We've arrived!

The crew (Joe, Mom, the dogs and the cats) and I landed in NC Tuesday evening. This, of course, is my first opportunity to get on a computer. Ours are not hooked up yet, but I dashed down those stairs out front and am in my office. So convenient...

Whew! What a week it's been. I've been packing for practically 6 months, but when it came down to the very end... I didn't feel prepared. There's just so much last minute stuff to do! At 11:00 pm of the evening that we were supposed to go to bed early because we were leaving at 3:00 am, I began feeling very overwhelmed!!

Lost in a swirl of chaos, I neglected to charge my camera battery before we got on the road. Therefore, I have no pics to share. What a bummer. Mom took a bunch, though, so when she sends them to me, I'll share hers.

Joe drove the truck, of course, towing his car behind it; and Dexie road shotgun with him. Though Joe had him completely setup with three comfy dog beds for his travelling comfort, he barely slept the whole way! He was a good boy, though.

I drove our car towing a trailor with our John Deer on it, and had the three girls with me (Zeila, Emma and Sara). I've never seen those girls sleep so much! They were a dream to travel with! I kept catching the lawn mower in my peripheral vision, though, through the rear view mirror and never got over the feeling that some little green car was getting awfully close! It was a weird sensation.

Mom had the three boys, BooBoo, Riley and Blaze, with her. She said they were perfect... so well behaved. No trouble at all... except BooBoo's little (major, actually) diarrhea episode. Poor guy, we were just about to cross the Florida border when the castrophe occured. Nervous tummy? Car sickness? We're not sure, but it was explosive! Other than that, though, all was well.

We spent all day Wednesday unloading the truck, trying to somewhat organize furniture and getting the kitchen functional. We managed to do a little sightseeing with mom on Thursday since she intended to, and did in fact, leave this morning to spend a few days in Crystal River before heading back home.

After saying goodbye to mom, Joe and I took a little more time to explore the area this afternoon. We wished we had mom with us today, too; we saw such beautiful sights! We headed west on Hwy 64 toward Cleveland (and actually did get all the way to Cleveland, TN). The gorgeous part was driving along the Ocoee River through the Cherokee National Forest. Mmmm, so pretty!

Of course, I have pictures to share. But, I need my computer to upload them. This computer won't let me do it since my software isn't loaded. Darn.

I'll just have to hurry with getting my computer set up and share them later!

That's all for now. I need to catch up on my Names of God bible study (haven't looked at it all week!), since I'm late in getting this week's chapter posted.

Till then...

Elohim - God, Mighty Creator

Well, here we go. The first installment on our bible study, Praying the Names of God. This chapter was easy for me to embrace. I fully recognize God as our Creator, and I delight in the fact that this name He uses to refer to Himself is a plural version, "Then God [Elohim] said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" (Genesis 1:26) I like that name because it gives validity to the doctrine of the Trinity. But that's a different subject.

Today, it's about creation... God's beautiful creation; sometimes it simply causes a gentle smile to warm my face, like when the little yellow-breasted birds and brightly colored butterflies flutter and flit about my patio. At other times I've been moved to tears by the sight of a majestic mountain range in autumn, and there have been times I heard the voice of God in my spirit when presented with a glimpse of one of His artistic sunsets. I can stand forever at shore's edge, and the sense of awe I feel never diminishes.


The smell of a flower, the warmth of the sun, the sound and the smell of the rain, the beauty in the changing seasons, the taste of my favorite foods, the wiggly wag of my dogs' tails, the rumble in my cat's chest when she purrs, the sound of my daughter's laughter, and the warmth of my husband's smile; these are but a few of the things I treasure as a gift from God, my Creator.

Enjoy this rendition of Louis Armstong's, Wonderful World, sung by Eva Cassidy. She's one of my favorite female vocalists (truthfully, there isn't an artist, male or female, whose CDs I own more of). God gave her a marvelous talent.

(Don't forget to turn off the blog music... right column. And make sure you click the little speaker on this photoshow if the music is not playing...there'll be a little red line through it.)

(Well, the way this music is loading with the Roxio photoshow is disappointing me. Depending on your computer, it may be fine; or it may take a long time to load, making the timing off; or, it may just not play for you - in which case you can hear it here. PS - all of these photos are ones that I have taken over the years, except the one of Joe, which Kristiina took, and the one of Nic and Kristiina, which the hired professional took.)

There's much angst in the world today, but if you strip away the jealousies, the power struggles, the selfishness, the carelessness, you'll find that what God created is good, very good. It's a wonderful world.

Thank you, God, for thinking enough of us to give us not just what we need, but also delighting in giving us joy in experiencing it. May I never take it for granted.

