Changes.

Beautiful November 6, 2009




Dear Kith & Kin,

Since the last posting we have had some wonderful, poignant and gladsome moments.
We have a new granddaughter and she came to us all grown up! Our special grandson Alan married his sweetheart Abigail last June 27. She is a delightful addition to the family. They reside in Elgin where Alan is finishing his education (can one truly do that?) at Providence Bible College and holding down a full time job, preaching, visiting and whatnot! Abby is a perfect partner for Alan.

Many of you knew our good dog Emily. There was no guile in Emily. She would have been 18 years old next month. When she came to the point where she would fall and not be able to rise up on her own we knew what we had to do. She had been deaf and mostly blind for the last year but always very happy. I am so glad that I have someone to take care of hard things. Jerry took Emily to the vet and stayed with her as she dropped off to sleep. I know my Father God loves his good dogs so I have no doubt that I shall be greeted by her someday tail wagging and eyes sparkling.

Jerry has finished this house. He installed new floors last spring, new central heating and air conditioning. Over the years he has completely remodeled this house raising the ceilings back to 9 feet, installing all new windows with beautiful crown molding woodwork. It is gorgeous! So of course, we are moving. Yep, we are moving to a quiet street only one block long in town. We have a lovely bungalow in Streator with hardwood floors, basement and a two car garage. It is time for us to cocoon. We are both looking forward to it hoping to be in by mid December. You are all invited to visit. Heck, you can help move us! I'll feed you.
Anyhoo (as my mother would say) that's the news.
Love to you all,
Mother, Grandma, Sister, Auntie, Cousin and Friend Laura-Jean

Pure pleasure gardening

Hello Kith and Kin,
As I promised, you will now be introduced to pure pleasure vegetable gardening. I hate vegetable gardening. I know that comes as a surprise to many of you but it is the truth. Planting is enjoyable; harvesting is enjoyable and putting by is the most fun but all that stuff in between is the pits. Weeding, sweating, spraying, sweating, pulling, sweating. Not worth it. Why did I do it for so long? Hey, I am a country woman and that is what one does. I found a better way. Just look at the wonderful vegetables I grow. We are eating tomatoes

and peppers
and green beans
and will start on patty pan squash if the promises of that venerable plant are achieved.
Well how does this happen almost work free? Plant in double rinse tubs. No bending, no sweating. If I want enough to put by, I will visit the farmer's market. You can do this on a roof top I image. This is the way I am going from now on! And last but not least here is my golden delicious apple tree giving her all.



I am on a campaign to eliminate grass. What a waste. My perennial garden now has my heart and work. We have 13 perennial foods, count them. Mulberries, raspberries, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, grapes, horseradish, rhubarb, apples, pears, apricots, plums, peaches, strawberries. They don't all produce every year but someone is always giving. If I am going to plant a tree it better give me more than shade.

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides. ~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

Happy gardening.
Laura-Jean

Happy Birthday, Jerry

Tomorrow, July 8, 2009, is Jerry's 72nd birthday! He does not look a day over 60 and a good looking 60 at that.
Jerry and I have decided that since we have so much, too much, over much stuff that this year we will not "stuff" ourselves for our July birthdays. We will be celebrating by attending the Prairie Air Show in Peoria this coming Saturday the 11th. Both of us enjoy air shows but they are so hot and sweaty and luggy, as in lug around chairs and water bottles, that it takes all the fun out of it. This year will be different. The most expensive tickets sold are $45.00 for the Flight Deck section which provides front row seats, a tent to come in out of the sun, lunch and unlimited drinks from 11am to 4pm. That is what Jerry and I decided we want for our birthdays. Are we living the life style of the rich and famous or what! The Thunderbirds will be performing among many others. Fun, fun, fun.
Our dear little Anna is almost 10 months old and has turned into a Benji dog of the girl variety! Just look at her. All she needs is a handle to be a mop.











Alice immediately adopted her as her own so now Alice has two daughters making Anna and Little Nell sisters.


It took us 10 months but I think we have finally weaned Little Nell. We had to spray Alice with bitter apple for she would never have weaned her kitten.


Perhaps I will post a garden blog later and tell you about my fun, work free, enjoyable garden.

