Friday, February 11, 2011

Today IS the First Day of the Rest of My Life

FOR TODAY
Friday February 11, 2011
Outside my window...

I am still looking at snow and ice and slush! BUT today is 45 degrees and this will go away. I think they are saying that it is going to be 75 next Wednesday!  75!  From -2 yesterday morning to 75! Oklahoma, got to love it! I have lots of plans for my yard this year.  I am going to put a large flower garden in the back yard with a small fish  pond. Lots of hostas and shade flowers......Hydrangeas are my favorite.  It will take me most of the summer due to the fact that the ground is worthless!  I am going to build it up with landscaping timbers and have top soil brought in with a mixture of good potting soil. Sooooooo it will take all summer to get it in and planted but I really look forward to that.  I will take pictures! 

I am thinking...

That I need to get my act together. During the past few months girls, I have lost my spark and I have thrown discipline to the wind. I look in the mirror and do not recognize who is standing there.  It has been almost 5 months from losing Mom and 7 months since Dad. I have just gone down that slippery slop since then and finally changed Dr's yesterday and went in for my first appointment. She took care of Dad the last time I took him to the ER and she also took care of Mom the last few Dr appointment that mom had, so she had a bit of an idea of the of the past few months in my life. She gave me some wonderful insight and assured me that I could and would get myself back on track. What I did was just fail to grieve and tried to just get on with my life without really allowing myself to feel.  Now you know that will not work don't you?  Anyway, she is a wonderful Christian and she lays hands on you at the end of the visit and prays....... OMG........  What a blessing.  I feel good about the visit and this morning am going to put into practice what she suggested.
I am thankful for...
This morning, I feel so thankful for forgiveness and grace.  I am thankful that God is not mad at me. God is not mad at my enemies and HE is not mad at HIS enemies!  God, HE took HIS son and HE put HIM on a tree and HE poured out HIS wrath on HIM. HE made a perfectly innocent man pay for what I have done wrong from the first day of my life to the last day of my life.  Forgiveness, grace. I am thinking that HE loves me.
From the learning rooms.
I am learning that I am NOT super woman, and I am learning that the trials that we go through do change us and we need to be still and learn from those trials and allow them to strengthen us and weaken us. I have allow the later. I will change today.  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 3:14   There are some phenomenal things happening that I have not shared with you but will share over on Samaritan Women blog in just a few days.  I use the word phenomenal because that is what it is.  :)    Watch for the link........... 


From the kitchen...

One thing that I have allowed myself to do is fall half way off of the raw diet wagon and throughout this very cold spell I have eaten comfort food an it is fattening!   Soooooooo this morning it is a green smoothie with baby spinach, banana and 1/2 papaya. I can tell you now that it is delicious.  So as for right now and the rest of the day, the kitchen is closed except the blender.

I am wearing...

This is one of the aspect of my life that I am changing this morning. I am getting up and dressing in jeans and sweater, makeup and hair fixed. Now that does not take me long as my hair is an easy mange style and I do not wear much make up at all.. Just a bit of lipstick and mascara and a tiny bit of dark brown shadow in the outside corner of my upper eye lid. I do not wear any foundation, it gets in my wrinkles and looks terrible so I have chosen to go bare!   So it is jeans and black sweater and tiny little earrings. Greet the day.. that is my new motto!


I am creating...
I have made three dolls and part of a Spring Rabbit door hanger. One swap Valentine that was mailed yesterday. I need to get out there and finish that Rabbit and get started on a doll for competition at the Cloth Doll web site.  
I am going...
No where today, but this weekend we are going to get the carpet for the little house.  I have news about that also but will leave that for another day.

We are also planning another trip to Texarkana Texas. I have a beautiful great Aunt down there that is such a blessing. We are going to make another trip down there to visit. On the way down or the way back I am going to take time to go through Antlers Oklahoma. We passed through there the last time on our way to Texas and we  passed by some awesome antique shops and flea market shops along the main street!  I have GOT to go and look.  I am looking for an old china cabinet for my kitchen, and a corner cabinet also for my kitchen (I have a big kitchen) . We hope to do that in a couple of weeks.
I am reading...
My Bible...........
I am hoping...
that I have seen the last of this inner ear infection with vertigo. What a nightmare. It has been almost 4 weeks now and still just a slight bit of dizzy when I lay down. That jumped up out of nowhere and bit me!  Dr said it takes weeks and weeks sometimes to recover. They can even do therapy to get the fluid in the inner ear to balance out. Imagine that............

I am hearing...
Fox News on the TV.  I have been leaving it on the past couple of days listening and watching Egypt. If you are not then you might consider catching up with what is going on. This is monumental in OUR nation let alone the nation of Egypt.  They have been one of the many great allies to the US but they HATE Israel. Over the years they have been peace loving and quiet but if the wrong people take leadership in Egypt then we are looking at the middle east becoming very very  unstable. Watch and pray.
Around the house...
is a mess.  I have been huddled up in the living room and kitchen for weeks now waiting out this cold with the back rooms shut off. Moses has been moved to the kitchen away from his window in the back room to keep him warm. I have had blankets on the doors in my shop both front and back and all the shades closed. Today, down comes the blankets and shades up and house cleaned!  I feel Spring coming!

