Rosemary

My camera is probably having separation anxiety.  I spent last week just trying to navigate from our bedroom, to the bathroom and kitchen, and back to the bedroom.  There was a nasty sciatic flare-up. It way-laid my plans for getting all sorts of things accomplished.  I could only "dream" my house was clean, and the yard and garden were tidy.
I'm trying not to be toooo jealous of Dot, Mom, and Dad, already having a start on planting their gardens.  Our garden spot on the other hand, is still wet enough for wellies, and setting up a clay-pot factory.  So Mama.......try not to be too envious of Kate's rosemary....Every time I see it, I have to try.....and this is after she's pruned it back to a "more manageable size"!  This was taken on the first non-torrential day, this spring...so she hadn't spring cleaned this flowerbed yet....but isn't it amazing?!

While we are showing off some of Kate's pretty flowers, I thought I would share another story I remember hearing years ago:

The Legend of the Rosemary

When Jesus was born, the rosemary was just a plain green plant without fragrance or blossom. One day as the holy family traveled to Egypt, Mary stopped to wash some of the baby's clothes in a stream. Looking about for something to hang the little garments on to dry, Mary chose the rosemary bush and hung Jesus' clothes upon it. As Mary gathered the dry clothes together, the rosemary was blessed with blue flowers to match the color of Mary's cloak and a spicy fragrance as a remembrance of Christ's garments.



*****Again, this is not Biblical, it is just a sweet folklore legend.

Dogwood Trees

Kate's  Pink Dogwood tree, last weekend

I love Dogwood trees.  Particularly the wild ones.  In the spring, driving the girls to school, up the winding, wooded, driveway, I was always awestruck by the beauty of the large vanilla colored blooms of the wild Dogwoods. When I was a young girl, I had a little jewelry box, given to me by my grandparents.  On the lid of it, was a decoupaged picture and this:

The Legend of the Dogwood

At the time of Crucifixion, the dogwood had been the size of the oak and other forest trees. So firm and strong was the tree that it was chosen as the timber for the cross. To be used thus for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the tree, and Jesus nailed upon it, sensed this.
In His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering Jesus said to the tree:
" Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross--two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see it will remember."


***I realize this isn't Biblical, but I did think it was a neat "legend".

"Friday, Saturday, and then we begin again...."

Friday, I made a couple of cakes for the Dinner and a Movie night.

This was the Italian Cream Cake

You would not even recognize this basement from what it was 2 weeks ago!  It had uber U-G-L-Y, paneling, and beams and poles...so gross.... and now thanks to some sweet VERY hardworking people, who God had laid this on their hearts....it's a thing of beauty!  People who came to the dinner, were blown away.  They expected a cafeteria line..."slap, there's your pasta"..."slop, there's your sauce".  Instead they were met by handsomely decked out maitre'd's, led to candlelit tables, served sparkling cider, and waited on by awesome waitresses and waiters.  Dinner was served in courses. They received a yummy salad and breadstick, and then generous portions of delicious spaghetti and another breadstick. And then...trays of dessert selections to choose off of.

I wasn't able to take any pictures after we got started,  tooooo busy!  It was awesome though!  We had suuuuch good participation from our people, and they were all smiles.  Our own people got better acquainted with one another, people from other churches helped with advertising and desserts, and it was a great community outreach.  The injured young man and his family were blessed by the outpouring of interest and help, and $6,000.00 were raised for them.

Sunday, there were some new faces in church, of people who had come Friday night.  Some had been looking for a church home, and said, this was a church that they would want to be a part of. God is at work.  We just have to be listening, and obedient.

Saturday:  We loaded the jeep with Kate's bed and nightstand, to take to her for a be-lated birthday.

We stopped for some bottled water, on the way.

I hadn't had this particular kind before,

and had a terrible time trying to get it open.

Finally, (after soaking my lap), I got it figured out. 

Duh... I looked at it and started cracking up...

I quickly drank some.

That made it so much easier to open Jim's

It WAS SMART WATER after all!  :-)

(Something tells me, I need a daily dose!)

