Today we had our Thanksgiving with son in laws family. Melanie and Dave hosted the dinner. The food was plentiful and delicious. The guests were comfortable and talkative. Everyone enjoyed the visiting and thankful for the time we got to spend together. We look forward to getting together again soon.
Kiley was such a good baby, she enjoyed having us all together also. She spent most of the day awake, enjoying the hugs and loving of her other side of the family. Her other Grandma is really good with her, and it shows in the way she talks with her and holds her. Her Uncle is really impressed with his only niece too. It's funny to watch him with her. He is only 17 and he loves her so much already. Such a great sight to see from a teenage young man.
Tonight is such a treat for me. The series Monk is one of my favorite shows. Today has been marathon day for the series is coming to an end this coming Friday. I have enjoyed the 8 seasons it has been on. I shall miss new shows, but look forward to re-runs.
Steve is helping neighbor get his crops out, then he will help us get ours out. The weather last week found us enjoying 50's and 60's. The wind kicked up here today and it's howling out there right now. Temps are cool and it feels a little like winter is setting in. The snow will be coming soon, I shall enjoy watching it fall, and taking walks in the evenings are one of my favorite things to do. With the white on the ground it is like daybreak all night long.
But hope it holds off a few more weeks. We still have so many things to do yet before we are ready to sit back and enjoy the winter months of not much to do. lol

Last Sunday of November

Sunday morning, the last one of November. There is only 33 days of 2009 left.

My thoughts on today, I read Psalms 37 1 thru 40. Seems fitting for the coming of the end of another year. Trusting in the Lord in all things is something I should write down and post on fridge for daily reading. No need to fret over the bad things, for God will take care of those things in time. Believing and trusting in the Lord will lead our hearts to joyous times, riches galore, and love overflowing.

May God Bless the world during this Holiday Season and touch the hearts of those who don't know him. Hold in his arms those in lost minds of mourners. May he feed the hungry, and cloth the naked. Shelter the cold and warm the hearts of the forgotten elderly. May he open the door for the doubting and faithless, for they shall believe in him and his heaven above. Amen

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving is upon us. The year has passed so fast. Spring brought heavy rains, making late planting of crops for some. Summer was cooler than normal for our area. Making it very tolerable for gardening and keeping up with the beautiful flowers we enjoyed throughout the summer and into fall. Fall found us again wading in heavy rain waters for days on end.

Thanksgiving day is suppose to bring with it a chance of snow showers. Such a quick change to the late summer temps we enjoyed for over a week here in November. Farmers are really hoping for the weather to cooperate so we can all get our crops out of the wet fields.

Today it's raining again, as the showers started yesterday morning. The skies have some major dark clouds, and here I was hoping for snow clouds to move in.

Monday I put up my big Christmas tree in the living room. Then yesterday I put lights and ornaments on it, put out some of my decorations, need to hit the closet for the rest of stuff. Christmas holidays are so my favorite. The bright festive colors of the lights and decorations seem to get most people in a better mood than the drab days of winter without them. I often find myself looking at the night sky for the northern star. With the daylight hours shortened now, I am able to see more of the stars than I do in the summer time. More time is spent outside in the evenings now, I think just to star gaze. Course I am not so busy keeping up with the work outside at this time of the year either, that giving me more time to just appreciate the beauty of the sky.

I baked apple crisp today. A new recipe, and I think this recipe will be put into my family cookbook as one of the best I have ever had. Super good taste, easy to make, and the flavor of spices are just the right mixture, creamy texture and so delicious.

So with the rain keeping me inside, the smell of baked apples in the kitchen, the house quiet with only me home for the time being, makes me mellow and happy at the same time. I think I should make the list of goodies the kids and I will make tomorrow, while we have fun teaching and learning from one another. Workout should be a good cardio one, for we will laugh the whole day. Another day to make some incredible memories.

First Tractor of Our Collection - 1950-Farmall-M

I was thinking, maybe I should blog about our collection of Antique Tractors, since this will open the door a little for people to know us.

We purchased our first tractor in 1990. Steve was working for International Harvester company then. He had delivered some piece of equipment to a farmer in neighboring state of MO. While there talking with the farmer, he spotted the tractor in the farmers shed, which sparked conversation. The farmer said he would sell it, for it only took up space in his shed, he didn't use it any longer. The farmer quoted Steve price he would take for it, running and good paint job. When Steve got home, he talked with me and we decided it was time he had his own pulling tractor, as he had been pulling his dad's old tractor which one of my brothers had bought.

Steve and my brother went and got the tractor.

Steve taught me to drive it, as well as taught both our girls when they were old enough and could reach the pedals.

Steve got me into pulling with him, for weight classes we could pull as many classes as we could weigh for. So we took turns pulling at pulls. It become a family outing for the summer time. The girls both enjoyed visiting with other youngsters and even the pullers themselves.

Over the years, Steve has added some features onto this tractor. He added power steering, hydraulics, and a front end loader. This tractor has sort of been retired from the pulling circuit, and is used every year for a track work tractor at our club pulls. It is easy to use around the farm also.

