One Thousand Gifts — January Joy Dare

ONE THOUSAND GIFTS in 2012

January Joy Dare–capturing these gifts and joining Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.

“Joy is always a function of gratitude — and gratitude is always a function of perspective. If we are going to change our lives, what we’re going to have to change is the way we see.”

January 23

three gifts found in Christ

An example to follow, Forgiveness and  An intercessor

January 24

three things blue

My favorite denim skirt
Shades of blue, from palest of a winter sky to the deepest of the blue black of night
The happy blue of Dutch Irises

January 25

One grace borrowed —  this prompt list of gifts to discover
One grace found  —  God’s promises are never failing
One grace inherited   —   carnival glass bowl from my mother, it’s packed   so no picture

January 26

One gift before 9 am  —  A morning kiss from the Farmer
One gift before noon  —  Encouragement from blogger ‘friends’
One gift before dark  —  Quietness at Cozy Acres as the chickens return to their nests and the day rests

January 27

Three gifts that might never have been

4 of my children if what the doctor said had been true.
A 53 day road trip across the USA if we had not owned a business.
Cozy Acres would never have been if we had not lost that same business.

January 28

3 graces found in your friends

Laughter, adventure, and acceptance

January 29

A song heard  —  “Every Need Supplied, Cleansing, Healing, Sweet peace inside, Every Need Supplied.”
A soft word  —  “Well, Good Morning” every day by the Farmer.
Where you saw light  —  Every night I look up to the heavens and check to see the moon and the stars, and I’m thankful for yet another day.

January 30

3 old things seen new

My walk with the Lord, improving this year.
My relationship with the Farmer as we adjust to new times in our lives
Our ways of eating seen new to better health.

January 31

a gift found

On a paper–  “Bought in 1923. In Peters Drug store in Pawnee, Okla. 19cents each.” Written on a scrap of paper by my Grandmother Ripley and tucked in between three clear glass bowls. I have loved using them. Now they live with my daughters.

On a person  —  enjoying that fresh washed baby powder scent  on a little one while rocking it to sleep

In a picture  —  I love this Grannie’s arms and hands, sheltering, supporting, loving, being there with all she can

Gifts 181 —  208

Published in: on February 6, 2012 at 10:48 am  Leave a Comment  

Wordless Wednesday — Sunshine and Shadow

Being wordless a day late . . . . .

linking here: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Published in: on February 2, 2012 at 11:38 am  Leave a Comment  

Wordless Wednesday –Winter Chores

On Wednesday’s I try to be wordless. . .



Linking with other wordless ones –
http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Published in: on January 11, 2012 at 4:02 pm  Comments (3)  

One Thousand Gifts and a Scripture

Adding to my One Thousand gifts:

101.  This cat, Busterford Jones, who moved to Cozy Acres scared and untrusting, has adapted and become the #1 lap cat. I get this look if the computer is in his way.

102. Ideas from a quilt show.

103. I am very thankful for my mom. She is such an example of the Proverbs 31 woman. Thank you.

I am very thankful for my home.

104. This cozy spot where I write, knit, read, eat, doze, hold cats, rock babies, gaze out the door, pray and weep.

105. This is the cozy spot where I create .

106. This is my cozy kitchen most of the time it is neater than this but I love the way the light played in this picture.


107. Here is the Farmer’s cozy spot.

108. And COZY, though it may be, I am thankful for indoor plumbing. Please excuse the camera strap.

I thankful for memories, still, of cruise taken in 2009, with these dear-to-my-heart people.

109. On our way to dinner in New York City.

110. Checking out New York City.


111.  Quebec City

112. A carriage ride in Quebec City.

113. A real gift- to be able to cruise with the Farmer.

114. The trip of our life time ‘from sea to shining sea’ in 2007.

115. A favorite memento from ‘the trip’ – The Story Teller, purchased in New Mexico.

And a Scripture:
. . .   trust . . .  in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 1Timothy 6:17

linking with:  http://www.aholyexperience.com

Published in: on December 12, 2011 at 1:02 pm  Leave a Comment  
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My Spot at Cozy Acres

This is where I sit and read and write and knit and eat.
Sometimes I even doze here.

This is what I see if the door is open.

This is the view out the window.
It faces south.
The window is covered with sunshades.

This is what I’m trying to see.

Published in: on December 6, 2011 at 1:26 pm  Comments (2)  

{this moment} — Golden Autumn Light

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


linking up with:  http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/11/this-moment-1.html

Published in: on November 11, 2011 at 12:27 pm  Comments (1)  

Wordless Wednesday – Sunrise

Getting Wordless and having fun!

While I was in bed, the Farmer saw this.

