Vacations, family and getting back to a routine

We had a very nice vacation in Hamburg, NY last week, visiting my mom, Jacque and NOW Lisa & children have moved there! Making my visiting very fun, as I get to see all my nephews and my niece in one place. Lisa's new house is adorable and I think she'll like settling in there.

We had rainy weather most of the time, so I didn't get to enjoy Jacque's pool much. My nephew Cole taught me how to play guitar hero! And Georgia flew up from Texas, so it was like a mini-family reunion! Great to see everyone and catch up on each other's lives.

Now I'm trying to get back into a routine and not feel overwhelmed with all there is to accomplish during August! I need to finish writing the study guide for the bible study I am teaching in September on J.I. Packer's book "Knowing God". The garden is demanding alot of attention and August is my month for all the annual doctor appointments. Plus it is the last month of the fiscal year at church, so I'm busy wrapping things up and getting ready with the new budget. Note to self: One thing at a time!! Let me leave you with this thought
You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You're blessed when you follow his directions,
doing your best to find him.
That's right—you don't go off on your own;
you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
keeping to the course you set;
Then I'd never have any regrets
in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I'm going to do what you tell me to do;
don't ever walk off and leave me.
That's Psalm 119:1-8 from The Message translation. I find that the more I have to do, the more time I need to spend with God - in prayer and in His Word. Then things fall into place. So during this busy time, pray for me to be diligent in getting up early and being consistent with my time with God.

Garden update

Well I thought it would be a good idea to do a garden update.
My Kale, Peas, carrots and onions are peaking through the soil. I have transplanted into larger pots my cabbage, broccoli,lettuce, strawberries. My tomato plants have sprouted under the lights in the basement. Spinach is starting to sprout.

Michael bought me two flats of pansies for my birthday and I was able to plant some of them in my big cement planters today. I finished clearing out the front flower bed and really enjoyed smelling the hyacinths as I worked. The daffadils are also blooming and the tulips are beginning to bud. I have enough pansies to do the two deck planters and make the three Easter basket planters for the shepherd's hooks in front of the house.

I love Spring!!!

Tuesday planting

Today I planted 9 Yukon Gold potatos and 18 red potatos. I also put in all my red onion starts (about 50) Plus I tested all my soil in my raised beds so I can adjust the Ph or the nutrients in each bed, depending on what I plan to plant in them.
I cleared out two flower beds, getting all the old dead stuff trimmed down. I also worked on my herb bed. We are going to get rain tonight, so I didn't water anything.

Seed update

Okay - here's what I planted over the weekend outside:
More carrots, spinach, kale, swiss chard, beets, lettuce in my cold frame
Inside I've started tomatos (early girls, cherry, brandywine & roma)
3 more kinds of peppers (jalapeno, hungarian & banana)
My potatos are ready to be planted tomorrow (red & yukon gold)
It's going to be beautiful here tomorrow so I hope my mouth will settle down and I can be outside all day (I had a post put in today with a crown and right now it's hurting) But my garden will be the best remedy! I really need to get some flowers started.
Oh and the daffadils are blooming....my mom is coming to visit in a few weeks - I hope the bulbs will still be blooming. Here's a picture of the daffs - don't they just make you smile?

Gardening and Basketball

My favorite time of year! The NCAA tournament and springtime, not to mention that March is my birthday month and the birthday month for many of my friends. How can you not LOVE March!

Okay, I have been terrible at posting! But I'm still trying. It'll get even harder now with the garden. But I'll at least try to post up what I'm planting.

On St Pat's day it was 72 degrees! We (John and I) got the pea trellis up and I planted 150 pea seeds - 3 varieties Misty, a snow pea and a few experimental variety the seed store gave me.

In the basement under the lights I have up and with their true leaves out, red & green cabbage, broccoli and buttercruch lettuce. Also a flat of celery and bell peppers up with just their first set of leaves. Today I am starting more and will update tomorrow what I actually got done. It's questionable because the games start today....but I can listen on my radio, while I work.

