SPRING CLEANING

After a long and especially dirty Fall and Winter, I am so ready for a clean house!!! We live less than a quarter mile from a big ol' cotton gin and man, is it ever dirty around here. Cotton harvesting season begins early September and goes until it's all done, this year it was finished late January. That means the gin roars and belches dirt, dust and fibers into the air for almost half a year. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day......it runs. Fortunately, unless a real "norther" comes through (and we had a few this year) we are usually spared being covered up with the fall-out. Why don't we just move??? You know why!!! This is home -- for better or worse. AND the better is sooooo good, we can put up with the worse.

Anyway, it's time to Spring Clean!! I love it! Always have! Spring cleaning, done correctly, is quite a process. I don't take down and wash the curtains. And I don't dismantle the blinds and haul them out to the yard to wash them off. I've been involved in that kind of spring cleaning with my mother and Mamaw and, well....my "abbreviated" style will just have to do.

I cleaned my bedroom Monday, top to bottom. The above picture is of the sitting area end of the room, with everything dusted and swept and mopped and straightened......ahhhhhhhhh! I can breathe easier now -- literally --- I can breathe easier. You should have seen the pile!!! of dust bunnies and dirt I hauled out of there! And NO I didn't take a picture of that.....maybe I should have? No! No one needs to see that! You might never ever come to my house again....................

Great Morning with MOPS !!!!

Yesterday, William and I had the privilege of speaking to the MOPS group at our church. We had such a good time there, visiting with our old friends and meeting new ones. It was a very uplifting and encouraging experience for us. But, more than anything, we were just excited to see those young women - busy wives, moms, homemakers - taking time from their crazy week to connect with and encourage each other.

It made me very nostalgic about the "Old" days when I was there every Monday morning as well........some of the sweetest times of my life!! were spent with those ladies, laughing and crying and working things out.

William and I had a great time! and thank you, friends, for your friendship and love AND for the very tasty gift you gave us. Wasn't necessary, but it sure is fun!!! Thank you!

mORE cOOL aPRON sTUFF

I forgot to give these three great apron websites I found. Here they are:

apronmemories.com/aprons/
anapronaday.blogspot.com
heavenlyhostess.com

They are fun websites and these women are reeeeeaallly into aprons! Fun stuff! Check it out!

My favorite one is heavenlyhostess. Her aprons are absolutely spectacular -- quite luxurious!!!

Have fun!
Gwynie Pie

I Truly LOVE Aprons!!

Aprons are such a blast from the past, aren't they? When Mamaw tied on an apron, she meant business!!! Work was about to commence.......

The lady wearing the apron in this picture is my great-aunt Pernie. Mamaw is the one wearing the stylish hat and holding the pan; that's my mother looking at the camera -- isn't she pretty? And that's me, there in the background, dancing around, oblivious to the fact that I'm dangerously close to showing off my underpants...........

Wearing an apron to fix a meal was THE rule at Mamaw's house. Actually, I didn't know anyone who would dare to work in the kitchen without their apron --- lands sake, y'all!!

If you were female and standing around in Mamaw's kitchen, she was gonna tie an apron on you. So you just might as well go on and get happy about it!

When we sat down to eat, the aprons came off.....there was a row of cup hooks behind the big, swinging kitchen door that led out to the dining room where we hung our aprons. Then we put them on again when the meal was done. Clearing, washing, drying, putting away....all this required an apron!

I must say, when I was a teenager --- rebellious and a bit sassy ----wearing an apron was not one bit appealing! Gloria Steinham, the "ringleader" of the women's lib movement of the 60's, and her buddies thought the apron (along with the bra) was a symbol of female oppression. I was not so "evolved" in my thinking. I didn't really have a "social agenda" as to why I objected to the wearing of the apron.......

All I knew was -----wearing an apron just made me mad(der)! I mean I was already pretty ticked off that the men got to retire to the living room and relax. Mamaw would shoo them off with a "y'all just go sit and rest a while", while I seethed and gritted my teeth. She just seemed so doggone pleased about it, too! What WAS her deal, anyway????

Years later, I realized that for Mamaw, it was all about having a "servant's heart". It was all about using her talents and abilities and the areas the Lord had gifted her, to serve those she loved and those He put in her path. She was such a servant!!!

Mamaw, if she even knew who Gloria was, would have surely just felt sorry for the poor misled girl and would have called her "liberation movement" pure craziness. "Why, goodness! Whatever would I need to be liberated from?"

