"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Time is running out

Oh my, time is really getting away from me.  Sorry it has been a bit since my last post, but seems like when I have time to post, I don't really have anything to share.  This past weekend, should have been a busy weekend for me, but I wasn't feeling all that well. So I let some things slide.  Which isn't a good thing since my parents will be coming in from Kentucky tomorrow.

On Saturday, the weather was gloomy and rainy and so I stayed in my jammies most of the day.  For some odd reason my whole body ached, and I had chills and then I would get hot.  Go figure!  Anyway, I just kinda was lazy that day.  But I knew I had tons I needed to do on Sunday so I woke up rarin to go.  My handy little list in hand and I was ready, until Michael mentioned going out for breakfast.  I love eating breakfast out.  So off we went. Seems afterwards  I went downhill.  I think it was the eggs at breakfast that made me sick.  I spent the rest of the day sick to my stomach.  (Recently I found out that I have a allergic reaction to eggs and therefore I order and eat Egg Beaters) However I am thinking my order got mixed up and I ended up eating eggs, but believe me I paid the price.  Even though we still had to do errands we were quick about it so that I could get back home.  The day turned out to be a perfect fall day and even though I didn't get alot done, Michael got the yard work done and trimmed all the bushes, and cut back flowers and got everything winterized.  Thankful that is done.

Back to work I went yesterday and trying to get back into my routine.  Although this is a short week for me.  I plan to take Friday off so that I can spend it with my parents as well as go to Tori's football game.  Friday night is senior night, and her school does a big thing for the seniors so that is one of the reasons for my parents visit. Unfortunately they have never gotten to see her cheer (live) in high school so this will be a first.

I think Saturday we are going to head to Amish country, Lancaster Pa..  My mother and I love it up there and it is great this time of year.  I can't wait.  It will be perfect if it isn't rainy.  I can handle the cold, but not if it is wet on top of it.   Karen at My Colonial Home did some great posts on Lancaster on her recent trip. Take a look at all her pictures and you'll have a idea of what we are in for.  Not to mention, spend some time just looking around her lovely blog.

On Sunday since my boys will over visiting with my parents, I plan to make a nice dinner.  This isn't the norm anymore now that the boys have grown up and aren't living at home.  Boy do I miss that time of sitting down at the table all together as a family.  So this will be a nice treat for me to savor.  Granted, I know that football is going to be in on the day too.

On Monday I will be back at work and my parents will be on the way home again.  So this is going to be a short trip for us all, but one that I look forward too.  This is a brief summary of the days ahead, but I wanted you to know why I am not around.  I will be back first part of next week if everything goes okay.  (By that I mean, I haven't gone out of town) Every day Michael and I keep waiting on news of his mother.  She is terminally ill and we know that we don't have much more time.  At the moment, we have tickets to fly out to Texas in a couple of weeks to visit and help out the family.  Just don't know if we will have to go before that.  So basically letting you know that I will get back when I can.


Have a wonderful Halloween. 

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Smells at home

Girlies, I just have to tell you that my house smells heavenly.   This morning I am sitting here Paula Deen Candlesenjoying one of my treats from my giveaway win.  It is a Creme Brulee candle by Paula Deen.  I don't know if you have ever seen them or had one, but if you haven't it is a must.  I absolutely love everything about it.  And it is so pretty too.  All country like with it's metal lid and little handle.  Too cute.  Oh well.  I just had to share.  Thinking this is a good idea for a Christmas gift.  Thanks Judy for this simple pleasure this morning. 

Off to get some work done.  My folks are heading this way this week so a girl must get her house all spic and span. 

Tootles for now,

Cindy

Ephesians 5:19-20“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Another Giveaway!

Hey girlies, two post from me in one day....what is going on? Actually I wanted to tell you about a giveaway that Lisa is hosting at "Cranberry Flats"

Take a look at the goodies
Only thought it was fitting to tell ya, but I know I am gonna win...shh! Don't tell anybody.

Have a blessed day all!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A little blog fun!

I saw this on another blog that I enjoy visiting and I wanted to give it a go too....




You Are a Pumpkin Latte



You are always up for a celebration. You are a very festive person.

You look forward to every holiday, and you are nostalgic for good times after they're over.



You appreciate the small things that make life special. You love little treats.

You often look at the world with childlike wonder. There's so much to enjoy!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Why I was doing the snoopy dance?

