It's Time!

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Decision, Decision!!!

  Visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for   the  party...

  It's time  to  think  of   doing something  for the mantel....   but it seems I never ahve   time or the energy to  get  it done... So I  was   perusing my photos of   I did   the last few years...

My treasure  chest  filled with   autumn  blooms and  leaves  is   usually   an  easy  fix....   and I may revert to that...
  Funny to  admit   our basement  was   so topsy-turvy that last spring  we   organized and I put  all my seasonal   things in  marked tubs in the storage room...   problem is  autumn  is a  the bottom of the stack....   I think I liked it better  when  they were just  everywhere  in the basement. (She!  Dont  mention that to my  hubby!)

Sometimes   a collection of   items   with splashes of  autumn color  suits me...
Last year,   my   autumn lights  mixed in with   dried  hydrangea and   leaves    added just  the  sparkle I  needed!

Right now  it  stills  the same  since the  first of September....


And  it is definitely ready for   a   bright pick-me-up....    I wonder  what  it  will   finally  look like...  I have the feeling it will look  entirely different...  if I can just find some time  to do it...   

Let's Pray for our Nation

Today is the first  official  day of autumn and  it feels like a new beginning to me!!!!..  I have purposely been absent from blogging   because I   was preparing my  mind, body, and  spirit   for    powerful prayer event   we  worked on  this last week..   What an awesome event it was... 
Our prayer group  had been feeling, for a while, that    God   was on the move in our lives  but we weren't quite sure of  what  he was  getting us to do....    but, we were feeling antsy and ready to  move with HIm...   We, then, were  reading all the emails   regarding prayer events for the election and the concerns  for  the election and felt an urgency to   to   break through the bonds of denominationalism   that   separate us and bring together  Christians in our valley   to exalt the one who    binds us together  in peace and love and harmony so we   planned a  prayer event , held it in  our local library  auditorium  and   sent out flyers to   many churches...   the only problem,   in  one sense, was  that our date  coincided with  another pro-life fundraising dinner in our community ....   but even  at that  we had  over 85 very dedicated  Christians  come   for an evening of sweet worship and prayer for our  nation..   We were taking  II Chronicles seriously.. we spent most of the time praying   repentance  our people , our churches  not  just  pouring  requests    for  God's help   from our perspective wants and wishes,,, but     cried out  for mercy  and   God's favor  in His Will   for our nation....
G
This prayer that  circulated  around  the internet   resonated with us... credited to  Billy Graham  but  snopes   declares  it was  written   by a congressman  a few years ago,   but no matter... it   speaks to the ills of our  nation!
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our
spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have
killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted
our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

 The people cant wait for our next event on November 2....We  feel that   God  was pleased for the  Holy Spirit moved  through the room  and He filled in   the areas   that  we were remiss in  planning....We felt that  exactly the right people  were there, the exact  correct number and  we  also feel that  our next venue  must necessarily hold a larger   influx of  folks  because  people are hungry for this  ...  it was a taste of heaven on earth!!!!

Praise His Holy Name!

\ What a blessing that God goes before us in all things....  He  keeps our heads above the  flooding   tumults and strengthens us day day   for  whatever may come!

Autumn Bunnies Everywhere

  Visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for   the  party!  I have enjoyed  my bunnies out all  year and I just can't    stand of the thought of    boxing them up for spring....so they a re  busily    burrowing in around the house  for   the  change of season!
   
Some found a home on the mantel!

Others under glass by the door!


I can also introduce  my newest bunny  ...  can you find him in this shot?

40 Days of Prayer

Welcome   to my Blue Monday post.

Just click the photo   or  visit  Smiling Sally.


If  anyone is as concerned for our nation as I am  please  take this     to heart and spend some  quality time  praying  fervently for  our nation,   for  the election,  and for revival of the church!
  

One Thousand Gifts (246-255)

  Visit Ann Voskamp for more     praise and blessings!!!

246.    AW...  autumn weather  has arrived...

247.  I am seeing  the light at the end of  this very long tunnel I have been traversing  getting my parents settled in their new    situations.. Mom in  her nursing home, and Dad at the  Virginia Veterans!

