Signs that Spring has Sprung!

My lilac bush is in full bloom. It is so beautiful. I was sitting on the patio enjoying the sun yesterday morning when I heard splashing in the bird bath. The first guest was a beautiful Robin. I believe it was a male due to the deep, rich colors. He has having a grand time bathing and fluffing his feathers. Once he was finished playing in the "bathtub" he flew to one of the trees and sat in the sun. He was probably enjoying the nice warm weather as much as I was. I went back to daydreaming when I heard a distinctive little peep near the bird bath. I turned to see a new visitor. This time it was a Black Phoebe. It wasn't interested in bathing, it was thirsty. It sat on the edge and continually dipped its tiny beak in the water taking little sips. Phoebes have a very distinctive trait. While sitting, they bob their tails up and down. This little creature was no exception. They also "eat on the fly." As it left the drinking hole, it flew across the yard in a bit of a zig zag pattern. It was probably grabbing a quick snack in mid-air before touring the neighborhood.

After my little friends had flown off, I sat in awe as the gentle breeze blew the rich fragrance of lilac my way. Ahh ...... Spring has definitely Sprung!

Donkey in the Well (author unknown)

"One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. 

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off! 

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!"

My Trio of Bears

You may remember the little bear holding the shorts from a previous post. At that point, the poor fellow was without a body. I completed that block and gave him two cute friends. I made a pillow with the "Slippery Soap" square. I'm still trying to decide if I am happy with it. I could easily make it into something else, I'm just not sure what. If I had more background fabric, I would make an even number of blocks and do a little wall hanging. Any suggestions for this cute trio?

Swirling Koi - Courtesy of Sara

My daughter Sara just finished this painting. I LOVE it!

When she paints, she loses all sense of time.

To me, that is the definition of peace and contentment.

How blessed she is to have found something

so soothing to her, and so beautiful to others.

Embroidery Block of the Month

I serendipitously came across a fun "Christmas Block Of the Month" courtesy of Gail Pan Designs. A link to her site can be found in the sidebar. Please let me know if you decide to follow along. There will be 9 blocks total which should leave enough time to finish the quilt by December. At least that's the general plan. Since I've already cut and sewed all the blocks, I'm off to a great start. I waited to see February's block, which says Merry, before deciding on a color scheme. The main embroidery colors are purple, violet, (two of my favorites!) red, and green. I know that purple and violet are not typical Christmas colors but....... I'm no typical girl. Hey that reminds me. They give discounts on three or more for skydiving. Any takers? Maybe they'll even let us use purple parachutes. It never hurts to ask. :-)

Does Modesty Begin In 1st Grade?

A few months ago Sara took my grandson Issac in for a physical. The nurse directed them to the exam room and told Sara to have Issac strip down to his undies and wait for the doctor. Issac must have been so preoccupied with all the "gadgets" that he didn't hear the instructions. Sara removed his shirt and told him to take his pants off before the doctor arrived. He turned to her with a look of shock and said, "You've gotta' be kidding me!" Sara tried not to giggle. She assured him that it would be okay. She told him that Mommy and Daddy have to do the same thing. Knowing that, he felt a bit better. I laugh each time I think of his comment. Children are so precious!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

47 years ago today I made my grand entrance
into the world. Thanks Mom and Dad.....
I couldn't have done it without you! ;-)

When the going gets tough....

....the tough keep busy!

I've discovered that working with my hands is pretty good therapy. The photo above shows the product of my latest "therapy session." Who knows, by the time Michael's ship returns I might be able to open up my own jewelry and craft store. ;-)

UFO or WIP?

Those of you familiar with crafts have probably heard the acronym UFO. In fact, you may have a few floating around your house. For those new to the craft world, UFO stands for Unfinished Objects. For some reason, UFO has a bit of a negative feel to me. I have decided that those wonderful projects in bins and drawers are WIP (Works In Progress). I must admit, I have a few of those at my house.

