Saturday I made the first of my annual treks to the nursery to buy plants for my pots.  I have a collection of plants I always buy but I'm often enticed by something new.  There will be more trips to add to the collection which I'll enjoy throughout the summer. 
This beauty is an iris I planted last year which bloomed for the first time.  Irises are one of my favorites.  I have one bed that will have hundreds of blooms if all goes well this year.  So far I've had about a dozen yellow irises so I'm thinking it's going to be a bountiful year. 
I also bought a yellow and a lavender columbine.  Those are the most fragile plants but I find their intricate design quite impressive. I'm always so impressed by the beauty of God's creations and thank Him for the joy he bri

Hard to believe we're basically four days away from a new month and less than a week away from the Easter holiday. This is a special time of year for me.  I love seeing new flowers coming up after the cold, bleak winter.  It's been a cold one here -- 52 days of below freezing temperatures which for us is strange.  We're near the coast.  Also the 10th coldest winter on record but forget all that -- spring is here and winter is nothing but a memory. 
Today we've been preparing for our Easter cantata -- Grace that Amazes.  When you consider what Jesus Christ did for us that truly is grace.  My favorite song in the program is A Picture of Grace which talks about the master's hand painting this picture of grace.  It's wonderful to think of the way God created me and has blessed me in so many ways I can't begin to thank Him for all of them.  If you think about me tomorrow night, pray God will bless my less than talented singing to His glory and if you don't have a church of your own, I hope you'll take the time to see one of the Easter programs in your community churches. It's an experience you surely won't forget. 

I got an IPod for Christmas and it's taken a while to figure out what to do with it.  I'm not a techie.  I have to figure out computers and such using trial and error. 
Anyway, I'm not doing tunes.  I'm listening to books that are downloaded from the library.  My sister and I both are addicted to this new activity.
I used to try and read at stoplights but could never do more than a couple of paragraphs.  Then I started listening to CDs.  No constant glancing up at the light to be sure I didn't hold up traffic.  My book played on and on.  Then when I got home, I sometimes had to bring it in to keep listening.  :)
The IPod is great because I don't have to change discs.  It does the work for me. 
Of course my sister has an IPhone and now I'm thinking I should have gotten an IPhone instead of an IPod. 
Technology -- don't you love it? 

Okay, I heard that.  Big deal... You and 48 other states... but it's such a rarity here.  This is first snow we have had in years and it is truly beautiful.  It came in the night and had stopped this morning.  The roadways, driveways and sidewalks weren't covered and didn't require shoveling and the three to four inches of the fluffy stuff turned my dreary yard into a winter fairy land.  I couldn't believe how light it was last night with the moon reflecting off the snow and what I love most is the way it covers the trees.  This is a neighbor's dogwood and it was fantastic.  Alas the sun came out earlier and only left the snow on the ground which I suppose is frozen enough that it kept it from melting.  But the temps are dropping tonight and I know we'll have to worry about black ice and all the bad stuff. 
So thank You God for your special gift.  And to all the rest of you out there, I pray you're warm and cozy.

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     Okay, I admit I'm over it already but I've stuck with my organization resolution and spent the month of January sorting, tossing and giving stuff away.  Of course there's plenty of stuff left but maybe I'll be able to find it as long as I keep my new bin list handy.  Right now I'm thinking my large ceramic rooster that sits in the middle of my dining table ran away with the rooster kitchen rug that goes on the floor in front of the sink.  Honestly, I can't find either of them.  What else could have happened?  Then again, maybe Santa borrowed them to change his North Pole abode.
     Next project is to attack the paper and get the shredder company over here to grind it all up.  They actually put everything in the truck and use a camera to show you it's being shredded.  Just need to make up in my mind that I won't need every sheet of paper I dispose off the minute it's gone.
     There's good news.  Heartsong Presents has offered me a contract for my NC Hideaways proposal.  Soon I'll be working on Richie and Katy's story tentatively titled Peace Be Still.
     Until next time, stay warm and happy reading. 

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the readers who voted for Val's Prayer in the 17th Annual Heartsong Awards. I enjoyed writing about the Truelove family and how they dealt with their changing lives.  I'm happy to know others loved them as much as I did. 
Again, thanks and happy reading.

