I am Loved Deeply, from the Heart

I was on an outing with this five year old cutie pie we call Super Girl on our blog.  She came with me on a fabric shopping excursion today.

I hadn't really planned on shopping for fabric...I thought I had all I needed in order to make a one-year photo quilt for Mini Maiden but when I began laying things out I decided I needed more pink...a girl can never have too much pink!  So I texted Rock Star to see if Super Girl might be available and she was!

I picked her up and we headed out.  It wasn't until we were actually on way that I decided where to go.  Super Girl hadn't had lunch yet and I thought that would be our first stop but she said she wasn't hungry yet and wanted to wait to eat.  I'm flexible so I steered the van toward Hobby Lobby because I love that store!

We found some perfect fabric choices right away and were just looking at lots of things because there are lots of things to look at there!  I thought several times I should tell Super Girl we needed to go but we were having such a good time and I don't get her to myself very often so we took our time.

As we were headed toward the front, I saw a familiar face...

This beautiful woman is a friend from years ago.  She mentored me when I was younger and still had four daughters in my nest.  We lived in the same town and attended the same church.  She loved me unconditionally and radiated the love of God.  I basked in her presence then and she has continued to love me (and I her) from a distance since we no longer live in the same town.  Some day I will see this face in heaven and get to spend more time with her.

She noted today that God brings special people into our lives.  I know what she means.  From a human perspective there is no rhyme or reason for the great love we share; yet God knit our hearts together years ago in a way that I am convinced will endure forever.

As we visited, my sweet little Super Girl was SO very patient!  She browsed the displays on either side of us being careful to always keep in my sight and never once fussed about taking so long (and I know she was getting hungry).  She even took this picture of us for me.

Some days, God smiles or winks at His children to show His great love; and today He brought me so much joy I could hardly contain it!  It was a simple miracle just for me that we were in the same place at the same time...I know without a doubt that He orchestrates our lives.  Thank You, Father!  I love You too!

1 Peter 1:22

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Christmas Cards 2014

To our dear friends, 2014 has been an incredibly busy year!  Like me, I know some of you have felt time speeding by faster and faster, and are making choices to do the best things and let other things go.

I look back at years gone by...busy with raising a family, working full time, heavily involved in church ministry and activities and have no "earthly" idea how we got it all done.

I never would have thought that I could possibly be busier now than I was then, especially without a full-time job! I know that we have four grown daughters, four sons-in-love, and 16 grandchildren who all live within an hour from us and with whom we are actively involved...I know that since I don't work outside our home, I can say "Yes" to requests to help out with things within our family circle.  It just seems that the days tick by faster for me than they ever have and I am called more and more to focus on the important instead of the urgent.

Having said all that, Christmas came and went without Christmas cards/letters being mailed out.  Our love for family and friends is as deep and intense as ever and I just felt it needed to be said...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all the Four Sisters Farm family.

We actually had two celebrations at the farm as one of our Unconventionals became ill and they missed the big gathering so we made it up later!  Enjoy the pictures from our celebrations!  We love you!

Friends and A Funeral

We didn't know him personally, Pop and I; but today we learned who he is.  A son, brother, grandson, brother-in-law, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend.  A gifted musician, a bit of a rebel, a big-hearted guy with a distinctive smile who liked to make people smile and laugh and dance.  Born in 1982, he cheated death on more than one occasion; but one night last week he went to sleep never to awaken on this earth again.

This young man was known and loved by many.  His parents and their siblings were childhood friends of ours.  When we heard the bad news, we were miles away visiting my oldest brother and his wife.  We arrived home the night before the funeral service, tired from our travels, but made even more weary as we contemplated the burden our friends were carrying.  We talked briefly about driving the the service but Pop was scheduled to drive to an out of town meeting and snow was expected during the night.  As we drifted off to sleep the winds began to howl.

