Joy in the Ordinary - block 2...

 

It's a new day, and a new month, so I'm ready to move right on past the challenges of January and look forward in this year's blog theme of "Joy in the Ordinary". I hope you are too!

Today I'm sharing the second block of this year's free BOM, and the focus of the little stitchery is something we love, a place where we can rest from the busyness and chaos of the world around us, somewhere our creative skills can bloom, a sanctuary for those within to lay down their burdens and breathe in the heart restoring welcome of HOME.

Home should be our safe environment to grieve, to pray, to rejoice, to plan, to feed, to create, to hope, to bake, to plant, to harvest, to enjoy. 

This past month, well, actually since before Christmas, life in our home has been challenging, sometimes topsy turvy, and other times requiring more energy than we thought we'd be able to muster...but all along it has been HOME. 

It's walls surround us, offering refuge from the hard times, bouncing laughter from room to room, comfort from pain or loneliness, contentment with our lot in life, and stillness when we need to separate our minds (and ears) to hear God, and to ponder our own thoughts. 

What is it that you love about your home? 

Use the link below to download this month's free pattern

DOWNLOAD Block 2 of "Joy in the Ordinary"

Missed block 1? Go HERE

I have a pile of books beside me at the moment, all with an emphasis on home, though in varying aspects. Each afternoon, and often in the evening, I read slowly from one or two, underlining thoughts  which resonate with my homemaker heart, and occasionally making notes in the margins. This brings me peace, grows my confidence in the life choices being made, educates me in new skills, and inspires me to expand further my love for all things home and family. 

(The books I am reading or studying at the moment, with one missing which was given to Blossom - I'm awaiting delivery of another copy for myself.)

I've also been making a lot of notes from a few good videos on natural health, assessing our dietary needs and making a few changes (which have brought about marvellous results already), and continuing to work on the recipe book I promised to share with you. The cyclone (before, during and after) put a stop to that for now, but as life has almost slipped back into normality I shall return to it next week.   

Most afternoons I can be found in the kitchen, especially Sunday and Monday afternoons when I prepare things for the week ahead. This week I needed to make almond milk, coconut milk, coconut cream, almond biscuits, mayonnaise, hummus, pesto and satay sauce to use in or with meals. I'll have all these recipes for you later this month, if you're interested. 

It is stone fruit season in Australia at the moment, so we are enjoying them immensely as snacks, in salads, baking, and soon as chutneys, jams  and relishes - I just need to get everything prepared the night before and then spend a whole day on preserving them. Most exciting prospect! Stone fruit is very cheap right now, so the perfect time to buy up and get preserving. 

The FEBRUARY theme...

Each month of this 'Joy in the Ordinary' year, I have chosen a sub-theme for the blog. January was 'gratitude', and it helped me enormously to focus on that mindset for a whole month, especially with a cyclone and heart trouble. What about you?

For February the theme will be 'Stillness'...

My friends, we shall chat quite a bit about this through February, but today I'll just share a quote from Emilie Barnes in her book Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home, who 32 years ago - when life was not as chaotic, not stitched into social media, and when many women still had mothers, aunts, or older mentors to guide them - recognised the need for all women to have moments of stillness.  

"Stillness is not a word than many of us even use anymore, let alone experience. Yet women today, perhaps more than at any other time in history, desperately need moments of stillness." Emilie Barnes 1992

This week, on Monday, Blossom came with the children after their swimming lessons for our regular brunch gathering. With a feast set before them all, we ate, laughed, heard the children's stories of the cyclone, and drank a pot of tea between us. Afterwards, I tidied the table and brought out some crafts for the children to work on, and sent my sweet exhausted daughter up to our pool for some calming, alone-time, 'stillness', in the water...for she never has time away from the children unless they are asleep. 

About 40 minutes later she returned, refreshment evident in her eyes..."Mum, it was so quiet, so still. I didn't know how badly I needed this break."