You can be Wordless

link up here: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Published in: on November 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm  Comments (5)  

One Thousand Gifts and a Scripture

Tonight I am adding to my list of gifts I’ve been given. Most of these gifts can be found around Cozy Acres. The Mother-in-law, squirrel and red tiger lilies can be found in Redding, CA.

71. A wonderful, happy Mother-in-law
72. The Farmer’s busy, hard-working hands


73. A sunrise74. A moon rise

75. A frisky squirrel

76. Planting of the corn with Grandpa

77. Corn growing -on far left side

78. Corn ending for the year

79. Summer home-grown tomatoes

80. A tomato of perfection

81. Sweaters waiting for new homes

82. My first quilt -1960 or 61

83. Red tiger lilies

84. Passing on sewing skills

               

85. More Summer bounty

   

85. Bobo and part of his flock, waiting for Bro Bob

86. Fresh Eggs gathered by the Farmer

87. Finished projects

for Jonathan

for Elizabeth

for McKenna

And a scripture:

 . . . Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.    Jeremiah 5:24b

Published in: on November 1, 2011 at 12:25 am  Leave a Comment  

Today is Shower Day

Showers are not all they’re cracked up to be!!

I meant it feels good after it is all over, yes.

For me, though,  a shower just feels like a necessary evil.

I just can’t stumble into the shower and get it over.

At Cozy Acres,

I have to take the laundry basket out of the shower,

find a place to put it out of the way,

try to stand in a 15×15 inch space,

step over into the tub (my knees don’t like to bend that acutely),

without falling……then

in the shower I hate to have the shower curtain touch me,

but there it is snuggling up nice and close

and did I say the bathroom is never the right temperature

summertime  I can’t dry off

the rest of the time I’m washing goose bumps

water on the body,  soap up,  rinse off

balance carefully while stepping out into that 225 square inch space,

it sounds like a bigger target when I say it that way

Hopefully considering the season, dry off

then use the towel to wipe down the shower and tub

so I can put the laundry basket back where it belongs.

but I am clean ………..

Wash my hair there, oh, no……that takes a walk next door!

 

Published in: on October 20, 2011 at 10:40 am  Leave a Comment  

What a Difference a Year Makes!

ON MY MIND   —  Just a picture or pictures and  a few words

September 29, 2010

Moving to our new location and into our new home.

September 29, 2011

Look what a lot of hard work and the Lord’s blessings can accomplish.

I am content at Cozy Acres.

Published in: on September 30, 2011 at 12:27 pm  Comments (1)  

A to Z about Me

I have read several lists of ‘100 things about me’; this is the first A to Z I’ve seen. Filling this out was fun, and I learned a little and remembered more.

A- Age:  62 and I get my first social security check the third Wednesday in October, 2011
B- Bed size:  Full, remember we live in an eight ft wide trailer
C- Chore you hate: bathrooms, enuf said
D- Dog’s name: no dog now, I was real fond of Rosie the wandering basset
E- Essential food/item: catsup
F- Favorite color: I’m drawn to all shades of yellow in nature, but seldom wear it
G- Gold or silver: not into jewelry, my favorite watch had a woven gold and silver band
H- Height: 5′4 3/4
I- I am:  thankful
J- Job: learning to live in the now
K- Kids: 5 – 3 girls and 2 boys, all adults somewith families of their own. I have 12 grandchildren, 1 son-in-law, 2 daughters-in-law
L- Living arrangements: We live very contentedly in a 8×27 ft RV as assistant caretakers of the 7 acres on which the church we attend is located.  We share the grounds with the head caretaker and 27 chickens and three stray cats who think they belong here (coz they get fed, tender hearted head caretaker).
M-Mom’s name: Frances, she is absolutely MOM #1
N- Nickname: When I was young, Mom called me Lessie, the Farmer calls me Hon, the kids call me mom, the grands call me, grannie
O- Overnight hospital stay: 5 babies, twice for a ruptured bowel (one illness), multiple times for complicated gall bladder/pancreas episode
P- Pet peeve: Having a car hurry to pull out in front of me causing me to break for it when there is a mile of empty road behind me
Q- Quote from a movie: …my very favorite quote is the scripture in the Old Testament in  Malachi 3:6  ” For I am the LORD, I change not; . . .”
R- Right or left handed: I’m a right handed
S- Siblings: I am the oldest and only girl with 4 brothers
T- Time you wake up: no sooner than I have to
U- Unique thing about your car: it always has sunflower seed shells on the floor
V- Vegetable you hate: bok coy at least in the recipe I used
W- Ways you run late: I  always think it will take less time to get somewhere than it does, so I leave later than I should
X- X-rays you’ve had: teeth, knees, abdominal, neck, back, chest,
Y- Yummy food you make: no one has turned away from my Chicken and Rice and I make a killer meatloaf, both original recipes from my Mom
Z- Zoo favorite: giraffes, and I could spend a lot of time watching farmyard fowl, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys…and I have.

