Sunday Scribblings - "Somewhere"

Somewhere.

Such a wistful word. It conjures up images of places better than where we are right now. Somewhere Over The Rainbow... Somewhere In Time... Somewhere Out There...

Somewhere expresses the wonders that are just out of reach. It goes hand in hand with some day. It conjures up pictures of dreamy lands where all that you can imagine, or desire, will come true.

Somewhere promises the hope of better things to come. A wish for life to be simpler, sweeter in that Somewhere, someday place.


copyright August 2008

Another Giveaway

Have you checked out "Fun Giveaways" on my sidebar? There are several you can enter. I just added one for Tomatoe Creek Prims. Below is a picture of what you might be winning:

Such cute holiday stitchery items! Be sure to go visit her blog and enter to win.

Enter the Honeysuckle Lane Giveaway!

There is a fun giveaway going on at Honeysuckle Lane's Simple Joys.

I have a link under Fun Giveaways on my sidebar. Honeysuckle Lane is also linked under My Favorite Places, so when you're done entering the giveaway, go to Lana's home page and see what a lovely blog she has!

Sunday Scribblings - How I Met My...

It's time for Sunday Scribblings. The subject is "How I Met My..." and this is my story:


I want to share how I met my Grandpa Mike; my mom's daddy. Although I know he saw me when I was very young, I had no actual memory of him. He was like a character in a story. Mom would tell us things about him now and then. This was usually when we were going through old family photos.

The love of his life, Grandma Ruth, passed away when I was a year old. Mike didn't deal with this loss very well. He became a kind of solitary man that my mother rarely saw. He moved to Wyoming, and that's where he stayed.

My mother lived across the street from the church we attended. I was 19. I had been out with friends and had pulled into the church parking lot to finish our conversation. They left to head home, and that's when I noticed a man walking around mom's house in the dark. She worked nights and wasn't home, but my little brother was inside by himself. This man was peering into the windows and trying the doorknobs.

I am not a brave person, but something stirred up in me. I pulled my car closer, walked up to the man, looked him in the eye, and said "Can I help you with something?" He looked me right back in the eye, "I'm looking for someone who lives here."

"You're looking for Leah? Who are you?"

"Well, I'm her dad! Who the hell are you?"

I was stunned. This little man, no taller than I, didn't look anything like the man in the photos. He was old, and small and thin. "Well, I'm her daughter!" I answered him.

His mouth dropped open, he grinned a huge grin and said, "That means you're my granddaughter!" Then he grabbed me and gave me a hug.

That was the beginning of a unique relationship. This grandpa was nothing like the grandpa that had raised me. He was an old cowboy, who livened up a conversation with a smattering of profanity that made my mom blush.

We took grandpa to church with us the next morning. He and mom were seated a few rows behind me. My uncle was giving the sermon. Then I clearly heard Grandpa Mike's voice in a loud whisper, "When's that guy gonna stop yackin?"

I turned slightly and made eye contact with mom. She was red-faced. A minute or two later I heard a loud whisper, "I'm gettin' the hell outa here." As I turned again, I saw grandpa stand and say it louder, "I'm gettin' the hell outa here!" He turned and headed for the door. Mom sent my brother over to the house, to keep grandpa company, till service was over.

I didn't dare look mom in the eye this time. It was one of those moments, when I knew it would not take much for me to be laughing right out loud.

I would love to have the chance for one more conversation with Grandpa Mike. He added a lot of color to our lives!

copyright 2008

The Brenda Photo Challenge

I have moved my pictures for The Brenda Photo Challenge to Nitajos Photos (links to both places are on my sidebar). I hope you'll go over and take a look at all the entries. The word prompt was "Sweets" and was a fun one to do.

The big garage sale is going well. I've emptied a lot of stuff from my home and garage. I've made over $500.00 the first day, even with a light turnout. Now if only my table and chairs sell, I'll be so happy!

And of course, I had to pick up a few treasures of my own. I'll try to get some pictures on here by the first of the week. It's been a busy, fun day!

