Rear View Mirror/Auld Lang Syne

 

  Ahh, times gone by... Learning to live, like learning to drive,  involves the "odd" idea of looking in the rearview mirror.  Very frequent quick glances in the rearview mirror keep the driver in touch with what's going on.  Some say hindsight is 20/20,  but, truthfully, most of us don't do it that well.  We tend to make the same mistakes over and over again.  Maybe we need to look in the rearview more often.  History repeats itself, so if we look in the rearview mirror and see disaster approching, maybe we can avoid it the second time around.
     Looking in the rearview mirror of this past year, watch for the position of key persons in your environment.  If someone leaves the road or changes lanes, you can take notice and be ready for the change. If you look back and see a completely different set of drivers than the last time you looked, be very careful;  someone may be in your blind spot.  And remember, everyone has blind spots.
   

   Try to understand the limited view that you get from the rearview mirror.  Despite your frequent quick glances in the rearview mirror, your primary concern should be with paying attention to what is going on right in front of you.  Driving defensively also involves looking as far into the distance as you can.  Serious accidents can be avoided by looking ahead and planning ways to avoid bad situations.

     So, on this New Year's Eve, take a look in the rearview mirror of your life.  Then take a good look forward.  Plan, pray, and hope for a prosperous and healthy 2011.  Auld Lang Syne.
     What DOES "Auld Lang Syne" mean, anyhow?  I have a little plate hanging on the wall in the kitchen with the words, "Auld Lang Syne" - and some of the music - on it.  And, I always knew that people sang it for  New Year's Eve.  I figured it had something to do with remembering the past and looking to the future...Well, I was half-right...
     Turns out that "Auld Lang Syne" means "times gone by".  So, now you know.  Singing the song, "Auld Lang Syne" is your rearview mirror.

     SHALOM  Y'ALL -  TWYLA

Women and Body Image

         I write a lot about cooking, canning, baking, and - of course - eating.  As we rapidly approach the end of the year, many folks are thinking about going on a.............. gasp..............diet.  I've been on so many diets I couldn't possible list them if my life depended on it.  Sigh.  And, so...

It is often difficult to deal with aging, says the white-haired lady

 This morning I was reading online about women and their body image;  I wanted to print out the article and refer to parts of it on this blog, but I couldn't find it again... Have y'all ever had that happen?  You read something really meaningful and then can't find it when you look for it later...
     Well, anyway, that particular site was about various eating disorders and about how women are terribly hard on themselves about their body images.   Even slender women, when asked, say they would like to lose about ten pounds.  Of course, as we all know, there are women and girls who suffer from anorexia... this is an extremely complicated set of problems... distorted body image,  poor self-esteem, psychological problems... Also, according to this site, the media and the existence of pornography are fueling womens' feeling of inadequacy as to their appearance.   I will say a healthy "Amen!" to that! 

Moshe and me a few months ago

      I took a "Body Image Quiz" on that internet site.  There were ten questions, and if you answer three or more with a "Yes", you have body image problems.  Well, duh,  I answered "Yes" to eight or nine of them!  (No, I am NOT surprised!)
     There was a time, before my disability, when I was fairly athletic... very fit! Then, came the illness, the immobility, the pain, the medications with their side-effects.   And, of course, I'm getting older.  All of this has resulted in the full-bodied woman rather than the thin one.  Sigh. I wish I didn't care so much about it.  I wish I didn't worry about it.  I wish I didn't eat cake and ice cream out of frustration about it.  And, I  KNOW  that there are millions of other women out there who feel exactly the way I do.
     What to do? What to do?  The way I am approaching  this problem is  as follows:
     #1: I am trying to be honest, but kind, with myself.  Chances are I will never again be a size 6 - or anywhere near it, unless I am terribly - maybe terminally - ill.  Now, exactly how does that make me less of a person than fifteen years ago?
     #2:  I have started taking pictures of myself every day.  Maybe if I see how I actually look, I can "grin and bear it"???  I don't know, but, I think it is healthier than avoiding the camera the way I tend to.
     #3: Write about it.  Well, yes, that's what I'm doing right now.  There is something very healing about putting one's thoughts, fears, vulnerabilities out there.  Hey! After you've come out with it, there's no turning back.

animals love me, fat or not...

     That's about all I've come up with so far.  I imagine I will touch on this subject again soon.  If you are, like so many people, thinking about dieting for the new year, consider this:  Why not, rather than dieting, try being really nice to yourself.  Think about all the people you've ever known and respected... people who have made a difference in your life for various reasons.  Did they have physical perfection?  If so, would you have liked them anyhow?  If not, what was it that you liked about them?  Most likely, most of  the best folks you've ever met are far from perfect physically.   So, treat yourself with the same respect you would treat them.
     Lastly, if someone in your life thinks you are undesirable because of your weight, they are the one with the problem - not you!

            Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Comin' In From the Cold

       Yesterday was a cold, windy day.  The day before was colder but less windy.  Yes, it is cold, and we need to know how to deal with the chill in the air.  But, we also have spiritual winters... when spiritual winter arrives it comes in the form of dark and dreary days.  The trials of a spiritual winter are difficult and many.  We need to know how to winterize our lives.  Otherwise spiritual winter can leave us lonely and discouraged.
     One of the things that can make our winter colder is the bitter air of the world.  When we are going through a spiritual winter, we tend to let down our guard... worldly influences creep in... they seep through the cracks of our lives, around the doors to our hearts.  The cold air of influence may come from worldly friends, from the media, or from within - wrong thinking.  We have to get out the caulk and seal up those holes and cracks. The best way to do this is God's Word. Read it. Memorize it. Apply it to our lives.
     The icicles of a cold heart are a problem in the winter, too.  It's easy to develop a coldness of attitude during our winters.  Talking with The Almighty in earnest prayer can melt even the coldest of hearts.
  

     Frost:  If we are going through trials, depression can easily nip at our toes like frost.  Left unchecked, the frost begins to affect more and more of our lives, becoming unbearable.  Inertia sets in.  And, inertia is deadly. Left  unmoved, frost can become frostbite, and frostbite can result in death.  It is, of course, better to prevent the frost from overtaking us, because once it enters us, it is difficult to relieve. Time spent with God every day will keep us warm, warding off the frost of depression and discouragement.
     And, then there are the blizzards of circumstance.  Blizzards can be devastating; the circumstances of our lives can be overwhelming... illness, financial burdens, relationship difficulties. In the times of blizzard, we must remember that God is in control.  Even in the worst of circumstances, He is right there, ready to guide us to a warmer state of mind.
  

 Before winter enters our lives - or even after - we need to pack Emergency Kits for ourselves and our families:
#1: Extra blankets:  Blanketing ourselves with the fellowship of others creates and maintains warmth in
our  lives. We need love and prayers from others to keep the edge off the winter chill.
#2: Non-perishable food:  Scripture is the perfect food;  the Bible offers milk, meat, or manna - depending on  our needs.  Memorized scripture can help us even in the most desperate of winter storms.
#3:Water - Christ is The Living Water.  Drink of His love and strength.  Relying on Christ will keep us  from a  cold, dry, and  bitter existence.  .
#4: Emergency Light source:  God is our light.  His guidance in our daily lives is essential.  In the cold of
      winter we need His light even more.

     We all have spiritual winters in our lives.  But preparing for them can help prevent them from
becoming disastrous.  So, today, take the time to make sure you are prepared for winter.


       SHALOM   Y'ALL  -  TWYLA

Senior Texting Code

  

WHEN and HOW did I turn into a white-haired lady?

      My (older!!!) brother sent me this.  I read some of  them aloud, and Moshe and I SCREAMED laughing... I had to stop, 'cause it still hurts him to laugh  with the broken rib.  If I knew who wrote it, I would certainly give credit, but, I don't... Let it suffice that I say "Thanks" to whoever it was.  There are a couple of these that I hope to use at the appropriate moment... I think my all-time favorite is BFF (see below).








     Since more and more "older people" are texting and tweeting, there appears to be a need for
a STC (Senior Texting Code):

     ATD:  At The Doctor's

     BFF:  Best Friend Farted

     BTW: Bring The Wheelchair

     BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth

     CBM: Covered By Medicare

     CUATSC:  See You At The Senior Center

     DWI: Driving While Incontinent

     FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers

     FWIW: Forgot Where I Was

     FYI: Found Your Insulin

     GGPBL:  Gotta Go Pacemaker Battery Low

     GHA: Got Heartburn Again

     HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement

     IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?

    LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out

     LOL:  Living On Lipitor

     LWO: Lawrence Welk's On

      OMMR: On My Massage Recliner

     OMSG:  Oh My!  Sorry, Gas.

     ROFL...CGU:  Rolling On the Floor Laughing... and Can't Get Up

     SGGP:  Sorry, Gotta Go Poop

     TTYL: Talk To You Louder

     WAITT:  Who Am I Talking To?

     WTF:  Wet The Furniture

     WTFA:  Wet the Furniture Again

     WTP:  Where's The Prunes?

     WWNO:  Walker Wheels Need Oil

    

Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Miscellany from Green Acres

Icicles at the window of our "Cozy"

Umm . . . I like your belt.

So, it is Monday morning once again.  We had a quiet weekend... lots of movies and popcorn, eating leftovers,  not doing much other than the necessities... which, actually, is quite a bit when you think of it!  Regardless of weather and regardless of our health,  the animals need to be fed and watered,  eggs need to be gathered,  wood needs to be collected and the fire in the wood stove  kept alive.  I spent nearly every moment hugging the heating pad yesterday;  I either had it on my feet or my knees most of the day.  I just could not get warm.  Then, last night, I remembered a giant furry grey poncho that a friend gave me several years ago... it is now my newest "uniform" - to be worn every day until.....???  I never had to wear school uniforms, but I did have to wear white nurses uniforms... ever the optimist, I would hear other nurses complaining about the boredom of having to wear white, and I would always answer, "Yes, but it makes it so easy to decide what to wear!"   The big grey poncho is making it easy now.


      This morning, after getting the basic chores done, we went out with our cameras to capture some more of the snow scenes... especially now that the sun is shining and the snow is melting a bit.  Just look at the icicles hanging off the eaves above the "Cozy Room" window!  And, IF you can take your eyes off my hubby's outfit, take a gander at the size of that icicle from the eaves on the front of the house!!!