I always thought Mamaw must be so tired all the time. And I guess I felt a little sorry for her, doing all that planning and gathering and cooking and cleaning up afterwards. How unfair was that??? But you know what??? Today, I do the very same things. And I love it!!! I love all that planning and gathering and cooking and cleaning up afterwards.

William and I just love having people out to the house. We always eat --- ALWAYS!!! And we play games and visit. We catch up on what's happening in each other's lives. We watch football and basketball, maybe even play a little golf out front. We pile in the trucks and go down to the ranch to fish or hunt or chop firewood.

And yeah, it's work! Lots of work!!! And oh yes!!! It is soooo worth it! We do love it so!!! I guess "we get it honest".

Really, when I think of the Proverbs 31 woman, I see Mamaw. I'd love to be more like her. Because she was just being like Jesus. He was her role model. She did for others because she was infused with the love of Christ. That's what propelled her forward everyday, in every task....she just loved the Lord and did what He led her to do!!!

So, back to those aprons ----- Those aprons that once were such a symbol of female oppression.....now are to me a symbol of having a servant's heart. A symbol of doing for others from a pure heart, led by the Lord.

And as the years have passed, I'm the one admiring and scooping up aprons at thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets. And instead of being all bent out of shape about it.....I've actually promoted the wearing of aprons. HA!

(okay, the fact that I can't make my pictures post within this story is making me crazy!!!! Other bloggers reading this --- if you know the solution, help me out, please) On with the story ------

Here's my sweet Lily Kate helping her Pops and Pie make little loaves of delicious pumpkin bread this past Thanksgiving. AND she is wearing the apron (one of many) that my Mamaw made for me when I was her size. ADorAble!!!! Don't ya love it? it's come full circle now........

Love you all --

Gwynie Pie

JUNKIN'

JUNKIN' --- Friday was junkin' day with my friend, Haley. We started our day by fueling up with coffee, biscuits and gravy at the Mesquite Bean Cafe, then proceeded to the junk/resale/treasure stores. It's a good thing we had a little breakfast since at 4:30 in the afternoon, we realized we'd completely missed lunch-----------NOT my usual M.O. to miss a meal, so you know I was having a Blast!!!!

Haley was looking for things to finish off the decor in her new house. And she found some fantastic items,including a per-fect!!! chair for her living room! Also some great colorful dishes to hang, several sweet, little lamps to add spots of warmth throughout her house and bunches more great stuff!!

I was looking for something to warm up my kitchen and give it a little life!

As I have added and subtracted in my kitchen, somehow it has just become ....blah! and dull! I have always loved the color of Jadeite, a very collectible and very pricey, type of dishware from the 40s and 50s. Sooooo, I was hoping I might just stumble upon some. But I saw only one small Jadeite bowl in all our searching. However----

I DID find several pieces of this -----

Great color!! Seven Melamine plates for $4.25!!!! The two small green ones are serving as spoon rests by the stovetop....and the pink and gray ones are already in Lily Kate's toy closet....I'm sure she will be serving her famous pink and purple Playdough cookies from them very soon. ALSO found the antique glass oil lamp for $7!! and it matches another one I had. They will look great together on the mantel for a Spring look. Or I may fill them with citronella oil and actually use them on the back porch this summer!

Aren't these CUTE???? Apple-shaped pottery bowls. I've never before seen any like these. I love them!!! And can't wait to serve some apple pie in them. They were on SALE -- woohoo!! --- $10 for the set of 9 bowls.

I also snagged a raffia-wrapped wine bottle for $1. When we were first married we had in the middle of our little dining table, a wine bottle with dripping candles. Yes, I know -- the height of style! Hey --- we were college kids --- we also had black light posters in the bedroom. Anyway, I want to recreate that "centerpiece" look for Italian night when I make lasagna and spaghetti -- ambiance, ya know...... I think it'll be fun!

The little silver-plated sugar bowl was just too sweet and too cute to pass up. Another great find were the embroidered pillowcases with Mr. and Mrs. on them.....too sweet! They are very large, king-size and I might could actually use them. But I'm thinking of making a couple of throw pillows out of them for our bed.