That's when I knew the Lord was tapping on my heart to talk about stillness in all our lives during February. You know, later that day Blossom had some very difficult hours, but she told me that having her quiet time in the pool all alone with God in the stillness had prepared her for the trials afterwards. We have decided she will escape to the pool every Monday after brunch, and I shall have crafty things prepared for the children. 

Dear one, do not underestimate the need for stillness in your life. Today, pray and consider how you can make time to be in the quiet stillness, and then let the presence of the Holy Spirit wash over you as you rest from every toil or trouble, just for a while. 

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 

I'm working on a new embroidery pattern for you, a gift, which I shall share next week...for there's nothing better for stitching a message into your heart, than slowly and thoughtfully with needle and thread and prayer. 

I also have an older pattern in my shop HERE if you'd like to stitch it as well. 

God bless, and we shall chat again soon...

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Counting the cost...

Dear friends, Thank you for the prayers many of you have offered on our family's behalf, prayers for employment for both my husband and our son in law Ross. I want to assure you that Blossom and I have complete trust in the Lord to provide what is needed at the right time. My husband knows this too, but being the head of the home and our main provider, there's more pressure on him (in his own mind) to gain work soon. Ross is not a Christian so he's feeling more pressure with each week that passes...so we keep praying, and as my beloved Nana would say all the time, "God willing it (whatever the need or plan was) will come to pass." 

Homemaking in my experience, is like the seasons, a rhythmic change of circumstances. We have the season of noisy growing children filling the rooms, and then the season of  quiet when they have left the nest. There are the seasons of plenty, times when we have comfortably enough, and the times when every penny counts. A season of excellent health may be followed by a serious illness, and vice versa. Our home garden might be abundant one year, and swallowed up by flood or drought the next, and of course there may be a season of being ably employed, followed by a season of no work at all. 

As a homemaker first and foremost, I find myself challenged in various ways when a certain season arrives or leaves. For example, I knew in advance that my husband would be unemployed by early October, so I did what I immediately thought should be done, and began a new Stitchery Club to at least help us pay the mortgage each week...but I was wrong to do that. 

Hubby used to work six days a week, and when he would have holidays I'd consciously pull back a bit with my regular chores so that we could spend more time together, especially in the garden as that's a pastime we really enjoy. But a week or two later he was back at work and after playing catch-up with deep cleaning for a few days, I'd settle back to the normal routines and rhythms of keeping home.

Having him home now for an unknown period of time, and adding a new Stitchery Club to my list of to-dos (working on the club requires hours every day) on top of my regular and important responsibilities around home, he has noticed that I am run off my feet trying to keep up, and this has put a real damper on our days. My beloved is the head of our home, and through God, he is our income provider. When we married the plan was always that I'd raise the children and keep house, and he would be the breadwinner. Admittedly, when the children were younger (as was I) and he was retraining at University, he was happy that I was able to earn a little extra by doing things like Avon, cleaning a large local church (hubby helped) or selling used rare books online which I'd found at op-shops - these all helped fund our homeschooling expenses over the years...but they never replaced his wage, nor became a necessity.  If it was getting too much I simply stopped with his blessing and gave my full attention to home and family. 

When the children were at the end of their homeschooling education, I had begun to design stitcheries and offered a free block of the month on my blog every year (still do). Soon various craft magazines were asking me to design for them on a monthly basis, and I did that for about five or six years before choosing to offer my patterns through my own site. It's been a wonderful journey doing this, and because of the income we were finally able to save enough for a deposit on a home of our own late in 2018. Buying our home was a long held dream and we give thanks daily to the Lord for making this possible. 

As I reflect on the changes having a home of our own made in our lives as we neared 60, we were simply not prepared for the energy it would take to turn a home in the tropics which was surrounded by concrete, into a green, shady, edible garden. On top of that were the internal changes, a flood in 2019, so many home repairs and flood pumps installed as we fought rising water every wet season, and each year getting older and both of us having auto-immune diseases to manage.  We do not regret a thing, and we know this home was a gift from God so that we'd not have to rent anymore, but could create our own home sanctuary to last through the latter years of life, and ultimately be passed on one day if the Lord tarries His return. 

