New Discoveries

It’s been a while since I’ve shared any discoveries I’ve stumbled upon while searching the Internet! Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve done any exploring. With the high winds blowing crazy outside this morning, it’s a good time to see what’s new (at least to me, and maybe you)!

How cute is this!?! At Make It & Love It, she shows how to create your own Fabric Shoelaces!

I love this idea Farah shares: Make your own customized colour paper! Take that plain dull white paper and turn it into something fabulous for creating cards, scrapbooking, or simply let your imagination go to new heights!

Sorry, only a couple today. It’s a start!

Please let me know if you try either idea! I will you, too!

Before it's too late

I’ve been pondering a couple of days now whether to write this post. While looking down my wall on Facebook this morning, I saw this picture. I’m taking it as a big YES. Hopefully, you’ll understand what I mean in a little bit.

During my last visit to Dallas, Momma, Bud, and I went to the cemetery and pleasantly discovered they had placed Daddy’s marker at his grave. The next day, she and I went out and bought the silk spring flowers, then placed them in his permanent vase. Needless to say, when we left the cemetery, we both were upset, missing him terribly. Understandable. It’s not even been two months.

On the way home, Momma cried her words, “I just wish I could call him, to hear his voice one more time.”

A couple of days later, my oldest niece called and spoke with Granny, then to me. In our conversation, Leasa asked me if we had any recording of Papo talking, something, anything to hear his voice one more time. We don’t.

Then on the Bones episode we watched last night, Booth videoed a “living” message to his daughter. Priceless.

Several years ago, for Christmas, I gave Momma & Daddy each a recorder. I asked, for my Christmas gift for the following year, to have a recording from them of different thoughts, favorite past times as a child, any experience they’d like to share. Sort of like the book “To Our Children's Children: Preserving Family Histories for Generations to Come" by Bob Greene – but have it recorded rather than in written format.

I never received the gift.

I encourage each one of you who have children/grandchildren, record your voice. It will be a priceless gift. Do it before it’s too late!

Simple Instructions

First, a little background – A while back, my sister gave me a HUGE tub full of unused/unopened craft projects ~ mostly quilting related. The tub was too heavy for me to pick up as it was packed full of goodies! Thank you again, Sister! I quickly separated/sorted into smaller boxes and brought them home. What I learned, a friend’s grandmother had passed away and no one in the family wanted the items, so they gave them to those interested in either creating them, or to pass along to someone who would.

As I organized the multiple packages for “Quilt of the Month” Blocks, I discovered an amazing thing! One had 95% of the pieces already cut to size! Only a tad worth needs additional marking/cutting! YES! The perfect project I needed to work on right now… not much thinking or deciding or designing required!

Although I’m not all that excited about the colors and prints the creators selected, I keep reminding myself it is an autumn quilt. The finished quilt is supposed to be 89” x 97” but I’m hoping to redesign and make two lap quilts with the blocks using the “backing” provided in the “Setting Kit” package. If it works! I’ll give an update later with its status, and what the veterans end up receiving!

I love the simple instructions – WITH PICTURES – within each block kit. They even have little arrows pointing to which direction to press the seam! No thinking needed!

I’ve never bought/used a kit before. They are a little too pricy for me. BUT, considering the instructions provided to make new blocks never tried before and the “save” on my hands cutting out all the pieces, I may have to reconsider/rethink!

If you’re interested in learning how to piece a quilt top together, try a kit!

Practice Practice Practice

I’m not a professional speaker, but a group representative asked me to speak before an audience of mostly business women! Over two hundred are expected to attend this annual event. Oops! Have I mentioned I’m not a professional speaker?

At least, I am passionate about the subject matter:  my first book, Where Forever Begins, A Simple Love Story. They’ve asked me to give a book review. The author doesn’t usually give their own book review! Oh my!

Every writer knows coming up with a synopsis for agents, or for the back of the book, is much more difficult to compose than the entire book was to write! Even more difficult is writing/giving the balance ~ the enough ~ to pique the interest of a potential reader/buyer without giving away too much!

My time allowed: 20 – 25 minutes.

I finally have something down on paper, now to practice practice practice so I don’t end up “reading” from my notes! But, I’m not going to fret about it if I do end up simply reading it. This book means too much to me to mess up the presentation I want to share. The information I’d like to convey outweighs the need to “perform” – does that make sense?

The way I structured the presentation:

Greetings

What’s ahead

Envisioning the 1800’s

Small glimpse into the life of Jane and Thomas
  that includes two quotes from the book

Three points of inspiration to write the book

A couple of reviews received

A few comments others have shared

Writing Tips

Conclusion

Well, that’s it. We’ll see how it goes!

New Normal

Finding the new normal is going to be hard. After having someone in your life, and being such a huge part of life, for almost sixty years, it’s an odd feeling not to be able to pick up the telephone and hear that familiar sweet voice. It’s weird not seeing, or hugging my daddy, or playing a game of dominoes with him. Not to mention kissing that perpetual five o’clock shadow scratchy cheek. I always loved the opportunity. Those memories will carry me through the days while learning a new normal.

Leaving Dallas today, after being here since that full moon night in January, is going to be hard. Being with Momma, helping her, crying with her, laughing together, remembering wonderful times with Daddy, and both so grateful he’s no longer in pain, has been a blessing. It’s time, however, I go home.

It’s hard to let her go it alone. I have such mixed emotions. I know she’ll be okay. She has over sixty six years of memories to hold on to while she finds a new normal. She’s a strong woman. She’ll show me the way.