The Biggest Loser

I thought I would clarify that my husband is not a big loser! ha! It is just the title of my post today. He cracked up when he saw that title over his picture!

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This is a picture of my friend Toni and I when we met the Lennon Sisters in Branson Mo. This has nothing to do with my post, but I came across it and thought I would add it.

On this same trip we stopped at Lamberts~ The House of Throwed Rolls! Have you ever been there? My husband's skillet dinner picture (above) just shows how much food they serve you,...and they throw you more rolls whenever you want more. They also walk around with second helpings of Okra and Fried Potatoes and all kinds of fattening stuff. This is definitely no place for a dieter!
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Last night the "Biggest Loser" show was on. I don't watch this show,...but I have seen parts of it now and then. I think it is amazing how hard they push these over- weight people, and how they teach them to be disciplined in their lives. The results are amazing!

I have been slim before. When I married my husband John,...(33 years ago) I weighed 121 pounds. Then little by little throughout the years I gained weight. Boy,...did I gain weight. I am now heavier than I have ever been in my life!!!! And I am so unhappy about it.

Just a couple of years ago I lost 60 pounds by being more active, walking, and eating sensibly. I had also cut back on salt intake, and was drinking more water. I had cut out pop, and chocolate too. I felt more disciplined and more "in control" of my life. It felt good to see some of the weight falling off. I gave some of my bigger clothes away. I had to buy some smaller sizes and I loved it!

Well, you may be asking "what happened to cause you to lose that discipline?", well let me tell you my story. LIFE HAPPENED! Life, and death, and illness, and other stresses. Now as I look back and think on all the things that happened in the past two years I can see what happened to my self discipline,....it flew out the window!

I didn't realize while it was happening, because it was a gradual process, but one thing after another altered my routines, and my new good habits went by the wayside.

We moved into a new home that we had built, and although it was fun, it was stressful at times. There were a lot of decisions to be made, and always things to think about. (Just purchasing custom blinds for the windows this last Oct. has taken over 6 months to get them installed properly as they kept having issues,...and they still aren't all installed). It seemed nothing could just be a simple process. Life is like that sometimes. But with stressful times food is often a comfort,...even when you don't realize you are turning to it.

I also woke up one day with a slipped disk and pinched nerve in my neck and for several months I was in constant pain, and the exercise dvd I used to do was now not an option. I couldn't reach over my head without horrible pain, and I couldn't even move my neck without turning my whole body in the direction that I needed to look. Reaching, bending, showering and washing my hair were very painful. I only found relief for short periods of time when I stayed in certain positions. I became very sedentary. I sat and I ate and I slept,...and I gained weight.

I got to feeling sorry for myself and I couldn't seem to come out of it. John would bring me ice cream and snacks as I sat in my chair and it seemed that only those treats seemed to lift my spirits. I had some pain pills but they made me sick to my stomach so I couldn't take them. I had several trips to the doctor and then they sent me to a pain specialist who did an epidural in my neck. A few weeks went by and there wasn't much change in the pain level, but then just before the second epidural I started getting better. And little by little my pain was gone. From time to time it comes back if I move wrong or sleep wrong or work over my head, so I have to be careful. Ever since then I haven't resumed my walking routines and exercises. The fear of getting that disk moved into that same position where it is pinching the nerve again, just keeps me from doing a lot of things I used to do. When it is pinched it makes my right arm numb right down to the finger tips, and since I am right handed it is hard to do things.

Well back to the order of my story.

My mother-in-law's cancer returned and that, along with her other health issues made it necessary for my husband and I to travel back and forth to Nebraska to help with her care. We were there for days, and sometimes weeks at a time. So, my eating, and exercising patterns were altered. It was hard to see her in a helpless condition because she had always been so self sufficient. Once in awhile I would go for a walk if my husband was there to sit with her, but it wasn't like the vigorous walks I had done routinely at home. I would cook for her and fix her goodies and then I would sit with her for long periods of time and just visit with her and watch tv. When we weren't with her, we would dread each phone call, thinking that it was going to be the family telling us she was gone. As it turned out we were there in Nebraska when she did pass away, but we had been made to leave her bedside to take a few minute break and run into town, and during that 5 or 10 minutes she passed while we were gone. This broke my heart because I wanted to be there with her. But God had other plans. Her daughter Becky was with her, and I think mom would have liked that she was the only one there, because they were very close.

After mom died we were back and forth to Nebraska several more times to clean up her house and sort through stuff and there again it was a long, sad process. Which isn't over yet. We still haven't gotten her house sold. John is the oldest in the family and a lot of the estate settling fell to him, and this has been hard for him. We both have been missing mom so much and trying to work through everything.

My sister in Oregon needed a lung transplant and was trying to get on the list. She was in and out of the hospital over a dozen times in a one year period. Kansas is a long ways from Oregon and I couldn't just jump in a car and go and see her when I wanted to. And she was always on my mind. I felt bad that I couldn't be more encouraging and available to her. I felt helpless when she would be in the hospital for weeks at a time, and I kept telling my husband that we needed to plan a trip out there because she might not make it through one of these hospital visits. So we did go last fall and I am so glad I did because she died on January 16th. We flew to Oregon for her service and I spoke and shared several of the special things about my sister Judy.

She was the oldest one left in my family, so now I am the oldest. It makes me feel very strange to think that I am now in that position. And there is only my younger brother after me. Where does life go? It seems like not that long ago we were the little tykes in the family, playing together and not having a care in the world. But we all grow up and face trials,...all of us.

