A Couple Favorite Things

Here's a couple of my favorite things around my house. This little button picture was purchased at an auction. It's about 2 inches square and cost a whopping $1.00...isn't it sweet! I saw an article in a magazine about the artist who made it...but can't find it. Does anyone know who she is?

I love fat birds....I've collected them for several years. This tiny bird is hand carved of wood. I bought it at a folk art show in York, PA. It's the perfect size for this little iron dish that sits on my bathroom vanity. Pretty little thing...don't you think?

I love things...all kinds of things!

Random Monday Memories

I remember a particular Christmas back in the sixties....or at least I remember my mom telling me about it!

My father was kind of difficult to buy gifts for ~ I guess we could say that about most men, couldn't we! Most years his packages ended up being shapes he could identify. Like clothing or maybe something heavy that contained the "surprise" power tool. However, this year there was a small, light weight package for him under the tree. I don't remember how soon before Christmas it went under the tree. It may have been a week before or just early in the day on Christmas Eve. I do remember that however long it was under the tree was how long it was making my dad crazy ~ because he couldn't figure out what it was! The shape wasn't a clue, it didn't rattle when he shook it and it certainly wasn't anything he asked for.

My mom was pretty happy about coming up with a gift for him that would actually be a surprise come Christmas morning. But that happiness was just not meant to be.

"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring.....except for my dad. The children (and my mom) were nestled, all snug in their beds.... until the soft sound of music caused my mom to spring from her bed to see what was going on. Away to the living room she flew like a flash....and what to her wondering eyes should appear, but my dad listening to his new transistor radio while enjoying a cold beer! OK ~ I know he liked beer...but I'm not sure he was drinking one that night...but it rhymed!!

My dad could not stand the suspense ~ and opened the package up after we had all gone to bed. He wasn't content with just knowing what he was. He could have just wrapped it back up and gone back to bed. Maybe no one would have suspected ~ although that would have depended on the re-wrapping job. But, no - he had to actually turn the radio on thus waking up the giftgiver! Definitely not a good plan. I'm sure my mom was very tempted to take that little radio right back to where it came from!

So, another Christmas went by without my dad receiving a surprise gift. I think we did end up surprising him one time....with a recliner no less! We kept it hidden under a blanket in my brothers' bedroom. Go figure - Dad never saw the hidden recliner - but snooped until he discovered the little, bitty radio tucked under the tree!

MORE Goodies in the Mail!

Woo Hoo! I won the "Artsy Autumn Swap" sneek peek drawing! I got another package in the mail ~ two days in a row! This one was from Linda, our swap leader. It was filled with all kinds of wonderful things.

I love the packet of images tied up with silk and a vintage pin! The stamps and little round frame are wonderful...as are the turkey candle holder and the cute rooster. Love the hot cocoa clipped with the button trimmed clothespin. The hankie and the apron are so vintage! I love them. I love it all! The box it was packaged in already has a home in my living room.

As for the little box of chocolate! Gone, empty, and so good!

Linda ~ thank you so much ~ you blessed my heart with your goodness!

Goodies in the Mail!

I received my "Artsy Autumn Swap" package in the mail today! Thanks to Amy for so many great goodies! I love the little candle holder and the candles. The colors are so vibrant and pretty. Not only autumn colors ~ but also the colors I decorate my living room with! Perfect touch for that room.

I also love the dishtowels ~ I don't have any autumn themed towels so these were really a nice surprise. The apron she made is so nice....little secret...it's my first apron!

She included some beautiful patterned paper, stickers, a notepad, an oven mitt, a cookie cutter, candy corn (I love it!), silk leaves and little pumpkins to scatter about.

Amy also thought of my grandbabies and included a DVD devotional for them!

I also received this sweet little hankie ~ isn't it pretty!

Thanks so much for everything you sent to me. I really love it all.

My first swap was so much fun ~ I can't wait to participate in another one!

Where's Her Teeth?

Elijah has two teeth ~ guess he's trying to find Charlotte's.

It's a Chicken Kind of Day

Don't you love this little cookbook!? It's really a Rival Crockpot Cookbook that's had a little "redo"! A sweet gal who signed her artwork PAL painted it back in 2002. I love it! PAL used to have a space in my gift shop, Agape Gifts & Crafts, before it closed. She painted all sorts of things~ including the tiny bucket pictured above. The little rooster was a gift from my dear friend Patricia. She was also a co-owner of Agape and is very familiar with PAL's artwork!

I thought I might try this recipe inside "Betty Clucker" ~ it sounds simple and tasty! An excellent combination don't you think! However, I've spent so much time looking through the cookbook, I've run out of time to get the crock-pot going before leaving for work!! At least I have a plan for tomorrow already!

Checking the fridge and pantry ~ Guess it's going to be a chili kind of day instead!

My Favorite Season!

Random Monday Memories

I've had a very busy several days. Days filled to the brim and then some! Days filled with diapers, bottles, and baby clothes. New memories to cherish.

Charlotte has been visiting with me since Wednesday evening while her daddy and mama are away. They'll be home this evening and Charlotte will be going back to her house. It's going to take several days to get used to the silence each morning.

