Gratitude Gifts Today

I am reading on in Ann's book, One Thousand Gifts, and my eyes are opening to understand so much more about why I need to - and want to - count on with my thanks.  God always opens His hand and gives - daily He sends out all I need and more, wonders of wonders, grace beyond measure.  So when I open my hands and receive and number the gifts,  then I am compelled, driven, excited to share His giving with those around me.  The giving continues, from Him through me, to others.  To hear her descriptions and see her discoveries echoing in my heart is such a gift.  How He blesses the reader through the author!

- sun shining on bright white

- diamond snowflake sparkles

- sanding trucks with their loads sprinkling out

- screams of delight going downhill

- having fun together

- weather that allows for afternoons outdoors

- warm clothes and mitts

- the smell of supper when we walk in the house

- cream cheese icing on carrot cake

- watching our son and his wife together

- stories around the supper table

- playing games with loved ones

- safely arriving back home

- the picture in my mind of light shining outside myself as I leave His house

- praying for a friend

- phone messages from the grandchildren

- phone calls

- sewing project finished

- lessons learned from the project

- plans for the next project!

- cake batter pouring into the pan

- empty laundry baskets

- watching Melinda open her gifts via video (thank you, L!)

- letter slipping in the box, heading to Brazil

- smiling while reading the good, good book

- tears slipping down while reading the good, good book

- thinking about each friend that will come to book club tonight

- clean counters, floor, and bathroom

- hearing his feet coming into the garage at day's end

- lively discussions

- handmade cards arriving in the mailbox

- baking to share with a neighbor tomorrow morning

- trusting that He really does care for me

- knowing that opening our home to others is an act of service for Him

- amazing grace that He would love me so, so much!

Happy Birthday!

It's Melinda's birthday today and even though we are seperated (again!) we are thinking of her!

Mel - We wish you moments of joy and laughter with those you love and God's protection and guiding through all the days of a new year.  We know that He has awesome plans for you and we celebrate the wonderful woman you are.  We love you!!

I found a few old pictures - it's always such fun to discover treasures like these on the hard drive!  This one was taken at the airport as Melinda and Tyler left for Taiwan in July of 2005.

Melinda's education degree convocation from Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia

Her wedding in 2004

A Christmas photo taken many years ago at my parents' farm

Melinda with her two favourite guys

Christmas, 2010

Lists of 2011 - #5

Listography #5 - 10 Things I Love About My Daughter(s)

I am so blessed to have three wonderful daughters who are now mamas themselves.  We are friends as well as mother and daughters and I treasure each of them.  I could definitely write a unique list for each one but these are things that apply to all of them - and I thought writing 30 reasons might be a bit much :)

1.   They walk closely with God and encourage and inspire me on my faith journey.

2.   Mothering has been a natural and joyous time for them.  Yes, they feel frustrated and sleep deprived and overwhelmed but they love their littles with every fiber of their being - and are fierce protectors and advocates of all children.  I am so very proud of them for this!

3.  Physical activity is an important part of their days and they exercise diligently, whether it's to a video or outside running, pushing kids in the jog stroller or doing seasonal sports.  This is an area of my life that I never really developed and it's essential, especially as we age, so I know they will be committed to these activities, even when they are old - like me!

4.  Preparing good food is a talent that they all have worked at and developed.  It's always delicious when we get to eat together and they are great experimenters with new foods and new recipes.

5.   They love to read and I know that they like to get books as gifts.  I also love that they read lots with their little ones.  One of my most basic beliefs is the importance of reading to children and the huge  impact that will have on their success at school.  And I loved to read to our kids when they were little so I'm glad that they are continuing that tradition.

6.  Each one is creative in her very own way.  Naomi is the grower of plants and picker of flowers, Melinda is the creative writer, and Heather is the photographer of all of us.  They all have similar interests and dreams about other creative endeavors but these are particular strengths that I see right now.  And I love that they recognize just how important creativity really is to happiness.

7.  My daughters come from a long line of women who care about others and share by giving of themselves and what they have in the cupboard, the fridge, the oven and the garden.   And I see them passing this trait of giving on to their children as they help others and volunteer in their communities.