And speaking of that my good friend's husband passed away and I am always trying to be available to her. We often go out to eat, or go for treats when we get together.
When you love someone you share their burdens. You cry with them and grieve with them,...as well as try to be there for them and encourage them. It has been hard to see her go through tough stages, and the ups and downs of grieving. My heart has ached for her many times. And it makes me think about the possibility that we never know when our spouse might get sick or pass away. It forces me to admit that it could happen to me too someday without notice. It seems we can never prepare for the loss of someone we love so much.

Just about 4 years ago we lost our 6 yr. old granddaughter Anna. It was so very hard to accept the fact that she was gone. Everytime we were at our daughter's house we felt like she could just come downstairs or from another room at any time. It just didn't feel right for her not to be there with her family. It took so long for it to actually sink into my head and heart, that she was gone. We miss her so much.

Then after Anna we had to help care for John's dad and 3 years ago in Feb. we lost him. Then we lost our friend that May, And a year and a half ago in September we lost John's sister. Then a year ago Feb. we lost mom. Then 3 months ago we lost my sister. So, you can see we have had many losses and stresses in our lives and situations that altered the routines of our lives. It is hard to get back into our routines. We still feel our losses at times.

But this story has a brighter side. We do have hope in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has helped us during each of these situations. He has been there with us when we felt like giving up. He has been there when we cried out in pain. He is still healing our broken hearts. He is there in our devotion times. He hears our prayers that we pray for our friends and family members and our church family. He answers them and gives us hope and comfort. He does encourage us in many ways,... through friends, and family, and church members. And He does amazing things, and always provides for our needs.

I may sound like I am "the biggest loser", as I re-counted all of these losses of our loved ones, but I know that I am not. I know that there are lots of people worse off than I am. I know that I should count my blessings for all that I do have. I know that I have so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to in this life.

I have a wonderful husband and beautiful daughters that I love so much. And I have 11 terrific grandkids. I have 3 more of them in heaven,...and the good news is I will see them again some day. And yes, heaven is where I am going when I die, and that's where my husband will go when he passes,...and that brings me assurance of God's love. I trust in His promise of eternal life.

Now, even though I have gained weight I am still not simply going to accept it and stay here if I can help it. By God's grace John and I are going to start on a healty diet plan soon and hopefully we will shed some pounds and gain some more energy. We have some fun plans for this summer and maybe by then we will be feeling healthier and more able to be more active.

Say a prayer for us if you would and,...maybe I will be "The Biggest Loser" after all! (Concerning weight that is!) But on second thought I know John will start dropping it faster than me, because that always happens. Even when he cheats!

Linda ~~~ April 2009

Today we are discussing mentoring. If you would like to join in the discussion, just click on the "At The Well" button above and link your post on Mr. Linky



Are We Following His Lead?



My mother was the biggest mentor in my life. From a child I always loved the Lord and wanted to know my mama’s Lord better, and to have a relationship like she had with Him. She took me to Sunday school and church, and every morning she would pray with me before I went to school. She lived in an attitude of prayer and many times she asked me to join her on my knees to pray for others.

She always had Christian radio on and I could hear sermons, scripture, and uplifting music all through the day, at home and in the car. It was her way of being plugged in and tuned in to spiritual truths. My husband and I listen to Christian Radio now that he is saved too, and we glean from it throughout the day and night, as we leave it on in our kitchen and in our bedroom, and in our car. Just something that mama practiced that stuck with me when I started living for Him.

Everything in life can be an object lesson and a way to teach a child, or younger person, how to love the Lord. Mom would show me a flower bulb and when it was planted we would wait for it to bloom in the spring and it was a vivid lesson on the power of God to watch it poke up through the hard ground and see it bloom. She would take me to the beach and we would watch the waves roll in and out, and she would tell me of God’s power and how He holds the ocean in its bounds.

And as I held my new baby niece in my arms, my mom would give glory to God for the miracle of a new life. It wasn’t hard to see God in all of these lessons, and to know that I wanted to know this God of miracles better.

Do we make people hunger for God? Does our life make people thirsty for Him? Does the way we face our trials bring glory to Him? Or are we struggling on our own with all of our troubles?

My daughter wrote a book after she lost 3 of her children, and it tells of God’s faithfulness to her during those times of great grief. It is called, “In Faithfulness He Afflicted Me”. And it is by Lynnette Kraft, and available on Amazon.com. I think she is mentoring by sharing her faith with others who may be going through tough trials. Many people have read this book and been helped and encouraged, and Lynnette gives all glory to God.

Are we giving glory to God for all of our blessings? Because they all come from Him, and without Him we would have NOTHING.

Through my life I have always tried to mentor my 3 girls and also their children. I try to share God with them like my mama did with me.

Many Christian women have been an inspiration to me in my Christian walk through the years, and I want to be inspiration to others as they need it too.

As I look back, I can think of many times that the Lord did indeed bring people across my path that He wanted me to reach out to in His name. I haven’t always followed his leading, but when I have it has been a great blessing to me as I try to share His love with others. Isn’t it great how He will bless us when we try to bless others. I say “try”, but I think that even that comes directly from Him, through us, to others. He is so amazing.

Another one of the ladies joining in the discussion today said that we should ask God everyday to send someone to us that we can mentor, or help. I think this is a great idea. And as I said we should always be ready to give an answer to those that ask us of the hope that lies within us.

Are we listening to His promptings? Are we looking for opportunities to share and care for others? “Are We Following His Lead?”

