Posted in Daily Blessings

Are my eyes deceiving me?  Is the calendar really saying its August?  Oh, my!  This summer has just flown by so quickly--whatever happened to July???  Yes, I admit, things have been very, very busy here in my home.  Back to school for me 2 weeks after I graduated, my grandchildren out of school for the summer, my son working every day (or so it seems).  Not to mention tending to my small garden (its only 9 sq. ft.) and my flower bed, purging my home of unnecessary items, and trying to work on 2 ebooks.  Whew!  Did I mention email?  Yes, tons of it, too!

I admit, my Accounting classes are hard.  Very hard.  However, I am a firm believer in knowing that if God calls you to something, He'll bring you through it.  He will enable you, equip you, and give you the understanding and wisdom that you need in any given situation.  And yes, I do have those moments when I have to audibly remind myself of this! 

My precious granddaughter was very ill a couple of weeks ago.  We nearly lost her due to an infection in her lymph nodes and glands.  Thankfully, she did make it to the hospital in time, and after 48 hours of hospitalization with IV's being changed hourly with 3 different antibiotics on rotation throughout her system, she was discharged.  However, I will never forget the moment I walked into her room in the ER and she was lying on her side, so weak that all she could do was reach out her little hand and say, "Pray."  I did just that, and when I finished she said, "Jesus."  She and I stood in agreement with each other that our Lord would bring total and complete healing and restoration to her body and overcome what the enemy meant for death and turn it to the glory of God.  Our prayers were answered, and she was blessed to witness about Jesus to many doctors and nurses during her stay in the hospital.  It's amazing how our Lord can use a 5-year old child to touch so many lives!  Hallelujah! 

She is once again her exuberant, energetic self, praise the Lord!  She and her brother keep me hopping here, that's for sure!  We've done a bit of "homework" this summer--working on letters, numbers, and some reading.  My grandson is learning some Math and looking forward to entering 1st grade later this month.  Little gal will be entering Kindergarten and is very excited!  They are quite a pair and such a joy and a blessing to me every day.  I thank my Lord for allowing me to know them and be such an active part of their lives.  Hallelujah!

My tomatoes are growing well, finally.  We had an outbreak of the 17-year cicadas this Spring, and they ate all of my tomato plants except 1 Big Boy!  They also ate on my bell pepper plants, but they have bounced back and are blooming, too.  I replaced the tomato plants that were destroyed with heirloom plants--Marglobes.  They, too, are blooming, and I should have some lovely produce from all of it by the end of the month.  I will be canning and freezing most of it, and also what I pick up at the Farmer's Market.  The children and I have been enjoying this season's fresh corn, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, summer squash and zucchini, watermelon, peaches, blueberries, and much more from the Farmer's Market.  What a blessing!  I'm so glad my grandchildren love fresh fruits and veggies the way they do!

I am gradually working on this month's issue of the Nuggets of Wisdom newsletter.  There is much I want to include, especially with it being back to school time once again.  Public and private schools are starting up all over the region here, and many homeschoolers are preparing to open their books once again (although to be honest, homeschoolers never really *stop* their education!).  My grandchildren have fun telling their public school teachers they're being homeschooled, too!  I've only had 1 that had a negative reaction, and she soon changed her mind about it after spending a couple of days with the children.  I'm so glad they are able to reap the benefits of learning in many different ways.

I pray you're having a most blessed summer season, too!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

Once again I find myself with time slipping by very, very quickly.  It seems as though it was just yesterday that I was posting here, and I look, and its been more than 2 weeks.  Yikes! 

Life has been busy.  That's about all I can say.  Between school, taking care of my grandchildren, and helping a friend take care of her grandmother, its hard just finding the time to tend to the work in my homemaking.  However, our Lord is generous with His guiding hand, and He is leading me where I need to be with His priorities in mind.

I have closed my online fellowshipping group for the time being.  Again, time is a big factor with that.  I may reopen it at some point in the future with the Lord's leading, but for now it will remain closed for a while.  This was a hard and painful decision for me to make, but since doing so, I'm feeling a tremendous sense of freedom.  Perhaps its that the burden of the decision-making is past me now, or perhaps its just knowing that I've freed up a bit more time every day that is so desperately needed.  Many of the sisters are keeping in touch with me via private email, and are quite understanding when it takes me a few days to answer them.  I am going through the post archives (slowly), and gathering all of the recipes for a group cookbook.  I will put it in a nice format, and that will be a treasure for each of them to have and enjoy for many years.