The wait is over ya'll.  I received my box of goodies from Judy on Friday but I didn't get home until late and then I wasn't home on Saturday so I had to wait until this morning to open it.  Now, please remember when you see these pictures, this is me with NO makeup and my hair thrown up on my head.  But I wanted to have pictures to show Judy and ya'll. 

Judy, thank you so much.  I LOVED everything in the box.  You are the sweetest.  I still can't believe I won, but so glad I did.

On with the show.

DSC01024

DSC01029

DSC01040

DSC01060

DSC01092

DSC01094

DSC01098

Isn't all the goodies wonderful?   It was just like Christmas.  I couldn't stop smiling.

Gotta post this at my homemaking blog now. 

BTW folks if you are looking for some good fun recipes for Halloween I have posted lots of goodies on my recipe blog.  Check it out here. Plus this week I plan to post some pictures of my home and decorations on my homemaking site.  So try to keep up with me.  :)

Hope you have a blessed night!

Psalm 37:4“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

 

Technorati Tags: ,,

Have a blessed Sunday!

Hi friends and family....

Just wanted to briefly stop in and wish you and your family a blessed day.

Here is a wonderful little video for you. Turn up the volume and sit back and enjoy.

http://www.thejoymovie.com/?SRC=081014

Hugs,
Cindy

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Doing the snoopy dance!

I just had to post to let you all know that I won a giveaway. I can't believe it. I'm so happy I have been doing the snoopy dance ever since. I would show you pictures but I can't as they are protected on Judy's site...but if you want to see the goodies I won, check out her site. You'll need to look at the October 8th posting to see the wonderful little treasures she is gave away. Thank you Judy and Emily!


It's hard to believe but the end of the week is upon us again, this has been a weird kinda week for me. It always is when I have days off. Of course it makes it harder to come back in here after a long weekend.


Don't have alot of time at the moment, but will try to get back soon.
Hugs,
Cindy

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Jesus' letter to me and you

I recieved this in the mail this past week, and I thought it was lovely.  Just wanted to share it.  A letter from Jesus.

My Dear Child:

My love, I love you (John 15:9). I have called you by your name, you are mine (Isaiah 43:1). Before I formed you, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you (Jeremiah 1:5). You did not choose me, I chose you
(John 15:16). Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers (III John 2).

Because you are precious to me, and honored, I love you (Isaiah 43:4). I have loved you with an everlasting love and I will continue my Constant love(Jeremiah 31:3). How can I abandon you? My love for you is too strong (Hosea 11:8). I love you so much that I hung on the cross at Calvary. I died for you, and if you believe in Me, you will have everlasting life (John 3:16).
Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Yet, even should she forget, I will never forget you. I cannot forget you. I will hold you in the palm of my hands (Isaiah 49:15-16). For I, the Lord your God, am holding you by the right hand (Isaiah 41:13). I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (Matthew 28:20).

Do not let your heart be troubled, trust in me (John 14:1). I will help you(Isaiah 41:14). When you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you.Your troubles will not overwhelm you. The hard trials that will come will
not hurt you. (Isaiah 43:2). When you walk through the valley of the shadows of death, do not be afraid because I am with you. My rod and my staff will comfort you. I will lead you in the path of righteousness (Psalm 23).

I will give you peace in the midst of a storm, not as the world giveth. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). Peace I give which will pass all understanding and shall keep your heart and mind
(Philippians 4:7). When you lie down, do not be afraid. Your sleep shall be sweet (Proverbs 3:24). My love for you will keep your dwelling safe (Psalm 4:8).

Beloved, my eyes are upon you and I will give you hope, for I am merciful(Psalm 33:18). You will have access to my grace and rejoice in hope while sharing in the glory of my Father (Romans 5:2). I will give you joy and peace. The mountains and hills will sing, and the trees will clasp their
hands before you (Isaiah 55:12). You may have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you(John 16:22).

Do not worry (Luke 12:9). Even the hairs of your head have all been counted,so there is no need to be afraid of anything (Matthew 10:30). The mountains may depart and the hills will be shaken, but my steadfast love for you will
never end (Isaiah 54:10). Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Come, my love. Come, I will lead you into solitude and there I will speak tenderly to your heart. I will be true and faithful. I will show you constant love and make you mine forever. I will keep my promise, and you will really know me then as never before. I am who I am (Exodus 3:14). I am
the Lord your God (Hosea 13:4).

