Finishing on a high note!!!

Good evening y'all!   I wanted to finish 2013 on a high and positive note.   I have another small project to share with you this evening.   One of my friends from a Secret Santa Swap gave me a beautiful Christian Stamp set for one of my gifts.   I really love the set of stamps.   Well, I wanted to be able to layer a stamp with a shape of the stamp.

So, what I done to remedy that was peeled all the stamps off the mylar film that has the black images of the stamps on it.   I placed it on my scanner with a sheet of white cardstock on top of it so the images would pop when scanned.   Then I brought the scanned images up in my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition and I just done a trace of the images and then I done an offset of 0.175 with each image.   Now, I can just cut the shapes and stamp them, water color them and pop them on  a card front.   Another thing I done was to take the original offset of 0.175 and done another offset of it at 0.175 again and that gave me a layered effect and I really like that.  Here are some pics. 

This first pic is of each stamp cut twice, and then one of them has another offset cut beneath the stamped image and that one then will be layered.

The one above is of the cross with the flowers and lilies and then the word Rejoice.   I inked the edges of the bottom layer and when I put it on the front of a card, because the edges were inked, they will really pop.

The same thing on these.   I used water color pencils and then a water brush to blend the colors on all of the top layers.   Then inked the edges of all the bottom layers.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these.   I can't wait to do more just like these.   It really adds a new dimension to stamps for me now.

I pray for each of you to have a safe and Happy New Year.   I hope that 2014 is the best year ever for all of us!   I pray that if you haven't asked God to be the driving force in your life, then 2014 is your year to do just that.   It's not easy living your life based on the principals and precepts of God, but it is rewarding.   The sinful world does not like it when someone makes life choices based on who God is to them.   We all make choices, every day, whether we realize it or not.

Joshua 24:15     English Standard Version (ESV)
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua chose well and he set a great example for the people of his generation and for the people of this generation.    We have to choose whom we will serve.  Not making a choice IS making a choice!   Choose wisely.

God bless you as we close up 2013!   God bless you more as we usher in 2014!!!   Thank you for hanging out with me this year and I look forward to hanging out with y'all next year!

Blessings, Love and Hugs, y'all, Patty

Getting Crafty.....again

Hello Y'all!   It seems like it has been forever since I updated my blog.   I have been under the weather since before Christmas and am finally on the upswing now!   Praise the Lord!!!   I do hope and pray that each of you had a blessed and Merry Christmas!   I hope that you found time in your busyness to thank God for all He has done for you and for the Greatest Gift that has ever been bestowed upon humanity, Jesus Christ!

Since I have been feeling a little better, I thought I would take time to make a thank you card for a friend at church that went "above and beyond" for me.   A card isn't quite enough, but, I hope that it is an expression of my gratitude for her and all she does for others.   I am always so thankful, but sometimes I don't take the time to express my thankfulness.   That will be a goal of mine for 2014, is just to take the time to express my thankfulness to God, first; and then, everyone else.

Anyway, this is the card I made.

I used a new Sizzix die, the scalloped card die.  And I also used a new little die that I got from somewhere, I can't remember right off the top of my head.  It may have been either Blitsy or Melissa Samuels, I just don't remember.  But it is a cross.   I really like it a lot!   I used Viva Inka Gold Metallic Rub on the cross, let it dry and buffed it a little.   Then, I used a Colorbok verdigris color on the edges of the cross.

Then I blinged it up a little and made a easel to sit it on.   I even inked the edge of the card a little.   I am not one to do anything and keep it pristine.   I like to add a little grunge to everything.   I inked and grunged up the easel also, and put a little bling on it.   Gotta love a little bling.   The cross actually looks like its made of metal.  I really love the look.   Sure hope you enjoyed seeing it!

Just one more day and we will be saying good by to an old friend, 2013, and welcoming a new and strange friend in, 2014.   I hope you look back at 2013 with gratitude and thanksgiving.   Thanking God for the year and all that it brought to your life.   I pray that we will all look with great expectations to 2014!  Not with great expectations of what we are going to do, but with great expectations of what God is going to do for us, and through us.  God wants to do much "for" each of us.   God also wants to do much "through" each us.   God wants us to be vessels through whom He can bless others.

I know some of the greatest blessings in my life have come through people who have allowed themselves to used by God to minister to me.   That is such an awesome blessing in many ways, when we allow ourselves to be used by God to minister to those around us.   Think of the ways that God wants to use you for His purpose, to bless those around you.

I pray that 2014 will be a year that we will choose to live purposefully, thoughtfully, and intentionally, every day of our lives.  That is one of my goals for the year; to be on task every day for the purpose of serving God first and then others.   I pray that it is one of yours, also. 

May God bless you all.   Thank you so much for being a part of my life this year and I pray that you have been able to take a little something away from each visit that you made.    I look forward to 2014 with each and every one of you walking beside me.

Hugs and much love, y'all!   Patty

Merry Christmas

Good evening y'all!  I hope and pray that this post finds y'all healthy, happy, and joyfully awaiting the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.   As we nestle down and get settled in for the evening, I know there is a lot of last minute stirring of Christmas preparations.  Packages, cooking, tucking children in for the arrival of Santa Claus tonight.  Lots of fun will be had by children of all ages.  From 1 day old to 100 years old, Christmas is still a wonderful time of the year.

I wanted to take the time to remind all of us of the true meaning of Christmas.  The One birth that truly changed the world.  I just hope and pray before Christmas is over we will all take the time to read Luke's account of the birth of Christ.

Luke 2

Christ Born of Mary

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,  And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

I love Luke's account of the Birth of Jesus Christ.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to who?  Get this, the sheep herders, the lowest of the low.  Everyone looked down on the shepherds.  Look at verses 9 and 10.  The Angel of the Lord appeared before the shepherds!  The greatest announcement the world would ever hear, God chose to make that announcement to the shepherds!  God didn't make that announcement to the heads of states, or to the people that thought they were of great importance, or even to the "religious" crowd.  God made that announcement to the common, low, uncared for people.  Why?  Because they needed Hope!

If the birth of Jesus Christ would have been announced to the heads of state, Caesar Augustus and others, the common people would never have heard that they, too, had hope.  We ALL are included in verse 10!

What did the shepherds do in verse 15? They went straight way to Bethlehem to see exactly what the Angel of the Lord had spoken of.  They searched out the Babe.  They did not stop till they had seen with their own eyes what the Angel had spoken of and about what the multitude of heavenly hosts was praising God for.

