No Little Events In Life

"There are no little events in life;

those we think of no consequence may be full of fate, 

and it is at our own risk if we neglect the acquaintances and opportunities that seem to be casually offered, and of small importance."

~ Ameilia Barr

"Every encounter we have, even if brief and seemingly unimportant,

may have more significance than we know. 

A brief encounter may begin a greater ripple that reaches its intended purpose years later. 

Everyone who comes into our lives may be part of our mission, and we, a part of theirs... 

By being positive and helpful towards others, even in casual moments, 

we can make the most of our time on earth."

~ Author Unknown 

I love these two quotes and wrote them in one of my notebooks years ago so I'd always have them.

They really give you much to think about as you go about everyday life.  You never know if that casual acquaintance in something as simple as talking to someone in a grocery line, or letting someone else go ahead of you as you're at a traffic stop, or just a simple smile, can be something important to another person as they go about their day.  It's something worth thinking about, isn't it??

Of course, there are more significant meetings, too.  Someone you meet at one point in your life, and then years later that person is back again in a completely different way and still a friend and willing to help you.

I've always thought about these types of encounters, but as I get older and realize I've experienced many of these moments in my own life, it makes me pay even more attention to little moments in a day and the people I encounter.

Joanne

THE ONLINE NEEDLEWORK SHOW

The Online Needlework Show begins today at 2PM EST.  I always love spending hours and hours working on my "to buy" list.  This year is even more exciting for me because my company, Of Generations Past, is one of the vendors.

I'll be offering a doorprize each day of the show, and to be eligible to win you just need to visit my Of Generations Past blog, or my Of Generations Past facebook page (or you can even visit both!).  Leave a comment on the doorprize post each day.  Be sure to leave an email address or a link to your facebook page or a blog so I can notify you if you win.

Enjoy the show!  Just follow the links in this post to learn more about the show, or to enter your name in the doorprize drawings.  Each day I'll be offering something different, so stop back often!

Joanne

The Annual Bluebonnet Quilt Shop Hop

This past week was our area's quilt shop hop. I just love participating in this event each year, although I only visited 2 of the 12 shops this time around. I spent so much money in the first two that I decided I was better off just skipping the other 10 shops. I have no self control :)
We usually have warm, sunny weather, but this year we had rain and some thunderstorms. I didn't mind since I love those types of days (and believe me, we have very few of them here). As I was driving down one of the roads in our neighborhood I had to stop for these cute little guys crossing the street with their mama. I was happy I had my camera handy, even though it's not the best of pictures.

I had a good day, even though I only visited two shops. I began with a stop at Dunkin Donuts for a large coffee (and two chocolate frosted donuts, but we'll just forget about those!). Of course, they were needed to sustain me for the drive to the two shops. (I drove 127 miles just visiting those two... one was south of the city and the other was in the far west side, and we live on the northeast side... lots of driving involved.)

At the first shop I found these pretty fat quarters. I didn't have projects in mind, but loved the way they look together, so had to buy several. I don't have many yellow fabrics so I picked up that cute yellowish-cream one on the left, and the one on the right was my "freebie" from that shop. I think I'll probably use them with some cross stitch project. The others will make their way into either cross stitch project finishes, table runners, small sachet pillows, etc.

At the second shop, which is one of my favorites, I found two fabrics that go perfectly with the ones I already had on hand for a baby quilt. I already had the second and third one (which are William Morris fabrics and a little unusual since so many of his are dark. These are pretty florals in a pink and blue, as you can see.) I also had the white fabric, and the blue toile I bought last year during the shop hop. It's difficult to see, but is a Texas fabric with blue bonnets and some small ranch scenes. Although I'm not originally a Texan (I'm an east coast girl, but have also lived in Arizona), I decided to use a teensy bit of this toile fabric in the quilt since I live here now ~ kind of a little "signature" within the quilt. The two fabrics I bought this year are the blue on the left, and then the pink over on the right between the William Morris pink floral and the white. I was so happy that the colors match perfectly.

I'm looking forward to starting the quilt and have decided that it won't be too fancy. I'm just going to cut the fabric into squares and sew them together in a pattern that looks pretty. I plan to add some white eyelet lace around the edge of the quilt ~ once I get that far. I promise to share some pictures as the work begins!

Christmas in July and a Weekend Quilt Show

We celebrated Christmas in July on my
Homespun Holidays list and had fun exchanging Christmas cards and gifts. My partner was Joni and she sent me these presents. I wish you could smell the simmering potpourri and those orange spice candle tarts! I tried to take a close up photo of the beautiful Jim Shore Santa ornament (he's holding Noah's Ark), but no matter what I did it kept coming out fuzzy. I'll have to give it another try later.






