My Mother's Day

Mother's Day will never quite be the same again.....

Remembering you today.......

 

Missing you today..........

 

Wishing I could talk to you today........

 

Even though I know I surely will again .......

 

Loving you always..........

Her children rise up and call her blessed....Proverbs 31:28

 

Be sure to join Ginger and Charlotte for Spiritual Sundays this week to read all about how Mom's influence lives.  Be blessed!

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

I know this clip has been on countless blogs and all over Facebook, having recieved over 9 1/2 million hits on You Tube already.......but I just couldn't reist putting it on "At Home 'n About" anyway because I just love it and it's my blog and I can do what I want. How's that for a reason? :)

I think you'll enjoy it as much as I do.....if this doesn't just thrill you and get you in the Holiday Spirit.......well. Wouldn't you like to have been there? Certainly makes me want to start wishing you all a

Merry Christmas!

Enjoying the Reason for the Season,

Lilies of the Field

Lilies are so often associated with this time of year. I've attempted to grow them in my garden but have never been very successful, particularly here in the desert, so I've pretty much given up on that and now just enjoy them as potted plants while they last. They are so gorgeous, though, aren't they? These are photographed in their containers and placed in the garden among other flowers. I wanted to capture them before they lost all of their blooms.

I can never see a lily without thinking of the passage in Matthew 6:28 where Jesus tells us to consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. One version says to take notice of the lilies and how they grow. It goes on to say how they neither spin or toil but they are arrayed in such splendor.....more splendor than even King Solomon was arrayed in! He says how much more will our heavenly Father make sure we are clothed! Or how much more will he take care of our every need!

There is so much financial instability in our world right now, and there's always the temptation to worry or be concerned about so many things. Later on in the same chapter we're told that there is an answer to all of this though..........."for your Father knows that ye have need of all these things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:32,33)

So whether you have a garden full of lilies, or just enjoy them in pots this time of year, it is wise to consider them or take notice of them because it is just one of the many examples of how much God loves us and how much He wants to take care of us.

Blessings,

Today I'm linking up with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays and Today's Flowers. Be sure to take time to visit them!

The Easter Song

/

This will definitely bring back memories for many of you.....it certainly does for me. This is a live concert from 1982 with the late singer songwriter Keith Green. Be blessed while you enjoy this powerful video as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today I'm linking with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays. Join them for more inspiring posts on this lovely Easter Sunday!

Vintage Easter Party

This is simply Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit out for a Saturday stroll. Except, I imagine, this isn't just an ordinary Saturday......this is on a Saturday before Easter. They've been gathering goodies for their Easter dinner. Mrs. Rabbit has not been able to resist picking lovely yellow flowers for the table, while her husband has loaded up his basket with big fat juicy carrots. As they walk they talk casually, intimately, comfortably, as only a husband and wife can. Their hearts are full as they think about their home, their large rambunctious family, the wondrous Spring they're surrounded by, and the wonderful gift the entire world has been given.
He is Risen!

Happy Eastertime

Today I'm joining Joan for the Vintage Easter Party @ Anything Goes Here. Be sure to drop by and join in the fun!

Five February Favorites.......

1) I love it in the Desert Southwest this time of year because I love the chance to garden in February. With sunny days and temperatures in the 70's all week, I have wanted nothing more than to be outside. Not that I've been toiling in the dirt every minute......there has been plenty of backyard swing time for relaxing, writing, and of course my absolute favorite pastime of reading. Now the weather forecast for the next three days is rain so I'll be moving it inside temporarily.......and I'm thinking right off the top of my head that maybe I'll be watching some favorite dvd's while I'm at it......maybe a cozy fire, a window opened (just enough to smell the garden as it rains), and some movies like "The Secret Garden" and "Singing in the Rain". Have any more suggestions for rainy/and or garden themed movies?

2) One of my favorite roses, and always a great performer, is Joseph's Coat. Isn't it lovely? It's a great rose ( it acts as a full-blown climber here) and it consistently puts on a show in February and throughout the year..... even in our hot summers! I've always been amazed that it has performed better in my garden than in my father-in-law's gorgeous San Diego Garden (go here if you want to see my post about his backyard). He was so disappointed in his plant that he finally took it out......and he's impressed with mine ......go figure.

3) Speaking of rain.....I was so excited when I downloaded pics of our last rain. The photos of the beautiful rainbow outside our front door turned out so well. The skies were beginning to clear but I knew there wasn't much daylight left. If you're anything like me you're always wanting to get that perfect shot......and we know how that usually goes......but I was very pleased with these. Rainbows can't help but make you happy......and taking decent pictures of them makes you feel pretty good too. :)

4) This is one of my better looking watering cans. I have a couple of others that have seen better days.....I keep using them of course but they don't look that good anymore. No matter what kind of watering system that is set up in your garden, nothing takes the place of a watering can....... One of those things you can't do without. I was determined to take a photo of mine ( there's a first time for everything) and so I just quickly took it where it had been last left. As it turns out you're now able to see one of the corners in my garden that needs attention! That's not what I intended, but I'm going to blame the weeds in this corner on the recent rains. Yep, that's what I'm doing.