Your Faithful Friend,
Jesus

~ Author Unknown ~

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Aren't long weekends wonderful?

I am so happy to have this long weekend.  My Saturday was spent running around and having some fun.  My day started with running some unwanted yard  items ( old wicker chair and settee, trash cans, and misc things) to our city park.  Twice a year the city brings in trash trucks and dumpsters to the park to make getting rid of old, tired, worn, broken things easier for us instead of having to carry it all to the landfill.  We didn't have any little things this year, mainly bigger items so it didn't take us long.  So off we headed to rid ourselves of the unwanted baggage.

Then we were off to do some yard saling.  And yard saling we did.  We also traipsed through the craft fair at ColorFest.  We finally got back home around 2:30 and my body was aching from all the walking. So I took a little nap and headed out again, only to get back home with bags of goodies all over the place and no energy to put them away.  So that leads me to what I am going to be doing the rest of the weekend.

Now for my do-list for the next two days-
  • Clean my kitchen (completely) wash down my cabinets and counters, clean out fridge, run dishwasher, possibly rearrange my countertops.
  • Put goodies (from saturday away)find a home for all my little treasures
  • Spend some time reading - Picked up some reading material last weekend and again this weekend.  One book for pleasure and one for a bible study.
  • Complete some computer work- upload some pictures to the web, create a new banner for the holidays, to be used at a later time.  Work on organizing some of my computer files, etc.
  • Bake- some pumpkin bread and possible make something using some of my apples.
  • Cook- I am craving for some home cooking, I get tired of eating quick type meals. Hopefully I will have plenty of leftovers to carry to work this week.
  • Get to the antique mall (I always like to check it out several times a month)
  • Craft projects- I have several projects that I need to complete.  Get out the black spray paint. 
I am sure there is more, but most likely will not get all these accomplished.  But I hope I get most of them done.  What a awesome feeling it would be to go back to work with all that behind me. What are you working on this weekend?

Have a blessed Sunday!

Can you say giveaway?

Judy at Homespun Blessings is at it again.  She has some adorable Fall goodies she is giving away (her drawing is Wednesday) so you have time to jump over and let her know you would like to be in her drawing. If you stop by for a visit let her know that I sent ya. 
I will be out and about today at the ColorFest in Thurmont Maryland.  If you want to find out more about it, check out my entry from yesterday.  The weather should be perfect.  I hope I will have some great finds to share with you over the next several days. 
I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this long weekend.  I hope you have a great one too.  What do you have planned for the weekend?
Hugs,
Cindy

Friday, October 10, 2008

What's your wordel?

Happy Saturday!
I always get a kick out of new fun games you can find on the 'net'. 
Have you ever heard of Wordel?  This is my wordel for my blog.  What's yours look like? Have fun!

ColorFest

Hi Ladies, I am trying out a new method of posting my content so that I can schedule it ahead of time. Not sure if this is going to work or not. Hopefully it will, because at the moment I can't get Blogger to schedule a future post. Can you say upsetting? Anyway, I am going to be happy if this works. Thought I would share with you my plans for the upcoming weekend. The weather here is suppose to be unbelievable for the middle of October. It is near 80 today and the sun is shining so pretty outside. Tonight I am heading to DD's football to watch her cheer. I haven't had the opportunity to see her to much this year, so looking forward to it tonight. I am sure the stadium will be packed because the weather is so nice and they are having a fireworks show afterwards.

Tomorrow is the 45 annual colorfest in Thurmont, Md. We go every year. It is so much fun. It will be a day full of yard saling and shopping crafts. You can tell from the picture that this is no small event. It just goes on and on. All the roads leading to Thurmont from my house, set up yard sales. So it is bumper to bumper yard sales all the way to Colorfest. So usually we start out in the morning and don't get to the actual craft area until later in the day. Of course, one of the best things about the event is the food. Can you say tons of junk food. All the things that you love to eat.

This has been a very long week for me, as I am still trying to adjust to my new work schedule so that makes this upcoming three day weekend all the more exciting to me. I can't wait.

TWENTY-TWO SELF EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

Hi Ladies, I don't have alot of time this morning so decided I would share some thought provoking questions. I read these on another blog earlier, can't remember where I found them, but I thought they were definitely worth my time to ponder. Let me know what you think.
Have a blessed Friday!

