A White Thanksgiving!

A friend agreed with me that this should be the song for today:

I'm dreaming of a white Thanksgiving
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear gobblers in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white Thanksgiving
With every mashed potato that I roast
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your turkey meat be white! 

Thanksgiving!

Throwback Tuesday: Dressed for the Holiday Social Season

With Thanksgiving only a couple days away, the start of the holiday season is here! 

This is a perfect outfit if you are going: 

to a dinner, 

the opera, 

a performance of Nutcracker ballet, 

a classy vintage movie theater to watch a Christmas classic such as  

It's a Wonderful Life or The Christmas Carol,

being a hostess for Thanksgiving,

attending a party,

going to the symphony,

enjoying a delightful tea,

or just dressing up for fun this holiday season!

Timeless yet elegant for any social event this holiday season!

**disclaimer** I wouldn't recommend wearing this for one of those ugly holiday sweater contest parties. It just doesn't seem appropriate..... ;~)

The Pleiades

 (Picture credit goes to my Dad. Taken a few years ago)

Every winter, since I was a little girl, I would scan the winter sky for the Pleiades. 

 Every year I'd search until I found them. 

Today I found them in the night sky, and I'm still amazed that yet it's such a tiny constellation, they're mentioned 3 times in the Bible.

Job 9:9 (ESV)

Who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south.

Job 38:31 (ESV)

Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?

Amos 5:8 (ESV)

He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name.

From here, they seem so small, yet they are stars which are a clear indication they aren't. 

Stars fascinate me. 

I could look at them for hours. 

While the Pleiades may not be one of the larger constellations, or more important ones, they're always there. 

Year after year. 

For centuries.

It leaves me in awe.

Psalm 147:4 (ESV)

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names

Isaiah 40:26 (ESV)
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
    and because he is strong in power
    not one is missing.

The stars were created by an Almighty God.

When I see what he has made, I'm in awe of his power.

God is good.

Thank you God for making the stars!

1 Timothy 4:4-5 (ESV)

 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Throwback Tuesday: A Little Girl's Hat

Little girls....

squeal with excitement....

and ponder the though....

of the excitement....

and honor....

and dignity....

of wearing a stylish hat!! 

Coconut Yogurt Cake!!

It's a really easy recipe!! 

• 2 - 6oz containers of yogurt (we used Coconut Chobani, it's a Greek Yogurt but you could use regular yogurt too!)
• 2 eggs

Now you take the containers from the yogurt, and use them to measure the flour and sugar and oil!

• 2 containers of sugar
• 1 container of oil
• 4 containers of flour

Then add a dash of vanilla and 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder!

Mix it all up and bake at 375* F for 35 minutes!

Makes 2 - 9in cakes! 

I sprinkled some dried coconut on top to make it extra coconutty! Mmm! Yummy!

Observations of Titus 2 Women in Real-Life

If you've read enough blog posts by Christian women, there's a trending theme: Titus 2 Women. For those of you who don't know what that is, that's when older women reach out to younger women in the Church. It is based off a few verses of Titus 2, Titus 2:3-5 to be exact.

I've done a lot of thinking about this, and while in the land of bloggers, this is a fancy-schmancy thing, it's different in real-life. In the land of bloggers, they place them on pedestals, while in real-life they are humble women who are serving because God has called them to that place.

This past Tuesday, I was able to join a group of women for an evening of fellowship. I honestly felt out of place, as I was the only teen, and with knowing that, the youngest. The majority of the women were at least twice as old as I am. As I knew I'd be rather out of place, I wasn't sure how the evening was going to go. 

I was among the first to arrive, with my Mom. A couple of the ladies were already there, one of them had set out some snacks. Delicious fruit, granola and yogurt, cookies, and other tasty things! I placed my Bible on my chair, and stood there, not sure what to do.

As the other women began to arrive, I really felt out of place. As I stood there observing, I watched as I saw the Titus 2 Women come to life. I've never really seen "it" in real-life. It was just a "thing" from the land of bloggers. As I watched, and yes, eavesdropped, it opened my eyes!

