March Joy Dare — Part 1

One Thousand Gifts in 2012

March Joy Dare–capturing these gifts and joining Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.

“Joy is always a function of gratitude — and gratitude is always a function of perspective. If we are going to change our lives, what we’re going to have to change is the way we see.”

March 1 — 3 gifts at 3pm

Watching the chickens run out of their pen for free-range eating
The quiet of nap time
Gathering fresh laid eggs

March 2   — 3 gifts green

I have started two knitting projects of the same pattern
both in green different size yarn
                                

but oh how different

New Spring green growth

March 3  —  3 gifts wore

A hair net to keep the bun in place
Tights, I love tights.
My shawls, knit, ripped, re knit by me, until I got it right.

March 4  –3 gifts HARD to give thanks for

Leaving our home
The illness of a daughter-in-law
The learning in this season of my life

March 5  — 3 gifts found

Primroses pushing up out of the barren looking soil
Knitting needles hiding in yarn dens being organized
A place for a dresser returned

March 6  —  gift bent, gift broken, gift beautiful

Our deck furniture is wrought iron –bent
My idea for my future is broken
God’ perfect plan for me is beautiful,
Psalm 18:30  As for God, his way is perfect:

March 7  –3 gifts in the kitchen

New pans from Brother Bob
Just enough storage space
A window over the sink

March 8 —  3 gifts  loud

This littlie is very loud

the Farmer’s tractor (sometimes the loud is a bit too much)
The singing at family night

March 9 — 3 gifts carved

A pair of knitting needles made from the walnut trees grown
at the farm where I purchased them
White washed wooden candlesticks
A bear from my Mom and Brother

March 10  3 gifts in Christ

Every need supplied
Job 23:10  But He knoweth the way that I take:
2Corinthians 1:3 -4 Blessed be God, . . . the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation,

Gifts 296 — 326

Published in: on March 12, 2012 at 2:09 am  Leave a Comment  

Where I come from. . .

Reflecting on where I come from. . .

  • from stock that left Oklahoma to come to California for a better life
  • from a family that didn’t understand in-laws/out-laws —   just family
  • from being the oldest of 5 children and the only girl
  • from 4 of us sleeping in one bedroom and pulling the baby in bed with me when he fussed
  • from Sunday dinners at Grandpa & Grandma Ripley’s, you could smell the oven baked chicken in the driveway
  • from the adults playing cards and being allowed to watch if you were silent and didn’t touch anything
  • from having to eat everything on my plate, even the stone cold sweet potatoes
  • from hours of playing Aggravation on the board Daddy made
  • from a week with a cousin at G & G Ripley’s,
    • picking out any cereal we wanted,
    • riding the cultivator with Grandpa,
    • catching the clothes as they came out of the wringer into the wash tub,
    • picking and stringing green beans for canning
    • putting on good clothes for a trip 15 miles into town for errands and lunch out. Grandma wore stockings (she put on wearing gloves to protect from snags) and shoes with low heels
    • sleeping in a room with a bee hive in the wall
    • using the outhouse when the indoor bathroom was busy
    • eating grapefruit that had sugar sprinkled on it the night before
    • knowing I was loved
  • from coming home from school on Tuesday’s and smelling starch from the ironing done that day
  • from learning to embroider at 6 years old
  • from going to Sunday School and learning ‘The Wise Man Built His House Upon A Rock’
  • from learning to make cornbread from scratch at about 9 years old
  •  (I still use the same recipe)
  • from the year the Easter dress wasn’t new, and my only shoes were tennies with a hole at the little toe. Mom washed them white and darned the hole  and we had Easter dinner at Grandma Ripley’s.
  • from changing schools in the 5th grade and not liking riding the bus or the new school
  • from making my first quilt at 11 years old
  • from a Dad who could see the possibilities
  • from walking to the Sanger library every week in the summer and buying a brown paper bag of sunflower seeds from the bulk bin at the 5 & 10 on the way home
  • from driving Clif’s Triumph Spitfire to school my senior year for two week s until he got his license
  • from a Dad who built a 4 seat merry-go-round with a center platform for all
  • from a Mom who before I was born made me a rag doll from  a pattern, embroidering the face, adding yellow yarn for braids, picking the cotton for stuffing, sewing the dress and panties. I still have the pieces of the doll, body,  arms and legs, hair is gone, dress is gone………the love has never changed.
  • from suppers ready exactly at 5:00pm
  • from meeting a young man at 17 years old
  • from getting engaged January, 1967
  • from walking out of my family’s front door on my father’s arm, down the grassy aisle, to a gladiola decorated arch to exchange vows with the man who would become the Farmer

In this blogging world sometimes we play ‘follow the leader’. Mary (oldest daughter) followed Ann, a friend and  I’m following Mary, whose next?

Published in: on March 10, 2012 at 4:01 pm  Comments (1)  

{this moment} March 9

Joining with;   {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Not this week, but I moment I don’t want to forget.

To see other’s moments go here.

