Valentine

BELOVED

~God Bless and All the Best to You~

d

Valentine's Day is but once a year.

Telling someone that they are loved can be an every day blessing.

You are loved with an ever lasting love.

HomeHavenMinistry

and

life on the prairie w/d



Jeremiah 31:3

3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, 

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: 

therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

ddtestone.m4v

A talkie from a few years ago...

LOVELY VALENTINE

BLESSED ASSURANCE

BEAUTIFUL Friday!

It's SPA DAY for me as I will soak in the tub 

alone in the house all by myself.

That will be relaxing.
(and it was.)

The week-end is here.

I am in hopes we get to stay HOME and enjoy.

Valentine's Day is approaching.

 

 

HEART DAY on Sunday.

Perhaps I can make some sugar-cookies.

What a wonderful THOUGHT to have.

Blessed assurance JESUS is mine!

How does that song go....

---

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

Off to soak...think I will hum this Hymn.

God Bless and all the best to you!

d

2016 Pancake Race

Jibber Jabber

Today was not one of my BEST days.  Tired.  When ever I get over tired I feel it in a big way.  The traveling caught up with me. As I have gotten older it takes longer to bounce back.  

Thought I was sliding into a sad state, but had presence of mind to remind myself, 'Oh Deanna, you're just tired from traveling in combination with wrestling emotional issues.'

By evening I was feeling much better.  

Missed the Super Bowl Sunday game as I was traveling HOME from Saint Louis which meant I would have to ROKU Downtown Abbey and Mercy Street later in the week. 

When we got HOME from our road trip the television came on as I asked what the winning score was. Victory.  Later I would watch the Super Bowl Half Time Show and frowned. Not so good.  Not so good.
  
Visiting with my Son and Grandson was nice.  Our time together flew.  Still when in an old body, the high energy level of a 5 year old takes more out of me than before.  

The week before we had traveled out to see my In-Laws and this was an emotional time also.

I believe some quiet time is needed and I will mend. 
d 

Alka-Seltzer PLUS

You know sometimes you're really really really over tired and you see something, have a thought or read something that comes across as sooooooo FUNNY.  When out of the blue comes a deep belly rumble from your gut causing a loud cackle to come forth out of your mouth and you really don't care if someone else in the room likes it or not because the laugh is more spontaneous.

I had one of those moments with this:

I had one of those moments.
Are you still with me?

Respectfully Yours,
d 

Time For The Week-end

May you have the best week-end evah!

We're one day closer to SPRING.

This excites my soul.

God bless,

d

Decorating On The Prairie: Flowers Anytime

~Decorating On The Prairie~

Flowers all year round make decorating

a thing of beauty.

Fresh flowers are one thing,

but artificial don't need watered or special lighting

so I enjoy FRESH artificial ones.

grins.

The easier the better.

God bless and all the best,

d

Psalm 103:15-16King James Version (KJV)

15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

Sausage and Biscuits

~GROUND HOG DAY~

passed me by without eating Sausage and Biscuits with Gravy.

I heard that we will have a short Winter because a certain someone did not see their shadow.

With our corner of the world not having rough weather I had to make hay and go shopping for a Grandson's Birthday gift plus purchase Valentine Cards while the going was good.

A quick trip to the city to do some errands and pick my DEAR Husband up from work so we could pick out the Birthday gift.

Hubby said he'd fix Sausage and Biscuits with Gravy for Wednesday Night SUPPER since we were not HOME for Tuesday Night Ground Hog.  He loves it.  I don't mind it.  I will be very contented to eat what he fixes.

It is my good pleasure to think that we will have 

a early SPRING.

We are one day closer to SPRING.

Glory,

d

Assisted Living

I'm really glad to be HOME sleeping in my own bed.  We made a quick trip to the Panhandle of Oklahoma last week to see my In-Laws and returned last week-end.  It's been a while since I journeyed to no man's land in the Panhandle.  

Weather coming and going was wonderful for traveling such a long ways on flat roads.  Wide open spaces in which you can see for miles on end.  A certain beauty to it.  It might have to grow on you before you think it's 'purdee.'   

Long story short, God helped me not be nervous around my In-Laws.  It's been a rough ride being their daughter-in-law.  Right now I won't go into details about being estranged from them and as to why.


I felt like we needed to go see them due to what was going on.  My Mother-In-Law had fallen for the umpteenth time and broke her elbow.  She was feeling like she was being held hostage while healing as her husband was in their assisted living apartment with her in the nursing home down the hallway.
  
They've been living in Assisted Living for about a year and a half. 

My Father-In-Law hated it from the get go before he was completely moved in as it is relatively a much smaller place than what he has lived in for over 40 years.  I think it was just too much of a change for him.  He's very bull headed as some would say.

Though the Assisted Living Complex is a very clean facility, my FIL called it a dump.  Not hardly, but he isn't happy there and now he's in much pain. 

I don't believe that they were prepared to lose so many of their privileges and be bothered so often by others about basic things.