It's so true, you never forget your first......tractor, which lead to the start of our collection.

Mail came and with it.....

The mail come today, I picked it out of the mailbox like usual, newspaper, store flyer, post card advertisement, junk mail letter, and look here, a green envelope, ye....ah.....our first Christmas card from friends. I am so excited, I love receiving cards at Christmas time, many we get have little notes in them, telling about the family and what's been going on with them. Even if they are only signed, we know we have been in their thoughts and they let us know in the way of cards.

So tomorrow I am going to start on my cards. I usually have them made out and stamped ready to drop off in mail the day after Thanksgiving. This year has been one of many delays for me. I get something started and I end up having to leave it hanging til I can get back to it. Sometimes it's family things get in the way, other times it has been weather factor, and other times, too many times, I find myself starting something new, and not getting the first thing finished, compiling my projects on top of one another. Then I get the overwhelming feeling of too many things at once, and make my list of "to dos'" and buckle down and get them done one by one. I have never really made "New Year resolutions", but maybe this year is the time to start. I should keep to one project and make sure it finished, before starting another one. I will give this some thought.

Good news on the weather too, this morning it rained, a heavy mist, cold and very wet. But the sun shined this afternoon. It was so nice to see it peeking out around the clouds, then fully bathing the air with warmth. Praying real hard that we keep the sun for a while now. The ground needs to dry out, a lot.

Steve took the day off to take me to my hearing with W/C. I gave my testimony and my attorney said she would get back with me on the ruling as soon as she hears something from arbitrator. So will wait some more weeks for that. It has been like forever, but maybe there is an end to this nightmare which has me living a whole different life. I won't get back my life as it was, but this will end the fretting of not knowing what is to be. I pray for things to at least get to a plateau of steady for me. And I can go on with my life not so mind clouded. I ask God to see to this for me, and put it in his hands. I look forward to the guidance as he leads me onward.

My invitation to sit with me.

Let's sit here and watch the rain for a few minutes. Bring your coffee, tea, or choice drink and relax to the dripping rain drops hitting the leaves, roof tops, and autos. Can you hear the trees creak as the wind blows, and the rain drops plop on the ground as it shakes the rain off the limbs. Be ready for the misty spray we get as the wind changes directions. Can you hear the splash of the water as the cars go by on the road? Relaxing isn't it, to know we don't have to go anywhere for a while. Just sit here and watch the clouds flowing in the sky, changing colors and shapes as they swirl around and float on by.

Grab a lap blanket over there if you feel a chill, warm your hands on your cup and lets just think of all the tears in the world falling today. Do you think rain is the tears of Angels, their crying for lost souls and those who don't feel God in their lives? I really feel sorry for those who don't believe. In their loneliness, they can have the best friend in the world, he who listens to every word they say, feel every feeling they have, and love them unconditionally for life. I can't imagine feeling that alone. I have always had God in my life, and as I get older, he is more present everyday.

He sits here today with us, watching the rain, just hanging out. Do you feel him all around you? Look at the rain drops, he is every one as it drops from the sky, he is dancing in the wind with the clouds. He's warming you under that blanket as we sit here. Do you hear his humming in the rumble of the thunder? There he touched you with the mist of spray as the winds turned our way. It made you open your eyes didn't it, with the cold spray hitting your face. No need to dry it off, it's good to let it sink into your skin. There, see that lonely bird, he's leading him to shelter from the rain and cold. He will sit on the branch with him while he waits out the storm. Then he will lead him to food and his family, and never leave his side.

Oh? gotta go so soon?

Well, thanks for dropping by, be careful on the road, stay safe and warm, let's do this again one day soon. Be sure to take God along with you, he'll still be here with me too, so don't think I will be alone. He has a place for everyone at all times in his hands and arms. It's just up to us to make room in our hearts for him. Take care, God Bless you and me and everyone everywhere. Amen

Open arms, feel the love.

Life finds many people in and out of our lives as time goes by. There are few which hold that special place in our hearts. Many we hold dear, but just that few which are very unique and special.

Yesterday I got a chance to spend some time with some of my "few" and the time was so nice, I really didn't want it to end.

Within the walls of our home yesterday, the sounds of laughter and love livened the gray rainy day. The bright light of joy had to have had our house lite up all the way to the moon. Our little early Thanksgiving day turned out every bit as good as I had hoped and then some. I wish we had had more time to chat and visit, but every moment of it was spent laughing and enjoying the love we share with one another.

So many opportunities are presented to us to grab hold of and make cherished memories out of, if only more people in the world would grab those times and hold them dear to their hearts, their lives would be enriched with beauty beyond their expectations.

God is present in my home and today his love shined all around those who entered. I thank him for this time we had and look forward to many more such gatherings with his love present like we had today.

Thank you God for such a wonderful family and for bringing them together and remembering you for all we have and sharing with us the true meaning of a loving family. Amen