I am glad we had this time of discussion today and I am taking it as a challenge to see the places in my life that I can be used of Him.

And of course we need to know the scriptures so we can share them. II Timothy 3:16“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

Linda @ Truthful Tidbits

A Robin At My Window

The other day my husband, and granddaughter Abigail, and I were sitting at the kitchen table having a wonderful time of devotion and prayer. We were just about finished when a robin flew up to the window and peeked in at us. I saw an object lesson, or spiritual truth, as I watched that pretty little bird.

Song of Solomon 2:11,12
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come...

In these early days of spring we are looking forward to the green grass, and the budding trees and flowers. We are wanting to get outside and enjoy the blue skies, and gentle breezes. We want to forget the chill of winter and move on with our lives. And I am always listening to the sound of singing birds!

In the mornings when I go to my front room to do devotions I often hear birds singing. This sound always lifts my heart, and of course reminds me of our awesome Creator. The littlest birds have faced the harshness of winter and are now singing their spring time songs,...and it is a blessing to me and a reminder to sing praise to my Creator for all He does for me, and how He brings me through the storms of life.

Their sweet music reminds me of the ways that He cares for them and provides for their needs. And it also makes me think of all of the ways that He provides for us.

Abigail and Grandpa and I had just been talking about God's goodness to us,...and then this little robin appeared. I couldn't help but think that it was a perfect ending to our devotion time,...and I viewed it as a "token for good".

I thank God for the special little gift of,...A Robin At My Window!

A Tour Of Our New House

Welcome To Our Home....come on in and make yourself comfortable.

Blessings to all who enter here!

"The Good Life!"

May our lives be a sweet fragrance to God in Christ!

Two years ago my husband John and I moved into our new house. We are enjoying our retirement years and looking forward to the years to come in our home in the golf course area of our small town.

My husband picked this rock, and I remembered the verse in Luke 19:40 which says if we don't praise Him,...the rocks will cry out!

Our previous house had a corner lot and there was a fairly large yard for my husband to mow, and so when we chose this lot for our new house we wanted a much smaller yard. This is so that he could spend less time in the yard doing work, and more time on the golf course, or fishing on our friend's ponds!

The Front Entry Door is centered between two long Vertical Side Windows and an Arched Window above it. Inside the door has Maple Framework around it and the windows, and it has Dental Molding Trim at the top. Our house has a Tuscan flavor with Arched Areas above the Front Porch, and a little bit of Stone Trim around the brick. On the inside we have Arched Doorways and Windows, and also Plant Ledges with Up Lighting where I can display things. We have a Faux Stone Fireplace with a little Recessed Arched Niche above it. I put a scrolled wrought iron piece in that little niche and I really like how it looks there. My daughter Lisa, Faux Finished the Stone Fireplace and Two Accent Walls in the Dining Room, and this adds to the Tuscan flavor.



Beside the Fireplace are two Built in Maple Book Cases with shelves above and doors below. All of the Woodwork in the house is also Light Honey Colored Maple, including the Stair Rails and the Wood Flooring that we have in the Entry and Kitchen.. There is another Built in Bookcase Cabinet in the Dining Room area and I keep my mother’s dishes in there, as well as various other table settings. But I display “white-ware” on the shelves, with various platters, pitchers and bowls. I love white-ware pieces.

The Dining and Living Room areas are connected, so it is an open room with Large Arched Windows in the Living Room. There is an Arched area on the Ceiling above the Dining Room to give it distinction from the Living Room. I have taupe sofas and chair, and cream and brown accents around the room, with some muted shades of khaki green and a little gold here and there. I like neutrals because I have a lot of decorative items and I think it helps it not to look too busy if it blends together and coordinates. But also with muted tones I could add a splash of color when I wanted to, and I could change the accents when I wanted to.

The hanging Light Fixtures in the Entry, Dining Room, and Kitchen Eating Area and Bedrooms, and Baths are antiqued burnished bronze with opaque cream colored glass light covers, and the Ceiling Fans match, or coordinate nicely with the same antique bronze finish. I also have wrought iron pieces on the walls in different rooms that coordinate with the bronze fixtures and lighting and once again kind of look Tuscan.

I absolutely love my Living Room with the Large Windows. I can watch the sunrise when I get up early. And I can also look out to the Covered Deck and the Sunken Patio areas, and see the rose bushes and the redbud trees, and the cement benches we placed by the trees. As I said, the yard is really small, but I like it that way.

There are 10 Foot Ceilings in most of the house, or should I say,… the main living areas,…Living Room, Dining, Kitchen, Hallway, Laundry, Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom and Closet. The Laundry Room Pantry Area is entered from the Three Car Garage, and it is just across from the Kitchen


The two Guest Bedrooms are small but cozy, and they have 8 ft. Ceilings, as does the Hall Bath between those two rooms. The Hall Bath has a long narrow Window Above The Tub that lets in light, and it helps make the small bathroom feel brighter and bigger. The Flooring in the bath is tan Tile and it is easy to clean.

I made the Front Bedroom into a little sitting room for me, with a desk for my laptop, a wingback chair, small tv, and an antique curio cabinet that holds my favorite antique things. There is also a daybed for guests. I sometimes sleep in there if my husband is snoring and keeping me awake! We also do devotions in there in the mornings. Even though this room may seem out of place in with Tuscan decor in other areas of my home,...it is all stuff that I had in my other house and I couldn't part with some of "my favorite things". And besides, my granddaughters love it.

