THE SOUNDS OF A HOMECOMING!

The pitter-patter of little feet, an occasional baby's cry, theological discussions, giggling over a "tea party" with the Peter Rabbit tea set, praise and worship music blaring from the upstairs in the early morning! These are the sounds of a re-united family!

We are so glad that JT, Kori, and their girls, Emma and Sophie, made it safely home from Colorado Springs yesterday afternoon. For the next week and a half they are staying with us. It's such a joy to hear the little voices of our granddaughters again. Emma and I have played tea party in the antique toy corner countless times already. She seems to enjoy it more than ever. Sophie is walking all over now and is growing up rapidly. I hope your desired holiday moments are coming true as well. Blessings, LORI

PEACE ON EARTH

Somehow, I managed to get two of the same pictures on here. Then I realized how appropriate that was to my post title! Peace, Peace! Can you get too much of it?!


"Peace on earth" is part of the declaration of the heavenly host from Luke 2 in the account of Jesus' birth. It seems to be a statement that the Prince of Peace has now arrived,' things are being set right in the world, God has sent the provision for your total well-being!


This week we received the same huge winter snowstorm that blanketed much of the midwest. I think a good snowstorm creates a sense of 'peace' in so many ways. When the snow has stopped falling, the countryside looks clean, sparkling, glistening, and peaceful. It forces you to stay inside, slow down, and do things you have been putting off--things like writing letters, baking, spending more time as a family, and gathering around cozy places. I think a heavy snowfall is a positive thing once in a while!

Pictured here is my garden sign, "PEACE," now almost buried in snow. Also pictured is "Mrs. Wren's house" with snow on the roof! Blessings of peace to you in this wonderful season, LORI

WELCOME TO THE ANTIQUE TOY CORNER

I hope this panorama of pictures will give you an idea of what my "antique toy corner" is like. This little area is upstairs in the dormer that faces east and has the large decorative window. I got the idea to decorate it this way from a memory from childhood. We visited My Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown, KY when I was a little girl and I remember the nursery in a little upstairs room. It fascinated me and impressed me a lot, I guess. I inherited many old toys from family members and so decided to put them all here.

The grandfather clock is a family item that will be going back home to my mother-in-law's soon. It stayed here for the summer while her new house was being built. First group of strong guys here are welcome to carry it downstairs and move it! Next to it sits a little red wooden chair that belonged to my grandma. It's early 1900's at least. Sorry that we had to photograph through the stairway. This dormer is sliced by the open staircase.

You may need to click to enlarge these pictures for detail. The red chair and little rocker both holding dolls were given to me. The little chair belonged to Clint's mother and the larger rocker my parents found at an auction. The little red egg was an Easter present given to my dad by a great grandmother in the 1920's. It almost got away from me the day of my mom's auction. I found it and took it back in the house before the sale started!

The little white dresser was mine as a little girl and on top of it sits a new Peter Rabbit tea set I bought recently. Emma and I took it down and played with it while she was here during Thanksgiving. The little cradle was made in the 1800's by a man from Pennsylvania. We just found out from family diaries this year that it was probably purchased by my dad for his sisters one year in the 1930's. He had a paper route and this gentleman was one of his customers! My aunt, my dad's sister, just gave me the little bronzed shoes this year. An old school slate is leaned against the wall.

The white shelf I obtained at a garage sale and it holds my collection of Snow White dishes. I played with them as a little girl. Some were broken, but I salvaged most of them. The sampler above was done by Rhiannon in high school. It was a homeschool project.

In one picture you will see an antique coverlet on the wall. I salvaged this from Clint's mom's auction as well. I think his grandma made it and I believe the fabric is from feed sacks. The picture of the little boy fishing is very old. It hung in our house when I was growing up in the 1960's and 70's. My mom loved auctions before they were "cool" and she got it long ago. The desk beneath it was given to me for a graduation present since I was a business major. On top of it sits an African tea set I purchased in Kenya and several antique toy utensils. Below it are a pair of my grandma's shoes that she wore when she was four years old (1903-04). Also piled on the floor are several old quilts--very old I might add. I believe some of the fabrics are Civil War era and were pieced by my great grandmothers. Also a little antique stroller is holding some books that belonged to me, my father, and his mother. The wooden stroller behind the desk was Clint's mother's.

