Patches

When I was a little girl my family lived down the road from an elderly lady that became very dear to every one of us. Her name was Hazel and we saw her regularly, just as if she were family. We kept our milk cow in Hazel's pasture for a time and Mom would drive up to Hazel's bright and early each morning and go into Hazel's barn to milk the cow. She'd usually drag us kids along and we went willingly for we loved Hazel! Hazel always treated us so special and each of us even took turns spending the night at Hazel's house. It was like a slumber party there and always a special occasion. I remember most all the times Hazel would treat me to hot tea and would cook me whatever I wanted for breakfast. My sister Regina always got sardines at Hazel's house. She always kept our favorite things on hand for when we came to visit. She was like another grandma to us. We used to sew with Hazel too.

Hazel gave my brother Davy, my sister Regina and I each a dog made of patchwork material. I remember Davy named his dog "Rex," but I can't remember the names of either of the other 2.




Just before Christmas this year Regina sent me a package at a time when I was pretty down about some things. She'd found a smaller version of the pups that Hazel had made for us and she sent it to me with this note and a special memory from our childhood attached. Here's the note she sent:

PATCHWORK PUP

Patch (pach) n. a piece of material used to mend a hole, rent, etc.; a covering for a wound.

I found this "pup" at a thrift store and thought of you--wondering if you still had yours from Hazel. Mine of course was lost in the fire a few years ago. I knew I must get it for you to go along with your other. Then I thought ...(yes it hurt--the thinking)...and longer...and deeper...(ouch--people do this on purpose???)...and thought of a better idea. You had said something a while back about remembering past good times of growing up and how that helped you because apparently you had been focusing on the bad or difficult times. So...

Reflecting on the past can be a time of healing and since the definition of patch can be a covering for a wound, I came up with a plan for "Patchwork Pup."

Any time one of us is going through a difficult time, depression, a loss, or anyting "broken" or "wounded" we are to send "Patchwork Pup" along with a special memory of the past to the other for a time of laughter and healing. It doesn't necessarily have to be about a time with Hazel...I just picked that memory because that is where our patchwork dogs originated. You can pin it, tie it, etc. Get creative.

Hope 'He' can make you smile! :0)

Love ya

Sis.

I am posting this today because it is time to record a memory for Regina and send this pup back to her. Regina's house burned today, just a few short years after her family suffered the loss of their first home and all its contents in another house fire. The first time the wood burning stove malfunctioned. This time the fire is believed to be electrical. They live in an area of Missouri that was hard hit with an ice storm this week and their power has been off and on the past 2 days.

I am heart broken for my sister and for her husband Greg, my nephew Brandon and my niece Danielle. I wish I was closer so I could at least hold her hand through this horrible time. My mom told me tonight to not dare try to come home that with the storm she didn't want to worry about us on the roads. So, I sit in Texas wishing even with the storm that I were in Missouri with my family and holding on to my sister. All my sister asks is for prayers for them, prayers for guidance and what to do now. I am ever thankful that even through devastating times my family seeks God's guidance and direction.

I have not yet written my special memory for Regina to send with "Patches," but I'm thinking of sending a memory of fun times in the snow and ice. I'm thinking she needs some good memories of fun winter times to get her through what remains to be a very hard winter ahead for her.

May God bless you, Regina, and hold you close to Him.

Wordless Wednesday

Maybe This Will Warm Us Up!

Have I mentioned that I don't like it when it's cold??? Well, I don't! I moved to South Texas in part to get away from the cold Missouri winters. This week, it feels like I'm in Missouri! It's cold and dreary outside and I'm soooo ready for summer! I know, I know, all you who live in the north where it's REALLy cold are laughing at my complaints of cold. I think our lows have been in the 30's...but still....to me that's too cold. I often tease Marty during the winter months that he's going to have to move me somewhere tropical!

So, those of you who are right here with me in thinking this Texas winter weather is for the birds....hopefully this will warm you up a bit.

I was going through old pictures on the computer, looking to see if there's anything new to post and found these. I've posted a couple of them before, but for the most part these are new to you. May they warm you up just like a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.....or coffee in your favorite cup.....or a big bowl of Mama's chili made just the way you like it. Whatever warms you up from the inside out, grab some and get warm! Meanwhile I'm off to find some hot chocolate! (If Marty didn't take it all again! :0) )

Why I Love Him So

I was trying to figure out what I'd post about tonight, or whether I even had anything new to post. We've been home from church barely an hour and I already have new pictures to post, thanks to my wonderful, sweet husband!!! Our plan for the rest of this week was that we'd relax last night, attend church tonight, and continue yard work tomorrow night. We'd been discussing the wheres, hows, and ins and outs of having a fire pit for a while now, especially since our trip browsing through the camping section of Cabela's. After enjoying Erica's fire pit, we've been discussing our own fire pit even more. I really like her use of logs as seats around the fire and had expressed interest in doing the same thing here. Marty told me last night he already had an idea for our seating and for the pit itself and how he'd like to build it. As soon as we arrived home from church he changed his clothes and went outside to cut down one more tree (that we'd planned to take care of tomorrow). He had it down and piled up so fast! The next time I looked out to see what he was up to, I grabbed the camera and headed outside for a closer look.

We've started a pile of logs, ready for the fire pit, when it gets built:

Marty, hard at work stacking more logs on the pile:

I'm soooo excited!!! Here is one of the benches Marty engineered for seating around our fire pit. I love it! He had the tree cut, the logs stacked, and 2 benches built in less than an hour! (I (who never likes him to cut down trees!) then asked him if he could cut down one more for 2 more benches)

Relaxing with Missy:

My hero!

Pyromaniacs?

Last night we took a break from the yard work and just relaxed with friends, watched tv, and roasted marshmallows on a new fire ring Erica and the kids built yesterday. Now I want one!

Cameron enjoying the efforts of his labor:

This was so cute. Riley had no idea I was snapping her picture when she was trying to take a self portrait:

Everyone just hanging out around the fire...before the mosquitos carried us away!

I think this is my favorite picture I took last night:

Marshmallows, Anyone???

Tonight was the night to begin the work to prepare the backyard for the new to us pool.
Jason, Erica and their kiddos pitched in.

Here's the back yard before we began:

Here's the brush pile while it was still small
(really, this is small compared to what it looked like when we finished. The guys cut down 3 trees)

Pictures of the fire with the kids dancing

around it turned out pretty cool:

After we had all the brush on the burn pile
and it had burned down quite a bit we ate blackened marshmallows. This is one hot fire!!!

After we'd had our fill, we went back to work on picking up more brush and branches. We soon became sidetracked and began swinging on the grape vines.

Cam and Riley (aka silly monkeys)

Erica and I even had a go:

Marty decided to give Jason a push:

Marty's attempt to jump rope with a grape vine:

It is rarely dull around here!