Gracious Interiors

Tablescape: A Twist on Tradition

2012-02-26T17:32:00.001-05:00

I thought you might enjoy seeing a tablescape designed by my daughter, Anna. She has a unique flare for combining traditional with modern designs.

The eclectic candlesticks in this arrangement are a perfect example. The two large brass candlesticks are antiques--made from a traditional material in a classic form.

However, the matte black candlesticks, although traditional in form, are fabricated of an unexpected material--bisque.

Made by Klein Reid

Then Anna added a third type of candlesticks--miniature, midcentury brass candlesticks by Danish master designer Jens Quistgaard (1919-2008), for Dansk Designs.

But the most unusual elements in Anna's tablescape are the three foldable stars. In 1965, John Kosticks made these models as examples of mathematical concepts. He describes them as "mathematical truths you can hold in your hand." Kosticks fabricates the bronze stars in Massachusetts. Much to his delight, they were chosen this year by Elle Decor as one of their favorite gift ideas for the holidays.

I could never have conjured up this arrangement, but it is captivating! Well done, Anna!

Face the Sunshine

2012-01-27T17:11:00.002-05:00

Dark, dank January days remind me yearly of why I love light-filled houses. Just as chlorophyll absorbs sunlight and uses its energy, so the human spirit is charged by light. This is why, when I look for a place to live, at the top of my wish list is a southern exposure. It is also why the kitchen and sunroom are the two brightest, most cheerful rooms in our home; they are banked with south-facing windows.

To reinforce the sunny spirit of these two rooms, I have chosen white and budding green as their new palette. In the sunroom, white linen with a variegated green embroidered scroll will bracket the side of the windows without obstructing one inch of light.

KravetCouture--Linen Scroll: Jade

The wall color, 50% of Benjamin Moore Color Stories CSP-790, budding green, not only picks up the secondary color found in the entrance wallpaper, it also harmonizes with the lush greens found in our Haitian landscape paintings.

Because our sunroom is our "Haiti" room, it is filled with West Indies colonial furniture which will be reupholstered in creamy white linen. However, the "piece de resistance" will be a shadow box full of green sea urchins.

Patrick Sutton Home

Adjacent to the sunroom is my predominately white kitchen. Really, it is an extension of the sunroom, so I have carried the white and green theme into this room as well. The white cabinetry is at eye level, so it is primary. However, the wall space above the cabinets will be painted Benjamin Moore CSP 760, oil cloth, a slate green color.

The three extraordinarily tall double-hung kitchen windows are topped by transoms.

They will be softened by a relaxed shade, held up with ribbon to keep it from blocking the light. For the shade, I have chosen a lovely white batiste with a slate-colored embroidery running through it.

Lee Jofa Fabric--Threads--Silver Birch

I can't wait to read once again in my sunroom and cook in my kitchen! Finally, this week, we received the insurance company check, signed with a builder, and were given a tentative construction schedule which marked the end of May or the beginning of June to re-occupy. Knowing how building projects can be delayed, I am thinking the end of June or July 4th as the re-entry date. I am anxious to get back into our home, so I can follow Helen Keller's wise advise: "Keep your face to the sunshine, and you will never see the shadow."

Silver Lining: I Can Redecorate

2012-01-20T08:30:00.002-05:00

Dorothy Draper, who in 1923 established the first interior design company in the United States, also wrote the first design book, Decorating is Fun!

This prima donna of design was right! Just this week, nineteen weeks post-disaster, we finally reached a settlement with the insurance company. With this nightmare behind us, I can begin the enjoyable process of choosing colors, fabrics, flooring...

Where does one start when furniture was not damaged, but flooring, ceilings, and walls were? My goal is to update, so I decided to begin with a monochromatic palette.

A lovely Tabriz carpet with a raspberry field had been foundational to my home's color scheme. Unfortunately, with all the standing water in the living room, the natural dyes ran, rendering the rug a complete loss. We found a neutral Tibetan rug with just touches of celadon to replace the Tabriz. Without the raspberry, celadon and a neutral cream became the colorway.

Long before the deluge, I had ordered upholstery fabric in ivory, the pillow color, for the sofa. The flood just gave me another incentive to update this classic piece.

To further eliminate the pink, I had an expert seamstress remake the silk Brunschwig & Fils draperies, tucking the raspberry stripes in seams, leaving the variegated green stripes and neutrals visible.

I also plan to lose the topper for a more contemporary look.

When we move back in, the raspberry throw will go; the celadon French daybed and two library chairs will stay.

Mohair at top is on the daybed; the cut velvet on the bottom on the library chairs.

Two other French bergere chairs in the room will be covered in a neutral silk fabric.

Removing the raspberry also dictates replacing the Schumacher raspberry striped wallpaper in the entrance.

Even though it was not damaged in the flood, we decided we will cover the cost of a neutral Stroheim grasscloth with a very subtle celadon damask glaze.

The dining room opens on the opposite side of the foyer from the living room, so a complimentary color scheme makes sense here, too. As it turned out, removing the hand-painted, silk Gracie wallpaper in the dining room was not debatable. The extreme humidity in the house after the flood finished lifting off sections of the paper. In its place, I have chosen a companion to the entranceway paper, a Stroheim plain Saipan sisal.

To neutralize this room, I plan to hang simple sheer drapes using Lee Jofa Phoebe cream fabric with trapunto embroidery in the same color of tan.

(The computer screen distorts many of these colors., but in person they all flow.)

For sixteen years, I have enjoyed the vivid colors in my home, but now I am ready to embrace change. Getting to redecorate is the silver lining behind our water-filled cloud. The sun has come out, so let the fun begin!

Home Sweet Hotel Suite

2011-12-06T18:19:00.001-05:00

My husband and I have been living in an extended stay unit at The Inn at Leola Village, since our home was deluged three months ago. This charming conglomeration of refurbished cottages and new buildings isn't home, but it is a palace compared to refugee and natural disaster tents. In a global context, we are blessed.

Even by American standards, the Inn at Leola is a charming, quiet place to stay; it deserves its four stars. From the front desk receptionist, to the breakfast servers, to the cleaning staff, every employee is professional, courteous, and efficient. The rooms are well-appointed and the grounds lovely.

But beyond the nice surroundings, we are blessed by the very reason we are here--a damaged home. Let me explain. This week an article in The Wall Street Journal by Andrea Petersen ("When Home is Where the Hotel Is") listed causes for the increase in long-term stay units. The article made us count our blessings.

Allison V. Smith for The Wall Street Journal

As Petersen noted, the slow real-estate market has contributed to families opting for temporary housing. We can be thankful we are not waiting for a home to sell in a depressed market. Nor are we in an extended stay unit because our marriage is dissolving. Thankfully, we are not here because a family member is seeking medical treatment, nor are we jobless. Furthermore, we are blessed even in a local context. Some Lancastrians are homeless, but uninsured. At least, our damage was caused by a contractor with liability insurance. Indeed, we have many reasons to be thankful.

However, lest I sound too much like Pollyanna, true confession: I get very perturbed by the insurance company's lethargy.

When I get frustrated, I try to list the positives of our situation:

First, this unexpected dislodgment has provided a respite from daily chores--cleaning and cooking.

graphicshunt.com

Second, staying in a two-room efficiency demonstrates how little we actually need. Living with less is freeing.

akingslife.com

Third, when what you have is taken away, you are more appreciative of what you have.

Fourth, freedom from the mundane makes one focus on people--not on things.

And fifth, our homelessness has made me appreciate what Jesus gave up for us. He did not have a place to lay his head during his stay on earth. Why would he leave the splendor of heaven to be born in a stable, live as an itinerant, even be buried in a borrowed tomb? To prove his love for us, which is the biggest cause for a thankful heart this Christmas season.

Won't you join me in thanking the Lord for his gift, no matter your circumstances.

"Book Now" Guest Room

2011-11-25T10:42:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday of the year. If you went away this weekend, where did you stay? What made your stay more comfortable? In a hotel room, I appreciate a luggage rack

Porta Baggage Rack as shown on afteradornment.blogspot.com

and a tray with carafe and water glasses.

credit--http://www.veranda.com/luxury-homes/carolyne_roehm-entertaining-guest_rooms

However, when I am looking at lodging on-line, the decor is what makes or breaks my guest booking.

Marcus and Anna have made the guest room in their stone cottage so inviting. They converted a plain, awkwardly-arranged room into a room you'd want to book. When the house was on the market, stagers set a serving tray on the bed to welcome visitors. Unfortunately, plain walls and awkwardly placed furniture were not all that inviting.

Ideally, a bed should be placed opposite the entry to the room. This allows the largest piece of furniture to be the room's focal point. In Marcus and Anna's stone cottage, a diminutive door shrank the face-wall until it couldn't accommodate a bed.

The solution to the dilemma is a tall headboard. By covering the tiny door, Anna was able to place her guest bed properly on the far wall.

Now, when guests see the gray wool headboard, matching duvet cover, and puffy pillows, they want to stay. The bedside tables and lamps add to the ambiance.

Across the room, a tall bookcase counter-balances the bed and stores some night-time reading.

An antique French colonial desk supplies a visitor with pen and paper.

The painting which set the room's color scheme is by Goxwa.

Other niceties for welcoming guests are suggested by Carolyne Roehm, the taste-maker who writes a column for Veranda magazine. She adds: tissues, an alarm clock, and a hot water bottle! To check yourself against her list go to: www.veranda.com/luxury-homes/carolyne_roehm-entertaining-guest_rooms.

The stone cottage guest room checks almost all of the boxes for a room I'd book. How about you?

Master Bedroom's Yin and Yang

2011-11-07T13:57:00.003-05:00

A master bedroom is shared by a wife and a husband, the yin and the yang. Designing a room with a feminine and a masculine appeal is a challenge. However, rather than conflict, the two aesthetics can counterbalance leading to a more interesting interior.

Marcus and Anna's master bedroom is a prime example of how combining old and new, rounded and angular, dark and light, soft and hard results in a captivating retreat for both genders.

Anna's knack for combining opposites is obvious in their bedroom. The two largest pieces of furniture--a contemporary a light-colored, fabric-backed square headboard on an angular bed-frame juxtaposes a mellow antique, dark-wood corner cupboard.

The cupboard holds pocketbooks and shoes.

The bed wall reveals several other contrasts. Dark plays off light. Two black-lacquered, antique Asian bedside tables stand next to the bed which is dressed in a soft, down-filled white duvet and coverlet. Bed pillows repeat the contrast. Moreover, angular geometric pictures framed in dull industrial-metal contrast with curvy, shiny lamp bases.

Across the room, a contemporary chevron-patterned, bone mirror-frame leans against the wall above an antique dresser. Further, a vintage fan is balanced by modern bottles.

On the dresser, Anna layers a piece of dark slate beneath a shiny white-lacquered tray. Atop the tray sits a smooth, white porcelain leaf next to a gray, knobby snail designed by Jonathan Adler. What a fascinating vignette.

Finally, a dormer nook reveals gray linen Roman shades with a shiny metallic brocade motif and an antique chair topped with a contemporary pillow.

In a room as in marriage, the differences between women and men can create a dynamic whole. Rather than conflict, the balanced opposites compliment each other.

Scripture sums it up, "Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him...So the Lord...made a woman and brought her to the man...Therefore, a man shall...hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:18, 22, 24).

Wouldn't you agree that Anna and Marcus' master bedroom illustrates the greater whole created by complimentary opposites?

Healthy Baby Dispels Clouds

2011-11-02T14:42:00.007-04:00

This fall has been a blur without many posts. First, came the house flood. Then, came the birth of a new grandson which dispelled the rain clouds! Who cares if your "stuff" is displaced, when a new healthy life breaks on the scene? Truly, children are a gift from the Lord received with joy!

The day of his arrival, one great grandmother and both grandmothers entertained Will in the family waiting area.

The short couple of hours seems like an eternity, until we got the much anticipated text: "Baby arrived. All is well!"

Tears of joy filled our eyes. (If you remember, Rachel's first sonogram revealed a cystic hygroma on Nathan's head, neck, and back. This finding can be highly indicative of chromosomal defects. Even though the cyst was never seen on subsequent sonograms, unspoken caution lurked in the background (http://graciousinteriors.blogspot.com/2001/04/promise of springtime.html). Thankfully, relief and praise replaced our submerged fear.

The perfect little guy brings smiles to Rachel and Gigi's faces!

Nathan was loved from the start. His daddy and mama prepared for his coming by personalizing what had been Will's nursery. They added a gunmetal chandelier and his name above the crib.

However, Rachel's biggest job was redecorating a big-boy room for Will John. Since Curt played baseball all his life, Rachel chose this as the theme. Besides, this motif can grow with the two-year-old.

After painting the room Benjamin Moore "Museum Piece" (50%), she purchased a large canvas from Michael's, covering it with white linen and attaching Curt's jersey, catcher's mask, and mitt.

Then she surrounded the display with a bat and balls, using holders from Restoration Hardware's children's division. The lamp was ordered from Ballard Design, while the reading chair was purchased at TJ Max. The gunmetal cafe chair at the desk came from Tolix, the book crate from Etsy, and the metal letters from Restoration Hardware.

On an adjacent wall, Rachel hung Curt's prize collection of George Brett metal newspaper galleys.

Finally, Will graduated to his "big-boy" bed, a daybed that Rachel slept on as a girl. (Bill and I purchased the French colonial antique on a Port-au-Prince street in the 1980's.)

To get into his bed, Will uses steps Rachel ordered unfinished from Etsy. We stained them mahogany to match the bed. The Metropolitan Museum of Art posters above the bed are of famous baseball cards and were framed for Curt by his parents.

Can you see why the great grandpa, grandpas, and dad voted this their favorite room in the house?

Finally, Nathan's home-coming day arrived. That morning the high risk obstetrician came for a final discharge visit. She looked Nathan over, commenting, "The cyst must have been very tiny."

"No," Rachel replied; "actually, it was quite large from his head down his spine."

