heralding spring

A flowering pear is lovely to see

as it stands blooming proudly in all of its glory.

Standing tall in our yards and in rows on our streets

and popping up in the woods where country roads meet.
Heralding, like trumpets, the coming of spring
with branches lifted high praising their King!

"Let them praise the Lord
for He commanded and they were created."
Psalm 148:5

a happy find!

Who would have thought back when I was taking my children

to McDonald's for Happy Meals that one day a salad from there

would be one of my favorite things?

It's their Southwest Salad with grilled chicken.

I opt for the Ranch dressing instead of the southwest that

comes with it.

It has corn, black beans, cheese and tortilla chip strips

with three different lettuces. The dressing is Paul Newman's...

it is so good. And another thing that is good...

 it's only $4.99!!

So, I guess you could say it's my Happy Meal! :-)

fun in Tenn!

It was a fun weekend with our son, daughter-in-law,

and Chan and Rile!

We celebrated Rile's 7th birthday

with dinner at Fazoli's (her pick).

Then it was present time!

Her parents gave her an American Girl doll,

Caroline. So, I personalized (with some help)

a small suitcase to hold all of Caroline's

clothes and accessories.

and there was an outfit for Caroline inside , too.

Her mom made deicious chocolate chip cookies for

her "birthday dessert"!

Then, it was off to the movies...

Granna and Papa came, too!

We saw "Sherman and Mr. Peabody".

It was cute. Funny to see it again after all these years.

Do you remember watching it as a Sat morning cartoon

when you were growing up?

I do.

Saturday, Mom and Dad had a day-long childbirth class, so

I had the girls all to myself!

After breakfast, we had a American Girl Doll fashion show.

I was the emcee and the official photographer! :-)

Then, we had a tea party...cheese and crackers and orange slices!

 After tea, there was another fashion show. This time, the girls

modeled all their costumes and dress up clothes.

The playground was calling...so we answered!

We worked up an appetite for lunch, so it was

off to McDonald's. Guess what the Happy Meal toys were...

Sherman and Mr. Peabody...perfect!

They got Sherman bobble heads!

After a shopping trip to Dollar Tree...woohoo!!...

we went to Orange Leaf...a yogurt shoppe.

It was yummy!

Back at home, they painted their suncatchers...

and painted in their "paint with water" books.

A couple of their $1 purchases at Dollar Tree.

By this time, Gran was a little tired.

So, we crashed in the bonus room upstairs and watched

a movie. About an hour later, Mom and Dad came home

and we answered their call to dinner when it was ready!!

It was a fun day! It's a rare treat to have that kind of day with

my Tenn girls...I will remember it for a long time!

And I am grateful to share in Rile's birthday...what a privilege

it is to be a part of our grand's special moments! :-)

sign me up!

So...happy Monday to you!!

Thank you for your kind comments about the 

"bag project"!

To answer a couple of questions that were asked...

the place where we were sewing is a very nice

pool house that belongs to a couple in our church.

It is a beautiful place with a full kitchen, a bedroom,

bath, fireplace, pool table and lots of square feet for "functions"! 

We have had several Sunday School Class parties there. 

They are always generous to share it.

Secondly, no I have not been on any of the Brazil trips.

In the 3 1/2 years we have been at the church, I have not

felt compelled to go...maybe one year.

But, one thing I have felt compelled to do is help out with another

 project that we have going on. Our church has a very good

 relationship with the elementary school for our area of the county which

is only a few blocks down the road.

This past Aug, we fed the teachers breakfast one day during their week

 of preparation prior to the first day of school.

 For several years, we have helped some of the families

 of students there at Christmas time. 

And this is our second year of Project Snack Sax.

There are children who eat breakfast and lunch at school every day

and then have little to eat the rest of the day. 

Weekends are particularly rough for these children.

So, we collect items like these...

And on Fridays, "sacks of snacks" are sent home with them.

When we first started this ministry, the school gave us the names

of ten children. Now, we have 22! 

Our family has always had plenty to eat, so it grieves me to 

think that there are children that go to bed hungry every night.

If I can help alleviate that, even in this small way ...

sign me up!! :-)

a sewing party

Every year in June, a group from our church goes on a mission trip

to Brazil. They teach and do construction...and anything else

the local missionaries ask them to do.

The area they go to is very poor and the people there have very little.

