Another Time ~ Another Place

Be sure and visit Unknown Mami!

Blessings,

Purim

Nazi officers on trial at Nuremberg~1946.


My disclaimer: I really try not to let my faith walk take over my blog. Really. I also realize, not many people will "find" this post, because in a few hours I will post Sunday In My City, thus burying this post. So, if you are reading this, maybe it was intended for you.

Today has been very busy and I have been in a very reflective mood. Maybe it is because of all the earthquakes. My heart goes out to the people of Chile, but do you realize in the last week South American has had over 100 quakes? Worldwide, we have experienced over 266. To me that's almost more than I can comprehend. Still, we know these things will come to pass.

Tomorrow is Purim and I felt I needed to write about this holiday. It is a fascinating study of how God continues to fulfill prophecy.

Thanks for putting up with me. ~ Cheryl


“. . . . and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

For many of us, these are familiar words spoken by Mordecai, words to be delivered to his to his beautiful cousin, Esther, wife of the king.

It was a horrific, difficult time, but because of one woman’s willingness to help her people, an entire country was changed and thousands of lives were spared. And we have since seen the prophetic fulfillment of Queen Esther’s words. Esther’s words spoken over 2300 years ago, were fulfilled in 1946.

Most of us know the story of Esther. King Ahasuerus, embarrassed by Queen Vashti, looks for a new queen. Mordecai, who worked in the palace enters Esther, his cousin who he had raised, into this ancient Persian beauty contest. She is chosen to be the new queen.

But there was an evil villain, who disliked Mordecai and hated all Jews. Unfortunately, Haman was above all the other princes under King Ahasuerus’ reign.

The jest of the story is…Haman sets a trap for Mordecai and all the Jews. Unknown to both Haman and the King, Esther is also a Jew. Through a set of circumstances, Esther reveals her Jewish heritage to the king and Haman (along with his ten sons) ends up dangling at the end of the rope he had hoped to see Mordecai hanging from.

Here is something you may not remember from studying the story of Esther. After Haman and his sons’ death, Esther goes before the king with a request. She asked that the king allow the Jews of Shushan, “to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.” Esther was not asking the king to hang Haman’s dead sons. What she was requesting was a prophetic request fulfilled in 1946.

In Hebrew, the word used by Esther for morrow is machar. Machar is plural so the meaning is many morrows, referring to either the next few days or distant tomorrows. Esther was asking God to hang Haman’s sons in the future.

Hebraic letters are assigned a numerical value. Three of the son’s names contain an abnormal (in size) letter. These letters, the Tav (equals 400), the Shin (equals 300) and Zayin (equals 7). The three letters total 707.

According to the New World Hebrew Dictionary, “ the thousands are skipped and the Jewish year is referred to by quoting in Jewish numerical symbols, the figure from the hundreds down.” In other words the numbers 707 could mean 1707 or 2707 and so on. We are interested in the Jewish year 5707.

The Jewish new year of 5707 began in the fall of 1946. Following WW II, the world awaited the results from the trials being held at Nuremberg, Germany. Eleven German officers were found guilty of war crimes committed against the Jews. They were sentenced to death. After the verdict, one officer committed suicide before the sentence could be executed, thus leaving ten.

Military executioners hung the remaining ten. The last to hang was Julius Streicher. Moments before his sentence was carried out, Streicher glared at the crowd and shouted, “Purim Feast, 1946.” Amazingly, Streicher made the connection between their hangings and Esther’s request. A 20th century military court carried out Esther 9:13, Esther’s request that Haman’s ten sons be hung in the future.

For some reason, this amazes me! It also, helps to renew and increase my faith, knowing that ancient prophecies will be fulfilled.

Do you ever wonder why you are here? Or more pointedly, why you are here now?
You are here because this is your appointed time. You have come into the kingdom for such a time as this.

Sunday, February 28, is Purim this year. The day Jews remember, how God used a young Jewish girl to deliver them from the hands of Haman. For me, Purim is a sign that God continues to answer the prayers of His people.