   Moxie and Beau are having a ball playing in the snow.  Beau is still skittish, but did cooperate a little bit better for picture-taking today.  Most of the time when I try to snap his picture, all I get is his hind end.  Today he was a lot more comfortable.  I've been feeding him for about two weeks now.  It makes me really sad, realizing that someone must have been really mean to him for him to be so wary of people.  And, that someone purposely abandoned him in the dead of winter.  He came up to me two or three times and licked my hand, but I have yet to pet him.  He sees Moxie loving all over Moshe and me, but, I guess he's just not ready to trust us.  If nothing else, I am glad that Moxie has this great friend to roam the woods with. The two of them take off running together and it's as if they have wings.   Still, I hope the day will come when Beau will want to be our friend.

Beau and Moxie in the woods

      One day late last week I went to the next town over and went grocery shopping;  they were having a big sale, and I wanted to take advantage of it.  I bought a couple turkeys, several pot roasts, several pounds of hamburger;  also, several packages of pasta,  multiple bottles of cooking oil,  multiple cans of coffee, mega- sized packages of paper towels and bathroom tissue.  Everything I bought was on sale.   Of course, then I had to come home and put all the stuff away... A turkey in the cooler to thaw and cook,  another turkey in the big freezer,  one pot roast in the refrigerator to fix over the weekend,  the others in the freezers,  the cans of coffee under one of the beds until I can find a better spot... etc.  So, today I went into the art room for some reason, and there was the cooler!  We had both forgotten about the turkey!  Sheesh!  It was still okay, and Moshe has it soaking in brine and we will bake it overnight tonight.  (Wow!  Will the house ever smell good tomorrow morning!)  Of course, ever the comedienne, I couldn't help but say that it's a good thing we are too old to have children... 'cause we would forget
where we put them!

Pretty Face and the snow

     I have to wonder what the chickens think about the snow.  (DO chickens think??? Well,  you know what I mean...)  The weather plays such nasty tricks on them!  For the most part, they have all stayed "upstairs" in their roosts all weekend.  I'm sure it's warmer up there.  And drier.  Poor Pretty Face is in her little broody coop still.  She will have with her anywhere from three to six of the Peeps, which are now nearly half-grown chickens.  The others all huddle together in the peep house at the other end of the screened "courtyard".  They come out to eat and drink, but that's about it.  Pretty Face starts talking to me the second she sees me standing at the sliding glass door.  And, I don't think she is exactly saying, "I love you.".  I wonder if they think we can somehow control the snow??? Or the temperature???  Who knows.

     Okay,  just in case anybody is wondering about Moshe's big wide white belt,  it is an abdominal brace.  We bought it last week to help support his broken rib.  (And it really helps, too!) Yesterday afternoon, when he came in from the snow, I called him the "Abdominal Snowman."  Nice, huh?

...the grim reaper meets the abdominal snowman...    ;D

                                                              

Shalom Y'all


     Twyla

More Snow Pics

Azaleas,  "in bloom"

   I'm not going to say a lot.  Just wanted to post some of my fav pics from this morning.  I do have to say one thing:  I find it fascinating that snow is not white.  Take a look at these photos, and you will see that some of them have a distinctly pink look.  Or lavendar.  Or blue.  Etc.  None of them has been doctored by computer in any way... Yours truly wouldn't know how to do so even if I wanted to... Hope you will enjoy...
     Oh, and, by the way, the official weather report claims that we had approximately two inches of snow... Ummm... does anybody know where I can email these photos to let "them" know how much we really have??? 

Our driveway is just to the right of the hitching post sticking up... the "road" has tracks from one brave truck yesterday...  (this pic looks grey-blue to me)

Moxie and Beau... playing in the snow...

One happy dawg!

Ummm... never mind...

Crepe Myrtle, "blooming"  (this pic looks pink to me...)

Care to gather 'round the fire pit???

"Weeping Pine"  kinda' looks pink, doesn't it?


Shalom Y'all - Twyla





Baby, It's Cold Outside...

the little birdhouse next to the house...

 
      If you happened to read my post yesterday, you would've seen that I was the only one really awake and alert for several hours yesterday morning.  I was wondering where the big weather-front was that "they" had predicted... Well, it showed up around 8:30 or 9 AM, and continued throughout all of yesterday and part of last night.  As it was getting dark last night, our estimate of snow in our secluded little world was eight- inches-and counting...   By dusk the chicken arks were officially snowed in.   Ark #2 actually had a little snow drift going up one side of it.  I never tried to gather any afternoon eggs;  it would've meant cleaning off the layer of snow on top of the arks, and I figured the chickens would rather have the insulation provided by the snow than have their eggs removed. 
     We ventured outside yesterday afternoon, when the amount of snow was four or five inches, and took some photos.   I hope to get out again today and take more pics;  surely there must be some interesting snow sculptures out there, created by snow, ice, wind, gravity....

