Drizzly Monday and Yellow Chicklets

 Hello friends, 

Before I go any further I have to tell yall that I'm having trouble with the comments section 

on this olde blog.  Things have changed since a year ago and it's taking abit to figure it all out. 

At one point when I first returned I saw in the layout I think that it said new blogger... as in there were definite new changes.  Since then I've been unable to find it again and I'd really like to read it.  

Also when you go in and click on your comments to read them... I can see them... but there is not a place to "check" them and then post them.  Or reply?  So I have to thank those of you who have welcomed me back and said hello ... I have definitely read your notes... I just can't figure out where to reply ??  It just occurred to me tho something to recheck.  I'm wondering if long ago I changed something myself in the settings while I wasn't actively blogging?  I have a hunch that may be the problem.  So please bear with me.  I do thank you for the well wishes.  One of you even wrote and said you pray for me as well.  Thank you!  

One other big change here is I miss the music!  I am so hoping to find somewhere that still offers

a way to add a playlist on a blog.  Music is such a part of my day.  If anyone knows how or where to add it back on blogger somehow... please share! 

It's been a misty day here.  Sprinkles on n off.  Heavier rain is called for tomorrow so  I planted a few sorry lookin little tomato plants up at the big garden.  The ground was not fully dried out yet but I managed and didn't water them since it was trying to sprinkle.  It really hasn't rained though so now I'm sitting here wondering if all those little babies are drooped to pieces.  I'll have to run up and check when I finish here asap.  

I'm happy to report that Francie had a great weekend and is healing so well.  

Look at that huge incision though!  5-6" long!He is a such a trooper.

The veterinary office called this morning asking how he was doin.  Doc believes it was a cyst from a bad tick bite.  He's on bravecto too... which is  a three month flea pill.  Those little pills work soooo good and we just never see ticks on them.  So this is all kinda strange?  

 Other farm news is we have yellow chicklets that have hatched with more on the way.

All our little bantys are a barnyard mix so you just never know what you're gonna get.  

Their little Momma jumped off the nest to eat some watermelon rind I brought them.  This other hen wasn't budging from the eggs under her.  Oh if only you could have heard her warning me not 

to come one iota closer.  

 Yesterday I made a Spring bonnet for Miss Violet.  

She's not doing the best these days and has some trouble getting up.  

A friend coined her with "a sweet little old lady."  

That's her to a t.  

 This is a new bloomer today.  

I thought it was going to be all purple but ...

 when opened she has a white center.  

I love old fashioned flags and they remind me of my childhood.  

 Tobit is going well... in fact I'm kinda Loving it!  

Several things have been jumping out at me.  I started making myself notes on my phone 

to look up later so I wouldn't forget and finally got out a notebook to write it down because 

there was so much that was clicking or made me want to look into further.  

Things like mosaic law.  If anything stands out I'm taking note ... coz I dont' want to miss something.  And.... 

 This happened too.  When I carried this to bed to read... I brought my turquoise twsbi fountain pen that's  filled with brown ink.  I love turquoise still.  

And as I read... my sweet grandmother has things underlined in TURQUOISE marker!  

May seem like nothin to some but it is everything to me! 

It felt like a heavenly hug.  One that isn't social distanced at all.  

Thanks God.  

It's not just in one spot either...!

I haven't went ahead to see how much she used it .. I'm saving it 

to savor as I go.  

 Today also started a brand new bible study from She Reads Truth.  

I started with them before Lent and did the Lent study.  Loving it so much I subscribed to their monthly subscription box.  The book on the right is the new study.  The coral book is a she reads truth bible that I found at walmart awhile back.  It was a happy surprise because when I found it, I realized I also had a gift card in my purse from the past birthday from my inlaws that I hadn't used yet.  

Sweet Joy!!!  Anyways, I'm sharing all this because loving it all so much I wanted to pass that on in case someone else enjoys studies and maybe hadn't heard of it.  When I subscribed I also received the full version of their app.  Their weekly podcasts are so uplifting... I listen while I mow and weed, do chores... and go walking.  

  I guess I better go check on those lil  baby to-maters! 

Have a beautiful rest of the day.... 

L.

What Are You Reading?

 Hi friends,

Thanks for your patience while the potting shed

was down a couple days so I could make some changes.

Unfortunately what I tried to do, was kind of like rearranging furniture 

in our house-

I move things around only to put them back

where they were  to start with. 

Anyone relate? 

