Grasshopper Lane

Angels

So this happened.....

2018 has been a year of CHANGE.  A lot of things going on here on Grasshopper Lane.  The biggest one is this....March 29, 2018 I officially became a "former" employee of the State of Missouri.  It was not a decision I made lightly...as a matter for fact - my DH actually made the decision for me, right there in the office where you fill out those retirement papers, six weeks earlier.  I may or may not have thrown up a bit as I signed my name across the bottom of the documents.  

 

It was time to move on to the next phase of life.  Folks, sometimes you just have to step out on faith and trust in the plan that God has for you.  Now, I didn't say it was going to be easy but I am learning to take it one day at a time.  I wish I could say that we have all of our bills paid and I was going to get to stay home and do all the things I wanted to do but life doesn't quite work that way.  We have those bills.  I knew that I would still have to work part-time.  So....

April 3, 2018 I became the Administrative Assistant for a local church.  And, I LOVE MY NEW JOB!  This, folks, was the result of an ad that magically appeared, an old resume' that needed updated, cleaned and spiffed up, and a feeling that this was who, what and where I needed to be.  And I am incredibly thankful!

I wish I could say that things were perfect but honestly, they're a tad bit messy.  I am still getting used to the new schedule.  Reminding myself that I need to go left, not right, at the end of the road and it's okay if I come home in the afternoon and take a nap.  I'm still figuring out how I managed to get housework, business stuff, and all of my other commitments done when I worked full time.  I'm sure I will get a routine down soon.  In the meantime - we are slowly adding product to the shop.  Graphic 45, Prima, 49 & Market and Maja Designs to name a few.  We will be adding others in the very near future.  I have several class plans in the works and taking space on every available flat space in the house.  I hope you'll join me on this journey - 

Enjoy!

jen

Daisy Lou's Sweet & Spicy Chili

Good Morning Friends!  How are you today?  It's a beautiful, snowy morning here on Grasshopper Lane.  Thinking a steaming pot of tea and some creative goodness is in order.  But first, I thought I'd share with you one of the events that we participated in a few weeks ago.

The Annual Camp Quality/Post #5 Navy Club Chili Cook-off took place the first weekend in February.  It's tradition in our family to attend each year and a couple in the family have even competed in years past.  We decided this year was our turn - we entered our Daisy Lou's Sweet & Spicy Chili.  You can find the recipe over on the right hand side or here: http://www.grasshopperlanedesigns.com/Daisy%27s%20Sweet%20%26%20Spicy%20Chili.pdf.  While we didn't win, we did do really well for our first time out.  We will definitely be coming back next year...with some new tricks up our sleeves guaranteed to wow, YOU, the people's choice judges!!

And!  What better way to celebrate your Mom & Dad's wedding anniversary?  A yummy dog covered in house-made chili, covered in onions and cheese?!? 

Food, Family & Fun!  That's what it's all about Folks and if you can support one of your favorite charities in the process - even better!  And, because we're glutton's for punishment....Daisy Lou's Sweet and Spicy Chili made an appearance at CWCC's Youth Chili Cook-off the next day!!  Okay, off to play in the workroom -

Enjoy your weekend Friends -

jen

 

One Little Word - 2017

One Little Word:  Welcome

    *an instance or manner of greeting someone or something

    *Greet someone or something in a glad or friendly way

    *Gladly received

One Little Verse:  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.  [Romans 15:7]

Honestly - I have no idea where we are going with this but it was the word given to me.  I had been pondering words like Rest, Slow, Reset.....after all of the fun lessons of Encourage in 2016, they sounded doable....easy...needed.  But, God doesn't call us to do easy....as a matter of fact - I received this word as my laptop at work was rebooting and "welcome" kept flashing on my screen.  I tried to ignore it but when I was making notes for those words above, I kept getting interrupted and a small, quiet voice in my ear kept telling me to declare my word and get busy.  I'm sure that text confused the hubby!!!   So, I'm Welcoming 2017 and all excited to see where this word adventure takes me.

So, what word did you choose for 2017?  I'd love for you to share!!!

Enjoy!

jen

The STOP Button

Picture the EASY button from that popular office supply store but imagine that it says STOP instead.  I hit that button this morning.  I’ve been to scared to push it before now.  Sure that fear and disappointment would make me change my mind.  Do you do that?  Your heart whispering to you, so determined that you DO or don’t DO something but your brain is too afraid that you will disappoint someone?  Do something out of character?  Fail to meet a deadline or fulfill a commitment.   Saying yes and running crazy busy, chasing that one great moment when you should have said no and enjoyed that one great hour.  That’s me!  This morning was different.  This morning I got up to start my morning routine and I froze….in my jammies….in the middle of the bathroom.  My hubby looked at me a bit funny when it happened.  I played it off as my foot being asleep from…uhm…well, delicate stuff that required sitting.  My heart, no longer whispering but in full-blown panic attack.  STOP!

