As promised...

Hi, Christmas is over and it's back to normal  again.  I hope you enjoyed your time with family and friends for Christmas.  I know I did.

Rain, Rain, Go away...

My son went back home today, he had to drive in the rain most of the way but made it safely. I miss him already.

On Christmas eve, my work day ended at 2:00 p.m.  When I got home, I could hear music as I walked closer to the house. What a surprise to see my husband and my two kids playing music.  It's been a while since all three have played music together.

As promised, here are the two fleece blankets I made for Christmas.

This blanket was made with 1 yard of the theme fabric and the solid gray back. The gray was textured like fur.  I added a 6.5" border in black.  This made the blanket to be 48" x 60".

This blanket was made using 2.5 yards of the brown plaid and tan.  I used my Serger and bound it with coordinating thread.   It is 60" x 72".




I've been thinking about goals to set for 2016.  I'm still working on goals for this year and am

confident I will get the last one completed on time (12/31/15).   I must admit this last goal is probably the only goal that I have steadily stayed on pace with.  The other goals I accomplished were often times finished at the last minute, but finished none the less.  I hope to pace myself better next year.

Did you set goals for this year?

How did you do?

Will you set goals for next year?


Sonia

http://www.animatedimages.org/img-animated-merry-christmas-image-0259-107865.htm

Let's go...

     And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
     Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
    "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
    When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
     So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  ~ Luke 2:8-20

How will this be?

     In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
     Mary was greatly trouble at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob;s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."
     "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
    The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.  For no word from God will ever fail."
     "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered.  "May your word be fulfilled."  The the angel left her.   ~Luke 1:26-38

     In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And everyone went to their own town to register.
     So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went their to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was not quest room available for them.   ~Luke 2:1-7
to be continued...

some of what I've been up to.

Okay, I'm trying to catch up.  I will post two blogs tonight as I have a lot to share.

Here's what I've been up to... project wise.

I made this wall hanging.  The red fabric is a fat quarter from last year's Christmas party with the quilt guild I belong to.  The challenge is every year make something with the fat quarter you receive to show at the next party.

There was also a "dirty santa" game.  Each member had to make a set of place mats to swap.  Here's what I designed and made.  I used jelly roll strips, and English paper pieced the flower. The leaves for the flower are a napkin.

I also made two fleece blankets, but am giving them away for Christmas so I will show them later.


Here are some pictures of my home decked out for Christmas.  I give all the credit to my daughter.  I think she did a great job.

 

hugs,
Sonia

Jump start...

Where has the time gone?

This week I'm able to slow down and relax.  I have all my handmade projects for Christmas done, my home is decorated thanks to my daughter, and my son is home to spend Christmas with us this week.

In all the hubbub and stress of life, I have let the reason for the season slip behind all the tinsel and glitter, the songs I was trying to use to bring on the Christmas spirit within my self, the decorations and gifts, letting all that "stuff" clamor to front of my life and letting the One true reason for my joy to be pushed to the background.

I attended two services celebrating Christmas.  The Christmas that is focused on Christ. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.  This, is what I needed.  A jump start you might say, a kick in my Christmas merriment, to get me back on track.  I realized I had gotten my priorities mixed up.

I realized too that I had let all the "stuff" get in the way of my blog.  This is the first I've written anything since Thanksgiving, I think.

I'm truly sorry for that.

As I left work today I noticed the moon hanging big in the sky, reminding me of the wonder around me.

********************************************************

My nineteen year old is saying "let's have Monday Christmas" as she looks at her brother.  I'm tickled because he commented back "I'll be here on Christmas day too."  It's nice to hear the banter between the two.

As usual, we caved and the kids opened two gifts. We have done that so much over the years that it just happens now, that some gifts are exchanged early. It all started on my and David's first Christmas together and we just kept it up.

UPDATE on my Dad:  My dad is doing better in the past week.  He walked 35 feet one day and has been sketching ships.  He still doesn't know who I am most of the time but he is being more responsive.

The new year will be here soon and I'm thinking of revamping my blog as it seems to be hard for me to update all the pages, but I will think on it and then decide.

 Okay....
well I'm getting side tracked with the kids playing a game.

I'll be back soon,
Hugs,
Sonia

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hugs,
Sonia

ZAP!

UGH!  Static!

You know when you have static, hair standing on end or sticking to your face... well I had both today along with snaps and shocks every time I touched anything from plastic to metal.  No sliding or shuffling of feet needed, just minding my business and ZAP!

