Seeing the world differently

I think I need to “get out among the English” more. I am seeing the people of the world through different eyes. Typically, most of the people I know and associate with are church members, and even then, living out among the outer boundaries of the Branch doesn’t allow for much socialization with these good people, either.

When I got a flat tire on the way home from church one Sunday, out in the country,  it was the people covered in tattoos who stopped to inquire, so kindly and full of concern,  if I needed help (it was really hot out ).  It was, also, the people in the white truck, dressed in jeans and sleeveless  tank tops, who obviously weren’t coming from church, who stopped.  It was the couple, driving the crummiest car, hatchback held down with bungee cords, that had the hydraulic jack I needed (which was found underneath the woman’s wheel chair). The man proceeded to change the tire himself, and instructed us that the donut tire always goes on the back, never the front, and why.  The woman he loved was deformed, short arms, hands scarred from multiple surgeries to straighten them some, make them usable.  Her teeth were stained brown from nicotine and coffee.  But she had a bright, sincere smile.  Her eyes were kind.

All of these people live a very different lifestyle than I do.  They smoke, they drink, they are into tattoo art, but they know how to love and serve.

I live in this place where I have been jerked around so much when I needed help, that I just see the people of the world in a cynical manner.  I think I need to “get out among the English” more and allow the Lord tutor me freely about the good people who are out there.  They just haven’t been in my circle.

Misreading Dr. Seuss

The Cat On the Hat

Comfy?

Taking a nice nap.  Do you suppose she’s comfy?

Oh, let’s change position a little…

Catching Raindrops

Sure, we’ve been having a drought, but really…thirsty much?

August 28, 2011

It’s  that time of year, again.  Yippie!   The holiday season begins on September 1 in our household, if not a little sooner.  Sometimes people ask me why we do this.  Click here to find what I tell them.

Patrick and Katie fluff the limbs

Mary is backed into a corner

Fluffing the top

Holding the tree up because it keeps trying to fall down.

Wrapping the lights around the pole

“You missed a spot.”

Still trying to keep the tree from falling down

Flamingos and Palm trees this year….

 

Let the holiday season begin!!  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Because the Holiday is Just Too Lovely to Enjoy For Only 1 Month

I love Christmas Trees. I do. They cheer me, bring me joy, and lift my spirit.

Back when I was a normal person who even considered social norms, our family used to wait until the first weekend of December to put up the tree (Having children on the Autism spectrum taught me to throw social norms out the window).But, the year came when I just couldn't wait till December, so we put it up just before Thanksgiving. Then the next year the kids just started asking about it in October (I am easy to convince on this subject), so it went up just before Halloween for years after with just the lights (but waiting until Thanksgiving to put the ornaments on). And then it stayed up for months after Christmas, usually April, sometimes May.
The Holiday is just too lovely to enjoy for only one month.
Then we moved to Arkansas and, truly, normal became only a setting on a washing machine. My husband was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and our world was turned upside down.
Well, the person who is not going to recover from an inoperable brain tumor gets everything they want, as far as I am concerned, so on September 1, 2004, before my husband died (May 2005), he asked for the tree to go up rather than wait till the end of October. So up it went; anything to bring him peace and contentment in his adversity. And it was Christmas day, every day, until he died.
So, now, my friends, it goes up when the time feels right.
Merry Christmas!! God bless us, every one!

 

Summer so far

We’ve been having a busy summer with gardening, working, drawing, harvesting, knitting, art projects…..

This is the garden in mid-July.  We’ve got lots of volunteer okra that comes up every year.  Using painted tires as planters added such fun and color to the scenery.

The yellow zinnias are a stand out sight this year.

 Katie and the monster melon

The cantaloupes were monstrous!!  I used compost this year in my garden. Funny thing, about compost.  Most of what went into my garden were volunteers that grew from the compost. 

I made fabric strip dolls with the kids and moms (and even the Branch President) at our Pioneer Day celebration at church.

Patrick ordered a Ukulele this summer and has been having nothing but fun!

Mary learned to knit two gloves at once on circular needles and has been knocking them out fast.

She is trying to get ahead with the autumn- colored fingerless gloves. They are her biggest seller every fall and winter.

We had my birthday.  I made a yellow cake with home made orange frosting.

Mary knitted a pair of socks for me.  Love them!!

My mom came to see me on my birthday.  *;-.)  Bad Granny!

I have been making lots of Peach Vanilla jam and lots of Strawberry Peach jam.  Yum!!

Buddy’s Side of the Story

New Guardians of the Garden

My mother has been in my garden again. 

Sparkly Rose!!!  Luckily it did not scare off the butterfly on the yellow Zinnia to the right.

Are you very afraid?  It works though, because I am still harvesting Chinese Red Noodle Beans.

 

Another Guardian of the Cantaloupes.  Don’t be fooled by the Precious Pink color.  

Don’t be fooled. She only looks sweet…..

Fabric Strip Rag Doll

                                                                                                             Doll I made  using Batiks

    Looking for something to make to commemorate Pioneer Day in July?  We have just the thing. My 16-year old son came home from Trek with an adorable fabric strip rag doll that he had made in a workshop one day.  He was so proud.  (Thanks to Sarah H. for teaching him)

                Patrick’s Christmas-y doll he made on Trek

Materials:

• For the body: 20 strips of fabric, 1 -1/2 inch wide, in as many colors as you wish, cutting the full 44-inch width of fabric.  (You may trim the length at the end as you desire. I just left mine long)
• For the arms: 10 strips of fabric, coordinating with the dress, 1 1/2 inches wide, 16 inches long.  I just took 5 strips, folded them over to make 10 and cut.
• For the head:  4 extra strips of fabric (color doesn’t matter, as they will not show)
• narrow scraps to tie at head, neck, waist and cuffs.

I have selected Batik prints for my doll.

To begin, stack your fabric strips evenly.

Lay them on a flat surface (yes, my flat surface really is a tie-dyed damask table cloth).

Find the middle and tie with a narrow strip of matching fabric.

 

Roll 4 strips of scrap fabrics into a ball, forming the head  (I neglected to measure the size. Sorry.  It fits in the palm of your hand).

Tuck the ball under the tied middle of your stack of fabrics.

Begin closing fabrics around the ball to cover.    

When you are satisfied with the coverage and the look, form a neck with a narrow strip of fabric and tie off.

Choose 10 fabric strips , 1 1/2 inches wide, for the arms. (I selected 5 and folded them over to make 10.)   Cut so their full length is 16 inches long.

Stack them evenly in an order that suits you, if order is what you want. 

Lay your doll “face up.”  Lift half the fabric strips of the doll and lay your arm stack inside, below the neck.

If you wish, as this step is optional, tie the arm strips in place using a strip of fabric from the doll body in front of the arms and a strip from the fabrics behind the arms (note the two tightened green strips).

Replace the “doll front”  fabric strips over the arm strips. Tie off each “sleeve” with a narrow strip of fabric.

Tie a waist with another narrow strip of fabric.

Tug at sleeves to “poof” them, if desired.

And we are done!!

Have Fun!!   Wouldn’t these be lovely made up in seasonal colors?