Four Score and Seven Years Ago...

...my Daddy was born!

photo: Daddy and Alvin Fernald, 2007

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

So, so many stories I could tell you, of course, about a man born in nineteen-and-twenty-two (as his father would say). The time at twelve years old, on Halloween, putting an outhouse up on the roof of the bank building downtown. Going to the neighborhood grocer on Thursdays, with his dad's paycheck in hand. The grocer would "cash" the check, pay the family's bill for the week, and Daddy would leave with a handful of vanilla cremes the grocer put in his hand on the way out the door. It was Daddy's job to coax the furnace to life in the mornings. Then there was the time he woke up with inches of snow on top of his blanket. And on. And on.

He skipped his senior year of high school to care for his baby sister after his mother had surgery, then went back and graduated a year late. He married "the girl next door" at nineteen. Three months later was Pearl Harbor. He proudly served in the Army Air Force. When he came home, he began a forty-one year career at General Electric. Mom and Daddy's life had many joys as well as sorrows--he has nine children waiting for him in heaven, as well as his "pretty girl." For his fifty-year high school reunion he wrote a tiny biography, and called himself "a simple man, raising a family, married to the love of his life."

But of course, he didn't tell the whole story. How he is the ultimate in human role models for How to Be a Godly Man, and How to Live Your Life with Integrity. About Duty and Sacrificial Love and Fun. About how all you had to do was watch him awhile, and you could see the Father God's love shining through him.

And, of course, he could fix anything. And do anything.

Because he's my Daddy.

Beautiful.

During this growing season:

"Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the
river of God, which is full of water: Thou preparest them corn, when thou hast
so provided for it.

10Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: Thou
settlest the furrows thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers: Thou blessest
the springing thereof.

11Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and
thy paths drop fatness.

12 They drop upon the pastures of the
wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

13The pastures
are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout
for joy, they also sing." Psalms 65: 9-13

Nature all around us, tells us what the Lord is doing. And, Nature is rejoicing! Shouldn't we be rejoicing as well, at what the Lord is doing?

Playing with the Big Boys

I just love Monday nights this summer! Johnny Tremain, MacGuyver, Rocky Balboa, and Alvin Fernald are on our church softball team. Alvin is so excited, because the minimum age to play is fourteen, and, of course, he is.

Last night was the third "played" game (with one rained out). Alvin struggled the first two games--after all, he's never played softball before, and the rest of the guys were seasoned, and men.

He missed fielding a couple of balls, struck out a couple of times, "flied" out on others. But last night was Different. That boy was On His Game. He caught a line drive, foiled a run, and got two hits, one an RBI. He was also part of a double play, but later he told me that the second guy didn't quite get out. Oh, well. For this Mama, that didn't make no difference!

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that my other two sons and son-in-law had exploits of their own. It seemed that they just couldn't miss catching a fly ball when it came their way. I'm not sure, but it seemed to me that my four boys are just about the best players that the game has ever seen!

[Why, yes, I DO need to sew four or five buttons back on my shirt, from bustin' with pride!]

On the sideline front, fifteen-month-old Oxford had his first taste of dirt. Like many of us, it will not make his list of fave foods. But Mommy Forget-me-not was there with water to wash it out, and grapes to take the bad taste away!

This morning, I watched three of Lily's, while she went to the homeschool used curriculum sale. I made the girls these Lazy Days Skirts: (click on the link for the free pattern)

(That is Laura Carrot on the left, and Sweet Pea on the right.) I didn't have the ribbon that the pattern called for, for the border, so I just used a contrasting fabric.

Charming has had yesterday and today off. The weather has been great, and it has been a relaxing, wonderful two days. If you read my other blog, you'll know that Charming is under a lot of pressure at work, and will probably be "downsized" this month. This "weekend" has been very therapeutic for us. Of course, any day filled with our children and grandchildren has got to be great, right?

Thinking.

I've been thinking again. Go check out my other blog!

Diamonds for Violet

What girl doesn't like diamonds?
I finished this quilt this weekend. In fact, the quilting took less than three weeks to complete--incredible!

I've got Blackeyed Susan trained. When I photograph my quilts, she knows to flip down the corner on the second shot, to show the backing:

This quilt is the third of four, exactly alike. Do you want to hear the story?