Today I spent a few hours at a quilt show in a nearby town. I love walking from aisle to aisle looking at all the beautiful quilts. This time I only took a few photos and shopped at just one booth...







I just loved this pumpkin quilt!












This is a close up of the stitching design done on a quilt using autumn shades. I loved the way the leaves cover the quilt as the "vines" wind their way around.









I can never resist blue and white quilts. I think they're perfect in both summer and winter since they can represent the sea, sky and snowflakes :)










My friend Linda and I were just "talking" about redwork and embroidery, so I had to take a picture of this antique quilt top that someone had found.













This one has the blue design done in cross stitch. I wasn't able to get the complete design in one photo (and there was no way to back up to get a better angle), so I took a second picture of the side...
















This is what the design looks like along the edges of the quilt.














This quilt is made up of redwork Santas. Unfortunately my camera was on the wrong setting for the first batch of pictures so it's a teensy bit dark :(












I was so happy when I saw this quilt featuring embroidery AND Walking in a Winter Wonderland (which is my favorite winter song!!). This quilt won a blue ribbon...














... and this one has the same design. I think it won Honorable Mention. The funniest thing is that just last night I was looking at this particular pattern when I was emailing Linda. It's from Crab-Apple Hill. I wondered what it would look like finished, and today I had the chance to find out :)





And finally, here's the quilt show brochure and my purchases from a favorite local shop called Country Gatherings. She carries many primitive items (which I love!!), as well as wools for rug hooking and other wool crafts. As I was paying she mentioned that if I didn't already do rug hooking, she holds classes. Hmmmm.... tempting, but right now I'm having trouble just keeping up with my stitching, crocheting, quilting, sewing, knitting, needlepoint, etc. Oh, and she sells the BEST homemade fudge :) :)

10th Annual Quilt Shop Hop

I had so much fun the last few days visiting some of the stores participating in the annual Quilt Shop Hop here in south central Texas. First of all, the drive between all these stores takes you past some really beautiful patches of wildflowers, which are in full bloom right now. One drive along a major highway was especially pretty, with seas of pink, blue, white, yellow and orange wildflowers. When I left in the morning it was in the 60s, and by late afternoon we were in the 80s and sunny. The only thing unpleasant was all the pollen from the live oak trees floating in the breeze (which caused me to wake up today with icky eyes, sneezing, and general allergy symptoms). But, it was worth it. I wasn't able to get any photos of the wildflowers since I was driving at the time (I hope to in the next few days), but here's a picture of our latest rose that just blossomed.


Back to the Shop Hop. I planned to be really good. I had decided that I'd pick up the free quilt block pattern at each shop I visited and have my "passport" stamped, would sign up for their raffle, select my free fat quarter of fabric, and enjoy the refreshments. I told myself I wouldn't shop. Of course, I can easily talk myself into things, so here's how my day progressed...

I left the house, drove through the local Starbucks for a Cinnamon Dolce Latte for the long drives, and made my first stop at the closest quilt shop to us. I received my passport and did all the free things. I looked around, and I left without buying anything. Yay for me! Here's my fat quarter and the quilt block:


The next shop is one of my favorites since it's in an old 1910 Craftsman house. It's just so nice to walk around their rooms and everything looks like it really belongs in there... quilts, wooden floors, fabric, wools, fibers, books, wavy glass in the windows, a beautiful garden outside, etc. I left there after purchasing a book I thought I really had to buy then, because there was just one and it might not be there next time. I have to say that I'm really happy that I did buy it because it has some really sweet patterns for quilts about Louisa May Alcott's life, and it's a new book, just out in 2008!


Next I drove down to a town about 20 minutes south. They have a very large shop and always do the greatest job with themes. It was fun to wander from room to room, looking at everything, enjoying their theme (a sea theme this year), and picking up things I had not seen anywhere else...


Back to the car and a 40 minute trip, this time to the far west side of our city. And yes, they had beautiful things that none of the other shops had. *sigh* As I handed the sales woman my credit card I told her I was heading home. It was just too dangerous for me to visit any other shops since I spent a bit more each time I went to the next one. I just love these ribbons, and I also bought some beads which I gave to my daughter for her jewelry-making projects. That fabric is patchwork, beautiful and very summery. It's going to be a tablecloth in the eating area of the kitchen :)


Of course, things changed. Yesterday our daughter mentioned a fantastic book shop she wanted to visit, and I thought it would be perfect to do a little road trip together. An hour later she was at the bookshop, and I was at the quilt and cross stitch shop, picking up my free items and buying some cross stitch charts they had on sale (but were on my wishlist). I drove back to the bookshop, we went for lunch at Einstein Bagel, and then headed home. I see I forgot to take the picture of my free fat quarter and quilt block...


There are two more days of the Shop Hop - today and tomorrow. I'm staying home! I just can't trust myself in those last 7 shops!

