..across the room to get back to the basics...

After spending some time at my daughter's house recently looking after her family while she was away I came home to make some changes in my laundry room. She does her laundry in her basement in a room that is home to the washer, dryer, furnace and a whole lot of "stuff"! Doesn't seem like a place you would want to spend much time? Every time I went to add another load to the washer I wondered what it was about that room that was so pleasant! I think the answer is that first of all I enjoyed being in her surroundings and thinking about her as I did some of the work she normally does while looking after three children at the same time managing everything else on her agenda. Secondly, there's a window above the appliances letting in natural light...always a good thing. Then there was that clothesline that is actually somewhat in the way and yet so handy (can you tell I don't have one of those!). I used it all the time! I do think that what was most unique and what beckoned me all the time (other than trying to keep a handle on all that laundry!) was the tray on her dryer that housed a quart jar of home made laundry detergent, spray 'n wash, and a container of vinegar! I think I did some laundry almost every day! It smelled so good...so fresh and lemony!

When I came home I kept thinking about that tray and today I created my own tray. I liked the fact that my daughter used whatever containers she had around the house and I wanted to do the same thing. These are all items I already had that were not being used other than those lovely glamour gloves you see in the picture!

I also used a quart jar for my detergent, an old oil and vinegar set for my liquid Oxyclean to add to my white's, and Vinegar for rinsing. The blue spray bottle is my Spray 'n Wash and the tray was one I had in the junk cupboard in the basement!

Making your own laundry detergent, using vinegar as a rinse agent and having everything on a tray at your fingertips will find you wishing it was laundry day!! Oh, and the glamour gloves just BEG to be used!!

Thanks darling daughter of mine for the inspiration!!

Guess what I'm doing right now?!

..across the room to write a poem.....

There are days I wish spell check on computers had never been invented! It drives me crazy. So here is my way of venting about it!!

There seams two bee a problem

with my spelling re cent lee

My knew Macintosh computer

thinks it nose bet her than me!

The men it eye start typing

it under lions my words

Two let me no I’m wrong a gain

end my writing is four the birds!

Eye real he can knot quiet bee leave

How this ma sheen can sea

The men knot eye slip up

end right an oh in sted of a pea!

Sum daze this knew ma sheen are re

seams two in true sieve four me

end eye wood glad lee go back

two pen, end pay purr from a tree!

Bee four these mod darn annoy an says

Miss steaks were rare four me

Butt now it seams to Finnish align

takes an eat urn it tea!

...across the room to meet Alexis!

It was March 5, 2008 and if you care to check my older posts you will find an entry for this day. Apparently I needed to learn how to accept a blessing from perfect strangers! I was so used to being the "bless-er" I hardly knew what to do with the gift I was being offered.

In summery, a group of young people crowded me in the super market parking lot, so close I couldn't open my car door. They were waving a $5.00 bill at me they wanted me to have. I did not need the money and wanted them to give it to someone in need but they had other ideas and, long story short, I accepted the money from them.

Realizing how this random act of kindness affected me, I carefully folded the money tucking it into my wallet so it would be visible every time I opened it. Often I looked for just the right opportunity to pay this gift forward but never seemed to find just the right person or the right time. That is, until today!

We were traveling home today from visiting family for a few days. Our trip started off on shaky ground with snow and ice covered roads and blowing snow reducing visibility considerably. After the first two hours of a rather quiet ride I realized that my husband who was driving was not feeling very well. We stopped for fuel and I took the wheel even though I had a sore scratchy eye that was not responding at all to my really amazing new eye drops!! Four hours later I stopped at Tim Horton's for a sandwhich and coffee. As I was ordering my food and coffee a young woman interrupted and said "I would really like to pay for your food today. Please let me." Naturally I started with the protests to which she replied "I'm really quite stubborn and I just want to do this for you. Please allow me to buy your food today." Finally I agreed, asked her if I could give her a hug of thanks, hugged her and moved to pick up my coffee and wait for my sandwich. Instead of leaving she followed me, asking how my day was going! A few sentences later I discovered she was a student at a Bible College near by. Now I felt bad about allowing her to pay but at the same time I realized she wouldn't have offered if she was spending her last penny. After she left to join her friend at their table my husband told me an older man wanted to buy coffee for him, but since he wasn't feeling well he wasn't having any coffee! Sheesh! What a day this was turning into. I had already won a free coffee in the morning after rolling up the rim!! We were being blessed all over the place!

