End of a week...

It seems this week chose to roll along at a faster pace than I'd anticipated. 

But some weeks are like that. 

I prefer slower weeks with relaxed hours that seem to linger longer, giving the soul and body a bit more time to unwind and relax, regardless of chores or work or visitors or sunsets.

Gathering plums on sale before the season is over has me stalking the supermarket and fruit shop so I can make a few extra jars of my plum & cinnamon jam, hopefully to see us through winter and spring. Seriously, I would choose this jam over any other and because of that it never lasts long in our house. Which is why over the next week I'm planning to double what I usually make.

Rosie came by this morning and I also invited Debbie, a new acquaintance from our Gentle Domesticity group, to visit as well. 

The three of us had a lovely morning tea, sharing stories of younger school days, the endless heat, floods, sewing, education, family and other 'getting to know each other topics' whilst sipping cappuccinos and feasting on fruit cake, matrimony slice and some lovely biscuits Debbie had brought along. 

We even stitched a bit too. 

I sent them both home with jars of plum jam which I do hope they enjoy as much as we do. 

Yesterday I spent the morning at Blossom's, filling my heart with granddaughter love and lots of cuddles. My darling daughter is glowing, in spite of the lack of sleep and if you saw her you would say "Motherhood definitely becomes her". 

Ross is home on paternity leave which has given their little family time to bond with Rafaella, and that lovely bonus of sharing more of the parenting load has drawn them closer than ever as a couple.

Cully May loves being a big sister to Rafaella.

Earlier in the week I was reading about Miracle Spray for home cleaning on Annabel's blog and decided to make some as I genuinely prefer products without harsh chemicals but haven't really liked what I've tried in the past. 

This one was different, and I cannot imagine using anything else now!

With five very simple ingredients, all found in my pantry or the local supermarket, 2 litres of Miracle Spray ended up costing about 80c to make.

I decanted some in to a spray bottle...

... and as I was doing this thought it would be a good idea to take this first batch in to Blossom, and the wonderful thing about that was when I gave it to her yesterday and showed her the ingredients list she said, "Mum, that's amazing! I was only just thinking the other day that I hate using chemicals around my daughters."

When I came home I made a second batch for myself and decanted some of the mixture into two spray bottles so I could keep one in the kitchen and one in the laundry. 

It's funny, though. The smell of eucalyptus is so fresh in my spray that I keep looking for things to clean. Before the girls arrived for morning tea this morning I even wiped down all the dining chairs, something I rarely think do, but what a blessing that was as I discovered one chair had many faint little Cully May fingerprints (from peanut butter and pasta sauce) which I'd not noticed when she was here.

If you'd like to make your own Miracle Spray the recipe is HERE.

On Wednesday I needed to pick up a prescription and decided to have a browse through the newly opened op-shop (St Vinnies) next door to the pharmacy. I found a lovely little $1 crocheted blanket, about 16" square, for nineteen month-old Cully May to wrap her dolly in, just like Blossom wraps Rafaella. 

When I gave this to her Cully was the happiest little munchkin around, and for much of the three hours I was there on Thursday she'd bring dolly and blanket to me, asking "wrap dolly blank?" I'd wrap her dolly and she would gather dolly to her chest and rock back and forth for a few minutes...then remove the blanket and come back to me so we could repeat the wrapping of dolly all over again. Her attention was only diverted when I changed Rafaella's nappy and then her chatter switched to, "get nappy, dolly poooooo!" ...and therein lies a whole 'nother story.

But back to that op-shop.

They had a good selection of books and very well priced too. Any three books for $5 said the sign above the wide bookcase and these were my take-home bargains...

I have already ear marked three of the potholder patterns for gifts (and my own use) so I'll be spending a few hours next week digging through my scraps and gathering other supplies to start sewing. 

But what I loved most was the Bible. All through it are excerpts from the writing of C S Lewis, pertinent to a passage of Scripture on the same page. The Bible appears new and the font is large and easy to read, it falls open and stays open too.

I collect Bibles, and did not have an NRSV version, so this was a wonderful blessing!

I am going to make a cover for it over the weekend and have already completed the stitchery, which is Easter Sunday inspired. In fact, I'll be sharing it with you this Sunday as gift pattern.

