I Have Moved!

Hello Readers!

You may or may not have noticed that there has been no action on A House and Yard for quite some time now.

You may or may not have wondered what happened. I am under no delusion that anyone at all has been pining away because they haven't received a post from A House and Yard in such a long time. That's okay.

Many things have happened and many changes have been made. The very short version of the story is that I am not writing here at a House and Yard anymore.

However.....and this, I think, is extremely exciting....I am writing again, but on a new blog.

I hope you will visit me at my new place Treasures Hidden, a blog by Calista Baker.

At Treasures Hidden you will find me writing about treasure hunts. Treasures hidden in darkness.

Sometimes this world can be a dark place, but I have learned that even when it’s darkest there are treasures to be found. Little glimpses of light. A kind word or a smile. A sense of peace in the middle of chaos. The smallest flicker of hope. You just have to look. And sometimes you have to be patient enough to wait for it. There are times when the found treasures seem random, but they are gifts from God Who loves you and me more than we could ever know.



I sure don’t claim to have all the answers. I am simply a person who has lived some life and has some difficulties – like you. My personal darkness includes the fight for my marriage and family. In this battle I faced fear, depression, and hopelessness – to name a few.

However, along the way I have found a good deal of treasure. Treasure hidden in the darkness. I will share these with you, because sometimes it’s hard to find them for yourself when you’re in the trenches of life battles.

It is my prayer that after lingering at Treasures Hidden for a few moments 

you will come away with more hope than when you arrived.

Hope to see you soon!

Calista Baker
Author of Treasures Hidden
www.calistabaker.com

The Jesus Character

As part of our church’s drama team, I got the text early in the week.

“Can you fill in on Sunday morning for the sketch? The girl who was scheduled has to go out of town unexpectedly.”

I agreed and received a quick rundown on the script. My director concluded with this comment, “Yours will be the Jesus character.”

Being familiar with church-drama-lingo, I understood this to mean that my character would be the straight man and the one with the right answers for the other character who would be struggling with some sort of problem or choice. The “Jesus character” is always loving, kind, forgiving, compassionate, patient, full of wisdom, and – well – like Jesus.

That particular week also happened to be a week of relationship challenges. Harsh words spoken. Unresolved issues led to a face-off, a dead end, and the ever-popular silent treatment vs. the just-get-over-it-and-act-like-it-didn’t-happen treatment.

Do You Need A Better Plan?

Maybe I should just say, I need a better plan.

Okay, okay. I just need a plan. A plan for the morning. I don’t have one. Well - wait – unless you count the one about boiling the water for my morning French-pressed wake up elixir. Straight up. Black. Strong.

Yeah, I should have more of a plan than -

1. Get up.
2. Boil water.
3. Make coffee.
4. Drink coffee.
5. Don't burn mouth.

After I get the coffee down, it’s pretty much haphazard. What does haphazard actually mean, anyway?

Haphazard:

happening or done in a way that has not been planned

synonyms include: random, hit-or-miss, slapdash, jumbled, careless, irregular,

all over the place (haha – very funny)

Ouch. Guilty as charged. And sorry I asked.

You know, I used to be an organized person. When the kiddos were young and still at home, it seems I accomplished so much more. And I know I had a plan for each and every day. What happened?

When It's Hard to Not Look Back

Does so much of the past year beg to be forgotten? Never to be thought of again? 

Swept under the rug. Thrown out with the garbage. Burned. Buried.

...in someone else’s yard.

 ...in a land far, far away.

But, it can’t be truly forgotten. To be truly forgotten would be as if it never happened. However, it cannot be treated as if it never happened, because it has shaped us for the rest of our lives. The hurt, the sadness, the loss, the grief, the anger – no – rage, the loneliness, the emptiness. And the scariest of them all, hopelessness.

I don’t know about you, but it was the hopelessness that threatened to pull me under more than any of the other emotions.

What the past year can be is:
• forgiven
• learned from
• redeemed

I was blown away by a quick look online for the definition of redeem. Want to see it?

Of Playing Dress Up and Forgetting Not to Blink

There have been so many years of watching my four girls play dress up. Daughters transformed into princesses simply by putting on a discarded lacy slip or a costume. Tangled hair yanked into submission under the authority of a sparkling headband. A little bit of blush. A touch of lip gloss and let the twirling begin.

It didn't matter there was neither music nor prince. The girls would primp and dance and giggle all for the joy of simply being what they were – little girls playing dress up.

Tonight brought a different kind of dress up. This one was not pretend. One sister a bride.

Coconut Lime Bread

My, oh my - where have you been all my life?

I don't normally share recipes, but this one is too good to keep to myself. This yummy bread was in the March, 2013 edition of Better Homes and Gardens. I tore the page right out my magazine (yes, I still tear and keep recipes on magazine pages) and put it on the kitchen counter.

Make a Bud Vase / Votive Holder

My daughter, Steph, and I tackled a little project the other evening.

This is a great way to reuse baby food or other small jars and scrap wood.