Sunday Afternoon Tea

Thou shalt not covet...  Exodus 20:17

I've been pondering the subject of coveting this week.  Perhaps as I have coveted my neighbor's hot water.  I don't know... there has to be some reason it kept popping up in my mind.

I suppose I rarely really covet, instead it would be more proper to call the emotion a "strong desire".  Coveting in its' real meaning would indicate I want what my neighbor has to the extent I'd be happy if they did not have it.  I do not want my neighbor to do without hot water so I can have theirs.

The true danger comes in when we covet (or strongly desire) what another person has to the extent we become dissatisfied with our own life and that is a constant temptation.  We are all finite and limited so we all have aspects of our life we would prefer not having to deal with.  Not to mention those blessings we wish were part of our every day living.

When we blame God for what He has allowed in our life, then we are saying we don't trust Him.  At the same time, when we become bitter and upset for those gifts He has not given us then we are telling Him we believe He has made a mistake... we obviously know better than God what should be ours at this moment in space and time.

St. Paul told us he had learned to be content in all things.  It didn't come naturally even to that great man of faith.  I have different levels of discontent.  For instance, you would think living without hot water for laundry and showers and dish washing would drive me over the edge (not to mention lack of electricity in parts of our home and fried electronics). 

But I have learned to trust God in the big stuff, those areas where it is beyond my ability to do anything about... right now I am trusting Him for the rest of the funds needed for the deductible.  I know in His perfect time it will all be available.

However, the day-to-day living can be the hardest I find to hand over to God.  For each day brings unexpected challenges.  We all have a cross to bear and I have come to realize I would not be able to exchange my challenges for those of another.  He gives the grace needed for that which He allows in each life. 

I always ask myself... when feeling the stress of a particular day is too much to handle... if I have had to feel the stripes of a jailer on my back or spent days upon days upon days in the isolation unit of a prison for my faith.  Compared to what my brothers and sisters in the Faith endure in other countries... my own challenges are not all that difficult.

He has given the desires of my heart over the years, sometimes His timing was not what I expected... as when Christopher was born when his sister was soon turning twelve.  I remember feeling as if there was someone missing from the dinner table before he was born so I should not have been surprised when I found I was expecting again.  He was such a hyperactive little guy and quite the handful but now that we have gone through the growing up years... God's timing was perfect.  I just didn't realize it at the time.

When we lay aside coveting and take our requests to Him... if what we desire is His will and in His time... then instead of holding onto covetous demands and becoming bitter when we do not get what we want... we allow Him to surprise us with answers to those desires.  The Book reminds us that if mortal man gives good gifts to his children, how much more God (who IS love) gives to us. We live imperfect lives in and amongst imperfect people... and no one more imperfect than ummm... Moi'.

Only One who walked upon the sod was perfect.  He allowed Himself to go to the Cross as a young man of thirty-three.  He could have had anything He desired.  He could have demanded thousands of thousands of angels to save Him as His own creation spat at him and pulled his beard and pushed a crown of thorns upon His head and beat him into a bloody pulp and nailed spikes into His body and hung Him on a cross to give up the body he had put on to walk this planet.

The One who could ask for anything... asked for me... and you.  We are His treasure.  We... who stomp our feet and fret and complain at what we have and complain at what we do not have but want and complain that life is just too hard at times.  He still wants us.  How could we covet anything else... even our neighbor's hot water?

Heat and books and coffee

Kitchen window circa' 2009-ish

Thank you for the birthday wishes.  It was filled with such wonderful activities as dropping off our lawn mower to a friend's house, stopping by the clinic to see if my long term insulin had arrived since I only had two pens left (YES, thank you Lord!), and a visit to the grocery store for a bag of chocolate chips on my way home as I need to make a cake this morning for Sheila's birthday gift.  I also bought a celebratory doughnut.  That is allowed on birthdays.

All of this in the midst of another heatwave.  I think I melted off ten pounds but it all came back by eating one doughnut.  There were veggies to pick in the garden and it was desperate for a drink.   By the time I arrived back in the air conditioning, I was dizzy but the garden delighted in the long, soaking hosing down.

