What Cup Are You?

If you are a women reading this, you might think I was writing about your bra size.  If you are a man reading this, you probably don't have an idea what I am writing about.

My real question should be is What Cup Style Are You?
                                 Mug?                 or
                                 Tea Cup?           or
                                 Styrofoam Cup?      

You might not realize it, but the style of drinking container says a lot about you.
                A mug says to me that you probably are a warm & sturdy  person.  The drink of choice is probably coffee or even hot chocolate.  A mug is a great one or two handed drink item.  It is great for your morning coffee while reading the paper (one handed), or snuggling up with on a cold day (two handed).
                A tea cup says to me that you might like to dress up, slow down & savor a bit.  It all begins with putting the tea kettle onto boil, & waiting for the tea to steep in a beautiful teapot.  Then, you pour your tea through a tea strainer & you are ready to hold your teacup, & enjoy.  Maybe have a scone with your tea.  This is not like going through Starbucks or McDonald's for a quick drink on the way to & from work.
                A Styrofoam cup says to me that you might be just a little cheap.   A lot of the time these people probably don't like to throw these cups away but, keep a stash of them in the cabinet.  You might rewash them in the dish washer & use them over & over.  Some people may even call these cup users a little bit of a Red-Neck to a degree.  I have been told by these people, that the real reason they like to use these cups is because it keeps the liquid very hot.  To reuse them could be a way to help the environment- on their defense.

                                         TO EACH THEIR OWN

I prefer a mug for my coffee in the morning while catching up with emails & watching the news.  I am gradually getting into a ritual of enjoying tea mid afternoon.  I love picking out one of my tea cups & steep some tea.  Tea time is just for me or time to share it with someone.  If I am by myself, I turn off the TV (if it is on),  read, or listen to music, or just be quiet.  I am looking forward to getting to know some new women this way.  I can't wait to share this time with some old friends.

I have had the privilege of observing a wonderful mother/daughter relationship while living in Highlands.  Shirley & Laura have such a great relationship & enjoy so many things together.  One thing they share from time to time is to have tea.  Sometime they would have tea & a cookie or tea & all the trimmings.  It was through them that have brought this lovely new tradition to my own personal life.  They gave me a delightful tea with all the trimmings before I left.

Having tea & sharing tea are two different things.  Having tea is almost like grabbing a cup of coffee on the go.  Sharing tea is you don't hurry at all.  You take the time to slow down to build & cherish a relationship.

Yesterday, it was my total joy to give my first high tea, & I got to share it with my special girls-Amy & Jenny.  Amy even requested it two weeks ago.  That REALLY meant a lot to me.  Even though they knew we were having tea, they didn't know what to expect.  I really surprised them & I had a blast.  We laughed, shared, & I evened cried a little.  Jenny even suggested for us to do this once a month.  The girls said that they would even help with the food.   Jenny said "I can go to Kroger & buy Cajun Chicken Salad"-like I did.

Hebrews 10:24-25
²⁴ and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;

²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.

I think that this verse can also apply outside of church.  Enjoy!!!

                              ann :)

I'm Not a Seamstress

Last week was our garage sale.  Please read blog 10/23-Does the Prov 31 Woman Apply to Giving a Garage Sale-it will catch you up to speed.

I have never been a seamstress, but I tried to learn when I was in high school & when the children were toddlers.  In 9th grade I had to sew something in Home EC class.  I picked the easiest thing that came to mind.  It was a scarf with the GA emblem on the corner.  Oh, I wish I had a picture of that thing.  I didn't dare wear it.

I have to explain a little bit about this scarf.  It was not a fashion statement that we have today. Oh No!!!.  All I did was get some heavy green color fabric & cut a triangle.  Make a double seam around it.  Then get some, I think it was called seam tape, & sew it to two corners of the triangle so it would make a tie.  The finally stage was to sew the emblem to the back triangle so it would hang-off just so.  The emblem was not the GA state emblem.  I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church where all the girls went to GA's on Wed. nights.  Besides studying about Jesus, you learned about missionaries all over the world.  I can't even remember what GA's stands for now.  Also, green was the program's color.  Would you believe I still have the emblem in my scrapbook?

When the children came along, I got the bright idea to try to start sewing, again to help save money.  I am using the word, again, very loosely.  My sweet husband bought me this extremely heavy, portable Singer Sewing Machine.  I tried my hand at it & made the children some Christmas PJ's.  I probably spent more money making those PJ's than if I had just bought some.  At that time you just didn't buy clothes at Woolworth & Walmart wasn't into full swing.  Now, most of my day wear is from Walmart.  I must say the PJ's did look cute.

