Words I Never Thought I'd Say: I Want to Live in a Barn!

I wouldn't mind being born in a barn if it was the barn-turned-home of Tammy and Brian Imel. Bekah, my great-niece, Kylie, and I visited the Markle homestead Wednesday in preparation for an upcoming "Spots and Spotlights interview with Tammy.

We went expecting a quick walk-through but were greeted and ushered inside by the gamine and utterly charming Tammy. Not only did she give us a room-by-room tour detailing how the couple converted the former dairy barn into their home and decorated it on a shoestring (she paid 50 cents for the creamer side table...boy, can she sniff out a bargain), the former elementary school teacher and decorating whiz also served us raspberry lemonade, strawberries with homemade whipped cream, and her scrumptious Aunt Ethel bars. Needless to say, the three of us volunteered to house it (or is it still technically a barn?) whenever the Imels want to go away.

Check out the former granary behind their house that's still in the process of being converted into a guest getaway.

After Wednesday's visit to Markle, I stopped by my nephew's house to see his family's newest pet, a pot-bellied pig named Mr. Pigglesworth. Amy Miller (she does the receipting and other money duties at WBCL) adores pigs, so I invited her for a nose-to-snout encounter with the Cheetos-loving porker. 

And while Amy quickly fell for the bristly squealer, potty-training tales and Mr. P.'s ear-splitting squeal convinced her that this season of her life makes owning a pig a no-go.

While Mr. P. looks calm, getting him into Amy's arms involved some chasing and swaddling. The blanket wrapped around him was very damp when Amy put him down.

Mr. P. is ready for his close-up...perhaps a little too close.

You can never have too many pig shots in your blog. This isn't his dish. It belongs to his four-legged roomie, Lola the bulldog, who's getting a tad frustrated with Mr. P. using her as a
surrogate mommy every time she lays down for a nap.

My "Fix Your Thoughts on This" for the week is from Dr. Edward Welch, author of What Do You Think About Me? Why Do I Care? The word repent means to turn in a different direction. When you turn away from sin, God is right there waiting for you.

The boundary line between you and God is only one step.

That's because He is always pursuing you, hemming you in, so that no matter which direction you turn to find Him, you always will.

Monday, Bekah and I open the phones to chat with you about any number of things. Check out the list on the Mid-Morning schedule page, and then call, e-mail or Facebook us beginning at 10:00 a.m. Everyone who calls gets one of our new Mid-Morning coffee sleeves.

Happy weekend!