It’s Sunday.  STOP meant missing another Sunday service.  Instead, church was a steaming cup of vanilla chai at the table in my front window.  I watched God’s greatness in the snow that was gently falling and gave thanks for the feathered and furry creatures sharing food together on my porch.  It makes my heart smile to know that I’m not the only one that uses that space to share food and drink with friends.

STOP meant NOT running for the workroom to work on a class that’s fast approaching.  I’m thankful for the gift of creativity but that time will need to be rescheduled for later.  I’m tired and creativity would not be at its finest.  Instead, I sat with the hubby and shared the latest episode of The Pioneer Woman, warming sunshine pouring through the sliding door, across the floor, to the sofa.

STOP meant NOT pulling out my planner, to-do list and colored markers to start mapping out the next week with all its tasks, deadlines and such.  I’m thankful for the gift of organization but not to the point that my OCD has reached manic mode.  My Happy Planner is sitting on the dining room table, open to today and the note that I had written earlier in the week that said “Find time to REST”.  Instead, I took the LONGEST shower ever.  I took my time and enjoyed every last drop of hot water in the tank.  I left the bathroom to find my kid putting fresh from the dryer warm, clean sheets on my bed.  After which, we enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes and several games of Jenga while soaking up more of those sun rays.

STOP meant NOT suiting up in my winter gear to head out to the store for forgotten dinner ingredients.  Swapping those slow-cooked barbacoa tacos for hubby’s skillet chili five-way tonight.  Instead, Hubby and the Kid spent quality time together running for those ingredients while I sat, listening to a favorite in the planner community talk about resetting her life, working on a brain dump and my goal sheets.  They’ll be more about that later.

STOP meant NOT logging into Facebook, checking Instagram or spending mindless minutes on Pinterest.  It meant not paying attention to the Seahawk/Panthers game blaring on the T.V.  (okay….so, I might have been paying just a bit of attention – go Panthers!!)  Instead, it meant opening up my forgotten laptop, pulling up a blank page and writing down all those words that begging to be shared with you all on my slightly ignored blog.  There are so many things I want to share with you.  Not just crafty things and planner goodness but life things including the unpolished and less than shiny stuff.

I need more days like this.  I’ve had a heck of a year or three.  I think my heart is right.  I’ll be pressing that STOP button more often.  Slowing down, saying no, enjoying some of those things on the bottom of my to-do list like sitting in the sunshine writing, whipping up a family favorite in the kitchen, and using up the very last drop of hot water.

-enjoy!

jen

One Little Word - 2016

One Little Word – Encourage

One Little Verse –"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  1 Thessalonians 5:11 | NIV |  

So much negativity these days.....wouldn't it be nice if we could all just build each other up, celebrate each other's accomplishments....and even our failures?   A word, a hug, a smile......

This year, I want to focus on encouraging not only those around me, but myself - no more negative self-talk.....finding encouragement to get through the tough stuff......turning negatives into positives.  Telling myself that my Goals and Dreams are reachable.

What One Little Word will you focus on this year?  I’d love for you to share….

 

jen

eight

The tiny country church, white clapboard with stained glass on all sides and complete with a bell tower and steeple stood in a field of Black-Eyed Susan’s.  It was a simple structure, framed by an indigo sky and a few puffs of clouds giving off the regal air of a bride who had been standing there many years.  Looking at it from the gravel road, she smiled to herself for she could hear the long ago Sunday school class playing silly finger games while reciting…..”Here is the church, here is the steeple, open it up and there’s all the people.”   She longed for those simple days where her only responsibilities were teaching little people silly rhymes and leading them through a round of Jesus Loves Me.  Those littles, she was quite sure, had littles of their own by now.   As she parked the old truck, she could see Evvie Lou waving from the old concrete steps.  Taking a deep breathe, she started across the parking lot trying not to let nerves get the best of her.   The anxiety of new places, new people and a fear of what once was almost gave her pause but as she reached the stoop, Evvie Lou looped an arm through hers and proceeded to chatter about who’s who in the little congregation giving her anxiety no chance to take hold.  As they walked through the old church door, she pulled away from her friend and paused to take it all in.  It was like stepping back into another time.  Old oak doors stood to each side of a tiny vestibule.  Tables on each side of the doors held old fashioned blue mason jars filled with fresh daisies, Susan’s and lavender.  Bright sun light from that almost cloudless sky streaming across hand sawn pine floors that had been polished to a glass finish as had the beautiful hand carved benches on either side of the aisle.  If her mind, she could see weddings of the past complete with the pearl buttons, tatted lace and crowns of wildflowers.   Just on the other side of the doors a little gray haired man, bent low from age, welcomed them with a hearty hand shake and passed them a bulletin that caused her to pause.  Taking a deep breath and smiling, yes, the smell alone assured her of times past and the old mimeograph machine.  She again felt at home. 

