In Transition

Just an update to let ya'll know that we are in the midst

of major transition right now.....

and my computer is torn down and in storage at the moment...

which translates to little or no blogging for a bit.

We said good-bye to our Little Rock House this past Monday---

our closing went well and the new owners moved in that night.

We are grateful they love the Little House as much as we did.

We are spending a few precious days visiting and saying good-bye 

to family and friends.....pulling up the roots of our lives here.

We are planning our final trip to our new destination

for November 23rd.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

In spite of all the uncertainties in our world, 

we in America still have much to be thankful for!!!

Blessings.....we'll be back with you soon.

Odd Thrifting Moment

Above you see a typical thrifting scene...

someone else's cast-off's that could become your treasure.

The very odd thing for me

was when I walked into this particular store.....

that the quilt you see?

It once belonged to me.

It was made by my paternal grandmother

probably back in the depression days-or shortly thereafter-

made of thriftily saved pieces and parts of discarded woolen clothing.

My reasons for passing this treasure on

include the fact that I had kept it in a box for probably 25 years

and didn't even remember I had it until I was cleaning out a storage shed...

it is old and fragile and would not withstand the cleaning it needed...

we already have enough warm winter blankets & comforts...

we need to downsize and can't keep everything...

Before I donated it to my favorite charity,

 I did take time to photograph it.

I love the autumn-ish colors and simple artistry

of a thrifted comfort from days past,

when our grandmothers stayed home

and cared for their families 

by "using it up, wearing it out, making it do or doing without."

When I saw it displayed in the thrift store a few weeks after I had donated it,

I must admit I choked up and had tears in my eyes...

not because I missed the quilt,

rather the emotion of seeing my grandmother's handiwork

displayed so beautifully---as it should be!

I truly do not wish to have it back...

and I was so happy that the store had not thrown it away.

The way  they chose to display it and the price tag attached

honored my grandmother's creativity and labor

in a way that I could not.

The manager told me that a customer had come in twice and looked at it,

she really wanted it for a room she was redecorating...

my greatest wish is that it go to a home where it will be loved and used!

I walked away from that store a freer woman.

I know now, that things are separate from people and relationships.

I don't have to keep things in order to keep memories...

The people I have loved and the time we have shared

will always be in my heart and my mind.

I am grateful for the photos I have,

they satisfy my desire to "keep" bits of my past

that I no longer need or use,

and they take up so much less space!

And so I am content.

But it was an odd moment...

Sweet Beulah Land

For your listening pleasure...

One of my favorite songs

performed by one of my favorite vocalists.

You can hear more of her music at this page,
and while you're at it,
check out their new website.

May your day be blessed!

Treasured Stitches

See what the Treasure came up with

---all by herself---

while I was busy packing last week?!

I didn't do one iota of the design work 

or the stitchery---she did it all!

And this memoir of autumn 

graces the back side of the same pillow.

Excuse the cat hair and lint

--this is no museum piece--

 it was made to be loved and used!

This momma is proud as a peacock.

Not that I needed to tell you that.

;D

Of the Big P and Me

Now, I am NOT a feminist,

nor do I feel a need to prove my "masculinity".....

but from the moment I climbed up the running board and looked inside

the big yellow truck whilst it was sitting in the lot before we rented it....

the scent of brand-new interior wafted my way...

(the truck only had 17,000+ miles on it) 

then I sniffed the fragrance of diesel exhaust.....

(yes, I think diesel exhaust is fragrant!)

.....I WANTED to drive that truck!!!

The Man only rolled his eyeballs at me 

when I ventured to mention my desire.

;D

I finally got my chance.

Here I am, all dirty, tired and very un-photogenic...

but I had to document the moment for all posterity.

(I gave the Treasure the camera and let her fire away.)

The Man let me drive it on the country back roads, 

and when he finally determined that, indeed,

I COULD drive it without mishap,

he turned the keys over to me for the hour-long trip

 back to the big city when it was time to return it.

What he didn't factor in was that we would get lost

in that big city trying to find the return place.....

but I am happy to report that I did ok.

Didn't run over anyone or bump into anything.

;D

And I had a BLAST!!!

Nothin' causes rubber-neckin' quite like a little old woman in a skirt

drivin' a big old diesel 5-speed-automatic...

