TRUST

TRUST

Random House Definition:

1) Unquestioning belief in the integrity, strength, or ability of a person or thing.

 2) Confident expectation.

3) A person or thing that can be relied on.

4) The responsibility of a person in whom confidence or authority is placed.

5) Charge or custody

6) Something committed or entrusted to one's care.

The word "Trust" appears 147 times in the Bible; 134 times in the Old Testament and 13 times in the New Testament. The phrase "Trust in the Lord" appears 10 times in the Bible.

 Are you like so many people today that have trouble with issues of Trust. I will admit here and now that I am one of those people. If I was to tell you the number of times that I have believed and trusted that people were going to do what they say and then didn't, your head would probably spin off your shoulders. So for me, Trust is a very big issue. I can remember one time I was at the hospital waiting to have a test done. My husband was waiting with me when the Anaesthetist came in to see me and introduce himself. I was pretty worried and he thought he could make me feel better by saying "Trust me" I looked up at my husband. He knew what was going through my head. Everything turned out okay but what a flurry of thoughts that went through my head at that moment.

This time last year I was counting down the number of weeks till my wedding day and getting more and more frazzled by the moment. You see my Husband is a long distance company truck driver. His time is not his own. There have been so many times that he has told me that he will be home on such and such a day and then the company he works for, will do what they call a trailer switch. These trailer switches are not usually close to our home and it is usually heading right back across the border away from home. Some of you ladies out there may know exactly what I am talking about if you are married to a truck driver. The first time it happens, you don't think to much about it and you just kind of shake it off. But when it starts to become the norm you begin to wonder if he is requesting it to happen, so he doesn't have to come home. When you have Trust issues like I do, this is very difficult not to believe. As of this morning, when the sun starts to rise it will be 3 weeks since I have seen my husband. Prior to that, it was the whole month of March that he was gone. I was so upset this last week because of so many other things that are happening here, that I really wanted him to come home. So I called his place of employment and talked to his Safety Coordinator. I asked him to please tell Dispatch that my husband had to be home for the weekend. While talking to him I could feel myself starting to well up with tears. All I wanted was for my man to come home. I needed him. I TRUSTED that the Safety Guy would oblige my request. Guess what: He didn't or the Dispatch Office ignored him; one of the two. My husband called late on Friday night and told me he would definitely be home one way or another on Saturday. So I was happy about that and really started to look forward to seeing him for the whole weekend. Saturday morning came and went, afternoon came and went and evening came and went. Not even a phone call to let me know what had happen. Same on Sunday and at noon I couldn't take it anymore so I called his Dispatch to see what had happened. I got told that I couldn't call like this anymore. He (Dispatch) would send him (husband) a message to call Wife. I still haven't heard from him and to be completely honest about it I don't even know if the message was sent. This does not help to fix TRUST issues. 

You can look at this story from all different angles and believe me I can dream up some of the best but I have to choose not to go down those nightmarish paths. I have been turning more and more to my Bible for consolation and searching for answers. There are times when I wonder if I was even suppose to marry this man. But I keep getting directed to follow God's words and just be calm and pray. In my heart I know that my husband loves me but he likes to make sure that everyone is happy with the job that he does for them. Because of this, I know it isn't intentional, but I get put on the back burner. We are, neither one us "Spring Chickens" and this is a third marriage for both of us. We came together with a lot of baggage and are constantly trying to work through it. But because of the absenteeism and the TRUST issues sometimes it seems futile.

I pray everyday that God will keep him safe out on the highways and byways of his life. That He will bring him home to me safe and sound. That this, is where my husband wants to be. I pray that our financial issues will survive this storm and that I will understand God's direction in all of this. 

Why did I start to write about TRUST? Well when you have trouble TRUSTING and believing the touchable and real things in our lives sometimes it is very difficult to TRUST God with our troubles. Not all so very long ago a very difficult scenario was presented to me.

It goes something like this: 

"Before you TRUST and believe in the world you live in, learn to TRUST and BELIEVE in me, your heavenly FATHER"

All things are possible with GOD in Charge of the PLANNING.

Luke 18: 27 "The Lord said" The things which are impossible with men are possible with GOD"

Matthew 6: 26 " Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 6: 34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Until we blog again,

Roscoe and Linda

etsy.com/shop/cranberrycottage52

etsy.com/shop/weebeginnings56

   

Anonymous

Definition:  1. without any name acknowledged as that of author. 

