Country Clutch

In 1999, a friend named Valerie put together a small group of Christian ladies in our rural area with the objective of meeting together to learn practical and survival skills in case Y2K was the big problem people were saying it might be. We met monthly and learned such things as to how to cook without electricity. We found we enjoyed our meetings very much. January 1, 2000 came and went without a hitch, but we didn't let that keep us from still meeting. We were enjoying learning things from each other. So we began making doughnuts together, learning how to crochet rugs, and watching demonstrations of how to cut a young man’s hair. At one meeting, we decided we needed a name and voted on “Country Clutch” – a name I, personally, wasn’t too crazy about! A clutch is a brood of chickens! I wasn’t sure I wanted to be known as a hick hen! But, the name has grown on me and I still enjoy meeting with the women – though many of the faces have changed – eight years later!


Because sometimes life gets a bit busy, I haven't met with them for months. I've missed our meetings! Today, we came together in a new friend's home. Elsy taught us how to make homemade whole wheat tortillas. Though they may not have turned out perfectly round, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. She showed us how to form them by hand using a technique I had never seen before. We all left with a nice stack of tortillas. Earlier in the day at home, I had put a chicken in the crockpot so we had burritos for dinner with our fresh, healthy, delicious tortillas!

Thank you, Valerie! Thank you, Elsy!

Quick trip to Pasadena

Gabe and I left for Pasadena immediately after church on Sunday to visit the Gombojav family. We arrived about 4:30 in the afternoon to be greeted by some excited children! Meg was busy making some very special cookies -- traffic light cookies -- just for us.


We did have to do some business (one of the reasons I went was to help with taxes), but we did spend the rest of the 25 1/2 hours playing and laughing. Papa (Gabe) actually stuck the Hummer in the van to surprise the kids. They had fun driving all around the church parking lot next door. Papa and Meg went out for doughnut run (a ritual for Papa and all the grandchildren) on Monday morning, Luc showed us his superman feats, Caesar warmed our hearts with his continuous smile, and Israel cried when we left.

Gana is doing very well with his studies. I am very proud of him and his diligence. Daja is glowing with motherhood!

Oh, I miss them all already! I must get down there more often!

Why am I blogging?

I’ve been thinking about journaling for some time. Thinking and not doing a thing about it. :-) This past summer I started reading other people’s blogs. I got quite addicted there for a bit. It is fun and I have actually been learning quite a bit! I’ve also been enjoying emailing friends with all my latest news and pictures. My daughters have commented that I should put all of these things together and start a blog. Not that I think that I will have some huge bank of readers, but I suppose that at least my daughters will come by to see if I’ve posted about them or their children!

Why did I choose the name “Daffodil Dreams”?

A few years ago, I attended a seminar in which we broke up into small groups at the end of each session. I was working through some emotional pains from years ago and really was longing with my whole heart that God would let me know He was listening. One of the women in my small group (all pastors and spouses) spoke up at the end and said she had been feeling impressed to say something to me, but that she had been telling God it sounded so foolish. The impression wasn’t going away, and even though this was not the type of interaction that this small group was about, she spoke up. She just told me that God wanted me to know that I was His daffodil. I burst into tears. Oh, there was no way anyone in that room could know how very personal that little statement was. God didn’t call me His flower. He didn’t call me a rose, a daisy, or even an exotic orchid. He called me the one flower that meant something to me. I have loved daffodils for years. The very sight of one poking out of the waning winter ground brings joy to my heart. Their brightness floods my soul with happiness. No other flower is so courageous or hopeful of a new spring. Their beauty cannot be surpassed by any hothouse rose. But, here was God telling ME that I was His daffodil! So much was understood by that one small proclamation. God was affirming me!!! All the past did not compare to my future! He smiled when he looked at me. And besides that – and maybe even most importantly to my bruised soul, He thought I was beautiful!

So……

This blog is intended to let this daffodil let you in on a few of her dreams. It will be a forum to show off my brilliant and gorgeous family – especially my grandchildren, report on my family’s happenings, keep friends up to date on what we are up to and where we are doing it, reflect upon my life, share the rare insights and wisdom I may uncover, and testify of God’s goodness. Basically, it is a place to write about anything that’s going on in my life or my mind.

Please let me know you were here and reading by leaving a comment. Or let me know where I can find your blog!