May you be blessed!

Friday Fragments

Finally, Friday is here! This Friday is special, because by this time next week, we will have entered the magical month of March and spring will not be far off. I think everybody is ready!



I think I enjoyed the Olympics better when I didn’t know every single detail about the lives of the Olympians…..or every time one frown at another. Now if Tonya Harding shows up, give me a call. The Kerrigan family has already suffered enough heartache for this Olympic season.

Bailey (9 y/o) and Jacob (5y/o) were boxing each other on the Wii and Aubrey (6 y/o) had the karaoke mic, acting as the sports announcer! Nice! She says, "That was a great game! This is Aubrey Davis and my middle name is Faith!"

Favorite Story of the Week ~



"…a lot of companies are passed on within the family. That's how I think about it; it's just part of the family. I have employees right now that have been with me for thirty years. They were committed to staying with me, and now, the most logical thing is that they are going to own the company."



Bob Moore, owner of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods company in Portland, Oregon, had a very special gift for his 200 employees last week. He gave them the company.

It was the company Bob had built from scratch on his own, with his own money. According to the ABC News report, the gift was worth "hundreds of thousands of dollars for each employee—including the janitors."

Story


Wades Wisdom ~

The FOLD cycle on the clothes dryer isn't working.



Please let Grandma C know many of us are praying for a quick recovery!

For more Friday Fragments, check out Half-Past Kissing Time.

And finally ~

I am so tired of multiplication! I want the boys to just “get it.” Then I am reminded that the Bible says, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little~” and He was dealing with supposedly “card carrying adults.” I’m sure there are times when He wishes I would just “get it” too!

Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings,

A Time to Dance

I love blogging. I love the internet. But mostly, I love the people it gives me the opportunity to meet.

I think God brings people together for a reason, whether it is on the internet or a chance meeting in a grocery store. He brought Jennifer, Frannie, and I together, to help a little boy none of us have met. As a matter of fact, while I have visited with Frannie for a few months now, it is just recently that I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer, only to discover Jennifer knows Frannie. (If you would like to know more about what we are doing as a result of our online friendship, you can read about it here.)

Not too many days back, I believe God arranged another "meeting." (Actually, I think He has been busy arranging several meetings.) I met Diana. Strange as it seems, I am not sure what lead me to Diana's blog or if she stumbled upon me. For whatever reason, we "clicked".

Earlier this week, Diana wrote a post Learning to Dance. Here are a couple of lines from that post, "Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain."

In the comment I left, I mentioned I once wrote a short devotion entitled, "A Time to Dance." Diana in turn said she would like to read my devotion. I agreed to post it here.

I pray this isn't offensive to anyone, but this is a part of who I am.



A Time to Dance ~

(This is a true experience, but it happened a couple of years ago. ~ Cheryl)

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. ~ Ecclesiastes 1:3

Being a daughter, wife, mother, and now grandmother, I have spent years being the family “goffer”. You know, go for milk & bread, go for parts for the van (you may insert tractor, backhoe, truck, etc. here), go for medications for Mom and Dad, go pick up the kids, ~ years of going. However, as the kids have gotten older, I find rather than being the family “goffer.” I enjoy waiting in the van and being a people watcher. I am content to sit and wait while someone else does the actual “goffer” duties.

A time to be born, and a time to die; ~ Ecclesiastes 1:2A

People’s actions amaze me! Some bring overwhelming joy to my heart. Like watching a new father with a beautiful bouquet and an arm load of balloons. (Yeah, it was that silly grin from ear to ear and that “cocky” walk that give him away.) Sometimes, I am moved to pray. Like for the elderly couple who were trying to assist each other with their packages while getting into the car. I wonder how many years they’ve shared their lives with each other? How many times has he opened her car door and gently held her elbow, steadying her as she got into the car?

