| Author |
Project Discussions:  Homework for this weekend  |
|
|
ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
2087 Posts
Carole
Champlain
New York
USA
2087 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 28 2016 : 08:18:23 AM
|
Given that I am going away for a couple of days on a retreat, I thought I would leave you with some homework. It's all voluntary, of course!
I received an e-mail from one of my favourite authors and it made me think that I needed to share with you something that I often tend to forget. So this is a gently reminder for myself as well.
For this weekend, I would like for you to contemplate on a quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder:
... it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
This is such a simplistic quote, and yet so meaningful. How often do we neglect the simple things in life? Like a bathroom sink! Or the love of friends and family? A couple of minutes to enjoy a cuppa! When we truly embrace the simple things in our lives, our reality begins to change. Our day-to-day lives begin to guide us on a different path, a more grateful path. Our life transforms in important ways. We begin to be present in the moment.
Today, this evening, throughout your weekend, take a look around you. What sweet, simple things of life may you be overlooking? What are you not seeing and/or enjoying in the moment?
Look very closely and become aware of your surroundings. The simple things will most likely be right in front of you. They are often easily over-looked. It is easy to get lost in the everyday and over look the real, but that's where joy resides!
I hope you will join me. I'm starting today!
Cheers! |
Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
Insanity: Doing the same thing over & over again & expecting different results ~ Albert Einstein |
|
|
violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
871 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
871 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2016 : 12:57:55 PM
|
| Carole, I try to do this everyday :)! I for one appreciate all the beauty God has created. The clouds, sunrises, sunsets, birds, flowers and all their uniqueness. No two are alike! Everyday here in the mountains, the same "backdrop" but the sky is always different, the trees always look different, as the leaves change from all the different lighter greens to the darker greens. The birds are ever changing at our feeders. Right now we have Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tangers, as they are passing through to their Summer homes, plus our hummers are here for the Summer. Our Honey Bees finding new flowers to get pollen and nectar from. My Chickie Girls are growing like little weeds, their new feathers are coming in to make beautiful ladies. This weekend is my Hubby's 75th Birthday Party, which we will have at a Church Camp with mountains all around, a little lake, quiet and serene. Family and friends. God is good and so is life! Everyday is a gift :)! Enjoy your weekend sisters! |
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
 |
|
|
levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9595 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9595 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2016 : 3:58:20 PM
|
This is something I have always been taught to do. My mom was very much into enjoying the simple things in this life. I learned a lot from her in that. Little everyday things gave her much happiness. We have so much that is given to us by our Creator God to enjoy. So many things in nature as well as in the every day tasks we have. I try to keep a journal of the things that I have taken in during my day. Things that have just made me stop and be grateful.
Thank you Carole for starting this topic. It is always a good thing to stop and realize the gifts we are given daily. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
|
|
|
TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2016 : 4:07:49 PM
|
| Oh Ruth, you are surrounded by God's beauty. I commented the other day that we live in a jungle. Not really, but each spring the oak tree limbs try to grow closer to the ground,the climbing roses become more unruly, more difficult to train. I also love all of the shades of green punctuated by the irises and colorful roses. I love to find roses covered with tiny dew drops. I continue to be in awe of God's perfection in every human, animal, bird, reptile, amphibian, etc. That He has created. I thank God for taking my family members and myself safely to our various destinations and returning us home. I am always thankful for blessing rain, because I know how dry it gets sometimes. When I hear Care Flite go over I ask God to be with the patient, crew and the family that is racing off to Fort Worth to be with their loved ones. One night I was driving that way, because I thought our Hadlee might die. She did not, because God loves her and He takes such good care of her. He made her that promise when she was three years old, and saw Him. I thank God for saving my life at age six, (almost run over by a car.) For allowing me to be a mother to a baby boy He loaned me for eighteen years. I thank him for saving us from drunk drivers (one near miss and one accident), saving me from cancer, and that miracle last August that bewildered the doctor and nurses in the heart Cath room. God gave me family, friends,many hundreds of children to love and teach, and farm girl sisters. In the late summer I always say, "God is a much better Gardener than me!" When I look at the wild yellow sunflowers mixed with the red salvia. Then I admire the leaves as they change from green to yellow, orange, red and then brown. We have an awesome God, and He has helped the cutest tiny baby calf, crippled at birth, abandoned by his mom, stand up and walk. The splint is gone, he only needed it for a week.I must stop, but I think our group is very aware of the many, many things GOD has created. |
Texasgran |
|
|
|
Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3529 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3529 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2016 : 07:10:32 AM
|
Wonderful homework assignment, Carole! |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
|
|
|
Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
2114 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
2114 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2016 : 2:30:20 PM
|
Carole, I'm so glad I saw this, before my weekend off the computer began. I do that often, to enjoy the quiet of the country. I am a Homebody for the most part. I notice the birds, trees, the sky and the moon and stars on a daily basis. I have been that way since I was a child. Grew up sleeping on a screened in back porch even when it was too cold! LOL! My Granny would run me back in the house! Nothing gets my attention like the Fall Season!
