Hello, and welcome! My name is Renna (pronounced wren-uh). I hope you'll leave a comment and let me know you were here. I love meeting new people through my blog and the blogs of others.
My life is ordinary, but I am blessed. I have a great husband, who I sometimes refer to as Mr.Studley (shhh-he doesn't know it!).
I have grown kids who are a delight to me.
I homeschooled my youngest through high school.
I have dabbled in many crafts, but seem to have found my 'knitch' in knitting.
I taught myself to knit using online videos. I'm not great at it, but I have great fun at it. I love watching birds in the wild.
I'm a little too crazy about my Min Pin, Leyna.
I hope I'm never accused of being "religious", though my desire is to bring glory to God in all that I do. He created me. He loves me. He sent His Son to die for me. I strive to let His love be reflected in my life.
I had a hankering for homemade cookies today. I don't need to be eating cookies. Somehow I manage to convince myself that if the cookies are chock full of oats & raisins, they must be kind of, sort of healthy. Sounds logical, right?
Can I just say, I love my KitchenAid mixer. I've wanted one for years. Though I have no recollection of ever mentioning this to my mom, apparently I did, as she surprised me with this one for Christmas, a year ago.
See the red mat lying to the left of the mixer? My niece sent it to me for Christmas this year, along with several other goodies. It's a dish drying mat, and I've been wanting one for a couple of months (and I did't tell her that, either!). It was a surprise and a delight to find it in my bag from her. I told her she's a "gifted gift giver". She always chooses gifts I really like. She said that when she goes shopping, she just buys things she knows she'd like. How clever. Wonder why I never thought of that.
Ahh, now to eat the fruit (so to speak) of my labor. I knew these cookies were going to be good by how tasty the dough was. I got this recipe from Pinterest, my third home (Facebook being my second). This recipe made a lot of cookies. I couldn't, in good conscience, keep that many cookies on hand, for I know where my hand would constantly be....in the cookie jar! I took about half out and wrapped them up nicely, and asked my son to take them to work with him tomorrow to share with his co-workers.
Isn't this a lovely picture? It's a place in the UK called Scafell Pike. It's the highest mountain in England. While my daughter, Nikki, was living in England, she went with a group that camped and hiked to the top. I have a few more pictures she sent me at that time which I'll share later. Isn't the scenery just gorgeous? I'm pretty sure Nikki's somewhere on that rock bridge in the distance, but you can't quite make her out.
May you have a wonderful weekend. As Joyce Meyer (teacher of God's Word) is always saying, do something to bless someone every day!
I am not moved by what I see-
I am not moved by what I feel-
I am moved by what I believe!
~Smith Wigglesworth
There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
The above creation is a primitive cat named Putty Tat, after our very own cat named Putty Tat (as in, I tot I taw one) How about that! The primitive Putty Tat was gifted to me by Kat, from Scaredy Kat & Her Own Crow. Kat is one of the neatest people I've met via blogland. She is a walking, breathing, talking testimony of what God can do in, and for a person when they submit to him. Her past life was a mess, bound by addictions. Today, she is cleaned up and living each day to the fullest. She's got a heart as big as Texas. If you go to her blog, you'll see some of her divine creations, most of which seem to be gifts of appreciation bestowed on those to whom she's grateful. She shares some of her testimony here, if you'd like to read it and be uplifted. Kat is a hoot, and I consider her one of God's blessings to me that I got to meet her (cyberly speaking).
My son bought me these cookbooks for Christmas. Actually, the one on the left was given to me last Christmas. I love all of them (I should, as they were all on my wish list which I shared with family), but the one I'm most excited about is the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I'm going to have fun with it!
John also overwhelmed me with a new dinette set for my kitchen. I casually mentioned how much I liked this particular style when we were in a store over a year ago. I never dreamed he was even listening to me, as he tends not to, or at least seems not to much of the time. He was not only listening, he was filing that tidbit away for future use. I am absolutely loving the gift, and shake my head everytime I think about how thoughtful he was. He & Nikki are both extremely thoughtful gift-givers, always giving both Mr.Studley & I gifts that we love. I'll snap a pic of the table & chairs one day soon and show it here.
