A New Hobby

What's the difference between a "craft" and  a "hobby?"  I guess maybe a hobby is not neccessarily a craft, huh?  Like bird watching or coin  collecting.  A person isn't always crafty in their hobby.  But, a craft is always a hobby, don't you think?  Something we want to spend time at.  Why else do we subject ourselves to unbreakable knots and goopy glue and glittered skin and inked fingers and needle pricks?  Anyway...

I've started to teach myself crochet.  And I LOVE it!  I remember spending time with my grandma, in the summertime probably, sitting beside her and learning the basic crochet stitch(es).  I honestly don't remember what I learned specifically.  But I do remember, now that I'm at it again, I liked how the yarn felt between my fingers.  And I like being able to twist the crochet hook in and out and make it grab the yarn in just the right way.  It's soothing.  Two of my three boyos, by the way, have asked to learn.  So I sat down with Bud and  JoJo, on separate occasions, and patiently taught them how to hold the yarn and the hook, and then to make a single crochet stitch.  They tried, and tried again - and succeeded and failed - and tried again.   And then they said, "OK, I'm done."  So much for that!  I'm so glad they asked to learn, though.  Maybe one of them will pick it up again.  Although I'm guessing not.


So here's what I'm working on currently.  This is probably my fourth attempt at this particular dishcloth.  Just can't quite understand all the lingo in the pattern directions yet...but I'm getting there!  I call my friend Amy and whine in frustration.  She laughs at me and talks me through it. 







And look at this yarn!  It's gorgeous, trust me.  The richness of the colors does not come through on the photo.  But I just love it.  I picked it out because it looks so beautiful with my new wool coat.  I was successful at making two scarves as Christmas gifts this year, so I decided to make one for myself, too. 

 

The incredibly simple pattern I'm using makes it knobby and bulky.  So warm and cozy, I just love it!

 

 

Any new crafts or hobbies you are picking up this year?  Or maybe just a promise to yourself to do more of one you already find enjoyment in?  Let's encourage one another to continue in our hobbies.  They bring us such enjoyment, contentment, peace and a sense of accomplishment.  Not to mention the joy and love they can bring to others when we share the finished products.

 

 

 

 

French Press Friday

Christmas, Simplified

As I sit sipping my coffee this mornig, my mind wanders to Christmas preparations and decorating.  Last night I was at church helping the ladies group get trees up and all the decorations out.  I wish I could say it was a wonderful experience.  I wish I could say we had music playing and everyone was in the holiday spirit.  But it was just a chore that needed to be done.  Question:  How many ladies does it take to hang garland from the balcony?  Answer: Only two, but about half a dozen stand below shouting directions.  Please don't get me wrong.  We all worked well together, we chatted happily and the church is beautiful, but it wasn't, um,...a Christmasey experience, know what I mean?  Kind of felt like Charlie Brown wondering what had happened to the Christmas spirit.

So I contemplate all of that and the Christmas decorating that needs to be done at my own home.  And the word that stands out in my mind is "needs".  So I allow myself to wander down a new path of thought. 

What if...

       ...I don't get out all those boxes full of Christmas decorations?
       ...I don't scatter Christmas memorabilia all over our home?
       ...I just use candles?
       ...I only pull out the stockings?
                    And our Advent wreath?
                            And our Nativity?
       ...I suggest just decorating the tree?

And do you know what?  I feel relief.  I feel joy and anticipation returning.  I think to myself, "So this is Christmas, simplified?"  I can do this.  I think I will do this.  I think I will spend less time adding to our clutter and more time baking, making gifts, sending cards, listening to music, watching classic Christmas movies.  And cuddling on the couch with Hubby.  These things bring me joy. 

I encourage you to find your "Christmas, simplified" this year.  Go for making memories and enjoying traditions of the past.  Enjoy Advent!  Anticipate the coming of our Savior and the salvation that means for us.  Find your joy.  Check your personal headaches of the season at the door.  They aren't worth it.

Simplicities for October

I realize the month is almost gone, but maybe you can still take advantage of some of these ideas.  Maybe some of them you have already done and can reflect on the joy they brought to you and your family.  Either way, here's to a simple October!

* Plan an outing to a pumpkin patch.  Buy several pumpkins so you can carve, paint and otherwise decorate til your heart's content!  How about buying some little ones to turn into pies?  I cooked several last fall and had baggies of fresh pumpkin in my freezer through the summer. 

* Creat a seasonal table.  And it doesn't have to be the one you eat at!  Maybe use your piano or your mantel or a bookcase.  Angie over at Echoes of Laughter does a BEAUTIFUL job with seasonal decorating.  I get lots of ideas from her.  Thanks Angie!