(Dave was in medical school; Amy about 3 1/2 yr old; Ben about 1 1/2 yr old; wearing the PJ's & drawing on the wrapping paper was their gift to who was getting the gift.)


Well, that was as far as I went in being a seamstress.  From then on I used the machine for mending.

Back to the garage sale.  We were trying to give this machine away for $10 to $15.  No takers.  My sells pitch was that the machine just needed an adjustment.  In the middle of the garage sale Dave said that he didn't feel we were being truthful.  I thought since the machine didn't work for about 2 yrs now, it must needed some maintenance.  I also thought that these adjustments would cost us an arm & a leg.  We could buy a new one at Walmart for the adjustment price.

This week on my honey-do-list was to take the machine to a sewing store & get an estament on how much it would cost to repair it.  The lady was so nice & very helpful.
The first thing she told me was that I was using the wrong type of thread-hand quilted sewing thread.  I didn't know there was such a thing, but I was using it.
The second thing wrong was that I didn't have the machine threaded correctly.  Now, I was embarrassed.  Defensively, I told her that it has been a few years since I used it.
The third problem was a tiny screw was loose on the bottom plate.  I fixed that with my finger nail.

The machine worked perfectly.  The real seamstress next to me, told me never to get rid of that machine because it was one of the best on the market.  All this advise was at NO CHARGE!  And to think I almost gave it away.

I wish I could some how use the Prov 31 Women verses concerning this blog.  I think the most appropriate verse would be:
Hebrews 5:2
He can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since He Himself also is surrounded with weakness;

                                                        OR,
                maybe the phrase "Ignorance is bliss" would be appropriate; no

                                                         OR
                                                   in my case,

                          I think I could just use a good ole adjustment.

                                    ann :)

Grand Child Proofing Our Home

It has been a very long time since we have had to child proof our home.  Now, with our grand baby coming in & out, I have done my very best to baby proof our home.

When our children were born, Dave was in medical school & we lived in married housing.  We had a two bedroom apartment & everything was about at arms reach.  If you have ever lived in school housing, then you will know exactly what I am talking about.

I remember baby proofing our home by putting the household cleaning items up, & the fruits & vegetables cans down.   In fact the cabinet for the cans was a perfect place for Amy (toddler then) as a play house.  I didn't need to buy her dolls, I just needed to buy her some can beans & she was very happy.  I remember Amy would use these cans as her blocks, teach school to them & discipline them when necessary.   But woe to one of those cans if they would drop on her foot.

I can't believe that one month from tomorrow I moved from Highlands to Maumelle.  Another thing I can't believe is that I have only cleaned this house twice.  I must say in Highlands, Dave spoiled me by budgeting a house keeper to come twice a month.  I never cleaned it, so for me to clean this house 2x in a month is a great record on my part.  I also must say in my defense that when I have boxes around the house, it doesn't energise me to clean.  Plus, I'm the kind that has to have everything picked up before I can clean.  ANYWAY!!!!

What does cleaning have to do with baby proofing my home?  Well, the first time that I cleaned I was so proud because I bought those white plastic shields & started putting them all over the house.  Then I went to vacuum.  Why didn't I vacuum before I began to be such a good protective Nanna.  I could not get those things out at all.  I finally had to get a knife to barely loosen them up.

Today, I was smarter.  Yes, I still had to get the old shields off that I put on two weeks ago.  This time I vacuumed then added the rest of the shields when I finished.  Also, I remembered my trusty knife to take around the house with me.   At the end of vacuuming, I took great pleasure in gazing in my trash can to see the fruits of my labor-all the dirt.  I felt I had really accomplished something: 1) cleaning, 2) protecting my grand child.

In God's Word it says:
Prov 17:6 a-Grandchildren are the crown of old 
                                                  men...
I think I this verse can also be translated: 
             Grandchildren are the crown of 
                          middle age Nanna's.


(Dave will say that I am not middle age because I am not going to live to 112 yr old.)


Ps.3:3-But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, 
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.


Ps.147:13-For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; 
He has blessed your children within you.


I don't know if you could call these plastic shields bars in own home.  But I do know He has & will bless all our children (Amy, Ben, Jenny & Lauren) within our home.