Sweet Charlotte wakes up anywhere between midnight and 2am for her nighttime bottle. Actually she doesn't "wake up", she whimpers for a bit and then bellows until a bottle is put into her mouth ~ but she never opens her eyes! Her arms and legs thrash wildly as one attempts to make a quick diaper change before giving her that bottle she so desperately desires....I learned after night one to not even try and snap her little sleeper back up until after she was fed. Then as she slept soundly (truly ~ she never opened her eyes) I fastened the lowest snap on each leg and tucked her gently back into her bed. I mean, why bother snapping them all up ~ I'll have to undo them shortly. And do I really want to risk waking her up?!

About four hours later we repeat this and a few hours after that she wakes once more. But this time there's no whimpers followed but a lusty bellow ~ instead I hear little coos, like a dove. Charlotte lies in her bed and talks ~ sweet little baby sounds ~ so precious. It's been like this for the past four mornings and tonight she goes home. This is the last morning to wake to little coos rather than the blaring buzzer of my alarm. I've been awake since the second round of bellowing this morning. I've been typing this and listening for those last little coos. The last little coos of this trip ~ because of course there will be more sleep-overs at gramma's house!

~ so precious ~

Update on Joe

Back in August I shared about my son Joe losing his job (read post here). He had an interview yesterday for a position that he was very excited about and he called last night to let me know he got the job!! His work experience is in printing and binding and this job entails running the print shop in a hospital near his home. He's also going to school right now to become a radiology technician. So this new job is in a field he is very familiar with and it gets Joe into a hospital work environment - who knows where that will lead!

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Elijah is very happy about this news!!

Artsy Autumn is on it's way!

Life has been extra busy and a bit chaotic for the past two days ~ but it seems to be calming down a bit. I thought I'd take a minute and post a little peek for Amy, my swap partner in the Artsy Autumn Swap. It's the first one I've done and it's been a lot of fun. I'll be mailing Amy's package on Monday ~ the first day of Autumn ~ but until then, she can take a peek here!
You all can too!

I Love These Two!

I'm not sure what Elijah's doing to Charlotte, but it's obvious by the second photo that he's quite proud of himself!

My Friend is Having a Giveaway!

My new friend, Kathryn, is having a giveaway on her blog called Our Shabby Cottage.

Kathryn lives in Australia and is a beautiful seamstress. You'll see examples of that when you visit her blog.

Now about the giveaway!

This little handbag doorstop is adorable! You'll receive it and a few other little goodies you can read about when you visit Kathryn!

She also has an online shop filled with all kinds of lovely things.

See for yourself ~ visit it here.

You can enter her giveaway through Monday!

**Photo Malarkey

I was visiting Kathryn at her blog, Our Shabby Cottage, and read about her endeavors to get a really good photo taken of her two sons. She wants to have a charcoal drawing done from the photo. What a neat idea! Her boys are so cute ~ she should get a great photo in no time!

**She titled her post Photo Malarkey and it inspired me. Here's some of the malarkey that went on at my house during our photo session on Christmas Day 2006. 
It started off well and then slowly went downhill.

Kathryn, thanks so much for the idea!

What a bunch!

Random Monday Memories

Today's random memory isn't quite so random. It's specific to this day.....thirty-three years ago. My first child Ronnie was born on May 10, 1975. He died four months and five days later ~ on September 15 ~ he's my special memory for today.

Even after all these years, memories of him tug at my heart and, oftentimes, bring a tear or two to my eyes. But in recent years those tears have had more to do with hearing about others who've lost a child and having my heart break just a little for them each time I hear ~ and I seem to hear of it so much lately.

To them I'd like to say, the painful memories never get any easier. But the time lengthens in between and the painful ones sink a little more into your heart as time goes on. But the happy memories (no matter how few) like the ones that come from a much loved picture ~ those get brighter and brighter and better and better.

This picture was taken on September 10th ~ his four month birthday. He was just beginning to smile a lot. I'm smiling now just looking at it, and remembering........

Ronald Vincent Raymond

He was too good for this earth ~ so Jesus took him home.

In the most beautiful of gardens, even those tended by the most skillful of botanists, there is an occasional rose that buds, but never opens. In all respects the rose is like all the others, but something keeps it from blooming. It fades away - or disappears - without having reached maturity.

What happens in nature's garden happens once in a while also in the garden of God's human family. A baby is born, beautiful, precious, but fails to come to its rightful unfolding. This child, like the bud that never fully opens, is gathered back into God's heavenly garden of souls - where all imperfections are made perfect; all injustices made right; all mysteries are explained; and all sorrows turned to happiness. Richard Fairchild

Made By Me

 

I don't have much time to be creative these days...too busy working full-time and playing with those grandbabies!! But, I was going through some photo files on my lap-top today and I found some pictures of teddies I dressed and accessorized for a home craft show a few years ago. I wish I'd have been better about taking pictures of things I made. I must have dressed hundreds of teddies during the eight years I had my gift shop...not to mention the ones I've made the past few years for shows. I love dressing up teddies of all sizes.

