Bosom Buddies

DISCLAIMER: This may not be appropriate for the fellas!


I had my second mammogram yesterday in two months.
I saw the shadow they were investigating.
They needed to take more views to see the edges clearly.
They needed to use the ultra sound, because it wasn't clear.
I prayed not to have this now.
I'm not even over my foot problems yet.
It is scary.
My grandmother had a mastectomy.
It is amazing how important your breasts are to you as a woman.
Now, I know that they are not the only thing.
I have my spirit, character, sense of humor, maternal instincts, etc.

But my whole life I have been pretty attached to these things.
As a girl, these are what the fellas notice. And we women know it.
As a pregnant woman, these are the first parts to noticeably change.
They provided nourishment for both my girls.
Honestly, nursing was the best part of raising my daughters.
I remember the wee hours of the morning, looking down at my girl,
Her little hands patting my breast and when she noticed me,
smiled so much that she lost her grip on my nipple.
I will cherish that memory until I die!
My right breast after nursing, became a lot larger than my left.
Always a running joke with Terry.
NEW york!

As I have gained weight, the girls have gotten larger.
They are always the first part to lose the weight too.
I am looking forward to this.
It is always nice to let the girls loose
after a long day of wearing the over the shoulder boulder holder!
And I really hate underwires,
but they provide the most support...
in form and function.

After my grandmother had her mastectomy,
I remember a story my mom told me.
My grandma is a very quiet, personal woman.
Very strong and long suffering.
After she was home from the hospital, my grandfather came to her
as she was scared.
He knelt down and kissed the spot where her left breast once was.
I will always love him for that!
Now she jokes about her one boob bra.
Always leaves one behind in the cup to remember where to put the other!

The ultra sound tech came into the room and after 5 minutes of searching,
she went to get the doctor.
Neither one of them could find anything abnormal in my breast.
They said it was very close to the muscle and it would be very
technically difficult for a surgeon to explore there.
I told them that it had disappeared.
The doctor looked at me and said "fromt he mammogram room?"
I answered, "Yes. I believe!"
She began singing I believe, I believe!
We decided to test again in 6 months.

I am going on the miracle that God took it away.
I am not stupid though.
I have thrown out every unhealthy item in my kitchen.
I am starting a Mediterranean diet
and will be very diligent the next 6 months forward.

I know that God is working in my life by all of the responses I have gotten.
People who don't usually pray, have prayed for me.
People not knowing what was going on were thinking and praying for me.
My father asked for prayer for me with his bible study leader.
He prayed for the first time over the phone.
Someone who doesn't value prayers or believes that God has bigger things
on His plate to bother with them, have asked me for prayer!
Whatever my witness can be, I want it!
Use me God!
Command me and I will step out of the boat and walk with you!
I am blessed!

apples!

I could/should be doing so many other things.]
I need to blog about my trip to Seattle
and my new weaving passion.

But today, before my in depth mammogram,
I am making apple butter and apple jelly!

I love this time of year!
The girls and I, and sometimes a boy,
usually go apple picking in the fall.
We pick a few, taste a few and throw alot of apples.
The is usually cider and some pumpkin purchases,
and always a chocolate dipped pretzel for the trip home.

This year, I bought some apples.
Just enough to make a batch of crockpot apple butter
and with the left over peels n junk, some jelly.
Hopefully we will still be able to pick some.
We are all so busy/sick this month.

When we lived in New York, it was our habit
to GET OUTTA THE CITY every weekend.
The girls were 2 and 4.
We found an amazing apple farm in the Adirondack mountains.
We tasted apple wine, which I LOVE,
and picked about 6 bushels of apples.
For the next two weeks I did nothing but peel and cook apples.
I made apple cake, applesauce,
fried apple dumplings (thank you Martha Stewart),
and jars and jars of apple jelly.
Everyone got jelly for Christmas that year and the following decade.
At least until I discovered grape jelly.

It has been a few years since I made apple jelly though.
However, both the girl's boyfriends adore apple butter.

With today's lovely crisp weather, great music on the radio,
and a great blessed mood.....apple stuff is just what the doctor ordered!

Oh. Come on.

You've all seen them.
You've all run from them.
You know what I'm talking about.
The hand lotion/product sample sales people at the mall.
I know, when you see them you avert your eyes,
pretend to be deep in conversation with anyone walking near you,
dig around in your purse or simply turn around and walk the other way.
But you know when you are in trouble.
You make eye contact with him or her.
You may even smile, unknowingly.
Then you are trapped.
These determined young people,
most of the time from a distant country,
leap out in front of you, holding a sample of lotion,
and ask the dreaded question:
"may I ...."
But you have already said "no thank you" and quickened your step.
But this is not the end.
"May I ask you a question?"
And if you hesitate at all....you are done for.