My one birthday gift to myself (well, really from the nice folks at Starbucks) was to exchange my birthday free drink card for a Venti Coconut Frappuccino yesterday evening.  I slipped my leather copy of Valley of Vision into my purse, reading Puritan prayers while sipping pure delight (that new flavor is yummy).  I guess you could say my gift to myself was keeping my blood sugar high all day long... but it is allowed on birthdays... as long as you don't tell my doctor.  I'll be good today.

I was going to begin reading through my collection of Anne Morrow Lindberg diaries last night but decided at the last minute I wasn't quite ready for the leap into a five book commitment.  When perusing through my shelves of old books (I love old books), I noticed Dorothy Sayers' book called Begin Here, which was written during WWII.  The preface is dated Christmas, 1940. 

I had just heard Ravi Zacharias talk about her writing as "brilliant" and she has always fascinated me.  Imagine being a female friend of the Inklings.  That was my calling, you know... except I was born neither British, brilliant, nor that early in the 20th Century.

It is subtitled in the U. S. "A Statement of Faith" and in England as "A War-Time Essay"... which, when I found this out, answered my confusion as to which was what and that they are one (did you get that?).  So far I am enjoying this book very much. 

I still have not had a chance to upload pictures and I owe a couple of you snail mail letters.  I do sincerely apologize for being so late.  Consider yourself hugged until my letter arrives.

A lazy day

I should have worked in the garden this morning.  I wanted to post some pictures here.  Instead I took the day off and visited a friend.  By the time I arrived home, it was well into the afternoon so I sat down and watched some of the Chicago White Sox game with hubby (baseball gives me a warm and cozy feeling because of fond memories of my father holding the transistor radio to his ear listening to Chicago baseball).  :)

We have once again entered the danger zone with our heat.  The large thermostat on the side of a downtown building blinked 100 degrees on my way home.  While not nearly that hot in the country, the humidity is just as high... if not more so when one lives in near a forest (one really lives in a cleared area of a forest almost anywhere in this part of the state!).

My friend, BB (aka: Busy Bee), was the person who informed me diabetics do not handle heat at all.  I was wondering why I used to be able to go through a summer hardly noticing hot days and suddenly feeling faint when the temperatures reached 90 (sometimes less).  Her husband's father and brother are both Type 1 diabetics who have challenges when they visit her family on the Gulf coast of Texas.  Sigh... live and learn.

I will make certain to pick green beans, weed, and water the garden early in the morning before the humidity gets together with the heat and decide to have a party.  Normally it is late August before I begin to long for sweater weather and stop dreading the icy grip of winter.  This year... bring it on.

I had to look at the calendar to see what day it is.  I knew my birthday was this week but I was not certain of the day.  Oh, my... it is tomorrow!  This summer has passed so quickly.  Christopher moves out in a little over a week and classes start a week later.  Tempus is definitely fugiting around this place.  ;)

Picture:  Just to cool you down.  Robert Duncan is one of my favorite artists.

The new normal

I find myself surprised at how quickly I have developed into a routine with this new normal.  Yesterday I took three baskets of wet clothes to the laundromat and this time also took hubby along to help.  We shared coffee and a treat at Panera (my free birthday sweet was on the My Panera card just waiting to be used) while the dryers did their thing.

With another set of hands to help, the folding was accomplished in half the time as last week's visit... my first time in a laundromat (except for washing sleeping bags and comforters) since one could dry a load of clothes for a quarter or two.  That long ago. 

I now know just how much cold sudsy water to have in the sink before the stock pot of boiling water goes in.  I told Stephanie that I didn't realize how many of my recipes used a lot of pots and pans until having no hot water and little light in my kitchen.  I've also adjusted by assembling tomorrow morning's coffee in the coffee pot while there is natural light in the kitchen to see water levels.

We have had a respite from the intense heat (albeit still high humidity) for the past few days.  It felt wonderful to get out to the garden early this morning and try to tackle the weeds.  We are probably overdosing on green beans if one can do such a thing.  But that which is so expensive at the store is now being enjoyed for the cost of one package of seeds.  They certainly like hot weather.  I took some pictures of the garden and hope to post them tomorrow.  The heat wave is returning in full force by tomorrow.

