Part of the problem, or part of the solution?.

Do you have those days where you'd  love to pick up the phone and call your bff and have a conversation, but you realize there is no way you could discuss all you want with the amount of time you have available? 


That's how I feel about writing a blog sometimes. I have a lot to say, but not a lot of time to get it done.  So with that said, I think the answer is to try to keep it short and hopefully, sweet!


 I'm looking for answers a lot these days which started me thinking...


Before I forget... Pinterest dinner is waiting in the wings to be prepared. (I'm still being a Pinterest doer...not just a viewer!)  Here's a shot of our dinner....Pioneer Woman's Chicken Florentine Pasta! 

Back to problem solving....


Have you noticed how easy it is to complain, give up, point out flaws, rather than look for a solution? I think maybe election year politics have heighten my senses to this situation these days. Have you also noticed how little anyone really offers solutions?  Why? 


First, lets face it... it is always easier to complain. Always easier to walk away. Pretty easy to give up too! Ask any woman or man who is on a diet!! 


Second, if we offer a solution, ...we may have to become the solution. We may actually have to put action to our words. We might face criticism ourselves!!


Risky indeed!!! Better to take the safe route and yell at the team from the bleachers, instead of actually get out on the field. My manicure could get ruined and I might get dirty....


Yep, way easier to offer critical and I'm sure helpful observations from the outside.  I'm sure it is a spiritual gift of some sort, right? Hmm...maybe not.


Why am I dwelling on this right now? 


Because I have been made painfully aware of  how often I notice all the problems surrounding me and how I love to pour out my complaints to the Lord about these issues, but I tend to politely end the conversation when I begin to hear the Lord say....


"Well, Sherri...here is a place you....." (insert dial tone here)


Surely, I'm not the only one who does this...am I?


This week the Lord has convicted me that I need to purpose to be a part of the solution. Stop complaining...it solves nothing. Just try and be the answer.


How?


 Less pointing out the flaws


More...

Here I am, send me!

Art Day!

Today was Art Day!

I love Art Day!! It's like Pinterest on steroids!

Today we worked on 2 projects... both Asian inspired. One from Indonesia, and the other Chinese.

Here is my butterfly....in case you couldn't tell. This is the Indonesian influence. It was done on a special wax paper with watercolors. Very fun!!


Can you tell what this is?

This is my attempt at Chinese bamboo painting. Did you know that Chinese paintings are viewed,or "read",  the same way you read Chinese writings? Right to left, instead of left to right. Interesting, huh?


Creating art is so life giving.

 Hanging out with these amazing women....well that is PRICELESS!

 During our class, while struggling with drawings or working with watercolors, we share our lives. We listen to each other, share stories of struggles, victories and the places where God is stretching us.

Today, we discussed everything from broken refrigerators, upcoming college exams, to how do you help a toddler wrap their mind around the Easter bunny and hunting for eggs? That was something we never quite solved. Where did that tradition come from? I think we finally decided it was simply some marketing / ad guy's idea of how to make Easter a less religious activity. The sad thing is...they may have succeeded to some extent. We did all agree that for the most part we love Easter egg hunts....they're just too fun and we all can use more fun in our lives, agreed?


Anyway, my little class  got me thinking. Women have a huge need to connect with other women. It nourishes our soul and makes it easier for us to go back and face the world we live in again. Laundry, teenagers, painful decisions, caring for toddlers...dealing with financial stress... whatever it is, the load is easier when we take the time to connect with other women. We actually share one another's burden and breathe life into one another.

 Let me encourage you in this....consider making a time to connect with other women. Get out of your comfort zone of the same safe group of friends, and mix things up a bit, add women older and younger than yourself,... you will be amazed at how much you glean from a meeting like this. Try having a Pinterest party! Have someone bring the snack, someone share a craft idea, someone show a fashion tip....all from information your friends have gathered from Pinterest!  Wouldn't that be a fun evening?

While you're at it...take the time to get "real" with one another and share what's going on in your life,find out what is really going on in the lives of your friends. Find out how you can pray for one another. I promise...it will be the most refreshing couple of hours of your month....and the bonus is...you'll be amazed at how much more you will have to give to those you love when you've taken a little time out for yourself!

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ

Galatians 6:2

Have a great weekend!
 

Easter Weekend! Whew!

