Its Getting Closer
That time is getting closer and closer. It is a wonderful time for Christians. It is where our hope begins to be known. At church we will study and hear again the wonderful resurrection news. Easter time once more.
It is a happy time for children. The Easter bunny, the candy, the toys, and surprises that they had not even thought about. Easter!! Kind of like Christmas in the spring for the kids. What fun to color eggs! What fun to hunt eggs! For the grown-ups there is all the discussions about Easters in the past when the weather was nice and those when the weather was bad. The “do you remember” talks. Easter baskets, cookies shaped like rabbits, little toys and sometimes a beautiful, plush Easter Bunny! Get out the Easter decorations, get a new one, put them up and enjoy the time!
Simply Garden Decorating
When it comes to creating a warm and inviting outdoor space, there’s no better place to start than the garden. Gardens represent a harmony between man and nature, and provide a relaxing environment for the owner. In order to create the kind of warm atmosphere you just won’t want to leave, here are a few additions to consider:
~Fire Pit - nothing warms up a space like a fire, it provides both warmth and visual appeal.
~Welcome Sign - it might seem trivial, but when you have guests often, garden welcome signs can really make them feel invited.
~Garden Swing - there’s nothing quite like curling up in a garden swing with a good book or a loved one.
~Fountain - for the aesthetic appeal of water and beautiful sounds, a garden water fountain is ideal.
Observing
Today was a beautiful day here and it made me think of the birds. Soon we will be seeing them come back and make their nests and raise their young. The only fowl that have stayed around are a large flock of geese. I know this is mainly because we have a large pond and they stay near it or on it. They are not very afraid of any of us, but they fly before we can get really close to them. They have figured our that our dogs can’t get out of their large dog pen so they can search for bugs or whatever pretty close to the fence.
One thing that we can enjoy right now are the birdhouses
. Most of the ones I like are too nice to let the birds have because for some reason they do not understand housekeeping! The latest one I have really liked looks like a little mobile home. We used to go camping in a small trailer and this brings back memories. Get out your binoculars so they can be ready and watch for the birds when they come. You may even want to put out a house for the birds even though they do not understand housekeeping!
Seasons
Winter is the season that starts each year here in our hemisphere. Most places we know of are cold right now, or at least colder than they are later in the year. Seasons come and go. Those of us who are older remember the “winter of” or the “spring of,” etc. Those winters of great snow or summers of no rain are often topics of conversations when families get together. We are happy when a day like today here where we live comes along. It is cold, but there is no wind and it does not seem particularly cold outside. We enjoy the sunshine and don’t think about the cold, wintery day that may come tomorrow.
When those really cold days come, we enjoy being inside and having something that makes us think of happy times. A “Garden of Prayer” wall plaque
can be an inspiration to us. We may be cold, or know it is cold outside, but no matter what time of year, prayer is something we can do at any time. A beautiful scene can take us to a wonderful day and time for a few moments of rest and peace. It may seem we are actually in that garden and at peace. Then the peace can linger even when we are away from the plaque. Take time to stop and enjoy the time - no matter what the weather!
Beautiful Light
The sun has been there all along, but we keep just seeing clouds and haze. Winter is upon us and this year seems to be a time of dreaming about spring and the beautiful sunlight it brings. The wind is blowing and the plants are leaning toward the south because of the north wind. We love spring and we love to see a snow in winter, but this year the snow has been here deeply and long. People who live where there is no snow would love to enjoy some of this we have had. The people who have snow every year are all probably ready to see it leave as are we who usually have at least one big snow and then it melts and we have rain and a few flurries of snow.
When we can’t have much sunlight or we have it and it is still cold outside, we can come inside and enjoy our beautiful lamps. We like to light the candle lamps and enjoy the scent of the candles we have placed there. We enjoy now more than ever the beautiful lights we have placed around the house. We can’t change the weather, but we can turn on the light that we like inside the home. Just enjoy it and look forward to spring. What a happy thought!
Kids Loves Model Sailboats
My nephew lives in a lake house with my sister and her husband. They have a beautiful wooden house with a nice little boat dock. Often times during the summer we will eat dinner at a picnic table set up at the end of the dock. It’s especially pretty when the sun is setting.
For my nephew’s birthday I decided I would get him some wooden model sailboats. I imagined how perfect it would be to watch his stooped little form pushing those sailboats away from the dock. I think my sister will also like the gift.
Breakdown
There is no good time for a breakdown. You may be in your car and it just stops. You may be on the road to a special destination, and your car gives out on you. Right now we worry about getting stuck in the snow somewhere, so we keep tool kits, warm clothes, blankets, etc. in our vehicles. We make sure we have plenty of gas and we make sure everything is working all right to the best of our abilities. We make absolutely sure our cell phones are charged up so we can call for help.
When the children or grandchildren are coming home from college for a weekend, a person can’t help but be concerned until they arrive at home. We have asked them many times if they have everything they need and cautioned them to be careful. We checked when we last saw their car to see if all the emergency items were there. We are sure they didn’t remove them from the trunk. We know they are intelligent. We don’t want them to know we are worried. So we pray and trust and worry until they get home.
Here they are again! No breakdown! No bad roads! Everything is fine! Praise the Lord!
Pretty Holidays
Some holidays are just other days that we celebrate something. Other holidays are really pretty. Valentine’s Day is a pretty holiday. It will be here in a couple of weeks. The flowers that we give are pretty. The boxes of candy are pretty. The hearts
in all shapes, sizes, and forms are pretty. Maybe it is because these things usually have red as their dominant color.
Also romance is the theme and that is a dreamy, happy thought. If you are looking for just the right person, it is a happy time. If you have found that person, it is a happy time. If you have lived with the right person for lots of years, it is a happy time. If you just enjoy the holiday and like to enjoy it with friends, it is a happy time. Remember the Valentine’s Day parties when you were in school. It was fun to make the boxes for the cards and then get to enjoy the party with games and delicious treats. Think of red, enjoy seeing the decorations around you, even if you have to go to a store to see them, and sit back and absorb the season.
Stage Your Home for Success
One of the best things you can do when trying to sell your home is to keep it immaculate. A spotless house shows potential buyers that you have cared for it over the years and that it is all ready for them to move into. This can be difficult - after all, life is messy - but it will be worthwhile and will help your home sell for more money. In addition, some sellers hire professionals to “stage” their home - they’ll rearrange furniture, add attractive props, repaint rooms, and more - but you can do this yourself.
Just follow these home selling tips. Buyers are attracted to light, bright spaces. Rooms with light walls and lots of light streaming through the windows look bigger, so repaint dark rooms and always leave curtains or blinds wide open when buyers visit. You should also rearrange your furniture to create more open space in your living room and bedrooms. If needed, store some furniture in a friend’s garage or a heated storage unit to free up even more space for showings. Lastly, invest in fresh flowers and simple vases for your entryway and kitchen - they’ll make all the difference in creating an inviting, homelike atmosphere.
Where to Put a Table
Did you ever wonder where to place a table? We seem to have too many small tables. They are not really very small - bigger than end tables, but smaller than a dining table
. They are nice and we don’t want to sell them or give them away. We have managed to find a use for all of them, but every now and then we change our minds and decide to put one in a different place.
When we are thinking of these things, we just wish the tables were small and we could put them by a chair or in a corner and they would look pretty and be a nice place to lay your book when you were finished reading. I can remember when we did not have enough tables. We just needed a nice small table to make things look pretty. When we finally could afford just the right table, we were so excited when we found it at a store. Now people can find almost anything at a store or on the web and see exactly how much they need to save before they will be able to buy it. Oh well, these are the good new days.