Will You Be One Of The Lucky 5?

I am so very close to making my 500th post here that I am giving away 5 gifts that monumentous day. No, you can't have all 5, but if you are one of the first 5 to post me a note when that time comes and it is sooooooooooooooooooooo close that you will miss it if you don't pay close attention. It will be sometime this week, but when, I do not know.

I have been busy today preparing the little token of thanks for those of you that have supported this blog, posted about my giveaways, told others, won prizes and those 15 people who are my followers.

For the very first one to comment on my 500th post, you will get this really funky, brightly colored large pin cushion. I just loved the colors and now that spring is rolling around to some parts of the country, I thought I would make something bright and cheery. The colors here actually remind me of my years in Arizona.

What is even better, if you get tired of looking at these colors, you can just flip it over because I made the reverse side colorful as well. If you don't need a pin cushion, give it away to a friend or a giveaway on your blog, just remember to post who made it if you choose to use it in your blog.

If you are the second poster, not to worry, you get this really cute Mushroom shaped felt needle/small scissor holder and I even put a loop on it so you can hang it somewhere when you are working on a project and need your scissors and needles close by. This picture shows what it looks like when you open the mushroom.

The person who posts a comment third, receives this cute little pin cushion that has roses and plates on it, it is an older fabric that I have had for several years and used it many times. It just reminds me of days gone by!

Poster #4 will get this vintage package of holiday ribbon/embellishment that I purchased before Christmas from Rebecca over at Thrifty Goodness Etsy shop. Rebecca always has some really nice vintage things and is always adding to her shop. You can check her Etsy shop out on the sidebar.

The last prize winner, but I hope not the last poster, will be poster #5 and they will receive these cute little white hearts with polka dots on them. I received them in a recent swap and just think they are adorable.

So please, blog about this, tell others about this, but make sure you check back often as my 500th post is creeping up faster than a cat on a mouse!

Now That Spring Is Here, Lets All Remember This!

Alright ladies, it's that time of year once again!!! I think we need to be reminded of a few things. So my sisters, PLEASE, raise your big toes and repeat after me below...

The Open Toed Shoe Pledge
As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.

I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back! into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $20 or $25 and worth EVERY penny).

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear... nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.

Don't keep this is to yourself - pass it on to other sisters!

Grandparents Tool Box

I have often said the only sad part about raising ones grandchildren is we are robbed a bit of being a grandparent because we are now placed in the position of being a parent. Aside from that one small drawback, the benefits for myself and many other grandparents in my situation feel so blessed to be able to help our little ones grow and thrive.

I have always kept what I call a grandparents toy box. It isn't very large, but oh the treasures and joys inside this small box, give my husband and I time to grandparent and not parent even if it is for just a few short hours at a time.

I had a large plastic box about the size of a file box and inside are all kinds of wonderful things the kids love to sit down and share with me and now, I want to share these with you. Of course, yours does not have to be like mine, use your imagination and you will find the right treasures for your precious grandparenting time.

The first thing in my box is some old pictures of their parents during happier times, pictures of their parents holding them, playing with them, as children themselves. I keep letters and cards their parents send them, because these are the most precious things to my grandchildren, words on paper confirming their mommy and daddy still love and care for them.

I have coloring books (I keep these refreshed and new), crayons, markers, gel ink colored pens, pretty stationary, construction paper, blank note cards (they can design their own), beads, shells, glitter, glue, flower seeds, veggie seeds, a pack of bubble gum (we have bubble blowing contests during our craft sessions), buttons, etc.

The unique thing about this box is that it is used on a day when they don't have homework, friends over or anything else taking up their time. It is just a day where you want to sit down and take time to spend as a grandparent, laughing, sharing stories, listening and being a child yourself.

This small box has given my family hours of pleasure and hours of laughs, hugs, jokes and fun. During this time, their is no right ways or wrong ways and if you are having a bad day and want to draw or color outside the lines, thats okay, it is time to do as you want, to relax and not worry about correcting homework or doing laundry.