Happy Birthday Joyful Blessings!!

"God specializes in things fresh and firsthand.
His plans for you this year may outshine those of the past.
And in a way, He's already begun.
God has laid a foundation for a unique work in your life.
His blueprint is hot-off-the-press
and He's prepared to fill your days with reasons to give Him praise.
That's why you can begin the year with hope, with expectancy."
~ Joni Eareckson Tada

I can't believe it's been one year since I started Joyful Blessings. My first post was entered at 2:06 AM on October 14, 2006.

Thank you to all my friends who have been spending time with me this last year. I've enjoyed getting to know you through your blogs, and love all the wonderful comments you share.

I look forward to a new year with all of you! :)

Sending you big hugs,

A Recipe Made 22 Years Ago Today

My subject line probably sounds a little strange, but 22 years ago today I woke up at about 4:30 in the morning in labor. We had great plans of having our baby at a birthing center with some wonderful midwives, so when I woke up I was very excited. I took a shower, had some tea and toast, and then woke DH up around 6:30.

Since we planned to have the baby at the birthing center, we were told to bring food with us (a casserole was suggested) to have afterwards, as well as lots of juice or Hi-C type drinks. The casserole we decided to make was one of my mom's recipes called Company Spanish Rice, and we got that finished in the late morning.

I won't go into all the details, but after spending many hours in the afternoon going back and forth between the birthing center and the hospital to see the doctor (who was connected with the midwives and the birthing center), we ended up in the hospital, and our daughter was born by C-section 24 hours after I woke up with those first labor pains :)

I always remember how hungry I was after all that time of not eating, and thinking about the yummy Spanish Rice that was still in the casserole dish out in the car. Needless to say, that one was thrown away! It's still a favorite dish, and now besides thinking of my mom when I make it, I'm reminded of that long day 22 years ago as we waited for our new baby, who was born at 4:25 AM on June 8th :)

(By the way ~ you can make this without the ground beef and it's perfect as a vegetarian dish.)


COMPANY SPANISH RICE
(Yield: 8 to 10 servings)

1/4 cup oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped celery
1-1/2 cups long grain rice
1 1-pound can tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 10-1/2 ounce can beef bouillon
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 bay leaf
Pepper
2 cups hot water
1 pound ground beef (if desired)
3/4 cup chopped green peppers
1 teaspoon sugar

~ Heat oil in large skillet. Add the garlic and celery and brown, stirring constantly.

~ Mix the rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, bay leaf, and pepper with hot water. Add to the garlic and celery in the skillet. Stir well and cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

~ Brown the beef and add the green peppers. Heat through and remove from heat. Stir in chili powder, sugar, and bouillon.

~ Combine the rice and meat mixtures in a 3-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. (Add water or tomato juice if necessary during baking, and stir occasionally.)

Graduation Day - May 12th

Graduation day last Saturday was perfect. We were worried about the weather, but the day was warm and sunny by late afternoon ~ just right for an outdoor ceremony. The Baccalaureate service in the morning was beautiful and brought some tears, but I was able to smile through the commencement ceremony in the evening, seeing all the students so happy to receive their diplomas and hearing all the cheers from family, friends and professors.

There was a stage set up in front of the chapel, with chairs on the lawn for all the faculty, students and guests. Just before the service began at 7 PM, the sun was just in the right place that the rays came through the steeple, behind the cross, shining down on the lawn. It was a beautiful sight, and just perfect for the beginning of the celebration.

Endings and Beginnings

“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.
Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”

Pamela Vaull Starr

Four years ago our daughter graduated from high school. She attended public school from Kindergarten through 2nd Grade, and we began homeschooling the next year. Our homeschool years continued through elementary, middle school and high school years, culminating in a beautiful graduation ceremony through our homeschool co-op, which involved 17 graduates.

That ceremony was very personal. Each family was involved and part of the experience, and the parents wrote a special message to their child, which was read as they went up on stage to receive their diploma. My husband and I discussed what we'd like to say, and I found the quote above to begin the message. It seemed appropriate as our daughter ended her high school years, and was about to begin her college years.

The students in the class also selected a Bible verse to use as the motto for their graduation:

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young,
but set an example for the believers in speech,
in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
~ 1 Timothy 4:12

Each student was asked to select a quote or to write something as a message to be included in the yearbook. Our daughter selected the following passage:

"Dare to look up to God and say, 'Make use of me for the future as Thou wilt.
I am of the same mind. I am one with Thee.
I refuse nothing which seems good to Thee.
Lead me whither Thou wilt. Clothe me in whatever dress Thou wilt."
~ Epictetus

Tonight I'm reflecting on that graduation four years ago, and thinking ahead to tomorrow and her graduation from college. It seems so amazing that four years have gone by. Our daughter is very open, and I've loved hearing about each and every day in her college life ~ the classes, her professors, her friends, and all she's learned. It's been a wonderful and fulfilling four years and I'll cherish all the moments.

