![\"\"](\"https://i0.wp.com/www.marshmallowranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Today-is-my-Special-Day.jpg?fit=940%2C788&ssl=1\")
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My grandmother was fifty-six years old when I was born. My grandma was only forty-eight. Yet…they seemed ancient to me when I was a little girl. Their hair was gray and their skin was soft with wrinkles. Blue veins traced rivers on the backs of their hands and brown “liver spots” dotted their arms. They were magical beings with vast knowledge of such things as the perfect chicken and dumplings and soothing slices of jelly bread. They kissed away booboos and loved me unconditionally…my grandma most of all.
\n\n\nI was standing in front of the mirror at The Farm yesterday morning, brushing my own grey hair and pinning it up in a bun just as Grandma had always done. I never knew her to have short hair. As far as I know, she had never cut it or gone to a beauty shop. And she never had bangs. I’ve been letting my bangs grow out. I trimmed them myself through the pandemic so I just kept doing it. Then I waited a little too long and was afraid I’d botch it up. Not wanting to go to the hairdresser, I decided to let them grow out to see if I like them. I don’t NOT like them. I wore my hair swept back when I was growing up. My bangs are getting long enough to sweep them back when I pin my hair up, as long as the bun is high on my head. The jury is still out. I think I notice my face more and maybe that’s not a bad thing. I don’t feel the need to hide anymore and this is a little liberating.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/45e4fadaab.jpg\")
That’s me in the center of the photo with my uncle and cousins going for a ride in the old Model A truck.
\n\n\nMy Noom lesson yesterday was on self confidence and giving yourself compliments. We are quick to compliment others, yet we are so hard on ourselves. My exercise for the day was to stand in front of the mirror and give myself a believable compliment…out loud. I stepped closer to the mirror and looked at myself critically. I’ve always had a distinct widow’s peak and that’s why I’ve worn bangs. I was self conscious of the receding hairline on either side of my face. I finished brushing my hair back and said to the girl with the grandmother face who was smiling at me.
\n\n\n“You have a kind face. Your eyes crinkle with your laughter and twinkle with happiness. Every line on your beautiful face reminds you of the multitude of smiles you’ve given over the seventy years your presence has been known here. You are exactly as you were meant to be and exactly where you belong!”
\n\n\nI gave myself a big hug and you know what? I felt better! Why are women so hard on themselves…and on each other? We should be celebrated for the glorious and powerful creatures we are! We should be lifting each other up at every turn and encouraging each other with positivity, love, and grace. I used to be so threatened by other women. And now? No way! I am past all that. I am of the mind that if another doesn’t like me or accept me as I am, they are not deserving of my time and energy and I release myself from the burden of bearing the weight of something that is no longer mine to carry.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e630e2a9e2.jpg\")
I took this picture because, honestly…I don’t see that angle of myself. I wanted to see what the roadmap of wrinkles on my cheeks were up to. When I looked, I smiled. I’m not sad to have my grandmother’s face or my grandma’s long hair swept back in a bun. I’m honored to be counted among the crones.
\n\n\nI am the matriarch now.
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n”Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.“
\nProverbs 31:30-31 NIV\n
#Matriarch, #Aging, #PositiveAging, #InternationalWomensDay
\n\n", "date_published": "2024-03-08T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/03/08/the-matriarch.html", "tags": ["Self Care","Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Courage","Aging","Presence","Change","Memories","Mental Health"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/03/05/a-matter-of-perspective.html", "title": "A Matter of Perspective", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/caed798121.jpg\")
We awoke to sunny skies and cool temperatures yesterday. The birds were caterwauling in the flowering quince outside the bedroom window. Cardinals, blue jays, grackles, and a variety of wrens and sparrows flitted in and out to the feeders and back. Heavily laden logging trucks barreled down the two lane blacktop out front, their jake brakes doing their best to drown out the morning birdsong.
\n\n\nI looked over at my sweetheart. His slow and steady breathing reassuring me all was well in our little microcosm of the universe. My mind turned to why this morning ritual has become so important to me. It was just about this time nine years ago when I began having premonitions of Mr. Virgo’s coming demise. Nightmares haunted me for a week before his death…voices whispering unwanted warnings. It’s impossible to shake the memories at this time of year. So, I listen to them. I acknowledge their presence. And I reassure myself. There haven’t been any warnings here. No bad dreams. No feelings of dread.
\n\n\nWith my false sense of security firmly implanted in my psyche, I quietly got up…dressed…and headed to the kitchen to make my morning coffee. I stood at the kitchen window and thought to myself how vastly different this life is compared to my last. Time and distance and perspective allows you to see things more clearly. I see the little flaws in my marriage to Mr. Virgo that I never allowed to enter my consciousness when he was alive.
\n\n\nI think I was a little afraid of him. To be more exact…I was afraid of him leaving. I’d been left before. That leaves a mark. I was afraid to be absolutely, genuinely me. As I looked out the window at the world waking up, I sighed. Ours was a good marriage. We loved each other deeply. And…it was exhausting trying to be who I felt I needed to be in order to keep it that way.
\n\n\nMy thoughts turned to Mr. FixIt and I smiled. This man…this marriage…is so rich and fun and happy and demands the work we put into it to make it fruitful. He makes me just crazy enough to keep things interesting. He makes me laugh. He holds my heart gently. My name is safe on his tongue. Having been widowed makes all this pure platinum as I count every day a sheer blessing.
\n\n\nThe beep of the coffee maker shook me from my reverie and heard Mr. FixIt coming down the hall.
\n\n\n“Good morning, baby…how about pancakes and eggs?”
\n\n\nHe smiled and allowed that sounded just fine. Our day had begun. We settled in our recliners. He, reading the newspaper on his phone. Me sipping coffee and knitting. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get that baby sock to work like I wanted so I abandoned it for the moment and reached for a beautiful rose grey blend of 70% alpaca and 30% merino wool yarn I picked up in the bargain bin for $2 a skein.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0afd31ebda.jpg\")
My dear friend Gail shared her mitten pattern and I set to work knitting them up. They’re going to be nice and warm on cold winter days. I never seem to find gloves that keep my fingers warm. Mittens are much better. Later in the afternoon, Mr. FixIt ran to town for an appointment. I stayed and knitted and thought of how richly blessed we are to live where we live. We aren’t being bombed. Tanks aren’t trying to run us over. There is a madman let loose on the world. The enemy seeks to devour the innocent. We must be ever vigilant to keep the wolf away from our doors. We came so dangerously close…it could easily happen again.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
\nJames 4:7 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7f30290e87.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0b9d01b847.jpg\")
I like to think I am a virtuous woman, but when it comes to the virtue of patience, I came out on the short end of the stick. I have never liked waiting for anything. When I was a child, I would wear a pair of shoes a full size too small if it meant I didn’t have to wait till we found a pair that actually fit. When I knit, it’s seldom a complicated pattern because I want it done yesterday. Cliff Notes are my friends. So are cake mixes and instant mashed potatoes. I’ve always been in a hurry.
\n\n\nThere are some things that hurrying just doesn’t help. Teaching a baby. Getting your husband out the door on time. Baking bread. These things take whatever time they take. So does recovering from surgery. I have so much swelling in my neck, it looks like I have a goiter. I don’t like it. I want it gone. But, do you think that’s going to make a bit of difference? Nope! I lay down to read in the afternoon and sleep three hours. My body is telling me what to do, and whether I like it or not, I must listen.
\n\n\nWe opted for an affordable room over one in close proximity to a beach. It’s spring break and we wouldn’t want to be mingling out on a beach anyway. We decided yesterday to sit alongside the pool and read. I lasted ten minutes. The sun was SO hot it burned my tender skin clear through two layers of clothing. We came back up to the room, I stretched out to read and...bam. Three hour nap. We wanted to get to a beach to see the sunset, but we ended up driving around looking at retirement communities and browsing a huge antique store.
\n\n\nIt was a good day. We had leftovers from Carabba’s. We chatted with the kids and looked at pictures of their snow. And rested. That’s ok. Sometimes patience is all we have.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-03-15T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/03/15/day-patience-is-not-one.html", "tags": ["Health","Presence","Healing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/25/day-connecting-through-technology.html", "title": "Day 226: Connecting Through Technology", "content_html": "\n“Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.”
\nRomans 12:12 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/10ca1a183e.jpg\")
I was busy in the kitchen making a couple of loaves of sourdough bread and fixing pork chops for supper when Daughter #1 shot me a quick text. She told me Big was just about to participate in a swim meet and if I went to this FB page, I could watch it live. I was thrilled! My son-in-law’s mom and I watched her swim in all three events. It’s not the same as being there, but being included and getting to see her swim was so fun! I dished up our plates because the food was ready and wasn’t going to keep well in the oven. I handed Mr. FixIt his and I sat at the bar in the kitchen and watched and cheered my big girl on!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d60306de60.jpg\")
Later in the evening, I joined a zoom concert my good friend and financial advisor, Danielle Howard, put together featuring Jackson Emmer. You can find his music on YouTube and iTunes and check out his website, as well. He has a really interesting voice. He says he kind of shredded his vocal cords with all his years singing at high altitude and it’s left this with the rasp that actually sounds harmonic. If you didn’t watch him, you’d thing there was someone else harmonizing with him. It was really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. You can check him out HERE.
\n\n\nWhat a treat it was to be connected with the outside world in such a way. While technology can often be a curse, the fact that we can work remotely and share dinner with our family and friends listen to a concert with folks spread out over the entire country...well, that’s just a marvel is what it is. I used to think how amazing it was all the things that were invented and developed in my grandma’s lifetime. And now? Now, here I am...not only the grandma, but the GREAT grandma, too. I tell them we didn’t get our first TV till I was 8 or 9 years old...that I watched the first satellite launch and saw it cross the night sky...that I had the first personal calculator ever produced and it cost over $400...that our first cell phone was in a small suitcase and had the regular handset and curly cord of a phone, and that was in 1990! I tell them we didn’t get a home computer till their mom was in middle school. We had dial up and flip phones.
\n\n\nThe upside of all this technology is connection, productivity and information. The downside is the cacophony of busyness and noise, the scramble for our attention, the constant barrage of politics and rancor and discord. I have to wonder...what would this Covid Crisis and Election Season be like if we didn’t have the technology we have now? What if it was just Walter Cronkite telling us there was a bad disease and it’s going to be hard, but here’s what we have to do get through it? I have to think this would be a whole different scenario. Maybe there would be less discord, but there would be a lot more isolation and loneliness.
\n\n\nProgress. Change. You know what they say...the only thing you can count on is change. And, Lord...this has certainly been a season of change. I think...I hope...I hope we’re going to learn a lot from this period of time and we’ll be the better for it down the road. I read something the other day by an American pastor and author. He was talking about how BIG God is. We sometimes make the things of the world seem like that are bigger than God. But, that does a disservice to God. Because when you make the things of the world large, you make God small. That’s not to say there aren’t pressing matters of great importance facing us right now. There are. But God is greater than all of this and He wins. God always wins.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-25T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/25/day-connecting-through-technology.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","God","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/07/31/day-a-blessed-day-of.html", "title": "Day 135: A Blessed Day of Rain", "content_html": "\n“Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me. Or suppose I said, “I'll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over.” But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you.”
\nPsalms 139:7-12 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d965f6a702.jpg\")
Yesterday was a peaceful day. I made French Toast from my homemade sourdough bread for breakfast. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so divine as that. There is something wonderful about the texture of this bread that is only magnified when it’s coated with a slightly sweetened custard and fried to crispy perfection in one of my magical iron skillets.
\n\n\nI think I’m finally getting the feel for cooking in an iron skillet. I’ve always been a little heavy handed with the heat when I cook. Cast iron demands a gentler approach. There is a delicate balance between hot enough to fry crispy but not so hot as to burn food to the pan. That way, cleanup is much easier and you don’t need water and soap...two things that are deleterious to a well seasoned iron skillet.
\n\n\nWhen it comes time to clean my cast iron, I wait till it’s cooled down enough to handle without burning myself. I sprinkle in a scant tablespoon of coarse grained salt and a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Then I wad up a paper towel and scrub the inside of the skillet with the oily salt. You can feel when any bits of food have been removed because the surface will feel silky smooth under the salt. I take the skillet to the trash can and wipe all the dirty salt and food bits into the trash then wipe the inside of the pan with a clean paper towel and little bit more oil. Once the inside of the pan is done, I wipe down the outside and the handle with what’s left of the oil in the paper, then leave the skillet on the stove top. I have a gas stove. I have heard of people who have used cast iron on a glass cooking surface, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s too easy to scratch or break the cook top.
\n\n\nOnce the kitchen was clean, I set to work in the office again, copying the posts from 2015 and 2016 over to the blog. I’m at the point now where my aunt invited me to leave the farm and I struck out on my next adventure. A sweet friend left for Wyoming to take care of her grandchildren while her daughter was doing her student teaching and allowed me to stay in her loft apartment in exchange for watering her plants and bringing in the mail.
\n\n\nIt’s really interesting to go back and read my earlier posts. It reminds me how hard grief was those first couple of years. And it shows my how much my life has changed...how much I have changed in the time since I arrived in West Virginia. I really want to get all the work from Facebook transferred over to my blog so it’s safely in one place. I invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in my writing these last seven plus years...I would certainly hate to lose any of it. It’s irreplaceable, actually.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7bc41933a8.jpg\")
It has finally rained like crazy here off and on all day. Our garden will be so happy. I went out yesterday and found a few tomatoes that aren’t quite ripe, but something has been eating the low hanging ones. I imagine it’s the relentless bunnies I chase off only to find them right back a few hours later. I was trying to get a picture of how tall the tomato plants are but the only way to really do that by myself was a selfie with my hand raised up. As you can see, the plant is a good six inches beyond my reach...and I’m 5’6” tall! It’s crazy how much they’ve grown.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6fe4fd79a6.jpg\")
Here it is...the last day of July! How can that be possible? I promised Mr. FixIt we would go for a drive today. It’s time for an adventure. I’ll keep you posted!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-07-31T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/07/31/day-a-blessed-day-of.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/05/10/day-a-different-kind-of.html", "title": "Day 55: A Different Kind of Mother’s Day!", "content_html": "\n“Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work hard, just as we taught you to do. Then you will be respected by people who are not followers of the Lord, and you won't have to depend on anyone.”
\n1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7435aab184.jpg\")
As I sat at my keyboard last night, I looked for pictures of my mom and thought of all the Mother’s Days we had together. Really...very few. Once I left home to seek my fortunes, I am not sure we ever got to see each other on Mother’s Day. I always came home in the summer months when the kids were off of school. But I always called her and sent her a card and flowers.
\n\n\nI keep my pictures of Mom in an album on my iPad marked “”Family”. That way, when I get lonesome for them, they’re all in one place. I thought of all the sad and sentimental things I could say about my mom and how much I miss her. But, the truth is...even though I miss her desperately right now...I would NEVER want her to have had to experience what’s going on in the world. All the anger and divisiveness and ugliness would have upset her greatly. She had such a tender heart. And this virus would have worried her to death. I am much more peaceful knowing she is with her family and with Jesus.
\n\n\nMy eyes scanned the photos and lingered on my own children...from when they were littles to when they had littles of their own. These girls made me a mom. I wasn’t always very good at it. I made huge mistakes and it broke my heart that I let them down. So many years were lost to depression when I just couldn’t seem to connect with them as they needed. I’ve spent much of the last twenty years trying to fix that. Trying to be a better mom. Trying to create new and better memories.
\n\n\nSince I moved back to my home state, I have returned to Colorado every summer to see the girls and spend time with my grandchildren. Then, the pandemic hit and I am not at all sure I’ll get to go back this year. There was a time when I would have focused on that loss and that’s all I’d see. Things are different now. Now I see where God is taking this situation and turning it for good.
\n\n\nMy girls and I have communicated more since the Stay at Home orders came out than we ever have. There are lots of phone calls and texts, sharing pictures, video chats. When I watch their Facebook feeds, I see them reaching back for THEIR comforting touchstones and I see myself there. In the raised bed gardens. In the baking and making and growing. In the phone calls asking for advice. It has warmed my heart.
\n\n\nIn the last two months, during this lockdown, I have finally realized...I made a difference in my kids’ lives. The things I taught them, stuck with them. And now, they are using those gifts I gave them to comfort themselves and their families. This means more to me than any trinket they could give me. It doesn’t get much better than this.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt told me last night he didn’t get me anything for Mother’s Day because shopping isn’t the same. And I told him not to buy me flowers. I smiled and said, “I have everything I need for Mother’s Day. I have a great big blended family that gives me great joy.” Besides, I’d rather have kitchen stuff than flowers that wither and die.
\n\n\nI hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day. And if you are actively grieving, I hope you find some moments of peace and comfort with your memories of your loved one.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.””
\nProverbs 31:25-29 ESV\n
#MothersDay, #Children, #Holiday
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-05-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/05/10/day-a-different-kind-of.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Forgiveness","Aging","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/04/20/day-i-miss-your-face.html", "title": "Day 35: I Miss Your Face", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6dfb55d66c.jpg\")
Like everyone else, we’re doing a lot of hanging out here at The Ponderosa. Mowing season has begun. We’re getting projects done and making plans for others. The few times we have ventured out have been masked forays into uncrowded stores for a quick purchase. We only have a few shops in the tiny town on the other side of the hill. Piggly Wiggly and Dollar General are the bigger ones.
\n\n\nI needed a couple things the other day so I stopped in the Dollar General. There was a woman shopping ahead of me. She was around my age. She wore a mask but she had it pulled down under her nose. The first thing I said to her was “Thank you so much for wearing a mask. It’s so important to help stop the spread of this disease.” Her eyes crinkled up from the smile hidden behind her mask.
\n\n\n“I don’t mean to pry,” I said. “But, did you by any chance work in medicine?”
\n\n\n“No I didn’t,” she said.
\n\n\n“I worked in the medical field for over forty years and I would never be presumptuous and tell someone what to do. However, your mask won’t help you if you don’t cover your nose.”
\n\n\nShe quickly pulled it up. “Oh, I know...but it makes my glasses fog up and I can’t stand it.”
\n\n\nAt the time, I didn’t have an answer for her. I knew there were ways to get around that, but I just couldn’t think off the top of my head. Since then, I found out one way is to fold up a tissue under the your glasses behind the mask. Some masks have a flexible wire at the top that molds it to your nose and that helps, but these homemade masks don’t have that. If you wash your glasses with soapy water leaves a thin film that reduces surface tension and the lenses won’t fog up. Mr. FixIt swears if you wash your glasses with shaving cream, they won’t fog up. I haven’t tried that yet.
\n\n\nI have a bit of a hearing loss and find I’m depending on reading lips a lot more than I thought I was. I’m having to ask people to repeat themselves more often since we are wearing masks. I also miss seeing people smile. It’s amazing how much nonverbal cues come through watching a person’s face.
\n\n\nRemember I told you the other day that I hadn’t cried since this all started? Well, last night my daughter called and we had a long, laughter-filled conversation. We told stories and reminisced about her childhood. It was leisurely and delightful. When we were saying our goodbyes, I heard her voice thicken with emotion.
\n\n\n“Mama, the other day I read that if they can’t come up with a vaccine that works, we might have to practice social distancing clear into 2022. I can’t stand the thought of not hugging you for that long!” (Note: I’m not saying a vaccine cures this. I’m not being political. I know we can’t stay in limbo like this forever. I’m just relaying what my daughter said she heard.)
\n\n\nMy heart broke.
\n\n\n“Honey, I would find a way to hug you...no matter what. We could put a blanket between us and I could give you a big ol’ Mama hug!”
\n\n\nWe said our goodbyes...and I hung up and cried.
\n\n\nIt’s the first time I’ve shed tears since all this began. It wasn’t cleansing tears, either.
\n\n\nIt just made me sad.
\n\n\nIt’s ok to be saddened by all this. It’s hard to think about all the things...all the little things and the big things that we’re missing. We can’t get through this without feeling sadness. I’m combatting that with making lists of all the things I want to do when things open up. I’m looking for ways to serve others through this difficult time. And I look for the goodness of God in the world around me.
\n\n\nNot every day can be a happy day.
\n\n\nThat’s ok.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-04-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/04/20/day-i-miss-your-face.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Love","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/04/16/day-the-redbud-and-dogwood.html", "title": "Day 31: The Redbud and Dogwood are Blooming!", "content_html": "\n“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”
\nPsalm 18:2-3 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c1e6fa1074.jpg\")
Mr. FixIt and I have been watching the weather reports very carefully the last week. We needed to get out to the farm to mow so we have been waiting for a dry, sunny day. Yesterday and today both were forecast to be beautiful, but...there was a 60% chance of rain last night. The ground at the farm is very soft and since it’s in a holler, it just doesn’t dry out very well. A heavy riding mower could easily tear up the lawn if we weren’t careful so we decided to go yesterday.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1f96dc99c7.jpg\")
As I was gathering things up to leave, I asked Mr. FixIt if he would like to go spend the night at the farm since we were going out anyway. This coming weekend is when we were supposed to go to the beach, so we have both been feeling the disappointment of changed plans. This would be a nice little getaway and feel like at least we saw something other than our own four walls.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fcc384c891.jpg\")
As soon as we drove into the driveway, we saw the tarp on the vintage camper had been ripped off in the wind. We knew we needed to get that fixed as soon as possible so we quickly got the lawn mowed then headed to the closest town with a hardware store to buy a tarp. The drive there was stunning. The sun was shining. It was just warm enough to have the windows open and the wind blowing through our hair. On the way home, we stopped to pick up a pie and ice cream for dessert. I also finally had the opportunity to snag a shot of this really cool dry-stacked rock wall I’ve been eyeing for the last couple of years.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9044732535.jpg\")
Every time I had the opportunity, I stopped and took photos. After Mr. Virgo died, I realized I only had a handful of photos of him. He was always the photographer so we didn’t get many pictures of him. I’ll never make that mistake again. Now I take pictures of everything and everyone. I have hundreds of photos of Mr. FixIt and since I’m taking photos of him, I end up taking pictures of a lot of other things, too.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bc961034d6.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e4e70adf67.jpg\")
One of my friends from Grandma’s church posted a picture of a batch of Redbud Jelly. Unfortunately, I don’t have the stuff to make it at the moment, but I’ll have it for next spring!
\n\n\nStacie says it’s really easy to make and has such a delicate taste. And, my oh my...isn’t it just beautiful? I’m thinking Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits and Redbud Jelly are definitely on the menu for Spring 2021!
\n\n\nHere’s the picture of Stacie’s jelly and the recipe she sent me:
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/515ff01017.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bb0799e981.jpg\")
I hope you are finding things to look forward to today. When we were at the hardware store yesterday, we bought seeds to plant green beans. The last three springs, the rabbits have eaten them. Now that we have Pumpkin the Guard Cat...we haven’t had any bunnies in the yard so maybe we will have beans this year!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-04-16T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/04/16/day-the-redbud-and-dogwood.html", "tags": ["Health","Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","The Farm","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/04/09/day-getting-my-mojo-back.html", "title": "Day 24: Getting My Mojo Back", "content_html": "\n“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.””
\nHosea 6:3 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6f46bf07a9.jpg\")
The phone rang at 4:00 yesterday morning. We both jumped up...hearts in our throats. No good news comes at 4:00am. It was my stepson calling to tell his dad he’d better go downstairs and make sure the sump pump was plugged in because a big storm was coming. Within minutes, the wind picked up and the rain started pelting the house. Flashes of lightning were near constant and the crash of thunder set your teeth on edge. I reached down and unplugged my phone and iPad. Priorities, you know.
\n\n\nThe storm didn’t last more than thirty minutes and Mr. FixIt went back to sleep. I, however, could not. The dawn was just beginning to show a pale pink glow when I was finally able to drift off and get a few more hours of sleep. After breakfast, I needed to tackle the kitchen. With all the pans and things I brought home from the farm, I needed to get the counters cleared off and get things organized. The thing is...this was sort of the tipping point that thrust me into a deep cleaning and purging of the dreaded pantry.
\n\n\nIt is both a blessing and a curse to have a big pantry to store food in. The blessing is having plenty of food. The curse is keeping on top of it and rotating your stock. If you aren’t careful, things keep getting shoved into the back and the newer stuff sits up front. What is out of sight truly is out of mind, unfortunately.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt and I have had this conversation several times. I’ve wanted to throw something out because it’s out of date and he informs me expiration dates are merely a guideline. As I started in on the kitchen yesterday, he went in and stretched out in his recliner and was soon sound asleep. I saw my window of opportunity and took it. I’m embarrassed to say, I took out SIX garbage bags of stuff out of that pantry...including a small tin of oysters from 2006!
\n\n\nI finally quit for the day and still have the bottom shelf to go. We had an errand we had to run so when we were in town, we picked up our utility trailer from a friend’s house and brought it home. I was putting the milk in the fridge when I turned around to see Mr. FixIt admiring the freshly organized pantry.
\n\n\n“Nice job, babe!”
\n\n\nOne thing we ALWAYS do is admire what the other accomplishes. It’s important to say thank you, even when it’s something that needed to be done. Even when you’ve done it a hundred times. It is always important to feel appreciated. I smiled and gave him a squeeze and looked at my handiwork. That’s one nice looking pantry. I’ll tackle the rest of it today.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-04-09T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/04/09/day-getting-my-mojo-back.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/04/08/day-a-moment-of-peace.html", "title": "Day 23: A Moment of Peace", "content_html": "\n“But all things should be done decently and in order.”
\n1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV\n
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.\"”
John 3:8 ESV
I slept a deep and dreamless sleep at the farm. I went to sleep with the sounds of owls and the occasional night bird. I awoke to the sun striking the the tippy top of the far ridge, the glorious choir of songbirds echoing down the holler from the woods above. What little bit of spring rain we’ve had trickled quietly in the creek outside the bedroom window I had propped open with an old bottle. My breathing was steady...my heartbeat was slow. I was feeling quite zen in the moment.
\n\n\nI stretched and yawned and gazed out the window, then I received an alert on my phone. My brother/friend Greg was texting from Costa Rica.
\n\n\n“Hey...wish me happy birthday, sis!”
\n\n\nOMGosh! Why wasn’t his birthday on my calendar? I’m challenged in this area. I sat up, pulled the covers up around my chin, brushed my hair back, and hit the little camera icon. I have never tried a video chat on Instagram before, but there is a first time for everything, right? After three rings, there he was. My curly-haired buddy with the sparkling blue eyes...retired attorney, world traveler, born in the same hospital as me and delivered by the same doctor. We grew up right across the Ohio River from each other but didn’t meet until 2002 at a board meeting in New Castle, Colorado. Go figure.
\n\n\nHis gap-toothed smile is charming, his innocent youthfulness belies his age. Greg is truthfully the little brother I never had. I adore my older brother. I didn’t get to do the things with him some sisters do. He didn’t play football and look out for his little sister. He didn’t reluctantly drive me to school or protect me from boys he didn’t approve of. My older brother was born with a developmental disability and cerebral palsy. I would never trade him for anything in the world. I was HIS protector, so God sent me Greg to do the other stuff.
\n\n\nWhen Mr. Virgo died and I returned from my three month excursion in the wilderness and backroads of Colorado, I couldn’t sleep in my house. I didn’t want to sleep in my bed...our bed. So I kept Little TOW-Wanda out front, plugged in, and essentially lived out there till I finally had to park her in storage for the winter. Greg and I were both night owls. If he saw me online at some ungodly hour, he sent me a text to see if I was ok. I can’t tell you how many times he walked the six or seven blocks from his house to mine at 2:00 in the morning to just sit with me in my camper.
\n\n\nWe propped pillows up at each end of my bed, he at one end...me at the other. It was getting chilly so we threw a quilt over our legs. Sometimes we listened to music. Sometimes we shared pictures on our phones. Sometimes I cried and he sat quietly and listened. He’s a good brother...as much a brother as any. And I got to start my soft, zen-like day singing happy birthday to him and catch up with each other’s lives. It was delightful.
\n\n\nWhen we finally said goodbye, I padded into the kitchen to make my coffee, threw in another load of laundry, and sat in Grandma’s chair to watch the world play out in front of me. I took a deep breath. No television. No news. No “press conferences”. No updates. I could just as easily have been sitting in a cabin in the woods in 1886 as remote and distant the world felt. This is what I was talking about a couple of weeks ago when I posted on my personal FB page... “Should married couples socially distance from each other? (Asking for a friend.)” I was trying to be funny...sort of.
\n\n\nI love Mr. FixIt completely. AND...I know myself. I need a break away from time to time to recharge and catch my breath. I need to NOT hear a television for, at the very least...24 hours. I am a much happier person when I get these little breaks...and when I’m happier, Mr. FixIt can’t help but be happier, too. It doesn’t take long and we can’t stand being apart. But oh...that twenty-four hours is delicious.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1349d62bc3.jpg\")
I finished my laundry and gathered some things up from the kitchen that I wanted to take home. The pots and pans I left at the farm are much nicer than the ones over at the house, so I gathered the good pans up to bring home with me. The next time we go back over, I’ll take the older pans from here and leave them at the farm. No one comes there but us, and we will do fine with them. I also brought my blender and my handheld KitchenAid mixer. Some knives and my wonderful crock with my spatulas and wooden spoons. And the red teakettle I bought a few years ago when I came back to the farm full time.
\n\n\nBy the time I got the car packed up, it was nearly 3:00 in the afternoon. I drove home and mowed the back yard for Mr. FixIt. It was warm and sunny. When I was done, I stretched out on the bed in front of the fan for a power nap. We had supper and sat out on the deck under our new pergola and played with the cat.
\n\n\nFor twenty-four hours, coronavirus was far away. Scary things were far away. Death and dying and illness were far away. I had the mental health break I needed and came back feeling stronger and more centered and rested. It’s important to take care of our mental health...always, but especially now.
\n\n\nWhat are you doing to help with your mental health? What are your self care rituals?
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-04-08T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/04/08/day-a-moment-of-peace.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Comfort","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/02/meetpumpkin-the-kitten.html", "title": "Meet.....Pumpkin, the Kitten!", "content_html": "“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
\nJohn 14:27 ESV\n
![\"Black](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5a8e2b01a9.jpg\")
“Kitty has an appropriate Halloween name…Pumpkin!”
I hit the ground running yesterday. The first order of business was to haul the camper to the nearest dump station…a lovely fifty-four mile round trip drive out to and up the interstate and back. When I woke up at 8:00, it was a whopping 36 degrees. Two hours later, when I was finally hooked up and ready to go, it was all the way up to 37! Ohhhhh, I really wasn’t looking forward to that, but it had to be done. Last night’s overnight low was predicted to get down to 27 and stay there for four hours. That’s when you get freezing and possible damage to water lines in a camper.
\nThe only way I have ever winterized a camper was to run pink RV antifreeze through the lines. But this camper is different. I looked it up on YouTube and it said to open the drains, dump the tanks, pour some antifreeze in the wastewater tanks to keep any residual from freezing, and take out the element in the hot water heater. Then, you go around and turn on each faucet, one at a time, and turn on the water pump. Any residual water left inside should drain out through the low water drain. It worked like a charm! But, man…I was chilled to the bone when I was done.
\nI pulled the camper back home and unhooked, fully expecting to head back to town and run errands on my list that’s a mile long. As I sat in the truck, I took inventory. Have you ever had to sit yourself down and give yourself a stern talking to? Well, that was me yesterday. I was feeling overwhelmed by the expectations I was placing on myself. No one else was telling, or even asking, me to get everything done. I counted up what I had already accomplished. I looked at the list to see what I could do alone, and what I would need Mr. FixIt’s help with. I checked off the list of phone calls I had already made. Then I took a physical inventory. My shoulders and neck were so tense and tight, I was getting a headache. My body was just…tired. So…I gave myself permission to kick back for the rest of the day.
\nI got out of the truck and the little black kitten came running and rubbed against my legs. I reached down and picked it up and really gave it a good once-over. Well, except for checking the nether regions. It still just didn’t occur to me to look. I was more interested in testing the kitten’s demeanor. One of the tests you do with puppies is to cradle them in your arm on their backs to see if they trust you. An alpha won’t have anything to do with that. And that may be a more stubborn, if not aggressive, animal. I didn’t know if it worked with cats, but this little baby let me roll it over and snuggle and scratch it all over. It purred like an Evinrude motor on a power boat. It head butts you to snuggle face to face and taps you very gently on the face. What a precious baby!
\nI held it up to look face to face.
\n“What is your name, little one? Hmmm? Is it…Spooky? You’re a black little who came to me on Halloween. It should be a festive name to commemorate the holiday. How about Snickers? You’re pretty sweet, and that’s my favorite Halloween candy. Someone suggested Ash or Asher, but I don’t know whether you’re a boy or girl. They thought Boo was cute, but that’s what we call our little Boone, now isn’t it.”
\nBy this time, I was at the bay doors on the pole building. There is an old kitchen stool there and Mr. FixIt put a couple of our pumpkins on it. I plopped the kitten down and took a picture. I looked up from the camera app on my iPhone and smiled.
\n“Pumpkin! THAT’S your name, isn’t it?!?! I knew if I listened close enough, you’d tell me, you sweet little snuggle-bug.” I picked up the kitty and was again serenade with that mystical sound of purring. Now that the kitten has a name, Pumpkin just rolls off my tongue. So sweet, so simple. Such simple pleasures found in a sweet kitten. I had forgotten. The last time I had a kitten this size, I was in 9th grade and I talked my mom into letting me have a little orange marmalade kitten from my friend Sharon’s cat.
\nI gave the kitten a little more snuggle time and then went in to stretch out and read till Mr. FixIt came home. My nose was running like a sugar tree from handling the cat, but I wasn’t wheezing. That was a good sign. I washed my hands well, and was careful not to touch my face or eyes. I’m definitely allergic, but we’ll see how much of this I can get away with. Because this feels like something I didn’t even know I needed. Kittens are good medicine.
\nI have an appointment Tuesday for a checkup and shots. We’ll see how old Pumpkin is and when we can get him/her fixed. Today I will fix a winter box with a pet safe heating pad in it. I had those for the cats out at the farm. I’ll also get a heated water dish. The kitten seems to really like the safety of the building. We won’t have any mice in there anymore once this one gets big enough to catch them. And, there isn’t any poison in there. It’s a good, clean, safe place to sleep all cozy warm in a kitty condo. When we are home, the kitten is glued to us so…I think we’ve got this!
\nOh, and I slept in the house for the first time in a month last night. I feel like I’m in prison after the freedom of the road. It’ll take time to acclimate, but last night’s low of 27 drove me back inside. In the meantime, I am filled with wonderful memories of the latest “Great Adventure”!
\n❤️
\n“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-02T01:30:07-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/02/meetpumpkin-the-kitten.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change","The Cats","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/24/less-is-more.html", "title": "Less is More", "content_html": "Isaiah 55:12 NIV
![\"Muck](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/235e1396c6.jpg\")
“My favorite boots.”
Ok…you all know me. You know I have something to say about…you know, everything. I’ve been known to turn a phrase. I’ve been able to paint pictures with my words. It’s not me…it’s all God. But, as I sat down last night to write this post, I was at a total loss for words. Yesterday was just about the most beautiful day I have ever seen and I didn’t have anyone to share it with. Not in real time, anyway. Mr. FixIt is still at home, picking pears and cleaning out the last of the garden. And there’s all of you. And Kaye and her fella, “Not John Hancock” (sorry, I’ve forgotten his first name but it’s definitely NOT John). I met them on a hike in Beartown State Park.
\nI just spent the whole day yesterday gobsmacked at every turn. It started when I awoke before dawn and saw the fog settling in on the river. I jumped up in the dark, threw on my camp clothes and muck boots, and headed down the road in the campground. I got down on the riverbank and waited. I’ve learned to wait patiently for the light. There’s a moment…just a fleeting moment, when the light is perfect and the color is perfect and the subject is perfect. It happens every day…but most of the time, we aren’t there to catch it. Or we aren’t paying attention.
\nIf you blink, you can miss it….that one perfect shot. That one picture that says “WOW”. You can take 500 shots and have one, if you’re lucky. Or, you can take 500 shots and have SO many that just knock your socks off and you can’t choose. Some I need to keep aside for the project I’m working on. And some, while I would love to share them with you today, are just too big and the internet here at the campground won’t handle it. You’ll have to wait.
\nSo, I chose this one. I was standing by the river, waiting for the perfect light, when I looked down and saw this colorful array of leaves around my feet. Simple. Yet it says so much. These feet have carried me for sixty-six years now. They’ve run and jumped, danced and snuggled. They’ve kicked and stomped and run away from so many things. But this day…this day they stood…patiently waiting for the perfect light. In a pair of boots that my Aunt Peeps gave me years ago. They are one of my most prized possessions. Rugged. Sturdy. Utilitarian. And practical on a wet, foggy morning on a riverbank.
\nThese boots symbolize where I am in my life. I’m comfortable. Happy in my own skin, just for the sake of being happy. There’s something to be said for that kind of simplicity. And for knowing when less is more.
\n❤️
\n“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”\nMatthew 6:21 ESV\n", "date_published": "2019-10-24T04:10:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/24/less-is-more.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/12/go-with-the-flow.html", "title": "Go With The Flow", "content_html": "
![\"WV](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b2a06f3053.jpg\")
“Early morning fog on the lake. Almost Heaven…West Virginia”
So, I know I told you I wouldn’t be running to town every whipstitch, however…I really do need to write some things for a deadline I’m facing…AND, I needed to get some reservations for this trip. I ended up heading into town to use the WiFi at McDonald’s. I wasn’t finished when I saw my battery was almost gone on my iPad so I packed it up and headed back to the campsite and plugged in.
\nIt was early enough in the day that the fog hadn’t burned off the lake yet and I stopped in the road to take a photo. There was another, even more spectacular view on down a ways, however, there was someone coming up behind me so I had to move on. Sometimes the most beautiful, unforgettable photos get left to memory and never see the light of day. Those are really special.
\nThe campground is filling up and I just realized this is Columbus Day weekend. I imagine there will be crowds of people there by later today. Some campgrounds close by the end of October around here. I managed to get West Virginia camping all the way through to the first of November. Then I am going to either have to head south or winterize the camper. There will be some nights in the next week that will get down to the 30’s. It won’t be a problem unless it gets down and stays down, which it is not likely to do at this time of the year here.
\nAs I am writing this, I am listening to a group of college girls. They are FaceTiming with one of their moms and it is hysterical. They are talking about their hair and what to do with it for some special event. It reminds me so much of when my older daughter was that age. I was so young and I really loved the kids. As I was driving into town earlier, Daughter #2 called and we chatted for a while. It’s crazy how fast they’ve grown and how long ago those crazy fun times in McDonald’s really were.
\n![\"Sycamore](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/69ae4a0910.jpg\")
“Sycamore Tussock Moth Caterpillar”
The second picture is a Sycamore Tussock moth caterpillar. It was climbing up my tire at the campground…not surprising seeing how I’m camped in a grove of sycamore trees. I looked it up and they aren’t poisonous, but they can irritate your skin if you happen to be allergic to them. They said it is best to move them away with a stick or piece of paper, which is exactly what I did.
\nI hope you have a wonderful Saturday and enjoy the autumn weather, wherever you are!
\n❤️
\n“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-10-12T01:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/12/go-with-the-flow.html", "tags": ["Travel","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/11/slow-down.html", "title": "Slow Down", "content_html": "James 5:7 NIV
![\"Country](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/851c260933.jpg\")
“There’s something special about moseying out country roads instead of roaring through on an interstate.”
There is something special about driving on a two-lane blacktop in the fall. First, you’re forced to slow down…especially in West Virginia. There are a lot of 15 to 20 to 25mph turns in these parts. Beyond safety issues is the sheer beauty around every curve.
\nI love how the leaves fall in a shower of gold and red light in the sun. I love how the car in front of you stirs them up into a whirlwind that splashes on your windshield as you drive through them. I love how the the denuded trees cast lines on the roadway making it seem to glitter and shimmer as the miles fly under your wheels.
\nThe morning dew glistens as the leaves flutter in the breeze of your passing. The whole world takes on an auburn glow with rich yellow, tawny bronze, and deep indigo undertones. Crows and turkey buzzards circle overhead, waiting for the tasty morsels of the unfortunate squirrel or groundhog that doesn’t make it across the pavement in time.
\nDeer stand tenuously on the shoulder of the road seeming to be making a decision. Should I go? Should I stay? My mind wills them to turn and run up the hill away from my approaching bumper…left to live another day. Chipmunks seem to be enthralled with the macadam madness that cuts through their turf. Scoot out fast. No…wait! Dart back quick! How I keep from hitting them, I’ll never know.
\nI arrived at my next campground shortly before noon. I stopped at the store on the way so I could buy chili fixin’s. Mr. FixIt was talking about chili the other night and it’s been on my mind ever since. I got unhooked and mixed up a batch for the crockpot. I made plenty to have leftovers for the freezer.
\nThis is one of the best things about traveling with a camper. With a well equipped kitchen and a stocked pantry, you can eat healthy and save a lot of money on the road. Avoid the fast food places and steer clear of processed foods and your food budget can go a long way. I have homemade chicken noodle soup, beef and noodles, pepperoni rolls, cinnamon rolls, taco meat, potato soup, pizza, old fashioned noodles, and now chili in the freezer. Potatoes, sausage, cheese, salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, oranges, grapes, eggs, potato salad, sliced turkey, avocado, yoghurt, milk, and cottage cheese in the fridge. I have an assortment of dry goods in the pantry, including microwave popcorn if I want a snack. We’ll be eating like royalty this weekend when Mr. FixIt arrives.
\nThere’s and upside and a downside to this campground. Gorgeous woods. No internet at the campsite. I’ll have to drive to town to post this. If I didn’t have writing deadlines, I’d just cut the cord for the duration, but alas…my “work” is never done! There are worse things than writing every day!
\n❤️
\n“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-10-11T01:30:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/11/slow-down.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Courage","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/10/07/all-good-things.html", "title": "All Good Things...", "content_html": "Psalms 19:1-2 NIV
![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/290e8adfa3.jpg\")
“The curtain closes on another successful Fall What-a-Hoot!”
What a FUN event we had this weekend at the Fourth Annual Fall What-a-Hoot at Beaver Creek State Park with the Girl Campers! OMGosh…we ate and laughed and knitted and crafted. We sat around the campfire every night and talked and talked and talked. We toured each other’s campers. We broke in a newbie. We hugged and prayed and praised.
\nWe antiqued and flea marketed and shopped and faired. We watched a movie on the big screen outdoors. We captured sunrises and sunsets. We cooked and shared recipes. We shared pictures of the kids and grandkids and great grandkids. We taught and shared. We listened. We embraced each other’s differences. We lifted each other up. We included everyone and made everyone feel welcome and special. You know what we didn’t do? We didn’t talk politics. We didn’t watch TV. We didn’t complain…about anything. Not even the 41 degree morning. Ok, maybe a little about the mosquitoes. And those folks on that one site that had a WAY too big fire and a drunken party till the wee hours of Sunday morning that kept some gals awake. Oh, and did I say…NO POLITICS! It was heavenly! The weekend ended with a much, MUCH needed rain. I’m staying on for another extra night since it’s supposed to rain all day today. I have writing to do and some trip planning. I’m also going to work on a little project I’ll share with you soon.
\nHappy Monday, everyone!
\n❤️
\n“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-10-07T01:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/10/07/all-good-things.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Be Joyful!","Chasing the Sun - Girl Camper Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/09/08/let-things-go.html", "title": "Let Things Go", "content_html": "Romans 15:13 NIV
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/99aa1978b5.jpg\")
“Letting things go for a little while gives your mind and heart a chance to breathe.”
I have a list as long as my arm to get accomplished in the next four days. On the upside, I don’t have a camper to clean and prep for a trip. On the downside, I still have laundry, errands, packing, planning, writing, and a couple of doctor’s appointments before I slip out of town on Thursday for the beginning of this amazing Girl Camper Trailer Tour.
\nSo, with all this stuff on my list, what did I do yesterday? I let things go. I created a day just for me. I met ten of my dear friends from my high school class for coffee and conversation. We caught up with what’s been going on since the beginning of summer. We haven’t met since June before I left cross country. This is the first chance I’ve had to plan a coffee gathering since returning from Colorado. I needed to fit it in before I leave again this week.
\nWe caught up with everyone’s health issues. Yes, we’re THOSE people now…surgeries, hospitalizations, injuries. We are “of a certain age” and things break down more often it seems. One of the gals was new to our gathering. She’s been liberated from a longstanding situation that didn’t allow her to socialize before now so there was a lot of catching up to do there. We talked about our vacations over the summer and travel plans for the fall. We shared photos of the grandkids…and GREAT grandkids! Ninety minutes flew by and someone called, “Picture time!” We needed to enlist a patron sitting in the cafe to come take our photo. A young woman doing homework. I smiled. “High school friends. Don’t ever lose touch!” She smiled back and took the perfect picture.
\nWhen it was time to leave, we each hugged everyone there. We’re of that age…we don’t know “when” and “if” anymore. So we hug and kiss a lot and give lots of “love you’s” and “take care’s”. I left feeling loved and supported and relieved those I care about were experiencing a pretty good week. As I was heading to the truck, one of our granddaughters texted to say she was in town and did I want to snuggle our great grandson. Well…of course! Silly question!
\nI went to the former Mrs. FixIt’s house and visited her and with not one, but BOTH great grandchildren for an hour or so and caught up with everyone, then headed off for errands. I met Mr. FixIt after his golf scramble and went to one of my favorite stores…Rural King. I’m looking for a cool barn coat but I’m not finding one. I’ll probably have to buy online.
\nSo, there you go…my primer on how to let things go. Totally self serving and vitally important. Church today, then I can piddle around the house. It’ll get done. And, it’ll get done without me feeling like I’ll tear my hair out at any minute. That is a monumental win-win in my book.
\n❤️
\n“a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-09-08T01:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/09/08/let-things-go.html", "tags": ["Health","Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Wisdom","Courage","Aging","Presence","Choices","Change","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/08/14/the-farm-is-failing.html", "title": "The Farm is Failing", "content_html": "Ecclesiastes 3:5 ESV
![\"Green](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9a329f48ca.jpg\")
“The farm is the home of my heart…but it’s aging rapidly.”
Mr. FixIt and I have been back from Colorado for a week now. We talked over the weekend and decided to go to the farm for a couple of days because I haven’t been there since the third week of June. I really miss the farm when I’m away and can’t get there. Then, Monday morning came and there was so much to get done at the Ponderosa. Still…the farm…
\nI decided to bring the dirty laundry and come to the farm on my own for a couple of days. Mr. FixIt is capable of taking care of himself and, while he misses me…he understands my need to be at the farm sometimes. He’s a good guy.
\nThere was a hard rain come through yesterday. I sat on the front porch and watched and it was soon over. The sun came out and the green dazzled my eyes. Everything was so clean and fresh. I sat for the longest time and just scoured the hillside and surrounding area…looking for differences.
\nThe power line coming to the transformer on the pole in front of the house is noticeably drooping down low over the road. A tall vehicle could easily catch that. I’ll have to report it today. Also, the big pine tree on the bank seems to be leaning further out there over the driveway. I pulled up older pictures from the same vantage point to verify both the line and the tree. Something’s going to have to be done with that, too.
\nI noticed Monday afternoon, there’s a wild grape vine on the power line between the house and the cinderblock building. None of that was there before I left for Colorado. This monsoon summer has created an overgrowth the likes of which I have never seen here. It’s like a tropical rain forest.
\nWhen I did a walkabout yesterday, I noticed another tree on the hillside across the creek from the house that has split in half. But it appears the uphill half is actually falling up the hill. That has always been the main concern here. This little holler is so narrow, and the ground is shale and very soft. It wouldn’t take much to bring trees down on this house.
\nMaybe the earth is taking her back. Maybe it’s the natural progression of old farm houses. I do know, to bring this place back to life and prosperity would take far more money than it’s worth. And, a ton…an absolute TON of work. We’re not OLD…but we are 66 and 67. The other day, I told Mr. FixIt…if we were just 30 years younger, we could do so much with this place.
\nI think what I have to do is start saying goodbye to the old home place…in earnest. I know there will come a time when it isn’t safe to stay here without cutting down a bunch of trees…without upgrading the electricity…without shoring up the beams in the basement and the attic. My time here is getting shorter…I can feel it. I’m working on girding my heart in preparation.
\nIt’s like the old man who can tell it’s going to rain by the pain in his knee. The only difference is…this pain is in my heart.
\n❤️
\n“\"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-08-14T01:30:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/08/14/the-farm-is-failing.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Wisdom","Courage","Aging","Presence","Warning","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/08/09/the-dmv-me.html", "title": "The DMV \u0026 Me", "content_html": "Haggai 1:4 ESV
![\"The](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f960f580b6.jpg\")
“Take my advice…bring chocolate next time you go to the DMV!”
How many vacations have you ridden along with me…vicariously? If you’ve been around very long, you’ll know I don’t do very well with “re-entry”. I’ve never just come home and smoothly transition into laundry and cooking and doing the everyday mundane things. And, it seems the older I get, the more difficult it is to come down off the high of a really good trip. And this one was a REALLY good one.
\nThere were a few little bobbles along the way. The whole camper fiasco was a pain in the caboose but I turned it into a teaching moment. Then I lost my driver’s license. I know I had it at the Quick Care when I had the stress hives. But they swear it wasn’t left there. I called the pharmacy to see if maybe I left it there but they said it wasn’t there either. The DMV told me to print off a copy of my driving record to at least prove to a police officer that I have a valid license and I’m trying to fix it. Our whole camping vacation itinerary had to be changed, but that all turned out to be fine.
\nThe first thing that had to be done yesterday was go to the DMV. Well…the FIRST thing I did was go pick up the mail to see if anyone had found it and mailed me my license. Nope. Then I went to the county building and got a copy of my birth certificate and marriage license in case I needed it at the DMV. I had my Social Security card and a vehicle registration with me. I have the Federal ID on my Driver’s License. I had to show a gazillion kinds of ID to get that. I thought SURELY I wouldn’t need a gazillion MORE kinds of ID to let them know I’m the same person with all the OTHER kinds of ID. HA! I was SO wrong!
\nI stood in the little pre-line line to let the clerk know what I needed. She looked at what I had. Nope. Not good enough. I needed a bill with my name and address on it. Ok, I had my health insurance bill. I handed that to her. Nope. They can’t accept health insurance. I had my taxes. Nope. Can’t accept federal taxes. OK, I said…what do you need? She underlined all the acceptable forms of identification. I went out to the truck and brought back a second registration for a different vehicle. Nope. Can’t come from the same source. Grrrrr.
\nSo, I drove all the way across town and went to my car insurance agent’s office. I changed my address on my insurance and had them print out an insurance card for me. I drove back across town and stood in the pre-line again. Ok…we’re making progress. I got a number! I sat. And sat. And sat. Finally, my number was called and I ran up to the window with a huge smile.
\n“Identification, please.”
\n“Here you go! A registration and my car insurance…both with my name and address!” I smiled. They aren’t going to beat me this time!
\nThe clerk looked over my papers and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t accept this. The address on the insurance card doesn’t match the one on the car registration.”
\n“What?!?!?!”
\nShe quietly starts tapping on the keyboard and read, taps and reads, taps and reads.
\n“What is your husband’s name?”
\nI told her.
\n“And what is his birthdate?”
\nI told her.
\n“And you got your marriage license in this county?”
\n“Yes, we did.”
\n“Hmmmmm…I can’t find him.”
\nBe calm. Be calm. Be calm.
\nThey’ve added a large copy of the law, highlighted, that says what the punishment is for disruptive behavior in the DMV. It’s pasted everywhere.
\nI looked over at the different styles of license plates you can order. And there…on number six…was a bluebird. I could almost hear Mr. Virgo say “Go easy, baby doll.” I thought of Mr. FixIt and how nothing seems to ruffle his feathers. And my shoulders relaxed.
\n“This must be a difficult job sometimes,” I said to the clerk.
\n“Oh, it’s not so bad.” She smiled as she continued to type and read.
\nFinally, I picked up the insurance card. The bottom half was kind of faded where the cartridge was running out of toner. Sure enough, under “Name and address of owner”, there was a typo in the name of the street. But, above that, under “Name and address of insured”, the address was correct. And clearly darker!
\n“Oh, look! It DOES have the name spelled right on this line! See? The other one is just so light from the printer, it’s hard to read. See the dark one here???”
\nIt worked! My diversionary tactic to take the focus off the wrong one and place it on the right one clearly saved the day!
\n“Oh, my gosh! It must be my glasses! That IS right!” She took my money and quickly handed my number back to me. “You only have one person in front of you so it should take long now!” She smiled sweetly at me.
\nRight.
\nI was there another hour before they took my picture for my new license. And now I have to look at that tired, sweaty, grumpy picture for the next however many years. Or until I lose THIS license. Whichever comes first.
\nThe bottom line is this…these people are just doing their jobs. They don’t make up the rules. They aren’t there to make your life miserable. They just want to earn a buck and go home and put their feet up. So, next time you have to go to the dreaded DMV, bring a smile. Some chocolate for the nice person behind the counter couldn’t hurt either. Maybe I would have gotten out of there quicker if I’d brought a little Hershey’s with me!
\n❤️
\n“Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.””\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-08-09T01:30:34-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/08/09/the-dmv-me.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","West Virginia","Growth","Wisdom","Anger","Humbled","Presence","Warning","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/24/pennies-from-heaven.html", "title": "Pennies from Heaven", "content_html": "Genesis 21:23 NIV
![\"Women](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1e1df75bd1.jpg\")
“Finally had a chance to visit with my friend, Michelle.”
I’ve been writing a daily essay here for over six-and-a-half years now. I’ve heard from numerous people about odd things that have happened since their loved one died. Things that make them feel comforted…like they’re being watched over. Signs from Heaven. With me, it’s bluebirds and angel pennies.
\nYou’ve all heard of “pennies from heaven”. Folk lore says found coins come from angels throwing them in our path to remind us they were here. Something happened yesterday that was downright eerie…but in a wonderful way.
\nI met my friend Michelle at the nail salon yesterday. We met years ago when I was a new widow and she was one of my fellow women campers who helped me find myself. We met at the salon because that was the one place we could absolutely stop and sit still for two hours. We both live very busy lives.
\nDuring the course of our conversation, Michelle told me they were expecting her sweet grandfather to pass at anytime. As a matter of fact, she felt yesterday was his last day here on earth. We covered every topic under the sun and got caught up with what has been going on in each other’s lives.
\nWhen she was getting her manicure, I realized the polish on my toes wasn’t drying very fast so I excused myself to the other side of the room to place my feet under the lights. Finally, she came over to me to hug me goodbye. She had a call to make at noon and had to run. When I sat down at the table where the lights were, I placed my phone and water bottle on the counter. I didn’t notice the penny there till Michelle hugged me.
\nI picked up the penny and showed it to her.
\n“Look, I think this is for you! Maybe it’s your grandpa sending you a message.”
\nI placed the penny in Michelle’s hand. She looked at her phone and said, “Hmmm, it’s 11:44. I’ll remember this if I hear of his passing.” With that, we said hugged and she went out the door.
\nTwenty minutes later she texted me.
\n“My grandfather passed away twenty minutes ago.”
\nCoincidence? If so, it was uncanny. Who knows? I told her she needed to keep that penny in a special place. I keep all my angel pennies in a depression on the dashboard of my truck. I found two more right outside my truck at the next stop. I tucked them away with the others and whispered a “Thank You” to whoever dropped the pennies for us.
\n❤️
\n“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, \"Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.\" \"Blessed indeed,\" says the Spirit, \"that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!\"” Revelation 14:13 ESV\n", "date_published": "2019-07-24T01:30:18-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/24/pennies-from-heaven.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Grief","Gratitude","God","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/22/finding-hope.html", "title": "Finding Hope", "content_html": "
![\"Rainbow\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3b25e386f0.jpg\")
“God’s promise.”
There have been so many times in my life when I felt I had no hope. I didn’t know about spiritual warfare. I didn’t know the enemy was the one whispering the lies about me into my heart and mind. My life had long stretches of darkness and it wasn’t until I became a Christian that I started to see light at the end of the tunnel.
\nWe went to church yesterday and took Little with us. We sat with our friend Rick and his wife Connie. The pastor is preaching a series on the elements and yesterday was about the wind. And hope. He focused on Ezekiel and the valley of the dry bones. As far as Ezekiel could see, the valley floor was covered with dry, sun-bleached bones. This represented the dried up, faithless Israelites. The Lord asked Ezekiel to speak to the dry bones. To tell them to listen to the Word of the Lord. When he did this, the bones started to rattle and come together. Tendons and muscle and skin formed and soon, they looked like you and me. But they had no life. No inner spark of hope. When Ezekiel told God he had only been halfway successful, God breathed his breath upon the bodies and they came alive and rose as a mighty army.
\nI know what those bodies felt like. I was dry and sun-bleached in my bones for such a long time. And, when I surrendered, God blew His breath…His Spirit…into me and I rose up like a mighty warrior. Whenever I begin to feel less hopeful, I look for the wind. Mr. FixIt remarked the other day…it never seems terribly hot here in Colorado. Even when the temperature nears triple digits. The reason is two-fold. The humidity is low. And there is always a breeze. You can feel it across the hairs on your arms. And when a wisp of your hair blows across your face. You can see it in the trees and grasses of the field. You can watch it even high above the earth as the clouds in the sky scud along.
\nWhen I look for the wind, I can see the breath of God as he works over us…his children. Even when I don’t see God’s promises in my current circumstances, I know He is there…working in the background. Even in my darkest moments…during the years of depression and the overdose, during a painful divorce, during the grief I suffered after losing Mr. Virgo…He was feverishly working to turn these terrible situations into something He could use for His Glory.
\nFinding hope in today’s world can be so terribly difficult. It is easy to lose hope and see no way out. If you can just remember to feel the wind on your skin and focus on some good thing in your life, you can ignite hope within your soul. Even the smallest ember can be fanned into a flame when you seek and use the Breath of God.
\n❤️
\n“The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ ””\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-07-22T01:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/22/finding-hope.html", "tags": ["Faith","Health","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change","Be Joyful!","Monday Morning Motivation"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/17/the-golden-arch.html", "title": "The Golden Arch", "content_html": "Ezekiel 37:1-14 NIV
![\"Golden,](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f03907e99a.jpg\")
The Golden Arch over downtown Golden, Colorado.”
When Hubby #2 & I parted company, I bought a house about twelve miles west in a little cow town called New Castle. About a year later, my neighbors sold their house to a lovely couple. Bob & Ellie were the sweetest people you would ever want to meet and we soon became very close friends. They were instrumental in my becoming a Christian and prayed for me unceasingly.
\nIf life is anything, it’s unpredictable and changes came that took us in different directions geographically. Mr. Virgo and I were married and moved to Pagosa Springs within a year. Shortly afterward, Bob & Ellie sold their house and moved to Golden. We have always stayed in touch, and they were a wonderful source of love and support when Mr. Virgo died.
\nThey have followed my journey via my blog and the occasional texts and phone calls. They came to our belated wedding celebration Sunday and invited us to their house for dinner last night. They are so thrilled for Mr. FixIt and me. They have been looking forward to meeting him and having a chance to get to know him better.
\nDinner wasn’t scheduled till 5:00 so we went over to Golden early to explore. It was a really hot July afternoon so we were happy to duck into the occasional shop to catch our breath in the air conditioning. We stopped in a little coffee shop for an iced coffee. We browsed an antique store. Mr. FixIt is a good shopper…he looks through the racks of ladies clothes and picks out things he likes. He has great taste!
\nIt was a lovely evening. We couldn’t believe the time had flown by and we said our goodbyes. That’s the sign of good friends when you have known each other for ages and you can still talk for five hours over dinner. It was 82 degrees as we drove back to Ben & Sue’s house. The moon was full…and so were our hearts.
\nIt’s supposed to be blazing hot the next couple of days with temps in the triple digits. I’m not sure what we’re going to do but whatever it is, it will entail air conditioning and not overdoing things.
\nYou all be safe out there and stay hydrated.
\n❤️
\n“It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:6 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-07-17T01:30:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/17/the-golden-arch.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Fun","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/13/revisiting-memories.html", "title": "Revisiting Memories", "content_html": "
![\"Drum](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e517053898.jpg\")
“Daughter #2…Marching to her own drum!”
