Papa and me, memories, as we make them

Countdown to Spring

papaandme — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:34:48 +0000

I’m more patient this year. Maybe because our winter didn’t really start until January. Now, I know the snow won’t last for 6 months, like it usually does.

Less than a week until groundhogs day. I know that’s silly, yet it is a marker. Closer to spring!

March 21st. First day of spring. I know, here in South Dakota, that doesn’t mean much more than another marker. Spring, yes. Closer to warm weather. Closer to sprouting tulips. And daffodils. Chives, winter onions, and garlic.

Ahh, green grass. Worms, and robins.

Yeah, I’m ready!

Have you been called? Are you listening?

papaandme — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:00:56 +0000

The picture behind the words was taken off our front deck. I love sunsets. They always remind me of God. What beauty He has created!

The words are paraphrased out of the Bible. Someone posted them on facebook today. They made a great impact on me, and the way they were shared on many pages, makes me think they made a great impact on a lot of others as well.

I created this picture today so I could share it on Pinterest also. I hope you all enjoy it.

Listen, God may be calling you.

Building Bridges

papaandme — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:58:11 +0000

I’ve been really thinking about bridges lately. And walls. Building walls versus building bridges, mostly.

I can see a picture in my mind of a wall. A solid brick wall, or maybe mud and weeds like the adobe ones we found abandoned in the deserts of Arizona. Mud and weeds may be more appropriate with my train of thought lately. Substitute the mud for gossip, and the weeds for lies. The walls have been built!

The forgiveness given us by Jesus is one of the best gifts ever. Using Him for a model, we know we must also forgive. So, we must learn to build bridges of forgiveness, over the walls of lies and gossip.

I want a picture of this thought, a bridge over a wall, to share with others.

Until then, I will feed the hungry. The muddy and those cleaned by the Blood of Jesus.

Everyone’s welcome, anytime.

More kitchen cabinets needed

papaandme — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:07:20 +0000

Should’ve cleaned the countertop before the picture. Maybe not, it shows the need. Thinking wine glasses would look well hanging over the window, plants on the side shelves. Hopefully it won’t take long, got my honey to say it would work. Now, I gotta get the builder going.

Here’s the before picture, and my “plans”. Someday, I’ll update with the after picture. Someday soon.

Mustangs and scenic drives

papaandme — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:03:48 +0000

I bet I saw a new Ford Mustang in 1966! I remember being little. And, I remember my head spinning around to look again. It still does. I love Mustangs!

Here’s a picture of our current one, with Bear Butte in the background.

Sometimes we gotta think outside the box. I have a pony, it has a tail. Ha! That was fun. It was flying for the parade!

Sturgis SD has an annual rally on Labor Day Weekend. 2011 was the 5th annual and it was great! Here’s a view of lineup.

We drove quite a few miles on the poker runs. Most of the time we had some beautiful ponies following us. Oh, the views!

Today, is January 17th and we live in South Dakota. Which, unfortunately today means my car is parked. The countdown is on, 63 days until Spring!

Busy year for landscaping!

papaandme — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:43:16 +0000

Stalled out on posting our thoughts. Sorry. We have kept ourselves busy. Last summer we got 5 pallets of paving bricks to use in our backyard. We (and I guess I can say “we” because Jerry paid for them), oops, getting back on track. I built a 3 foot sunken firepit, and installed the paving bricks around it. Guessing on the size, but probably about 14 foot across the circle. I also built a few raised garden beds and planted chives, garlic and tulips. Next to the deck I put a few extra bricks for an outdoor sunken kitchen, ok, for a spot to set my grill. Love it all. Looking forward to this spring / summer to see what happens next.

And maybe even more exciting … we built a front deck and added steps. Totally changed the look, not to mention the safety!

I added pictures and tried to get the same view, before and after.

In the first set, the firepit is the same size. Just a different angle.

The next two show an awesome change. The back corner was filled with weeds, and firewood. Now, there are flowers, tulips next spring! The “bench” around the firepit is sitting free, may glue them together next year, may move them. Really like the look though.

This next set shows the grill on the small wood deck, and the second has it barely showing to the left and sunken. We used red rubber mulch as the accent and are really looking forward to seeing how well it holds it’s color through the years.

The view from the back shows a dramatic change. Love the wall around the tree. Still have to glue the bricks together around it. My hose knocks them off. There is also a second raised garden in front of the shed, not pictured. You can see the onions and chives. The second one has garlic and tulips.

The change in the front was much needed. We used to walk up the driveway and it is very steep. This is a great fix! Once again, red rubber mulch, and pink granite. The brick walls on both sides are ever changing. Have more ideas for this year.

wordle

papaandme — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:41:56 +0000

A newer, gentler, landscaping plan

papaandme — Thu, 20 May 2010 04:11:47 +0000

This year I’m gonna try to take it easier. Gonna plant some more flower seeds and hope for warm enough weather this year to make them grow. Letting the wild grasses grow around the edges of the property. Love the look myself, plus, no weed whacking.

