Princess Quilt for Grand-Princess One

We had a wonderful day for Grand-Princess One's baptism. Before we went to the big event, I wanted to take a minute and celebrate by giving Princess her Princess Quilt!

I took it wrapped to her and she opened it and was so cute rubbing her hands on all the different squares. She immediately said she liked the squares that had all the princess's together on the same square. 

She also said she liked the "Frozen" squares but I think it was because that was the only black and white square. She was so excited about it. 

We were gone for a few hours for the event, but later that day, I walked in on this scene, with her wrapped in a blanket my dad and step-mother (name clarification only as I love her like a mother) gave her during her baptism and she had laid out the princess quilt and wrapped in the white minky type blanket and was rolling around on the princess quilt. 

We had to leave unexpectedly and her mom said she wrapped up in both blankets and cried after we left. I was glad that I was able to finish the quilt for her and know she will remember getting it and know that I love her. I have two other quilts lined up and ready to cut, but am hoping to get a few more things off my list first. 

Have a blessed day! 

I Did A Thing - Sweet Friend Cut My Hair

I ran into my friend the other day and she said she wanted to trim my hair for me. It has been a long time since I had a haircut from someone other than myself. 

This friend is actually a hair dresser and has a little set up in her home. She told me to come at 11 and I went over and she started trimming my hair. 

After a few minutes, she asked if she could cut it into an a-line type cut. I told her I didn't want it near my chin because it makes my face round looking, but told her if the front was longer that way, I would let her do it. 

Well, you know how it goes, trimming it up more and more comes off and it ended up so short that I can't pull it up at all! I will have to use clips of some kind to keep it out of my eyes for awhile as it falls forward when I am working. 

I love that she always shares her talents and is so generous and it feels so light now! I ran errands after she finished and everyone noticed I got a cut and I also got lots of compliments on it. 

I am going to have to figure out how to do it and maybe I'll be able to use some product and leave it curly sometimes now that it is shorter, the curls will probably hold better. 

I am SO blessed with great friends! 

Have a Blessed day!

It is Finished and She is Gonna LOVE It! Princess Quilt for A Princess

I stayed up all night the other night to get the Princess t-shirt quilt finished for Grand Princess One. 

I had been up all night the night before helping a friend and finishing up things I needed to get done before heading to Grand Princess's baptism and celebration.

It will be exciting to be able to see Grand Princess One's face when she sees the quilt! She LOVES princesses. I know it will be an immediate favorite because it has a silky bottom. She likes silky blankets and fabrics. I called her mom asking her opinion on which blanket to make for her as I also want to make her an afghan at some point and let her pick out the colors as well. When we talked, her mom thought the silky blanket would be the best option for her. 

I thought anything Princess is the best option as she LOVES dressing up like a princess. It will be a good moment and I am grateful I got it done. 

Have a blessed day!

A Quilt Overnighter - Working On Grand-Princess One's Princess Quilt

I have been working on this for a month. I got the t-shirts washed, laid out, cut, sewn and finished sewing the quilt top quite a bit ago, but I had a rough week not feeling great as I started some new thyroid medication and it messed with my hormones, is giving me heartburn, and I was exhausted but not sleeping.

I was also dealing with other hormone issues and generally not feeling good. I've been having some medical testing, fasting etc. I thought I would get down and spend the last few hours needed to put the batting in and binding the quilt as well as tying it. 

I keep thinking I will go down and work on it, but I keep getting so tired I just opt to go to bed instead of finishing it. I decided to just not go to bed until I finish it as I wouldn't get it finished before her big day! It will be a long night!

I know she is going to love it! So exciting! 

Have a blessed day!

Day of Deals - God Loves Me

I was at a thrift store last week and saw a GeoSafari game in the box on a shelf outside. I didn't know if it was something my grandchildren are old enough to play with, but I called my daughter and she said she didn't think it would be something they could use currently. 

I asked how much it was and the worker said $10. I decided against it. They go for a bit online if they have extra sets and it had four new sets inside with the prices still on them. I just didn't want to pay that much so I passed and told them it needed a price on it. The assistant manager took it to the back. 