"Then we must be looking at a miracle," she responded!

How thankful we are for Nathan's good health!

From my perspective, life on earth doesn't get any better than this! Nathan Curtis' healthy arrival certainly put our dislodgment in perspective. A flooded home pales in comparison to Nathan's nine Apgar score! Won't you praise God with us?

Looking for Rainbows

2011-10-16T08:09:00.006-04:00

Five weeks ago, central Pennsylvania suffered a torrential rain which caused widespread flooding. Weathermen called it a fifty-year flood. Rivers overflowed their banks; creeks became rushing torrents, and ground water had no place to go except into basements. Lancaster and surrounding counties were declared a disaster area.

We live about three football fields and up a hill from the Conestoga River. Even during Hurricane Agnes back in the 70's, water never come anywhere near as high as our home. This time rising water was impressive, but God's mercy was even more inspiring.

Thankfully, the steep hill our house sits upon protected us from flooding.

However, the saturated water-table revealed a small, but enormously devastating, plumbing problem inside our home.

Actually, the error was made three years ago, when we had our basement redone. (See--http://graciousinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/06/basement-becomes-lower-level-suite.html.)

At that time, the contractor had a sump pump installed. The pump, which had never come on before this monsoon, worked very efficiently. However, instead of pumping water outside, it pumped the water to the second floor.

When I heard water pouring out of the powder room ceiling, I ran to the basement and shut off the main water valve to the house. That did nothing; water continued to pour.

For nearly two hours, water soaked the three bedrooms upstairs, cascaded down the stairs and through the vents and light fixtures to the main floor. Even though I was bailing water in a five gallon bucket, I couldn't keep up with the volume. Water soaked the main floor, drenching the carpets and my new Apple computer. It buckled the cherry floors throughout the house, warped millwork around the fireplace, and loosened drywall on ceilings.

Eventually, the falling water reached the basement, where it was the most devastating.

How could this have happened? The culprit was human error. Evidently, the plumber forgot where the exit pipe leading outside was located. It had been left plugged with styrofoam and covered with drywall. So, when he came back to install the sump pump, he connected to the pipe still visible which led to the washing machine catch-pan drain on the second floor. The seemingly small mistake wrecked major havoc.

How should we respond to such mayhem? My own words came back to me. In the past year, I have told several audiences, "When calamity strikes, don't doubt God's love; count his mercies."

Taking my own advice, here are few of the rainbows I recognize:

Shortly after the deluge began, a friend called.

"I can't talk now," I said. "I have a flood."

Before long she came armed with a laundry basket of towels, but when she saw the magnitude of the problem, she called her husband. He "just happened" to have a roofer with him who was looking at a small leak in his office building. They came right over.

The roofer crawled into the attic to check for a cave-in there. "It's bone dry up here," he reported. However, he just happened to know the president of a restoration company. Unknown to me, after he left, he made a call.

I had already called Compleat Restoration, but with the volume of calls they were getting, they said it would be from one to three weeks before they could get to us. So, you can imagine my surprise when they called back to tell me they would be coming that evening.

Meanwhile, the air conditioning company sent out a repairman who gerry-rigged the a.c. bypassing the flooded mother-board. This kept the house cool preventing mildew and mold.

Further, a plumbing truck was next-door. When the plumbers finished there, they came, opened up the wall, and found the problem. Finally, the deluge stopped.

By nightfall, the restoration experts were on hand with seventeen industrial dehumidifiers and fans.

They pulled padding from under carpet to allow ventilation to dry out the sub flooring.

They cut out dry wall to remove wet insulation and enable drying.

The equipment ran for four days!

When the fog cleared and the extent of the damage became apparent, we got a mover who packed the contents of our home and took it to storage. While the truck was being loaded the rain held off; but as the last item was inside the van, it began to "spritz". I was thankful the furniture didn't take-on more water!

Afterward, we checked into an extended stay unit at a local hotel. With the house empty, the warped and wet flooring could be removed.

Furthermore, the honest plumber and contractor have accepted responsibility for the negligence.

In addition, previously, we had planned to be away on vacation this particular week. Can you picture the mold and mildew, if we had been away?

To keep things in perspective, we remember many Haitian families who are still living in tents two years after the earthquake. We are thankful to have a dry roof over our heads, culpable companies who will eventually pay for damages (we hope), and most importantly, no one was hurt.

As we wait word of settlement from the insurance companies, we would appreciate prayers for patience and piety. :)

Throughout this ordeal, I have often thought of Noah. Imagine how special the rainbow was to him. As I count the Lord's mercies in our minor-in-comparison flood, I am thankful for the rainbows revealed along the way.

Spiffing up the Loo

2011-09-07T05:29:00.006-04:00

The British have a way with words. Spoken with a proper accent a post on bathroom renovations sounds almost genteel, but the only thing cultured about the stone-cottage bathrooms was the marble. So, Marcus and Anna chose those two rooms for major renovation.

This adorable sign can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61394373/the-loo-british-cottage-shabby-bathroom.

The goal was to transform the small spaces into mini-Cooper versions of a 1930's luxury hotel, the same era as the home. Taking the Waldorf Astoria in New York City or the Biltmore Hotel in Palm Beach as their inspiration, the couple chose period fixtures and tile for the two bathrooms.

The upstairs bath needed the most attention. The pink marble palace was gutted, save for the bathtub.

This is an after picture; unfortunately, I didn't get the pink marble beforehand.

Restoration Hardware was a good source for vintage medicine cabinet and sink. While Circa lighting provided a contemporary take on Pullman lights (Boston Square Three-Light Sconce).

Rhol fixtures supplied the hotel-style, train-rack shelf

and double towel bar.

The polished nickel, vintage hand-held shower fixtures are also Rohl,

as are the sink spigot and handles.

Marcus and Anna picked white subway ceramic tiles for the walls and hexagon Calcutta Gold marble tiles for the flooring to continue the grand-hotel theme. The marble baseboard is the final nod to the Great-Gatsby era.

Here is a peak of the completed room from the doorway.

The downstairs bathroom didn't need as extensive a renovation as the upstairs bath. The black and white tile was probably original to the home, but in fine shape.

The couple did replace the sink, the toilet, the medicine cabinet, lights, and hardware, since they had seen a lot of wear over the years. With new Rohl fixtures, the bathroom is a refreshed version of the original.

Leave it to Anna, my "necessity" queen, to find the perfect final-touch accessories.

In their refurbished splendor, I do believe these two loos could pass royal muster.

Autumn in the Air

2011-09-01T20:35:00.000-04:00

Not a fan of winter, I usually am sorry to see summer slip away, but not this year. After the steamy July and early August, this week's cooler temperatures are welcome. The lower humidity makes walking less strenuous. The ever-so-slight nip in the air and the first falling leaves, brings to mind the plaid dresses I wore on the first day of school as a child and signals the approach of autumn. Time to decorate!

Here is my fall tablescape from two angles:

I began this collection of Murano glass pumpkins last year when I found two at a favorite gift shop. They were pricey, but--knowing I wouldn't be replacing them every year--I thought worth the expense. Then this year at Home Goods, I found a few more pumpkins in different sizes and the Murano glass bowl, all for a great price!

However, when I brought the pumpkins home, added them to the couple I already had, and tried to arrange them; I realized I needed more. So, I made a trip to the Silk Flower Warehouse in New Holland. Yay! They had three more in small sizes and slightly different shapes. What is more, they were a deal, too! (Rationalization: Now, I won't be buying flowers for my table until after Thanksgiving.)

Oh, let's be honest, I'm always ready to deck the halls for the next season. When I was teaching, I made welcome-back bulletin boards depicting desks, apples, blackboards, lunch boxes, and books. Now I must put all my energy into our front door and tablescapes.

Here is my front door ready to welcome Labor Day weekend guests.

What are you using for a centerpiece? What is on your front door?

Seven Secrets to Surviving Storms

2011-08-31T16:59:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, we attended a wedding in the St. Thomas Chapel at Villanova University.

With Hurricane Irene bearing down on Philadelphia, guests left their umbrellas at the door. Happily, they also checked the soggy weather in the vestibule, because the multi-colored bouquets and white marble interior brightened even the darkest day.

By the time my friend, mother-of-the-groom, was escorted down the aisle by her eldest son, the weather was forgotten.

Majestic strains of the pipe organ filled the chapel, and the solemn ceremony proceeded unabated.

As I watched the giving of vows and exchange of rings, my mind wandered to the storms of life every couple must weather. When you stand at the altar so full of optimism, you have no idea what life might blow your way. My husband and I have weathered our share of storms together--the loss of a baby, the stress of a surgeon's schedule, the strain of living in a fourth-world country, the challenge of meeting our children's educational needs, the trauma of watching young adults figure out their own values... Undoubtedly, there are more squalls ahead.

In reality, life isn't easy. There are, however, some things spouses can do to smooth the passage. As I listened to the homily, I came up with some tips to help young marrieds experience more sunshine and less thunder.

First, bury your expectations. Early in marriage, if my husband mentioned he might be home early and something came up at work, I was more disappointed than if I had not anticipated his homecoming. Furthermore, just because my father--who worked for the Federal government--always came home for supper, did not mean my husband--who is a physician--would follow that pattern.

Since my expectations made me miserable, I decided to kill my "ought-to-bes". Instead, I reasoned, other wives have absent husbands, too. Military spouses are deployed. Coaches travel to recruit players and coach away games. Truck drivers make long hauls. Salesmen earn rewards from hotels and airlines, because they register so many rooms and log so many miles. So, why should I complain when my husband is at the hospital?

The same advice to kill expectations applies to husbands. Do you expect your wife to cook and keep house like your mother? If so, then it is time for a reality check. Your wife won't cook like your mother. She may be a better cook; then again, she may not cook at all. Furthermore, she won't keep house like your mother, either. She may be less fastidious or more so; but she isn't your mother. So, bury your assumptions of how things are going to be. You both will be happier!

My second piece of advice follows logically: With your expectations six-feet-under, avoid criticizing your spouse. After all, who says your way is right or better?

Think about it. Do you want to be around someone who critiques you? Of course not. We avoid negativity like the plague. Guess what? So does your spouse. Consequently, if you are going to grouse or nitpick, think twice. Then do to your partner what you would want him/her to do to you--overlook the "fault". The apostle James says it best, "Mercy triumphs over judgment."

The third recommendation I'd make for a happy marriage would be to avoid badgering.

You may have a to-do list as long as your arm and a schedule you think should be kept, but ask yourself, "Would I cheerfully comply, if the demands were reversed?" A good rule of thumb, is to ask in moderation and be sure you are sharing the load. Horses, if driven too hard, balk. Besides only a narcissists demand that the world revolve around them. Remember, "Smoke, rain, and a demanding mate will make a spouse run out-of-doors."

Tip number four is positive; instead of criticizing and badgering, compliment.

Even children intuitively know that kind words are better motivators than harsh tones. This was illustrated one evening in front of a house guest. The host, a pastor, lost his temper with the family dog, cuffed him, and booted him outside.

The young son, observing, was visibly upset. He waited until the father had left the room, then retrieved the poor pup remarking to the visitor, "Doesn't he know that Buster would do anything for him, if he'd just talk nicely to him?"

It isn't just Buster who responds best to belly-rubs and treats. My fifth tip is to be generous with treats, or to put it another way, meet your spouse's needs.

Every human being has needs, and it is the job of the spouse to meet those needs. According to Abraham Maslow, we all need to drink, to eat, to sleep, to feel protected, to have sex, and to feel affirmed. It follows then that a man should bring his wife coffee. Likewise, a women should serve her husband iced tea. Taking it a step further, sometimes a husband should cook or take his wife out to eat, and at other times, the wife should prepare a favorite meal or buy a "homemade" pie. Both have the responsibility of meeting other other's need. Similarly, men should give their wives listening-time and just-holding-time, while wives should give their husbands sex. Why? Because needs must be met. And, a good marriage is based on the formula: each for the other.

Tip six is equally important to a congenial marriage: Spend in moderation. More couples divorce over money than anything else. As a consequence, my advice when dealing with money is moderation. Either spouse can err either by burning through money

or by holding it too tightly.

With disciplined spending and kind words and actions, marriages can be strong. However, the hurricane-force winds of life will still blow. Those stormy times are when the last and most important key to a storm-proof marriage is necessary: Hang on to the Lord together. He is what keeps a home from coming apart when the fierce winds blow. Listen to Steve and MaryJean Green as they affirm this truth in their original song, Household of Faith.

Summer of the Stay-cation

2011-08-22T18:33:00.002-04:00

A memorable vacation is not measured by where you go, but by who you are with. Back in January and February when we normally would have been renting a house for summer vacation, our children's schedules were tentative. As a consequence, we planned a home-bound holiday.

To insure the days together would be fun, we researched age-appropriate activities--catering to the one-year-old, two-year-old, and three-year-old.

It all began by renting a van to pick up our daughter in Bethesda (Her husband joined us later.) and our other daughter's family who flew in from the midwest to the Baltimore-Washington Airport. We ate lunch at our favorite haunt on Federal Hill.

Regi's American Bistro, 1002 Light Street, Baltimore, MD

Then, the men took Will to the National Aquarium located on the Baltimore harbor.

http://www.jtwebs.net

Meanwhile, the ladies toured Patrick Sutton's interior design studio which is just a stone's throw from the aquarium.

http://patricksutton.com

Later that evening, our son and family arrived from Virginia.

The next day, although temperatures topped 100 degrees, the preschoolers' excitement for Dutch Wonderland wasn't dampened.

The plume ride provided a bit of relief from the sun.

Two honeys in a honey bee.

Three-year-olds like driving heavy equipment.

Two-year-olds do too.

One-year-olds, the same.

After that sauna the next day, we purchased seats in the Strasburg Railroad pullman car which is air conditioned!

We made time for a visit with the great grandparents.

Of course, Gigi had a present-a-day for each child to open.

