Vintage Friday Feast

The Feast celebrates 100 feasts this week!
Congrats!

Appetizer
Name 3 things that you think are beautiful.

Soup
What was the last concert you attended?

Salad
What is one thing that frightens you about getting older?

Main Course
Tell us about one of your funny quirks or habits.

Dessert
If you could extend one month to 50 days (instead of the normal 28, 29, 30, or 31), which month would you want to lengthen?







from the movie Grave of the Fireflies


Sing a Song of Summer
(Kay Winters)

When crickets sing
their evening song
and
fireflies turn
their lanterns on
and
spiders spin
at early dawn
and weave their cobwebs
on my lawn -
It's summer.




Fine Art Friday



~Robert Doisneau

Does the fact that I love this photo make it fine art?

:o)


Encourage one another,
Donna

Here is something I don't think I have asked you all yet!


How did you meet your spouse or significant other?
What did you do on your first date?


~Questions spotted at Question a Day


Patrick and I met at a department store in Wausau Wisconsin.
He was in the Men's Department and I was in Trim the Home.
He walked me home from work and held my arm when we crossed over some icy spots.
I thought this was gentlemanly.

But then, one day, we went out to lunch at Wendy's....
and he spat out a pickle hidden in his burger.
Oh my.

We were married a year later.

He has not changed.

He can still be quite a gentleman...and he still has some of those rough edges :o)


Can't wait to hear your stories!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Bloghop


Beetlegrass is a blog of creativity. Art, stamps and decorating.
Her most recent post has fabulous pictures of her whimsical studio.

Beetlegrass

I adore the Fischer-Price people lined up above the door!!!



I have a link for Wendy Knits on my side bar...but I'll bet a lot of you don't go visit there often. Well, those of you who are interested in knitting or love Fair Isle sweaters....the last few days at Wendy's have be remarkable. It's actually the reason I am a fan of Wendy. She knits fast and beautifully! This weekend she has been steeking. Don't know what that is? Go see.

Wendy Knits
Did you notice she is knitting socks while she is creating that amazing sweater?Unbelievable!


Another Wendy.
This one has a load of children, knits, reads, and homeschools. She is not on my sidebar...but she leaves funny comments and this is how I met her. (Her twins are names William and James, like my father and his best friend)
I've really enjoyed getting to know her!

Well Mannered Frivolity
Love that baby shower gift! Very cute and clever :o)


Hope you had fun on this little bloghop.

I am inspired by creativity.


Encourage one another,
Donna

What will we do today?

When the silent, empty days of summer arrive I can think of only one thing to do. And that is swim.

It's in my blood.

We had a built in pool when we were growing up and the summer was centered around our own back yard.

Swimming, diving, sun-tanning, reading, and eating sandwiches.
Oh, listening to the radio too, of course.

(Midnight at the Oasis...send your camel to bed....)

This is my view of summer.

So when it is summer and it is too cool to swim.
What's a girl to do?


Katie thinks she wants to swim. But you have never seen a child shiver like Katie can shiver! Under 77 degrees is a bit chilly for her. I have had to come up with a number because she asks every day now.

All week it is expected to be under 75 degrees. Bummer.

So yesterday I had to put on my thinking cap.

I manicured Katie's little toes. She now has blue nails. So lovely.

Then Katie invited me to tea.

She made an invitation, it said;

I am
habing
te


It was a very sweet tea party. On the lawn with Katie, Bonnie Bunny and me.
Katie drinks her tea (water) with her pinky sticking out...too cute.

Katie is also still learning to read. She is in summer school :o)

I've switched from Teach your child to read in 100 lessons, back to The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading. I hope she catches on by September. It's very slow going for her.


I think I will pull out a nice big puzzle to work on today. That is always a fun project. We both like puzzles :o)


What will you do with your children today...on this summer day?


Encourage one another,
Donna

Emma, our Princess of Wales
Photo delightfully spotted at Alan's site.

To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.
~Jane Austen

verdure \VUR-jur\, noun:
Green; greenness; freshness of vegetation; as, the verdure of the meadows in June.

It was a sweet view, sweet to the eye and the mind. British verdure, British culture, British comfort, seen under a sun bright, without being oppressive.
~Jane Austen

Get Real Monday
hosted by one cheeky mama

Our assignment is to talk about and show pictures of shoes you would find in our homes.