Emma loves to come up here to play. I have to supervise when she plays up here since some of toys are so fragile. I want them to be enjoyed, though and I think it would be a shame to never let her touch them. She is learning to treat them carefully. I hope you enjoyed this little visit to my toy corner. Blessings, LORI

A FEW NEW ITEMS IN DECORATING

Just wanted to post a few pictures from around the house. My daughter in law suggested this when she was home recently. She said folks like to see decorating ideas on blogs. I want to share one of my favorite dormer corners with you. I have posted about it before, but there have been some recent changes!

This is a picture of my "European Corner," as I call it. I recently added some items to this dormer. I was cleaning the other day and happened upon this antique gold picture frame that I've never put a picture in! I decided not to let it sit around any more! It is now a frame for hanging herbs and flowers to dry!

As well as that, I recently added a few new plates and a plate rack to the wall below Vermeer's "Lacemaker." I am especially fond of this painting becuase I too am a bobbin lacemaker. The new plate rack was given to me by a friend who did not realize I had the exact matching two lengthwise ones. They hang on the opposite wall! I was thrilled to get it! The new plates--the ones in the middle--came from a second store. They pick up the bright primary colors of the room quite well. The new decor cost a total of $12.50, so I am thrilled with the cheap changes!

We are leaving for Iowa tomorrow. Have a blessed week! LORI

A PICTURELESS POST UPDATE

Just wanted to post a little before Thanksgiving. We got a big surprise when JT, Kori, and the girls walked into our house on Saturday evening! They had called Friday evening asking us to pray for Emma. Seems she'd been under the weather with stomach issues and they thought she was doing better. They planned a surprise trip home from Colorado and when they put her in the car, she vomited all over. So they headed to the emergency room instead of to Michigan. Two hours later they called saying the doctor said she'd be fine, gave her something for nausea, but that the trip was off. I suspected it was still on for some reason, but calculated their ETA for sometime Sunday.

Well, were we ever surprised when they did show up, but sooner than we expected! They drove straight through, taking turns sleeping! We were able to spend a lot of time together eating, visiting, and playing games over the last few days.

Tomorrow Rhiannon and I have to take off (yes, on Thanksgiving day) to make it to a wedding in Pennsylvania. Rhiannon is a bridesmaid for a Bible college friend and must arrive before Friday night rehearsal. So the kids came home for Thanksgiving, but we had a quick turkey breast meal yesterday instead of tomorrow since she and I will be gone. Clint is invited to three different meals and might join JT and Kori at Kori's family's on Friday so he can spend a little extra time with them before they go home on Saturday.

So for the last few days I have cooked happy meals for a full house again and enjoyed little tea parties with Emma. Sophie is walking and she was very sweet and sociable to us. Seems like last time we saw her (only 5 weeks ago) she was a baby, and now she's becoming a toddler who likes to interact, smiling and hugging everyone. We read our favorite books, watched our favorite nature shows, and played with all the favorite toys. Once I saw them I realized I had missed them much more than I ever realized. Saying goodbye tonight was a heartbreaker all over again. I didn't cry too much this time, though, hoping another visit will be only about three weeks away.

As well as that, Clint started a sabbatical on Sunday. We haven't taken one since 2004. This was a HUGE year for us in many ways. His mom moved out of her house of 49 years and since he was the only child, much of the organizing and clearing out fell to him. Getting her settled into a new place was a lot of work. As well as that, JT moved to Colorado and we took a trip out there to help Kori move. We became instant surrogate landlords (not really much work to that!) for their home (now rented, thankfully). The changes were mostly big emotional changes and they took a toll on both of us. It was even more so for Clint as his mom left the home he grew up in. As much as we wanted her to leave and get into a more manageable home, I admit I almost shed a tear or two myself the last day we were there and the house was empty. Plus having a son who lived less than a mile away move 20 hours away was a big adjustment for Clint, the father that was often around (preachers have home offices!). Since we were a homeschool family, it made us very close. This is the first real separation we've experienced as a family since Rhiannon went to Bible college in 2002. Even that was only 4 hours away and lasted for a nine month school year.

