It has been a while, the new year has found me very busy with very little time for writing. But to let family and friends know I’m not dead yet, I will give a quick update. Connie & I continue to work with all the stresses and strains that full- time work brings and of course it’s tax time. But hey, we still have jobs and taxes to pay!

Amy, Laura, and Rob still have work also. Laura is working toward taking her boards coming up soon. Amy has announced she is getting married this summer or fall, and Rob & Adelaide are busy with their new bundle of joy. Amber continues to work and has returned to graduate school. Ada continues to grind her way through college, and Esther is back in high school with all the activity that brings. There is a lot here I would like to expound on but will not.

The farm continues to soak up all the rain. I’m ready for it to dry up for a few days. I would like to plant some peas, onions and maybe a few other things. I have started pruning the apple trees in hopes we will have another year like last year. I planted lots of tulips and other bulb plants for the spring. I haven’t bought seed yet but I find myself thinking about it a lot. It’s time to stop thinking and start doing! The bees seem to be wintering OK I plan on starting a couple of new hives this year. I have sold lots of honey this year.

I continue to have concerns about the direction our country is headed. Nationalized banking, bail out money to prop up failed & failing companys, stimulus money to abortion clinics: I remember someone wrote something about empowering bad behavior. Hum, what was it?

I hope Mr. Obama is the best president we have ever had, but so far I’m not impressed.

That’s all for now, may God bless

Here is a proud grandmother with her new grandbaby. Connie and newborn, Johannes. Need I say more?

The New Year

Here it is in your face the New Year.  Gone is the old year a year of political discord, endless elections (still going on), world economic stress, wars, and endless examples of our countries lack of morality.  On a personal note I had a fairly good year.  The garden did very well, I put away lots of food, the kids all did well, and Connie & I still have jobs, not bad.  I wonder when I look around me at all the people I know and come in contact with.  They are for the most part good, honest, hardworking people.  So how is it that the so called leaders and the rich & famous seem so corrupt?  Maybe they need to balance a checkbook, and do some hard work for a change or we need to rethink our news sources, hard to be sure.  I have hope  that this year will bring a better overall outlook.

The New Year has started good Esther & I spent a goodly part of New Years day in the orchard doing some early pruning after we visited a friend of hers in the hospital.  Yesterday we took the Christmas tree down and put the Christmas stuff away.  Connie who went to Ohio to visit with her parents New Year’s Eve got to witness the birth of her 3^rd grandson.  Congratulations to Rob & Adelaide Durkin on the birth of their first child Johannes Martin Durkin born 1/2/2009 @ 6:21pm, 7lbs 9oz, 19” long after 16.5 hours of labor, a hard day’s work for Adelaide.

The sermon today was good it was titled “Now is the Hour” as what is the time in this world on God’s clock and do you have all the ingredients His book recommends in order to meet Him at His soon coming.  It has been a restful day, with Esther doing her usual visiting thing with her friends after Church.  I came home and rested.  I thought of taking a nap but didn’t.  I miss Connie as noted above she is in Ohio.  We talk on the phone frequently but it’s just not the same. 

 

 

Reflection

All my girls were gone yesterday Amber & Ada went to their Mom’s in the Hilton Head/Savanna area and Esther went to Knoxville for a basketball tournament. They all got home late last night. Esther stayed at Amber’s apartment. Laura is in for Christmas and went to Amy’s house to hang out. So Connie & I hung out here and had a quiet evening at home, just us and the dogs. I enjoy quiet time like that. We had time to talk and just be with each other, we watched a movie. then we went to bed and talked some more.

Today is a rainy dreary day and yes I know we need rain but I still prefer the bright sunny days. I have slept late so now I feel like the day is half wasted although I had no plans to do anything. It has started slowly a healthy breakfast with Connie. We discussed our children, their and our spirituality, our own mortality, then we turn to the day still ahead.

I keep looking out the window at the orchard and garden yearning to go do something, anything out there- there’s so much to be done. I have the next week off so surely I will get something accomplished. Now as I write this I reflect on Christmas's past: the joys, the tears and the hope the dwells in my heart. I think about the coming year, the questions of my health, my family, my country, my job, GOD…what will it bring? I am only certain of one thing. God is Faithful and will see me through all, both good times and bad times.

Now I’m going to build a fire to cheer the house and do something productive.

May God bless you today.

Inspiration

Inspiration comes in small packages. As I sat in church today and listened to the sermon which was good. The nugget I came away with was Isaiah 26:3 the NIV says “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Who doesn’t want peace, not mention perfect peace.

In the troubled time in which we live with strife at every turn and financial worries for the future, these are comforting words and a promise to cling to.

May you today find the peace you seek.

Christmas

The last couple of days found me sick; normally I shrug off most flu’s but this one kept me going to the water closet. I was lucky enough to not have the vomiting aspect as most did. Thank You God for my strong immune system. Our Church School, Tri-City Seventh Day Adventist School sells citrus fruit every year as a fund raiser. We have done this for years, way before it became such a big fund raiser for the bands ect.. The school sells seasonal fruit monthly from November through March if there are enough orders. We just got our first order in and the navels are great and the grapefruit is divine.

Christmas grows closer with each passing day. For the most part we are ready we have tried to make it a simpler holiday in order to better focus on Jesus instead of who’s getting what or what am I getting. We have a Christmas dinner in which Amber takes the lead. Amy, Connie, Esther, & I usually fix something. If I have the menu right and it could change Amber is fixing Chutney-Glazed Cornish Hens with Hazelnuts and Dried-Fruit Stuffing, Poppy Seed Dinner Rolls, and Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle. Connie and I will fix Brussels sprouts, broccoli, mashed potatoes, baklava, and blackberry cobbler. Amy will supply something unknown at this time but she makes a great green bean casserole. We need something yellow don’t we. We will drink a non-caffeinated tea or water with hot tea or coffee with dessert.

Afterward we will open presents with focus on the little ones if we are lucky enough to have some here this year (which I think we will). Aaron and Allen will be at their grandparents with their father. We will miss you guys!

I went to the garden today and picked brussels sprouts, broccoli, and a mess of greens. Have I said how much I love greens? Esther cut the old asparagus plants out of the way for next year as we continue to get ready for the spring greening.

I encourage all to read the Christmas story. A greater deed has ever been done than God’s sacrifice of his Son to this world that we might escape the penalty of sin.