Finding My Knitch

Just Thinking....

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:49:00 +0000

I've mentioned before my lack of computer expertise. I'm not what you'd call a geek or a nerd, titles I'd happily wear. I do thoroughly enjoy my computer, though. I love looking at knitting patterns on Ravelry. I spend countless hours each week pinning recipes, crafts, & decorating ideas at Pinterest. My first destination online each morning is Facebook, to see what my friends & family have to say. And of course I can't forget the fun of blogging. I've met so many neat people over the years that I'd never have otherwise had the privilege, if not for the internet. I know there's much evil and demoralizing content online, but the places I go fulfill me. I can't imagine life without it.

Sometimes I think back to what life was like before we went 'online'. What did I do to fill my day? Okay, maybe my house was a little cleaner, and probably I read more books, and I was busy homeschooling my young daughter back then.

I remember being at the homes of friends when they showed us the things they did "online". Studley & I ooh'd and ahh'd over their access to this exciting new world. We were like a couple of little kids watching another kid play with his new toy, and wishing desparately that we had a new toy, too.

We finally got our new toy about 14 years ago when Mr.Studley was sent a laptop by his company for job use. Studley needed it through the day, but after about 7 or 8 at night, when he'd finished using it for his job, the laptop became mine.

Oh, the thrill of hearing the sound the dial-up made as I logged on to the internet (which was really a screeching, rather repelling sound). The first thing I did was look for homeschooling related sites. I don't think Google was even around, or if it was, I didn't yet know about it. I used a search engine called dogpile. The first place I discovered and landed was a homeschooling message board forum~slash~used curriculum sales. The Homeschooler's Curriculum Swap, more commonly known to regular users as "the Swap". It became my second home. Being mostly at home at that time, the friends I made there, known as Swappies, gave me the social contact I craved. My family teased me mercilessly about my "imaginary friends". Yet, let one of them have a question none of us could answer, and they were the first to suggest, "ask the Swappies!".

The Swap has seen changes over the years; passing into fresh new hands as the old hands determine they've fulfilled their duties and are ready to move onto other things (usually because they're no longer homeschooling). I and another Swappie, my friend, Marilyn, were a couple of the 'old hands' (figuratively speaking) who ran it for six years. It came with it's challenges, but overall, was quite rewarding.

Even though many Swappies have come and gone over the years, there are still many there who were resident when I first discovered the Swap. The forums have a feel of family, a family who is always eager to accept new family members with open arms. The love of God, and instilling godly values in their children while training them in academics, is at the heart of the Swap. It's been over ten years since I finished homeschooling my daughter, though I did stay on there long after she was an adult. I don't spend much time time there now, simply because my life is running in a different direction these days, but I always feel right at home whenever I visit, just like going home to family. Of course, I see much of my Swap family on a daily basis on facebook. ;-) I still recommend it to new (or old) homeschoolers, though. There's MANY years of homeschooling experience there, and they are more than willing to answer questions and steer newbies toward the things they need.

I didn't set out to write about the Swap today. I was merely contemplating how different life is with the internet; a life most young people today have never experienced, just as most have never known life without a cell phone. Since the Swap came into my life at the same time as the internet, the two bring up the same memories for me.

I'm changing the subject, but I believe I was a bit confusing in my last post about the greens. I mentioned I hadn't taken a picture of the purple colored greens, then my last picture posted was a sack of kale. Some thought that was the mystery greens. No, I knew that was kale, but here's a picture of the mystery (to me) greens. They're purplish on the front side, and green on the back. They're soft, not sturdy like kale. Can anyone identify them for me?

I'm very excited. I used Christmas money I got from my mom to order an e-reader this week. I can hardly wait to get it. Meanwhile, I've downloaded the free Kindle app on my desktop computer, and have already started reading one of the freebie books available through the Kindle Store at Amazon. After asking a lot of questions of friends with e-readers, I determined the Kindle Touch would be a good fit for me. I love that it's easy to read outdoors in the sunlight, it has a long lasting battery life, and it's slim and lightweight. Of course I still love the feel of a real book in my hands, but I think I'm going to love the feel of my new Kindle in my hands, too!

Remember, do something nice for someone today. God bless you all, and have a great week-end!

Is it summer yet?

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.

~Romans 12:16 Amplified Bible

Garden Goodies Galore!

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

These started out as a pair of mittens for a little girl who likes yellow. I ended up frogging them, as they were looking more like a pair of mittens for a big girl, who may or may not like yellow. No, I didn't do a guage swatch, but when I'm knitting something that small, I figure it doesn't take me any longer to knit part way up the pattern than it would to do the swatch. For my non-knitting friends, frogging means to rip it out. Rip it. Get it? Okay, well, in other news, look below at the yummy goodies we got today.

Mr.Studley & I have been very blessed by friends this week. On Sunday, a man at church brought us a big bag of turnips, as well as turnip greens. Today, a woman from church dropped us off two huge bags of yummy goodness from her & her husband's garden. I love...no, I LOVE turnips. The greens I can take or leave, but I'd just as soon eat a bowl of stewed turnips as I would a bowl of ice-cream, and I do like ice-cream. In case you're from some far away place that's never heard of turnips, or maybe you have, but thought they were some odd thing southerners eat, like fried okra, or fried green tomatoes, I'll tell you how to cook them. I'm sure there's more than one way, but this works for me.

How to prepare turnips:

Slice off the ends, like you would with an onion
Peel
Cut into 1-2 inch cubes
place in a 1 1/2 to 2 quart microwaveable bowl
Add just a little water, maybe a half cup or so
nuke on high for about 5 minutes, then check them by seeing if a fork easily penetrates the cube; this will take longer or less time, depending on the amount of turnips you're cooking
When done, drain the water, or at least most of it
Add a 'sprinkling' of sugar, but not too much. You don't want to sweeten them, you merely want to take away the bitter edge turnips sometimes have
Add butter/margerine, or whatever you use for that, and salt & pepper

That's it. You'll love 'em, or you'll hate 'em, but I'm betting you'll love 'em. If you want a simple meal, whip up a pan of cornbread and bake it in a cast iron skillet. When you cook your cornbread in a cast iron skillet, put a little oil in the skillet (I use olive oil for just about everything), then put the pan in the oven while the oven is preheating. If you'll let your pan heat for at leat 10 minutes before adding the cornbread batter, you'll get a nice, crisp bottom crust, and the entire round of cornbread will easily slide out of the pan onto a serving plate; and assuming you have a well seasoned skillet, all the cleaning it will need is a quick swipe with a paper towel. Do all this, and you've got yourself a nice little southern meal right there, I tell you what (sorry, I have Hank Hill on the brain right now).

I didn't take pictures of everything, but there were turnips, green onions, carrots, turnip greens, kale, collard greens, cilantro, thyme, and dill, all freshly picked this morning from our friends' garden. Heaven...I'm in Heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.....and that's all I can remember from that song. ;-)

I'm still spending lots of time at Pinterest, mostly at night before I go to bed. A neighbor's birthday was yesterday, so I made her this coffee cake, then topped it with a glaze from this recipe. The recipe for the cake is enough to make two 8 x 8 coffee cakes. Whatever was I supposed to do with the second cake?? I could have frozen it, I suppose....but Studley and I had much more fun eating it. Sorry, I didn't think to take a picture, but I baked one in my one-and-only 8 x 8 pan, and the other in my 9 1/2" cast iron skillet. Just as I do when cooking cornbread, I let the skillet get sizzling hot in the oven before I poured in the cake batter. After it was out of the oven and cooled a bit, I slid a spatula around it to loosen the edges of the cake from the edge of the pan, then placed a plate over the skillet and flipped it over. Of course, this put the top of the cake facing down. I then flipped it over again onto another plate, and voila', it stayed intact. I poured the cooked glaze over it, and once the glaze had cooled a bit, I had a very pretty cake for sending over to my neighbors. I let Studley take it over, since it was raining cats & dogs at the time. He's so handy at times like that. He even volunteered to do it. All I had to do was lament, "how ever will I get that cake next door in all this rain?", followed by a big sigh. Next thing I knew, he was heading out the front door, a cake in one hand, and an umbrella in the other. I'm a blessed woman, I am.

Among the greens we received, there was a batch of one kind that I didn't recognize. They looked similar to the turnip greens, but one side of the leaves were green, and the other sides were a sort of burgundy color. Plus, I think they were a bit more oblong shaped than the turnip greens which were slightly more rounded. Come to think of it, the leaves were more pointed and narrower than the turnip greens. While some types of kale have a purplish color, I do know these aren't kale. Anyone have a clue what they are? I forgot to take a picture of them, and have already cleaned them and packed them away. I'll send out two of my handknit dishcloths to the first one to comment (with a continental US address, please) who can correctly identify them for me. In the unlikely event that two of you comment at the same time on the clock, I'll send you each two dishcloths. You'll have to give me a day or two to get more knit in the event of their being two winners; and yes, I realize that constitutes about 98% of my readers. ;-) Meanwhile, I'll give my friend a call this week to see what the greens are, so I'll know who got it right.

You guys have a great week, and remember, try and do something to bless someone today!

I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
~Psalm 13:6 Amplified Bible

"We are born helpless....
We need others physically, emotionally, intellectually;

We need them if we are to know anything, even ourselves."

~C.S. Lewis

In The Words of Cookie Monster....

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:23:00 +0000

COOKIES!!! UMM-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM!!!

I had a hankering for homemade cookies today. I don't need to be eating cookies. Somehow I manage to convince myself that if the cookies are chock full of oats & raisins, they must be kind of, sort of healthy. Sounds logical, right?

Can I just say, I love my KitchenAid mixer. I've wanted one for years. Though I have no recollection of ever mentioning this to my mom, apparently I did, as she surprised me with this one for Christmas, a year ago.

