Live in the Moment

Father Tim said, "I believe if I were charged with having a goal, it would be to live without fretting––to live more fully in the moment, not always huffing about as I've done in recent years ... to live humbly––and appreciatively––with whatever God furnishes. Yes, that would be my goal." (from Light From Heaven by Jan Karon).

I need to hear this today and every day!

Reposted from July 2008; connecting to Chari's Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites.

the day I added one to my age

1. Eldest son pushed these into my hands.

2. And first thing in the morning, Little One sends a sweet f-cebo-k greeting
(with her mama's help,  I'm sure) !

3. Lydia Grace always thinks of me
when she sees Blue and White, and
collects all year long ...  :-)

4. And someone (whose name begins with "G") 

listened to my wish list (lower item).

5. Dear friends, packing to move, gave up precious time to spend an evening with us.
She made blueberry tea, and I got to choose the pizza toppings: mushrooms and
black olives--and ground beef (a nod to the gentlemen in the group).

6. I found this at my door!  

7. And today I'm thinking on this: ". . . All the days ordained for me were written in your 

book before one of them came to be. How precious are your thoughts, oh God! 

How vast is the sum of them!" 

(Ps. 139)

in the pink

I have a mental picture of my grandmother, as a young bride during difficult times, trudging up to the dime store to purchase some pretty dishes. I don't think they cost much, otherwise they would not be called "depression glass." When I was a teenager I was privileged to receive my grandmother's old cedar hope chest, and inside was her large set of depression glass. It was really a dessert set with no glasses or cups, but lots of interesting serving pieces.

Eventually I found mugs, large plates and bowls at kmart and finally had something that looked OK to drink from. But I always hoped, in the back of my mind, to eventually find teacups. Over the years I've never found just the right ones ... until last week.

You know how it is ... there they were, just there calling me from a little town near the NC/GA border. I didn't have the saucers with me, and I've learned there are different colors of pink depression glass,

 ...but I was pretty sure so went on and bought them, the price was sooo good!

Brought them home and the color was a perfect match, as was the design. Quite possibly they were meant to be together!  Now I'm wondering about the story behind these cups. How did they get separated from the rest of their family of dishes? And how were they purchased, and what was the home like where they were used? My mind can really go on things like this!

Now, anybody for tea?

Can you determine which pink piece is not "real" depression glass ?

Joining Susan's Between Naps on the Porch  for Tablescape Thursday.

compensation

Something that always amazes me, makes me pause, wonder, relish, enjoy ... are crepe myrtles.

They seem their most vibrant when the weather is the hot, hot, hottest.

How can they stand so tall and regal, so full of life and blooms, when everything else 

withers and dies without regular watering?

I like to think to think of them as a graceful "compensation package" for us having

 to endure our hot summers here in the south.  :-)

cabin fare

Al fresco dining at its best. 

Three meals a day on a wonderful porch with a great view of a sparkling lake. 

We loved the colorful tablecloth, and do you see my paper-towel-napkins-with-a-flare?

All part of our "R and R" last week in the mountains. Nothing could be finer!

Go to Between Naps on the Porch if you'd like to see more "tablescapes on thursdays." It's her 100th.

small town windows

These windows in the little village of Telico Plains captivated me last week when we wandered across  some winding roads and beautiful mountain views into Tennessee.

Connecting to Window Views and Doors Too today ... 

birthday beans

My friend Christiana has been gifted with the gift of giving. For one thing, the past three summers she has invited us to use her family's cottage in the south west corner of our state. We were there again last week and when we walked in the door I was "flabbergasted" at what was waiting for us.

Last winter she read on my blog that I like to create stews and soups and often throw in a can of beans. So she had this idea that she would give me a big basket of beans (and some soup) for my birthday. She was set on the Pr*gresso brand because I had mentioned I only used this more expensive brand because it was on sale. So Christiana, in her true fashion, was intent and being sure these beans were that brand. She even went to GW to find the perfect basket to place them in, then decorated it all with a big red bow.

