just a bit of sparkle.

 

.. such a time in which we live .. 

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."

Isaiah 9.6

while the world swirls 

seemingly out of control,

he is still  

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

we can have absolute trust in he who formed

the world and all in it. 

he is our only firm reliability of truth.

he sits on the throne.....

the Alpha & Omega.

*

the hubs draped strings of lights on our front deck railing, and in the middle is our wreath we've had for probably two decades. it's such a pretty sight. the last two nights we've made our way to the road in darkness to view it from that angle. last night was chilly enough for our winter coats .. then we walked up the road to see lights on a few neighboring homes. didn't go too far even with a lit moon, because of wildlife - always need to be careful of those guys 'round these parts. 

speaking of wildlife, this morning as i was plating our breakfast i witnessed eight deer just beyond our fencing. what beauties they are - truly it never gets old. when my mom visited those couple weeks the babies (as we refer to them) ventured by often. they've been keeping themselves largely in wooded sections of the golf course.. but chose to bless us this morning. always a treat.

*

beef stew is in the crock pot. i put the seared beef, saute'd garlic and onion, and rich beef broth which also consists of red wine, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, s&p, and dried parsley. separately i cooked up potatoes, carrots, and celery... will add those to the meat/stock mixture about an hour before we eat. doing it that way prevents the veggies turning to mush. as soon as i hit 'publish' for this blog post i'll put together bread dough, let rise, then a light knead and bake. 

i have a feeling dinner will be delish.

*

since early this morning we've had a fire in the fireplace, 

all thanks to my hubs keeping it going. 

such a nice atmosphere for the chillier of days. 

last night we ate dinner sitting on the couch,

with feet up and plates on our laps. with a fire

and twinkle lights casting a warm glow,

we watched "It's a Wonderful Life."

is there a better way to ring in the Christmas season?

*

before putting out some Christmas cheer decor, i sifted through what i kept before we made the move, and made more reductions in our decorations, keeping that which truly speaks to our hearts. and even now, having put bits and pieces out, i'll be reducing yet further. for us, less is more. i know it isn't that way for most other folks and that's hunky dory and i love the full sense of celebration in that way. in other people's homes. for ours though? we find peace in less. i'll take pictures soon and share. 

i opted to keep our daughter's handmade Christmas ornaments and crocheted tree strings in their little box. i just can't handle it this year. every year's different when it comes to grief. 

i keep our Christmas decor in vintage suitcases .. and now i have one extra suitcase empty to use for another purpose .. perhaps my sewing notions. the suitcases are nicely stacked in a closet though i do use them in other rooms if the spirit hits...or using them as decoration for events not in our home.

*

along with seasonal magazines saved over the years, 

my little stack of books is on the side table in the living room. 

the books include:

The Sad Shepherd by Henry Van Dyke

The Spirit of Christmas by Henry Van Dyke

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper

The Gift of the Magi by O.Henry

Journey into Christmas by Bess Streeter Aldrich

{personal favorite author}

Watch for the Light by Plough Publishers

{readings for Advent & Christmas}

The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

O Come Let Us Adore Him by the Daily Grace Co.

{a Study for Advent}

these books i picked up over the years .. 

mostly in antique shops or thrift stores.

the Advent study was purchased a couple years ago

from the Daily Grace Co. ... and the Piper book

from amazon. i keep these books squirreled away in

my personal bookcase though might consider

squirreling them away with the Christmas decor.

seems only right and convenient to have them in one place.

*

Lo, in the silent night

A child to God is born

And all is brought again

That ere was lost or lorn.

Could but thy soul, O man,

Become a silent night!

God would be born in thee

And set all things aright.

{15th century}

*

until next time...for i have bread to bake.

blessings,

sherry

fluffing.

