The Poky Little Turtle
I love living in the country! You never know what you’ll see from day to day…a flock of turkeys, a vole frantically outrunning the mower, or a poky little turtle taking her sweet time basking in the sun. She’ll be buried in the mud before long to wait out winter.
I slept in the camper Monday night and it got down to 52°! Wowza…I had to turn on the electric blanket! It’s faux fall. It’ll get hot again but I do love those breaks in the heat. I’m going camping next week and visit with my bestie, Gail. It’s going to rain every day but it’ll make for good sleeping weather!
I drove to town yesterday in the new truck. As you know, I name our campers and trucks. This camper is Grace so I think I’ll name the truck Frankie. Frankie the Ford. Frankie and Grace. I love it!
It’s funny…we were driving home yesterday and realized neither one of us had looked under the hood before we bought it. When we got home, we checked it all out. We also realized, it doesn’t have backup sensors. It does have a great backup camera so I can watch where I’m going. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have electric trailer brakes. It does have a tow package and it even has backup assist, but not backup sensors. We’re taking it to the hitch guy today to put electric trailer brakes on.
We really need to mow before the next wave of rain comes! The kids are coming out soon to brush hog the fields for winter.
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10 NIV
#camping #tow #vehicle #towvehicle #camper
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Good Night, Little Moon
We’ve had a hard year, but things are turning around! I haven’t shared a lot about this, but we finally sold the rental house. Honestly, my poor husband lost money on this one due to a set of circumstances we needn’t get into. But, it’s not in our possession AND it was a gift from God. Both of our vehicles bombed on the same day two weeks ago. Out of the kindness of a friend, we were able to borrow a truck till we could get Mr. FixIt recuperated from his surgery and strong enough to work on the old trucks.
My poor Freeda the Ford has been towed to the shop at least four times in the last two years. She’s just become too unreliable to pull our little camper long distance. We want to camp as long as we are able and we are NOT ready to quit yet. Mr. Virgo’s truck is older than mine and has a gazillion miles on it. So, we decided to see if we could find a reliable truck that wouldn’t break the bank or put us in debt.
Voila! My savvy husband put feelers out and one of his bowling buddies happens to be a GOOD used car salesman. He found one for us and it fit the bill perfectly. At first, we weren’t quite sure because it had a “vibration” at 62-66mph. My guess was it had something to do with those big, aggressive tires they had on it. So, they switched the tires out to something smoother and…no more vibration! So, when we got back to town yesterday, we test drove it one more time and it was perfect. We bought it with some of our windfall from the rental house and praised God all the way home!
God not only answered our prayers for a reliable vehicle, He answered another fervent prayer we both had. There was a terrible storm while we were gone over the weekend with flooding all around. Sometimes we get a little water in the basement and we were afraid we’d come back to that. Prayers answered and praises given…the worst of the storm went around us and our basement was dry as a bone! Thank you, Jesus!
We were up at 5:00 yesterday morning so we hit the hay early last night. My uncle was thrilled with the pictures I brought to him, we have a reliable truck, and a dry basement! Now I can focus on getting the house straightened up.
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 NIV
#fordf150 #astorgautoparkersburg #blessings #praises
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All Good Things…
Wow…what a great weekend! We went over to see our cousins and sat on their beautiful front porch. They live on the side of a mountain and the view down below is beautiful. We sat on the front porch…spread out on the swing or the old wood rocking chairs that my cousin has refurbished with new webbing. It rained off and on all day with the sun making an appearance from time to time. I love their place. It’s so peaceful and you always feel welcome…no matter who you are. The coffee pot is hot all the time and you just might be offered a little sweet to go with it. Three hours on that porch in my cousin’s company and I feel as though I’ve been on a week’s vacation.
When we finally had to tear ourselves away, we went up to see my uncle again before we head home today. On our way to the truck, he filled three bags with those amazing tomatoes for us to take home. He even gave me some green tomatoes to fry for Mr. FixIt.
What an incredible privilege it is to spend time with him. He’s the last of my mother’s siblings and when he’s gone, that literally is the end of an era. There were no male children to carry the family name so it ends when he steps into Heaven. I truly hope he’s around for some time to come.
While we were visiting, I took the opportunity photograph more of the pictures in his scrapbook. There was one picture in particular I needed a clear copy of. It is the oldest picture I’ve ever seen of my PopPop taken as a young man working at a war plant in Cleveland. I had never seen it before and it’s a treasure.
We head home today through the mountains. Oh, it surely looks like fall in these hills and it’s been the best weekend we could have asked for.
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.””
Genesis 18:19 NIV
#family #gathering #familygathering #comfortable #homeawayfromhome #homestead
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Sunday Evening Prayer Circle
Please pray for:
My family as they travel home from a wonderful family gathering for my beloved Uncle Bud.
