Happy Birthday To Liberty!

     Today we celebrate Liberty's 4TH birthday!....or at least we would if we were with her and knew where she was.  As I've written in the past "birthday postings" we don't know where Liberty or her siblings are or how they are doing.  As I write this and look at this picture I remember the journey this little gift from GOD has already had in the few years shes been here on earth.  If you go back to one the very early postings I made on this site, I shared how very close we came to loosing Liberty before her first birthday due to diabetes.  Prior to turning 1, she had to be life flighted to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital with a blood sugar level that was through the roof and since then has had to be monitored constantly and take injections multiple times daily.  Through out this whole ordeal, Liberty never lost the sparkle in her eye or her laugh and smile. She is truly a miracle of GOD and always brought much happiness and joy into our home. I think one of the things that hurts the most with her absence in our lives is not knowing if she will remember us. I know some of us have vivid memories of things when we were very young...but I am not one of them! (I have a hard time remembering things that happened when I was 10 or 12 so remembering things at age 2-4 seems impossible for me)  Having said all this, I want to take a moment and write directly to Liberty, the same way I've done with Joshua and Lily.


     Happy Birthday Liberty!  Today you turn 4 years old and Gramma and I want to wish you not only a Happy Birthday but also to say we love you and miss you more than you could possibly know.  Just like your brother and sister, we pray for you all the time and long to know how your doing and where your at.  You are a very special little girl and hold a special place in our hearts.  As your grandfather, I want to tell you that your name, Liberty, is no mistake and that it is not just a name chosen by your parents but a name given you by the LORD your creator.  Your name means FREEDOM and we are praying to that end constantly for you.  Freedom from sickness.....freedom from sin.....freedom from turmoil and confusion... freedom from any type of bondage and the release of GODS perfect plan for your life!  I know your still too young to understand fully but my prayer for you comes from Isaiah 60:22 and Isaiah 61:1-11..................


 ^60:22 The least one shall become a thousand [a clan], and the small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its [appointed] time.

61     The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,

² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] ^[a]and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

³ To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

⁴ And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

⁵ Aliens shall stand [ready] and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

⁶ But you shall be called the priests of the Lord; people will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and the glory [once that of your captors] shall be yours.

⁷ Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach [your people] shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [what they had forfeited]; everlasting joy shall be theirs.

⁸ For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong with violence or a burnt offering. And I will faithfully give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with them.

⁹ And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹¹ For as [surely as] the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so [surely] the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [through the self-fulfilling power of His word].

Chapter 61 is called "Good News For The Oppressed " and ANY sickness (diabetes) is an oppression and we believe you will be not only set free from this disease but that you will see and fulfill GODS perfect plan for your life....and that we will be allowed to not only see this but be a part of it as well!


Isaiah 53:5 Amplified Bible 

⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

Christs work on the cross paid the price for your healing and restoration. We are praying to that end for you!

Love Grandpa Williamson

Wishing A Happy and Blessed Birthday To Our Grandson!

     Today our grandson Joshua celebrates his 8th birthday....and his second birthday without Susie and I in his life.  It's been 2 long years since he and his sisters were taken away in the divorce aftermath and to this day we have no earthly idea where they are at or how they are doing (or what they are being told about our absence)  Regardless of what they are led to believe, we rarely go more than an hour or so without grieving for them, interceding and praying for them, and shedding tears for them.  I feel that there is a hole in my heart where these beautiful gifts from God have been stolen from our lives and I will NEVER stop praying and longing for their restoration to us....and they WILL be restored to us!  So, in honor of Joshua Michael Williamsons birthday, I write the following "open" letter to him with the hopes that somehow, someway he will be able to see it and KNOW he is loved and missed!


 Dear Joshua,

     Gramma and I want to wish you a very Happy and Blessed 8TH birthday and wish we could be there to share in your special day.  It doesn't seem possible that you are turning 8 already!  We want you to KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that you  are loved and missed and we are praying for you constantly.  We still remember you playing here in the creek and helping with the chores....all the books we read (especially the Ginger Bread Man....YO!)...eating pancakes and cookies....hotdogs and hamburgers....having bonfires and listening to the owls.  Our life is lacking in your absence and we long for the day that we can see you again and assure you that we did not abandon you and your sisters and that NONE of this was our doing or our desire.  We have continued to pray for GODS blessings and protection to be upon you and trust in the goodness of the Almighty to see you through anything that you face.  Please trust in the following scriptures we are praying for you:



Numbers 6:24-26  “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”


Joshua 1: 5-6 (New Living Translation)  No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses.  I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU.  Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.


Joshua 1:9  Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
 



 I Thessalonians 3:16~ "Now, may the Lord of peace Himself, give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you (and all of us.) Amen.



  John 17:11,15,17~ "Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name so that they may be one., My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth, for Your Word is truth."




