Happy New Year!  This post promises to hold much greater glass-half-full thinking than my last.  Admittedly, my December post was certainly therapeutic and necessary for me to unload without unloading on another person.  Given that I honestly believe I am the only one reading these posts anymore, I've decided to return occasionally for therapeutic "sessions" with myself and some good old journaling.

 

A few days before Christmas, my very dear and life-long friend, Doug, asked if  he could share Christmas with us in our home.  He shared that he felt an overwhelming need to see me, especially since my spinal reconstruction, and just wanted to be with us.  This was the turning point for me after my December 7th post.  I'd managed to get enough of the flu out of me to complete the decorating and some of the baking, even going so far as to make fruitcake for the first time in over five years, an all-day undertaking!  So, with nearly all of my Christmas preparations accomplished, Doug joined us the day before Christmas Eve.  We kept our plans to visit and share dinner with dear friends on Christmas Eve.  We were allowed to bring Doug and Tom's brother, Mike, with us along with our new addition, a Biewer Yorkie, Hanalei, beautifully dressed in her Christmas frock, to celebrate Christmas with our friends.  We enjoyed an amazing traditional Italian dinner and loving and fun hospitality with our friends and their family!  The night ended way too quickly.  Before we knew it, it was 10 o'clock.  It was time to go home and prepare for Christmas Day and its festivities. 

 

Because of God's gracious healing and blessings, I was able to prepare a Christmas Day meal for us (there were five), and even used my Christmas China.  We ate ourselves silly and enjoyed a quiet yet joyful day celebrating the birthday of our Blessed Savior!  Doug still says it was in his "top five best Christmases."  Mine too!
 

I spent a glorious 60 minutes in the sanctuary of Agape Christian Fellowship on New Year's Eve.  After my husband retired for the evening at 10:30 pm, deciding that I wanted to kiss the face of my sweet Savior at midnight--and Tom's wasn't available--I headed off to church for a peaceful and worshipful hour with my Lord on the altar.  I took my Bible, sat at the Throne of Grace and heard from Jesus through His Word, prayed for my attitude, thanked Him for the miracle He'd wrought in my physical body in the past year, and asked for direction for my life and ministry in the coming year.  It was a wonderful hour which felt way too short, but the sweetness of it has lingered indefinitely.  I have so much gratitude in my heart, which I pray will serve to fuel service to my King and His glorious Kingdom not only for this year but for the rest of my life!

 

The year is still new to me and my time with the Lord very fresh in my mind.  He has already shown me a few things in store for me to serve Him this year.  In the meantime, the Lord has shared with me something that I know without a doubt needs to be shared here.  It has changed my life and way of thinking, as well as the way I know, love and trust Jesus.  My prayer is that this will bless the hearts of everyone who just happens to read this and that it will adhere to their hearts as indelibly as it has mine.  These are the words of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, former pastor of London's Westminster Chapel:

 

"Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong.  Faith does not look at the difficulties.  Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it.  Faith looks at God.  Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God, praises God and extols the virtues of God!  The measure of the strength of a man's faith always is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God.  He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge.  And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered."

 

"Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.  Your faithfulness endures to all generations."  ~~Psalms 119:89-90

I have lived off these words like manna since reading this on December 11th.  My prayer for you, if you should read this follows:  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ~~ Colossians 2:6-7

 

It's About Time!

I know it's been a long time since I've updated my blog, and I apologize.  While I do feel negligent, I have undergone two major surgical procedures in the past 18 months and the recoveries haven't been easy.  I'm on the other side, however, and feeling stronger and healthier each day.  During the recoveries, I have been busy knitting and even created a baby quilt top which needs quilting.  I've got so many projects on the table that I shudder to think of them, yet in other ways I am excited to get started.  Now, if my aging body will just comply, I'll feel even better!

I am going to make this entry brief, as I would like to mention a contest to win free yarn.  Here's the link for you to locate and enter yourself to win some gorgeous yarn from All Free Knitting.

http://www.allfreeknitting.com/sweeps/alp-natural-yarn-bundle-giveaway#

Let me know if you win.  I would LOVE to see what you make with your bounty!

I will return soon with some interesting things to entice your creativity this spring/summer!  Blessings to all of you faithful ones who still read my blog!

Summer's here, I'm knitting socks, and there's a pattern here for a baby hat!

It is so hard to realize just how quickly time passes...that is, until I check my blog and see how long it's been since I last updated a post.  Yikes!  One might think that retirement would lend more time for keeping a blog post current, but oh no.  Not this "one" anyway!  Of course, I spend a lot of time being sedentary because my body betrays me, but my mind is as active as always!