Everyone in the path of severe weather.
The people of Nepal who suffered the tragic flash flood.
The people of Ukraine as they prepare to enter a bitter winter.
Pray for all the helpers who run to these tragedies and help wherever they can.
Also, please pray for:
Debbie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
P.B.S. for her recent eye surgery and glaucoma.
GB’s continued recovery from her elbow injury.
DM and BM for his broken ankle and her broken leg.
BB’s cancer treatments to be effective.
SL’s loss of her sister-in-law.
Pray these wicked storms slow down.
Pray for peace, wisdom, strength and courage for us all. You all are loved!
Please feel free to add your own prayers in the comments so we can pray for you, as well.
🙏
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 ESV
#prayer #prayers #prayer #circle #prayercircle
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What a Perfect Day!
Celebrating my uncle’s 90th birthday was so much fun. There must have been a hundred people there to wish him the very best. We took pictures all day because there’s no time like the present.
It was a long day but I wanted to share some photos with you before I turned in.
My uncle grows some of the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen in my life! He bought some fertilizer last year and asked his helper if he would put it on his tomatoes. Well, come to find out…he dumped that whole bag on them. It just fried his tomato plants. But this year is a different story. Those tomatoes went to town! I put a phone receiver beside them so you could get some idea how big they are. We’re going to get some of those tomatoes and save the seed for future plantings. Maybe we better dump a bunch of fertilizer in the garden first!
There are Angel Trumpets growing in front of the motel where we’re staying. My dad used to plant them behind our house. They stink like crazy but they’re pretty. They have a big spiked seed ball and when they dry, they pop open and the seed get thrown everywhere. I’m going to take some seed pods home and see if I can get them to grow at our place.
Yesterday was my brother’s 75th birthday so I got him on a video chat and I carried the phone all around so he and the family could see each other. That was the highlight of the day!
Well, I know this is short but we’re going to visit cousins again today. We haven’t all been in the same place since about 1995 or so.
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.”
Proverbs 20:29 NIV
#reunion #birthdaycelebration #90th #90thbirthday
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A Quick Story
I may have told you this one before but humor me if I have.
When my uncle received his pilot wings, Grandma and PopPop went with an entourage to attend the ceremony. Along with my aunt, my great grandfather and his love interest…they all enjoyed a cross country automobile excursion. That was the first time they had been west of the Mississippi. It was a big deal!
The first night, they stopped at a motel to get some sleep. As they were checking in, my great grandpa asked for one room. My grandma hoisted herself up and glared at him.
“You are NOT going to share a hotel room unless you’re married!”
Well, the story goes that Grandpa took Pearl down to the Justice of the Peace and married her! My grandma was satisfied and the trip went off WITH a hitch! Hence the only great-grandma I ever knew came into my world. I adored her!
Well, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Today is my brother’s birthday so there is much to celebrate!
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.””
Mark 10:9 NIV
(The picture was taken after the “wedding.”)
#family #stories #FamilyStories #grandmapearl #greatgrandmother
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Mr. Virgo’s Birthday and Raisin Filled Cookies
Mr. Virgo’s birthday was yesterday. We talked about him a lot. As I searched for more pictures to take to my uncle, I kept finding more of Mr. V. This is one of my favorites. We were in Rocky Mountain National Park on a gorgeous day and pulled over to check out the view. We took a photo of each other and his smile reflects how relaxed and happy he was. My life is so vastly different since he’s been gone. I keep his memory safely tucked in my heart. Happy Birthday, Mr. Virgo!
Mr. FixIt went out to work on my truck yesterday. He had the starter on but he connected the wires backwards. He switched the wires but then he couldn’t fit his fingers in the small space to put the nuts on.
He came in and asked if I could take a shot at it. I won’t say it was an easy job, but I finally got the bolts tightened and Freeda started right up! Just in time for our trip. We still don’t have the “new” truck. They put different tires on it yesterday or this morning. We’ll run in for another test drive to see if that fixed the vibration before we buy it and head to the mountains.
I’ve been thinking of what I could give my uncle for his birthday. Looking through these old photos made me lonesome for my Grandma and she used to make raisin-filled cookies every time Uncle Bud came home for a visit. I remembered my aunt gave me Grandma’s notebook with all her recipes hand written in her shaky cursive. I made a batch last night to take with me. We each savored one and it took me straight back to my childhood.
When we get this trip done, we can finally slow down enough to take a breath and I can turn my attention back to the house.
We’ve been getting a lot of rain this week so it’s much cooler!
