This is unfailing love!

 When I was 6 years old I stood up in a Baptist church in Junction City Kansas and answered the question the pastor had posed of: "Do you know what your favorite scripture is?" with Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." ( I don't think he was really asking; I think he was making a point of do people really read and retain the word.) And a gracious older lady stood up behind me and said: "I'll follow that with: Being justified freely by his grace though the redemption that is in Christ Jesus!" There was laughter in the congregation. It is the FIRST memory that I have of church.  Later that year I discovered that redemption and became a Christian.  It has been a long, twisted, stumbling walk but He has never left me and never let me forget that I need redemption now just as much now as I did back then! 

When I got the call that Roy had died in a house fire February 14th it was hard to bear.  But even today as I sit and ponder life, love and the pursuit of happiness, its Ann's death that is still what brings me to tears.  I cry.  Still.  Mom has died since Ann's death, yet I can manage the milestones, the birthdays, the holidays the every day life without the liquid eye meltdowns.  But I can hear a song that transports me to a time, a memory, a moment with Ann and I can't help myself.  I cry.  Still.  I'm crying now.  I wonder if I’ll ever stop, or if I even want to stop, like if I stop crying will she be gone from my memory…from my heart.   I know that’s silly, of course she won’t.  But there are so many memories of daddy that I have to sit and think, try to remember his voice.  Lately it has been only the one bad memory that plays over in my head, from February 1979 that happened right after my granddaddy died in house fire just like Roy.  He asked and I forgave him…moved on.  Maybe it is just the situation being similar that has dredged up those old memories that I thought dead and buried. 

I know God loves me.  I know that He knows me.  I’m just not sure why I’m walking though this now.  I’m looking for the lesson so I can learn and move on.  My new job takes me away from church, family, my life here, and my home.  It’s only a 13-week assignment and I am entering week four.  I can do nine more.  I just miss everything, my friends, my church, my family, my cat, and Ann.  Some things will still be here when I get back, for everything else I’ll have to lean on His grace to see me though.   I do know one other thing to be a sure fact in my life; isolation opens up creativity!  One day, I’m going to have a house like Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings where I can sit and stare at the water, or my fruit trees and be free to write, or paint!  

Life Hack

I know that I am not the most creative person on the planet so I know that someone else has already had this idea. However, after sharing it with a couple of my friends they said that they haven't ever tried it before so to me that makes it worth putting up in Pintrest! 

I have a water feature on my back porch. It looks like a pot that has been broken with water coming from the top cascading down a washboard feature and back into the "broken" portion of the pot. There is a LED light at the top making it nice at night. 

While spring cleaning my porch and making it summer ready, I decided to mix around 1/3 of a cup of liquid potpourri into the water. I honestly did not measure, I just poured what appears to be 1/3 of a cup. When I plugged the feature on the whole back porch, and even in through the open doors to my family room, came a lovely rose smell!  

An added benefit is that the whole 32 ounce bottle of potpourri cost a whopping $3 at the blue retail giant! Here's the brand I used but find what you like!  Hope you have a great (smelling) summer! 

~Paris on a whim~

See what had happened was...

I was sitting on my couch Monday minding my own business, crocheting a blanket when all of a sudden I got a price drop alert on a last minute trip I had set to watch once while dreaming. To my excitement the cost of the trip (air/hotel) was LESS THAN ONE WEEKS SALARY! I clicked on the trip details & sat & stared at it for a while, then clicked off and went about my day.

Later that afternoon I clicked on it again and to my surprise it was still available. I quickly clicked off of it because, after all it's crazy to book a trip to Paris France at the last minute to travel alone right?

Monday night as the Voice comes on, out of curiosity I once again check on my dream trip and it was still waiting for me, beckoning me to come explore the world and collect stamps on my passport while my body is still able to enjoy the trip and my mind has time to put it in deep storage for the days of memory that are ahead!

So after three attempts to resist, I gave in to my dream and went and sat in Paris, eating croissants at a street cafe having just walked the halls of Versalles, pinching myself that I actually got off the couch and did something on my extended weeks off!

