Highs and Lows

This past week has been a week of highs and lows.  

After a weekend of college graduation, Mother's day and 24th wedding anniversary and a new great-niece being born last week; this week has been a trial at times but there have been blessings too.

I didn't make it through the day at work Monday due to an abscess tooth, which I found out Tuesday morning at the dentist... needless to say I was out that day too.   Am taking antibiotic and am scheduled to have the tooth extracted this coming Tuesday.  Didn't really start feeling human again until late Wednesday. - Low

I found out Tuesday one of my friends younger brother was murdered. - Low

I received a message from my husband on Wednesday saying that we will start getting help on his Humira shots, so that he can start taking them again.  Since my layoff in January, I have no insurance until sometime in July.  So David has had to stop the shots, as we can't afford them.  He had started suffering more and I was beginning to worry about his condition.   I have faithfully prayed the Lord would take care of the situation and He has. - High

Friday I visited with my parents and found out two of my aunts passed away. - Low

Then my mom gave me an update on here condition.  She found out she does not have Parkinson's disease but instead bulging disks that are pinching her nerves which is putting her in a lot of pain and making it hard for her to walk.  We are very thankful it wasn't Parkinson's, as the doctor suspected, and that she can be treated with physical therapy.  - High

I spent a day with my daughter on Saturday.  We went flea marketing together.  We haven't had a day with just the two of us for a while and we had a nice day.  - High

This morning at church, I saw a Sister in Christ who attends another church.  We use to work together, but haven't seen each other since the layoffs as Stark.   I truly miss her and other Sisters in Christ I worked with.   It was a blessing to see her.  - High

Next Sunday, I will begin teaching teenage girls in Sunday school.

 I am looking forward to it.

I have been praying about the lesson and the Lord has begun putting one together in my heart and mind.


My son, Josh, turned 22 this week.  Boy, has the time flown by.  I asked him if he wanted me to bake him a cake or make a banana pudding for him.  He told me the tub of ice cream in the freezer was enough, but the thought of the banana pudding has stuck with me so I'm going to make one this week.

I'm ready to start the new week though I'm not looking forward to my dentist appointment Tuesday.

As I reflect over this past week, I remember singing this song at times.  I sang this song for a special at church a couple of weeks ago and it helped me out this week.  

That catches me up for this week.  I hope all has gone well for you.

Here's wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

God bless and keep you,

Sonia

He's Graduated!!

I'm so proud of my son.  He received his Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry today.

 I was able to get a few pictures afterwards.  

I love this picture of Josh and David laughing together over something they were talking about.

making the "stoic" face   :)

Then I took this one, which Josh very rarely takes a picture seriously and will make a face.  :)

I will say though, during the commencement he behaved and let the photographers take his picture without making a face.

giving the "raised eyebrow" face.  :)

Then David took this picture for me.   As you can see, I'm a proud mom.  :)

David and I enjoyed lunch with our son, before he took off to spend the rest of the day with friends.

Audre didn't get to attend Josh's graduation as she had a band competition and field trip today.  She had a good time and the band did very well.  If I understand it correctly they brought home a huge trophy.  Audre was so tired when she got home this evening it was hard to get much information out of her. :)

Since David and I had the afternoon free and it was a beautiful day, we decided to play a round of Put-Put golf.   Here's our score card.   The first half of the first nine, did me in.  I'm using the excuse that I had to adjust to playing in heels.  :0)   But considering that, I'm happy with my score.  I scored one over Amateur Par.  David however, as usual, did much better.  He scored Pro Par.  :0)

I've been seeing these wild flowers on the side of the road.  So today, on the way home I asked David to pull over so that I could take a picture.  They start out a darker pink then fade to a lighter pink, then white, as they age.   I think they are pretty.

Before I sign off, I have a prayer request.

My nephew Sam was injured in football practice this week.  I learned yesterday he has a tear in his spleen. He is in a lot of pain and in the hospital.  They are keeping a close eye on him, as he may have to have surgery.  Last night he had been give three pints of blood, but I have just now read that he is doing better and may get to be release from the hospital tomorrow.  Please remember him in your prayers.

Until next time,
God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Children in the trees...

Hello,
On the way home from work this evening, I saw a sight that brought a smile to my face.   I was passing through a small town, Roseville, AR; when I saw an adult looking up in a tree and in the tree were six to seven children sitting on limbs, looking down. They were having a conversation of some sort. The sun was shining just right to where the childrens' bright t-shirts shown like jewels among the leaves.



My son, Joshua, graduates from college tomorrow morning.   The past four years have flown by, for me anyway.  :)   He is an Honor Student getting his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry.  I'm very proud of him, he has been on the Dean's list the past three years.   I will try to get good pictures of his graduation and post them.

David and I asked Josh what he would like for his graduation.   He has been wanting a viola or violin.  David found violin this week and we gave it to Josh.   He has been practicing and believe it or not he hasn't made it squawk yet.   The Lord has truly blessed him with musical talent.



I found out Audre had a painting in the Paris branch of the Subiaco Credit Union.   I asked David to take a picture of it as my work hours won't allow me to go in and see it.