When Daughter #2 was thirteen years old, she and I took off for a three week road trip. It was epic. She was not only in that early teenager mode. We were also working on repairing the damage done from years of depression and too many prescriptions and martinis…not to mention the overdose. It took a lot out of our relationship.
\nWhen I arrived in Denver this visit, the ultimate goal is the wedding. My baby is getting married. My little Moon Pie. Only, she’s a full grown woman…out on her own…thriving…dancing to her own drum, as always. We saw each other the day after I got here and spent several hours visiting and dining out. She made me promise we would do one special thing…just the two of us…before the wedding.
\nShe wanted to go antiquing.
\nI couldn’t believe my ears. Antiquing? This poor kid was dragged, kicking and screaming, into every antique store in West Virginia, I think. And several between there and Colorado. I loved going to antique stores. She did not. So, this was new. I asked her what brought on this miraculous transformation.
\n“I don’t know. Just…suddenly, I find myself looking at antiques online. For fun.”
\nLadies and gentleman…there IS life after adolescence!!!
\nSo, yesterday was our antiquing adventure. We started out by having lunch with Daughter #1, Big, and Little. Oh…if you have children, you know what that did to my heart…sitting there with my Colorado kids! ❤️melt After lunch, Daughter #2 and I went to the Brass Armadillo off I-70 and Kipling.
\nWe walked in and she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and she gasped.
\n“This place is HUGE!”
\nYes, my girl…it is!
\nWe wandered around for three hours. She kept grabbing my arm and pulling me over to see this or that. Lots of oooohs and aaaahs and wows. Several times she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight and thanked me so much for doing this with her. That’s when I realized…this was SO much more than going to see a bunch of old stuff.
\nThis was a celebration. Of healing. Of love. Of warm memories shared. Even of forgiveness. This was a bonding ritual…something only she and I could share as the wedding rapidly approaches and her life is forever changed. This was incredibly special. And we enjoyed every minute of it.
\nWe didn’t get to see 1/4th of the store before we were both fried. We left arm in arm and headed out to the truck. I drove her back to her car. As she prepared to leave she reached over and kissed me on the cheek.
\n“Thank you, mamacita. That was so much fun!”
\nYou’re welcome, Moon Pie.
\n❤️
\n“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-07-13T01:30:54-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/13/revisiting-memories.html", "tags": ["Health","Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Aging","Presence","Choices","Change","Be Joyful!","Widow","Wedding"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/07/making-little-memories.html", "title": "Making “Little” Memories!", "content_html": "Psalm 127:3 NIV
![\"Twin](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/dca5c9cc65.jpg\")
“Little’s nest in TOW-Wanda!”
Little is here! She has been at camp all week and we only saw each other for an hour after I arrived last Sunday. I spent a good deal of time with Big this week, so I could hardly wait till Little got back and came over to “camp” with me.
\nShe is my camper. No one else in my Colorado family is even remotely interested in camping. We had big plans to take the camper up in the mountains and stay a couple of days, but with the unfortunate demise of TOW-Wanda…we had to change plans.
\nI have the camper pulled around behind Ben & Sue’s house, underneath a locust tree. It doesn’t offer anything but a feeling of protection from the frequent hail storms we’ve had this week. I’m plugged into electric and water so I have all the comforts of home in my own little suite.
\nThis incarnation of TOW-Wanda has a queen sized bed with a memory foam mattress that is swoon worthy. It had a bunk bed over the queen bed that also had a memory foam mattress on it. I removed that because I couldn’t sit up without hitting my head. The little dinette collapses down to make a separate twin sized bed that uses the seat cushions for a mattress. Not comfortable for an adult, but just fine for a kid.
\nSince I’ll be selling this camper here, I went to Walmart yesterday and bought some plastic tubs with tight fitting lids. I spent a couple of hours yesterday taking things out of the camper and fitting them neatly into the storage bins and put them in the back of my truck underneath the tonneau cover. See? There’s a reason I got that before this trip!
\nWith all the extras removed, Little has plenty of room to stretch out and be comfortable while she camps with me. We went out for ribs last night. (Big is a vegetarian so Little and I have to get our carnivore cravings satisfied while her sister isn’t with us.) We had “Mamma Mia: The Movie” downloaded on the iPad to watch after dark.
\nI don’t get to see my Colorado grands very often…so when I do, I need to make deep and lasting memories with them. Camping with Little last night. Shopping with Big this afternoon. Life is so good!
\n❤️
\n“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-07-07T01:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/07/making-little-memories.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Comfort","goRVing","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/06/here-comes-the-rain-again.html", "title": "Here Comes the Rain Again!", "content_html": "Proverbs 17:6 NIV
![\"East](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/82fdb3a101.jpg\")
“Looking east as the sun set over Arvada.
I think I brought the rain with me from West Virginia. We got about an inch of rain in two days in the northwest suburbs of Denver. It dropped from the mid 80’s to 75…then in thirty minutes it dropped down to 60 degrees. Lots of small, pea sized hail but no damage that I can see.
\nAlong with Colorado’s severe thunderstorms, California had a 7.1 earthquake aftershock last night, Europe is having an unprecedented heat wave, and West Virginia just sits and soaks in sweat. It’s crazy weather. I hope things settle down soon. It’s downright chilly here right now.
\nI’ve been “camping” at Ben & Sue’s house. We pulled the camper back under a locust tree for some little bit of protection from the elements. When you are in the camper, even pea and marble-sized hail sounds like a gunshot. Little is going to come join me and “camp” tonight. I had to tell her the camper is broken so we can’t go to the mountains like we wanted to. She is so easy going. She said she didn’t care where we camped, as long as we were together!
\nI’m sad I’ll be saying goodbye to this camper sometime this month. It has such a beautiful layout and is pristine inside. I know the right person will come along and be so happy to get her to place on a piece of property or in the back yard. I’ll just keep praying about it. Mr. FixIt put the title in the mail to me today so I should receive it Monday or Tuesday.
\nMy sweet man arrives in Colorado a week from today! I can hardly wait to see him!!! He’ll be at the baby shower today for our little great grandson due this month. We got him a crib. I’m so sorry I’ll be missing that but I’m busy making memories here!
\n❤️
\n“He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-07-06T01:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/06/here-comes-the-rain-again.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/05/hail-hailthe-gangs-all-here.html", "title": "Hail, Hail...The Gang’s All Here!", "content_html": "Job 37:11-13 NIV
![\"Lilies\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/448725c33d.jpg\")
“The beauty of sunshine and lilies.”
Daughter #2 and I got a chance to spend a few hours together yesterday. We had coffee at the house then went shopping at Target. Man, that store has changed since the last time I went there. I used to shop Target all the time, but we don’t have one anywhere near where we live in West Virginia. After shopping at Walmart all these years, Target looks like an upscale department store.
\nWe went out to breakfast at Sam’s No. 3…a wonderful diner in Cherry Creek that has the most extensive menu I think I have ever seen. Eggs Benedict was my choice yesterday and it was divine. If you ever go to Denver and get to spend any time there, you really should go.
\nWe had a big family gathering with those who were in town yesterday. Lots of food and homemade ice cream. The fireworks were going off all around us. And Mother Nature provided some of her own! We had two big storms blow through with a tornado watch and lots of hail. It did succeed in cooling things off immensely, which was very nice.
\nI showed the girls the dresses I’ve bought that I could wear to the wedding and we all agreed on one. Also, I gave them the quilt I made for their wedding gift and they loved it! It was a beautiful day with my Colorado family.
\n❤️
\n“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-07-05T01:30:30-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/05/hail-hailthe-gangs-all-here.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Forgiveness","Aging","Presence","Choices","Change","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/02/the-motherdaughter-dance.html", "title": "The Mother-Daughter Dance", "content_html": "Proverbs 23:22 NIV
![\"Happy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/90759fbfe0.jpg\")
“I am a Happy Camper!”
I danced with my mother. Not literally…but figuratively we went round and round and round. She always knew I loved her and I knew she loved me right back. I made sure of that. But we aggravated the heck out of each other more than I care to admit. We were still moving in that circle when she died rather suddenly at the age of seventy-eight. By that time, my own daughters were well on their way to dancing with me.
\nMy older daughter was very pregnant with my mother’s first great-grandchild and couldn’t come to her grandma’s funeral. I didn’t bring my younger daughter either because she was only nine and in school. I traveled to mom’s funeral alone half the way, meeting up with my Aunt Rosie in the Charlotte Airport for the last flight in.
\nI have good girls. They are as different as night and day and are often like oil and water, but deep down they love each other because they are sisters. I wasn’t always a very good mother to them. There was that long stretch when I was deeply depressed and nearly non-functional. I drank too much and I took too many prescription drugs. When I overdosed, it ripped the fabric of our relationship and I feared I would never, ever get them back.
\nWe danced our own dance. We went round and round and we didn’t know how to reach each other. I hurt them in ways I couldn’t even begin to fathom till I got well. Then I had to rebuild their trust in me. It was hard, painful work. There were times I was absolutely certain they hated me. But they didn’t really. I wasn’t the only one who had to learn who this new version of me was.
\nI watch Daughter #1 with her kids. I watch her face some of the same issues I faced and she handles them so much better than I did because she has a wonderful, stable marriage she isn’t also struggling to fix. I love watching her with the girls. Big is learning to drive. She is tall and athletic…a swimmer. She is bright and accomplished and dedicated. Little is part mini-me…part mini-mom. She is petite and eclectic…artistic and sensitive…bright and compassionate. She is a little shooting star.
\nLast night, I sat at swim practice with Daughter #1 and talked for a couple of hours. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like I didn’t have to hold my breath out of fear I’d say or do the wrong thing and not be the mom I should be. That is baggage I am happy to set down. I knitted while we chatted. There was a warm, easy acceptance that flowed between us and I realized I could relax now. We’re ok. It was a long storm, but we weathered it. We’re better with each other. My heart felt full.
\nHer kids are older now. She’s had some experience with life that she hadn’t had back when I let them down. I think she gets me a little better these days. We’re all a little older, a little wiser, a little softer. I think now, our dance is sweeter.
\n❤️
\n“\"Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: 'Like mother, like daughter.'” Ezekiel 16:44 ESV\n", "date_published": "2019-07-02T01:30:51-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/02/the-motherdaughter-dance.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Aging","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/06/29/travel-lotsa-learnin-goin-on.html", "title": "Travel: Lotsa Learnin’ Goin’ On Here!", "content_html": "
![\"Good](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b74762fda5.jpg\")
“I use a French press a lot when I camp. I have a manual grinder, too.”
So, yesterday morning I took my time waking up. I do that when I travel. My Bible app has a year long study where you read the whole bible in a year. With the trip to Florida, being sick, and getting ready for this trip, I was thirteen days behind. I don’t like to get behind on that one because there’s a good deal to read every day. I spent a little extra time reading while I enjoyed a tasty cup of coffee. I chatted with Mr. FixIt for a while. I finally got on the road about 10:00.
\nThe drive was uneventful. I usually drive in silence because I do my best thinking when I drive. But I wanted to listen to music so I pulled into a rest area and tried to figure out how to connect my phone to the sound system on the truck. It took me a few tries but soon I was bebopping down the highway listening to some praise music.
\nAround 3:00, I pulled into another rest area and stretched out in front of my hillbilly air conditioner again. When I was almost to St. Louis, Mr. FixIt called. We were chatting as the GPS took me around the city. Still…it was 5:00…on a Friday…in June! Heck of a time to go through there. I wasn’t on the phone long because I needed to concentrate.
\nSuddenly, two things happened. I noticed the sky got really dark all of a sudden. And, Mavis…my GPS persona…announce I-70 was closed. Closed? Are you kidding me? How do you close a whole interstate. I had to make some quick decisions but the weather did it for me. The sky opened and I was suddenly driving through what looked like a car wash.
\nI quickly pulled off the highway and into a Denny’s parking lot. I ran through the rain and jumped in the camper. I pulled my vegetable lasagna out of my 12v slow cooker and ate dinner while I watched both an amazing lightning show as well as a band of bright red storms march toward me on the Weather Channel radar.
\nI looked through the Good Sam Camping Guide and found a campground on the other side of St. Louis. I called and they had one site left. I should have called yesterday morning but I honestly forgot it was Friday. I seldom make reservations when I travel and so far I have never lacked a place to stay.
\nBefore long, the storm was past me and I got back behind the wheel. The detour took about an hour because it was bumper to bumper stop and go traffic for 19 miles. I arrived at the campground and registered. They showed me to my site and it’s perfectly lovely. When I was at Walmart yesterday, I bought a replacement shower head for my camper. I installed it after I arrived last night. Easy peasy. And, the hot water heater worked! Imagine that! We hadn’t even tried it out yet.
\nAs soon as I could, I jumped in that teeny tiny little shower. It was easier to FIX the shower than it was to TAKE one! Once I was all done, I felt like a million bucks. If you look at the map, I am almost exactly at the halfway point. That’s great…but I still have a long way to go! I’m not going to try to make it to Colorado tomorrow. I’ll take it easy and stop in western Kansas or eastern Colorado.
\nLearned a lot of things today. 1) Make reservations if your camping on a Friday. 2) Pay closer attention to the calendar. 3) Check further ahead for weather and road conditions. 4) Changing a shower head is easy. 5) Listening to praise music is a great prep tool for stressful circumstances!
\nEnjoy your Saturday!
\n❤️
\n“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-06-29T01:30:17-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/06/29/travel-lotsa-learnin-goin-on.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Gratitude","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Fear","Courage","Humbled","Aging","Presence","Choices","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/06/21/vacations-past-present.html", "title": "Vacations: Past \u0026 Present", "content_html": "James 1:2-4 ESV
![\"Vacation](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8d58a1a0ae.jpg\")
“Vacation Photos: The Making of Memories”
The idea of a vacation was totally foreign to me till I was in my late twenties. My family were not big travelers. We didn’t go to the beach every summer like many of my friends’ families did. We didn’t go camping or hike or play on the river that was a mere five blocks from our house. My Grandma was only west of the Mississippi a couple of times in her life. The first was to see my Uncle Sonny get his wings as an Air Force pilot. The second was when she went to Minnesota to visit my aunt’s resort on Lake Kabetogama. Two vacations in her life.
\nWe didn’t have the money to have extravagant vacations. We visited my aunt and uncle over near the eastern panhandle of West Virginia for a week every summer. That was as close to a vacation that I ever got until I was married to Hubby #2. Our first real vacation was a road trip, car camping around Colorado. After that, we went to West Virginia several times to visit family and one year we went on a twenty mile backpack trip there.
\nThe first extravagant vacation we had was a trip to Cancun with friends the year before I had Daughter #2. We went to Hawaii once, but it was very difficult to get him away from his practice for very long. We did quick trips to DC, Yellowstone, and Disney. After he and I parted company, I traveled alone whenever I could. I took Daughter #2 on a three week road trip when she turned thirteen and took her to Mexico for her sixteenth birthday.
\nWhen Mr. Virgo came along, we had great plans to travel when he retired. We did go on a long road trip for our honeymoon. We went to Utah once, and Yellowstone twice. In the summer of 2011, I took him to West Virginia to meet my family. He wanted to take me to Europe to see all the beautiful places he had been. We were buying a camper for retirement when he died.
\nHeading out on my own again, this time with my own little camper, I found travel to be my solace…my escape…a panacea for the pain of losing my husband. I traveled a lot in those years following his death. And, I was still on the road when my Uncle Bud called me home to live on the family farm. Even living there seemed like a vacation…a dream vacation luxuriating in the memories of my loving family.
\nThen, Mr. FixIt came along. Thankfully, he was retired and itching to get out and do things. We’ve already accomplished more travel in the short time we’ve been together than I did in the last thirty years. But, is it really “vacation” when you’re retired? Yes and no. No, because every day is Saturday, to some extent. We aren’t bound by the clock and time is somewhat our own. Yes when you consider all the work our properties entail.
\nI am so grateful for the opportunities to travel and see new places. I know there may come a time in the future when I may not get to do these things, so I’m making up for lost time. I’m banking memories like a squirrel hiding nuts. Someday, I’ll look back on all this…I’ll read the pages of this blog or my book…and have some wonderful stories to tell.
\n❤️
\n“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.” \n\n", "date_published": "2019-06-21T01:30:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/06/21/vacations-past-present.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Peace","Wisdom","Aging","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/06/10/van-life.html", "title": "Van Life", "content_html": "Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 ESV
![\"Conversion](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/689320564b.jpg\")
“One of our Girl Campers brought her conversion van to camp in. We were sold!”
My dear friend Gail has a conversion van that is tricked out like a camper. It’s currently in the camper hospital so she camped in a tent this time. But one of the other gals brought her conversion van and was kind enough to give me a peek inside.
\nI can see now why van girls love these so much! There is a lot you can pack into a small space. Christy has hers in soft pastels and cream, making the space seem much larger. She uses her Yeti cooler as extra seating. She has a whole kitchen crammed in this little cabinet.
\nThis really got my creative juices flowing and I was thinking of all the things I can do to the minivan when I get ready to convert it. The only downside I could see is no air conditioner. She does have a 12v fan she can use, but I’m thinking I would be limited to spring and fall excursions.
\nChristy spend five weeks at Quartzite, Arizona in the winter and never felt claustrophobic in this setup. She is thinking she would like to take it on the road full-time. I belong to a few Facebook groups that focus on the van life. It’s intriguing…but a little too confining for two.
\nAnyway, someone asked to see the van…so here she is! Enjoy!
\n❤️
\n“It’s better to live in a hut in the wilderness than with a crabby, scolding spouse!” Proverbs 21:19 TPT\n", "date_published": "2019-06-10T01:30:34-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/06/10/van-life.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Comfort","goRVing","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/06/02/resting.html", "title": "Resting", "content_html": "
![\"Feet](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ba8a03e0f5.jpg\")
“Taking a breather after a long day.”
Mr. FixIt and I have been like two ships passing in the night the last two weeks. He is still working on the porch he is building in town plus he is helping a friend move. In between, he has helped with the mowing and weed eating. He is a busy man and a very hard worker. I am very proud of him and love his work ethic. But…I’ll be really glad when the jobs that are taking him away from home are completed and we can do more things together…even if it’s more jobs that need doing around here.
\nWhile my hubby has been off and running, I have been keeping busy here as well. I finished mowing at the Ponderosa yesterday. I had a run-in with some brambles and they dragged across my forehead, yanked my glasses off, and made me say some choice words. I went out when it cooled off, swept the grass off the sidewalks, and pruned some branches and old, dead rambling rose canes. Nasty buggers!
\nI did escape yesterday morning and had coffee with my classmates. There were seven of us this time and we always miss the ones who don’t get to attend. When we were finished, I walked across the street to one of my favorite antique shops in the area. I’ve been on the prowl for old embroidered dresser scarves and the like to make something fun for the camper. I found several that were white with either blue embroidery or blue crocheted edging. Blue and white are my favorites. I also bought the coolest curved treadle sewing machine drawer that will be perfect on the dinette table to hold flowers or something.
\nAfterwards I met Mr. FixIt for the summer picnic for the plant he worked at before he retired. He worked at Ames. My mom called it “the shovel plant” because she worked there during the war making shovels for soldiers. After the war, their specialty was all manner of garden tools. Mr. FixIt gave me one of the shovels he designed and made and there isn’t a finer one around. I actually knew two people at the picnic…a rare occurrence for me. Mr. FixIt knows EVERYBODY in town!
\nWhen I was done for the day, I went in to make myself a sandwich. I glanced out the kitchen window. The luna moth is still there. And, there was a mama groundhog and three little babies out munching on the grass under the crab apple tree. I stood there for the longest time, just watching them. And thinking how blessed I am to have this slice of heaven in my life. I finally turned away, picked up my sandwich, and padded out to the camper to read for a while before Mr. FixIt came home.
\nWhat a beautiful world God has given us. Even in the midst of horrific things, there is beauty in the stillness.
\n❤️
\n“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”” Isaiah 40:8 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-06-02T01:30:05-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/06/02/resting.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Peace","Humbled","Presence","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/05/20/a-lovely-summer-evening.html", "title": "A Lovely Summer Evening", "content_html": "
![\"Peony\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2fe8718a19.jpg\")
“Spring? It’s more like summer here in West Virginia!”
Ok…it’s not officially summer for another month. But the temperature on the truck was 93 yesterday afternoon so that is close enough for me! Mr. FixIt and I camped in the yard beside the big building Saturday night and it was wonderful. The windows were open and a small fan on low kept us very comfortable. The mattress in the camper is better than any in the house and it’s the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a week. The climb-over-you bed configuration wasn’t a problem so I think we’re a go for the big Colorado trip later this summer.
\nChurch was wonderful…again. As I stood there, holding Mr. FixIt’s hand, praising with the other…I counted my blessings as I counted my bonus family down the pew. Afterwards was breakfast out and catching up with what’s going on in their busy lives. (They thought it was very funny that their grandpa and I camped in the yard. He does lots of new things since I came along!)
\nWe delivered a saw to his son and checked out the deck they are rebuilding. Then we headed home. I had a deadline to meet on this new writing project I’m involved with so I climbed in my little camper, turned on the AC, and got busy. In the meantime, someone came to look at the camper we are selling. When we were both finished, we did that very fun thing we love to do…we took a drive and stopped for ice cream!
\nAs we walked back in, the light was perfect on our peonies just outside the back door so I had to stop and snap a picture. It was the perfect summation of the day…soft and sweet, warm and blessed. As I write this, I am again in the little camper, the windows flung open, the frogs peeping in the creek beyond the far field. What a rich and lovely life we lead!
\n❤️
\n“The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth.” Song of Songs 2:11-12 TPT\n", "date_published": "2019-05-20T01:30:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/05/20/a-lovely-summer-evening.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/05/19/another-quilt-top.html", "title": "Another Quilt Top", "content_html": "
![\"Camper](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7abee16db1.jpg\")
“Cute camper material for a raffle quilt”
My dear friend Gail and I will be co-hosting a Girl Camper Gathering at Blackwater Falls next month. Gail is so talented and we have so much in common…it’s always fun to camp with her. We have some great ideas for fun things to do while we are camping. This is our Kick Off to Summer Camping Event so I wanted to do something special so I’m making a lap quilt to raffle off. There will be more details as we get things finalized. If any of you are interested in camping with me, this would be an excellent opportunity! Blackwater Falls has cabins and a Lodge so there are alternatives to traditional camping if that’s not your thing. It is a beautiful park with lots to see and do.
\nI went to Schoolhouse Quilts again yesterday and sewed for a few hours. I almost have the top for the little camper quilt finished. I’ll have to go in next week to finish it up. I just LOVE this material and the colors are SO Girl Camperish. Carolyn who owns the shop had some really cute ideas for the border so I can’t wait to share it with you when it’s done.
\nMr. FixIt and I went to the cemetery yesterday to decorate the graves of my family. We will do his family’s after church today. I wanted to avoid the rush of next weekend, especially at the little country cemetery where my family members are. There’s one little lane that goes in…the same lane comes out. And it’s on a hillside so there’s no wiggle room to pass each other.
\nAfter the cemetery, we went to North Bend State Park and checked out the campgrounds. The main campground was jam packed with kids, which I think is wonderful. They were riding bikes and playing games and enjoying themselves immensely. I am so glad their parents are getting them out and teaching them the love of camping. That being said, I am past the age of wanting to camp in a crowded campground full of screaming children. Fortunately, there is a new campground for the older, more sedate crowd. It was far more to my liking.
\nWe ran to the farm and had dinner out so it was date night for us. It was a welcome respite to mowing, mowing, mowing!
\nWe didn’t get to go camping this weekend so we camped last night at home in my new-to-me camper. This was our first attempt sleeping in this camper together so we will see how the climb-over-you bed arrangement works.
\n❤️
\n“However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 11:8 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-05-19T01:30:27-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/05/19/another-quilt-top.html", "tags": ["Health","Family","TOW-Wanda!","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","goRVing","Love","Peace","Presence","Girl Camper","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/05/16/wednesday-evening-walkabout.html", "title": "Wednesday Evening Walkabout", "content_html": "
![\"Flora\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fe80e31bbf.jpg\")
“Clockwise from Top Left: Abundant Blueberries, Honey Locust, Wild Grape Vine, Beautiful Peonies”
I finished mowing at the Ponderosa while Mr. FixIt was in town working on a porch he’s building. There were several areas around the edges of the fields where brush, vines and trees had encroached into my mowing space. They are the worst when they hang over and I have to try to mow under them. I bend way far forward over the riding mower, but sometimes a briar will jump out and grab me. So, last night after supper, I did my walkabout and took the loppers with me. I pruned back a lot of branches and threw them into the woods for the critters to munch on and hide in.
\nI finished the back property line before I gave up for the evening. I love how the fields look when they’re freshly mowed. They smell so good and they are all smooth and even. I snapped a few pictures as I moseyed around looking at the many varieties of trees in the woods beyond the far fields. I love this time of year. The dense foliage makes the shadowy underbrush dark and a cool breeze comes out smelling of musty earth and moldy leaves. It’s a rich aroma of sweet decay combined with cut grass, honey locust, and creek water. It’s heavenly, earthy, decadent. It makes me happy.
\nOnce my tools were put away, I climbed in the little camper, snuggled back into my favorite corner and looked out at the sun setting over the far hill. The reflections of the puffy white clouds and bluebird sky on the windshield of my truck added movement and color to the scene. These are my tranquil moments. It’s MY time. Mr. FixIt is in his recliner inside, watching the news. We both worked hard today. It makes the evenings such a gift.
\nWe are blessed beyond belief. We have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and love in our hearts. We have a wonderful family. We have our health. We have each other. As I was walking around the field last night, a bluebird dashed in front of me and I smiled.
\n“Well…hello there, Mr. Virgo. I’m doing just fine!”
\n❤️
\n“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” \n\n", "date_published": "2019-05-16T01:30:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/05/16/wednesday-evening-walkabout.html", "tags": ["Health","Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/04/13/always-be-humble-and-kind.html", "title": "Always be Humble and Kind", "content_html": "1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
![\"Dandelion\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/47d484a1bf.jpg\")
“I love when God sends me a not-so-gentle reminder to chill out!”
As I’m writing this, I’m propped up in bed, the windows flung wide, the peepers peeping their springtime love song. It is 10:30pm…I just finished a long and particularly grueling day sitting in front of my computer, doing my taxes. One frustration after another…but I doggedly pressed on with only a couple of short tempered outbursts. Finally…finally I got it all filled out and pressed “send” only to find out, yet again, my laptop won’t connect to the internet. I mean…it SAYS it’s connected, but I get a page that says “Cannot find page. Check your internet connection.” It works elsewhere, just not here. So, I said enough is enough for one day and I will pick it up tomorrow….today to you.
\nIn preparation for a day that could be stress-filled, I spent an extra long time in scripture before I got out of bed. I read my devotionals. I listened to a little praise music. I put on the full armor of God. And still, after twelve hours in front of the screen, I found my stress level rising. Poor Mr. FixIt steered clear of me most of the day and when he did have to sit with me, he was very loving and supportive. Good man.
\nWhen I finally called it quits for the day, I was too tired to even go out to TOW-Wanda to write…something I really look forward to when the weather is warm. I came into the bedroom to write, fully prepared to let loose a diatribe about how darned frustrating it is to spend a whole day on the taxes only to find out you have to pay a BOATLOAD. I climbed into bed, set up my little lap desk, opened my iPad, and God smacked me right between the eyes.
\n?
\nThere, staring back at me was a picture of a woman squatting down in front of an absolutely emaciated young child…so tiny and frail and nothing but skin and bones. She’s holding a water bottle up to the child’s lips….the little one with her head tipped back, gratefully taking a sip as she clings to a crust of bread in her tiny hand.
\nI am humbled…ashamed of my anger and frustration that I felt only seconds before.
\nLook what I have. A roof over my head, food on my table, clean water and air, a warm bed to sleep in, health, family…God.
\nYes, paying a big tax bill was not what I expected. But you know what? Just two weeks ago, God gave me a hefty settlement check for the accident I was in two years ago. I had a brain bleed, but can walk and talk. I lost four months of my memory, but my family didn’t have to lay me in the ground. And that check will cover my taxes and then some.
\nThere is always something to be grateful for. ALWAYS.
\nThank you, God…for your provision. And for the stern reminder of how good I have it. You are a good, good Father.
\n❤️
\n“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-04-13T01:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/04/13/always-be-humble-and-kind.html", "tags": ["Faith","Prayer","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Wisdom","Anger","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/04/08/a-room-with-a-view.html", "title": "A Room With a View", "content_html": "
![\"Camper](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b5cce7f1dc.jpg\")
“This was the biggest selling point on this camper.”
I could hardly wait to get home yesterday afternoon. We had a beautiful day….the baby dedication at church was lovely and we had a family breakfast afterwards. Then we ran errands. It rained while we were in church and again while we were eating breakfast. Then it was dark and cloudy all afternoon. We got home about 4:00 and I made a bee line for TOW-Wanda III and a much anticipated Sunday afternoon nap. I was no sooner tucked in till the sky opened and the sound of rain on the camper roof lulled me quickly into a deep sleep.
\nWhen I woke up…this is what I saw and I smiled from ear to ear. This window. I love all the light in this camper and this window takes the cake. I can prop myself up in the corner with my lap desk and iPad and be a totally happy camper!
\nI remember all the times in Little TOW-Wanda when I sat like this, propped up with a mug of good coffee and a stack of magazines…staring out a window like this and letting God’s nature heal my broken heart. Oh, how I’ve missed this. To turn over and see the sky. To gaze at stars as I drift off to sleep. I’m itching to get off on adventures but there’s stuff to be done first.
\nToday we are heading to my friend’s house to pick up the camper she’s giving me. I have no idea what shape it’s in so we’ll see. Then there’s taxes. The bathroom is coming along…Mr. FixIt has plumbing to do before we can move the rest of the shower stall in. I need to clean out TOW-Wanda Grande and get her on the market. I need to clean out the truck because we leave the 19th to head to the beach. The first mowing at the Ponderosa occurred this weekend. That means the yard at the farm is going to need mowed this week, for sure.
\nAnd off we go. This is the time of year when we hit the ground running. That lazy nap yesterday, stretched out in my little new-to-me camper looking through my big picture window at the rain on the flowering bushes, will just have to hold me over for a while.
\n❤️
\n“Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don’t for a minute lose sight of them. They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, Because GOD will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound.” Proverbs 3:21-26 MSG\n", "date_published": "2019-04-08T01:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/04/08/a-room-with-a-view.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Comfort","Presence","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/04/04/renovations.html", "title": "Renovations", "content_html": "
![\"Vintage](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c33e463b03.jpg\")
“There’s something about vintage kitchens that speaks to my heart.”
I came across this picture on Pinterest the other day. I don’t…CAN’T…spend as much time on Pinterest as I would like to. I have too many irons in the fire right now and I know what a black hole Pinterest is. It’s a candy store for creatives and I get SO lost. I pop in there every day because I get notifications. Almost always, there’s something on my landing page that I might pin if it’s an idea I’m working on, thinking maybe there WILL be a time when I can be a bit more leisurely. I look at my notifications, then I’m out of there…1-2 minutes, tops.
\nThe reason this particular picture grabbed my attention was a memory. Hubby #2 and I moved into our first house a couple of blocks from the medical school and this cabinet, and one just like it on the opposite wall, was in our kitchen. It formed a walkway into the breakfast nook where you sat in front of a big picture window.
\nThe view out the window was unremarkable, but that kitchen was one of the coolest in any house I’ve ever lived in. It was big and roomy with tons of storage space. It had a window over the kitchen sink which is always a must have for me. To this day, I cannot remember if the countertops were red or green…but I definitely remember that vintage style. It spoke to me…even as a young woman.
\nYou don’t find vintage kitchens like this much anymore. We are a throw away society with a newer is better attitude. The young wives of the ‘80s wanted new and better and hopefully not avocado green or harvest gold or that hideous brown copper toned color. No offense…if that’s what you have or what you love, but it was an affront to my sensibilities then and it remains so today. There is NOTHING nostalgic about that for me.
\nSpeaking of renovations, we are still in the throes of redoing master bath at the Ponderosa. I have never been married to a man that could fix or build anything. Seriously, if anything got built or renovated or decorated, it was my doing. I’m the one with the power tools. Well, I was. They all were stolen when someone broke into my storage unit and broke my heart. Mr. FixIt knows how to do everything. He didn’t get his name for nuthin’.
\nHere’s the thing. When I fixed up my mom’s house to put it on the market, I did the entire house myself except for installing the kitchen cabinets, connecting the gas for the new range, and updating the electrical service to the house. I tore the kitchen out to the walls and did it all…set the sink, installed a garbage disposal, new GFI outlets, plumbing, laminate flooring, under cabinet lighting, tiled the backsplash and entryway, coped the baseboards and quarter-round molding. I also refinished the hardwood floors, switched out all the ceiling light fixtures, put in a new doorbell and doors and storm doors, painted the entire inside, changed out the bathroom fixtures, tore the entire floor out and installed a subfloor, underpayment and linoleum, new baseboards and quarter round, a new toilet, took out the old medicine cabinet and installed a new mirror and lights and tiled the backsplash.
\nIn other words…I know my way around a renovation project.
\nThe thing is…I probably didn’t know enough to be intimidated. I just did it. And if I didn’t know how to do something or what tool I needed to do it with, I just consulted the knowledgeable staff at Lowes or read one of my helpful how-to books. I wasn’t picky. If it looked good, that was my bottom line. I thought it turned out great. Anyone who saw it thought it turned out great. And…I did the whole thing in about 4 months…by myself, for the most part.
\nThen I married “The Man With The Engineer’s Brain”.
\nHave you ever asked a man with an engineer’s brain to do something? They will do it. Perfectly. Absolutely perfectly. They will spend an inordinate amount of time drawing up plans…perhaps even doing so on a CAD program on the computer than costs more than the budget of small countries. They will print out the plans and study them and make notes. Then they will go back in and edit said plans. Then…once they are satisfied with the design, they will start the shopping process. The frugal engineer will have his/her supplies mapped out and listed by store according to price. This you will buy here. That you will buy there. All in good time.
\nFinally, the work begins. There will be measuring sessions. That will last a totally unpredictable amount of time. More notes will be taken and perhaps the CAD plans will be altered and reprinted. The flooring alone took several weeks. In a bathroom half the size of a good walk-in closet. Then there came the drywall. The patching. The sanding. The next coat of patching material. The second sanding. The third coat of patching material and the necessary sanding. Then came the painting. First the ceiling. Two coats. Then the walls. At least two coats.
\nI came in to see how it was going after the second coat of paint dried and Mr. FixIt was sanding…again.
\n“What on earth are you doing???”
\n“I didn’t like the way that looked. I don’t like satin paint. You can never get it to look good. I’m fixing this spot.”
\n“Cool. I’m going back out to the camper write now. Love you!”
\nNow we are at the point where we are installing the shower. He measured and calculated and remeasured and recalculated many times and finally…finally…we went to buy the fiberglass shower stall on Monday. That thing weighed a ton. We had to take it apart in order to get it in the house. Once inside, we took the protective coverings off and it was not only scratched, but it had several cracks in the fiberglass surface. So, we had to cart it back outside, put it all back together, and take it back to the store to exchange it. Once home, we had to take it apart again to get it in the house. Thank GOD it didn’t have any cracks because I just might have said a few choice words.
\nI could have had this bathroom done in two…three weeks tops. But I can guarantee you, it would not look nearly as perfect as the bathroom Mr. FixIt is building. I’m more of an instant gratification kind of gal so this has been a real learning opportunity for me in patience and appreciation. It’s coming along though. It’s definitely coming along.
\n❤️
\n“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-04-04T01:30:42-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/04/04/renovations.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Comfort","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/03/27/the-ponderosa.html", "title": "The Ponderosa", "content_html": "Romans 12:12 NIV
![\"Farm\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/38ed537d80.jpg\")
“The Ponderosa is the land I have dreamed of all my life.”
I’ve still been recuperating from this bronchitis/cold/virus/allergy thing. Kind of laying low, taking care of myself. To keep from re-infecting Mr. FixIt (he already had this last month), I’ve been spending a lot of time out in TOW-Wanda…resting, reading, writing, napping, cogitating. It has been very good for me to spend so much time in my little house on wheels. It certainly made winter go by MUCH quicker!
\nAs I was writing this yesterday, I was stretched out in my “sun room”…the slide-out in my camper. It is actually the dinette, but it collapses down and makes a twin-sized bed and I actually have a mattress in there. I have piles of pillows and comfy blankets all around so it’s a nice little cocoon in which to snuggle and write and dream.
\nAn e-mail came in while I was writing and it took me back probably ten years or so. It was from a site called Land Watch. Many years ago, I was trying to convince Mr. Virgo that it would be a very good idea to move back home to West Virginia. He humored me and looked at the farms and land I found. He half-heartedly searched for B&B’s for sale here and in the surrounding states. But, he came from Pennsylvania…he lived a long time in Florida…all with the goal of ultimately living in Colorado. His Nirvana. I think if push came to shove, he would have moved here for me…but he wouldn’t have been happy. God had different plans anyway because he took Mr. Virgo to His home before I could take him to mine.
\nAs I looked at that e-mail and thought of all those times I dreamed of having a few acres in West Virginia, I looked out the windows of TOW-Wanda at the fields and far hills of the Ponderosa and smiled. I have what I have always dreamed of having. A faith-filled life. A wonderful family…biological and bonus. And land…a garden, grass, trees, flowers. TWO farms, actually. I’m doubly blessed. I had no idea ten years ago I would realize my lifelong dream but it wouldn’t look at all like I thought it would. It’s funny how life plays out.
\nI took the liberty of blurring out some identifying features in the photo above. There’s a neighbor up at the top there…I blurred out their home. And I blurred out the roads and route numbers that were on the map. But it gives you an excellent view of the Ponderosa. All that green there? That’s what we mow! This satellite image was taken at least two and a half years ago because the maple is still in the front yard. It fell in late 2016 or early 2017. You can see the curved drive where there are two campers parked. My TOW-Wanda sits where that blue dot is on the map.
\nNature is getting ready to show off…things are getting green. The trees are starting to bud. The forsythia are blooming, as are the daffodils. They were stunted somewhat by the polar vortex, I think. They are much shorter than usual. We were walking through the yard on Monday and realized it won’t be long till we need to mow it. It will be at least a month before we get the pool ready. As I am writing this, the sun is shining. We are at our high for the day…51 degrees. We are going to our Alma Mater’s Girl’s Softball game this evening to watch one of the granddaughters play. It is a good life we live and I still have to pinch myself sometimes to believe I’m really here.
\n❤️
\n“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,” Psalm 23:2 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-03-27T01:30:52-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/03/27/the-ponderosa.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Presence","Choices","Change","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/03/15/heaven-sent.html", "title": "Heaven Sent", "content_html": "
![\"Spring\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/449a532d1a.jpg\")
“I know it isn’t officially spring, but….this is good enough for me!”
Beware the Ides of March, they say. March 15th hasn’t always been my favorite day. For instance, this was the day Hubby #2 told me he wanted a divorce. Not one of my better days. This was also the day of Mr. Virgo’s viewing and Rosary which knocked all previous bad days out of the bad day competition up to that point. I think the 16th nudged ahead of that one.
\nNow though…now is different. Even though it’s not officially spring in West Virginia, you can’t tell Mother Nature that. Yesterday was stellar with a temp of 79 degrees at 4:00pm. After watching videos of the bomb cyclone that tore through Colorado on Wednesday, I was ever so grateful to sit in TOW-Wanda and write. The sounds of the peepers serenaded me as the stiff breezes rocked the camper gently. I even rubbed it in by video chatting with my favorite peeps in Denver and showed them the sunshine and open windows in my camper. Yeah…they don’t like me much right now….can’t understand why. insert eye-roll here
\nWe all have good times and bad times in life that cycle up and down. I don’t forget the bad times. In the throes of acute grief, you honestly don’t believe you will ever feel joy again so it comes as a surprise when you first feel it. You even feel guilty because, after all, how can you possibly laugh when your person died? Eventually, one smile brings two. Laughter slowly replaces tears. Warm memories eventually move the pain of loss a little further back in your mind till eventually, even one day after the angelversary, you can feel the sun on your face and appreciate a warm spring day with undeniable joy in your heart.
\nLife is good. God is great. Spring is here. Joy abounds. Breathe. If these things aren’t here for you yet…hang on. They’re coming. ❤️
\n\n “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT\n", "date_published": "2019-03-15T01:30:41-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/03/15/heaven-sent.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Change","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/03/06/a-change-of-scenery.html", "title": "A Change of Scenery", "content_html": "
![\"The](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/54680851a6.jpg\")
“Running out of propane sent me running for the farm.”
I had a lovely, slow start to my morning yesterday. I had a full day planned out in “the office”, reading and editing the rough draft. Went out and turned the furnace on ahead of time to warm it up since it was a frigid 17 degrees. I fixed my coffee, gathered my book bag, kissed Mr. FixIt goodbye, and headed out to TOW-Wanda.
\nI wasn’t out there 20 minutes when it seemed to be getting colder instead of warmer. I got up and checked the air blowing out of the heater vents…barely warm. I lit the burner on the stove and even on high, there was barely a flame. I was very close to running out of propane. So, I shut it all down, packed everything back up, and headed back in the house.
\nAs I’ve shared before, we are in the midst of renovating the master bath, which usually has Mr. FixIt hopping. However, with it being 17 degrees, he wasn’t very motivated to go out to the building and cut drywall. I knew I would be tempted to blow off what I intended to do and just hang out with my buddy all day. Instead, I announced there was a change of plans.
\nSince my book bag was already packed, I decided to come to the farm for a few days of intense editing time. After a snooze in the recliner, Mr. FixIt found the motivation to work on the bathroom…since his playmate wasn’t going to be there. It sounds like a win-win, I do believe. I arrived, fixed some lunch, and carried my coffee to the front window where Grandma always watched the world go by. My portable desk on my lap, my iPad open and at the ready, I found my gaze continually pulled to the view before me.
\nThere is the clock I bought Mr. Virgo for his last Christmas. There is the little birdhouse my dear friend Charlotte gave me. You can see the newel post my Uncle Bud made for Grandma when I was a very little girl. He had a penchant for all things cedar. Out front, the bird feeders were attracting the usual flock of chickadees, finches, and tufted titmice. The doves gathered around on the ground below, scavenging what had been knocked aside by the others as they looked for their favorite tidbits among the seeds.
\nI kept hearing a banging sound I couldn’t identify. It sounded like the popping sound the old gas stove made before we switched out for the new one. I sat in the bathroom for twenty minutes waiting for it to kick off and back on but it never did. I sat in the bedroom and finally heard the sound again. It came from the front of the house. I walked around out front and couldn’t find anything and just as I was coming back inside, a gust of wind knocked something on the front porch and duplicated the sound. A little repositioning and the problem was solved.
\nThe deep gong of the only wind chime I can tolerate let me know the breeze is picking up. It’s cold and white outside, but in here, it’s warm and toasty. We have free gas at the farm. My Pop-Pop always said, the free gas was worth more than the farm itself. I believe he is correct, from a strictly monetary and convenience standpoint. But I would beg to differ in the real value of these 74 acres. This is…and will always be…the home of my heart. It’s old. It’s drafty. The roof leaks in a couple places, but not bad. The linoleum flooring is cracked and has holes here and there…it’s pattern worn and faded.
\nThe original double hung windows are single paned in desperate need of a good washing. The nail heads show through on the old plaster and lathe walls. The boards creak in just the right areas to play the same tune I’ve heard all my life as I wander through the rooms. The pump kicks on out in the cellar house, reminding me our water doesn’t come through some treatment plant but is filtered through the sand and limestone far below my feet. It’s been briny ever since they capped off the wells on this property over 60 years ago.
\nAs I write this, propped up in Grandma and Pop-Pop’s bed, the window is cracked open just enough so I can hear the soft gurgle of the creek beneath the bedroom window. You don’t really have to have the window open to feel the wind blowing outside. All you need to do is stand near the front or back door and hold out your hand. The wind blows around the edges quite easily.
\nA thought has been nagging me for a week till I finally figured it out. My grandma died 20 years ago March 2nd. It is so hard to believe she has been gone so long and I miss her every day. I think that’s one reason I love this farm so much. I know SHE loved it, and I loved her. This is where I feel closest to her.
\nOk, so…I didn’t get as much done yesterday as I would have liked. That’s ok…my heart is full and my spirit is warmed by the rich memories these walls hold for me. I’ll take getting recharged here over stressing about edits…any day of the week. Today will be another day and I can start refreshed…coffee in hand…warmth in my heart. ❤️
\n““But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-03-06T02:30:11-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/03/06/a-change-of-scenery.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Wisdom","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Writing","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/03/02/sneaky-snake.html", "title": "Sneaky Snake", "content_html": "Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT
![\"Snake\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7ae2ffa567.jpg\")
“There are sneaky snakes in our midst!”
I have a helpful little app on my iPhone called Moment. It was designed by a guy who realized he was getting sucked into addiction to his smart phone and he didn’t like it. So, without any venture capital, he created this app and it’s doing very well. So well, in fact, he was contacted by the former president of Pinterest who offered him $7M for the app, with the stipulation they work together to try and save an entire generation from being Screen Zombies.
\nIn my Bible study on Thursday night, we finished up Louie Giglio’s Book…Goliath Must Fall. The fifth giant we studied was that of addiction. When we think of addiction, our minds go to the obvious ones…drugs, alcohol, porn. Down the line we might think…shopping, relationships, food. While Louie did touch on those, he took it in a direction I wasn’t really expecting. He went for my iPhone. gasp
\nMy phone and I are in a close, personal relationship. I’ve had a smartphone ever since that day I stood in line for six hours to buy the very first iPhone, only to have the lady in front of me get the last one they had in stock! I actually had to
\nW-A-I-T
\nOne whole week before my journey to the dark side could begin. Oh…how amazing it all was. I remember when I bought our first personal computer. I justified it to Hubby #2 by saying our daughter needed it for school. But, it was clearly MY baby. The tech guy told me there would come a day when a computer 1,000 times more powerful that this one would be small enough to fit in a woman’s handbag. And now…here it was. A slick little handheld device with the world at my fingertips.
\nI’m here to admit…I’m addi….I’m addic….I use my phone…A LOT! I like to attribute a lot of that to my writing. And I’m sure that’s true. As I write my posts on my blog, I pick up my phone repeatedly to look things up, check the dictionary or Thesaurus, find and edit a photo. I browse the news two to three times a day. I check the obits. (Yes, I’m THAT age.) I send and receive texts multiple times a day. I seldom use it for…you know…making phone calls. I don’t browse Pinterest like I used to. I do post Tweets and Instagram photos for my blog’s social media accounts. Other than my blog, I spend far less time on Facebook than I used to.
\nThere are two places I do spend a good amount of time. One is a word puzzle app called Word Crossy. I downloaded it after the neurologist recommended I do word games to help with my memory after the subdural hematoma I received in the car accident two years ago. I am happy to say, it has really helped. The other place I spend a good deal of time in is the YouVersion Bible app. I am currently doing The One Year Bible plan. I also read shorter Bible study plans alongside…sometimes with members of our small group. I read the Bible first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I also study as I search for scriptures to put in my posts.
\nAn addiction is defined as the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
\nUh-oh.
\nTry to take my phone…I dare ya!
\nTo make myself feel better…or at least to enlighten me as to what LEVEL my electronic addiction has reached, I downloaded the Moment app. I am not at all surprised at the amount of screen time I racked up in the past week. You will be shocked, I am sure. I picked up my phone 165 times in the last week. I had 31h8m of screen time. I wrote 8-12 hours a day last week and, like I said…I use my phone a ton when I write. I just activated the feature that monitors what apps use up most of your screen time. As of last August, most people use Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Snapchat…in that order. It will be interesting to see where most of my time is spent.
\nAddictions. They are sneaky little snakes that wind their way into and around our lives…stealing our time, stealing our joy, stealing God’s glory. This is a giant that MUST fall. ❤️
\n“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-03-02T07:27:55-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/03/02/sneaky-snake.html", "tags": ["Health","Overcoming Obstacles","Growth","Wisdom","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/27/writing-and-praying.html", "title": "Writing and Praying", "content_html": "1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT
![\"Praying](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ee2361d011.jpg\")
“Prayers, Praises, and Persistence”
I was a little worried when I went out to TOW-Wanda yesterday morning. Were the words going to come? Or was I going to hit another roadblock like I did Monday? I gathered my gear, grabbed my coffee, kissed Mr. FixIt, and headed to “the office”.
\nOnce the furnace was on, I slipped out of my shoes and climbed into my little writing nook. I took a few moments to gather my thoughts and figure out a plan of action. Holding the warm coffee between my hands, I closed my eyes and prayed.
\n“Lord, thank you for all these words you’ve been sending me. Thank you for this comfortable place to write in and call my own. Thank you for trusting me to be your hands. Lord, I’m not sure what happened yesterday. My friend Gail says you were just giving me a day of rest. Whatever it was, Lord…please make me a vessel. Use me in whatever way you can. I promise I’ll do what you say. Amen”
\nI sipped my coffee and was about to open the document app and resume writing the book when I felt the nudge.
\n“Find your verse.”
\nThis is something I do when I want to hear personally from God. When I’m having a specific issue, I ask God to help me find my verse…the one he speaks through. If I have my bible, i just open it to the spot that feels right, close my eyes, and point. That is my verse, and 99.9% of the time, it speaks to me directly regarding whatever issue it is I’m dealing with. I can do the same thing with the app.
\nWhen I opened my app yesterday, chose a book, then chose a chapter, the Parable of the Persistent Widow came up. I kid you not. I took one look at it and laughed with glee.
\n“Awwww, Jesus…you are SO good. Would you look at that? How do you expect people to believe this?”
\nIt’s true. The parable was told to the Disciples to remind them to pray and to never give up. You can’t make this stuff up…he answered me right there. So, I prayed again.
\n“Ok, Lord…here I am praying and I’m never going to give up. I just feel like I’m supposed to be going somewhere with this book but I’ve lost my direction. I’m giving it back to you. Guide me where you want this to go.”
\nJust then a dear friend texted me and asked me to give her a call. She said, “I just want to tell you how proud I am of you. You’ve been talking with God. AND…you’ve also been listening to the Holy Spirit as he guides you through your book. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up!”
\nSometimes I wonder if other people can hear my chin hit the floor as much as I can. Not only did he send me a scripture saying “Keep praying! Never give up!” He nudged a friend to reach out and say, “You’re doing a great job. Thanks for listening to the Holy Spirit!” Hokey smokes!
\nI scrolled back and found the exact spot where I went off the rails. I highlighted the words from that point to the end, cut, and pasted them into a new document I entitled “Extras” and saved it. I’m not going to throw those 12,000 words. They may come in handy in another book. I’m back to 52,422 words with a goal of 60,000 to 80,000. I also have a Mission Statement for my book so I know more specifically what to ask for.
\nI don’t want to overwhelm you with God stories each and every day. There are days when other topics seep in, but even then, the underlying story is how God works into it. I also know the timbre of my writing has changed. But, when something so profound gets set down on a platter in front of me, how can I NOT share that? I still shake my head when things like this happen, even though I absolutely KNOW where it comes from. So, here’s my Worship Wednesday post! ❤️
\n“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?””\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-02-27T02:30:39-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/27/writing-and-praying.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","God","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Writing","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/26/go-with-the-flow.html", "title": "Go With the Flow", "content_html": "Luke 18:1-8 NLT
![\"Go](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/43f57cada3.jpg\")
“When the words don’t come, you have to go with the flow.”
I took Saturday and Sunday off from writing, other than my usual daily blog post. I didn’t get home from town till around 3:00 Saturday afternoon and I decided to give the rest of the day to my sweetheart. Sunday was church with the family and we weren’t back home till late and with the power outage, I needed to focus on keeping the generator running while Mr. FixIt was bowling.
\nI got up early yesterday, grabbed my coffee and headed out to my “office”…aka TOW-Wanda. I sat down and looked at my screen. I wrote about 1200 words, but I wasn’t feeling them. What was wrong? I sat and stared out the window. Two buzzards circled above the yard. Perhaps searching for carrion along the roadside. The sun was bright and totally belied the freezing temperature. The furnace blasted out warm air as I snuggled under my favorite camper blanket.
\nWhat was wrong with me? I’ve been writing prolifically for the past three weeks. Suddenly, I hit a road block. I picked up my phone and looked at the calendar. That can sometimes bring up a memory that’s lurking around the edges of my mind. Ahhhh…Monday. I had to be at the funeral home at 1:00. They were laying my coffee mate’s husband to rest. I hate funerals. I’ve been writing about Mr. Virgo’s funeral. I’ve been at the funeral home twice in a week. I pushed my iPad away and leaned back on my stack of pillows and took my mind through the process I have to go through since Mr. Virgo died.
\nThis isn’t your pain.
\nYour husband didn’t die this week.
\nYou aren’t laying him in the ground.
\nYou don’t have to say goodbye again and again and again.
\nYour role here is to support your friend.
\nI sighed and tucked my writing tools in my big blue bag. There would be no writing this day. That’s ok. It’s important to be flexible…change course when the moment insists…to go with the flow. You can’t force something like writing or your reader will know in a heartbeat. Just because it didn’t flow in that moment, doesn’t mean the supply is gone. It just means someone else needed my heart for a while. ❤️
\n“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-02-26T02:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/26/go-with-the-flow.html", "tags": ["Faith","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/25/power-outage.html", "title": "Power Outage", "content_html": "1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT
![\"Power](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3cdfb17a06.jpg\")
“A power outage is not uncommon in the country.”
One of the disadvantages of living way, WAY out in the country is the frequent power outages. I do have to say, I believe this is the first one I’ve experienced here at the Ponderosa. Mr. FixIt has told me stories of outages that have lasted over two weeks out here so I am sure praying this isn’t one of them.
\nWe’ve had tons of rain. That softened the ground. Then Sunday morning, the wind picked up and there are trees down everywhere. If they take down a power line, or snap power poles in half, or even make the wires move so much they cause a transformer to blow, then you’re out of luck. Last winter, in preparation for just such an event, Mr. FixIt pulled the generator out of the big building and set it up by the back door. He had a tarp over it to protect it from the elements. We are good Scouts!
\nWe went to church yesterday before the wind picked up. The power was on and we didn’t think anything of it. By the time church was over and we had our usual brunch afterwards, we still had a couple of errands to run before delivering our family to their house. We didn’t get home till about 4:00. We left the sump pumps running when we headed out for church. Mr. FixIt was up four or five times during the night checking the water level. Finally, at 5:00am, it was time to turn them on. When we came to the door, my husband cocked his head and said, “The power’s out.” The pumps weren’t running.
\nHe headed downstairs and the water was starting to seep in under the door. We had to get those pumps running ASAP. I said a prayer and the generator started right up. We WERE good Scouts….except for one thing. The gas can was empty! Mr. FixIt headed to our little town to fill the can however, the gas station was also without electricity. The only choice was to run to the next bigger town, which I did. I got back before he had to leave for bowling. We added oil to the generator and filled the tank and started it back up.
\nMy sweetie ran an extension cord into the house so I could have a lamp. We had water. We had natural gas for cooking and for the stove that heats the living room. I bundled up and cuddled under my fur blanket, and started writing. He asked if I would be ok when he left. I laughed because this isn’t roughing it. I’ve lived in a camper on the banks of the Ohio River with no running water, a foot of snow on the ground, and -15 wind chill. This is nothing….just a minor inconvenience. It’s life in the country. I have no idea how long the power was out before we got home. And, at the time I am writing this, I have no idea how long it will be off. I called the power company and they said it was a widespread outage. It is affected 3,800 - 4,000 customers in our county alone. It comes on when it comes on.
\nI remain joyful and keep praying and I’m so thankful for a house and a generator, and a camper with heat should we continue without power into the night. I will remain thankful in all circumstances. ❤️
\n“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-02-25T02:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/25/power-outage.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Peace","Courage","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/24/an-early-spring.html", "title": "An Early Spring?", "content_html": "1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
![\"Forsythia](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a5d50a353b.jpg\")
“The forsythia have leaves already! Spring can’t be far away!”
Sometimes Facebook memories are great. They remind us of what was happening a year…two years…five years ago. I have to admit, they were really awful when I was in the throes of active grief and some wonderful memory with Mr. Virgo popped up. They don’t hurt so much now and I enjoy seeing where we were.
\nOn February 15th of last year, the peepers were out. It was 65 degrees. Peepers are those little frogs we’ve talked about many times here and they are the harbinger of spring. Unfortunately, our climate is so messed up, the flora and fauna get confused when we have these waves of warm weather. So far, I haven’t heard the peepers yet.
\nI was heading out to TOW-Wanda on Friday to write and saw the forsythia bush has leaves on it! I know our growing season is much longer here in West Virginia than it is in Colorado. But this kind of surprised me. Some of my friends have posted pictures of their crocus coming up already. We did have a pretty mild winter and other than that week of the Polar Vortex, things have been pretty mellow.
\nI don’t mind that a bit. I am getting a little bit tired of all this rain though. I mean…it’s like build-an-ark rain. The ground is super saturated. Today is supposed to be really windy. The two combined will bring lots of trees down. The other night I had that tree fall in front of me on my way home from the farm. Last week, Mr. FixIt had to take a detour around a big tree that fell across both lanes. Then yesterday, I was coming home from town and another HUGE tree fell about twenty feet from that one. It wasn’t there when I drove in earlier. Fortunately, this one was old and fell apart when it hit the road. People were driving over the crumbled up bits.
\nI’ve got to tell ya, I’ve never looked at the trees along the roads like I have in the last two weeks. A couple of summers ago, the highway crews cut the trees way back on the main road going out to the farm. They’re going to have to do that on this road before too long. There are trees literally hanging out over the two-lane and that’s scary.
\nThe writing continues…60,526. I wrote 8,000 words on Friday alone. If I could be this prolific all the time, I’d have a shelf full of best sellers! Here’s hoping! ❤️
\n“then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-02-24T02:30:34-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/24/an-early-spring.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Peace","Presence","Change","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/23/i-have-a-voice.html", "title": "“I Have a Voice”", "content_html": "Deuteronomy 11:14 NLT
![\"Woodcarving\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/566f4de725.jpg\")
“I Have a Voice” woodcarving by Evelyn Jimenez
I have met some of the nicest people through my blog. One is a widow named Evelyn. She became very ill after losing her husband and very nearly died herself. Evelyn is a woodcarver, which I find endlessly fascinating. I’ve tried my hand at carving but I haven’t had the right tools for the job. I really would love to try again sometime…in my SPARE time. sigh
\nA few weeks ago, I saw a little faceless woman she carved and titled, “I Have a Voice”. This little round woman struck my heart. I went for a very long time in my life without a voice. I felt like the faceless woman, being told I wasn’t good enough or I was stupid or I was too fat. When you hear these things over and over and over from someone who is supposed to love you, you soon come to believe them as true.
\nI wanted my own little faceless woman to remind me that I am no longer without a voice. I wanted to remember that time when I was without a face so that I might recognize other faceless women. Instead of making me sad when I see her dejected little hands stuffed in her pockets, I smile because she might just be hiding cupcakes in there.
\nAnd…I know. I know she has a voice in there. I know because I had a voice inside…even when it was stifled. We can always say “I wish I would have known then what I know now.” For me it’s more like “I wish I would have known then WHO I know now.” I think if I’d known then how much God loved me, I would have loved myself more. And, if I’d loved myself more, I wouldn’t have allowed myself to be treated so poorly…even as a young child. Hindsight is 20/20. The best thing I can do now is mentor young women and make sure they know they are precious and loved and deserving. ❤️
\n“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-02-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/23/i-have-a-voice.html", "tags": ["Faith","Health","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Fear","Forgiveness","Courage","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/17/another-peaceful-day.html", "title": "Another Peaceful Day", "content_html": "Isaiah 35:1-2 NIV
![\"Deer](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/99ad6300be.jpg\")
“Deer grazing outside my window in TOW-Wanda.”
I have now spent eight out of the last ten days in TOW-Wanda and I have to tell you…I feel like a million bucks! Usually by this time of year, I’m ready to pull my hair out with boredom. I usually become less content with each passing day, even though the daylight is becoming longer…the long, dark nights shorter. The only two things I have done differently this year is leave the tree up and spend long hours in my camper.
\nThere is a reason girl campers like their little houses on wheels. They offer us a safe sanctuary in which to create. Some of us haul our sewing machines out to the camper in the fall and sit out there happily sewing quilts, clothes for the grandkids, linens for the home, gifts for family and friends. Some knit and crochet, weaving prayers and stories into their creations. Some cross-stitch or needlepoint, creating marvelous pictures from colorful threads.