I didn't have to water the garden these past few days as we were fortunate to be a "hit" with "hit and miss" showers going through.  I have to get out quite early as I've found heat does not agree with the diabetes at all.  Fortunately, there have been nice surprises while giving the garden a nice drink of water.  One morning a humming bird decided to take a morning bath as the water showered the herbs.  I'd never seen this hummingbird before, it had some red coloring.   A few days ago a family of butterflies flew around the shower of water, descending on water filled plants when I had turned the hose off.  Both truly beautiful moments.

With the old Sony no longer functioning in the living room (not to mention the wiring from the antennae fried), I have been spending my evenings reading.  Last night I finished re-reading one of my all time favorite books... Goudge's Scent of Water.  I just think it is a beautiful story, a cross between Pilgrim's Inn and The Dean's Watch as it is about a house which brings joy and comfort as well as the redemption of sad and hurting people.

Some think it is a little on the dark side as the woman who inherits the house from her late aunt reads through her aunt's diary about her struggle with depression and her eventually finding peace in her faith.   I struggled with panic attacks after Christopher was born (hormone induced) so I know what it is like to feel as the rooms are actually moving in toward you and struggling to breath.  How thankful I was to have them leave after a month or two.

I hope to post some garden pictures tomorrow.  It just takes longer right now to do the everyday household "gotta do's" (as my friend, Kathy, calls them).  Now... off to do the dishes before the water turns completely cold!

Sunday Afternoon Tea

I must say that I needed a crisis about as much as say... getting the measles or chicken pox.  However, I know God is in control and what the enemy of our soul intends for evil, our Lord works it for our good and His glory.  I can hardly wait to see how this comes out.

I also must again say that I realize the many miracles which He provided on our behalf.  To say it could have been much worse is an understatement beyond my own imagination (which is quite vivid).  But there were a few days in which I wondered if I would (as I told Linda), keep my sanity.  For not only were there so many items in my house which no longer worked but it was full of broken electronics in the middle of the rooms, placed on coffee tables, and stumbled over in unexpected places.

Thankfully, our pastor gave us a quite large gift card to a favorite restaurant which we used to bring home dinner that first week but also as an escape from the chaos surrounding us at home (I used the very last of it a few nights ago just to get away for decaf coffee).

That week gave me time to find places for the electronics to sit all nice and tidy and out of the way and to get used to a new normal.  The human spirit is amazing that way in its' ability to adapt when necessary and fortunately before we had no hot water in the house.

While I find it much better when there is a regular pattern to living and I normally require a certain consistency to my days... I found once the house was put back to the new normal (that being tidy islands of broken electronics instead of it spread out through the house)... then I could find rest while curled up with a cup of herbal tea each evening... the kind that is to help relax.

One Truth which always comes to me in times of crisis... as well as those sandpaper days of normal living... is that peace is not an emotion one longs for but Peace is a Person.  He tells us He gives us peace "not as the world gives" but that feeling of peace and calm which comes upon us in the storms of life (in this case... literally).

I learned long ago that living in a fallen world such as planet earth (or what Lewis called, "The Silent Planet") one must understand there are storms we must walk through.  Like St. Peter walking on the water, we stay safe as we keep our eyes on Him in the storm.  It is only when we look around and fix our attention on crashing waves and thunderous surf that we sink into a pit of fear and despair.

Of course, I'm not talking about a Pollyanna attitude that the sun will always be out or choosing to hide our head in the sand and hoping it all becomes better.  That is why Peace is a Person.  He not only gives us the peace but as we pray and trust Him... He is working out the circumstances which will result in peace.  It will be okay even if we look around and see scars caused by the imperfection of life.

So as I cook in a dark kitchen, I am thankful the stove and refrigerator were not taken out (or my Precious... that being the red mixer).  I am thankful the coffee pot works.  I can even be thankful it is a short trip from the stove to the sink when I pour boiling water in for doing dishes.  I am really, really thankful the air conditioner and well pump did not go out.

I choose Peace.  I choose to look for those things which bring calm in the midst of the crisis.  I choose not to fear as the storm clouds once again form on the horizon (literally... I just had to turn the light on and it is mid-day).  I choose to have patience while waiting to turn our claim in to the insurance office and more patience as we await restoration.