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ~ Ecclesiastes 1:3

I’ve witnessed hit and runs (and been asked to give a statement to the court). And I’ve sit and watched as young shop lifters were put into a police car. Praying for them, knowing the call they would be forced to make to their parents would be one of the most difficult tasks they would experience in their young lives. Praying, this single act would be the point of turning their lives around.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ~ Ecclesiastes 1:4

Last Monday, I was buying groceries and was witness to one of the most beautiful expressions of love I’ve ever seen.. There was a young couple, late twenties or early thirties. He was handsome. She was beautiful. His eyes were a reflection of the love in her eyes. He appeared to be worried. She looked frightened. He was pushing the shopping cart. She was sitting down, inside the basket of the cart, with her knees drawn up under her chin like a small child.

As happens when buying groceries, I would see them on one aisle and then meet them again on the next. This would repeat itself and the odd wonder I first felt of seeing a grown woman inside a shopping cart was replaced with awe, because of how much they appeared to care for one another.

Then it happened. We were on the cereal aisle and she said, “I guess we need to find something for me to eat for breakfast.”

He replied, “You never eat in the mornings.”

Her simple answer, “They said I would have too,” stirred my emotions in a profound way.

Was she taking some sort of cancer treatment? I don’t know. I only know this chance meeting was forever engraved on my heart. As I write this, I pray that their time to dance is still ahead. That their future will be filled with both love and laughter. But most of all, I pray they know the amazing love of their heavenly Father.

Each day, everyone of us is presented with the opportunity to pray for someone. It may be for a family member, a neighbor, or even a perfect stranger. This is God’s gift to you, your ministry. In the Book of James, we are told to, “pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) availeth much,”

What would the world be like, if starting tomorrow, we silently prayed for those we come in contact with? If when we got up in the mornings, we thanked God for the family He has given us? If we asked Him to bless our husbands, our children and our neighbors? Prayer is such a simple thing to do, with far reaching and profound affect. May each of us be blessed with a ministry of prayer and may we be given the opportunity ~ to dance.

Lovin' Your Comments

This is terrible! For some weird reason (I hope does not include my better half’s attempts to work on my computer), blogspot is not completely loading and therefore making it difficult to comment ~ even on my own blog!!! It leaves me feeling like I am letting you down. That you will think I am either ignoring you or don’t care what you have to say. I am not and I do care. I really care!


Everyone that commented presented interesting insights into saving money or raised other worthwhile questions. Because of that, here are my answers to the first seven comments! Thank you for your patience. I love you!


Just Jenn said, she felt like she is feeding her family a little more healthy when she meal plans.

I agree! My crew would request French fries and macaroni & cheese along with whatever, 7 days a week. If I don’t have plan, it is more tempting to give in to their wants (and if I do that very often, their wants become demands and we don’t even want to do down that road!). None of the boys are big on salad, but they will eat nearly any vegetable raw with a little Ranch dressing. If I allow them to prepare that part of the meal, even better! That becomes a win-win situation.

Here's a tip concerning your little ones: If you encourage them to help you in the kitchen, they are more willing to try different foods.

No, I haven’t tried the Metro Mint water. Not sure we have it in this area, I’ll have to check. I like water and I also enjoy fresh lemon in my water. I do know if you add mint (particularly spearmint) to water, it will aid in weight loss.

I also cut juices with water!

Jenn, please do not worry about keeping your comments short.

Sonya said, European prices and quantities are so different from back home. She can no longer buy in bulk and make things stretch. Still, she is learning to make more with less and making many things from scratch rather than prepackaged.


First ~ for those who may not know, Sonya is an American gal in Holland (I hope I got that right, Sonya) and I am sure things there are different. I understand they eat a lot of fish…I mean a lot of fish! (See, I read the latest Sisterchick book! LOL) Write Bentonville and tell them you need a SAMS, asap!…I’m just kidding. I am sure if I was in Holland I would have an interesting time adjusting to what is available.

I do think for the most part, anytime you can make something from scratch rather than buying prepackaged, you will save money and it will be healthier. Face it, you probably aren’t going to add MSG, high fructose corn syrup and all those colorants and preservatives to the dishes you make from scratch. It amazes me, that nearly everything we buy in the USA has so many additives, which I believe are having an adverse affect on our health. Think about how rampant diabetes is now (high fructose corn syrup + everything = diabetes).

