Show and Tell

The Storms of Life... and... March Stamp Club

Today is Sunday, March 4. I feel like I haven't blogged in awhile. Probably because it takes me so l-o-n-g. I'm very slow. It's unbelievable. Maybe I was always a little slow, but just lately it's just ridiculous. I have to type things so many times to get them right.  So I may become a once or twice a week kind of blogger. It's a change and I'm sorry about that. 

Britt and Kenneth (our daughter and son-in-law) were here this weekend. It's always good to see them, of course. Britt went to stamp club with me on Saturday and then we all went out for dinner at a local restaurant called Trio. Ian joined us, too. Wow. The whole family together. That doesn't happen very often!

Of course, we didn't think to take a picture until the next day when Ian was gone and Britt and Kenneth were leaving to go back to Raleigh. Maybe someday we'll think to get a photo of the five us.

 

For today:

Proverbs 10:25

"When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation."

I'm thankful that my foundation is lasting, because the storms of life have definitely come my way. It's difficult to even put a blog post together due to errors in typing and having to search the keybord for what I need. Not all the time, but often enough that it is very annoying.

I just had a melt down due to all the above, so you can pray for me and for Ken. It's very hard on the both of us.  Probably more for him because it's out of his control  — and we all know how guys like to fix things. Thank you for your prayers for us. And to the Lord for being with us in the storms of life.

 

Saturday was stamp club and the theme was Easter or Spring. 

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You now how I'm the queen of the simple. This is another simple, easy, fast card. Just a couple layers and we're done.

AND TELL:  stamp are Stampin' Up (Sweet Floral, Well Scripted); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Rustic White); ink is SU (Wild Wasabi, Wisteria Wonder); twine is from SU (hemp); also used SU Sizzlets (Lots of Tags Label 3). 

I've been meaning to tell you about how I liked the Hunger Games series. I liked the first and second books. I hated the third. Until I read the the epilogue. Having closure, I guess, is important to me. :)

That's really it. It's taken me hours, but all the tears are worth it to me. I love the contact with you, hearing about your days, and the chance to let you know how best to pray for us. (By the way, we have a scan on Tuesday with the results on Wednesday.) Hugs and prayers to you!

by Your power... and... yet more origami paper

Today is Tuesday, February 28. Sorry I didn't get here yesterday. It wasn't one of my better days. Probably not my worst, though, either. But the good thing is that we may have figured out why I've been getting sick nearly every morning... I haven't been eating before taking medicine. I know that seems pretty basic. Chalk it up to the tumor. I don't think anymore... I just take whatever pills are put into my hands. So this morning when Ken remarked that maybe we should try eating before taking medicine, a light bulb went off in my brain... of course! And guess what? It made a world of difference. :)

 

Back to the Psalms today.

Psalm 44:5-7a

"Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name we can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives victory over my enemies;..."

This is one of those verses where I use a little leeway and plug my words in to make the verse make more applicable to me:  "Only by the Lord's power can we push back this brain tumor; only by His name can we trample this disease that's trying to kill me. I'll take the treatments, but I won't count on them to save me. Only the Lord will give me the victory over my disease."

And, that's how I make a verse personal to me. 

 

Here is one more card that I made using a bit of origami paper.

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I used another one of those beautiful Martha Stewart flowers, too. I should probably take one apart and figure out how to make them. But I know that I won't. I guess I'd rather buy it. Crazy, I know.

AND TELL:  stamps are Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames #12); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Encore Ultimate Metallic (Copper); also used Aitoh origami paper, Stampin' Up embossing folder (Framed Tulips) and circle punches (1-3/4", 1-3/8", 1-1/4"), and Martha Stewart rose flower.

