Twenty Years Blogging and Happy Autumn(?)

"To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!"   ---Proverbs 15:23

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Walking down the sidewalk beneath tall sycamores in 2004 I thought, "Should I begin writing in a blog? Who even wants to read about my life?" But then on July 25th I stepped into Blogland. 

Have a God-blessed dream, goal or longing? Do it before the conviction and grace seep away, ok? They erase the struggle.

Some of you immediately spied me, decided to stay, and 20 years later I thank you for hanging-out with me beginning at Autumn Cottage.

Others discovered my posts 18 years ago or 16 when, after our 6-month apartment-stay, we first moved to the farm. Such adventure out there! The barn, the huge garden, the painting of rooms, the job lay-off, the enormous yard (which finally defeated me). 

Yet always, the gratitude that we took the plunge and lived our farm dreams before that window in Time slammed shut.

Out upon those quiet 4 acres some of you discovered me, then decided to travel along to our Hobbit Cottage (or as I also call it, Our Little Yellow House In the Land of Goshen).

Thank-you for that.

You'll hardly believe this, but next month we'll have lived here 13 years. Incredible, especially considering this was meant to be a temporary stopping spot on the way to our dream house.

Another lesson? Always choose the house God wants for you. He knows if you'll need to stay longer than you'd planned.  He sees ahead. He realizes the upcoming circumstances causing you to use rooms (and do Life) differently and the way you'll need upkeep to become simpler.

He knows you'll not forever be that proverbial spring chicken.

Wow, the changes in my life these past 20 years! Yet what remains the same? With each post, I ask God to speak through me so to encourage people. To help them, you, learn from my mistakes and lessons-learned and to perhaps think differently about God and Life.

It's that simple and may I always keep it so.

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And the Happy Autumn thing? 

Yesterday was Day One of Autumn at Hobbit Cottage. I'd had quite enough of Summer (ugh) and decided to begin my autumnal celebrations early. Yes, in July, ok?  ジ

Something else I share here? Know yourself. Know what you need to keep yourself strong in God and Life.

I collected 50+ Autumn videos in a folder at Youtube. After making a low-sugar pumpkin pie for breakfast, I placed my metal Autumn Bucket List sign on the refrigerator. I began a search for Autumn-based books and am currently seeking Autumn computer wallpaper (thanks, Ann, for that idea!).

Last night we even spied an extremely autumnal tv commercial which I told Tom aired just for us.

And that was only the first day.

"There are exactly as many special occasions in Life as we choose to celebrate."

--- Robert Breault

How long have you been reading here? Hmm?

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And I'm still thinking about this. The small changes we make today really can largely affect our future. Let's all do what God is nudging us to today!

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A very favorite Autumn video.

This was hilarious and took me back in Time to cassette tapes.  ツ

Such cozy corners!

And this was cute: How To Live Grandmacore

I so enjoy people who know exactly what they like and want. Like her. (Those ladder stairs looked cool folded up against the wall, but to climb them? Uh, no. Not me. heh.)

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This quote made my week:

"Waiting on God is always active; it should never feel like you are doing nothing. If you're waiting on God, take action! Seek healing, improve your physical health, educate yourself in areas you're called to, and gain practical experience through internships or relevant work. Waiting is a time for preparation and growth, not stagnation."

--Shawn Bolz

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

This Shocking Weekend Brought To Mind An Earlier Post And -----

" ... but the righteous are bold as a lion. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. "   --- Proverbs 28:1, Ephesians 6:10

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Did I stay silent after the historic evilness which was the attempted assassionation of President Trump? No way. Instead, I recalled this post, below, from 4 years ago and chose sharing words of encouragement at Facebook and Twitter. (Hmm... have I even noticed before the word 'courage' within encouragement? Wild!)

Anyway, this post (with new links) from 2020 is what still nudges me to speak today---

After I arrive in Heaven? Personally, this scenario would horrify me (yeah, even there):

Four friends in Heaven: "Debra! How marvelous to see you here."

                                         (Hugs all around.)

Debra: "Thanks, Everyone! I really missed each of you."

Four friends in Heaven: "Say, we heard America was nearly taken over                                                 with riots!"

                                                       "And sin ran rampant in the streets and the                                                   Government!"

Debra: "Yes, it was a dreadful time." (She shudders.)

Four friends in Heaven: "So tell us! How did the Lord use you to fight

                                         against the darkness?"

                                         "Yes! Tell us."

                                         "What adventures did you have?"

Debra: "Well I, uh, prayed a lot." (She smiles.)

Four friends in Heaven:   "Sure, sure. All Christians were called to do                                                  that."                                              

                                                       "But what else?"

Debra: "Uhm, I soaked in the presence of God pretty often."

Four friends in Heaven:  "Also good. But what specific ways did God                                                 use you through your gifts? Your voice?"

                                         "What ways did you fight the evil which tried to take over your Country's people?"

                                        

Debra: "I, uh--"

Four friends in Heaven: "Yes, how did you make a difference?"

                                        "How did the Lord move through you to change                                             History?"

