creative little daisy

Gratitude Friday...Contentment

I am grateful for the sense of contentment I have with my life. That's not to say I don't have things I would love to change, circumstances that are less than ideal. Boy do I, but they are just that, temporary circumstances, bumps in the road. As for the foundation of my life, the blocks that make up the house of Autum, I'm completely happy. I'm happy that I live in a quiet little town with the love of my life my kids and a herd of animals. I'm happy that I was raised by my Christian grandmother. I am happy that I am a southern girl, a wife, a mom, a sister, aunt and niece. I'm happy to teach Sunday school at the same church I've attended as long as I've been alive. I'm happy my in-laws love me like a daughter. I'm happy to have found blogs and to be part of this wonderful community of creative souls. I'm happy to be left-handed, hazel-eyed, and five foot four.  I don't look at the life of anyone else and wish to change places. I know there are souls who are painfully uncomfortable in the life they live, out of place in the world in which they live, unable to find contentment. I am so grateful for the little spot in this universe I happen to fill and for those who keep me company.

Left Brain, Right Brain.... or is it half brain?

I'm not sure which it is that I am, the latter I suspect. I'm certainly not tech brained. That's why I've put off and put off doing something about my poor computer. It's been teetering on the edge of death for much too long. I did break down and buy an external hard drive to save what I could from the sinking ship with the plan to completely reformat or whatever the correct term is for wipe clean and start over. The wiping clean part wasn't hard. Starting over has been excruciating. One crucial little aspect anyway, connecting to the internet. Last night I was live chatting with Dell support and I swear, she left me. No warning, just left. I have to give her credit, she did spend a lot of time with me, and I still don't know if I sent her right over the edge or what. Without babbling on more and further solidifying what a dummy I am, I'll just say, I fear I need a new network adapter card or something like that.  All that blabbering about was to say, I was feeling a serious crafting mojo coming on and have been derailed by stupid computer problems. Bla!!!

It's cold here, so I'm going to make soup for dinner and tomorrow I'll play Scarlett and not think about my non-existent network adapter card.. or driver or whatever. I hope that  crafting mojo will still be around. 

For now, I'll think about some happy things, just a few of the many things I'm grateful for, like,

~friends (that would be you Kelli) who are tech brained and helped me with a temporary fix.

~I'm going to be a grandma- it's still sinking in and getting more exciting everyday.
I think it's a girl- just a feeling.

~Soup on cold days.

~Grey's Anatomy on the DVR for later tonight, cuddled up on the couch with a blanket.  General Hospital too. Yea, I watch GH- please don't think less of me. (do you think Nikolas really killed Emily?)

~Thanksgiving- can you believe it's less than a week away? My sister has her Christmas tree up already...crazy!

Sorry for the post w/o pix. Computer problems, remember?

Gratitude Friday, it's been too long.

It really has been too long since my last GF post. I've been busy with this or distracted by that or just plain not feeling all that grateful, something I'm not proud to admit considering how blessed I really am. The simple act of counting those blessings has a way of shifting  perspective and making me look at things in a different light. 

This week some of the things bringing a smile to my face

The tease of fall in the air. I felt it tonight, just a hint, but an oh so welcome hint.

Enjoying a meal of Mexican take-out on the deck by candle light with a canopy of stars overhead. Just me and my sweetie. Just me and my sweetie and four pups. Me, my sweetie, four pups and two cats. It was lovely.

The new tv season.

A really good sermon last Sunday about wishes. If you could have one wish what would it be?  Only one wish. Solomon wished for wisdom. I've been thinking all week, what is my one wish for this life?

Reading all of your wonderful Granny suggestions. Alyssa and I have read them together and enjoyed each and every one. I have a feeling, like many of you said, it will be chosen for me.  Whatever she or he calls me will be the sweetest name I've ever heard. Thank you for sharing your stories with me- with us.

Gratitude Friday- a few happy thoughts from the week

Sweet mail from Dawn, who was a winner in my 300 post give-away. Look at the artwork on the envelop.

A needlebook. So beautiful.

So much detail. Dawn, it is amazing. Thank you!!

Sitting on the porch with my sweetie,  enjoying an afternoon shower and admiring my new Crocs.

Watching Casey drive off to pick up his date (also named Casey) for his first real date on the day he got his license.

Hearing the car pull into the drive on time when Casey got home from his first real date.

A quiet dinner, just me and my sweetie.

A phone call from my girl. My happy girl.

New to me sewing books from the used book store.

Sewing with this fabric.

Enjoy your weekend. I hope it's full of happy thoughts.

Gratitude Friday: Boy do I have problems, and I'm grateful.

