Our family does not celebrate Christmas the way the retailers would like us to celebrate--
several years ago, we collectively decided that we needed to get away from the frenzy and focus on what Christmas is REALLY about. God and family.
We choose to forgo gifts, (Except for gifts for our grandson,) because after all, what do we need? If we want something, we go buy it. We have enough. MORE than enough. And we are content with what we have.
So our Christmas involves family get-togethers, lots of good food, memories and fun. In truth, no one misses the gifts. The stress of 'having" to buy is gone, and no one needs to worry about overspending. Our holidays are back to old fashioned values, and we love it.
So what is this about secrets?
Well, I have a small group of friends who gets together for a Christmas luncheon. Just 6 of us. These ladies mean a lot to me, and we always exchange gifts. Last year I received a needle felted ballerina mouse, a wool snowman, honey made by the bees that one lady raises, homemade jam, and a huge plate of cookies. All of these gifts were given from the heart, and all of them were home made.
Likewise, my gifts to them were also home made--tiny, carved tuckcomb dolls that I carved and dressed. I LOVED making them!
We all give something that is the work of our hands.
So my "secret" is that I am making gifts for my friends-- I have set aside Evies portrait rug for now, and will return to it when the gifts are done. I cannot show the gifts until after the luncheon--don't want to spoil the surprise!! The main work on them will be finished in a couple days, and then I will need a couple hours to do the finish work on each one. I will do that after completing Evies rug.
Is anyone else stunned that tomorrow is November??????
Friday, October 31, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Quarantined woman to be discharged, Christie's office announces
Proof that if you scream loud enough, and hire a lawyer, then the laws do not apply to you.
Bad, BAD precedent to be setting.......................
Bad, BAD precedent to be setting.......................
Sunday, October 26, 2014
"Quarantined nurse slams new policy"--CNN
So this nurse CHOSE to leave the country, and go to another country where Ebola is spreading like the plaque. Now she is home, and furious that she is in quarantine.
I have only one question for Kaci Hickox--
If you cared so much about the sick people that you went to help them, WHY DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA?
(Sadly, this new quarantine policy will get destroyed by the very men who are supposed to be taking care of the American people.)
She claims that her "human rights" have been violated.
Question--what about the "Human rights" of every other person in America? Just as YOU have the right to travel where you want, WE have the right to protect ourselves from you. PERIOD.
Sorry to "inconvenience" you, Kaci Hickox--maybe you should have just stayed home to begin with. Because you are not acting like a caring nurse, you are acting like a spoiled brat. You did what YOU needed to do, now we are doing what WE need to do to make sure you didn't bring Ebola back with you.
SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!
I have only one question for Kaci Hickox--
If you cared so much about the sick people that you went to help them, WHY DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA?
(Sadly, this new quarantine policy will get destroyed by the very men who are supposed to be taking care of the American people.)
She claims that her "human rights" have been violated.
Question--what about the "Human rights" of every other person in America? Just as YOU have the right to travel where you want, WE have the right to protect ourselves from you. PERIOD.
Sorry to "inconvenience" you, Kaci Hickox--maybe you should have just stayed home to begin with. Because you are not acting like a caring nurse, you are acting like a spoiled brat. You did what YOU needed to do, now we are doing what WE need to do to make sure you didn't bring Ebola back with you.
SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Colds and Flu season coming--Moms home recipe!
Growing up in a large family, we had our share of colds and flu. My mom always mixed up a jar full of her special cough syrup. I have passed this recipe on to family and friends over the years. They all swear by it!! There are now tons of variations of it online, which always makes me smile--because I never heard of anyone else making this when I was a young!
WARNING; this recipe contains alcohol. Do not use it if you have to be out driving or working!
Mom took a canning jar, and used equal parts of
honey
lemon juice
whiskey
(I use 1 cup of each)
Shake well. Take 1-2 tablespoons as needed. Keep the jar in the refrigerator. The honey soothes your throat, the lemon juice cuts the phlegm, and the whiskey helps you sleep. If you are an adult, and are going to be home, put some in a mug with a little water, heat it in the microwave, and drink before bedtime. Better than all those store bought, expensive, chemical filled concoctions. You can also add a shake of ginger powder and a shake of cayenne pepper, these are also good for colds.
Stay healthy!
WARNING; this recipe contains alcohol. Do not use it if you have to be out driving or working!
Mom took a canning jar, and used equal parts of
honey
lemon juice
whiskey
(I use 1 cup of each)
Shake well. Take 1-2 tablespoons as needed. Keep the jar in the refrigerator. The honey soothes your throat, the lemon juice cuts the phlegm, and the whiskey helps you sleep. If you are an adult, and are going to be home, put some in a mug with a little water, heat it in the microwave, and drink before bedtime. Better than all those store bought, expensive, chemical filled concoctions. You can also add a shake of ginger powder and a shake of cayenne pepper, these are also good for colds.
Stay healthy!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Life is Short
Life is short. Find things that make your heart sing, even if no one else understands them. They don't HAVE to--it's for you, not them.
Working on Evies portrait, planning more--some would wonder why I don't buy some nice patterns and work on them. There are beautiful, stunning patterns available on rug hooking canvas.
I won't hook them.
My life is short, and I don't want to spend it working on someone elses dreams.
Evie is a doll, yes. A TINY doll, no less--6 1/2" tall. To me, she is not "just" a doll--she represents so much more. To look at her, to know I created this from a piece of wood, still blows me away. Her creation was my salvation, in so many ways. She gave me courage to work with razor sharp tools again, which I was afraid to do after my bad carving accident. She taught me that I do have courage, and perseverance, and talents I did not know existed. Her creation brought me so much farther in my life than I ever thought I would go! I am leaving her as part of my legacy, so I want her to have things that will show how treasured she is. She has tons of clothes (and more I will make!), furniture, a gorgeous hand made bed that I designed just for her. She has journals, complete with photographs. Now she will have hooked pieces that depict her in many different ways.