But jumping in to start a new club, even though my intentions were good, did not make them right for this season of life. One day I was so exhausted and with my body a mass of pain, another migraine beginning to brew, all I wanted was to fall into bed. Later that night when bedtime finally came around I prayed and asked the Lord for help. Do you know what He said?

"You didn't count the cost first." Every time I woke in the night I pondered those words and next morning re-read Jesus' words on that very subject. (Luke 14:28,29) He was describing how a builder would not build a tower without first sitting down and counting the cost, to make sure he had enough supplies before he began. Then I read chapters before and after that one, because I am very much a contextualist when it comes to studying Scripture, and discovered more examples of counting the cost.

Cost can be anything which will be required of you to pursue a certain task, relationship or belief. It's not just about money. The cost I had not factored in was time, energy, age, health and priorities. As the past few months have come and gone, it's clear that not much was lain aside, apart from blogging,  because I take my homemaking very seriously, but in order to keep up I had to fill more and more hours each week with precious time which should not have been surrendered so rashly. No wonder I was exhausted and in so much pain. If only I had counted the cost before making that decision. 

When I eventually fell on my knees before our Lord, He was so very gracious, and in the past week or so I have become more aware of the cost that must be paid for any decision I will make now and in the future. Counting the cost is marvellous for putting things into perspective, for alerting me to a pot-hole in the road ahead, for reminding me of what I have in my hand and what I can do without. 

I even got inspiration for a new design, with words of life to keep me steady and grounded in the simple life I love so much, and which recently began to slip away.

I do not have to design anymore. But I can when I have time, when inspiration from the Lord is present, and when I am enjoying it. The project above was lovely to create, and because it came from my heart, overflowing with gratitude to the Lord (and my husband), I relaxed and did something I'd only attempted once before...cotton crochet edging. It took time, but it wasn't rushed. It simply brought me joy. 

So, no more new Stitchery Club, but yes to the occasional new pattern which I'll just pop in my Etsy Shop. I do have a few already, which I made for the club, but now they'll just be single patterns in the shop. Maybe later in the week the patterns will be added there, but right now, hubby and I have a garden to work in, a Bible to study, some bread to bake, and time with each other to enjoy. Oh, and our Molly-dog too. She's become the sweetest addition to our home and puts a smile on our faces all the time. 

If you've become overwhelmed this year, perhaps you have taken on too much? Step back a bit and pray for the Father to show you what needs to go. 

Perhaps you are facing a decision? Count the cost first, dear one. Count the cost. You might be paying more than it's worth.

Bless you heaps,

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Books and Roses BOM - April...

 

APRIL

For some it draws us closer into autumn and a welcome season of rest, for others it offers the promise of warmth and a season of growth.

This month my bookmark was completed a little differently because I cut the sides of the stitched block with my quilting ruler positioned on a 90 degree angle. Then all I had to do was sew strips of red fabric along both sides, followed by more white linen.

I filled the centre of the applique bow loops with satin stitch, tied a couple of simple white buttons in opposite corners, and finished with a length of doubled white satin ribbon sewn into one corner.

Do you like it? I wasn't sure I did at first. 

Sometimes I remind myself of Poirot and his obsession with order and sequence, straight lines and nothing off centre! 

So I looked with fresh eyes and decided it wasn't so bad after all. Though I may not make another angular one again, it's good fun to play around with a small stitchery and see if there's a different way to display it. 

Use the link below to download this month's Books & Roses stitchery pattern.

DOWNLOAD APRIL PATTERN

This past week or so I've been mostly confined to home, which never really bothers me as I enjoy being home, but for the first time in my life I learned what it was to have vertigo, and therefore needed to be in familiar surroundings when alone.