Well...Emma has my camera, so I can't show you the real thing!
But here are the cutest shoes in our house.



Most of the shoes around here are worn and some of them are smelly.
Emma has some pink pumps and strappy silver sandals that still look neat.
But mostly our shoes are worn.


The important thing about shoes is that they are worn.
They take you places
and keep your feet dry
But, the important thing about shoes
is that they are worn.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Plus Six

So what do you think is on my mind?

Emma and the Waldeckers, of course.

Here is Alan Waldecker's blog.

Over the Pond

I have read every entry and every link and examined every picture...a few times!

They seem like a great family!

I know they are welcoming and hospitable.

A thankful momma. That's me.

Now I must be patient as I wait for email.


*******

T-ball starts today. We've already had a little rain shower...hope Katie's little team doesn't get rained out!

They will hand out t-shirts, I'm sure! Katie's team is blue.
Every year. Every sport. A t-shirt.

I know of a quilt pattern that uses t-shirts. A friend made one for her high school graduate. It was a fun keepsake and very soft :o)

T-quilts

Not necessarily the prettiest of quilts....but fun memories :o)


Happy summer weekend to all!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Safe and sounds and already caffeinated :o)

Emma's travels went very well. She has even taken a trip to the Mall/Starbucks with Janie(the mom) and Melissa(a daughter) already.

God smiled on us as gave us an American Airlines employee who had the heart(and power) to let us go to the gate with Emma. Since 911 this is not a customary practice. I am ever so grateful that we did not have to say goodbye to Emma at security...hours before her flight.

I thanked the woman and she said, "I have children and I like to go to the gate with them. Even my 22 year old."

Thank you God. Thank you all for your prayers.


Friday Five


1. When was the first time you traveled, by air, alone?
2. At what age would you feel comfortable putting your child on a plane?
3. If you could have airline tickets for your family, where would you go?
4. How about just you and your husband?
5. What do you miss most about home, when you are away?


I miss sleeping in my own bed. I have a hard time sleeping when I am away from home, especially the first night!


Fine Art Friday



Mr. and Mrs. Andrews by Thomas Gainsbourough

Learn more about Gainsbourough and see a larger image of this fine portrait,
here.

Again, thank you for the prayers and all of the good wishes!
They mean a lot to us!


Encourage one another,
Donna

The Big Day!!!

Emma leaves for Manchester today!

We are all so excited for her!

Last night, at nine o'clock, we headed for Walgreens, for a few. more. items.

(It was our second trip to Walgreens.)

We moseyed around, looking at this and that, smelling this and that.

When we walked in the door at 9:30 Emma was greeted by....



The Wednesday night Bible study gang!
Aren't they cute? And so sweet.
They are indeed, men with chests, in training :o)
The old fellow on the left is Mark.
Mark, the pastor, brought Emma the book Putting Amazing back into Grace by Michael Horton.
( I gave Mark a book on the Bradley Method. Told him not to open it with all these young men around! yikes! )

Anita was there too :o) Anita is the mother of three of these young men. You have met her in the comments! She drew Emma this card;



Dear little red-haired girl,
Have fun in England.
Bless and be blessed.

Isn't that wonderful! Thank you, Anita, you are such a dear friend!





English faces.

Chip, chip Charlie,
By joe,
good show,
God save the Queen,
and all of that.



What a great send off!

God has been so good to give Emma such wonderful friends!

Well, I better go. We have a few things to do today :o)


I am so excited!!!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Look at what I found this morning!

A Homeschool Yearbook.

Made by the homeschoolers....and it looks fantastic!

Check it out!


I have been involved with a yearbook as Head Photographer at Hillsdale my senior year (Where I took many pictures of Dana's husband...he was in a lot of groups :o)

But I was not involved in the editing and "construction" stage.

My boys (especially Matthew) really enjoy their yearbooks from Faith Christian School.

I am going to think about this for the next month, very seriously.

Emma would love such a fantastic keepsake!



Have any of you worked on a yearbook committee?
Is Microsoft Publisher easy to use?


Encourage one another,
Donna

The Pink Mitt





Sounds like the name of a cute children's book, doesn't it?

Katie starts T-ball on Saturday.
I hope she had fun, and doesn't cry. She cries so easily....very easily.

And as you all know.



"There's no crying in baseball, there's no crying in baseball!"


Encourage one another,
Donna

A day late....