See the red mat lying to the left of the mixer? My niece sent it to me for Christmas this year, along with several other goodies. It's a dish drying mat, and I've been wanting one for a couple of months (and I did't tell her that, either!). It was a surprise and a delight to find it in my bag from her. I told her she's a "gifted gift giver". She always chooses gifts I really like. She said that when she goes shopping, she just buys things she knows she'd like. How clever. Wonder why I never thought of that.

Ahh, now to eat the fruit (so to speak) of my labor. I knew these cookies were going to be good by how tasty the dough was. I got this recipe from Pinterest, my third home (Facebook being my second). This recipe made a lot of cookies. I couldn't, in good conscience, keep that many cookies on hand, for I know where my hand would constantly be....in the cookie jar! I took about half out and wrapped them up nicely, and asked my son to take them to work with him tomorrow to share with his co-workers.

Isn't this a lovely picture? It's a place in the UK called Scafell Pike. It's the highest mountain in England. While my daughter, Nikki, was living in England, she went with a group that camped and hiked to the top. I have a few more pictures she sent me at that time which I'll share later. Isn't the scenery just gorgeous? I'm pretty sure Nikki's somewhere on that rock bridge in the distance, but you can't quite make her out.

May you have a wonderful weekend. As Joyce Meyer (teacher of God's Word) is always saying, do something to bless someone every day!

I am not moved by what I see-

I am not moved by what I feel-

I am moved by what I believe!

~Smith Wigglesworth

There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

~2 Tmothy 3:16 the Message

A Cherished Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

The above creation is a primitive cat named Putty Tat, after our very own cat named Putty Tat (as in, I tot I taw one) How about that! The primitive Putty Tat was gifted to me by Kat, from Scaredy Kat & Her Own Crow. Kat is one of the neatest people I've met via blogland. She is a walking, breathing, talking testimony of what God can do in, and for a person when they submit to him. Her past life was a mess, bound by addictions. Today, she is cleaned up and living each day to the fullest. She's got a heart as big as Texas. If you go to her blog, you'll see some of her divine creations, most of which seem to be gifts of appreciation bestowed on those to whom she's grateful. She shares some of her testimony here, if you'd like to read it and be uplifted. Kat is a hoot, and I consider her one of God's blessings to me that I got to meet her (cyberly speaking).

My son bought me these cookbooks for Christmas. Actually, the one on the left was given to me last Christmas. I love all of them (I should, as they were all on my wish list which I shared with family), but the one I'm most excited about is the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I'm going to have fun with it!

John also overwhelmed me with a new dinette set for my kitchen. I casually mentioned how much I liked this particular style when we were in a store over a year ago. I never dreamed he was even listening to me, as he tends not to, or at least seems not to much of the time. He was not only listening, he was filing that tidbit away for future use. I am absolutely loving the gift, and shake my head everytime I think about how thoughtful he was. He & Nikki are both extremely thoughtful gift-givers, always giving both Mr.Studley & I gifts that we love. I'll snap a pic of the table & chairs one day soon and show it here.

This is a little hat I knit for a gift last year. I wish I could've gotten a picture of it on the baby, as it doesn't do it justice on this too-small doll's head. It's a darling pattern which was an easy knit. The pattern was not free, but was worth the purchase price. It's raveled here.

I've got to get cracking this weekend. I still have Christmas stuff to be packed away, and I've been dragging my feet about it. The tree is down, but the rolled up lights are still sitting on a chair in the living room where they've been for nearly a week, and that's not the half of it. I also have plastic tubs of Christmas decor stacked in the sun room. What I really wish I'd gotten for Christmas is a maid!

"You do not have to live with secrets that allow negative emotions to control you. Our feelings are real and they are powerful, but they are not more powerful than God and truth."
~Excerpt from Living Beyond Your Feelings, by Joyce Meyer
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."~John 8:32 Amplified Bible

Another Post-I'm On A Roll!

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:01:00 +0000

I knit this Harry Potter scarf for my niece for Christmas a year ago, along with a slouch hat & fingerless mitts to match. Those who know me on Ravelry have already seen these knitting pictures. The scarf is raveled here, the mitts are raveled here, and the slouch hat, which I have blogged about is raveled here.

This scarf was also knit for my niece, and it's raveled here. I loved how it turned out. It was soft & squishy, and super long so she could wrap it around her neck a couple of times, and still have it hang down long on her tall self.

Nikki & John, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, CO March 2011
If at all possible, on the years Nikki's living in the states, my son, John, takes a week's vacation and visits her the week of her birthday. These are two kids (to me) who did more than their fair share of fighting in their years of living at home together. When Nikki was first born, John, who was 8 1/2 years older adored her. He called her his little babycakes. Anytime we went anywhere, he and their daddy would race each other to the door by Nikki's carseat, each trying to be the one to get to carry her (little princess, she was!).
As I've mentioned here before, my late husband, Nikki's biological daddy, died in an accident when she was 13 months old. Bubba, as we call John here at home (yes, we're from the south, and we have a bubba) helped me immensely in taking care of his baby sissy. I remarried when Nikki was 5, and suddenly she had a big sister around John's age. The newness and novelty of having a sister caused her to shift her affections from Bubba to her new sis; who, being a teenager at the time introduced Nikki to the use of sarcasm, something our family hadn't really dealt with prior to that point. I'm not blaming her. Lots of teens are sarcastic. John could deal out sarcasm with the best of them...it's just that, being a small close-knit family who'd lost one of it's members to death, we'd never gone down that road with each other. At least not before then.

As Nikki learned to be sarcastic with her brother, giddy with the knowledge that she now had a big sister, a rift developed in my children's relationship. It saddened me, but there it was. As Nikki entered her teen years, being of a strong choleric temperament, she and John had some doozies of fights, which even became physical a couple of times. Our trusty Chow, Yogi, was always there to shut those down in a hurry, though. Good old Yogi Bear, how we miss him still.

After Nikki left home and moved to Germany at the age of 20, by the time she was able to return for a visit nearly 3 years later, though still always the little sis, she and John were now both adults, and able to interact as such....well, to a degree. They can both resort to childish behavior in the blink of an eye now, but it's the fun part of childishness. Bubba is always there for his sissy, a fact which brings me great comfort.

My little movie star. When I was a kid in the '60's, I remember that anytime we kids put on a pair of sunglasses, we'd always say something like "look at me, I'm a movie star"; or an adult would say "look at that little movie star". I can only surmise that movie stars must've been the only ones who wore sunglasses. Maybe sunglasses were very expensive, or maybe it was a bold fashion statement not made by the masses. I really don't know. I need to remember to ask my mom about that sometime. Of course we all wear sunglasses now. You can even buy them on the cheap at dollar stores. Yet I still think to myself when I see pics like this of Nikki, "ooh, look at that little movie star".

John at Seven Falls, outside Colorado Springs, CO March 2011

John never smiles for pictures, and Nikki is never not smiling for them (or any other time). It does no good to encourage him to do so; he'll just get all the more serious looking. Must be a firstborn thing. That's okay, I love him to bits despite his gruff exterior, and I know he loves me, too.

"If you feel unusually sad or as if you are carrying a heavy burden you don't understand, ask God what is wrong before you start assuming things. It is amazing what we can learn by simply asking God for an answer and being willing to face any truth He might reveal about us or our behavior. Sometimes we feel emotional because of something someone has done to us or an unpleasant circumstance in our lives. But at other times we feel that way because of something we did wrong and ignored."
~excerpted from Living Beyond Your Feelings by Joyce Meyer

"When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long."
~Psalm 32:3 Amplified Bible

Who Wears Short Shorts?

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:01:00 +0000

My mom wore short shorts. This was taken around 1956 or '57. I think she was adorable. She had really nice legs. Even now, at 77, she has nice looking legs. No varicose veins, no wrinkling, no sagging of skin. White enough to make you grab your sun shades, but nice. I remember one time when she was in her early 50's, she commented that she rarely had to shave her legs anymore. I was shocked. I was also excited, thinking "well, there should be some rewards to growing older". Trouble is, she didn't bother telling me those hairs that quit growing on your legs have to find some place to come out. I'd rather have leg hair than chin hair any day of the week!

I was about a year old when the Royal Teens recorded "Who Wears Short Shorts?". Not that I remembered the year, or even the name of the group, but I do remember singing that song with friends when I was a little girl, as we danced around the yard in our short shorts, thinking we were hot stuff.

I love this video. Get a load of the lack of expression on the girl's face, on all their faces for that matter. Not sure if they were that emotionless, or just trying to look super cool. I'm figuring the latter. Watch it and see if the song doesn't get stuck in your head. But first, scroll over to the right and pause my music player. Not sure Kiss From a Rose playing simulatneously with Who Wears Short Shorts would make for pretty music.

I also love this picture of Nikki. She looks so relaxed and happy. She was taking her vacation days, and though she loves her job working with small children, she was enjoying just hanging out with the fam.

She drove down in October and went camping with us. Nikki, my son, John, my mom & her husband, Mr.Studley & I, our Min Pin Leyna, and Nikki's chocolate lab all in our 5th wheel. It sleeps plenty, but that doesn't mean plenty actually sleep! It was fun, though. One night Nikki, John, and I stayed awake long after the others watching some silly dvd and giggling like 5 year olds. I can't remember the last time we had that much fun together. Even my son's flatulence was giving us the giggles, and trust me, there's nothing really funny about John's flatulence..

The older I get, the more my memory fails me. By staying away from blogging so long, I managed to forget a lot that I'd learned about it. Add to that, there's been changes around here in bloggerville. She's done gone and gussied herself up a bit since I was here last. I used to run hollering to my friend, Marilyn, at A Mixed Bouquet whenever I needed help with my blog. She helped me set it up, and installed the design stuff for me, but Marilyn's got her hands full these days, having gone back to college to get her nursing degree. Don't expect anything fancy schmancy around here, as I'm just not smart enough to pull it off. I am happy for Marilyn, though, and so proud of her!