Three Years Ago Today...

...we were enjoying a wedding celebration!

Happy Anniversay, Nic and Kristiina!!


Enjoy the memories...

(You'll want to pause the blog music when you view the video.)

"Who gives this woman?"





Exchanging vows.




We gained a son that day.

Daddy's little girl (dancing to Always Be Your Baby by Natalie Grant)

Mother and daughter... what a treasure she is.

See More from the day...

Prayerlife

I'm doing a new bible study with my "Heart-to-Heart" girls titled 'Praying the Names of God' by Ann Spangler.


Today is the first day. The focus this week is Elohim... God, our Creator.

It'll be difficult to "do it with them" since I'll be 800 miles away, but when I had my last evening with them this past Thursday, picking up my new book to take with me to NC and sharing final, hearty hugs, we decided that I'd blog my thoughts about each chapter weekly, and they'll share theirs in the comments. I'm looking forward to seeing how that will play out.

In the meantime, I found another jewel in mom's photo albums... "One of the messages from Akseli Skutnabb's book 'Hanessa' (In Him)"

It's aptly titled 'Prayerlife.'

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the
churches by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
Ephesians 3: 20-21

It is very comforting to know that God does much beyond that which we can
pray for or what we can think to ask for. If He would give us only what we
request, we would remain very poor. He does much more. He does not
need our requests and petitions. We need them in order to stay
alive. Many people ask why we need to pray at all since God would give us
anyway what we need. Yes, He would do that. But if we would receive
everything without asking for it, we would become very careless just like
children who receive everything in overabundance. In order that this will
not happen to us, God has given us the prayerlife. We have observed that
our enemy, Satan, is working hard to try to hinder our prayerlife.

Prayerlife does not basically consist of a multitude of petitions to
God. Prayer is much more a matter of stillness before God, waiting on
God. We human beings need moments when we quietly concentrate on listening
to what God wants to tell us. The oriental religions put much emphasis on
meditation, on the art of quiet reflection. The western world has received
that as something new. In a way it might be new for many Christians
because they are beginners in the word of God. But we need not go to the
orient to learn this art. If we would but understand our position in
Christ, the Holy Spirit of God would teach us to meditate on God's Word.

It is amazing what happens when we are still before God. We might not
be consciously aware of receiving anything at the time but we become richer and
we have received strength for everyday life, for life's temptations and
difficulties. We sink into a wonderful God-consciousness. We let God
control us. Without this, life would be very poor. Even though we
believe that Christ lives in us we would direct our attention only
outward. Christ would become a stranger to us if we would not practice
stillness before Him to hear what He wants to communicate to us.

The quakers have learned to practice stillness before God. It is a
healthy contrast to the world that makes too much noise speaking. there
are so few people who can be quiet. When they then should speak out, then
they stay silent. Jesus kept silent at the most important moments of His
life.

The early Christians called themselves "theoforus," the "carriers" of
God. How could we carry eternity in our heart without expressing it?
The Holy Spirit of God in us will manifest Himself through us.

"In order that Christ might dwell in our hearts 'by faith,'" we read in the
bible. Why does it say "by faith?" The answer is that we don't
always feel it. It is not a matter of feeling or emotion. When we
understand the meaning of the cross of Christ, then can we comprehend the truth
that Christ is in us and we are in Him. This is a matter of faith just as
the fact that every bornagain person has the Holy Spirit.

That's all we have from 'In Him.' The foreword, which I blogged about previously, and this portion regarding prayerlife. How I wish I could get my hands on this book. Not only this one, but Helmi's novel, as well. What treasures they would be. Granted, I wouldn't be able to understand them... but I'd have them translated. It'd be so worth it.

My search begins... (any idea where to start?!). Maybe it'll prove to be futile, but you never know till you try!

A little of this..

... a little of that.

Mom and I just watched a real sweet movie: Dear Frankie. ...makes you sigh. The story line was good, but the musical score, composed by Alex Heffes, was great. Here's a sample:

(Don't forget to go pause the blog music. ...in the right column.)




We had to go straight to Amazon.com to order the CD. Of course, you only get free shipping when you order more than $25.00. We needed to find one more... and decided on Chris Botti. Whoa, is he good!!




- - - - - -

Well, that's all good... but check out something I read recently... Oh, this is a sad story; and the reason my chickens won't be free-rangers.

Joe and I have decided we want to raise chickens. We looove eggs. All forms of eggs. And we're looking forward to having our very own "farm-fresh" eggs. But for their own good, our chickens will be constrained to the coop and their run. We'll make it large enough that they don't feel "cooped up." (Ha... no pun intended).

