Yum!

These are so yummy, I bet you can almost smell them through your computer screen. :)

::2day::

::I worked for some of my old peeps--hilario--LOVE working for them::
::ate our first meal in the kitchen--it was--carry-out pizza--BECAUSE the builder was here at dinnertime fixing a few odd and ends::
::it has been EXACTLY 8 years since my Mom's second transplant::
::a sweet lady in our church remembers that this is the date of my Mom's second transplant, and brings her a "birthday gift" every.single.year--WOW::
::we had BEAUTIFUL weather::
::the peony bush is EXPLODING::
::sounds like an AWESOME day, doesn't it?::

I'm glad I discovered that this is true!

Singleness is a gift and not a drudgery or curse!

::the remodel::

The day after Easter, we began the journey {as my Dad said} of remodeling our kitchen.  The end result will be good--it's already proven to be wonderful but the journey has been a bit.....delayed and slightly painful.  It has been good that we have a refrigerator and stove downstairs.  But do you realize how much we can do away with?  A lot.  We haven't been using half of anything that is currently in our kitchen and our main living quarters include the laundry room, bedrooms, bathrooms, and porch.  That's about half the house!  Also included in the kitchen remodel was the completion of {just about} everything my Dad wanted to do upstairs.  This includes painting two of the three bedrooms, new trim in the bedrooms upstairs, and new closet doors.  Sounds simple, right. HA!

Things are looking up, though.  By the end of this week, the house may be back to semi-normal that is, if it doesn't blow up when we use the gas stove or the gas dryer downstairs.  The smell is so stinkin' potent from the oil-based paint they've been using all day.  There is a weird smell when we use either of these appliances.  Sweet.

Today, the electrician was here and {cross-our-fingers} should be finished by Wednesday.  Our main contractor installed the water {we can only use the hot water} and the Culligan peeps should be here Friday to finish up what the contractor could not do today {water filter, water to fridge/freezer}.

So to entertain you, here's a few pics.  And I canNOT for the life of me find "before" pics. 

The fridge is in a brand-new place; the pantry used to be there.  The light fixture over the sink is new.

This entire area is new.  this used to be a blank wall and on the kitchen side, there was a small dining-room type cabinet.  On the dining room side, there was {and will be} the buffet.

The fridge used to be on the far right.  And the microwave has also been moved out of it's bulky, 80's-ish, wooden compartment.  Oh, and all of those cabs are full.  Hallelujah.  One less thing that is a mess!

The living/dining room area still looks like THIS....

...and THIS.  But that will soon be fixed when the bedrooms are finished being painted.  Well, on second thought, maybe not.  The painters still have to paint in here and we are getting new carpet {most likely but not 100% sure}.  So this will still be a mess for a while.  We are learning PATIENCE and FLEXIBILITY around these here parts.  And that is a gross under-statement.

It is currently 89 degrees in our house.  Why turn on the air when the windows have to be open to air out the place before we pass out from a headache?  And the fan doesn't work on the porch because the electrician isn't done with his work.  But I am rejoicing.  It is {almost} SUMMER.  It is HOT.  It is SUNNY.  Sure beats the cold days!

You know, I believe that God wants to guide us {me} in even simple things like purchases at the store.

Seriously.  Ever thought that before?

This is what I'm talking about:

Last Thursday, I popped into Hallmark to pick up a few things and my eye caught a movie.  I try to be real picky about movies that I watch because there aren't that many {in my opinion} that are clean.  But this was a Hallmark movie and it looked real good.  I picked it up and fully intended to purchase it.  But I could tell the Holy Spirit was saying, "No. No. Not today. Maybe later.  No. Wasting money."  So I asked the lady how often they sell out.  Yes, they sell rather quickly.  Bum-mer.  Oh well.  But, it felt oh-so-good to obey.

