Transformations

Some worms spend their whole life in the dirt.  

They provide a wonderful service to the plants and the flowers. 

Their beauty is in their work. 

Then there is the Caterpillar;

 Fuzzy, and funny looking. 

Children notice him, he is delightful to them.

All of God's creation has value.  

 Remember the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover"?

It works for worms too.

 Some of them become Butterflies.

I found  a Butterfly fluttering in the dirt one morning last week. I wasn't sure what it was at first. I came closer and saw it was a butterfly coming out of a Chrysalis. Its wings were still crumpled and bent, its abdomen still had a shell attached (perhaps a part of the Chrysalis). I gently reached down and allowed it to crawl up on my hand, then set it my garden bed with the flowers where there was a little shelter from the hot morning. I watched throughout the day.  It fluttered and jumped and struggled to come into its fullness. It was there into the second day. Later when we looked at the garden bed, it was gone. I felt sad. I had become attached to it already. Isn't that funny… its just an insect, but I felt a connection to it. I suppose because I felt compassion for its struggle and was allowed to see it as it was transforming. That was a miracle to me. One that I had not seen before. 

Steve and I were sitting on our front patio a little later in the evening, when we looked up, there was Miss Butterfly flying in under the covered patio. I am sure it must have been the same one. It had the same markings, it looked like the same one. It was really almost as if that butterfly had come to find us and say. "Look here, I am flying.  Thanks for the shelter and the kind words". Then it flew away. It seemed as if the Lord had shown us something beautiful. A reminder, a thought, a word of encouragement.

Sometimes we, like the Butterfly, look crumpled and bent and funny as we are being transformed into what He is calling us to be. Evidences of what we are and who we are stand out; but our wings are bent, we look a little rumpled, we hop around and try to fly, we're almost there… but not quite.  We were worms, and now look what we've become… but not completely, not yet, we can't fly quite yet.  Oh if someone is patient and kind with us as we are being transformed; if someone has a sweet word of encouragement and appreciation for who we are, it would be like a soft wind that lifts us up.

Have a wonderful week.  May the Spirit of the Lord bless you with encouragement and joy this week

as your are being transformed into His image.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

  

Old Cookbooks

I've always been attracted to old cookbooks.  There is history in them. Cookbooks, and old recipes provide an aspect of history that isn't in the history books. You get a glimpse of people living life, preparing food, caring for families in years gone by; I connect with them, and discover that it helps me find ways to live my life by thinking of how they used to live, how they cooked how they over came problems, what brought them joy. What did they do well that we could still be doing today.? Have we forgotten the good things of days gone, with all of our conveniences and technologies?  Have we missed something as we have run through our own hectic lives. I feel a common bond to homemakers of the past. In their cookbooks, recipes, notes and journals, they left us treasures from their lives that we can still enjoy. 

My daughter in law, Himilce, is putting together a treasure box of recipes for  our granddaughter, Eylse. She is filling it with recipes from all of the grandparents and relatives while she still has access to their lives.  She has asked  her own Mama and relatives, me, my mother in law, and my mom (before she had passed away) for recipes in their own handwriting, so that she can make a little recipe box for Elyse.  Elyse won't understand the value of it for many years, but one day she will realize what treasures it contains.  

I was going through some of my mom's recipes the last couple days.  I would sit in the evening when we were finished from a day of decisions and sorting through all of Mom's stuff, and find comfort in looking through her recipes.  It would get me choked up to see them in her handwriting and to see that she had actually written down many from my blog.  I hadn't know that she had written them down, or that she was even interested in them.  I wish she would have told me.  It would have meant so much to me to know.  But to find them later in her handwriting, seeing that she wrote "Pam's" recipe, was like she had spoken a sweet word of encouragement to me and I treasured it.  In the group of recipes, I found a recipe of her grandmother; Grandma Nina.  Here was a little nugget of gold in a stream. There was only one; it was like a tiny bit of ancestry had trickled through and reminded me of some of who I was, who I cam from. I wish I had known her.  From what I hear, I think I would have really loved her.

I have a collection of old cookbooks; not super old, necessarily,  most of them are from the 50's and 60's, but enough that I think of them as fine old friends.  One book that I have is from the late 1800's.  It is called "The White House Cookbook".  My son and husband found it in an old trunk that was being thrown away about 20 years ago.  Nathan still has the trunk, to this day, and I have the cookbook.  there were other old pictures in it as well, and all of it was a marvel to us.  The cookbook was written for young women in those days to learn the art of homemaking; everything they would need to know about homemaking, hospitality, entertaining, cooking, menu planning and more.  It features special etiquette, menus, recipes, how to prepare meat, how to butcher meat and so on, with the emphasis of how these were done at the White House at that time.

As I have been looking through my mom's recipes, and planning which recipes I, myself, will write out for my granddaughter Elyse's collection, I felt impressed again to try to re-write my own recipes by hand and organize them, so that they can be left as a treasure for my own children some day.  I don't think that while we are "doing" life that we realize the importance of a moment set a side to record "life" and "recipes" that mark history, joy, memory and love in such a way.  

So here's a thought:  Go buy yourself a new box of recipe cards.  Pick out or order some that you really love, and start sharing some of your recipes with friends and family.  Be ready to write and give a recipe when someone asks and share a little part of yourself in the process.  I treasure the ones given to me over the years from my mom, my mother in law, and various friends and neighbors, all with the little worn out places, stains and spots, and all with their handwriting; a special memory of them.

A Good Hair Day

I was away this week.  I went to Nevada for my Niece's High School Graduation.  It was sweet to get a chance to catch up with my family there;  My Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister in Law, and my 2 precious nieces.  My Mom hasn't been well the last several weeks, and now she is having some extensive tests done, so please keep her in your prayers.