Nah, we can't have free-rangers, especially after reading Bumblebee's blog... not in those hills where bear have been said to roam freely through back yards, knocking down fences and wrecking all kinds of havoc. Oh geez... I can't even think of it. The employees at the feed store where much of our fence materials were purchased said, "Be careful... check the fence before you let 'dem dawgs oouut. The bears will just walk right through it if'n they want on your property." Mercy.

These chickens, however, fell prey to fowl, not bear. Mmmm.

Bumblebee chickens attacked…news of an injury and a loss

- - - - - -

Enough of that. I promised a blog post about Blaze's Big Day at Grandma's House. Well, sorry, but I'm not ready. I still have to tweak the pics.

Here's just one, though, to whet your palette.


His Big Day at Grandma's House... included Giggle Bear!

Do you see why I love him?

- - - - - -

Good night... sleep tight.

A Family Heritage - Part 2

Today's installment is about Helmi Svedberg Skutnabb.


Helmi Svedberg Skutnabb, March 18, 1880 - January 28, 1953

But first, this photograph has me wondering at what point in history the first photographer said, "Smile!" before snapping the picture. They're all so serious.

Take a closer look at great grandma, Helmi, though...


I think she's trying to contain a grin... !

Well, anyway, while I was perusing the photo albums yesterday, I came across so many interesting documents.

What follows is a section of a newspaper article about Helmi Skutnabb, which my grandmother, Eva, translated into English. It was published to commemorate my great grandmother's 70th birthday...

Helmi Skutnabb - 70 Years

Helmit Svedberg Skutnabb was born in Tikkurila on March 18, 1880. By reading anti-christian literature in her youth, she was taken in by that spirit. However, while attending teachers' training school in Tammisaari, Helmi Svedberg, at the age of 20, heard the gospel message which changed her life. With great joy, she shared her faith in Jesus with others. She desired to enter into deeper knowledge of God. She prayed with the words of the psalmist for God to open her eyes and widen her understanding of the riches in Christ.

--- Regrettably, here the message of the article is interrupted, as the newspaper clipping was torn. It continues. ---

Helmi Svedberg was tutoring in private homes in Tikkurila when a preacher by the name of Akseli Skutnabb came to the area. Through his ministry, she obtained answers to many spiritual questions and, more than that, soon the relationship developed to personal friendship, and in 1905, to marriage. Akseli Skutnabb's residence was in Tampere, which then became the home town to both of them.

The following years were spent, for the most part, in raising the family. But time
was left for other interests, as well. A tangible proof of that is her religious novel published in 1921 in her mother-tongue of Swedish, by the name "Mot Vida Vyer" and also in Finnish, by the name "Valjille Vesille" (To Wide Horizons, in English).

After her husband's death in 1929, Helmi Skutnabb was active in public witnessing in Tampere and other areas, until she and her children, in 1931, moved to a recently established Finnish colony in Dominican Republic on the island of Haiti. Life there, however, did not meet with the expectations and the family returned home the following year. Two of the children have since gone back to Dominican
Republic.*

Today, our sister, Helmi, lives with her daughter, Zeila, in Tampere.

Friends far and near join each other with best wishes for God's blessing on our sister in Christ on her 70th birthday.

- published March , 1950

To think she was lured away from the truth in her early years by deceptive literature, but the Spirit of God pursued her until, at 20, the eyes of her heart were opened to the truth of the gospel. Such a testimony!

The two children that returned to Dominican Republic* were my grandfather, Erik (with his wife, Eva), and his sister, Birgit (standing on the right in the photo), plus six other adults. However, it wasn't their intention to return to the island. The nine of them, crossing the Atlantic in their 32-foot fishing vessel, were destined for America, when they shipwrecked...

But I'll save that for another blog post!

A Family Heritage

This is a photograph of the Skutnabb Family. The young man that looks to be in his teens is my maternal grandfather, Erik Anders Skutnabb.

"Zoinks..." you're thinking, "I thought Mel Staub was your maternal grandfather." Well, he was... he was the hugs-and-kisses, share-a-laugh, tell-me-a-story, sing-me-a-song, teach-me-a-life-lesson grandpa, whom I cherish. And he was my grandma's second husband. As a matter of fact, I was at their wedding (at three years old).


{{Awwww... }}

Erik A. Skutnabb is my biological grandfather who passed away when my mother was just 5 years old. I look forward to someday having the opportunity to meet him in heaven.

Today, though, I want to share something about his father... my great grandfather, Akseli Skutnabb.



