Porch of Protection

Phil and I have been married for almost 16 years.  We have owned four different houses, in four different towns.

 This was our first house.  It was almost 100 years old.  What character it had!

Our second house.....

 Third house....

And our current home....

Do you notice a trend?  All of our homes have had wonderful front  porches.  A porch is at the top of my list when we house-hunt.  I've even been known to tell a realtor (or two) that I wasn't interested in looking at a house if it didn't have a porch.  I just feel like it makes a home complete.

Our first porch had a porch swing.  We loved spending time on that porch, but probably spent even more time on the next-door-neighbor's porch visiting with her. Oh, how I treasure those memories.

House number two had a porch lined with beautiful azaleas that bloomed every spring.  The view was of a million dollar house and barn across the road - complete with white fence and horses and cows grazing. 

I was heartbroken when we moved again, but took solace in the new front porch.  It was huge and actually wrapped around three sides of the house.  I would sometimes drink my morning coffee out there and watch the deer in the yard.  Or I would take a nap on an old cot.  I decorated it just like another room of the house; filling it with rockers and tables and fun "junk." 

And now our current home has a front porch and gazebo. Cold weather arrived shortly after we moved in, so I haven't had a lot of time to spend on the porch or to decorate it.  I have ventured out a few times to take pictures of sunsets or to just enjoy the view of the river across the road.  Now that spring is arriving, I am looking forward to getting a porch swing, planting flowers in the flower boxes, relaxing in the evenings.....

But first we must deal with this....

A couple weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the peacefulness of our porch was shattered (literally).  A drunk driver lost control of his car and came flying through our yard, slamming into the porch.  I can't even put into words the sound, the smell, the horror.... I won't go into a lot of detail, but the driver lost his life right there in my yard.

I've been filled with so many emotions since then.  It is hard not to let the "what-ifs" fill your mind.  My 10 year old was outside, but thankfully on the other end of the house.  He so easily could have been right there in the front yard.  The car easily could have taken a different path in all its flipping and spinning and crashed into the corner of the house where the rest of us were sitting.  We could have been sitting right in those chairs on the porch enjoying the sunshine. Instead, we were putting on our shoes to go for a walk.

The anger has also been hard to deal with.  I'm angry that this senseless act could have been avoided.  I was angry that there were beer cans spilling out of the car into my yard.  I was angry that my sweet boy couldn't sleep that night and angry that people were walking through my yard the next day "just to see what happened."  I'm angry at what seems to be apathy from the community; that it doesn't seem to be a big deal that alcohol was involved. Overall, I have felt violated somehow.

But you know what?  Even through the bitterness, anger and frustration I know one thing to be true.  GOD IS GOOD!  He spared us from further tragedy that day.  Shortly after the accident, I posted some pictures on facebook.  A cousin commented about our "porch of protection."  You may have heard people pray to be surrounded by a "hedge of protection."  Well, in our case it was our porch.  It was the impact of the porch railing that stopped the car.  Without the porch, I truly believe the car could have come right through the dining room window.  I can't even imagine.....

We are still waiting on estimates, insurance, busy contractors, etc.  I'm ready to have everything cleaned and fixed so that we can enjoy our porch.  I'm ready for the visual reminders to go away.  But I know in my heart that I will always remember our "porch of protection."  It will be a reminder that God is in control.  We don't know how many times in our lives (or even in a day) that He protects us from tragedy.  Sometimes it is obvious.  Other times we will never know.  Thank you, God!

P. S.  I think I will continue with the front porch trend from now on.

{Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. Job 1:10}

OPEN 24/7

Good afternoon!  I hope everyone is staying warm out there.  We are on day two of school being cancelled for snow and cold.  This morning when we got up it was -8° and the windchill was -30°.  I was so thankful that I didn't have to get the kids out in that.  Brrrrr!

