Crafting in July

Ahoy! Thanks for sailing in through cyberspace today to see where I am near the grand Mt. Hood close to Portland, Oregon, USA., and to learn a bit about what crafting I have been involved in July 2020.

February 21, 2020, just before we were asked to stay safe at home except when providing or getting essential services, I filled the gas tank of my 2005 minivan.   Mainly since then, I have gone out once a week for groceries. One Friday several months later my youngest daughter came to drive me to the grocery store because I had pulled something in my upper right arm and was having trouble driving.  She drove me to a grocery store that took us past this nearby view of Mt. Hood where I used my iPhone to craft a photo.  July 24, 2020, the gas gage in the car still said I had a little over a fourth of a tank of gas but I had it filled again, five months since the last fillup!

Day by day I crafted tried and true recipes like these GF dairy-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies most of which are still in the freezer. I think I have concocted some sort of soup and salads every day as well.

In July when crafting a mile walk in our neighborhood I took a photo of these stunning purply blue Hydrangeas that are growing nearby.

From the tiny garden I crafted on the patio, the three Sugar Snap Pea plants I planted in the planter boxes produced these yummy pods and a few more.

Because I am not a very crafty gardener the hanging plant and the Cala Lilies at the front of the unit have been amazing to view and try to tend.

Although some of my Wednesday morning group of ladies who knit and crochet preemie blankets for a local NICU only met online in Zoom meetings these are one batch of blankets and hats that was dropped off in July!

A soothing satisfying craft for me is crocheting double-thickness potholders like the one in the photo above that I finished in July for a friend. The style is my favorite kind of potholder and one I made long ago and use all the time is in the photo with the cookies I showed you.

These blankets and hats were made by a new crocheter who is in her seventies.  Another friend from our Wednesday church group is a prolific knitter and crocheter and she also crafted these sweet rocks and dropped them off in my patio one day.  💕

During the hot days of July, I have also been crafting cool drinks of almond milk swirled with various kinds of frozen fruit. I am especially fond of melon and blueberries!

In this batch of blankets and hats that were dropped off are ones crafted on round plastic looms by a friend who has limited mobility in her hands. She enjoys making them and does so with love.

The little rose bush in the front of my unit is producing its second round of summer roses.  I crafted this display of some of them amidst blue glass on the kitchen windowsill.  You might really enjoy the rose's delicate lovely scent~ ~

One of my favorite spots on the patio is this corner where I crafted this pottery fountain made from a bowl that my mom bought from a potter in Nederland, Colorado where I lived for two and a half years in the early 1980s.

This morning I pulled the spent Sugar Snap Pea vines from the planter on the left leaving the Sweet Pea flower vines.   Do you think they will produce some colorful scented flowers? In the right planter, I have a Clematis vine mingled with Morning Glory vines. The Clematis has finished blooming for the season and the Morning Glory has not produced any flowers yet. I have had mixed results in crafting gardens throughout my years, but I am ever hopeful for good results!

The July online prompt I got from my Joy of Artful Worship facilitator focuses on crafting the following verses onto decorated index cards to share with others.

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 

1Corinthians 15: 1-4 NIV

16 For the Lord, himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:16-18 NIV

Another thing I have been crafting in July is this blog post.  I have been using the new Blogger format and have not figured out how to sequence photos in the order I want, but other than that  I have survived😊

and you have too if you are reading this.  Bravo! Please let me know how you are crafting your life these days.

Gracie xx

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

Gathering Gratitude

 Our family started celebrating our USA holiday of Thanksgiving early this year and very untraditionally except for gathering together.  We gathered to celebrate my youngest daughter's wedding and had several formal dinners [tablecloth, cloth napkins, ] at the church where the wedding was held.  At home we had many meals...on paper plates, even the night we celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrot casserole, celery sticks, olives and pickles, pumpkin and apple pie.


I don't have pictures to show you everyone, but there is one of me hugging my nephew, and one of me sitting next to my youngest son [who walked me, then his youngest sister down the aisle].  My oldest son and only daughter-in-law in NY were unable to come to the wedding, but the church recorded it so that those who couldn't come [including the groom's brother and family who live in Cambodia] could watch on line. [my oldest son recently sent pictures of my grandsons ages seven and five so I included pictures of them for you to see] My niece and two of her daughters flew in from Nebraska to be with us, too!