My favorite quote is: HOME IS THE NICEST WORD THERE IS. Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Happy Weekend! Connie-Killarney |
|
|
|
Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3529 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3529 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 05:23:54 AM
|
Thank-you Connie for this additional quote and photo. Beautiful! I had to laugh at the thought of you bundled up on the porch and your Granny chasing you inside for fear you would catch the death of a cold!! LOL!!! Hehehe, if it had been October and you and I were having a sleep over , you can bet your bottom dollar we would have been on that porch complete with flashlights, flannel shirts, wool socks and a few grinning pumpkins to keep us company! Cold?? Never mind that. We would have wanted to sleep in October's cool eves with the scent of leaves in the air buried under quilts.
For all of us that LOVE Fall, here is my made up quote: October's evening chill brings us closer to Fall's sweet secret.
 |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
|
|
|
Lavender Rose
True Blue Farmgirl
420 Posts
Brenda
Jackson
MI
USA
420 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 07:37:21 AM
|
Carole,
How sweet of you to ask this of us. I, too, love the simple things in life. My daughter collected all the Little House On The Prairie books. Plus all the books by Rose Wilder Lane her daughter, Roger Lea MacBride, Maria D. Wilkes, T.L. Tedrow.
She has Laura's autobiography and other books about the Ingalls and Wilders.
Marie wrote about Caroline as a little girl. Roger was Rose's only living relative. He wrote about Rose. Tedrow wrote for the TV show. There are also books by Melissa Wiley called The Charlotte Years and The Martha Years. Laura's grandmother and great-grandmother.
In the book by The Shores Of Silver Lake, Ma sends Laura for water and Laura took too long to get back. Ma scolds her and Laura replies
"Oh,but Ma! the sunrise! You should have seen the sunrise!" Laura exclaimed. "I just had to watch it. "
Such a simple thing, but so beautiful and wondrous. The beauty that God has given us. I can't begin to imagine what Heaven will be like.
I try to stop and think about the simple things in life.
|
Farm Girl Hugs,
Brenda
#6218
Each day we add to our legacy-good or bad. Our Daily Bread |
|
|
|
treelady
True Blue Farmgirl
1229 Posts
Julie
medina
ND
USA
1229 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 08:51:33 AM
|
| Thank You Carole for the reminder to appreciate the real in our lives. It is always the life around me that keeps me grounded to the simple things, the sky that greets me as I open my eyes, the dirt that I love to run through my fingers that gives so much to my family and so many others. The birds that greet me as I walk out the door to enjoy my early morning coffee. My dirt road that leads me home after a busy, hectic day away. The voices of those I love and the joy that a hug and smile bring. I hope you weekend away brings you peace and rest. Enjoy your weekend girls. |
A little rain can straighten a flower stem. A little love can change a life.
Max Lucado |
|
|
|
quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl
4752 Posts
Linda
Terrell
TX
USA
4752 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 10:13:06 AM
|
I love the quiet of country life, too! And seeing my grandkids (who live down the street) and newborn horses in my pasture (Glory was born on the 19th and 2 more are due soon, I think), among other things.
Here's a picture of Lady with her new filly, Glory!
 |
Linda B
quiltee
Farmgirl #1919
FGOTM for August, 2015 and April, 2017
|
|
|
|
Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3529 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3529 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 10:57:27 AM
|
| Ohh, Linda~ Glory is the cutest filly with that big white face!! What a joy to see her every day!! |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
|
|
|
quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl
4752 Posts
Linda
Terrell
TX
USA
4752 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 11:03:17 AM
|
| Yes, Winnie. She is a beautiful Tennessee Walker filly. |
Linda B
quiltee
Farmgirl #1919
FGOTM for August, 2015 and April, 2017
|
|
|
|
Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
2114 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
2114 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 12:23:46 PM
|
Winnie, your a woman after my own heart!!! LOL! Love your jack-o-lantern Picture!! FALL................It gives me hope thru long hot summer!!!!!!! Getting a screened in backporch is on my Bucket List!!