I wish everyone could have one possession in their life they treasured as much as I do Evie.
Working on Evies portrait, planning more--some would wonder why I don't buy some nice patterns and work on them. There are beautiful, stunning patterns available on rug hooking canvas.
I won't hook them.
My life is short, and I don't want to spend it working on someone elses dreams.
Evie is a doll, yes. A TINY doll, no less--6 1/2" tall. To me, she is not "just" a doll--she represents so much more. To look at her, to know I created this from a piece of wood, still blows me away. Her creation was my salvation, in so many ways. She gave me courage to work with razor sharp tools again, which I was afraid to do after my bad carving accident. She taught me that I do have courage, and perseverance, and talents I did not know existed. Her creation brought me so much farther in my life than I ever thought I would go! I am leaving her as part of my legacy, so I want her to have things that will show how treasured she is. She has tons of clothes (and more I will make!), furniture, a gorgeous hand made bed that I designed just for her. She has journals, complete with photographs. Now she will have hooked pieces that depict her in many different ways.
I wish everyone could have one possession in their life they treasured as much as I do Evie.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Working Again
Pain levels down to "tolerable"--YAY!!! Evie is doing headstands while I work on finishing the border.
I can't get over how fast this is coming along, considering the many days I haven't been able to work on it. I am LOVING using colors instead of the drab primitives I am used to using.
I am already in the planning stages for my next hooking. Still have to draw the frame better and position her inside of it, but this is my preliminary idea;
I plan on using proddy and other techniques on this one--that bonnet just cries for 3-D roses and ruffles!! As to colors--I have two color schemes in mind, but I am not going to decide that yet.
I am already in the planning stages for my next hooking. Still have to draw the frame better and position her inside of it, but this is my preliminary idea;
Thursday, October 16, 2014
What Did YOU do today?
Today I wanted to work on my hooking--
the house was clean, the laundry was all done, it was supposed to be a day just for me!
My body had other plans.
You see, I live with not one, but TWO "invisible" illnesses--Lupus, and Fibromyalgia.
No matter what I might want to do, or might plan on doing, my body has the final say. I may want to spend the day hooking and listening to music, but instead I must obey the master named Chronic Pain, and basically do nothing. If I cannot lift my arms, and my shoulders are in stabbing pain, then I cannot hook.
Or do much of anything.
I call these days "couch days", which are MUCH preferable over "bed days". At least I can get to the bathroom without my cane. At least I can feel PARTLY normal. I can look forward to another day when my pain levels are not so high. These are the days I cannot do much more than THINK, because thinking doesn't add to my physical pain. So these are the days I plan what I will do on my "good days".
Be kind to people. So many people are fighting a daily battle with chronic pain illnesses, and to look at us, you would never know it. Our pain is invisible, but it is real. Imagine having a really bad flu that never goes away. Remember how it felt to hurt everywhere, and feel exhausted, and not be able to do anything about it? This is the daily reality of Fibromyalgia. It never goes away. You have some days when it is not so bad, and some days where it is completely debilitating. But the pain is always there, in one degree or another. Your mind does not control your body--your body dictates what level of "living" is acceptable at any given moment. You learn to accept this, and plan ahead--lots of books on my Kindle, lots of apps like Netflix so when these days hit, I can still have something to do.
This still doesn't make it GOOD, it makes it managable.
Except for those days when the pain is really severe, and you just want it over. Not that you want to die, you just want to get away from the pain for a while.
I would not wish this illness on anyone. Even my worst enemy.
If you were able to have a normal day today, you are blessed. Please think about that. Because I would trade places with you in a heartbeat. If you can stand long enough to wash a pile of dirty dishes, do you realize how lucky you are??
the house was clean, the laundry was all done, it was supposed to be a day just for me!
My body had other plans.
You see, I live with not one, but TWO "invisible" illnesses--Lupus, and Fibromyalgia.
No matter what I might want to do, or might plan on doing, my body has the final say. I may want to spend the day hooking and listening to music, but instead I must obey the master named Chronic Pain, and basically do nothing. If I cannot lift my arms, and my shoulders are in stabbing pain, then I cannot hook.
Or do much of anything.
I call these days "couch days", which are MUCH preferable over "bed days". At least I can get to the bathroom without my cane. At least I can feel PARTLY normal. I can look forward to another day when my pain levels are not so high. These are the days I cannot do much more than THINK, because thinking doesn't add to my physical pain. So these are the days I plan what I will do on my "good days".
Be kind to people. So many people are fighting a daily battle with chronic pain illnesses, and to look at us, you would never know it. Our pain is invisible, but it is real. Imagine having a really bad flu that never goes away. Remember how it felt to hurt everywhere, and feel exhausted, and not be able to do anything about it? This is the daily reality of Fibromyalgia. It never goes away. You have some days when it is not so bad, and some days where it is completely debilitating. But the pain is always there, in one degree or another. Your mind does not control your body--your body dictates what level of "living" is acceptable at any given moment. You learn to accept this, and plan ahead--lots of books on my Kindle, lots of apps like Netflix so when these days hit, I can still have something to do.
This still doesn't make it GOOD, it makes it managable.
Except for those days when the pain is really severe, and you just want it over. Not that you want to die, you just want to get away from the pain for a while.
I would not wish this illness on anyone. Even my worst enemy.
If you were able to have a normal day today, you are blessed. Please think about that. Because I would trade places with you in a heartbeat. If you can stand long enough to wash a pile of dirty dishes, do you realize how lucky you are??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)