Wedding Day

It was very early when I started posting this, I've been up since 2:30am since Gryffin decided he just had to go outside.  So, since I was awake I decided to turn on the TV for the latest Royal Wedding watch.  CNN already was covering the day and at 3am the BBC started coverage...I decided to stay up, though I dozed off and on until 5:30am when things really started to get going. 

I decided not to have tea as I thought I would...I brewed a pot of coffee, I needed a good morning jolt. I have now had several cups.

 The bride was lovely and as I watched I could not help but remember my own DD as a lovely bride

and the kiss

best wishes to the Duke & Dutchess of Cambridge...it was an enjoyable do something different morning, the only thing that would have improved it, would have been to share it with my DD, but alas, she is a working girl. (To the moon and back dd)

oh...and on an added note...I did not wear the tiarra.

Living in His grace,

Jody 

Getting Ready...

I have a secret...I am a Royal watcher...it's not just the Royals, it's all things British. I enjoy it all (my family doesn't understand me). So, I plan to DVR the wedding starting at 4am along with most any special that's on between now and then. I have the Today Show on now in the background which is broadcasting from London. I am toying with the idea of watching the wedding live, which means I will get up just before 4am...we'll see how that goes.

So, now I'm off to the bakery to see if I can find some scones to go with my morning tea which I will drink only tomorrow in honor of the day...I am an avid coffee drinker.  I enjoy tea but for me it's an afternoon tea

Hmm...maybe I should borrow my DD's tiarra to wear......

Living in His grace,

Jody

Break in the Rain

Easter weekend was very tiring but exciting.  For the big egg hunt at our church we had 700 in attendance, adults and kids.  For our small town church that's a pretty big number.  Due to all the rain, we had to have the hunt and festivities inside the church.  We are grateful that the Lord has blessed us with a building large enough to handle it though. 

Easter was a day full of sunrise service, church breakfast, 2 other services (for DF) and running home to clean and do some cooking for family who arrived in the afternoon. Oh, and there was rain.  By the evening I was plumb tired out. 

Today we had a break in the rain (yay) and I took a walk around the soppy yard to check on the progress of the vegie and flower garden and found many more things to be thankful for....

radishes and lettuce planted just over a week ago have appeared

potatoes planted

beautiful Lungwort in bloom

fronds from ferns unfurling

white bleeding heart

I am also thankful that the terrible storms that have plagued the country have slowed in intensity by the time they have reached here.  While watching the news this evening I saw the devastation they have caused. We are supposed to be under the gun tomorrow for severe weather...so I pray we continue to be missed.

On a lighter note....this is the last picture of Mr. Knightly...he is scheduled to meet his Maker tomorrow and afterward meet my soup pot :)   I was torn about his leaving (note the word "was") I have had a love/hate relationship with him...but today, as I was checking out the gardens, he was stalking me. The love is gone... I decided that I did not want to go through the whole summer watching for him over my shoulder...so...ado, Mr Knightly.

Living in His grace,

Jody

It is finished....

Thankful for HIS grace,
Jody

The pressure is rising....

Yay, the sun has returned, at least for today.  The barometer on the kitchen wall shows that the pressure has increased significantly since yesterday promising a dry day today, so the pressure is on to get as much done outside as possible today.  This will be the only day for awhile since rain is forecast to return tomorrow and stay through the Easter weekend. Speaking of Easter, busy weekend ahead (more pressure) we are part of the church cleaning team this month (cleaning), large egg hunt @ church for the community Saturday (serving & cleaning), helping with sunrise service breakfast (serving & cleaning), family here for Easter dinner (cooking & cleaning), hmmm seems to be a cleaning theme :)

In all of this I must remember to continually turn my heart & mind to the reason for Easter...that my Savior bled, died and most importantly rose again to rescue me from my sin and the death that it results in.  I must try to be Mary while bustling like Martha.

Living in His grace,
Jody

Days

The past few days have been filled to the brim with spring work, mowing, raking, trimming and planting.  DF tilled the gardens and we were able to get onions, radishes and 8 rows of potatoes in (between the rain). I stuck the camera (oh yes, I found it...dropped between the dry sink and the wall in the kitchen) in my pocket and took random pictures during the weekend here's one to share...

a piece of lavender starting to green and little white wild flowers that were growing in the yard.  We do not put weed control on most of our yard only around the front and side of the house, the rest is left to "do it's own thing", thus we have these little white flowers, purple violets and yes...the disdain of the yard warriors...the dreaded, evil, how can you stand them...dandelion!  I feel like I should be like Sam, the snowman in Rudolph and put up my umbrella so I do not have to look at the horror. Actually, they do not bother me, and as we will be having a grandchild coming into our world they will one day make wonderful bouquets and wispy seed heads to blow and watch the seeds dance away (to neighbors yards who probably wish we didn't have so many). 

Living in His grace,
Jody

Long Dry Spell????