A wonderful time was had!! and I can't wait to do it again very soon! Anyone is welcome to come along next time. I would love, love, love to put together a "junkin' tour" where a whole bunch of us girls could all go together.....I think that would be a blast!!!! We could start small and just hit a few places locally the first time. Then maybe branch out and go on an overnight tour to Fredericksburg/Mason/Kerrville/Comfort area. If you read this and are interested, let me know. It could happen!!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Good junkin'

Gwynie Pie

GREAT PARTY

As you know we have had a wedding! And last weekend, we had a party/reception/shower for well-wishers to give their congratulations to the happy couple...........

It was a great party!! I know William and I had great fun! We got to visit with friends and family and eat good food all the while. What's better than that? I ask you?? My sweet brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Charles and Elaine, cooked all the meat for the party. Delicious pork tenderloin ---- I'm talking, D-Lish-US!!!! along with wonderful pork short ribs and grilled chicken. He also made some "killer" jalapeno/cream cheese poppers that were D-vine!! Many thanks to them! Also, to my dear friend, Elaine Russo, thank you, thank you, thank you.....don't know what we'd have done without you. You were so calm and steady, you calmed me down too. And thank you Friends who stopped by to say "congratulations" to Colin and Ronnie! We had a wonderful time and we are so blessed by your presence in our lives! We love you all!

GOOD REFRESHED MONDAY MORNING !!!!!

Praise you LORD! for the rain last night!

I truly can't remember the last time it rained here. But, it IS wintertime and it IS west Texas, so we have seen it drier -- many times! I grew up here, the daughter of a dry-land cotton farmer. As such, weather was a constant discussion item in our home. And rain is so necessary for our existence! not only for farmers and their crops, but we all depend on rainfall, whether we all know that or not. Some see it as a nuisance, but we gotta have it!!

I suppose it's because of my farmer girl upbringing that I am such a fan of rain -- any amount and any way it is delivered -- I love it! My Daddy was that way too. I remember a conversation Daddy and I had about rain. William and I and the boys lived in the College Station area of Texas for a couple of years. College Station is 90 miles from Houston, very coastal, almost tropical -- very humid and rainy. We mowed our lush green yard in the middle of February! In shorts and t-shirt!!! A real treat for us dried out flat-landers.

Anyway, I digress -- I was on the phone talking to my Daddy during one of the many, almost daily, rain storms we were experiencing. The whole Texas Gulf coast area was caught up in a pattern of tropical depressions, disturbances and storms. We even had one full grown hurricane that season. The storms lined up that year in such a way that it would start raining on Tuesday and by Saturday, when the Aggies were playing football, the storm was really coming down. We had to invest in a bunch of rain ponchos for game days. The Aggies, by the way, won the Big XII that year!!! They do better in the rain, too. I just always think of our time in Bryan/College Station as a series of "treats" the Lord lined up for us. The constant rain was just one of many. (I'll tell you about more of those "treats" in later posts.)

So, my Daddy says "So, how does it rain there?" with a little longing in his voice. It was a pretty dry season "back home", much like what we are currently experiencing. That might seem like a strangely worded question to some I'm supposing. But to me....I knew exactly what he meant. I said "well, is just kind of cloudy and then the sky opens up and it just rains -- it just falls out of the sky, straight down." "Yeah, that's what I thought," he said with a kind of heavy sigh. And we went on with the rest of the conversation. I mean it just rained there. No big bad wind or storm warnings. No hail. Just rain -- straight down! Ahhhhhhh

Rain just has such a way of refreshing. I love it! And when we've been without measurable rainfall for as long as we have this time, I start to feel it in my skin, in my attitude, in my very being. Can you imagine how it must have felt when Elijah prayed that it NOT rain and it didn't for 3 and a half years!!!! WOW!!! Now that's a long dry spell! "Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." James 5: 18

That story, told in I Kings 17, always comes to my mind when we are experiencing long dry times. I find myself wondering "Who is praying?" AND for what? AND by whose request? The dry times Elijah prayed for and then prayed would end, had a greater purpose. The LORD desired the people's attention turned back to Him. He doesn't, then or now, tolerate our idols and false gods. The LORD will not share the glory with any other god. God Almighty is our sole source of ALL our provision! And that includes every drop of precious rain that falls.

"LORD, thank you for the rain you sent on our parched land and our parched skin and our parched being. You know all our needs and we trust you fully to provide what we truly need. So, Lord send the rain! Send your rain to our innermost parts. Refresh us with your Word. Refresh us with your rain! We give you and you alone our praise!!"