Get a good grip of what the shepherds had just seen.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to them; the multitude of heavenly hosts had praised God right in front of them; and Christ Jesus in a manger.  We can get a glimpse into the number of the multitude of heavenly hosts.  A heavenly host is a number that is as numerous as the stars in the sky, now multiply that by whatever a multitude is!  Multiples of the numbers of the stars in the sky.  I don't know what your take away is from this scene, but I have come to the conclusion that the shepherds were pretty special for God to allow them this miracle.

You know what, God loved the shepherds and He proved it, by announcing to them what His plan and intention was.  God loves us and He proved it, by including us in verse 10.  I hope and pray as you read this account of the Birth of Jesus Christ that you can see yourself in verse 10, "good tidings of great joy which will be to "all" people".  Take a real close look; you, my friend are included in the "ALL"!!(writtenby:pjg12-24-13)

Merry Christmas, Y'all and on earth peace, goodwill to all people!  Hugs and much love to all, Patty  

Snowman Tag

Hi, Y'all!  Back again today.  I almost forgot to show you you my Snowman Tag.   I have been working on him amid being a little under the weather.  I have a case of bronchitis.   Not the best time to have bronchitis, but then again there is no good time to be sick.

I was working on a tag for a swap and I messed the first one up, just not thinking real good.  So, I had to start over.  I used a really dark blue cardstock, more like a slate blue, with a sheen to it.  I used a cheap white ink pad and a snowflake stamp.  I stamped all around the edge of the tag.  (Note to self: I really need to get a good white ink pad.)  Anyway, I liked how it looked.  Then I used my little Snowman stamp and stamped him five times with memento black.  Then I used some markers and colored the hat and scarf on each snowman.  It doesn't show up really well, but, it's there.  I used my white souffle pen to make round dots for falling snow amid the snowmen.  I used some of my decorative threads and looped them through the hole in the top.

I also found a round scallop and just hand wrote on it and punched a hole and looped a piece of deco thread through the punched hole.  I used the same color box metallic ink to ink the edges of the scallop.  I then dug out my platinum colored liquid pearls and used it on each little scallop.  I dug around and found some tiny little clothes pins and I took a blue one and used a color box metallic platinum color and it made it almost the color of the cardstock.   The whole thing was more or less an experiment, and I was happy with it.

Well, y'all, there you have it.  I had fun making it.  I really wanted to see what it would look like with the black ink on a dark background, and I wanted to see the effect the white would have when stamping the snowflakes.  I knew they would be really light, and to be honest with you, I really like the effect.  So, I will use the same technique in the future.

Y'all, I leave you with one last word of the evening, "God loves you, so do I!"

Hugs and be blessed, y'all, in the name of the Lord, Patty

Almost Christmas

Hello Y'all!!   I pray that this post finds each and every one of y'all happy, healthy, and ready for the celebration of Life in a few short days.  Were it not for the the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, my life and yours, wouldn't be of much value, to us or those around us.  The relationship that you have with Jesus Christ is the most important relationship you'll ever have.  That relationship alone, and no other relationship, is what puts you in a right relationship with God, the Father.  There is no other way to God, the Father, except through Jesus Christ.   That's it!   So, as Christmas fast approaches, remember what it is all about.

This came from a google search:
The word "Christmas" occurs nowhere in the Bible. It is an old English word that means "Christ's Mass" which refers to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, i.e. (the Mass). The earliest occurrence of the word on record is 1038 A.D. Christians at this time considered the (Mass) Lord's Supper to be the most important part of the celebration of Christ's birth, hence it came to be called Christmas.

Y'all, I am the first person to say I love the colors and sights of Christmas.  It is beautiful and festive.  But, when we let the beauty  and the festivities come before the true meaning and celebration of Christmas; my friends, we have missed the mark.

As we celebrate this year, let us keep first and foremost, the birth of Emmanuel; which means "God with us!"   God stepped down from heaven and made Himself flesh, to be born in the same way and manner you and I was born.  In doing so, He experienced everything that you and I have or will ever experience.  Yet, He never sinned.  Sin is a word a lot of people don't like to hear.  When a Christian mentions the word sin, then we are accused of intolerance.  If we knew all there was to know about God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we would not want to sin and it would grieve us when we did.  It's not about being perfect, if it was, I would certainly have missed that boat long ago.   It is about knowing that I am a sinner, saved by the Grace and Mercy of a loving God that did provide a way for me to have a right relationship with Him.

Y'all, it's not too late to start enjoying that relationship.  Just remember that Jesus Christ Himself said that "we must take up our cross daily and follow Him."  Does that sound like it's gonna be easy?  Absolutely not!  Is it rewarding?  Absolutely!!!!

Do I understand everything there is to understand about God the Father; Jesus Christ, the Son; and the Holy Spirit, the Helper?   Absolutely not!!!  But, that is where Faith steps in.  My faith is in Jesus Christ.  What's your faith in?   Your self, Santa Claus, another sinful person, and the list could go on.  Anyone other than Jesus Christ will ultimately fail you and let you down.

This Christmas, I pray for you to experience the true meaning of Christmas, with all the Love, Joy, and Expectation that comes with the excitement of Christ being born as babe into the world for sinners like you and I!  Praise the Lord this Christmas, Y'all!

I wish I could explain better to y'all, what this relationship is and how it changes your life.  If you have never tasted ice cream, could you explain to someone else who has never tasted it, what it tastes like?  No, you could not.  So, if you have never experienced this relationship with Christ, it will be hard for you to understand what I'm talking about.   But....once you do experience Jesus Christ, then, it will become more clearly to you about what I'm talking about.  You have to experience Jesus, you can't really explain Jesus.  It is an experience that will forever change your life. 

Hugs, Blessings and MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Peace, and goodwill, Y'all, Patty

Happy Sunday!!!

Greetings and Happy Sunday to each of y'all!  I do hope and pray that you have had a great day in the Lord!!!  It has been cold here in my neck of the woods.  I do believe it has forgotten how to warm up.  Oh well, it will warm up when it needs too, I guess.

We had a wonderful time at church this morning!  Our small church has a choir of 18 and you would have thought you was listening to a choir of 100!!!  They presented the cantata this morning, titled "Bethlehem".  Oh, that y'all could have heard it!  I know that the heavenly choir was singing right along with our choir!  It was absolutely wonderful!!!

I have had a couple of small projects going on.  Nothing big at all, but just fun.  One of my friends in an online group was sharing pics recently of a poinsettia that she had made from the Tim Holtz line of dies.  It was beautiful and I knew I wanted that die, so I found it on a great sale online on Black Friday and ordered it.  I also ordered some new white marker pens.  So, I have been playing with the poinsettia die and the white pens.  And just wanted to share.