Christiana's story about going to WM to find the beans is so funny; she really needs to start her own blog.  $250 later she left the massive store quite frustrated, not having found the beans she wanted. But she tells the story much better.

Looks like we'll be eating some beans in the coming months. Thanks my friend. And I love the basket!

camaraderie

• I could get a new set of dishes at least once a month. I love dishes and I know I'm not alone in this.
• I like to set a pretty table, and I know I'm not the only one who likes this.
• I love to take pictures and to look at them. I'm not the only one.
• I love pretty flowers, pretty food, and good recipes. Does anyone else?
• I like to change the furniture around and fix things up around the house. Not alone on this one.
• I find it fun to shop charity shops for bargains and delights. Who else likes this?
• Family is important to me. Am I alone?
• I have been called nostalgic. I like history and old things, and how they help me remember the past and to know who I am. And I'm not the only one.
• I like to see God in everyday life. And I know I'm not alone on this one either.

So, in case I ever wonder if I am unique or something, the "blogging world" answers that for me. We who blog are alike in many ways, and by reading blogs, we find that out.

more from the off-highway lunch stop

When we detoured for lunch into Beaufort, SC, we enjoyed seeing some lovely old homes, 

such as this is a "B and B" on the water front.

I love the 2nd floor porch on the side of this yellow house.

A one-room-wide house (sorry, taken through a car window).

off highway lunch

We detoured to a quaint touristy town when we were traveling south awhile ago. We stumbled upon a small cafe for lunch, and since we were lunching early, we almost had the place to ourselves. It was quiet.

In time, more folks arrived, and as I looked around I realized most were around our age group--certainly all were over 40. Then the music came on. Oldies. And with the "oldies" you can't keep away the memories.

It became "one of those moments," as I realized that we, all strangers eating at separate tables, had become connected by music. Music that played on the radio when big things were happening in our young lives. Anyone around my age will understand. I'm glad the Gardener and I went to college together, for when a old 60's song comes on we just have to look at each other to know we are remembering the same thing. Such fun, those "oldies." And such fun growing older together.

Rose-Colored Glasses

The first time I remember experiencing rose colored glasses was looking out on the formal garden at Windsor Castle. I must have picked up some cheap sunglasses somewhere in London and put them on when we walked out on the balcony to view the garden. I still remember its exquisite beauty. But when I took the glasses off, I was appalled at the difference. For the garden was still lovely, but had lost its vivid luster and gleam.

The other day, driving along while admiring the beauty of the fall colors, I pulled an old pair of sunglasses out of the glove compartment. The leaves on the trees instantly turned to a brilliant gold and orange and red. The beauty was almost breathtaking, but not so when I pulled the glasses down my nose and looked above them. I was reminded of rose colored glasses and the phrase "looking at the world through rose colored glasses."

So I decided to do some research. Google of course. Every mention of the phrase, of which there aren't many, has sort of negative connotations. For instance, one article said parents tend to view their children through rose colored glasses, and they should wake up and realize their kids aren't all that great. I found references to the expression being viewed as "a cheerful optimistic" view of the world; and some "unfortunate people never take their glasses off." The phrase goes back at least 150 years when "it is first recorded in 'Tom Brown at Oxford': 'Oxford was a sort of Utopia to the Captain. He continued to behold towers, and quadrangles, and chapels through rose-colored glasses.'" (From the "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson.)

Maybe rose colored glasses show us a bit of what heaven will be like. But if we always "wear rose colored glasses," we may not pay attention to our messed up world, or see things that need to be cared for or dealt with. Nonetheless, a little more optimism might not hurt any of us. And I'm thinking that with  the world-view a relationship with God provides, the world should be viewed with rose-colored glasses. For, as my five-year-old niece recently told me, "All that God made is very good." No matter what difficulties occur in life, we know all is allowed by God and touched by His hand.

I'll keep those rose colored glasses in the glove compartment. When I enjoy the view of life they give me, I'll be reminded that all that God made is very good.

Photo by A.S. My good friend is moving to Austria next month and this will be the view out her window. 
Text reposted from four years ago. 

book brunch

Brunch inside "Boniface's" cool house on a hot day is a pleasant way to spend a summer morning.

