*Sigh*

How do I begin? Do I report on our wonderful demonstration from Delightfully Pregnant Dana? These lovely zipper bags from here: http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html?

Do I tell you that my house was full and I was happy?
Do I report that we ranged from pre born to 2 months old to nearly 57 years?
That our numbers reached 15?

Do I tell you that the most beastly lingering heat wave hovered over our house?  How about that in that heat wave we had a picnic at the Farmer's Market and God provided a most amazing breeze to our picnic table and no where else?  That two Amish came up to our table to ask us what we were selling, our table looking so appealing? 

That we had three teenagers in attendance that were wonderful, helpful, respectful, fun AND talented? That one of them, pictured here with her plate of veggies, usually does not get too friendly with vegetables and unknown culinary delights?  That she discovered that she does indeed like summer squash?

Did I mention that we had one attendee travel six hours in a heat wave, with a 2nd grader in tow AND a due date of September 19th?

Can I impress you with the exceptional quality of food that we consumed?  That I can tell you that without fear of prideful retribution because Crazy Dee helped me and because another skilled homemaker friend knows how to make the best pie ever?  And showed us how to do the same?

How about one more incredibly biased story about Miss Vivien and her enjoyable company?  How about how adorable Baby Girl and Miss Viv were together?  Did I happen to mention that I didn't get any photos of Eldest/Admin because she was scurrying hither and thither helping her old mom and keeping BG from getting overtired/overheated?  Yeah.  Pretty awesome woman....

That I went to sleep incredibly peaceful and content doing what I love to do: entertaining, chatting with young mamas and watching babies, children, teens come into their own...

That sitting in my living room at the midnight hour with lovely young women, listening to their conversations, adding when asked, sharing my incredible blessings, is a highlight in my life?

That sitting on my front porch on a lazy Sunday morning, conversing with my out of town guests before I have to let them go to their faraway homes, feeding them lunch a few hours after breakfast just because I thought that they should be fed one last time here, is what I love to do...

I want to tell you it all, and I will in the days ahead..

Stay tuned for more on one of the most lovely weekends ever.....

Three.....

More things are crossed off my list.
The house looks different.  That mish mash of day to day that is usually present in a home, has been tidied.  To the studied eye.  To others, it will just look like my usual jumble of collections, but I know that there has been some serious inventory control going on.  Makes one wonder just how bad it must have been....

My Companion, The Sewing Machine, (shouldn't it have a name?  some of the bloggers name theirs; any ideas?) has been very happy having my attention for some days now.  And we are both happy at the outcome....

Working on the sessions ..

1. God's Creativity in Our Lives
 2. Sewing with Dana
3. How to Apply it All in Our Busy, Busy Lives
4. Prioritizing, Implementing; First Things First/And What is Our First Things?

.. has found me reflective on my Young Mama Days, grabbing those memories to glean lessons learned, to share with the New Young Mamas.  And it is the joy of my life, mentoring to those eager to learn from those that have gone that way before....Never having perfected the Art of Mothering, but certainly making enough mistakes to teach others the way NOT to go...The Goal?  No regrets.  Being at peace with the mother God designed you to be and utilizing the tools He gives you to accomplish it daily.....Incorporating Crafting into mothering just goes hand in hand to me as patience, skill, understanding is so much a part of both; one hones the other....And children get the benefit from a Creatively Outleted Mama......

Tick, tick, tick......

Countdown: Four More Days....

It's coming up fast....
It's been in the planning stage for so long, it seems hard to believe that the time has come to implement all the To Do Lists, the scheduling, the (YIKES) cleaning!

Today's list is nearly accomplished.  I use 'nearly' with great generosity but there is tomorrow.  But not too many of those before the Ladies who have signed on to attend the

mama's collection of Friends

First Annual Crafting/Spiritual Retreat!!!

will begin arriving!!!  Eldest/Admin and Miss Vivie arrive on Wednesday and I am thrilled!  The doggies look a bit sad knowing full well that they are are not on the Invite List.  Miss Dixie is more than aware of something afoot in  her abode.  She eyes me suspiciously as I accomplish household tasks that are not on my daily repertoire. She is pictured in my Sewing Room as I wrap up some 'surprises'....Not particularly thrilled..

Even Hubby with his own overwhelming issues, has seen to it that his 'To Do' list is attended to, as is witnessed by my new kitchen shelves in the above photo.  I must add that this was done without One Word of Prompting (nagging, reminding, hinting).  I awoke from my Sunday Nap to find this Helpful Hubby working on the shelves. (Did you notice the nice rounded edge he did for me? How well treated am I??)

Tomorrow, Stella the Cat gets her first 'grooming'.....Don't you wish you could see that?
More work on sessions, 'surprises, cleaning and setting up the great outdoors for My Lovely Ladies....

More coverage tomorrow.....

Joyous Bustling

It was a bit over a year ago, when I, a faithful reader of SouleMama, happened upon her report of her time at the Squam Arts Workshop.  Other bloggers were, 'Squam This and Squam That', and being a lifelong citizen of the Midwest, I had No Clue as to what they were talking about.  But I wanted to know what they all were raving about.  It sounded like some Utopian Crafting Community and, indeed, I think it is.  I found myself reading about Squam Lake (where On Golden Pond was filmed), and the great lengths that women from all over the nation(world?) gathered twice a year.  It didn't take me long to notice a common thread amongst the Crafters.  I saw Mercedes and BMW's in the parking lot.  I saw some pretty shwanky clothes, shoes, bags on the attendees.  Then I checked out the cost of this Crafter's Heaven...Yikes.  Plus air fare. Or gas mileage.  But oh the thought of spending a week under the tutelage of the best of the best.  The knitters, the sewists, the photographers, writers, poets, fiber artists, musicians.  Sigh.  I put my little dream away, but kept watching the videos and sharing my Squam Lake News with whoever was nearby.  Then I had A Thought.  Hmmmmmmm.  Maybe I cannot afford to rub shoulders with these lovely women, but what if.....what if...?  What if I put together a Sort of Squam Lake Arts Workshop on my scale and budget?  Certainly, there must be other crafters that long to share their space and craft in my shouting distance?  I shared this thought with my Eldest/Admin, my one true Idea Bouncer and Realist.  I showed her the videos and my thoughts of bringing it down to costs.  Sort of a mini mini Squam.  A Midwest Middle Income Squam.  And she said, Indeed.  There could be a very real interest in a group gathering for a common purpose and celebration.  And then the wheels began to turn.  A notebook purchased just to be used for ideas for the, now named:

mama's collection of Friends

First Annual Crafting/Spiritual Retreat.

The date, the guest list, the reservations, the menu, started to all come together.  Granted, when you're working with Young Mama's that have smalls to work with, there will be adjustments and rearrangements, but that is fine with me.  This is the Inaugural Year of hopefully a yearly tradition.

In the meantime, between Now and July 23-25th, I shall be preparing for the Big Event.  I shall be inspecting my inspection.  I shall be shaming my gardens into Good Behavior.   I shall be circumspectly viewing my house with an eye to the visitor.  I shall be hoarding yummy surprises and arranging breakfasts/lunches/suppers with an eye to healthy, filling and nourishing for my Young Mama's and their babes, in and out of utero.

And Fun Of All Fun, I am creating memories for these Lovely Mama Friends of mine.  I am cracking out all my creative forces to make sure that they know how special they are to me and to the universe.

I'm kinda excited, can you tell?  You haven't heard the last of this...The Preparation AND the Post and all the in between...

Oh, It Shall Be Good........