1.I hang my dresses in my closet according to color

2.When company is coming the first I do after I tidy the house is clean my pantry, then I grab a recipe book, to look for a new recipe.

3. Even if the house isn’t totally in order I have to have my drawers and closets clean.

4.I can’t deep clean the house without a hammer and nails. to hang something up or to change something.

5.When I travel I like to keep things within reach, which means that almost always, I have to unload my lap before I can get out. And pick up things off the seat before I can get in.

6. I keep a pillow on my lap when we travel. It’s handy for naps and for a table 

7. I love to draw house plans, and all kinds of plans, which means I always keep a lot of graft paper on hand.

8. I make lists for everything, grocery lists, cleaning lists, packing, to do lists, gift lists, and when I had the cake business, often in the middle of the night I would wake up and think of something I wanted to remember, instead of laying awake worrying about it, I would lay a piece of paper and a pencil on my night stand. Then if I woke up at night and thought of something I would roll over and write it down, even in the dark, then go back to sleep.

9. I can't stand dirty drains, often time when I am finished with the dishes and let the water out of the sink, the last thing I will do is take the strainer out and wash the drain out till I get to the stopper thingy in the drain about 2 inches down.

10. I will often change my dish cloth at least once a day or maybe twice.  I can't hardly touch a smelly dish cloth.

11. I keep track of the time it takes me to complete a job.  I knew when I had a bakery that it would take me 15 minutes to decorate a small cake. An hour to decorate a cake for 100. 20 minutes to make a corsage and about an hour to make a brides bouquet. I also had 3 ovens therefore I could mix up and bake 10 dozen cookies and hour.  The only problem with knowing how long it take to complete a task is, that I didn't know how long the interuptions would take and I din't know how many phome calls there would be so, I would end up making pew bows on the way to a wedding.

12. When cleaning up the kitchen, the last thing I do is wipe the table and counter tops with a wet rag first and then dry them with a dry rag.  I think they shine better.

13.. And the last strange thing I did.  My daughter had a second hand store and in it she had some wallpaper borders, some only 3 or 4" deep. It was pretty and it was new and I couldn't pass it up for only 50 cents a roll.  Not knowing what to do with it, I finally come up with an idea.  My pantry shelves are 8 - 11" apart so I put border paper at the top of each space, just under the shelf above it. It is actually kind of pretty.  I have little bird type houses with ivy in the pantry and in the hall closet I have a floral design.  Of course I don't have little ones to keep me busy so I have to think of something to do.

TODAY'S BLESSING;  SUNSHINE, HEALTH, A HOME, ENOUGH TO EAT, A VEHICLE, FREEDOM TO WORSHIP GOD, FREEDOM TO GO AND COME AS WE PLEASE, AND MOST OF ALL, GOD'S LOVE!

I guess it's about time I update,  Nothing much has happened of excitment, pretty much the same old things.  But really they're not the same old things. My Lord gives us a new morning each day. A fresh start every day. I really am thankful to be home for awhile with no appointments and no place to go.  It has given me a chance to find my sewing machine (in the sewing room) Some people have junk drawers, until this week I've had a junk room.   We moved here a year ago. That is13 months ago, during that time we've been to Oregon at least 13 times (a distence of 376 miles one way. We've been to the east coast 2 times (a month at a time) O, dear it doeth make me tired just to think about it.

Sunday on our walk in the park down by the river, we were minding our business when a lady came over and asked if we would like some fish.  Well Pop loves fish an promptly was presented with a 20" catfish, which he prompt drove to our daughters place and gave it to her (because he didn't feel like cleaning it) And she didn't feel like cleaning it so I don't know what happened to the poor ole thing.  To think it was a wild fish and not farm raised.

