Saturday, June 30, 2012

Whoops, there goes another rubber tree...

A little over a month ago I had posted
on how we cleared out the undergrowth
in the "island" of trees in the back yard.

April 2012


June 29, 2012
This is what we came home to yesterday.


April 2012


Same view today.
A storm of straight line winds came
barreling through the area last night 
around 5:00.


We lost a huge portion of this old Ash Tree.


You can see at the top of this photo,
the thing sticking up in the air is
the broken limb.


This is where it broke off the tree!


To add insult to injury on the way down
it took of the whole top to
the pine tree next to it!


We kept commenting today just how blessed
we were to have cleared out the
undergrowth in April.
The job of clearing the area today
would have tripled!


My dear Dad and Wayne spent hours
with their chain saws
tackling the fallen limbs.


Thankfully 
non of the trees near the house fell!


On the other side of the yard we
lost this sizable limb.


And right behind that,
this old apple tree was
toppled causing root and all
to raise up out of the ground!


And a large branch from our neighbor's tree
is resting in the orchard!

And if that were enough,
the same storm sent another neighbor's tree
down within inches from
the cottage where my sweet inlaws live.


So after hours of sawing wood....


Hauling and stacking the usable fire wood....

and


dragging the branches to the curb....
all in almost 100 degree heat...


It is plain to see we aren't done yet!

We are just praising God that no one was hurt!



Thursday, June 21, 2012

3 sheets to the wind

I had a dream....


a simple one, really....
... one that did away with HOA's
and neighborhood regulations...
and permitted clothes lines!


I'm reading your mind, 
"You dream about clothes lines?"


Oh yes,
 and today my dream has come true!
I'm line drying my sheets!


How cool is that!

Monday, June 18, 2012

those funny looking mice

Sometimes you experience things that change your life.
Things that alter your vision...
a birth of a child
the death of a spouse
a wayward teen.
Sometimes it is a trip to another country
to see God's beauty in the sea, the air and the land.

And for me it was a trip to 
Jackson, Kentucky.

To a land so beautiful...
but the people so broken...
so in need of God's Love.

And while I was there...
I met people committed to bringing
Hope and Love to the people.
To loving the poorest of the poor,
to feeding the children both physically and spiritually.
To day in and day out point all they
come in contact with
 to Jesus.

The Happy Church focuses on children.
The reality these children live in is mind blowing.
Things I would expect to see in a third world country,
not in Midwest USA.

Parents that numb their lives by
continually living in a drug and alcohol induced state,
leaving little ones to be raised
on their own, or by a grandparent
and even a great grandparent.
One little girl was in the van on the way
home from service and was talking with
a lady from my mission team...

She was explaining that every night
her mommy and her boyfriend
her daddy and his girlfriend
(by the way they all live together in the same home)
will get drunk or high and wake her up
and "play tricks on her"
but when they aren't bugging her
she explained that
the mice will often walk over her
keeping her awake.
But then she said," those mice are funny looking...
they have big heads, skinny bodies and long tails"

It makes me stop and think,

those little ants that find there way into my kitchen
aren't anything.


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

On the road again....


My daughter Madison and I 
are leaving for our mission
trip to Kentucky tomorrow morning!

We will be serving at the Happy Church,
which is located in Jackson.
We would love to be remembered in your prayers!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Friday, June 8, 2012


Tuesday we celebrated the last day of 8th grade
with a party for Madison and some of her friends!


The evening included a cook out, bon fire and tie dye! 





My kids helped me drag the old farm tables
out of the "barn" and set them up under some trees!


I had just asked the girls
"who was excited school was over?"
Much rejoicing was going on!


We had a great time tie dying!


Each shirt came out so uniquely wonderful!


They had fun trying to get a running and jumping photo!


All the makings for smores and a cup of glow bracelets 
and they were ready for....


A bon fire by the creek!


And I finally got to sit down with my coffee!


And as the sun set, the tree tops turned
the most beautiful shade of golden yellow!


Happy Friday!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Graduation Art



Saturday I went north to attend
a graduation of my dear friend Dana!
She received her Master's degree in Clinical Counselling
and has opened her own business
in Columbus, Ohio working with children.


To celebrate her graduation I painted
her a small painting!


I named it "Peace"!


I am so proud of Dana.
It has been a honor watching her
follow God's will in her life!


She is a blessing!