Something Interesting I Found...

During our travels north, not just during this year's adventures, but over the last few years, I had noticed on barns and businesses these squares, resembling a quilt square. So I asked our friends and learned that a local quilter began this a few years ago. They didn't know a whole lot about it, and I just figured during future trips or when, or if we decide, to purchase some land we have been looking at, I would look into it further.

Then I get this message about Barn Quilts.

Facebook is really good about putting things on your newsfeed that correlates with your interest.

So I clicked on it.

It didn't provide me with what I wanted to know, it was a link to buy a subscription to a quilters magazine. It wouldn't let me click on any article without a subscription, so I closed that window, and opened a door, GOOGLE!

Heritage Barn Quilts | Beautiful Barn Quilts For Sale

heritagebarnquilts.com/

Beautiful hand painted barn quilts for sale. Bring a part of our history home with you to enjoy for many years. Customized barn quilts for sale.

So I clicked on it.

All I needed to know was on the first page. It's been a tradition since the mid-1800. Reading this...

...she suggested that a "sampler" of twenty quilt squares could be created along a driving trail that would invite visitors to travel through the countryside."

It was similar to what our friends had said, only it was about a different lady, the one who began the Quilt Trail. It also included doing something me and hubby have done for 43 years, a drive through the countryside!

I then GOOGLED Barn Quilt Trail and found a map.

There are two county's in Arizona with them. There are some in Maricopa County but no trail map has been formed. Since we travel through this area often, I will keep my eyes out for them. However, Apache County, there are almost 2 dozen with location information. Perfect since this is an area we are visiting this next year. Now we have something else to look out for as well.

In California, six counties have a quilt trail. All of them are in the area we love visiting. After all, that is where we began this journey 43 years ago.

I'm going to have to create a folder for all the ones we could possibly find along our journey. There are maps for most, and anywhere from a dozen or two in places like Loomis, Sierra Valley, Quincy, Placerville, Camino, Pollock Pines, to name a few. 

There are over 100 in Lake County alone!

Here are a few of the ones I captured during our last trip to Lake County...

I was actually taking a picture of my favorite word.
It just so happened a square was on the building behind it 

We are looking forward to finding many more on our annual visit up.

Five-Minute-Friday ~ 31 Day Challenge for October ~ Close

What has the Lord taught you or shown you through this exercise? 

I did it!

31 days done!

On the mark,

get set,

GO!

I am not surprised I was able to put something together every day!

After all, when I set my mind to something, I give it my all!

And boy, can my mind wander!

God does a great job of keeping me on the path whether I see it or not. As I wander, I am absorbing everything, engaging with strangers, even when they give me a look of, "Who are you? I don't know you." Just apologize and move on. Not everyone wants to believe He has a purpose. That someone you don't know can make a difference.

Sometimes it was about the prompt on how to write my story. 

Sometimes it had nothing to do with writing my story.

Sometimes I might have missed the point of the challenge completely!

But I can say that over these last 31 days, I was able to find the time to at least try, without worry as to how it came out. Trusting the Lord was helping me share whatever it was I needed to share. 

Honestly, the way my mind works or doesn't these days, make me self-conscious. I wonder, can they tell? 

Do some say, "How is she ever going to write a book with writing like this?"

Believe me, I question myself.

Then a prompt appears, and for some reason, it makes a light come on.

I let the timer continue to beep as I tried to finish that last thought, 

for the last time in this series. Stop! 

You see, God loves me just the way I am!

He knows the struggles, and knows I persevere on!

What I know is this is, this was to be raw, and free writing, no editing!

This series gave the child in me a voice. The teen in me see the doors He had put in place. Understanding that as a young adult I took chances and was inspired by the positive people and things that were in front of me. I did believe in myself, or I wouldn't be where I am or who I am. I know for a fact, none of this would have been possible without Him in me first. 

I had to learn how to love God first, then myself, then others. When I finally put Him at the top of the list, things started happening. What I have learned through this series, through the other Christian writers I have the pleasure of reading, is we all have Him in front of us. We all write to show others the work He has done in us, in order for us to share with others praying they can reach the same place. 

This blog has always been about our journey. Not always correctly punctuated or with proper grammar. But it's me, it's our journey, and we have enjoyed every step, stage, set-back, and every mile of it!  

Until my story goes to a publisher, and hopefully public, it will be the only thing edited by others who are better at this writing thing than me. When that ever happens, this blog will still be mine, with all its mistakes.

The new blog that has been under construction for almost 2 years will be about Him, and how He created me to tell my story! I will have someone else doing its editing, and promoting of my story. I've learned I am not going to be doing this alone.

Shesh, that is a scary concept but in a good way!

It will be there you'll learn more of a little girl who knew things weren't right because the Bible told her so!

Thank you, Kate, for your inspiration and challenge. I hope to participate again.

This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  

For more information on the challenge click here. 

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ October

Looking out my window...

...I see my yard is finally looking good again.

I know it looks a little brown but one day of irrigating will take care of that.

We hired a couple new guys to take care of it.

This time we didn't hire from the recovery pool.

I'm sad that we had to go another route.

There are so many that can't get a real job but need real income.

They have a past most employees shy away from.

For a good reason, but they can have a second chance at making a better life.

 We always got good men who worked hard.

A few have lasted a year or two until they finally got a real job.

One we even hired as a route driver for our business.

Until he had a relapse that is, sad face.

I really thought he was going to do it this time.

This time we hired a father and son team who was recommended by someone in our church.

They use them for their home and rental.

