You've got to read these !!!

I thought I'd do something different for this posting.  I subscribe to and follow a TON of blogs, so I thought I'd share a few posts from some of them.  They have touched my heart, spoke to my soul, made me think, made me laugh, and some just made me hungry!  I think you'll like them too and you might find a new favorite blogger to follow. All of these bloggers have kindly given me permission to use exerpts from one of their posts and I've provided a link to each of them. When you visit them, how about leaving a comment telling them that you heard about them on my blog?  And please consider following them. That way you won't miss any of their future posts. I follow them via Bloglovin'.  There's no specific order to this list.  I'm actually just going through my emails from them and starting with the most recent.

High Wire Act  by Connie Cortright.  Her blog is called "Through the Milk Door".  You'll have to read her blog to find out what a milk door is if you don't already know.  I didn't.  Her posts are an  informative, interesting and humorous  look into days gone by. This particular post is about the early days of department stores and the innovative way they handled transactions.  I remember going into one of the swankier department stores in Ithaca NY when I was a youngster and being fascinated by the money tube.  You'll have to read the whole post to find out what that was.  Here's an excerpt from her post:

"....Money was "wired" from one location to another in a department store during the early half of the last century. I remember seeing this happen when my parents took us shopping in our small town in Wisconsin.
    What am I talking about? A cash carrier, or sometimes called cash railway, was a system of pulleys and wires running close to the ceiling in a large store sending and receiving cash payments.

    For example: a salesman in the shoe department would put a $20.00 bill in a small round container along with the sales receipt. The cylinder would be hooked up to the overhead wire system and a lever pulled to send the payment up to the cashier
location on an upper floor...."

When you're watching old movies, keep your eyes open for these.  I'll bet they were a bit noisy and slow. Can you imagine a system like that today when people in stores are in such a hurry you barely have time to get your wallet back in your purse before they're pushing at you from behind? Those were times when life was taken slower. You'll find all kinds of 'vintage' information on her blog. She writes about the days of the great depression, the dust bowl, old time hygene, and other cultural topics. The times of our parents and grandparents.


My Expectations

"...Has life turned out just the way you expected? What about last year? What about last week? What about yesterday? Boy~sometimes a bump in road just throws me off my path. Life never seems to turn out the way we expected!

As a certified perfectionist~ I really do not like it one bit either. I get my feathers in a ruffle when things do not go according to my plan. I make a plan and work the plan~it is my life's motto. So who do I run to when my plan~my expectations are dashed? Well sometimes I run to my husband, my children, my politicians~but it won't do me any good. No~ I need to go to the boss and complain directly to God...."

That's a quote from my second selection from Carrie who writes on her "Farming on Faith" blog. 
Her devotionals always touch my soul.  She doesn't pull any punches or candy-coat things,  She write very honestly. Her blog is loaded with devotionals, tips on homemaking, recipes, homemade cleaning products and chickens.....yep......chickens.  She loves her chickens and apparently they have become quite famous! 



Two Cheeky Monkeys  has this great tutorial on her blog.   DIY Towel Hair Wrap Tutorial.

 

 

I think I'm going to be making some of these.  I like to leave my hair in a towel for 15-20 minutes after I wash it and I really hate it when the towel comes unwrapped. This should eliminate that problem.  I really like that you can use old towels to make it!  We had five children at home, four of them daughters, and man oh man, did we go through alot of towels.  Now that everyone has moved away and has homes of their own, we are left with a pile of towels we don't need but are still in good shape. 

Two Cheeky Monkeys  blogs about a variety of subjects from crafts to book reviews.  She also has an Etsy shop.  You'll love her literature based jewelry!

Hop over to her blog and make sure and leave her a comment telling her you heard about her from me. 



Angel Navy Wife has a wonderful devotional post she calls Keep My Commandments,  Here's a little snippet from that post:

"The Church as a whole seems to have let this teaching slip under the rug. We live in the age of "Do what you want, and Jesus's salvation will cover up all the bad" And I find that to be a dangerously unbiblical doctrine.

Yes, Jesus' forgiveness is not to be made light of, but it is not a free ticket to continue in sin.

You may call yourself a Christian because you like the idea of Jesus. But He was very clear. If you love Me, obey My commandments. (John 14:15) If we truly belong to Him we will take His Word seriously. We will obey His commands. We will not participate in the things He tells us to keep away from.