I start a new travel contract next week, and if it weren't for company traveling to me this week I'd be off again.  I think that I will make this a habit in the future.  Up next?  Who knows, Rome? Maybe Ireland? You'll have to check back to see! 


Here are just a few of my photos from the trip! Bonjour! 

                               

Craft room on a budget (Under $200!!)

I am on a roll this week! Whew!  I read a couple of blogs and searched Pinterest high and low for ideas on how to make an inexpensive craft room.  I am not a "messy" person.  However my house had become: Sewing machine/thread/material/patterns/embellishments you know the usual items needed to sew, located at one crafting station that was formerly known as my formal dining room table.  Paint/brushes/floor coverings/cleaners were located at crafting station number two, formerly known as my kitchen bar & kitchen table.  Burlap/silk/organza/lace/chiffon flowers/hot glue guns (two- pink for high temp and blue for low temp)/mounting sticks/felt and middle flower bling were neatly organized on the item formerly known as my coffee table.  I was out of control.  If you build it the ideas will come right?  So I began my quest for the items to build a crafting room.

I became so overwhelmed that I stopped and started looking for reenactment costumes instead.  That is when I came across this blog!  It looked easy enough for me to attempt on my own.  So off to the store to find the closet maid storage shelves in the post.  However, as I eluded to before, I am thrifty.  While standing in the store contemplating the $39.88 storage shelf, I couldn't help but gravitate toward the $19.98 bookshelf.  So after a brief contemplation, the bookshelf won out.  I loaded 3 into my buggy. I knew I already had one of these exact bookshelves at the house.

Next stop was off to a box store for a top for my table.  I will admit that I made an error in judging the flexibility of MDF and probably should have gotten a thicker one but I opted for the least expensive $21 a sheet instead.  According to inspiration blog I needed a table topper that was 36 x 60, but remember my substitution of bookshelves for storage cubes?  Well, that altered my dimensions to 30 x 60, leaving me with two scraps: 49 x 37 and 19 x 60.  Let the creativity began!!! First,  I am a firm believer of repurposing items.  So, in keeping with my quest for repurposing, I walked around my house with a measuring tape locating items that were of the same height.  I was able to locate 4 items, two tables, a shelf and desk.  all of which were tucked into various corners/guest rooms of my house.  Only one of these tables I have found that I miss...so I'm looking to replace it in the craft room but haven't found a solution yet.

I put the bookshelves together following the directions but adding the step of painting the back of the shelves teal with a sample of paint that I had on hand.  If I were to add the the paint it would have been $2.98 (*My color was from last year and not available anymore.)  I  arranged and rearranged the middle cutting table at least 1/2 a dozen times before I decided that the 49 x 37 was the best fit for the middle of the room.  I covered the MDF with Quilt batting that was $11.97 (It did not take all of the batting.  I used some for a chair and still have some left over.)  Next I covered the top with an old sheet.  If I were to buy the sheet it would have been $4.97.

I used the remaining paint on the scrap pieces of MDF.  After a day of arranging/rearranging I settled on the layout.  I used gorilla glue that I had on hand ($6.48) to secure the top of the island, two bookshelves on top of each other to make the tall unit, and the two desks.  (I still have some left over.  This stuff is seriously a beast!! LOVE IT!)

I had baskets all over my house, but could not resist a clearance section of Walmart where I found 5 small blue cubed baskets for $1.50 each!  I would have purchased more but it was all they had.

That brings my grand total of all in to duplicate this this craft room to: $134.82.  (*I didn't have to spend but $100.41because I had various items already on hand.) You will have to find 4 matching items to use as the table bases which, if you can't find any in your house and you have to buy them, may drive your price up.  But not bad for a craft room under $200!!

**Note: On the cutting table in the middle of the room, I put a tension rod that I already had and one panel of a curtain that I also had in a closet.  The curtain was cut in 1/2 with one for this side and the other 1/2 stapled to the the bottom of the MDF on the other side. I still think that you could recreate this under $200 even if you had to buy those items. **

49 x 37 MDF with two bookshelves as a base.

