Knowing About and Knowing God, Literary Life, Finding Joy

 

Hello There,

I sure appreciate your visit!  This week was full of stitchy gatherings.  Last Saturday was Be Sew Creative Sit and Sew where I made significant progress on my granddaughter's ornament.  On Sunday my eldest grandson came over to help with yard work and my granddaughter is taking inventory and labeling Daddy's books from San Diego via the Dewey Decimal system.  In planning my own goals for this week, I totally forgot that it was Fall Break for my grandbabies!  I had three wonderful days with them!  I hope you all had a fabulous week reading, stitching and finding joy!

Take good care and, as Daddy used to say, 

"Make memories; it's later than you think."

HERE'S A WORD

While reading Tozer's book I finally became aware of the distinction between knowing about and knowing God.  He provided an analogy, but this one makes more sense to me.  We can see a photo of our favorite actress, author etc. and think we know them, but honestly, we don't know a thing about them unless we approach them, spend time in conversation with them listening to what they have to say.  

He's done so much to create this relationshop as seen here:  

Why did He do this? He created this earth and you and all of us to have a relationship with us, that we would love and worship Him!  

God wants a relationship with us regardless of where we are in life!  Once we take that first step of turning to Him and accepting Him as our loving Savior, He'll guide us to the rest of the journey.

Are you ready to take that first step?  

Please know this:  

You are loved.  You are not alone.  You are being lovingly prayed for.

FIBER FUN

I broke down my "To Dos" into three categories:  Finish, Focus, Prep/make a kit, and Be Kind = Soft Deadlines.  FoF represents the Fields of Fancy BOM, which I'm doing with Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics.  FBF represents the Flower Box Friends BOM

Last Week's List

1. Finish 

- Cabana Mesh Tote and potholders🤞Done!  My husband is going to insert the grommetts, but it's a finish!

I also finished these potholders. 

My granddaughter was experiementing with a strip block

that became a potholder.  

2.  Focus

- FBF: I'll be optimistic:  Finish stitching the pieces of the Bleeding heart block onto background. Not done

- As my granddaughter's Christmas ornament is a surprise, I'm sharing progress on my private Instagram account.  Done!  I managed to make significant progress!

3.   Prepare/make a kit

- reaquaint myself with my already started ornament for my eldest grandson Done!  

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

This Week's goals

1.  Finish

- my granddaughter's Christmas ornament 

2.  Focus

- FoF BOM Applique one prepped hexie and bind another Acufactum hexie

- my eldest grandson's ornament; I'm sharing progress on my private Instagram account. 

- FBF: Continue stitching the pieces of the Bleeding heart block onto background. 

3.   Prepare/make a kit

- Secret Sewing Projects  I wonder what you enjoy making as Christmas gifts?

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

LITERARY LIFE   

I love how my focus has increased with the "Finish, Focus and Prep" methodology I use with my Fiber Arts.  Consequently, I'm going to apply that to my reading life with a bit of a twist.  The categories will be "Finish, Focus and Next".  

This should help with my "Backburner Reads" which are books I started, enjoyed, but lost focus.  

Finish 

Next 

Finished 

**** The Bookshop at Water's End audiobook is another winner by Patti Callahan Henry.   It takes place in Souith Carolina featuring a tragedy turned into a new beginning and finding courage to be oneself.  In the process, there's secrets, best friends, romance and a bookshop whose owner is the wise sage.  Recommend.

***** Ellery Adams has worked her magic again with The Tattered Cover, the eighth book in the popular Secret, Book, & Scone Society series! Though usually not a cozy mystery reader, I was hooked after reading the first pages of the first book, The Secret, Book and Scone Society.  Since then, I've read all the books in this series and can hardly wait for the next installment!  

You will read about mystery, but also about love, kindness and community.  This book follows up nicely with updates on the characters to include major decisions, romance, betrayal and hope for the future.  The quotes at the beginning of each chapter touched my reader's heart, and some of them will go into my reading journal.  I'll continue this series because the writing is wonderful, the mysteries are intriguing  and the characters are very likable! I just have to know where their lives go!  The epilogue was interesting as some characters discussed the attributes of cozy mysteries and those of us who read them.  I wondered if this was perhaps a peek into Adams' thoughts?  Also, readers can find complete and categorized bibliography of the titles mentioned throughout the book!  My reader's heart glowed as I read them.  Highly Recommend.

