Ashlee, Flowers, and Scripture

What do all three of those have in common?

Nothing, really. Which is why this post could be considered a mixed up combobulation of ...

stuff.

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I've just realized that I never gave an update on Ashlee (thanks for the reminder PW!), so I thought I'd do that real quick.

In a nutshell, she is doing better. They've got her on some medication, and have altered her diet and eating times to where she can get some relief. It seems to be working, and we are very grateful. The main concern was whether she had gone and inhereted my intestinal diseases, and all those test results came back negative (woot! woot!).

What intestinal disease am I talking about?

Well ... I will share that with you later. I promise not to go into old lady mode and speak of nothing but my physical woes. But really, I had planned on sharing this information in my next Prairie Pebble post.

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Shortly after Mother's Day, I went out on the porch to water my flowers that the kids and hubby gave to me. And this is what I found:





Major confession time.

I took the nest out. (O Lord, please don't let me lose readers over this!)

Before you get too worked up ... here's the thing. It was hanging on the porch. I had to take the flowers down, because they weren't getting enough sun. They were going to croak, plain and simple. Not to mention, having a birds nest in there wouldn't exactly help the flowers to flourish. I couldn't bear to let my Mother's Day flowers die, and so I chose them over the birds.

So sue me.

The flowers are doing beautifully. Thanks for asking.

As for the birds ... The Bible tells me God watches over them, and I'm trusting Him to do just that.

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And one more thing. My scripture memory. I think I've got Psalm 1:1-3 down, so if you've got just a few more seconds ...

May I say my memory verses to you?

Wow. I haven't said that since I was in school.

Drum roll, please....!

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But he delights in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither,
And whatever he does shall prosper.

AhhHA! I got almost all of it right.

Doin' the happy dance...

I'm movin' on to verses 4-6 this week.

God bless you as you endeavor to hide His word in your heart. And as Sarah reminded me in the comment section ... His Word is alive and active!!

Amen, and amen!

~Brenda

Is This What You Want To Wake Up To...

....when you've biffed it?



BaaHAHAAhahahhaaa! Such a sweet, genuinely concerned doggie. And really, it looks as though his nose is quite sanitary.

Don't you think?

~Brenda

Single Sentence Saturday

"Perhaps a man's character was like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; the shadow is what we think of it, the tree is the real thing." ~Abraham Lincoln

My New Journey

Good Morning, Lovely Lurkers!!

It truly is a good morning! The rain has stopped, and it's a gorgeous day. I plan to plant some flowers, and simply tackle items on my to-do list.

You know ... like blogging.

I'm on a new journey, and I thought I'd invite you to come along. I've made up my mind to do some memorizing of Scripture. Not only is it therapeutic spiritually, but also mentally, and I believe every Christian should have a good stack of Bible verses hidden in their heart. It helps us preach the gospel to ourselves every day, keep our minds focused on the One who is most important, and as my first batch of verses tells me ... we will become like trees planted by the rivers of water.

Unmovable.

Grounded.

And that's what I'd like to become.

So here's what I'm going to do. Each time I sit down to blog, I'm going to try and recite to you what I have memorized. My first passage I've been working on is Psalm 1 from the NKJV.

How will you know I'm not just annotating from an open Bible?

(Wicked laugh) .... you won't!! You'll have to trust me. And something tells me it will be rather obvious anyway.

So, here's my first attempt. I've only been working on the first three verses of Psalm 1, so that's what I'll attempt to recite to you.

Ahem!!!! (Wow, I'm a little nervous) ....

Psalm 1
Blessed is he who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But he delights in the law of the Lord; and in that law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its own fruit,
Whose leaf shall not wither,
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Okay ... that doesn't seem exactly right. Uno momento, and I will look the passage up and copy and paste it for you....

Ready?

Ok, here it is:

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Wow. I really messed up that fruity line.

I italicked (is that a word?) all the places I messed up. I did get the gist of the passage, so that's good. But when it comes to Scripture memory, I really like to get it perfect. Because Scripture is perfect, and I don't want to mess it up.

Can I just say I love that last line? "And whatever he does shall prosper."

That just goes to show you that if you're focused on God, hiding His word in your heart, doing His will, not seeking to please "numero uno" ... whatever you do will prosper!!

