Pearls from Edith

As a young mama, I actively sought out spiritual/family mentors.  I knew I wanted to be a Godly Mother, but I truly had no idea what that meant.  Then one day a friend introduced me to Edith Schaeffer.  Edith is the wife of Christian Philosopher and prolific author, Francis Shaeffer.  He is the author of such epic tomes as "Whatever Happened to the Human Race?",  'A Christian Manifesto', True Spirituality', 'How Then Shall We Live?', 'The God Who is There', 'Art and the Bible'.  Knowing a bit of his life and of L'Abri (labri.org), I knew I wanted to know more about the Woman behind this incredible man.

It was then, that I knew the woman that I needed to model my motherhood after.

I read Hidden Art several times.  Then on to 'Tapestry' and 'Common Sense Living'.  I was introduced to their daughter through her life changing book, 'For the Children's Sake' and started to understand the value and responsibility of learning vs. schooling.  I do believe I have loaned out 'For the Children's Sake' so  many times that my dog eared copy needs replacing.

But Hidden Art is my favorite.

In it, Edith shares the intrinsic weaving that is mothering, teaching, and everyday Christian Living.  She's the one that showed me how to involve all of my life into my Christian life, without being tedious or overbearing or smugly self righteous.  She showed me that celebrating the daily and mundane with a eye to the gifts from God.  She has been an amazing mentor to me.

I think I have purchased this book and given it out to many young mama's looking for the same everyday joy for celebrating their babies and children with new eyes.

And so it came to pass that I needed to replace my own copy. 

Imagine my excitement in finding an autographed copy on half.com.!

It was one of those God things; Christian Karma!  I had given all my other copies away so that I could receive a personal note from Edith herself!

And so it sat on my bookshelf, waiting patiently for the next opportunity to be a gift to some other Young Mama.

Last week, I started to prepare for my first session for the mama's collection of friends First Annual Crafting/Spiritual Retreat (I told you that you would be hearing much about this!! :D).  The first session is called, 'God's Creativity in Our Lives' and I started combing my bookshelves for some references.

And there she was.

My Friend Edith!

Why I had not gone to her immediately?  The session I want to share is, the essence of her book!  Of course it is!  It's where I learned it!!

So I open the book, and read for perhaps the first time, the inscription, that Edith made over 30 years ago to an unknown woman named Jenny.

The date seemed familiar to me....

I searched my diary archives to realize that the long ago week in October, when Edith was probably speaking at a woman's conference, my pre Christ life, was tumbling apart.

It was the week that we were told that our beloved firstborn would never walk and that never mind that she had been in a body cast for over 6 months, her treatment would have to begin again.

An abysmal pit.

It was with a gasp that I read the last sentence on her inscription to "Jenny" ...'to spur you on to special creativity in the days ahead in all the adversity of circumstances...'

I may not be the Jenny that asked for the autograph, but this benediction was meant for me at that time in my life......And it was so....It was the many days of hospitalization and treatments that taught me to be creative in whatever I had to work with.....

The next mama that needs this book will have to wait till I order another one; this one is mine........

Delightful Diversions

 The mama's collection of Friends Retreat is in TWO WEEKS!    I have lots to do!  One look at my To Do List(s) shows me that I better be making good use of my time.  WooHOO!

Hospitality is a treat for me.  It's my thing.  I love having people to my home,  Preparing for events like this gives me that adrenalin high that runners are so fond of talking about.  For instance, yesterday was, Get A Toehold in the Messiness that is My Garden.  Normally, the job of maintenance would keep me dragging my feet, getting sidetracked with anything rather than focusing on the task.  But with the excitement of The RETREAT, I jumped in with all senses on Go.  I rearranged limestone,(?!) weeded, watered, swept, weed whacked and repotted with a glee that was kinda scary.  I stood back, evaluated, moved some more limestone and wiped more sweat.  And I LOVED it!  Nothing like having company over to get those pesky tasks finished.  The best carrot dangling ever.  In fact, I would go so far to say, that if you want to get a big project (kitchen update), tedious maintenance, (weeding, garage cleaning) or merely the mundane (the big bathroom clean) accomplished, have a passel of people over to your home!  Guaranteed to get it done!  Or least a really good dent into it.  Another thing that works is to have a baby; I got so much done when I knew that some tiny little human being was coming to my home to stay.  The day I delivered Eldest/Admin, I cleaned baseboards, picture frames and the staircases.  Thoroughly.  But I at nearly 57, I am not going to use that particular carrot anymore. :D

