised as we had a PARTY for them. It was wonderful. A time to visit and see loved ones from a far. Next day, we watched a small town Kick Off Parade for the County Fair. Taking a day of vacation, my hubby finished section 2 of 8 on the house roof. Hallelujah!!! When he finishes this huge task before the snow blows...we're gonna celebrate and praise God. Between the heat and the rain, it's been a challenge.

I've posted this cup, saucer and teapot in June. Hope you'll excuse the repeat, but I am running way behind on getting new pics of newer cups and saucers to post. Feeling a little sentimental, so I'm using classic white HUTSCHENREUTHER cups and saucers from Germany along with this replica teapot from good 'ole Wichita, Kansas's Historical Cowtown Mercantile Store.

I promise I won't interrupt...what would you like to talk about? Plenty of your choice of tea to sip on and what ever your heart desires finger food. How's that for hospitality?

I was hoping we could thumb through some of my cookbooks and come up with something fun to prepare for the week-end feast. Got any ideas?

Mrs. White from thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com shared a statement that I liked. After asking for permission, here's what she said, "My soul is soothed, my heart is joyful and I can move on with ministering to my family."
Thank you for stopping by. I sure enjoy our visits.
~Deanna~

WORD ON WEDNESDAY

Shall we gather at the river?  The beautiful, the beautiful river.

Oh my...did these little sweethearts know something we don't?





Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: 
but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Hope you've been having a good week.
Do you have a word for me?

Blessings to you,
~Deanna~

Tuesday Treasures

Just one of those days when I was out and about looking for Thrift items this Decorative Copper Bowl caught my eye! I don't collect copper and thought this bowl would be a nice addition to our Haven. It was a decent price, so away I went to the Check-Out. She's resting in the Diningroom. Now a treasure for our HAVEN.

The picture behind the bowl now hangs on one of the Diningroom walls. My sweet Mom gave me the picture to enjoy.

In the sixties one of my Mom's dear friends had a copper cookstove and oven. Copper was all the rage and we didn't have any in our kitchen. When we'd go to visit, Grace's kitchen sparkled. Remember turquoise painted walls with copper appliances? Was that classy or what?

Copper diminished in popularity when the earth tones forged ahead. Harvest Gold, Avacodo Green, don't recall what the Brown was named and then here comes Almond. Classic White is always safe. Stainless Steel and Ebony Black are at it again. Bisque is nice. Soft Grey, Platinum AND believe or not, I've seen some Copper popping up on the market.

I thought all the best Chefs used Copper Cookware and this was just abit too advanced for Heck-a-Belly me that wasn't into Gourmet anything. I just found out that TOXICITY can occur from eating acidic food that's been cooked with copper cookware. In India Cirrhosis of the Liver in children has been linked to boiling milk in cooper cookware. Think I need to add this information to my other blog, http://www.thefatladyssinging.blogspot.com/

Covering touch surfaces with copper alloys can help reduce microbial contamination associated with Hospital-acquired infections on these surfaces. Copper is germacidal, via the oligodynamic effect. For example, brass doorknobs disinfect themselves of many bacteria within a eight hour period. Copper has the intrinsic ability to kill a variety of potentially harmful pathogens.

AND here's some good news for those that want to GO GREEN: Copper is 100% recyclable with out any loss of quality whether in a raw state or contained in a manufactered product. Copper is the third most recycled metal after iron or alluminum. It's estimated that 80% of the copper ever mined is still in use today.

EZRA 8:27 mentions copper in the old testament. 'Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precioius gold.'

Wow! All of this information just because a copper bowl caught my eye.
Blessings to you,
~Deanna~

Dolls

Much To Do

Much to do about MUCH TO DO! I was visiting a different site that has a post about nurturing marriages. While reading the comments made, like others I have my thoughts about posted comments. One of the ladies is married to a difficult man that cannot be pleased. Though she was sharing what she's dealing with, her comments were under fire as to her being unkind toward her difficult husband. That she was bitter. I disagree. She is simply stating what the situation is like.

Marriage may have been entered into with one view point and then as life happens, we have added experiences to process. Marriage is a living breathing covenant that we have to nurture. It may require walking in an area of expertise that we are new at and full of surprises that requires alot of wondering, what do I do now.

This poor gal over at the other site is in a marriage where she is constantly put down by her husband and in his eyes she can't do anything right that pleases him. Does the word NARCISSIST come to mind? It does to me. This is a personality disorder that I've read about over the past year. Identifying and dealing with narcissist is tricky.

But once you figure out that this is what one is dealing with, God help you...you are in for a rough ride. You will definitely need godly, firm guidance in the way you live and walk. Living with a narcissist can be draining.

Not every one that has been dumped on, verbally abused, hit, belittled, ignored, abandoned, cheated on has asked for this treatment. Many that are in a difficult marriage or have gone through an unwanted divorce will blame themselves for what is happening to them. They may suffer a stigma placed on them by others or by tormenting thoughts of you didn't do enough, you weren't good enough, it was all your fault, you should have tried harder, you're a failure, you're ugly, you're stupid, you're...This is exactly what the narcissist wants, for you to take the blame, embrace the put downs and destroy your well being.