Rachel and Her little dog Mandy.

 My niece Rachel, my Mom and My niece Jessica

Rachel and Jessica with some of their cousins after a sleep over.

While I was away, Steve took the dogs to get  "coiffed"…. yes they got their hair done for the summer.  Now mind you Shorty has never been "Coiffed" before in her life (other than her baths… especially her de-skunking baths, which don't really count)… so all of us were amazed at her beauty underneath it all.  I think she is amazed as well,  and is liking all the extra attention  she is getting now that her hair is so delightful to touch.  Every body needs a "Good Hair Day" now and then; even Toby and Shorty.  And now they get to have their pictures taken with "Ol Blue"; just so that this "Good Hair Day" can be recorded in history.  But first, you must see a "before and after".

 Before

This is Toby and Shorty a few years back (Shorty was still a little bit of a puppy then); and Toby is definitely a little Teddy Bear when he has all that hair isn't he?

 After

 And here they are today; so noble poised and dignified...

"Yes we are"….

 "Awwww just kidding, lets go for a ride in Ol' Blue"

 "Even with our fancy hair cut, we're still just "down-home" folks aren't we Toby".

 "Sigh… I just love Ol' Blue don't you Toby?"

 "Yep, I'm pretty partial to this ol' truck"

Have a "Good Hair Day" Everyone.

The Love of a Good Man

To be blessed and honored on Mother's Day  encourages our hearts to keep on keeping on doesn't it Moms? The older I get, the more sentimental I get about what my children do…. the precious gifts they send or give and the cards or notes they write, or  the phone calls  saying "Happy Mother's Day Mom, I miss you".  Those are truly things I treasure in my heart.   There are different seasons with our children and how they show their love and affection, changes as they grow; each season is very special; I am thankful for their love above almost all things.  Likewise, to be blessed and honored by a good man is something I am very thankful for.  In addition to the kids, Steve has always made Mother's Day something special for me.  He has set the example over the years of blessing me and honoring me, and I love him for it.  I don't have expectations of perfection or "Superman; I don't have expectations of "Super Children", but to me thats what they are.

Men take plenty of bashing these days… way too much. It bothers me when I hear the world proclaim terrible things over the men that God created.  We need to bless our guys; give them honor and credit for all the amazing things they do (whether they cook  or not); they are amazing creations of God, and how wonderful is the way our Heavenly Father designed the love of a man and a woman for each other.

Every year at Mother's Day and often on my birthday Steve cooks something special for me. He makes me breakfast in bed…. yes, he really does.  He's the best breakfast cooker I know.  One of my favorite breakfasts, is Eggs Benedict.  Steve knows this and on Mother's Day, he makes it for me himself.  It is so delicious, that I think it must be one of the meals we are going to have in heaven.

When Steve was a young man, he used to work for an outfitter/guide at a ranch that provided hunting and fishing expeditions.  He would take groups into the mountains with pack mules, and set them up, cook for them etc.  He enjoyed that work very much.  He was a great cowboy cook and still is even to this day.  Eggs Benedict may not make the menu for most Cowboy fishing or hunting expeditions, but that hasn't stopped this Cowboy from learning how to make it for me.  He is a wonderful man.  This week I got to eat Eggs Benedict twice.  The first time was Sunday for Mother's Day morning.  the second time was today, because I decided I wanted to blog about it and Steve obliged by making it again… I helped the second time, and had the fun of taking the pictures.  So yes, the recipe is coming soon… and whether your the lady of the house or the man of the house… your going to love the recipe.

Thanks Steve,  for all of your love; for all of the thoughtful things you do, for the way you honor and desire to bless me. Thank you for all the wonderful years, and for teaching our children to be like you in this way. Thank you for the gifts, the flowers and the meals that you so thoughtfully gave to me; thank you for listening to me when I needed to talk, for enjoying me when I needed you to enjoy, for loving our children and always being willing to figure me out and help me out and take me out… Wow, I am so blessed and I love you so much.  

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves

Romans 12:10

Lovely Moments

A visit with a Daughter and a Grandson; Talking into the "wee hours" of the night; A Valentines Party with precious friends and delightful boys; A brunch with Grandma Jo; A four generational picture; A night to catch up with old friends; A day to catch up with old friends; Hunting for rocks with Winston; Shopping at the thrift store with Elizabeth; Painting with Winston; Playing with the dogs; Building train tracks;  Listening to a little boy play the piano; Marveling at the music inside of him; Prayer time with Elizabeth; Drinking perpetual cups of tea; Making chocolates and cupcakes and favorite meals; Blogging together; Strategizing new business ideas; Lingering breakfasts; Steve's biscuits, sausage and eggs; Roses from Steve; Cards exchanged with loved ones; Celebrating birthdays; laughing at little boys at play; rejoicing at the goodness of God; A heart full of joyful memories.

At play in the snow.

A Valentines lunch.

Missy's homemade marshmellows.

Amy's chocolate, toffee scones and homemade butter.

Pigs in a blanket for the boys.

Little Noah enjoying some Valentine's Day sunshine.

Steve and the boys and "Big Red" 

Boys like trucks.

Four generations.

Grandma Jo, Winston, Steve and Elizabeth

Winston warms our hearts.

Grandpa helps Winston and I hunt for rocks.

Winston loves his bells.

Brunch at Grandma Jo's is always so lovely.

Breakfast Casserole, fruit,

and muffins.

 

Joy and laughter with friend Holly.

 

Paintbrushes in the light.

"Oh boy, Grammy, let's paint".

"Painting rocks is fun Grammy"

"Can we paint one of them into a bell?"

I miss you Elizabeth and Winston.

Thank you for sharing my  "lovely moments" in February.

Love and Blessings to you all.