TWENTY-TWO SELF EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am
better than I really am?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17. How do I spend my spare time?

18. Am I proud?

19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the
Pharisees who despised the publican?

20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize hold a
resentment toward or despise?

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22. Is Christ real to me?

These are the 22 questions the members of the Holy Club, to which JOHN
WESLEY belonged, asked themselves each day as a part of their daily
devotions.

From Eternity Assurance.blogspot.com

Cell Phones vs Bible

wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

*What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
*What if we flipped through it several times a day?
*What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
*What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
*What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
*What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
*What if we used it when we traveled?
*What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

So remember this...
You'll never have dropped calls and unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
But most important of all...you'll never have to ask Him "Can you hear me now?"

Makes you stop and think, "Where are my priorities?"

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Did someone say organizing?

You all know how I feel about being organized.  Sometimes I do very well and then other times I don't.  I fail miserably with organizing myself.  But I do love the feeling I get when things are organized and in some kind of order.  So thought you might like to read some wonderful ideas that I have run across lately.

Organizing receipts
Article found at "It's not about your stuff".

Help… How Do I Organize My Receipts?
Written by Guest Contributor

One of our readers, Lynne, asks our organizer Jessica Duquette:

    Message: Desperately need help with deciding how long and where to keep the following:
    1. receipts
    2. bills
    3. cards (birthday, mother’s day, anniversary)
    4. inspirational writings, quotes, etc.

Jessica says:

Jessica Duquette - Professional Organizer Greetings, Desperately, you are not alone! Most of us were not born with the filing gene. The good news is, in the past ten or so years, the office supply industry, along with the ever-growing organizing industry has made great strides in developing cool and inexpensive solutions for our day-to-day woes. I just wonder…how did our moms do it without all the nifty items we have now?

So…

Here are a few recommendations for you.

Receipts

Most people keep WAY too many receipts! Remember, there are only a few reasons to save a receipt; for warranty or insurance purposes, if the purchase has tax consequences or if you think you might return the item in the near future. Here is my recommendation for each of these: (please check with your CPA or tax preparer for the final word)

possible returns: I have my clients make a special folder called Internet/Return Receipts. This folder is like a way station for receipts that you may need to access in the near future. I would keep it handy, either in the front of your file cabinet if you have easy access to your files, or in a desktop file holder in the ‘command center’ of your home. No command center?

Office Organizers Quick tip: use one of these to hold the frequently-used files, such as contact and emergency numbers, school and sports information, directions, tickets to events, etc. You can make a separate file for each of the kids, or one for each family activity.

This pretty one is only $30.00 at Neiman-Marcus.

Or the more utilitarian version from Decoflex ($14.95). (You can find these at any office supply store.)

If you order something online and are waiting for it’s arrival, or if you are not sure you want to keep something you have bought at a retail store, you don’t have to go digging around through the piles or furiously looking through your purse or the floor of the car, just toss the receipts in this one handy folder. When you know you are going to return something, then you can tape the receipt to the item and put it by the front door so you can take it to your car— again, no frantic looking, it’s all in one place! You can also keep any rebate information in this folder until the rebate check comes. Just remember to clear out this folder every 3-4 months so it doesn’t get too full.

warranty proof of purchase & inventory: Another reason to keep receipts is to prove you purchased the item for one reason or another. This category includes items that are under warranty, such as electronics or large appliances, or expensive items such as artwork, antiques, jewelry or any item valued over $250.00. (please check with your homeowner’s insurance company about your policy) for insurance purposes.

I call this folder Inventory and I would keep it in your regular file cabinet, as you won’t be needing this file very often.

Some people prefer to keep their warranties and the receipt in a separate folder with the manuals. That works, too!

For the inventory receipts, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of the file in an offsite location, in case anything happens to your home. You can scan the receipts and email them to a friend, or keep them in your gmail account if you have one, or you can make copies and keep it with a friend or family member.

Receipts with a tax consequence: Don’t know what to keep and what to toss? Join the club! Unless you’ve just read the most recent version of the Federal Tax code (a mere 13,000+ pages!), it’s pretty confusing, but we all just do the best we can. My advice is to ask your CPA if they have a record retention schedule for individuals. If they do, I would just put it right in the front of my files so that I can refer to it easily when I need to. Meanwhile, the rest of us can rely on Real Simple Magazine’s breakdown for keeping receipts or Bankrate.com’s printable chart.

