JOHN 16:24

Welcome to my corner of the world in blogland.

Hello from the Kansas Prairie.

Autumn has fallen and I am embracing this season with HOPE and encouragement that LIFE is good because Jesus is my Lord.

He will show me things that I know not of 

and what a joy this will be.

God Bless you,

d

King James Version (KJV)

John 16:24

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: 

ask, 

and ye shall receive, 

that your joy may be full.

Our Tenth Year Here

This will be our tenth Halloween in this old rock house.  Harvest time has come.  Something about this time of year that I enjoy about the month of October is watching the tiny children dress up and go looking for candy at the HOMES of neighbors, friends and family.

It has gotten very popular to go to shopping malls, nursing homes and individual shops to trick or treat for safety reasons.  I remember trick-or-treating as a child and as my own children had this activity.  One dear Lady in Liberal, Kansas made HOME-MADE Popcorn Balls and was trust worthy.  We looked forward to visiting her place in the cool of the evening as we knocked on her sweet door.  She was one nice LADY!!!

I enjoy the children at my door.  KNOCK KNOCK....

My dear Daughter and Grand arrived at our HOME nine years ago.  It was a bitter sweet arrival as her Husband no longer wanted to be married.  Day by day we walked with her through this tough time and gave her a softer place to land than to stay in Oklahoma.  I came out of part-time retirement to provide childcare for a very active baby.  I started Babysitting LIL MISS as she turned one.  She's now almost ten.  I blink my eyes and wonder how quickly the time passed.

It was a different experience for my Husband and me to be around a growing Grandchild and see her every day plus a grown Daughter.  Mixed emotions are still in my soul as to what my Daughter went through.  Mixed emotions run deep.  God hears my prayers and He is the one that comforts me.  Yes, He is the one.  

Lil Miss was a bundle of energy and there were days that I had to take a nap right along side her as I was exhausted.  I  helped potty train her, draw and color, read stories to her, made up stories to tell her, fed her, fixed her snacks, played, tea party time, carried her, sang to her, dressed her, worked on manners, etc. etc. etc. as a Grandmother combination Nanny to her.   AND all those sweet questions she had to ask were ever entertaining to me.

When she started school I had a little more free time that allowed me to behave as a matronly Lady doing her housework, paper work, decorating, blogging, etc.  The time flew. 

Lil Miss hasn't lived under our roof for 4 years now.  Time keeps flying by.  I have to deliberately take time to sip a hot cup of coffee and stare out the window to watch the winds blow the leaves about.  Seasons come and seasons go.  I do miss hearing her voice each day and seeing her manage the things she does.

As we continue to downsize, I am working at making peace with this time in LIFE.  Still have a lot of papers to still go through and THIN OUT.  The dishes.  Glassware.  The clothing.  The furniture.  Music, movies, books.  Pictures to get organized.  Etc. Etc. Etc.

I'm working at getting a more streamed lined kitchen where I don't have so many things to house.  I believe I can do this and be more productive at being more efficient. 

Harvest Time is near.  Crisper temps and sweaters to wear.  Although it was nearly 90 degrees here in our quaint small town america nestled in the heart of the Flint Hills.  As I look outside the window, the leaves on this one tree are blended yellow and green with some bare branches.  Sigh.  I'm never quite ready for the freezing snow, but pause today to enjoy this summery like Autumn. 

Sipping my tasteful coffee, I will eat left-overs tonight for Supper and WATCH PBS Poldark!  Doesn't that sound like a nice evening before I watch the Presidential Debate this week.

Hubby and I are still DEBATING on what to do about Retirement Cottage.  I love the small cottage, but in order to fit into it much still must be let go of.  MUCH.  It is what it is and I pray that we will decide soon what we are doing as we face retirement.  

Praying for God's guidance as to what to do and when to do it.

This week I MUST purchase some miniature chocolate candy bars for our trick-or-treaters.  Herseys is my favorite.  No more than we have at the door, I might buy full size candy bars to give away.  Shall see how this goes.

With the Holidays coming, I have much cleaning to do.  Thanksgiving is about a month away.  The Guest room will get cleaned and readied for company so I have this completed.

Today I went through what seemed like a TON of old papers, thinning them out and needing to file the papers that I keep.  It's a tender time to look at old pictures of my family.  Makes me smile and makes me cry.

My Mother stopped by on Saturday on her way HOME.  She left my dear Dad in the car as we chatted for a short time.  Dad is failing big time.  He told her he was dying.  He gets so weak he cannot walk well.  He has had spells like this before where he says he's ill and dying then cannot explain where or how he hurts.  Mom has taken him to the hospital so many times ...he checks out fine.  