To a narcissist, this is what they want. The blame game is played and life changes that are needed are transferred to someone else as the reason things aren't going well. The narcissist doesn't have to correct his actions. He never really takes responsibility for his bad choices and never takes ownership of being responsible for his own actions, therefore he can remain in his sin and get away from growing up. It's all about him and his "worship me" arrogance. I'm mister wonderful and you are nothing.

Shock of shocks, you as a wife can be doing everything right and the husband still rule with a heartbreaking critical spirit where no matter what you do it's just never good enough nor can you please them. Yes, the door can swing both ways.

My advice is to not stop praying. It will be God that comforts a broken heart and broken marriage. It will be God that comforts and helps the broken hearted one that has tormenting thoughts. Try not to be mad at God. It will be Him that gets you through this. He will be your BEST friend and shoulder to cry on. He will show you the way in which to go.

When both husband and wife long to remain in their marriage and are willing to work together in harmony within God's boundaries, the marriage stands a chance. We can be nurtured in a wholesome and balanced marriage.

When we encourage others to be in a Christian Marriage, we are helping with nourishment. 1Titus 4:6 If thou put the brethen in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

If for many reasons you have suffered poor treatment and have gone through a rough divorce, I'm very sorry. I have come to believe that when we honestly seek God, He will be the one to comfort us while mending our broken hearts, if we let Him. He is faithful. His name is WONDERFUL.

God Bless you,
~Deanna~

Little Bo-Peep

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Leave them alone,
And they'll come home,
wagging their tails behind them.

Oh...if only it was that easy. My sheep would not find their way home. This is a catchy English language Nursery Rhyme circa 1805 that I can hear in my head with that sweet melody that leads into song.

Sheep are known to be creatures that CAN'T find their way home. If they get lost and get on the other side of a fence, they won't know how to get back around to the other side where they just came from.

They truly are in need of a good sheperd that works with them helping them get back home. We are like sheep in need of the GOOD SHEPERD. That would be Christ. He is referred to as the Good Sheperd and we are referred to as ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY (Isaiah 53:6).

1 Peter 2:25 tells us FOR YE WERE AS SHEEP GOING ASTRAY; but are now returned unto the Sheperd and Bishop of your souls.

We are in need of the good sheperd. Every one of us.

Baa baa black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full...
~Deanna~

Chandelier Cleaning

Welcome to my world...





Hanging from the Parlor ceiling are two Chandeliers that grace this old house of ours. We have been in our rock palace about two and a half years. I wasn't overly fond of them at first, but have grown to enjoy these lighting fixtures. I'm not sure how vintage they are. The front parlor is part of the original house built in 1885. The newer addition was added on in 1901. Never the less, these fixtures have to be cleaned from time to time. Hopefully each Spring for the famous Spring Detail Cleaning that comes after a long Winter.







The last time I cleaned a crystal chandelier was back in 1983 in our house that had one in the master bedroom. I didn't understand why someone would have a chandelier hanging there. It was foreign to me then. Now, I think it's decorative and creative to have ornate light fixtures in any room, not just a parlor.




Preparation takes place before the actual cleaning begins. Back in '83, I had to wipe each individual crystal by hand. I was dreading doing this, but found a new product that you just spray on the crystal and allow it to drip and drop off the fixture. First we shuffled the furniture away from under the lights. Covered some of the furniture that might be in the path of the falling cleaning mist from cleaning product. Placed a vinyl shower curtain on the floor lying underneath the fixture to catch the run off from the drippings.



It's appropriate to have a good attitude while cleaning. She's having fun with this one. I enlisted my daughter to do the actual cleaning. Funny thing is she's about the age I was when I last cleaned a chandelier in '83. We made a deal, if she'd do the detailed cleaning in the parlor, I'd buy her a fancy coffee! No, in reality we bartered for a stroller that's a toy car for her little girl.



This is an absolute NO NO with this cleaning product. The light needs to be turned out. Place a piece of masking tape over the light switch to remind others to not turn the light on while in the process of cleaning. We had the front door opened to help ventilate the smell. There wasn't much odor from this cleaning product, but the fresh air was nice to enjoy. Hagerty Chandelier Cleaner in a spray bottle was purchased at the Hardware store. Depending on the style of the chandelier will determine if you place plastic sandwich bags over the bulbs or not. To prevent liquid from getting into the sockets, you may want to rubberband the sandwich bag to hold it firmly in place. We didn't have to do this because the large centralized light bulb hangs upside down.



The dirty truth is revealed. Each fixture was sprayed and allowed to dry before a second round of cleaner was applied. This dried and then the crystal was rubbed down with a chammy.




I'm not sure how this double exposure happened, but it kind of looks like my daughter had an angel helping to hold her in place as she worked. There's a hand on her hip.




I'm very pleased at how this turned out. Pleased with the product and how the crystal sparkles. The chandeliers shine bright and we're so glad this chore is completed. Good job! Next, the wood floor will be swept and washed, then the room will be put back in order. Also the outside of the radiator cleaned. Shine on dear Chandelier til we meet again. Would I recommend this product? Yes, I believe I would. The chandeliers dried brillantly clean. Thank you, my daughter for doing such a good job.



The very last book in the New Testament of the Bible is Revelation and it states in Chapter 22 verse 1: AND he shewed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the lamb.
Won't that be a sight to see? God bless you as you lovingly go about cleaning your home as you make it a haven. May this time of cleaning have meaning to you as you call it a Home Blessing. You're worth it!
~Deanna~