A THING CALLED GRACE

Alot of you know that I have been spending more time then I like at the hospital....and the 45 minute drive both ways is very tiring. Last Sunday as I was driving home about midnight, I was listening to a christian radio station. To be honest, as first I am thinking to myself....oh my goodness, this guy talking has to be 100 and I hope that I can stay awake. I know.....not very christian like, huh? Anyway...he was talking to this woman and she was explaining how each year she has a word that she embraces......that she tries to live and 'take-in' thoughout the year. You know how you sometimes hear things that you just cannot get away from? Well, this was me. It was like I just could not stop thinking about it.....a word that I wanted to 'take-in'. I thought of so many over the coming days.....but, the first word that popped into my head and that I just kept coming back to was "forgive and forgivenes". wow. Believe me, I kept trying to think of other words (this woman's word was authentic). Always, these words jut kept repeating themselves to me. Ohhhhh........such a word! Something I love to receive, but is sometimes so difficult to extend. I sob when I think of what God has so graciously extended to me......without me even having to beg (which I sometimes need to do). I have so many issues that I seem to be trying to work through right now. And this is the word that can take care of so many of them. Forgive.

It can be so hard when there are so many deep hurts involved. Forgive. This is the word that I want to embrace......that I truely want to 'take in'. Not only to receive but to be the one that is graciously extending.....with no strings attached. I take comfort in the fact that the Lord knows my heart......I believe He understands that it is a process that has humans we sometimes struggle with the fact that we have to be right....there has to be remorse from the person that offends, that we want fairness. But, it scares me to think where I would be if God had the same attitude and I got what I deserved......praise God for a thing called grace.

I know that this is not my usual post. But, it is something that has been on my heart all week. From the time I listened to the guy I thought would put me to sleep. Do you have a word?

LOOK WHAT I DID......

Do you know what this is???? My last post I mentioned that I was going to wade out into the snow and cut some forsythia branches to bring in to force.....LOOK!!!! Little green buds......I will soon have those first signs of spring right in my dining room! I do this every year.....and every time I am amazed! I love spring....like a new beginning. I really needed to do a wider font.....but, this as my first attempt at sub-way art. It is hanging in our living room. These are all names of towns that Rich and I have lived in over the years.

Hard to tell in this picture.....but, this is actually a pale gray.

this colorful ring was made using an earring that belonged to our cousins mother in law. Hope that she likes it!

vinage button ring

another vintage button

Surprising one of Sara's friends with a little goodie package. There just may be a little surprise in this little box.

for example this vintage pink earring ring.

a fun magnetic message board. The buttons are magnets!

a cute little mirror........

more of those monogramed blocks that I cannot seem to get enough of.

LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING

Like so many others I am soooo ready for spring! We have already spotted a few robins and our magnolia bush is covered in blooms. I plan to venture out in the yard tomorrow and check out the forsythia bush to see if there are any buds. I want to cut some and bring in to force bloom. The little yellow blooms are one of my very favorite signs of spring!!! I know we have some time before spring is really here.....but I am loving the 50-60 degree weather, no matter how short lived it is. In Indiana we could have blizzard like weather next week!

This is a necklace I have done......loved the little velvet flower.......... love, love, love

A girl has to take time out for a coffee break once in a while. Plus, love the sentiments on this mug........love what you do!!

I had a group of lovely ladies over last week for a felting class. Actually, I had done the felting ahead of time....we did felt flower pins. What a great evening!

so many colors to choose from!

How cute is this little count-down calendar? The ends are chalk. They will be available with different color lettering. Also, some are made to be hung on the wall. This could be fun for a child to count down the days until their birthday.....Christmas....vacation.

isn't it the truth?

"Home is where you can scratch where it itches"

Inititial block.................

Silly birds..............

funny, silly looking little birds.....

when in doubt, give a gift certificate! When someone buys a certificate it is put into a decorated vintage bottle.....a double gift!

this is a little wooden bank that reminds me of a treasure chest. I have painted and distressed it in pink. I think I will add a little vintage frame to the front that you can personalize.

February - LOVE MONTH

Valentine's Day is Monday. I think immediate thoughts go to heart related things. I started looking through my house to see what I could find that had hearts. ummmm. I used to collect all heart related things....guess I have moved on. It was tougher then I thought. So I began to look for heart related things from a different angle......Valentine's Day....hearts=love.
Doesn't it always start and end with family? Those that mean the very most to you. I started at our "family wall".....our children, Jason, Tyler, Jenny and Sara. Oh my goodness, where does time go. Jason is now 37 about to become a father for the first time and Tyler is 31 and is daddy to our sweet Maryn.

Don't laugh......I guess Rich and I are old then we thought from the looks of this picture.
FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

A part of our heritage.....my parents, Rich's dad and step mother and Rich's mom and step father.....

my dad's parents. This was the only grandparents I ever knew.

Missy and Tyler= LOVE

love birds?

this was a valentine surprise from Rich one year. While vacationing in Hilton Head he had written this message in the sand (yes, he calls me Da......long story....). So, for Valentine's day he printed it with a pink tint, cut it out and put it on my pillow. How sweet is that? I love it.

more of those crazy love birds.....

sweet Maryn and the necklace that I made for her momma....

ok. use your imagination on this one. It was some felted pins I had done for class the other night. Kind of looks like a heart though...right?
I found a few heart pieces in my jewelry box.

February is also "Red Dress" month.....heart health for women. This is dear to me as
I have had heart problems. It is so important not to ignore symptoms you may have...racing heart, skipped beats. I did. For years I would have episodes when my heart would begin to race. Lasting usually just minuets. Over time it might race for up to 30-45 minutes. At Christmas time 1999 my heart began to race. Once again I put it off as anxiety, hormones (all things I had heard in the past as a reason for racing heart). After 3 days it was still racing. I had got to the point where I actually had to sit up to sleep. That is when Rich finally over-rode my denial and took me to the emergency room. When we reached the hospital my heart rate was 265. They could not even get my blood pressure. I could hardly hold my head up, but I was still insisting it was prob. just bronchitis. Ha! I had gone into congestive heart failure. I was admitted to the hospital and that is where I spent the next week....through Christmas. 3 months later I had a heart ablation. We were told it would be an hour procedure......10 1/2 hours later the doctors said that they had the problem fixed. 3 months later as we were watching television I felt my heart again. But, once again I ignored it for 3 days....I mean I was told that I was "fixed". So, I knew it had to be my imagination.

Another trip to the hospital....another heart ablation. This time after 4 hours the doctor comes out to tell Rich that they did not get the results they were wanting as they had cut a nerve and my heart was not beating on its own. At least not fast enough that I would be able to function. So, early the next morning I was scheduled for a pacemaker. I was only 47! Much to young for all this. It was so hard for me to accept at the time. Even knowing it was the only answer to keep me alive I was still so angry.

But, here I am 12 years later....on my second pacemaker. Grateful to be alive and so thankful for modern medicine. All this to say... I did not go to the doctor because I did not want to be embarrassed because it was "nothing". I waited until it was almost too late. My problem was actually something I had had since birth . If you experience rapid heart rate, tell your doctor.

Women's heart disease is on the rise. And not always diagnosed, but put off as anxiety or change of life. It is up to you to take care of yourself.