 

Her first memories of church were much like this one.  It has been the Baptist church around the corner from the house, right next to the park where her brother would twirl her round and round on the merry go round.  She had attended Vacation Bible School there that summer, barely bigger than a toddler, dressed in red and black plaid, long pigtails streaming down her back and very much scared of her own shadow.  Memories beyond being in that place were vague but she did remember the pastor’s wife, a gentle, soft spoken lady, leading her to the kitchen for a snack, making sure she got on the church van to go home and giving her a piece of bubble gum for being such a brave, brave girl.  She had driven past not too long ago.  Even though the brand new addition almost out shadowed the original structure, it still held such warm memories.  She wished all of her church memories had been as positive as that day.  Pushing aside those memories she focused on the present.  Evvie-Lou was chatting with the couple in the pew in front of us, clearly ignoring the handsome young man standing at the end of the row.  When he called her name, she held up her hand, index finger pointed upward, indicating that he would have to wait until she was finished.  He blushed red.  She felt sorry for him but had to grin at the situation.  About that time the music started to play and folks shuffled quickly to their seats.  Since clearly not being invited to join them, the young man had moved on to find another place to sit.  She elbowed her friend in search of a story but before Evvie Lou could answer, the music director moved to the pulpit and asked them to take out their hymnals and turn to page 42.  She could recite the words to that hymn and most others in that same book and if pressed could probably still peck them out on the keyboard.  She shrugged her shoulders at the quizzical look her received from her friend.  Some stories were best left in the past.

Sales Days

Applying a little Purge, Fluff & Renew to my shop today so I can make room for some fabulous new goodness.  So - hop on over to the store and pick out a little goodie for yourself....

https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrasshopperLaneDesig?ref=hdr_shop_menu

When you get to the check out, just enter the coupon code of PFR2015 for 10% off your order.  Sales lasts through Friday. 

Enjoy!

jen

Seven

(7)

She heard a thump and then a crash behind her.  Turning quickly to see what had caused the ruckus, she noticed the tin bucket of soapy water she had been using to wash the wall’s down had been turned over.  There, just beyond a soapy sponge sat what appeared to be a cat. Pointy ears and a long tail could almost confirm that identity but the rest of its matted, wet body left a bit of doubt.  It gave her a long green-eyed scowl as if to say this was all her fault then proceeded to wash the bubbles off the top of its head, quick licks to its paw with a bright pink tongue after each pass.  She laughed out loud, she couldn’t help herself.  Another scowl…she had clearly offended the furry mess.  “Well, hello kitty….” Stepping a little closer and kneeling down.  The cat, clearly unimpressed by her attempt to communicate, turned its back to her and went about its bath.  “Ahh…poor baby…” she continued as she eased herself a bit closer.  It gave her a glance over its shoulder and leaned towards her just slightly and gave her a sniff or two, stood up and moved further across the path.  She smiled, “Ok kitty….let me know when you’re ready to visit…” 

Turning back to the task at hand, she busied herself with reading the concrete building for the first of many amenities she intended to offer the guests here at the campground.  This one would probably benefit her the most.  After the barbeque yesterday, she had stopped by a second hand store and purchased a washer and dryer.  Oh, the luxury of doing laundry at home rather than packing it up and driving into town.  While she appreciated the charm that the Wash-o-matic offered, there was something to be said about not airing your dirties in public.  The gentleman at the store had offered to run them out for her and help her set them when she was ready so today was purge, fluff and renew. Most of what had been left behind had been newspapers, magazines….trash.  But, while rummaging around, she had managed to unearth a few old wooden advertising signs.  She could tell where they had once hung, the paint faded around their spots leaving a shadow of their shapes.  It would be fun to get them scrubbed up and restored to their rightful places.  Wishing she had thought to pack a few from her previous collection, but space had been limited and she had had to let some things go including her favorite.  The giant sheep had hung on the front of the old garage for as long as she could remember it.  Its nickname had been Baaa.  Maybe someday she would go back for it but for now she might need to make a trip into antique store in town for a few more.