I started the day a little grumpy, slightly irritable. Ever happen to you? No real reason, just feeling kinda like Oscar the Grouch. It think sometimes caffeine does that to me. For no reason at all, the smallest thing bugs me. I started to do some sewing but couldn't get into the groove. I couldn't find the scissors. Couldn't remember which pile the fabric I wanted was in. Aaarrrgggg!!

I had a little email conversation with Anna about folding fabric and how my fabric shelf is very neat and tidy, only because every piece of fabric I've used or thought of using or purchased for the past month is piled and stacked on or around my sewing table. The chair in the corner is stacked with piles of fabric my aunt gave me that I have no room for. The mess and my already grumpy state did not make for a good sewing state of mind.  I walked through the house, grumbling under my breath. Aggravated that the kid's bathroom is so dirty, annoyed that they are still in bed and their rooms are disaster areas. Then it hit me. All the things that are annoying me, all the problems I seem to be having are actually signs of how good I really have it. If I stop and think about it, I don't have a problem in the world that someone, somewhere wouldn't love to have. It's all about perspective. The age old glass half full or half empty question.

 

How blessed I am to have a room to sew in and plenty of fabric to choose from.

Plenty. I have plenty of everything I need and what at times is viewed as a problem, is just evidence of a life full of blessings. My laundry basket is overflowing because I have plenty to wear. My refrigerator is way past due for cleaning out because I have plenty to eat.

My unmade bed means I have a soft warm place to sleep tonight.

Those kids sleeping late in their disaster area rooms are healthy and safe and the tragic events that have happened recently make me all too aware of how much of a blessing that is.

This stack of bills and mail that need attention....I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Sure, I have more serious issues that I'd love to have just disappear, but all things considered, I have a pretty darn good life, problems and all, and for that I am very grateful.

Grateful for growth

I began my gratitude Friday post on Friday, really I did, but it wasn't shaping up to be what I wanted, so I ditched it in favor of pizza and a movie with the family. I made it through the pizza and about 30 minutes of the movie before my eyes became too heavy to keep open one more minute. Hopefully after a good night's sleep, and a slice of pizza for breakfast, my Gratitude Friday (Saturday edition) will be coherent at least.

Above is my early Mother's Day present. What is it, you ask? Four inch blocks under my cutting table. Are they made of some special material? Did you have to order them?  Nope and nope. They are just some scrap wood Mitch had lying around he cut into blocks and spray painted black to raise my table up to a better cutting height.

When asked what I wanted for Mother's day, that's what I asked for. Not specifically 4 inch blocks spray painted black. No, I just said my table was too low and I would like a solution so that my back doesn't hurt after a day of cutting. I'm sure you're beginning to wonder where this is going, why this is post worthy. I'm getting there.

20 years. That's how long Mitch and I have been married now. For that I am exceedingly grateful, but today what I am grateful for is more specific. I'm grateful that over the past 20 years I've grown, evolved, changed and gained some hard earned nuggets of wisdom along the way. I've learned about myself and my husband and how we think differently and show our love differently and that evolution, that  willingness to change (although at times reluctantly) has made for a pretty good life.

Lets rewind back to the late 80, early 90's shall we. Picture a young wife and mother (yes, with big hair) and Mother's Day (or any other holiday, really). The holiday is approaching and though I haven't been specific about what I would like for Mother's Day I have expectations that it will be wonderful. Not necessarily expensive, but wonderful. It will be just what I want or need. I don't know exactly what I want or need mind you, but in my naive little young bride mind, I believe that my handsome prince should know these things. If he loves me with all his heart he will surely make it his life's mission to make me happy by surprising me with exactly what I want. That's the way it happens in the movies, right? The happy couple are at a candle lit table and he pulls out the beautifully wrapped box and she bursts into tears because he has gone to so much trouble to find the perfect gift. I probably don't have to tell you that scene didn't play out at my house and the young bride was inevitably disappointed. She felt like the effort that he put into finding the perfect gift should be equivalent to his love for her. Over the years she accepted that there would be no mind blowing surprise, even so she still felt like it was a lack of effort or desire on his part. Then over time something happened. There was a change in her thinking and her perspective. She began to see that her groom may not give gifts like they do in the movies but he gives more important gifts every day. He takes care of her and their home and family. He doesn't buy his own clothes, why did she think he would be able to buy the perfect little dress for her? It wasn't because he didn't want her to have the perfect gift, he's just not a shopper. When that perspective changed and she began to see the true gifts were given to her everyday, holidays began to be much happier. She was much better at knowing exactly what she wanted so why not just tell him.

Sometimes unrealistic expectations and blurred perspective get in the way of seeing the true gifts. The best gifts can't be wrapped in a box and the real surprise is in recognizing the presents that don't need a holiday to be given.

