Posts Tagged ‘Gifts and Gadgets’
Weather or Not
I don’t believe it! Just as I thought spring was here a huge snowstorm is in the forecast. We had just begun to put away the winter clothes! We were invited to a birthday party for the new one-year-old in the family. Now that is supposed to be the worst day of the storm! And I can’t do a thing to stop it! I think I will just put out the Holiday Garden Sign 
that says “Spring” and close the doors, pull the blinds and pretend. What harm can that do? We can’t stop the storm, we can’t drive in a blizzard, but we can heat up the fireplace, curl up on the couch and drink hot chocolate. Oh well, we can take the baby’s gifts another day and it really will be spring.
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!
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.
A Sudden Fascination
All at once I have a fascination with tool kits. Mind you, I don’t even know what the tools are for or how to use them. But have you noticed that there are kits of all kinds? Just look around the web. Notice in store when you shop. If you know how to use the tools, you should be able to fix anything!
The weather is nicer now - at least for a few days. I think we may be able to fix something that we have been waiting to fix until the weather got better. I bought the 60 watt bulbs we need on the back porch. We can get out the nice screw-driver set that my parents bought my husband. That is really a neat set. I can hold it and steady the ladder while my husband puts up the light. What fun it would be to be able to use all the tools in one of those sets we have. Anyway, if you don’t mind, I will just look at them and dream for now. Maybe someday I will know what that funny little wrench is for. It is so cute, it must have a good use!
Storms
This time of year we seem to have quite a few storms across the country. The winds blow, the rain falls, there is thunder, lightening, snow, and the electricity goes out. Then we go to look for the candles or the flashlights. That is when we are glad we have that candle lamp
we bought a short time ago. When we light the candle in its beautiful holder, it helps take away the feeling of being caught in a storm. If we have used a scented candle, there is something else to enjoy while we are using the lamp.
In the place where you put your candles for emergency lighting, be sure to keep the type you want in your candle lamp. Using it helps to take away the feeling of being in a storm. When a storm comes, even before the electricity goes off, it may be that lighting your candle lamp will take away that “stormy feeling” and make the time a time of enjoyment whether or not the electricity toes off. Happy times!
Collecting
Our older daughter used to collect 
horse figurines. The other day I was cleaning off a shelf and found several of her older pieces. Some were still in perfectly good shape. However, some needed a foot or something glued back on. Later she collected larger pieces that could be displayed. She now collects raccoons because she saved the life of a poor little raccoon one time.
What do you like to collect? Over the years various members of my family or friends have collected different things. My sister has a beautiful collection of miniatures. They are mostly on a shelf in her living room. It is fun to look at them and some of them have great stories that go with them. We have a collection of things that we have accumulated over the years. They are mostly displayed on our living room bookcases. This was not a deliberate collection. It just happened. Take your time. Choose your object. Start collecting.
Decorating with Vases
My younger daughter gave me a beautiful vase for my birthday. For about two weeks I thought and thought about what to put into it. Finally, I decided that a fall bouquet would be perfect. At the craft store I found some beautiful greenery that fit just fine. Then I found a bouquet of fall flowers that fit in perfectly. Now each season I have only to find a bouquet of the flowers of the season and change them, leaving the greenery in the background. What fun!
Sometimes vases are so beautiful that they make a fine display specimen by themselves. However, sometimes they just call out to be filled with a beautiful flower arrangement. It is a lot of fun to find just the right thing to go into them. Sometimes a vase has sat on a shelf or been put away and we have more or less forgotten it. Taking it out again and filling it with the seasonal foliage is a fulfilling experience. It is also fun to look for and find just the right vase to fit into an area or compliment another item on a shelf. Sometimes visitors think something you have had for a long time is a new item. You can tell them or just enjoy the compliment. Have fun decorating with vases.