A Wildflower Morning

I guess we should not stop praying.  My daughter is struggling to breathe again, like the air is being forced out before she is finished taking it in.  We don't know where to turn.

My daughter is breathing again, and so am I.  You can read her story here .  She was already feeling so much better that they were able to stop for a smoothie on the way home.  Just a few hours ago it was so hard to breathe, she didn't want to talk to me very long.  She sounded like a different person on the way out of the chiropractor's office.  Thanks to Beth, her dear team leader, who took her through all of this, even the late night ER trip. Thanks to God who cares for all of us, and gives wisdom to those who ask for help.  Thanks to God for restoring my dear daughter back to health. The moral of the story:  There was something wrong with her, even though the ER Doc couldn't find it, and there was something that could be done about it.  Good chiropractors have my highest respect.

We are praying for Dear Daughter, who spent some time in ER last night, and came out with the report of "nothing life threateningly wrong with her."  But there is something wrong.  She is still having trouble breathing.  Please pray for her and for wisdom for us.  She won't be allowed to canvass until this is resolved.

It is time to pray for my dear daughter.  The dizziness and some other issues went away with the electrolytes.  But today the other issues are back.  It seems to be electrolyte related.  I have her drinking her minerals, via phone directions.  She needs a full recovery, or something else, likely more serious, is wrong.

My Sweet Visitor on another day when we were camping togther The nicest thing happened today.  One of my daughters' dear friends came over to visit me.  Isn't that so thoughtful of her.  She thought I might be missing my daughter and thought we might have a little fun together.  And that we did.  First we went out to tour the garden together.  We congratulated the bees for the good they are doing, pollinating all the flowers.  We smelled the Sweet Peas and admired all the daisies and Snap Dragons.  I told her about the Love-in-a-Mist Flowers, and promised to save her some seed. Then we went inside and I taught her how to make homemade gluten-free bread, so she can do it at home for the gluten-free members of her family. What that girl did not know is how much I needed to have a good time with a cheerful person.  She really cheered up my day.  It was fun to snap a photo of her to send to my far away daughter, who by the way needs...

 When we were Coyote Ridge last weekend we found some beautiful insects crawling around on the lupines.  It took me a long time to figure this out, but I think they were eating the flowers, though it was hard to spot the damage they left.  I am wishing that I knew what kind they are, so I could learn more about them Their iridescent teal blue really shone in the sunlight.  They were pretty patient with the tourists sticking macro lenses right up in their faces.

Those of you who know my daughter might want to read this post by her team leader about some little surprises. 

(If you click on the photos you can see them larger.)  It has been a long time since my last wildflower wander.  It's been years since I saw spring on Coyote Ridge, in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.  My first time here was about this time of year, but my little guy must have been only around 3 or 4.  In my minds eye I picture him bouncing energeticly through the flowers, singing a happy song.  This weekend he stalked good photos with an intense focus, and only came to see me when he wanted to know about something.  He's learned a lot since then.  He remembers the names of almost all the wildflowers. Out in the west side of the meadow is a heavy, old picnic table, a very, long hike from the parking area.  It has obviously been there many years, almost sunk to it's waist in meadow mud.  The sturdy benches became a resting place once again, while its top hosted supper carried in by knapsack.  I laid down and watched a Red-shafted F...

In March I did some sewing for my sweet Niece's birthday.  In case you can't guess, she likes pink.  Purple is pretty good too, but pink is the best.  Last Christmas I made her a pink fleece coat, which was a real hit.  So I pulled out some cute pink fabric out of my stash, and a cute little dress pattern, Simplicity 2377.  The dress went together pretty easy. With some of the scraps my daughter pieced a doll quilt for her.  I backed it with some pink flannel, and bound it with some white bias tape, and it is the perfect weight for playing.  No batting is necessary. I was thrilled when she came over a visit a couple weeks ago, wearing her birthday dress.  It was a sunny day, so a perfect time for a photo shoot.  What a versatile outfit.  It looks good with her mom's sunglasses, and equally as cute in my little red wagon.

I've been wanting to start another blog for a long time.  I even reserved the blog title, but haven't started writing on it until last week.  It is called,  Like Lilies:     Living like a lily of the field.  Trusting the heavenly Father's  faithful care.   Secure because He has promised. Rejoicing in His love.   Grateful for His grace  -- all He has done,  is doing,  and will do,  that I cannot do myself.   Like Lilies will be a written recounting of the Heavenly Fathers care for us.  It will also contain promises of His love and provision.  The first post tells the story of lost glasses, found.  You can click on this link , or you can also find it in the right hand side bar of this blog.

My flower garden is in full bloom.  The rain and the sun have made it into something like Monet's garden, wild with color.  God has filled it with sweet scent and honey bees.  The honey bees and I both agree that it is good.    I brought in a handful of the sweetest smelling Sweet Peas.  They are actually blooming in the greenhouse, where I tucked a few seeds in the soil earlier this spring.  The delightful scent makes my chores something to anticipate.  The early lavender is already blue, other silvery mounds will bloom any day, just across the driveway from the front door..  Both bouquets of flowers catch the morning light as it shines in my window, and touches my heart.  A lovely gift from God. God is love. I'm grateful.

  Another quilt got finished up at our house yesterday.  That is always a major accomplishment, because I don't always find time to sew.  But really the credit on this quilt does not go to me, but to my son, William.  He is the one who pieced the quilt top, back in December 2008, on my Singer Treadle machine.  He loves operating that foot powered relic from 1951.  It really is an awesome machine.  I Finished the rest of the quilt for him.  It has dark blue fleece for the backing, per his request, and is tied with dark blue yarn.   So today it got hung in the place of honor out on the deck for a photograph.  We put an inscription on the back in his honor also.  I have a feeling it is is going to be a treasured quilt for a long time.

Do you remember back to when you were a baby?  Maybe you can remember back to when you had your own baby.  What could that baby do?  Almost nothing.  Cry.  Wet.  Nurse.  Sleep.  How much could that baby NOT do?  Almost everything.  If it wasn't for your loving care, that baby would have died.  All that you did for that helpless baby, things that baby could not do for itself, was grace.  That baby got older, and could start doing a few more things. They could walk and talk, and say please and thank you.   They might even be able pour a bowl of cereal and find the milk in the refrigerator.  Wow!  Soon they learned to tie their own shoes, and empty the dishwasher. But could they do everything?  No.  The child can not earn their own income and pay rent on a house.  They can't drive a car.  They might not even know how to read yet, or sign their name.  They need protection, and ...

Back when I used to be a teacher, I loved having children make homemade books, filled with stories in their own handwriting, and self-illustrated.  I got excited about home-made books when I was in college and I made one myself for a class.  Later I made one for my sweetheart about "Our Story", for a wedding present. With that background, you'll understand why I'm so excited to share with you a most special homemade book, Tales of the Land of Bearded Trees , written by my husband's grandmother, Margaret Doorly Frohne, about her own life, and illustrated by one of her daughters, Joan Abbott.  It is 81 beautiful pages about life on the island of Barbados back in the 1890s.  It was written in 1979.  I suggest you find some time to sit back and do some summer reading about another culture and time period, and some very interesting people. Note:  Posted with permission. Please do not copy or duplicate this book in anyway without permission from the family...