So Fill To Me The Parting Glass…

“Of all the money that ere I had, I spent it in good company.
And of all the harm that ere I’ve done, alas was done to none but me.
And all I’ve done for want of wit, to memory now I cannot recall.
So fill me to the parting glass. Goodnight and joy be with you all.

Of all the comrades that ere I had, they’re sorry for my going away,
And of all the sweethearts that ere I had , they wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot that I should rise while you should not,
I will gently rise and I’ll softly call, “Goodnight and joy be with you all!”

Oh, if I had money enough to spend and leisure time to sit awhile
There is a fair maid in this town that sorely has my heart beguiled
Her rosey cheeks and ruby lips, she alone has my heart in thrall.
So fill me to the parting glass. Goodnight and joy be with you all.”

 

Ladybugs and Cranberry Tea.

.:.And so it is Ladybug Season. They whirl and twirl about on the sunniest side of the house, soaking up the last bit of warmth this year has to offer. Sitting outside on the Evening Porch while I write, I haven’t decided if I find it charming that they keep flying about my head, crawling on my laptop and occasionally peeing ladybug pee on my hand. 10 minutes ago when I got out here I thought it was whimsical and a bit charming…right now I see that feeling is starting to fade…quickly. Did you ever realize that Ladybugs emit a smell of dirt and mothballs. Yep, they do indeed. Its so…natural..:0/

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today:) What better way to spend a sick day off of work than to make other people food? Ha…hmm…well nevertheless I made a pretty kick-butt White Bean Chicken Chili, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (from scratch!) and this seasons first batch of Cranberry Tea. Oh man does the kitch smell good! It gets me pumped for this weekend and all the cookin that’ll happen. That is..if it doesn’t decide to rain on us. I have hope! The weather man isn’t paid for his accuracy I’ve come to realize, and for once I would be greatful if he was consistant.

I took a walk with God today, He mostly listened as I vented and apologized for venting. I have spent many a day now mulling about so many things in my mind. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Will they ever end? I think not. Conclusions! Oh what wonderful things those are! I have come to a conclusion or two at the end of my day…unexpectedly so but conclusions just the same. I believe I’ve come to a conclusion about school, being faced with what I ought not to do and what I ought to do, then trying to figure out how to make all of it happen. God has answered the prayers prayed for clarity. I have come to another conclusion: To live the way you so desire, takes hard work, commitment, strategy and faith. All of those things are good for one to practice so practice I shall! Dreams: here I come! Slowly, but surely.

Okay. Whimsical flight of the lady bugs is now an annoying torpedo peeing on my sweater. Time to sit in the shade and away from these crack head insects. Bah!

-kvandeway

To Be Foolish. [A Pictureless Post.]

Hmmm…the close to a very blessed day is bittersweet at times.

It’s 10 o’clock in the evening of October 13 and I have a peace about me. This day was blessed, it was centered, it was focused, it was productive, it was refreshing and it leaves me quite content. Don’t you love those days that leave you feeling prepared to face your week? You go to bed believing that when you wake up the next morning you will feel invigorated and ready to walk out the door with your confidence intact, your lunch pail full, your gas tank empty and your schedule still packed but its okay! Because you left the house with confidence:) Tomorrow, my greatest goal is to enjoy each hour I’m at work, spread a smidge of joy to each patient I encounter, contain my road rage while I commute to each location and deliver a pie uneaten and smelling delicious. If all of that is accomplished, I will yet again go to sleep content.

Can I just list the things that filled my day? Let me just do that this once, not with the intent of making the internet a personal journal space, but more so because this day could be described as the kind of day that ‘makes me tick’. (I sure hope you know what I mean by that haha..cause it could create a weird image in your mind if you don’t!)