19 x 60 MDF with a small shelf and table 28" high.

Two bookcases gorilla glued together. Notice the teal paint in the background. 

A desk and a side table as base also 28" high, 30 x 60 MDF.

Boho dresser redesign

I have discovered Annie Sloan chalk paint.  Well, to be honest, I've known about it for over a year.  But what I have discovered is the boldness inside of me to actually use it on major items in my home.  I started with my guest bedroom. I got so many compliments that I decided to go headfirst into my bedroom.  While sitting on the floor painting around the legs of the dresser...because I am a single lady...and I didn't have anyone to take the dresser outside so I could properly paint it!!! I had THE idea.  Why not put lace on the drawers?  Not a lace stencil, that looks good in photos but to me looks  cheap in person, but full thick lace that I happen to have in my sewing basket, scraps from a wedding dress that I purchased at Goodwill for a whopping $7.95!  

I started with my dark brown dresser, and did not do any prep other than wipe with a wet cloth to remove any dust. 

Next I painted the dresser with Anne Sloan Duck Egg making sure that I kept some of the brush strokes.  I liked the effect of brush.  After it dried I distressed it a little.

Next I used 3M spray adhesive that is typically used for mounting photos.  Honestly, I used it to hold the lace in place because it is what I had on hand on the day that I attempted this endeavor! But it worked to hold the lace in place.  Next, I used a clear polyacrylic on top of the dresser and directly over the lace to help hold it in place.  I think it turned out okay, but there is probably a better way if you have something that works better let me know!  

I ran out of lace.  That is why I didn't put lace completely covering the middle drawers.  It is a happy accident.  I knew I didn't have enough lace so I played around with design and decided that leaving some of the top of the drawer open was my final design idea.  

I purchased the knobs from Anthropologie but kept the original silver discs that were on the dresser.  Again, I did this because when I took the original knobs off there was an indention so I used what I had on hand.  I had to put something there.  I cut around the lace to make the hole smoother.  

The lace is wrapped around the corners of the drawers but it does not keep the drawers from closing.  The lace is thick too!  **Note I have had problems with the drawers that I open daily causing the lace to lift.  I have put an additional coat of poly on it to see if that helps.  If not? Next stop might be to staple it down! (Or Gorilla glue it...that stuff is AMAZING!) 

Do you remember when it first happened?

Do you remember when it first happened?  When you first caught a glimpse of a thread that was unraveling?  The first time that you were SO sure of something, only to find out that you were in fact SO wrong?  I do.  It's a weird feeling for me to say the least.  I borrowed a movie from my best friend...I would tell you which one...but rule number 1 about this movie is to never talk about this movie.  I was so sure I had returned it.  She asked me about it...more than once, reminding me: "Hey, on your way over...do you think you can bring the movie?"  It kinda aggravated me.  I distinctly remember putting the movie in the car and taking it back...how could she NOT remember that?

Well...because it never happened.  YEARS later, while unpacking from a move, I open a box that held the contents of a drawer that was under my TV console and I see the movie.  But...wait...I REMEMBER taking it back! Was that a dream? A glitch in the matrix? Did I absentmindedly pick it back up that night? Did I not take it out of my purse?  Did I even go over there that night?  Wait...whats real?  OKAY hold the presses...its not THAT dramatic.  But at the same time it does make me wonder.  How many things have I been SO sure of, yet SO wrong about?

I have seen things with these eyes, and I have written blogs about how we filter things through our unique perspectives which is why two people can witness the same event yet state they have seen something totally different.  But this is different.  This is me... distinctly remembering an event that, obviously, never happened.  Is it a "senior moment" in my life? Is it insomnia? ;-) I don't know.  But I do like IKEA...maybe I need a support group...bahahahahaha! In all seriousness,  I do know that a couple of years ago you could not have convinced me that I didn't return that movie.  I was so confident that I had.