Akseli Alfred Skutnabb, December 27, 1875 - November 23, 1929

I was going through old photo albums at mom's house because I promised my second cousin, Tapani (his grandma is Irma, the one standing on the left), that I would scan and forward photos of Erik for his family-tree project. That promise was way overdue in being fulfilled!

Anyway, in poring over those old albums I was struck by the amazing Christian heritage I possess. Included in the albums, among other things, was an "excerpt from the biographical forward of the book In Him by Akseli Skutnabb." It's as follows (and if you don't enjoy human-interest, biographical-type stories, this might be where you want to click off and come back another day):

"Akseli Skutnabb (originally Axel Alfred), one of the most gifted speakers of God's Word of his time in Finland, was born in Tikkurila on December 27, 1875. Axel Alfred was the youngest son of engineer Petter Anders, who was a strict and strong-willed man. Shortly after the birth of his youngest son, Axel, Petter Skutnabb and family moved to Hameenlinna. There, he organized the work, and was in charge of, building of bridges and canals over the entire country.

Akseli Skutnabb went to school in Hameenlinna Normaslilysee which was an all male, private school. He graduated in 1895, together with Eine Leine and Larin Kyosti (both famous writers of prose and poetry). All three graduated at the top of their class. In the fall of the same year, A. Skutnabb registered at the Helsinki University Theological Seminary with the intention of becoming an Evangelical Lutheran minister. This he did at his father's request.

From his early childhood, young Axel was influenced by his mother's godly example. During his early school years, Axel Skutnabb attended Free Church revival services which swept Finland during those years. As a young lad, he, together with some classmates, attended meetings held in the city by a Swedish evangelist F. Franson. Young Skutnabb was very impressed by, and receptive to, the message of this man who was on fire for God. Later, Axel Skutnabb traveled with Mr. Franson as an interpreter at the revival meetings all over Finland.

At fifteen years of age, Axel Skutnabb, for the first time, experienced the joy of salvation while studying the Bible. As a result, he, together with a classmate, started a Bible study to which they gave the name "Societas Juvenum Christianorum" (latin for "Society of Young Christians"). Several schoolmates belonged to this group. Their goal was to become ministers of the gospel. The fellows came together on Saturdays to read the Bible, pray, and give small sermons. In this small circle, A. Skutnabb gave his first sermon.

This immature excitement, however, faded away later and it was not until 1893 that Skutnabb experienced a genuine and lasting conversion in the Free Church circles. In the meetings of the Free Church, Skutnabb developed principles which disagreed with the teaching of the Lutheran State Church. This caused inner conflict in the young man; especially when his strong, highchurch, father wanted his talented son to become a Lutheran minister. One of the outstanding characteristics of Akseli Skutnabb, however, through all of his life, was his uncompromising desire for truth, and he was consistently willing to sacrifice all for what he knew to be the truth. This same love for truth would later on bring him to public confession when he found himself to be in error. The inner demand for truth hindered A. Skutnabb from becoming a Lutheran minister. He could not support all of the Lutheran doctrine. For this reason, he gave up his schooling. He returned to his father the money provided for his studies and joined the Free Church itinerary preachers in 1895.

However, here also, differences of opinion developed of which Skutnabb, in his memoirs, speaks as follows: 'There I found myself belonging to an extreme leftist wing, which supported a so-called sinlessness theory. This teaching caused dissension and separation among the Free Church leaders. Although torn by inner conflict, I still stayed with the Free Church for some time. But, when my personal conviction regarding "sinlessness issue" became intolerable, a difficult inner crisis arose, which led to my eyes being opened to understand God's free grace in Christ Jesus which was given to us in Him. This happened in year 1898. The leaders of the Free Church did not accept the teaching of salvation in Christ alone and as a free gift of God's grace. As other matters of disagreement arose I, with several others, was dismissed from the Free Church in 1901.'

As a result, a new spiritual movement was born in Finland; a so-called "Free Evangelical Mission." During the time of Bobricoff (a Russian official), the members were forced to use this name. From the very beginning, the principal purpose of this movement was the belonging to the Kingdom of God without separation from other believers. For this reason, after that first forced name, no official name has been accepted for this group of God's children.

Akseli Skutnab officiated, until his death, as the leader of this group. He became known as a gifted speaker and brave seeker of truth who until the end, dove deeper into the knowledge of God, not being satisfied with past experiences and blessings. It was typical of Akseli Skutnabb's seeking spirit that when people wanted him to write a creed of their beliefs, he refused. He explained that because we only know and understand in part, the knowledge of the truth must always expand. Thus, we cannot categorically say: 'this is what I believe.'