8.  I love how faithful they are about staying in touch with me.  Emails, notes, cards, phone calls, blog posts - I love hearing from them!

9.  Caring for the environment is important to them.  They recycle and compost and thrift and hand down and re-purpose things.

10.  They all have our love of travel and would go on an adventure at every opportunity.  I hope that one day soon we can have a girls trip away - and of course we'll include our daughter(their sister)-in-law too!

As I wrote this I was thinking about our daughter-in-law and realized that all of these are reasons that I admire her too!!  Well, #2 is still to come for her but she's a much loved auntie already :)


These are two of my favourite pictures of our girls when they were little!

This picture was taken in 1985 with Bob's mom (on the right) and her mom (on the left).  We have very few pictures of our children with their great-grandparents who were all gone before the kids got to be very old.  

This is a very favourite old family picture that was taken one Sunday when we were off to have a picnic.  The girls were pretending to be at the Olympics, standing on the medals podium!!

Chickadees

Yesterday I read an interesting article about the wonderful little birds called chickadees.  I love to see them sitting in the cherry bush outside my kitchen window or at Meadow and Blake's house where they love to come to the bird feeders.

(online photo)

Did you know -

- they are members of flocks that are led by a dominant breeding pair?

- the flock will have three to five favourite foraging sites among which it circulates during the day?

- they have different calls for different functions?  Keeping the flock together is a different call than displacing another bird from a feeding perch.

- they are as comfortable hanging below the branch as perching on top?  So when snow covers the tops of branches, they hang upside down to find food.

- in winter, half its diet is small eggs or larvae of insects and spiders which are nestled in bark crevices?  The rest is seeds, especially from pine trees, and grains.

(from A Guide to Nature in Winter by Donald W. Stokes and Deborah Prince)

It always makes me smile to see them flitting here and there!  And I really need to try to photograph some too.

Snowshoes

For Christmas, Darrin and Kelsey (thanks, guys!) gave Bob and I each a pair of snowshoes and I've had many opportunities to use mine in the last month.  With the amount of snow that we've got, they are perfect for getting me out for walks and through the drifts.  Today was lots of fun because the drifts were hard enough that I was able to stay on top of them.  Last week the snow was too soft and fluffy and I kept sinking in to the middle of my thighs.  It made me laugh but was slow going!

We first used them on New Year's Day on the golf course in Fairmont.

Meadow and Naomi skiied while we 'shoed  - I don't think that's an actual word :)

I like how easy they are to put on:   step in, do the binding up around the back and then tighten up over the toes with the orange ratchets.

You can see how I was starting to sink in on this path. 

My word for 2011 is "Move More" and I am very happy to say that these guys were a great help with living out my word in January. 

The camera usually comes along and I can get nice and close for photo ops.  

There really are so many beautiful things out there, especially as the days are getting longer now.  It was still light at 5:30 p.m. today!

Hello, February - warm weather and just a bit of snow would be lovely this month, please!  I am anxious for spring to come but I will definitely miss being able to use my snowshoes.    I didn't ever think I'd be sad to see the snow go!

Gratitude Gifts Today

I am on chapter 4 in One Thousand Gifts (you can read the first chapter by following this link) by Ann Voskamp and I must tell you that it is absolutely amazing!  Last night I read about how she first started the list and felt that sometimes it seemed almost trivial.  (And I could really understand what she was thinking.)  But then she realized that God first named things as He created them and at the end of each day, "God saw that it was good."  And if He names the good, then why wouldn't we?  And when we name what is good in our days, we find our identity and God's identity.

"To name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value that God gave it."  (Teresa of Avila as quoted in the book)


"God is in the details; God is in the moment."  (Ann Voskamp)

And God is in my living as I count His gifts to me.

- phone conversations with our children - still 4 of my favourite people in the whole wide world!

- creating with paper and fabric

- putting away the last of the Christmas things and savouring the memories

- this place we have that is our home

- rearranging little corners in the house

- Sunday's message to live "God's foolishness"

- a water well project to support

- Carrot Ginger Muffins - oh, my!

