The Gratitude Journal and bookmark...

 Last week I mentioned there was something I intended making for my granddaughters as Christmas gifts, and when I asked Blossom what she thought of it, she was very excited and said "YES!"

After that conversation I decided to go ahead with the project idea, and also to share it with you. The designs I'll use for my 8yo and 10yo granddaughters will be more in keeping with their own styles (Rafaella prefers colours that are very soft and pretty, whereas Cully May loves bright vibrant colours), but the one I have designed to share today is the Gratitude Journal I shall be using myself. :-)

I think Gratitude Journals are good for any age, and when written in over a full year they can be a wonderful reminder to us of all the precious things we have been, and still can be, grateful for. 

As I was sketching the design, Philippians 4:6 came to mind over and over, so it will feature on page one when I begin this journal on January 1st. Being thankful to God for life, for Jesus, for all we have, for all we are, and for all that is yet to come, is paramount to the Christian's prayer life, so I think there will be a lot of 'extras' added to my journal along the way...and I am already very excited to read, at the end of 2027, all the things I was grateful for over that year. 

Even more so, I am excited about how my granddaughters will feel with their own record of a grateful year, and how their journals will become heirlooms for the next generation. I am reminded of a few verses throughout the Bible which instruct on writing things down so they are not forgotten and remembered for all time...

"Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered..." Exodus 17:14

"Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribed on a scroll, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever." Isaiah 30:8

A Gratitude Journal can become a record of inspiration, thoughts, and experiences, which lift the soul during difficult seasons - and not just that day or that year, but five years, ten years, thirty years later. We in this modern-day-era of everything happening quickly, a time when so much information (good and bad) is poured forth into our eyes and ears day by day, whether we want it or not, too often forget or overlook the wonderful things in life that make us smile, laugh, and rejoice. Making a record of the good things we've experienced,and then going back to read of them at a future date, can do more for lifting your thoughts from darkness to light, than any piece of chocolate cake, glass of wine, or mind enhancing pills will. 

Now I know not everyone who follows my blog enjoys hand embroidery, so I had a thought about that as well. Perhaps you can simply purchase a pretty journal for yourself, or someone you care about, and make a simple bookmark to include with the journal?

My second gift today is something you could use for that purpose. All you need is a printer and some heavier printing paper (160gsm)...

I have made the files in A4 and Letter size. Use the links below for the files you'd like. Please do not share them with anyone, but direct others to my blog if they'd like copies for themselves. :-)

A4 Gratitude Journal pattern

A4 Gratitude Bookmark

Letter size Gratitude Journal

Letter size Gratitude Bookmark

I'd love to see your journals if you make one, so please email me a photo and I'll do a blog post later this year with those photos so we can all be inspired. My details are HERE

Today is Ross's 36th birthday, and he's just like Blossom, hubby and myself in preferring a very low key celebration. They are moving in less than 48 hours, so we've enjoyed a few hours together with doughnuts, coffee, strawberries, raspberries and twiggy sticks, amidst the ongoing packing. We have laughed, hugged and truly just enjoyed being together...and isn't that the most wonderful way to celebrate.  Would you pray a blessing over his life please? This year has brought challenges, but he rose to all of them and has led his family with hands-on love and support all the way. He is a genuine example to young Charlie David of what a real man, a real husband, and a real father is, for his loved ones and his community. We are very proud of our son-in-law, and pray that the Lord will continue to bless him, Blossom and their children. xx

I'll leave it there this week as so much of my time over the past seven days was spent working on the Gratitude designs, the garden, and the house. I'll have a day of rest tomorrow (Friday) and then get ready to enjoy caring for the three granddchildren and their two pugs on Saturday, while Mummy, Daddy, and Poppy do the moving from one house to the new one. 

God bless you dear ones!! How precious you all are, and how blessed I am to have you here. Let me know how you're doing, okay. If you have a prayer need you can share it in the comments (even anonymously, because the Lord knows who you are) and there will be thousands of caring hearts reading who will be praying for you. 

Until next time,

PS: My Etsy Shop is always open, so please drop by if you are in the mood for something new to stitch.

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Jam, fingerless mittens and Abigail part 3...

 

JAM

It is the end of stone fruit season in Australia, so before it all disappears I have jam making on my calendar. Over the weekend I made apricot jam, one of my personal favourites, but I did have to be frugal about it as apricots are quite expensive. It helps that no-one else in the family considers apricot jam their favourite, so the two large jars I made up will last me a while. 