I call this Front Bedroom the “Victorian Room” because in this room I have various collectibles and pictures, mirrors, lace, old books, antique blouses and hats, etc. I can sit in my wingback chair and gaze out my arched window at the Purple Autumn Ash Tree that we planted in the front yard. Of course it isn’t very large yet, but I am looking forward to watching it’s growth through the years. Out front there are also small rose bushes and hedges, and a couple of Sky Pencil trees and a small rock fountain.

My granddaughters love to play hotel in the Front Bedroom and they use the old hats, purses, gloves and such and they play like they are on a special vacation with each other. I bring them a silver tray with tea and cookies when they ring the bell, and they have the best time pretending with Grandma’s old things!

I call the other Back Bedroom the “Cottage Room.” It has soft beiges and cream colors and lacey bedding, and several “Cottage” items and pictures. One of the granddaughters plays like this is her room in the hotel and she and her sister put sticky notes on their doors with room numbers and they ring a bell for me to come and take notes to each other’s rooms. They use my pretty stationary to write their notes. They also ring their bells when they’d like room service, or when their dishes need to be removed.

My Kitchen has a granite bar area with two stools that my granddaughters like to sit at when they are playing, and they pretend it is the hotel lounge and they order sodas and food items there. Grandpa makes their special sodas and serves them.

Above the granite bar area there are cut out areas where I place greenery and decorative items, as well as a few rustic roosters, and an antique sign. My Kitchen has the Maple Cabinets with Under Lighting. Then I have tan Tile set on the diagonal for the Backsplash, with cream colored Tile Trim with a Scroll Design, and there are a few tiny diamond shaped Bronze Accent Tiles spaced around the room, and I think this adds interest, and old world charm.

The Granite Counters have black and tan colors and I have black appliances. The Kitchen is small, but it is very workable and is open to the Living Room and also the Kitchen Eating Area. In fact, I can see the television as I do the dishes, and the fire in the Fire Place, as I talk to my husband in the Living Room, all at the same time. I love having the wood floors in the Kitchen and Entry and they are so easy to clean too. All I have to do is damp mop them. We have a small wrought iron table with a glass top, and iron chairs in the Kitchen Eating Area, and there are glass doors and two windows to look out as we eat breakfast.

On the other side of the house is our Master Bedroom. As you head down that way, there is a lighted curio cabinet at the end of the long hallway. I collect purple glassware and various other pretties that I keep in this cabinet. Through the door to the right of the cabinet is our master Bedroom. It is fairly large, and we have a king size bed, two taupe wingback chairs, a tall dresser and a triple dresser and two bedside chests with iron lamps on them. We have a Large Window and a Window Seat. I use the Window Seat for a little stereo with speakers and to display pictures. With the 10 ft ceilings I have some large pictures and ironwork , and plates to fill the walls. I love our basket beige bedroom with the subtle colors of bedding in olive, gold and burgundy with the wrought iron headboard, and I also like the muted olive, and gold curtains on the iron rods with iron pieces that hold the curtains back. It is a comfortable room. All around the top of the room there is Maple Trim With Mood Lighting inside that brings a soothing feel to the room at night.

And the Master Bathroom has a muted olive Tile Flooring, and also a Tile Backsplash for the Jetted Corner Tub. It has a Taller Toilet and also Taller Counters for my husband. We have Double Sinks set in the counter on top of Maple Cabinetry with large wall mirrors behind the sink and tub. There is a Separate Tiled Shower with a glass door.

You go through the bathroom to the Walk In Master Closet. It has Off Season Storage above the regular closet racks since the Ceilings are 10 Feet in there also.

We can get to our back yard through the Glass Doors that are Off the Kitchen, or from our Mid Level Walkout where the stairs come to a landing and then continue on down to our Full Finished Basement.

My husband had a wall of Maple Cabinets built in the Family Room to house a big screen television, and all of the movies and equipment. There are also Open Display Shelves in that unit to display his collectibles. He also has a Special Hobby Room that houses his soda fountain and ice cream collectibles, as well as misc. antique advertising pieces. It has built in cabinets and a wet bar sink and refrigerator, as well as various display cases and clocks and lighted antique signs.

He also displays his wares in the other end of the large family room that holds his pool table. And last but not least, there is bathroom, and then a large bedroom in the basement also.

We feel greatly blessed to have our new home, and we hope you enjoyed reading about it, and seeing the pictures. I am not very good at adding pictures yet and it takes me a long time, but I thought the story wouldn't be very interesting without the pictures. Oh,...and I never got to the basement,...so perhaps we will do that another time.

Blessings!

Linda ~~~ April 2009 ~~~ For more "Wednesday's Walk" click below to join!

Tuesdays Together In The Word ~~~ from Psalm 37

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon, be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Wow! If we would only follow this advice and not fear those out there in the world that practice evil. All too often we fret and worry, and ask ourselves, "What's this world coming to?"

We worry about the economy, layoffs, the war, terrorism, the price of gas, the rising cost of food, how we are going to meet our bills...you name it, we worry about it. Yet the Bible tells us not to worry but to trust.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

So He assures us we will be fed, and dwell in the land, if we trust in Him. Why do we humans find it so hard to trust in the Lord? He keeps His word,...He never breaks His promises! He is always faithful,...and He loves us! So why do we continue to fret?

Psalm 37 was my mom's favorite Psalm. She raised 4 kids with no help from a husband most of the time, and she only had one arm after losing her right arm in a car accident. She had very little money to live on , yet she faithfully attended church, and saw to it that we kids always went with her. She taught us to pray and to trust in God. And not only that,...but she delighted in the Lord!