I chipped my front tooth yesterday, but thankfully a quick and inexpensive trip to the dentist this morning repaired it good as new!

We have much to be thankful for this year and we are very aware of that. God has been so good to us. He gave me some very special assurances when JT and Kori first talked of moving away to attend Charis Bible College. It has made me thankful. It made the transition easier as well.

When we get back from PA, I will have two days before we have to leave for the annual Iowa trip. I hope to post some really great stuff as soon as I can! Take care, Happy Thanksgiving, and Blessings, LORI

A PICTURELESS POST UPDATE

NOW THAT'S BAZAAR!

I wanted to share some pictures of our annual bazaar with you! Our church has held a bazaar nearly every year for as long as I can remember. I've been there almost 30 years--so that's a long time!

We almost always make raised doughnuts, which are a highlight every year. Often people would line up for the doughnuts well ahead of the opening time. We could hardly ever make enough! Here is a picture of some of them along with homemade cinnamon rolls.

Several dedicated workers get up in the middle of the night to start making the doughnuts so they are fresh and ready for customers at 8 am.

As well as the food, we also have a baked goods area and many handicrafts. Notice the quilts and comforters. All the stuff pictured with the quilts was auctioned--among which are the antique embroidered kitchen towels that my Mom and I saved out of a box of stuff given to us last summer. We washed them and ironed them the day before the sale. They ended up being a $50 item and we were thrilled with that.

Several years ago we started a rug project. You can see the many lovely rugs hanging on the bars also. The ladies of the church sew up the rags or new material that's been donated and then send them off to be woven. The rugs are a popular item each year. The comforter on the far right of the bars was not sold but ended up being donated to a family who lost their house in a fire that same week. The love of Christ was extended beyond our walls with the present of a comforter. In addition to all that we sell lots of crocheted items and Christmas decorations. We even have a bit of a rummage sale. The bazaar is unique each year because of the donated items. No two bazaars are ever alike! We once cracked over 100 dozen eggs to make noodles and angel food cakes!

For the last several years we have had a few hogs butchered and had whole hog sausage available. This is a very popular item. Some of the men grill it as well and sell sandwiches. I had my share--yum, yum!

All the proceeds go to missions. Despite the poor economy, we did well this year and the money will be appreciated by the various groups that receive it. A lot can be accomplished with everyone working together. With everyone pitching in, each little effort goes a long way! Isn't that the way it is in the body of Christ? Few of us are the big evangelists that draw large crowds and minister to thousands upon thousands. So we still need the local church. We learned a valuable lesson about all this last week. Clint taught Bible class for a local Christian high school back in the mid 1990's. He had just a few students but he faithfully presented the truths of Bible doctrines to these teenagers. In the recent election one of his former students was elected to the United States House of Representatives! Another lady from our church was one of this man's school teachers and one of our men in the congregation coached him in basketball. This was a sobering thought for us as we realized we never know who we are impacting when we think we are just doing the little things (like teaching three or four kids around a little Sunday School table). Though this man was not from our church and now lives a ways away, who would have ever thought that someone from such a rural place would end up in Washington for "such a time as this."? I like to think Clint was able to positively impact this person's life who is now serving the United States in Washington, DC! Keep doing the so-called "little things," that God assigns you to--you never know what the impact will be! Blessings, LORI

FALL FENCEROW FILIGREE

I wish I had had this picture of the lacey little cabbage earlier in the summer when I did a post on "Nature's Lace." Check it out at http://lorizehr.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html It would have been perfect. I was pretty excited to see it in my garden this time of year when everything else is dry, brown, and frostbitten. I love light green and off white together--it's one of my favorite combinations in clothing, dishes, etc. This pretty little cabbage is just as nice as a rose, if you ask me and should have been in the other post!

We've been having unusually nice weather here this week and so I went out to the English garden to do a little more fall cleanup. I was surprised to find this bittersweet growing in profusion in the nearby fencerow. It is very pretty and I had no idea that it was there. What a nice surprise.