-- Welll tonight I wanted to share a couple new books 

I've started for October.  

Rest and Release by Courtney Joseph.

This study started October 1st and so far I've really been enjoying it. 

You can find out more about it all at the Women Living Well site.

When I first started the book and learned the method of going through the scriptures;

I thought maybe in the future I might not need to get the workbooks that go with their studies.

BUT- I'm enjoying this so much... the little challenges included are really fun and I'm

 glad I went ahead and got the book.  

You know how some studies take you a lot of time to get through each day? 

This one isn't like that in my opinion.  

It's not near as time consuming and yet sticks with you... 

I find myself looking forward to the next new day.
Sometimes if they're too long and indepth; and  I miss a day or two
it can get overwhelming and eventually winds up shelved -undone.
This one won't be like that.  

Then I also started this new devotional.

It was a gift from my Mil and it too is a  good one.

I'm kind of picky about my daily devos too.   

I'd never seen this book before so I thought I'd share it here.

The next on my "to read" list is the latest by Holley Gerth: Fierce Hearted.  

It's always fun to discover new reads, devotionals and bible studies. 

So what are you reading, studying or on your wish list? 

September 2017 Day 28 New Study

Today was day one for a new bible study.  

I've had the book  awhile and hadn't started it and then discovered 

it being offered online through Lifeway.  

All you have to purchase is the book, and then the online videos that go with it on Lifeway are free

when you sign up.  

Thought I'd pass this along here 

in case someone's interested but never heard about it.  

I was so happy to get a message from a friend just today that she started

too- now I don't feel like the lone ranger.  

Let me know if any of you are going through it.

Have a great night,

LeaonMary

Snippets

 Hi friends,

A few snippets of the past days  have looked like this.

Spending mornings on the back porch.

Coffee and Jesus.
Well; til I start to melt that is...
Really getting hot here!

 --Also reading back  through a Summer study that I've done before

but since it's an online group this time I've been enjoying

it... all over again.  Even actually did the collage I'd put off, and glued  it inside my 

traveler's notebook.

It's kind of crazy the things on our journeys that on a given day;

something clicks anew and we can get  new perspective.
Things that maybe we feel like we're going through the motions and yet
the living of it out... is bigger than we know.

After a morning devotional,  I started ripping off pieces of washi tape

and sticking them onto a journal page.

Funny how we humans so often compare ourselves to others- but I'm  glad....  we're are not all the same.
That God gives each one  unique gifts and created us
for special purposes.
While thumbing through my old notebook, I came across a list.

It was my fifty things list that I wrote out around my 50th birthday.

It was kind of  like a bucket list only... things I would have loved to have done

before the very "next birthday."  It was written  almost three years ago now.  

Reading back through my list; there were so many  things I didn't do.   

Really cool stuff too; that I would still love to do.

Like learning more about photography for one!

After seeing that on my list; I got my camera out and
charged the batteries.  She's going with me more often.

Growing new things is also on my list.  

This season has had a lot of trial and error of that.  

But you don't know if you don't try right?  

Like trying new corn seed... some worked and some not so much.

I learned pollination and privacy fences are not a very good match.  

So adding to my new 50 things  list is finding and creating a  new site for a corn patch.  

Shucking and blanching corn sure didn't take long this year.
Least myguy will have a few meals to enjoy into cold weather.
I'm not a big corn eater like he is... so
those frozen bags are all for him.   

Some of you know; we've been working on old fences a lot.  

  We got a little start back into cattle and it's been time for a bull. 

When we went to pick one out Myguy tried to get one that he thought would be 

about the right size.  -- Happily; he seems about right.  He's young

and not crazy either so that helps.  Hope he stays home! 

As soon as he finished his grain he walked off checking out his new boundaries,

and had a new girlfriend.  They are all doing so well and so far he hasn't 

chased me or anything when I've been out walking.  We've had mean bulls before that

would chase you right up a tree.  We do have a heifer that I don't trust at all.  

She's usually fine; and won't go out of her way to get me but once in a while if she's feelin froggy; she'll start chasing 

our corgis and then when she gets in that mood; she throws her head down at me

too like ... "old lady... let's see you run."  

One day I was near the woods and she started with that and I had to get a big 

branch off a tree.  lol  When she came trotting at me... I smacked her in the head 

and yelled at her and that really made her mad.  lol  

Now when I'm out walking if I see her... I turn around and just go the other way.  

I wonder what she'll be like when she has a calf one day.  

