My strength and my song

Steve, I and the kids are watching the series of 'Roots'. Tough stuff but we feel strongly that our children understand history. We raise the kids to understand. Steve wanted to show them it. As long as we pause and help them understand I'm good with it.
History is so important.
Now take scripture a snap shot of many many generations back. Helps with mercy if we are able to understand the why of who and how. It is an endless song sung through out the echos of time.

The song, that is my heart, knew many things in life. It has made me who, how and why I am. We as a unified couple have a song. It is our history. None other could have written the lyrics. If another mate were met the song would have not been woven and strung the same way. Perhaps better or prettier yet then the beauty of Steve and I, our song, would not have been written. So it is with history. It is our story and non other. Our song alone.  The response or hope for a legacy based in expectations will never be met . Expectation placed on or longed for by another is a false history. A story of discontentment and resentment. Generation after generation parents want the very best for their children. We hope that they will marry well whatever that might be defined within the mind to mean. We hope that they will bring us honor. It is our great privilege to give them the honor. To take away our expectations of who we want them to become, what we want for their lives. Most always it is our desire that they have better than we have had. That often can look totally different than what we might think. Gods ways are better, most always differ. Free choice has left generations a mystery and expectations into disappointments.

We are married 29 years next week...we would never have re-written our song other than the loss of health. We are so good for each other. Strange to know that I am so good for him as he is for me. Without me his song our song never would of been sung. Who is to ever say whether another song could have bettered his or my life. We both strongly believe it would have been to our determent as individuals. Often the history of mine that precedes me has left me to thinking. Thoughts that Steve would have been better to have met the expectations or desires of a perfect life...a woman of breeding, of education and high rank. It must have been a great disappointment to his parents to see the hard road he has walked along side of and because of me. Because of me.
I wonder what if my kids met and married a wounded mate...how would I handle the disappointment? Best left I think the future as a history unmet without expectations. Only hopes for the things that are the very best in Gods eyes. His song for them...
As history carries on...in each moment.

Thanks for your prayers

The Legend of St. Valentine part 2

........."Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day.
"Yes, my child, He hears each one," he replied.
"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night? I pray that I might see. I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"
" God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him." Valentinus said.
"Oh, Valaentinus, I do believe,"Julia said intensely. "I do."

She knelt and grasped his hand. Then they prayed together.
Suddenly there was a brilliant light in the prison cell. Radiant, Julia cried, "Valentinus, I can see! I can see !"

Praise be to God!" Valentinus exclaimed.
On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to God, and he signed it " From your Valentine."

His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D.. Near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory. He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome.
It is said that Julia Herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship. On each February 14, St. Valentine's Day, messages of affection, love and devotion are exchanged around the world.

The Legend of St. Valentine

The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian martyr. The emperor was Claudius II . The Christian was Valentinus

Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and he had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians. But Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ, and not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs. He was arrested and imprisoned.

During the last weeks of Valentinus' life a remarkable thing happened. Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his daughter, Julia, might be brought to Valentinus for lessons. She had been blind since birth.

Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind. Valentinus read stories of Rome's history to her. He described the world of nature to her. He taught her arithmetic and told her about God. She saw the world through his eyes, trusted in his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet strength.

to be continued...

Praying Hands award

A gift from
Fairy Footprints In The Sand
Please pray for this family



The story behind the hands....


Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.


Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the academy.


After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.


They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.


When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."


All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No...no ..no ...no." Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands!


One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands." The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one ever makes it alone!


More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

Love is a wonderful thing

It teaches our hearts to sing.

This is our new area for a time together.
The loving corner.


The language of flowers....
Chrysanthemum.............I Love

Speedwell...........Female Fidelity

Rose......love

Tulip......Declaration of Love

camellia...........Perfect Loveliness

phlox....agreement

petunia.........Never Despair

periwinkle.......blue, early friendship
White............Pleasant memories

Peppermint........Warmth of feeling

Polmegranate.............Elegance

Myrtle flower........Love

Lilly of the Valley.........Return of happiness

Jasmine.........Grace and eligance

hibiscus.........Delicate beauty.

Geraniums........Gentility

Forget-me-not...........True Love

Cowslip.........You are divine

Climbing Cabbage rose.............ambassador of love

Ameranth .............Immortality/unfading love

Ground Ivy............Fidelity, friendship

Daffodil............Regard and Chivalry

Gladiolas...........Strength of Character

It is my hope to turn this place into a glorious flower garden of love. Using Pinks and whites and reds with some blue and yellow splashed in.
Dreams are wonderfully invigorating.

