Ode to Allie

I was never much of a dog person... They smelled, they slobbered, they sniffed, they jumped, they shed hair, they rubbed their wet noses on me... They were just all-around disgusting creatures, and their many bad features outweighed their good features. Which were very few.

Then I met Allie...

And I discovered that I might just be a dog person. She's is such a sweetheart... She wears her emotions on her sleeve (common ground between the two of us). Every time I go to the basement to work out, she excitedly accompanies me... every time. When I cook or when we eat as a family, she sits nearby with a one-track-mind request for a tasty morsel. When she gets upset, she sneezes. When through a window she spots (or thinks she spots) a vermin who has had the audacity to venture onto our property, she barks and growls and runs ferociously from window to door to window, fervently whining to be let out. She's scared of the vacuum cleaner; when I use it, she cowers under the kitchen table. When Jeff comes home from work, she approaches and sits before him, nervous and shaking, waiting for his approving pat on her head and shake of her paw before she returns to napping. When she is trying to soften our hearts, she awkwardly proffers her paw, asking for a handshake (it works every time... with me, anyway). When she feels the need for attention (which is often), she'll rest her head on my lap, contentedly sighing, or nuzzle her head under my hand until she gets the rubs she wants.

She even watches TV with us. Here she is thinking about cashing in her gold...
And when something especially catches her interest, she'll stand up. (When there's any kind of animal on, she'll run around in circles and growl at the TV...)
Sometimes she sleeps on her back with her legs sprawled out...
And she looks ridiculously scrawny when she gets her hair cut!
Now, don't get me wrong... Sometimes she does things that make me want to throw her off the back deck! But honestly, it's so nice to have a ever-loving and lovable companion around the house. She's just an all-around special dog, and she brings a lot of joy to my day... an unexpected blessing in my life. :)

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Here you go, Kelli and Cheri and whoever else would like the soda bread recipe... :) It's so easy to make:

Mix 4 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 1/3 cups buttermilk. Make stiff dough.

Work with 1/3 of the dough at a time on floured surface. Knead briefly. Flatten to a circle 1/2 - 3/4" thick. Cut in fourths. Bake on a dry griddle on medium high. Turn once.

It's best when it's fresh and warm, cut in half and spread with jam. Mm mm. Enjoy!

Signs of Life & Irish Soda Bread

The first sign of spring in our house! A yellow pansy!! Woo hoo!
And in honor of St. Patrick, I made my very first batch of Irish soda bread today. Since Grandpa is Irish, we had soda bread lots when I was little... I especially remember having it as a Sunday afternoon or evening treat. It's really yummy with jam. Mmmmm.
So I enjoyed freshly made soda bread, some raspberry jam, and a cup of Irish tea in the sunroom as I read the first couple chapters of "I Will Give You the Rain" by Deana Marie Meyers. A friend from my home group gave this book to me, and I must say, so far I really like it. It's a collection of short chapters, each one a meditation on a particular verse - good for a daily devotion. (I was going to create a link to Amazon or somewhere, but I couldn't find it anywhere... I guess it's privately published.)
Hope spring finds you soon (if it hasn't already)... and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Blue Ridge Bible Church's Women's Retreat

I went on my church's women's retreat this past weekend... And let me tell you - this group of ladies is such a special one! I've known special ladies throughout my life - in Pennsylvania, Shanghai, and Lexington - and God in his faithfulness has provided a whole bunch more for me here. Truly. I am so thankful for them. You know that sweet and genuine fellowship between sisters in Christ, the honesty in sharing with each other our struggles and joys, the shared love for the Savior...? Love it! So glad to have found it here. :)

The theme of our retreat was "Ascend to Joyful Living" and focused on joy vs. depression, and how sin can play a significant role in whether we live our lives in joy or in depression. Bottom line: die to self. Take self off the throne of your heart. Christ is the only one who should be there. Tough stuff to swallow.... but vital if we are to please the Lord and live in true freedom.

Here is our guest speaker, Margaret Ashmore of Texas, complete with a true Texan accent, humor, gracious spirit, doctrinal integrity, and straight-shot declaration of the truth. No fluff here! Love her! She happens to be from Denton Bible Church (Tommy Nelson's church) and is a counselor.

Margaret is single and came to the Lord as an adult, was engaged once but lost her fiance to cancer before they got married, and then faced (and survived) breast cancer herself. Lots of real-life experiences, and good ability to identify with hurting people.
We got to enjoy a few fun skits... Here on the right is Heather who (under that crazy wig) happens to look a lot like me! We both have full and curly red hair. :) She is an encourager and a gracious speaker of the truth. I love her.
Another skit...
A little guess-who game I participated in...
Rocky Gap Resort in Cumberland, MD, is beautiful! The lake was frozen, and it was pretty cold out so I didn't spend any time outside. In the summer, though, there are trails and fun outdoorsy things to explore.
They had a full service restaurant downstairs (their crab cakes were delish) and this lovely, spacious lobby.
This is my new friend (I'm really eager to get to know her more), Terry, who shared her testimony. And... wow! If you were there and heard it too, tears would have been streaming down your face, just like the rest of us. What an amazing story of God's redeeming grace! She grew up in a Christian home, then made some unwise choices in her youth and soon found herself homeless in Philadelphia... but God never let go of her! Now, years later, she has a wonderful husband and three beautiful children. She is a trophy of the grace of God.
Here's the worship team. I couldn't play the guitar, because of my wrist surgery just prior to the retreat, but I did sing. Christy did a wonderful job in selecting the songs and in leading us.
A new friend, Anna (I think... but you know what, it could be her twin, Abby.... hmmm... you can tell I'm REALLY GOOD friends with them), and me - red curly locks and all. :)
Wish you could know them all!! Maybe in heaven. :)