\nSome gather friends to join us for tea or drinks, showing off our fancy little playhouses. Some have sleepovers with the grandchildren, bringing up the next generation to adore our little campers in the same way we have. There are as many different varieties of girl campers as there are travel trailers and we celebrate each and every one of them every time we tow.
\nMe? Well, as you well know…and I’ve told you repeatedly this week…I write in TOW-Wanda every chance I get. I turn on Pandora, find the Nature Sounds channel, and listen to raucous rainstorms, salient sea breezes, flighty feathered friends chirping in the forests. I’m instantly transported from the chill of wintery West Virginia into another place, another time. My little twinkle lights glow above me…the view out the windows revealing a stoic blue heron near the creek or a browsing herd of deer making their way across the lawn. Yesterday, I watched the moonrise over the hills to the east of the Ponderosa and I counted my blessings in that very moment.
\nI’ve written 30,560 words on my book as of last evening. Words that take me to corners of my mind I sometimes wish were never there. And to places and times that I cherish dearly. These words stir something in me…always. But they are just feelings now. They aren’t happening in this moment. That’s how I keep them from poking me now with little barbs…trolls with sharp sticks…fairies with tiny wands…giants with hammers. They aren’t happening now and God is bigger than any poking thing in our lives.
\n30,560….encouraging words, painful words, funny words, sad words, terrifying words, loving words. This thing is happening! ❤️
\n“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-02-17T02:30:01-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/17/another-peaceful-day.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","goRVing","Grace","God","Wisdom","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Writing","Choices","Change","Art"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/02/08/im-writing-again.html", "title": "I’m Writing Again", "content_html": "Proverbs 15:4 ESV
![\"iPad](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a0fa5b1c9e.jpg\")
“Writing again…this time I mean it.”
About a year ago, I set my book on the back burner at the urging of my agent. She wanted me to focus on increasing my social media presence. And, while taking a break from working on the book was welcome, that time hasn’t made a huge difference in how many people follow my blog or Twitter or Instagram accounts. People come, people go. Maybe you need this for a season. Maybe for a reason. But things just stay the same overall.
\nI’m not complaining…not by a long shot. I love sharing my thoughts and stories here on the daily. But I found myself spending entirely too much time knitting and my book still sits. Sigh. It’s not going to write itself. If it were, it would be a best seller by now.
\nMy accountability team contacted me yesterday and gave me the kick in the butt I needed…with an order. Five hundred words by 5:00 Wednesday afternoon! I got up earlier than usual yesterday. I made sure Mr. FixIt had everything he needed. I packed up my bag with my iPad, headphones, iPhone, and reference materials, grabbed a drink and my umbrella, and headed out to TOW-Wanda.
\nI extended the slide-out which normally holds the dinette. I have the table lowered and a twin mattress on top. I grabbed the pillows off the bed and propped them up at one end. I turned the furnace on to ward off the chill. I jumped in, covered up with the softest minky throw, propped my portable desk on my lap, and dove into my Pages app and started writing. I designed my book cover. I finally took a leap and typed in the title…something that has been eluding me for years. (Shhhh…it’s a secret. I can’t tell you what it is.)
\nSix hundred ninety words later, I turn off the iPad and looked off into the gloomy afternoon. The rain pounded on the roof, pelting the windows with a sound much like bacon frying. A sudden flash of lightning and a quick clap of thunder told me the storm was getting closer and intensifying. In the early days of trailer camping, a thunderstorm caused me to worry I might get electrocuted. I’m sure you aren’t as protected in a camper as you are in a house, but I’ve long since let go of the fear of storms. I leaned back and smiled. I pulled the soft minky material up under my chin and allowed my mind to drift along till I heard a tapping at my door. Mr. FixIt was leaving to go bowl and wanted to give me a hug. He’s feeling better, thank goodness.
\nSoon after he was gone, I gathered up my things and headed back inside. The sky was clouding up again and I knew I was going to need to be inside to keep an eye on that leaky drain downstairs that overflows when it rains. It was a good day. A productive day. Six hundred ninety words down. Who knows how many to go. ❤️
\n“\"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-02-08T02:30:45-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/02/08/im-writing-again.html", "tags": ["Faith","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Growth","Courage","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Writing","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/23/that-flash-of-red.html", "title": "That Flash of Red", "content_html": "Jeremiah 30:2 ESV
![\"Male](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fcc5d60107.jpg\")
“Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal in the forsythia bush.”
Cardinals don’t migrate, so we have an abundance of them here in West Virginia. It is our state bird, along with that of six other states. I grew up calling them “redbirds”. They were my grandma’s favorites and she took such delight when she saw a flash of crimson darting in and out of the shrubs out on the farm.
\nThis picture shows a pair of cardinals. The male of course is flashy and bright with a black mask across his face. The female is a dusty, rusty reddish grey. They both have a peaked crown of feathers on top of their heads. They had a distinct chirp you cannot miss. This pair is nesting in the forsythia bush out by the corner of the house. Mr. FixIt pruned them way back just before the wedding when he cleaned up the property.
\nI just love these birds. We have talked about them here a lot. We have discussed whether they signal a visit from a loved one who has passed. I like to think, since Grandma loved them so much, it is her flying by to say hello, but the truth of the matter is, you see them here year-round.
\nIt finally warmed up a bit yesterday but we still worked inside. The dry, winter air in the house has caused the glue to dry out in the joints of some of our bigger pieces of furniture so Mr. FixIt took a support rail off and used wood glue before screwing the piece securely back together. I knitted and made a big pot of Beef Stroganoff for dinner. It was a pretty laid-back day and we really enjoyed it. ❤️
\n“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.\"”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-23T02:30:53-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/23/that-flash-of-red.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Presence","Be Joyful!","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/22/action-v-reaction.html", "title": "Action v. Reaction", "content_html": "Genesis 8:22 ESV
![\"MLK\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1beb3f1755.jpg\")
“The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Growing up in the chaos of alcoholic dysfunction made me a reactionary from an early age. There was a lot of anger in my home growing up. Lots of fighting, yelling, slamming, throwing, crashing. I never witnessed my father hitting my mother. He only hit me once. When he did, he came at me from behind and I stood up to him. I stuck my chin out and told him, if he was going to hit me he’d better hit me like a man and do it face to face. I’ll never forget the utter look of defeat on his face in that moment. He dropped his fist to his side, went over to the steps, sat down, and cried. He never went after me again. But, the damage was done. It was done long before that day.
\nI learned to be the peacemaker. To smooth things over. To mediate when things got out of hand. I was the bystander. I acted. Unfortunately, when the anger was directed at me, I reacted. I automatically went into defense mode. I made excuses. I deflected. I diverted attention. I manipulated. It was decidedly unhealthy and took far too many years to come to a head.
\nThe first pivotal moment of my life…that moment when there is a definite line in the sand that separates “all things before” from “all things after” was the overdose. That was when I really did the work necessary to effect permanent change in my life. It’s when I learned about codependency. Before that, there was no clear boundary to define where others ended and I began. I was too busy weaving a web that would hold everything together.
\nLearning about boundaries was a love-hate exercise. I loved finding my voice and standing up for myself. I hated confrontation. I loved the release healthy boundaries gave me because I didn’t have to try to run everyone else’s lives for them. I hated feeling like a fish out of water.
\nIt took a lot of practice. It still does. I still have to remind myself occasionally that I don’t do anyone any favors by not setting boundaries and demand they are respected. I didn’t spend seven hard years in therapy for nothing. Fortunately, Mr. Virgo came into the picture after I had these skills in place and he offered an excellent practice field.
\nAfter sixty-five trips around the sun, I’ve learned enough to know it’s a whole lot easier to carry love than it is anger, hate, discord, dysfunction, or codependency. When I approach any situation from a place of love, my walk becomes more Christ-like. And anytime I lead with “What would Jesus do?”, I am already winning. Conflict is inevitable in life. The only control we have is in how we react to it. ❤️
\n“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-22T02:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/22/action-v-reaction.html", "tags": ["Health","Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Peace","Wisdom","Anger","Fear","Forgiveness","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/21/the-arctic-blast.html", "title": "The Arctic Blast", "content_html": "Galatians 1:10 ESV
![\"Full](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/de5b4290ef.jpg\")
“Full Moon on the New Fallen Snow, West Virginia”
This is the time of year when we just get blasted with frigid air from the north. We’ve been fortunate (knock on wood) to have escaped the really bad snowstorms so far this year. They seem to all sweep north of us. And that’s were they can stay for all I care. Those of you who have been following this blog since it’s inception know I lived in Colorado for forty years. I’m just WAY over long, cold, snowy winters.
\nI can’t help reminiscing about those severe snow storms I experienced over the four decades I lived in the Rockies. A few stand out…the Christmas Eve Blizzard of 1982…the year we moved from the log house in the country to the big house in town, Christmas 1990…the winter we spent in Pagosa Springs when it snowed 7’, and the really bad winter of 2013-14, the year Mr. Virgo died. At least here in West Virginia, things are starting to warm up and there are signs of spring in March. March and April are usually Colorado’s snowiest months.
\nWe awoke yesterday to very icy conditions…not a lot of snow, but ice here is quite the deterrent for me. We decided to stay home and that makes two weeks in a row that we didn’t make it to church. We don’t like that one bit. I was really happy they played the video of the service on the church’s YouTube channel so I still got to see it. I spent the entire day yesterday snuggled up under my fur blanket, knitting dishcloths and catching up with friends and family on Facebook. Sometimes you have to have a good self care day.
\nI went out last night to capture the full moon on the new-fallen snow and absolutely loved the picture. I had every intention of going out to see the lunar eclipse but at 10:00 the wind chill was already -3 so I thought better of it. I’ve seen lunar eclipses before…they look the same in January as they do in the summer. Stay warm wherever you are! ❤️
\n“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-21T02:30:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/21/the-arctic-blast.html", "tags": ["Health","Family","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/20/the-poet-from-darkness-into.html", "title": "The Poet - From Darkness into Light", "content_html": "1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV
![\"Meme\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/37653c9994.jpg\")
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
\"maybe death isn’t darkness, after all, but so much light wrapping itself around us — as soft as feathers\"\n\nHow I let a treasure like Mary Oliver slip through my fingers, I’ll never know. It’s an excellent example of realizing how very much I do not know. The internet has been filled with loving tributes to this gentle woman with the expansive heart…her pen trimming away the excesses of flowery verse and going straight for the pit of your stomach. Her words are like magic…painting pictures of love and kindness and tenderness. Nature was her cathedral. Poetry was her torch.\n~ Mary Oliver
Oliver loved Whitman and Emerson, Shelley and Keats. Growing up in a dysfunctional home in Ohio, she ultimately settled in the wilds of New England, wandering through her woods and harbor…taking notes and penning phrases along the way. She has been compared to Emily Dickinson. Her poetry is filled with both darkness and joyous light. Her life partner, Molly Malone Cook, was her constant companion for over forty years, as well as her literary agent. After Molly’s death in 2005, Oliver continued on in Provincetown, Massachusetts until finally relocating to Florida. She rarely gave interviews because she valued her personal privacy and wished for her work to speak for itself. Mary Jane Oliver passed away on January 17, 2019 of lymphoma. And the world lost a valuable treasure.
\nIn researching Oliver’s work, I became introspective. How often do we think, once we have arrived at “a certain age”, that we somehow have attained a level of knowledge that we can, at the very least, term “well rounded”? I know a little bit about a lot of stuff, but there is SO much out there I haven’t a clue about. We cannot possibly learn everything, but how sad that I didn’t know Mary Oliver and her brilliant poetry during times in my life it might have soothed my heart. How joyful that I still have the opportunities to continue learning and growing.
\nWe are but a sum of our life’s experiences, are we not? The other night, I had a troubling dream. A recurring dream about a hopeless situation which will never be resolved nor totally understood. Not in this lifetime anyway. And whenever I have this dream, I am left feeling an ache in my heart…bereft over a loss I had little control over. It leaves me out of sorts for days and colors my every interaction, thus leaving the stains of old hurts smeared onto others who have no knowledge of my pain. It’s unfair and senseless. As I drove to town yesterday, I had a conversation with God. I asked Him to please step in and be an intermediary…to block this dream, and even the thoughts of the events that precipitate it. To take away the memories that come back and haunt me year after year. As I pleaded with God, I literally felt the old, familiar ache physically leave my heart. A weight was lifted and the cloud in my mind dissipated. I immediately thanked Him. Then…I let it go.
\nPoetry. Prose. Words. Prayers. God. They have such power to release you from the bondage of the past…if you let them. If you feel them and taste them and speak them. They can breathe life back into the sore places of your soul. ❤️
\n“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2019-01-20T02:30:58-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/20/the-poet-from-darkness-into.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Writing","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/19/german-comfort-food.html", "title": "German Comfort Food", "content_html": "1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV
![\"Kielbasa](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/924cffb50b.jpg\")
“Kielbasa, kraut, and mashed potatoes…German comfort food.”
When we were having coffee yesterday morning, Mr. FixIt asked if I wanted to go to the movies in the afternoon. My mind went over the list of things that needed to be done and I politely demurred. He turned on the weather report and they’re predicting a ton of rain turning to snow over the weekend so he wisely decided to go to town and rent a snake to clear the drain out back.
\nWe have a stairway that goes down into the basement. There is a four inch pipe in the bottom of that stairwell and it drains into a pipe that travels over a hundred yards out to the creek. About every two years, that drain needs to be snaked out so the water doesn’t back up and run into the basement. Also, there is a ditch out at the creek bank that always gets filled in when the spring runoff overflows. It’s an ugly, backbreaking job that no one likes, but it has to be done. With heavy rain in the forecast, it was best to get it over with.
\nWe headed to town and ran some errands before we picked up the snake at the rental place. I overheard the young man who was helping Mr. FixIt lift this monstrosity into the back of his truck.
\n“Who’s going to help you unload this thing?”
\n“That little lady sitting in the front seat up there.” Mr. FixIt sounded confident and proud.
\nWe stopped at the store on the way home and I don’t believe, even at Thanksgiving, I have ever seen so many people. The parking lot was filled. People were circling round and round. There were no carts. And the checkout lines were twenty deep. Mr. FixIt and I looked at each other like, “What the heck?”
\n“They’re predicting snow!” I said. “Let the games begin.”
\nI told him to just drive around and I’d be back out in a jiffy. As I headed into the store, the line from Hunger Games went through my mind.
\n“May the odds be ever in your favor!”
\nI scooted to the back and bought the two items I needed. Non-alcohol beer and a chuck roast. I’m easy. I waited two minutes and hit the self-checkout and was out the door in a flash. There were people in there with multiple jugs of milk and loaves of bread…as if they were anticipating being stuck in their homes for weeks. When we stopped at the discount grocer earlier, I planned ahead by buying an extra bag of flour in case I got a hankerin’ to bake something. It’s crazy what a snow forecast does in West Virginia. It’s a good thing it’s the weekend. I’ve seen them cancel school based on a forecast.
\nI used to kind of think these people were weenies when they cancelled school at the first sign of snow. After all, I lived in Colorado for forty years. If you don’t get out and go someplace when it snows, you’re going to be stuck in your house from October to May. But I’ve got to say, in these people’s defense, driving here in winter is NOTHING like Colorado. There, you can drive 55 in a whiteout blizzard, not that you SHOULD. Here, you don’t dare touch your brakes going 25 or you’ll be in a ditch in a heartbeat. The roads are twisty-turny and hilly. And they have this thing called black ice. It looks the same as wet pavement and it’s deadly. I get it now…people don’t want to go out in it. And school busses have no business hauling our babes through it if it can be prevented.
\nWhen we got home, I had to help Mr. FixIt unload that drain snake. I am telling you what…that sucker was HEAVY. Fortunately it’s on wheels so when we got it out of the truck all we had to do was wheel it to the back stairwell. Then we had to walk it down the stairs. Oy! Once it was down there, I went on inside and Mr. FixIt got to work. After some time, I didn’t hear the machine anymore so I went to see how he was doing. I found him out at the creek bank digging out the ditch. Living on five acres without city sewer isn’t always easy. That was a lot of hard work. I helped him get the contraption back up the steps and into the bed of the truck.
\n“You’re a hard worker,” he said.
\n“Thanks for telling me that, but you’re the one who did the tough stuff. I’ll fix you some supper while you clean up.” I smiled as I patted his bum when I walked by.
\nGerman comfort food seemed to be the perfect meal for the hard workers last night. I boiled kielbasa to leach out some of the salt then tossed it in a skillet with some melted butter. I drained the sauerkraut and added it to the skillet, stirring occasionally so it would brown but not burn. I made mashed potatoes and served the kielbasa/kraut mixture on top. Oh, it was heavenly! It was a good day’s work and that is so satisfying. ❤️
\n“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-19T02:30:11-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/19/german-comfort-food.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Wisdom","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/18/finding-the-right-tools.html", "title": "Finding the Right Tools", "content_html": "Psalms 90:17 ESV
![\"Screws\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d377f502e9.jpg\")
“Having the right tool leads to success.”
Good communication skills have not always been my strongest suit. For years, I was afraid to speak up for fear of judgement and rocking the boat. That changed with Mr. Virgo and I’ve honed the skill with Mr. FixIt. Yesterday I told you he was being a little stingy with his power tools. So, that night, instead of stewing over it, I just pointed out that I like power tools, too. He smiled and said he just wasn’t used to women who know how to do things like that. I understand that. Not all women can, or even want to, operate power tools.
\nYesterday, we needed to build another brace at the other end of the bathroom floor. That is where you attach two short pieces of 2x4 to a long piece in an “H” fashion and fasten it between the floor joists to support the new floor above. This end of the floor is located directly over the washer and dryer. It’s an awkward position to stand on a ladder and it was impossible for Mr. FixIt to get up in there, so I climbed up on the washer and dryer and fastened the new boards in with three inch wood screws.
\nI don’t know if you have ever held a drill at an awkward angle, over your head, and tried to hold enough pressure to keep the bit from slipping in the head of the screw, but I assure you it’s not easy. The first two screws stripped immediately. So I did what I always do…I talked to Jesus. I asked him to help me get this job done and the screws went in easily as I kept saying “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” When it got really difficult, Mr. FixIt just reached up and held the end of the drill and it worked like butter.
\nWhen you face the tough things in life, you need the right tools for the job. We had the right wood screws. We had the right drill and bit and a fully charged battery. We had proper lighting and ladders. We had mutual support and trust. And we had Jesus standing in between us. We can call on Him to help us with the most mundane of tasks. My shoulders relaxed and I put all my focus and force on the task at hand and was successful. The right tools for the job…it’s what creates success. ❤️
\n“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-18T02:30:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/18/finding-the-right-tools.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Choices","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/17/building-a-better-bath.html", "title": "Building a Better Bath", "content_html": "Hebrews 4:16 ESV
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/67107f8ca4.jpg\")
“Master Bath seems to be a bit of a misnomer when it comes to this tiny closet of a room.”
For those of you who have been following me for some time, you may remember when I helped a friend redo her bathroom. In that case, the man who she had arranged to do the work got as far as the demo and skipped out because it was “too cold outside to come over”. She called me desperate and asked if I could help. I have considerable experience after having remodeled my mom’s house before I sold it, so I jumped at the chance. I love doing fix-it kinda stuff.
\nThat bathroom turned out really great, if I do say so myself. Between the two of us, we had that thing knocked out in less than a month and it was beautiful when it was done. When I moved into Mr. FixIt’s house, the bathroom off the master bedroom was gutted. It has taken us a bit of time to get to the point of tackling this particular job because outdoor stuff kept taking precedence. And, now I know how Mr. FixIt felt the first time we went camping together. I wouldn’t let him do anything with the hooking up and unhooking of the camper. I did the driving. He just came along for the ride. Such is my participation in this home improvement project.
\nMy job appears to be that of “hold this here.” Now, don’t get me wrong…I love a man that is handy with power tools. AND I love to work with power tools, too. Now I know what he felt like when I told him to just sit over there and look pretty. It’s ok. I don’t really mind. I love helping him in any way I can. I try really hard not to tell him what to do when he doesn’t do something the way I would do it. I’ve learned to excuse myself when I’m getting too bossy and go work on something else till he needs me again. I’m learning how to do new things like building in support structures between floor joists where the shower is going. Once you have learned to be independent and do things for yourself, especially when you love building things, it’s not easy to back off and let someone else have the reins. Learning to be a couple again…give and take…relinquishing control…almost feels like new skills.
\nWe are a good team, Mr. FixIt and me. Thank goodness he has infinite patience! ❤️
\n“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-17T02:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/17/building-a-better-bath.html", "tags": ["Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/15/the-difference-between-with-and.html", "title": "The Difference Between “With” and “Without”", "content_html": "Romans 15:5-6 ESV
![\"Arid](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/49b5021677.jpg\")
“The Difference Between With and Without”
I rarely write a post about a specific scripture. I usually write something then find the scripture that best illustrates my thinking. It makes me search more. It makes me read more and study the Word more. It keeps me engaged. This post is different. I was chatting with Danielle the night I was asking her questions about her addiction and overdose. When I told her how happy I was she was getting her life together at 24, I shared my story and told her I felt robbed of nearly a decade of my life. She shared a scripture with me and I made note of it. I have meditated on it for over a week and now I’m ready to share it.
\nI have always believed in God so therefore, I have never lived a day without Him. I will have to say though…Jesus didn’t live in MY house until 2004. By that time, I had already gone through two broken marriages. I had two beautiful daughters. And one broken mind.
\nI didn’t realize how desolate my life had become. I just knew I was shriveling up and dying on the vine. I became broken in my second marriage and, for whatever reason, we couldn’t seem to end it. We became more and more distant and I self-medicated in order to cope. Unfortunately, I was seeing a psychiatrist who did more harm than good and I couldn’t seem to end that either.
\nI knew what I needed. I needed Jesus. But I was married to a Jewish doctor. I took my little girl to Hebrew School every week. I organized all the Jewish celebrations in our small town. I had formally converted to Judaism. I had actually stood before a Beth Din…the Jewish tribunal court…and renounced Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.
\n“Jesus would NEVER want me now.” I thought to myself.
\nToward the end of that marriage, I laid in bed every night and talked to God. I told him, if anything happened to my husband, I would become a Christian. I consoled myself with thoughts of singing in church…of praying…of reading my Bible. But I just couldn’t do that AND be married to the Jewish doctor. He would leave me.
\nLittle did I know he’d been thinking of leaving for at least five years before he told me. I was hurt. But I was also angry. If we could have both been brave and honest, we could have avoided the pain of the last five to seven years and gotten on with our lives. It would have had far less of an impact on my children…especially Daughter #2 who was just nine years old when I overdosed and we subsequently ended our marriage.
\nI felt robbed. Robbed of time. Robbed of happiness. Robbed of my marriage. And robbed of the Joy of having Jesus in my life…although I couldn’t articulate it as such at the time. When Danielle quoted Joel 2:25, my jaw dropped. It spoke of Redemption. It spoke of Replenishment. It spoke of Fulfillment. And the thing that spoke most to my heart was…the end of shame.
\nI was raised by a father who used shame as his preferred tool of control. Blame and shame were my lifelong companions, and renouncing Jesus had become the number one shame of my life. Before I even realized I needed Him, I was yearning for His unconditional love. Thankfully, I was saved and forgiven and made new. I didn’t have to wait for anything…I just needed to get out of my own way.
\nI loved the fact that as I ministered to Danielle, she ministered to me and told me God would repay me for the years the locusts ate. And He has…oh, my goodness. He has repayed me many, many times over. Far more than I ever deserved. As the calendar turned to another year, I could feel a shift in my relationship with God. No longer a “baby Christian”, I feel I have moved from an observer AT church to BEING the church. It’s a change in perspective and feels like a new level of maturity. It’s hard to describe, but I feel it and I believe it to be real. This is one of the wonders of walking with Christ. I’ve left the arid, desolate landscape of “without” and I’m walking in the lush, verdant landscape of “with”. ❤️
\n“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. \"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-15T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/15/the-difference-between-with-and.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/14/the-water-crisis.html", "title": "The Water Crisis", "content_html": "Joel 2:25-27 ESV
![\"Running](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/36c4208b96.jpg\")
“If a crisis occurred and you didn’t have modern conveniences…would you know what to do?”
An alert went out to a good portion of the residents of my home town Thursday evening. There was a boil water advisory. This happens when there has been a water main break or something of the like. It seldom lasts more than a day. Not this one. What started out as “north of the Kanawha River” became “all PUD customers” overnight. Water was coming out of faucets anywhere from clear to partly cloudy to brown. Some people had no pressure at all. Others had a dribble. Still others seemed unaffected but a ban is a ban.
\nIt was interesting to watch Facebook as people became more and more concerned. There really wasn’t a very good explanation given to allay the fears of the citizenry. And, given we live in Chemical Valley, imaginations ran wild. It really could have been anything. Some said it was still ok to shower. Some said not. Others said it was ok to wash your clothes but when they did, large brown spots stained them. Now, I’ll have to admit…this situation did not affect me personally because we live out in the country away from that particular city water system. But, I’ve lived through things like this many times and it is not only a major inconvenience….it can be downright scary.
\nIt happened fairly often in Colorado. Just about every year when the spring runoff brought an over abundance of silt down into the city water intake, the filters were soon overwhelmed and our water got murky. There would often be a boil water advisory. My cousin has to haul water to fill a cistern since they live on the side of a mountain here in West Virginia. When they get a good hard rain, their water turns a murky reddish-brown. Out at the farm, there is a rainwater catchment system in place, but it’s been decades since the cistern has been cleaned or the filter changed. The point being, there are lots of folks who have to boil water on a regular basis. Or they just resort to buying water or taking empty jugs to a family member’s house to refill them. That’s what I did after Mr. FixIt and I started dating. I had about a dozen one gallon jugs I threw in my truck and I filled them when I visited him in town.
\nFor those of us more accustomed to living a more primitive life, these things are par for the course and you just roll with them. But city people who rely on the immediate availability of fresh water at the turn of the faucet get rattled. I don’t blame them. We are creatures of habit and we become complacent in our consumption of utilities. This is such a first world problem. So much of the world’s population has no access to fresh water, let alone electricity, gas, internet, phone, and groceries.
\nWhat would (will?) happen to us if the unthinkable happens and it all goes away??? Will you know how to collect and filter water? Will you know how to produce and preserve food? Will you be able to provide housing and clothing for yourself and your family? Will you be able to gather fuel to cook and keep warm? Do you have skills or goods for bartering? I worry that the last generation to really have those skills is getting too old to provide them. So, here is what I posit. If you have skills, pass them on to young people…your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren.
\nThis isn’t meant to cause an alarmist response. I don’t think something like this is imminent. But it cannot hurt to stock up on some extra jugs of water in case there is an emergency in your area. Parkersburg’s boil advisory wasn’t lifted until last evening. That made three full days without tap water for a pretty good-sized town. I’m not saying you have to go full on survivalist, but knowledge is power. Be prepared…or as prepared as you can be. ❤️
\n“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-14T02:30:26-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/14/the-water-crisis.html", "tags": ["Health","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Warning","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/01/13/the-kitchen-window.html", "title": "The Kitchen Window", "content_html": "Proverbs 27:1 ESV
![\"Kitchen](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c8e921eb4c.jpg\")
“The view out my kitchen window at the Ponderosa allows me to watch the birds at the feeder.”
When I was growing up, I spent as much time out at my grandma’s farm as I possibly could. I never minded washing dishes at Grandma’s because there was a big window over the kitchen sink. I’ve moved many times over the years and was always so pleased when the kitchen had a window over the sink. It didn’t really matter the view…as long as I could see out and open it for some fresh air, I was a happy camper.
\nI was thrilled when I found out Mr. FixIt’s house has a window I can gaze out as I wash the dishes. He keeps a bird feeder full for me so I can watch the birds fly in and out of the surrounding trees and brush to light just beyond where I stand. Yesterday, there were several cardinals. There’s nothing prettier than the flash of a redbird swooping in and landing just in front of me. Their brilliant scarlet plumage against the new fallen snow is breathtaking. They say a cardinal is a sign a loved one is visiting from heaven. If that is true, our house was a busy place yesterday. There were also chickadees, tufted titmice, a pair of mourning doves, and the occasional downy woodpecker added to the mix.
\nIn the late summer, early fall, the deer gather under that tree you see out there in the yard and eat the fallen crabapples. In the late spring, Mr. FixIt puts up the hummingbird feeder and fills it for me. He loves the birds as much as I do.
\nWe didn’t get the snow that was predicted…as least not by the time of this writing last night. Mr. FixIt has half the bathroom subfloor put down in the master bath. He came in from checking the mail and handed me a package…a canvas print of Daughter #1 and her family. Now I need to plan a family portrait wall!
\nIf it’s slick this morning, we’ll stay home and watch church on TV. I must say, it was very nice to not leave the house at all. It was a beautiful day filled with knitting and love. It doesn’t get much better than that! ❤️
\n“I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-01-13T02:30:17-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/01/13/the-kitchen-window.html", "tags": ["Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/31/saying-goodbye-to.html", "title": "Saying Goodbye to 2018", "content_html": "Psalm 50:11 NIV
![\"Mother-daughter](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8929a444f4.jpg\")
“A mother-daughter duo singing worship songs to close out the year.” Photo Credit: The Warehouse Church
We had a special celebration at church yesterday. Instead of having the kids over in their area, they joined the adults. And, instead of hearing a message from Pastor Justin, we ended the year with an hour of praise music and communion. It was a special treat to see the children of our worship team on stage singing with their parents. This little gal was amazing and it warmed my heart to watch her.
\nAs the old year fades, we cannot help but look over the last twelve months and review what we have accomplished. It is easy to be critical of what we perceive as mistakes. The woulda-shoulda-coulda’s can creep in, and that really doesn’t serve us well. Looking back with a hopeful heart takes practice.
\nI was telling someone yesterday that I was glad to have 2018 over with. But when I really gave that some thought, I realized that’s just wishing your life away. There were some very sad things that happened this year, true. I lost three people I loved very much…all within two months. Their deaths saddened me greatly and I have learned enough about life to know…the greater the love, the deeper the grief. I was blessed to have these three in my life to love and love me back.
\nThen, there were all these health problems I had to deal with. They were a major pain, but when I look back I realize I was so blessed to have insurance. I know there are people who can’t afford to see a doctor and let medical issues go till it’s too late. I was blessed with knowledgeable physicians and excellent hospital care. I cannot complain.
\nThe highlight of my year, of course, was getting married to my best friend. Mr. FixIt is my rock…my life partner…my playmate. My life is so much happier with him in it and I gained a bonus family!
\nSo, I won’t wish away time. I will remember Aunt Viv, and my cousin Tom, and my “other-mother” Louisa with much love…keeping their memories alive by saying their names. And I will cherish the gifts God gives me daily…love, insurance, health, good doctors, a roof over my head, food on my table, a loving family, and a man who thinks the sun rises at my feet. As I head into the new year, I will tuck this one away with solemn gratitude.
\n❤️
\n“Praise the LORD, my soul, and do not forget how kind he is.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2018-12-31T02:30:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/31/saying-goodbye-to.html", "tags": ["Faith","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/30/gwendolyns-journey-with-arthrogryposis.html", "title": "Gwendolyn’s Journey with Arthrogryposis", "content_html": "Psalms 103:2 GNB
![\"Arthrogryposis\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1ccabb6501.jpg\")
“Baby Gwen was born with arthrogryposis…a rare congenital anomaly that causes some joints in the body to be stiff and bent in odd directions.”
A few months ago, I asked you to pray for my friend’s little baby granddaughter and you all stood up and joined hands and prayed hard. Baby Gwen came into this world a beautiful little flower…but some of her petals were damaged. She has arthrogryposis…a rare congenital defect that affects multiple joints. There are typically joint contractures which may be stuck in one position. The muscles surrounding these joints may be weak, stiff, or even missing altogether. Little Gwen’s left leg was bent backwards and lay across her tummy. Her feet and hands are turned inward and her little chin is drastically receded.
\n![\"Meme](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9e03ffeb7c.jpg\")
“Her damaged petals are what made her more beautiful than all the other flowers.” A. J. Lawless
As Gwen has grown, some of these contractures have needed to be addressed more urgently. Because her lower jaw recedes, she cannot drink from a bottle. She eventually had a stomach tube placed to get tube feedings directly into her stomach. And, because she can’t swallow, her normal saliva can choke her to death. She has to have someone awake with her 24/7 in order to suction her airway when her secretions get in her way. Between her airway and tube feedings, physical therapy and doctor’s visits, little Gwen is more than a fulltime job. I’m telling you this though…God couldn’t have given her to a better family than the one she’s in.
\n![\"Leg](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/df63439bd8.jpg\")
“Gwen has had a series of casts placed on her legs to bring them down into position for surgical repair.”
The latest surgery was a tendectomy. This will clear the way for eventually walking. I know it’s hard to imagine her ever walking when you look at that newborn picture, but she has had a series of casts as well as the surgery and her legs are down much closer where they need to be. She is just now being able to coo and gurgle baby gibberish and it makes your heart soar when you see her in a video. Her huge, sensitive eyes look into your very soul. She is the sweetest little thing.
\n![\"Stomach](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/411351c86c.jpg\")
“Baby Gwen is fed through a tube placed surgically into her stomach because she cannot swallow well enough to eat.”
Gwen’s parents are young. Mommy had to quit her job to stay home with the baby. With all the expenses that go along with a situation like this, there is also a Go Fund Me page to help with daily expenses and challenges. I rarely share this kind of thing, asking for donations, but I know this family personally. They are a wonderful, close knit family who needs a little extra help. It’s the end of the year. If you find you need to donate a little more, or if the Spirit moves you, please consider helping this young family out.
\n![\"Arthrogryposis\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3c75e2863d.jpg\")
“The muscles in Gwen’s arms and hands are weak and she is just now learning to ‘hold’ toys.”
You can find Gwendolyn’s story at:
\nhttps://www.facebook.com/GwendolynsJourney/
\nYou can find their Go Fund Me page at:
\nhttps://www.gofundme.com/gwendolyn-strong
\n![\"Baby](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9663d5261f.jpg\")
“I look forward to every post as I follow Gwendolyn’s Journey. This baby will never be told she can’t do something…they will just find a way.”
“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?” Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-30T02:30:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/30/gwendolyns-journey-with-arthrogryposis.html", "tags": ["Faith","Health","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/29/looking-for-the-light.html", "title": "Looking for the Light", "content_html": "John 9:1-3 ICB
![\"Sunset\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7ba6044c5c.jpg\")
“Looking for the Light”
In the next week or two, one after the other…folks will be taking down their Christmas lights. My goodness, I know people who take their decorations down as soon as the last present is opened! Me? Well, if I didn’t have to dust the darned thing, I’d leave my tree up all year. Oh, I love my tree! Mr. FixIt picked out two or three trees and sent me pictures of them when I was in Colorado that first Christmas we were dating. I chose the one I wanted and he picked it up on sale after the holidays. He’s such a good man!
\nThankfully, we are past the winter solstice, and the days will incrementally reward us with more and more light. But it will be a while before we really notice it. Until then, I will hang on to my sweet, white lights on my tree. And my scented candles. And my battery operated candles that automatically turn on and off. And the little candles in each window that stay up all year. And the accent lamps. There are no curtains on the windows so I can squeeze out every moment of light every day. I crave light.
\nIn the past, I have fallen victim to the habit of saying, “I hate winter!” “I hate the cold weather!” “I hate the snow!” Well, you know what? Whether I hate it or not, it is going to be here. Defeatist jargon steals joy. Either way, hate or joy, it’s still going to be dark and cold. So why not choose joy? Why not change the negative self chatter to something like…”There is joy in this moment.” There is joy in that sunbeam, no matter how briefly it shines. There is joy in the snow…no two snowflakes are alike. There is joy in the trees as they stretch their naked arms up into the sky, their roots settled in for a rest before they burst forth with their gift of green.
\nThis transformation of my thinking doesn’t come in a straight line. I’ve found myself being decidedly grumpy occasionally over the last couple of weeks. Then I remember my word…presence…and I come back. It may be a forever battle, but my war cry will always be “Joy!”
\nThat is my word for 2019. Joy!
\n“These people who live in darkness will see a great light. They live in a place that is very dark. But a light will shine on them.” Isaiah 9:1-2”\nMatthew 4:16 ICB\n", "date_published": "2018-12-29T02:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/29/looking-for-the-light.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/27/the-story-of-the-traveling.html", "title": "The Story of the Traveling Bowling Shirt", "content_html": "
![\"Bowling](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/dc7d5d4ea9.jpg\")
“The Traveling Bowling Shirt once belonged to Bill T. And…I found him!!!”
In 1986, Hubby #2 finished his Residency in Internal Medicine and joined a practice in a small mountain town in Colorado. We were thrilled to have that long seven-year stretch behind us and were looking forward to building a life on the Western Slope of Colorado.
\nWe rented a five bedroom house on two acres just outside of town. With a lease option to purchase, it was the foot in the door we needed to step into home ownership eventually. We were young and happy…in that way you are when you are poor as a church mouse but are too naive to know it. We had to count our pennies in those early years and with a daughter going into seventh grade, we bought our clothes at resale shops.
\nThere were several really great consignment stores in our area and one of my favorites was a place called Miser’s Mercantile. I went there at least once a week or so to browse through the clothes. A lot of the women from Aspen would bring things in and you could get some great bargains. I once bought a wool coat from Nordstroms for $20! Anyway, I came across this really campy bowling shirt one day and I absolutely had to have it. I wore it a lot over jeans…tied at the waist. When my daughter got old enough to raid my closet, the shirt became hers. I really missed it when she took it with her when she left home and set out in the world. Daughter #1 has been married for twenty-three years. This shirt went with her all the way to Long Island and back to Denver and she still has it.
\nMr. FixIt has been on two bowling leagues for nearly forty years. Last week, I went to his league Christmas parties with him. On Sunday night, a bunch of us were talking about the old bowling shirts embroidered with the Sponsor’s logo on them…your name over the pocket. You don’t see them much anymore. I remembered “the shirt” and I’ve never forgotten the name…Bill T. (I’m only using the first letter of his last name to protect his identity.) Whenever the shirt was worn, we always said a kind word about “Good Ol’ Bill T”. I picked up my phone and did a quick search on Facebook…and, there he was!!! It HAD to be him…he worked in the bowling industry and he lived in Pennsylvania.
\nI sent my daughter a text and asked if she could send me pictures of the bowling shirt. Then I sent them on to Bill T with a note explaining how I came to own the shirt and was this THE Bill T. About an hour later, I received a lovely reply.
\n“Hi Ginny, this was my shirt from early/mid 1980s when I bowled in the Berks County Major League at Bowl-O-Rama in Reading, Pa. Crazy that it has survived over 30 years and traveled so far. I kept it for a few years after switching teams in that league and gave the shirt to a special needs bowler when I started working in that center. I am pleased to see that the shirt has brought comfort in some way to you and your family, and glad you reached out to me with the story. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and yours!”
\nIt really WAS our Bill T! I told him I felt like I’d known him forever…like he was a member of our family. I told him it was really interesting that the shirt made it all the way to Colorado. It was also interesting that he had given the shirt to someone with special needs. My brother has special needs and has participated in Special Olympics Bowling for over fifty years. AND, the daughter who now owns Bill T’s bowling shirt teaches Special Ed. AND…now I’m married to a life-long bowler and I was writing from the bowing alley!
\nWas this all just coincidence? Sort of like throwing dice or casting lots? I don’t think so. I think these sorts of things are God winks. Circles of life that wind round and round. The story of a traveling bowling shirt that has touched the lives of special people, special bowlers, on both sides of the country. I love how God works….even when it’s something as simple as a story that connects people across the miles through a bit of thread, a lot of smiles, and a warm heart. ❤️
\n“People throw lots to make a decision. But the answer comes from the Lord.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-27T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/27/the-story-of-the-traveling.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Fun","Gratitude","Comfort","God","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/26/my-hygge-christmas.html", "title": "My Hygge Christmas", "content_html": "Proverbs 16:33 ICB
![\"Comfort](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d1650bc988.jpg\")
“Mr. FixIt is a good gift giver…exactly what I would have picked out for myself!”
“Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.” Wikipedia
\nI don’t think I have ever had a more relaxing Christmas Day in my life as I had this year. Mr. FixIt gave me Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve and I never changed out of them yesterday. I ate chocolate cake for breakfast. I knitted all day. I caught up with loved ones on the phone and via chat. Mr. FixIt and I watch movies all day. I ate leftover chili…and chocolate.
\nI was totally pleased with my gifts from my sweetheart. The sweater is the most gorgeous color, style, and fit. The book is something I really wanted. And the travel mugs are lovely. I think he’s setting me up for a winter of comfort! Exactly what I need after a long season of hard work keeping up two big properties. I have some projects to do this winter…writing, home, and business things. So, having this comfort break is just what the doctor ordered!
\nThere are so many who are missing their loved ones this season. If your heart is screaming “he/she should be here!”…you are not forgotten nor are you alone. My heart is with you…I remember that pain and I pray for comfort for you and yours. ❤️
\n“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “ Lord, save me!” The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-26T02:30:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/26/my-hygge-christmas.html", "tags": ["Grief","Hope","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Presence","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/21/hot-cocoa-knitting-winter-solstice.html", "title": "Hot Cocoa \u0026 Knitting \u0026 Winter Solstice", "content_html": "Psalm 116:1-9 NIV
![\"Hot](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9505085601.jpg\")
“Hot cocoa and knitting…stop and enjoy the season.”
Productivity is a matter of personal interpretation. Did I wrap presents yesterday for the family Christmas dinner tonight? Um…nope. Did I bake the Pepperoni Rolls like I thought I would? Huh, uh. However, I DID sip hot cocoa while listening to Christmas carols and knitting dishcloths. Why? I’ll tell you…
\nBecause, we get so wrapped up in trying to have the perfect Hallmark holiday that we forget to just…be. To enjoy the moments. To sit down with someone you love and watch the rain pour down and ask if we’re ready for another cup of tea. To listen to Christmas music. To feel the warmth of the fire. To catch up with a friend on the phone. To read Christmas cards. To light candles with the scents of pine and cinnamon apples.
\nThose presents will get wrapped. Dinner is a pot of chili with peanut butter sandwiches and a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls. Easy peasy. We don’t get yesterday again. We only get today. Don’t be so busy trying to make something perfect that you forget to enjoy the process. Today, you have my permission to put your feet up, have a cup of tea, and knit. The rest will get done…or maybe it won’t. But you’ll feel ever so much better by slowing down. Breathe! Today is the first day of winter…the shortest amount of daylight of the year. Winter Solstice. It starts getting brighter from here on out. ❤️
\n““Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, ‘I can’t help it. I’m addicted to alien gods. I can’t quit.’”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2018-12-21T02:30:05-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/21/hot-cocoa-knitting-winter-solstice.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Presence","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/16/the-pleasure-of-needlearts.html", "title": "The Pleasure of Needlearts", "content_html": "Jeremiah 2:25 MSG
![\"Vintage](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d622e90eb0.jpg\")
“A lovely display of vintage hotpads and dishcloths.” Photo Credit: Pinterest
Staying out at the farm brings out the nostalgia in me. My grandma didn’t have fancy things. And when she sewed, her aim was function, not fashion. She mended sheets, shirts, and work pants. She often used old blankets, and even old quilts, as the batting for new ones. She sandwiched the old between fabric if she had the money…sheets if she didn’t. Then she tied them with colorful yarn or perle cotton every few inches. I found a pair of knitting needles and some yarn in her work basket but she said she had never mastered the craft.
\nEvery once in a while, someone would give Grandma a pretty little handmade potholder like the ones in this picture. She hung them on the fridge with a magnet and never used them…they were too pretty. She also had hand-knit dishcloths. Those she used. And I love them! When I first really picked up knitting, I practiced by making dishcloths. They are soft and absorbent and you can have a simple one made up in an hour. They make lovely hostess gifts at the holidays. Here is a page with twelve easy dishcloth patterns. I use a cotton yarn called Sugar and Cream for my dishcloths. ❤️
\n“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”\n\nhttps://www.allfreeknitting.com/Dish/Learn-How-To-Knit-With-a-Knit-Dishcloth-Pattern-Patterns-For-Beginners\n", "date_published": "2018-12-16T02:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/16/the-pleasure-of-needlearts.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Fun","West Virginia","The Farm","Comfort","Love","Peace","Presence","Art"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/14/the-geminid-meteor-shower.html", "title": "The Geminid Meteor Shower", "content_html": "1 Samuel 18:1 ESV
![\"Shooting](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/86c10c64da.jpg\")
“The night sky holds endless fascination for me.”
”We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon, and we got to get ourselves back to the garden...”\n\nI have always been fascinated by the night sky. Ever since I was a very little girl and my dad woke me up and helped me into my coat to go outside in the middle of the night. We went out to see the Northern Lights. I’ve been smitten ever since. I think that’s one reason I love to camp so much…there’s usually a clear night sky at least one of the nights in the woods.\nCrosby, Stills & Nash
When I was a single mom living in my first house on my own, I packed a thermos and a couple of sleeping bags in the car. I woke up Daughter #2 in the middle of the night and said, “C’mon…we’re going on an adventure.”
\nWe drove up to the ski area, turned off the car, and spread the sleeping bags on the hood. We leaned back against the windshield and sipped our hot cocoa and watched the Persied Meteor Shower. She still talks about that to this day.
\nLast evening, I got a call that my wedding rings were ready to be picked up. I lost a diamond a couple of weeks ago and the service warranty covers that. I could have waited, but I’ve missed my rings, so I drove into town to get them. Afterwards, I went to the bowling alley to visit Mr. FixIt then we grabbed a bite to eat together. On the way home, we stopped to pick up a Christmas gift and some new baking pans. As we were driving out the country road home, Mr. FixIt was behind me in his truck. He called me and I said…”I SAW IT!” It looked like something out of Star Wars! Meteors were falling everywhere. BIG ones!
\nWhen we got home, I told him to park his truck and meet me in mine out in the lane that goes through the field. I turned off all the lights, rolled down the windows, and we sat there for the better part of an hour….staring at the sky.
\n“There’s one!”
\n“Wow…did you see THAT one?”
\n“OMGosh! This is so cool!”
\nGod’s 4th of July…another memory made! ❤️
\n“and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-14T02:30:35-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/14/the-geminid-meteor-shower.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Humbled","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/12/feel-your-feels.html", "title": "Feel Your Feels", "content_html": "Revelation 6:13 NIV
![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/29e69ca1ec.jpg\")
“These are some of my favorite Christmas memories.”
As I sit and write this post, Mr. FixIt is in town helping his daughter with something and I am getting ready to address Christmas cards while listening to carols on Pandora. I just had my coffee and a couple of the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I made yesterday. Another heavy hoar frost has the branches of the forsythia decorated with fuzzy white crystal fingers outside the window where I am perched. The mechanical angel on top of the tree is gently moving her wings and arms as she nods her head slowly. It’s a peaceful scene here on the Ponderosa.
\nAs I was baking my grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Monday, I was reminiscing about Christmases spent out on the farm. Grandma seldom had any extras around because money was always tight living off the land. But, as Christmas approached, you could be sure to find certain special treats brought home from the Five & Dime in Harrisville in small brown paper sacks.
\nI especially remember the Christmas candies Grandma always set out in a special glass dish. Ruffled ribbons, chocolate straws, peppermint sticks…all conjure up the warmth of my grandma’s house at Christmas.
\nMy Uncle Bob had a developmental disability and lived at home all his life. Every Christmas, Bob would walk back on the hill with Grandma and select a tree to drag back down to the house. They were sparse little Charlie Brown trees. I thought they were kind of sad and pitiful back then because ours was always a big, full tree we selected from the lot down at the Shopping Center. Looking back with 65-year-old eyes, I’d give anything to go back and see the ornaments and sweetness of my childhood Christmases on the farm.
\nMr. FixIt and I have an artificial tree. He purchased it for me the first Christmas we were dating. I was in Colorado and he was walking around the mall when he saw Sears had their trees marked down drastically. He called and asked if I wanted one. He sent several photos and I selected a slim tree with feathered tips on the needles that make them look frosted. It’s prelit with white lights. No twinkling for me. And no colors. I like white light…and lots of it in the wintertime. It helps with my winter blues.
\nKeeping these memories alive helps comfort me in times of great loss. When I conjure up images of my grandma, my mom, my cousin, my aunt, my other mother…it reminds me while they are away from me physically, I have them with me always in my heart. Christmas isn’t always a happy occasion when you are actively grieving. Holding the memories close can help ease that pain and gives you the outlet you need to process your grief. Feel your feels, I always say. ❤️
\n“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-12T02:30:17-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/12/feel-your-feels.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Holiday","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/11/kitchen-comforts.html", "title": "Kitchen Comforts", "content_html": "Isaiah 32:18 NIV
![\"Roses\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/42d0bf36e4.jpg\")
“Mr. FixIt brought me roses.”
When I’m struggling with grief, a day in the kitchen does wonders for me. Mr. FixIt knew I hadn’t slept well the last couple of nights since learning the sad news of Miss Louisa passing away, so he was gracious and let me sleep in as long as I wanted to yesterday. I must say, when I awoke around 11:00, I did feel much better. I padded into the kitchen to make my coffee and greet my sweet man in the family room…steaming mug in hand.
\nI snuggled into the loveseat and wrapped my blue fox blanket around me. The Christmas tree was decorated and standing to my left in front of the big picture windows. The gas stove was cranked up and putting off some decent heat. The heavy frost still laid white on the grass and trees in my view. And, amazingly, the forsythia had several bright yellow blooms on them casting a stark contrast to the grey palette of December.
\nI sipped my coffee while Mr. FixIt read the paper. The TV droned quietly in the background…some fourteen year old was answering questions on a game show. I tuned it out as I stared at the decorations on the tree and took inventory of my feelings. The pain I felt when I heard the news of yet another loss was easing a little and shifting to the lonesomeness of not being able to pick up the phone and call whenever I want. It is familiar turf for me.
\nAfter a while, I sighed and went into the bedroom to dress. Mr. FixIt put on his insulated coveralls and went outside to work a while. I carried my second cup to the living room and sat down to knit on a pair of socks. I texted my friend Gail who is touring Europe to see how she is doing. My friend Janine sent me a text to remind me she was going live at 3:00CST. I put my phone away and turned Pandora to “Traditional Christmas.” I spent the next hour or so in quiet meditation, my hands wrapping the wool yarn around the needles with the muscle memory of a skill I learned in my youth.
\nI decided to mix up a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies and was pulling the last batch from the oven as Mr. FixIt came in from the cold. I turned on the kettle and he had a nice cup of tea as he ate a cookie, still warm from the oven. He watched me move around the kitchen, cleaning up the bowls and baking pans. I sensed his eyes on me. This is the relationship we delight in. I looked up from wiping the counter and he smiled.
\n“You treat me so well.”
\nI smiled back. A knowing smile. An appreciative smile. This is the part of him that is like Mr. Virgo. He loves and appreciates me and is quick to tell me. I love that.
\n“I like spoiling you,” I grinned. He laughed, gave me a little pat as he tucked his mug in the kitchen sink. He pulled up his coveralls and went back outside. I watched him as he walked out the door. How can a coverall make a man look that sexy? I smiled as I tucked the towel in the door handle of the oven and turned out the light. I had another hour to knit before I started supper.
\nWhen I was at the farm the other night, I brought home a pot roast from the freezer. When it was thawed, I cut it in cubes. I put about a cup of flour in a gallon ziplock bag with some salt and pepper and dropped in the cubed roast. I tossed the meat in the flour, rubbing the pieces through the bag to ensure they were well coated then dropped them into a hot skillet with a little oil in it. When the meat had been seared on all sides, I removed it and put it in my electric pressure cooker. I put in a can of beef broth and a can of water, replaced the lid and pressure cooked the roast for 55 minutes. Once it was finished, I let it cool for about twenty minutes without releasing the pressure. I released the pressure carefully and removed the lid. The meat bubbled in a nice thickened gravy and smelled divine. I poured the meat and gravy out into a large storage container and set it on the counter. When it was cool enough, I popped it in the fridge to be used during the week for meals and sandwiches.
\nYesterday, I cooked up half a bag of egg noodles. I took out half the meat and gravy and placed it in a saucepan on low heat to warm up. I sautéed a whole package of sliced mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter. Everything was ready at the same time so I drained the pasta, and put it back in the pan, poured the beef and gravy in with the sautéed mushrooms and added 3/4 cup of sour cream. I gave it a quick stir and called Mr. FixIt to the table for supper.
\nA day like that is soothing to the spirit. It reminded me that, while I miss those I have lost, I have skills in place that I did not have when I lost Mr. Virgo. It is not lost on me that I have the added blessing of this sweet man to be my companion and helpmate to love and support me as I navigate the losses. I kind of feel like I’m cheating…I don’t have to grieve alone like I did when I became a widow. That kind of grief is so much harder than this. I am grateful. ❤️
\n“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-11T02:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/11/kitchen-comforts.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/20/driving-down-the-road.html", "title": "Driving Down the Road", "content_html": "Revelation 21:4 NIV
![\"Country](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a658a5bc1a.jpg\")
“Country roads…take me home!”
Remember this summer when I shared the pictures of how terrible the road was out to the farm? The compressor station back behind the farm is finished. No more heavy trucks hauling super heavy loads out the road and back. It was a long year. They started building the road out to the station site this time last year.
\nThe road had gotten so bad I was really afraid I was going to blow a tire or break an axle or, at the very least, knock my truck out of alignment. I just had to drive really slow and try to dodge the worst parts or come to a complete stop if there was oncoming traffic.
\nI was told by multiple sources that our road would not be fixed until the routine paving time came up on the schedule. I was also told the county did not negotiate road repairs into the contract with the company building the compressor station. Essentially, I figured good, hard working, lower income West Virginians would get screwed again.
\nIn late summer, a local company came in and cut out large rectangles of mangled asphalt and rebuilt the base. But, they didn’t put anything on top so it was no time before these big rocky rectangles became just as bad as the road was before. Pretty soon, someone else came in and blacktopped over those messy rocky rectangles and I thought, “Good! At least there aren’t deep holes anymore. I can live with this.”
\nWhile we were gone on our honeymoon, my cousin’s wife, Charlotte called to give me an update on the kitties. Then she said, “Wait till you see what they’re doing to the road! You won’t believe it!” I rolled my eyes. What now? “They’re paving it!!!”
\nSure enough, each time I’ve gone out since the wedding, a little more and a little more was blacktopped and things were finally improving. I went out yesterday and they are not only finished…the lines have been painted and a very nice shoulder has been laid down. If I could have done a jig, I would have…but I was driving.
\nI didn’t have to yell and scream at a meeting. I didn’t get upset other than grumble under my breath and complain to you all a little bit. I didn’t have to write letters or threaten law suits. I just talked to God whenever I drove over that wretched road and said, “Lord, please place it on the hearts of the people responsible for making this mess to come back here and make it right. This isn’t fair to all these people out this little old road. They work hard and most of them don’t have much. Please make this right.” I have no idea who actually ended up getting this job done, but I am grateful for a good, solid road going out to the farm now.
\nPrayer works. Even in the most ordinary things. ❤️
\n“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 NIV\n", "date_published": "2018-11-20T02:30:21-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/20/driving-down-the-road.html", "tags": ["Faith","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/15/the-art-of-giving.html", "title": "The Art of Giving", "content_html": "
![\"Shopping\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d10672485e.jpg\")
“Shopping for warm blankets with my small group.”
I love this time of year. However, the first Christmas after Mr. Virgo died, I was so incredibly lost. I went to Denver to be with my family because I couldn’t bear to be alone. I think that’s pretty common among those who have lost a spouse.
\nThe holidays were so special to my late husband. He lived for Christmas especially. He planned all year. He paid attention to what I needed or wanted and he was incredibly generous with gifts…too much so, really. But it gave him such joy to see the look on my face when I opened something from him. He just wanted to keep seeing that look.
\nThat first lonely Christmas, one of the layers of the onion peeled back and revealed my days of receiving his well thought out gifts were over and it was just another beautiful thing torn from my life. I was bereft. I wanted something special from him, and since that was impossible, I decided to do something special for me.
\nI was driving down a busy Denver street the week before Christmas when I felt the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit.
\n“There…go there.”
\nI looked to the right and it was Walmart. I dutifully turned in and parked. As I was walking in, I heard….
\n“Pay it forward.”
\nI went to the layaway desk and inquired how I could pay off someone’s layaway. Unfortunately, they had called in the layaways the week before so whatever hadn’t been paid for was returned to the shelves. Not to be deterred, I went to the ATM, withdrew some money, bought a card, and sat down to write a note in it. I told the recipient about this gentle man who loved Christmas and the joy of giving. I told whoever was going to receive this that I was giving them what he would have given me. Then I sat down on the bench at the front of the store and waited for the next instructions.
\n“Go back there. To the left…you’ll find them there.”
\nI headed for the back left and found the toy department. I wandered around and saw several shoppers but none stood out. I went around the corner of an aisle and there they were. A young mom and dad. They pulled a toy from the shelf, looking hopeful. Then they looked for the price, looked at each other, looked defeated, and put it back. They did this several times as they moved slowly down the aisle. There was very little in their cart.
\nI roamed back and forth, acting like I was very interested in something, but all the while trying to listen without being too obvious. What I wanted was for the woman to wander away from her bag for a moment so I could slip the envelope in and be on my way with the young couple none the wiser. She was a smart girl…she never left her bag for a moment. Finally, I decided I just had to move forward or I was going to look like a crazy stalker.
\nI walked up to the woman and said, “Here. I think this is yours.” I handed her the envelope with the bills stuffed inside. She was puzzled. She looked up from the envelope and our eyes met. I smiled warmly, pulled her to me in a mom hug, and whispered, “Merry Christmas.” Then, before she could let it register, I turned on my heel and walked away straight out of the store, without looking back.
\nI got to the car and my knees were shaking. I would have loved to have seen her face. But then she would have wanted to thank me or maybe even refuse the gift. Neither of which I wanted. I put the car in gear and headed to meet my family knowing I had shared something special with someone who needed it. I remember when I was a poor, single mom…trying to do the best for my own little one with very, very little resources. It felt good to give.
\nThe church I attend is huge, so in order to have that sense of a “church family”, we have small groups that meet for several weeks per session. The group I belong to has such amazing, strong Christian women. We are in a chat group and we offer prayers and support to each other as we share and learn and grow in the Lord.
\nThis year, our Pastor challenged the groups to find a service project and complete it by the end of the session. We couldn’t decide on just one so we supported two. The Women’s Care Center and the Mission for the homeless. Last night we met at a discount store in town and loaded three shopping carts full to overflowing. We bought children’s clothes, long john’s, hats, and 20 blankets and wheeled our purchases to the foyer. There, we stood around the carts and placed our hands on the bounty and prayed…out loud, in the store, in front of God and everybody. We asked for God to bless these items that they would doubly warm the recipients. We asked that they feel God’s love for them when they wrap themselves in the blankets. Then we headed for the mission.
\n![\"Bags](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e6279481f6.jpg\")
“The bounty!”
When we came in, laden with bag after bag of stuff, the man behind the desk said, “What have we here?”
\n“Blankets! From The Warehouse Church!!!” We said, in unison.
\n“Oh, my gosh…that’s exactly what we needed. I ran out of blankets this evening!”
\nI smiled. I kinda felt Mr. Virgo grinning…poking me in the ribs.
\n“See, babydoll! That’s what I’m talkin’ about. It’s better to give than to receive. Giving is an art form.”
\nYes…I do love this time of year. ❤️
\n“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”” 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 NIV\n", "date_published": "2018-11-15T02:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/15/the-art-of-giving.html", "tags": ["Faith","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/14/cold-weather-comfort-food.html", "title": "Cold Weather Comfort Food", "content_html": "
![\"Creamed](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fa73837aca.jpg\")
“Creamed Tomato Gravy…one of my grandma’s specialties!”
Grandma canned tomatoes like it was going out of style. The shelves in the cellar house were brimming with home canned goodies to savor over the winter. Tomatoes, green beans, corn, big chunks of tender beef, pickles, picalilly, pickled beets, peaches, applesauce, apple butter, preserves, jams and jellies shone like jewels and were EVER so welcome on the dark nights of January and February. Bins of potatoes and apples as well as braids of onions would be divvied up to last till the first harvest in late spring.