Monday, I didn't have to work and it was raining and the builder was going to be installing new trim and doors in my room and the house is a TRAIN WRECK from all of the construction.  {But that is a post for another time.}  All this meant that there was not a lot to do at home.  So, Mom and I decided to "run errands."  I have mentioned here and there that our family is going on vacation.  {I'll post more about that later.}  But I decided/figured out that I need a new bag.  A purse-bag.  A purse for vacation but something that will morph into a bag for life after vacation.  There aren't washers and dryers for public use on this vacation that we're taking and I am a notoriously heavy packer so cutting the bags down to one seems to be part of my solution to my problem.  Anyways.  I found an adorable bag at Marshall's.  It had ruffles.  It was so cute.  But I did not feel right about buying it.  I needed to WAIT! 

Tonight:  while I was out "running errands," {something we apparently do a lot of around here}, I stopped by the public library.  Guess what?  I found the movie I had wanted to purchase last week.  Awe-some!  Not that it was wrong to purchase the movie, it's just that I didn't need to last Thursday.

Then, I went to.......[drumroll]........Target.  I'm telling you, I have their end displays memorized.  Lo and behold, what should catch my eye but a new end display right when I walked into the store with the cutest purse/bag morph right before my eyes.  And it was more than half of the price of the other bag.

So I learned a lesson.  Because I canNOT know when cute and cheaper things can be found in the future, God does know.  So listening to HIM in simple areas WILL save me a lot of money.  Fantastic!

#1--Tomorrow, the builder starts putting up new trim and new doors on the closets in the three upstairs bedrooms.  I thought this would be simply taking off the old doors and putting up new ones, plus trim around the closets.  I was wrong!  No, it includes trim around the whole bedroom, including inside the closet.  I mean, YAY!  So I will be getting up at the crack of dawn to move things out of my closets plus moving the furniture into the center of the room.  {I lurve Monday mornings.}  right. {that was a joke!}

#2--We are going to buy flowers tomorrow to plant.  {love}

#3--We are taking down one of the bird feeders on our property.  It is the one dangling above the porch railing.  Now we will be able to sit on our porch and enjoy the sunshine and stare at our neighbors through their big, fat window. {ok, that second part was for sure a joke!}  {the first part was love}

#4--I may or may not have a chance to sponsor on a blog which equals awesome advertisement.  {love}  {I will keep you posted}

#5--My admiration for a family in my church went through the roof tonight.  Through the roof.  Can't explain but it's Through.The.Roof.  And this is a quiet family--not very noticeable.  unREAL how some people's Christianity shines through when they've been put in a tough spot--when I'm the one who has put them in a tough spot and they hold not a grudge--no vengeance.  {love}

So based on the fact that I have said {love} so many times in this post, tomorrow should be a pretty fantastic day!!

::tonight::

I went bowling with a friend then we grabbed coffee at an insanely wonderful coffee place. It seems like every time I go there, there is an interesting event going on. Tonight, there was a trunk show for Matilda Jane, a clothing company. I love the ambiance of this coffee shop! Where's your favorite place to grab a cup of coffee?

::the place::

::the inside::

::the mug, holding the coffee::

amateur photos

Remember when I recently did a post about my plans?  And I talked about going to a park to snap some amateur photos.  So here are a few unedited, amateur photos.

::We got family photos taken in that exact spot several years ago::

What do you think?  I like the prop!

I didn't try any other spots because it was very windy that day plus, I didn't bring any stands.

And this was taken with the handy self-timer.  I had my glasses on because my eyes were so tired from staring at a computer screen that day.  Plus it was sunny, so my eyes are semi-closed.  LOOK at how long my hair is!!  Woohoo!!

A public declaration

I LOVE OLD PEOPLE!!

{Okay, well, most old people.}

There has been a room next to my grandma's that has been vacant, yet reserved for quite a bit. It was finally occupied by an elderly man recently.

One of the neat things about my grandma's retirement community is that outside of each room is a shadowbox installed inside the wall. Each resident can put a favorite picture and/or memento inside which further adds to the personality of the resident. Most people put up a picture of them in their younger days. Most of the men have a picture of them during the war. I love and dislike those pictures at the same time. I love to see the old black and white of them in their early days. I dislike the picture because it is a harsh reminder of old age.

