Painting Pottery

You would think that I have all the time in the world to get crafty since I'm not working, doing any housework, or cooking. But, I really haven't done much of anything expect sleep, lounge on the sofa, and play with my son. Thankfully, after a month and a half of chemotherapy, a round of antibiotics, and a blood transfusion, I'm starting to have some energy and I'm getting the urge to make some gifts! My mom is a gifted paper artist and she has also been going a little crazy (though she won't admit it) without her craft and sewing studio. She takes care of my son, Ari, all day and then sleeps on a little twin bed in his playroom. Sure, she paints and colors with him and we've both been enjoying playing with homemade playdough, but she has no space or time to herself.

So, I set up a date day just for me and my mom to go to a local paint-your-own-pottery shop to give some time together and to use materials and make a mess without having to worry about clean up. We had so much fun! I made a pencil holder for Kandyce's kids art table (sshh! Don't tell) and my mom made a platter. I'll post a picture of the pencil holder once I finish the other part of the gift--I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I think the best lesson from this day is that I don't have to come up with the most original, totally homemade gift to enjoy myself and feel rejuvenated. My mom and I had a lot of time to talk, help each other, and admire each other's work. I was reminded of my old preschool teacher motto: process, not product. I'm looking forward to trying to make a little quilt next week with my mom's help, but I have to say that I would go back to this pottery ship. I think I would even go alone. It was very meditative and satisfying in an unexpected way.

Kandyce--I am aware that the pencil holder may not make it long on your art table. I made it knowing it will be enjoyed, but may also break and that's fine too:)

yesterday...

today...

Now is the time when all our preparations take on a deeper meaning. As the light time shortens and the dark time lengthens, we illuminate our nights with twinkling lights. Our house is getting dressed in purple(the color of waiting) and pink(the color of joy). Stars, snowflakes and lanterns will dress our branch and our tree. Advent. It is the season of waiting. It is a season of joy. A season of hope. A season of feast days. Nicholas', when we put out our shoes. Lucia's, when we greet the day to a candlelit breakfast made by KT. Ambrose's when we will make beeswax candles in honor of the patron of bee keepers. And two Marian feast days where we honor the woman who said yes. All of these things, so appropriately preceded by a day of gratitude help to direct our focus outward and upward, as we prepare our hearts and our homes for our baby King. Over the next few weeks, I will share with you our family's celebration of the season.

p.s. Please check out Garden Mama before noon on Wed. for a precious two part give away!!

giving

I love this time of year. I love how the cold and the snow keep us inside and focused on being together. I love how our family is maturing and developing. I love the family we are becoming.

As a child, I had the kind of Christmases Walmart's dreams are made of. The amount of stuff my sister and I received was totally and completely out of control -especially since most of it was never again touched after ripping off the paper. Ugh!!

Partly because of finances, partly because of having a large family and mostly because the desire to be less materialistic, DH and I, long ago, decided that was not the road our family was going down. We began by limiting the amount of gifts each child got to three in honor of the three gifts of the Magi (I know that event didn't technically happen on Christmas, but it works). This didn't include "stocking stuffers". Friends, you'd be surprise what you can fit into a stocking 3' x 1'(he,he, he... I was trying). Each year we have gotten better and better, arriving now at this year where we are making all our gifts. This has really helped us to focus on the giving, instead of the receiving.

This weekend, we decided, as a family, to purchase a goat and two chickens for a family in third world country through World Vision International. When I explained that this gift, for someone else, would be in place of our usual large family gift, not one complaint was uttered. I was and am so proud! They immediately set about trying to decide what our gift would be. It was a close call between the goat- chicken combo and the stocked pond-fishing kit combo. We decided that next year will be the fishing gift, as it was over twice the price of the goat one, and we will make a poster of some kind to help us to focus and save for our next years gift.

There are two charities, that I know of, that have these kinds of gifts for people to give. There is Heifer Project International and World Vision International. I am so grateful for these two organizations who provide us with ways to love others from afar.

P.S. For loving those less fortunate, near by, we are working on a plan. More on that later.