This is a little hat I knit for a gift last year. I wish I could've gotten a picture of it on the baby, as it doesn't do it justice on this too-small doll's head. It's a darling pattern which was an easy knit. The pattern was not free, but was worth the purchase price. It's raveled here.
I've got to get cracking this weekend. I still have Christmas stuff to be packed away, and I've been dragging my feet about it. The tree is down, but the rolled up lights are still sitting on a chair in the living room where they've been for nearly a week, and that's not the half of it. I also have plastic tubs of Christmas decor stacked in the sun room. What I really wish I'd gotten for Christmas is a maid!
"You do not have to live with secrets that allow negative emotions to control you. Our feelings are real and they are powerful, but they are not more powerful than God and truth."
~Excerpt from Living Beyond Your Feelings, by Joyce Meyer
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
I knit this Harry Potter scarf for my niece for Christmas a year ago, along with a slouch hat & fingerless mitts to match. Those who know me on Ravelry have already seen these knitting pictures. The scarf is raveled here, the mitts are raveled here, and the slouch hat, which I have blogged about is raveled here.
This scarf was also knit for my niece, and it's raveled here. I loved how it turned out. It was soft & squishy, and super long so she could wrap it around her neck a couple of times, and still have it hang down long on her tall self.
Nikki & John, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, CO March 2011
If at all possible, on the years Nikki's living in the states, my son, John, takes a week's vacation and visits her the week of her birthday. These are two kids (to me) who did more than their fair share of fighting in their years of living at home together. When Nikki was first born, John, who was 8 1/2 years older adored her. He called her his little babycakes. Anytime we went anywhere, he and their daddy would race each other to the door by Nikki's carseat, each trying to be the one to get to carry her (little princess, she was!).
As I've mentioned here before, my late husband, Nikki's biological daddy, died in an accident when she was 13 months old. Bubba, as we call John here at home (yes, we're from the south, and we have a bubba) helped me immensely in taking care of his baby sissy. I remarried when Nikki was 5, and suddenly she had a big sister around John's age. The newness and novelty of having a sister caused her to shift her affections from Bubba to her new sis; who, being a teenager at the time introduced Nikki to the use of sarcasm, something our family hadn't really dealt with prior to that point. I'm not blaming her. Lots of teens are sarcastic. John could deal out sarcasm with the best of them...it's just that, being a small close-knit family who'd lost one of it's members to death, we'd never gone down that road with each other. At least not before then.
As Nikki learned to be sarcastic with her brother, giddy with the knowledge that she now had a big sister, a rift developed in my children's relationship. It saddened me, but there it was. As Nikki entered her teen years, being of a strong choleric temperament, she and John had some doozies of fights, which even became physical a couple of times. Our trusty Chow, Yogi, was always there to shut those down in a hurry, though. Good old Yogi Bear, how we miss him still.
After Nikki left home and moved to Germany at the age of 20, by the time she was able to return for a visit nearly 3 years later, though still always the little sis, she and John were now both adults, and able to interact as such....well, to a degree. They can both resort to childish behavior in the blink of an eye now, but it's the fun part of childishness. Bubba is always there for his sissy, a fact which brings me great comfort.
My little movie star. When I was a kid in the '60's, I remember that anytime we kids put on a pair of sunglasses, we'd always say something like "look at me, I'm a movie star"; or an adult would say "look at that little movie star". I can only surmise that movie stars must've been the only ones who wore sunglasses. Maybe sunglasses were very expensive, or maybe it was a bold fashion statement not made by the masses. I really don't know. I need to remember to ask my mom about that sometime. Of course we all wear sunglasses now. You can even buy them on the cheap at dollar stores. Yet I still think to myself when I see pics like this of Nikki, "ooh, look at that little movie star".