Have a very Happy Birthday and know that you are in our hearts, our minds, and our prayers. We LOVE you Joshua!


Gramma & Grandpa Williamson

 

 

    

Strange Growing Season This Year

      With not having hardly any rain here for over 5 months, it's a wonder we got anything at all out of the garden. What watering we were able to do was all by hand from the little amount of water we were getting into the leaky spring house. The cotton crop this year died early on so we didn't even get a Q-tip this season.  Our tomatoes didn't come into production till very late but even then we got a pretty good crop.  We planted a new to us variety this year called a Sausage tomato which is a paste type and we staked them in our usual Florida weave manner but have found them to be a much bushier plant than the Roma's so next year we will have to do something different (and shorter).  Our peppers did pretty good....especially the Thai Dragons and the Jalapenos.  The peppers pictured here are called a Trinidad Scorpion and they were the record holder last year as the hottest pepper grown.  If you want to see "crazy" in action, just go to YouTube and watch people TRY to eat these!  Don't ask me what we are going to do with them....I sure am not brave enough to try one.  I think we will dry them and grind them up and maybe use a GRAIN or two in a pot of chili.  I had seen these in the seed catalog and just had to try them.
      Our beans did well as did our lettuce. We actually got lettuce this year and couldn't begin to guess how many salads we ate.  The watermelons didn't grow at all and the zucchini was rather disappointing but we did get a number of bags in the freezer which we use making chocolate zucchini bread.  Our apple trees didn't produce and neither did our blueberries or the grapes but yesterday was November 1 and we were still getting red raspberries!

     We did get our first strawberries, asparagus, and rhubarb this year so that was a great blessing.  All in all, we have put up enough to keep us through the winter and praying for a BETTER growing season NEXT year!

It's Been Intersting To Say The Least!

     We have had a year here where the water has been a constant problem and source of stress... at least for me.  It started about a year ago when we decided to clean out the liner in the spring house and in doing so, made a small leak.  Now the leak itself was bad enough because of all the mess it made...mud and standing water around the building but when you couple that with the frozen and busted pipes and the pump itself that we experienced with this past winter, it became even more of an issue. We've lived here for 21 years and while we have had frozen pipes before, this was the first time it was bad enough to actually break things. I mean really!....how in the world can it get so bad that the iron pump actually breaks into several pieces? We spent almost 2 and a half MONTHS carrying water from the spring to the house in 5 gallon buckets but even in that I felt blessed since a lot of folks went that long or longer with NO water at all.  (We can at least haul our water even though it gets rather old)  After more attempts than I care to remember to get the plumber out here to fix it and ACTUALLY fix it, we were well into spring.  Even though we had running water again, the system was not (and still isn't) working right but at least it was working well enough to take a bath and flush toilets and do laundry.  THEN the next problem hit! We have gone pretty much from mid June to the past few weeks with NO rain at all....not a freaking drop.  Again, after living here 21 years we have now seen the spring as low as it can possibly be without actually going completely dry.  To say that I have not handled it well is a gross understatement. (Just ask Susie!)  All the while what little water we were getting was still slowly leaking out.  I do have to stop and say that regardless of my stress and lack of faith, GOD has never allowed us to be without water...but I do have to say that He's cutting it a little closer than I care to live.  Besides the leaking liner, we also had a roof that had caved in due to being over 30 years old so the past 2 weeks we have undertaken what may seem like a small project to normal people but to a career printer was like building the ark.  During this time we have removed the old roof completely, re-wired a new light fixture inside for a heat lamp, replaced the liner, and re-insulated it.  Above shows the results of all our efforts. (I know...don't laugh but we are fairly pleased with the results)  I still need to finish cleaning up the area around it and replace the siding on the right side but at least it's holding water now and the ground is beginning to dry out and the rain isn't going straight through the roof.....and I hope and PRAY that I will never again have to do this project.  Our next step is to build a completely new spring house in a different area with a plastic holding tank and a flush valve on the bottom and a new water line to bring more water here than is currently flowing.

 

 

And here is a picture of the overflow just to show that we do in fact have water!  Many years ago when Jeremiah was still here, he hand dug and buried this overflow pipe to drain into the creek rather than into the yard like it had been since the original owners had built the place. The pipe is about 130 feet long which may not sound like much but if you've ever tried digging 130 feet in length in the Tennessee ground you'll know this is more than a major accomplishment! This is something I doubt I could have done on my own but he just went out one day and the next thing we knew, he had a buried overflow pipe...and to Jeremiah we are thankful!

Wishing our Granddaughter a Happy Birthday...Wherever She Is!

