Just Give it Away

Ya know, God is very nice to me...

Sunday my husband helped me haul all the Christmas decorations out from under the trailer.  There were 3 big red bins, a few boxes, 2 large tins, a beautiful fake tree, a brand new 4' white tree, a 6' outdoor wire tree with clear lights, lots of smaller trees (I love trees!).  Stuff, stuff and more stuff!  Where will it all go in this little trailer???  To put some of the trees outside will require a very long extention cord to be sure. 

We unpacked the bins and boxes and tins and foxes... no wait.  There weren't any foxes.

I just wasn't feeling like decorating, with all that stuff scattered on the floor and table and chairs and buffet and sofa...  So I only set up the big pre-lit tree and one tall skinny tree beside it simply because it's too tall to put on top of the buffet.

Bah-HumBug!  The lights on the tree just aren't very bright.  Christmas decorating for me is all about the lights.  I was tempted to take down the big real-feel tree and set up the white wire tree, changing all 350 pre-strung lights with colored lights I would scavange from some of the 8 strings of lights that were stashed in those boxes.  I spent all evening on Sunday fussing in my head about the boring tree with feeble lights.

Come Monday morning, someone mentioned bubble lights.  I happen to have a few of those, if I could find a light string they fit on.  That got me started on decorating the tree.  There was one string of the proper size lights - not your typical lights, either; little round frosted colored bulbs.  With a few of them burnt out.  I replaced those with the single bubble light that worked and a few other lights that I had collected at a thrift shop where I used to volunteer.

Okay!  It's getting better!  Out came the ornaments.  Several old pieces that my youngnest son made in school,

I designed the angel for #3's headstart program back in 1990

These bead guys were a design to use beads from an old seat cover.  #3's class made them for Christmas in 4th grade.

unique stuff from Cracker Barrell Old Country Store, where I used to work,

a few vintage pieces I found at thrift shops.  And icicles.  And candy canes.

Viola!  A decorated tree!

But, Lord, what about all this leftover decor??  I'm tired of packing it back in boxes and storing it.  Where can I get rid of it?

Ah!  There is a local fb sale group.  I'll post it on there.  The asking price was $30 for the 4' white tree with colored lights on a white wire (as is appropriate for a white tree, after all), several cookie jars, decorations, lights, place mats, and a few other odds and ends.  It seemed reasonable to me.

No hits.  It seemed no one wanted my leftovers...  I called two pastor's wives.  They didn't know of anyone.  I called a friend.  No luck.  I changed the price on that sale board to FREE!  Still no takers.

This morning, Tuesday, I determined to locate someone.  There is a food pantry in town, and today they were open.  Not remembering the name of the place, I called city hall.  But google has the wrong number listed.  I got the fire department instead.

"Merry Christmas!" the nice lady cheerfully answered the phone.  We chatted for a bit about how it was the wrong number, when it dawned on me that the fire department might know of someone who had recently lost their home and possessions who might be in need of a Christmas setup.  She didn't, but suggested a few other places to check.  She also gave me the name of the food pantry.  God can use even 'wrong numbers' to get you the information he wants you to have!

So I called the food pantry first off.  After all, that was my intention.  If they didn't know of anyone, I could work down the list.

When I explained what I had to offer, the lady who answered the phone was thrilled!  She had just invited her two great grandkids and their mother to stay with her for Christmas, but she only had a little fiber optic tree - nothing exciting for kids.

Thanks Lord!  You sent me to exactly the right person!

The lady come over to pick up the booty, but declined the tree.  She said they would get a live tree.  Can't blame her there, really.

Secretly, I was thrilled that she didn't want the tree!  You see, I love colored lights against a white background.  Usually I tuck them under a white cloth, which looks really cool all by itself.  But I had been looking forward to the white tree since last January when I bought it dirt cheap after Christmas.  Now I have to find a place to put it up in the trailer!  A new project for the day!!

Moral of the story (which I have proved over and over again in many different situations): If you are willing to give up what you want, God will honor that. Sometimes He gives it back, sometimes He replaces it with something you want even more. Sometimes He just lets you know how much that something means to someone else, and just the knowing is worth the giving up.

It's So Much Fun Watchin' God!!