One of the men who occupied the room next to Granny a while back was a fighter pilot in WWII. It was so disheartening to see him shuffling about aimlessly, his eyes empty but still kind.

So back to today. My mom was putting Granny's laundry away and I was sitting on the bed attempting to induce Granny out of her deep sleep when I heard the new resident say, "Help me. Somebody help me."  This went on for a few minutes so I went down to alert a nurse's aid. She said somewhat reluctantly that she "would take care of it." 

Another few minutes later with the pitiful cries still coming from next door, I went to the director's office {which was right next to the man's room} and mentioned that this elderly man needed help.  I also hurriedly said that I had already alerted someone.  She said, "Thank you" to my back as I quickly retreated to my grandma's room before I lost my Christian testimony.  I got teary when I sat down in my grandma's room.

I'm telling you, some people are so INSENSITIVE.  I understand that each old person in that community has their own weird idiosyncrasies.  I mean, I understand because my Granny is not always the most cooperative person.  But it is so scary when the workers in these retirement communities get so immune to the fact that people need help.

The place where my Granny lives is honestly one of the best in our area.  We were looking in our town or the town directly south of us.  We did not want to go east or west of us.  This is the best within 15 minutes.  And even in a place where they pay good money to live, there is insensitive help.  I said to my Mom, "Those workers are here to help because these people wouldn't be here unless they needed assistance." 

On the other hand, there are a few workers who are so incredible.  There is a lady who lives down the hall from my Granny and she does not have dementia or Alzheimer's but her husband does and he is not doing well at all.  It is terrible to watch him decline.  Well, we were having a hard time trying to find a nurse to let us out a few nights ago.  When my Mom finally found the head nurse {who is one of our favorites}, my Mom asked how Rose's husband was doing.  Of course, the nurse is bound by privacy laws and could not give a detailed answer.  She just shook her head and burst into tears.  It was such a heart-rending sight.  She was literally broken over his situation.  But that shows that she cares.  That is so refreshing!

Another incredible worker is the activities director named Lisa.  I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E.!!  That's all I have to say about her.

I really dislike old age.  I don't like to see people's dignity stripped away.  I could not work in a nursing home ministry through our church.  It would make me too sad.  I think it would be hard for me because of the condition of my grandma.  The verse in Psalm 71:9 where it exhorts us to, "Cast me not off in time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth" is there for a purpose.  It's easy to forget about those who have forgotten about us.

Does anyone have a family member with Alzheimer's or dementia? 

A shameless endorsement

One of the couples that I clean for owns one of the two flower shops in town. Well, Jim is constantly singing the praises of a local bakery. Actually, today, the flower shop is doing a cross promotion with the bakery. If you get flowers by delivery, you will also receive a very nice package of cookies. If you go into the bakery, you get a free carnation.
SO...I finally made the trek into the bakery to see if they had anything interesting for dessert {I started Mother's Day early over here}.
Look what I brought home!
YUMMY!! So if you're from my area of the country, check out the cute bakery in the old white house on Broadway {next to the old license branch}.

Plans

To say that today has not gone as planned is a tremendous understatement.

I have suddenly found myself the caretakers of two dogs for a few days. This resulted in me leaving the house a lot earlier than normal.

Then, on the way to work, I was behind a truck with a trailer and a loosely tied-down tarp. Yep. You know where this is going. The tarp blew off and sent debris everywhere. It was an interesting encounter with garbage. Thankfully, nothing seems immediately wrong with the truck.

After driving almost 20 minutes to get to work I found out it was cancelled. I typically don't mind because I always have a set of back up plans in my mind.

My back up plan today involved the back porch. But the builder needed that spot because of the new window he was putting in today. Have I mentioned that the kitchen is being remodeled? This is week 3 without a kitchen {or is it week 4}?

Needless to say, today is not happening according to plan. But I'm thankful that I'm LEARNING to LEAN and not getting completely discouraged about not having a regular job or life or husband...