\n![\"Biscuits\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d5e86f906c.jpg\")
“Light and Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits…my favorite!”
One of my favorite meals Grandma fixed was Creamed Tomato Gravy over Buttermilk Biscuits. I’ve never replenished my canning supplies after they were stolen from my storage area in Colorado, so I haven’t canned anything in quite some time. I did take the last of the ripe tomatoes in late summer and stewed them then froze two batches in the freezer. I’ve been promising Mr. FixIt this yummy comfort food for weeks now, but this is the first chance I’ve had to slow down and bake some biscuits.
\nMr. FixIt had to leave his truck with the mechanic Monday, so we are down to one vehicle this week. This means we get to spend the week together uninterrupted! We threw ourselves into cleaning house yesterday in preparation for company coming for Thanksgiving Dinner. We are still catching up with laundry as well as pulling blankets out for winter. It was a lovely, relaxing day nesting, cooking, and watching it try to snow. This tomato gravy over hot biscuits fresh from the oven were just what the doctor ordered! For dessert, we buttered a couple more and slathered on a healthy portion of Mixed Berry Jelly by the gal at In a Jam. My lifelong family/friend, Judith, gifted us six jars as a late wedding gifts which she swears is not a gift….just a “thinking of you”. She had the Chief Jam Maker at In a Jam make labels with our wedding picture on it. Actually, the one I’m using as a profile picture. Such a thoughtful person she is!
\nThe peace of days like this is not lost on me. Relaxing, puttering, cooking, knitting, writing, throwing in a couple loads of laundry and hanging out at home with my new husband is so delicious. You never know how much something hurts till the pain goes away, do you? ❤️
\n“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:” Proverbs 31:27-28 NIV\n", "date_published": "2018-11-14T02:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/14/cold-weather-comfort-food.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/10/the-decision-process.html", "title": "The Decision Process", "content_html": "
![\"Wedding](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/66b1bf5119.jpg\")
“The decision on wedding bands was a process. I wanted exactly the right ones!”
Mr. FixIt proposed to me last year. We both knew from the beginning this relationship was going to be special. We both knew we had found the one. So, it was never a matter of “if”. It was always a matter of “when”.
\nYou know, if you’ve been around a while…I knew I wanted to be with this man for all eternity. But I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to be married again. After all, I’d already been married three times. The first was too young. The second was too long. And the third was cut short by his untimely death. I wasn’t sure I could live through that again. And…I was afraid of losing my widow’s benefits.
\nSo, we lived together and it bothered my heart. My faith tells me that is a sin. I prayed and asked God to speak to me through my Pastor if He had a message directly for me. The Pastor spent the next nine months delivering message after message that what we were doing was wrong. It happened SO many times, I could no longer deny the truth. After speaking with my faith mentors, I asked God to give me a sign.
\nI knew He would always provide for me, but I asked if I would lose my benefits if I remarried. Immediately I heard, “Well, Google it!” So, I did…and as long as I married after the age of 60, I would NOT. That was all I needed to know and I shared the good news with my beloved.
\nWe married just a month later. When Mr. FixIt gave me my engagement ring, he knew my stance on marriage so we never went out to buy a wedding band. As a matter of fact, my ring was not part of a set so there wasn’t a band to go with it. The ring has an odd shape and really needs a custom made wedding band to sit flush with it.
\nWhen we set the date, I told Mr. FixIt I didn’t really NEED a wedding ring. I could just wear the engagement ring alone and be good. But the closer we got to the wedding, the more I regretted that decision. I really WANTED a band to symbolize the two events separately. The week before the wedding, I bought a simple, straight band with little diamonds. I have to admit, I didn’t choose what I really wanted. I went with what was less expensive.
\nThe wedding was lovely. My ring sat on my hand for the next several days. But every time I looked at it, I remembered the other one. It wasn’t THAT much more expensive. I kept going back to the jeweler and visiting the ring. Finally, I made the decision and traded in the straight band for the curved one that sat up against the engagement ring like it was made for it.
\nI loved it. And still, something was missing. It didn’t seem finished, symmetrical. That’s when I decided to use money I’ve made from my writing and buy a second band for myself to sit on the other side. And now? I absolutely LOVE it. It looks polished. Complete. Like it was made to be this way.
\nI was talking with my camping friend, Janine about it and she said this. “It’s not like you’re picking out a winter coat. This is your wedding band. God willing, you will be wearing this the rest of your life. Get the one that makes your heart sing.” It only LOOKS extravagant but I still got an amazing deal on it. (I always go for a sale!) So, these are the rings that represent our love and commitment and I am so happy to wear them. They do make my heart sing! ❤️
\n“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6 NIV\n", "date_published": "2018-11-10T02:30:16-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/10/the-decision-process.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Love","Presence","Choices","Change","Wedding"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/09/remaining-hopeful-in-a-hopeless.html", "title": "Remaining Hopeful in a Hopeless World", "content_html": "
![\"News](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e5176b3168.jpg\")
“When the news is on fire, how do you stay hopeful?”
We awoke yesterday to the news of yet another mass shooting. We are only three days out from another season of hateful politics. Glaciers are melting and species are disappearing. Computers can generate images that are easily passed off as truth. China just released the first AI news anchor. There will come a time when we won’t be able to tell what’s real and what isn’t. There’s so much death and destruction, murder and mayhem, and just pure evil in this world. How do you remain hopeful in a world like this?
\nI was reading some comments yesterday on a news post. One after another, people expressed hopelessness. I just read that a college student was supposed to go to the place in Thousand Oaks but she had homework. As a child, she went to a school in Colorado where a gunman broke in, took hostages, and eventually killed a girl then himself. She asked her mother why death followed her so much. There were people at the dance hall who had been at the concert in Vegas that was attacked. How on earth do you remain hopeful in circumstances like this?
\nCompound all this with grief and it is SO easy to become hopeless. To succumb to sadness and depression. I mean, here I am…the perennial cheerleader…the veritable Pollyanna, as Mr. Virgo called me. I’m weary of all this negativity. It’s beyond negative. It’s evil.
\nI can’t just stick my head in the sand. I can’t stick my fingers in my ears and yell “LA LA LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” I can’t cover my eyes and pretend I don’t see what’s going on. That isn’t productive. It isn’t healthy. And it’s not realistic. Granted, I don’t watch TV so one might say I am practicing avoidance. I say I’m being selective. I choose my media outlet based on who I feel gives the most fair and unbiased news reporting. I cross check sources and references. I Google things I am skeptical about. I practice critical thinking. En masse. It’s tedious. It’s time consuming. But it’s the only way I can keep my senses from being barraged and eventually overwhelmed.
\nI look at the world through the lens of my faith. I am a Christian. And I am a Liberal Democrat. I have not looked up the statistics, but I am sure I am in the minority…looked at distrustfully by both sides. And therein lies the problem. Sides. Division. US against THEM. Divisiveness is encouraged. Chaos is a smokescreen. The enemy is very, very busy now.
\nWhen I find myself feeling mired down by all the hatred in the world, I remind myself…I’ve read the Book. I know how this story ends. The light prevails over darkness. Faith, hope, and love. God tells us love is everything. It is behind every commandment. We are to love God with every ounce of strength we have. And, we are to love our fellow man as we love ourselves.
\nThe enemy whispers doubts and delusions. Yes. There are evil things happening. Yes, there is darkness all around. But, I can put light out there. I can find ways to bring God’s light into the world. I can carry the love of Jesus in my heart and let Him shine through my thoughts and actions. And if I can do that, others can do that. The enemy wants me to believe I am the only one trying to make the world a better place. He says things like, “Why are you even bothering?” He is whispering lies meant to break me, to discourage me. But I won’t be discouraged. I’ll WALK STRONG as long as there is a breath in me. I will always look up. I will seek God’s face. I will ask for his comfort and guidance. I will pray for discernment to show me what is true and what is not. But most of all, I will trust Him. Because of His promises to me. He has never, EVER failed me. And that, my friends, is how I remain hopeful in this fallen world. ❤️
\n“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22 NIV\n", "date_published": "2018-11-09T02:30:21-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/09/remaining-hopeful-in-a-hopeless.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/07/election-day-and-the-bbc.html", "title": "Election Day and The BBC", "content_html": "\n
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8b31a94f95.jpg\")
“The colors at the farm were amazing!”
I left after breakfast to head to the polling place. When I got there, the digital system to sign attesting your eligibility to vote was not functioning properly. It would not take my signature. We fiddled with it for over fifteen minutes till the gentleman finally held the connecting wire in exactly the right position. Once it accepted my signature, I turned and faced a sea of faces. Apparently, I was not the first to have difficulty signing in. There must have been 30 people sitting around waiting for their turn at the computer screen to vote.
\n![\"Farmhouse](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/26059899e7.jpg\")
“I love this little red farmhouse and how it looks in the fall colors.”
Getting out to vote today had another distinct advantage. I got to meander about the countryside and enjoy the beautiful colors again. I loved watching the leaves rain down, filtering through the sunlight creating a dazzling display of red, gold, and yellow sparkles. Looking in the readies mirror, I could see the leaves kicked up by the truck and they spun around and around behind me.
\n![\"Camper](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3379ae0d73.jpg\")
“There is Joy…still under her tarp. I have to get her moved to the Ponderosa and try to get something done with her before it gets too cold.”
![\"Autumn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bb5fc08cdb.jpg\")
“This looks like a painting, but it’s a photo I took on my way home from the farm last evening as the sun was setting.”
Sure enough, the call came through. The producer connected me to the live line so I could hear the show as it progressed. The interviewer played a segment of an interview earlier in the day, then went live to the three of us being interviewed. Two men and myself. I truly enjoyed listening to their responses because I was amazed at how similar our experiences were. Our segment lasted about half an hour. I listened back and I think it went very well. You can listen to it here. Our segment begins a few seconds after 22:27. ❤️
\nhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000zxg
\n“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” Psalm 126:5-6 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-11-07T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/07/election-day-and-the-bbc.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Hope","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Peace","Humbled","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Be Joyful!","Press"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/05/home-again-home-again.html", "title": "Home Again, Home Again...", "content_html": "![\"Road](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/103242fe21.jpg\")
“Riding shotgun gives me beautiful views as well as time to knit.”
What a day! I am most fortunate that Mr. FixIt drove all the way home so I could sit and knit and talk and look at the GORGEOUS colors! The trees are at their peak right now.
\n![\"Hand](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/87772d4039.jpg\")
“Knitting socks as we drove through the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains.”
We only had one hold up coming home. There had been a fender bender and before they could get it cleared, there were two more in the resulting slow down and congestion. We were only delayed by about ten minutes. Nothing else happened till we were 45 minutes from home.
\nI had been texting with the friend we were with when they hit the deer last week. She texted, “Don’t hit any deer!” I hadn’t even looked up from my phone when Mr. FixIt hit the brakes and swerved. I heard a tiny thump but we didn’t run over anything. He said a deer was just starting to cross the road and he though he had just grazed her. We pulled over where there was adequate light and there was no damage whatsoever.
\nAs we headed out our road, someone flashed their lights to warn us of something ahead. There was another deer…hit and injured, but not dead. That’s the worst because I hate to see them suffer. I did not take my pistol with me on this trip so there was no putting her out of her misery. I needed to get her off the road to prevent an accident. I pulled her by her front legs and she bleated like a lamb. I’ve never heard a deer make that sound. It just broke my heart. I called 911 and they said they would send someone out to see what they could do for her.
\nI am grateful we made it home safe and sound. Thank you, God! Now, life will get back to normal, right? (Insert laugh track here!) ❤️
\n““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-11-05T02:30:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/05/home-again-home-again.html", "tags": ["Travel","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Presence","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/04/a-day-in-hatteras.html", "title": "A Day in Hatteras", "content_html": "![\"Argosy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/63c8369c9d.jpg\")
“Sweet little Argosy!”
Our last full day on the OBX is in the books and what a beautiful day it was! The day dawned overcast but warm. By the time we were up and had breakfast made, the clouds were gone and there was abundant sunshine. It was looking like a perfect day for what we had planned.
\n![\"Cape](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b1bad6a8f5.jpg\")
“Cape Hatteras Lighthouse”
We headed south for Buxton to see the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. Unfortunately, it was closed for climbing just after Columbus Day so we didn’t get to go inside. But we walked the beach and visited the site where the ashes of Mr. FixIt’s son-in-law were spread in August. We didn’t stay long because that sunshine was just a bit deceiving. The wind had a definite bite to it and my sweetheart didn’t bring a jacket.
\n![\"Yarn\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b3819231d8.jpg\")
“Is there such a thing as TOO MUCH YARN?”
My new hubby knows the things I love. He took me to a house that had the cutest camper in front of it. I’m glad there wasn’t any traffic because he stopped right in front so I could take a picture. He also knows when there is a yarn shop, you look for the nearest parking spot. Such a good man!
\n![\"Cape](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8061a451e5.jpg\")
“Cape Hatteras Lighthouse”
I love when I meet someone and I instantly know they’re special…someone I want to keep in touch with. That was Jenn Johnson. She has the sweetest little shop in Hatteras. Blue Pelican is a gallery and gift shop with a generous portion dedicated to yarn. When you walk in the shop, you are instantly bombarded with great splashes of color. Large windows let the North Carolina sun in and light is reflected from the many displays of handcrafted jewelry and art objects. Then…Mr. FixIt said, “Baby, wait till you see this!” He had just stuck his head in the yarn room.
\n![\"Sunset](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ce12332675.jpg\")
“Sunset on the trees.”
This place was eye candy. There was a lot of yarn packed into a small area and I could have spent a lot more time in there. Everywhere you looked, the colors and textures invited you to come in and play. Samples screamed, “Touch me!” I couldn’t get enough. And, since you can’t get enough yarn, I bought two more skeins for socks. Ok…I’m done. No more yarn till this is knitted up. (Please don’t hold me to that!)
\nThe week is over and we pack up to head home today. I was telling Mr. FixIt, when you first get to the beach, the week stretches out in front of you. And, when the last day comes, you wonder where the time went. We are well rested and happy as a pair of speckled pups. So, home we go. Let the adventures continue! ❤️
\n“You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” Deuteronomy 28:6 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-11-04T02:30:55-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/04/a-day-in-hatteras.html", "tags": ["Travel","Fun","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/10/28/trick-or-treat.html", "title": "Trick or Treat!", "content_html": "![\"Jack-o-Lantern\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6c7ddb4e8e.jpg\")
“Trick or Treat…I’m writing!”
Ok, I’m writing on my honeymoon. There is a reason other than I am absolutely addicted to writing. I was worried that not producing an essay every day as I usually do would cause Facebook’s algorithms to kick in and negatively affect my circulation. And it did. I went from being sent to nearly 2,000 pages to less than 500 in only three days. I have worked so hard to keep my statistics up so that my social media platform is appealing to a publisher. I really can’t let those algorithms tank all the hard work I’ve put in over the last five years.
\nThat being said, we’re only three days into the honeymoon and SO much has happened I just HAD to write. It’s like calling your best friend and filling them in!
\nThe first day, we met up with our friends, Dianne and Bobby. They followed us to Morgantown and, even though it was 42 degrees, we had a blast watching the Mountaineers trounce Baylor, 58 to 14! There was a tragedy at the game, however. During the first quarter, a 49-year-old fan got into a verbal altercation with some people sitting near him. Then, for some unknown reason, he ran to the top of the stadium, climbed the wall, and purposefully jumped over the top falling 60-70 feet to the cement walkway below. At this time, I believe he is still in ICU. It is an absolute miracle that he survived the fall.
\nWe rode to the game from the hotel in our friend’s car. Parking is hard to come by on game day and the people who live near the stadium turn their front yards into impromptu parking lots. At $20 a car, some of them are making $200-400 per home game…football AND basketball. Not a bad side job! We parked in this nice lady’s yard and STILL walked over half a mile to the stadium.
\nOn our way back to the hotel, traffic was terrible and it took well over an hour to get back to the highway. I-69 is crazy and people drive bumper to bumper, three lanes across, at 65-70mph. My heart was in my throat as I sat in the back seat with Dianne. All of a sudden, I heard Bobby yell, “Deer!” I looked over his shoulder in time to see a buck spinning in the roadway directly in front of us and he had no choice but to run right over it. They have a Dodge that sits low to the ground and the impact ripped both the front and back bumpers and a plastic splash guard from underneath that was dragging. We made it back to the hotel and the guys went out and ripped off the broken piece that was dragging. At this point, all the restaurants were closed so we went to a 24-hour WalMart and bought some food, came back the hotel, and ate. We didn’t get to sleep till 2:30 in the morning. Thank you, God…for seeing us safely through such challenges!
\nFriday morning dawned with a chilly, gray sky and light rain. We headed out around 11:00. Our first destination was Colonial Williamsburg. We programmed in the address of the hotel we found…an old Howard Johnson that was clean, safe, quiet, and CHEAP! It was only $59.99 a night…unheard of in that area. Mr. FixIt had mapped out a route that would get us to Williamsburg in about five-and-a-half hours, avoiding DC like the plague. Now, here’s where we both made a tactical error. I programmed in the address of the hotel, and neither of us double-checked the route against an atlas…something we ALWAYS would have done. But, it was our honeymoon and we were busy laughing and talking and telling stories. Before we knew it, traffic was getting really heavy and we took a closer look at where we were. Yup. Washington, DC. Friday night. Rush hour. Only…NOW we were in the middle of a nor’easter and it was getting dark. A trip that should have taken just over five hours ended up taking nearly eleven. We were absolutely fried by the time we got to the hotel.
\nYesterday, we slept in then headed to the breakfast place we went to in the spring when we were on our way home from the beach…Capital Pancakes. It was still good. But not AS good as we remembered it. Then we headed to Colonial Williamsburg and walked a good four miles touring the historic buildings and gardens on the sprawling grounds. This weekend they expected five thousand kids last night and another five thousand tonight…along with their parents…for a big costume parade, Trick or Treating, and live music. The decorations were great fun and the kids were all SO cute dressed in their costumes.
\nWe stopped at a deli on the way home to a so-so meal and vegged out all evening. Today we head to the BEACH!
\nSo, ok…you’re coming along. A little. I’ve got to keep up those numbers…and I can’t NOT WRITE! It’s part of who I am now. We are having fun, but we’ll be especially glad to get to the beach house and just chill out for a week. Hope you hare having a great weekend! ❤️
\n“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-10-28T01:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/10/28/trick-or-treat.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Fun","Gratitude","Love","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/10/24/stress-tired-attitude.html", "title": "Stress + Tired = Attitude", "content_html": "![\"Speak](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ec0366fa5a.jpg\")
“The tongue can wreak havoc in any relationship.”
What do you get when you mix two tired people working hard to meet a deadline? Well, sometimes you get a snarky remark and an even snarkier comeback. Neither of which are constructive or useful. How many times have I written that the tongue can wreak havoc in a relationship? Yet, there I was…Queen of the Snarky Retort.
\nI knew right away I didn’t speak life into the situation. And I immediately went to Mr. FixIt and apologized. Sincerely.
\nWhile this has been a wonderful time with the wedding and all, it’s also been stressful trying to get everything done and we are both desperately looking forward to our time away.
\nIt’s perfectly normal to have moments of frustration when you’re living in close proximity with another human. How you deal with differences says a lot in how successful your relationship will be. Admitting your weaknesses, asking forgiveness, and praying for guidance goes a long way toward maintaining harmony in the home. If you fight, you need to fight fair.
\nMr. FixIt is an extremely easygoing man. He has been understanding when I write every night. He’s a TV watcher. I am a writer. We do our own thing after dinner and reconnect later. That being said, we are about to embark on our honeymoon. And as much as I love you all, and as much as writing is the same as breathing for me, I’ve decided y’all are just going to have to sit this one out. I’m going to schedule a scripture to post everyday while we are gone so you have something to ponder. Please feel free to talk amongst yourselves here on my blog. I love when you all interact and support one another.
\nI’ll be back on Election Day! ❤️
\n“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,” Ephesians 4:26 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-10-24T01:30:21-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/10/24/stress-tired-attitude.html", "tags": ["Health","Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Anger","Forgiveness","Humbled","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/10/16/the-harder-side-of-love.html", "title": "The Harder Side of Love", "content_html": "![\"Holding](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6bfa10efb4.jpg\")
“This is what true love looks like.”
“Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].” 1 CORINTHIANS 13:7 AMP\nI received a call Sunday that my sweet Aunt Viv crossed over to meet our Lord. Aunt Viv has always had a heart of gold. I remember her holding Daughter #2 on her lap and singing “Jesus Loves Me” to her when she was just a bitty thing.\n
Aunt Viv met my Uncle “Dudley” when they were in high school. She was a majorette. He was on the football team. They both had excellent role models growing up and their marriage was built to last. Like my grandparents, my aunt and uncle sit beside each other and hold hands. It’s precious to see.
\nAs Aunt Viv slid further and further into dementia, I encouraged my uncle to at least consider respite care so he could get some sleep. The last two years have been terribly difficult and he often went for days on very little sleep. They did finally get some help in the form of home health care, but he pooh-poohed the idea of placing his sweetheart somewhere other than the home they built together.
\nThe other night I was having my quiet meditation time. I read my devotionals and had a quiet conversation with God.
\n“Lord, I am about to be married again. There were times in my past marriages when I wasn’t very good to my husband. Can you help me be a better wife? Can you show me what that means?”
\nImmediately this picture popped into my head and I went through my phone to find it. Suddenly, I had this brilliant insight. Here I was, encouraging my uncle to send his beloved wife away when God was using him to show us all what true, Godly love looks like. He was showing us what “in sickness and in health” really means. I was humbled and ashamed. I immediately wanted to hug my sweet uncle and thank him for being the excellent role model he was and to apologize for ever speaking to him in such a way. What an amazing, strong man.
\nThis is not to say there is anything wrong with people who make the difficult choice to put their loved one in a nursing home. Everyone has their own beliefs and abilities and no one should ever be made to feel guilty for having made that decision. It takes a lot out of a person to do what my uncle has done. I hate that he is so worn down. But I love that he stuck by his bride and held her hand for sixty-two years…right to the end. I think there will be an extra star in his crown when he joins her one day. ❤️
\n", "date_published": "2018-10-16T01:30:19-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/10/16/the-harder-side-of-love.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Courage","Humbled","Aging","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/10/11/thanking-god.html", "title": "Thanking God", "content_html": "![\"Wedding](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2ad6903ab7.jpg\")
“The wedding tent!”
“Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children’s glory completely.” Romans 8:19 NCV\nI hadn’t even had my coffee yesterday morning when I heard the diesel dually pull into the driveway just beyond TOW-Wanda’s door. I felt a thrill in my veins. \n
“They’re here!” I thought. “The tent men are here.”
\nSure enough, two guys in a pickup with a great big tent rolled up in the back were waiting for directions as to where to erect said structure. I walked out in the field and showed him the site Mr. FixIt and I had chosen the night before. I want the tent positioned so people turning in from the main road will have a straight on view.
\nIt wasn’t 30 minutes and they had the tent up. They forgot to bring the sides to protect from the rain, so the owner of the tent company brought them later. I was thrilled to see him. You see, Andy grew up two houses from me. I am ten years older than him but I remember him as a little boy. His dad used to have a little carnival and concession business that turned into a tent rental enterprise. When I was a little girl, Andy’s dad used to store his carnival rides in the yard behind their house. He had a cotton candy machine on the back porch. Sometimes he would start it up and give all the neighborhood kids free cotton candy. It was a pleasure to visit with Andy and talk about the old days in the neighborhood.
\nThe tent hadn’t been up two hours when it started raining. We were going to decorate the tent but it was too wet. I went to town for my final fitting and brought the dress home with me! It’s hanging here in TOW-Wanda. It’s supposed to rain all day today. I’m looking forward to a lay low day of doing nothing. Mr. FixIt and I are exhausted. We need to rest up for the two days ahead!
\nThursday…Friday….SATURDAY!!! ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-10-11T01:30:34-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/10/11/thanking-god.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Presence","Be Joyful!","Wedding"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/10/06/man-make-fire.html", "title": "Man Make Fire", "content_html": "
![\"Bonfire\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a64ffcbb9e.jpg\")
“Mr. FixIt stirring the fire.”
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 NIV\nYesterday was a long, l-o-n-g day. I put 44 pounds of pork butt in the smoker at noon and finally sat down at 9:00 with the pork off the bone and in the freezer and the dishes only half washed.\n
Mr. FixIt tried starting the brushfire at 5:00 and it didn’t start burning till 7:00. When I came out at 9:00, he had quite the blaze going so we pulled up a couple of chairs and relaxed. We haven’t had a fire all summer so this was really nice.
\nI’m telling you, there’s nothing like planning a wedding to get long-neglected chores finished on the ol’ homestead. I told him last night we should get married more often! He took a load of junk to the scrap yard and has the trailer ready to load up more today. The fellow who was supposed to get our hay bales for seating called last night to say he couldn’t find any. So…now to Plan B.
\nThe one thing I used to tell the brides when I was helping them plan their weddings…go into the day knowing that it will not look exactly like you have pictured it every day since you were ten. You have to go with the flow. In that vein…I’ll just take a deep breath and remember it’s going to be beautiful. I’ll find hay somewhere! Or not. ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-10-06T01:30:27-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/10/06/man-make-fire.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Presence","Wedding"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/10/03/instant-gratification.html", "title": "Instant Gratification", "content_html": "
![\"Monarch](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5abc39baad.jpg\")
“The only monarch butterfly I have seen in WV in the four years I’ve been back, and it was lying dead in the field. I was to harvest milkweed pods this year and try to bring some monarchs back.”
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”\n\nSo, yesterday I told you I’m a “risk-taking storyteller”. I’m sure it’s no surprise to any of you who have been following me for some time if I tell you…I am also “Instant Gratification Girl”! If I can’t get it done yesterday, I’ve been known to pitch a hissy fit. Patience has never been my forte. \nEphesians 4:1-3 ESV
I stopped praying for patience a long time ago when I figured out God was sending me MANY situations in which to practice. I know I’m not fooling Him one bit, but I do thank Him for what little patience I DO have.
\nI may have told you this story before. I’ve told so many, it’s hard to remember. When I was a little girl, I desperately wanted a pair of black, patent leather Mary Janes. Mom took me to the shoe store and the only pair they had left was a half size too small. When my mom told the man we’d keep looking. I had a major meltdown. To my little overdramatic self, that meant I would NEVER, EVER get them! Mom caved and bought them for me and forced me to wear them for a month till I was broken of that behavior.
\nWell, maybe.
\nMonday evening, I went over to Mr. FixIt’s and mowed till it got too dark to do it safely. I went in to get a cold drink and was sitting on the sofa when I saw them. An army of stink bugs! Do you think either of us could have possibly remembered what arrives in WV on the 1st of October? Nooooooo. Hot on their stinky little heels will be the Asian Lady Bugs. Oy! Both of these little boogers swarm en masse and I can just imagine myself walking down the aisle looking like a Ninja as they swarm and land in my hair!
\nBreathe.
\nOmmmmmmmMyGosh!!!!
\nI put an urgent message out on FB. “Is there anything to keep these things at bay for a few hours?” I got lots of suggestions, including changing the wedding date. No! Absolutely not! I want my “patent leather shoes”, darn it!
\nHere’s how I’m going to deal with this. We’ve managed to pull together a beautiful wedding in less than a month. The average cost of a wedding in the US today is $27,000. Ours is going to be gorgeous for far less than 10% of that. (Did I tell you I used to do this for a living? Mr. Virgo taught me well!) Everything is ordered. The tent comes the 10th giving us plenty of time to decorate it. I’m going to smoke the pork butts this weekend for the pulled pork, bag it and pop it in the freezer till Wednesday. Then late Saturday morning it goes in a slow oven to finish off. I have plenty of helpers coming that Friday and Saturday. I have a final fitting on the dress next Wednesday and it will be ready to pick up Friday. We can get the coleslaw and buns that afternoon. The sodas go in the fridge Friday and on ice in the galvanized tubs Saturday. The photographer arrives at 2:00. The cake gets delivered at 3:00.
\nSee? Everything that I CAN control is under control. The rest of it I can do nothing about. Weather OR bugs. And…it will be perfect. I was thinking about this “instant gratification” thing and my word for the year….presence…popped into my head. This is my last wedding. Seriously. I’m never doing this again. I want to stay in the moment and memorize it all. We want to enjoy this, not stress out about it. So, that’s just what I’m going to do.
\nI really didn’t like those patent leather Mary Janes anyway. ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-10-03T01:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/10/03/instant-gratification.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Choices","Change","Wedding"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/09/20/the-velvet-blue-of-dusk.html", "title": "The Velvet Blue of Dusk", "content_html": "
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cd1d47f098.jpg\")
\n“\"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 ESV\nThis is the time of year where the days are noticeably shorter, yet the weather still screams “summer”. After a lovely day at the farm, Mr. FixIt and I had to drive back over to his house to get my truck. He has a job to do in town the next few days and we didn’t even think of having two vehicles till yesterday afternoon. I love having him around. I also love some alone time at the farm. I have the best of all worlds. \n
I threw some old carrots out on the lawn where the deer were gathered the other night. I sat out on the front porch at sunset to watch for them to come get their treat. As I sat there waiting, I tuned my ears to the sounds around me. There was a cardinal darting in the underbrush along the creek….chattering at the cats who must be nearby. Tree frogs, katydids, and locusts provided a chorus for free. I haven’t heard crickets here like I usually do. They didn’t show up at the Ponderosa till earlier this month. I thought that was odd.
\nI heard a passenger jet flying high overhead as we are on a flight path to somewhere. The occasional vehicle passes. Thankfully the traffic has slowed considerably due to the stage of construction on the pipeline and compressor station. And, of course, the condition of the road warrants slowing down.
\nThere are very few flowers in bloom now. There is some sort of small purple flower in the ditch along the driveway. Some leaves are changing already. The dogwood have hints of pink and crimson. The berries on them aren’t red yet. There are little flashes of yellow at the tips of some branches on the hillside across the road. The incessant humming of the refrigerator is in the background.
\nThis is the time of year when I am called out to the front porch to soak in every moment I can before Jack Frost sends me indoors. There wasn’t a breath of a breeze. The humidity was nearly 60%. It was still 84 degrees at 7:00pm. A Jenny Wren scolded the neighbor as he took his dog for a walk around the perimeter of his property. The wild turkeys in the woods across the way have gone to roost.
\nAnother day is done. I’ve avoided the news. I’ve embraced the peaceful surroundings at the farm. I’ve seen pictures loved ones have shared. This little one had her first day of Girl Scouts. That one is recovering from surgery. Another one was out feeding the chickens. I am filled with grace and a peace beyond understanding. It is well. It is well…with my soul. ❤️
\n\n
\n", "date_published": "2018-09-20T01:30:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/09/20/the-velvet-blue-of-dusk.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Presence","Change","The Cats"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/09/19/strawberry-jam-and-biscuits.html", "title": "Strawberry Jam and Biscuits", "content_html": "
![\"Berry](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2bbb891de3.jpg\")
“Berry Baskets bring back special memories of my grandparents’ farm.”
“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.” Hebrews 3:4 NIV\nOne of the things I stumbled upon at the Country Living Fair over the weekend were these sweet little berry baskets. Oh, my...did they bring back memories! When I was a little girl, my uncle was going to college at WVU majoring in Vocational Agriculture. He was always doing something around the farm to help my grandparents. He added the cinder block building with a cistern to collect the rainwater from the roof for drinking water. There was a well here on the property and it had wonderful, sweet water...until they capped the old oil and gas wells on the property. Something they did caused the aquifer to fracture and the water became briny and undrinkable. For a long time, we had to drive several miles with two big milk cans and haul water from a local spring. Then Uncle Bud helped my grandparents build the cistern and we finally got good drinking water on the farm again.\n
My uncle also put in a septic system, built a basement, rolled the house on top, build a cinderblock bathroom and we joined the civilized folks with indoor plumbing. I was about six years old when all this occurred. After the barn, the cow shed, and the pig stye were built, the next thing on the agenda was to try to make this land not only support us, but pay us. Uncle Bud planned out and planted a huge strawberry patch up on the hill. He and my great grandfather built a nice structure with a long window down one side. The window was hinged and opened outward to make an overhanging awning with a counter. The pickers would bring flats of strawberries to this shed to be sorted and cleaned to take to the Farmer’s Market in town. At the corner of the building was a huge water tank that collected water from the roof of the strawberry shed to be used to clean the berries.
\nThese little berry baskets took me right back to those long summer days spent out at the farm…the very farmhouse I am sitting in as I write this. Oh, those berries were the sweetest things I had ever tasted. You didn’t even need sugar. They were deep red all the way through. And they were huge! One filled my little hand. Grandma wouldn’t let me pick them because I had a tendency to eat the berries and step on the runners. Runners are what makes more plants and more plants means more berries which translates to direct profit. I was relegated to the kitchen to cook for the pickers…which served me well as I got older. I learned to cook at grandma’s elbow…standing on the red kitchen stool.
\nGrandma made big, fluffy buttermilk biscuits and would slice them open, slather them with fresh churned butter and sugar, then add a good portion of sliced strawberries. She always had a jar of top cream in the fridge and would whip that with a hand cranked egg beater and add a little sugar and vanilla. Then she would spoon out this soft whipped cream on the top of our little biscuit “shortcakes” for a dessert fit for a queen. What I would give to have one of those…made by her loving hands and served with a peck on the cheek. I miss my grandma so much and feel closest to her here in the home of her heart.
\nWe were planning to come to the farm today to mow anyway, but last evening my cousin called to say someone had been seen sleeping on the porch of the community building down the road. I started to ask if we could just come on out last night, but I stopped mid-sentence. It was almost dark and we’d already had a busy day. Mr. FixIt picked up on it though. He asked if I wanted to come out right then and I really did. We packed up the truck and off we came. It is worrisome to drive these country roads after dark. There are so many deer out at dusk and the early night hours. When we pulled into the driveway, the only company we had at the farm were four deer out on the front lawn. I was a little worried because the front porch light was burned out, but that was quickly fixed and nothing had been disturbed.
\nWe stay here often enough to let people know the place is occupied. There’s someone here every day between us and my cousins. We were going to go camping this weekend, but staying here at the farm is as good as any vacation for me. The memories are as thick as buttermilk here and there is truly no place like home for this hungry heart of mine. ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-09-19T01:30:20-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/09/19/strawberry-jam-and-biscuits.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Grace","Wisdom","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/09/02/days.html", "title": "2,000 Days", "content_html": "
![\"Meme\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a32a76f6bc.jpg\")
“2,000 Days”
“(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:) Job 8:9 KJV\nFor a long time after losing Mr. Virgo, I marked the timeline of my grief by significant dates. The first anniversary without him came just three weeks after he died. That was a tough one. First Halloween marked when we met. The first time I celebrated his birthday alone was terribly sad. First Thanksgiving, first Christmas...the list went on and on and I was convinced when the first “angelversary” of his death came around, I could turn a corner on this grief thing. Needless to say, that didn’t happen.\n
The seconds were worse for me than the firsts. Because, the first year I was in a fog. The second year I was awake and he was still gone. It was deeply painful. It was desperately lonely. I was exceedingly angry. Each day led me forward, ever so slowly, toward…what? Healing? Peace? Acceptance? It wasn’t easy. Somewhere along the line, 1,000 days passed and I wrote about my experiences along the way. Still marking the calendar of grief.
\nNow it’s been 2,000 days. Unbelievable. It seems like forever ago. It seems like yesterday. It sometimes even seems like he was a dream and I never really had him. I think that’s fairly normal, from what I have heard from you all over the years. I can’t remember his voice anymore. I struggle to picture his hands. He’s like a really good movie that I loved and watched over and over till I memorized all the words…then lost the disk. I’ll never see that particular movie again, but I remember how much I enjoyed it.
\nI still get waves of grief. They don’t hit nearly as hard as they used to, and they don’t last nearly as long, thank God. I notice them most when I am tired or not feeling well. I’ve learned so much about myself since he died. I’ve become much stronger. My world is brighter now that I’ve passed through all those days. I have new love. But I will never lose my old love. I have them both. I am a widow and a partner. I grieve and I rejoice.
\nI have greater compassion now. For others. For myself. I know not everyone has a new love. Not everyone wants it. Women are perfectly capable of being widowed and still lead a fulfilling life. One does not need a partner to be rich in love. Women can be remarkably resilient and strong all on their own.
\nSo, it’s been 2,000 days. Remarkable…yet another ordinary day. The seas are much calmer this far from the shore. ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-09-02T01:30:41-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/09/02/days.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/08/31/here-i-go-again.html", "title": "Here I Go Again...", "content_html": "
![\"Storage](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/66e8c1e0c9.jpg\")
“All that’s left of forty year’s accumulation.”
“a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,” Ecclesiastes 3:6 NIV\nThis stuff was out of sight, out of mind for much of the last three years. My very sweet friend, Steve, let me store this in his basement. He seldom went down there, it was clean and dry, and it was safe and secure. On occasion, I would go over and gather a few boxes and bring them to the farm. Winter clothes, camping gear, important papers, pictures...little by little, things were sorted and either saved or sent on to live with someone else via a charitable organization.\n
Steve was never in a hurry to reclaim the space I was using because, as a widower, he didn’t have any more enthusiasm for going through things than I did. Over the years, his kids have brought things to store and the basement became more and more crowded and cluttered. Last Christmas was the straw that broke the camel’s back when he had to crawl over things to get to his outdoor decorations. We agreed I would have everything out this summer. As you know, summers are so hot and sticky in West Virginia. And I traveled a lot. And I had surgery. And Steve works weird hours. One thing led to another and I didn’t get it done. I promised everything would be out by the end of August.
\nSo, there it is. Other than a few things at the Ponderosa, my two campers, and my pickup…everything I own is sitting right here. This is all that’s left after the purging of forty years of accumulation and selling my house. It’s been a full four years since I downsized and I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I need to be happy. I thought I’d share a few observations here today.
\nI’ve learned downsizing is not for everyone. That’s ok. People love their stuff. They worked hard for it. They find comfort in it. I get that. I was really on a bandwagon when I faced downsizing, not only as a lifestyle choice, but as a necessity. I preached “Live with less!” Vehemently. My fervor hasn’t died for me personally, but I now realize I came across as perhaps a little insensitive to those who cherish their personal belongings. If that is you, I apologize.
\nI have a few…but very few…regrets. First, if I had known my stint at the farm helping out my elderly aunt was only going to last 10 weeks, I very likely wouldn’t have purchased such a big travel trailer. I really miss Little TOW-Wanda. At 16’, she was easy to pick up and go with at a moment’s notice. Not so much with the big behemoth that is TOW-Wanda Grande. Second, there are a few pieces of furniture I parted with that I would love to have now. But, I never would have dreamed I would fall in love again and live the life I am living now. Besides, I really do have everything I need.
\nAnd, speaking of falling in love again, I have a significant other who hasn’t fallen in love with the idea of simplifying…yet. We are in the early stages of discussing the merits of downsizing, and he is beginning to understand that means you don’t get to keep everything. I totally understand where he is with that. I held onto my stuff for a long, long time…even when my spouse(s) hated the clutter. Mr. FixIt is coming around. It has to be at his pace, at his comfort level, or I’ll come across as trying to make him get rid of everything. I remember what that feels like and it’s isn’t nice.
\nWhen you have less stuff to take care of, you have more money and time to get out and enjoy the fun things in life. That is the best lesson I’ve learned from my own experience downsizing.
\nRemembering to be grateful for what I DO have keeps me from missing what I don’t. It keeps me thinking in terms of abundance rather than deprivation.
\nNow I face these boxes. Part of me says if I haven’t opened them in four years, what possible use do I have for their contents? I could just take them to a shelter…or to the dump. But, of course, I cannot do that. I have to go through them. I can, and will, be ruthless as I pick and choose what must be kept, what can be given to family members who would appreciate the memories, and what can go to someone else who will love them as much as I did. This is now my cold weather project. I’ll have it done as soon as possible because, I had the farmhouse clean and neat and tidy. I want it back that way quickly.
\nI find an uncluttered environment equates to an uncluttered life for me. It eases my mind and will certainly make things easier for whoever will be in charge of going through my stuff when I’m dead and gone. I promised myself, and my kids, that I would never leave them with a mess like I was left with when my mom died. As wonderful as she was, she was a pack rat of the highest order and it was such a chore to clean out her house AND deal with the grief of losing her. I don’t want to do that to anyone. So, here I go again! ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-08-31T01:30:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/08/31/here-i-go-again.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","TOW-Wanda!","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Wisdom","Presence","Downsizing","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/08/02/all-things-green.html", "title": "All Things Green", "content_html": "
![\"Green](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f988b5f995.jpg\")
“West Virginians cook their green beans for hours with bacon or salt pork and onion, salt, and pepper. The house smells divine!”
“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”\nHebrews 3:4 NIV\nOne of my fondest memories is sitting as a little girl on the front porch of the farm house, my grandma in the chair to my left. She had the beat up lid of an old roasting pan turned over in her lap and it was filled with washed green beans fresh from the garden. These were old fashioned string beans, not the stringless bush bean variety you find nowadays. They were a bit more work to prepare. You took a paring knife and cut the tip of one end almost all the way through and pulled. This removed the long, stringy piece from down one side. Then you turned the bean over and did the same thing from the other end. Then you snapped the bean in half, or thirds, with one hand and dropped them in a cooking pot.\n
When you were done, you rinsed the beans again, and filled the pot with clean water to barely cover the beans. You cut up an onion or two and threw that in along with a few pieces of ham, salt pork, or fried bacon and the grease they were fried in. You might add a little black pepper and salt if the bacon wasn’t too salty. You covered the pot and set it to simmer midmorning, adding water when necessary. Come suppertime, the house smelled wonderful and the beans were nice and tender. Here in West Virginia, we COOK our green beans. None of this crispy “al denté” stuff! Oh, there’s nothing like green beans cooked Grandma style.
\nWe have had rain every day this week and are expected to have more for the next ten days. The yards and fields have all been mowed, and while there are a thousand things we could have done over at the Ponderosa yesterday, I awoke with one thing in mind…rain on the tin roof of my favorite farmhouse in the world. I asked Mr. FixIt if he’d like to spend a couple days over here and he is such an accommodating guy. He knows how much I love it here. And, while I certainly don’t need his permission and could come here anytime I want, I do so enjoy it when he is with me. So, we packed up a cooler with some chicken I cooked the day before and some other sundries, grabbed our usually-always-packed overnight bags, and headed for the farm.
\nMr. FixIt had stopped at the produce stand Sunday afternoon and bought some fresh green beans. Ours didn’t grow in our garden this spring and we’ve been hungry for them. Unfortunately, when we opened the bag to cook them, they were all moldy. We were so disappointed. Then I remembered the neighbor across the road saying he had canned all the beans he was going to can out of his garden and I was welcome to come pick some whenever I wanted. It was pouring the rain down when I donned my boots, grabbed a big golf umbrella and a bowl and headed across the road. My neighbor’s garden is surrounded with electric fencing to keep the critters out of his garden. He said the other day he made the mistake of touching it when he was mowing and the new, higher power charger really packs a punch so I was extra careful. I unplugged the charger and tried to open the circuited gate wire, but I wasn’t strong enough and there wasn’t enough slack. I remember him telling me he had a solar charger and I wasn’t completely certain I wasn’t dealing with “hot” wires. The gated wire was low enough that I could step over it so I did so, gingerly. I set to picking and had to sort through older, woody beans to find younger, more tender ones and soon had a bowl full.
\nI retraced my steps, being careful not to brush the wires, in case they were live, and plugged everything back in. I cleaned the beans like Grandma taught me, remembering her old, knotty fingers working over them, and soon had a whole “mess” of beans to cook up. Mr. FixIt had fried up the bacon for me while I was picking so I dumped that, and the bacon grease for good measure, into the pot. I forgot to bring an onion so I added onion powder, a little salt, and some black pepper and set the pot on the back burner to simmer. Before long, the familiar smells of my youth began to waft through the house. I had stretched out on Grandma’s bed for a little snooze, which came easily to the tune of the steady drumming of rain on the tin roof and the fans that circulated cool air through the house. It was heavenly!
\nSupper consisted of the pre-cooked chicken heated up in a skillet with a little butter, a couple ears of corn, a fresh tomato from the Ponderosa garden cut in chunks, and the divine green beans with bacon. Top that off with a cold beverage while sitting on the front porch watching the rain and you have a meal worth more to me than any Five Star restaurant in the world! After supper, Mr. FixIt and I played Uno with his new set of cards that my brother sent him from Colorado. I am telling you what…that was a perfect day right there.
\nAs I wrote this last night, I was propped up with all the pillows on my Grandma’s bed, watching the rain and the evening birds at the feeder outside the bedroom window. Mr. FixIt was watching the evening news then Big Bang reruns. After the terrible news of the past couple of days, this was a welcome respite. My friend Jea is still very much on my mind and every time I think of her, I send up prayers for peace and whatever comfort she could possible attain in all of this. My comfort is knowing she has a relationship with God and that He will never leave her and her family.
\n❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-08-02T01:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/08/02/all-things-green.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","The Farm","Comfort","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/07/27/summers-bounty.html", "title": "Summer’s Bounty", "content_html": "
![\"Garden](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8496dd0cee.jpg\")
“One day’s harvest of fresh tomatoes! I couldn’t grow this many in a whole season in Colorado!”
“Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”\nGenesis 1:29 NIV\nThis is one of the very best things about West Virginia. You can grow just about anything here. The growing season is long, there’s plenty of rain, and the soil is rich. Our tomato plants are producing faster than we can eat these tasty morsels from God. I sent this picture to my son-in-law’s dad yesterday. Ben struggles over his garden, tending his plants with loving care, only to see them be destroyed by drought, hail, and vermin over and over. Sue said the picture would just make him sad.\n
I remember gardening in Colorado. I lost a 2,000 square foot garden to frost on June 23rd one year. I’ve stood inside and watched hail turn my garden into something akin to chopped salad in minutes, leaving nothing but sticks behind. I’ve watch as deer, squirrels, and raccoons snack on my veggies like it’s the salad bar at Shoney’s. It’s terribly disheartening. That’s why I started frequenting farmer’s markets and produce stands. I get the fruits and veggies I want and the farmer gets the money in his/her pocket.
\nFor as long as I can remember, I tried to make my way back home to live. I envisioned living on a farm, having a big garden, canning and putting up jams, jellies, pickles, and the like. I finally made it, and now I’m 65. Don’t get me wrong…that’s NOT old. Not really. But, oh…I sure wish I could have lived here when I was in my 30’s. When I had the energy to have animals. When I had the strength to build outbuildings and a barn. I could probably have chickens now if I wanted them, but I travel so often, it isn’t practical.
\nI love living here. I love how green it is. I love the smell of rain on the air and the wonderful aroma of new mown grass. I love the sounds of the many varieties of birds that live in the woods surrounding the house. I love the crickets and cicadas that fill the night with their high pitched sounds. I love how the hills around you hug you close. I love the sounds of the water rushing down the creek outside the bedroom window after a hard rain. And the rain on the tin roof of the farmhouse. I love what humidity does to my skin…making it soft and supple. Oh, yes…I do so love it here. I love Colorado…I really do. I lived there for 40 years and did learn to love it. And I love and miss my Colorado family. But here? Here, I have come home…to myself. ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-07-27T01:30:49-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/07/27/summers-bounty.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/07/25/vaya-con-dios-colorado.html", "title": "Vaya con Dios, Colorado!", "content_html": "
![\"woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c3b35b98be.jpg\")
“Goodbyes are always bittersweet.”
“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”\nPsalm 37:23-24 NIV\nIt is time. Three weeks ago, the time for my visit stretched long before me. And, in the blink of an eye...it is gone. Today I travel home to West Virginia. Goodbyes are always so bittersweet. Oh, how I miss my babies...big and little. How I miss my brother and the rest of my Colorado family and friends. How I miss being nearby and stopping to visit with Mr. Virgo whenever I want. But it can’t be helped. There are so many reasons why I don’t live in Colorado anymore.\n
The main impetus that led my move to West Virginia was two-fold. Economics made Colorado far out of my housing budget and caring for an elderly family member in my home state seemed appropriate. If I would have known that endeavor would have only last ten weeks, I likely would have done things differently. I may have kept my Colorado house and rented it out. I may not have purchased such a big camper. I may have more evenly split my time between Colorado and West Virginia. But, hindsight being 20/20, it is what it is and I wouldn’t have changed a thing if I could.
\nMoving to West Virginia was the path my life needed to take. I needed to feel the freedom of living on my own. I needed to feel the love and connection of caretaking my family farm, which turned out to be the ultimate conclusion of the elder care situation. I needed the social group my hometown afforded me. And, most importantly of all…destiny brought Mr. FixIt and me together! He is such a joy to have in my life and I can’t imagine him not being there.
\nOne of the downsides to living so far away is the limited amount of time my family has to spend bonding with Mr. FixIt. They don’t feel the connection with him that they felt with Mr. Virgo. You can’t develop a loving bond with someone you have a couple of dinners with over a period of a week or so. I understand that. I just hope they can understand my commitment to him and why I live where I do and not near them. It tears at a mother’s (and grandmother’s) heart when you can’t be near them always. The other side of the coin is, travel goes both ways. So do phone calls and texts and FaceTiming. It’s a new time in our lives. A new adjustment. A new phase.
\nI know where they are coming from, though. When my mom lived in West Virginia and I lived in Colorado, it used to drive me crazy. I wanted her to move to Colorado where I could help her more. I wanted her to have access to excellent healthcare. I wanted her close where I could watch over her. I guess what it boils down to is…I wanted more control. (Ahhhh, it always boils down to control, doesn’t it?) My girls saw me struggle to help my mom long distance. They don’t want to have to do that, too. I get that. But, NOW I totally get where my mom was coming from. Whereas I though she was being terribly stubborn and unreasonable, I now see she was living the way SHE wanted to live…WHERE she wanted to live. I wish I could have understood that more at the time. I think I would have been more gentle with her.
\nAt any rate…I have promises from all my Colorado family that we will make a concerted effort to reach out more and stay connected by the various media channels we have access to. And…my sweet and handsome all-time BEST friend in the whole wide world will be standing in Columbus Airport today welcoming me home with the very best hug on the planet!!! I wouldn’t trade that for ANYTHING!
\nVaya con Dios, Colorado…I’ll be back as soon as I can! ❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-07-25T01:30:24-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/07/25/vaya-con-dios-colorado.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Wisdom","Courage","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/07/13/little-me.html", "title": "Little \u0026 Me", "content_html": "
![\"Nana](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e7407d0a24.jpg\")
“Little & Me”
“For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.”\nProverbs 9:11 ESV\nI make it a point to spend one-on-one time with the grandchildren when I visit them in Colorado. Little is my “maker” so yesterday we baked her daddy’s birthday cake. She “painted” on the iPad for quite a while. Then she stayed the night with me over at her paternal grandparents’ house where I stay when I am here.\n
I love the frankness of this child. She tells long tall tales but she also speaks truth that cuts to the chase. She has a way of feeling great empathy and is forever the champion of the underdog. She made me promise to take her to church while I am here. We listened to praise music as we drove around yesterday.
\nToday will be spent doing some sort of art project…not sure what yet. Tonight we celebrate several birthdays and an anniversary. I head to the mountains again this weekend for a good visit with my brother. Just about every day of the rest of my trip here is spoken for. It will be over before I know it. But, we’re making memories here, and that’s the name of the game! ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-07-13T01:30:21-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/07/13/little-me.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","Positive Energy","Fun","Gratitude","Love","Presence","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/07/12/the-pillar-of-truth.html", "title": "The Pillar of Truth", "content_html": "
![\"The](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d46870f9d6.jpg\")
\n“Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 KJV\nOnce upon a time, in a beautiful palace in Heaven, the was a crystal pillar resting on a stand. It was The Pillar of Truth. There were no flaws within this crystal and every angle reflected the perfect truth to its observers. This was a cherished object in Heaven. There were a band of angels whose job it was to polish this stunning pillar til it glistened in the sunlight that filtered into the palace.\n
On occasion, a novice pillar polisher would be needed and some young angel would get the opportunity to become an apprentice. This was a great honor, as all of the truth was held within this stone. The angels took their assignment quite seriously.
\nOne day, a new novice crept into the pillar room to gaze upon the glorious piece. She couldn’t get enough of it during the long hours of polishing so she had to come in alone while the other angels were sleeping. As she stared into the depths of the crystal, she felt she could literally reach inside and learn vast, great things. She reached out and placed her hand on the cold surface and could feel the energy within. She was mesmerized. When she finally pulled her hand away, she could see a distinct smudge on the surface and she was appalled. She whipped out her polishing cloth and rushed forward to wipe away the mess she had made.
\nAs the little angel plunged forward, her toe caught on the hem of her robe and she stumbled into the pillar. It rocked and tipped. She stood there and held her breath, hoping it would right itself, but instead…the great Pillar of Truth tipped over, crashing onto the marble floor into a million gazillion tiny slivers. Oh! What ever was she going to do? Surely the sound of the great crash would bring the other angels running in any minute! She ran to the closet and grabbed a large broom and began to sweep the tiny shards out the door of the palace where they fell onto the surface of a cloud.
\nAs the slivers built up within the cloud, moisture began to gather on them and just as the last dustpan full of shards were dropped onto the cloud, a great strike of lightning and clap of thunder resounded throughout Heaven and a heavy rain began to shower earth.
\nAs the rain came down, everyone on earth came out to look in awe, because every drop of rain held a rainbow…a prism of light reflected off the tiny slivers of The Pillar of Truth. They held their faces up to the warm rain and when they did so, the tiny shards from the pillar pierced their eyes. They felt no pain, but they knew something was different. They knew, without a shadow of a doubt that what they saw, what they knew, what they had learned, and what they believed was THE truth. The ONLY truth
\nAnd this is how it happened that people all over the world, in every walk of life, in every faith, with every dogma came to believe that their way was the ONLY way. That others were wrong if they believed differently. This perceived “truth” fractured the world and caused deep rifts between the many factions of society.
\nI am a Christian. This is how I identify. I love the Lord. I follow Him as best I can. I know I will differ with some. There are many paths in this world. I choose the one with Jesus. I am willing to share mine. I am willing to learn of yours. And, I will not ever tell you you are wrong and only I am right. As far as I know, there has not been a team of investigative journalists go to Heaven, document how it all works, and come back with the evidence. For me, personally…I have faith that there is a Heaven. I believe Hell is the complete absence of God…a place I have been and never wish to return to.
\nEvery branch of Christianity, every walk of faith thinks their way is the only way. They all have a shard from The Pillar of Truth in their eye. What is the exact answer? This is where faith come in. ❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-07-12T01:30:02-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/07/12/the-pillar-of-truth.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Grace","God","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/27/its-popsicle-time.html", "title": "It’s Popsicle Time!", "content_html": "
![\"Popsicle\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f8094cb46b.jpg\")
“There’s nothing more soothing than a Popsicle when you are recovering from surgery!”
“For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord...'”\nJeremiah 30:17 ESV\nI cannot remember a time in my life that didn’t include Popsicles. One of my earliest memories is my mom breaking a twin pop to share with my brother on a hot summer day. Orange was always my favorite, but grape runs a close second. Or is it cherry? I never liked banana. Other than that, it was fair game.\n
As I was recuperating from this surgery, some things became apparent to me. The last time I had surgery was in 1999 when I had my sinuses done. Not a pleasant surgery with nasal splints and sleeping sitting up in a recliner. But still, I was 46. It was a relative walk in the park. As we…ummmm, “ripen”…we don’t bounce back quite as fast as we used to. Anesthesia and 3-4 Vicodin over a 24 hour period and I was toast. The pain was well-controlled, but I just hate the feeling narcotics gives me so I switched to Tylenol. Everything was going along pretty well, except I was really tired. Then, Monday night the pain hit. A burning, stabbing pain deep in the area where the tumor was removed kept me awake all night. I finally drifted off around 5:00am and slept a couple of hours.
\nAs I lay there awake, I read the Bible, did my devotionals, caught up with everyone on Facebook, chatted with my son-in-law’s mom in the middle of the night, and Googled “pain after excisional biopsy of the breast”. It seems to be pretty normal to get to the fourth or fifth day and start feeling some pretty significant twinges in the surgical area. For one thing, all the numbing and anesthesia is completely gone. Things are starting to knit back together and that means some nerve pain as you heal. The area where my tumor was is directly behind the nipple and that is some pretty tender territory. Remember nursing? That little baby latching on with jaws of steel could send you through the roof. Imagine getting sliced and diced in that general area and no sweet baby to distract you.
\nI gave up trying to sleep and headed to town with Mr. FixIt for several errands. When we were finished, we went to the farm so he could finish mowing. I spoke with my uncle on Monday and he and my aunt (his and my mom’s sister) are coming Thursday for an overnight visit. I needed to get the house in tip top shape for company so I spent the afternoon fixing up the three beds with fresh sheets, airing out the house, and sweeping up a winter’s worth of dead Asian Lady Bugs in the upstairs bedrooms. I washed bedding and fluffed and primped everything to perfection. I’m really looking forward to them coming and staying the night. It’s my first family company since I took over the caretaking duties at the farm. This is the aunt who lived at the farm for years and it is her first visit back since she went to live with her brother. I want her to enjoy it and feel pampered.
\nI’ll make them some yummy treats for Thursday. His favorite is yellow cake with penuche frosting. Hers is butterscotch pie. I’m so excited to see them! We’ll drive up the new road behind the farm that goes out to the compressor station they are building. That might be bittersweet for them. I know it is for me.
\nAnd now, the news we have all been waiting for. I received my biopsy report yesterday. The tumor was indeed a fibroadenoma. It is the most common benign breast mass. Benign = NOT CANCER! The other day I was talking about when I was prayed over and anointed. And it turns out to be benign. I want to point out something. Yes, God can still heal. He can perform miracles. AND…there are plenty of wonderful, GOOD Christians who pray faithfully and they still get cancer. Cancer doesn’t play favorites. It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, black or white or any other color of the rainbow. It doesn’t care if you’re a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim or an atheist. It doesn’t care. Something triggers cells to multiply abnormally. It’s as simple as that. My faith tells me God can answer prayers. And sometimes…unfortunately…the answer is no and a bad diagnosis comes. It is one of the horrible thieves that rob us of life and health. I am very grateful that my (and your) prayers were answered in a positive way. Thank you so much for caring. Now I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Just rest and heal and head to Colorado in a week!!! ❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-06-27T01:30:05-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/27/its-popsicle-time.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/24/let-freedom-ring.html", "title": "Let Freedom Ring!", "content_html": "
![\"Freedom](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0683c845fb.jpg\")
“Let Freedom Ring!”
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”\nGalatians 5:1 ESV\nI just finished writing July’s post for the Sisters on the Fly blog. I wrote about the many freedoms we are blessed with beyond Independence Day. The audience for that blog is women campers. There is a certain reservation in my writing there as I am paid to do so. Therefore, I am somewhat constrained in my topics. I always check in with them ahead of time, find out what their theme of the month is, and write accordingly. It’s not like this blog where I speak my heart and my truth. So I’ll write the “Marshmallow Ranch” version of that blog here.\n
Independence Day. The 4th of July is coming soon. Images of family gatherings, cookouts, baseball games, fireworks. That’s what it’s all about, right? Well, yes…and no. In 1776, our forefathers of this nation set forth a document that outlined our beliefs pertaining to our independence from Great Britain. Man made laws that apparently gave us our freedom. However, we were given freedom long, long before this document was drawn up. At least…we were given the choice.
\nWe were given freedom from the weight of our past. Our sins. I am reminded of a weight I used to carry that I finally put down eighteen years ago. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, I had a problem. I was a doctor’s wife and as such, I was highly over treated medically. I was given drugs freely and when I cried out for help, I was stifled. I was given more drugs and more drugs. I took up drinking with a vengeance. I was dying as fast as I could and it wasn’t fast enough so I took two bottles of pills and almost finished the task.