My real Mother's Day gift is my family and the finest store in town doesn't have an item that could ever be more valuable to me than my best friend and husband and our children.

This year I don't want jewelry or clothes that I don't need and will never wear.*  I know that love is not shown by going to the mall. Love is shown by putting blocks under my cutting table so I can be more comfortable doing what I love to do.

**

*The best gifts don't come from the mall, but, Alyssa knows me well enough to find some pretty neat little surprises and she's become her dad's personal shopper.

**If you're observant you noticed the bassinet still hanging around the sewing room. I know I said I only had some tweaking to do and I'd be finished. That wasn't false, but it wasn't entirely true either. The part that needed tweaking was tweaked and worked out fine. I then encountered trouble where I didn't expect it. See the hood? The hood cover that was given to me as a guide looked easy enough to duplicate, but on closer examination, I had no desire to duplicate it. There's no nice way of putting it, it's just plain ugly. It looks like a poorly made, ill fitting bonnet. What I envision is a snug fitting cover for the hood. Tailored not loose and floppy. Something like this. The only problem is I have no idea how to get there. If anyone has done this successfully, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Gratitude Friday,these are a few of my favorite things...

• Standing at the edge of my back porch listening to the birds sing in the morning or watching the humming birds fight for a turn at the feeder or marveling at the multitude of stars in the clear night sky. The edge of my back porch is a wonderful place to be
• Putting on my soft cotton bath robe and stumbling into the kitchen to make my morning coffee.
• The feeling of the sun on my skin (in May. In August, not so much)
• Mitch
• Orange juice
• Green grass, especially in the late afternoon when it's soft and cool to my bare feet
• Perennials. There's nothing better than a flower that comes back year after year, like a little gift to yourself every spring
• Toby's corn chip smelling feet
• Back rubs
• Laughter

Happy weekend!!

Gratitude Friday

Do you know what happens when I don't post for several days, or in this case nearly a week? I find it extremely difficult to focus on one topic and compose a coherent post, that combined with a lovely case of the flu my son and husband were so kind to share with me. I think I remember typing something very similar just after Christmas. It seems Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny have it out for our family. One bought with the flu a year is plenty if you ask me. Mitch spent the week in bed completely miserable. Casey joined him about mid week, so when I woke up this morning feeling a little off, I knew what was coming.

I just looked back at my archives and the post I was thinking of wasn't after Christmas it was in October, That make 3 rounds this year, not two.

Anyway, looking back at the October post I see just how long I've been trying to learn to crochet. I guess some things don't come easy for me, but I am persistent. I'm not saying I've been trying every day since October. No, I pick it up, get frustrated and put it away for weeks or months. This week I think it finally clicked. My fingers figured out what they were supposed to do and I actually produced something that sort of resembled what I was shooting for.

Don't try clicking it to make it larger, I don't want you looking that close. It's very wonky and a long, long way from looking like anything seen here, but I am so psyched to have actually followed the pattern. I'm telling you, this may be the easiest thing in the world for some, like second nature, not so for me. Finally though, my fingers found the rhythm and it started to feel right. Just in time, since it seems I may not feel like doing anything else for the next several days.

OK, abrupt change of subject. This is supposed to be a gratitude post, right? I am so honored to have been tagged by two wonderful ladies with the nicest award, the

Monica and Sandy included me in a listing of 5 blogs that inspired them and I in turn am supposed to spread the love and name 5 blogs that make me think and inspire me. Ladies, how can I name just 5? My bloglines has grown to about 99 blogs and they all inspire me in one way or another or I wouldn't read them. Some provide creative inspiration, some spiritual, some make me laugh and some make me cry. My list would surely be much longer than 5 so I'll call this my partial list.

When I think of who makes me think, someone who is inspirational, one of the first to come to mind is AfricanKelli. Even though she's much younger than me, I want to be just like her when I grow up. She's such an all around good person who actively makes a difference in so many lives.

Kristy's blog Vintage Pleasure is just that, a pleasure. A pretty place to visit and you'll always find love there.

Beki, ArtsyCraftyBabe keeps it real. Visiting her blog feels like dropping by an old friends house. She's inspirational with her talent but at the same time she's someone you can relate to. There are lots of blogs I visit for creative inspiration, but few are as approachable and real as Beki's. A winning combination don't you think?

Megan of The Scent of Water is crazy smart with a wicked wit and she also takes beautiful pictures.

And rounding off my 5, my buddy LLA, aka Bad Fortune Cookie. You never know what you'll find at her blog. She's a great cook and sometimes shares recipes, a talented knitter who makes adorable bears and bunnies, she's current with pop culture and frequently has fun observations to share, she's a speed reader and can always recommend a good book. Even before I met her I knew she'd be a blast to hang out with and she is.

