Happy St. Patrick's Day
Before heading home in about a week they will spend time in Leiden, Netherlands with missionaries and ministries there and they will participate in some creative ways God is using His children in that part of our world.
Their schedule is full but they hope there will be a bit of time to see some of the area where they travel. If not, they don't mind - they know they will be blessed by the beauty of the Kingdom of God on the other side of the world. I know they will return home with changed hearts. They will certainly have a new perspective on life and I know they will have an increased burden to pray for our brothers and sisters in other lands. And, perhaps, there will be new ways to assist the ministries so far from home.
A day or two ago I suddenly had a brilliant idea. I tried it and I love it! I knew I wanted to cover it up but I also didn't want to affect the sound it produces. It had to be something fairly thin and it had to be something that sound could travel through. If you recall my recent rummaging and thrifting finds you may recognize one of my pretties as the answer to the dilemma. The thin, rather tired linen piece with the gorgeous hand-crocheted lace was perfect for the speaker. It blends in with the color of the speaker and the color of our new entertainment center. White and antique white. The beauty of the old linen adds exactly the right touch to the sterile look of technology. Adding a basket of silk plants gave the look I wanted. Just right. Perfect! I love it!!
When you come down the hall from the bedrooms you see this view now. It's just right. What a change.
I'm always amazed how something so simple can make such a big difference. And how something found while rummaging and thrifting can bring such pleasure and make the whole room come to life. It took a while to find the solution to my problem. But it was worth waiting for! It was a game of Hide and Seek. No, it was really Seek (the solution) and Hide (the problem). An old game played in a new way!
Today we celebrate two people who were God's very special ideas.
I found two little blue heart buttons still on the card, a 'circle' of hand-crocheted trim. . .
And a thin, old dresser scarf with beautiful crocheted edging on both ends.
Not long after we left the rummage sale we drove by a flea market! I made a quick turn-around and pulled into the parking lot. There were a lot of things I easily could have brought home with me but I had to be strong and not buy it all. The moment I saw this cup and saucer I knew it was mine. The birds on the cup and on the saucer are similar to the Western Meadowlark, the State Bird of Oregon. And they are yellow!
Just as I turned to walk toward the car I spied this cute little shoe. And I knew it 'had my name written all over it'! The yellow background with sweet blue and pink butterflies captured my heart. It had to come home with me. The price was right and soon it was safely tucked in my bag.
Our day continued with stops at two nice thrift stores and lunch. I bought quite a few books, a nice wall clock, and a big basket. I'll read the books and then pass them on to my dear mother and my cousin. I have plans to use the basket in my Christmas decorations - and I'm certain I'll come up with other things between now and then. The clock will be on the wall near the hot tub so we can enjoy quick moments of relaxation in the water when we don't have the time to leisurely forget the rest of the world.
The weather was perfect! Blue skies and sun. We had a great time. The best part was just being together - the three of us, away from home and loving every second of our day. More than once one of us would say, 'Oh, this is just what I needed today!' As we travelled home we dreamed and planned up more things to do together. And things to include my sweetheart and Mrs. C's hubby. We planned thrifting and garaging and rummaging days for the three of us girls and excursions for all five of us. We have places to go and things to buy. We're going to be busy. If you come by before we leave, I'm sure there will be room in the car. We can squeeze you in. Think of the fun we could have!
I shared here that I was going away for the weekend to spend with a dear friend and to attend the annual Sewing Expo near Seattle. What a weekend! It was filled with things to see, things to learn, things to buy and, best of all, time with a friend who is dear to my heart. Unfortunately, this year no photography was allowed - and it was strictly enforced. I'm not sure why but I suspect it was to protect copyright laws and to prevent vendors' ideas and projects from being copied and sold by some not-so-innocent photographers. As I walked through the rows and rows of vendor booths with wonderful and, at times, nearly magical things to see I felt so bad. I felt bad that I couldn't share them with you - bad that you couldn't see them. There were booths of buttons and laces and ribbons, booths of beyond-your-fondest-imagination needlework, booths of fabrics to delight your heart, booths of sewing machines of all kinds and tools to help you craft the finest possible creations.
I took several classes and there were many more I would have enjoyed. I learned a lot of wonderful tips and tricks and got answers to questions that needed an answer. The teachers were among the 'who's-who' of the sewing world. My favorite was taught by Nancy Zieman of 'Sewing With Nancy'. She is a great teacher and she has the best sense of humor. I loved it when she dropped something on the floor behind her podium. She laughed and said if she were taping her weekly television program she would have said "Cut", the camera would have stopped, she would have picked it up and they would have gone on. Instead, she had to lean down and pick it up while we all sat and watched. In the future I will definitely sign up for more of her classes. And there were others whose wit and knowledge made class time pass far too quickly. And I learned a lot from people around me. Some of the best tips and tricks were overheard while standing in line waiting to get into class. And quiet conversations over lunch with a stranger who asked to share the table with me were among the special moments.
What did I buy? Not as much I would liked to bring home! I gave myself a budget and I took cash to back up my budget. I bought several patterns and a book, some sewing 'tools' and gadgets and odds and ends of little things I couldn't leave behind. My wish list still has quite a few things on it and it didn't even include any big items. I didn't buy any fabric this year. I thought about it. Long and hard. And I decided there was nothing I couldn't live without. And I really need to finish some projects and use fabrics from my stash before I add more. I avoided the large, open areas where machines of all kinds were being demonstrated. I knew if I even watched them at work I would want one. I purposely didn't go near the dealer who handles my machine, the machine I haven't begun to really learn. I knew I would be told that my machine couldn't possibly do what the new ones can do and I didn't want to hear it! I wanted to come home and love my machine and take up the challenge to learn everything it could possibly do. The bottom line? I wanted to be contented with what I have!
The trip north was fantastic! The weather was perfect - a crystal clear day with blue skies, mountains standing majestically nearby and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest at its finest. And the best part of all was time with my sweet friend. Time in her home where I was warmly welcomed and cared for. Even her dear little dog was happy to see me. I can't wait to visit her again. And I'm looking forward to returning to Expo next year. Next time I'll have a wish list longer than my arm! Guess I'd better start saving my pennies and dimes now so I'll be ready.