John at Seven Falls, outside Colorado Springs, CO March 2011
John never smiles for pictures, and Nikki is never not smiling for them (or any other time). It does no good to encourage him to do so; he'll just get all the more serious looking. Must be a firstborn thing. That's okay, I love him to bits despite his gruff exterior, and I know he loves me, too.
"If you feel unusually sad or as if you are carrying a heavy burden you don't understand, ask God what is wrong before you start assuming things. It is amazing what we can learn by simply asking God for an answer and being willing to face any truth He might reveal about us or our behavior. Sometimes we feel emotional because of something someone has done to us or an unpleasant circumstance in our lives. But at other times we feel that way because of something we did wrong and ignored." ~excerpted from Living Beyond Your Feelings by Joyce Meyer
"When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long."
~Psalm 32:3 Amplified Bible
My mom wore short shorts. This was taken around 1956 or '57. I think she was adorable. She had really nice legs. Even now, at 77, she has nice looking legs. No varicose veins, no wrinkling, no sagging of skin. White enough to make you grab your sun shades, but nice. I remember one time when she was in her early 50's, she commented that she rarely had to shave her legs anymore. I was shocked. I was also excited, thinking "well, there should be some rewards to growing older". Trouble is, she didn't bother telling me those hairs that quit growing on your legs have to find some place to come out. I'd rather have leg hair than chin hair any day of the week!
I was about a year old when the Royal Teens recorded "Who Wears Short Shorts?". Not that I remembered the year, or even the name of the group, but I do remember singing that song with friends when I was a little girl, as we danced around the yard in our short shorts, thinking we were hot stuff.
I love this video. Get a load of the lack of expression on the girl's face, on all their faces for that matter. Not sure if they were that emotionless, or just trying to look super cool. I'm figuring the latter. Watch it and see if the song doesn't get stuck in your head. But first, scroll over to the right and pause my music player. Not sure Kiss From a Rose playing simulatneously with Who Wears Short Shorts would make for pretty music.
I also love this picture of Nikki. She looks so relaxed and happy. She was taking her vacation days, and though she loves her job working with small children, she was enjoying just hanging out with the fam.
She drove down in October and went camping with us. Nikki, my son, John, my mom & her husband, Mr.Studley & I, our Min Pin Leyna, and Nikki's chocolate lab all in our 5th wheel. It sleeps plenty, but that doesn't mean plenty actually sleep! It was fun, though. One night Nikki, John, and I stayed awake long after the others watching some silly dvd and giggling like 5 year olds. I can't remember the last time we had that much fun together. Even my son's flatulence was giving us the giggles, and trust me, there's nothing really funny about John's flatulence..
The older I get, the more my memory fails me. By staying away from blogging so long, I managed to forget a lot that I'd learned about it. Add to that, there's been changes around here in bloggerville. She's done gone and gussied herself up a bit since I was here last. I used to run hollering to my friend, Marilyn, at A Mixed Bouquet whenever I needed help with my blog. She helped me set it up, and installed the design stuff for me, but Marilyn's got her hands full these days, having gone back to college to get her nursing degree. Don't expect anything fancy schmancy around here, as I'm just not smart enough to pull it off. I am happy for Marilyn, though, and so proud of her!
Nothing earth shattering going on around here. I've not even been knitting. What a slump I've been in; just can't seem to get started on anything. Last year, Mr.Studley had a hernia operation, which seemed to go fine until the incision area got infected about a month after the surgery. In & out of the ER, a stint in the hospital, and a couple visits per week to the doctor for a few weeks (won't gross you out telling you what took place there with a really big needle), and he's finally back to normal. Well, all except for his belly button, which doesn't look normal at all now.