Akseli Skutnabb was a man of faith and prayer. He spent many hours a day in the Bible and prayer. Complaints due to lack of faith, he did not tolerate in his home or among the believers.

Akseli Skutnabb followed up, with constant interest, on spiritual writings and corresponded with many deeply spiritual Christians in various countries, regardless of their church affiliations. "

Wow... what a guy! How I would have loved to sit and chat with him for an afternoon (or many afternoons)! I'm proud and thankful to have a godly heritage that ascends for generations. Tomorrow, I'll tell you about his wife, my great grandmother, Helmi.

But before I go, here's another interesting tidbit about Akseli... In 1912, he was booked with passage to US on the Titanic! However, the plans were changed and he took another ship over the Atlantic. Here, he spent some time with religious leaders in Chicago, and he preached in the Moody Church there. He also met the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Dr. A.B. Simpson. His daughter, Zeila, says that the two men were "kindred spirits." They corresponded often and Akseli visited him here in the states.

Grandpa's Day

...the day of his memorial service, that is.

It was really such a lovely day. I learned much about the "younger Mel" that I didn't know previously, and it makes him all the more dear to me.

My Aunt Sheri spoke about what it was like to grow up in the shelter of his wing. It was really precious.

After singing one of grandpa's favorite hymns, my cousin, Erin, and I, together with four of his great grandchildren, got up to share some of grandpa's favorite scriptures and remembrances. The younger ones just shared a verse, while Erin and I elaborated a bit on some of our fond memories. We later said to each other, "I didn't know that...!" referring to what we had shared during the service.

One of the men from the Life Group (a bible study) that grandpa guided for eighteen years, also shared some of his favorite memories. Finally, grandpa's nephew, Doug Miller, whom I referred to in this post, delivered the eulogy and message. He did such a great job... we were all riveted to his sharing of their personal history and the kind of man he knew grandpa to be ... as his uncle, and as a fellow beliver in Christ.

Following the service, the family and Life Group members went to my cousins', Alana and Rob's, house for "food and fellowship!" The Life Group members prepared all the food... and what a spread they put on! We had a really nice afternoon.


Here are some photos from the day...



The church vestibule , displaying a beautiful flower arrangement and photograph of grandpa I took at his 90th birthday celebration, two years prior.





A closer look of the flowers and photo.






The table at the pulpit with flowers from the family.






My grandma, aunt and mom greeting grandpa's two sisters. They are such lovely ladies. The one seated looks just like grandpa!





This is grandpa's nephew, Doug Miller, and his wife, Edie, with grandma.





Ladies from the Life Group... prepared all the yummy food!




Men from the Life Group. George Bruce is seated to the left... he's the one that spoke at the service.




Four generations of Brown men. This is Uncle Ron; my cousin, Erik; his son, Ryon; and the newest addition to our family, Ryon's son, Braydon. Braydon, born in December, is the little guy that made grandpa a great, great grandfather!




My cousins, Alana and Erika, with Erika's daughter, Kristen.




My cousin, Heather, Mom, and a friend of mom's from long ago (youth group!) in Syracuse.





Mom, my cousin, Erin, Uncle Bill, and Aunt Sheri




Aunt Sheri, Alana, Aunt Mega, Mom and Me outside Alana's house. The afternoon is winding down.





This was actually taken the week prior to the service, the day after grandpa passed. Some of the family went to the mosoleum to see where grandpa was to be laid to rest.





The name plaque has actually been present for years. They'll just update it with the year of death.

It's hard to fathom that grandpa isn't with us any longer, but it's also delightful knowing he's in the presence of his Lord, Jesus.

Scripture Memory - 1st and 15th

I'm joining the girls at the LPM Blog and choosing a scripture on the 1st and 15th of each month to commit to memory. This is Memory Verse 5 and I'm getting a late start since this is my first for this year (better late than never, I suppose). Actually, this is my second one... I didn't post about the one I committed to memory two weeks ago, but it was another goody: Romans 12:2.

Anyway, this time I'm choosing to memorize Psalm 145: 8-13. I know, that's a whole passage, not just a verse. Well, like I said, I got a late start so I figured it wouldn't hurt to go big.

"8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. "

I didn't know what I wanted to commit to memory until I went to church today. The guest speaker this morning, a missionary from India, preached on verses 11 and 12. His message was insightful and riveting (something I was due to be reminded of), so those verses are key to me. I looked them up to get the gist of the whole chapter, and just felt like I wanted to grab that whole section of 8-13.