Has been quite awhile since I have posted, not that I didn't have anything to post, life just gets very busy and taking the time to sit and post just doesn't always fit into the day.  I also keep a journal, so many days this is where my thoughts, daily life and prayers go.


The past month has been full of projects, serving and surprises.  The weekly knitting group is still getting together, we had a free prom dress and accessory giveaway at the church (which I would love to post pics of but they are on my camera and I can't find it...poo), I am still fasting from TV as much as possible, except in the evening when my DF likes to watch and of course I watch with him, a topic for another day regarding this journey. Spring is finally here so there is flower garden clean up, garden preparation (too wet to work), barn cleaning (yet to be started), lawn mowing (yet to be tackled) and the list goes on and on.  Now to the surprise....

        I'm going to be a grandmother (Nana)!


Tried uploading a pic of the ultrasound but it wouldn't work...oh well.  This was a birthday surprise for me from the kids...a bit shocking at first since they've only been married since September, but, God's timing is always perfect.  We are expecting our little nugget to arrive in November. We are all very excited.

Happy Couple soon to be Happy Parents

 I will now start an earnest search for my camera.  I know it has to be somewhere in this house.

Living in His grace,

Jody



Saturday's are for....

...thanking God for morning's curtain of dark clouds being drawn back to reveal blue sky.

...errands to pick up feed....dog, horse, chicken...and bales of bedding for the horse stalls.

...cleaning out stalls and filling them with fresh bedding.

...time spent outdoors on a beautiful March day.

(most blogs I read have a picture of someone's mary jane's or wellies, here's mine with one of the boys joining in)

...are for going to bed early, clocks spring forward tonight and I need to be at church at 7:30am to work in the Cafe` making coffee for the sleep deprived masses who will arrive for first service.

Living in His grace,
Jody

Lent...day 1

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season.  My church does not observe Lent...I have come to think that in trying to be so different from mainline churches, we sometimes "throw the baby out with the bathwater".  The observance of Lent seems to me to be a wonderful way to truly focus on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. 

 So, I plan to observe the season and fast from a presence in my house that truly demands my attention...and one that I so easily give into.  This presence is with me from the moment that my feet hit the kitchen floor and stays until I put my head on my pillow.  It calls to me at different times of the day to stop whatever I'm doing and visit for awhile....I give it attention before I give my time to the Lord....I loathe that I do this....I am drawn to it...it has become a habit.  What is this presence that controls me so?  It is my television...the box that sits in almost every room of my home.  The box that shows the best of God's creation and the sin that permeates every corner.  This will be a difficult thing for me to do...I do not sit before it for hours on end...it usually whispers to me in the background, the news in the morning, a show at lunch, evening spent watching favorite shows.  I do try to be careful at what I put into my mind (heart), but I spend more time with this box than I do with my Lord.  So, I start today....(I miss it already)....but prayerfully I will miss it less and less each day as I spend time with my Creator, drawing near to Him as He draws near to me in preparation of experiencing the greatest sacrifice....

Kitchen TV

Living in His grace,
Jody

President's Day Quote

"If freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter"   George Washington



favorite picture that hangs in our dining room



Living in His grace,

Jody

Wandering Wednesday

Today has been a day for errands.  Headed to town to pick up horse feed in one part of the county, cat food, cat litter and dog food in another part.  Went to Kohls because they were having an early bird sale and I was in need of a new iron.  When my darling daughter got married she received a lovely pink iron for a gift, she wasn't using it due to the fact our new son came with one, so, since my iron wasn't doing so well she graciously gave it to me.  I received a call yesterday...their iron had just that morning started sparking and smoking...."Mom, we need the iron back", rats, I liked that iron.  So, thankfully, there was a Rowenta iron on sale at Kohls....a good sale too, and we had an extra 30% coupon...yippee, I didn't feel so bad about returning the cute pink iron.  

Met up with our Darling Daughter for lunch at one of our favorite sub places

she surprised me with a cute little gift

Chalk doodle coasters...very fond of the the gift bag too....

Temperatures have been around 50 today....very spring like, so much so that when we arrived home late this afternoon, the honey bee's that live in the old catalpa tree outside our back door had awoke and were stretching their wings.....

(turn off the music at the right to hear the bees,oh, and a chicken laying an egg too :)  )

Tomorrow's forcast is calling for it to be near 60 so the bees again will be out stretching, however, one of the ladies at the knitting group last night stated she heard that the week after next temps could get down to -10 again for our area....hope the bees don't use up too much energy, they'll need it to keep warm in the coming days.  Let's hope that that type of temp is over for this year.

trying out one of my new coasters

Living in His grace,
Jody

My Valentine

"The very first moment I beheld him, my heart was irrevocably gone."

Jane Austen (Love and Friendship)



Happy Valentine's Day



Got Yarn?