Vayomer elohim yehior vayehior

A couple of weeks ago the associate pastor at my church made a comment that was repeated in Sunday school this past week.  In the beginning.  Genesis 1:3 Let Gods light be (in the original Hebrew translation.)   Not God's light, but Gods light.  Yet the sun and the moon were not created until day 4 (Genesis 1:14).  The light that was on day one, in the beginning, was the light that IS God, that light is the Word.  In order to create with words, he had to create THE Word.  When that concept hit my brain a mini explosion went off *boom* #mindblown!  I was seriously sitting there in church trying not to start the slow clap, because it took a second for the whole concept to reach maturity in my thought process!

Just considering the fact that, in order to create with words He had to create the Word, in itself is a staggering concept.  It's so simple, and so easy to just dismiss as a "duh" type statement, but if you really ponder the thought, it has the potential to really excite you.  Then add to the mix; the first light created is the Word.  I've always just assumed that the sun and the moon were the first lights and overlooked the fact that they weren't created until day 4.  Or, I've rationalized that the first day/night scenario was the "first earth" that was destroyed before Adam and Eve's earth that we now know.  But the more I look at it, the more I think/believe that this first light was the Word itself.  The trinity is the Father, Spirit, and the Son (Jesus) who is also known as the Word.  With that belief, then the original light that was spoken into existence on day one of creation is Jesus!  *boom*

That's the belief I choose.  That's the praise I choose.  Have a blessed high holy season this Easter. Arise, shine for the light has come!!

52 Parks ~ 52 weeks

Looking back over my blog I realized that I have left quite a few of my National Park Service sites off here!  Here is a list of all the places I've been to so far:
Kingsley Plantation
Ft. Caroline
Timucuan Preserve
Gullah-Geechee Preserve (part of the underground railroad)
Marjorie Rawlings National Historic Site
Cumberland Island
Ft. Frederica
Ft. Pulaski
Andersonville POW camp
Jimmy Carter Historical park
Rev. Martin Luther King Historical monument
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park
Kennesaw Mountain National battlefield
New Orleans Jazz Museum Historical monument
Jean Lafette battlefield
General Grants Tomb Historical site
Federal Hall (Washingtons first inauguration)

I am not sure at this point (week 33) that I can overcome the 15 park  deficit that I've created...but I'm not going to stop trying!! And yes, for almost ALL of those parks... I had on my waterproof Timberlands!!

Some of my favorite photos can be seen on my Etsy site! Never give up..."Don't give up, don't ever give up." Jimmy V

Mind set on memory

I don't know if its lack of sleep or illness that has my mind set on memory today.  I had a girlfriend at church tell me one time that she'd give up her kids before she gave up her husband.  And not too many years later she had an affair and divorced her husband.  I've often wondered how that happened, what lead her to that place- where was she in her thinking? And where was I?  Where were any of her friends/family? Someone had to be close enough to her to see what was going on and wave a red flag in front of her face and say "What’s going on here???!?!"

I think we all need friends who are bold enough to stand up to say…hey stupid! What are you thinking? If not that bold then: Hey girlfriend-talk to me- tell me what your line of thought is here- where are you going with this-what do you think is going to happen if you do this?

It doesn't have to be just about relationships either- although that does seem to be the biggest problem we've got.  And for the record, I'm not one to get relationship- Do this to stay together- advice from because Kim Kardashian had kept her marriage together longer than my four month fiasco!

I can tell you this- women you need friends- AND fans of your marriage around you.  If you have a friend or family member who is not a fan of your marriage, be careful taking advice from them.  Keep in the back of your thinking: “misery loves company" And question if they're attempting to get you to join them!  Look at their track record in your life.  Have they consistently rooted for your failure so they can once again be the "I told you so"'s in your life?

I'm reading a book called Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ by Jeanne Guyon and remembering, rethinking, and wondering where I left my friends, family, and faith to fend for themselves.  Get yourself off your hands...best advice I've ever gotten!! 

