New plans

              "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps."
                                                 Proverbs 16:9


Just stepping back to get a running start forward into a new adventure :)
Have a peaceful Sunday my dear friends!
xoxo,
Ellen

Bye bye Booth

I went out to my booth earlier this week and gave my notice to close my sweet little booth. It was not an easy decision so much as it is simply the beginning of letting go of those deep intimate dreams that I've held for so long in my heart. I gave my notice to my dearest fellow booth owner who happened to be working that day. She has known some of the things that I've been dealing with and as she asked questions, she found out the rest of the story. She teared up and made me tear up too. However, the other side of this bittersweet story is that I've known deep down that this day was coming. In an odd way, it's a relief to have a defined date ahead rather than some dark mysterious "some day" that weighed in on my heart so heavy. I can make this confession rather easily after hearing Joyce Meyer confess the same thing about a job she had in ministry for 5 years and one day, suddenly, Daddy said it was over. That is a very similar experience for me with the booth. There is a part of me that is not only relieved and sad, but a part of me that is ready for a rest and a new adventure. While the booth was fun, these last few months have been physically difficult for me to maintain it because of increasing health issues, but it was mentally draining as the creative outlet seem to become the brook that dried up. Even though I loved the life as a booth owner, it seems that something is missing; that there is supposed to be something more. I don't know yet what it is. But I do believe that this is just one aspect of what He told me must go in order for something new to come.
Thank you so very much for your encouraging thoughts and words! I can tell the difference over here, thank you for praying for us. We are in need of all the prayers we can get. We are not nearly as bad off as some people, but our little world is still shaking and it's an all new tribulation to us.  There are still several other greater changes yet to be faced in my life. When this will be, I don't know. I just know it's coming. So again, thank you for being you and praying for us.

xoxo,
Ellen

Life's trails and trials

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.               Robert Frost

The crown of life

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.   James 1:12


It seems that there is no shortage of trouble from all sides for a growing number of people in these days and I have not escaped it either. Lately, my life has just turned upside down and my whole world is shaking. I tried to pretend even here that all was well, but the truth is, it has been anything but. I have turned inside out and had to face some very hard facts about myself, others and life overall. But because of this shaking, if you will, I am learning in a much deeper sense what our Psalmist meant in the multitude of verses regarding praising Daddy no matter what. I'm trying to, really I am. Through tears and brokenness, I really am trying. Sing praise with me, maybe that'll help. I know that the promises of Daddy are true, I've been a witness to much to not believe now. I'm having to let go of some very intimate dreams that have been in the center of my heart for a long time. I'm having to face choices that frankly I never thought I would. Trying to hear Him above the noise and confusion that pounds at my life, is difficult at best some days. 


I'm not trying to draw attention to myself or be overly dramatic. I am ,however, letting some things, a lot of things, go in my life. I'm beginning to understand better and better what all of these conversations between me and He have been leading up to. All of this has opened my eyes to some  very hard truth about lots of thing in  me and others. I am grateful for much, that list would be long if I were to write it out and you probably have the same things to be thankful for. So instead I'm going to make a wish list. Maybe you can relate to some of these: I wish I could hug and kiss away peoples hurts and problems so that pain would not be passed on to others somehow either purposely or blindly. I wish that I had a time machine to take people back to the defining moment that changed their lives for better or worse. I wish that I knew why  some peoples prayers seem to be answered and others seem to not be heard. I wish that I could give more hope to the discouraged  and broken hearted who hurt so deeply that it seems Daddy's Word must still be working through the brokenness and we have not yet seen the deliverance of wholeness. I wish that  I could turn back time to the Ozzy and Harriet life and days so families would not be torn apart by the crazy  un-reality of today. I wish that we all could remember that were just one "Jesus" away from eternal separation. I wish that we could be as wise as our elders and youthful as our children and grandchildren. I wish that truth was always spoken with the temperance of love. I wish our hearts were not so fragile but full of peace, joy and praise. 


I share this with you so that you understand my silence and absence and yes, if you think about it, I would appreciate your prayers. Pray for my family, marriage, future, health. And I shall pray for yours. 
I'm going to change the blog slightly to fast one picture posts for a while because I don't want to lose touch with ya'll nor you with me. All of you really mean so much to me. Please just "patiently endure" my testing and temptation. 


xoxox,
Ellen

Look what made my week!

Remember my recent posting that I won a fabulous prize over at Kay Ellen's blog?

Well - I was browsing through my pictures to do a post and was not too excited about what I had to choose from when the PostMan rang my bell, literally!

He had this FABULOUS box in his hand and it was for me!!

I could hardly wait to open it and when I did, here is what I found:

The Sealah "no" sew tape and in the BEA-U-TI-FUL box was this:

A gorgeous flower ring, Eiffel tower crystal magnet, letters that spell my name, tulle and flowers.

Stunning, just stunning. Made me cry, no joke. It was just the kind of picker upper I needed today-this week. So thank you again Ms. Kay Ellen, I love it!  

xoxox to all,

Ellen

Just a Girl and her power tools

The other day when I posted the story about covering my cherry dining room table, I realized that I have new readers who do not know something very important or not, about me. I have power tools. All of the the needed power tools to make furniture. See the table saw up there to the right of the picture? Yeah, that is mine and has been for oh, I think 11 years ago when Husband Mark bought it for me.
Uhumm. So here is a quick tour of some of the furniture 'n stuff I've made over the years.

 Not the rocker, but I have made a number of children's chairs and tables.

 This bed was my first piece. I made it with a drill and skill saw. That was all. Not one screw or anything metal in this bed. All mortise and wood dials. My own custom design too.

So that is the quick tour of my stuff and woodworking abilities. I am showing you this instead of what I got in KY last week. I had already put everything away in the black hole of the inventory room and then I thought "pictures of stuff", but it was too late. So sorry. I'm not so great with the camera some days.
Hope this was an ok substitute!

oxox,
Ellen

KY Roller Coaster Yard Sales Event

Yesterday was the first day of KY's Roller Coaster Yard Sales Event that winds around for over 150 miles into TN. I was up and gone before the sun had risen so the above picture is after the sun began to rise on my way to KY.

Once off of the interstate and onto the right "highway", this curvy winding, up and down

over the dell we go kind of ride began, hence the name - Roller Coaster. It was rather fun, at least, for the first 6 or so hours of it.. 

Finally I arrived at the first yard-to-yard-to-yard-to-yard sales. It was yard to yard on both sides of the street and continued this way throughout KY.

one view of the same area.

another view of the same area... getting the idea?

Here are a few things I found (but left there for someone else).

It was an event for all ages. This older man rode around on his little motor scooter checking the sales. He was just too cute.

Then back to the truck to curvy, wind around, 

up and down road through some more dells..

The scenery through the country side was really picturesque. 

I almost expect Grandpa Jones and LuLu to pop out of the cornfield!

This is Freedom, KY I think... lots of small towns...lots of names... 

some more of my finds that I left just for someone else to have and to hold.

Back into the truck. Repeat. And repeat all day long.

Here at last is the sunset through my now bug splattered windshield. Overall, it was quiet an event to experience.

Thanks for riding along with me. I wish you all a wonderful weekend filled with peace, laughter and joy.

xoxo,

Ellen