One of the things that has kept me extremely busy for the past eight months is the injury of my parrot, Quillie.  He lost the toes from his right leg on November 13th, 2010, finally came home and then suffered a severe infection in his "good" leg about 12 weeks later.  This involved countless trips to the vet's office, which was 100 miles round-trip, sometimes for several consecutive days.  It was not only exhausting, but took its toll physically most of the time rendering me too tired to sit at the computer for the long period of time I need to adequately blog as I wish.  I am thrilled to report that Quillie has made a complete recovery and is fully back up to baseline.  He has adjusted beautifully to the loss of his little toes and is happy, healthy and well-adjusted.

Undoubtedly, summer is here with a vengeance!  The heat index at our house today was 105 degrees.  Yesterday, a trip to the grocery store at around three o'clock left me wilted into a puddle (and I NEVER sweat!) and totally exhausted.  There's something about this kind of heat and humidity, coupled with being in my 50's, that completely depletes whatever energy I might have left at that hour of any given day.

Whatever the summer heat steals from me is beautifully replenished by the loveliness of my garden and the birds of spring whose families are growing and showing new adult plumage daily.  Baby feathers are now replaced with the full regalia on the Cardinals, their big eyes now surrounded by brilliant red feathers and black masks.  There is a young family of four visiting our feeders every day, nearly all day.  So precious.  I even have a purple finch this year who is enjoying the syrup from the hummingbird feeder just as much as the hummers are!  They are so cute and sweet, and such a splended reminder of how good God is to me in the unexpected as well as the "norm."

This summer, I broke down and replaced a beloved Hibiscus I'd lost three summers ago with a new braided Hibiscus this year--a sort of tropicana color, rich in orange/red hues.  When it first landed in my garden, I thought my former misfortune would be repeated because the leaves began to turn yellow and dropped like confetti almost immediately.  I was apparently over-watering it.  So, I backed off with the watering and fed it Miracle Grow...it is gorgeous, having celebrated its beauty yesterday with four blooms at once!

It is full of budding promise and I am enjoying its beauty immensely! 

I always enjoy a hanging basket in the flower bed in front of our house and it's full of pink petunias and fuschia-colored verbena--so sweet and soft in its presentation.  Every day, I enjoy the process of dead-heading the petunias and other plants, affording me a piece of gardening in lieu of what I'd really love to spend hours doing if only my body would comply.  Any amount still brings me peace.

Each year, it seems the winter reduces my 15-year-old Peace Lily to a nub, so I routinely must attempt to resuscitate it in a new pot with new potting soil with great results.  This year was no exception, but the difference is that I covered the "nubs" of peace lily with Vinca and Celosia....beautiful!  I fight to keep the Peace Lily alive because it was given to me by a dear friend when my grandfather transitioned into Heaven and I do cherish it so.  The Peace Lily is alive under the flowers you see below.

I also have a Bleeding Heart (cuttings from my friend, Faye) that are on the south side of my house (no photo).  My trusty front porch planter maintains its spot with Vinca and Marigolds.

I haven't been spending ALL of my time on a sofa.  I've found a wonderful lady, Carol,  a sister in Christ who knits, quilts, sews and crochets.  She is teaching me to knit socks, and it's so exciting to think that I could possibly learn such a feat (no pun intended, regardless of the spelling).  This project has been on my "bucket list" for years.   Thus far, I have learned how to do a provisional cast on and knit the socks from the toe up on two circular needles (no DPN's), which affords me the opportunity of sizing the sock as I go.  This is especially helpful because of the swelling in one foot over the other.  I will soon have a pair of custom made socks by none other than myself.  Exciting...at least to me!  As the socks progress, I will post more photos and current updates.  If my friend, Carol, permits me to, I will post her pattern for you upon my completion of the socks.

I had a lot of graduates this year, so I made purses for the females.  I really enjoyed making these very simple yet cute little clutches!

The above, bluish-colored bag was made out of Raffia, flower and all.  I made the flowers so that they are detachable via a pin on the back of them.  This is easier for laundering and having the option of wearing the flower on a garment.  I lined the bags with 100% cotton fabric and put a pocket in some of them.  It was a lot of fun, and I will definitely keep that pattern near my sewing table!

I have dear friends in Lake Junaluska, NC and his mother broke her hip recently.  She just now was able to return home, so I made a walker caddy for her to tie to her walker for the convenience of carrying her things wherever she goes.  This was made with denim fabric and lined with a nice floral print, and the flowers were made from Raffia with pins on the back for easy removal and laundering.

My above-mentioned friend, Carol, recently began a knitting and crocheting group called "Chicks with Sticks," and we gather together every Tuesday night for the sole purpose of making items for charities.  We are making hats, scarves, and fingerless gloves and mittens for the local homeless shelter in Kingsland with plans to reach out to other organizations in the future.  On July 5th, Carol shared a precious knitted baby hat which she was given from a lady at her church.  It was so sweet and yet simple, and left such an impression on me.  My mission for last weekend was to learn how she did this, so with the collaboration of other patterns on line, I figured out how to knit the hat.  Now, don't faint, but I am including the pattern (finally after over a year of promises) for the hat.  I truly hope you enjoy making it and, if you have questions don't hesitate to contact me.