Again, before you start tossing or shredding willy-nilly, I would fax the schedule to your CPA for approval. Each CPA has their own opinion and each state has their own regulations. Believe it or not, even though you can be audited and fined for non-compliance, there is no such thing as an ‘official’ record retention schedule from the IRS. The closest you can come is IRS Publication 552, Record Keeping for Individuals (.PDF version)

Speaking of shredding, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you have a cross-cut or diamond shredder in your house to protect your identity. We’ve all heard horror stories and identity theft is one of the fastest-growing non-violent crimes these days and it’s only getting worse as the thieves get more sophisticated. I don’t mean for you to get paranoid, just please be smart.

(And I wouldn’t buy the cheapest shredder, they break easily and it’s frustrating to use, if you can swing it, I would go for one around $50-60, I promise you, it’s worth it.)

By the way, if you are in the habit of making donations to charity or your local thrift shop, please read this informative post on charitable giving and tax deductions from my blog, The best Tax Deduction system for your thrift shop donations.

Bills

Mail Sorter I keep my bills right in my face in a mail sorter so I don’t forget to pay them on time. When they are mixed up with other paperwork they have a tendency to disappear.

This Wire Mesh Letter Sorter from Staples is only $9.00.

For me, it works best to have a rhythm about paying, so I use my online calendar reminder and set it for every Thursday. I get an email that reminds me to pay any bills that are due before the following Thursday. Honestly, I live my life by my reminder emails! Microsoft Outlook has a great reminder system, but I also hear that Google Calendar works wonders for event reminders as well and it’s free!

Google Calendar

Greeting Cards

I am not a big collector of greeting cards, but I am imagining you mean ones that you have purchased but not yet sent. There are some really nice solutions out there for greeting card holders that divide the cards into categories such as birthday, thank you, anniversary, etc. You can even sort them by month so you remember who gets a card each month of the year. Very handy. They are cost-effective enough that you can use a separate one for cards you have received, but I would encourage you to be careful of not piling up the collection of cards you have received. What happens whenever we have TOO MANY or TOO MUCH of something, all of it loses it’s meaning to us. It just becomes another clutter pile, rather than a collection of meaningful items. You may want to weed through and keep just a few of the ones that are really special and put them in your treasure box of sentimental items.

Card organizer If you are not a “greeting card person” (like me!), Hallmark has a fantastic selection of online greeting cards that you can send via email. I like that it saves a tree and leaves no clutter! (If the receiver wants a memento, they can always print out a copy.)

This greeting card organizer box is only $5.00 from Barnes & Noble.

Inspirational Writings, quotes, etc.

I have been thinking about this solution for the last few weeks and I have come up with a 3 tiered approach for these. (By the way, I keep my favorites on post-it’s in a little mail sorter on my desk. Every once in a while, I pick one up and read it. It’s not neat and ‘Martha Stewarty’, but it works for me!)

First and again, remember that when you have too much of something, all of it loses it’s potency and meaning. Whatever you are amassing just becomes a large lump of clutter that clogs your visual field and drains your energy. I would recommend weeding through and keeping only the quotes and sayings that deeply touch your heart. Trust that when it’s time for you to know something or hear something, it will be revealed to you. Sometimes, making room allows new inspiration to come in to your life.

The favorite quotes that inspire for a lifetime I would print out in a nice font on the computer or in calligraphy if possible and you can buy a frame that fits your budget and hang it somewhere where it will always remind you of it’s message.

frames For other quotes that are more of a temporary lift, you can hang them on your fridge or bathroom mirror on a post-it. Some people use Children’s artwork frames for this purpose, at $25, they are a bit pricey, but the holidays are coming up!

And finally, for the long-term classics, you can simply keep a folder called Inspiration in your file cabinet and pop the quotes in there any time they come your way. * This is a good place to keep the quotes that come in and out of your changeable frame!

Well, Desperately, I hope this helps!

Remember, I am on your team,

Warmly,

Jessica Duquette from
It’s Not About Your Stuff

Organizing recipes

Organizing magazines

Have fun getting organized.

Hugs!AniRBCindy 

Matthew 5:11-12“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.