I'm so sorry dear friends... I didn't mean to leave you hanging for the past month or so but time slipped away from me, as spring descended upon our world, and it has been a glorious time!  

We also took a quick trip to Texas to be with our families, especially to see my husband's mother who had been in a nursing home and unable to leave for the past year.  Texas lifted restrictions for nursing homes, and we were able to visit her and take her out for little day trips. It was so wonderful to be able to do this, after such a long hard year that she went through! 

We struggled to rent a car in Texas, as the car rental places were sold out. Thankfully, the Lord put us in contact with a kind lady who found us a rental car despite the empty parking lot! So many people were visiting Texas that weekend, that availability was incredibly low.

We had a lot of ground to cover in our short time there. We met my parents for dinner before heading on to stay the night with my sister.  My parents' "room in the inn" was full with other family members who were in a transition phase of moving, so we stayed with my sister, who lives nearby.

Enjoyed short and sweet moments together! Nothing like sister time!

A favorite treat in Texas is eating at Whataburger...

We stopped at the Strawberry Farm in Marble Falls and enjoyed about an hour there picking strawberries, enjoying the beautiful flowers and sunshine.

We picked these strawberries in a matter of minutes! They were SOO good too! Nothing like fresh home-grown strawberries! We took some to Dan's mom, and the rest my Mom made into strawberry jam :)

Bluebonnets! We saw these along the roadside as we traveled to see Dan's mom.

Our first time to see Dan's Mom after she had been in the nursing home and not able to  leave for over a year.

We took her out for a drive, and stopped at the city park and we  were delighted to see the goslings out with their parents.

Her joy at being out and about with us!

We enjoyed scenic views of the magnificent Texas bluebonnets!

Gorgeous, aren't they!

Dan and his mom :)

We enjoyed lunch at Cooper's BBQ.

Beautiful roses in bloom.

Closeups of the bountiful bluebonnet

Bluebonnets everywhere!

On our drive, we saw this old tractor parked behind the old cedar fence.

An artist painting his rendition of the beautiful scene

A beautiful scene in every direction!

Back at home, spring had arrived! These beautiful wild trout lilies are the first signs of spring in our woods.

These lilies face downwards, so I caught a different perspective of this lily  with the forest in the background.

Daffodils in bloom!

Hyacinths blooming in the garden

Some beautiful blooms in front of a local business.

My neighbor had a brick planter put in just so she could grow tulips. Around here, the gophers/ground squirrels eat every tulip bulb in the ground.  I love her choice of tulips!

The last picture I took of my sweet Mister Simba. Our hearts were broken when he didn't return home one night a couple of weeks ago. We've had coyotes around our place and he was well acquainted with them, but for whatever reason, he was not able to outrun them.  He was 9 years old.

 One day, I let Riley off the leash, and followed her, wherever she went.  After an hour of following her, we found Mister's fur, all that remains after a coyote attack. It was so, so hard. My heart is still so broken, but I am thankful for closure.  We have so many special memories of our 9 years with Mister.  

Our dear Mister Simba will never be forgotten, I will remember and cherish his love and antics always.  Losing a pet is never easy.  In time, I want to get another cat, but for right now, because we have an ongoing situation with a coyote that has become a predator of domestic animals, I am going to wait.  

Today I went to help a friend clean her daughter's home, as her daughter has cancer, and has been in a cancer center treatment for the last several weeks. She has no immune system because of the treatments.  She is coming home, and needs to have her living quarters cleaned and free of anything that would inhibit her immune system. As I worked with my dear friend, we talked about many things. My friend is a precious prayer warrior and as we finished cleaning, we prayed together. It was a really sweet time. 

I know that we all have our private struggles, and difficult things to face, and some face giants in their lives. It always makes me thankful that no matter what our struggle, sorrow, or situation may be... if we turn it over to the Lord, the situation changes, and we can look at it with a different perspective.  As I was preparing to leave, my friend and I both felt encouraged, and I reminded her of the scripture that says "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." Her face lit up, and I know in my heart that the Lord is with her in this situation and all will be well. 

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Isn't it wonderful to walk with the Lord, and to know that no matter what situations we face in life, we have a hope in Him that reaches beyond the darkness and despair of this world, and it turns the sorrow we face here on earth, into a joy that cannot compare! 

If you don't have this hope in Christ, this peace that passes understanding, this joy that turns sorrow into something beautiful, I pray for you today, that the hope our Lord Jesus Christ brought into this world will transform your life in  a powerful way. 