So far so good, actually GREAT!

They removed all the debris from Hurricane Rosa.

She wasn't supposed to arrive till Monday, October 1, but she showed up early.

Sunday about 1:00PM. it began to look like this...

 20 minutes later...

I am so thankful...

...to have these guys visiting.

Our son is doing some repairs for us.

The first plan was for him to cut up tree limbs.

Only to find, our chainsaw needs to be repaired.

Figures!

Second on the list was getting things cleaned out of the guest house.

It's time to turn it back into something we can use, instead of for storage.

He was able to remove and replace with sheetrock and siding two doors we don't need.

Two rooms are cleared out.

My job is to get what will be the living area, packed up.

I am thinking...

...how lucky I am to spend some great time with the kids.


I hoped...
...Sergio didn't bring the same damage as Rosa.
He did produce a small tornado out by YPG!

And he did dump a lot of water north and east of us.

All we got was the clouds moving by, and the sunset reflecting off them.

I am learning...
...that writing a book takes time.

I am surely not one of those writers who can whip a book out lickity split!
 I have been working on it for a while, and am learning I'm not the only one.
Some writers take years to produce a book, so I am right where I should be!

I created...

...another successful Boo Bash!
Our 10th Annual actually!
26 kids came, played, painted, and went home happy!
I love watching how many of them grown from year to year.
Some were babies that the first year.

I am wearing...
...my lularoes!
I love how comfy they are.
I don't have to go out shopping for them.
I watch the consultants videos and comment sold on the ones I like.
Then they show up at my house.

I was watching...
...the pest guy remove cobwebs outside before he starts spraying for bugs.
Once the hour was up, I let Kitty back out and was watching her explore more.
She learned how to get on the roof.
She reminds me of a toddler who learned something and
then repeated doing it over and over.

One of my favorite things...
...is this cat!

Since Tucker died, she has been missing him. So have I!
She used to terrorize him, though she thought she was just playing!

 I've been letting her outside in the mornings now that they are gorgeous!

Another favorite of mine is to do my devotions during this golden hour and capture moments from the morning.

In my kitchen...
...is the remnants of a party waiting to be put away for another year.

In my garden...
...we have it ready for the rock to go down.
I am almost positive this will stop the weed problem.
Once spread out, the planter boxes go on top.
No more bending over to garden which should make it easier.

Share a Quote


Some moments from October

 If you want to participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook,
click HERE and follow the steps she has made available.

Five-Minute-Friday ~ 31 Day Challenge for October ~ Voice

Timer set...go!

I can honestly say I have my own voice!

Maybe when I was younger, not knowing where I was heading, I tried to be like someone else, but as I learned, it didn't last long. Being in counseling for so many years, helped me see me, and others as who they are. As I journey through, there were and will be some still, who don't "get" me. And that is fine. Maybe I don't get them either!

At times, my writing seems to be just how I actually talk, and I hope that is how I am heard. One problem with having a thyroid problem is my voice is coarse, crackly or broken. It's hard to describe, but I do wish I could be more soft-spoken. My mom was like that. However, I also learned I can't be heard at all then, and I'm asked to repeat it. Sometimes, it's like this voice doesn't match my heart. So I tend to remain quiet the older I get. Maybe that is why I type like I am talking because the words don't come out my mouth or as well as they do in type. I don't have a delete or auto-correct software, to make sure it is proper. Sometimes I amaze myself that something came out completely different than how I was thinking it!

I see this book as my voice for what wasn't heard, for what was ignored and how a loving and forgiving God has kept me close. Now my voice is for Jesus, who kept walking beside me, making sure my journey would take me where needed. I'm still not the best voice He has, but He knows I am the best I can.

Wow, I got a couple more sentences in this time before the timer said to stop!

Day 30, leaving one more day of this challenge.

Being the next couple months will be rocking busy,
I hope I can post other stuff more often as we continue moving ahead. 
I hope you all check in from time to time to see what we have been up to.

Verse of the Day

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  

For more information on the challenge click here. 

Five-Minute-Friday ~ 31 Day Challenge for October ~ Together

What steps do you need to take today to pull your story together? 

As Kate winds down on her tips to telling our stories, 

each one has created a fire within me to continue

moving forward with this writing project.

Maybe a New Year is just what I need!

1,2,3, Go!

I still have many steps ahead of me. They are of varying sizes depending on which part I am working on. Until the desire to write my story came up along the journey, I had no idea what it took to write a book. I have read so much on the subject, and have done some writing challenges, but these last 29 days has helped me over some bridges that I was afraid to cross or knew there was a way across. Together with what I already had roughed out, I can see clearly where God want this to go. I'm excited again to bring this to fruition.

As excited as I am for that, there are still some roadblocks ahead that I must drive through first. None of which have anything to do with my writing, but will affect my ability to write. My hope is, together with what I learned these last weeks, and applying some of them during this unforeseen challenge ahead, I pray I don't get discouraged again. 

Together with God's direction, He will guide me along this journey, as He has all along, allowing the opportunity needed for this to come together for His glory!

And just like that the timer chimes, stop!

Now it's up to me to play around with what I have learned and apply it to what I have compiled already. Instead of deleting, I now can use what is there, letting God show me the way.

First I need to get my writing area uncluttered again, giving me space to expand my wings. God knows the plans we have made and has allowed me the ability to pursue them, even through some of the health issues we have been dealing with.

It's just another part of Our Journey Through LIFE!

This post is part of the 31-Day of Five Minute Free Writes challenge link-up.  

For more information on the challenge click here.