Nothing earth shattering going on around here. I've not even been knitting. What a slump I've been in; just can't seem to get started on anything. Last year, Mr.Studley had a hernia operation, which seemed to go fine until the incision area got infected about a month after the surgery. In & out of the ER, a stint in the hospital, and a couple visits per week to the doctor for a few weeks (won't gross you out telling you what took place there with a really big needle), and he's finally back to normal. Well, all except for his belly button, which doesn't look normal at all now.

In other news, my son, John graduated from his Paramedic course (yea!). He still has to take his state test, which I know he'll ace. Mr.Studley is almost fully retired, and we enjoy our days together. We've fit into a comfortable routine, only occasionally getting on each others nerves; and really, I can't even remember the last time that happened. I'm blessed by God, and I know it. He love me, and He loves you, too!

I'm reading Joyce Meyer's new book, "Living Beyond Your Feelings", which I got for Christmas. I'm not too far into it, but already I've learned things I know will help me in my life. That's my idea of a good book, one that helps me make changes for the good. Who doesn't have room for improvement?

If you're reading this post, you probably had me in your google reader, or whatever reader you use. I want you to know I'm happy you came by. My post is short, but I'm going to try and ease back into blogging. I don't have much to say, but I remember back when I blogged regularly, the excited feeling I got when someone left me a comment. Isn't that funny, how excited we can get by the comments of strangers? Of course, some of you aren't strangers, at least not anymore, as I got to know you back then. I pray your life is going well, and that you find joy in each day. Be blessed!

Mike, Leyna, Nikki, & Macy at Beavers Bend State Park, Broken Bow, OK

"Words are containers for power, and as such they have a direct effect on our emotions"
~Joyce Meyer, excerpted from "Living Beyond Your Feelings"

A Man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment-how good it is!
Proverbs 15:23 Amplified Bible

Autumn, Season of My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:02:00 +0000

Pumpkin Butter

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.
~Emily Bronte

Two words describe how I feel about our summer of 2011. We survived. That word 'survived' says a lot, doesn't it? An online dictionary definition says: to remain or continue in existence or use. Well, we're here (remaining), we're continuing to exist, and we're still somewhat useful. I could go on and on about how horrific it was, but truthfully, I think that subject's gone into overkill in most circles in recent weeks, so just suffice it to say, we survived.

Today feels like the first day of fall to me. I know it technically isn't, and we've even had cool days before now (off and on), but it's October 1st, the weather is oh-so-pleasant, the sky is bluer than I've seen it in months, and I am actually wearing capris around the house rather than the cooler shorts I've worn all summer.

No-Knead Bread

Now that I can use my oven without causing the house to feel like an inferno, I'm in a baking mood. I've been meaning to try the above bread recipe for quite some time. Ever the procrastinator, I'm just now getting around to it. I guess you would call this a ciabatta? I don't know. I just know it's super simple, and that's my kind of recipe. Flour, yeast, salt, water, and no kneading. The biggest ingredient is time. You let it sit for 12 hours or more. What could be simpler? We had this for lunch alongside leftover tortilla soup from last night's dinner.

We slathered the bread with pumpkin butter I made from a recipe I found at Bev Gibson's, Numbering the Days blog. I love, love her blog. It's not a cooking blog, but she does share recipes along the way. I find myself to have so much in common with her, having newly retired husbands, grown children, and time to pursue answering the callings on our lives that we didn't have time for when raising children. She gives great book recommendations for scripturally based 'bettering yourself' literature (my words, not hers). If you decide to check her out, don't bother leaving a comment, as her blog isn't set up to receive them (how brave is that?), though she does give her e-mail address should you want to contact her. She's a truly lovely person. I really didn't plan on extolling her merits, but mentioning her pumpkin butter, the rest just had to be said.

If you noticed and wondered why my text changed from being neatly snugged up to the left margin in the paragraphs at the top of this post, to the 'centered' appearance you see here, the answer is plain & simple, I'm not smart enough to figure out how to change it. The top appeared the way I like it, but when I did these paragraphs here, this is how they appeared.

I like my pictures centered. I used to always center my text, since that's the natural formation it seems to take whenver I put pics in here. One day I read a blogger say how stupid (not her exact words, but her meaning was clear) it looked to have text centered (like mine is here). Since then, I've felt self-conscious about it, and once upon a time, I even managed to correct it. I've been gone from blogging so long, though, that I'm having to relearn everything, and try as I might, I can't learn how to fix that. Now, I'm having to learn with a brain that's a few years older than when I first learned. I've always heard, the more you learn, the more wrinkled your brain gets. I'm feeling like all the wrinkles left my brain and went to my face, 'cause I feel dumber'n dirt when I try and figure out how to do this stuff. Big sigh.

I have lots of Christmas knitting to be done, but I seem to have lost my knitting mojo. I haven't done anything industrious in quite some time. I did knit a bunch of dishcloths, which are always nice to give as gifts. I can't remember if I've already shown these on here or not. If I have, then we'll blame it on the missing wrinkles from my brain.

Waffle Knit Dishcloth (free pattern)

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven
~Ecclesiastes 3:1 Amplified Bible

Christmas-check! New Years-check! Spring....

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Proof that it does occasionally snow in northeast Texas!

I never grow weary of the reason for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I do, however, grow weary of the season. Before Thanksgiving has even arrived, Santa and all the other Christmas decorations pop up in the stores and neighbors' yards. All the planning of gifts and meals and kitchen goodies, the extra cleaning and shopping and wrapping....it all gets to be a bit much. By New Year's day, I'm glad to put it all behind me and concentrate on the new year.

I don't really sit down and make a list of resolutions, but I do have thoughts, ideas, and goals in my head of what I'd like to achieve in the coming year. It's funny how those goals change as we get older. When I was in my 20's, I don't recall thinking "my goal this year is to get healthier". I do remember thinking I'd like to lose weight so I'd 'look' better. You really take your health for granted when you're young. When you've passed the 50 mark like me, you can't afford to take that attitude any longer. In my 20's, looking good was my goal, and if I felt better too, that was a fringe benefit. Now, feeling good is my goal, and if I look better too, well glory hallelujah, but that's not my motive.

Christmas cactus, blooming right on time!

Every year, I declare I'm going to quit procratinating. Obviously that hasn't yet happened (made evident by my just now posting a draft I wrote weeks ago), hence my need to keep declaring it each year. Last year for Christmas, I knit my niece a scarf. It's very long to accommodate her height. It's warm and wooly to combat the cold of the DC area. How much good she'd be getting out of it if it weren't still in my house. All I lacked to finish it was putting on the fringe (which I did recently). I also knit her matching fingerless mitts, as well as a neck gator (gater? or gator?) and fingerless mitts for her boyfriend. He's blind and uses a cane. Mandi, who also uses a cane to teach cane travel to the sight impaired, has told me fingerless mitts work really well for cane travel. She's loved the ones I've knit her in the past, and requested I knit them in dark colors as her palms get quite dirty using the cane. I also knit her a pair of them to match her scarf. All of it, the scarf, the gaitor, the mitts, they are all here at my house. What am I going to do with me??

That brings me to my next goal, or resolution if you must call it that. I guess I should call it a resolution after all, as I have resolved to finish all partially knitted projects this year. They are many. Another more short term goal I've set is to go on a food-diet. No, I don't mean denying myself food (though goodness knows I should!), but I'm forcing myself to cook more at home, and therefore not buy more food until I've used up what we have. My pantry and freezers are full. There's plenty here to eat, but it doesn't usually get eaten because it's not cooked. I wish I was one of those who loves to cook. I'm not, but I'm forcing myself to do more of it. It's healthier than eating out, and it's cheaper. There's been no eating out since before the holidays. Yea me!

John & Nikki, Christmas 2010

My daughter, Nikki, flew in from Colorado Springs for three days at Christmas. Since she left home 6 years ago, this past Christmas, and a couple or so years ago (when she and her boyfriend drove from Minneapolis, all day and night through terrible snowstorms, to surprise us on Christmas even morning) are the only ones she's been able to spend at home with us. We loved having her here. For some reason, all the inside pictures I took were bad. I was using my son's camera, which takes great pictures, but I guess I had the settings wrong. Picture me sad faced.

I have done some knitting, and will post pictures of it in my next post, which hopefully will be before next Christmas.

PS-Don't hate me, but we've had 70'ish weather with lots of sunshine the past couple of days.

Be blessed!

Proof that I do occasionally knit! Boho Beret, ravelled here

UPdate-Mandi's package of assorted knitwear has been shipped!

But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
~Galations 5:15 Amplified Bible

'Tis the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Somewhere near Woodland Park and Divide, CO

I blog in my head all the time. Obviously, what's in my head rarely makes it here. When I began blogging, it was a fun challenge. I had other friends doing it, who encouraged me to join in the fun. You're jumping off the cliff into a lake? Sure, I'll do it (am suddenly hearing my mother's voice in my head). Seriously, it's not that I'm a follow-the-crowd sort of person. Quite the contrary, I'm generally a day late and a dollar short when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon of what's 'in'. I did want a place to chronicle my knitting, if for no one but myself, and to keep up with my knitting accomplishments (clearly little, it would seem). It's also a good means of sharing what's going on in the family with family, except no one in my family actually reads my blog. C'est la vie.