Dragging the last of the boxes to the old truck, she glanced around for her little guest.  It had weeded out a little spot under the old pine tree.  Seeing her watching, it stood up, flipped its front paws back and forth to fluff the needles, turned around and settled back down.  Stretching its front paws, one tucked over the other, towards her, it buried its little nose between them, just far enough tucked that it could still watch her with one eye. She dusted her hands off on the pockets of her jeans and moved towards the edge of the driveway.  She sat down leaning her back against the sun warmed concrete wall.  Fur baby had the right idea.  A break was in order.  As she watched kitty’s back rise and fall, she wandered back in time.  Growing up there had been a pine tree, much like this one, growing to the side of their house.  Given the size of it, she imaged that it had been there long before the little subdivision had been settled.  It was her special place.  A place to go when it grew too noisy in the house.  A place to get lost in her stories.  A place to hide from her big brother.  He always knew where she was but by mutual agreement, this was her spot and she should be left alone.  One of her favorite memories was the afternoon, close to time for her parents to return home, he had wanted to run across the backyard to the neighbor’s house.  Not wanting to drag her with him, partially because she had chosen to hide for the afternoon but mostly because it wasn’t cool to have your much younger sister tagging (or tattling) along with the boys.  He made her promise that she would stay in her little pine cave until he came back for her.  Because he was notorious for promising and forgetting (top of the refrigerator, basement, closet, you get the idea) she made him pinky promise that he really, really, really would return for her.  Winking, he promised and started off, not noticing that his prized G.I. Joe Caravan with accessories had joined her homemade, shoebox, Barbie house.  That had been pilfered payment for all of the other orneriness.  She’d heard her dad wandering the front yard, calling for her in for dinner, pretending he didn’t know where she was hiding later on.  Her brother, well, he was somewhere in the neighborhood.  She couldn’t remember what she had exacted for payment that time but she seemed to remember a few 45’s that turned up in her little red record player.  Think Hotel California playing over and over and over again.  It was funny how things triggered those long ago memories.

Using the wall to help her, she pushed herself back into standing position.  She thought about how much she had accomplished, on her own, in the short time she had been here at the little campground, just a little over two weeks.  She was incredibly proud of herself.  Once upon a time she would have waited for others to help or tell her what she should do.  It had been almost impossible to go anywhere on her own and she was consistently treated like a youth. While venturing into town alone still gave her a bit of anxiety, she was determined to overcome her past.  Some would say that age makes you wiser and less caring about what others think or say.  Maybe there was some truth to that.  Yesterday she had gone in to town for barbeque at Evvie Lou’s.  Just a few folks had attended and all had made her feel very welcome.  They had been very curious about how she had landed in their little town.  She had answered the questions politely but held back, not ready to put herself out there for public display yet.  All in all it had been a good afternoon.  Evvie-Lou had “put on the dog” as she put it.  Pulled pork, slow cooked all night in a brown sugar spice rub, stone ground wheat rolls fresh out of the oven, coleslaw with a bit of red onion and minced sweet pickle, and all the fixings.  It. Was. Amazing.  Evvie-Lou really had a talent for not just baking but cooking in general.  After a lot of prodding from Evvie-Lou, she had brought her Skillet Apple Pie, a favorite back home and homemade vanilla bean ice cream.  Several folks had commented that the two of them should go into business together.  She and Evvie-Lou had given each other a wink and giggled.  Something to think about, maybe.  They had visited together a little bit after every one left.  Nothing but silly bantering back and forth but they did make plans to meet at the little country church up the road next Sunday, something she was looking very much forward too. 

Enjoy!

jen

six

(6)

She woke with a start, confused by where she was.  Quickly sitting up in the bed, she looked around and breathed a sigh of relief. Sunlight streamed through the window above the bed and danced across the floor.  She glanced at her phone – 9:20 a.m.  Her first night in the cabin had provided some much needed rest.  A prayer of thanks passed through her lips.  She had worked until long past sundown the night before, determined to get the white slat board walls and old barn wood floor cleaned enough so she could put the bed together.   