My drawing to picture it

On the way home this afternoon, I saw the moon low in the sky, hanging there like a big white agate. So when I got home I took a picture.

This morning, in my Bible reading, I read about Paul and Silas, being shackled deep inside a prison.  They prayed and praised the Lord as they were there and then the earth began to quake and all the prison doors and shackles came loose.  (Acts 16:16-40)

Then I heard a song on the way to work that spoke about praising until the shackles fall off.   I thought okay, there's got to be something there for me.  So when I got to work I used the sticky notes app on computer and made a sticky note to remind me to praise the Lord until the shackles fall off.

Hugs,

Sonia

Beauty

My devotional this morning spoke about worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  It told that all true beauty reflects some of who He is.   I know that it was speaking to His work in our life to clear all the clutter and debris that gets in the way of our walk with Him, but on the way to Little Rock later in the morning to see my dad, I saw a scene that brought back to me what I read.

I didn't have my camera with me, but hopefully I can describe it in a way you can picture what I saw.

As we drove east, the sun just up a few hours, I saw a few black and white cows in a pasture, speckled with green, tan and brown of the autumn changes in the pasture grasses.  The pasture was bordered to the south by a wooded hill. The hill was a beautiful patchwork of the yellow, orange and red hues of the hard wood trees, mingled with the evergreen of the cedars and pines.

Then later today, as we made our way home, the sun was setting in the west lighting up the clouds.  They were so vivid orange and red against the blue sky.  I was driving, so I asked my husband to send a text to our daughter to try to get some pics for me and she did.  Pictures don't do the true scene justice but you can see that it was a beautiful sunset.

to the south

in the west

The beauty I beheld today in God's creation, helped me to remember He is the Creator of all, the One who gives and takes away.  It reminded me that no matter what happens in my life, He is in control and no matter how hard I try to figure it all out or try to fix or take care of things on my own, I can't do it without Him.

An update on my dad:  He awoke today after sleeping basically for the past three days.  He spoke very clearly and repeated over and over that he wanted to go home.  He now has tremors, like you see in Parkinson patients. When he was moved to Little Rock, UAMS discovered he was given a medicine at the facility in Clarksville that seized him up to where he had no movement. They made sure he was not given any more of it and have been monitoring him to know when it gets out of his system.  The tremors are a result of the wrong medication.  Hopefully he will recover from it.  Before all this, he was on the way to recovery physically, able to take a few steps, to hold his spoon, to sit up on his own again... he was beginning to have more days where he was clear minded and then Smack!, he is hit with something else because of a misdiagnosis on medication. Mom is suppose to talk to the doctor on Monday and the case worker.  They (UAMS) are trying to find a place closer to home that can help dad and be able to take care of him.  

I thank all of you who have kept my dad in your prayers and I ask that you please continue to pray for him and please pray for my mom as she goes through each day with dad in the hospital. Staying with someone in the hospital takes a toll on a person, physically and emotionally.

Until next time,
Hugs,
Sonia

Simple changes

I went to see my dad today.  He has been moved to another hospital to try to get his medications leveled out.

He knew who I was today.   That in itself is a wonderful thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finally got my Autumn decorations up.  I decided to go simple this year and not put up as much stuff as I normally do.  

Simple table

piano

piano cont. 

I made an Autumn ornament and put it with a simple setting on my cedar chest.

This weekend I noticed one of the trees across the road from my house is beginning to turn.  I was happy to see it, because it seems a lot of trees in this area are brown.  It was windy, so my picture isn't the clearest but you can see some of the color change.

There is something else I have been working on.  A Bible study journal.  

I took an old journal I had for a class in the past.  It was one that I had gotten and started using at the end of a semester, so it hadn't been used much.

This will help me keep everything in one place.

 I have these sections.
1. Memory Verses
2. Bible Notes
3. Prayer
4. Ideas for blog
5. Personal Experiences (Spirit Led)
6. Inspirations, Quotes

I guess that's it for now.

Until next time, 

Hugs,

Sonia

Banana Pudding Cake

Today was my husband's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!

I hit the floor running this morning.  I had a cake to bake, to use for his birthday.  So one of the first things I did as the sun was just rising, was whip up a white cake batter and put it in the oven.  It sure smelled good as I was reading my Bible.  Time with God and cake cooking is a good combination.  :)

I'm calling it the Banana Pudding Cake.  Here's what I did.

