My handmade Christmas gift list total

Crocheted---

8 scarves
2 large candle cozies

1 doll blanket

1 hat

4 edged hankies

2 doilies

Quilted---

1 potholder
3 wall hangings
dolly diaper bag

1 twin size quilt (Michelle quilted/bound it for me as her gift to Heather .)

Misc. crafts and small quilty pressies for various swaps and exchanges also.

I haved started a list of ideas for next year. Never too early to start. Having goals really helps me. Looking at the calendar and marking birthdays and adding them to my "gift list" really helps alot. This next year is starting off busy. I will be having surgery end of January/first of February. Surgeon consult on the 4th. Penny and I are also planning on doing some Fibre Shows next year. And I am hostessing 2 quilt retreats. See I have goals. :o))

Feeling so blessed

To have had another Christmas with all of us here together. Seems so many of us in our family are not feeling well and I do not take any time we spend together for granted, especially as I watch my sweet parents age so quickly before my eyes. Both my in-laws have health issues also and not near my parents age. Baby Jaidyn so enjoyed opening her (and our) gifts. At age 2, she can say "more" and her version of "open" quite plainly. :o) Little Shayla was blessed with so many goodies and said "thank you Baby Jesus for sharing your birthday with us". I LOVED hearing that. Thankful at 6, she understands why we are celebrating. And WHAT we are celebrating. My sisters and I went together and got our mom a digital photo frame with a 4GB memory card. After loading over 300 pictures on it, it can easly hold 3,000 more! Penny called it Granny TV. Bittersweet memories of our grandparents and family passed away were added. Sad but loving at the same time. Even current and past furbabies. We do love our furbabies. Cannot wait to load more pics for her.

Hope you are staying warm and whatever your circumstances, can still say with me...I am blessed.

Christmas Bells

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Shameless begging....

Hey ladies. Here is my begging. If you order off Amazon, would you do it through the link on my blog? I get a tiny bit and it all adds up.after a long time. It is in the sidebar. I want soooo many books and a couple of crafting tools and simply cannot afford them. They have tons of quilting and crafting books and you can order your groceries even. Crazy!

 So that is my shameless begging. Pitiful huh?

And about that give-a-way.....it is coming! I need to take some pictures of the goody. The lighting was good today, but I was gone most of the day. Have had to have a CAT scan of my neck. I have a wonky thing going on with a lymph node. A biopsy is scheduled for next week pending the results of today's test. Blech.

The temp right now, this very minute (3am), is 15 degrees. That is nuts. It is so gonna be a doozie of a cold winter. I am wearing double socks all day long here at home. Hope you are staying warm! :o)

Have you heard this phrase??

A mouse in the house is not as fun as a cat in a hat? Maybe it is just an Indiana thang. Or maybe I just made it up. Whatever the case...thank you to my sister Penny who dumped (We threw it allllll away!) my visitor into the trash and then took it alllllll to the outside trashcan. I simply could not take it in the furnace closet laying there another second. Then she took me to see Heather's outside Christmas lights. And then after the memory of the aforementioned visitor had passed, we ate turkey rice soup from the leftover TDay feast. I added zucchini from my freezer and sliced carrots. Add to that Mark's homemade yeast rolls. Pretty tastie I thought.

Sending out some love to the birthday girl Penny too! :o) Tomorrow is her day. Well this weekend is actually party wise :o)

I am thankful for today...
parchment paper
peanutbutter and milk chocolate chips
heat
twinkle lights
sisters
loving parents
Casting Crowns newest cd

I won, so YOU win

I won a give-a-way at Tatting Tales last month. An original watercolor and 2 skeins of her hand dyed #20 thread. Both quite yummy! Thank you so much.

In the spirit of winning, I will be hosting a give-a-way this month. Details to come. Don't worry, it will be easy, no hoops or loop-de-loos to go through :o) Who has time for that?

I found a recipe in my late night blog surfer, and forgot where of course. After eating only bland food for what seems like FOREVER, I am wanting a bit of flavor to cross my palette. This seems harmless and easy enough. Brown ground beef with diced onion. Drain well. Add taco seasoning and one can of undrained diced tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is gone. Soften a large block of cream cheese. Spread into bottom of a pie plate. Evenly spread meat mixture over cream cheese. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Microwave or heat in oven until cheese is slightly melted. Serve with tortilla chips. I am thinking all the cheese will help my tummy with any kick of the meat. You could also add a layer of refried beans and black olives. Yummy. But I am not pushing my luck this time.