I guess that is all for today. Thank you so much for stopping by and for hanging in there with me. I'm send you lots of hugs!

seeing from God's viewpoint... and.... more origami paper

Today is Sunday, February 26. Sorry for being absent for quite a few days. I've been sleeping a lot — I guess because they gave me some stronger anti-nausea medicine. Which is good because I've been able to keep my cookies most of the time. Had a little problem this morning, but again I think that's from not eating soon enough after waking. You'd think I'd learn to get a little something in my stomach early on in the morning. Other than that, nothing is really new.

 

This is quite a long scripture passage today.

Mark 18:33-37

"As he [Jesus] talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

"Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. 'Get away from me, Satan!' he said. 'You see things merely from a human point of view, not from God's' 

"Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?"

It seems like I often am drawn to the Psalms and their words of hope and rescue. Those seem so applicable to my current situation. However this passage really spoke to me today.    

I want to be obedient to the Lord. But I am selfish. I also want to live. Maybe God will allow me to live a long life. But maybe He has other plans for me. I have to be willing to accept that. And so do those who love me. That's a tough one, isn't it? One that I'm continually having to work on. How about you?

 

Here is another card that I made using the origami paper that was given to me.   

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Once again, I used origami paper as patterned paper. It's so pretty and works beautifully.This paper has a somewhat tranlucent quality to it. So pretty.The flower is pre-made by Martha Stewart. It's pretty, too. :)

AND TELL:  stamp is from Papertrey Ink (Signature Series: Flower); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Garden Green); also used Aitoh origami paper and a Martha Stewart Rose sticker.

That's it for today. Getting ready for The Amazing Race... one of our Sunday night shows (although I think our neighbors are all watching the Oscars... to each his own :) ). I'm planning to be back tomorrow. Thanks for being patient for me and for praying with me!

what I long for... and... origami paper

Today is Tuesday, February 21. It's my dad's birthday today. He would be 81. But he passed away when he was only 70. It's just not really fair when someone who has so much to give to the world dies too soon. But, isn't that really eveyone? And whoever said that life was fair anyway? {Sigh.}

Well, enough of that. Everything has been pretty good today. I got up, ate breakfast, and showered earlier (before 9:00), so that was good. I'd kind of gotten in the habit of staying in my jammies until after lunch, and that's not good. In the afternoon I ran some errands with Ken and went to Curves. Our "adopted daughter", Brittany, stopped by and visited for awhile, and right now Ken is grilling our dinner. Life may not be fair but it is pretty good. :) 

And tomorrow is infusion day. I think I'll say nothing else about that.

 

Another Psalm for today.

Psalm 38:9

"You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh."

And I'm sighing a lot these day. But the Lord knows what I long for. And that is so reassuring.

 

One of the preschool moms has been so faithful at sending me cards. She's also given me quite a few craft supplies just for fun. 

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One package I got from her included origami paper, which I used as patterned paper, and some Martha Stewart stickers that seemed to coordinate quite well. That with the stamps from Papertrey Ink made a pretty good card, I think. :) (Thanks, Marguerite!) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames #3, Flower Fusion #11); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight); also used PTI die (Fillable Frames #3), Martha Stewart dogwood stickers, and Aitoh origami paper. 

Today was a pretty nice day... and they say tomorrow will be even nicer.

A few days ago I noticed that the daffodils were blooming. It seems a little early, but I do love this time of year.

That's all for now. Since tomorrow's an infusion day, I may not post. I may just rest. Hope you have a great day and I'll see in a day or two. 

find shelter in Him... and... birthday wishes

Today is Monday, February 20 — Presidents Day. Do you remember when there was no Presidents Day? Instead there was Lincoln's Birthday (I think on the 12th) and Washington's Birthday (which I think was the 22nd). My dad's birthday was February 21st. I remember my mom baking him a cherry pie one year and cutting a vent in the shape of a hatchet in the top crust — you know, because of Washington chopping down the cherry tree. Funny the things we remember, isn't it? 

 

Here is some scripture for today.

Psalm 37:39-40

"The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him."

