Thank you for stopping by! Whether you are enjoying summer or a completely different season across the globe, I hope you are staying comfortable. Here in Southern New Mexico, the heat is no joke. I’ve been fleeing the heat by going indoors by 10:00 AM, stepping out only for my absolute favorite things: my reading and fiber arts groups. Well, I also step out for my responsibilities like medical appointments and purchasing fresh produce. I’m drinking so much water I feel like my eyeballs are floating!
I also have a big milestone coming up: my gallbladder surgery is in six days. I'm hoping it can be done laparoscopically so recovery has more of a chance to be a breeze. I have some wonderful quality time lined up afterward with my grandbabies—who range from 10 to 16, though they’ll never outgrow that title to me.
So, grab a cold drink (or a hot tea!) and enjoy this week’s recap.
Take good care and, as Daddy used to say,
"Make memories; it's later than you think."
HERE'S A WORD
I do my best to let the Holy Spirit lead my words and stay true to the Bible. But I’m human, and I’m definitely going to miss the mark sometimes. When I do, I just ask for your patience, grace, forgiveness and prayers! Pastor Jerry Mack Barnard from Clovis, NM used to encourage us to take notes and study his sermon. I encourage you to do the same. As you do, I pray God will bless your socks off!
As I prepped for this study, I simply highlight all the words that describe what God does for us in my Bible and make a list of them in my journal. I'll follow the same format here.
We can relate to David as he questions God in verse one. "God have you forgotten me? How long will You hide Your face from me?" I was there in 2025. I even wrote a series for those who were thinking the same thoughts.
God doesn't forget us. How can He? He has written us on the palms of His hands! He will never forget us. We are His children. Rest easy in that knowledge.
Even if we feel forgotten or ignored, remember: Feelings are not facts. They are simply feelings.
Many years ago when we were youth group sponsers, I had the privilege of having a converstation with Tristen, one of the "wise beyond her years" youth. We were talking about God carrying us. She said,
"When we're babies in the LORD, He carries us.
When we're teenagers in the LORD, He holds our hand as He walks with us.
BUT when we're adults in the LORD, He simply walks with us."
I can't say for sure her words are in the Bible, but I can say that the message was clear: God carries us, holds our hands or simply walks with us. We don't need to feel God all the time, the fact is, whether we feel Him or not, He's with us. He promises to never forsake or forget us, even if our earthly parents have.
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
- at least one FoF hexagon Done!
2. Focus
- FoF applique Done! I've made a bit of progress!
- For my evening crochet, I'll continue working on Grandson's #4 afghan Done! I made significant progress!
3. Prepare/make a kit
- for a Jalepeno Table Topper Done!
4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!
This Week's List
1. Finish
- at least one FoF hexagon
- Grandson's #4 afghan just in time for his birthday!
2. Focus
- FoF EPP/applique
- Now I'll focus on the Christmas Cowls I've been making.
- Begin the jalepeno table topper
3. Prepare/make a kit
- for Grandson #3 and #4's ornament
Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!
15 MINUTES TO STICH
I’m joining the Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch' challenge at Life in Piecesto build the habit of machine sewing every day. It's easy to find time for prep work or hand stitching, but making it to the machine consistently is where I need the extra push. My numbers for last week were zilch! It seems dismal, however, I am patient as my husband has been painting my sewing room and storage closet. He ordered some Billy Shelves from Ikea, so machine sewing is on hold. I may pull out my Featherweight and create a sewing area. But, yay! A sewing room makeover!
LITERARY LIFE
MAILBOX MONDAY- is a gathering place for readers to share books that they added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week. Some of these books were recommended by you! Do you see your reads below? Thank all of you for sharing!
Here's what I've picked up this week.
ereaderiq.com I'm starting to post these titles on Instagram on the day I acquire them as the deals are short-term. I did not pick up books from ereaderiq, but here are two others I picked up.
