My First Real Yarn Shop Visit - Black Mountain, NC

When the time was near to leave on our trip to North Carolina, I googled yarn shops in the area. They had one! We have been staying at the Ridgecrest Conference Center and after the Saturday sessions were over, Chris and I jaunted into town for a little grub. Much to my "surprise" the yarn shop was in the Black Mountain Historic District...which was quaint and cute. My husband being the ever-kind creature that he is obliged my request to stop and off we ambled.

It just looked cute from the outside!

It was cute on the INside! It was really almost more than I could bear. Beautiful hanks of yarn arranged in little color-coded boxes lined the walls. A spinning wheel adorned the front windows and ladies were knitting and finishing garments as we arrived. There was excitement in the air. I asked the gentlemen who was there for sock yarn and he directed me to the softest and prettiest wool I had ever seen or felt. Awwww. He said one hank would make me a pair of socks. I had to wipe the drool from my mouth (well almost).

Have you ever seen the animated movie 'Jungle Book'? That mean ole snake was always trying to get Mowgli. At one point the snake was trying to hypnotize poor M. His eyes had twirly things going in a circle to help the process. Well, at one point I know my eyes were twirling like that. It was like I was hypnotized by all of the wool.

After I had picked my beautiful yarn I told Chris..."get me out of here"! I knew I would want everything I saw. So like the ever-kind obliging man that he is.....he got me out of there!

It is Well with My Soul

I had originally thought against posting our big trouble on my blog. I didn't want the blog to be a sad place for people to visit. I tried to keep my posts 'general'. But then I thought again. I don't always express myself well with the spoken word. Actually I tend to clam up when given a direct question. But when I can write it out I have more time to put down more precisely what I am feeling. I am glad I did. The kindness of my friends who have commented is so very heartwarming and encouraging.
My spirit is being renewed with great joy.
I know we all want to be on the mountaintop!
But let me tell you friends.....when the God of the Universe is with you in the valley....it seems just as good as being on the mountaintop.
My past has taught me that when I am havin' some big bad troubles....God is always there to walk with me through them.

So thanks again friends....I love you all.

Until next time......

The Bridge

Those of you who know me........know how scary bridges are for me. Riding in a vehicle is just as stressful. So.....combine a vehicle and a bridge and you get a real scaredy cat.
This was my last half-way calm moment before we hit 75 South. Rain and tons of semis and less than courteous drivers made me..........well........a little stressed. It finally stopped raining around Knoxville, TN, when we hopped on to 40 East.

Here is the creepy bridge over the Ohio River.

Hi Mom!

A Pretty Day

Molly riding the golf cart.

Cleaning out the Stuff

Cleaning out some things and I ran across my Carlos Zambrano bobblehead. He is looking for a new home. I posted him as FREE on my facebook page. They gave these away at one of the games we went to in Chicago. I lugged him around ALL day. Now look! I am getting rid of him.

When Trouble Comes.....and it will come. pt. 2

I suppose I should tell you what my current 'trouble' is. I say 'current' because all of life seems to have troubles. Each decade of my life brought with it its own decade of trouble. A lot of the trouble I experienced came about from poor choices that I made.
This particular trouble is partly due to poor choices( of trusting a 'friend') and to not being studied up on what certain procedures entail.
This trouble is minor compared to some, but it is a trouble nonetheless. At the same time I am a firm believer that God opens doors when others close. And when the God of the Universe opens doors for you....watch out! Great things happen. So as I tell you a little of my trouble, don't feel bad more me. I have have learned a huge lesson. Lesson Learned: Be careful who you trust. Know what "Sheriff's Sale" means.

