Considering the Future

My husband and I are beginning to consider what our lives will be like once our young folks sprout wings and leave our nest.  We are looking at downsizing our home, even though we just moved here last year.  We are looking at possibly having more property, even though it means more work to do the things we'd like to do.

We're realizing that we are limited with how much activity we can participate in at church living almost an hour away.  The special things that happen on days other than Sundays and Wednesdays simply cannot be attended because it isn't just a short jaunt over to the church or to a Couple's Night with our dear folks in our Sunday School class whom we've grown to love.  So we pray.  We'll find out soon enough what the Lord's will is for this as we lay this at His feet.  There is a lot to consider and even still, we consider the necessity of selling our current house when the time comes too.  Lots to consider.

We're realizing that we will be physically limited with how much we can accomplish on a daily basis due to the fact that our young folks will be out of the nest.  I mentioned to my husband that we could get him a good tractor (not to be confused with "new") with accessories that would help him do the work that is needful without needing one or more of the kids around to do it.  But, the other things, like putting up fences or things like that, if course we'd ask the kids to come help.

We're realizing that we'll need a house with 2 master bedroom/bathrooms just in case there is a need for one of our parents to move in with us.  Additionally, we're looking at building an apartment over a garage just in case our oldest son needs a place.  That will give him his own space and as much autonomy as possible.

We've talked about "puttering" with our days on the property.  We've talked about having a garden and having fruit trees and selling the produce.  We've talked about going to different festivals with things that we make to sell.

It's a sweet thought for us to have things like this in mind for our future.  I don't want anything ornate, but simple and all one level, but nothing too big.  I want to be able to have family and friends over to love on them.  I want to bless others and serve the Lord with my husband.

"Ponder the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established." 

(Pro 4:26)

In Christ,

Melancholy Reflections

Yesterday was my oldest son's 20th birthday.  No, I'm not musing about how fast the time has gone.  I am looking forward to watching this young man take life by the horns and conquer it, whatever "it" may be.  He has had quite the long and arduous "mountain" to climb the past few years, so he's looking forward to when we get to Georgia so that he can begin his next chapter, and see where God leads him.

The oldest and the youngest.

This morning I can feel fall in the air here in Western Pennsylvania.  The trees are beginning to take on a yellowish orange hue while the days get shorter and the wee bit of chill is in the air.  In one short week we'll be packing up our earthly possessions and saying "Good-bye" to our home in Pennsylvania.  We've lived in Pennsylvania all of our married life.  We are accustomed to the winters, hurrying to grow and gather the food while we can, then canning and preserving it to assure that we have some of God's wonderful goodness to nourish our bodies through the winter.  I'm sure there will be leaves to rake, but in a different way, with different things to go with those leaves.  Instead of pine mulch, many people in Georgia use pine needles.  Our realtor told us that pine needle mulch attracts cockroaches.  Guess what we're NOT using for mulch?!  Wow!  

Today I will finish packing the living room and pack whatever I can in my kitchen(s).  I am sure my new kitchen will serve us well.  We'll serve others with hospitality and the love of Christ, opening the doors to our home for those who may be in need.  We'll see where God leads us. 

Our new kitchen...the previous tenants were still living in the house.

Looking through the Sun room to the kitchen.

I'm not sure all the changes we will be making in this room, but the first thing is going to be a full size stove/oven.  We do a lot of cooking and baking, so it stands to reason that we add a full size stove.  I'm stil trying to figure out how to use the cubby between the refrigerator and the wall oven.

As we wrap things up here in PA, we are faced with bittersweet thoughts.  Ones of missing our dear sweet friends, but also ones of excitement in the chapters to come.

Please continue to keep us in prayer.

God Bless,

Busy Summer

Lately I haven't come close to completing a post (shame on me!) with everything going on.  Lots of our friends are returning to public and private school next Monday, so we needed to squeeze one last trip to see friends.  We needed to hug them and visit and let the kids play.

While we were at our friends' house, my youngest was riding his bike carrying his "Rip Stick" to the skate park to ride it.  When he tried to ride his bike with Rip Stick in hand, through the portal/gate/doorway, his foot hit the pole and some sort of wire went through the top of his foot.  We quickly got him cleaned & bandaged up and headed home.  We didn't go to a local hospital because none of the ones in the area knew his shot history and my husband was not comfortable taking him anywhere else other than our family Dr.  I forgot when his last tetanus shot was and I knew our Dr's office would know, so it's all fine and well.

We called Friday morning, got him in early, tetanus shot administered, x-rays taken, cheeseburger ordered and antibiotics taken.  We were home by about 12:30PM.  Everything was taken care of, he needed to keep it up and iced off-and-on throughout the day, so they watched cop shows for the rest of the day.  The older two children had completed chores and school work while I was gone in the morning, so I didn't mind.

