Weekly Word - Ephesians 4:2, My Reading Life, Stash Report, To Do Tuesday, Gratitude Journal, FT&BC

Hello Everyone!

Welcome!  I hope you all had a fantastic week filled with a few laughs, some craftiness and reading!  

This week was active with unplanned outings, unplanned finishes (a quilt) and a bit of reading.  

So, please, as always, get comfy and ready to read this weekly post filled with encouragement, my hobbies and a bit more of how my journey with breast cancer started!

Happy reading!

Here's is an index should you have a special interest you like to read first!  

The Weekly Word - is a short devotional that sometimes becomes a Bible Study series.  

My Reading Life - is filled with current, completed and upcoming reads as well as an occasional short review.      

Stash Report and To Do Tuesday is where I'll share share stats regarding my fiber usage and acquisitions, Slow Sunday Stitching projects, goals met/lack thereof and photos of my projects. 

Gratitude Journal - Sometimes I get lost in my own stinky thinking.  This digital journal reminds me to count my blessings! 

Faith, Trust and Breast Cancer -    Here you will find updates on life after Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  I was diagnosed in November of 2014 and my last day of treatment was in November 2015. 

The Weekly Word

Last week we talked about living a live worthy of the calling we have received.  (Ephesians 4:1) 

Wow.....to me it sounds overwhelming.  I bet it did for some of you as well.  Thank God for verse two!

We have instructions for how to do just that!

1) Be completely humble - Eeesh!  That can be hard, but once I started trying it out, I learned how quickly a disagreement or discussion can be diffused with a bit of humbleness.  

2) Be completely gentle - This year one of my goals, my main goal actually, is to listen with compassion and gentleness.  It's such a strange experience, but when I remind myself of this as I'm listening to someone speak (in person) their very appearance seems to change right before my eyes.  I know, I sounds weird.  But it's true.  Or perhaps as I remember, God softens my heart and I see the speaker through His eyes.  Either way, hopefully gentleness is making me a better listener and ministering to the one speaking.

3)  Be patient bearing with one another in love - Many years ago I was advised never to pray for patience as the trials to instill it in my life would ensue! 

Today as I relate to others, I'm learning patience.  Many times, it's practicing deep breathing.  Other times it's remembering that slogan:  No reaction is a reaction.  And yet other times, we can remember that God loves all of His children - including us! 

I'm also learning to exercise patience as I am experimenting with learning new skills in machine sewing.  I'm learning to be kind and patient with myself.  One precious lady once said, "If a friend talked to me the way I talk to myself, I wouldn't be friends with her anymore!" So, after many deep breaths, I pick up my seam ripper and step forward! 

Be it with others or with ourselves, let us learn to be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another - to include ourselves - in love.

My Reading Life

After pondering  a comment from a reader, I wanted to share the sources of many of the books I read. Books can be expensive, so my main source is my local library!  They have various apps that make reading versatile, fun and free.  The ones I use the most are Hoopla, and Libby, yet as I was researching I found many other options!  I sure other local libraries have digital offers as well!

Additionally, they offer a "Books By Mail" program for those with difficulties getting to the library in person.  They mail me my requests to me and, when I'm ready to mail them back, I send the books back in the same bag at no charge!  When I checked into this program for a friend, they told me this program is offered to residents in our county that live a prohibitive distance from the library as well!  Why not check out your local library's website or give them a call to see what services they offer?  It's amazing how few people know about these options - including myself at one time.  📚🥰

Currently Reading

                       

Finished Reading

A cantankerously funny view of books and the people who love them. It does take all kinds and through the misanthropic eyes of a very grumpy bookseller, we see them all--from the "Person Who Doesn't Know What They Want (But Thinks It Might Have a Blue Cover)" to the "Parents Secretly After Free Childcare."

From behind the counter, Shaun Bythell catalogs the customers who roam his shop in Wigtown, Scotland. There's the Expert (divided into subspecies from the Bore to the Helpful Person), the Young Family (ranging from the Exhausted to the Aspirational), Occultists (from Conspiracy Theorist to Craft Woman).

Then there's the Loiterer (including the Erotica Browser and the Self-Published Author), the Bearded Pensioner (including the Lycra Clad), and the The Not-So-Silent Traveller (the Whistler, Sniffer, Hummer, Farter, and Tutter). Two bonus sections include Staff and, finally, Perfect Customer--all add up to one of the funniest book about books you'll ever find.

Shaun Bythell (author of Confessions of a Bookseller) and his mordantly unique observational eye make this perfect for anyone who loves books and bookshops.

*** I do enjoy Shaun Bythell's books, but as I read this one, I wondered, "Does the author like ANY of his customers?"  His tone in the book seemed to this reader's ear a bit disparaging of the various types of people one finds in bookshops.

Slow Read

Stash Report

There's no change in my yarn stash which is good because no yarn came in this week!

I did finish my Patchwork Christmas Quilt (see below) for another 8.5 yards of stash fabric used!