     Not that I needed the alarm on my cell phone going off to remind me that today is our oldest Grand-daughters 6TH birthday but it was still a lot like rubbing salt in an open wound.  This will be the second birthday we have missed celebrating with her and not knowing where she is or how shes doing...what shes being told or what she thinks about her grandparents "disappearing", has caused a plethora of pain....at least for me!  It's been close to 2 years  since we have last seen or heard from her and her siblings and the vacuum that has been left in all their absence is staggering to say the least. There is barely a waking moment that goes by that we are not thinking and praying for both her and Joshua and Liberty. So...in the absence of being a part of your life, Lily.....Happy Birthday from your Gramma and Grampa Williamson and please KNOW that you are missed, loved and wanted!!!!

     We have no idea if any of the cards or gifts we send are getting to you  but know that we will not rest or stop praying for the three of you until you are restored into our lives.  In the mean time, just know that we are praying for you without ceasing and that we will NEVER give up wanting you (and the others!) back in our life where you belong!  In closing, I want to speak these verses over you and ask the Fathers richest blessing on you not only today as you celebrate but each and every day of your life!  I can only ask somehow, someway, someday you will see this and know and understand that none of this was our doing or our desire.....we love you Lily...be blessed!

Ephesians 1:17-19~ "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your hearts may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe."

 I Thessalonians 3:16~ "Now, may the Lord of peace Himself, give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you (and all of us.) Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26~ "The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace."

 John 17:11,15,17~ "Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name so that they may be one., My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth, for Your Word is truth."

Tour De Fleece Is Underway!

     Tour De Fleece 2014 is underway and today is day two of the "competition".  Susie is OFFICIALLY a member of Team Ashford, Team Caffeinated, and Team Peloton so she has her work cut out for her, having to spin EVERY day that the tour runs.  I myself am her "pit crew"...making sure that she gets her spinning time in, that she gets copious pictures taken of her progress, and figuring out how to post said pictures on Ravelry.  So far she has managed to get more spinning time in that I had expected and we are both in hopes that after spinning daily for close to a month, the "habit" of spinning will once again be set and we will get some of the mountain of fiber that I have stockpiled converted into yarn...then into a finished object!

     We are STILL in dire need of rain, having had none to speak of for close to 2 months.  Both the plants and MY stress level are taking a major hit with the dry and hot weather.

     I am UNOFFICIALLY not running in the TDF but am trying to work on something fibery everyday as well.  I have been processing a number of raw alpaca fleeces for Mike & Melody Weist and while I've been baking what little brains I have out by standing out in the field in the sun I do find this sort of work more enjoyable than what I do most of the week.  Here's proof that I DO actually do something around here!

Please Help Identify This!

     We were out working in the garden awhile ago and all of a sudden, without any warning whatsoever, we started getting hit with this "stuff".  I for one am hoping that someone can help me identify it because I don't know what it is or where it's coming from.  Whatever it is, it's cold and wet and made us run first to the barn then make a life or death break for the house.  Oh....wait a minute....Susie says she found it on line on the dictionary....lets see.....


RAIN....(noun)...water that falls in drops from clouds in the sky.

-water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 1/50 inch (0.5 mm) in diameter.

 

-a rainfall, rainstorm, or shower: We had a light rain this afternoon.

rains, the rainy season

 

-weather marked by steady or frequent rainfall: We had rain most of last summer.

 

     OK...NOW I remember what it is. It's been so long since we've had any around here I had forgotten what it was called! (Now if we could just get it to KEEP raining for a few days so the spring fills back up that would be WONDERFUL!)

 

 

 

     (Just another shot to prove I'm not making this up!)

2014 Tour De Fleece Starts Next Month

     This will be a first for us....Susie is signed up to participate in the 2014 Tour De Fleece.  During the entire Tour De FRANCE competition, she will be spinning every day and posting on her Ravelry pages her progress.  We are hoping that this will be the catalyst to get back to daily spinning.....thus using up some of the kabillion pounds of fiber that I have stock piled over the years!  (Yes...the hoarder is Moi and I'm proud of the stash I've amassed but since there's still room in the house, my job is not yet done!)

     Now the only decision facing us at this point is whether or not I will also partake in the tour challenge.

Shearing Day at Double Creek Farm Alpacas

     Having not been ANYWHERE for several years, we decided to pay a visit to Mike & Melody Weist over at Double Creek Farm Alpaca in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Actually, we WERE invited!)  Mike and Melody were having a "shearing day" for their herd of 16 alpacas and having never seen alpacas sheared, it proved to be an interesting day.  Their shearer specialized in alpaca and llamas and she made short work of shearing the entire herd.....16 animals in less than 3 hours.  Susie and I had a really good time in spite of all the seed ticks I got walking through the grass getting to the car.  If you need any great quality alpaca fiber, be sure to look Double Creek up. You'll be glad you did!