The key verses, however, are what speak to me about doing our part to make Him known; tell of His glory.. speak of His might... that all my know... So, how do we do our part? Do we have to learn another language, get our shots and move to some faraway land? While that actually sounds appealing to me, the answer is no. His sermon reiterated that the so-called "mission field" is not just in distant countries, it's right here; in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our families. There are people all around us hungry for the Truth. And in my opinion, it's not just preaching it... it's often (and probably more so) showing it; living it. After all, you know the saying; actions speak louder than words...

It reminds me of a story I heard at my grandfather's memorial service recently. I learned that my grandpa, as a young man in his twenties, was instrumental in his nephew, then 12, coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And because of grandpa's discernment and intuitiveness; his availability and obedience, that boy went on to become an ordained minister, a missionary in Africa, a church planter in France, and now is a senior pastor at a church in West Virginia. Grandpa did a seemingly small part... he was a source of encouragement to his nephew on a particular Sunday morning, but it's ripple effect has reached thousands and thousands of people over the past 6 decades, to the glory of God.

That ripple effect really impresses me. You just never know what future impact your act of kindness, personal testimony, or ounce of compassion will have. Of course, if we're going to make a difference, we have to start where we are (not wait till we're fluent in Swahili) and we have to do it with authenticity, in the power and grace of God. It's not about clinging to some ridiculous religion where man-made traditions and prayers replete with redundant words are tantamount to an actual relationship with the living God. It's being real and getting personal... that all may know."

Sara and Santa

A few weeks ago, Sara got to go on an adventure... a car ride to Grandma's house . She doesn't get out much - our backyard is her domain... her safe haven. So, a car ride to Grandma's house was a big deal.

There are two things that make our puppies shake and shiver. The first thing is their leash. We rarely use one (obviously, it's not needed in the backyard!!) and they don't care for it when it's necessary. The second thing is going out the front door. Seriously. Here's how they see it: back door = backyard; front door = scary unknown territory.

(By the way, our puppies will be two in June. I don't think I'll ever stop referring to them as "the puppies.")

Anyway, the leash went on and out the front door we went without too much drama. Although, she did quiver all the way there. Thankfully, the journey is under 3 miles.

When we got there, though, Woohoo!! a new back yard to explore....



Me: "Hi Sara. Whatcha doin?"





Me: "How about going to find a toy?"






Sara: "Okay! Found one!"







Sara: "Wanna see?"

Sara: "I'm coming... Look, it's Zoe's stuffed Santa."

Sara: "Watch this, Mom!"

Sara: "Gotcha!"

Sara: "Here I come!"

Sara: "Whoopeeee!"

This went on for a very, very long time........

Me: "Okay, Sara... time to go."

Screeech!

Sara: "What...? Why...? But... I can come back, right?"

Sara had a blast at Grandma's house! Next time we'll have to go when she's home... she and Zoe were traveling. We stopped by to water plants, take in the mail...

I think it pleased Sara a great deal to 1) have a new space to explore, 2) have a new (different) toy to play with, and especially 3) have us to herself for a couple of hours!

Stay tuned for Blaze's Big Day at Grandma's House!!

A Blackbird and My Dogs

This afternoon I was in my laundry room, merrily putting in a load of wash... when all of a sudden I heard a horrible raucous coming from the other room.

It was in the family room... it sounded like a fight was breaking out... a canine fight... two of my canines! I dashed out there to see what it was all about, and imagine my surprise when I discovered it was Zeila and BooBoo!



What the...? They don't fight. They're pals, best friends...

They love each other!

"Hey! What's going on here?!" I yelled. And then I saw it. Oh, groan! They were fighting over a dead blackbird. BooBoo had brought it inside and lovingly placed it on the landing in front of my garage door. He was warning Zeila to backoff! it's his prize (or present for Mama?).

"Oh! You two... everyone, outside! C'mon. Let's go. Aw geez. Ack. No! Don't touch. Get. Get. Get outside! Everyone... let's go!"

Ugh... I'm going to have to do this (Joe's not home). I go gather some paper towels. On my way by, I nudge it a little with my toe (shoes on, of course!) just to make sure it didn't flinch and was really DEAD-dead.

I have a thick wad of towels and gingerly lift it off the floor. "Oh - this must have just happened. It still has a floppy neck." {{BIG Groan}} It wasn't at all bloody, though; it was actually really pretty. The silky black feathers had bright hues of blue and purple. I comtemplated taking a picture of it, but thought that somehow the pretty colors would lose their appeal to you knowing the bird was dead. The temptation quickly passed.

I wonder how they did it... they must not have bit it since there was no blood... and which one of my precious furry pun'kins actually did the deed? Hmmm...

That was my excitement for today.

Dead blackbird gone ...and Zeila and BooBoo love each other again!