A number of years ago, I received a quilt my grandmother had made, of diamond shapes, all different. Forget-me-not really liked it, and used it on her bed. After a few weeks I could see that behaviors like sitting on it to put on your shoes, or dumping your schoolbooks on it on a regular basis would do more damage, more quickly than the years of normal used the quilt had seen in my grandmother's care. I told Forget-me-not that we'd have to put the quilt away; she complained, and I told her I would reproduce it for her.

My friend Kaybeautiful and I scoured our scrap bins for fabrics. Since we were not into quilting big-time yet, we only had scraps of things we had made for ourselves or for our children. I believe we needed about 265 different fabrics, and when we fell 'way short, we Started Shopping. That was the fun, fun, fun part. For about a year, we would pick up fabrics here and there. We cut four diamonds out of each fabric: one for her, and three for me (one quilt for each of my three daughters). If we were alone, we would mail them to each other, with little notes attached: "I liked the little figures in this one." "I know you like red!" and my favorite: PPPatP. (Paid Premium Price at Patchworks [the local quilt shop]."

As the months went by, I found out something about Kaybeautiful: she and I don't share the same fabric taste. Some of the fabrics I was most excited about, she would comment, "well, you always told me that there should be a few "uglies" in a quilt." And some of her favorites were, well, eeuuww--ugly. A few times we went shopping together: Kaybeautiful would bring a bolt over to me and say, "I know you'll love this, because I hate it!" (really, what happened is that we started choosing fabrics that we knew the other would like--it was Pretty Cool.)

So we finally collected all the diamonds. I cut the white muslin diamonds for all three of my quilts all at once, laid them out in a pleasing order, and began the first one. I completed it for Forget-me-not's high school graduation in 2000.

Sometime after that, our basement flooded, and the cardboard box I kept the diamonds in got soaked in eeuuww. So I had to handwash them and iron them. Fortunately, Forget-me-not's was already done, so I could figure out the order of the diamonds for the other two quilts.

I finished Blackeyed Susan's in the summer of 2005. So much for doing one a year for three years and done with it! And, as you can see, it is 2009 for Violet's.

One last thing. As you can see, the top and bottom border are zig-zagged. This makes for a weird feeling around your face. However, after I finished the first one, I took it to show my mother, and the first thing she said was, "now, THAT looks like a Grandma quilt!"

Success!

Wear Your Apron Day Fun!!

First of all, here is a photo of my sister's apron. She commented on the last post under the name Pinky Marie [apron modeled by Blackeyed Susan]:

My friend Kaybeautiful and I started our Apron Adventure by having a formal portrait taken. I made both of the aprons we wore. Kay's was a full-length in a teadyed blue toile thing. It was trimmed in black polka dots. I wore a half-apron in a cute 1930's blue, trimmed with red-on-white polka dots:

We took a walk in a nice woodsy place. I knew that most of the "spring" wildflowers would be gone, but we saw wild geranium, mayapples, and a tiny stand of trillium! (I hadn't seen trillium in years...

We then went to the grocery store to get fixin's for a chili dinner. Funny thing--everybody else evidently forgot it was Apron Day. Kay said, "they were all staring," but I said, "but nobody m*lested us!"

We came home and had coffee and tea in beautiful teacups (Kay=tea, Barbie=coffee). Kay decided to make snickerdoodles, but complained that her apron didn't go around far enough. "My grandma's aprons," she said, were Full-coverage things. When *I* bake, I like to wipe my wet hands on my [behind]." So I pulled this out for her to use:

This is the front, modeled my moi:

Charming and Kay's husband Mikey played music for us all afternoon. They enjoyed the cookies so much that they wrote a song for Kay--the Snickerdoodle Mama Blues. "She's my Snickerdoodle Mama.... " five verses full.

I knew I would have fun on Apron Day, but how much MORE fun to spend the day with a bestest girlfriend?

(By the way, Jen, I'll let you know about the aprons. I actually have a full apron *and* a half-apron made from the yellow bird fabric!)

Wear Your Apron Day!

Good morning! Today is

Wear Your Apron Day!!

I'm just makin' a little note here at the beginning of the day, because my friend Kaybeautiful is coming to see me from 100 miles away. When she gets here, I will post a pic of us in cutie aprons.

It's all about the Apron Love. To find out more about it, go on over to The Apronista!