***** René Peña-Govea's debut novel Estela, Undrowning surprised me with the depth of its subject matter. I wanted to weep, rage, and cheer for Estela Morales as she matured and learned her identity.
The title immediately drew me in as I asked, "What is making her feel like she's drowning? What does it mean to be 'undrowning'?" As I read, not only did I understand the issues, but I also realized that the same racist educational system my father and I grew up in tragically exists today. I started drowning, until I began living vicariously through Estela.
When a poetry contest to celebrate our beautiful Latino heritage is announced in Estela's exclusive high school, a non-Latino student wins the coveted $500 and Estela comes in second place. This tipping point in her life forces her to come to grips with several difficult issues. One is whether exclusive high schools should base their acceptance protocols on test scores or lotteries. Another issue is the curriculum in most schools—a biased curriculum that focuses on Caucasian history and literature, excluding people of color. Add in the complication of the Morales family's new landlord attempting to use legal bullying to intimidate and evict them. I could not believe this could happen, until I realized one of my own family members is going through a similar situation!
Estela responds to all these high-stress situations in a manner that at first makes it seem like all is lost—until it isn't. She makes many mistakes, but will they be her ruin? Or will she indeed start "undrowning"? Highly Recommend.
I express my gratitude to René Peña-Govea, HarperCollins Children's Books, and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to review Estela, Undrowning.
FINDING JOY
LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Colorhelps me consistently find the joy in every life. She also provides a prompt for us to use, like this one: What are your fave flowers to grow or put in hanging baskets ? My all time favorite flowers are geraniums of all colors. For the last few years my garden has been sorely neglected. I'm looking forward to prepping my flower beds and pots this summer and fall.
My grandson has the most unusual desert plant!
I found these frozen leftovers steak strips, so I added
the common three + one ingredients
and made a delicious meal.
The three ingredients are
tomatoes, onion, fresh jalepeno and garlic.
Poor Chico, he's so scared of thunderstorms; he hid in the corner behind my chair.
Wow, it has been two whole weeks since my last post! I honestly thought I’d be blogging while in San Diego, but we were just too busy making memories. From exploring local gems with Mama—complete with a perfect afternoon sharing cheesecakes at her home—to discovering new spots with my DH, we completely immersed ourselves in the local scene. Of course, no trip to SD is complete without visiting my favorites, including two trips to Liberty Station and a wonderful haul (pics in the Finding Joy section) from Apricot Yarn and Supply! On quieter days, we visited Mama at home and went for long walks on our own. Overall, it was a wonderful time to disconnect and relax.
Take good care and, as Daddy used to say,
"Make memories; it's later than you think."
HERE'S A WORD
As I prepped for this study, I simply highlight all the words that describe what God does for us in my Bible and make a list of them in my journal. I'll follow the same format here.
The Godly Are No More
For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith.a A Psalm of David.
the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongues
He sees the cause of the oppressed
He hears the groaning of the needy
He responds by rising up and bringing safety to him who yearns.
He speaks flawless, refined and purified words
He keeps us
He guards us forever from this generation
My heart cries with gratitude as I read David's words as he is surrounded by those he cannot trust! Look how he described those around him: unfaithful, liars, flatterers and those filled with self-pride. Can you imagine how Davide must feel? Have you been in a similiar situation?
Perhaps you've heard this quote: "Don't tell God how big your problems are; tell your problems how big your God is!" How many times are we focused on the problem, yet forget God's promise to us in Psalm 12?
As soon as David hears this response, he remembers who God is and that His words are:
- flawless,
- pure
- and even compares them to gold refined SEVEN times!
David states yet another of God's promises that He will keep the needy safe and will protect us from the wicked FOREVER!
I wasn't raised with a strong faith. Sure, I did everything that was required of me, but I didn't truly claim a faith of my own until my late teens. In fact, I didn't even realize I could read the Bible on my own until my late twenties! Looking back, it makes perfect sense why my heart races and my spirit rejoices as these words sink deeper into my heart than ever before.