Moxie, playing in the back yard

     For our "big snow day" I made cornbread for breakfast.  And a rasher of bacon - turkey bacon, that is.  It was a different brand than what I usually buy, and it was very good.  CassPurr was CRAZY about it;  the moment I opened the package, he sniffed the air and started begging.  (Very unusual for "Mr Aloof";  he normally couldn't care less about people food!)  He ate at least one whole slice of bacon, acting very primal with each tidbit I handed him.  It was very humorous to me, seeing him act so ferocious.  Later, he slept and slept and slept... to the point that we went looking for him to make sure he was okay... I quipped that he must have overdosed on nitrites.  Moxie, on the other hand, was excited about the snow.  She was in and out like an excited seven-year-old, wanting to play in the snow, but needing to come in and tell Mom and Dad all about it every few minutes.  I, as usual, catered to her whims... she was so cute in her enthusiasm.
  

Ooo - ooo-ooo... looking out my front door...

 Although I spent a good bit of time in the kitchen yesterday, fixing food for various animals and humans; then, cleaning up from food preparations; then, cleaning up the aftermath of meal;  it was Sabbath, so I didn't do any major cleaning, laundry, etc.  So, I watched almost an entire season of "Cake Boss"  on Netflix.  The show was hilarious - a combination of looking at the fabulous art Carlo's Bakery creates, and the dynamics involved in this big Italian family working together.  I would have loved to have been a cake decorator;  I could easily imagine myself creating those wonderful edible works of art.  The other thing I wish I could have been is a window dresser... As in the beautiful windows of the forties and fifties in New York City.  Create, create, CREATE!!! 
    But, alas, I only have this one life that God gave me, so I will have to "settle" for redecorating the house, preparing colorful and creative meals, and taking photos of God's handiwork in the snow...

the snow drift is just beginning to form on Ark #2

     Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Hearth and Home

     Up since 4:30 this AM, with a "weather-front headache".  After one large cuppa' coffee (AKA the brown liquid of life), a slice of homemade bread, a couple pieces of ginger root, and some aspirin, it is nearly gone.
But the big question is, "Where's the weather that's supposed to come with the front?"  According to both weather.com and accuweather, it was supposed to start snowing at around 3 this morning.  Sheesh! There's not so much as one flake so far.  Not that I especially care whether it snows or not... Oh, it's pretty alright.  And, if it does indeed snow, nobody would appreciate the beauty more than I would.  But, if it doesn't,  it will be much easier to feed the chickens without falling...
     Speaking of falls, it's been a week since Moshe fell on the ice and broke a rib.  He's still in a lot of pain.  Neither of us is sleeping much.  This morning I convinced him to try the couch.  I figured it would feel good to have the back of the couch supporting his back ribs.  I put the heating pad to his back, covered him with a quilt, and he's been sleeping now for a couple hours.  Bless his heart.  I've had chronic pain for over a decade now, and it isn't easy.  But, I think when a person is not accustomed to pain, it is much more difficult to deal with.
    

The animals have the right idea.  They look like mismatched bookends, holding up the pot belly stove on either end.  The stove sits on ceramic tile flooring, and there's ceramic tile up the wall behind it was well.  Those tiles absorb the heat and are toasty warm, if a little firm, to nap upon.  I can almost FEEL the "Zzzzz's" floating through the house this morning!
     We got a truckload of firewood a couple days ago.  It's mostly red oak and it burns  nicely.  Keeping the fire going has become a little bit easier for me this past week.  I'm starting to really get the hang of it.  There was only one night when it went out.  On that particular night I just didn't have the energy to try to restart it.  God is good, and it was warmer than usual that night.  Even with my unwillingness to tend the fire, the central heat didn't kick on.  We have the thermostat set at 61 degrees, and it was 63 in the house when I got up.
     Yesterday I cooked a pot roast on top of the potbelly.  It was sorta' experimental;  I put the roast, the onions, potatoes, carrots, spices, a a cup of water in the roaster pan;  put the lid on, and set it on top of the woodstove.  It took about 4 hours 'til the veggies were tender.  Wow! The meat literally fell apart when speared with a fork.  It was wonderfully delicious, and we didn't use any propane!
     So, while it's so quiet, I think I'll treat myself to another excellent cup of coffee, then start preparing the chicken food, dog food, cat food, people food...
Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Halloween/Christmas - If it's all the same to you...

     Okay,  if you saw my last post - the video by Maria Merola - you might be thinking, "Wow!  These people are nuts!"  OR... you might be thinking, "Hey! These people are on to something.  Here is some food for thought:  Show me WHERE in God's Word it says we should celebrate Christ's birthday?  Better yet, show me where in the scriptures it is written that His birthday is December 25th?  (Hint: It ain't there!!!)  Actually if you study the scriptures and can do some math, you will find that Christ's birthday was around the middle of September - per the Gregorian calendar.  It very likely fell on one of God's Holy Days... Doesn't that make sense?  The best research shows that the Messiah's birthday was probably on Feast of Trumpets.
  
      ANYWAY, on the lighter side,   I wrote this ridiculous poem years ago,  making fun of the Santa Claus myth. I also did a little colored pencil drawing to go with it.  So, if it's all the same to you...

         A Visit With Ol' Punkin' Head
                     by Twyla Germain Ben-David

'Twas the night before Halloween and all through the castle
was an attitude of bitchin' and groanin' and hassle.
The stockin's wuz hung by the outhouse with care
in hopes that 'Ol Punkin' Head soon would be there...

The children wuz slappin' at the bugs in their beds,
as visions of goblins danced through their heads;
And me with my buzzards and Paw with his bats
wuz fillin' the mousetraps with cheese for the rats.

