The End of January

The end of January came mighty fast. This year so far for me has not been the best, but it could be worse. I am working on something that I can’t share with you just yet but I will soon. It is a craft that I am working on, and if I tell you what it is, let’s just say it will ruin everything.

I am ignoring the house again to get other things done that came up. Story of my life, just when I think I can forge ahead something comes and leads me sideways. Not that I mind sometimes I like it, it has led me to new adventures and I’ve met some interesting people.

The house is always going to be here and I am always going to be closing doors, I will complete it someday…but for now I will slide a bit sideways and be creative. I can’t wait to show you what I am doing, until then you just have to be patient.
Another one of my little creations

Frustrated

With the New Year here I am feeling creative, but I can’t channel it. I want to write, I want to scrapbook, I want to make things, and try things I have never done before. So what have I accomplished so far… NOTHING!

Why, because I am scattered into so many places. My craft room is a process in the making and I tell myself that you can’t start anything until that is done. I can’t get that done because I am still working on other areas in the house. I started but never really completed, now I have to complete these projects and put my creativity on hold.

I will need to complete the craft room first I decided, so that I can steal myself away once in a while to craft, if I don’t my mind will explode into fragments of color and all will be lost.

With valentines day coming I want to make my Valentines scrapbook bears with boxes of candy I have made them two years ago and they are such a big hit, that I want to make some more this year and sell them for others to also enjoy. Here is one that I did



Now I am running around the house trying to get things done my mind is elsewhere. The house also needs to be painted and my bedroom could use new carpeting. I don’t think it would be wise to put a paint brush in my hands right now, I don’t want bare walls I want splashes of color.

Well on I need to go get something done; I hope I don’t give into that subtle voice that is calling me to the realms of color and paper.

New Years Resolutions

The wrapping paper is gone, the Christmas tree is gone, the New Year is here and we have or are still setting our goals for the year ahead. We are looking back to see what we did not accomplish in the past year, and if you are like me, you just have to pick up the old list and start over.

I keep telling myself from year to year that I will accomplish what I set out to do. This year I did not promise myself anything, I told myself I will move forward one day at a time. I will make small goals to reach everyday. And hopefully I can achieve some of the small goals that will eventually by the end of the year be part of the goals I was trying to set out to do for years.

The world will not seem so overwhelming; I just have to keep reminding myself “One Day At A Time”. In the past I have always allowed myself to be distracted, and I am slowly trying to put a stop to that. I can not reach my goals if I don’t make the small changes within myself; I am learning to say “No”.

I wish for all of you that have set goals and have not accomplished them to be easy on yourself, very few people reach their goals. Count your blessings and move on. One of my goals I did set out to accomplish this year is to make a trip to California. I have a dear friend who lives there and I haven’t seen her two children since they were really young.

I have seen pictures of the children as they were growing, and now are all grown up. I have spent the past years worrying about them, being happy for them and sharing every part of their lives that my dear friend shared with me. I would like to hug them in person, to hold more then just a picture.

California here I come! (Even if it’s at the end of the year, I want to make this trip!)

New Year

I hope that all your New Year wishes come true.

May there be Peace On Earth!

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas

When my children were young and Christmas time was coming I made sure they were a part of the celebration right up to Christmas Day. I didn’t want them to think it was only about the presents, I wanted us to come together as a family. We watched Christmas shows together, the Grinch was my favorite, even when I was a child.

We went to church and we participated as a family in making an advent wreath, my three children and their grandmother. My children and I made ours, but we always admired grandma’s she was very artistic and creative her wreath was always beautiful.

As the holiday grew closer I got the cookie cutters out, but not to make cookies. We used them to trace onto felt and we cut out the design, then we would decorate them with sequence, beads and of course sparkles. We would glue two same sides together leaving a small opening and stuff it with poly-fill inside then we would finish gluing the two same sides together and hang them on the Christmas tree. The kids and their friends loved doing this and I loved doing it with them.

I have one or two left from our past Christmases; but the children liked them so much that they very often ended up in their rooms. I also have the decorations that they made at school these are treasures that they created and I could never bring myself to throw away. Some of the other things I’ve done with the children, is to take old Christmas cards, mine and the ones I collected from relatives and friends. I taught the children how to make Christmas post cards with the cards, so that they can give them out at school.

To make the post cards you just remove the front of the card and you write on the opposite side your Merry Christmas, turn it over to the front where the picture is you might want to add some sparkles to the make the card even more special, when you add your creative touch.

All these things were family projects that we did as a family and of course any one that wanted to join us. The children were busy all the way up till Christmas, then on Christmas Eve we would bake a birthday cake for Jesus. As the children and I added the ingredients we would take about Jesus and the meaning of Christmas. One year my youngest son, when the cake was all done shouted out “Happy Birthday Jesus”, he was about two and half years old.

It is those memories that I shared with my family that will keep with me always and I hope that when they have children that they will find their own traditions and enjoy them through the years, I got so much pleasure from mine. And who knows maybe I will have grand children one day so that I can get those cookie cutters and perhaps make a memory for them.

One Week Till Christmas

One more week till Christmas, I don’t even have any of my shopping done. Somewhere along the line I ended up losing time. I got sick and as I was recuperating, my daughter ended up in the hospital with a gall bladder attack.

She had her gall bladder removed and I ended up with my cold back. Now I am doing much better and I hope to get out sometime in the middle of the week. Never the less I am still feeling the Christmas spirit and I love the holiday.

Well I Wish you all A Merry Christmas! I hope that you get everything you wish for or at least what you need. Please take the time to give to those who are less fortunate then us. And may all your days be bright

L A Hardt

"Never let someone walk the path alone. Reach out your hand."


The Gift of Christmas

Was the night before Christmas and there’s nothing to eat,
No turkey or ham not even a treat,

The children are snuggled all in one bed,
Dreaming of a dinner they never got fed.

And mom in the kitchen, crying and sad,
Counting out change, this year’s really bad.

And who’s at the door what could be the matter,
It’s a wonderful neighbor with a huge turkey platter.

She brought the potatoes, sweet corn and pie,
There were so many things it made the mom cry.

And who was that who stood close behind her,
It was another neighbor, carrying toys and the cider.

And standing right next to the door she did see,
These very kind people brought a large Christmas tree.

They kissed and they hugged, and they hugged and they kissed,
Her kids will have Christmas she thought they would miss

And out of the window she saw one shinning star,
She knew the blessings of Christmas, was not very far.

She thanked them all kindly, and asked them to join,
Her and the children on a bright Christmas morn.

The gift was a blessing of kindness, you see,
Of food, and of toys, and of one Christmas tree.

It made all the difference to a family with needs,
The spirit of Christmas can be found in good deeds.

By
L. A. Hardt


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