Heal Our Land

We watch the TV. Like it's a movie screen. 

It's hard to believe it's real. Real life. Real people. 

Bombs. Explosions. Gunfire.

Grief. Sadness. Disbelief. Helplessness.

Praying.

Hear our prayer, Lord. Heal our land.

If you have not heard this song by Wayne Watson, please listen.

And pray.

One if by Land, Two if by Hodgepodge

It is Wednesday, and that means Hodgepodge day. Thank you to Joyce for hosting! Be sure to click over to her blog to enjoy her Hodgepodge post as well as her posts for the A-Z Challenge in which she is participating. She's an ambitious one, that Joyce.
Below you will find her questions and my answers. Enjoy!

1. April 15th is the deadline for Americans to file their state and federal income tax returns.  What's a job you do on a regular basis that could be described as 'taxing'? 
It seems like a task that is 'taxing' should require using your brain. Balancing my checkbook would be 'taxing', but I don't do that. So I guess 'taxing' for me would be using the remote for the dadgum satellite tv, grocery shopping, and getting through the contents of my email inbox. First world problems, all.

2. Joyce is participating in the April A-Z blog challenge, and the Hodgepodge happens to fall on Day O this week. In keeping with that theme...olives, onions, oysters, okra...of the foods mentioned, what's your favorite O food?
Definitely not okra. Or olives. Blech! Onions are ok, and I do like char-grilled oysters in New Orleans, but I think Joyce forgot Oreos on her list. That's my favorite O food. And do you remember the jingle? Oh, a kid'll eat the middle of an Oreo first...

3.  What is something memorable you experienced as a child that your own children (or future children/nieces/nephews) will not get to experience? 
I have written before about my trip to California on the train when I was in the first grade. Memorable, indeed, and a fun experience for my family.

In thinking about other things I experienced that my children did not, I also remember walking to and from school (5 miles, uphill both ways, of course) in elementary school and junior high. While it was actually only about six blocks, and I'm sure I complained now and then, I have great memories of walking home with friends and standing on the corner talking long into the afternoon. Since we live in the country, our children rode the bus, and missed out on the opportunity to jump the cracks in the sidewalk, greet the dogs along the way, and watch the changing seasons on the trek back and forth each day.

Another thing children (young adults) miss out on today is sharing a phone. They will never experience living in a dorm or a sorority house and sharing one phone with all the girls on your floor. We had to wait in line some evenings to use the 'LD' (long distance) phone in the closet. Can you imagine? And don't even get me started on typing on a typewriter....

4. Term limits for our elected officials...your thoughts? 
Sure.

5. On April 18th, 1775, Paul Revere made his famous 'midnight ride'...when did you last make a midnight ride?  Perhaps the fate of a nation wasn't hanging in the balance, but tell us where you were headed anyway.
Last weekend was my last Moms' Weekend at Purdue. With my baby. Who is graduating in less than a month. How did that happen? To celebrate, we had an evening out with his friends and their moms at the Neon Cactus. And since we were still out after midnight, I guess that counts as a midnight ride. More photos to come. :)

6.  What would freak you out more...a mouse running across your floor or a big fat hairy spider? 
A mouse. I always feel like I can grab something and smack a spider, but a mouse? They're just so.... mousey. I do remember coming home one day when our cat had caught a mouse. Trouble is, the cat was just playing with it, and the mouse was still alive. I freaked out tried to decide the best course of action, when Jennifer (age 8 or so) picked it up by the tail and took it outside. Just part of the preparation for her career as a vet tech. :)

7. I love it when people ask me____about my grandchildren______?

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
Last week, I posted this picture of a cute little robin on Instagram. Mr. Robin Redbreast, a sure sign of spring, tapping on my window. So happy to see you!

Except that he is still there. Tapping, knocking, hurtling himself into our bedroom window. 
Over and over and over.

For SEVEN DAYS.

You can see the pieces of aluminum foil that Jim put up in the window to deter him. Not working.

So Jim did what we all do these days when we need to know something. He googled 'bird flying against window.' He found lots of people with the same problem, and even found video of birds flying at various windows. One solution he read about was to place a cutout of an owl or a hawk in the window so that the bird would recognize it as a predator. And stay away.

So I drew a couple of elementary-teacher-level owls and placed them in the window.

Apparently the bird likes my artwork. Or he doesn't recognize it as a big scary owl. (How can that be? Too cute?)

Because it is also...

not working! 
Any suggestions?

April Shower

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a baby shower for the daughter of my friend Becky. Erin and Larry will welcome their new baby in early May. Erin is also the cousin of my daughter-in-law, Darci. The shower was hosted by 'the aunts' of Erin, who function like a well-oiled machine in the party planning department.

Balloons on the mailbox greeted the guests as we arrived.

Little Clara showed off her pretty polished nails, thanks to Aunt Betsy.

Ella checked out the dollhouse in the basement.

For the shower, they used Noah's Ark decorations, which featured many of the animals Erin is using in the jungle-themed nursery. Leslie made this adorable ark out of a watermelon for the fruit salad.

It was complete with animals peeking out of the windows, hanging over the edge, and lined up around the bottom. So cute.

For dessert, Darci made awesome animal cookies.

And they taste as good as they look!

When it was time to open presents, Erin's cousin Molly was ready to record each gift and giver.

Becky thanked everyone for coming, and especially for praying for this precious baby. God is good.

Let the opening begin!

A cute stuffed giraffe.

An elephant storybook.

