Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Fall Giveaway Winner

I did the drawing the lazy way today! I went to a random number generator and put in the list. The winner is the #5 comment who happens to be Linda - Parker's Paradise blog. Congratulations!

Please email me with your mailing address so I can send out your soap!!

Thank you to everyone who visited and left comments!

Hugs,
Kay

Friday, September 19, 2008

A Gentleman

I went to my friend Kim's for a while last night. I got there about supper time - lucky me - and she invited me to stay. We had sweet and sour meatballs, rice, and salad. It was so good!

She called her husband in to fill his plate then asked him to eat with us in the family room. She said that we'd be a few minutes because the other pot of rice was not quite done. The few minutes ended up being about 10 minutes.

We filled our plates and went into the family room. As we sat down I noticed that her husband had not touched his plate of food. He was waiting for his wife to come before he started to eat. That gesture just touched my heart. What a kind thing to do! This man sat there waiting patiently for 10 minutes so that he could pray for the food and eat with his wife.

In this day and age how many men would have done that?? Waited for 10 minutes because it was the polite thing to do?? I don't think I've ever been treated like that by anyone except my dad and my brother. Kim's husband is a true gentleman in my book!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Longing

Do you ever long for something? You want this something so badly that you can feel the longing deep in your soul? That's how I feel about having a farm. I don't mean a big farm but maybe somewhere from an acre to 5 acres. Just enough so that I could have chickens, a big garden, and a pumpkin patch.

When we were renting our home on 5 acres I had a pumpkin patch. It was one of my great joys to get up every morning to see how much the vines and pumpkins had grown overnight. Our first harvest we only had 13 pumpkins but they were wonderful! I miss that.

I long to be able to have that big garden so that I can put up food for winter. There is nothing better than looking in a pantry with rows of canning jars filled with all sorts of good treasures. In the middle of winter those canned peaches taste like heaven.

I long to get up early with my cup of coffee, go outside, and greet my Lord and the new day in the quiet of a country morning.

I know that at my age and in my financial situation (no job in sight) that I might not have a farm. Then I remember that nothing is too big for my God!! He tells us to ask. I have a hard time asking for something like a farm when there are so many other things and people that need prayer. My farm longing seems like it is a frivolous prayer. Yet it is a desire of my heart.

My prayers are a continuous conversation with God that even go into the early morning hours at times. I just hardly pray for myself - prayers for others seem more important. Do you find yourself having a hard time praying for yourself and your needs? Am I the only one that feels out of place praying for a longing of my heart when others are in such need??

First Day of Fall Giveaway



The first day of Fall is Monday, September 22nd! In honor of my favorite season I've decided to give away one bar of each of my new Fall scents - Pumpkin Spice and Chai Tea. If you're the lucky winner you'll get two bars of soap!

Just leave a comment on my blog between now and Monday the 22nd, link back to my giveaway on your blog and I'll draw for the winner first thing on Tuesday morning.

Good luck!!

Hugs,
Kay

PS I was playing around with my template and some of my widgets got deleted (can't leave well enough alone). Especially the one with all my favorite blogs. I've tried to recreate the list but I know I'm missing some. Please let me know if I've left yours off the list.

Busy Fall Days

Fall will officially be here on Monday and with it comes some rain. It has been hot here the past few days - in the 90's - and I want cooler weather. Next Monday and Tuesday I get my wish because it will be rainy and in the mid 60's. Just the kind of days to nest and get some Fall decorating done. I saw pumpkins at the store on Monday - excitement! Can't wait to get some.

I have been busy making soap and finally got my inventory all caught up plus two Fall scents. Everything had gotten so behind when I was moving around all the over the place this summer. Bazaars will start next month and I'm so looking forward to that. I love doing bazaars. It's not even so much about the money but being in the pleasant atmosphere and seeing the treasures of other artists. Of course, I need to sell something so that I can visit booths and buy from other people!

Thank God for His many blessings this past week. My friend Kim had surgery to remove a cyst from her breast and is doing just fine. My brother's surgery went great and he was home the day after. It amazes me someone can have surgery on their spine and be home the next day! His walking is almost normal and the feeling is starting to come back in his hands. Daily blessings of shelter, food, dear friends, and the basics of life. God is good and life is good!

Stephany is in her 3rd week of high school and doing great. She hates getting up so early but said she truly does love being back in school. She is such a social butterfly and loves being around her friends. Homecoming is 3 weeks away and she was lamenting last night that she has not been asked to the dance yet. I don't think it's so much about the date but about the cute green dress that she saw at the mall!

Monday, September 8, 2008

An Answer To Prayers

My brother just called me and he does not have MS!! Praise God!! He has a herniated disk in his neck which is pinching nerves and causing his hands to be numb and difficulty walking. He will have to have surgery but, considering the alternative, he is perfectly happy to have it.

