Lent

I have decided to observe Lent this year.  I am fasting from morning TV news programs and from reading the plethera of blogs I like to read several times a day.  During the times that I want to read a blog or listen to the morning news banter I will focus my thoughts on the Lord by praying and reading His word.  40 days of giving up something good for something better!  So far...I am not doing a very good job of filling those times with Him, I'm finding that other things are filling those times. Housework, work, errands, things on the internet that I tell myself are needed to be looked at.  Oh what a wretched woman I am.  Oh yes, I have read the word a bit more and maybe prayed a bit more, but not like I had hoped I would be doing.  However, His mercies are new everyday and tomorrow I will be back in the battle. 

Lamentations 3:19-23 (NASB)  Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.  This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

A Busy Week

This week started out with a couple of days of snow, I think we had around 10 inches on top of the countless inches we've accumulated over the last month.  Today however was around 32, sunny, with bright blue skies.  A beautiful day!

On Wednesday, DD and The Boy Next Door went for a walk in the deep snow in the pasture.  They of course took the dogs along on their little hike.  While kneeling in a snow bank that extended over the creek, DD became aware that the part of the bank to her side had given away.  Suddenly she realized that Cooper had fallen and was now in the creek.  She and The Boy Next Door rushed to dig a way out for him and then hurried him back through the pasture to the house...this is what he looked like when he came in

poor Cooper

DD felt horrible

Gryffin...he did not fall in the creek

he looks a little arrogant in this picture, maybe because he was dry and Cooper was a wet, muddy, mess.

While talking to Mom on the phone Thursday, I went downstairs to make a cup of coffee, stopped by the cupboard in the dining room to get my cup and noticed this...

It's dry now, but it was dripping and running down the cupboard.  I called DF and he headed home, we both figured it was due to all the snow and ice on the roof.  This spot is where the ell connects onto the main house.  DF spent the rest of the day and part of the evening clearing snow and ice from the roof.  Thankfully it worked, no more dripping, just a lovely stain to be painted over.  Oh well, the ceiling really needed a new coat of paint anyway.  I'm just thankful that there doesn't appear to be any real damage.

Aside from a lot of office work to catch up this week, there were a couple of funerals to attend, dinner to make for the family of one of them and time with Helen.  Helen seemed not to know me at first today.  I had to remind her who I was, where DF and I worked, that I knit and had brought her eggs. She then remembered and we did do a little visiting.  I bring her eggs from our chickens, somone must have told her they are brown eggs, she says she cannot tell the difference between white and brown eggs...but she enjoys them.

Well, it's time to get ready for bed, just finished up some office work...I'm getting caught up...now if I can just stay that way!!!

Living in His grace,

Jody

Wishing

Wishing I was sitting here

by this

doing this

but instead, I am here doing this

oh well.....maybe later.

Living in His grace,

Jody

Valentine's Day Recap

Small tokens of love exchanged, worship, lunch at our favorite restaurant :)....then an interruption of lunch with a call by a friend who was in a car accident, would we head to his house and be with his middle school aged daughter...yes, he was fine, just didn't know when he would get home...lunch was bagged and we were on our way.  An afternoon of visiting with a 13 year old who was cooking oven fried chicken.  Her mom made it home from work with dad coming in shortly after.  We head home and eat our lunch at 4pm, just in time to head back to church for 5:20 service.  My DF had to leave service early to go to work for a few hours.  So...after service I drop off a couple ladies who needed a ride and head home myself.  DF gets home not long after and then it's a quick late supper, get the trash to the end of the drive for the morning and get ready for bed.  It was a fast, busy, day.

From my DF

Coffee to drink while I watch Morning Joe on MSNBC (sorry all my Fox News friends) I have come to enjoy this morning news program...and yes, I am still a Follower of Jesus :)

My gift to my DF (pathetic I know)

Cards exchanged

Suprise flowers on Saturday from my DF

Cupcakes baked for my DD

A t-shirt for my DD that gives to others...

all proceeds from this purchase go to Lifeline Mission's work in Haiti.     http://www.freeclothingco.bigcartel.com/product/haiti-benefit-tee

A box of chocolates for our DD and cajun peanuts for me from our favorite Candy/Peanut shoppe were also waiting on Valentine's morning. Thank you DF for making your girls feel special.