5) Finally this last favorite thing about this February is that it is my middle sister Joan's birthday month.......in fact her birthday is tomorrow. Here is a photo of her 5th birthday. I'm on her left and my baby sister Jane is on the right. Joan recently had some very serious complications during a routine surgery and had to be hospitalized for several days. She went through a rough time but praise the Lord she is home now, doing well, with a good Dr's report. The Lord is so good! I'm particularly grateful to be able to wish her a happy birthday this year! So Happy Birthday Sister. Love you much.

This post is linked to the following lovely blogs. Be sure to drop by and check each one out. Their individual buttons can be found in my sidebar. Enjoy!

ABC Wednesday....#6

Friday's Fave Five at Living to Tell the Story

Inspired By.... at The Inspired Room

Looking at the Sky Friday at Crazy Working Mom

Friday Fertilizer at Tootsie Time

Friday Fragments at Half Past Kissin' Time

Finding Beauty at Dippity Road

Skywatch Friday at Skywatch Friday

Today's Flowers at Today's Flowers

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Inspiration for the Coming Year

I've found this to be the perfect sentiment for 2010. What could we accomplish if we just went ahead and tried?

Happy New Year

Today I'm linking with Charlotte and Ginger for Spiritual Sunday. Be sure to stop by their place for more inspiration.

The Perfect Kind of Peace

The Word has an amazingly simple solution for anxiety: trust in God, and find our anxiety replaced by a spiritual peace beyond anything we've ever experienced, or can even understand.

Think about this. Worry is actually prayer in reverse.

In Luke 12:6-7 it says to " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your minds and hearts through Christ Jesus."

So next time we're tempted to worry and to be anxcious about anything in our lives let's take a look at a rose, such as this lovely Sun Flare rose from my garden, and remember this:

27"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." Matthew 6:27-29

Or anyone of us can just look out our back door, catch a glimpse of a sparrow anytime of the day and be reminded of this:

6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12: 6 & 7 amp; 

Blessings for a "worry free week",

 For more inspiration for the week be sure to stop by Spiritual Sundays

And for inspiration from God's lovely world see Today's Flowers

A Continual Conversation

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual

conversation with God......Brother Lawrence

Blessings,

For encouragement and inspiration join Ginger and Charlotte at

http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

and because "life is better with a touch of yellow" visit Mellow Yellow

Monday at http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Be sure to visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/ for Today's Flowers

The Beauty of the Lord's Day

Sunset Point Arizona

" From the rising of the sun to its going down , the LORD’s name is to be praised. "

Psalm 113:3 (New King James Version)

For more Sunday inspiration be sure to visit Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays .

For more beautiful photos from around the world go on over to the Scenic Sunday blog.

The Latest Buzz

"An infinite God can give all of himself to each of his children, he does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others"

A.W. Towzer I don't know about you but it thrills me to know how much God cares for me as an individual. He cares for each of us as if we were the only one. He cares deeply....His concern is personal. Let's take time to remember this as we begin this new week.......be blessed!

For more inspiration be sure to visit Ginger and Charlotte at http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/. You'll be glad you did.

"Girls, Don't Let Your Snickerdoodles Roll"

" A merry heart does good like medicine.." New King James Version

I've had several friends ask me to put my Snickerdoodle recipe on the blog. First I think my title may need an explanation. For any of you who have ever made these cookies before, you know the last step before putting them on the baking sheet is to roll the dough into balls and dip them in cinnamon sugar. If you're not careful the little guys have a tendency to roll around on the cookie sheet as you're putting them into the oven.

Now for the story...........

When I was first married we attended a church in San Diego where the women's group met every Wednesday morning to bake all kinds of cookies, to quilt, and to plan outreaches. We had a standing order from the employees of three local banks for over a hundred dozen cookies every week! But not to fear......our group was led by a precious little old lady who, in my very young and inexperienced eyes, seemed to know everything there was to know about being domestic. If the truth be known, most of us younger ones were rather intimidated by Mrs. Brown! But get the job done she did! From overseeing the quilters, coordinating potlucks and missions programs, to keeping a watchful eye on the dozens of pans of cookies that were baked every week, she seemed to have it all under control. And her favorite mantra to us was always, "Girls, don't let your snickerdoodles roll!".  You see, the recipe calls for the dough to be rolled into walnut size "balls", dipped in the cinnamon sugar, and placed on the cookie sheet. If you get in too big a rush to put the pan in the oven the little cookie dough balls tend to roll around....hence, her warning to all us "young ones"!  At times we found it humorous.....but to this day I remember things I learned from her. At a time in my life when I wasn't even quite sure how "domestic" I wanted to be, Mrs. Brown was a big, albeit intimidating, influence on all of us.