Thank you all for your prayers! I know they helped.

This news just made my day!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sunday Ramblings

We had a wonderful Sunday although it was hot - 90 degrees! I hope that's the last of it. I was just outside (it's 9:15 pm) and it's still so warm. But you can sure feel Fall in the air in the mornings.

I made a batch of Chai Tea soap this afternoon and just got done cutting the Pumpkin Spice that I made last night. My house smells like Fall for sure! I even had to spruce up my blog for Fall today. Can you tell I'm anxious??

Just put in a couple of loads of laundry. Steph is at a friend's watching a movie so I have to go pick her up. Then we have to go through all the school paperwork and get ready for another week. The first bell rings at 7:25 so our alarm goes off at 5:15. It takes that girl an hour and a half to get ready! I keep hoping she'll get faster in her morning preparations but I don't think that will ever happen. It's been too long ago since I was in high school for me to remember if it took me that long. It probably did.

We lived right across the street from the high school and I could see the kids standing outside waiting for the first bell. I could hear it ring and then I'd take off across the street. I can't use the "I walked 5 miles to school in all kinds of weather" story with my kids. They just laugh at me.

Occasionally I look at real estate in my hometown of Virden, IL. About 2 weeks ago I saw that the very house I lived in across from the high school is for sale. My mama and daddy paid $5000 for that house in 1965. When Mama died in 1970 Daddy sold the house for $8200. It had 2 bedrooms, 1 bath (a big old clawfoot bathtub), living room, and kitchen. The people that own it now have added another room on the back and also a 2 car attached garage. It looks completely different. They even took off the front porch and moved the entrance to the side of the house. The asking price now is $69,900. I just think of how fun it would be to buy that house!

I hope that you all had a great weekend!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Pumpkin Spice Soap

I made Pumpkin Spice soap tonight. My house smells so good! It's in the oven baking away for about 2 hours. I'll be able to cut it late tomorrow night. I'll post pictures on Monday. Tomorrow will be Chai Tea - that's a good one too.

I just love Fall and all this comforting spicy scents!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Fall Is Here!

Well, Fall is officially here. I went to Walgreen's tonight and found Brach's Mellocreme Pumpkin Candy! I love these! Of course I had to buy a bag. My hips don't need them but they sure taste good!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Gone Too Long

Every day I think I need to post on my blog. Then the day slips away and I didn't get it done. The last time I posted was 8/22! That's way too long to be away.

I've been making a little soap - Blue Bonnet and Cottage Rose. I got my order of fragrance oils this past week so I'll be doing more soaping soon. Including Pumpkin Spice for Fall. It smells so good! And it's time to start making lotion bars again. I don't do them in the summer because they don't ship well in the heat - they would be a puddle by the time they got to their destination.

School starts for Stephany next Wednesday. She's a freshman in high school this year. She had her orientation last Thursday. When she came home I asked her what she thought. All she could talk about was how big the school was - 500 kids in her class and over 2000 in the school. The town I grew up in IL only had 3200 people. Her school is almost as big as my hometown. When I told her there were 80 kids in my graduating class she just laughed.

We've put off school shopping due to finances but will be able to do some shopping on Tuesday. I love school shopping and so does Steph. Luckily we're past the "clothes wars" years so it really is a pleasant experience.

I'm still looking for work. With the economy like it is the jobs are not as plentiful as they were. I've been on several interviews but no offers. Luckily I'm still getting unemployment and can get a 13 week extension. That will help greatly. And I'll just keep plugging away - there's not much else I can do. God has a plan!!!

My brother lives in IL and is 9 years older than me. He called me today to tell me that he has MS. His hands have been numb for about 3 months and they were treating him for carpal tunnel. Then he started having some problems walking so the doctor ordered further tests. He has an MRI on Wednesday to confirm the diagnosis. There are medications out there that can help with the symptoms so hopefully he can get on something soon.

I would sure appreciate your prayers for my brother and his family as they travel this journey. We don't know what the future will bring but we do know that God is leading. I'm praying that he will regain the feeling in his hands - that seems to be the symptom that is bothering him the most right now.

I've also been watching the TV on and off today about Gustav. I have lots of online friends that live in the area that will be hardest hit. Some of them have left but a few are staying to ride it out. I've been praying for them, for the other people who live there, and for the emergency crews. It sounds like this is going to be a really nasty hurricane.

Giveaway at Aunt Jenny's World


Aunt Jenny is having a giveaway of one of her beautiful hand embroidered tea towels! I have several and they are gorgeous. This one won a blue ribbon at the county fair.

You've got until Wednesday, 9/3 to leave a comment and be entered. Just click on the picture to visit her blog.