If we truly love Jesus, we wont look like the rest of the world.
We won't be participating in premarital sex. We wont have filthy language (Ephesians 4:29,5:4). We will not watch movies/tv shows that glorify sin (Psalm 101:3, Philippians 4:8). "

WOW !  You got to read the rest of the post, she has a very 'no nonsense' way of communicating.  She goes on to list a bunch of verses encouraging believers to keep the commandments God has given us through both the Old and New Testaments. 

She blogs about her adventures and offers advice with homeschooling, motherhood, homemade gifts and family plus many more subjects.  I know you'll be blessed by her insightful posts.



And here's a post for all you moms out there who think you've had a bad day!!!  Andrea at Pursuing Titus 2, blogs about child rearing, homemaking, family and offers her unique devotionals.  I can remember days similar to what she recounts in her post Having a new baby is hard: The overflowing toilet version.    

"....I dedicate this post to all the new moms out there who might also be tempted to think that something is terribly wrong in the craziness, and also to myself, just in case a couple of years from now I am blessed with another baby and happen to forget that normal life with a new baby = really, really hard and a really, really good chance to meet the Lord in the storm.....Right after I swept up the pencil shavings and carried the slightly bedraggled paper away (and snuck some chocolate from my secret stash, which had NOTHING to do with emotional eating and also nothing to do with my having been up a pound that morning), the children called me over to the computer to see how the four-year-old was doing on her first attempt at Rosetta Stone. The toddler walked up, and I immediately smelled something. That’s funny, I thought. He can’t be dirty. He’s not wearing a diaper. Right. He’s not wearing a diaper. I dared to look down. There was . . . mess all down his legs. I turned around . . . mess all over the floor by the table, stepped in, and tracked all the way over to the computer. I picked up the toddler and held him at arms length so he wouldn’t bump the baby still sleeping on my chest and carried him to the bathroom, only to be reminded that one of the older kids had thrown up the other night, and her bedding was still in the bathtub. Unfortunately, the toddler turned on the water. Now I had soaking wet throw-up bedding in the bathtub that I needed to carry at arms’ length while it dripped all the way down the stairs to the laundry room in the basement. I got the toddler in the bathtub, and went to clean up the living room floor (squatting so as not to flip the baby upside down).
It was right around the time that I was throwing away my bag of yuckiness from the floor that my five-year-old came rushing in. “Hurry! Quick! Something is coming out of the toilet, so I ran out and shut the door!” My nine-year-old calmly translated. “The toilet overflowed.”......God met me that day and answered a very simple prayer offered up somewhat desperately from the panicked trenches, Help me glorify You.
Sometimes we have to be brought to the end of our emotional strength in order to reach out for the Lord’s grace and find that miraculous ability just to smile and stay calm. And there are many, many, many ways God brings us to the end of ourselves, but here’s the message for me and other moms out there: Having a new baby is certainly one of them. Crazy hard. But a chance to see glory."

I've condensed the post a bit, but I think you get the message.,,,she had a bad day !  Please go to her blog and read the complete posting. If you're ever in a situation that brings you to the end of your rope, you'll appreciate and be blessed by her.  She has a unique perspective that I think you'll find refreshing.  Make sure and read some of her other posts while you're there.




Anyone who knows me, knows I love sweets.  I'm not a big chocolate lover but I really love sweets! 
Apple pie, banana bread, pumpkin bread, lemon squares, molasses cookies......I could go on forever!  Here's a recipe for one of my all time favorites - Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  Katherine at Katherines Corner has posted this version.  I haven't made this but it sounds delicious and best of all, it has cream cheese frosting.  Another of my favs! 

Doesn't that look scrumptious?  Here's part of the recipe, go to her blog for the complete recipe.

What You need

Cake:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1-1/3 cups canola oil

3 cups shredded carrots (about 6 medium)

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

YUM !!!!   Katherine's beautiful blog also has bunches of other recipes and they all look amazing.  She has posts on giveaways, blogging tips, weddings, crafts and lots more.  She also does custom blog designs , so if you're in the market for a new blog design she might have what you're needing.  She also has an Etsy shop with beautiful wedding jewelry. She is busy!

