Vehicle Winter Prep

Today is the worst longest day darkness of the year; from here on, it's all getting lighter, thank God. Today's to-do list didn't include working on the car but that's what I found myself doing. I should do vehicle checks every quarter but I usually do them twice a year. Let's face it, since Dave died, it all falls to me and, usually, I'm doing the best I can. Some days that's pretty good and other days...not so much. Anyway, these wipes are used as prep to clean the windows, inside and out and then rain-x fills the fluid container.

In my part of the country, using rain-x in winter is a good thing; it's good to 25 degrees F and, let's face it, I'm not driving in that kind of weather anyway, unless it's an extreme emergency. It also helps water, snow and sleet bead up and slide off the windshield easier.

Make sure the container for the windshield fluid is filled and also make sure your fluid is good for the temperatures where you live. It really does pay to use the good stuff; the gallon jug for eighty-nine cents is great for putting in your spray bottle and using on your house windows. It's far less expensive than using Windex and works just as well, maybe better.

While you're at it, rain-x and rain-vision are excellent products to wipe on the outside of the windows; both take a little bit of work but the results are well worth it. The product is wiped on a clean windshield, allowed to haze, wiped on again, washed off and then the window dried. Rain, sleet and snow will simply bead up then slide down your windshield; an added bonus is, so will dirt. You can tell from the bottle, I've had this for a while and it still works great. It does need to be re-applied every so often and after washing the vehicle.

NOTE: If using rain-x or rain-vision, when rain/sleet/snow starts, do NOT use your windshield wipers. The more you use those wipers, the more the blades wipe off the windshield treatment and your work is for naught.

It's suggested windshield wiper blades be changed every six months but who does that? I try and do it once a year but, probably, miss that deadline as well.

Never Fog is used on the inside of the windows to prevent fog from clouding the windows.  Then I move on to beneath the hood...

The hoses are checked for tightness and to make sure there aren't any cracks or slits.

I try and change the oil every 3,000 to 3,500 miles; oil is the life-blood of a vehicle.

If necessary, I'll top off the oil; today, it needed a few ounces and we've always used Penzoil.

Check the anti-freeze; make sure it's full but if you need to top it off, please consider taking it to a repair shop and have them do it. There are low-tox antifreezes, propylene glycol antifreezes, that are safe for pets but most are ethylene glycol and will kill a dog very quickly. Dogs love to drink antifreeze so I don't keep it around; when I need to top off the fluid holder, I go to the gentlemen who work on my car and have them do it. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I check the battery to make sure the cables are tight. This is a sealed battery so I don't have to worry about topping off the fluids.

The trash bag was emptied and my next step was checking tire pressure and topping off before I used the Armor All to clean the inside of the car. It may not sound like a lot of work but it took about three five hours so the next time your husband is working on your car, thank him. It takes a fair amount of work to keep a vehicle in top performance, clean and running safely. If you're single, take time now, before weather gets really terrible, to make sure your car is in good shape. After all, it's your life that vehicle is protecting. By the way, these are all products Dave and I have used for decades; no one has paid me anything to talk about these products...but if they had, I would have cashed the check -grin-.

UPDATE: Don't forget to check brake and steering wheel fluids.

Next vehicle post will what to keep in your car for emergencies.

Blessings ~ good products ~ clean car ~ safe car ~

NO Copyright Laws!

~ sorry, no photos, just information that'll scare your socks off! ~

I hope I've got your attention because what I'm about to write about affects every single person living in the USA and beyond. Except, perhaps, that 1% who already misuses most of the resources God allows them to have.

Have you heard about TPP? It stands for Trans-Pacific Partnership and is a free-trade agreement (not so much but that's what it's called) that is designed to do a number on We, the People. It's being called "the corporate power tool of the 1%" by WikiLeaks and Lori Wallach of Public Citizen but Congress and the Senate have not been included in the process. As a matter of fact, they've been excluded...secret meetings, remember?

From Lori Wallach, Public Citizen, "the message to President Obama from his own party is clear: Neither the public nor members of Congress will tolerate more of these NAFTA-style trade agreements, and the text of this deal must be released because there are major concerns about where it is heading.... Last week's leak of the TPP investment chapter sent shock waves through Congress because it showed that U.S. negotiators had totally abandoned Obama's campaign pledges to replace the old NAFTA trade model and in fact were doubling down and expanding the very Bush-style deal that Obama campaigned against in 2008 to win key swing states."

