Strength

Since the death of my daughter 4 months ago, I have often turned to a book entitled For Times of Trouble, Spiritual Solace from the Psalms by Jeffrey R. Holland. The poetic words from the Psalmist brings comfort and solace to my grieving heart.

Page twenty... Psalm 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

Jeffrey R. Holland adds to the Psalmist's plea...

Quite regularly in life we all have the personal, even painful need for relief from some kind of despair. We all cry out to our Father in Heaven, "Hear my prayer."

If that relief is not as immediately forthcoming as we would like, we must remember that in those times of distress, God "enlarges" us, makes us grow, makes us stretch, requires more of us than we are wanting (or sometimes willing) to require of ourselves. Our purpose in life is to grow in godly ways, to be enlarged in such virtues as faith, hope, and charity, patience, perseverance  and strength. If that growth must come through sorrow or distress or grief, then so be it. It will be all right in the end. 

I highly recommend this book to those who have need for comfort, guidance, and solace in their times of trouble. A large percentage of the psalms that appear in the Bible were written for just such times of trial and trouble. Jeffrey R. Holland states that "from petitions for relief to acknowledgments of God's power, from pleas to praise, these psalms provide comfort, perspective, and spiritual solace when we are going through our own trials." He explores dozens of scriptural passages from the psalms, offering personal ideas and insights and sharing his testimony that "no matter what the trouble and trial of the day may be, we start and finish with the eternal truth that Go is for us."  His reflections on the psalms provide a powerful witness of that comforting truth.

Waking up to...

I never set my alarm clock. An empty nester has its benefits! I am also a farmer, or rather, a farmer's wife.  I wake up with the sun. Even though I don't get up to do the work in the orchard (I leave that to the expert.. farmer D), I enjoy lying in bed listening to the sounds of early morning life on the farm. I get up when I feel like it!

I love this time of year. The weather is perfect. Late Spring, before the heat of Summer, allows us to open up the windows in the house. The sounds, sights, feel, and smells of quiet country mornings conger up several emotions... peace, freedom, joy, contentment, security, gratitude. They also trigger pleasant and happy memories of days gone by. Days of my youth.

There's nothing better or exhilarating than to feel the cool gentle breeze of the morning air, smell the fresh turned dirt in the orchard and garden, hear the first sounds of country life, and see the sun rise from behind the Wasatch Mountains and watch as it slowly filters in through the East windows of my sitting room. 

The first thing I heard this morning... the start of the the diesel engine and hum of the tractor. Farmer D got up early to cultivate in between the rows of trees. He loves a well groomed, weed free orchard. I love the sound of the tractor at work. There's just something comforting in the sound.. maybe it's like the humming, vibrating sound of a vacuum cleaner to the baby sleeping in her crib.

This morning as the sun made its way over the peak of the large and looming Wasatch Mountains, birds began their early morning chatter. Every now and again, I got a glimpse of one flying by the open window, with an image in my mind, of a worm in its beak. Babies in the nest anxiously awaiting a morning meal. 

Fresh dirt... soil, is one of the best smells I have ever smelled. As the tings of the tractor tilled up the earth, the smell filtered though the air. It easily reached the second story window in my bedroom... bringing a fresh, slightly musty scent from watering. Its odd to describe a clean dirt smell, but it awakened my sense of smell it the most delightful way. Weird, I know! But those who love the feel and smell of soil and enjoy combing their fingers through it with bare hands, while planting flowers or vegetables, will totally understand my love of dirt! 

My master bedroom is an oasis... anyway, to me. The sitting room is an extension of the bedroom. An early 1900's sofa, recovered and that I absolutely love, sits at the far end of the room. The sitting room is the very first thing I see in the morning after I look at the time. I love the long room, the space, the cozy beautiful feel. It makes me happy to see that spot first thing in the morning. The soft purple colors on the walls and in the pillows, the textured white sofa, the vintage paining on the wall, and plants on either side, make the space look and feel elegant, yet earthy. It's an inviting and enjoyable part of my master suite. The sofa sits in between two East facing windows. The sun takes awhile making its way over the peak of the mountain, but when it does, it makes a spectacular entrance in through the windows. This morning the sun's rays shone through the blinds and on the bright green leaves of the plant sitting on the end table, making them appear more vibrant than ever. With my senses aroused and my spirit renewed, I was ready to greet the morning with sunshine in my soul! 

Mornings.. Time to listen, see, smell

Sitting room

sun shine through the East window

Farmer D cultivating the orchard

Writing prompt #5: Write down the first sight, sound, smell, and sensation you experienced on waking up today. Pick the one you're most drawn to.

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I Love my Library

I have several favorite rooms in my house, but the Library is unique. I'll show you around so you can see its character for yourself.

When we were designing the house, I knew I wanted a library. I have always loved books and sentimental things, and I knew this room would fill that need. The Library is located directly left of the front entry. The French doors allow plenty of light to shine through its panes of glass and has a warm welcoming effect. The Library is where guests are invited to sit and visit.  

I designed the room around an early 1900's chandelier. I love to thrift shop and found this treasure unexpectedly a year before we started building the new house. The story...

I was at the State Surplus Warehouse looking for a vehicle when I noticed a sign that said "half off sale inside". I couldn't resist and went in for a look. I opened the double doors and saw the most beautiful patina chandelier I had ever seen sitting on a table surrounded by.... what?  JUNK! Sure, it had some dangling metal parts, electrical wires exposed, and a crack in one of the glass shades, but I know a good find when I see it. Besides that, it had character! I couldn't get over to it fast enough. It was if it were speaking, begging me..."hurry, hurry, come and get me!" I scooped the tag off of it as quickly as I could so it would be mine... and mine alone! I could not believe that someone else had not scooped it up long before I got there. What was wrong with them! My heart was racing. The price... $25.00. I knew I found a treasure... but it gets better than that!  I paid for the chandelier and a gentleman picked it up and followed me out to the car with it.