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Her desire was to raise us to love the Lord. She dedicated us to the Lord, and she was committed to live what she believed in front of us. I never doubted that she loved the Lord,..and even as a child I wanted to know the God she loved and serve the God she served.

Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

So many times I saw how God provided for our needs. So much in fact, that I hardly realised that we were poor. We always had what we needed. And above that, we often had even what we wanted.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him:

I saw my mom rest in Him, and she gave us a sense of well being, because she wasn't worried all of the time about how she was going to get by. Mom had joy in her life. She sang a lot, and smiled, and enjoyed her life.

...The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Mom was a gentle woman and she did have peace in her life. Like all of us she had times when she failed, or lost her temper, but it wasn't her usual routine to worry, or to get mad, or to lose her temper. It was her habit to pray about everything. Many times when I was a little girl, she would ask me to get on my knees and join her in prayer. And a lot of those times we were praying for other people's needs.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

Isn't it great to know that the Lord holds our hand, and even when we fall He pulls us back up, because He has a tight hold on our hand? Just the same way that we hold our little children's hands,..and we hold tight to them and pull them up when they start to fall. We love our children,... and He loves us!

The Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.

Of course there is much, much more to this beautiful Psalm. I just picked out a few of the verses that spoke to me today, and those that brought back fond memories of my mom today. At one time she and I memorized this Psalm and quoted it together many times.

Much of this Psalm speaks of our enemies, and evil doers, and there is lots of evil out there in our world today.

I would just remind us to not fret and worry,...to trust in Him, to commit our way to Him, to rest in Him and wait patiently.

Staying in the word is a good way to feel secure. Why not join us today for Tuesdays Together In The Word!

Linda @ Truthful Tidbits ~~~April 2009

100 Random Things About Myself

This is a double post for Wednesday's Walk, and Getting To Know You!
Join in the fun and leave your story or your list by clicking on the buttons above.