Published in: on September 18, 2011 at 9:04 pm  Leave a Comment  

Wordless Wednesday – Home

Wordless Wednesday

I’ve been away from HOME for the most of two week.

It is good to be home.

Published in: on September 14, 2011 at 3:01 pm  Leave a Comment  

The Farmer

The Farmer’s love is growing a beautiful, weed free garden.

His father was a vegetable truck gardener in the central valley, CA from the time the Farmer was about 4-5 years old. The Farmer began planting beans and corn at that young age. As he grew older, he worked in the garden before and after school. He and his Brother dug burr clover and johnson grass from the flower garden as a way to work off excess energy for Mama.

When we bought our first property, an acre, He began gardening on his own. Over the years, we moved sometimes we had a garden sometimes not. When we bought a nice home on 1/2 acre in Carmichael 13 years ago, the Farmer began gardening again in earnest. I told him the garden was fine, but too many times the weeds took over, I really didn’t want a garden all weedy, since the garden would be the main view from our deck.

The Farmer developed his drip system of watering and mulching between the rows.  We had three huge sycamore trees that dropped millions of leaves each year and these were shredded used as mulch and tilled back into the soil each fall. His garden had no weeds!

From his consistent labor a garden grew that was the envy all who visited.  2010 was the last year he had a garden at this property.  This is last year’s garden:

Then we were able to move our RV trailer on the Church’s property to help as caretakers, October, 2011.

and the seeds of garden came with us.

There is a peace about gardening, not too many people will fuss with the Farmer about when he plants and what he plants. Not too many people offer to weed or lay watering lines or pound posts to stake tomatoes and cucumbers.


The Farmer doesn’t really want or need the advice or help, it is his creation.  He plants. He waters. He hoes. He ties and stakes. He weaves the cucumber tenderals into the field fencing.  God gives the increase and blessing.

Both God and the Farmer stand back smiling looking at their handiwork and say, “It is very good.”

Published in: on July 11, 2011 at 6:49 pm  Comments (2)  

Cleave – to adhere firmly

I feel like these thoughts need a disclaimer: This is a declaration against the enemy of our souls that delights in discouraging, lying to, separating and destroying God’s people.

Because sometimes ” your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1Peter 5:8 ” even at Cozy Acres.

[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God.  Hebrews 3:12 Amplified

Cleave    to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly

We cannot be cleaving
If we hold each other at arms’ distance.
If we just gaze and then look away quickly
If holding hands feels like a handshake
If in our minds we are making a distance
If we question
If we doubt
If we hide behind our hurts
Until a thought becomes

a withdraw
a space
a wall

It’s time to gird ourselves with truth, not lies
It’s time to cast out the stones
It’s time to rebuke the destroyer
It’s time to march around the city

for how ever many times it takes
to
bring
the
walls
down.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. James 4:8

Let love be without dissimulation.
(disguising  (one’s intentions, for example) under a feigned appearance.)
Abhor that which is evil;
cleave to that which is good. Romans 12:9

(  Picture from Animal Zoo Park
http://animalszooguru.blogspot.com/2010/11/lions-roaring-pics-roaring-lion.html   )

Published in: on June 30, 2011 at 12:22 pm  Comments (2)  

One Thousand Gifts and a Scripture – 6

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/06/when-youre-thinking-its-time-to-give-up

I’m finding many things to be thankful for at Cozy Acres, join me as I take a walk around the yard.

49. We have shade screens on these two large windows and the one on the south end of the trailer.

50. Miss A enjoys every thing about “Meow” even to snitching a bit of kibbles.

51. This Cat aka “Meow” or as I like to call him ‘Seymore Toes’  can get comfortable anywhere and anytime.

52. I Love freckles on eggs.

53. First Fruits from the Garden June 13, 2011

(But , you know, they are a little large, not sure of the quality)

Yep, almost all woody!

So the chickens will get the first fruit scraps, on the left and the Farmer will get the First Fruit bounty on the right.

53. I didn’t think this coneflower would survive the frost but it did.

54. This wild strawberry likes its new home.

55. Look! a volunteer Hollyhock.

56. I’ve waited two years for this one to bloom!

57. These Iris are loving it here. They have doubled in size since transplanted.

58. My geraniums are finding
their new homes.

 

 

 

59. I didn’t take a picture of our new toilet; the old toilet flush mechanism broke. I am really thankful for the new one because is sits about 4 inches higher, now my knees are not under my chin.

60. What God promises He will do!

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:  And I will remember my covenant, Gen 9:12-15

Published in: on June 16, 2011 at 5:12 pm  Leave a Comment  
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