Five Year Anniversary Post

Five short years ago I was headed to Alaska on a mission trip. It was a fantastic trip and I enjoyed every minute. I was just telling sister last night that I'd like to go back and spend time traveling to Denali.

This blog has become a place to share my stitching, quilting and knitting. Occasionally I share a few sentiments. Over the past year I have turned the news off for 85% or more of my media time. I typically watch it for the weather and then turn it off. The news media in my opinion is extreme drama and exaggeration. When I see videos from social media presented as news, I'm totally unimpressed and I devalue that news show credibility.

That said I can't help but hear the news and the horrible things that have happened in the world the past weeks. I'm saddened at the loss of lives and destruction that has taken place. I have nothing wise or helpful to say. My thought is I'm blessed to know where my help comes from and to have a relationship with My Savior Jesus.

My sister says I use that phrase too much "blessed or bless it" and I do use it a lot. I do know the meaning of being blessed and I mean it sincerely. I've had frequent prayer time with the Lord and it is our private code. He understands what I mean.

So I'll close this post that was started as a celebration and took a turn to more somber sentiments by saying:
     Have a blessed day!

Poor Little Blog

I've deserted you! Actually, no one really reads this blog and it's just for my pleasure. LOL

But I need to get back to blogging and posting pictures of my latest projects and my journalling. I have uploaded photos from my phone and will make this post very photo heavy.

These are some of the things I've worked on in the past few months. I'll post summer project updates later.

Checkbook Cover

This project was easy, I took apart a "purchased" fabric checkbook cover after it had seen it's better days. I used it as a pattern, following the stitching and folding lines and soon had a new cover!

I finished Suburbs quilt and it is at the longarm quilters!

 I started a toe-up sock, my first ever and I'm halfway to the heel.

I started a new applique quilt but ran out of the right color threads. I've purchased more colors and I hope to get back to this project soon. I've also been making little ditty drawstring bags for my knitting. While in the bag mood, I've taken apart a few older stitching projects that were in tuck pillows and some frames. I've begun making project bags for my needlework. I haven't finished those yet, so no pictures to show.

I made this little cutie for a dear friend's first birthday. My mom made lots of these when I was growing up and I found a freebie pattern online at Lil Blue Boo  and I love him. I left off the crown and quilted the frog. I got the idea from Fat Quarter Shop's video Baby girl loved the frog! He got cuter after I pinked the edges.

Last year at this time my hair was between my shoulder blades, very long and I didn't realize how aging it was until school pictures were taken. I started cutting it then and it kept getting shorter and shorter until you see what happened two weeks ago. Love it!

That's enough updating for now! Off to enjoy the day!

Mindless Watching/Listening

Do you have some movie or tv show you turn on for white noise?

I used to get so put out with Dad for watching westerns 52 times! Now I can't count the number of times I've watched NCIS, West Wing, or any Harry Potter movie!









I watch NCIS almost nightly. I can be surfing the Internet, knitting, stitching, you name it and it's almost always on. I can quote parts of all of them. I need to start an NCIS DVD collection. Some day it will be replaced just like West Wing.

I can't do this with just plain tv. Very few shows don't get on my nerves and can play in the background.

Still Stinky

I'm hoping to do better this summer. I have lots of plans for the summer.

I have friends having babies so I'm quilting and sewing in anticipation of their arrival. This quilt is finally getting finished. I have a few more rows to trim and put together. Sister and I went on a mini road trip and I found great fabric for the border.

Betty Burger - YUM

While on our trip, we stopped in Bowling Green and had lunch at Double Dogz. I love using the UrbanSpoon app to find new places to eat or visit. This review didn't let us down.

I have been watching lots of softball. Our team made it through the state tournament and placed 2nd in the Class A division. So very proud of their hard work and sportsmanship.


I've been reading and will post my first book review later today.

Even had time to clean the porch and plant some flowers!

Sentiment Time

I'm sitting in my living room, enjoying the peace of the morning. I'm trying to be a little reflective this morning and thinking about the new year.
I don't make resolutions. But I do know there a few things I want to do differently in 2013.
My church has done a church wide reading plan every year I've been a member. This year we are challenged to read through the Gospels and Revelations four times. It is a simple plan. I don't think we read more than 2 chapters a day most days it is simply a chapter.
This morning I read the first section on the lineage of Christ. Many people want to skip this and get to the "good" stuff. But I love reading about Rahab, Ruth, and Tamar. I want to carry out this plan all year.
I want 2013 to be the year I fall in love with Jesus again. I want to read His Word and fill my heart with Him. I want more focused time with Him.

So in addition to the reading, I'm starting with Beth Moore's Siesta Memorization Team - for a second time. I hope to complete the year this time. I made it to May in 2011. I'm starting with the same verses as last time because I honestly can't tell you what they were and that saddens me.
My first rememorization is Isaiah 40:8 NASB The grass withers, the flowers fade, But the word of our God stands forever. If I find these being recalled quickly, I will add new verses.

I am also jumping into a Precepts study of Matthew so that it coincides with our church study/plan. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not trying to teach it, just make this a personal study.
Sound like a lot as I read what I've typed. But it really isn't. I just want more time with Him and I know that if I do that, everything in my world will fall into place or fall apart and try to separate me from my plan. By putting this out on my blog I can have a visual public reminder of what I want and why I want it.
Praying everyone has a blessed New Year!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Compassion Blogging

I realize I don't have five people who read my blog, that's ok at the moment. But I have several things I'm passionate about and Jesus is at the very top of that list. I love the Lord and through working with my youth group at church, I became a Compassion Sponsor in 2007.

We went to a Student Life conference in December 2007. Student Life and the worship band really talked about how Compassion was changing lives. Our group was moved by the stories and wanted to sponsor a child. They asked the leaders what they should do and we said Pray! Talk to Jesus. ;)

One of the leaders and I made a Starbucks run and were praying for youth groups we encountered coming back into the auditorium (we were between sessions) and I commented on a big group circled up, holding hands and praying. It was very moving to see, no adults were with them. James recognized them first and said Hey that's our kids.  LOL It was a darkened hall and tons of teen groups around.

We joined them and realized they were praying for the children at the Compassion Sponsorship booth. It was so moving and after they finished they decided to sponsor not one child but two! I was so proud of them. I was so moved that I decided if they could do it, so could I!

I went through the sponsorship kits and because my heart is in Guatemala, I chose a lovely young girl, 6 yrs old and living in a small village north of Coban. I've been sponsoring her for almost 6 years. I've loved getting her messages and sending my own. Her photo is on my fridge and computer desktop. I would love to some day meet her on this earth, but I hope that through Compassion's love and Bible teaching I'll one day get to meet her in Heaven.

I'm proud to become a Compassion blogger. If you are one of my five regular readers, please consider sponsoring a Compassion Child! If you have found my blog through Compassion's links, Welcome and I hope you become as passionate of Compassion and Jesus as I am!