Out with the Old, In with the New ~ 2011-2012

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

". . . But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind & straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:13-14

"Praise be to the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, & into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade ~ kept in heaven for you . . . " ~I Peter 1:3-4

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God . . . " ~II Corinthians 5:17-18(a)

If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior & LORD, as the Messiah Who has fulfilled EVERY Old Testament prophecy except one ~ His return, His 2nd coming ~ than I plead with you to do it today. Let TODAY be YOUR Day of Salvation (II Corinthians 6:2). Not one of us is promised tomorrow & WE decide our eternal future here on earth, there are NO 2nd chances, Jesus is your Savior or He is not (Hebrews 9:27). Please accept Jesus Christ as your Savior & start the new year out as a brand new creation!

God ~ the Father & Creator of ALL ~ has given you the most precious Gift in His One & Only Son ~ we just celebrated His 1st coming. There is no greater Gift & there are no hoops to jump through ~ simply ask Jesus into your heart by saying something like this:

"Dear Jesus ~ Please forgive me for my sins. Thank You for coming to earth & dying for my sins so that I may spend eternity with You in Heaven. Help me to live for You every day of my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Welcome to the Family!

"He Who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'" ~Revelation 21:5

Blessing for your New Year . . . Kim<><

Homemade Flea Powder

You may think this is a odd time to post about such a thing as flea powder & flea control (it's winter at the time of this writing), but depending upon your location & the severity of your winter, you may need this all year long, or at the very least, early next spring. I would rather have information or product on-hand, or know where to find it quickly, instead of scrambling around trying to find it when I need it . . . NOW!

As often happens, I needed to do some research for a customer at the health food market I work at & I thought it was worth having for myself & for sharing with you.

Here's what you'll need:

Dried or powdered in equal amounts:

• eucalyptus
• fennel
• rosemary
• wormwood
• yellow dock

Directions:

1) With a hand grinder or in a small coffee grinder (dedicated to use w/herbs ~ otherwise, your herb mixes will smell like coffee), grind these ingredients into a powder & mix well together.

2) Store in a shaker-top container; a used, clean Parmesan cheese container works very well.

3) When ready to use **USE OUTSIDE!** You don't want the fleas to hop off into your carpet.

4) With a brush or comb, brush or comb fur backwards & apply powder so that it gets onto the skin. More can be used in more heavily infested areas.

5) Use as often as needed.

Pets are family, aren't they?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#51~ New Year, New Beginnings

PASSAGE: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all y our heart.'" ~Jeremiah 29:11-13

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." ~ Lam. 3:22-23

"He Who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' . . . 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.'" ~Rev. 21:5(a)-6

LESSON LEARNED: We serve an incredible God . . . THE One True God. And the most amazing part of the whole thing is that the Creator of everything loves you and me.

And in that love He made a way ~ through His ONLY Son, Jesus Christ ~ for us to spend eternity with Him. All we need to do is simply believe and confess that Jesus is Lord. Even though, in our humanity, we fail Him in so many ways, He loves us and has allowed us to simply & sincerely from our heart, ask for forgiveness.

The New Year is a great time to start fresh, make life new again. But you can accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord ANY day . . . why wait? He has such great plans for you, His compassion for you is great and new every morning and, when you ask, He makes everything new!

What better way to celebrate this season and start the new year?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#146~ 12/27/11

For Today . . .

Outside my window . . . rain has turned to snow!

I am thinking . . . that I wish I didn't have to drive in it in a few minutes. lol

I am thankful for . . . the wonderful CHRISTmas we had. Blessings abounded. Good memories made. DD#1 & her fiance' stayed 'til 2:00a.m.! And that our music went very well on CHRISTmas Eve & CHRISTmas Day. Thank You, LORD!

From the kitchen . . . a lovely new loaf of bread. Smells wonderful.

I am wearing . . . CHRISTmas goodies: brown pull-over shirt, plum drapie sweater & jeans.

