Christmas time is upon us.  I always feel a holiness begin to grow in the atmosphere as we draw closer to this season.    I think more hearts are turned towards Gods gift to the world.  We find ourselves filled with a desire to give...we feel thankful for all we are blessed to have...not the material things but those we love the most, our family and friends. 

winter solice

When you have so much to do that you don't have a moment to sit down the very best thing to do is make a Humpty Dumpty or anything, really, to procrastinate. 

Or sit in your bedroom and watch a squirrl  munching on maple seeds...sigh

 

 I shared a booth with my once a year friend, Kim...I think we do this little local arts and crafts show just so we can sit together for three entire days and catch up.  We keep saying once a year is not enough but every year the time eater comes along and before we know it we are sitting together in our little corner sharing our year.  She creates these tiny gingerbread houses that are just amazing and  are as wonderful in the back as they are in the front.

As I see 2010 quickly slipping through my fingers I begin to make new resolutions    for   2011...                Spend more time with friends... figure out how to format my blog....

I keep coming here with the full intention of posting something but just can't seem to get past my Mothers death.  I see my last post was made on mothers day and I didn't even make mention what an amazing mother I had.  Little did I know that she would be gone in a few short weeks.  She was 94 but had lived independently and in good health all of her life.  She had the most beautiful giving spirit.  She truely didn't store up treasures on earth and gave generously of what she had.  When we looked in her check register we saw she faithfully wrote out her tithe, her rent, a few groceries and the rest of her social security check was written out in 5 and 10 dollar checks to as many charities and mission work as it would afford.  She was a true christian in every way.  She had no evil to say about anyone.  I cannot recall her ever putting me down or saying any unkind thing to me.  I was with her for the last week of her life and she remained faithful and trusting Jesus to the end.  Even though she knew what awaited her in death she never had a desire to die but wished to remain so she could pray for her family.   Her life was difficult but she didn't complained.  As my brothers and I were talking about our childhood we began to realize how much freedom she gave us...We were very poor but never knew it.  She trained us in the way we should go...  I was blessed to have such a precious saint for a mother for so many years but I still miss her...

Happy Mothers Day

I was on the phone with a dear friend who has in her recent past lost several members of her family, including her precious son in January of this year, when I looked out my window and saw this beautiful rainbow. I don't remember ever seeing a rainbow from my window in the ten years I have lived here because of the location of my house (nestled between two rock clifts) What a beautiful sign from God of HOPE...
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.

I hope you are feeling renewed hope as I do this beautiful day.  I have been thinking about the things that really bring me joy.   They are simple.  I am so thankful for all of the blessings in my life...Legs to walk with, hands to lift up, a voice to sing and eyes to see the beauty of the sky at night and ears to hear the singing birds.  The sacrifice of a loving God....Thank-you Jesus.

HAPPY SPRING!  I am ready for spring to begin.  You can see the color of the sky and early morning clouds change this time of year.  They seem soft and fresh...What is it about spring that brings us renewed hope?   Oh and the smell.  The rains wash over that dirty snow as it melts away and new life pushes up with promises of colors and fragrances blessing the earth.  I have already taken the grandboys to see the chicks and ducklings at the farm store.  All fluff and no feathers they PEEP the sound of spring.


Song of Solomon 2
10My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

11For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

OK I give up on trying to arrange these pictures.  You will get the idea. This is the doll in Art Doll Quarterly.  I tried to scan the pictures from the magazine but  they didn't turn out. Then I tried to use my camera...still no luck.  I feel so priveledged to have her in there.   I am famous now...and am expecting a call from Oprah anyday to be on her show! (this is the place you are supposed to be laughing)  The submission was for a doll made from recycled materials.  The new term is to upcycle.  All of my dolls are from recycled materials so it was a simple request.  Jane Desrosier was the one who organized the doll group I am in to do a group submission.  I had never looked at the magazine before.    It is filled with all kinds of dolls...some I love and others not so much.  But I love the creativity and just the love of making dolls.  They come alive as you work on them and whisper stories in your ear, if you have the heart to listen....

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.  Helen Keller

I've been off on a new trail these past 5 weeks.  I needed to make some changes, lots of big ones, in my life.  One change is my eating choices.  I decided to try the vegan path for a while and see what kind of changes that will bring about for my body, mind, and spirit.  It takes a lot of thinking to make a change in how you look at and use food.  One change is the loss of 18 pounds.  My brain fog is gone.  I feel great...but that could be because spring is just days away.  Oh happy day.  I am finding that you can eat healthy and enjoy the food you are eating.  Quinoa is a tiny grain that is packed with goodness.  Today for breakfast I had 1/2 cup of quinoa (pronounced keenwah) with 1/2 cup of soymilk that I had blended 3 strawberries into.  YUM..serious.  I have also learned to make these delicious cookies that are totally healthy (as long as you use organic ingredients.)  To get started you need to soak two cups of nuts for a day or two ( I use 1 c. almonds and I take the skins off after soaking.  If the skins are difficult I blanch them for just a few seconds and then the skins pop right off. I use walnuts for the other cup.  After they are soaked they need to be drained.  OK so now you need to get your food processor with the s blade and put your 2 cups of nuts, one cup of raisins, 1 teaspoon Vanilla flavoring, + one teaspoon orange flavoring (or any flavoring you like)+ 1 tablespoon organic cocoa.  (I have also used carob)  Mix this in the processor until it forms into a dough ball.  Take it by the tablespoonful and roll it into balls , then roll those in dried shredded coconut.  Store in the refrigerator.  ENJOY!

Lavender Sachets in Ninepatch

I had a tumble on the ice recently.  Fortunately I caught myself by hanging onto the door handle, unfortunately I pulled the muscles across by back and shoulders. So I have been on light duty for about a week now.  Yesterday I just HAD to do something fun so I made these simple lavender sachets from  old quilt blocks.  The fabric looks like civil war era fabric and they could be that old.  They were never used .  I like to think about them being stored away for so many years...at first from home to home ...drawers to trunks to boxes of people who knew their history and what hands made them or whose dress that was.  I wonder if some of the fabric was a flour sack.  I would have looked through all of the sacks of flour and picked my favorite print.  I think these loving thoughts as I handle this small piece of history.  I think, at least for today, the ninepatch is my favorite.  I imagine a young girl sitting by a window on a wintery day. She carefully picks the two materials she will make her block from.  Her stitches aren't perfect and the corners of her little squares don't always meet.  Her iron sits at the back of the cookstove to keep hot , but not so hot that it will scorch the whites....