All's well.

North Carolina-Bound

So, it's been determined; we're definitely headed for North Carolina.

We tried desperately to make Vermont our destination. When we learned that Nic and Kristiina were expecting, we thought... "what are we doing moving to NC? If we're moving... let's move near them!" It made us open our eyes to how much we miss them and want to be close-by again.
We looked and looked for jobs in the Vermont/New Hampshire area. But, as of late, there are none to be had.


Remember this post... "Sightseeing in Newbury, VT?" I didn't spill the beans then, but we were actually house-hunting and could have rented this home and acreage very reasonably! We're initially intending to rent vs. own so we can get a lay of the land and determine where we want to establish roots.

Ahhh... But, it wasn't to be.

The fact that our precious little Gabrielle DiOrio* has already gone to heaven has absolutely nothing to do with our decision to go back to the NC plan. It's strictly for the sake of our income-to-debt ratio... we had to choose North Carolina... jobs there are in-line already! {{Oh, such a heavy sigh}}

We're continuing to keep our eyes and ears open for Vermont opportunities. Whether or not we have grandchildren there in 1 or 2 or 5 years... our kids are there now; and we want to be with them... even if they do have horrendous winters!!! (Kristiina and Nic have come to love snowboarding. I'm not sure that would be my hobby of choice... but we'll see??)

In the meantime, we're going to live here, on 10.8, mostly wooded, acres (though the requisite ample space for the dogs is available; and Joe is there now, fencing it for their benefit!)...

So... I'm going to live here, and I'm going to work here... after letting the dogs out to "do their business" in the morning, imagine me grabbing a cup of coffee in my kitchen and scrambling down these steps to my office...


There will be no traffic to endure!! (I'm looking forward to getting flowers in those flower-boxes!) While it doesn't have the historic prestige of the 1830's Old Colonial in Vermont... it appears to me to be a happy, roomy-enough, mountain-home. I'm looking forward to moving in. (And hooking up my internet so I can blog regularly!!)

I'll be managing the office for the development of this gated, mountain-community, Wilderness Creek Falls, across the street from us...



Yes, this is the view from our front door and master-suite balcony. I'll be hiking this property regularly... camera in-hand, so stay tuned!

- - - - - -
As for our Gabrielle*, Kristiina said they didn't want to keep referring to their first child as "it" or "the baby" so they have named "her." Kristiina felt certain through-out her pregnancy that it was a girl; and while Kristiina was able to see her precious little form completely (face, arms, legs, etc.) when she was passed from Kristiina's womb, it was not obvious to her whether it was a little boy or girl.

In keeping with her initial "feelings," they have named the baby Gabrielle, the female version of Gabriel, God's warrior angel. She said if she's wrong about the baby being a girl... well then, "Gabriel will be waiting for her in heaven."

Be still my heart, and

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow...

My Dear Grandma

I just love her...

I intend to post a blog about grandpa's memorial service, with some pictures.

But, till I can get to that, I just had to share this picture of my little grandma.


This was the day of the service for grandpa. She was getting ready to go home after a very long day, when I captured this. I was struck by her class and poise... and by the fact that at almost 89, she's still comfortable in her high-heeled pumps!

I thought she looked beautiful and dignified.



This is my grandma when she was in her 20's. She was beautiful then, too!

As lovely as she is to behold, she is twice that on the inside. Like the rest of us, she's not perfect; but she loves her Lord with all that is in her, and it shows ...she lives a graceful, Spirit-filled life. I esteem her.

Someday, I'll tell you more about her, too. But, for tonight, that's all. Time eludes me.

Retiling a Bathroom

My daughter and son-in-law are totally redoing their downstairs bathroom. Even the wiring and plumbing, I think! Totally revamping the space. Kristiina's father-in-law went up to help them out with the project (he lives down here, in Florida, too).


Yesterday, he emailed this photo to Joe:


It's of my girl, down in their basement, doing her part with the tile cutting.


I find it to be adorable!

It's still snowing like crazy up there... another 8 inches the night before last, and they were expecting more last night!! Whew!

I'm a People Person

I like to meet new people and make small talk with them. It's fun to learn about people's interests and perspectives.

I've been working part-time at the Gap since Christmas. Having closed the title company, I decided to pick up the [menial!] job for the holiday season (employee discount came in handy at Christmas-time... guess where I did all my shopping!!). After the holiday passed, they asked if I would stay on until we leave Florida.