Faith built in the midst of the storms... hope which is strengthened as we see God's work in our life... these are what trials bring so that as we walk the day to day challenges of living in a world of imperfection we can face each day with courage and faith and peace.

He has brought us through again and will continue to hold us in the palm of His hand... until that day when we meet Him in person an all is restored to perfection.  What a day that will be!

Recently reading

I would normally begin my reading remembrances with that which was read the last time I chatted about books.  However, this time I will make a slight curve and write about my most recent reading... that which drew me in after midnight four nights in a row and helped to welcome sweet sleep.  Books have a way of giving us a vacation from trials and tribulations don't they?  :)

My friend, Kristi, introduced me to D. E. Stevenson soon after we "met" online.  Not too long ago she wrote to ask the titles of the Stevenson books I had found at a thrift shop.  A package was to follow containing three books... two Stevenson books which were the sequels (or prequels?) to two of the books I had found and a much longed for Goudge.  (Kristi is definitely a literary soul sister and special friend!).  How delightful!

So... last week when I was very wound up about circumstances, I pulled those four books off my shelf... thinking I would read them over two weeks.  I read one each night for four nights (blush), often going to sleep at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning (but getting a sound sleep).

They were Katherine Wentworth and The Marriage of Katherine, and then Vittoria Cottage and Music in the Hills.  I loved these books and they were just what I needed to unwind enough to sleep well.  I highly recommend them (you may have to ask for them through interlibrary loan).

I had to smile when I was able to get back online and I saw Lanier had written about them (and two other favorite authors)... here.  She has a description of these four books in her beautiful post. Even Lanier's book reviews are lovely.

In late June, I read two novels which had been on my bookshelves for awhile... just awaiting their turn.  The first was Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson.  I had heard so much about this book and I must admit when reading the first few chapters, I didn't like it much.  It was so sad and I didn't understand why it was so famous.  I had bought it for a dollar at a library sale and almost set it aside.

But then as I kept reading and as the story reached its' conclusion, I found I truly liked this book... very much.  Yes, it is depressing at times but the author uses the background of domestic life in the home (as accomplished by the grandmother and various aunts) to help us understand how the lack of proper domesticity is a symptom of serious challenges in the home environment.

I know it sounds odd and it really is difficult to explain but this book is what I would call... haunting.  It is very sad but a remarkable window into how family dysfunction can go from one generation to another.  I kept thinking this would be very interesting to read in a book club.

Looking For the King; An Inklings Novel was written by David Downing, the first work of fiction by the writer of a few nonfiction books about C. S. Lewis.  Although it reads exactly as it was written by a nonfiction writer (very factual rather than descriptive at times), it is still a very interesting story about a young man's quest to find evidence of the Arthur legend and the help he receives from the Inklings.  The author uses actual sentences spoken by the Inklings within the conversations.  I hope he continues to write fiction.

My venture into the nonfiction world began with Sharon Lovejoy's lovely book called Trowel & Error: Over 700 Shortcuts, Tips & Remedies for the Gardener.  I cannot recommend this little book highly enough for anyone who gardens... a newby or a Master Gardner would find a lot of helpful information.

Not to mention Sharon's lovely and colorful illustrations making this a delightful book to take off the shelf in winter to dream about sunshine and gardens.  LOVE this book. It will stay in my basket where I keep books that make me happy all year long. If you want to give a gift to a loved one who gardens... this would be perfect.

I have been skimming two books which have been on my shelves for ages and ages.  Edith Schaeffer's A Way of Seeing is a compilation of many of her Christianity Today articles from the 1970s.  It has been on my coffee table for a couple weeks to be picked up and one chapter (article) re-read when I have time.  These articles may have been written over thirty years ago but they could be taken from today's headlines (remembering we were in a deep recession and the world was reeling from "wars and rumors of wars").

Julie Nixon Eisenhower's book called Special People was also written in the 1970s.  I re-read her chapters (including interviews) about Golda Meir, Ruth Bell Graham, and Anne Morrow Lindberg as I had time in June.  She also writes about Prince Charles (who was young at this time), Mao Tse-Tung, and Mamie Eisenhower (her husband's grandmother) but I did not take the time to re-read them.