I am creating . . . a peaceful Christ-centered home.

I am going . . . to work ~ gotta keep people healthy & beautiful. :-)

I am wondering . . . about something.

I am reading . . . Bible, Being George Washington, The Story.

I am hoping . . . that a rumor I heard about a love-one is not true.

I am looking forward to . . . New Year's Eve.

I am hearing . . . radio.

Around the house . . . everyone is at work, quiet.

One of my favorite things . . . our CHRISTmas tree. I think it's beautifu.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, finishing up some painting & staining for the bathroom.

Pondering these words . . . "God doesn't bring people into my life so much as He brings ME into THEIR lives. Everyone that comes into my life is an opportunity for me to serve God." ~Sunday's sermon.

Scripture thought . . . "In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. "Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, & that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." ~John 1:1-5

Here's a picture thought I am sharing with you . . .

Our CHRISTmas table w/my new log cabin/deer dishes.

Read 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Marmee-isms ~#18~ Home-Fesitvals . . . So Sweet to Remember

"She's coming! Strike up, Beth! Open the door, Amy! Three cheers for Marmee!" cried Jo, prancing about while Meg went to conduct Marmee to the seat of honor.

Beth played her gayest march, Amy threw open the door, & Meg enacted escort with great dignity. Mrs. March was both surprised & touched; & smiled with her eyes full as she examined her presents, & read the little notes which accompanied them. The slippers went on at once, a new handkerchief was slipped into her pocked, well scented with Amy's cologne, the rose was fastened in her bosom, & the nice gloves were pronounced a "perfect fit."

There was a good deal of laughing & kissing & explaining, in the simple loving fashion which makes these home-festivals so pleasant at the time, so sweet to remember long afterward . . .

Little Women ~ Ch. 2

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Behold the Lamb ~ Prophecy Fulfilled

"Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel."

~Isaiah 7:14

"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with Child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins,'

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with Child and will give birth to a Son, and the they will call Him Immanuel' ~ which mean, 'God with us.'"

~Matthew 1:18:23

"The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!'"

~John 1:29

Have a blessed & merry CHRISTmas! . . . Kim<><

Bathroom Renovation ~ Part 4 ~ The Return of the Throne!

Yes! The throne is back to it's rightful place & we are thankfully back to having two. :-) I don't know who "suffered" more while we were down to 1, THE Man b/c he had to put up w/2 women trying to have their "private" time, or we women just simply trying to have our "private" time! Ha!

So . . . Let's review. When this remodel adventure 1st started, our poor, tired bathroom looked like this . . . eww . . .

Now, when you walk in, it looks like this! . . .


Aren't those little lights cute? Usually, I keep an electric candle lit in my bathroom all the time (it helps during those nightly visits to have a low light on so that you don't have to turn on the bright bathroom light & blind yourself), but I found this strand of lovely, soft-glowing silicone coated lights at the primitive store where I got my paint. LOVE them! They are just "enough."

I am so happy w/how the floors look & how the distressed paint on the vanity looks. I will stain the floor-boards today or tomorrow & then they will be put down. Oh, & I even painted & distressed the light switches & electrical outlet plates.

The door to our small wall cabinet is painted & distressed & waiting to be reattached, & the hole in the wall by the tub will soon house our newly made linen closet, which will also be painted & distressed to match the vanity.

When I stain the base-boards they will match the window frame & large wall mirror. But I'm thinking of painting & distressing the new door like the vanity & cabinets instead of staining it like the wood floor trim. What do you think?

I can't tell you how grateful I am that we are blessed to get this done. This old 170+ year old house needs a face-lift & we have been through a lot together in the past 14 years. Thank You, Lord, for making this possible.

More to come . . .

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#50~ Christmas Bone to Pick

PASSAGE: "Then Herod called the Magi secretly & found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem & said, 'Go & make a careful search for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go & worship Him.'