That is the way my thought processes typically go when I'm discouraged. So I'm sitting at a park and am going to test my nonexistent photog skills by experimenting with different props for my etsy shop.

Things I am thankful for today:

•the Gunzenhausers found a place to rent/live
•blue skies
•patience
•peace
•the direction and teaching of the Holy Spirit
•a blog post {and new blog} that encourages -- and makes me laugh, too
•provision for my needs

thankful memories

For some reason, I am more nostalgic in the spring/summer time than around the  Christmas holidays.  Today was an absolutely beautiful day and I did a lot of driving.  I was driving the "old" Suburban and had a fleeting memory about another Suburban we used to own.  This led me to compile a list {while I was driving - ahem} of things that I did not like or appreciate when I was younger but now am thankful for.

#1 -- the old Suburban -- Now, this is not the Old Suburban that I just mentioned.  No, this is the old, OLD Suburban.  For reasons that escape my memory, my dad bought a Suburban {an early 90's model} and those were the wheels I drove around on as a junior/senior in HS.  Oh, how my brothers and I despised that baby-blue truck.  It was the BANE of cool.  Trust me.  Even my really cool Uncle Duane talked about how no one wanted to be seen in those Suburbans in the 80's.  Yep, and the model was the same in the early 90's.  But now that I'm older I wish it were back.  Just think, it was practically indestructible.  We could haul our dogs around in it.  We don't have dogs anymore but IF we did, just think of the places I could take them.  And vintage and retro are BACK.  They're back!  I mean, I would fit right in with a truck like that.

#2 -- summer camp -- Oh, we were so deprived that we didn't get to go to summer day camp all summer long, 10 weeks, to be exact, like other kids we knew.  {I'm still scarred.  Ok, sorry, that was a family joke.}  But guess what, we had to WORK at home.  My brother owns a lawn care company.  Someone asked where he got the experience. UHHHHHH......in our yard at home.  Every.single.summer loads of dirt was delivered to our house.  "Fill in the holes, boys."  That's what my Dad used to say.  We got dirt at our house every summer until just a few years ago.  Ah, memories!

#3 -- piano in the summer -- Oh how I despised taking piano lessons in the summer.  "Dad, if I didn't have to take piano lessons during the summer, I promise that I will practice.  I will be able to practice anything I want and that will enhance my natural love for the piano.  I just know that I will practice waaaaaaaaaay more if I don't have to take lessons during the summer.  It will just be a nice break from the routine."  hahahahahahaha -- every summer until I finished my sophomore year in college I took piano lessons.  Now, I still haven't thanked my Dad specifically for taking piano lessons in the summer but I am thankful for the perseverance it taught me.

#4 -- steadfastness -- Ok, my Dad is not perfect.  {I just had to say that because someone with a bone to pick will be sure to find some way that my Dad is inconsistent.}  But my Dad has never been the type to get his arm twisted easily.  If he said no, he meant no.  And if you asked again, your chances of getting what you wanted just went into the negatives.  I really appreciate that.  Sometimes, that may be a hard pill to swallow but no means no and at least you know that you have an answer.  :)  It eliminated whining and without a doubt, Dad was {is} the head of our house.  I am so thankful for that quality in my dad.

Last week while I was standing at my table with my cards, a mom was buying a few sets of cards and she told her son, "No you can just wait here and stand by me."  Well, I really don't know this kid but to lighten the tone I said, "Moms are cool."  The mom standing there said, "Well, he doesn't think so."  But I replied that he eventually would.  My youngest brother and I had several discussions while my parents went on their last vacation about how thankful we are for our parents.  They have taken a lot of heat the past few years for stands they have taken.  Friends look at us like, "Oh, they're weird.  They're a little....uh....radical."  Yep, radical about the Bible and Jesus.  And that's not just a cliche.  While we were out with friends on Sunday night during the course of conversation, one of our friends said, "And you have really great parents."  DON'T WE KNOW!!  My brother Geoff and I are so thankful and grateful for the way we were raised.  There are so many other things that I could list here but it would get too long and personal.  I am so thankful for my parents.  And the older I get, the more thankful I am that my parents are mine!

