Storms and questions and answers

To make you smile... Mrs. C. and her kitty.

We are under a Winter Storm Warning as a combination of snow and sleet falls outside the French door windows onto the deck.   Heavier snow and high winds are to be upon us soon.

I do hope this is the last snowstorm of the season.  Although I admit since we were able to get all of our necessary errands run yesterday... mine in the morning, Hubby's in the afternoon... I'd much rather have snow than that cold rain.

Anyone commenting now will find the dreaded Word Verification pop up.  I was receiving hundreds of spam comments each week and Blogger stopped picking up all of them long ago.  So I found myself having to sort through much spam to get to publish real comments.  Please don't let Word Verification stop you from comments... there are so few as it is.

As for the spam?  Not one has gotten through since Word Verification was implemented.  :)

I thought I'd answer a few questions that came up recently...

No... I receive no help from the State other than the right to purchase reduced cost insurance.  The thought of them paying for diabetic shoes gave me a smile, although the insurance may pay for prescription shoes but (thank God) I don't need them.

I learned about SAS shoes from my mother-in-law, who first wore them as a nurse.  My father-in-law was definitely one who was more cheap than frugal (affected by the Depression in a very adverse way) but he also believed in buying very good shoes.

I bought my first pair of SAS shoes long ago when I was going to be doing a lot of walking on a trip to San Francisco.   I have two pairs of their sturdy tie shoes that are in great shape but alas... my sandals were purchased when we lived in Detroit.  That's how well-made SAS shoes are but even they do not last forever.

Neither my former specialist nor my present doctor are thrilled with diabetics wearing sandals but since I told them it was either that or going barefoot... they said SAS sandals are "okay" for me to wear. 

Hubby says it's my mother's Kentucky DNA that comes out in my dislike of wearing shoes... she's no longer here to give him a Gibb's slap on the side of the head (NCIS fans will "get it").

Kim answered the question about the Phillip's New Testament Translation of the Bible in Comments.  I like this translation very much. 

It was once used a great deal more often than it is today.  I remember reading in one of Elisabeth Elliot's books that she carried a Phillip's New Testament.

We lay rows of heavy garden plastic sheeting between the raised beds and then put mulch on top.  However, last year the weeds eventually broke through and all of our garden (raised beds and rows) looked very bad by the end of the season... a result of excess heat and drought as weeds loved it and veggies did not.

When we first went to food pantries, I was embarrassed.  When we were in school (me in undergrad and Hubby in graduate school), if someone told me we'd end up standing in lines for food and any help we could receive at our age I wouldn't have believed them. 

We did everything right... went to school, tithed, had a savings account, etc.  However, being rather Reformed in my thinking, I do believe God is in control and if He has allowed this to happen... rather than stomping my feet and complaining... we do the best we can given the circumstances.

I truly have seen God work miracles... amazing miracles.  Such as money arriving in the mail when I hadn't told anyone of a specific need.  Miracles like clothing I need at Goodwill when I actually have some cash on me (which is very rare) or being given an automobile (twice). 

I've learned that there are gifts we can give God... faith, trust, a good attitude when we don't understand, and a thankful heart. 

I should have known when, as a teenager, He gave me Proverbs 3:5,6 as my life's verse that interesting days were ahead.  ;)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5,6 NIV