                         ann :)

Paths; Bugs; & Golden Rod

One thing I love about Maumelle is that it has asphalt paths all through the wooded neighborhoods.  These woods are located behind the homes.  Many times when the developers develop a neighborhood they cut down all the trees.  I hate that.  It is just bare & the neighborhoods have to start all over with planting trees.  Our neighborhood has more trees than most neighborhoods.  In fact we have all woods in & behind our back yard, & just love it.

We didn't think we had these wonderful paths in our neighborhood, but we did finally find them. There was only one problem, though.  There were no signs in these woods to mark each path, & we would get very lost.  On the positive side, though, there is an expectant excitement in what you might find or where you might end up.

(This isn't our path,
 but I love this picture.)













On our first path walk the weather was still very warm.  The gnats were swarming all around my head & buzzing in my ears.  I was about to go crazy.   I was having to multi-task: keep up with Dave, walk, hold onto Truffle & swat the gnats.  I had to admit that these gnats were ruining my walk.  Dave didn't seem to mind them so much.

As I was walking, I couldn't help but think about what scripture says in comparing us to sheep.  Sheep are suppose to be stupid animals & they definitely need a shepherd.  For sheep to rest they need four things:
1) free from hunger
2) free from fear
3) free from friction
4) free from bugs (irritants)

The shepherd takes care of all the sheep's needs.  One thing the shepherd would do to help the sheep with bugs or irritants was to anoint the sheep's head & nose with oil.   That day I felt God needed to anoint my head, nose & ears with oil.  I am sure that God would have rather anointed my spirit & heart with oil & change my attitude.

Well, I guess He did a little, because when I quit working at swatting the bugs away it became a game.  I realized that my sunglasses protected my face, somewhat.  As I would ignore them, all of a sudden I started seeing the beautiful golden rod, Fall flowers & the birds were sounding pretty sweet.

We are still walking, usually every evening when Dave gets home.  Truffle is pacing at the door ready to go.  Tonight, Dave told me that he was going to take me to his "Happy Place."  As we were walking, I enjoyed the Fall leaves as they were starting to pop.  The Bugs were gone & the air was nice & cool.  He had it all mapped out.  He took me to his swamp where the wood ducks were coming in for the evening.  It was fun to hear them call to each other & splash in the swamp as they would dive in.  The sunset behind the swamp was beautiful.  Also, down the path, he knew right where the deer would be.  He was right.  We heard one.  I couldn't see a thing, because it was getting so dark.  We did meet one other critter along the way-a moccasin snake.  That was not in the brochure.  Dave almost stepped on it.  Thank heavens he was caring Truffle.  After going through the mud, climbing over two huge fallen down trees, we were almost home.

Before we left the house to go walk, I had burnt the brussel sprouts.  For some reason I always do that with this vegetable.  We don't eat them often, & we're not very crazy about them; but they look so good in the store. When we got home that horrible smell was still there.  Needless to say, the garage disposal got a lot of our supper tonight.

I do have some other food to fill our sheep bellies.

                         ann :)

Does the Prov. 31 Woman Apply to Giving a Garage Sale?

I wrote in my Blog- "Stuff"- on 9/19 about giving away our stuff for FREE.  This time we tried to get some money for our stuff.  Yesterday, Saturday am, was our garage sale.  We haven't done a garage sale since we were in college.  I'm not going to tell you my age, but that was a very, Very, VERY long time ago.  I am not even a garage sale buyer.  So I enlisted my daughter: the Queen of garage sales & daughter-in-luv: the Queen of Craig's List to help me with pricing.

Oct 14th blog you might have seen the boxes in our garage.  Well, we finally started making our way through the garage last Monday.  Then, Dave informed me that our garage sale was this Saturday, just 5 days away.  I said, "THIS SATURDAY, YOU'VE GOT TO DO KIDDING!!!"  Well, I knew if I didn't agree I would have missed my chance.  Also, while we were cleaning out the garage for this sale, Dave would come up with a couple of ways on how we could get out of this garage sale like: maybe Ben & Jenny's neighbors would put our stuff in their garage sale & split the difference.  Again, I said, "You've got to be kidding!"  Another idea was to give all our stuff to Ben & Jenny & they keep the money.  Again, I said,"You've got to be kidding!"  "Yes, they will do it for us but they didn't won't our money."  He was stuck.