I sympathise with those of you have had it or still suffer with vertigo. What an unsettling experience it can be! At first it was thought to be BPPV, and perhaps it is, but my doctor believes its a new migraine aura...which isn't surprising as these past few months the auras have become quite intense and the migraines a tad nastier. 

So, being that I was sequestered at home for almost a week, I got stuck into slow cleaning with no bending, lovely seasonal baking, reading books about homemaking and learning new skills, finishing a small stitchery project to share with you soon, and creating a new framed picture for the laundry.

BAKING:

Every year around this time I bake a "once a year cake" with plums, lemons, almonds and a delicious syrup to pour over the top...

I'm also working my way through another of Paul Hollywood's bread books, and this time I baked his Malt Loaf (two in fact) which is full of sultanas and absolutely scrumptious sliced and buttered fresh, or toasted the next day. I gave one to Blossom and already she's requesting another.

My first batch of sour dough scones a couple of weeks ago weren't bad, though a bit doughy, but the second batch last weekend were really good! Especially with some freshly made plum and cinnamon jam. I have four new jars in the pantry now, which will keep us going for a while.

SEWING:

I've actually finished this little stitchery now, and am ready to get the sewing machine up and running to complete it as a handy kitchen project. I stitch slower now as the nerve damage in my fingers tends to flare up if I stitch too often or with gusto. ;-) 

Small designs are perfect for my good days. I'll be sharing this simple project with you soon, after I make sure it will work. Life is all about trying new things, right? 

I watched some Miss Marple along the way...

READING:

I really enjoyed browsing a few books I'd recently found at a charity shop, and the bread book is wonderful! The previous owner had written notes inside which made it seem as though she was chatting to me about her favourite bakes and the occasional changes she made. Can't wait to mill some grain and make some of the whole-wheat loaves. Probably tomorrow or Monday. 

FRAMING:

Remember in my last post I had photos of some favourite homemaking books? One of them was Simple Country Wisdom and I have to admit I originally bought it for the cover because it captured my heart, but it turned out to be a real gem.

Laundry is one of my favourite household tasks, especially hanging it on the line and then bringing it in to fold and put away. The gorgeous laundry basket liner had always been an inspiration on my sewing to-do list, but it has been a while since I took that particular book off the shelf to read so I'd forgotten about making one.

Well, isn't it funny that as I was about to sit and re-read it last week, I thought to remove the dustjacket and see if the same photo was on the cover underneath. And it was! So I decided to cut out that lovely laundry basket photo from the dustjacket and put it in a frame to hang in my own laundry. I love how it looks...

And the cover of the book, minus the dustjacket, still bears the same photo, so I'm doubly chuffed.

HOME RENOVATION: (or, the beginning of a few small updates)

Two weeks ago we decided it was time to finally get rid of the very old interior doors within our home. The previous owners had three dogs which slept in their bedroom and the ugly mid-brown coloured bedroom door has a doggy-flap. It was always on the to-do list but the outside repairs and chores were more important.

Now, however, we have made the first steps towards a bit of interior renovation by buying new doors. We have five interior doors to replace in the house, so at the moment my beloved does a bit of undercoating each night after dinner.

I'm really excited! They will be painted 'natural white' and so will the door frames. This will blend very well with the beige walls and add a lot of light to the house. The old mid-brown coloured doors are drab and tend to rob the rooms and hallways of light...and I love a home with lots of calming white. 

So the first door to be installed will be the bedroom, and then he will work his way through the house with the others. No rush, but it's lovely to know it will eventually be done. 

The vertigo eased right up after a massive migraine mid-week so I finally ventured out alone in the car on Thursday and had a very nice morning tea, catch-up and a bit of stitching with Shez, Rosie and Shirley. Shez has recently moved to our town and kindly invited us over. She's settling in nicely and is even adjusting to our seemingly endless heat. I'm sure she'll love our winter, as it's warm and fresh and the perfect season to be out in the yard or walking along the beach. 