I went back this past week and it was near closing and I was shocked to see it on a cart that came out for $3. I figured I could sell it online as it was still in the box. When I pulled it out off the cart, behind it was a cast iron HUGE roaster! It was new with the instructions, a cook book and two inserts, and pre-cured / seasoned for $4! I grabbed it as it can cook a turkey in it as it has a vent in the bottom or you can flip it and use the top as a dutch oven.It is also a smoker I was thrilled with that! 

I went to the collectable counter and they had a new in the bag Aqua Filter with FOUR ceramic filters. I researched the gravity fed filters years ago for an emergency class I was teaching. Berkey and Auqu Filter were the two best gravity fed filters and you can wash and clean the ceramic filters over and over rather than buying new disposable filters for other units. You can also plug the holes and get down to just one filter and it will still work and you can send the ceramic filters with people traveling to use with inline tubing! The only downside to ceramic filters is they can freeze and crack so you need to keep them warm in the cold like sleeping with them near you type of thing to keep it safe in the cold. These units with three filters are over $350. Extra filters are over $50. I paid $150 for it. 

I went to the other thrift store and I saw a 10 gallon metal Igloo cooler which I have never seen in my life before! It was $12.50 but online they sell for quite a bit. I could only find one or two 10 gallon online anywhere. I found lots of 3 gallon and a few 5 gallon, but only 2 online in the 10 gallon. It did have some rust on the inside base, but I know there has to be a way to coat that as it would be super cool to have at a wedding for drinks as that is the style currently. I know it will sell, even if it is just a decoration as it was full of dirt, so I think it was a decoration before it was donated. 

I love when God provides things that I can sell and help pay bills. Even if none of them sell, most I could keep for emergency preparedness. I know They will sell as they have all sold online. 

I'm feeling blessed as God always takes good care of me! A Gratitude moment for sure! 

Have a blessed day!

Some Days You Give and Others You Take

Yesterday, I shared about a situation where a friend helped me see some things within myself and I posted about what I learned about myself. 

Last night, I had a friend texting me late into the night. I got my blog written, climbed into bed and couldn't get to sleep as I am taking a new thyroid medication and I think it is messing with my sleep schedule as the thyroid regulates the sleep hormones. 

I was just about asleep, and about 6 a.m. this friend started texting me and asked if they could call at 6:30. We talked for over 2 hours and I thought they were in a good place after having a rough night. 

I got a call from another friend immediately after that whose mother had a heart attack today and we visited for about 40 minutes. I had texts before I got off the phone with her and replied to the texts from the first friend who wasn't in a good place and was struggling with some choices in life that are hard. 

I then had several texts and chats about things I am selling and I am helping my elderly neighbor clean out her yard and shed since her husband died, and had to work out a man coming to buy 100 pieces of wood she is selling, but I had to make sure she is going to be home when the man can come to pick them all up. 

I finished replying to all the people about items for sale and fell asleep for about an hour before the texts started again from my first friend. I was having a song running through my mind called, "It Is Well With My Soul." I sent a link to a version on YouTube I thought he may like. Here is a link to the version I sent him!

We texted back and forth and I was so sad that they are in a tough position and with a big heart, it makes the choice all that harder to make. I have been working on trying not to give advice on situations unless a person asks for my advice, or I ask if they would like some advice. I am constantly catching myself starting to give advice and I have to stop and ask the person if they would like my advice or suggestions.

I did it so much today that this person started to ask the question to me when I stopped myself from giving advice. I laughed because I really am trying to be better. Each of my kids know I have been working on this for a year, so you would think I would be better at it by now, but I am still struggling to remember to start that way. 

I had someone come to my door and it was a window salesman and then I went to eat dinner but got another call from this friend for almost an hour and we visited and I think things went better on the second call in some ways but more information was shared on the first call. 

I love that they felt they could call me and share with me. I appreciate that some days I am the one in need, and other days, I am the one that can give. Friends are so wonderful to be there when I need someone, and I am glad that I could be there when a friend needed someone. 

