Show and Tell Friday

Several years ago we were presented with a beautifully carved gourd by friends who have worked for years as Wycliffe Bible translators. The gourd was carved by Quechua Indians in the Peruvian Andies to commemorate the completion of the New Testament into their native tongue.

It is a beautiful work of art that I never seem to tire of studying. I've snapped several photos to try to show the details in the carvings:












Check out Kelli's Blog for other Show and Tell items!

Show and Tell Friday

A while back we ruined a microwave by severely burning something in it. Okay, the real story is that middle son reheated a pork chop for 5 minutes - the house was filled with smoke and the chop was on fire when I walked in the door. The plate he was cooking on exploded and all in all.....this little episode did not bode well for my high hopes the boys could manage without adult supervision for any serious length of time.

After several days of trying to cook and gagging on burned pork chop smell, we admitted defeat and decided to replace the microwave. With our pronouncement of this news, oldest son suggested an experiment he had heard about.

First you take 1 old ruined, but working, microwave (you don't want to do this with a good working microwave, and I'll explain why in a minute). You place a bar of Ivory Soap in it (we used Lavender-scented).

Close the door and "cook" on high. This is what it looks like after about 45 seconds:




After a minute or so:



Pretty cool, isn't it? Well, we thought so, anyway. We used it afterwards for soap to wash with, btw. It was very fluffy. Hard fluff. Kind of weird, but kind of cool.

BTW, I suggest doing this outside because the smell of soap will become overpowering inside. Also, use a ruined, but operating, microwave because the smell of soap will remain and will permeate the microwave and I would imagine the lingering soap scent would flavor food cooked in it. The only thing I can imagine being worse than burned porkchop-flavored popcorn is soap-flavored popcorn.

Actually, I can imagine much worse, but it would not be polite for me to print it here.

So there you have it. Check out other's Show and Tell pictures at Kelli's place!

Show and Tell Friday

This is the first time I've participated in Show and Tell Friday hosted by Kelli at There's No Place Like Home. I've enjoyed looking at the pictures of others who regularly participate in this fun little exchange, so I decided to take the plunge. Let's see how my first humble attempt goes.


The first item is a little painted cast iron Amish couple sitting on a bench that I bought from an estate auction of my dear Aunt Louise. (Being given the middle name Louise, I was always told I was her namesake......so this sweet lady has a dear spot in my heart though she's long gone from this earth.) I can remember these little people sitting on a shelf in her house and as a little girl thinking they were so cute. They are only about 3 inches tall, but they make me smile as I see them on the shelf keeping watch over us in our dining room.

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This tea cup is from a china set that at one time belonged to my husband's grandmother. It comes from occupied Japan during WWII. In fact, the only thing stamped on the bottom are the words, "Made in occupied Japan".

I love the roses that decorate each dish. There is a general pattern followed, but each dish is unique in it's own way. For example, all of the tea cups have the little cluster of roses painted on one side (as is pictured above), but three of the teacups also have a single rose painted in the very bottom of the cup -- each of them turned a little differently -- to delight the drinker when he/she tips a near-empty cup.

The set was passed along to us about 10 years ago and it has been mostly hidden safely away. We have three boys and I just wasn't brave enough to put it in front of them very often. Recently, though, I've been thinking that I really ought to use these pretty things and they are now are within easy reach in my china cabinet. I display this china with other glass dishes (mostly pink and green plates) and again....I smile every time I look at it all.

A little touch of dainty in this testosterone-saturated house. Helps me feel just a little refined. ;^)

His promises are new each morning!

The Magnolia tree in our front yard 4 days ago.

Same tree today. Its fragrance is absolutely amazing.

 

 

A boy in his tree.

 

 

Spring!

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"A woman is a creature that’s always shopping."

---Ovid (ca 43 B.C. - A.D. 18)

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"These impossible women! How they do get around us! The poet was right; can’t live with them, or without them."

---Aristophanes (ca 450 B.C. - 385 B.C.)

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"Marriage is neither heaven or hell, it is simply purgatory."

--- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

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This is one inventive guy!

Ben modeling his K'Nex Book Holder

He added a shoulder strap for stability

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I guess he got tired

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But wait!

Ben receives nourishment while reading

-- without missing a word --

with the aid of his handy-dandy book holder.

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WHEN I SAY, "I AM A CHRISTIAN"


When I say, "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting, "I’ve been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost!
That's why I chose this way"

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble—
Needing God to be my guide

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak
And pray for strength to carry on

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed
And cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
Asking humbly to be taught

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are all too visible
But God believes I'm worth it

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache,
Which is why I seek His name

When I say, "I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority...
I only know I'm loved

Used by Permission
Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

http://www.carolwimmer.com