Friday (today) I went out and did the groceries, taking advantage of the half-price sales to continue stocking our pantry, and also dropped into a few charity stores along the way to see if I could find anything useful and came home with one book on health and a gorgeous Royal Doulton serving bowl for $4 which will be wonderful for family dinners. I don't buy what I cannot use or what I cannot fit in my home anymore, which is very different to the me of ten years ago. Really glad I'm learning to be mindful with my acquisitions.

This Year of Contentment is truly a blessing. I hope it's so for you as well.

What things or habits are changing in your life for the better?

Personally, I'm feeling more satisfied with life, and definitely happier, despite things that don't go as I'd planned and the unexpected events which would normally have caught me off guard but I now take in my stride. 

I also feel far more confident to close the door on things that aren't right for my life, or which have become a struggle, and I do this after much prayer, for without Christ I can do nothing. (John 15:5) 

Best sign off now as hubby will be home soon and I still need to fold the sheets and put them away, have my swim, and water a few garden beds.

Bless you heaps and may the Lord be on your mind and in your heart now and always, leading you out of darkness and into His marvellous light.

hugs

Homemaking as the seasons change...

 

It's been tempting of late to just shut myself inside with the air conditioner and ignore the gardens completely. This stifling autumn has been our hottest on record and when I open the door each morning the hot blast of thick humid air takes my breath away. 

But instead of closing the door and hiding away I turn the ceiling fans onto high and open all the doors for two hours so we can get fresh air circulating through the home. In that time I make breakfast for the two of us, feed the cat, prepare hubby's work lunch, make the bed and put on a load of washing...and then I go water the parched garden beds before closing the doors and embracing the cool breeze our air con sends forth.

I feel incredibly grateful to have air conditioning, because there would have been a time in this town we have called home for the past decade, when people simply had to suffer through the endless heat and get on with work inside and outside of the home. So to have a whine, and admittedly I do, about the eight months of summer, is something I need to cease from, though it won't happen overnight, but maybe after we relax through the refreshingly tepid winter days, a time when most people here are able to think more clearly, myself included. 

Pondering how those who lived before us got on in life during these uncomfortable seasons, my mind drifts back, as always, to growing up with Nana and Pop. They had far more to contend with than weather, yet I never really heard them complain unless it was an occasional comment about the rising price of meat. They simply just 'got on' with life, one day drifting in to the next, the natural routines of his work at the wharf, and hers within the little home and caring for me, making up the ebb and flow of day to day rhythms.

I'm sure their example is what inspires me to invest in the lives of my own grandchildren and teach them about the old ways, something most don't know anymore. Because I lived the old ways naturally, due to being raised by grandparents (as did my husband who was also raised by grandparents), I need to teach these precious grandchildren through my stories, hands-on teaching of life skills, and also by my own example of choosing to step back into a simpler, slower life now, while I'm still around.

Yesterday I homeschooled them in the morning and we learned about nature, classical music and the Nutcracker ballet, and finished with art and craft. But what I really loved was when I was in Blossom's kitchen making chicken pot pies for our lunch, 4yo Rafaella climbed up on a stool and said, "Teach me Nana. I want to cook with you."

The pies were just about to be cooked but I had leftover puff pastry so I gave her a ball of it and some grated cheese and soon she was pressing out flat circles of the pastry and sprinkling cheese across the top. "Look Nana, I made cheese pancakes. Can you put them in the oven?" And so I did.

I made a batch of cheese twists to put in the oven as well, and after lunch I baked apple and currant pies for their dessert later that night. Rafaella was involved all the way and informed me that she wanted to be a "cooka" like me. Well, that melted my heart.

When I came home my mind was firmly fixed on my own childhood in Nana's kitchen so I baked one of her favourite desserts, baked custard. though back then we never called it dessert - everyone called it pudding (a reader on Instagram reminded me of that fact, as I had completely forgotten it).