 We read Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller and had record attendance.

The food, served on Boniface's grandmother's beautiful china, was superb 

and her table was lovely.

The book is deeply personal and affected each of us in different ways.

We shared some of those ways with each other during our lively discussion.

Quote: "A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, 

should you lose it,  your life would hardly be worth living." (xviii)

(to answer questions re. food above: almond/blueberry scones, and spinach quiche.)

Connecting to Tablescape Thursday today at Between Naps on the Porch.

shoulder taps

Yesterday as I got ready for work I thought about a young friend whose baby is due this month. I wondered when in the month she was due, and I wondered if I'd be working and could care for this second son as I did the first. It turns out that just at the time she came into my thoughts, she was actually arriving at the hospital. It was such a joy to help her feed her baby, bathe him, and get him going in life.


Last week I came across some photos of us in rather hilarious outfits: the Gardener in a too-short wildly flowered red shirt (not his style) and me in a flowered "moo-moo." We had arrived in an African country and our luggage hadn't followed us. When it's so very hot you need a change of clothes and this is what our older colleagues came up with from their closet. The odd thing is that we hadn't thought of these people or the experience in a long time. But the very same day I found the photos, the Gardener met up with their son visiting from California. He grew up in that African house, and we knew him apart from his parents. We hadn't seen him in years, but here he was, an old friend, right in front of our eyes.  The very same day I found the photos.



Lately I've been noticing a lot of these little "coincidences." They seem to infiltrate my days. I may be making more of them than I should, but I like to observe details and connect dots. Since I believe God ordains each of my days, I don't believe these are truly coincidences, and they may even have a purpose ... beyond any that I can figure out. Because they show me God through out my day, I envision them as little taps on my shoulder. "I'm here." Anyone who believes in a Creator knows that He's "into details." 

red, white and blue

My assignment was to bring dessert and roasted red potato salad to a 3rd of July picnic. I wanted a patriotic-looking dessert. That's where the "wonders of blogging" comes in. Earlier this week I saw a wonderful dessert on Leann's blog, The Old Parsonage. I realized, as she indicated, that this could be adapted to make it even more colorful. So I made it and it worked beautifully! In fact, I'm making it for our bookclub brunch this week!  I changed it by simply using strawberry pie filling and tossing some fresh blueberries here and there. (Even though the frosting made it sweet enough for me, the Gardener, being a man, thought ice cream or at least whip cream or cool whip would have made a nice addition. Doesn't that sound like a man?)  Check out the recipe here. Thanks, Leann!

See Little Red House for other mosaics for Monday.

USA: happy birthday

Patience! The Tea Will Come

Years ago we used to make sun tea--sitting a glass bottle out on the deck all day. I prefer a much cooler method now ... I just sit a pitcher out on the countertop for 6-10 hours (no water boiling, just cool water and teabags). Our favorite right now is blueberry "patience" tea.  I usually add a little sweetener and stick it in the frig after a few hours on the counter. Recipe: 5-6 blueberry herbal tea bags (such a celestial seasonings) and a large pitcher of water. It is sooo refreshing on a hot day! Pretty too.

wishing for blue

Whenever she looked into a mirror, brown eyes looked back out at her. How she wished they were blue.

I knew the story about Amy Carmichael wishing her brown eyes were blue, but had forgotten about it until I recently reread it in a little article written by Chr*stin D*tchfield. As a little girl,  Amy begged God to change her eye color to blue, believing He could do anything. But He chose to keep them brown. Years later, as a missionary in India, Amy dyed her skin with coffee, and with the gift of her brown eyes, blended in well with the people with whom she had come to live, to serve and to share God's love.

I believe in God's providence, as Amy did. Her brown eye story is a good one for me to remember. How often do I wish that certain things about my looks, my work, or my house, for example, were different?  But I can trust in God's loving providence, knowing it's all in His plan for my good (even though it may not seem like it now.) Some day I'll understand a whole lot more, just as Amy did about her brown eyes. And, by the way, my eyes aren't brown or blue.

