On This Day In History . . .

July 17, 1973 found me getting off a Greyhound bus in Mesa, Arizona to begin a new life.  In tow was my 2 1/2 year old red headed little boy who the kids at Sunshine Acres Children's Home would come to nickname, "Fireball" for that red hair.

The bus made its' destination from Visalia, California where two years earlier I had been the first single person to adopt a child.  The Lord gave me my son June 4, 1971 and I spent two years praying for a place where I could make a living for our newly formed family and yet be a full time mother.  The opportunity came when Carol Whitworth, CEO answered the phone at Sunshine Acres Children's Home and told us they normally did not hire single people but at this time they did need someone to help the nurse take care of any children that might become sick and need temporary extra care away from the dorm and other children.

"Fireball" and I lived and worked at the home and it did completely answer my prayer for a place that I could provide for our needs and yet be a full time mother to my son.  In December of 1979 Jason and I adopted Anthony who was just barely 3 years old.  If you know the rest of the story you know that Anthony found a father for he and his brother and a Precious Husband for me.  Precious Husband and I were married in the Sunshine Acres Chapel with all the Acres kids in attendance nearly 30 years ago.

All in all I lived and worked at this amazing ministry called Sunshine Acres Children's Home for 12 years.  It was nothing like it is today but still no one can tell me those weren't the best years of my life. 

On this day in history 40 years ago I came to live in the desert at a place lovingly called, Miracle in the Desert.  It provided a miracle for me as an adult just like it has provided for hundreds of children all these years later.  

I hope you will take a few minutes and watch the You Tube about the home and see for yourself what an amazing place it is. 

Sunshine Acres and Muffins

It is getting closer and closer to cooler days here in Arizona - we have had a very HOT long summer.  I could not wait any longer and made a pot of chili this week in honor of coming fall days

If you have read my blog you know that I worked for 12 years in a Christian children's home called Sunshine Acres.  Well, they are now on Face Book and have a video of the founder, the late Vera Dingman known fondly as Aunt Vera.

With cooler days ahead and in memory of my days at Sunshine Acres I want to repost a wonderful muffin recipe.

My Famous Muffins (repost)

When the Lord gave me my first son, Jason more than anything I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.  Being a single woman I had to make a living for us though and the Lord made that possible by taking me to Sunshine Arcres Children's Home.  While there I adopted my second son, Anthony and two years later I met the man who would become my Precious Husband.

During my years at "The Acres" I would often invite some of the other single ladies and grandmas on the place over for coffee and muffins.  Today I am sharing a recipe that has been around for years but worth repeating here.  Grandma Merle was the grandmother of Judy Dingman who was the founders of "The Acres" daughter-in-law.  Are you still with me : )  Anyway, Grandma Merle would always say, "Oh boy, we get to go to Dorothy's for her famous muffins!"   Such special memories I have of all the people and especially the children of Sunshine Acres.

Dorothy's Famous Muffins

(Better known as 6 Week Muffins)

5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups boiling water
2 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs, beaten well
1 quart buttermilk
4 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups raisins

Mix 2 cups All Bran with boiling water and set aside.  In large bowl with lid mix margarine and sugar and add eggs, beating well.  Combine dry ingredients and mix in.  Add buttermilk and the other 4 cups All Bran along with wet All Bran.  Mix well and stir in raisins.  Bake 20 minutes in greased muffin tins at 400’.  This mix keeps in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.  Make as many or as few at a time as you want to.

Try this recipe out and invite a neighbor that needs a lift.  In no time people will be talking about your "famous muffins" too. 

Linking up to http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/   http://everydaymomsmeals.blogspot.com/  http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/

Very Special

Last Saturday lives were reunited for a few hours.  The greatly anticipated Sunshine Acres reunion came together with about 35 in attendance.  Some of us hadn't seen each other in about 25 years.  We had a wonderful time and only regret the absence of a few that had planned to come and could not make it or forgot (shame shame on you).  We are already planning on a repeat event but in January or February when it is cooler and we can enjoy a fire pit in the back yard instead of coping with 110 degree heat. 

