Curioser and curioser.

My 'paper-whites' (see blog below) are long dead.  Pretty while they lasted.  I plan to plant them in rocks again.
At our Christmas eve table last night, Scott the head of house here, read the Luke account of Jesus' birth.  I love that my children all remember Jesus first at Christmas, presents and decorating second.
This is the first Christmas without my husband alongside me in 53 years.  He hadn't been able to hear the season tunes he loved for 30 years; I'd guess he's singing them now in person to the Lord!  Here's a photo of the first Christmas I knew him (I'm sitting on his lap...my personal Santa):

 

 

The curioser part is when I wonder what it looked like:
the look on Mary's face when she learned she would soon give birth...

the community of shepherds that went back to tell others of the Babe they saw...

the wonder felt by Simeon and Anna at the temple complex...

And so many more queries I have.
A joyous and blessed Christmas to any reading this.

Paperwhites in my kitchen

Heavily scented, white trumpeted flowers, the Paperwhite Narcissus is a joy to grow. And, easy to grow, too!
I've wanted to try this for several years.  Bought the last bag of bulbs at Lowe's a few weeks ago.  Filled some odd jars with river rocks or marbles, set the bulbs, topping the rocks, filled with water to slightly above the root end up the bulb.  They need daily addition of water to that level as these are 'thirsty little buggers'.
After a few days, they begin to sprout beautiful long green leaves.  Then the lovely flowers begin to show their beauty to the world.  Below are mine in the kitchen window...

 

They are a small member of the Narcissus family (Daffodils and Jonquils are larger family members).

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

   Luke 12:27

I read Luke every December

and learn something new from it often.  Gotta love it!
This morning I thought, "This account was before Jesus was born.  God gave special, holy insight to Luke to write this true account."

As I feel my age first early in the day, I sympathize with Elizabeth.  She was 23 years older than I.  How could she:
1.  conceive     
2.  carry and birth a baby     
3.  patiently raise a boy to become a godly man????
God amazes me constantly.

I was raised in a family that NEVER mentioned the Bethlehem account or Jesus at Christmas.  How could that be?  I mean, CHRIST MASS.  The very name of the day should have been a clue.  But their traditions were built on the tree, sweets, a present or two.  Instead of a candle light service on the eve, we listened to John Barrymore (an aging actor long before your time) dramatize the story about Scrooge.  I still have memories of all of us huddled around the radio, night time with only the tree lights glowing, hanging on every word.  That was every year! 
Mother put up a faded and bent fake brick, cardboard fireplace against the wall.  She hung 3 pair of Dad's white work socks from the mantle (I had two sisters); late that night she placed one orange and a couple walnuts (still in the shell) in the sock.  Oranges when they were available or we could afford it.  I'm thinking they weren't sold during the war years...sent to the troops??  I would have been 4 to 8 years old during the war time.
I was a new believer when my children were young, but I always tried to center the season around the Christ and the manger account.  (Do you notice I always say 'account'?  Not story?  It really did occur and that's important to remember.)

One of my daughters over 50 yrs. ago.

"... there was a priest named Zechariah,...  And he had a wife ... and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.        Luke 1:5,6  (liberties taken by me).

All cleaned out

The upstairs family have a dog.  Until yesterday they had a LARGE bar of pink, strong Rose scented soap.  Dog ate 3/4 of the bar...what was he thinking???  Don't let your dog do that...not good!

The above is the remaining soap bar (the evidence).
It became a 'self-inflicted' stomach flu, diarrhea and cause for a trip to the Vet.  A doggy-colon cleanser??

birthday party

One good thing about having lots of kids is there's always somebody celebrating a birthday:  kids, gr-kids, gr-gr-kids.  When they get into their 50's, it's more just observing then celebrating, I think.
I invited one daughter with me to join the one who added a year today.  We went for brunch, gave her gifts and laughed a lot!  Here's a photo from this morning; 1st one is when I almost slipped off the chair.

Back up on the chair:

Happy Birthday, TR!

"They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;..."   Isaiah 24:14

Two sons

A family in my church, two daughters are in China to bring home their 2-yr. old son they've adopted.  They have 2-yr. son at home.  I haven't seen the brother in China yet but I met his American brother.  They have 'bonded' by showing each other their trucks on SKYPE.  Neither can speak of word of his brother's language, but they're getting along well using the 'international language' of TRUCKS!  That's amazing.
I made each of them a bib...I know from experience, boys need bibs for a long time...

Can't decide which I enjoy more:  the creating or the giving.

I'm backkkkkk...

