My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Few Thoughts on a Lazy Afternoon

Summer is over or at least coming to an end. Our granddaughter, Mandy, Ivann and Miss Caroline came, camped with us and left. Our daughter, Nan, and her boyfriend came and went home. Hubs dragged me off to the wilds of Idaho for the last time this year. I have gotten the house in some semblance of order. At least most of the house. The craft/spare room is looking like...well, the photos below show what it looks like. I haven't put the craft table back up, but the sewing machine is up and running. This is a room that I can make a sewing mess and shut the door and no one knows the difference unless I choose to show them. You are one of those. ;-)

I'm trying to lighten the load on my shoulder when shopping by making a cute tote. I have a rather plain one that does the job but I wanted a snazzy one. Cute being the essential factor here, lightweight, over the shoulder/neck to leave me hands-free but security plays a factor in this also. I think I've designed one that meets the criteria I want. Less to carry but secure.

The boxes that I piled all the craft stuff into when I knew the kids/granddaughter/great granddaughter were coming still have not been emptied yet. I bought several little shoebox-type containers at Wal-Mart for this purpose but just haven't had the energy to do anything about that. I'm sure some of you understand this.

Yep, the beautiful fringe is still on the floor this morning. Remember: Close door and nothing shows.

You can see it coming together. I didn't have a pattern so just had to go by the seat-of-my-pants here. Lots of mistakes, but it is coming together. Taking notes for the next one though. Select fabrics I already have. Find that beautiful pink fringe I haven't seen for months. Then later I'll measure and cut a few pieces from different fabrics. Then I'll rest or "get away from" it for a while. Then go back and cut more. Leave. Come back. Sew. Little by little. It's taking me several days to complete this. I do it this way to not get frustrated. Didn't work. Trust me. I'm trying to have it done very soon though.

Later in the day:
As you can see I left the fold-over flap off. I just cut it too big for this one. I'll use it on the next one maybe. Plus I'm not that adept at flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants. A ribbon rose I made along with a darling little rose button in the center, scraps of ribbon and snippets of lace plus one vintage lace I had on a pillow case that was falling apart—the lace, not the pillowcase. It's so ratty but I just couldn't throw it out so I sewed it on here.


As I've said previously, I love the color combination of pink and yellow so I've put a very bright lemon yellow lining inside with pockets of various colors on the lining for glasses, iPod, cell and a pen. You definitely won't see this little cutie at WM.
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I was sitting here yesterday while hubs was at a convention. He goes to a lot of them: train conventions locally and on the west coast, Marine Corps League ones when they're close enough to drive, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) when they're local or close enough to drive here in the west or northwest. He's very supportive of and loves our troops. After all, he is a retired Marine.

The VFW Post in our town helps veterans financially when the need occurs. The past few weeks he's gotten calls from a couple of people who need help with their utility bills. After a few questions were answered, he met them at a local grocery store where you can pay your utility bill there. He doesn't just give them the money or a check. He goes there, meets the person asking for help there, pays it with a check and they both get a receipt. How many other organizations do that?

One such transaction yesterday involved a woman. Her hubby was a veteran (they don't have to be retired, just a veteran of a foreign war) and Love Bunny heard her tale of woe. Hubby was cut back hours in his job, their leased vehicle went over the mileage and they ended up owing a lot of money on the lease—at least to the tune of $600 being taken out of his paycheck for at least a couple of times but hubs didn't know how many times. Then she applied for a job at a local school cafeteria and the background check showed a felony at 17 yrs. of age so they fired her. She couldn't understand that one. DUH. But as hubby was walking out to the parking lot he noticed a big truck and when she opened it there were cartons of cigarettes in the cab. As he was telling me the story and got to that part, I reminded him we're not to judge; we're only to help. (Our church doctrine.) He agreed but had trouble wondering why people buy very expensive cigarettes in lieu of food or paying their essential life saving utility bills.

A few days before he was paying a utility bill for a man who got behind. As they were going to leave the store the man told hubs his wife said they were out of food and asked him if he could buy them some food, hot dogs, hamburger and buns. Hubby told him he was only authorized to pay his utility bill. After all, it's not my hubby's money and he's a great caretaker of money with which he's entrusted. So he told the man sorry.

When he got home and told me that, I chastised him. He could have helped with our personal money and bought the guy a few food items. I think he was sorry he didn't after my admonishment. We are commanded by the Lord to help each other. That doesn't mean judging others when they need food or clothing or essentials. It does NOT mean helping to pay their boat, ATV or car payment! (Yes, I'm a judgmental person but trying to "catch the vision" and am truly doing better on this issue.) But as the Lord says, aren't we all beggars? Yes, we are. So we need to be loving, kind and helpful to our brothers and sisters, but still maintain being prudent. Giving is never something for which you'll be sorry.
*

Okay, I'll stop rambling now.
~*~

9 comments:

  1. I am all for a door that shuts firmly on a sewing room, Connie! I have to get mine into some sort of order...soon! I love your bag.

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  2. Connie ~ I love your purses!!
    they are just beautiful!

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  3. My sewing room is about like that too! I noticed your glasses on the floor in one picture and thought uh-oh. But then in the next there were on the table. Glad to see you picked them up before stepping on them! :)

    Sounds like your hubby is a busy guy. I can understand why you wonder about some people. Using their money for extras when they need it more for bills and food. Their logic does not work somehow. Every town has people like that.

    Hope you are getting further along in your sewing room!

    ~Linnea

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  4. Hi Connie,

    That tote is adorable. I share your sewing personality. Sewing by the seat of my pants, no pattern, leaving it to avoid frustration and then coming back...only my sewing room is also my dining room table. I agree, we are not to judge but it is difficult when we see a big truck filled with cigarettes and they don't have money for food. Bless your heart!

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  5. Hi again Connie. This is Mary from Here's Home. I don't have my email on my blog page. I clicked on your email but it said something about mail client not properly installed??? Who knows, anyway, here is my email
    basketdoll2002@yahoo.com
    Thanks for your comment on my afghan. That square pattern is super easy. I am an amateur at crochet so I need easy.

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  6. I used to have a room for sewing. Miss that. I find I don't want to make a mess in the dining room so don't sew as often. Your bag is sure snazzy!

    Blessings,
    Pamela

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  7. the bags turned out very nice. I am glad that their are organizations like the ones you are involved in that help people. Sometimes it is just a bit of help that really makes a difference in someone's life. After all, like you said, we are commanded to help on another. My craft/family room looks similar to yours with stuff waiting to be sorted. Someday I will be able to finish all that. I just need a bit of help and someone with good organizing skills that I lack. I like things organized but I am not super good at knowing what would look good where. I have very little decorating skills so I do very little outside of the basics! Anyways, I do hope you are having a great week and how cool you got to see your children and grandchildren and that super precious great grand child!

    Heather

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  8. Hi Connie,
    First of all I'm totally impressed with your craft projects. And your room looks like a fun place to work. Thank you for sharing about how your hubs is helping others. I'm glad there is this organization to help veterans. Quite a few requests for help came to our church while I was the church secretary. It isn't always easy to know how to handle some of them. It's easy to judge others. It isn't so easy to let God be their judge.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

    BTW you are one of the first people I remember meeting in blogland. I remember you commented a lot on Ginger's blog. You are indeed a "blessed chick" and I'm glad you share your blessings on the internet.

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Comments are so nice and I thank all of you that leave one for me.