Sewing up a storm

Tomorrow is our oldest grandchild's birthday. She will be nine years old. Here are some outfits that one of us (easy to guess which one this time) made for her. The jumper/sleeveless dress has a store bought top and the shorts outfit will have a skirt to match as soon as the elastic is purchased. Thank goodness her party isn't until tomorrow night so there's still time to get it done.

FYI Each time a "collision theory" is experienced on the morning walk a note will be added to that day's entry. Keep in mind that not more than half a dozen cars pass usually on an average walk. Today was a "collision theory" day. That's when two cars pass each other going the opposite direction exactly at the place of the walker. Does that mean that moving
objects attract each other?

Thinking about our preferred future

At our last TT meeting, a week ago Sunday, we again had quite the agenda.

1. Further discussion of the personality of our congregation.

2. Plotting the pastoral search process.

3. Proposal to resolve the issue of women in leadership.

4. Picking up inadequately processed items.

Our transitional pastor views our congregation as declining and he feels that unless we change our ways we won't be around much longer. Our congregation has been in existence for 180 years. It was the founding church in our area for our denomination.

After our discussion of the above agenda our transitional pastor distributed a form for us all to fill in. It was titled "Thinking about our preferred future."

1. Paint a picture of what we would like to see at our congregation five years from now.

2. Define a path to get us there.

3. What strengths do we already have?

4. What additional strengths will we need?

We really enjoyed filling this form out because it gave us hope. First, we were encouraged to dream, and then we were asked to submit our solutions.

Basically our suggestion consisted of three steps:

1. Revival: Everyone needs to take seriously the call to bring others into the Kingdom. This will take self-sacrifice and much love.

2. Evangelism: Opening up ourselves without compromising our understanding of Scripture. "Seeking" people will see Christ in us.

3. Discipleship: Accountability with each other and those new to the faith. No accommodation of anything that would lead us away from Christ. We must teach from Scripture always.

That's our idea about how to grow our congregation so that we will have a need to install a balcony and have two services to accommodate all our members. We like to dream big!

Earth day 2008

We just did our part in honor of Earth day that is today. One of us took along a kitchen trash bag with a doodad that picks up things when you can't bend over. By the time the walk was over the bag was full of litter. Some of the things collected were unique. Along with the usual cans, bottles, cigarette butts, plastic, metal and paper was found one gardening glove and a plastic feed sack. Some of the ditches along the side of our road were too steep to get everything.

One must wonder what people are thinking as they toss their refuse out the window. Do they think like we do when tossing out a banana peal or apple core: that eventually it will disintegrate, and in the meantime will provide food for the wildlife? Or is it that they are not thinking at all? In our state littering is a crime, or at least punishable by a hefty fine. Are their vehicles so full of trash that one more item cannot be added and needs to be discarded? Are they only passing through and feel no need to keep things tidy? Perhaps some items weren't really meant to be discarded at all, such as the gardening glove...which was top of the line and expensive. We were tempted to clean it up and keep it!

All year long one of us is responsible for recycling our waste. It can be a headache sometimes. The articles must be separated, washed, stored and then disposed at the proper time. We don't always recycle every item that can be. If a can is too hard to clean it just goes in our pick up trash basket. So that means that we certainly aren't environmental fanatics!

We try never to litter intentionally. We always use trash bins in public places. We try to plan our trips to save gas. We turn off lights when not in use. We do most of our shopping at thrift stores. (But that's because we like to get a bargain.) And we try not to waste food.

Perhaps today would be a good day to contemplate what else we can do to improve our environment.

One day at a time

What a week this has been at our house.

One of us finally went to the doctor for an ear problem on Monday. It turned out to be a blocked Eustachian tube that was causing some hearing and feedback difficulties. The doctor said that a nose spray should help, but it will take some time.

This doctor was much more concerned about the high blood pressure reading and wanted an appointment scheduled the next day with the regular doctor. On Tuesday a combination BP and diuretic was prescribed. (Now we are both on BP medications.) This medicine seems to be doing the job. During the exam an EKG reading was abnormal. This prompted the scheduling of an echo cardiogram. After some vacillating the doctor also ordered a stress test. We have decided to take things one step at a time and want to talk to the doctor again after the echo cardiogram, before going on with the stress test.

On Wednesday we heard that someone from our home congregation had committed suicide. It has been almost 20 years since we have lived in that area. If we would have been asked to make a list of people whom we know that we thought were capable of this act, he would not have been on that list. Yesterday was the memorial service and his family and friends are still reeling from this tragedy. He was a fine gentleman, very active in music, and a loving father and husband. Needless to say, there are questions that probably will never be answered.

Life has a way of falling on you. Just when you least expect it, tragedy or worry strikes. There is an old saying "Live one day at a time." And again we find that these old sayings are around because of some truth that they hold. We want to view each day as a gift from God, whether it holds worry, tragedy, blessing, or joy. May that be so.

Crocus

AHHHHHHH! SPRING!!!

Finally spring appears to have come! What a glorious feeling, especially after one of the longest winters in recent memory. This spring is very refreshing and welcome. Above are some of our crocus flowers that bloomed just last week on our road bank garden. They don't stay long but they are the first herald's of spring. Now the daffodils and forsythias are gracing us with lovely yellow blooms. They usually last a bit longer. It really looks like spring is finally here!

The Pineapple Quilt by Mrs. Cleon Miller

The Pineapple Quilt
by Mrs. Cleon Miller
Published by Pathway Publishers

This story is set among the Old Order Mennonites of Waterloo County, Ontario.

You may have some trouble finding a copy at your library.

Just happened upon this book one day when searching for another book.

This is easy interesting reading illustrating the life of these people.

It is the first book of a series of at least three.

The story is fictional but true-to-life.

Enjoy!

Spring Cleaning

Well, it's that time of year again. That time when we get the urge to clean out the old, rearrange, and organize. We want to get all the spring cleaning done before gardening time gets underway. So each day one little corner, shelf, or drawer is sorted through or dusted and cleaned.

We feel like we have trimmed down our lives quite a bit lately. But then we open a bottom drawer that is seldom used and find some more "stuff." Our rule of thumb is "have we used this within the past year?" If no, then out it goes. That is, unless it is a seldom used item or we have a specific use in mind and haven't gotten around to using it yet.

This week the grandchildren are on spring break so they have been helping with our decision making. It's sometimes amazing what they find useful. We had an old label maker that was broken but our grandson thought he could have some fun with it. There were others things that even he thought were useless. That's when you know it's time to clean things out.

We have not started yet in the kitchen. There will certainly be some things that need to be removed. And there will also be some dust and dirt that needs cleaned away. We are not looking forward to that job. But it always smells so good and feels so good once each year to do some serious redding up so the job is worth it.