She is one of our granddaughters.......the middle child in her family of six children........
a dear little girl....... and we love her so much!  She truly does march to the beat
of her own drum.  She is strong.  She is determined. She loves to lead.  On Saturday,
when we all went for a hike, she chose to lead, and to carry the rather heavy cooler,
along with the walking stick that she immediately picked before we started the hike.

With the snack of Keebler Club Minis...she had her own style of eating them:)

That is something I am coming to appreciate more and more, the older I get.  I like
individuality in my family and friends.  I am growing to appreciate how everyone
is uniquely.....well, them.  Their personalities and their styles are theirs and theirs alone.

In being yourself, don't copy anyone else.  The world needs you, and God created
you in His perfect fashion.   Take time to stop and leave your mark wherever you go,
even if everyone else keeps walking.

Remember also, any method in which you serve others, will be remembered, oftentimes for years
to come.  A meal served, a muffin baked, a house cleaned, a letter written...the list goes
on and on.  At times, we can feel like no one notices, but they do, and it does make a difference!

 

  Share those smiles with others around you.  A smile can lift one's spirits and lighten one's steps.

When you feel like chilling...do it!  If your personality is more laid back, and your favorite
pastime is sitting in front of the fire, with coffee...do it.

Don't feel the need to be like everyone around you.  In a cookie cutter world, we need individuality.
It would be such a boring world, if we were all the same, looked the same, and acted the same.

No matter who you are, and how God made you...

We need each other's uniqueness and gifts. 

So, today, shine wherever you are!  And, whatever you do, do not criticize others in public,
even if you are a presidential candidate!  In fact, all the more so if you are!  My Mother always
said, "If you don't have anything nice to say about others, don't say anything."  I feel like that
is a most important rule in life.

Thanks for stopping by tonight, for my "little something".

Thanks to my uncles, for the exceptional nature photography.

 There are two quotes that keep running through my mind lately.  They contain words that could be helpful to me, in facing daily communications with those I come in contact with. 

Words especially suited for political conversations, where emotions rise quickly to the
surface.  This quote may be just what I need at times, in the political forefront of our
country and our county, right now, where emotions tend to run high.  The quote I read,
is this;
"Sometimes, not saying anything is the best answer.  You see, silence can never be
misquoted."      ~  http://www.iliketoquote.com

The other quote is a friendship  quote, that resonated with my spirit when I read it.  I know there
are so many friendship quotes everywhere, but this one stuck with me;

"Be the type of person you want to meet."    ~unknown author

When I walked out my back door yesterday, it was a wet, gray, and quite drab sight. 
Then last evening I saw this picture in my photo archives, from the same back door,  and
I was reminded that Spring is coming...very soon!  What an encouraging thought on this
cold morning.

Thanks for stopping by!  Thanks for all the kind comments about the brunch post and the
dear one that it honored.

 

We came together on an extremely rare visit.  We gathered at our oldest daughter's farmhouse,
for a family brunch.

The farm table never looked better!  The vintage tablecloth, the spring designed
napkins, and the pink tulips made it all look so festive and inviting.

There were mothers and daughters gathered around the table.

There were aunts and nieces.

There were grandmas, and a brand new grandbaby.

There were sisters.

And cousins who grew up together, and had plenty of fun stories to share from their
memories.

 

There was one from the next generation of family, and her precious new baby.

There were five delicious quiches that our hostess made, all from the eggs of the chickens
out back of the barn.  There was a time of singing, prayer, and an abundance of stories
past and present. There was laughter and times of sharing.  All of this was done in honor
of a very special young mother, who is one of us.  She is walking through the journey of cancer. 
It has been a difficult, and at times, painful journey.  The brunch was to
convey to her, from our hearts, that we are walking it with her and her family.

We will be there for her!  We care deeply for her!  We, came from far and near to be
at this brunch, because we wanted to let her know of our support and love.

That is what family does, and that is what makes such a big difference

in life.

