Beyond the Stars

Mother Nature

Mother Nature dust our Earth

With shining sleet and snow so white,

She adds some crispness to the air

As Winter’s moon lights up our night.

 

She always gives a new tomorrow

Our Earth she decorates for Spring

The hills she plants with flowers

Gentle sun and rain she brings.

 

She gives hot days for Summer

With searing sun she cloaks our Earth

Thirsting fields of wheat look upward

With pleas for rain to quench their thirst.

 

She paints our Earth in golden hues

Each stroke of brush has special reason

She dresses trees in yellow, orange and brown

To usher in her Autumn season.

Ann Burton

One of my Christmas presents from a dear friend at the office was a hard back book entitled “Beyond the Stars” The National Library of Poetry, editor Cynthia A. Stevens, Nicole Walstrum, and Assoc. Editor. Stevens was one of the judges and editors to review a compilation of poetry…thus the book. I love to page through this collection of various subjects and styles…reading and thinking as I read each word of a poem…how that poet must have poured out their inner feelings and thoughts of their subject matter. Kudos to all the artists in this anthology!

We’re into the middle of January 2010 already…

I have vowed to finish the Military album(s) for my nephew (who served in the US Army, Spec. Jonathan R. DePhillips, veteran of the Iraq war WHO I AM VERY PROUD OF)…and just a few pages to finish my sweet Princess niece, Crissa A. Johnson’s scrapbook album, she was the SUN Area Dairy Princess, her reign ended in the summer of 2009. Sooooo…no procrastinating or “putzin”…git’r done!

On that note…I shall be devoting my time to those scrapbooks but want to be diligent about blogging. Hmmm…look for some pages I might just post!!!!!

Have a good evening!

Best,

Reenie

 

 

 

I’M BACK!

›Promise Yourself›

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievement of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. To give God credit for all in your life.

Christian D. Larson

Best,

Reenie

“Everything has it Beauty but not everyone sees it”

Its November 1^st…time really does fly! I recall as a young girl hearing that…always and so it is as the saying goes “time flies!” Halloween evening was quiet in our neighborhood…we had only 3 Trick or Treaters! I heard a few kids out n about but we turned our porch light out at 7:30 p.m. …Since we don’t use our front entryway…most of the children don’t venture around back to our porch.

WooHoo…we got an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night! As I was driving back to my little country church service this morning…I noticed a quote on another church’s marquee which I thought was ingenious! To move ahead, fall back on Jesus! Isn’t that quite appropriate?

Well…here at ye old stone house…all’s well that ends well! Delivery of our mattress set was on schedule Friday…but our plumber called Thursday; our bathroom pedestal sink & new faucet came in and he scheduled us for Friday. So a lot of activity was happenin’ here!

There’s the old sink which served us well! We chose a Barclay [Washington style] lavatory with American Standard (Hampton centerset) lavatory faucet. We plan to do a bathroom makeover in Victorian style and décor. While Craig and his son, Lance were busy installing both sink and faucet…the furniture retail store’s delivery boys came a callin’ with our mattress set! Yes, I caught all this with my little Kodak Easyshare!

My husband, Steve gets to play “boss” for a day!!!! Ha-ha

Here’s one of the guys that delivered the set!

Wow, check out that Lady Englander Springfield plush set!

The bed is ready to slumber in…new linens, too. You like?

Check out that homemade quilt…it’s a Log Cabin pattern made by my dear mother (a 50^th birthday present which I requested)! My husband insisted he wanted to keep it on the bed but Mother is making a wedding ring quilt complete with pillow shams and some throw pillows! A knotted blanket adorns the antique blanket chest at the foot of the bed…more of my Mother’s awesome talent!

I think we’re gonna need 2 bed steps…one for hubby and yes, one for this old girl! I’m enjoying the moment!

Some day…they may say, “Hey, Stephen & Noreen Malaney slept in this room at the old Stone House!”

Thursday afternoon after the bed was picked up and put in place…I had a pleasant surprise…my niece, Crissa stopped by with a plate of homemade pumpkin roll!!!! And, it was simply delectable! She made it herself!

I think there are a few slices missing!!!!! Hmmm…yummy yummy, I got love in my tummy! That is, pumpkin roll! I love it!

…in my little corner of the world… “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Best,

Reenie

 

 

Embrace Your Dreams, Follow Your Heart, Cherish Your Life!

My niece, Crissa was able to trek to the state of Indiana recently…city of Indianapolis to receive her American Farmer Degree! What a distinguished honor! We’re all so vey proud…heck, I’m a proud Auntie of all my nieces and nephews!!!!!!!

Here’s the group photo… from all around the country who received their award/degree! Crissa is on the far right in the slacks!!!!!