I wanted to share this WIP with you. Perhaps it will motivate me to put down the books and embroidery for a bit and return to my sewing machine. I have machine pieced many projects, but this is my first attempt at machine quilting. I have all my layers pinned together and ready to go. So far, I have quilted one of the sewing machines. Once I finish with that I will go back and add needles and complete the spools of thread. I'll post it when I'm finished, but please don't hold your breath. I'd hate to see my friends turn blue. ;-)

Creative Daughter ~ Proud Mom

My daughter Sara has been artistic for as long as I can remember. She began drawing and painting as a young girl. She has the ability to draw or paint strictly from memory or imagination! I wish I could say the same. I must continually look at the object and have a huge eraser handy. ;-)

This is a photograph of one of her latest creations. There was a glare from my flash, but hopefully you can see the fun textures and rich colors. I love how it turned out. This mixed media style is new to her. For this painting she used acrylics, torn paper, stamps, and metallic pens. I love her choice of colors and the freedom she has to create from her heart. Yep.... that's my girl!

Michael has been deployed - along with a piece of my heart!

Graduation from the USNA - May 2007

A few quiet moments with his Sweetheart before leaving yesterday.

To my precious son and close friend:

May this be a time of adventure as you see and experience new places

May the beauty of the setting sun over the ocean take your breath away

May the continual roll of the waves remind you of my constant prayers for you

May you easily recall moments of sheer joy when loneliness sneaks up

May the immense love that I feel for you travel beside you wherever you go

And may God bring you home safely

Thanks Paula Deen

Being a native California girl, I used to pass over Paula's Food Network show because her Southern Drawl was a bit distracting. After giving it a chance, I realized that her Georgia (jawja) accent is fun, and her recipes are usually really good. I was looking for an easy dessert recipe to take to a New Year's Day gathering when I happened upon "Paula's Sweet Shop" episode. This recipe immediately caught my eye because it begins with refrigerator crescent rolls. Now that's my idea of easy! Add some cream cheese, sugar, almond extract, nuts....... and voila!

The rolls shown above are filled with the cream cheese mixture, egg washed, topped with nuts, and ready to be popped into the oven. *I didn't have almonds on hand so I substituted chopped pecans.

Once they were done baking, I drizzled them with an almond glaze. They disappeared fairly quickly, so I've decided to save this recipe for future gatherings. The recipe can be found on Foodnetwork.com by searching Paula's Sweet Shop. There are two other recipes from the episode that look pretty delicious too.

Happy Baking Y'all ;-)

Irish Blessing for the New Year

"May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!"

Happy Hanukkah!

Tonight marks the final night of the Hanukkah celebration. Hanukkah or Chanukah, is also known as The Festival of Lights. It is a celebration of victory over oppression and the miracle of one nights worth of oil lasting for eight. It is a special time of joy and beautiful traditions that are passed from generation to generation.

The message and significance of The Festival of Lights is one which we can all celebrate. Victory over oppression..... The right to worship as we please ...... Miracles and new beginnings in the midst of loss.

Blessings to all my dear friends who will be lighting that final candle this evening, and blessings to all who hold the message of Hanukkah in their hearts.

Shalom

Merry Christmas - Peace on Earth!

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of Peace on Earth, good will to men!"

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Surprise! TerBear Loves Bears

I love bears, so it seemed very fitting when many years ago a sweet girl named Casey nicknamed me TerBear. She and her twin brother Keith lived down the street as they were growing up. They played with my children, Sara & Michael, and quickly became part of our family. I have so many fun memories of them. They are 27 now and no longer live a hop, skip, and jump away. Although they have moved on, they're always near in thought. 

I came across this cute bear transfer in my stash of patterns. There are seven bears in all. There's one chore for each day of the week. This pattern is Mend Day. When I am finished, you will see stitching on the little patches. I'm not quite sure what this little project is for, but not to worry.... all bears find good homes at TerBear's house. ;-)

"I'll be found in You"

I have been a spiritual person for as long as I can remember. As I was growing up my parents and grandparents encouraged me to believe in something far greater than myself. It was never forced upon me, it was modeled. I try to follow that example and stay true to my beliefs and treat others with love and respect. 

There have been many dark times throughout the years. During those trying times, my faith has been shaken, but I never stopped loving God. I feel God's Divine Spirit in me.... and all around me. From the whisper of the breeze to the warm embrace of another. I believe that there is a spark of that Divine Spirit within each of us. And through that Spirit, we are connected to one another.