The pic above is of the souffle pens.  You have to write slowly with them.  I do good to write, much less, write slow.  But, I do love the effect.  It is a little raised and as you can see, I used really dark cardstock and I got really great coverage.  On a couple of the book marks I also used my liquid pearls.  Love those also.

This is the cut poinsettia.  I just used plain white cardstock that I printed old newspaper ads on and then die cut them.  After I cut them, I manipulated them with my McGill flower tools, and then I inked them with green and red ink.  I used a heavy coat of glitter glue on them to get the sparkle.

Here is a poinsettia completed, one in the process, and then the mini poinsettia that I put on the cards, boxes and easels that I have been making.  Again, my pics are not really great.  But, I keep trying, really I do! ggg

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little of what I have been up to.  I hope and pray that at some point in this Season of Joy, that you will find time to celebrate the birth of the most amazing Baby ever to have been born!  His name is Jesus Christ!  His name is above all names!  He is our Savior!  His name is Wonderful!  He will never leave you!  He will never fail you!  He will stick closer than a brother!  He loves you!  God gave us the most important Gift that mankind could possibly ever imagine.  God gave this Gift to us!  You can't work for it.  You can't earn it.  You will never be good enough to deserve it!  You don't have to work for it, you don't have to earn it, you don't have to be good enough!  You just have to receive the free gift of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life.  I pray that if you haven't yet received this Gift, that you will, this Christmas.  Jesus Christ was born for you and me.  Let this be the Merriest Christmas ever, by accepting the Gift!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

God loves y'all, so do I!  hugs and be blessed, Patty

Greetings and Continuation

Good evening Y'all!!  I pray that wherever you are tonight, that you are warm and snuggled down for a long cold night.  These cold evenings and nights are perfect for your favorite home made soup or home made chili.  Home made soup for your family just screams "love" to me.  That is one of the best ways to get warmed up, is with a big ole' bowl vegetable beef stew and fresh, hot, cornbread.  Guess what hubby will be eating this weekend?  You guessed it, homemade vegetable beef stew.

A couple of posts back, I started a story and told y'all to stay tuned, and I would finish the story.  So, I thought I finish the story tonight.

One Christmas, when I was in Junior High School, some of the family had been to town on a Saturday morning and I spied a watch in the window of one of the stores on the street square.  I ogled and looked at that watch!  I wanted that watch so bad!!!  I begged my mother for it.  She said, "you are not getting it, we've already bought all the presents that we are gonna buy."  Well, "What about Santa Claus, couldn't he bring it?"  Yes, I was in Junior High, but when you are desperate, you will try anything.  And I was desperate.  I wanted that watch.  But, I also knew within reason, I wasn't getting it.  Not because my parents didn't want to get it for me, but they had done finished their shopping and spent their alotted money.

So, after our shopping in town was finished and we started back to the car, I paid one last visit to the watch in the window.  I stood there looking at it and knew it was not going to be mine.  A little down hearted, I caught up with the rest of the family and we went on to the car and headed home.  I put that watch out of my mind.  I never thought about it again.  I knew dwelling on it would result in just heartache, so I forgot about it.

We already had our Christmas tree up.  One of my brothers had gone on a tree hunt and brought back a perfect cedar tree.  That was always the kind of tree we had.  Cedar trees were plentiful and if you had a pretty good eye, you could find a great tree.  When he brought it in, we got it put in a stand and then rigged it up some way so we could keep it watered real good.

Anyway, mom would get out the decorations and hand it over to me and I was in Christmas tree heaven!  I loved decorating the tree.  It was always something that I so looked forward to.  After I got the tree decorated, then it was time for the presents to be piled under the tree.  They were put there a few at a time.  Mom would let me help her wrap the presents for the guys in the house.  Then they all had gifts that got wrapped and put under the tree.  It seemed like every day, there was more and more presents under the tree.

After I would have a good little snoop-a-thon, I could pretty much tell you what every present under the tree was.  Mine and everyone else's.  But, after much digging and digging through all the presents, I found this present that was for, guess who?  You guessed right, Me!!!  I had no idea what it was.  I seriously considered unwrapping it and then re-wrapping it!  They say, "curiosity killed the cat", well, it would have killed this "cat" had I been caught!  Every day till Christmas, I would go and look at this present and finally, I picked it up, and stuck my ear to it and listened.  Didn't hear anything.  I had totally forgotten about the watch in the store window.  It never entered my mind again.

I finally picked it up again and listened to it, and then I shook it for all it was worth!!!!  I stuck it to my ear again, and I'll be, if it wasn't ticking!  Now, remember, I had done forgot about the watch, still had, at this point.  I took that gift and dug a hole in all the presents and pushed it to the back of the pile as quickly as I could.  I just could not believe that two of my brothers had gotten me a "ticking time bomb" for Christmas!!!  gggg  I was so upset, and it was two or three days before Christmas.

I made myself scarce around home.  I stayed away from the crowd and kept to myself.  I knew we fought all the time and picked at each other all the time, but I really didn't think they disliked enough to give me something that would blow up and possibly hurt me and the rest of the family.  ggg   I just could not believe it!

Christmas Day morning rolled around!  I really could not stomach going to the Christmas tree, but I went and got in the back hoping no one would notice me or look for me.  Mom started passing out the presents, and she had some for me and one of my brothers passed them back to me.  Everyone else was ripping them open as soon as they got their hands on them, I was just sick and didn't want to open any.  Finally the last present was gone from under the tree and it was my "bomb".  gggg  One of my brothers that had helped buy it handed it to me.  I still didn't want it.  He had a half grin on his face, and all I wanted do was to smack that grin right off him!  ggg  He made me take it, but I really didn't want to.

Everyone was now waiting on me to open the present.  I was scared to death to open it.  I finally ripped into it, just to get the pain over with, since I knew I was gonna die when it exploded.  ggg  I opened the gift, and squinted at it really hard while I was taking the top off of the box, and inside that box was the watch that I had wanted so badly!  My two youngest brothers had spent their own money and gotten me that watch for Christmas.  I loved that watch more than anything!(written by:pjg 12-12-13) 

I have thought about that a lot over the years.  I've laughed and cried.  It was really funny in the end, but, at the particular moment, it wasn't funny at all.  When we all finally grew up, we realized just how much we all love each other.  Now, when we are all together, there is much laughter and story telling for the younger generations to gasp and laugh right along with us.  Every once in a while, someone will tell a new story that our mom hasn't even heard.  Those are really hilarious.  When she says, "If I had have known that, I would have had a heart attack"!