52 Parks ~ 52 Weeks

I was sidetracked by an injury for a couple of weeks, but I think I can still make a legitimate stab at accomplishing this goal.  Last week, the day before the Zimmerman verdict, I found myself in Atlanta dreaming.   At lot has happened in the 150 years since the  American  Civil War but sadly a lot has remained the same.  We are still a nation that is polarized by internal wars of race and class and economic standings, and rights and freedoms... internal wars.  King James translated the words:  ^"And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." Mark 3:25   Yet here we stand...internal wars.  Dr. King had a dream, a vision, of us all standing together, not with internal wars.  His dream is still just as much alive today as the eternal flame at his resting site.  If you find yourself in Atlanta anytime soon, be sure and stop by and check out the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. historic site.   Until then, here is a few shots of the day.  The house of peace, the eternal flame, and a shot of reflection.  Enjoy! 

National Park Week

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings  house and farm yard a National Register of Historic Places -listed in 1970.  If you are not familiar with her, she wrote The Yearling.  I was so impressed with her.  Had we been alive at the same time, I bet we would have been best friends!

While in the area I stopped at Paynes Prairie. Not a national park but a state park of Florida.  I was excited to visit this place because it has bison, wild horses and a bald eagles nest!  I was able to get a photo of the nest but not the eagle.  I would loved to have caught them in flight!  It was a dreary day with intermittent showers but occasionally the clouds would hold their water and allow me to snap a couple of shots.  I am trying to learn the art of capturing a refraction in drop of water.  I was able to snap two, but they're my first two.  I expect to get better with the next outing!  

This week is National Park Service Week.  Grab your Timberland's and find a trail! Don't forget if you can't find a trail, make your own! 

I am happy to report that, depending on where I stand on my scale I have lost somewhere between 28-38 pounds.  I have not changed my diet yet, and I'm sure that if I could give up my sweet tea, or maybe Frosty Flakes I could lose more.  But I'm not one to turn lose of things, or deprive myself! HAHA!  If you have a couple of hours this week, find a trail.  It's much easier to endure than running, or walking a treadmill, or even walking the block!  Have fun, stay safe and let me know how it's going for you.

Guns vs Sugar

Our country was founded and built on a bill of rights that we "hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Now, because of ignorance and a glaring mental health issue our government has decided that it has the power to alter our constitution without following the founding due process. Guns are no more the issue than food is reason for diabetes. Excess sugar causes obesity...should it be allowed? The amount of people who die in this country from complications of diabetes: In 2007, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional 160,022 death certificates. This means that diabetes contributed to a total of 231,404 deaths. (From http://m.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/ )

In a STARK contrast to "In 2010, there were 19,392 firearm-related suicide deaths, and 11,078 firearm-related homicide deaths in the United States.[7]"

And with diabetes on the rise the death toil from that is FAR greater than that of gun violence.

Thorough the corse of history we can see a plethora of examples of where a government disarms its people and then the people are unable to defend themselves. (It's usually centered around a socialist takeover of society.) If socialists principles were the best then the founding fathers of our country would not have risk their lives to create and defend this nation, they could have stayed where they were.

52 Parks~52 Weeks Fort Frederica National Monument

I have been "schooled" in what constitutes a National Park...and that there are only 59 National Parks.  I have been to two of them this year and am only planning on going to 8 more.(Note: since 2009 I have been to an additional four parks that I am not repeating this year.)  However if you go to the National Park Service's web page you can find a plethora of other parks that fall under National Historical Sites, Scenic Trails, Heritage Areas, Seashore, Military Park, and Recreational Areas as well as others.    It is from this list of National Parks that I have chosen my 52 parks in 52 weeks personal challenge.
For today's adventure I chose Fort Frederica National Monument.  Today was the annual celebration of the fort.  I sat down with General Oglethorpe and asked him was the weather this cold on the day of their original arrival.  He told me that they actually arrived in June and that it was hot, and he wouldn't be dressed in his red coat but rather his whites.  I asked him why we celebrate Fort Frederica in February and he replied that I would have to wait and ask my yet to be formed government.  I thought he was very witty and funny, however my dear General I have found that you did in fact come here in February.  Here is a link to a simplistic timeline of your life! And here are a couple shots of the day.  Do not wait for a "family vacation" to think that you can go to a National Park (and support the National Park Service while doing so!)  So grab your waterproof Timberland's and find a trail, or monument or battlefield...