    I don't know how many of you suffer from the "P" disease as I do but if you came to my house you'd see so many tasks needing to be done and me making little progress in getting them done.  As Scarlett in GWTW said, "Tomorrow is another day."
    I work in a business where we handle the emergencies that arise daily.  If a list from today escapes into tomorrow, we're twice as busy and you can only imagine how convoluted things get when tasks continue to escape from day to day.
    Life's like that too.  We put off today until tomorrow and then before long there's a huge list of things that need doing that probably won't ever get done and what will we have missed because that happened.  For example, that box of bulbs in the garage aren't going to plant themselves and if I don't get them planted two things will happen.  I will have wasted my investment plus I won't have the pleasure of seeing them bloom this spring and summer.  So I'm praying for a beautiful weekend so I can mark that task off my list. 
     One goal I set for myself this year is organization and I have been concentrating on that.  I have a feeling it will help me not put off tasks because I don't have time to sort through the junk to get started.  I'd love to hear everyone's tips for how you avoid procrastination.

2010 is still more than two hours away but I'm thinking about the coming year and resolutions I'd like to make.  I have a major plan for organization (believe me I need it), a number of projects, books I hope to write, pounds to lose, health to improve, plans to spend more quality time with family and friends, gardening. . . the list goes on and on. 
But then in my head I already know I've already made too many plans.  It's been suggested that I do a list of two or three things at the time, mark those off and move on.  I'm thinking more one basket, one drawer, one box. The main thing I need to remember is to seek God's assistance in everything I take on and know He'll give me the strength to carry through.
Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful New Year. 

Have you ever seen those crazy images where they open up the head and look inside to see what's there?  With the approach of the holidays, I know I've reverted to my childhood.  Admittedly, I'm not a young woman in years but I'm definitely one at heart.
My home is decorated with the hodgepodge of decorations I love to see this time of year.  I'm a Christian and I definitely celebrate Jesus. 
While I decorate, the house looks like an explosion in a Christmas factory. 
My three trees have themes of all santas, snowmen, angels and small nativity type ornaments.  I have the Santa figurines that I've collected over the years all over my house and my yard sparkles with lights - more tasteful white in the front with my blow up nativity while snowmen and Santa twinkle in the back where I can see it through my french doors and light lookers can see it from the street.  I read a reference to someone being attracted to the tacky lights but I can assure you I don't do tacky and putting together a beautiful presentation in the yard does take thought.  :)
For me, it's a season of giving. I learned today that my shoeboxes went to kids in Ecuador and Jordan.  Then I found another worthwhile charity, Comfort Socks.  They provide socks to the homeless.  Last year I was deeply moved by an incident and determined I would find a way to make a difference this year.  I was thrilled to find them on the internet.  
I am thankful to God for the gift of His son.  I believe He's my salvation and thank him for the joy I feel during this holiday season. 
So out of my head and heart, I say to you have a blessed, Merry Christmas. Give God a place in your heart and He will provide you with love that will surpass anything you can ever imagine. 
However you celebrate, have a Merry Christmas!!!

Does anyone else beside me feel like you're doing more and accomplishing less as you grow older?  Or maybe it's taking you longer to do what you used to do in a fraction of the time?  My mom used to tell us one day we'd understand why she felt the way she did as she aged.  I'm there 100%. 

It's a busy time of year for me.  I decorate for the holidays -- inside and out and even took a vacation last week to get stuff done.

Seems I always run up against a brick wall though.  Had my small tree up in my office -- tall and skinny and in a revolving stand so I can see all the ornament collection.  The stand I had decided to give up the ghost.  I bought another stand, thinking this is going to be simple enough -- switch stands, finish decorating the tree.  Guess what -- the stand requires a 1 1/4" tree pole.  I tried cardboard all around but it didn't do the trick.  Learned Christmas trees are heavy when they're fully decorated and when they're shaking, it's scary. 

But I'm brainstorming as I write this and thinking "what if" I had a small piece of PVC pipe.  So it may all work out anyway. 

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday or today or this weekend, whenever your family gathers and prayers for blessing for each and every one of you.