They've all warmed up to eachother now- forgot to mention,

We brought this cow/calf pair home as  well. 

I absolutely love the Momma cow.  

I'm so glad Myguy loves cows so much!  

Well, I was just in for a break from mowing,

but better get back to it.  

I leave yall with a scripture picture.

This beautiful bunch of peaches was a gift from our son's future Mother in law.  

I'm saving the pits and will plant them in the hopes they grow!  

Have a wonderful day,

xoxo

I Didn't Rejoice

So yesterday morning, Myguy went out to feed calves before 

leaving for work.  He's always loved cows and he spends more time with them

than I do.  I love them too but because I know tending to them is his "down time".. his happyplace,

I leave those chores for him to do.  It's his breathing time.  

Well; he put on his muck boots and headed to the barn and never came back in the house

to change boots and head to work?  That's when I text him to see where he'd went and found out:

Calves were gone!  Myguy had already  jumped in a truck and was out looking for them. Before 

I could get out the door I had a text from my neighbor who said "Your cows are out!" I wrote back

and asked if she found them but she hadn't.  Myguy had already stopped by their place to put word out.  He followed manure down our long driveway and up on the road towards their place.  Then it looked like they went in the woods across the road.  By the time I got in my truck and to the neighbors; Myguy had headed into 80 acres of woods on foot with a neighbors husband.  We all looked and looked.  There were tracks and signs here and there but poof they disappeared into deep woods.  Myguy and I went to an elderly lady's house  further up the road and asked her if she cared if we walked out behind her place because it looked like they may have went that way.  She was so sweet and gave us permission.  The trail had disappeared though.  

One 80 acres joined another neighbors who owns around 300 acres so Myguy text him and although 

he was tied up all day he gave Myguy the combination to the lock on his gate so we could search.  

Do we have great neighbors or what?  We drove a long ways out there but parked and  started walking.  It was too much ground to cover and  would have taken forever.  We've had rain and didn't want to get stuck driving so went back home and got a fourwheeler then headed back.  We rode and rode and rode.  The cows  were just ...gone.  

Every so often we'd turn off the fourwheeler and Myguy would call.  They know their shepherds voice.  But not a moo back.  We finally had to head home.  Throughout the rest of the day we kept looking and neighbors text and called and no one had seen anything.  We were just sick!!  

The photo above is of my antique gate made from an iron bed frame.  I had one of our sons hang it there for me and it worked so good and I loved it.  However ... we didn't have cows in there at that time.  It looks to us like one got her head through and then must have panicked and went to yankin and tore the whole thing down.  Everytime I walked by that gate throughout the day I felt my guts wrench.  

Just as evening approached my phone rang.  It was our neighbor and she said, "Your cows are up by that gate in those woods!!!!!"  I quick called Mike who was then with our youngest son driving towards a nearby town.  They made a U turn and I ran to fetch a cattle panel to tie up over the broken down gate and then ran to the barn for a couple buckets of grain to take up the road.  When I got there Myguy and Tony were already there.  I don't even want to think about how they got there so fast.  Our neighbor walked with Mike and unlocked the gate across the road.  The rest of us stood back to stay out of the way.  Mike walked up that driveway into the woods and said the calves were very skittish but did come to him and followed him.  Wasn't long and we watched them come through the gate to the road.  Our neighbor who lives right there opened "his" gate into a catch pen and thankfully the calves followed Mike into that pen .. all but ONE.  There is always one that doesn't want to go!  So we  walked behind some vehicles and hid and waited praying.  Thankfully the little rascal followed through the gate and our neighbor ran up and locked it behind them.  We were hugging and smiles could not have been bigger. Thank you LORD!!!!  I will never forget the look of sweet relief on  Myguy's face.  Then we got a stock trailer in there and loaded them all up and brought them home!!!!!!!  We didn't put them back in the pen they'd gotten out of.  Instead; we put a round bale in our corral and incarcerated all eight of them.  They'll stay there to calm down and we're going to hang some new strong gates before turning them into a bigger lot.  

Home sweet home.  

When we crawled in bed last night we talked about the day.  We talked about how stressful it was.  

How thankful we were and our good neighbors.  

We'd been thanking God over and over and thought how different we'd have felt if we wouldn't 

have found them and if what if while we were in bed they were still out in those woods somewhere?

I grabbed my hobonichi and recorded the memory above.  

This morning during my devotional time I prayed.

Then  asked God for a word I needed.  