Finally here's the snickerdoodle recipe.....I've always thought snickerdoodle was such a funny word anyway. So on this lovely Sunday afternoon in March, bake yourself up some snickerdoodles, laugh a little, and enjoy a merry heart. It's good for you!

Mrs. Brown's Snickerdoodles

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/8 teaspoons cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons white sugar

4 tablespoons cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. ( I like to mix the ingredients in my KitchenAid mixer, but it can be done by hand or with a hand mixer). Stir the eggs into the creamed mixture. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture until well blended. In a smaller bowl mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon together.

Now for the fun part. Roll the dough into walnut size balls and place in a the cinnamon sugar mixture until well covered. Place a dozen balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing evenly.

Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be slightly brown. TIP: It's very important to take them out before they look really done! They will firm up as they cool.

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks. I usually get about three dozen cookies out of this recipe. These cookies store best in an air-tight container or bag. If you want to only bake a few at a time this dough will keep in the fridge, covered, for a week or so and you can remove as much as you need at a time. Especially great if you like to eat your cookies warm.

For more delicious Sunday recipes visit Tamy at Three Sides of Crazy and Janet at Our Family Story.

Another Rainy Sunday

Good afternoon from Phoenix......its raining here today so you know I'm lovin' it!

No rainy day cookies today though since we're working on some projects around the house. Usually I like to reserve Sunday afternoon for Scrapbooking but we're on the tail-end of laying our wood floor ( just a small hallway to finish) so that takes precedence over everything else today.

Valentines Day is coming up this week. Just a little reminder to do something nice for your sweetheart....I know we always expect them to do something romantic for us and then sometimes we neglect to do something for them. Do something for the other special people in your lives this week too! Everybody likes to get a little something for Valentines Day!

I want to thank Yaya at Chronicles of Yaya Orchid for giving me the Kreativ Blogger Award. She's one of the first friends I made when I started on this blogging adventure a few weeks ago. Be sure to go over and visit her.....she's a dedicated and inspiring Christian lady. I know you'll like some of her recipes...she's got some great Mexican dishes you'll want to try. Christopher had been after me to make a chorizo dish after he had tasted some at a friends house last year. Well, I had no idea how to cook it until I came across Yaya's recipe for Chorizo con Huevos. With some warm flour toritillas it was an instant breakfast hit around here.

There are a few fun little rules that go along with the award. First you put the award on your sidebar, then you have to list seven things you love. Finally you present the award to seven other bloggers and notify them on their site. So hear goes.......

I LOVE.....

1. roses, gardenias, and hydrangeas

2. organizing and planning

3. being a wife, mom, and now a "nana"

4. knowing the Word has the answer for every single thing in my life

5. reading, reading, reading

6. eating fruits and vegetables from my own garden

7. sleeping by an open window

8. FREEBIE.....having sisters that are my best friends!

Wow that was difficult naming just seven (okay eight) things..........I have a list I've been compiling for years....maybe Freebie # 9 should be "I love to make lists".....Anyway I have over 500 things on my list so far...now you all are getting an idea of what I'm REALLY like. :0

As for the blogs to pass it on to:

Lulu at Lulu & co.

Asheley at Domestic Fashionista

Sarah at Everyday Elegance

Rachel Ann at Rachel Ann's Place

Rechelle at Walnut Haven Cottage Katherine at Lady Katherine Tea Parlour

Lisa at aka West

Have a blessed week everyone!

Life on Purpose

Many people die with their music still in them.

Why is this so?

Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live.

Before they know it, time runs out.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

This year let us make the quality decision to "live our lives on purpose".

Happy New Year!

Elaine

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

The first day of December already! If you're like me you have SO many things you want to do in the next few weeks and wouldn't you know it , time-wise this seems to be the shortest month. Have you ever heard the saying, "the hurrier I go the behinder I get"? That certainly describes my December-self most years. Add to that those unexpected stresses and strains that come up in all of our lives from time to time, and you can have the recipe for a less than Merry Christmas.

Still, I love this time of year. I want to enjoy myself and I want to make it special for everyone in my life. But how do I do that if I'm worn out from just thinking about what needs to be done? It's exhilarating , it can be a lot of fun, but let's face it it's also a lot of work.

Isn't our God so good to us though? As I woke up this morning the first words that came to me were the words "his mercies are new every morning". These words kept going over and over in my mind. The old hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" states it so beautifully....."morning by morning new mercies I see". His thoughts are new about me every morning. His plans are good for me every morning of my life. His love for me is renewed every morning. How can I not be excited to start every day with Him?

So bring on December! As I give each day to Him He gives me so much more.