Will Work for Food

I went to visit my grandmaw who lives across the ditch from me. She is one of my next door neighbors. She takes care of grandpaw who has been sick with lymphoma for a year and a half. I usually stop in once or twice a week to see if I can pick up anything for her in town- we live 10 miles from the nearest grocery store. For the past two weeks, I have only been going to town to take the kids to their after school activities or to church. She called me last week wondering if I was okay, then she called me again this week. I decided I'd better pop in for a visit to settle her nerves. She was headed to the garden (she's in her late 80's and still has a garden) to pull onions, so I jumped in to help as if we had always done it together. This is what she sent me home with! She is always sending folks home with something or another and this is what went home with me! Go grandmaw-- I always wanted to be like her and a dear neighbor who lived here many years always said I was most like her out of all the grandchildren. I think Ms. Dessie is right. I am the only grandchild that likes to sew and create and can make my own clothes if need be. And there is only one great grandchild that does too.

I know it is not crafted or handmade but it is as homegrown as it gets and I am so blessed with the heritage of faith. Their wisdom has come from serving an Almighty God!

Another cab- beaded

Here is what I have been working on for that past couple of days. I am a little stuck as to what to do with it now, so if you have some suggestions I would welcome your comments. I had thought of several things but I just haven't seen what to do in my mind yet-- no clue-- please help!!!
It is about 7 inches from the top to the end of the longest fringe it could be a large pendant, a huge brooch, an applique, the center applique of a medicine wheel etc... It is large enough to be anything.
I had started to download my photos from the printer reading the memory card because my USB cord was no longer sending messages from the camera to the hard drive. So there were a few pictures that I have been unable to retrieve, well to day I tried the cable and it worked-- Praise God! Now I am able to post a picture of this beautiful young woman who is my second cousin. She is proudly sporting a dress that I altered for her - she lost weight before prom and have to have it cinched up-- you go girlfriend!
I barely made it in time to take photos of her before she left but I did get a picture of her dad giving her the beautiful corsage. It was such a touching moment and reminded me of my dad when I went to prom.
I also go to see my other dear second cousin (Whitney) who will be going of to college soon. I sure hope she still calls me when she needs to talk! She is the daughter I never had, Love you sweety!
Hope you all have a blessed day! And to all those Veteran's and their families- THANK YOU- it is because of you that I can sit in my air-conditioned home and whine about the gas prices and praise My Father in Heaven in peace. I LOVE YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!

As promised

Here is the photo of the cab I painted yesterday while I encouraged my children to do their school-work. The frog and the lady have the same colored eyes-- a special touch I thought. I have another that is ready to be painted too, but I am considering making her blond with green eyes with a more pale complexion.
I finally put beads on my magic carpet piece. I am not liking it yet but as it fills in I might get to liking it. I am considering giving it to my mother - She has grown very fond of my work and puts it in a glass case with her swarovsky figurines. It too will mean something special, since it is a scene from a garden where our beloved dogs Chewbacca (rottweiler) and Captain(doberman) lived- they would have been buried there but the area is below sea level (in N.O., LA) so it wasn't possible. Have a blessed day and I hope to be posting more often now that school is coming to a close.