When out in the junkyard I heard someone mutter,
so I walked on the porch and stood in the clutter;
But I tripped on some garbage and a rusty ol' wrench,
and it stirred up the dog doo with a horrible stench!

The full moon wuz bright and the color of mud,
and it gave me full view of our yard full of crud.
When what to my buggerin' eyes should  there be
but a miniature dumptruck and eight howlin' banshee...
With a big-headed driver, so orange and red,
that I knew in a moment it wuz Ol' Punkin' Head.

More slowly and dully the banshees they came
and he hollered and hooted and called 'em by name:
"Now Passer! Now Pooter! now Stanker and Blitzen!
On Vomit!  On Vapid!  On Bomber and Schitzzen!
To the end of the mud yard, to the side of the wall,
Now gas away, gas away, gas away all!"

The dry leaves wuz swirlin' above all the clay,
and the cowpies wuz dryin' alongside the hay...
So down by the outhouse the banshees they flew
with a truck full of garbage, and Punkin' Head, too!

Well, after a minute I heard in the yard
the moanin' and groanin' of the banshees, so tired!
Then I focused my eyes and wuz turnin' around
when down by the outhouse was Punkin' Head bound...
He wuz covered with slime from his head to his foot,
and his face was a grinnin' and blotched up with soot...

A bagful of garbage wuz flunf on his back
and he looked like the Boogie Man opening his pack.
His eyes wuz real dull, his wrinkles so deep,
 his nose wuz so slimy I thought I would weep.
His mouth wuz drawn up and his teeeth they wuz missin',
an' I knowed in my heart he wuz just made fer kissin'!

With the stump of a cigar he waved up a cloud,
and the smoke, it encircled hisself like a shroud.
He had that hig head and a thin little body,
so wiry, so dirty, so stinkin' and shoddy!
He wuz wrinkled and slimy, too awful to mention;
and I gagged when I realized how bad he was stenchin'!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his neck
soon gave me to know that he came straight from heck!
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockin's; then, turned with a jerk.
And layin' his finger 'long side of his head,
He looked straight at me, and it filled me with dread...

But, he walked to the dumptruck and started away,
and the banshees wuz howlin' as they stomped thru the clay;
and I heard him exclaim as they went outta' sight,
"Have a great Halloween, and a Punkin' Head night."

P.S.   So... hang up yer stockin's by the outhouse with glee
         and hope that the garbage will pile up..... You'll see!
         Now, keep up the vigil, your heart full of dread
         and look fer a visit with Ol' Punkin' head.

SHALOM  Y'ALL 
     TWYLA

The Evil Meaning of Christmas Video by Maria Merola

They Seldom Look Up

AP Photo/ Heribert Proepper/ File  Lunar Eclipse

     Yesterday evening I tried to write this post.  Twice. The first time it was a disaster and I erased it;  the second time I was very pleased with it, but - somehow - it got "sent into space" (my terminology  for the mysterious way that sometimes a computer makes things disappear, even when you'd SWEAR you didn't touch any button, swizzle, or whoozer...).  So, I'm going to try to reconstruct the post one more time...'cause I think it's a worthy topic.
     Last night/early this morning we had a total lunar eclipse.  A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and earth all line up, casting a shadow over the entire moon.  A tiny bit of light filters through, giving the moon an unusual color. Scientists were saying yesterday that because of the recent volcanic eruptions, the eclipsed moon might appear darker than usual... perhaps a reddish brown...We got up in the middle of the night to see it, but there was total cloud cover.  I was pretty disappointed;  I had hoped to take some photos.
  

Photo taken last night by my daughter, Melody Germain

      Today is also the "shortest day of the year" - the first day of Winter - in the northern hemisphere.  It has been three-hundred-some-odd years since this particular combination of occurrences has happened in the heavenlies. I'd be interested to know  what happened on the earth the last time.  And I am curious as to what will happen this time. Hmmmm.  curiosity mingled with fear.
     God created the heavens and the earth.   "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." ( I Cor. 14:33)  Everything is in tremendous order.  God is neat as a pin!  And way smarter than all the earth's scientists put together.  The Creator made the stars and calls them all by name. (Psalm  147:4).  The heavens reflect what is happening on earth; or, more likely, vice versa.  So, I believe that when unusual things occur in the skies, unusual things are also occurring on our little planet.
       The Bible teaches that astrology is wrong.  Not so with astronomy.  The "Magi", or wise men,  were astronomers - men who studied the patterns in the stars as a way of reading what was happening on the earth.  Two-thousand or so years ago, the Magi saw an astral occurrence which had never before happened and which has never again occurred;  it was the star of Bethlehem, which ushered in the birth of the Messiah.
  