I don't know if she would have had a heart attack or not, but I can guarantee there would have been more "hide being tanned", if you catch my drift.  She did not cut us much slack.  But, in her defense, with six children, she couldn't cut us much slack, or we would have taken advantage her.  But, I must say, we did have some fun and we still do have a lot of fun when we get together.

If there is anything in this story that you can relate to, thank God!  God made families for a reason.  I believe one of the reasons, is to help us learn how to get along with other people.  No matter how many people are in your family, each and every person is different, and unique.  God made each and every person, that is, that has been, and that will ever be, in His image.  No two of us are exactly alike, but we each have been made in His image.   It can help us at times, if we remember that each one of us is made in His image.  That makes it all the more easier to love my brothers, because they are made in His image.  It makes it all the more easier to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, and strangers alike, because each and every one of us are made in His image.  Look in the mirror, and love what you see, because what you are looking at was created in the image of God!  

Stay warm Y'all, hugs, and have a blessed night, Patty

Happy Little Tree

Hi Y'all!!!  I'm back, because I had forgotten to put up pics of my Happy Little Tree.  For the last 3 or 4 years, we haven't had a tree or any of the decorations of the season in our home.  Why, you ask?  I haven't felt like doing all that stuff.  When I've had trees in the past, it would be anywhere from 5 to 9 different trees.  Folks, I'm here to tell ya, that will make an old woman out of you in a hurry.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the colors of Christmas.  I love the lights, the tinsel, hand made ornaments, all things sparkly and glittery.  It just makes me happy, happy, happy!!!

Well, I was in Ky last week and mom and I went to my favorite store up there, Mighty Dollar!!!  That place also makes me happy!  I found a little tree, about a foot tall, tree skirt, tree topper, gold tinsel garland and I was ready for Christmas.  I got to digging around in my craft room and found a battery operated string of lights with 10 tiny little bulbs, BINGO, that was all I needed in the way of lights.  Then, I was in an ornament swap with a group of ladies and I had 5 handmade ornaments to go on my little tree.  So, I proudly displayed my swap ornaments on my little tree.  I also took the 4 ornaments that I had entered into the Fair this year and displayed those on ornament stands.  I have set up a couple of Christmas cards that we have gotten this year.  So, in less than 15 minutes, my Christmas decorating was done!!  I'm telling you, "easy peasy" is the way to go.

My little tree is setting on a chunk of fire wood that my dad took his chainsaw to years ago and turned it into a stool that sat on their front porch for many years.  That was the perfect place for our tree.

These are the 4 ornaments that I had entered in the County Fair.  They were winners, I just don't remember off the top of my head what place they came in.

There is a picture setting on the hearth area of the fire place.  My brother, the one that was part of the duo that got into the sumac with me, made the picture for me a few years ago.  I love it!!  He does scroll saw work.  He does an awesome job.  He made my mother a picture of "Christ on the Cross", and it is absolutely stunning!  There is also a "big" penny in the center of the hearth.  That came from Cracker Barrel a few years ago.  It actually has my birth year on it.  That's why I got it.  Heck, I had to get it, that was a fantastic year, after all! ggg

I still had some Thanksgiving cards sitting around when I made the pics and also my little bean bag scare crow is still sitting on the hearth.  I also have a few other small ornaments sitting around year around.  But, I think it is just enough for us to be plenty in the "Merry Christmas" mood this year.

Sometimes less is more.  Sometimes less is just enough.  I have just enough to be festive, but not enough to take my mind off the purpose of the season.  "Jesus is the reason for the season!"  Let us be ever mindful of that this year.  The best and most precious gift you will ever receive hung on an Old Rugged Tree.  He now resides at the right hand of God intervening on our behalf.  Thank You so much Jesus!!!  Please help us to be ever mindful of that as we try to serve You in a pleasing manner.

Warm snowman hugs, y'all!  Be blessed, Jesus loves you, so do I, Patty

What A Difference A Day Makes and part of a story

Good Sunday Morning Y'all!!!  I hope that y'all are "snugger than a bug in a rug" this cold and icy morning!  Twenty four hours does make a difference!  The ice storm came in early in the wee hours of the morning.  I snuck out of bed about  4:30 am and ran through the house to peep out the back door window and seen the ice on the deck, and back to bed I went.

For just a few seconds, I was transported back in time, as a child, sneaking around trying to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus.  You just gotta treasure memories like that.  I crept back to bed and as I drifted back off to sleep, I was thinking about getting peeks of presents under the Christmas Tree, just trying to figure out what treasure was in each and every one of the presents under the tree.  Coming from a large family, there was always heaps and mounds of presents.  And there was great joy in trying to figure out everyone's gifts, not just your own.  It was always fun to dig and look for the small, little packages, in hopes of finding one that may have had a piece of jewelry in it.

One Christmas, when I was in Junior High School, some of the family had been to town on a Saturday morning and I spied a watch in the window of one of the stores on the street square.  I ogled and looked at that watch!  I wanted that watch so bad!!!  I begged my mother for it.  She said, "you are not getting it, we've already bought all the presents that we are gonna buy."  Well, "What about Santa Claus, couldn't he bring it?"  Yes, I was in Junior High, but when you are desperate, you will try anything.   ggggg   Stay tuned for the conclusion of this story.

I almost forgot the reason for my post this morning.  I knew there would be no getting out for church this morning for me.   So, after it warmed up a little, I put on my tennis shoes and my hooded winter coat and grabbed my camera and out I went.  Oh how I love mornings like this!!!!  I snapped away!  Thought I would share a few of my favs with you. 

This is what it looked like down our driveway.  Our neighbors beautiful pine trees was damaged due to the weight of the ice.  When I got up at 7:00 am and looked out the living room window, I could not have gotten my car out of the garage, due to those branches hanging so low, I would have broken them off with my car.  I thought for a few seconds, my hubby would not be able to get his truck out without first cutting those branches up.

But, as you can see, I think he will be able to back out without backing over them.  I was really sad to see those trees damaged.  

 Now, for the fun stuff!  I absolutely love close up shots like this.  See the new little pine cones forming.

I could look at stuff like this and take pics like this for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

That one looks as if there may be six or seven baby pine cones forming.

This shot reminds me of frozen "fire works"!  It may be my most fav shot.  Love it!  I do hope you have enjoyed seeing a few of the pics I took this morning of the winter wonderland that I woke up to.  It is just enough to jump start the "Merry Christmas" Season for me.