Okay, even though I haven't blogged in a few days, that doesn't mean I haven't been busy with my Pinterest challenge.

Here is how my Easter Weekend went..........

It actually began on Thurs. with the delivery of several yards of mulch, river rock, and top soil.

What seemed like an easy project, I mean how long would it take to simply edge your garden with rocks?
Hours right? Maybe a day, right? Uh, no. Try 3 long days. I ordered way more rock than we needed. By day 3, my husband and I were dumping rock anywhere we thought it might work!  I have no idea how many weight watcher exercise points I earned this weekend but I'm guessing it was close to a bazillion! Is that a word?

Of course, we didn't just freshen up the landscaping....oh no, we put in an awesome play area for the grandkids, complete with a sand box, roads for cars (made out of the landscaping edging) and a tunnel between the trees! It is very cool, and totally worth the effort! This should count as a Pinterest idea, because it came from a Lowes home improvement magazine, and if they don't have a Pinterest page....they should! Great ideas!!

Now being that it was Easter weekend, I had to dye eggs. So using a Martha Stewart technique from Pinterest, I made these lovely eggs.  They are lacey eggs and are really easy and so pretty!

The best part of the weekend, besides finishing that load of rocks, was attending church with family and celebrating life! Jesus' resurrected life, family life, new spring life in the garden,.....Life! So precious, so easily taken for granted.

Jesus has told us that he came to bring us life....life to the full and overflowing! You know..... that kind of living doesn't just happen, you have to choose it. You have to work at it, invest the time that it takes to breathe life into your family, marriage, friendships. Life overflowing is messy, time consuming and exhausting, trust me, I have the aching muscles to prove it!! However, the pay off is huge!! No greater return on your investment can be made anywhere. Laughter, joy, smiles, wonder, peace...just some of the fruits you will reap when you purpose to pursue life!

I hope you all had a blessed Easter weekend !

He is Risen!
He is risen Indeed!


Enjoy these pretty roses from a friend....very Pinterest! They became our centerpiece... so lovely!

Where to begin...

Okay, okay,.. it has been awhile since my last blog.

Actually, it has been a very, very long time since my last blog.

I wish I had some great reason for not posting , you know, something like....being on the board for world peace, or serving on a mission trip in Haiti , or solving the debt crisis.....nope, nothing like that at all.

I just haven't had much to write about. At least anything I thought you might find interesting. I guess, I've had writers block! Who knew?

That is until yesterday.....

I had a breakthrough or sorts. I decided that even if I didn't feel like much was going on in my life to write about I could just do something I enjoy and tell you about it.

I know what you're thinking...."Duh, Isn't that what blogging is about/". It is and I know that, but I have this problem....I'm always looking for the bigger purpose behind everything.  Like wouldn't it be great if I could reach a million people with this blog... and who knows write a book, change a life. Crazy, huh?

So, I needed a break from me and my "issues", I am a first born and I'm sure there is something behind all these ideas. I needed to just "be", and be happy with just that, me.

So, somewhere between the cleaning, garden planning and preparing dinner, I thought, you know what... I'll post this.....

Remember my new love.....?



Everyday, I am amazed at what this sight is doing for women. I mean, I am sure men are on the site too, but it appears to be mainly women.  I love how it is bringing about this love for home, and crafting and diy projects! Not to mention all the recipes! Women, young and old are finding joy in the the simple things. Gardens, art projects, crafts with kids. .... the list goes on and on.

But  this site  is also about dreaming. Dreaming of a future wedding, a baby, a party, a home. Like my sister always says, "dreams are free". ...which they are, but in the world we live in we rarely get the chance to dream anymore.

So, I sort of have a challenge for all you Pinterest addicts. How about acting on those dreams?
 I am going to try to work on a least one Pinterest dream a day...... Maybe you can only do one a week, or a month, don't worry that's fine ...no hard fast rules here. We do want this to be a fun challenge! How about it? Let's not just be dreamers, but doers!!

Are you in? I hope so, I'd hate to do this all by myself....

Project #1.-  Board- Yum yum

Spicy Black Bean burger! I did it, with a couple of adjustments, and it was so delicious my husband even enjoyed it! Here they are cooking away...

This is the finished product served with spicy roasted sweet potato steak fries! Dessert is in the background... fruit and yogurt parfaits!