I'd best sign off for tonight as Mr E is ready to take me for a drive beside the beach now that the sun has set and the air is cooling. Then we'll come home and share dessert (chocolate brownies with raspberry coulis) before settling into our new couch to watch a movie.

He has a big day tomorrow with a new hobby (lawn mower racing) and I have to work as it's Stitchery Club day and there's a lot to do. Sending out issues to all Club members, updating the Club webpage, uploading separate patterns to the shop, new photos etc etc...it will take all day. 

So tonight, this lovely early autumn night, he and I will enjoy just being together.

I pray your weekend brings special moments too.

hugs

And then there were four...

In the early hours of Sunday morning our sweet Blossom gave birth to her second precious daughter, Rafaella.

A healthy, beautiful baby, she weighed 4.3 kg (9 lb 3oz) ...

Our family would like to thank everyone who has held Blossom and baby in prayer these past few months, you will never know just how much those prayers were answered.

Happiness overflows in our family, gratitude fills our hearts.

They came home from the hospital a few hours ago to begin life as a family of four, to dwell within their small cottage and settle in to the gentle rhythms of new beginnings and blessed joys finally realised.

Miss Cully stayed with us for two days and filled the air with laughter and boundless energy, but what a precious sight to behold when she welcomed her baby sister with a mighty hug and too many kisses to count. My heart melted.

I'm so proud of Blossom and how she is raising Cully May - she was an absolute delight to have at our home, and though my back bears bruises from numerous kicks during the night (she slept in the bed with me) I shall never forget all the kisses planted on my face either.

But Nana needs some sleep now.

May great blessings fill your life too,

hugs

What you do while waiting, and the gift I never expected...

Delve into your box of completed stitcheries and begin making pincushions!

That's what you do.

Life is on hold at the moment as we wait for the phone call which will have us driving into town to pick up Cully May and bring her home to stay with us while Blossom heads to hospital with Ross for the birth of their second child.

It's all rather exciting for this Nana who waits patiently in her sewing room and busies herself with fabric and thread, whiling away the hours and days.

But it's all rather uncomfortable for Blossom who is measuring 41 weeks and not her documented 39 weeks...who would most probably burst should we drop a pin on her tummy...who has weathered the threat of a very prem labour ten weeks ago and carefully taken each extra week as it was given...who's feet have swollen and don't want to go walking...who's baby is now head engaged and in the posterior position which is a always a tad more painful but especially as Blossom has scoliosis.

Yes, it's all rather wearying for my girl, yet her laughter as Cully May smothers her with kisses and hugs fills the room, and her smile continues to sparkle. Between the groans.

I remember that feeling, when you're so close to the end of your pregnancy but it seems like time is standing still and an hour becomes a day becomes a week.

You know it won't be long until that precious bundle of love is placed in your arms, but still you long for the labour to begin 'now'.

This wee baby decided not to share my birthday (Wednesday) and in all probability will arrive before her paternal grandad's birthday in early March.

Seems bub would prefer a birthday all his/her own right between the two of us.

Fair enough, I say.

So while all this is going on I have prepared the spare room for Cully May, stocked up on little girl necessities - toothbrush, hair brush, natural soap, a dolly (she'll be so surprised!) and a pretty pillow.

I'll bunk in with her while she is here as Cully's never had a sleepover at Nana and Pop's house without her mummy before, and I'm sure Bob-the-dog will snuggle up on the bed too.

She's missed Bob since he's been staying with us so I'm sure having him to play with again will keep her occupied when I need to collapse in a chair and catch my breath every so often.

So, back to the pincushion...I am trying to keep the house as ordered and toddler friendly as possible right now so my sewing room has most everything in it's place and out of reach of tiny hands. But I really needed to 'make' something today and decided to go through my box of completed stitcheries for a few which could be made into pocket pincushions.

These were perfect for my plan...

Pink and green together are a marriage made in heaven, but then add the subtle pop of blue and what a pretty picture...

One pincushion made and three more to follow...

...all dependent on what happens over the weekend.

I have everything I need for the next three pincushions in one place which makes it easy to pack away should Cully May be here before they're finished. 

If you like this style of pocket pincushion I have a tutorial HERE that you can follow.

