Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Four Very Nice People

Well, I'm back to my blog. It was pleasant to be off-line for a bit. Once on the trip, I saw a computer sitting in the lobby and I had an itch to blog, but our time was short in the evenings as well as all of the other times, so I didn't indulge.

We had a wonderful New England trip. The weather was so warm, we didn't need even jackets most of the time. It was more like mid-summer. Blue sky except the two days we were along the coast.

I went at least 2000 miles and we were in 10 states. Having a taste of many New England states, I would have to say I loved Vermont and Maine the best though Boston was fabulous.

I'd like to tell you about four very nice people we met. At the Bennington, Vermont gift shop which was next to a commemorative obelisk, an older lady waited on us. She seemed to have trouble walking yet her cheerful demeanor was so appreciated. We browsed quite a long time, bought and came back and bought some more. She never got grouchy. So pleasant.

As we were leaving Vermont and heading to Maine, we were pulled to the side of the road thinking and rethinking our route. Another elderly woman came up to the car and asked if we were lost. "Yes" times two. She gave us directions from Vermont to Concord, in another state.

There was an important turn about half way there and she gave us the heads up on that one. It all worked out just as she said.
We were riding through New Hampshire and my sister cried out in pain, Before I could react, a middle-age gentleman on the curb said, "it was a bee wasn't it?" It was and he asked if we needed help. "No, but thank you very much."

Now we are in Boston, looking for our first point or interest and dinner, The Union Oyster House. We went up one street and down another. So many one-way streets, it's easy to get lost and we were. We asked a nice looking middle-age man the way. He started to tell us and then said, "I'll show you." He walked with us for awhile. Then he pointed and we said thanks and he said, "Oh, I'll go with you, I have to catch the train." We were escorted to within a street across from our destination and had sights pointed out to us along the way.

What do you suppose made these people go beyond the call of duty? It wasn't their age or their state as they represented four different ones. There are just a lot of very nice people out there. These were just the best examples we found.

I'm going to be telling some stories of the trip itself and showing a few pictures for the next several blogs. Hope you like my travelogue. There will be some funny moments along the way, I promise.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

What A Guy!




I mentioned in my early August post that I was hungry for some corn on the cob. Well, my wonderful husband, Larry, managed to get it for me not once or twice but five times. Oh, it was so good.

I'd like to give him some thanks today. Besides cooking for me, he is taking me to Ohio to meet my sister for my trip because the freeways are too much for me to maneuver. The week I am gone will be his birthday. It will be the first time we haven't celebrated together in 37 years. He is going to find a very nice gift in a closet just for him.

My sister and I will be traveling to New England on Sunday. We have quite the itinerary. Since I haven't been there before, I'm very excited. We hope to eat lobsters in Maine, visit Boston, and tour Orchard House, home of Louisa May Alcott among other things. I probably won't be posting until about Sept. 28 or 29. If you feel like sending Larry a birthday greeting, I'll pass it along. Thanks much, Nancy

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Does Anyone Lack Wisdom?

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5,6.

The other day I saw a big chunk of insulation, about one foot by two feet, bouncing down the road. It was headed nowhere, it didn't have a particular destination, it had no weight to make it stay in any one place. The wind just tossed it to and fro.

There are a lot of people like that. They have no idea of the times or seasons. They lack wisdom and don't even know how to ask. No discernible destination is in sight.

Someone has to tell them they can have goals and a dream and a place to go. It's important for them to know that they can be grounded on a rock, the Rock of Jesus.

I'm going to keep my eyes open for one who seems to lack weight and is miserable. I'll ask for wisdom on how to help and do as I'm led. If my person had an anchor, how different things would be.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Getting a Little Bit Crafty

Today, I thought I'd do a few craft ideas that that were fun to do, mostly with things I had around the house. The first one is my basket-coffee table. I received a large picnic basket from my grandmother. I put my dad's old college suitcase on top of it. Then, the crowning touch, a battenburg lace pillowcase as a tablecloth. I use this little table every morning to support my coffee, juice, and small breakfast plate. I can put magazines here or my small photo album.