Blossom's favourite jam is strawberry, and I always make a big batch of that around July or August, as where we live in the tropics, strawberries are in season through winter. 

Cully May and I both love plum jam, and I have about three kilos in the fridge waiting for me to prepare them, but as I've had a very painful few days with my knee and cannot stand very long, they will have to wait a bit longer. 

Rafaella and Charlie David love my Lime Butter, and Lemon Butter. As our lime tree is heavy with fruit right now, they are making the most of whatever I can make them. Apparently Charlie David eats our limes like oranges! I give him a few to take home, thinking he'll have some slices in his water (he loves that) but in fact he's eating them whole. By the way, he eats lemons too. 

KNITTING

Lately I've had a feeling that we may get an actual winter this year - something rare in the tropics. Last year's winter was so mild and very warm, that it was only during a week of cooler temps (23-25C days) that I realised my feet were cold and I needed some warm clothes. I still do not have any closed-in shoes, or warm slippers, but I am starting to prepare for these purchases. 

One thing I am doing, using what I already have, is to knit fingerless mittens. Many years ago I bought this pattern, Misselthwaite Mitts from Alicia Paulson, because I loved how she'd embroidered the little vignette's (inspired by the book The Secret Garden) on all sides of the mittens, but as I only have variegated 4ply fingering yarn in my stash and no solid colours, I simply went ahead and knitted them plain. Such an easy pattern too!

These are the mittens I completed for myself...

On Tuesday I had Blossom and the children visit for the day, and Charlie David absolutely loved my mittens, wearing them around for ages. The he asked, "Nana, will you make me some too?!" and of course I said yes. :-)

He told me how he loves the colours in a sunrise and sunset, so this is the yarn I'll use for his...

I altered the pattern to fit his hands, with room for growth, and made a start this morning. Blossom is very excited because she is sure he will love them. She also requested a pair for herself. It's rather fun to have these projects on hand because I adore knitting, but always need a purpose for it. 

I hope to make the embroidered mitts one day, but for now I am very happy with the plain ones!

SEWING

Another frugal activity recently has been to repair some of my linen/cotton dresses. I wear dresses every single day, and because of this, the hems can become a bit the worse for wear. I hang all our washing out back on the clothes line, and the fierce summer sun probably has a part to play in the wear and tear, but oh how I love the smell and feel of washing off the line!

Anyhow, I've been going through the cotton quilting fabrics for prints I can use as new borders on the dresses which need repair. 

This Tilda print from 2024 was leftover from a quarter metre bundle I was sent to design with back then. It's not exactly the same in colour (nothing in my stash was), but it wasn't bad and the final look is really nice - after all, this is only a day dress for wearing at home. 

Have you done any mending lately? Do you alter or repair your clothes? 

I have a number of items in my wardrobe that will be made-over in the coming month or two, but I will need to purchase some warm things as well. Even if we do not end up having a cooler winter, I'd rather be prepared than regret not doing it. 

ABIGAIL

Part three of the Abigail study is up on the Abigail page today. Looks like I've been sharing one part every three weeks, and so I'll have part four (the final part) in three weeks from now. Have you been following along?

On the Abigial page you can simply choose to read the study from there, or scroll to the bottom of each part to download the file and store on your computer. :-)

Go HERE for Abigail Part Three

The summer is fierce right now, as is usual in February, but I must admit that its really knocking us around this year. I find with each passing year, the traveling forward in age, things that were once easy are increasingly challenging. 

Staying on top of things in the garden is not happening, especially as I am unable to stand for long periods and water the parched pots and raised beds...however I am still doing a bit each day, and that consistent labour, small though it may seem, does reap rewards. As overgrown with weeds as our front garden is, the grocery delivery man this morning said "what a beautiful garden!". I lamented all the weeds which have crowded out the flowers and shrubs quite a bit, but he said, "it's still lovely!" You know, my heart lifted when he said that. 

Too often we see the weeds in our life, and the beauty that still dwells within the weeds is unnoticed until someone else points it out. That's just like the Christian walk isn't it. We are a mix of weeds and beauty - but as time passes, and our walk with the Lord grows deeper, the weeds get less and the beauty becomes more obvious. There is hope in that! 

In case you ever missed this free HOPE patterm I shall share it again...

Go HERE to my FREE patterns page for this and more stitchery gifts I have shared in the past. 

Until next week, God bless dear friends...

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