And on that good note, I'll just say, thanks for listening to my recital. And if you are not already on a hiding God's word in your heart journey, I hope you can join me!

Cuz nobody likes to go on a journey by themselves.

~Brenda

What a Weekend!

My nephew's baseball games on Saturday, church on Sunday, and a day with the family yesterday that consisted of pizza, basketball games, and movie going made for a memorable Memorial Day weekend for us.

What's that? You want proof?

You got it!

This is Shaun's sister, and her little one. Me and that gorgeous baby share a birthday. A rapidly approaching birthday. He'll be one, and I'll be .... well, I'll be much older than one.

You didn't think I'd reallly tell you my age, did you?

Anyway, gorgeous baby (and Mama):











Funny how they have the same look on their faces each time I snapped a shot, huh?

And this is that baby's big brother, the baseball player, chowin' down after a long day of playin' hard.








Or hardly playin'. I'm not sure which. Ha! Just kidding. I just happen to have a nack for snapping photos at just the wrong time.

I guess I should keep my day job.

So what did my Lovely Lurkers do this weekend?

~Brenda, the nephew lovin' auntie on the Prairie

Single Sentence Saturday #10

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush." ~Doug Larson

He Won, He Won, He won!!!

So, so happy that Kris won. Hope you enjoy the song.

~Brenda

I Won, I Won, I Won!!!!

Oh. My. Word.

I'm doin' the happy dance over here on the Prairie. I actually WON a contest on a blog. And I never win anything!!

Now my Mom ... my Mom wins stuff all the time. She won an Atari from McDonald's when I was a kid. Do you even KNOW how popular we were at school when our peers found out?! She won Cabbage Patch dolls at KMart when I was little, which did nothing for my popularity. But it did a lot for hers as far as I was concerned! She won fishing gear. Every so often she'll buy a lottery ticket, and more often than not, wins something ... even if it's five bucks. She's got the magic touch.

But me? The only thing I've ever won is a bucket full of quarters in Las Vegas when I was 19, aka underage. And I only sacrificed one quarter to get that.

So join me in my happy-on-the-prairie-square-dance, surf on over to Diapers, Dishes, and a Glass of Cabernet, and read about my really cool prize!

And then surf back over here and let me know if you'd enjoy a little contest of our own here at Prairie Tales. Cuz I've got a really funny picture just waiting to have a title.

((Hugs)),

Yzmama

Ashlee: You have really big eyes, Mom.

Me (making eyes even bigger): I do?

Ashlee: You look like that girl.

Me: What girl?

Andrew: What girl?

Ashlee: You know, that girl?

Andrew: Oh yeah, that girl.

Me (looking quite confused): WHAT GIRL???!!!

Ashlee: The one off of Emperors New Groove

Me: What's that?

Ashlee: It's a movie.

Me: Oh...I've never seen it. Let's look it up.

And that, folks, is where I should have shut my mouth. And this ... THIS is why!!!!

Yzma:





Or Yzmama?

Headline: Brenda the Blogger Nearly Blown To Bits While Barbequeing

That could have been the next headline in my local newspaper.

I put some chicken on to grill for lunch. Turned the gas on, but forgot to flip the switch that actually fires the thing up. Went off to get the chicken ready, change the water on the lawn, put the clothes in the dryer, and ten other little things I was sure I could get done before said grill was all warm and toasty. Came back to the grill, realized I hadn't flipped that oh so important little switch, felt just a little twinge of "your mother wouldn't do that if she were you," and ....

flipped the switch anyway, and .....

KAAAABLOOOM!!!

I saw fire. I saw my life flash in front of me. And I saw the lid nearly make it's way to Kansas.

Other than my big toe all of a sudden developing a case of supraventricular tachycardia ...

I'm fine.

~Brenda

Disclaimer: All content in above post is the truth and nothing but the truth, save for the little part about the lid nearly making it's way to Kansas.

Sacrificial Photo Shoot

No, this is not a post about the sacrificing of animals. Well, it sort of is. Because I smacked at least 12 mosquitos in the head while I was shooting these photos last night.

And I'm pretty sure they're dead now, while I am left with the blood sucking scars.

Ahem!

