Precious Days

What a great couple of days I had with Cody and Elizabeth. As always, time slipped away too fast, but the time we had together was great. It was a relaxing visit with no agenda so we were able to do some things we like to do. Highlights:

No visit to Des Moines is complete without spending some time in the shoe department of the Von Maur department store. I'm not sure if any of us bought anything, but Von Maur always has the most fashionable and latest shoe styles. We stopped at Jordan Creek, http://www.jordancreektowncenter.com/ for some more browsing and then lunch at On The Border, http://www.ontheborder.com/, another must-do when Cody and Elizabeth are in town.

The next day we decided to check out some local places that I had heard about. First was the Cheese Shop of Des Moines. I will definitely be back here to do some more cheese shopping, http://thecheeseshopdsm.com/. 

Elizabeth checking out the vast array of the deliciousness of cheese. We explored the Roosevelt area a little further and then headed for West End Archetectural Salvage, http://www.westendsalvage.com/. If you are a repurposer or a reuser, this is basically an old grocery warehouse filled with 3 floors of high priced (I believe I can safely say over-priced) junk. I like to look at something and try to visualize where it was used before and what the people were like who had this particular item.

We were able to do some hanging around home, watch a lot of basketball and monitor our pool picks closely and then before I knew it, it was time for them to leave. I have so much fun when Cody, Elizabeth Carson or Carissa are around and then when they are gone, I just miss them so much. We have some family events coming up that I am eagerly anticipating. Can't wait.

Recycle, Reuse or Repurpose

Lately I have been intrigued by the idea of repurposing. My mom has long been at the very top of reusing and repurposing. After she finishes a loaf of bread, she washes up the plastic bag and reuses it. I am not quite at that level, but I do wash up and reuse my Ziplocs.

Here they are in my cupboard just waiting for their next use. There is usually a little pile of Ziploc bags ready for washing under my sink that will not get a picture here.

So I guess there is a difference between recyling, reusing and repurposing. Give us a definition you are saying? Okay ....

Recycle: To put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment.

Reuse: To use something again, often for a different purpose and usually as an alternative to throwing it out.

Repurpose: To use or convert for use in another format or product.

To me, reuse and repurpose are somewhat similar. But here is an idea for repurposing that I found probably on Pinterest.

This is deliciousness in a bottle and how I have my coffee without paying the high Starbucks price. No, it's not quite as good, but it works for me. Anyhow after I finish the White Chocolate Carmel Latte, I get the bottle all cleaned up and use it in a variety of ways:

I had a box of kosher salt that sprung a little leak in one of the corners and was becoming a source of frustration in that I don't need to clean up little salt particles every day. So wah lah, kosher salt in my coffee creamer jar. Here's another one:

A perfect little watering device for my herb seeds and my African violet that is overflowing its pot. Not too much water, not too little, juuuuuust right.

I think you could these creamer containers for little noodles. Oh but I can see this could be a perfect container for rice. So there we are, I think the options are endless and that, my friends, is repurposing. Or maybe reusing. Anyhow it's re'ing something.

What's The Plan?

On December 1, 2011, Lori was going to come up from Fairfield and we were going to meet in Pella. At the last minute, I had to bail on her because we were having a meeting at work and it was too important to miss. I told Lori, dang it all, it looks like I have to go to this meeting or lose my job. Well the meeting was to tell us that Iowa Health was outsourcing all transcription statewide and our jobs were being eliminated. Merry Christmas from Iowa Health. We were all hired by the outsource company and I took that job, but actively (can we say now nearly desperately?) searching for something else. I knew this company wasn't right for me when we were told by our supervisor that we wouldn't get any time off for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's. Okay, that's fun. As it looks now, I will work every holiday this year and that's not my style. So it's been an interesting ride I've been on for the last couple of months. I have had the same job for 20+ years, but now I'm starting to think about what kind of job would I like to have? What would make getting up and going to work a joy? Here are a few thing I've come up with.