 

over a year ago we relocated to the tall mountain pines making our new to us house a home. a clipboard lists all the projects large and small, $$$ and using my/our vintage stash. upgrades cost $$$. we've done a few biggies and have yet one more sizable expense come late spring - until then is just a tich of checkbook recovery. other projects involve elbow grease or creativity - sometimes both. 

*

our current project is the guest bathroom and in an earlier post i shared pictures of the linen curtain i stitched and the creative approach to hanging towels etc. you can visit that post hErE. a couple weeks ago our friend ryan {our roofer & now friend} came over to help the hubs install a new toilet. praise be! the original toilet was actually original to this 50 year old house so this change has been thrilling. he has also helped with covering the very tall windows with a shade fabric in our great room. we've plans to enlist his help further. we pay him well and feed him well. he's a happy guy.

*

today i'm sharing a couple pictures of the master bath. in my stash from years of dumpster diving were two road markers in orange/white/black. to those i added an ikea pot and plant along with a large 'W' for our last name and of course a few rolls of TP. using leftover fence posts after our property fencing was replaced the hubs cut and installed the bathroom shelf while i stained and clear coated the piece.

also in my stash were two large very vintage bark cloth drapes. not knowing exactly what to do with them i just squirreled them away until inspiration hit. and it did. hit. eureka! i'll use them as a disguise over the glass shower doors. then everything came together just right - in my estimation.

forgive the grainy quality of the next picture.. our bedroom has nice lighting; calming which is always good for the place of rest, hm? i took a quick pic this morning and thought i'd share with you. the metal swirl posts i found at a yard sale near us. two for $2 total. i painted them matte black and dragged them in the house and into our bedroom, one in each corner. i'm not completely convinced they'll stay but for now yes until i think otherwise. it's all part of the design process, figuring out what works best.

*

by lantern light.

pending the onslaught of snow, 

howling winds blew relentless causing pine needles 

to make a horizontal flight and tall pines to sway. 

then? 

electricity. or the lack. the powers that be were  

hopeful in the belief of a two or three hour wait. 

nearly four in reality.

we have a generator for the necessary times .. 

and antique oil lamps. and warm blankets 

to cover our already layered selves. 

and gloves if required. 

and a fire place. 

we use a kerosene heater. 

2 actually.

 to warm the house - with electric ignitions. hm. 

it was at that point of no consequence

as we were comfortable and fine

with soft focus.

& anyway, when you're 62 somehow

one looks better in soft focus.

.wink.

the hubs stoked the fire which as the only light 

in this shadowed dwelling casts a 

rather hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.

the hub reads 

and i write, by firelight. 

all in all a calm and content afternoon. 

electricity was still out by dinner time 

so we broke out the camp stove, 

and with three oil lamps had enough light 

to assemble ingredients and get to cooking. 

the hubs braved the out of doors 

to grill burgers while i prepped the rest. 

saute'd onions heavy on seasonings..

english cheddar sliced thick..

ruby red maters thick too..

romaine & condiments at the ready.

broccoli salad on the side.

and wouldn't you know it ..?

the lights blinked!

let there be light.

and He saw it was good.

focus.

".. kept right on going because he kept his eyes

on the one who is invisible."

hebrews 11.27

i forget which state we were driving 

through when i took this shot

but at that time and even more so 

now my focus is on the light/Light ..

figuratively and literally.

where's your focus

these days?

... comments turned off ...

 

chill.rain.wind.etc.

just before 4am i padded down the hall and into the kitchen to commence brewing liquid life. back issues woke me and once my electrodes (tens unit) were secured properly (sorry for needing to wake you honey) i decided to simply stay up. wind was evident as i neared a window to flip a light on closest to my spot on the couch. once settled and sipping with eyes closed i sought the One who loves me best. 

a {very} light snow began about 7:30 then dwindled to a soppy rainy mess. with the amount of fires and fire dangers in our parts the rain is actually a thrill! rain! rain! wonderful rain! the wind's blowing and the aroma of fresh baked baguettes temps our tummies to have our meal earlier rather than sooner.