"After they had heard the king, they went on their way, & the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, & they bowed down & worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures & presented Him with gifts of gold & of incense & of myrrh."

~Matthew 2:7-11 [all emphasis mine]

LESSON LEARNED: I have a nativity set. My family has had it since I was about 4 years old (so it's OLD :-)) & my parents gave it to me for our 1st CHRISTmas as a married couple in 1984. It's faded, more than a little cheap looking, chipped & cracked here & there, but I love it. It came with the obligatory Baby Jesus, Mary & Joseph (why does Joseph always look like an old man?), a couple of angles & a couple of sheep ~ all to fit into the little wooden stable.

It also came with "Wise Men" a.k.a. "Magi." And there-in lies one of my biggest pet peeves: the Magi were NOT at the manger!!!! Shepherds, yes ~ Magi, NO!!!! So . . . ever since I have had possession of the cheap little nativity set, the Magi remain in the box. I have seriously considered taking them out & putting them in some upstairs room ~ far, far away from the manger, as if beginning their search ~ but I elected to just keep them in the box.

As Scripture indicates, Jesus was around 2 years old when the Magi found him. The above verses clearly tell us that Jesus was a "Child" & that they came to "the house." Not "the Infant" or "Baby" (as in Luke 2:16) ~ but the "Child." Not "in a stable, lying in a manger" (again, as in Luke 2:16) ~ but in "the house." Matt. 2:16 leaves not doubt as it reads: "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, & he gave orders to kill all the boys in Behtlehem & its vicinity who were 2 years old & under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."

Two (2, II, deux, dos, etc . . . ) years old.

So . . . out of respect for the Scripture this & any other Nativity set I may acquire will only include Jesus, His family, barn animals & maybe a shepherd or 2 . . . Oh, yes, the shepherds WERE at the manger (Luke 2:8-18 ~ specifically vs. 16) . . . & all Magi will remain in the box.

CHRISTmas blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Marmee-isms ~17~ "Little Women Christmas Brunch" Give Away!

"Merry Christmas, Marmee! Many of them! . . . "

"Merry Christmas, little daughters! . . . "

Little Women ~ Chapter 2


If any of you are not familiar with Jill, Clair & Elizabeth Novak, they are a precious family team of writers who publish wonderful works on mother/daughter relationships & building tight, loving bonds between the two through home-life-building projects & articles; namely through their magazine The Girlhood Home Companion & other publications from Remembrance Press.

They have graciously given all of us a terrific CHRISTmas gift! Their most recent issue of The Girlhood Home Companion is entirely devoted to Little Women & they are giving us a glimpse into that issue by gifting us all w/a FREE PDF Little Women Christmas Brunch!!! Full of yummy recipes & homey, heartfelt remembrances of the season.

Here's their invitation:

Hello Mothers, Daughters, and Grandmothers, We would like to share a complimentary copy of the "Little Women" Christmas Brunch prepared by Elizabeth Novak for this special edition of The Girlhood Home Companion. Just follow the link to download your free copy: http://remembrancepress.com/?p=1771. Merry Christmas from Remembrance Press!

I can't wait to try these recipes & I'm looking forward to ordering my copy of the Little Women issue!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
P.S. I was blessed to have been a contributor to her book "The Gift of Family Writing."

Home & Travel Remedy Checklist

My dear co-worker, Faith, found this information for me. Thanks, Faith! And if I knew where the credit went I'd list it, but most of this is from an article she snipped for me w/a few of my own additives.

These are great remedies ~ homeopathics & blends ~ many of them I have tried myself. I'm sure they will benefit your family, too.

