Mountain Musings

Emerald Isle Ball

Here is a cake I made last week. A lady we know called me unexpectedly and asked me to make 2 identical cakes for an Irish-themed ball she was attending. So while Mom was away at Aunt Bet's, I was in the kitchen! Everything was pretty simple except for the writing. Hannah drew out some Celtic-style letters for me to practice, and it took me awhile to get the hang of it.

From the sounds of it, everyone liked the cake. Next on my list is practicing the groom's cake I will be making in June for Micah's wedding.

~Sarah

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Fun Things I'd Like to Do on a Spring Afternoon 1. Ride to the nearest big airport and watch planes come in. 2. Drive to Costco and buy a cheap berry smoothie (love those Costco prices!). 3. Walk around the garden and say hello to all my flowers. 4. Order mulch and start pitch-forking it on my flower beds, savoring that new mulch aroma. 5. Visit with a friend for lunch and spend all afternoon with her. 6. Sit on the front porch swing with Tom and talk. 7. Find a unique, out-of-the-way place downtown that sells berry smoothies. 8. Plan a day trip someplace, maybe Washington, D.C. and go to Union Station. 9. Drive to a covered bridge in Virginia and take pictures; enjoy a picnic while there. 10. Pop into a scrapbook store and buy some flowery paper and stickers. 11. Gather the family together and play croquet in the yard. 12. Ask Hannah if she would make us a berry smoothie and bring it out to the swing. 13. Sit and wait for the sunset over the mountains. Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of Thursday Thirteen is to get to know the participants a little bit better. Do you have some fun things you like to do on a spring afternoon? Leave some thoughts in the comment section. Maybe we'll try them out this weekend!

~Deb

An Unforgettable Delivery

I love beautiful flowers! Mostly, I like the kind that are blooming in flower beds and around my garden fence rather than the expensive florist delivery ones. Don't get me wrong though--I'd love to have anyone bring me flowers, and if the doorbell rang right now, I'd accept them in a flash! But if it's my husband doing the buying, I'd rather he put the money towards a redbud tree or a hydrangea bush or a mum that will last a lot longer than a few days.

One day several years ago a beautiful bouquet was delivered to my home which I will never forget...

Her name was Salena, and she was a beautiful 60-something grandma. I, and several of her other friends, took turns spending afternoons helping with various chores around her home. My particular job was a fun one--helping her make a scrapbook of memories week after week. Those were sweet, sweet days of precious fellowship, and we made the most of every minute we had.

Salena was dying with Lou Gehrig's disease and gradually losing more and more muscle strength. Her one goal was finishing a scrapbook for her grandchild who would never have a chance to know and love her. One afternoon I was helping her with some personal needs and lost my strength lifting her. Ending up lying on the floor, she was unmoveable. There was nothing to do but hunt for a listing of neighbors' phone numbers and hope someone would be home to come over and help me. I still feel the embarrassment now as I write this--embarrassment for her lying there so vulnerable and embarrassment for me--a big blow to my pride in failing so miserably to help her.

Can you guess the end of the story?  The beautiful flowers Salena sent me the next day expressed what a classy lady she truly was. She was the one who should have gotten flowers for enduring so much, and yet she sent me flowers to encourage me and let me know everything was still alright with her world. The florist's card read..."To a real trooper."

Not me for sure--but Salena was a trooper of all troopers, and I expect she's adding fragrance to heaven right now with her wonderful personality!

This post was written for the Carnival of Beauty with the theme: the Beauty of Flowers. To read more on this subject, be sure and visit Amanda over at Following an Unknown Path on Wednesday, March 29, as she hosts the Carnival this week .

~Deb

"Happy-Day-After!"

One of our unique traditions around Mountain Musings is to wish the birthday person a "Happy-Day-After-Your-Birthday!" And everyone tries very hard to be the first to wish this to whomever is celebrating. I wonder if anyone else does this?

This day-after birthday wish started in our family many moons ago, and I have no idea what made it stick--just one of those crazy inside jokes every family has. Well, yesterday was officially my sister's birthday even though we celebrated last week. This morning she called to check in just before going into chapel, and I was able to continue the tradition. Yay! Quite understandably she said no one had told her that all morning...so she called me so she could hear it!

Do you have an unusual tradition in your family? How did it start, and why did it become a beloved tradition? We'd love to hear about it!

~Deb

My Sister Taught Me

One of the fun things we did when I visited my sister Bet last week was go to Hobby Lobby (I enjoyed the music while shopping--they were playing Praise to the Lord The Almighty!). Hobby Lobby is only two minutes away from her--imagine! If I lived in Greenville, I would live at Hobby Lobby!

She helped me pick out Sugar & Cream yarn to make this dishcloth. Know the saying, "she's all thumbs?" That's certainly what it felt like when she tried to instruct me how to 'cast on.' I knew how at one time, but the ol' brain and the ol' fingers wouldn't cooperate.

I finally got the hang of it and was able to knit a few rows before time to come home. Bet had soooo many cloths all knitted in so many different patterns. They were beautiful! I like making something useful like this and hope I catch on quickly before I graduate to the knitted triangular scarf she had just finished.