- sun shining on the snow

- being able to stay inside when the temperature plummets to -30 degrees C and lower

- a clean counter and dishes drying in the sink

- fresh ingredients for a stir-fry supper

- the rice cooker bubbling away

- winter world painted white with a fluffy brush

- fat red Peppermint Creme candle from Pier 1

- comfy fleece jacket

- sending mail

- finding photographs from last spring

- clean laundry, still warm from the dryer

- clean and organized spaces

- blocks of color all lined up

- fresh baked cakes

- my Bible stick and headphones

- feeling wrapped in God's goodness

- knowing that what seems foolish to the world - God's giving of His son - is my lifeline and my hope

Poetry for a Sunday

Crystal Beauty

by

Gertrude Rudberg

The golden sun was shining

Upon a world of ice;

And for that crystal beauty

There was no offered price.

The trees encased in silver,

And some with golden hue,

Stood etched in brilliant diamonds

Against the sky of blue.

The fields, the lawns, the meadows,

The hedge and fencetops too,

Were all a frozen picture -

Of what God's hands can do.

(from an old Ideals Valentine book)

Pictures taken along our road yesterday

Look!

The weather is much cooler today and the temperature is supposed to fall even more by tomorrow.    The weatherman is saying that there will be a 30 degree drop in temperature within 36 hours!

This is the sign at the end of our driveway.  It's at least 3 feet off the ground and the snowbank has shrunk a fair bit in the last week.  At one point, after Bob had blown the snow off the driveway, it was buried under at least a foot of snow.

Here's the road with the snowbanks pushed well off now.

And look what I got!!  It came, just in time for weekend reading.  I'm very excited to read this and participate in the Bloom book club discussion starting next week.

Lists of 2011 - #4

List #4 - Best Snacks

1.  Nachos with salsa and melted cheese - sometimes it's supper too :)

2.  Hummus with chips or on crackers or toast

3.  Cheese, crackers and pickles - a lunch kit staple

4.  Fresh fruit, especially berries of any kind but I love apples, bananas, oranges, cherries, grapes, kiwi, peaches . . . - all of them, really!

5.  Dips like shrimp dip, spinach dip or surprise spread with crackers but I only make them when we are having company.  Sometimes there are leftovers which are awesome on toast the next morning.

6.  Fresh vegetables from the garden (or farmer's market) with dill dip

7.  Nuts and bolts - homemade ones - I only make - and eat! - them at Christmas time

8.  Nuts - salted are best

9.  Chocolate chip cookies - seriously a big problem when I bake them, which is not often anymore.

10.  Poppycock - again, only in a 2 month window around Christmas time - but I look forward to it all year!

11. Popcorn

12.  Bagels - with lots of different toppings

13.  Celery or apple slices with cheez whiz or peanut butter

14.  Chocolate covered almonds - love 'em!

Check Mary, Heather and Rhonda's blogs to see what they listed.

Today

Listening: to Nicole C. Mullen's "Talk About It"

Drinking: Tuscany Pear Rooiboos Tea

Reading:  "Ever After" by Karen Kingsbury

Watching:  The Dragon's Den on CBC TV

Looking forward to: getting my copy of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts 

Amazon is being mightily slow with delivery on this one!

Wearing: jeans and a burgundy turtleneck sweater that is at least 10 years old but still a favourite!

Feeling: inspired to write a letter to our Compassion child in Brazil

Eating: pork chops with sauerkraut and apples over mashed potatoes

Weather: a beautiful warm springlike day at +8 degrees C with sunshine and shrinking snowbanks - and freezing rain overnight

Wanting: to vacuum and wash floors tomorrow

Needing: to work at least one day this week (!)

Thinking: about making a Valentine banner for our house

Wondering: about the new baby that will soon join our family

Missing:  our 3 children that live far away

Enjoying: the memories of being with Blake and Meadow all day today

How is your day going?

Thanks to Leigh for this idea.  Feel free to share your version.

