Thursday, December 31, 2009

Scattered Pictures


Hello! My mind is zipping around from corner to corner this morning! I want to blog about order. Hmmm. I will, but first look at Birdie's new wheels! Isn't her new car cute? Kelli is such a good gift giver. Giving gifts is her love language. This reminds me of the Kid-a-lac I had when I was a little bird.

Toys are always a delight color-wise!
Ta da! The curtains completed. Kelli = delighted Pom Pom = thankful! SO much straight sewing.


The 35 year old work horse. My little sewing machine was such a perfect high school graduation gift back in 1976! Thank you, Mom!


My kids make fun of me about this sewing scissor warning. Jeff will often tease me, pretending like he used them to cut through plastic or tin or something equally abusive to THE SCISSORS.


I read in Nehemiah this morning that God advised the Israelites to enter into the Promised Land with order. Yesterday my little grandmother, Evelyn Rose, kept popping into my thoughts. She and my great grandmother, Sarah Ann, lived together in a tiny house in Anacortes, Washington. My mother often let my sister and I stay there for a short overnight visit. I was very young, but I noticed stuff. I like the way my frugal little granny organized her things. One time I opened a drawer in the kitchen and I found her dishtowels folded in ship shape manner. I've never forgotten it. It looked so right, so good, so respectful. She served us bread and cheese. The cheese came in those small, narrow glasses and tasted so good and granny-ish. She canned and her fruits were all lined up in the garage, fat and shiny. She slept in the kitchen and my great granny slept upstairs in one of two attic bedrooms. Evelyn had suffered a few strokes, so I think she needed to avoid the stairs. Her bed was covered with a "vintage" cloth. It was bright and memorable. Later, when she moved into our house for a short period of time, I liked the way she kept her Bible and her Decision (Billy Graham) magazine close to her chair. She always put big rubber bands around things. I liked her style. She piled things, but her piles were purposeful. She was shy, not bold or boisterous. She was my godmother, too. She stood up with my parents when I was baptized. I think she took that very seriously. She celebrated me in little ways that made me feel special even in my big family. I have read all her diaries, because my mom still has them. I remember so many things about her ordinary days, so I'm thinking there is great good in ordinary. Your order may be very different than other peoples' order, but it is YOUR attempt at respect and it is good. So here we are at the cusp of a new year and I'd like to think that however we make sense of our surroundings, it will have an impact on someone else. We share ourselves and THAT is VERY good.

I actually organized these a while back, but then the bookcase fell over . . .

The wood by the fireplace looks orderly . . . thanks to Bill!

My mug obsession (has to be Hartstone!) looks nice, I think.
Teapots always look right, right?


Bill is good about ordering things like DVDs.


All the angels. Carolyn's pretty gift to me, too! A PURPLE scarf. I put it here because I look at it all the time and think about loving, giving hearts that make things for Pom Poms who live across OCEANS!


God's PERFECT order. This poinsettia that Bill gave me on the last day before Christmas break, keeps wowing me. Isn't it so gorgeous? A perfect design.


And talk about amazing . . . God makes HUMANS and they are unexplainable. YOU are. I AM. I can't get my mind around all the miracles.

Before I forget, I have to tell you how sweet SuKnitWitty is. Go to her knitting blog here and see how honoring she is. She's an expert at friendship. I'm all happy hearted!
I wish I had all your home addresses so I could send off cards to you. When I first started blogging, Gigi at Firefly Cottage was one of the first bloggers I discovered and I won a give away (The Gentle Art of Domesticity) and I was too young in my blog journey and I didn't save her address when the package came! Doh! Now I can't figure out her new commenting form so I feel lost! Gigi! Help me! THANK YOU!
Happy New Year! One thing I am going to do is start making lists of all the books I read. Gretchen Joanna and Wayside Wanderer both do and I think making lists will have all kinds of benefits. So today, I wait for two little girls to come over and bob around our house with us. I shall go to the market and buy some fizzy cider for tonight. I shall make something to eat that comes from the sea, just for giggles. If I think of it (and I hope I do) I will light luminaries out
on the driveway and look at the blue moon. I looked at the moon this morning when I got up and it is glorious. Again, the orderly Creator . . . He's GOOD!

11 comments:

Flavia Sunshine said...

I so much love to read your posts.
I wanted to wish you a wonderful and fruitful New Year, may our Lord keep you close and make you feel protected and cared for, dear friend :)

Flavia

R said...

Wow Ma! The curtains turned out great! Good Job, and thanks for not putting that ugly pic of me up!

Sue McPeak said...

I just loved reading about your grandmother and godmother and your memories of their everyday doings! Such amazing memory tidbits! I often like to remind myself, 'You never know what impact your actions and life have on others'. Your godmother is still celebrating YOU! 'Great Good' in Ordinary! I love that, and will put it in my 'Book of Quotes'!
GiGi was where I met YOU, and FireFly Cottage is a favorite of mine, too. I can't figure out her new comment moderator either...I tried to leave a comment, but didn't get through...So GiGi when you read this...Help me too!

See ya tomorrow for 'DoctoredCoffee'...LuvYa...SKW

Scrappy quilter said...

I love reading your posts too. Just delightful. Wishing you a very Happy New Year.

And yes God our Creator is so good!! Hugs

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Your post is so sweet especially about your grandmothers. I too can remember how good my Mama was about everything in its place. She would look at me and wonder why did I not learn more from her ways
Happy New Year
Maggie

Emily said...

Thank you so much for your kind words and continuing encouragement. It means so much in this big blog world. Really, it does! Enjoy your family and I wish you a healthy and very happy new year!

xo Emily
Red Bird Crafts

Kerri said...

I love this post. I'd never thought about how order is respectful before, but you're exactly right. That's such a good way to think about it. The moon is glorious here too, it's so bright at night that sometimes when I'm going to bed I go back to the kitchen to make sure all the lights are off. Isn't it nice to think that my moon is your moon too, only upside down! Whenever I watch american movies I notice that the pattern in the moon is the other way up. Happy Birthday to you too! I hope you had a lovely day!

debbie bailey said...

I, too, have been known to threaten anyone within an inch of their lives if they touched my fabric scissors. Can you move to Georgia and be my new neighbor? I need your cheerfulness to keep me smiling. Reading about your grandmas makes me miss my own. I loved them dearly. I realize what a great responsibility it is to be a good grandmother. I'm always wondering how my grandchildren see me. Keeps me on my toes anyway. And I love your new hair!

Michela said...

Happy New Year PomPom! All the best to you and your family!

The dB family said...

The curtains look lovely! I had to laugh at your scissors box. I wish I had a box for mine. My kids know NOT to touch the bright orange pair. Perhaps I should sew a little bag for them with words of warning embroidered upon it.

I loved reading of your grandmother. You describe things so perfectly that I can see it clearly in my mind. Your post is truly inspiring!

I forgot to ask you. Did you buy any flannel? I love flannel too!

Blessings!
Deborah

Gumbo Lily said...

I love your "do not touch the scissors" warning. I am serious about them too!!

Jody

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