Growing Up at Grams 💗

There are times in a person's life as they grow older that memories of childhood can pop up. If this happens to you, I hope they are all blessed - good memories for you. Today was one of those days for me and as to not let the memory pass, I thought I'd take a short break and post.

When my brother and I went to live with gram I think I was close to seven years of age. Though, my brother was much younger he doesn't remember what I do; I remember having some of my best times and most fun memories there. We were in and out, riding bikes and playing with cousins, spending time at the old farmhouse, enjoying just being kids. When you'd make it back into the house you would smell home cooking. I don't know exactly the family favorite for dinner was, but I would venture to say spaghetti and meatballs was at the top of that list. Gram's go to brand seemed to be Contadina and maybe Hunts, my favorite go to can tomatoes is Cento, hands down and Hunts if they're out of the other.  

This all brings me to my childhood memory I had to smile about. When I was working around the house today, I decided to do a bit of rearranging. I had been keeping a "Christmas/Thanksgiving" cactus in a very large Starbucks mug we bought in Cleveland. Would you believe it bloomed again this Spring! Well, I decided that I would take the already plotted cactus out of the mug and put it somewhere else in doing so what the pot was sitting on in the mug was a large can of Cento tomatoes that I had forgotten about. Then I had to laugh as the memory hit me. 

Taken March

Once placed never removed.

We didn't have the amount of toy kids seem to be embellished with today, so we had to be a bit more creative. I loved playing store, and sometimes my grandad (Pap) would be one of my customers. I set up a pretend checkout area by the couch and have products curtesy of the spinning corner cupboard that had all the canned items needed. Everyone seemed to be buying the canned tomatoes, which I figured my customers were making spaghetti and meatballs. I had a lot of fun and when I was done, I must have placed the "leftover" supply in my pretend warehouse behind the couch and went on about my day. Of course, as time went on it was forgotten about and my gram didn't have a clue since she never came into my store. She shopped at Thorofare just across from Kroger's. Ha-ha Well anyway, she planned on making some "skeddy" as my brother would say and of course, she was out of tomatoes and paste. ;) So, it was put off till she went back shopping, though she was certain she previously bought some!

I'm thinking this happened a couple times in which I had overlooked my warehouse and just grabbed new products from the spinning corner cupboard. Eventually she found my warehouse while she moved the couch out to clean. She might have found the cans sooner if she moved the couch, but that house was NEVER dusty or dirty, never! When she did find them, I heard down the hall WHAT! and run to see what it was all about - When I got there, I'm sure Imade a sheepish face and smiled. The moral to the story, if there were one, is shop local~ ha-ha

Though funny I need to be honest, I thought a time or two I had an extra can myself, now I'll just look in flowerpots. :)

I would love to have a photo of where we shopped, I believe I read they had one hundred stores in PA opening up in 1938 and closed they're stores in 1982. We kids loved going there and we always seemed to get ice cream from Isley's mostly Klondike bars for twenty-five cents.

Looking At What's Important ~

Oh where does time go?

Oh I don't know, I don't know.

It is here and then it's gone

As if it wasn't here at all.

We get up and start to move,

Turn around - the day is gone!

Oh the should of's and could of's

That never get done.

We hurry here, we hurry there,

Quick as fast as you can!

Still time disappears ~

A worry to man.

A wise man once said,

Spend time in the WORD

And, He will multiply your time ~

Tucked away in his Bible, 

was a piece of torn envelope;

To which was written, 

Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:13-14 ESV

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1-2 ESV.  

JMB

So, what is time we so need?

Accept that which we ran out of.

What is so important about it,

That we should spend it wisely ~

For we are but a vapor,

a mist that is here then gone.

Is there such as, "time well spent?"

The older I am I so wish to number my days wisely ~ 

As it's been said, 

What does man gain by all the toil

 at which he toils under the sun? (Ecc. !:3)

As a hopefully wise person has said.  .  .  

Maybe, just the mood I'm in or fighting with allergies this time of the year. But looking at what's important in life and what we all seem to take for granted. Since we do miss loved ones, think on spending valued time wisely recognizing what truly is important, while we are here.

 VB 

Looking ahead ~

Hebrews 11:10

It Finally Feels Like Spring ~

Last year I was sooooo looking forward to Autumn, even Winter, I realize there are those of you who cringe at the thought of cooler / cold seasons, but I really don't care for the dry, sometimes, intense heat of the desert. Now don't get me wrong I do love the beauty the desert has but the heat last longer than any cooler weather we might have. This past fall and winter it was un-usually dry and mild, not good for fruit trees that need a good chilling. 

When I took these pictures of what made it through the winter I was very impressed.  Even the cheap clearance plants from Tractor Supply came through. When I took the first group of photo's it was a cooler cloudy day which was sought after by me since March was awful and unusually hot! All of us here were commenting about it, but not holding our breath in hopes it would turn to the normal Spring temps. And then it was finally a reprieve. Yay!

He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. Psalm 135:7 ESV

He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls dsown his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. Psalm 147:15-18

Today I took the pics below and so excited about the blossoms on my Meyer Lemon - As I'm hoping for lemons! Last year I got eleven.

 

God is good always, I wasn't able to tend to anything the last few years and I was blessed with what harvest we got. This year the only thing I'm not certain about is the fruit trees. They took a beating with the heat and several limbs didn't make it. I hope they come around and I pray I'm able to help them along.

Here we are almost halfway through April and this past week has been beautiful and what a blessing to go from the stark - dust - and heat of March. I am truly thankful. They say summer is going to be a bear, but my son mentioned we might get El Nino this year that could interfere with our weather I hope that reprieve will last longer ~ a lot longer. :)

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." Genesis 8:22 ESV

Weather is always changing like our seasons ~ But He is in control of them all and I'm glad He is.