Straight needle baby hat with garter stitch cuff

Size: 10” circumference

Materials:

Sport Weight (or baby) yarn, ¾ oz.

Size 8 knitting needles (or size required for gauge)

Darning needle to sew seam

Gauge: 20 sts = 4” in Stockinette St

Instructions:

Cuff: Cast on 48 stitches. Work one inch in garter stitch.

Crown:

Row 1 (right side): Knit

Row 2 (wrong side): Purl

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 5” from cast on edge, ending with a wrong side (purl) row.

To Shape Top:

Row 1: *K2tog, K2; rep from * across: 36 stitches

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: *K2tog, K2; rep from * across: 27 stitches

Row 4: Purl

Row 5: *K2tog, K1; rep from * across: 18 stitches

Row 6: Purl

Row 7: K2tog across: 9 stitches.

Finishing: Cut yarn leaving long end.  Thread yarn into darning needle and draw through remaining stitches on needle at top of hat. Draw up tightly and fasten off securely, tucking in ends.  Sew side seam of hat. Turn up cuff if desired.

I know I've shared health issues in the past, but I don't enjoy dwelling on that subject.  However, I feel it important that you know I am having foot and ankle surgery on July 21st and may be incapacitated for a while.  A complete recovery takes 18 months and I must be non-weight bearing and in a cast for a minimum of four months.  I know the Lord will see me through this and I look forward to feeling better at the end of the recovery and able to do more things in my daily life and ministry for Jesus.

Until next time, be blessed and to God be the glory!

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.  I Thessalonians 4:11-12

We make plans...and God just laughs...

I have often said that we make plans and God just laughs. Although I have few followers, there are those who are faithful to continue checking now and then to see if my blog has been updated since...swallow...July of 2010, as I squint my eyes, bunch up my shoulders and let a a huge "sigh!" So much has happened since that time and not much of it has to do with quilting, sewing, knitting and/or crocheting. I am therefore hesitant to share all of the details, for I know you do not visit my blog to read tales of woe, but to be enlightened, to be shown something pretty, and perhaps to maybe...someday... see a free pattern!   I had such designs for the coming fall and winter, especially Christmas, for making this a better blog, but I guess the Lord had other things on the agenda. I will do my best to make you want to return again to read future updates.

There were things on my horizon in July of 2010 that I knew of, but there were also things I didn't see coming. Those are always the things that I believe shape our lives into what they truly are, not always what we would want them to be. When I last posted, I was preparing to undergo a total knee joint replacement in early September, which was very successful but sometimes challenging. The Lord was so precious to me in that He did not allow great pain and suffering, nor did it take me long to get back up on both feet and proceed on with life. I did, however, require much more physical therapy than anticipated and this continued into January of 2011. The first six weeks involved home physical therapy with a wonderful lady whom I miss a great deal. It looks like I'll see her again soon, though, because I'm facing another surgery on my left foot. More--and I promise only a little more--on that later.

On November 13, 2010, it was to our shock and heartbreak that we found our 21-year-old parrot, Quillie, perched and bleeding in his cage. He apparently had caught his foot in something, which we've never been able to determine, and ripped his foot open causing him to lose the toes of his right foot. He was hospitalized for three weeks until early December, as well as intermittently since then several times for a week at a time. His complications have included an infection, which has been quite daunting, in his only good foot, for which he is STILL undergoing treatment. For three solid weeks, I went to see him every day for 100 miles round-trip each time. As many of you know, we live in a remote area of southeast Georgia and most amenities require driving great distances. Those who do not live with parrots do not often know how very relational they are. In their hour of need, they can require the same attention as a two-year-old child on a perpetual basis without demanding a thing other than the most basic of needs, such as eating and being kept clean. Still, this requirement leans heavily on their "person" and the stress can be tough.

Quillie hatched in my hand the day he was born, and I was blessed to be able to hand-feed him into his adult life. He has moved with me from Virginia and made a wonderful transition into life in Georgia. He accepted my husband as his "daddy," although it took him a few months, and seems to be the apple of everyone's eye to include those at the Exotic Bird Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. In fact, I was beginning to feel a little nervous in leaving him there much longer as an in-patient for fear he would be "adopted" by one of the veterinary staff on board! Quillie is quite the celebrity there. He does have a way of wrapping those little "toes" around your heart, I must admit.

