Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Aside from a dictionary have you ever read words that perfectly define the meaning of something you find especially significant at the moment? This morning I read the words of Paul, in 1Corinthians 15, that summed up the basis of the  faith in Christ's life, death, and resurrection from death that I celebrate. Then my youngest daughter and I drove on some errands, and took photos of the earth around us being resurrected from deathly Winter to lively Spring.

This evening I finished sewing some bloomers for Miss Maggie Rabbit, and I started knitting her pink capelet...challenging, but delightful as well.   I had to unravel  some of the capelet because I missed the mark in following the pattern.  Now learning from my errors, I turn from them, determined to exercise the creativity [with the grace of God] needed to complete the project!

While I do not pretend to understand how life can come from death, I am excited to live and look forward to everlasting life through Christ...with no more unraveled stitches :)

Blessings to you and yours!

xx,

Gracie

Crafting Circles

Weeks ago I visited Sophie's blog, A Good Year, and admired a wreath she made using a vine twisted into  a circle as the base. I especially like to hang an evergreen wreath to remind me of everlasting life that I believe is available through Christ. This year I decided to use my grapevine wreath and poke some greenery in it.  I still want to add  some holly to it but have not made it out behind the pond to cut a sprig yet, but I hung a jingle bell wreath on the front door to merrily ring and remind me of the joy I can know in Christ in all my comings and goings in my faith and in fellowship with others and with family and friends.

It was fun to make single crochets around ponytail holder rings for the grand girls to decorate their ponytails although they were not needed when the Advent wreath was a full circle of light Christmas morning and my oldest grand-daughter raced into my room.

This afternoon I enjoyed experimenting with my pencils and pens...an exercise of faith... and I finished making a wreath ornament similar to the pin wreath that Teresa typed about several days ago.  I used a one inch plastic ring as a base and single crocheted around it as row one. The second row I crocheted through both loops of each single crochet, chained 7 and slip stitched into the next single crochet all around the ring then stitched on three little jingle bells and a bow.

I am hoping to get lots of crafting done during the twelve days of Christmas and beyond...not exclusively in circles although I am especially fond of circles :)

What shape is your favorite for crafting?

xx from Gracie

Snowflakes from Spain...

Kate introduced me to Amanda and her blog Crafty in Med in Spain for our Snowflake Exchange.  I have been enjoying getting to know Amanda through her blog!  Even though we live so far apart we have much in common, including a great fondness for Winnie the Pooh :)

Amanda sent me a wonderful package full of treasures including a letter and three of these snowflakes!!!

She wrapped her gifts to me in this great Christmas tree fabric tied with pretty green and gold ribbon.

Amanda crocheted the wonderful holiday tea cozy that fits my favorite teapot perfectly!  And she made a cute little Christmas tree I have perched on my tea tray. and a yellow bell that ((( rings))) that I have hung on my tree. And besides all of that she generously sent a heart shaped pin cushion/ sachet with 3 golden heart pins.  She also sent lace, and ribbon, and sequins and embroidery thread, and magnets, and soap, and a little Ceraplat [plate] along with a tile and Senorita made in Spain!

My granddaughters and I have already used some of the pretty ribbon Amanda sent to make an orange clove pomander using Tina's tutorial to deliciously scent the air in my room.

The bell that (((rings))) that Amanda made for me is very much admired by me and members of my family!  It is  right at home with the stars and Teresa's hearts I crocheted, the three snowflakes Amanda sent, and the other treasured ornaments that my mom and children made or were bought to help us celebrate Christ's birth.

The lovely crocheted Christmas holly  tea cozy Amanda made for my favorite tea pot fits it perfectly!  It  helps keep my tea warm, and  it is a delightful reminder each day that generosity, creativity,  comfort and joy abound even when loss and tragedy are keenly felt.  Thank you, Amanda, for each and every item you sent to me.  I look forward to more bloggy sharing of our lives in the days ahead :)

Thank you Kate for organizing a Snowflake Exchange for us and introducing me to Amanda!  I am trying to not have angst about how loooooong it is taking my gifts from Oregon mailed on December 6, 2012, to arrive in Spain...
It must be time for prayer, another cup of tea and some more rows of crochet and knitting :)

xx from Gracie

Wedding Week...Whoosh***

In the whirl of activities surrounding my youngest daughter's wedding last Saturday, I have been caught up in days of celebration, but missed visiting with you.  We attended a wedding rehearsal and dinner on Friday night and then the wedding and dinner on Saturday.  So many family members and friends worked very hard to help us make many good memories, and they succeeded above and beyond what we imagined possible.

Our home has been brimming over with guests.  We had 14 people sleeping here several nights which reminded me of the grand house parties I have read about, only we did not have hired servants to help, but rather, our family members and friends volunteered to do whatever needed to be done.  There were very few glitches and many blessings!

One night we celebrated Thanksgiving dinner.  Another night we celebrated my oldest granddaughter's fifth birthday.  The rehearsal dinner was also my youngest daughter's birthday.  In the days after the wedding we helped some of those visiting from out of town, do some sightseeing.  We drove them around Mt. Hood and visited an alpaca farm, and a fruit farm.  We went to Multnomah Falls and ate lunch there.  We played numerous rousing card games of Nertz or cribbage,  and I knitted some rows on my merino garter stitch blanket.

Now I am looking forward to catching up on your news!  

xx from Gracie

Memorials

Here in the USA, my future son-in-law is one of those who is out and about

setting out flags for the celebration of Memorial Day this weekend,

 to honor and remind us of those who

gave their lives

so that we can enjoy the freedom

that we do today.

Flags, buildings, pictures, songs, enactments, foods, and paintings...

can all be reminders or memorials.

Southern journalist, Don Lee Keith is no doubt much to blame for my interest in watercolor memorial painting.

In my mid teens one summer day I sat on a beach in Pennsacola, Florida, trying to learn how to

play a ukelele I had just been given.

Handsome, Don Lee, nine years my senior (and now deceased) strolled up

to where I was sitting and plopped himself on the sand to chat.

He revealed he was a columist for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In the following years we corresponded a few times and he sent me some samples of the

humorous column he then wrote.  When he wrote the book, The World of Rolland Golden,

in 1970, I got a copy of the book signed by both Don Lee

and the southern watercolorist, Rolland Golden.

I was then and still am fascinated with Mr. Golden's artistry.

In July, 1975, when God enabled my husband and me to meet our future adopted son in Seoul, South Korea,

we were also invited to the home of Taiwanese novelist and water colorist Wang Lan in Taipei, Taiwan.

Wang Lan gave us a signed copy of his book Wang Lan Watercolor Paintings which I would love to show you.

But, respecting their copyrights, I can not show you the prints I have of either man's work.  However,  their styles

 bring to my mind words such as impressionism, abstractism, and surrealism.

In my blogging explorations I currently enjoy viewing the artistry

 of Vanessa Cabban, Rebekka Seale, and Teresa Kasner.

Creating memorials is a part of the very fiber of being human, I think., 

 whatever medium we choose for expression,

From time to time I like to unleash the six-year-old within me

to exercise her primitive memorial making calling 

 with  watercolor painting.

My imaginary ocean in this picture reminds me

of many of the Saylorish things I celebrate in this blog:

faith, family, friends, freedom.

(see the reflection of me taking a picture of my picture(:  ?)

What memorials are you creating today?

Tea At Chariteas

To celebrate Mother's Day, some of the moms of our family and two grand girls met at Chaiteas in Sandy, Oregon, Saturday afternoon.

It was a beautiful warm sunny day and we all enjoyed a lovely tea.

Were you busy this past weekend? I hope you had happy days as we did<3