He said, "do you want me to tell you the story behind this chandelier." 

"Yes, please do". I said, trying to contain my excitement.

"It came from the Carriage House behind the Governor's Mansion when they were remodeling it."

"Oh, Really!!!", trying my best to keep from jumping up and down and clapping my hands!  

So... now I have a piece of State history hanging in my Library, and I love, love, love it!

The upper walls of the Library are painted a soft sea green/blue to match the chandelier. The furniture was hand picked from a very LARGE furniture manufacturing company in North Carolina, while we vacationed on the East Coast. Eight months later, after the house was built, our long awaited furniture was delivered to us in the West. A sofa, an armchair, and two slipper chairs. Perfect for the Library!

I love beautiful pictures. I have one of Christ on an easel and a couple of sentimental pictures (LDS temple and George Washington at Valley Forge) hanging on the walls. The round rug is pure silk, hand made from Afghanistan. The teal and red colors complement the surrounding colors in the room. The dark hardwood floor is a lovely contrast to the soft, billowy hues of the furniture and walls. The Plantation Shutters are the perfect window dressing in my Library. 

I'm not afraid to mix and match old with new. In fact, I like it that way.The coffee and lamp tables were purchased for $30.00 (set) from a painted furniture thrift store. I love them. The beautiful plate from Nauvoo, Ill, on the coffee table, was given to me by my mother. Large picture books are usually on the table for looking at and easy reading.

A rolling ladder was a must when designing the bookcase. The bookcase is built in and reaches from floor to ceiling (10 ft. tall). I have since added many more books and am in the process of moving the displayed treasures to another display cabinet in the house.

I am so sentimental and love things that remind me of home. In my Library, I am surrounded by treasures past and treasures from around the world. 

A couple of my children took pottery classes in Junior High and High School. They are my absolute favorites. They were made with great effort and love. 

The roller rack, a replica of the one I grew up with, has a special place and the grand kids know just where to get it! 

The rocking horse has been in the family for generations. It was made by my grandfather and given to my brother in the mid 1950's. 

My mother has always loved cardinals. I purchased some to remind me of her. They sit on a work bench my dad used for years. I sat on that bench many times growing up. I left it just the way it was. I love it! 

The drumsticks are mine. I played drums in the band in school. The other musical instruments are from Iraq, as well as the oil lamps. 

The flag, bullet box, and certificate are from my dad's funeral. I feel so honored to have them. He served in the Korean War with valor. 

There are many other treasures... water from the River Jordan where Christ was baptized, wooden shoes from Holland, a music box from my mother in law, a porcelain LDS temple made by my grandmother, round wooden boxes that hubby made at wood working class in school (1960's), and other collectibles from around the world and from ancestors. 

I have purchased many books, but the ones I have pictured above have added meaning. 

Starting on the left - after my mother passed away and we kids were going through the books, I found one that I had given to my father as a very young child (1960). It was signed "to daddy, from Carol", by mother of course. 

I grew up on Reader's Digest. I often took one of the books off our bookshelf and read a story or two out of it. 

The small photo on the left, just above the Reader's Digest books are all horse books I had as a child. My dad gave me them to me a couple of years before he passed away. I was pleasantly surprised by his generous offer. 

The books just to the right of them, contain one book I am very proud of. The second from the bottom is my Master's "project" Book. Instead of doing a thesis, I did a project that was directly related to my field of study. Looking at and reading my book brings back many happy memories of college.

The books on the upper right hand side are from my mother's library. She loved reading Historical Fiction... and I am loving it, too. 

The books just below them are a set of Childcraft books that hubby (1) and I purchased in 1976, a year after we got married. The kids grew up on them and often pick them back up to browse through when they visit. Books... they connect generations in a very special way. My favorite books as a child were Childcraft, as well. Especially book 1 - Poems, and book 2 - Children's Classic Stories and Fairy Tales.

I love my Willow Tree angels. A daughter gives me one on occasion. This delicate angel sits on top of a stack of old church books and scriptures. The scriptures, or Standard Works, are the most read books in my Library. 

The books in the bottom right hand corner are personal history books written by my dad and great grandmother. Their stories are full of adventure and color. They are my favorite books to read! I have been inspired to write my own personal history because of them.

Many other books sit in my bookshelf... inspirational, doctrinal, bibliographies, dad's college books, books from mother's collection, hubby's collection of ancestry, college, and military books, fiction, Christmas books, idea books, childrens' books, picture books, and so on. Too many to list. I know the world has moved on to electronic reading... but for me.. BOOKS I can see, BOOKS I can hold, BOOKS I can smell, BOOKS that have been passed down through the generations, BOOKS that were written personally by my ancestors, is the only way for me! I may add, move, re-arrange, but I'll never outgrow the love for my Library.

One of my greatest joys is watching a grandchild disappear into the Library and pick up a classic book, or even a picture book, sit in the arm chair, and read. Especially when they think no one is looking! It makes my heart so happy! 

I have pictures displayed around my Library. My favorite one is of my children. My sweet daughter, Shaniel, second from the left, is no longer with us. She tragically passed away a few months ago. But having the picture with all five kids in it brings me great comfort in knowing our family is complete... we're tied together in both life and death. A picture of the LDS Manti Temple hangs above the picture and reminds me daily that families are eternal. I wanted to create a beautiful, quiet, peaceful space in my house where I could read scriptures, ponder, and reflect on the important things in life. My family. My Library provides that. I love my Library! 

Writing prompt #2: Give us a tour of a room in your house you love.