The one thing I have learned with my grandchildren is they would rather eat a sandwich and have time for me to sit down and read them a story or color with them, than have the living room perfectly clean or clean socks to wear.

Sometimes I think as grandparents raising our grandchildren, we get caught up in the everyday and forget to take time to just be a child again or see things as a child does. One thing I have learned is if my grandchildren ask me to play with them, I need to stop what I am doing and take time to play with them. If not, I am loosing some very special time with them that I may never get back.

Yesterday my grandchildren wanted to help me clean my van, so we scrubbed and emptied and washed and dried and in the middle of it one of their friends asked them if they wanted to go on a picnic. It was actually a long walk up our hill to eat apples, play tag and watch the harbor. I could see they were torn because they told me they would help, but I said, go play, this old van hasn't been cleaned since winter began, I will be cleaning it for hours.

How much joy was given to me to see these 3 with their friends and older cousins all singing and laughing to the top of the hill?

Life is short or so they say. Grandparenting our grandchildren while it comes with its own special challenges, makes my life happier and I believe extends it a bit more by taking the stress off of me and showing me life through a childs eyes.

Don't forget to hug those grandchildren and remember a little bit of praise goes a long way and a smile lives in their hearts forever!

Now You See It Cutting Table

A few days ago while I was in Joann Fabrics, they had a cutting table for sale and I purchased it. This is not the flimsy one they used to sell that so many people complained about. This one has shelves to help stabilize it, it is sturdy and I was amazed at how easy it was to put together.

No! My hubby didn't put it together, I did. Matter of fact when he came home and saw that I had ripped the box opened, his first words to me were, 'have fun, I am NOT taking on that project' and he promptly went outside to spray the grass with moss killer.

Now, I am pretty smart, (after all I do have 3 college degree's) and I grew up working around muscle cars, so I am not afraid of a hex tool. I am cooking last night, working quick and so proud of myself until...I realized I had put it together backwards. Go ahead,laugh I know you are because you or someone you know has done the same thing.

I finally put it together the correct way and here it is:

Now, I can finally get the bins that are in my living room out because I don't need to use them as a cutting table and this one doesn't hurt my back because it is higher up than 2 bins stacked on top of each other.

What I like about it, is that it just folds up so easily and neatly and fits nicely in my living room. Yes, my quilt projects have once again taken over the living room, but I did catch up on some of my sewing and quilting during this all to fast Spring break as school starts tomorrow.

And, here is what it looks like when it is not in use. I recycled an old vinyl table cloth and it looks kinda like one of those old timey day beds that used to fold up.

A New ECO (nomy,ology) For Dishwashers

This is just gross, it is a bowl of twelve hour old cereal that my wonderful sweet grandchildren forgot to rinse out before sticking it in the sink and no matter how much I plead with them to please rinse, they are small and they forget and this is no crime. Well, unless you call showing dirty dishes a crime.

But I am not showing you just one, I am showing you two. However, the one on the top was the worst of the two. Now I do not know about anyone else, but to me there is nothing worse to get off a dish than dried on cereal or oatmeal. It dries like hardened cement and to be honest, I really think it is a force that even a jack hammer couldn't beat at times.

When I saw these, the first thing that came to mind was all the articles I have been reading lately and hearing on the news about the residents of Spokane, Washington smuggling dish washing detergent into Spokane.

You read it correct people, they aren't smuggling outlawed booze, pets or drugs, but dishwashing detergent and they are bringing it in from (are you ready for this?) Idaho and surrounding counties. This is no laughing matter, people are very upset about a new law in Spokane that stores and businesses can no longer sell phosphate dish washing detergent.

Check out these articles on the subject: www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_bootleg_detergent.html

www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=15&sid=149834

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328/ap_on_re_us/bootleg_detergent

I do not recall when phosphates were outlawed in laundry detergents, but I don't think my mom, myself or anyone I knew was going around smuggling in phosphate detergents. This is serious folks, there are little old ladies, single parents, people on disability, rich folk, poor folk, young folk, old folk, okay, you get the idea that are willing to smuggle detergent to save money.