The Nuggets of Wisdom newsletter is way behind schedule, but it, too, will go out soon.  The next couple of weeks are filled with Finals and my Graduation, but I am working on it as I can.  It will be a double issue, seeing as how I missed putting out the April edition (oops).  So the April/May edition should be in your inbox sometime by the middle of June (okay, maybe it will be a triple edition!).  I'd rather have it be late and of excellent quality, than on time and mediocre.  I'm of the opinion that anything worth doing is worth doing well.  My dear Mama taught me that many, many years ago and it still holds true for me to this day.

I've been having some transportation issues lately.  My beloved T-Bird is heading to the scrap yard, unfortunately.  It seems that the parts needed for it are impossible to find as the car is now considered "obsolete"!!!  I nearly cried when the Ford dealership told me that, as I dearly loved my little sports car.  However, it was beyond me to keep it considering the cost of the repairs that needed to be done--even if the parts could be found at a junkyard somewhere in the world.  So I will be on the lookout for a new car (hopefully small and fuel-efficient), and will be commuting by bus in the meantime.  Considering the cost of gasoline here lately, the bus is much more economical (especially when you consider my little T-Bird was a V-8!!!). 

All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

I've had a most lovely week here in my home.  The birds have been singing, the air has began to warm each day, and the spring rains are doing their best to clear the air of the pollen that has triggered allergies in many folks.  Yes, Spring has most definitely arrived, and I am ever so thankful for it!

I've been on Spring Break from school this week, and won't be returning until the middle of next week.  What have I been doing to keep myself busy?  Not much!  A bit of homekeeping, a bit of ironing, helping a friend with some of her work, and a lot of reading!  Nothing strenuous, nothing mind-boggling, but a lot of opportunity to spend time with the Lord and delve into His Word more. 

I am hoping to do a bit of sewing later today and tomorrow.  My precious granddaughter has somehow managed to outgrow most of her clothes!  Ah, never fear, this Nanna has plenty of fabric for her, lots of patterns that she has already chosen from, and the skill to get a couple of outfits made in no time at all.  That's what grandmothers are for, isn't it?

My precocious grandson is still able to wear many of his clothes, thankfully.  He's grown, too, but more upward than outward.  As the weather continues to warm, I'll cut off his jeans that grow too short, hem them, and he'll have some nice shorts for Summertime.  Boys are so much easier when it comes to their clothes, don't you think?  It isn't hard to find clothing for them that's modest and reasonably priced.  Finding store-bought clothes for little girls, on the other hand, can quickly turn into a nightmare of the worst kind.  It seems everything available is immodest, overly priced, and totally unsuitable for the age groups they're made for.  Unfortunately this says a lot about today's society--why should the manufacturers of clothing think a 5-year old should not only look *sexy*, but wear clothes that actually have the word (and others in its class) printed on them?  Much prayer is needed for the world and its ideas today, for sure!  I'm ever so thankful my granddaughter prefers to wear clothes that cover her--she likes her skirts and dresses at least to her knees, as well as her shorts (although she prefers capris to shorts).  She prefers tops with sleeves in them, and is fastidious about how she looks.  Thank You, Lord!

I'm planning to do a bit of cooking ahead tomorrow, in preparation for when I go back to school.  Next quarter I'll have classes all 5 days of the week, which will cut down on the time I have available at home to cook and bake.  My freezer meals will surely come in handy then!  I'll fix up an extra large batch of bread, or divide it into 2 batches, and freeze a few loaves for those days when I just don't have the time to make any.  I'm sure some cupcakes will find their way into the freezer as well--quick treats for little ones wanting a snack!

I must say, this Spring Break has been a refreshing change of pace for me.  I've spent little time on my computer--not even turning it on some days.  That's almost a first for me, looking back over the last few years.  It seems I've been spending more and more time on this contraption, what with school work, writing, email, etc.  Sometimes, though, one must take a break from it and get back in touch with life itself.  I dearly love my online friends and acquaintances, and miss them when I don't hear from them, but its been nice to step back for a little while.  They all understand, and that shows me that they do care very much.

Well, once again, its time to turn this machine off and get back to relaxing.  I do hope you've been having a lovely week, too, and that the Spring air is bringing you much joy and refreshing!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

"The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.

When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here."

Posted in Daily Blessings

Yes, it is now *officially* the beginning of the entire holiday season in my home!  What signals the *official* beginning, you ask?  Well, it's when I bite into my first chocolate-covered cherry!  Oh, yes, I know what you're thinking!  "A chocolate-covered cherry?  How does that herald the *official* start of the holiday season?"  I'm glad you asked!