We've had a very busy week and I haven't had time to post anything yet so I hope you enjoy these few pictures until something more exciting comes up in my knitting, baking, or homemaking world!

HANDSPUN HAPPINESS

Proverbs 31:19, "She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her handss hold the distaff."

Proverbs 27:26, "The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of a field."

Here is picture of me in our front yard holding my latest skeins of spun yarn. This group is Alpaca/Wool blend. I really enjoy spinning and knitting, but when I was thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman, I had to wonder if the charm would sort of disappear from the hobby if it were a duty--part of the necessary work of a woman. What if I had to actually spin all my thread, then weave it, then cut the cloth to make clothing? Since I also have some experience weaving, I can't begin to imagine the amount of work that would involve. I can't spin yarn fine enough to suit me right now, let alone fine enough to weave into cloth for clothing! I've been trying to consistently produce nice sport weight or fingering yarn with an eye to lace weight eventually. Yet, even that would be pretty large thread size to be made into cloth!

The sweater I have on in the picture is one I made a few years ago. The yarn is a bulky/chunky type of novelty yarn. I love it and yet it was a little scratchy on my neck as I wore the sweater today. I can't imagine what some forms of homespun would have been like for everyday clothing. It's so hard for me to think about creating all my clothes from the sheep to the shirt. But our ancestors did it on a regular basis. No wonder the Proverbs 31 woman was revered! I have trouble cooking supper sometimes and she was doing all kinds of hard work on a daily basis!

Well, anyway, it was a beautiful fall day here. Though it was cold, the skies were a lovely mix of dark clouds and vibrant blue skies with sunshine and shadows alternating. The browns of the late fall leaves and the occasional evergreen against dry yellow corn fields just made scenes worthy of a painting, in my estimation. This is one of the prettiest times of year, I think. I went to my spinning and knitting group today and had a great time. I hope you enjoyed the day too. Think of the Proverbs 31 woman while you are doing your daily tasks and be thankful for ready-made clothing, electric mixers, washers and dryers, freezers, and so on....Blessings, LORI

PROJECTS

Just wanted to post a few pictures of some completed projects. Take a look at the socks I've been working on, finally done! I am fairly pleased with them, but am already planning on how to improve the next ones.



This really bad picture is of me pointing to the "I Voted" sticker I got right after we went to the polls yesterday. Clint and I made history yesterday, not just in voting--because I think this election was of historic proportions--but because he had to do a graveside service in the late morning and he asked me to help by reading scripture. That's why I'm all dressed up. We did the graveside service, visited with the bereaved family over a lunch and then went straight to the polls. Clint does lots of funerals, (like nearly 100 in his 18 year pastoring career) so that's not history-making, but the fact that I helped is! For some reason, he asked me to read scripture yesterday. I was glad to do that for him.


The final picture is of the squash we finally got baked and scooped and bagged for the freezer. We have one more squash to do. A friend from church gave us these lovely huge squashes. I love to make pie out of butternut squash. We got three very generously packed quarts so far. One more fall project out of the way. Yesterday we also got most of the garden ornaments, lawn furniture, and various piles of leaf debris taken care of in the yard so we are pretty much ready for winter. Are you all ready for the snow to fly? Blessings, LORI

STRANGE STUFF ON THE CLOTHESLINE AND SOMETHING IN THE DIRT!

I'm excited to finally get the pictures on the blog--the ones I wanted to post yesterday and because of technical difficulties, I could not!

You will notice my clothesline is decorated with my newest spun, skeined, and washed 100% Alpaca yarn! Whoopee! This is an accomplishment for me.

Also yesterday, Rhi and I planted 30 tulip bulbs. It is best to dig a big hole several inches deep and quite wide and sort of scatter them. It was a lot of work since our soil is not all that cooperative. It has quite a bit of clay and it's been dry here until the last few days. We are hoping for the best with the tulips come spring. We planted three varieties. They are Rhi's favorite flower and so she is really looking forward to them. If we can keep the critters from carrying them away, biting them off right before blooming, digging them up, etc., we'll be all set!