      Christ Himself spoke of signs and wonders in the skies, particularly related to His second coming: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."  Luke 21: 25, 26, 28)  We can look at the created for signs, but we need to look to the Creator to worship.
     Many years ago I worked a weekend job as an RN.  I almost always worked with a certain nurse who I will call Sherry.  Sherry was difficult to work with, difficult to get along with.  She was very vocal, complaining about 'most everything and everybody.  Nobody could quite measure up to her demands, although, in fact, I was in charge, not her.  She complained bitterly about the schedule, the weather, whatever... and her conversation was punctuated with language that would make a sailor blush.   One day, when another employee couldn't find a certain piece of equipment, Sherry yelled at them, "Look on the top shelf' I #%& know it's there!"  Then, she turned to me and said, "They never look up.  They never even think to look up." I quietly answered, "You're right;  people hardly ever think to look up."  Sherry audibly gasped: the deeper meaning of my words had gotten through to her.  If only for a moment, she thought of God.  I don't know what ever happened to Sherry, and I don't know whether or not our little conversation made a difference to her.  But, it made an impact on me.  I need to spend more time looking up.  How 'bout you?
     "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained: What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?" ( Psalm 8:3,4 ) If I am not looking up to the Creator,  I have only myself to blame.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine."

SHALOM  Y'ALL -  TWYLA

The Master Artist

Some  local scenery - obviously painted by The Master Artist!

   Set thy gaze toward heaven. Lo, thine eyes shall behold My glory.
     For I have brought thee through the testing time, and my heart rejoiceth over thee.  Thou seeth but a part of the picture, but I see the design in its completion.  Thou canst not know what is in My mind and what I am creating with the materials of thy life.
     Only be thou yielded in My hands.  Thou needest not to make thine own plans, for I am in control, and thou wouldst bring disaster by interference, even as a child who would wish to help a master artist, and with untrained use of the brush would ruin the canvas.
     So rests thy soul, this knowing, that I have been at work, and in ways thou hast least suspected; for the picture in thy thinking and the work with which I was engaged were entirely different.

desert winds - photo by Melody Germain (my daughter)

  I make no idle strokes. What I do is never haphazard.  I am  never merely mixing colors out of casual curiosity. My every move is one of vital creativity, and every stroke is part of the whole.
     Never be dismayed by apparent incongruity.  Never be alarmed by a sudden dash of color seemingly out of context.  Say only to thy questioning heart, 'It is the Infinite wielding His brush; surely He doeth all things well.' "
        
           - from "Come Away My Beloved", by  Frances J. Roberts  (one of my favorite books)

the Dead Sea

Shalom Y'all - Twyla

A Rough NIght

     Moshe is fairly certain that one or more of his ribs got broken in the fall off the back porch yesterday.  We had a pretty rough night.  He's in a lot of pain, and I feel helpless to do much to help him.  By my estimate, he got about 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night, and I fared better with around 4 1/2...  Maybe we will take naps later in the day?   He's doing pretty well right now sitting at his desk.  I propped pillows behind him with the heating pad against the sorest place;  this has kept him relatively comfortable the past few hours...  Regular provision of hot tea and a nice plate of warm cornbread couldn't have hurt, either.
     The chickens are fed and watered, the pets are fed, the people are fed.  "They" say it's going to rain again today, so I went out early and got a bunch of wood brought in;  the fire is going nicely.  So, we are okay... as "okay" as can be when one of us is hurting...
     But, never the type to give in to despair, Moshe handed me this note, "to be delivered to all the chickens."

   

TGIF

       So it's Friday again.  Already.  I have a few chores to do, some errands to run in town; then, it will be about time to set up the Shabbat table for lighting the candles, taking communion, preparing for a day's rest.

     Moshe fell on the back steps this morning when he went out to feed the chickens.  We are praying that he hasn't broken a rib.  I put ice on it immediately, had him take some aspirin, and he is trying to relax in his chair at his desk.  I might convince him later to let me tape it up - treat it as if it is a rib fracture.  That's about all they would do at the E.R.  

     I finished feeding the chickens;  will do that again this afternoon.  Gathering wood I'm not so great at, but, I'll do my best.  We'll be alright.  There must be a reason for this - just like there is a reason for every single thing that happens to us.  All of life is a learning process.  There are no coincidences. And, God is in control.

     The sun is just now beginning to come out, and the temperature is "all the way up to 33 degrees".  We could use a couple days of drying out after this past week!  

  

 TGIF :     Thank

                God

                 I'm

                 Forgiven

Sunny days will return...

SHALOM Y'ALL -

     TWYLA

Another Redo



One of my barn paintings, framed in old barn wood...

     Okay.  I like change.  (NOT the Obama kind!!!)  I have always, as long as I can remember, changed the decor in my house.  When I had my big old historic home, I changed the displays in the butler's pantry, all the curio cabinets, and china cabinets - every MONTH!   I was physically stronger then, and saw nothing wrong with moving the furniture almost as often.  My daughter could wake up at noon on a Saturday  and find the entire house redone.  Sometimes I switched entire rooms with each other.  It is always stimulating for me to get my artistic juices flowing and to see what odd items can go together in an eye-pleasing way.  I might take a very valuable antique item and put it in a basket with a dimestore item, then add a scrap of fabric or paper... who knows?
     So, after redoing my blog yesterday, I decided it was high time to redo the living room for winter.  Now that I've lost alot of physical strength,  I mostly change the art and other decorative items.  It doesn't hurt that I do watercolors, and have almost limitless paintings to choose from... I feel energized when it's new and different.

