Leap Year Day #5 {20 years}

 

 

Leap Year Day of 1992 was a very special day.  It was a Saturday morning when the phone rang…

Twenty years. 

Twenty years ago, I’d made a very casual and distant acquaintance with Tim at church.  I didn’t approach him to speak ever, nor do I recall him approaching me.  Ever.  We did talk to each other when we acted as judges for the married couples’ games after the church’s Valentine’s dinner.   We were the only non-couple adults in attendance.  And while it was fun {when I wasn’t being intimidated by his brother}, it wasn’t the beginnings of any romance.  And I knew better than to hope.

I had no hopes of a relationship with Tim for reasons I’ll not detail ~ except to say I knew he’d heard discouraging things from another man I’d previously dated.  Being the only single woman in a small church with three bachelor members… I had no reason to think any of them were my Mr. Right.

I remember towards the end of the February, praying again that God would continue to work in my heart and life to make me worthy to be the wife of some godly man somewhere.  And to help me to be content to wait. 

And since I have no clue where he’s at,  Lord, You will have to bring him into my life somehow.  Please?

Something else I didn’t know was that Tim had asked our pastor’s opinion of me.  And that Pastor R. had encouraged Tim to date me ~ if he was looking to get married.   Tim was 27 years old and had recently completed his service to the US Navy, but he was not looking for a wife.  Or so he thought.

February 29.  Saturday morning, I was very surprised to find Tim on the phone.  Calling me.  For a date.  Tonight.  {I remember thinking, If you make me wait a whole week until next Saturday, I’ll go crazy!  ha ha  So much for praying for patience.}

So it was that Tim took me out to dinner on Saturday, February 29, 1992, to a great Italian restaurant in Madison near the UW campus ~ Lombardino’s.  On the wall it said, “A meal without wine is like a man without a wife.”  I didn’t point it out to Tim.

We had a great time {Tim seemed to agree} talking, talking, talking.  We sat in his car for a long time still talking.  Which he concluded by telling me he wasn’t looking to get married.  He was thinking about joining a singles’ group at another church, hoping I’d come with him to some of their activities.  If I saw something I wanted to do together, I should let him know.

We met again for a political meeting, saw each other at church.  His dad passed away in April, so I attended the funeral with another woman from our church.  We signed up for a singles’ retreat at a camp where the director asked us to consider the difference between dating and courting.  hmmm?  We were still operating at the friendship level it seemed.  At some point he began to offer me ride if he saw me walking home from church.  Which of course provided more opportunity for conversation.

In May we went out for pizza a couple times and attended an evangelistic meeting at another church.  He still gave me rides home from church with good conversations.

In June I went home to Iowa for a couple weeks.  Tim called once to check on me.  I told my folks I’d found a “keeper.”

In July we shifted gears.  We were out with friends July 3rd most of the night.  Then Tim took me to the church picnic on the 4th.  Our first public appearance at a church function together.  Which lasted through the evening’s fireworks at the park.  Sunday we had dinner with friends newly aware of our relationship.  Out for dinner, protests at an abortion clinic, Sunday afternoon walks, dinner at my apartment with friends, popcorn on my porch, and more.

{by the way, we never did find that singles’ group}

 

October ~ Learning teamwork:  baking a chocolate cake … without a recipe.

 

After agreeing to accompany me home to Iowa for another visit in August, Tim decided I should meet more of his family.  July 31 he took a flying leap down a stairway followed by a refrigerator.  That night I met his mom and sisters before we went bowling.    August 4th found us at Great America with the teens from church.  Riding roller coasters.  Sharing lunch.  Making wedding plans.  While we stood in line for a ride, Tim said, “What would your parents think if I met them one weekend and we got married the next?”  {“Be always sure you’re right, then go ahead,” says Davy Crockett ~ but we didn’t elope.}  The next day we went shopping for rings.  Marianne and I found for a dress for me and cloth for bridesmaids another day.  We met with Pastor W. for our first pre-marital counsel.  And soon we went home to Iowa.  After lunch Tim asked my folks for permission to marry me….

{insert picture of us with Marianne & David and Stacy & Matt in Iowa ~ Why oh why can’t I find it??}

Six months after Leap Year Day ~ Saturday, August 29, 1992 ~ Tim again took me to Lombardino’s in Madison.  And said, “Do I have to ask you again?” 

Another fast three months {and lots of ice cream at Marianne & David’s house}… and it was November 27 when we said our vows:

…until death parts us,

or until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Happy Leap Year Day!

dreaming of the simple life

 

or not so simple maybe.  But where everything has a time.  So it gets done. 