Hope you had a lovely Sunday. Readers--please post a comment on what your favorite flower is! I had a little guessing game last year about mine and no one guessed after alot of clues. Mine is hollyhocks. What are yours?

THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

If you have followed my blog for very long, you have seen this picture before...like last spring when it was taken! My camera card must be full and I wanted to do a post, so I had to delve back into the files to find a suitable photo.

Just this morning Rhiannon and I were noticing someone's lovely roses still blooming. She asked if we had a "last rose of summer" blooming anywhere on the property. I told her "no," that this year was kind of unusual. We most always have at least one hardy specimen that exerts itself in a last ditch effort this time of year, but I hadn't seen any yet.

Rhiannon wanted to put a rose on Clint's Grandma Sal's grave if we could--and she felt it should be our "last rose of summer," since this was a saying Grandma quoted alot. After a hard day's work in her garden or baking all day, her hair falling from the upswept style she always wore, she would often quote, "I'll bet I look like the last rose of summer." Grandma Sal was an important person in all our lives. We miss her greatly. She taught me so much about so many things. I got several of my best recipes for baked goods from her. She was an expert flower and vegetable gardener and I'll probably never come anywhere near being that good with plants. She was hands down the best cook I've ever known and that's not just my opinion. She was known far and wide for her spectacular baked goods and wonderful meals.

Well, lo and behold, after making a visit to the English garden to take in some of the ornaments for winter storage a little while ago, I saw that this same little rose has one bud on it. I hope within a few days we will have our "last rose of summer!"

I wanted to share some other pictures of what we did today, but as I said the camera wasn't cooperating. We worked really had today at various projects that have been left behind while we did all the traveling. We had to make a quick overnight trip to Iowa earlier in the week for a funeral. This, of course, was totally unexpected and came quite closely on the heels of returning from Colorado. I felt like I never got settled from that trip before it was time to take another. So I spent quite a bit of time today tying up loose ends as far as work around here goes.

Today we planted tulip bulbs that Rhi ordered back in May at the Holland Tulip Festival here in Michigan. They will be a spring treat in a few months! I finished digging all the potatoes, did 5 loads of laundry, mostly heavy bedding to catch what might be one of the last beautiful, windy days of fall, took a walk, did some cleaning, went to purchase a little gift to send to the granddaughters, and cleaned out some areas of my desk. Last but not least, and I wanted to show you a picture--I washed my 100% alpaca yarn that I spun. It's hanging out on the line to dry. I was pretty proud of it. Most of it is quite consistent and I'm happy with the finished product! I hope you enjoyed this fall day as much as I did. Blessings, LORI

A FEW LAST PICTURES OF OUR COLORADO TRIP

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE LAST PICTURES OF OUR TRIP! I AM READING TO EMMA FOR THE LAST TIME FOR A WHILE. THIS WAS KIND OF SAD. IT WAS A TEARFUL GOODBYE BEFORE THE NIGHT WAS OVER.


ALSO AMONG THE PHOTOS ARE A SCENE FROM "GARDEN OF THE GODS," A BEAUTIFUL ATTRACTION RISING OUT OF THE EARTH IN THE MIDDLE OF COLORADO SPRINGS! IT'S AMAZING AND VERY PRETTY.


I ALSO HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE OUTDOOR SCENES TAKEN DURING OUR TRIP TO THE STATE PARK UP IN THE MOUNTAINS.

SORRY THE LAST PICTURE IS BLURRY. THIS IS EMMA IN HER "BOB THE TOMATO" HAT THAT AUNT RHI FOUND AT HER VISIT TO FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, ALSO IN COLORADO SPRINGS. I DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD PICTURE OF SOPHIE ON OUR LAST EVENING TOGETHER.

THANKS FOR SHARING OUR TRIP WITH US THESE LAST FEW WEEKS. THOUGH WE'RE HOME NOW, AND IT'S QUIETER IN ONE SENSE, IT SEEMS WE'VE BEEN ON THE RUN EVERY WAKING MOMENT SINCE RETURNING. I THINK THAT HAS HELPED US FILL THE TIME WITHOUT THE GRANDBABIES. GOD IS GIVING THE GRACE I PRAYED FOR.

