Yarn Bombing My Life

                            Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Some murmur if their sky is clear,
And wholly bright to view,
If one small speck of dark appear
In their great heaven of blue:
And some with thankful love are filled,
If but one streak of light,
One ray of God's good mercy, gild
The darkness of their night.
R. C. TRENCH.

For the past several years, actually since 2013, I have made several crocheted items for others. Many, many things went from these hands to another, but I never really made things for myself. The longer I spend my time crocheting, the more I love what I do. So how come our home is not covered with crochet items?

The world of YouTube has definitely changed my life. They have opened my eyes to the crafter side to things I never could imagine. Who knew about diamond painting or Tunisian crocheting? Or looming? Or spinning? Or just junk journaling? I want to do it all!

When I watch these different channels, I have noticed they share a common thread. They craft bomb their homes. Whatever their craft may be it reflects in all of their surroundings as they display their work.

For me it's all about the yarn. I love all the different colors, textures and types. To me, yarn is beautiful and not just because of what it can create. Yarn is also my therapy. My happy place. My mental refresher. My joy.

If yarn means so much to me, why am I not expressing my joy outwardly? Why is my home so bare of any crochet items? Well, that will change. I have been home for the past three months enjoying myself immensely. I have made so many things that I only dreamt of in my mind. You know that saying , one day when I have some time , I will . .. .only one day really never comes. Again, that is changing. 

I am at the age where the simple things in life matter more to me than that paycheck or that status at work. What keeps you sane? What drives you passions? What brings you joy? More importantly, what are you doing about it? Living well life is very important. Don't you think it's time to find out what really matters in your life? Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Move

                     Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey


Quench thou the fires of hate and strife,
    The wasting fever of the heart;
  From perils guard our feeble life,
    And to our souls Thy peace impart.
J. H. NEWMAN, Tr. from Latin

Now that we are pretty settled in, we have contemplated the overall of our move. How did it go? Were there any mishaps? What would we have done differently? So here are the pros and cons of how it really went down.

So we were able to pack while we waited for the move to happen. Since we timed it for six weeks ahead, we had plenty of time. There were a few snags like the fact that we were still working until the last day and doing extra hours/overtime. Yeah, we were burning that candle at both ends!

The other thing, you sort of live in a mess. We ended up using half the room as storage for things we were taking and the other to live in. That's how it usually is done, right? Well, we had like three separate piles: What we were taking, what we were throwing out and what we were donating. Even a bigger mess!

The only consolation in all of this was the help. My nephew Logan came by to load the truck with Emily. I barely lifted a finger this time around. I was on the truck sort of stacking things . . . sort of. 

The move consisted of a well planned execution with everyone doing their appointed task. My nephew-in-law Tom, picked up the rental truck and had it delivered to the apartment for us. Logan and Emily loaded it up. While all of that was happening, Joe and Aubs. held their Church service in Decatur, driving to Chicago afterwards. 

Upon arriving, more loading into the smaller vehicles and everyone started their engines. Joe in the rental truck, Aubs. in her SUV and we ended up in our own HHR with a nonstop meowing cat. A very unhappy, clawing cat. 

We arrived late in the evening, ate supper and went to bed exhausted. In the morning. we finally got our keys and unloaded the truck. I should say that Emily and Joe unloaded the truck. I supervised.

You know, none of this would have gone smoothly had we not had help from everyone. There are always hiccups here and there like my throwing out the much needed catnip by mistake. The ride would have been a lot less stressful had I not done so. It was over three hours!

It was also wonderful to have someone here to direct us on things like utilities. We sort of imagine that everything stays the same but that is not true. What company you may have had in the city does not facilitate here. 

Overall, the move was way better than any we have had up to now. Things went much smoother and faster, but we were also very prepared. I  think we become better with every move by learning what worked and what didn't. We take the mistakes and turn them into successes for the next move. Hopefully not anytime soon.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

More Family Photos

                                                Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                everyday is a journey.


Our chief want in life is somebody
 who shall make us do what we can:
 this is the service of a friend.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

The above photo is courtesy of my good friend Cindy Alvarado of her country land of Ecuador. 

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite pictures of my inner little family. These are my loves, my heart and my life. I think we love to take pictures of all the highlights of our life. We display these pictures on our walls, inside albums and on our desks, but how often do we really look at them? Pictures reveal so much about that moment. What were they thinking? What was the most innermost feeling when that picture was taken? We can only guess or perhaps we were in on that little secret. 

Remember to sit down once in awhile and flip through these moments in our life that brought us so much Joy. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Lunch With A View

                                           Everyday is a brand new day, 
                                         everyday is a journey.





O Lord my God, do Thou Thy holy will,--
I will lie still.
I will not stir, lest I forsake Thine arm,
And break the charm
Which lulls me, clinging to my Father's breast,
In perfect rest.
J. KEBLE.