Today, that happened to me and my daughter.
For some reason, I was friendly.
We stopped.
But, before he went into his schpeel he made the ultimate mistake.
"Are you friends? Sisters?"

Oh. Come on!

They must be taught EVERY trick in the book.
Now, Hilary colors my hair and hides all the grey,
but there is NO WAY I look like Veronica's sister!
I laughed and walked away!

If I ever need a little boost,
or am feeling a bit old and run down,
I know where to go!

unexpected....but

So...the trip to Seattle is in 3 days!
So excited!
I must admit though,that I was a bit worried.
The plane and hotel and excursions are all paid for,
but the food and misc was coming out of this weeks pay.
As it has been raining for months in Iowa,
where Terry is delivering windmill blades,
we have not had a few paychecks.
Part of the life.
Ive learned to prepay when we have it!
After talking with hubby last week, I was a little....
you know. You have all been there.
However, I have been trying to rely on God for EVERYTHING.
Worries kept creeping in,
and I kept telling myself that God had it under control.
Over and over again.
Finally, I stopped worrying.
Yesterday Terry calls and says that there will be no paycheck this week.
But we got a detention pay, that he was not expecting.
Because it was from a job in July that he had forgotten about.
God didn't forget.
He knew we would need that money this week.
What a wonderful God!

I love that He is so crazy in love with me!
I will hope that the next time worry creeps in,
I will remember that He has it under control,
and always has!

I don't mind being Pollyanna!

100

As a fellow blogger said when she hit her 100,
"Wow, I am on my 100th post which I at least think is pretty cool...."

Cool, yes.
How could I have ever written one, let alone 100?, yes.

Looking back, I realize what I wanted to do.
Looking forward, I am unsure where I am going.

I don't seem to have shared as many stories of my younger life as a mom,
I have shared some of my learning and growing in fiber arts,
and I see where I have been transforming spiritually.

I can tell you that I am crazy in love with all three of my roles!
God has overdone and exceeded all of my expectations in each area!

Since writing my random thoughts, I have also been reading blogs of others.
A few bloggers I know personally,
a few bloggers share creativity in areas I am interested in,
a few bloggers are fun and fru fru.....check out Lobster and Swan.



For now, 100 is intimidating and my mind is a blank!
I am taking a vacation with my oldest daughter to Seattle.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to go to..live in...Seattle.
Photos and stories to follow I'm sure.

I am leading a growth group at LSC on Boundaries.
We are getting deep with our growth groups this semester.
I am also taking a dear friend's group on the Proverb 31 woman.
I am currently not involved in a personal Bible study now.

I am enjoying my weaving so much.
I am about to finish my third project since my class.
I feel I am getting better.
I will try some new patterns and to shake the routine up a bit.
How will skipping a few spaces work?
Will it fall apart if I do?

Life is good.
I am blessed.
I am missing my girlfriends alot recently.
We are all so busy.
I want to make them a priority again.

On to 101!

da Plan

A cow doesn't moo to become a cow.
He moos because he already is a cow.
A duck quacks, and apple tree produces apples
because that is what they are.
They naturally do what they are.
They don't do to become, they do because they already are.

(taken from a call to Grace by David Nasser)

Ephesians 2:10 says
for we are his workmanship (masterpiece),
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.


God has predetermined works to accomplish.
He wants to do these through us.
He has given us the ways and means to succeed in His plan.
The fruits of the Spirit, the Beatitudes and the Great Commission
are all very clear about the works He wants to display through our lives.

We can't do it on our own.
Never could even if we wanted to.
But we can do it through Him using us.

I have learned, in my 45+ years of life,
that God has things for me to do for Him.
I hope to continue learning how to accomplish these things
without so much nudging from God.

God loves me, and I am not a puppet.
However, He does have a plan.
He lets me know His plan,
but because of my free will,
He allows me to wander off, bump into things, get hurt, discouraged and fail.
Then He gently reminds me of His plan again.

Hopefully I get it the second time,
because I know from experience,
that I will eventually get around to doing things His way.
His plans always work out.
Mine never do.
And the rewards, peace, joy and satisfaction
for allowing Him to work through me,
are undescribably wonderful!