Here is Kate's nightstand:

BEFORE

AFTER

Cutie pie Ethan

Silly Sissy

"Awww man, I shoulda had a V-8!"

"Cuz, now I have a headache!"

I made Kate some of her pins on Pinterest:

Frozen Greek Yogurt covered blueberries

An onion-spinach quick bread loaf

Panko Garlicky Shrimp with linguine

(served with steamed broccoli)

 Miss Addie helped make the birthday dessert:

A roll and 1/2 of sugar cookie dough.  Pressed into cookie pan, and baked 10 min. or so. Cool.
An 8 oz. bar of Cream Cheese, mixed well with 1/2 a box of powdered sugar, spread on top of cooled crust.
A container of glaze spread over the cream, and topped with sliced berries. 

It was a lovely sunny day, and we enjoyed so much, spending time qith Kate, Chris and the kiddos!

"Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...."

In addition to the usual stuff, I worked on refinishing this nightstand for Kate.  Victoria and I went to the church and helped  decorating/set up for a Benefit Spaghetti Dinner and a Movie. It's for a young man in the community, seriously injured in a skiing accident.

The Days of the Week

This has been a busy week.  As I was thinking about posting,  it reminded me of the kindergarten song that the kids all sing...."Sunday, Monday, ....."

Sunday morning, we were at Mom and Dad's and were treated to his famous pancakes.  (The secret is an old Guardian griddle, and wearing the all important uniform...a silly grin and your hat all wonky.)

They were dee-lish!  And mighty filling.

Mom and Dot had picked out this pretty fabric, so we made a pad for the blanket chest at the foot of the bed.

Monday, back at home....Jim and I made a Home Depot run, and I gathered stuff for making a headboard for Kate.  I used plywood, an old "eggcrate" foam mattress (doubled), batting, and painter's dropcloth canvas.

Covering the buttons and doing the tufting was my favorite part.

Simple Pleasures

Like I've said before...it feels like a Christmas present to me when the pasture's been mowed.  Having new gravel delivered is right up there too!  Two loads, yesterday.  We've done a bunch of spreading, but there's still more to do, yet.

The trailer tarp got re-done, more securely.  The little hen who was weak, has been nursed back to health.  She was released from her little "hospital" crate, back in to chicky lady society.  And the house was filled with the homey aroma of a cinnamony rice pudding in the oven.  I am blessed.

Strolling

I've been loading little baby girl into the jogging stoller lately.  She loves the fresh air, and watching us work outside.  She's napped in it the past two days. She likes"strolling" about the place, taking in new sights. I've been enjoying weather that allows venturing from the little polka dotted petticoats of the early snowdrops, and the promising buds of the white lilac "Mrs. Washington" in the yard, up into the orchard amid flowering pears and plums, checking daily on the progress of the wild trillium in the woods.  I love it so.  It makes me think of the Trinity, and it blooms for so short a time.   That seems to make it even more special.

Easter Dinner

We had the usual Ham, with creamed Yellow Dutch Baby Potatoes and Peas, Orange Honey Glazed

Carrots, , Raspberry Spinach Salad w/ kiwi and toasted pecans, "Heavenly Eggs", Buttermilk Yeast Buns, Apricot Bars, and Lemon Streusel Cake.  (It has a cheesecake sort of filling.)

The very best part of the meal was the company! So good to have them here!  (We missed Chris, though.  He had to work.)

Easter

He is Risen Indeed!
I am so thankful for Jesus, my Saviour.

We had a great service at church......Love, love, love, our church.
In the afternoon, the kids came for dinner and an egg hunt.

This is Ethan, showing off his 4 new little teeth....right before he used them to clamp down.  Tightly.  On Aunt Anna's arm .  Yes.... she yelled.

"You're Kidding!!  Well Shut My Mouth!!  Then what happened?!!

Sweet, tiny, Violet.

Outside in the

Amazing World

of

ADELIE

Joe's huge "haul"

Little Farmgirl on the hunt

"Aww, C'mon guys!.....Seriously?!

Yep, another one!

Way to go, Liam!

The two older girls gave it a whirl...

But Matthew joined the guys in hiding the eggs this year.

He escaped my camera....but not someone elses! ;-)