"Boys may like balls, but girls like Madeline," Caroline said as she opened her present. :)

To minimize the number of times I had to set the table for eleven people, we had a meal prepared by a Haitian lady with whom Bill works. Another day, we ordered sandwiches-to-go from Isaacs just down the road from the railroad. And, on Sunday, we ate brunch at the Cork and Cap Restaurant.

My conclusion after the stay-cation experiment: A trip to a far-away place is exciting, but a few days at home with the family is priceless.

The Best Never Rest

2011-08-17T09:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I read a sports story about the new Philadelphia Philly phenom, Hunter Pence. Since his acquisition in late July, the team has a 12-3 record. But, what stood out in the Pence profile was his attitude toward baseball beginning in his junior year in high school when he decided to make it his priority.

"When I woke up in the morning, I was going to do everything I could possibly do to get better. When I went to bed at night, same thing. Throughout the day, I was going to find a way to be the best I could."

An ever onward-and-upward attitude also produces the best home designer. How can I prove it? Well, if you were house shopping which home would you choose to visit? The one in the real estate ads with the Williamsburg blue carpet, the hunter green walls, and the ubiquitous brown leather Lazy-boy recliner or the one with warm but neutral walls, vessel sinks, and granite countertops?

Although our youngest daughter and her husband did a lot when they moved into their home, they have not settled for status quo. Rachel has not stopped making forward progress room by room, and Curt has continued to improve the landscaping.

About four years ago, when they were getting ready to occupy their home, they were given some family antiques and hand-me-downs. The antiques are keepers, but some of my cast-offs needed to be updated. This lamp is an example, showing decades of wear on the cracked wooden base and yellowed shade.

Replacing the traditionally-shaped lamp with a gold-gilded contemporary lamp took the vignette from wilted to perky.

We also found another angular lamp to replace a predictable lamp in her hearth room. (She moved the wooden lamp to the basement game room.)

before

after

Mixing traditional furnishings with contemporary accessories updates a home. Even modern pillows contribute to a current vibe.

Then bringing in a hint of grey as relief from all the brown, also makes the space seem less passe.

These changes are small, but add up to a fresh look.

What is more, the updates didn't break the bank. We discovered the gilded lamp at an antique market. A trip to a lamp repair shop for a black shade and base gave a high-end look to a bargain. The little square lamp was a discontinued sale at Crate and Barrel. Three pillows and the throw came from Target; while the last two pillows were purchased at West Elm.

However, before you adopt "the best never rest" slogan as your own, a word of caution is in order. Obsessive-compulsive behaviors can be destructive. In fact, psychiatrists prescribe medicine for the disorder!

Staying current must be balanced with contentment. Always needing the latest fashion, technological gadget, or home accessory can destroy a budget and a marriage. One must ask oneself, "What soul-hole drives me to obsessive behavior? Who am I trying to please? Why can't I be content?"

Inner contentment comes with the certainty of God's love. If you are sure the Lord accepts you for who you are, you don't have to keep up with someone else or try to be perfect. Only God is perfect, and although he wants us to live to please him, he doesn't want us to be driven to try harder or strive more ardently to gain his favor. After all, his love was guaranteed, when we were the opposite of perfect! We are commanded to press onward and upward looking unto Jesus, but remembering that all is grace!

My Life for Yours

2011-08-12T17:04:00.000-04:00

The birthday I just celebrated was a fresh reminder of the truism: Love is my-life-for-yours. My husband, family, and friends illustrated their love by sacrificing for me. It made me want to do the same, to give my life for them and others.

Nowhere is the self-sacrificial definition of love more obvious than in marriage. On Saturday, my husband gave of himself to surprise me for my birthday.

Let me tell you the story. Earlier in the spring, we had seen a chandelier I admired. Our daughter loved it, too, and ordered one for her new home. I assumed I would get to enjoy it at her house. Little did I know my husband had tucked the information in the back of his mind. Collaborating with our daughter, he ordered one for us, too. Then, he had it delivered to a friend's home and arranged for another friend to hang it while we were out for a birthday dinner.

Imagine my surprise when he led me into the dining room singing, "Happy birthday" and pointing upward. I was shocked! How did he pull that off? The more I thought about it, the more touched I was. What self-sacrifice! We didn't "need" the chandelier, but Bill knew that slowly updating our home is something I wanted to do. Thoughtfully, he gave of himself to please me, and it makes me feel so loved!

Another expression of self-sacrifice came from our three-year-old granddaughter. According to our son, Caroline spent over an hour coloring a special picture for me. "She really worked on it. She wanted it to be perfect for you." When the drawing arrived by Fedex, I placed it in a prominent place. Each time I pass it, her sweet voice rings in my ears, "Happy birthday, Gigi." Seeing her efforts makes me feel loved.

Then in my living room is another expression of self-sacrifice. Three porcelain blossoms now sit on a walnut box. They were sent by my daughters who are each on an early-marriage budget. The delicate flowers are a generous display of their love.

In a guest space fresh, monogramed towels and wash cloths are laid out ready for use. They are a gift from my mother.

My father-in-law and mother-in-law sent a beautiful card with kind sentiments and a check. Their generosity on a fixed income speaks of their love.

Finally, three china birds now chirp at me from my kitchen window. They were a birthday present from a friend. Often this friend and I have walked and prayed for our children, reminding each other to "look at the birds...they do not sow, or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you (or your children) more valuable than they?" What a sweet reminder of Matthew 6:26. In choosing these cute little fellows, my friend thoughtfully gave of herself to encourage me.

When we spend ourselves for someone else, we are demonstrating love. Didn't Christ live and die to illustrate love? "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (1 John 3:16).

http://www.joesart.com/crusifix_sm.jpg

This week when I make an extra special dinner for my husband, send a surprise to my granddaughter, bless one of my children, call a parent, or have a friend for tea I am living the truth: Love is: my-life-for-yours.

Endearing Quirks

2011-08-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

What I love about homes built over half century ago are the quirky details. An unusual door, an atypical doorbell, detailed woodwork all combine to give an older home a uniqueness not found in McMansion construction. Such whimsical details return stone-cottage visitors to a by-gone era.

From the street, the 1930's cottage testifies to the attention to detail given in those days. Before you get up the front walk, you notice the weighted gate. What a charming welcome.

Looking up at the home, you see snow guards adding definition to the slate roof. The metal perches keep snow from sliding off the stone surface, but are rarely used on recently built homes. The front door is also unique in that only the upper half of the front door has divided lights. Nowadays, front doors are either solid wood or entirely divided glass.

Once up to the front door visitors twist the doorbell key rather than push a button, and the bell is located in the center of the door rather than on the doorframe.

From the inside, the bell displays scrolled details.

The entryway reveals more one-of-a-kind features. Curled wood cutouts detail the sides of the stairs.

A half Dutch-door in the front hall leading downstairs is especially unusual.

In the dining room, a built in dish cupboard takes advantage of under-the-stair space.

At the top of the stairs are additional vintage details on the landing. For example, a slanted linen closet door follows the roofline.

Just outside the bathroom, the original builder created a tiny trap door which allows a plumber access to the tub and shower pipes.

Built in drawers are tucked under the dormers in the upstairs bedrooms.

Then, I love the radiator covers which are each unique.

Taking note of the quirks in this old cottage made me think of each person's individuality. Aren't you glad the Creator has continued to make each person special? He obviously agrees that personalized quirks are as endearing in people as they are in homes.

Space-Age Kitchen Makes Soft Landing

2011-07-19T14:14:00.001-04:00

The most dramatic make-over in Marcus' and Anna's home was accomplished with the most minor changes. Paint and hardware brought an out-of-character galley kitchen into sync with the rest of the house.

When Anna and Marcus purchased their 1930's cottage, the kitchen didn't match the home's style. The Corian, handle-less cabinets looked like they came from a Star Trek set. What was probably state-of-the-art in the 70's was incongruous with the home's vintage charm.

The kitchen was a no-frills space--long on efficiency, but short on personality. Even though the style could have been labeled "modern", it was dated.

Moreover, the budget did not permit a kitchen renovation. What could be done?

Anna, always great at picturing potential, was up to the challenge. I must admit to being skeptical, but she insisted that paint and pulls would do the trick. As it turned out, these cosmetic touches were the repairs needed to bring the ship safely home.

The first thing Marcus and Anna did was to remove the yellowed finish on the butcher block countertop with stripper and sandpaper. Then, they stained the wood a warm walnut brown. Next, the room was painted (lower cabinets--Benjamin Moore "Museum Piece", upper cabinets a lighter shade of the same color, walls Benjamin Moore "Strand of Pearls"). Finally, Martha Stewart, brushed-nickel bin pulls and grooved cabinet handles from Home Depot were added.

Inset windows were dressed in a whimsical linen polka dot fabric.

Last, antique cast iron scales and still-life oil painting completed the vignette.

Isn't this face lift amazing? The before and after shots tell the story: Lunar Module Lands Successfully.

Before

after

Casual or Formal Dining

2011-07-14T08:33:00.005-04:00

Which dining atmosphere do you prefer, casual or elegant? More and more our culture is leaning toward laid-back, not stuffy. But, stop and think about it. Which tastes better, a steak at Texas Roadhouse or one served on linen at The Capital Grille? At home, because we don't toss peanut shells on the floor nor do we serve many meals on a starched tablecloth, it is preferable to hit a balance between formal and informal.

Marcus and Anna accomplished this by mixing contemporary with traditional furnishings, casual with dressy finishes.

Starting with the floor, they chose a jute honeycomb patterned rug from West Elm (http://www.westelm.com/products/jute-dot-rug-t008/?pkey=crugs-flooring). Juxtaposed to this casual floor covering, Anna hung white floor to ceiling drapes from Pottery Barn. The formality of full length window coverings was taken down a notch by choosing linen rather than silk and grommets rather than traditional pleating. (Curtain rods are from Restoration Hardware.)

In the center of the dining room is a formal, oval table but six mismatched chairs. The host and hostess chairs are high-gloss white, contemporary chairs from Brocade Home (https://www.brocadehome.com), and side chairs are canned, hand-painted antiques purchased at Stoudt's Black Angus Antique Mall in Adamstown, Pennsylvania.

The mix of antique and contemporary continues with the dining table which was left in the room by the previous owners. Yellowed with age, the table was tired looking and might have been carried to the street, if there had been a replacement. However, because it was the only option, we went to work. Lacquer stripper, lots of elbow grease, and a white glaze transformed the duckling into a swan. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the Kindel label on the under side of the table skirting and brass rings on the table legs! Now the traditional table with updated finish sits comfortably center stage. Finally, placemats set a casual tone next to a William Yeoward crystal globe which adds some glam.

Prior to its facelift, the dining room seemed teeny. A door closed the small room from the entry, and the previous owners had a large hutch on the wall (visible from the kitchen). As a consequence, the room appeared to be minuscule.

The door from the entry was removed, and Marcus' and Anna's open sideboard visually added two feet to the room.

Atop the antique chinese sideboard sits an old gilded mirror between a pair of contemporary Simon Pearce square vases. The distinct lines of the cane sticks also add a fresh twist.

The mix of old and new is repeated again in the weathered brass chandelier which puts a contemporary spin on a traditional shape (Circa lighting).

The final coup is tucked into the corner of the room where a very deep cupboard takes advantage of space beneath the stairs. Previously, this cupboard had wooden country pulls on the drawers, was too deep to be left open, but lacked doors. Upon inspection, we noticed evidence of doors formerly covering the shelves. What a pleasant surprise to find the old doors hidden beneath a stack of window screens in the basement furnace room! Given a coat of paint and contemporary crystal pulls, this quirky old cabinet now fits perfectly in the room.

I don't know about you, but I think this room is ideal for breaking bread day-to-day or on a holiday. Dress it up; dress it down--it works for steaks anyway you prefer them.

Come in; Make Yourself at Home

2011-07-09T17:20:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Marcus and Anna's entryway.

The front door of their stone cottage

opens into this foyer.

As you can see, the living room is on the left. This largest room in the home measures approximately 12 by 20 feet. Bookcases bank the south wall, while a lovely fireplace holds court on the longest wall. During the daytime, windows on three sides flood the room with natural light. When Marcus and Anna originally toured the home during a realtors' open house, the staged living room looked like this:

After settlement, the young couple began imprinting their fingerprints on the room. First, they had crown molding added. Many of the rooms already had this detail, but not the living room. Next, the walls were painted Benjamin Moore Royal Flax (50 percent), a grayed beige that transitions from the gray entrance to the rose and camel silk stripe in the living room. .

Toward the front of the house, floor to ceiling panels warm up the north-facing wall.

Roman shades from the same fabric cover the back and side wall windows. (Amazingly, all the fabric for these four windows used to cover the one window in their New York living room!)

At first glance, the fireplace wall seems untouched, but notice the details. The brick fireplace surround was painted white to match the mantel. Williamsburg sconces were traded for a more contemporary pair from Circa lighting. A rustic, mountain lodge fireplace screen was replaced with a more refined screen from Horchow. (Go to: www.horchow.com. Click on decorative accents, fireplaces, fire screens.) Finally, the broken terra-cotta hearth tiles were replaced with a single piece of soapstone.

The home's small rooms left the couple in a quandary. Where could they watch television? The only room large enough for a group was the living room. However, Marcus and Anna, like most people, didn't want to have a black screen as the focal point of their genteel entertaining space. To remedy this problem, they had a box built to cover the television (http://www.averyart.com/#!media-sreens).

Now, happily, six or seven people can view the television or simply converse in a comfortable room. A secondary benefit of having entertainment in the living room is that the space will be used regularly, not just for formal occasions.

When you are in the middle of settling into a house, it seems to be all consuming. After a bit, you can begin to feel like you have fixated too long on "stuff." Truth be told, you do have to remember why you are nesting--to make your house a home where you can nurture others.

From Blah to Ta-dah

2011-07-05T12:19:00.001-04:00

I have been negligent of my blog in the past few weeks, because I was helping a daughter and her husband move. It takes time to make a home your own--time to paint, time to replace fixtures, and time to "guild the lily". However, I can't think of a more pleasant pastime than taking empty rooms and filling them to reflect the home owners' personalities. Layered details

take a vacated house from blah to ta-dah.