All that, was a particular long bunny trail to tell you about my bi monthly Art Gathering. I would call it a class, but I don't think our Facilitator, Writer Friend Joyce, would like that.  She doesn't fancy herself an artist, though you could of fooled me. She just wants those interested in honing their skills to gather together and  encourage one other.  Two weeks ago, we worked on pencil sketches and this week, we attempted watercolor.  Though some of us have experience in some sort of paint medium, watercolors were new to most of us.  I tried to make sure that the some of my To Do list for the day was finished before I left for the extravagant two hours on Friday afternoon.

  I guiltily left my home and all it's screaming undone chores and slunked off to the church across the street from my home where we gather.  It took awhile to shake off the responsibility whirring in my mind, but stroke by stroke, as the colors unfolded and I started to relax, the delight in tapping into another unexplored medium, thrilled my spirit and neutralized my busy brain.

What fun it is to explore a new art form, as primitive as it is.  What fun to play in paint and share with others as you test your creative limits....Interesting how we were all looking at the same picture and all our approaches were different.

The two hours zoomed, I left more relaxed than anticipated, more encouraged than I should have been and full of ideas that came from clearing out the cobs for two simple hours.

Amazing.

 I came home, waited for my version to dry, then properly placed it on my refrigerator, where it belongs...

What will neutralize your brain today?

Simple Sewing Saturdays: Volume Eight: Tee Shirt Transmogrifying

This Simple Sewing Hint is embarrassingly simple.  Simple Simple.  But somehow it eluded me for many years.  The thought of altering shirts that don't quite make it for you, with nothing to lose since if it's not right, you won't wear it anyway, right?  So, with that thinking completely in place, it is with fearless wonder, that I attacked another Garage Sale Tee shirt (thanks, Editor Friend!) to suit my many older lady tee shirt needs.

1. Take a tee shirt, preferable purchased at a yard sale. (less to invest)  Preferably all cotton.  The best; soft and breathable in This July Heat/Humidity.

2.  Take it for a Trial Run.  In my case, I wore it on my Morning Dog Walk.  This shirt was a Med but seemed more generous for my L, XL body.  Wrong.  It was a Med; who was I kidding?  Noticed it was a little snug around the neck and, of course, around the hips.  And the sleeves were a bit too long for the heat,even though they were just short sleeves.

3.  During the walk, altered the shirt in my brain, figuring what options I had. 

4.  Remembering the Too Short Cut of the last Tee Shirt Redo, I carefully thought about the suitable length for this shirt before The Fiskars had their way.

5.  Cut 1 1/2 inches off the bottom. Zip.

6. Too tight neckline? Clip way down about 3 inches.  Longer if you are prone to displaying cleavage. Ha.  Fold back the 'flaps' and pin.  Set your machine to one of the decorative stitches that you have on your machine but seldom use, and sew close to the edges so they will not curl up on you. If you don't have the decorative stitch option, use the zig zag; stretchy knits need the stretch.  Voila!  Neckline expanded!

7.  I rolled up the sleeves the width of the hem and did the same thing. Edged with the same decorative stitch close to the edge.  Ditto the bottom hem.

8.  Pop that sucker right back on and breathe deeply for all the comfort that this lovely reconfigured tee shirt brings to you.  Wore it all day, patting it in affirmation, that it was a good thing we did.