Quillie just three days prior to November 13, 2010

As evident, he is a gorgeous little guy and I can tell you that he remains to this day as happy as...well...a lark! While he was found in shock and had nearly bled to death, he recovered enough in just three days after we prayed and trusted the Lord for his life, to the point where he was responding to us by dancing and chirping. It was not our desire to see him suffer, nor did we wish him to have any less a quality of life than he had lived his 20 years leading up to that fateful date. The vets kept assuring us that Quillie would be none the worse for the wear and that he would adapt to and adopt his new way of life as though nothing had happened. They were right! Quillie required about a week and a half of recovery before surgery could be done to remove the already necrotic toes of his right foot. He tolerated the surgery quite well and we visited him faithfully, finding him improved a little each time as we prayed and trusted God with his life.

Quillie post surgery

Quillie wore an Elizabethan collar for several weeks after the injury for fear he would chew at his surgical site. When the collar was finally removed and he was allowed freedom, he showed no signs of chewing at his wounds and was released home to us. We took him back for several post-op visits and he was seemingly fine.

On Valentine's Day 2011, we awoke to blood spattered all over his cage. Again, the fear that gripped our hearts was gargantuan! We rushed him in to see the vet. Come to find out, the blood was coming from his "good" foot where he had knocked the callous off the foot while climbing all over his cage. Further examination revealed a very bad infection in the foot. Back to square one. He has been on antibiotics since then, three of them oral, and one intramuscular--yes--that's two shots daily into his breast muscle. What an amazing trooper he has been! He is now down to one oral antibiotic and several other medications for inflammation and pain, and maintainence of his good blood count (at least the red blood cells for now are good). We are looking forward to another full recovery for Quillie and pray that God will restore a quality of life to him that will render him a happy little guy once more!

Quillie being hand-fed his favorite formula!

We have trusted the Lord with him thus far, and we'll continue to do the same until such time as Quillie is fully healed and leading a happy and normal life. Many of my blog readers and friends, family, etc., have prayed for Quillie and us as we've walked this path, and we are eternally grateful to all of you for it! God bless you!

As you can imagine, Christmas was a solemn time for us and we just sort of stayed close to home and praised the Lord for His birth and for the re-birth of our little bird. I did make one thing I adored and enjoyed very much for our Christmas tree. I try to make a hand-made ornament every year for our tree.  I crocheted a sweater and made a hanger for it as well.

As far as other needlework is concerned, I am honing up on my knitting skills a little more this year, while trying to meet the requests of those who have asked for things to be made for Easter, or just in general. I knit a lot of dishcloths for our church basket ministry and try to sew a few things here and there for that as well. I have studied, whenever possible, Elizabeth Zimmerman's teachings and writings and also received a gorgeous set of knitting needles that are interchangeable for Christmas! What a delight to never have to worry about going to Michael's in Jacksonville or on line for every knitting project. I have the perfect size needles at my fingertips! I also decided to try and spin my own yarn, so this year I received a beautiful spindle with which I have managed to muddle through some Alpaca wool. I haven't yet plied the yarn, and that's the next step. I haven't really had adequate time to sit and do this properly, so I'm not really investing in the time as I would like to right now. I have too many other priorities at the present time to pursue this as thoroughly as I'd like.



Two commission scarves and the spindle (right)



I had been working on three commissioned scarves (two are above) when Quillie first had his accident, which really slowed me down, but I finally finished them. The one on the far left has pompoms for "fringe" and the middle scarf was made with the Noro yarn that I fell in love with. The spindle is to the far right and there's a little Alpaca wool to the right of the spindle. I think I will find spinning as comforting as knitting...no doubt!

My other projects have been few, but I have a few photos of them. My sister asked me to make a sweater set for a little baby girl (left). I also about that time finished up a little purple dress for our basket ministry.

I did manage to get a few other miscellaneous items done in the meantime, most of them crocheted.


Baby boy ensemble

Baby girl bootie

I am going to be having major foot surgery soon and will be non-weight bearing for a minimum of three months. I dread this, but it must be done or I may not be walking much longer. This is why I have done so many small projects and no quilting. I cannot stand to bear weight for long periods of time. I am praying that I will be able to quilt again in the coming years, for I miss it dearly!

I do have a few projects to finish on commission and then I plan on knitting a pair of socks. I've located a lovely lady through a website called http://www.betterfly.com/ which helps connect people looking for help in several areas to include knitting, crocheting, or even piano lessons, etc.  I highly recommend it to you! It is very user-friendly. You simply type in your interest(s), and then your zipcode, and...voila!...you are in touch with those in close proximity to you having those skills.   If only birdie toes were available on that site...I would surely conjure up a pair for my Quillie!

Thursday...already?