My Amazon credit book this time (thank you, thank you, and again... thank you!) is a much longed for cookbook called Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros.  I first read about this book on SouleMama's blog a few years ago (her original post with pictures is... here).  It sounded wonderful from her description and more reviews would pop up now and then throughout the Net.

Sometimes a book I've wanted for awhile will disappoint me when I finally am able to purchase it but this one was even more than I expected.  Tessa shares chatty stories with the recipes and the book is divided by COLOR.  What an interesting way to share recipes and pictures... lots of beautiful pictures.

While the many recipes are about favorite meals of childhood, I'd say they are actually favorite family meals.  This is a huge book... 417 pages... packed full of so many recipes it can keep you trying new things for a long time.

I have had many evenings since it arrived in June just perusing through the stories she tells and the recipes.  Some are very, very easy... simple enough for kids to make.  Others are more complicated but I found none to be difficult so far.

The only complaint I have read online is the light gray shade the actual recipes are written in.  I'd say you can easily get over this if you make certain to read the recipe a couple times before setting it in front of you while cooking. I wear bifocals and had no trouble with them.

If you are American and you decide to purchase this book or find it through interlibrary loan... make certain you get the American version.  The original is European and metric (unless you are really good at conversions).

By the way, did you know when a recipe calls for something like 2 cups + 2 T. flour in it, the recipe has been converted from metric?  I learned that when watching a Canadian cooking show... who knew.

I tend toward much lighter reading in the summer as well as biography.  I'm thinking of re-reading a couple favorite Goudge books as the hot weather continues.  My days are full due to unexpected circumstances but good fiction helps me relax and unwind in the evening (especially since the Sony in the living room was fried).

Overwhelmed...

Victoria longs to be free to run and roam in the Great Outdoors ever since her two visits to the lawn in the kitty carrier.

My eye doctor asked me today if I had taken up drinking or smoking since I last saw her.  I said I'd seriously considered a drink or two lately but it was still a dry house.  I don't even have medicinal brandy in the house like my mother did... and her mother before her,   Caffeine is still my drug of choice... and chocolate.  ;)

All that to say... it has been stressful lately.  First the house gets struck by lightening, then it almost catches fire and almost blows up (thank God it was almost), my laptop is acting strange, and my cat is naughty.  Then, during my eye exam today, the doctor found what she has been dreading... the beginning signs of problems in the retina due to the Juvenile Diabetes.  She wants me to see a specialist although it does not have to be immediately.  Sigh... all prayers welcome.

Doesn't it seem to happen that way, though?  Just a season of "one thing after another"?  I suppose it could be that one crisis makes us more sensitive to any others which come along in a short period of time.  In the meantime, I need a good book and some chocolate... not necessarily in that order.

I'm back... kind of!

Our phone lines have been repaired and the new modem arrived yesterday.  Christopher got it all up and running for us today.  I am so thankful my computer is okay.  Since the battery in the laptop is dead, it is almost always plugged in but I had unplugged it earlier that day so Christopher could charge his laptop before going to work.

Many thanks to Linda for hacking my blog and informing you what was going on.  I told her that you know you trust someone when you give them your Google password.  I called her from my front lawn while waiting for the fire department to arrive a week and a half ago.  Then early on Sunday morning, I once again called her while sitting by Victoria's kitty carrier on the front lawn as the fire department (with EMT personnel this time) arrived once again.

We couldn't locate Miss Victoria and thought perhaps she had gotten out into our garage.  She is always trying to partake in forbidden adventures.  While my husband was looking behind everything for her, he spotted FLAMES coming from the gas line going into the dryer.  As soon as he ran into the house to tell me to call 911 on my cell phone (our phone lines were repaired but our phones fried), I looked down and Victoria was sitting by my feet.

I am convinced God had hidden her so we had to look in the garage and found that fire.  The EMT personnel were sent as there was a dangerous gas buildup in our house after hubby put that fire out.  (We later were told by the firemen that the garage wall was already scorched and we would have had a full scale fire shortly.)  Ummm... not to mention the whole house blowing up thing.  The damage to the gas line was caused by the lightening strike.

