These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....

Dear Jonathon,

I love morning pages, afternoon pages, and bedtime pages... 

writing and letting anything n everything flow... 

Like jotting a grocery list or a to do list, 

and then gratitudes spill when you stop and remember 

with a thankful heart.  

With thanksgiving this afternoon, 

I document a few of my favorite things...

No editing, no order... -- few explanations... 

just random things I enjoy... 

a really good book to underline and dogear

white on white wedding cake 

Jamming to Revival by Cain in my Jeep

Singing with gusto not caring who hears 

my leather tote backpack from Portland Leather- color: coldbrew

Meat lovers pizza (thin crust)  and Coors Lite datenight

stargazing in the back of an olde Chevy

Nydj jeans faded just right

laughing alot... tears streaming 

hunting with my camera 

hiking new trails to explore

hearing my Love read the Word outloud for us at bedtime

old books with leather spines

steam engine trains

giant snowflakes that seem to just float to the ground

my simple wedding band from Spiegel ... remember the catalog?

leather work gloves worn

blackeyed susies 

sitting on a mountain top 

watching hawks enjoy a windy day

finding feathers and old nests

a large vanilla ice cream cone at DQ

Myguy's forearms (he'll laugh outloud when he reads this) Hi Lovie... <3

How he still calls me Dollface after all these years

getting a real letter in the mailbox

handwritten recipe cards 

Susies giggle that hasn't changed since we were first graders

kneading bread

a great cup of coffee with coffee mate and stevia

homemade hashbrowns with real butter, salt n pepper

the company of dogs: Daisy, Rosie, and Lily

an owl sticker that I'm to wave to on the dash of my Jeep (thanks Blake)

the most comfortable bed in the whole world 

a room lit by only candlelight 

my pair of Blundstones 

Revlon 467

hoarding flowers 

bacon lettuce tomato samiches 

walking through the woods in the rain

peanut butter toast with banana on top 

truth and honesty 

making eye contact 

warm hugs

respect

holding hands 

how he sweetly opens my door 

watercolor drips and splatters 

beautiful sunsets 

spotted fawns 

Quills kitty hugs 

an apron full of gathered eggs 

my beloved jean jacket 

finding a coin on the ground (In God we trust)

finding hearts 

the light cascading through trees 

Autumn everything 

Fiona's nickers 

 apple pie for dessert 

little box of animal crackers 

taking black n white photos 

 Conklin Duragraph fountain pen filled with Black Carbon ink 

trays of soft pastels 

pencil lines messy

crooked stitches 

rust and  painty chippy peely wood 

time to play 

flea market and antique store wandering 

old love letters kept 

memory box of childhood trinkets 

watching my bobber disappear

dragonflies everywhere 

a happy ending .... 

like now.  

Until we meet again...

Good evening Jonathon,

<*))))>< 

 

 

 

 

Documented Joys

Botanical muffys 

she baked up special

and green tea for Aunt Nancy

who never has to pinkyup

ever

seeing  water bug paddles

through my Aunts eyes

and bits of my Momma as well

crossing creeks with my Love

finding hearts together 

gathering  rocks, moss and petals ... 

Daisy's new word: 

WAIT

and how she now stops and waits for me to catch up

the new dress I love so so much

modest, botanical, and 

I just feel pretty when I wear it. 

the often  raccoon side show at our Arbys ... 

all these little hats

the chirping wild rosebush....

this starling who survived after dangling upside down most of the afternoon

gratitude  to my Tony climbing a ladder and taking the trim off to get her out

 a parade of poppies 

my birth flower

date night with Myguy to Colton's

going out with our best friends to try new 

restaurants and 

noticing the scripture up on the wall

2.5 pounds of Maltese fluff

our new tiny "Lily

Spotting stainless steel countertops at the vets office that  my family made

Jeeping for a vanilla ice cream cone and his chocolate sundae

new pipe fence built 

making progress little by little 

big huge dreams shared ... and entrusted

her surprise mountain necklace - with mustard seed faith

ordinary tasks I love to do- laundry ... dishes and gathering eggs 

deadheading petunias and the strong floral whiff  inside the greenhouse 

a new door 

porch sittin at sundown and holding eachother's wrinkly rough hands

whippoorwills and frog chorus 

Our ole man's  beautiful reflection 

donkeylove

a mystery rock 

marveling with Blake in the woods 

God of wonders beyond our galaxy

You are holy... You are holy.

The Universe declares Your majesty.... 

new baby cardinals hatching 

a jar of wishes....

-and picking prayers 

as we go along

learning about colors in 

Pastor's Sunday sermon 

Listening to Myguy and how he 

handled a  really hard thing... 

My heart for him growin an even bigger heap of love and respect as I listened to what he did.  

the color orange that I have often 

not appreciated 

My country's birthday and 

celebrating with my whole hometown. 

Hangin out at Kenny's house

how she held my hand while we watched with heads 

together 

Playing in watercolors....

more roses and more roses...

Listening to myLovie read the whole bible outloud at bedtime.

One chapter a night; something I love so much.  

How the Word from his readings often end up in my journals.  

--For deep conversations after    

For my friend who gave me a bag of granny smiths off her very own tree

and the now two apple crisps that have come from her gifting.  

For Blakeleas peaches 

picked from her birth tree.  

Time with Trent my Strongheart, while he worked on the backhoe.  

Sitting side by side  on a tailgate listening to music we wanted 

each other to hear.  

Our baby boy.   