A few weeks ago, I prepared something for supper (sorry, that’s what we call it) and dh wanted beans (I know you think we probably live on beans. Maybe we do!) and I didn’t have any cooked, so he suggested I open a can of Ranch Style beans. Which I did. But while they were heating, I read the label. Why would you put high fructose corn syrup in beans? Not baked beans mind you, but ones that are seasoned more like a chili bean. I was shocked!


Dianna ~ thank you, for all the kind things you say and the encouragement you offer! You are precious and I appreciate your thoughts

PropellerHeadMom agreed that each trip to the store for milk or bread resulted in a lot more than milk and bread.


Those grocery guys are sneaky that way! They sure know how to appeal to our stomachs and our purse strings. They are a dangerous bunch. LOL

You can save even more on the grocery bill if you get a few hens and a milk goat (or cow). Hahaha ~ of course, you’ll be adding a bill from your local Feed Store. But when there is nothing else, you can scramble up some eggs or make biscuits and gravy.


Lynette said ~ (I)so agree if there is anyone home for meals lately it is just me sitting here, so find I skip too many meals and end up eating junk.

I hear what you are saying Lynette! And junk can be expensive too, along with being unhealthy.

I find it helps if I have something already prepared. If we are cooking out, I try to have dh cook a couple of extra chicken breast or hamburger patties. I also try to keep cans of tuna on hand. (And while it isn't the best choice, I love peanut butter toast, a trait I inherited from my mother.)

With the beginning of the New Year and all my "good intentions" I made homemade granola. It is so easy to make and you can eat it with coffee (it taste a lot like oatmeal cookies) or add milk and eat like a cereal. If anyone is interested in the recipe, I will be happy to share.


Momza, thanks again for the kind words. I tried to connect with you several times today by leaving a comment on your blog. Since that wasn't working for me, I sent you an email.

Katie, keep working on a title!

Yes, I have bean recipes and will be sharing them. It is kind of like the old saying when asked what’s for supper, “A thousand things and all of them beans.”

While I am thinking about it, Suzanne over on Chickens In the Road has a new post about Getting Ready to Make Homemade Soap. We are going to start making our own soap this spring. I thought Suzanne's article was wonderful.

You can find out about both giveaways mentioned in the prior post, Katie's here and mine here near the bottom of the post.

May each of you be blessed!

Lifestyle ~ Saving Money

Before we start today’s post, here are two giveaways. The first is a “sure thing’ for the first 50 people!!! You can find all the information at Katie’s Dishin’ and Dishes.

The second giveaway you’ll find here near the bottom of a post from last Friday.

Hey ~ And thank you, to all who have signed up as followers! I am working on a giveaway where only those who are “Followers” will be qualified to enter. We have another giveaway starting in March, so the giveaway for “Followers” will start near the end of April. Hugs!



I was thinking about this post ~ let me rephrase that ~ Thoughts were jumping in and out of my brain, while I was going about my everyday doings and it occurred to me, many of the things I was considering writing about not only concerned saving money, but could also fall into other categories like saving time or developing a healthier lifestyle.

There isn’t time today, to explain how I learned the things I am going to share. For now, let’s just say, this all comes from my frame of reference. You have your own frame from which to work and on which you can hang your own conclusions. So, take these and choose those that may work for you and your family. Just toss the others, I have more.

As a matter of fact, I have so many more, I am going to continue to add to this topic and hopefully organize it under it’s own tab. (I have to get smarter and more creative first, or strong-arm #1 son. There is a reason you have kids. Some grow up to become doctors, lawyers or in this case, computer programmers.) I still have to figure out what to call this section. Ideas, anyone?

And remember, “every journey starts with a single step.” That’s true especially when you are talking about lifestyle changes, such as those that affect your health, your home and your finances.