I had a few slices of fruit loaf in the freezer so I thawed them, buttered them, trimmed off the crust and placed them in a buttered enamel dish - because Nana always baked custard in an enamel dish. 

When I was young Nana would often serve up the leftover baked custard with breakfast the next morning. Yum.

Milk, egg, sugar and vanilla essence is mixed thoroughly and poured over the bread, then a sprinkle of nutmeg dusted across the top.

I bake it in a water bath, the small enamel dish sitting inside a larger one which is half filled with hot water.

About thirty minutes later it came out of the oven looking so delicious that I could barely wait until after dinner to enjoy it...but I was a good girl and did wait.

The recipe is very basic really, and the same custard mix as I use in Nana's Baked Rice Pudding (here).

Still in the mood to bake I made a second batch of rock cakes for the week. The batch I made after covering the dining chairs on Tuesday went to Blossom's, so yesterday's batch will keep us in morning/afternoon tea treats over the weekend. 

It had been a really big day, and in that hour before needing to start dinner I decided to sit down with a cup of Tumeric Latte, a rock cake and a homeschool book I am re-reading, having first read it twenty years ago.

I've missed being a homeschooler since the children grew up, but it's all coming back to me now and my heart is overjoyed at being able to be a small part of teaching my grandchildren.

Which all leads me to another aspect of changing with the seasons.

Remember back here I wrote about reducing my Elefantz business? Well, it's just happening a little sooner than I'd planned.

I'm going to close my Faith, Heart & Home stitchery club after the May patterns go out on April 30th, so there's two months left of the Club if you're a member, as you'll still receive the April and May sets of designs on their usual days.

Those who are doing the Heart of Psalms or Heart of Home block of the month quilts do not be concerned. I'll still release those remaining patterns in my Etsy shop each month until all twelve blocks have been completed. 

When I began this club last October, I did not remember just how busy and time consuming a new club with all new patterns every month was. When I had the original Stitchery Club (it ran for 52 months) and then Faith in Hand Club (14 months) I wasn't able to invest as much into homemaking and slow living the way my heart yearned to do. Now with Blossom's three small children, and the opportunity to be a real hands-on Nana and help with homeschooling, plus this unruly garden which I love, and a home - our very own home - to tend and care for and infuse life and beauty into, well...I simply don't have the drive to keep pushing myself as a designer. 

Of course, it's still part of me, but now I'll be able to do it when I have time or inspiration, with no monthly deadlines to keep. And there's a brand new block of the month which I stitched last year and have never had time to write patterns or piece into a quilt...another thing I can complete at my leisure and share one day. 

Sewing is a joy, and I expect it to become even more of a joy as I drop off the hamster wheel of design work. I have a hundred older patterns which could be added to my Etsy shop but I've not had time, so I can get on with that as well, plus, I plan to sell many of my original stitchery pieces later in the year and into next year.

Friends, there is a really deep and satisfied joy in my heart as I share this news, this change of season, with you. I hope you're happy for me too. 

Now tell me, what season of life are you in, and do you think there's a change coming?

Bless you heaps,

The power of finding beauty...

 

After almost three weeks, my home came alive again with spontaneous laughter and the creative delights of Cully May and Rafaella. 

Oh how I'd missed them, and this only heightened my sorrow for those of you who have not seen your own grandchildren in many months, perhaps over a year or more. ((hugs))

Blossom and Ross really needed a day of peace after being so ill for the past few weeks with head colds and chest infections, so I gathered my little granddaughters early Monday morning and we headed here to "have an adventure". Cully May calls all our days together 'adventures' and I do try and make our activities fun and varied. Initially I'd planned a morning-tea picnic down at the beach but it had rained all the night before and the ground was very wet so we popped into the supermarket for a few necessities before heading straight to my place.

We had a lovely morning tea and read Ruby Red Shoes, a favourite book for both of them, The girls got to drink from bigger tea cups which I'd found at the op-shop last month (because they always ask for more tea when we use the little ones) and nibbled on fresh blueberries, blueberry crumble cake, and Messy Monkey rice bars.