My early blog posts embarrass me. I've shared that before, but feel it bears repeating. As I began to write better (not saying 'good', but better, so don't think I'm bragging, please), it had an upside and a downside. The upside is obviously better blog posts. Comments and compliments I've received are another upside....and a downside. As I received comments or e-mails complimenting me, I suddenly felt pressure to perform. I consider myself a discouraged perfectionist. I am a perfectionist, but I'm also lazy. If I don't feel up to putting in the time and effort to do something 'just so', I don't bother to do anything at all (it shows, in the state of my house). I began feeling like I had to really "write". I couldn't risk those who complimented me regretting they'd done so. Arg, the pressures I put on myself!

I can hear you now (the maybe two readers left who've not unsubscribed to my blog feed), GET OVER YOURSELF! You're right, I should, and I am, by golly! I'm going to write when I feel like it, and say what I feel like saying, and if no one reads but me, so be it. I was reading a friend's blog, Grey-Haired Geek, recently, and I knew Kel was describing exactly as I felt, only she said it so much better than me.

"I’m resurrecting my blog, with a difference.
As a beginner, I used a “Masterpiece of the Month” approach to blogging. I spent a lot of time getting each entry “just right”, so I didn’t blog very often. Unfortunately, I’m one of those “If I can’t do it perfectly, I won’t do it at all” kind of people."

Kel, I hope you don't mind me quoting you. If you don't, then, thank you! If you do, then oops!

Roasted vine-ripened tomatoes topped with thick slices of fresh water-packed mozzarella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar glaze, and sprinkled with rock salt; Sweet potato soup; and a really good wine. Fresh baked ciabatta bread not in picture

Mr. Studley and I visited our daughter in Colorado Springs, for Thanksgiving. For you who remember she was living in England, she's back in the states as of this past fall. I love that she's had the experience of living in European countries, but as a mom, I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to know she's back on American soil (at least for now). Not that I have anything against foreign soil, but I like knowing she's within a day or so drive, or a short plane trip away, in the event that she should need her family. The food shown above was only one of the many fantastic meals prepared for us during our time spent there. We were treated like royalty on our visit.

One of the ladies restrooms in the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. No paper towels or hand blow-dryers here. Baskets laden with fresh, white cloths were provided for hand drying/face washing. A large basket sat below the sink for tossing cloths when finished using. Classy, eh?

Mr. Studley and I toured the Broadmoor Hotel one afternoon while in Colorado Springs. Fabulous doesn't describe that place. It would take a long string of adjectives, and then wouldn't do it justice. Seeing is believing. It's massive, it's opulent, it's old world, it's elegant. It's so many things. The rooms range from $275-$2,000 per night, a little rich for our blood. I hear they do have a special rate/package around Valentine's Day. Maybe some day. We thoroughly enjoyed walking about the place, snapping pictures, ooing and ahhing, with mouths gaping. When I go into a place such as that, I tend to feel like a country bumpkin. I get intimidated, feeling surrounded by people who are clearly in a different social class than me. What surprised me was the genuine niceness of the hotel staff. From those who park your car (free valet parking for those there just to look around), to those who hold open the door, to the hotel guest clerk, to anyone with an employee tag who makes eye-contact with you, they bent over backwards to be exceedingly nice. If you're ever visiting the Colorado Springs area, I strongly urge you to take a gander around the Broadmoor Hotel!

This was Leyna, our last night at Nikki's house. I suspect she knew we were leaving, and was already missing all that extra loving and play she gets from Nikki, who adores her almost as much as I do.

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

~Philippians 4:4-5 The Message

When Left To My Own Devices

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:22:00 +0000

Mr. Studley's been out of town this week. When he's away, I get lonely and bored. When I'm lonely and bored, I tend to eat...too much. It's a bad habit which should come with a Surgeon General's warning.

Yesterday, I baked the Muffins That Taste Like Donuts recipe from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. Where have these things been all my life? The recipe is so simple, you can hardly call it cooking. The ingredients are something most of us have on hand at any given time. I baked these early yesterday evening and had two for dessert after dinner. At such time as you see above on my kitchen clock (I'm a night owl), I caved, and had to have three more. I had milk rather than coffee with them. I took that picture this morning. In my defense, these weren't full sized muffins. They were more like mini-me muffins. I used a mini-muffin pan. If I bake them that way again, I'll pick up some more mini-muffin pans, as I had to bake them in three batches.

Incidentally, my kitchen walls are not that pukish pinkish peachish color they appear in the clock photo, but are actually a pleasant pale yellow. You can see why I try and take most of my pictures outside in daylight, but that doesn't work when I'm binging on muffins that taste like donuts in the middle of the night.

They just kept calling my name. Renna....Renna...come eat us....and so I did.

And I had them again for breakfast this morning.

Oh, ick. I just realized my coffee looks as funky as my wall color. I can't even come up with a name for that color. Suffice it to say, that's not what color it was.

On the knitting front, I'm still cranking out dishcloths. I should take them outside and photograph them, but 100 degree weather and I are not friends. I need to be knitting a baby gift and a pair of socks for my mom for her upcoming birthday. Clearly, I lack self-discipline. Too often, I eat what I want when I shouldn't, and knit what I want when I should be knitting something else.

Speaking of knitting, A Friend to Knit With is having a giveaway. She's giving away a copy of Debbie Bliss' Design It, Knit It: Babies. All you have to do to be entered is leave a comment between now and Monday the 26th at 12 pm EST. Posting about it on your blog is not a requirement. I just want you knitters to have a chance at winning. The book has such adorable patterns in it.

I want to thank everyone for the nice comments on my last post. I guess misery does love company, as it was somehow comforting to me to see that others of you have similar feelings of 'blahness'. I say, blah-dee-dah to those blahs. I'm going to enjoy my weekend. How about you?

I think I need to meditate on 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.

**********************************************

I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

~the Message

*****************************************************

Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.
But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].

~Amplified Bible

Easy Like Sunday Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:48:00 +0000

I love old pictures, whether I'm in them or not. I do happen to be in this one. That would be me in the center, the one looking very bashful. That's because I was...very bashful. Now that I'm an adult (ahem), I refer to myself as 'shy'. Same meaning, just a more grown-up sounding word. I'm nowhere near as bashful now, er shy, as I was as a youngster. I find that the more I learn of my worth to God, the more worthy I feel. With that worth comes confidence. That said, I'll never be the extrovert life of the party, but I'm doing better at holding my own these days.

Speaking of these days, my life seems rather slow lately, and yet time is flying by at warp speed. I hear different ones speak of their 'summer plans'. Usually it revolves around that time between when their kids get out of school and when they return in the fall. With my kids grown and living their own lives, I miss those punctuations of summer. One day seems to roll into the next, one season into another.

I'm feeling like life is standing still. My energy is lagging. My desire to create is still in place, but lacking it's previous passion. Things that used to excite me seem bland; whether it's going out with friends, knitting, reading, etc., I can't seem to strike up a genuine interest. It's not that I'm depressed, per se, and have never been one prone to depression. I'm not really sure what's wrong with me. Does the 'change of life' cause these feelings, I wonder? I'm there, for certain. My life is changing.

Okay, enough of that.
Our family went camping last month in the Lake Ouashita State Park, in Arkansas, our second year in a row to do so. It was a beautiful campground, and the lake water is as clear as any I've ever seen. Mr. Studley's kids and their families all joined us, as well as Nikki, who flew in from England (again, twice in two months!). She spent her two week vacation with us, or "holiday", as they say in the UK. Everyone camped in tents by the water except for Mr. S and I, who stayed in our lovely air-conditioned travel trailer. Let me tell you, it was H.O.T while we were there. I spent more time indoors with the a/c than outside with the kids and grandkids. That kind of heat is for the young, not for mid-life, hot-flash stage, women such as myself. Heat aside, we did have a blast, and it was so nice having Nikki there with us this year.

I've done little knitting in recent weeks, with the exception of dishcloths. I love the Waffle Knit pattern found at Homespun Living, and I am really liking knitting them in Sugar'n'Cream cotton self-striping yarn. I wish I had a picture to share with you. I have some blocking now, and will hopefully take some pics in the next couple of days. The aqua colors are my favorite. They remind me of the ocean, with the layers of blue.

Speaking of the ocean, I think that's where I'd like to be. Cool ocean water lapping at my toes. Sounds dreamy. Summer has come early for us this year. June was terribly hot. We had a fairly decent beginning of July, but now the heat and humidity that we're known for has arrived full force, forcing the commencement of my hibernation indoors in air-conditioning (and I thank God we have it). Maybe that's why I'm feeling melancholy. Maybe it's cabin fever. I wish. I wish I were in a cabin on a mountain, or by an ocean.

Clearly, I'm rambling. I think I better stop before someone tips off the men in the clean white coats. Speaking of which, who's old enough to remember that 60's song, "They're Coming To Take Me Away"? I was about ten when that song came out. My older brother and I probably drove our poor mother nuts singing it over and over. Good times. Younger times of days gone by. Speaking of which, this day has gone by. It's the wee AM hours of Sunday, and I'd best be making my way to my comfy bed. Maybe the overhead fan will prompt me to dream of lying on a sandy beach with cool ocean breezes. Pass me a Mai Tai and some sunscreen, please. That would be loverly.

********************************

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

~Matthew 11:28-30 the Message

Issues of the Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:30:00 +0000

Baby Moccasins by Whitney Van Nes raveled here
I know it seems I've given up on my blog. I hope I haven't. I don't want to give it up, but I can't seem to make myself sit down and write anymore. Could I have run out of anything to say? I talk to myself all the time, but even I haven't found myself all that interesting lately.

John & Nikki, waiting for her flight at DFW, to fly home to England

Thinking back to when I first began writing this blog, I didn't have much to say then, either. In fact, when I read my earlier posts, I cringe with embarrassment at the things I rambled on about. Stupid stuff, really, really dumb stuff, like my dog's favorite toy. Did I seriously think anyone would find that of interest? Not likely, but I think I had to find my voice. It took me awhile, but I was getting there about the time I stopped writing. Now, I'm out of the practice of blogging and it seems I am once again in search of my voice. Don't worry, there'll be no more posts about my dog's favorite toys. Dog pictures are a different story.

