Working...

The past 3 weeks have been spent decluttering, gathering files, scanning 80+ documents and filling them out, then sending them off for review for refinancing our house.  While my time has not been spent knitting, crocheting or sewing, my hands have still been productive getting our taxes filed and gathering papers for the mortgage company.

I don't have any pictures to share with you today due to being so busy with the paperwork, but know that I probably will not have many pictures in the few weeks to come.  I will be planting seeds, organizing, pitching and tidying things between our bedroom and my sewing room.  My husband has blessed me with a nice big wooden filing cabinet and I need to make good use of my time to get all of our files in to it and organized.  I do have quite a bit done already, but there are always things to file and put away.

I hope to get to my sewing soon now that I have a place for the files.  :0)

Until then...

Blessings,
Regina

Running...

Hebrews 12:1-2  

Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 

lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 

and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  

(2)  looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, 

and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This past weekend, I spent so very little time at home.  I felt like a ping pong ball running here and there, getting this and that or attending here and there.  Don't get me wrong, I had done these things simply because I wanted to.  I needed to prepare for some things, run to get some groceries, a gift, and while I was running my son to a birthday party, I was able to spend time with my husband.  Although I didn't get to spend time at home, I was still able to use my time wisely.  

Saturdays are usually our sleep in days.  For me, it wasn't.  Not to worry though!  I went to a little coffee shop in town to meet with some dear friends from our home school group "Events Team" to finish up our plans for the end of the school year field trip.  Our meeting was cancelled on Monday due to snow and ice, so we needed to meet.  What a blessing to meet with these ladies!  We shared some prayer concerns and enjoyed fellowship.  We agreed that we needed to do that more often.  :0)

After getting home, since hubby had a migraine earlier or he would have come to the coffee shop to drop me off and run errands for me with our children, we ran with our youngest son to get a gift for a party.  After dropping him off, we ran to get groceries.  We were home for a few minutes, handed everything over to the older two children to fix those items for a potluck at church to get to know a new prospective assistant pastor.  Then within minutes, we were off again to get our youngest son at the party, then turn around and leave again from home with all the food prepared by the two oldest children.  What a blessing they were to do that for us!

By the time we arrived home Saturday night, we were exhausted, fell in to bed to welcome sleep.  

In the morning we left at our usual time for church and had a longer practice with bell choir and singing choir. I didn't mind though.  I love music, singing and serving where I can.  It is where my heart is calling me to serve.  Music speaks to my soul, stirs me deeply, and brings forth emotion that I cannot explain to anyone because it is a spiritual thing for me.  To expect me to give up music and serving musically would be the same as driving a knife in to my heart.  I would love to take voice lessons to improve and widen my range.  I would like to take guitar and piano lessons myself.  Eventually, some day....

...coming back from that bunny trail...

We came home to heat up leftovers, rest and just "be" for a couple hours before turning around to go back to church for game night and for the teens to get to know the new potential assistant pastor (the congregation votes on him filling the position in 2 weeks.)  

When we got home, all were exhausted, overwhelmed and ready to unwind.  With all the running, back and forth to town numerous times this weekend it was exhausting, but so very worth it.  

I don't normally have weekends like this, or week days like this.  This was a "once in a blue moon" type of occurrence so it was ok.  

Today I woke with the beginnings of a migraine, so I got up to "catch" it before it went any further.  I think it's just a residual effect of the busy-ness of the weekend.  All is well.   The snow is falling outside and we're warm inside, snuggling under blankets, getting our work done.

For today my work involves making phone calls, teaching Algebra, long division, Biology 1 & 2 as well as World Geography and Language Arts.  In between all of that, hubby and I will do our Bible study for the first time in a while, since the whole house had been sick.  I hope to get more napkins serged today to help clear off my sewing desk (more of those UFOs), and more things organized.  My daughter has some sewing to do today on her robe that I'll be available to help her with.  We're hoping to get it done this week.  I'd like to get quite a few aprons put together, but one thing at a time.

Running is ok, but if it is too much, there isn't enough family time.  If there isn't enough family time then the family glue begins to degrade.  When it degrades, it falls apart.  There needs to be a VITAL anchor in the family--Family Worship and Bible Study with Daddy leading.  Without that leadership, the family is like a rudderless boat....set adrift to deal with the waves of life without guidance, wisdom or direction.  