What I'm Doing Today

remembering....my Mama, gone home these three years now. This lilac bush is from a cutting I took of one in her yard:

piecing...quilt squares by hand:

quilting...my Diamond Charm quilt. I love six needles moving across the quilt simultaneously, dimpling the surface:

meditating on...II Peter 1: 3-4:

"According as His divine power has given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us
to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature..."

teaching....Algebra. Geometry. Biology. History. Literature. Loving it!

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going...to visit Daddy in the nursing home.

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thankful...for God's provision.

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needing...to trust Him more!

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bragging...on Joe Hardy, who is finally a SENIOR in college!

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listening...to dozens of sparrows in the ivy growing up the side of the house next door.

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reading...Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

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wondering...how we got to be at the beginning of the recycling truck's route (5 a.m.!)

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changing...my bedsheets! Love fresh sheets.

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praying...for my children. Jobs. Relationships. Healing.

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cooking...lentil soup.

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loving...my dear Charming. I don't deserve him!

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cleaning...my sewing room.

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writing...a bio for Charming for his ministry packet.

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fixing...sweet tea with lime.

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looking...at the beginning of a gorgeous day outside!

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looking forward...to Violet's visit in a few days.

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yearning...to be conformed to the image of God's Son.

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Sounds like a busy day. Better get started!

My Great-Grandma's Quilt

This is a beautiful quilt that my grandmother had on her own bed for a number of years:
It was made in two sections. The sixteen middle squares looked very old, and were made of what I now know is "mourning prints" and black-and-white "shirtings:"

Then, in 1972 (as the back of the quilt is marked), my grandmother put a row of squares around the outside in what I am sure was an attempt at matching, but were of [horrid] polyester prints:

I am very afraid I judged her. And I had only just begun to learn to sew, and didn't know much about fabric myself! Of course, all-cotton prints were quite rare in 1972, the new "age of perma-press" and, my grandmother's *other* favorite fabric: Polyester Double-Knit. Now I know that it was the very best "match" she could find at the time.

Here is a close-up of the older portion. As you can see, the fabrics are fraying (grandma let us sit on her bed, etc. and the quilt shows the ravages of heavy usage):

I have to show you the back, as well. Grandma loved "novelty" fabrics, and she gave that love to me, as well. I have one of her quilts that is backed with a fabric with the words Sneak-ease all over. Later, I owned a pair of sneakers that were lined with that same fabric!

Here we have The Jungle Book (from the original movie release era). This fabric is repeated all over the back:

I received this quilt from my mother, who got it when Grandma broke up housekeeping. This is what she wrote:

"center section made by Great-Grandma Lee before 1955 [the year of her death, and my birth]. Outer border made by Grandma Plasterer 1972."

I had no idea that anything survived that was made by my great-grandmother (for whom I was named, as well!) I was thrilled beyond words to have this heirloom.

When I laid it across our bed to show Charming, he wanted to keep it there. He really liked the geometric black-and-whiteness of it. But the center section was fraying, and I knew we'd lose it entirely before too many years passed. So I told him that I would reproduce it sometime.

Fortunately, by then, quilt shops were carrying many reproduction prints, and I was able to get a number of them that are literally almost exact matches to the originals. As is typical of *me,* I usually have more ideas "cooking" than I have time to do. The fabrics I bought have dates from 1996 to 2000. But Now is the Time for me to begin this project.

I'm piecing this quilt by hand, as the original is. I have finished two squares:

I am Extremely Pleased with the results. This is going to be Fun. I will piece these squares as I am able, at home or while "waiting" for kids. It will probably take me several months to finish.

One more thing I wanted to share about this quilt. I looked up the pattern, and it is called Barbara Frietchie Star. Do you remember the poem? "Shoot if you must this old grey head/but leave your country's flag, she said." Read about her here.

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My great-grandmother's name was Barbara. My name is Barbara. So I am going to name my quilt "Barbara Star." And I have let my children know that if any of my grandchildren or great-grandchildren are named after me, she will get the quilt.

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But no pressure, kids.

Makin' Rosebuds

I promised you yesterday that I would show you this top:

It is the Rosebud Quilt from Quilts from the Quiltmaker's Gift. I bought fabrics similar to one of the versions in the book, oh, about five years ago. Somehow, when I took them out last week, I was not-so-enamoured of them as I was when I bought them. Maybe it's because I have made a number of quilts in the last five years, and maybe my taste/style/whatever is evolving.

