Thursday, January 31, 2008

A Visit With My Granny

The Old Well that still works

My 3 grandchildren playing around the "Big Tree" that me & my sisters used to play around.


The Back Door


The Garage

A Visit With My Granny

Stack of quilts my Granny has made

I am holding up one of the quilts she recently made.


My Granny & PawPaw


The Mantle & Old Gas Stove



Grannys Kitchen

A Visit With My Granny

Granny holding up my quilt square!

Me & my Sweet Granny!


Me & my grandbabies with my Granny
and their Great-Great Granny



Granny showing us her quilt she had just finished today.
My Granny is 94 years old. She still makes at least 1 quilt a week. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon and she was already dressed for bed. I asked her what time she went to bed. She said she tries to be asleep by 7 p.m.- I had told my dad that I was going to try to get over to see her last week. Well, the week came and went and I didn't get by there. So before this week was over, I was determined to go and see her. Anyway, when we got there, she wanted to know why we waited so late to come. She said she is dressed all day long and then I come at night! (Keep in mind, it was 4:30 in the afternoon). She is sharp as a tack, but she was just ready for bed. She is just precious. I took some pictures around her house that I thought were so sweet. As long as I remember this is where she has lived. There are special memories in this little home. I remember the little glass coke bottles in the refrigerator. I remember the cabinet that she opened and it was a bin full of flour to make biscuits. I remember cold biscuits on the stove. I remember fat back. I remember the front porch. I remember the well house. I remember the swing. I remember the "Big Tree" we used to play around. I remember her house was simple and always clean. I remember the door was never locked, and it still is not. I don't think I have ever been there when the t.v. was on. I asked her today if she ever watched it. She said she watches 2 shows of preaching. She had all of the rooms closed off except the livingroom. It was so warm in there with the little gas heater. My PawPaw died a few years ago. He was on his riding lawn mower and had a heart attack. There is a picture of them together hanging on the wall. You can see the stack of quilts that she has made. She gives some away and sells some. When we got there she was sitting on the couch cutting out squares for her next quilt. The quilt she is holding up is the one she finished earlier in the day. I showed her my first quilt block and she said that was too tedious. She said I would never get through. She cuts out squares and sews them together and then quilts them on the machine. Granny does crossword puzzles and word searches. She said this keeps her mind active. Going to her home, is like time standing still. Things are just so relaxed and slowed down. I didn't feel like I was in a hurry even though I knew I had a lot more to do today. It made me stop and think how hard we make our lives. It was so peaceful and simple in her little home.
My granny is an inspiration to me.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

THE QUILT BLOCK CHALLENGE



My Mother gave me the ultimate challenge yesterday! She challenged me to do my first quilt block since I joined the quilt-a-long over at http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/ several weeks ago. This quilt-a-long started a while back, but you can basically jump in and start anytime. She shows you step by step how to do a different block every week. In 12 weeks you will have 12 blocks which is a great start to a quilt top. I have had my fabric for a while but had not started yet. I am a procrastinator. THEN THE CHALLENGE CAME.....Well here it is Mom! I enjoyed doing it alot. I am very proud of it. I cannot wait until I do the next one. I just needed the extra push! Thanks for the challenge. YOU INSPIRE ME!

Make sure and check out my cooking blog at
http://www.cookingwithval.blogspot.com/ to see what else I had going on today! I was a busy little bee today! I got to stay home all day which is very rare for me. If I am home, I am usually working on My eBay Business! It was a good day today. As Martha Stewart says, "IT'S A GOOD THING"!

Friday, January 25, 2008

LETTERS FROM RUTH'S ATTIC


Ruth Bell Graham
1920-2007
Did you happen to see the television special in December honoring this precious lady? If you didn't, you missed a blessing. To me, she was the portrait of a true lady. She loved the Lord, her husband, and her children. When I watched this program, I cried. It truly blessed my heart. She is a real example of a Christian to me. She thought of everyone else instead of herself. She was married to Rev. Billy Graham for 64 years. She had 5 children and 19 grandchildren. What a tribute this show was. If you get the opportunity to see it, you will be blessed. I purchased the DVD so I would always have it. Since I watched that program, I think of her often. This woman is an example to us all. The book shown in the picture is a devotional book that was offered free on this program. You can see a small tribute to her life at http://www.billygraham.org/RBG_default.asp
Make sure and click on the link to find out more about the T.V. special and watch an actual clip from the show. Just click and watch the video. It will touch you.
Here is my devotion today from this little book:
LETTERS FROM RUTH'S ATTIC
Ruth Bell Graham
Hebrews 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us...
TRAVELING LIGHT
The Christian life is like climbing a mountain. For some people the climb is a gently sloping ascent; for other people the climb is like attacking the north face of the Eiger.
Christina Rossetti wrote:
"Does the road wind uphill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day's journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend."
Whether our climb is easy or difficult, we need to be in shape spiritually, and to travel light.
To be in shape spiritually, we need spiritual nourishment and exercise. We need to spend less time reading about the Bible and spend more time studying the Bible. Then we need to apply what we learn--carefully and vigorously--to our lives, to live out daily what we have taken in.
To travel light, we need to lighten our loads. Some of us may need to trim off excess weight. Others of us have too many social involvements and too many meetings to attend. (Remember the caution: "Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.")
When the disciples were sent out two by two, they traveled light--"without purse, scrip(bag) and shoes" (Luke 22:35 KJV)
Times change, situations vary, and God's order to His followers are individualized. But the need and the message continue the same --and the goal. It's up to us to be in shape and to travel light.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY:
Father, please reveal the things that prevent me from fully obeying Your call. Thank You for guiding me as I drop these weights from my life.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