See you soon…
Ginny
#roadtrip #family #raisinfilledcookies #raisinfilledcookiesrecipe
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The Roaring Twenties
I’ve been having a wonderful time looking through these old photos. There was one that had family and friends in it. At each end were brother and sister…longtime family friends with a convoluted connection to me. Their parents had been my Grandma and PopPop’s dear friends. And, as it turns out…their dad was my first husband’s uncle. That means, my oldest is blood relative to the longtime family friends. You can’t make this up! Anyway, I saw the photo and sent a picture of it to Judy…Hubby #1’s cousin and she wrote back that they had lost her brother Tuesday and she was so happy to get this photo with him in it….back when he felt better and could get around. That right there was totally a God thing.
The picture that I’m showing you today is SO cool. Taken 100 years ago. Look at those flappers! The hats are awesome. There’s particular meaning in this photo for me. The woman in the back holding the baby is my grandma and the baby is my mom! What a precious photo to have.
I still haven’t found exactly what I was looking for. I’ve searched through boxes but that storeroom is so full…it would take me a year to go through it. Which is exactly how long it’s been that I should have been working on it. Water under the bridge. I’ll have to continue searching when we get back home.
We have a lot to do today so we’ll be busy, busy, busy! I’ll try to post but I’m going to be visiting with my cousins. It may just be photo dumps from time to time!
Till then, dear ones…
Ginny
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 NIV
#family #photos #familyphotos #memories #roadtrip
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A Cool Dude
I’m up to my elbows looking for photos to take to my uncle’s house this weekend. The fact that I should have started this job a year ago has become a moot point. Now it’s crunch time!
I’ve been finding so many treasures that tug at my heartstrings. I came across this picture of my Uncle Sonny. He’s the one who was the Air Force pilot that crashed in Germany. We don’t have any photos of him past the age of twenty-five, yet I know in my heart…he was a cool dude.
I have hunky pictures of him with his slicked back hair, rolled up jeans, and black leather jacket with the collar popped. I mean, seriously…he played guitar and harmonica and flew a fighter jet. How much cooler can you get?
I see these and they make me smile every time. I’ve seen one or another of these pics my entire life, but I found the treasure trove yesterday. They were all tucked into a scrapbook. I’m making copies and having these three put into a frame.
I still have so many more boxes to go through.
Mr. FixIt worked on the starter on my truck till it got too hot yesterday. Then we went to town. We’ve been talking about getting a newer, more reliable truck. There’s one we have an eye on so we went to test drive it. I don’t want to jinx anything so I won’t say more. But if you will, please say a little prayer that it works out. I know that’s a little silly to ask because God’s already got it under control.
“🎶If it’s meant to be, it’ll be…it’ll be. Baby, just let it be! 🎶”
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:7-11 NIV
#pickup #pickuptruck #ReliableRide
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Starter Success
Well sort of. On the one hand, we did find out the starter in the truck was definitely bad. We bought a refurbished one at the auto parts store and Mr. FixIt has it almost installed. He’s had a lot of trouble getting the bolts connected but he’s getting closer! I went out to help him and for a man who has trouble in tight spaces, he sure did well under that truck.
And speaking of starters, you remember I told you I was going to give up on making sourdough bread? Well, you know as well as I do, that ain’t gonna happen. What’s a gal to do? Watch more YouTube videos, of course!
I stumbled upon this Alaska homesteader and she made her starter from scratch just like I did. So I paid attention to how she made her sourdough bread. I’ve easily watched at least a hundred tutorials and have three or four cookbooks dedicated solely to sourdough baking. They always had my head spinning with all the strict measuring and timing and a million steps you HAVE to do. Ha! Not this gal.
She starts out saying we’re just making sourdough way too hard. She made a good point…do you think our great-great-great grandmothers or gold miners or fur trappers weighed and measured every gram of flour and water and salt? Heck no! They pulled a leather pouch out of their pocket for salt. They had a bag of flour and got their water from a creek and eventually from a well. It’s not rocket science.
I totally forgot about the leaven. That’s different than the starter. If you watch this video, she shows you how to make one.
youtu.be/coxanY_Mm…
The thing that floored me was how easy it was to make the actual loaf. Instead of all that tedious measuring and timing, you use a cup of the leaven, two cups of filtered water, a tablespoon of non-iodized salt, and four cups of all purpose flour. (I haven’t mastered sourdough from fresh-milled flour yet.)
Yes, you have to do a few things with the dough as it’s raising. The secret is, sourdough is a lot more forgiving than I thought it was. I was so excited to see a pretty darn good loaf come out of that Dutch oven! Of course, that was after 1:00 this morning, but hey…we’ll have fresh sourdough bread for breakfast! I can’t wait to taste it!
I’m thanking God for these cool nights! Great sleeping weather.
Till tomorrow, dear ones…
Ginny
“then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.”
Deuteronomy 11:14 NIV
#breadmaking #sourdough #sourdoughbread #sourdoughbaking #sourdoughstarter #sourdoughleaven
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