Handmade Wooden Playground Toys, Library Fun, SPCA Volunteer Work and More - The Walnut Acre Daily November 21, 2013

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

OUT AND ABOUT

Today has been very much of an out and about kind of day.

Normally Friday is our day to run errands and maybe visit local places of interest but this week we switched it up a little. A friend needed a ride to Verona today for an appointment and she also needed to go to the library so we decided to just do our other errands while we were out anyway. So beside the library we made stops at the gas station, the pharmacy and Walmart. 

The library is one of my favorite places. I love the rows and rows of books, so much information, so many adventures, so many things to see in all those volumes. Michael's favorite part is the self check out desk. He loves to center the bar code under the scanner and hear it chime. And we always visit the big dinosaur in the children's section - sometimes Christopher roars at it. Madalynn and Austin usually head straight for the computers. 

While our friend was at her appointment we decided to go for a little ride rather just sit in the parking lot and wait. So we headed down some back roads in the Verona area. Amanda and I love to point out the scenery that we like. We have totally different ideas on what is photo worthy. While I'm saying "Oh look at that beautiful house, farm, view of the mountains" she saying "Oh trees, look at the patterns all the bare branches make against the sky." So I made two different collages of the photos taken. The first one is what I liked and the second one is what Amanda liked. 

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This evening I took Amanda to volunteer at the SPCA. Most of her time she spent with Bailey and Rosie, two of her favorite dogs. They were excited to be outside and are a lot stronger than they look. But Amanda loved every minute of it. She also visited some of the little puppies and gave them treats. 

Michael and Austin went to Grandpa's house this evening. After my hour in the prayer room at church I went to pick them up and found they had been busy helping Grandpa and everyone else in the shop. My dad makes these wooden playground toys to sell and they like to help or hang out in the shop. 

FURRY, FEATHERED AND FOUR FOOTED FRIENDS

Little Red, the guinea pig was happy to have some playtime and a clean cage today. She was not so happy about having her nails trimmed but I'm sure she feels better now that they've been done.

READING AROUND THE WEB

Effective Time Management

The Real Truth about 'Boring' Men --- and the Women who Live with Them: Redefining Boring

TODAY'S QUOTE

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used on to say "thank you?" ~ William A. Ward

Bacon Cheese Baked Potatoes, Musings on Moses and SPCA Volunteer Time - The Walnut Acre Daily Tuesday August 13, 2013

WORDS TO LIVE BY

But I am like an olive tree
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.

For what You have done I will always praise you
    in the presence of Your faithful people.
And I will hope in Your name,
    for Your name is good.

~ Psalm 52:8-9

WORKING, LEARNING AND PLAYING TOGETHER

It was rainy this morning so we played inside. The kids wanted to play memory so we played three games. 

Jase and Christopher are both a little young for playing Memory so they hung in the living room with Austin. 

This afternoon Amanda and I went to the SPCA again so she could work with the animals.

Here are Rosie and Bailey again. They expect her to give them some attention every week. 

And this is Short Stack, a sweet dog although a little shy. 

IN THE KITCHEN

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I cooked these potatoes, then scooped out the insides and mixed the potatoes with chive and onion cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cooked crumbled bacon, margarine, salt and pepper. I didn't use exact measurements but they turned out really, really good. We had these for dinner and I also put one in Doug's lunch for tomorrow. 

OTHER

ON MY MIND

I was listening to Exodus on BibleGateway while waiting for Michael to go to sleep and was hit by a thought. As I was listening to the story of Moses I realized that there were long stretches of time in his life that are not spoken of. There was the span of time from his adoption by the Egyptian princess to the time he was a young man and stopped the taskmaster who was beating an Isrealite. Then there was another long span of time between the time he fled Egypt and the time he was called by God from the burning bush. So, what was he doing all that time? The Bible doesn't tell us. I wonder if he ever wondered, as day followed day, if there was a purpose in his life. I wonder if Moses ever thought he was just another person, living out his days, having lost all his dreams. I wonder if just when he thought there was really no hope at all he looked up and saw a burning bush and realized that his life was really just beginning. 

I wonder . . . 

READING AROUND THE WEB

God Loveth a Cheerful Mother at Time Warp Wife

Where Does Unschooling Happen? A Look at Our Learning Spaces at Our School At Home

Flower Art using Old Book Pages at My Flower Journal

TODAY'S QUOTE

I always prefer to believe the best of everybody, it saves so much trouble. ~ Rudyard Kipling

~ Liking Here ~
Monday - CraftOManiac Monday Link Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesdays, Adorned From Above, Homemaking Link-Up, Fluster's Creative Muster, Encourage One Another Thursday - It's a Party, The HomeAcre Hop, Saturday - Your Great Idea

A Unique Hair Style, Lawnmower Repair, and SPCA Dogs - The Walnut Acre Daily Friday August 9, 2013

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

~ Luke 12:6-7

WORKING, LEARNING AND PLAYING TOGETHER

Today Doug finished the repairs on a lawnmower he's been working on. Michael has been supervising the whole process and today Austin even got in on the fun. 

I laughed while they were loading it because this is what I was hearing . . . 

"Push!"

"Harder, harder!"

"Not THAT hard!!!"

This afternoon I took Amanda to the SPCA to work with animals there.

First she spent some time with Rosie and Bailey. They've been together all there lives and share a kennel at the shelter. They are sweet dogs and Amanda tries to always spend at least a little time with them. 

Then she worked with Weego awhile. He is also seemed to be a very sweet natured dog. He's not really eating her hand here, he just getting a treat. Amanda worked awhile with him on give her a paw for a treat. She also brushed him.

Leah is a very shy dog but Amanda soon won her over. She loved the treats and being brushed as well. 

When we came home Doug was working in garage. He was telling me all about how good Michael was while we were gone. In fact, I think, he used the word "perfect." Then Michael walked out of the house with a funny look on his face and an even funnier look on his head. The little boy with "perfect" behavior had given himself a haircut!

There was nothing to do but finish the job so I gave him a haircut. And since was already in the haircutting mode, I gave Austin and Doug haircuts too. 

TODAY'S QUOTE

Don't find fault. Find a remedy. ~ Henry Ford