This past week has been one of personal sadness and loss. It has been a time of wondering why special people leave the earth far too soon. Why life unfolds the way it does. I realize that those answers are not to be known. At least not now.

I believe in coincidences but I think they are often "Godincidences." So many times I have been led to exactly what or who I needed at that very moment. Yesterday was one of those times. The deaths of two sweet acquaintances this week broke my heart. I was sitting at my computer attempting to find something to keep my mind off the sadness when I decided to focus on a new blog template. While at a particular site, a Godincidence occurred. The song link (that I have shared above) popped up. I cried as I listened, acknowledging the timing of this completely unrelated "find." I cried as the lyrics spoke to my heart. "When the world has fallen out from under me, I'll be found in you, still standing...... You make all things new." Just the reminder that my soul longed to hear.

I was so touched by the use of people of all races and ages in the video. It gave me a strong visual of my belief that we truly are all connected. How blessed we are to have a God who never leaves us and a world of people to share that love with.

* Shadowfeet sung by Brooke Fraser

Feline Contentment

Carrying on a Tradition

Last Sunday, my little buddy (striking a silly pose) and I had a blast making gingerbread cookies. Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries before I could take any pictures of our creations. The Santa cookies are from another batch the following afternoon. Believe me, Issac's cookies were much more original and better looking! We had bears, angels, stars, lollipops with sprinkles, and of course ..... a few gingerbread men. Sara came in and made some cookies as well. All three of us ended up dusted in flour. It looked like it was snowing inside. Ahhh..... just like old times. I remember her and Michael baking with me when they were Issac's age. It's fun to share those family traditions. I have wonderful memories of baking with my grandmother, who fortunately is still with us at 92. She was so patient as we (my brother, sister, and I) played in the flour and rolled out our miniature pie crust creations loaded with cinnamon and sugar. :-)

Although I never baked with my great-grandmother (my Grossmutter) I watched her many times. She was a wonderful cook. I remember how fascinated I was watching her drop and cut the Spaetzle into the boiling broth. Watching the process was certainly fun, but eating the Spaetzle was even better. Being the mother to 7 children, she spent many hours cooking and baking! She gathered her own eggs and baked her own bread. She was known for her fresh Elderberry pies and German spice cookies. The rolling pin that Issac is holding was hers. If it could talk, oh the wonderful stories it would tell. Hundreds of pie crusts and rolled cookies were lovingly made by this beautiful woman. My Grossmutter is no longer here in body, but she is with me in spirit. It is my hope that Issac will have fond memories of his times laughing and baking with his Grammy.

Happy Day of Thanks!

Hay Harvest by Camille Pissarro 1901

"Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace,

the celebration of work and the simple life...

a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry

of the turn of the seasons,

the beauty of seedtime and harvest,

the ripe product of the year -

and the deep, deep connection

of all these things with God."

~Ray Stannard Baker

Snowman....... Sacramento Style

Snow in the Sacramento area is a VERY rare thing. Instead of heading to the mountains, I decided to make a Feltman. Actually, he is missing a body so a more accurate term might be Felthead. :-)

I cut out this little guy and added some eyeshadow for the cheeks, beads, sequins, buttons, and rick-rack. I then hand stitched everything together with "invisible thread." I lost count of the exact number of attempts it took for these middle-aged eyes to thread a needle with "invisible" thread. Let's just say....... it was quite a few. Despite the needle threading difficulties, I find hand sewing very relaxing.

The photo doesn't do this fellow much justice, but I think you get the general idea.  Holding the project up with one hand and taking the photo with the other was almost as tricky as walking and chewing gum. I made a little pocket at the top so I can run a small dowel through and attach a ribbon for hanging. I am happy with my prototype, although I may change the mouth on any future versions. Since he was my first, I am leaving him just the way he is!