So.... today? Something simple.....

Project #2 - Board /Things to try -Williams and Sonoma room freshener!

It works!! I know, I was supposed to use lemons, but all I had were limes.....I have a hard time following directions......again, it may be a first born thing.

Have fun!

But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22

Free

Keeping up with a blog is hard work. It takes time, extra time that I don't always have to sit down and compose something I think would be worth reading.

Actually, I've just sort of had writers block.

My days are not terribly exciting, sometimes they are just plain ole boring....and who needs to read a boring blog.

I blame the weather. It's dreary and when it is dreary I sort of sink into this deep dark abyss where I can only vaguely see daylight.

This week I've tried to dig myself up out of it by willing the sun to come out again. How? I do what I do best.....I rearrange things. Honestly, I've been doing this my whole life. First the bookcase, then artwork, I even changed up the cushions on the couch all in an attempt to brighten my surroundings.

Yesterday, the weather forecast predicted a sunny day here in Houston. Guess what....? The sun never came out. I think I may go crazy if this keeps up much longer. So with little else to do, I proclaimed today art homework day.

Not just any art project, Aboriginal artwork. That's right, straight from Australia! Aboriginal art is different to say the least. Patterns, lines, circles, insects....and dots. Tons and tons of dots.

Here is a picture of my piece....before I got caught up in dots.



As you can see it is very tribal. Not my forte, but fun don't ya think?

Here it is after I became obsessed with dots....and then a few more dots and lines....and before I knew it I was picturing Aborigines sitting together painting exotic patterns on their bodies.  Sorry, I blame the dots.

Okay....I may have gotten carried away by the dots, but it was fun and it was freeing to think outside the box so to speak and get a little "out there". I have to admit, I caught myself smiling as I thought about my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Webb, and how this artwork would probably disappoint her. I can still remember her calling me up to her desk to question why I would consider coloring a bride completely black, dress and everything. She was very displeased and urged me to go sit down and color the page over.....this time correctly.

 I think when it comes to art, I've played it safe ever since.

That is until today!

There is more than one way to bring some sunshine into a dreary day! WooHoo!!

Free to think outside the box, color outside the lines and yet make it all work together.

Free.

John 8:36

 So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

 I am so thankful for all the many ways the Son has set me free!

Here is a preview of my next project....and it will be aboriginal! Scary I know.....but hey, it will be fun!

Pray for sun.

home by design: Inspiration....

home by design: Inspiration....: Inspiration. Such a powerful word. We all need inspiration. Why? Because we all at one time or another, lose inspiration. The daily gr...

Inspiration....

Inspiration.

Such a powerful word. We all need inspiration.

Why?

Because we all at one time or another, lose inspiration. The daily grind of life tends to sap it out of us.

That is until now.....because now we have.....

Let me just come out and admit this right now....I'm in love with this website.

Talk about inspiration!

If you can dream it, I bet you can find it on this site.

This past week, I made 3,"no sew roman shades", all because of the inspiration I found on Pinterest!

Here they are

I just love them! And it's all because of............... 


 I love how people are sharing ideas and posting the most amazing projects all for free on this worldwide social network thing. Amazing!


Notice, these are "no sew curtains".....no sew.

 I do not enjoy sewing,...actually, I hate sewing.

 Next to wallpaper, it is my least favorite form of hands on activity.  My aversion to sewing goes all the way back to high school home economics class..........I made a D on my sewing project! I was scarred for life! The first born perfectionist side of me, simply could not handle anything that resulted in a D. It was the same for geometry too. It didn't help that I was taking the class with one of my best friends and she could sew a dress without even using a pattern!
 Who does that?
 I struggled to sew a dress with a pattern. Sigh... It was embarrassing. Such a blow to my sensitive high school self-esteem. I've never fully recovered, but that is a subject for another day.

 Sewing.... is the hardest thing I've ever done.

I did a Triathlon a few years back......Way easier than sewing!!

My point is... and I do have a point. These no sew curtains were fun to make. I enjoyed the whole process... ....well except the hanging, that took a little practice.....okay, an hour or more of practice.

Back to my point....sorry.

I was inspired! It feels good to be inspired!


 To inspire is to bring life, to bring hope and vision. To cause movement.

Inspiration

I think we could all use a little more inspiration in our lives.

And once we've received it.... we should share it! Freely share it! 