Since I last wrote, we've had more than our share of heart issues in our household. Leyna, my beloved little Min Pin contracted heart worms. The reason? I didn't have her on regular heartworm meds. I honestly wasn't aware of how serious the risk was. The vet said she likely got them last fall. It was a rough and painful experience. One week at the vet's, five more weeks of being crated, six weeks of not getting walked or being allowed to play, and $550 in expense kind of rough. Heart worms are a serious threat to your dog's health, and according to my vet, all states now face that threat. I'm happy to say that Leyna seems to be fully recovered, and will now always receive her regular heartworm preventive meds.

The other heart issue was in the form of Mr.Studley's mitral valve needing to be repaired. When he went in for the surgery, we knew there was a chance it would have to be replaced. Being repaired is a much better option for the patient, but not always possible. Fortunately for us, his surgeon has a 95% success rate at being able to repair damaged valves. We know God directed us to him. Mr. S came through the procedure with flying colors. Other than a smallish sideways V scar on his right breast, there's little evidence that he went through such a surgery. And might I just say that the Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas is AWESOME! Seriously, if a person must have a heart procedure done, then that's the place to do it. The hospital is designed like a hotel, a 5 star hotel at that. Patients are considered guests, and their 'rooms' are 'suites'. Patients go directly from recovery to their suite, where family members are allowed to join them shortly after. No limited visits in an ICU room, like in most hospitals. Their room, or I should say suite is their ICU. The suite includes a comfortable area for family members to be there with them, around the clock if they desire. I could go on for paragraphs about that hospital, it was that impressive.

Mike & Nikki, as we were leaving the hospital
So, as you can see, we've had a bit of out-of-the-ordinary going on around here in the past few months. My daughter, Nikki, did fly home from England for the week of her dad's surgery. We rented a hotel adjacent to the hospital. My son also took off work that week and joined us. We had a lot of fun, and they kept me laughing almost nonstop. I had complete peace about Mr.Studley. I knew He was in God's protective hands.

I'll be back. Really, I will.

Nikki and Leyna, summer 2010

For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.

~Romans 12:3 Amplified Bible

The prodigal...daughter?

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:40:00 +0000

I've started a new post a many times in my mind the past few (several?) months. Have you ever put off doing something, you knew needed doing, so long it reached the point where finally doing it would garrishly spotlight the depths of your ability to procrastinate? Rather than face the embarrassment of having that ugly truth publicly revealed about yourself, it becomes simpler to just never do that thing. No? I have.

That 'thing' for me has been to write a new post on my blog. It's embarrassing, because many of you have either written me, or posted concerned comments for my welfare. I seemingly blatantly ignored you. I'm probably not even writing this to you, because, no doubt, you've long since written me off as a blog flake, a name I deserve.

I've thought of a hundred things I'd like to post about here, in recent months, but have always been stopped from doing so by knowing I had to first write a re-entry post. I apologize to you who I ignored. I have no excuse, other than that I am a clout. God's working on me. I really am sorry.

Okay, moving on, as Mr.Studley says when things are getting bogged down. I need to find a place of balance in blogging, in both reading and writing. When receiving comments to my blog posts, I have always felt a responsibility to then go and comment on my commentor's blogs. Not to say all my comments on others' blogs have been done in a dutiful sense, but yes, that's what initially begins my commenting there. As I gained readers (and commentors), the number of blogs I was visiting and commenting on, grew. Add to that, the blogs I read and enjoyed who have never (to my knowledge) even visited my blog (mostly knitting blogs), and much of my day was spent blog reading, and commenting.

I was on overload. Try as I might, I could not find a happy balance. Many times, I tried eliminating blogs I read, but there were so few I could cut out, as I enjoyed them all so much. I like peeking into your lives, getting to know you, but I finally reached that point where I couldn't do it all, so therefore I did nothing. I know this may all seem a bit overly dramatic to some, who may even be thinking I need to just 'get over myself'. It's not like I'm even a big-time blogger who gets dozens of comments per day (hardly); but it's been a struggle for me, nonetheless.

Returning here doesn't mean I've figured out what to do about it. Rather, that I've missed you guys, sharing with you here, and reading what you share. I've started reading blogs again (in Google Reader), just not commenting. I'll be seeking to find that happy balance, which shouldn't be too hard, since my readers have probably dropped down to one or two by now. ;-)

As to knitting, I pretty much backed off it about the same time I quit blogging. I did pick up my needles again during the holiday season, making a few small gifts, most of which I forgot to photograph. I do have a few pictures, though, which I'll be sharing here soon.

It already feels good to be back. :-)

Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. ~1 Peter 5:5 (American Standard Version)

Lazarus

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:46:00 +0000

I haven't posted here in a month. I appreciate the e-mails I've received wondering where I am. It is a nice feeling to be missed, and have others notice when you aren't where you normally are. Contrary to the suspicions of Marcy, at Blessings Each Day, I am not trying to see how many comments I can tally up between extended postings. Hardy har, Mar. ;-)

Just as when I took a break over the Christmas and New Year holidays, I find my absence here indicative of the time of year at hand. Spring has been calling me outdoors. We have some pretty uncomfortable weather in these parts during the summer. It gets really hot, and really humid. I know that any work I do outdoors has to be done in the spring, because once the temperatures register in the upper 90's, with high humidity to boot, I begin my summer hibernation. Air-conditioning, thou art my friend!

We had a bad storm around here a few weeks ago. Trees toppled all over town. We didn't lose any of our trees, but a very large limb (the size of a small tree!) did break off and land in our front yard. I awoke before daylight to the sound of the fierce wind and driving rain. I began to pray, as did Mr. Studley. That huge limb could so easily have fallen toward our house, but I think a mighty angel forced it the other direction.

In the early afternoon, the day of the storm, Mr.S was cleaning storm debris from our front lawn when he came inside and said "you'd better come look at this". The forboding in his voice made me want to do just the opposite! I followed him around the corner of the house to see a dead baby bird lying on it's back in the grass. Flies were crawling all over it, in it's eyes, and down in the crevices of it's feathers. I said "it's dead", frankly wondering why he wanted me to look at a dead bird. He said he thought so, too, until he nudged it with his foot and saw it move. I picked up a tiny branch with leaves and used it to shoo the flies away. When I touched it's head, it did move, ever so slightly.

Mr. Studley asked me if there was anything we could do for the bird. It had obviously been lying there on it's back since the pre-dawn hours when the storm occurred. First of all, it had gone too long without being fed, considering it was now afternoon. Baby birds don't drink water. They receive their hydration from the food their mother feeds them, and she does so about every 15-20 minutes of daylight hours at that stage of life. This little fellow wouldn't have had anything to eat since dusk the evening before when mom settled in the nest to roost for the night. I knew he was likely dehydrated, and pneumonia was probably settling into his lungs; aside from the fact that he appeared to have a broken back.

I told Mr. S that the bird would die, but I couldn't bear leaving it to die in the grass with flies crawling all over it. I got a small box from the house, and lined it with a piece of old, soft t-shirt from the rag bag. It's legs were extended straight out, and it was as stiff as a board. I gently placed it in the box, and walked toward the house. Mr. S asked if I'd prayed for it. I said, "yes, I did. I asked God to take it quickly, so it would be out of it's misery". He, ever the optimist, who walks in great faith, said "why didn't you pray and ask God to heal it?". Insert eye roll. Somehow, I just knew he was going to ask me that! It isn't that I don't think God's capable of healing a bird. It was my own lack of faith I was doubting. I was reminded of the scripture that we are all given a measure of faith. God is no respector of persons. Jesus lives inside of me, and He has complete faith. Therefore, so do I.

I have prayed prayers of healing before, both for people and animals. As I stretched forth my hand toward this little bird, I had a sense that something was different. I slowed myself down, realizing this was no time for hurrying. As I placed my hand on that little bird's broken body, I closed my eyes and imagined the very hand of Jesus stretching forth, healing that little bird. It wasn't a goosebump feeling, or a bright light shining from Heaven. It was simply an awareness of Who lives in me. It gave new meaning to my mind of the scripture that says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

I carried the box through the house to the garage, and placed it on the chest freezer. I knew it would be safe from the cat there. It was a busy day, as you can imagine. My son and his buddy arrived with a chainsaw and a chipper shredder to clean up the tree limb from the yard. After about an hour, I went out and checked the bird. When I touched him, he tried to raise his head, which was more movement than before. I truly didn't give it much thought, then went on outside to help with the clean-up. About an hour after that, I thought to check him again. This time, he'd pulled one leg up under his body. The other leg remained stiffly extended. Back I went to helping clean. This time, I let a couple hours go by before thinking to check on him. Both legs were now pulled up under him, though he still lay stiffly.

After all the clean up was done, Mr.Studley had gone off to the shower, and my son and his buddy left to return the equipment. I again remembered to check on the bird. As I looked in that box, he was sitting there. I said "well, hey there, fella, how're you doing?". If you've ever had any dealings of caring for baby birds (fledgelings) in the wild, you'll know they are terrified of you for the first day or so. If you attempt to capture one whose on the ground, you have to be so very careful, as they'll injure themselves trying to get away from you. The only time I do try and capture one is if I know it's orphaned, or Mamma is nowhere around, and cats are. As I looked at the little bird and spoke to it, he remained quite calm, apparently unafraid of me. SO unafraid that he hopped from the box onto my finger! This was so amazing, for as I said, a normal bird would be trying desparately to escape if physically able. This bird came toward me. He just sat there on my finger looking at me. A bird, that several hours before lay seemingly dead in the grass. Folks, that is what I call a miracle.