We began our day the next morning, hands clasped and praying as is our habit now.  As Pop prayed for the family, the desire to attend the service grew stronger than our common sense to stay off the roads and out of the weather.  We would have to leave in just minutes...could we make it? What does it look like outside? Which highway would be the most clear?  

We couldn't stay away; nor could my brother just older than me who started in to work and called his wife to tell her to be ready to go. 

There are just no adequate words at a time like this.  All we could say is, "We are so sorry."  Parents are supposed to grow old and die before their children.  It just seems to make more sense.

The church was packed and the motorcade long.  In spite of snow and wind, many friends came to the cemetery...love in action.  The cafe and pizza place in the small town had larger lunch crowds than usual today so we could all visit with the family afterwards...more love in action.  We saw many familiar faces...hugs...smiles through tears...one old friend said he just doesn't understand but knows God does.  

We left  richer than when we came...rich with the knowledge that as this young man's family and friends grieve, they will be not be alone.  They will be uplifted and loved as they put one foot in front of the other in the days to come.  God never leaves us nor forsakes us and one fine day it will all make perfect sense; but for now, Pop and I are praying for God's loving presence and for warm and loving memories of this young man at just the right times...memories that will sustain them...memories of loving and being loved.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.(1 Corinthians 13:13)

Oakley is Hip

So my good, long-time friend Oakley had hip replacement surgery recently.  She's not old enough to need a joint replacement but no one remembered to tell her hip that!

I asked her if I could come help out...after all, my mom had her hip replaced this past fall and I was there...just sayin' I am qualified to help.  She accepted my offer and I headed up the road to their home...more accurately the hospital, because she was still there.  The surgery had gone well and her hubby, Big Dog (the real, true, original Big Dog before motorcycles, large & tall clothing, or beer brewers stole his identity), was sitting in her hospital room as she slept off the effects of the anesthesia.

Oakley is the Thelma to my Louise or vice versa (except for that whole driving over the edge of the cliff thing)...she is more likely to keep me from going over...she is more likely to talk me down from the edge.  She is calm and rational and generally able to see the big picture.  She is loving and loyal.  She flew to South Carolina when Pop and I were in the process of moving back to Kansas to make the long drive home with me.  (Here's a link to that story.)

And she has a giggle that when I just think about it, I have bubbles that start in the pit of my stomach and work their way up and out as the kind of hysterical laughter that only great friends can share.

While she was in the hospital, the "Blizzard of Oz" hit.  Kansas gets snow but it had been a while.  It was beautiful.  Serene.  Calm.  Peaceful.  I had heard it was coming and made sure to travel before it arrived.  It blessed me to help out...a little cleaning...a little laundry...a tiny bit of cooking (because Oakley and Big Dog had purchased smart, easy foods to keep it simple).  Then Oakley's parents arrived...they met her Aunt and Uncle there so the "girls" could attend a two-day conference and the brothers could visit.  It was a pleasant event for me.

On a side note, God orchestrated a chance meeting of another long-time friend who happens to work at that hospital...I came out of Oakley's room and came face to face...we've stayed somewhat in touch but it was a sweet meeting.  I love it when God does that!

The first night they were there, Oakley and I had dinner with the two gentlemen while their wives were at the evening session of the conference...these men are polite and soft-spoken...they are quick to smile and are apt conversationalists.  Of course, they weren't there to visit with me but Oakley had to rest and recuperate; so I was the happy participant in some of her Dad's and Uncle's conversations.  Her folks and Pop and I have some common acquaintances (some of them happen to be related to Oakley) and we share a common faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  At one point, my question to him about a news story on the television eventually routed to his beliefs and his faith.  There is nothing I love to talk about or hear about more.

I found this picture of some of her extended family to share...

Big Dog, Oakley, and their two precious daughters are on the left.  Oakley's Mom and Dad are to the right of her.
Her aunt and uncle who came to visit are also in this picture.
You might also recognize The Cowboy (Oakley's brother) and Mrs. Cowboy from a previous blog post.
The tall brunette is their daughter and she just happened to play volleyball with my niece.
My worlds are colliding like Seinfeld's George Costanza's - except that I like it!)

