Pruning Love?

This week I've been looking at the apple tree. Last year, I wanted the strong men around here to cut it down. It wouldn't produce fruit. However, this past Fall, it was loaded with apples! I wonder if it "heard" our threat to do away with it? The teenage princes couldn't bear for it to be cut down!

Now in the cold of winter, its' branches are bare. I'm sure the time to prune it is rapidly approaching. The stray growth needs to be cut back, so the nutrients and sap can strengthen the main parts of the tree...or something like that! We want a lot of healthy and crisp apples.

It reminds me of love. In every relationship, romantic or not, there can be times of...shall I say...dormancy. But if we continue to prune back to the basics and look for ways to be strong emotionally, socially and spiritually, we will reap a huge harvest of love.

I'm off to "prune" some more.

Love, Rachel

A Week of Love

Hey these cookies look pretty good to be a year old. Don't they!? I found the picture from last year, and it reminded me that I want to try a new recipe this year...I need to pull that out and make it...just to see if we like it as much as this recipe!
A few days ago little princess asked me if I was going to make the bread and meat shaped like a heart. "What?" I thought. She said, "You know you do that every year!" Oh, do I? Well, I guess I do now.

smile sigh

the things we do for our kids

I LOVE Valentine's Day. It's probably my favorite holiday. I really haven't figured out why. Hhmmm...maybe I should figure that out this year.

I know there is so much emphasis on having the love of someone special in your life, but I try to emphasize the little things that show love to others whether it is romantic love or not. I know I must be healthy emotionally, socially, spiritually to love others the way they deserve to be loved.

Each day is a new day to start fresh and love others.

Gotta go bake cookies! See ya!
Love, Rachel

Hymn Chimes

This beautiful old church is across the street and 1/2 a block down. Three times each day, hymns and carols chime across the sounds waves and reach me as I listen and enjoy. I find the sounds comforting and uplifting. Most usually I know the words to the tune that is being played, and I sing along, at least in my mind if not out loud.

I've thought that I should go to the church office and ask them if I could play the bells...I think that would be so fun. I can tell when different people are playing because the bells sound different.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Old Testament Psalm chapter 95 verse 2

Have a musical restful day.

Love, Rachel

Katherine's Cheery Porch!

For those of us in the frosty coldness of winter, I thought maybe a view of beautiful sunny Florida would be just what the Doctor ordered for the Featured Porch for the month of February. You will also enjoy meeting Katherine the gracious lady who graces this lovely central Florida home and writes the blog, Yellow Rose Arbor.
This is what Katherine says about her beautiful porch.


"We live in central FL on the east coast, near the ocean.

We don't actually have a front porch, but have a courtyard right next to our front door.

This courtyard has an arbor above it and the bougainvillea grows on the arbor.

These pictures are of the courtyard.
We have a back porch that we enjoy in pleasant weather, it overlooks a man made lake."



Take a minute of your day today and visit Katherine. Get a breath of fresh Florida sunshine, and tell her you saw her beautiful porch here!

Love, Rachel

Just A Week?

Last week our kids were out of school from Wednesday through Saturday because of bad weather and snow. On Tuesday morning that week when we dropped one of them off at school in the morning, it was dark...pitch black! This week on Monday morning when we went for the drop off, I was amazed and thrilled it was light...as in daylight! Yay! Morning sunshine!

Amazing that just a week makes that much difference!
Can you tell it is staying light longer each day where you live?

We'll have a cold snowy frosty sunshiny day here, but it's light!
Love, Rachel

Just A Ferret! No Ground Hogs Here!

" Hey Ivory. Are you awake?
What is your take on Punxsutawney Phil's prediction for the arrival of Spring?"
"BBBBBrrrrrrrrr, it's cold out here. I think Spring will be here in about 6 weeks no matter what Punxsutawney Phil says! Now will you please leave me alone, and let me sleep?"

Happy Ground Hog Day y'all!
Love, Rachel

F.R.O.G.

F.R.O.G.

Fully Rely On God!

I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

Old Testament Psalm chapter 16 verse 2 NIV

Have a restful day today.

Love, Rachel