Erin's two sisters, who will be first-time aunts when the baby is born, were discussing names for themselves. One decided to be 'Auntie', so the other thought she should be 'Aunt', pronounced 'Ahnt', in the most formal fashion. :)

The most unique gift Erin received was new to me:  a Lawn Countertop Drying Rack. At first I thought it was some sort of golf putting green. It is a mat made of plastic grass to stick bottles, baby spoons, etc., into while they dry. There are even accessories, like 'Twig' and 'Stem.' Everyone needs a little lawn beside the sink!

Mama Erin posing with her mom and sisters.

And showing off that cute little tummy.

The little girls were having some cousin lovin' after the presents were done.

A squeeze from Aunt Betsy. (Or is it 'Ahnt Betsy'?)

It was a great day celebrating the baby-to-be, surrounded by lots of love, and lots of giggles.
We pray God's blessing on Erin and Larry and their new little one.

Havin' Fun With the Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday again, and after a week off for a Hodgepodge 'spring break', Joyce is back with another interesting set of questions for us. It's always fun to think up our answers and then get together to see what everyone else has to say. Just click on the button below to see what fun we have over at the Hodgepodge.

Let the fun begin!
1. Share one fun thing you did last week, while the Hodgepodge was on 'spring break'.
I had a 'regular' week, Book Club on Monday, where I get to be with my awesome 'senior' ladies, MOPS on Tuesday, where I get to teach the preschool Moppets and hang out with the cool young moms, and Wednesday morning with the granddaughters (plus a grand-niece this week). Fun stuff.

Also fun, on Thursday, I attempted to make a pouf ottoman for my daughter (for the new baby's room). I used an old pouf for my pattern, and my plan was to recover it. I decided instead, that it was easier to just fill the new one rather than try to stuff the old one into it. I had ordered a bag of 'beans' to use for the stuffing. Have you ever tried to stuff a pouf with foam beads?

It's a little tricky. I posted these photos on Facebook, so you might have already seen them. 
Beans. Were. Everywhere.

In the end, I was successful, and the beans were on the inside, where they belong. Whew!

2.  April 10th is National Sibling Day...do you have siblings, and if so are you close? Share a favorite story featuring one or all of your siblings. If you don't have siblings, did you ever wish you did?

Well, it seems like there is a day for everything. Yes, I have siblings, two younger brothers. We are close, and are blessed to live close enough to see each other fairly often. I know I can count on them if ever I need a hand, and I think they know they can expect the same from me.

Don't you love my mom's hair in this picture?

As the first born, and only girl, I was pretty much a perfect child. I was cooperative and well-behaved, and liked to always be the do my best. I felt it was my obligation to boss around be an example to my brothers. :)

The photo below, taken on a vacation in Florida, pretty much illustrates our personalities. (Great shoes for the beach, boys.) Lol.

This photo was taken as a surprise for my parents' 20th anniversary. The year was 1977.

3. Is it important to you to 'buy American'? Why or why not? How much of an effort do you make to 'buy American'? If you're not American, insert your own country in the blank. 
There are lots of good reasons to buy American. I try to do so, if given the choice. 

4. Besides The Bible, what book has impacted your spirituality in some way?
Most recently, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. Such beautiful words. A guide to giving thanks to God for every gift, every day. 
"Eucharisteo always precedes the miracle." -Ann Voskamp

5. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes.  Do you find rainy days calming or depressing?  When were you last caught in a rainstorm? What's blooming in your neck of the woods today?

I love rainy days if I'm inside, with nowhere to go, and nothing to do but a nap. I don't enjoy rain when it interferes with outdoor plans or I have errands to run in the midst of a downpour.

The last time I remember being caught in a downpour was last fall at the Purdue homecoming game. It was WET!

As for what's blooming in our neck of the woods? These are blooming in our yard,

and I found this beautiful tree across from the post office in town.

6. What's your favorite yellow food?
Banana cream pie, of course.

7. April is National Poetry Month...what's a poem that holds special meaning for you, and why is it special?

Little Orphant Annie, by James Whitcomb Riley. My mom and my grandma used to recite it to me by heart.

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I have Siri on my iPhone, and while I find her helpful when I want to make a call, or hear or send a text while driving, I sometimes find her a bit frustrating when she doesn't understand what I'm asking.

It can be fun to give her commands now and then, like "Tell me a joke" or "Sing me a song." If you are persistent in asking for a song, she will eventually come up with this:

One of my favorites, and very appropriate for a smart little electronic voice that lives in my phone.

Huntin' for Spring

It has been a looooonnnggg winter here in the midwest, and we are finally beginning to see glimpses of the long awaited spring. I love living in a place where we have the opportunity to enjoy all four seasons, but I do believe the coming of spring is the transition I welcome the most.

In honor of the sunshine yesterday, Matthew and I decided to try our first geocache of the year.  We found a brand new cache on my iPhone app, that had just been hidden a couple of weeks ago. He grabbed my phone, and we were on our way.

The cache was in the cemetery in town, and after driving around a bit, we got close enough to continue on foot.

Matthew had to shade the phone from the bright sun in order to see the compass guiding us to the spot. We were ever so grateful for that sunshine! He also explained to me how the latitude and longitude coordinates of our location change as we move closer, to match the coordinates of the geocache. Since I didn't have my glasses, I took his word for it. :)

It took a bit of searching, and after consulting the hint, Matthew spotted it in a tree hole.

He opened the lid,

and took out the log,

which we signed with the date and our initials. Later, I logged our find on the official Geocaching hunt site.

Back at our house, we discovered a pretty little sign of spring right there in the yard.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:

"Winter is dead."

-A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young