Catching Up on Jewelry Videos - Lots of Silver and Some Gold

I need to catch up on some jewelry videos. I have over 50 videos that are uploaded on YouTube and need to be posted, so I thought I would post two videos today to try and catch up some. 

I don't buy many jewelry bags anymore, but got a few good bags in the past few months. I am glad to get another two videos published. 

Have a blessed day!

Stoning Ourselves - Sometimes We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

I was sitting in church today when I got a feeling that I should share some things that I have been working on recently. After church, I outlined a video and recorded the video sharing things I have done, and am still working on improving about myself, and how I talk to myself. 

In the video, I suggest that we throw stones at ourselves regularly by the things we think and those words we say out loud about ourselves. 

I share ideas on how to be kind to ourselves, and stop negative self talk and behaviors. I share how we would never say things to others that we tell ourselves daily. We don't treat ourselves like we would a friend or our family. 

We are often more kind to others than we are to ourselves. I make several suggestions about how I have been working on talking kinder to myself, putting up reminder notes through my day so that I can break the cycle of negative talk. 

I start my day by singing some positive "songs" while I get ready and have noticed since I have been doing that, I do less self talk and have been laughing more throughout my day! 

It is a path and I am working on accepting myself how I am, rather than judging myself as I have judged myself in the past. It is nice to be happier with myself. 

At the end of the video, I share a song written by Michael McClain called "Gentle" and I link the video here as I think you will enjoy hearing it. 

Here are the lyrics to GENTLE:

Like a gentle wind can blow the clouds from the sky,
Like a gentle touch can ease the pain of goodbye,
Like a gentle smile embraces empty souls in lonely places,
We should be more gentle with ourselves.

[Verse 2]

Like the friend who gently builds us up when we're down,
Like a gentle kiss can turn our world all around,
We've been hurt by others often,
We've forgiven and forgotten,
We should be more gentle with ourselves.

[Bridge]

Life can be hard but
we need not be so hard
on ourselves,
If we will see

[Verse 3]

Like the Shepherd leads his flock with gentle commands.
With his gentle voice that only hearts understand.
One thing we can know for certain, He has borne the awful burden
so we can be more gentle with ourselves.

Have a blessed day!

111 and In God We Trust Week

I had the best days this week! I had lots of errands to run and at my first stop the other day, I parked in a spot I have only park in a few times in the 20+ years I have lived here. 

All the other spots were taken so I had to park in that different area. As soon as I opened the door, I knew why I had to park there, there was a penny just on the ground as I opened the door. I didn't even get out of the car to take the picture!

I got to the next store where I was purchasing a goodbye gift card for my friend who is moving, and when I was checking out, there was a coin on the ground. 

I went to the next store and was buying a balloon to tie onto the treats to go with the gift card and found another penny at checkout. 

I went to the goodbye party my bunko group had for her, and loved that my hosting friend bought me some gluten free rolls for the turkey salad. It was a good night. 

The other day I spent a few hours researching something I read about that helps return normal flora to the gut and found while researching that there is a patented process for a specific type of the product, and it happens to be called De111! 

I ordered them and laughed when I saw the order number started with a 111! The order ended up being placed on the 11th as well!  

I fell like God is letting me know He is in the details of my life in several ways! Reminding me to trust in Him with the coins, and letting me know He is in charge and maybe my health will get better soon!

Wouldn't that be wonderful! I feel so blessed to have reminders in my life to Trust in HIM and also that he is mindful of me with the 111's!  

Have a blessed day!

Ordering a Photo Print is Cheaper Than Buying a Print Cartridge

I bought a pair of Birkenstock sandals online. There was some confusion on the sizing on the particular site where I purchased them. I needed to mail them back. I got an email with a label to mail them back. 

I don't use my printer very often and I purchased three cartridges online but each one only lasted for one printing.

I spent a long time today trying to get either of those two cartridges working and none of them worked. I wondered if there was a place in town to print things but I couldn't think of anyone who may have a printer. 

I was busy helping a neighbor and then went to Walmart to buy a new print cartridge but the cheapest one cartridge was almost $30 So for a $5 shipping label, I would have to pay $30 to print the label. I asked one of the photo printing ladies for help and she suggested that I print the label as a photo as they have 4 x 6 pictures on sale for $.09 each. 

I pulled up the label from the company and took a screen shot, then printed it out and it was a dime verses $30. I think it should be illegal for the printer companies to charge so much for the product. It is almost cheaper to buy a new printer!

So, I thought I would share that idea as it was much cheaper than printing it myself! 

Have a blessed day! 

Happy Anniversary - 11 Years Old TODAY

 

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 was the first day I blogged. My first post was titled:

"You are Lucky." "No, I am BLESSED"

I can't believe I have been blogging five days a week for 11 years! It doesn't seem like it could be that many years until I start looking at my first year of posts. The girls were so young. It is amazing to go through all the years and see how my life has changed. 