I do hope and pray that y'all have enjoyed looking at what I got to see this morning.  I just have to give all glory, honor, and praise to God, My Father, for creating such a lovely and beautiful sight for my eyes to behold!  Even if we wanted to, as one of God's creations, there is no way we can re-create anything as lovely and as beautiful as God has made.  Let us all enjoy the beauty of all there is around us every day.  Thank God for all that is beautiful, because He made it all, just for your viewing pleasure!

Warm hugs and lots of love to y'all, Patty

Pine cone

Just a quick post to share a pic of a pine cone that I cut on my Cameo that is actually smaller than my thumb nail so a friend could see how small it is.  It is two layers glued together to make the final pine cone.  I was really impressed with results.  Not really impressed with my photographic skills though. ggg

I had been outside early in the spring and had an inspiration to try to press some wild flowers through my Cuttlebug onto card stock.  That worked, then I was trying to figure out what else I could run through my Cuttlebug and pine sprigs were a natural idea, so this is what I came up with.  As you can see, it is a pretty small pine cone and I was thrilled with it.

Sure hope this helps my friend out.

I will close with a friendly reminder that Jesus Christ loves you so much and wants to be your Friend, Savior, and Lord!  He is the One Friend that you will always be able to count on.  He will never let you down and He will always be your soft place to fall.

Hugs, stay warm, be blessed, Patty

Things I've Learned

Good Saturday Morning, Yall!  It is cold here, in my neck of the woods.  It is a little slick outside, but I am so thankful to God that we did not get the weather that was being called for.  But, tonight, will be another nail biter, waiting to see what happens then.  Lifting everyone that has been affected by the snow and ice storm in prayer for warmth and safety.

I have been struggling with what God has wanted me to share with you,  my readers, simply because it hits home so closely.   I will have to confess, before you read any further, Yes, these are all examples taken from the pages of my own life experiences.   I am not proud to admit these things, but I will own them.  And by the love, mercy and grace of God, each and every one of these stumbling blocks can be changed into beautiful pearls.

"Things I've Learned" (the hard way...ggg)

You can't un-ring a bell any more than you can un-say hurtful words.

Don't ring the bell if you haven't planned to, and don't say hurtful words just because you can.

You can't treat people poorly and expect those same people to treat you like royalty.

Treat people like you desire to be treated. If you treat people like garbage, then expect the same.

Respect is earned, not demanded.

If you want a little respect, treat others with respect, then you will be on the road to earning respect.

It is better and easier to be kind to people, than it is to be mean spirited.

Our actions and behavior comes straight from the heart.  What ever your heart looks like, that's what your behavior will look like.

You will get back, what you give out, at some point in time.  Kindness comes home to those who are kind.  And, vice versa.

It is never appropriate to blame poor behavior on “having a bad day”.

Sometimes, poor behavior is simply that, poor behavior.  Call it what it is.

Do not set higher standards for anyone else than you have set for yourself.

Do not expect someone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself.

If you are not willing to get in the trenches, don't push anyone else in those trenches.

There is much power in words.  We can speak life or we can speak death! Choose wisely.

If you feel you must respond to something that you have read, make sure you know how your response is going to read on the other end.  Don't just slap something on the message and hit send unless it is exactly what you meant to say.  Then, own it.

Do not think your God given talent or gift is better, finer or loftier than anyone else's God given talents or gifts.

If you make a mistake, own it.  In the long run, people around you will respect you a whole lot more when they see you owning your mistakes and working diligently to correct them.  They may even chip in and help you.

Do not throw mean spirited words out there and then claim you did not mean to say those things.  Most of the words that come from our mouths, come straight from our heart, the seat of exactly who we are.

When you do apologize; apologize, and leave it at that.  Don't add anything else to it, because then, it doesn't feel like an apology, but a good ole' "slap in the face".  When anything is added to an apology with a "but, I", then you are automatically blaming that person again, in your pretend apology.  Do not push your rudeness off on someone else; man up or woman up, and own it.

In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2, verse 7, in the Holy Bible, God formed Adam from the dust of the ground.  Before we think more of ourselves than we should, we must remember, we are dust.  How can one sack of dust think themselves better than another sack of dust?  Dust is dust!  This should be more than enough to eliminate “human pride” when we remember we are “dust”.  Kinda gives it a new perspective, doesn't it.

This is just a few things that, I, personally, have learned over the years.  No sermon here for anyone, other than three people, “me, myself and I”.  Just something that the Lord has impressed upon me to share.  Sometimes, I really don't like what He wants me to share, simply because it hits to close to my door step.  Sometimes, I don't like it when God reminds me that my behavior and actions “DO” make a difference to those in my sphere of influence.  I really don't like it when God makes me have a good look at myself, and then asks me, “Based on who I am, God; Are you proud of what you see?”  Most of the time I have to be honest and say, “No, Abba Daddy, I am not proud of what I see, will you please help me?”  The answer always comes, “Yes, My child, I will help you!”

If you find yourself in the same shoes I am wearing, just know that our “Abba, Daddy” wants more than anything to help us be His children.  Ask Him for help, He will never turn a repentant heart away.(written by:pjg:12-06-13)

There you have it, warts and all, Y'all!  Some hard lessons learned the hard way.  I'm still trying to get it right.  One day, just one of these days, I will start getting a little of it right.  If you see yourself in any of this, just know it is not a helpless situation.  Jesus Christ is your rescuer!!!  That is enough to shout about!

Hugs, Y'all, be blessed and stay warm, Patty

Oh, December, such a Precious Gift

Well, Y'all, December has happened upon us!   Blink twice and it will be forever gone.   I do pray that as we go into the Christmas Season that we will carry our Thanksgiving attitude and mindset right along with us.  We all do have so much to be thankful for, and Christmas should be at the top of that list.  Oh, I'm not speaking as much of the secular side of Christmas as I am of the Spiritual side of Christmas.   We all love to give and receive gifts.  Who doesn't?  But, what I'm really thinking of is the gift that God, The Father, has lovingly bestowed upon all who will willingly receive that gift.  That gift is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Lord and Savior of all who have called upon Him for salvation and also Lord and Savior to those who will call upon Him for salvation.

This is a devotional that I wrote three years ago.  I do hope and pray that you enjoy it and that you can find some comfort in it as we go into the Christmas Season.  For many, the holidays are sad, due to varying circumstances.  I do hope and pray that if you are one of the many, that you can take something away from this that will give you a new joy and hope for the days to come.

Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Birthday Jesus!! This is the time of year that we celebrate Your wonderful birthday!  As I think about the celebration, I think about the changes that Your Birthday has made to the world in which I live.  I think about pain and joy and happiness and sadness and baggage and travel and many more things that I just don't have the proper words describe.