Isn’t that a cool shoot…my sister (Crissa’s mom) totes her camera to all of Crissa’s events!!!! Kudos, sister #1!

Check it out…the artificial turf at the Lucas Oil Stadium where she got the award. The Indianapolis Colts play in this stadium.

Hmmm…I think sister #1 might want to start scrapbooking with me!!!!!

…in my little corner of the world…Life’s Lesson…the smile on your face brings a smile to my heart! Congrats Crissa on the FFA Degree!!!!!!!

Good Night…off to sleep on the floor…well, we threw the old mattress on a tarp and will try to get some shut eye. Tomorrow…the mattress set comes!!!!! Yippee…yeehaw!

 

Best,

ReenieJ

Hoof to Hoffer Road!

Today was moving day…that is the day to pick up our custom cherry Sheraton field bed (complete with agee tester)! We recruited our friends, Pam & Stan to help us. They graciously accepted the chore along with their pick up truck and trailer. It was a dismal kind of day but rain free during the trip to and fro. I even took time to take a photo of a road just cross from the furniture shop.

Here are some photos of our “moving day”

That’s my hubby, Steve loading the bed slats into our SUV!

Stan…standing “guard”…we just got the headboard, footboard & tester packed using furniture blankets! Pretty darn cool, huh?

Stan’s ready to get our bed delivered to ye old stone house…he’ll be driving like he’s hauling eggs!

The two guys maneuvering the footboard…are all so very careful! Great job, Steve & Stan!!!!!!

There’s Pam…she’s watching as the men gingerly carry the footboard up the flight of stairs!

I think she was holding an end!

“You’re doing a great job!” Hmmm…I think they’re taking a break!

Hey, that’s me screwing on a finial to the tester (canopy)…

Steve’s tightening the braces…

I was so excited how it looked…I didn’t take a photo of the bed set up…stay tuned for a photo before the mattress set gets delivered tomorrow!

All in a day’s work…and anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old!

Mr. Brubaker, the Amish (he’s old order Mennonite) shook both our hands in gratitude and humbleness as we were ready to embark with his “masterpiece”!

I think we’ll be ordering a matching Sheraton night stand in the spring!

…in my little corner of the world…don’t dream your life, live your dream!!!!!!

Best,

Reenie

Check out my Slide Show!

“Rain Regatta!”

Our backyard!

I took this photo from our house… “Stump’s Run” is in the background (behind the monument)…

http://www.picnik.com/show/id/5987539822_7rTwx/t/picnik-showrainregatta10242209

…and the rains came! What are you wading for, click above to see my slide show…it was wet & wild in my little corner of the world!

Water you doin’? Steve is watching Penn State on TV and our sump pump is workin’ overtime…our basement…water everywhere.

Seasons in October!!!!! Go figure!

Slippin and a slidin’

Reenie

 

 

His Masterpiece!

We got the call yesterday our custom cherry (full/double size) Sheraton field bed w/agee tester (canopy) was getting the final finish applied and would be ready for pick up! Yes, after deciding to get a field bed crafted…by “word of mouth” we found a true furniture craftsman; a very good-natured Amish gentleman who has his own shop. This reproduction piece (dates from the late 1700′s) was the first Sheraton field bed Mr. Hoffman ever crafted and he was just as excited as we were when we arrived at his shop to take a peek and give him our check!!!! He told us this was his masterpiece! How cool is that!!!! We were genuinely in awe…I asked if I could take some pics and he granted my wish however respecting the Amish tradition, I could not take a photo of him with this fine work of art!

This is a photo showing the agee tester…Steve says he would like to let it as is…but I’m thinking we might want to check out a bed hanging (which by the way, is the correct word for the agee cover)…we’ll see.

Here’s a view of the headboard…the photos simply do not do this fine piece of craftsmanship justice!!!!!

I recruited my Mother to quilt a wedding ring quilt complete with the shams and some throw pillows…several weeks ago we drove to an area fabric shop which is run by a nice Amish lady. We spent several hours choosing the material and pillow forms and whatnot for this task Mother is taking on. The seamster she is…it will be wonderful!!!!! Verna called me yesterday and after a question she had…she said the Amish couple that is piecing the quilt will be finished in a few days!!!!! Woo hoo! Won’t it be a wonderful Christmas present!!!!!

After much research on the bed and quilt…both are certainly period for our old stone house which dates back to 1790-1810!

The above photos…the top…is an actual photo of the family who lived in ye old stone house! The bottom is a canvas painting done by a local renown artist; depicted how we want our dream house to look some day! Truly grand, huh? We are very much in the restoring mode and know in our hearts we ‘ll achieve our goal!

