Sunday musings- four

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa

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This past week I attended a funeral for a catholic priest. I knew him all my life as he was a friend of the family who then became part of the family as he adopted us. During the service, the man the priest community described is not the man I knew but wish I did. My interactions with him limited to family situations and I did not see his love of serving the community and his compassion to help people with their problems. Isn't that what happens, we think we know someone and then we hear how they touched other people and our perception of them is changed and in this instance I admire him even more.

He knew for a very young age that he wanted to be a priest and that his passion in life was to serve the Lord. During the homily his best friend told the story of an incident that happened when Father was 5. There was a strike going on in the town he lived in and he wanted to participate. His father gave him permission and helped him make the sign. When he asked what his son wanted on his sign, he said to put on it " This guy is going to be a priest"

Cherish your friends and family, live life and enjoy each day!

To see more Sunday Weekly Words to live by go to Notes from a Cottage Industry!

sums up the last year perfectly...

When God closes one door, he opens another--but it's hell in the hallway!

Sunday Words - three

“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Gail Devers

Found

The other morning when I woke up I was so excited for the day that I stopped to really appreciate the moment. I was laying in bed under a quilt I made, my head was on pillowcases I found at the thrift store, cool and crisp under my cheek. Next to me sat a pile of books I was anticipating on tackling. The book laying on top had kept me absorbed till all hours of the morning the previous evening as I didn't want to put it down. I looked out the open window and the morning light was hitting the tree and making the green leaves pop against the clear morning. I could hear the birds singing their morning song, chattering to each other as if they also felt the special feeling. The air was cool but smelled so clean and even though it was only May if felt like an early morning before a very warm day. I love that time of morning, when it feels like the world is on the brink of waking up. Life was beautiful and I was ready to jump out and start the day.

If you like this post go see more at Notes from A Cottage Industry "Weekly Words to Live By"

Checking in...

Found
It has been forever since i have posted. I have been laid off again so I am busy looking for the dream job. We have had another death in the family so I am helping mom in her part of it. My car went into the shop for over a week and had major, I mean major work done. Too bad my car isn't the one above but I can dream can't I. It sure made me appreciate the freedom my car gives me.
This weekend I am house sitting and I am working on my tablecloth and watching tv shows On Demand.
I brought myself up to date on
The Good Wife,
9 by Design,
and watched the western Broken Trail.
I have always loved Robert Durval and I was excited to see Thomas Hayden Church. I didn't know it was a true story so will need to research more on that. I missed one of the episodes from The Good Wife but I was easily able to catch up. I missed the episode or episodes when the husband comes home and she has her "moment" with her boss. I had forgotten it was back on after it's break so I love the fact I am able to catch up. 9 by Design is a new show on Bravo and I loved the mixture of design and family but the show makes it seem like they plan more then they work but that could be just how they cut the episodes. I will keep tuning into both of these shows.
I am also excited on the progress I have made on my tablecloth after working on it for so many hours yesterday. As of this moment I have to cross stitch the last color on 3 holly's, finish two more holly leaves, finish some lettering and then all I have left is the berries. There are quite a few of them but it should take no time at all. I left them til the end as I wasn't sure how the stitch was done but I have since learned it and it is easy as pie. Another UFO accomplished.
Have a wonderful Sunday.

Sunday Words - two ... seeing what is right in front of us

We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves.
Lynn Hall, Where Have All the Tigers Gone?, 1989







In my days of growing older I find this quote so true. Everyday I get to know my self better. I love this photo. The sunset was so pretty through the rain even through all the traffic. A perfect desciption of life. Look above us and appreciate what we see.


Inspired by the wonderful Tracy at Notes from a Cottage Industry!

A new adventure

Hi,

I have been thinking alot about my blog lately. I am going to jump on a new adventure with it. I have two ideas. I need to get the motivation to post. I look at it a lot and think, I need to post. But i don't have the inspiration. I have been sick with a cold on and off for the past 3 weeks (it's dreadful) and I haven't been motivated to do any crafting. I have even sat down to do cross stitch and i just can't do it and go back to bed. lol

My ideas:

1. Make a post about the letter of the alphabet. A through Z. Now would it be crafting influenced i don't know I have so many interests i might just do it on what ever interests me. i think some of the letters might be hard like Q. But then quilting popped in to my head so it might not be as hard as i thought.

2. Take a photo sometime during the day for a month. I know I could do this. The hard part would be downloading it.

3. Write a story in continuous parts like Louisa Alcott use to do for the papers.

4. Write reviews

5. Write a mystery quilting pattern. First I would need to start quilting again.. lol

I am going to think about this more today and i will be back with an update.

Dottie

New movies to remember

Cocco before channel
Bright Star
Ice Castles
An Education
The Inviciticus - matt damoen rubgy player

Thrifty Saturday..

Today I stopped at my local Salvation Army store to look at a dining table. It had caught my eye on Thursday as I was driving to work. The curls on the ends of the legs remind me of the curly curl on the end of elf shoes. lol.. I have dreamed about it the last two days - on how cool it would look painted it white. I forgot to take a photo when I got out. I looked it over and I decided not to buy it. One reason is the price but then I found it was 40% off. That would have made it better but I wasn't in love with it up close. Two - was where would I put it? I am saving for my own place. There are just a few things I need. A dining room table, a double mattress and a few other things. I have stuff in storage that will fill up an apartment - just if i could afford it. lol.. Where I am staying now there is not really a place to work on it. Third - I didn't like the kind of wood it was, it didn't seem to be good quality. I haven't worked on too many pieces but I didn't know how this one would work.