Recipe Box Swap

Over at Randi's blog, I Just Have To Say, she's hosting a recipe box swap today and the featured recipes are soups and stews.

Earlier this month I made the most delicious Cream of Mushroom Soup from scratch. It was so much better than what comes out of a can and it was an easy to do recipe too.  Partnered with some fresh hot buns, a few slices of cheese and some fresh veggies, it will make a delicious winter lunch or supper.  I do hope you will try it!

Cream of Mushroom Soup
(recipe from Looneyspoons cookbook)

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped onions (or shallots)
4 cups sliced mushrooms (I used white button ones but you could mix it up with others too.)
2 cups chicken broth (try to use low-fat, low-sodium)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine (or apple juice)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream (half and half will work)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan (or you may just spray the pan with non-stick spray).
Add garlic and onions.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add mushrooms and continue to cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth.  Mix remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth with flour until smooth.  Add to pot along with wine, Worcestershir sauce and basil.  Stir well.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point, you may process the soup in a blender or food processor and puree' it for a smooth soup.  I preferred to leave ours chunky this time.

Mix yogurt and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Add to soup along with milk and cream.  Don't allow soup to boil.  Stir until well blended and heated through, about 2 - 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

 Makes 4 servings.  (You can easily double or triple this recipe.)

Gratitude Gifts Today

This morning in my reading from James 1, verses 16 - 18 really struck me.

"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.   Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth  through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created."

He cares so much that He sends exactly the gifts I need.  Good and perfect ones, the kind that never change, the very best of all He has - it comes to me.  How very blessed I am as I count today's gifts!

- quiet time to contemplate His word and read on

- warm day beginning with a pink and purple sunrise

- finding little surprises

- clean water to drink

- fresh cranberry almond granola

- thoughts of Jill who first shared the recipe

- colors and lengths of fabric

- pictures of family gracing the walls and shelves

- text messages

- time to create

- eyesight so I can read

- bread rising

- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, creamed corn for supper

- snowshoe walks

- moon shining on snow

- a box packed, ready to mail

- a letter from our compassion child in Brazil!

- looking forward to Bible study

- worship songs that linger on

- the anticipation of finally getting Ann's book

- that He loves me and gives me grace every day

Creating

These little pretties are on my cutting table today :)

Finished projects coming soon!

In the meantime, you might enjoy looking at these beauties and planning your own creativity.

Kristie made this awesome quilt for her son's birthday.

All the way from Ireland, Karen created this gorgeous Dot and Dash Quilt for the Moda Bakeshop.

And for something good to eat, here are Valentine Rice Krispie Treats!

Lists of 2011 - #3

List #3 - Quirks About Me

1.  I really dislike being wet when I have clothes on.  Water fights are not my idea of a fun time and wet socks drive me crazy!

2.  Good manners are pretty important to me, especially when eating.  And my kids know what topics are off limits during dinner conversations!

3.  My closet is arranged by color too - just like Heather, Mary and Rhonda!  Apparently us creative types are all cleverly organized in this way.  And my SB supplies are pretty much organized by color too :) - thanks to Stacy Julian.

4.  Folding clean laundry must be done in a very particular way.

5.  I hate garbage or loose paper flying around outside.

6.  I sleep best on my right side - with the blankets pulled up nearly over my head - just like Heather.  I wonder where she got that from!

7.  I will stay in bed until the absolute last minute in the morning.  Once I'm up there's no problem with getting going on the day but if there's any chance of staying under the covers for another minute, I'll take it.

8. I like to save the icing on cake to eat last.  I'll eat the inside of the slice and leave a narrow rim of cake with icing  - the best for last.

9.  Throwing photographs away is almost impossible for me - even if they are awful.

10.  The cups, glasses and dishes in my cupboards are all lined up in rows.  No helter skelter in this part of my life!

Good Things - 2011

1.  Sewing and creating new things!  There are so many interesting projects on the inspiration boards online and I am having lots of fun making some of them.   This is a fleece sleep sac for Samuel, to keep him warm at night.  It was my first project sewing with stretch fleece - I'll need to practise more with this.