Apparently, the words honest and transparency mean nothing to the great o.

Some of the  more heinous parts...

*a ban on Buy American - in other words, any country participating in the TPP would receive equal access to US procurement contracts...meaning our tax dollars would not stay in the USA to create jobs for Americans.

*corporations would be empowered to attack US policies in foreign tribunals and demand taxpayer compensation for our environmental, health and other laws. The World Bank and UN tribunals deciding such cases are comprised of three corporate lawyers, unaccountable to any electorate, who rotate between suing governments...and act as judges. There is NO APPEAL on their decision.

*more US jobs lost...since NAFTA and WTO, the US has lost 1 out of ever 4 manufacturing jobs to foreign countries. I haven't liked a President since Reagan but that sorry Clinton, Bush Sr. and peanut farmer did horrible, horrible damage to this country. Now Obama adds to his heinous acts with the secret TPP.

*GMO labels would be removed.

*intellectual property...won't exist! You can say good-bye to copyright laws and just get used to the idea your work will belong to whomever steals it quicker. See Article QQ.A.2: {Objectives} on this WikiLeak page.

*bank de-regulations - frightening thought!

Oh, you haven't heard about TPP? Wellll, that's because the meetings are being held IN SECRET! Just like the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA).

Under TAFTA, click here for the report, we can expect...

*GMO labels removed and as Monsanto public relations president said, "It's not our job to ensure food safety; that's the FDA's job. It's our job to make  money." 

*tainted food: the TAFTA industry group wants US milk standards weakened because the process for complying with them “is both highly cumbersome and 
expensive.” 

*increased personal data mining to "flow across borders"...iow, no more personal information...it'll be against the law.

The only reason anything is known now is due to whistle blowers leaking information. Bless 'em for it! Yes, it's a lot of information and, frankly, most of it is frightening but you should do a search for TPP and draw your own conclusions. I don't know about you but I have tremendous problems turning over our democracy to a "tribunal of three judges"; adding "no appeals" is insanity, pure insanity!

Expose the TPP to read more information and then call your Senator and Congressional rep and tell them NO TPP and NO TAFTA! It's not good for America and it's not good for We, the People. Just search your state and the word Senator or Congressman and you'll find the contact information. Please call them as an e-mail doesn't carry the same weight. If you've time, please send a hard copy letter and ask where they stand...that really gets their attention!

I only have one question...if, by chance, folks are able to actually take their money with them when they die, what, exactly, do they plan on buying in hell?

Blessings ~ Lori Wallach ~ Public Citizen ~ WikiLeaks ~ 

My Day's Sweetness

~ Sam and Tom ~

Just so you know, my day has plenty of sweetness that outweighs, mostly, all the hard, messy, cold, dangerous work. Dave was always a night owl and I'm a morning person; it worked out well because he would have his quiet time in the evenings, after I'd gone to bed and vice verse in the mornings. By the time he was ready for coffee, I'd been up a couple of hours, made coffee, had devotions and started breakfast. Being a creature of habit (aren't we all?), I still get up early and it's not unusual for me to be awake at 4:30 but, usually, it's more like 5:00 or 5:30. Every now and again I'll sleep in until 7 or 8 o'clock and then feel like I've wasted half my day. Anyway, lately it seems several of my posts have been on the whiny side so here's some sweetness. (If it bores you beyond tears...you've been warned, smile).

 One reason I get up so early is so I can have devotions. Each morning, unless there's an emergency, I sit in the sun room and read the Bible and other devotions then listen to Pastor's Youssef and Begg on XM Radio. If I can't get beyond first gear, sometimes I'll stay and listen to Chuck Swindoll as well. Dave used to get such a kick out of Pastor Swindoll's last name; he'd say, "What a perfect name for a preacher? Is he a swindler?" Not to my knowledge but he is a good teacher of Scripture.

The stacked books on the left are knitting, crochet and a novel or two. The books on the right are devotionals and Bible studies. The knitted wash cloths have scented soaps inside and are given to folks who have made my life a bit easier this past year. The women at the feed stores, auto repair and other places while the men receive short bread.