Learning Something New

I've been learning some "new to me" techniques this past week. 

I learned how to do a mitered corner eyelet corner.  I'm learning to do many different stitches in preparation to making some Christmas gifts that I do not have experience with this year.

Here are my swatches I've worked up. :0)

Front

Back

This is just one type of mitered corner I'm learning how to do right now.

I love learning new things!  

Who needs college classes?

The Reality of It All

Proverbs 16:9  

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

Today our loosely held plans were to attend our local home school group meeting, come home, put everything away and throw together something for dinner and veg in front of the TV with a movie.  Then God had other plans.

This is what it looked like before the REAL snow and wind and ice came in!  

The Lord established our way today and we managed to get some school done, some relaxing, some discussion on some important-to-our-family issues and some Netflix shows like Ceasar Milan, Dual Survival and McGiver.  We had a fire to keep us warm while the ice pelted the surrounding area encapsulating everything in a slickery shiny cocoon.  What a blessing today was in more ways than one.  Our day was not the originally planned day, but it didn't matter.  Hearts were mended, souls were nourished and all things great and small were loved.  

   

Contentment

1 Timothy 6:6-12  

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,  

(7)  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  

(8)  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  

(9)  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, 

into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  

(10)  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. 

It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith

 and pierced themselves with many pangs.  

(11)  But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness,

 faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.  

(12)  Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I have food and clothing, a place to lay my head and a roof to cover me.  I have blankets to snuggle under when I'm cold and a chair to sit in to read and enjoy my family.  I am very blessed.  

It does NOT say anything about discontentment with the weather though.  Spring is 2 days away.  We've seen the first of the snow crocuses and now it's time for the snow to go away and for the flowers to bloom.  It's time to get our hands dirty and to work in the garden.  

Just a little while longer to wait.  At least my house will be cleaner and more organized when it Spring finally arrives due to the restlessness I'm feeling.  Cabin fever has never hit me this hard before.  Whew!  

Maybe that's the way God intended it for now.  :)

Blessed Time with Precious Friends

She saw the camera.  :0)

Happy to see our friends again.

Kids playing...Mommas too! 

Thinking about swinging with reckless abandon.  LOL

Here he comes!

Precious girl in her adorable hat swinging on the swing. 

Wonderful friend, Lisa!

And her hubby, Dale. 

Their youngest trying to decide where to play first. :0)

"Quick, strike a pose!  Mom's got the camera!"  LOL

Playing a game with the others in the basement.

Today Biscuit let all the kids hold him!  What fun!  As you can see, he loves getting in to the hoods of people's jackets.  He fits perfectly.  LOL

Awe, nuts!  Mr. G caught me with the camera!  LOL

Good times, lots of pizza and laughter.  What a blessing! 

The Blessing of a New-to-Us Filing Cabinet

Yes, I know!  You're so excited too!  Filing cabinets are just so awesome, right?  Well, God works in the littlest most seemingly insignificant ways in our lives that I am so in awe.

I've had filing cabinets over the years that have been repurposed because, well, they've fallen apart and I honestly need something that will stand the test of...usage.  In the mean time, I've used plastic file bins and put them in my closet.  When those were filled to capacity, I refused to buy another one because they broke and I just couldn't bring myself to spend any more money on things that were going to break so easily.  I simply prayed.  This was about 4 years ago.

A friend of my husband's brought us a 4 drawer wooden filing cabinet, not a pressed kind, but completely wooden!  I asked God for a nice wooden filing cabinet and that's exactly what He gave me!

I am so undeserving, but a wonderful awesome God in His loving mercy has seen fit to bless me with an insignificant filing cabinet.

Isn't that just so like God!?!   He's God of the big things as well as the little, minor and insignificant things.  He cares about our needs.

I am so blessed!

Getting Back on Track

After two  months of sickness, yesterday was the first day back at exercising.  It felt so good to get on my elliptical!  Fortunately, I can move it closer to a music source to listen to music or watch Netflix on the computer while I work out.  Watching a Netflix show gives me a good guideline to shoot for, but I'd rather listen to music.  I know I can listen to an MP3 player on it because it has those sorts of hook ups.  My youngest son, JL, usually graciously lets me borrow his, but he was busy doing school work and I didn't want to interrupt his concentration.

I feel like I'm starting over completely with exercising, unfortunately.  However, it's not too bad.  I was able to do 21 minutes on the elliptical which is better than when I truly began almost 2 years ago.  I could barely do 10 minutes then, so I've made some progress!  My legs hurt today and it was a busy day so I didn't exercise.  I want to ease my way back in to it, so I'll do more tomorrow.

Fortunately when I got sick my eating habits didn't revert back to pre-diet habits.  I had a hand full of chips here an there, but it wasn't anything like before.  I truly believe that had it not been for eating as healthfully as I have been that I would have been sicker a lot longer.

What's new in my diet?  Kale!  I've read so many good things about it, so I'm going to give it a try and see how things turn out.

God is so good!

Re-establishing Order

While I've been sick this winter, lots of things have gone by the wayside in favor of doing the barest of minimum things to maintain daily life.  Since this has occurred, I have spent the past week working toward regaining order to my home.  I'm not "done" by any means, but I've gained quite a bit of ground getting baseboards, walls and general clean up done that had gone by the wayside.

Not feeling well, but still having done school, as is evident by the books on the side table.  

The saving grace of our family through our sicknesses.  She helped take care of getting meals and tea for everyone through our sicknesses.

An UNcommon sight of having a 17 year old young man sleeping on the couch in the middle of the day.  

We've still dusted and wiped some things down, but the details have gone by the wayside.  I've still got a nagging cough and a little bit of a sore throat, but I am feeling much better and I'm ready to take on getting things tidy, clean, and neat again.

It's time to put MY calendar jobs back in to place.

Along the sides helps me to keep order and cleanliness to my home.  The left side assigns the room of the week.  The bottom tells me what to do each day.  The right side has been redone since taking this picture, but it tells me what I need to do which day for my kitchen baking chores.

1 Corinthians 14:40

"But let all things be done decently and in order."

Productivity

The last bit of December, mid January through now has been wrought with so much sickness in our home and now it is making it's way through the ranks.  While everyone has tried to be content and at least comfortable, others have taken on more responsibilities and taken it in stride.

Now it is time for them to be sick and Mom to take care of everyone.

While I was sick, they brought me teas of every flavor with honey or Stevia, along with warm meals or salads.  I talked them through making chicken soup and other dishes while curled up in a ball with a fever myself, sore and achy.

Now it is time for Momma to bless everyone with good hearty soups, wonderful healing teas and clean smelling blankets to curl up in.  

While I'd been sick, when I felt up to it I knitted or crocheted.  In this post you can see the finished afghan I made for a dear friend.  Once I finished that project, I moved on to another UFO [Un-Finished Object] to crochet.

This past week I've finished it, felted it and found wooden buttons for it. 

Knitted pocket.  The felted stitches turn out differently in knitted items than in crocheted.

I'd made a knitted pocket for it, but at this point in time, I'm not sure if I want to put it on the inside or the outside.  I'm also not sure if I'd like to line it or not.  It is a nice sized bag that is very thick.

A closer look at the colors, the simple handles, and the beautiful wood buttons.

Felting crocheted work is different than felting knitted work, I've found.  When putting a knitted piece through the washer the way the knitting is flat and uniform without much texture makes the stitches blend in much easier than with crocheting.  While crocheting felts much the same way with the thickness, it shows much more of the stitches, hence the zig-zag pattern of the white crochet stitches.  This, in my opinion, gives each bag character of it's very own.

Here is the messenger bag that I finished in 2012~

With each felted bag, each pattern is different, with each type of wool, the texture is a little different.  The above bag was made with Icelandic Lopi yarn which is bulky wool.  It's texture is different than any other 100% wool I've used.  This bag will fit a loose leaf notebook/ 3 ring binder easily.  I've also put my laptop in it.  The one I finished above would easily fit both of them in it with room to spare, or it would make a nice diaper bag.

So what is next on my needles?  I have a couple projects that I would  like to begin working on once I get the yarn for Christmas for my mother-in-law and my daughter.  I keep finding these patterns that I'd love to make, but I need to get the materials first.  Go figure!  I need to use up some of my stash at some point, I'm sure.  But, I've come to the realization that it just might be easier to use up the stash simply by sharing the yarn with others who might have a use for it.  

What else am I working on?  Teaching the next generation of young ladies how to make bags too.  What fun!