Making My Heart Glad  by Katy at The Country Blossom  really touched my heart.  I read her blog at least once a week. She has such a sweet, caring attitude and I'm always blessed by her posts.  She is a stay at home mom who blogs about homemaking, homeschooling, gardening, family and faith.  This post in particular spoke to me.  Here's a little peek:

"I need to remind myself that our worth does *not* come from what we have. This life is just a journey. We live to glorify Christ...our Creator! I don't need the best of everything (or anything, actually)! Oh how I detest the struggle with the flesh! How I wish to be holy and sanctified... completely...but it is a process, all part of the journey.

Chris and I have chosen what we feel to be the most God-honoring path for our family. We live debt free (except for a bit left on our mortgage) and on one income so that I can be a keeper at home, educating our children at home. We have clothes, shelter, food for our bellies and comforts that most of the world does not. My husband works hard to care for us ~ I cringe to think of my greedy wants. Admitting this is terribly embarrassing as well...but I *know* I am not the only one who struggles with these thoughts and I felt that by sharing my short-comings, that I may encourage you!

It boggles my mind to know that *the* Creator Himself loves me...that He continually disciplines and teaches me even though I seem to "mess up" in abundance. Oh, how I praise and thank Him for His patience with me."

 I always feel encouraged and peaceful after reading her posts.  She has such a heart for wanting to be a witness of God's love. Her photos are always beautiful and she's not shy about sharing her family.  Even though I've never actually met her, I feel I know her through her blog. 




Last but not least, I'd be a bad Mom if I didn't mention my daughters' blogs. They don't blog as often as they used to because they're both really busy Moms.   From Snowflakes to Hotcakes is my oldest daughter's blog. She posts about a bunch of stuff including recipes, devotionals and book and product reviews.  On one of our visits with her we made this tasty dessert.  Yummy! 
Flat Apple Pie  


Another daughter blogs at Make Mine Blue.  She blogs about her projects, family and faith.  She also has an Etsy shop where she sells her handmade bags and clutches.  This is her modeling one of her bags. 

 These blogs are just a tiny sampling of the blogs I regularly read.  I hope you visited each of them and left a comment.  Bloggers LOVE encouraging comments.  As I blogged about in a previous post, Google is dumping their reader so if you have blogs that you usually follow via them, you'll more than likely loose that easy access.  I moved all my favorites to Bloglovin'.  The only problem I've noticed is that it's hard to leave a comment on them, I have to go to the blog in a seperate window to do that.  Not sure why that is but I'll bet they find a way to fix it soon.

Now,  grab a cup of coffee or tea and check out these blogs.  I hope you'll find them as interesting and informative as I do.  I'd love to hear your comments and if you have a favorite blog, tell me!  I love discovering new ones.

Soon Google reader will be going away....

I don't know why they are doing away with it.  It might be they want everyone to use their Google+. At least that's what alot of other bloggers think. Anyway, if you follow blogs through Google reader, most likely you'll loose them.  I suggest migrating them to Bloglovin'.  I've been using that for a while and really love it.  You just go to Bloglovin.com  and set up an account.  It's free and it puts all the blogs you follow via reader in one place.  I think the date set for reader to disappear is July 1 so don't wait. Do it now!!  (Here's a great post about how to do it, it's a fashion blog and I haven't checked the entire site but this post seems to be really helpful in explaining how to make the change)

What I'm working on.....

First of all, there have been some changes around here.  My husband is now semi-retired, so instead of his usual 60-80 hour weeks, he's 'cut back' to around 40.  This not only means he's here a little more during the day, our finances have, let's just say,  cut back also.  The other main thing that's changed , as a result of trying to cut back expenses, is for the first time in 35 years, we are trying to survive without cable TV.  I know.......it's pathetic, but the withdrawal period is really strange and not at all pleasant.  No more Fox and Friends in the morning, unless its on-line, and then they break for commercials and I'm left staring at a blank screen for 4 minutes!

Update 6-5-2013:  Apparently, Time Warner, in their infinite wisdom doesn't let you watch Fox News via the internet without a cable subscription...What????  If I had cable I wouldn't need to watch it online!!!  Reaffirms my decision to dump them.  If so many things weren't tied to our email address, I would probably dump that too. Maybe God's trying to tell me I spend too much time on my computer ! ?

