Ready or not...

I set my alarm earlier then needed this morning so I could enjoy coffee and a quiet time before my busy day started. I find if I don't spend at least a little time in the Word and chatting with the One who made me, then the entire day feels like something is missing. I will go over my "to do" list mentally and think I'm forgetting something when in truth... I had chosen business over tranquility. I need those roots to run deep each day, especially as we face the storms of life that are coming against all who walk this planet. Peace is impossible without the Prince of Peace.

My sister should be arriving this afternoon as long as all goes well with her flights. I'm amazed by Jean. She is in her early 70's but looks and acts much younger. She has always been more of a mother to me than a sister. Actually, I used to tell people I have nine parents rather than seven brothers or sisters since all but the two youngest girls were out of the house when Mom married my dad (and those two girls were in high school).

It seems that the women of our family are destined to have a "later in life" child. Mom was born when her mother was older and quite the "unexpected" one. Mom was widowed in her 30s and married my dad around age 40, I was born when she was 42. I was in my mid-30s and three months pregnant for Christopher when I went to see the doctor, completely thinking I had a cyst (we had been told we probably couldn't have more children). I'd better warn Stephanie but at the rate she is going, she will be having #7, or 8, or 9... when she nears 40. Hehehe...

After seeing the pictures, you get a sense why this is my favorite time of year around here. The spring can be quite pretty but I love all that autumn provides for my senses. People outside the Midwest who visit here are often surprised by the dense forest areas but this land was mostly forest at one time. It is in this season that my thoughts often settle on those that walked this land before me, both the native Americans and the early pioneers. What it must have been like to forge out a living among forest and rivers.

I should be able to post regularly while Jean is here. This time she will not be spending her entire vacation with us so I will not have full hostess duties. Not that I mind but my sister, Bonnie, was quite jealous the last time she was here and she stayed with me... even though Bonnie's husband was in the hospital at the time. It's a family thing.

Isn't the mum in the picture above pretty? This is the first year I grew mums from a planting and definitely not the last. They provided pretty greenery on the deck throughout the warm weather months and then this gorgeous color just "popped" a couple weeks ago.

I am working on the next pantry post. The only delay is in putting together a list of links having to do with "stocking up", pantry "stuff", and preparing for emergencies. That takes more time than putting fingers to keyboard and writing off the top of my head. :)

My freezer has a few loaves of orange cranberry and pumpkin chocolate chips breads. I made a double recipe of these a couple days ago, part of them for Christopher to take to a friend and the remainder for when Jean was here. There are only a handful left... my husband and I had a few but they were devoured by a hungry teenager when he arrived home in the wee hours from studying. :)

Now... back to buffing and shining.