So now we not only have major repairs and replacements as a result of the lightening strike but the gas lines to our house have been (obviously) turned off until that repair can be made.  I am cooking in the dark and doing dishes by boiling water on the stove.  But I am back online... and so much better off than those who have completely lost their home.  God spared us from fire twice.

The free repairs were done immediately (telephone and Direct TV) so I had opportunity to talk to those repairmen... as well as the guys from our rural electric company who arrived immediately after the strike.  All three told me lightening strikes have been very bad this year. 

When we were hit, I heard thunder in the distance but the sky over our house was SUNNY!  When I called 911 and told them we had been hit by lightening and our house was filled with smoke, they asked "what lightening and what storm?".  Obviously that warning about taking cover when you hear thunder even if you cannot see a storm is correct.

We are in the process of borrowing money for our large deductible.  All professionals have given their estimates and we only need to complete the list of items "fried" and replacement costs.  Except for the high deductible, the costs will be taken care of by our insurance.

I will chat about the emotional and spiritual side of all of this on Sunday, hopefully.  Just day to day living takes so much time and energy right now... and that doesn't take in the heat.  Thank God (literally!) our AC was not taken out as we reached over 100 degrees today.

I missed you all!

Update-Wed.

This is Linda, Brenda's friend- I live across the river from her.  She gave me permission to hack her blog.  Monday night, lightening struck their house.  She had just removed her hands from the dish water, felt a tingle, then it sounded like a bomb went off, the florescent lights in kitchen exploded.  House didn't catch fire and everyone is fine.  Poor Victoria was traumatized.   (I would have been traumatized!)  It must have entered from their son's room, the fireman couldn't tell, but everything in there was fried.  Brenda didn't have her computer plugged in, her son was off with his, and her dh's is fine.  The modem is not.  (took out the landline too) It did major damage to the electrical, electrician is coming tomorrow to check it out.  They were insured and will get items replaced.  Her stove and refrig. are fine.   Our pastor is a sweet heart, they gave the gift card for meals at MCL- I thought that was great.  It is keeping her sane.  She said - Pray for her sanity.  LOL  Air Conditioning works too.  It is crazy what works and doesn't work, very unusual but we know it's the Lord, they couldn't do with out Air Conditioning.   She will come over here one day and update everyone, she doesn't know when she will be back on line.  I will read her any notes that you send.   

Sunday Afternoon Tea

I am at the moment coughing and sneezing and feeling generally miserable.  My husband kindly gave me his cold.  How thankful I am that he did not give it to me last weekend with the busy-ness of preparing for guests in our home. ;)

In a way, opening our home again to the art of hospitality coincides with my year of all things create!  To me hospitality is the sharing of time and talent and food and shelter and... life.  I am the kind of person who is quite happy these days curled up alone with a good book so it is good to be reminded that there are real friends (ours and Christopher's) for whom showing hospitality will bring joy.

I love the story Emilie Barnes tells of her mother's gift of hospitality.  While living in the back of their small dress shop, her mother would put the tea kettle on and place her beloved teapot and teacups out to offer a customer hospitality.

She went through the same ritual when she lived in a retirement home, opening the door of her one room when friends could stop by for tea and a visit.  True hospitality is from the heart as one looks past the surroundings... however limited or grand.

Later, Emilie would take those same skills and use them for a much larger audience in her home and through her books.  Lessons learned in small spaces and in very little ways are just as important as when taught in perfect circumstances... if they ever do exist.

One should never apologize for a small house, doing so would make us ungrateful for what God has provided us with.  Instead we fill it with creativity, color, beauty, peace, music, and His Presence.  Flowers growing outside would be lovely and the aroma of something baking in the oven as guests arrived would be like a warm embrace to a weary soul.

It is quite sad to me when a person thinks their house is too small or they don't have "enough" to have friends over.  For the most part... I have never found a place too small and even a cold drink of water on a hot day is welcoming or a cup of hot tea in winter.

Our hospitality may be more one-on-one or having just a few friends over for coffee or tea or a meal rather than large parties but our attitude of thankfulness for what we do have (instead of becoming bitter at what we do not) will be welcomed in the world we live in today.

To be honest, one of my more uncomfortable hospitality moments came when a Bible study I was attending had a potluck at the beautiful home of one of the members.  It was obvious hundreds of thousands of dollars had been spent on making the home unique but I had a difficult time feeling comfortable.  I don't think the hostess felt at home in her own house and this transferred to her guests.  Sometimes more is just... more.