Groceries and Other Necessities

The first two rules are 1) make a list and 2) do NOT go to the grocery store hungry!

My oldest daughter called the other night. They were at the grocery store and she said, “David (sil) hasn’t eaten all day and you cannot imagine what all is in my grocery cart!”

Oh yeah, I can. Been there, done that. And most of us have.

If you go to the store hungry, everything looks good, especially those things that are already semi-prepared and are more expensive. Face it, a bag of beans doesn’t look too great, even if you love beans, mainly because your stomach knows if you start cooking them right now they aren’t going to be ready for 4 or 5 hours!

I make a list. Often I forget the list, but having made the list helps me to remember most of those items we need to restock.

The fewer trips you make to the grocery store each month, the more savings! How many times have you gone for milk and bread and ended up spending more like $45.00? Every trip means less money in your pocket. And that doesn’t include the gas you will save, by limiting your trips.

Buy those things you have to have, when they are on sale. If the brand of dish soap you use is on sale, buy an extra (at least one). Dish soap is a necessity and it won’t go to waste. (Just put the bag of chips back on the shelf and you can probably buy two extra! This isn’t going to hurt as bad as you think.) You can do this with a number of items and before long you will have a well stocked pantry!

Meal Planning

Proverbs says, speaking of the Proverbial wife (the one with the excellent report) that she smiles at the future! Today, I think more of us look at the future with “dread”. Especially if we don’t know what we are cooking for dinner! Spend a few minutes planning your menus for the next few days. This will really help, if you work outside the home.

If your family is having oatmeal, toast and juice for breakfast, make sure the juice is prepared the night before. If you are planning on having Mexican food on Monday night, why not cook a pot of beans over the weekend? Organize your meals, even if it is just in your head. I know my day goes smoother if I know what I am having for dinner at ten in the morning rather than waiting until five in the afternoon.

I try to have certain days I cook certain things, but at the same time I try to be flexible ~ after all, I have a house full of kids and sometimes they eat what you had planned to have for the next meal!

Still, I try to cook (a pot of) beans on Thursday. 1) I know without wondering, what day those beans in the fridge were cooked, 2) company usually shows up over the weekend and beans can help stretch a number of meals (and they aren’t expensive).


Don’t Pour That Broth Out!

If you boil chicken for chicken salad or whatever, save the broth. That’s right. Just pour it up and freeze. You can pull it out later to use as a base for soups, add to rice, or a number of other things.

I also keep a half gallon container in the freezer for leftover vegetables. If you have 2 or 3 tablespoons of some kind of vegetable you would normally use in soup, add it to the “soup container” in the freezer. Before long, you will have the makings for a pot of vegetables soup ~ a meal that is practically free! You can also add leftover roast gravy, chopped or sliced raw vegetables such as onions (leftover from hamburgers) or green bell peppers. (Don’t throw the tops of bell pepper away, trim around the top and add to your “soup container.”

Sometimes, I freeze leftover onion slices separate in a freezer bag. They can then be added to dishes like stir fry. You could do this with any leftover fresh vegetable (without blanching, providing you are going to use the vegetables in a short time).

Whatchya Drinking?

Often, when people think they are hungry, they are actually thirsty. Make water your “best friend.” It will aid in wait loss, wash toxins out of your system, save you money, keep you hydrated, help to get rid of those nagging headaches ~ the list of positives is endless. And don’t buy bottled water. Most bottled water comes right out of someone else’s faucet. If you are on a municipal water supply, by a water filtering system. In the long run it will save you money.

Stay tuned!

The Working Girls, the Hussy and the Big Guy

Welcome to Sundays In My City....er,Country



The "Working Girls" are staying busy. After being on hiatus for the last several weeks, they are now back to producing!



We have fresh eggs, once more!


This is Faith (aka, Mama Horse) only the hussy is either 1) not bred yet or 2) likes attention from the opposite gender a little too much....for a horse.



Hopefully, we will know in about 18 days!


This is the "Big Guy" (aka Trigger, Dusty, Smoke). He has way too many aliases.



