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We have never, in our marriage, purchased a new computer or television, or furniture, or large appliance.  We're a frugal sort.  And we're not exactly rolling in dough, as it were, so we don't really have a lot of opportunity to purchase big ticket items, brand new, off the proverbial or literal show room floor.  But even if we could, there is, i find, an awful lot of personal satisfaction in the practice of furnishing a home and a life, with items that you don't go into debt for, or drop  massive clams for. I like spending my funds on things that are not materialistic.  I like the lessons i've learned about where true riches lie.  And thus i'm a little embarrassed to tell you the story i have here.  But it's just so much fun, that i want to share.  And also, as we will likely never do this again, i would like to write it down for posterity. Background aside, this year, we made the hyper-planned decision to take advantage of black friday sales...

I know i'm a stash late on this one.  You'll enjoy it anyway, i hope. On thankfulness, i found the most beautiful example in the book i keep telling you that you all should read:  The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. Here's the scene: Corrie and Betsie, spinster sisters, in their mid-fifties, find themselves living in a Nazi work camp/concentration camp in Germany. This particular facility is a warehouse type room, packed with women of all ages and nationalities, packed so tightly that their sleeping accommodations are described kind of like stacked benches, almost shelves, where women have to sleep right next to each other in order to fit.  On top of the crowded accommodations, and the lack of sanitation, the women quickly discover that this room is infested badly with fleas, so much so that it is necessary for the women to cut off their traditionally long hair. It occurs to Betsie, at some point, while asking the Lord how they are to endure this situation, th...

This weekend, my gun slingin' super hero and i were compelled to give attention to the apparently declining mental health of our lone surviving chicken of the great hawk invasion of 2012.  This action was much advanced by the observation that our darling had not descended from her rafter roost for many hours after daylight - and by her despondent stare at the yummy chicken treats we used to try to lure her down. After we discovered her survival last week, i asked for suggestions to name her, since she has earned a note of singularity worthy of a name, due to her miraculous perceived resurrection.  I had three suggestions, which were lovely, and i ignored all of them and named her "Chance."  It's the alliteration, mostly, " Ch ance the Ch icken," and that i was simply not feeling a lot like giving her a regular, feminine girl's name.  Thank you for your suggestions.  :)   Saturday, being my first reasonable chance to get Chance some company, i ...

We have this orange tree.  It's called a Lone-Star Orange tree, reportedly bred to thrive in our region of Texas.  So far so good.  This poor little tree has survived some of the hottest and driest and coldest and wettest seasons in the history of our state, and it has marched on gallantly!  And this year, it is making its first fruit!  Since spring time, when we noticed this lonely fruit, we have nursed and loved it with great care.  Well, we would have nursed it and loved it with great care -- if there were anything for us to do.  But in reality, we just looked at it and sent it good thoughts from time to time.  For the longest time, it was just as green as the leaves on the tree.  But this past week, it finally changed color.  It's yellow!  If you had known how many times we've attempted to start fruit trees on this property, you would appreciate the joy of this moment. The peaches, the blackberries, the fig that didn't ...

Here is a beautiful example of love. (Spoiler alert for people like Meredith, who might be currently reading, "The Hiding Place.") Corrie Ten Boom, and her entire family were arrested by Nazi police in Holland for the crime of housing and protecting Jews.  During the course of their trials and imprisonment, Corrie's father died in prison, her sister in a concentration camp.  Her nephew was killed by the Nazi's, and her brother survived prison, but died an early death because of diseases he was exposed to in the filthy prisons. Corrie survived inhuman conditions for years and miraculously was released from prison shortly before she was to be executed. What do you think Corrie did with her life after she was released and her country redeemed from the Nazi's? I bet you can't guess. She had dreams, while in prison, of being able to help the mentally ill.  And she did. But her sister, while dying in prison, at the abuse of Nazi guards, told Corrie tha...

This beautiful graphic can be found at   http://www.etsy.com/listing/46829964/it-is-well-with-my-soul8-by-10-print     You know that question, "How are you?"  Most of us answer "Fine thanks, yourself?"  or something to that lame effect. Others of us respond with lots of detail, inspiring those around us, who didn't actually want to know, to ask less often. Some people i know will always answer, "Blessed!" to that question, regardless of how they feel or what's going on in their lives. And why shouldn't they? Is how YOU are, conditioned upon your circumstances? I say no. YOU are a soul and a spirit within a body, surrounded by circumstances, often far beyond your control. YOU are not controlled by your tent. Today, i have the symptoms of a cold in my body.  And my body feels like someone is trying to blow up a slime-leaking balloon inside my sinus cavity.  But it is well with my soul.  And if relativity counts for anythin...

I don't usually engage in regret. For the most part, i have the view point that at every decision made, i used the skills, strength, and knowledge i had at that point to make whatever decisions i made, and i learned lessons from the wrong decisions, which made me stronger and wiser. Sometimes, i know i made the wrong decision, even though i knew better.  And those i regret.  But still learn from. I find, most recently, that my true regrets are often events that take place because of my inability to get off of a chosen path. Have you ever been walking down a hallway at work and suddenly remember that you're going the wrong way, but instead of stopping dead in your tracks and turning around to go the right way, you just continue on your path and pretend you had something to do when you get to that wrong destination? I have. No one is actually watching me, but once i get on that path, it can be really HARD to get off of it. I once took a job i knew i shouldn't ta...

It's the early 1900s.  Casper, a Dutch watch maker, takes his daughter along on a routine train ride. Casper's daughter, Corrie, has something on her mind.   Finally, after many silent minutes, Casper hears her tentative and timid question, "Father, what is 'sex sin?'" Part of a very conservative European society, wherein most young women gain the whole of their "sex education" from their mothers on the night before their wedding day, Casper knows that now is certainly not the time to explain these sensitive details to his young and innocent daughter. Casper feels the eyes of his daughter on him, waiting for the answer to this curious question, and soon he knows how to answer his treasured daughter.  He gets up from his seat, pulls down his brief case off of the luggage rack.  It's bulging with parts and pieces for watch repair. Here's the actual words from the book, as told by Corrie. Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?...

If i were a better housekeeper, i might never have waited this long.  I'm not sure how long it has been.  But it has definitely been month s , since i put these two stems in water.  And then this week, i noticed it.  Can you see it?  New growth.  New growth above and below the water.  Tiny little buds of enormous potential.  Beautiful, strong, delicious, white roses are inside that tiny stem somewhere, waiting their turn. Outside, the rose cutting in the jar, is looking greener, and i think i see tiny new leaves.  I'm not entirely sure about this, but i'm gaining hope. I don't know if everyone does this, but it seems common for us more introverted types to kind of shut off outside communication from time to time, while important things are being developed and grown inside our hearts.  And this is what is and has been happening with me in recent weeks and months.  I'd apologize for the blog silence, but i'm n...