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Each morning I bring my requests to you

and wait expectantly. 

Psalm 5:3 (New Living Translation)

Mud Sale Guide

designed by our daughter Deb

She did a fabulous job of sales and design.

~~~

To locals:  She does the layout and design for Today and Tomorrow – but neither the magazine nor the selling of ads is her responsibility.

~~~

A few sample pages from the Mud Sale Guide (there are thirty-six).

Many of the advertisers are Amish businessmen.

Mud Sales are fundraisers for the local fire company.

 These will be available through the fire companies listed on the cover  – free.  If you would like one mailed to you, there will be a charge to cover the postage and handing.

~~~

Contact Deb via email (basicd@dejazzd.com) if you would like more information.

I do hope to attend one or two this year, so you may get to see a Mud Sale firsthand – through my photos.

 ~~~

The term Mud Sale was coined from the condition of the ground when the auctions are held.

Since the 1960s, Mud Sales have helped build fire houses, purchase equipment, and enable training for fire fighters, EMS units, and First Responders in rural Lancaster, Chester, and York Counties. Area townships, the Amish community, and local businesses support the sales with donated and consigned items, becoming a bargain hunter’s paradise.

Driving Home

Friday Night

It was a cold, beautiful night to drive home from our daughter’s house.

Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;

set your heart on a life of Understanding.

Proverbs 2:2 (The Message)

A Fun Evening

Jere and Kristen needed a bit of alone time on Thursday evening.  He had been in Florida (business trip) during the first part of the week – when the three little boys were recovering from pneumonia, (Jesse also had ear ache), and their friend’s (Jeff & Kris) young son died.  (Go to our friends: threejoys site to see memories of the funeral.  We attended the viewing/visitation on Friday afternoon, but could not attend the funeral.)

When Jere called about taking Kristen out for supper, I was glad that we were home, because I remember those kinds of weeks with young children – in the middle of winter.

Josh stayed home to work on a PowerPoint presentation for a school project.

Jesse and Jana

Jared and Jesse

Ian playing a game on the computer.

Jana was in a creative mood and wanted to design something with a paper cup.   I pulled out my ribbon and paper box, and told her where to find Scotch Tape. 

When I saw what she was doing, I gave her the flower that Lydia presented to me in Maine the other week.   This looks quite pretty in the children’s room.  Thanks girls.

Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

Philippians 2:15 (The Message)

Two Cats & a Dog

Tonight we delivered some items to our daughter, and picked up several of the new Mud Sale magazines she designed.  (I’ll post pictures over the weekend.) 

I had fun trying to take pictures of her two cats and a dog.

Snowy is the queen of the house – pretty, loving, and private – and the only female of the trio.

Harley (the youngest) is handsome and friendly.  I love those whiskers.  He has pretty eyes, but I could not get a picture with them open.

Mickey is the master/protector.  He also assumes the responsibility of notifying the entire household when a car has arrived in the driveway.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)

Our Thursday

A light dusting of snow created a beautiful landscape this morning.

The tire tracks of our van after Cerwin backed out of our drive this morning.

The branches of our bushes were beautifully decorated with snow.

I love to see tiny bird tracks in the snow.

The bare branches and sunrise made the morning look cold – and it was – but the temperatures will get much lower tonight.

We are expecting temperatures to be in the single digits tonight and tomorrow – and I know that seems warm to those of you in the midwest where you are experiencing temperatures way below zero.

~~~

The Mango

 This was the day I decided the mango was ready for eating. 

I bought it about a week ago, and waited until today when it felt soft to the touch

Origin: The mango is native to southern Asia, especially Burma and eastern India. It spread early on to Malaya, eastern Asia and eastern Africa. Mangos were introduced to California (Santa Barbara) in 1880.

The history of mango cultivation goes back for 4,000 years. The 60 foot high mango tree is evergreen.

The first job was to peel it.

Mangos are a sub-tropical fruit, requiring a long hot period to properly set the fruit. More mangos are eaten fresh than any other fruit in the world. There are over a thousand varieties of mango. The enzymes in mangos are tenderizing as are the enzymes in papaya.

Mangos help to lower cholesterol, the fiber content is a wonderful aid to digestion regularity and they are rich in the vitamins A and C.

I didn’t try any fancy slicing or dicing, but just sliced around the pit. 

It was delicious! 

It would have been easy to eat the entire thing, but I shared half of it with Cerwin.

They provide more carotinoids than other fruits, They are also low in calories. Ripe mangos have a pleasant fruity aroma and will yield slightly to pressure. Ripe mangos may have a variety of colors, being red, through orange, yellow, to green when ripe.

The day ended with a pretty sunset.

Step out of the traffic!

Take a long, loving look at me, your High God,

above politics, above everything.

Psalm 46:10 (The Message)