In other news, my son, John graduated from his Paramedic course (yea!). He still has to take his state test, which I know he'll ace. Mr.Studley is almost fully retired, and we enjoy our days together. We've fit into a comfortable routine, only occasionally getting on each others nerves; and really, I can't even remember the last time that happened. I'm blessed by God, and I know it. He love me, and He loves you, too!
I'm reading Joyce Meyer's new book, "Living Beyond Your Feelings", which I got for Christmas. I'm not too far into it, but already I've learned things I know will help me in my life. That's my idea of a good book, one that helps me make changes for the good. Who doesn't have room for improvement?
If you're reading this post, you probably had me in your google reader, or whatever reader you use. I want you to know I'm happy you came by. My post is short, but I'm going to try and ease back into blogging. I don't have much to say, but I remember back when I blogged regularly, the excited feeling I got when someone left me a comment. Isn't that funny, how excited we can get by the comments of strangers? Of course, some of you aren't strangers, at least not anymore, as I got to know you back then. I pray your life is going well, and that you find joy in each day. Be blessed!
Pumpkin Butter Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. ~Emily Bronte
Two words describe how I feel about our summer of 2011. We survived. That word 'survived' says a lot, doesn't it? An online dictionary definition says:toremainorcontinueinexistenceor use. Well, we're here (remaining), we're continuing to exist, and we're still somewhat useful. I could go on and on about how horrific it was, but truthfully, I think that subject's gone into overkill in most circles in recent weeks, so just suffice it to say, we survived.
Today feels like the first day of fall to me. I know it technically isn't, and we've even had cool days before now (off and on), but it's October 1st, the weather is oh-so-pleasant, the sky is bluer than I've seen it in months, and I am actually wearing capris around the house rather than the cooler shorts I've worn all summer.
Now that I can use my oven without causing the house to feel like an inferno, I'm in a baking mood. I've been meaning to try the above bread recipe for quite some time. Ever the procrastinator, I'm just now getting around to it. I guess you would call this a ciabatta? I don't know. I just know it's super simple, and that's my kind of recipe. Flour, yeast, salt, water, and no kneading. The biggest ingredient is time. You let it sit for 12 hours or more. What could be simpler? We had this for lunch alongside leftover tortilla soup from last night's dinner.
We slathered the bread with pumpkin butter I made from a recipe I found at Bev Gibson's blog, Numbering the Days . I love, love her blog. It's not a cooking blog, but she does share recipes along the way. I find myself to have so much in common with her, having newly retired husbands, grown children, and time to pursue answering the callings on our lives that we didn't have time for when raising children. She gives great book recommendations for scripturally based 'bettering yourself' literature (my words, not hers). She's a truly lovely person. I really didn't plan on extolling her merits, but mentioning her pumpkin butter, the rest just had to be said.
The recipe is no longer available on her blog, but the following recipe (which I found on one of her boards at Pinterest) appears to be the same one I used.
pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves in medium, heavy-dutysaucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Serve with biscuits, breads and corn muffins. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Recipe makes 2 cups.
I have lots of Christmas knitting to be done, but I seem to have lost my knitting mojo. I haven't done anything industrious in quite some time. I did knit a bunch of dishcloths, which are always nice to give as gifts. I can't remember if I've already shown these on here or not. If I have, then we'll blame it on the missing wrinkles from my brain.
Proof that it does occasionally snow in northeast Texas!
I never grow weary of the reason for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I do, however, grow weary of the season. Before Thanksgiving has even arrived, Santa and all the other Christmas decorations pop up in the stores and neighbors' yards. All the planning of gifts and meals and kitchen goodies, the extra cleaning and shopping and wrapping....it all gets to be a bit much. By New Year's day, I'm glad to put it all behind me and concentrate on the new year.