part of the curio cabinet

      The poor living room had recently been neglected.  It still had Autumn colors, paintings of  colorful trees and shadowy scenes,  coiled clay pots filled with wheat and other grains, and my collection of turkey figurines!  It was time for snowflakes, deer, silvery branches, and snow scenes.  Moshe helped me by bringing  in some actual pine branches which I attached to the walls with picture hangers.  The curio cabinet is filled with my Grama's old celluloid reindeer, various snowflakes, crystal bowls, touches of blue glass.
     Moshe is such a dear;  he always appreciates the "new look".
Even when he is outside cutting wood for the fire, if he runs across an interesting branch or stump, he sets it aside, knowing that I might like to create something out of it.  Just yesterday, he saved me a couple of very unique branches... who knows what they will become?  Or, where they will be incorporated into our decor?  He also scavenged a couple of the all-time most-wonderful items recently, and gave them to me for Hanukkah... They both were pieces from a small old barn; one a wonderful door with its hinges still intact; the other the gable end of the barn.  These pieces are solid red oak, and so heavy that they will have to be remade into something for the yard... WAY too heavy to hang on a wall. (Sigh.)
         

my joke deer, sitting on the sled

      The living room has a little alcove where the piano sits. I hung one painting there and a pine bough over it.  On the wall jutting out from the alcove, I propped my old sled, with a stuffed animal deer that I made about twenty-five years ago.  That deer is one of my little jokes with myself... He's a deer, wearing  camouflage and a hunting jacket.  (SICK!  Yes, I am sick!!!)    Wow... Does that bring back memories... Twenty-five years ago, I was a single Mom, raising a young daughter.  I worked more than fulltime, but it was still hard to make ends meet.  I started making floppy-eared bunnies, which was all the rage at the time.  I never made any two exactly alike.  They had precious little embroidered expressions on their faces, frilly dresses, fancy hats, you-name-it.  I got so many orders for them that I paid my little daughter to cut out the pattern pieces for me.  I got special orders for bride bunnies, Atlanta Braves bunnies, nurse, doctor, lawyer, biker, even a nudist bunny!!! One well-loved local dentist was buried holding his dentist bunny that I had made for him - toothbrush and all...  But, I digress. After the bunnies came deer, pigs, cows, dolls.  That little cottage industry helped us make the mortgage payment and knit together our tiny family unit.  One time we received an order from a business - I can't remember exactly, but it was for twenty-some rabbits, maybe even thirty... it was a lot.  After the person left from bringing us the list of orders,  my daughter, Melody,  and I literally jumped up and down for joy.
     And, so... decorating, for me, is more than just putting away some stuff and getting out some other stuff.  It's always a trip down memory lane.  Hope you've enjoyed the stroll with me this morning.

...two of my Winter watercolors, above the sofa...

Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Adding Art to my Blog

Some of my art - in the dining room - preparing for Hanukkah

     Yep.  I got in the mood to redecorate.  This time, it's not the house, but my blog.  I changed the background, the color of the print, the banner.  And, I added "Twyla's Watercolor Gallery".  Please click on it and see what I have posted so far.  I know it's only a few things, but I hope to add to it at least once a day.  You see, I've been doing watercolors for about ten years now, and I have a BIG stash of paintings that I'd like to share.  Some are serious, some silly.  Some realistic, some very imaginative.  But, they all came from my hand and my trust that "the paints will do the painting".  I  LOVE  watercolors!  Hope ya'll will like them, too.

"Hibiscus"

Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Random Thoughts from Green Acres

Moxie, smiling

         Just fixed breakfast burritos for hubby and me; not as spicy as sometimes, but good nevertheless.  Moxie got the last bite of mine, as usual.  She doesn't beg; she's SUCH a good dog!  But she manages to situate herself within my vision field and look at me, silent, but speaking with her eyes. And smiling.  (Smart dog, too.)
     I've noticed that I write a lot about food.  As chief cook and bottle-washer, I suppose that makes sense.  I really like to cook. ( In fact, I really like keeping house.  Does anybody else LIKE keeping house these days?)  I make just about everything "from scratch".  I suppose we must seem odd to the cashiers at the grocery store;  we only buy real food, nothing that is prepackaged, no mixes, no frozen dinners, nothing with preservatives, certainly nothing with MSG!   We buy all the stuff you find on the outer edges of the store... produce, meat, dairy.And a few canned items.  What an interesting concept, huh?  I really enjoy preparing healthy food for our healthy appetites.  Moxie's food is custom-gourmet dogfood... and, even the chickens eat minced fruit and vegetable peels!   Poor ol' CassPurr still prefers dry kibble. He occasionally condescends to eating a chunk of roast beef or turkey... what a funny boy.  Anyhow, I put in a lot of time in the kitchen,  preparing food for people and animals, then cleaning up the aftermath. (There's a lot of aftermath at our house!)  It is very ironic that just when you wish you were heating up the kitchen canning stuff, there's nothing to can.