A change

There has been a change in life lately. This is a good thing. I decided not to return to the shop where I had a booth. I have been having trouble with this shoulder that is on the mend and I had a painful weekend doing stuff I should not have. My children where misbehaving every time I went inside to restock my booth. It was spiraling down into a very stressful situation for me. So I just had to leave. I had exhausted all of my resources and I had to choose the shop or my kids and health. Not a hard decision to most but it was for me. I had invested two years of P.R. and inventory and tried everything out there to make a little spending money. It was fun but now it done.
I haven't mustered the energy to begin listing my inventory on ETSY but it will happen soon. ( I hope) I have had a burden lifted and I feel considerably lighter, but at a loss for what to do now. I don't know what I am going to make and what it will be for, but I am always compelled to make something.
I made a cab of the Frog Princess from an enchanted gallery mold and I will post it tomorrow. I am thinking of something special to do with it.
I started a new class for Life University and I am at a total loss for words... I wasn't certain that God was pointing me to a class to take (there are 3 to choose from), then one of my teacher's, a lady of fine character and an amazing teacher, sought me out to tell me she was there to take that class! Well being the leader that I find her to be- I let her lead the way! The class is a little intimidating- but I will stand firm in my decision to attend and to do whatever is asked of me 100%. The class is about deliverance and it deals with some areas of my past that was once very scary to me, but now the Lord is showing me the flip side. I am both eager and hesitant to follow along. I trust in HIM. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to take these classes and share with my church family the things I have experienced and learn what to do with what I know and have learned. The sharing and caring of such a group of individuals is amazing. Thank you, Jesus!

Trying times.

I have been going through some emotionally trying times this week. One attack after another on my otherwise sunny disposition. Thank God for all the Word I have been digesting or it would have been a terrible funk to shake. I have been consciously trying to alter my reactions to stress and have been learning to identify when I fly into stress response and how to change what I do when I am on the brink of breaking down. He has been revealing (slowly this week) a more Godly me. I am beginning to see the servant's heart that I so desire to have develop fully in me. My children and my husband should be proud to know that they have been used by God to test Momma's steadfastness. I won't say I passed with flying colors but I will say my grade wasn't as bad as it was last time. So, LORD don't give up on me!

On the night of Mother's day I had a dream about delivering another baby, and when I woke up I had many revelations into the motherhood of Mary mother of Jesus. I was moved at the thought of nursing him and changing his diapers and bathing him. What must have stirred in her heart when he was missing and later found in the temple? How it must have troubled her to see him beaten and imprisoned? Nailed to a cross? Die? Risen? What a trip it must have been?

The struggles I face with my own children are defeated by the birth, life, death and resurrection of this one mother's child, a child of God. Because of Him, my children are children of God too, what will they do in the lives of others?

In pondering all of this and getting to know my Lord better, I created a small doll entitled "Open the eyes of my heart" from some fabric sent to me by a friend- and coincidentally used by another mutual friend in Australia--Thanks Aryd'ell ( gypsysramblings.blogspot.com )

I am thankful for this growing time in the Lord and am blessed to be surrounded by people who understand my struggles.

I have a craft fair this weekend and a son who is going camping with the scouts to Lake Arrowhead- he is going for the first time without a parent- so he better be good! I probably will not post again until after Monday so if you miss me just know the Lord is Keeping me and my family. Have a blessed Day.

My Boys

Here is a my favorite picture of All of my boys. It was almost 2 years ago. My husband was not proud of the size of this fish (they are usually much bigger) and didn't want to take this photo but the kids did. The fish he usually catches average 35 pounds but this one was only 15 or so. His record has been 60 pounds. I don't usually include photos of my husband but today is our 12th wedding anniversary and well, yesterday was Mother's Day - so it thought it appropriate to have all of them here.

I don't usually enjoy Mother's Day as I have always reflected on whether I have done my very best with my kids and it always has seemed to be the day that mom has to be a supermom to get everyone to church on time and then eat and nap and supper, and, and, and.... Well not this year, this mom didn't lift a finger (until late last night when I had to wash hubby's overalls for work today). We stayed home and ate left-overs and a big turkey salad for dinner. We had left over crawfish from the Big Crawfish boil we had on Saturday- that was my supermom day! I won't go there, it will make me cranky all over again! I just thanked God for getting me throught that day without giving anyone a tongue lashing!

So Mother's Day this year was the best one I ever had. My sweet Nathaniel brought me a heart shaped rock from the creek and a wild flower from the field and said "Happy Mother's Day, Mom." I also had some inspiration about my next piece for Land of Odds competition "Earthen Mother" and I had a weird dream of having another baby- boy that is not gonna happen! My back ached last night so my mind must have equated it with labor, LOL.