I don't really sit down and make a list of resolutions, but I do have thoughts, ideas, and goals in my head of what I'd like to achieve in the coming year. It's funny how those goals change as we get older. When I was in my 20's, I don't recall thinking "my goal this year is to get healthier". I do remember thinking I'd like to lose weight so I'd 'look' better. You really take your health for granted when you're young. When you've passed the 50 mark like me, you can't afford to take that attitude any longer. In my 20's, looking good was my goal, and if I felt better too, that was a fringe benefit. Now, feeling good is my goal, and if I look better too, well glory hallelujah, but that's not my motive.
Christmas cactus, blooming right on time!
Every year, I declare I'm going to quit procratinating. Obviously that hasn't yet happened (made evident by my just now posting a draft I wrote weeks ago), hence my need to keep declaring it each year. Last year for Christmas, I knit my niece a scarf. It's very long to accommodate her height. It's warm and wooly to combat the cold of the DC area. How much good she'd be getting out of it if it weren't still in my house. All I lacked to finish it was putting on the fringe (which I did recently). I also knit her matching fingerless mitts, as well as a neck gator (gater? or gator?) and fingerless mitts for her boyfriend. He's blind and uses a cane. Mandi, who also uses a cane to teach cane travel to the sight impaired, has told me fingerless mitts work really well for cane travel. She's loved the ones I've knit her in the past, and requested I knit them in dark colors as her palms get quite dirty using the cane. I also knit her a pair of them to match her scarf. All of it, the scarf, the gaitor, the mitts, they are all here at my house. What am I going to do with me??
That brings me to my next goal, or resolution if you must call it that. I guess I should call it a resolution after all, as I have resolved to finish all partially knitted projects this year. They are many. Another more short term goal I've set is to go on a food-diet. No, I don't mean denying myself food (though goodness knows I should!), but I'm forcing myself to cook more at home, and therefore not buy more food until I've used up what we have. My pantry and freezers are full. There's plenty here to eat, but it doesn't usually get eaten because it's not cooked. I wish I was one of those who loves to cook. I'm not, but I'm forcing myself to do more of it. It's healthier than eating out, and it's cheaper. There's been no eating out since before the holidays. Yea me!
John & Nikki, Christmas 2010
My daughter, Nikki, flew in from Colorado Springs for three days at Christmas. Since she left home 6 years ago, this past Christmas, and a couple or so years ago (when she and her boyfriend drove from Minneapolis, all day and night through terrible snowstorms, to surprise us on Christmas even morning) are the only ones she's been able to spend at home with us. We loved having her here. For some reason, all the inside pictures I took were bad. I was using my son's camera, which takes great pictures, but I guess I had the settings wrong. Picture me sad faced.
I have done some knitting, and will post pictures of it in my next post, which hopefully will be before next Christmas.
PS-Don't hate me, but we've had 70'ish weather with lots of sunshine the past couple of days.
Be blessed!
Proof that I do occasionally knit! Boho Beret, ravelled here
UPdate-Mandi's package of assorted knitwear has been shipped!
But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). ~Galations 5:15 Amplified Bible
I blog in my head all the time. Obviously, what's in my head rarely makes it here. When I began blogging, it was a fun challenge. I had other friends doing it, who encouraged me to join in the fun. You're jumping off the cliff into a lake? Sure, I'll do it (am suddenly hearing my mother's voice in my head). Seriously, it's not that I'm a follow-the-crowd sort of person. Quite the contrary, I'm generally a day late and a dollar short when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon of what's 'in'. I did want a place to chronicle my knitting, if for no one but myself, and to keep up with my knitting accomplishments (clearly little, it would seem). It's also a good means of sharing what's going on in the family with family, except no one in my family actually reads my blog. C'est la vie.
My early blog posts embarrass me. I've shared that before, but feel it bears repeating. As I began to write better (not saying 'good', but better, so don't think I'm bragging, please), it had an upside and a downside. The upside is obviously better blog posts. Comments and compliments I've received are another upside....and a downside. As I received comments or e-mails complimenting me, I suddenly felt pressure to perform. I consider myself a discouraged perfectionist. I am a perfectionist, but I'm also lazy. If I don't feel up to putting in the time and effort to do something 'just so', I don't bother to do anything at all (it shows, in the state of my house). I began feeling like I had to really "write". I couldn't risk those who complimented me regretting they'd done so. Arg, the pressures I put on myself!