2. whose name is withheld.

3. without individuality. 

Have you ever had something happen to you and wonder why or who? Today I had that experience happen to me. Let me take you back a couple of days.......

We had some absolutely beautiful weather happen to us here where we live. The temperature was almost summer like readings. Our gardens were beginning to look like Spring had arrived and I was starting to think about Summer time sewing. I love to sew little girls' sundresses, bonnets and matching bottoms. I was looking in my fabric stash and couldn't find anything that would suit my ideas. 

So I went over to my favourite shop online; Shabby Fabrics to see what I could find. Oh there was oodles and oodles of beautiful fabrics for me to choose from but my bank account was telling me "NO, NO, NO" So I had to descipline myself  and be very good. I very reluctantly left the site and went back to check out my stash again. It hadn't changed since I had looked at it the last time and I turned away with a feeling of regret.

A dear friend of mine had loaned me a movie the other night to watch "The Help". Oh what a fantastic movie. I love that time period and how people would dress their little girls. Again I was reminded of the "Need and the Want" of new fabrics to sew some little outfits with.

Now I believe that God knows our every need and desire. He knows what our prayers are before we even speak them. God knew that in the last couple of days I had been struggling with the thought of returning to full-time work. Whether to do that or to keep on doing what I am trying to do?

Remember the dear friend I mentioned earlier? This afternoon she came by to retrieve the movie she loaned me. As she pulled up into my driveway I opened my front door for her to come, in while I finished something else that I was doing. She calls "Hello" then she says " What are you doing with the boxes of fabric here in your driveway?" I responded to her " What are you talking about?" "Come on out" she says to me. So I went outside and there, just behind the vehicle parked in my driveway and the garage door are four boxes. They are Canon Paper Supply Boxes, so you know just how big these boxes are. My friend and I carried them inside the house and proceeded to open them up.

Inside each and everyone of these boxes were beautifully folded pieces of quilting cotton fabric. There are pieces from a yard to 3 and 4 yard lengths. There are pieces that are colour coordinated to at least two other pieces. There is Christmas, Harvest, Halloween and Easter fabrics in this stash. There are plaids for little boys. Beautiful florals for little girls. There is even some ladybugs, butterflies and bugs in general. Now I know that these boxes didn't fall out of the sky but I do know that God fulfilled my need and desire via

"An Anonymous Person"

So a great BIG THANK YOU TO GOD and the ANONYMOUS PERSON.

So please be sure to check on both of my Etsy sites for some exciting new things that will be appearing soon. 

Until we Blog Again,

Roscoe and Linda

etsy.com/shop/weebeginnings56

etsy.com/shop/cranberrycottage52

Cranberry Cottage

On April 3, Cranberry Cottage will have been an online Etsy Shop for one year. We have decided that we are going to make some changes over there. Some of them have already started to happen. We are changing the look of the shop and we are going to have a

BIG GRAND REOPENING CELEBRATION.

We will be making further announcements has the time gets closer so be sure to keep checking the shop as well as this Blog.

One of the New things will be Gift Certificates. This is a beautiful way to give somebody a gift that they can use for whatever they want from our shop.

At this time I would also like to send a major Thank you to the Beautiful Lady that did all my new Graphics for the site. Her name is Mary and she owns "Graphic Confections" As you can see from my site, she does beautiful work. She will do custom orders for Branding your style as well as "purchase off the shelf ". I would highly recommend this wonderful woman to anybody that is looking to Brand their Business. Her turn around time was fantastic. 

So keep checking for all the new news regarding 

Cranberry Cottage. 

Until We Blog Again,

Roscoe and Linda. 

etsy.com/shop/cranberrycottage52  

What Do I see that is YELLOW????

This is my Roscoe, on our front doorstep, admiring all of our new Daffodils. Yesterday morning I was opening the blinds of our living room window and overnight three or four beautiful Daffodils had opened up. Roscoe and I had to go outside to check them out. By the end of the day all of these Daffodils were open across the front of our house. So Roscoe and I decided to go out and check them out a little closer tonight. We took some pictures to share with all of you.

These are some of the closeups at the front step.

These are Soft Pink Geraniums. I have kept two of these plants for the last two winters. This year I decided that I was going to try and root some inside my home.

  

 In this egg carton I planted some Hollyhock seeds. This is the first seed to pop through the soil. I hope I can plant some of these along the fence at the one side of our yard.