Just a Note

I wanted to say a quick "Thank You" for all the wonderful comments that have been left for me. Writing is a love of mine, so I am happy when it touches someone.

I may be scarce for the next several days as I am getting ready for a huge church rummage sale! My garage is calling me.

Please come and visit me again.

Blessings!
Nita Jo

Sunday Scribblings - Observations

My Observations


On sharing...
I don't like sharing or revealing too much of myself.
If you really get to know me,
Who I am inside and out,
I may not be who you thought I was and
Become unworthy of your friendship.

and... I crave sharing and revealing myself.
My voice wants to come out in my writing, or in art.
If you knew the very heart of me,
What makes me tick, where I spring from,
You may understand, and possibly come to love our friendship.


On writing...
I study every word I write,
Deleting, revising, editing,
Just as I desire to edit every word I speak,
Making sure my words do not hurt, offend,
Or separate us as friends.

and... I write with abandon, seated at my desk,
Letting the words come freely.
Whatever thought springs into my heart, and into my mind
At that moment, flow uncensored onto the page.
Because of this, my friends will know, and see, me.


On faith...
I am hesitant to share my faith.
It offends some, it makes some wary,
It sets me up for failure.
My friends may despise my imperfections
And turn away from faith,
As a result of my failings.

and... I want so much to share my faith,
It sustains me, it changes me,
It brings me hope even when I fail.
My friends should have this too, a
Life sustaining faith that each of us is still God's own
If, and even when, we fail.


On me...
There are two opposing sides to me;
One based on insecurities,
The other based on freedom of my spirit.
I may be unique, but I doubt that.
The trick is to find the balance between
My obsessive observations and
Just being comfortable with who I am,
A human being, flawed,
Imperfect, but still loved and forgiven.

Just like my friends...


Copyright, Aug. 2008

Faith Folk Cafe - Friday Challenge

Please visit Faith Folk Cafe and check out Pam Warden's Friday Challenge. She posted two questions. You post your answer in the comments section. Even if you choose not to comment, it is a unique and uplifting blog to visit. You can go there by clicking on the title of this post.

I shared about how I am thankful for so many things today. My health has improved a bit the past couple of days. This is after weeks of dealing with what is called an exacerbation of my Multiple Sclerosis. I tire very easily, my muscles have gotten weaker, and my vision has been affected. I have had to wrestle with not allowing myself to become discouraged, and I'm not ashamed to admit I've had some dark days. Because I live with MS, keeping my home in order is very difficult at times.

Now, before this starts sounding like a pity party, I have to say that God has blessed me abundantly in my life. I have a husband who stands beside me no matter what comes. I have two wonderful sons, when doctor's told me I would most likely not have children. I know what a tremendous blessing that is. It's like I've shared before, I cannot let my circumstances determine my faith.

The other thing I am thankful for today is that my cousin Sally, who many have been praying for, is improving from her stroke a little bit every day. I am thankful for her continued improvement. She has now been moved to the rehab area of the hospital. Please continue to hold her in your prayers. If you want to see who you are praying for, visit Nitajos Photos (link over to the right), where I have posted a picture of Sally.

I plan on serving God by serving my family. This weekend is a time for reclaiming some order in my home. God has blessed me with an improvement in my health, and I want to share that with my family. I have made plans to purge some excess "stuff" from my home. Some will be donated, some will go into my church's rummage sale, and some may go to Freecycle.

God has placed some ideas and dreams in my heart. I am praying for guidance in making decisions in the areas of writing and art/crafts. I also hope that by pursuing the dreams that have been placed in my heart, I will honor God.

I am thankful for the questions posted at Faith Folk Cafe. It challenged me to do some reflecting. Please take the time to visit, and while you are there, be sure to read the interview with artist, Jane DesRosier. She is a favorite artist of mine, and she is also the newest member of Faith Folk Cafe, joining with Pam and Mystele.

Blessings!
Nita Jo

Faith over Fear

In honor of Faith and of Angels, I am posting these two Free Images for you to copy. If you click on the image, it should enlarge so you can save it to your files. I know one says Easter Greeting, but she was so cute I didn't want to leave her out.