I tried napping as well, but just couldn't bring myself to do so.  I decided my time would be better served by doing some planning for our vacation next year.  I decided which route to take based on my husband's preferences, my own needs to get up and walk around a bit, make sure we're at our destination at a reasonable hour, and so that we're not traveling 13 hours a day.  Those long days of travel are torturous on my knees and ankles.  They swell up as big as balloons and it isn't good for me.  As much as my husband doesn't like the shorter traveling times, he'd just like to get there and get home, he's quickly realizing that we're getting older and need to make concessions for our own personal physiological needs.  Yes, the vacation is going to be longer than our trips to Florida, but it's full of rest, relaxation, visiting, hugging family, seeing sights, reading, snoozing, walking and making lots of food over a campfire!  :)   Besides, with all the family and friends within a reasonable drive for us, it makes sense to utilize the distance to our advantage. We need to stop regardless, so we have a wonderful plus of being able to see family and friends along the way.

All of these plans are causing me to ache to see my family again.  Many of the family we're planning to visit I haven't seen since before my parents divorced in 1983.  Thirty years is a very long time!  I've reconnected with family on Facebook, which has been a complete blessing to me.  I get to see how they've changed, how their kids, grand kids and great grand kids have come along.  It is simply amazing to me how God has drawn all of us back together.  It blesses me so much.  I'm excited to see each one, hug them, catch up and pray for them.

If there is nothing else that is earth shattering that I do in my life, I count it a privilege and a blessing to my soul to be able to hug a loved one and pray with them.  There are lots of cousins, aunts and uncles on both sides of my parents' families, so there's lots of hugs to give and lots of prayers to be shared.  I want my husband and my children to meet all these wonderful people who are a part of our family history.  My children have asked me about my side of our family and they fill the dry erase board with names connected to Grandma and Grandpa.  Now they want to put faces to names and make connections with family.  I don't blame them.  Family is important.  We've lived virtually alone without family around us almost all of our 23 years of marriage, so it's time to see family and invite them to come see us too.    

With that, I'll leave you today with a picture I took of my black-eyed susans this morning.

A "double" or is it a "triple" eyed Susan?  

God is good, all the time!

Blessings,

Regina

Insomnia and Books

I fell asleep around 10:30PM and found myself awake a little over 2 hours later.  It is now 3AM and I'm still awake.  I figured after reading friends posts on facebook and reading some scripture, I would be able to go back to sleep or maybe even be yawning, but one yawn...and that's it. 

So, I figured I'd go through my books on amazon wish list and share the book reading goals I have for this year.

In no particular order...


I've had this one on my list for a while.  I think I'll figure out a way to read it this year!  LOL



This is another one I've wanted to read for a while.  Scripture intrigues me.  All of the historical information and religious practices intrigues me.  It helps me to understand and put things in to context so much better when I know the history and practices. :)


I enjoy having people over and showing hospitality.  I also love being hospitable to my own family.  I know I could always grow in this area, so I'd like to read this particular book as well as the next one on hospitality. :)




So many times in the past 10 years I have found that the more I focus on what God teaches us in His word, the better I feel.  For example, when Daniel was taken in to captivity by the Babylonians, he requested pulses and water.  Well, from my own understanding, pulses is just oatmeal/grains and vegetables.  When I add more vegetables to my diet, if not completely replacing a meal with a salad, I feel so much better.  What wonderful information!  I'd like to learn more, so I'd like to get this book to give me a "kick start".  :) 


I've added a variety of sewing books because, although I've been sewing for over 30 years (seems strange to say that), I can still learn more techniques, brush up on the newer technology and learn more about the wear and care of different fabrics.  Serging is one of those things that intrigues me.  It may be a "piece of cake" for some, but I've always just zig zagged or used my serging stitch on my machine to make sure my fabrics do not fray.  Once I found this book I realized how much more there is to learn and know about serging.  This may help me in my decision to buy a serger or not to buy a serger.  LOL 



I have the opportunity to join a group of ladies to study this particular book.  Yes, I know I've studied so many others, but I'm intrigued to see what others have to say about the Proverbs 31 woman.  I gleen more and more each time I reread the wonderful books I do have, but sometimes how one person words something speaks differently to some than others.  It is for that reason that I study so many different books on this particular topic. 


This is in no way exhaustive.  I have tons of other books I'd like to read on Faire Aisle Knitting, wool, and spinning, other medicinal, companion planting and organic gardening, among a host of others. 

What would you like to read this year?