I don't remember exactly when it began, but at some point, I fell into a passion for chocolate-covered cherries.  I remember I didn't like them as a child, and don't remember even trying them again until I was well into adulthood.  But someone gave me a box for Christmas one year (probably at an office Christmas party where you draw a name and have to buy a gift under $5 for the person--and of course, you never really know what that person likes).  Anyhow, I thanked the giver, and tucked them away. 

Well, I had a craving for something sweet one day a few weeks later, and just didn't want to bake anything.  I do remember it was snowing pretty hard, and I didn't want to get out on the roads just to go to the store for a sweet tooth.  And then I remembered that box of chocolate-covered cherries.  Well, I fixed me a cup of hot chocolate, figuring that would help me to get rid of the taste if I thought they were still as horrid as I had when I was little, and bit into one.  Oh, my, goodness!!!  Of course, that was also the moment I discovered that when you bite into one, you do so very carefully, otherwise you end up wearing all the ooey-gooey stuff inside!  But yes, my passion was sparked that day.

Ever since then, it's become a tradition of sorts here in my home, that before I begin any baking or cooking, or even decorating for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, that I go to the store and I buy a box of chocolate-covered cherries.  This is the only time of the year I splurge and allow myself this decadent indulgence.  And I did just that tonight! 

We are now on break from school for Thanksgiving, and since I have about 12 days off, I will be doing quite a bit of cleaning and decorating for the upcoming Christmas season.  Well, I couldn't even think of even opening the closet where my Christmas items are stored until I had my *official* kick-off to it all, so I took myself on down to the Walmart store this evening and bought me a box (albeit a large box!) of my favorite holiday treat. 

Of course, I did pick up a few other things while I was down there that were needed for my pantry, and then I came home, put those things away, fixed me a nice tall glass of ice water, grabbed my precious box of chocolate-covered cherries, and headed upstairs to my computer/sewing room.  I sat down here at this machine, opened up the lovely box, and ever so delicately bit into my first chocolate-covered cherry of the season.  Yep, still delicious, still decadent, still worth every calorie in them!  Do I feel festive now?  Yes, and I also feel pampered and spoiled.  You see, I've had the nasty flu bug the last few days, and have felt a bit better today.  So, yes, I'm celebrating the beginning of my recovery and kicking off the holiday season all at the same time! 

Do you have any special customs to begin the holidays in your home?  Leave me a comment and share them with me--I'd love to hear all about it!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

Last Saturday (before my illness), my family and I went spelunking atCarter Caves in Kentucky.  But before we went, we stopped off at the market to choose a pumpkin for the children for the Fall Season.  They had such a grand time, running here and there searching for just the *right* pumpkin to decorate their home with!

They did finally choose the one they wanted, and off to the highway we headed!  Now, I had never been in a *northern* cave.  All the ones down home are limestone, and have a lot of danger associated with them (think of the term "sinkhole"--common in Florida!).  So this was a new adventure for all of us, as my son and the children had never been either! 

We passed some beautiful scenery along the way, and saw some of the leaves turning color, just blazing away on the hillsides.  There was also a lovely stream that we went over just after we entered the state park, and it just brought joy to my heart. 

I love the countryside, especially in Appalachia.  Not only is it beautiful, but folks are just downright friendly! 

Anyhow, we all went into Cascade Cave.  What beauty we beheld! 

Of course, there were bats (called Indiana bats, because that is where they originate from, although they do venture down into northern Kentucky, and as forth north as southern Michigan, according to our tour guide).  But there were many more wonders to feast our eyes upon!  Stalagmites, Stalagtites, both grown together to form Columns, and an underground Reflection Pool with a stream running from it through the cave.  Beautiful! 

After we left Cascade Cave, my family went to the X-Cave, which forms a natural X formation.  Now, this Nanna did not go in that cave!  Not only was I exhausted from exploring the Cascade Cave, the X-cave had very narrow passages and low ceilings (one had to double over just to get in it!).  Now, I'm not small, or petite.  No, I'm a country-cooking Mama, and my girth shows it!  And not only that, I do have a bit of claustrophia, and I do not like tight spaces at all.  So, I was quite content to sit back at the welcome center and read while they went exploring without me! 

We did have a lovely group of Mennonite families as part of our tour group through the Cascade Cav(they gave me permission to take a picture).  They stayed toward the back of the group where Robert and I were with the children.  They were ever so friendly, and that helped to take my mind off the fact that I was underground, and the tour guide had locked the door behind us when we went in! 