That's when this little voice said "Give her the $5.00!" and I just knew the time was right. I decided to risk offending my new friend and marched over to her table where I realized she was telling her friend about our initial meeting a few minutes prior. I explained the $5.00 bill in my wallet and asked her to do with it whatever she felt was right. She could spend it on herself or bless someone else with it and that it was simply my joy to know this was the right time and she was the person God had chosen for me to hand it to. It was just that simple. She could not say no and she realized that this was orchestrated by God Himself and neither of us had any idea at that moment how this money is going to be used in the future! It was an exciting moment for both of us and even though I will probably never know how this little $5 bill will affect the next person's life I know that when my new friend Alexis pays it forward it will be another perfect moment in time, directed by the God who brought us together today!

...across the room to share a cup of JOY!

FAMILY.....it seems I'm still basking in the glow of all the family togetherness we experienced this Christmas and so it seems family is on my mind a lot even after all the festivities have ended and we are all back into life in this new year, 2011.

A number of years before my mother passed away she related to me how different her relationships were with each of her children. Each one was unique and equally special. I could tell she enjoyed the variety within her own family unit. This year I realized how true this is in my own life. My relationship with each daughter is different and so it is with my grandbabies, brothers, sisters and in-laws. My relationship with my husband of course is just simply a one of a kind, soaked in love, blast through life!!

Our latest grandbaby Sawyer is a cautious little guy and because we don't see him on any kind of regular basis we have to work our way back into his life each time we see him. Of course he is only ten months old so it is not surprising he didn't remember our first few visits. When I get as close to him as the above picture illustrates, I seem to forever remember the touch of his little hand on my head because it is such a precious moment complete with those baby gurgles and the lovey look in his eyes! His touch is ever so gentle and soft, yet leaves a lasting impression. As I recounted a few of those moments from this Christmas I thought about the way each family member leaves their touch on my life every time I see them. Each relationship is unique and every family member leaves a particular impression on my life.

We were blessed this Christmas to have a number of friends into our home before family arrived. Some were new friends and others were older relationships. Again, both types left their imprints on my life. I know that I probably will not see a few of these people again until next Christmas and others will become closer because of the connection we made. I realized this year that the tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards is dying out somewhat which means that some long distance friendships will end up being just that with little contact during the year. It saddens me a little but at the same time it is difficult to keep up a friendship without any contact.

I have one particular friend whose initial contact with me has left a life long impression on my life. When we first met I knew it would be a lasting friendship. The commitment from this friend was undeniably genuine, real, and solid from the very beginning. In fact, he made me a promise that he would be with me wherever I go and he has never gone back on a promise yet. I have spent hours with this friend throughout my life time and know him quite well by now. I know I can trust him with all my secrets and he knows me so well he can read my thoughts before I even think them! He makes me laugh some days at how well he knows me. Just like any other friendship though, I get out of this friendship what I put into it. When I don't spend time with him I sometimes feel that he has left and when I spend lots of time with him I see him everywhere I go. He reminds me that he is with me in all kinds of ways. The other day when I was looking for him as I was driving he reminded me he was with me when I headed up a hill and the sun suddenly shone on my face! He seemed to say "You're looking for me? HERE I am! I made this thing you know! When you don't see the sun I'm STILL with you. Look up! Look around you, beside you, underneath you, above you and you will see me EVERYWHERE! Look at the person beside you, across the counter from you, in the vehicle behind you. They are mine too and they are your reminder of me!" My Friend is God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit whom God sent to be my constant companion everywhere I go. My Friend is an open book to me. He WANTS me to know Him and has told me all about Himself in a letter to me.....The Bible! It's pages are filled with His wonderful plans for my life because He wants me to be prosperous and successful. In one place He wrote about the Bible "...meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. THEN you will be prosperous and successful!" (...don't be thinking financial prosperity here...there is so much more to life!)

I was telling someone this morning that with a Friend like THAT how could one not be full and overflowing with JOY all the time! Even in tough times and trials of every kind, He is always with me and sees me through every day. His hand is on me all the time! Oh the JOY!!