After three years of struggling with our mortgage company....the Sheriff's Sale finally came. Over the three years we applied for every program the bank offered. The bank is a Freddie Mac relative. :)
The bank either said we made too much or we made too little. Program after program-we were denied. My husband's 12-day stay in the hospital started the trouble. That was 3.5 years ago. Morphine, alternated antibiotics and a smart doctor saved his life. But after the hospital, more antibiotics, a long recovery time and loss of income due to being self employed. That is when we became late on our house payments.
My husband had MRSA and the two surgeries on his leg had to heal OPEN.....redressed and packed with medicated gauze every other day. A PICC line allowed him to have antibiotics after he left the hospital. Then when the PICC line was removed it became infected. More antibiotics.
It took a long while for him to work a full day again. Fast forward to NOW. Chris can out work anyone I know. Fast forward to NOW again and we are at the Sheriff's Sale. We didn't plan well for it. But just so YOU know, in case YOU ever are faced with this situation. I know we aren't the only home foreclosed on in the nation. So in case you know of someone.....tell them this.
After you have exhausted all avenues with the mortgage company and they say the words...foreclosure and the deputy brings a notice to your door of a Sheriff's Sale, learn everything you can about a Sheriff's Sale. Go to your county offices web site and find out...go to your courthouse and find out...go to a lawyer and find out. Don't trust anyone but yourself to find out. Do it!. You will be surprised to know that some homes can be purchased at a Sheriff's Sale for a fraction of the costs of the assessed value. The assessed value and the amount you owe the bank are different. In certain instances...the amount you can buy a home for at a S.S. is ridiculous. Our house assessed for $61,400.00.
To make a long story short the church we have attended and faithfully served for four years purchased our home at the S.S.( it is the church my husband put the steeple on). We offered to buy it back off of them...because we really didn't want to move and we didn't just stop paying our mortgage because we are lazy. They said their hands were tied and they couldn't sell it to us....conflict of interest and all. That is all fine and well. They have graciously said we could rent from them til June. We wouldn't have to stay if we found a place to move to before that.
So without further ado.....please know your Sheriff's Sales and foreclosures before becoming like us.....looking for a place to rent. As you know, we recently acquired Molly because the home she was in couldn't give her the attention they thought she deserved. So finding a rental home that takes pets(she is better behaved than some people I know) is going to be difficult.
The amount of money the church paid for our home, which has been in my husband's family for decades and decades...was $13,500.00 We offered them $14,000,000. Nope. We even offered $23,500.00 to buy our little shack back. Nope. But they did agree to let us have first chance at it if they ever do decide to sell it......at Fair Market Value of course. :)

So basically that is my tale in a nutshell. I thought it would take more posts to say this but I pretty much got off my chest what I wanted to say. I don't understand why the bank was so hard to deal with during the years and I don't understand why the church won't part with it. But I don't have to.
Proverbs says: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
So, ya know what? I think that is what I will do and I will remember His words more than the trouble. :)
I love you all my bloggy friends. Thanks for listening it just helps to write it out.


Until next time.

I like Richard Mourdock....go here for more.

I like Herman Cain. Go here for more.

Margaret Again

The last picture of M. for a while. (maybe)

To celebrate her 18th birthday we are heading out to North Carolina in a few days. She has been wanting to go to a conference for quite some time, so last winter Chris told her to pick one out. How convenient that the one she chose was in her birthday month....so a great present.
We are hoping for some pretty sights along the way.
We are also looking forward to some great speakers as well as meeting face book 'friends'.

We are also looking forward to just 'getting away from it all' for a few days.

When Trouble Comes....and it will.

No one I know is exempt from trouble. Before I share with you my trouble, I must share with you what the preacher said yesterday at a church we used to attend and have recently started to attend again. That is not to say we haven't been attending church, because we have. Another church. But this particular preacher-man was speaking on Understanding God when Trouble Comes.
Read John 16.
John 16:33 says this....Jesus is speaking "These things I have spoken to you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." KJV

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." NIV

Basically, in a nut shell, remember His words more than the trouble.

Over the course of the next few posts I will talk about my trouble. Even if no one out there reads this...it will help me to write it out. But, feel free to comment if you do read.

But in between my 'trouble' posts I will continue to post about other things going on with us. Life DOES go on even amidst the trouble.

In the end....I hope to remember His words more than the trouble.

Until next time.

THIS HAD TO BE DONE AS WELL!!!!!

Margaret trying on Dolly Parton shoes.

IT HAD TO BE DONE!

When I sat this pumpkin in the back of the Tahoe a little voice inside me said...."that's not a good idea Lou". I ignored "THE VOICE". After driving to Moms and then back through town I pulled over to alleviate the little fellas misery. He was rolling all around and bumping things causing grief to me as well.
So I pulled over and fetched him from the back and strapped him in.
We both felt better.

Margaret turns 18 today!

Margaret with her cousin Emily. Emily took these lovely pictures down at the river. I took this one.

It's All About Brown