As I was making the bloggy rounds yesterday, I spotted a little questionnaire at Dana's.
She thought of the perfect Father's Day Meme.

So guess what? We're gonna do it anyway. Cause it's that good.


Five things my father taught me.

My father taught me to tell time. (with a paper plate)
He taught me not to drink.
He taught me to be physically active.
He taught me to clear my plate. (roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy. yum)
He taught me that "there is no such word as 'gots'.



Donna and Daddy

"I gots to go to the bathroom." said I.

"There is no such word as 'gots'." said he.

"But I just said it, so it's a word." said I.

"Gots is not a word." said he.

"But you just said it." said I.

"Grrr..." said he.



********


A little Fat Flush update.

Five weeks. Twenty pounds.

The last five pounds have gone considerably slower than the first 15 pounds.

But I am feeling a little lighter, drinking water like a fish and making very good food choices.

I'll let you know when I hit 25!


********


Sister Sue and her hubby are leaving for a vacation in Italy tomorrow.
Would you mind saying a little prayer for safe travels?

Emma leaves for Manchester, England on Thursday!

You can pray for her too :o)



Looking forward to reading what you learned from you father!
Thanks Dana!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Happy Father's Day!





Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

We're off to the big farmer's market this morning! This is a big deal here in the Madison area! The square will be packed with folks vying for the freshest, most perfect produce.

Today we will join the throngs.

It's kind of a date. Even tho Katie will come along with us.


But Patrick invited me to go...because he knew I would like it.
(walking around in a huge crowd, in the heat, looking for vegetables is truly a labor of love for him)

I will look for strawberries, heirloom tomatoes and cheese curds.

How does that sound?

Wish me luck!


I hope you all have a great summery day!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Fine Art Friday joins the Friday Feast!

Carol at Magistramater came up with a great idea last Friday; To celebrate and share fine art on Fridays.

I love this idea, don't you!
Feel free to join in on your blog.







Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec at the Circus
read about the artist here

I have know of Toulouse-Lautrec's art for as long as I can remember...but I didn't start admiring it until we saw his work in person at the Art Institute this Spring.

I became intrigued with his unusual perspective. The way he frames a painting is unique and odd. In person, the hooves of the horse (in the above painting) seem to be coming at you.

Isn't it interesting how only a portion of the ring is captured. Only a portion of the clown and the audience and the ringmaster. No one is complete except for the rider.

Interesting.






Feast Ninety-Eight
Appetizer


What is a word that you use that would not be considered common?

Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?

Salad
What is the age span of the children in your family...and the children in the family you grew up in?

Main Course
Do you care about fashion? What do you especially like to shop for?

Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank?


I purchase a little five dollar calendar every year.

It is put out by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission.

I love seeing the work of our local artists.


Encourage one another,
Donna

If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much.

~Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis


I love that quote. But it haunts me.

There have been so many mistakes. So much drama. Such a temper.

I know I am forgiven.

But there are no do overs with our children. You only have a certain amount of time to teach them and assist in training their character.

And all the while you are training theirs...yours is being trained too.


It's serious business, this raising of children.


Although I was doing by best at the time....I wish I had done better.

And now for the boys, I pray.

I prayed then. I pray now.

I will always pray.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Well...wait til you see what little Katharine McPhee was doing the other night!
(Second place in The American Idol)



Watch them sing on youtube.com

When Andrea Bocelli was on Idol, Katharine must have made a wonderful impression!
She sang a song around the piano with Andrea and I thought it was better than most of her preformances. They sound beautiful together!

Told you she won too :o)

The words to The Prayer

I pray youll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we dont know.
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way.
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where well be safe.


La luce che tu dai
Nel cuore restera
A ricordarci che
Leterna stella sei.

I pray well find your light,
And hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night,
Remind us where you are..

Nella mia preghiera
Quanta fede ce.
Lead us to a place ?

Let this be our prayer
When shadows fill our day
Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so well be safe.

Sogniamo un mondo senza piu violenza,
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza.
Ognuno dia una mano al suo vicino,
Simbolo di pace...di fraternita.

La forza che ci dai
E desiderio te
Ognuno trovi amor
Intorno e dentro se.
Let this be our prayer,
Just like every child.

We ask that life be kind
And watch us from above.
We hope each soul will find
Another soul to love.
Let this be our prayer,
Just like every child.

Needs to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe
E la fede che hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salverai.....