…in my little corner of the world…

“But, when the work was finished, the Craftsman kept wishing that there were someone to ponder the plan of so great a work, to love its beauty, and to wonder at its vastness.” Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: the work is good, the product of a master craftsman.
Jean de la Bruyere

Best,

Reenie

Woo Hoo, Celebrate Autumn!

What a pleasant week…I just can’t say enough of these awesome days of fall…crisp, apple red days and cozy nights. Although, I believe we could be experiencing Indian Summer! You ask; what the heck is Indian Summer? Hmmm…there are around 43 different theories concerning the origin of the term. I had to Google this one and here’s what Wikipedia states: Indian summer is an informal expression given to a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn in the northern hemisphere, typically in late October or early November, after the leaves have turned due to an onset of frost but before the first snowfall. We’ve had about 2 mornings of frost (at least, I’VE had to scrap my windshield) and as for first snowfall, bizarre as it was …we had snowfall last Thursday and Friday!!!! Go figure, huh?

In any event, there are several theories or possibilities of the explanation and origin of the term “Indian Summer”, yet no one theory has actually been proven. Given the fact it has been centuries since the term first appeared, it will probably rest with its originators. All in all, even with the variety of opinions on this weather (or seasonal) phenomenon, the most popular belief of Indian Summer is as follows…It is an abnormally warm and dry weather period, varying in length, that comes in the autumn time of the year, usually in October or November, and only after the first killing frost/freeze. There may be several occurrences of Indian Summer in a fall season or none at all. I found this on the NOAA (National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office site!

Oh well, enjoy the Indian Summer while it’s around, because one thing is for certain, it never lasts!

I had my camera in tote and driving home from the office…I took a rural road called “Sale Barn Road” and actually took the pics from my SUV…hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed driving…choosing just the right shots! What can I say…I’m a scrapbooker at heart!

The above photo I captured out the window (of course, after pulling over a bit with my 4-ways on)…it’s a retired Art Teacher’s shop called “Red Bank Farm”…a whimsical
little shop with some of Mr. Dippery’s art work, some handmade jewelry and other gift items. His home sits close by…which is lovely! Notice, I did an infrared film with focal black & white (of course I used www.picnik.com to achieve this)…do you like?

…in my little corner of the world… “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Shout out to sister #3, Vick… “If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. ~St. Clement of Alexandra

Best,

Reenie

First Snow “Fall” of October 2009

Living in Central Pennsylvania, I am fortunate to experience the four seasons, which by the way I truly love (I would be keen on having autumn and winter with a little spring time sprinkled in year ’round)…Thursday and Friday, Mother Nature reminded us of just who is
boss!!!! Ironic, too, that Hallmark had designated Friday, the 16^th as Nat’l Boss Day! Anyway, a very heavy and wet snow fell across Central Pennsylvania during the daytime on Thursday the 15th and all night into Friday the 16th of October, 2009. … much of the northern mountains and even down into State College. …
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ctp/features/2009/10_16/index.php

Our area had about an inch… but depended on where you lived and the higher elevations did have some accumulation. We had some fallen tree limbs in and around our town and some of the region had electrical outages; some of our decorative grasses fell over! Those are about 8 feet tall when standing up…my husband is hoping the grasses come back up…we like the look of the “tassels” in the fall! Early this week, we will return to fair and warmer conditions.

 

Friday night…my sister (#3) who treks to our house every Friday night, came on a rainy miserable night, we phoned sister #4 and met at a local eatery called “Big Jon’s”…it was a nice evening with the 2 siblings, my brother-in-law and sweet niece, Naomi!

Saturday…it was putting on my domestic cap and getting some chores accomplished around ye ole stone house! The usual laundry, etc. must go on!

The 82^nd National FFA Convention will be held this week…Oct. 21-24^th in Indianapolis, IN. My niece, Crissa along with her beau, Matt and her mom (sister #1) will drive out to Indy but not able to attend the entire 4 day conference! Click on Pennsylvania and Crissa’s name will be there.

http://www.ffa.org./index.cfm?method=c_programs.AmericanDegreeawards

She will receive the most honored…the FFA American Degree which represents the highest level an individual can achieve as an FFA member. Kudos and shout out to Crissa!!!!!! Yee Haw…God speed y’ll safely to and fro as I will be waiting for pics to post!!!!!

…in my little corner of the world…a simple inspiration…“Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use.”
Ruth Gordon

And to all who need a little “prodding”… “so many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and…soon they become inevitable.” ~Christopher Reeve

October is a symphony of performance and change.” ~Bonaro W. Overstreet

Love is in the air…Happy Anniversary to sister #4 and hubby! They celebrate lots of years… tomorrow, the 19^th!

Best,

Reenie