 I light a Wood Wick Candle because I enjoy the glow, fragrance and the sound. If you're not familiar with Wood Wick candles, instead of a cotton waxed wick they have a wooden stick wick.

All of us have our routine; Sadie sits to my left and starts out her morning (after treats, of course) by holding hands. She'll raise her paw and use it to nudge me until I take her paw in my hand and we sit, quietly, for a few minutes. 






Sam reclines on my right and when he feels Sadie is receiving too much attention, he'll slide over and tuck his head under my nightgown. By the way, if you like flannel nightgowns, Lanz makes the Most Wonderful flannel nightgowns! I've worn them for decades and they wear like iron and, when worn out, make excellent cleaning cloths. Recently, I found some at TJMaxx and they're more than 75% less than the price I found on the inter-net. 

Meanwhile, Sadie has stretched out so she can lay her head in my lap, 

while Tom sits on my stomach, sometimes resting his lower end on the top of Sadie's head. It's all right, we're all friends here.

In the past day we've gone from snow on the ground to bare ground. It's gotten above freezing, several days in a row, and everything has started to melt. (Which reminds me...I never did hang the laundry out today.)

I opened up the alfalfa field so the horses and alpacas can graze it; there's a lot of good pasture to be eaten and the manure they drop will aid in the new growth come spring.

I wait until 8:00 or thereabout to give Carly her morning meds with her breakfast. Some days I have to find her and other days she's still asleep. I'm disgustingly simple when it comes to the animals and try to make their lives as kind as possible.

When the dogs and I go to the barn, we check on Harry Shetland. He's an old wether, as old or older than Carly, and I'd love to bring him to the yard but he's better off at the barn, with no other sheep. He has the barn cats and guinea's for company, he's safe and I take him water and food twice a day.

He's blind and far safer where he can't be run over by the other animals. I was going to put him down but he's still enjoying his food and will move toward me when I shake his pan and call him. During nice weather, he can get in the sunshine and, at night or in bad weather, he can turn and go into the barn and lay down. He has free choice hay so he always had good food and water. I've noticed he prefers me to bring him fresh water in the morning and afternoon and he'll take a good long drink while I hold the bucket. Sometimes, he'll drink from the bucket when it's placed on the ground in front of him.  These animals are a study in patience for me; I can't become frustrated or get rushed or they'll panic and we'll be right back where we started. It's much easier for me to go slow, speak quietly, gentle and low and move slowly. Heck, it's probably good for me as well!

'PacaRose is doing fine, eating well, defecating properly and enjoying life with his bros.

The sheep are grazing the yard while the three guinea's wander amongst them. Generally, the guinea's roost in the sugar maple tree and have proven to be excellent "watch dogs". I've decided I'll always have guinea's as they are comedians as well as "watch dogs". They know when Sadie chases them, it's all for show; she just likes to hear them raise a ruckus.

A lot of my days, thank God, are simple and full of the work that it takes to keep this place going. I have two horses I throw hay to every morning and afternoon; I should get on the tractor and give them a round bale but, truth be told, my bones have been a bit creaky lately. Hard as it is to believe, it's just easier to climb in the loft and throw down a few square bales and tear them apart.

Daddy John, wife Ashley and their families have opened a restaurant (the restaurant business being, as Daddy John says, "the nearest thing to milking twice a day as I've ever seen!") and Ashley requested some knitted goods to display and sell. I had some things ready, then decided to knit some other things, and my poor hands are repaying me by not working properly. As in, I can do almost anything I want to do if it doesn't include picking up or holding things, knitting, or typing for any length of time. Ben and I go to bed together, nightly, with aspirin and a glass of alcoholic beverage. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big drinker but Dave used to tell me, "Take some aspirin and drink a beer or glass of wine and you'll sleep a lot better." This was the same man who would tell me, "Don't you think you should wait until your head hits the pillow before you fall asleep?"
Ah...such Precious Memories.

Blessings ~ calm week ~ healthy animals ~ Andy Griffith ~ good music ~ sleep ~

Sabbath Keeping

~ Ireland's west coast ~

"To you, O Lord, I call."

