Relieved!

After discovering a hole in the sleeve of my favorite and very old, vintage jacket,
I decided to apply a patch to extend its use a little while longer...

I'm relieved and delighted to be able to wear this jacket again.
(I have NO idea how long this patch will hold...
I'm no stitcher!)

I Still Can #7

 I still can appreciate artistic talent!

A young friend of mine

has recently taken up water colors.

I sent her this photo of our house,

and this morning, she delivered!

I couldn't be happier with the result.

The Raven and I

After months in the ark,

I rather imagine the raven Noah summoned to fly over the receding waters

needed some nudging and encouragement to test its wings
 before going on its mission.

I felt a bit like that this morning.

Weakened and slowed by my malaise,

I gathered pins, fabric and scissors to test MY wings

by fabricating a simple replacement cover

for the cushion on which I sit every day.

This was the tangible result.

What is NOT visible is the very real spark (however small) of hope

that healing is progressing and health is just around the corner.
***
This small project intensifies my desire and determination
to be more creatively productive in 2018.

Triplets!

I started a new personal challenge on my facebook page.
One a day...

Alphabetical (26) "triplets" of characteristics to which I aspire 

and a Bible reference for at least one of them.

For example:  

A = Authentic/Alert/Audacious “

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. 

For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

 B = Bountiful/Beautiful/Broken 

“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. 

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:17)

And today is C! 

Confident/Caring/Competent

 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-

-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

 (2 Corinthians 3:6)

This exercise challenges me spiritually,

encourages Scripture memory,

and provides creative discipline and focus.
Having completed another similar challenge,
I wanted to keep the creative juices flowing!
How do YOU challenge yourself?

Words Are My Craft. And Music...

I opened the mail Wednesday to find THIS!
Cheered by its colors,
    blessed by the thoughtfulness,
          and in awe of the creativity and talent
          that went into its creation,
I began to wish I possessed the skills so many of my friends possess. In my moanful state, I couldn't think of ANYthing I did creatively.

Then it dawned on me!
Words are my craft. And music.
It is not for me to wish and compare
but to use and share
the gifts and talents I have been given.

THESE words, for instance--words composed recently
to acknowledge and assuage the discomfort
of  a blogging friend...

Healing IS process 

Slow 

Quiet 

Irksome

Solitary 

Two steps forward 

One back

Celebrate mornings 

Let evenings embrace you

Write 

Breathe

(rlg 2/2016)

Stitched into the corner of Marlynne's gift was this reference:  Matthew 5:16--

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Stitching?  Painting? Gardening? Decorating? Words?  Music?
Whatever!
Let it shine.

Whatever be the gifts which each has received, you must use them for one another's benefit, 
as good stewards of God's many-sided kindness.  (I Peter 4:10, Weymouth New Testament)

Why Not?

Why not?  This lamp shade was collecting dust inside the house.
I may center it on the stump and place the bird on the stump in the background,
but I think I'm going to leave the shade outside to add interest to the shade garden we're developing.

(I know I "stole" this idea from SOMEone.  Just can't remember who.)

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said:  'It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.'"  (Jim Jamusch)

In the end, "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new."  (Ecclesiastes 1:9, New Living Translation, Bible)

Yes.  I like this better...

Remember "Creative"?

 “There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”   Martha Graham


Creative/create are "my words" for 2014.

I've come to realize that a lot of my creative work involves

generating creative ideas
and watching others bring them to fruition.

Like the decorating of the dollhouse
inside and out...

 “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” 
— John Steinbeck

 the installation of a plug-in in our kitchen island...

or the painting of several miscellaneous picture frames.

I DO do weekly creative writing, select music for our congregational singing

at church, and play the keyboard each Sunday,

but maybe my creative energy is MOST directed toward coming up

with activities that will engage my mother when I visit her

several times a week in the Special Care Unit (Memory)

where she is a resident.

  Above, she is engrossed in the arrangement of the doll house that I carried in one morning...

below, we test the capability of a vintage cash register/bank

to count and register the coins we inserted.  (It worked perfectly!)

I'm afraid I've not consciously planned or documented a creative activity every day,

but I DO enjoy those that I have and hope to include many, many more in the days to come.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to remember that

 “You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.”  Jack London

By the way, how are YOU incorporating "YOUR word" into your year so far?

Create

I've not been secretive about my difficulty in coming up with "my word" for 2014.  And I think I  said earlier that even if I did select one, I'd probably not post it here!  Well, I've changed my mind.

