The Last Day of The Year

On a day when many of us, including myself, pause to look back at the last 365 days that have passed, I find myself feeling content and hopeful for what 2018 has in store for me, my family, and the world we share.

I'd never have expected some of the things that happened in 2017 to become part of my memories . . . both good and not so good . . . yet here I am . . . living proof of God's love and grace.

My main goal for the new year is to be thankful for each day that I awake and cast my eyes on the one I love. Hopefully, there will be 365 of them. When I live my days focused on being thankful, I see more good in people and more hope in the world around me. When I forget to be thankful, things look serious and seem complicated. For me, thankfulness begets clarity and simplifies my view. That being said, it doesn't mean that I wear blinders or view things through rose-colored glasses; but it does benefit my mind and body and my relationships to wrap myself in a blanket of thankfulness. I can focus on what is important and the details that are necessary to carry out whatever is at the top of my To Do list. The minutiae that can cloud my view and cause me to doubt myself falls off the edge of the page. 

So today my husband and I will write our lists of the most memorable events of 2017, talk about them, laugh and cry a little, and I, for one, will be thankful for this day . . . the last day of the year.

Speaking of thankfulness, I'm blessed to have my husband as my caregiver while recuperating from surgery. The very cold weather and snowstorms have made it more difficult for my husband to get out and do all of the errands, grocery shopping, and post office runs, in between cooking meals, doing laundry, keeping the house clean, and taking care of me; but he has done so with such skill and care, that I have wanted for nothing. I am feeling stronger and am counting on my surgeon's prognosis that I will be back out in my garden this spring. 

I can't reach many of the supplies in my craft studio and can't carry heavy stuff right now, so with the help of my husband, I chose a few things that I can use to make a simple mini album. Paper, ribbon, glue, and a few easy-to-use tools are all I need. It is actually a good challenge for me to make something using a minimum of materials, and to work on a small tray table where real estate is at a premium. It also created an opportunity for me to finally practice a variety of techniques that I've read about over the past five or so years while I've been honing my paper crafting skills. I am self taught, thanks to the many generous people who have shared their ideas on blogs and in videos. My YouTube playlist is pretty long and I owe these people my gratitude for the skills they've taught me. So, during my convalescence, I have spent many hours watching YouTube videos by some of my favorite designers and instructors. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of their techniques, but by using their methods, I learned I really need to practice! It was the same thing that happened, and still does,  when learning a new quilt-making technique. I admit that I don't like to practice, as evidenced by my short foray into the study of the piano. Poor Mrs. Hutchinson had to suffer through me murdering unpracticed pieces for three years until I finally convinced my parents the piano was not for me. (I think Mrs. Hutchinson might have pled my case for me, too!)

Here are a few photos of my progress on a simple mini album that I plan to use to document some of my garden highlights. My attempt to use a new-to-me method for constructing the covers and spine failed; however it provided an opportunity for me to try an idea that I came up with. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention!

The covers and spine of my mini album.
I used black velvet ribbons to attach the spine to the covers and a yellow organza ribbon for the closure. 

A collage showing the chipboard covers, cut to size and covered with black cardstock.

In the background, auditioning papers for my garden-themed mini album. Upper right: watching YouTube videos on my tablet. Lower right and left:  chipboard covers with the chosen papers. I added a little brad and jump ring for embellishing the spine with charms. 

From upper left, clockwise:  Considering letters for the cover, the accordion binding system, the pages ready for embellishing and attaching to the binding,  and a photo of my husband across the room vacuuming while I play with paper on my tray table!

Thanks for stopping by today to read my post. I'll be continuing to work on some mini albums and a little hand sewing from time to time and will be back soon with a few more projects to share with you.

In the meanwhile, I hope your end-of-the-year thoughts bring you a smile or two, and that you are looking forward to the new year ahead. It is my sincere wish that you and those you love will have a healthy and happy new year. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

What time is it?

I squinted to see the clock. I thought to myself, "Oh, good! It is 5:15. I can have coffee and start my day nice and early." I made my way out to the kitchen and pushed the brew button on the coffeemaker. I turned on a few lights, looked out the kitchen door at the frozen landscape, and listened as the coffee brewed and the room filled with fresh-coffee fragrance.

I poured coffee into a favorite Christmas mug and headed to the living room. I turned the Christmas tree lights on and decided to watch some early morning news, which is uncharacteristic for me. I usually like to wake up in a quiet house. I couldn't figure out why the morning news shows were not on. As I changed the channels, a few stations were re-airing last night's national news shows. It took a while for me to realize it was only 3:30 a.m.! I wasn't tired enough to head back to bed, so I decided to stay up and do a little writing.

Since I returned home from the hospital a week ago, I've been jotting down ideas for blog posts, short stories, and even a novel. I tried to write a couple times, but I was still in a post-surgery brain fog. My surgery was a success, but my recovery will be slow. The doctor pretty much wants me to do very little and take it very easy. I'm okay with that, but I have to admit that I get a little frustrated when I can't do things for myself. Simple things like picking up my sewing box or moving the hassock to put my feet up require assistance. Fortunately, I have a patient and generous husband who takes excellent care of me. He brings me little meals through out the day and when I couldn't get comfortable the first few nights after I got home, he sat up with me. Between taking care of me, doing housework, cooking, and grocery shopping, he is not getting much rest. He told me how happy he was to get me back home and in my own environment where he could take care of me . . . instead of me being in a hospital where I had to wait for someone to answer my call button. I know I can get better faster under his care.  ❤

Yesterday was the first day that I could actually concentrate enough to do a little hand sewing. I worked on my hexagons, known as "hexis" to quilters. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I started the project. I made a lot of hexis that now need to be sewn into blocks for a quilt. While I am recuperating over the winter, I expect to make quite a bit of headway on this project.

1-inch hexis ready to sew together into quilt blocks.
I have more fabric if I need to make more.

I am using batik fabrics, which offer a great variety of pretty colors. I have about 10 blocks completed. 

Before I left for the hospital, we decorated the house for Christmas. We didn't get everything put up, but there's enough to help us feel the spirit of Christmas. I'm glad we pushed to do it because there's no way we could even think about decorating now. While the snow piles up outside, I've been resting in my chair next to the Christmas tree.

The view from my chair.

While we rest and regroup, we are feeling blessed to be together. We are happy to spend quiet days at home. It is my hope that you will find happiness in your cherished traditions.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. As always, your comments are welcome. And, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hands.

Emmy