When I think of pain, I think of the pain You must have had, for You to leave the grandeur of heaven and come to earth, to be born a baby in a manger in a stable where the animals got to be a witness to the most wonderful and amazing birth the world has ever witnessed.  But that was just the beginning of the pain for You.  You could have chosen to stay in heaven, but You chose our lives over your own life.  When You was on the cross, we was on your mind.

When I think of joy and happiness, I think of the joy and happiness that only mothers truly understand.  I personally, am not a mother, but, I was born with the heart of a mother.  I can see and sense the joy and happiness that new moms feel when they are holding and snuggling with their new-born bundles of joy, the same joy and happiness that Mary had on the night You were born.

When I think of sadness, I think of the sadness that Mary must have had when she realized that Your life was so much more than that of her child.  Your life was so much bigger than Mary could have ever imagined, even when she seen Your life spilling from You at Calvary.  The pouring out of Your life is what enabled Your Light to shine from heavenly places.  Your life was and is the the Light of this world.  The Light that we call Salvation.  The world thought that if they extinguished the light in one life, Your Life, that they could put out the Light of Goodness and Hope.  Not so, all of us who have accepted You as our Lord and Savior are reflections of Your Light.

When I think of baggage, I think of all the baggage that each and every one of us came to You with.  We come to You at different ages and stages of our lives. Some of us were younger, and therefore less baggage.  Some of us were older, with more baggage.  When I look back at the baggage of my own personal life, I can see all the ways that You have cleaned me up.  You have given me a new thought process, You have given me a new word to speak, You have given me a new song in my heart, You have given me a clean heart.  You have taken away shame, bitterness, hatred, anger.  You made a new creature out of me.

When I think of travel, I am reminded that You traveled by foot, by boat, and by donkey.  I am also reminded that when You traveled, where ever You traveled, You were about Your Father's business.  You changed the lives of all who came in contact with You.  You took some men, not loved by many, and touched their lives and changed their lives in ways they could never have imagined.  You, alone, Jesus, had compassion on the women You came in contact with, and changed their lives and enabled them to have a reason to celebrate.  You went into the market places, into the homes of the most common, You went into the synagogues, You cleaned up the temple, You taught people how to live. You showed us that our life is not our own.  It is Yours, bought and paid for with Your blood.  You taught us that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  You gave us Your life, You gave us Your Light, You gave us Your Hope, and You keep giving us renewed strength from day to day to live in this world, and to reach out and offer Hope and Light to those we come in contact with while we travel the hi-ways and byways.

So, in remembering Your Birthday, Jesus, and celebrating the Joy that You have given each of us through Your birth, I say thank You, Jesus, that You chose to be born.  Thank You, that You were born for the most common.  Thank You, that You taught us how to live.  Thank You, that You made the way for us to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.   Please help us to be about our Father's business till You come again.

So , we celebrate You, Wonderful, Prince of Peace, Bright Morning Star, Gift of God, Lily of the Valley, Son of God, Rock of Ages, Judge, Savior, Prince, Emmanuel, Rose of Sharon, Physician, Fountain, Guide, Bread of Life, Advocate.   Thank You God, that You loved us enough to give us the very Best that You had to offer on Christmas Day!!!(written by: pjg10-8-2010, edited 12-1-13)

I do pray that as we go into the Christmas Season, that we will remember, "Jesus is the reason for the Season!"   It is more blessed to give than to receive.   You may say, "I don't have much to give."   You know what, a smile, a warm hug, a hand shake, and saying, "Jesus loves you, so do I", doesn't cost a penny.   These things are priceless.   These are the things that people will remember, long after everything else has been taken back to the store to be exchanged.   These are things that will be remembered long after the landfills are filled to capacity with all the "stuff" that our money can by.   These are the things that truly make a difference in the lives of those around us.   I challenge you to make a difference in the part of the world in which you live.   One person can make a difference!  Jesus did!

Jesus loves you, so do I!  Hugs and be blessed Y'all! Patty

Christmas Bits and Pieces

Good morning, one and all, Y'all!!  I do pray that this morning finds everyone as chipper as a spring bird on a cold and frosty morn!  How's that for a greeting?  I was up a little late last night with inky and gluey fingers. hahaha  I thought I would show you what I was doin'.

In my last post, I showed you what I had done with some scraps that I probably would not have ever used.  Well, I was back at it.  I'm lovin' this new little picture card.  I used three new stamps. And I also tried something I haven't done much of before.  Using watercolor pencils and then a water pencil to blend the colors.  This is new, so, please view with kind and merciful eyes.  I am lovin' the watercolor pencils.  I finally found some that was what I liked.  I had gotten several different ones over the last little while and none of them worked as well as these.  Maybe, just maybe, I did not know how to make them work.  Hey, give me a little credit, I did say "maybe".  ggg  Anyway, I do hope you like them:

This is the back of my card pictures.  This little easel is affixed to the back with score tape

I bought a paper crafting mag at Michael's yesterday and this little bear stamp was a freebie with the magazine, along with some 5x5 sheets of designer paper, little chipboard images and gold glitter pen.  I love the little bear.  He makes me happy!

My cousin had sent me a card about three years ago with this stamp on it and I have been searching high and low for it ever since.  Jackpot!!  Michael's had it.  I snatched it up like a crazy person, I sure did! gggg

This is a shot of the happy trio.  I know they are not real fancy, but I really did enjoy making them and also trying my hand at watercolor pencils.  It never hurts to try something new.

Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, y'all!!!!   As I leave you this morning, I leave you with a simple question.  What are you Thankful for?  I could not even begin to tell you what all I am thankful for.  I am thankful for all of y'all, who take time to read my blog.  Thank you!!!  I am thankful for my family!!  I am thankful for my friends!!!  And, yes, I am thankful for all the material blessings that God has heaped upon me!!  And, I am most thankful for my wonderful, kind, loving, generous husband!  He is my number one supporter in life.  When all else around me fails, my husband is there to encourage me to take another breath, take another step, believe in yourself one more time.   For him, I am truly thankful!!  But, at the very top of my list, is Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior!!!  Thank you Jesus, for cleaning me up and giving me a new song to sing, a new word to speak, a new joy in my heart!  The reason I mentioned Jesus Christ last on my list, is because that is what I want you to remember about this visit.  Jesus Christ loves you so much, more than words could ever express!

Have a great day, and be blessed y'all, hugs, Patty

Christmas Cards

Good afternoon, Y'all.  I hope and pray this afternoon finds you snuggled up somewhere all cozy and comfy.  It is now and has been pretty chilly in "these here parts".  At 12:55 pm it is a whopping 44 degrees out side.  Now, I do realize that in places, that is a heat wave.  But, in the south, there's a lot of complainin' goin' on when the temp drops below 65 degree. gggg  In all reality, there's no pleasin' most of us any way, so it doesn't matter what the temp, we will still  be complainin'.  Do I here an "Amen" from anyone?

