Show and Tell Friday and Prayer Request

I know this is Show and Tell Friday but after you look at my yard please read my previous post "Dalmation Hotline Prayer Request" for our prayer request for my husband Rick. I would love for everyone around the world to share conversations with me and enjoy each other's favorite things at Kelli's.


These are a type of violet I planted in my front flower bed this year.


These are on the same plant. My son got them for me for Mother's Day. The first roses were the orange ones. Then about a week ago, to my surprise, I saw beautiful red ones coming out on the other section of the bush.























These are our trees in the front yard. I like the fullness of the ivy around the base. Also, the Japanese Maple was a gift to my husband a few years ago. I just cut back some of the ivy around it to let it "breathe" some.











I have two hanging baskets on the front porch like this.




This is the ground cover underneath the porch.

And this is one of my lavendar plants that are starting to take off. Rick and I started them from seed. He bought them for me. Can't wait to seem them blooming.

Dalmation Hotline Prayer Request

Does anyone remember on "101 Dalmations" how the dogs passed the word along all over England to help find the stolen puppies? That humorous thought just entered my mind concerning a very NON humorous situation. I may seem weird but I think it is just that in a time like this the GRACE OF GOD is SO AMAZING!

We have a very serious prayer request. Rick, my husband, has a mass in his upper right lung. As of right now, he has an appointment with a pulmonary specialist who will do a biopsy. We are seeing if there is a Dr. in a larger city on our insurance who could get him in sooner. So pass the word along for PRAYER.

Rick and I know that God does all things for His purpose. We have been doing some serious praying for some serious situations to be moved on and know that God can use this to move mountains and turn people's hearts. We talked last night and Rick is ready to go to heaven if that is God's plan.

God is, will be and has been good in my life.

Friday Show & Tell Basket

Are you ready for a summer picnic or potluck? Do you need one of these?

My friend, Nancy, who is my daughter's mother-in-law, has one of these that I admired. Come to find out, a gentleman in our church makes these and other baskets. My daughter surprised me with this a couple of weeks ago when dropping by my office. It still needed to have a protecting finish on it. I work for a furniture manufacturer doing costing. I ask the finishing dept. supervisor how much it would cost me to have the finish put on. He said I never ask for anything so he would do it for free on his lunch hour. It turned out really nice.


It can be used to carry casseroles and picnic items. It is very good quality and very sturdy.



Can you believe it only cost $12?


Leave me a comment and see more at

Show and Tell Friday

Comment, stop in & share

Today I am sharing a dish I bought for $2 at an antique shop. When my daughter and I were spending time with Mom the last 2 weeks before she passed, we took a day and went to West Liberty, Ohio. It was a nice drive and we found a thrift shop my sister had told me about and visited other shops in this small town. One was an antique shop. Since I have good china with the "blue onion" design, other blue items catch my eye.
I couldn't resist the picture of the basket on this one. I display it on my kitchen table for now. The bottom says Charlotte Engraved from original drawings by J. Cuffs Designers. Reproduced in Royal Staffordshire Dinnerware, Burslem, England. Signed by Clarice Cliff. I don't know that any of that means anything. The dish is acutally much prettier than the picture shows. There are 3 small chips in it but that adds to its character.












We also visited my favorite candy shop, Marie's Candy. Mmmmmmmm.We made a few delicious purchases there. It has been in business for years in West Liberty. You can google it and make purchases on line and read about if you wish or stop in and take a tour in person, make some purchases and enjoy the atmosphere.

While you're here, check out my story on Monday, June 1. I think you'll like it. It has a new recipe there.

It's Still the Blood

We were able to fellowship with others in the Word and Prayer together last night. The lesson was on Leviticus 17. The main verse of the chapter is verse 11. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

(I still love the sound of the King James version although I am not opposed to reading other reliable revised ones.)

It was brought out how important the blood of Jesus is. We use the cross as a symbol of the death of Christ, but it was and is the blood that brings the atonement. From other comments and scriptures last night and looking up some more this morning, my spirit is renewed within me. Romans 5:9 says it for me this morning. "...being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

It is His blood that cleanses our sin, gives us strength each day to live right. When we take it for granted, we begin to live carelessly. I want to serve Him with my whole heart. I am thankful for the breath of fresh air that comes from His Word and His Spirit this morning. As Psalm 23 says "May His goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life" and all the day long.

Knowing God's Name

I read a quick devotion before coming to work. It brought out how important the names of God are because of what they mean. When Moses came to the Israelites with God's commandments, they asked Moses "What is God's name?" The meanings of names were very important to them. Names represented the character of a person.

In Psalm 9:10 "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." If we really "know His name", know who He is, what He stands for, know His character, what He can do, what His promises are to us. Then we will trust Him, because we know Him, His past help and future promises.

Psalm 91:14 "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name." God will set us on high because we know "Who" He is. We haven't just heard His name spoken or read it in our Bible, but we understand his character and have experienced it.

But oh how soon we can forget. I feel like I needed a jolt today. If I think about who God is, what He has done for me in the past, what He has promised to do for me in the future, then my "Trust Level" will rise.

New recipe

I talked to my brother today. He and mom shared a home and since she has passed he has been mastering his culinary skills in the kitchen. First, he removed everything from the counter and sanitized it, removing the stains, too. Then he used hot water to break up very hard brown sugar in a jar. He then began to view the cupboards to check out some of the ingredients there. I must share his recipe that he developed with just the ingredients he had on hand. He found several cake, brownie and pie crust mixes. He didn't want them to go to waste but he thought they might be maybe 3 years old. Here's his recipe:

He found a large, deep stainless steel baking pan. Next he opened all the boxes and dumped them in. Then he found 2 jars of maraschino cherries, 1 green and 1 red that looked a bit dated and some old walnuts. All went into the pan. I'm not sure if there were other ingredients because a cook can't share all his secrets. He mixed it and slid it into the oven. Not sure of the baking time. But voila!! Out came "something". He placed it outside on the back porch. In a few days, it is almost gone. Good stuff like that doesn't last long around his house.

If you see any fat squirrels or birds that look like these you'll know where they have been getting their grub.



(Pictures borrowed from the web)