Knowing changes will never get made if you don't refurbish when you first move, Anna and Marcus aggressively tackled their to-do list. Every room was repainted. Off-white walls now feature Benjamin Moore full-spectrum paint colors. I can't say enough positive about this line of paint. Because the paint (even flat) is of such high quality, the walls are totally scrubbable. Best of all, the colors are amazingly reflective of light. Anna's and Marcus' favorite color is "Museum Piece" halved with white. The resulting color is a soft, light, perfect gray.

Light fixtures in the house were a bit too country for Anna's taste. Replacing them with fixtures from Circa lighting was like adding designer jewelry to a plain dress.

The biggest transformation was given to the main bathroom. It went from pink to soft white and gray. The hexagons on the floor are Calcutta Gold marble and the walls are matte white subway tile. Fixtures were updated in two bathrooms, as well.

After the shell of each room was personalized, Anna and Marcus brought in all their earthly possessions. Their belongings from a temporary apartment and a storage bin were reassembled. Then we began to put the jigsaw puzzle together. This was no small feat because the proportions of this home are entirely different than their previous homes. Where their New York condo had twelve foot ceilings, these are eight foot. Where their last abode had one main living space, this home has a separate kitchen, dining room, living room, study, and sunroom. Many pieces of furniture were moved, rearranged, and repositioned several times before they found a resting place. (Aren't you glad your husband wasn't the one hefting?)

Finally, some drapes were shortened, others remade, others newly fabricated before they were hung.

Lastly, pictures found their homes on walls and tablescapes were arranged.

I think the final product is charming. In the next few posts, I will take you on a room by room tour.

Only in Lancaster

2011-07-02T14:48:00.001-04:00

In the last half a dozen years, we have gone to the Lancaster's Symphony New Year's Eve concert. The conductor always prefaces and concludes the evening with the phrase, "only in Lancaster." Today on this Fourth of July weekend, I enjoyed another "only in Lancaster" privilege. I picked a table arrangement of zinnias, daisies, and plumes for only $3.00 from an Amish garden.

The Amish farm is over the covered bridge, around the corner, and up hill from our house. A mule drawn wagon passes us as we climb the last elevation before reaching the picture-perfect cutting garden.

A table sits in front of the flowerbed bearing a sign, "Cut Your Own Flowers".

Upon closer inspection, on the folding table, you find another handwritten sign: "Sunflowers .25 each, all other flowers $1.00 a dozen". The plastic container, weighed down with rocks, awaits deposits. Even a pair of scissors is laid out for the using. What trust; it is all on the honor system.

I always appreciate the simple beauty of the garden. The grass is neatly edged.

Flowers are planted in careful rows by type.

The landscape designer planted with an eye to the eventual height of the blooms. The tallest sunny faces are in the back row, while the short colorful blossoms are in front.

On the way home, we cross a second covered bridge.

Then we pass a tiny potting cottage...

which sits beside a sweet guest house.

What beauty we enjoy...only in Lancaster.

This Fourth of July, I hope you each celebrate the unique brand of freedom we enjoy only in the United States of America.

Joy Bubbles Up from Praise

2011-06-07T12:36:00.000-04:00

I am savoring a book chuck full of wisdom and joy, One Thousand Gifts.

The author, Ann VosKamp,

is daughter-of- the-Heavenly-Father, wife-of-a-Canadian-farmer, mother-of-six-children, and truly-a-poet. In prose-poetry, she opens the eyes of her readers' hearts to see God's daily gifts. Then, by listing the Lord's thousands of gifts, they reap a joy-full life.

This post will follow her lead. Won't you trail along, creating your own list of thanksgivings? Joy is sure to follow.

1. "Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of yourself--your unsoiled righteousness, your unparalleled love, your amazing grace--displayed so obviously in creation."

2. "Thank you, Lord, for the kind, trustworthy, godly man you gave me."

3. "Thank you, Lord, for our son's deep-throated belly-laugh at all of life. Thank you for his wife, a wonderful mother, for their bright thee-year-old little girl and adorable son."

4. Thank you for the match you made for our oldest daughter who captures beauty in her new home and advocates for victims of crimes against humanity. You knew she needed a brilliant husband whose taste and goals parallel her own, and you provided. What a powerful couple for good they will make as they grow more and more aware of your abundant grace."

5. "Thank you, Father, for our second daughter, her creativity and her compassion. Thank you for her hardworking, happy, godly husband. And a big thank you for their most exuberant little boy and the promise of another son to frolic with his brother."

6.............

Did you begin your own list? I hope so, because joy will multiply in your life as you take Ann's advice to thank the Lord for his thousands of gifts.

I have found a praise list to be a gift that gives back. It works like this: Praising the Creator makes glad the heart of God which in turn bubbles up in ours.

Furthermore, praise is not difficult to voice because, as author-Ann says, "All really is outrageous grace."

Birthday Party Work Zone

2011-05-26T18:01:00.001-04:00

Two-year-old little boys love trucks, heavy equipment, well actually, any machine that goes vroom, vroom. Oh, let's get real; twelve-year-old boys, twenty-two-year old young men, even sixty-two-year-old men like machines-on-wheels. This fetish inspired my daughter to build her little boy's birthday party theme around construction equipment.

The invitations dug the foundation.

Yellow, black, and white balloons directed traffic to the site.

Front porch signs cautioned pedestrians to proceed with caution.

Once inside, young guests donned hard hats

to avoid construction hazards above

and below.

Each young construction worker found a bag of equipment with his or her name.

The guest of honor discovered a road running across the table....

and a truck driving across his cake.

For a little boy growing up in a yogurt-and-humus home,

the Oreo-cookie dirt was an especially tasty treat!

Opening his gifts,

he uncovered new trucks--trash trucks, cement mixers, and dump trucks.

At nap time, little man went to sleep with heavy equipment surrounding him.

Sweet dreams and happy birthday, big boy.

Golden Friendships

2011-05-09T15:16:00.001-04:00

When you were in girl scouts, did you say the motto: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold"? Well, we spent our last few days panning gold.

On Friday, we flew to the windy city, Chicago. It was breezy, of course, but a beautiful spring day. After checking into the hotel, we hopped the east bound Metra train for center city. Disembarking at the last stop, we caught a cab which took us to some long-time friends' penthouse condo on North Lake Shore Drive.

From the top floor of the prewar building, the views of Lake Michigan are postcard perfect.

You might think a large penthouse in a doorman-building would be intimidating, but our down-to-earth friends immediately put us at ease. Their tasteful and comfortable interiors humanize the grand coffered ceilings and old wood paneling. Toys for grandchildren, family pictures, and religious art reflect their values. Besides, their gracious hospitality spilled over us making us feel welcome.

After hors d'oeuvres, we drove to Chicago's Symphony Hall where we dined before attending the concert. Before we ate, my husband's best man and our long time friend thanked the Lord for his grace in all of our lives.

Then we were treated to a performance conducted by the world renowned Riccardo Muti. He directed the orchestra in a premiere performance of Pulitzer-prize-winning-composer Bertrand Rands' Danza petrificada, followed by Strauss' Death and Transfiguration and Prokofiev's Suite from Romeo and Juliet.

After the concert, we caught a west-bound Metra train back to our hotel.

Saturday morning we drove over to Wheaton College, my husband's alma mater. Wheaton is a family tradition. His father and three of his aunts attended, and one of our daughter's followed their footsteps. (If you aren't familiar with Wheaton, Google to read its rich history. The Reverend Billy Graham and Jim and Elizabeth Elliot are among alumni who have lived the college motto, "For Christ and His Kingdom.")

At the Saturday morning class-of-'71-breakfast, we chatted with some of Bill's nearly sixty classmates in attendance and listened as each shared snippets of God's grace in their life. Afterward, we went to the luncheon for the entire alumni contingent. Impressively, there must have been over 500 former students present. The oldest two alumni were from the class of 1936!

From there, we drove to another suburb to attend the wedding of our friends' son.

What a joy to see Peter Connelly marry Krissy Peters. The bride's infectious enthusiasm seems to match Peter's sterling qualities. The reception was in a warehouse-turned-gallery, the perfect place to celebrate young Christian love.

Mother's Day morning dawned bright and clear. After brunch hosted by the groom's parents, we drove east to O'Hare and caught a flight back to Pennsylvania.

This morning as I was reviewing the delightful weekend I was reminded of the last lines of the hymn "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken":

"Fading is the worldling's pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show;

solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion's children know."

Lasting friendships grounded in Christ glittered this weekend. Such treasure is priceless.

Powder Room Gets Face Lift

2011-05-02T11:19:00.001-04:00

Have you heard the expression, "The apple does not fall far from the tree"? Well, there is truth to it. Guess what our youngest daughter wanted for her thirtieth birthday? Some accessories for her powder room!

after

We happily obliged. In a short weekend we were out to celebrate her milestone, the powder room got a face lift. Originally, the small space was painted a pretty shade of blue/green, but had builder-grade accruements.

before

At Mission Road Antiques Mall, we found some wonderful accessories to upgrade the room. Our first reclaimed treasure was an antique leaded-glass window.

The rich, dark gray lead provided a color scheme for accessories, while the pattern set a somewhat Gothic theme. We found a miniature lead French "laver" for above the commode. The top portion has a detailed spigot and the bottom basin is clover-leaf shaped and decorated with the French fleur-de-lis perfect for French-milled soaps!

In the same mall, we spied a French wire basket to provide a home for magazines. Notice how the color and lines repeat the color and pattern of the glass?

Finally, the builder-grade mirror was replaced by a lovely antique gold-leafed mirror, and the light fixture was upgraded with Circa lighting.

Without changing plumbing fixtures, the interesting accessories create a delightful place to powder one's nose.

Easter Celebration: Spring Table-scape & Menu

2011-04-25T11:20:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, we were blessed by having our son, daughter-in-law, their two munchkins, and a nephew as house-guests.

Yesterday for dinner, they were joined by a great grandfather, two great grandmothers, and a great aunt. Getting ready for the party is always fun for me. I enjoy cleaning the house, planning menus, purchasing the groceries, and making flower arrangements. But, the flower arranging is my favorite preparation.

purple tulips and purple grape hyacinths (Muscaris amenicum)

I began by soaking the oasis in water with flower-perservative. Then I cut two dozen purple tulips stems into seven inch lengths. Next, I gathered several dozen of the tiny grape hyacinths from my garden, cutting them in five inch lengths. I spaced the tulips in the oasis. Then I filled in with the smaller flowers, and finally I added the tulip leaves. The green and purple color scheme is one of my favorites.

My Easter menu was easy and could be used all spring and summer. I began by serving crackers and cheese and a pear nectar with sparkling pear juice as an appetizer.

At the table I first passed the whole wheat dinner rolls and the citrus and strawberry salad. A short cut that eliminated the time consuming and tedious chore of segmenting the grapefruit was using canned but drained pink and white grapefruit sections. I also added a can of drained crushed pineapple. Finally, I mixed in a pint of frozen (but defrosted) sweetened strawberries in their juice.

The main course was a honey baked, spiral-cut ham, green beans, carrots, and scalloped potatoes. My shortcut for the scalloped potatoes is to use the packaged sliced potatoes sold for making home fries. The recipe is on the back of the package.

Dessert was simple--a purchased coconut cake topped with a scoop of pina colada sorbet.

The most memorable moments of the weekend were watching a three-year-old and a one-year-old hunt Easter eggs.

Too quickly, the weekend was over and they had to drive away.

Happy memories linger.

Coloring Walls to tell a Story

2011-04-20T14:05:00.004-04:00

My daughter and her husband are closing on their stone cottage next week, so Anna has been picking paint colors. Currently, every room in the home is painted an off-white, builders-grade paint. However, to help each room reflect her unique perspective, Anna is coloring the walls.

The off-white living room as staged in the real estate ad.

Over the weekend, we took paint samples to view in each room. In each unique lighting environment, we compared the colors to transportable furnishings (a drapery panel, a throw pillow, and honed marble tiles) to be used in the room. What an important step! In some rooms, what looked to be a certain color on the paint chip appeared entirely different in the space!

Anna will be using a new line of paint from Benjamin Moore called Color Story.

These are "full spectrum" paints which means each color is formulated from many different pigments not including black or gray which dulls color. Whereas most paint colors use a few pigments in their formula, "full spectrum" paints use between eight and fifteen pigments. The resulting vibrancy is readily apparent.

Actually, artists have been mixing pigments without black or gray for centuries, but it is fairly new to commercial paint companies.

As far as I know, Donald Kaufman is the pioneer in the field of architectural paint coloration. Back in 1976, he and his wife, Taffy Dahl, began developing their "full spectrum" formulas. To determine the colors, they collaborated with the best architects and designers and travelled all over the world visiting museums, cathedrals, stores, hotels, grand homes, and modest houses. Today, their luminescent (over one hundred) paint colors are available through Pratt & Lambert distributors and cost between $85 and $100 a gallon.

Customers can purchase sample cards of Donald Kaufman paint through: http://donaldkaufman.eaglepaintandwallpaper.com. Paint samples are available for purchase by calling Eagle Paint & Wallpaper at 1-800-237-6918.

The next "full spectrum" colorist I became aware of is clothing designer turned interior designer, C. J. Volk who started manufacturing her paints in 2001.

Volk's passion for vibrant, non-muted saturated colors led her to develop a palette using many pigments. Citron, Volk's company, is located in Tuscon, Arizona, but customers can purchase the nearly one hundred colors, retailing from $55 a gallon, from her web site: http://citronpaint.com.

Just this winter, Benjamin Moore launched their "full spectrum" line. These paints are environmentally friendly and were tested by the company to be "versatile with a number of architectural styles and lighting environments."