Today, I am so grateful for the gift of family, and for a hostess

that made it all happen.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

 

It was Saturday evening.  We were in the Midwest, visiting with our youngest daughter and
her family.  The thermometer read, 7 degrees, but the wind chill made it feel much colder.
For the first time, they took us to a neighboring city, to explore an ice castle.  It was truly
a rare and fun experience.  One worth sharing with you all, only you can see it through
the warmth of your home:).

The picture above, is what we saw as we drove in the long driveway.

Believe me, we were dressed for the occasion!  Lots of layers.  Our grandson

was dressed with even more layers than we were, and happily

stayed in the backpack, making him high enough to see

everything around him.

The sign at the entrance way said it all.

Entering the castle.  The LED lights added so much to the beauty of it all.

Inside, a crowd had gathered around a talented fire juggler.  The speed with which he juggled
the fire, was most impressive!

 

We were thankful for the various fire pits on the ice, were we could take

time to warm our hands.

 

 

Layers upon layers, we were ready to go.  Despite the layers, we continued
to feel the cold.  But, the wonder of it all, and the beauty of it all, along with the clear night
sky, made it one of those experiences, one does not forget.  "Magical" would describe
the evening.

Just like you might expect, "Olaf" was present in the ice castle.

When you looked inside the one cave, you could see a continuous stream of water, running
from the side.  It was so pretty, in the purple light!

One can easily understand why the "hot chocolate" stand was such a popular place:) 
What a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day weekend! 

Thanks for stopping by!  We are back home now, after a fast four day visit.  Today we having
more snow, although warmer days are ahead, at the end of the week.

Recently, we met at her home, for our weekly Bible Study.  We got to see firsthand, the long
wool runner that she made.
It was her first attempt at this skill, and I must say, we were all quite impressed.  She sat at
a loom to create this masterpiece.

It added so much beauty to her long dining room table.

Her hospitality is always warm and gracious!  Along with that, she is a gifted decorator.
The Valentine touches she added to her home, were so pretty!

Simple, colorful, and festive!  It made our coffee time together, so special!

Even the strawberries were heart shaped. 

My gift to each one, was a bag of homemade "Saltine Cracker Candy with Toasted Pecans". 
It is one of my husband's favorite snacks.  You can find the easy to make recipe here;

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/saltine-cracker-candy-with-toasted-pecans/print

Thanks to the dollar bin at the Target Store, I put together these small gifts.

At my kitchen sink, there are a few more touches of this fun holiday.  I especially like my heart
mug, and the small bouquet that my oldest granddaughter made for me, at her first flower
arranging class.  You can imagine how special it is to me!

Whether it is the first time at the loom, or the first flower arranging class, the finished
product, will be a blessing to others.

A jar of tiny hearts, sharing a bit of sweet with whoever walks into my kitchen.  Whatever
you share this Valentine Day, it should be done from the heart, and it should say, "I care".
After all, we all need to know that someone cares.  In the political world right now, you
hear hurtful things being thrown continually, by candidates to candidates. 

In real everyday life, kindness does matter!

One evening this week, once again I was awestruck at the beauty before me and surrounding me.
Snow on the fields, birds in the air, and the most brilliant sunset that I have witnessed for
quite awhile.  Honestly, as always, these pictures did not capture the magnificence.

 

 What an exquisite gift!  What a breathtaking way to say goodbye to another day!

"Earth, with her thousand voices, praises God."   ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge  "Hymn Before
Sunrise"

On a side note, I read this recently;

"The diameter of the Sun is 864,950 miles.  If the Sun was hollow, you could fit about a million
planet Earths inside of it.  The distance from the Earth to the Sun changes throughout the year,
but it is usually about 93 million miles away.

The word Sun means "yellow dwarf".
I found these very interesting facts here,   www.kidzworld.com/article/339-our-sun

What if I had been too busy to notice this Sun of ours setting in the western sky?

"If you get simple beauty and naught else, You get about the best thing that God invents."
~  Robert Browning

 

 

 

 

"In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom

coming from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is hidden from its heat."

~Psalms 19:4 - 6

Thank you for stopping by today!