Just adjust the pocket size to suit the width of height of your stitchery, or fussy cut fabric for the pocket as I did...

For the new pincushion I added 1" of pink check fabric down both sides of the stitchery as I like a bit of contrast...and I love pink. 

I've added the set of four pink and green stitcheries to my shop in case you like them.

(They were also in the December 2016 issue of The Stitchery Club, just in case you have it)

visit the pattern shop over here

Do you like making pincushions?

What do you do when you're marking time until something wonderful happens?

I had a lovely quiet birthday, just ducked out for a late morning coffee and cake at Rosie's.

The day before I was caught in the middle of a very severe storm out on the highway and it rattled me a little, so with the forecast of more such storms throughout the rest of the week I stayed close to home. Rosie's is just up the road so it was lovely to catch up for a little bit, but as soon as the black clouds began to gather I returned home.

Mr E was taking me out for dinner but we postponed it until Thursday evening, and this works for us as in our family we celebrate a birthday for three days.

We have an un-birthday, a birthday, and another un-birthday!

On Tuesday (the first un-birthday) my beloved brought me flowers and on my birthday a pair of beautiful silver and turquoise earrings plus a very special kitchen gift. Dinner at our favourite Indian restaurant on Thursday rounded the low key celebrations off wonderfully.

I was spoiled with gifts from my husband, but also from Blossom and my dear friends Rosie, Wendy and Margaret.

Some of the blessings...

So that's my birthday over with for another year.

I was 59 and have decided these next 12 months should be lived to the full as life is a gift from God and to be honest I don't think I've treasured this most amazing gift enough. 

It was Blossom who made me appreciate this life with a new clarity the other day as we huddled together with Cully May wedged between us on the couch, watching through her window the remnant of a storm passing over.

You see, my mum died when I was three and I have just two dim memories of her from the weeks just before a car accident took her life, but Blossom being so close to giving birth has been thinking a lot about my mother as this birthday drew near and talked to me about how the excitement and love she feels is just what my own mummy would have felt as her day of giving birth approached. Blossom's eyes filled with tears of joy speaking of this and then my own tears fell...from a deep happiness I'd never considered.

Isn't that beautiful? To suddenly realise at age 59 that you were once that child in the womb, eagerly awaited, loved and cherished...that the love your mother felt for you was very, very real, and even though you barely remember her it doesn't change the depth of her love and the joy she had with you for those precious first three years.

The gifts received for my 59th birthday were so beautiful, but the gift of Blossom's insight was the icing on the cake.

You know, precious one, you also have life and that is something to treasure.

I've had some shocking things happen to me over the years, but those events have not dominated my thoughts or my heart for many a year. Jesus tells us to put our hand to the plough and not look back...and that has been the one thing which kept me moving forward these 27 years as a Christian. 

It was so very clear to me that a field ploughed when looking back will never be a good field, will never achieve it's purpose. In fact it would make no sense. If I allow the past to hold my attention I will forever be immobilised from sowing the seeds of a healthy life crop and reaping the good fruits of my labour. 

This choice, because it is a choice, was not easy at first, and sometimes I slip up and endure a short season of wallowing and self pity, but it does me no good and robs my loved ones of precious memories we could be making in the 'now'.

So I choose to look ahead, right at Jesus, and to walk each day with eyes forward, letting go of the past and reaching ahead to what comes tomorrow - and in light of Blossom's words life is even more precious than I once believed.

Love

Simple pleasures, life's treasures...

The past few weeks I have been working on a new design for 2018, one which has a message that to me 'says it all' as I prepare to step into another year of living the gentle domestic life.

Mr E and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary yesterday and the plan was to pack a picnic tea of corned beef and pickle sandwiches and enjoy it down by the Marina after sunset...if the temperature cooled a bit. 

Alas, the temperature stayed high and it was really muggy (humid) which brings on my migraines so my beloved rang our favourite Indian restaurant, praying they'd accept a last minute booking, and they did.  Thank you Lord!

Having a back up plan, being flexible, prayer, they all remind me of marriage, and in fact they have each been important to our marriage, to the ebb and flow of its trials and joys, the lean times and the prosperous, the dark grieving times and the blessed events we get to celebrate, the plans that fall through and the ones which seem to slip into place without a hitch. 