With all my resting I have been doing a lot of crocheting. Charity gifts. Several small bags and coasters have been felted. Hankies trimmed. Scarfs made. Hat for Baby Jaidy. Working on a doll blankie to go with Shayla's Christmas doll, Baby Alive. Man she has all the bells and whistles. Mark has insisted she is the one. I prefer the soft, cuddly dolls. But since Uncle Mark is dropping the big bucks, happy Shayla! LOL I need to get to my playhouse to do some quilting, maybe later in the week.

Are you watching The Biggest Looser? Penny and I have gotten hooked. I have never watched it from start to finish. Only give Survivor that much tv loving. hahaha But I have really gotten involved in TBL. Allen was from our area, 2 counties over. I was sad he didn't make it to the final 4. I am for Danny out of the 4 that are left. He has such a good heart. You can just see it.

Thank you for all the sweet emails of encouragement I have received. They have meant a lot to me.

PS: As Penny and I was watching TBL I was telling her about my post. And then it hit me. Hey I am making this medium calorie recipe tomorrow night/watching TBL. And I didn't even CATCH it when I wrote it. Not until I watched these people on their journey. Sigh....The cream cheese is not low fat. The meat is ground chuck. The cheese is a mozzarella blend. Myself, I will use saltines cause the chips are too salty (blood pressure). Hmmm....No matter that it has been several months since I have had anything with zing and flavor to it. I just WANT it. And that is what is wrong with America me. Just want it all no matter if it isn't the best for us.

Chant with me...

I am blessed and not stressed! Overjoyed and not destroyed!

Quick update

Keep the healing prayers going please. I have pneumonia again. After 3 hours at the clinic, I came home with 7 prescriptions. Got 2 shots. And a half dose of Tamiflu (this is the max I can take because of my kidneys). I tested negative for H1N1, but they said the test also gives false negatives, so to be on the safe side....there ya go take these pills. I have not been able to take the vaccine for this because every time they try, 5, I have some kind of fever. After all the drugs, I am actually feeling not so feverish or so snotty. And I will not even tell the horror story of Toby getting out on me last night for almost 1 1/2 hours. Me walking and calling and crying and praying in the dark. Penny came to help and he heard her and came a running. No good boy treats last night. Not ONE! But I am so thankful he did not get run over or was lost. Very thankful. And for a sweet sister who is always coming to my rescue. She is my 911 call.

Quarantined House

I is siccccccccccccccck. Bahhhhh humbug. Not the season to be doing this nonsense. I have gifties to be finishing up. Family dinners to be planning. Birthdays coming up. Starting another round of treatments after Thanksgiving. More bahhhh humbug.  But no. I am not having a pity party. Not me (as I wipe my snotty nose).

Taking a lil drive

Penny and I took a lil drive to Sheep Street in Morgantown. I have not been out anywhere in what seems forever and it was a very nice afternoon for a mini road trip. It is about 1 hour from us. I wanted to buy a drop spindle and Penny is always up for a visit to their store. They have a lovely farm and shop. We had to get out to take some pics of course. And Penny made a new friend! I simply LOVE the photos of her!!! Her love for animals shows clearly.

 

 

 

 

 

So ya wanna lil kissie-poo?

Who's been sleeping in my bed?

I don't think so boys! And yes. That is MY Pooh pillow.

Working on hankies for my dear aunts (each over 80). The pink and green are finished. The blue is in the works still. I love the thread holder daddy made me. It is perfect for my cotton threads. This is a small spool of Lisbeth 20. But it is great for the larger balls of bedspread cotton too. No more chasing about and fighting the pets for them. He used scrap wood, the base is walnut and the spindle is poplar.

These were good in theory. But making more will not be happening. Working the clay KILLED my poor arthritic hands. I molded the sheepies onto size 10 wooden needles. Baked them at 235 degrees for 30 minutes. Tiny glass seed beads for eyes. Fun to make and I have plenty more clay, they take such a small amount. But ohhhh my poor hands. Wonder who will get this pair?? :o) Perhaps a December birthday girl? We will have to see.

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it 'The Present'."

— Eleanor Roosevelt

Hanging in there.

Just like these 2 leaves on a neighbors tree are hanging on for dear life. The "wind" has been blowing hard, but I am still clinging. Holding onto God with both hands.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJ version)

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

 

Job 27:6 (KJ version)
"My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live."

