WARMTH

My wonderful son turned 15 over the weekend. He is my baby, and always will be.  I have two wonderful daughters as well.  They are all wonderful children and have brought me such joy.  They each came having their own lessons to teach me how to be a better parent.  I wouldn't change that for the world!  And they all have this amazing ability to warm my heart every day.  All I have to do is open my eyes to see it.

The weather is finally warming up, for which I am so very grateful!  Cold and I do not get along well. The hyacinths are blooming, and the tulips are up & out of the ground, and should be blooming in the next couple of weeks.  It is so wonderful to see the new growth  and know that warmth is coming soon. In fact, it may be down right HOT before too long.

So my question today is what brings warmth and joy to your heart? Do you have to dig deep to find it, or is it right there to grab onto?  Do you need to do some spring cleaning to find it, dust maybe, or vacuum?  We all have that spot where we hold those precious memories or ideas of what gives/brings happiness and joy.  Sometimes I have to dig deep, and hold on with both hands once I find it. Other times all I have to do is be present in the moment to see the joy right in front of me, to feel the warmth of love from my husband, my children, my parents, and my friends, even strangers can warm my heart with just a smile.  I have also found that "playing make-believe" can bring joy - and sometimes you have to fake it in order to find it again.  So do yourself a big favor today, find what warms you through and through, and then go spread it to the rest of the world - one person at a time. 

BEING

 I am contemplating my BEING right now.  Who am I? Who am I meant to be? How do I effect others lives for the better?  I know that the world does not revolve around me, but I do make a difference in the world.  We are all here for a purpose. 

I suffer from chronic health issues.   I take medications to keep them under control, but more importantly, I know that having my thoughts in the positive range is much more important to living life.  Life is survivable, but I want to LIVE it, enjoy it. I want to share the joy I find in life on a daily basis.

Therefore, I crochet and needle felt.  When I am felting I am able to let go of the bad thoughts that like to replay in my mind, and I am able to see the joy that will come from my creations.  Perhaps it will be the warmth and uniqueness of my hats, or the smiles that come from my sheep, or other animals I create.  With each crochet stitch I see how the mistakes can be easily erased,  and how sometimes you really have to think to make the pattern come out correctly. 

And so it is in life....I take the mistakes, and grow from them, and felt through each day, to create my best possible BEING.  Everyone may not appreciate who I am, how I respond to issues, however I give what love and encouragement I can to each person who touches my life.  

Contemplative Questionings

Lately I have had many reasons for contemplating life.  I have recently been able to attend some seminars that have made me really look into my life and see where I am and what I am attracting in my life.  I want and need positivity in my life.  I have a wonderful, loving, supportive family. I have many good, dear friends as well.  I also have had my fair share of rough relationships.  I grew, and continue to grow, from all experiences that come my way.  As life continues to change day by day, as no day is the same, and there are new challenges every day, I look deeper into myself and search for the good, and focus on that.  I wish that others in my life could do the same.  My heart breaks for those who cannot see (or chose not to) what gifts they have, the little things in life that bring joy, and can only focus on the big issues, or make bigger issues out of the little things that don't really have much of a significance in life.

There are days where I am not always positive, or bubbly (as many refer to me), but who doesn't have a bad day here and there?  I am not saying that you have to pretend 24/7 to be someone you are not, but to stay in that hole, that pit, and never want to see the sunshine.....what kind of life is that?  I have been deep into depression many times in my life, and never thought I would come out of it. BUT I DID! and I did it on my own, not because someone else said I had to.  It is a choice you have to make on a daily basis.....sink in, or dig out?! 

I LOVE the feel of the sunshine on my face. I enjoy taking the time to smell the flowers, see them coming up in the spring, putting smiles on peoples faces, or making people laugh.  I get joy by encouraging others to look at the bright side of things.  I cannot help it if they choose to see it differently.  I just know that I do my best, and that is what matters in life. 

When was the last time you gave of yourself? When was the last time you accepted the responsibility of something wrong in a relationship and did something about it, instead of blaming others? When will you give, and what will you give to make the world a better place?  When was the last time you sent a card in the mail, just to bless someone? When was the last time you sent a just because gift with no expectations of getting a thank you back....just random kindness to someone you don't really know?  When was the last time you allowed someone to bless you? And then acknowledged it as a blessing?  When? What? How? Why?

Search deep within yourself and your life.  What do you really want from life? What to you want to give to make your life better?

More Fibers

My passion is needle felting, however, I also love crocheting.  I have been crocheting since I was a little girl.  Never really did much with it, just some scarves and a baby blanket here and there.  I recently decided that I wanted to do more with it, so I went to a beginning crochet class at my local yarn store.  I had a great time, and even learned a couple of new tricks. 

I gave my step-mom and dad a crocheted kitchen towel and matching dish cloth for their new home.  Mary was so excited to get the gifts, and said she wanted to learn to crochet.  So I was able to teach her the basic chain, and  the single crochet stitches.  I am thrilled to be able to help her learn!

Monday I made my first cowl, basically a scarf that is pulled over your head to keep your neck warm, and can pull it up over your nose to help block the wind.  I was so impressed with how quickly it came together, that I am now working on my third one!  I've used 100% merino wool for one, Peruvian Cotton/modal/silk blend for another (thanks for the gift Kim!) and using a cotton type yarn for the one I started this morning.

Will post some more pictures as soon as this last one is completed.  I made one yesterday for myself, and the one I started today is for my oldest daughter.  She has asthma and the wind takes her breath away, so hopefully this will help prevent attacks.

Felted Fiber Addiction

I attended a fantastic seminar on Saturday, March 19th, and decided that it was time I join in the blog world.  I have an addiction to fiber, and creating things with it.  Needle felting has brought me immense joy, and I find that it is my drug of choice.  I had been addicted to anger and all the wrongs people had done to me for so very long, and when a dear friend introduced me to needle felting, it started the snowball effect for me. When I am hurting emotionally, I find that creating something through "stabbing" roving with needles brings me serenity.

I blessed a friend with two needle felted sheep in February.  That really started a snowball effect as well.  I have several orders for sheep now, a total of 13 that I am in the midst of creating.  I have four left to complete now.  They each have their own personality, and I couldn't make two of the same even if I try.  That is the joy in hand made items, nothing is ever duplicated exactly.

I will be posting pictures of the different stages of the process I take to make them.