Hitherto...

We have been so blessed in this year and all our years hitherto! We hope that this new year finds you blessed as well. Blessings to you and yours from the holler.

1 Samuel 7:12
Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto." But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesu's likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for-

He who hath helped thee hitherto
Will help thee all thy journey through.

When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye!

Charles Spurgeon

And what to my eyes did appear?!...

Okay, maybe it's a little late for that phrase but it fits. Just before dark this evening I looked out the front window and saw the darndest thing. There were ten deer grazing in the yard (which is really nothing new here) and then one of them kicked up it's heals and here we go. It was a deer rodeo!! I couldn't believe it. I thought when I first saw it that they were spooked and going to run off to their place to bed down, but they didn't run away, they played. One would run at another and kick up it's heels and then the others would join in. I watched for five minutes with my mouth open before I thought to get the camera. I didn't get any pictures of the rodeo but when I went out the front door they looked at me, let me take their picture and then trotted off. The pictures aren't good but you can see they were there. It really made for a nice end of the day in the holler. Blessings as always to you.

Merry Christmas from the holler...

Our Granddaughter came over and spent some time with us this week. We had so much fun making cookies, watching Christmas shows and playing Spiro.

There are still so many things to do before we celebrate Christmas tomorrow. I still need to wrap gifts, do my part of the cooking for lunch tomorrow (JP will help with that), chicken sitting, cleaning, etc. etc. This list could go on and on - I'm going to try to concentrate on doing the necessary things. Wow,,,I just noticed that top on my list wasn't being thankful for the truckloads of blessings that are dumped on me daily or celebrate what Christmas really is. Let me take a step back and refocus. I've picked out a poem that our Pastor's father wrote to share with you. I hope you enjoy it and that you have blessed Christmas.

One Christmas night so long ago,
Came Jesus to the earth,
He came a humble babe so low;
A stable was His birth.

He grew up among His brethern,
But Him they did not know.
They didn't know He came from Heaven;
They saw Him as a foe.

One day He went to Calvary,
And died upon a cross.
And then some saw that He must be,
The Savior for the lost.

He rose up from the grave again,
And walked along the shore.
Then he went up with God to reign,
'Til He should come once more.

If you do not know this Saviour,
Who died for you and me,
He offers you God's great favor,
Life for eternity.

Ralph Vile

Christmas blessings from the holler.

Today the Circus Went to town...

At least that's what it felt like. Today, I took four of our six to the vets office. Corrie, Violet, Scrappy and Charlie. Maybe I thought our trip was like a circus event because I grew up in Florida where Ringling Bros. call home. Maybe I thought our trip was like a circus because if Charlie gets any taller we'll have to get a car with a sun roof so it was kind of like I had a giraffe with me. We have a garage so I had no trouble loading them up. When I got in the car I had to shove Corrie out of my seat to get in and then I told Charlie to sit, then I told him to sit again looking back at him only to realize that he was sitting and his big head was almost touching the roof of the car. He looked at me like "I am sitting!" So here we go; now we're moving on down the road which Scrappy loves because she was JP's companion when he was a truck driver (thank You Lord that's over). Anyway, she was in her element. Corrie was shaking like a little leaf and panting because she was scared. She is getting better but she gets so anxious about everything (nail clipping, baths, collar on - anything). We kid about her because she's so pitiful saying "she's never gonna eat a green bean again!!" See video below. When we got to the vets office one of the assistants came out and helped me get all four into our room and then I let them take over. All got good reports and we get a wholesale discount because we have so many and our vet is the best ever. They shoved us back in the car, bid us Merry Christmas, and we were on our way home. Now all is quiet, they are exhausted and napping. I'm just glad it's over.

Blessings from the holler!!

Does anyone see a pattern here?...

So, I had a great morning. I went to church and helped pack food baskets that our church gives out. Next, I practiced a few songs on the piano since I'm horrible with Christmas songs. Then I went to Wal-mart for a few things and came home. I had my mp3 player going, singing all the way in the door and then I see this.

I had forgotten, just this one time since last time, to put the garbage away and it just so happens that I fried chicken last night. So I say, "Who DID THIS?!!!" Really, it's not a question because I know exactly who did it and by now you probably do too. This mess was a doozy - had to sweep, then vacuum, then mop. All the while, Speedbump is sitting at the top of the hill like "I'm not going in there - she's mad." Well she did and then she got a bath. Whew,,,now I've got to ice down my back and chill (literally.) Dog gone you Speedbump !#%!#*^!!!

Wintering plants and meandering thoughts...

Guess who got flowers! Me. Guess who gave them to me! JP. He's the best.

Today was the perfect day for me to be outside. Mild temperatures and NO SUN!! Since this summer while working our wonderful vegetable garden I've developed Rosacea. I've prayed that it be taken away (as Paul's thorn in the flesh) or that God would give me the grace to deal with it and knowledge to know how to at least make it some better. I would appreciate any information or advise you have on the subject. I've seen a dermatologists and got the clinical side but they weren't much help for the practical day to day dealing with this. Enough about that.

I got in our front bed and trimmed the irises back for their winter nap. They multiply so fast that this year I was able to give more than 20 plants away. Now that I'm looking at them in these pictures I could have thinned out so much more. I don't know what to do with the sage and rosemary for the winter. I guess I'll trim them back when it dies back some.

On the inside, I've got a container that's going to bloom tulips, paperwhites, and little daffodil looking things(who knows what I put in there!!) Also, today, I pulled an amaryllis plant up and am going to try to force it to bloom. That sounds rather brutal doesn't it? I hope they all wait to bloom until January or February when all is gray outside.


Have you any wintering tips for roses? Do you have bulbs waiting to be planted? When we lived in Florida people planted their poinsettias and they were beautifully green all year and red for Christmas. That was so lovely but I like it here in the holler where we have four seasons. Hey, we had a little snow Saturday!! I hope you all have a blessed Christmas season. Keep it simple and make time to remember to celebrate Jesus' birth.

Who Dun It?....

I had a nice morning doing my errands. I went to the chiropractor and got my back aligned and feel so much better, went to the library (love the library), went to the eye Dr. who gave me good news (my vision is almost 20/20 - my vision has gotten better as I've gotten older), and lastly went to the local megamart for various supplies. Oh, I should have started by saying it's a rainy day so all the dogs had to stay inside while I went on my errands. Okay, so I'm hauling in my first load of goodies (probably not good for my back - the Dr. says I don't know the meaning of working in moderation, but oh well) and what do I see? Hmmm, someone's been in the trash. By the way, we have a garbage can that locks,,,,Haha!! I walk in a little further and I this is the group I see. They all have guilty consciences but there is only one villain. That darn Speedbump is a trash hound. She can unlock the trash can some how and today, she hit pay dirt. Last night I made bite sized fried chicken for a chinese recipe that JP loves and I like to put my flour in a plastic bag to coat the chicken. You can tell what she found in the picture. She tried to act like she was sorry and didn't mean to do it but by the time I took the second picture she was smiling because she figured I hadn't noticed the bag at her feet. Look at Daisy and Corrie, they had guilt written all over them but not as much as Bump. Scoundrel!!!

Look she's pretending to be sorry - she's not sorry!!
Look at that face. Does she look like she's sorry?