So, every year the ladies of our church make tote bags that are

used to deliver groceries in to the families there.

The women love the bags and are surprised when they are told

that they are a gift for them.

This past Sat, we stated making the fifty bags they need.

There was lots of fabric.

And some pretty fancy sewing machines...

I took my "not so fancy" machine, but the instructions 

for the bag were a little complicated, so I opted to 

do something besides sew! :-)

There were ladies who measured and cut...

 and ladies who ironed (I was one of those!).

Here are the pressed pieces waiting o be sewn.

There were 5 "sew-ers" and they did it in an assembly line...

each person doing one step.

Here is one of the finished bags!

There's another "bag day" planned.

We are hoping to have more helpers next time

so we can finish the job.

From what I understand, these Brazilian are the 

ultimate "recyclers". They re-use and re-use

everything! So, it is a blessing to give a gift they should
 be able to use for a long time.  :-)

Thanks so much for visiting and for all your kind comments.
I am so grateful for all of you!
I hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend!

a little tease

I couldn't resist this bouquet for $10 at Kroger

Tuesday...

Every time I buy myself a bunch, Hubby asked,

"Where did you get the flowers?"

My answer is always the same...

"From my secret admirer."

He acts shocked!

After almost 41 years, it's a little game we play.

He knows I'm teasing and
I know that he knows that I'm teasing...
so it's all good! :-)

wednesday hodgepodge

1. The expression 'mad as a March hare' originated with a fictional character who is distracted and frantic. When were you last 'mad as a March hare' and what was it that made you that way?

Last Aug, we boarded a plane in Atl headed to Vancouver (by way of Houston, TX) to catch

a cruise ship to Alaska. We sat on the runway for an hour before take off because the plane had mechanical difficulties. As a result, we missed our connecting flight in Houston which meant we could not get to Vancouver in time to catch the ship. So, we had to cancel our trip, board a plane and fly back to Georgia. After months of anticipation and weeks of preparation, it was heart breaking and...maddening!! Although, I believed that God was in control and there had to be a purpose

behind this mess, it was still very disappointing, Took me a while to even believe it all

really happened. But we have re-booked the trip for this Aug hoping there are no hiccups this time!

2. Mardi Gras this year falls on Tuesday, March 4th. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras, and if so what did you think? If not, do you have any interest in going?  Purple, green, and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras. Which one is most prevalent in your wardrobe? How about in your home?

I've never been to Mardi Gras and have no desire to go. I have been to New Orleans twice.

Once, just for a few hours coming home for San Antonio. The second time was an office trip

courtesy of the doctor I work for. We were there 3 days. It is an interesting place to visit...

music everywhere you turn, great seafood and beignets are yummy!

More purple in my closet...none of those colors in my home.

3. Are you old fashioned?

In the ways that matter, I think I am. I rejoice when young mothers are able or choose

to stay at home with their young children. I am blessed when couples choose

 to stay pure until marriage.

I think being debt free is a good idea...other than a mortgage

 or for other things that increase in value.

But, I try to dress in a way that is age appropriate, yet, contemporary. 

I try to learn what I need to know about technology. I resisted Facebook
for a long time, but finally joined and have enjoyed keeping up with
friends and family that way.

4. Do you carefully plan your vacations, or do you prefer

 the days to be more spontaneous?

I am a planner! I like to know where we are staying and

 have some ideas about what we will do there.

5.  March is National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce, and what

 do you most often top with this sauce?

Hmmm...I will have to say alfredo. I love it on fettucine with chicken or shrimp, 

but I like it on almost anything. I've had it on cheese filled ravioli and on pizza, too.

6.  What's something that easily brings a tear to your eye?

Sad books, movies, TV shows....even Hallmark commercials!!

My children crying or just thinking about their heartaches.

My children's joys...graduations, weddings, the birth of their children.

Sometimes reading scripture or hearing a particularly meaningful song in church

or on the radio in my car.

Hearing testimonies of a life changed by the power and love of God.

7. If you could own any sports team, which one would it be and why?

The Atlanta Braves....so I could go to as many games as I wanted and I could

 give tickets to my family and friends!!

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

I
 am looking forward to a trip to Tenn this weekend to see our older

son and his family. Haven't been anywhere since November, 

so I am ready to go!

Thanks to Joyce for hosting this every week!