Encourage one another,
Donna

Part of a Meme and an award

I was tagged for the Seven things meme....and well, I have answered most of those questions so many times that I will just post my favorite books and movies.

Okay?


Seven books (or a series of books) I love:

Sister of my Heart by Chitra Divakaruni
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Bible
Seventeenth Summer By Maureen Daly
All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor


Seven Movies I'd Watch Over and Over Again:

To Kill A Mockingbird
You've Got Mail
The Wizard of Oz
Singin' in the Rain
Rocky
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
She's the One
The Jerk
Parenthood
The Shawshank Redemption
The King of Kings
Independence Day
Gone with the Wind


There, I gave you some extra movies :o)

Most recently viewed:
Gone with the Wind and Pride and Prejudice.






Mother of the Year Award

8:00 am

Katie: Mommy this milk tastes funny.
Mommy: It's just fine Katie. Eat your cereal.

12:00 pm

Katie: Can I have something to drink? Can I have some milk?
Mommy: Sure.
Katie: It tastes icky.
Mommy: Get some chocolate and put it in there. It will taste better.

7:00 pm

Matthew: Mom, there is something wrong with this milk. I noticed yesterday that it tastes bad.
Mommy: *sniffs the milk* Eww...It is sour. The date's fine. But, eww.
Poor Katie.

7:02 pm
Yelling out the back door to Katie playing in the sandbox;
Mommy: Katie! You were right. Matthew says the milk is bad, too!
Katie: That's what I told you.



Encourage one another...and sniff the milk,
Donna

Laughing Tomatoes

in our backyard
we plant
tomatoes

the happiest
of all
vegetables

with joy
they grow round
with flavor

laughing
they change
to red

turning
their wire-framed
bushes

into
Christmas trees
in spring

Francisco X. Alarcon






While there's life....there's hope.
~Cicero...or Terrance...both ancient dudes


That's my garden.

Two tomatoes and two peppers courtesy of Lynn. (started from seeds)
One rose courtesy of the grocery store!

They are in pretty sad soil. But I am giving this a try anyway.
Since the picture was taken the tomato plant in the back row is really growing well. The one in the front row is not.

Just a few fresh tomatoes....that's all I need.

I don't need anything...

just a tomato or two.



How does your garden grow?


Encourage one another,

Donna

I'll be back soon.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Friday Feast


Appetizer
About how much money did you spend on gas this week?

Soup
What is your favorite brand of toilet paper?

Salad
When was the last time you discovered something that you thought was pure genius?

Main Course
What is the least amount of sleep you can get by on per night?

Dessert
June is a popular month for weddings. Do you know anyone who is getting married this month?







************



Another funny knitting cartoon by Franklin



Happy Friday all!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Unlikely Playmates :o)






Oh, playmate,
come out and play with me
my dolly's got the flu
boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo....


Okay...so I looked up the words to that song and I'm a bit off...but this is how I remember my mother singing it.
She told me that when she was little, you didn't knock on the door, you called to your friends from the sidewalk.

Yohoo....Sally! Can you come out and play!!!

"Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way." ~Pamela Dugdale

"If you can't play nicely with your sister's, you can't play with anyone else!"
~Esther Jean

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero." ~Marc Brown

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." ~Thomas Jefferson

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~Desmond Tutu

Encourage one another,
Donna

What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid?

I don't remember having a lunch box, really.
When we were little we came home for lunch.
When we were older we took brown bags or bought hot lunch.

I have, however, always loved the look of;





And I would have adored this one;




Isn't that the most creative handle for a lunch box? Not too comfy to carry. But very clever.

(see Quiet Life Jan. 31, 2004)



It's funny, now that I think of it...

When Patrick Jr. went to First Grade I informed the Principal that Patrick would be coming home for lunch. He looked at me and said, "Well, no one goes home for lunch!"

"Oh, I would still like him to come home for lunch. Thank you."

(I'm such a rebel :o)


If you took a lunch...what was in it?
What was your favorite thing to find in your lunch?





Encourage one another,
Donna

Really, I'm not superstitious at all.

But today's date is a rather creepy one, isn't it!

6.6.6

the sign of the beast



I have always like this Bible verse;

Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:4

If you go read all of 1 John 4, you will find that they are speaking of Evil spirits.
("This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world." 1 John 4:3)

But I worry not. I believe what the good book says.

Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!


I call that blessed assurance.... against all creepy, evil things!






