Wishing You

a magnificent 2010! I hope you all discover peace, love, and a wonderful new year ahead of you!

In the Clouds

I stepped out in to the damp morning

Surrounded by mist and clouds.

Even the birds were hushed

to whispers from inside the trees.

I took a moment to absorb

That soft silence.

The one that speaks louder

Than any voice.

Getting Creative

Would I ever like to have this finished by the New Year! At least my part of it. Oh wait. There's only 3 more days to this year. That will not be happening. I still have to put the outside border (white) on it, then find a backing fabric, then find somewhere to have it quilted.

I bought the pattern a number of years ago, and a pile of fabrics that were put together specifically for this pattern. What I discovered is that because there were so many different fabrics in small quantities, there was not enough to cut the pieces the way it said in the instructions. That means when the directions tell me to lay out that 54" strip and sew it to the side, I don't have a 54" strip. I'm guessing. I'm sewing pieces together to come up with a 54" strip.

Just like in my life, I don't know what I'm doing. I go along trying new things, thinking I may be able to do it, and run up against things that I had no idea would be a problem.

And just like in my life, I always seem to manage to figure something out to make it be okay. Not perfect. And just like my life, if you look closely, you'd be able to see where I have patched things together.

I'm okay with that. I'm grateful for the abilities I do have, and the creativity to pull it together when I don't have the knowledge.

Bring on the New Year!

Culinary Fun

Hubby got one of those wild hairs that comes to him fairly often. This particular time, it was to make pork tamales for the first time.
He boiled the pork the day before, added the spices & oil, then it was off to the store to look for masa & corn husks.
Scott & I both had to go on Hubby's computer to read "how to assemble" the tamales. It was required. :) Did I ever mention that he (Hubby) is a bit on the OCD side?

Mmmmm, mmmmmm, good! And it was something fun that we could all do together!

FRIDAY SHOOTOUT

ANGELS is the theme this week, chosen by Kim.

I love angels. I love pictures of angels, statues of angels, and the most wonderful of friends, who are angels to me.

One of my "angel" friends is Janice, one of the most good-hearted, funny, giving people I know. She gave me this one year, a guardian angel, to carry with me wherever I go. Isn't it beautiful?





Then there's this fragile angel that managed to move with me without a scratch.



There's a peace about her that feel when I take the time to notice her. Isn't that true of all angels? Yes, I think it is. Wishing you a peace filled weekend!

To see more shoot out photos, click here!

Legend of the Christmas Spider

nce upon a time, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year.... The day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

T'was the Christmas eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. But the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him.

Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs, and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room... so the crept all over the tree, up and down, over every branch and twig and saw every one of the pretty things. At last they satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree beauty.

But alas!! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God's creatures too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so He touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold!

Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our christmas trees, and according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.

Early Christmas Present

I did not sleep well last night. I tossed and turned, got up a couple of times to you know what, which is pretty unusual for me. The getting up part, not the tossing and turning. I actually had the thought both times that I should look outside, but I thought if I did blindly step over the dog and peek out the blinds, I'd never get back to sleep. Maybe God was nudging me, "Wake up, look what I did for you!"

So I missed most of the actual falling of snow, but still got to feel the youthful exitement of waking up to snow on the ground!

The fact that we got snow probably means that, as the storm moves east, the rest of the country will surely have a white Christmas.

Thank you Lord, for allowing me this joy, this morning!

Here's wishing you the happiness, love, and peace of His season.

Merry Christmas.