random

My Lately

~ Teresa ~ 8 Comments

I started writing a post.  It is not ready for the public.  It may never be.  I really don’t know what is going on with this not writing and it is starting to scare me a little bit.  I trust that God has a plan though and in the meantime I am still here, even though not exactly here.  Not here writing.  Hopefully soon.

While we are waiting for the words to come, I thought I’d share some pictures of my lately.  Just Random shots of recent snows, a small depression glass dish I found to fit a lid I already had,  and supermarket flowers I arranged.

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100_4244 100_4251100_4277100_4255 In addition to snapping pictures and arranging supermarket flowers I have been watching a lot of 7th Heaven.  We started from the beginning and are now in season 3. I loved that show when it was on originally and it seemed a good fit for me right now.  I think watching it has been some kind of therapy for me and I’m still working through the why.

Grace is good,

Teresa

 

Favorite Revisited – 31:7

~ Teresa ~ 7 Comments

(If you’ve been here already, this post has now been updated with a link to music at the bottom of the post.  Enjoy!)

Last Monday when I posted the introductory post to the 31 Days of writing, I mentioned that on the weekends I would revisit one of my favorites and write about it on Mondays.  On day three’s Random Favorites I said that one of my favorite things was my husband’s hands when he plays the piano. I love to watch him play.  Every time I hear him play a concert I fall in love all over again.

This weekend, Sunday morning, He had a concert at a church in the next small town over from where we live.  His hometown.  He did a phenomenal job.   Several people told me they knew I must be proud of him.  Of course I am. I am proud of his talent, but I am more proud of the fact that he uses it for the Glory of God.  He knew when he was fifteen that he wanted to use his music for God.  And he always has given back.  Whether for a large crowd or small, paid or volunteer he gives his best. So Sunday I added another favorite memory of him playing piano to my collection.  And his hands?  Beautiful instruments proclaiming God’s grace and love.

Fact is, a lot of my favorite memories have to do with my husband playing the piano and they center around our falling in love.  The first time I met my him it was at a Youth Rally at one of our local churches when I was seventeen.  He played a very rousing rendition of Onward Christian Soldiers on the piano and I was mesmerized.  I think I fell in love with him that night.  My mother did too.  She claimed him (unbeknownst to him) right then for her future son-in-law.  At the time she thought it might be my sister who would nab him though, since my sister was more of a pianist than me (I was a lazy piano student).  What she didn’t realize is that I was the one who needed a pianist, but God knew. It all worked out as it should and a few years later I got the piano guy. As far as I know, my sister never wanted him – she was much too young. My mother’s gut was right though – he did become her son-in-law.

That evening after the rally, my (future) husband had a good time flirting with me, but he told me years later he thought my glasses were too big!  What did he know about fashion?  Anyway, a few years later we were in college and I stalked ran into him at the music building where I was pretty sure he would be.  I was with a friend and her mom.  We asked him to play for us and he obliged.  He made a big show of explaining the piece he was going to play – something about a gondola and a couple in love.  I’m pretty sure he was letting me know he was interested.  On the way back to the dorm my friend’s mom told me he was the guy I was going to Marry.  I’d already decided I was going to marry him.

A few days later we talked again and he eventually asked me out and we began dating.  Most of our dates consisted of him having dinner with my family and then serenading us at the piano.  Something about playing for his supper.

After a couple of years of dating we were married.  When we were first married there would be times that I’d feel like I had been punched in the gut and it would hit me that I was the lucky girl that caught the guy that everybody loved.  He chose me.  And when I watch his hands caress the notes I feel like the young girl in the gondola falling in love with her guy.  All over again.

If you want to hear him play – Rocky playing his arrangement of Danny Boy.  This song is on Tindeck.  If you can figure out how to download it you may do so with my permission.  However, if you use it in any way on your blog or another public forum you must link back to this post and properly credit the song as being the property of Rocky Hardymon.  Thanks.

Ah yes, relief - all went well - Prof called him later that evening to say he had an A! As if I was worried about that one!