Not to say that it isn't pretty, and like I said yesterday, I have "takers" for this, if I don't keep it. Here is a little bit closer up:

And I'm doing a little-bit-fancier thing for the border, which will maybe be a little-more-exciting, as well.

(you're not looking too closely at my points-matching technique, are you? Remember, my Quilting Motto is Finished is Better than Perfect....)

More later on this one!

Is There Any Old Business to Discuss?

Finished: my little doll quilt inspired by the fabulous department store in our town when I was growing up,W&D's:
and, from the Unfinished Projects File, this apron:

I had bought the fabric, thinking I'd make an apron celebrating Violet's college graduation. Yeah, that was

1997.

I had decided at that time that I wanted to make an apron for moi instead, so I stored the cut-out pieces and the bias-strips for the binding. For. Twelve. Years.

And, as most things like that work out, it just took me a wee bit o' time to finish it!

I have also finished the squares for a quilt for which I bought the fabric about five years ago. After "finding" it again, I decided that I wasn't as enamoured of the fabrics as I was then. But naturally Forget-me-not told me that she would "take it off my hands," if I can't find another recipient. (Forget-me-not is always willing to take a quilt off my hands, whether I want it or not!) I'll be putting the squares together this evening, and will take a photo of the top tomorrow, 'kay?

Hmmm. What next? Well, I don't know, but fer sure, there are a Number of Old Projects from which to choose!

4/21 Club Meets Today

Quick: Are you ready for the meeting of the 4/21 Club?

Alas, I am not a member. I can only look longingly from the sidelines.

The 4/21 Club is my family's sort-of-exclusive "club" for people born on April 21st. That would be, first of all, Charming's sister Katie, who is 52 today. Next comes my brother Mikey, coming in at 48. Next is my own dear son, Joe Hardy, coming in at the magic ***30***. Next, my brother Mikey's son, also Mikey, at 24. Finally, my great-nephew Connor, turning 5 today.

If you happen to be eligible to be a member, let me know. I'd love to add your name to the roster.

and, by the way, happy, Happy Birthday to my dear ones!

(now, off to Facebook all of them!)

Rest in Peace, Chuck.

I heard yesterday of the passing of a dear neighbor and friend, Chuck Crockett. (and yes, he was a direct descendant of the Davy-man.)

He was one of the pillars of the church--he was into his sixth decade of teaching Sunday School. For as long as I have known him, he taught fifth-graders, including four of mine. I have several friends in their forties who sat under his wonderful teaching.

He retired as a vice-president of a local bank, then went back to school to do what he really loved, landscaping. He had many contracts around town, and also cared for a gorgeous orchard with many heirloom fruit trees. He gave garden space to a number of families every year. We were invited often to pick apples and make cider.

His only son was born when he was sixty-four years old. Andrew is seventeen now, and, because of the blessing of homeschooling, he has worked side-by-side with his father since he could walk. Not a moment was wasted; his father had a *lifetime* to teach him how to be a godly man.

We thank the Lord that He let us know this man, one of the Greatest Generation. Not so many of those left in the church. It is a great loss for us, but Chuck ran his race so, so well, and now is Home.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Edited to add: I found out that Chuck was out at the barn in his orchard, working. When he sat down for a rest, he just Went Home. When our pastor asked his son Andrew if he had spoken to his father that morning, Andrew said yes, at family devotions. Isn't that the way we'd all like to go? What a blessing!

Today's To-Do List

Today is quite an ordinary day, for the most part. School, laundry, church tonight. But one thing on my to-do list is Extraordinary:

Pay off the car.

We bought this car for cash, but several years later, we mortgaged it for a portion of its value to pay for "part" of our daughter's wedding and "part" of our son's college expenses. (We almost made it through that wedding for cash. But you know how people say, "a lot of unexpected stuff comes up at the last minute?" Well, it does.)

Oh, yeah. One more thing to do today:

Redeem that car from the mechanic's, where it's been since Thursday. You know the joke about the car breaking down just as you have it paid off...

Have a blessed day!

Good Friday--Old School Style

I have been thinking about the Good Fridays of my childhood. I think it is because thunderstorms are predicted for today: my father told me that it always rains on Good Friday, in honor of what happened on that day. Sure enough, there have been just a handful of sunny-all-day Good Fridays in my memory.