CUTS & SORES:

• Tea tree oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Calendula-based salve

IMMUNITY:

• Echinacea
• Ravenfara essential oil
• Probiotics
• Vitamin C

INSECT BITES & RASHES:

• Citrus essential oils
• Peppermint essential oil

INTESTINAL PROBLEMS:

• Probiotics
• Digestive enzymes (I am a BIG fan of papaya enzymes, they got me off of Nexium)
• Chamomile tea
• Ginger ~ raw, crystallized or tea

HEADACHES:

• Peppermint essential oil
• Homeopathic remedies (including: Belladonna ~ for fever, flu, headaches, sensitivity to light; Bryonia ~ dry coughs, colds/flu, joint pain, constipation, headaches, breast pain while nursing; Nux Vomica ~ nausea, indigestion &/or vomiting)

JET LAG:

• Melatonin
• Hemeopathic remedies (including: Arnica Montana, Cocculus Indicus, & Nux Vomica ~ Boiron has a "kit" w/all 3 in it & is sold at most health food stores)

MOTION SICKNESS:

• Melatonin
  
• Ginger (have a bag of crystallized ginger "candy" w/you)
• Homeopathic remedies (including Nux Vomica)

MUSCLE ACHES, SORE FEET:

• Arnica Montana (Homeopathic)
• Arnica gel, cream or ointment ~ or any other salve or balm w/an Arnica base
• Topical analgesic (like Tiger Balm)

SLEEPLESSNESS:

• Valerian
• Melatonin
• Lavender essential oil (sprinkle on pillow, hold bottle under your nose & inhale deeply 4-5 times)

SUNBURN:

• Aloe vera gel
• Lavender essential oil

**NOTE** Do not take essential oils internally. Please see disclaimer at bottom of screen.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Christmas at Arlington Cemetery

Thank you all.

God rest your souls.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#49~ The Light of Revelation & Glory

PASSAGE: "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous & devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, & the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms & praised God, saying:

"'Sovereign Lord, as You have promised,
You now dismiss Your servant in
peace.
For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared in the
sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
& for glory to Your people Israel.'

~Luke 2:25-32
[all emphasis mine]

LESSON LEARNED: Never look at the manger without seeing the cross.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Bathroom Renovation ~ Part 3 ~ We have Color!

That's right . . . We have COLOR!!!!

The ceiling & walls are now painted & I'm so pleased w/how well the tiles look w/the bittersweet walls. Soon it will time to move the vanity/sink back in.

I'll paint the one old cabinet we are keeping & when the handyman makes a new cabinet for my sheets & towels, I'll paint that, too. They will match the paint I did on the vanity/sink.

I'm excited!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Cozy Kitchen Comfort & Joy

It has been a long, long time since I've had a new set of dishes. The last set of dishes I bought was a set of blue enamel-ware dishes from Lehman's in Holmes County, Ohio ~ Amish Country; back when the girls were little & just big enough to help wash the dishes & I wanted a set that I didn't have to worry about them dropping & breaking.

So . . . I consider this purchase one last CHRISTmas gift from my mom. She was all about making your home beautiful & welcoming, I think she would be pleased.

Last week I purchased a set of beautiful winter-themed dishes called Snow Valley by St. Nicholas Square. (ALL 1/2 priced!!!) Ooh, aah! I just love them. One of my favorite things is log cabins & this set ~ which I found out is added onto each year ~ fills that bill in spades!

I got a 6 place settings ~ 4 for our family, 1 for our soon-to-be son-in-law & 1 for whoever the Lord has for DD#2's future. :-)

First, there is the gorgeous log home . . .

Then, the frisky reindeer . . .

A squared bowl w/the cabin on one side & the reindeer on the other . . .

And a lovely, homey mug w/the cabin scene, once again.

These have quickly become the family's favorite mugs, whether they are using them during supper or just for a mug full of coffee, hot chocolate, tea or soft drink.

Cozy winter comfort & joy. It's the little things in life.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Bathroom Renovation ~ Part Deux

Another week of the downstairs bathroom renovation . . . but things are moving on & are starting to transform. I'm very excited.

One afternoon this week, I left for work & the bathroom floor looked like this:

When I came home it looked like this! . . .

Oooh! It's starting to look very "purdyful"!