I have also been shown hospitality in other "fancy" homes which reflected a different personality from the homeowner.  One soon does not see the glitz and glitter but there is the feeling of friendship, laughter, and fellowship as we were made to feel welcome.  In those homes, it was obvious the host and hostess were comfortable in their own surroundings and made their guests feel welcome.  Their intention was never "look at our money" (for sometimes God blesses with "more"... but the Glory goes to Him and not ourselves).

There is an enjoyment in the preparation for hospitality when we see it as a form of giving and sharing instead of entertaining.  I don't want to have to entertain anyone.  The thought of it makes me need a nap. (Although I do understand the term entertaining is used in the same way as hospitality.)   However, I do enjoy looking through my recipe cards and cookbooks to think of what good I can make... given time and budgets.

Then deciding which dishes to use and what tablescapes our imagination can think of given what is available in our home and garden.  Through the years I have collected dishes and such through my own purchases, inheritances, and thrifting.  I love to check clearance aisles after holidays for items to be used the next year (and sometimes all year long).

For Christopher's 4th of July gathering we used paper and plastic and the decorations mostly came from my family room.  The red, white, and blue plant was only moved from the porch to the deck.  More creativity than cash... but still one knew as they walked to the deck that they were at a party.

I am aware that a post about hospitality is rather out of the ordinary for a Sunday Afternoon Tea but then again... the Bible is full of stories about hospitality given and even the reminder that we may have "entertained angels unaware".  That is an exciting thought.  :)

Note:  Do forgive any typos and grammar errors.  I tried to fix what was obvious but I must return to my sofa with a cup of hot throat coat tea, my pillow, and a throw... and a reminder that it is just the common cold.

Answering some questions

Thank you for your kind comments about our deck.  It was one of the things about our house that I fell in love with when our Realtor showed it to us.  The couple who lived here before us both had large extended families and this house is rather small so they built a big deck and replaced the sliding glass doors with French doors... lovely!

The two smaller tables are there quite by accident.  I wanted a large picnic table when we moved here but they were just too expensive.  Then Stephanie bought one of the small table sets when they first visited and we bought the other small table set later.

As it turns out, they have been very easy to work with, much better than a picnic table would have been.  God's provision was better all along.  ;)

While land is no longer what I would consider cheap (as it once was), it is still reasonable compared to other parts of the country... thus the big yard.  The above two pictures show the view from our front porch... and people wonder why I have a Big Foot fetish (even though I am assured there are no Big Feet around here except Victoria's).

Remember my winter view?  There really is a barn across the county road!

Now, about other comments:

Thank you so much to everyone who orders through the Amazon widget (either mine or another blog friend since I do have dear friends who also have a widget).  I was able to get a birthday gift for Faith (DVD) and a belated birthday gift for Anna (Pat the Bunny) this month.  Sometimes I use it to build my homemaking library and other times for family gifts.  Thank you!!!

I forgot to say that the Possum Pie recipe calls for chopped pecans and pecan halves but I almost always use only the chopped or leave them out if I don't have them (nuts are getting so expensive).  I have also used Cool Whip instead of real whipped cream if I am in a hurry.

I plant bush beans by seed all summer, until I have used the entire package of seeds.  I read in one of my gardening books that the writer liked to sow seeds for bush beans every two weeks through the summer.  I planted a few more seeds about two weeks after the initial planting. 

The "new" raised bed with the Early Girl tomato plant, green beans, and one pathetic green pepper plant (it did not like all the rain)

Then I planted a few seeds in the new raised bed my husband built in June (along with an Early Girl tomato plant which only takes about  50 days to harvest). 

Today I hoed the area where the cabbage was and will plant green beans there within the next couple days (the next time I give the garden a good drink of water).  They should give me a harvest next month.

While I am showing my garden, look at these moss roses!  I absolutely adore moss roses but I've had a hard time growing them at the edge of the forest.  They are happy here at the end of the raised bed, especially since it stopped raining every day.

The marigolds are happy, too... for the sunshine and the heat.  After I finished harvesting mint and lemon verbena today, I was not as happy with the heat as the flowers.  But the sunshine was nice.