No more NCIS, nope Netflix and Hulu plus don't carry it, so that's an on-line thing too.  We're gonna miss those all day marathons.  No more Yankees!!  No more Hallmark movies  !!!  Oh man, maybe we should have thought this through a  little more, cut something else instead.  Who really needs hot water and a gas range anyway?? Ok, time to calm down and be rational.

 I've got to say a word about Netflix.  (No, I have not received any compensation from them) If we can't have cable then this is the next best thing.  It is really nice to not have commercials interrupting the flow of a show.  And, we can watch something as often and as many times as we want.  The first show we watched, practically non-stop was Alias,  then we moved on to The Murdoch Mysteries, then Monarch of the Glen.  We also watch ALOT of Veggie Tales, Super Why, and well, you get the drift.  I blogged about Veggie Tales here. They're not just for kids,  really!  A word of warning,  there are many shows and movies on Netflix, that some folks, including me, find inappropriate.  You really have to be selective. They allow you to set your preferences by rating but we found that by doing that you don't see the choices of the oldies that are categorized as non-rated, like The Penny Serenade (one of my favorites)  and White Christmas, just to name a couple. We get ours through our Roku player (also, not compensated), one of the best investments we've made.

This lack of cable will, however, open up more time for me to do the things that I should have been doing instead of sitting zombie-like in front of the TV.  Things like reading books for book reviews,  sewing, crocheting, cleaning...wait....did I just say that?

Anyway, while I work on my book reviews, I'll also be working on a post with various bloggers highlighting some of their posts that have either touched my heart, made me think, made me laugh or made me hungry! I'm excited about it !

I'm still trying to figure out a way to separate my book reviews from my other posts, so be patient.  I'm a little slow at figuring these things out,  and lets face it,  I want it to be easy!

I'd really love for you to consider 'following' me. Use the links on the right side. You can follow via Bloglovin', Google friends, Facebook, etc. And while you're there check out some of the other sites and blogs that I follow.

Oh well, the clock is ticking away, time for me to get busy, since I don't have cable to watch anymore!!

I have not asked for or been compensated from any of the companies mentioned in this post.

I'm linked up HERE:

Vacation

Recently we traveled to the beautiful state of Georgia to visit with our daughter and her family.  We had a total of 10 days - the longest vacation we have ever taken!  Of course 4 of those days were spent driving, or in my case, riding.  The scenery is absolutely beautiful along the route we take. We got to relax quite a bit and spend time with our newest grandbaby.  Such fun!!  Some of our time was spent helping with some decorating projects and hosting a yard sale,  The first day of the sale was really cold,  I mean really, really cold!  We sat in the garage in front of a heater!  The second day was beautiful!

We also took in a little sight seeing.  We always try to go somewhere interesting. Last year we went to Fort Pulaski.  I blogged about it HERE.  Here's a few more pictures from that trip:

 

Did you see the movie "The Conspirator"?  Some of the scenes were shot here. 



This year were toured Old Fort King George, a Pre-Revolutionary War re-constructed fort.

  

This is a bird 'house' in the layout of the fort.  So cute!

I

 It doesn't take alot of imagination to know what this is.....

 This is one of those historical sites where you can actually go in the buildings and touch things.  While very little of it is original, everything seemed to be made just as if it would have been in the mid 1700's.  It's intriguing to imagine the men and women living out their everyday lives in what we would consider 'primitive' conditions.

The vegetation is very close to what the soldiers would have had to live with, no manicured gardens here!  In fact, much of it is very swampy.  In one particular spot there is a sign warning you not to approach the alligators "as they are wild" .  I didn't stop to take a picture of that!  I walked very quickly and warily past that spot!  EEK! 
There's a small museum on the grounds that tells the story of the many inhabitants of the fort.

We had a great time! There's so much history in that part of the country,
All too soon, it was time to head home, back to the cold and snowy Western NY weather.  On the way we stopped at the New River Gorge.  We've stopped there before but all we could see were tree-tops!  This time we went into the visitor's center and had a much better view:

It's a looooong way down !

The bridge over the gorge.

The visitor's center was very interesting with alot of memorabilia from the mining history of the area.   If you're in the area you really should stop and look around and if you're really energetic, you can take the really, really, really long staircase down to the base.