So, while my bathroom vanity is sitting in my kitchen, I took the opportunity to paint & "age" it ~ you know, I just love that Primitive look. I'm trying to use all historic colors & most of them are coming from Olde Century Colors, but a few may be coming from the Eddie Bauer Home collection.

The under-coat for the vanity is Olde Century's Tinderbox Brown . . .

and the over-coat is Tavern Yellow.

I used a bristle brush to paint with so that the under-coat shows through like old, faded paint & then I used my fingers or a rag & lightly brushed over the places where wear would occur over time.

Looks better in person. :-/

I will also use these colors & technique to paint the new wall cabinet that the handyman will be making & my light switch plates, I will paint the bathroom walls in Bittersweet. I'm going back to the hardware store, today, to pick up the bronze drawer pulls I forgot (sheesh) the last time I was there; they will match my sink faucet & shower hardware.

Then . . . on to redoing the kitchen!

I'll do the same technique on the kitchen cupboards w/the Tinderbox Brown under but use the Goldenrod Yellow over; take off the wallpaper & paint the walls Olde Brick Red. Hopefully, we'll be able to move on to the living room & I'll paint the walls in Eddie Bauer's Pine Needle (which is really a light sage) & THEN . . . hopefully . . . those hard-wood floors we were going to put in before THE Man got laid off in '09!! Woohoo! And believe me ~ this 170+ year old house NEEDS every bit of TLC it's getting!

And another good part of the week . . . my Earth Shoe boots came in! They are so comfy, cozy & fuzzy ~ it will be such a shame to have to put them away in the spring! '-)

Thank You, LORD, for the gift that my parents left me in order to do all this. All because they loved us, their blessings are still benefiting my family. God IS good.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#48~ Tried & Tested

PASSAGE: "When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel [defiled by golden calves], he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, 'Seize him!' But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according the sign given by the man of God by the Word of the LORD . . . Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priest for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high place. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth." ~I Kings 13:4-5, 33-34

"They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them let them serve . . . " ~I Tim. 3:10

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." ~Titus 1:9 [all emphasis mine]

LESSON LEARNED: Our church just went through the annual process of praying about, choosing & then voting upon the next generation of elders and deacons. Much prayer ~ from the pastors, the nominating committee, the elders and deacons, the nominees and, hopefully, the entire congregation ~ goes into these appointments and confirmations. Why? Because we want what God wants . . . don't we?

Why would we want leaders who do not love the Lord or His Word or who do not have a heart for service in His name? We want and need those who lead us to be men of integrity, love and even bravery to lead us. But we, as a congregation, need to remember that they are simply mere men ~ sinners saved by grace ~ just like the rest of us. And that means that they need prayer. We must be those who hold their arms up as Moses' friends did (Ex. 17:10-13) so that spiritual battles may be won, right judgments may be made and so that the Word of God may be divided and preached correctly.

Our leaders need us as much as we need them. They have been and will be tried and tested, let's keep them lifted before the Lord.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#145~ 12/6/11

For Today . . .

Outside my window . . . gray & cold. Oh . . . that's right, it's December in Ohio!

I am thinking . . . that I wish I had a few days off, I have so much to do.

I am thankful for . . . that the CHRISTmas shows that we sang in this past weekend went very well ~ over 700 people came to the 2 shows! The little bit of $$ my mom (& daddy) left me. What a blessing to have some extra to have home repairs done & for CHRISTmas. Thank You, Lord, & thank you Mother & Daddy.

From the kitchen . . . bread baking day, I need to make some more laundry detergent . . . & I think I'll make my Bigmom's potato soup. Comfort food on a cold, dark winter's day. Yum!

I am wearing . . . jeans, heather gray thermal henley shirt, black socks. If it's denim, thermal or flannel it quickly becomes a favorite.

I am creating . . . a peaceful, CHRIST-centered home.

I am going . . . to take DD#2 to work, pick up some paint for the bathroom, go to work.