Because His words are flawless and pure, they have the power to rescue and protect us when we surrender our hearts and lives to Him. I know this firsthand. I have carried a thorn in my side for over forty-five years, and these last few months, I almost allowed my reaction to it to cause real harm. But God... yes, God moved.
So, even when we are surrounded by difficulties, let us approach God's Word with joy and anticipation. We can rest in the confidence that we've surrendered our lives to the One who is entirely trustworthy to care for us. And from that place of security, let us share our precious faith with others.
Please know this:
You are loved. You are not alone. You are being lovingly prayed for.
May you/someone you know find God.
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
4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!
This Week's goals
1. Finish
- at least one FoF hexagon
2. Focus
- FoF applique
- For my evening crochet, I'll continue working on Grandson's #4 afghan
Prepare/make a kit
- for a Jalepeno Table Topper
Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!
15 MINUTES TO STICH
I’m joining the Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch' challenge at Life in Piecesto build the habit of machine sewing every day. I've accepted that I prefer hand work to sewing by machine. Not gonna fight it anymore, I'm just going to accept that part of myself! This week, I sewed everyday! It was fun to work on my Colcha embroidery and my grandson's afghan. It was NOT fun to pull out about a foot of my pink shawl! Lesson learned: Do not crochet during the exciting parts of a TV show! 😉
LITERARY LIFE
MAILBOX MONDAY- is a gathering place for readers to share books that they added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week. Some of these books were recommended by you! Do you see your reads below? Thank all of you for sharing!
Here's what I've picked up this week.
ereaderiq.com I'm starting to post these titles on Instagram on the day I acquire them as the deals are short-term.
***** Florencia Etcheves'Frida's Cook is a definite five-star, dual-timeline read that details the relationship between Frida Kahlo and her cook, Nayeli Cruz, while also following Frida's modern-day descendant, Paloma, as she uncovers secrets about a mysterious painting. The three narrators—Cynthia Farrell, Aida Reluzco, and André Santana—add incredible depth and clarity to the audiobook.
Etcheves and the narrator team kept me completely invested in how Frida and Nayeli's relationship developed over the years, even as Paloma's search for the truth behind the painting deepened. Etcheves weaves these storylines together with immense skill, seamlessly incorporating themes of female relationships, romance, art, food, and how family history shapes future generations—alongside, of course, Frida's tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera.
Though I came to this book with only a basic knowledge of Frida Kahlo, I left with an enriched understanding of her art, her passion, and, perhaps more importantly, her heart. Highly recommend!
I express my gratitude Atria Books, Florencia Etcheves and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to review Frida's Cook.
FINDING JOY
LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Colorhelps me consistently find the joy in every life. She also provides a prompt for us to use like this one: Would you rather be swinging in a hammock outside or digging in your garden? Hmmm. I would rather be digging in my garden so I can enjoy it while I swing on my hammock! :)
If you're into EPP (English Paper Piecing) you may enjoy Emma Jones' YouTube Channel. She has tips and tutorials which I enjoy watching while I sew. Her gentle, calm personality are so soothing as I work on my own projects. Here is her tutorial for creating a portable hand sewing station.
Here are some photos from San Diego:
I believen the last one is filled with air plants on wood.
I love shawls and picked up one more set of yarns to make yet another one! I'll be looking for a pattern after I finish the pink one! I wonder if any of you have a favorite crochet shawl pattern? Please share in the comments!
Welcome! I hope you've had a fabulous week! I wanted to share a couple of blogging tips I've learned the hard way. I've lost so much time when I somehow make the post/s I'm working on disappear. Now I regularly create a backup for these posts as I'm writing them.
Perhaps some of you work on your phone and computer as you write your posts. Make sure to close your posts before you use your other devices. Otherwise, the post might disappear. Ask me how I know.