                                         "To awaken and warn others so they, also,                                                    would fight?"

Debra: "Er..."

Four friends in Heaven:  "Tell us how you helped others who struggled!"

                                         "How did the Lord use you to speak light into                                                the darkness?"

                                         "Yes! We love hearing how God moves upon the                                           Earth through His called and chosen ones."

                                         "Yes, and how others will recall their time upon                                            Earth for all eternity."

Debra: "Uhm, well ... They said we must stay home so I did. I prayed an awful lot. God helped me think happy thoughts while I waited for it all to be over and --

Four friends in Heaven: "And?"

Debra: "...and I was afraid, but right now I can't remember exactly why."

Four friends in Heaven:  "Oh."

                                         "Oh."

                                         "Oh."

                                         "Oh."                      

Heaven forbid.

One of the very scariest verses in the entire Bible? This one--

"If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them."   --- James 4:17

Something I wrote for Facebook yesterday--

Ecclesiastes 3 says there's a time for everything, including a time to speak and a time to be silent, a time for peace and a time for war. Now, I believe, is not the time to be silent. That's a huge reason we are where we are today. Too much silence and apathy while evil takes over. We'll be held responsible for being silent at the wrong time and seeking peace when we should've fought evil. So yes, it's going to affect our homes, but with God's grace heavy upon us, we can do this and we can still love the life He gave us while we fight against what's trying to take over our country. (Just my thoughts as I'm noticing most of my friends are choosing silence after the historic, evil thing which happened yesterday.)

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Glue Books! I think I found my next craft.  And here.

Messy Dollar Tree?

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And as I also shared at Facebook---

Oh wow. Yesterday we watched the new movie, IF, and loved it. The colors! The imagination! The old-timey apartments! IF made me remember all the rampant creativity I once had and challenged me to welcome it back.

My only complaint would be the overuse of the term "Oh God." But otherwise? I'd highly recommend this for anyone, any age. At the end, Tom even said, "We'll have to watch that one again."

Oh, and we watched it nearly free by using the 2 months for .99 cents each MGM+ offer, but it's also available at Paramount Plus.

Check out the trailer here .

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Looking future-wise, yes, this fits regarding what happened Saturday. Remember, there's more than one way God helps keep millions of people alive.

President Trump was shot at 6:11 (!) --

Okay, this got me all teary-eyed and determined! Am still reeling with gratitude.

Tempted just to hide and ignore what's happening? Ever looked up 'what does the Bible say about the cowardly'?  Yikes!--

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."   --- 1 Corinthians 16:13

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

My Spider Story. (Ew.)

So on the outside walls of our Hobbit Cottage we've got some monstrous, rabid spiders. (That photo is only meant to scare you. heh. Not a true representation.)

Really, they chew their prey and blood drips down, leaving dark gross lines. In fact, that's partly why I considered painting our house dark blue this time--so the streaks wouldn't stand out as they do with yellow (but dark colors absorb sunlight and who needs more @#$% heat?).

Those marks were--I thought--unremovable. My trusty vinegar-water-and-baking-soda did nothing so I'd grumble, defrost my brushes, and paint over them.

(Could we have hired an exterminator? Uh, no. I don't believe in spraying poison on my walls around my edible gardens nor while having cats or heck, not while my family is breathing, either. Er hem.)

Anyway.

Good grief. Why oh why did it take me 11 years to search online for a solution? Why is this yet one more thing I must forgive myself for not figuring out sooner?

Last week I immediately discovered online that hydrogen peroxide will remove those blood stains. Traipsing downstairs, I grabbed some cotton balls and peroxide, stepped outside, sat down and didn't even have to scrub hard. The marks faded away.

Gah.

The older I become the more--it seems--I'm fixing things so to make my life simpler, healthier and more senior-friendly. So what I've decided? I can view all this as an annoying fact of Life or as an adventurous challenge. If it's the latter, any successful discovering of solutions will mean I can thank God and be proud of myself. You know the good pride:

"Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else ..."   --- Galations 6:4

So what remains is to stop feeling annoyed by the challenges aging brings and just whack them all down like a good little soldier...

... while anticipating the rewards of simpifying my days, a job well done, and feeling better about Life during these changing later years.

"We can see aging as an adventure, not something that means we have to be miserable and sit around and do nothing... The way we think about ourselves influences how we respond to aging."

---Joyce Meyer from How to Age Without Getting Old

Oh, the necessity of listening to the Holy Spirit in our daily life! Who knows better than Him the best way to do things?

Seems I'm always telling myself, "Forgive yourself. Do better next time, yes, but forgive yourself, also."

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How Grannies Are Saving Spain From a Heat Wave

How to Clear Out Your Parents' House

House Tour: Inside The Restored Grey Gardens  (Warning: lots of colorful rooms here! I love them, but your tastes may vary. heh.)

Five Tips for Helping Your Baby Boomer Parents Declutter

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Life around Hobbit Cottage This Week:

Poncho's favorite spot:

I bought a new toy for my Prayer Garden--the trellis thing.

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Right?   シ

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. *** "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15