AMERICA THE FREE....

These are in reverse order of the day, as it is getting dark here with the finale of fireworks!! My son, Scott, wife Carrie, and Peyton above and then Carrie's sister and husband, Janel and Dave, and boys, Preston and Andrew below....it was great to have you all!! Nana and Papa below....come back!!!.....the other Grandparents! Kids are never bored at this age!! Buckey the Longhorn will be retiring this year...we'll miss him at our house!! Thanks Bobby and Bonnie for the years of bringing him to park in the yard!! Are any young ones being trained for his position? The famous Round Top Brass Band! Cowboys and..... Cowgirls riding with true colors.... Transportation way back then...... ....and now.....Even this big truck, beautiful, got in the parade! Just like the bears and the banner say..."God Bless America" From tractors to hot rods... to politicians campaigning....that is a great freedom!! Go ABE. Hey!!....we are behaving and having fun....I promise! No need for CSI to investigate that here! YUMMMM..... All the grand kids piled on with Grand dad.... My hero....my sweetie! Children are our cherished heritage....everyone of them!! All of them!!! Each and everyone!!! Happy fourth....and happy retirement BUCKEY!! Here are some pictures of our 4th of July Parade passing in front of our house..... a yearly tradition in our town with family and cherished friends. Who DOESN'T seek "to be FREE?" Even, "we" who live in a free country "seek freedom" in many different ways. Above are evidences of what kinds of freedom we already have in this blessed Nation. I hope you will reflect and cherish the freedom we have had from the beginning that was also paid for by our veterans and others.....they especially understand what "freedom" is and to be cherished....some giving their lives for us to stay free. THEN there is another cherished freedom.....not only can you obtain it in the USA, but anywhere your heart is open to receiving it and it's eternal blessing! Many in foreign nations have it but don't have the "freedom" to live it or to share it or even talk about it without being persecuted!! Here is not only a cherished freedom like we still have in our Nation that so many seek, but the Freedom that goes beyond life itself! TRUE FREEDOM..... "...if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:32,36 Blessings!

THE "GIRLS" ..... my zinnias

12x16, done using Jane DesRosier's (Gritty Jane) texture idea of paper squares...then painting on top. First coats and beginning drawing... A simple journal page....got Zinnias on the brain! Some photos of the humblest of zinnias.... ..... they are so beautiful, strong and complex in their design. Almost architectural and perfect. There are so many different kinds, shapes and colors of the same thing. They thrive on the sun to become so beautiful and pleasing to look at. After a while, their color fades and their energy is refocused. They appear to suffer and struggle when finally they dry up and their once beautiful, now dead petals blow away. All that is left is the core, or their soul so to speak....that place where the petals held on to for so long. Then the core or soul or seed head dies and breaks open.... releasing all the seeds of new life she was nurturing and forming all along. All along her purpose was to bloom, die and then release new hope for the future. Her cycle continues for an eternity... her purpose for living never ended. As the dried core blows away and the seeds spread all around on the ground, the rain comes and it sprouts new life in a tiny delicate green sprouts that amazingly being touched by the sun grows into a a strong, mighty and beautiful creation to behold. She has given her soul or seed head to begin maybe a hundred new beauties! Her purpose for living is never in vain.... especially when touched by the warmth of the sun and fed by the rain.....Go Girls, Go!! Two people I know went home to be with the Lord this past week. One was a loved younger Mother and Grandmother and the other was an older Grandfather and Father, also very loved. They both "suffered well" with great grace.... as was quoted by a family member. Both left many, many seeds behind, many seeds that were touched by the "Son" that had nutured their own growth and their own unique beauty they each beheld while they were here ... each one different but uniquely beautiful and so pleasing to behold. See you later "Cici" and "Ted"..... see you there. I can't help but wonder knowing we too will someday go home to our Father, if I will be able to "suffer well"? I don't know and so I continue to try and learn and fill myself with the Son and His Mercy and Grace. Also, now when I gather up and "hold on" to all those dead looking seed heads, I will still know and appreciate more all the beauties and possibilities I hold in my hands. But I will "let them go" so they can spread and the new sprouts can come. I have LOVED this flower since early childhood when we planted our own first little flower garden beside the garage wall by the back gate in hot North Texas as children. What grew from those first seeds has stuck with me all my years and through today as I take these photos of yesterday's dried seed heads. My daughter reminded of these references in Scripture as well....I Peter 1:23-25, Isaiah 40:6-8, James 1:10-12, Matthew 13:31-33, Mark 4:7,8.......Blessings to you! An additional note....I would like to link you to the Obituary/ Blog of Ted and Jo Stone, who we had the priviledge of knowing through dear friends....they also counseled us in our marriage and were encouragers in Christ and just someone you could always go to in honesty and never be criticized, but nurtured and loved through whatever you were going through. Ted went home to be with the Lord as mentioned above, but Jo is still here and will continue in her awesome God Given ministries to people! If you ever visit with me I will walk you through the awesome way she walked me prayerfully through releasing things from my childhood that has had a deep hold on me for years....I will never forget it and how my focus went to the One (who I already knew) but who delivers, Saves, Loves and never forsakes!

IT'S TIME....FOR ANOTHER FELT CUPCAKE....or should I say BUCKET!?

My shoe beside it to show the size... The size of ice cream container I used....my favorite though is the small one...just right for a cupcake! Working and sweating in this Texas heat will drive you indoors under the cool fan....and so to rest my feet this last week I just had to get my hands on something sweet....yes, coffee and a few dipping oatmeal cookies or sherbert ice cream would do ... but I was really referring to the felt cupcake pincushions I made in the past. And I decided to try a larger version, with it being developed as I went....so very relaxing for me and doing this you seem to think a lot and maybe pray a lot. So being still working with my hands is valuable time for me.....and here are the results of the larger version of the felt cupcake (bucket/basket?) pin cushion. Here are a few pictures of different size ice cream containers that can be used for the base...I have only used the two smaller sizes.....but here is my process....I first roll up a rock from my driveway in a lot of paper towels or any paper and hot glue it into the bottom of the container (I don't use the lid at all...but something might come up....hmmmm like a flat pin cushion!) That needs to be done (the rock) to weight it down...... then I glue two or three layers of cardboard into the bottom void so it sits flat....which will be covered with felt....next I begin to cut and pin on the felt, around the outsides and trimming it as I go....a circle for the bottom. And I cut a large circle of either old feed sack print or another cotton print to co-ordinate with the colors....it needs to be a circle larger than the circumference of the top of the container....I sew a gathering stitch around the outer edge of the fabric circle and pull the thread, gathering it to make a ball of sorts (stuffed) to set on top of the felt bowl or bucket....filling in MORE poly filling as I go to get it really full and well stuffed.....I basically baste on or stitch with thread the parts together and then in the end I stitch/decorate on top with blanket stitch or decorative stitches (with embroidery thread) and appliques or rick rack to decorate it....and I do that decorating in the end after it is all together....you could do it in a different order if you like....anyway this one was so big I decided to add a basket handle with brown felt and then added a twisted lime color lining, leaving the fuzzy selvage which I think made it more twiggy looking....like I said it is developed as I go....which is fun for me.....SO here it is....now you make one and send me a picture thru my contact info on my website listed to the left....I would love to see it....or tell me in the comments so I can go to your blog and check it out.....I love these silly pin cushions...all sizes and shapes....very gratifying!! ENJOY and BIG BLESSINGS to you!!!