We found two dinner plates and this saucer at a Good Will store last night. Aren't they pretty?... 50 cents each.  We were on the way home from being out all day and I was tired.  So tired I almost passed up the opportunity to shop in the Good Will. (But I did say yes to going in)  I like the way the Johnson Brothers left their mark on the back of the plates.  Its is sheer art!  Such detail and loveliness is a gift in itself.  Today's world is rush...rush,  hurry up and get more stuff to deal with.  Things like this are beautiful and timeless.  And no rushing..just relaxing and.... enjoying.

 Also,  I picked up a bag of stands for displaying tea-cups and saucers.  The bag had 6 stands in it and would you believe I put every one of them to use. =)

 Hubby went grocery shopping at Aldi's and brought these out to the car.  Wow...I said.  We are going around shopping for tile for our upstairs bathroom.  Just in case we decide to do it this spring.  We don't know quite yet.  Its not important in the least,  but he just had his bathroom done and it turned out so nicely.

I am still reading up a storm.  Laughing and sometimes wiping the tear from my eye.  Love of reading is a wonderful gift I am thankful for.  Though,  truthfully,  I tend to read a while,  then get away from it and get into something else...just as wonderful.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  I hope he returns soon and catches us away.  What glory that will be!

Knitting.....

I love vintage clip art, do you?  Art has always called my name.  What a God given talent to capture some of the beauty of a rose with pencils and paint!  Of course now with our digital cameras...wow,  I am a huge fan of snapping many shots with no film to develop. =)

You may wonder what I've been doing, to be so tardy updating my blog.  I have been knitting up a storm....all practice ...well, mostly. (and the week has flown by while....)  I am teaching myself with the help of youtube and my vast collection (grin) of how-to books on knitting.....I am learning to knit button holes for the start of a sweater pattern.  I am determined. To learn.  =)

We are having Missionary Conference at our church and it is not only interesting but very challenging to see how we measure up in sharing the good news of the Gospel.   John 3:16 and the  Gospel are the most important information one person can ever give to another. I'm so glad I confessed my need of Jesus and what he accomplished for us with his death and resurrection!

And, we are soon on the way to the library to pick up a copy of Alexander McCall Smith's book 'The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon'.   If it is as good a read as the  others in the Ladies Detective Agency series he did,    Well,  I will really enjoy it.  I'm looking forward to reading it.

 Thank you to 'Podso' for sharing this wonderful water-color app.  It converts your pictures into watercolor art.  Love it!  It is an itune's app and I should say...it crashes fairly frequently for me, I'm hoping they will fix the bugs, because I do like it So much.

I wish I could paint this good with watercolors!  It makes me want to get out my paints and try...grin.

Hayley Okines, book review, 'Old 'Before My Time'

I just finished the book 'Old Before My Time' and it was such a story!  It is about a beautiful girl with Progeria.  She will win your heart right from the beginning of her story.  She and her Mom, Kerry have put in lots of pictures and chapters told from each of their perspective.  And...an added blessing is that you can go over to 'You Tube' and see many video  interviews with Hayley.  Some show her meeting celebrities or feeding dolphins.  There is a trip (with youtube video) on a trip to Egypt for a Birthday celebration and she gets to see pyramids up close.

 The book and videos'  were a blessing!   That they would share even some  of the concerns living with Progeria is not only interesting but gives a lot of information on the medical progress occuring to help children & teens who live with this condition where they age 8 times faster than normal.

This is a such a good book about a very very special girl and her very special family! Educational and heart-warming!

A Good Read...

I just finished reading this series of three books.  The first book was free on Amazon for Kindle and then I just had to read the rest of the story.  Ordinarily I don't appreciate an author's efforts to keep me reading 3 books instead of one.  But.  I give this series 5 stars,   it was an excellent read, with not the ending I expected, and the characters seemed very real along with the dangers they would have faced at that time.

I can't wait for warmer weather though....I am tired of being chilly off & on!

Trying to memorize Psalm 62....loved this verse in particular 'In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.'   my glory....I really like that,  it sounds joyful doesn't it?

What a day for tea!  It is cold and windy and icy.  But we have plenty of teacups, all kinds and colors waiting for hot tea to warm us up.  Thankfully for me...its a stay at home day.  =)   I might get my cello out soon here,  a bit of music would be cheerful, don't you  think so?

Did you watch the couples ice skating last night?  Meryl and Charlie are fabulous..I enjoyed their skating very much.  I wish the girls wore more clothes though.  I love the grace of skating.  Never had the opportunity to learn to skate when I was young, did you?

Knitting away...

This morning I finished knitting these Turkish bed socks.  I only had to finish up the toe decreases and graft the opening shut.  I had this project in the basket maybe a month ago or more and worried a bit I wouldn't remember what to do.  It came back to me very quickly I'm glad to say!  Now I am knitting a sample swatch to get my gauge for a sweater.  If I decide to do a sweater. After working with size 2 needles,  that are as light as air....size 8 needles feel cumbersome.   btw,  the yarn was self-patterning for these socks.  We have amazing products to use now-a-days!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I did it!   just because of a happy memory.  =)  I made a Valentine box.  (thank you to the manufacturers of double faced tape!)   Wishing everyone a very happy day....

'O love of God, how rich and pure!  How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure,  The saints' and angels' song.'   Chorus from the hymn 'The Love of God' by F.M.Lehman 1868-1953