I'm almost 59 and as I reflect on growing older, celebrating another year of wedded-ness as Mrs Reynolds, and preparing to welcome a new grandchildren into our fold in a couple of months, my heart feels more settled that it has been before.  

I'm becoming comfortable in my own skin, loving the ever increasing silver white patches in my hair, the softness around my eyes even though there are more lines appearing, the fingers that lose their stiffness when I draw on fabric with needle and thread, and the deepening desire to embrace a gentler life, a simpler life, one which treasures the hidden jewels within. 

Those personal reflections, desires and plans had a lot to do with this new design. One afternoon last month I sat in the shaded corner of my sewing room and sketched little bits and pieces, small things that made me happy, thinking they'd be nice as little motifs for different projects. 

And then I thought about next year and what I would like to focus on.

Simple Pleasures

Life's Treasures

So I put them all together and the next day slid my needle beside that first piece of applique and began to stitch.

It looks gentle and I felt gentle as I stitched. 

The words slipped further into my heart and there was a sense of knowing this pattern was a reflection of my life as I'd like it to be. One big thing that can be used in many smaller ways. 

Like a big Sunday roast with leg of lamb and oodles of caramelised sticky vegetables.

The roast is a delicious lunch on the day.

The leftover veggies become tomorrow's bubble & squeak for breakfast when served with a poached egg and lots of tabasco sauce. 

The leftover lamb fills sandwiches spread with mustard the following day, shepherd's pie a few days later, and then that big bone with all it's bits and pieces of lamb-y goodness stuck all around goes in the pot with vegetables, herbs and barley for a small pot of soup. 

One roast for a Sunday dinner becomes many more meals. 

One large stitchery gives opportunity to become many little ones.

So I decided to stitch the pear again, this time as an applique shape...

It will become a bookmark tomorrow.

In fact I'm going to make a few more bookmarks using other little motifs from the larger pattern, and pop them in my gift box. 

I didn't follow through on that plan this year but through 2017 I've been reading Annabel's blog once a week and can see now how thrifty, wise and fun it is to create throughout the seasons with whatever skills you have and come Christmas and birthdays, get wells and celebrations, or 'just because' days, there's a precious gift made, ready and waiting to give. No stress, just delight. 

If you visit Annabel's blog you'll understand what I mean. 

Stitchery Club members will receive this design along with two others in January (see more here).

Looking ahead.

I want to add a bit more balance and order to my working/domestic days so I purchased two diaries for next year and they arrived a few weeks back.

One is a Tilda planner for day to day business notes, and the other is a gorgeous Daphne's Diary for reminders about things which matter to my health - physical, spiritual and emotional - and it includes beautiful extras inside. 

Beautiful things inspire in so many ways, don't you think?

 For our anniversary Mr E bought me an elephant. 

Funny how many people assume I love elephants because of my blog/business name (Elefantz with an f), but I don't collect elephants and the name has nothing to do with them. 

Back in 2004 I had a dream.

In the dream I was sitting at a cafe having coffee with the Blossom-girl and I was writing 'elefantz' all across the white tablecloth in pretty cursive script like my Nana would have used.

When I woke the next morning I thought God was giving me the name of a bookshop/cafe the Blossom-girl and I had planned to open when she'd grown up a bit more. She was just 11 at the time.

My sewing life at that stage was nothing more than making simple dresses for Blossom or machining a straight seam to hem curtains. 

I had no idea that a few years later everything would change.

I taught myself to hand embroider late in 2005 and in September of 2008 I penned my very first 'Jenny of Elefantz' blog post.

I knew exactly what the dream was directing me towards.

Not what you expected, eh?

God has a sense of humour!

We didn't take many photos on Christmas Day...just two. 

It was such a special time for the five of us that it felt almost 'intrusive' to bring out the camera, so after those two pics I put it away. 

Mr E bought Cully May a Thomas the Tank ride-on. She *loves* anything Thomas!

I snapped this just as Blossom was tying back Cully's fringe. Bloss made Cully May's red dress and it is gorgeous with those frills and a big bow at the back.

My beautiful girls...