Tomorrow we'll attend graduation and join with all the other parents in celebrating the accomplishments of our children. But for tonight, I'm reflecting on that previous celebration four years ago, which smoothed the way for the college years. The last page in that high school yearbook contained an essay written by our daughter ~ on May 11th, 2003. Since it was about endings and beginnings, it seems perfect to end my letter...

ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS...

"I'm a big fan of the past, which is why I've chosen to major in history in college. The past educates us, encourages us, comforts us. But, in a way, it doesn't exist.

We have only a few things to assure us that, yes, life existed yesterday and the day before that. But you can't find that past anywhere, only objects representing the past.

The future is even more intangible, for we have no monuments, no letters, no people to embody it for us. It does not even exist in our minds, not the way memories do. We have only our own hopes and fears for the future.

Does this mean that today is all that matters? Certainly not! Every passing moment will soon become past, and every moment was once in the future. Past, present, future: the three are forever linked. It is our pasts that bring us to where we are today; it is that present that catapults us into the future.

'Today is unique! It has never occurred before and it will never be repeated. At midnight it will end, quietly, suddenly, totally. Forever. But the hours between now and then are opportunities with eternal possibilities.' ~ Charles Swindoll

May each of us live a life with a consideration for the past and an eye towards the future."

~ JMT, May 11, 2003

A Bluebonnet Shop Hop

Today was a fun day, spent visiting four different quilt shops. There's a "shop hop" this weekend in San Antonio, Austin and the Hill Country of Texas, and I couldn't resist visiting at least a few of the shops. The idea is to begin at one shop and pick up your "passport", and then have it stamped at all 12 shops participating.

This is such a great way to see quilt shops that you normally don't visit. When you get to each shop, you have your "passport" stamped and receive a printed page of a quilt block, a free fat quarter of your choice (I apologize for the dark photo!), and an entry into a drawing for that shop. The shops all offered refreshments (which were quite welcome since it was a warm, steamy day), and there was so much to see in each one.

I was good and only purchased a few things... an extra fat quarter, a small packet of fabrics, and assorted buttons. All these will be used with cross stitch projects to finish them (finally!!).

I'm going to visit one more shop over the weekend, but will skip the others. It's a long drive to visit all of them, and I have too much to do here at home. But, I'll have fun finishing a few projects (and will definitely go back to two of the "new-to-me" shops I visited today!).

Thoughts on the 1st of December

Today finds me sad to see the month of November leave us, but also happy that it's December... another favorite month. November here was mild, with temperatures in the 70s and even low 80s at times. Yesterday a cold front blew in, and I'm so happy to report that we're finally having nice weather... highs of 50s to 60s, and lows of 30s. You see, I'm a cold weather person and thrive on brisk cold days. The 50s and 60s are not exactly cold, but I'll enjoy what I can get, and will love those 30s in the evenings!! We should be having temperatures like this for at least a week, so I know I'll be getting a lot of items crossed off my "to do" list for the holidays.

Yesterday found me at my favorite local needlework shop, buying much more than I intended (isn't that always the way!). I have some wonderful charts and fabrics and hand-dyed flosses that will be turned into some pretty wall hangings and pillows. I also bought some fabric in a larger count than the finer linens I like to use these days, and those will be used to make some simple holiday designs for ornaments. I'm going to work on those over the next week, and then include them with packages. I hope to share some of my recent needlework pieces with you all, but I'm currently having a tad bit of trouble with the digital camera.

Tonight we're attending a Christmas Vespers concert at our daughter's college. It's an event we love to attend each year since they have several very talented choirs, and the music is so beautiful. It will be a cold night, so a stop at the local coffee house in town afterwards sounds like a good idea. A nice cup of hot cocoa, and looking out on the courthouse square with all the decorated Christmas trees, lights and decorations sounds perfect to round out the day.

This weekend I have plans to do some holiday baking ~ mostly cookies and shortbreads. And, I need to work on our Christmas cards and write many notes. Today, since it's December 1st, also begins my annual Bible advent readings.

One thing I've wanted to say for sometime, is that I'm very thankful for all the wonderful comments my friends ~ old and new ~ have left me here at Joyful Blessings!! I know I'm terrible at responding to them, but I want you to know how much I enjoy and cherish every message!

If you'd like to see my daily Advent readings ~ or find some recipes or decorating ideas or quotes and passages about Christmas ~ please visit my Christmas blog, The Keeping of Christmas!! You're more than welcome and I'll have a plate of homemade cookies and some hot cocoa waiting for your arrival.

Warm December hugs to all of you!

~ Joanne

(Image: Currier & Ives)