I know it seems I keep repeating myself regarding the lapse of time between new posts, but life keeps getting in the way of my wanting to sit and write something meaningful, reflective, fun, and informative.  I may not hit on all of those topics, but I do try.  To me, this is my communication to you, and I take it personally.  Therefore, the posts may be further apart than I would prefer, as I would like to do it daily, or at least weekly, but right now it seems I'm destined to just be here when I'm here.  Make sense?  I hope so.  I would truly rather there be some content than just a bunch of meaningless, forgotten words to you.  You are that important to me!

Let's see if I can catch you up on my ever-so-exciting life!!!  LOL!!!  My husband returned from a 26-day stay in Diego Garcia, a tiny little island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, some 16,451 miles from here!  I have to say that his being away was a true learning experience for me.  What I mean is that I learned a lot about myself in that I am capable of more than I realize at times.  Having a bum right leg and a very incooperative left foot/ankle, ambulating has not been my favorite activity of late.  However, when there's only you, then you do what you must.  While I tried to schedule my walking for the minimal route, there were times when I walked further than I knew I could.  The pain was the price, but I had no choice.  Again...there was only me...and the Lord.  He is the One who brought me through this, and strengthened and enlightened me regarding my ability to handle life without a daily partner doing the grunt work.  Wow...did I ever appreciate Tom more when he returned home!

Tom returned on the 1st of July and had the remnants of a wisdom tooth removed the next day, and I also visited the rheumatologist that same day to determine the type of arthritis my body seems to embrace.  Tom's tooth was a remnant because he had the dentist on the island attempt to remove the tooth.  She was not an oral surgeon and shouldn't have attempted to remove a wisdom tooth, for she was not properly trained to treat a patient with a tooth that can break off at the root during removal.  But, the truth is, she did do it and he walked around with this root in his jaw for about nine days.  Tom got along fine until his return.  The root removal was a breeze and the post-op course unremarkable.  God is so good!!!

Tom's middle son arrived from North Carolina the very next day with his family of five.  They stayed for five days and we enjoyed our time with them.  This was somewhat all-consuming in that it was difficult to do much else and I was too tired to write, so I am glad to say that today affords me a little time to update the blog and at least let you know I havent' abandoned you.

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In the meantime, I have had several family birthdays which of course necessitates the knitting and/or crochet needles to come out so that I can make something "homemade" for them.  I have often made hand-made items for them, as they seem to like it, and I love doing it!  It keeps me sane.  The following is my latest baby ensemble, which is for my next-door neighbor's new granddaughter, Hailie.  I decided to use yellow yarn this time.  Hailie is a little "California girl," and yellow seemed very fitting for her.

As you can see, I chose black ribbons for embellishment, and I crocheted a pansy, without a pattern, because I had no pattern to follow.  I just began crocheting and prayed a lot!  This is what I got:

This photo (taken with a cell phone) doesn't really compliment the true colors used for the pansy, but I chose black yarn and yellow cotton thread to make the flower.

The back of the dress was detailed with a little white button for closure (I couldn't find black buttons) and a black bow to match the bow on the front of the dress, as well as the bows on the hat and booties.

I suspect her mother will send a photo of little Hailie donning this ensemble, and when she does so I will share it with you. 

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My garden continues to thrive, and a couple of things have been added:  a hydrangea from my friend, Faye, which has yet to be planted because I cannot decide the perfect spot for it.  Right now, it is loving the front yard because it gets morning sun and evening shade.  She gave me some cuttings from her other hydrangeas, which are currently being rooted in my front yard garden too.  We'll see how that goes.  I added some petunias and portulaca to my front porch planter, which is nice and colorful (purple, white and yellow--happy colors).

My newest prize, though, is the "bleeding heart" that Faye also shared with me from her garden last year.  She gave me a cutting last summer, which I never planted.  I kept it alive all winter in water and planted it in a pot this spring.  It is gorgeous!  Making this all the more special is the fact that the cuttings came from her father's plant.  She, like me, is a total daddy's girl, so we share lots of things regarding fathers and gardens.

This is a close-up of the full bloom of the bleeding heart:

The plant is hanging full of these blooms and it is a delight!  Every time I approach our front porch, I marvel at its beauty!!!

I don't have a recent photo (this was taken a couple of weeks ago), but it is now about four feet tall and hanging full of these gorgeous blooms!  I think I will plant it in front of my living room window, as it will eventually require a trellis and provide me with much beauty through the entire summer!

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I do have a better camera with which to take photos, but being digital and barely used, it requires a new battery in order for me to use it.  I am blessed in that my husband usually gives me his hand-me-down camera when he buys a new one.  This hand-me-down camera is no slouch!  I just need to get my confidence up to a point where I believe in myself enough to use it.  When I do, I promise you better photos.

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Finally, here is an aerial view of my shamrock, which is faring quite well in spite of the heat.

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I'll be adding a few new websites and/or blogs for you.  I hope that you'll enjoy them as much as I have and find inspiration in your creativity.