I kept busy on the drive looking for and documenting gas prices.  The price actually went down in a few places between our drive down and our trip home.  What a difference from one place to the next!  The highest price was...you guessed it......at home! Good ol' Western NY.   We were glad we filled up before we got there. 

I'd love to hear what vacations you've enjoyed over the years or your plans for future ones.  Leave a comment and tell me about it.

PS.....You can read more about the Historical forts of Georgia in this book, and if you click here and buy it, I get a small percentage.



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Confessions of a bad truster OR The Boogie Man and God

There I was, a grown woman, watching a Veggie Tales with my grandbaby, with tears running down my cheeks.  Why?  Because I'm a bad truster, that's why.  As long as I can remember, I've been that way.  My husband, on the other hand, has an unshakeable faith in God, and trusts almost everyone he meets.  That's not to say he's gullible, he just doesn't like to think badly of anyone.  So, while he trusts everyone, I trust very few people.  And while he trusts God completely, I know I should, but it's much harder for me.  
We are at a time in our lives that we had hoped would be less stressful, more relaxing, and financially more settled.  Unfortunately, that's not the way our lives are going.  After 25 years of dedication, faithfullness and going waaaaaayyy above and beyond the call of duty, my husband became semi-retired.  He and his employer sat down and worked out a plan that would allow him to return to work on a part time basis.  They worked out the pay scale, insurance details, etc.  "Great!!!!!" , I thought, "We'll have more time to visit family, work around the house and relax!".  Well, you guessed it......things are not working out as planned.  Between broken agreements, shrinking paychecks, increasing bills and financial stresses, ...let's just say I was (and still am a little)  having a hard time trusting that God's gonna get us through.
Here's where the Veggie's come in.. I'm sitting in my living room singing along with the show when it suddenly hits me what I'm singing
"God is bigger than the boogie man....", and the tears start. The boogie man can seem really huge! But God is huge-r. I might not like the situation we're in, I might not like what God's going to take us through, it might be really painful and more than likely my trust will waiver, but He won't waiver!  I remember giving this advice and cousel to my kids....'sometimes going through something is painful but it's always better on the other side.'  Yeah, I know, I should practice what I preach.  He never said we'd never have tough times, but He's always brought us through. 
So, dear friends, please pray for this self admitted 'bad-truster'.  Because even though my head knows "....He's watchin' out for you and me...."  my heart still needs to be reminded to "Be still, and know that I am God."

PS...if you want to buy the Veggie Tales that I mentioned you can get it on Amazon and if you buy something, I get a little something too!




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The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen - a book review

I love good historical Christian fiction and The Tutor's Daughter didn't disappoint me. And when you throw in a little intrique, mystery and suspense, it's a winner!  This author keeps you on your toes right to the end.  Even the cover of the book is a winner (and I don't usually comment on the cover of a book), but this one is perfect for the story.  A young woman, dressed appropriately for her station in life as a school master's daughter, poised on the edge of a cliff with dark clouds in the distance.....perfect!

The story is about Emma, the daughter of a boarding school master whose wife has died.  Their school is slowly fading away so when they are asked by a former students family to be in-home tutors to their two young sons, they agree and move to Ebbington Manor, home of the Weston's.  The Weston's are, to say the least, a disfunctional family.  There are secrets, strange noises in the night, locked doors, haunting music, and even a little attempted murder.  Here is what the publisher's website says:

"Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes?
The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her...
When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart?
Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor's Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast--a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions--where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits."

Go HERE to read an exerpt

This book is a faith based book but it's not at all 'preachy'.  It's a good, clean, suspenseful story that will leave you wanting to read more from this author. The ending is predictibly happy. This is after all, Christian romance but even though you know Emma is going to end up in love and happy, you're never quite sure who she's going to end up with until very close to the end.

You can read more about the author and her other novels on her website.

I hope you give this one a try.  If you like faith based fiction and suspense, you won't go wrong with The Tutor's Daughter.

We have a WINNER !!!

Thanks for all of you who visited here and entered my giveaway. I had such fun going to Sew Mama Sew's blog and following the links and entering bunches of giveaways.  I found some new blogs to follow and saw some really cool crafts.

So, without further delay...... the winner of this beautiful necklace

is..........

Tammy !!!

Congratulations!!!!!

Thanks for entering, Tammy.