That's it for today - Happy, Happy Spring tomorrow to all of us! Hurray, winter is over! My crocuses are blooming, daffs & tulips up and getting ready and the hyanciths are peeking up.

February!!!!

I lived through January!! Now it's time for seed catalogs and garden planning.
Oh and Go Steelers!

Christmas shopping

Well I thought that I could quickly finish my Christmas shopping when I got off work today - but everyone else had the same idea! I wonder why we all wait until the last minute? Anyway I think next year I'm going to do all my shopping online....but there will always be those little things that you need for the stockings or the meals.
And last year I finally got things wrapped before Christmas eve - but this year?? I keep meaning to wrap things as I get them....but it's easier to hide them in the closet and not wrap them right away.
It will all get done somehow.
Hang in there and remember who we are celebrating!

Light up the darkness

Yesterday was a rather dark and gloomy day - the way so many are this time of year. As I was finishing the Christmas decorating, I was really struck by how the lights pierced through the gloom and made everything so much more hopeful. And that is exactly what Christ has done - He brought light to a dark and hopeless world - and has given us hope again. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined."
As you enjoy all the lights this Christmas season - think of our great light Christ!

Twas the week before Christmas

Is it just me, or has Christmas come quickly this year? We are trying to slow it down and enjoy each activity - even as our days and evenings are filling up. Andrew will be able to come home this weekend and will be here for his birthday next Sunday.
Thursday evening is our Women's Christmas party and I am doing the devotional...I am praying that God will show me what to share. Tomorrow is my day off work and I hope to finally get some Christmas cookies baked... it's supposed to snow in the morning, so it should be a fun day to bake!

Update for Wednesday

I hope all of you are enjoying this Advent season, taking time to reflect on the amazing truth of Christ's incarnation! I've been putting up decorations, slowly, and just really enjoying the season. We even have had a little snow in Cincinnati last weekend, which was delightful as we attended our first of the season Christmas party!

The snow is gone today, replaced with rain and cloudy weather....which makes the Christmas lights really stand out and reminds me of how we need to light up the darkness!

I now have two herniated discs in my neck and am getting cortisone injections by way of the fluroscope (that they use for angiograms) and the doctor uses an epidural procedure to put the steriod in the right spot, hopefully to reduce the inflammation. Of course the steriod makes my blood sugar go crazy - so I have to take special medicine to counteract that. The worst part is having to lay flat for 24 hours afterward, to avoid a spinal headache. The good part is that in 4-5 days I get some relief from the pain. So I'm off to the hospital this afternoon, I have sloppy joes in the crockpot for dinner and that's my Wednesday update!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I hope yours was as nice as ours - we enjoyed having all three sons home for the weekend with lots of eating and talking! Today all of the guys helped their dad & I outside. We've had a spell of cold and wet weather and never got our backyard, deck and porch closed down for the season. So since today was sunny and going to be the highest temp in the next few weeks (49) we took advantage of it and have accomplished alot! I even got my winter rye sown!
The guys were so much help - and doing it together, made it easier on all of us.

Making Changes

Hi everyone!
Well I am in the middle of making website changes to hopefully consolidate some of them and make it easier for me to keep up with. So over the next weeks, there will be some sites that go down and others that will have new sections. The first one I'll be working on is to combine my prayer page with the Kathy Kogitations page.
Hang in there with me as I try to get my websites to a manageable size. I hope all of you are planning to vote on Tuesday - we need everyone to make their voice known!

