With Love from Jolene from Ukraine

Jolene and her sweet family are missionaries to Ukraine. I have enjoyed meeting her and getting to know her through her blogas well as meetingg her in person when they came to our church. You can read about that here. She is such a sweet Christian woman! The Lord hascrecently allowed them to build a beautiful house. I am so happy for them. She has donr a great job decorating her house, and she has been so kind to take us on a tour of the house. I have re-posted the most recent one of the master bedroom. You can see the rest of the beautiful rooms on her beautiful blog. Hope she doesn't mind my posting this. It is a blessing to me, and I believe it will be to you as well! By the way, my husband stayed in their home when he was in Ukraine a couple years ago.



With Love from Ukraine...: Tour My Home - part 5 {master bedroom}: Part 1 {The outside} Part 2 {Garage entryway} Part 3 {Brianna and Micah's Room} Part 4 {Main bathroom} So, here it is... the m...

Celebrating 100 posts

Well, I almost forgot to make a blog post about posting 100 blog posts!  I started blogging in January of 2009.  I actually had another blog that I began on.  I really don't know what happened to those posts.  I know I deleted the actual blog, but I thought I saved the posts.  Oh well, this is post 102 on this blog, Gleanings From Gail.  I guess I have learned some about blogging since I began, but not a tremendous amount.  It is something I enjoy.  I have made new friends, found my "niche" I guess you could say (home decorating), and came across so many great ideas.  All  the projects that people get done in their homes simply amaze me.  I have also saved my husband some money by having a blog.  Before I started blogging, I would pour over home decorating magazines.  I haven't bought but two or three magazines all year.  Sorry magazine companies.  I just get to look at so much more decorating in home decorating blogs! 

I wanted to do a giveaway for my 100th post, but I didn't know what to give away!  I actually did do one give away.  It was for my 30th follower.  I need to learn more about this. 

Anyway, to celebrate my 100th post, I thought I would re post my very first post on this blog.  Hope you enjoy!  Please let me know if you do.  I don't get many comments! 

Speaking of comments, I do want to thank all of you who have visited Gleanings from Gail, and all those who have commented.  I hope to be able to improve my blogging skills and to have grown to some degree in the next 100 posts!

Go to the link below to see my first post.  Thanks!

http://gleaningsfromgail.blogspot.com/2009/02/nu-114-and-mixt-multitude-that-was.html

Decorating With What You've Got .....In Your Backyard!

As I said here, I don't usually do a lot of Fall decorating, but I do enjoy what I do manage to get
done. I like to use as much natural "stuff" as I can when decorating. Where better yo get the "stuff" to do that than right from your own backyard. Can we say cheap? Oh yes, and fresh, and natural, and plentiful, and pretty! (to me, anyway)

This year, it's been nice to have the resource of a goldenrod bush (Kentucky's state flower) to decorate with. Here are some pictures of some "golden" decorating!

It's A Kentucky Thing!

It's A Kentucky Thing

These golden rods (Kentucky's state flower), seem to have been blooming in more abundance this year than I have ever seen. Maybe it's because this one grew up right at our back porch and walkway, and my husband did not cut it down. I'm glad he decided to just let it grow. I have enjoyed looking at it as well as using it to decorate with. I love using real flowers to decorate with. Because of the "green thumb" of my husband, (notice I did not mention my name here!), I can almost have some kind of a bouquet from our yard all year long. The pretty warm, mustard yellow of this golden rod, is perfect for fall decorating.

And.........you will not believe what was in our yard this morning; Kentucky 's state bird, the Cardinal.  Actually not just one, but a half dozen or more!  Amazing!  They are beautiful too!  It's just a "Kentucky thing"!  You just have to be here!!!!!
Gail

WWWV

WILD, WONDERFUL, and may I add, BEAUTIFUL WEST VIRGINIA!

My husband jokes that he is thankful for West Virginia because it takes some of the pressure off of Kentucky! I don't know about all that, but I do know that West Virginia is simply breathtakingly beautiful; especially in the fall.
I'm thankful for the opportunity we've had to enjoy some of God's handiwork here in the magnificent, color - splased, October hills of West Virginia. They say that next week they will be at their peak, but I don't see how they could be much prettier than now. Here are some pics to prove: (well, one pic ; cause I can't figure out how to do more than one with an iPad.  I would welcome some instructions on how to do that from any of my "many tech savvy" friends!  Lol)

Gail

Happy Birthday to our third-born, Sarah B!

A RE(al) TREAT

This past weekend I had the wonderful privilege of attending the Ladies Fall Retreat for the Franklin Rd. Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, Tn. What a wonderful time I had! My daughter, Hannah, got to go with me. Anytime we go on a trip together it's an adventure; usually off the beaten trail! This time was no different, even though we were using two navigation devices! We made it there fine. Coming home was a different story! Oh well, let's just say, we got to spend some quality time together and see some country that we have never seen before!

Back to the Ladies Retreat! Those are some of the sweetest ladies and boy, do they ever know how to do a retreat! I just want to thank Mrs. Mila Norris and all the wonderful ladies for the superb job they did!

Mrs. Mila and me! 

I felt very honored to be asked to speak for this event. The accommodations were soooo nice! Hannah and I were sure we could just live there in the luxurious suite provided us! It was beautiful! (should have gotten some pics).
The meeting was actually held at the Hampton Inn in Mt. Juliet, TN. A delicious dinner in one of the beautifully decorated meeting rooms began the meeting on Friday evening. Then there was games and snacks and fellowship and more of the same! Saturday morning started with a wonderful continental breakfast, and then two more sessions.



Some of the beautiful Fall decorations



The beautiful center pieces were also door prizes.

 The theme of the was the Fruit of the Spirit. It was a blessing to be able to share with those sweet ladies the truths the Lord had shown me in studying on the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22. I praise the Lord for the way He blessed. I pray the ladies all took something home with them that will help them in their walk with the Lord.

It was a special treat to get to see some dear friends. One of them was a friend from all the way in high school, Becky Crabtree. Not too long ago I learned that Becky lives in Murfreesboro. I hadn't really been in much contact with her since high school. I told her about Franklin Rd Baptist Church and she and her husband have been attending there for about a year.



Becky, my friend from high school - all the way in Murfreesboro!

Then I also got to see Angie Barnes, who was in our church here in Nicholasville for a couple years.  Her brother, Bro. Mike Norris is the pastor of the church there in Murfreesboro.  It is alway so nice to see Angie again.

Angie and her twin, Amy.  Double sweet!

I had such a good time, as you can see from the above photo!  I felt like the ladies from Franklin Road Baptist, as well as Hannah and myself really did what we were supposed to do - retreat!  Thanks ladies for such a great time!