CHRISTMAS! Is it really over for another year? This was probably one of my busiest Christmases ever and yet I thought I was relaxed. I took time for friends, coffee, parties, sending Christmas greetings to more

people than ever before, cooking, baking and shopping. I got everything done that needed to get done and was ready when family began to arrive. Some were suffering with the after effects of the flu and colds, dealing with plugged ears, watery eyes and runny noses.

My back decided to play games with me and kept me down for days. This meant my daughters spent a good amount of time in the kitchen doing what I normally like to do. Every year before my family arrives I entertain this romantic notion of quiet evenings by the fire, listening to Christmas music, reading stories, candlelight and gazing at the tree. Every year as soon as they arrive I am quickly reminded that all they want is to be together to talk lots, laugh lots, and play lots. There are new toys to be admired and played with; nail polish colours to try out on fingers and toes; books to be read; hair pretties to be attached to freshly combed hair; new movies to be watched and good food to be eaten. There is very little time to sit. Unless your back is wrecked. Thankfully it was not too wrecked to hold the baby and feed him. I love watching all the bonding that happens at Christmas time. Grandbabies are now at an age where sharing new toys is possible, even fun for them. SWEET for the parents (and grandparents too)! I absolutely LOVE having my family home for Christmas or any other time for that matter. It just doesn't get any better than having them all under my roof for a few days and nights.

The decorations are still up and I can now enjoy the candles, the fireplace and the music but I miss the noise level and all the energy that family brings with them. Maybe I should just enjoy this quiet to rest my back and concentrate on the year ahead.

I really don't want to forget about Christmas though. I will keep praising God for the gift of eternal life that He provided when He sent His Son Jesus to earth to fulfill all the prophesies, including His brutal death on the cross and the glorious resurrection which we celebrate Easter Sunday. I will continue to pray for all my family and friends to the TRUE, LIVING GOD because I agree with E.M. Bounds who wrote that prayer "lays its hand on Almighty God and moves Him to do what He would not otherwise do if prayer was not offered. It brings things to pass which would never otherwise occur." It is not "an untried theory; a recitation of words; a mere verbal performance or an empty ceremony" but "a divine arrangement". This is what I will concentrate on this year and I have no doubt that YOU, my family and friends, will be included in my praying throughout this coming year!

...across the room to make a fool of myself!.....

In one of my weak moments I had the audacity to recite this to a ladies Christmas Party at the church. I found it on the internet and made a few changes. Sometimes I'm not sure why I do the things I do!

ITALIAN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Twas da night before Christmas,

Da whole house was mella,

Not a creature was stirrin',

Cuz I had a gun unda da pilla.

When up on da roof

I heard somethin' pound,

I sprung to da window,

To scream, "YO! Keep it down!"

When what to my

Wanderin' eyes should appear,

But da Don of all elfs,

And eight reindeer!

Wit' slicked back black hair,

And a silk red suit,

don Christopher wuz here,

And he brought da loot!

Wit' a slap to dare snouts,

And a yank on dare manes,

He yelled and he shouted,

And he called dem by name.

"Yo Tony, Yo Frankie,

Yo Vinny, Yo Vito,

Ay Joey, Ay Paulie,

Ay Pepe, Ay Guido!"

As I drew out my gun

And hid by da bed,

He flew troo da winda

And slapped me 'side da head.

"What da heck you doin'

Pullin' a gun on da Don?

Now all you're gettin' is coal,

You crazy moron!"

Den pointin' a fat finga

Right unda my nose,

He twisted his pinky ring,

And up da chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh,

Yellin ‘n screamin'!

Away dey all flew,

Before he troo dem a beatin'.

Den I heard him yell out,

What I did least expect,

"Merry Christmas to all,

And yous betta show some respect!"

...across the room for some sillyness....

Ever receive gifts at Christmas time you just don't like? Need help knowing how to respond to the giver of the gift. Here are a few ideas I came across via the internet last night....hope they help you out this year! You could try saying:

1. If I had not recently shot up four sizes, that would've fit.

2. What a shame if the garbage man ever accidentally took this

3. Perfect for wearing in the basement.

4. Well, well, well...

5. I really don't deserve this.

6. I hope this never catches fire!

7. Love it, but I fear the jealousy it will inspire.

8. If the dog buries this, I'll be furious!

9. To think I got this the year I vowed to give all my gifts to charity.