The Glorious Pile

My prayers and tears go out to all affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut and the mall shooting in Oregon.   'The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.' -Psalm 34:18

So, many of you have heard about the new trend to start Black Friday sales a bit early, like, ON THANKSGIVING...?! And at one point, I thought maybe I'd go check out why everyone is so excited... But then I realized that I don't get to see my family and friends that often and that's so much more valuable to me than some heavily discounted gadget that I could probably live without. If that's what you decided to do, I'm not judging, I just know I don't have the energy or desire to fight crowds for more stuff, especially when I'm in a grateful mode. I'm so grateful for the things I have and have not. Thankful for this blog as a place to vent, dream, reminisce and share. Grateful for all of you too. Praying that you are enjoying all the best of the season, no matter what you do! Here's the Thanksgiving table that I set, using a $6 bouquet of flowers and some pumpkins, squash, cuties and apples from Trader Joes. I covered the table with brown but...

Source: instagram.com via glorious on Pinterest My apologies, I've been missing in action (no discredit to our fallen soldiers). Political season, a long awaited vacation and piles of paperwork have kept me from the simple enjoyment of home and blog.  As I prepare my nest for the cold weather season, I'm setting up shop to remember the pleasures of summer. Though my thermostat is will be set to low, a warm blanket and sunshine can transform me to any beach in an instant!  All I need is some quiet time, a cup of lemon ginger tea and my laptop to keep the summer breeze blowing. Happy November to You!

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Liza on Pinterest Hello little house,  it's been FIFTEEN years since I signed the papers, got the keys and opened your door for the first time. You were freshly painted and groomed. Sunlight streamed through your un-curtained windows and the first thing I did was put my grandmother's portrait up on the mantle. She had passed away earlier that year and when I found you I knew she would approve. I promptly pulled up your tattered green carpet that hadn't budged in 20 years. Your vinyl wallpaper, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths were so quaint and dainty that I almost wanted to leave everything in tact. I had never lived in a house so big in my adult life, certainly not by myself. You weren't my first property but certainly my first free standing house. When I sat down next to the fireplace I imagined what the previous owners were like and I wondered what you and I would be like years later.  Then the fear of being another h...

"Pursue some path,  however narrow and crooked,  in which you can walk with love and reverence."  ~Henry David Thoreau I'm also pursuing a path of fixing up the screen porch.  Since it's been neglected for a couple of years, it was covered in 2 layers of pollen and dust! Everything has been hosed down and I'm starting to cart things out there. Enjoyed breakfast and quiet time in the sunlight and an afternoon rain while mopping the floor. Here's a preview: Source: Uploaded by user via glorious on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via glorious on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via glorious on Pinterest                 Does anyone know what this type of flooring is called?

Look Familiar? Source: flickr.com via Yulia on Pinterest I really do love the 1930's English Tudor Revival Source: southernliving.com via glorious on Pinterest Source: flickr.com via glorious on Pinterest Source: talesfromcarmel.com via glorious on Pinterest Thinking of adding some curb appeal next year by doing a mortar wash to my brick like the one above... I'll show more examples soon...

Source: goodwill.org via glorious on Pinterest One Saturday, many weeks ago, I was experiencing a bad mood and decided that I needed some retail therapy. It happened that I only had $10 in my wallet, which turned out to be a good thing... Instead of traveling 40 minutes to the Ballard Designs outlet for expensively discounted non-refundable things that 'might' work,  I thought I might just save some gas and go to the Goodwill store around the corner. Once there, I headed back to the linens department in search of...I'm not quite sure, just something to get me out of a funky mood (I needed prayer but I was too grumpy). When low and behold, I stumbled upon a pair of gorgeous linen drapes with black polka dot trim! They were lined and even though I heavily doubted that they would be long enough, I reached into my purse to pull out my trusty travel tape measure and suddenly let out a squeal of delight!  Two ladies on the next isle looked at my treasure and sai...

I may have told you about the intense pain I have had in my hips.  It's halted most of my physical activity and I admit, I've been a little out of it! Well, I have osteoarthritis... I haven't had any traumatic injuries, don't have a family history of it and I'm still relatively young. But my doctor says that I'm showing signs of it in both of my hips and my lower back. The Orthopedic doctor said I have 3 choices: Continue on pain killers Get a cortisone shot in the joints Do full hip replacement surgery  :-( I decided that I wanted to get the cortisone shot in the hip IMMEDIATELY, but my insurance company slowed down the process and it took exactly one month and a ton of phone calls to make that happen. So, does that mean I'll be doing this any time soon? Well, besides the fact that I have to limit the amount of shots that I can get, there are some risks associated with them: Death of nearby bone (os...

Source: Uploaded by user via glorious on Pinterest Doubts And Faith August 12, 2012   —  by   Dennis Fisher Can a believer in Jesus who has occasional doubts about matters of faith ever be effective in serving the Lord? Some people think that mature and growing Christians never question their beliefs. But just as we have experiences that can build our faith, we can also have experiences that cause us to temporarily doubt. The disciple Thomas had initial doubts about reports of Jesus’ resurrection. He said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, . . . I will not believe” (John 20:25). Christ did not rebuke Thomas but showed him the evidence he asked for. Amazed at seeing the risen Savior, Thomas exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” (20:28). After this incident, the New Testament is silent about what happened to Thomas. A number of early church traditions, however, claim that Thomas went to India as a missionary. It is said that while there he...

Trying to clean up on this rainy summer weekend. I've allowed stress and illness push me to the edge and it's time to do a little healing and house cleaning. Recently I was in New Orleans and had a really good cup of cafe au lait. So I brought a can of it home with me. The beignets were good too, but I had to leave those! Source: Uploaded by user via glorious on Pinterest Source: dearinspirationblog.blogspot.com via glorious on Pinterest

Beasts of the Southern Wild:  Faced with her father's fading health and environmental changes that release an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy leaves her Delta-community home in search of her mother. http://www.beastsofthesouthernwild.com/ 1st time filmmaker and 1st time actress. Love little hidden gems like this. Can't wait to see it.

‎"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Source: outdoorsanctuaries.tumblr.com via glorious on Pinterest Summer Heatwave Survival Tips From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot. Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar — these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps. Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area. ...

I'm not trying to rush the month of June, but I do love the 4th of July! I'm so excited about it that I've started carting out my red wagon,  white lights and blue bottles from storage. Tonight, as I sat on the back porch and counted fireflies by candlelight,  I thought about building a fire pit in the backyard.  Realistically, I might not get that done by the holiday! old glory by candlelight my old wagon that was holding lawn supplies and parked under some junk in the garage. my $11 chairs from Target would all sit great out here in the yard because I think I want to build the fire pit  HERE: far enough away from the deck and the house so I don't cause any problems! Source: flickr.com via glorious on Pinterest Source: landscapingnetwork.com via glorious on Pinterest Source: csl.typepad.com via glorious on Pinterest Source: google.com via glorious ...