Ahhh Saturdays!

One of my most favorite luxorious moments in life is waking up in a still home! If I take it the whole nine yards, it involves waking up slowly, pondering the Bible and spending time with God first thing, then a long and very girlie bubble bath followed by hot coffee, bacon, and eggs with banana nut silver dollar pancakes…but today its simply coffee and toast with jam. This morning my husband went turkey hunting very early before daylight. My older children are in their perspective states doing what they do, my younger son is in Dallas with my older brother for the weekend and Miss Madison is snoring away. The day is slightly overcast yet the intense greens and bright flowers are beginning to come alive in my yard. I took Drake outside for a morning walk (I actually WOKE him up…..amazing progress this day) And enjoyed watching the black lab puppy sniff and chase butterflies and then come and simply stretch as if to say “isn’t God wonderful?” To which I readily agreed.

My life indeed does swirl and twirl at busy levels most of my days, but how I love a slow morning when time allows. To wander barefoot in our newly leveled and blank slate of a back yard, to cruise through Easy Garden Color books and know that soon we’ll put a few plants and shrubs to begin our backyard beautification project this Spring. Madison and I have 3 trays of herbs, plants, and a dogwood tree to plant today. It is yard sale season and I cannot wait to take my list of needed items and begin looking for them.

I learned an important lesson this week. We have for years continued to work on paying ourselves out of debts and to be better financial stewards of God’s money. Circumstances lead to being given $500 lately with the directives :you cannot save this, pay off a debt, or use it for others…you may only use it for yourself or the house (not the yard). Well, at first it was thrilling. It was such a large amount, in my economy, $500 has outfitted a whole home in Arkansas…..I have literally furnished apartments with yard sale and goodwill things for less….and looked better than what I paid for with much more money later. I thought having $500 to “blow” would be fun…but the truth is my fun is about finding that Waterford lamp for $15 in a Goodwill….the challenge of my shopping is to find the brands (Norton Mcnaughey or Lauren) in my size in a second hand store. Oh the stress that $500 added to my week…..whether or not to buy one item or a plethora of needed things…to buy something that would be a “happy” or to use it for more utilitarian endeavors we could use….it was amazing how even the presence of money I could not give away or spend on others was producing stress.

Now I’m like Rachel Anne, I love nice things, I am not opposed to spending money for them if I truly love something and am able to with out taking away from others, but over the years I find there is less and less I spend time “wishing for” and more and more time I spend appreciating how God has send friends, things, and given new life to my heart’s desires in unusual venues for arrivals. My couch is a $35 Ebay find a Pottery Barn Couch that the store in Memphis spilled bleach on. Later, I had it recovered and it still cost less than 1/5 of what the new one did. My bedroom set a $75 purchase of 1940’s French Provencial furniture my husband refinished in a hand rubbed black finish last spring. My secretary desk, a spur of the moment find that my friend Bobbie was kind enough to pay for at a sale we found in town unexpectely…because I didn’t have $100 to purchase a French desk I had spent a lifetime dreaming of owning one day when I “made it”. I paid her back when we got home! My kitchen aide mixer a thank you from someone I did a huge amount of work for as a friend, little did she know that it too was one of my life markers of “making it” when I would own my own kitchen aide mixer! My crystal has ALL been found a tag and yard sales, all for under $2 apiece most of them 25 cents but they match the pattern my Grandmother Geddie had in my childhood…and though I did not receive them upon her death (that Grandma of mine would throw out “good” to get “new”….uh hmm…wonder if that’s where that silly habit of mine came from) but it doesn’t matter that it wasn’t HER crystal, it matters that it helps me remember good times with HER!

There is something joyful for me about taking something someone else has found no value in, or has under utilized, or has judged as worthless and learning to see past its grime, rust, or dirt and giving it a new life in my home and life. So many people have done just that with my life when I was hurt, broken, or needing help getting up again after life knocked me down….and others threw ME away. Helping share the love that others poured into me is a reoccuring goal in my personal life. God has been so good to me I want to share that with others! I love to see beauty in new friend’s ashes, love them until they can love themselves and then help others to do the same thing for others too.

I asked my new friend this week where you buy casual clothes….and she replied dubiously and a little embarassed to tell me “I shop Goodwill” as though I might disapprove….WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I DISAPPROVE?? my whole HOUSE is from such places, or was found next to the dumpsters in Dallas…or was given to me because someone else was through with it! People at church always seem to think I pay alot of money for my clothes…and the truth is I rarely purchase anything over $7! If I do buy retail my personal rule is it has to be 60% off unless its a really special occasion. Even the suit for my daughter’s wedding was at Ross for $29.99! I LOVE that part of my life. So many pieces represent fabulous days with a friend, such as the first time Mrs. Goofy and I went yard Sailing! The chandelier in my kitchen will always be a fond memory of a perfect day with her! ($25 chandelier, time with Sherry=Priceless!) Lately Boys Rule My Life, Becky, adorned my closet with a whole wardrobe of clothes she was taking to the give away…turned out 2/3 of them fit my new and hopefully still shrinking figure perfectly….how fun to know I get to fit in them now! In Dallas, Lori Kasbeer put her own silver necklace on me when I didn’t have jewelry to wear with a suit, it was a moment that played out a scene that I never thought I’d experience….how special for the girl who never had a sister to share with to have her say “Here, I have a necklace you can wear with that!” It was a precious moment for me! God was so especially good that week as He did the same kind of dream giving when He allowed me to meet Rachel Anne, Katherine, Mamabug and Lori in person!

The truth is what works for us personally and in our homes has nothing to do with whether it comes from Saks, Macy’s or Dillards. It works because it touches us visually, emotionally, or feels right…..and that can’t be bought. Friends are the same way…..expensive clothes and high dollar hair are only window trappings….what keeps a friendship is what is hidden beneath the dressings……the heart that loves you! We have to look deeply to see rightly who a person is! (don’t worry girlfriends, I don’t hold the fact that you are all beautiful against you!)

I am excited about meeting my new friend this morning at her home. How fun to have a new friend! God is good. This morning I am remembering also how simply full of peace Mrs. Fussypants babes were yesterday. Their mother is a high swirl of energy just as I am, but truly, in her home I found the best of all worlds…..God was there, a mom who adored her husband and babies, and throughout the day we spent working and talking together…..happy babies being what babies are supposed to be doing….playing and being loved on by both of us….and allowed to be what they are…..adored and cared for as we worked! The dad came home and boys came out of the woodworks happy to see him and play with him outside! Oh how it did my heart good to see a family together in such a state! Oh that we all allow ourselves to be transparent and care more about our families than our appearances!

God IS good and I am thankful!

P.S. This week there will be a prize for a specific number one becomes a “follower” on the sidebar at the right, a soon to come number is my favorite number and I have a special prize for that person! I’ll announce the person as soon as the number hits!