Another scripture comes to mind as I write this: 

Yet all this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 
because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, 

for His compassion never fail, 

they are new every morning; 

Great is Your Faithfulness." 

Lamentations 3:21-23

I had mentioned in a previous post that I make my own sourdough bread.  Making your own bread is quite satisfying in so many ways.  So today I wanted to share the sourdough recipe that I have perfected over the years.  This one is so simple, doesn't require much kneading at all, and the bread turns out incredibly light and tender every time. 

Sourdough Bread Recipe

Can you believe it is that time of year again? I know... I really can't either!  But, the middle of February has passed, and it is time to start our tomatoes and peppers here in the northwest.  We have such a short growing season that we have to give our plants a huge headstart. I did not start seeds last week, as the entire world, it seemed was in a deep freeze!  

We did get some snow here last week, but it was very minimal, and while our temperatures hovered around 7 at the lowest point, with a windchill in the minuses, it was not too bad.  We are used to those kind of temperatures here this time of year and are prepared for them. I walk no matter the weather, and just bundled up with a few more layers, and I was perfectly warm and cozy as I walked in those temperatures.  Of course, the dogs are so blessed... they are perfectly suited to this kind of weather as well! In fact, they loved every minute of it! 

We own a Mr. Buddy propane heater, and use it for added comfort and warmth on cold days, and as a source of secondary heat.  As you can see, Riley enjoys this heat as well! The Buddy heater is a very safe alternative for heating in the case of very cold weather, we have used it for many years.

My heart went out to those living in Texas and across the south who suffered from far more extreme temperatures than we have even seen here this winter, and lost power!  It would be miserable even for us here, should that have been the case.  But having lived many years in Texas, I know how unprepared homes are for such weather, and how unbelievable that such cold weather came, and stayed for so long. Thankfully all of my family and friends survived the miserable weather.  Some had pipes burst, but those can be fixed.  Were any of you affected by the extreme weather this past week? You all were in my thoughts and prayers throughout the week.  It was such an unusual, really historical event. 

Today it was so wonderful to see the sunshine and blue skies!

As the dogs and I walked, we lifted our faces to the sun, and enjoyed every bit of it! We get little precious sunshine here in the winter, and when we do get it, we love it!

I spent time in my greenhouse today planting peppers and tomatoes, along with some greens, sunflowers and sweet peas. I am allowing myself to get excited about spring now, although we no doubt have more winter weather before spring truly arrives.

February always brings warm weather during the day, and freezing at night, which means... ice.  So February is the month where we are very careful when walking, because ice is always underfoot! I enjoyed the glorious sunrise one morning as it colored the world in bright orange rays!

I was blessed to see this local herd of elk recently.  This was before we got our last snowstorm, and you can see what a mild winter we are having... no snow on the ground in late February! Aren't they magnificent creatures though!

It is always such a treat to see wildlife in our area.

During the winter, I take the time, if I have the time, to make myself a cup of tea, and it is a perfect opportunity to sit, pray and talk to the Lord as you drink the tea.  Tea and prayer are great companions :)

Here we are, in the last week of February, and spring is around the corner! I am sure that the first blooms of spring won't be far away now, as I've already seen a few green shoots coming out of the ground!  I look forward to seeing crocus, daffodils and tulips before long! How about you? Are signs of spring arriving after the cold freeze last week?  

There is an old saying that says "springtime snow is poor man's fertilizer"... well... I hope that rings true for all of us this year, don't you?! 

 Today I want to share a delightful experience that took place over 8 years ago.  A dear friend of mine and I visited a local teahouse together.  We were treated to a 5-course meal in a charming home served by the owner in a most delightful setting.  It was a treasured time for both of us.  I've always wanted to create a memory book of that visit, but have never gotten around to doing it. 

Recently I became a member of a digital scrapbooking group where each month the members receive incredibly beautiful digital files to use in their own projects. The Handmade Club's owner Kerry-Anne lives in Australia, and she is a precious soul who crafts the most beautiful files and shares them with her private member's group (which is VERY reasonably priced!) and as well, on her website, she also shares a lot of freebies.  I have dabbled in digital scrapbooking for years, but paper scrapbooking and card-making will always be my first love.  The nice thing about Kerry-Anne's digital creative work is that you can print them out yourself, or you can use them digitally, making it a win-win for me :) 

January's kit for the Handmade Club was titled "Teatime Friends".  I knew when I saw this kit that I needed to create a digital scrapbook of our visit to the Foxwood Tea House. 