I can hear you now (the maybe two readers left who've not unsubscribed to my blog feed), GET OVER YOURSELF! You're right, I should, and I am, by golly! I'm going to write when I feel like it, and say what I feel like saying, and if no one reads but me, so be it. I was reading a friend's blog, Grey-Haired Geek, recently, and I knew Kel was describing exactly as I felt, only she said it so much better than me.
"I’m resurrecting my blog, with a difference. As a beginner, I used a “Masterpiece of the Month” approach to blogging. I spent a lot of time getting each entry “just right”, so I didn’t blog very often. Unfortunately, I’m one of those “If I can’t do it perfectly, I won’t do it at all” kind of people."
Kel, I hope you don't mind me quoting you. If you don't, then, thank you! If you do, then oops!
Roasted vine-ripened tomatoes topped with thick slices of fresh water-packed mozzarella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar glaze, and sprinkled with rock salt; Sweet potato soup; and a really good wine. Fresh baked ciabatta bread not in picture
Mr. Studley and I visited our daughter in Colorado Springs, for Thanksgiving. For you who remember she was living in England, she's back in the states as of this past fall. I love that she's had the experience of living in European countries, but as a mom, I can't tell you how good it makes me feel to know she's back on American soil (at least for now). Not that I have anything against foreign soil, but I like knowing she's within a day or so drive, or a short plane trip away, in the event that she should need her family. The food shown above was only one of the many fantastic meals prepared for us during our time spent there. We were treated like royalty on our visit.
One of the ladies restrooms in the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. No paper towels or hand blow-dryers here. Baskets laden with fresh, white cloths were provided for hand drying/face washing. A large basket sat below the sink for tossing cloths when finished using. Classy, eh?
Mr. Studley and I toured the Broadmoor Hotel one afternoon while in Colorado Springs. Fabulous doesn't describe that place. It would take a long string of adjectives, and then wouldn't do it justice. Seeing is believing. It's massive, it's opulent, it's old world, it's elegant. It's so many things. The rooms range from $275-$2,000 per night, a little rich for our blood. I hear they do have a special rate/package around Valentine's Day. Maybe some day. We thoroughly enjoyed walking about the place, snapping pictures, ooing and ahhing, with mouths gaping. When I go into a place such as that, I tend to feel like a country bumpkin. I get intimidated, feeling surrounded by people who are clearly in a different social class than me. What surprised me was the genuine niceness of the hotel staff. From those who park your car (free valet parking for those there just to look around), to those who hold open the door, to the hotel guest clerk, to anyone with an employee tag who makes eye-contact with you, they bent over backwards to be exceedingly nice. If you're ever visiting the Colorado Springs area, I strongly urge you to take a gander around the Broadmoor Hotel!
This was Leyna, our last night at Nikki's house. I suspect she knew we were leaving, and was already missing all that extra loving and play she gets from Nikki, who adores her almost as much as I do.
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Mr. Studley's been out of town this week. When he's away, I get lonely and bored. When I'm lonely and bored, I tend to eat...too much. It's a bad habit which should come with a Surgeon General's warning.
Yesterday, I baked the Muffins That Taste Like Donuts recipe from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. Where have these things been all my life? The recipe is so simple, you can hardly call it cooking. The ingredients are something most of us have on hand at any given time. I baked these early yesterday evening and had two for dessert after dinner. At such time as you see above on my kitchen clock (I'm a night owl), I caved, and had to have three more. I had milk rather than coffee with them. I took that picture this morning. In my defense, these weren't full sized muffins. They were more like mini-me muffins. I used a mini-muffin pan. If I bake them that way again, I'll pick up some more mini-muffin pans, as I had to bake them in three batches.
