Christmas morning 2012

Old drawer, new life

Cute

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

All Grandma's girl wants for Christmas...

 

is her two adorable front teeth

 

It is what it is

For many years I did not carry a handbag, partially because I could never find one that made me take a second look.  I simply carried what I needed for that day in my pocket...debit card and occasionally my Costco card.  Drivers license, AAA card, a comb and pen had a permanent home in my car. It  is just what worked for me at the time.

Then last year just happened, life altering changes for the better; with those life altering changes, came a bit of a glitch... in the new girly girl, I soon evolved into.  Namely handbags, leather ones, many designer...to be exact.  I now find that  are more often than not...appear gorgeous to me handbags. My Amazon wish list continues to grow.  The first one I bought, only because; I was making a two week trip to Indiana. Pockets for carrying stuff and things, was not a realistic option.  Before I left for my trip, I found in Target, the perfect for me handbag, a camel colored one.  Even though it was not leather it felt as soft and it would serve a purpose. The fact that I adored it, was just icing on the cake.  It became and still is my go to purse.  Then the journey began...a couple of months later, I bought a red leather purse and there was no going back... to just pockets after that.

Searching Amazon has left me with many oohs and ahs, all expensive and for now only on my wish list.

Abundance of gratitude

for Tuesday
To keep me grounded is to remind myself of what is truly important; gratitude for the simple things.

Today I am grateful for the blessings
that God embraced my spirit with
...inner peace
...inner contentment
...a calm and humble spirit
...forgiveness
...gratitude
...spirituality
...knowing Him

In my ideal kitchen, there would never be enough jadeite green

Whispers of my childhood

Abundance of gratitude

for Saturday
To keep me grounded is to remind myself of what is truly important; gratitude for the simple things.

Today I am grateful for
...tomorrow and not having to work
...for not working,  blesses me to be able to go to church
...not once but twice, the second time...for a proud mama moment
...as my daughter has choreographed the Christmas play
...and tomorrow, I will nourish my spirit in more ways than one
...a day when life can get no better

Jack Jonas, gone but not forgotten

 

1931 - December 4th 2012

What a blessing, for me that our paths crossed...for the short three months, I was blessed to care for you.  What I came away, with made me feel like I knew you a life time.  You were charming, thoughtful, kind, humorous and there was such a sweetness about you.

I learned a little Dutch, we shared a comonality of how World War 2,  affected both of us in one way or another.  You, for you knew first hand what it was,  growing up  as a young child in Holland. I as my grandfather was a Holocaust survivor from Poland.  You shared with me, your knowledge and love of flowers. You would always point them out to me on our walks.

You will always have a place in my heart...God needed you and now the heavens are blessed with you.

Soul nourishing music

There are defining moments in ones life. Seven years ago a song on the radio was one for me. At that time...I had been diagnosed with colon cancer and six months of chemotherapy soon followed. The emotional part of cancer had many facets; at different parts of the journey. The time preceding surgery I felt so overwhelmed with the total loss of control...I felt, over my life. Then there was the chemotherapy which was so physically debilitating and beyond emotionally draining. So much so that there were times that I felt I could no longer continue chemo.

My days were filled with just trying to make it, until the good week. A good week was the week that I did not have to endure 4 hours of chemo (on a good chemo day) and all the horrid side effects. Chemo did not end when I walked out the door of the infusion room...for then I would go home with a pump for 2 days. Living for the every other week was the bain of my existence. Then this one blessed day I heard, Hips Don't Lie...on the radio. From the first moment I heard that song; it brought a such a spark of life into my spirit and I didn't want to let go of it...as it was a feeling like no other. My sister blessed me with the CD and every time I got in the car; I so felt the music that I played it over and over and over again...as loud as I could.

For a brief few minutes in time I was once again able to embrace all that I was and for a mere second chemo...was only a distant memory.

Today's forgiveness is about gleaning your spirit and embracing new beginnings. 
Tomorrow is only filled with faith...as you nourish the new seeds you have planted. 
The future is about about harvesting the fruits of your labor...a well nourished spirit.

Abundance of gratitude

for Saturday
To keep me grounded is to remind myself of what is truly important; gratitude for the simple things.

Today I am grateful for
...unopened mail from yesterday, that brought with it; a check for $69 and a coupon from my dealer for a $19.95 oil change...both which could not have come at a most needed time

Abundance of gratitude

for Friday
To keep me grounded is to remind myself of what is truly important; gratitude for the simple things.

Today I am grateful for
...a calm spirit
...forgiveness, for without it I would not have been able to have a cohesive, never been in a better place, at peace relationship with my ex

What we are is God's gift to us;
what we make of our lives is our gift to Him!
Author Unknown

Let me count the ways

What better of a way, to try different

organic, green and fair trade products:

 but for monthly organic sample boxes

 

Eco-Emi

                    

Blissmobox

         

White Apricot

                                     

Isn't this lovely and vintage looking?

The road to spirituality is paved...

 

with new tattoo's that symbolize inner peace

                                                             
                                                                      
                                                              and balance

 

 

Oodles of cuteness

Makes me just smile...smile

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart
- Kahil Gibran

More vintage for the fridge

Isn't she lovely

                        Elizabeth's Embellishments

Stumbling is not always a bad thing...

as in stumbling across a poem that, strengthens even more...ones faith.  Nothing than another one, of Gods gentle reminders....in my own sand.

Footprints In The Sand

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed

he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

For each scene he noticed two sets of

... footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

written by Carolyn Joyce Carty

Abundance of gratitude

for Sunday
To keep me grounded is to remind myself of what is truly important; gratitude for the simple things.

Today I am grateful for
...a most awesome God who carried my broken spirit, until I was no longer broken and now continues to walk beside me
...the blessing of being able to embrace once again, everything that once defined me but for one moment in time, was not forever lost...but just tightly guarded in my heart

I have come such a long way

 

God is beyond amazing.

 He carried me...out of the darkness.

  He held me up... until I saw the light.

 He embraced me...when I was so very lost.

He held my hand...every step of the way,

 especially when I did not know Him.

He blessed me with new beginnings.

   He answered my prayers...when He graced my path,

with that which I thought;,

 I would never again be capable of again.

 

R.I.P. Izzie

1999 - 2012

"I am a thousand winds that blow,

 I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

 I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

 I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the stars that shine at night.

Please stand not at my grave and cry,

 I am not there I did not die."

You will always and forever be in our hearts.

I dropped a tear in the ocean. The day you find it is the day I will stop missing you.
~Author Unknown

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden.
~Claudia Ghandi

Ask me why I keep on loving you when it’s clear that you don’t feel the same way for me… the problem is that as much as I can’t force you to love me, I can’t force myself to stop loving you.
~Author Unknown

One proud mama