I Know God Protected Me

~Old style ( best) buckskin Morgan horse, belonging to my neighbor. Isn't she pretty?~

Yesterday afternoon I came inside from my back porch and entered my hall-way to come face to face with an intruder intent upon burglarizing our home. We scared each other, then he ushered me into another room of our home and told me "we have a gun, put your head down and count to 100", whereupon he yelled to his partner and they fled my home. THEY fled my home. I am thanking and praising my God who protected me. My family could be making funeral plans today as the intruders left with a loaded gun. "Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes ; for the Lord will be your confidence, and keep your foot from being caught." Proverbs 3:25, 26

Demolition Duo

Need any demolition done ? Want any fences taken out, trees knocked down, or walls busted?

These are your guys then.Brothers Barbarian & Viking work for hay! ~

I have spent the last few days getting ready for the Puyallup Fair. I am taking Goth, the father / grandfather of these handsome rams, along with a few of my ewes. My husband and I actually gave Goth a bath, so he is a very clean ram, though not a happy ram. If only he was able to understand that when I return home with him from my week at the fair he will be released to spend the fall with the ewes.That would perk him up, especially since he has been trying to remove the fence separating him from them. Meanwhile, my husband gets to stay home and care for the gardens and animals left behind, including the Demolition Duo, also trying to ram down fences to get to the ewes. Anyone out there need a good ram?( Or a one ram demolition crew?) Come on out to the Puyallup Fair if you're in the area and see us in the 'Animals Of The World' barn, be sure to say "hi".

Delilah's Rugs ~ Wool Transformation !

I started with her, Delilah, my Jacob / Romney sheep.

Delilah was sheared, her wool was skirted, picked, washed & carded into rovings, meaning the wool was turned into strips ,( shown above) then woven into rugs on my loom.

Here you can see the roving becoming a rug on my loom.

Done!

Turning the wool from my sheep into rugs seems like magic.The wool was simply washed and "brushed" to make it ready for weaving. Nothing was added, the wool is still all it was before it was sheared off the sheep ( minus the dirt & debris) , yet it bears little resemblance to the sheep now. I never tire of working with the wool from the sheep I love.Each fleece is as unique as the sheep the wool comes from.I think Delilah's wool makes a pretty nice rug.

"Transform:to change in outward shape or semblance ." Webster's "..be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Tiny Teacup ~ Blue Willow

I found this tiny teacup at an antique store yesterday,and the price was $5.00. I had $5.00 in my purse and decided I would be sorry if I left the store and did not take this little teacup with me. Blue Willow is one of my favorite patterns, and this particular blue is one of my favorite colors. Have you noticed how many different shades of blue there can be in Blue Willow dishes , depending on who makes them, and where & when they were made? To show how tiny this is I placed it next to my favorite tea/coffee cup, another Blue Willow cup & saucer I bought in an antique store years ago.See the difference in the color of the two ?

The tiny teacup fits inside the standard cup.

"Maruta, Made in Occupied Japan "

Today, after I am done with my chores, I am going to sip some tea from this cup and ponder something that has been on my mind, the need to PRACTICE kindness. This summer it finally penetrated my thick skull that good and noble things, be they art, writing, stitchery, music, sports,keeping a home, cooking & baking, (the list goes on) all get better with practice. Why not good character qualities too ? "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. " Mark Twain ~ " Kindness is in our power , even when fondness is not." Samuel Johnson ~ When I was young I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people." Abraham Lincoln

I am joining these ladies of the teacup this Tuesday for a celebration of all things tea, come along, you're invited too .~

• Lady Katherine * at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor
• Pam * at Breath Of Fresh Air
• Wanda Lee*At The Silken Purse
• Martha* At Martha's Favorites
• Terri* at Artful Affirmations
• Sandi* at Rose Chintz Cottage

He Gives Strength To The Weary & Wipes Away Our Tears

"Do you not know ? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint." Isaiah 40:18-31

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain..." Revelation 21:4

Coffee With A Frog

I took my first cup of coffee of the day out to the pond. I wanted to sip it there, viewing the pond as I enjoyed the warm morning and thought about my summer, and what the rest of the year might hold. As I walked to the wood chairs sitting pond-side I scared up a few red-legged frogs. They squealed loudly as they leapt into the pond. I sat down in the chair ( on the right) and then noticed a very plump red-legged frog sitting in the chair on the left. He seemed to own the chair and was almost kingly in his demeanor. The frog was not the least afraid of me, and why should he be? I was not in the company of the 4 granddaughters who were constantly laughing, wrestling, and playing all around the pond ,searching for frogs with zeal. The kingly frog had no reason to fear I would capture him and view him for a few days before returning him to the pond as the granddaughters did. The granddaughters have returned home. I sipped my coffee. I pondered my summer. I just sat and enjoyed the simple beauty of my surroundings. I relished the quiet, the bird sounds, the play of sunlight on the pond. The frog remained still on his throne, the chair. I finished my coffee and as I left for the house and the beginning of the day's chores, the frog remained. Coffee with a frog, delightfully peaceful, for both of us.