Anna chose to use the Benjamin Moore Color Stories "full spectrum" product for several reasons. First, Benjamin Moore has piloted their Color Story line in a couple of New England locations and in the Washington, DC area. For Anna, the Chevy Chase location of Monarch Home Decorating Center was a convenient place to pick up the Color Story paint samples.

Furthermore, the $68 a gallon price, although a bit higher than the Citron paints, was offset by the elimination of shipping and availability of free samples. Finally, the Benjamin Moore Color Story line has two hundred colors to choose from, more than double Donald Kaufman or Citron paints.

As each of the stone cottage rooms begins to tell their own color story, I will post pictures!

The Promise of Springtime

2011-04-13T19:36:00.011-04:00

In the past couple of weeks a groove has been worn in my mind by a Christian hit tune from over thirty years ago; the song by Bill & Gloria Gaither is called: "Thank God for the Promise of Springtime".

Maybe the unseasonably bleak weather, together with some frightening medical news, pushed my mind's replay button on the words:
"Though the earth seemed bleak and barren

And the seeds lay brown and dead,

Yet the promise of life throbbed within them,

And I knew spring was just ahead.

Thank God for the promise of springtime,

Once again my heart will sing;

There's a brand new day that is dawning,

Thank God for the promise of spring."

Two weeks ago our daughter and her husband went for a prenatal exam. The ultra-sonographer and then the perineatologist saw that their 10-week-old baby had a relatively large cystic hygroma. In the early weeks of pregnancy such a finding indicates very high odds of chromosomal abnormalities which may be incompatible with life. With heavy hearts we have waited nearly two weeks for a repeat sonogram. Meanwhile, Rachel and Curt prayed and processed the news.

Here are Rachel's own words after the first exam:
"Curt, Will and I wanted to share with you that we are expecting baby #2. I am sharing the news with you all now, so that you can please be in prayer for our baby. We had our first ultrasound this week and got to hear the baby's heart beat. However, the ultrasound revealed extra fluid on the baby's neck. My OB recommended that I see the perinatalogist and receive genetic testing. We went the next day to the perinatologist...who said that the baby has a cystic hygroma...

I know that through suffering we come to know Christ in a more intimate way, and for that I am thankful...But I must say, that humanly we are sad, dissappointed, fearful, while at the same time, grateful that we can trust the Lord in ALL circumstances.

We are reminded of Romans 8:31 'What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not whithold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?' And verses 37-39: 'No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinved that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

God also reminded me...that he 'uses the weak things of the world to shame the wise and the lowly things of the world He will lift up.' God, our Father, is our ultimate example of loving the weak and helpless. And at this time when we are feeling weak, we know that He is the one who makes us strong. And if we have a weak and helpless baby, He will be sufficient in his or her weakness. "

More than a week later, over the weekend, Rachel wrote:

"I just wanted to give you all a little update about how we are doing.

Emotionally, I am actually doing really well. God has really done quite a work in my heart. The first few days after our appointment were really hard for me ... full of fear, sadness, dissappointment, anger, and sorrow. I am sure it doesn't help to have the raging hormones of a pregnant woman and having come off of several weeks of feeling really sick!!!

But I just kept going to the Lord with my raw emotions...He met me there and has really drawn me into such an inimate relationship with Him. It's incredible how God's Word becomes so much more real and active in my life, when my faith has been forced to be put into practice.

It has been a journey, but I have come to realize that it's impossible to fear, when God has promised to give us 'every good and perfect gift from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows' James 1:17. When I truly believe His Words and promises I have no fear... (Now I have the sonogram laying out in the kitchen, and I can look at it without anxiety and thank the Lord for this precious little life).

What a wonder...this life inside me has taught me more about grace, prayer, joy and thankfulness in suffering, faith, trust/surrender, and intimacy with Christ in the few weeks of its life than all the previous days of my life!

Finally, I've reflected on this: 'Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed… Without weakening in his faith… Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised' (Rom 4).

I just know that God is able to heal this baby if He so chooses, but if that is not His will, He is still good and His plan is still perfect for our family. Anyway, it is such a freeing thing to be completely surrendered and without fear."

Then after their appointment, Rachel said:

"Curt and I are just about speechless and in awe of God's answers to our prayers. When the perinatalogist did the ultrasound he said the extra fluid had gone away and the area that had a really significant amount of fluid was completely gone. It was simply amazing site to behold...because only about two weeks ago the ultrasound looked so different. We could see our baby moving his/her hands, fingers, legs, and it's cute little nose and profile...It was just incredible.

The doctor is very happy with these results. However, he also said that whenever they find a cystic hygroma early in pregnancy, like they did with our baby, (even if it clears up and goes away, like it has) there is still always an increased risk of chromosomal/genetic problems. (So, I had blood work taken today that will hopefully give us even more reassuring news. I should get it back in about 10 days).

So we are very, very, very thankful for these results today! We just want to give the Lord praise for his answers to our prayers. Thank you all for being so faithful in your prayers for us and for standing by us through these difficult weeks."

Today, Rachel got the results of her blood tests. Here is her latest, and hopefully last e-mail update (until the announcement of baby Peteresen #2's arrival. She writes:

"I just wanted to let you all know that I received my first trimester prenatal screening (which uses the mom's age, baby's ultrasound measurements (including the measurement of the extra fluid they saw early on), and results of a blood test to determine our baby's risk for having chromosomal problems.

Basically, because my blood results were so good our chances actually decreased drastically after this test of having a baby with chromosomal problems...The nurse who shared the results said they were "fantastic" and "extremely reassuring". We won't need to do an amniocentesis, and we believe and trust that God has totally healed our baby."

Praising our Lord and Savior,

Rachel

From our daughter's journal, you can understand our journey. It is with spilling-over joy that we thank God for the promise of springtime.

Living is Giving

2011-04-02T20:11:00.001-04:00

In the last few weeks the Westminster Presbyterian Church congregation has undertaken a heart-stretching design project, outfitting an apartment for a refugee family. Those who have helped in the renovation have verified the truth of Christ's upside-down kingdom: It is in giving that we receive.

The family of six (including two parents, two younger children, an older expectant teenager and her young child) are being resettled in Lancaster County from a refugee camp on the border of Thailand.

Originally, from Burma (Myanmar) which is southwest of China, the family came from the Karenn State, one of the poorest areas in the country and the focus of civil war.

According to a Vision Beyond Borders worker, Patrick Klein, "More than 500,000 people have been killed in Burma (Myanmar) in the last thirty years. More than 3,300 villages have been burned to the ground by the Burmese military, and thousands of children have lost parents...About one million Burmese refugees have fled across the border to Thailand...Even refugee camps in Thailand are not safe from Burmese soldiers. They frequently cross the shallow river separating Thailand and Burma to poison water supplies and kill or kidnap refugees."

Klein said the genocide is an ethnic cleansing, but also has a specifically anti-Christian agenda.

A Burmese official boldly stated recently, "Soon there will be no Christians in this nation. You will only be able to see a Karenn person in a picture in a museum."

Facing such persecution and genocide, it is no wonder Karenni refugees are waiting for visas to emigrate from Myanmar and immigrate to the United States.

A number of caring Westminster church members have embraced our Karenni refugee family. Elder Jim O'Conner together with his wife, Connie, initiated the effort with Church World Service, a non-profit organization that resettles approximately 300 immigrants every year in Central Pennsylvania.

Jim and Connie O'Connor

The resettlement effort has been coordinated by a new church member, Janet Reedy. Janet has paired the coming family's needs with volunteers, as well as linked the congregation with relatives of the immigrants who are already settled in Lancaster.

Janet Reedy

Builder, Pete Alecxih, Jr., had his crew renovate an apartment in Lancaster city for housing. They gutted the kitchen, repaired damaged walls, retrofitted the bathroom, installed new windows, and resurfaced floors in a matter of a couple of weeks! Now the family will be Pete's tenants.

Pete Alecxih, Jr.

Elsa Martin gathered furniture and linens,

Elsa Martin

while her husband, Gary, spruced up the yard for the family.

Other members scrubbed, painted, and furnished the apartment. For example, the apartment received a wonderful leather sofa, some occasional chairs, and a great circular table from David Teply's firm. Others donated a kitchen table, chairs and hutch, beds and dressers, linens, pots and pans, glassware and dishes. Grace Hagey organized donations of food staples. In short, the Karenni family have been provided with everything they need from car seats to toothpaste!

Below are the before and after pictures of the apartment.

Living room before

Living room after

kitchen before

Diane LaBelle and Grace Hagey organize the refurbished kitchen with Janet Reedy.

kitchen after

bathroom before

bathroom after

master bedroom before

master bedroom after

upstairs children's room before

upstairs children's room after

small upstairs bedroom before

Small upstairs bedroom after

What a difference paint, new floors, windows, cabinets, fixtures, curtains, and repurposed furnishings make. The depressing place has become an inviting home.

However, setting up the apartment is just the first step; assimilating this family will be a major undertaking for the next months. Bob Hivner and Kim Melton have volunteered to help them learn how to manage their finances. Heather Cunningham will make sure their health needs are met, and Ellen Hivner will help the family learn English as a second language.

With love and patience, it is hopeful that the family will be mostly independent within a year. How rewarding will that be?

Actually, our reward was seeing the family enjoying their new home.

With so many participants, no one was overwhelmed. To a person, the helpers enjoyed the extreme make-over.

In reality, volunteers were mirroring their Lord "who though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor." Think about it; Christ became a refugee for us. Luke 9:58 says, "The foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head." He left heaven's palaces and came to a "world of woe". Why? So that we who are poor might become rich.

What a privilege to follow his example. Furthermore, those who helped received more than we gave. We gave time and received the friendship of others. We gave supplies, but had our hearts filled. To paraphrase Christ's words: Those who give are more blessed than those who receive.

Our reward: a happy six-year-old little girl holding her new doll and claiming this bed as her own!

Retreat to Climb Upward

2011-03-23T16:55:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I reconnected with women from the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey, Pennsylvania where my husband and I attended when we were first married. The ladies retreat was a rejuvenating weekend geared toward propelling women upward in their lives.

About seventy-five women, including young singles, moms, middle-aged women, and grandmothers embraced the weekend's theme: Thriving While Surviving.

From a feminine perspective, we talked about the walls humans face in life: problems with finances, children, health, relationships... By looking at two biblical biographies, one about Job and the other about Ruth, we focused on the Lord's mercies in difficult climbs and his amazing, abundant, gracious provision for those journeys.

My Friday evening talk was titled "God's Merciful Rock Holds for Life's Steep Climbs"and Sunday morning I spoke on "The Complete Equipment the Lord Provides for the Climbs of Life."

The retreat was held at Kenbrook Bible Camp in Lebanon, Pennsylvania about half an hour from Hershey

and was organized by Donna Nilson, director of women's ministries.

Amanda Fletcher, the church's executive secretary for administration and discipleship, helped with logistics--printing handouts, coordinating publicity.

Karen Kennedy, an administrator in the worship and music department at the church, together with her team led the women in music and worship.

Joan Sproul (whose husband, Bob, is senior associate minister for music and worship at the church) played the keyboard, and her daughter, Gretchen, sang. (Seeing Gretchen, now married and all grown up, was especially fun for me, because I taught her Public Speaking at Lancaster Bible College when she was a senior in high school, taking a college class.)

The summit of the weekend was communion on Sunday morning,

when we thanked the Lord for his death and resurrection, for it is because he lives, we can face the climbs ahead.

A Cozy Cottage, a Spacious Place

2011-03-09T09:02:00.006-05:00

This week, our eldest daughter and her husband reached an agreement on buying a home. We are so excited for them. After several difficult years, the Lord has blessed them with a cozy cottage in which to nest. Here is a peak at the exterior:

When the two of them were enduring some extremely difficult trials, on several occasions as I was reading the Bible, promises seemed to leap off the page with their names inscribed over them. Have you ever experienced comfort like that from God's Word?

The particular verses are in Psalm 18:16-19. They were penned by David when he was delivered from the hand of King Saul.

David's Camp at Engedi by William Brassey Hole

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me."

When I find a promise especially applicable to a situation, I note the name of the person it is for and the date in the margin. Beside this particular psalm, I grabbed a pen to write April 2010. Imagine my delight when I noticed our daughter's name and the date November 2009 already there.

What is more, on another occasion when her and her husband's path seemed particularly steep, I opened my Bible to 2 Samuel 22:17-20. What do those verses say? Exactly the same thing! Now, June 2010 joins the other dates in my Bible's margins.

Incredibly, on a fourth occasion, in November 2010, when I was particularly anxious about their situation, the same passage was the theme of an article read aloud to me by a friend.

How comforted I am when God repeats a promise. If he says something once, we can rest on it. When he says it again, we can tether our hopes to it. But when he repeats it a third and fourth time, he is setting his promise in concrete!

credit:www.faithcanada.com.

Last night, as I was preparing a talk on Job called "Climbing Life's Walls Clinging to God's Merciful Rock Holds", these verses in Job 36:15-16 again bolstered my confident faith:

"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;

he speaks to them in their affliction.

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress

to a spacious place free from restriction..."

How good the Lord is to deliver in suffering, in affliction. Somehow the distress frees us from ourselves and brings us into a spacious place.

I will always look at this cozy stone cottage as a spacious place, but depth of character, spiritual maturity, and freedom from self-centeredness are truly the spacious place!

Meeting God when Abused, Finding Comfort

2011-03-06T14:48:00.005-05:00

While I have been thankful for the sentencing of the officers who raped women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I am sure the judgment has not totally healed their hurts. The world closes the chapter after the verdict is announced, but the abused who have been violated are left with social rejection, physical pain, and personal anger. Even condemnation of the crime by judges is not enough; these women need deeper healing.

credit: TheAngle.com

Several biographies in Scripture reassure us of the Lord God's knowledge of and love for victims. In the Old and New Testaments, we read of innocents who were comforted by the living God. He did not shun the abused; he elevated their status. What is more, the Sovereign of the Universe blessed them with his own precious presence.