I was so pleased to receive this eBook from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you to Kathryn at The Book Date for writing about this series back in 2021!  

MAILBOX MONDAY - is a gathering place for readers to share books that they

added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week.

Nothing from ereaderIQ, but I found a few library books!  The last two are graphic novels.  After enjoying the graphic novel, Worm by Edel Rodriguez, I just had to try these two.  Do you enjoy graphic novels?  

FINDING JOY

LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color helps me consistently find the joy in every life.  She also provides a prompt for us to use.  This week's prompt is: As the weather starts to cool, do you have cozy clothes to start wearing? Show pics!  Oh yes, I have the usual leisure pants and t-shirts, but my favorites are two two granny square shrugs I crocheted.  Next week I'll have to pull them out of the closet to show them to you. I found the original pattern here, but you can find variations online.  

   I found a cute, extremely beginner friendly crochet pattern for this book sleeve on Instagram by @crochetchronicles.  

Just a reminder, for those fiber arts friends,  I'm wondering what you enjoy making as Christmas gifts? And for my reading friends, have you tried graphic novels?  Maybe you are in both groups!  :)

Here are the parties I sometimes link up with:  

Sundays

Oh Scrap!  @ Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz

Mondays

Mailbox Monday  @ I'd Rather Be At the Beach

Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps

What Are You Reading at The Book Date

Tuesdays

To Do Tuesday posts at Quilt Schmilt

Thursdays

I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color

Isaiah 49:50, Romans 8:28-29, Fiber Fun, Literary Life, Finding Joy

Hello There,

    Thank you for stopping by! Saturday was our first Flower Box Friends (see Fiber Fun) class at Be Sew Creative in Las Cruces, NM and it was awesome!  I found my slow stitching people!  Rejoice!  After a brief lesson and discussion, we sat for two hours stitching, visiting and sharing tips!  Oh such joy! Though I've been hand sewing since a child, there's still so much to learn and friends have great tips and tricks to share.

    This week I have Sit and Sew at Be Sew Creative, stitching with my Colcha Embroidery Group and then another fun filled class with my Flower Box Group.  

I finished another audiobook by Jojo Moyes (review below) as well as some read reads from NetGalley and my local library.    

    I hope you enjoy the memes, song, and answers to LeeAnne's questions this week.  Relax, grab a cuppa as you read on!  Long ago, I created a playlist on YouTube of some of the songs I've shared in the past.  Then I forgot to keep it up.  🙄 But, I remembered and it's updated.  I hope you enjoy it!

Take good care and, as Daddy used to say, 

"Make memories; it's later than you think."

HERE'S A WORD

I member a time in my life praying, "God, I know all things work together for Your purpose.  And I know you are all things to me, but, well, You knew my birth mother.  How was that a "good thing" and where in Your Word does it say You are my mother?"  As I searched my Concordance, I found this verse.  It has comforted me since then.

I love God's simple answers, don't you?

He replied, "You know what NOT to do as a mother.  Whatever feels natural as a mom (nature vs. nurture), do the opposite."

I also realized, abused children find each other.  As a teacher, within the first few hours of the first day of school, the Holy Spirit would help me discern which of my students were being abused.  I made sure that the rest of the school year they were surrounded with extra love, cuddles and positive reinforcement. For roughly the next ten years after I left the field, one particular student would call me every New Years Eve.  

Then He brought Romans 8:28&29 to mind:

Please know this:  

You are loved.  You are not alone.  You are being lovingly prayed for.

FIBER FUN

I broke down my "To Dos" into three categories:  Finish, Focus, Prep/make a kit, and Be Kind = Soft Deadlines.  FoF represents the Fields of Fancy BOM, which I'm doing with Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics.  FBF represents the Flower Box Friends BOM

Last Week's List

1. Finish

- Make this Cabana Mesh Tote Partially Done.  I forgot to get fusible fleece...ug.  Here's the progress I've made.  

- I'm looking forward to finishing this potholder and perhaps making more! Not done.  I'm planning on finishing them this evening.  

2.  Focus

- FoF BOM Applique last week's hexagons ✔ Last week's hexagons are finished!  Yay!  I even bound an extra one!  

Here's my progress thus far!  

- As my granddaughter's Christmas ornament is a surprise, I'm sharing progress on my private Instagram account:  @miaismine22. 