\nThank God, I am a different human being now. I got the help I needed. I found the people who listened. And I got away from the situation that sent me down that path. On occasion, I get a reminder of what that life was really like. Case in point…I had surgery on Thursday and was given a narcotic pain reliever. In such a case, I will take these…reluctantly. But, let me tell you…I am EXTREMELY cautious. I do not like how they make me feel. I don’t like the fuzziness. I don’t like the disconnection from my surroundings. I hate the dry mouth and the upset stomach. And I hate the feeling I get when I stop taking them. Even just taking them for 24 hours, I feel a sinking darkness that comes over me. For the life of me, I cannot understand how I could have taken so much of this stuff back in the day. I couldn’t function. I wasn’t participating in life…in the lives of my family. It is just a sad reminder of what we all went through because a referral pattern is a terrible thing to waste. I was a doctor’s wife, after all. His colleagues had to go above and beyond. It was a brutal time.
\nI will not submit to the yoke of slavery that drugs and alcohol brought into my life. I am judicious in my choices and stand firm in that because quitting was, aside from losing Mr. Virgo, the most difficult thing I ever had to do. Not the quitting itself. I was delivered from that immediately. Navigating the devastation it left behind in my family was where I struggled. It was horrible for everyone involved. I am grateful for this new life…this healing I was given when I gave up and asked Jesus to take over. I will celebrate my Independence Day as January 6th…the day of my overdose. The day I stepped into the void and came out again. Let freedom ring! ❤
\n“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”\n2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV\n \n", "date_published": "2018-06-24T01:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/24/let-freedom-ring.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Wisdom","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/21/flying-my-kite.html", "title": "Flying My Kite", "content_html": "
![\"Flying](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ff97c180d0.jpg\")
“God is the tail of my kite…He anchors me.”
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”\nHebrews 11:1 KJV\nWhen I was a little girl, my daddy always brought me a paper kite at the beginning of summer vacation. It was in a long, narrow plastic sleeve. You got two flat sticks, one long...one shorter...with slots cut in each end. You got a sheet of thin paper and some string. You fastened the two sticks in a cross shape first. Then you stretched your string around from end to end of the sticks, making a kite-shaped frame. You laid the frame on the paper and folded the edges over the string and glued them closed. Once the glue was dried, you attached string loosely from top to bottom and from side to side so you had something to attach the kite to the kite string with. The last thing you did was affix a tail. They didn’t give you this. You usually used some scrap material you had handy. You tore the material into two or three long strips about an inch wide. You cut one or two of the long strips into shorter pieces...maybe 4-5” long. These you tied every 6 inches or so down the long strip. Then you attached that long strip to the bottom of your kite and it became the tail.\n
Have you ever tried to fly a kite without a tail? You can’t. The wind picks it up then it goes around and around in frantic circles until it crashes down to the ground. My dad taught me you had to have an anchor so your kite would fly high and true.
\nLife is like that, isn’t it? You need something to anchor you in life or you just go around and around in circles. I spent a lot of my life unanchored. I crashed and crashed and crashed…over and over. I have heard it said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.” If this is true, how many of us are “insane”?
\nThe secret to flying a kite successfully is letting go. You send the kite up in the air till the wind catches it, then you hold on to this little, tiny string. Not too tight…not too loose. You let the string out as the wind lifts the kite higher and higher. The anchor kept the kite upright and steady.
\nIn my life, I found the only logical thing to do was to make God my anchor. It was He who was the most reliable. He wasn’t going anywhere. I had to participate. I had to hold the string and keep a watch on it as best I could. I had to do what I could to steer it from hazards like trees and electrical wires. I had to learn when to let it out, and when to reel it back. But, I had to let go of the tail. I had to let God do His thing so I could fly high and strong.
\nToday, I am having surgery. It’s not big deal, really. It’s called a “wire-guided excisional biopsy of the right breast”. This lump will be removed and sent to the lab where it will be prepared and observed under a microscope. The pathologist will review the slides and a diagnosis will be given. I am firmly convinced it is benign and we are just exercising an abundance of caution. That being said, no surgery is without risks and I will be getting general anesthesia. I’m not worried though. Because…I understand the risks, I have confidence in my doctors, and I have a really strong tail on my kite. God has this. If it’s good news…awesome. I’m done with it and can get on with my life. If it’s bad news, then God will use whatever comes my way to teach me, mold me, humble me, and remind me to come to Him when things are hard. It really is that simple.
\nI know this because I have faith. ❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-06-21T01:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/21/flying-my-kite.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/20/the-infamous-blueberry-harvest.html", "title": "The Infamous Blueberry Harvest", "content_html": "
![\"Blueberry](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/238d96e0be.jpg\")
“The blueberry bush on The Ponderosa.”
“Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest.”\nGalatians 6:7 GW\nMr. FixIt has a blueberry bush. I’ve never raised blueberries, nor have I seen a blueberry bush. But, he has one and he’s darned proud of that thing. He’s been babying it for years. He had a cage around it to keep the birds and deer away from his beloved blueberries, but over time, the wood rotted and the gizmo collapsed over the winter. This spring, Mr. FixIt (who happens to be a mechanical engineer) drew up plans for a fool proof contraption to replace it. He decided to use PVC pipe, which is brilliant. It won’t rot or get termites. He took off for the hardware store and came back with everything he needed, including bird netting to put around the whole thing. Sixty-five dollars later, he had this impressive cage build and anchored to the ground. There was NOTHING going to ruin his berry harvest this year.\n
The first day I came home and saw this thing out in the field, it vaguely resembled a teeny-tiny batting cage. It really stood out with the stark white of the PVC against the lush green backdrop. So, Mr. FixIt went back to the hardware store for green paint for camouflage. It turned out to be John Deere green, but it was a darn sight better than it was before.
\nWe have checked this little bush every week and were thrilled to see the first green berries begin to form. Finally, yesterday…Mr. FixIt announce it was time to harvest the berries! He asked if I wanted to come along and being that I am ever watchful for blog-worthy moments, I trotted along behind him with my camera. He carried the mixing pitcher that I use for making pancakes. I was excited. I bought pie crusts in anticipation.
\n![\"Blueberries\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/71dd117bfa.jpg\")
“Fat blueberries, ready to harvest!”
With great fanfare, Mr. FixIt carefully lifted the cage off the bush so he wouldn’t knock off any berries, and we set to picking. Well…HE set to picking. I documented the event for posterity. He finished and I peeked into the pitcher. There were forty-nine berries. Well, there were fifty, but one was under-ripe so we tossed it. I pulled out my phone and brought up the calculator. $65.00 for the PVC contraption. $5.00 for the paint. 49 berries. That comes out to $1.53 per berry. Not bad. It reminds me of the Great Tomato Harvest of 2010.
\n![\"Blueberries\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/213b6cabf8.jpg\")
“The Great Blueberry Harvest of 2018!”
Mr. Virgo and I decided we wanted to grow tomatoes. We saw those Topsy-Turvy hanging baskets for growing tomatoes and decided that was the perfect thing for the patio of our rental home in Denver. I bought two of them, because…after all…the commercial showed a huge bumper crop and I’m picturing making salsa! I bought two really big tomato plants because Colorado has such a short growing season and I needed a head start. Add a bag of topsoil and you’ve got $75.00 invested in this little gardening project.
\nMy first problem was trying to plant the tomatoes in the containers. The gigantic root ball would not fit in the small opening in the bottom of the Topsy-Turvy thingy so I had to squeeze and mash the roots up to get it to go through. I filled the container with top solid from the top…about a half bag each. Then I hung the whole shebang from two “S” hooks at the edge of the covered patio. I dragged the hose over and gave them a good soaking and went in the house. When Mr. Virgo got home, I told him to go out and look at my handiwork and he called for me to join him. Apparently, when you add multiple gallons of water to half a bag of topsoil and a tomato plant, things get pretty heavy. The “S” hook stretched out and both the plants and the containers were now lying in a muddy mess on the patio.
\nI picked up the first one and the plant had broken clean off at the roots and wasn’t salvageable. I picked up the second one and half-dragged it out to the old swingset where I wired it up so it wouldn’t fall again. I babied that thing all summer and by the first frost I had….one tomato. My $75 tomato. I could relate to Mr. FixIt’s disappointment.
\nWith thoughts of warm blueberry cobbler and ice cream dissolving right in front of me, I assured Mr. FixIt his berries would taste delicious over our cereal and we will revel in their sweetness. And, we still have a really sturdy blueberry cage to protect NEXT year’s bumper crop! ❤
\n![\"Blueberries](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bbbb2d0daa.jpg\")
“What it lacked in volume, it made up for in flavor!”
![\"Watermelon\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a171132158.jpg\")
“My all time favorite summer thing…watermelon!”
“The LORD is responsible for this, and it is amazing for us to see. This is the day the LORD has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today!”\nPsalms 118:23-24 GW\n#1. Watermelon! OMGosh! When I was pregnant with Daughter #2, I craved watermelon....in January. It’s hard to find good watermelon in the winter but when I did...it was heavenly. I keep looking for the sweetest, juiciest watermelon every year and I have to say, I only get it about two or three times all season. So much of the food I love doesn’t taste like it used to. Partially due to aging taste buds. But I think all this genetic engineering and hybrids have ruined the flavor of so many foods.\n
#2. Hard rains in the late afternoon leaving the evenings cool and breezy. The added bonus of fog clinging to the hillsides is divine. This was Sunday evening. A perfect ending to Father’s Day…playing in the field with Mr. FixIt’s son and one of his grandchildren.
\n#3. Camping. I really love being able to just pull up stakes and head for the hills. I’m hoping to get my little ‘67 Franklin fixed up by next summer so those quick getaways are easier.
\n#4. Visiting my Colorado family. I miss the kids so much. The bigs and the littles. And my brother and friends. It’s hard to be away from them. I’ve never gone this long without seeing them that I can remember. I’ll head west on the Fourth of July!
\n#5. Floating in the pool. I’ve never had a pool. I’ve had a couple of hot tubs, but that’s totally different. Mr. FixIt has a pool and on days when the heat index has been particularly high, going out there with a cold beverage just after the sun goes over the far ridge is truly divine. We stay out till dark, floating and talking and solving the world’s problems. I will miss this when the snow flies. (The water was 89 degrees. It felt like a bathtub, but it was wet!)
\n#6. Sitting on the front porch. Mr. FixIt bought me a rocking chair for my birthday. We went back and got a second one so we can set up the front porch now. The porch is covered and there’s nothing like sitting out on a porch while it’s raining in the summertime.
\n#7. Cookouts. We have only had a couple of cookouts this summer and I am hoping to have more soon. We both love to entertain.
\n#8. Sleeping with the window open. I sleep with the window open year round, even if it’s just cracked a little bit. I need the air. I love hearing the night sounds…crickets, frogs, the whippoorwill, the occasional fox barking or deer snorting.
\n#9. The lush, lush green of summer foliage. West Virginia looks like a jungle about now. My grandma used to say every summer at this time…”We are knee deep in June!” And we are. The garden, the flowers, the shade trees, the thick grass…all heavenly to me.
\n#10. Sun-dried sheets. If you have never had the joy of sleeping on sun-dried sheets, you are honestly missing one of the best things about summer. Nothing smells as good as sheets that have dried in the wind. The summer sun seems to kill any latent bacteria that may be lingering in the fibers and bleaches white sheets till they shine.
\nThe earth holds you close this time of year. The heat, the humidity, the lush green, the smell of freshly cut grass and hay fields, the sweet smell of honeysuckle on a cool evening breeze, the crisp sweetness of summer’s freshest fruit, the feel of clean sheets on dewy skin, the kiss of sun on your face, the splash of freckles across your nose, the wind in your hair driving with the window open, the shock of walking from sweltering heat into air conditioning, the taste of a cold beverage after mowing, the feel of the ground on your bare feet, the sense of adventure when you travel, the crackle of a campfire, the hoot of an owl in the woods nearby. Grief takes all these things away from you. And…one by one…they ease back into your life with an intensity you never noticed before. You never take them for granted again once they return. Summer is truly deep and rich and good. ❤️
\n![\"Fog](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8422d911bd.jpg\")
“I love how the fog clings to the hills after a hard rain cools us down.”
\n
\n", "date_published": "2018-06-19T01:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/19/knee-deep-in-june-my.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/18/sunday-wanderings.html", "title": "Sunday Wanderings", "content_html": "
![\"Bedding](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c45713b6a1.jpg\")
“Zucchini and straightneck yellow squash for the garden.”
\n
“Whatever has happened before will happen ⌊again⌋. Whatever has been done before will be done ⌊again⌋. There is nothing new under the sun.”\nEcclesiastes 1:9 GW\nAfter church and our weekly breakfast out yesterday, we headed to Rural King to look for some more zucchini and yellow squash seeds. For some reason, ours did not germinate. We looked all over that store and couldn’t find any seeds. It was impossible for their vast selection to have been sold so we asked the manager. Turns out, they keep their seed displays only to a certain date, then they donate them to FFA (Future Farmers of America), FHA (Future Homemakers of America), and 4H. I think that’s wonderful, but it left me without zucchini and squash. I have these really great pickles I make with them. You know when you let zucchini and squash get ahead of you and you end up with some really BIG squash that could be mistaken for the Goodyear Blimp? Those squash. You cut them in half, scoop out the pithy, seedy part, and cut the rest into half-inch cubes. Cut onions the same way. Using any typical recipe for bread and butter pickles, mix the green zucchini, yellow squash, and onions with the pickling mixture and process them the same way. OMGosh! I could eat a whole jar of those with a fork!\n
![\"Tomato](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c421211135.jpg\")
“The tomatoes are growing like crazy!”
As we left Rural King, Mr. FixIt noticed the bedding plants were on sale. We bought some zucchini and straightneck squash plants…score! Now we will have our pickles.
\n![\"Rain](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/580033d6a1.jpg\")
“Comparing rain gauges.”
The tomatoes are doing really well in the garden, but only half of the beans germinated. It makes me wonder if there is something in the soil that is doing that. I’ll have to investigate that further. Every week we are having to tie up more of the tomato vines and we are getting a good crop of tomatoes setting on with lots of blooms.
\n![\"Rabbits\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/162bdf4d73.jpg\")
“A herd of bunnies in the side yard.”
Our big mystery yesterday was trying to figure out the size difference in rain gauges. The one out at the farm measures five inches of rain. It is slightly smaller that the one on the right in this picture. We bought one for The Ponderosa a couple of weeks ago that is more like the one on the left, except…the one we bought only measures 1.5” while this one measures 5”…the same as the big one. We puzzled over this for quite some time when Mr. FixIt’s son came over to visit his dad for Father’s Day. Turns out, the measurement corresponds to the size of the funnel at the top. The one on the right is probably around 5” while the one on the left has none. The one at the house is only 3”. I have no idea the formula that is used to determine exactly how much rain is in the gauge. I could Google it. And, maybe I will…one of these days when it’s winter and I have nothing more pressing to do.
\nAs I was writing this, I could hear the red fox out in the far field at the edge of the woods. Maybe he will have rabbit for dinner. Country living is not for the faint of heart. I love seeing the bunnies but they eat my garden and I hate the idea of the fox getting them. But this is nature here. ❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-06-18T01:30:39-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/18/sunday-wanderings.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","West Virginia","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/17/drink-coffeepray-boldly.html", "title": "Drink Coffee...Pray Boldly", "content_html": "
![\"Prayer](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5669701bad.jpg\")
“Pray BOLDLY at every opportunity…even at coffee with the girls.”
“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.”\nJames 1:5-8 MSG\nYesterday was coffee day with the girls...those magnificent ‘71 Divas from my high school class. We didn’t all know each other in high school. We really became most acquainted through Facebook and efforts to gather as many classmates as possible for class reunions, dinners, picnics, and the like. We are, all to often it seems, meeting at funeral homes anymore. I decided four years ago us gals need to get together and form a tribe...a sense of community of the feminine...when I came back to West Virginia to live. Now, we look at our monthly meetings as caffeine fueled talk therapy and I’ve seldom missed it.\n
There weren’t as many gals gathered yesterday. Illness, hospitalization, vacations, and general summer business kept many of our regulars away. There were also a few who came that don’t get to attend very often. It’s always a different group but the dynamic is the same. We are there to have fun, let our hair down, laugh a lot, and offer support to one another as we learn what’s new in each other’s lives.
\nMy friend Diane came and brought me one-third of my birthday present. She called the other day and wanted to meet up with me. We had a miscommunication and she ended up waiting for 45 minutes out at the farm and when it got too hot and I didn’t show up, she went home. She had to take my gifts with her…two-thirds of which were perishable. Yesterday, she gave me my card. Imagine my dismay when I learned of the flowers and chocolate covered strawberries she had brought me Wednesday! I felt so awful about that…she went to so much trouble. But, we laughed it off. She gave the flowers to a friend she had dinner with that night and ate the strawberries on the way home so all was not lost!
\nWhen the majority of the gals had left for the day, my friend Lisa and I sat and talked to one of our friends who hung behind. She confided that we looked like someone who could help her. She had a prayer request. We talked about it a while, offering advice and comfort. When she asked for prayers, Lisa (you remember her from a previous post a month or two ago) took our friend’s hand and said, “Well, let’s just pray now.” The three of us sat in a very public area of the historic hotel where we gather, held hands and prayed together. Boldly. Unashamed. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even think about it until later.
\nThere was a time in my life when I looked at people praying over their meal in a restaurant or holding hands together in public, praying, and I felt…I don’t know…uncomfortable, self-conscious, embarrassed for them? I was decidedly unenlightened in those days yet I thought I was SO evolved. In the last several years, I have become much bolder with prayer. There is no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed to offer prayer anytime the Spirit moves you or you are asked. I was really happy to be able to pray with my friends. I always ask God to bring me more prayer opportunities and the bravery to carry them out. It is an honor and a privilege.
\nToday is Father’s Day. For some of you, it is the first without your loved one and the firsts are hard…and sometimes the third and the tenth and….. Please know that I will pray boldly for you today that you know God is with you to offer comfort and solace in your broken places. You are so loved! ❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-06-17T01:30:55-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/17/drink-coffeepray-boldly.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Prayer","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","God","Wisdom","Courage","Humbled","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/16/world-wide-knit-in-public.html", "title": "World Wide Knit in Public Day", "content_html": "
![\"Knit](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8e1cc77837.jpg\")
It’s World Wide Knit in Public Day!”
“It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.”\nPsalm 74:17 NIV\nWow...there’s a day for everything, isn’t there? I’m going to take my knitting with me and knit in the historic hotel lounge where we meet once a month. Maybe I’ll get my friends interested in knitting!\n
I was sitting on the front porch knitting yesterday when I heard a loud noise in the driveway. A flat, wet sound I was unfamiliar with. I looked over and Kitty Boy seemed to be really interested in something there. I went over to inspect his find and here was this tree frog. I’m not at all sure if this was what we call a “peeper”, because he sounded more like he was making objectionable gassy sounds to me. Anyway, I chased off the kitty and scooted that fat boy up into the woods where he belonged. Hopefully Kitty Boy will forget where he left him.
\nThere is so much work that needs to be done at the farm this summer. Mr. FixIt mowed the back half of the yard for me yesterday morning before he headed home. I stayed and cleaned and did laundry and knitted and saved frogs. I should go out and clear brush and trim prickly vines, but that didn’t sound at all appealing to me so I took a nap instead.
\nI bought my ticket for Colorado yesterday, as well. You’ll be traveling with me again soon! The price of gas is outrageous so I decided to fly this year. I’ve been shopping for a good deal and I was getting kind of worried that it was getting too close to the trip to find one. But, lo and behold, I went on Kayak and found a fare on Frontier for $204!!! Of course, that’s without luggage or seat selection. I did buy the trip insurance, which I always do. That brought it up to $223. It would cost $90 to choose my seat. It’s a non stop flight. I don’t need to choose a seat…I’ll sit anywhere. As far as luggage goes, for the amount of money they charge to take bags, I’ll just go to Walmart and buy some shorts and shirts and leave them there. All I need to carry is my medicine, my wallet, and my knitting. Light weight travel. I’ve never done this. It ought to be interesting! I’ll let you know how it works. ❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-06-16T01:30:04-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/16/world-wide-knit-in-public.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/08/big-a-steak-day.html", "title": "Big A** Steak Day!", "content_html": "
![\"Big](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5d2ef89c7b.jpg\")
“That is one BIG steak!”
My friend Deneene is having her estate sale this weekend. Then it won’t be long before she packs up a U-Haul and heads south to live. I met her through my blog. She was a fairly new widow at the time and when I found out she was local, I invited her to coffee. Dee is one of those people you run into that becomes your instant, lifelong friend. I am going to miss her terribly, but this means I have yet another place to go visit!
\n![\"Big](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/65bdb2676e.jpg\")
“I could only eat a third of it!”
Dee is one of a handful of people who are so kind as to contact me early in the mornings to tell me if there is a typo or grammatical error in one of my posts. Oh…I SO appreciate that because I am a stickler for good spelling and grammar. She texted yesterday morning to point out a little something and we had our usual 5-10 minute conversation to catch up. She asked if I was free for lunch. She and her friend Julie were going to meet at the Polo Club for “Big A** Steak Day”. I laughed and said, “Wow…you AND a big a** steak? Blog fodder!”
\nBASD is legendary in these parts. They serve it every day, of course. But on Thursdays, it’s $10 cheaper! Twenty-one ounces of ribeye. Holy Cats! In a strictly food critic way, it was really fatty. But, then again, ribeye is a fatty meat. It’s what gives it flavor and tenderness. I’ve got to tell you…I ate about a third of it and brought the rest home. It was SO good!
\n![\"Yurt](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ccf266470c.jpg\")
“What fun it would be to glamp this thing up!”
After lunch I stopped at Walmart to pick something up and saw this really cute “yurt tent”. I could see so many possibilities with this thing being glamped out. I’ve been told by others since sharing this on my FB page, the reviews aren’t very good. But it’s cute as a bug.
\n![\"Buck\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0e3254edc4.jpg\")
“A young buck out on the lawn.”
Once I got home yesterday, it was time to get out in the yard and get some things done. Trimming low hanging branches that threaten to knock me off the riding mower were my first priority. Then I tied up the tomato plants as they have grown tremendously. We sprinkled rabbit repellent around the garden so we’ll see if that keeps the little critters away from the beans and squash we just planted. I caught this deer wandering through the yard. I was thrilled to see it is a young buck. See the little nubbins above his eyes? Those are his antlers budding up. I’ll keep a close eye out for this guy as he grows to see how big his antlers get.
\nSpending time with friends, time in the yard and garden, time watching nature, and time with Mr. FixIt made for a really nice day. The weather is back to normal and the day was pretty. We will need several more hot days to warm the pool back up. It got down to 75 degrees with all those cold nights…too cold for me to swim.
\nEnjoy your Friday! Anyone going on a road trip or camping??? I’d love to get out there and camp somewhere soon! ❤️
\n“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”\nPsalm 96:11-12 NIV
\n#steak, #glamping, #nature
\n", "date_published": "2018-06-08T01:30:43-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/08/big-a-steak-day.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","West Virginia","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/06/07/the-ponderosa.html", "title": "The Ponderosa", "content_html": "![\"Sunshine](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/db7fcb8e2b.jpg\")
“The Ponderosa in the afternoon.”
This little slice of heaven right here is The Ponderosa…that beautiful home place that came with Mr. FixIt. When I tell you I’ve been out mowing, it’s here. A flat four acres, this job takes about two to three hours to complete. I put on a radio headset and ride around and around. It’s not even like work. And this week has been perfect for mowing. With highs in the 60’s and low 70’s, even I can mow with the push mower out at my family’s farm without stopping more than two or three times. It’s been lovely.
\n![\"Husqvarna](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ff03c23744.jpg\")
“My new ride!”
Mr. FixIt’s riding mower has seen it’s better days so we picked up one at a real bargain yesterday and I got to mow with it. It was the difference between night and day. It cuts a wider swath and doesn’t hit every bump with a teeth-jarring rattle. I love that I can help him out around the yard. He does SO much for me, it is my pleasure to help him whenever I can.
\n![\"Antheraea](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0adba45bb8.jpg\")
“Antheraea Polyphemus…one of the Giant Silk Moths, male.”
I was working around the building out back and saw this beautiful moth. It’s wingspan was about 3.5-4”. This is a male Antheraea Polyphemus…one of the Giant Silk Moths. His antennae are large and feathery…all the better for sniffing out pheromones for a little “moth l’amore”. He took off after I shot this photo and flew up over TOW-Wanda. What a lovely thing to see!
\n![\"Starcraft](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bdcde4f26f.jpg\")
“TOW-Wanda…waiting patiently to GO somewhere!”
Speaking of the big girl…here she is, parked out by the big building. She will get moved in a couple of days so we can mow there and not kill the grass. But I have truly enjoyed having her closer to the house and have spent a few afternoons writing and snoozing out there in the last couple of weeks. I’m a little less inclined when she’s out in the field and not hooked up to electric. I like my fans. I need to get Joy moved over here so I can start working on her. I also need to jack up TOW-Wanda and check out one of her wheel bearings. It was too hot when I brought her home from the last camping trip. I’ll do that when I get her out on the flat driveway where there is a more stable surface.
\nIt seems there is a never ending list of things to do, isn’t there? Keeping busy keeps you fit, keeps your mind flexible, and helps stabilize your mood. That’s a win-win-win for me! And, it’s so much easier to accomplish more in this cooler weather. It motivates me to get more done. ❤
\n“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”\nPhilippians 4:12-13 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-06-07T01:30:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/06/07/the-ponderosa.html", "tags": ["Family","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/28/the-whippoorwill.html", "title": "The Whippoorwill", "content_html": "![\"Whippoorwill\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/079bdbbbf1.jpg\")
“The whippoorwill.”
If you are a mother, I am sure you remember that age when your child tried to get your attention with “Mom? Mom? Mom? Mama? Mom? Mom?” etc. Maybe you were trying to read something, or you were concentrating on some task, and that little voice repeated “MOM” incessantly till you wanted to change your name. I loved those days. But time made me forget what that repetition actually felt like. That is…until last night.
\nThe whippoorwill was back. With a vengeance. I had just settled in the back bedroom, my little portable desk on my lap, my iPad charged and ready, the window open to let in the cool evening breeze. Ahhhh…peace. I started to ruminate through my day for a topic. I researched a couple of Scriptures. I said my prayers. Then the whippoorwill began it’s evening love song. My concentration was shattered. For thirty minutes straight one “whippoorwill” after another in rapid succession began to set my teeth on edge. Save for one 10 second pause, it continued on and on.
\nIt made me think of other times my intentions have been interrupted by an agonizingly annoying voice that would not quit. Times when I had a course charted, I was happily heading down the path to a planned destination. And it was totally wrong for me. That incessant voice I heard all those times was the Holy Spirit. Jesus knocked on the door of my heart so many times and I totally ignored Him with my fingers in my ears like a petulant child. “La la la la la la…I can’t HEAR you!”
\nFunny thing about the Holy Spirit…He’s persistent. Sometimes He’ll just wear you down till you give in out of sheer desperation. But when you do…the rewards are so sweet, it’s hard to remember why you would possibly push Him away like that.
\nI’ve never seen a whippoorwill that I know of. I think I might have caught a glimpse of one flying low behind the house out on the farm once. They are a funny looking little bird from what I’ve seen on the Google search. Squatty, no-necked, spotty, little critters with drowsy eyes. When he finally became still…either he gave up or got spooked and moved on…the stillness was deafening.
\nThere was a moment when the Holy Spirit went AWOL on me after a particularly bad choice I made. Oh, He never left me…he never abandons us. He was just sitting back, waiting for me to learn that I couldn’t do this alone. Like…”Oh, so THAT’S the choice you’re making, huh? Well, let’s just see how THIS works out for you.”
\nEventually, I learned the error of my ways. I just got tired of trying to control everything. I took a step forward and said, “God…I surrender. I can’t do this on my own anymore. I need you to carry this for me.” And…that was as simple as it was. No fanfare. No bugles. No applause. Just…”I’m done.” And in that moment, everything in my life changed.
\nIf this sounds rambling, we’ll blame it on the whippoorwill. It truly was hard to concentrate with that racket just outside the bedroom window as I tried to write. I decided to just leave it as it is as it was after midnight by the time the little bugger gave it up.
\nI hope you have a wonderful, safe holiday today! ❤
\n“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,”\nColossians 1:11 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-05-28T01:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/28/the-whippoorwill.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Grace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/27/on-the-other-side-of.html", "title": "On the Other Side of Midlife", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7df794de0f.jpg\")
“Spending the weekend at home by the pool. Then visited more family at a local cemetery.”
A friend sent me a link yesterday to an article written by Brené Brown. She discusses the truth of what is commonly referred to as a midlife crisis. Her preferred terminology is “midlife unraveling”…a term I can totally relate to. Her premise is, while there are many tactics one can take when facing the existential questions like “Is this all there is?”, her approach was a head-on collision with the universe. And, as is always the case, the universe won and brought her to her knees.
\nI distinctly remember the moment I first had an inkling something was amiss. I went through a divorce young and I did really well raising my older daughter. I put my second husband through medical school, residency, and setting up a practice. I worked hard, stayed engaged, and did my Earth Mother thing. I created unique job positions for myself, I wrote a children’s book, I co-authored a book for the National Institutes of Health, I invented a piece of x-ray equipment to x-ray disabled patients while seated in a wheelchair, I illustrated an exercise book. I kept my daughter busy with scouts and bikes and the like so her step-father could have a quiet house to study in. I was busy. Then, several things happened that brought my world to a dizzying tailspin.
\nWhen my husband started his practice, I stopped working outside of the home. Hindsight being 20/20, that probably wasn’t the best choice for me. While I continued to stay busy being a full time mom, my daughter was in junior high and she really didn’t need me during the days. I filled my time volunteering for the hospital auxiliary. I took hospice training. I lunged horses and mucked stalls in exchange for riding lessons for my daughter and me. I was a DJ for the local public radio station. I baked competitively and grew a huge garden. I entered the county fairs. And I was becoming lost..first to myself, then to my family.
\nI clearly hung my identity on a hook by the front door and became Mrs. Dr. So-and-So. I felt insecure. My husband was surrounded by intelligent women all day, every day. I was easily threatened by the medical staff he worked with so closely. In an attempt to refocus my life, and fulfill our desire to expand our family before it got too late, we decided to have another child, which was a distinct blessing, don’t get me wrong. The problem was, with every passing day, I was losing more of myself. And now, the physical toll of having a baby later in life threw me into a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting and exhaustion.
\nI was distinctly unhealthy…mentally and physically. And finally, like Brené, I dared the universe to make me face the changes that were coming and she was far more up for the challenge than I was. I unraveled…hard and fast. It took a lot of hard work and therapy for me to put myself back together again. But eventually I found myself. I began to love who I was. Brené says, loving yourself is the most challenging thing you will ever have to do. And once you start that task, you continue to work it till the day you die. I beg to differ with her. Losing Mr. Virgo was decidedly the most challenging thing I have ever faced in my life.
\nAs my grief has eased, I find myself sometimes disengaging from the conversation. “Grief talk” isn’t always at the forefront of my mind. Megan Devine from refugeingrief.com has a “Do This, Don’t Do That” chart that helps people support others who are grieving. I was appalled when I found I do far too many of the Don’t Do Thats…even here on my blog. I know for a fact I have hurt people’s feelings when I haven’t stayed present and remembered there are grievers out there I am writing for. If I ever have hurt you, I am profoundly sorry.
\nMy mission here has evolved. It started out as a way to navigate my grief, and help others know they aren’t alone. It morphed into travel, faith, crafts, life lessons, and new love. Sometimes it reads like a sermon. Sometimes a novel. Sometimes it’s not much different than reading any other typical Facebook post from one of your friends, and that might get boring. But sometimes, hopefully often, I bring a message you need to hear. Something that helps you and makes you think. Something that cheers you and gives you hope. Something that helps you see my vulnerability and how we really aren’t very different. Something that stirs your heart. Something that brings you closer to God’s Word.
\nI am truly grateful to be on the far side of that existential midlife unraveling. I’m happy to have survived fairly intact. I am also grateful that, after five years on this grief journey, my heart has healed a great deal. I am forever changed by both of these monumental life events. I love myself a lot more…partially due to aging, partially due to the increased compassion grief brings. We are all works in progress, clear to our dying day. I’m glad I don’t try to push “feeling things” onto the back burner anymore. I face things head on, because God has my back. He is with me every step of the way. I still pray every time I write and ask Him to bring the right words and the people who need to hear them. ❤
\n“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”\n1 Peter 2:1-5 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-05-27T01:30:41-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/27/on-the-other-side-of.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","West Virginia","Growth","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/23/winding-down.html", "title": "Winding Down", "content_html": "![\"Hand](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/374fcd48a9.jpg\")
“Knitting projects”
I always hate the end of a trip. The goodbyes. The packing up and cleaning and laundry. The pulling away from a really great camping spot. No more owls overhead. No more gals sitting around a table full of food. No more all day knitting sessions. No more leisurely naps in the afternoon. sigh
\nMr. FixIt left yesterday morning. We’ve had boatloads of rain so he needed to get back and check the basement. Also, I’m sure sitting around all day while the girls knit wasn’t high on his to do list. He was a great sport though. He went fishing one night, hiking one day, and exploring the area another day.
\nToday, I head home. Another Girl Camper trip is in the books. I wonder where I’ll head next on this Grand Adventure? ❤️
\n“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”\nPsalm 37:23-24 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-05-23T01:30:28-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/23/winding-down.html", "tags": ["Travel","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","The Grand Adventure","Fun","Gratitude","goRVing","Grace","Peace","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/22/feeling-totally-relaxed.html", "title": "Feeling Totally Relaxed", "content_html": "
![\"Bullfrog\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/246c33c2c3.jpg\")
“A big bullfrog serenaded me from a pond.”
Three more of our Girl Campers left yesterday morning. It’s always sad to see the week end. So much fun and wonderful memories are made during this gathering. I’m blessed this year with two extra days spent with Gail, my fellow Girl Camper and camphost extraordinaire. Plus, there is the added bonus of Mr. FixIt being here!
\n![\"Alpaca](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7516b4171f.jpg\")
“Alpaca roving for spinning.”
After coffee yesterday, we sat around for an hour or so and chatted before the gals said goodbye and headed on their way. One was headed straight home but two were going to Lehman’s, a wonderful hardware store in Kidron, Ohio that specializes in non-electric appliances and tools. I really want to make a trip up there. I’ve received their catalog for years.
\n![\"Spinning](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8950ea03a6.jpg\")
“Gail spins the alpaca roving into a fine yarn…her fingers skillfully knowing how hard to hold and draw the fibers onto the spindle.”
After everyone was gone, Gail and I headed to check out a new shop that advertises fibers, wool, and rugs. It’s a darling little “she shed” shop on this gal’s farm that had belonged to her grandparents. She raises sheep for her wool. She has two looms set up in her shop. She had several handmade items for sale. But I was disappointed there was no yarn and Gail was disappointed there was no wool available for sale as yet. I did get to look around a bit and caught this big bullfrog that was in the pond by the shop. And the little lambs were darling frolicking in the pasture. There were lovely flower and herb gardens all around. I just don’t think the gal was quite ready to be open for business yet. Maybe in the fall she’ll have more items available.
\n![\"Camp](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4e0e706f29.jpg\")
“The camp kitty snoozes in the chair beside me as I knit. I wasn’t patient enough for the spinning.”
When we got back to the campground, Gail got out the spinning wheel she learned on. She picked up a basket of alpaca roving and set to teaching me to spin. I found it incredibly frustrating because I am an instant gratification kind of a gal. Gail says if I just keep trying, I’ll get the hang of it. I might try again, but for now, I’ll just buy beautiful yarns that I can work with right away. I started a new pair of socks with a beautiful fingering yarn. It’s 100% wool though so I’ll have to take extra special care of them. They are for me. Gail also gave me a beautiful skein of German wool/polyester blend to knit Mr. FixIt a pair of socks. It is a grey, heathery blend.
\nToday is our last day of just sitting around and enjoying Gail’s company, knitting and talking and laughing. This is such good therapy. The camp kitty is content to lay in the chair beside me and snooze. This is about as peaceful as it gets…the smell of pine and rain, woodsmoke and spring flowers…the sound of crows and pileated woodpeckers and songbirds and owls…and the laughter of friends. sigh Tomorrow it’s back to the real world till our next adventure. ❤
\n“Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen.”\nExodus 35:25 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-05-22T01:30:16-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/22/feeling-totally-relaxed.html", "tags": ["Travel","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","goRVing","Grace","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/21/campfire-and-conversation.html", "title": "Campfire and Conversation", "content_html": "![\"Woodpecker](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/66ea230d11.jpg\")
“A pileated woodpecker has decimated this tall pine tree at the edge of the campground.”
This trip has been such a blessing to me. Laughter is the best medicine and there has been so much joy shared between us as we sit and work with our hands. We have shared stories and learned more about each other. We have loved on our furry friends, including a little stray black cat who showed up Friday night. We think someone must have dumped him along the road because he is so friendly. He’s the camp cat for now and will more than likely go home with the camphost as her husband has taken a shine to him.
\n![\"Alpaca](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e290c18b2b.jpg\")
“The hat I knitted from the yarn Gail spun from Alpaca and wool.”
I’ve become very close friends with our camphost, Gail. She is a woman of strong faith. She reminds me of the woman in Proverbs 31. She’s the kind of woman you want to learn from and emulate. She is kind, courageous, fair, fun, and family oriented. And talented? OMGosh! She can do anything. I just love her to the moon and back. Her husband took Mr. FixIt fishing last night and he had a blast. They only caught one fish between them, but they had good fellowship and got to know each other better.
\n![\"Girl](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a6b41c1c3b.jpg\")
“Mr. FixIt enjoys his morning coffee in one of the Girl Camper mugs.”
This is one of the things I love about Mr. FixIt. He has friends outside of our relationship. I loved Mr. Virgo…you know that. And, he had no real friendships other than me. He had friends he worked with, but he never did anything without me. I was telling the girls around the campfire the other night…I never would have been a Girl Camper or a Sister on the Fly if Mr. Virgo were still living. It’s just not something I would have done…even though it was something I would have enjoyed. This is the difference in the woman I have become since losing him. I am far more independent. And, I am more assertive…something Mr. FixIt deeply appreciates in me.
\n![\"Three](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1bd8e4696e.jpg\")
“Campfire and Corgis”
Loss changed me. It was terribly difficult. It tore me apart and dropped me in pieces on the ground. When it came time to rebuild, I put myself back together in a way that suited this new life…this new me. I love this me that I am today. While I hate what happened to get me here, I am grateful for this new life and all the new people that have been brought into it.
\nYes, this trip is just what the doctor ordered. Food, fun, and frolic…Girl Camper style! ❤️
\n“A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!” Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of- GOD. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!”\nProverbs 31:10-31 MSG
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-05-21T01:30:18-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/21/campfire-and-conversation.html", "tags": ["Travel","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Strong Women","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/19/sssssnake.html", "title": "S-s-s-s-snake!", "content_html": "
![\"Baby](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/815bc8b7f0.jpg\")
“Baby Water Snake”
The first time I remember holding a snake was back-to-school night in seventh grade. Mom walked into the science lab and I went straight for the aquarium that held a tiny blue racer. Much to my mother’s horror, I picked up the wiggly little critter and let it slither around my fingers and hands. I laughed at my mom’s squeals of horror as I held the snake closer so she could see. Poor mom. I deviled the heck out of her at every opportunity, I’m afraid.
\nSnakes have never bothered me, really. I don’t particularly like being startled by them, but if I know they’re there, and I’m assured they are not poisonous, I have no real problem with them. I remember going to my cousin’s girls’ band concert once. As I drove into the parking lot there were several women standing around, bouncing from leg to leg and screaming. I parked and came over to see what was going on. There was a huge black snake between them and the school. I reached down, picked it up by the tail and carried it over to the edge of the woods. The screamers looked at me sideways as though I were some sort of witch to be steered clear of.
\nGrandma always taught me to carry a hoe with me to kill snakes in the garden or when wandering around the farm. When Hubby #2 and I went on a twenty mile backpack trip up Spruce Knob back in the late ‘70s, she loaned us two hoes to carry with us as we hiked so we would not only have something to kill any errant timber rattler, but also have a hiking stick. I’d love to know what the other hikers on the trail thought of these two greenhorns with the hoes and the WAY overpacked backpacks. I think Grandma laughed for a month at our expense.
\nIt’s always fun when the naturalist shows up at the campground to give a little nature lesson to the Girl Campers. Yesterday, Mike showed up with a baby water snake he had found during the stream stomp earlier in the day. He also was helpful in identifying a particular beetle that is detrimental to the trees in the area. It needs to be reported so the woods can be monitored. A tree fell across the road during the night and had to be removed early yesterday morning. Later in the day, the maintenance crew came in and cleared the ditches along the road and removed another dead tree that was in danger of falling across the road.
\nMr. FixIt arrives today…can’t wait to see him! The girls are all looking forward to his arrival, as well. He’s a favorite around here. ❤
\n“On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.”\nPsalms 145:5 ESV
\n", "date_published": "2018-05-19T01:30:19-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/19/sssssnake.html", "tags": ["Travel","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Fun","Growth","goRVing","Courage","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/16/im-walkin-on-sunshine.html", "title": "I’m Walkin’ on Sunshine", "content_html": "![\"Coffee](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3dde8e3c8d.jpg\")
“Sitting in the morning sun, coffee in hand, Country Living Magazine…birds and roosters entertaining me. It’s a beautiful life!”
One of summer’s delights in the east…a warm morning spent outside reading and sipping my morning coffee. We’ve hit the summer thunderboomer circuit early this year here in West Virginia. The skies are brilliantly clear in the morning. The humidity is high from the rain the afternoon before. The temperature soars by noon and the thunderclouds begin to build till they boil over. Thunder, lightning, hail, high winds all can play havoc with your plans.
\nMowing seems to be the big thing around here in the summer. I have to say, I did not miss lawn care and home maintenance in the years I traveled and lived in TOW-Wanda. It was a welcome break. But now that I have the chance to dive into the great outdoors and get dirty and sweaty, I have to admit, it beats going to a gym any day of the week.
\nI mowed with the self-propelled push mower at the farm yesterday. What a workout! The yard is well over an acre, the temperature in the high eighties, the humidity sticky and thick. With my propensity towards heat exhaustion, I only mowed 15-20 minutes at a time, then took a break to rehydrate and lay in front of the fan. At that rate, it took me five hours to complete. It’s so beautiful when it’s finished. I took a few moments to just wander around and enjoy the surroundings. The rhododendron is just about to burst into bloom, as are the irises and peonies. The farm cats lazed around beneath the Rose of Sharon and the huge hydrangea bush along the creek. While the flowering quince is fading, the spice bush is in full bloom. I love this time of year.
\nWe are getting things geared up here at the Ponderosa to prepare for a summer of entertaining. Mr. FixIt has been working in the pool to get it open. We still need to pressure wash the deck but will wait for a dry spell. I’m heading out today for another road trip. This time I’ll be camping with the Girl Campers at a State Park in Ohio for a week. It’s a Mister Sister event so my mister will be joining me this weekend. I love camping with the girls! This year, our hostess…my dear friend Gail…is going to teach me to spin wool for sock yarn. I’ll have time to sit and knit on my socks and finally read my friend Michelle Cummins’ new book, The Reel Sisters. Peace and quiet in the beautiful woods surrounding one of my favorite campgrounds.
\nAs I sit here on the deck in the warm sunshine, a nice breeze blowing, listening to the rooster down the road, reading Country Living Magazine…my heart is overflowing with the blessings of my life. I’m such a far cry from the early days of my grief. The contrast is startling. The heart can mend itself…scarred, certainly. But infinitely full of hope. ❤️
\n“So I rejoice, and I am glad. Even my body has hope.”\nPsalms 16:9 INternational Children’s Bible
\n", "date_published": "2018-05-16T06:39:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/16/im-walkin-on-sunshine.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/11/god-always-knows.html", "title": "God Always Knows", "content_html": "![\"Lewis](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4bcfdd744f.jpg\")
“Lewis Cemetery”
As I’m sure you can tell, I’ve been dreading the fifth angelversary of Mr. Virgo’s death tomorrow. I’ve been really struggling the last week…to the point one of my dear friends contacted me yesterday to see how I was doing. Actually, by yesterday morning I was feeling much better, but I still felt something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then a chain of events happened that directed my day and by last night I was lifted back up and set on solid ground. Here’s how it went down.
\nFirst, I slept a solid ten hours and awoke feeling refreshed. I’m not a terrific sleeper as a rule, but I slept like a stone. Mr. FixIt informed me a neighbor passed away and he needed to go to the funeral home. I assumed he would go without me, and quite frankly I didn’t think going to a funeral home when I was feeling down about my own loss was such a terrific idea. Then, he asked me if I wanted to go. We were at a funeral last weekend. Here, we were just going to the viewing. I didn’t know anyone, but something told me I should just go…so I dressed and went along.
\nI was introduced around to the family. I hugged the widow and spoke quietly with her for a bit, offering what comfort a stranger (yet a fellow widow) could give. I stood at the coffin, thinking the horrible memories of five years ago would come crashing on my head at any moment…but they did not. Instead of seeing Mr. Virgo in his casket, I saw a man who was very much missed by his best friend and my heart went out to her. I felt honored to be there and not sick or devastated. My dread started to dissipate.
\nWe ran home to change and Mr. FixIt asked what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to run over to the cemetery where my great grandfather is buried. I hadn’t been there since I was a teenager and I wanted to see if there were any other family members from my tree buried there. So, from the funeral home to a cemetery. What could go wrong?
\nThe day was brisk but sunny. As we drove out the two lane blacktop, we passed a field and I did a double take. There, standing in the middle of a pasture, was a young man…high school age, perhaps…with a music stand playing a trombone! The sight was so incongruous Mr. FixIt and I both burst out laughing. The cemetery was around the next bend and as we walked among the tombstones, the timbre of the trombone wafted gently on the breeze over the far ridge. I could not help but smile, feeling God was sending me a sweet gift.
\nThe cemetery was a sight when we arrived. All of the flower containers had been knocked over, flowers strewn among the graves, flags honoring fallen soldiers laying on the ground…some half covered with leaves. We were preparing to leave when I turned and said, “I can’t leave them like this.” So, we walked around, straightening up, calling the dead ones by name. I remember so often going to visit Mr. Virgo’s grave across the road from our house in Colorado. I laid stones around the perimeter…one stone from every trip I took. I realized one of the things I was missing…and hurting over…was not being able to visit Mr. Virgo’s grave tomorrow. Instead, God lead me to visit an ancestor I never knew. Again…the feeling of dread lifted more.
\nWe were so close to the farm, we decided to go on out. Whenever I am feeling down, that farm is my panacea. I fed the kitties and walked through the rooms…touching the furniture, the doors, my grandparents bed. I walked around the house and checked on my ‘67 Franklin camper…”Joy”. I turned to Mr. FixIt.
\n“Can we take her over to your place soon and start working on her?” I asked hopefully.
\n“You bet we can.” Mr. FixIt smiled and gave me a big hug.
\nLift, lift, lift.
\nWe stopped and visited my cousin’s wife at her barn. She was feeding the chickens and the big white rabbit named Isabella.
\nLift, lift, lift.
\nWe drove to town and had supper at my favorite diner.
\nLift, lift, lift.
\nWe came home and I sat down to write. My dear friend who had been so concerned about me yesterday morning called and asked if I felt better after my drive. I really did! You know…every year is going to be another year since Mr. Virgo died. There will be times of sorrow. There will be reminders and waves of grief. I know I have the added blessing of having Mr. FixIt in my life. His heart is big enough to hold me AND Mr. Virgo. Such a good, good man. Letting go and letting God lift me up was the solution all along. There’s nothing God and a little sunshine can’t fix! ❤
\n“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.”\nIsaiah 60:1-2 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-03-11T01:30:21-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/11/god-always-knows.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Grace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/10/letting-go-of-fear.html", "title": "Letting Go of Fear", "content_html": "
![\"Let](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/356736db01.jpg\")
“Let Go of Fear”
When I was writing yesterday’s post, I was feeling so overwhelmed. I have the usual stresses of everyday life…dental work that needs to be done, taxes that need to be filed, new brakes and inspection on the truck. Then there are the dead and dying…of which there are far too many. I hadn’t been sleeping well. Mr. FixIt has been busy and tired. I had that all too familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach that I was one crisis away from losing it altogether and I hate that. So I did what needed to be done…I had a good cry and went to church.
\nLast night was the Annual Women’s Conference at my church. There wasn’t an empty chair in the place. I don’t know if you have ever gone to an all women service before, but if you haven’t…you NEED to. Between the estrogen and Jesus, that place was electric. We have a great praise team and they didn’t disappoint. We played some get-to-know-each-other games. We had a share-your-selfie-on-social-media contest. There were prizes and cookies. Then Pastor Heather spoke about letting faith rise up in us instead of fear, worry, anxiety. She knew her audience. We are women. This is what we do.
\nThe thing is, by allowing fear to rise up in us instead of faith, we are not letting God do His job. We are trying to do it for Him. When we are standing in the storms of life, it is not our basic instinct to lay back and relax. We start rowing the boat double time. We try to skirt around the storm. We try to ignore the storm. We try to just wait out the storm. The quietest part of a hurricane is the eye. It is windless standing in the center. When we let go and let faith rise up in us, God sets us down in the eye where we are protected from the storm’s fury. In the meantime, we get out of God’s way so He can do His work.
\nBy the end of the evening, the atmosphere was fairly crackling. We were given symbolic coins and asked to hold them in our hands and charge them with the worries, stresses, anxieties, and fears that weigh us down and keep us from enjoying God’s Peace. As we left the conference, we threw those “coins” in a fountain in the lobby…symbolically leaving them behind. I felt so much better as I drove home. I still have all that stuff going on in my life, but now I’m reminded to let go and let God take care of His part. If I go to God FIRST, if I ask Him to take over, life just goes SO much smoother.
\nI was going to take a break this weekend, but I felt inspired to share this with you today and those who have been around long enough know I can’t go without writing every day. I hope you have a beautiful Saturday! ❤
\n“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”\nPsalm 118:6 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-03-10T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/10/letting-go-of-fear.html", "tags": ["Faith","Overcoming Obstacles","Gratitude","God","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/08/surprises.html", "title": "Surprises", "content_html": "
![\"Two](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9fd97c29b7.jpg\")
“Old friends”
I love the way my life has begun to set into a rhythm. Not predictable, exactly. But life…you know, cooking, cleaning, caring, sharing. It’s a sweet life. Mr. FixIt has been going to Physical Therapy three times a week since the beginning of the year and I don’t usually tag along. I stay at home and snuggle up on the couch with my lap desk and my iPad and I write. I try to imagine a life without writing every day and I simply can’t. What did I DO with all that time before I started writing? Besides working. And making jewelry in my art studio. And being a wife to Mr. Virgo. When he died, I filled in the void with words. I polished and tweaked my craft till it became an integral part of my DNA. It’s like breathing and eating. It’s something I do.
\n![\"Spring](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e1a4a27853.jpg\")
“Spring Snow”
Mr. FixIt was well aware of my fixation with the written word when we started dating. He is supportive and empathetic and helps keep me centered. It wasn’t long after he left yesterday that the skies opened and a beautiful snowfall began. When I took the Christmas tree down the last day of February, I situated a sofa in front of the big picture windows in the family room so I can look out at the hillside across the road as I write. I watch the birds flit in and out of the forsythia bush at the corner of the house. I see the neighbors coming and going. The snowfall was beautiful and even though I am WAY over winter…I’m learning to stay present and enjoy the moments.
\nAlong in the afternoon, I received a message from a friend from Glenwood Springs. Linda and Al were driving from Pennsylvania to Kentucky yesterday and She wanted to “wave” at me as they passed through West Virginia. I pinpointed their route and we met in Parkersburg for a quick visit. Our daughters went to school together. Her daughters and my daughters are both about 16 years apart so we had much in common. It was such a treat to see them!
\n![\"Spring](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cf6d1fc728.jpg\")
“Whiteout”
About a week ago, I received a request to write a guest post for the manufacturers of some RV supplies. They sent me some of their products and asked for pictures of me using them. I didn’t receive the items until last evening and it snowed all day. She wanted the pictures by the end of the day so she could post on their blog for International Women’s Day. Finally, at 4:00 in the afternoon, the sun broke through. Even though it was really cold, I was able to get those pictures with the help of Mr. FixIt. I hit send at 5:01! I’ll post a link when the blog goes live.
\n![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/028755be62.jpg\")
“TOW-Wanda and Me”
A day full of surprises. A surprise snowfall. A surprise that I didn’t mind it. A surprise visit from old friends. And a surprise splash of sun in the late afternoon. It was a really good day! ❤
\n“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.”\nProverbs 27:19 NLT
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-03-08T02:30:34-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/08/surprises.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Fun","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/04/endings-and-beginnings.html", "title": "Endings and Beginnings", "content_html": "
![\"Daffodils](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e46bde4e19.jpg\")
Daffodils
I watched my husband die. It was fast. It seemed relatively painless. Not pain free, but not unbearable. He seemed to take everything in stride with a certain…resignation. Like he knew what was coming, so why fight it? Interestingly…it was like that for me too, looking back on it. I’m sure I was in shock, because every time I ever pictured what would happen if/when he died, it certainly wasn’t with me sitting on a stool in the corner of the room answering medical questions in a flat monotone. I wasn’t beating my chest or screaming or even crying. I don’t remember crying till I saw my kids.
\nAs hard as that was to go through, I cannot…simply cannot imagine what people go through who lose their loved one to a terrible, slow, painful death like cancer or COPD or Alzheimer’s. My cousin’s wife came over Friday after making arrangements for her mother’s funeral. Her mom had esophageal cancer. We sat together and I listened to her tell me about the last six months. The long nights. The conflicting medical information. The radiation and chemo. When she got to the night of her mother’s death, I was in such awe of her strength and courage. What she went through for her mom was heroic in my book. What I loved most was when her mom motioned to her, as if she needed to tell her something. When she bent down to listen, her mother kissed her on the cheek and took her last breath. My mother died alone in an ICU because I couldn’t get to her in time. She got a kiss on the cheek! I loved that for her because she will never, ever forget that loving gesture.
\n![\"Crocus\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/149cf13a2d.jpg\")
Crocus
Real death isn’t like the movies. Sometimes it’s that peaceful scene where the family gathers around and tells their loved one how important they were in their lives and how much they loved them. Sometimes there’s soft music and candlelight and kisses on cheeks. And sometimes they stop CPR after three hours and tell you they’re sorry. Is one way “better” than the other? Is there such a thing as a “good death”. I think there is, but it’s not always possible because death isn’t predictable. It isn’t a script.
\n![\"Crocus](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1472409e31.jpg\")
Crocus in the Spring
Someone I love very much is dying. Not actively as in it’s imminent. But it’s coming. Everyone knows it’s coming. I love him and his entire family. For the last five years I have written a daily essay, much of it about grief. And when I talk with his wife, I feel woefully inadequate. I haven’t gone through that kind of death. I haven’t had to know it was coming for three years and fight the good fight and be strong and courageous and lose anyway. What do I say to her? How can I best serve her? I had no idea…so I asked. I told her how sorry I was that it was coming to this. I told her how much I love them both. I told her I knew she must be scared. And, I told her I was at a loss as to how best to help her. Then I asked her to tell me exactly what would help her the most right now. She said to pray. Pray for strength and courage for her. That I can do…in spades.
\n![\"Daffodils](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c0439e8175.jpg\")
Daffodils in the Ditch
Grief is something that touches all of us. If it hasn’t touched you yet, it will. Mr. FixIt and I were talking about it yesterday. After losing Mr. Virgo, I’ve gone and done the one thing I SWORE I would never, ever do again. I gave my heart away to love again…with wild abandon…knowing full well what it feels like to lose. That is either absolutely crazy or the absolute evidence that God can carry you through anything. I could lose this man tomorrow. Or next week or next year or thirty years from now. Or…I could be the first to go, who knows? I’m glad we don’t know exactly when we will die. It doesn’t pay to dwell on it…but we can’t deny it either. If there is an upside…and that is truly a stretch to even call it that…it’s having the time to say goodbye, to express everything you wanted to say, to make arrangements, to learn how to do the things your partner did, and to give them the gift of your service in their transition. As Ram Dass, says…”We are all just walking each other home.” ❤️
\n“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”\nHebrews 13:14 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-03-04T02:30:19-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/04/endings-and-beginnings.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Positive Energy","Comfort","Peace","Wisdom","Aging","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/03/the-upside-of-disappointment.html", "title": "The Upside of Disappointment", "content_html": "
![\"Homemade](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5c579fda7c.jpg\")
Homemade Egg Noodles
I was so excited Thursday! I was heading out for a weekend with the Girl Campers and even got to leave a day early. I had reservations in a cabin. I was meeting old friends and new. I was pumped!
\nI got the truck packed, with WAY too much stuff, and headed south through a driving rain. It was only a two hour drive so no big deal. I stopped at a Walmart near my destination and bought the ingredients for beef and noodles…my contribution to Saturday’s Soup Night…our tradition. I arrived at the cabin around 3:00 in the afternoon, got everything unpacked, greeted the host, and decided to take a nap. I couldn’t seem to get warm for some reason.
\nWithin an hour, I was burning up and feeling sick. I stayed the night and awoke with a rip roaring headache so I begged off and came home. I don’t think it’s a bug…just a bad migraine. But, darn it all! I was really looking forward to this weekend. On my way home, I got some strong coffee and that actually helped and after a while, I felt much better.
\nI got a phone call from my cousin’s wife as I was driving home. She and I are very close. She was calling to let me know her mother passed away and could she come by in the afternoon on her way back from the funeral home. That’s when I knew…I wasn’t supposed to be at the girl’s weekend. I was supposed to be here for my sister/friend and offer comfort and support.
\nIt is customary to offer food to the bereaved and I just happened to have all the ingredients for beef and noodles. That is, until I remembered I left the package of frozen homestyle noodles in the freezer at the cabin. So, I looked up a recipe for homemade egg noodles. I found a great recipe, AND a cute blog, at afarmishkindoflife.com/homemade-noodles. You have to let the noodles dry for two hours and I left all my baker’s racks at the farm. I found one that goes in the bottom of a huge stock pot. And, I improvised with a colander turned upside down. Now I can send a nice pot of beef and noodles home so they don’t have to cook for a while. I imagine they’ll get plenty of food from the neighbors so this will freeze well if needed.
\nAs I always say, things can change on a dime and what starts out as a disappointment can turn into a blessing if you change your focus. I’m sorry I’m missing my gal pals, but I’m happy to be where God needed me more. ❤
\n“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”\n1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-03-03T02:30:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/03/the-upside-of-disappointment.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Grace","God","Wisdom","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/02/change-your-focus.html", "title": "Change Your Focus", "content_html": "![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2c381e57c3.jpg\")
“Imagine if we obsessed about the things we LOVE about ourselves.”
I’d love to have all the hours back that I obsessed about the things I didn’t like about myself. My hair. My body. My nose. My “flaws”…real or imagined. Can you imagine if we never, ever looked in the mirror and hated something we saw? Oh…what I really hate is that I put my faith in someone who judged me by my appearance. I really hate that I saw my self-worth through someone else’s lens. For…far…too…long.
\nOne of the wonderful things about rapidly approaching Medicare age is the ability to see myself as I truly am. I’m a slightly overweight, active grandma with great hair and pretty feet. I was talking with Mr. FixIt this week when we went on our little trip. I was telling him about a time in my life when I really hated who I was. Then I grew to hate that I couldn’t speak up and change the situation I was in that contributed to it. He looked at me and smiled. He said, “Well, you sure are a strong, opinionated woman now. You don’t take crap off of anyone!” My heart exploded. He GETS me!
\nEvery day, I focus on my word of the year. Presence. I am not that naive young girl who went into relationships looking for a knight in shining armor. I am not that willowy young thing who could eat anything I wanted and not gain an ounce. I don’t have the stamina that I had when I was 30…40…50….heck, 60! But, I love who I am. I am more of the woman in Proverbs 31 than I ever have been.
\nPastor Justin illustrated God’s forgiveness last Sunday in a way that will forever change how I look at myself. He was sitting at a table with a bottle of water. He always keeps a small towel nearby because it’s quite hot up there under the lights and he has a tendency to get fired up. He was talking about how we are made new when we accept Christ in our hearts. He died for our sins. That means, they are taken away. The old is gone.
\nHe covered the water bottle with the towel. “This is what happens when we are forgiven.”
\nHe pulled the towel back a bit. “The enemy wants us to keep looking back. He keeps reminding us of who we were. But that’s not who we are now.”