Who knows where it could lead?

Psalm 78:2-4

I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter hidden things, things from of old-

what we have heard and known, what our

fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children;

we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord

his power, and the wonders he has done.

Inspiration.....it is a powerful word!

home by design: Monday, Monday.....

home by design: Monday, Monday.....: Mondays....they are not for wimps! On Monday,we all have to get back to the real world and its many challenges. For me, that real world wa...

Monday, Monday.....

Mondays....they are not for wimps! 

On Monday,we all have to get back to the real world and its many challenges.

For me, that real world was laundry, cleaning, baking and ....weed pulling.

Laundry piled up because the minute my husband left town for a week, the washing machine decided to spring a leak. Now that he is home and it is fixed the machine has been running all day. I don't really enjoy laundry. Does anybody? I do enjoy clean clothes, which means laundry will always be a part of my life.

Cleaning the house. Another not so enjoyable task, but with only 2 people in the house right now, housecleaning is really no huge deal. I can't complain.

Baking. This is my latest hobby. I found this book in the library on making artisan bread. It's fun and it only takes about 5 minutes a day to make delicious homemade bread. Today, I was trying to master a healthy whole wheat version. So far, things look promising and my house smells heavenly right now! 

Then in the middle of all those chores was weed pulling......and weed pulling is by far the worst chore of the day. You see, my lawn has been invaded.

Let me introduce you to the culprit.

Virginia Button Weed. 

Have you ever noticed how weeds have the most innocent sounding names?

 Virginia button weed is not innocent. It is evil. 

It takes over your yard in a New York minute! Ignore it and will choke the life out your beautiful St. Augustine grass and the only real solution is to pull it out.  Evil stuff!!

Today, I pulled enough button weed to fill 3 garbage bags! I wish I could say I'm done, but that was just a small patch of my lawn! Not fun, not fun at all!!

 Pulling weeds does have one redeeming quality. It gives you plenty of time to think and pray. I thought about parables today. I love parables. I guess that is because I'm a classic hands on learner. They make sense to me. 

Consider the parable of the sower who went out to sow. Matthew 13:3-9.

 That is the passage that popped into my head while pulling the wretched stuff out of my lawn. The parable of the soil made sense. It was easy to comprehend.

Weeds rob the soil. Weeds choke out life. Weeds take over easily if not kept in check.

My response was easy. 

How is my soil?

See, that is the kind of thing that happens to me when I'm outside,..... on my knees,.............pulling weeds.

 I slow down just enough to hear, to contemplate. Maybe, just maybe Virginia button weed does have a redeemable quality?

I never really hear all that much in the middle of laundry. It must be all the racket of the dryer?

Aaahh! Mondays.... not for wimps!

Here is a pic of my loaves of bread......loaves of bread.?hmmm.

Hope you had a great Monday!

 

Peyton the rescue dog.....and the entryway

Well, I have not made any progress on the entryway. That's not entirely true. I did make one decision.
I've decided to not make a paint choice right now.

The reason behind this (besides my absolute inability to make a decision) is that January, in Houston, is simply the worst time to paint.

Today, it is dreary and dark. There is no way to tell if I am really going to like the color I choose on a day like today. So today... I'll show you the entryway

See that pretty dog there? That's Peyton. He's a rescue dog.

 You can probably tell that by the woe is me look he has on his face. Peyton, loves to remind everyone he's a rescue dog.

 How does he do this?

First you get the pitiful look on his face. Once he's pulled you in with that look he then decides he must have your complete attention. He says in his doggie way ..." Please pet me,..pet me......I'm a rescue dog. .... "No, don't play with the grandchildren, play with me....I'm a rescue dog."..."Let me be a lap dog and sit on your couch....after all, I'm a rescue dog."  ( insert pitiful Peyton  look here)   Honestly, he really milks the rescue dog thing around here!

Peyton has no shame and his antics to try to get your attention can drive you crazy . He does however have one admirable quality. He lives his life around here with a grateful heart. He lives like he has been rescued.

This is Peyton on his rescue day! See him smiling?

Grateful! Peyton is very grateful!

No whining....except in his sleep. Must be those memories of  the shelter. Poor thing.
No barking. Unless, he is really concerned, no growling or  barking will be heard from him.
He loves everybody. He loves all dogs. He even loves cats!