The one thing I truly miss about my last job happen to be my friends. When you work in a place for almost 25 years, one develops friendships. Of course, majority are your co-workers and you care what happens to them. There are a few that become your close buddies and you share so much of your life with them that it's only normal to miss them when you leave. 

I had two such close buddies. Both of them shared and played a huge role in my life. One I shared my role as a mother of adult children, a life well lived and just a conversation about world events according to two mature women. The other was much younger and we sat every single day eating lunch together. We sat in the old lunchroom which looked out into a park next door.

I can remember even now the thoughts that entered my mind as I looked out into that park. I felt envy as I watched the people cycling, walking or just plain sitting on the benches. I wanted to be part of enjoying the relaxation of being in Nature. I thought that the day would never arrive for me to be on the other side of that view. 

That parking lot next to the park held one of the most beautiful sunrises I have seen and no one noticed as we existed the building. I found that to be so sad. I didn't want to miss the sunrise in my life. I wanted to be part of it.

It's very amusing to me now when I reflect on that picturesque park. I used to think it was the most beautiful place and it was, still is. The most beautiful for where I was at during that point in my life. Living here, I have realized that there are many beautiful places, each even more spectacular than the last. I want to see them all.

I will never forget my time there and it will hold a s very special place in my heart. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Respect For Nature

                 Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Enough that He who made can fill the soul
    Here and hereafter till its deeps o'erflow;
  Enough that love and tenderness control
    Our fate where'er in joy or doubt we go.
ANON.

Since moving here, I have developed a deep respect for Nature. The weather, in particular, happens to be a lot more wild. That can be a scary thing for some of us who don't care for thunder storms and tornado weather. Not that anyone would like tornado weather!

I have always loved a good storm. I love a downpouring of torrential rain. I love watching it through the window and I love the lazy afternoon it evokes. A good book or movie usually followed with a hot steaming bowl of soup, preferably wearing your PJ's. 

When we moved here, I felt excitement at having a picturesque view outside my window so I could admire that snowfall or storm when they occurred. The very first major storm changed my view of Nature to one of respect. Yes, respect.

The picture below is of our very first tornado with sirens going off. It was spotted near a place where we were at a few hours previously. A little freaky for a city person such as myself. Also, a wake up call. 

Just how prepared are we when the sirens go off and we have to take shelter until the all clear? For one, we might have a place to take shelter in, but it wasn't very comfortable. Emily and I literally crawled out of the Harry Potter under the stair closet on our knees. We were so cramped in there and extremely uncomfortable for a good 30 minutes! Plus, there was so much stuff in there, it was almost impossible to move around in let alone share it with a cat. A cat who wanted no part of this take shelter procedure.

That first experience, well, it really taught us a lesson. First thing we did was clean it out. If this was to be our safest shelter, we could at least make it comfortable and clutter safe. Why choose it? We live in a townhouse and the stair structure is shared with the residence next door. Pretty solid, I think.  Besides, we also use the Harry Potter under the stairs closet as a pantry. I mean, it doesn't hurt to have snacks near by when we're in there sheltering from the storm. 

Do you have a storm shelter or safety plan ready for that emergency that can happen? Or are you the same as we were before moving here, sort of oblivious to the dangers? Every State has their own nature danger. It certainly doesn't have to be tornadoes. It could be floods, fire or typhoons. It's all about preparing for the dangers around you.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Day By Day

                           Everyday is a brand new day,
                           everyday is a journey.


He who God's will has borne and done,
    And his own restless longings stilled,
  What else he does, or has foregone,
    His mission he has well fulfilled.
FROM THE GERMAN



I sat at my desk, staring out at the courtyard in front of our home. I love having a window view once again. Every morning, I see the Sun come up bringing a new day, a new beginning. This morning, the skies were clouded over as if they would burst with rain any minute. 

On days like these, one never really sees anything scurrying on the lawn or pavement. It's as if they know what's coming and they lay perfectly still in anticipation. No movement, just the sway of the tree branches. Then it happens and huge droplets pour down as the heaven's open. 

Emily has always referred to it as a baptism, wiping away all the debris and bringing life back. The shrubs and flowers always stand up tall right afterwards looking refreshed once receiving the living water. We all could use a bit of living water. Are you thirsty?

I love nature. I love a good thunder storm or a heavy snowfall. I appreciate the changing of the Seasons and the weather that comes with it. Could I live in a one climate zone? I'm not sure. Right now, Summer is almost over and as much as I enjoyed it, I am looking forward to Fall. 

These past two months have been so refreshing to my soul. I find myself in deep reflection on my life. I have also learned so much about myself and the things I would like to change. It's not easy to look in the mirror and it's even more difficult to accept what one sees reflected back.

Even though I may have been bold in my sudden move here, I still deal with fear. Fear of failure. Fear of not making it financially. Fear has been a huge stumbling block in my life. I have been taking my time in the next steps of living here. I am rather enjoying the nature part of living here and am always amazed at God's beauty all around me. Now back to my view.

Have a blessed day everyone.