To Do Tuesday

Last Week's List

1.  Slow Stitching

- Bee Humble - Complete the hand embroidery of Sections Four and Five by May 15th. Section Five has a ton of beautiful details.    Done - progress made!  Section Five is the right hand side:  the bee hive, grass, stems, leaves and some bees.  Also the words "Bee Humble" on the bottom.  I spent a morning prepping the house and wrapping my head around the hand stitching as I had stepped away from this project for a bit.  

 Here are closeups from the above photo 

of the parts I'm working on.    

And here's what I've accomplished:

The applique pieces are prepped and 

a lot of the details have been stitched on.  

While I was at it, I took a few minutes to draw out the new design for the Teacup Critter SAL at Days Filled with Joy!  Isn't it cute?

And speaking of slow stitching, just today I finished the hand binding on this Christmas quilt! All of these fabrics were from my stash, to include the beautiful pinecone backing.  It reminds me of my Daddy, his love of the forest and how he creates beautiful crafts with pinecones. 

2.  Crochet

- make another 16 patch row for my Fall Granny Square Afghan; this should take about two -three weeks Done - progress made!

3.  Machine Sewing

- Christmas Tumbler Quilt - replace the fabric that bleeds with new fabrics Done!  I have the quilt on my design board ready to be stitched up!  

 - Fall Into A Quilt - Stitch up the two prepared blocks Not done.

- Stitch up the pillowcase that's been on my design wall for a while Done!  This cute little pillowcase is from a kit I bought years ago from my LQS.  I used this tutorial from Spruce Crafts for a quick finish.  As I sewed I was reminiscing how hard sewing pillowcases was for me as a beginning sewist!  :) How things have changed.

 

 4.  Machine Embroidery 

- finish this Kimberbell Lovebirds Tandem Bicycle Tote.  All it needs is the cute slogan embroidered and stitching the sides  (famous last words)  😏   Not Done.

This Week's List

1.  Slow Stitching

- Bee Humble - Complete the hand embroidery of Sections Four and Five by May 15th. Section Five has a ton of beautiful details.    

Stitch up this month's block for the Teacup Critter SAL at Days Filled with Joy and maybe even stitch up the block!  

2.  Crochet

- continue making another 16 patch row for my Fall Granny Square Afghan; this should take about two -three weeks (I'm on week 2 of this goal)  

3.  Machine Sewing

- Christmas Tumbler Quilt - create a flimsy!  

 - Fall Into A Quilt - Stitch up the two prepared blocks  

 4.  Machine Embroidery 

- finish this Kimberbell Lovebirds Tandem Bicycle Tote. 

 

Gratitude Journal

l 

the song

The story behind this post:

Last week I received an email from a sweet reader in which she shared this song, 

I Speak Jesus by Here Be Lions.  

I was encouraged.

I was reminded of the power of Jesus' name.

I was deeply touched and wept.

Then I shared it with my husband.

He hugged me and received his blessing as well.

Thank you, Dear Reader.

You know who you are.  

LeeAnna at Not Afraid of color hosts an "I Like" link up every Thursday.  She provides her "regulars" with a prompt, but I got ahead by one week, but I bet you'll enjoy reading her post as well as those who linked up!  😉

This Week's Moments of Gratitude

- I meet with two different groups for Bible Study.  This week, our group of three simply needed to talk, to share, to rest.  It was a glorious time filled with love and acceptance.

- Every 1st Saturday of the month a groups of us meet at our LQS to sew.  Today was so much fun as we visited and laughed.  I finished binding a quilt and my granddaughter and daughter popped in for a quick visit as they shopped.  I love these ladies so much!

- As I've been catching up on emails, I found an email from last January!  The timing was perfect as this sweet lady ministered to me more than my humble words can express.  God is always on time.  

Faith, Trust and Breast Cancer

Last week I shared the days following up to when I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  Once diagnosed, the next step was grief, tears and hugs.  Keeping in mind it was late afternoon the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we had to decide how to tell our family and loved ones.  

I called my sister and told her right away.  Then we decided to wait waited until after the holiday to tell anyone else.  I do remember taking my turn at the table as we shared what we were grateful for that year.  I wept as I gazed into my sister's tear-filled eyes and simply shared something generic.    

It's so funny...our parents know us so well.  Daddy knew something was up as he looked from my face to my sister's, but he didn't say anything.  

Then came the rounds, many rounds of tests to determine they type of cancer I had, the size of the tumor, checking the other breast and the BRCA test.  

Writing this is a bit draining, so I'll end on an upbeat note and a miracle:

Even though I am the fifth woman in our family

to have breast cancer,

I was BRCA negative!

Wow!

Even my quiet, discreet oncologist wept tears of joy with my husband and I.  

God is good.  

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You can also expect a visit from me as well!

Here are some blogs I sometimes link up to!

Sunday Salon @ Readerbuzz

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Stash @ Quilt, Paint, Create

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? @ Book Date

Sew and Tell @ Melva Loves Scraps (Mondays)

To Do Tuesday @ Carol's Quilt Schmilt

I Like @ Not Afraid of Color (Thursday)

The Loop Scoop @ Moogly and Petals to Picots (Thursdays)

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict