Fresh Produce, Fathers, Whacking Denim, Writing, and Louis Dean Gets His Fence Up!

It came an unexpected rain early in the hours of Saturday morning.

We had been star gazing and they were brilliant right up until a few minutes before 2:00 AM when we came in to go to bed. And we slept so soundly neither one of us knew the power had gone out and that it had rained a significant amount!

Crystal came down late Friday night to spend the weekend with her mom and Dean.

I saw them out in the garden gathering up some produce.

They gave us two of the white squash patties. I don't think I had ever had those before.

Louis Dean has been working on his fence poles in preparation of wrapping his fence around them.

I stayed busy inside and around 7:00 we went up to eat dinner with Dean, Sherry and Crystal.

Crystal had asked her mom to make all her favorites and she did!

Dean smoked ribs, Sherry made potato salad - and a special bowl of it without onions just for Crystal.

There were BBQ beans, corn on the cob, and pepper poppers - some hotter than others. I brought a big bowl of watermelon and grapes garnished with a healthy sprig of fresh mint.

Soon I will be planting the mint in a special bed in the garden.

We ate out on their front deck where Sherry had set up the high table and bar chairs and even had a strand of Edison lights strung up!

There was a glorious sunset and then we had fireworks!

My phone was inside their house and I was enjoying myself too much to get up and go get it!

We came back to our camper/cabin around 10:00 and went straight to bed!

Best Saturday night in the country!!!

Sunday morning I looked out and saw Sherry on her tractor taking down a dead willow up by the big tank and Crystal mowing. Mother and daughter doing what they love to do together!

I made us a BLT for Sunday Brunch.

Tomatoes and onions fresh from our garden at home.

I added avocado slices on mine.

We had our Bible and out loud reading and then sat for awhile watching the kittens play.

They are so cute and we are happy we have them.

They are the best little things and are no trouble at all.

We do keep our water gun out for when they get in the screen windows.

They would only be a morsel bite for the coyotes if they were to get out and wander away.

It's Father's Day and I do not normally do a post about it.

I never knew my real father - not so much as his name.

And I never had a good healthy relationship with any man until I met Louis Dean.

None of my siblings grew up with a healthy male role model.

However, God is faithful and he has blessed our family with many Godly men......

Now I know Louis Dean was a good role model in his family and there were probably many in his life.

His father in law was even closer to him than his own father who died in his 60's.

This is Chandy and her family!

She sent wishes to her granddad this morning for a Happy Father's Day.

Chandy found a good man in her husband, Chris.

Here is Chris with his five sons.

Chandy and her granddad back in February 2018.

I love this photo Chandy shared of Louis Dean, Ellen, their Karate teacher Charro, Dean and Sherry.

I don't know the year this pic was taken but I love to look at it!

I'm guessing Louis Dean was in his 40's and Dean was in his 20's.

This is a pic of my two sons.

Jesse, Jr. and Benjamin.

I am so proud of Jesse.

He did not learn how to be a good daddy from his own .....

but he became one for his children.

I don't know of a better father than he is.

Then there's Mike!

Quad father to his four and he is an amazing role model!

Amber posted on Facebook this morinng that she had no good father figures in her life.

None of my children did.

And now there is an abundance.

Jesse, Mike, Louis Dean....all super examples.

Mike's dad and his Grandpa......

Then there are the uncles......Benjamin, Mark and Chris.

The kids will grow up with healthy experiences from healthy men AND women in their lives.

Amber sent videos of her greetings to her dad, Louis Dean, and from the kids and Mike.

She has one of the best fathers in the world with Louis Dean and is proud to call him DAD!

I have been back to writing again.

So far I have written 61,747 words in my memoir.

Plus the 1215 words I wrote today.

It's not easy writing at this point.

 I decided to wade right in to the waters of the past and write as fast as I can.

I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to.

Today it was the Christmas season of 1973. Richard Nixon was president and there was an energy crisis so he banned all electric Christmas lights that year.

It was a dark year for me anyway.

I was struggling with mental illness and cried a lot.

I was anorexic, suicidal and addicted to tranquillizers.

My psychiatrist had been seeing me for 6 months and could not help me so he said shock therapy would be the next step in his treatment.

I stopped writing at this point and decided I needed some denim therapy.

It's not comfortable to visit our past when it is a dark scary place in our minds and heart.

But God has redeemed so much for me and I feel compelled to tell my story that there is hope when you think you have none. And that God is a God of redemption.

I wish I had known then that I would have such a happy ending.

I whacked denim up for a baby quilt for a soon to be born great grandson - Chandy's baby boy who will be named Jax.

These strips will soon be his first quilt from Great Grandmom.

And Louis Dean was a happy man all day long as he strung up his fence!!

I have made a late supper for us.....

roasted vegetables and a chicken pasta dish.

It is with a grateful and happy heart that I bid you all goodnight from the country!