Need a Laugh Today?

Five tips for a woman....

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to You.

4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.

5. It is important that these four men don't know each other. Photo by Flickr

I'm The Pied Piper....and a Winner!

Girls and guys I just discovered this little gadget you will now see over on your right - Follow My Blog. Please click there and add yourself 'cause I'm collecting people. Other folks collect stamps or thimbles or salt & pepper shakers. With me, it's people! Please sign up. Pretty please. And would someone tell me how to get that "manage" statement off there?



And now, what you've been waiting for: Gene Black from www.artbygene.blogspot.com! Gene I'll be contacting you to get your address so I can send you these placemats. Enjoy. :)

Visitors

Look who was waiting for us on the deck when we got home from church today. Needless to say the hummingbirds are highly offended.

Finished by Friday - A Little Old, A Little New

A year or so ago I made a redwork Christmas stocking for each of my grandchildren - seven so far. This one is for the new grandson scheduled to enter this world on December 31. Well, it's almost a stocking. The redwork is done...that's almost, right? And the emphasis is on the redwork is DONE.

















Ok here's a problem child, or two. I'm starting the Nice People, Nice Things quilt. These are my first two blocks. I planned to do blocks in pastel colors and started with this pink. It does not show up. Gotta rethink my plan. What color would you use if the embroidery blocks are going to be surrounded with pastel pink, yellow, blue and green?



I painted this shelf black this week. You've seen it before done in a cream that was naturally distressed because it had been through several moves. It blended with the wall behind it so I decided to paint it. Black. I'm not sure I like it. Don't tell my husband I said that.









I also painted some picture frames black and these I do like. My children had given me the two largest frames with some old black and whites in them several years ago. That's a pretty large wall so I decided to add more black and whites.











I finished the quilting and binding on Autumn this week and had my husband hang it above the door going out to the deck. I have to let people know it's fall because it doesn't look like it outside! Of course our leaves don't usually change until October so I must be patient.


In addition to the above I finished a couple of naps, but should have had more. I had lunch with an old friend and my husband and I went to a play in Little Rock. Oh and we painted the cabinet and door in my bathroom. Just white and nothing new so no pictures. I'm afraid if I mention paint again my husband is going to raise his eyebrows even higher and they're pretty close to the top of his head already. I won't tell him the living room is needing .....

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

As I approach my 62nd birthday (one week from today) I am finding myself facing some things I never thought about before this time in my life. For one thing, I can't do everything I used to do. And sometimes I can, but just not as well as I used to.

For the last three years I've been a volunteer chaplain at a local hospital. One morning a week I went in, got my assignment for the day, and visited about 20 or 25 patients. I filled out a form on each one, talked to them about how they were feeling and what they might need, often prayed with them or held their hands and just listened. This week I had to give that up. At least for a while, and maybe forever. I have a couple of problems that made this job painful at best. Arthritis in my hands seems to be spreading exponentially (really, really fast!) and filling out forms became nearly impossible. Oddly enough I can type, but just can't write well. My handwriting, which I prided myself on, looks like my grandmother's. Oh well, I look like my grandmother so what did I expect. Now that's really ok because my grandmother was beautiful and sexy and gorgeous and stunning....well, not really but I thought so. And you think so too, I know you do. I'm sure you would tell me that if I asked but I'm much too modest for that.

I loved my hospital visits and I will miss them. But at the same time I feel like God is calling me to a new place in my life. I have no idea what it is but since He picked me up and put me in the hospital ministry I assume He'll place me wherever the next spot is. I trust Him on that. However, breaking up is hard to do...I'll miss the faces that light up when I say I'm from the chaplain's office, I'll miss the sweet stories many of my older patients shared with me and the bravado of the young, I'll miss the tender moments when a patient says "let me pray for you!" and the times I run into old friends or people from my home town. I'll miss the nurses who have joined me in prayer and the technicians who smile and usher me in because they think praying is more important than cleaning or making a bed.

I'm having a sad moment thinking on those things...but a joyful one when I remember that before He put me there I had no idea of the joy coming my way. Today I'm wondering just what He's up to now...and what task He has for me. I bet it will be even more fun than I've had at the hospital! I think it might involve some of you out there reading this post. I know that because of my training and education I'm a good listener....and some of you just need to be listened to. You need someone anonymous to hear your frustrations and your fears. Maybe I'm the one. Some of you are having difficulty understanding your teens...I used to counsel teens. Maybe I'm the one to give you wise counsel or Godly listening. Maybe you're just lonely or sad or afraid and you don't know why and you need someone to encourage you. Or maybe it doesn't involve the net at all. Maybe He's going to send me in a totally different direction. I think I'm looking at a whole new adventure!

My First Giveaway

I wasn't paying attention and passed my 100th post a while back so instead of doing a giveaway for that I'm just going to give you a present for my birthday! October 1st is the day but I'm doing this a little early because I have something else in mind for that day.

These four dark green placemats have a leaf appliqued on the right side and a tab to match on the left. There are four napkins to match which will fit under the tab, along with as your silverware. Perfect for this fall season!

To enter the drawing just comment on this post. If you link to this post be sure you tell me and I'll put your name in twice. I will draw names on Monday morning, September 29. Good luck!