Anyhow back to my title "A Desert Rose"

I looked through my pictures for about (well I don't want to say how long) I was looking for a certain picture, but I found these.  The above picture is of a desertrose.  She used to live in the rainforest and loved to wade in the creek, but then she would have to put on her shoes and socks after she had done that (wade in the creek I mean)

But there were times when she was a real little lady, and since grandma loooved to take pictures she would dutifully smile.  There were also her older brothers (the benzboys) I believe.  The one goes by "Monster" now, and he is a big boy measuring 6'4" and I don't know how many hundred pounds he weights. (there was a time when he was "grandma's precious") He still is, only now he doesn't say it out loud.  The "benzboys" would smile for the camera too if I gave them something to eat. Anyhow these my friends are 3 of my 52 granchilden, and I think they're pretty sweet and I hope they don't mind if I tease them just a bit. The clock in the living room chimed 16 time a while ago.  I don't what time that is but I'm sure it means it's time to get busy. (It probably means a broken clock, too)

In JOB 7:6 we read.....MY DAYS ARE SWIFTER THAN A WEAVER'S SHUTTLE, AND ARE SPENT WITHOUT HOPE.

Moments come and moments swiftly go.......Sunshine and golden laughter....gray days, snow, tears, and rain, they are all a part of life.  I'm so glad I have HOPE, my hope is in Jesus. Even when I feel like Job, (and my post, I worked on so hard, goes to lala land, like it just did.) I still have hope in God and He has given me a wonderful day. My thanks be to God.

Normally, weddings were held on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. But there was one group of people that held their weddings on Tuesday. Those were our Gypsie friends.

This cake will serve 525 people.

We did several for that group of people.  They were very different to deal with and it keft me on my toes, during the interview.  One thing we noticed about them, each cake they ordered had to be bigger than the last cake.  They didn't want to pay the asking price, and when we did settle on a price, they tried to add more to it for the same price.  I found out later that they didn't even serve the cake. One gypsy lady said the asking price was too much to pay, because afterall "the cake is just for, WOW !"  If you notice this cake has, frosting flowers, fresh flowers, two water fountains, and fruit.  If you look close, it also has loops of frosting hanging down off the bootom of some of the cake plates.  This is one thing that needs to be done after the cake is in place. Therefore I had to make sure I went along on the delivery.

Another thing that got more popular at last was the grooms cake.  Usually we only had orders for grooms cake if the girl was originally from the east. but after while our Portland girls cought on. If we were doing the catering, this was a popular type of grooms cake

The cake was a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, chocolate roses and leaves.  We didn't do many square cakes, but I like this one, because of its simplicity.

Some brides wanted something different, and I did several of these.

And then if the photographer was on their toes, they would catch things like this.

It was also easy to set this one up because the subject, often was only too willing to cooperate.

I like this verse, and we are burdened with many things, but I often thought of it when I was working in the business.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Matt 11:28

Not only did He give me sleep but he also gave me the strength to go on, at times when I didn't think I could take another step.

Years ago I also would babysit, I can't remember how many total, but I first started when we had been married 3 years. I think it all started when the Methodist church needed someone to babysit during the woman's Bible Study. I would take my 3 little girls and baby sit 8or 9 children while their mothers were in a Bible Study. Once we had to make an emergency evacuation, when some one came into the church and announced a flood, the water was rising and soon the church basement would began to fill. (That is another story) We lived in Sheridan at the time and for several years I baby sat many children in churches and in my home.

We moved to Estacada (80 miles away) and there I baby sat at churches, in my home, and at weddings.  All the children were beautiful and I loved them all, but there were 2 that stood out and I baby sat them longer than any of the others. They were so dear and I loved them so much I like to call them mine. In the above photo from left to right is my baby, and then the one in the middle and the little girl on the right are mine also (The two I babysat)

Alas my baby grew up and found himself a beautiful bride and S and C grew up also, and although I'm not in touch with the little (now big)boy, I hear from my little girl (Chelsea) quite often. not as often as I would like, seems time goes so fast.  And she blessed my heart when she told me she loved the Lord and was getting married to a fine Christian young man. They now have 4 lovely children. Every chance we get we include them with our family.

When Ben got married they came and were included in the family picture. I know the picture is small, but if you look close, Chelsea is right below Pop holding the baby and Sam is standing to my left, all grown up now. (you can also click on the picture and it will enlarge) This family picture was taken at my son's wedding.  You know Moms, after all the work we do to get them raised we like to have a picture of them, right?  Well here is all but 20 of them, or 2/3 of them, and there have been 4 more added since, plus 3 greats.