Now to do the research to see what will grow in that location in our climate.
Then see what will grow together in the same PH.

The hanging of the cieling pot rack.

Hello!
Seventeen days ago I was given this pot rack for my birthday.

How I have longed for this now for some 15? years or so.
Many years ago I had a dream for the type of pans the professionals use.

The handsome fellow was so fortunate to locate studs to screw directly into.
He sunk pilot holes and then it bite into wood sound on all four corners.
(so no one gets killed)

We found this rack for 50% off that night he and the kids took me to the Hobby Lobby store.
I love this rack!
Without the big discount I doubt I would have gotten it.
We had been talking about the need to do something for my back.

My pans are very heavy.
They are hard anodized aluminum.

I had learned about the best tool for the trade.
Early on in our marriage I researched it out.
We think of tools this way.
Save up for it buy it once...
So years into our marriage I had used those newlywed pans up they were spent.
During that time a very big fancy store closed down.
I had been watching for the closure and took a visit.

These pots and pans were obtained I think it was 75-80% off!
They are so awesome and think of it they are at this point at least 15 years old.
Over time I would find one at an outlet or at a TJ Max , Never have I had to pay full price though.
It is the desire of the God I love too bless me.
Yes I had to wait.
Time is a flash.
I did not suffer with out.

Well if you know me , you know that I make use of my kitchen tools!
Like every day pots and pans are working.
As you can tell I need to set to some steal wool and barkeepers friend.

My back has been a bother because I can no longer bend my right knee properly.
The shrinking of the lower lumbar space is not much help with that either.
It has been getting so hard to get down to retrieve the pans of late.
I wind up on my butt on the floor to get a pan out of the cupboard.
Then to get up ....
Well it isn't pretty :)
Humbling and at times embarrassing.

I feel wind set to sail for I truly have been discouraged by days end to pull a pan to cook with.

That night we got the corner brackets and the head scroll too.
This is in the fond memory of the old house we had for 16 years.

I can not find a more resent picture this was when we first moved into it.
This was our second home.
We had been married 4 years by then. We lived there the longest I had ever lived in one place in my life.
We sold it when the casino was to move in my it.
It was the nicest house on the block when we sold it. A man from Russia bought it at first sight.
He later got a visit from me when we got Dash home from Russia.
I told Peter H. that this is why our heart was to sell, and that he helped to make it possible.
He wept.
It was so beat up at that time. Later we had those black iron brackets above the door way too.
Steve and I roofed that roof with our own hands. I looked like "Popeye the Sailor Man". One forearm got very built up from slinging that roofing hammer. Those times were so good. We love working together.

Vacation to California in June of 2003

Wow, our last family vacation was 6 years ago!
They have grown so much.
Look at Dove at 5 1/2 !!!!
Oh my goodness!!!!!!!

At that time she loved Snow White and I made her that little dress and cape and head band.
Dove was so excited at the time. Now she is appalled :(

Dash ever handsome. What a cute little boy. He was 2 years old. He has no memory of the trip.

I just can not get over her beauty and innocence.

Her and her Daddy love the "Tea Cups".
Me, NO WAY!

We remember the very best thing she could do that trip was climb every step she could find, over and over.

Glee!
Look at the elder man in the background.
Perfect shot.

He was 45 and I was 41.

That blanket was everywhere with us for a few years after that.
He loved his blankets.

Goodness!

Steve and Dove spent most the time together as Dash and I sat on the side lines.

Oh my dear sweet little boy!

Oh what a fun time we are in store for.
I remarked while we were all reviewing these.
"Oh I was so pretty then"...
Dove said...
"shut it off mom, your still pretty, we'll have non of that talk"!

We also went to sea world and to the beach.

The San Diego Zoo as well.

Oh how fun.
We will get to do the beach too this trip.


These came right up to our table.
It was a special purchase package.
Much too costly to do this time.


This was a time of pure joy!
She was pretty small and just barely made measure to do this.
It was a real treasure to share this dream come true with Dove.
This was planned many months in advance .
Very costly.
No Zoo or Sea World this time.

We will have so much fun!!!!!!!!
That is only 12 days away!
We decided to book now so we could afford to do it.
The kids will only miss 3 days of school, they will still have 3 weeks left of the year to attend after that.
Booking now saved us and easy $500+
Saving and paying off all debt (except the house) was an amazing accomplishment. Although we would love to stay longer and do more we choose to stay within our sound boundary and own our trip and not owe anyone for it.

Oh bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is withing me.!