I did go in though and look around. I read where someone found an old copy of Julia Child's cookbook so I am always on the lookout for that. Didn't find one but I did find a really cute glass candy dish that is footed. It has the cutest flowers on it. I fell in love and brought it home with me. I will post a photo soon.

When I walked away I thought of a present my family can get me. A sander. lol

Till later..

Sunday Words - one

“What we do today, right now, Will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.”
By Alexandra Stoddard
I have been following Tracie’s Sunday inspiration posts on her blog “A Cottage Industry” since the weeks were in single digits. I like how her posts seem to reflect what we know of her bliss and sometimes helps us reflect on the times in our lives. I am including a quote by Alexandra Stoddard, as she is someone who has inspired me through the years. The photo above is two quilts I made for my niece and nephew... The photo is a bit blurry as it was from a couple of camera's ago and I have gotten much better as a photographer.

Reading habits...

I am sorry it has been so long since i posted but i would get caught up in the Olympics in the evening and those dang facebook games... lol

I have been reading around my favorite blogs lately and they have reminded me about some fantastic books and authors.

The first is the Betsy and Tacy stories at Progressive Pioneer . I can't remember how I found the books but it happened in the last 10 years or so. After I found them, I read every one that the library had. Last year I gave the first 4 of the series to my niece Francine for Christmas. I don't know if she fell in love with them like I did, I should ask her.

There is also a wonderful review of the Little House on the Prairie series on the blog. I loved the books and the TV show. Which reminds me of a cute story. I live in Oregon, kinda of near the Oregon Trail (but not really) and along the valley of the Columbia River. When I was a kid I was enthralled with wagon train stories and living on the prairie. In my mind the two kinds of adventures were one in the same. One day I was riding my bike up and down my street and I decided that one of the narrow ruts in the pavement up the block was a rut left by the wagon trains on there journey to the Oregon Territory. Everyone tried to convince me that it was not..... but I wouldn't believe it, I knew it would be true. Looking back it is a bit silly but there is still a little part of me that still believes that the wagon trains really rolled down my street.

The second writer is Alexandra Stoddard. I first found her books in a little antique/flower store in downtown Tigard, Oregon during a lunch break. It was sitting on a chair in the setting with flowers all around. I can't remember which book it was but I think it was her "Creating a Beautiful Home" Her writing just attracted me instantly. I have stared for hours and hours at the cover of the book as I loved her living room. It is still my style. I have continued to read her books. Buying some, checking some out of the library, and even found one at Anthopologie in The Pearl and then went across the street to Powell's and bought a used one for half the price. I was so excited when she was the writer in residence for Victoria Magazine in 2008/2009. She has developed into a philosopher and I do enjoy reading her words. They are refreshing and helps me bring myself back to center and to know what i really want. I recently read in her book "Things I want my Daughters to Know" about never spending more than 5 hours with friends and family. This was a statement that really made me think. I could see so many instances where this is true and would be healthy for all, but on the other hand what about those times where you are have game day or some other event and you need to spend more than 5 hours together. Is this such a bad thing? Even just writing this out for you I am seeing her idea from a different angle and has me rethinking my first reactions to it. But isn't that awesome that someones writings can inspire you to really think what matters to you.

Well it's time to wrap up. Thank you blog friends for being so much inspiration to create, contentment and joy to my life. Everyone, keep your head up high and smile everyday as life is so precious.

i love movies... days off... and working on stitching....

Hi, This weekend I have watched 4 movies... and have 4 more to go.. that's what happens when they all come in at once.... lol. I watched Songcatcher, In America, Searching for Debra Winger and 84 Charring Cross Road.. The four I have left are Two Lovers, Gideons Daughter, The boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Golden Bowl.. In the last few years I haven't been able to see many movies what with school and everything else going on.

I still find it so intriguing that you find one movie and the actor will lead you to another and then you realise that you also found another actor you like in it. It fills me with joy at the discoveries.

I have also gotten a lot of suggestions off of blogs that I read. That is how I found Songcatcher. I found a reference to it in the blog Coldantlerfarm , which I found by reading the book "Made from Scratch" about going back to living and shaping a small farm , which I found via a reference in MaryJane Butters book "MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook: For the Farmgirl in All of Us ." What a journey.

I loved the movie . What drew me to it was that it was about Appalachian music and cataloguing it. I love the sound of the music from that area of the country. It says something to me. A few years ago when i was getting my associates degree, one of the classes I took was intro to country and blues. I fell in love with the early country music. It started with music which was old time songs brought over to America from England and Scotland. Which can be found in the Appalachians. You should have seen my teachers record collection. It taught me so much. I just love it.

I have today off so I am eating homemade lasagna, working on my tablecloth and watching movies.. What shall i watch next? I think Two Lovers. It's the last one that Joaquin Phoenix worked on and I love Gwenneth Paltrow. Twta.... Dot