Incidentally, my kitchen walls are not that pukish pinkish peachish color they appear in the clock photo, but are actually a pleasant pale yellow. You can see why I try and take most of my pictures outside in daylight, but that doesn't work when I'm binging on muffins that taste like donuts in the middle of the night.
They just kept calling my name. Renna....Renna...come eat us....and so I did.
And I had them again for breakfast this morning.
Oh, ick. I just realized my coffee looks as funky as my wall color. I can't even come up with a name for that color. Suffice it to say, that's not what color it was.
On the knitting front, I'm still cranking out dishcloths. I should take them outside and photograph them, but 100 degree weather and I are not friends. I need to be knitting a baby gift and a pair of socks for my mom for her upcoming birthday. Clearly, I lack self-discipline. Too often, I eat what I want when I shouldn't, and knit what I want when I should be knitting something else.
Speaking of knitting, A Friend to Knit With is having a giveaway. She's giving away a copy of Debbie Bliss' Design It, Knit It: Babies. All you have to do to be entered is leave a comment between now and Monday the 26th at 12 pm EST. Posting about it on your blog is not a requirement. I just want you knitters to have a chance at winning. The book has such adorable patterns in it.
I want to thank everyone for the nice comments on my last post. I guess misery does love company, as it was somehow comforting to me to see that others of you have similar feelings of 'blahness'. I say, blah-dee-dah to those blahs. I'm going to enjoy my weekend. How about you?
I think I need to meditate on 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.
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I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.
Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary. But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
I love old pictures, whether I'm in them or not. I do happen to be in this one. That would be me in the center, the one looking very bashful. That's because I was...very bashful. Now that I'm an adult (ahem), I refer to myself as 'shy'. Same meaning, just a more grown-up sounding word. I'm nowhere near as bashful now, er shy, as I was as a youngster. I find that the more I learn of my worth to God, the more worthy I feel. With that worth comes confidence. That said, I'll never be the extrovert life of the party, but I'm doing better at holding my own these days.
Speaking of these days, my life seems rather slow lately, and yet time is flying by at warp speed. I hear different ones speak of their 'summer plans'. Usually it revolves around that time between when their kids get out of school and when they return in the fall. With my kids grown and living their own lives, I miss those punctuations of summer. One day seems to roll into the next, one season into another.
I'm feeling like life is standing still. My energy is lagging. My desire to create is still in place, but lacking it's previous passion. Things that used to excite me seem bland; whether it's going out with friends, knitting, reading, etc., I can't seem to strike up a genuine interest. It's not that I'm depressed, per se, and have never been one prone to depression. I'm not really sure what's wrong with me. Does the 'change of life' cause these feelings, I wonder? I'm there, for certain. My life is changing.
Okay, enough of that. Our family went camping last month in the Lake Ouashita State Park, in Arkansas, our second year in a row to do so. It was a beautiful campground, and the lake water is as clear as any I've ever seen. Mr. Studley's kids and their families all joined us, as well as Nikki, who flew in from England (again, twice in two months!). She spent her two week vacation with us, or "holiday", as they say in the UK. Everyone camped in tents by the water except for Mr. S and I, who stayed in our lovely air-conditioned travel trailer. Let me tell you, it was H.O.T while we were there. I spent more time indoors with the a/c than outside with the kids and grandkids. That kind of heat is for the young, not for mid-life, hot-flash stage, women such as myself. Heat aside, we did have a blast, and it was so nice having Nikki there with us this year.
I've done little knitting in recent weeks, with the exception of dishcloths. I love the Waffle Knit pattern found at Homespun Living, and I am really liking knitting them in Sugar'n'Cream cotton self-striping yarn. I wish I had a picture to share with you. I have some blocking now, and will hopefully take some pics in the next couple of days. The aqua colors are my favorite. They remind me of the ocean, with the layers of blue.