"For the bliss of the animals lies in this, that, on their lower level, they shadow the bliss of those--few at any moment on the earth--who do not "look before and after, and pine for what is not," but live in the holy carelessness of the eternal now." George MacDonald

My you find that Holy Carelessness,
Laura-Jean

Little Nell

Dear Kith & Kin, 11-08-2008 Happy 46th birthday to our son, Morgy!

When last I told you of Little Nell we were apprehensive about introducing her to Alice, our sheltie mix, who is friendly and protective of her roomies but aggressive toward strange animals. As you can see we had nothing to fear. Yes, that is Little Nell enjoying a nutritious repast compliments of Alice. At first Alice served as a pacifier but after a week or so she filled up with milk and became a lunch counter for her ever growning baby.

Our Little Nell is becoming a young lady quickly and we had to take steps to wean her of her doggy mother who certainly would have
accommodated her pupkit for years to come. If you are ever in such a situation, purchase a bottle of bitter apple spray at the pet store and it will do the trick.









As if this was not enough joy in one house a bundle more has been added. For years Jerry has wanted a "Benji" type dog. They are not easy to find. Thursday, November 6, a woman called into our local radio Swap Shop program offering to give away a cockapoo puppy. I thought it would be snatched up in a hurry but decided that if she called again the next day I would inquire about the pup. Lo and behold she called again Friday; I responded to find the lady had both mama and papa dogs, one a poodle and the other a cocker and one female out of the litter of four still needed a home. I called Jerry, who was at work in town, and pointedly told him that if he was interested in this pup he would have to call and HE would have to decide if this is the kind of dog he wanted. It was TOTALLY HIS DECISION. Fifteen minutes later he phoned to tell me he had a little pup in his lap. I drove into town to meet our new family member and bring her home. We named her Anna. She looks like a sweet Anna.





We love our happy animal life and have always had the philosophy that one should get a pup before the elderly dog passes on. Our elderly dog, Emily, (seen with Nell) is still plugging along and very happy at 17 years old this coming December. Alice will be 10 the same month.


When Little Nell joined the family she plagued the other cats, Rosalee (18 years) and Charlie (2 1/2 years) driving them outdoors, interrupting their sleep and generally upsetting both but now they are all in a united snit over this pup. It is the first time kitty peace has reigned! They must stick together against this invader.

No doubt Anna will soon be accepted if not with alacrity with tolerance.






On to another subject. My dear friend Vicky, who introduced me to blogging (don't know if you can call it blogging when it happens only twice in 5 months), encouraged me to knit socks. I enjoy getting back to knitting again and after I realized I could knit with four double pointed needles and do myself no injury I was hooked. If you are interested at all, find a friend to teach you or go to YouTube to find video tutorials.




Also, I am knitting scarves and neck gators (warmers to me) for our troops in Afghanistan where the winter is brutal. A very rewarding project. If you would like to help go to http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/index.html information.

Now that the wonderful
Christmas season
is fast approaching there may be little
time to blog but this is sent with
thanksgiving to my
Heavenly Father and Elder Brother Jesus
for all my wonderful Kith & Kin.
With love,
LJ

This first posting is dedicated to my dear friend, Vicky, who encouraged me to Blog (what a funny word!).
I would like to go back eight years and write of all the miracles my Father God performed to bring us to this place. Of course they go further back than eight years but I am reminded of the uncatalogued photos stashed in containers and the harem scarem albums in two boxes under the sewing table. They should be sorted and divided and sent off and sent out but where is the time? If I do that task now I cannot possibly take care of what must be done today and today would pile up! So goes with the wonders of the last eight years. I will start with the present and march forward dipping into the salt of the past to add spice to the stew.




I want to introduce you to the newest member of our family

"Little Nell."
I just finished The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, hence the name. Our little Nell was born in the woodpile outside our fence with two other kittens. Granddaughter Marie took a coal black one dubbed Midnight and Mamacat ran off with the third.
We are finding her an absolute delight. What is more playful than a kitten?
Here she is on the sofa next to our Charlie who finds her fascinating and she finds him hiss material!






Jerry adores his "newest mouth to feed" and she returns his affection greeting Jerry with wild purrs when he comes home from work. Here they are enjoying a Fourth of July nap.

God is so good to make wondrous kitties for us. Little Nell is a glory to God as she does just what He made her for "living in the Holy carelessness of the eternal now." (George MacDonald). I pray that I will also learn that lesson.