Oakley is recovering just fine...better than fine...she is stellar, actually...a veritable poster child for joint replacement surgery.  She had been in so much pain before the surgery that she hardly needed pain medication (which is really good, because they make her dizzy and sick to her stomach).  I had to keep reminding her NOT TO DO things.

I would have loved to stay longer but there was another snow storm coming and Oakley was in good hands with her Mom and Dad there to help her and Big Dog.  And the Four Sisters Farm cats were probably hungry.

So I am holed up at the farm...the cats fed...the ground mostly blanketed by snow...a fire in the fireplace...catching up on paperwork and some sewing.  I am also basking in the glow of time shared with a great friend.  I did tell her I thought surgery was way above and beyond what most friends do to get together for friend time...she just giggled.

I love Oakley.  I love her family too.  That is all.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12a says,

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves."

It's Like Here...Only It's There

Pop recently invited me to accompany him on a weekend trip.  Sounds exciting, right?  Romantic, right?

While Pop truly is increasingly more romantic as time goes on, this was not a warm and fuzzy invitation.  It was purposeful.  He was making plans to hunt at one of his favorite places in the world and he takes his hunting very seriously.  Did I say VERY seriously?

This trip involved preparatory work.  Did I say WORK?

We had to begin planning for this trip several weeks in advance.  We had to shop.  We bought fabric.  We bought PVC pipe.  We bought weatherproof foam.  Then we started to work preparing to prepare.  That's right...preparing to prepare.  We drew out plans, we  measured, we cut, we created.  We made a sand blind and we made pads for tree stand seats (out of camouflage fabric of course).  We patched and painted an old deer target to be re-purposed as a decoy...then we repainted it...twice...to get it the right color.

Pop Scouting for Deer

Then, when it was time, we loaded up and headed out.  Pop drove while I worked on some tee shirt rugs (that may be another blog later on) and we visited on the way.  I had been there one other time but it had been a while and it was a really short visit, so I was excited to go and visit with our friends who live there...we have known this couple for a long time...we actually got to know them because they are related to other (even older) friends of ours.  They are really special people and their place is special too...It's like here...only it's there.

When Pop has gone there, I've noticed he comes back calmer.  I have known that this place touches him somehow in the deep recesses of his being.  It's rejuvenating for him even though he works hard as he hunts.  By the way, it is compound bow hunting for deer.  It is for the iron-willed, tough-minded folks who appreciate the hunt as much as they do the venison.  So anyway...

The Cowboy and Mrs. Cowboy

When we arrived, we stopped and talked to The Cowboy (not one of our grandson cowboys but an authentic, boot and hat wearing cowboy who rides horses and works with cattle) and let him know we were there.  His wife, Mrs. Cowboy, was still working so I rode off in the truck with Pop to begin preparing for his hunt.  We toted a camo blind and other essentials off to a tree row where The Cowboy had seen signs of deer activity.
I helped Pop set up the blind which involved a lot of thought on his part.  He had to determine the right place for it most importantly.  Setting it up was easy...it's sort of a pop up nylon tent thingy...then the hard work started.  We had to camouflage the camouflaged blind with branches and brush and make it nearly disappear into the tree row.  In the process, I walked into a tree limb and got a nice scratch on my forehead and tripped while walking and did a nice belly flop on the ground.  But my best trick was when I felt something crawling up my leg.  Turned out it was just a long piece of tumbleweed that had sneaked up in between my jeans leg and boot...the harder I tried to shake it out, the higher it "climbed" up my leg!!  I nearly disrobed to get rid of it...it all happened SO fast!  Pop just shook his head.  I think he felt sorry for me in a "bless her heart, she's pitiful" sort of way.  Oh well...I would do it again...all of it...because besides spending time with Pop, it allowed me two incredible things.

1.  I got to see why he loves hunting there, and 2. I got to spend some time with The Cowboy and Mrs. Cowboy.
(We got bonus time with one of their three awesome offspring as well.)

