Christmas Debustle

 This is the extent of my bustle these days.
Haven't done gift exchanges with the kids for years.
Hubby and I haven't exchanged gifts forever.  We kinda like the ongoing, through the year, surprise you big time gifting.
This year, the bustle has quieted to some hours on the Internet searching for the right, green, local, organic gifties for the grandgirls.  The other time is spent in the sewing room making sure each one of the girls has a   Mimi Made gift and ornament.
 This extra time is a gift for me.  Time to appreciate time with friends.  Time to reflect on the source of the celebration.  Time to appreciate the talents of others.

 Last year, we started a Pink Tree Tradition.  Little pink trees have been purchased for each of the grandgirls.  We decorate each one with symbolic things of the little girls past year.  This year, we have a Mary Poppins tree, complete with a vintage Mary doll and lots of Mimi made kites.  A Happy Meal penguin from 1999 and a little pin that says 'lets go fly a kite' completes Miss Vivs theme this year.  She is quite the Poppins fan.  Last year was a Sea Booty (translated: Sleeping Beauty) tree due to her infatuation with the classic movie. 
 Lil' Lady's tree has sparkly royal blue ball ornaments,her favorite color.  She has some of her mama's ornaments to complete the look.  BG ordered lots of crocheted snowflakes this year for her home and Mimi got addicted and used up a whole skein of yarn for all three trees.  Our latest pink tree has some of her daddy's ornaments, her initial ornament and blocks and the sweetest snuggle bunny ornament.  This December 16, we shall find out if Mimi and Papa will be buying another pink or...dare I say it....a BLUE tree for next year??!!

 This past years redo in the living room screamed for new Christmas decorations.  Something simple.  Something turquoise.  Something in keeping with the New Look.  Think I found it....

 Years ago, Kindred Spirit's daughter, Emily (The Fashion Designer) made these fabu ( a word I first heard from her!) Christmas Stockings for me.  Made from vintage sheets and just the right colors, you'd think she was positively clairvoyant, seeing my turquoise/orange/yellow Christmas needs years ago.  The size will be perfect for the Grandgirlies toys.

In case you have noticed an absence of a big tree, you are absolutely astute.  Since this is the year that all the chickies spend with their other families, Hubby and I will be on our own and we just didn't see the need to put up the big tree.  We shall enjoy our little pink trees and what they mean to us and save our energies for other fun Christmas projects and people.

 Last night, during a Mad Men a thon with Hubby, I  made the felt ornaments for the girl's trees.  On the way to and back from church yesterday, I finished up the crocheted snowflakes, courtesy of Attic24.

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-snowflake.html  (can you see Lil Lady's dolly to be peeking around the snowflakes?  Her First Birthday is two days following Christmas.)

And after a year or so of working on Pretend Granddaughter Sara's Big Girl Quilt, I am finally at the point to do the yarn tying......PGS is an animal lover, particularly doggies, so I don't even think she'll mind the Miss Dixie popped into the photo shoot...


Hoping you're taking the time to drink in the wonder of this season.....

WIPS*- Personal Best

(* Works In Progress) 

In the 60's, before Attention Deficit Disorder had an official name, children like me were just called names like 'flibbertijibits'.  I was the child that could not sit still. I frustrated teachers and wore out my parents.  My pencils were the smallest in the class due to the countless trips to the pencil sharpener.  I was the Teacher's Helper who insisted on passing out papers.  If I had to sit still, I had to have something to draw or write on, a practice that continues to this day.  However, what was unfortunate for a little girl in a very structured Parochial school, where the nuns walked the small aisles of our over heated, over crowded classrooms, Ruler of Correction ready in their eager hands, has turned into quite the bonus for a crafty mama with business on her mind.

 To add to the benefits, I have also discovered that I need less sleep these days.  Post menopause has afforded me with extra energy and shorter nights. This elderly flibbertijibbit can oft times be seen up and wondering with her pads of paper in the wee hours of the night, plotting, planning and writing, always writing.....

