Things That Influence Me Today

O Lord, our Lord, you have created us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.

YOU WALK PAST A FIELD AND

WONDER WHAT HAPPENED THERE 

IN THE PAST 200 YEARS.

Dear spring - I like you.  I like your rain.  I like your dandelions.  I really like your chore list.

And even more I like your field trips.  Don't tell Winter - but you are my favorite.

~~~

I was staring at a spot of sunlight on the floor the other day and this thought came over me ~
this spot of light has been shining here on this exact spot since the beginning of sunlight's time -
what changes over billions of years have taken place in this exact, very same spot I wonder??
It can really get one's mind to wander ..... was it shining on a watery ocean at one time ( supposedly MN was under water at its beginnings) or shining on snow in the Ice Age .... shining on a swampy forest floor before developers/builders came in and built this house?  It also shown on this very spot when someone else lived in this very house and they moved and took their memories with them.  Which made me think of all the houses I have lived in over the years - and how those homes were alive with my families laughter and joy ~
do their walls still carry the memories, AND we never know the times that those homes provided a family before or after us.  Hmmmm.....I must have to much time on my hands for those reflections!!!!

6 days  21 hours  45 minutes  30 seconds left 'til Spring....I hope someone has informed Mother Nature!  March 20 will be here soon, and we have plenty of snow on the ground and still drop into the 20's.  Well...we are seeing more days of 30's and 40's so it must be true!!  Spring WILL come  ......

And with Lenten Season being here I am trying to spend extra time reflecting on prayer.  I found a great website for doing that @ online ministries.creighton.edu  which brings up 'Praying Lent'.  It has so many great things to click on for daily prayers, readings - a whole site index for Lent.

Well I must get on with the day....laundry calls and it is warm enough for a walk outdoors I believe :-)

SPRING AHEAD

Over the weekend we sprang ahead to Daylight Savings Time and we also reached 40 degrees for two days.  Today will be the highest predicted at 48 and then we will drop back to the 30's -- there are no 0 degree days in the forecast for the next week.  YAY  The snow is melting off enough that it is flooding some intersections around the cities and the DOT is out trying to clear paths for the water to drain off away from the roads where that all is taking place.  I do see there is snow forecast for two days this week...guess that is March.  LOL

There are two deer laying in the snow in the back and the turkeys (who we haven't seen for a long rime this winter) were back, trying to make their way through the snow.  The poor things feet break through the snow making it a hard trek for them.  They are 'digging' through the seed discard that have fallen from the bird feeders looking for food - I am sure with all this snow and cold weather it has been a hard season for both species.  I snapped a couple pictures to share.

It was a busy weekend.  We were able to watch Ms. Em perform her dances in competition down at the Convention Center.  I love all of her dances this year - and haven't picked a favorite yet...I love it all, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical.  She does all of them in the large group, and tap and lyrical in small group.  Their small group lyrical 'Pompei'  won the President's Cup Award .....beating out the teens, seniors and everyone.  VERY EXCITING!!  They have 4 more competitions to go, so it will be fun to see how the different judges score them.

Dear daughter-in-law had a Young Living Oils presentation at her home on Sunday....I now own a diffuser and collection of 10 oils to try out.  The idea is to try some healthy ways to treat some physical symptoms or environmental cleanliness without medications or caustic cleaners.  I think the younger generations DO try to find answers other than meds etc. because of all the controversies surrounding such things.  I do also have two friends that are big believers in this concept - one not having to use her inhaler for asthma hardly ever anymore, and the other for anxiety and pain issues.  The things I am mainly looking for are to treat my issue with driving on the interstate when it is busy (anxiety maybe) and SnOrInG.......we shall see.  There was a lot of positive testimony....so I'll see.  They have a little machine that you lay your palm on and it reads out on the computer to show what your body would benefit with the oils.....mine was 'emotional balance'....interesting!!  ANGER being a top issue.....hmmmm.

This week starts Spring Break for the littles, so I am hoping I can have some fun times with them for a bit.

Will have to come up with some good ideas maybe.

I did enjoy a SB non-fat Chai Tea Latte yesterday and it was wonderful!!  I do love my latte drinks!!

Memory Lane

For whatever reason this morning while drinking my frothed cream coffee, I was thinking about the McCall's magazine that my Mom sometimes had at home, and I remember there was a page in the magazine with a paper doll and clothes to cut out, and usually some kind of story to go along with her.

Then that got me to thinking about my Tiny Tears doll circa 195?.....I loved that doll.  I was so excited mainly because you could feed her a bottle (which she came with) of water and she then would cry AND wet her diaper.  She even had short fuzzy type hair.

There also were the animals in the back of comic books which you could send for.  I could NOT understand WHY we couldn't send away for a teacup dog, a monkey or a sea horse.

I found these pictures by perusing the internet:

Betsy McCall Paper Doll page

Tiny Tears Betsy Wetsy Doll

Comic Book Ads

I wonder how many families DID get those little monkeys and how UN-tame they became as they grew up, LOL.  

Still cold and cloudy outside today.  Winter storm Titan is making its way across the country again today dumping 1 1/2 feet of snow in some areas.  The West is getting inches of rain which is coming too fast, so they are fearful of flooding and mudslides.  We are just in for more frigid temps.....0 degrees, feels like -17.

Another cup of hot coffee is in order!!