Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanks Giving


This morning as I sit here, baking my pumpkin pie and playing my favorite Christmas album, I am reminded of the one thing that should overshadow anything else I should be thankful for.  Jesus Christ! He is my savoir. He is the one reason that I can wake up every morning, whether it is with cheery attitude, or in the grumpy state of mind that has pervaded of late.  Being sick as dragged me down, which makes this morning’s Christmas music an even bigger deal.  “When the God of glory who is full of mercy sent His Son”….to save us;  WOW-  Me … this puny person with a stinky attitude was blessed by God by sending his Son to sacrifice himself for ME.  What greater gift.  What greater thing do we have to be thankful for?

A tradition I want to start, a part from the yummy food traditions of turkey, stuffing, mom’s cabbage rolls and pumpkin.  That tradition will be something that will remind us of who we are IN HIM.  I want everything I do, not only this holiday season but every day, to reflect HIS glory.  I want to instill that in my child.  He may only be almost 3, but it what I teach him from day one that will matter.  I want him to understand the grace of God, and the love of God. Over at Simple Mom, Tsh shared the homemade advent calendar that she is making for her children.  I intend on taking that and making it my own, as we move from Thanksgiving to Christmas, those cards will have blessing that God has given us, and blessing that we can give to others. As the years go bye, things will grow on that list, and I am so looking forward to sharing those with my son.

I pray for each and every one of you who read this to remember what God has done for you.  It will be different for each of us beyond his saving grace. But record those things, if only for you to pull out on the grumpy days, to remember the amazing Gift that God is to all of us.


Friday, November 18, 2011

Simple and Practical Hanger Cover

Have you ever wondered what to do with that last little bit of yarn
from a project, you know what I mean, that little ball that just sits there staring at you? We all have them, and always wonder, what can I do, how can I make one cohesive project out of all these scraps? Hanger covers, yes, I said it crocheted hanger covers.

This idea came out of not only the desire to use up the scraps of yarn, but also to keep my clothes from falling off of hangers.  I decided to search the world wide web for some patterns, and found most of them to use more yarn than I had for the project, or were just plain unattractive.  This led me to develop a simple yet practical pattern that follows.

Here is a list of what you will need:

Hanger
Measuring Tape
Crochet Hook
Scraps of yarn (or the ball you bought and can’t figure out what to do with.)
Scissors
Blunt Needle
Stitch markers

Measure the hanger and jot down length on a piece of paper.  Jotting it down and keeping it in a place with other similar info will allow you to make more for this without having to continually measure the hanger every time (especially if you are like me and retain that into for only as long as it takes to measure the hanger).

Begin by making a chain in approximately the length you jotted down, applying a little tension when measuring against the measuring tape. Leave a tail the same length, in this case 27 inches (this will be used later on).
 
Add two more chains then measured length (this counts as first double crochet).
Double crochet in third chain from hook and in each chain until end.

When you have reached the end, chain two, and then slip stitch in last chain.
Chain two more after slip stitch and then double crochet on the other side of the chain until the end.
 
When you have reached the end, chain two, and slip stitch in to the first two chains created at beginning.


Take the yarn and wrap it around the hanger and use the stitch markers to hold it in place:  (you may have either side of the pattern facing out, I am sure that I never do it the same twice.)


Once you have attached the piece to the hanger, thread the blunt needle, and then begin to stitch together the two ends  and then work your way around the hanger.

Weaving in the ends when complete.
 And there you have a practical hanger cover that will help you cloths stay on the hanger.  The example was using a child hanger, but it can be done with any size hanger, with left over yarn scraps, or a consistent color if you want to give them as a gift.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Spirit Place

A silver bush greets me near a small cottage
In a valley so golden, ringing with laughter
The memories created here are sweet as nectar
Bringing a tear of joy for times long past

I was thumbing through a stack of old college papers that I had written, looking for inspiration, and came across this poem I wrote for one of my literature classes.

It is a 'song' of childhood. And a reminder of youth. It makes me smile to recall the memories of 'spirit place' where friends and I whiled away the hours imaging different scenarios taking place in our little cottage, and in the golden valley. Maybe it was just a small play house and back yard, but to us it was anything we wanted it to be. This one is for you Christie and Heidi.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Stepping out In to the Open


I am entering a new phase of blogging; one that I approach with much awe and a little trepidation. My readership has been mainly family and close friends.My desire is to step out into the open, wrangle in a larger readership.

This requires a few things of me. Focus… oh boy, there is that word that always gets me… I sit in my kitchen as I type this, attempting to avoid glancing up to my kitchen counters where the last day and half worth of dishes sit pilled high, along with the cereal box my husband got out and did not put away, and the oat meal container I emptied into a more cupboard friendly container; and my focus is almost lost… I must rein it in. 

Okay… where was I, oh yes, along with focus come structure; another area that I have a difficult time with.  I must create a structure not only with which to work in, but for my blog.  I take a deep breath, okay, that is a big task for me… creating my own structure.

Then I must write, for I am a writer.  What do I write about? That is the question. One suggestion is that my blog be DIY.  But is that too limiting? Should I attempt to broaden my horizons a little? Or if I broaden my horizons, is that making it too big a task?  All these things come to mind. I sit in a pool of too many ideas, and not enough definition.

Let’s find definition in my pool, let’s pick up the few things that have defined my life recently.  I am a mom. I am the caretaker of my home, the one who needs to keep it in order.  I love to crochet, and attempt to create things for my home using this art form, or craft as many call it.  I am learning how to make products that first are less expensive, and second less caustic to the environment. I love food and am looking to eat healthier. These are the few things that I want to write about. 

As I sit here I am thinking of a few projects that I have done recently, and really have very few projects to share. So, if it is DIY shouldn’t it be more than just the few things I have done, and if it is DIY does that mean I can’t just write an article sharing my thoughts on a scripture, or say an author I love. Oh this task is making my head spin.

So, to my friends and family members who do read my blog currently… I need suggestions on what to focus on.  Yes I want in part to share my projects in a ‘DIY’ format, so this will definitely be a part of things. I am looking for what to share beyond that. What do you want from me?

Thursday, November 3, 2011

EZ Orchard's


Followers