Sunday night after church.

Lots of laughs.

With friends who are in full-time Christian service.

Blessed.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

oh, and may I chime in on the new immigration law?

My Dad's side of the family is all immigrants.  All of his grandparents were immigrants.  Many of his great-aunts, great-uncles, cousins, etc....where immigrants in the early 1900's.  Our family history is from Russia but we're Germans.

So when all of my great-grandparents, family, and friends came to America, as they were saved, they formed a {very loosely named} "church" called the "Brotherhood."  I have explained a bit about the Brotherhood here on this blog in the past.

Last night at dinner, I asked my Dad about how the immigration law was affecting AZ because his second office is there.  He pointed out something so interesting.

In the summers during WWII, the Brotherhood would leave the windows of their church meeting place open.  There in church, they would pray {corporately!!} in German, sing in German, preach in German.  You get the point.  And who was our main enemy in WWII?  So who do you think was sitting outside of the church services listening in on what they were saying?  The S*cr*t S*rvic*, that's who.  And do you think that bothered them?  Not one bit.  My Nana would laugh; they weren't bothered one bit because they were here legally {imagine that!} plus, they weren't N*z- sympathizers.  They were so thankful to be in this great land and to be free from c*mmun*st Russia.

I quickly researched some statistics just for you.  After the 1880's immigrants were from Eastern and Southern European countries, Canada, and Latin America.  By 1910, Eastern and Southern Europeans made up 70% of our country's immigrants.  {Info quickly gathered from here.}  This is the group where our family would be included.

So without any research, I think I can safely say that a very large portion of our immigration now is from Latin America.  So what gives them the right to all of a sudden shout forth accusations of being "harrassed" and have their "rights" taken away?  What "rights" when generations of people have entered our wonderful country legally.  Just because they're from Latin America all of a sudden, we LEGAL, IMMIGRANT Americans are discriminating?  Excuse me?  I don't think my great-grandparents ever accused anyone of that.  They were so thankful to be here legally with a chance to be free from C*mmun*st Russia.

It just bothers me when all of a sudden they are screaming, marching,and protesting about their rights when they're not even here legally.  And this immigration thing is not new.  It's how our country was founded.  We are a nation of immigrants.  But I don't think that all of a sudden, we need to bow to the "rights" of people who are here illegally.

And I am so proud of my immigrant heritage!

This week of Preaching Conference was incredible!

Of course, I was able to chat with Anne for a bit on Tuesday which was nice.

Every sermon was a blessing.

My grandparents pastor from Florida was one of the speakers and he is such an outstanding pastor.  My grandparents love going to that church!!  My brother and I were able to go out to eat {to the grand place of Mickey D's--the only place open in our tiny town} with him after two of the services.  That was nice.

I was blessed to be able to set up my verse cards on a table at the Conference.  That was a huge blessing.  I sold some cards!  Yay!  Now my hope and prayer is that this past week was a springboard to reach more people.  I honestly want to be a blessing to others with those cards.  One of my friends bought two sets of cards recently.  She was able to give a set on "Comfort" to a girl who was re-diagnosed with cancer in her church.   It's a blessing {and success} to know that the cards were used to encourage someone.

And of course, most importantly, the preaching was wonderful.  I really wanted to be changed not just moved.  I was waiting for my "clincher" message.  It finally came on Thursday night.  The first pastor that night had a sermon about longing for God.  It hit me square between the eyes.  Square between the eyes.  I think the Lord has been working on me in certain areas and it was leading up to that sermon.  I praise the Lord for the conviction of the Holy Spirit!  I never want to be cold.

With my new phone {woo-hoo!} I'm not on the computer as much compulsively checking my email.  That is a  ++.  Anything to limit my computer time is a positive.  So, I feel like I've been neglecting this little corner but it's all about improvement.  So that's a good thing.  I've missed ya'll.  How was your week?