Amy worked with orphans in India for 55 years without going home to England for a break. Following an accident, she was bedridden there the last 20 years of her life.  It was from her bed that she wrote many of her books, some of which are my favorite treasures.


(not my photo) 

Tale of a Whale of a Sale

Youngest son says I'm the most sentimental person he knows. That may be the reason I keep this little cigar box year after year. We used it for the money box with our very first garage sale, and have continued with every garage sale since. I found it again for our garage sale this past weekend so we could continue that tradition.

This may be the best garage sale for us yet. It seemed fairly painless. I began purging, pricing and packing into boxes quite awhile ago, so it wasn't all there to do at the last minute. Two other good friends joined with me (and we had so much fun). We each grabbed a part of it, our spouses helped set up and take down, and we had fun "staging" our wares. The Gardener stayed with us the entire morning--he's so good at math "in his head" and helped to keep it all straight when we had "surges" of customers. And he likes to visit anyway.

But without a doubt, the most fun of a such a sale is the people that come by. It gives me such a charge to watch my junk become someone else's treasure. And when that person tells you why he or she is buying it, it's even sweeter. For the briefest of time, a small community forms on our driveway. We tell snippets about ourselves, and we laugh. I admire twins stopping by in their stroller during a run with their mom, or we pet dogs with their owners who come by on a morning stroll. A little non-English-speaking boy bought a small toy car, saw my little American flag perched near it and asked if he could have that. He went away waving it in the air.

An old woman rolled up the driveway on her motorized handicapped scooter, dog perched at her feet and a multi colored umbrella protecting her from the intense sun. She stopped to give her pup a drink and visit with us after looking around. Her coins were precisely rolled up in wrappers. She can go 20 miles on her cart before she has to recharge the battery.

Towards the end a beautiful mid-age woman came and looked around. She bought some Christmas-colored napkins and spoke of how, even with a messy-eater old dad and two sons, she loves to set a beautiful table at Christmas. She bought $2.50-worth and reached into her purse to bring out three dollars. "Here's your change," we chorused. She shook her head no, and headed down the driveway. "I don't want change," she said, "you keep it." She turned back to look at us as I called out, "Obviously you've seen the movie Pay it Forward."

"Oh yes," she replied with a huge smile.  "I am blessed, and have no doubt I will be again."

Connecting to Little Red House ...please visit there for more Monday Mosaics.

Six Cent Lesson

I needed to mail a letter to Australia. I stuck an 84-cent stamp on but knew it needed more after the postal increase, so made my way to the post office. I looked in vain for some notice about postage increase numbers. If I knew the amount I could use the machine to buy the addtional postage. And of course the line was long, but I joined it. It's a pretty uptight place and dead silent, so I didn't have the nerve to force my way to a window to ask the simple question. Most likely it would not have been simple as there would be a discussion about the weight of the letter.

As I waited in line I was simply sizzling inside, fussing to myself about such a huge waste of time for one letter.

Wait! "Remember," I asked myself, "the times when I was in the habit of considering such lines and other unexpected 'wastes of time' as unclaimed opportunities?" It's all in the attitude, and I reprimanded myself. And then my eyes and ears opened wide. The music playing in the background became a melody. I studied the people around me. Did the woman two ahead of me pay a high price for her hair highlights, and did she know it was time to refresh the color? The heavy set weather-beaten man at the counter sounded so irritated that something wasn't working right. I wondered what all these things were that people were taking care of...so few were simply buying stamps or mailing packages.

I soon realized that I was relaxed and enjoying the time to look around and study people. I thought maybe I should spend some time praying, when the line moved quickly and I found myself at the counter. The lady charged me six cents while she excitedly showed me the new 90 cent overseas stamp. Just arrived that morning.

Will I ever learn? What a difference in my attitude and countenance as I sailed out of the P.O. ... not frustrated and angry, but actually a bit refreshed! And I only spent six cents for this lesson!

Reposted from two years ago. I'm still learning this lesson! See Chari's Happy to Design for more Sunday reposts.