Linda, love your picture! I love everyone's stories, I think the love of Nature is one of the Major things that Binds us all together!!!!!!
Farmgirl Hugs! Connie-Killarney
P.S. I am suppose to be off the computer! LOL!!! Rainning Cats and Dogs here!!!!!!!!! |
|
|
|
TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 12:54:29 PM
|
| Connie, my maternal grandparents had a sleeping porch. In winter some plastic "Windows" were inserted into each screened section. There were two iron beds, and they slept in one year round. They had two nice bedrooms, but never slept there. My grandpa slept in a night shirt with a stocking cap to cover his bald head. As a kid we went to their house twice a year, at Christmas and in summer for two to three weeks. We three rug rats "got to sleep" on the sleeping porch. Grandma would put flat irons and bricks into the fire place, get them hot, wrap them in newspaper and the towels and put them under the covers, at the foot of each bed. We would get in bed, & scoot down so our feet could feel the warmth, as mother and grandma covered us with a mountain of quilts. We could hardly wiggle and were soon fast asleep between the feed sack sheets under the heavy quilts. I have always wanted a sleeping porch, but never had one. |
Texasgran |
|
|
|
Killarney
True Blue Farmgirl
2114 Posts
Connie
Arlington
TN
USA
2114 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 3:07:05 PM
|
Oh Marilyn, I love your memory of the sleeping porch! I remember those mountain of quilts!! Nothing warmer! You lucky little girl!!!!! Sounds like heaven !!!
Connie-Killarney |
|
|
|
darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
6095 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
6095 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 7:21:59 PM
|
I used to watch Little House on the prairie when it was on TV, I loved that show. Today as I was going to Eureka I was privileged to see a deer crossing the road, it was such a beautiful sight. It was pretty today, the drive is beautiful and the shadows and the sunshine coming through there is so pretty. We won't say anything about the hard wind, but it was so pretty. It was a lovely day!
hugs |
Farmgirl # 4943
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
|
|
|
|
quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl
4752 Posts
Linda
Terrell
TX
USA
4752 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2016 : 9:55:53 PM
|
| Marilyn - I've always wanted a sleeping porch, but never had one. I've thought about adding a porch to the back of my house, but there is no view in the back. But even just to sleep there would be neat. |
Linda B
quiltee
Farmgirl #1919
FGOTM for August, 2015 and April, 2017
|
|
|
|
TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2016 : 01:12:53 AM
|
| When we went there in the summer, some of our cousins were usually there too. Then we had to sleep outside. Grandma had old iron beds, screechy wire springs, and cotton mattresses for us to use. Those mattresses were only about three inches thick, which was good when a summer shower suddenly appeared. Everyone ran to help move the pillows, covers and mattresses into the front bedroom, before they got wet. There was no grass, just hard packed clay.In fact we would sweep the yard each morning, as one of the kid chores the adults invented to keep us out of their way for a while. We also had to churn the butter, which took f o r e v e r ! ! ! or so it seemed. How many of you have eaten green grape pie? Tiny wild mustang grapes were picked, then the adults canned them, so pies could be made later. We never threw away the watermelon rinds, they became pickles. Now by the end of the day we all had "granny beads around our necks". We would walk to the creek, which was a mile away, for our swim-baths. Each mother took a bar of soap and a couple of towels for us to dry off. Then into our clean gowns and undies, ready for the hike back to the house and our beds. We are so spoiled today, with all of our modern conveniences and foods. I think the reason I was so drawn to MJF when I found the magazine (2008), was because it reminded me so much of my childhood. I remember crying as I read and looked at the beautiful photos. |
Texasgran |
|
|
|
darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
6095 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
6095 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2016 : 08:27:37 AM
|
You have a lot of good memories there Marilyn, How fun.
I remember when I was young, my dad would put on a summer picnic at the park. It was so much fun, he had a big tub to keep the drinks cold and the best ice cold watermelon and he always picked sweet ones. Then he would bbq pork chops, hot dogs and hambergers and then all the condiments that went with it, potato salad, chips and what ever good stuff we had. There was always lots of people.
Connie, I grew up doing the same thing, always looking up to the sky and watching the clouds and the stars and moon. I still really enjoy that. The stars were brighter or looked that way, less outside lights. In Colorado you are closer to the sky anyway. Most of my growing up was looking at the Colorado Rockies. Now I watch the ocean from a distance. Beautiful but very different.