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I wish you joy, peace, happiness, goodness, and kindness!  It is a privilege to write about my life, mostly to share it with you...my on line friends...who are gracious enough to read my blog.  I have a lot of things planned for the blog that will have to come later, but once I have had the necessary surgeries to heal my knee and foot, I'll be good as new!  I am praying for all of you!

Father's Day

Today, I celebrated a quiet day.  My husband is still 16,000+ miles away.  My father is in North Carolina.  Still, all is well.   Our church service was amazing today, with a special speaker from our church who serves the Lord with all of his heart!  James spoke about the "king" in all of us!  His sermon was fantastic, and I cannot wait to get the copy of it so I can listen again to his awesome wisdom!

The nice surprise I received today was my husband's twin brother, Mike, visiting our church.  He's here from New York, checking on his property and his father.  We all had a nice lunch together after church. Mike and I will definitely talk before he returns to New York.  He told me that he would be here when my Tom returns, and that's always a treat because of the way they spar between one another!  They are just too funny!

It seems that everyone is taking vacations somewhere this year...and not just one, but several!  I am very happy for them, and think it is amazing to be able to go and see new places.   Hopefully, when my broken body is completely healed, or at least somewhat repaired, I will be going too!

I'm going to keep this short tonight.   My sweet little dogs are with me, one in my lap and the other snoring on the floor, and they deserve to have their snacks before bedtime.  They know their routines so well!

They truly keep me going...okay, running...or at least as much as I can run.  They are my joy, and a treasure to love and care for.  Quillie, our bird, is also a great comfort to me.

I pray that your Father's Day has been a wonderful and warm day, and that you had fellowship with one another, if you were in fact close enough to do so.  Hopefully soon, I'll be further north where I can drive to see my Daddy once again, not just for days such as this, but all of the time!

In closing, I want to post my favorite photograph of my father.  This was taken while we were walking the lane leading to his house, approximately five years ago for his 70th birthday.  The way the morning light captured his face is so lovely, though it may not show here.  But, given the day and the celebration, I truly find it an honor to post this photograph of him!

Thanks, Daddy, for your unending love and for showing me that the true measure of a man is not who he is or what he has, but how well he is loved by those who know him.

I've posted a few new links (blogs) for you, and I'm working on writing my patterns to post here.  This is a bit more daunting that I'd originally thought, so please bear with me.

I wish you all an awesome week, and I ask that you lift me up in prayer so that I can perhaps finish the needlework projects I began several weeks ago!  I have to have at least three projects (and books) going at all times, you know, or I'm never content!  God bless you!!

Sunday...my favorite day of the week!

As you can see, I've made a few not-so-subtle changes to the blog.  I was growing tired of the prior image and felt  it needed lightening up, so to speak.  I've been blessed with so many gorgeous flowers from the yards of my friends, so rather than shower you with my latest stitching projects, I would like to share some of the beauties I've received in the past two weeks.

One of my dearest friends, Faye, surprised me with a gorgeous hydrangea that I would describe as somewhere between mauve and fuschia.  It is truly one of the prettiest colors I've ever seen and one that only our Lord could create, for it is perfect in every way!  I won't be able to plant it until my husband returns, as the digging would do me in physically, so I am truly looking forward to planning it's "home" in our yard and enjoying its beauty and the memories it conjures up of my grandmother's yard full of hyrangea bushes.  Every time we visited her, she would load me up with a bouquet from her hydrangea collection.  I couldn't wait to get them home and into a beautiful vase to enjoy for the coming week!

It's really late or actually early, nearly 2:00 a.m.  Sleeping is not coming easily since my husband has left the country, and I find myself staying up and, rather than going to bed, actually falling asleep with some form of handwork in my lap.  When did I grow old?

I will not post an encyclopedia tonight, but would really enjoy sharing these gorgeous flowers with you, my friends.  May they bless your heart as they have mine!

This is the color I remember most from my maternal grandmother's yard over 40 years ago.

This is the color that Faye chose for me.  I love it!

And this is one I've never seen before...such a delicate and pristine color!

Faye grows calla lilies, and they are sturdy and quite long-lasting.  Last year, she brought me one that was nearly a burnt sienna color that was stunning!  I really enjoy these delicate pinks, though.  Once a girl, always a girl, huh?

I am embarrassed to say that neither myself nor Faye can name these flowers.  If you are able to tell me what they are, please write and let me know.  Thanks!

Faye grows the most beautiful lillies I've ever seen.  This is a favorite of mine!

This dahlia is actually in my garden, having been given to me last summer by Faye.

And this ends the walk through my faux garden for this morning.  I must try and get some sleep because tomorrow is my favorite day of the week...the day I go to worship my Lord in the fellowship of other believers.  I wish you all a blessed day...until we meet again!

Finally...

