Taking A Blog Break

It looks like this little blog will serve as your navigation page to Gina and Laura's blogs for a season.
I haven't even thought of blogging in the last while as life has become quite full. Mom became ill and I went to California to be with her and Daddy for a week. I returned to spend this week with the Woods who are visiting from Ontario. Then it's back to California to attend Libby and Drew's wedding. When I return I will be hosting a bridal shower here at the house. Before all this started I was painting my kitchen cupboards and reorganizing myself...There is a time to blog and a time to unblog....I think this is the unblog period of time. Ta-ta for now......

Daughters and Polka Dot Shoes

Good grief, I can't begin to keep up with my lovely daughters blogs. I'm so impressed and proud of them. If you haven't seen them lately, do visit. Just click on the links at the right of my blog. They are both managing two blogs apiece. Very creative. My third daughter is busy with 14 clients in her design business, so even though she hasn't been blogging she has DEFINITELY been creating.


The other day I thought I would stop into the smallest thrift store in town to look for sewing notions to feed Gina's new habit. Wouldn't you know it?? They had the cutest display in the window - all in black and white. I got totally sidetracked and ended up picking up all sorts of new things to add to my dressing room for display. One of the things was a proverbial little black dress. I didn't pay attention until I got home and saw that it was actually in my size. I shouldn't tell, but I think I just found what to wear for an upcoming event in California!

The One Thing

I started this year with the Scripture in mind - "One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after...To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple."

The One Thing!!!!!!

The one thing compounds immediately in the Scripture - to behold His beauty and to inquire of Him.

The desire leads to seeking, the seeking leads to finding and the finding leads to a million and one other things that proceed from the heart of God.

His Beauty is Everywhere.

He's the One who sets the oaks to whirl and the sea to roar and the stars to shine.

You cannot put a cork on Life Itself.

Sometimes I feel like a whirling oak.

There are not enough hours in the day to fulfill the heart's quest.

Here's a snippet.

Do you know with the technology that we have today there are so many new ways to connect?

Last night Sophia and I connected with Hannah and Rachel in California and we had a little aRt class on  Facetime. This all led to a sleepover at Grama's house and a wonderful morning of painting at the aRt desk in Grama's little room. We included our friend Lynne and showed her our projects on line.

One thing leads to the other and before you know it another morning has passed.

It's a good thing!

Handsome and Gretyl

Sophia came running in and asked if I would please come and play the witch for Handsome and Gretyl. I opted to be the Gramarozzi and take their picture instead. Grampa and I love our life with little Sophia. I love her so much I guess I could just gobble her up like in the story.

Enjoying the New Year....

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad

Troy and Eileen Matthews

Congratulations, Dad and Mom on your 61st wedding anniversary from your 60 year old daughter. You were pretty cute back then but I have to say that you are still pretty cute. Your love has grown, flourished and blossomed into a beautiful testimony of what it is to be a husband and wife committed to each other. Your family has also grown, flourished and blossomed. Your youngest grandaughter will now be getting married in February and so it continues.

Life has a way of twisting and turning but you have remained flexible and have been shaped through the process and are showing your family what married love is - till death do us part. Your love is a light to all who behold you.

I recently found a Scripture that encourages me and so I will share it with you. It is found in Isaiah 46.
"Listen to me, all you who remain in the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

From beginning to end you have been upheld, carried and sustained by our loving Creator and He will be the one who sustains you forevermore. What a wonderful knowledge for all of us to embrace. We have nothing to fear for our God rescues us and helps us and never ceases to carry us.

May you both rest in His loving arms today as you also rest in the arms of each other. I know your day will be a special one. I wish I were there to give you both a hug but instead I send you my thoughts and words through the wonderful technology of the computer world. Since you are such a savvy Daddy I know you will find this somewhere in cyberspace. How many 80+ year old men are on Facebook??? You are not only cute, you are cool. Kisses to Mom from me.
Love, Linda

Today's Lesson Is. . .

Keep on drawing.....

Keep on smiling....

Keep on shining....

I was in my thirties when I took golf lessons. I thought the instructor would never let me hit the ball. There was so much to learn as a foundation before I started whacking the ball aimlessly.  By the time I was allowed to hit the ball my form was pretty good and the ball went relatively where I planned for it to go.

I was glad to remember that lesson today as I pursue my watercolour class endeavors. Not only is there theory behind the aRt, there are little exercises to be done along the way to begin to train the mind, the eye, the hand. While I'm ready and impatient and anxious to wield the paint brushes, I know that my patience and diligence will pay off in the long run as I learn to mix color, blend shades, find the tonal values, etc. etc.

On the other hand, I've been known to read many books on the subjects that I'm interested in. Sooner or later you just have to get out and run, or write or whatever it is that you're reading about.

One of the things that my instructor pointed out today was that if a person stops drawing or painting at a certain age, say 9, then that is the age and skill level that you begin again with. Drawing is a learned skill. No matter that I'm sixty years old, my drawing looks like a 9 year old's until I receive more training and practice.

So I am taking my five year old inner child and exposing her to new skills. I learned to sew and do other things but not to draw or paint. Also, I am pleased to take what I am learning and begin to teach these things to Sophia. I will be a huge advocate in her life to make sure that she keeps drawing and painting and learning. I bought her watercolours for her birthday with this thought in view. This morning I showed her how Grama prepares her paper by giving it a water bath and stretching it on my board. I'll be sure that Sophia has her own board too.

It's funny how I've now found myself living with a four year old nearby and that I'm teaching 4-7 year olds in Sunday school. They have noooooo idea that inside this grandmother's body resides a little girl just about their age that is learning to be more artistic too.

It's a good season in my life.

Today's photos are compliments of Sheila Mancor!!