.:Sleeping late! (8 o’clock:) .:hot tea waiting for me on the stove .:drizzly, chilly, overcast weather gracing my town .:hot eggs fresh from the skillet with all the right seasonings .:cleaning up my room .:starting laundry .:making a To Do List that I thought I could very nearly accomplish .:writing out a prayer list to tape to my windowsill .:a surprise visit from a dear friend and his little tike along with a surprise bag of apples for my pie:) .:accomplishing my academic goals for the day .:Bible time -hanging new pictures .:forgetting about lunch until my stomach was a’grumblin .:getting my job shadow approved and accepted! .:having open, honest communication between Mom and I, being shown ways I need to change, ways I could grow .:unloading Gramps groceries and taking a brisk walk home, having the best talk with God I’ve had in a long time and feeling alive with joy at the beautiful Autumn colors .:collecting eggs .:listening to a lecture while working on my carpel tunnel in my hand (otherwise known as cutting out felt Bible people) .:popping in my favorite movie of all time on my laptop in the kitchen while I started my Papa’s Apple Pie, 100% made with joy, from scratch .:the smell of baking apple pie throughout the house .:visiting with my folks -tucked away in my room, reading a book, listening to the sporadic tick of the space heater that’s taking the bite out of the air:) .:the feeling of a content heart and mind on a  Monday evening…

This is a day to be Thankful for. This is a day of Thanksgiving:) I so often wish that I could live days like this over because I enjoyed it so much, because it was one of those days I daydream about when I’m very well sick of being stuck in a building all day, breathing artificial air and feeling jealous of the freedom of the wind and that it blows whichever way it wishes. It was one of the those days I daydream about sometime in July when its a million degree’s out with not a cloud in the sky and the black top is so hot its creating the heat wave effect you see if you look closely. It was one of the those days I daydream about when I’m overwhelmed, unsure of my choices behind and decisions ahead, not to mention the every nagging event of being a female in the first place;0)

Yes indeed…a day I am thankful for.

Philippians 4:11-13

“…for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 Cheers!

.:kvandeway

A Little Jazz, A Little James and A Little Notecard…

Ah yes, does it get much lovelier than this? Jazz, James and real mail? I think not. At least tonight I think not:) The little tune playing from my speakers right now is “Iron City-Grant Green-Jazz for the Open Road”; James refers to the book of James on page 1805 of my NASBible, I’ll be copying down some excerpts from chapter 1 shortly; a little Notecard refers to my much loved and fun real mail coorespondance with a dear friend away at college. Gosh do I love real mail or what?! Jazz is good stuff for reading the Word of God, its good stuff for drinking hot apple cider and its good stuff for writing a pretty decent (if I do say so myself) Christmas card to a cherished friend. Why yes, I said Christmas card. I’m a firm believer that surprises are only truely surprises if they arrive when least expected. Christmas in October. Birthday gifts three months before your birthday. High fives in the middle of a conversation instead of the beginning. Get the picture? Surprises…they do have a way about them:)

Here’s a little read for you folks who may be going through a trying time and feel like the doors are closed, the motivation and energy to perservere is gone…just read a little James…while you listen to Jazz…its lovely, I promise!

James 1:2-10

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will recieve anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high postion; humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. “

v.12

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trail; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

v.22

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves..”

Food for thought and food for action. Take head of the Word brothers and sisters, God didn’t have it written for kicks and giggles, it was written for purpose and a GREAT purpose indeed!

Cheers!

-kvandeway

Be An Overcomer

.:.This little tid bit is part of a weekly email I recieve called Spurgeon’s Wisdom. I find that its always worth it to sit down and read, soak in and take with me whereever I may go. So please do that same.:.

