It's a Snazzy New Do!

Check it out guys! Finally, after a long design journey I found Lara and she made my blog beautiful! I love the design and hope you do to.

Thanks Lara! I loved working with you and appreciate your persistence even through the midst of a hurricane.

Blessings everyone!

(To see Lara's other work and check out her site click on her button in my side bar.)

Where is the Panic Button?!?!?

I am enjoying the new peaceful colors of this blog.

The peace that follows panic is often replenishing...

You see, I have been longing for a blog makeover for awhile now. The professional I enlisted was unable to help me...I don't know why...she went dark...

So after waiting for about 4 months, I had to do something about the pink.

I had received some wise advice on template changing from friends. The email from Ike with the steps to follow has been sitting in my inbox since...January.

I fully trusted his directives...it was the phrase "hit the delete button..." that gave me pause. Nine months of pause.

I am quite the risk taker.

I do not fare well with computer-ese. What should work correctly everytime...will suddenly find exception with me. It's like a law of the universe, or something.

Now, despite, my cautious, hesitant tendencies...there are certain circumstances that will drive me to take a risk...

Apparently, pink is one of those "circumstances." I needed to change the color. Badly.

So, one night last week....I took the plunge. I read and re-read Ike's email for the billionth time. I cut and pasted and saved and backed stuff up---

Then, with a huge deep breath and many, many prayers... I. Hit. Delete.

Faster than a you can say "I'm a techno wizard!" I pasted my new template into the proper box and hit "view blog".

Nothing. Blank page. Emptiness.

I took a deep breath and hit Refresh.

Nothing.

Yes, dearest blogland buddies....my blog was gone. Or at least it appeared that way.

I began to hyperventilate. My heart rate and blood pressure were rising at an alarming speed. My blog had disappeared.

Except...I had followed the rules. The rules of Ike. My original template was neatly tucked away in Word...just waiting to save the day.

I cut and pasted some more and in one blissful moment...the Pink Splendor reappeared with all the thoughts and words completely intact.

I desperately needed to give someone a high five at this point...but my family was sleeping like angels....it was 2 AM.

After all that excitement, I would normally have left well enough alone.

But I REALLY wanted to get rid of the pink. So... I branched out. Off the Rules of Ike. Without a genius help line.

My blog remodel required a template upgrade...which is why the first plan didn't work. I think.

After all, I am no computer genius. I can't reconfigure, or triangulate or "hack"...

But I do know that the subtle Green of the background goes well with the Burgundy, Plum and Sage Fonts...

We know what we know, folks.

And I know I am elated to have a color change for now.

I hope you enjoy it too!

Redecorating

I love to redecorate. The furniture in our home never finds a permanent placement. Our chairs, tables and wall decor "visit" many areas of our home through the months. I rearrange, change colors and update whenever I have the opportunity.
Things are changing in our home this week...

And all it has involved is a paint brush, paint clothes and a tin of glossy paint.

Alex announced to the family this morning, "Mom's painting something else white!" :-)

Four, tired, messy, and scratched wood pieces of furniture have been revived with beautiful white paint!

We are all pleased with the results...and I have half a tin of paint just waiting to redeem more worn out furnishings.

If only refurbishing this blog was as simple as a can of paint!

For awhile now, I've been tired of pink. Pink is a perfectly lovely color. (shout out to Aimee Jo the queen of pink!) I loved dressing my baby girl in pink's delicate shades. But generally, I'm not a pink kind of girl.
So why did it end up on my blog?

I wasn't paying that much attention. Blogging wasn't something I thought would last long for me. I had no idea the blessing, release, and FUN I would find in Blogland.

Several months ago, I started fiddling with different templates. I cautiously perused the html codes....knowing that to someone it all makes sense....someone other than me.

I never achieved the "look" I wanted. And I grew frustrated.

So I did what any frustrated and stumped rookie decorator should do...I called a professional!

Susie at Bluebird Blogs (www.bluebirdblogs.com) is working on a design for me...and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

In the meantime, as I wait, I've revisited my current template and attempted to add some blogs to my blog roll. For some reason, (I'm sure a simple one) the titles on the headings are in a different font than I meant them to be...but since its not offensive or ugly...I've made the executive blog decision to Leave It as It is for Now. All further html changes will be left to the professionals!

So, I'm off to scrub the white paint from my hands, enjoy the gleaming white tables in my kitchen and wait to see what Susie has in store for us here....

Stay tuned!

We Interrupt This "Blog Fast"...

Yes indeedy.

Every once in awhile...the otherwise obstinate internet system...works....

And the otherwise dejected missionaries...actually accomplish a portion of their internet to-do list...

And many happy hearts rejoice!

New Beginnings?

I've missed you.

It's been a sad, sad era in Internet Land for the Cashes. I can hardly believe I'm on my edit page. I haven't been able to move past actual blogs for about 6 days.

Before that, I was, diligently working to upload pictures. Work, that for the most part, proved futile...I'll spare you the gory details.

Nonetheless.

We will not quit.

And the blogs will keep on coming. Sooner or later.

Jeff has spent much time the last few days attempting to get us on a new internet service. He has more gray hair and no new service as of yet.

I repeat, we will not quit. :-)

And speaking of new things...I was headed to the edit page tonight, mostly expecting the internet to lock up before completeing the task...when the "change to new blogger" screen came up. They've been suggesting for some time that we switch...now, they are making us. So, with much fear that I would lose the connection sometime in the middle of my switch...I did it. It seems to have worked. Which is cause for much celebration in our home. Something worked!!!!
I'm just thankful that I won't have to sign in as "Old blogger" anymore. :-)

On to the new!

100 and counting...

By my count, this is post number 100. I was trying to think of some great thing to write about for number 100.

Like...

100 things I like to eat

or

100 people I love and adore (Of course YOU would be on the list!)

100 reasons I'll not fly British Airways :-)

100 ways to cook a a chicken

100 reasons why I should never sew

100 of my favorite recipes

or my top 100 favorite songs

But,that's alot of things to think of and read.

100---is a big number.


I wasn't very sure about the whole blog scene in the beginning. That vague, elusive INTERNET thing was pretty far removed from our Africa oasis here.
But blogging has become a haven. A resting place. A joy.

Thanks, blog friends, for reading these 100 thoughts, stories, rantings and happenings.

Your encouragement and sharing mean the world to me.


Here's to a hundred more....

Greetings to all of you in the blog world! I join you with a bit of fear and trepidation...the technology of the internet moves around far beyond my East Africa home. Every once in a while, though, despite constant power outages, computer glitches and the endearing/excruciating cry of "Mommy"---I am actually brought into this cyber world. Wow!
My name is Cheryl Cash and tonight from my home in Ft Portal, Uganda my husband has Gently Led me into this great Blog Land. I have been led to many new and interesting places in the last ten years as a missionary wife...from villages to motherhood to homeschool teacher and more. I'd love to share this journey with you...so when I have a minute...I'll post my thoughts.