Like Fire and Ice......or Bread and Butter..........

Sometimes without even trying, a simple picture says as much as many words. Such is the story from this picture.

By all appearances these legs look opposite (even though this year Hubby is actually quite tan!). But, if you notice the legs, while opposite looking, are snuggled together, touching, and very comfortable where they are.

The picture of the legs very much depicts the marriage of  Hubby and me. In so many ways we are opposite:
He loves TV, while I am strictly books.
He loves true rock and roll, while I am more country or Southern rock.
He loves to sleep, I think you can sleep when you're dead.
He would play golf every day if he could, I like to think Mark Twain had it right when he said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled."
He is a computer nerd, I am a computer Ihavenoidea.
He likes loud, I like quiet.
He loves new houses, I yearn for the old.
He is an ESPN groupie, I covet the news.
His legs are low to the ground, my gams go on forever.
He likes food piled and layered, I prefer simple eats.
He tunes me out, I never quit talking.
He lays still all night, I toss and turn.
He likes to relax, my mind never shuts down.
He likes things as they are, I never quit changing things.
He likes low-key, I like infinite details.
He lets things roll off his back, I super-analyze.
He accepts, I ask why.
He likes spicy, I like mild.
He can small-talk anyone, I like to observe only.
He is nonchalant, I am very independent.
 
So many opposite traits, yet we get along very well. 

Why is that? 

When we do think alike, it is about our core beliefs. It is about our children and our families. It's about what we expect out of each other and what we do for each other.
It's about our fundamental religious beliefs. It's about our life together. 


We decided many, many years ago that not only is it good to be opposite, it is necessary. But when push comes to shove, we know we have each other. We know true love. I know he would do absolutely anything for me, and he knows I would go to the end of the world for him. 


The opposite traits make us who we are. The opposite traits work to make us separate individuals in a complete union.


My favorite marriage quote was penned by Ruth Graham, wife of Billy Graham.  She said, "If two people in a marriage are exactly the same, then one of them isn't needed."


Don't you love that? 

So today, on the day that started it, all those years ago, I send "Happy Anniversary" wishes to my one. true. love!







 

Wedding Dishes on Wedding Anniversary!

I have not done a Tablescape since Father's Day.  I had big plans for my elaborate tablescapes all summer.  I even had them written out on what I would do each week.  Didn't happen.

But now that I am back at school and my time is limited, I decided to drag out the dishes! Go figure! What is up with that?

The dishes I dragged out weren't just any 'ole dishes.  They were dishes I got for my wedding.  In fact every single item on the table I received as a wedding present.

 Every napkin, placemat, silverware, dishes, candlesticks, napkin ring....everything you see was a wedding present.....32 years ago today (August 19th). 

 So I decided to drag it all out, to honor the day!

 I have absolutely every single piece they made to these dishes.  We've broken a couple of big plates and a bowl through the years, but for the most part, everything is in tact. I noticed the silverware was the one item where I had the most missing pieces. (Imagine that with 5 kids!!!)

 This is not fine china, just my every day dishes. I looked it up on Ebay and I found that there is quite an assortment of replacement pieces.

 We do not use this very often. My kids think it is because it is outdated. Really, I just don't want to break any of it by using it all the time.

 I remember going to Dillard's in Tulsa to pick out a pattern. I liked this one because of the blue and yellow.  All these years later and I still love the colors blue and yellow.

 I was also given this set of placemats and matching napkins. The placemats are reversible and I used them all the time in the early years.

 A lot of the extra serving pieces are just the white with the blue rim. I picked them out over the serving pieces that had the yellow poppy on them. I did that so I could mix and match them with other dish sets I had.  How funny that I was doing that long before it was so popular to do on Blogland!

I included the blue glass goblet and fruit compote that were also wedding presents as well as lots of candlesticks that were presents.

Believe it or not, I have 12 place settings of all these dishes. And, I did not even get the whole place setting out! I only got out the big plate and big bowl.

 Despite the dated look of the dishes, I prefer to call them 'vintage'!  

It was fun to drag it all out and put it together like the 'old days'. 

And, it gave me a great excuse to jump back into the Tablescape bandwagon.

As always, I have linked this to Susan and everyone that joins in the wonderful tablescapes.
I think we'll just use ours to celebrate now that it is all out!

Bookworm Buddy's Birthday

Admittedly, (we) English teachers are an odd bunch. We get goosebumps at the thought of spending a day in a bookstore.