I also planted some Pink Pampas Grass in the egg carton. And I have some of them coming up as well but the pictures that I took didn't show them to well. There is about six or eight of them coming up as well .

My next door neighbor has two beautiful Magnolias in her yard coming up in full bloom. One of them is a beautiful white and the other is a soft pink.

I always think that when the Forsythia comes into bloom Spring has officially arrived. The Forsythia is in bloom along the fence as well. So Spring has officially arrived in Fort Erie, Ontario.

I hope Spring has arrived as nicely in your neck of the woods as it has in my neighborhood and that you are enjoying it.

Until we Blog Again,

Roscoe and Linda

It's Friday, Wahooooo

Oh it is Friday and it is so good to be Friday. It is the end of a very long week. For some it has been a GREAT Vacation Time, ( Students off for Spring Break) for others it has been a very long week of waiting for things to happen.

I am waiting for my Spring Gardens to start popping up all over the place. So I went out for a tour of our Gardens with my trusty companion, Roscoe and my camera. Here are some pictures of what is happening in our Gardens.

This is the first of my Crocus. They are so pretty and usually don't last very long.

Not too far from the Crocus' are these Primulas. They are just beginning to revive themselves so no flower buds yet.

Travelling down along that fence line are my Tiger Lilies. They are so anxious to "spring" through the left overs from last year. They provide such a bright colour in that corner of my yard.

Just to the right of the Tiger Lilies are some Wild Strawberries. Unfortunately, we don't get too many of the Strawberries because I believe we share that corner with a little wild Cottontail. We have seen him/her a couple of times last summer but not this year yet, only the lovely little "droppings" they leave behind as their "Calling Card". If you know what I mean.

In front of my Garden Shed just to the left of the door I have a Climbing Hydrangea growing. I have been trying to train it to climb the wall but plants are not like our dogs, that generally listen to "Sit, Stay, and Come" Plants have minds of their own and do as they please.

And to the right of the Garden Shed door I have a patch of Lavender/Pink Irises. I usually plant some Impatiens in front of them to fill in the little garden after the Irises are done.

On the back wall of our home I have a Creamy White/Yellow Honeysuckle growing up the wall. We may have to climb onto the roof and create some kind of anchor for it to climb. I noticed last summer it was starting to fall forward.

There are so many more things to come up so I will save them for another day.

I hope you are enjoying your Spring Garden as much as I am.

Until we Blog Again,

Linda and Roscoe.

Spring Morning

This is what it looks like as I look out my windows this morning. It looks so dismal, dull and depressing but if I close my eyes and listen I can hear Robins, Chickadees, a Cardinal and the neighborhood doves all talking together. These are my gentle reminders that we have to go through the "yucky" stuff to get to the good stuff.

  

Then I look at this picture of the remnants of the bouquet of Tulips from my Tea Party and I know  Spring is not to far away.

I was outside in my gardens yesterday starting to do the Spring Cleaning that is necessary. During the process of doing this I came across a caterpillar. A beautiful Black and Brown one. That seems a little early but that is okay just another reminder of the beautiful seasons ahead. I also started taking some of my wicker chairs out to set on my back step. Oh I can hardly wait.

I was so daring that I even took my bowl of Cheerios outside this morning and ate my breakfast partially out there. Still just a little too cool to do that but I am so ready for it.

The changes in the season also gets me so inspired to get sewing as well.

Here are some pictures of some Easter Tea Towels that I am making for my Etsy Site.

This set is yellow and still needs to be decorated.

These are a set of two different green ones that I have added the eyes and tails to.

These are the two towels finished and the picture below is a close up of the Easter Eggs the Bunnies are hopping over. These Tea Towels are already sold but I have more on my Etsy Site.

etsy.com/shop/cranberrycottage52

Hurry Hurry It's Market Monday

Hurry Hurry You mustn't be late.

It's Market Monday over at Etsy Cottage Style.

Oh the delightful things to see over there are just to beautiful to be passed up.

So do be quick and get there soon before all the lovelies are snapped up.

Market Mondays go all week

but

as we all know

the most lovely, the most beautiful, the most wanted,

will always go first and the fastest.

So Hurry Hurry

Over to Market Monday.

Until we Blog again 

Roscoe and Linda

etsy.com/shop/cranberrycottage52 

etsy.com/shop/weebeginnings56