I sold Avon products, Stanley products, Amway and tupperware.  I went to top in sales in Avon, but the rest I signed up for mostly so I could get the product at a lower price for my own use which was quite a bit with my family of 9 children and a catrering bussines.  All my children, my in-laws, and out-laws, friend, neighbors also the little girl (grown up) I  had babysat for helped me at one time or another in the catering.   That is, all but my last daughter-in-law, We had quit catering by the time Ben got around to getting married, but we catered hiswedding, making his our last catering.  Ben and his wife served some of the cake to their guests, so it was only natural for them to wear the Eden's Cakes aprons while they served.

We also did the cake and flowers, which I couldn't have done everything myself, but I had the help of the gal I told you about that had worked for me 17 years. Everything turned out beautiful, but the flowers fell apart midway.  The dear bride brought me the pieces of the bouquet in a handfull.  At that time, she won her way into my heart.  She did not panic, she just handed me the pieces like she thought I could fix it,  Well I happened to have another holder in the car and did manage to fix it but little did she know the butterflies that were from my throat to my toes.  So she had one bouquet for pictures and  a fresh one to carry up the isle. (A special bride, eh.)

Like I said before, God performed a miricle every week-end at our place. and on the job.  When I look back now, I can't imagine the things I did, I can't imagine being brave enough to do the things I did. Like when I first started my business. How does a person get started in a business doing wedding cakes, living 30 miles form Portland, and 7 miles up in the hills from the nearest town. Well it's done this way, I went into the fabric stores and when I would see a mother and daughter shopping for wedding material, I would walk up to them and say,  "Do you need a cake" often times they did. At that time I would pull out my "trusty" photo of my first wedding cake I did in Canada and talk them in to getting their cake from me, after I had done a few, I took picture of all of them, enlarged them and took them to a bridal shop, along with a sample of cake and got the brides shop to recommend me.  By the time I quit I had done around 4,000 wedding cake plus thousands of misc. cakes.

MY GOD IS WITH ME WHERE EVER I GO - HE SUPPLIES MY NEEDS - HE GIVES ME REST WHEN I'M TIRED - WHEN I PUT MY TRUST IN HIM, HE GIVES ME PEACE WHEN THINGS AROUND ME ARE FALLING APART. - HE GIVES ME COURAGE TO GO ON. HE GIVE ME HOPE WHEN THINGS SEEM HOPELESS, MOST OF ALL HE GIVES ME LIFE ETERNAL.  WITHOUT HIM I COULD DO NOTHING.  HE IS MY GOD, HE IS MY EVERYTHIG.

It was springtime 1977. And often when the apple blossoms were blooming the children would come to the house with apple blossoms. The girls would have them in their hair. The boys would bring bouquets to mamma. This spring I had my camera ready. So, one Sunday afternoon we went down to the orchard to take pictures.

This afternoon we took lots of pictures. In trees, on the ground, by groups, and alone.  The above photo is of our four boys, the youngest was just a baby and this was his first spring.  He was born the next to the last day of the year.  I don't think he liked the sunlight too good, his eyes are closed. 

 One thing I find interesting, since this was years ago, the pictures were not of the quality they are today.  I always got mine developed whereever it was the cheapest.  My mom who loved photos took many of my negatives and got reprints, she would only get them from Kodak.  Today 30 years later, the ones I got printed are faded and the ones she got done have good color even today.

When we first moved on the place the orchard had several small building in it.  They were falling down from age, but the children loved to play in them.  So it was only natural to take a picture in/on one of the sheds.

And it's only natural to add Pop and Mom to the bunch, so I'll end this post with a picture of Pop and Mom and Baby Ben.   My, what 30 years can do!!!

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.  Joshua 24:15b

         We were at the coast for a few days and my three oldest daughters decided to pose for a picture..My oldest daughter was (is) a perfectionest, my second daughter was a tom boy and seemingly proud that she had a small amount of Indian blood in her, my third daughter was very carefree, out going and a dreamer.   Can you guess which one is which?    BTW, one of these lassies is none other than Mrs. Darling.