{sorta like a place for everything, and everything in its place}

 

 

If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. 

But here’s a wish list anyway.

Time for blogging.  Baby books by hand.  Photo books via digital online.

Planning for landscaping.  Ordering trees, shrubs, flowers.  Starting seeds for a vegetable garden.  Our own berry patch with fruit and nut trees.

Painting the bookshelves I started scraping in 2010.  Somewhere there’s a can of beautiful blue paint for them.  Sometime down the road, the walls will need painting again ~ then or sooner, I will think about a few accent walls.  Maybe.  I need a few other ducks in a row before my thoughts can go there.

Reading multiple chapters in my Bible daily.  Time spent in prayer.  Remembering those I need to pray for {including those who live in this house}.  Reading more profitable books beyond the fast food diet of vacation reads {such as Bonhoeffer or The Maker’s Diet or Sweet Journey Bible study and more}  Thinking.  Reading historical fiction aloud to my kiddos.

Sewing.  Fun stuff like flannel baby blankets.  Needed things like culottes or skirts for my girls.  Practical jobs like mending jeans for my boys and Tim.  {The bzillion pieces of my “grandma” quilt wait quietly.  Someday our school room or the boys’ bedroom might be a sewing room.  Then it might be time for that quilt.}  It’s good to have something in this list that is appointed to wait for a different season of life.

But in the meantime, I have a stack of school papers to check.  Checkbooks to balance.  Supper to cook.  E-mails to wait for that should contain important links.  A new-to-us treadmill to ignore get back on tomorrow.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Just to brighten this post ~ and show you I haven’t been in la-la land all month ~ and confirm that we mostly live to eat ~ here’s a few more snapshots of life here…

 

Kate made a cranberry tart with her birthday tart pan {actually she made it into part cranberry /raspberry /cherry}  Recipe from Smitten Kitchen I think.  The cherry was the best of course.  {Must have a cherry tree in the future orchard}

 

Tim treated us to his waffle dessert on a Sunday night…

      

      

 

Kate also made a raspberry chocolate cake that was delish {surprise}  but it would be best to chill it for a while before serving…

            

 

She also found a different recipe for potato soup…

 

{Are you wondering what I have been doing instead of cooking?}

I did bake some breakfast tea cake the other day.  Just no pictures.

Did I mention we bought a tread mill? 

{Can you guess why I need a tread mill?  and Kate needs to reserve her daily desserts for the restaurant?}

Yeah, that.

Tim finished the floor in the school room!  ta da!

Everything was (is) terribly dusty from the sander {on top of months of neglect}  I started with the ceiling fans/lights  in the kitchen, dining, living, and school rooms.  I cleaned shelves {thought about painting them while they were empty} and dusted every thing that had to go back on them.  etc, etc.  I had four microfiber dust rags going plus the vacuum.  I did have the Computer Geek clean his own desk, thank you.  And his beloved office chair was banished to the basement due to evidence of unwelcome marks on the plywood floor.  He was not overly happy with me that day. 

I’m thinking about buying some shelves at Target for the ‘closet’ area.  We aren’t using the vertical space very well in there right now.  And I could use that low green shelf elsewhere…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So Tim just has to finish the laminate in the front entry hall and put in the other threshold pieces.   And then it will be back to staining trim.  yee haw. 

{prepare to roll your eyes} In other headline-worthy news: I had an ironing marathon one day.   While I was doing laundry and little else.  I should have saved the entire season of Downtown Abbey to watch that day instead of just the last episode.  I suppose that might have been worthy of before/after photos.

And I dealt with the mending pile again.  No pictures.  It’s just too exciting for public record, ya know.  When I get Hanna & James’ new baby boy’s blanket stitched, that will call for the camera.

I am somewhat Monday-challenged. Do you know what I mean by that? I’ve long made it a habit to stay at home on Mondays. Then we met Miss Artist’s harp teacher who is only available on Mondays or Wednesdays. So the choice seemed obvious. But I’m still in training trying to remember I have someplace to go on Mondays.  And it’s more than just a few miles away.  I’m thinking that about the time I develop the habit, she’ll be able to drive herself solo.  {Yes, add a trip to the DOT for her DL to the List}  And then maybe I can manage a daybook/happy homemaker sort of weekly post again?  Maybe.

And there’s more on my List.  But it’s still a secret. 

