Perseverance

"Do not become weary in well-doing, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up." Galatians 6:9 NASB

I'm not sure why, but I've had a horrible time sleeping tonight. In fact, it's 4:42 am and I've not slept at all, yet. In the stillness of the night, the Lord brought this verse to my attention. Once again, His timing is perfect. In light of my recent commitment to submit my daily schedule to Him, this verse will be recalled quite often, I'm sure. Maybe you could share a favorite verse of yours.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art.

Careful Cutbacks

Instead of more housekeeping hints, I'm going to share something I read during my devotion this morning. Since I was encouraged, maybe you could be, as well."Trimming your staff is one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do as a leader. And strangely, one of the best." In order for a rose bush to produce one magnificent bloom, many other buds must be eliminated. This allows that one bud to draw a greater source of energy and nutrients. "A small force can often be more effective than a large one. Prune for productivity."

Because I work from home and have no staff, how does this apply to me? Please note that when you earnestly ask the Lord a question, He will provide an answer. He gently showed me that my "staff" could be interpreted as my activity. There are many things in my day which I allow to distract me from accomplishing the greater good of productivity (t.v., computer, Soduko). All of these activities can be right if the timing is right. For instance, right now the sun is shining brilliantly. And what am I doing? Yes, I'm on the computer. My time would be better served outside. There is no need to eliminate any of my activities, but simply to rearrange my day. This is only possible with His help because my own will can be quite overbearing at times. He always produces greater results than I. And since I don't like to learn the hard way, I have chosen to surrender all of my daily activities to Him.

I am anxious to see how He grows me through this process. If anyone would care to hold me accountable, I welcome that.

My current study is from the One Minute Bible series - Women in Leadership: Ninety Daily Devotions by Leading Christian Women, day 58. The yellow rose is for my mother (it's her favorite flower). Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art.

Carpet and Upholstery

Housekeeping Hints by Duraclean...137 ways to make housecleaning a b-r-e-e-z-e, copyright 1964.

During our house tour, the book was featured as one of my curious books. Today I thought I'd staring sharing bits and pieces. I'll post only those hints which are unknown to me.

It will be interesting to see how/if we've changed our housecleaning techniques.

Wear Saving Tips...
"When you buy stair carpet, get an extra foot in length and fold it under against the top risers. Before wear appears at edges of treads, shift carpet an inch or so downward."

"Remember that pile direction of carpet should be with or against the line of traffic - never across. Tests prove that you can extend the life of carpet 25-50% by heeding this precaution."

Cleaning Tips...
"Don't ever use ammonia on your rugs or furnishings - it can damage colors and fibers and often 'sets' stains."

How to Keep...
"When rugs and furnishings are new, or when they have just been cleaned, you can KEEP them that way longer with DURASHIELD, our amazing soil retardant. It is a sprayed-on invisible shield that fills the crevices in fibers to 'lock-out' dirt, keep furnishings from soiling quickly. Amazingly enough, you can't see it, feel it or smell it. Yet light reflectance tests show that Durashield has a significant effect in retarding soiling for up to a year and longer!"

More golden vitamins...

The sun was shining again!! Here's another picture from October which represents what today felt like. When I took this picture, I was standing north of the plum tree posted yesterday, facing southeast. The big tree on the right sits on our southern-most property line. The far left edge of the retaining wall marks the beginning of the driveway slab.
Hubby and I spent the afternoon cutting and stacking firewood. What a workout, but we really enjoy being outside when the weather is this fantastic.

Has spring arrived already?

Today was the most beautiful day in a long time (several months). The sun was shining, the air was crisp, the sun was shining, the temperature was just right, and the sun was shining!! Oh, yeah, and the sun was shining. Even though this picture was taken in October, it represents what today felt like.This plum tree is situated to the left of our driveway as you approach our house. The fence behind is our western-most property line. If you look closely at the bottom left corner, you can see where our southern-most property line is. All the foliage belongs to the neighbor while the bare ground has been cleared for our first shade garden. Before I cleared the foliage, Hubby had dismantled a huge dog pen that wrapped around the tree with every post being cemented in the ground. That little project took a few weekends.

Our House - Part VIII

The final episode of our house!!! Thanks for your indulgence as I've exposed EVERY part of our house (clutter, bathrooms, etc.). Today's post features my office (a bit more "girly" than Hubby's).For my desk, I use an antique table with an enamel top (just like the cookware in my kitchen). My computer sits atop a vanity which is the perfect height when working. I love this lay-out.

Standing against the closet, this gives you a view of the other side of the room. Notice the dried flower arrangement? The rocking chair belonged to my Grandma Katie and has that wonderful rocking squeek that I hope never to repair (unless I absolutely have to).
This little table is the nightstand from Hubby's childhood bedroom furniture. Having it next to Grandma Katie's rocking chair gives my office the rather quaint atmosphere that I find very relaxing. And, yes, that's a coffee pot! There's even cream & sugar. It only holds four cups, but makes for a nice treat while I'm working.


Thank you for joining me on this tour. I've enjoyed your company!

Our House - Part VII

Today's tour takes us to the living room. Just for the record, the Christmas decorations have since been taken down!These cabinets are wonderful for storage. The t.v. takes center stage with electronics, movies, and CD's below. Blankets are stored in one section with games of all sorts in the other. Hubby's mother found these cabinets when she was an antique dealer. At that time, they were being used in a department store to display sweaters. Each open compartment had a pull-out tray which has long since disappeared. Five of the compartments still have the glass doors that pull out and drop down (similar to a Bannister bookcase). Due to a lower ceiling in this house, we had to get creative with how we stacked them. The cabinet in the corner is almost complete (the top section is actually resting under the t.v.). The section of open compartments under the t.v. should be stacked with the sections to the left of the t.v. But having a lower ceiling allows for excellent t.v. placement!
Here's the other side of the living room. The furniture arrangement works out very nicely because the t.v. is not the center of attention. We can sit in the round and have a very nice conversation next to the fire. Quite cozy!