A garden has been started. Small enough to enjoy without overworking myself. The raspberry bushes need some kind of a walkway around them, but no major wall building in the works.

We did build a screen of sorts, to let vines grow up. It gives me a sense of privacy, or maybe just another place for the neighbor to hide behind. Might add more of these, scattered around the yard, to blend.

Another part of an ugly fence was taken down. Looks much better without it. The picture shows the before, with the fence still there. Ugly!

Planted some grass seed in the front so we have a jump start on a nice drive by look. It’s getting there. I like my home.

can do all things, but …

papaandme — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:16:35 +0000

Phillipians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”. This has always been one of my favorite verses. No matter how weak I am, Christ’s strength is there with me, helping. I’ve thought of it often. Sometimes at odd times. Like once when we were carrying a fridge up the crooked steps to our house. I prayed for help carrying my end, and this was one of the few times I didn’t hurt myself helping with a fridge!

Another time this has helped me? I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. If you know me, you know I have developed a great gag reflex. So the thought of teeth cleaning was … was not something I was looking forward to. I repeated the verse to myself constantly, yes, constantly while the cleaning was done. It worked! All things? Yes!

Most people have at least one thing they really don’t want to do, or don’t enjoy. For me, that one thing has always been speaking in front of people. Now, I am reading Bible verses during our Church services. I can and will read the word of God. Skits or testimony, I’m not so sure of yet.

What has my attention, is the fact that the one thing I didn’t want to do, is exactly what God has me doing. I have been blessed. If you have told yourself that you will be open to do whatever God wants you to do, remember that it may be something you are uncomfortable with. Take that “one thing” you don’t relish, and give that to God also. And, always remember, you can do ALL things, through Christ who gives you strength.

Here I am, Lord

papaandme — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:21:22 +0000

We have been praying about hearing more from God. But what is it that we really expect? Lately I was just dozing off, but not yet asleep, still in prayer. I heard an audible voice say “Marilyn, can you hear me?”. I looked around at Jerry who was reading a book. It wasn’t him. Wow. Kinda startled me. I have been listening to God for years, but this was the first audible voice I heard. I was warmed by the knowledge that He knows my name. I am now ready for His voice again. I say “here I am”. I am listening.

New Years Eve 2009 / New Years Day 2010

papaandme — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:01:04 +0000

Today I found a great verse for the day. Perfect for the end / beginning of a year! This is it:

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”- Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

“forget the former things, do not dwell on the past”. Great line, isn’t it? Great state of mind!

Sometimes it is hard to forget, but God says He is doing a new thing! Let’s let Him do a new thing in us!

Happy New Year!

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.

papaandme — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:05:40 +0000

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Joshua 1:7 (New International Version)
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

I know people have their own definition of the word “success”. What is success to you? Would love to hear it?

I Love Winter (or not)

papaandme — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:15:11 +0000

Starting a list of likes and dislikes of winter. Trying to convince myself to like it. Wish me luck!

DISLIKES

Cold weather
Frozen piles of snow that last for months
Dirty looking ugly snow
Blizzard like winds / blowing snow
Cold feet, fingers
chapped lips
Drinking anything cold freezes me
No flowers, no grass, no leaves
Gray skies
Shorter days, darkness sooner
convertibles stay parked

AND LIKES:

Chicken soup, stew, chili etc …
Baking bread
Fresh falling sparkling snow
Fireplaces
Warm socks
Heating blanket
Apple cider / hot chocolate
Beautiful sunsets from our deck

Now, as I look at the “like” list, I see that most of them are not really likes, but things I can do to overcome the feeling of dislike. Which in itself is OK, I guess, but it changes the list. Narrows the likes down to:

Freshly falling sparkling snow
Beautiful sunsets from our deck

Anything I missed? Remember, before you give me any suggestions, I am old and no longer “play” in the snow. Yep, no snowballs, no snowmen, no skiing, no snowboards. You get the idea?

To clique or not to clique?

papaandme — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:05:49 +0000

What is it that makes people clique? or maybe a better question would be, what makes people not clique?

I grew up (a long time ago), I grew up knowing we were all created equally, in God’s image. I knew it was wrong to roll my eyes when someone said something I didn’t want to hear, or said something stupid. I knew it was wrong to make fun of people behind their back. I knew that just because I couldn’t speak as eloquently as others, it didn’t make me worse than them. I know that I still feel uncomfortable talking to some people! I think it’s their problem, not mine.

Now I’m not shifting blame here, I hate it when people do that, but that’s another blog entirely. I think people choose, we all choose, among other things, how to treat others. Hey, you good with strangers? Give em a little food or money, tell them about your friend Jesus? Good. Really Good. But how are you with acquaintances?

I love to listen, really listen to people when I ask “how ya doin?” I only hope you know that about me.

I’ve gone through life telling myself it didn’t matter what other people think. I’ve known that Jesus loves me and that’s good enough. I’ve been taught that indeed, I should care what other people think, since I am a reflection of God. Repeat paragraph …

Welcome to my circle.