Living in His grace,

Jody

Ode to My Hair Dryer

Dear hair dryer,

what a wonderful invention you are.

Ever waiting to be picked up at a moments notice,

you dry my hair to the utmost perfection,

and you are always ready to help out in times of need.

Like yesterday and today.....

you were there... when the line that takes the dirty water

away from my dishwasher was frozen and you blew your hot air until it ran free,

you were there....when again the water spigot in the barn was frozen and you blew your hot air

until it again ran free.

Yes dear hair dryer....dear, dear hair dryer, we owe you so much.

So, from the bottom of my heart...I say thank you.

Today it is again snowing, forcast calls for 4 to 8 inches with winds of up to 40 miles an hour.  Yesterday morning, fog settled on us in the AM and left each tree and bush frosted...

Poor Muffin the Mule...with the recent addition of two horses, she is at the bottom of the "pecking order"  and is forced to most usually stand outside.  She seems to be dreaming of a green pasture...or maybe she's plotting the death of the horses

The whole frozen spigot in the barn added about an hour to morning chores.  So, on with the day...need to be in the office, do some laundry and clean the bedroom.  Just another day in paradise :)   and I am thankful for it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (The Message)

16-18  Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

Living in His grace,
Jody

Winding Down

The snow is winding down and the wind is picking up.  A harsh northeast wind, swirling the snow into large drifts and leaving other places bare.  This morning has been spent shoveling, snowblowing and plowing.  The electric went out briefly in the night and this morning there is no power to the barn, so, aside from all the the "shoveling, snowblowing and plowing", my DF is going to work in the barn.  It appears with all the sideway's snow blowing through the slats in the old barn, the outlets where the electric buckets are plugged have gotten wet.  Thankfully right now, the temperature is not too bad and the buckets are just slushy.  It is to be colder tomorrow.

I did get the downstairs in the house in a bit of order, though with everyone home today, that won't last for long :)  I will work in the office as planned and try to make it in to church later.

I did head outside this morning to take a few pictures....

(DD and the boys)

(Boy Next Door plowing)

(DF having fun :) )

(DD posing)

Have a wonderful, warm, snowy day!

Living in His grace,
Jody

Is it Friday already???

I laughed this morning when the TV showed schools already closing or saying they would dismiss early today.  "Already?" I said. The weatherman warned of a large snowstorm which was putting everyone in an early panic. 

He was right!

Spitting snow started at noon, a couple hours later we have this with more to come tonight and tomorrow.

This week has been one of running errands, appointments, coffee with a friend and interruptions to plans.  My office desk is piled with work, my house looks like...well I'm not sure what it looks like but it's a mess (Mom, remember my room when I lived at home?), you get the idea.  The laundry is piled high and waiting and here I sit blogging :)  When things are in such a state, it's hard to get motivated to even start.  I will, after this, get going and try to get the house back in order. Tomorrow I have a couple things to do at church and then a prayer service in the evening but between times I will work in the office and hopefully get things caught up.

I've started knitting a dishcloth in a new pattern today at Helen's after I fed her lunch.  What a great time to sit, knit and visit with her.  Helen is 94 and is totally alone except for all the women who come in to help with her 24 hours a day, oh, and the man who orchestrates is all, Mr. D.  Mr D. is wonderful to Helen and is no relation to her, he is a wonderful example of what the Lord calls us to do by taking care of widows. Helen was a bit tired and distant today, though she did eat a pretty good lunch.  We didn't visit as much as we normally do, she kept drifting off to sleep. 

Ok,  I must get busy.....it's getting late in the day....one more snow picture and I'm off....

Living in His Grace,
Jody