Everything I want to do, I am highly unqualified for. I think greenhouses and landscaping businesses are really fun places to hang out so I sent an application to TimberPine, one of my favorite nursery/landscaping/greenhouse places and the application asked if I had experience with a skidloader, heavy equipment, landscaping, etc. and I'm like well no, but I like plants and gardening and I love to talk about it. They haven't called me yet. I would like to learn to sew so I asked Mary, my friend, who owns a quilt shop if she needed someone who didn't know a thing about sewing, but was friendly and nice and she didn't really answer me. So I think that was a no. I talked to Nancy, the lady who owns my favorite yarn/knitting store and told her I was available, but since every time I go in I ask for advice, she didn't make me an offer on the spot either. Lori is an interior decorator and that would be a really fun job, but I'm struggling to get my own house spiffied up and unfortunately I have no clue about decorating. I would like to be a secret shopper. I want to go on trips for Midwest Living and write about all the cool places I visit. Freelance writing would be interesting although after reading this, some might think Really??? I like the elderly and sick people, something might come up there. Most importantly, I would really like a job with a lot of vacation time because I have a lot of places to go. Anyone out there got anything for me?

I do have confidence that God has a plan for me and I rely on Jeremiah 29:11:
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Personally, I can't wait to see how this all turns out.

Time To Write Again

I sort of have a love-hate relationship with this blogging business. I do like to write, but it's hard work and it doesn't always flow together so great. So I'm not going to overthink this thing; I will just try to write about my pretty ordinary life that I happen to love and document some memories.

I have to thank my friend, Lori there in Fairfield, for encouraging me to write. Her kind words got me thinking and here I am. Now that I've started, I really hope I don't stop. No, I REALLY hope I don't stop. I'm like a New Year's resolution -- Great intentions, but the follow doesn't always happen so with a deep breath and look of resolve I'm stepping off the easy path and into Blog World.

Don't Be Content to Just Staple

This fall, I am undertaking a new challenge, a new adventure. For the past nine years the women's group at our church has been in the very extremely capable hands of our Pastor Susan Watson. At the end of our Women of the Word (WOW) year last year, I felt God nudging me to become more involved with this group. I was sure Susan could use some help making copies or stapling papers together so I sent her an e-mail asking if she could use me in any way. Meanwhile she felt God nudging her to get me more involved, but in a much different way. She asked if I would be willing to be involved more with programming and become really involved in all aspects of WOW. It wasn't what I expected, but after meeting with Susan a couple times this summer and now with our kick-off less than a week away, I'm filled with anticipation and excitement of where God will take this ministry.

I do not look at this move as taking over this program, but rather I feel that I am partnering with Susan. Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us: A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (New Living Translation). I see Susan and I as 2 strands and adding God, WOW becomes a strong cord that is not easily broken.

Once again, God taught me a lesson through this. So often when we think of things we can do to further the kingdom, we think about copying or stapling, but God says, "oh child, I have something so much bigger, so lean on me in faith and see what I can do through you."

I'm encouraged by Susan's confidence in me to partner with her, we have some amazing ladies with incredible gifts and I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do through us.

Much love,

An Aching Heart

This past March, my cousin Dan and his wife, Jane, lost their 24-year-old son, Thomas. I can't comprehend losing a child, I just can't wrap my head around the pain and hurt of that. I had such a feeling of loss when my dad passed away, but that is still the natural order of things. Losing a child is not. I struggle to understand how the God who loves us, also allows such pain. Now as Jane and Dan go on, they enter the season of "firsts."

In June, Dan and Jane had their first extended family vacation without Thomas, a tradition they have celebrated for many years. I received a text from Dan's sister asking me to pray for Dan and Jane as it was the week for this family vacation. At the time, we were on our way to Ohio and literally at a standstill on I-80 on the south side of Chicago. I had my ipod with me and put on some praise music to prepare my heart to pray for Dan and Jane. As I sat there, offering prayer for Dan and Jane, I looked outside of the window and there on the side of the road were some birds looking for something to eat. They would pick up little white pieces, realize they were only little stones and spit them back out. I don't know if there was any food out there, but they were persistent in looking for it. As I watched them, I was reminded of Matthew 6:26:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

I know God loves Dan and Jane, I know He is holding them close, I know He understands their hurt because He suffered the same thing with his own Son. Dan and Jane are an inspiration, they live out Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Despite pain and hurt, they continue to praise God and seek Him and God has blessed them with hope and a future with the birth of a granddaughter, Emmaline.

Recently, I heard this song on the radio and the words touched me as I pray for Dan and Jane and how they continue to show what it means to live a life of faith.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching(s) of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

--Laura Story--

One More Thing About Gardening

I forgot to mention in my previous post, that I got a beautiful canteloupe from my garden. Except I didn't plant any canteloupe.