Forgiven - An Awesome Gift

The greatest gift of all....FORGIVENESS!   This song has been resoninating in my mind and spirit....Happy Sunday!

DO I HAVE TO WEAR THOSE?

My husband is seven years my senior, therefore, he experiences life's changes before me, which allows me to give him a hard time. Hair greying, soreness after yard labor, being called old by his children and then the most unavoidable of all...needing reader glasses.

His diminishing sight began in his late 40's while trying to read a menu and having to ask the waitor or me what it said. Oh, did I harass! That seventeen-year-old girl he had fallen in love with came back to life as I gave him a hard time for not being able to see the menu, since my sight was still "perfect".


I used my eyes through hours of reading, cross-stitching, sewing, cooking and couldn't imagine having to stop and obtain eye-wear.



Well, to my disbelief, I started entering the age of needing extra assistance with my eyes. As my Dad said, "Do you need longer arms Janette?" I couldn't believe that what had always been there was slowing decreasing.

If I was going to have to give in, then it would be with style...so the readers came in red, dots, lime green and one pair to carry in my purse with it's own holder.


I am now used to my new occassional accessory, but finding them can be a problem.


The other day I went all over the house looking for my stylish pair. Where could they be? I searched upstairs and downstairs. Surely they couldn't have walked off... nowhere to be found. Then I took what seemed to be my tenth trip up the stairs for a final search.


As I turned the corner of my stair's landing, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I burst out in laughter, so loud my son came running to see what had happened.

There, so daintily postioned on my head....were my glasses! I couldn't believe it. I had finally given into the idea of wearing glasses, now is forgivefulness next?


I might give into buying those librarian beads that hold your glasses around your neck in order to have them within reach....well, probably not yet.


My gracious husband refuses to harrass me. Instead, he will slowly hand over his reader glasses to me when we are at a resturant...we are growing older together.

My youngest only knows his mother with glasses and proudly tries them on.  My 18-year-old daughter wears fake glasses as a fashion statement. 

God is so merciful to walk with us through the changes of life. To hold our hands, to hear our voices and even our cries that come from pure vanity.

 I look forward to a body that is perfect when I get to heaven, but more than that, I look forward to using my eyes to behold  the giver of sight...and without glasses!
 
Did you notice my font size?

Curl-Up-and-Read Books

I entered the world of picture books through home schooling my children.  They became a passion for me.  Purchasing treasures we had discovered through library loans, I started my home library.  I began with collecting them for my children and then rapidly moved to collecting for my future grandchildren.  Many good books go out of print so I wanted to make sure I had a copy.

I also go to library sales and snatch up wonderful picture books for pennies-on-the-dollar.  This is a wonderful way to build your home library.  You can sign up online for book sales and they will send you a list of which libraries are selling their books and when.  Some will sell books by the bag full.  You can't go wrong. If you impulse buy, then resell them or give them away.

One thing I enjoy doing is putting the date we bought the book inside the back cover.  I also put the date when we first read it and, if it an individual read, I put their child's name.  The younger siblings have enjoyed seeing that their older siblings read the same book years before them.

Here is the first of my favorites.

Patricia Polacco - This is an author for family heritage.  She is one of my favorite authors, as well as illustrators.  She brings her rich Jewish heritage of family into your home.  Other then a few of her more recent books, I agree and love her work.  She has began putting out some politically correct books.

She came to Barnes and Nobles, where two of my children and I stood in line for four hours to meet her and have her sign our books.  She was as charming in person as she is in her writings.

We started with "The Bee Hunt" where she introduces your child to the love of reading.

These are wonderful curl-up-on-the-couch books that enjoy peaking into someone else's family of treasures.

What are some of your favorite picture books?  I always love discovering a new favorite.