Speaking of the ocean, I think that's where I'd like to be. Cool ocean water lapping at my toes. Sounds dreamy. Summer has come early for us this year. June was terribly hot. We had a fairly decent beginning of July, but now the heat and humidity that we're known for has arrived full force, forcing the commencement of my hibernation indoors in air-conditioning (and I thank God we have it). Maybe that's why I'm feeling melancholy. Maybe it's cabin fever. I wish. I wish I were in a cabin on a mountain, or by an ocean.
Clearly, I'm rambling. I think I better stop before someone tips off the men in the clean white coats. Speaking of which, who's old enough to remember that 60's song, "They're Coming To Take Me Away"? I was about ten when that song came out. My older brother and I probably drove our poor mother nuts singing it over and over. Good times. Younger times of days gone by. Speaking of which, this day has gone by. It's the wee AM hours of Sunday, and I'd best be making my way to my comfy bed. Maybe the overhead fan will prompt me to dream of lying on a sandy beach with cool ocean breezes. Pass me a Mai Tai and some sunscreen, please. That would be loverly.
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Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
I know it seems I've given up on my blog. I hope I haven't. I don't want to give it up, but I can't seem to make myself sit down and write anymore. Could I have run out of anything to say? I talk to myself all the time, but even I haven't found myself all that interesting lately.
John & Nikki, waiting for her flight at DFW, to fly home to England
Thinking back to when I first began writing this blog, I didn't have much to say then, either. In fact, when I read my earlier posts, I cringe with embarrassment at the things I rambled on about. Stupid stuff, really, really dumb stuff, like my dog's favorite toy. Did I seriously think anyone would find that of interest? Not likely, but I think I had to find my voice. It took me awhile, but I was getting there about the time I stopped writing. Now, I'm out of the practice of blogging and it seems I am once again in search of my voice. Don't worry, there'll be no more posts about my dog's favorite toys. Dog pictures are a different story.
Since I last wrote, we've had more than our share of heart issues in our household. Leyna, my beloved little Min Pin contracted heart worms. The reason? I didn't have her on regular heartworm meds. I honestly wasn't aware of how serious the risk was. The vet said she likely got them last fall. It was a rough and painful experience. One week at the vet's, five more weeks of being crated, six weeks of not getting walked or being allowed to play, and $550 in expense kind of rough. Heart worms are a serious threat to your dog's health, and according to my vet, all states now face that threat. I'm happy to say that Leyna seems to be fully recovered, and will now always receive her regular heartworm preventive meds.
The other heart issue was in the form of Mr.Studley's mitral valve needing to be repaired. When he went in for the surgery, we knew there was a chance it would have to be replaced. Being repaired is a much better option for the patient, but not always possible. Fortunately for us, his surgeon has a 95% success rate at being able to repair damaged valves. We know God directed us to him. Mr. S came through the procedure with flying colors. Other than a smallish sideways V scar on his right breast, there's little evidence that he went through such a surgery. And might I just say that the Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas is AWESOME! Seriously, if a person must have a heart procedure done, then that's the place to do it. The hospital is designed like a hotel, a 5 star hotel at that. Patients are considered guests, and their 'rooms' are 'suites'. Patients go directly from recovery to their suite, where family members are allowed to join them shortly after. No limited visits in an ICU room, like in most hospitals. Their room, or I should say suite is their ICU. The suite includes a comfortable area for family members to be there with them, around the clock if they desire. I could go on for paragraphs about that hospital, it was that impressive.
Mike & Nikki, as we were leaving the hospital
So, as you can see, we've had a bit of out-of-the-ordinary going on around here in the past few months. My daughter, Nikki, did fly home from England for the week of her dad's surgery. We rented a hotel adjacent to the hospital. My son also took off work that week and joined us. We had a lot of fun, and they kept me laughing almost nonstop. I had complete peace about Mr.Studley. I knew He was in God's protective hands.
I'll be back. Really, I will.
Nikki and Leyna, summer 2010
For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.
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