Time is such a strange element.  In and of itself, we are dependent on it and no one is exempt from this strange and nearly co-dependent relationship.  In my mind, I will assess a time frame and suddenly realize that I've run out of time.  I've heard it said so many times, "We have all the time in the world," and yet there are days when I wonder where the time went!  I remember when I was a young child trying to assess time in my mind and thinking that there was such a wealth of time that I would never see the age of 13, 18, 21.  And then it was there, like a flash of lightening, and just as powerful in its arrival.  I was 13 and beginning junior high, 18 and graduating from high school, 21 and married, working in the medical field and loving my "young" years and life.  Then, I was 25, 30, 40, and 50!  A decade is beginning to seem like the lengthy, yet short, commercials we see between segments or scenes in a favorite television show.  I remember thinking that I would surely remember being 17, riding in my boyfriend's car, when I turn 40.  It seemed like lightyears away that the 40th birthday event would take place...and then I blinked...and there I was...and here I am.  Time...a precious commodity...something none of us really possess enough of...and we pray for more...and sometimes less...depending on our comfort levels.  It is yet difficult to believe that not all of those things on my "Bucket List" will be accomplished, for I have begun the painful realization that I haven't enough time to complete the list before my life is a vapor. 

Since my last blog post, Mother's Day came and went, my husband's birthday was celebrated, and we've had a guest or two wander in off I-95.  We are conveniently located near the Interstate going south to the fabulous Florida.  Mother's Day was once again not easy, but this year I was prompted to honor my mother in church on that Sunday.  I prepared a three-page presentation to honor Mom and just knew I would be fine...I would not fall apart...I would honor her with dignity and pride, and mostly with love.  Yeah...right!  When I arrived at the paragraph where I received the phone call telling me she had died...I totally lost it!  By the grace of God and through my sobs, I got through the presentation and the congregation was compassionate and loving.  I was so thankful for this, for I am by no means a public speaker, and I truly felt like I was going to melt on that stage!  I managed to remain in one puddle, and I honestly don't remember much after that until I was on my comfy sofa and napping, which is my usual m.o. on Sunday afternoons.

I finally felt like I would get the chance to sit down and share my projects with you and then before we knew it, it was time to begin getting Tom ready for his one-month sojourn to Diego Garcia.  There was medication to order, clothes to either purchase and/or launder, and prepare for packing, and all of the tasks that accompany the usual preparations for a long trip.  Tom has been gone since June 6th, and after resting and attending a doctor's appointment and my usual Tuesday morning Bible study, I made up my mind that nothing was going to get in the way of updating this blog!

Happily, in the interim, I have been experimenting with some new patterns, wanting to beef up the inventory for the Ladies Basket Ministry at church.  I find that if I am able to keep a few items made ahead of time there won't be 20 babies born in the same month or day and catch us empty-handed.  I have found some luscious patterns, and made booties, sweaters, hats, and even a bear for the Mother Bear Charity, which is listed in one of my newest gadgets, Favorite Charities.  I hope you will find time to visit some of these sites and learn of the wonderful things being done for those who are less fortunate than others.  Making charitible items is not everyone's preference...nor...ahem...do they have the time, but for myself it is perfect.  I often find myself buying into feeling like I'm useless because of being disabled and not working any more, so being able to do something like this blesses me more than the recipient!  The Mother Bear Project is dear to my heart, especially after seeing the brochure that accompanies the purchase of the pattern(s) for the projects.  For most of these children, the bears are all they have in this world!  To be a part of that is humbling and yet exuburant in it's aftermath.  There is something so special about making a child smile. 

In this photograph, the bear is shown nearly completed and will be seamed together and stuffed.  The organization furnishes you with a tag for each pattern which the knitter/crocheter ties on the wrist of the bear before shipping it.  This is the first project I have knitted that wasn't just straight and flat, although it is sort of like a scarf.  There was a bit of shaping and a lot of praying during its construction!  I am going to crochet the next bear and I'll let you know which I prefer.

As I mentioned, I have been experimenting with booties because they are always a nice little gift to have prepared in case someone slips up and has a baby without me knowing it, and of course they are perfect items for our basket ministry.  They have been such fun to make and at times maddening mainly because I am often dysfunctional when it comes to reading and actually working a pattern correctly.  Often, I will later find something on line where someone has wondered the same things I have wondered regarding a particular pattern, so maybe I'm not the village idiot I think I am!

I obtained this pattern from one of the charity sites but didn't copy down the name of the person.  As soon as I locate the name, I will publish it.

This is a little pair of moccasins that I sort of woke up in the middle of a rainbow while crocheting them...and...voila!  The pattern is from a book entitled First Crochet Projects For Beginners.  I have made this pattern for several friends and they love them!  The wonderful thing about these is that you can experiment with different yarns and colors, and the ribbon possibilities are endless as well.  Also, both boys and girls can wear these.