I said yes for two reasons, 1) the discount, and 2) the people. I enjoy the people I work with, and also enjoy the new people I meet every shift. For example, here's who I met last night:

1) A family from Finland. I overheard an accent I thought sounded familiar and had to ask, "So, from where are you visiting?" "Finland." they replied. I thought so! A pleasant bit of small talk about Finland's weather (compared to Florida's) and locales ensued. They were also eager to hear what I thought about our new savior, I mean president, Barack Obama. Ack... that's another blog post; but I gave them my opinion, hopefully without being too scary!

2) A young man about to go on a date. He was very excited and wanted a new shirt (he was going directly to pick her up). After a bit of deliberation about long sleeve vs. short, button-down vs. polo, and whether his budget could handle the new duds plus the evening's dinner, he settled on a polo and new T for layering. He really wanted the button-down, but also wanted to go all out for dinner, so he compromised. He said this is about the 20th date they've been on. "She's beautiful!" he said. He was giddy. He came out of the fitting room seeking my approval - then off he went. He was so eager to impress... I hope she was.

3) A little girl shopping with her grandma. I sold her a pair of sunglasses. She was 5 or 6 years old (we also have Gap Kids), and so adorable. Grandma was teaching her how to conduct herself in a purchase transaction. She did very well; even counted out the money herself. After removing the tags so she could wear them home (she had about an hour of daylight left), she modeled them for me before leaving the store.

It's really very enjoyable (aside from having to do "recovery" which basically means refolding piles of denim and "whisper soft" T-shirts... some customers have clearly never worked in retail, or they'd be more considerate!), I'd even consider transferring when we head to NC. There's none close enough, though. Too bad... I'll actually miss it when we go.

Black Bean Soup

I found a Black Bean Soup recipe I love! I had it recently at my friend, Alicia's, house. Mmmm! Then, made a batch and took it up to Crystal River last week. It seemed to be popular there, too. Here you go:

BLACK BEAN SOUP

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used 2 cups of homemade chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes (I used 2 cans of Rotelle Diced Tomatoes - mild heat, dump the whole can - undrained)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder (I skipped the chili powder since I had the heat from the Rotelle tomatoes -and for me, it was just the right amount of heat)
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish Grated cheddar, for garnish

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder (if you choose to use chili powder). Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

So yummy...

My Grandpa Staub

has gone to heaven.

Though he was 92, it wasn't expected. He was relatively strong and healthy... he just played a round of golf little over a month ago! Actually, he played golf every chance he got.

He did, however, also have some moments of unsteadyness, and took a spill last December. He didn't think it was any big deal and barely even mentioned it. The problem is, he hit his head hard enough to cause a bleed. It went undiagnosed for several weeks and by the time it was revealed, had become very serious requiring immediate surgery to have it drained.

Grandpa pulled through that surgery remarkably well; the doctors and nurses marveled at his age. Soon, he was well enough to be transported to a rehab facility closer to home. He spent a week or so there and was doing so well, there was talk of him "being able to go home in a week." The day following that good news, however, he took another tumble; this time from his wheelchair. He reinjured his head which caused another bleed. We were devastated to hear that he would have to endure the same surgery a second time.

He did not respond as well to the second surgery. Actually, he declined very rapidly. The day following his transfer to a Hope Hospice home, he spent a full afternoon surrounded by his beloved wife and children, and passed away later that evening.

Today, we'll be remembering my grandpa, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share one of his favorite scriptures at the service.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:38-39

Yes, grandpa was convinced that nothing ever could or would separate him from the love of God. And it was that love… that deep, rich, perfect love of God that filled grandpa’s heart. Only it didn’t just fill it; it bubbled up and spilled all over us.

I remember a time when I was a very little girl, we had a fun family weekend at my grandparents’ summer camp in Quebec Canada. At the end of the weekend, my parents left with my little brother but allowed me to stay behind to play with my cousins who weren’t leaving for a few more days. I think it was the same day I gleefully hugged my parents goodbye, that we were swimming in the lake and I got the worst swimmers ear ever… and by the next day, they had turned into two utterly horrendous ear infections.

I remember waking in the night from the pain, and it was my dear grandpa who responded to my cries. He came and sat on the edge of my bed, and stroked my hair while singing soothing lullabies until I fell asleep again.

It’s a sweet memory I’ve carried with me for nearly 40 years, and a prime example of his gentle, tender heart. I am so blessed to have been loved by him.



Melvin O. Staub
December 17, 1916 - February 7, 2009
He was a devoted, tender-hearted husband, father and grandfather (great grandfather... and great, great grandfather!); a gentle and faithful friend, and a wholly commited servant to his beloved Savior.




With his littlest great grandson, Jim. (I believe they're discussing the cake!)




Grandpa and Grandma with their kids.




A happy family celebration.