I asked Him to speak to this heart and grabbed my olde

journaling bible.  Sitting down with a cup of coffee I opened it up and it 

fell to 

this page.  

It says in the margin  11-25-14.

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  

no herd in the stalls

no herd in the stalls

Boy did that get my attention.  

But so did that other little word:

YET.  

 I can tell you yesterday I did not rejoice. 

I really really wasn't rejoicing at all.

I was doing everything but rejoicing. 

I was worried sick.  

Myguy told me this morning that he was worried sick too.

During this study time; I thought about all the things that happen in life

where I tend to stop rejoicing.  

My focus so often shifts to circumstances and dwells there.

So I wrote this verse out in Habakkuk and added it into my Documented faith journal.

Yet I will rejoice is staying with me today.

Just wanted to share it with yall today.

It's something I hope to remember in 

days to come.  

xoxo 

Leaon Mary 

A Day With Roses On The Brain

 Choosing a  cover for one of my bibles goes to show 

where this mind keeps wandering- 

right into the garden.  

Even during  study time this morning; a doodled flower grew up in a margin. 

"Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord

and not for men,"  

The Word...  speaks to this heart.

Whatever you do (LeaonMary)

Whether you garden,

bake, paint, fold clothes, feed cows, 

scrub the ring out of the bath tub, pay bills, change dirty diapers,

or even doodle...whatever you do work heartily for the Lord.

After devotionals,

I opened the newest David Austen catalog and 

finally placed my very first order! 

I was always going to last year and regret

that I didn't follow through.   

 Miss Maggie inspired me.
She followed through and she planted;

lovely roses of every color and type. 

I can still remember the  black plastic laid down; with nothing on top.

And planted were roses after roses,  in neat little  rows;

like a vegetable garden!  

It was a sight to behold and inhale!

-This year; my follow through is happening.
And it begins  with 

three very special roses:

Malvern Hills- a yellow rambler.

Gertrude Jekyll- a pink climber.

and the Albrighton rambler- a light pink with musky scent.
I can't wait to meet them come  March.

If any of you grow old English roses and have any tried and true
tips to share, please write me!




 

 

    

  

Bible Tote Organizing and Samuel Study

 Today begins a new study in 1 Samuel with the Good Morning Girls.  

I decided not to  buy the journal that goes along with it.  And instead, I'm using a plain notebook; but did 

print out all the study questions and made a guide in the front of my notebook how they teach

to color code.   I'll be using watercolor pencils and an aquabrush.   I'm not sure how I'll do with that, but since there's no right or wrong way, we'll

just see what happens.  I'll start by only highlighting the verses that  really stand out for me.  

This all reminds me of a Catholic bible I brought home from my Gram's funeral.  Inside it; I remember seeing Gram  had color coded a few things as well.  I don't have that bible anymore.

I gave it to one of my siblings.  But if Gram thought to do this for study; I want to as well.  

Gram lived and breathed Jesus.  

A friend of mine recently inspired me to get a tote set up with all my current bible study things.

So last night I dumped spools of vintage ribbon, bows, burlap, tulle, etc out of this tote

and loaded her up with things I'm actually using.    A journaling bible, the new study materials for Samuel, Salt and Light study, an In Touch Devotional, war binder, Documented Faith, The Broken Way Book, Counting Gifts tn, pen pouch, washi tape, scissors, stickers, and journaling cards.  This is a new concept for me; the whole 

everything in one place!  

Dishes are done for a change.

Time to carry this tote to bed and finish the study questions.  

  

3rd Memory Verse, and Spruce uPs

Greetings and Holykisses,

This morning I'm finally able to get on blogger.
I tried loading pictures yesterday but had all kinds of problems. It was probably the crazy weather!

This is my 3rd memory verse for the scripture challenge.
I wanted to find a TRUST verse because I know there are times I still walk in fear when it comes to the future. Sometimes the what if's try to get the better of me. So this verse is being written in my heart. "In God I have put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" From now on, when what if's come... I'll say this verse. Especially when people pleasing fears begin to take root: I will not be afraid, because what can man do to me!??
This past week, I started looking around our living space, and decided it was time for change.
Do you ever do that? Feel the need to rearrange furniture, or take things off the wall, and just put up something different? I think it was a bad case of spring fever.

So I started by changing out the poinsettias that were in thee olde crock in this picture.
I mean; no wonder I had spring fever, I was still hanging onto my Christmas flowers with white knuckles. I loved their vibrant red color, and I think that's why they stayed so long. With Valentines day fast approaching, I knew *pink roses* had to be an improvement.