Maumelle is noted for their garage sales.  People come from all over the Little Rock area just for these sales.  Signs line the main through-a-fare to publicize for sales on Fri & Sat garage sales.  I have never heard of garage sales on Friday.

Saturday came.  I thought getting up at 5:00 am would give us plenty of time to get everything out before people would come.  At 6:15 am we had our first customers, with their flashlights in hand.  We didn't even have all our stuff out yet.  I thought people would come around 7:30 am.  Wrong.

Through out the morning, you could see the different groups of garage sale buyers.  First were the professionals.  They were the ones who were going to buy things cheap & then sell them in their stores or on Craig's List.  Craig's List was another new thing for me.  Second group were the ones who did this as a hobby.  They would do this every Fri & Sat  morning.  They actually had gotten to know each other through this hobby.  I am not kidding.  One conversation was one lady started telling another  buyer that her father died last week.  The other lady, asked "Was this unexpected?"  Response, "Well yes, but he was 92."  Dave & I just stood there in amazement as this conversation was going back & forth.  Third group were the casual lookers.


By 10:30 am, it was all over.  Everyone had to get where they were going so they could watch the Razorbacks play at 11:00 am.  This state is serious about their team.  I must say I was grateful that it was all over & that it didn't last all day.

Now, let's go back to see if doing a garage sale fits into Prov 31: 10-31

Description of a Worthy Woman

 {¹⁰ An excellent wife, who can find? 
For her worth is far above jewels. 
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her, 
And he will have no lack of gain.}
 
¹² She does him good and not evil-----Dave didn't
think I was doing him good at the time since he 
didn't want to be doing this in the first place.


All the days of her life.-----I hadn't completed
                          all my life yet, but most of 
                                           the a.m., yes.
 
¹³ She looks for wool and flax---------If I was the
garage sale looker, maybe.
 
And works with her hands in delight.----I have to 
admit delight was not in my hands at first, but we 
did have a lot of laughs before the sale was over.
 
¹⁴ She is like merchant ships; 
She brings her food from afar.-----------I did go 
to Kroger to get the poster boards for advertising 
the sale, eggs & coffee.  I think that should count.
 
¹⁵ She rises also while it is still night-----Well, I
definitely did this. 

And gives food to her household------I did make 
Dave scramble eggs, & coffee mid morning. 

And portions to her maidens.--------------N/A
 
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
 From her earnings she plants a vineyard.-------I'm
planning to buy a kitchen table & chairs-does that
count? 


¹⁷ She girds herself with strength 
And makes her arms strong.--------------My arms 
& legs were strong in moving & emptying those
boxes.
 
¹⁸ She senses that her gain is good;-----Our gain
looked pretty good to me-$$money$$ 

Her lamp does not go out at night.------I'm 
sorry, but my light went out early Saturday 
afternoon for a nap when it was all over.
 
¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff, 
And her hands grasp the spindle.--------------N/A 

²⁰ She extends her hand to the poor,
 And she stretches out her hands to the needy.----I 
definitely did when I saw what little people paid for 
my stuff. 


²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household,--Well, 
it wasn't snowing but it was down right cold.
 
For all her household are clothed with scarlet. 
²² She makes coverings for herself; 
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.----We are blessed!
 
²³ Her husband is known in the gates, 
When he sits among the elders of the land.---We 
both met a lot of our neighbors.  I even met
someone to walk with & a lady who told me 
about her BUNKO group where I can sub sometime.
Love Bunko.
 
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them, 
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.------------N/A


²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing, 
And she smiles at the future.------------Very true.
 
²⁶ She opens her mouth in wisdom, 
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.----Learning
everyday; but I must be honest, as Dave & I were 
working together before dawn, I was not a ray of sunshine.
 
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household, 
And does not eat the bread of idleness.--------It is 
going to be awesome having my family sharing 
around the knew kitchen table.
 
²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her;----We 
didn't see Jenny or Lauren,
Amy was gone camping
Ben came over to visit, but he 
wanted food first.
 
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 
²⁹ “Many daughters have done nobly, 
But you excel them all.” ---------------Well, 
he really didn't say that, but he did say, 
"Good job," when I gave him the total of
our profits.

³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, 
But a woman who fears the LORD, 
she shall be praised.-----Yes Lord, even 
doing a garage sale.
 
³¹ Give her the product of her hands, 
And let her works praise her in the gates.--LORD,
I'm just going to have to believe You, by 
faith on that one.
                                    ann :)

No More A Long Weekend

When we moved to Little Rock a few weeks ago, it seemed that we were here for a long weekend.  Just this week it is really beginning to become real to me that we are here to stay.