The grands call him Trigger. Therefore, he is Trigger.

**There is a giveaway going on: Basically, all you have to do is comment. Each comment counts as an entry. Comment all you like through March 2nd at midnight, CST. For more information, look toward the bottom of the previous post.

For more Sundays In My City and to Tour the World visit Unknown Mami.

May your week ahead be full of warm sunshine and blue skies!

Blessings,

Friday Fragments ~ They'll make you smile!

It's Friday! And I am glad.

Friday Fragments are brought to you by the very knowledgeable and helpful Mrs.4444. When you finish here, pay her a visit and checkout the list of bloggers posting their Friday Fragments. They will make you smile! (BTW ~ Big thanks to Mrs.4444 for helping with the buttons!)

Today, I am washing all that bad stuff from the last few days right outta my hair! I mean it! It has been said, (probably by more than one person) we can choose to be happy or we can choose to be unhappy.

So, in light of that, today we are only entertaining positive, funny, feel good type fragments! *You can thank me later.*

Keep it to yourself!

Five year old grandson was coughing his head off. Fourteen year old uncle decides to give grandson a short lesson in manners. He tells #5 he needs to cover his mouth when he coughs, so he doesn’t spread germs.

“What’s a germ?”

“It is like little bugs too small to see. When you don't cover your mouth, they go everywhere.”

“But if I do cover my mouth it will just make ‘em go back in me.”

How can you argue with that kind of logic?

This week's sweetest story!


BLAINE, Minn. - Betsy Sathers wears the glow of a new mother as she perches on the couch in her family room, smiling and chatting with visitors while still managing to keep an eye on the 2-year-old twins burbling and cavorting at her feet.

Sathers — whose husband was killed when a Minneapolis freeway bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in 2007 — is realizing her dreams of being a mother with the adoption of Ross and Alyse from Haiti.

The twins, brought to Sathers' home just days after the earthquake in Haiti, suck from baby bottles and drag toys across the floor. On the wall hangs a framed wedding day photo of Sathers and her late husband, Scott.

You can read more here.

Story # 2.



On the one hand, he was shot in the head. On the other, the bullet bounced off him.
In one of those rare battlefield miracles, an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and he walked away from it with a smile on his face.

"I don't think I could be any luckier than this," Lance Cpl. Koenig said two hours after the shooting.

Lance Cpl. Koenig's brush with death came during a day of intense fighting for the Marines of Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Regiment.

(I am not sure I would call this “luck.” I liked miracle better. Whatever, I am thankful this young man was protected from a very tragic death. ~ Cheryl)

More on Lance Cpl. Koenig.



This picture belongs to a friend of mine. I love it. I think it is an amazing camera shot. But, when I look at it, I can hear Judy Garland singing, “Somewhere, over the rainbow~”

And now for the giveaway!

Beginning today and running through March 2, each time you post a comment it counts as an entry! And the prize, you ask?

The prize will be a one year subscription to the lovely animated online greeting cards by Jacquie Lawson. The very talented Ms. Lawson does lovely work, which you can view here

These greeting cards will make it so easy for you to put a smile on the faces of family and friends online! So post often for more chances! *smile*

Tomorrow's post is going to be all about ways to save money! ~ I think.


Wade’s Wisdom ~

Don’t let your dog borrow your cell phone. He’ll end up using all your roll over minutes!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Lands, I Forgot!

I am a bad Mamaw! In my stricken, coughin' self absorbed state, I forgot to say Happy Birthday to to of the granddaughters!



This is Keighly, who just turned three, but thinks she is grown. She is our youngest grandchild.



This young lady is Chasey. Chasey was nine February 11th. Her mother's birthday was the next day, but I won't spill the beans on how old Melissa is, because mother-in-laws get a bad rap for those kind of things! ;-)

Hope everyone is having an excellent day! We have sunshine and it is in the low 60's. Marvelous! Makes me want to play in the dirt!