Hebrews 10:23 (KJ version)
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"

 

Revelation 2:25 (KJ version)
"But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."

 

Hitty Anne got blessed

Her Auntie Vickie sent her this loverly dress. I think she bought it at Quilt Festival. It was created by our fabric Hitty dress lady, Nancy Hauk. Look at the smocking detail! It is perfection for a 6-inch dolly.

Hitty Anne says, "Thank you very very much Auntie Vickie. Mommy will be sending your some Hitty love soon!".

Do you play Hittys? We would love to meet your girls.

Some recent projects

Here are some of the projects I have been working on the past few weeks. 

And I just love this lil' guy. My yo-yo Raggedy. He is 8-inches tall to the tippy of his jingle toes. I painted his face and gave him red dyed string hair.  I am keeping him. The rest is for our shows.

These are pincushions with wool backs. They are each filled with crushed walnut shells. All cushies were paper pieced. I love to pp. It is addicting to me. The smallest one's shown are 3-inches. I have about a dozen more I didnt take a photo of. I was on a roll making these babies.

With these, the smallest one's are 4-inches.

 

These are wool and filled with wool roving. They are glued into antique zinc canning jar lids.

 

Here are minis that I haven't quilted yet.

Pear sauce

This is pretty yummy. Daddy brought me a bag of his pears on Sunday. These are from very old, huge trees on their farm. And he lets them hit the ground. So a bit of bruising, means alot of cutting away. But so worth it. I boiled 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Then turned it to medium and dropped in the sliced pears as I cut them up. I cooked them about 10 minutes after the final ones were in. Then removed from heat and let cool. Since it was pretty late, I put the kettle in the frig til this afternoon. I put all the pear slices into the blender with a ladle of the water. Probably could have omitted the water, but wanted the extra sweetness. Pulsed the blender until it was the consistency I liked. Sprinkled the cinnamon on top of the serving bowl. taaadaaaa Looks just like apple sauce. No preservatives or pesticides.

I am having an impossible time getting into some blogs. Have no idea what is going on! I can get into the page, and then it all freezes up on me. Not everyone's, but have never had this happen before. I have ran extra virus scans and whatnots. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

It has been rainy here. And goes right along with me not being an Autumn person. No hating please! I know some just simply love this time of the year. I never have as long as I can remember. I start getting depressed and melancholy. And the change in the weather makes me ache more. But mostly it just depresses me. I love to see the colors of the tree. Nothing prettier. But hate those ole blahhhhs that come with it. Just sharing. :o)

"To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart." Eleanor Roosevelt

My playmates

My sweet niece baby Shayla came for a few days. We played babies and animals, read books, watched movies, played school and had alot of snuggle time.

My sister Penny and I have been out in my playhouse. She was winding cones and skeins of yarn on her swift and ballwinder. I was sewing on the other side of my dinky lil wooden table. At times, holding onto it for dear life as the swift vibrated the legs off the poor thing! LOL I love my dinky lil table though. It just works.

I was working on small projects (I need to photograph them yet.) and hemmed six skirts for Miss Shorty. She also made the sweetest honey soap. Smells divine!

Today was a homeblessing day. I did laundry and the floors, cleaned out the frig, and general spic/spanning. Made peanutbutter cookies and a pot of "what I had on hand" chili. Now I am tuckered out.

I am staying home as much as possible. My immune systems is not good. And just coming off the chemo, well it is worse than the normal for me. Hope everyone is staying healthy with all these flu cooties running amuck. My dd has been very sick. On the mend now though. I hated not being able to go to her and mother her, even though she is married. She is still my baby. Maybe after we get to the good freeze stage here, the flu will taper off.

Here is our encouragement for the day.

Matthew 6:31-32 (King James Version)

31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Encouraging (strengthening) ourselves

1 Samuel 30:6 (King James Version)
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

1 Samuel 30:6 (New King James Version)
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

1 Samuel 30:6 (New International Version)
David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

1 Samuel 30:6 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over [the loss of] their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

God's Word in a couple of different translations. Each saying the same thing. David found his strength in the Lord. Not just his physical strength. Remember the Giants? But also his mental/spiritual strength. His encouragement. What a great God!

We have the power

2 Timothy 1:7 (King James Version)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Above all!

Ephesians 3:20 (King James Version)
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

I tried to capture this video to share, and it wouldn't upload. If you get a chance, please listen to THIS.