This has been such a fun week.  I got my mill back so I can grind wheat berries for flour to make bread, etc..., so I've been cooking away.  I have been wanting to get into having Tea Parties & Amy & Jenny will be my first guest next Sat.  I can't wait.  I have actually washed the corner china cabinet that has all my tea pots & cups.

Preparing for tea is not what has helped me to realize that I am here permanently.  It has been the little things: like Ben jogging from his house to our house then asking me to drive him home;  I finished baking cookies & running some over for Jenny to try; & running over to get Jenny to open up a jar of apple sauce so I can finish making Mississippi Spice Muffins.  Even though I have been hearing all about the beautiful leaves in Highlands & having the first snow fall today, it just doesn't compare to the joy of this permanency.  I still want to see the pictures of Highlands on Face Book though.  Hint, Hint to my Highlands friends who might be reading this.

This afternoon & evening was so much fun.  Jenny, Lauren & I went to the Pumpkin Patch.  Ben joined us after work.  It was great seeing the pumpkins, letting Lauren see the animals & play all over the huge play ground.  Where we all had the most fun was this corn box.  It is like a big sand box with fun toys to dig with, but it has corn kernels instead.  After the Pumpkin Patch, we all met at our home for dinner & I welcomed much needed advice from the girls for our garage sale this Sat.




corn box;
Lauren loved being
covered up with the corn.
















                                                          Tractor ride














Sweet family-Jenny, Lauren & Ben


Yes, I think I'm getting the hang of being here long term.
ann :)
                                                           

Does That Include GPSes?

Yesterday; Friday-Oct 14; Dave asked me to go pick up pizza for the Hyperbaric/Wound Care Staff at the hospital where he is now working.  It was his way of saying thank you for all their help as he has been getting adjusted during his first two weeks of work.

My instructions were to leave at 10:00 am & deliver the pizza a few minutes after 11:00 am.  Travel time was about 25 min.  The pizza was suppose to be ready at 10:45 am; the hospital was about 5 min away; so I should have been at the clinic early, if all went according to plan.  

I set my GPS to go get the pizza.  For some reason the GPS wouldn't take my destination.  I knew how to get to the hospital w/o the GPS, so I started out.  

As I was traveling, I pulled over to set the GPS & it finally took a road.  All of a sudden it (GPS) steered me in the wrong direction.  Here I go again.  I reset it & was on my way.

I made it to the area where the pizza should have been, but no pizza place.  I placed a call to Dave & he gave the phone to a nurse.  She was so sweet.  She stayed on the phone with me until I got to the pizza place.  I hate getting lost.  

Well, putting me on the emotional scale of 1 to 10, I was about a 5 or 6.  I calmed down seeing I was doing OK with my time while I waited on the pizza.  I couldn't help if the pizza was late.  Finally, I got the pizza, directions  & I was on my way to the hospital.  

I got to the hospital.  I was suppose to go to the East Gate Entrance at the ER.  I started following the signs but I never saw the word East.  I saw signs for the North & Main Gate, but no East Gate.  I saw the ER, but no East Gate.  So, I'm on the phone again with another nurse.  She was a dear.  She could tell I was in a desperate need.  Not only did she stay on the phone with me but came out of the hospital & met me on the road.  She took the pizza up to the staff.  It was now 11:07am.  I'm late. :(   

I parked the car.  Now, my emotional barometer was about 8.  I had never been to the hospital & this was my first time to meet the staff.  Nothing like meeting a frazzled women for the first time.  By the way, there isn't an East Entrance on a sign.  It does say East Entrance on the building next to the ER.  Oh Well!!!

Well, I walked into the hospital, there was the second helpful nurse leaning over the balcony to guide me some more.  When I saw the balcony, I not only saw the nurse but this verse was written across the wall.

Psalm 55:22 (NASB)

  ²² Cast ^[a]your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; 

He will never allow the righteous to ^[b]be shaken.

My first thought was, "Lord, does that mean GPSes?"  I think He would say, "Yes".

The hospital is a great size & so pretty.  The clinic is so nice & I loved visiting with the staff.  I felt right at home.  I heard that every morning during their staff meeting, they begin with a verse for the day.

I feel so blessed that Dave is working there.
Thank you Lord.

                             ann :)