Pre-Thanksgiving Christmas Outing

Head Start

I spent the majority of 2018 trying to keep a calendar and other notes, shopping 

lists, birthdays, etc. on my cell phone.  

While there are many advantages to doing it that way,

I've decided to return to a more familiar format.

 I was really excited to find this beauty at our local Walmart!

The format is familiar--

one I've used several years in a row.

It fits easily into my purse.

I spent some time last evening recording birthdays

and look forward to a productive year

thanks to this head start.

I'm sure I'll be using my phone as a back up--

it IS helpful.

But for me, it's hard to improve on the security of paper and pen.

All the Time

She (to me):  You see beauty in "everyday" things.

Me (to her):  All. The. Time.  Yes, I do!

There's NO beauty like God's!

Ode to Late Bloomers

Iris in October

Vigorous and fully formed

she wears her white

with confidence

amidst

wilted stems and faded blooms.

Few know or remember

where she came from,

but all who see her

notice her unexpected beauty

calling forth

admiration

and sparking

hope.

Calendar Girl

 A local mortuary is going away

two versions of a 2019 calendar--

a "Christian" version and a "Catholic" one.

I chose the Catholic one for its

beautiful pictures and explanations.

Although I use calendars less and less,

I couldn't pass up this high-quality gift.

I will find a good use for it!

I'm still an old-fashioned Calendar Girl

at heart

In Some of our Spare Time

In our spare time, we look for interesting (and free) events in our area--

like this Cruise-In.

It was a near-perfect day, weather-wise.

A good time was had by all, including my

91-year-old father.

I'm so thankful to be sharing these experiences with him.

buying and selling

This past week, I collected 20 tins scattered around our bedroom and posted them for sale.  (It's been awhile since I have posted and sold anything on one of the Facebook sale groups I am part of.)  We also listed the rusty farm implement parts shown below.  They, too, sold.  We'd used them as a border for a flower bed, but were ready for a different look.  The buyer will paint and sell them as sunflowers and make a tidy profit, I'm sure!

Meanwhile, we did a bit of BUYING, too.  Here is my husband at work on the piece we found for a very reasonable price.  At first, I was going to redo it to sell.  But then I got thinking that it would make a great television stand replacing a low buffet we had been using for this purpose.  Soon I will post the finished project...

The Local Pony Parade

I'm a Beginner

...at prayer.

At almost 70 years old,

I'm still a beginner.

I'm learning prayer isn't reading books

about prayer.

It's not composing a prayer list.

It isn't only an oral or silent recitation

of requests.

I'm finding it to involve

much more listening than I imagined...

as much a response as an initiation.

But then again, as I said before,

I'm just a beginner.

It's All Good

 Our latest completed jigsaw puzzle...

Purchased at a thrift store for a dime 

and missing seven pieces.

Sigh.

A stack of books in our personal library

related to our church's current emphasis--

prayer.

A recent selfie taken for my

Facebook profile photo.

 The game we've added to our evening reportoir.

 A comfortable place for my feet...

and

My view across the dinner table. ❤️