~ Joel 1:19 ~

"My gracious heavenly Father, with gratitude I bow before You today. I rejoice in the little, ordinary things which so often are accepted by me unrecognized and which so frequently pass by unnoticed. For life itself I give You thanks. For the breath which I borrow from you, I am grateful. For the strength to pursue a course of active labor, I offer my gratitude. That the lily of the field and the sparrow of the air are under Your guiding and protecting hand, remind me. ... In the name of Your Son, my Savior, I pray. Amen." ~ C. Ralston Smith ~ 

"Until women and men come to discover the truth of God's presence in their lives, and discover it not merely as some statement they affirm or deny but as a living reality, they will never recognize the fulfillment of the "not yet," the fulfillment of God's total gift." 
~ Ernest Boyer, Jr. ~

"Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God,

But only he who sees takes off his shoes;

The rest sit round and pluck blackberries."

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning ~ 

"If you do not cut the moorings, God will have to break them by a storm and send you out. Launch all on God, go out on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and you will get your eyes open. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the smooth waters just inside the harbour bar, full of delight, but always moored; you have to get out through the harbor bar into the great deeps of God and begin to know for yourself, begin to have spiritual discernment.
"When you know you should do a thing, and do it, immediately you know more. Revise where you have become stodgy spiritually, and you will find it goes back to a point where there was something you knew you should do, but you did not do it because there seemed no immediate call to, and now you have no perception, no discernment; at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-possessed. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to go on knowing." 
~ Oswald Chambers ~

"Be present in all things,

and thankful in all things."

~ Mayo Angelo ~ 

"If we are each obedient to our visions the cities would have green spaces, birds in their trees, and architecture to quicken the awareness of the divine life throbbing in the whole of the world. And the towns? the towns would have galleries to hold the works of their artists; theaters for the performing arts would spring up in their squares; scientists and poets would confer with each other; students would gather for debate and reflection, children would want to continue in life, and church congregations everywhere would be struggling "to make serious use of the wings the creator had given." Everyone would know what it meant to be the servant of the Most High." ~ Elizabeth O'Connor ~

"God's gifts put men's best dreams to shame." 

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning ~ 

"God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, "Do you believe there is a God?" you may find yourself answering, "No, I do not believe there is a God, I know there is a God." 
~ Ernest Boyer, Jr. ~

"Coincidence is just God choosing to remain anonymous." 

~ unknown ~

"O God and Father, I repent of my sinful preoccupation with visible things. The world has been too much with me. You have been here and I knew it not. I have been blind to Your presence. Open my eyes that I may behold You in and around me. For Christ's sake, Amen." ~ A. W. Tozer ~

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

~ John 8:17 ~

If you'd like a name added to the prayer list, please let me know. Names are kept for one week; around the world, people are praying.

Prayer Keeping ~ Mags ~ Maxine ~ Miki and Timi ~ Cathy's request ~ Ricky ~ unspoken requests ~ Sandra ~

Bogus Cranberry Marmalade

~ Bogus Cranberry Marmalade ~

In another post, I mentioned making cranberry marmalade, mainly for friend Mary, but also for me. She eats the stuff with everything...and I do mean everything! I don't make it to suit her exact taste because she likes it with a lot more sugar, but I try to stay away from a lot of white (processed) sugar. This time of year, I make a lot and am going to buy cranberries and freeze them so I can make it in July as well. Anything for a cheap thrill -grin-.

Usually I cook and bake from scratch but I'm not above using shortcuts. This is one of those shortcuts.

The reason it's called Bogus Cranberry Marmalade is I use a shortcut if I don't have any oranges on hand. Today, no oranges but I did have cranberries, sugar and Smucker's Orange Marmalade.

In a large colander, rinse the cranberries and place in a large, heavy saucepan. No need to dry the cranberries; heat over medium heat until they being to pop.

Continue heating for about 10 or 15 minutes, it really depends on how you like the finished product...with more whole cranberries or with fewer.  Add one cup sugar and stir to mix.  If you'd like it sweeter, by all means, add more sugar but do it sparingly. As you know, it's easier to add more but you can't take any away -grin-.

Heat cranberries and sugar until well mixed and glistening.

Add a jar of Smucker's Sweet Orange Marmalade and stir to mix. All the while, the cranberries will continue to pop as they heat.

I pour the marmalade into a Pyrex dish to cool before placing in glass jars for gift giving. I also have a traditional, non-bogus marmalade and I'll give that recipe after I go to the store and buy oranges. In the meantime, here are the ingredients and recipe...easier to copy and paste.