Once again, a rescue verse. Who knew there were so many of those in the Bible? Who knew they would speak so completely to me? 

The Lord rescues. The Lord is a fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps His people. He saves them. He shelters them. And don't we all need a little rescuing, a little help, a little sheltering from time to time?

 

This is a special card for a special friend on a special birthday.

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You know that I almost always sign my cards. That seems to have gotten a little more difficult since the brain tumor. Sometimes I make mistakes that I have to try to fix. Sometimes I'm not too successful, but you know how I feel about do-overs. I don't do them. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Sending You); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Real Red), Memento (Tuxedo Black), and VersaMark; embossing powder is Zing (Aqua, Rouge); also used PTI impression plate (Background Basics: Diamond), Stampin' Up Sizzlet (Lots of Tags Label 1), and a Corner Chomper.

Remember before Thankgiving when I showed you the glass globes that I bought at Pottery Barn? First we put clear lights in them and later, around Valentine's Day, we changed the lights to pink. I didn't get a picture of that, but one day I came home and Ken had put red lights in the balls.

 Wow! Now those make an impact! Kind of like little balls of fire.

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me. I plan to be back again tomorrow. Wednesday is an infusion day so if you wouldn't mind praying about that I'd be so grateful. "See" you tomorrow! 

my heart's desires... and... a true friend

Today is Saturday, February 18. It's been a low-key kind of day. Not a lot going on. Except it's quite warm (well into the 60s!). We went on a walk this afternoon — just one mile. Ken's been practicing his golf swing and apparently tweaked something in his knee, so at about 1/2 mile he had to keep taking breaks. Needless to say, I was OK with stopping earlier than we planned. I'm a little frustrated that I'm doing most of the right things in the eating department and exercise department and am still tubby. Kinda makes you wonder why in the world you're knocking yourself out. However, people keep reminding me that I was taking steroids for months and I can't expect instanteoous results. Sigh.

While we were out walking, Ken pointed out another couple about our age or a little older who were out for a walk. I don't know them, but Ken does and said that the woman was diagnosed with a serious cancer a couple years ago and is now doing really well. Those kind of stories are so encouraging to me. I'd like to see grandchildren. And... not just see them, but live long enough that I can do things with them and watch them grow. That's what I'm praying for.  

 

Here is some scripture for today.

Psalm 37:3-4

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires."

What more can I say? I've told you — and I've told the Lord — what my heart's desires are. Now we sit back and watch what He's going to do.  

 

This was a very easy card. The die-cuts and stickers did almost all the work. 

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Such an easy, easy card. Anyone can do this one. The butterflies are a pre-printed 12" die cut that I just cut apart and glued on in rows. The sentiment is stamped on a self-adhesive frame that I popped up from the butterflies, just to give it a bit of dimension. And that's pretty much it! Easy, peasy. 

AND TELL:  stamp is from Papertrey Ink (Fillable Frames #11); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Garden Green); also used die cuts from Martha Stewart (Butterfly, Cherish Labels - White).

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with another card for you. It's a gorgeous day here and I hope it is where you are, too. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to "see" you tomorrow, my friend. :) 

He Hears... and... You're Just My Type

Today is Tuesday, February 14. Valentine's Day! Hope you're having a great day full of love. :)

We're planning to go out to dinner with friends tonight. I threw up this morning, ate breakfast, took a nap... hopefully there's no more little incidences because I'd really like to have a nice evening. And I definitely don't want to throw up in pulic. That would be icky. (It's bad enough that I seem to be talking about it all the time!)

 

Here is some scripture for today.

Psalm 34:17

"The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles."

Do you get sick of me choosing "rescue" verses? I just can't help it. They seem to speak to me these days. I'm hoping that they'll say something to you, too.   

 

Since today is Valentine's Day, you know I needed to make a card for my sweetie! 