Back-in-the-day, almost everything was closed from 12noon to 3 pm. All the stores closed. All the factories shut down for three hours. Almost everybody was in church. After church, we could play quietly or read, but we had to stay at home, and the tv and radio had to be off.

Contrast that with today. Johnny Tremain (our resident public-school teacher) says that this is the last school-year that public schools will even be closed on Good Friday. Stores are having last-minute Easter sales. Well, you know how it is today, I don't have to explain it to you.

We have been watching the seven-hour made-for-tv miniseries Jesus of Nazareth this week for school. At the time it came out (1977), there was a brouhaha about the possibility of the network sponsors pulling their advertising, because of the religious content of the miniseries. However, it was a smash hit, showing in two parts on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday nights.

Watching it over four days this week, I have been steeped in the Life of Christ. Seeing an actor saying the familiar words of the gospels has put them in my mind in a more vivid way. Some of the familiar sayings of our Lord got a new "punch" seeing them in the context of the scenery and people in the film.

We'll be going to our church service, and I'll pick up a few forgotten things for the weekend at the store (but Not between 12 and 3!). My kids will complain about having to be home for three hours With The Tv Off. But we will think about the Lamb without blemish, provided by our heavenly Father so that He could reconcile us to Himself. It is too, too awe-some to think about.

Hope you are thinking about it today, too!

New "Little" Project

I started a new, little project:

It's going to be a doll quilt. I love doll quilts--you can use a technique or pattern you might not be wantin' to execute in a full-sized quilt.

This little one was inspired by something from my past. (for my sister Janny: does this remind you of something?):

Do you see the little vintage jewelry box? It is from an old department store here in my town, Wolf and Dessauer (called locally, "W&D's.")

Now, maybe you are old enough to remember a store like W&D's. It was several stories high, in the middle of downtown. In those days, you wouldn't think of wearing pants to go shopping downtown. Ladies in their "street" suits or dresses, with gloves and hats. You may be sure that they had checked their stocking seams to make sure they were straight.

No need to push your own buttons in the elevator--there was an operator, who called out the "departments" as you went up: Second floor--ladies shoes, children's wear. Fourth floor--housewares.

If you went up the magic escalator, you would reach the Tea Room, with snow-white tablecloths and napkins. From somewhere below, pleasant music would provide a peaceful background to your lunch. Then, back to shopping!

Maybe you were getting saddle shoes and plaid school dresses. If you were lucky, your Mom would be stopping at the Hat department. So many elegant offerings, but you weren't old enough yet to try them on. Everywhere, even at the hosiery counter, salespeople would exhibit their wares to you--no "self-serve" here!

Perhaps you had such an elegant store in the town where you grew up. But W&D's was different in a number of ways. Each November, the "street-level" windows were curtained, and an air of expectancy began. On the night before Thanksgiving, the curtains were removed, and a Christmas Wonderland was revealed. Window after window with magical scenes. Mechanical figures of animals and people, each window its own Christmas vignette. People would line up on the sidewalk five deep, waiting to see the windows. Inside, lines were long, waiting to see Santa in his own WonDerland. There was even an area where children could shop--no parents allowed.

W&D's closed in 1971, a victim of the new Shopping Malls. Dress codes for shopping had relaxed. Food courts replaced the Tea Room. And, of course, hats were relegated to weddings and such.

Somehow, I don't think that we "progressed" all that much. A kindler, gentler time that we most likely will never see again. But I will have a little quilt to remember them by.

Edited to say: I don't know why my paragraphs all disappeared whenI posted. I went back to edit them, and it happened again. Sorry.

How to Do an Expensive Birthday in this Economy.

Blackeyed Susan will be sixteen in just a few days. We use this occasion to celebrate each of our children's decision to remain pure until marriage.

We make it a Big Deal: we buy a ring as a reminder of their promise to themselves and their future spouse. We take them to dinner for a Really Fabulous Meal at the restaurant of their choice. We use the time to talk about their decision, and our ongoing support as mentors and cheerleaders.