Last night was the beginning of a new ministry at church..."Got Yarn?"  A group of knitters/crocheters, experienced and newbies, young and young at heart, came together to share their knowledge and the want to learn. 

extra yarn and needles were brought in and shared

techniques were taught and reviewed

those who hadn't picked up a needle in sometime found that it's like riding a bicycle

and a new convert was born....  :)

it was a great time of sharing and making friends. It was a success as we decided to continue to meet weekly.  Plans are being made to support our local Care Net Pregnancy Center with knitted/crocheted baby items.

"She shops around  for the best yarns and cottons and enjoys knitting and sewing crochet." 

Psalm 31:13 (The Message)

Living in His grace,

Jody

Contented Farmer

  The temps are still cold (17 with a windchill) but it is beautiful out.  The snow is again falling as I sit here in the kitchen typing.  I never get tired of the snow, extreme cold, yes, but not the snow. It does help that work for me is here at home so I do not have to travel unless I want or need to. The only outside thing I must do is tend to the animals and once I am suited up in coveralls, good boots and warm gloves, I am able to work outside for as long as needed.  I am a "contented farmer"  :)

"But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content."  1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NASB)

icy lace on the chicken fence

contented horses





icy fringe on the cistern pump



winter sunrise from the front porch

Living in His grace,

Jody



Calm after the storm....

     The last couple of days have seen various weather conditions, snow, rain, freezing rain, snow again, winds up to 45 mph and now wonderful sun.  I am thankful that our power stayed on through it all, the only thing we lost was the cable which includes our phone and internet. 
     Going to the barn is a slow journey as the ground has a layer of ice with snow on top all the way there.  ( I have taken great delight in seeing Mr. Knightly slip and fall on his way out the barn door.) The horses spent all day yesterday in their stalls as I was afraid they would break their legs on the ice skating rink that the pasture has become.  Today though, with the sun shining (though it's still icy) the barn is open and all animals are out and enjoying the day.
     The days little by little are getting longer and even though it doesn't seem like it, we now have proof.   After a couple months of barely laying any eggs, this week, the hens have stepped up production

Puxatawny Phil did not see his shadow and the hens are laying....spring cannot be far away :)

Last week DF picked up a book that I had reserved at the library

  I have not had a chance to really sit down and read it yet, but I did run across this as I was thumbing through the pages ...

"Rise early.  Eat simple food.  Take plenty of exercise.  Never fear a little fatique."  "Avoid the necessity of a physician, if you can, by careful attention to your diet." 

Wise words from 1832!

Living in His grace,
Jody

Saturday Travels

DF and I headed out to store for lunch and then spent some time antiquing today....stopped at our favorite spot to check out what was new....unfortunately we didn't find much

afterward we tried to check out a couple more in the area but they were closed. 

 We headed back home to the local Mercantile

and even though we enjoyed looking, found no treasure to bring home.

We stopped by the church to spend some time praying at the prayer wall that was set up this past Sunday.  The church was encouraged to stop by daily and pray for those that had posted a request.

The day went by quickly, but was definitely enjoyable and relaxing....now it's leftover pizza and a movie.

Oh, we did make one purchase at the favorite antique store, a bargain at $4.99

I see it filled with apples, oranges, nuts, candles, glass ornaments, mini pumpkins, candy.....etc.....etc.......


Living in His grace,
Jody



Thursday

The weather is a tad warmer today so I took my camera to the barn for morning chores

The goats were most accomodating when asked if I could take their picture.  Of course it could be that they were hoping they would get a horse cookie from me, but alas, my pockets were empty....sorry boys.

This is Mr Knightly leaving the barn and heading to the chicken coop to say good morning to the ladies.  He was banned from the coop several months ago for being overly aggressive with the girls.  Poor girls were nearly featherless and I was ashamed for anyone to go out to the coop to see them.  I am happy to report they have now recovered and are beautiful. I will need to post a picture.....

Almost to the coop....

I have a love/hate relationship with Mr. Knightly...I love the way he looks, I love to hear him crow.....I hate the way he wants to stalk, sneak, and attack me when I'm working in the barn.  I have a large rake that I carry with me for protection.  My morning routine is to shoo him out of the barn with the rake then block the barn door with a piece of fencing so he can't get back in......a few times I have shouted the words "off with his head!"
Mr Knightly lives on borrowed time.

Miss Margaret Dashwood is a newcomer to the farm, she and her sister, Miss Eleanor Dashwood (I could not get her to be still for a pic) have been with us since this past September.  Their sister Miss Mary Ann Dashwood is no longer with us.  She was much more adventerous than the other 2 Dashwood sisters (sounds like a book) and just could not keep from wanting to know what wonderful things were in store for her on the other side of the road.  Unfortunately, she will never know as she never made it across that road. Poor poor Mary Ann.

Alright, need to get on with the day....need to clean a bit, run some laundry...small group tonight, meeting at a chinese restaurant for dinner then heading to the church for our study.

Living in His grace,

Jody