1. I don’t eat chocolate,…for health reasons
2. I love caramels
3. Allergic to nuts
4. Allergic to eggs
5. Allergic to anything with feathers…. All poultry
6. I have a rapid, irregular heartbeat all of the time
7. I don’t consume caffeine
8. I hate pills,…I only take one prescription
9. Allergic to avocado,…no guacamole for me!
10. I try not to eat things with artificial colors, or preservatives
11. I had my eyes swell shut when I got contacts,…I am allergic to the solutions
12. I am allergic to molds and Penicillin, and sulfa drugs
13.I had eczema as a child until I was an adult and found out I was allergic to so much
14. I have had migraine headaches for over 30 years
15. Last year I suffered terribly from a slipped disk in my neck and a pinched nerve
16. Because I was so inactive with my neck problem I gained 50 pounds! YUK!
17. I love to watch HGTV
18. I love to decorate!
19. I got a new house 2 years ago,…I love it,…(thanks honey!)
20. I went to England 5 years ago with my hubby and his brother for a month! Beautiful!
21. I want to see the new England states in the autumn before I die ~~~ I love Autumn
22. I was born in Southern Calif., and lived there until I was 25
23. I love the ocean,…it makes me think of God’s power as I watch it move
24. I love the weather in Calif.,…but Kansas is now my home and I love it here.
25. My favorite thing is putting in my cd’s in the car and listening to music as I take a drive
26. I love to read.
27. The Library is a favorite place
28. I like to sing in the shower,…and play the piano when nobody is home to listen
29. I love to write stories and poems, and letters
30. I love to blog
31. I have 312 Facebook friends
32. I have a wonderful friend named Myrna and we have been friends for almost 30 years
33. I only had one sister and she died in January this year….I miss her a lot!
34. I have lost 6 special people in the last 4 years
35. I have gone to the same church since 1979,…same pastor,…I love him
36. I love roses
37. I love the color purple,…it makes me feel happy!
38. I love redbud trees
39. I love creeping phlox in purple and hot pink
40. I love fountains
41. I love waterfalls
42. I love rainbows
43. I love Gentle Rain
44. I also love 75 to 80 degree days with a gentle breeze,…
45. Spring and Autumn are my favorite seasons, but summer is next.
46. I love babies
47. I like to go barefoot or wear flip-flops,…but shoes hurt my bunions most of the time! (:>)
48. I love silver fashion jewelry, and scarves
49. I love to go on walks,…when my feet don’t hurt,..(those extra 50 pounds cause that)
50. I have a little brother,…about 3 years younger than me. We had a blast growing up together
51. I had an older brother who died 20 years ago,…I have never met his daughter who grew up in New Zealand
52. My niece who grew up in New Zealand is a fashion model/cover girl She lives in London now
53. I have loved Jesus since I was a small child, but I have been a Christian for about 30 years now
54. My husband has been a Christian for 14 years,…I prayed for him for 15 years & then God saved him! Hallelujah!!!
55. My husband and I love to pray for people together after daily devotions,…(He leads then now …I am blessed!)
56. I have three beautiful daughters, 2 godly son-in-laws, and 11 grandkids and 3 more in heaven, plus a couple more that I never met that were miscarried (Love them all!)
57. I lived in Colorado for 3 years before coming to Kansas. It is a neat place to live too.
58. I have natural curly hair,…like my mom did.
59. I don’t dye my hair because of my allergies
60. I wear make-up everyday,…never go anywhere without it. (Does that sound vain?)
61. Because of my allergies I have dark circles under my eyes and need concealer and make-up to not look tired, or sick.
62. I used to sell diamond jewelry at Helzberg’s for 5 years and I loved it.
63. Years ago I used to work at a candy store,..(See’s Candies)
64. Once I owned a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio
65. I used to love to dance when I was young
66. I used to sing ok before I got nodules on my vocal chords from all of my allergies now I can’t hit high notes
67. I have had 5 surgeries,…one of them took 6 hours!
68. I have another wonderful friend Toni who lives in Arizona who I have also known for almost 30 years. She and her husband invite us to go on vacations with them. Last year we went to Tennessee and North Carolina. Sometimes we go to Branson, Mo. with them
69. I loved my father-in-law and mother-in-law, and helped take care of both of them before they died,…I counted it a blessing to grow even closer to them during those illnesses before their deaths. I miss them. I love their son so much! My mom-in-law was born in England and so was my husband
70. I can remember things well from the time I was 4 years old, but my short term memory is going! (:>)
71. My sister-in-law Becky makes me laugh,…she is fun! She lives in Nebraska
72. I am a B- personality most of the time,.. But I can be silly and hyper at times.
73. I long to always be a Meek and Gentle person,…but I can lose my temper! Watch Out!
74. I can get my feelings hurt real easily,…I’m sensitive
75. I like to feel needed,…I like to be a helper and feel useful
76. I married young and had kids young, so I became a grandma at age 40
77. I love, being a grandma,…it is such a HUGE blessing!
78. I like to stay in my pj’s until I leave the house a lot of the time. I don’t get up and get dressed first thing. Now that my husband is retired he stays in pj pants and a t-shirt till noon sometimes when we are just hangin’ out at home.
79. I once or twice threw a coat on over my pj’s and took kids to school when my kids were young. Thank goodness I never had car trouble and had to walk home!
80. I love to have a date night with my hubby and go out to eat and to a movie
81. I don’t see my kids and grandkids as much as I want to,…their lives are busy, and we don’t drop in like we used to. But we try to have birthday gatherings once a month, and then Christmas and Thanksgiving at least,…and sometimes grandkids come and spend the night. That is more often than a lot of people get to see their kids,…so I am thankful
82. My Girls love the Lord,…and many of my grandkids have become Christians too. I pray for them all to grow close to Him as they grow up
83. I love to look at Model Homes
84. I rode on a Harley once with an ex-Hell’s Angel when I was 14,…(Long story,…but I was scared to death!) I can’t really believe I did that but my sis and brother -in -law egged me on and so I did it
85. I can’t get flu shots because they are cultured or grown in eggs
86. Same for the pneumonia shot
87. I have had pneumonia several times in my life and been very ill and hospitalized with it
88. But since I have learned what I am allergic to I avoid things that bring it on
89. I have met the Lennon Sisters,…and yes, I love the old Lawrence Welk shows. So did my mom, and I grew up watching them
90. I love the old Andy Griffith Show and I Love Lucy, and the Waltons,…yes I am old!
91.I love my minivan with the stow and go seats. It is really handy, especially when antiquing
92. I love the Tuscan look,…but I am also eclectic, and have a mixture of styles, and lots of collections
93. I love to float in the pool. I should swim more and exercise in the pool too but I don’t like to put on a swimsuit
94. I love the Leslie Sansone “Walk Away The Pounds” DVD’s and I have lost 50 pounds before just by watching what I eat and doing those, (until I hurt my foot, and also had to slow down because of my slipped disc.) I hope to be able to do those again soon
95. I love to watch Rachel Ray’s “30 Minute Meals”, and I have tried some of her recipes.
96. I do like to cook, but don’t like to bake,…and I can’t use eggs in baking so I have to adjust things and they don’t always come out
97. I prefer one- on- one conversations and don’t compete very well in big crowds of people who all want to talk at once. I am shy in crowds,…even at church
98. I am drawn to out-going friendly people (like my husband), who bring me out of my shell
99. I don’t like to answer the phone, cuz I have to be in the mood to talk. But if it is someone I want to talk to I can be on the phone for an hour or more at times, and enjoy it.
100. I love deeply and will try to help anyone who needs me if I can. God gave me the spiritual gift of Mercy/Giver. But, I also enjoy quiet times to myself, or just being with my husband, so sometimes I am not as hospitable and giving as I should be.

Ok, there you have it. 100 random things about me that I am afraid will not be too interesting to most of you. But maybe a few of you will have learned a little more about me.

Linda @ Truthful Tidbits ~~~April 2009

A Quiet Easter Day ~~~Poem

Rain is softly falling on this quiet Easter day
I find it rather soothing in a tender sort of way

At church the music touched me, and spoke gently in my ears
Reminding me of Jesus and the way He calms my fears

He climbed up Calvary’s mountain and He hung upon that tree
His life He traded for my sins and then He set me free

He rose up from that empty tomb and simply walked away
The victor over death and hell on that first Easter day

The peace I carry in my soul is something very real
The love my dear Lord showed me, gave me new life full of zeal

Yet the zeal has quiet moments as I ponder His great gift
Everyday I talk to Jesus and it gives my heart a lift

Yes, in prayer we have communion and He listens to my needs
Generously in plush green pastures,…. His dear sheep He sweetly feeds

As I look out my front window and I see the raindrops fall
I dwell on all the Easter blessings,…they are precious to recall

Sometimes Easter brings the sunshine and the warmth of a spring day
And the families gather outside while the children run and play

But this year He brought us raindrops, and so I sit inside and ponder
All the glories He will show me when the streets of gold I wander

Hallelujah, to my Savior, Hallelujah to my King
He arose on Easter morning giving me a song to sing!