Published in: on March 9, 2012 at 12:53 pm  Comments (4)  

Five Minute Friday — Empty, Yet Full

We lie down in our words and make snow angels.We try to remember what it was like to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

Snow angels come in all sizes and shapes, so our words reflect us and it is not until we get up, turn around and look – that we see. . .

Today’s prompt  —  Empty

go.

It was the last day I would ever walk in the house that had been my home for the previous 13 years.

I picked up the leavings,
the last of the remnants of the life lived

I check the closets, the drawers, the cupboards

I looked in all the rooms,
gazed up at all 12 of the skylights,
dusted the mantle of the river rock fireplace,
and finally mopped the hard wood floors for the last time.

I listened and heard

laughter and raised voices
singing and prayers
whispered dreams and loud defiance
cat purrs, dog barks, bird singing
candles, birthday cakes, Mom’s meatloaf, family nights,
thankfuls around the circle

The house was empty, quiet and still

My eyes will tears overflowing

My heart with so many memories . . . full.

stop.

To read about other’s emptiness go here

Published in: on March 9, 2012 at 11:01 am  Comments (11)  

Yarn Along — March 8

I am making progress on Anjou this week.

Last Week

This Week

The Lace

This piece has charts for the individual sections. I have completed:

Point to Pears  – Cast on 5 stitches, 35 rows of knitting, 27 stitches on needles

Widening  –  work all 12 rows 5 times, 5 pears completed, 57 stitches on needles

The Straightaway  –  work all 12 rows 17 times. Whether following Charts or written instructions, work each row as follows, Charts A, sm, B, sm, C, sm, B, sm, D.

I am on my 6th repeat down the straightaway. Once I became accustomed to working the multiple charts and highlighting the ssks to help distinguish from the k2ts, the progress has been easier and faster.

I’m enjoying this project, if I could only stay focused and not sidetracked to all the other beautiful things I want to try.

Sharing my WIP with others here.

Published in: on March 8, 2012 at 12:19 pm  Leave a Comment  

Wordless Wednesday — Cat Curl

Shhh…….I’m wordless on Wednesday!

His name is Busterford Jones

Join others’ silence here.

Published in: on March 7, 2012 at 11:03 am  Comments (2)  

Yarn Stash in the Stash Shed

Have you wondered what’s inside?

Sunday afternoon I started re-organizing the Stash Shed. It was suffering from

pile it-itis

I’ll let you take a peek, understand a lot of moving around had already been going on, I didn’t think of taking before pictures.

On the right I have all my office supply stuff, games, puzzles, etc, next is my pantry food, baking supplies, spices, paper goods and cleaning supplies.  Straight back lower shelf I keep day care stuff car seat, portacrib, extra clothes, diapers, ya’ know.

Upper shelves have quilt kits, assorted fabric boxed according to style ( ’30’s, reproductions, orientals). behind the corner of the cutting table lower shelves and floor I have my yarn.

The top of the cutting table is a flat surface, the rule is you must place STUFF on flat surfaces!

Initially, I was trying to conquer that area. I’m almost done. Gotta put the yarn babies to bed.

Random pictures of yarn.

In the sorting stage.

Disclaimer, my mom sorted her yarn before moving and I got a tub ‘o yarn. So some of these babies are very new to me. Some are long time friends.

I don’t just collect. I also knit.

I must go fondle my yarn and finish my puttering.

Published in: on March 5, 2012 at 12:32 pm  Leave a Comment  

One Thousand Gifts — February Joy Dare part 3

One Thousand Gifts in 2012

February Joy Dare–capturing these gifts and joining Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.

“Joy is always a function of gratitude — and gratitude is always a function of perspective. If we are going to change our lives, what we’re going to have to change is the way we see.”

February 21  —   3 gifts white

White violets arriving every spring,
White clouds turning pink after the rain,

Clean white sheets of paper waiting to receive

February 22  — 3 gifts that changed today

Solid veggies that change into juice,
Water that changed into hot coffee from Bro Bob via the Farmer,
A cool morning changed into a warm afternoon then back cool in the evening

February 23 —  a gift of tin, a gift of  glass, a gift of  wood

My tuna from a tin can,
Many glass windows so I don’t have to live in a cave,
Wood doors for privacy

February 24 —  3 gifts before 11am
A hug from the Farmer,

Devotions with my Father,
Smiles from the littlies

February 25  — a gift nearly worn out, a gift new, a gift made do

Worn out – my favorite jean skirt
New – every day is a new gift
Made do  –  a sea crate instead of a garage

February 26 –3 gifts seen as reflections

Watching a little girl make faces art herself in a mirror,
The love seen in the faces of a senior couple as they smile at a secret thought,
The distorted view of my kitchen in the crome sides of the coffee pot

February 27 — 3 ugly-beautiful gifts (see beauty in ugly)   My brain just couldn’t put this one together, I see a kind of beauty in everything.

February 28 — 3 gifts from the past that help you trust the future
The book “Streams in the Desert’ a devotional given to me June, 1983  by my sister in law  –  each day seems to fit my need.
The Bible I bought for myself, December, 1975, reading it every day

The vows I exchanged on June 16, 1967 “until death do us part” are constant in an ever-changing world.