After a while the sun came out and boy, did it get hot! Considering we're two weeks into winter, though admittedly our winters are more like a mild spring, I was surprised when the temperature climbed to 30C (86F). After morning tea the girls wanted to paint so I set everything up outside and they put their cotton smocks over the pretty dresses Blossom had made them to avoid any colourful accidents.

I'd promised them pancakes for lunch and Rafaella stood on her little stool to watch me mix the batter, exclaiming, "Nana, that's a lot of ingredients!" She gobbled up three large pancakes with strawberry jam (she would have strawberry jam on everything if we let here), and Cully May had two with lemon juice and sprinkle of sugar. 

They went back to painting for a while, but soon came inside to make button necklaces and watch Lea read from Little House in the Big Woods (you can see this here, it's wonderful for small children!)

After some colouring, it was time to bake choc chip cookies. The girls watched as I made the cookie dough and then helped me roll the balls and place onto the cookie trays. Rafaella pulled her little stool over to watch them bake, she couldn't wait to eat them!

Later on Cully May and I made a Feta, Tomato and Pasta Bake to take home to mummy and daddy for dinner. She was amazing, doing most of the process herself, apart from the chopping. 

As the afternoon was still so hot we walked up to the corner shop for ice-creams, and then it was time to swim in the pool. The water was lovely and cold, so we played around in it for about half an hour. By then it was getting close to dinner time so I bundled the girls up in thick beach towels and we headed inside so they could have a warm bubble bath before going home. 

The day reminded me of this quote by Louisa May Alcott - "The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely." Little children have a way of finding delight in the simplest things and if we take the time to look at life through their eyes, it can fill a weary heart with pure and humble joy. That's what this day with my two little princesses did for my own tired and weary heart.

They had walked with me around the entire garden to smell every bloom, touch every plant, all the while exclaiming with such confidence, "Nana, this rose smells so pretty!" or "Nana, can we eat that when it grows bigger?" and "Nana, how long will the strawberries take to grow?"...everything they saw delighted their senses and in turn, they delighted me. 

 

I've almost finished a remake of an old pattern, this time a little larger than my original. On Friday I'll be sharing this as a free download, and probably with a tutorial as it will become a small wall quilt. This was meant to be ready yesterday but after that big day with my girls, yesterday I just needed to slow down and not think too much about work, blogging or sewing. Instead I pottered around, cleaned out and reorganised a few kitchen drawers, did the washing and ironing, and vacuumed the house. None of it was rushed, and I took a few peaceful breaks for tea, reading and baking. There was a punnet of raspberries in the fridge that I'd forgotten about so I made two dozen raspberry, lemon and almond muffins. I kept a dozen for us and put aside the other dozen for Blossom's family.

Some were served today at morning tea when my neighbour dropped by...they truly were delicious! No recipe, I'm sorry, as I make up my muffin recipes as I go along using whatever is on hand. No measurements, just adding the basics and then the extras until I have the right consistency. 

My neighbour enjoys the regular baked treats she receives from my kitchen, as much as I enjoy her thoughtful gifts of flowers. Today she gave me these gorgeous green chrysanthemums. Aren't they lovely?!

 

Now, I need to remind you that in a few weeks Google will no longer be using Feedburner to forward my blog posts to you via email, so I am trialling a new option. 

Over there to the right, in my blog sidebar (you'll need to be on your computer or have your iPad set to full screen for reading my blog) is a very obvious pink box where you can write your email address and once you've confirmed this (an email will be sent to you with a confirmation link) you'll receive all my blog posts via email just as you do now.

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I hope your week is travelling along nicely, with no bumps in the road or heavy trials to face. It's my prayer always that whoever reads my blog experiences the tangible love of God each day, and that His strong arms will hold you up when you cannot stand yourself, that His still small voice leads you in the path you should follow, and His gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ becomes more and more profound in your thoughts. 

God bless and big hugs,