Spot of Completion

"Completion: The act, process, or result of completing," Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary

I finished it, finally. The long and joyous project, from lamb to purse! Did you ever hear it put that way? Remember, I start with a lamb, grow it up, have the wool sheared off, wash it, card it, spin it up into yarn which I might or might not dye......

...then weave the yarn into fabric. Then I have to decide how I will fashion the hand woven fabric into whatever I have dreamed up. The Chinese fabric with the butterflies helped me decide how I would use this hand woven fabric. After weaving many yards of fabric from my hand spun and hand dyed wool I finally cut it off the loom....

...and into these sections to enable me to fashion a purse.

Close-up of the purse. I had originally thought to use many beads and baubles to embellish it, but ended up with deciding the fabric lining and handwoven fabric needed only an old pin that had been in my jewelry box to finish it.

The end result,completion, modeled by my daughter, A.Joy, to show the proportions of the purse. I still marvel that this started with a lamb.....

Spot on Doors and Lemonade

~I love pictures of beautiful doors. Not necessarily big and impressive doors, but EXPRESSIVE pictures of doors. I commented on another blogger's( David McMahon of author blog ) wonderful photos of doors and he encouraged me to post pictures of doors. So , above is a picture of me in front of the beautiful doors of an Eastern Washington Winery. My Hubby and I take a picture of each other in front of the doors of all the wineries we visit. For any of you who as a policy do not consume alcohol,most wineries are places of beauty. The gardens, doors, and grounds of many wineries are well worth visiting with friends and family. Take a picnic lunch and soak up the beauty. Friends who appreciate wine will also enjoy the day and the fellowship that follows such a day is priceless!"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live" Flora Whittemire ~I received the Lemonade Stand Award! Shannon from Kenleigh Acres presented me with this award for presenting a blog showing " gratitude or great attitude, or both". Thank-you Shannon!I was thinking about what people think when they ponder lemonade...refreshment, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade", and I too would like to present this refreshing award to to bloggers who I know DO make lemonade out of life's lemons. Not only that, they will serve only refreshingly sweet lemonade to any and all and spare you the sour parts that might have gone into it. ~The first is Miss Mildred of Nalley Valley.Mildred's blog is encouraging, educational, and inspirational. She also is not one to complain, but rejoice in all life has bestowed upon her. Thank-you Mildred. ~The second is my daughter, Autumn at A.Joy At Home. My daughter is and always has been so encouraging. She is also one who will always see how lemons provide lemonade and if you don't like lemonade then you can have lemon meringue pie, or...you get the drift. Don't go complaining to her about anything if you want to wallow in misery....or have someone flatter you with empty deceit. Honestly kind and if you are her Mom, a bit blunt. But then she gets the blunt part from me....poor girl. ~Lemonade and doors....doors and lemonade, whatever doors have opened up for you, or if doors have been slammed shut, may there be other doors opened up to you today that offer startling new and grand choices and opportunities. Make lemonade out of those sour lemons and enjoy whatever life has strewn in front of and around you ! Blessings: optimism in spite of bad times and circumstance, purpose in life

Happy Birthday Daughter!

~Today is your birthday, and it is also a birthday for me..the birthday of my first day of motherhood. So Happy Birthday to us ! "A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer." AU~My daughter is our firstborn. She was a very easy baby, slept through the night right away, quickly learned right from wrong and obeyed without questioning, because it was what made her father and I happy. I did not understand why so many of our friends had trouble and were frustrated with raising their children because our daughter was so easy to train and raise. (I would learn with the birth of my sons what most people were talking about, but that is another post.)

~Our daughter was and is fiercely loyal to her brothers, her family, and her friends. When they were little and her brothers were in trouble with me or anyone else, she would run interference for them and protect them. She still does. ~As a youth and as a teen ager, she was still a good daughter. What myself and my husband desired and required was respected by her. She did not cause us trouble as a teenager either. Nor as a young single woman. We could trust her, and more than a decade has passed since she was that young girl, and we have heard all the stories of her youth from her, her brothers, her friends, and still we realize we were not wrong to trust her.That means so very much in this day and age when we are led to believe all youth MUST rebel and all youth MUST go through a period of disrespect and separation from their family. ~Our daughter fell in love with a pretty special young man we are proud to call "Son", and the longer she and her husband are married, the more we love the man she chose . We also think he got a treasure, a loyal wife and hardworking wife who not only treasures him, but treasures his family, us, and the children they have had together. "If you would have a good wife, marry one who has been a good daughter." Thomas Fulton ~Happy birthday most precious daughter! We are thankful beyond words for the gift God gave us that day so very long ago, our first born..a tiny little treasure. YOU! Anyone desiring to say "Happy Birthday" to her can check out her blog, A.Joy At Home.