I had just finished the dinner dishes last night, and Shaun swooped me off my feet told me to hurry up and get in the car so we could go see the sunset. I grabbed my camera, and approximately 57 seconds later, we were at the baseball park and I shot these (click to enlarge):









Sorry for the semi-fuzziness of the photos. The photographer really doesn't know what she's doing still needs to read her manual.

I'm pretty sure you're wondering why in the world we have such awesome scenery if I do indeed live on the prairie.

Fear not, Lovely Lurkers! I speak the truth when I say I live on the prairie. It's just that, well ... God has given us the best of both worlds!!

You see, on one side of my house there's nothing but flat prairie land that reminds me of a scene off of The Little House on the Prairie. But on the other side ... it's nothing but awesome mountains that I am blessed to view each time I make a trip into town.

And if that's not a reason to yip for joy, I don't know what is.

~Brenda

“Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” ~Eddie Cantor

Single Sentence Saturday #9

"Look at us," said the violets blooming at her feet, "all last winter we slept in the seeming death but at the right time God awakened us, and here we are to comfort you." ~Edward Payson Rod

How Do I Blog Thee? Let Me Count The Ways!

I Really. Love. To. Blog.

And I think it may have something to do with the fact that I'm the baby of the family. I don't know how it goes for most babies of the family. But for this baby, growing up, my words and opinions never really held a great deal of weight.

I'm not asking for pity. Just stating the way it was. I don't even have any hard feelings over it.

But just because my voice wasn't weighty doesn't mean I didn't have opinions, feelings, or wants - obviously. And admittedly, I was part of it was my problem. Because I'm not good at articulating verbally.

I am easily intimidated.

And I don't like conflict.

Do you believe that?

I wouldn't blame you if you didn't, since the only thing you may know of me is how outspoken and opinionated I am here at Prairie Tales.

But I digress.

My point is that I love to write. And even more, I love for Lovely Lurkers to listen. Without listeners (good ones, like you), I don't know if I'd be able to keep up the blogging.

My Grandma, famous for talking to nobody but herself, wouldn't feel the same. I, however, need Lurkers.

So thank you, Lovely Lurkers, for coming back. For listening, and for commenting, sending me emails, and just being you.

I hope you'll stick around.

And if there's ever a subject you would like me to post about, leave a comment or drop me an email.

You never know, I just might have a pretty good opinion (that you can take or leave, of course).

~Brenda

Danny Gokey (Prairie Pebble #5)

That's right. Danny Gokey.

Prairie Pebble #5:

I'm an American Idol watcher.

I wasn't until this season. In fact, I purposely avoided the show because the clips I saw of Simon were always so mean and cruel that I didn't think I could handle it. I only started watching because Jessie practically begged me.

Okay, she didn't beg. But she was quite pathetic. And I relented, as usual.

When I first started watching, it was quite painful. Simon WAS cruel. Could he not be a little more graceful in telling people that they suck?

Anyway, the more I watched, the more intrigued I got. Not because I was ooing and ahhing over anyone. But because I got to watch people under pressure. I got to watch them pursue their dreams ... some failing miserably, some succeeding beyond what they realized they were capable of.

I fell in love with Danny at the beginning.

Maybe I should rephrase that.

I didn't fall in love with him. But I thought he had a really sweet spirit, and I love his raspy voice ... and glasses. I didn't even find out about his wife dying until later, so don't try and tell me I'm just sympathizing. I picked him from the start, and I wanted him to win (insert unattractive foot stomping here).

And I'm not gonna sugar coat this folks. I'm ticked completely bummed! I think Danny has far more talent than that of mister-scream-like-you-are-stuck-in-a-barbed-wire-fence-on-the-prairie-Adam-Lambert.

Don't get me wrong. I think Adam is very talented. He can do his own rendition of any song 'til the cows come home.

But Danny has heart. Danny has spunk. Danny has passion. Danny has rasp.

The good kind of rasp.

And Danny doesn't release any blood curtling screams (remember Adam's rendition of Ring of Fire?)

I dare ya' to click that link and listen. If you are a Johnny Cash fan ... well... you might want to refrain from tuning in.

Why?

Because I'm 100% sure that Mr. Cash rolled over in his grave the night Adam screamed sang Ring of Fire.

Having said all of that ... I also believe the infamous Adam Lambert scream has potential.

No, I'm not being willy nilly. I just think that the scream would come in mighty handy whenever I feel those dreaded lurkers hanging around. Not my Lovely Lurkers, mind you. I love all my Lovely Lurkers.

