STAMPING - no not my feet!

I really love the Magnolia brand rubber stamps! I've never been a great 'stamper' but recently I purchased my first 'Tilda' and made some of my Christmas cards featuring her.  I just love the 'chunkiness' of them - just great to colour and since I began using Copic markers, I love them even more.

Now this is not a free commercial for Magnolia or Copic - I just wanted to show some of the cards I've been making recently.  So without any more ado -

ta da!!

I deliberately left these cards bereft of wording - I'll just add something appropriate when I choose to use them.  This weekend I'm planning to give the baby boy away with a small gift to a new mum who's recently had a little boy named Malachai - so I'll add a cutesy 'something or other' that I think is exactly 'her'.

My visit to the eye specialist yesterday went well.  It seems one tear duct may have been partially blocked but after a squirt of saline from a syringe through a mini-mini canula, it seemed to unblock with a squirt into my nose! A strange feeling.  After a couple of drops into my eyes which made my pupils dilated and another examination, it seems I have the beginnings of cataracts. Oh well - that's aging for you I guess. It's not concerning me - it could be years before anything needs to be done about that particular situation. I spent the best part of the rest of the day though, worried by my dilated pupils - fortunately the sky was fairly dull for the drive home but my sight didn't right itself until late in the afternoon.  Not too much of a problem though - and so on that note -
All for this time
Blessings!

CHIT CHAT

Another week has passed - cannot believe we are almost at the end of January! Is this how quickly 2011 is going to pass?  It must be that I'm getting older.

Another week of reading the bible each morning. Now that I've reached 'the Samuel's' it is a lot easier even though the biblical names still get me! They are so difficult to pronounce - even silently! I usually have to read them aloud to get the 'gist' of what they sound like.  They sure were a blood-thirsty mob back in those days - going to war with neighbours almost for the sake of it without any really good reason.  I'm so glad we don't operate that way these days. But it's easy to see that God had a hand in it all and David honoured Him in everything he did (well almost - discounting his discretion with Bathsheba) - but I run ahead of myself.  I've only just begun that part of David's story this morning so I won't comment any further.

At my usual weekly bible study (which doesn't commence for 2011 until next week) the title of the booklet we will be using is "Bold I Approach" (Tony Payne Matthias Media) the why and how of prayer.  I'm looking forward to this study as prayer is something I always seem to struggle with. Not the actual praying, but the words to say.

Have been doing a little more stitching on my WIP "Daisy Girl" recently and I'll include a pic of my progress.  I've also begun a little 'Dimensions' piece which is a bicycle with a huge bunch of flowers on the handlebars - just something quick as a bit of a change from working on linen which I find fairly tedious these days.  I haven't a pic of that one yet but will do that soon.

I've just come home from an appointment at my optometrist.  My eyes tested OK with no real change in prescription for my specs from last test 12 months ago but there seems to be something going on in my right eye which is causing my vision to not be great.  My GP thought it might be blocked tear ducts and I've an appt to see a specialist at the end of the week but after this mornings check up, it's possible it may not be the cause of my problem. The machines which are used these days to take photos of the eye are absolutely amazing!  Fancy even being able to get a pic of the film across the eyeball and from that to be able to see the depth of tears formed at the base of the eye. My problem may simply be 'old age' with the old eyelids sagging somewhat and changing the shape of both the eyeball and the opening to the tearduct.  Isn't it amazing what technology can do these days?

Anyway I'll know more after Friday when I see the specialist.