Peyton is content. Content to sleep at my feet. Content to let grandsons climb all over him. Content to go for a walk or... not.

As a believer, I could learn a lot from Peyton.
I could learn to be content. I could take lessons on living a grateful life.
In reality, Peyton and I have a lot in common.

We've both been rescued. We were both once lost.

The difference between us is that he never forgets that he was rescued.

Sometimes I do....I whine, bark, growl and even bite! Sad, but true.

 Ungratefulness. It creeps up on me so easily.

This world is hard. Life is not always a bowl of cherries. But that doesn't really have anything to do with whether or not I live life like a rescued person. Jesus rescued me not only for eternity one day, but he rescued me for today! For this moment! Why is it so easy for humans to forget this ....?

 Peyton never forgets. Ok, maybe once or twice... he forgot. There may have been a couple of times he got into the garbage.

Hmmm,....?

 Habits are hard to break. It is easy to slip back into our familiar patterns.

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;  Hebrews 12:28

 I'm glad Peyton is around to remind of these things when I need it!

Rescue dogs.....gotta love em!

Color

Do you remember when life was easy?

I do. It was in first grade. Remember this simple box of joy?

8 simple colors.... 

Remember when life got complicated?

  5th grade... with its box of 64 colors and built in crayon sharpener!

Why I am I consumed with color today?

 Two reasons:

1. I recently starting taking an art class and one of my discoveries has been...... I know nothing about color.

  Turns out I'm clueless when it comes color.

2. I've been living in my house now for a little more than 2 years and have not painted a single room. 

This is weird for me on so many levels.  I'm a little worried about it so, I've decided to paint my entryway.

Because of my art class,.......( mind you, I've had exactly one art class), color and thoughts of colors are 

running rampant through my mind.

 Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh, while studying the Dutch painter, Franz Hals...noted that Hals used

  "no less than 27 shades of black?"

 Did I tell you color was consuming me?

  

So, sorry for the rabbit trail..... now back to the entryway. 

The problem is..... I must choose a color.

 Before art class, this would not have been daunting in the least. I simply would have taken a few things into

consideration. Will it match the flooring, go with the flow into the other rooms and will it work with the

 furnishings. Simple. If there were only 8 shades of paint to choose from these days.

 Now, I see all the shades of  beige, copper or yellow, and turquoise that it could use.  Don't worry, I won't 

choose yellow.

 Consumed. 

  Suddenly, that 64 count box of crayons is looking less complicated by the minute!

  Really ? How will I make a decision? 

Color. 

Not so simple anymore...

 I saw this photograph of a sunset in Oklahoma, on the Pioneer Woman website. If you don't follow her blog

 you really should.....trust me when I say she's great! You'll love her recipes, stories and photographs. Like 

this one...... 

  

        

 Amazing. 

There are no other words.

 Because of my art class, I paused a little longer over this photo and could not shake the image from my brain.

The beauty of that sky had captured me.

 The different shades of blue...gray, orange and white. How I wish I could paint this scene.

 This morning that photo was still on my mind as I thought of the one who painted that sky.

Original. Just for that day.

 Tomorrow, He would paint another masterpiece.

That reminded me of this verse....

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Everyday, the Lord paints these beautiful pictures for all to see His glory. How often do we take the time to 

slow down and really see the masterpiece of  the Master Artist? To see His glory and realize His works of art

 are messages of his love for all who live in this broken world. 

God gets color! 

If only I can....?

Enjoy your weekend.... I really must get to my entryway.

Things take time...

Today has been a day of reflection.

 Over the past few months of my world, life has been hard. Really hard.
 I've seen friends and acquaintances go through some of the most painful losses of family members and my heart broke for them all. Then suddenly, in December, our family suffered our own painful loss. My dear brother in law, Ron, passed away unexpectedly. Then our hearts were broken. We are all still reeling from the suddenness of it all..

Time.

Things take time.

You can't rush through grief. Grief takes time. Grief takes work.

Yes, work. ....and that's what I've been reflecting on today.

Work is what our family is good at....I think some of our friends even believe we live for work and projects. We don't really, but as a family, it is part of who we are, no denying it.

Christmas, birthdays, football games, holidays ..... all events where we will miss Ron, but I think we will miss him most when we start our next project. You see, when we work together we have the best time. I know that sounds crazy, even unbelievable, but we do! Here's an example.