An Open Letter To My Grandkids

     Several days ago, Susie and I were out clearing brush in our field (the one that's never been fully cleared in 20 years that we've lived here!) when we came upon a couple nodding trillium in full bloom. While not considered "rare", they are not something we see a lot of around here...especially after the loggers got done tearing things up all around our property.  Looking at them, I had a mix of emotions ranging from gratitude for being allowed to find and see them to sadness in realizing this is yet one more thing we're being deprived of sharing with our grandchildren. It's now been since before Thanksgiving 2012 that we've seen them or had any word on how they are.  I can only describe the pain at times as being like loosing a loved one long before their time.  Facing this can cause one of two outcomes.....I can either give way to despair and hopelessness or I can allow it to drive me to my knees in prayer....most of the time I choose the latter. I know this blog is suppose to be about the crafts Susie and I practice but not having Joshua, Lily, and Liberty around to share these traditions and crafts with has been a giant wound.  So....this post is going to be an open letter to them, knowing that the chances they will ever see it is slim, but maybe in just putting this into writing will help "strengthen" my resolve.

Dear Joshua, Lily, and Liberty;

     It's been a very long time since Gramma  and I have seen or talked to you.  We pray for you all EVERY day and hope that you are well and have not forgotten us.  Even though we have no idea where you are, how you're doing, what you're being told, or what you think about us not being around any more we want you to NEVER forget that we LOVE you and miss you!  We send cards for your birthdays and holidays but have never heard back from you so we can only hope that they are getting to you.  We still have Christmas presents from 2 years ago wrapped and sitting here.....a constant reminder that we are not part of your lives any longer. I want you all to be assured that none of this was our desire or our doing and that we are as innocent in all this as you three are.  Many things remind us of you....the small hammer you use to play with, the silly songs we use to sing, the cartoons we use to watch, the walks down the road, the playing in the creek, hauling firewood, and eating cookies....all the things we use to do with you all. We still look at the pictures we took of you and wonder what you look like now.  Joshua-How are you doing in school? What do you like to do? What do you want to be when you grow up?  Lily-Have you been doing any knitting? (Yours is still here just the way you left it) Have you started school yet?  Liberty-as the youngest, I'm not even sure you will remember us which makes the pain all the more hard to deal with. Do you remember us? How are you doing with your diabetes?  What do you like to do?


    We can only pray that someday you will be able to know the truth of the situation and realize that we did NOT leave you by choice. We were very happy being a part of your lives and not having you around has been very hard. To not be a part of your lives....to not having been there when you needed us...to not having been allowed to encourage and teach you the things you asked us to...to not be allowed to see you grow and mature....this has been a great wrong done to you three and to us.  PLEASE just know that you are in our thoughts and prayers and if you EVER need us, we are here and we will come....on that you can depend! We love you all and miss you more than you could ever know and we pray for Gods restoration of our relationship with you.

Love Grandpa Mike & Gramma Susie


 
    

Still Breathing in Tennessee

      You know, we started this blog several years ago to share with everyone our lives revolving around print, wood, and fiber but looking back, I see that more often than not what it's become is a "recitation" of problems we face.  Considering that there are MAYBE 3 people that read this blog, I should be glad that in this day and age, talking to yourself is considered "social media".... after all several generations ago they would "confine" you for talking to yourself.

     Seeing that we are already 3 months into this year and this is the first post speaks volumes as to what we have been going through.  One thing that has been made all too apparent the past few years is how our life's goals and dreams have changed (aka been shattered) not so much by a change in direction on our part but by the actions and mistakes of those around us.  Maybe I have led a sheltered life but before this period of time, I would have NEVER guessed that so much pain could be projected onto you by what others decide to do (or not do) and what someone may say (or not say) but the one thing that has been made ABUNDANTLY clear is that accepting or rejecting this pain is a CHOICE we each make daily.  I'd love to say that  I have this down cold but I don't and I have struggled daily with family relationships that I THOUGHT were rock solid that are now just on the rocks.  We are closing in on a year and a half without seeing our grandchildren...and NOT by our choice. We have no idea where they are, how they are doing, if they remember us, what they are being told about our "disappearance" or anything else about their lives. We have no idea how Liberty is doing with her children's diabetes, if Lily is still knitting or if Joshua has ever learned to use a hammer and saw like he wanted to. One thing I CAN say is that there is not a day that goes by that we are not in intercession for these three beautiful children and we pray for the restoration of our Godly inheritance.

     Work continues to be a trial and I have actually taken steps to change careers after 33 years in the printing trade.  I feel like the old letterpress craftsman and the Linotype operators that were replaced by offset lithography and photo-typesetting.  I've seen this trade change so much over the years that I hardly recognize it anymore. I wish I could share what I have in the works but at least for the present, I'm going to play this pretty close to the vest.  As things develop I will share more......along with trying to get back to the point of this blog in the first place and that being "talking" about print, wood and fiber.  (I promise!)