(though I'd have loved it more if it had been 5 on the floor!)

View from the Treasure's seat.
She loved it too!

Never underestimate the ability of an old farm-girl

who grew up driving battered four-on-the-floor's

long before she was of age to have a learner's permit.....
I like to think of it as celebrating the richness of fully-embraced
femininity.

Thanks, Honey. 

I owe ya one.

;D

We're Back

These cottonwood trees at my poppa's place have been my friends since childhood.
I was so blessed by their autumn beauty the past few days.....
so I wanted to share it with you.

A BIG thank-you to all of you who have been 

praying with and for us the past few days!!!

We can tell.....it is an amazing thing

to be covered by prayer.

A peace that surpasses understanding.....

We were able to load the big yellow truck and drive to our new location

on schedule, with only a couple of minor difficulties that were soon remedied.

A friend at our destination called the day we left and offered to help us unload...

we would never have made our next deadline without his help,

so a big thank-you goes our to Mr. Y!!!

We were able to get the big yellow truck back to its required destination on time,

although we got lost in a not-so-great part of a very big city.....

we finally found the right spot, and were very happy to park it there.

After a day of rest, we loaded up and headed back to the Little Rock House.

We had sore muscles, but no major injuries.

For some reason, Blogger decided to load this photo upside-down...
but even unusual perspectives can be beautiful!

Our return trip was a good one, 

with the exception of four deer who decided to cross the road 

just after dark.....just in front of us.....and stopped to stare at our headlights.

There were no shoulders to the back-road we were on, 

and a bridge loomed just beyond the deer.....

the man was considering taking to the ditch

(we were pulling an empty trailer)

but stomped the brakes and squealed the tires.....

fortunately the noise 

(or was it an angel?!)

spooked the deer enough 

that they took off running again

and we were able to pass on by without harm.

How grateful we are.

Again.....

we THANK YOU for your prayers!

May your day be blessed!

~~~~~~~~~~

(P. S. It has occurred to me that my ramblings

 may not be all that clear to some of you.....

so let me try to explain:

We are selling our Little Rock House where we have lived for 22 years,

in order to move to another state where my parents live.....

my momma in a nursing home and my poppa alone on his farm.....

they need a lot of support at this time of their lives.....

we are going to live  camp in a 5th wheel on my poppa's property 

until we figure out what to do next...

it is a big leap of faith.....

 but we know it is what we are supposed to be doing

and the way will open and be made clear

one step at a time.....

it is a journey.....and an adventure!

We just took the "mother-load" of our belongings 

to our final destination,

but we drove back to the Little Rock House 

in order to finish cleaning up in preparation for 

closing day...

which is scheduled for Nov. 14....

so we won't be completely moved to our new location

for a couple more weeks.

Whew. Hope that made sense!)

Another Blogging Break

I'll be taking another blogging break for a bit...

This big yellow truck that is sitting in my driveway 

is demanding all my time and attention for a week or so.

If you are a praying person...

would you pray for us?

For:

*safety from injury as we load and unload

* safety as we travel several hundred miles over the next week

Thank you!!!

I'll be back asap.

;D

Shimmer: A Solitudes Ambient Experience

Graphic courtesy of Amazon.com

This is my latest favorite cd for rest and relaxation.

You can listen to samples of the sound tracks 

at this LINK.

Relax and enjoy!

Fort Sumthun

In my opinion, thinking about moving is far more fun than actually doing it.

That's because we have TOO MUCH STUFF!!!

Which problem I am working on...and on...and on.

Meantime, as I plod away at purging and packing, I frequently hear,

(in a whiny-Treasure's-voice)

"Mama, I'm bored. I need sumthun' to do."

In another of my (many!) opinions,

I think boredom can be a good thing.

It inspires creativity.

Give a bored Treasure a mountain of newly-taped packing boxes...

a few blankets or other warm woobies...

lots of empty floor space...

a wary kitty who can still be bribed with tiny treats...

and you come up with.......

  Fort Sumthun'.

(Several hours of creative play for the Treasure...

lots of attention for kitty...

and several hours of P&Q for the momma.)

Ain't it Sumthun' how often it is
the simple things that are most satisfying?