 Several years ago, we were working on replacing the siding on our two story house. Now most of my neighbors would hire a crew for that sort of job. But not us, not with three able bodied sons, my husband and Ron. We had the best crew available! Cheap too! All I had to do was feed them! Well, that isn't exactly all I had to do....my sister and I were always eager to supervise and critique.  Imagine scaffolding towering along side the house, in 3 huge sections,each stacked on top of one another. It must have been at least 30 ft. tall. Or it seemed that tall to me as I watched my sons dangle from the top. One son on the top tier, another son or two in the middle and Ron anchoring the bottom tier. All nailing away. My husband? Where was he?  He was the designated cutter. The guy who stayed on the ground. This crew of guys, laughed, ridiculed,encouraged and sometimes growled at each other through the whole process. We had music playing, we even had our daughter in laws working....sort of an initiation into the family, as we worked away.  They did a great job! We were all so proud of our work!

A week  or so after the project was complete, with no accidents that required medical attention by the way, our neighbor stopped my husband to comment on our work. Actually, he never talked about how great the new siding looked, or what a great paint choice we made for our curb appeal. That didn't seem to impress him at all. What caught his attention, and what he just had to talk to my husband about was our working together. He commented  about how much fun it was watching our family work. How he enjoyed the laughter. How it caused him to miss his brother.So, he did something he had not done in a long while.

He called his brother. He made plans to get together soon. All because of our "work".

I wonder if maybe that is what the quote most associated with St. Francis of Assisi meant,....?

 "Preach the Gospel always and when necessary use words".

I'm sure it would qualify.

Working together, in the 100 degree temperatures of  south Texas,  trying to catch a stubborn calf, or dealing with poison ivy,....... Okay, we won't miss the poison ivy.... We will miss working together.

Here's a picture of Ron, and one of my grandsons... learning the family way! Pops is making sure it is level!

Time.

So, take the time. However long you need, to work through the situations in your life. Do the work that leads to restoration, hope and joy.
Just remember, ....things take time.
Blessings,

Choices

Lately, I've been overwhelmed with the power of choice. We make so many choices in a day...what to eat, what to wear, what to watch on TV, what to listen to on the radio, to believe or not believe, joy or bitterness..... the list goes on and on.
Today, I have a choice before me. Now it isn't life altering, at least I don't think so. I'm getting my haircut. Keep it growing or cut it off? Choice.
Choice is scary. What if I make the wrong choice and have to live with a terrible hairstyle for months? That actually, happened to me back in 8th grade!! That was the only time I've cried over a haircut in my life, but then I was a 13 year old teenage girl and everything was emotional.

Choice is also a gift. I'm amazed that God gives us this much responsibility! Can I be trusted with choice?

Sometimes, I can't.

Today, I will choose short hair or long hair.... no big deal. But as the day goes by, I will make many other weightier choices along the way. Choices that will bring life to me or death to me. I know, that sounds harsh and such a downer for a blog, but its true.  Actually, I also have the power by my words and actions to bring life to others or death to others.Proverbs 18:21 Ouch! See....? Can I be trusted?

What will I bring to my home today? What will you bring to your home today?

More than beautifully decorated interiors, or the latest trendy paint color. What are we choosing?

Life, I want life.

Well, I'm off to get that haircut. Long, short? I have no idea....I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Update.... I went shorter! Thanks Annie :-)

what have I got to lose?

With each new year  we make resolutions. Lose weight, eat healthier, be kinder, more giving,work less, work smarter....you know the routine. This year, I'm going to be...... bolder.
What do I really have to lose?
 So, today I begin by posting some blogs I wrote but never shared. Why didn't I share them before? I guess it sort of seemed silly to me. I'm not a writer. Pretty sure no one will want to follow me. Pretty sure I don't want followers. Well, maybe a few. Mainly, I didn't post out of fear..... and guess what?

 I don't want to be afraid anymore.

 I'm doing this thing in spite of all those things that kept me from posting before. I'm going to blog,because even if I am not a "writer" I do have things I want to share. Things God shows me from time to time.Things I just finding interesting, like paint colors, furniture and nature. Things that make me laugh, smile and cry. Grandchildren, children, family and friends.
 All these things are home to me.

