January 1, 2019

"You have said, "Seek my face.  My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek." --Psalm 27:8 ESV


Happy New Year!

The day dawned a new year with a promising future ahead.  It is like opening a blank book with 365 clear pages for us to write our own story. 

What will it be?  Epic?  A tragedy? (Hopefully not!) A comedy or romance?  It will be fun to watch the book write itself and revisit this first page on December 31, 2019.

As I have said before, my Advent was superb, my Christmas a blessed time like no other before and here I am headed toward Epiphany with a fresh sense of renewal and purpose looking forward to all the new year has in store for me. 

My thought for the new year?  To let the year be what it is meant to be, look at the new day and know it is a gift and be thankful for it.

I have a few plans for the year.  I mentioned before that I have been doing morning devotionals using a book called "Jesus Calling".  There is an entry for each day of the year and I am beginning at the beginning today.  I like the way it feels to start my day with a devotional reading.  It just sets the day off on the right foot.  This is a lovely little book if you would like to check it out -- I have it on my Kindle.

I am still reading "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker " and not enjoying it one bit more than I was two days ago.  I am determined to finish it though.  I have a stack of reads piling up on my bedside table though that I am anxious to get to.  I have never been very successful at trying to read more than one book at a time but as slow as this one is going I might have to try.

 I believe that my first book started in 2019 is going to be "Anne of Green Gables".  It is a title I should have read years ago and didn't so I am playing catch-up.  Also, there is a new title out in the Made in Savannah series that I am just itching to start.

The new year is going to find me cooking more.  In our house, everybody seems to want a couple of dishes -- "I don't know" and "I don't care" -- and I can't find recipes for those particular dishes so I am planning to make the decision of what we will be having.  I mean, since I am the one having to cook it, I should be able to decide what I want to spend my time doing --right?  I think so.

I will be continuing to make cards in the upcoming year.  I am on a couple of cardmaking groups on FB and there has been mention of people being concerned about recipients tossing the cards and how that hurts their feelings.  I think differently about it.  In the first place, nobody has room to store everything that comes into their homes and some things have to be thrown or recycled just out of practicality.  I make these cards because I feel the need to be artistic -- seems I inherited my father's drive and inclination toward art but not the talent.  That is a conundrum.  So, making cards is a creative outlet for me.  It is fun for me.  It is thought provoking to design and choose papers and stamps and such and I get a kick out of it.  If the people I send them to like them, that is the cherry on the top, isn't it?  If they decide to dispose of them, well, it is their card once it is in their hands.  My fun has been had.  So, I will continue with the hobby until I tire of it.

Last week was such fun.  I had the privilege of viewing "The Return of Mary Poppins" with my daughter and granddaughter.  I think the Hubs and I should go to the movie more. I miss it.  It used to be our main activity when we were dating and after we married we just became homebodies.  Admittedly, with all the offerings now on TV with streaming and such, there is little need to venture to a theater but once in a while it would be nice.

I don't believe in resolutions.  I see resolutions as something to be broken.  I do believe in seeing better ways to do things and making the effort to embrace new approaches but the idea of feeling like I have "failed" if I slip just doesn't appeal to me -- so there are no resolutions.  However, Advent has taught me a lot -- how to relax, how to be quiet, how to prioritize, how to be happy with "enough", how to weigh needs and wants and how gratitude is the most wonderful feeling.  For some reason, this holiday season has been a real learning curve for me and I am so thankful for whatever it is that has molded my thinking for the last couple of months.  It has been eye opening. 

So, here is to a new, happy, prosperous year to all of you!  I am looking forward to reading about all of your new years as well.

Card Making

I have been making greeting cards lately and have been enjoying the process although the area around my table looks like a complete disaster.  No photos to document, however. 

I have been doing Christmas cards but had the occasion to make a birthday card for my daughter in law.  I am never going to be so skilled, or have enough supplies, to create these gorgeous, over the top cards I see on the internet but that is ok because part of my desire to make my own cards is to keep them simple.  I have a problem with commercial cards because they have too many words.  I often buy blank cards  for that very reason.

So, I broke from my Christmas card creating to do this --

I made the envelope to match and then learned that it is against post office rules to use heavily printed envelopes.  It was fortunate then that I saw the recipient in person and could just hand it to her.

I was pleased with the way it turned out.  I have been buying paper packs at Tuesday Morning and love how they all coordinate.  Makes it much easier.  Next up, along with the holiday cards, is my son's birthday.  I will have to go through my packs and see what I have that is masculine.  Or silly.  Silly usually works!

So, that is my latest creation.  I can't show the Christmas cards yet because they are going to a few people who visit here and that wouldn't be fun.

Catch Up

It is Monday.  It is raining and it has turned cold.  At least, to me it is cold.  The low last night was supposed to be about 45 and the high today is supposed to be 48. Not sure what happened to fall but it seems winter has bullied it's way into our lives a little early.

So, I haven't been up to much, really.  Trying to tame the beasts known as Messy House and Moving Boxes.  It appears that I am winning.  It is a slow battle but I am determined.

I have been spending a good deal of time in my craft area.  I inherited all of my mother-in-law's art supplies -- and they are plentiful -- as well as my father's supplies -- not quite as plentiful -- but it all needs to be organized and I have been working toward that goal.

I have also been  under a lot of stress lately so I have been turning to crafts to help me deal and escape.  I decided, after unpacking lots and lots of craft supplies, to turn back to doing some card making.  The fiddly nature of the  process forces me to concentrate on just that and not on other things.  So, I thought I would share some of the things that I have been doing.

I am new to this and I don't pretend to possess the sophisticated skills that many of the card makers possess.  But, it is fun, it satisfies a bit of desire for creativity and it is useful.  So, on I will go -- at least until I use up some of these supplies which will probably take about 25 years.