Grieving

Grieving is a funny thing. 

Sometimes it looks like denial.  Surely that didn't just happen.  He didn't say that.  She didn't really go.

Sometimes it is slow and grinding.  Making the days ache painfully by. 

One

Second

At

A

Time

Sometimes it is stabbing pain.

Sometimes it hides it's face and you might believe it is gone.  But no.  It's still there.  Peek. A. Boo.  Hoo.

It's surprising in it's power. 

Sneaky little bastard.

But letting go is part of life. 

And grief is part of letting go.

Letting go of hopes and dreams. 

So that you can embrace here and now.

Made Me Smile

Today in my Facebook newsfeed I had an advertisement with this link:

It cracked me up because anyone who is ordering their graduation announcements right now would be a great customer at my Procrastinator's Store. 

I love it!

My Favorite So Far

I am so excited to show off my latest finished project! 

 

 

About three years ago, I was wandering around Wal-mart looking for garage sale signs and I came upon a book called I Taught Myself To Crochet.  I knew that I would have a little free time while I waited for customers, so I decided to get the book and a skein of yarn.  I hoped that if I could figure it out, I would make the kids something to take to college with them when they left home. 

 

After a conversation with a 10 year old neighbor that helped me figure out what I was doing wrong and a lot of phone calls to my sister, who knits and was also learning to crochet at the time, I spent the first few months making a lot of dish cloths from directions my sister and I found at Chickens in the Road.  At first I kept unintentionally decreasing or increasing and I couldn't figure out how to count the stitches at the beginning of the row.  I'm still not sure I understand all that but most of the time my projects turn out okay these days.  I'd love to say that this was my first dishcloth, but it was probably my tenth and it was still lopsided!

 

 

Those washcloths are the only thing I use now to wash dishes.  They are the perfect combination of pretty and functional, with their ruffly edge and their nubby holes. 

 

Soon after the washcloths, my mother needed some crocheted hats as she fought (and won, PRAISE GOD!) her battle with cancer.  That was a real learning curve and Mom got some lopsided hats that were made with much love. 

 

 

 

Her doctors and nurses usually found my sister or me in her room crocheting away.  It gave us something to do with our hands while we waited and watched and visited and prayed (and worried, if truth be told). 

 

Soon we had a birth to celebrate and I got to make a blanket for this wonderful little boy, which became his favorite, which made my long-distance-great-aunt heart very, very happy.

 

 

Along the way, I have made hats and booties and blankets and prayer shawls and scarves for friends and family.  I made my son a stadium blanket that I'm not thrilled with and plan to remake when he chooses another college soon.   As a matter of fact I have made a lot of things that I'm not thrilled with, but I have also made a lot of things that do thrill me.  I love knowing that something that I made is out there in the world, bringing people happiness and becoming part of the background of their lives. 

 

I think my favorite part of crochet is taking this

 

 

to this

 

 

to this

 

 

until slowly it becomes this

 

 

and before you know it you have something of lasting beauty that will wrap warm, cozy love around the person you were thinking of while you enjoyed yourself, crafting on the sofa. 

 

 

 

(This project was copied from Coco Rose Diaries. I hope that, if she sees this post, she finds it flattering that I copied so closely, rather than irritating. I have always had trouble choosing color combinations that make me happy and I LOVE hers, so I figured copying her colors for a while might train my eye.  Here's hoping!)

The Birthday Blessing Blessing

My amazing husband gave our daughter a wonderful birthday blessing and I thought it might bless you too.  It was the perfect combination of funny and serious and even had a little bit of inside joking, which makes it even more wonderful.  I seriously love that man. 

 

Meagan Micayla Mosier

Meagan means “Pearl”. 

Micayla means “Who is like God”

Mosier means “One who grew and sold vegetable”.  We were kind of stuck with that one. 

Micayla, a real pearl is very rare and very valuable.  It is formed over many years and starts when a foreign substance is introduced into the oyster.  From very early on, you were “foreign”.  You have always been called to things outside of the comfort of the shell that is our family…from wanting to be reborn with “brown skin” when you get to Heaven, to being called to others of different cultures.   Never discontent, but always knowing that your destiny lies outside of “the norm”.  You truly are a “foreigner in a strange land”. 

You are accurately named as “Pearl who is like God”…very rare and valuable.  The proof is in this book and by the presence of those here celebrating with you on your special day.