On Thanksgiving Day my youngest daughter and her husband were on their honeymoon, my sisters and their families had all flown home.  So before my oldest son-in-law left for work [swing shift] we gathered around the table and had spaghetti [made with ground turkey and bottled tomato sauce].  My oldest daughter asked God's blessing on the food.  She then asked each one of us to list something for which we were thankful.  [Mommy, Daddy, toys, home, work and family were among those things mentioned]

Thanksgiving evening my oldest daughter along with her two daughters made two batches of gingerbread cookie dough [one with and one without gluten].  Then on Friday the girls and I made a paper chain for our Christmas tree. I drank some yummy tea and we all ate lots of gingerbread cookies while it poured rain outside; and I worked on crocheting a snowflake!

As I looked at the pictures for this post I cried and smiled and felt sooooo grateful to God for such precious people, [and Shelby Dog] who have been lovingly present for me; and I am grateful for each of you who take the time to view One Saylor's Log and encourage me with your loving comments.

Are you gathering gratitude?  I hope so!

xx from Gracie

Give Away Turned Swap Ta-Dah !!!

About three feet from the mailbox, I looked down at the ground and spotted this feather sticking up vertically in the grass and weeds!

All my senses rose in appreciation of another reminder of God's Love,
that hugs like a mother hen who embraces her chicks with her feathery
wings.

When I opened the mailbox I had an interesting assortment of mail,
 including two packages!!
One of the packages contained two skeins of Sos's stunning hand painted yarn
 that I ordered.
 I also bought and downloaded her adorable knitting pattern for heirloom tomatoes
and will be posting more about that soon.




But before I opened either package I grabbed my iPhone 4S
to have it ready to take pictures of the contents of the packages.
When my finger slid the phone on it began playing
the Michael W. Smith setting I had on Pandora
and I became transfixed listening to the lyrics
of eight songs.  I only jotted down a bit
of information about each song, but it was an incredible time
of awareness of God for me.

1.  from the Afters: Light Up the Sky
...God You light up the sky to show me You are with me
[reminding me I woke up this morning and witnessed another
amazing sunrise streaked with pink and red and blue]
...I run straight to Your arms
because You are the Bright and Morning Star...
I can see you all around me...
2.  Darlene Zschech: Kiss of Heaven
...Pray...We call upon Your name...move in our hearts, move in our land
Every nation, tribe and tongue will proclaim Your Kingdom come...
...Pour out Your Spirit, Your wonders on earth...
3.  Erin O'Donnell: Here I Am to Worship
from the album Sing Over Me which has a picture of a bird on it
...Jesus, here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say You're my God
...I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross...
4. Desperation Band: Amazed
...You dance over me while I am unaware
...Lord I'm amazed by You, howYou love me, how wide, how deep, how great is Your love for me
5. Chris Tomlin: We Fall Down ...and cast our crowns
at the feet of Jesus
6. Paul Cardall: on piano, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
7. Katinas: Draw Me Close
...You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want
Help me know you are near...
8. Lincoln Brewster: Live in Worship, Shout to the Lord
...My Jesus, my Savior, Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love...
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
nothing compares to the promise I have in You

Then my oldest daughter, her husband and 3 little grand girls
came into my room, helped me open the packages,
and appreciate and take photos of the contents.

Sarah wove this with cotton and plastic bags so that it  can and will
be used as a bathmat
[although my SIL thinks I should hang it on the wall .... high praise, Sarah :)]
This is what I won from her give away...

and then she added this

4 adorable lavender [from her garden !] sachets
~~~~~heavenly fragrance~~~~~
and the red white and blue heart keychain

and she wove this fabulous scarf... I so LOVE the colors
and softness and scent from the lavender

Such fabulous gifts, Sarah!  I treasure each one.
Thank you...sooooo much :) xo

I am enjoying getting to know Sarah through her blog
Knits and Crosses,
where she shares her love of knitting, stitching,  weaving, quilting
buttons, cooking, history, gardening, eclectic music...and more.
Such fun to visit with her and admire her wares,
some of which you can buy through Folksy and Etsy.

I have soooo many reasons to be cheerful today.

What has cheered you?

xxx from Gracie to You