As I sing it won’t you join me? Giving praise to Christ the Lord
Sing it softly, sing it sweetly, blessings are His kind reward

On this Easter day I praise Him, thank Him for unselfish love
And I hear the angels anthem praising Him from courts above

So I’ve welcomed all these raindrops, I’ve said all I’m going to say
Thank you Jesus for the beauty of… A Quiet Easter day

By Linda Hogeland ~~~ April 2009

Our Antiquing Trip

(I missed The Wednesday Walk because we were gone,...so I am posting this on Friday!)


We are home from our little ~Antiquing Jaunt~. John and I always have fun when we travel in the car together. I always tell him that I enjoy it because I have a "captive audience"! He listens to me as I jabber away,...and he can't get away,...so I can have all of his attention. He in turn likes to talk to me about things too.

We do have some great conversations when we are on the road. Do you find that to be true too? We comment about the surroundings of course,...like, "oh, there are the buffalo!". Then I said, "that one is standing so still he looks like a statue!"
Then my super smart husband told me that buffalo do that during blizzards too, to conserve energy. I laughed and he said that it was true. He said their hide is thick and they don't need to take cover from the elements, but they do stand still to conserve energy and to stay warmer in the cold weather. Do you think I should believe him? tee hee

When we first got married I believed every word he said. Once he told me that horses don't lay down when they sleep because their knees just lock and they sleep standing up. And he said, "if you do see a horse laying down he is going to die soon". Well, since that time we have seen LOTS of horses laying down and none of them died! ha! We just laugh about it now. He had heard that and really thought it was true. (I am bad, I never let him live it down!)

My husband did a great job of driving. He does it all when we are on trips, and I just help him look for street signs etc. But now that we have a G.P.S., I hardly even have to do that anymore.

Before we leave he gets on the computer and maps out our trip and makes the reservations, and then he makes his list of every antique mall along the route. We have done this for many years, so he remembers each place we have been before and can describe it to me before we get there. I NEVER remember any of them. (We are so different!)

This trip I wanted to go to Nell Hill's Home Decor store in Atchison, Ks., so we went there and to Garrety's, down the block. I found a couple of things, but I was a little disappointed really. You see I have several of the owner's Decorator Books, and they are wonderful,...so I just knew I would really enjoy going to her shops,...but I wasn't too impressed.

We stayed in Leavenworth and went to Westin, Mo., and it is an quaint old town with a lot of little specialty shops. Most of them weren't open, but we went into a few and then it started to drizzel on us, so we headed down the road. It was a pretty little town, and the people were friendly.

We went to St Josephs, Mo. too and hit some shops. But we found that due to Ebay and all of the antiques sold on there, that a lot of shops have closed down. It also might be due to the economy too. We found a few little treasures along the way, but the true treasure was just being off together on our little adventure.

I have a bunch of food allergies and it is very hard for me to eat in restaurants, so I always take a cooler full of food. Well, before we left we bought a 40 quart power chill electric cooler that can also plug in in the van. So, I had everything I needed. My daughter Lynnette has one of those and she took it when we rented a huge van and all 10 of us went on vacation together last summer/early autumn, and it was great.

John likes to listen to oldies and he sings along with them, because he knows most of the words. Isn't it crazy how we can't remember Bible verses when we are trying to memorize, yet we can remember songs from when we were kids in the 50's? I know some of them too, so sometimes we sing together! (We are silly and not very good,...but it is fun.)

I like to put in cd's and pick whatever I want to listen to, and he is a good sport too. I had several Amy Grant cd's and he never complained. We have Christian cd's too and I even took along sermons, but we were in and out of the car so much we didn't listen to those this trip.

We did take our Bible and our devotion book, so we did read and do devotions and pray each morning before heading out to find the shops. We know it makes us feel better to start the day that way,...and I am sure God wouldn't like it if we went our way without acknowledging Him first and giving Him praise for His protection and all of His blessings.

Our God is so Good! He gives us everything to enjoy! And He wants us to enjoy each other too. Are you and your spouse taking time out to enjoy each other and all that God gives you? I hope so. It is too easy to lose the special closeness that He wants us to share with each other and with Him. It is worth working at, that's for sure.

Today is Good Friday and a time of reflection for all that the Lord has done for us. He gave His life for us! This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me. How about you,...
Have you accepted His free gift of salvation? If not,... I hope the Easter story will come alive for you this year. I hope you will meet the risen Lord and surrender your heart to Him.

Blessings!
Linda

A Meek And Quiet Spirit

A meek and quiet spirit is what I want today
No matter who I talk to, God’s fruit I must display

A heart that holds compassion, and brings comfort to a friend
A life lived in godly fashion, bent knees and prayers without end

Less of me and more of Jesus living through my yielded soul
Holy Spirit in full action, others first ,…should be my goal

Letting go of selfish passions, reaching for another’s hand
Pulling them from drowning sorrows, helping them to reach dry land

Saved to serve should be my motto, not saved to seek my own desires
Telling them the Gospel message, sharing faith is what God requires

Doing this with quiet spirit, having meekness as my goal
Never preaching at my subjects, because this won’t save their soul

Simply leading them to Jesus, introducing them to Him
Telling them of His sweet goodness, and how His mercies never end

He’s the one that brings the harvest, I must plant and that is all
He’s the one who stirs the heart, and brings redemption from the fall

Can I follow His example,… can I love… to others give
Can I give it without motive,…except that others might fully live?