I would encourage anyone to go spelunking if they have the chance.  Now, if this gal can do it with claustrophobia, anyone can do it!  Just choose a cave that is large, with high ceilings and wide passages.  A friendly group along with you will help, and there's so much beauty to be seen.

My son and the children did go into another cave as we were leaving, but that one wasn't part of a tour.  The park allows folks to explore caves alone with a permit, and they loved the last one they went in!  There was an underground river, fish in the river that were snow white, and since the river runs out through the rocks, he had no idea how those fish got in there, or if they had ever been outside of that cave.  All we could figure was that at one time, there was an opening, and fish swam in and out.  Apparently that opening closed up, trapped some fish in, and these are their *ancestors* for lack of a better word.  No, they had probably never seen daylight, and he said you could almost see their bones.  Of course, he was having to see with a flashlight, and that made it even more beautiful.  The children said there were thousands of bats in that cave (which my son verified for me), and yet they weren't afraid of them at all!  Amazing! 

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my little dialogue about our day trip last weekend.  Perhaps you'll get the chance to go cave exploring sometime, too!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

a tropical heat wave..."  Yes, this song is so very fitting right about now here in West Virginia!  My goodness gracious!  Even for a gal who grew up in the tropical heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast of Florida, I have to say that it's hot!  As I left the school today and walked out the glass doors in front, it felt as though I were walking into a hot kiln, ready for firing a new ceramic piece.  Why, it just took one's breath away!  Have mercy! 

However, this too shall pass, as always.  After all, these are the *dog days of summer* and that tells me that soon this season shall come to an end.  In about 6-8 weeks, the air will become quite crisp and refreshing once again, the leaves will lose their chlorophyll and become the brilliant reds, gold, oranges, and russet colors of Autumn, and it will be time to pull out the heavier clothing, the soft and cuddly blankets and afghans to cozy up with, and mix up a big batch of my hot chocolate mix and lay in a few jars of marshmallow creme to top the steaming mugs with! 

However, that time hasn't quite arrived yet, although preparations are already under way for it.  Very soon I'll be *redecorating* my little blog home here and enjoying the change of seasons once again.  Until then, it's lots of ice water to stay hydrated and healthy, lots of popsicles to pass out to my grandchildren, lighter cooking in the kitchen, and cooler fabrics being worn.  The windows will remain closed (but the door is always ready to open for guests!) and the air conditioners remain on High, the fans will be turned off only long enough to clean them and then turned back on High speed once again, and I'll continue filling the wading pool for the young'uns to play in as I sit and sip lemonade and watch them.  Yes, this is Summertime here, and I am enjoying it to the fullest!   I pray this season has been a blessing to you, and that our next season is even better!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

I haven't gone anywhere!  I've just been super-duper busy with the blessings of Summertime and all that it entails!  I've spent much time enjoying 2 of my grandchildren, my friend's grandchildren, going to school, gardening, sewing, and cooking.  I'm getting ready to start on Christmas gifts very soon, but am not allowing myself to get too overly stressed otu about any of it at this point! 

Why is that?  Well, I've learned through the years, that many precious moments are rare and all too fleeting when they do come along!  My grandchildren won't be little for much longer, and I'm doing all I can to enjoy the time I have with them now.  They're learning a lot about life in general, and this pleases me greatly.  They both show quite a bit of common sense, and I give God all of the praise and glory for this!  Hallelujah! 

So, as I blog infrequently these days, don't give up on me just yet.  All too soon it will be cooler months and they'll be back in the schoolroom, and life here in my home will once again settle down to a pace that allows me to spend more time with my writing.  In the meantime, enjoy the beauty of this season our Lord has provided us with, and take yourself and your children on a nature hike.  Go to a park.  Fly a kite.  Have a picnic.  Go swimming.  Visit your local farmer's markets and eat of the season's bounty.  Yes, this is the time for enjoying life to it's fullest, and it all begins with today.

So enjoy your summer, and I'll be dropping in every now and then with updates of mine.