A few days ago a baby Noisy Miner bird came to the birdbath.  No mum or dad nearby that I could see - its the first time I've seen such a baby attempt by itself to go adventuring this way.  It had a marvellous time flapping in and out of the water. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the cute little thing.  Oh yes - instead of feeding the lorikeets grained bread recently, I've started putting out sunflower seeds for them.  I was getting really aggravated by the Indian myna birds which were stealing it all the time and causing damage to the native birds as well.  Since I've been using the seed, the mynas have shuffled off to a certain extent but we've been getting visits from some huge white sulphur crested cockatoos. They are big birds with an awful screech and all the little lorikeets are really quite afraid of them.  They also do a lot of damage to any fruit or vegies they can swipe at the same time so I don't encourage them.  Here is a pic of one having a good feed of the seed before I shushed him away! There's also one of a colourful bug I found on one of the eucalyptus trees recently.

All for now!

Blessings!



Birthdays

Why is it that as you get older, birthdays seem to be like any other day.  Kids just can't wait for theirs and continually ask 'how many weeks'? 'how many sleeps' - but for me anyway, birthdays now are just like any other day.

Well you might have guessed already - it was mine today and honestly I don't feel a day older!  Maybe next year when its one with a big fat ZERO on the end of it I may feel differently.

Today was quite unspectacular (is there such a word) - but good none the less.  It was good to just be alive, to have experienced one more day in the Lord's time.  Nice cards, phone messages and heaps of facebook birthday greetings made it just that bit more of a 'birthday' feel.

Well, tomorrow is another day and for now, I'm off to bed!

Blessings!

B90Days - week 2

Boy am I sure glad I'm through all those rules and regulations - even Deuteronomy's long sermon took some getting through but now I'm on to Joshua I feel sure I really enjoy reading each day.  I was pleased I only had one 'catch up' during last week - my morning reading time just seemed to slip away and I had to finish in the afternoon.

Three verses kind of jumped out at me:  Deuteronomy 10: 12 (Walk in His ways) 13: 17 & 18 (Keep His commands) and had a good chuckle at 24: 5 where a new bridegroom is instructed to not work for one year in order to keep his bride happy.  Wow! imagine that these days? LOL

DH is home on holiday this week - sadly we won't get to spend much time together as I am still required for childminding for another 3 weeks.  Much as I love these two 'nippers', I will be quite relieved when they are both at school for the new term.  While E7 begins on Monday 31st Jan, L5, beginning his first year at 'big school' starts a week later.  Called at the public library today and picked up two Elizabeth Elgin novels to read.  Very light reading - this woman writes novels about conditions during the World War 2 era - nice quick, light  'before going to sleep' kind of novels.

Below are two new acquisitions. I love the colours of the fuschia - just like a ballerina's tutu - and the orchid is tiny and quite fragile looking.

 Beautiful ballerina fuschia

Pretty pink phaeleonopsis orchid

Thanks for calling in - blessings!



B90Days

When I was browsing my niece's blog not so long ago, I came across commennts which led me to another website.  From there I jumped again and have come up with a great way to read right through the bible in 90 days.(See here) It is a schedule worked out for each day's readings.  Without too much thought as to why I actually wanted to do it (in fact I'm still not really sure!) I signed up.  It's not as though I'm signing my life away or anything nearly as drastic (LOL). Each reader is grouped with a leader who takes an active part through the internet in encouraging and praying for each participant in the group and is encouraged to check in to a website each Monday to update your experience and how you are finding it.   Prayer requests can also be made and whilst being part of the group, other members are also praying for you.

I'm now on to my 8th day of readings and I have to be honest I have found the past couple of days fairly tough.  My focus has not been great and I've been easily distracted, especially throughout Exodus where so much is repetitive.  Still I'm determined to keep up with it and I know I will feel an achievement at the end of the 90 days.

Thanks for popping in - blessings!

Happy New Year

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us".

Ephesians 3: 20

Last days of 2010

Looking forward to 2011, I'm posting a few of my last pic memories of December.



Rosy Galah's came to visit and tear up the grass!

  

Some new cards I made using the very cute "Magnolia" stamps




Beautiful soy wax Lemongrass perfumed candle which I keep on my kitchen benchtop




Butter beans, purple runner beans and the very first peas I have ever grown picked yesterday