\nHe picked up the bottle, totally wrapped in the towel and said, “When we’ve been saved, God looks at us and sees Christ…not the old, beat up, soiled version of us…but the Christ-loving version.”
\nMy eyes swelled with tears when the full realization hit me that I don’t have to carry around all that baggage…all those burdens…all that self-loathing. It is not prideful to love and appreciate yourself as a child of God.
\nI like my feet. I like my smile. I like my compassionate heart. I like the way my hair is graying with natural streaks. I used to pay a lot of money for that. I love the way every cell in my body was made new when I was saved. Appreciate yourself. Love yourself. Not in an arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic way. You are the only YOU there is in the world. The only YOU that has ever been or ever will be. God made you just this way with the very gifts the world needs that only YOU can give. Since scripture tells us to love others as we love ourselves the opposite must also be true. Love yourself as you love others. ❤
\n“We love because he first loved us.”\n1 John 4:19 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-03-02T02:30:53-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/02/change-your-focus.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/03/01/morning-walkabout.html", "title": "Morning Walkabout", "content_html": "
![\"“Rhododendron](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7965a2871a.jpg\")
“Rhododendron and the gas light”
What an absolute treat it was to wake up out at the farm yesterday morning. Grandma’s bedroom is right along the creek’s edge and with all the rain we have been having, the sound of the water riffling along was like a lullaby. I slept so well and awoke refreshed and ready to face a busy day.
\nMr. FixIt and I did a morning walkabout on the property to check things out. He moved some fallen limbs from the ditch along the road and placed them on the burn pile. The daffodils are up about 8” high already and the grass is greening up nicely. I’ll need to mow before too long to mulch up the leaves that fell over the fall and winter. The rhododendron gets huge buds on them in the fall. They winter over and won’t bloom till late May or early June. They are still beautiful as they awaken from winter with a freshened shine to their leaves. They don’t drop their leaves like so many other plants. They just droop down all winter then stand up with their arms stretched wide in the spring.
\nI am leaving today for a long camping weekend with the Girl Campers. We’ll be staying in cabins this trip. We try to get together in the late winter when the roads aren’t too bad. We work on whatever craft projects we have going. We make soups to share. These are some of the nicest women I have ever known and I look forward to these trips with great anticipation. I’ll share projects and recipes with you along the way but my writing may be a bit sparse this weekend as I take the time to kick back with my friends and relax.
\nI do have some prayer requests for some wonderful people who are touched by illness. Please pray for healing, comfort, and God’s will. He knows who the prayers are for. Thank you all for your wonderful prayer support. There are many stars in your crowns. ❤️
\n“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”\nRomans 8:26 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-03-01T02:30:16-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/03/01/morning-walkabout.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Camping","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Wisdom","Presence","Girl Camper","Girl Campers"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/28/west-virginia-wanderings.html", "title": "West Virginia Wanderings", "content_html": "
![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/403f629cd3.jpg\")
At the WVU Basketball Game
After having breakfast with a granddaughter who is a student at WVU, we headed off to explore the area further south where my ancestors were from. I have this thing for cemeteries. I am always curious as to who these people were. Do they still have visitors? Do they have people who remember them and tell their stories? Or has it been so long that all of their loved ones are dead and gone and no one knows to even look for them. Or…worse yet…no one cares.
\nWe drove through three counties before we finally found the cemetery I was originally looking for. But we found surprises along the way. First, when I was looking for my step-great grandmother…the only one I knew…I found she was buried beside her first husband, under his name. No mention of her last husband, my great grandfather. I am not surprised. He was a bit of a scoundrel and that is probably one bit of family history her kids would like to forget.
\nThe next place we stumbled upon was the West Virginia National Cemetery. I did not realize there are 135 national cemeteries under the auspices of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration in 40 states (and Puerto Rico) as well as 33 soldier’s lots and monument sites. The West Virginia cemetery is vastly smaller than the most famous…Arlington National Cemetery. And still…the identical small white headstones stretched in meticulous formation across the rolling hills of green in a sobering reminder of those who have served our country, many giving their lives for the privilege. I was humbled by that.
\n![\"WV](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c4fd6def13.jpg\")
WV National Cemetery
The last stop was Harmony Grove Cemetery near Grafton, West Virginia. I was looking for one set of great grandparents and had read the death certificate incorrectly. They weren’t buried there after all. As we were driving through on our way out, a name jumped out at me and I called out…”Stop the truck!” I jumped out and ran down a lane of old headstones. Somewhere I had caught a glimpse of the name Mauller, but it got lost in the rows and blended in. I retraced my steps from the original vantage point and there they were! I was so excited to find the graves of two of my 3rd great grandparents along with a couple of their many children. I talked to them and told them who I was and how I came to be. I even have a picture of “Tillie” in my family tree. I was really excited to get this surprise piece of the puzzle.
\n![\"Mauller](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a6d723a986.jpg\")
My 3rd Great Grandparents
I often use Find-a-Grave to research where my ancestors are buried. Most of the time, someone has snapped a picture of the headstone and I can add it to my tree. I’ve had a picture of these headstones for years but never saw them. But here’s the bummer part of the story. When I got home, I looked Harmony Grove up on Find-a-Grave and…would you believe…there’s about twenty more of my family buried there and I didn’t see them!!! It was getting late and Mr. FixIt and I were both getting pretty hungry and tired and I just didn’t do my due diligence. It’s ok, though. This allows for another nice drive in the country. AND…we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants…Olivierio’s in Clarksburg. The BEST Italian food!
\nTo top the day off, we stopped at the farm to feed the kitties and decided to stay the night so I am snuggled in grandma’s bed as I write this, listening to the water in the creek, and feeling so rich and complete. We remarked at dinner that we feel like we’ve been on vacation for a week and it cost just a little over $100! What a wonderful break. And…this weekend is a Girl Camper trip so stay tuned for some camping (ok, cabin-ing) fun!!! ❤️
\n“I thank my God every time I remember you.”\nPhilippians 1:3 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-28T02:30:18-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/28/west-virginia-wanderings.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Love","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/27/date-night.html", "title": "Date Night", "content_html": "
![\"Budding](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7251e2f819.jpg\")
“Budding Branches”
Mr. FixIt and I live a pretty frugal life. We are careful in our spending so that we can afford small indulgences now and then. We both came from mixed backgrounds. We’ve both known what it’s like to have very little and to have much. We have a healthy appreciation of both. Because we came together later in life, money will be something we watch carefully. We have become good stewards of what God has given us.
\nThere was a time when either one of us would have gone to games and concerts without thinking of the cost. And to be honest, now that we give a great deal of consideration toward our outings, we actually enjoy and remember them more. I can’t tell you much about the vacation to Hawaii with Hubby #2, but I can tell you where we sat, where we ate, who we played, and the nature of the basketball game we attended a year ago. Of course, the company you keep makes a difference in how memorable an occasion is, don’t you agree?
\nWe drove up to Morgantown yesterday to see WVU beat Texas Tech…soundly. It was a good game. Not nearly as tight and exciting as the Baylor game last year, but it was Senior Night and the graduating seniors were honored. It was fun to see them go out on a winning note.
\nAs we walked to dinner from our hotel, we remarked at what a gorgeous, sunny afternoon it was. The trees are budding as a result of the recent warming trend which may end up being a bad thing if we get a late frost. The variety of birds is increasing and it is such a lovely thing to hear nature’s orchestra filling out.
\nWe get to take one of the grandchildren out for breakfast this morning as she is a student here. Afterward, we are going to explore around the area where my ancestors lived. We stopped at Prickett’s Fort on our way up to Morgantown yesterday. I have people in my family tree buried there. It’s a fun, overnight trip, not terribly expensive, and filled with love. ❤️
\n“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”\nProverbs 31:27 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-27T02:30:01-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/27/date-night.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/26/my-love-has-a-name.html", "title": "My Love Has a Name", "content_html": "
![\"Praise\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1464731d59.jpg\")
“My Love Has a Name…Jesus”
I am always pumped on Mondays. My “Monday Morning Motivation” begins Sunday when Mr. FixIt and I walk into church. I’ve never gone to a church that has been so uplifting. I have never in my life looked forward to Sundays like I do now! It is such an amazing feeling to carry God with me into my week.
\nThe Praise and Worship Team sang a new song yesterday by the Christian rock band, Jesus Culture called “Love Has a Name”. Our sermon series for the month of February was entitled “Love Handles”. Yesterday, Pastors Justin and Heather sat down and talked to us about 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and put it in the perspective of our relationships. Let’s break it down.
\n“Love is patient.” When Mr. FixIt takes an inordinate amount of time to type something out on his phone, my first instinct is to grab the phone and do it myself in about half the time. I’m not considering the fact that my fingers are half the size and I’ve spent a gazillion more hours typing on a keyboard as a writer than he has as a mechanical engineer designing tools. I have to remind myself to emulate God’s love…God’s perfect love…and be patient. It isn’t always easy, but I try.
\n“Love is kind.” Show of hands…how many of you have cast a disparaging look at your significant other when he’s done something you think is stupid? How many have done the whole eye roll thing? That, in and of itself, is a very unkind thing to do. I’ve done it. I don’t like that I have. As a matter of fact, I read an article once by a marriage counselor and he said one of the tell tale signs that a marriage would fail was if one or the other partner rolled their eyes. It’s dismissive. It isn’t always easy, but I try.
\n“It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” I see this to mean those times when your significant other bests you in some way. Or you, him. Lording it over the other with one-upsmanship brings competition into the equation and that can be very damaging to a relationship. I remember Hubby #2 and I took an online IQ test and I came out higher than he did. He was a doctor and I always felt somewhat “less than”, for a number of reasons. I rubbed that in and it didn’t go over well. It isn’t always easy, but I try.
\n“It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” You dishonor others by being disrespectful. This is a self-seeking behavior. Love is not easily angered. Pastor Heather said she heard something a long time ago that has always stuck with her. “Take the pause.” When something strikes you wrong, stop and take a breath before you lash out and say something you will regret later. That brings us to “no record of wrongs”. How many times have we held onto those slights and honed them to a rapier edge, only to slash our partner with them later. Maybe we “forgave” them, but brought it up anyway. It isn’t always easy, but I try.
\n“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Discord, cruelty, mean-spiritedness are evils that can take root in relationships, but the power of truth in real love is something you should always strive for. It isn’t always easy, but I try.
\n“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” You should always protect your love. Always trusting doesn’t mean being gullible, but being fair minded and believe in your spouse. Always hope for the best in your spouse. And always persevere…keep going, even when the going gets tough. It isn’t always easy, but I try.
\nI have learned to love Jesus more than anyone or anything. Everyone…even those you hold the closest to your heart…will disappoint you. Jesus will never disappoint. If we hold him at the center of all equations, we have far greater chance of success in every relationship…family, work, friends, school…everywhere.
\nThis is the song they sang yesterday…”Love Has a Name”. My love has a name…Jesus. ❤
\n“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”\n1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
\n\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-26T02:30:45-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/26/my-love-has-a-name.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Presence","Monday Morning Motivation"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/25/grandmother-faces.html", "title": "Grandmother Faces", "content_html": "
![\"Grandma](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1fbfca449d.jpg\")
“Grandma and me at about the same age.”
I met my gal pals for coffee yesterday…these magnificent ‘71 Divas Do Coffee. We started meeting once a month about four years ago to gather at a coffee shop and participate in a little “caffeine therapy”. I had a coffee group in Colorado that met once a week for 35 years and I really missed the camaraderie. I gathered up my friends and invited them out and now we can’t imagine not getting to see each other at least that once a month visit. There are now offshoots of the group that meet for lunch almost every week. Some of them meet to take care of a flower garden in the City Park. A few of them are going to drive down Monday to see a sick friend in Huntington. They are a grand group of gals with many common bonds…predominantly graduating high school together.
\nSome of us were talking yesterday about how different our grandmas were when they were our age. And how we looked at them then as SO old. We are just heading into our Medicare years. We are active, healthy, and youthful compared to our counterparts when they were 65.
\nNow, don’t get me wrong. My grandma was a hard worker. She could work circles around women half her age. But there were differences. Some grandmas in the ‘60s worked at home. They had raised their kids and their gardens…they washed clothes in a wringer washer and hung them outside to dry. They washed their kitchen floors on their hands and knees. They rarely went to the doctor. They baked their own bread, canned and preserved food from their land. They killed rattlesnakes and copperheads in the outhouse. They cut down trees and hauled brush. They wore sensible shoes and modest cotton house dresses with a belt and a pocket for their hankies. They may not have had much formal education yet they were smart in every way necessary. They knew their neighbors and they knew their bibles. They more than likely didn’t drink or smoke. They were a different breed.
\nOur generation had many more opportunities than our grandparents’ did. We moved from the farm and worked a 9-5 at an office or nursing at a hospital. We worked hard, to be sure…but not necessarily at hard labor. We got better educations, better healthcare. We voted and protested and worked for women’s rights. We bought our food in a grocery store. We had modern conveniences like automatic washing machines and dryers and dishwashers and microwaves. We bought ourselves some time. We had clubs and entertainment. We had television and news of world events. And we inched ever closer to that glass ceiling.
\nFashion aside, 65 year old grandmothers now are vastly different than most grandmothers of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Did my grandma FEEL old when she was my age? Do our grandchildren SEE us as ancient like we saw our grandparents. It boils down to how WE feel and I feel younger in most ways than I did thirty years ago. I know that won’t last forever. I’m feeling the pain of arthritis in my hands and knees and hips. I don’t remember quite as well as I used to. I have to take a handful of pills at night. But, I’m telling you this right now…I won’t go down without a fight! Because…today is the BEST day…the ONLY day that matters. I’m looking forward to many more. ❤
\n“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.”\nProverbs 16:31 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-25T02:30:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/25/grandmother-faces.html", "tags": ["Strong Women","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Aging","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/24/ill-pray-for-you.html", "title": "I’ll Pray for You", "content_html": "
![\"I’ll](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/43528a82fb.jpg\")
“I’ll Pray for You”
How many times do we say that? Something happens to someone and we automatically say, “I’ll pray for you!” We hear of a tragedy and we say, “I’ll pray for you!” How many times do we say that…and forget to pray? Or, how about when you’re scrolling through Facebook and someone asks for prayers. We might type “Prayers!” Or “Done!” Or my personal favorite…”???” A furtive “God, please give this woman what she’s asking for.” These are good things, don’t get me wrong. But we can do so much better.
\nI was working one afternoon after Mr. Virgo died and I noticed one of my coworkers was tearful. She was trying to hide it at her desk and I didn’t want to intrude. I got halfway down the hall when the Holy Spirit whispered…
\n“Go to her…now.”
\n“Awwww….c’mon. I’ve got a list of phone calls that would choke a horse! I haven’t even started the pharmacy refills yet. And I need to fax those reports. I’m really busy. Someone will help her. I’ll pray for her tonight when I get home.”
\n“Go to her…NOW!”
\n“Oooooooh…you mean…NOW! Sure!”
\nI turned on my heel and went back to my coworker’s desk. I didn’t say anything. She didn’t look at me, but she knew I was there. Her shoulders slumped and shook with silent sobs. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she immediately leaned into me and cried harder.
\nI whispered. “I don’t know what you’re going through right now…and I don’t need to know. But if you want, I would love to pray with you right now. Would that be ok?”
\nShe whispered back, “Yes! Yes, please!”
\nI closed the door to her office, knelt beside her and took her hand. And prayed. I prayed for God’s love to wrap around my friend and comfort her. I prayed for strength and courage in whatever she was facing. I prayed God would use whatever trial she was walking through to bring her closer to him so she would know there was someone who always loved her, always had her back.
\nIt didn’t take long…just a couple minutes. My friend felt so much better afterwards and my work was still there, waiting for me. I felt better, too. Because, I actually did what I said I would do. By praying with my friend, I did more than placate her to make her feel better. I called on the living God…the Highest Power…to come into the situation and work on it.
\nI once heard of a man in our church that was going through a rough patch. His friend was talking to him on the phone. They were both on the highway but several miles apart. The man asked his friend with the troubles to pull off at the next wide spot. Soon, he caught up and there, along I-70…the man placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder, lifted his other hand to the sky, and prayed. Right there for all to see.
\nI don’t think you should ever miss the opportunity to pray with somebody. Of course, pray FOR them anytime. But pray WITH them whenever you can. It’s good for everyone. ❤
\n“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.””\nMatthew 18:20 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-24T02:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/24/ill-pray-for-you.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/22/i-think-we-woke-up.html", "title": "“I Think We Woke Up The Children...”", "content_html": "
![\"Protests](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ab450f199d.jpg\")
“Protests…Then and Now”
Those of us who were coming of age in the ‘60s remember the protests of the day. Slogans like “Make Love, Not War” are being replaced with “Arms Are For Hugging”. For the last several years I’ve been wondering…”Where are the hippies?” The adolescents of my generation changed the world. It has been frustrating to see subsequent generations become so complacent with the status quo.
\nI’m not choosing sides here, although I have my own personal opinions and beliefs to be sure. I don’t advocate “taking sides” as much as I have wished for the kids to wake up and care about something. Anything. This is how change and growth occur in a democratic society.
\nI applaud the young people standing up and speaking out. My heart both broke for them for the subject they must address and swelled with pride to see such passion and eloquence in their plea. This is our future. I would much rather see students rally against violence in schools than to see them give up and give in. I think they didn’t realize the strength of numbers. I think they got fed up and fired up and I hope they don’t back down.
\nEdited*: That being said, I have been reminded by a caring reader of the ugly side of the “Make Love, Not War” movement. Our soldiers were subjected to incredible disrespect when they returned from Vietnam and there is absolutely no room for that in the world. Mr. Virgo was in Vietnam and he told me how badly he was treated when he came home. My point here is, I’m glad to see this generation stand for something instead of the disinterested me-first attitudes of so many kids growing up in the generations since the ‘60s. I know that is a generalization. Peaceful, respectful protest with meaningful, informed dialogue can effect lasting change.
\nI’ve been a placard carrier since the first political rally I attended. I have stood alone in a sea of opponents to support my beliefs. I have bucked the system. There came a point when I got tired. Disillusioned. Overwhelmed. We didn’t always get it right but it thrills me to see the children waking up, no matter what their call is. Another day…another dawning of the Age of Aquarius. ✌
\n“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."”\nJoshua 1:9 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-22T02:30:02-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/22/i-think-we-woke-up.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/19/love-is-an-action-word.html", "title": "Love is an Action Word", "content_html": "
![\"Coffee](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7fd36eb850.jpg\")
\nI’m doing something different today. Usually I write my essay then I go read and find a bible verse that best suits my message of the day. It’s easier that way for me because I look for verses about a certain theme, read and study them, then choose the one that speaks to me. To take a verse and pontificate on it seems a bit foreign after writing for nearly five years the other way. But today…I want to talk to you about Romans 12:6-8 specifically.
\nAs we always do, Mr. FixIt and I stood and held hands as we prayed and sang with the praise team in church yesterday. And, as I always do on the third song, I closed my eyes and prayed. I thanked God for all he has blessed us with. I thanked him for bringing me this fine man to stand with me in church to praise with me. I recited the Prayer of Jabez and asked that he bless me indeed, that he expand my territory, walk with his hand over me, and keep evil far from me that I may not feel pain. Then I asked…”If you have a specific message for me today, please deliver it to me through Pastor Justin.” Amen
\nWe’ve been doing a series entitled “Love Handles”. Not the muffin tops above our jeans from eating too many Oreos, but the action word…LOVE. The love we take out into the world. As Christians, we are called to be different. We aren’t supposed to go out and blend into the world. We should be shining the light of the Holy Spirit out into the world so brightly that people take notice when we walk into a room. Pastor Justin’s first Bible reading yesterday was Romans 12:6-8. It tells us that God, in his infinite grace, has given us all gifts for doing certain things very well…be it prophesy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, or kindness. If you have a talent that comes to you easily and you do it very well, that is your gift. That is what you are here to share.
\nTears came to my eyes when I listened to the verse being read. “If God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.” Prophesy has several meanings but the one I believe was being directed to me was “preach”. As I have grown in my faith and through this blog, I was led by the Holy Spirit to include scripture in my writing. If you were here when that started, you may remember the conversation I had with God in church when I got that message loud and clear and I argued vehemently against it. I did NOT want to “be that person.” I didn’t want to be “preachy” and turn people off.
\nThere have been instances when I see that people have “unliked” this page when I get too “churchy”. But I have to say, the most interaction this page receives is when my post is truly aligned with my heart, and thus…my faith. When I share my truth, my stories, through the lens of faith…they seem to reach through the miles and touch hearts. I’ve been feeling God nudging me to continue in that direction. That doesn’t mean every post here is going to be a sermon, because it isn’t. What it means is, I’m going to be a little less worried about what people think when I talk about God. It’s really easy to talk about God in a room full of believers. It is not nearly so easy to prophesy to those who don’t believe the same way I do. God has given me a gift of words. It is my duty to put them to the best use I can. I hope you will stick around and see where this goes because I think it’s going to get interesting. ❤
\n“So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.”\nRomans 12:6-8 GNB
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-19T02:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/19/love-is-an-action-word.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Monday Morning Motivation"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/18/the-mountain.html", "title": "The Mountain", "content_html": "
![\"Sunrise](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5157c752d5.jpg\")
“My Hope is in You Alone” - MercyMe
I was writing last night and listening to a channel on Amazon Music called “Relaxing Christian Music”. MercyMe came on and sang “Even If You Don’t”. It’s about those times when your faith is challenged by the hardships you face in life. It made me think of the losses so many are facing. There are seventeen mothers and fathers preparing to lay their children to rest this week. It is easy to ask questions like, “Where was God during all this?” “How can God let bad things happen to innocent people…especially children?”
\nLife can be really difficult. It can be filled with challenges and unfulfilled dreams. Disappointments. Hurts. Horrors. And…it can be filled with absolutely unmovable mountains.
\nIt’s easier to maintain our faith when the skies are sunny and life is good. When we are knee deep in blessings and goodness rains down on us like a spring shower, we’re good. But…what happens when the darkness comes? How do we maintain our faith when God seems to have abandoned us and is far, far away?
\nGod is capable of all things. I know he can do anything. I’ve seen him do it. When I was a little girl and I sat at my grandma’s knee, I asked her how she knew Jesus was who he said he was. How did she know he really walked on water? She smiled knowingly and patted my hand. “You just have to have faith, pet.” she said in her wise grandma way. It took me most of my life to absorb that…and to believe it.
\nFaith.
\nWhat is faith? The Bible tells us faith is the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The substance of my hope is a loving God who can move mountains. The evidence of things not seen is when he refuses and I still believe in him.
\nSometimes God refuses to move the mountain that is in your way because that mountain is in HIS plan…not yours. My biggest mountain was losing Mr. Virgo. God knew that could shake my faith. So he let me see something. He let me see the essence of my husband’s spirit as it left his body. I was forever changed. Not only by the loss itself, but by the certainty that we go someplace else when we die, we are not alone and there is a power far greater than me at work in the world. That power…to me…is God. I will not understand the whys until I get where I am going…but I know the WHO.
\nThis has been a difficult year so far. There has been so much loss in the world. So many unmovable mountains. When I face these times, I find leaning into God and trusting him is the only way to get through it.
\nHe CAN move mountains. And…sometimes he chooses not to. It is the pure essence of faith when you can still believe in God when you have trouble seeing the evidence of his existence.
\nMy HOPE is in him…even when he doesn’t answer.
\nMercyMe - Even If You Don’t\nhttps://youtu.be/B6fA35Ved-Y
\n“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”\nHebrews 11:1 KJV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-18T02:30:26-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/18/the-mountain.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/17/airing-out.html", "title": "Airing Out", "content_html": "
![\"Kicking](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0818c1c5b0.jpg\")
Kicking Back by the Pool
We have had a few really warm days here in West Virginia, even though it’s been rainy and grey. I’ve been staying put a lot this year. Last year was crazy busy for me and I traveled a lot. There was also the car accident a year ago. Mr. FixIt had his hand surgery the first week of December and now he’s having pretty intense hand therapy, and I am taking advantage of the down time to just be still. We have some fun things scheduled, but for now, I’m kind of liking this homebody stuff.
\nWe have a lot of meals together and I have found a new joy in cooking. I also enjoy those two or three hours three times a week he’s at PT and I can be alone with my thoughts and my keyboard. It’s been good for me. The other day the temperature got up to the low 70’s. It felt so good to go outside and put my feet up and breathe the clean country air at Mr. FixIt’s place.
\nThere’s water everywhere right now. The ground is saturated and the rain keeps coming. We got a little water in the basement yesterday morning, but nothing like last month. Mr. FixIt built a dam to keep the water out and it would have worked perfectly except the sump pump didn’t turn on like it was supposed to. We’ll do a permanent fix this summer. The Ohio River is supposed to crest on Sunday three feet above flood stage. It’s that time of year. We are likely to still have some snow in the coming two or three weeks, but there is an end in sight now and that makes me breathe easier.
\nI think we will spend some time in the coming week going through some boxes marked “garage sale” and get rid of some stuff. I had a request in the last couple of weeks to revisit the topic of downsizing so we’ll get into that, too. Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone! ❤️
\n“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”\n1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-17T02:30:09-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/17/airing-out.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/16/staying-present.html", "title": "Staying Present", "content_html": "
![\"Feather](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/10f61fb2bb.jpg\")
”My burdens are light as a feather because God carries them for me.”
I love Uma Girish. Uma is a Grief Guide…one who helps others walk their path with valuable tools she gives them along the way. Uma wrote a post about mindfulness that I wanted to share with you. We talk about mindfulness here a lot. My word of the year is “presence”. I practice mindfulness frequently. I sure wish I could say I practice it all the time, but my monkey brain kicks in and takes me on wild tangents. I get lost in the weeds. Then, Spirit sends me something…a message, a person, a hint. Yesterday…I was sent back to Uma.
\nI have to admit…I’m struggling a little bit right now. I’ve been trying to put my finger on it and it’s a slippery little sucker. Is it this sinus infection I’m battling? Is it Seasonal Affective Disorder? Is it missing my family in Colorado? Is it the state of our world, politically…morally…naturally? Is it the horrific tragedies that seem to be around every corner these days? The answer is yes…all of the above.
\nAnd…it is grief.
\nGrief. That ever-present underground river that flows just under my heart. I’m counting down now to the five year anniversary of Mr. Virgo’s death. Five years. We were married just three weeks shy of six. We knew each other for seven and a half. I’m getting to the point where I’ve been without him as long as I had him. And it still hurts. I have this wonderful new man in my life who I’m over the moon in love with. And it still hurts. I’ve been incredibly blessed with this blog and the opportunities it has given me. And it still hurts. I have everything I need and then some. And. It. Still. Hurts.
\nYesterday morning I was flailing. I laid in bed with my cell phone, playing a game of solitaire. My stomach churned from the antibiotics I started the night before. My ears still had fluid in them and it sounded like someone wadding up a potato chip bag every time I swallowed. It’s been raining and dreary for several days. All I wanted to do was pull the covers over my head and stay there the rest of my life. That is where I put my mindfulness. Up on a shelf…out of reach.
\nI forced myself to get up…get dressed…pull the covers up on the bed. I made myself eat toast and tea. Gratefully, Mr. FixIt turned off the television so I didn’t have to see any more of the horrible news out of Florida. I took my tea to the sofa just as the sun peeked out of the clouds for the first time this week. I snuggled down into my “nest” and opened my iPad to check my email. And there was Uma’s newsletter. Her topic of the day? Mindfulness. I laughed. Sometimes God gently walks up beside me and says…really loud…LISTEN!
\nI did as Uma suggested…as I’ve done hundreds of times…as I’ve shared with you. I sat still. I closed my eyes. I stopped multitasking and just listened. I felt the sofa under me, cradling my body. I felt the lap desk on my thighs. I paid attention to my breath and my pain. I listened to my heart breaking again. It’s nothing like it was in the beginning. It has morphed and changed, waxed and waned. It’s just a current of energy that mixes with all the other currents in my world. Sometimes the rheostat gets cranked up a little higher, that’s all. Holidays. Birthdays. Angelversaries. Bluebirds. Cigars. I never know what will set it off or when. But I can become mindful…present…still. I can center myself and deal with the one thing and not the everything at once thing.
\nThank you, Uma…for reminding us to stop and listen and center ourselves before we head down the rabbit hole. As the sun sent last night and I heard the spring peepers, I felt the axis shift and I’m much, much better. ❤
\n“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”\nColossians 3:2 ESV
\n\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-16T02:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/16/staying-present.html", "tags": ["Faith","Grief","Grace","God","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/14/my-funny-valentine.html", "title": "My Funny Valentine", "content_html": "
![\"Medicare](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/01625c3882.jpg\")
“My Funny Valentine”
You know this day will come. Well…you certainly hope it does. Mr. Virgo didn’t get this far. He died at sixty-two. Mr. FixIt brought my mail home from town yesterday. I was browsing through it when I noticed an envelope from the Department of Health and Human Services. I thought it was just an advertisement but when I opened it…it was my Medicare Card.
\nWow.
\nI had a rush of feelings. I felt…o-l-d. For about two minutes. What else? Sad…for a minute. I didn’t think sixty-five years would go by so fast. Humbled? Check. Grown up? Yeah, ok. Grateful? Definitely. Relieved? Oh, yes! My insurance costs will go down greatly. It took a few minutes till I worked my way through to the money, but once I got there, I was fine.
\nWhat a privilege it is to get to this point in my life. I’m alive and healthy. I know…Mr. Virgo is gone. And the wife of one of my dear classmates has been seriously ill and in the hospital for the last six weeks. Mr. FixIt’s cousin had a massive stroke on Sunday. I have every blessing I could ask for. I have no business feeling bummed because I’m going to be sixty-five this summer.
\nSo, I’ve reached a major landmark in my life…a benchmark, as it were. I’m happy. I’m proud. I’m excited to see what comes next!
\nWhat an amazing Valentine, eh?!?! It can’t beat the pink roses, chocolates, and sweet card Mr. FixIt gave me…but it’s a close second! ❤
\n“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”\nIsaiah 46:4 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-02-14T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/14/my-funny-valentine.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Wisdom","Humbled","Aging","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/13/craving-the-sun.html", "title": "Craving the Sun", "content_html": "![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d0f5f7965c.jpg\")
“Late Winter Sun”
We are having a warming trend here in West Virginia. The monsoonal rains are beginning and we will have long stretches of grey, rainy days in the next few weeks. Still, the night time temperatures drop and we awoke to a skiff of snow and icy roads yesterday. After totaling my truck this time last year, I am really skittish about driving on dicey roads so I’ve been hanging out at Mr. FixIt’s place while he goes to town for physical therapy on his hand.
\nYesterday was really sunny but with a high of only 41 degrees. The back door faces west and the sun was streaming in so I pulled my recliner over and soaked up some rays. OMGosh! It felt divine. An hour sitting in the warm sunshine did wonders to boost my mood and got me thinking about getting outside camping, hiking, fishing. This is the week of the Sisters on the Fly Great Winter Camp In. We are supposed to capture pictures of ourselves doing anything camping related. I’m going to get out in the camper this week…even if it’s just for a few hours to write. I really miss TOW-Wanda by this time of the year.
\nIt’s almost time to start working on fixing up my 1967 Franklin Camper. I would love to have it ready this year to camp in. As I sit here writing this, a pair of cardinals are at the feeder in the back yard. I’m hearing more birds in the mornings. The pile of firewood is stacked by the fire ring ready for coming evening gatherings. The pool is still iced over. But the days are getting longer and with warmer weather and rain comes the promise of spring. I can hardly wait! ❤️
\n“Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”\nHosea 6:3 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-13T02:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/13/craving-the-sun.html", "tags": ["Hope","Sisters on the Fly","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","West Virginia","Gratitude","Wisdom","Presence","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/08/when-things-get-scary.html", "title": "When Things Get Scary", "content_html": "
![\"Stock](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/43214984e4.jpg\")
“Stock Market”
Disclaimer: I do not give financial advice. This essay only expresses my feelings.
\nPersonal wealth is a matter of comparison. If you compare my financial picture to a goat herder in the Sahara Desert, I am a multimillionaire. If you compare me to a member of the Fortune 500, I am poor as a church mouse. It’s all relative. But what I do have, I want to protect and watch over carefully.
\nI have spent my whole life deferring all this nasty talk of money to the man in my life. Not because I am incapable of understanding the intricacies of a budget, but because any marital discord I have ever experienced in my life has had something to do with money. Usually with him making it and me spending too much of it. My parents fought over money constantly. Frankly, money…or the lack thereof…scared the heck out of me. So, I avoided talking about it.
\nThen, Mr. Virgo up and died on me and left me to learn a lifetime of money management skills I simply did not possess. The first thing I did the week after the funeral was to switch to a financial advisor who specializes in women in transition…ie widows or divorcees. Danielle Howard was recommended to me by a fellow widow friend who was kind enough to help me set up and meet with her for the first time.
\nDanielle offers two lanes in her financial planning…secular and Christian. I was intrigued. The Christian approach teaches you to be a good steward of what God has provided for you. That’s the route I went with. I met with Danielle frequently at first because there was so much to learn. I wasn’t confident in my decision making skills at all. Danielle was patient, understanding, and nonjudgmental when I made SO many mistakes in the first two or three years after Mr. Virgo died.
\nI was told, “Watch your money.” “Don’t make any big financial decisions in the first year.” “Resist the urge to be overly generous.” But did I listen? Not very well. I tried to fill that hole in my heart with travel and shopping and generosity. Then I woke up and realized, I had to be MUCH more careful or I was going to run out of money.
\nThe Stock Market is probably the singularly scariest entity in my life. I am convinced it is the Devil’s spawn. This last year has been wonderful because I could breathe and not worry about losing what little bit of money I have invested. It’s been a banner year for stocks. Then…the “Big Bang” hit late last week and early this week. When the market fell 1500 points on Monday, I panicked. I called Danielle and left a voice mail telling her I was totally freaking out and could she kindly call me back as soon as possible.
\nThen I fixed a cup of tea. I mean, what else could I do, right? Tea…and wait. Visions of selling pencils from a cup on the street corner started to float in front of me and my heart raced. Crazy…I know. But that’s what money does to me. Then I remembered all those meetings with Danielle at the Bluebird Cafe where we sat over coffee and she taught me about money.
\n“What would Danielle do?” I thought to myself.
\nI could almost hear her voice. “Knowledge is power.”
\nI went to the internet and started reading some of the reputable financial news sites to get their take on the biggest drop ever. I soothed myself with articles about market corrections and stabilization. How these things are expected and actually good for the market in the long run. The takeaway I got was…breathe. Don’t pull out. Just hold steady and ride the waves.
\nI’m pretty good at riding waves.
\nBy the time Danielle called, I was feeling much more in control. I told her about going online and educating myself as to what was going on and what it meant. And I felt so empowered when she said, “Way to go! That’s really great that you took a proactive stance and learned all you could so you could make informed decisions.” I know it sounds so silly, but that was HUGE for me. I felt so…grown up and more in control.
\nThis last year has been really interesting for me. Since downsizing and living a minimalistic lifestyle, I have found my spending to be under much better control. I’ve become more frugal, careful. I don’t NEED anything, really. If I accumulate, I have to go through downsizing. I really don’t ever want to do that again.
\nWidowhood and divorce can often leave us in dire straights. Knowledge really IS power so learn all you can about money and budgeting. And remember, dealing with corrections in the Stock Market is exactly like skiing in deep powder. You have to kick back and rest on the tails of your skis. If you lean too far forward, you’ll take a tumble.
\nOh…and pray. Pray a LOT! ❤
\n“Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?”\nProverbs 17:16 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-08T02:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/08/when-things-get-scary.html", "tags": ["Faith","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/07/i-am-enough.html", "title": "I Am Enough", "content_html": "
![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/aacfccbe1f.jpg\")
“I Am Enough”
A friend of mine posts these really great inspirational messages on her Facebook page. She comes up with original questions, collections of photos surrounding a theme, and generally spreads love and light throughout the world…with an occasional “f-bomb” thrown in for emphasis. Her name is Barbara. I think she should write a book or have a syndicated newsletter or something because I never see her stuff without feeling uplifted and in awe. I love her.
\nYesterday she posted the following question:
\nWHO ARE YOU?\nAnswer without:\nName, Job, Things you Did, Friends
\nAs I always do with her thought provoking posts…I sat and thought. I made a cup of tea. I stared out the window. I listened to a recording of ocean waves. And…I sat and thought some more. I could answer many things. Christian. Gypsy. Dreamer. Giver. Lover. Friend. But those things only answer a part of the question with those parameters. I decided on this…
\nI Am Enough.
\nWhen this picture was taken, I was visiting my dear friend, Patti from Buffalo Baking Company in California. I had just completed a few of my big “firsts”. My first foray into the world of dating. HUGE mistake on the dating end. BIG help on the “having a shoulder to cry on” end. It didn’t turn out very well for either of us, unfortunately. Too much…WAY too soon. I had survived our anniversary, our birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. And I headed to the west coast to stay with a woman I had never met in person…I only knew her through this blog. But I knew her heart and she is good and she loved on me for a week.
\nI had it in my head that once the clock struck midnight and 2013 turned into 2014, I could say…”He died LAST YEAR”. Somehow I thought that would sweep up the wreckage of my life from the floor where it fell eight months earlier. It would be the glue to piece my heart back together. On this day…New Year’s Day 2014…we drove to Half Moon Bay play tourist. We walked the beach, browsed the shops, ate fabulous seafood, and enjoyed each other’s company.
\nWhen we got to the beach, I asked if I could have a moment alone. I walked to the water’s edge and talked to Mr. Virgo. I told him how much I loved him. I let a little piece of him go free. I placed a few strands of his hair into the foam around my freezing bare feet. And I cried. As I was walking back to Patti and her husband, I saw she had her camera poised and I threw up my hands as if to say, “Ta Da!!! That’s done!!!”
\nOh…I was SO naive.
\nI only THOUGHT I was done. I thought the New Year would bring a new me…sans tears, anxiety, sleepless nights throwing up, fits of rage and depression, and deep melancholia. It was far from it. It only opened my eyes to the stark reality that this really WAS real. He really WAS gone. And now, I got the opportunity to feel it all without that protective gauze of grief sheltering my weary heart and mind from the full blow. Now I was raw, open, searing with the painful presence of daily life…without him. Without my heart. Without my mind. At least as I had known it.
\nThat second year was exactly like holding a sword into the white hot heat of a forge. It tempered me. It made me stronger so that when I was beaten, I held my edge. I became sharp and strong. I was honed into a new version of me.
\nWhen you look at the edge of a well-honed sword, you do not see a sharp, straight line. You see little bits and fragments and fingers of metal that have been forced to line up in the same direction. But there are chips and divots and feathers of steel lining up like soldiers marching in formation. Yet, zoom back out and you can cut a watermelon in midair with one easy stroke.
\nWhen you hone a sword, there is a stopping point. There is a place where you say…that is enough. If you keep going, the blade doesn’t get any sharper. It just wears away. This is where I am on this journey now. If I keep grinding away at this, I just get worn till I’m useless. There was that tipping point somewhere along the line where I said to myself…I Am Enough. This is good…this life I have built. I have surrounded myself with love and light. God, in his infinite Mercy, has given me more hearts to love and more time to love them. If my edge should dull…and it will…I will put my feet to the flame again and get strong and sharp. Over and over and over…ad infinitum. It is what we do. It is the best we can do. It is ALL we can do. Do the work. Walk through the flames. Become stronger. And proclaim to the world…
\nI. Am. Enough. And, my darling friend…you are, too!
\n❤️
\n“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”\nPhilippians 1:6 NIV11
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-07T02:30:52-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/07/i-am-enough.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","God","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/05/the-eagles-have-landed.html", "title": "The Eagles Have Landed!", "content_html": "
![\"Eagles](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bdd5ca37e6.jpg\")
Eagles win the Super Bowl!
Everyone loves an underdog. In a Google poll, only a handful of states hoped for a Patriots win, even though they were predicted to win by a substantial margin.
\nThe game was tight. Philadelphia held the lead till they faltered in the third quarter when they seemed to run out of steam. Or, more accurately, Tom Brady got a fire lit under his team…finally. For a few brief moments, the Patriots led till a fumble picked up by the Eagles gave the birds some wings.
\nAll through the game, I kept calling up to Mr. Virgo. “Are you watching this???” “OMGosh! Can you believe this???” Mr. FixIt laughed. I have no shame. I will call on the ghost of my late husband to go down on that field and trip the opponents’ quarterback if I have to.
\nIt literally came down to the last few seconds of the game when an incomplete pass gave the Eagles their very first Super Bowl win. Mr. Virgo watched them religiously. He hoped. He dreamed. And they always failed him. They always broke his heart. I wish he could have seen that game last night! I have a feeling maybe he did. In the post game interviews and presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, each player gave credit to God first. I was so proud. I cried. These are men of character. Gone are the shameful days of Michael Vick. These men worked hard and, even after losing their franchise quarterback to an injury earlier in the season, they managed to pull off an unimaginable feat and beat the famed New England Patriots. Within moments of the win, my brother called from Colorado to share the joy of the win with me.
\nWe had family with us all afternoon. We had game day food. We had an incredible game with a glorious win. We had credit given where credit was due. sigh It was a really wonderful day. ❤️ ? ❤️
\n“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”\nMark 10:31 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-05T02:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/05/the-eagles-have-landed.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Fun","Grace","God","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/04/skeletons-in-the-closet.html", "title": "Skeletons in the Closet", "content_html": "
![\"A](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9d498ad0a8.jpg\")
\nExploring genealogy can lead to some real surprises. Family secrets like the baby “born” to the woman in her sixties with a 16 year old daughter. To save face, the grandparents registered the birth as their own instead of their unwed daughter, even though the daughter continued to raise that little girl plus two more. Or how about the man who stole a pig, was exonerated, then got in a fight with the sheriff over something completely different and killed him in a barroom brawl. There’s suicides, like my great great uncle who had horrible lifelong pain from arthritis or one of Mr. FixIt’s distant relatives who took arsenic. You never know what you might find when you delve into the past.
\nWhen I was a little girl, I had a special aunt. She lifted me up and made me feel good about myself. I remember her stooping down to tell me how beautiful I looked in periwinkle blue. It made my heart sing and I absolutely adored her. I grew up emulating her every move, style, thought. She was married to my dad’s brother and she did NOT like that side of the family. Unfortunately, she instilled that in me and I never really had much of a relationship with them. But I was one of her “special ones”. We talked for hours…HOURS. I basked in her attention.
\nThen, somewhere along the line…there was a rift. I wasn’t allowed to come see her anymore. I had done something my uncle didn’t approve of and that was that. It was easier to let me go than to deal with his anger. I didn’t talk with her for a long time. Then Mr. Virgo died. I just had to talk to her…just one more time. I called and left a message. And told her I would try her only once more the following afternoon. When I called back, she picked up on the first ring. It was like old times. I collapsed into my beloved aunt’s love and she comforted me in my loss. She listened to me cry. We talked for two hours and when it came time to ring off, I sensed this was the last time I would ever talk with her. I wanted to make it count.
\nI told her to listen to me. I told her I knew it wasn’t her turning me away because she didn’t love me. I knew the uncomfortable situation she was in. It was a different time. Women were more dependent…for a number of reasons. She couldn’t walk away. I understood that. I told her I loved her very much, I knew I was still one of her “special ones”, and I didn’t blame her. She cried. She thanked me for understanding. I told her goodbye. That was five years ago.
\nI’m telling you…I was a late bloomer. I didn’t learn the lessons of your 20’s till I was in my 60’s. When an impressionable young girl is under the spell of a powerful mother figure, real personal growth isn’t possible until that influence is removed. In rapid succession, I lost my grandma, I lost a marriage in which I had always deferred to my husband, one of my best friends moved away, I lost my mom, my aunt, and Mr. Virgo…all in a period of a few short years. I was set adrift. I didn’t know how to be…me. It was bad enough that I lost my sweet husband and was grieving and had to learn how to be without him. But those people who should have been there to help me learn how to be a widow…weren’t. As a late bloomer, I had a crash course in Adulting 101. It was incredibly rough.
\nThen something wonderful happened. OK, it was awful…I lost my dad. I was never close to him, but it was loss just the same. And right there in the basement of the church when we gathered to eat after the funeral, the miracle happened. Those family members on my dad’s side that I had shunned out of deference to my aunt, opened their arms and drew me in. They loved on me. They gave me their phone numbers. They planned a family picnic. I saw them…really SAW them as the beautiful people they are and I realized in that moment how much I had lost by being led astray. All those years, I thought I couldn’t love them both…my aunt AND my dad’s family. What a waste.
\nLast night, I was diving into an hour or so of genealogy research before I started writing. I don’t know if you are familiar with ancestry.com. When there are new hints for a family member in your tree, a little leaf grows out of the upper right corner of their picture. It has been five years since I’ve signed into Ancestry to do a little snooping around. OMGosh! It looked like a forest in there! Leaves everywhere. I started with my parents and their siblings. I opened my uncle’s hint. A picture of his gravestone. He had died in 2016! I called my cousins and they hadn’t heard a thing. I googled. Nothing. I searched the newspaper archive. No obituary. Nothing.
\nI sat back and let my mind wander and absorb the news. My thoughts swirled round till they started to settle into a reality. All this time, I had let myself believe that once this man was gone, my aunt could talk to me freely again. I could have that relationship back that I had cherished. But, it’s been two years. If she was going to call me…she would have by now. That’s too…half empty to me. Maybe she lost my contact information in the five years since we last talked. Maybe she has dementia and can’t call me. Or, maybe it was her. Maybe SHE was the one who didn’t like what I had done and cut me off.
\nI spent about 15 minutes feeling really sad that I would never have that special relationship again. Then I realized I have gained SO much since things changed. I learned how to think for myself. I gained a whole family of cousins whom I love very much. Life is all about change. It isn’t always easy to adapt to change. However…adapt or stay trapped. It always comes back to choices. I’m special now because GOD says I’m special…I say I’m special…Mr. FixIt and my family says I’m special. And I still look beautiful in periwinkle blue. ❤️
\n“But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation. To him be the power for ever! Amen.”\n1 Peter 5:10-11 GNBDC
\n", "date_published": "2018-02-04T02:30:45-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/04/skeletons-in-the-closet.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/03/digging-in-the-past.html", "title": "Digging in the Past", "content_html": "![\"My](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/37b4ea7927.jpg\")
My Ancestors
I received an e-mail from my cousin’s son the other day through the ancestry.com website. He was asking for permission to look at my family tree. He’s been doing a little research to give to his niece when she’s old enough to take interest and since I have ten times the number of names in my tree over his, he wanted a peek. I said yes, of course.
\nI mentioned in my post yesterday that I had discovered a long lost cousin in my long time friend and in the process, I downloaded the Ancestry app again. It had been quite some time since I had delved into genealogy because, quite frankly, I have a tendency to dive in and stay there for months at a time. Seriously, I’ve needed an intervention before this. I have nearly 6,000 names in my tree, if that tells you anything about the time I spend (waste?) on this stuff.
\nSometime in the last couple of years, I sent in a DNA sample to Ancestry. Nothing much came of it for a while. I got my readout with no real surprises save for <1% Finnish. Then, as more and more people did the test, more and more connections have been made. I downloaded the AncestryDNA app and there’s an amazing interactive map that shows the ancestors I have been genetically linked to, where they were from, when they came to the United States, and where they settled. There are thousands of connections….from 2nd cousins to far distant relatives.
\nAlong with these new connections come the items in their corresponding trees. Certificates of birth, marriage, and death. Deeds and wills. Censuses. City directories. Obituaries. Cemetery locations. All interesting and they fill in a lot of blanks. But the BEST sunken treasures are the photographs of ancestors you’ve never met…you’ve never seen. Like this picture, for instance. That dapper man in the hat standing in the center is my second great grandfather…Daniel. His wife, Lydia, is seated in front and slightly to his left. They had thirteen children. He lived a long life of seventy-five years and died in 1897 in his hometown. His grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War. One of his sons…my great grandfather, Benjamin…is the gentleman standing on the far left.
\nI’ve never felt more connected to my ancestry as I do living here in West Virginia. The very ground cries out their names, the hills echo their stories. I have a lot on my plate right now, but I can’t help diving in just a bit and see what’s new out there. My tree has leaves everywhere meaning there’s a boatload of hints to follow up on. If I go too far down the rabbit hole, send in the troops! ❤️
\n“And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.”\nActs 26:6 NIV11
\n#ancestry, #knowledge, #family
\n", "date_published": "2018-02-03T02:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/03/digging-in-the-past.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/02/01/the-gift-that-keeps-on.html", "title": "The Gift That Keeps on Giving", "content_html": "![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2c573de0af.jpg\")
“The Winter Tree”
I sat in the family room yesterday, working on my laptop. As I was installing my tax software, I looked over and caught the sun gleaming through the branches of the tree that still stands in front of the picture window. Do I still call it a Christmas tree now that it’s February? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll call it a Valentine tree.
\nI contemplated taking it down…for about two minutes. Then I said…”Nah, we love it!” So there it stands. It serves many purposes. It brings a lovely ambient light to the room in the evenings as we sit and enjoy this comfortable space we created. The blue-grey walls take on a deeper, muted tone in the pale white light. The mechanical angel on top continues her slow dance. I have the lights set on a timer to come on at 5:30. This is where I notice another benefit to leaving the tree up. When I first decorated it and set the timer, it had already been dark outside for quite some time when the lights came on. Now it’s still daylight, giving me a visual sign that the days are indeed getting longer and spring will be here before we know it.
\nI do whatever it takes to keep happy in the winter. Having gone through a clinical depression in the ‘90s, I am very careful about my mental hygiene when the days are so short. It is easy to become bored when you are stuck inside too much and it’s not a long walk from boredom to depression. They are one and the same…just different points on a continuum. I heard of a suicide yesterday. It made my heart hurt. With boredom, escape can come in sleep. With depression, escape can tragically become final.
\nWinters are long and dark enough. If leaving my tree up makes me happy, so be it. It very likely will become an Easter tree before I give in and take it down. At least the Christmas carols are gone! I am always glad to put those away. Six weeks of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” is enough to drive anyone batty! ❤️
\n“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”\nPsalm 36:9 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-02-01T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/02/01/the-gift-that-keeps-on.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","West Virginia","Grace","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/31/go-away-mr-snarky.html", "title": "Go Away, Mr. Snarky!", "content_html": "
![\"Lion\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6c594f517d.jpg\")
\nSomething is fundamentally wrong with this world today. Ok…there are so many things, it’s hard to land on one…but today, it’s all about this guy I went to high school with. I love how the Lord gives me SO many opportunities to practice keeping my mouth shut. And I’m doing a whole lot better at it. God knows it isn’t easy for me sometimes.
\nSo, back to this guy. We’ll call him Joe. Ok, that’s his name…Joe. It doesn’t matter if I identify him here…he’ll NEVER see this post. Because Joe is FAR too busy making snarky political comments on other people’s Facebook pages.
\nI became friends with Joe on Facebook in 2009. We were classmates all through school. He was one of the “cool kids”. He was a real cutie back in the day. I hate to admit that even in 2009, I kinda dug it if the “popular” people became my friends on Facebook. That’s sad, isn’t it? There was still some personal growth I obviously needed to work on…and Joe was my opportunity.
\nIn nearly every case, those classmates that I really didn’t know in school have turned out to be sheer delights as friends at this stage of the game. Not Joe. Joe is opinionated, snarky, and oh so bold in his political opinions now that his candidate is in the White House. I usually don’t care. I don’t discuss politics online. I can scroll by annoying posts…I’m an adult. But when I expressed concern at the $23M price tag on the refrigeration’s units for Air Force One, I wasn’t inviting a political discourse. I was questioning how a refrigerator could cost that much. I wanted to learn.
\nSeveral people wrote genuinely kind responses, referring me to websites that explained the intricacies of such a piece of machinery. The two planes that are interchangeable to carry the President (whichever one has POTUS onboard at the time is called Air Force One) were first flown in 1987. Parts must be custom made because they are no longer being manufactured. Plans for new planes began under GW Bush but were postponed. The new planes will not be ready for service until 2023. The new planes will have more modern defenses against missiles and electromagnetic pulse attacks. And, apparently…cold snacks. (Thank you, Gina!) This was the kind of helpful, respectful answer I was looking for. Then, along came Joe.
\nI’ve noticed over the last couple of years, Joe is really opinionated. REALLY. As in, “I have no respect for your opinion if it doesn’t agree with mine.” He dive bombs every conversation with politically charged nastiness. He doesn’t call you names or anything. He just jumps in and stirs the pot. I know. I could have cut him off at the knees a hundred times. But, I’ve been interested in seeing just how far he would take this. The thing is, it’s never quite enough to make me pull the plug. He’s just like an annoying fly at a picnic. I figured I’d just ignore him.
\nThe comment he made wasn’t necessarily offensive, or ugly. However…it just didn’t feel good. It wasn’t nice. It wasn’t supportive, or helpful, or kind, or even polite. I never strike back like with like. I was polite. I asked him not to come to my page and be snarky. I promised I wouldn’t go to his and do the same. It wasn’t enough for Joe. He had to swoop back in with the last word. I can tolerate political differences. I don’t have to suffer a fool.
\nMy dad was well into his eighties when the internet gained traction. He and I never saw eye to eye about much. But I’ll never forget him saying the internet was going to be the downfall of society. We’re watching it happen. People are losing their ability to be kind to one another. They are emboldened behind screens to say things they might not say to your face. And after some time, they lose even that reservation and the ugly comes out everywhere.
\nI’m tired. I want nice again. I saw Tom Hanks is going to play Mr. Rogers in a movie about his life. Maybe that’s what we need…more Mr. Rogers. I miss manners. I miss kindness. I miss my country. I can work with anybody…just, for heaven’s sake, be nice. ❤️
\n“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”\nEphesians 4:31-32 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-31T02:30:11-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/31/go-away-mr-snarky.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Growth","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/30/the-mckinney-grief-scale.html", "title": "The McKinney Grief Scale", "content_html": "
![\"Elk](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/27222316f7.jpg\")
“Elk in Colorado” by Ginny McKinney
It’s that time of year again where Facebook is kindly sharing the memories of things that occurred in the weeks leading up to Mr. Virgo’s death. This is a wonderful feature, really. It reminds us of things that happened in the past. Birthday parties, the birth of new family members, that dinner party you had to celebrate something special. Those memories come in and give us warm fuzzies. But what about the memories leading up to a tragic loss? They can be so painful…especially early in the grief process. Even now…leading up to the fifth angelversary of my late husband’s death, these memories take me back to that innocent time before I knew what death REALLY was.
\nIt’s not like I would change this. I wouldn’t want these memories to go away. I’d just like to have them come in a little gift box that I could open should I choose to see the contents. I remember the week of his first angelversary. Ironically, it was right around the time they started this memory thing. It took my breath away and knocked me to my knees. For the most part, five years and a new relationship have eased that. It’ll never take it away completely, though. Grief doesn’t work that way. Grief is sneaky. There comes a time when it seems to leave you alone for a bit. It walks around disguised…camouflaged. Then something like a Facebook memory, or a familiar aroma, or the way the sun slants through the window, or the smell of coffee brewing…grief walks up to you, stares you in the face, pokes you in the chest like a schoolyard bully and yells, “Hey!!! Remember me???”
\nNow, it seems, there is a two-toned scale of grief-tinged memories…0-10 on the dark scale (D), 0-10 on the light scale (L). I have dubbed it the “McKinney Grief Scale”. Early memories were high on the dark scale and low on the light. Particularly poignant memories may still lean towards an elevated dark scale with a modicum of light poured in. With the distance of five years, almost all memories are high on the light scale with occasional spikes in the dark.
\nThis particular memory is a D3L8. We were in the early stages of a heavy snowstorm and Mr. Virgo was home for the day. We had no place to go. We spent the day watching TV, talking, cooking, maybe we snuggled on the couch and watched a movie or napped in each other’s arms. I remember going to the kitchen for something and looking out the sliding glass doors. Here were these beautiful elk in our backyard. I grabbed my phone and snapped this picture. I loved the elk in our area. Our subdivision had been a ranch for a hundred years before it was subdivided and houses were built. We encroached on the elk habitat and eventually drove them out. Still, once in a while some would wander through and you’d get a glimpse.
\nYes, a solid D3L8. A little dark, a good amount of light. That’s where I sit a lot these days leading up to Number 5. ❤️
\n“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.”\nPsalm 112:6 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-30T02:30:44-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/30/the-mckinney-grief-scale.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Grace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/29/boundaries.html", "title": "Boundaries", "content_html": "
![\"“Boundaries”\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/59d5125230.jpg\")
“Boundaries” by Ginny McKinney
Something I knew nothing about growing up. There were no boundaries save for one. Don’t rock the boat. Ahhh…the walking on egg shells that comes with being the child of an alcoholic. We learn at an early age to dodge bullets. But boundaries? We either didn’t have many…or I didn’t understand the concept. I didn’t know for the longest time where other people ended and I began. I lived my life in a sort of parasitic relationship with my “hosts”…much like Spanish Moss and Mistletoe. My insecurities made it difficult for me to express my own opinions. I was a chameleon…I changed with the whims of my beneficiary…whomever it should be.
\nI’d love to say I out grew that in my late teens, early twenties like most people, but I did not. I really only broke free from the bondage of self loathing after Mr. Virgo came into my world and convinced me of my worth. Still, boundaries were a challenge. I didn’t exercise enough boundaries with my children. I didn’t exercise boundaries with friends and relationships. And I certainly didn’t practice boundaries with myself.
\nAs I continue to grow in my faith walk, I learn more and more about boundaries. Pastor Justin presented an excellent series this month about fixing ourselves up…just like flipping a house. First, you make sure you have a good, solid foundation. Then you give the very best of yourself. Then you get your head right. You get rid of the stinkin’ thinkin’ of the days before you were saved. Change your mind…Change your life. All these things are foundational, and well heeded. But you have to protect your progress, Pastor Justin says…by setting up boundaries. You can’t let the enemy get a foothold in this life of yours. I have been known to cuss like a sailor. I’m doing MUCH better…but I still slip.
\nThis is what I was referring to the other day…we are what we eat. Not literally. We aren’t broccoli and cauliflower. But what we allow to come into us, gets expressed by us into the world. Mr. FixIt and I are a team. We have to set up our perimeter to keep the enemy from infiltrating our ranks…to keep him from trying to divide and conquer. We have to work as a team and to do that, we give each other gentle reminders to shore up that boundary…that little leak in our boat. Because little leaks become big leaks and we’ll drown before we get to shore if we aren’t ever vigilant.
\nDoes this mean we can’t relax and kick back and enjoy life? Not at all. But it does mean we have an accountability partner in the other and we must always bring our best to the table. And we keep our perimeter wall strong and our foundation deep. Because we keep God at the top of the triangle. As we strive towards Him…we inevitably become closer. It is our recipe for success.
\nIt’s #MondayMotivation…time to do our spring cleaning and put our house in order. ❤️
\n“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,”\nPsalm 16:5-9 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-29T02:30:54-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/29/boundaries.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Growth","Gratitude","Love","God","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Monday Morning Motivation"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/27/playing-with-art.html", "title": "Playing with Art", "content_html": "
![\"Procreate,](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1b611f1f0a.jpg\")
\nI have loved art since I could hold those fat crayons in my chubby toddler fingers. I loved school because, not only did I learn the secret to time travel was reading, I also learned the secret to inner peace was making art.
\nI was fortunate to have wonderful art teachers in school though I can’t name one. I loved working in pastels. I struggled the most with watercolor. My favorite thing is drawing. Pencils, pen and ink, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils. I love the feel of the paper and how the medium lays in the fibers.
\nMy dad was a talented artist. He gave it up when he had to raise a family. After he died, I found several of his drawings. I wish I knew then what I know now. My conversations with my dad would have ultimately been much deeper. And now he’s gone. It’s too late to ask him what art meant to him.
\nI remember my mom sent me to a local artist for lessons. Again…if I’d have been more mature and responsible, I might have learned more. I think most of what I’ve done has been self taught…a sort of chemistry lesson on paper.