After that, .... robins egg blue...... washed over me.
I needed paint like an addict needing maple -iced, cream filled, long johns.
Lowe's here I come.
I think I could stand in the paint chip isle for hours. Color, ....and oh so many possibilities! But the longer I look at the many possibilities, .... then comes the thought of "what if it's not an improvement but rather... disaster?" I have created a few disasters before...but... if you don't try; ... then nothing: ever CHANGES! It was time to just go for the gusto. If it turned out a flop, I knew I'd just keep painting until something pretty happened. ;)

A friend of mine, recently sent me to a website with rustic lodge furniture that was painted a distressed turquoise color. I don't want to write the website here, because it's completely ridiculously overpriced, but at the same time I liked the look alot. So, God creating me to be a woman who enjoys getting her hands very dirty, and robins egg blue on- the- brain:
This began to happen. I forgot to take a before shot of this old table but, it was finished with an outdated, very dark stain from the early 70's. To me; the cracked up legs only adds to their charm.
After getting a wash of robins egg blue paint, .... it was then rubbed with oak gel stain. The stain made it darker, and really changed the paint color.... - I liked it!
It turned out so much like the pricey pieces on the fancy website I told you about; I could really hardly believe it.

But that wasn't all.
I'd stared for weeks, at the unfinished woodbox that Myguy had thrown together just before our last snowstorm. There it sat day after day, in the living room with kindling in it... - just bare plywood.
On a sunny afternoon last week, it came back outdoors. The kindling got dumped out, and it too got a spruce up. It needed something.... to tie the room more together? So I bought three of those little carved, decorative pieces. The two small daisies, I attached to the ends and the larger piece to the front. You just add some wood glue, and little nails... and voila!
Nothing fancy, but .... I think our firewood looks happier.
Then, to keep the color going, this table was "egged" as well.
And so were a couple bird houses that I had laying around.
Our mantle and fireplace bricks needed something too.
The mantle boards used to be a willow green. Now; they're called "sugar cane."
And the bricks were painted white, but are now a "mulch" color.
A little paint can sure go a long ways.

I swapped curtains, and tried to mostly use things we already had to freshen things up.
But I did want to go to Hobby Lobby to look at fabric to reupholster an old rocking chair.
So I printed my 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon , and to my delight....
they had the picture back in stock I'd had my eye on and it was marked half off!
I just love all the names of God so much. And on this particular day; I was so happy to find something so very special for our living room. I brought the picture home, and the sales lady let me use my 40% coupon on the fabric I found for the chair, even though the fabric was already 30% off. She allowed me an extra 10 % with my coupon! What a blessing!

That concludes my Sprucing uP!
For now anyways.

I do find it amusing that....
I realized my newest book that came in the mail also has blue eggs. lol
My dear friend Char and I are doing this book together and little did I realize that the whole time I had robins egg blue on the brain... my newest bible study has the same theme. I'm eggcited! Okay; so that may have been a little lame. lol I couldn't help myself. heehee
I was also eggcited this week, to find snail mail from my Artsy friend: Sherry!
Thankyou soooo much Sherry! I sooo loved the *message* and I'm taking it to he{art}!!!!!!!!!!


So here is my next project to tackle. (Sorry the picture is so tiny. I loaded it when I was having trouble with Blogger yesterday.)
Anyway, the seat has a printed fabric on it with "jam jars." It hasn't ever matched anything or even mis-matched very well. So out with the old and in with the new. The new fabric is a solid mulch brown that looks like tooled leather. I almost went with a leopard print for fun, but it was alot more expensive. The price difference between the two, almost paid for the names of God picture!

Last but not least.... meet cute lil Sylvester.
I've been babysitting him for almost a week now. He's a long haired chihuahua.
We now call him, Sylvester P. Leaksalot. Because if you talk to him, ...he pees. If you touch him, ... yep; .....he pees. He just gets so excited; .... he leaksalot! We put his little pen just a few feet from the door. I open the exterior door first, and then his pen door. Sometimes when you open it, he'll leave a trail across the tile, ....all the way out.* Poor lil guy... Have any of you had a furbaby with that kind of problem? His owner is hoping he outgrows it because he's still a puppy. But I ... don't know????

It's almost time for my hair appt.
Yall have a wonderful day!!!
Holykisses xoxo
L