 Maybe writing these thoughts down and sending them out into cyberspace will impact no one but me, and that will be fine. That will be more than fine, that will be great. So, this blog may not be for anyone but me as I learn how the Maker of this universe designed me for this point and time.

 Hopefully, I find more joy in the everyday and more of God in every moment.
Hopefully, you will too..... if you join me?

Garage : Man -vs- Woman

 It's that time of year. 
You know, Spring Cleaning time of year!
 I love this time of year, especially in Houston. We only have about 2 weeks of spring, so that means you have 14 days to comfortably clean out the garage, go through closets and open the windows to air out the house before the humidity saps the life out of you! 


 I have jumped on these days this past week. I've put in my raised beds for a small vegetable garden. You can't really dig in the soil here. Here in South Texas all we have is black gumbo. Which is how we describe our clay soil. Trying to get a decent garden in my yard the old fashion way would take backbreaking work, and I'm opposed to that kind of gardening! Along with  the raised beds I've also fertilized the yard with weed & feed, because my yard is ate up with weeds!  But my major accomplishment this week has been ...the GARAGE!  


It's great! After 2 years of garage chaos, we have organization!  How did I do it you ask?


 Like the line in the sand that Travis drew at the Alamo. My garage now has a man side and a girl side.
 Why?
 Because while my husband is great at so many things, he simply can not keep a garage clean, or put things back where they belong. So, it was time to make things clear. So we can find the caulk when we need it and ....so we can see who really is the one who keeps messing up the garage!


 The man side has the tools, lawn equipment, oil and various other car additive products, and about 20 different types of nails and screws. What is it about nails? Who knew you needed so many? Saws, electrical cords, and paint are also on the man side. Of course the garbage cans are on the man side too! Duh. 


The girl side is far less complicated. It has lawn chairs. Perfect for relaxing , while my husband sorts through his nail and screw jars. I also have the suntan lotion, and mosquito spray, because I don't want to burn or get bit by bugs while watching my husband sort those screws! I also have my gardening tools. Which are not nearly as impressive as the man side tools.  


Organization is great! Spring cleaning is invigorating and renews my vision and love for our home.


Now.....we wait. To see who really is the one who messes up the garage. The man or the woman?


I sure hope I'm not the culprit!


Sherri 

Lessons learned on the run....

Okay, so that hospitality experiment, well it never got off the ground like I had hoped. Oh I did plenty of hosting, but mainly to family. It's been a crazy summer on so many levels. So, to keep my sanity I started running again. I took up this form of exercise three years ago when a group of women from my church talked my sister and I into training for a Triathlon. We completed it and running has remained a part of my life. Triathlons have not.

Now this may sound crazy, but my time on the track has been interesting. I've become more aware of the little things that happen while running that teach me so much about life. Running is a part of my quiet time with the Lord. Let me share what I learned today..

I believe I was into my third lap on the track, when I noticed this man wearing a University of Texas shirt running the opposite way  pass me by. As he passed, I noticed that he made some sort of hand gesture. On my fourth lap, another man coming up behind me, and yes he did pass me up too, made a comment. " Hang in there". Okay, I thought and told him to do the same. Then, UT guy passes me again, and again same hand gesture. At first I think, I guess its a wave, or high five although he is using both hands, sort of like a hallelujah , to which I sort of high five wave back. I'm running in the evening, so the light isn't the greatest ( with the temperatures right now at around hundred before 10:00 AM,  the evening temperatures of 96 seem so much cooler.) and I start to wonder. What is this guy doing? It was then that I felt like the Lord was saying, think again...... The gesture wasn't a wave, or a high  five...... it was sign language. He was doing the sign for applause. It made me smile as I thought about his quiet encouragement. As women, we labor away doing what we do. Working, keeping house, taking care of babies and toddlers, driving teenagers all over the countryside and seldom do we get that word of encouragement we so desperately need. That verbal, hang in there girl! Most husbands are well into their forties before they look up from their work and say to their wives..."good job honey!" I'm not trying to slam the men in our lives, on the contrary! I wonder how often they really are saying it and we simply don't hear it or see it?
The good news here is that no matter what our men here with us do, there is someone who sees it all and it running right along with us. He is constantly giving us His applause. When we rise in the morning and lay our weary heads down in the evening, it's there like a gentle breeze on a summer night. Can you hear it?