I am wondering . . . if you like my CHRISTmas music?

I am reading . . . Being George Washington (excellent!!), The Story & The Heart of the Story.

I am hoping . . . that we can get everything fixed & remodeled around the house that we need to. Oh, what a glorious day! lol

I am looking forward to . . . putting up the CHRISTmas decorations. We haven't been able to w/the work going on. I've never waited this long to put them up before. :-/

I am hearing . . . radio, Maggie barking at the repairman, the repairman working.

Around the house . . . laundry, baking, general pick up, continually wiping dust off of things as the bathroom remodel goes on. :-/

One of my favorite things . . . how paint can completely change a room.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, an annual CHRISTmas dinner w/some friends, work, Sunday worship w/the saints.

Pondering these words . . . "The greatest outcome of the American Revolution was this: the indesoluable bond between the God of the Bible & government." ~John Quency Adams.

Scripture thought . . . "For NOTHING is impossible with God." ~Luke 1:37 [emphasis mine]

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . .

Can't wait to put the tree back up.

Read 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Marmee-isms ~#16~ That Beautiful Old Story of the Best Life Ever Lived

Jo was the 1st to wake in the gray dawn of Christmas morning. No stockings hung at the fireplace, & for a moment she felt as much disappointed as she did long ago when her little sock fell down because it was so crammed with goodies. Then she remembered her Marmee's promise, &, slipping her hand under her pillow, drew out a little crimson-covered Book. She knew it very well, for it was that beautiful old story of the best life ever lived, & Jo felt that it was a true guide-book for any pilgrim going the long journey. She woke Meg with a "Merry Christmas," & bade her see what was under her pillow. A green-covered Book appeared, with the same picture inside, & a few words written by their Marmee, which made their one present very precious in their eyes. Presently Beth & Amy woke, to rummage & find their little Books also, ~ one dove-colored, the other blue; & all sat looking at & talking about them, while the east grew rosy with the coming day . . .

"Girls," said Meg seriously, looking from the tumbled head beside her to the 2 little night-capped ones in the room beyond, "Marmee wants us to read & love & mind these Books, & we must begin at once. We used to be faithful about it . . . we have neglected many things. You can do as you please; but I shall keep my Book on the table here, & read a little every morning as soon as I wake, for I know it will do me good, & help me through the day."

Then she opened her new Book & began to read. Jo put her arm round her, &, leaning cheek to cheek, read also, with the quiet expression so seldom seen on her restless face.

Little Women ~ Ch. 2

CHRISTmas blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

It's Never a Good Thing When . . .

. . . your bathroom sink & wall cabinet is in your kitchen!

This cabinet will soon be painted & "aged." :-)

The reason they are temporarily there is b/c we are having what I am hoping will be a gorgeous new porcelain tile floor installed in our downstairs bathroom. Woohoo! I'm so excited that the nasty, cruddy, never-looked-clean-even-after-you-cleaned-it, OLD flooring is taken up & taken away. It's taking a little longer than expected to install the new flooring b/c of the condition of the old sub-flooring ~ a problem we were not quite expecting. We're just glad we weren't showering in the cellar!

But this is a part of the "charm" of living in an older home that most people don't anticipate: almost anytime you up-date or repair something, count on finding something else that will have to be up-dated or repaired before the original plan can begin. :-/ (And since the original part of our house ~ which the downstairs bathroom is in ~ is over 170 years old, I think it qualifies as an older home.) We already replaced the old tub/shower last week & I have my lovely Venetian Bronze faucet & shower head . . . looooving it!

So . . . Here is what that bathroom cabinet & cruddy old floor looked like 2 days ago . . .


Ick :-(

And here's what my bathroom looks like now . . .

I thought it was especially funny that the repair man put the toilet in the empty hole by the tub where the cabinet goes! Ha!

I'll up-date you w/the finished project soon . . . I hope. (Gulp) :-?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><