Be An Overcomer
John 16:33 (NKJV)
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
“note that Jesus didn’t say the disciples ‘might’ or ‘could’ have trouble; He said they ‘will’ – it was a certainty … … … until Christ returns, Christians will always conflict with the world. We stand out with a different allegiance, different values, and a different lifestyle. We threaten the status quo by refusing to compromise our faith, living for Christ, and calling people to turn from their sins and to give their lives to the savior… … … That doesn’t make us popular. We will have trouble.”
His Passion, Day 120    Dave Veerman

Ode to a Quiet Home

Ode to a Quiet Home…A Hot Mug of Mint Tea…Pajama’s…A Chilly Autumn Dusk…Ticking of the Clock…Fleece Blankets and Old Worn-In Hoodies…A Basket of Knitting…30 Watt Bulbs…Skipping Appointments…Clocking Out of Work…Freshly Brushed Teeth…Hair Off of My Neck…Glasses Off of My Nose…Drizzling Rain Outside the Window…

Maybe I should double check what an ‘ode’ actually is…

Aha! The dictionary defines and ‘ode’ as the following: 

.:.A lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanzaic structure.:.

Well, maybe an Ode is not quite what I’ll have written down here, but the sound of the word in the sentence serves the purpose I’m looking for. Sometimes I want a word that I like to mean other things so I can use it more often. For example, I really enjoy the word ‘plethera’. Now that one I can find use for at least once or twice during my week. Another word I’m fond of is ‘copse’ not to be confused with ‘corpse’ please.  ‘Copse’ means ‘a small grove of trees’. But as I sort of stated before its often confused with ‘corpse’ so if I were driving along with a friend and I saw a small grove of trees and shouted ‘Look! there’s a copse!’ I can only imagine the reaction I would recieve. I’m pretty positive what I spoke would be heard as ‘Look! There’s a corpse!’ Now, that would just be entertaining really…the reaction that is, not the fact that there’d be a corpse. I mean…well..you get it.

You may ask why I’m spending my unplanned, surprise (and wonderful surprise at that!) quiet evening at home on my WordPress. Well, I am kind of asking myself that as well. Maybe its because I spend all these hours of my day at work, observing how all these 100’s of people I see a day live; meaning I observe, I listen and I keep my thoughts to myself for the most part. I hear so many stories and listen to so many peoples version of life, reality and perfection. I’ve thought about starting a notebook devoted to the stories I hear each day that stick with me. Of course I would leave the names out or change them..I’m not about to break HIPPA dont you worry:) Now one things I’ve gotten most of the patients used to at work is my ‘Question of the Day’. Most of them practically ask me what my question is the minute I walk into the room! I love it! I think I’ll jott down some of the results I’ve gotten from some of my questions:

~If you could eliminate one smell from the planet what would it be?

.:.Skunk!, arm pits, body odor, rotten eggs, decaying flesh, hog farms, gasoline, smoke (cig smoke and fire), chocolate (what a bad answer!), cat urine, rotten shrimp…

~If you could live in a foreign country for one year, which country would you choose and why?

.:. Italy! Because of the culture, climate and people; Poland, because of the Holocaust history there; Spain; France; Russia…

~If you could have been the inventor of one invention in history what would it be and why?

.:.Electricity, Velcro, Saftey Pins, Cabinet handles without any decorative moldings on them, Microsoft, computers, printing press, light bulb, bicycle…

Kinda cool huh? I love questions and I love answers. I’ve asked many more and the list continues to grow, I end up learning so much about the person just from their answer. Its  a really cool thing:)

Topics my patience have brought up with me: love, marriage, aches and pains, playing Bridge, menapouse, school, spouses that have passed away, traveling, children and their grown up lives, rape, molestation, divorce, being a survivor not a victim, camping, hiking, the great outdoors, how tall I am, modesty, propriety, God and Faith, Catholocism, music, concerts and knitting:) It never gets old I tell ya…it never gets old.

Well, I think I’ll bid you so long and have a pleasent night…time for some knitting I think.

Cheers!

.:.kvandeway

The Mist and the Fog

I love waking up to a brisk morning in the Autumn..

I love that my nose is always cold…

I love that I’m under two blankets, a hoodie and with hood up and a scarf around my neck in my own living room on a Tuesday morning…

I love that the colors are changing..

