May 25: Proverbs 3:5-8, Fiber Fun, Literary Living, Finding Joy

  

Hello There,

Thank you for dropping in!  This week was very much a "stay at home" period, thus I was able to get more accomplished.  I enjoyed sewing, reading and resting.  This post is filled with encouraging words (I hope), updates on various projects as well as the many books added to my collection - albeit the library books are visitors.  I hope you enjoy your time spent here!  

HERE'S A WORD - Faith...broken faith...faltering faith.  Here I will share a Scripture about these topics.  No judgement, only love.  For several weeks, I’ve been dealing with unusually intense fibromyalgia visits for several weeks now.    

Remember this familiar verse?  

A friend suggested I read verses seven and eight. Leaning on the Lord’s wisdom instead of my own and shunning negative thoughts from the defeated one will bring health and nourishment.

During these painful times, I want to complete my routine, but I know God will give me good weeks of activity and joy if I rest the next few days.

Friday night through Monday morning, I followed His leading and rested as much as I could. No surprise, I feel much better.

This past week was a restful week with few commitments, and I’m better for it.  

In desert experiences, trusting or leaning on God’s wisdom may seem counterintuitive, given our past experiences and the negative outcomes. However, even a small effort in faith will be honored by the Lord. As Lauren Daigle mentioned in her video that I shared last week, He may simply sit quietly with us. 

Whether you’re ready to try His wisdom again or not, remember this: 

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

FIBER FUN  

I've decided to break down my "To Dos" into three categories:  Finish, Focus, Prep/make a kit, and Be Kind = Soft Deadlines.  FoF stands for the Fields of Fancy BOM I’m participating in, using Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics.    

Last week's List

1.  Finish

 - start and finish my granddaughter's ornament  Partially Done!  

I'm sharing this one for last year to provide a visual.    

2024 Christmas Ornament

I'm using patterns from Aunt Martha's Stitcher's Revolution, which is mainly outlining the llama.  As I've decided to fill in the llama with colcha stitching as well as using embroidery for the smaller details, this year's will take a bit longer to complete.  As always, I'm sharing weekly progress on my private Instagram account: @miaismine22. :)  

For those unfamiliar with colcha stitching, it's a stitch that was used in New Mexico and Colorado, and perhaps other parts of the world.  I'm not sure.

I was interested in learning colcha and a dear friend taught me.  Our Colcha group is comprised of many gifted artists who graciously share their experience, knowledge and lives.  I'm blessed to be a part of them. 

Here is my first finished project.  

finished 2024

  -  finish the FoF block  I'm almost done with all 7-8 (I've lost count!) of the hexies from Month One!   

Every month I receive a beautiful "fussy cutable" panel with which I can make additional QAYG hexagons. Below is the panel from Month One.  I ordered a fat 16th bundle from DuckaDilly Fabrics of Liberty Tana Lawn to take full advantage of this panel and to make my finished quilt larger!

Here's the plan for these two hexies and more will be coming! 

 I also made an extra flower, so I prepped it for binding as well.

2.  Focus - 

Continue prepping Month 2 prep for Fields of Fancy (FoF BOM):  trim the appliqué pieces, cut the backing fabrics, the bamboo batting, the backs of the hexagons and embroidery piece.  Maybe, if things settle down, I can start the embroidery.  To avoid photo overload, I'll be sharing photos next week.  

3.   Prepare/make a kit 

- I almost finished the Atlas Bag and would like to make another one.  Not done, yet!

- I've been turning my sewing room upside down looking for a lost fat quarter bundle!  How one loses a FQB is beyond me!  I found my fat quarter bundle right where it should be - in my precuts bin!  😏

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

This Week's List

1.  Finish

- the first Atlas Zipper Case

- attach a couple of  the quilt labels my daughter made for me

              

2.  Focus

-   bind the above hexagons from Month One of the Fields of Fancy (FoF) BOM.  

-  make progress on my got scraps quilt. Here’s my friend’s progress and it looks so beautiful.

These are my friend's blocks

3.   Prepare/make a kit

- Atlas Zipper Case #2 by Center Street Quilts

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines which are good for my mental health!  As some of you may remember, I have a chronic illness, Fibromyalgia, which was greatly exasperated by "the red devil" used to treat my breast cancer back in 2014-2015.  Lately, the flare-ups have become increasingly frequent and more severe.  I read this article titled, Redefining Success As a Chronically Ill Artist, on Substack.  I felt liberated, less alone and encouraged.  Perhaps one or two of you may enjoy the article?  

LITERARY LIFE -   

CURRENT READS

FINISHED

***** ***** The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara was, to my understanding, written about a year after Guevara's great adventure. It is indeed a travel diary, but so much more. It is a commentary on life in that era, thoughts on what perhaps led Guevara to become who he became, and a deep desire for Latin Americans to become one unified group. This is a text well worth revisiting as the reading will gain new insights with each re-reading. Highly recommend.

****** Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian is a complex cozy mystery. While I enjoyed reading about the culture, the family, and relationships, I was confused by so many details and multiple characters.

**** **** Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez had a pace that was just fast enough, and the characters' dedication to making their relationship work was phenomenal. As a daughter to parents with memory loss, this book touched my heart and opened my eyes to the future. The intimate scenes could have been written out very easily to make this read appropriate for all age levels. Recommend.        

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

added to their shelves or E-reader the previous week. 

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:  Name some technology that wasn’t available when you were a kid. Oh my gosh!  My grandson and I were just talking about this!  I showed him my fantasy space program which was Lost in Space - remember that one?  We compared it to Star Wars!  Regarding technology, cell phones, personal computers/laptops, ereaders, the internet, garage door openers, wire free ear buds and speakers, cruise control, air fryers...as I write this I'm amazed at how much life has changed, while at the same time, wondering about what my grandkids might say in another 50 years!  

What piece of technology do you think you could live without if you had to? I think I could live without a television as streaming is available on my phones, tablet and laptop.  Great question LuAnn!  

I would like to share a couple of areas of my home I love.  This month I've been spending a lot of time in my  library/office/stitching corner.  I have tried many methods of tracking my "what to read next" book collection, and this window seat seems to be working for me.  I also love my stitching chair with it's convertible table from Ikea and lamp.  The books behind me are part of my Dad's extensive military history library which I am now the caretaker.  

Aloe vera is a new-to-me addition to my daily life.  I did a bit of research on medical websites my PCP and oncologist approve of and decided to try it on my hair, scalp, face and, eventually, made ice cubes from it. My hair immediately responded by becoming silky soft, less frizzy in humidity and ultra shiny!  After chemo, my hair came back curly and very thin.  Now I have baby hairs popping up all over my scalp! My face is much softer and the "11's" are less deep.  The other day I was getting a pimple (yes, at my age!) and after one application of aloe, it was gone!

https://pixabay.com/photos/aloe-aloe-vera-aloe-gel-4529704/

After reading that it might help with tummy issues and talking with a friends who drinks it, I made aloe vera ice cubes with a bit of honey.   Following the advice from a couple of  reputable, PCP approved websites, I added only two aloe vera ice cubes to my 32 oz glass of iced water that I'm constantly refilling throughout the day. Good bye tummy issues!  

Needless to say, my aloe vera garden will need to be supplemented with store bought leaves as it has become part of my daily routine!  

Have you ever used aloe vera?  If so, please share your experiences in the comments!  

Here's a song just for funnsies!

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