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The air is cool in the mornings and evenings and it feels ever so slightly like FALL....that means the shoppers are coming to the wonderful "THING" in Round Top! I'm saving my pennies to go do some hunting and shopping myself....plus I'm selling some stuff....we'll hope the cool air stays around for a few weeks....I even have leaves falling which makes it feel like AUTUMN is here!....Is that wishful thinking? OK, prayerful thinking!
A friend and I went shopping for Art Books and Magazines this week ...we needed to flee the country side to the city and get some inspiration! It always works! After pouring through the magazines on journaling ...I don't know exactly why, but I drew this little dress called "My Favorite Gypsie Dress"...it is not like the one I had that I loved to twirl in, but I like this one better....kind of a "taylored" flair...!? Anyway, I just wrote on it what I felt ....and that was cherished memories of my Mother who sewed all my clothes...I still have a few of the baby dresses.
Drawing and painting them is even more fun, because they always turn out good and the fit doesn't matter....just the fun imagined wearing it.
I lived in Leon, Spain as a child for three years.....with no other Americans there that we knew of...and little girls didn't even think of wearing slacks or pants outfits yet! I even rode a donkey with a dress on...at least when no one was watching...otherwise I would put on those corduroy peddle pushers that Mother ordered from Sears and Roebuck...they were black and white leopard with red cuffs!...and that was in 1957 ! I had two pair and my little Spanish friend Maria Luisa, would sneak them on when she stayed over at my house and we would ride the donkey in the back field. She was from a wealthy family...and we would watch the limousine go down the road disappearing with her Chauffeur and "mean" Governess in the car...her parents allowing her to come to our house for a little taste of Texan Americans. What great memories and how a piece of clothing can refresh old memories. Thanks Mom and Dad for a cherished childhood in Spain!! I miss you both...
My guests left to go HOME to see what damage they had in the storm of the hurricane last week....they had good reports and felt blessed..they were thankful...! When they were here they were on the phone constantly checking on "ONE ANOTHER"....I saw the value and genuine love they had for their friends and family....it was good for my soul to see. In the week that Norma (and precious Michael, 10 yrs) were here in my HOME...we talked many nights until LATE...and I hope the words she shared will be imprinted in my heart...all the things about people and the Lord who came to give us an abundant life...even in and through hardship...He is able. Imagine!! She came seeking refuge and a place of comfort of heart....which we provided....but it ended up that SHE in her Godly Wisdom ministered to me....to us!! The Lord has unexpected surprises...many times exactly what you need! Thank You Jesus!...thank you Norma! Comeback to see us!!
This is a drawing of an old house that I did for a friend....still standing after many years...worn, faded, foundation slightly shifted, but still has the wild and beautiful red rose bush in front to still give it some deserved honor and reminded beauty of not only it's face but cherished memories of it's heart. Hope we will begin to create cherished memories in our homes...no matter the past hurts...which can be turned into good to grow us into what He desires....a mature heart, a more receptive heart, a more listening heart, a more patient heart, a renewed heart...a heart that hears others hurts and hears His Word....that which He wrote for us to give us HOPE when there seems to be none. I hope I haven't gone overboard, but this past week was RICH with conversations I hope I glean from!! I know many of you have prayed for all the people affected by "IKE"....thank you!
When I was a kid I remember the campaign button for Eisenhower....it said "I like Ike"....but the Ike that came to visit us in Texas wasn't running for President. We had a couple of really nice families stay with us until the storm was over....they were fortunate but others were not....
When we moved to Texas our farm had a lot of trees that grew at a 45 degree angle....all pointing in the same direction....finally the locals said Hurricane "Carla"...1961?....was responsible for the damage this far up into Texas!
Anyway I found this photo of the sunset over my garden shed that I manipulated on photo shop to look like a painting...with the most beautiful cloud formation I had ever seen! I have loved my camera capturing God's obvious creation!....found this in Isaiah 4:6..."And there will be a tabernacle (represents God's protection) for shade in the day time from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from the storm and rain."
I finally got rid of that big chicken snake!!! It was a little cruel, but my baby chicks were going to be the third dinner course after all the eggs that snake swallowed....so I had to do what I had to do...we won't go into detail.....anyway, the girls are happy again sitting on some freshly laid eggs...and the two baby chicks are happy scratching in the mud. It's scarey what we'll do to protect our chickens!!!
Us "city cousins" would visit our Grandparents farm in the summer.....and we thought it was great fun to gather all the eggs in the hay barn....blow out the egg and then throw them at our uncles when they would pass by to start the milking.....boy were we surprised when we were marched to Grandma with a lecture about eggs being valuable food! I guess we learned our lesson!! Now I kill snakes that try to get my eggs! Better watch out!