Huh? Did I just saw to save money? It seems the problem the residents are having is whatever products are available to them are not cleaning the dishes, smell badly and some people are having to rewash dishes which is costing them more money in water and ultimately just as bad for the environment.

So, Palmolive ECO comes to the rescue. I do not live in Spokane, I live about 6 hours southwest of Spokane in Aberdeen. However, my husband just installed a new dish washer and purchased a bottle of Palmolive ECO for our dishwasher and here are my untouched results:

I decided to put this phosphate free dishwashing detergent to the test and normally, I pre-rinse my dishes and scrape them clean before they go into be washed.

However, I just tossed the gross cereal encrusted bowels into the dishwasher, and this is how they came back out. They are not just clean, but you can see, they are shiny clean! I am was amazed, I am very impressed. I have used other name brand products with phosphates and not had my dishes come out so clean.

Well, if there can be proof in the dishes, here it is. My recommendation to not only protect the environment but our home economies by saving you money in extra washings is this product hands down:

So, to the residents of Spokane and other communities that may soon be outlawing phosphates, go ahead and pick up a bottle of this and let me know what you think. Better yet, let Colgate Palmolive know what you think.

**Disclaimer** I understand many things could be different in your community as far as water and the salt content, hardness, processing, if you have well water. Our community does not have soft water that I am aware of and I do not own a water filtering or softening system.

Call All Moms of Newborns and Young Babies

Help me please! I am in a bit of a dilemma. My son and his fiance', just had their first child and they have no vehicle or stroller and the baby has a touch of colic it sounds like. I am looking for parents that have used slings before.

If you are a parents who has used slings, please let me know what sling you used, how you liked it, would you recommend it or another brand, how it fit, how the baby liked it, was it comfortable?

The next question is did your spouse use it? Did he like it? Would he recommend it?

The first 3 people to respond to my questions and that leave me websites where I can check out your particular sling, I will send you a box of travel baby wipes.

A New Look

There are some changes going around here at the Quilting Ranny blog and at our home and I hope you enjoy them and I will keep you posted on them as they roll in.

The first change you can see is I have a new picture for my blog, oh how I hated that other one. I was sitting outside today on the front porch and my granddaughter snapped this one off. Yes, you can see my purple house with its blue trim.

The first change I have made is changing my blog from a two column to a three column format to be able to put more information on it. I have also removed some more shops and blogs from my side bar if they are no longer active. Many of the Etsy shops I promoted have closed their shops, so if you do not have an active Etsy site, I am pulling it off my list.

While I am still actively looking for someone to be able to design my Etsy shop heading, I am making quilts and plans to have a grand re-opening hopefully in the next two months or so, keep your eyes open, there will be quilts and other items.

I am actively seeking corporate sponsorship for my blog and will keep you all updated to which corporations agree to sponsor me and right now I am looking for companies that are basically womens facial products and I am expecting big things from them!

I am also seeking sponsorship from a company that makes the most wonderful non-flour (thanks Cathy) bread and bagels. I will keep you posted about this company as well.

I will be listing pictures of quilts I have for sale over the next few months and hope to be able to supplement my income while I am down during back surgery recovery.

There will be more giveaways coming soon...three with my 500th post and one each day of the week on my anniversary. Details to follow as soon as I clear my head from this wretched cold I have.

I have lost 9 pounds since being on my diet, I will also begin to share more with you about that and some of the wonderful and delicous and actually healthy products I have tried and liked and what I don't like.

I will be listing some hints to green up your home, bring color to your yard and even how to grow a garden with a yard the size of mine. Money saving tips and monthly budget stretchers and of course I will let you know about some of the fun giveaways and swaps I find out about.

As always, grab a cupa and enjoy spending time with me and my blog and to all of you, who have contributed to my hitting over 600 views last month, thank you so much. I know there are many other wonderful blogs out there you could be spending time with, but you choose to spend time with me!