I love that mom and I left candles burning all night while we slept…

I love that Chad S. was a generous friend and helped me figure out all of my math last night…

I love that I drank 5 cups of a hot drink to try and warm myself up but instead I just peed a lot while I was still cold…

I love that I was knitting a hat while wearing a scarf and wishing I was wearing gloves as well…

I love that last weekend it was summer and this weekend it is not:)

Good Morning Tuesday, and what a cold and bitter Tuesday you are trying to be….

The Talent of Molly Jones

My dear friend Molly Jones asked me to be the subject for portraits that she’s been photographing. So, seeing as how I’m generally behind the lense myself, I thought it would be really fun:) And it was! I don’t post these pictures to appear self-centered but merely to be proud of Molly’s talent and for once, I feel really blessed by how God created my body. Thanks Lord:)

To see more of Molly’s incredible talent please visit: www.mollyjphotography.blogspot.com

The purpose behind some of these for me was to finally have pure, bare pictures of my tattoos. Each of my tattoos has significant, spiritual meaning to me and as much as they are mostly for me, I do want others to see them and hopefully find inspiration in them.

This is the first verse of Amazing Grace. This hymn will forever be the song that most clearly explains how I feel the Christ has acted in my life. One of my aunts penned this in her handwriting for me and I then had the tattooist copy it onto my shoulder. God’s grace has been overwhelming and infinete in my life…I can never thank Him enough.

These tattoo’s are inked in Arebic. A language I find not only beautiful to listen to but beautiful to look at as well. On the left wrist is the word ‘Abbah’ and on the right wrist is the word ‘Deliverer’. These are my two most favorite names for the wonderful God I serve. He is my Father and my Deliverer.

 

Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head

Mmmm…the beginning of my favorite season..Madame Autumn.

I’ve heard many a person say what a strange and mild summer we’ve had, most seem to be displeased with such a thing. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the low temperatures immensely. I found myself continuely thanking God for such lovely, enjoyable weather and letting him know I would be pleased if it lasted all the summer long. Here now, in late September, I sit at my desk near my open window and listen to the patter of the rain and enjoy the lovely breeze whisper past my skin. It appears that Madame Autumn has arrived at last and is making her home here for a month or two as usual. She brings with her the vibrant, radiant colors of the season painted on the tree’s and the breath taking show of sunrise and sunset diffused across the eastern and western sky each morning and evening. In some ways, it makes it easier that our daylight hours are becoming fewer by the day, as it means we wait just a little less time to see the colors dance across the sky in the evening.

Its kind of fun to watch the different seasons of wildlife filter through our land. The Robins are long gone and the Cardinals are starting to perch on the tips of the branches. The frogs have finished singing their song and now the crickets are bidding summer farewell with there peppy tune. Lightning bugs and mosquito’s are slowly dying away and the bee’s are droning a deeper drone and flying a slower flight. The leaves of the pumpkin plants gradually brown and fade while the pumpkin gets bigger and turns a brighter orange, standing out in a brilliant shocking contrast to the brown earth around it. Mothers are starting to pull out their favorite baking recipes, soup concoctions and mulled apples cider is found simmering on the stove all around our town. The smells of Autumn are here as well, that earthy campfire smell that nearly everyone loves…the crisp, crunching piles of leaves under the tree’s that are still shedding their bold leaves..the smell of apples and all the individual memories each person has to go along with them. Apple Crisp, Apple Cider, Baked Apples..or for me, my Papa’s Baked Apple Pie made from scratch.

Whatever it is about Madame Autumn that makes you smile, I assure that the time has arrived for her to grace our doorsteps. I hope that each of you find a simple reason to smile when you walk out your door in the mornings. Fresh, crisp Autumn air is one of the best medicines, so get out there, take a hike!

Cheers!

.:kvandeway:.

Sometimes…

I don’t need to use words. The pictures will say enough.

Cheers to a dear and cherished friend, Paige:)

-kvandeway