I walked outside with little newly named Lazarus on my finger. My son had arrived back home by this time. I asked him to take some pictures before I released Lazarus. I walked around the yard for several minutes, hoping Lazarus would call his mommy. By this time, Mr.Studley had come outside and was staring in amazement at the bird he'd last seen looking dead hours earlier. After a few minutes, Lazarus cried out in that hungry cry that says "Mom, I'm hungry, what's for dinner"? You know how it thrills your heart when your child who has been sick finally says "I'm hungry?" After a couple of times of doing that, I noticed a Robin flying into the tree above our heads. She began circling around from branch to branch. It was Mamma Robin! I placed little Lazarus on a low lying branch in a small tree, then retreated to the porch to observe. Mamma Robin flew straight to Lazarus. After giving him a once-over, she flew to the ground, quickly got a worm, then flew back to the tree to feed Lazarus. We watched this for about 15 minutes, then went inside. The next morning, Lazarus still sat in that same spot, and Mamma Robin was still feeding him every few minutes.

That afternoon, they left the tree, but we continued to see them in our yard and the neighbor's yards for the next week or two. We knew it was them, because little Lazarus would hop along behind her as she was searching for food. When she got something, she'd take it to him. His little wings would start to flap excitedly as he gobbled down his dinner. Over a period of several days, we watched this, and saw Lazarus growing, and eventually flying. We were reminded of God's goodness and His power each time we watched them. Lazarus is now full grown, and we can no longer pick him out from the other birds, but we know he's fine. God is good!

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

~Matthew 10:8 New American Standard

You Might Be A Redneck If...

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:01:00 +0000

You might be a redneck if your idea of a Neighborhood Watch program is to park your fanny in a recliner on the front lawn and watch the 'goings on' of your neighbors.

This is Mr.Studley, appearing to do just that. In reality, he's checking one last time to make sure he wants to give away this favored chair before loading it onto his nephew's truck. Mr. Studley really liked this leather chair, but we have another one very similar to it, and it seemed a shame to have our living room overcrowded with too much furniture when Nephew has nothing but broken down furniture (a harsh side-effect of a divorce). So Studley, bless his heart, opted to give the chair to his nephew. Granted, we did have to threaten him with the water hose to get him out of it before loading it onto the back of the truck.

This is the now felted Hobo bag I showed you last week in it's unfelted stage. As I said before, I really like this pattern. It was an easy and fun knit. I purchased it from Pipp's Purses etsy shop. It's knit on 10.5 circular needles in a worsted weight yarn. I used my Denise Interchangeables for knitting, and Lion Wool for the yarn.

When I am knitting something to felt, I don't generally worry too much about the softness of the yarn. My experience has been that once something is felted, most felted wools feel pretty much the same; and besides, I'm not going to be wearing it next to my body. I have to tell you, though, I was pleasantly surprised by how soft this bag did feel prior to felting. I would be very comfortable wearing a sweater knit from this yarn.

Speaking of rednecks, this is my sun with his recent haul of bass. The boy does love to fish, which makes his mamma happy, as I ~~does~~ do love to eat fish. He doesn't bring them home all smelly with their dead eyes staring up at me, either. When he presents them to me, they've been cleaned, gutted, and filleted. They're neatly packaged in a freezer Zip-Loc bag, and ready for the freezer until I'm in the mood to fry up a mess of 'em, as we say around here. We eat very few fried foods, but fish and green tomatoes are the two exceptions to that rule.

My mom and her husband are visiting during the week of Mother's Day. We're going to surprise her with a fried fish dinner. Nothing says I love you, Mom, like a plate of fried fish, hushpuppies, and bowl of fresh cole slaw. It's a meal that'll make you want to slap your mamma. I'll refrain, considering it will be Mother's Day and all.

I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.

~Psalm 13:6

Blogger Newbie, or Blogger Wannabe?

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Tulips from my daughter's yard this week.

Do you want to start a blog? Or maybe you have one, but you feel it could use improvement. I learned about a great, free resource online for those (like moi) who need a little help with this blogging thing. In the little over a year that I've been blogging, I've learned a lot through trial and error, but I still have so much to learn.

Michelle Mitchell, better known as Scribbit, from the blog Scribbit~Motherhood in Alaska, has written an ebook for new bloggers, or those who want to improve their blogs. Whether your desire is to start a blog, or improve the one you've got, Michelle's book can help. I began reading it yesterday, and have already learned some helpful ideas for my blog, such as the excerpt below, which she did give me permission to quote here:

"When you link to another site, remember that it's a symbiotic relationship-if you do your lnks properly not only will it help the other blogs you link to, but it will help you as well.

The search engines not only count your inbound links, they also notice your outbound links, and rather than say "click here" or using someone's first names as a link, try to get into the habit of using their site name for the actual link. This builds recognition for their blog, encourages people to click on the link, and it gets you points with the search engines-a perfect win/win situation."

Sheer wisdom, I tell you! I'm anxious for some free time to sit down and read the rest of the book. You can download it to your computer (for FREE) from her site, Scribbet~Motherhood in Alaska, or you can download it from Amazon to a digital reader like Kindle, for a mere $.88. She shares that link on her blog. I am so appreciative of Michelle, and others like her who are willing to give of their time and effort to share their knowledge with those in need (like moi!).

The teeny speck in yellow is my daughter, Nikki, enjoying their first truly warm day this spring. This is the backyard of their home in Harrogate. How I wish I could hop a plane tonight and be sitting there with her tomorrow! Oh, well, it will happen next year, likely.

Yup, after being on her feet chasing one year old's all day (which she LOVES), she was enjoying kicking back on their patio the other night.

Some fresh blooms I enjoyed from my own yard last week. I love fresh flowers indoors...and outdoors!

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

is heard in our land.

~Song of Solomon NKJV 2:12

April 19th, A Day of Remembrance

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:50:00 +0000

April 19, 1985 Drowning death of my late husband, John, in a scuba diving accident at Possum Kingdom Lake, Palo Pinto County, Texas. Many people's lives were affected by the tragedy of that day. His children, wife, mother, siblings, in-laws, co-workers, neighbors, and good friends were all affected in some way by his sudden eviction from this world. Life did go on, but for those of us suffering the loss of this one person, it was never quite the same.

April 19, 1993 The Waco Siege. The Mount Carmel Center at the Branch Davidian Ranch in Waco, Texas, went up in flames. Seventy-six people, including more than 20 children and two pregnant women, died in that fire. A grave tragedy which affected the lives of so many people. No doubt, survivors of the victims still bear the pain and scars of their loss that day.

April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. A terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building created an explosion that took the lives of 168 people, including 19 children and three pregnant women, and left over 800 injured. Prior to the terrorist attack of 9/11, this was the deadliest act of terror against the U.S. on American soil. It is hard to imagine the number of people who were, and continue to be, adversely affected by the tragic losses of that day.

April 19, 2009 I pray for peace this day. I pray that those who walk in unforgiveness would realize they must forgive to be forgiven. I pray that the hearts of God's people would turn toward Him, their Creator. I pray we would recognize Him as the Loving Daddy He is, and not as a harsh judge who is often blamed for the tragedies mankind has brought on himself. He longs to pull His children into His arms, just as a good and loving earthly father would with his own children. I wouldn't give for the relationship I have with Him. I don't blame Him for the tragedies that have occurred in my own life, but I do thank Him for helping me through them. He is real. He is alive. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever.

The photos were taken by my son on a visit to the Oklahoma City bombing site memorial.

*******************************************************If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.~II Chronicles 7:14 Amplified Bible

Contest Link, Exercising, & Missing Candy

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:14:00 +0000

As I was reading through some favorite blogs this evening, I stopped in at Randi's, "i have to say...". I found myself gazing at the most darling piece of artwork. I'll admit it, I was on the verge of coveting it. Seriously, I really want it. Fortunately for me, the artist has other copies of it on her etsy store, so it's going on my wishlist.

The artist's blog is Tollipop, and her whimsical style speaks to my heart. Not only is she a very talented artist, but she also writes. I read one of her stories while there, and am now anxiously awaiting what I hope will be another installment.

Tollipop is holding a contest on her blog. Some very blessed person will win some of her artwork. The pictures above, as well as the darling locket at the top, will be among the prizes she's awarding. I would love to win something from her, wouldn't you? If so, go to her blog and leave a comment. If you blog about it or Twitter it, you increase your odds of winning. I did both, 'cause I really want to win. She's also offering bonus entries to anyone who can get Martha Stewart to come sign up for the contest. I'll have to pass on that one. Ever since she learned I set my Thanksgiving table with styrofoam plates, Martha and I haven't exactly been on speaking terms.

That Linda, the ~~sadistic~~ hilarious blogger at 2nd Cup of Coffee, is at it again. Seems she wasn't satisfied that she got our lazy behinds off the couch, or out of the computer chair in my case, and moving for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, two weeks in a row. Neeeeeewwww, now she wants us to do it again for two weeks, only this time we get to cut 100 calories out of our day, too. And we're supposed to be happy about that. Oh, sure, I could just not participate, but then I'd feel left out, and I wouldn't get my name in lights..or at least not in her sidebar as a participant. Having my name in her sidebar makes me feel all important and such. And the truth of the matter is, I tend to be more disciplined in my exercise when I'm accountable to someone.

Giving up that 100 calories, though...that's a tough one. I wonder if all my vitamins and supplements would add up to a hundred calories? Or better yet, I could hurry and gobble up all the leftover Easter candy in one day. After that, I couldn't eat it anymore, and I could count that as my eliminated one hundred calories each day, right?

The flaw in that plan is that Mr. Studley would wonder what happened to all the jelly beans and peach rings. He doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he does love peach rings and jelly beans. I guess I'll just bite the bullet and find 100 legitimate calories to eliminate from my daily diet. That would be better than denying Mr. Studley his extra calories. Of course it goes without saying that it would benefit me!