I've just been thinking about how blessed I am. No matter what the trial, I feel like angels are watching over me. That's not to say I have an easy life, it's just that my faith keeps me on firm footing.

I want to be resilient when fear tries to wash over me. It's work for me to look at the glass as half full... I'm naturally geared to seeing the worst case scenario and trying to imagine how I could get myself out of that one. For example, I saw a little boy on the news today. He was from Tennessee and had been attacked by a bear during a family camping trip. I knew exactly how he felt when he said something along the line of, "I told my dad a bear would get us." Then he kind of rolled his eyes up toward dad like "I told you so." It made me smile. I hope the experience doen't cause him to carry fear with him, but that surviving it will give him strength and faith.

I'm the "girl" who was always afraid of the dark, wild animals, boogie men, etc. Lions and Tigers and Bears.... Oh MY! I was really afraid of the flying monkees and the wicked witch! I just knew at any given moment I could be killed in a car, my plane would crash, I'd be robbed, my house would burn down (in my own defense, I had many near misses which may have fed the fear... I may share one or two on another day).

Sometimes I was right to be afraid, but to be wary doesn't mean to live in the fear. Even as an adult, I often have to "have a talk" with myself. "Have faith... don't be so negative... pray... believe... hope... and have peace". I doubt I'm the only one out there. So to all you "half empties"...

Take Peace, Hold Hope In Your Heart, Trust God, Have Faith...


Blessings,
Nita Jo

School, Art, Yard Sale...

This has been a busy week for me. Lucky 13 had registration yesterday. We waited until the last hour of the schedule, just hoping everyone else hadn't done the same. It was the quickest, easiest school registration we ever had. Even the photographer was relaxed and L-13's photo turned out great! He's so happy to have his braces off, and I had him leave the retainer at home so it wouldn't have to be in the pictures. He's getting all the classes he wanted, but won't know the exact order until the first day of school. I'm just happy he's decided to stay in Orchestra. He plays the cello and I love listening to him play.

Today, after getting home from an appointment, I spent a long time reading through older posts of Gail at Shabby Cottage Studio (her link is over on the side bar under My Favorite Places). It was fun to follow her blogging progress from when she began up till the present. She has created so many beautiful pieces of art. It was a relaxing way to spend my time.

I also spent some time scanning old photographs that I hope to use in some of my artwork. I even found a Marriage Certificate from the 1930's and a Report Card that belonged to my Grandma Ruth. I plan to make some type of collage, incorporating these with photos of her. When I get one finished, I will post a photo.

My church is hosting a huge two-day yard sale in two weeks. I have tons of stuff to get ready for the sale. I'm looking forward to doing a little shopping myself. I'm hoping to find a few treasures.

If I don't get around to posting much, it will be because I'm in my garage digging through boxes and trying to convince myself it's time to sell. If I don't get rid of some stuff, I won't have room for anything new!

Before I forget, check out the new photos I added to my photo blog (click on Nitajos Photos over to the right). There's a nice picture of PJ and his 52 Chevy.

Well, goodnight dear friends... I'm off to watch an episode of the Gilmore Girls before I fall to sleep for the night!

Sunday Scribblings

Following is my piece for Sunday Scribblings. The theme was "ask". I wrote this for my uncle, in memory of his life partner, Madeline, who passed away this week. I think many of us have asked questions like these during a time of loss.


Rainbow

If I sit quietly and focus
Will I hear your voice in the wind or see
your face in the distance?

Can you hear me when I whisper
your name into the starlit night, saying
I will always love you?

Will you remember me
As I remember you, in the quiet moments
of every hour, every day?

And the day you died
was the rainbow, framed in a cloudless sky,
your secret message to me?

May you be at peace,
knowing you forever hold a place in
my broken heart.

Brenda Photo Challenge - "Play"

This time the theme is "Play"

I love to "play" the radio!

Here's Lucky 13 and a classmate "play"ing

their cellos with the school orchestra!

And here's a band I fell in love with

on a trip to Blue River, Oregon...

You should have heard them "play"

...even if it was only in my mind!