You are a blessing to others.

-      You are like the rain falling on dry ground.  When you are around, others feel refreshed and replenished by your presence.

You are like a deer - sure-footed in your ways and decisions.

-     You are like the honey badger – you are strong, independent and you don’t care what others think.

Mostly, you are like your mother – Zealous for God, compassionate towards others and selfless in everything.

As you leave adolescence, I bless you.

I bless you as a woman of God.  May His voice always be your guide as you continue to become a Proverbs 31 woman

I bless you in the city and in the field

I bless you in the U.S. and abroad

I bless you with the favor of God

I bless you with the constant friendship and companionship of your Creator.

I bless you as a daughter of the King of Kings

I bless you with His protection

I bless you with the resolve of Ruth

I bless you with the Faith of Mary

I am so very proud of you…who you have been, who you are now and who you are becoming.  You are truly a remarkable young woman.

I love you,

Dad

A Little Bit of Yarn and Thread Fun

About three and a half years ago I had the idea that I would like to crochet an afghan for my children before they moved away for college.  The only problem was that I didn't crochet.  To fix that I bought I Taught Myself to Crochet and ... taught myself to crochet.  With a little help from my ten year old neighbor who learned from her grandma.

Do you remember these from January?

After I changed the mint green to lime green, they became these:

And now they look more like:

 

And soon they will have a ruffly border and be a twin sized bead cover/cozy blankie and they will go with my girl to Colorado for two. whole. months.  Away from me!

WAAAAAHHHHH!!!!  Crying over the girl leaving, not the blankie.  The blankie is supposed to leave me.  The girl is not.  Or maybe she is.  But I don't care.  WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

And, as a way to end this entry awkwardly . . . I also made this apron last month.  A girl's gotta brag.  Or this girl does anyway.

 

A Birthday Blessing

In March we had my daughter's 18th Birthday Blessing. It was such a beautiful day.  Friends and family and friends who are family all came and helped us to bless our daughter as she entered adulthood.  

My sister and niece came into town and my mother and the two of them helped me put on the Skaggs girl magic. They made THE BEST chicken salad I have ever tasted.  It had bacon in it.  Nuf said.

 

 If I was a good blogger, I'd post pictures of the process and a great recipe, but clearly I am not a good blogger.  If I was a good blogger, this post would actually be during the month of the event discussed.  

In addition to contributing her amazing chicken salad recipe, Jackie sliced cheese for the cheese tray.

We put out quite a spread.  My dear friend Laurie helped me make the pom poms and the banners.  Having so many people help made it an even more special day.

  

 

We used Micayla's dolls, baby blankets, and special baby clothes as decorations for the table in the entry.  The little girls in attendance got to play with the dolls, which was fun for everyone.

 

I think one of my favorite parts of the day was the diversity of the friends who attended.  

Micayla told how each person attending had impacted her life.  It was really moving to think of how many amazing people God has put in my girl's life.  After that we prayed for her and when my dad prayed and blessed her to join the long line of strong women in her family and spoke of her calling, I about lost it.  Well, actually I did lose it.  I bawled people. 

Then her dad spoke a beautiful blessing over her.  It deserves a post of it's own but here's a picture of him giving it.  Have I mentioned that I am married to an amazing man?

The day of the party was also one of her dearest friends' actual birthday, so we had a cake for her too.

It was truly a blessed day.  I am so grateful for a daughter who brings so much love into our lives.

Family Pictures

It has been a while since I blogged. I just got busy living but things seem to be slowing down a little bit so I'll catch you up.

In February I sorted through some old slides at my parents and got prints made.  It was a fun trip down memory lane.  If you look at this one closely, you can see a gleam in my eye (I'm the one on the far left) and that I am holding up my fingers over my sister's head.  I was workin' it.  

The beautiful dog that my mom was brushing (always brushing) was named Kadra.  We didn't name her.  Her full name was Capricorn's Kadra De Charisma.  So there.

My older sister (on the far right) looks bored, doesn't she? I wonder what it was like for her to be a teenager on vacation with bratty little sisters who thought it was funny to do bunny ears in pictures.

I really hope I'm singing in this one.  Or may be yawning.  But I was probably talking.  Loud and long.  That was how I rolled.  That's still how I roll if I don't really watch it.

In this one I think I had stolen my little sister's pacifier.

 

Can you feel the love?