Finally in the mail

Six days after announcing the two winners for the above book, I have finally gotten them ordered and they are on their way.....

ONE to my dear friend, Retha, from South Africa

and

THE SECOND to my new friend, Sylvia, from the United Kingdom.  Just learned that Sylvia has been reading Penless but a lurker.  Ginger introduced me officially in early November of last year. 

The books are scheduled to arrive in each location between March 2 and March 22.  Sorry it is taking so long :o( but trust the wait will be worth it.

Retha also shared the following information on her recent post which I did not know and found so very interesting:

"It is a book written by Andrew Murray on prayer. Andrew Murray was a preacher in South Africa. I am aware that he was instrumental in many being saved. But have never read anything he wrote. I have heard of his words;

"May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God's presence."

In 2009 we visited the house where he grew up. It is now a period museum. His father was a preacher. I am not certain if he had one or two brothers who also became preachers.

He was the first president of the YMCA

In a sense this book is coming home. Home to its origin, also home to have a piece of Mrs. Susan whom I hope to meet some day."

Yes, Retha, in a sense the book is coming home and I, too, hope to meet you some day.

Re-Introducing SUZY BLUE

After mentioning that we had once been involved in hot air ballooning and getting comments from people, some who I've known awhile in blogging, were not aware of that I went back to my older postS to pull out this post from July 9, 2007 about our Hot Air Balloon - Suzy Blue.

If there is some interest I have several other posts about our days of Hot Air Ballooning that I will re-post.  Let me know.

Wednesday HODGEPODGE #4

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Go here to participate and to read other's answers.

1. It's that most wonderful time of the year...tax season! Do you complete your own returns or farm that job out to the professionals?  I did my own but now I have my son do ours.

2. This next question comes from Kansas Bob...he posed it in his response to something I asked in an earlier Wednesday post and I asked him if I could add it to the Hodgepodge some day. Today's the day....
Which do you think has changed you more-love or pain? It would definitely be pain.  First, from holding my marriage together 28 years ago, and Second, from going through the battle with losing our beloved daughter, Suzette, to cancer.  That battle began on September 22, 2010 and ended on May 19, 2011.

3. Tangerine Tango has been named color of the year for 2012. Your thoughts? Would I find this color anywhere in your house? How about in your closet? If not, will you be adding this color to your life in some way in 2012? If you're not sure what tangerine tango looks like click here.  You would not find this color in my decorating scheme in my home or my closet.  Yes, I could see buying a new item to wear in this color.

4. Are you a collector? What do you collect and does it get admired, used, and/or dusted regularly? Yes, I collect angels and have them both inside and outside my home.  Yes, they get admired, especially my "beautiful angel" that sits on the TV console, and yes the ones inside get dusted a couple of times a week.  I use to collect mugs, when we were active in hot air ballooning and also when we travel in our RV, but have given most of them away.

5. February is National Heart Month...besides a green salad what is one tasty heart healthy dish you like to prepare?  Sorry to say, most of the dishes I like to prepare are more along the comfort food line!!!  One healthy one would be salmon patties,

6. When was the last time you had car trouble? That would be 2007 when we were in Kansas City on vacation with our grandchildren.  We came home with a brand new car!!!  You can read about it here.

7. Have you been more demanding on yourself lately or less? Is that a good trend? Less in the area of "have to do's" around the house but More in the area of reaching out in my Christian walk.  I think it is a good trend or I wouldn't be doing it.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I am so thankful that The Lord never gives up on us and is constantly working in our lives to do, and accomplish,  His good pleasure.  Have a beautiful Wednesday!!!

IT'S DONE

Thank goodness the 1/2 bath paint job is complete.

Note:  I even painted the little bird picture frame edges to match in the drark blue.

 Our before picture

 The wonderful finished results!

The new curtain with the dark blue

 Another view

My wonderful Mickey who finished up the job for me!!