with baguettes we'll have chicken soup. good choice for such a day.

our guest bath has dark wood walls..

love the look but wanted to have a bit of light in the room

as well. over winter and into spring i stitched a curtain

using a vintage sheet scrap. and in the room to hold

the towels we used upside down vintage hangers,

securing them with rusted head screws &

draping the towels over the 'hooks'. the same

was done with the toilet tissue.

here's a close up shot of the curtain.

i'm pleased with how it turned out

and though the intent was using it

for spring and summer then changing

out with a darker heavier curtain

for fall and winter, i'm considering

keeping it year round.

i love how light dapples in unexpected spaces.

there's much unexpected in life at present...

in the world at present...

i'm purposing to find the good

yet i admit to finding *no* good in some things.

even still .. be of a thoughtful nature

and see the good. purpose toward that end.

*

be assured you can put your trust 

in Him for all things. all. things.

"...kept right on going because he kept his

eyes on the one who is invisible..."

hebrews 11.27

simply a fresh outlook.

 

"sometimes the first step to a more simple, intentional life is seeing the world through a different lens, gaining a new perspective.." {no sidebar} ..... & sometimes it takes getting away in a tiny tin can to enable the fresh perspective place over time and distance and earth and wind and may i say it: even fire(s). gaining a new outlook requires reassessing all areas of one's life. i desire to live a simple life though simplicity or the reduction of life to simplicity might ought be considered a cluttered and messy path. press on.. for the strength in the process is from God alone. not of one's own strength.

contemplation & prayer has brought me to a good place ...

far too short is life to release one's energies in areas

which perhaps are seasons more than stationary pursuits .. 

some of these realizations

were completely unexpected

so i'm taking time to mull & pray.

regardless, i'm making my little world littler,

already finding peace in the process and result.

.growth can seem messy .. the result is anything but.

a warm, welcoming, cozy space awaited us each

night while on the road. over the course of a month

we learned to take turns in the "dance hall" of the tin can. 

*

waking at midnight we lay still to the 

crack of lightening and boom of thunder

and downpour of rain for hours on end..

while i *love* a good thunderstorm in the safety

of my solid built home, it's quite a different

experience in a tiny tin can in the middle of

a wisconsin apple farm alongside the Mississippi!

yet we were safe. no leaks. no harm,

save for my heart beating out of my chest.

morning coffee was (and is..duh!) always a treat.

using my vintage kettle to heat the water

makes for a better brew - of that i'm convinced.

plenty of mornings i woke too early (for most humans)

and once i realized further sleep was not to be had

yet the hubs slept deep and still,

i rolled out of bed and gingerly padded to the kitchen

to prep a cup of liquid life, then padded and 

ohhh so carefully got back in the coziness

of covers and warmth to drink in the elixir

and life enhancing qualities of such

a truly God-given beverage.

wink.

fires.

at home.

on the road.

upon our return home we learned

that at one point the fire could have

easily and quickly made its

way past the ridge and down the mountain

to our neighborhood .. a twenty minute alert.

a very real threat, to be sure.

immense gratitude to the fire fighters.

the blaze was great and outrageously destructive.

many lost their homes, livestock, pets ... and loved ones.

we count ourselves humbly fortunate.

thank you, Lord.

*

*

*

"aspire to live a quiet life,

to mind your own affairs

and to work with your hands."

I Thessalonians 4:11

*

*

*

"it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."

j.r.r. tolkien

*

*

*

"take time today to pause, to linger, to quiet the noise

and remember that your worth is not measured

by your productivity." {unknown}

*

*

*

".. and a person with a changed heart

seeks praise from God, not from people."

Romans 2:29

*

*

*

"He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me."

2 Samuel 22:20

*

*

*

.. and lastly ..

remember this in these perilous, contentious, & uncertain days:

"How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. "Look at the nations and watch - - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

Habakkuk 1:1-5