Miracles abound in the Queen's Kingdom!

I don't know if you believe in miracles but I do.  I have several a week or several a day...I guess some days it doesn't take much to impress me but this one I'm going to tell you about is pretty impressive and I've got plenty more where they came from if you ever want to hear about them.  But this one just happened so......
My daughter and I haven't seen each other in 3 years...long story but mostly financial issues on both sides.  She didn't think she would be able to come down this summer either.  Now you see why I want to move back North.  I've never seen my one grandchild, Grayson.  Anyway, the night before last I was laying in bed knitting and the storm had finished and I looked out my window and there was the biggest, most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen..I mean EVER!  I was so excited I hopped out of bed and grabbed my camera.  I tried to take pictures through the window but I could tell it wasn't working that good so I even went outside in my pj's to take some.  I'm big on "signs" and I knew this was one but not sure what it meant.
 These pictures don't do it justice at all..........

 I still get chills just looking at the pictures and remembering how awesome it was in person.....I was so excited that "the girls" thought something was wrong.  I kept trying to get them to look up at the sky but they just kept looking at me wondering what was going on.

 There it is just outside my bedroom window.....

 The next morning my daughter called and she said she had gotten up and felt so joyful and had a feeling that something very good was going to happen that day.  I told her about the rainbow and we both agreed something was in the works.  We both went about our days and she called me again later.  She was in tears and right away I got scared and asked what was wrong but she "No, no,  these are happy tears!"  I asked her what was going on and she explained to me that she was in the library parking lot and was just going in and when she went to check her purse to make sure she had her library card, she found an envelope in her purse addressed to her.  Inside the envelope was money that her Bible study group had collected so she could come down and see me.  She had gone to Bible study the night before and hadn't looked in her purse since then.  By now we were both crying and neither of us are "cry babies"..well, at least not me..LOL! 
So, if any of you don't believe in miracles....big or small...my advice is Start Believing!  I'm so excited she is coming down and I get to see my grandchildren and my daughter.  I have never seen Grayson in person and he will be 3 this July.  I'm SO excited!  He and Sam will be attending "Camp Grandma" with all the privileges and amenities that select membership includes!  Happy Trails!  Watch for miracles.....they're out there!

Books and more books!

I have gotten behind in telling you about some book news.........I just got this today.  I have been waiting and waiting for it to come out in paperback and there it was at Wal-Mart today!  I love this author and I loved her first book Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.  So guess what I'll be reading tonight?

I also finished this book...for the second time.  I will probably reread this book once or twice a year it is that inspiring!  This book speaks to my soul and the author and I have a lot in common.  I wish she's come out with another one like this but it wouldn't be the same because now she has a job at Mother Earth News and probably doesn't need to "budget" anymore. LOL!   Plus, people really liked her book and it is still selling.
 

Last year I went to a garage sale and the person had evidently been to the Laura Ingall's Museum in Mansfield, Missouri which is about 3 hours from here because she had about 4 or 5 of these little books about the Wilders and the Ingalls.  If you're not familiar with Laura Ingalls she wrote The Little House on the Prairie books.  She married into the Wilder family.  I gave all my books by Laura to my daughter as she grew up reading those books.  I thought she would love these too but I want to read them before I give them to her....is that wrong? LOL!  They will be part of her birthday gift and I will wrap them up as she loves to have lots of little things to unwrap.  Her Christmas stocking was always her favorite because "Santa" would wrap every little thing in it.  What was "he" nuts?  Anyway, I read this one and I love reading about these families as Laura's Little House on the Prairie books were based on her own life.  These were only 10 cents each at the garage sale.....what a deal!  They were listed as $3.95 each on the back.

I picked up this used book at a sale a while back and I got it to give to her also.  It's a hoot.  Of course I'm reading it first! LOL!  Books are a great gift because you can read them and then give them.  It helps if the person has the same taste in books. Ha! Ha! 

When I was cleaning the other day I was also dusting and rearranging my books and I ran across this one which I started reading (of course). It is actually newspaper essays written by a stay at home Mom in Maine back in the 50's or 60's I think.  She was a journalist major in college and her writing is fantastic.   She lived in Kennebunk, Maine.  Each article is unique, like a little short story.  I love "real" life books, not reality shows.  This was really a diamond in the rough and I can barely put it down it's so good.  

That's all for now.  I need to go make supper.  I hope you had a great Monday and I'll catch up with you tomorrow as Wal-Mart day is exhausting. LOL!  I have more to share tomorrow though so stop by.  Happy Trails!

YOP Sunday

This is the second to the last Sunday for this year's YOP.   Next Sunday is the wrap up and then on to Year #4....I cannot believe it!  I have not gotten much of anything done this week except I was really good at being scatter-brained.  All of a sudden I got the urge to clean and clear out and trust me, that doesn't happen often enough around here so I had to go with it....it really wasn't a choice if you saw my house. 

 

I have "miles to go before I sleep" but I dusted, vacuumed, washed windows, and even took my wicker outside and hosed it down (the easiest way to dust wicker).  I hung new curtains....really I just hang towels and dresser scarves for curtains using clips and tension rods).  I took down the drapes and threw them out after trying to wash them....they were my Mother's good silk drapes but they were old and the sun had it's way with the edges of them plus I can't afford to have them cleaned...the last time it cost $60.00 so out they went!  I like everything in my house to be "scrubbable".  Now, if I could only get rid of all the carpeting! LOL!

As for YOP progress....a little.......the giraffe's legs are done and I've started on the spots

  I also unpinned and repinned the quilt using my new taped "skewer method".....I'm going to leave the skewers there and just cover with a tablecloth so I will always have it ready

We've had a boatload of rain here which is nice for a change but it sure makes it way down the hills like a raging river......... erosion at work

I finally got my rock layed and now need more of it..........no more wasting money on mulch

Here's some pictures from my walks this week........

Connie...do you know what this flower is?  These are all out in the woods.  It looks like Kalanchoe but that doesn't grow wild does it?

  Wild raspberries!  I have to remember where these are!

 

 Does anyone know what these are?   They look like pom poms!

Coming back out of "the hills" towards the lake.........

Back to civilization........

Someone's put some cute decorations out for the upcoming holiday here in the states!

Have a great week everyone and pray that I get some WIP's wrapped up this week! LOL!  Happy Trails!