My Cooking Blog.....


I am so excited. I have started a cooking blog!!!! I dedicate it to my children and grandchildren.
Hope you enjoy!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Today Was A Perfect Day






Today was such a special day! It was 15 degrees when we got up this morning but it was warm in our home. We got ready for Church and had a wonderful service. We always receive a blessing. We love our Church. We have been going there for about 18 years. Then we went to a restaurant to enjoy a brunch. It was so good!

We came home and Sweet Hunter left and went to a gun show. I straightened up a little and then made some homemade soup and cornbread & Peanut Butter Cookies for dessert. Then I got a special phone call from my best friend Vicki. Her and Eddie were coming over to visit. I was so excited!

We have been friends for almost 30 years but we don't get to spend much time together anymore. LIFE takes us on different journeys. Our relationship is very special though. I have always told my children and grandchildren, that if you ever can find friends like we have with Vicki and Eddie, you have found a hidden treasure. I tell them to hang on to it and nourish your friendship. We might not see each other or talk to each other as often as we used to, but we all know that if we need each other, WE ARE THERE. We can go several weeks without talking and then when we get together it is just as though we talked yesterday. There are not many people that are blessed to have a friendship like ours. I have also always told my children & grandchildren that friends come and go, but family will always be there. Well, these friends are our family and are always there when we need them. We only wish we could be as good of friends as they are to us.

One time a year we spend a week together in Helen, Ga. together. We have a blast doing nothing. You will hear more about that in May after we go. I could write a book about our friendship but I want to tell you about today. When they called, I was making cornbread. I got so excited. I am planning on starting a quilt and couldn't wait until I could show Vicki my fabric. She loved the colors that I have. Then she turned to me and said, "Do you want to see my quilt?" I responded, "Are you doing a quilt?" She pulled out a beautiful quilt top and spread it across the floor. I was so impressed. Then she showed me the seams on the back. It was all hand sewn. I asked her how she had time to do this. She works 2 jobs along with having 4 grandchildren. She said she had been very busy. I was speechless. I can't even get my first block cut.

Anyway, I took pictures and then she told me that she has been looking at blogs and got in the quilting mood. THEN SHE TOLD ME TRUTH! She found this handmade quilt top at a thrift store and paid 9.95 for it. She had me really going. I believed her. She is an amazing woman so I didn't put it past her. Can you believe someone did all that work and gave it away? Anyway, Vicki is so excited about finishing this quilt. She considers this a blessing but you would have to know her to know how funny this really was. We are like Lucy and Ethel. Anyway, we talked and caught up on each others lives and had a great time. We laughed & cried.

At the same time Randy and Eddie were catching up too. Eddie brought us a brand new home
kit for our XM radio and gave it to us. We are so excited about this. I can't wait to get it hooked up. There are not words to tell you what this visit meant to us. We spent the rest of the evening visiting with our "FAMILY" that we call "FRIENDS". They are both, a gift to us, from our Lord. We love you Vicki and Eddie more than you will ever know!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

My Special Birthday!

My family makes me feel so special! They took me to Carrabbas to eat last night for my birthday. They had a waiter sing "Best Wishes" in Italian to me. It was beautiful! They made a book for me that you can see above in the pictures. They all wrote one word that they would use to describe me. I only hope I can live up to this one day, but it was so special to me. This was the sweetest gift. They also gave me an ipod. I am excited about this, even though I have a lot to learn. My mom gave me the most beautiful African Violet that she has had for 3 years. Her name is Elaine! Hope I don't kill it!
On the way home, my 12 year old grandaughter called me and told me she had a birthday present for me just from her. She made a blog of her own, in honor of me for my birthday! Please check it out. It is great. http://rewardsfromgod.blogspot.com/ I am so proud of her! Then I got home and found a gift card from my sister Brenda in the mail. Thank you Brenda!

When my children were small, they would ask me what I wanted for my birthday and I would always say PEACE, HEALTH & HAPPINESS. (especially when they were teenagers) Ha!. They would get so mad at me for not telling them something for them to buy me, but that is truly what I wanted.