February 29  — a gift dull, a gift shimmering, a gift cleaned

Dull – The rusty antic iron tractor from my father

Glimmering – Light shining on my knitting needle collection

Cleaned – Fresh washed sheets dried in the sun and wind

Gifts 269-294

Published in: on March 5, 2012 at 11:23 am  Leave a Comment  

Five Minute Friday — Ache

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

So we take five minutes on Friday

and write like we used to finger paint

. For joy in the process

No matter how messy the result.

 

Today’s Prompt  –Ache

Go

Have you ever wanted something so badly it hurt?
Something that you knew was attainable?
Something that would do you good and not evil?
But as you counted the cost. . .it was so great.
As you check your assets. . .you had just enough.
You felt the ache
It was growing.
You looked at the pearl.
It was glowing.


As you paid the price, you felt relief.
The ache satisfied.
You had all you needed.

My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times. Psalms 119:20

Stop.

To read other achey-ness –  click here

Published in: on March 2, 2012 at 4:14 pm  Comments (1)  

Citrus Orchard at Cozy Acres

the Farmer got all five of the citrus trees planted in time for this long awaited rain. Wintery weather is my favorite. Let it blow!

Our five citrus circles

Don’t they look pretty.

Published in: on March 1, 2012 at 10:21 am  Comments (1)  

Yarn Along — February 29

This week I am excited. I have TWO finished projects, yeah!

Little blue wallaby will go to Mr. Emerson tomorrow. It is too big for him right now, but he is growing.
The first time I showed Wallaby.
Now its all done.

I was sick this past weekend, so to feel better I knitted and knitted and knitted. I loved being sick so I could give in to just sitting around knitting. I’m all better now so back to having other stuff interfere with knitting.

A slouchy hat in baby alpaca grande, color 4.  ribbed band, with seed stitch slouch. The set took 4 skeins.

with matching scarf…. cast on 32 stitched 8 stitches in seed stitch with a 16 stitch cable in the middle.  For a young lady who I think would rather live in the medieval times.

And then, my girlfriend (I’ll blame this one her) started her first shawl, and I saw this pattern in Rumpelstiltskin  (isn’t that the best name for a yarn/spinning/weaving shop) and HAD to start a shawl for me.

Pattern  – Anjou by Fiber Creams, # FD-52 using Ella rae, lace merino, 100% extra fine merino, color 122.

Working over 4 charts A B C B D, with written directions also. I love the way it is coming along.  I think this is the third start over, ready for the next section so added a life line, I didn’t do that before and when I dropped, I frogged.

Keri at http://whendidibecomeaknitter.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/wip-wednesday-feb-29/ and her goal of 12 shawls in 12 months, encouraged me to at least do one.

Presently, listening to the Moonstone, Wilke Collins,  on Audible, had an Anne McCaffrey marathon over the weekend.

I’m new to taking pictures and in a 27 ft RV there are few options, please bear with me.  Thanks.

find out what others are knitting and reading here.

Published in: on February 29, 2012 at 1:46 pm  Comments (3)  

Wordless Wednesday — Garden Preparation

Wordless on Wednesdays, but not idle.

To view other wordlessness, go here.

Published in: on February 29, 2012 at 11:51 am  Comments (2)  

Bulbs After a Long Sleep

February 28, 2011

February 14, 2012

February 27, 2012

February 27, 2012

This is why I know spring is on its way.

Published in: on February 27, 2012 at 6:00 pm  Comments (1)  

Five Minute Friday — Grit

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays (or Saturdays).

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

Today’s prompt is GRIT, first I look up sandpaper, then I write.

From Wikipedia  —  Sandpaper, also known as glasspaper[1], is a heavy paper with abrasive material attached to its surface.

Sandpaper is part of the “coated abrasives” family of abrasive products. It is used to remove small amounts of material from surfaces, either to make them smoother (painting and wood finishing), to remove a layer of material (e.g. old paint), or sometimes to make the surface rougher (e.g. as a preparation to gluing).

Go

I wonder about the Carpenter when He looks at me.
As He checks me over for things that shouldn’t be.
How does He choose what grade of paper to make me like Himself? Sometimes I feel the raspy-ness of grit, coarse and rough.
I feel the weight of His strength and sense His muscles bulge. Those times make me cry and I feel like running far away, even as He cradles me in His other hand to steady the work to be done that day.
Sometimes the grit is medium and I can stand there like a child of His and take it.
Sometimes it feels almost soft like a caress, and I hear, ‘Yes, just a little here and some smoothing there. I think I’m just about through with this area. She’ll be a vessel of honor someday.’

Stop

More Friday Ramblings can be found here

Published in: on February 25, 2012 at 10:50 am  Comments (2)  

Wordless Wednesday – Attitude

On Wednesday’s I’m practically wordless.

Busterford Jones

See other’s  wordlessness here.

Published in: on February 22, 2012 at 9:53 am  Comments (4)  
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