 I have several note pads on my bed side table, http://sonowiknow.blogspot.com/2010/05/importance-of-having-bedside.html, that help me organize my night time brain.  The nights that the ol grey matter will just not shut down, the nearby pen and paper helps me to organize my rushing thoughts and helps me to plan my day, week, month, year.  Just the other night, the pen had to take over when the brain just had too much to process.  I started thinking about the holiday season forthcoming and my thoughts just kept bumping into each other.  Once I started listing all the things that are on my agenda for this next month, even I was amazed.  How in the world did I get all this on my plate?  And who would of thought that I would be this excited at the prospect of accomplishing it all?  These kind of lists  do not overwhelm me.  They amaze me.  How did I get to this point?  And who knew that it would all roll out like this?  I rejoice at the ability to do what I do.  I am overjoyed at sewing/creating for people.  It just kinda rolls out of me and I am tickled to be able to share my time and talent with others.

 Let us review this weeks list:

• I have bought yarn for my first knitting project.  It will be for whomever it fits once it is completed.  Could be a child of Miss Viv's for all I know.  But I shall count it as a wondrous opportunity for growth in so many ways. I believe understanding knitting will aid me in many ways on my crafty adventures.
• I have a crocheted afghan to finish for fireside this winter.  Started it last year whilst helping Baby Girl with her spanking new Baby Girl.  BGBG is now 10 months old.  Whats the rush?
• I have hand embroidery always at the ready.  The hour and half drive to the Big(ger) City, finds me in the co pilot seat, with embroidery floss or pearl cotton flying away, busily creating pockets for my custom bags.
• I have a new grandbaby due come the merry month of May.  I have a quilt top to quilt before then.  Another car trip project.  I also have another quilt nearly finished for Pretend Granddaughter Sara. I would love to have this finished before Christmas.  Or at least before she goes away to college.....
• The living room makeover of last spring is spreading throughout the house.  Before Thanksgiving, when all the chickies shall roost, there shall be new curtains and cushions in the dining room.  I hope.

•  I have twelve bags on order.  Twelve.  I LOVE this.  But they must get done this month. This Shall Be Accomplished.
• I have Christmas Banners to make for Rabbit Ritahttp://www.ritabunny.com/Welcome.html and her festive holiday booths and my etsy shop. etsy.com/shop/mamascollection
• Second Grade Teacher Angela has recruited me to aid in her quest to feature her class tree at a holiday Fantastia; a Christmas Tree auction where groups decorate trees to be auctioned off for charity.  This too, shall be accomplished this month.

So those of you that are bothered by your own flibbertijibbit,please be patient with her/him.  As annoying as it is in childhood, it is the person 

that will get things done for you as an adult.  We are the caregivers, the doers, the movers the shakers, the multi crafters....

Take that, Sister Alverna!!

.

New Friend; God's Grace

I am always amazed by God's grace in my life.

I am always overwhelmed by the messages that He sends to me in my little life.

Why would the King of the Universe care?  Why would what I do matter in the universal scheme of things.  But it does and He cares.  Awesome.

One way that His love for me is shown is the different relationships He bestowes upon me.  Throughout my life, He has afforded me the right people at the right time.  People for me to learn from, to grow with, be chastised by, rebuked and warned.  I have laughed hardily with some pretty witty people.  I have been blessed by the intercession from some pretty strong prayer warriors.  And then there are the Special Surprises. I have a new friend and our relationship fills me with such joy;  I just know that she has been sent to me from God to see things with a different paradigm, a viewpoint from a perspective that I have not experienced before.  Let me tell you about her.....

 I have known of my new friend for many years.  She lives near me and our lives have intersected many times.  But it wasn't until I signed up for the mentor program at our local elementary, that I became formally introduced to her.  When I signed up, I certainly didn't expect to be assigned in Math.  Dearie me.  I lost track of math somewhere near the fourth grade, which ironically, is the grade the Math Buddy is in.  Funny how God works these kind of things.  My weekly visits to her classroom morphed into homework sessions at my home.  This quiet little girl would come in, sit down, respond to her work, answer questions presented, then pick up her pencil and leave for home, few words shared.  That was last fall.