An update:  It is now 3:07 pm, 38 degrees and "snowin' to beat sixty"!  That's right, y'all, you heard me, "it's snowin' in the south"!  If you don't like it, just wait a few minutes, there'll be a heat wave comin" down the road.  gggg

Ok, enough about the weather. gggg  I have been busy as a little bee over the last few days.  Working on Christmas Cards!  I absolutely love inky, gluey, glittery hands!  It means I have been doin' what I enjoy.  I have gotten several of my Christmas Cards made.  And I must tell you, I am really happy about that.  In the process of making the nice cards with the boxes, I also made a few other cards with scraps that I may have tossed had I not had my thinking cap on.  So, I will show those to you first. 

 I don't know if you will recognize the shape of the first two cards or not.  They are the centers that I cut out to make my presentation boxes for the other cards I will show you.  It just so happened that I had another shape, that is a coaster, that I had cut several out of.  The coaster fit perfectly over the shape I cut out of the boxes, with just about  1/16" of an inch all the way around.  I ran them through my cuttlebug with a snowflake embossing folder.  For the red one, I pulled out a couple of different scraps of ribbon and wrapped the wide ribbon to the back side and taped it down and tied it in the center with the little piece of red grosgrain ribbon.   Then I had a couple of candy pieces I had cut and popped those on there along with a little pop of glitter.  Ohhh, glitter makes me so happy!!! gggg

For the blue one, pretty much the same as the red one.  The ribbon is metallic ric rac.  It's shiny!!!  Don't make any diff how it sparkles, it just makes me happy!!!
Then I glittered up my little reindeer cut out and popped him on there.  These two are really more like little pictures than they are cards, because on the back side there is an easel.  A flat strip about an inch wide attached to the back of the card with wings protruding from each side is what allows it to stand up perfectly.

This is an Iris fold card.  I do my Iris folding differently than most people do.  I do not actually fold my strips of paper.  I cut my strips to the width needed, not double the width and then fold.  So, a lot of people would not call mine Iris folding.  I don't know what they would call it, and don't really care.  ggg  The way I see, this is my way of doing it, and that's all that matters.  But, I do have another "fav" item to add to my list.  That is liquid pearls.  I used them on each corner of the white part of this card and on the bell on the toe of the elf shoe and on the little triangular parts making the cuff of the shoe.  Love that stuff!!

This was made from a scrap of card stock that I would have tossed most any other day.  But, today, I made a card front.  I used my flourished reindeer stamp and my Merry Christmas stamp.  I also used a couple of green glittery stickers.  Oh, did I happen to mention, glittery and sparkly makes me happy?

This is what all four of them looks like side by side.  Not bad for something I was gonna toss.

These next pics are all of the cards, with easels and boxes.  They are very time consuming.  But, it helped me to take a few weeks to work on all the pieces parts.  I have two of the plastic shoe-boxes from the Dollar Tree  that I have all the components in.  That make putting a card together go pretty quickly.

One last hint or idea about using what you would normally toss out.  The shapes cut from the top of my boxes, where the window is, these would make really neat and nice one time use coasters.  They could be decorated any way you want or leave them plain.  And if you really wanted too, you could use your laminating machine on them once you got them decorated, on both sides, to accommodate more than one occasion, and use them over and over.

Well, there you have it y'all.  This is what I have been up too for a little while.  I still have a few more to go.  But, they will go pretty quickly, since I have all the pieces parts ready to go.

If I don't get back on here before Thanksgiving, I pray that each and every one of you have a Happy Thanksgiving and will take the time to thank God for all He has given you.  For those of you that are not in the U.S. and celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday, I do pray that you, too, will take the time to thank God for something in your life.  We all have so much to be thankful for every day.  I am thankful for Jesus Christ and all that He has done for me.  We can never thank Him enough.  For some inspirational reading, read Psalm 100.  It is just five verses long.  But, oooohhh the message in those five verses.  Ok, now get to reading, there will be a test later. gggg  Happy Thanksgiving, Yall!!!

My favorite quote for Thanksgiving, "Gobble till you Wobble, Y'all"!!!!! hahaha

hugs and blessings, y'all, Patty

Story Time "The Wagon Ride"

Good morning, y'all.  I do hope this cool morning finds each and every one of y'all doin' finer than frog hair!  How's that for a good ole' southern expression!  I guarantee you, if that frog spent the night out on my porch last night, he would have been wishing for a lot of hair! 

I thought it was about time to share another story.  I hope you enjoy this story that I wrote earlier this year.  It goes back to childhood, and into some of the great days of yesteryear for me.  I do hope you enjoy it.  It is a blessing from God to be able to remember some of the good stuff, now and again, and be able to put it on record as something for generations to come to be able to read and have fun in doing so.

"The Wagon Ride"

I may have mentioned earlier about the property my parents had and that my grandparents lived on the hill above us.   It was probably about a quarter mile from our house to theirs.  We walked up there all the time and they walked down to the mailbox everyday.  Their farm was about 20 acres or so.   Papaw put out tobacco and had corn crop to feed his animals and they always had a huge garden.  There was always something going on.  Something always needed to be done.

Papaw was not a modern day farmer.  He farmed the only way he knew.  He had a team of mules.  They were larger than the average mules and they were beautiful beasts of burden.  Papaw expected a lot from Jim and Red.  But, he was really good to those animals.

Someone had mentioned recently about traveling across the country in a wagon. Well, in the early 1960's that still was their mode of transportation, a wagon. With the wooden, steel wrapped wheels.  Their wagon looked like it came from the 1800's.  When it wasn't in use, it was always sitting under roof in the building that had the corn crib off to the side.   It was well cared for and maintained and ready at all times to haul whatever was needed.

I always wanted to ride in the wagon.  When they was running low on certain
kinds of chicken feed and some of the other feed for the cows and mules then
papaw would hitch the team up to the wagon and head out to Jessie's store.   It
was about four or five miles down the road from where we lived.  I wanted to go with them. In the past, some of my brothers would get to go, but I never had.

Mamaw told mom she would look after me if she would let me go with them.  All six of us kids got to go that day and it was amazing.  Mom spit shined all six
of us, and put on our Sunday best and we was ready to be picked up by our carriage, the wagon.