Bogus Orange Marmalade

2 bags fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 18 ounce jar Smucker's Sweet Orange Marmalade
1 cup white sugar

In a large, heavy saucepan, place the rinsed but not dried cranberries. Heat over medium heat until they being to pop.
Continue heating for about 10 or 15 minutes, it really depends on how you like the finished product...with more whole cranberries or with fewer.  Add one cup sugar and stir to mix.
Heat cranberries and sugar until well mixed and glistening.
Add a jar of Smucker's Sweet Orange Marmalade and stir to mix. All the while, the cranberries will continue to pop as they heat.

Enjoy and let me know how you like it or the changes you made to make it your own.

Blessings ~ cranberries ~ marmalade ~ friends ~ short cuts of a non-threatening nature ~

Chat Number 120

~ Carly Shetland ~

OHMYGOODNESS...can you believe it? Patrice is hosting Chat Number 120...although Wendell is a bit under the weather (is it possible too many carrots made him sick?) Her questions and my answers:

1. Have you baked any Christmas cookies yet?  No, but baking short bread is on my calendar for tomorrow. I want to give short bread to the folks at the auto repair shop, library and feed stores; they are so nice to me and I want to say "thank you" in a tangible way. 

2. Have you finished your shopping yet? Oh gosh, I finished most of my Christmas shopping months ago. Although, this year, I'm dong things differently. Family and I celebrated Christmas last weekend and I gave them baskets of home canned goodies, a few store bought goodies and a note that said a donation was made to The Gideons International in their name. Let's face it, all of us have everything we need (food, shelter, clothing) and most of what we want. I've reached the age when I want to share in a more tangible way, so I'm giving the gift of eternity. Most of my friends and I have decided not to exchange gifts as well; when we get together (whenever that is), we'll go out to supper or I'll cook for us. The gift of their presence is what I want; I can never get enough of good friends.

3. If you had reindeer like the story of Santa, what would you name them? Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Gentleness, Faith, Hope, Charity and Wisdom.

4. What was the most memorable Christmas gift you ever gave or received? In 1971, my parents sent me to Emmanuel Junior College in Franklin Springs, GA. Just before Christmas break, I was packing to go home and noticed Joni, a classmate from Hawaii, wasn't packing. It turned out, her family didn't have money to bring her home for Christmas so Mom and Daddy said, "bring her with you." On Christmas morning, there were gifts under the tree for Joni...a gift from Mom and Daddy. That's not only my favorite Christmas memory, it's also the most memorable Christmas gift I've ever given and received.

5. Please tell me something new, interesting, or funny. Also, Wendell could use some encouraging words to feel better, just saying. I was in my flannel nightgown, fuzzy socks and fleece mocs at 4:30 tonight. The oil man delivered oil (OUCH!) and as soon as he left, I locked the gate, gave a flake of hay to Carly, came inside and got comfy. Have I mentioned how much warmer the house is since plugging the foundation holes and sealing between the sun room and house?   BTW, Wendell, whenever I'm a little down in the dumps, I count my blessings and that always helps. Then again, so does a good cry every now and again. 

There are three water troughs on the farm and they all freeze; a de-icer is kept in one and that prevents ice but on the other two, ice forms. This ice isn't so bad, it's just a piece whereas sometimes it's a sheet, two inches thick, covering the entire trough. 

Once I drag the ice out of the trough, you can see how crystal clear the water is and, if you could taste it, you'd taste the sweetest limestone water in the world.  

Do you see this stealth 'paca?

Little sneaky thief! But...can't blame him because he didn't leave the gate open...it was someone with two legs 













and I don't mean these critters:

Have I mentioned how nice it is to have dust to dawn lights on the garage? 

THANKS, DONALD!

It's so cold and, this year, my old bones are feeling the cold so it's taking me a while to visit your blogs. Just be glad you're not here, the smell of muscle rub is quite intoxicating invigorating stinky.
Merry Christmas everyone; remember the reason we celebrate.