When you pass that bargain at a yard sale, you love the fabric or color or design, but there is just a bit off, snag it up anyway.  If the color etc, speaks to you, you can re use it somewhere else.  Or just lop enough off to just make it work.  For 50 cents, take a chance.  Just this week, I got a chance to see this in action with Baby Girl.  Years ago, I had bought a blouse for her at at a Thrift Shop.  I loved the color, design,  fabric content, buttons, the whole enchilada.  Sadly, it was an iron needy shirt, and BG in her High School busyness, rarely got a chance to wear it due to time constraints.  Imagine my delight, when on our visit this past week, she pulls out her Pregnancy Journal, COVERED IN THE BELOVED BLOUSE MATERIAL!  I was thrilled to see the fabric again, and even more thrilled to see that BG had used her skills to preserve our beloved material on a journal that will be around for many,many years.  Her BG will be touching that same fabric long after I am worm food.

If a fabric, piece of clothing speaks to you, get it.  Your enjoyment of it, whether in it's original form or altered, will be worth it all......

Weed Walk

The quiet of my walks is often punctuated by my affection of nature.  This affection will take me to stooping over to check out a flower, a grass, a weed.  I am one of those that will walk by your yard and just look for while.  With two dogs in tow.  I am always stunned by the detail in nature.  Always.  And today, in the muck of the heat and humidity, I knew I was going to have to go back for my camera because the weeds were just too pretty. I live near a railroad track where landscaping is 'neglected'.  But even in alleys and blacktopped and gravel roads, beauty can be found.Today the Queen Anne's Lace was really at its best....Artfully arranged stems standing obediently in the forefront of other dark weedy leaves. The little blue Daily Flower (named by me, since it dies by the end of the day) is always appreciated.  Spots of blue; so good to the eye in the heat of summer. Today, this little pink flower was proliferating near a overflow drain.  Just growing out of it.  Sweet little petals, pretty as any greenhouse blossom...I love the close up of this invasive weed....When the blossom starts to fade, these funky little crown like thingies just pop out of the old blossom.  Like a firework; one last show before it dies out in the July Heat...Wild honeysuckle with its hummingbird drawing quality and outrageously beautiful color....And the alleys favorite: Rose of Sharon.  The colors of this staple and highly proliferating bloom, are abundant...I like to catalog the colors I've seen in my Brain's Silent Flower Inventory....

And of course, what all this brings me to.  Every time:

Matthew 6:27-33

' And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

If He knows the decorative detail of all the cast away, alleyway weeds of the land, doesn't He know the intricate emotion of our heart and mind and care for it as well?

Love nature lessons......

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........

Summer Visit

Summer visits are a different breed from other seasons.  Winter visits are cozy and close.  You tend to gather, grab a quilt and settle in for a spell.  Summer visits are breezy.  You tend to come and go, inside and out, walk around, sit and perch, then up and exploring.

Baby Girl and Her Hubby stopped by on the way to their Camping Adventure with Her Hubby's Fam for the Fourth.  We were to be a Luncheon Stop, a quick 'You Gotta See How Big I'm Getting or You Won't Believe It' stop.  And like all the visits, luncheon or pregnant bellies otherwise, I cook and clean like the Queen Mother has scheduled a trip here.  Why is that?  These children have seen me and my house at it's worst.  They know my Visitors Tricks and Hospitality Preparations.  Who do I think that I'm fooling?  They know that my house does not always look company ready.  Nevertheless, I putter and adjust and put away things, excitedly anticipating my grown up time with them.  Just so you Young Mama's know, this is the piece de resistance, the thing you look forward to on the Hard Day's of mommying.  And it is glorious.  Worth all the diapers and short nights.  Worth the frustration and craziness. Visits with your Adult children.  Bliss.

And how sweet is this moment, captured quickly before Her Hubby and his quick ways, moved on to another activity? I believe I shall tear up each time I see this.  Another Goal:  Adult Children finding their soul mates; their completers; their life sharers.  Grand.

And a day pleasant enough, physically as well as meteorologically, for the Hubby to venture out, albeit with foot propped up.  For a visit with his Adult Children, he would have crawled out to the porch.  Lovely, lovely weather; true Porch Day.