He does not know me.  If I shall out live my Daddy...then I will cry, but until then I mustn't.  He is still here with us.  My Mom's back is giving out on her.  She's shopping for a LIFT CHAIR.  Still she will need help getting him on the toilet and off.  At present they live in a two bedroom apartment.  Dad would get more confused if they moved at this time.  I need to research things that will help them both live a little easier way.  

Today is Mom and Dad's 68th wedding anniversary and my in laws' 65th.  Same anniversary just different years.  Both had 4 children and our first born was their first grandchild.  More similarities.  grins.

Let the night roll in.....I'm ready for a quiet evening.  Goulash awaits me!  Oh, I mustn't forget Poldark on PBS.  What do you suppose will happen this episode?

Blessings from my Parmily,
d

Faith and Joy Go Hand In Hand

A long jibber jabber.....practically a book.

Had to have some coffee for this one.

FAITH and JOY go hand in hand.

I need to be reminded of this from time to time.

Hi you' all....I feel like I fell off the horse (of blogging) and need to get back on the saddle an ride some.  While I was on Facebook, the Thrift Store in Topeka was showing off their Harvest selection in their outside Thrift Tent.  My heart went pitter pat at all those bargains.  I sat for an hour and decided I needed some inexpensive plastic pumpkins on my porch.  If they still had inexpensive Harvest Garland I would like to have some.

I'm back HOME now sipping some homemade coffee in the PARMILY.  Remember me telling you about blending my fancy Parlour with the Family room furniture?  I had covered up the formal furniture and was going to make it disappear finding a new location upstairs or in the old Dining room.  We lived with Family room things in the Parlour for a couple of months.  BUT I missed my pretty stuff.

Family room sofas have disappeared...Bye bye.  You were loved and much enjoyed, but I wanted the formal furniture to return.

WE SOLD THEM...

I love using the sunshiny front room for a Family room.  The OLD Family room became our new Dining room and as we morph right along, the OLD Dining room will become a Doll/Music/Tea room with authentic 1880s Eastlake Victorian furniture.   Pictures soon of this furniture that we got for a song.  Me me meee.  Thanking the Lord and my Husband for this treasure.  I've wanted a  Eastlake Victorian Parlour Set for years now and it's a dream come true.  A dream.  

Well.....I missed my pretty Parlour furniture so much I decided that we needed to use our fancy furniture before she starts to deteriorate.  We've had her 16 years.  If we can get another 4 years out of her, we will have gotten our money's worth out of her and I will have gotten good use out of our furniture.  20 years is a decent amount of time for living room furniture.  If she starts to look shabby well....it will be what it is.  SHABBY COMFY.

NOW the television entertainment center is where the piano use to be...the piano will be moved out of the new Family room and relocated to the new Doll/Music/Tea room.  This is taking some doing.  Hoping this week-end to move 'er out of the NEW Family room so we can scoot the two wing chairs further back toward the wall making a longer distance between chairs and television.  Television watching is getting interesting.  We both now have a tv chair of our own and co-exist with the ottoman.  Ha. 

These chairs hold hours of conversation and prayer.  Thankful to have them.
  

Well, I decided that the Parlour will remain the Family room with the flat screened television on the entertainment center that has a fake fireplace built into it to take the chill out of the room before turning on the radiators full blown.  Not ready for that bill yet.  The Family room area rug is being used.  So we have mixed formal with semi-casual.  Morphing right along.  

A name for blending a Parlour with Family room = Parmily.

My Box Bay window off of the 'Parmily' has a scarecrow couple in there with sunflowers in a basket.  If I add some some Garland it would add some CHARM.  Artificial Garland should keep year after year.  That's being thrifty...right?

Hubby needed a cooling off break as he was planting white mums by the corner of our property.  He agreed to ride along and check out the Thrift Tent and have a fancy coffee. 

We shopped then went for a fancy coffee just to change our minds.  Hubby likes ARBYs unsweetened tea and I was craving the PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SHAKE.  So we both got something different than a fancy coffee.

Thumbs up for a product review.  I think this is the best SHAKE I have ever had.  We returned to small town america to pick up the mail and live life on the Prairie.

SWOON

I will hang some Garland on Sunday and fix some plastic pumpkins to go around the porch lights.

Rough month in some ways.  My temporary crown came off as I forgot to chew on the other side of my mouth.  Oh no...the crown popped off.  My Dentist wasn't there so his partner did a great job of fixing another temp crown until the real mccoy came in the mail.  For some reason my tummy got the rumbles and had the start of severe cramps.

I toughed it out in hopes it would stop, but a late night knock came at our door with bad news.  My Daughter and new Husband were there to tell us that my Husband's Mom had been life flighted from Liberal, Kansas Hospital to the Amarillo, Texas Heart Hospital.  