248.  God's provision all along the way  step  by step He has led me!
249.  All the many lessons I have  learned and the tests I  feel  that I  passed  along this   trying journey...   I truly feel that I  have  had a huge change  of heart and  an acceptance for things I couldnt change or  losses Ive experienced along the way..  there is freedom in this!   Hallelujah!
250.  So happy  the church committee work  Ive been  working on  the past few months is over!     Now on to new  horizons...   wouldnt have traded the experience or opportunity, but glad it is  all  done  and successfully!
251.  SO pleased to be  new a member now of the Community Bible Study...  New friends and new  paths of learning  this year as we study the Epistles!
252.  What  a joy to  get  the estimate  for moving  Mom and Dad's furniture  this morning  almost a third of what we previous paid to move them into assisted living!!!
253.  Praising  the Lord that I have time to sat and  do a bit of blogging this morning....  and  I am  so  happy taht   He is the first  thing on my mind!   God is  so good....  I am ever so thankful He is my heavenly Father!
254.  This is the week our  precious children visit for the weekend!   What a blessing that will be!
255. This week I  chanced to  be coming out of the church door and  there  to the south was the most beautiful  rainbow. I truly believe that is what set my  happy mood into being!  His mercies are new every day!

Home-ifying Made Simple

Tablescape Thursday
  Last week    After   perusing   an old edition of TeaTime magazine,  I  encountered a lovely   quote

"Something about autumn simply feels like coming home...."I loved that!   So simple yet so all-encompassing!
And I thought , "And the kids are  coming  home  in two weeks!"   and  after   evaluating  the  condition of  my  sad  late  summer   decor     I  was   challenged to   spruce it up  and  "home" ify   what  ever I could in  the  few hours I  seem to be able to whittle out of   my days...
It started in the dining room....  and a shopping trip to Kohl's which produced   this wonderful  tablecloth!
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So I  "checked" out the   cupboards  and      got an idea!

  Again,   my English     pastoral scenes  with  the Herdsman  driving his sheep through the village    certainly fit the bill!
Out came the  sheep....

  and then everything  came together...

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  It just  seems to   be a prelude to  autumn's     arrival    and  I think it   invites the family to gather  round for   a  special  meal and  time  for memory  making!

  I love the   delightful    wall plates  I picked up for a song at  Walmart today!



    Those three wards   tell it all....
  As I was  going through some  framed family photos at mom's home   and was  putting  many away in storage,  I ran across this one and I just had to  keep it out..

The three of us  about 15 years ago...  at a friend's wedding reception....  such a perfect time in our lives...   a busy  family in our prime of life...  Now  our daughter and son-in-law  are a thriving   young  couple    and  Lynn and I have   retired  to   a new phase  of  our lives...   probably busier now  than w e ever thought we'd be....  But  we have much for which to be thankful and   Mainly for  our  wonderful family and   our  home...  Tomorrow  I will   work on a     center piece... that is for another day!    

Also   posting on  

Olde World Tabletopper

  Visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for   the  party

Last week I chanced to  have the opportunity to visit  one of my favorite shops   that had moved  locations  to a nearby  town...  I  hadnt  seen  Platagenant Rose for  about a year and when I  was  passing by last week,   Lynn  let me stop in for  just a  minute....     and there it was  this  gorgeous    cloche! 
 

It was love at first sight.... The fleur-de-lis details  charmed me.But   what on earth  could I  possible use it for....    I perused my     treasures and there  they were.. the bells Lynn sent from France just about this time of year  back in 1970.  He had  recently arrived in Germany for his tour of duty and I was a Junior in college.. He   went on a weekend  excursion    with  some friends   to Verdun... and  bought two bells.  One for me and one for his mother...   Mine had the cross and the other was  for his dear mom...  she passed away soon after receiving  the bell...   A friend  we met  when we lived in Germany  after we were married   gave  us the Limoges egg..  Three very fitting  items   to show off my lovely  new cloche!.  

I  also  love my  bronze  candelabra....   it  reminds me of  a  menorah  except it has more    candle lights.  I find it very fitting  to use  between  Hanukkah  and  Christmas..and it lends it's Olde World charm to this    vignette!