I can look back and see where He was guiding me.
The stepping stones that He laid out before me to follow.
I can see the paths I took that were apart from his.
And I can see where I returned to His way.

It is best to learn quickly,
to follow the path the first time,
because I have discovered that I will continually have
the same "learning opportunities"
over and over again,
until I get it right.

One of my favorite poems since High School
is that of Robert Frost "The Road Not Taken."
It is always best to choose the path less traveled.
That is God's path.
There are many blessings there.
No pot holes, or litter at the side,
or billboards leading me to destructive things.

So even the good I now do, has it's source in God who made it possible.
I cannot boast!

But I sure can MOO!

Washing windows with Grace and Truth

I woke a bit early this morning.
The mornings seem to be changing with the seasons.
A few weeks ago, the morning sky from my bedroom window
was steamy, pale blue and no clouds.
The heat was already oppressive.

These recent days, as the school bus' brakes screech,
are filled with white cotton candy clouds,
a hint of charcol on their edges,
the most brilliant blue I can remember, and a cool breeze blowing.
Things appear more golden, even before the leaves change color.

I stumbled to the dining room, cup of tea in hand,
(I always want to break out into Eliza Doolittle when I say that...
cup cup cup cup of of of of .....)
I digress..
I have been doing my Bible study at the table recently because of the heat.
Afterwards, while preparing myself for the day of rinsing goldenrod wool,
maybe playing with some tin mordant on the wool already dyed,
I noticed that my windows need washing.
The summer dust has blown through the screens and left patterns on my glass.

The study I did this morning was on Grace and Truth.
I am always amazed by what I am studying
revolves around what is happening in my life at the moment.
I re listen to conversations I have had, and God's word applies to it all.

Our God is an unchanging God.
He loves what He loves and hates what He hates.
Romans 1 tells us what He hates.
That never changes.
God does not change His mind...ever.
He hates murder, envy, boasting, deceit and homosexuality.
But hating the sin does not mean hating the sinner.
Yes, He created us the way we are and He loves us.
He just loves us too much to leave us that way.

You cannot have Grace without Truth.
God loves us.....Grace
Jesus came to save us....Truth
Grace gets us on track through saving faith
and keeps us on track through sustaining faith
but does not give us permission to get off the track of truth.
This happens when we decide to live by our own standards.

Grace without truth equals liberalism
Truth without grace equals legalism

Grace is not passive, avoiding of confrontation, nor indifferent.
Truth gives us convictions and the courage to confront.
While grace allows us to speak these convictions with consideration and tact.

So, as I wash my windows today, I hope to see more clearly.
To not compromise my standards and beliefs,
but also not act with a spirit of condemnation.
Let the truth be the truth.
Let God's grace allow me to lovingly express that.

*Bible study...a call to Grace by David Nasser

Walnuts and goldenrod

Today was a blustery beautiful day!
Dad cut down some,
and I mean a garbage bag full,
of goldenrod for me.
I cut all of the flowers off of the stems
and boiled them down into a dye.
No sneezing, only some bright yellow spiders to keep me on edge!
While these were boiling,
I was mordanting wool in alum and cream of tarter.
After everything cooled, I added the wool to the strained goldenrod dye.
Thirty minutes of simmering and they are cooling now,
waiting to rinse and dry.
Probably a project for tomorrow morning.
What a vibrant highlighter yellow this is...
at least on my fingers!

I spun up about 200 yards of walnut from last week's dyeing
and it is very pretty!
Glad I added some brown and pale blue with a hint of navy,
mixed fiber roving to it, mohair, wool, angora mix.
Yummy!
I thought I would be creative, and took photos of the bobbin
with a rose and a jack o lantern flower. LOL

Such a nice day out though!
I feel refreshed.
God is blessing in spite of some tough relationships,
and as a moma bear, I am concerned for Hilary and her slow period at work.

It breaks my heart for her, because I know how much she enjoys her work.
She is so good at what she does!
I have seen people change so drastically!
Women need this every once in a while!
It puts a totally new perspective on who you are...getting a fresh cut/color!
She changes self esteem,
women carry themselves differently
after Hilary is finished working her majic,
and their outlook on life seems different too!
I am so proud of her.
Just praying that she and God can come up with a direction for her!

Soooo...if you need a pick me up,
know someone with a birthday or anniversary,
or just want to be pampered for an hour...give my baby a call!
I'll even throw in a skein of yarn if you like.

Oh this economy makes us all cut corners and pleasures.
My spinning class is on hold too!
Just too much uncertainty.

I am blessed!
Rambling, but blessed!