* Try this fun idea for preserving fall leaves like they did in Victorian times:

                Trim branches from trees when the leaves have just turned and are at their best, before they start to dry.  Split the stems of the branches about 3 inches up from the bottom; stand them in a bucket of warm water for several hours.  If any leaves start to curl, pick them off.  Prepare a solution of glycerine and water by mixing one part glycerine with two parts water.  Glycerine can be found at pharmacies.  Bring the solution to a boil, gently simmer for 10 minutes and then let it cool completely.  Cut the bottom of your stems at a  very sharp angle and smash them with a hammer (wouldn't the kiddos love this part?)  Stand the stems up in the solution and store it in a cool, dark place until all the solution has been absorbed.  About a week to 10 days.  When you first notice tiny beads of glycerine beginning to form on the leaves, they are done!   Take them out of the solution, wipe them down with a damp paper towel and dry thoroughly.  The leaves will stay beautiful and bright for several seasons.  I think this one will have to wait til next season at our house.  Something to look forward to!

 

* Plant bulbs to show off next spring.  Tulips, crocus, daffodils.  How beautiful it will be!

* Mull cider and /or wine on the weekends.  Invite friends to enjoy it with you.  Our family enjoyed this on the first day of Autumn along with some gingerbread cookies.

 

So!

 

Before we get caught up in planning Thanksgiving dinner and all the other events in November, let's remember to enjoy October to its fullest.

 

 



Of Grace and Gratitude

The first phrase that came to mind when I sat down to write this was, "have an attitude of gratitude!"  That, and "remember to count your blessings!"  While both of these could be helpful in reminding us to be thankful, they make me cringe ever so slightly, like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard.  Those phrases come across, to me, as requiring a joy-filled heart even to start.  Or at least causing a, "By golly, nothings ever going to get me down again!" reaction once the attitude has been changed and the blessings have been counted.  You see, I'm slightly pessimistic.  Add that to my struggles with depression and I quite often find it hard to believe that my joy-filled heart will remain so for long.  That's life in this sinful world.  Sorrows come.  But the Lord is a gracious and loving Lord who has, in reality, filled our lives with every good and perfect thing.  It's just hard to see all that abundance in our own lives.  It's easy to see it in other people's lives.  Ever notice that?  The grass is always greener...

So, let's start a Gratitude Journal!  Let's stop looking out at everyone else's seemingly perfect lives and let's look down and see the gracious gifts we have right at our own feet.  Let's reflect at the end of each day and make a conscious effort to acknowledge the bits of happiness we experienced during the day.  My Gratitude Journal is a small spiral notebook I picked up at Target or some such place.  I keep it in a drawer by my bed along with a pen.  And, when I remember, I write down the things that made me smile that day; the things that brought me joy.  I write down things like "Mouse's giggle", or "Creamy coffee on the patio, listening to the birds sing", or "a drive in the fall colors."  Some days there doesn't seem there's much to write so I write the basics.  Our health, my hubby, the dog, food on the table.  Doesn't really matter what gets written.  It doesn't have to be anything poetic, either!  Just get into the habit of acknowledging the good.  Eventually, we'll begin to see good in everything we have.  And the more we see good in what we have, the less we will look elsewhere for what we think we need.  God is good.  And so is everything He gives to us.

Gratitude is the heart's memory.

                  -  French proverb

 

 

Authentic Self

Some more thoughts on the authentic self.

"What is this sadness we cannot name?  Here is a question that deserves a loving meditation.  Perhaps the heart of our melancholy is that we miss the woman we were meant to be.  We miss our authentic selves."      -      Breathnach

When I was a little girl I listened to music and stories on my little record player constantly!

 

I just loved that thing.  I would set up tea parties with my dolls and we'd sing the afternoon away.  I loved books, coloring and crafts, baking cookies with mom, Christmas and pretty shoes.  I think I had a pretty good sense of my authentic self.  I knew what made me happy and I did those things.  When I was in high school, I started on the path of losing that authentic self.  Don't you think all girls do?  The struggles to fit in, to look good, to read the right magazines, see the right movies, hang with the right kids.  Our morals, our ideas, our opinions, our voice all get challenged.  It can be so hard to hold on to ones authentic self.  This is where the parenting role comes in so strongly.  This is another topic altogether, isn't it?  But I hope you see my point.  Losing your sense of authentic self can begin early.  And I think from then on it comes in and out of focus, sometimes more easily recognized than others. 

 

"What is missing from many of our days is a true sense that we are enjoying the lives we are living.  It is difficult to experience moments of happiness if we are not aware of what it is we genuinely love.  We must learn to savor small, authentic moments that bring us contentment."   -   Breathnach

 

 

What are the small, authentic moments that bring YOU contentment? 

 

- trying a new recipe?

- slowly arranging a bouquet in order to appreciate the colors and fragrances?

- planning a spring garden in the February?

- sipping coffee in the sun?

 

Spend some quiet moments thinking of the things that bring you contentment.  You'll begin to recognize your authentic self.  It's so fun to do!

 

"Let us consider our personal preferences and learn how to recognize, then embrace, moments of happiness that are uniquely our own."      -   Breathnach