Of all the gifts I have received, the best gift was knowing that all my family has a roof over their head, clothes on their back, and food to eat and we have PEACE, HEALTH, & HAPPINESS.
Oh how we are all so blessed!

Thank you to my Lord for my special Birthday!






Thursday, January 17, 2008

Precious Friends Honor Us With A Visit...
















This past Sunday we had some very close friends join us for Sunday lunch. It was Janice, Earl and their daughter Tammy, & their grandaughter Hannah. They were so sweet to bring us the most beautiful afghan.(see picture). It is handmade. You can't tell in the picture but it is a very long afghan. I love it! I promised Hannah that I would have the Lasagna Recipe and Apple Pie Recipe on my blog. We had such a great time with all of them. We were so honored to have them in our home. I forgot to take pictures while they were here. They all seemed to enjoy the lasagna, salad, french bread & apple pie. My husband certainly did. He said it was the best lasagna he had ever had. The apple pie is to die for!

LASAGNA: http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/2007/06/the_best_lasagn.html

APPLE PIE: http://thepioneerwomancooks.com/2007/12/scrumptous---and_i_do_mean_scrumptous---apple_pie.html

Note: We are not eating red meat at this time in our life for health reasons. I substituted deer meat instead.
I will be doing her cinnamon rolls soon!
HOPE YOU ENJOY AS MUCH AS WE DID!

Friday, January 11, 2008

In The Good Times And The Bad Times.........



Have you ever noticed that when things are going good, we are not on our knees in prayer as much as when things are going bad? I know that is the way it is with me. One of my favorite sayings is that we are either going into a trial, in the midst of a trial, or coming out of a trial. That is really a true statement. Right now we are in the midst of a trial. We ask you to help us pray, even though you don't know the details. Details really don't matter with prayer because HE knows it all. I know THIS TOO SHALL PASS, but we are just wondering when and how. We are praying for direction.

Our Sunday school teacher was telling us how important it is to read your Bible. Someone asked him, how do we know what we should read. He said, you just open the Bible and HE will give you what you need.
One of my goals this year is to start my day in the Word and to pray more and so far I have been doing this. This morning I opened my Bible to Job. That kind of scared me. As you know, everything was taken from Job. God allowed that to happen. Then as I was reading, one verse stood out to me. It is Job 2:10. This is where Job had lost everything and was covered with sore boils from top of his head to the soles of his feet and his wife looked at him and said he should curse God and die.

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

I really got the message here. To me, Job was saying that we take the good but we can't take the bad and God is in control of everything. Remember he has lost everything and now he is covered with sore boils all over his body. That really spoke to me. So, along with my prayer for help, I also took the time to thank and praise HIM for this situation we find ourselves in.

So I encourage you in the good times and also in the bad times to get on your knees and read HIS Word more. I know our situation is not as bad as others, but I ask myself:
Where would I be without my Lord?
****************************

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

New Beginnings

AT DAWN
This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use it as I will.
I can waste it, or I can use it.
I can make it a day long to be remembered for its job,
its beauty, and its achievement;
or it can be filled with pettiness and ugliness.
What I do today is important,
for I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes this day will be gone forever,
but I shall hold something which I have traded for it.
It may be no more than a memory;
but if it is a worthy one, I shall not regret the price.
I should like it to be gain, not loss;
good, not evil; success, certainly not failure.
So here is a day and here am I.
God will not expect more of me than I am capable of giving,
but he will expect my best.
There will be beauty and I must not miss it.
There will be cries of people in distress,
and I must hear and answer.
There will be moments of temptation,
but I must not yield nor be impulsive.
There will be opportunity for good, and I must be ready.
And then when night comes, may I look back without regret,
and forward with a radiant spirit and a thankful heart.
*****************************************
The new year brings a lot of new beginnings for all of us. We all set goals for ourselves. Some are kept and some are broken. There are many reasons why I can't reach some of my goals. My biggest obstacle is time management. This is an area that I need to improve on. I thought and thought about this and then I remembered what Dave Ramsey and Flylady both say......Baby Steps! So one step at a time, I will be sharing some of my goals and how I am coming along.
Maybe sharing with you, will motivate me to reach my goals.

One thing that I want to do more of, is to start EVERY day by reading my Bible and praying more. I find that if I do that, my days go so much smoother. That doesn't mean everything will be perfect but it helps me get through the obstacles that come and try to steal my peace.
Today my devotion was in Psalm 91:1,2.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust
.
****************

Thursday, January 3, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDY JANE!

"Mandy Jane"
January 4, 1982Twenty six years ago, we were so blessed to have YOU come into our life. You have grown into a beautiful young woman and we could not be prouder of you. We wish for you Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, & Temperance. If you always keep these things in your life, nothing can come against you. Galations 5:22,23
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
We love you
MOM & DAD