This place where The Cowboy and Mrs. Cowboy live and work is incredible.  It is beautiful and it is peaceful...It's like here...only it's there!  There is a river.  There are trees everywhere - the cottonwood tree branches were loaded with golden leaves that reflect the rays of the sun.  There are miles of land to be explored.  Hills to climb.  Rocks to study.  History to learn.  It is an incredible place.

Like Four Sisters Farm, it is peaceful...it is much larger and offers a wider variety of beauty...but it is the peace that makes it feel like here.  It is lovely... incredibly lovely.  It's like here...only it's there.


Mrs. Cowboy and I tagged along for part of the time we were there keeping Pop and The Cowboy company while they did some of the prep work.  We visited about all kinds of important heartfelt matters and mulled over some of the world's problems.  We also perused catalogs and pins on Pinterest while we talked about their plans for renovating their kitchen (and then some).

We looked at rocks, found some old bones (probably cow bones) near the river bed, marveled over God's creation, and compared notes about grandchildren, among other things.

We visited with Pop and The Cowboy over meals and when it came time for us to leave, I can genuinely say that Pop and I had a hard time just going.  The Cowboy and Mrs. Cowboy are people we love.

I am grateful we got to know them...grateful for the way God puts people in our lives who share our love for Him and others...grateful for the way they share what God has given then...grateful that they love us too...grateful that His peace abounds in ways that we can feel in different places...places that make me say, "It's like here...only it's there."

Cinnamon Rolls for Lunch?

A longtime girlfriend of mine came to Four Sisters Farm for lunch today.  (She is in the pic below with her two precious children.) I have missed her SO much and am grateful for her visit.  We got acquainted when our families attended the same church years ago.  She is precious and loves the Lord with all her heart, all her mind, and with all her soul...and she loves the people around her the same way.

One of my favorite things that happened several times when we were together with others who didn't know us well...someone would ask if she and I are sisters and I was quick to reply "Yes!  We have the same Father!"  Of course, then I explained that I meant God our heavenly Father.  It blesses me to know that people see something similar in us because I think she is so awesome!!

I was pleased to give her the "nickel tour" of the house because she had only been here once not long after we bought the farm; then we settled into our basement (I mean "lower level") to gab and I felt like I was talking a hundred miles an hour to try to catch up.

I had made some homemade rolls in honor of her visit and decided to make part of the dough into cinnamon rolls.  I jokingly said that we could eat cinnamon rolls for lunch and skip the food that was good for us...she thought that sounded like a great idea...and we did...because we could.  Ha!

Mmmmmmm.  "Sister", you can come for lunch anytime!!

Encouragement

Encouragement came to Four Sisters Farm yesterday evening in the form of help and DQ ice cream...my long time friend brought with her a mutual friend to have dinner with us and to help with some of the remaining demolition.

I've given this young man the blog name "Barnabas" because the name means "son of encouragement" and my girlfriend should have had a blog name a long time ago. I chose the name "Daina" for her for a couple of reasons but the main reason is that it means a form of music or poetry and Daina LOVES music in a huge way so it fits.

You can see that Barnabas LOVES to do demolition and I hear that he’s good at constructing things as well! We have known Barnabas for some years now...since he was a boy...literally. He has grown into a fine young man and we're blessed to know him.

If you have followed the blog, you have seen pictures of Daina before as she has been a long-time friend who seems to always show up and help with our crazy projects. God brought her into our lives more than ten years ago and she is the same now as she was then...she speaks encouragement to us even when she is in the midst of trial herself. She continues to choose to recognize that God is in control and she trusts Him. I'm grateful for her friendship.

The words of Philemon 1:7 sum up my feelings about their visit to Four Sisters Farm yesterday evening, "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother (and sister, Daina), have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people."

We have had much encouragement from family and friends - but never so much as since we have been "living the dream" at Four Sisters Farm. Sign me "Grateful."