I've already posted this in Ravelry, but realized I've not yet posted about it here. The is a pre-felted picture of my Hobo Handbag I knit from Pipp's Purses. I knit it in Lion Wool, which felted great, though it took awhile.

I've since felted it, but still need to attach a decorative button, and am contemplating lining it. I'm still undecided about the lining. I'll show a picture of post-felting on my next post. I didn't have enough space today. Picasa will only let me send four pictures over to Blogger at one time. Besides, maybe this will pique your curiosity to return again to see the felted picture.

So do not make any hasty or premature judgments before the time when the Lord comes [again], for He will both bring to light the secret things that are [now hidden] in darkness and disclose and expose the [secret] aims (motives and purposes) of hearts. Then every man will receive his [due] commendation from God.

~1 Corinthians 4:5 Amplified Bible

I Fought the Sloth, and the Sloth Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:01:00 +0000

This has been my pace all winter. I can't blame snow or ice for slowing me down, as we had none. AT ALL. I'm still pouting about that. Seriously, though, I have felt like a total slug for months. My energy level was lower than a snake's belly. I felt like my get-up-and-go got-up-and-went. I've wondered if perhaps I've suffered from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

This was pretty much me. Well, actually, this is Putty Tat, but I think she was mocking me when this picture was taken.

Then something wonderful happened. The sun broke out, and Linda, the hilarious blogger at 2nd Cup of Coffee, issued this challenge.

Now, I may be lazy, but I am not one to back away from a challenge. She challenged her readers to do one simple thing, GET MOVING! For five days a week, 30 minutes per day, over the course of two weeks, we would commit to get our bodies moving. It could be exercising, walking the dogs, digging in the garden, or chasing the ice-cream truck around the neighborhood, as long as we got moving. There was no "D" word involved, though it was certainly okay to diet if we pleased. I didn't please.
I regularly walk the dogs, but the length of those walks varies. Sometimes I walk them ten minutes, sometimes 30 minutes, and occasionally not at all. In the colder months, I'd fallen into a habit of making the walks short, 'cause even though I've griped all winter about not getting any snow, the truth is, I don't really like to be cold.

Leyna looked up at me with that sweet little face, and asked, "please, Mommy, walk us 30 minutes each night". Well, what's a girl to do? I can't resist a face like that...unless she's begging for my last bite of popcorn. Oh, who am I kidding. It works on me then, too.

So I picked up Linda's gauntlet, strapped on the leashes, and hit the open road, or at least our neighborhood. Mr.Studley and Pepper came along, too, of course. With the exception of one particularly cold night this week, I managed to keep my commitment to do the 30 minute walk every day for two weeks, even on the weekends. For my gallant efforts, I've received the following award (me, and every other reader of Linda's who completed the course).

A very positive thing has happened to me in the course of these two weeks. I no longer feel like a slug. I'm not moving like a turtle. I no longer get mistaken for our fat cat. I have been energetic. I've accomplished some major spring cleaning, along with mucho decluttering. I'm enthused about keeping house again (did I just say that?).
I don't know if it was the regular exercising (and our dog walks are fast paced!), if I was indeed suffering from SAD which went away when spring arrived, or if it was a combination of the two. I just know, in the words of James Brown, I feel good!
Speaking of James, I only wish I could move like him. Check out his footwork in this video. Oh, and you can thank me later for getting this song stuck in your head.

****************************I LOVE You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength.
The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.~Psalm 18:1-2 Amplified Bible

Chickens & Dog Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:41:00 +0000

Er, that would be dogs, and chicken spaghetti. I'm joining up with the dog lovin' people at Dogs on Thursday this week, which basically means I get to go on and on about my dogs and you can't think any less of me. Well, you can, but I hope you won't.

So, what do you think of Pepper's new 'do'? I tried to get him to stand up on the floor so I could show you the weenie dog in him, but he wouldn't get out of this chair. Pepper pretty much does as Pepper pleases. His body is long and skinny looking, just like a weenie dog, but he has a poodle head. He'd gone so long between groomings that I had them cut him as short as possible, otherwise he'd look even more poodle'ish.

We definitely need to buy him a new collar. What's up with a hot pink collar on a boy? No wonder he's always looking sheepish.

He is a handsome boy, is he not?

Okay, enough about dogs, it's time for The Recipe Swap Box. Once a month, on the first Thursday, Randi, at "i have to say... " hosts a recipe swap on her blog. All who wish to participate post a recipe on their blog, and sign the Mr.Linky at Randi's. We can then visit each others blogs gathering new recipes, and maybe even new friends!

This month's Recipe Box Swap theme is Pasta! Since I procrastinated and didn't get around to typing up one of my recipes, it may appear to some that I'm cheating by linking to a recipe at the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog. Is there such a thing as plaguerizing a recipe? If there is, then P-dub did the plaguerizing, 'cause I've been cooking the same Chicken Spaghetti dish she shares on her site since she was in diapers.

The only thing I do differently than PW when making the Chicken Spaghetti is that I omit the chicken washing step. You read that right. I do not wash my chicken prior to cooking. I read a couple of years or so ago that it's not a necessary step, as the cooking process will destroy any surface bacteria; besides, you run more risk of spreading the salmonella around your kitchen by washing it. Anytime I'm cooking chicken, I wash my hands frequently with hot water and soap, and sanitize all areas where I've had the chicken, in case anything dripped or splashed from it on the counter.

And for the record, no one's ever gotten ill from eating my chicken spaghetti. I was kidding with the plaguerizing remark. I wouldn't want to offend PW, considering I hope to some day win one of her awesome contests. ;-)

I said that was enough about dogs, but I couldn't do a dog post without including Leyna, who is once again, dazed and temporarily blinded by mommy's flash. That's my son's hairy arm in the picture, lest you thought I needed to start shaving.

If you'd like to join in on The Recipe Box Swap, go here; or if you'd just like to read all the recipes that have been posted.

If you'd like to join in the fun with Dogs on Thursday, go here. Or just go around seeing everyone else's blogs... dogs...blogs with dogs!

******************************

A righteous man regards the life of his animal...
~Proverbs 12:10a NKJV

Gettin' Things Done

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:55:00 +0000

I sometimes have to trick myself into doing what needs doing. For instance, I NEVER plan on cleaning out my fridge. The times it gets cleaned (and yes, I do clean it on occasion) is when I start looking for something in there and can't find it. By the time I've spent 30 minutes digging through umpteen butter bowls with magic marker scribbled words on them, words like "carrots", "mushroom soup", or "dog chicken" (don't ask) I start hurling things out of there faster than my dog can inhale her chicken.

Two hours later, my fridge is sparkling. The shelves are washed clean, the sticky residue has been wiped from all the jam jars, the unidentified blobs with green fur have been tossed, and decomposing veggies have been relegated to the compost bucket. The drawers have been washed, dried, and put back in their places. I can stand back proudly and announce, in the voice of Zelda Rubenstein aka Tangina Barrows, "this fridge is clean".

If I KNEW I was going to do it, I'd find some excuse to get out of it, but I trick myself into doing it. I am so clever that way.

What, you might ask, does that have to do with pictures of sock yarn? Absolutely nothing. I went for a snack while the pictures were loading, and told myself "you really need to clean out the fridge".

I love this yarn. I think I already mentioned it in a previous blog, but it bears repeating. It is so soft, just like buttuh! The colors are so pretty and springy...like spring, the season, not bouncy springy. I think I may have to trick myself into finishing these socks, though. I have too many projects going at once, and nothing finished to show.

This was an error in judgement. It's my Amanda's Squatty Sidekick, or rather, not so squatty; I cast on extra stitches to make the base a little larger than the one in the pattern. I knit it with some wool yarn I picked up for a song in a thrift store in Little Rock (received a standing ovation-no, not really). It was really old. The label was yellowed and crinkly. It had probably been sitting in some little granny's knitting basket since the '60's.

I thought there was enough of the yarn to knit this bag. I was wrong. I could kick myself. I still have the strap and the flap left to knit, and no more wool. I'll have to either knit the straps and flap with a contrasting yarn, or rip back to the base and re-knit it, alternating stripes of the green wool with stripes of a contrasting color, so the original green will go farther. I'm not really of a mind to go to that much trouble, though. As you've likely determined by the fridge story, I am somewhat lazy.

I saw the furry novelty yarn at Big Lots, and noticed it was the exact same shade of green as the wool, so I bought it to add a little pizazz to the top of the bag. It was really cheap. It doesn't help with my shortage of yarn, though. What to do, what to do?

Pepper Saga Update:

Pepper's still with us, and it's looking likely he'll stay that way. I bet you all knew that, though.

Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

~Psalm 37:4 NKJV

Pepper Saga-Part Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:36:00 +0000

It's still raining here in northeast Texas, which means all photos must be taken inside. This is Pepper, looking a little shy. He's actually a beautiful dog when clipped. His former owner, my neighbor L, insisted on paying for a trip to the groomer and vet as parting gifts for Pepper. We went to the vet last week and got his shots updated, and new flea and heartworm preventative meds. We're waiting for warmer weather to arrive and stay before getting his curls shorn.

We took Leyna along for the ride. She was happy as a lark to be going on an outing. That dog's just like Mr. Studley, she loves to GO. She ran over to the lawn area where all the dogs do their 'bizness' before entering the vet. She marked the territory as hers, then happily trotted back over to us. As we opened the door for her to enter, she suddenly realized where she was. She knew this place. She'd been here before. This is the place where the mean people jabbed a needle in her hiney, and she was having no more of that! We literally had to drag her inside with all four feet sliding across the floor, as she refused to take a single step forward. Yeah, she just loves going to the vet. Not.