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is also a necessity when you own a computer! Do you ever feel as if your computer has a mind of its own? I've felt that way recently. It seems that right when I'm at a crucial point, my computer totally freezes. Since it happens without warning, I have no time to exit the program, much less save my work. I can handle the usual "my computer is frozen, Ctrl - Alt - Del, end task, back in business." Unfortunately, my most recent experiences have been, "my computer is completely frozen, tried every trick I know (minus the use of a hammer) - NOTHING WORKS, unable to shut-down properly, resort to turning it off while the programs are running." Then..... patiently waiting to try the entire process again.

While sitting and waiting patiently this morning, I was reminded of an Ellen Degeneres skit from her Here and Now special. Anybody who knows me will attest to my silly sense of humor, so this is right up my alley. Prior to the quote below, Ellen was talking about the fact that our society has become far too rushed and impatient. 

"Yes, we're lazy. Yet we also can't seem to sit still. So we've started making things like Go-Gurt. That's yogurt for people on the go. Let me ask you, was there a big mobility problem with yogurt before? How time-consuming was it, really? [pretending to be on the phone:] "Hello?...Oh, hi, Tom...oh, I've been dying to see that movie...Umm, no...I just opened up some yogurt...Yeah, I'm in for the night...No, not even later-it's the kind with fruit on the bottom. Well, have fun. Thanks anyway." :-)

I guess I could break down and buy a new computer, but there is no guarantee that the new one will be trouble free. Instead, I've decided to use these moments as lessons in patience. Hey.... the next time I'm waiting on my computer, I'll grab a good ol' fashioned container of yogurt. No Go-Gurt needed for this girl.

Happy Halloween From TerBear!

"My Symphony"

"To live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion;

to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;

to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages,

with open heart;

to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,

await occasions, hurry never.

In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,

grow up through the common.

This is to be my symphony."

by William Henry Channing

Divorcing Ed

Today I celebrate a long awaited victory! This special day marks the 6 month anniversary of my divorce from Ed.

Ed and I secretly lived together on and off for 37 years. Our relationship began when I was 9 years old. I finally got up the courage to introduce him to my family and close friends a couple years ago. Does this sound bizarre? Well...... if Ed were a person, absolutely! Since Ed is an acronym for Eating Disorder, maybe not quite as bizarre. (See sidebar for Jenni Schaefer's "Life Without Ed" link)

This post isn't about the horrors of bulimia and anorexia, but rather my freedom and victory from them. It is also a celebration of my new journey into the "normal eater's" world. Does Ed still hang around? Yes, especially during times of sadness and stress. The difference between this "break-up" and the HUNDREDS in the past; I no longer take Ed back. Our "divorce" was final on April 18, 2008, and unlike the dissolution of my 22 year marriage, this divorce is one I can truly celebrate!

If you have an eating disorder, facing this reality is the first step toward healing. Reaching out for help takes courage and effort, but you won't regret it. Please feel free to e-mail me and I will share valuable resources that helped me get beyond this life altering disorder. My e-mail link can be found on my profile. 

For those who feel desperately lost, do not give up hope for a full recovery. I can honestly say that there is light at the end of the tunnel. A light that I NEVER dreamed I would find!

Blessings,

Terri

Water, Sunshine, & Persistence = Cotton!

Click on the top photo to enlarge

The top photo shows the growth process from seed to the final cotton. The beautiful flower in the second photo appears first on the plant. For those of you familiar with flowers, you might notice the similarity to Hibiscus or Hollyhock since they are all in the Mallow family.

Yesterday morning was the first time I noticed that my plants had produced cotton. Judging by my reaction, you would have thought I'd just struck gold! I have tried to grow cotton for the past 2 years. I got my seeds in the ground earlier this year so the plant had time to produce before the cold temperatures hit. Hooray, I was finally successful. I am so proud of my miniature harvest! Thank goodness I wasn't planning on making any clothing from this crop. After I remove the seeds, (cotton gin not needed ) I might have just enough to make a pair of denim jeans......... for a mouse. ;-) Believe me, I have a new appreciation for the cotton industry. I can't imagine how many plants are necessary to make one cotton blouse or pair of pants!

I actually grew the plants in hopes of sharing the process with the students. I think they will be fascinated to learn that some of their clothing material began as a plant. I am eager to see their reactions.