She hadn't talked in 5 days after falling where her shoulder was broken in two places, was having a full blown heart attack all the time, urinary tract infection, kidneys were not working as well as they should, and found out she had pneumonia in one lung.  She hadn't hit her head when she fell.  No concussion, but the doctor believed when she hit the floor which broke her shoulder caused  trauma which caused her to have a heart attack.

We made arrangements to ride out with our children the next day.  My tummy continued to cramp.  When we saw Mary Lou she looked like a holocaust victim.  So skinny and she wasn't wearing her dentures.  Sunken mouth, straight hair and looked like she was on her death bed.  She opened her eyes the next morning and was trying to talk.  She did look like she was on her death bed.  It was a morbid sight to see.  Horrible.  She was in awful shape.

The Doctor said he'd honor our wishes, but she was a candidate for Hospice.  We voiced our opinions and believed she should be treated with medicine and rest.  Hospice?  They'd give her morphine and oxygen.  Wait for her to die.

Humm.  Her shoulder will heal while in a sling.  She's responding to the antibiotics for pneumonia.  Kidney function better.  Her heart responded well to the heart medicine.  Not sure about her Urinary Tract Infection.

We prayed.  Prayed.

Each day she's gotten better.  Each day she's gaining her strength back and being fed through a tube.  Food will come later.  Oh my...how many people let go and select Hospice when meds can heal a weary body and soul?

Chakra and Kundalini Spirit

I decided that the Kundalini Spirit is holding hands with modern medicine.  Not a pretty combination at all.  You know that cute little emblem on the medical staff that has snakes wrapped around the pole?  Look at the chakra snakes and see if you think there's a resemblance.  What 'cha think?

Medical Emblem

I believe the death culture has ideas about reaching their goal 

of 500 million people on planet earth.

AND  I seriously doubt that I fit the mold for being one of the elite that's going to be allowed to remain here.  My carbon prints are just too TOO.

Sorta sound like an conspiracy theorist, huh?

Okay back to jibber jabbering.

My $45.oo pride and joy is found in a very comfy 

Ethan Allen Chair that swivels. 

Oh how I luv her.  Fits like a glove.  Fits like a well worn shoe.

One day she will either be beside the radiator where the landline phone is OR she will go upstairs in our bedroom after the room is ready for sleeping in again.  Hubby is working on the plaster in that room

Soon and very soon....we will be sleeping back in the MASTER BEDROOM and I sure need this.

I'm beginning to feel like a fish out of water.

Last Tuesday, 

I had blood drawn to see where my TSH numbers are 

for Thyroid HEALTH.

It'll take a week or so for the results to come in.

Later that morning I went to the Dentist to get that infamous crown put on my tooth that had had a root canal two years earlier.

Expensive tooth, but need her.

The afternoon was spent in the doctors office to see if he could help me with the continued stomach cramps.  Thought it was diverticulitis.  He felt a mass in my gut.  I do have fibroid tumors and was hoping to cross completely over to menopause in hopes that nature would take her course and shrink these bad boys.

I'm to have a scan next week.  Not sure how I feel about this.

Sigh.

After all this, my dear Hubby had one of his crowns fall off!

He tried the dental glue from Walgreens.  Well.

When it rains it pours.

Where's my umbrella?

The one I have isn't big enough.

Please help me.

SPOT could care less.  He has the LIFE.

Plan on watching the Presidential DEBATES?  Debating if I should.  Watched the first one the night it was broadcasted and the second debate was watched on PBS.  

If I don't catch the third one, I will watch reruns.  

This is some kind of year for elections.  I suspect before election day we will hear lots more dirt on each candidate.  The mud slinging is state of the art awful,  but

I think sometimes when truth is shared it is taken as mud slinging.

The things I have been exposed to about our politicians is jaw dropping.  God knows all they have or have not done.  He's the final judge.....we should know their characters.  

We should, but do we?  

Does the media cover up all their dastardly deeds?

Does Hillary have Parkinsons and knows how to hide it with meds?  Is she a trained Parkinson's Patient that takes drug holidays before appearing in public and the debates?  Has she had affairs over the years with men and women as well as children?  Does the Clinton foundation take donations from Isis?  

Has The Donald abused women and called them bad names?  

Is he really a Drumpf avoiding paying taxes?  Did Donald's inheritance from his Grandfather's fortune 

come from Alaskan Houses of ill repute?

SO many questions and so many questions.

I am saddened that this is what the elections have to offer.

Saddened.  Can I have an amen?

  

Does a life with character matter?

I think it does.

Enuff said.

Pray you are well.

Jibber Jabbered enough for a while.

Blessings from the Parmily!

d

Jesus I Come

My Days Are Numbered

At 7:15 in the evening with the sky outside getting darker by the minute as if to tell me that AUTUMN truly is here I can hear the wind chimes that hang on the front porch making up a tune that I have not heard before.  The last week or so I can really tell that it's no longer Summer with the sun going down earlier and earlier.

