A month of joy & sadness

I'm glad summer is wrapping up. In some ways it's been peaceful; in other ways, it's been difficult.

Mark has traveled a lot and the farm work has fallen on the rest of us. We've faced illnesses, injuries and financial setbacks, but in all, we've made it through and I'm looking forward to stepping out of summer-mode and back into school year-mode. Anyone else?

This month I said good-bye to my second child, Rhett, (my only boy) as he went off to college. He's my buddy so it's been an adjustment around here. It's been a little quiet. We don't seem to be going through the food quite as quickly either.

Rhett has enjoyed the first two weeks of university and is getting along well with his two roommates.

My Colorado daughter, Ashley, and son-in-law, TJ came east for a friend's wedding and spent several days with us.

Oh, that Denver beard!

We spent hours talking, eating and playing boardgames - three of our favorite things. 

Our latest addiction...

(such a fun & easy game!)

We've been playing another game around here.

It's called "You might be a Redneck if..."

you can shoot a rifle at 10 years old...

you can shoot a rifle in a skirt...

you're the youngest, but have the best aim with a Glock...

you put a shirt over your head to keep the bugs off so you can take aim.

Yep, Rednecks!

This is some kind of country livin'.

Going-away Sing-a-long

First, I wish I had a picture to share with you. I almost didn't write the post because I didn't capture it in a photo, but I'm guessing you can use your imagination and envision the scene at our home last night.

My son, Rhett, has worked 2 jobs this past year in preparation for college. One of the places of employment is a local music shop where he teaches piano.  There are a few believers who work at the music store and they have become fast friends.  Rhett decided to invite those young adults over for a Mexican dinner, Martens' smores and a jam session before he leaves for college in 2 weeks.

Ten of us started off with green chili enchiladas, rice, chips & salsa and watermelon. Squeezed around the dining room table we had our family, Ryan & Chelsea (an engaged couple) who shared their romantic courtship story with us, and the Gold Sisters: Tori, Jocie, and Shelby - three very sweet and talented young women.  (I couldn't get over the strong resemblance between Tori and "Mary" the oldest sister on Downton Abbey. Two beautiful girls!)

After dinner we moved out to the fire pit to eat smores the Martens' way - forget the graham crackers, bring on the chocolate chip cookies!

Here's Tara eating the Martens' smores a couple of years ago - roasted marshmallow and chocolate smooshed between two homemade chocolate chip cookies. Trust me, you'll never use graham crackers again!

After our gooey dessert we moved to our "music room" (aka - office or place that houses the piano).  Ryan and Rhett took turns on the piano, Tara and Rhett played the bongo drums, Tori played the mandolin, Jocie, the guitar and Shelby, the fiddle. Mark, Chelsea and I sang along with everyone else. We all sat in a large circle singing whatever came to mind - love songs for the engaged couple, hymns, and worship songs.  The Gold sisters also sang some of their own music.  You can see their beautiful faces and hear their wonderful music here. 

I wish life were slow enough to have evenings like this every week! It was so fun and relaxing.

This morning I'm still fondly remembering the stories and music; time well-spent.  Wish you could have joined us too!

Blessings,

.

On the Mend

Thanks, Gail, for that gentle reminder to give an update on Biscuit...

Thursday when I awoke Biscuit was breathing shallowly and shaking with every breath. She couldn't move without crying in pain.  We took her into the Vet again (by stretcher this time) and she came out with steroids for inflammation, morphine-type pain meds and a camel (a bag's worth of saline given under the skin on her back for hydration.)  She was in bad shape.

She slept peacefully the rest of the day, but did not move from our towel covered couch.  Rhett and I carried her out at bedtime and she went to the bathroom, but we carried her back to the couch to rest for the night.

On Friday morning my puppy-girl turned the corner. She was lifting her head and initiated going out to the bathroom, eating and drinking. She still stumbled and shook when walking, but the pain meds and steroids helped her manage until the antibiotics could start attacking the infection.

Today she sat in her fave spot looking out the window and even went outside on the deck to watch Dad mow. A little bit of her personality is back! She's on the mend, thank goodness.

Thanks so much for your prayers, and Gail, especially, thanks for your concern and follow-up!

Blessings,

Waiting to see...

Biscuit woke this morning not being able to walk very well. I took her to the Vet ER today and found out she has full-blown lymes disease. Her platelet levels are incompatible with life and he said if I had waited a day she would have been dead. She's on meds and we're hoping they work quickly. We've had a lot of drama this month (3 Urgent Care visits for our family) and I'm not sure if I can lose my 2 year old dog, as well. If you would say a prayer I'd appreciate it.

Event-full

July has been event - full!  Much of the month so far has been spent in Urgent Care (3 times in 12 days!)  I'm hopeful we're all on the mend now and that the rest of the month will be quiet, but who knows.  Here's an overview of the first part of July - the good, bad and ugly.

The afternoon of July 1st Tara mentioned she wanted to start using deodorant. At the store we took the lids off of maybe 15 different ones so she could smell them and by the time I got to the car I was itching. By the time I got to dinner the hives covered my arms. By the time dinner was done they were down my torso. By Tuesday morning I was covered head to foot and went to Urgent Care. Three shots and 3 prescriptions later I was down and out until Friday, the first day of "no rash."  I now need to see an allergist. 

Our guess - an essential oil. 