Feelin' It

Kathy of   The Delightsome Life  hosts this  beautiful theme each week.
As usual, I   absolutely   love Kathy's  themes each week.     You must  visit her  blog and  enjoy her  quotes  on  varied women author's  ...where they find their inspiration,   where and how they connect to their inner core   for writing..    I associated with so many of them..   it is difficult to find a  soulful place   that   allows   one to connect with  their innermost  being.. that inner  space  that  quickens  when  exercised  to  create...   whether it is  a  decorative  motivation  or a  bit of prose or  a journal entry  exalting  the Holy One....  for me,    peace and quiet  are  two  important pre-requisites..  Also,  a cleared area  where the  demands of  the day  cant  filter  through and  rob me of  a moment's peace.. 
So today I cleared the dining table and   created  a  space  for  "working"....    exercising   my  soul and spirit   to  concentrate on  beauty.... to begin   I  brewed a lovely cup of Yorkshire Gold  

  a cup of  hot tea  will  always  calm  nerves and  sipped from a lovely tea cup   always    tickles my fancy!  Today I am drinking from  Royal Albert's    Desert Rose pattern... one from the  Provincial  Flower collection.
  I love the   black  background... so  dramatic and   strikingly beautiful!
As I  sat there  I  viewed  the house  from  that vantage point!

Quite a hodge podge!!  I was reminded of  a line from  TeaTime Magazine  September 2007  that I was  enjoying earlier.. "Something about autumn simply feels like coming home...."I loved that!   So simple yet so all-encompassing!
And I thought , "And the kids are  coming  home  in two weeks!"
  I was thinking  there was nothing    about this  scene  looks   remotely like  its  ready for a home-coming!
 I can see  several  more  lovely  teacups in my immediate  future  as  I   incline my creative juices  toward  making  this    feel like  "HOME"!  Wow, I have  my work  cut out for me!!  It is   autumn .... basically...  and  therein lies my inspiration...
  So Im off to the kitchen now to  create a pot of sumpin!  That will make me   feel autumn  to my   very bones!!!!!  
  I am also   posting on 
 Teacup Tuesday 

Blue Monday

Welcome   to my Blue Monday post.

Just click the photo   or  visit  Smiling Sally.
Thinking this morning bout Mom and Dad...

 They are  still so  much in love,   and now that I  have had to separate them   it      really      does   tear me apart...  They will celebrate  70 years of marriage in early October...   Mom is now in a nursing facility... Dad just couldnt    continue to  to  take  care of her  any longer....  and  unfortunately  they cant afford living in the same  place....I am taking Dad to visit her often.... and yesterday   it was so   so sweet to see him  move in  as close as he could to her to hold her hand.....Longevity is a  blessing, it truly is,  but   it also has  some down sides as well..  Dad is 93 and mom will be 90...     God has   given them a  wonderful life.....  and still is...   praise the Lord!!

One Thousand Gifts (236-245)

Click the above   button to visit Ann Voskamp, creator  of  that site and the author of One Thousand Gifts... this  is one of my favorite bloggers.   

  Every Monday  she is hosting this  wonderful  theme  whereby we join  in  counting the blessings of our lives online, I pick up at  222 Mountaintop experiences... this week   Ann encourages us to focus on the JOY we have in our daily lives

Even though trials have beset us   the last couple of weeks,   yet this is exactly the time we notice  the treasures God  provides...

236.  Surprise visits   from  our  dear neighbor, Victor,   stopping by to  introduce us to his new puppy.
237.  Now that  mom is living in  a nursing home atop   a nearby  mountain,    the  joy of  each visit   is  accentuated  by  the views    as  we   leave to return  home!

238.  It seems  I am  mesmerized each day by God's handiwork!

239.  whether   while out  doing my daily traveling    from  dad   to mom  to   meeting, etc...
240. or  from my own  front porch...  God's   artistry  blesses us  and  reminds us  he is the  great Creator, and  he can  do all things!

241.  God is faithful to  give us   assignments  to  charge us  with  acts of obedience  which help us  when  we  tend to  become too focused on the mundane...  choosing to  step out of ourselves to obey  HIm  brings  blessing  and renewal and lifts us out of our self made pits!
 
242.  As I was  leaving church last week following a committee meeting  I was  blessed so much      by this

243.Life together around the Cross  sharing in His purposes   will always     bring with it  a sense of  God's presence,  His  abundant provision  in all circumstances, and  His  blessing  both  personally and corporately...  but  it is so easy to miss it  if   we are self absorbed  .......   oh to stay focused on the One who loves me most! 
244.  September has   ushered in cooler   temperatures and  a renewed hope  for  autumn!
245.  Lynn, my dear  wonderful husband,     couldnt  ever be  more  precious, helpful,   encouraging, and my  sweet companion through  all that we are  doing  each day!