- FBF:   Begin stitching the pieces of the Bleeding heart block onto background. I'm also going to check out my seed bead stash to accent the blocks.  I may have to pop into Hobby Lobby to complete this task.  Oh bother!  😉✔ Done!  

3.   Prepare/make a kit

 - trace, cut out &  press the pieces for the next block of Flower Box Friends, the Poinsetta. ✔ Done!  I believe seed beads will be a beautiful accent for this block as well.

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

This Week's goals
1. Finish - Cabana Mesh Tote and potholders🤞

2.  Focus

- FBF: I'll be optimistic:  Finish stitching the pieces of the Bleeding heart block onto background. 

- As my granddaughter's Christmas ornament is a surprise, I'm sharing progress on my private Instagram account. 

3.   Prepare/make a kit

- reaquaint myself with my already started ornament for my eldest grandson

- Xmas Table Runners

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

LITERARY LIFE   

I love how my focus has increased with the "Finish, Focus and Prep" methodology I use with my Fiber Arts.  Consequently, I'm going to apply that to my reading life with a bit of a twist.  The categories will be "Finish, Focus and Next".  

This should help with my "Backburner Reads" which are books I started, enjoyed, but lost focus.  

Finish 

Next 

Latinx Book Club

Finished 

(NetGalley eBook to be 

published by Bookouture 10/9/25) 

***** Only I Can Save Them by Imogen Matthews is a definite 5-star read inspired by the true story of Rudolf Breslauer and his family's experience in the Jewish concentration camp, Westerbork. Breslauer was a talented photographer who was forced to take pictures of each prisoner for documentation purposes. He later began secretly documenting the atrocities he witnessed. Little did he realize how important his work would become.

The dual timeline is about the actual time the Breslauers spent in Westerbork as well as the retelling of their lives by his daughter, Ursula. She now has a completing different perspective on her father's actions. Perhaps this is a lesson for us all: have more empathy and understanding.

Matthews wrote this story with compassion highlighting the cruelty that comes when one's view is of racism, hate and destruction. Her book is at once difficult to read and inspiring for one to have the courage and foresight to do what is right in the face of great adversity. This is a book that will stay with me for years to come.

Thank you to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book for an honest review.  

***** The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes was engrossing which surprises me as I'm usually not a fan of romance books.  But Moyes' books are the exception!  What happens when circumstances combine to separate two soul mate couples?  What happens when trust is broken?  

I may not agree with the some of the events in the story, but Moyes' did such a great job that I stuck with the book.  Recommend.

DNF

I stopped listening to this book due to the coarse language.

I do have a question for you to answer in the comments:  

What is your favorite reading ambiance?  

Does the format affect your choice of ambiance?

My alltime favorite reading ambiance is in my study/library/slow stitching room with soft lighting for eBooks and a bit brighter for hard copies.  I usually multitask while listening to audiobooks.  

 

MAILBOX MONDAY - is a gathering place for readers to share books that they

added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week.

I picked up this book at my local bookshop.

I picked up both hard cover and audiobooks at the library.

Here are some more freebies at ereaderiq.com!↓↓

FINDING JOY

LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color helps me consistently find the joy in every life.  She also provides a prompt for us to use.  This week's prompt is:  Do you have a good gingerbread type recipe to share? Or what is your favorite gingerbread style food to eat?  I did have a great recipe for gingerbread cookies, but have since lost it.  I do remember thinking they were so easy to make.  I love gingerbread cookies!  

I found this brain exercise on Instagram, and indeed, it is challenging!

LOL!  My 11 and 9 year old grandsons did it easily.  

The magic of young brains...

Playlist from this blog is here.

   Please remember to take time to 

respond to reading ambiance question in the comments:

What is your favorite reading ambiance?  

Does the format of your book affect your choice of ambiance?

Your comments are so appreciated! 

I read each one and will respond by email.

You can expect a visit from me as well!

Here are the parties I sometimes link up with:  

Sundays

Oh Scrap!  @ Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz

Mondays

Mailbox Monday  @ I'd Rather Be At the Beach

Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps

What Are You Reading at The Book Date

Tuesdays

To Do Tuesday posts at Quilt Schmilt

Thursdays

I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color

Fridays

Off the Wall Fridays at Creations Art...Quilts...Whatever