The past few weeks

Alot going on. I have been taking a treatment (partial chemo) each Wednesday. The last one in this round, is this week. Then tests to find out what is what with my liver. Hopefully it will show regrowth from the surgery and this is over with. I am keeping the housework up and taking care of Timmy and Toby and that is about it. Some crocheting of course, because that is mindless.

Have had this sadness to work through also. My Lydia crossed Rainbow Bridge.

The two pics below are what I made for our Hand-Dids, Autumn Friendship Swap. The first one went to Kim. The crow, leaves and stems are wool. The rest is fabric needleturn applique on a pinwheel background. I had posted HERE the lovely she made me.

This scrappy baby is what I made for Vickie. It is wool applique on flying geese background.

Here is my sweet Baby Shayla (I know we will have to quit calling her that one of these days. But not yet!). Her and I watched the latest Wizard of Oz that just came out. I had gotten Happy Meal McDonald toys and saved some back for her. I have the whole set for myself! LOL She really liked the movie. The first part, when it is all sepia she wasn't too sure about. Told me this might be too grown up for her. I assured her it was going to get fun in just a minute. When it became color (and what she was used to) she got happier. Kids. Look at her mouth from licking it. Mom says I did that too. Love my niece that is for sure. She gave me a hug during her visit and told me she was blessed. Aaaaaaah!

There are still a couple of spots open for the November 2010 Quilt Camp/Retreat.

Please pray for our blogger friend Terry. Her husband was in a serious accident last week. Barb lives in American Samoa in all that devastation. So many prayer requests. I am grateful that God is all seeing and Almighty.

Autumn 2010 Quilt Camp/Retreat

Here are the basics.

Autumn Quilt Camp/Retreat
November 10-14, 2010 Wed. noon - Sun. morning
Camp Camby Conference & Retreat Center Camby, Indiana

http://www.campcamby.com/index.php

Camp Camby is located a short distance from Indianapolis International airport. I am guessing approx. 20 minutes. It is off Highway 67. A Nazarene church camp, sitting on a gorgeous wooded lot. Each room has 2 queen size beds, sofa, refrigerator, tv, sitting area and of course, bathroom. Very spacious rooms.

Here are a couple pics of the rooms. Wireless internet is also available.
http://www.campcamby.com/photogallery.php?album=facilities&image=100_0696.JPG

http://www.campcamby.com/photogallery.php?album=facilities&image=100_0700.JPG

http://www.campcamby.com/photogallery.php?album=facilities&image=100_0705.JPG

This is a large facility that could possibly have multiple functions at the time of our retreat. They have a dining hall that will cater our meals. The food is all very nice and there is a variety. It is a cafeteria style menu. You go through once, picking and choosing and they fill your plates. Then after everyone is done, you may go back again. We will have 3 meals a day provided. Thursday - Saturday, and Sunday breakfast (except lunch on Saturday which is designated shopping time). We will not have a menu ahead of time. They do not take special orders. They are not set up to accommodate this. Please do NOT ask. We will have frigs in our individual rooms where you can stash individual snackies and any extra's you might want. As always, we will have a snack/drink (tea, soda pop, coffee and bottled water) bar set up full time. Gotta love the wonderful kitchen they have for our use attached to our sewing room. There is a business area about 5 miles south with many fast food restaurants and a WalMart. Know how you girls love your WallyWorld! :o)
Our sewing room is a separate building. They call it the conference center. It will provide us with 2 per banquet table, cushy chairs, 2 table cutting stations, snack/drink bar, floor space and plenty of walking room. We will not be cramped. Natural light as well. All the buildings are connected with courtyards and paved walkways.

Here is the cost breakdown.
The cost per person for 2 to a room for 4 nights and 9 complete meals is $220.

The cost is the same whether you come for 4 or 3 nights. The same with the meals. It is a fixed rate. I have to send in a deposit with the contract. And they want the contract back as soon as possible to hold so many rooms and the conference center. The cost is broken into 3 payments. If for some reason, you cannot come after you have made a payment, you will need to find your own replacement (approved by Angela) to receive your monies back. I might have names to help you with also.

First payment is due November 1st, 2009
Second payment is due March 1st, 2010
Final payment is due August 1st, 2010
$73.33 each payment

I can accept credit/debit card payments. Just let me know and I can send you an invoice. I am charged a 4% fee which I need to pass on to you.

No profanity, smoking or alcohol is permitted on the church camp property.

This is women's only gathering.