So, today I am going to share with you my digital scrapbooking pages created with Kerry-Anne's most recent member's kit, Teatime Friends.  Now, I am not a pro at Photoshop at all, but her images make the work of creating a digital scrapbook quite simple and so much fun!  I smiled as I created, remembering the special Mother's Day tea that my dear friend Robin and I were able to attend.  Sadly, this tea house has since closed down, in fact, it closed not long after we had this tea together.  But I'm thankful for the special memories that we were able to make together and to be able to share them here with you today.

I hope you enjoyed my fun trip back through time into this delightful tea house!  We have no other tea room in our area any longer, and that makes me sad, as I dearly love tea-time adventures :) 

Even though Foxwood Tea House is no longer available to visit... my daily tea time adventures always continue.  Canadian-born soul that I am, taking a daily tea is a precious time to me.  I enjoy coffee in the morning with my Bible and Jesus, but in the afternoon, if time allows for it, tea-time is a chance for me to correspond with dear friends.  I try to write several cards a week to friends that around the world.  I also teach a bible study once every two weeks and hold a ladies prayer meeting in my home each week, so I often share tea with those ladies as well.  There is something special about tea, prayer and fellowship with dear friends who love the Lord! 

I must have color in my world!  This time of year, I enjoy fresh tulips from the local market, until the day that they bloom in my own garden :)

Something about their bright colors bring joy into my heart!

I made this little scripture journal some time ago, and keep it in a place where I can read the scriptures often, and see them as I am at work around my home. It is good to have scriptures in places around your home to remind you of the promises of the Lord throughout the day.

I am hopelessly in love with teacups, and even though I live in a very tiny home (less than 800 square feet), I have created a space in front of our living room window to display my favorite teacups.

Reading one of my favorite magazines... Tea Time... and I have a certain furry orange-haired dear soul that loves to come and join me for my perusal through the magazine {smiles}!

Carnations in a pretty vase... pearls and ribbons...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I've decorated with a few touches of red and pink throughout my home.

What is it about the long winter days of January that call me into the kitchen? I do find something quite comforting about spending time in the kitchen, baking and cooking up wonderful things for my family to enjoy.  

Recently I enjoyed an outing with some of my dear friends to a local Greek restaurant.  It was a lovely way to spend a drizzly, rainy day in January.  

If you are a local to the Post Falls area, most likely you will recognize this restaurant for its incredibly good food... that is FULL of garlic! Oh yes, this restaurant specializes in all things garlic... and they have a reputation in the community for their amazing food!

 Here we are, friends! We've made it into 2021, and 2020 is now truly a year that is in hindsight.  How thankful I am for the many mercies and love of the Lord on our family throughout the past year, as He always has.  And whatever this year holds before us, I look into this year through a "glass darkly" yet with complete faith and trust that the Lord's provision will be sufficient, no matter what our earthly circumstances or political stage looks like.

When I walk each morning, it gives me a chance to spend time in the Lord's creation, and to bask in the beauty of His world.  There is something so comforting about looking upward to the skies, and to the horizon beyond me, and to the world in front of me, and to realize that our Lord does ALL THINGS WELL.  It is in those times of walking with Him, praying, and spending time in the Word in the morning before I leave, that I find the strength, peace, and joy to carry on with each day He has given me breath to enjoy. 

As so often is the case, here in north Idaho, January can be a very foggy, gray month.  The fog hangs low and thick, and the horizon often may not stretch much farther than the breath you breathe.  And it can seem in those gray, foggy days that the skies, mountains, and familiar horizons have forever disappeared into the mists that surround your present being.  Yet, in our heart's mind, we know those familiar landmarks are there, even when they cannot be seen. Soon though, in its own time, the sun will break through the clouds, and shine its light onto the world, illuminating clearly that which could not be seen just moments (or days) before.  

The reality is that the sun is always shining, 

up above the clouds, 

and it is just the clouds obstructing the sun's rays 

that prevent the light from shining.  

The mountains have not moved, the horizon has not changed, nor has the forest disappeared from sight.  It just takes the sunshine to bring back into focus what we knew was there all along. 

Just as it is at night too... many times in the darkness of the hour, it is hard to believe the reality of what we know to be true.  Sometimes the darkness can cause us to doubt what we know.  Yet... without fail, the dawning of the day always comes, and sunlight floods into the darkness, and truth is made known. 

January Fog