In the first book of the Bible, we read of an abused Egyptian servant, Hagar (Genesis 16). She was taken into Abraham's home and moved from her country to serve his wife. This woman, Sarah, knew Jehovah as the only true and living God, yet she doubted His promise of a child. Since she was infertile, she convinced her husband to have a child with her servant, Hagar. Undoubtedly, the girl felt totally used.

In fact, after Hagar had Abraham's child, she despised her mistress, and so Sarah treated her harshly. Consequently, Hagar ran away. However, the text says that the angel of the Lord found her and promised to multiply her descendants because "the Lord has given heed to your affliction." So, Hagar called the Lord who spoke to her, "the God who sees."

Later (Genesis 21:1-21), when Sarah miraculously had a son of her own, the tensions between the two worsened. Ultimately, the once-kind and godly woman sent Hagar and her son away into the desert.

Fear, hurt, and hopelessness overcame this abandoned woman. She cried, "Don't let me see the boy die."

Hagar and Ishmael by Jean-Charles Cazin.

A second time, the angel of God spoke to Hagar, and said, "Do not fear; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is."

Hagar and her son were not forgotten, abandoned, rejected. They were on God's radar screen, and he would meet their needs. What is more, God promised to make her son into a great nation. Most importantly, Hagar's abuse became a blessing, for Hagar came to know the God who sees and hears.

Another biblical biography which reinforces the fact that God hears the cries of the abused comes from Daniel's life story. As a young man, Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians (Daniel 1:1-6) and most likely made a eunuch. (We can surmise this, because he was put under the care of the master of the eunuchs. Further, Isaiah 39:7 prophecies that young men will be taken away from Judah and made "eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.")

www.presentruth.com/2008/06/daniel-1/

Such abuse of one of God's children did not go unnoticed by the Lord. The book of Daniel is replete with the Lord's gracious care for this abused young man. Over and over, Jehovah heard his pleas, answered his prayers, and revealed his knowledge to Daniel.

As a youth, we read in chapter one, "God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials...God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams."

When he was older, we read how God gave Daniel the ability to tell Belshazzar the meaning of an inscription (Daniel 5).

Belshazzar's Feast, Rembrandt, 1635 (National Gallery, London)

As a reward, "they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and gave him authority as the third ruler in the kingdom."

The Lord preserved Daniel's life and faith to old age in a wicked kingdom. Through abuse, peer pressure, and attempts on his life, the Lord was with Daniel "and he enjoyed success" (Daniel 6:28).

The final biography confirming the Lord's presence with victims is found in the book of Acts (8:26-40). An African, an Ethiopian eunuch--the treasurer of Sheba, was on a journey for queen Candace. The account opens with him in a chariot reading the scroll of Isaiah, searching for truth and comfort in God's Word. God's action on behalf of this victim is nothing short of miraculous.

Philip and the Ethiopian, Alexandre Abel Denis de Pujoi, 1848 (Musee des Beaux-Arts, Valencinnes)

The Lord sent the apostle Philip to the desert road where he encountered the Ethiopian in a chariot. The official was studying this passage which must have resonated with him. "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice..." (Isaiah 53:7,8).

When the treasurer asked to whom the passage was referring, Philip was able to explain the good news about Jesus. The apostle explained that Christ, although he was innocent was crucified, died, and was buried, but also was raised from the dead to proclaim justice for those deprived of justice.

Upon hearing the truth, the eunuch believed, and as soon as he and Philip came to some water, he was baptized.

How do these three anecdotes help the rape victims in the DRC? How do they help anyone who has been abused?

The three biographies reinforce the truth that God cares about victims. In fact, he came to bring justice, to heal, and to lift up those treated unjustly. Certainly, when God repeats something three times, we can bank on it. God repeated the lesson these biographies teach, because he wants us to get it: We can safely trust the Lord who sees, hears, lifts up, and rights wrongs. This is truly deeper healing.

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through patience and encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).

Landmark Victory for Women in DRC

2011-02-24T06:56:00.001-05:00

A groundbreaking measure of justice was achieved Monday in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the nearly fifty women who testified against their rapists. Although the United Nations recorded 11,000 rapes in the DRC in 2010, the rebel militias and government troops who use sexual violence as a tactic-of-war have generally gone unpunished. Thus, the verdict handed down by judges in the military court in Baraka was a landmark.

Care2.com

The officers and soldiers were being tried for crimes which occurred on New Year's Day in the village of Fizi in the eastern province of Kivu. According to doctors, sixty-two women were treated for rape.

Victims, usually too fearful or ashamed to testify, rallied together and dramatically detailed the rampage. According to the Associated Press, one newly married young woman threw her bloody torn clothes on the courtroom floor as evidence. Others accused nearly all the company of 150 soldiers stationed in the village of participating in the crimes.

The moving survivors' accounts had effect, because--in contrast to other atrocities in which perpetrators have been accorded impunity--this time the officers and soldiers were sentenced. The verdicts fell short of what the prosecutor had sought. Instead of the death penalty, the rapists were sentenced to prison.

Lieutenant Colonel Kibibi Mutware was sentenced to twenty years in prison and two majors and a second lieutenant to twenty years for "crimes against humanity by way of rape and other inhuman and terrorist acts."

blog.co.uk.

In addition, three corporals were sentenced to fifteen years and two others to ten years on the same charges. (The court found they had an "insignificant" level of education.) The prosecutor asked for twenty years for these five soldiers.

Welcoming this first sentencing of a commanding officer in such an attack, Roger Meece, the head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MUNUSCO) said, "The fight against acts of rape, sexual violence, and all other forms of human rights violations ...requires the strict enforcement of the law and the end of impunity."

World News (wn.com)

Meece's counterpart, Margot Wallstrom, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, lauded the sentences as showing that accountability for sexual violence is possible.

thejournal.ie

Even from half a world away, we celebrate the verdict. Something in all our hearts cries out for justice. We want the right to prevail and the wrong to fail. More than that, we yearn for wrong to be punished.

Where does our sense of morality, of ought-ness, of justice come from? Without a holy God, wrong would be arbitrary. Thankfully, there is a such a thing as justice, and in the court of heaven absolutely-just verdicts will be pronounced.

Actually, the promise of ultimate justice should make us all nervous. We should fear what we justly deserve. However, the absolutely Holy One took our punishment, so we need not be afraid. Rather, we can be eternally grateful for the Righteous Judge who lovingly became the criminal, so we can stand acquitted.

(For background on the DRC issue, you can read my back post: http://graciousinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/09/winsome-hearts-revile-gang-rapes-in.html.)

Like a Dog with a Bone

2011-02-16T09:39:00.016-05:00

Recently, I awoke in the middle of the night, thinking about the Traveler's Insurance advertisement "Prized Possession." You know. It's the commercial about the dog who worries himself sick protecting his bone.

Listen to the ad in its entirety (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7bGBUlx2M) and smile.

I can't watch it without chuckling. However, in the wee hours of the morning, I was puzzled as to why I awakened thinking about the dog. Normally, when I wake up prematurely, I am worrying about one of my adult children. Then came the epiphany.

http://www.lookslikelightning.com.

My children are my bones. Just like the dog in the commercial who tried hiding his bone under the carpet, in the laundry basket, out in the yard, and in a bank vault, I am trying to protect my children. Yet, I cannot do a thing to keep trouble from touching them. If I could lock them in a bank vault, they wouldn't be protected.

http://www.lifeathand.com.

Why? Because we live in a fallen world. As the lyrics performed by Ray LaMontagne in the You Tube commercial go, " Trouble, trouble, trouble...Trouble has been doggin' my soul since the day I was born."

Consequently, I think I need a good child-protection-insurance. I need a red umbrella.

http://www.deviantart.com. photo by: caleum

I don't think insurance carriers make such a product. Anyway, insurance isn't all that secure. Even a mammoth carrier like AIG is fragile.

So, am I destined to toss and turn incessantly?

Trouble is part of life. You can't escape it, hide from it, or protect your children from it. But--and here is the anxiety-reducing red umbrella--we have the triune God.

God is our heavenly Father. He cares about his children. Isaiah 49:15 tells us, "Even if a mother forgets (and that isn't likely, if I am a typical mother), I will not forget you...See I have engraved you on the palm of my hand."

http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/jesus-quotes.html

The heavenly Father proved his love when he sent his Son into the world "...not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:17).

God the Father illustrated his love repeatedly. For example, the Father spoke after Christ's baptism."This is my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased," But then, immediately, the Father sent his Son into the desert to be tempted by the cosmic evil.

The Temptation of Christ by Sandro Botticelli

Why? To prove that Christ is our brother. He has felt our troubles. (Hebrews 2:17 says, "...he had to be made like his brothers...in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest.")

Thankfully, Jesus didn't just feel our pain. In withstanding temptation, our elder brother succeeded where we fail. Because he did not sin and does not deserve punishment, he is the only perfect substitute to take ours. On the cross, Christ's blood paid our debts. His blood is our red umbrella.

The Passion of the Christ

What is more, Christ arose victorious over sin and death. His victory assures us and our children ultimate safety. In the meantime, the Lord is fighting for us, holding up the banner of his love.

Piero della Francesca, in The Resurrection, depicts Christ waging war for us against evil.

Forty days after Christ's resurrection, he ascended into heaven, but not without leaving the Holy Spirit--the third member of the Trinity. (Jesus promised in John 14:16-17, "He will give you another Counselor (Comforter) to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth.") The Spirit is our guarantee of eternal life. (Ephesians 1: 13 says, "Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance...")

http://iamthewordthecomforter.blogspot.com/2008/03/jesus-had-to-die-so-holy-spirit-could.html

You can't beat the security provided by the triune God. No wonder the Lord commands us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything...present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:5).

The bottom line is: I don't have to perseverate over my children's safety. The triune God has them under the red umbrella of his love.

(This post is dedicated to my dear friend whose daughter's baby, just this week, went safely to heaven and is now being held in the Lord's hands waiting for the ultimate reunion.)

Turning Gray to Sunny Skies

2011-02-14T13:28:00.001-05:00

Why does February seem like the longest month, when it is the shortest? Could the lingering of gray skies and frigid temperatures contribute to the interminably show passage of time from February 1 to 27 or 28? No matter what the groundhog predicts, winter usually lingers for six long weeks after his sneak peak outside his burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

http://Bill'sblogs.woodtv.com

I don't know about you, but a trip south--far south--seems like a good idea at this time of year. Alas, no reservations have been made, so I will have to make my own sunshine.

http://mrmen.wikia.com

Here are five simple suggestions for chasing away winter's chill:

1. Write and send lots of Valentine greetings. Making other people happy is a sure cure for depression. When I was in grade school, my mother helped me make the same valentines each year for everyone in my class. Supplies included: lace doilies, ribbon, and sticks of cinnamon-flavored gum. (These are easy enough for preschool children to make.)

2. Begin each day with a thanksgiving breakfast. Make a habit of praising the Lord with your first sip of coffee.

3. Wrap up, go outside, and take a walk. Even if the sky is cloud-covered, the daylight will lift your spirits.

4. Think happy thoughts. No, this isn't just for Pollyanna. It is biblical. See the verse inscribed on the poster?

The Catholic Faith Education Society makes wonderful posters illustrating Scripture.

5. End your day by praying for others, thanking the Lord for his faithful goodness, and turning your anxieties over to him who is loving, powerful, and in control of all things.

The Prayer--artist unknown

These suggestions for chasing away the cold, because they are biblical, are sure-fire!

Life and Bookcases, Balancing Acts

2011-02-06T07:02:00.002-05:00

Accessorizing bookcases can be as tricky as balancing life. Contents must relate to the room as a whole--its color and mood. Second, shelves need a unifying theme, and third, elements must be balanced.

Bookcases flank either side of a fireplace in my daughter's and son-in-law's master bedroom. The walls are painted a soft and soothing silver-blue. That color, together with the above-mantel wall dimensions, made a seascape, painted by my son-in-law's grandmother, a natural fit. Now what would appropriately flank the painting? The icy hue of glass candlesticks compliment the mood of the painting as well as the paint color.

But, my daughter was in a quandary about what should fill the shelfs. Books would be the obvious choice; however, the home has three other walls of shelving. Consequently, there weren't enough books to fill this space. So, nodding to the candlesticks, crystal became the entire wall's theme. (Fortunately, displaying the crystal in the bookcases also solves a storage problem. The dining room holds china and silver, but doesn't have space for the crystal. The bookcases provide a showcase for each piece, allowing them to be enjoyed in plain view every day.)

Clear picture frames follow as the perfect accompaniment to the cut crystal.

Taking advantage of a Crate and Barrel sale, Rachel recently purchased enough thick acrylic frames to standardize the bookcases.

I think the design succeeds. The icy crystal and clear picture frames compliment the room's color and mood. Furthermore, the cut crystal pieces are balanced on the interior shelves, while the acrylic pictures balance each other on the outer shelves. Altogether, this makes a unified and pleasing composition.

Good design balances elements. Think of it as placing children of equal weight on a seesaw. In this room, the seesaw's fulcrum is the fireplace, and the similarly-sized and weighted elements balance the two ends.

Life shares so many design principles. For me, the Lord Jesus Christ is the fulcrum. In Scripture, Christ is called the cornerstone holding up the building of life. I want his love and grace to set the tone for my days. Enjoying him and being about his business should be my life's unifying theme. The activities filling my time should compliment his presence and be in balance. Rest should balance work; giving should balance consumption. Remembering the rules-of-thumb from design helps me as I try to balance life.

A Room Lightens Up

2011-02-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

Before Christmas my sister-in-law enlisted my help in updating her den. She wanted a fresh look for a room that had seen many family gatherings. This is the finished product.

However, to appreciate the transformation, you must see the room in its previous life.

Where did we start? We began by looking at the room's perimeters. I noticed the room needed more visual height. To accomplish this, we needed to eliminate the two-toned walls which vertically cut the room in half.

By choosing the same light paint for the walls and paneling (Benjamin Moore--White Sand), they became a a whole. Your eye now travels from floor to ceiling without a break.