Blessings to you and yours,

Cynthia Robin

Posted in Daily Blessings

It surely is the middle of summer here in beautiful West Virginia!  The sun is shining daily, the humidity is sticky, and there's a bit of a *heat haze* everywhere you look.  The Farmer's Markets are open, the city pools are open, and even some of the police officers (those on bicycles in the parks) are wearing shorts!  The sunglasses are a regular fixture atop my head, my hair is up all of the time, and the thinner fabrics are being worn (which means for lighter laundry loads!).  The kiddie pool is used almost daily when the children are with me, and those little *pop-up storms* are short and sweet.  Oh, and yes, we've been having a major drought in my area!  Not good at all for the farmers!  However, my zinnias are in full bloom, my herbs are thriving and growing well, and my tomatoes are teasing me with their slow growing.  My leaf lettuce is tempting me every day, and my lavendar bush is being regularly cut and dried.  My roses are a bit testy with the heat and drought, but managing to bloom every now and then.  My chrysanthemum bush is full of buds and waiting for the Fall to open up and delight me with its beauty.  Yes, summer is in full force!

Of course, Summer also means *busy* in my book!  This is when I spend a lot of time with my plants, a lot of time soaking up the sun, and soon will be spending quite a bit of time canning and putting things up for Winter menus.  I have a few sewing orders I'm working on, and also plan to start some Christmas gifts very soon.  I just finished making curtains for my granddaughter's bedroom-a lovely bright pink with the outline of white flowers on the fabric.  They're bright and cheerful, and will work for all seasons for her.  Her fav color is pink and she chose this fabric, and she was thrilled when I handed them to her earlier today.  Now she's wanting a jumper out of the rest of the material!  That little gal's already learning to make full use of what is available! 

So....when you drop in and haven't seen anything new posted here, have no worries!  I'm just staying busy doing the things of summer.  No lazy, hazy days of summer here!  Just lots of activity in preparation for the upcoming seasons, and plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of this season.  I just love the way the Lord gives so many different colors to the landscape throughout the year-another reason why I live here in the Mountain State and no longer in the Sunshine State! 

I'm also working on the Nuggets of Wisdom newsletter, and should be having it in the inboxes of my subscribers sometime in the next week or so-I lose track of time sometimes!  (If you haven't signed up yet, the box is in my sidebar--it's all free for you!) 

I hope you're having a productive and exciting summertime, too!  Until next time....

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin 

Posted in Daily Blessings

This has been another busy week here at my home (aren't they all?).  My grandchildren were here visiting me nearly every day, and I had the joy of taking care of one of my former daycare children for a few hours yesterday, while also taking care of my granddaughter while her Daddy (my son) was in school.  She finished up HeadStart for this term, and will return in September.  My son and I agreed that over the summer months I will do a bit of homeschooling with them, as they will be with me the days he is attending our college.  I'm surely looking forward to it, and so are the children!   

I finished my online registration today for the Summer Quarter at my school.  As soon as my Academic Advisor approves it I'll be all signed up and ready to go!  We still have another 3 weeks left of our Spring Term, and the pressure is on!  Due to all of the bomb threats (which led to missed days that have to be made up) we had, they have made some moderations for our Final Exams this term.  We will have to take them all in one day, and they are allowing our teachers a bit of leeway in administering them.  For this I am thankful.  It is my understanding our Accounting Final will be a take-home test, and this really pleases me.  My calculator died during the last test in there (I still made an A on it, though!), and rather than buy another one right now, I'll be able to use my electric calculator at home.  Hallelujah!  It's a nice large one (10-key type), and much easier for me to use than a little pocket calculator like we use for the classroom. 

I'm not too worried about the Final for my Word Processing II class, as it will be done on the computer right there.  Simple enough.  However, it's my understanding that in English Composition I class, we have to write a paper right there in the classroom during the allotted time.  This presents a bit of a challenge for me, as I do all of my writing on my computer.  My brain just thinks more clearly when I can write it as fast as I think it (I'm up to 74 wpm in my typing speed).  Having to do it all in longhand will take much longer, and be more difficult on my fingers.  I've been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my hands and fingers, and writing in longhand is difficult for me.  However, I can type all day and no problems.  Perhaps she'll do the same as my Accouting teacher and allow us to write it at home.  I pray so!  Either way, I'm sure it will all be just fine.

I have plans during the break between terms.  I'm going to shampoo my carpets and thoroughly clean and organize my sewing room/office.  It's been needing it for a while, and while I don't have any sewing orders I'll take advantage of the time and go ahead and get it done.  I want to get started on sewing things for the upcoming Fall season and also Christmas, so the sooner everything's organized in here, the better.

Well, time to get to my evening devotion time.  I pray you've had a lovely and prosperous week, and spend time in church tomorrow worshipping our Lord and gleaning knowledge from your pastor's sermon!

Hugs,

Cynthia Robin