Personally the highlight of the whole evening was the young man in the picture above with our son Anthony.  Gary and I found each other on Face Book 25 years after leaving the Acres.  What is so special about Gary is his love for Anthony!  The minute we connected on FB Gary wanted to know about Anthony.  When plans were made for the reunion,  again the first thing Gary asked was whether or not Anthony would be there. 

When Gary and his brother Jimmy arrived they greeted everyone and passed out hugs to the other Acres' kids and then he made a straight dart for Anthony.  He parked in a chair next to Anthony and spent the whole evening catching up on Anthony's life and giving him all his love and attention.  Now this is not always easy when you are communicating with someone who is non-verbal due to his disability but it did not stop Gary from reconnecting after all these years.  This is the young man that as a teenager would come over and put Anthony is the basket of a three-wheeler bicycle and bike him all over the Acres so Anthony could have fun. 

Very special.  Amazing love in action.  Watching the two of these young men really was the most special part of the whole evening.  To see my son loved on in such a genuine and caring way made my mother's heart swell with appreciation and love.

Promises were made not to let 25 years go by before getting these two back together again.  Every Anthony should be so fortunate to have a Gary that loves him in such a special way.

Facebook, Sunshine Acres and Yogurt Pancakes

 Billy

I joined Face Book a while back but never really saw the benefit until recently when I reconnected with one of the children that lived at Sunshine Acres while I worked there.  We began uploading pictures of the other kids and we have had a great deal of fun reminiscing about years gone by.  Karrie spoke of trying to reunite as many as possible for a get together so we have set a date for July to have a reunion of children and staff from the Acres at our home and I am so excited about it.


These children are actually all grown now and many with grandchildren.  Oh my,  I am getting old!


One of the boys men I have connected with from the Acres on Face Book is Billy.  Billy's housemother was my dearest friend Dolores and she and her husband had actually desired to adopt Billy but it never came to fruition.  Today, I got a note on Face Book from Billy and at the end he says, "and I still remember the yogurt pancakes".  I am so touched that he remembers.  You have to understand that one of my love languages is definitely feeding people that I love.  To think that after all these years (30 something) he still remembers pancakes -- well -- wowie dowie!

Tomorrow I will link with Lisa for Tempt my Tummy Tuesday to share my recipe for yogurt pancakes.

Best Friends

 

In less than a month I lost my two very best friends.  Friends that I fear will be irreplaceable.  Precious Husband of course is my true best friend but women tend to need that special bond that only comes from sharing with another woman.

I shared earlier about “Aunt Jo” the precious saint that shared our home for the last 8 months of her life.  She was a second mother to me for over 36 years and I miss her dearly.  In better times when she was still living at Sunshine Acres I knew that I could call her up when I had a need and she would always have a quick word of encouragement along with the promise that she would be praying for me. 

Aunt Jo and I shared a love for butterflies.  We agreed that butterflies reminded both of us of the verse in Corinthians that says old things have passed away and behold all things are new for the born again child of God.  When the hospital bed was removed from her room and I once again made the guest room very fru-fru in design I could not resist using lots of butterflies in the mix.  Many of the butterflies are mine but many of hers have been added and I smile when I go in and look around.

Aunt Jo passed away October 25 just days before her 98^th birthday on Halloween.  Two days later I received a call from MaryKay telling me her mother – my dear dear best friend Dolores was full of cancer and not expected to live.  With my Precious Husband’s blessing I boarded the next plane to Lubbock, Texas that afternoon and had the awesome blessing of sitting with Dolores at her bedside all through the night.  I flew back home in the morning because arrangements had to be made for Aunt Jo.