FOR THOSE WHO CARE--THE SOCKS ARE NOT YET COMPLETELY 'EVOLVED.'

WE ALSO CAME HOME TO A CRASHED COMPUTER AND THOUGHT I HAD LOST MY LATEST BOOK AND ALL OUR OTHER FILES WHICH INCLUDED BOOK 4 AND 5 WHICH WERE ONLY PARTIALLY WRITTEN. IT NOW APPEARS THAT OUR COMPUTER GUY (A COUSIN) WAS ABLE TO SAVE EVERYTHING! PRAISE GOD! I HAD A FEELING I NEEDED TO TAKE TIME TO PRINT OUT BOOK 4 WHICH WAS READY TO GO TO THE PROOFREADER RIGHT BEFORE WE LEFT. IT WAS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS WE DID. IT WAS AS IF THE LORD WAS WATCHING OVER ALL THESE SMALL DETAILS. THE BOOK IS SO CLOSE TO PUBLICATION AND FOR 24HOURS I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSURE IF IT SURVIVED HAD WE NOT TAKEN THE TIME TO RUN IT OFF ON PAPER RIGHT BEFORE LEAVING. I'M SO THANKFUL TO GOD THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO SWEAT IT OUT EVEN FOR THAT LONG! BLESSINGS, LORI

CHURCH AND FAMILY TIME IN COLORADO

Today we had a great time going to church and spending some really good quality family time together. We started off by going to the 10 am service at the church next to the Bible college. It's called Charis Christian Center. The pastor is one of Jt's teachers. He gave an excellent message and we were warmly welcomed. The church is much larger than we are used to back home. It was nice to sit with the family--something I rarely could do at our church. Since I'm on the worship team at home, I am on stage for a large portion of the service, then usually sit in the front bench while Emma and Sophie are in nursery. Even got to sit next to my husband for a change. Pastor's wives rarely get to do that during church and it can begin to feel lonely when everyone else has someone to sit with.



After church we went out for lunch and took some pictures of the girls while waiting for our food. Sophie was in a rare smiley mood. Usually she is very serious. Emma didn't want her picture taken while we were out on the bench, but Rhi snapped a quick photo anyway.

I hope you enjoyed a great day of fellowship at church today. We are counting down the hours now until we say a goodbye that will last for a few months--maybe longer. It will be difficult not to see the girls as often as we did. We are taking advantage of every moment now. Please go to my daughter's blog--www.loaded6string.blogspot.com to see some really great family pictures that we took in the last few days. Check her last few posts for some great photography. Blessings, LORI

KNITTING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

Here are some pictures of our "tour" today into the mountains. It was incredibly beautiful scenery. We went to a state park and took our family pictures for our annual Christmas cards.

With this beautiful scenery, I couldn't resist having my picture taken with the wool I bought and the sock I was knitting. I know, it's a little weird, but that's my idea of a fun time--knitting and the beautiful wilderness! To me, wool and the colors of the earth go hand in hand. If you read my blog often, you've heard me say that I often look across the landscape and enjoy the colors of our cornfields back home or whatever scenery we see and think of wool, dyed in those shades.

The other evening when we were at the minister's conference, during worship we sang the Hillsongs song that everyone loves, "Shout to the Lord." As I was singing I was humbled at the lines that speak of the works of God's mighty hand. I suddenly thought to myself, 'I spend a great deal of time in my life with my handiwork, but it is NOTHING to the handiwork of God that is to be seen in creation.' This week has been a great reminder of that. No matter how intricate the work is that I am doing, He has done something so much greater in this beautiful creation! Blessings, LORI

A VIEW FROM OUR HOTEL

Though these pictures are a bit out of order, bear with me. Pike's Peak had snow on the top this morning. I couldn't resist taking a picture as I was out for my walk. That's the last picture.

The picture of me standing by the sign was taken on Wednesday just after we crossed the state line of Colorado. The really bad one of me by the fence was taken just outside of Colorado Springs this morning when Clint took me on a "fiber hunting" expedition. I found a WONDERFUL store with more roving than I've ever seen in one place in my life. They had looms, spinning wheels, and dye materials as well as a complete knitting shop. I bought one ounce each of white and gray Blue Faced Leicestershire to spin.