Today isn't Mother's Day but know that even Jesus had a loving mother just like you have been for your children and maybe even grandchildren. Have a blessed day.

Daughters I never had!

I had the privilege of encouraging 2 beautiful teens today when they brought their prom dresses to me for alterations. The young lady in the black and white has been a friend of mine for several years and I have had a wonderful time watching her turn into a young lady. The other girl is a sweet and dear friend of hers and was so thrilled with her dress after I had finished with it.
Thank you you all for such sweet posts concerning my Lil boy. He is still a little whiny but at least he is in good health. No one else has had that bug- I think we are good to go.
We have had a beautiful spring here this year- we usually go from winter straight into a hot summer. This is one of my pretty lilies that bloom in spite of the concern I give them. LOL I do not have a green thumb and these pretty flowers just brighten my day because they haven't died. This is the 3rd year they have bloomed and these are by far the prettiest blooms they have ever had.
We have also had other visitors at our house. My husband spotted this hen from our kitchen window and I snuck out to get a photo of her. Can you see her? Maybe we will be in their new travel paths. All creatures great and small remind of us His glory. I am always in awe at the beauty of His creations that we are blessed with!

Paper crafts

I have been making doll forms and taking pictures all week and today I had a sick little boy. No school and plenty of time between medicine and loving to create. These dolls were made the other day but today I made the bookmarks. They have a prayer on the back that was crafted from my prayer class and was originally part of the first prayer book. I just adjusted the set up and reprinted one- well several! The fiber is on the bookmarks is actually dark silver not blue. I have more stuff to prepare for the craft fair next weekend (May 16) and I have two prom dresses to alter before Friday. Gotta go to work! I have a lot to accomplish before nite nite time.

Conform not to the pattern of this world but to that of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

Neighbors

I don't have a picture to share but a story of great generosity. My dear neighbor wanted to return the favor of keeping kids. She has always been an advocate for my kids- extending invites to basketball practices she coaches to swimming at a pool she was employed as a life guard. She called and offered to keep the boys and we agreed for Sat. morning so that I could go to the Dallas Bead Society meeting that I have longed to attend ( for almost a year). I told her that I would need to be back by 2 to take my boys to a cousin's 4th birthday party. She offered to take them to that too. Then I said that I still needed to buy the gift ( I had procrastinated thinking I had all day Saturday), she offered to do that too so that I could enjoy the day with no pressure! That was music to my ears, never have I had such a generous offer. She also offered to keep them for the one Sat. a month for future DBS meetings. What a Doll! I am truly blessed because this is one more step in a greater plan for ministry. The doors were opened just as Pastor said they would be. Many things have been set into motion from being able to attend these meetings and Pure JOY, has taken over.
Folks keep your eyes on Him, stay your minds on the word, stand still and know that HE is God! He will turn you night into day, give you beauty for ashes, and trade your sorrows for the joy of the Lord. He loved us while we were yet still sinners, not perfect but totally flawed!

Mermaid Swap

My dear mail lady brought me a box this morning. It definitely wasn't gonna fit in my mail box, so she always drives up and honks for me- good thing we go to church together because I was still in my "Toadily Cool Mom" PJs. Yup you guessed it- it was my mermaid swap! Geri was so generous. She sent a lot of precious goodies neatly wrapped in green and blue tissue papers and tied with blue and green organza ribbons. It was more presents than you get at Christmas. Here are several photos of what she sent. The mermaid and the frog are on a journal and the Blue scaled mermaid is an altered art box (a very pretty box). I don't know how you knew but I love pictures of ethnic women!
I received the water colored squared note cards as a set in a pretty box that closed with organza. One of the photos looks like a collage of all the things Geri sent and I think it should be printed and used as background paper! Thank you so much Geri and I know you will be better in no time - because you are healed by His Stripes- as in already done. Now your body has just gotta line up with the word, the truth not the facts!
Hey Y'all, I am blessed! Thanks again Geri!