Furthermore, the dark wood beams in the ceiling shortened the room.

To visually add six inches to the ceiling height, we had the beams painted white. (They now match the woodwork in the rest of the house.)

Our next challenge was to unify the color scheme. The red carpet was to be foundational, and most of the furniture was to stay, but could be reupholstered. At The Second Yard, we found a white linen with red, embroidered contemporary motif for the skirted table. And, at Calico Corners, we scored the perfect compliments: some French upholstery-weight white linen and companion stripe.

The assorted lamps were replaced with clear glass lamps which fade unobtrusively into the background.

When it came to accessorizing, we also minimized the theme.

The international paintings were moved to the game room downstairs, and two calligraphy pictures from elsewhere in the home were married in this room, one above the mantel and the other above the jelly cupboard.

In addition, ironstone became a unifying accessory. Now your eye travels from mantel...

to above the sofa,

and over to the antique jelly cupboard, where the aged white china looks perfect.

Using some contemporary elements, like the glass lamps and table skirt fabric, keep the room from looking dated.

What a fun project! I hope my brother-in-law and sister-in-law enjoy the metamorphosis as much as I enjoyed designing it.

Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve

2011-01-30T14:59:00.002-05:00

When the calendar flips from January to February, we bring out the hearts and flowers. Snow may be on the ground, but hints of warmer weather can beckon, "Come inside."

The front door dons pink.

A pink bow perks up the entrance way.

Place mats and candles follow suit.

Even tea towels are in costume.

With all these reminders, honey can't help but remember his valentine!

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island: There Should Be More Weeping

2011-01-24T07:57:00.001-05:00

To my readers, please go to this link and read some true, convicting, and powerful words written by a fellow blogger. Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island: There Should Be More Weeping

Brunch Brightens Dreary Days

2011-01-23T19:59:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago in January's deep-freeze, my daughter's church sponsored a ladies brunch to kick-start their women's ministry. Rachel was responsible for decorations.

Her handiwork reminded me of my mother's decorations for the annual mother-daughter banquet in our church basement when I was a girl. Now my daughter has replicated what she saw me model when she was in junior and senior high school.

How special to see this third generation use her artistry to serve others.

Here is what the room looked like when Rachel started:

First, her team emptied the room. Then they brought in tables, covering them with long, white linen cloths and pink toppers.

She had purchased chinese lanterns in three sizes...

and had her husband space the lanterns over top each table.

Rachel added the pink rose center pieces she made for each table.

With the tables set, the over-all effect was very pretty.

Men were recruited to serve.

Friendships were reinforced as the ladies chatted.

After brunch, a lady from each table gathered a basket of paper and pens to elicit suggestions for the new women's program.

At the end of the morning, Rachel felt all the effort was worth it, because everyone got exited about opportunities to serve and gather again. Besides, the morning provided a middle-of-winter pick-me-up for nearly sixty women.

Christmas Past, Winter Now, Spring to Come

2011-01-17T16:50:00.003-05:00

Fortunately, my Christmas decorations are nestled warmly in their beds, because the calendar reads January 17, and our neighborhood is frosted with a crystalline coating of snow.

The air brittles with cold; light pierces with precision, and the startling beauty of the luminescent landscape sucks breathe from my lungs.

Winter's beauty awakens the inner poet in many writers. Shakespeare described leafless trees as "bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang" (Sonnet 73).

David Guterson's novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, winner of the 1996 American Booksellers Book of the Year, succeeded in getting his reader to feel, hear, and smell the loneliness amplified by a winter scape.

"Beneath the stars, with his overcoat on, he wandered out into the cold. His feet took their own direction through the cedar woods, and underneath the canopy of branches he smelled the old fragrance of the place of his youth and the clean scent of the new fallen snow. Here under the trees it was fresh and untouched. The branches of the cedars were hung with it and beyond them the sky lay immaculate and decemviral, the stars chilled points of light. He followed his feet to... the hollow cedar tree of his youth.

Ismael sat inside for a brief time with his coat wrapped tightly around him. He listened to the world turned silent by the snow; there was absolutely nothing to hear. The silence of the world roared steadily in his ears while he came to recognize that he did not belong here, he had no place in the tree any longer. Some younger people should find this tree, hold to it tightly as their deepest secret...For them it might stave off what he could not help but see with clarity: that the world was silent and cold and bare and that in this lay its terrible beauty" (443).

Using winter's beauty to prove the world is silent, cold, and bare is Guterson's perspective, but I prefer C.S. Lewis' thesis: addiction to self leaves the world "always winter and never Christmas". Read how he describes Edmund's misery as he searches for the White Witch's Turkish Delight:

"The first thing he realized when he got outside and found the snow falling all around him, was that he had left his coat behind in the Beaver's house. And of course there was no chance of going back to get it now. The next thing he realized was that the daylight was almost gone for it had been nearly three o'clock when they sat down to dinner and the winter days were short. He hadn't reckoned on this; but he had to make the best of it. So he turned up his collar and shuffled across the top of the dam... to the far side of the river."

"It was pretty bad when he reached the far side. It was growing darker every minute and what with that and the snowflakes swirling all round him he could hardly see three feet ahead. And then too there was no road. He kept slipping into deep drifts of snow, and skidding on frozen puddles, and tripping over fallen tree-trunks, and sliding down steep banks, and barking his shins against rocks, tell he was wet and cold and bruised all over. The silence and loneliness were dreadful..." (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 72-73).

Thankfully, Lewis doesn't leave Edmund cold and miserable, he introduces the Christ-figure, Aslan, who sacrifices himself to redeem Edmund and begin to unthaw the earth's and Edmund's personal tundras.

Scripture explains how Christ's death in our place provides the bridge of forgiveness from the misery of the self-serving life.

The Savior offers a warm home which stands in relief against the cold, bare realities of life without him.

He also promises us hope of eternal Spring.

To feel hope's reality, read the apostle John's description of a new heaven and a new earth in the book of Revelation, chapters twenty-one and twenty-two:

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth...And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people...and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain'...The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb...Only those (shall come into the city) whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb...And on either side of the river was the tree of life...yielding its fruit every month" (21:1, 3-4, 23, 27 and 22:1-5).

What a lovely, welcoming picture of our hope of heaven where the Lamb's sacrifice will warm our cold, selfish hearts and place us in a home where it is eternally spring.

Lamps, Manufacturing, and the Ideal Woman

2011-01-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

This week I made a fatal mistake; I meandered through a furniture store advertising their post-Christmas blow-out sale. Well, wouldn't you know, I spied something I had been looking for off-and-on for some time: bedroom lamps.

Nothing was wrong with the Waterford crystal lamps I had in our room, except they really belonged in the bedroom with the Victorian-era spool bed and spool bedside tables. I have known it for some time, but never quite found the right lighting replacements to warrant a switch.

I needed something up-to-date, with some character, and fabricated out of materials appropriate to my furniture. As I perused the sale inventory, there they were: a pair of bone Theodore Alexander lamps.

Instantly, I knew they would be perfect on the shagreen boxes my husband got me for my birthday a couple of years ago. (I had an Amish craftsman make Federal bases for them.)

Here's the complete picture.

The mellow lamp bases complement the vignette, don't you agree?

I got a kick out of finding the lamps and moving the crystal lamps to a more appropriate spot. What's more, I found a creative way to finance the new purchases.

When visiting friends, they mentioned their difficulty in finding chairs to match their home's decor. Afterward it occurred to me that I had a pair of chairs that would be perfect. I called my friend, offering to sell her my chairs while emphasizing that they were under no obligation and could return the chairs, if they didn't work in their home.

Fortunately, my friend said, "I couldn't have found a more perfect fabric, if I had searched the world."

What's more, my friend passed on her other chairs to a Haitian family in their church. I was thrilled at the win-win-win!

As this lighting project was "going-down" in my house, my daughter sent me pictures of a lamp she was working on for her office. She purchased the lamp at Target, but wasn't thrilled with the shade. So, she fabricated her own by purchasing grey fabric and some black leather trim with silver grommets. With an iron, scissors, and spray adhesive, Anna made her own shade.

We both got a charge out of our decor- improvement projects.

Furthermore, our complementary projects reminded me of two passages of Scripture applicable to all women. An entrepreneurial woman, who buys and sells and works with her hands, is complimented in Proverbs 31 as the ideal prototype for all women. A corollary passage in the New Testament (Titus 2:3-5) reminds older women to encourage younger women to be workers at home.

Truth-be-told singling out entrepreneurism or home improvement diminishes the rich picture these two passages paint. The portrait of an ideal woman is a layered canvas idealizing a woman who, besides buy and selling and undertaking home-improvement projects, opens her mouth in wisdom and speaks kindly, is self-controlled, sensible, pure, hard-working, concerned about the poor, and is God-fearing.

Bottom line: If I want to measure up to the ideal woman, I must do a lot more than decorate!

Amazing Room Facelifts

2011-01-10T16:31:00.001-05:00

Janette Godfrey, a ministry partner (http://graciousinteriors.blogspot.com/2010/09/announcing-new-speaking-service), updated her family room and kitchen this past fall. Their transformations are show-stopping.

Designer Susan Sheren worked magic on Janette's family room.

Before

Susan had ten years of experience in interior design and fine art before moving to Lancaster county. She had worked at Leonard's in New England and at a gallery in Key West before joining the design team at Buck Home.

With her well-trained eye, Susan had Janette's walls painted a softer shade--Benjamin Moore Monroe Bisque. Window treatments were replaced by plantation shutters. A wool carpet simulating sisal was installed wall-to-wall and topped with an oriental area rug with a light field.

after

Painting the floor to cathedral ceiling brick fireplace brightened the room immeasurably. Susan chose Benjamin Moore Navajo White to match the woodwork. The mantel she had stained a darker shade to repeat the mahogany-stained furniture. Janette's collection of blue and white porcelain is displayed beautifully in a white etagere.

The designer's aesthetic which she describes as "updated traditional, transitional, and soft contemporary" is evident in the changes to this room.

before

after

Susan's expert space planning is also obvious as she tucked an L-shaped sofa into one corner and a game table which folds to desk-size in the opposite corner of the room.

You can see Susan's work 's in Fine Living Lancaster magazine.

Playing off the colors in the refaced family room, Janette also updated the adjoining kitchen. (Notice the formerly natural-brick fireplace through the doorway.)

before

after

The same Benjamin Moore Navajo White now lightens the wall cabinets, while the walls repeat the Monroe Bisque. The island disappears painted in black to match the appliances. Janette also unified her above-the-cabinet items, using only silver or pewter.

Don't you wish you could take years off your appearance in only a matter of weeks?

The good news is we can: "But we all, with uncovered faces beholding the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18 in the Douay-Rheims translation).

Further on, in the same letter, the apostle Paul encourages us further: "Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16 American Standard Version)

Take heart; get an interior refreshing by daily relating to Him.

Office Makeover

2011-01-05T09:52:00.007-05:00

After Christmas my husband and I visited our daughter, her husband, and their little boy.

The day before we arrived, my son-in-law had moved his office. Previously, he had worked from a downtown corporate building in a generic small, square young-associate-attorney's office. The move took him to a suburban office with great views of small pond and grassy lawn. Best of all, his new office is next door to his dad!

The office came with a desk and office chair, built-in bookcases, and two side chairs. But, Curt needed a small sofa and a work-table. After listening to his style preferences (no frills, lots of plants, and decidedly masculine) and price guidelines (barebones), my daughter and I embarked on a hunt.

We looked on Craig's List, took a spin through a furniture store, and scavenged through a used-furniture emporium. Because it was on our route, we stopped at TJ Max thinking we might find some planters. As we were about to leave, we spied a small section of furniture. Amazingly, there was the perfect loveseat: leather, chocolate brown, without frills except for a tasteful bit of saddle-stitching. And the price was unbelievable!

Smiling, we stopped by a craft store searching for planters. Nothing fit the bill, but on our way out we spied a bin of containers at forty percent off. We found six woven crates of various sizes--all in chocolate brown webbing. Bingo!

To fill the containers, we went to Walmart's garden department which was transitioning between Christmas and spring. Our coup there: three large philodendrons, a corn plant, and two smaller planters of mixed foliage--all drastically reduced for clearance!

The table for work space was almost as much a challenge as the loveseat. Curt wanted a sturdy auxiliary work space to accommodate documents for client review, space for a chair on either side so he could face his clients...all within the budget.

We paid a visit to a favorite haunt, an antique mall, where we scouted out an antique drop-leaf table. We checked it against the "wish list". Sturdy--check. Large enough to lay plats on for client review--check. Space for a chair on either side, so attorney could face client--check. Affordable price--check!!!

The piece-de-resistance was a dramatic oil painting of a sunflower, state flower of Kansas. The frame matched the table, and the price wouldn't have paid for the frame!

On his way home from work yesterday, Curt called. "Maurie, I've had no less than nine or ten people stop by and admire my office. It's perfect."

You can't do better than leaving a client happy, especially when it's your son-in-law!

Cure for Holiday Loneliness

2010-12-27T23:04:00.002-05:00

As I waited in a cashier's line just before Christmas, I overheard a poignant revelation of loneliness.

from: cucinadivina.blogspot.com.

The cashier asked a customer, "Are you ready for Christmas?"

"I don't celebrate Christmas," was the reply. "My husband died; my mother died, and my daughter died, so I don't celebrate."

I pitied the cashier who was trying to be cheerful, but we both pitied the lonely woman.

Something about the holidays amplifies loneliness.

from: Midlife Country Girl.blogspot.com.

What about you? Does the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day seem an eternity, because someone is missing in your life? Do you feel isolated in a new neighborhood? Are you lonely, because you can't communicate with someone important in your life? Whatever the cause, unwelcome solitude leaves us sad and empty. Furthermore, loneliness affects both genders, all age groups, and knows no geographic boundaries.