These tiny little wonders are fun and easy to make, and so delicate and feminine.  There are buttons on each side to fasten the booties.  These are precious with a pair of baby socks on those sweet little feet before donning the booties.  This pattern came from the magazine, Crochet World, Volume 28, No. 3, copyright 2005.  I obtained the pattern from the Internet.  It appears somewhat vintage.

I am still in the process of designing a pattern for a pair of booties I have made in the past for which I cannot find the pattern.  They are precious, easy, and work up very quickly.  I will add my own touch to make the pattern mine and publish it by the next blog (hopefully....but no more promises!). 

Currently on my needle(s):

What you're seeing is a yellow baby dress from the May/June 2010 issue of Crochet Today Magazine.  I haven't attempted a lacy dress before, so please pray for me.  The yoke is what you are seeing on the right and it looks so much larger because of the photograph in the magazine being so small...but you get the idea, I'm sure.  I will post the finished product before it goes to my neighbor for her granddaughter.

On different note, I have been blessed with so many beautiful flowers.  On Mother's Day, my daughter, Dessi, blessed me with a beautiful bouquet of roses which lasted nearly two full weeks!  She surprised me with them the Thursday before Mother's Day so I was able to enjoy them early.  What a joy and sweet surprise!  She blesses my life in ways unimaginable!  Her mother, Sashka, will be arriving on July 23rd, and I am eager to see her again.  What a lovely woman!

There's the upright table view, one of the "sterling silver" roses, and then an aerial view of the roses blossoming into full blooms literally before my eyes!  I enjoyed these so very much and the colors and fragrance were incredible.  Thank you, Baby Girl!

Shortly after Mother's Day, my doorbell rang one day and there stood a man on my doorstep with a bouquet of flowers that I surmised were likely for one of my neighbors who were not home.  I am home most of the time, so I am happily the "go-to" person for deliveries belonging to neighbors.  I was mistaken.  This time, the bouquet was from the Yildiz family, a wonderful family of people from Turkey who own OPS Pizza Kitchen and Cafe.  We frequent their place often because we enjoy the food, but more importantly we love and enjoy the owners!  By the way, we were told by the owners that "OPS" is the Greek symbol for prosperity.  It is truly so for them, for they are loved and their restaurants are frequented often by the people of our small community.  I was in tears at their kindness and generosity.  I often sit and marvel at God's beautiful mercy over my life in the area of friends and their loving kindness.  I just cannot believe it at times!

              

Fast forward to May 29th and we have our "cell group" meeting, which is  group of people in our church who meet independently to worship the Lord and learn of His messages to us through His word and through each other.  This was nearly like a family reunion, in that my daughter, Dessi, was in town that weekend from Athens, Georgia, and my friend, Kai, who is now attending our church, along with a young man who has recently moved to our town.  They all gathered at our house before going to the home of the cell group hosts.  Kail brought us a gorgeous bouquet from her garden, consisting of hydrangeas and gardenias.  Mmmmmm...is there any other fragrance on earth sweeter than a gardenia or magnolia?  Not in my humble opinion.  The funny thing is that Kai brought to me the very flowers from her garden that I had used to make my wedding bouquet just five years previously.  She was gracious in allowing me to take a few cuttings for a bridal bouquet.  It was truly a sweet gesture on her behalf, and I have appreciated the flowers greatly!

I have a dear friend, Faye, who also is an avid gardener, and this is the time of year when I never know what I'll get, but I can bet on getting something!  Last week, the bouquets began and you will see the lovely surprises I received.

                 

Faye and Kai both know that I am unable to spend as much time in my garden anymore, so they adorn me with the gifts of beauty grown in their gardens.  Only a true friend would do this for me, and I realize that, although I love the flowers, their friendships are far more valuable!  Thanks, girls...and you know I love you!!

To top it off, Sunday night in church, Faye brought me the most gorgeous hydrangea I'd ever seen!  The color is luscious, and I know that only our Lord could produce such perfection!  Faye did not identify the flower in the middle, so I apologize for this.

 

I am blessed to have friends who adorn me with the gifts from their garden.  The peace these blossoms bring to me is immeasurable.  I say this because I was brought up "playing in the dirt" with my grandfather--a master gardener.  His vegetables, flowers, shrubs, trees, and the gift God gave him to grow them were amazing!  They nourished our bodies and our souls.  I remember once, after planting a vegetable garden in my deep back yard, him praying and asking the Lord to bless and increase what he had planted.  He possessed a beautiful baritone voice that resonated like none other I'd ever heard, and he could be heard all over my neighborhood!  We had an unbelievable garden that year and it fed us and many other neighbors who were less fortunate.

I look forward to updating this blog soon when projects are completed and new opportunities arrive into my always surprising life.  God bless all of you!