I worked on painting Wednesday & Thursday.  I hate to admit it, but all the time on my knees almost did me in.  One coat did not cover it well.  So, as so often happens, on Friday Mickey said, "I'll give the bathroom the second coat.  I don't want you down on your hands and knees anymore."  I am so blessed by my husband.  He quite often has to step in and finish up some project that I so enthusiastically "start".

We are both delighted with the results!!!

5 YEAR BLOGGOVERSARY AWARD

Drum roll please!!!

After 21 days of posting, I was too busy painting the bathroom to get the 22nd day posted on Thursday, the 26th, I celebrated my 5th year of blogging by drawing the winning name.

Having to do it the "old fashioned" way, and knowing I didn't want to get to the end of this and have to be writing down a lot of names I first drew out a grid on paper.  Each day I would enter the names of those who left comments on that post.

Yesterday, I took the sheets and first cut the strips apart. Then I cut each little square, with the name in it......

and dropped them in this basket.  I stirred them up a lot and then went in and asked Mickey to draw a name, holding the basket up where he could not see in it.  He had to give them one last stir before he drew the name!

And the winner is!!!!!!

RETHA who is from South America.

Retha began blogging in February, 2007 and we have become good friends through our blogging. 

Retha I'll be sending you an e-mail to verify your address. 

Congratulations!!!  I hope this book

Andrew Murray on PRAYER

blessing you as much as it has blessed me over the last 12 years.

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As a little surprise, which I did not tell any of you up front, I was planning to also send a copy of Andrew's book to the person who left me the most comments.......

So that book will be sent to

SYLVIA

(Sylvia was someone I didn't know - or at least I thought I didn't until I followed the link - HI!!!)

Sylvia please send me an e-mail with your address.

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Thanks to all of you who read my blog this month and left me comments.  I truly appreciate it. 

FRIDAY FAVORITES #2

Going to participate in my 2nd Friday Favorites.  Go here to see others who are participating.

My favorite things have never been "things" although I, like all of us, certainly have many "things" I value, treasure and have sentimental ties to.

But my FAVORITE things would have to be people.  I have been blessed with so many wonderful people who have touched my life and added so much joy, happiness, instruction, fun, and spiritual growth to my life. 

 Among these favorite people are the 17 people who are part of the WOW Woman bible study group that meets at my home every Tuesday evening. 14 of us are local and 4 are in other parts of the world.  (I know your wondering why 14 + 4 doesn't add up to 17!!!!  Well I am in this local group of 14.)

 Here are 10 of us who were present the night this picture was taken.  Back-left to right - Sandra - Britney - Cindy - Kathy - Betty.  Front row- Connie - Thelma - Wantha - Susan - Jeanne.

Talking about FAVORITES one of my favorite scriptures is

           Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

These woman definitely sharpen me each and every week and I am so thankful for each one of them.    If you don't belong to a home Bible Study group you are missing a BIG blessing. 

The Hardest Part of Getting Older

Yes, one of the hardest parts of getting older is finding it harder to do things that require a lot of physical dexterity.  The last major updates we did to our house were in April, 2008 when we changed the wallpaper in our kitchen, and changed the paint color on one wall in the living room and dining area when we had French Doors installed.  Mickey had also repainted the exterior trim in the spring of 2007.

When we purchase our little home in Coweta in March of 1998 I just loved the little master bath with it's free standing sink, the flowery wall paper on the lower walls with white trim and walls above. 

Fourteen years later we were absolutely SICK of the wall paper and decided to paint over the wall paper with a dark blue which would tie into a dark blue wall we have in the adjoining master bedroom.

Here I've gotten it all taped off to start the painting.  I have a feeling we are getting into a huge job.  Just being on my hands and knees doing the taping was a major chore and my body is letting me know IT did not like that bending and being on my knees at all.

If the finished product doesn't  look too bad, I'll post a picture when we are done.

Wow!!!  How I long for the days when we would tear into any project both inside or outside without even giving it a thought.  I even painted my young girls bedroom with a 3" brush back when I was 27 and about 6 months pregnant with our first son.  A 3" brush ---- and didn't think anything of it!!!   Yes, the hardest part of getting older is not being able to do all those things you were so use to doing and could do so easily.