Without going into a lot of detail, I will simply announce that the word is CREATE.  I will be assembling other Bible verses that refer to "my word", but the one that came to my mind first was Psalm 51:10--an expression of my heart's desire on this 4th day of January 2014:

Create in me a clean heart, 

O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

As I began reading through the Bible (chronologically) this year, I've obviously been cognizant of God's magnificantly creative acts that formed this beautiful world and all that it contains...

I'm also remembering Edith Schaeffer's writings about creativity and hope to reread a few of them.  Additionally, I plan to be more intentional about exploring, exercising and expanding my God-given creative abilities.  Yes.  Even at age 65!

I began today by creating some applesauce; cooking some apples in our crock pot, running them through the blender, and stirring in a tad of brown sugar and cinnamon before I refrigerated it.  This afternoon I plan to stencil the floor in a room or two of this doll house  that my husband applied his creative touches to on New Years Day.   (See more of his work here.)

I'm kind of relieved to have this "word-thing"

off my mind!

It should leave me more time to CREATE!

Done!  I even applied a stencil on the wall under the stairway!

Inspiration WILL Find Me

Several weeks ago now, my husband cut up a VERY large chalkboard into pieces to fit old frames we had.  I listed them on some local facebook garage sale sites, and we sold several of them.   I had a couple remaining and got tired of listing them.

This morning I decided to put forth one more effort.  I brought in the one you see above, drew the huge pumpkin on it, took the obligatory pictures and posted it.  (Incidentally, in the process, I propped it up in front of our fake fireplace and discovered that it REALLY looked great there!  I almost wished no one would want it.)

But by mid-afternoon, I had an inquiry.  We made arrangements, and I met her at a prearranged location where she purchased it.  Tonight, my fireplace stands empty, and my billfold is a little fuller.
(Well, not really, 'cause I drove across the road and spent it at the grocery store.)

The whole experience serves as an example of the validity of Picasso's statement which currently appears in the Quote Box  at the top of this blog:  "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."  While working, I had SO many ideas of other simple sketches I could do over the holidays if the board didn't sell.

Oh well.  I'll wake up with fresh energy to work again.  I'm sure that inspiration WILL find me once more.

Don't Miss This

At the risk of leading you to believe that all I do is "play",

 I'm sharing the sights on the streets of a nearby town, Auburn, IN.

 Remember.  My husband and I are spreading our 41st wedding celebration

over the entire summer!

 This is Part 3.

 Or Part 4 if you count the meal we enjoyed at The Factory on the actual day...

 Hmmmmm.  I guess I SHOULD count that.

 The town has a lot of new shops downtown.

 New to US, anyway!

 Coffee shops, specialty bakeries, antique stores, unique gift and craft shoppes,

 even a bicycle repair shop!

 Many restaurants surround the square, but our favorite is Sandra D's - NOT on the square.

 Every year, the town has an Art Exhibit  that draws people from ALL over

the area to see the work of local artists

 and periodically a nationally-known sculptor.

All over the square -- well-maintained flowers in large pots.

(This one is built into a building -- very European-like, it seemed to me.)

The chairs will be auctioned off in September but will be in place

for viewing throughout the summer.

You REALLY ought to see it if you can!

And always remember, that it is
God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 
 (I Timothy 6:17)

I Never Promised You A....

The piece of slate was accidentally dropped in the activity around the potting bench the other day.

It broke nicely into two pieces.

I asked my husband to drill a second hole in the larger of the two, cut the cord,

and fitted it to serve two pieces.

It sat on my counter awaiting transformation.

"We don't need to retire to the desert to meet with God. 

He can come to us at our ordinary duties."

 (A. Bonar) 

The inspiration came a day or two later

when in a sense, God came to me "at my ordinary duties".

Stencils. a little bit of  paint, and two words.

 I placed the two in different flower beds.

Only when I downloaded (or is it uploaded) the photos

did I realize what I had!

From a broken piece, a ROSE GARDEN!

A fall, a break, a hole drilled, a cord cut.  

Kind of the story of my life...

Not always "feel good" moments, but a fine outcome!

"Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it."

Genesis 50:20

Creative Ways?

My most recent attempt at a "creative way"...

All around me it seems that close friends and friends of friends and relatives of friends are experiencing hardships -- many of them health-related.  Some of them are life-and-death situations.  I am often at a loss to know what to do.  I pray.  Yes, I do.  But I want to "do" something.  That's where I'm stumped.
Carrying in food seems to be the popular go-to-first action.  My problem is that I'm a miserable cook.  At the very least, I lack confidence.

What to do?  How to support?  How to show my love and concern?