Blessings ~ Patrice ~ pure drinking water ~ egg nog ~ so much food to eat, I even have snacks! ~ warm flannel nightgown ~ guineas ~ a warm house ~

A Week and More, Second Part

~ PacaRose , left~

Woman plans, God laughs and I'm more than a week late with the second part update. Good news, PacaRose is fine and dandy and I've come to the conclusion he's F.A.T. and has a problem getting to his feet when he lays down with his head uphill. 

~ Carly Shetland, right ~

But, I should start with events leading up to the first paragraph. Every so often, Carly Shetland will become 'cast', meaning she gets turned over and can't right herself. I go to her, speaking softly and in a low voice so she knows I'm coming. Once she hears my voice, she begins bleating, as if telling me she's in a pickle and needs help. 

Fortunately, I don't have to lift her, but can roll her so her feet are on the 'down' side, then she can stand. Carly gets arthritis pain meds in the morning and in the evening which helps her greatly with her mobility, but, even so, there are times when she needs help. 

After getting Carly to her feet, I went to the barn where PacaRose was down and I had to get him up. That meant, I lifted his head and l.o.n.g. neck upright, scooched my feet underneath him and then heaved lifted pushed him to  his feet. Once he got started, he was fine and dandy and begins eating and drinking normally. Fortunately, that was the last day he was down; it's been all good, for him at least, ever since.

~ four paca boys , right~

Next, the farrier came to trim horse feet which was a two and a half hour job. Not all the horses needed trimming but they all needed de-worming and all were de-wormed except HayJ. By the time we dealt with seven horses, I was exhausted and just wanted the farrier to leave so I could crash and get warm but that was not to be. 

The dratted horses escaped into the yard which, as you all well know, wasn't their fault the gate was left open. Totally my fault but that did not ease the forty minutes of pain of getting them back into the barn lot.

On Monday, Donald, Mary's husband, came to fix the barn lights; he figured out the black wire wasn't connected properly and the lights were blown. At any rate, he fixed the wires, replaced the bulbs and it's lovely having dusk to dawn lights in the driveway!

Andy also came on Monday to drag the pastures; he used the harrows to distribute the manure so, over winter, it'll decompose and return to the soil. You can see the lines in the pasture showing where he used the tractor and harrows. He also helped de-worm Hay-J so all the horses are finished being de-wormed; now only the sheep remain.


So far, so good but the story is about to take a downward turn...you are warned.

The dogs, as usual, were with me, every step throughout the day. In the afternoon, Sophie began trembling, shaking and acting like she was freezing so I put her in the Ranger, out of the wind and cold. We came inside at 4:00 so I could feed the dogs their supper and, if anything, she got a little worse. When I put her food in front of her, Gypsy Cat stuck her head in Sophie's dish which was highly unusual. In a hurry, I ran to use the bathroom and Sophie followed me; when she walked into the wall, that's when I knew, for certain, she was blind. I called the vet, told them I was bringing in Sophie, grabbed her up and ran for the car.

Long story short, she might have had a stroke which cause her blindness but we don't really know. I brought her home and, on Tuesday morning, let Sam and Sadie say good-bye. 

Dave and I have always let the remaining dogs say good-bye; it's far gentler to let them know than to let them wonder. 

In years past, Shadow, Zoe, Abbie and Grace were cremated so their ashes were put into the grave first, then Sophie's casket followed. I want to write another post on Sophie but not tonight; tonight is for saying good-bye.








Andy and Donald filled in the grave,  

and I used the tractor's front end loader to pack the earth and finish the job.

This post is being written on Sunday evening, after a day weekend of rain, cold, wind and more troubles. I've been keeping an eye on another old sheep, a weather, who is ancient, probably as old as Carly, and he's in poor condition. I brought him to the barn, where he's been given chicken scratch (easy to eat and digest) and sweet feed with pain meds. He's blind, creaky and confused so, tomorrow, I'm going to ask the vet how best to put him down. He's had a good great life; better than about seventy percent of the humans on this earth and putting him down will be my last gift.

Now you understand why I'm late with the update; it's not just the physical exertion but the emotional toll. Sophie's human Pa had cancer and killed himself and Sophie came to live with me the Sunday after I buried Dave on Wednesday. It's been an emotional roller coaster for all of us...Sadie, Sam and me and between the weather, the work, the tears and all the rest, I am in tatters. 

Dear God. And it's not even winter.