But just for fun...here are some more angels to watch over you today :o)






har har


Encourage one another,
Donna- who will remember all day to Whom she belongs.


Update****

That wonderfully funny dance guy made an appearance on The Today Show this morning.
I found the clip;

Judson on the Today Show

His Evolution of Dance has been viewed twenty million times in the last month! Wow!

Thank you Jeaneen and Peter for the head's up!!!

~Millet


Why Bother to Pray?
by Elisabeth Elliot

If God is sovereign, and things will be as they are going to be anyway, why bother to pray? There are several reasons. The first is really all we need to know: God has told us to pray. It is a commandment, and if we love Him we obey his commands.

Second, Jesus prayed. People sometimes say that the only reason for prayer is that we need to be changed. Certainly we do, but that is not the only reason to pray. Jesus was not being made more holy by prayer. He was communing with his Father. He was asking for things. He thanked God. In his Gethsemane prayer He was beseeching the Father to prevent what was about to take place. He was also laying down his own will.

Third, prayer is a law of the universe. As God ordained that certain physical laws should govern the operation of this universe, so He has ordained the spiritual law. Books simply will not stay put on the table without the operation of gravity-- although God could cause them, by divine fiat, to stay. Certain things simply will not happen without the operation of prayer, although God could cause them, by divine fiat, to happen.

The Bible is full of examples of people doing what they could do and asking God to do what they couldn't do. In other words, the pattern given to us is both to work and pray. Nehemiah and the people of Israel worked hard to build the wall of Jerusalem but were strenuously opposed by Sanballat and Tobiah, who banded together with Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites to attack. "So we prayed to our God," wrote Nehemiah, "and posted a guard day and night against them" (Neh 4:9 NEB).

Encourage one another...and pray,
Donna

Aww....


Catch little Katie singing the jingle.

Click on "Watch Your Video" and then type in this code # E389YV

She took one peek at it this morning, frowned, and did not want to watch it a second time.
I don't think she remembered that she forgot some of the words :o(

We think it's very sweet and we are proud of her for trying :o)



Blessings!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Five fabulous ideas for your Family Reunion.

Dana emailed me a few weeks ago requesting a Friday Five on reunions. (She has two coming up this summer)

Let's help her out with our best ideas!

1. Best idea?
2. Worst idea?
3. Games?
4. Shirts? Mugs?
5. Pictures!


My favorite thing to come away with at a family reunion would be photos. I would like family pictures and a big ole' group picture!

I would prefer this to shirts or mugs. (Which end up being the worst idea in my opinion.)

I would also enjoy watching old family movies. This might be a fun evening activity, complete with popcorn!

Our families are so spread out that we have never had a family reunion; on either side of the family. But when we get together for funerals it is really a great joy to see our extended family. (We were very very close to our cousins.)

Perhaps, my favorite thing to come away from a reunion wouldn't be the pictures...it would be the memories; old and new.




~Reunion by Moses

I hope we have some helpful ideas, Dana!
(If you haven't been by Dana's site, visit her soon, she has written some wonderful posts on what her mother has taught her.)


Can you believe it's already Friday???

I can't!


Sister Sue has two graduations tonight! (her twins)

Well done, boys! Well done, parents!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Sweet words


Yesterday as I was gabbing about the Summer Reading Challenge, Emma said to me,

"What should I read next?"


Those words are almost as sweet as...

"Will you read outloud to me?"

he he he

(And Cindy, you don't know how much I would love to come to Missouri and get you started on To Kill A Mockingbird!! :o) You could sit in the sun with your eyes closed and I would read and read and read. Just like old times!)

Anyway, so my reply to Emma, who has just finished "Vanity Fair" (which she enjoyed and found humorous) was...

"Exodus" is an excellent book, or you could read "The Hawk and the Dove" before I get to it.

Even tho those are both good suggestions, we felt like browsing around Border's books last night.

I searched and found "Sister of My Heart" and "The Secret Life of Bees". Both books I have enjoyed very much, in the last five years, which Emma hasn't read.

(Emma was, by the way, looking at a picture book entitled "Boys" and another called "Laguna Beach". )


When we got home I stacked the books on the kitchen table.


This morning, one of the books is missing.

Looks like Emma is reading "Sister of my Heart".


And that makes me smile.


One filled with joy preaches without preaching.
~Mother Teresa


Encourage one another,
Donna