Oh...more news! Buttercup may kid in the next 24 hours. DD#1 is bringing Joey and Michaela down to stay for a few days, while she and Gabby attend a girls' retreat for young teens/preteens this coming weekend. Mac will be so excited if we start having babies while she is here! And Gabby will be so upset, she wasn't here.

Drat! I still have to find my camera!

School is done for the day and I actually have the boys cleaning! WhoooHooo! Guess I better think about dinner, only we call it supper, cause we're country! (Gosh, now I will have Barbara Mandrell singing in my head the rest of the day!)

Be blessed, everyone!

Six Degrees of Blogdom ???

Definition:

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any actor can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. The name of the game is a pun on the philosophical "six degrees of separation" concept.

I think we should start a new game ~ Six Degrees of Blogdom .

Several months ago, I joined a forum some of you may be familiar with, entitled MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection. It was there I met Frannie (Frannie from Kentucky who writes the “Gurlfrienz" emails).


This is Frannie!



A couple of weeks ago, Frannie emailed asking me to visit an online magazine, Small Town Living.

A week later, I was reading on PW’s (the pioneer woman) site and as I was going to comment, I was glancing through what others had to say and noticed one that caught my eye. I decided to email the writer.

The writer was Jennifer and her website is The Cotton Wife. Once at her site, I discovered she writes for Small Town Living Magazine! I was rather amazed and felt like I had come some sort of “full bloggy circle.” So, I left a comment telling Jennifer….beginning with Frannie’s email.

I rec’d this email from Jennifer ~

“To come even MORE full circle, I know Frannie and am on her "Gurlfrenz" email list (you've gotta be talking about THAT Frannie - haha!). I used to chat over at Mary Jane’s. There are some nice ladies over there.”

- Jennifer

Jennifer and I live in the same small town, only mine is in Oklahoma and Jennifer’s is in Virginia. (If you visit Jennifer, be sure and check out her awesome photography!)

We have decided (Jennifer and I), and whoever else we can rope and drag along (Frannie) are going to be working on a joint project beginning the middle of March. The purpose is to bring awareness to children with cancer and to help a young man (Nathan).

This is Nathan!



Nathan is the one in the middle. Isn't he a doll?

Emily, Nathan's mother, has written his story. You can read it here.

And this is Mandy Ann



Mandy Ann was hand-did by Frannie. Frannie makes primitive dolls and her blog is Little Cabin In the Woods. You probably won't find her there, as she stays pretty busy takin' road trips, antiquin' and taking care of Honey Hunk, Cabin and Creek! Frannie also has some beautiful grandbabies and if you want to be on her "Gurfrienz" email list, just let me know. I'll pass your information along.

So, does anyone else have a Six Degree of Blogdom story? It really is a small world, especially via the internet!

BTW~ on Friday, I will be announcing a giveway! This one will run from Friday (the 19th) through March 2nd! It is going to be pretty simple, but I think you will like the "item" that will be the prize. Then we will kickoff our campaign to help Nathan March 20th. Stay tuned!

Blessings,

Monday's Notes!

“Monday, Monday! So good to me! Monday morning, was all I hoped it would be.”(Okay, that dated me, didn’t it?) But it is good! I love the sunshine and the fact no white stuff is falling!! WooHoo!

Happy Presidents’ Day! I wish we still celebrated this as two birthdays, not so much to have two holidays, but so the grandkids would have a better perspective of what they are celebrating and so they could connect the right president with the right day of the month. However, since the majority of our holidays are now “Monidays” does it make any difference? We seem to be one generic mess!



Due to being ill and putting up with the weather, power outages and other obstacles, I managed to miss the order date for the co-op order this month! If I run out of coffee, not to mention honey, jelly, buffalo, beef and a host of other items, I am going to be in so much trouble with my family!

If you live in Oklahoma and are not purchasing from local farmers and producers through the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, shame on you! You really should take a few minutes and check it out.

Orders for the month are placed online between the first of the month and the second Thursday of each month. Delivery day is the third Thursday of the month. Membership is inexpensive and last time I checked there were over seventy producers selling via the co-op.