Did ya miss me??  Wow, what a year...well, 9 months since last I posted.  Could have 'hatched' a baby in 9 months (but didn't!!)  I'm not Sarah, Abe's wife, ya know.

Where to begin?  We had a mild winter, wet spring, long summer at our house.  My husband was in and out of hospital in May to July.  Came out  one time in May, in and out again on 7/16, went into Rex Home Health for weeks.  We had nurses, phys. therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, aides, hospital bed and equipment and more.  On 7/26 he transitioned into Hospice at home with different nurses, meds and equipment.  He lived almost 8 weeks more and passed away on 9/22/13.
Cause of death: MS.  It was an unwelcome part of our family for over 30 years. "The enemy comes to rob, kill and destroy."  John 10:10
For those who haven't seen it, I've posted a photo of him with one of our gr-daughters:

There's been much happening since then.  I'll share in the next blog.  Stay with me....colleen

Imagine the garment

Since I was about 8 years old, I've been looking at fabrics.  It was at that age, my mother enlisted me to darn socks, sew on buttons and mend tears.  She had an old treadle Singer, but broke out in a sweat if she had to try to use it.  Before long, I was helping with the mending and also, making doll clothes.
I, out of necessity, made my three little girls' underwear, dresses, nightgowns, even coats.  I recall buying yards of lingerie fabrics and elastics from bins on the second floor in the garment district in downtown Minneapolis.  The two older girls would play quietly under the bins while I shopped with another on my hip.  Munsingwear was the 'cadillac' label at that time and I could buy silky lengths for a nickel or so per yard.
I learned to make wedding dresses, drapes, even shirts and ties for my husband.
So, when I began my quilting business for 15 years, it was a natural.  God gave me 'an eye' for coordinating fabrics and colors.  I used this to help my husband with his weaving enterprise when he lost his hearing.  I thank God for the many years I've worked with lovely fabrics.
When I saw a photo of the recently retiring Pope, my imagination kicked in:  who might be the farmers who grew the crops or raised the animals used to make these?  where might the weaving looms and shops be located?  are the craftsmen and women famous now because of their role in dressing the world famous Pope?  What fine fabrics,! and what about the embroideries?  real gold?  precious jewels?  what does the pressing room look like?

Then I thought of the only garment Jesus wore that was fine enough that men gambled for it.  The seamless robe He wore to the execution site.  Why was it seamless?  I gather from John 19:23, it was unusual or valuable:
"Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece"
In my mind, I can see a man or woman sitting on a dirt floor of a house in Jerusalem, before a loom, weaving a single piece.  But, to construct it without seaming?  Not getting that image....

The tunic is believed to be the garment worn by Jesus Christ prior to his crucifixion, quoted in the Gospel of St. John as “seamless.”
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/christs-seamless-tunic-on-display-for-first-time-in-16-years/
...ummm, I don't think so.  (My opinion)

Took a 'long winter's nap'...

from Blogging.  Perhaps you didn't even notice...but, I've thought about it.

One of my many grandsons gave me a book for Christmas.  His pastor wrote My One Word.  The concept is to choose just one word that represents what you most hope God will do in you, and focus on it for an entire year. He explains how that one word may lead to character building and gives personal illustrations as evidence.

Well, I thought about it and MY One Word is IMAGINE.  I've used my vivid imagination in relating scenes in the Bible to myself and others over many years.  The scripture jumps out to me when I imagine the scene, sounds, sights, characters. 
This week, I've been thinking about how it might have gone when Jesus' body was lifted down or off the cross. We begin to think about the Bethlehem scene weeks before Christmas.  It's the same with Easter, for me, and Lent begins on February 13; that's a sobering time preceding a day of great joy:  RESURRECTION-FREEDOM-VICTORY DAY.
My IMAGINATION worked this past week on what took place that day there.  We know only men could prepare the body for burial.  Only men had the strength to carry Jesus' body down and away.  Joseph of Arimathaea took down his body and prepared the body, then buried it in his own burial space.  Luke 23:53
He must have been a man with resources, surely he enlisted help to this.  Did the disciples help?  Were they not present, that they didn't take charge of this themselves?  We know John had been there because Jesus made him 'caretaker' of His own mother.  Did the men wash and prepare the body in the cave that held the tomb?  Did they weep?  Did they worship Him for the first time?  How did they tell the event when they shared the scene with friends and family? 
What a life changer that would be.  It so greatly changed MY life, and I wasn't present then, but since...in my heart and mind.

I don't intend to take another 3 month hiatus.  Please 'pop in' often to see where else my IMAGINATION takes me?

Above:  roomful of ossuaries in a Nat. Geo. article: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episodes/in-search-of-jesus-tomb/