\nI have a friend from high school that has the same iPad, Pencil and app as me. We are meeting today for coffee. I’ve been studying the Procreate guide and we hope to help walk each other through the learning curve. She is a beautiful artist and I am looking forward to learning more from her. This picture shows my progress on this particular drawing over the last four weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with practice. Grandma Moses was a lot older than me when she started! ❤️
\n“He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.”\nExodus 35:35 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-27T02:30:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/27/playing-with-art.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Fun","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Grace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/26/do-you-hear-that.html", "title": "Do You Hear That?", "content_html": "
![\"Earth\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0c83fe1e67.jpg\")
\nWhen I first moved to West Virginia in October 2014, I was living in my camper out on the farm. Shortly after my arrival, I began to notice a low humming sound every night when I went to bed. At first, I thought perhaps something was wrong with some mechanism in the camper itself. Then I thought perhaps the furnace in the house was so loud I was hearing it. I ruled both theories out when I discovered it was continuous, not cyclical.
\nThe sound was similar to a prop plane running its engines about a half mile away. Or a diesel tractor trailer idling down the road. I asked my aunt and she gave me that “you’re kooky” look I always got when I said something…ok, well, pretty much whenever I spoke to her. She didn’t hear anything, she said. “It’s all in your head.”
\nI may have believed that because I do have tinnitus…that high pitched whine I have from too many rock concerts and running machinery without hearing protection. This wasn’t high pitched though. It was low, droning, monotonous, maddening. When I learned they were doing deep drilling on the hill about two ridges over from the farm, I thought that was my answer. But I heard it other places as well. So that wasn’t it.
\nI didn’t notice it so much when I lived up at the river. There was river and train traffic and highways on both the West Virginia and the Ohio side. And, I didn’t hear it in Colorado. Just here. In the country. I don’t remember ever hearing it growing up. After a while, I became pretty accustomed to it. If I did notice it bothering me, there is an app on my iPad that plays white noise or nature sounds and I just turned it on and drowned it out. I do sleep with earplugs but that’s really only good for higher frequency sound. They only served to dampen the ambient noise and accentuate the low pitched frequencies.
\nA few months ago, Mr. FixIt was reading beside me and I put my iPad down and said, “Do you hear that???” He said, “Yeah…that low pitched humming noise? What IS that???” Finally!!! Corroboration! We searched the house. We went outside. We could not identify a source. It bugged us to no end. It seems to be louder on some nights than on others. Sometimes I don’t notice it. Last night it sounded like a plane getting ready for takeoff on the pool deck out back. Oy!
\nI finally turned to the internet for an answer and came up with this article.
\nhttp://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/have-you-heard-the-hum-mystery-of-earths-low-droning-noise-could-now-be-solved-10182111.html
\nApparently, this is a phenomenon that has plagued certain people who can hear this low droning noise and others can’t. I’m glad to know there is some explanation for it. We are hearing the earth…vibrating. It gives me some comfort to know I am not alone and I’m not crazy, but it’s still pretty maddening. How about you all? Do you hear “the hum” where you are? ❤️
\n“when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint;”\nEcclesiastes 12:4 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-26T02:30:24-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/26/do-you-hear-that.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","New Ideas","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/24/it-seems-like-forever.html", "title": "It Seems Like Forever", "content_html": "
![\"Three](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9cccd1bb02.jpg\")
“Three Apples”
Yesterday was International Pie Day. Ooooooh…that one blew right by me till we were watching the news last night (yes, I actually watched the news but just this once. I was updating my computer and got caught by surprise. sigh) There was one of those inevitable human interest stories that told us about the annual celebration of my all time favorite dessert…PIE! I used to bake competitively and was known as The Pie Queen in my little valley in Colorado. Those were the halcyon days of my youth, teaching people the intricacies of a proper pie crust. These days, Mr. Pillsbury and I make our pies with that fabulous ready made crust that you unroll, fill and bake. Voila! Instant dessert!
\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/dcde683755.jpg\")
“All the Fixins”
Mr. FixIt and I looked at each other. It was 6:00. Still time for pie! I rummaged around in the fridge and found three apples. I still had two rolls of crust left over from the last dinner party we had. Cored, peeled, sliced, with half a lemon squeezed over it…added a couple tablespoons of that wonderful Splenda Brown Sugar blend, three tablespoons of flour, a few good shakes of apple pie spice and a tiny splash of vanilla…and mixed it well. I poured that in the bottom crust, dotted it with a couple teaspoons of butter, topped it with the second crust, slit the top and crimped the edges together. Baked at 375 for about 50 minutes and yummmmmmm…I love apple pie!
\n![\"Apple](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4b240f7966.jpg\")
“In the Oven”
As we were enjoying dessert, my plan was to head to the back of the house to write my post as I usually do. But Mr. FixIt was scanning through the shows he had recorded on the DVR. “The Story of God by Morgan Freeman?” he asked. Oh…yes please. How can you go wrong with God AND Morgan Freeman, right? I have always been fascinated with religions and the faith of all people. There were some things in the show that didn’t mesh with my interpretation of my faith, but it’s a very personal thing to each individual. I really enjoyed his interviews. We watched three episodes and saved the other two for tonight. I don’t mind watching TV as much if it’s something educational, or a singing competition, or has Morgan Freeman in it!
\n![\"Apple](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c47fb2a557.jpg\")
“Apple Pie”
In the first episode, the subject of life after death was discussed and what different faiths believe happens to us when we die. Christians live with the belief we will see our loved ones again in Heaven. I don’t know that it lessens the sting of loss, but eventually it was something that offered me some comfort. I think the idea that my loved ones got to see Jesus already is what gives me the most comfort. And…that brings me to the significance of today.
\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f43e23b6e3.jpg\")
“Wanda Belle”
Today is my mom’s angelversary. She has been gone fourteen years. I miss her as much now as I did the day she left us so unexpectedly. I was frustrated with her that week. She wasn’t well. Her breathing was rapid. I did not know that she hadn’t eaten or drank anything for five days. I have kicked myself a million times for not calling an ambulance myself to take her to the hospital but she refused to go. I was living in Colorado. She was here in West Virginia. I can hide behind the excuse “there was nothing I could do”, but I should have. I should have just called and dealt with her being upset with me. I was mad at her because she refused to come to Colorado where there was excellent health care. I vented my frustration in the very last phone call I had with her. In the middle of the conversation, as I felt my temper start to rise, the Holy Spirit took hold of me and literally shook me. “Wake up! Wake up! This could be your last conversation!” And, it was. I am SO grateful for that I controlled my tongue for once. I told her I understood why she couldn’t come to Colorado. I understood why she didn’t want to leave her home. I mean…I didn’t at the time. But I told her that. And I told her how much I dearly loved her. I told her to just focus on getting well, that I would take care of everything. I told her I would be on a plane the next day and would be there by nightfall. She told me I couldn’t imagine what that meant to her…telling her I understood. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be with me or that she didn’t think I knew what I was talking about. She was just tired. Sick and tired. More sick and tired than she admitted to me, or I might have been more forceful. As it was, she was gone by 4:00 the next morning.
\nI’ve forgiven myself for failing to make the call. I’ve forgiven myself for speaking to her in harsh tones. It’s been a long time since I shed tears for my mom, but I did as I wrote this post. My only consolation is she knew I loved her…and we will meet again someday. Until then…oh, I miss my mom. ❤️
\n“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”\n2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-24T02:30:58-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/24/it-seems-like-forever.html", "tags": ["Grief","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/22/in-the-beginning.html", "title": "In the Beginning", "content_html": "
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b08802211c.jpg\")
\nMarshmallow Ranch actually started in 2001. I was separated from Hubby #2 the year before. I had worked in medicine before becoming a stay-at-home mom in 1986. Unfortunately, since my soon-to-be ex was a doctor in the community, it was a decidedly uncomfortable environment in which to seek employment. I found myself struggling to find a new career in our small, mountain community. I worked for about a year filling in at the local downtown shops…working one day a week at each of five stores, giving the shop owners a welcome day off. I found I enjoyed the interaction with the customers and I was very good at merchandising. My ex noticed this and proposed I open a shop of my own and he would help me get started.
\nOne of my favorite pastimes in those days was needlework. I belonged to the Embroiderer’s Guild that met once a month. I also belonged to a quilting guild. But my favorite was our weekly “Stitch and B****” held at my friend Judy’s house. We brought whatever project we were working on and sat around with coffee and pastries and got all the support we needed for whatever issue we were facing as young mothers. When I started thinking about what kind of shop I wanted to open, I asked the girls and they unanimously chimed in. “A needlework supply shop!”
\nI really wanted my store on the main street through town for the foot traffic. Unfortunately, the rents there were out of my budget so I went two streets east. I was across the street from the Hotel Denver and catty corner from the Amtrak Station. The building was one of the oldest in town. It had been the St. James Inn at one time with a shady history of being one of the brothels in the early days when most of downtown consisted of tents and mud. When coming up with a name, I thought of Cat House Cross Stitch, but thought better of it. I finally settled on Needles & Pins. The owners of the building did a major remodel with my shop in mind. When it was complete, it was lovely. Old hardwood floors were brought back to life. Salvaged brick lined one wall. A large table was in the back room. Every Wednesday, women gathered at my shop for our own version of “Stitch and B****”. From the moment I opened the doors to closing time, the shop rang with the laughter of women sharing stories and solving the problems of the world. I lost my shirt…twice…but it was wonderful therapy for a lot of women, including myself. It’s when I first found my footing on my own again.
\nIf you are a cross-stitcher, you are familiar with cute publishing houses like “Birds of a Feather”, “Mosey & Me”, “Blackbird Designs” and “The Prairie Schooler”. Being an artist, I thought I would try my hand at designing some cross-stitch patterns. I wanted to come up with a cute name for the division of my business. As I was going through a box of things in my art studio one day, I came across the picture of a field in West Virginia with large, round bales of hay wrapped in white plastic. They looked all the world like huge marshmallows. I had taken the photo on a trip a few years earlier. My youngest had asked what those things were and her big sister teased her telling her this was a marshmallow ranch. This was where they grew big marshmallows then cut them up in little pieces, put them in bags and sent them to the stores. Marshmallow Ranch! The perfect name for my tiny little art division of Needles & Pins.
\nUnfortunately, the shop wasn’t open long enough for my ideas to come to fruition. I did design three or four patterns and had samples stitched, but never got them published. This is the most detailed of my designs. I called it “Three Sheep”. Maybe someday I’ll get around to developing that idea again. Designing cross-stitch patterns isn’t as easy as it looks. Even with my interest in art, I’m not a very good judge of color. I found this picture on my new computer when the photos were delivered from the cloud and thought I’d share it with you. It’s been thirteen years since I closed the second incarnation of my little needlework shop. It was a difficult time in my life, but one that shaped the path of who I have become. It’s something I am proud of in retrospect. ❤️
\n“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”\nJames 1:17 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-22T02:30:44-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/22/in-the-beginning.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Grace","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/21/when-your-body-speakslisten.html", "title": "When Your Body Speaks...Listen", "content_html": "
![\"WV](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cc2963afd0.jpg\")
\nI had a huge day planned yesterday. I was really looking forward to gathering with two different groups of friends. I awoke sometime before dawn and my body just said, “Nope. Not today. Go back to sleep.” In the past, I might have forced myself up and made myself go. Since losing Mr. Virgo, I’ve learned to listen more to my body when it speaks to me.
\nGrief not only causes things like “grief brain” which was illustrated in the article I shared with you the other night. Several health ailments can be attributed to grief and the resultant stress it causes. High levels of cortisol…the “fight or flight” hormone…can cause everything from high blood pressure to heart disease to depression to substance abuse. It also affects your immune system and you tend to get sick easier and things last longer. There isn’t an expiration date on grief either. You may not be actively grieving, but you can still suffer from the repercussions.
\nYesterday it was tummy trouble. Easy enough to fix with rest, fluids and over the counter medications. I have to be extra careful with things like gluten and fats now. I didn’t have to do that before Mr. Virgo died. Another thing that came my way was an autoimmune response to grief and I developed plantar-palmar psoriasis. I doctored that with steroids and every psoriasis cream known to man. I tried folk remedies and old wive’s tales. Nothing touched it till last year when I started using doTerra’s LifePak vitamins and CBD (canabidiol) ointment. It’s pretty well controlled now with occasional applications and I take a small dose of the vitamins every other day or so.
\nNothing is the same after a profound loss. For a long time, I grieved not only for Mr. Virgo…but also for the ME that I lost in the process of grieving. When I finally let go of trying to recreate my life the way it was before, I began to embrace the life I was building. It’s much, much better but the physical things still creep up on me from time to time. I still find them frustrating, even though I am much better at listening to my body now. When it says, “Go back to sleep”…unless I have something that I absolutely HAVE to do…I listen. I texted my friends and told them I was going to have to bow out because I didn’t feel well. They totally understood. There will be other opportunities to get together. And I spent the day reading. I haven’t spent the day reading in ages because for the longest time, my grief brain wouldn’t allow me to concentrate long enough to get through a book. It was lovely to be able to read…and comprehend what I was reading. Mr. Fixit watched college basketball and a couple of movies while I cuddled up on the couch and listened to recordings of campfires and thunderstorms.
\nRemember…self care is not selfish. It is necessary. If you are alone, you may have the freedom to practice self care any time, but not always. I am fortunate to have this wonderful man who understands and supports my need for self care on a regular basis. What a gift he is to me. ❤️
\n“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”\n1 Peter 5:7-11 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-21T02:30:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/21/when-your-body-speakslisten.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/20/savor-the-sweet.html", "title": "Savor the Sweet", "content_html": "
![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/411e0f5d86.jpg\")
\nThe first time I set foot in a trout stream, I was six years old. It was the summer before my life would be forever changed by the illicit touch of a stranger. The summer of 1960 found my family on its very first vacation. We traveled to the mountains of West Virginia and rented a small cabin for a week. I remember mom frying trout in an iron skillet. I remember my brother and I playing quietly in the shade of the many trees surrounding our camp. I remember my dad standing in the shallow middle, up to his knees, casting over and over with the flies he had meticulously tied at his workbench in the basement. And I remember the river. The North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River, to be exact.
\nI didn’t have much experience with open bodies of water. Mom had instilled an unhealthy fear of water in me with stories of the time she saved her baby sister from drowning. She had no intention of ever having to save me, so I was banished from any water sports. And, it turns out…I’m a bit of a water baby. I remember one day in particular. Dad was out in his favorite fishing hole, patiently casting, and I stood at the river’s edge. I contemplated the ripples as they passed over the smooth river rocks. I gazed at the deep pools that changed to the color of emeralds where the sandy bottom lay two or three feet below. I delighted at the light dancing on the surface like a thousand diamonds and the trout flashing as they breached the surface to catch their next meal.
\nThat was a simple and peaceful summer…the last I would know before my innocence was taken from me. But, that is not to say, I have never found moments that have recaptured that sense of awe and wonder. I have…many times. Yesterday was one of those days that delivered sweet things…one after another…till I was overflowing with the beauty and simplicity of it all.
\nI made my routine trip to the farm to see how the kitties are fairing. I checked the stove and the basement. I sat, as I always do, in the chair in “Grandma’s Window” and watched the birds at the feeder. I listened to the sounds of an old house…living and breathing…its bones creaking like the old woman that she is. I watched the pendulum in Mr. Virgo’s clock swing back and forth, reminding me I couldn’t stay too long. We had company coming.
\nI stopped at the neighbor’s for a bit and delivered a small gift of French Truffles. We passed the time, catching up on the news of the neighbors and I left with promises it wouldn’t be so long till my next visit. I turned the truck toward home. I checked the mail and found a pink slip…a package had come and would be waiting for me at the post office. Mr. FixIt offered to go pick it up as I put the groceries away. I no sooner sat down till our company arrived.
\nMr. FixIt’s granddaughter and her family brought their baby to see Papaw and GG! I have inherited a whole passel of people in this relationship, including a son and his wife, a daughter and her man, three granddaughters (two of whom have significant others), a grandson and his girlfriend, and a great granddaughter. You know what that means, don’t you? I am a great grandmother! And…considering I am WAY too young to be one (smile)…I am GG. Great Grandma. Grandma Ginny. GG. It suits me. The baby is four months old and the most precious little thing. What a treat to hold and rock a little one again!
\nBefore long, Mr. FixIt came back with my box. I couldn’t wait to open it. It was a special introductory gift box from my dear friend, and fellow Sister on the Fly, Michelle McMullen Cummings with her newly published book, The Reel Sisters! https://www.thereelsisters.com/product/the-reel-sisters-gift-box/ Now I have two books to read, one published and one unpublished with an invitation to write early praise for its release. Both written by strong women I admire and I can’t wait to get into them! The reminder of these sister friendships warmed my heart as rocked and sang a lullaby to the newest member of our immediate family. I thought…”I will teach you to fly, little sister” as I sniffed the top of her sweet, soft head.
\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8a4033efd5.jpg\")
\nI am enjoying getting to know and bond with Mr. FixIt’s family. As his granddaughter bundled up the baby and prepared to leave yesterday, she turned to me and said, “I like you. You make my grandpa very happy.” I like her, too. She reminds me a little of myself when I was her age. A young mother, in love with her baby, her life stretching before her like an endless summer. It filled me with a soft warmth. As I sat propped in our bed last night, typing away at the keyboard writing this post, that very happy Papaw came in with a small bowl of ice cream and a kiss on the top of my head. And I swear…my heart exploded with joy.
\nThe sweet simplicity of a life lived with boundless joy. My God has delivered me far, far from the pain life can bring. For now. There will be pain again. There always is. This is life, after all. The difference is, I have this now. I am building my insurance policy. These stories are money in my emotional bank…stories to look back upon one day and remember the joy I felt on a cold January day in the sun. ❤️
\n“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”\nJames 1:17 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-20T02:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/20/savor-the-sweet.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/19/catching-up.html", "title": "Catching Up", "content_html": "
![\"Coffee](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/50b1ef10f4.jpg\")
\nOne of the best ways to catch up with paperwork is to have peaceful surroundings. Mr. FixIt had a day of errands to do. I think he kinda wanted me to tag along with him yesterday, but I know us well…I would have ended up coming in at 9:30 last night and none of this work would have gotten done.
\nAs soon as he left (with a big hug and kiss) I turned on praise music and cranked it up. I always need a little extra dose of Jesus when I am heading into a formidable task. Wading through many bags and boxes of papers and sorting them into some sort of organization that allows me to actually put my finger on things was the order of the day. With praise, and good coffee and French Truffles…I waded in with both feet and started making the first cuts. What was trash. What needed to be kept in which pile. I really, really hate paperwork! “Jesus is calling…” I can do this. “Do you thirst for a drink from the well…” I can do this. “The Father’s arms are open wide…” Oh, yes…I can definitely do this! “Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy…” YES…let’s DO this!!!
\nAs I often do, I talk out loud to Jesus when I’m working. The conversation is never one-sided. He always speaks to me through the Holy Spirit and tells me everything I need to hear. First, he smacks my hand a little…”Keep up with this stuff better.” He chides gently. “You know what an ordeal it is when you put it off till the end of the year. It seems overwhelming. If it’s difficult to slog through…remember to talk with me while you’re working. It makes the time pass faster. And, I can help. I can help you put things into perspective. I can help you find lost papers. I can help you remember who you need to talk to about this and that. I can help you make important decisions. Just remember to include me…even in the most mundane of your daily activities.”
\nThen He goes on with his daily teaching. “Thank your Father for the gifts you receive. See all these papers? They are all articles of provision. That bank account? I gave you that gift to provide for your every need. Respect that. Balance every month…not because it’s a drudge, but because it’s an honor to see the abundance you have been provided with. The same goes for that insurance policy you have been complaining about because the price went up. Be grateful you HAVE insurance…and so far, you haven’t run out of money to pay for it. What about that accident last February? I know you have been dreading searching for all the papers you need to have in order to finish out that claim. Yes, that’s a pain…but, I made sure you weren’t terribly injured. And you received a much newer truck when yours was totaled. It was “a miracle” when you got that check that just almost covered the new truck, wasn’t it? It was Me…I made sure you have a safe, affordable vehicle. A little gratitude goes a long way, dear one.”
\nWhat blessings I have. I have a Father that provides for me. I have a loving family that supports and loves me. I have this tremendous man in my life who loves me and shares his home with me as if it has always been mine…he’s just been waiting for me to come along. I have my health. I have the farm. I have TOW-Wanda. I have a retirement. I have Social Security and health insurance and soon, I’ll have Medicare…that carrot at the end of the race that will help provide for me in my golden years. I have a house…TWO houses…THREE if you count TOW-Wanda…to shelter me from the storms of life. I have food and clean water and clothes. I am wealthy….beyond my wildest dreams. I am LOVED. What a lovely way to look at the mundane, dreary chore of sorting through paperwork. What a lovely way to look at the world. Thank you, God! “You’re a good, good Father…it’s who you are, it’s who you are…” ❤️
\n“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”\nPhilippians 4:19 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-19T02:30:51-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/19/catching-up.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/18/tucking-in-with-tea.html", "title": "Tucking in with Tea", "content_html": "
![\"A](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/da54001e7b.jpg\")
\nI love a hot cup of tea on a cold winter day. And, baby…it is c-o-l-d! It is nice to just stay in and get stuff done around the house. Catching up on correspondence. Going through stacks of paperwork and organizing. Tossing old magazines. All things that need to be done and can be accomplished when you’re stuck inside.
\nI’m reading my friend’s final draft of her book so I can write advanced praise. You’re going to love it…I’ve cried ten times! I can’t wait to share it with you.
\nIn the meantime, I was doing a little research yesterday after reading some of your comments on my post. I do that often. I came across an article in Psychology Today that I loved. As I read it, tears stung my eyes and I thought…whoever wrote this really gets it! When I got to the bottom, I saw that it was written by someone I know! Susan Heitler, PhD…a Clinical Psychologist in Denver. Susan had a little office located by the back door to the suite I worked in when Hubby #2 was in medical school. She often ate her lunch at the front desk in her office…the door flung open wide as if to beckon passers by to come in for a visit. I often stopped on my way to and from the cafeteria. Sitting for a few moments with Susan was like breathing in sunshine. I always left feeling really good about myself. I would have loved to bottle some of that up and take it with me where ever I went in the years since I last saw her. Here’s the article I read: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/resolution-not-conflict/201202/psychological-diagnosis-dangerous-desirable-or-both
\nThe last several days’ posts have been really heavy so I’m keeping today light on purpose. There is so much darkness in the world…we need a day of light once in a while. As I’m writing this, I’m listening to sounds of the woods. Water in a creek. Crickets. Tree frogs. Night birds. I miss those sounds. The woods are so quiet in the winter. The air seems dead as it is muted by the snow on the ground. It’s so cold my nose hairs freeze when I breathe in! Yet, I still have to sleep with the window cracked a bit. I have to have air. Mr. FixIt doesn’t like heavy blankets so I bought an electric blanket. It is the warmest thing I’ve ever had and not at all heavy. A good compromise.
\nI made Banana Nut muffins yesterday with blueberries in them. We went shopping at the department store that is closing and bought about $460 worth of clothes for $22…mostly for the great grandbaby! I’m researching how to make jewelry from broken china. I scheduled a camping trip for May. I caught a mouse in the attic. We watched a Reese Witherspoon movie. And I’m gathering the data I need to close out the paperwork from the car accident I was in last February. So far, it’s been a really good week! How about you? What are you doing to pass the time till spring? ❤️
\n“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.””\nEzekiel 47:12 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-18T02:30:19-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/18/tucking-in-with-tea.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/17/times-up.html", "title": "Time’s Up", "content_html": "![\"Time’s](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0b2a8225b1.jpg\")
\nI was a doctor’s wife. I had a beautiful life, for all intents and purposes. While he wasn’t a demonstrative man, I felt I was coping as best I could with his inability to meet my emotional needs. He was a good provider and a good dad. I could overlook the rest. There came a point when I started unraveling a bit. The clouds of depression circled around but never lit very long in those days. That is, until I went in for a physical. My doctor asked how I was doing and I told him I was a bit blue of late. I would often walk into the baby’s room, pick her up and rock her…and cry. “Hmmmmm… Inappropriate crying.” he wrote in my chart. He gave me a prescription for Zoloft and the race to self destruction began. How could I tell him why I was crying? How could I do that in the short time he had allotted for this visit? It was so much deeper than any pill could ever reach.
\nAs I write this, I’m watching the gymnasts facing their abusive doctor in court. What a different world it is for sexual abuse victims now. My first abuser was a senior in high school. I was eight or nine. I was playing with a friend when the big boy lured us into a garage to “look at toys”. When he had his hand in my pants, he was whispering things in my ear I didn’t understand. Mom said don’t talk to strangers. But “Butterball” lived in the neighborhood. We knew him. I stood stock still in the belief he would leave. When he was done with me, he went for my friend. In that moment, my maternal instincts kicked in and I grabbed her hand and ran down the hill to her house. I pounded on the door and her mother came to answer. I was frantic and told her what had happened. She opened the screen door and I thought…”Oh, thank God! She’s going to save us!” Mrs. G grabbed her daughter and drew her in the house. As I started to go in, she placed her hand on my chest, pushed me out the door, and said, “Don’t you EVER say anything like that EVER again to ANYBODY!” Then she slammed the door in my face.
\nI went to my house and sat on the lawn trying to figure out what had happened. When I was really little, my babysitter’s teenage daughter had sex with her boyfriend in her room all the time. She caught me watching once and beat the tar out of me and told me I was bad. And here, a mother I knew and trusted told me I was bad and I had a pretty good idea it had something to do with that physical act I had no name for. I made a concrete decision right there. I would take Mrs. G’s advice. I would not tell my mom. I mean, what if I told her and SHE put me out on the street like my friend’s mom??? I would die!
\nI never told, nor did I tell about the time it happened with my best friend’s dad when I was twelve or thirteen. You know…when you are convinced you are bad from your earliest memories, that kind of damage runs deeply and permanently in your DNA.
\nI didn’t tell until I was watching my girls on the living room floor, playing. Daughter #1 was sixteen. Daughter #2 was one. I don’t know if it was the way the sun came in through the window or the way my daughter tucked her hair behind her ear or maybe it was the sound of their sweet innocent voices but suddenly those memories came rushing back with such force it nearly knocked me to my knees. The shadow of depression that was floating just out of my reach crashed on me with the force of a tsunami. That is when I started rocking my baby in the night…weeping. “Inappropriate crying”? I think not. I was trying to figure out how I was going to protect this precious child from the horrors that await little girls in the great big world. I was weeping for that little girl in me who was abused then turned away by someone who could have helped her..SHOULD have helped her. I was trying to figure out just one thing in my 38-year-old mind…”Who can I tell? And, what the hell does it matter now?” Just, please God…keep them safe.
\nThe fact that I’m sitting here alive and well, and that my children are beautiful and safely grown is testimony to a mother’s strength and courage. The road was long and filled with unexploded ordinance, but we made it through. I told my mom everything when I was about forty. I was hyper vigilant with my girls but they were never abused under my watch. Now, I tell and tell and tell in an effort to teach prevention and give permission to tell your own stories. Because, #timesup. No more secrets. No more lies. No more hiding in the dark.
\nYes…I’m proud of these young gymnasts. And, everyone else in the #metoo movement. I wish there had been this same moral outrage when these athletes came forward. It would have helped them so much because, just as it’s difficult to walk the path of grief alone, so too is the walk of abuse. It is the original “walk of shame”…only we did nothing wrong. It was not our fault.
\nWhile I never wish pain on people as a rule, I felt a certain vindication when I watched that doctor with his face in his hands as he is forced to sit there while victim after victim sit before him and tell their stories. To see him take off his glasses and wipe the tears away and hang his head in shame gave me great satisfaction. My abuse occurred in a time when such things weren’t talked about. Therefore, my abusers went on and lived their lives unscathed. I don’t know if they ever felt bad. Did they ever have remorse? Did they ever think of me? Did they ever want to ask for my forgiveness but didn’t know where to find me? Or better yet, did they ask God to forgive them? Did they find salvation? Will we meet somewhere and have the opportunity to talk? One is dead. Too late. I’m not sure about the other one. He’d be about 74 years old now. I’ve forgiven them both long ago. But I do often wonder…what if? What if I could sit (or could have sat) in front of my abusers and tell them what their actions did to me. How it affected my family, my relationships, my children. How it affected my views of the world and my sense of personal safely and my relationship to sexuality. How their few moments stolen from me left a deep chasm in my psyche that I urgently tried to fill with drugs and alcohol, sex and shopping. How the memories I had so carefully packed deeply away in a place that could never be opened came crashing out on a sunny Saturday morning…ripping my neat and tidy little suburban doctor’s wife life into shreds.
\nInappropriate crying?!?! You got a couple of hours to listen to WHY I was holding my baby and crying?!?! You tell me, doc. Because at that point, I had no words to describe what had happened, no one to listen…to really hear…and only tears to shed. Your answer? Drugs. Drugs, drugs, and more drugs.
\n“Shhhhh…here. Take this. Let us help.”
\nI was very nearly “doctored to death”.
\nYes, today I am proud of these beautiful young women doing a job no one in their right mind wants to do. We should be living in a world where we don’t ever NEED to have these conversations. As Oprah said…there is a change coming.
\nAccountability.
\nA new dawn is rising.
\nTime’s up. ❤️
\n“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”\nMatthew 18:6 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-17T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/17/times-up.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/16/on-being-loved.html", "title": "On Being Loved", "content_html": "![\"Flowers](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/066e9e9604.jpg\")
\nMr. FixIt and I have developed this little routine the last few months. We have a nice dinner and clear up the dishes. We sit together for a while and talk or maybe watch a movie or an episode of Big Bang or MASH. When it’s time for a bedtime snack, I take mine into the bedroom at the far end of the house and write while my sweetie watches a ball game or the news and weather. It works out great and we both have that little bit of alone time everyone needs in a relationship. I’ve taken to listening to nature sounds on Amazon Music as I write so quite often, in my head, there’s a thunderstorm raging or ocean waves are gently lapping at the shore or birds are singing in a tropical rainforest. It’s so soothing and easy to write to.
\nMy guy bowls on a couple of leagues and has for over thirty years. Bowling offered him the opportunity to socialize with fun people. He is gregarious, and bowling has been a great outlet for him. The other night he stopped at the store on the way home. He always calls me before he heads home because no matter where we are staying…his house or mine…it is a good forty minutes from town. He asks if I need anything. Usually, I don’t. He called me from the driveway the other night and asked me to open the door. He’s not supposed to carry anything in his bad hand yet. When I greeted him at the door, he handed me the groceries and I ducked in the kitchen with them. It was SO cold out there…I wanted away from the door as fast as I could. When I turned around to hug him, he handed me this bouquet of yellow roses.
\nI love yellow roses. I love great big bouquets of mixed flowers but all in white. I love a live orchid. Mr. Virgo used to bring me flowers. And now…I have this sweet love…this good, good man. And HE brings me flowers, too. Guys like Mr. Virgo and Mr. FixIt are a rare breed. My sweetheart told me the other day he wished we had started dating in high school so we could have had our whole lives together. I understand that thinking, and it’s sweet…really. But the thing is, we are the people we are right now simply BECAUSE of the life experiences we have been through. There is a really big chance we wouldn’t have gotten along in our early years. All of our experiences have been opportunities for personal growth. We came together when we did because it was GOD’S timing…not ours.
\nWhen we can move over and get out of the way, God does extraordinary things in our lives. “Let go and let God” isn’t just a pithy saying or a tired cliche from an AA meeting. It is straight outta the instruction manual for life…the Bible. Oh, we are such proud creatures. We want to have control. We want to steer the boat and make it go where WE want it. At any given moment, there is a preordained course designed specifically for us. God knows your name. He has plans to prosper you. God loves you more than anyone in the world. He loves you more than you can fathom. You can make it SO much easier if you put God in the driver’s seat. The easiest way to do that is ask. Just ask Him…first thing in the morning. “Where are you going to take me today, Lord?” Then get out of the way. Oh, my…could it really be that easy??? ❤️
\n“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”\nProverbs 16:3 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-16T02:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/16/on-being-loved.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Aging","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/15/toxicity.html", "title": "Toxicity", "content_html": "
![\"Toxicity](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/95427f7bf9.jpg\")
“Toxicity” by Ginny McKinney
“People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.”\nMad Men ~ Don Draper
\nOk, show of hands…how many of you have been in toxic relationships? Ahhhh, yes…I thought so. Almost all of you nodded your heads and said, “Yep!” I have been in more than one. They don’t feel good. They are crazy-making. And, they are avoidable but you really have to have your eyes open to see them!
\nI’ve been having the most fascinating ongoing conversation over the last week. I ran into someone from my past on Facebook. We knew each other fairly well back in the day. She watched me go through a terribly dark period in my life. She saw me spiral out of control. She saw depression consume me. She saw me reach out for help but the help I really needed just wasn’t there. There wasn’t anything she could do but watch helplessly as I went down in flames.
\nI was in a toxic relationship. I didn’t even know what that was at the time. It wasn’t until much later the term was coined and a definition was given for this type of relationship. According to Health Scope Magazine, “a toxic relationship is a relationship characterized by behaviors on the part of the toxic partner that are emotionally and, not infrequently, physically damaging to their partner. Keep in mind that it takes two individuals to have a toxic relationship.” In my case, the damage wasn’t physical…it was emotional. Disparaging comments, derogatory remarks, mean-spirited repartee described as “just kidding”. Remarks like “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but…” and “You’re not wearing THAT out, are you?” and “Well…THAT was stupid!”
\nThe other day, I wrote about how I had been being critical of Mr. FixIt because I was frustrated about something. We all do that to one degree or another…on occasion. But, when a relationship devolves to base comments that never get better, that only tend to deteriorate and get “snarkier” and more brazen and harsh…that’s a problem. What most often happens in that situation is something called “gaslighting”. The term comes from a movie called Gaslight. In the movie, a man and woman are in a toxic relationship. He starts turning the gaslight off and asking her why she did that. He made the woman think she was crazy. Gaslighting is a terrible form of abuse and can go on for years unchecked if the person being gaslighted believes what is being said. I began to believe I was crazy. And THAT was crazy!
\nWhat was fascinating with this conversation was the third party observations that absolutely validated my experiences. That told me…I really WASN’T crazy! Well…beyond what the relationship caused. The important thing about the definition of a toxic relationship is…it takes two people to be in one. The other day I read about a celebrity who was dating a man who tickled her. She told him she didn’t like tickling, it made her feel vulnerable, helpless, and out of control…and would he please stop. He thought that was really dumb so he tickled her anyway. She broke up with him. I thought to myself, “Way to GO, girlfriend!” When gaslighting first started in my relationship, I second guessed it. I thought surely I must be mistaken. The person I knew and loved would NEVER do that. I must have misheard or misunderstood. I’m being too sensitive. Then you start walking on eggshells. Maybe you lash back. Maybe you try to trap each other and get in a power struggle to gain the upper hand and get things back in control. Whatever you do, a toxic relationship is best avoided at all costs.
\nMy old friend went through exactly the same thing in her relationship…word for word. The same life circumstances, the same process, the same results. To have someone who knows you, who has gone through the same thing, and can say “These things happened to me, too!”? Wow! Liberation. Validation. It’s hard to describe how that felt inside.
\nThe problem with toxic relationships is they rob you of your self-esteem…your self-confidence. They leave you feeling powerless and out of control. The first time I was able to set boundaries with someone and stick to it felt like I had just discovered fire! Such a rush of power came through me…it was totally foreign. I didn’t learn these skills growing up. I was a girl, to begin with. Secondly, I was the child of an alcoholic. I had no one to teach me about boundaries and values. It is utterly amazing to be very nearly sixty-five years old and finally “get it”. To have my eyes open.
\nThank you, thank you, thank you, my friend! Our conversations have done more for me than all the therapy I went through back in the day. I am so happy we have reconnected. God brings us the people we need at just the right time, doesn’t He? ❤️
\n“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”\nJames 3:16 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-15T02:30:20-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/15/toxicity.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Growth","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/13/the-umbrella-incident-or-how.html", "title": "“The Umbrella Incident” or “How to Feed Your Man”", "content_html": "![\"Winter](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/def162faf9.jpg\")
“Winter Flooding in West Virginia” by Ginny McKinney
It all started innocently enough. It was going to rain and I was heading to town soon. As I jumped in the shower, I called out to Mr. FixIt.
\n“Honey…would you mind grabbing my umbrella out of the truck?”
\nWhen I got dressed and was heading out the door, I looked around. My umbrella wasn’t there. I asked if he had gotten it for me and Mr. FixIt said no. There was an umbrella there by the door. Now, it was a perfectly good umbrella. One that, you know, keeps rain off of you. But I wanted MY umbrella and I felt Mr. FixIt had made a decision for me. I didn’t like it.
\nSilly…that was just plain silly of me. But, I am my mother’s daughter and stubborn is my middle name. I hopped out the door and into the rain…sans umbrella.
\n“I’ll show YOU!” I thought as I made a mad dash for the truck. “I don’t need your stinky old boy umbrella!”
\nRidiculous. I got wet because I got my nose out of joint. And why? Because, somewhere in the far recesses of my mind I equated “Please get my umbrella.” with “Please tell me you love me.” That is old school thinking right there…something I thought I left behind like…two relationships ago.
\nIt’s been a couple of weeks now. And ever since, I’ve been criticizing Mr. FixIt’s every move. Mostly because he’s a man and he had surgery and he’s SUPPOSED to be taking care of that hand so it will heal properly and he’s as stubborn as me and he does things his way and….did I say he was stubborn? I have spent the better part of two weeks with “Don’t pick that up!” And “Here…let ME do it!” I think there were eye-rolls involved. All of this was done in an effort to punish him for a perceived slight that was nothing more than something made up in my head. Some unpacked baggage from seasons past that has absolutely nothing to do with him.
\nThen…the rain started.
\nIt rained…hard. Yesterday morning I awoke to the sounds of the carpet cleaner sucking water up from the rug downstairs. The basement flooded! I jumped up and ran downstairs. And there was my man…emptying one gallon containers of dirty water into the sink…carrying them with two hands, one of which he isn’t supposed to lift anything heavier than popcorn.
\n“Breathe…breathe…don’t scold him. He’s not a child.” My inner voice reasoned with me.
\n“Did you plug in the sump pump?” I asked.
\n“No.” Shoulders slumped. Voice dejected.
\n“Are you kidding me?” I asked.
\nShoulders slumped more. “Stupid. It was stupid.”
\nI took the carpet cleaner and started that part myself so he wouldn’t have to carry the bucket to the sink. Mr. FixIt went about sweeping up water in the room without carpet. He ran the vacuum. We didn’t talk much. Then I sent him off on an errand to town.
\nAfter he left, I went upstairs and fixed myself a cup of coffee. I sipped it as I ran the carpet cleaner back and forth over the soggy carpet. And I fumed. Then I could see the dejected slump of my sweetheart’s shoulders and my heart softened.
\n“Lord,” I said out loud. “I haven’t been loving this wonderful man you gave me the way I should. I haven’t been loving him the way you love me. And all because he didn’t get my umbrella for me!”
\nI sucked up more water, emptied the bucket, and began again.
\n“Lord, please give me the heart of a cheerful servant. Let me see all of his good qualities and none of the annoying traits that make us human. Can you do that for me, please?” I asked with sincere earnestness in my voice.
\nSuddenly, the old hymn “Farther Along” started up in my mind and I began to sing out loud as I vacuumed up bucket after bucket of water.
\n“Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder\nWhy it should be thus all the day long\nWhile there are others living about us\nNever molested though in the wrong.
\nFarther along we’ll know all about it\nFarther along well understand why\nCheer up my brother, live in the sunshine\nWe’ll understand it all by and by.
\nWhen death has come and taken our loved ones\nIt leaves our home so lonely and drear\nThen do we wonder why others prosper\nLiving so wicked year after year.
\nWhen we see Jesus coming in glory\nWhen he comes down from his home in the sky\nThen we shall meet him in that bright mansion\nWe’ll understand it all by and by.
\nFarther along we’ll know all about it\nFarther along we’ll understand why\nCheer up my brother, live in the sunshine\nWe’ll understand it all by and by.
\nYes, we’ll understand it…all by and by.”
\nI sang and sang and in two verses…maybe three…something happened. Any negative thoughts I had been having dissolved. My heart was soft and open. God had indeed given me the heart of a cheerful servant, just as I had asked.
\nI went on and worked, happily singing and emptying bucket after bucket of dirty flood water. I worked for about three hours when Mr. FixIt walked in carrying breakfast for me. I went upstairs and gave him a great big hug and an even bigger smile. I thanked him profusely for bringing me a warm breakfast. I hadn’t taken time to eat. I patted the seat beside me. He shook his head and said no…he needed to get back to it.
\n“Please?” I begged. “Just for a minute.”
\nHe smiled and sat down.
\n“Sweetheart, listen…I know you feel stupid for not plugging in the sump pump. But, I could have thought of it, too. And I didn’t. We unplugged it to put up the snowman for Christmas and just forgot. We make mistakes…it happens. It wasn’t your fault.” I put my hand on his knee and looked at him intently. I wanted to make sure he heard me.
\nMr. FixIt turned those baby blues to mine and gave me his sweetest smile. And, I felt I’d made it right. This is how you feed a man. You feed his spirit. You feed his soul. You breathe life into him. When you start looking for the bad in your love…that’s all you will see. I really, REALLY don’t want to go there. Do I get it right all the time? Oh, heck no! I’m human, too. I stumble and forget and let my lower self talk WAY too often. But sometimes I get it right. Sometimes I remember to ask God for help. Yesterday was one of those days. ❤️
\n“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”\nHebrews 4:16 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-13T02:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/13/the-umbrella-incident-or-how.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/12/here-comes-the-rain.html", "title": "Here Comes the Rain", "content_html": "![\"The](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/41a9fc3f1c.jpg\")
“Belpre Bridge” by Ginny McKinney
Yesterday morning was sunny and warm. By warm, I mean 47. As in…above freezing! And by afternoon it was 72 degrees according to the thermometer on my truck. swoon I haven’t felt this warm since sometime back in September. It was downright balmy out there!
\nMr. FixIt and I had errands to run yesterday and he asked me mid-day what I’d like for lunch. My go to favorite? The Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad with Fat Free Honey Mustard Dressing from Chik-fil-A! And my go to favorite place to eat it? Point Park in Parkersburg. I wanted to watch the ice floes out on the Ohio River. Yesterday, there were three Blue Herons and a bunch of Seagulls sitting out on the ice. I believe two gents were trying to woo the same lady heron because one kept shooing off the interloper. Said lady was having none of it and kept flying away from Mr. Romance.
\nIt had just started raining when we parked in our favorite spot. We really wanted to see a tug pushing barges through the ice but unfortunately, none came along. As an update, Mr. FixIt started working with a hand therapist yesterday. He’s doing really well. He did strain it a little last Sunday night when he pushed up off the floor, but it’s much better now. The therapist made a custom splint for his wrist and thumb that is much sturdier than the one he was given at the surgeon’s office and I am relieved. I was very worried he would slip on the ice and snow last week and really do some damage. We sure don’t want to have to go through this again!
\nOne of my friends and his wife lost their faithful companion, Blue, yesterday. When I was so lonely and hurting, so many of my readers encouraged me to adopt a dog, but this is exactly why I couldn’t. I simply couldn’t put myself through that loss. Mr. Virgo and I put our seventeen-year-old Yorkie-Maltese mix down just three months before Mr. Virgo himself died suddenly. We had had Cricket cremated and were going to spread her ashes in the flower garden in the spring. When Mr. Virgo died, I just put that little box of ashes in the casket with him and swore I’d never have another dog. My heart aches for those who lose their beloved fur babies.
\nWith the nature of grief being so unpredictable, sometimes you literally feel as though you are just one crisis away from losing it entirely. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in the throes of grief, and the accompanying anxiety, and I have felt like I just couldn’t handle one more thing. As a matter of fact, the FEAR of having one more thing happen actually escalated everything. I have an arsenal of coping strategies at my disposal, but sometimes the slope is too steep and the boulder gains too much momentum too fast. There were so many nights when it all got away from me and all I could do was cling to God and pray for morning. If I can get a hold of the wave early enough, the best thing I can do is get out of the situation I’m in. It usually hits me when I’m in bed, so I get up and do something…scrub the kitchen floor, clean out the fridge, run the vacuum.
\nAnother thing that will stop things from spinning out of control for me is writing. There have been countless times I’ve sat down to write my post while I’m feeling the waves of grief and anxiety come over me. As I write, I can literally feel the stress, fear, and anxiety fade…sometimes melting away entirely. I can’t stress enough how much writing can help you through grief. You don’t have to have a blog. Get a journal and write in it every night. I not only wrote this blog, but I filled several personal journals through the first two or three years after Mr. Virgo died. Writing saved me. TOW-Wanda saved me. God saved me. ❤️
\n““This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.”\nJeremiah 30:2 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-12T02:30:57-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/12/here-comes-the-rain.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/11/the-bent-reed.html", "title": "The Bent Reed", "content_html": "![\"The](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f05a2a3740.jpg\")
“The Bent Reed” by Ginny McKinney
A lot of people are struggling right now. I don’t know what it is about January. Sure, there’s the let down after the holidays. There’s the long, dark nights. There’s the bitterly cold, grey days. But there’s more than that. There’s a lot of loss.
\nI have friends who are dealing with very serious health issues…either of their own or members of their immediate family. I get prayer requests daily…from multiple people. Disasters, accidents, illness, death. Add this on top of the usual slump of January and it can send you down in a spiral in a hurry.
\nI was reminded of this beautiful verse the other day. I wish I would have had it written down so I could have carried it with me in those first long dark winter months without Mr. Virgo. I know it would have helped. As with all things, it has come to me now…when it means the most. When I need it the most. When I need to share it. God always provides.
\nMy mom died after a brief illness of five days in January 2014. My cousin’s husband a year later at 50. My sweet Uncle Bob the next January. January is just not a good month…for me and for a lot of other people.
\nI bought a new computer the other day. When I was setting it up this week, I noticed a bunch of photos had come down out of the cloud. I hadn’t seen them in a long time, since my computer has been on the fritz for a while. I was scrolling through when my screen was filled with…Mr. Virgo…in his casket. A friend took the picture for me. At first, I thought it was macabre. Then I realized I needed to have that. For a long time it was the only thing that would allow me to cry. I needed to get that out. But somewhere along the line, the pictures from the funeral home made their way up into the cloud and I didn’t see them again. Till this week. It was like getting sucker punched when that popped up, filling my screen with a vision so painful you can feel it in your bones.
\nYes, a lot of people are struggling. Debbie’s husband Toby is in the hospital. Sue’s friend had a biopsy today. Lynn’s family is struggling. Diane lost both her parents and her father-in-law in Januarys along the way and her best friend just lost his dad. The world seems to be reeling under forces whipping it into a frenzy. So, again…I am reminded of this verse.
\nGod will not break a bent reed. He will not snuff out a smoldering flame. When you are at your weakest point, God is still strong. The same God that gave his Son. The same God that walked on water and rose the dead and healed blind men. The same God that breathed life into this world lives today. And He knocks. And He waits. He is a patient, polite God. He will not impose himself. He will not barge in on you. He waits for you to open the door. Opening that door is what has made it possible for me to keep breathing, to keep walking forward through every storm…through every season. I was only bent. ❤️
\n“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…”\nIsaiah 42:3 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-11T02:30:39-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/11/the-bent-reed.html", "tags": ["Faith","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/10/a-welcome-sight.html", "title": "A Welcome Sight", "content_html": "
![\"Winter](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/750015301d.jpg\")
\nThe sun! Ok, it was out for less than fifteen minutes at the farm today…but, oh! What a divine fifteen minutes that was!!! Ok, that is what is the hardest thing about living in the Mid-Ohio Valley as opposed to the Roaring Fork Valley. There is far less sunshine here. The sky stays grey for weeks at a time. When the snow finally comes, it stays till we can get a welcome respite of sunshine and warmth like yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Tomorrow is predicted to get up to 63 degrees! I will take that any day over the bitter, frigid weather we’ve had for the last few weeks.
\nI know…you’ve heard me state before that I would never spend another winter in the cold and snow. Well, never say never, right? A year ago, I didn’t know I would be where I am in this wonderful relationship. I had a fair idea which direction it was going, but a year is a year and one never knows for sure what might happen. I’ve learned not to look too far into the future since losing Mr. Virgo. Other than…this is where I want to be and who I want to be with. That’s enough for me.
\nThis winter isn’t going like we thought it would when we made our travel plans last summer. First, Mr. FixIt had surgery on his hand and it turned out to be a much bigger deal than we thought it would be so that nixed not only the trip to Colorado at Christmas, but also the two month camping trip we had planned in Florida for February and March. He has hand therapy to go through now and there is still much he cannot do for himself. We’ve decided this is an excellent time to go through closets and boxes of stuff at his house and do a little downsizing. I have a great deal of experience in that department and I am happy as a clam to help out.
\nIn my effort to stay present this year, I’m going to go out today and tomorrow and enjoy every moment of warmth I can possible soak up. I hope you are getting a respite from winter in your neck of the woods. I am also keeping the people of Southern California in my prayers as they struggle with the inevitable mudslides that follow devastating fires. I’ve personally seen the effects of that in Glenwood Springs after the Storm King and Coal Seam fires. I saw on the news last night where they rescued a teenager from the basement of her home. She was nearly encased in mud. It was unbelievable. She had to have been terrified. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this disaster. ❤️
\n“…Get up and pray…”\nLuke 22:46 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-10T02:30:03-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/10/a-welcome-sight.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Hope","West Virginia","The Farm","Gratitude","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/09/intermissiona-brief-thaw.html", "title": "Intermission...a Brief Thaw", "content_html": "
![\"winter](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/03f961e5e2.jpg\")
\nI am so grateful for the little breaks we get in the winter. After what seems like weeks, the thermometer crept up above freezing yesterday! It was amazing. There was an ice/snow storm that swept through before dawn so schools were closed here…again. I have been talking with friends my age lately and we remember the “good old days” when girls were NOT allowed to wear pants to school. I rode the school bus. We couldn’t afford snow boots. We were lucky to have a semi-decent coat and a scarf and mittens. I remember walking to the bus stop in penny loafers and knee socks, my feet wet and freezing, the skin on my knees white and hard. My face hurt. I couldn’t talk. My nostrils would freeze shut. And that was just getting TO the bus stop. Once we got there, we would huddle together in a circle facing inward, trying to ward off the icy wind blowing in off the Ohio River. Now? Now if there is a remote chance there will be any snow on the road, school is closed for the following day. Kids miss a ton of school and have to make it up at the end of the school year.
\nI can see both sides of this issue. Safety first, right? However, my kids didn’t have snow days either. They grew up in Colorado. If you closed schools every time it was too cold or it snowed, you would have about three months of school a year. Daughter #1 had one snow day…it was -35 wind chill and the busses wouldn’t start. Are we raising weaker kids? I don’t know. All I know is, we were tough. And my kids’ generation is tough.
\nI remember driving to Pagosa Springs in a white out blizzard once. The visibility was SO bad, I could barely see tracks in the snow in front of me. We were going over a mountain pass and had no idea where the edge was or if there was a 600 foot drop off and no guard rail. So, Mr. Virgo held the GPS in his hands and told me when a turn was coming up and in which direction to turn. If the vehicle in front of me had gone over the hill, we were going over right after them!
\nWhen we arrived in Pagosa, we went to the service station to get gas…and we couldn’t open the doors! There was about an inch of ice encasing the entire car. No matter how hard we threw our shoulders into the doors, they would not budge. We noticed a man bundled up against the wind heading across the parking lot and honked the horn till we got his attention. We beckoned him over and managed to make him understand what was wrong. We asked him if he would follow us next door to the car wash and spray our doors to melt the ice. It wasn’t nearly as cold in town as it had been up on the mountain so the car wash wasn’t frozen. We finally made it out of the car but that was a trip I will never forget.
\nMr. FixIt and I went for a drive the other day and the roads were white. It looked like snow…but it was salt residue. They have laid down salt so heavily and there’s been no thawing and melting to wash the salt away. When you drive, the salt billows up in clouds and settles all over everything. Every car is coated with it and you know what salt will do if left on a vehicle too long. It finally warmed up enough we could go through a car wash and get some of this stuff rinsed off.
\nBy midweek, we are supposed to be up to 60 degrees! I am thrilled for the respite. I know it will be short-lived so I’ll enjoy it while I can. I hope you are also enjoying a small break in the bitter cold where you are as well. ❤️
\n“The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.”\nJob 37:10 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-09T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/09/intermissiona-brief-thaw.html", "tags": ["Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","West Virginia","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/08/old-friends.html", "title": "Old Friends", "content_html": "
![\"Namaste\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/12d73a44d0.jpg\")
\nOur babies were just wee ones when we met. We were taking a sewing class together which really turned out to be twice a week therapy for busy moms to vent and create something beautiful. Sue took my breath away. Tall and slender with that long, thick, full-bodied hair those of us with baby fine strands drool over, she embodied the earth mother I so desperately wanted to be. We became fast friends. We got together and had tea. We hiked. We stitched and b****ed our way through our children’s youth. We were soccer moms. And, even though we were several years apart in age, we had so much in common.
\nSue is one of those friends you may not speak to more than once or twice a year. But when you do, you feel this incredible soul connection and time disappears. We pass each other on Facebook. We give each other virtual hugs and atta girls. We know we are never more than a message or a text or a phone call away.
\nSue moved away from Glenwood Springs a couple of years before that cataclysmic event…the overdose…and my world changed dramatically. She was so worried about me. She was supportive and listened and offered me unconditional love. There was a long stretch of time when we didn’t get to see each other. She was at our wedding. Then Mr. Virgo died and she couldn’t come to the funeral. When I went on my three month journey into the wilderness and backroads of Colorado, Sue invited me to her little “ranchita” down near the Four Corners area. She had ten acres overlooking Mesa Verde. She had a labyrinth she had designed and built. By this time, she was an accomplished yogi.
\nThe day I arrived at her place near Dolores, Sue came running out of the house and grabbed me. She hugged me tight then pulled back and looked me in the eyes.
\n“You said you were doing ok…but I had to see for myself. I wouldn’t know for sure till I squeezed you!” Then she drew me in for another hug.
\nSue ministers to you with softness, compassion. She settled me in the rocking chair by the big picture window. She brought me tea. She sat with me and we rocked…the comforting quiet hanging between us like a well worn quilt as we watched the birds at the immense feeder just beyond the glass. We drove to Silverton one day to be at the finish line of a mountain bike race. I was terribly anxious the night before. I had a really hard time with anxiety the first year or two after Mr. Virgo died. Sue sat with me for hours into the night as I cried and threw up and was generally a horrible mess. She’s that friend…the one who loves you when you’re really messy. She is the one who kicked me in the butt and made me write my book. She said…”Write it now while there is pain in your heart. We will feel it. If you try to write it after you heal, you will lose that voice.” She is so right. I love her dearly.
\nIt’s a new year…time for us to reconnect. Sue and I talked for two hours and twenty-two minutes last night. We discussed all the changes in our lives…all the changes to come. And we decided to plan a yoga retreat. We’ll have yoga sessions as well as talks…nutrition, self-care, grief, art, music, writing. I have a picture in my mind of what I want it to look like. I’ll let you know as we formulate a plan and I’d love you to come!
\nLife is full of interesting twists and turns, isn’t it? My word this year is “presence”. By being present, I will flow through life more awake, more open, more prepared to embrace challenges. Retreats have been a HUGE dream of mine. Time to start letting that dream out to play! ❤️
\n“gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”\nGalatians 5:23 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-08T02:30:25-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/08/old-friends.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/07/epiphany.html", "title": "Epiphany", "content_html": "
![\"“Epiphany”](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/124531bb4f.jpg\")
\nEpiphany
\nEpiphany; noun: plural noun: epiphanies
\nA) the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12).
\nB) the festival commemorating the Epiphany on January 6.
\nC) a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being.
\nD) a moment of sudden revelation or insight.
\nYesterday was Epiphany. Traditionally, it marks the end of the Christmas Season. The day the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus and bestowed their gifts to Him.
\nEpiphany also means a sudden revelation, insight, and/or appearance of a supernatural being. Eighteen years ago, I experienced epiphany on many, many levels. I was seven years into a devastating depression…one I could see no way out of. I was over prescribed medications by a medical community that my husband at the time belonged to. I was a doctor’s wife. I had WAY too ready access to medications I had no business being on because a referral pattern is a terrible thing to waste. Doctors hate to take care of other doctor’s family. It puts a lot of pressure on them to go above and beyond…to be exemplary…to have a positive outcome, no matter what. Unfortunately for me, that meant seven years of medications that made me a zombie. Add a psychiatrist who told me at every visit, that this was just the way I was…I would need to take these medicines every day for the rest of my life…that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain. I lost my 40’s…literally. My marriage was irreparably damaged. December of 1999 found me struggling. My 20th Anniversary came and my husband told me he wasn’t in love with me anymore. I was devastated. I couldn’t see how I could possibly live without him. I circled the drain and on January 6, 2000…I overdosed on two full bottles of pills and I very easily could have died.
\nAs they worked on me in the emergency room…these doctors and nurses with whom my husband and I socialized…I “faded”. My vision became a tunnel. My hearing damped down till it sounded like I had tin cans over my ears. I didn’t see a great white light like some talk about when they have a near-death experience. I’ve drawn it here, as close as I can. It was this incredibly beautiful disc of cobalt blue with golden rays of light radiating from it all around like an eclipse. It was ethereal and sparkly and incredibly peaceful.
\nAs I stood in this immense ocean of blue light, my hearing left me and there was no sound. Dead air. Nothing. And suddenly, my grandma’s voice cut through the silence and straight into my left ear, as if she were standing beside me and bent down to speak directly to me. She shouted at me!
\n“Young lady…you get back down there right now! You have work to do!!!”
\nImmediately, my eyes flew open wide and I was in the ER, lying on a gurney, the overhead light shining in my eyes. I squinted at the glare and the sudden rush of noise. I rolled up on my side and threw up violently. After a while, I turned on my back. A nurse was leaning over me…a look of sincere concern on her face. I burst into tears when I realized what had happened. I kept crying, “I’m so ashamed, I’m so ashamed, I’m so ashamed.” She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close to her and whispered in my ear, “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve been sick. You’re going to be ok.”
\nI was at the bottom of the barrel in that moment and I had to begin a very long climb back. It took a great deal of intense therapy to convince me the other doctor was wrong and I really didn’t have a chemical imbalance in my brain. It took a full three years to wean off the medications he had me on. My marriage was over. I nearly lost my relationship with my kids. It took a huge amount of work, strength, and determination to rebuild my life.
\nI think that experience actually gave me tools to help me cope with losing Mr. Virgo years later. I survived that horrible ordeal. I surely could survive this one. I’ll survive the next. It’s fitting that the overdose occurred on Epiphany. The symbolic ending. The supernatural appearance of my grandma’s disembodied voice…nine months after her death. The moment of sudden revelation and insight that I had gone as far away from where God wanted me to be as I could possibly go.
\nI look back on those years with a sadness that I lost so much. I look back on that night with the absolute conviction that God sent the one person I would listen to…my grandma. I believe with all my heart that God saved me that night because He wasn’t done with me. He still had work for me to do. And, I also believe I could not have done any of this work if I had never had those seven years of walking through hell…if I had never had that devastating overdose…if I had not nearly lost everything.
\nThose of you who have been following me for a long time have probably heard this story before because I consider January 6th my “Re-Birth Day” in a literal sense. My second chance. My do-over. And for those of you new enough that you haven’t heard it yet, it might give you a sense of where I’ve been, even before the devastating loss of Mr. Virgo. We all have struggles in life. And, so far, I’ve survived all of them 100% of the time. For a long time, I was embarrassed by this story. Depression. Anxiety. Drugs. Dysfunction. Once I became a Christian, I realized God can use me to help others in similar circumstances. If I shine His Light into every dark corner of my life and show that Light to you, then I am doing what He put me on this earth to do. I’m at peace with that part of my life now. It doesn’t embarrass me. I am not ashamed. I am strengthened by a God that wouldn’t let ME decide it was time to go. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given…a chance to rebuild broken relationships…a chance at great love, not just once, but twice. I’ve lost much…but I’ve gained so much more. ❤️
\n““Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”\nIsaiah 60:1 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-07T02:30:01-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/07/epiphany.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Humbled","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/06/greater-is-the-one.html", "title": "Greater is the One", "content_html": "![\"Earth](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/85de1a59c8.jpg\")
\nThe nature of my writing has grown with the changes I have gone through on my grief journey. Early on, it was so incredibly painful to even try to put words together to express my pain. I understood for the first time how God could hear our prayers when all we can manage are groans. Once the words started, it was like releasing a torrent. My pain literally fell onto the pages and it was emotionally exhausting…for me, and for you as well. The release was cathartic. The more I let it go, the more my heart healed.