By the way, I noticed when re-checking comments that I have had 15,555 comments so far.  Wow.  I had no idea...

Time is flying by!

I can't believe we are nearing the end of the week.  I have been trying to get all the necessary garden and housework accomplished while physically recovering from the work leading up to the 4th of July party.  It was all worth it and it is not like I'm horribly ill or anything.  I'm just all achy and fatigued so the everyday work takes a little longer to accomplish and the afternoon nap is a necessity right now.

While I can blame chronic illness, I expect the junk food eaten over the holiday weekend did not help me to feel any better.  I must have gained twenty pounds in three days.  Back to lots of veggies!

I've been harvesting all the cauliflower, more kale, lots of cucumbers, and green beans.  Where the cauliflower plants were, I will plant more bush beans soon.  I like to plant them throughout the season.  The cauliflower turned out about as good (or not) as the broccoli last year.  I've decided our state's strange springs do not set well with this family of veggies... that is going from frozen winter to hot summer with about six hours of  nice spring weather each year.

The kale is as easy to grow as the green beans and since I found out one is suppose to harvest it all season (blush) instead of just watching it grow... it keeps producing more and more.  I started growing it when I read how nutritious it is and I must admit I'm only beginning to know how to cook it. 

I made kale chips once and they were fantastic but the next time they were awful (I used too much oil).  Still experimenting, perhaps with some Italian recipes (they use a lot of kale).  In the meantime I just saute' it with some butter and oil, salt and pepper.

Speaking of food and all, when our friends came over for Sunday Dinner I made the meatloaf recipe in Tyler Florence's Family Meal cookbook (which I highly recommend).  It turned out to be fantastic.  I usually don't try something new for guests but this looked straight forward (with no weird ingredients or anything).  Along with the new dish, I served my two tried and true side dishes that I've made for a gazillion years (the creamy cheese potatoes and the broccoli casserole recipes on my recipe blog).

Dessert was a pie I first made many years ago but for some reason, had not made it recently (I don't know why, it is creamy delicious).  It is called Possum Pie and you should have seen the look on my friend Linda's face when I told her the name of the pie.  We had just been talking a few days earlier about the possums that come up on my front porch at night, hehehe.  Since it is an old (1990's) Taste of Home recipe, I searched and was happy to find the recipe online... here.  Delicious... and you don't have to kill a possum to make it.

Stephanie had surgery today.  I know she would appreciate all prayers for a quick recovery.  She is suppose to be still and not do anything for two weeks.  I know her hubby and Elisabeth will help out, as well as her friends and her wonderful mother-in-law who is not too far away but... well, you know... it is not easy for a mother to be quiet.  In the meantime, I told her pain pills are her best friend for the next day or two.

Scenes from the 4th of July

You can see the "Furry One" looking out the door.  :)

We had friends over for dinner Sunday afternoon and then a big 4th of July party for Christopher's friends on Monday.  Which meant days of preparation (mostly for the party) but it was all worth it.  We had a lovely time together on Sunday and the deck party on the 4th was enjoyed by all.

Most of my days were spent in the kitchen baking, cooking, and doing so many loads of dishes that my hands turned to prunes.  Okay, they just got all pruney... Word Check tells me there is no such word but I can assure you that they are pruney.

The guys did all the heavy duty deck cleaning, Miss M. started the decorations, and then I brought out a lot of my Americana accessories from the family room.

Here are some more pictures...

That's Stephanie's vintage fan that I have borrowed and yes... those are Coke bottles holding flags.

I bought the two plastic plates on clearance at Tuesday Morning last year.  The flag "fans" were purchased on clearance a few years ago... Wal Mart I think..

We were blessed with a rain free day.  It was hot but much less heat than earlier in the week.  Just minutes after these pictures were taken, the deck became crowded with hungry people!

Now... I plan to rest for two or three or four days.  ;)

Happy Birthday Faith (and America)

It is hard to believe our Tigger-ish firecracker Faith is now six years old!

We love you Faithy.

(Sorry for no Sunday Afternoon Tea, we had guests on Sunday and Christopher is hosting a 4th of July party at our house today... super duper busy!)