Have I rambled again, wandering from topic to topic, following streams of thought and straying from one path? Sorry. Just so many lovely things that pop into my mind as I write and then I imagine we're chatting across the table about all and sundry...and this blog post may be that all and sundry. LOL!

Well it's time to go fix dinner for my man and tonight we're having that picnic of corned beef sandwiches, but just here at home. With a pot of tea and gingerbread for afters. 

Relax sweet friend, ponder your simple pleasures and rejoice in the treasures of life that sit right before you. 

Let the rush pass you by and choose the gentler things that nourish your soul and bring joy to your heart.

Choosing to live gently will bless you, and in turn in will bless those around you. 

Rather than making a New Year's resolution consider writing a list of things you can 'let go' of...ah, the freedom.

Simplicity that may be just around the corner...

Love

PS: The first pattern in my 2018 Block of the Month will be shared on Monday. Yay!

Christmas past and present...

When Blossom was 10 she gathered what scraps of felt she could find in her little craft cupboard and made a nativity scene to hang beside the Christmas tree. 

Neither of us were stitchers at that time, so each December I would cook and she would decorate with whatever she could find.

I treasure this Nativity Scene from her childhood, and even though Mr E and I have been shopping for a porcelain one recently, nothing has compared to the simple felt scene our daughter made all those years ago. 

Since her mid-teens Blossom has been embarrassed when I bring it out each year, a natural reaction for most children as they grow up and their parents insist on displaying those junior works of art, but I don't let her protests stop me.

As a young mother herself now she has a greater understanding of why this Nativity scene means so much to me...

Blossom's second baby is due March 1st, but she's had a scare this week when the baby's head dropped overnight and severe lower back pains began. Assessment by her midwives confirmed the baby was now very low, head almost engaged, much earlier than it should be. 

She also discovered her health had taken a downward turn and blood transfusions were needed, one on Thursday and another scheduled for next week. 

I sounded the alarm in our Gentle Domesticity group and an army of prayer warriors took up the call and held Blossom and her baby in prayer for three days. Bless their hearts!

What could have been a very early delivery has slowed right down, and though she must take things very easy from now on and let that little cherub in her womb keep growing strong for a safe and healthy birth, Blossom is calm and giving all her extra attention to one on one time with Cully May (who is the happiest little munchkin ever!).

I've spent a lot of time with my daughter and granddaughter this week, assisting where I can, praying and just being available if she had need of me, and it made me incredibly proud to watch my daughter conduct herself with such grace and kindness towards all her health professionals even though she was frightened of what may happen with her baby if labour began.

 Today we have stayed in our various abodes and texted funny things back and forth - she entertaining Cully May and keeping her feet up, and me nursing a rather ghastly migraine but having Mr E beside me as physician. How very blessed we are to have each other, to be a family, to live nearby and be able to step in to help out in times of duress. 

I think this Christmas what's sitting solid in my heart is gratitude.

Gratitude for God in giving us His Son.

Gratitude to God for giving me this daughter, my youngest, the child I almost lost my life giving birth to yet who every day 'gives' more to me in love, respect, honour and friendship than I could ever have imagined when I held that tiny bundle in my arms almost 24 years ago. 

I have gratitude for the Word of God which every day speaks into my heart and gives me understanding, correction, hope and direction.

And I am grateful for Christmas, for the quietness and gentleness of this particular Christmas, for even though it's been a week fraught with concerns and hospital visits and a few fears, there has been this underlying sense of God's hand holding us all, securely, lovingly, peacefully. 

Mr E put the tree up and I gathered some simple decorations and made merry because my heart was overflowing with LOVE for Jesus, for my family, and for those whom God may bring across my path one day and will want to hear why I love Him so much.

Simple decorations...celebrating a simple but miraculous birth over 2000 years ago.

A birth which changed my life and made it a testimony to love which no author could have dreamed to write. 

May the LOVE of Jesus fill your heart this Christmas in ways it never has before.

May His birth and the miracle of it fill your thoughts with wonder and awe. 

May you find HIM at the centre of every conversation, every laugh, every tear, every dream, and know that it will all be okay even if things don't turn out the way you hoped because He loves you and He cares about your whole life, from the big issues to the little ones and everything in between.

From our family to yours,

MERRY & BLESSED CHRISTMAS

hugs