Stay tuned, but please don’t hold your breath!

wordless wednesday {sorta}

 

The Popper’s rose was the last to go…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Popper says she loves science the best.  Writing a report means she has to read even more…

  Here it’s Animals Do the Strangest Things.

 

She also came home from piano last Friday with a new book of simple hymn arrangements ~ that she earned with her practice time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

valentine’s day

 

Tim bought me the last red rose at the local flower shop…

        

        

  

…and pink roses for the girls.  {Snickers ice cream bars for the boys.}

 

I wasn’t very motivated to make dessert on Tuesday until I checked facebook.  And read status after status about red velvet cake, etc.

I was guilted into decided on “Better than Perkins” Pie since I had a sweet crust in the freezer and Picket Fence cream in the fridge.  Then the Cowgirl insisted I add something red or pink {such as adding color to the whipped cream, but somehow that just didn’t appeal to me}  So I cooked up some frozen raspberries and added a layer of RED to the pie…

  

It was different ~ I think I would make a different vanilla layer next time I use fruit instead of candy bars.  I guess I’ll just have to keep at it until it’s “Better than Perkins” too!  : )

Kate was working Tuesday evening ~ the rest of them look a bit tired, doncha think?

Pepper steak on rice was the main dish ~ with a nice salad. 

 

Wednesday with the leftovers I cooked up the mushrooms for lunch ~

  

Tim, Kate & I enjoyed them ~ next time I’ll add more cheese/cream/butter/salt or something to come closer to the Applebee’s taste.

 

Kate was busy this week baking cookies for friends at work, church, and home…

  

  

I think Miss Artist helped with the decorating too… when she wasn’t doing school helping the Popper and the Cattleman…

Wednesday was also Crazy Hair Night at K4T

  

  

Note the green coated wire in the first pic  : )

I should have insisted we she spike the Cattleman’s hair instead…

               

…of one pathetic hair bob.  Oh well.  He’s goofy enough without crazy hair.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Guess who borrowed my camera today?

{to the tune of 76 photos of her rose}

And no, it wasn’t Miss Artist.

Happy Valentine’s Day {Week}

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:

continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;

even as I have kept my Father's commandments,

and abide in his love.

John 15:9-10

happy homemaker monday

 

 

The weather:::

The toolbar says 27F (-3C) ~ feels like 16F.  It’s snowing this morning!

 

On my reading pile:::
 
Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas, Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow

Bible ~ Proverbs and John

 

On my TV:::

nothing lately, except the usual heavy coat of dust  : )

We’ve moved the TV with the new arrangement in the living room.  Now we get less than not much for channels (via the black box).  So Tim spent some time looking at TVs when we were at Sam’s the other day.  I’m thinking we might be making the first television purchase of our married life in the near future!

 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  baked chicken taquitos {Kate is the cook}

Tuesday – pepper steak {the Cowgirl}

Wednesday – maid rites?

Thursday – spiral ham that I bought in December

Friday – Madison Co. Chicken {Miss Artist}

Saturday – pizza {the Popper}

Sunday – beef roast

Current leftovers ~ Mulligatawny Soup

Oh, and I bought a couple big portabellas to stuff with spinach {like Tim enjoyed at Applebee’s last week} … Now to find a recipe to guide me!  Oh, here’s one.

 

On my to do list:::

Check a small pile of school papers

Laundry!

Cleaning is a constant, but it’s even worse with current construction ~ Tim started in the school room with the laminate flooring this weekend, which is great but that means he’s also been sanding the high spots… So much extra dust and so many piles and piles and piles of books and stuff.

 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

A new couch!  ha ha 

But seriously, this looks so much better!

Um, no, I didn’t sew it  : )

 

In Homeschooling:::

The Cattleman still interrupts everyone else to hear a repeat of Mr. Howe’s humor.  If we get down to Pensacola, we have several people to find and meet in real life!

Miss Artist was delighted to find the supplemental CD for Apologia human anatomy ~ and proceeded to tell us about it at lunch today.  Something about a video of a cadaver? 

 

Looking around the house::: 

I should be vacuuming or dry-mopping.  And dusting. 

Or sitting on the couch reading Adam of the Road aloud to my younger kiddos.

 

From the camera:::

                Kids with their own cameras… 

taking pictures of this scene outside…

 

 

Something fun challenging to share:::

Conny posted this on facebook the other day ~

Sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right. We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks too much, but a patient heart that listens a lot.

 

On my prayer list:::

Bob W, nephew Austin, Mom F, Stef ~ all with health issues

 

Bible verse, Devotional:::

  In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence:

and his children shall have a place of refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

 

 

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