One of my favorite things...
My back yard. It is a mess right now as I have not been out there in weeks and weeks, but I love to just go out there and stroll around. We hope to pour white river rock on the west side of the pool this year to keep the grass from growing up to the sidewalk around the pool. I have a beautiful rock garden at the very back of my yard that I love and I have a black wrought iron bench and table under one of the big elm trees. Everything is cold and lifeless right now but underneath all that life is headed up! 
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Finish up the doll swap that is out in my shop. Move Moses back to his room this afternoon when it warms up a bit. Head up to the college track tomorrow and walk my 3 miles. Try to finish up clearing out the little house to finish getting it ready to rent. That is the one job that I keep putting off, so I must bring it to the forefront of my life and put that behind me. There is not much left and most of it is going to Tulsa.

Then, tomorrow I am going out to visit Mom and Dad. I have not been out there since December and I want to see if they have finished the marker, and I need to change the flowers.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing

 
This is the corner where I am going to build my flower garden. I am moving out the half barrels and will be planting hydrangeas along that north fence(at the top of the picture)It is very shady there so shade plants be the most part.  I have a lot of work but it will be so pretty when finished.
This is an old swing that we found at a flea market years ago. It was hanging in the back yard until ice storm last year took the limb down. Now it will go out under the big oak tree to the south of the house by the new flower garden. It will be such a peaceful place to go and read don't you think?

Here is the ice storm from last year. Took down a huge limb with the swing...  but it is going to go back here...
This is the big oak tree at the south end of the back yard.(this was taken last summer when we were moving the fence) It will sit right to the west of my shade garden . I am going to hang my swing from one of those branches....... What ya think?

Well, got to go and start the housework. I would like to finish before noon an then have the afternoon to work in the shop.
Have a wonderful weekend. Hope all of you have a lot of sunshine to encourage you to think Spring. 

Love ya all!
Denise




If you would like to join us in the simple Women's Day Book go over to Peggy's and join us.

10 comments:

  1. You guys have really been hit hard down there. You'll appreciate spring more than ever before!

    I have a Christian doctor, too, who sisits and talks to me instead of rushing through the check-up. I need to get in for my yearly.

    I know your yard will be beautiful and we'll enjoy seeing the progress.

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  2. We won't be seeing 75F over here until at least June! lol Right now it's 16F and that's a heat wave compared to the minuses we've been getting. I can truly say that I'm sick of the cold and snow now!!!

    I'm so glad that you found a new doctor, she sounds like she will be good for you. Also, isn't it amazing how just getting dressed and put on a bit of makeup can make us feel so much better:-)

    Hopefully that vertigo goes away completely soon!! As you say, it's no fun having that, it's so debilitating.

    Heard on the news today that the Egyptian president has now stepped down. Let's hope that things settle down now and that they get a new president that's honest and on the up and up!

    I wish I lived near so that I could go help you with your backyard:-) It will take time and a lot of hard work but I have no doubt you will have it looking beautiful with plants and flowers. As for your old swing I think it will look perfect hanging from that oak tree...you'll be able to sit on it and gaze at all your flowers:-) xoxo

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  3. I just love seeing garden plots at this stage of the game. Again, it reminds me of dreams, faith that sees the end results, and LOTS of hard work!
    Glad the snow is melting for you. Even here is Florida it is 38 degrees this morning, but supposed to be near 80 next week. I'll be so glad as I'm freezing here!!!!
    Still praying for you, Denise!! Love you!

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  4. I've got a feelin' that your yard is gonna be great!!!!

    I just wanted to thank you for your prayers and support for Angel. Since you are relatively new to my place if ya hit the green August in the first paragraph you can read her story from the beginning.

    God bless you sweetie and enjoy this beautiful weekend we are given! :o)

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  5. I'm always encouraged when I read your blog, Denise. Maybe because we've walked a similar road.

    I know you are most anxious to get in your back yard!!

    Blessings!

    ~Beth

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  6. Love you too, Denise! Thanks for the update. Hang in there with the weather, my dear. You'll be doing that back yard before you know it!

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  7. Denise I am the recipient of your Valentine Swap and I wanted to thank you so much for the beautiful creations that you sent me =) You are a very talented lady! BEAR HUGS ~victoria~

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  8. I'm thinking about revamping some of my garden areas. After two cold winters, there are some plants that need to be replaced. I need to look for more cold hardy plants. I'll look forward to seeing what you do. Hydrangeas are my favorite.

    It is so important to mourn. It doesn't have a timetable. Our church has a grief group that many have found helpful. Losing both parents so close together has to be difficult. I know both of them were a large part of your day living near you. Hugs to you, Denise.

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  9. Thanks for the update and peek into your life.
    Sounds like you have some things to look forward to...that is always a good thing for the heart.
    The warmer temps here have been so nice...it does make you start thinking about planting and gardens...looking forward to that myself.
    Getting ready to get dressed and go walk with a friend....time to get this body up and moving too. :)

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  10. Morning Denise....I'm so glad you are feeling better and your new doctor sounds wonderful...a healer of the body and soul too. Grief affects us all so differently...it takes time to heal...I'm thankful you have found you again.
    The garden plans sound wonderful, I'm looking forward to seeing it bloom and flourish. Warm hugs to you...Linda

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