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Those little hearts are from a separate stamp set than the typewriter, but the design could support a little something extra. There was some text under the hearts that I didn't want in the design, so I covered them with scotch tape, inked my design, removed the tape and stamped the hearts. Voila!  

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (You're My Type, Sprinkled Expressions, Noteworthy), cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is SU (Real Red, Regal Rose); also used SU punch (1/16" circle).

 

Thought I'd show you a picture of one of my "Valentines".

Yep, my human Valentine. This is our son, Ian, holding his new dog, Dash. Cute, huh? Both Ian and Dash. :) Dash is (they suspect) part chihuahua and part dachshund. I think his face has kind of an old soul type of look. He's pretty cute, but I'm hoping that Ian's in it for the long-haul . We definitely don't need a new dog!

And while this girl enjoys the company, I don't think she'd be into the day-in and day-out of having a puppy around either. She likes to lounge way too much to have a hyper little dog around all the time.

Well, that's all for today. I hope to be back tomorrow. And I hope you have had/are having a very special Valentine's Day! Love and hugs to you!

The Lord is a Guard... and... thank you doily

Today is Monday, February 13. Today I've made a couple of cards and have taken a mile and a half walk. That doesn't sound like much, does it? Of course, there were other things in there like lunch and a couple snacks. And lots of HGTV. I suppose if I cut out the distraction of the TV I could have gotten a lot more done. On the other hand, I am slower these days than I used to be (and I was pretty slow before the tumor!). I guess it's probably not bad to go a little slow now, though. The main task around here needs be trying to get well!

I also went to Curves which is always fun. Especially when people that I know are there. And today there were quite a few. Having someone to talk to as you go around the circuit makes it all go faster. And makes it more fun, too.

Another plus for the day is that when I got home from Curves I made dinner! Poor Ken has been the chief chef for over 6 months now and I think the most I've done is pour myself some cereal, make myself a sandwich, and heat us up a frozen pizza. Ken really doesn't let me do much (what a guy!), but I feel like once in awhile I should at least try to do a thing or two. So — I made spaghetti for dinner, along with a tossed salad and garlic bread. Nothing too complicated. But then just when I got everything on the table I ran (well... walked quickly) to the bathroom and threw up. Weird. Then I went back to the kitchen and ate dinner. Very weird. It was quite a strange thing. Hopefully dinner will stay down. I feel like it will. Is it possible to throw up because you're hungry? 

 

Here is today's scripture.

Psalm 34:6-7

"In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who all who fear him."

I don't think I probably need to expound a whole lot on these verses. Or on why I chose them. Of course, I want to be saved from my troubles. And sometimes I have felt desperate. But, the angel of the Lord is my guard and he does surround and defend me. What's not to love about that?  

 

Thought I'd take a break from making so many Valentine cards and show you a thank you card. 

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Can you tell that I got tired of punching out the little pieces from the doily die? Haha! Whatever possessed me to purchase such a high maintenence supply? haha (I do like the look of it, though.)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Sweet Floral, Four Frames); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Rustic White) and Stampin' Up (Cameo Coral); ink is SU (Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand); ribbon is PTI (White Silk 1/4"); also used SU punch (Decorative Label) and SU die (Paper Doily).

That's all until tomorrow. Hope to see you then. Thanks for visiting and I'm sending you hugs!

Our Hope, Our Help, Our Shield... and... Hugs & Kisses

Today is Sunday, February 12. We went to Bojangles for breakfast (as we do every Sunday), to church, and then back home where  we've been ever since. I tend to be a homebody anyway so it's good for me. Ken is an on-the-go type of person so he gets a little restless. But that's nothing a little cleaning out of the refrigerator can't solve. (Yes, that's one thing he did today.)

Here is what my Bojangles biscuits looked like this morning.

I love going there around Valentine's Day. I think it's cool that they put the extra effort into making their blueberry biscuits heart-shaped. That's pretty special for a fast food restaurant, don't you think?

 

Today we have more encouragement from the Psalms.