New septic tank and sewer lines 

for the new addition going up soon.  

my Lovie... 

and how hard he works for our family.

for the jackhammer 

when we hit rock

and progress ... 

babysteps that while it all seems slow...

is getting us 

there

surprise punkins growing right out of the compost pile

and so many flowers that brighten each day

and something renewed, redeemed and revived.  

I sign off with this photo and a scripture picture fresh 

from last night's reading.  

Feel free to use and share it if you like.

#sharethelove  

He is before all things and by Him all things hold together. 

He is also the  head of the body; the church.  He is the beginning,

the first born from the dead, so that He might have first place 

in everything. 

Colossians 1: 17,18

Until we meet again friends,

<*))))><

 

Her Prayer Shawl

An article of clothing with a story attached:

Today is my Momma's birthday in heaven.  

She turned 88 today.  

If she were still here I would be baking a cake or pie.  

I would call her and say, "Hey it's cappuccino time!" 

I would sing to her and make her a homemade card.  

I'd have found something special that I know she'd enjoy.  

I still miss doing all those things together.  

When I was reading my Bella Grace magazine there was a prompt about going through your closet and finding things with stories.  There's alot of those in my closet; I'm sure you have some too.  

When you're sentimental you tend to hang onto things that hold special meaning of someone you loved or that thing you did or place you were at.  <3  

The yarn above is a prayer shawl.  

It was a gift to Momma and I;  found in my mailbox by a woman neither of us knew named Lynn.  

There was a note attached.  She said she heard about us through a friend and while she knitted; she prayed for us both -by name.  Her gift meant so much to us both.  Many times my Momma wrapped up in Lynn's prayers.    Chemo and radiation made her cold and this shawl felt extra warm with all that love inside.    But one time in particular I will never forget.  It was our last photo together.  

Through much of my Mom's illness she fought hard.  I think she lived for about five years after her lung cancer diagnosis.  During most of that time the talk was always upbeat.  She would beat it. 

One day though we curled up in her big king size bed and snuggled  together under Lynn's prayers.  My husband was there that day and I remember he poked his head in and took a photo of us.  It was the last one.  I won't show the photo out of respect to my Momma.  It was raw. 

We were raw with bloodshot eyes and a sadness unlike anything we'd ever known.  

Curled under those prayers we opened up.

Our conversation had never been in the place we found ourselves.  

We cried and said the things that up til then we couldn't find the words.  

And I told her how much I was going to miss her.  

She was my best friend and was my Mom and my Dad to me. 

She was my next door neighbor with a  path  worn between our doors.  

I didn't know how I could do life without her.  But we held eachother under this sacred shawl and I know the love of God was and is still woven through the fibers.  

After she went to heaven I brought it home with me.  

I've never washed it and I'm sure it still carries her beautiful gray hairs.  

I'm so grateful that God chose me to be her youngest. 

I'm grateful I got to be there through it all.  

I'm grateful I got to hold her hand all night long until 

she stepped into His Kingdom.  And most of all I'm grateful 

to have assurance that I'll get to see her again one day.  

I'm also grateful to a kind woman named Lynn who stepped out in faith and 

sent us such a beautiful gift.  

I can still feel her prayers.  

Happy heavenly birthday Momma.  

dragonflykisses xoxo 

Leaonie 

 

Daily Joy and Documenting Gratitudes

Joy does not simply happen to us. 

We  have to choose joy and keep choosing 

it every day.  

Henri Nouwen 

I love that quote by Henri Nouwen. 

I think in choosing it; we have to also notice more as well.  

Maybe in the same way as finding joy in 

even small things.  

Or especially small things. 

Like the crow feather I found on my walk.  

This beautiful little treasure in my path.  

A silly thing overlooked by some; 

but to me; beautiful.  

 

Journaling has been a part of my life for many years now.  

Documenting the big things... the little things... 

It's almost a given that when I put them in some form on paper;

that gratitude .... bubbles out.  

Sometimes and most times into a heartfelt prayer.  

So today; thumbing through my written journal on this simple Tuesday with joy...

a few

random gratitudes... 

a new journal:  the common planner

an olde shed abloom.

Peonies to take to my Momma's grave.

New trails hiked together. 

sitting above the Sphynx together.

Made it  by 2:00

JUST MARRIED 40 years ago.  

Getting a boost... 

and how he has lifted  me uP for decades.  

My best friend.   

New adventures.... 

beautiful blue eyes....

stargazing in the back of an olde Chevy

a walk after supper

so much joy

chosen.

I sign off with a scripture picture out of Jeremiah.

You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. 

Until we meet again,

<*))))><

 

 

Hello From The Olde Shed

Hello from the olde shed.  

It's hard to know where to start again. 

 But I suppose an olde blog can be 

revisited just like any olde book.  You just 

have to dust it off, open it... and pick up where you left off

...best as you can.  

So picking a page; any page of  life right now... 

mostly brought me to church today.  

I was reminded in the sermon of my Shepherd and 

that He knows even my name.  

I don't know how many times I've heard it...

and read it; but ... it landed in my heart like a bullseye. '

Then at the end of today's sermon I listened to Pastor 

pray for individuals and out of the blue he specifically mentioned things

I've been asking God about although no one has known- not even the Pastor.  

God was answering my prayers so directly during that spoken prayer 

and no one even knew but me and Him.  

I really had no intention to write about that but maybe if someone does read this 

and they too have been asking and asking like I did; well maybe it will 

encourage that someone to keep asking.  

Keep praying and  keep listening for the answer.  

Alls you need is a smidge of faith like a mustard seed.  

  

I will sign off sharing a few photos

from my recent days.

Last of all a scripture picture 

to share.  

<*))))><

Until we meet again,

L