Fun and memories.
hugs |
Farmgirl # 4943
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
|
|
|
|
Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
859 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2016 : 10:38:12 PM
|
| I love everyone's thoughts. As I get older I know it is the simple things that are the most important. The smile of a baby, the joy of sight and hearing, hearing a friends voice and seeing their sparkling eyes. I love it when the new leaves unfold on the trees and after a cold winter being able to open the windows to a warm gentle breeze. Those lovely sounds of birds singing their spring songs. God is awesome. His autograph is everywhere. I'm happy to be alive! |
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
|
|
|
Song Sparrow
True Blue Farmgirl
729 Posts
Amy
Talleyville
Delaware
USA
729 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2016 : 03:46:55 AM
|
This is a wonderful thread to read, I'm savoring each story! My brother and I would sleep on the porch in the summer. For a special treat, my parents would sit out with us and listen to the ballgame on the radio. We were allowed to stay up for the whole game, but of course I never made it. The sound of the night time creatures mixed in with the soft radio announcer would lull me to sleep. To this day I still love to listen to th ballgame on the radio, it's very comforting.
When I made the decision to retire and take care of my family, many of my friends thought I'd be bored. They thought I'd miss the excitement of performing, being on the road, all that stuff. I tried to explain that I wasn't doing this because I felt I had to, I was doing to because I wanted to. The only thing I could think of to explain it was, that I wanted a simpler life. And it has proven to be the blessing that I thought it would be. I am daily grateful for the opportunity to care for my mom, help my daughter, and run around after Miss Lily. I thank God for the chance to see birds and bunnies, flowers and trees, rainbows and mud puddles, all these things that I've been too busy most of my life to really see. What a glorious world our Creator gave us! One more thing, friends, like you, sharing their thoughts and moments, you can't buy that kind of happiness, but it's sure worth a fortune! |
Happy Day!
Peace in our hearts, peace in the world
Amy (Sister#6098) www.danaherandcloud.com
|
|
|
|
Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3529 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3529 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2016 : 05:05:23 AM
|
What wonderful stories have been shared here this weekend! Marilyn, I love the story of your grandparent's sleeping porch. When I first learned about sleeping porches down here in Florida, I have been wanting one ever since. There seems to be something sort of in synch with porch sleeping and long hot summers. It makes sense down here with our long season of heat and It does put one in in contact with the seasonal night noises that we miss being inside all night. Plus it is so Farmgirl perfect, isn't it? MaryJane has a photo in her Ideas book where she has an old iron bed all made up with a mosquito net right in the middle of one of her areas where the old Wall Tent B&B is located. She loves to sleep in this bed in the summer and it sounds pretty glorious to me too!
Connie, I am with you. I would love a screen porch big enough to have a sleeping bed option!
If anyone here has a porch where they can sleep this summer, will you post here and tell us all about it and maybe add a photo? Maybe we will start a new Farmgirl trend? |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
|
|
|
ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
2087 Posts
Carole
Champlain
New York
USA
2087 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2016 : 08:06:22 AM
|
Thank you ladies for sharing your stories. How beautiful! They brought tears of joy! I remember the old iron beds at my paternal grand parents country home (they owned a house in St Zeno (founded in 1896) where my grandmother was born and raised, at the time it was all dirt roads to get there. As a kid, it felt like it took forever. It was approximately 3 hours from Montreal. Now with the roads it's half the time). My grand parents owned 100 acres and the land had lots of wild blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (tiny little things, so sweet). We would go blueberry picking (never had a full bucket as I would eat them as I picked them - yea I'm a blueberry girl) and my grandmother would make blueberry pan cakes. I would love to have the old wood cooking stove in that kitchen. Lots of wonderful memories. It is still a small undeveloped town (present population 1,250). It's actually where my father retired. It is a beautiful place, lots of mountains and water falls.
Lot's going on for me, decisions to make that will have an impact on my life and family. So, I have made it a priority for me to stop and be still, enjoy the beauty around me, the simple things in life. Tonight, weather permitting, I hope to eat dinner outside, enjoy natures music.
Thank you again for joining! Cheers! |
Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
Insanity: Doing the same thing over & over again & expecting different results ~ Albert Einstein |
|
|
|
darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
6095 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
6095 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2016 : 1:49:59 PM
|
Everyone's memories make me want to be there enjoying each one with them as they are remembering.
Yours sound so wonderful and I would love to be eating those blueberry pancakes with you. Nothing like fresh blueberries. I will put you in my prayers Carole for your decisions of your life. Take care and enjoy Nature's music, there is nothing like it.
Blessings |
Farmgirl # 4943
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done.
Philippians 4:6
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
|
|
|
| |
Project Discussions: Homework for this weekend |
|
|
|
Homework for this weekend