Do my actions truly please Him if I boldly speak His plan?
Or is a meek and quiet spirit of more value when approaching man?

I want to be a yielded vessel, one who pours forth soothing oil
Serving Him with quiet spirit, gently sharing without toil

Jesus didn’t fight the throngs that came before him in a band
He simply knelt and took His finger, writing something in the sand

He gave them hope in quiet manner,…he made it easy to take in
He hoped they’d take it in as children, …in simple faith, new life begin

Today I really want to please Him,…loving Him with all my heart
Meekly sharing faith with others, quietly His love impart

By Linda Hogeland ~~~April 2009

PLEASE ALSO READ MY POEM BELOW THAT I POSTED ON SATURDAY APRIL 4TH~~~ THANKS!

The Wind

The wind is howling fiercely as I sit to write this verse
I dislike wind immensely and sometimes view it as a curse

My eyes have felt the grittiness my hair’s in disarray
The children on the block are finding it very hard to play

Little kids are walking sideways, as it pushes them along
The birds are clinging to the trees and forgetting their sweet song

The flag is flapping vigorously, and wrapping ‘round the pole
The men with toupees have a single, solitary, goal

This wind is causing women to be put on skirt alert
The open windowsills are filled with silty, sandy, dirt

The windmills are a spinnin’, and the wheat fields move with grace
The dandelions fill the air and and bring a sneeze forth from my face

Yes the allergens are flyin’, and the sinuses will swell
And this wind will bring about a general feeling of un-well

But as much as I dislike it, and as much as I complain
I know that it is needed to bring forth the clouds and rain

It is like it moves the weather and the patterns across the land
And I know it’s for a reason that the good Lord has it planned

I know He has a purpose for causing it to blow
And if I would stop complaining maybe He would let me know

There will be days enough of sunshine and calm, gentle weather too
If I could just wait a bit more patiently for these desires to come true

There is an awesome power in the wind that boldly moves
Back and forth across the prairies, spreading grass as He behooves

Clouds of dust and whirlwinds twisting moving swiftly in the air
Lifting branches,… their arms folding,… as if in,… an urgent prayer

If the wind and air obey Him and they honor His command
Who am I to keep complaining,… wanting to thwart the Master’s plan!

Who am I?,… but His creation,.. meant to praise and not to moan
Lord I’m sorry for my selfish, unthankful grumbling, groan

It is simply by your mercy that I live from day to day
And by your grace that this great wind does not blow me away

Please help me to be thankful for the wind and all it brings
Round the corner is a very beautiful and welcomed Spring

I will listen to the symphony, the percussion of the wind
And not think of it as my enemy, but now my needed friend

By Linda Hogeland ~~~April 2009

Julia and Adelynn ~~~~ Two Peas In A Pod

To join us on "Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane",...click on the button above!




These two precious girls are my granddaughters Julia and Adelynn. This picture was taken a few years back when they were in a Christmas program at their school. These girls are close in age, so people always ask if they are twins, and to that question they always reply,..."No just sisters!"

But these sisters may as well be twins because they are so very close. They do everything together. They have two older brothers who share a room, and Julia and Adelynn also share a room. They wear the same size clothes so they can always share.
But I do think the youngest one, Adelynn does have slightly bigger feet, so she may wear a bigger shoe.

When Julia and Adelynn come to spend the night with Grandma we have a lot of fun. I have mentioned in another blog post that they like to play in my Victorian room and dress up with old hats, and gloves, and shawls and jewelry and play like they are friends staying in a nice hotel. They play like they are on vacation.

They put post-it notes on the two guest bedroom doors and write room numbers on them. Then they ring a bell and I act like I am bringing room service to their rooms. I bring tea and cookies or other goodies on a tray, and they open their play purses and give me tips with their play money.

They keep me hopping as they ring the bell to request stationary so that they can send a note to each other's rooms. They ring it again when they want to request that I bring magazines for them to read, or when they want to know if the hotel gift shop is open. We use the dining room table and play that it is the gift shop and we fill it with all kinds of pretty things for them to buy. We have an old toy cash register and I ring up their purchases and put them in pretty gift bags and they return to their rooms.

At times they come and sit at the kitchen bar area and pretend it is the hotel lounge, and grandpa fixes them sodas. He told them he is a good soda jerk! They of course thought that was funny since they had never heard that expression before.

They share the adjoining bathroom and they ask me to draw their baths just before bed. Or sometimes they ask if the hotel has a Jacuzzi, and they use our master bath's jetted tub.

These girls always want grandma to put make up on them, and to paint their finger nails. They like to have a shot of spray on cologne too, and I brush their hair so that it will look nice under their hats.

This sort of play is so much fun, as I see them use their imaginations. It can go on into the night if I am not careful. And sometimes I have to say prayers with them and remind them that they do have to "sleep" when they come for a "sleep over!"

They never seem to be sleepy, but grams is always bushed by the end of the evening. So, since they are so wide awake, I put a movie in after we pray and they usually watch the whole thing before they fall asleep. I wish I had half their energy!

They remind me so much of their mother when she was little. It brings back happy memories when I watch them at play and think back to the play times I spent with their mommy.

Oh the years go swiftly by don't they? I am sure some of you are close to my age and know just how nostalgic I am feeling. And to those of you who are still young and have small children still at home, I just caution you to love every minute you have with them while you can. They grow up quickly.

As a matter of fact they even look much more grown up now than they did in this picture, because they are in the 3rd and 4th grades this year.

Thanks for letting me share my sweet girls with you today. It was fun!

Linda ~~~~April 2009