Even though the rules say 5, I'm breaking the rules and tagging Monica and Sandy back.

Monica is another person I know I'd love to hang out with. Her bubbly personality shines through in her writing. She was the genius who shared her fabric folding secrets and for that I'll love her forever.

Sandy is a beautiful person who shares her love of entertaining through her blog. She shares how entertaining doesn't have to be stressful and how important it is to connect with friends.

So to recap this all over the place gratitude post,

I am grateful that after much encouragement I was finally able to convince my fingers to cooperate and let me learn a new skill.

I am grateful that Monica and Sandy were sweet enough to let me know they find some inspiration here. Thank you ladies!!

Now I'm going to settle in on the couch and be grateful for tylenol, a cozy blanket, some warm tea and plenty of yarn to play with.

Gratitude Friday

It's been a couple of weeks, or more, since I've done a GF post and I'm ashamed to say I'm struggling with it today. It isn't that I'm not full of gratitude, I'm just not having any luck with forming an original thought. Every avenue I start to go down I stop and remember I've been there before. I'm sure if I looked at posts from this time last year, I was grateful for spring and all that it brings. Mitch's birthday was this week, I could try to put into words the gratitude I feel for having him in my life but I'm sure there's a post for that too. Every thought that has come to mind I quickly abandon as already done. I've started to post and stopped, stared at the screen and walked away to do something else. What this tells me is I need to dig deeper. I need to spend more time being quiet, thinking, praying, examining.

Though I live what seems on the surface to be a very slow and simple life, I find lately the stuff of life has left me feeling exhausted. Some days I wonder who is this tired and worn down person living in my skin and I'm trying hard to remember a time I didn't feel this way.

Oh my goodness, this certainly isn't the direction I intended this Gratitude Friday Post to take and I'm wondering how I'm going to work some gratitude into this. Bear with me, I'm trying.

Maybe part of my problem with this gratitude post is that some of the challenges in my life these days leave me feeling not so grateful. In fact, some days I've felt down right sorry for myself and sang that why me song. Parenting seems to get harder everyday and with each new test, more and more I want to run away from home, feeling like I just don't have the mental energy to handle one more crisis. Most of the time I just have to cry it out and know, or at least hope, that tomorrow will be a better day and this too will pass.

I guess there's my answer to my GF post. I am grateful to whoever the wise person was who first said, this too will pass. For now it seems to be my temporary motto. Yes, one day I'll look back on this time that seemed to be one little crisis after another and know that it was during this time I grew the most. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, let me examine some of the wonderful things going on in my life. Even if they have been said before.

• Well, I know I haven't mentioned this, because it just happened this morning. I am grateful that I was able to go to my nephew's school to watch him compete in the 5th grade civic oration contest. He placed second by giving a wonderful speech on a great American leader. He chose Oprah Winfrey.
• I am grateful for spring and all that it brings and I'll be grateful for it again next year too.
• I'm grateful in so, so many ways to be married to the 43 year old man I married nearly 20 years ago. Happy birthday sweetie pie. You are awful close to your mid 40s and I'm still back here in my 30s. Even if it is late 30s, its still my 30s. I only hope I'll look as good at 43 as you do.

I'm glad I forced myself through this, I feel better than when I started. Have a great weekend! It may hit 90 degrees here in NC. Maybe that's why I'm so grateful for spring, it's so short around here.

Gratitude Friday: grateful for the simple life

As more and more stories surface about the complicated and sad lives of celebrities, especially this week, I am so glad to not to have been blessed with fame and fortune. I'm sure at some point in my youth I had dreams of being wealthy and probably wanted to be a movie star. It would be nice to have the net worth of Britney Spears, but has all that money bought her happiness? I  hope for the sake of her little boys that she finds some peace and that rehab will be the help she needs. Too bad Anna Nicole couldn't have found that help before her little girl was left in the center of a three ring circus and to grow up without knowing her mommy.

• I'm grateful that I can go to the grocery store, no makeup, in grungy clothes and not worry about my picture being taken.
• I'm grateful that I don't have to worry if my friends are really my friends.
• I'm grateful I know who my baby daddy is and I'm grateful he's such a wonderful dad.
• I'm grateful the most pressing issue for me at the moment is whether I will cook dinner or throw a frozen pizza in the oven.
• I'm grateful that tonight I will be sleeping on freshly washed sheets that were dried by a crisp cool February breeze.
• I'm grateful that excitement for me involves hanging out on the couch and finding out if Meredith lived and who got voted off.