Car problems in New York

Yesterday at my mom's I went to back my car up, so she could move her car out of the garage. And when I tried to turn my car off - it wouldn't turn off! The key was stuck in the on position. I tried everything and even my brother-in-law who works on cars couldn't figure out how to get it out....but he did know how to get the engine to turn off. With my new saturn I have roadside assistance and they came and towed the car off to a Saturn dealer, however due to some New York law - they couldn't take it to the one that is here in town, because the service dept was closed (although the sales was open) And had to take it to one over an hour away...but no one can look at it until Monday.
I'm supposed to drive home Monday. Well - you know that Scripture tells us that we should aways say "If God wills....I will do such and such tomorrow" And here is a great example of having to put my plans in His hands. I don't know if He is keeping me safe from an accident, or having this happen while I'm still at my mom's instead of halfway home - at a rest stop or something - but I do know that I'm glad to have my sovereign Lord in charge of things. So my plans are delayed, but I am not dismayed.

World cardmaking Day

Well today is World Cardmaking Day! My mom and I are working on Halloween cards for her grandchildren (my niece and nephews) I am enjoying beautiful Fall weather in Western New York this weekend. Have a great weekend!

Made it to Hamburg

I had a pretty good drive although went through about 30 minutes of a downpour in Cleveland. Great to see my mom - we are enjoying getting caught up. Rained all night and this morning, but the sun has come out now and it is pretty but cool. We're going to work on cards in the sunroom.

Heading off to Hamburg

One more day of work, a dentist appointment, last minute packing and I'm off to Hamburg to visit my mom and sister! I did most of my packing today - because tomorrow will be so busy....but on Tuesday I'm free as a bird! Looking forward to a wonderful week with lots of time to visit! Prayers for safety on the road will be much appreciated - this is one of the first times I've driven up by myself...but I love driving my Saturn Ion - so I'm looking forward to the trip.
I'll post some pictures when I get there!

Busy weekend

Still canning - salsa and pizza sauce this weekend. I think I've finally figured out how to get the church's accounting software to work correctly - so there is hope that we can finally start our new ministry year on the right foot. My cell phone finally died after 8 years! So I have a new red samsung. Is it just me, or do you just hate having to learn how to work a new phone? It will take awhile to get used to - but it does have features that my "dinosaur" didn't have.
Still cleaning up tree limbs from last week's wind storm - but at least our electricity is back on...5 days without it was beginning to get old quickly! We are pretty spoiled!
Heroes starts back up tomorrow and of course right at the same time as Dancing with the Stars....I think I'll watch Heroes.
Have a great week everyone!

Toothache

Owwwww! Getting closer to the end of my tooth dilemma but not quite done. Long 3 hour appt with dentist on Tuesday - yesterday wasn't too bad - but last night and today I am really hurting - the dentist warned me that he was bruising alot of my gums.
So, hopefully this is the last day of pain. My new crown won't be ready for 3 weeks.
It is so tender that I still cannot chew anything. I'm getting really tired of yogurt.
Well, we are having more beautiful fall weather so I'd better take some tylenol and get outside.
Here's a picture of One of my flowers:

Busy....Busy

The end of August is the end of our fiscal year at work - so as you can imagine - I've been very busy closing the books and getting the new budget in place...right as my tomatoes are needing lots of attention! So not much time for computer stuff. But thought I'd better check in with everyone. Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend and have gotten the little ones back in school. It's strange to not be getting anyone ready for school - no lunches to pack - hard to believe that stage of life is over!
One of these days I'm going to get my vacation pictures posted, but looks like it'll be a few more weeks.
Here's one more for you:

Bear Story

In Yellowstone the traffic always stops for wildlife to have the right of way...it also stops when someone spots a "picture moment" alongside the road. We were stopped in a long line of traffic and I could see a bunch of people out of their cars with their cameras, taking pictures of something. We were about 5 cars back, so I said to John, "I'm going to get out and take a picture" So I jogged up to the spot, not really noticing that everyone else was on the other side of the road! A little girl started to cross over near me and a father shouted for her to stop....at that point I turned to my right to see that I was face to face with a black bear! About 5 feet away from me. I slowly raised my camera and got just two shots before it dawned on me that I was way too close! I slowly backed away, but the bear was more interested in the berries than me! Thank goodness! So that was my close encounter with a black bear. We also had buffalo walking along right next to the car. It was great!