Dolores was 15 years my senior but we had the relationship of sisters.  Because she was older she shared so much wisdom with me concerning being a wife and mother.  Her godly example will forever be etched in my mind.  We laughed together like little girls and we cried together like old ladies with lots of shared burdens.  No one will ever know my heart like Dolores did.

When I arrived at her hospital bed the first thing she said was, “I knew you would come on the first plane when you got the call!”  How glad I am that I could go and sit those precious few hours with my friend.  Our visit was definitely more of a blessing to me that probably to her because that is just the way Dolores was.  She ministered to my heart that night and shared of her great joy in the knowledge that she would soon be with her Lord and Savior and with that knowledge how could she not be at peace she said.  She passed away about 3 weeks later. 

Many years ago when Dolores moved to Texas she asked me if I would like some of her teacups.  She didn’t know how I had just started into my Emilie Barnes teacup obsession and the timing of such a question was just special.  Her cups were the beginning of a wonderful collection for me that graces the walls and shelves in my home.  When she got to Texas she mailed me two metal blue speckled spoons that hang in my kitchen even now.  She said she had 2 more and she wanted us to both have them and when she saw hers she would think of me.  All these years since when I stand at my stove and see the blue spoons hanging on the wall there I think of my friend Dolores and now I miss her terribly.  Beyond a doubt Dolores was a woman that loved the Lord and maybe more importantly was a woman that knew the Lord loved her.

There no doubt will be many more posts about Dolores because there is so much more I want to tell about her.  Much more that needs to be told because by my telling you -- you too will be blessed I know! 

Truly some people leave footprints on our heart and we are never the same.

My Famous Muffins

When the Lord gave me my first son, Jason more than anything I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.  Being a single woman I had to make a living for us though and the Lord made that possible by taking me to Sunshine Arcres Children's Home.  While there I adopted my second son, Anthony and two years later I met the man who would become my Precious Husband.

During my years at "The Acres" I would often invite some of the other single ladies and grandmas on the place over for coffee and muffins.  Today I am sharing a recipe that has been around for years but worth repeating here.  Grandma Merle was the grandmother of Judy Dingman who was the founders of "The Acres" daughter-in-law.  Are you still with me : )  Anyway, Grandma Merle would always say, "Oh boy, we get to go to Dorothy's for her famous muffins!"   Such special memories I have of all the people and especially the children of Sunshine Acres.

Dorothy's Famous Muffins

(Better known as 6 Week Muffins)

5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups boiling water
2 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs, beaten well
1 quart buttermilk
4 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups raisins

Mix 2 cups All Bran with boiling water and set aside.  In large bowl with lid mix margarine and sugar and add eggs, beating well.  Combine dry ingredients and mix in.  Add buttermilk and the other 4 cups All Bran along with wet All Bran.  Mix well and stir in raisins.  Bake 20 minutes in greased muffin tins at 400’.  This mix keeps in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.  Make as many or as few at a time as you want to.

Try this recipe out and invite a neighbor that needs a lift.  In no time people will be talking about your "famous muffins" too.

A Blessing in Our Home

"Aunt Jo" as she was affectionately called by all that knew and loved her moved into our home a year ago this week.  She remained with us till she went to be with her Lord and Savior 8 months later a week short of her 98th birthday.

My precious husband knew how much I loved Aunt Jo and when the time came that she could no longer live alone he convinced Aunt Jo and me that it was time she called our home her home too.

I met Aunt Jo 36 years ago when the Lord brought me to Arizona from California to work at Sunshine Acres Children's Home.  With a 2 year old in tow I was hired to help the nurse in the little infirmary.  Aunt Jo was the nurse that mended little skinned knees and smothered cheeks with kisses all the time telling them about Jesus.  She became a second mother to me.

Aunt Jo blessed my precious husband and me with her presence in our home and we miss her but praise God for our time together.  She touched many lives in amazing ways and I praise God for being one of those lives.  She lived out the commandment of Titus 2:3-5