Pepper really does have the sweetest eyes I think I've ever seen on a dog. These pictures don't do him justice.

One of my blogging buddies, Joansie, at Knitting By The Ocean, unwittingly gave me an idea of how to ~~pawn Pepper off~~ get Pepper a really great new home and family. She sent me a link to Pioneer Woman's blog post yesterday. Now, if you've read PW's blog, you know she's a real sucker for dogs. All shapes and sizes, the woman does love dogs. I love them, too, but from all appearances, PW can better afford taking on a new dog than I. For the record, Joansie had no idea of the scheme I'd hatch when she sent me that link.

So, after reading PW's blog post yesterday, it occurred to me that PW would probably love Pepper. All I need to do is drive to northern Oklahoma, find PW's ranch, drop Pepper off at the end of the drive, and scoot him toward her house. Don't worry, I'll stay parked nearby until I know he's been discovered.

PW will take one look at that face and invite him right in to nap on her couch. I'm just sure of it! She might even feed him some of Charlie's food with bacon grease stirred in it.

Now, all I need are the directions to Pioneer Woman's ranch. Anyone?

PW, I wuv you!

We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

~Romans 8:28 Amplified Bible

I DON'T WANT ANOTHER DOG!

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:51:00 +0000

Queen Wilhelmina State Park, AR. Fall '08 camping trip

It has rained all day long. I didn't mind it, though. We've had a relatively dry winter, no snow, and not a lot of rain. Today was one of those days it was pleasant to be inside. Life seemed to take a slower pace. It felt like a Sunday afternoon. Isn't it funny how different days have a different feel to them? I finished up my Hobo purse. I'm determined to take a pre-felted picture of it, but clearly the weather didn't permit. I can be patient, though.

It seems we have a new dog. I'm not terribly thrilled about it. We had many dogs for many years, and determined when we got Leyna that we'd never have more than one dog at a time again. Ever. Never ever. Sigh...never say never, and definitely not, never ever.

About a year ago, I volunteered to walk a neighbor's dog. Though I'd waved at her on the street in passing, I didn't know her. I began noticing a strange person walking her dog. Out of curiosity, I approached the stranger. It turned out she was a good friend of my neighbor, and informed me that my neighbor had become very ill, spending nearly two months in the hospital. She was back home, but destined to be an invalid due to a chronic lung condition which had worsened. Though she was able to live alone, she was no longer able to walk her dog. She was on oxygen 24/7, and only able to be up and about for a short bit before she'd lose her breath and begin coughing uncontrollably.

My neighbor, L, and I became friends over the past year. She's a very intelligent woman. She had a great job as a college library director, prior to being forced (by her health) to retire. A few months ago, her health became even worse. She began needing a lot more help. Mr. Studley and I pretty much took over the care of Pepper. We knew she was in no condition to have a dog any longer, and yet we knew that dog was her sole companion.

I encouraged her to see her doctor again, and I imagine her two good friends were doing the same. I think she put it off so long as she likely suspected the outcome-confinement in a care facility. She did finally break down and go two weeks ago. The doctor sent her straight to the hospital, as her oxygen level was dangerously low. It was determined rather quickly that she cannot live alone and manage her condition. I feel so sorry for her. She has a beautiful home filled with lovely things., which she may never even see again. Mr. Studley and I couldn't bear the idea of Pepper going to the pound, and L's friends were unable to take him, so we brought him home.

Pepper's a sweet dog, and he and Leyna play well together. I just didn't want another dog. Plus, he's long haired, which means he'll require regular grooming (an expenditure we really can't afford). He has skin allergies in the summer, requiring vet and allergy medicine bills (another expense we can't afford). He's just the sweetest thing, though. He wants nothing more than to sit in my lap. He looks up at me with those huge, sad eyes and melts my heart. Still, I don't want another dog. I have prayed about it. I asked the Lord to send us a good family who would love and spoil him, 'cause I don't want another dog!

I'd say, that's the long and short of how we got another dog, though there was nothing short in my telling of it. There never is. I've said it before, brevity is not my strong point.

Messes and Mudpies Handmade Soaps

If you're ~~hungry~~ in the market for some great soaps, click on the above link. Seriously, her soaps look good enough to eat....but don't; you wouldn't want to end up blind like Ralphie.

In celebration of opening her new web store, along with reaching her 100th blog post, this very generous lady is having a contest in which she'll award a lucky winner with $30 worth of products from her store (shipped free!). If you'd like a chance to win, go to her blog and read about it here.

A [consistently] righteous man regards the life of his beast, but even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

~Proverbs 12:10 Amplified Bible

This 'n' That

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:37:00 +0000

I've been doing some knitting, but I'll have to wait until my son gets back from a business trip before I can take pictures. He had the audacity to take his camera with him to New Orleans. Harumph!

I don't think a post is complete without pictures, so I'm resurrecting some old ones. Since we didn't get our annual ONE snowfall per year this winter, the above picture is obviously an old one. I either took it last year or the year before. I love the way Redbirds (Cardinals) stand out so brightly against the white of snow. I don't know if more of them come around when it snows, or if they're just more obvious then.

I haven't bored you with a pic of my four legged baby in awhile. This is Leyna, sleeping with her head rested on the crook of Mr. Studley's arm. Daddy, to her. This was last fall when we were camping in Arkansas. He was actually eating his dinner. She was so worn out from our hiking excursion that day that she didn't even bother begging for people food.

This is an earflap hat, fingerless mitts, and scarf set I knit for my niece a couple of years ago. Now I prefer to use the Maine Morning Mitts pattern for fingerless mitts.

Right now I'm working on a felted Hobo bag, by Pipp's Purses. I love this pattern! I've shared before how much I struggle with interpreting patterns. I am such a visual learner. Jennifer, the pattern writer, writes her patterns in such a way that even I can easily understand them. I'm on the very last step of the pattern. All I have left is a few inches of the i-cord handle, then kitchener stitching the two sides of the handle together, and that baby is ready to felt! I decided to wait to felt it until after my son returns with his camera, as I want to photograph it in it's prefelted stage. It's huge!

I'm also knitting a pair of sport socks for myself. I am loving the yarn. I bought it at JoAnn's Fabrics when I was in Ft. Worth a few weeks ago. It's the sock weight yarn from the Deborah Norville Serenity line, by Premier Yarns. It's a combination of superwash Merino wool, nylon and soft bamboo. Who knew Deborah Norville had a yarn line? The colors are so very pretty, and it's incredibly soft. I'm really enjoying knitting with it. The next test will be to see how it holds up to wear.

I'm torn between finishing my socks and starting another Hobo bag. I picked up several skeins of Lion Wool at our NEW HOBBY LOBBY recently. I live in a small town. We don't have an LYS (non-knitter readers, that's knitterese for Local Yarn Shop), so getting a Hobby Lobby was a really big deal for us. Anyway, the Lion Wool was marked on clearance for $1.99 per skein. That's $3 off their regular price per skein. I grabbed several skeins, as I'm planning on making felted handbags for Christmas gifts next year. I've now got enough yarn to do me for awhile, so I have no excuse for going back to Hobby Lobby anytime soon. Right? Rooooiiiiggghht. ;-)

But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.

~I Peter 3:15 Amplified Bible

Happy Birthday, Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Renna) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:43:00 +0000

Isn't it funny how your perception of birthdays changes when you become a parent? As children, we are offten rather narcissistic about our birthdays. We are made to feel as if the world revolves around us. It can be a little dismaying when we enter the real world and find out it doesn't.

I made over both my children on their birthdays, just as my folks did with me. For me, my children's birthdays are a time of poignant reflection. Today, my baby turned twenty-five. She is one quarter of a century old. Though twenty-five years have gone by, I can remember her birth, and the events leading up to it, as if it happened yesterday. I can barely remember the names of people I knew or worked with back then, but the memory of the day I was blessed with my beautiful baby girl is of utmost clarity.

One part of her birth day, I don't remember, as I was off sleeping off the trauma of childbirth. I've heard it told many times by my mom, though. The entire family was in the waiting room. My late husband was Italian. If you know Italians (or are one), you'll know they tend to be very close knit as a family. John was one of five siblings. His folks and siblings (and some of their spouses) were all in the waiting room, along with my mom and dad, my then 8 year old son, and my 11 year old nephew. I'm sure the waiting room was packed.

John was in the delivery room with me. After Nikki was born and had been cleaned up, and all the necessary data taken, John was pointed to a rocker in a nearby room to sit and bond with his new baby. According to my mom, it was two hours after the birth before he let the rest of the family know she'd been born. He sat in that room rocking her, holding her close. Yes, my mom has been known to exaggerate a tad, and I figure she was then, though to this day, she claims it to be true. The rest of them don't remember. ;-Þ

The bottom line is, he did stay in there with her for a long period of time. I often thought after his death that it was as if he had some uncanny sense that he needed to make the most of every minute with her.

Another memory of that day is shared by my son every year on his sister's birthday. He still remembers his Pappa telling him and his cousin to turn off the tv so they could go to the hospital, as he was about to get a baby sister. He resented not getting to watch the rest of that Three Stooges episode!

One last memory was about my son. I've shared it with my husband now, and he still cracks up everytime it's brought up, since he knows my son's personality so well. It was the day we came home from the hospital. It had been a long and grueling day, as people came out of the woodwork to come see our new baby. We were tired and ready for bed, but Nikki commenced to crying. I'd nursed her, changed her, and rocked her to no avail. I was about to the point of joining her and having a good crying jag myself. My son, also John, walked up to the crying baby, patted her little face, and said in the softest, sweetest little singsong voice, "now, shut up". It was priceless! He still tells her that today, when she's chattering a mile a minute, though not quite so sweetly as he did that day.

Happy 25th birthday, my sweet little Nikki!

Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

~Psalm 127:3 The Message