I have not enjoyed the out of doors enough.  A common mistake that I seem to practice every year.  Soon colder weather will be settled upon us and I'll be counting the number of days until it's SPRING once again.  Counting the days.  Autumn's days are numbered as each season is.  My days are numbered as well.  Wishing I had given myself permission to just sit and ponder.  Really I have to make an appointment with myself to sit and ponder.

It has helped placing a Family Care PAIN RELIEF PATCH on the left side of my neck as I pulled a muscle while getting an Ethan Allen chair out of the trunk of my car.  I wanted to "SURPRISE!" my Sweetheart and have the chair already to swivel when he got home from work.  It didn't happen.  I got so far as to lift it out of the trunk and literally roll the chair part of the way across the lawn attempting to lift it and then return it to the rolling position.  Making it up the stairs I lifted it to the porch. 

Got stuck in the front door.  Sigh.  The nice neighbor Lady ran over to try to help me as I confessed that I would just cover the chair and leave on the porch until Sweetheart got home from work.

"THE SURPRISE!"  would be waiting for him on the front porch.  Heavens, this man does not know what he will find at times with me as his wife that is always the proverbial shopper.  Once I came home with a pink sofa in the back of my daughter's vehicle.  "SURPRISE!!!".....Now we must find the right place to place this treasure that I purchased for little of nothing.

Back to the chair.  Sweetheart and I managed to get her into the Living room to admire my thrifty $45 purchase.  She is beyond comfortable and fits my 'ole body as if it were personally made for me.  Like a comfortable shoe.  

Pricing this jewel on the computer, she once upon a time she was a $1300ish chair.  For some reason she was abandoned as a cast off.

When I lifted the cushy cushion at the RESTORE Store and read she was a ETHAN ALLEN brand, I sniffed the cushion to smell if there was any unpleasant odor that I wouldn't want to live with.  She was fresh smelling. 

Well anywhoo....I am in discomfort from being too ambitious and stupid to not have the adequate help getting this chair out of the trunk.  It is part of learning that I can no longer do what I once did. Sigh.  I am getting matronly and should know better that I cannot lift heavy, bulky items.

We had a blow out sell last week-end which left the house a complete mess as things were brought up out of the cellar, carried to the dining room and kitchen, unpacked, washed, dried, repacked then carried to the garage to let go of.  The garage was ready to hold these things as we offered free coffee to shoppers.  The leftovers will be gathered and gotten rid of hopefully this week.  

The week-end came to an end and the next week began.  Sunday night I learned that one of my cousins died.  Darla had passed.  She had fought a good fight and was actually told her cancer was in remission earlier in September.  Without much delay she was ill again and dying.  She was trying to stay alive until her daughter's wedding day.  She didn't.

At the age of 52, my dear cousin  did not survive another day as she went to sleep waking up in heaven on Sunday morning.  She had been placed in the hospital the week before with severe stomach pain as cancer took over her health spreading throughout her body.  She hadn't been sleeping.  Other cousins were praying with her about dying.  Afterwards, she began to sleep.  

Sleep.  Quietly she passed from this world into the next where eternity begins.  At 52.

We do not know the number of our days as tomorrow is not promised.  With this in mind I am able to continue letting go of extra items that I do not need or want.  I am hanging onto some of my treasures, but not all stays near and dear to me in my HOME.  AND it is alright.  I sense that I am maturing in a way that I should.

This week and probably next, I will continue to shuffle, unpack, wash, dry and place items in spaces that will house these items until needed.  I get excited thinking that there will be order once again in the rooms that are housed in my HOME.  Almost GIDDY.  You see when the rooms have been in disarray for so long, the neat freak in me needs to be let out so I can get this place put back in order.  I need order and desire it so it shall be!

I took a short walk in the morning.  A seasonal breeze is gently blowing.  I love it.  Feeling that wind brush my face means childhood memories are coming to mind as I once danced in the yard enjoying youth.  I could go twirl in the front yard with the neighbors gocking at the old Lady I HAVE BECOME, but think I won't.  Instead I'll sneak away when no one else is at HOME and quietly walk into the back yard to twirl in slow motion.  Nobody needs to know that I still can twirl with the wind gently blowing through my hair and brushing against my face.  Nobody but me, myself and I.  

Me, myself and I am aging.  My days are numbered.  My God knows the number of hairs on my head and until the day I see Him face to face, I want to be a good stewart of my time, my money and talent.  I want my days to be used wisely and I want to be a VIRTUOUS WOMAN.  Virtuous.  Proverbs 31:10 shares her traits.  Virtuous traits.  

God bless and I hope you are doing well.
Blessings,
d


Proverbs 31King James Version (KJV)

31 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - This Train