Thirty years has passed so quickly...I was going through some pictures and it brought back so many memories, I thought I would share. Maybe tomorrow, I will edit this, but I'm very tired now.  It was no small job to get this uploaded although it went easier that anytime yet, so maybe I'll learn.

These are the pictures Pop took while he was watching the wagons cross the snake river at Three Island Crossing. They do this every 2nd weekend in August.  From the information we have not just anyone can cross the river in wagons, but only those who have had lot of experience riding.  They also practice often before the event.  The one year it quite disappointing because they had let too much water out of the dam the week before, for a kayak race and the water was too high.  The first wagon that tried to cross washed down stream and a horse was drowned.  They called the crossing off.  There were a couple horsemen that had come over from England that weren't too happy, because they had come over to cross the river.

Looks like these horses have decided to go upstream instead of cross, or maybe they have already crossed and are headed out.  We have been back there about three times in the last few years.  You have to want to see it bad because the last 2 time we were there it was 105 degrees, your camera set up on a tripod and poor Pop is standuing there holding an umberella over me to help shade the camera and me.  The camera at that point becomes too hot to touch.  I decided last time I went, they could cross with out my help, but Pop says we're going back this year, so we'll see. He knows I'm too curious to stay away.

I was 10 years old. My Mom and I was in Portland, in the Newberry's store.  In those days the counters in the center of the store were in 2 side by side with a small walkway between each set of 2 making room for a counter on the end. That day there was a lady standing between the 2 counters selling cake decorating kits, She was demonstrating how to make roses and borders.  The kit included 4 tips, a flower nail, and a plastic bag, cone shaped, with a small hole in one end to place the tip and then the frosting.  I of course begged my Mom to buy me one, little knowing what it would lead to.  It was close to Easter so my first try at it was a cake for Easter.  Complete with a cross, Easter lily and a basket of Easter Eggs at the foot of the cross.  (about the eggs at the foot of the cross, forgive me folks, but I was only 10)

Time went on and I didn't do too much with it, only an occasional cake, till after I was married.  I got brave and did a couple cakes for neighbors birthdays.  It wasn't till I was married about 10 years that I started doing more cakes.  I was shopping with a friend at Fred Meyers in Portland and found a Wilton book on cake decorating. In it were lovely pictures and a card to send in and get a catalog, which of course I did.  I borrowed $200.00 from the general fund, and kept close track to make sure I paid it back.

There was a lady at the phone office and she told me that Mrs N. did all the cakes in town and told me where she live.  I drove by and Mrs N was out in her yard, so I stopped.  She was very friendly and shared with me where to get supplies and told me to come watch her sonmetime.   She was trying to quit so when I came along she delighted top share and sell me some of her equipment.  She also referred people to me when they would call her. 

I learned my first lesson in business from her.  Be friendly and willing to share information with others who are interested in the same things.  And later on that applied to photography also.  I found that the business people that were willing to share were the ones that got the business and also the ones that were comfortable with there place in the business world.   The people that acted like they had all they answers and they were top secrets, and didn't dare let you in on them, were the ones that had the bill colectors knocking on their doors.   Of course you use good judgement in the telling but make friends with everyone you can and they will come to you, not only for what they can learn but, they will hire you to do the job, when they realise they can't afterall.

Soon Oregon passed a law that you had to have a licsenced kitchen in order to sell baked goods. So I set  out to meet the requirements, which included me closing in the end of the porch on the side of the house.   I went after lumber and did the job.  Of course it wasn't insulated like it was when Pop redid it for me a few years later.

I remember one night it was cold and that night it was down to 5 degrees outside and 28 degrees in my Baking Kitchen   I finished baking by 1 am.