Cuz they listen to me when I need to vent about trivial things.

Like American Idol contestants.

But those dreaded lurkers need to be scared away, and I am confident that the Adam Lambert scream would do the trick.

As for Danny ... well ... sigh ... farewell, buddy. I wouldn't be surprised if we see you sometime real soon.

As for the rest of the competition ...

Go Kris!!!!

~Brenda

Flower Photos!

I planted the flowers I got for Mother's Day, and thought you would enjoy a little peek. Photos are courtesy of Andrew, who is beginning to be quite the photographer. He did help me plant all of these flowers, and I took pictures of him also - but they turned out horrible!!

What on earth does that say about my photography vs. his??!!

Sheesh.

Anyway ... here's the photos.

Enjoy!


The daisies you see to the left of me are actually from Jessie to Ashlee, because Ashlee has not been feeling well.

Awwww ... sweet sisterly love.

I love it when Ashlee gets flowers. She ensures them to my care, and I ultimately feel like they're mine.

Mwaaahahhahahaaa!






These red flowers have absolutely nothing to do with Mother's Day, but when I went to the nursery to get potting soil, there they were. Staring at me with those beautiful little petals, begging me to take them home. And since I'm a nurturer ... I complied.

The small plants around the daisies are the flowers that were passed out on Mother's Day at my church. Since I'm the secretary, it was my job to purchase the flowers, so I actually got to pick them out.

Is that cheating?

Ah! Who cares. I love 'em!

This plant is what my better half and my kiddos got me for Mother's Day. It's a Dianthus plant, and I have fallen in love with it.

I just hope I don't kill it.

I seem to have an immense talent in that area.

Stop looking at me like that. I said I lived on the prairie. I said nothing about succeeding at life on the prairie.

I hope your Mother's Day was as great as mine. I am blessed to have Shaun's family here on the prairie with us, my beautiful children, and of course, Shaun himself!!

Cuz you know ... without him ... I wouldn't even be a Mom.

Try not to think about that too much.

~Brenda

That's My Mom

When the situation seems impossible, just tell my Mom about it. She'll either do something to solve it, ask someone else to do something to solve it, pray about it, or ask her Pastor to pray about it.

That's my Mom.

When there's cleaning to be done, hire my Mom. She'll scrub every nook and cranny, every surface, floor, and toilet in sight until it sparkles like Mr. Clean did it himself.

That's my Mom.

When there's a family gathering, and food is to be prepared, let my Mom do the foot work. She'll take a simple meal of burgers on the grill and turn it in to the best meal you've had since 1984.

That's my Mom.

When you have a friend of a friend that is struggling financially, alert my Mom. She'll spend all of her extra earnings just to see that hurting people are well cared for, even if it means she will have to go without a warm coat for the rest of the winter.

That's my Mom.

When you want to go out to eat, invite my Mom. You'll be sure to get a free meal, and the change from the twenty she paid with to boot.

That's my Mom.

When you want to sit down and have a heart to heart, even if you don't know how to articulate what it is you're struggling with, talk to Mom. She understands. She sees through your childish, pathetic utterings, no matter how old you are.

That's my Mom.

And last, but not least ...

When you want to hear the most angelic laugh in the world, make Mom laugh. Because whether you're joyful, depressed, or bi-polar, you'll find Mom to be the best medicine.

That's my Mom.

I'm not gonna lie. My Mom is far from perfect. We've had our fair share of disagreements and hardships. But the older I get, the more appreciative I get, knowing that she, in many ways, went above and beyond the call of duty in raising me and my hooligan brothers.

So on this Mother's Day, I'd like to rise up and call my Mom blessed.

I love and appreciate you, Mom. And I hope I never give you any reason to doubt it.

Love,

~Brenda

This post is part of a world wide blogging tribute to Moms led by TheBlogFrog

Single Sentence Saturday #8

Sometimes you have to just let it aaalllll out.

~Brenda

Twin Teeth!!

Brenda and Bree, Aunt and Niece. Can you tell by the nearly identical teeth that we are related (click image to enlarge)?

~Brenda

Bunny ears courtesy of nephew Skylar.

Rejoice With Them That Rejoice

For me, it's time to rejoice. I know, I know. I said it was time to weep.