Some of my favorites were these teddies in chairs. Full size, people chairs that I found at an auction for $1.00 each!! The teddies are attached to the chairs along with flowers, doilies, tea cups, dolls and ornaments. They each had twinkle lights woven thorough the garland and they looked so sweet when they were lit. I made six and sold all but one ~ it lives at my house now!

I also really enjoyed making these little "themed" teddies. They were great gifts for teachers, moms and grandmas. The best sellers were the little teddies with telephones...they held signs that said ~ "Need a hug? Dial 1-800-grandma". Teddies with apples and teapots & cups were popular too. I still have quite a few little naked teddies in my craft room. I might have to find some time to dress them!

A Special Giveaway

Meet Rhonda....

...she's having a giveaway and there will be two winners. She has some great goodies to award the winners! You can enter here.

Her mom is fighting breast cancer right now and Rhonda would love for her mom to receive "happy thoughts" and words of encouragement in her mailbox. I don't know about you, but I love to send cards....read all about "A Card A Day For Lynn" here. Rhonda also offers a simple way to support Breast Cancer Research in her post.

Thank you to Dawn for sharing about this giveaway, etc. on her blog.

If it's Wednesday ~ It must be Baby day!

A baby is a miracle sent from heaven above, to touch our lives with wonder, to fill our hearts with love.

Elijah helping his dad with some studying.

Pretty in Pink!

Showing off two teeth!

Charlotte thinks something's funny!

Random Monday Memories

Bud's Margie

~taken about twenty years ago~

 

Bill and I had been married for about ten years when his mom passed away in 1991. Because my in-laws lived in Florida and we were in Wisconsin or Maryland we never saw them that often. We probably saw them about once a year. I didn't get to know her very well, but I know how much my father-in-loved her.

 

He's lived with us since December and has mentioned his Margie regularly. When we unpacked the MANY boxes that he brought with him we found her (dozens of) tea-cups lovingly wrapped by him. We found all her sweet little knick-knacks that he hadn't been able to part with. He gave me her very old and worn Bible and said, "You can throw it away or keep it...I don't need it but I've never been able to throw it out". A couple months ago he called me to his room and took a little metal box out of one of his drawers. It contained their birth certificates, marriage license, her death certificate, a copy of his will and one more piece of paper dated July 12, 1943. It's the receipt he received when he bought Margie's engagement & wedding rings. He knows I like old papers, so he thought I'd like to have it. I think it's so wonderful that he's kept it all these years!

 

PS ~ I kept the Bible!

The Potter's Hand

“Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand"

Jeremiah 18:6

One of the praise songs we sang in church today was The Potter's Hand by Darlene Zschech. It's one of my very favorite songs. I love the message it presents. All of my days held in His hands....my life fashioned into His perfect plan. Perfect! I love that. I believe it...but I fight against it...too often.

I rebel, complain, worry and fuss as He shapes parts of my life. I'm certainly not pliable in His hands all the time. In fact, that beautiful vessel that God has planned for my life ~ it dries up, hardens and cracks as I resist the gentle guidance of His hands. Sometimes the vessel has to be crushed and started over. Sometimes there are bumps and other imperfections and a little bit of sandpaper or a sharp knife are needed to smooth the surface.

But the whole time He's crafting the vessel and the whole time I'm resisting, He continues to call me and draw me to Himself. I need to yield to His touch and His shaping of my life.

I'm a little crafty myself. Oftentimes, when I make something, it starts out as a big pile of paper, ribbon, doo-dads and what-not. Actually there's so much stuff on my desk ~ it's hard to imagine that anything worthwhile is going to emerge from the pile. All that stuff gets cut, glued, torn apart and glued again many times. When I'm finished, out of the mess, is my own little masterpiece. That's what God's creating in each of us....a masterpiece! That's why we need to be moldable and pliable and we need to trust that He's creating something more beautiful than we can ever imagine...even when our life seems a mess.

The Potter's Hands

Beautiful Lord wonderful Savior ~ I know for sure all of my days are ~ Held in Your hand ~ Crafted into Your perfect plan ~ You gently call me into Your presence ~ Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit ~ Teach me dear Lord ~ To live all of my life through Your eyes ~ I'm captured by Your holy calling ~ Set me apart ~ I know You're drawing me to Yourself ~ Lead me Lord I pray

Take me, mold me, use me, fill me ~ I give my life to the Potter's hand ~ Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me ~ I give my life to the Potter's hand

Precipitation

The storms are coming and I'm staying indoors today. I have much to do to occupy my time. I think my first stop will be my craft room. More sorting out and organizing to do. My goal is to have it ready to be painted by the end of the month. It will take me that long to decide on a color too! It's pretty gloomy outside right now...so my immediate thoughts are turning to yellow. My thoughts are also turning to those in the path of these storms...my prayers are with them too!

“I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain; What a wonderful feeling, I'm happy again.” ~Listen here

(don't forget to turn off my playlist ~ at the bottom of this page ~ if you want to listen to this)

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.

~Roger Miller

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Walking through puddles is my favorite metaphor for life.

~Jessi Lane Adams

Images used found here.

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Happy Birthday to my brother Steve!!