Plans...

Within my House
by Fay Inchfawn

First, there's the entrance, narrow,
and so small,
The hat-stand seems to fill the tiny hall;
That staircase, too, has such an awkward
bend,
The carpet rucks, and rises up on end!
Then, all the rooms are cramped and close
together;
And there's a musty smell in rainy weather.

Yes, and it makes the daily work go hard
To have the only tap across a yard.
These creaking doors, these draughts, this
battered paint,
Would try, I think, the temper of a saint,

How often had I railed against these
things,
With envies, and with bitter murmurings
For spacious rooms, and sunny garden
plots!
Until one day,
Washing the breakfast dishes, so I think,
I paused a moment in my work to pray;
And then and there
All life seemed suddenly made new and
fair;
For, like the Psalmist's dove among the
pots
(Those endless pots, that filled the tiny
sink!),
My spirit found her wings.

"Lord" (thus I prayed), "it matters not
at all
That my poor home is ill-arranged and
small:
I, not the house, am straitened; Lord,
'tis I!
Enlarge my foolish heart, that by-and-by
I may look up with such a radiant face
Thou shalt have glory even in this place.
And when I trip, or stumble unawares
In carrying water up these awkward stairs,
Then keep me sweet, and teach me day
by day
To tread with patience Thy appointed
way.
As for the house . . . . Lord, let it be
my part
To walk within it with a perfect heart."





The sun shone today and that just makes all the difference-doesn't it? I need the sun's rays as often as possible to make it through the long winter. The gray really gets to me after awhile. It is such a blessing to have the warmth and light streaming through the windows and brightening up the dark rooms. It gives me energy and zest!

I have decided to paint my dining room and kitchen a pale gray. The current color has served its purpose and now I need something a bit calmer. The light plays with this new color and looks gray at times and also a very nice light blue. I will still be accessorizing with the other colors I love: turquoise, red, bright pink, apple green and white (and really any other color that fits). I got the paint chip from a trip to Wal-mart-KILZ Casual Colors-called "City Gray". I took it the next day to Home Depot and had it matched and brought home a quart to try it out on the wall and to see if I liked it. Lydia picked it out of all the samples I brought home and I must say she picked a good one. I really like it. So, this weekend I will be painting my dining room. I know it's not the best color for an eating area...but it's the one we like. I'll share photos later.

I always intended to make a booklet up from a blank sketch pad with the paint and cloth samples for my different rooms so when I went to a store I'd have something with me to match colors and cloth and wouldn't have to guess if the item will match. I have decided to purchase the blank book and get that going this weekend too. I don't have a lot to put in it right now, but there are a few things to start with. When I'm done with the dining room, I need to paint my hallway and then all the white woodwork in the house needs to be freshened up . This will take a bit of time, but I will try to get it done before things are ready for the freezer this spring. I want to make one for my garden this year too so I can better plan ahead for the next year's-it's getting too big to remember everything now. We shall see...we make plans but things happen!



I thought I'd share my cabinet full of glassy memorabilia and thrifty finds today. I got the cabinet from an old house I cleaned out for a real estate client. The items in it are from thrifting and living family member's hand-me-downs or family members who have passed away. Every time I look at the cabinet I think of different people whom I love and those I miss. Oh yes, there's Helena's happy, little snowman standing guard over it all! If you click on the photo it should enlarge and give you a better view.

I didn't forget about my apron give away, it's just-obviously postponed. Perhaps I'll get to work on it after I get finished painting. I am also working on an old novel to put into a PDF file for your reading enjoyment. Not an original work, just something I read once that I enjoyed. I passed the book along to a couple of friends and they enjoyed it and so I'm typing it into a PDF file to share. It will take a bit longer and I'll get a link on here (I have to figure it out of course). It is an old story written in the 1800's. It is a novel and it's just a sweet story. But I don't want to "spill the beans" yet. I am also coming along with my images for my sewing book for Moms and their daughters. Actually, I'm working on a few things and I need to finish the ones I've started so I can get them out here to you. The sewing book would also help someone trying to learn how to sew and stitch. You will see. It's a very old book that I'm revamping.

I'd like to post some things I am thankful for now-it's been awhile since I've updated my One Thousand Gifts list:

#16: the ability to work
#17: streams of sunshine to bask in
#18: friends found on blogs
#19: the privilege of learning about You, Lord through life's lessons
#20: artistic talents
#21: my own washing machine in which to do my laundry
#22: flylady.org
#23: spending time with Lydia
#24: beautiful music
#25: the joy of simplifying life-one decluttering spree at a time
#26: the peace of a balanced checkbook
#27: the days free of pain
#28: lunar eclipses to share with my children
#29: plans brought to fulfillment
#30: homeschool




May the Lord bless you as you tend to the daily tasks and as you tend to the inner house-the inner man. May He fill your inner spirit with the fruit of His Holy Spirit, that your inner man may be straightened-not straitened. Oh yes Lord, let us not be so narrow-minded that we focus on the external only-but that we are fixed on things above-on You, O Lord, on You. Amen

Oh Friends, there is no blessing like the blessings of Home-Sweet Things.
xoxo