Loving in Grace,

Teresa

Random Favorites – 31:3

~ Teresa ~ 4 Comments

I’m feeling a little arbitrary today.  Some of my favorites at random…

1.  Scent of a new book

2.  My husband’s hands when he plays the piano rockys hands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.  The twilight hour

4.  Sound of words when spoken by a true word lover

5.  Wind that gentles the leaves just before the rain

6.  Daydreams

7.  Long naps

8.  Black and White photos that need a home

9.  Touch me then try to leave cream

10.  Seeing what’s around the next bend

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Living in grace,

Teresa (aka Sadie Grace)

The Weekend Toss

~ Teresa ~ Leave a comment

Happy Weekend.  Thought I’d toss a few things your way: 1. Recipe  2.  Randomness  3.  Reading Ideas

1.  What’s for dinner?  Baked Potato with Chili Beans and Cheddar Cheese and my new favorite salad – thought you might like to try the salad:

Teresa’s fresh greens, fruit, and nutty goodness salad with homemade dressing:       (I know – need a better name)

Salad Ingredients:  Green Leaf Lettuce, Boston Bibb Lettuce, Spinach, Strawberries, crushed pineapple, green pepper, cucumber and walnuts.

Dressing Ingredients: olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup (the real stuff), pepper.

Directions for Salad: Chop, dice etc all the salad ingredients into whatever sizes you prefer.  Load your favorite salad bowl with the lettuce blend (you can use whatever lettuce you have if you don’t have the one’s I listed, although I would use something or a combo of something more green than iceberg).  Next, add remaining ingredients in amounts that look balanced to you.  I was making a salad for two more or less, so I tossed in a small to medium handful of the other items more or less and enough lettuce for two to three side salads.  Adjust according to the crowd you are feeding.

Directions for Dressing:  Again, I just eyeballed the amounts.  If you need to measure, I would do three to four parts vinegar to two parts olive oil and one part maple syrup (use the real if you have it, if not you could use honey.  Or, if you don’t need the sweet just leave it out – the pineapple adds a little sweet anyway) Pepper to taste.  Adjust levels until you get the flavor that seems right to you. Pour on dressing and toss. Note: The dressing will blend with the other ingredients once applied to the salad, and that will add to the flavor. Also, you could substitute apple cider vinegar if you don’t have balsamic.

I was out of some of my usual salad toppings and had eaten the strawberry, walnut and feta cheese with spinach salad before, so I just used what I had on hand, and did my own version.  I probably would have added some shredded cheddar if I hadn’t used it all on the baked potatoes. I think cheddar cheese pairs well with fruit.  Feta would also be enjoyable.

This is a fairly healthy salad and also addresses your sweet tooth, so you don’t crave dessert after the meal.  In fact the little bit that was left over  became my snack later instead of the chocolate candy bar calling my name from the pantry shelf.  Although I’ve heard chocolate can be good for you too!  Antioxidants and all.

I don’t have a picture to take of how beautiful it looked in the bowl because it was devoured gone before I thought to take one.  It met with Mr. Piano’s approval too, although I’m sure he enjoyed the loaded potato more, because as he says salad is a necessary evil need for us nutritionally.

2.  I do have a Random picture from the Little House taken before we officially moved in and crowded it all up with furniture from two residences (which is a story for another time). This room looks different now; I loved it when it was just a simple table and chair.  You will notice my drop cloth drapes to the right side of the picture.

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3.  And finally, the reading.  Today I was reading in Philippians chapter two in preparation for tomorrows Sunday School class.  We will be discussing humility and how Christ is our example of a humble servant. humility-is-not-thinking-less-of-yourself-its-thinking-of-13

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Friday and hopefully Sunday, I am reading Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. I started this book some time ago and was interrupted. I picked it back up this week to finish.  It is good, thought provoking reading.

I also recently enjoyed the January issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  It has a lovely spread of Edie Wadsworth’s new (rebuilt) lake home from over at life{in}grace.  Her story is truly remarkable; I believe, in addition to the BH&G article, you would love browsing around her blog.  Her about me page has links to several of her posts that will help you get to know her a little better. I found her a couple years ago via Nesting Place.  I may or may not have spent a lot of few hours stalking catching up on her blog posts recently.  She also lives in my beloved Tennessee which makes me a little jealous, until I remember that I am blessed, beyond measure, to live in My beloved Kentucky Home during this part of our journey.

So, there you have it, some ideas for your weekend in case you’re tired of that social media site where you normally hang out!  I do realize that your weekend is half over before I post, but it is daylight somewhere, maybe.

Weekending in Grace,

Sadie