As we were in their apartment, there was activity from Staff so their front door was being knocked on a great deal.  One to take out the trash.  One to take a meal away.  Two to administer medicine. 
One to check their lock boxed meds.  One for physical therapy. One for this and one for that.  Sometimes we just get interrupted too often.  It was eye opening to how busy their HOME was compared to when they lived in their house.

They moved there for a variety of reasons.  One of the MAIN reasons was my MIL has been falling often and my FIL has a bad back to where he couldn't pick her up.  Both are in their 80s.  

When MIL slipped and fell on wet tile in the bathroom breaking her elbow, she couldn't get up.  He bent over to pick her up and when he did, his back popped.  His back broke.  The place in his back that had been fused together over 50 years ago broke apart.

I'm not sure why he didn't call for assistance as this is one of the reasons they moved into this Assisted Living Apartment.  Perhaps out of habit, he went to help her without thinking others were available.  

When my Husband talked to his Mom by telephone and he said she was practically panicky that she was going to be held forever in this facility's nursing home section.  She was upset. So we decided we had better go see for ourselves and check on them.  It was necessary.

We drove the distance arriving late on Wednesday night. We were treated to a Hotel room across town and slept well.  Seeing my In-Laws in such poor health was painful.  We took them out to Breakfast after my MIL got her cast off and was allowed to return to her apartment.  We visited them throughout the day, ate, did some shopping for them and visited some more.

One of my brother-in-laws that now lives in their house came by to visit.  By the time it was bedtime, I was pretty well worn out from the long drive to Oklahoma and the emotional visit.

The next day was long.  Very long. Father-in-law will be seeing a medical doctor about his back. His back is broken and has been broken for over a month.  Why he wasn't wearing a brace, I don't know. We hadn't been told he broke his back until we were there.  Watching him walk with a walker where he had little control of his feet was painful to watch. 

I believe the best place for them is in Assisted Living, but not sure how long they will be there as it is incredibly expensive.  When the money runs out for Assisted Living they will go to the Nursing Home.    

As my Husband and I continue to downsize and get more organized, I have had to think long and hard as to what we should be doing to prepare for retirement.  I am praying and working on the details.

My earthly days may not be long enough to be in a Nursing Home or Assisted Living.  Still I believe there must be some planning.  BETTER safe than sorry. 

My LIFE INSURANCE POLICY is in order for HEAVEN.  My name is written in the LAMB's BOOK OF LIFE.  The Lord Jesus is my personal savior and the very instance he became my Lord, my name was written in the BOOK OF LIFE.  Never to be erased.  Assurance of my salvation.    
Do you have assurance of your salvation?  Only through HIM.

I think of my Parents as well.  Their apartment isn't in a assisted living complex, but really nice for them as a couple.  My Mom had told me that when you get older you don't want all that STUFF to deal with.  I think I am coming around to her way of THINKING and KNOW that I don't want to be dealing with so much STUFF right now.   

So more downsizing and organizing we will do.
Is it freeing to turn loose of so much STUFF? 

When we were HELPING my folks relocate from their house into this apartment, the gears were turning then as to what our next step would be in our own life as we were getting older ourselves.  

That was nine years ago when we were in our 50s.  60 quickly snuck up and here we be.  LIFE can be like a vapor. 

After we left the Panhandle we made the rounds in Liberal, Kansas where I grew up.  I want to go back and spend a few days there just going to see the places that are in my memories. It was a tad bit emotional. 

It doesn't seem to matter where one lives, (please excuse my french) the drivers are h.e.l.l. on wheels.  

It can be kind of scary when the drivers are so reckless 

and aggressive.

Not my cup of tea.

I am so very happy to be HOME,

d

Feeding Your Family For Less

~Menu~

Salmon Patties

Green Beans

Mac 'N Cheese

Water

Applesauce would make a wonderful dessert 
plus it's a fruit to contribute to the food groups.


Food Groups are utilized.

PROTEIN:: Protein comes from the salmon and the egg used to make the patties.  The cheese in the Mac 'n cheese is additional protein.

GRAINS:: The grains from the crackers and mac noodles.

VEGETABLES:: Green beans.

FRUIT:: Applesauce.

DAIRY:: Milk, cheese and butter that were used for the Mac 'n cheese.

FAT:: Just comes naturally in the butter and other ingredients used in the crackers and mac.

Feeding one's Family for less

takes on a whole new meaning when you are

cutting back on expenses.

Many times it has been the groceries that get a hit 
when robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The last 5 years have been interesting 
because of our high medical bills.


Whatever your reasons for cutting the grocery bill, 
it's still necessary to eat balanced meals and healthy snacks.

In one way it is a very good learning tool to practice economizing the groceries.  
Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's hard to live this way.  
Since MONEY does not grow on trees, REALITY strikes when we have to be realistic as to how to manage all to be successful in juggling what needs to be.

THREE items on the plate manages to look better 
than an even number of items.

Feeding your Family for less may mean using smaller sized dishes 
which gives the appearance of having more on your plate because you do.

Always the best to you!
FEEDING YOUR FAMILY FOR LESS
is doable,
d