Baby Girl's Hubby is a reflector, a thinker, a Busy Boy.  I had given him my copy of Mary Jane's Farms, full knowing that he would take it all in and ruminate...a long time....Here he is after perusing the whole magazine.  Do you know that his current cause is to become Cell Phoneless?  The closer to the soil he becomes, the happier he will be.  The less reliant on corporations, the more content his life.  We shall see.  Do not bring this up with His Wife.

Perhaps you cannot see her, but Stella the Ditzycat is taking full advantage of the Brilliant Day as well.  She has proclaimed the pergola as her domain and was ever so glad that Editor Friend donated her well used wicker to the Pergola Branch of the Endless Wicker Collection.  Not only do I love it but Stella has comfied in for the summer.  Good spot, Stel, ol girl.  Should we rethink her ditsy status?

Summer visits also leave room for chores during visits.  I don't think during the winter that I would excuse myself to care for laundry, but in the summer, I think nothing of making an exit to utilize the day's solar drying.  Surely, BGH would not complain.  The cerulean blues and bright grass greens will stay in my brain till way into winter......

Summer Visits.....intoxicating and refreshing.....

Fabulous Fun on the Fourth

There were no National or State Parks involved.  Only one restaurant. No Big Fireworks Displays even.  Just us.  Just our family crammed merrily into Eldest Son and Lovely Wife's cozy bungalow.  Youngest Son pinched us in between work even though it took a bit of a drive.  Rousing games of Funglish (You Must Play This.  Especially with LW and Pretend Granddaughter Sara) and a yummy grilled burrito provided by LW and PGS, took place on YS's shift there.  Talking on the patio till way dark.  Nice fire in the fire pit, inspiring more talk.  Late sleep ins.  Worship at ES and LW's Redemption Hill Church plant, attend McAlisters Patio and meet the Happy Campers from Patoka Lake, Baby Girl and her Cell Phoneless Hubby and their In Utero Infant.  Sit for a long while, sipping tea and swapping stories.  Then off to ES/LW's for a long day of games, gabbing and lots and lots of laughing.  Hubby and I took over supper that night while the 'youth' played.  As is the habit, ES made up some rousing games including his Baby Bro In Law, his partner in crime.  The two of them ran and played in the torrid sun and heat, then, like all sweaty boys, got out the hose and had fun with that as well.  CPH stripped of his sweaty clothes and for only reasons known to CPH, they ended up on top of his car, undies and all.  In their place came borrowed ES orange trunks, just to add some snazziness to the scenario.  Sorry neighbors.  You cannot take us anywhere.  Baby Girl, CPH and ES managed to put on an amazing Fireworks Display with a minimum of fire power.  ES and CPH dazzled us with the artistic displays with five boxes of sparklers.  Then BG in her hormonal, pregnant, unpredictable way, entertained us with five boxes of little pop its.  She punctuated her conversation and our rousing rendition of America the Beautiful with the snap it's gunpowder.  Completely entertained and entertaining, we let her use all the boxes at her discretion.  Would YOU have taken them from her?  Games of badminton, jarts, Dollar General lacrosse and lots of baseball throwing and baseball hitting, went on the whole day and into the evening.  LW impressed us greatly with her dozen or so hits in a row.  We defy anyone from making fun of her sports skills from now on.  Frozen Novelties were shared on the patio after our healthy light dinner. Finally, we took our sweaty, hard playing bodies inside for showers and some indoor relaxing.  Too soon, The Sandman began to visit and the day of Hard Playing and Celebrating sent us to our beddy byes. Sleeping in the next morning was lovely as was the breakfast and lunch that we grazed on as our ongoing conversations continued on......Time came for us to depart to our own homes and goodbyes and hugs went all around.

Till the next gathering, may God keep all  you blessed children...We ever so love having such fun, loving, responsible, silly, witty, intelligent adult children.  What an amazing blessing......Thank you Lord. And Happy Birthday America.  We loved your party.