\nNot everyone has a blog where they can release the pent up pain, anger, frustration, confusion that comes with grief. I am blessed with this venue and I don’t take any of you for granted. Your feedback and support has been so incredibly healing for me. I am blessed with family and friends who were supportive during the early months of my grief. The day Mr. Virgo died and I called my daughters, they dropped what they were doing and jumped in their cars to begin the long drive to be with me. They stayed by my side. They answered the phone for me. They made important calls. They took me everywhere I needed to go. Daughter #1 slept with me every night with her arm across my chest to protect me, to calm me, to reassure me I was not alone.
\nPeople gathered and surrounded me with love and support and food. My daughters and I bought every funny DVD we could find and tried to find someplace to land besides terror and pain. My friends held me in silence…the same friends who dressed me for my wedding and placed the flowers all around. Here they were…nearly six years to the day…doing the only thing they could do. After we lay Mr. Virgo in the ground, we gathered at our home…my home. I went straight to the humidor and got the expensive cigar he was saving for golf in the summer. I grabbed the bottle of Courvoisier I had used for Mr. Virgo’s favorite fruitcake. And I gathered the men…and my younger daughter. She was particularly close to her stepdad. We went to the front porch and smoked the cigar, and passed the bottle around till it was gone. We told manly stories of golf and travel, hotels and restaurants…all things Mr. Virgo.
\nAfter everyone left, the family gathered me up and took me to a restaurant to entice me to eat. I hadn’t had much of anything but coffee for days. It was the day before St. Patrick’s Day…a fine day to be buried, Mr. Virgo would have said. My daughters needed to get back to Denver. Daughter #1 offered to stay longer if I needed her. And while I did…desperately…I said no. I knew she needed to get back to her own family…her own life. And so, just like that, they were gone. And the house became quiet.
\nI stayed home alone for a week. I had paperwork to do and some things to wrap up at work. I packed a bag, stopped my mail, and headed to Denver to be near the kids. My son-in-law’s parents kept me at their home. I don’t remember the first week I was there…except that I didn’t get dressed for a week and only occasionally ventured out of the room for a little food. I slept much of the time. Finally, I started to join the land of the living again.
\nSlowly…ever so slowly…I moved forward. Days became weeks and week, months. The firsts started…my first birthday without him, his birthday, the holidays. Our wedding anniversary was just three weeks after he died. People called to see how I was doing. They sent cards and texts and checked in with me on Facebook. One of my daughter’s friends from high school contacted me every week for the first year. And eventually…they all moved on. It was inevitable. They can’t stay forever. They can’t stop their lives forever.
\nAt first, I was really put out. I still needed to vent. I still needed to cry. I needed to tell every story, a hundred times. I needed so much. I needed more than they could ever give. I have to say, I never felt completely abandoned. I am blessed to have the most fabulous people in my life who would listen to me even today if I called and cried. However…I did feel “like a burden”, as one of my readers put it. I didn’t want to unload on them all the time. Somehow, I managed to reach that tipping point where I realized I needed to start managing this pain on my own. That was a really lonely stretch. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have to sit in that “waiting room” (as my friend Christina Rasmussen calls it in her book, Second Firsts) forever, but I had no idea how long I’d be in this social limbo. I wanted to stay alone forever AND I wanted to be with people. I wanted to be invited out AND I wanted to never talk to another soul. I wanted to feel normal AND I didn’t want to feel anything. Oh….grief is crazy making.
\nI had to have something to hang onto…something, someONE, who would anchor me and keep me from flying off the face of the earth. Even though I had been a Christian for seven years, I only attended church sporadically. One Sunday morning, many months after Mr. Virgo died, I decided I needed to talk to someone who never tired of hearing my cries. Someone who would give and give and give…no matter how much I needed. Who would love me no matter how messy or messed up I got. I went back to church…and I’ve been going ever since.
\nAs much as people want to help…they are people. They are fallible. They can say the wrong things. They can feel overwhelmed by your pain. They can burn out from your grief. But God? God never gets tired of hearing from you. God never gets tired of comforting you. He never gets tired of holding you close. Greater is the one who lives within me than the one who lives in the world. God is the one…the only one who will always, always love you. Even when you cry that horrible snot-slinging cry that no one needs to see. Even when you are so anxious you stay up puking all night. Even when your life seems not worth living. The only way you can lose is to give up. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up. Because joy comes again. It sneaks in the cracks of your broken heart when you least expect it. Not all at once…just a little tiny bit at a time. But it comes, dear one. Hang on…it comes. ❤️
\n“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”\n1 John 4:4 NIV
\n#God, #Love, #Light
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-06T02:30:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/06/greater-is-the-one.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/05/deep-freeze.html", "title": "Deep Freeze", "content_html": "![\"Winter](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/da965fc8ab.jpg\")
Winter Dawn by Ginny McKinney
As most of the country settles in for a rough ride on the Snowball Express, I am sitting here snug as a bug in a rug at Mr. FixIt’s house. I’ve taken to listening to praise music as I write my posts. I’ve changed things up and started writing during the day instead of late at night. I thought it might give me a different perspective and add a new dimension to the blog. The praise music not only keeps my heart in the right place, it inspires me to write about a scripture instead of the other way around. All this time I have written my post then I’d go look for an appropriate scripture that illustrated what my thinking was. That’s a much more time consuming process.
\nI downloaded an app on my phone called Moment. It tracks my screen time and frankly, I was appalled when I saw how much time I spend staring at a screen. Granted, it’s not all mindless surfing or game playing. A good portion of it is spent writing these posts. Now, that in itself is not a bad thing by any means. It’s just that…I have this really sweet guy that would probably enjoy a little more attention and a little less screen time. So, I’m trying a few new things…new tactics to shave a little time off the screen and a little more looking into those baby blues that look so adoringly into mine. Win-Win, right?
\nAnother thing I’m going to try is, at least on occasion, including my drawings as the cover photo for my posts. This gives me the opportunity to practice…not only the drawings themselves, but the opportunity to be bold in sharing them. We all need opportunities to be bold.
\nSo, here I sit…snuggled on the sofa under that beautiful blue fox fur blanket. A fresh latte. Kari Jobe. A fire. Snow softly falling. My tree will remain to bring me light and peace well into the new year. I have the promise of a meteor shower and a blue moon to look forward to this month. The year is fresh with hope and promise. And I have this really cool Apple Pencil and Procreate…the world is at my fingertips! My heart is full, even in the depths of this bitter cold. Stay warm, my friends. ❤️
\n“Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.”\nJob 37:9 KJV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-05T02:30:21-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/05/deep-freeze.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/04/on-being-brave.html", "title": "On Being Brave", "content_html": "![\"Drawing](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7a66419c9c.jpg\")
\nI step out…WAY out of my comfort zone here sometimes. I believe in pushing boundaries in order to grow. It has made me a stronger, more well-rounded person to stretch since Mr. Virgo died.
\nI’ve always been creative. I can draw and paint landscapes, flowers, houses and do a pretty fair rendition. But people and animals…faces…elude me. I never get the proportion right. I’m heavy handed. There is no “life” in them.
\nWhen my iPad died at the beginning of the year and I bought a new one, there was this white pencil lying next to it. I asked the salesman what it was and he told me it was a new tool to draw with. He showed me a program called Procreate and he could turn the pencil into a paintbrush loaded with oils or a big, fat pastel or a fine technical pencil. Anything…this thing can be anything! It was magic to me and I HAD to have it. Have it, I did. I knew I wouldn’t have time to really use it until the long dark nights of winter so I’ve been anxiously waiting to play with it.
\nI have no idea why on earth I would start with a face. I did a study on eyes. I did a quick sketch that vaguely resembled Mr. FixIt. Then I put on my headphones, turned on the Kari Jobe station on Amazon Music and closed my eyes. I thought of Jesus as I listened to the praise music and pictured His face. Then I started to draw. I tried to “get out of the way” and let my hand draw what I saw in my mind. I enjoyed watching it take shape. It’s amateurish, to say the least. And (here’s where I’m stepping out of my comfort zone) I’m sharing it with you here.
\nI’m much better at painting a picture with words. I’m much better at making a quilt or stitching a sampler or knitting a pair of socks. I’m much better at making jewelry out of old silverware or antique maps. A long time ago, I tried my hand at writing and I listened to the wrong people. They told me my writing wasn’t publishable. That it really wasn’t good. And I believed that, so I stopped trying. This drawing of Jesus may not be very good…but nothing anyone ever says to me will ever make me stop trying again. No matter what it is I’m trying to do.
\nIt doesn’t matter what the end product looks like. It doesn’t matter if a piece of art is gallery worthy. It doesn’t matter if you can’t carry a tune in a washtub. It doesn’t matter if your words aren’t Pulitzer Prize material. What matters is one thing…does it give you joy? If it does…do that! Don’t worry about what others might think. Don’t worry about being judged. Just do what brings you joy!
\nI’ll keep drawing. Who knows? My writing has improved over the years. Maybe the drawing will, too. But honestly? It’s a form of meditation for me…no matter how it looks. Be brave and stretch! ❤️
\n““Now get up, Ezra. Take charge—we’re behind you. Don’t back down.””\nEzra 10:4 MSG
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-04T02:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/04/on-being-brave.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Writing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/03/surviving-the-climb.html", "title": "Surviving the Climb", "content_html": "
![\"Survive](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0d8bc3b756.jpg\")
\nOccasionally I get a comment on my blog from someone so fresh on this grief journey that they are lost. They don’t know where to turn or what to do next. They are obviously in a great deal of pain and my heart breaks for them because…I know. I’ve been there. Many of us have. I respond to every single comment on my blog. Most often it’s with a ❤️, just to let you know I have seen your comment. Occasionally, I write something back. On this particular occasion, I wrote a whole essay as my response. After giving it some thought, I decided it was time again to revisit “How do you survive this?”
\nMy reader lost her husband unexpectedly in early November. He was minding his own business, driving to work, when he was struck head-on by an impaired driver and was killed. Her world was shattered. The future she had planned with her husband was gone. To add insult to injury, her husband’s death was followed in rapid succession by Thanksgiving, his birthday, an important graduation, Christmas, and New Years. All without him. Her question? How do you cope with this?
\nHere is my response:
\nFirst, let me tell you my heart is with you, dear one. You are SO fresh on this journey and it’s so difficult. Having all those firsts, one after another when the ink is hardly dry must be unbearable. I can’t tell you how to grieve because it’s such a personal thing. I can tell you how I dealt with things and hopefully it will help you as well. If you haven’t yet, do go to Marshmallow Ranch on Facebook and see if you can scroll back to the early days of my blog. You will find much more relatable material there. I started the blog in January 2013 as a way to promote jewelry I was making. Then Mr. Virgo died in March. That’s when the blog morphed into an online grief journal. I know that’s a lot of material to sort through, but it just might help.
\nAt your stage of this journey, let me say this…there is no rule book. But here’s a list of ways to cope.
\nDon’t let anyone say you should do it this way or you shouldn’t do it that way. Do it your way.
\nYou will make mistakes. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you do.
\nBe careful…extra careful with your money.
\nGet plenty of rest, eat right, and exercise as you can.
\nAvoid drugs and alcohol…they are nothing but bandaids that put off the hurt. That goes for new relationships. I know, I know. I thought that was crazy too till I got involved with someone just five months after my beloved died. I just wanted the pain to go away but when I pulled that bandage off, dear God…it was worse.
\nFeel your feelings. Cry when you need to. Laugh when you can.
\nThere’s an actual condition called grief brain. You can’t remember squat and it may be scary as the dickens. Don’t worry…it does get better in time. You never go back to baseline, but you do get better.
\nYou won’t be in this fog forever and eventually you will feel joy. Don’t feel guilty for that.
\nI found the services of a grief counselor to be extremely helpful. I had PTSD from watching the CPR for hours so I had EMDR treatments which helped immensely.
\nRemember…you don’t “get over” this…you get through it. But, you will never be the same. Let me repeat that…you will never be the same. Don’t even try to find the old you. She is gone. Once a pickle, always a pickle…you don’t get to go back to being a fresh little cucumber again. Whether you become a sour or sweet pickle is largely up to you. Do NOT give up hope of finding a good life, though. You can…and you will…with determination and perseverance.
\nI realized early on that he died, I did not. I owed it to his memory to live…actually LIVE the days my husband was not given. Since we were looking at campers when he died, I went out and bought one and joined Sisters on the Fly…a women’s adventure group. I also belong to Girl Campers. These are all empowering groups that helped me become brave and strong.
\nOne last word of caution. It’s ok to mattress surf once in a while but don’t live there. Get up every day, splash water on your face, brush your teeth, and get dressed. Make your bed. You’re not as likely to climb back in it if it’s made. Scrub your kitchen sink. A clean sink sets the tone for the day in my book. Even if you just move from the bed to the couch…you’ve moved. Keep moving. One step, two steps. Eventually you will be able to take a deep breath again. (Oh, that’s also a thing. Physiologically, grief causes you to sigh a lot which makes you try to take deep breaths and it’s difficult. You almost feel like you can’t get a deep enough breath. Unless you are passing out or have chest pain or prolonged irregular heartbeat or cold, clammy sweat, its nothing to be worried about. Always ask your healthcare professional if you are concerned about your health. However…this sensation disappears after some time.)
\nTincture of time. That’s how I dealt with the loss of my husband. Move forward…and pray, a lot. You may not feel Him there, but God is with your every step. He holds you in the palm of His hand and He weeps for your pain. Let Him wrap His feathers around you and take your rest there. Come back here anytime you need some support. You may send me private messages at any time and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Prayers for comfort and strength, dear one. This is a club we didn’t ask to join. You will learn how to perform magic like tap dancing around that husband-sized hole in your heart without falling in…every…damn…time.
\nGrief comes in waves. At first it knocks you down. Eventually you learn to expect the waves and you can lean in and keep your footing without drowning. It’s almost five years since my loss and I have built a new life. I have expanded my social circle and have learned many new skills. And…much to my amazement…I have found love again and it is so sweet and rich. Mostly because now I have a thorough understanding of just what I lost and how incredibly precious life and love are.
\nWe all know someone who suffers a loss. We don’t always know how to help or what to say. May I suggest bookmarking this page and share it when appropriate? Share it with everyone you know because someone knows someone who is hurting. Let’s make this the year we reach out to widows and widowers and offer them whatever comfort and support we can. ❤️
\n“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”\nHebrews 13:16 ESV
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-03T02:30:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/03/surviving-the-climb.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Wisdom","Humbled","Presence","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/02/ramona-and-her-pet-burro.html", "title": "“Ramona and Her Pet Burro, Bob” or “How My Memory Has Changed Since Mr. Virgo Died”", "content_html": "![\"Country](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/beb770d8d2.jpg\")
\nWe went to the farm yesterday. On our way there, Mr. Fixit pointed out the two little burros huddling in a shed, trying to keep warm in the frigid 9 degree air. Seeing the little burros, my mind immediately went soaring back forty years to one of the favorite periods of my life. When I met Hubby #2, he was a Physical Therapist who worked across the hall from me. I was the X-Ray Tech for a small rehabilitation hospital in downtown Denver. He was also finishing some pre-med classes at CU Boulder in preparation for applying to medical school. We were young and in love and poor as church mice. Daughter #1 was three years old. We had no money so we were adept at finding activities that were free, or nearly so. It was cool to be poor struggling students.
\nIt was the late ‘70s. Trivial Pursuit was HOT and we played it a lot. H#2 told me about the Trivia Bowl that was held annually at UC Boulder. It was free, it was close, and it was fun. It was held in a large room. Two teams sat at tables on a makeshift stage and the audience stood shoulder to shoulder around a packed room…a rowdy crowd. I don’t remember a lot about that night. After all, it was forty years ago. But I do remember one team was called “Ramona and Her Pet Burro, Bob”. How could you forget that, right? I also remember one of the questions was,…”What were the tail numbers on Sky King’s plane?” What??? I knew I was witnessing trivia royalty when one young student slammed his hand down on the buzzer in a fraction of a second and shouted out…”N5348A!” You’re kidding! Ok, I Googled it just now…but I was in awe back then. Who remembers stuff like that?
\nMy memory isn’t what it used to be. You don’t get to Medicare age without losing a little something. It’s been made worse by grief and the head injury I suffered in February didn’t help matters. I’ll bet memory loss…or, “grief brain”…is the subject I address most often with those who have recently lost a loved one. I remember I thought I was going crazy or something was wrong with me when I couldn’t keep track of anything in the first couple of years after losing Mr. Virgo. I made lists and then couldn’t remember where I put them. Or my notes seemed cryptic and made no sense when I revisited them. It was a scary time. Will my memory come back? Will it get worse? What is wrong with me?
\nI don’t remember who told me about grief brain (see???) but I do very much recall the overwhelming sense of relief I felt knowing it wasn’t just me. That’s when I knew for sure I needed to write this blog. Because not everyone has someone to mentor them and while I wasn’t far enough along to actually BE a mentor, I could share what I was learning and feeling along the way. One of the greatest gifts you are given from grief comes when you turn around and offer a hand to someone who is further back the road than you are. It is the price we pay for the grace we receive during our own grief journey.
\nMemory…its a slippery sucker. I still will get a brilliant flash of an idea for a post that I just know will resonate with someone…and if I don’t write it down, or make some sort of correlation in my mind to remember it later, it’s gone. That is probably the single most frustrating thing I face when I write. I still have a hard time making myself write down ideas because I swear I’ll be able to remember. It’s aggravating. The tool that helps me most is the “Note” app on my phone. I can jot ideas down and when I hit a lean period and have trouble coming up with a topic, I go into my list and find something that is currently applicable. It’s not like it used to be. It never will be. But it works for the most part.
\nJust knowing you aren’t alone in this is often all you need to relax into the flow and be present with your feelings. No matter how difficult your struggle, God is always there with you whether you feel Him or not. Knowing that can bring enormous comfort. ❤️
\n“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””\nJoshua 1:9 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2018-01-02T02:30:57-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/02/ramona-and-her-pet-burro.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Hope","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","God","Peace","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/01/out-with-the-oldin-with.html", "title": "Out With the Old...In With the New!!!", "content_html": "
![\"Happy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6358b13262.jpg\")
\nI love when the calendar turns to a new year. The slate is wiped clean and you can start fresh…a great big do over. Never was this more impactful to me personally than January 1, 2014. It was the first New Year’s Day after losing Mr. Virgo. Somehow, I had it in my head that if I could just say “My husband died last year” it would somehow make the loss easier. It didn’t. Not by a long shot.
\nI had, in my crazed grief-stricken brain, thought it would be a good idea to start dating someone…just five months after my sweet husband died. Holy Mother of God…what was I thinking??? In my defense…I wasn’t thinking. That first year…well, really the first two years…I wasn’t sane. Not in a conventional definition of the word anyway. I did some things right, but my thinking was just off. My decision making skills were lacking. Thank God time and lots of prayer and introspection have brought me to this new place…this new life.
\nNow when I look at the New Year, I contemplate where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and formulate new goals. I don’t make resolutions. I’ve never kept a resolution in my life. But I do come up with a focus word. The word for 2017 was “Reach”. I think I lived up to that. I launched a new website. I spoke to several groups. I was interviewed on several podcasts and publications. I had a branded series developed for me called “Getting Bolder” on the Sisters on the Fly website. I continued to write an essay every day here. I traveled to Florida twice, the Outer Banks, Tennessee, and Colorado. I camped and/or had outings with the Girl Campers and Sisters on the Fly several times. I continued working on my social media platform to improve my chances of selling this book I’ve got basically written. And…I introduced you to Mr. FixIt. It’s been a really big year and I reached about as far as I could!
\nSo, now I need a new word for the new year. There are so many things I want to practice in the coming year. Patience. I am not a patient person. Compassion. I try, but I am not always successful practicing compassion with people who try my patience. Love. I want to feel my Heavenly Father’s love and involvement in everything I do so that I might feel that same love toward everyone…including those to whom I want to show compassion because they have tried my patience. You see where I’m going with this? You might think I’m going to choose the word “Patience” to meditate on this year, but you’d be wrong. I learned a long time ago not to pray for patience because when I do, God gives me every single little opportunity to practice it and I just don’t have it in me to be that challenged anymore. No, I have a different word in mind.
\nMy choice? Presence.
\nIf I am present in all I do, I am here to show up and do what is needed. If I am present…I feel God’s love. If I am present…I can actively choose to love others as Jesus loves me. If I feel God’s love, and actively choose to love others the way Jesus loves me, in every interaction I have…everything gets better. My relationships with family and friends are bound to improve. My interactions with others…even complete strangers…can only improve when I exemplify the kind of love Jesus has for me.
\nHow do you remain present in today’s hectic world? To achieve the kind of presence I am looking for, I need to start every day with a connection to the Source. I need to reach for His Word first…before Facebook. Before the news and weather. Even before Mr. FixIt. It doesn’t take much. Five minutes. Five minutes first thing every morning, before anything else, I will seek His face and feel His love for me. I will invite Him to come into my day…into my world…and walk with me. It’s no different than asking any other loved one to go for a walk with me. But the benefits are undeniably higher.
\nThat’s my word. Presence. Feel every moment. Focus on God’s love. Bring His Love and Light into every aspect of my life. I can’t help but shine! ❤️
\n“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.”\nEcclesiastes 5:18-20 MSG
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-01T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/01/out-with-the-oldin-with.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/21/the-nest.html", "title": "The Nest", "content_html": "![\"Bird’s](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/05cc0b0a1b.jpg\")
“A bird’s nest from the farm.”
One late fall day, I was walking down the long drive to get the mail and paper when I noticed an abandoned nest in the ditch. I’m not familiar enough to know what kind of bird made it although it is lined with mud. I know swallows do that. I picked up the little nest and sat it on the end of the old wooden ironing board I use as a perch for the cats and there it sat. That is, until I “decorated” for the holidays. I thought it looked better sitting beside the old hunting boots I found in a barrel downstairs.
\nOne of the joys of living out on the farm is the vast number and variety of birds here. I could hardly wait to put out bird feeders. I have them situated so I can see them from the rocking chair in the front window. They remind me of a verse in the Bible that tells us not to worry about getting the things we need because if God provides for the sparrow, he will certainly provide for us. Everything a bird needs is found in nature. Our added efforts to draw them in with extra food only baits them for our viewing pleasure. But, even though God gives the worm, he doesn’t provide room service. The birds still have to get out every day and forage for sustenance. They have to work for their blessings…they just don’t worry about it. Good advice.
\nGod has buckets of blessings with our name on them. They are the blessings HE wants for us…not our selfish requests. HE wants to prosper us, but on HIS terms…not ours. I can’t just sit here in the rocking chair and wait for UPS to hand deliver my blessings. I have to suit up and show up. I have to prepare myself through prayer and meditation. I have to treat my body like the temple it is with proper food and activity. I have to maintain my health. For me, personally…I have to be in the Word every day. I have to practice all three parts of Matthew 7:7…ask, seek, and knock. The action words. When I “ask”, I ask for the blessings HE wants to give me. When I “seek”, I ask how I can best serve HIM, not the other way around. And when I “knock”, I beg God to open the door to His heart and shower me with the abundance HE has in mind. That is how I “work for my supper”. He feeds my spirit AND my life.
\nSo, just as the bird must work for the blessing of food, so do I. I am grateful for the beauty…and the bounty…in my life. ❤️
\n“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 NIV\n
![\"Snowflake\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/48d44dbcc9.jpg\")
“Snowflake”
This is a big turning point in the year…the first snowflakes. They excite us. The holidays are coming. The turkey is probably thawing in your fridge. You are making your menu. You’ve shopped for the food. You’ve pulled out the recipes. You’ve invited family and friends. The games are scheduled. The marching bands will be descending on New York City any day. The workers are preparing the floats and the giant balloons. Deer season is starting. And here they are…the first flakes of snow.
\nI was standing in the Cook’s Store in Marietta after lunch yesterday when I overheard a couple talking about a bundt pan. The man admitted he used his as a water bowl for his dog. I tried not to show them I had overheard, but I was shaking as I laughed silently. I couldn’t help it. The look of horror on the face of the woman with him was classic! They noticed me and suddenly we were all having a grand, knee-slapping laugh. It was fun. It released a lot of stress to interact with total strangers with abandon. No agenda. We chatted a while then went on our way.
\nI moved to the la Cruset display in the front window and saw a beautiful red tea pot. I look out the window and caught the first snowflakes of the season. I could hear the tea kettle whistle in my imagination so I brought that little red teapot to the little red farmhouse. We will have many lovely moments together.
\nI lay in bed in the pale flickering candlelight and heard the icy snow hit the dry leaves with the same sound of sizzling bacon and wondered if it will amount to much. How will it affect my drive to church tomorrow? The first flakes of snow. The harbinger of change.
\nWinter.
\nMay she come in peace. ❤️
\n“He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor.” Job 37:6-7 NIV\n
![\"Jelly](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a99074f92f.jpg\")
“My favorite piece of my childhood.”
I gathered some of my belongings out of storage the other day and brought them to the farm. I kept my dearest antiques knowing someday I would either decorate TOW-Wanda or I would have a small home of my own again. I have postponed making this house my “home” for the last three months till I was fairly certain I wouldn’t be moving for a while. Now that I feel more secure in that, I’ve been nesting with a vengeance.
\n![\"Folkart\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d3d99e545b.jpg\")
“I bought this in an antique store in Carbondale, CO years ago. Perfect for my farmhouse kitchen.”
I’m loving how cozy this place is getting. The items on top of the cabinets are special and I haven’t lived with them for two and a half years, at least. As I unwrapped the dishes Mr. Virgo gave me, I carefully cleaned them and placed them in the jelly cupboard so I can see and use them every day. The watering cans were in my flower garden in Colorado. They were literally the last thing I grabbed from my house as I left. The sap bucket on the far left was hanging here in the basement by my grandma’s old canning stove. The copper bucket on the far right holds my mom’s wooden clothespins. The crocks on top of the cabinets belonged to my late Uncle Bobby Joe’s grandparents…as did the little red rocking chair that was found in their barn years after they passed. The churns in the middle belonged to my grandma (left) and mom (right). The little lamb was my toy when I was a baby. The blue mason jar is a #13…rare because moonshiners broke #13’s because they were unlucky. The old lunchpail on the right belonged to my grandpa. The folk art “Homemade Pies” sign came from an antique shop in Colorado many years ago.
\n![\"Red](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/eda64532a6.jpg\")
“My favorite little red rocking chair…found in an old barn in West Virginia.”
I made the door decoration yesterday from a horn I bought in a junk shop. That and the two candles in the first floor window constitute my entire holiday decorating since I’m going to Colorado for Christmas again this year. I found the bird’s nest in the ditch by the driveway this fall and the boots were an old pair in a barrel downstairs. I bought the handmade broom at Country Living Fair. And the little “dress” hanging from the light over the sink is a reproduction and is actually a tea towel. (My windows REALLY need washing!)
\n![\"Old](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2d1ddc7a79.jpg\")
“Old hunting boots from the basement.”
I have a picture hanging in my bedroom here that says…“It’s not the size of the house but how happy the home.” My home is where I lay my head and I always make it happy. It might be a thirty foot camper on the road through Tennessee. Or it might be on a ridge overlooking the Ohio River. Or it might be on a farm that hold memories so thick they feel like cobwebs when I brush through them. I am rich beyond my wildest dreams. Not monetarily…I’m rich with family, love, memories, health, happiness, joy, and words. These are my everyday gifts from God. I am so blessed. ❤️
\n![\"Antiques\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c0183e9826.jpg\")
“Treasures!”
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”” Hebrews 13:5 NIV\n
![\"Antique](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/878ae4cfc8.jpg\")
“I made a wreath from an antique horn.”\n![\"Apron\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/119a8f670d.jpg\")
“Reproduction apron hanging from the light over the sink. Loving my farmhouse look.”
![\"Albert](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e5f2d1c568.jpg\")
“A word from the wise.”
It’s been a little over a week since the election. I don’t know about you…but I felt emotionally and physically exhausted after being subjected to such derision and anger on a daily basis. I, quite literally, was numb from the whole process and escaped through a cleaning frenzy the likes of which this house has not seen in years. And that’s from a woman who never watched TV throughout the entire campaign. I jumped on the Peace Train. I prayed and wrote and meditated and tried to wrap my head around the whole thing. Who I voted for doesn’t matter as much as the fact that I voted…there’s problems from both sides. I ride in the neutral zone here on The Ranch because politics raises passions and I respect you all…regardless of politics.
\nOne SHOULD be passionate about one’s beliefs. This election highlighted how divided we are as a nation. While I preach a message of peace, that doesn’t mean I should shirk my duties as a concerned, active citizen. I should learn everything there is to know about the issues that effect the world today. And…I can do that without hurting anyone. It is my responsibility to be a contributing member of society and research legislation so I can make informed choices in the polling booth.
\nThis isn’t easy for me. Conflict makes me extremely uncomfortable…being the child of an alcoholic can make it very difficult to be around verbal disagreements. However, I can still suit up and show up without entering into the fray. I can be passionate about being the change I want to see in the world. I don’t have to advertise my position in order to affect change. I can help…and I can do it from a place of love. ❤️
\n“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV\n", "date_published": "2016-11-17T02:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/17/on-being-passionate.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Comfort","Peace","Wisdom","Fear","Courage","Presence","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/10/29/changing-seasons.html", "title": "Changing Seasons", "content_html": "\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/662f513275.jpg\")
I usually dread the change from summer to fall because it means winter isn't far behind. Those of you who have been following me since early on know how much I hated the winters in Colorado. They say Colorado has three seasons...July, August, and winter. They aren't far off. In general, winter is better here in West Virginia. At least it doesn't usually snow till mid to late November. And once March hits, spring is close behind.
\n\n\nThis year is different for some reason. Maybe it's living at the farm, but I'm finding myself staying present with each passing day and enjoying it to the fullest. In the mornings I read my books...A Purpose Driven Life, The Prayer of Jabez, and the Bible (NIV). I pour a cup of coffee and sit in my grandma's rocker in front of the dining room window. She sat here in her later years, rocking and watching the world go by. She was close to the phone. She was a runner when the phone rang so when she got too frail to run, she sat here.
\n\n\nThe view out the window is the hillside across the road. The leaves are falling fast now that we've had a couple of frosts. When a gust of wind comes up the holler, the leaves fly like colorful ghosts on the breeze. The ground below is carpeted with wet, brown leaves giving off the smell of earth and decay...a pleasant smell that brings back memories of walking to and from school with my friends, our feet swish-swish-swishing through the fallen leaves on the sidewalk...our footsteps breaking them down over time to a coarse powder.
\n\n\nEven though I am about 30 miles from town out on the farm, I have many friends from high school that I keep in touch with through my personal Facebook page and I never feel lonely. I get to town a couple of times a week, at the least. One of my high school friends is Marion...a very talented artist living in Cincinnati. There aren't many people in my social circle who bring grief up these days, but Marion sends me interesting articles when she sees something she thinks might be helpful for me...either in my personal journey or my writing. Yesterday she sent me an article about the various ways grief changes your life forever. There are many ways that I am forever changed. Just as my tolerance for winter seems to be changing, so is my ability to distance myself from my acute grief. It is a relief on both counts.
\n\n\nMy world is changing...literally and figuratively. And, it's good. It's very, very good.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-10-29T01:30:26-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/10/29/changing-seasons.html", "tags": ["The Farm","Presence","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/08/28/the-wrap-up.html", "title": "The Wrap Up", "content_html": "\n“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.””
\nGenesis 8:22 NLT\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8fdbad8485.jpg\")
After every professional football game, there comes the final analysis. The best is highlighted, the worst is evaluated. And, when you're evaluating yourself, you are your own worst critic. I'm sorry the video didn't come out. There was a lot of background noise and you can barely hear me. The talk was well received though and the people who recruited me said I was inspirational. I think an even bigger highlight than speaking was the incredible, interesting people who attended the conference. These people are changing the voice and public perception of people over 60. I met some wonderful people and networked for two full days.
\n\n\nI am so glad I had this opportunity and hope to be invited again in two years when they meet in Denver. Today is a travel day as I head back to WV.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
\nLuke 6:45 NIV\n
Wardrobe provided in part by Confetti Design of Glenwood Springs, CO
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-08-28T01:30:26-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/08/28/the-wrap-up.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Gratitude","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/06/02/be-present.html", "title": "Be Present", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6687bbe109.jpg\")
I walked into Panera yesterday for a late lunch after walking the \"Steps of Death\" NINE times! I was starving by 2:00! And their super yummy Green Goddess salad is only 520 calories for the whole size. A bargain after burning off a couple thousand calories on Parkersburg's Stairmaster.
\n\n\nI placed my order and was looking for a booth to wait for the pager to go off. I passed a couple \"having lunch\" together. I use \"having lunch\" loosely because there WAS food on the table and they WERE sitting together. But they might as well have been on separate planets because each had their noses pressed to a flat screen. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I have been guilty of looking at my phone while dining. But it really hits home when I see a couple living parallel lives, especially now. I'd give anything to have lunch with Mr. Virgo again. And I can promise you, I would NOT be looking at a phone screen when I could be looking into those beautiful blue eyes.
Mr. Virgo did his PhD thesis on the lost art of dining. And that was before smart phones. Dining and conversation were huge things for him.
Please...pay attention to your dining partner. Put your phone away and be present. There will come a day when you'll be terribly glad you did...trust me on this.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-06-02T01:30:24-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/06/02/be-present.html", "tags": ["Health","Presence","Choices","Insight"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/01/04/intentions-vs-resolutions.html", "title": "Intentions vs Resolutions", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/df82194b06.jpg\")
The other day I mentioned that I don't make New Year's Resolutions. I never keep them past a week or two. They are too easily forgotten because I'm a visual learner. So I make a Vision Board. I gather images that portray what I would like to accomplish in the year ahead and they serve as visual reminders to keep my goals in reach.
\n\n\nSome years I actually cut pictures out of a magazine and make a poster including key words I want to focus on. Sometimes I just gather images in a file that I can look at to remind me what I want to be doing more of. I find this to be much more useful than a statement.
\n\n\nI want to do more kayaking on the Ohio River this spring while I still have ready access. After I head back to Colorado, I'll be restricted to lakes and reservoirs. They don't have the still, glasslike surface of the beautiful Ohio River. I also want to ride my bike more. There's an excellent rails to trails system in West Virginia I want to take advantage of. I haven't camped much in WV and there are some of the most beautiful state parks there. So, outdoorsy things are big on my list this year.
\n\n\nWhat are some of your intentions for the year?
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-01-04T02:30:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/01/04/intentions-vs-resolutions.html", "tags": ["Growth","New Ideas","Gratitude","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/10/today.html", "title": "Today", "content_html": "\n“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
\nProverbs 16:9 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c73a197461.jpg\")
Not to sound too cliché, but honestly...today is all we've got. There are no promises. We are a heartbeat away from eternity. I don't want to spend what precious time I have left worrying. Or angry. Or jealous. About anything. Yeah, easier said than done, I know. But it's a lofty goal.
Today, I am as old as I have ever been. I have achieved a certain level of credibility merely by riding this planet 62 times around the sun. I've seen 22,824 sunsets. I am some sort of authority on sunsets by now, I think. I can stand proud in my ability to adapt and survive. I am a freaking warrior princess.
Today, I am as young as I'll ever be again...chronologically. Age is a state of mind. I choose to think young...most of the time. I seem to pull it off pretty well as most people don't think I'm 62. I am a lover of life....a dancer of dreams.
\n\n\nToday, I love myself. I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. I live here...in all my impossibly flawed beauty. Baby pooch, flappy wings, cheesy thighs, greying hair, wrinkles and all. I am a wise crone...with fresh, new eyes.
Today, I am flying solo. Sleeping single. Widowed. On my own. But...I am not alone. God walks with me and carries me when I can't do it myself. There are many hearts beating in my chest with me. And the one true heart that stopped beating a thousand or so days ago lives just a fraction away. So near I can feel him because our souls are still one...still connected...always and forever connected. Death didn't take that away. Mere death could not sever that bond. I am fierce and brave.
Today, I get to see my firstborn child. I haven't seen her since the middle of August. I miss her, terribly. Much, much more than I ever have. I am so very proud of her. And happy for her accomplishments. Tomorrow is a big day for her as she gets her graduate degree in Zoology. I am filled with a mighty love.
\n\n\nToday, I get to see my first husband and his family. They are coming for the graduation. I am so blessed to have good relationships with my former husbands. I hear horror stories all the time of people who can't be in the same room with their exes. I understand it doesn't work for everyone. However, I was with these men for a reason. I loved them. I love them still...just in a different way. I love them because they love my babies. Because they are good people. Because they love and respect me. Because we are still family. I am gentle and loving in my heart.
\n\n\nToday. Time and distance heals old wounds if you let them. Hope and love gifts you delicious anticipation for what could come. God can bring you peace if you just ask Him.
\n\n\nI am forgiven and at peace.
\n\n\nToday. This day. It's all we've got. What are you going to do with your present?
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-10T02:30:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/10/today.html", "tags": ["Family","Presence","Insight","Control"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/10/13/taking-a-break.html", "title": "Taking a Break", "content_html": "\n“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
\nRomans 12:2 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e8962a6c3d.jpg\")
I'm taking the next couple of days to put my phone down and engage with the ocean. It is amazing here!
\n\n\nI'll be back on Thursday morning when it's time to move on.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2015-10-13T01:30:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/10/13/taking-a-break.html", "tags": ["Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/10/06/be-still.html", "title": "Be Still", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3b058b26cc.jpg\")
Shhhhh...listen. Do you hear that? It's quiet. The rain has stopped! The breeze is gently rustling the palms outside my window and the sound of the surf is a constant roar. We are less than a hundred yards from the beach and this is the first time I've heard the waves crashing from this far away.
\n\n\nAwesome!
\n\n\nAs I lay in my bed last night, I listened to those waves. I breathed in their goodness and raw strength. And I breathed out the hurts and the unexpressed...and unexpected...sadness of the last few days. I'm looking forward to doing more of the same today.
\n\n\nThe ocean is the background music for stillness. Peace. The break in the steady din of rain pounding on the roof and walls of the camper came so suddenly that it took us by surprise. I'm looking forward to sleeping in in the morning. And maybe taking my coffee out on the beach. And maybe just taking it easy for the day. I'm on beach time. I can do that. I need to be still and watch the waves. I need to meditate. Thank you, God...for getting me through the storm safely. And for giving me the opportunity to be here.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-10-06T01:30:35-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/10/06/be-still.html", "tags": ["Camping","Peace","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/05/31/staying-present.html", "title": "Staying Present", "content_html": "\n“Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”
\nPsalm 4:4 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4d33b2d88b.jpg\")
Friday I was sitting listening to music here at the festival. I was also checking in on my post, responding to remarks, keeping an eye on the weather, comforting a friend who is preparing to bury her daddy, and commiserating/congratulating another friend on her unexpected change in employment. I turned to one of my friends to tell her something about Sunday and she just sat there looking at me. Then quietly, matter-of-fairly, she stated \"You are never present.\"
\n\n\nWow.
\n\n\nWow…she's more right than wrong. I'm a multi-tasker. All my life, I have planned everything out ten steps ahead in my brain. This comes from being the child of an alcoholic and trying to anticipate the meltdown. In doing so, I miss out on a lot. So yesterday, I left my cell on the shelf in the camper, went to yoga, and breathed and stretched my body for an hour in the early morning sunshine. I did take it with me to music in the afternoon as I often write my posts in the afternoon/evening when the mood strikes me. But I kept it in my pack most of the day and tried to stay present, watch people, listen to the music, feel the vibe, smell the food.
\n\n\nIt's amazing how addicting technology is. And I'm really addicted to my phone. I'm going to work on that…but, being a writer, I must use my tools and write when the mood strikes and I'm feeling the most creative. It's an interesting awareness, though.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-05-31T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/05/31/staying-present.html", "tags": ["Wisdom","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/05/29/andit-begins.html", "title": "And...it Begins!", "content_html": "\n\"The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.\"
\nPsalm 118:24\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a6d7f1bf3d.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9f73c4d9f7.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8274c3480f.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b4fecd3c49.jpg\")
What a treasure it is to gather with a large variety of humans seeking the same goal. Four days of peace, music, and fun in the sun! The vibe is good...mellow. Reminiscent of the early outdoor concerts of the '60s. Aging hippies getting their groove on. Middle aged couples trying to recover a part of the dream. Days when they were filled with love and promise. Days before the pressures of life took away their ability to play. So here, they don their tie dye and walk barefoot, holding hands with hopeful love. And with the right portion of sun, sound, and sensual dancing, sparks are igniting the embers of a long, too cold winter. And it's summer!!! Young people smelling like patchouli and herbal refreshments, dreads, flowing gauzy skirts dancing with that sheer freedom youth allows. Little ones running around blowing bubbles and chasing balloons.
\n\n\nA music festival thrusts you into a melting pot of humanity. It is an excellent opportunity to throw off that coat of conformity and allow you to fly...to allow you to be YOU!
\n\n\nIt just doesn't get much better than that. Celebrate life!
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-05-29T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/05/29/andit-begins.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Camping","Fun","Aging","Presence","Peaceful Moments","Be Joyful!","Widow","Road Trip"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/05/19/wanderlust-a-strong-innate-desire.html", "title": "Wanderlust: a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about", "content_html": "\n\"David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.\"
\n2 Samuel 6:5\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/05e8e494e8.jpg\")
Travel is in my blood. I don't know if it's the Gemini in me that wants to see and learn and experience new things or if I just get bored easily. Some have accused me of running away from my grief by never stopping for long. While that may have been true early on, I don't believe that is currently the case. I just love the experience of feeling the wind in my hair as I travel with my home following close behind. I love the sound of the world beneath my wheels. I love an ever changing view. I love seeing the microcosms that make up the myriad worlds within the big picture. I dearly love meeting new people along the way…capturing stories like little blue butterflies in the summer sun.
\n\n\nI am rapidly approaching the next shift. I made another trip out to the farm yesterday to gather up a load of things to distribute. OMGosh! It was SO hot and humid out there. Not a breath of breeze and I was totally spent by 1:00. As I was going through stuff, I came across this painted black box. Unfortunately, it was broken but I found a remarkable gift inside. The glass framed picture lining the lid had fallen out. It was a page from an old magazine that someone had glued to the glass. Totally unremarkable on the side that showed. But look what I found on the inside!!!
\n\n\nThe moral of the story: You can find some of the most amazing gifts within…once you are broken open.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-05-19T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/05/19/wanderlust-a-strong-innate-desire.html", "tags": ["Growth","Gratitude","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/04/30/live-every-day.html", "title": "Live Every Day", "content_html": "\n\"Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.\"
\nPsalm 84:12\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3956edd343.jpg\")
I've been thinking about this YOLO mentality. You only live once. Absolutely NOT TRUE. Unless you've been resuscitated after a medical emergency, you only DIE once. Every day you wake up on the right side of the grass is an opportunity to live again. Every…single…day. What are you going to do with your time here? It doesn't last forever, you know. I've already wasted SO much of what I have been allotted. I could leave this restaurant that I'm sitting in as I write this and get hit by a bus. That makes this next hour really precious, doesn't it? So, I'll really enjoy this chili relleno and chips, I'll browse in the antique store next door, and look both ways when I cross the street.
\n\n\nI want more.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-04-30T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/04/30/live-every-day.html", "tags": ["Hope","Growth","Gratitude","Presence","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/04/10/what-is-gold-in-your.html", "title": "What is GOLD in your world?", "content_html": "\n\"The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.\"
\nProverbs 13:14\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d6450b840a.jpg\")
Yesterday was laundry day. Now that I have running water in my camper, I can hand wash delicates and hang them out to dry. But that doesn't work for everything so a trip to the laundromat was in order. Doing laundry at home is one of the luxuries of my \"former lifestyle\" that I have to admit, I miss. But really, the biggest hassle is where to put the laundry basket while I accumulate enough dirty clothes to make a trip worthwhile. On the upside, I can do multiple loads at the same time and a chore that used to take all day is easily completed in a couple of hours. Also, I've had lovely conversations with people while I'm waiting for the machines to do their thing. I invariably learn something…about them, about the world, about myself. Hardworking people who may be struggling in today's economy. The middle aged mom who is remodeling her laundry room. The 61 year old writer who gave up the house with the washer and dryer in order to have a simpler life. Yes…it is my choice to live this simpler version of me.
\n\n\nGinny…version 61.8. :-)
\n\n\nSo far, even with the sacrifices, I'm enjoying it immensely.
\n\n\nI am finding the drive to exercise again. That is SO hard for me because I repeatedly tell anyone who stands still long enough that I hate to exercise. So therefore…I hate to exercise. In my Pollyanna-esque way…I'm changing my viewpoint. From now on, I'm going to go outside to play. When did we stop playing? When we were kids, we couldn't WAIT to go out and ride our bikes or roller skate…running around from dawn till dusk. Now we whine and complain like someone is trying to torture us. Nope, I'm going outside to play. Come join me.
\n\n\nOllie, Ollie out's, in free!
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-04-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/04/10/what-is-gold-in-your.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/04/04/the-gifts-from-god.html", "title": "The Gifts From God", "content_html": "\n\"They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.\"
\nPsalm 19:10\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c6de981876.jpg\")
I was in the presence of greatness last night. This young man is Joe Robinson. He grew up in the outback of Australia where the nearest street light is 40 miles away. The only thing to do when he was growing up was practice guitar. And practice, he did. He won Australia's Got Talent when he was 16. He'll be 24 in May. He was named one of the Top 50 guitarists by Australia's Guitar Magazine. I've heard great guitarists. This young man is a guitar god! I've never seen anything like it. I found myself holding my breath and leaning forward to catch every note. I got teary eyed. Afterwards, I did what I always do…bought his music and got my picture taken with a young man who will someday command $100 a ticket. I smiled as he was signing my CD and told him I couldn't wait to see him in 20 years. I'll only be 82…I can go to concerts!
\n\n\nWhen you see someone with such obvious talent, you know this is a special gift from God. You just don't see this very often. Google Joe Robinson. Definitely go see him if you get the chance. This was a truly remarkable night!
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-04-04T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/04/04/the-gifts-from-god.html", "tags": ["Fun","Presence","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/03/28/paul-thorn.html", "title": "Paul Thorn", "content_html": "\n\"His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.\"
\nGenesis 4:21\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f7e9749d12.jpg\")
Ok, not only was this guy talented, he did NOT hurt the eyes. The place was packed. There were only two seats available and not together so we all stood in the back and danced and sang and had the BEST time. AND…look who I got a hug from!!! He is so purdy! lol
\n\n\nOMGosh! I think I may need to start dating, y'all. You think Mrs. Thorn would mind? lol Seriously, Paul was so gracious and walked through the crowd and sang his last song. He signed the back of my new T-shirt. Fun, fun, fun night!!!
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-03-28T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/03/28/paul-thorn.html", "tags": ["Fun","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/02/24/wintervention.html", "title": "Wintervention", "content_html": "\n\"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.\"
\nPsalm 119:71\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bdfb200f09.jpg\")
One of my sweet friends sent me a text yesterday morning begging me to come in out of the cold. She was attempting a \"wintervention\". She was quite alarmed that the temperature had plummeted 20℉ since dawn two hours before. She knew that not only do I not have running water, but now my refrigerator doesn't work. How can any sane person live like this? Ummmmm. Good question.
\n\n\nAm I certifiably crazy? Nope. I've BEEN crazy. This isn't it. Am I wearing a hair shirt and performing some sort of ritualistic scarification that entails facing subzero temperatures and bad food? Not even close. Ever since I read The Boxcar Children, I've fantasized about living in a boxcar and eating wild berries, sleeping the sleep of happy exhaustion from the foraging of the day. Living in a fully stocked camper with a memory foam mattress, luxury bedding, an electric blanket turned up to \"toasty\" is living the high life comparatively. Oh, yeah….it's a whale of a lot different than anything I've ever done for more than just a few days. It's challenging, but it's not necessarily dangerous. It's exciting, fun, and full of adventures. It's freedom to the nth degree.
\n\n\nParing and peeling away every layer of civilization that I am willing to give up has simplified my life to the point that I can FEEL things. I feel the seasons, the power of the earth, the flow of the river, the flight of the birds. This is an exquisite gift I have been given. I was so upset after things fell apart at the farm because it didn't work out according to MY plan. Once I finished stomping my little foot and pouting, I sat down. I shut up. And I listened. What I have heard is my own heart beating. Once I stilled my mind, I realized God was speaking loud and clear. \"Hush now. Sit here with Me and let's just be still awhile…you and Me, ok?\"
\n\n\nOk.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-02-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/02/24/wintervention.html", "tags": ["Faith","God","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/02/16/patience.html", "title": "Patience", "content_html": "\nCome to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
\nMatthew 11:28-30 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b4645e25f2.jpg\")
Joyce Meyer wrote \"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.\" Oh, dear! If that is true, I am behaving badly. I have very little patience. It must be a Gemini thing because a friend of mine is the same way. I am an instant gratification girl. I want winter to be over…now, thank you very kindly. My polite artist friend Linda said this yesterday. \"Your house is on wheels. If you don't like the snow and cold, go somewhere else!\" She's right, of course. But…I've been waiting for weeks for my topper to come in for my truck. (It came once and they made it wrong so they had to order another one.) The topper is in and I'm scheduled to have it installed today at 2:00. However, we are under a winter storm warning. And I'm not taking this big gal out on the road if there is ANY chance of snow. So I'm kinda stuck. Really, it's not so bad. I have lots of friends to hang out with. I have reading material out the wazoo. I have plenty of propane, electric, food, and water. I even have a yoga DVD. Maybe that'll calm me down. Ommmmmmm…
\n\n\nI have a sister/friend. You may have one. She's the one who's been with me the longest. She may not be my biological sister, but she's still my sister, you know? We don't talk as much as we should. We haven't visited each other in eleven years. It's been too long. I've been so wrapped up in my stuff, I haven't been there for her like I should have been. She's good. If she hears my \"Chamber of Commerce\" voice, she cuts me off and makes me tell her what's really going on. She's right, you know. There's a lot of times I put on the strong face, square my shoulders, and say \"I'm fine\" and while it's not a lie, maybe it's not quite the whole truth either. The truth is, I'm fine, and this sucks. I'm strong, and this is such a struggle. I'm competent, and I get afraid. I'm not \"over it\". I'll never be \"over it\". But I'm replenishing myself. I'm filling my bucket. I'm rebuilding my foundation…one tiny little brick at a time. And I'M doing it. No one else can do it for me. It's hard work, it's exhausting, but I'm getting it done. And…here's the bad part. Because she was asking about me, I prattled on and on about me. I've been so focused on me, I've become egocentric. She lost one of her beloved fur babies this week. And I didn't even ask about him. She's had health issues and I didn't ask her about them. I love this girl as my own flesh and blood and I failed to be the support she needed from me. And I feel small for that. I promise…I'll be a better sister.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-02-16T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/02/16/patience.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","West Virginia","Presence","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/02/10/rest.html", "title": "Rest", "content_html": "\n\"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.\"
\nPhilippians 4:11 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/20c6ed3111.jpg\")
I mailed fifteen packages of photographs yesterday! I can't tell you what an awesome feeling that is. I decided to celebrate by starting my little renovation project in my camper. I bought a twin sized mattress and box springs. I put them in the space where the dinette sits. I did the same thing in my first camper and loved it. I don't know what I was thinking though. The box springs makes the bed way too high so out they come today. I unhooked the propane tanks today, took them to be filled, and hooked them back up again. I bought sheets for the new bed. I was fortunate to find a twin sized electric blanket and got that as well. I picked up some groceries and headed back to TOW-Wanda. As a reward for getting the scanning done, I slept in my tiny home last night! Today I'm just being still. Life is so sweet.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-02-10T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/02/10/rest.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Comfort","Presence","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/08/05/fried-green-tomatoes.html", "title": "Fried Green Tomatoes!", "content_html": "\"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.\"
\nProverbs 3:24 NIV\n
![\"fried](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4857c257aa.jpg\")
“Fried Green Tomatoes and a BLT! Yummmmm”
Fried green tomatoes and a BLT. Does the triple bypass COME with that or is it extra?
\n", "date_published": "2014-08-05T01:30:10-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/08/05/fried-green-tomatoes.html", "tags": ["Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/08/04/back-in-denver.html", "title": "Back in Denver", "content_html": "![\"life](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d2694a3725.jpg\")
“You know all those things you want to do with you life? You should do them.”
Hit the ground running! No sale…yet, but it’s coming…I can feel it!
\nMan, it’s hot here!
\n", "date_published": "2014-08-04T01:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/08/04/back-in-denver.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/08/04/a-simple-life.html", "title": "A Simple Life", "content_html": "![\"simple](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/185015e90b.jpg\")
“A Simple Life”
I’m back! Here it is, August 4th already…can you believe it? Those three weeks literally flew by. I’ve missed you all even though I did peek in from time to time. And I am rested, refreshed and rearing to go!
\nI’m still snuggled up in bed, preparing my mind for the onslaught of civilization. I’m listening to the morning call of a whip-poor-will knowing full well in a few hours I’ll be hustling through busy international airports. I’m not looking forward to it…and I LOVE to fly. I want to pour a cup of coffee and go out on the front porch, the familiar stretchy squeak of the screen door spring the only sound louder than the morning birdsong. I want to see old Mama Kitty curled up in the corner, one eye opened slightly in protest over the crude interruption of her peaceful slumber. I want to listen to whip-poor-wills every day for the rest of my life.
\nI need to head to Colorado. I need to settle some business. I need to snuggle my babies and spoil them a little bit. I need to do the really big purge and get rid of the things in life that weigh me down. I am so grateful to my son-in-law’s mom for sitting me down and telling me to look at what I want my life to look like and make it that. I will miss my kids and grandkids and my Colorado family like crazy, and I will travel to see them as often as I can. But I also know I need to live where my heart sings…where I can stretch out and be free…where I can own a piece of God’s country. It’s time to go home.
\nMoney will only stretch so far. When you have x-amount of dollars to spend on housing and you have a choice of a repossessed HUD home in a dicey neighborhood or a hundred acre farm, tell me…where would you go? What are you willing to let go of in order to set your heart free and give it wings? How far are you willing to fly?
\n", "date_published": "2014-08-04T01:30:07-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/08/04/a-simple-life.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Presence","Downsizing","Choices","The Cats"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/06/25/magic.html", "title": "Magic!", "content_html": "![\"woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c4fc963b1c.jpg\")
“Magic!”
Something magical is happening. Since I put the house on the market, I haven’t slept in it. The most I’ve “cooked” was making a bowl of cereal the other day. I use the shower and immediately clean the bathroom to showing perfection. It took a great deal of effort and a fair amount of money to get this place in tip-top shape and I’ll be darned if I’m going to mess it up when I have a perfectly good house on wheels to stay in.
\nHere’s where the magic comes in. I’m losing my attachment to my “stuff”. You know, those things I carefully boxed up because I just HAD to have them? Oh, there are certainly things I would never, ever part with, but by golly…I’m sitting here thinking about those boxes in storage and running an inventory in my head and I can’t think of more than a dozen things that are in there! And if I don’t even KNOW what I have, why on earth do I need it? This is a beautiful revelation.
\nMy son-in-law’s mom is the dearest person and we are just as much family as if we were blood relatives. I was sitting at her kitchen table having coffee last week. She said, “You know, Ginny…the first thing you need to do is picture exactly what you want your life to look like, then go out and find what fits that picture.” Brilliant! I’ve always accepted whatever house was available and fit my life into it. This time I have an opportunity to totally create the kind of LIFE I want then I can pick and choose what fits into it, be it home, work, travel…whatever. This is a whole new concept to my creative brain and it’s running on overtime with imagination.
\nIn order to begin this new creation, I have to come up with a list of priorities. Now that I have the house under control, I can spend the days I’m not working divided into three parts. The first part of the day is when I’m most rested and it’s cooler, so I’ll spend that doing any cleaning/gardening/purging/hauling that needs to be done. The second part of the day is when it’s hot and uncomfortable, so I will spend that portion doing sedentary activities like sorting through boxes of papers and pictures, working online taking a downsizing class, and writing my blog posts and book. The third part of the day is when it has cooled off and I am the most relaxed and creative. I can use those hours to read, research, and define my new lifestyle.
\nI’ve come a long way on this grief journey. This time last year…well, I really don’t remember much at all about last year, which is probably a good thing. I still miss Mr. Virgo. It still hurts. But I’ve grown a lot this year and I know he would be pleased with my progress. I refuse to sit and let grass grow under my feet. This is good stuff here!
\n", "date_published": "2014-06-25T01:30:53-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/06/25/magic.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Growth","Gratitude","Wisdom","Courage","Presence","Downsizing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/06/02/memories.html", "title": "Memories", "content_html": "![\"beautiful](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bf6771d5c2.jpg\")
“Daughter #2 Playing Dress-up”"
I am “off the grid” for a few days of R&R with some girlfriends. No water, no electric, no cell service for 30 miles. Bliss!
\nToday’s post is about walking down memory lane. One of the chores I’m having to do with downsizing is going through boxes of pictures. I’m dividing them into separate boxes…one for each of the girls, one for each of their dads, and one for my brother. I’m keeping those I am particularly attached to and throwing away those scenic photos of leaves and caterpillars that I thought were ever so artsy back in the ’80s. Those photos that mom took with the tops of our heads cut off? Gone. Those pics my grandma took from 30 feet away at the family gatherings and unless you were there you couldn’t tell who any of the people are? History. Those snapshots taken of me when I was going through a particularly sad, dark time in my life? Who needs to be reminded how awful that was? Then I come across a portrait like this one. My baby girl. My last baby. The one who didn’t have to wear hand me downs…that I could play dress-up with and take to high tea. The one I indulged because I could, whether it was good for her in the long run or not. Look at that smile. She marched to her own drum from the day she was born. My lastling. She’s 24 now. A senior in college. She just started a new job. She’s a woman now….but in my heart, she will forever be the little girl in this picture. Love you, Moon Pie!
\n", "date_published": "2014-06-02T01:30:43-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/06/02/memories.html", "tags": ["Family","Love","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/03/08/the-pile-of-rocks.html", "title": "The Pile of Rocks", "content_html": "![\"pile](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2d8e998dd5.jpg\")
“The Pile of Rocks”
My younger daughter wears her heart on her sleeve, just like I did when I was growing up. She’s the fixer, the tenderhearted one who wants everyone to be happy. It took me many, many years to finally gain the insight I needed to help her. She thinks in analogies like I do so this is how I taught her to take care of herself in her relationships.
\nGod gives everyone a pile of rocks. There are big rocks for the big things in life like families, jobs, houses, health. There are medium sized rocks for the average things in life like friends and laundry and soccer practice. Then there are small rocks for the mundane trivia of life like grumpy store clerks or the guy that cut you off on the freeway. God gives us extra rocks sometimes for those unexpected crises like a death in the family or the unexpected loss of a job. But, HE never gives us more than we can carry. The problem comes when WE pick up rocks that are not ours.
\nPicture, if you will, sitting in a great big circle with everyone you come into contact with. We’re all sitting here with our pile of rocks in front of us. Just the right amount of rocks. Just the amount that you are capable of carrying because you need to take them back home at the end of the day. Suddenly, the woman sitting across from you says something hurtful to you. If you internalize and take that personally, she has just thrown you one of her rocks and you dutifully stacked it on your pile. Now, a few folks down is your best friend. She’s having a major issue in her life and wants someone, anyone, to carry this burden for her. So you reach over and gladly take one of her rocks because that’s what friends are supposed to do, right? You sit here all day long, every day, in your circle getting rocks thrown at you and picking up others until you can’t even SEE over your pile, let alone pick it up and carry it back home!
\nIt’s one thing to get up, walk over to your friend and help her carry a particularly heavy rock for awhile. It’s quite another to try to carry everyone else’s rocks plus your own. Let others carry their own rocks. Stop trying to own the world’s problems cause honey, you really can’t live long enough to take care of everyone else. That’s THEIR pile of rocks!
\n", "date_published": "2014-03-08T02:30:09-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/03/08/the-pile-of-rocks.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Growth","New Ideas","Wisdom","Courage","Presence"] } ] }