My project for the last couples of days has been my laundry room.  It has been functional since we moved in, but I was ready for it to also be pretty. My "before" picture seems to be lost somewhere on my computer.  You can just imagine a blank slate; basic white shelving, countertop, etc.  Now, I know the room still needs to be painted, but so do a lot of other rooms in the house.  No idea when that will get done.

It is amazing how adding the vintage lace to the shelf edges changed the look of the room.  I think that might be my favorite part.

This old enamel pitcher holds my dryer sheets.....

....and this pewter pitcher contains powdered detergent.  It is so easy just to pour a bit into the dispenser.

How fun is this crocheted Comet holder?!

Sorry for the bad picture, but can you see that clothespin?  The one with the layers of chippy paint?  Love it!

Ummm, did I mention that this post would contain lots of photos?  There is a lot to share from this little room.

I was very pleased to have this hanging rod.  The only thing I really think this laundry room is lacking is a utility sink.

My 13 year old installed this pull-out towel rack yesterday.  It holds the empty hangers and just slides underneath the counter when not needed.  I bought it at a yard sale this fall.  Somehow I knew I would find a good use for it. No more fighting with tangled hangers!

This is the first house where I have had a counter top to fold clothes.  Now I fold them right out of the dryer.  No more baskets of unfolded clothes sitting around!

The burlap needs a little tweaking.  It is a piece I picked up at the thrift store.  I just unfolded it and hung it on a tension rod.  All my cleaning supplies are hiding behind it.

I love this big basket.  It was a thrift store find. Imagine that!

These three baskets (and the one above the washer) were bought at four different times and I think in four different thrift stores.  And they are miniatures of the big basket!

Get it?  OPEN 24/7!  Seriously, it feels like it sometimes.  Some young, single person who works for my husband said to him the other day, "Wow!  At your house you probably have to do like three loads of laundry a week."  Ummmm, guess again!

Okay, I'm almost done.  Just a few more of my favorite things.

So, here's the deal.  I've done a really good job of folding clothes right away.  But I hate socks and underwear!  My solution?  Each family member has a bag.  As I pull undies and socks out of the dryer I just put them in the bags.  When you take your clothes upstairs, you also take your bag.  The boys just dump theirs in a drawer.  Works for me!  When your bag is empty, just drop it.....

....down the laundry chute!  Seriously my favorite part of the room!  I've always wanted one.  My 10 year old will actually take clothes upstairs just so he can drop them down.  Thankfully the chute is small enough that no one can fit through it!  I'm sure they have thought about it.  They have been known to shoot Nerf darts up and down it, though.

Here is a picture from the upstairs bathroom.

It is so much nicer to do the laundry in a "pretty" environment. During one of our moves there was a college guy helping us load the truck.  He picked up a box marked "laundry room decor" and laughed at me.  He just didn't understand.  Poor guy! 

{Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,

scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. Psalm 51:7}

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Renew

I have like the word RENEW for a long time.  Back when I had my antique booth I "named" it {ReNew}.  I also blogged a little bit about it here.  Well, this year I have been hearing a lot about people picking a word for the year.  Something with meaning.  Something to focus on for the entire year.  I really hadn't planned to pick a word for myself.  Kind of like resolutions, I figured I would soon forget about it and feel like I had failed. 

But RENEW just kept coming back to me and I had to admit there might be a reason.  My mind needs renewed so that I can focus on joy and not sadness.  My body needs renewed.  Boy does it ever!  And most importantly my spirit needs constant renewal.  I'm going to do my best to focus on ways to RENEW throughout the year.  I even bought this charm as a visual reminder. I love it!

Something else that needing renewing was my ancient Bible cover.  It was a high school graduation present and was looking just a bit dated.  I decided to embellish a small canvas tote bag to carry my Bible in.  This was a fun project.

I really didn't have any plans when I started.  I just went through my "stash" and found some things to work with.  I believe butterflies are a beautiful example of renewal.  The one above was taken off of an old, battered pillowcase.  I left the top of the teal fabric unstitched to form a large pocket.