 As her trust of me developed, our sessions became filled with more and more conversation.  I would ask her if she would like to share supper with me, and with few words, she would agree that maybe that was all right. I would walk her home after our sessions and walks lead to talks and she started offering more about herself. Both of Math Buddy's parents are deaf mutes.  Some of her social difficulties can be, I'm sure in part, due to this.  But do not think for a minute that she is not intelligent.  Conversely, her silent life has led her to a great deal of introspection and maturity for a ten year old child.  She observes keenly and has a quiet wit that is charming.  Soon, we were sharing longer dog walks together, chatting away as we followed the dogs.

 A reward system was developed for multiplication facts mastery.  We had a good time coming up with proper rewards for the systematic accomplishment of each set of facts.  In doing this, I got to find out what she likes and finds interesting.  Our interests reveal so much about who we are.  In all my crazy house, the one thing that she finds so intriguing, is my ancient books. She told me, as she thumbed through a 1883 copy of Longfellow, "I don't really like to read the books as much as I enjoy thinking about who owned this book then and what they thought of it and who they were."  See?  Brilliant..

Of course, this endeavor has been bathed in much prayer, by me and my intercessory friends.  Partly for the poor child that has the misfortune of being tutored by this mathly deficient person, (sometimes she says quietly, when I am stumped by fourth grade math, 'Maybe your son can help us?' ) but mostly, that this little girl can feel Christ's love for her in this person that she depends on for math success.  In doing this through prayer, I had an inspiration one day.  I told her that I would love it if she would teach me sign language.  She asked me, 'So you can talk to my mom?'  And I saw that this was very important to her.  I agreed totally, that getting to know her mother would be a lovely thing.  The next day she showed up with Lottie Riekehof's book.  MB was ready and willing to take on this challenge.  She was strident in my homework assignments and demanding in perfection.  I got graded, rated and corrected.  She understood my struggle, comparing it to hers in math.  We would laugh at the boo boos that we would make and then go forth together. This week, I had the joy to actually 'speak' to her mother without MB's help!  I could sense the happiness in both of them as I intentionally entered their world.  I received kudos from MB for 'speaking' so well to her mama and I was so thrilled I could hardly stand it.....


Math Buddy has nearly mastered her times tables.  She is getting probability and early algebra and geometry. And she is getting me as well.  In fact, she knows me very well, showing up at my home this week with this tiny porcelain sewing machine to hold my pins, she says.  I did have to do a perfect sign alphabet before she would surrender it to me, however.  As I walked her home the night she presented the little trinket to me, I told her once again, thank you for the gift.  She grinned back at me and said 'Too bad it's not real; you could make tiny little clothes on it!'  And I responded in my best old Seinfeld episode quote, 'We could make teeny squirrel clothes!'  We both smiled as she walked inside her house.....Priceless.






Math Buddy likes to write.  Her stories are horror filled, scary and bloody.  This week as she made her first batch of chocolate chip cookies with me, she shared her bound book, courtesy of Young Author's Week at school, with me. As I grimaced about the content,  I made her promise that her next book would be light and cheerful and have a happy ending.  She grinned and nodded, so we shall see....


Maybe it will be about an older friend that had a hard time with math, owned some pretty nutty doggies, had a house abounding with interesting things but the little girl knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was loved and cared for.....And this was all through her older friend's lovely Lord, who has done much for her.....


'To much is given much is required....'.......
Thank you Jesus, for Your precious care......