Psalm 33:20-22

"We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone."

I've been feeling a little tired and discouraged today. Not bad. Just a little. Certainly not unusual for a person in my situation. Actually, not unusual for a person period. I guess it's just part of life. However, when you have been confronted with a life-threatening illness, every little twinge causes you to ask yourself, "what is that?" "is my tumor growing?" etc. It's a little annoying, really.

But when I get discouraged, the words of these verses help to sustain me. My hope is in the Lord. He is my help. He is my shield. My heart rejoices because I know Him. I trust His Holy Name. He gives me unfailing love. My hope is in Him alone. It's hard to NOT praise the Lord when you read verses like this one!

 

Here are a couple more Valentine cards. 

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The plan is that these will be the last of the Valentine cards. I mean, I have to get them in the mail soon if there's any hope of them arriving by February 14!

I had extra flowers cut after my last die cutting episode, so I used them to make this card. Some of the flowers on the first card are actually connected. This was not my pIan and I was going to throw them away and then decided that they were usable, kind of like the old chain paperdolls. I hate to throw things away. :)

AND TELL:  stamp is Papertrey Ink (Heart Prints); cardstock is PTI (Kraft); patterned paper is Pebbles (with Love: Be Mine); ink is PTI (True Black) and Stampin' Up (Riding Hood Red); pearls are SU (Basic Pearl); also used dies from PTI (Beautiful Blooms II #3), miscellaneous ribbon trims, and vintage sheet music.

I guess that's all for tonight. I started this post HOURS ago and am just now finishing. I really should get more efficient. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with more — I have something in the works. Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and Kisses to you!

Unfailing love... and... Always

Today is Friday, February 10. It's been a fairly good day... although I'm fading right now. That could be because I haven't taken any medicine today. Or it could be because it's the middle of the afternoon and I'm always tired at this time of day. Hard to tell.

My neighbors loaned me the rest of the Hunger Games trilogy. I finished the second one just a little bit ago... started it on Wednesday. A little off my usual speedy reading rate, but... Wow. That is such a good series. We'll see how long I can keep my hands off the third and final book. My goal is to wait a couple weeks until my next infusion. Hmmm. Don't know if I'll be successful at that. I've always been an "open a book and read the entire book at the expense of everything else" type of girl. :)

 

Here is some of the scripture that I read today...

Psalm 32:10b-11

"... unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!"

I do trust in the Lord and I make every effort to obey His commandments. I attempt to keep my heart pure. I know that I'm not always successful. After all, I'm human — and so are you. So, when you become aware of your sin, you ask for forgiveness. God is always ready to forgive those who ask with sincerity. And a pure heart. 

 

Hope you're not tired of this card layout yet. Or of Valentines. 

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As I've been doing with all of these very similar Valentine cards, I made two cards using different patterned papers. These also are embellished with different buttons from the same PTI button jar. I need to use buttons more often because I have so many. It's not good to buy supplies and then hoard them, is it? Why do so many of us do that?!? 

AND TELL:  stamp is Papertrey Ink (Heart Prints); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is Authentique (Uncommon: Special); ink is Stampin' Up (Blushing Bride); buttons are PTI (Sweet Blush); twine is PTI (Rustic Cream); also used PTI dies (Beautiful Blooms II #3) and pattern tissue paper.

Well, we went on a one mile walk a little while ago. It was chilly, but good to be outside in the fresh air. When we got home, though, I did take an anti-nausea pill. Hopefully, it will kick in soon because I'm feeling a little queazy right now. Not too bad... just a little. But I certainly don't want to get behind it. Always a good idea to head off nausea if at all possible. Don't you agree?

That's all for today. My stomach is feeling more stable now (it's been awhile since I began writing this), so that's good. I hope you've had a great day! And, if I get to the craft room, I'll have more for you tomorrow. Thanks for your continued prayers for my health and healing! Sending you hugs.