R Is For Remember

Today, our letter is the letter R for Remember or remembering. Proverbs 31 reminds us that 'She looks well to the ways of her household.' We should all do our best to remember the small things that our family members love.

If we remember the little things that are BIG things fot our family, our friends, our neighbors and even our co-workers, we will bring balance to our home and ministry.

Years ago in Arizona, I wanted so badly to have a flower garden in the summer which is virtually impossible living in the desert with no trees and the cost of water in the summer isn't cheap either. But my husband who loves me without a doubt (remember he painted our home purple for me) gave me some areas where I could plant.

It resulted in a small white rose tree, lots of mulch, buying earth worms and putting them in the area and keeping it moist for them and planting Marigolds all over to hopefully keep the gophers out of my garden. I finally had Carnations, Roses, Nasturtiums, Blue Bells. I was proud of my garden and kept it weeded and gopher free (lets just say more than one gopher lost their heads over my flowers).

One day, I went out and gathered flowers and put them in a simple jar and took them to work in the dispatch center. For over a week, I heard about how nicely they smelled, how beautiful they were, how did I grow them. I gave beauty to an area that was gray and dull, but the flowers just made it right and it caught on as others began to bring in flowers.

It is remembering my husband works all day outside in the cold and wet and having the living room all warmed up when he gets home lets him know in a very small way that I care about him.
Having dinner done when he comes home shows him I care about him.

It is remembering to sign up once a month for Home Depot kids classes for my grandchildren because they love doing these work shops.

It is leaving a note in my grandsons pocket with a smiley face so when he goes to school he can remember how much I love him.

It is sending my friends I am thinking of you cards not on line, but via snail mail so in a pile of bills, they receive a smile.

It is taking the time to remember to take care of myself so I can be around a long time and be able to take care of them.

It is leaving a rubber lizard in my granddaughters bed so she will know that sometime during the day I remembered her and love her. This lizard has been found in various places around the house: under pillows, bottom of sheets, in towels, he is just a smile for whoever finds it!

What small things can you remember that are BIG to your family? If you can't think of anything, here are some ideas to get you started:
1- Hot cocoa on a cold afternoon
2-Warm cookies fresh out of the oven
3-Making a childs bed while they are at school
4-Giving an extra dollar in someones allowance just because
5-Dying a childs hair blue, just because they want it blue
6-Letting your son have that Mohawk haircut (after all, its just hair)
7-Reading a story to someone who is sick and in bed (it doesn't have to be a child)
8-Cleaning a friends kitchen while they are running errands
9-Putting fresh sheets on all the beds in your house
10-Coloring with a child, playing a game with a child, sending your husband a love note

There are so many things we can all do to help others that are cost free and if you want to give them a free gift, there are many on line places you can get freebies or win prizes and that is always fun!

Have a great day and Remember to do something small that will mean something big for someone you love.

Spring Vacation Day 6 & Day 7

Thursday was a busy but lazy day. We didn't get out and about until after noon and then since hubby was off, we went to the local butcher and bought some meat, fresh crab, fish and buffalo sticks for the month. Then we went next door to the produce market and bought veggies and fruits for a week or so. As a treat, hubby took us all to KFC for lunch and then we came home and all took a nice long nap.

I talked to my mom's surgeon and they will be performing a Mastectomy on the 14th. Please keep her in prayers, she has 2 lumps in 2 different places and that is why the Mastectomy is so crucial.

I then took off and bought Easter supplies for the kids and had my hair cut. I really think the girl that cut it didn't do a good job, but its hair and part of the problem is I am used to getting my hair cut and colored and this time I didn't do the coloring so it doesn't look as fresh as it normally does.

We then went to Brownies and came home and my son called, the detective agency believes they found his ex-wife and will have papers served in the next few days. I on the other hand know this girls habits and do not think they are going to find her, but I contacted a local agency who states they work with these types of people all the time and she shouldn't be hard to find at all.
I would just love to hold and hug my granddaughter again & so would her other grandparents!