However, the Christmas story holds hope for those who are alone. Tucked at the end of the nativity narrative are three verses in Luke chapter two about a widow who learned to live by herself but with joy. In less than a hundred words, Luke, the physician, historian, and author, elevates this widow as a role-model for any lonely soul.

Aren't de Gelder (1645-1727)

This long-standing friendship between the Almighty and the prophetess gives us an alternative to loneliness. Certainly, Anna was alone. Widows customarily were sheltered by relatives, but she lived in the temple.

As a widow for so long, Anna could have pitied herself in the present and lived in the past. Instead, she turned her loneliness into happy solitude serving the Lord. How did she serve? Luke calls Anna a prophetess, someone who spoke God's Word back to the people. I am sure because Scripture tells us that she served the Lord day night, that she also spent a lot of time repeating His promises back to Him! Obviously, Anna had taken to heart the truth of Psalm one: "Happy is the man (or woman) who meditates day and night on the Law of the Lord."

What was she praying for? She was praying for deliverance for her people; she was asking the Lord to send his promised Messiah.

After six decades of praying, she was in the right place at exactly the right time to encounter Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child when they came for Mary's ritual purification forty days after giving birth. In answer to her prayers, Anna was on hand to witness the presentation of Mary's son at the temple.

from: Creativekidstuff.blogspot.com.

The prophetess must have been overjoyed when old Simeon--also righteous and devout--took the baby in his arms and prayed, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation...a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)

Hearing these words, the faithful widow recognized the six-week-old baby as "the Consolation of Israel, the Messiah."

However, the account does not end there. Immediately, Luke tells us, Anna told those who were looking for redemption of Jerusalem about the child. The prophetess must have been part of a group of faithful who read the Scrolls and watched for Messiah's coming.

Rembrandt's Anna the Prophetess

Undoubtedly, these soul-mates provided this widow, without family, a community. In spite of isolating life-circumstances, Anna was doubly comforted by God and fellow believers.

What gems of help are in this story for us. We do not have to entertain ourselves with TV, music, and movies to avoid emptiness and isolation. Nor do not have to fill our waking hours with frenetic activity to avoid loneliness. The prophetess chose a soul-satisfying alternative--prayer. We can do the same.

Christ, our Consoler and Deliverer, left us this invitation, "I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me" (Revelation 3:21).

Keep Christmas Eve Simple, but Sacred

2010-12-20T18:16:00.000-05:00

Here is a festive, but simple Christmas eve supper. I always try to keep the menu green and red. Maybe you can take a couple of these ideas to add to your customary fare. I simplify the menu to keep the emphasis on the reason for the season, a celebration of Christ's coming birth!

First course, virgin strawberry Bacardi. This is simple to make. Get the strawberry Barcardi in the frozen food section, usually next to the frozen oj and lemonade. I blend it using less water than called for on the can, but adding a couple of cups of ice cubes to the blender. In your glass ware, carefully pour in the slushy mixture, add frozen whole strawberries and a slice of lemon for garnish.

Second course, broccoli soup. I have used this recipe for years, and it is never-fail. You can make it ahead and simply warm it in the crock pot a couple of hours before you eat.

Fresh Broccoli Soup

2- 1 pound lunches of fresh broccoli
2 cups water
a can chicken broth
a teaspoon dried whole marjoram
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 large carrots, scraped and sliced
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 skim milk

Cut broccoli in one nice pieces, removing leaves and touch lower stalks. Combine everything except milk in a dutch oven cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until veggies are tender.

Remove 2 cups of the flowerets from soup mixture with slotted spoon; set aside. Spoon half soup mixture into blender, process until smooth. Repeat with rest of soup. (You can chill all of the soup until an hour or so before serving.)

Put soup mixture and milk and reserved broccoli flowerets into crock pot. Warm until thoroughly heated.

Makes about 6 cups of soup.

Third course, hot chicken salad cooked in individual red ramekins, peas with pearl onion, and spinach salad dotted with pomegranate seeds and fresh mushroom slices, and dinner rolls.

You can make this a day ahead to eliminate the last minute rush.

Hot Chicken Salad

4 cups cold cubed chicken
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon slat
2 cups chopped celery
4 hardboiled eggs
3/4 cups cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon minced onion
2 pomentoes chopped
1 and 1/2 cup crushed potato chips
1 cup grated cheese
2/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
Combine all ingredients except cheese, chips, and almonds in ramekins. Top with cheese, chips, then almonds. Refrigerate overnight. Bake 400 decrees for 20 minutes.

Serve with spinach salad. (Wash spinach, then toss with pomegranate seeds, fresh mushroom slices, and toss with Raspberry vinaigrette dressing.)

The fourth course is peppermint pie. Purchase an Oreo cookie crust and peppermint ice cream. Thaw the ice cream and place in pie crust. Freeze. After slicing, top with mint sprigs and maraschino cherry.

After our Christmas Eve supper, we open some gifts, and attend a ten p.m. candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols.

If you aren't familiar with the Service of Lessons and Carols, it began in Cornwall, England on Christmas Eve in 1880. The a medieval liturgy began with the lessons on the fall of man. Subsequent lessons illustrated the story of redemption, from the Old and New Testaments, each supplemented with carols about Christ's coming.

By 1918, the service had jelled into nine lessons and carols arranged by the newly appointed dean of the King's College in Cambridge, Eric Milner-White.

The dean's order of Scripture readings has remained constant, but the carols can vary from year to year. As he explained, "The main theme is the development of the loving purposes of God...seen through the windows and words of the Bible."

Traditionally, the service begins with "Once in David's Royal City" with readings given by participants starting with the youngest and culminating with the most revered member of the community. The Scriptures for the lessons are as follows:

Lesson 1: Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19
Lesson 2: Genesis 22:15-18
Lesson 3: Isaiah 9:2, 6, 6
Lesson 4: Isaiah 11:1-3a, 4a, 6-9
Lesson 5: Luke 1:26-35, 38
Lesson 6: Luke 2: 3-7
Lesson 7: Luke 2:8-16
Lesson 8: Matt 2:1-12
Lesson 9: John 1:1-14

In 1928, the service began to be broadcast on the BBC, a custom which continues to the present.

Happily, the tradition spread to America, with the first carols service in this country performed at Appleton Chapel in Harvard Yard in December 1909.

Today, the Service of Lessons and Carols is performed during the advent season all over the world.

If your church doesn't have such a service, inaugurate one in your family. Begin with the youngest reading member of the family and proceed to the patriarch who can read the final lesson. To keep everyone's attention, intersperse carols.

I pray that you and yours have a joy-full celebration of the Savior's birth.

Advent by Candlelight

2010-12-17T18:59:00.002-05:00

A reader of my blog, Sheri Deloach, agreed to be a guest blogger on my site this week. Below you will find her photos and descriptions of the women's Christmas tea hosted every year at her church in Waco, Texas:

"I wish that every woman could be a participant in an Advent by Candlelight! This is the fifth year that our church has had this event, and it continues to be a highlight for our women along with other women from different churches."

"Several months prior to the event, the prayer team prayed faithfully that this event would go well and glorify Christ."

From Sheri's descriptions, those prayers were answered. Below is a sample table decorated for the tea.

"A friend and I were hosts for the one of the tables," Sheri said, "After deciding on the theme, ‘ The Nativity’, and the basic colors of cobalt blue, white, and silver, things fell into place "

"We provided dessert for our guests and the church served coffee and wassail. Our guests were seated and we served them from beginning to end. It is nice to be served and even nicer to be the server!"

"The program was awesome, given by a woman from San Antonio who portrayed Mary, mother of Jesus. She was dressed in white, with a scarf around her head, barefoot as she walked into the auditorium to strains of ‘Mary did you know?’"

Virgin in Prayer by Sassoferrato, 1640-50

"The dramatist started by telling how an angel appeared to her and told her that she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah! Mary made the story come to life. She accepted that it was God’s plan for her to be the mother of Jesus. The drama included Jesus’ life from childhood to manhood. The actress revealed, Mary’s emotions as a mother. With the ending of his life on the cross, we felt her raw emotions."

"Thankfully, we know that Jesus arose from tomb, transformed with a new body. He lives on high with his father, God in Heaven. As true believers we will be with Jesus one day!" What a cause for celebration!　

With Christmas only a week away, you may want to wait until next year to plan an advent tea, or you could start now and plan an Advent by Candlelight for Epiphany. This holiday, sometimes called Twelfth Night, is celebrated on January 6th to commemorate the Messiah's revelation to the Gentile Magi.

Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico & Filippo Lippo

To simplify your planning, Sheri included the instructions below for planning such an event.

Hostess Information

Our church's tables fit ____ (you fill in the number). Please call (insert name of your organizer) with your list of names by (date) ___, and ALSO when you add or subtract a guest at your table. Don’t feel obligated to fill your table. We have some ladies that have signed up and need a place to sit. Postcards will be provided to mail to your guests to remind them of the event.

We will supply white table cloths and clear plastic plates for serving your desserts once they are sliced or cut.
You can add runners, placemats, etc.
You provide Christ-centered table decorations; no secular pieces, please.
Candles are a must!
You will also need to bring:

Dessert plates (plastic plates will be placed on top of your dessert plates)
Coffee cups
Water pitcher
Silverware
Napkins
Utensil to serve dessert
a large serving tray

Please also bring enough dessert to serve your table.

Plan to have your table decorated and set by 6 pm. The room will be open by 10:30 am, if you want to decorate early.
When you arrive for the evening:

Place your dessert on the “dessert table” against the wall.
Prepare your dessert on individual dessert plates that are provided and leave them on your serving tray on the dessert table. .
Put ice in cups. The guests will have two opportunities to get their own coffee at the coffee stations: 1) at the beginning during “visitation of tables” and 2) while you are serving the dessert.
Greeters will be available the night of the event to show guests to your table.

Schedule:

10:30 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Doors will be open to decorate tables.
4:30 – 5:45 p.m. Doors will open again to decorate tables.
5:45 – 6:15 p.m. Prepare desserts and leave on dessert tables
6:30 – 6:50 p.m. Visitation of tables. Encourage ladies to get drinks.
6:50 – 7:05 p.m. Invocation
7:05 – 7:35 p.m. Program
7:35 – 7:55 p.m. Dessert and more coffee
7:55 – 8:30 p.m. Benediction and Fellowship

Sheri, thank you so much for sharing all this practical and inspirational information. Hopefully this will encourage others to organize an advent tea at their church!

Taking on Martha Stewart

2010-12-06T20:05:00.004-05:00

Move over, Martha; the Piepgrass women want to go head-to-head with your "Living" team in decorating for Christmas.

The day after Thanksgiving, my two daughters got into a craft-mode, so we went to the one strip mall in Lancaster that is home to both Michaels and AC Moore. (Only in a community where the population values thriftiness, simplicity, and self-reliance could two craft stores thrive in the same mall!) Fitting right in with the locals, we joined the matrons-of-home-making.

Anna decided to replicate the wreathes her sister had made.

She purchased three straw, eight inch wreathes,

some cotton batting, sheets of moss,

and some 3-inch wide wired satan ribbon.

On an old blanket, Anna laid out the supplies, plus scissors and hot glue gun. First, she wrapped the straw wreaths in strips of cotton batting, gluing as she wrapped. This gave the rather thin wreathes some heft. Next, she cut two or three inch wide strips of the moss and wrapped and glued it to cover the cotton. Finally, she attached the wreaths with ribbon, leaving a long tail on the bottom wreath.

This wreath joined Anna's other unique decorations, such as gold ornaments in glass cube and white porcelain snowflake-pierced candle pillars.

In the same room, delicate white porcelain blossoms sit on a twig-based side table complete with hanging gold filigree ornaments.

Oversized silver Christmas bells jingle from the door, and jumbo ornaments fill an industrial wooden crate.

Finally, hydrangeas uniquely are juxtaposed to berries. And in the windows, freeze-dried boxwood mini-topiaries add unexpected Christmas green.

In her home, Rachel created a number of low-budget, easy-to-make, yet visually-powerful crafts. Take a look at the pyramid of stacked thick candy canes and the peppermint covered Styrofoam ball she made for her dining room.

A huge tree full of ornaments can be very expensive. So, Rachel purchased a couple of bags of silver and gold potpourri, glued some together, and hung them with half-inch wide ribbon. It's the ribbon that gives this tree punch!

In fact, Rachel used ribbon throughout her home to make it festive. Here is her entrance-way bookcase decked with different widths of ribbon.

She even tied ribbons around the necks of her silver pheasants on her table.

And a last winning idea was tying her packages with Christmas balls.

My girls inspired me! After they left, I made my own pilgrimage to the craft stores for supplies. I decided to make one large, square wreathe, because a door knocker sits in the center of my door. So,
I purchased a 12 x 12 inch shadow box and had my husband remove the back panel, leaving me a bottomless box.

Then I purchased about forty packages of small red balls--some shiny, some mat--the kind which are twisted together like grapes. (They were on a very good sale, reduced well below the lowest price marked!)

To affix the clusters to the shadow box, I drilled holes in the top and the sides of the frame about two inches apart. Then, I sprayed the frame red.

Next, I poked the cluster of stems into the holes on the top of the shadow box frame--filling every hole except two on the corners for my bow.

Then I moved to the outside of the frame. Here I left every other hole empty. Then I moved to the inside of the frame and filled the remaining holes with clusters. Finally, I attached my bow using the two empty corner holes.

I also made a companion decoration for our inset doorway. Using the wire basket which had graced my patio table in the summer and was filled with gourds and pumpkins in the fall, I purchased about thirty heavy, white porcelain, tree ornaments which were on sale at Michaels for a dollar each. I sprayed them with foam snow, topping the basket with bow. Now it looks like we have enough snow balls for a real battle.

One last money saving tip...I took the plant I had used for Thanksgiving.

It still looked fresh, so rather than toss it, I bought some spray paint from a florist and transformed the orange blossoms to red!

All three of us had a jolly time coming up with some new Christmas decorations. Christ's birthday is certainly worth celebrating!