(I really love this picture, so you get to see it again! heheheee)

 p.s.  If anyone wants to donate a camera with a macro/flower setting, I'd be happy to give them my shipping address!  hehehehehee

(UPDATE!  When I put up the white tree, I discovered that there was a broken bulb in one of the strings.  The lights would work, then not work.  If that lady would have taken the tree, and used the broken string of lights, she may not have found the broken bulb, and it could have caused a fire!  Then I would be responsible!  Thanks for taking care of that situation, Lord!!) 

Here is the white tree:

God and Me and Numbers

It's been quite a while since I wrote anything on here... Sorry.  Been busy!  (or lazy, whichever... ;-)

Today I want to tell you a story about God and me and numbers...  I'll add to the stories on this subject as times goes on, and I have a few spare minutes.

Back when I was ten, my family of 5 siblings and 2 parents moved from one small town to another smaller town, packing all our belongings in a railroad boxcar to be delivered to our new home.  My dad worked for the Railroad as the ticket agent in a one-man depot.  The boxcar number we packed all our stuff in was 11975.  I've known that number since 1966.  There is no logical reason why I remembered the number, and I have no recollection of even seeing it.  Daddy insisted I was wrong about the number, that such a number didn't belong to boxcars.  A few decades later he looked it up - somehow: and I was right!!

Time marched on.... and on.

In 2001 I was married, and moved from a small city to a smaller city.  My husband and I looked and looked for a place to live, since his house was very small.  After we moved in to our new place it dawned on me that the house number was almost the same as the boxcar - 11793.  In the entire county, the only house number with 11795 was in the same town as our place and was on Spencer Street!  (That's my maiden name, you know.)  However, since 11795 was a vacation shanty, I don't suppose one could expect that a family of 2 adults and one 17 year old could live there, so 11793 was as close as one could get.  That made me smile.  :-)

Prior to being married, I bought a used Honda - love those Accords!  It's not like I needed a new car, or even the used but not abused one that I bought.  I was feeling a bit guilty for having spent the money on a different car instead of fixing the one I had. Buyer's remorse, I guess.

One day shortly after moving in at 11793, I realized that our phone hadn't rung even once, so I called our number.  I should have gotten a busy signal, but someone's phone rang - somewhere!  Not at our house!  I hung up before anyone or an answering machine answered.  I hied my little self down to the telephone company office and asked them what our phone number was.  The clerk looked a bit surprised at such a question, but looked it up.  It was a completely different number from what we had originally been given!  'We decided to change it before you moved in,' said the clerk.  No reason, no notice, they just changed it!  Strange.

You want to know what was even more strange??  Shortly after discovering that our phone number had been changed, I was looking for something in the glove compartment of the car.  I suppose I did find what I was looking for, but that's not what sticks in my memory.   I found a round key tag with the key number - a courtesy on the part of someone.  In case I were to loose my key, the dealership could make a new key with that number.

It was the same as the last for digits of our new (and unsolicited) phone number!!

Okay, Lord.  Evidently You didn't mind if I bought the car.  Thanks!  (And, just so you know, I put over 200K miles on that car before I got rid of it when moving to the Big City, where I refused to drive for 6 months!)

It's sooo much fun watchin' God!

Computer desk and my 'list'

Some time soon, I will paint a small tacky pink knock-down computer desk. I found it on the side of the road the other day.   The desk will be periwinkle.  I started to paint the inside of my cloffice that color, but decided against it because we live in a rental, and the landlord probably wouldn't appreciate me painting the closet such a color.  He's funny that way.  My heart is set on painting something periwinkle.  

                                                  (The official periwinkle Valspar paint name is Merlin #492456)

(Once I painted the bedroom in my house periwinkle with bright white trim, with a brushed silver ceiling fan.  Then I moved.  The tenant painted the walls dark taupe...  breaks my heart, but since I didn't live there, it was okay...  That's one reason I want to move back - so I can paint the room periwinkle again!  Either that or take the ceiling fan down and bring it back up north with me...  It's my house, after all... Sadly, the fan wouldn't fit in any of the rooms in our Snowbird Palace.  I guess if I want periwinkle walls and a really cool brushed silver fan we will have to move down to GA, at least for the winter.)

(wow!  The color is horrible!  My hair was definitely NOT red.  Oh well.  The color of the wall on the left is pretty close to actual.  The worst part about this picture is I looked sooo young!  Not so much now... vanity, vanity.)