To keep my mind off of the itching I threw myself into quilting a patriotic table runner for the holiday. ;)

My Dad brought ribs and corn over for dinner on the 4th of July and I made a red/white/blue jello poke cake. After we ate the gang went to the local park and watched the fireworks while I stayed home to rest.

Mark used his new chainsaw to take down a dead tree in the front yard.

Summer fun - the girls gave themselves avocado face masks.

Back to Urgent Care on the 11th. Bella, our horse, stumbled and stepped on my sandaled foot. The pain was intense and I thought it was broken. Diagnosis: severe contusion (she crushed the soft tissue only - no broken bones.) I'm in a boot for a few days. The foot is now black and blue, but the feeling has returned to my toes. 

Back to wearing boots when I work with the horse. Duh!

Katie ended up in Urgent Care on the 12th with a rash. She has a bacterial skin infection. We think it happened when she took a fall on Wednesday. Poor thing. It's a patch on her hip and the meds seem to be working. We're doing a lot of relaxing around here this weekend.

My husband has been traveling a lot. This week while he was away he sent me a gift in the mail - 6 jars of my favorite jelly, which I can't buy in any stores around here. (Smuckers Mixed Fruit)

What a sweet gift!

I have an outdoor girlfriend who gifts me with beautiful flowers/bushes for my yard. Here are some gorgeous lilies in bloom!

Bits of This & That

I've been in a writing slump. I've been enjoying the living part of life, but not really the retelling part. My poor blog has suffered neglect, but I haven't lost sleep over it. Through the years I've come to realize that my blogging ebbs and flows and I'm ok with that.  

I tend not to be a chatty person. Ok, sometimes you can't shut me up and I do enjoy an audience, but I tend to dislike small talk. If we sit down together I want to talk about something substantial, not just hear about what someone had for lunch, unless, of course, your lunch was note-worthy.

I'm rambling. 

Anyway, I read this post and commented about the Lord's provision in my son's life.  After I did that I thought to myself, "Wow, I should share more of those small tidbits of daily life. I enjoy when others do; it helps me get to know them. Why does everything have to be substantial?" 

I do realize my last post on taco-flavored ice cream was not substantial. :)

So here's the comment I shared. Maybe it will encourage you to recognize the small ways the Lord has blessed you recently.

A couple of days ago someone in the drive-thru at McD’s in front of my son paid for his meal. He thanked the Lord for a free lunch since he’s trying to save all he can for college in the fall. Then he went to work (a used bookstore) and a woman was interested in a Christian book entitled, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger. It’s one of my son’s favorite books and has a strong gospel message. He encouraged the lady to get the book, but she hesitated because of money. He said he really wanted her to have it and he bought it for her. He wanted to pass on the kindness and plant a seed. He came home and shared, “Well, I didn’t have to buy my lunch, but I spent my lunch money to share the gospel.” Sounds like money well-spent.

That was this, now on to that...

We went to see Monster's University as a family this morning. I loved Monster's Inc. and I loved Monster's U. just as much. Missed those guys, Sully & Mike.  It was entertaining to watch my son who is off to Uni in August take in all the stereotypical people/antics of the first week of college.  He said it made him nervous. Ha!

I'd also like to say that it sure is fun eating movie theater popcorn at 11am. Feels like you're getting away with something!  (yep, not substantial.)

One more bit...

I've spent the afternoon on Etsy. I would love to sell some quilts and other handmade items, but Etsy is a little intimidating. 

Basically, anything new to me is intimidating. 

I wanted to see what was selling out there to inform my creative choices. It's a little overwhelming, but I would still like to give it a try, hopefully, in the next few months. We'll see.

Summer - where you get to slow down enough to enjoy some bits of this & that!

Hope you're enjoying them too.

Tacotastic!

Today the girls had a writing assignment that asked them to come up with a new ice cream flavor that makes them think about their favorite foods.  This is what Tara wrote:

What would you call your flavor?

Tacotastic!

What would it look like?

It would be purple. (her fave color)

What would it taste like?

It would taste crunchy, cheesy, and beefy. Then, at the end, there would be a burst of hot sauce.

Write a slogan for it.

Are you sick of vanilla, chocolate and all those other plain flavors? Then try tacotastic! It tastes like an actual taco and you can even put taco toppings on it with our new tacotastic topping machine. Just call 1-800 - ***.****. Just call 1 - 800 - ***.****.

Comfort Food on Sunday!

Check out Angie's Home Cooking for delicious comfort food!

Perfect for Sunday.

Spiritual Self-Help from a 20th Century Minister

Quote from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899 - 1981)

I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing "ourselves" to talk to us!  Do you realize what that means? I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self.  Am I just trying to be deliberately paradoxical? Far from it.  This is the very essence of wisdom in this matter. Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?  Take those thoughts that come to you in the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking.  Who is talking to you?  Your self is talking to you. Now this man's [David in Psalm 42:5, 11] treatment is this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself.  "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: "Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you." Do you know what I mean? If you do not, you have had but little experience.

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: "Why art thou cast down" - what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself and say to yourself: "Hope thou in God" - instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and What God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: "I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God."

Word Picture for Grace

Not to lessen the awesome and true nature of grace, but I read this quote yesterday from the (in)courage calendar and it brought a smile to my face.

My definition of grace? I was standing lone, in puddle of mud, when God picked me up and set me in a flowery field, let me rest, and gave me a strawberry milkshake to drink.