It has been a very cold and very wet day!

Prayer Requests

I am asking prayer requests for a very sweet woman named Jan who suffers from Fibromyalgia and recently had surgery. I spoke with her husband last evening and told him she had been on my mind all day and I had to call and check on her and had been praying for her to come out of surgery well. He asked me to continue praying, he said her Fibro pain was really bad and she had finally drifted off to sleep.

Fibromyalgia is real people, the pain you feel from it is from mild (on a good day) to excruciating on most other days. Mine falls somewhere in between, but it is time to call the doc again and have my meds changed as my hands are swollen every morning, red and painful and the hip pain is getting worse. It is a continual change this and switch that, try this, dump that before you get it right.

Also, please pray for the men and women and their families who died at the hands of the gunman yesterday at the immigration office in New York. No matter where you stand on immigration and I am not going to turn my blog into an immigration platform, you must realize that innocent people dying because of someone else's madness is so sad and such a tragedy.

Pray for my son Adam that he will be able to move to Washington soon.

Please say a prayer for me, I have a cold or something and it is really bringing me down!
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Safety Tattoos

I was checking out some giveaways today and stumbled across one for Safety Tattoos, this is an amazing product and I really do highly recommend if you have any connection to children you purchase these as gifts to their parents, grandparents, daycare, sitter, friends. Where were these when our kids were small?

We have for years gone to NASCAR races and for the same amount of years we have taken one or all of our grandchildren with us and they have a super system set up for kids to get arm bands, but after a bit what happens are they get hot and sweaty under them and begin to itch and the kids pull at them until they break.

With this product, it goes on like a tattoo, stays on and you can even put allergy information on them. What peace of mind this is going to bring me when I order them and know when we go anywhere, if they get lost, someone will be able to locate them.

How many times have you been to a store to hear a child crying because it wandered away. These are perfect for even grocery shopping.

Check them out on my side bar and let me know what you think!

I Haven't Forgotten

I know I have been quiet lately about my push to see if people in our dire state of economy right now can help each other pay off our mortgages. I also know while so many of you believe this is a great idea, you just don't think there is enough faith left out here for people to work together and show our government we can do things without them.

I haven't just exposed my lunacy on my blog, I have told people all over this area and Olympia about my thoughts from store clerks to receptionist and everyone loves the idea, they just don't know how to get it started.

Well, I have mailed out over 15 letters to local churches in my area, explaining that I feel we are being led by God to show others that we will not be slaves to anyone especially our lenders that are taking huge bailouts, issuing huge bonus checks and then very calmly foreclosing on our homes and kicking people to the street.

The horrible family crimes that have occurred in the news lately with entire families being wiped out completely due to peoples despondency over their financial situation warrants us not only as humans, but many of us who state we are Christians to stand up and find a way to help each other.

I know it would be impossible without Gods help, but even in Mega churches, groups of 10-20 could be set up. Smaller churches can take their membership list and work on everyone beginning with a certain date and when those are paid, then take on new members.

I have written letters to local churches in our entire county. I urge you to do the same. I haven't signed my name not out of fear, but out of the fact I do believe this is what God is telling us to do and I want God to have the glory and recognition when and if people start doing this, not me.

Spread the word, see what others think. I am 52 soon to be 53, call me crazy or eccentric, but I am really to old to worry about how kooky you think I am, I believe it is time to stand up and work together.

What if 30 people got together in a neighborhood that had high foreclosures and bought one home, cleaned it up and rented it out to someone that had a job, but bad credit history? Everyone would be the landlord and could make sure the upkeep on the yard, etc. was taken care of.

What about buying a small lot in town, putting a fence around it so animals can't get in and invite people to plant vegetables, fruits and tree's and donate money for the cost of watering? Take a small plot of land and put windmills on it and generate power for a small home.

We need to wake up and we need to work together before those we have voted for all over the United States begin to take things away from us as they are doing and no one seems to be minding.