2.  Juicy navel oranges, at their prime right now.  I know they come from far away (no eating local when oranges are desired) but they are such a good source of Vitamin C through the winter.

3.  Cups of tea and visits with friends.

4.  Watching kids read - I love their enthusiasm and excitement!

5.  Valentine's Day project ideas like this one from Martha Stewart.

6.  Listening to high school students in Foods class as they plan menus and analyze their eating habits.  They know what they should be eating - even if they don't always carry through.

7.  Snow-plowed driveways and roads.

8.  Memories - like this one from our time in Fairmont!  All the cousins heading to the toboggan spot.  That's Blake up front on the snow-racer.  He was so cute, sitting there serious as could be, hanging onto the steering wheel all the way.  He loved every minute of the adventure - as did all of them!

9.  Photocopiers

10.  Tuna Waldorf Salad - a favourite for lunch. 

Gratitude Gifts Today

The fluffy snow piles up. 

 The snowdrifts build.  

The intersection corners are rounded.  

The oncoming traffic is hidden. 

 And all the world is smothered in white.  

And just as the world is blanketed, so my life is covered up with goodness.  It doesn't stop coming.  It covers every part of every day.  And I am so grateful for His coming and for His love and for all the blessings He gives.  

- the news that her book has shipped!

- the announcement that the  Bloom  book club will discuss her book in February - oh, my!

- watching snowflakes swirl and drift

- safe and warm inside the house

- teaching Sunday School

- the tiniest of voices echoing the prayer

- baked apples

- talking to far away loved ones

- sewing

- online inspiration

- a vacuum cleaner

- brightly decorated notepaper

- candlelight brightening the corners

- finished projects

- anticipating the smiles

- letters from my sister

- visiting and laughing with friends

- new recipes

- a challenge to cook simply with ingredients on-hand

- a car that starts

- getting out of the driveway 

- good lesson plans

- cooperative high school students

- warm towels

- special coasters that bring a smile (thanks, K!)

- new slippers

- the world of blogs

- leaving it all with Him in prayer

- reading words of encouragement in the Bible

(photo from photobucket)

Perfect Day

Snow and More Snow

It's been a week of cold and almost constant snow.  Altogether we had more than 20 cm - another 8" - and it's really piling up again.  The forecast is for warmer weather by next weekend but meanwhile I spent a lovely day learning how to make bias tape for a sewing project.  Pictures coming later - like next month after the project is given away :)

Some Days!

When I brought home a new 4L jug of milk the other day, I grabbed an empty quart jar that was on the cupboard and poured it full of the last bit of milk from the old jug.    Today I brewed a lovely pot of chai tea - a pick-me-up for the 4th day of gloomy, snowy cold weather that we're having.  I dropped some brown sugar into my favourite Polish mug, poured it full of chai and then added some warm milk to top it off.  All set to enjoy a lovely cup!

And then I took a drink - - -  and it tastes like garlic dill pickles!  Can you imagine?
 Chai tea + milk + brown sugar = extreme garlic pickle taste!

Apparently the jar I used was one from dill pickles and now the milk tastes like them too.  And these pickles were made with an extra, extra large clove of garlic fresh picked in BC in late August.  There's no hope for the milk that's in there.  Too bad I don't have any chickens - they'd be having a lovely late day snack of grain soaked in pickle milk!!  Lesson learned:  smell the jar before pouring anything into it.

I started over with a new batch of milk - and am quite enjoying my tea now :)

Lists of 2011 - #2

I was honored when Heather invited me to join the 2011 Lists Project that she and Mary have going.  I posted a big list of things to do last post so now I'm doing the projects list from last week.

List 2:  Projects for 2011

1.  Sew
2.  Stamp
3.  Scrapbook
4.  Move
5.  Write
6.  Camp
7.  Read
8.  Grow
9.  Cook
10.  Visit

and throughout all of them:  Take pictures!  That one is just a given :))

Hopefully there will be lots of this in the year ahead!

How about you?  What projects are on your radar for the weeks ahead?