The quality and variety of the products we buy is wonderful. The co-op is an excellent source for organic, grass fed, chemical free, all natural products. And another real plus is you are buying locally and helping fellow Oklahomans!

Have you met Jennifer, The Cotton Wife? If you get an opportunity, visit her blog. The link will take you to today's post. It is about her desire to help a little boy who is fighting cancer. Jennifer and I are going to be sponsoring a giveaway to help this cause. We'll have all the details worked out in a few days. Be looking for the post either here or on The Cotton Wife.

I met lots of nice people this past weekend via the computer! (So many of my friends live in my computer!) You can go to yesterday's post and follow the button to "Sundays in My City". There you will find people who commented about life in their communities from around the world....in some of the places, it was not even snowing!!!

Stay warm and safe.

Blessings,

Sundays In My City

Sundays In My City is hosted by Unknown Mami. Be sure to visit her blog. It is your gateway to visit the world!




I thought the following picture (from the local paper) was fitting, considering this is Valentine's weekend.



(Photo by Richard R. Barron)

Here's the story to go with the picture:

Marissa Long, Ada Evening News Ad-visor, received a surprise marriage proposal from David Morriss Friday morning. Morriss, a Pickett-Center firefighter and paramedic for Murray County, arrived at the Ada Evening News by Pickett-Center ladder truck with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Accompanying Morriss were co-workers in a second ladder truck. Firefighters, dressed in full gear, entered the building and escorted Long outside where Morriss was waiting with a bouquet of roses and a diamond engagement ring. The couple has not set a date for the wedding.

Yes, it's a small town thing ~ sweet! FYI, the Pickett-Center fire department is made up of all volunteers.

Happy Valentines' Day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentines' Day!

We made the mistake of going to Wal-Mart today. Lands, I've never seen so many people! You would have thought Christmas was repeating itself. As I have probably mentioned before, from the middle of November to about January 5th, I refuse to go to Wal-Mart. I may have to add the week of Valentines' to my boycott list.

Nevertheless, all the boys got to shop and pick out something they wanted, I found a few seasonal bargins (markdown/clearance) ~ my favorite way to shop! Then we took the kids to Arbys for lunch. That was after they had all had popcorn chicken or bar-b-que chicken. I was so wore out, I had to come home and take a nap!

Mr. Prairie Man and I had decided we would have Ruben sandwiches for supper (read quick, easy, great!) We ended up having company join us, which was fine.

Tomorrow is not only Valentines' Day, but also a New Moon. We are teaching the boys about Hebraic (or Biblical) feasts and celebrations, so tomorrow is a double hitter. Breakfast ~ beef smoked sausage, scrambled eggs, blueberry muffins, donuts, pomegranate-blueberry juice and coffee....lots of coffee. Supper ~ P.M. is doing steaks on the grill. Now, if the kids would just go to bed!

On the Home Front:



I have it on good authority, we will soon be back to milking. Two of the nannies are really "bagging up." We should start the "kidding season" within the next two weeks. Stay tuned for the latest breaking news!

No confirmation on Mama horse, if she is bred. If she is, she is a real hussy!




Y'all have a wonderful day tomorrow!




"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." ~ 1 John 4: 7-8

Blessings,
Cheryl

Trying one more thing.

I don't know. I think I need sleep.

Don't Mind Me! The testing continues!

I am just experimenting ~ maybe not too successfully.

I think I need to redo the text in a darker color.



Do you think this is better?



I need to change the color of the text on this one, but what color?



I need to trim this one, uh?



Trying again!



One more time, then I am quitting for the night.



But no pain, no gain! Or something like that.



I have no idea what this is going to look like. Kind of scary.

A very strange way to spend Friday evening! The family wonders what I'm up to! *smile*

How about this....I'm not sure where I found it, so if you want to use it, just beware. (I downloaded it several months ago.)



Thank you, Mrs.4444, for helping me out with instructions! You rock! I'll work on the resizing tomorrow.