When the wagon came down the hill and I got a glimpse of it, I was amazed. As it came off the hill, it rattled and clanged, just like what you would have heard in the old movies or tv programs.  I had seen it before, but it was never as exciting as it was this time!   This time, I was gonna ride on it!  I was just five years old. So, it was stinkin' exciting to me!

My grandmother was a tall lady, hair white as snow, and it was so long she could sit on it but she wore it up in a braided twist on the back of her head.  That was just before she got her hair all cut off and a perm in it.   Her profile was really pronounced.  She wasn't as pretty as she was beautifully regal.  She always sat with her back as straight as a pin.  She had on high heels and a hat, she could have easily been off to see the president.   Papaw was setting beside her on the seat.  He had on a three piece suit.  He had shined his shoes till the sun glistened on them.  He had on his finest hat.  They were truly a beautiful couple.  Even at my age now, I can't get that image out of my head, nor do I want to.

Papaw stopped the wagon at the edge of the driveway to our house and mom was out with us, helping us all get on the wagon.   All the while she was telling the
older kids to look out for the younger ones.   Then she told all of us we better
behave and do as mamaw and papaw told us or there would be trouble and we knew momma meant business.

Dad knew we were all going that day, so before he left to go to work he gave mom some quarters for each one of us.   Scraping up six quarters back then was not easy to do, but he did it.   We were so excited to have money that we could
spend.

It was a most delightful ride to the store.   It was the first time I had ever
ridden in something like that.   It obviously was a slow ride.   Jim and Red had
blinders on, so they wouldn't be distracted by each other and any traffic that
may have been on the road.   We had to sit down on the bed of the wagon.   We
couldn't lean even a little bit to see over the side of the wagon.

When we got to the store, papaw pulled the wagon up and stopped the mules.  He
tied the reins to a little tree or something just outside the door.  My brothers all started jumping off one or two at a time.   Mamaw said to them, "mind your manners now", and one at a time they said, "yes mam".   Papaw then picked me up and twirled me around in the air before putting me down.   That was the most fun ever.  Then, mamaw stood up and leaned over into his hands and he twirled her around just like he did me.   She enjoyed it just as much as I did.   To see her standing up with her absolutely best clothes on was really something.  To see both of them together dressed to the top, was just breathtaking for a little child.

Papaw started getting all the feed that he needed.   I told him to make sure he
got some pretty feed sacks cause I wanted a new dress.    Mamaw was getting a few groceries and she was telling us to hurry up and pick out what we wanted to
spend our quarters on.   I don't remember what the guys got, but me, oh boy, I
got the most exciting toy I ever had in my life!  It was a frog with a bulb attached that you squeezed to make it jump.  I couldn't wait to get home to make my frog jump.

The ride home was a little different because we got to set on top of all the feed sacks and stuff so we were a little higher and got to see a different point of view,
so to speak.  When we got home it was really sad to get off the wagon and see
them go on up the road, to their drive way, up to the farm.  I stood their looking
up the hill as they went out of sight and then hearing the rattling and the
clanging of the wagon and tack until I could not here it anymore.  I just stood there with the biggest old tears running down my face.  Momma asked me why I was crying and I told her it was because I didn't want that trip to end.  It truly was a trip of a lifetime for me, but, after all, I did have a frog that needed to be jumped. (written by:pjg-8-2013)

I do hope you have enjoyed this trip down my memory lane.  I hope and pray that you have good stuff that you can think about and remember with fondness from time to time.   What ever your memories hold for you, give it all to God.  If we give our "yesterdays" to Him, we can give Him our "todays", and that makes it all together easier to give Him our "tomorrows".   There is a lot of stuff we will never be able to sort out on our own, but God can give us fresh, new, perspectives on it all.  I pray for your day to be filled with quiet moments to ponder, moments that make you laugh, and lots of joy.  And remember, if there is anything good in any of it, it came from God.  Thank Him for the good stuff!

Have a great day in the Lord, y'all.  Blessings and hugs, Patty

Ornament Swap

Good afternoon to Y'all!  I do pray that where ever you are that the sun is shining, at least in your heart.  The sun is not shining here and I think it may have forgotten how to shine.  Just a gloomy day.  A good day to craft.

I thought I would give you a quick update on my back issue.  It is much better, praise the Lord!!!  Still need to be a little watchful about how I do around, but it is sooooo much better.  Thank you for the prayers.

I do have an issue with the meds I was taking.  "Was" being the operative word here.  My face started getting warm and then just plain hot on Thursday afternoon.  By Friday, it was getting a real pinkish color and still warm to the touch.  This morning I looked like someone colored my face with a beet overnight!!!  Yes, you heard me right, a beet!!!  Certainly NOT my choice for a make up color.  gggg  My eye lids, nose and both cheeks clear around to my ears and down my neck.  It is warm and itches.  Kinda reminds me of the story I posted about my dear brother and me getting in to sumac.  I do hope this is short lived.  We'll see if vanity plays a very big role in my life in the morning, getting ready for church, if it is still beet red.  If I am not sick, I will be there, beet red face and all!  Anyway, this is the way it stands at the moment, y'all.

I am in another swap.  This is an ornament swap.  I really enjoyed making this one.  I used a black glitter cardstock for the base of the card.  It was to be a two sided ornament, so I cut two pieces of black glitter cardstock and glued them back to back.  Used a black marker around the edges to color the white that was showing.  Then I cut the fronts and backs, which was the same image, just flipped the image for the back.  I used glossy accents to glue the images to the glitter cardstock.  Then I got out some bling and blinged it up a little.  I put some ribbon through the holes I cut with my cropodile.  I did make a small little tag to put on the ribbon with my name and date on one side and the name of the swap on the other side.  The recipient can easily tear that off or leave it on.  I just like to put my name on what I do.  So, here is some pics:

Ok, so I really wish the glitter showed up better.  They are really glittery and look great in hand.  I also wish I had a better way of getting good pics.  I don't have great lighting and a flash washes out a lot of stuff, so I just piddle till I get something half way tolerable.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at my "not so fancy ornaments", but I really had a great time making them.

I want to thank you for stopping by.  I pray that you have a wonderful evening, a great night's rest and a wonderful Sunday.  Find time tomorrow to spend with your Creator.  He will enjoy it and so will you.  Time spent with God is time well invested.  You can only come away from that experience a better you!  While with Him, ask Him to let you see the world and those around you through His eyes!  Ask Him to break your heart for what breaks His heart!  Ask Him to give you the desire to live purposefully and thoughtfully!  Just these things alone, will make all the difference in the way you live the rest of your life. I pray for you to do it.  See for yourself, the difference that Jesus Christ can make in your life.  God loves y'all and so do I.

Be blessed and hugs, y'all, Patty