I know, I know...so many crafts and so little time, and I still have my quilt to complete and my anniversary scrapbook to start. At least I can take this knitting with me to places where sewing machines and photo splits can't go.

Thanks, Sis!

~Deb

Amazing--His Love for Me!

Here's a book I perused recently while visiting at my sister's house. Don't you enjoy magazines and coffee table books that belong to other people that you don't have to buy yourself? 

Remember the post where I mentioned the book 14,000 Things To Be Happy About that was on my sister's nightstand last summer when I visited?  Anyway, this little book is good, too. Here are some amazing things about God:

• He saves all my prayers. "And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." ~Rev 5:8

• ...and uses them as the fragrance of heaven.  "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."  ~Rev 8:3-4

• He cradles my head in his hands and lifts it up.  "But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."  ~Psalm 3:3

• He hears me when I weep.  "...for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer."  ~Psalm 6:8-9

• He stoops down to make me great. "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy right hand hath held me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great."  ~Psalm 18:35

• He thinks about me all the time. "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with thee."  ~Psalm 139:17-18

~Deb

Scriptural Principles of Music

Those of you who do not buy into today's typical mind-numbed, entertainment- and pleasure-focused approach to music might appreciate the thoughtfulness and scripture-based views posted on the Kara Ministries Weblog. Click on this link to read Scott Aniol's "Toward a Systematic Theology of Music" post. I recently discovered this site, and so far I've only read a few articles so I can't make any general recommendations. But I have enjoyed what I've seen.

Music affects our spirit so deeply that it is very easy for us to get defensive when someone even gently questions whether or not our music is good. It's almost as if we "become our music" and that a challenge to our music is a personal affront. Relying upon God's Scriptures and truly seeking the Lord's heart and wisdom (without clinging to our own will and desires) will help grow our objectivity in this area.

Hope this is refreshing and edifying for you.

~ Tom

S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E !

Posting today from...my sister's house in Greenville, South Carolina.

Yesterday was a long day! My alarm was set for 3:30 a.m. in anticipation of driving six hours south, arriving in time for my sister's 50th birthday luncheon. And actually, I could have gotten some sleep--but not much--if I hadn't been so excited about the trip! I never got off to dreamland, and time to rise and shine came much too early. And I soon joined the rest of the truckers racing down I-81.

Bet's best friend, Rhonda, had organized the birthday celebration at Longhorn Steakhouse with sixteen fellow teachers, balloons, flowers, presents, and me as the surprise element. And a big SURPRISE it was! I wish I could post a picture to show you the amazed expression on her face to see me, but since I'm not on my own computer, I'm not sure I can finagle my camera to coordinate with her setup. (She writes her take on the surprise here.)

This week is the annual Bible Conference here on campus, and I'll be able to attend a couple of sessions today, along with browsing the bookstore (I want to buy this CD by Steve Pettit while here) and spending some time at my favorite scrapbook store away from home.

The family is holding down the fort while I'm away and seem to be keeping busy. I'll head home on Saturday morning, saying good-bye to my cutie nephew, The Barnster. It's been fun so far!

~Deb

Thursday Thirteen Meme

Thirteen Things about My Name 1. My birth certificate lists my name as Deborah. 2. In fourth grade I decided I wanted to change the spelling to Debra. I don't know why. 3. My high school diploma proudly says Debra, not Deborah, graduated. 4. Once I graduated and started working as a secretary, I changed my name to Debbie. 5. When Tom first started writing to me, I told him to call me Deb. 6. Most everyone calls me Deb now, except Tom. 7. He calls me Shug. 8. The kids used to call me Mommy, then Mom, now sometimes Mama and Mother Dear. 9. I usually answer to just about anything. 10. I feel old when people call me Mrs. Girotti, but I do think it's respectful. I like it. 11. In a little over two months I'll be called a mother-in-law. Am I ready for that? 12. But I'll love it when I'm finally called Granny. 13. I hope that's before I'm called Home.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of this meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. I've been wanting to try it each week but just never followed through--until today. I'll see how many Thursdays I can come up with 13 somethings!

Did you know the Scripture tells us that "a good name is better than precious ointment?" Is there something special about your name that you've always liked or been thankful for? Share your thoughts.

~Deb

Delightful and Delicious

Remember Mom's tale of her search for flaxseed? The Orange Muffin Delight recipe was printed out and has been waiting to be made ever since. Today was the day! (This picture is for you, Aunt Bet.) A dreary winter/spring day called for whipping something up in the kitchen. Well, this recipe isn't exactly whipped up quickly, but they were worth it. Some of the family were suspicious about the whole-unpeeled-orange-in-the-blender thing, but it seemed to give the muffins a true orange taste instead of just a touch of orangy-sweetness.

I always love to bake muffins, whether it's Banana Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Bran, or Cranberry Nut. They are great fresh, of course, but I usually put several in the freezer to pull out for breakfast as individual servings the night before, and they are almost as good. Sometime I need to try Courtney's Butterscotch Muffins. These orange muffins were good enough to attempt again, maybe for a company breakfast. Let us know if you decide to try them!

~Hannah