During the first couple years when I first started, we had our church school teacher staying at our place, and of course made them birthday cakes. The teachers were from out of state which ment I went to Alberta, Canada to decorate my first wedding cake.  The bride lived in PA, I lived in OR and the couple was getting married in Canada, where the groom was from.  We made arrangements over the phone that she would bake several small cakes, and I would put them together and stack them after I got there, which was the night before the wedding.  (I was kinda dumb, wasn't I? )   I was brought up baking, and I wasn't afraid about frosting the cakes, and fortunately I had enough smarts to make the roses and dry them before I left home, I transported them in a container and they arrived just fine.  What I wasn't preparred for was the hot, dry climate in Alberta and soon learned the frosting would dry before I could make it around the cake. I had brought all the ingredients with me for the frosting and soon learned I had to thin it down quite a bit in order to make it smooth on the cake.  I got up early the morning of the wedding and was done by the time the wedding started.  If I can find apicture of it later i will put it on my site, because it turned out real pretty and the bride was very happy with it.  I used 5  8" cakes placed in a circle, on the bottom and a larger on on to of that, then pillars and another small cake. It served 150.

Well folks we're on our way....I'll see you tomorrow.

BEHOLD, GOD IS MINE HELPER;    PSALM 54:4a

Wouldn't you say I now have a pretty wedblog?  My Granddaughter did it for me.  Wouldn't you say I have a pretty nice granddaughter ?  I think so. But why does the younger generation have so many of the computer brains.  It's a real generation gap.  I always wondered what a generation gap was, now I think I know.

BTW as soon as I get brave again I shall post some more wedding stories.  I've been in photography 18 years and look at all the stories you had to read.  Well I was in the wedding business 30 years, so be prepared

On a different note. .... Please pray for Papa Dearest, he is sick and he hasn't been to a doctor in over 30 years and he doesn't want to break his record.  Why are men so stubborn?.....Although,  I'm glad he was stubborn enough to stay with me, (and make his marriage work)  for, almost 49 years.   Of course I was stubborn, too. lol

BUT THE MERCY OF THE LORD IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING UPON THEM THAT FEAR HIM, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO CHILDREN'S CHILDREN.   PSALM 103:17

 Photography by Virginia

The above picture is a variation of Laura's Dream.  It will serve 400 people 

For 30 years I owned a Wedding business.  We did Cakes, Catering, and Flowers.   I've also Babysat at weddings, sewed on veils at the last minute, (when the bride didn't have it done),  Took spots out of wedding dresses before the bride went up the isle, rescued flowers, and had some florist rescue me, rescued super market cakes before they hit the floor, and Photographed Weddings.  I will try to show here some of cakes and catering that we did.  I don't know quite how to do this so please overlook it, if anything is wrong.  sigh......., I think I've worked harder at uploading these pictures that I did at decorating any cake.   And any minute they may vanish so I'll try to get this thing posted right.

 Photo by Bill Duff Photography

This cake is called "Laura's Dream" because it was my daughter's favorite cake.  It served 225.

Photography by Virginia

 "Whisper of Love" with Fruit.  Serves 300

 Photography by Virginia

I thought the catering was fun.  The farthest we ever went on a catering job was about 200 miles.  The vegie bouquets were fun to make.  (There is one sitting on the back of the table with vegies around the bottom of it)  The smallest catering job we ever did was for 25 people and the largest was for over 600.

Potography by Virginia

Does anyone love shrimp?  The catering crew did, and I always ordered a couple pounds extra whenever we served this shrimp tray, so the crew would have a sample.

Photography by Virginia

My son was often in charge of making the fruit tray.   Everyone else did the work I just ordered people around (I wish)  Although, I had several that was real good at puting together food trays and the last years of decorating cakes was done by a neighbor girl, friend, almost my daughter, and employe.  This girl worked for me for 13 or 14 years and I could trust her with anything that needed to be done.  Except she didn't like to "trouble shoot"   so I was the one that patched up mistakes ( and believe me there were some) as well as getting the credit when everything went well.

THE REASON FOR THIS MEMORY...... I quit my business in 1999, seven years ago. This past week my son who has always lived in the same town, as our business was located, came home the other day to find a request, on his answering machine, for us to cater a family reunion next summer.

If there is anyone that don't believe that God performs miracles.  I'll be quick to tell you, He performed one every week-end for 30 years in my life.  Our business was attached to our home and we made food for 2000 people on our biggest weekend.  We had 5 catering jobs that Friday and Saturday..  I wonder why I'm so tierd?