We talk getting tough on immigration yet we allow our presidents family to live in our country illegally while she is waiting for her immigration trial and yet, others who have lived here much longer, own their own homes, have children in college, we are willing to ship them back over the border?

If that seems fair, I ask you to consider that the announcement to keep this aunt here came yesterday and today, in New York in an immigration center there is a hostage takeover and police stand off. Anyone want to bet me when it is all over and done with, it will be over someone who is frustrated with the way that one went down? There are people I have known from England that have lived here legally on a Visa for over 10 years and they are still not legal citizens because the immigration department is overloaded.

Several years ago in Arizona the local paper wrote about a woman from France whose mother was dying in France but she couldn't be with her because with her immigration status (she had lived here for many years, married an American man, they have children) if she went to France, she would have to start the entire process over again when she returned and she didn't even know when it would end.

We need to not only open our eyes, but our ears and hearts and trust each other. Many of us are disabled, ill, unemployed, working 2,3 and even 4 jobs to make ends meet. Many of us are only one check away from homelessness and that certainly isn't empowering to me. But how much better we would feel if we could get the mortgage monkey off our back.

Just crazy rantings from an old lady!

You Can Quilt

There is a new on-line quilting site entitled, You Can Quilt and it is promising to be an amazing place to get great patterns and hints and other quilt related items. If you are new to quilting or a professional, I suggest you check it out and who knows, you may win the sewing machine they are giving away!

Aprils Giveaway

Keeping with the theme of Easter and what Easter means to me, I wanted to change my blog face but all I could find was Easter eggs and while that is great for the children, Easter to me is so much more than Easter baskets and new clothes for church.

I have once again chosen three items for my monthly giveaway and I hope all of you will take the time to sign up and post it to your own blogs.

First, the rules:

1- You must post a comment on the monthly giveaway and I will have a link to it so you can post. This will give you 1 entry.

2- If you link back to this giveaway, you will receive an additional 10 entries.

3-If you post about this giveaway on your blog, you will receive an additional 10 entries.

4-If someone posts and states they saw this on your blog, you get an additional 5 entries.

5-For each comment you leave on my blog during the month of April, you will receive one additional entry.

6-If you are one of the first 5 people to post a comment to my 500th post (coming up soon) you will receive an additional 25 entries.

7-Contest ends April 30th at noon PST and winners will be chosen and announced no later than 9 -pm PST that evening.

10- Have fun!

Item #1: I love writing and I feel with the internet and cell phones, many of us have gotten away from writing notes to friends and I can't tell you how excited I get when I get a real letter or card in the mail. Keeping in the Easter tradition, this one has beautiful pink flowers and the verse, 'I can do all things through Christ who Strenghtens me.' There are 16 note cards with matching envelopes.

Item #2:

My second item is this really nice note cube. All four sides have this floral design that states, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart.' It comes with a short pencil and a green satin ribbon. Leave it near your telephone, take it to work, leave it on your desk or give it away. It is a really nice note cube!

Item #3: The last item and one of visual brightness for all those crafters and quilters out there is this little package of colored straight pins in teal, pink, pearl and gold and in a leave shape.

So, here are the April giveaway items, I hope you all take a few moments and post a comment, list it on your blog and spread the news.

March winners have already been chosen and the packages go out today in the mail.

Thank you all very much for following my blog, checking in with me and praying and sending me great thoughts! Have a wonderful Easter month!

John, I Finally Finished It!

I have been working on this cross stitch throw for over three years now. I purchased it to work on in the evenings when I had some extra time and when we traveled long distances in our car. Then, I broke my foot and that gave me lots of time to work on it. But, we moved and I never finished it.

I began last year leaving it out on the couch as a reminder I had to sit and relax and so I would take a few stitches here and there, but recently when we were sitting in the evenings watching television I would work on it for an hour or so each evening.

Here is a pole lantern, birds, bow and the sign. I can't wait to toss out the pile of tangled and knotted up embroidery thread that has turned to nothing more than a mess over the past three years.