      It's cold in these here hills.  The high temp was supposed to be 25, but it got up to 32.  Not nearly as much wind today as yesterday.  Some of the roads out here in the country are still pretty icy, but most of the snow has disappeared.  There's some talk of an ice storm heading our way in the next day or so... We'll see.
     No sense in worrying about it.  Moshe cracked me up yesterday; CassPurr kept peeking out the back door as if he wanted to go out in the snow; he never went out, but seemed intrigued by it.  Finally, Moshe said, "Cassie,  I don't want you going out there... In all that snow, the only thing we'd see would be your eyes if you're facing us or your butt hole if you're walking away."  Cassie seemed insulted and stayed on the living room sofa until supper time.
     I started my second blog today - My 316 Notes - it's my findings and observations about certain scriptures.  I hope y'all will check it out.  Much like me, it will be a work in progress...
     Shalom Y'all - Twyla
    

    
 

Snow Days Just Aren't the Same Anymore

       Looking at Facebook early this morning, I noticed various friends writing about their children's hopes that today would be a snow day.  I  remember back when I was a youngster living in Pennsylvania where it really snowed a lot.  Hoping we would be snowed in.  A snow day was a fun day.  No school.. ergo... no homework.   Ice skating.  Playing in the snow.  Hot cocoa and cookies as we thawed out by the fireplace.
     Fast forward to today.  We are snowed in.  It is bitter cold and the projected weather is for even colder temperatures, with a low of  eight degrees tonight.  That's cold!  Town probably isn't snowed in; they spread salt and gravel "downtown" and on the main highways as soon as a few flakes start to fall.  But out here in the country the snow has accumulated and the rain under it is frozen.  I'm really not complaining,  The snow is beautiful and , despite my former post about Oscar and Felix,  Moshe and I work well as a team. We had our work cut out for us today...

  First we had to feed and water the chickens.  All the waterers were frozen solid.  I filled one of the kitchen sinks with hot water to start the unfreezing process.  Then, one at a time, I took the tops off, soaked the steel tubes until they unfroze, and kept filling the water bottles with hot water.  Fill with hot; empty when cold.  Repeat until each bottle was thawed.  Then, I filled them with warm water for the chickens.  Moshe mixed warm mash for all the chikcens - not just the peeps.  We repeated all of these procedures in the afternoon, trading jobs - Moshe did the waters and I gave them the warm mash.  We also put special heat-reflective pet blankets in the pet carrier for the peeps and in Pretty Face's little coop.  The upstairs of the bigger coops are fairly well protected.  All the coops were then covered with plastic sheeting, weighted down with stones and boards.  Whew.
       Meanwhile, the other major project for the day was the gathering, chopping, carrying, and stacking of wood for the wood stove.  Today it was cold enough that we had to keep adding wood to the fire all day long.  Usually we have a break for at least an hour or two.  Of course, Moshe did most of the wood "duty", but I tried to help my carrying in some of the cut pieces and stacking them.  Finally, at around 3:30 this afternoon, the wood was stocked  and I tackled sweeping and mopping the kitchen and vacuuming the rest of the house.  Wearing my pajamas, plus a big grey hoodie sweatshirt, hair pinned up with a clip,  and  holding the mop,  I told Moshe he should take a picture of me and call it, "The romance never stops."

Skillet corn bread on the wood stove

       We had a delicious lunch today. I warmed up the chicken corn soup  from yesterday.  And, I baked cornbread - in an iron skillet on top of the woodstove.  We both agreed it was some of the best cornbread we'd ever eaten.  Something about  the process of baking it in the skillet... I don't know... but, it was light and fluffy like good cake, but crispy on the bottom.  Wonderful.  I didn't even need butter on mine.  It was just plain good!!!
     I have a pot roast in the oven for supper. We got a Netflix movie in the mail this afternoon (the poor mailman's Jeep was the ONLY vehicle we saw go up our road today.)  So, we are going to have an early supper and snuggle in bed to watch the movie.  Life is good.

             Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Yummy.

More of The White Stuff...

     Looks just like CassPurr about halfway through this video.   Enjoy!    Twyla

The White Stuff

"... You have GOT to be kidding me..."

    This morning I woke up early - around 1:15 - to find that the fire in the wood stove needed to be rebuilt and restarted.   Again, the same thing at 4:30!  Hmmm..  D'ya' think it must be cold outside or something?
Glancing out the window,  I saw that our little corner of the world was white.  We knew that there were predictions of snow or sleet or some sort of wintry mix, but, I was surprised anyhow.  It seems to me that most of the time when "they" predict snow, it doesn't happen.
     So, as the morning dawned everything had a dusting of white.  Not much to brag about.  We could see that it had rained first, then snowed into the rain puddles, creating a giant slush field in the back yard.  When we went out to feed the chickens, it rained again.  Then sleeted.  Then threw tiny pebbles like mini-hailstones which looked exactly like vermiculite.  Now, at 11 AM it's snowing.  Regular snowflakes.  I'm hoping it will accumulate just enough to get some pretty photos, but not counting it.  We'll see.


Bath time for CassPurr ...



      Speaking of white stuff, last Saturday Mr. CassPurr got a bath.  He had gotten a little bit funky, so Moshe decided he needed a bath.
Cassie actually tolerates it real well. He just stands there and gets scrubbed.  He looks fairly disgusted, but doesn't mew or howl.  What a funny boy!  Notice Moxie peeking in at him.  I think she was looking in, saying, "Nanny-Nanny-Boo-Boo." Little did she know that she was gonna' be next!
     A week later CassPurr is still clean and very soft.  Touching his fur is like touching cotton candy - without the stickiness !

Shalom Y'all
                                                          Twyla