I am so glad my friend Sara shared her feelings with me about thinking I should blog. I didn't know that I could keep up writing with all the other things I had and have in my life. I wondered if I could fill the pages having things to write about thinking things would have to be "crafty" or "Pintrist" worthy.  

In the end, it turned into more of a family journal and a way to share many ideas that I have come up with or a place to put my favorite recipes and other recipes people have shared with me. 

It has been a wonderful journey and I am grateful to those of you who have come along for the ride. 

Here is to another 11 years! Have a blessed day!

Great-Grandma is Turning 99

My wonderful Step-Mom's mother is turning 99! They planned a big party for her and she had family from all over the U.S. come in for the party. I painted my toes with "sprinkles" for the occasion. They also didn't want gifts, so I bought a flashing light crown for her to wear.

Because of Covid, they didn't invite the grand-children as they didn't want to expose her but they invited her children and their children. 

I was SO tired getting up for the long drive and if it had been anything else. I would have canceled being so tired, but I LOVE these women who are the glue to our wonderful family. My mother was a talented amazing women. My step-mother is so focused on serving others and planning and implementing so many activities for our family, I always say that my dad sure knows how to pick amazing women! 

They had a wonderful meal brought in. She was born and raised in Hawaii so they had a Hawaiian restaurant cater it. One of her grand-daughter did a wonderful job decorating. Her oldest grandson did a slideshow of her life. I don't think I have been to that town since picking Princess Five up after her mission nearly a year ago. 

It has been a long time since I have taken that type of a road trip. It was a long day, however, I LOVED the entire day! I also was able to visit with my closest cousin while growing up for a few hours. It has been some time since I have been able to visit with her one on one. It was great to spend time with her. 

I was so glad to be able to visit with Great-Grandma. She has been in quarantine and we haven't been able to see her so it was nice to visit with her. She is blind and nearly deaf and has been in independent living doing all her own laundry and self care. She is so amazing and kind and she has always been so thoughtful of our needs. I feel so blessed to have her in my life! 

Have a blessed day!

National Slow Looking Day At Museums - It Was A Great Day With Princess Two

I had to take a road trip through Princess Two's hometown this week. I called and asked if I could spend either the morning, or the evening with her. 

She said she had plans in the afternoon and may have plans in the evening, so I asked if I could take her to breakfast or lunch on my way through. I offered to go shopping for an hour or two as well as anything else she wanted to do. She sent me a link to an article about a national "slow look" museum day! 

I LOVE art and often stand in front of a painting studying the symbolism, strokes, painters mindset, and all the little details of the art. Here is a link to me visiting the Norman Rockwell exhibit. I have enjoyed the Carl Bloch exhibits they have had over the years there as well. 

I went to look at that link above and laughed when I saw that we had almost the exact photos and that when I got into the car to head on my road-trip, the odometer in the car was at 111.1 and didn't remember that it was the same when I drove up to the Normal Rockwell exhibit. There were so many similarities on this trip! What are the chances of that? Also we had the rainbow above us made out of string and it made me feel like my mother was with us as she LOVED Art, there was one painting in particular I know she would have loved. Also, I was able to visit her grave on this trip and was able to put some flowers on her grave, so I did feel her with me much of the day!

We loved the visit to the museum and since it was "Slow Looking Museum Day" they gave you a gift at the end of the day. We got a print of one of my favorite paintings ever! It is by Carl Bloch and is Christ Healing at the waters of Bethesda! I love that it shows Christ going to the absolute most pitiful person who is unable to do anything to help himself and Christ was not overlooking the least. Princess Two picked a card of another amazing print they had of an artwork there. They also gave out mini magnifying glasses.

I think the grandchildren are going to love the mini magnifying glass as I have a few "I-Spy" and "Wheres Waldo" books they can use it with! 

We then went to one of our favorite Thai food places for lunch. We visited as we haven't in a very long time. I haven't traveled much at all during Covid and have missed connecting with my girls. It was such a lovely day! I got a fortune that said, "A day without a smile is a day wasted." I believe that! 

I am forever laughing at myself as I do silly things at home and find things that others don't funny. Last week, we were playing a game around the campfire and my nephews wife was so funny in her hints to him and was overly obvious and I just started laughing until I was crying and no one else thought it was funny. I laughed and laughed and went into my trailer and kept laughing for a few more minutes by myself. I love to laugh and smile! 

I wish I had more time to spend with Princess Two, but feel that we used our time together well! I feel so blessed to have such a beautiful person in my family! She is a one of a kind person! I would have a huge hole in my life if she weren't in it! 

I hope you are so blessed to have someone in your life that brings God's light into it!! She really is a light to the world and I am grateful I can call her mine! 

Have a Blessed Day!