Yesterday morning during a quick trip into town for some necessities, she had happened upon a charming little antiques shop.  Mentally declaring that a break would do her some good, she pulled the old truck over and parked.  The little shop was packed floor to ceiling with goodies that most would call junk but to her, priceless treasure. Even if you were unsure what you were looking for, you could find it here.  She smiled as she remembered the little incident that took place while she was there.  She had been in the back looking at aprons and as she headed back towards the front of the shop something flicked across her foot.  She pulled her foot back quickly and stifled a scream. There, sitting calm and pristine in front of a dish of water was a very regal and very handsome black cat.  His tail had flicked towards her about the time she went to step down and had, she was quite sure, purposely brushed her foot.  His green eyes gave her a look that both laughed at her discomfort and demanded a pat on his kingly head.  She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief thankful that she had taken time to read the little poster on the door that warned of the possibility of fur-baby greetings.  Giving him a small bow, she moved towards the counter to pay for her purchases that included a small Jadite bowl sporting a chip in the bottom, some gorgeous vintage sheets with tiny red roses and a beautiful white chenille bedspread.  The green-eyed shop owner, whom she was quite sure had been a cat just moments before, grinned at her and made a bit of small talk as he wrapped her purchases up, asking that she return soon.  She assured him that she would most certainly be back.

Her purchase of bedding gave her the excitement she needed to make the final push to get the cabin ready to move into.  On the way back to the campground, she stopped by the laundry mat.  The old sign out front proclaimed it to be the “Wash-O-Matic”.  It, like the antique shop, was pure vintage charm.  It reminded her of the one she had sort of worked in growing up.  The mother of her then best friend managed the laundry mat in town.  Fearing nothing short of us tearing the house down, we often ended up at work with her. For the nominal fee of an egg sandwich from the drive-thru next door, we would even consider working.  Goodness, the memories.  The old harvest gold washing machines holding their metal hands out for silver coins before they would churn the days dust from your clothes.  Walls lined with dryers, double stacked turquoise monsters that made a whirl and whip sound with each tumble.  She often got lost in her thoughts while she watched those clothes tumble in circles.  One dollar and twenty cents in dimes guaranteed your clothes to be dry in the first cycle.  She could still see the moms with their paper coffee cups filled with change jockeying for prime position – a four-plex of dryers directly in front of their chosen folding table, their toddlers climbing across the plastic waiting room chairs, hanging from the metal bars underneath the tables and when no one was looking riding the roll around metal baskets down the aisle.  Thinking about that made her smile.  She didn’t take the time to run the dryers today…..no, today, she would take the damp bedding home and hang it to blow in the breeze.  She couldn’t wait to slip between sheets that smelled of sunshine. 

Waiting for the wash to dry, she pulled the old iron bed out on the front concrete and gave it a good wire-brushing and then a quick coat of ivory paint.  Chastising herself for being too impatient to let the paint dry, she headed back into the little kitchen to fill up the mop bucket with sudsy water.  She had been cleaning the cobwebs out of a corner when an old memory came back to her.   Some close friends had pulled an old iron bed, much like the one she was working on, out of an old homestead up the road from them.  One had to look past the rust and grub to see the beauty it had once been.  In fact, there had been some talk about whether it was worth the time it would take to restore it.  She knew it would be.  Beautiful rosettes and leaves had been intertwined in the metal.  Not sure how the bed had ended up in the old homestead, probably a gift for work done.  The gentleman that had lived there did odd jobs around the neighborhood to earn his livelihood.  She imaged that it had once been ivory in color and fit for a small princess.  Hours were spent cleaning, sanding and painting and in the end it was beautiful.   She had envisioned painting those rosettes in water colored rose pink but in the end left it with the clean look.  It was hard to see it loaded up in the truck and carried away but it looked beautiful in the little girl’s room for which it had been purchased. 

Shaking her head to clear the memory, she went about putting the bed back together.  She was glad that it had been late in the evening and that any neighbors she had were far enough away to miss the dragging of the mattress and box springs from the storage trailer.  She was quite sure un-mentionable words might have been spoken.  Once inside though, she started dressing the old bed.  She put a red-fitted sheet on the box spring and then covered that in a lace bedskirt.  The red of the sheet underneath peeked thru the lace.  Next she added the white fitted sheet with the little red roses.  Very delicate.  Adding the top sheet to match and a white velour blanket, her one splurge, she smoothed her hand over the top to remove any wrinkles and gave the mattress hospital corners.  Next, she added the white chenille bedspread, much like one she had when she was growing up.  She dressed the pillows, two sets, one in red roses and the other in red.  Folding down the spread so everything peeked thru.  It needed something.  She quickly ran back up to the little camper and pulled the old red and white checked quilt from the bed in the back.  Once back in the cabin, she spread it out across the end.  Perfect!

It had been a good day and a restful night.  But, she’d layed in bed long enough.  Evvie-Lou had insisted that she come to her house this afternoon for a barbeque/meet & greet and she had been reminded….repeatedly…..that she owed her a skillet apple pie for cleaning the bathroom.

 

(as always....the memories may or may not be my own.....)

Enjoy!

jen