I will be hostessing our annual Spring Retreat in May, 2010.

Space is very limited. Reservations are on a first pay basis. Why sign up so early you ask? Cause baby these places book years in advance!! We found favor by getting 2 dates in 2010.

We have a yahoo group set up for all the chatter, files and optional exchanges and swaps. Once you have committed, you will be sent added to that group.

So what do ya think? :o)

Shoot me an email with questions and to sign up. You know you wanna!

ccellar@comcast.net

Catchin' up

Isn't this adorable? I received it from Kim in our Autumn Friendship Exchange over at my Hand-Dids group. It is a Crabapple Hill pattern. LOVE it! Some of the embroidery is satin stitch over wool. Really makes it pop! I am still working on her's and my other partner, Vickie. Who has a newly released blog. She has kept it in lurkdom for sometime, but is "out" now. hahaha Send her some blog love if you get the chance.

I have been taking treatments for my liver (It might possibly help my lupus also.). Infusions once a week that are partially chemo, about 1/2. No appetite except for toast and applesauce. Penny picked me up a jar of Nutella and I have only ate out of it once! But my pneumonia is getting better. It just doesn't take much for these junky lungs of mine to get junkier.

My fur babies sunbathing. Timmy is really growing! I had a canning jar of flowers on the dining room table. Had being the key word here. He would pluck one out and then toss it over the edge. Meow his lil head off (He is a major crybaby by the way.) Until he got Toby's attention. Who would promptly chew it up. Teamwork! I can just imagine that he is saying to Toby, " Hey Bubby. Hey Bubby. Wanna lil snackie?? Come and get it!". hahaha They are constantly playing chase and chewing on each other. Timmy starts it just as much as Toby. Poor ole Lydia wants no part of either of them. I am so afraid she is about to go across Rainbow Bridge. She will be 16 next month. That is terribly old for a Persian.

Hopefully we will be zoo bound on Saturday. IFFFFF it isn't rainy as it has been all week since Sunday. Just will have to see what happens.

I am going to be posting about the Quilt Camp/Retreat I am hosting in November 2010 soon. I have hosted an annual one with my Backporch Friends girls since 2001. This one will have those from that group who can make it and is open to the public. It is limited and I have some signed up already. Just want to have my wits about me when I post. Might be a day or so or year! :o)

Loving this drag/resize thingy on the pics. Very handy! Thank you Blogger. This is a great free service. I really appreciate it.

Well off to take another rest. Tootles from a rainy Indiana.

ps: I got my first blog spam today on 3 posts. What is up with that? I just deleted it.

I am sick...again

Blechity blech blech. Had a treatment on Tuesday that NOW they say I should have waited on. I am sick with fever, chest congestion and head cold. They said my xray looked like a light case of pneumonia. Which I easily get. Antibiotic shots. It just came on me so quickly. And we were supposed to go to the zoo this weekend. Our entire family, all 11 of us. :o( (I am such a big baby. But we haven't done anything like this in several several years.) Postponed til next weekend. I have such an understanding family. It was bad enough I missed seeing my daddy yesterday on his birthday. I know this too shall pass. I know. I know I KNOW!! I have been laying in bed crocheting baby hats for charity. Gotta do something with my hands. I am going to lay them out in the sunshine before I pass them along, to kill all my germs. The soft yarn comforts me. And thinking of sweet babies makes me smile through my coughing. Pass the tissues please...

I have things to post---wonderful wall hanging I have recieved in a Hand-Dids swap (Mine is not completed!), Retreat I am hosting in November 2010 that has openings, crochet projects. Soon.

Busy week for me

This has been a very busy week for me. Monday, was Heather's birthday party. Tuesday, I took my pretreatment shot and had another dr appt and some tests ran. Wednesday, I cleaned and made a huge stock pot full of veggie soup. It is so yummy. And I love sharing it. We all need to eat more vegetables. Also spent some time with my birthday girl. Thursday, I took our elderly uncle to the dr and had another dr appt for myself. Friday, I left early and went and spent the day with a very dear friend. Got home late. Found out while I was gone that my father-in-law was in the hospital. Problems with his kidney functions. Woke up today to a phone call that he has several bloodclots in his lungs and legs as well. The doctor told him he was a miracle!! That he would have died shortly with these undetected and untreated AND he was blessed that they are not the kind that break down and travel as they dissolve. His just dissolve and stay in place!!!! Thank God for that. He will be in the hospital several days and on meds for a long time. But much better than the alterrnative!!!