You should have seen me trying to get that desk in the car! It got stuck halfway in the door... I had to drive (with the door open and the desk hanging out) to a small parking lot across the street and try to get the top off so I could take the desk out of the car and hope it would go in the back seat sans top. For some reason, all the tools had been removed from the car!! Luckily there was a gas station/garage in the parking lot, so I went in to borrow flat and phillips screwdrivers.  "Are you guys laughing at me yet??" I asked with a smile as I walked in. One guy disavowed any such thing. The other guy laughed and said "I sure was!" He then kindly went to get the screwdrivers for me.

 

The desk top came off without incident, but the rest of the desk had been glued together so it was a bit challenging to get it in the back seat. At least the desk came out of the car.  And back in the car so I could bring it home.  Somehow, it just didn't seem right to consider dropping off the desk at the location I picked it up.  So, I was stuck with it...

And I remembered to return the screwdrivers!  Nice guys.  I must remember to make them some goodies.  (And not eat what they don't get...)

Oh, how I wish I would have taken pictures of that little fiasco!  You guys would have loved it!

As I was taking the desk out of the car, debating where to put it, it dawned on me that I had just a week ago wondered what I would use for a desk in my new craft/office/sun porch room.  You know what I'm gonna say next:

Thanks, Lord, for one more thing on my 'list'!  It's so much fun watchin' God! 

p.s.  Guess what I found in the pocket of the driver's side door afterwards?  In my defense, if tools are going to be in a door pocket, it's usually the passenger side, and I did look there... 

If there isn't a picture of the finished desk, please leave a comment to remind me!  
 

What have YOU found on the side of the road that just filled the bill for you?

recycled plastic bag wreath

Nothing fancy here.  We shop for groceries at a store that uses plain brown plastic bags.  Sometimes I'm lazy and ask for those instead of paper.  (They're easier to carry the 100 feet or so from the car to the house.)  I've been donating them to thrift shops instead of throwing them away. (See?  I can be responsible every now and then!)  BUT...

Isn't this a much better use for them?!

This would work for Fall - add leaves, twigs, whatever floats your boat.

Or Winter - add twigs and pine cones with a little white paint to look like snow.  Maybe some red berries...

I'm on a roll!  Since there is that craft fair to do in a month, perhaps I'll save a few more bags and make another one.  They're easy, if  time-consuming.  Make one while you're watching The Sound of Music.  (or Downtown Abbey, or whatever...)


Here are a few instructions:



First find a metal coat hanger - the flimsier the better.  Then make it round.  A pair of flat-nosed pliers work well for getting the ends straight.  (Please excuse the fuzzy picture.  It's kinda hard to take a picture with one hand, and work with the other...)

 

 (New instructions:)  To allow the wreath to sit flat against the door or wall, place the circle against the side of a table at the beginning of the hook neck.  Bend it so the neck and circle are at right angles.  Then do the same just above the twisted part, making the hook parallel with the circle. 

Next, flatten out the bag and cut off the seam at the bottom and the handles.  Cut off the writing.  Save the handles that don't have writing on them.   (I don't know why some of these pictures are sideways.  Just cock your head to the left, or use your imagination...)

 

Fold in half  lengthwise and cut along the fold on both pieces. 

 Fold in half lengthwise again (this will be a different 'lengthwise' now.) 

I guess I could have said fold in quarters and cut all the folds.  That would work, too.  Just so you have pieces about this size.

(I made a second, smaller size by folding the long narrow pieces into 3 sections in this step.  Gives the wreath a bit of dimension.)

 Scrunch 2 pieces in the middle thusly.

Tie on the hanger and fluff out the ends.  (In the picture, only one end is fluffed.)  Tie all the pieces from the same direction to keep things neat.
If you chose to make different sized pieces, alternate them along with the handle pieces: long, short, long, handle, long, etc, etc, etc.

Your job is now to decide on decorations.  Have fun!  If you make one, please post a picture to share!

This is one made from fold-top sandwich baggies.  Cut the sides of the fold, so that both top pieces are flush, and not folded over.

UPDATE:  As I was surfing pictures of plastic bag wreaths, I came across this at Crafts n Coffee

Go ahead... make my day!  Tell me where you found the link for this post.  And are there any changes I should make to the directions to make it more clear?  Because I know what I'm doing, but you may not...