Last night, I completed it and it looks very nice! The completed area of stitching is 22" wide by 28" long. Here is a close up of the lantern and birds. It is really a very nice piece of work and hubby thought I was going to place it on Ebay and sell it!

It may not be Christmas, but I just may have to leave this one sit on the couch a few days to admire it and smile that I actually finished it. And, that leaves one less project on my side bar for this year, so I am getting things accomplished!

Shhhh, The Letter Q for Quiet

Todays letter is the letter Q for quiet or quiet time with God. How many of us get so busy during the day we don't take that special time for God? The bible is very clear on this is Psalms 119: 'Blessed are those who seek Him with all their heart, walk in His ways, keep His ways, His commandments, His word and heart pure, not sin, rejoice and meditate on Him, have no contempt.'

I think as we are entering the Easter season, it is important to remember what Easter is about and why those of us have chosen to accept our Lord and Savior, because He rose again and before He did, He took our sins to the cross with His suffering so we didn't have to.

I wake up each morning and I say a prayer of thanksgiving for my waking up, the sun is out and I am alive. Then I sit up and thank Him for the pain I am feeling, because some people are paralyzed and can't feel at all.

I then move over to my desk where I read three daily devotions and meditate on what I am reading and what I believe the Lord wants me to take to heart that day. A few days ago it was a reminder that we all need to pray so we can prepare ourselves to minister to others. We are to quietly seek God before someone seeks us!

I don't always pray per se, I am more of a talker. When I travel on my own, I am always asking God how I am doing, am I on the right path He has set before me, if I see someone on the side of the road with a flat or car troubles, I always ask God to bless that person so their day only gets better. I open doors for people, I allow people to pull out in front of me, I talk to the homeless.

When I get discouraged and want to give up, tuck my tail between my legs and run away back to Arizona, God always reminds me I am here for a reason even if He hasn't showed that to me quite yet.

Yesterday, God used my son in prison to speak to me. I received a letter from him and he told me, 'Mom, God won't let you fall on your face, you know that, just think of all of this as a test and then he went on to tell me I over extend myself and need to stop and he sent me a copy of the poem Footprints. Wow! That was powerful and God delivered His message to me in a way He knew I would understand & when I was quiet!

Todays word? Joyce Meyers, 'Starting Your Day Right,' states 'If we pray before speaking, the Lord will keep us from overcommitting our time.' Now, that I have been told this twice, I know God is telling me something.

Amazing, if we are quiet, if our hearts are open, sometimes we hear God not with our ears, but with our eyes and we know He has spoken.

Have you taken the time today to get quiet and pray? It is very empowering!

Spring Vacation, Day #5

Yesterday was vacation day #5 and we once again had a very long drive. We drove into Chehalis to try to find another one of my grandchildren and were unsuccessful. We found the house and if that child is there, then she is living in a bad place. We have no more to go on than what the investigators are telling us when they track a lead down. The kids were great all the way there as we snaked our way into older areas where I knew she has known to haunt.

We also stopped by Burgerville and had a wonderful and relaxing lunch. I ordered the Anazasi burger which is a black bean burger with jalapeno cheese and a spicy sauce. I declined on the fries, ordered the kids kids means (chicken strips and the best hot dog ever I was told) and ordered a large chocolate cherry shake which we split 4 ways. Yummy!

I was a tad bit worried when we left town as it was snowing, but when we came home it was all rain. Around this part, you can go somewhere when it is snowing and wind up not coming back because the roads will close, but I was on a mission to find someone and the weather wasn't going to stop me.

We had dinner and I sat and watched American Idol! Oh my, Danny Gokey has such a beautiful voice and he always puts so much emotion into his singing, it was just amazing and then when I learned he lost his grandfather this past week, I was so sad, but I think he channels all of his emotions into singing!

We also set up the Wii fit and I way overdid when I did the hula hoop, but who can stop when you have 3 little ones chanting...go Ranny, go Ranny? Today, may back hurts, so I must remember fun and my back at the same time!