We can read the same book every single year we teach it and discover new ideas each time.

We listen to music for the lyrics and speeches for the alliteration.
We read essays on end and grade papers with gusto.

We give each other a sly secret smirk when we hear a boss make a grammatical error!

Our hands only feel 'normal' when we have a book in them.

We love words. We love books. We love classics. We love the language. We can get lost in our own little world of literature.

 So when you find someone that is not only a fellow English teacher, but also becomes a very best friend, you realize how lucky you are.  
I am lucky because of my friend Rita.  We may live hundreds of miles apart now, but that has not slowed the hundreds of words we share with each other every single week. 
Talking to, or writing to Rita is like communicating with my inner self. We have the same thoughts, the same (sarcastic!) outlook on things, and the same insatiable appetite for all things written.
Our real dream is to one day open a quaint little bookstore....WITH a small bakery inside.  That would satisfy our appetites, for both books and sweets!

Rita, is this the perfect name for a bookstore or what? I wonder how many people 'get' it?

Until then we keep dreaming. And writing. And reading. And sharing.
Happy Birthday Rita! I hope you got lots of good books for your birthday!!

Here's The Scoop........

My daughter Taylor bought me the cutest gift. She found it at IKEA in Dallas. (That is our closest store, although we hear rumors they want to build one in OKC!)

 This is the heaviest little thing! And I guess it is really not that little.  It is a wooden case with five heavy-duty glass scoop/drawers.

Taylor thought it was just a really cute organizer thingymajig. But once I opened the box and got it all out, I found out that this is really supposed to screw up under the bottom of a kitchen cabinet.

 I chose to just keep it as is, and it sits on the shelf of my old pie safe.  At some point, I will paint the natural wood cabinet part, but for right now, it looks cute as is.

What I really love about it is that Taylor saw it and just imagined it would be something I would love and utilize.  She imagined it as something that it was not meant to be and it turned out so cute doing exactly that.

Each little scoop holds toppings for cupcakes.  SO handy when I am making something good to eat!

Living the Fruits of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

 

I have a very good friend back in Kansas that has been diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumor.  I wrote about her a few weeks ago.
She is not only a teacher during the school year, but she has run the aquatic park in town for years and years.  She is in the position where each and every day she can touch people's lives.
And she has. And she continues to.

I can say, in all honesty, that Susie is the kindest person I have ever met. She is kind to everyone. She is not "fake" kind, but truly, genuinely kind to every single person that she sees each and every day.

I have thought of this often during the past six weeks since Susie's diagnosis.  Her doctor told her from the beginning that the most important tool one needs in fighting this type of brain tumor is attitude.  Even the doctor said, after just meeting her,  that Susie was off the chart in having a positive attitude about life. 
When I first heard that news about Susie's illness I just kept thinking over and over and over, "Why of all people would this happen to Susie? She is the kindest, nicest person on earth!!"

 Because I am weak, I let that thought enter and take root. But each and every time God has answered back. In fact he has shown how he continues to work in Susie's life.  Because Susie is so sincerely nice, to everyone, well everyone have responded to Susie. People that normally would not do or say kind things are suddenly taking the time to pray for Susie. They are asking what they can do for Susie. They are helping out others. 

 Susie's former students are reaching out. The scores of teenagers Susie has employed for years at the pool are reaching out to help others. The families of all the students and pool workers are reaching out to help others.  Susie's undiscriminating kindness to all is being paid forward over and over and over. God continues to work through Susie each and every day.

If ever there were a person that truly exemplifies the Fruits of the Spirit is it my friend Susie.  
Next weekend my husband and I and all our children are making the trek back to northern Kansas to help put on a benefit for Susie. 
I hauled out my box of old metal letters and decided to write out the Fruits of the Spirit for a photo collage. We are all taking something to donate to the raffle.  This is part of my contribution.  I am making a collage of the Fruits of the Spirit, because not only does it represent and exemplify Susie so well, but it is a reminder to me of how I need to treat people.  
So, not only am I going to make a poster to donate, I plan on making one to keep in my own home.  Then, when I see it, not only will I think of Susie and smile, but it will be a reminder to me of how I can best honor Susie........To treat others---and not just talk about it--- with the Fruits of the Spirit! 
Like I said, God is working even more in Susie's life than he was six weeks ago! 
Now I am off to photograph patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. 
I have linked with Tracey for Weekly Words to Live By.  If you would like to see how many people love and pray for Susie each day, you can go here: Praying for Susie