To see women in my Church ask with genuine concern how they, (the other women) were doing, what they have been up to, seeing how their prayers may or may not have been answered, encouraging one another, and just taking the time to fellowship, was so encouraging to me!

It got me thinking, why do we make such a big fuss about Titus 2 Women? Why? Why do we? They are women just like us. Just serving where God has placed them to serve. Some women have this gift, and some do not. God has placed us all in different areas to serve in different ways.

Then I had another thought. When these women are unable to serve, or pass away, who is going to be here to continue to pray and encourage the women in the Church? Myself, and the other young women in my generation! We are truly the next generation. We young women need to start and/or continue to reach out, to pray and encourage, to shine God's love!

Many times it's easy to forget, many times we are unable to, but we need to start now, for someday we'll be the ladies who are setting out some delicious snacks; who are washing the spoons leftover from the fruit, yogurt, and granola; we'll be the ones who set up the chairs; and who will be there to find out how each other is doing.

Here comes the part where I don't want to be misunderstood, or thought to be bragging. I personally love to see where God places me. He always places me where he knows I'm needed, and I just do what he asks. If someone needs prayer, my heart breaks for them until I know the prayer has been answered some way. If someone is having a wonderful day, I rejoice with them for this is yet another day that God has made!

I know this isn't one of my usual posts, but I ask you to think about this. If you are a young woman, I encourage you to pray and ask God how he wants to you serve. If you are a young man, I encourage you to share this with the young women you know, and that you'll take some time to study Titus 2:6-8. 

 And if you ever need someone to pray for you, I'm here for you!

 Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, 

so that they may see your good works 

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

My poor blog.... and something exciting!

I haven't blogged much recently...I'm just a horrible blogger...... ;~)

Seriously though, I'm going to resume Science Saturday, and I shall be putting up the next post for the Series on Prayer soon!

Something exciting happened today!!

It snowed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And it didn't just snow, it stayed!! 

To make up for such a boring blog recently, here's a few pictures!! :~D

Wisteria!

It looks like the tree has powered sugar on it! 

 Lightly frosted with snow!

A fairy-tale land!

Goldenrod golden-snow!

 

Delicately iced with snow-icing!

 

A sweet Mama Cardinal!

 

 

Snowflakes on the remains of a Brown-eyed Susan

 

Snowflakes falling in a world that's clinging to fall.....

Winslow was VERY excited! We'll have to find him a new winter hat! :~D

I apologize to those who do not like the excessive use of exclamation points, but today justified it! 

It snowed!!!!!!!! Ahh!!! It really is one of my favorite things... 

Throwback Tuesday: A Vintage "Vinter" Hat

This is a fun vintage "vinter" hat! It was made by the Rose Co. in Rochester N.Y.! I can't seem to find much about this company, but I have seen things made by them before. Hats are such a fun way to learn about the history of fashion!

“Why should any one be frightened by a hat?” 
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Throwback Tuesday: Grandma's Square Dancin' Skirt

There is nothing more fun,

than a super-full skirt,

when it's a sunny day,

and you have a chance to twirl,

in Grandma's square dancin' skirt!

Science Saturday: Woolly Bears

(Via Wikipedia)

So, I think, um, I might be a little off with my weeks and my planning/scheduling on this, so I'll fix it for next week.

A few factual slighty-sticky notes for your brain:

•   A popular old wives' tale is that you can tell how cold/hard the winter will be by the size of the rust-brown band on the Woolly Bear Caterpillar. Actually, it tells us how old the Woolly Bear is! Younger Woolly Bears have more black than brown. As they mature the brown band widens.
• Now if you see one as it's getting chilly, and the band is very small, it just means it's a younger caterpillar getting ready for winter. So it's not forecasting the weather, it's just responding to the cold weather at the time you see them.
• They are such a popular caterpillar. Do you ever think about what they become afterwards? In the summer they become an Isabella Tiger Moth. Pretty much just another moth you'll see near a porch light. Not as exciting as a caterpillar, but still pretty neat.