Jacquelyn's brother is one of those relatives of friends who is suffering. At his blog, in a January 7, 2012 report, he tells of an opportunity he had to speak to his church about his experience.  He says, "I strongly encouraged the congregation to realize that life can change suddenly and dramatically. There are no guarantees for health (etc etc) for any of us. I also wanted people to know that in the Body of Christ when one member hurts....all hurt and when one member rejoices....all rejoice.  Please take this to heart and be fully engaged in your local fellowship and find creative ways to serve those who are in pain."

I want to be "fully engaged". 

I'll keep trying to find creative ways to serve those who are in pain.  

Any suggestions (besides food)?

Creativity

 

“There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. 

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium 

and it will be lost.”  — Martha Graham

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, 

making mistakes, and having fun.” — Mary Lou Cook

 The key question isn’t “What fosters creativity?” But it is "Why in God’s name isn’t everyone creative? Where was the human potential lost? How was it crippled?" I think therefore a good question might be not "Why do people create?" But "Why do people not create or innovate?" We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything. — Abraham Maslow

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, 

and that voice will be silenced.” — Vincent van Gogh

 We went to Taste of Arts this afternoon.

I had fun trying my hand at hat-making

(with a little help from friends).
Newspaper, masking tape, scotch tape and tissue paper
are MAGIC!

Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, 

or to discover something that is true.  - William Inge

“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” - Albert Einstein

A Different Spin on Easter Eggs

Last night, our Home Connection walked through a very abbreviated Seder Meal (the traditional experience would last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours).  The Seder Meal was the last meal Jesus participated in with His disciples before His crucifixion.  I have not studied the origin and significance of this meal as many have...but I DID learn that Seder means "order".  There is a specific order in which the meal unfolds.  There is significance in all the items on the Seder menu.  Each is a teaching tool to celebrate and pass on the story of God's deliverance of His people from bondage.

I was a little surprised to find that one of the items on a Seder plate was a roasted egg.   One explanation describes it as being a symbol of the suffering and oppression of God's people in Egypt.  Everything else in boiling water becomes soft or disintegrates. But an egg becomes hard, like the Israelites. The more it is boiled, the harder it becomes. Another source said the egg also symbolizes new life while yet another said it represented the Temple sacrifice.

This morning, I got out the last remnants of fabric that had been included in a wallpaper sample book that I have almost exhausted from various uses (lining drawers, wrapping small gifts, other crafts).   I cut out egg shapes, stuffed them with cut out pieces of an old athletic sock (I didn't have any proper stuffing), and stitched them up.  I think they'll fit in flat envelopes nicely.  I'll date them and sign them and stick them in the mail to our grandchildren who won't be able to spend Easter with us. 

I saw something similar while blog-hopping the other day.  

Unfortunately I didn't write down where I was hopping!  

I'll give credit if anyone can help me out!

HOW TO TELL IF AN EGG IS HARD-BOILED OR NOT
Gently place the egg on its side on a countertop.
Spin it. If it spins freely, it's hard-boiled.
If it wobbles and stops spinning, it's NOT!

Night Lights 2

 You may have visited my previous post where I chronicled our attempt to brighten the lengthening nights and darkness of the street in front of our house...Well, being a little obsessive about details, I wanted a matching orange cast on the outdoor lamp beside our garage door.

This was my husband's solution!

Just WHERE the frisbee came from, believe me, I don't know!

It DOES produce the desired effect...

and from the street, I don't think anyone will notice exactly how the Pastor

has improvised to make his wife happy!

This reminds me that

God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  (2 Corinthians 4:6).  I want to be aware of how the Light of Jesus within me might be altered by my words or actions.  I want to live appropriately, empowered by HIS "all-surpassing power" (4:7).

Appendix  I realize I SHOULD have said that I AM aware of whose logo it is.  

What I MEANT to convey was that I don't know how it came to be in our possession!  

I'm Kind of Proud of Myself!

I'm not sure what possessed me when I asked, "Would you like me to make some centerpieces?"

(I'm not so creative.)

One day I walked the aisles of the Meijer store looking for SOMETHING to incorporate into centerpieces for a baby shower.  I looked at this Foam Puzzle Mat and got an idea!  I purchased a bag of balloons, too.

 This is what I came up with!  I assembled them this morning.  They're in place for the shower this afternoon.

There were letters left over, so here is a mini-tower we constructed on the refreshment table.

I'm pleased with the outcome.  The puzzle will be my gift for the baby!

I'm looking forward to a good time this afternoon (and am glad MY part is over)!