Vacation Views

This sign pretty much describes our vacation.  Call it the 'Whatever/whenever/Or So Vacation'.  Four Older Folks with no agenda, no plans, no tickets, no appointments, just lots of free time and a beautiful backdrop.  Hubby so needed a Nothing Vacation and thanks to the benevolence of Crazy Dee and Crazier Don, they made it happen.  If you remember from last March, http://sonowiknow.blogspot.com/2010/03/prayerful-productivity.html, the wonder of still having CD around is more than a miracle.  All I could think of on this vacation with her, was how crazy different it could have been.  How lost I would be without her and how very thankful I am for a reprieve.  This vacation, we laughed and carried on like we  had no tomorrow and last March, her tomorrows were very much in jeopardy.  This Lazy Vacation had some lovely relaxing moments interspersed with some serious shopping and bargain bagging and just to make sure I stayed grounded, My Close Friend, Sewing Machine, came with.  After all, I have a Baby Quilt to make.  And what would relaxing be without sewing?  I finished another crocheted market bag for Eldest/Admin en route and tinkered with quite a bit of embroidery in the car while I tried to ignore Crazier Don's wild driving.  I kept my eyes to the mountains or my hand work and tried to ignore the highway.  Or racetrack that I think CD thought we were on.  Whew.So on this More Than Pleasant Sunday, take some time to take in my views for the week:The brook that ran right outside our window, the swing that helped me organize my home life, the balcony where I spent some quality quiet time, the handmade ice cream place that made me forget my frozen yogurt regimen back home, the lazy mill near a pretty amazing sewing shop, the mountain cabin that was built in the 1800's on the side of the Smokie Mountains, and of course, the Skyline Tram up the mountain.  Do not be deceived.  I was NOT on this.  I took the photo of CD and Hubby on their climb upward.  I wasn't THAT relaxed.Refreshment.  Perspective. Peace. Quiet.  Rest= Vacation for Us.  Thank you Lord.

Gardening Gail and The Gardening Exchange Adventure

On my ongoing quest to experience the flora of Southern Indiana, I, many years ago, casually 'joined' our local Gardening Exchange. I say 'casual' because I rarely have been able to attend two meetings in a row. I say 'joined' because this gathering is the furthest thing of a club that is available. It is a random group of ladies from around the county, bent on learning and teaching about all things green.
We take turns, without a schedule, only benefit of a weekly email notice, about the current hostess for the week.
We take tours of the hostesses garden, allowing her to showcase her current blooms and workable tips. We bring the abundance that we have to share and watch the most appreciative 'guests' divvy up the donated goodness. If we had a 'leader' or 'president' of the Gleeful Gathering, I would say it was Gardening Gail. She is Gardener Extraordinaire. Knows about every flower we could challenge her with. And most of the Latin names. And the classification. And their unique flowery needs. The photos from this post are from the evening she hosted. Always a treat.
The photo above displays a shade extravaganza. Lilies of the Valley in all their splendor with a wonderful trillium interspersed throughout. Dee-lightful!!

Of course, there were so many new flowers to me, I couldn't remember all of them, but this sweet thing was just wonderful...wish I could think of it's name....Beautiful...

Can't wait for this little beauty to grow up! Perfect white petals. Gardening Gail lives on a very busy (for Mitchell) corner and it's always a joy to see her latest floral displays.

Here is Gardening Gail using her cane for the hillside climb and as a convenient pointer. She recently had some large trees removed so the light will be altered and some plants will be moved. And she'll probably do most of it herself. GG is an octogenarian with spunk and busyness aplenty. Talent dripping out of her very apt fingertips.

And to prove it, when we had Refreshment Time (which is required) I stared at this Amazing Quilt that she had on her wall in her living room. Unbelievable far away and up close. GG teaches most of the quilting classes that happen in and around Mitchell. She is a Master Gardener and can be found at the local Farmer's Market, helping others in their quest for a Green Thumb and sometimes selling her very well made, artistic bags and purses.

And you thought you were just going to retire to an easy chair.

Ha!

Don't you just love it?

(Editor's Note: GG has informed me that she is not a certified Master Gardener. I apologize for the error: Also, The unknown beautiful plant is a Hellebore (Orientalus) or commonly known as a Lenten/Christmas Rose.)