But who says we can't do both?

I weep that Grandma is gone, and it may be quite some time before I see her again. I rejoice that I do get to see her again.

I weep that I can no longer see her and her magnificent abode. I rejoice that I was priveledged to know and love her for nearly 37 years, and felt so at home in her abode.

I weep that she had to suffer for so long. I rejoice that she no longer suffers or even remembers her suffering.

I weep that a large part of my childhood is gone. I rejoice that God gave me a childhood that I can call awesome, and Grandma Brown to share it with.

I miss you, Gma B, and rejoice over the time we were blessed to have you.

All of you.

Your generosity, your courage, your stubornness and fight to live, the words you never could pronounce right, and even the way you worried excessively.

Thank you for making my world a better place.

~Brenda
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. ~Romans 12:15

Single Sentence Saturday #7

I think Santa Shaun must have read my blog, because I am "talking" to you via a brand, spankin' new computer - woot, woot!

Weep With Those Who Weep

Margie M. Brown

February 15, 1927 - April 23, 2009

I know weeping is not a popular thing to do. Especially in our culture. Death is largely sanitized and not dealt with properly, because we live in a world that values fun above all else.


Trust me. I'm all about fun. Nobody can laugh and party better than me ... and Grandma. She could party until two in the morning well into my adult years.


But when it's time to weep, it's time to weep. So I invite you to come along with me, and remember my Grandma, and weep with me if you feel so led.


I promise you'll be glad you did.


Grandma's passing is by far the largest loss I have experienced, and I'm having trouble even expressing what I feel. So please bear with me while I work through my emotions and simply reminisce about one of the most influencial people in my life.


Oh ... and grab the the coffee, m&m's, and tissues, will ya'?


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Grandma was a great many things, and this list could go on for quite some time. But for now, I'll just name a few that are heavy on my mind and heart:

Grandma was available. No matter when you showed up at her house, she always had time. And if she was busy, she would simply involve you in whatever it was she was trying to accomplish, whether it be canning, gardening, or waxing nostalgic (my personal favorite). I don't know of a better way to make someone feel loved than to simply be there for them.

Grandma was giving. If you were truly in need, Grandma would do whatever she could to help you. Especially if you were hungry. In fact, I know she secretly hoped you would be hungry when you came to visit. She loved to feed people. Heck, no need to be hungry. Have something to eat anyway! Just for the fun of it. Especially if she baked a pie. And holy cow, could she ever make a pie. Especially apple pie. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Grandma was hot-headed and ornery. She had flaming red hair when she was young, and the temperament to go along with it. Wouldn't you if you were the oldest of nine children?

I didn't inherit the flaming red hair, but I did inherit orneriness. Okay ... maybe I'm a little hot-headed too. But only if you don't do what I say.

Grandma was competitive. What else would motivate an old lady to stay up until all hours of the night playing rummy and the infamous "Take Two" game, invented by none other than Grandma herself? If nobody was there to play with her, she'd break out the cards and play solitaire. And why not? A gal could cheat on solitaire and never get in trouble for it. Wink, wink.

Grandma was stubborn. Her and Grandpa puchased a piece of property when I was six. Two acres of nothing but adobe dirt. But when they were finished with it, it looked and felt like paradise. Rose bushes, lush green grass, and weeping willow trees abounded, complete with a huge garden, a tree house, and a hill to go sledding on at Christmas time.

Why do I bring up yard work under the subject of stubbornness? Because if you tried to help her with the upkeep, you had better do what she says, how she said it, and when she said it. No budging. No talking her in to keeping a rose bush she was done with. No setting the sprinklers a different angle than she desired. She was the boss, she was ok with that, and you had better be too. And not just where yard work was concened.

And last ... for now ...

Grandma was the Queen Bee. Not just of my family, but of her family of nine siblings. On April 23rd, many people lost a grandma, a sister, a mother, an aunt ... and a friend.
A matriarch.
I lost the one who has been the most stable, enjoyable person I've ever known. And my heart literally hurts. But you know what? Time and Jesus will heal that hurt.
Death has been overcome because of Jesus, and I know one day, Grandma and I will once again laugh and reminisce to our heart's content.
And I'm positive biscuits and gravy, apple pie, and peanut butter balls will be close by when that time comes.
~Brenda