I should mention that we went as visitors to a session of the leadership/minister's conference at Charis Bible College last night. The service was wonderful. We got to hear Andrew Wommack preach. This was a big deal for me since I really enjoy his teaching. My son, being a first year student, was helping out as an usher. It was an experience I'll never forget. The Lord has really blessed me in the last few years to be able to meet or see several of the very famous Christian ministers. A few years ago we met John Hagee on a trip to San Antonio. We attended his church and then met him afterwards. I also met Lisa Bevere and Natalie Grant while in England. Our contacts with Resurrection Life Churches based in Grandville, Michigan has allowed us to meet other nationally known Christians as well. This has been a huge blessing to meet the faithful people that God is mightily using in the world today. Oh, to be used by God to win souls! May it be so! Blessings, LORI

MORE OF THE EVOLUTION OF A SOCK

As you can see, something went wrong in the evolution of the sock (is that a surprise?). Is this a mutation? It's more like survival of the fittest! It's a whole new sock! I hope you readers know that I'm making a statement here. I obviously don't believe in evolution. The more I read and learn the more the theory is completely unbelievable to me, though for years after being in school, I didn't question it.

I actually decided that the pattern was too difficult and got tired of the agony of it. This one is going better.

Little disclaimer: Never knit in the car while traveling. I have a friend who is an emt who alerted me to the dangers. You can only imagine the possible ramifications of a front seat knitter in a crash. However, obviously these pictures were taken in the car on our way out west.

This sock is made of a wool/acrylic blend and I love it. It is a heathered blue/brown with a little lace edge (that's what attracted me to it.) If I had read the preliminary instructions more closely, I'd have avoided a few mistakes. The second sock will be better. I had one of the double pointed needles that didn't match and lo and behold after I had knit quite a bit I realized it was a slightly different size. (I'm not known for perfection on some things. I have a huge assortment of old needles and will use mismatched to avoid purchasing--this time it backfired!

Blessings, LORI

WHAT HAPPENS TO MICHIGANDERS WHEN THEY GO OUT WEST!

For some of you blog followers who've never met my husband, this is a bit of a bad picture by which to introduce him....but this is what happens to Michiganders that go out west and really get into the spirit of things!

For a long time Clint has wanted a pair of black cowboy boots. I make western shirts and vests for him quite a bit and he has several very nice western suits. He is just lacking a pair of black boots. We've looked all over Nashville and even on our trips west before. So far no black boots to suit him. We couldn't resist this picture today as we searched some western stores here for just the right pair. Still no boots, but we're having a good time.

I absolutely cleaned up at the mall buying 5 articles of clothing for about $30. That never, never, never happens to me. I can barely ever find anything that fits and today, everything fit and was on huge sale! Even a pair of earrings I wanted were only $2.99!

I felt so blessed today as we got to eat lunch with JT, Kori, and girls as well as drive out into the mountains near Pike's Peak. I will share more of our trip with you soon! Blessings, LORI

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN! (and old man and women , and children!)!

Little did I know when I used to read these classic Horatio Alger novels to our homeschooled children, that one of them would actually choose to "Go West!" Alger's themes were often about the downtrodden young man that works hard and makes good in the world by striving and showing diligence.

On Monday we spent all day getting ready to follow Kori and Rhiannon and the girls to join JT in Colorado Springs. We vacuumed the air out of plastic bags full of pillows, blankets, and etc. to make more packing room in the vehicles. Both vehicles were filled to the gills!

We borrowed a car top carrier--and it was a good thing! Clint packed all our luggage in there and saved the back of the van for Kori and JT's household items! Plus Kori had her vehicle full as well. Moving across country is not an easy task.

Rhiannon and Kori and the girls left at 3:30 Tuesday morning and we left at 7:30. We finally met in York, Nebraska after a long day of driving--uneventful, thankfully, and stayed there last night!

Thanks for the prayers! We really felt the Lord watching over our traveling. More on the sock evolution and trip progress soon. Blessings, LORI