Also today was our sweet baby Shayla's 6th birthday and her party. She is so precious to us. Love this lil niece so much.

The years have flown by it seems. Went to her party and the local kiddie pizza/playland place (What a money rip off!) and to the hospital with sis to see her Papa. Home to catch up the housework tonight and give my fur babies some loving. This ole girl is not used to so much running. But you know, it was good for me to be busy and be out and about. I am so happy I was ABLE to do what I needed and wanted to do. God sent me the energy. And the gas money. Both I am grateful for. This week I am hoping to be crafty and have some new pics to share with you. I am sorry I am behind in all my blog reading! Will try to get caught up with everyone.

I will leave you with this thought.

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."

~ C. S. Lewis

Are you ready to be blessed?

"We need to see that God wants us to be blessed, but first of all He wants us to be ready for the blessing."

"There is no such thing as the Lord not meeting your need. There are no ‘ifs’ or ‘mays’; His promises are all ‘shalls’."

"Ah, brothers and sisters, we have no idea what God has for us if we will only begin! … We will be able to succeed only as we do the work in the name of Jesus. Oh, the love that God’s Son can put into us if we are only humble enough, weak enough, and helpless enough to know that unless He does it, it will not be done!"

~quotes from Smith Wigglesworth

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

~Psalm 139:14

If you read above and below that verse, it speaks of God knowing us while we were in our mother's womb. How amazing!! No ultrasound needed. To me, that verse has so many meanings. One is that God doesn't make junk! We are worthy of good things. Of blessings being poured out upon our heads. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! Be encouraged!!

Let today be the day

That when your feet hit the floor, the ole devil says, "Oh crap! She is up!"

Be blessed today. And be a blessing!

The Birthday Girl

Mom loves you honey. I thank God for giving you to us.

Another gift

I received this in the mailbox today. What a sweet thing. I was told since I was proficient in needle tatting, I should move to shuttle tatting. That is hilarious to me! I am not proficient by any means. But I AM appreciative. The book includes a dvd. I will need it! :o) So this is something for this winter.

We will be having my dd Heather's birthday party tomorrow. We are doing a breakfast luncheon. All the favorite fixin's...biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, pancakes, turkey bacon, sliced tomatoes, fried potatoes and of course birthday cake and ice cream. Will hopefully get some pictures to post. Her actual birthday is on 09-09-09. How cool is that? My baby will be 22. Don't know how THAT happened!

Our central air is out. Not very good timing with everyone coming tomorrow. The nights are cool, it is the day time that gets hot now. I am doing all the cooking and baking ahead I can. Then reheating some. Just will have the eggs and taters to cook tomorrow. Trying to not heat up the house tomorrow any more than I have to. We might should have planned a tropical themed party instead. hahaha But this was the birthday girl's special request. We let everyone pick their dinners and desserts usually. She choice a white bakery cake with buttercream frosting.

Some shoesies

These were a special order. The husband's leather baby shoes of a friend! No pressure with that! But I think they came out sweet. Jan loves sheepies. She was coming down to pick them up. But circumstances changed and I have to mail them out tomorrow. I would have liked to have seen her face. I also would have liked to keep them. Cuter in person than in pics. Cause of course I am a rotten photographer!

A finish and my playhouse

I finished this Americana mini quilt. The hearts are 1-inch paper pieced. And it is not white, but a tonal ecru. I am such a bad photographer.

These are some of my pincushions.

The top of a cabinet with some of my treasures. Many are gifts.

Thank you for all the feedback on the basting spray drama/trauma. I will prob have to order it, the shops around do not carry it. If anyone runs across a good deal on shipping, please let me know.

I have been on the pc much more than usual today, but also been cleaning. The windows are up, the central is off. And now the entire neighborhood is mowing their yards. Allergen's come on in!! We will have a partay come morning with the stuffy head, tight lungs and yucky eyes. But the power company will not be getting rich off of us. I told someone, breathing is over rated anyways.

Yesterday I got my hair removed. Yep I had the required 10-inches cut off for Locks for Love. I am starting meds again that have chemo in them and know I will get a good thinning. No sense in it going into the trashcan. So into a baggie and mailing envelope it went instead. This is the shortest it has been in some time. But it is just hair and it will grow again. I do like my hair long, it is what I am comfortable with and prefer. This is a wonderful program for children. Please consider it the next time you are thinking about a hair style change. A child will be grateful.