Baked a white cake, let cool, then sliced it in half horizontally and then in smaller sections.

Placed cake sections in bottom of big bowl and layered with sliced bananas.

Then put a layer of vanilla pudding over the cake/banana layer.

Continued layering cake, bananas, and pudding until the bowl was filled.

Put it in the refrigerator for a few hours to let it set and all the flavors meld together.  Then enjoyed!

I've been wanting to use up some supplies I have had in stock for a while.  So earlier in the week I got to thinking about some of the Styrofoam ball and cone shapes I have in a tote. Then I rediscovered some yo-yo's I had made, in past years, out of pastel colored fabrics.  I had buttons I could use and straight pins of different colors.

A pastel ornament emerged.  I will probably use it on my small Christmas tree that will be in my sewing room.

I had another pleasant surprise at work this past week.  A friend from another team on my floor gave me this cute board to use in my cubicle.

Hugs,
Sonia

Just catching up...

Hi, just thought I'd catch up on my past week.

I wasn't hunting for it but I caught a head cold... been fighting it but it's a tough one fighting back.

A friend of mine gave me this at work last week.  She didn't realize it but it came to me at the right time.  It was a pleasant surprise.

You know how I like the beauty of God's creation... I got some pretty sky shots on Friday.

I was able to work on a few of my projects too.

I have done a small scrapbook (3"X 5") about the seasons in the past but this is my first big scrapbook. It will be a Christmas gift.

Then, the small afghan I've been working on is finally finished.  Here is a picture of it drying. It measures about 36" x 36".   The blocks are all inspired by Bible verses.  I have shared more about the blocks on the Crochet tab at the top of the page.

I guess that catches me up for now.  Don't forget to check out the Crochet, etc. tab at the top of the page.

Hugs,
Sonia

Revival

My church, First Baptist in Branch, Ar., is having a revival.  It started today.  It goes through Wednesday, starting at 6:30 each night, if you'd like to attend.

Tonight's message was from the book of Revelation, chapter two.  It is about the church of Ephesus.  It was a church who was gung-ho for God, so to speak.  They were committed and effective in the sharing of God's Word with others, but then they got complacent to the sins and worldly things around and lost their effectiveness.

As I listened I realized that I have done the same sort of thing, by letting circumstances with my dad and my job be a damper my effectiveness.   Yes, I have cried out to God and given these circumstances to Him in the past few months, but tonight I realized that though I did so I still hung on to them enough to let them continue to hinder me.

There is a scripture in Romans that I'm reminded of.

• Romans 12:1 ~  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

This tells me each day I must die to self, take up my cross and trust God.  And I have to be reminded, from time to time, that I don't always die to self.  I'm not always willing to completely hand it all over to God.

God's still working on me.  Thankfully He loves me enough to show me where I falter, where I tend to stray.  Thankfully I know His voice, His guidance, His discipline, and His love.

Hugs,
Sonia

2015 Quilt show with demos

Hello.... wow what a busy day!

The Logan County PieceMaker Quilt Guild held its annual quilt show today.

We gave away our 30's themed quilt today.

Ms Chappel was the happy recipient of the quilt

We had a good show today, with antique and modern quilts.

There was a sewing demonstration and a hand quilting demonstration.  We gave people the chance to sit down put a few stitches in a quilt.  I was happy with the number of people, both male and female, who were willing to give the hand quilting a try.

Antique quilts 

Modern quilts

Hand Quilting demo

Sewing demo of the Jelly Roll Race

Finished Jelly roll race quilt top

The Leaves

Mmm... the smell of breakfast cooking...

My daughter and I decided breakfast would be good this evening.  So I cooked a small batch of scrambled eggs and four slices of bacon.  We split it between the two of us.   I added a piece of toast with strawberry jam to my plate.  It was a nice way to round the meal off.

I'm glad the week is almost over... though, there is no rest for the busy.  :)  Tomorrow evening (Friday) we (the Logan County PieceMakers Quilt Guild) are setting up for our annual quilt show this weekend.  It will be Saturday from 10:00 a.m to  5:00 p.m. during the Frontiers Day Festival.  Quilts can be checked in on Friday (10-2-15) from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds in Paris, AR.   I hope to have some pics from the quilt show to share with you soon.

On my way home this afternoon, I noticed some of the leaves are beginning to change color.  I hope we get a good color change this year.    

Are the leaves beginning to turn in your neck of the woods?

Until next time,

Hugs,

Sonia