Blessings ~ Abigail ~ Shadow ~ Zoe ~ Grace ~ Sophie ~ Donald ~ Andy ~ Sam ~ Sadie ~ 

Sabbath Keeping

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;

Behold a virgin shall conceive,

and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel."

~ Isaiah 7:14 ~ 

"Be a sinner and sin strongly, but more strongly have faith and rejoice in Christ." 
~ Martin Luther ~
"If you will read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world, were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." ~ C. S. Lewis ~

"Words which do not give the light of Christ,

increase the darkness."

~ Mother Teresa ~

"The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ came to do three things. He came to have my past forgiven, you get a purpose for living and a home in heaven." ~ Rick Warren ~

"There isn't enough room in your mind for both worry and faith.

You have to choose which one will live there."

~ unknown ~ 

"A Christian is nothing but a sinful man who has put himself to school for Christ for the honest purpose of becoming better." ~ Henry Ward Beecher ~ 
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else." ~ C. S. Lewis ~ 

"Be good, 

keep your feet dry,

your eyes open,

your heart at peace, 

and your soul in the joy of Christ."

~ Thomas Merton ~

"The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid." ~ Martin Luther ~
"Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you." ~ Steve Maraboli ~ 
"Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, your saviour, your guide? If He is, you don't need to search any further for security." ~ Elisabeth Elliott ~
"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus." ~ Neal A. Maxwell ~
"When we discern that people are not going on spiritually and allow the discernment to turn to criticism, we block our way to God. God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede." ~ Oswald Chambers ~ 
"The Spirit is the pledge of the abiding presence of Jesus, and of our fellowship with him. He imparts true knowledge of his being and of his will. He teaches us and reminds us of all that Christ said on earth. He guides us into all truth so that we are not without knowledge of Christ and the gifts which God has given us in him. The gift which the Holy Spirit creates in us is not uncertainty, but assurance and discernment. Thus we are enabled to walk in the Spirit and to walk in assurance." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer ~
"He is your friend, who pushes you nearer to God." ~ Abraham Kuyper ~ 

"I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father 

except through me."

~ Jesus Christ, John 14:6 ~

If you'd like a name added to the prayer list, please let me know. Names will be kept for one week; around the world, people are praying.

Prayer Keeping ~ Maxine ~ Kurk ~ Miki and Timi ~ Sparky ~ Lauren ~ Patty ~ Sandra ~

Sabbath Keeping

"When you give to the poor 

it is like lending to the Lord

and the Lord will pay you back."

~ Proverbs 19:17 ~

"A wise person should have money in their head but not in their heart." 
~ Jonathan Swift ~
"Money often costs too much." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
"Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn." ~ Cervantes ~ 
"Money is like muck--not good unless it be spread." ~ Francis Bacon ~
"Make money your god and it will plague you like the devil." ~ Henry Fielding ~ 

"Time is the coin of your life. 

It is the only coin you have, 

and only you can determine how it will be spent. 

Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

~ Carl Sandburg ~

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."  ~ Thomas Edison ~ 

"Don't tell me where your priorities are. 

Show me where you spend your money 

and I'll tell you what they are." 

~ James W. Frick ~ 

"Know what you own and know why you own it." ~ Peter Lynch ~

"Seven Deadly Sins

Wealth without work

Pleasure without conscience

Science without humanity

Knowledge without character

Politics without principle

Commerce without morality

Worship without sacrifice."

~ Gandhi ~

"Too many people spend money they earned...to buy things they don't want...to impress people that they don't like." ~ Will Rogers ~

"It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job

It's a depression when you lose your own."

~ Harry S. Truman ~ 

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions but in having few wants." ~ Epictetus ~ 

"Money won't create success,

the freedom to make it will."

~ Nelson Mandela ~ 

"There are people who have money and people who are rich." ~ Coco Chanel ~
"I've got all the money I'll ever need if I die by four o'clock." ~ Henny Youngman ~ 
"Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish but it cannot replace you as the driver."  ~ Ayn Rand ~
"A good reputation is more valuable than money." ~ Syrus ~

"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

~ 1 Timothy 6:10 ~

If you'd like a name added to the prayer list, please let me know. Names will be kept for one week; around the world, people are praying.

Prayer Keeping ~ Maxine ~ Kurt ~ Timi and Miki ~ Nana's Grandson ~ Leigh ~ Sandra ~