I hope everyone had as much fun with this challenge as I did!

Go to The Brenda Photo Challenge link to see the other entries.

Mind Wide Open... and why I didn't enter...

I am posting my creation for this month's Mind Wide Open challenge. It was so much fun to try, but I got the dates mixed up. I'm also trying to do Brenda's Photo Challenge. It's due tomorrow, and the MWO was due last night.

To top off my mixup, I just spent the last 6 hours resetting my computer (wouldn't let me go online this afternoon) and my camera (would not load my pictures). Everything seems to be working now, so I may have my photos ready for tomorrow's Photo Challenge... we shall see.

Anyway, here is the picture I would have entered if I'd marked it on my calendar! It's a mixed media piece... charcoal drawing on heavy water color paper, with water color crayon accents, collage, lace accents, and the inspiration I came up with using the word "Secret". I printed it on heavy paper, tore the edges, and accented them with a bit of color.

Secret Love
Locked Away, Hidden
She Keeps Her Heart Safe
And Alone

This challenge was fun for me, and I have a piece of art that will go nicely in my bedroom.

Please visit the Mind Wide Open challenge (click on the picture link on my sidebar). There are some beautiful pieces this month. Vote for your favorite!

I Should Be Sleeping

It's 2:54 am and I'm sitting here at the computer. I just finished reading an update on Sally. Thanks to all the prayers, she has been moved out of ICU. She's in a quiet room and most of the tubes, etc. no longer have to be used. She was able to eat solid food today. I'm sure it was a wonderful change from soup & jello... She still needs plenty of rest and quiet, but this is such good news. God has been gracious.

It has been such an odd week. There have been other needs in family & friends lives, it's time to think about school shopping and registration for Lucky 13, our kitty has been sick, and I've been trying to focus on the Mind Wide Open Challenge and the Brenda Photo Challenge. I have not finished either one yet. I'm still trying though. They are both so much fun.

Well, my burst of late night energy has waned... I think I'll go take a nap.

Blessings!

Please Keep Praying For Sally

I shared a prayer request with all of you last week. It was for my cousin, Sally. She is making progress in her recovery, but still needs all the prayers you can send her way.

Sally has at least one family member with her at all times. They made a schedule to make sure she is not alone at any time. She's now eating, but doesn't care for the hospital food. I have to agree with her on that point. She's remembering a lot of things from the past, but recent memory is still not as good. Stroke recovery can be a long journey, but we are believing for it.

Thank you, in advance, for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday Scribblings... Do I Have To?

This is my first attempt at Sunday Scribblings. I wasn't exactly sure what was expected, but the following story is what came to mind when I read...

Do I Have To

"Do I have to?" The words hung in the air between us. Me, confined to the sofa for another day of pain, and Bobby, 13 and frustrated. "No." I answered, meaning yes, please, can't you help out just this once. Years of giving in, not wanting my only child to suffer. Children should have fun. Isn't that right?

If I were a normal healthy mom, I would be doing the laundry and the cleaning myself. In the back of my mind I knew that I was doing him no good, but I couldn’t bear to see the hurt or the anger. It was easier to give in, to put the smile back on his face. I’d feel better later, and I could do it then.

It isn’t Bobby’s fault that I had that terrible accident. He deserved a mom without a disability; one who could have ridden bikes with him or tossed a ball around. Life had been unfair to him. Not that I thought it had been exactly fair to me, but what is fair anyhow? I knew dozens of people worse off that I was. Who was I to complain?

My attention focused back on Bobby, “No, you don’t have to, but it would mean so much to me if you would try. Just see how much you can accomplish in the next hour, then you can go to Jack’s house for a while.”

"But really? Mom? Do I have to do it now?" he pleaded.

"Yes. You really need to do it now, son."

The eyebrows went up, eyes rolled, but I held my ground. It was like I could hear Dad saying, “Now or never. Do you want to mold him into a man or keep him as your child for the rest of his life?” I thought of my brother. I knew it was time to step up. To require more, not for me, for him!

As he dragged his feet pathetically down the hall to the laundry room, I knew I’d answered his question in the best possible way.