In the next picture, I have my wire card holder. It has harvest cards on right now, but I have done Valentine's Day, roses for spring, postcards from Europe for the non-holiday months, and current photos like when we saw the Detroit Tigers play in Florida. The neat thing is that it is so easy to fan the cards out or make them small depending on your space. It makes a cheap large centerpiece if you need one. I got mine at a card store. It's just a simple double row of circles that squeeze together.

The last picture is of a plastic case filled with little sections that I found at Joann's Fabrics. It even has dividers to make each space smaller if you desire. After using my fabulous find for jewelry for several years, I inherited my daughter's white chest of drawers. It has a large flat top drawer. I bought several drawer dividers, put them in the drawer and nearly doubled my space. As a jewelry lover, I never had enough places to put my things before and I couldn't see it well. Now I can see all of it laid out nicely in the drawer and I know where everything is in the blue section box. As you can see, I prettied it up with a scarf and corsage.

These are just a few ideas to try. Hope you like them. Nancy





Thursday, September 9, 2010

Something Else New - New Food

The first thing I need to do in my new adventure is to re asses my diet and eating habits. It seems like I don't have the energy I should have. Part of the problem is that I have had bouts of sleeplessness since I was young and a night of that can spoil the great plans you had for the next day. This has been getting better, but I am going to try for "completely healed" of insomnia. I think a bit of this has been my love of diet colas. As long as I drink caffeine-free, things seem to be fine, but I forget and the restaurants seldom have caffeine free and diet colas. Then, too, I know I eat too many sweets. With this in mind, I have started to eliminate colas and most sweets from my diet.

It has only been a few days since I started and already I feel that I have more energy and have less need for a nap.

My husband, the cook, is home now for dinners, so I can have a nice large salad again. They are so good. And apples are in season. I like those. Now I just have to develop a taste for lean meat. I love fish, but chicken and turkey not so much.

What I have found is that if I just ask the Lord to help me eat better, He is faithful to give me the desire to eat certain foods. Right now I crave cauliflower since I haven't been able to have it. And I believe He will help me to greatly reduce my desire for sweets. A lot of that is just habit, wanting something special at the end of a meal. It could just as easily be mandarin oranges as cake. I'm not a health food purist and never will be. I just want to do better and feel better. I do get exercise, so I'm looking forward to the energy I know is coming.

So how about you? Is the fall a time for a new diet or the time for "comfort food" of one type or another?

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Called Out

Today, this being a Sunday, I thought it would be a good time to tell you. If you are a Christian, you are called out.

When I was saved, many years ago, I read Daughter of Destiny by Jamie Buckingham. It was the biography of Kathryn Kuhlman. She is the lady who had in her latter life, fantastic miracle services of healing. One thing that got the attention of a new person in the Lord was how she got "called out" to the ministry by an evangelist in church one day. It made quiet an impression on her so that it wasn't long before she got herself "out there" and began speaking.

For awhile, I waited to get the call. There was something in me that was sure I should be getting it. Well, I soon began reading the Bible through and on one of those times, I received my marching orders. See, I didn't just want to be saved. I wanted to do something special with my life. I think I first saw it in Judges 6:14 where the Lord talks to Gideon: "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?" NKJ. That was my official call from the Lord. I didn't have to hear it at church or at some retreat. Just to know that He wanted me in His service was wonderful.

For awhile, I looked at every job to see if the numbers 7-6-14 were anywhere about. (Judges being the seventh book in the Bible.) I never saw it. But still I knew that as I went about my life, my work, and my new writing venture that somehow I would be serving Him.

Recently, I have been having a renewed interest in the healing ministry. I began with it and I hope to be learning more all of the time. My 7-6-14 scripture showed up recently in my readings and I know I am on the right track.
So if any of you have been yearning to hear the call to a new place or a special ministry, my message to you today is, go for it. You are called. It's in the Bible. There are lots of other places of called-outedness. Let one speak to you, embrace it, and do exploits. Not that we can do anything of ourselves, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."Philippians. 4:13 NKJ. And we "workers together with Him..."2 Corin. 6:1 NKJ.

I feel like I know where I'm going. I had been in a muddle and things are being made clear. I'm taking one day at a time, letting my relationship with the Lord grow deeper and letting Him direct my steps. It is a serious, "fearful", trusting, joyous satisfying thing to be sure.