As you may have noticed, however, the economy is Different than the last time we had a sixteen-year-old (that would be, 1999). So, after talking it over with Susan, we are having the dinner at home ("all I want, Mom, is steak and mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms...). So here is how this Momentous Birthday is panning out, fiscally:

Pretty, pretty ring at Kohl's "60% off fine jewelry" sale:

Really good-looking top sirloin steaks at Kroger's for $3.49 a pound: $13.48
Broccoli (frozen, her preference) on sale: 1.oo
Grands biscuits: 1.33
Mushrooms (not on sale--errgghh): 2.79
Baked potatoes (I already have those, no cost): 0.00
Black raspberry/chocolate ice cream: 2.50

Total: $21.10

Compared to the $$$$$$$$$$$ we spent on the first six children....

Oh, well. (I will tell you that we did the Home Fabulous Dinners for our first six for their Prom Dinners--the boys loved us for it!)

When we decided to do this, about three weeks ago, I figured to spend about twice this much. I am thrilled! But most of all, I am thrilled at the fact that my little girl has reached this point in her life. That she has made two Great Decisions: one, to follow the Lord, and two, to keep herself pure for her husband. (If you'd like to read a little bit more about this, go here.)

I Found My Friend Again.

Let me tell you about my friend Winnie.

Winnie is my sister-in-law, Charming's sister. I have known her, of course, very nearly as long as I have known Charming. Winnie was 13 when I met her. We both had families of little stairsteps, and hers lined up between mine. We raised our children together for a number of years, until I moved a hundred miles away. For fun, we used to get together once a week for dessert and about four games of Scrabble. We were as close as any best-friends could be.

Winnie went through some hard, hard times. Her husband began to show signs of mental illness. Some of her sons got into trouble. Then her husband died, almost five years ago, and her family fell apart. Winnie trying to cope, her children so, so angry. Relationships deteriorated.

Every time I saw Winnie, it seemed she was further and further away. We couldn't seem to talk anymore. We even tried Scrabble, because when you're playing Scrabble, it's easier to be a little more vulnerable. We tried to find our way back, but nothing was working. I'm sure she felt the same about me. We prayed, of course, but at family gatherings we were polite and civil, and that's all we could do. I began to mourn the loss of this wonderful friendship, not seeing how it could ever be repaired. But our Lord is in the business of Redeeming Things.

Winnie's children are much more healthy, emotionally and mentally, and the last year has seen great strides in Getting Their Lives Together. Much of the credit is due to the fact that some of them have rededicated their lives to the Lord. Each report I received was more and more hopeful.

Fast forward to yesterday and today. I spent a good deal of time with Winnie, and we talked. and Talked. and TALKED. And the beautiful thing was, it was the Real Winnie I was talking to, and the Real Barbie she was talking to. God was there, and He was smiling. I have found my Friend again. Thank You, Father.

We were too busy to play Scrabble, though.

(But that's okay: we have two games going on Facebook!)

An Encouraging Word

Oh, my.

If you want an encouraging word regarding your homeschooling today, go see Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter. She has condensed into two words what is necessary to be successful at this Homeschooling Adventure.

And those two little words have nothing to do with Curriculum. Or How Much Education You Have as the Teacher. Or Learning Styles.

The two little words are Order and Wonder. Now, go read it--I'll wait for you.

I kinda fall down on the Wonder part. As a person who still embraces her Wonder, as far as learning cool stuff is concerned, I usually want to share all that cool stuff with my kids. When they would probably like to find their own cool stuff to learn. I could do much, much better at stepping back and letting them take the lead.

And I REALLY fall short on the Order scale. Leila says, "Are you peaceful with your own duties?" Wow. She really knows how to phrase a question. As a "messie," (a person who is extremely challenged by the everyday chores others see as "no big deal") the physical part of homekeeping is, by far, my biggest struggle. Always has been. Maybe always will be.

Of COURSE I know that living in chaos is, well, chaotic. And that living in order gives an atmosphere of now-we-have-room-to-do-all-that-cool-stuff. I love Flylady, but don't always "do" Flylady. Still strugglin' there.

I am going to be chewing on this Order and Wonder thing for awhile. 'Course, since my youngest two are 15 and 14, it's none too soon. But, since four of my grandbabies live four blocks away, and the other two are within a five-minute drive, there's loads of Wonder yet ahead.

And loads of Order, too--I'm hopin'!

I'm Out of the Office Today...

You can find me over at Fresh Starts today!

You need to bookmark this site. Every Monday, Jen has a devotional for Moms that will enrich your week. It is always good, good stuff.