I have been fasting since Sunday night for a medical test yesterday, but chose to keep fasting for the poor Ukraine people suffering so much. My church suggests fasting once a month and giving the money saved from not eating the food to purchase things for the poor. Or, you fast for a purpose, like to help those that are sick, or for an answer to some situation you are dealing with in your life. While praying for this friend today, the fast makes prayers more intense and I do believe that God heard and answered the prayers for this person!

I am really tired tonight and need to finish a few things needing attention. I will be happy to get to bed. However, I fell asleep in the chair and woke stiff and felt like a bobble head. ha ha. I woke an hour or so later and was able to upload the photos and finish posting this! 

I feel blessed to have friends that will sacrifice their time for me, and I am glad at times, I can sacrifice for them! I love my friends and wish that they all could have easy lives, but as we all know, God gives us trails to help us grow. I know this friend is strong and God will bless them in their trial! 

I hope you are as blessed with good friends as I have been! Have a Blessed day!

A Thoughtful and Patient Friend

I had a friend send me a text yesterday as he needed to know details for something he is ordering for me. The gift he ordered is probably one of the most thoughtful and insightful gifts I will ever get. 

I cried seeing the pattern / design for the gift as I immediately knew what it was for and was very overwhelmed by the depth of his knowledge and how he listened to something I said in one of my blog posts or videos quite a while ago. He took that one sentence I shared back then, and is having something beautiful made for me. 

I shared with my girls what he had ordered and they all said, "Wow, that is a perfect gift for you mom!" so even they recognized how insightful the gift he ordered is for me. 

I arrived home today from an appointment, and there was a delivery box on my porch. When I opened it, it was a wooden sign with, "The Secret Is Gratitude" engraved on it! It was from this same friend from my past. I felt very overwhelmed and stressed by the gifts as I know one is VERY expensive. Even if both weren't expensive, just getting showered with gifts from a man made me uncomfortable. 

I have gotten some beautiful gifts over the years and feel so blessed to have so many people care about me. I didn't realize until today, that I have never felt comfortable with getting gifts from men. I enjoy flowers, but in my marriage they represented either his having done something to hurt me, or him sending them to my school or work making him look good. He wouldn't give them to me with a hug privately, he would do it where the other women would say, "Oh, you have the best husband" which always made me feel like he was doing it for him to look good, as that was a large motivation for everything he did, rather than for me in any way. I would share something I may like for a gift and he refused to ever give me something I wanted and would buy gifts that others would notice and then I would say where I got it making him look good, but almost every time, he would buy things I wouldn't use so he would be upset when I wouldn't wear them or use them. It is like giving someone a motorcycle helmet that is really nice, but they don't ride motorcycles.

For example, one year I asked for a sewing machine and I got a pearl bracelet instead. I needed a sewing machine to sew clothes for the girls and things in the house and LOVE creating things. I had several small children and wore no jewelry at all as every time I did they would get broken so for most of my children's lives, I didn't wear jewelry. I went to visit a dear friend a few years back and she said, "You are wearing jewelry! You never wear jewelry!" So, it was clear that I didn't wear jewelry when my kids were young! ha ha

So, I pondered on that and then in visiting with the friend who sent the sign today and ordered the larger gift, I kind of pushed it away emotionally and distanced the gift while texting back and forth. I hurt his feelings doing that and in visiting after that, I had that realization I shared above about receiving gifts from my former spouse, and then had an even deeper realization that when I was younger, there were people in my life who gave me treats and gifts to earn my trust only to hurt me. 

I realized from this friend being patient with me and giving me time to share what I was feeling and look at why I was so overwhelmed with his gifts, that I needed to let go of that mistrust of men and the belief that men can only give me gifts with an ulterior motive. 

I can let men do service for me without that belief, but when they give me something, I am suspect. I also realized that maybe I probably put some of that energy towards my former spouse and always mistrusted his gifts, but know that there is a little of both situations going on in that situation with the attention gift giving gave him. 

It was all just really cathartic having those break throughs, and I realized that this entire situation was needed in my life and I give gratitude to God, and my friend, for giving me a situation that would help me get to that realization. 

I know that sometimes men do give gifts with expectations, but now I realize that I can assess the situation and not just react with suspicion out of reflex.

I am blessed with good friends in my life and I am grateful they are patient with me! 

Have a blessed day!