Isaiah 40:31 has long been a favorite verse of mine.  "....but those who hope in the Lord will RENEW their strength."

Here is the other side.The stitching is far from perfect, but I enjoyed working with my hands to create this.

There is my word again!

No project is complete without a few vintage buttons.

This butterfly is especially meaningful because it is one that my Grandma made many years ago.

The quilt block was from a thrifted bag of fabric.  It makes another nice pocket.

I love this piece of an old collar.  Again, I left the top opened to form a small pocket for a pen, pencil and highlighter.

And with that I am out of time.  Sorry to end this post abruptly, but I need to go get kiddos from school.  Then I am off to a women's retreat with some gals from church.  Looking forward to some good RENEWal there!

{"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:1-2}

Purity From Heaven

The morning sky is veiled with

the promise of snow;

cold settles peacefully amongst the trees

as the earth awaits the purity from heaven.

As I looked out my window on Sunday morning, the above words just came to me.  In the stillness of the dawn, I was reminded of God's goodness.  It was a wonderful way to begin the week.

The barren trees really aren't very beautiful.  My heart isn't always beautiful either.

pu-ri-ty
1.  the condition or quality of being pure.  2.  freedom from guilt or evil; innocence.  3.  cleanness or spotlessness.

As the snow fell from the heavens,

the dark and dirty earth was covered. 

Pure.  White.  Clean.      Just like my heart needs to be.

I am thankful for the snow

that transforms the earth with its purity;

and I am thankful for a God

who transforms my heart and soul with His purity.

Even the birds are refreshed and nourished.  The silence of the snow was broken only by their songs.

Thank you, Lord, for these reminders of your goodness.

{"Teach me your ways, O Lord,that I may live

according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

so that I may honor you."  Psalm 68:11}



Peace on Earth

Hello, again!  Can you believe I am blogging again so soon?!  I actually wanted to get it done before this, but things have been a bit crazy around here.  A blizzard.  Two sick kids and a sick husband. A feeding tube "button" needing to be replaced. A house that needs to be ready for 13 guests (my whole family) next week.....

 This poor chalkboard is old and has spent a lot of time out in the weather.  It needs to be repainted....someday.  For now you will just have to ignore the "autumn blessings" that refused to be erased. Despite the chalkboard, I really like how the top of the entertainment center turned out.

 A peek at my nativity collection.  My 10 year old still enjoys setting these up.  Such a wonderful reminder of "the reason for the season."

Another fun vignette.  Jan P., are you reading this?  The sign came from you.  The wooden box came from you.  The chippy white bench came from you.  Oh, I miss junkin' with Jan!

 Please, please ignore the filthy windows.  I guess I will get to them in the spring.  It is far too cold right now.

 Love this old mailbox!  I paid 50 cents for it at a yard sale this fall.  The bugle in the above picture was a junk find from several years ago.  I liked how it tied in with the mailbox graphics.

 Here is my favorite corner cabinet that everyone dreads moving.  Sorry, but I'm not sure I can ever part with it.

 The ceilings in this house are vaulted, so I used the old shutter (another junkin' with Jan curbside find) to add some height.  Some of my old ornament boxes are just that - empty boxes. You sure can't find wonderful graphics like that now.

 This is not a great picture, so it is hard to see the red ornaments in the cups.  I bought this set of dishes at an auction right after we got married.  I rarely use them, but I still love 'em.

 The old dust pan came from Jan's son Dave.  One thing is for sure - I collected a lot of good junk (and good friends) while living in Arkansas!

This is our driveway last Sunday morning.  It is there - under a couple feet of snow!  It took some serious scooping by my guys to get it uncovered.  We did discover something nice about our location.  The sidewalk in front of our house is essentially part of the community walking trail.  So.....the city comes and clears it!  Nice!

I'm not sure if I will be blogging again before Christmas.  I still have pictures to show - just don't have the time.  If not, I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

{"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  Luke 2:14}