Lotsa Apple Sausa!

To blog or to Facebook - that is the question.  I decided to do a little of both, as so many of my dear friends are not on fb - which I don't blame you for, as (for the most part) it is a shallow form of communication - but it does keep Syd and I  in touch with many individuals that we had not seen for decades, so we stay with it for  now.

Today was a day of apples.  I took a picture of Mom in front of one of the heavily laden trees. So many of them are just bending down with clusters of apples this year!!

As you can see, there was no need for us to go to an orchard to get our fruit.  We had many more than these, but we made our way home from the top of the hill with these bags on one of the trips.

We wish we knew the varieties of Mom's apples.   I'm pretty sure one tree is Duchess, but not positive on the others.  I had gone to the Titus field and picked up Wolf River earlier today.  My boss up the road gave me permission to take as many Spyes as I want.  I've made up one batch from them already.  This picture just shows the varieties in color, though there are more now.  NONE of them come out as purple-pink as our friend, Eddy's, do though. They've gone by, sorry to say.  We did get a little early sauce from them.

Here's Mom having a little break with some soup and, of course, applesauce, coffee and chocolate (compliments of Syd) for dessert.

We discovered a wonderful thing last night.  Syd informed me that he has been losing weight (I had noticed this).  It's nothing that I prompted him to do, he's just been paying attention. We have been changing our eating for a couple years now; just more whole grain, no sugary drinks (he does have his one Moxie per month), more fruit and nuts, etc.  Yes, we'll both pig out at Thanksgiving still.  We had some sorbet and some ice-cream in the freezer (we do still partake from time to time, nothing's actually off limits entirely).  We had warm applesauce and just put a small scoop of sorbet (for Syd, ice-cream for me) in it.  It satisfies MUCH more than just a bowl of ice cream, in our opinion.  It was a wonderful discovery for us.  Thought I'd pass it on.

It's cooled off to 50 degrees and that Autumn nip is back in the air.  The leaves are floating down and while the trees are becoming barer, the golden blanket is getting thicker.

I hope you have a good evening, all.

The Price of Love

Sometimes when I cannot sleep in the night, I open a book and read.  I can usually not get through more than a chapter or two before I'm placing the bookmark between the pages and turning out my flashlight.  Last night was different.  I have a book beside the bed that is one of the "Chicken Soup" series - this one is for pet lovers.  Last night's stories, one after the other, kept making me reach for the tissues, as story after story was one of the loss of a beloved pet.  In one such account, a small boy was trying to deal with the death of his little dog.  He told his father that he never wanted another dog for the rest of his life because it hurt too much when they died.  His father said, "Yes, son, but that is the price we pay for love."  I have heard many people say that they never want another pet, for the same reason.  When Syd and I had to have Ranger put down, though the loss was huge, I actually looked forward to having another pet.  It took us three years of praying and searching for the one that we thought the Lord would want us to have, but we just knew that the daily joy of having another dog far outweighed the sadness that would come at the end of his life.

When I read the line that the father spoke to his son I thought about the price of love.  We celebrated our 31st anniversary recently and there truly is a certain "price" that every person puts in to a relationship when they choose to blend two lives together into one.  Our very life is invested in the marriage relationship.

The Bible says that a marriage of man and woman is to reflect the relationship that Jesus Christ has with His church.  The church is made up of individuals who have given their lives over to Christ because He shed His blood and died upon the cross to secure their only hope of being reconciled to the Heavenly Father.  A believer gave himself/herself over once, in initial salvation; then it is a daily love for Christ that moves him forward in a consistent, obedient walk, all the way to Heaven.  Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price of love!

When Christ was upon earth, His only desire was to do the Father's will.  His whole life was invested in one goal.  The ministry of Jesus was short upon the earth.  He was truly born to die.  There was no other way, but by this Spotless Lamb, to take away sin in an individual's life.   After His life ended on earth and He rose again from the dead.  His ministry in heaven continues now and He will be the final Judge in the future; and the Bride of Christ will be united once and for all with her Bridegroom. What a plan God had for the ages!

These truths are great cause for meditation.  I hope that anyone reading this who has not put their faith in this great Lover of our souls, will do it today. He paid the ultimate price of love for you!

I Got You a Card

Sometimes a subject for a post comes quickly.  This one was one of those.  I have a husband who knows me so well and I thank the Lord for him always.  Two years ago, when I couldn't find my favorite (cheap) White Rain hairspray at any store, Syd found it at a dollar store somewhere -- and bought 12 bottles; I suppose, so that I'd never run out again.  Last year we could not talk Walmart into keeping my pantyhose on the rack - always sold out, none of their stores ever had them.  Syd finally found some.  Now I have 18 pair!
Today is our 31st anniversary and the happenings of last night prompted the following lighthearted thought.

I Got You A Card
     -no flowers, no candy bars---
      no special facial cleanser.

Here you come; your smiling face behind fifteen Gerbera Daisys, my favorite!
- in all the shades of Fall.
     and three Lindt candy bars!

The card I got you is of fine parchment;
-see the cute couple on the front?
     They remind me of us 31 years ago.

Thanks for calling Willow to find out which cleanser to buy.
-It helps my face to shine
     while I smile up at you and say,
     "I got you a card!"

Well, we can have candy.
     Which kind do you want? --okay
     ---some of each!

Like my little card says---
     ---the one I got you--
     "we were made for each other."

There are several verses in God's Word that speak to husbands and wives; they speak of giving honor and reverence, and preferring the other over themselves.  Syd displays these consistently in so many large and small ways...not speaking against me at work, not making jokes about marriage, not saying bad things about his mother in law -those are just a few.  I have been blessed to have a husband like this for 31 years now. Today begins our 32nd!

"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
I Peter 3:7.