Posts
"But this is what I want to say -- look up, right now. Take your eyes off this page and look up. Miss James, I think, will be right near you. She will give you this letter and, from what I know, will wait for you to read it. She will wait. She will keep watch. And others too. You are not alone. We are all around you, dead and living. Look up ---" (Will Fitch to Emma upon his Death in The Postmistress)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...."
The Sweetening Dark....
This is a phrase from my current read - The Postmistress by Sarah Blake - that I absoloutley love!
... the sweetening dark.... talking about that time of day when dusk is falling, the light is somehow sweet and soft, crickets sing, fireflys begin to come out and the breeze is soft and sweet upon your cheek! For me it brings to mind memories of summer nights in Arkansas running barefoot through the grass playing tag or with a jar ready for lightning bugs to make a nightlight;Family on the porch swing, the smell of Prince Albert tobacco, soft talking, laughter and a whipoorwills call...
What a marvelous gift God has given us in language and it's ability to evoke images and memories for us .... perhaps that's why He is a man of the book as well?
ps... lightning bugs don't live in AZ so they've always been magical to me and I LOVE that they live in KS! (Even if they are ugly little suckers in the light of day but I guess that's another post...)
Love Gifts....!
Rilla the birdkiller! Ok so let me explain a bit ....
Our Westie apparently has an inborn taste for birds! She's now killed at least three of them and one was a full grown blue jay she snatched half out of the air! Yes those hunting instincts run deep folks! So yesterday was our latest "hunt" I let the dogs out to do their business and Rilla likes to linger so I left the door open and was perusing music for our 4th of July Concert (I'm a member of the Abilene Municipal Band) when I noticed Rilla was inside, happened to look down at the floor and there is a lovely dead bird right by my feet (thankfully fully intact!) AAH! So I told her I know she loves me but I really don't like her gifts!
How many times do we tell this to our spouse, kiddos, friends or even God? ouch!! When hubby shows me love by keeping the car running, helping around the house,etc do I thank him or feel slighted because it's not my love language? Now I am in no way knocking that series of books as I do beleive it's important to know what makes others feel most loved and try to meet that need for them (mine is gifts--- just not the dead bird kind! and quality time by the way two things hubby isn't the greatest at!), however it occurs to me that often we squelch others desire to show love for us because their "gifts" to us may not be what we would consider lovely, appropriate or even practical! The fact I long for hubby to leave sweet notes in the house, write letters when he's deployed, bring small creative things that don't cost much or hey if we have money something that costs much :); take the time to set up a weekend away without me having to make reservations, babysitters etc would make me feel deeply loved and appreciated and that he isn't great at that doesn't negate the fact he loves me!
Just as Rilla lovingly laid her precious bird at my feet with a wag of the tail and happy eyes (promptly pitched over the back fence!)hoping I would understand that she loves me, I need to be willing to see the love of others even when it's not obvious!
And most of all of the Lord even or maybe especially when He seems far away, deaf, slow or uncaring! Asking Him to open my eyes....
Our Westie apparently has an inborn taste for birds! She's now killed at least three of them and one was a full grown blue jay she snatched half out of the air! Yes those hunting instincts run deep folks! So yesterday was our latest "hunt" I let the dogs out to do their business and Rilla likes to linger so I left the door open and was perusing music for our 4th of July Concert (I'm a member of the Abilene Municipal Band) when I noticed Rilla was inside, happened to look down at the floor and there is a lovely dead bird right by my feet (thankfully fully intact!) AAH! So I told her I know she loves me but I really don't like her gifts!
How many times do we tell this to our spouse, kiddos, friends or even God? ouch!! When hubby shows me love by keeping the car running, helping around the house,etc do I thank him or feel slighted because it's not my love language? Now I am in no way knocking that series of books as I do beleive it's important to know what makes others feel most loved and try to meet that need for them (mine is gifts--- just not the dead bird kind! and quality time by the way two things hubby isn't the greatest at!), however it occurs to me that often we squelch others desire to show love for us because their "gifts" to us may not be what we would consider lovely, appropriate or even practical! The fact I long for hubby to leave sweet notes in the house, write letters when he's deployed, bring small creative things that don't cost much or hey if we have money something that costs much :); take the time to set up a weekend away without me having to make reservations, babysitters etc would make me feel deeply loved and appreciated and that he isn't great at that doesn't negate the fact he loves me!
Just as Rilla lovingly laid her precious bird at my feet with a wag of the tail and happy eyes (promptly pitched over the back fence!)hoping I would understand that she loves me, I need to be willing to see the love of others even when it's not obvious!
And most of all of the Lord even or maybe especially when He seems far away, deaf, slow or uncaring! Asking Him to open my eyes....
How To Wash Stuffed Animals Safely!
There he is, Good Ol' Winnie the Pooh!My son LOVES his Pooh, and has slept with
PoohBear every night since he could grasp a
stuffed animal with his hands.
There have been times, poor Pooh has been covered with food,
drink,
and... vomit.
I learned the hard way - HOW TO WASH STUFFED ANIMALS.
And I'm sharing today with you.
1. Do not do what I did the 1st time and simply throw the stuffed animal in the washer, and then the dryer. The stuffed animal will lose some 'fur' and after the dryer, will smell burnt and be singed (We had to throw that Pooh out and run to the store and get an exact replica, luckily, my son was too young to notice- at the time).
So, How do you clean/wash stuffed animals safely?
1. Put the stuffed animal in a pillow case.
2. Close the pillow case with a rubber band.
3. Put it in in the washer, run it.
4. Put it (still in the pillow case) in the dryer.
It will come out looking like new :)
I've done this, I know it works!
Sweet Dreams!