This picture was done in a class where they were asked to paint a portrait in non-traditional colors.









Here are some needles cases I've been working on. They are made from wool-felt.  Aren't they cute?
  

This is the needle case, the quilt guild I belong to was asked to make for the upcoming Quilt Congress.  I have two more to make before our next meeting.   The needle case would go together fast with a sewing machine, but I decided to sew them by hand.  It takes a little longer but it's therapeutic.  The lap-desk they are laying on is a early Mother's Day gift from my daughter. :)

That's all I have for this evening.

Here's wishing you a Sunshine filled Saturday!

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Did I really see that...?

It has been a couple of cold and dreary days but that doesn't mean they have been blah and mundane.  :)

Here are some new blooms I have in my flower bed.

I was able to work on the Log Cabin quilt today.  Little by little (literally) I'm getting it done.

I heard on the radio last week about a new thrift shop in our area.  The Mustard Seed thrift shop in Ft. Smith, AR.   So, we went to check it out earlier today.    Little did I know I would see an unusual site on the way.

What?  Did I really see that...?

This car passed by and this is what we saw.  I, of course, couldn't pass up taking a photo.    David was able to get along side of them and get their attention.  They pulled over to take care of it.  There's no telling how long they had been driving like that.

One of the places we went to today was Books-A-Million and lo and behold there was a Star Wars promotion going on.  We were greeted by these Storm Troopers and Jawa.  :)

Finally we made it to the Mustard Seed thrift shop.   I found two blouses and a set of rubber stamps, all for under $10.

Later, after arriving home, I noticed the sun going down and the rain was moving out.  So I stepped outside and took a pic.

A nice end to the running around.

There are a couple of projects I need to get done within the next couple of weeks to take to the next quilt guild meeting.  The guild I belong to, The Logan County PieceMakers, is helping out with this regions Quilt Congress this year.   Here's what I have to get done.

• 4 Wool felt needle cases 
• One door prize (I haven't decided, but I think I will do a tote bag, maybe using one of the wool felt bags I found at Hancock's a couple of weeks ago)

I guess that's all I have for now.

I leave you with a quote from Henry Ward Beecher.

~This life is not all.  It is an "unfinished symphony"...with those who know that they are related to God and have felt "the power of an endless life."~

God bless and keep you,

Sonia

A great way to wrap up a day...

When I got home this evening I took my camera out.   My flowerbed is coming to life.

We have Irises, Roses, Hens and Chicks, Sedum, Hostas, Asiatic Lilies, and a plant that I'm not sure what it is (with small white flowers) coming up and blooming.

Then I noticed the sun setting and the clouds.

 It was a great way to wrap up my day of work on a Monday.  :)

Here's wishing you beautiful flowers and skies this week!

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Salmon Falls Prims: How about a giveaway??!!!

Check out Sara's blog and giveaway!


Salmon Falls Prims: How about a giveaway??!!!:   I have a new creation that I just finished. This Independence Day Celebration sign is brand new! What do you think?   Would you like ...



Have a great day!

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Splendor

I saw one of the most beautiful sights on my way to work yesterday.  I was so inspired by it, I called my husband and told him about it, as I walked into the office.

I was traveling north on Hwy 309 and as I topped a hill that overlooks a valley, I gasped in awe at the scene before me.  

To the north there were clouds, blue-gray in color, outlined in white, contrasting against the bright blue sky.  The sun threw a warm glow across the valley from the east, highlighting the bright greens of spring in the pasture grasses and trees.   There was a light breeze and the bodies of water in the valley glistened like diamonds.  

It was a reminder of the love and care God has for us.  He has surrounded us with splendor, but it seems we too often are rushing by it without noticing.   I'm glad I was able to see it yesterday.

I wish I had my camera with me, another missed photo op, though I will have that picture in my mind for a while.

Day at the Museum

Today, we went to Crystal Bridges Museum, with several others from our church.   I took a few pictures.  

On the way, there was construction on I40... go figure...

but we made it.   

The first thing we see as we drive up to the museum is this cool tree sculpture.

Parking close was not available, but we finally found a space in the back forty.  As we walked to the museum I took a picture of, I'm guessing, wild flowers along the path.

In the museum we were allowed to take pictures without the flash.   There were a lot of beautiful oil paintings and other medium.

I took a picture of this painting, because it brought back fond memories of my childhood.  I got a little choked up, to be honest with you.  Most of my family is from the southeast and still there; Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.  Going to the ocean was something we did.  I miss the mountainous areas of the southern Appalachians and I miss the ocean.  If I could have a favorite place to have a home, it would be in a mountainous area near enough to the ocean I could go there on the weekends.

Then I saw this sculpture.  I believe it was bronze.

Next thing that caught my eye was this sculpture.  It is made with aluminum, silicone, fabric and paint.

Okay, then the crochet/sewing side of me saw this.  It is made of wire mesh, crochet and buttons attached with those plastic ties you see the tags attached to clothing with.

After the museum, we had some business to take care of in Rogers, AR.  I wanted to go to The Rabbit's Lair, it's a fabric shop, but by the time we got done with the business the shop was closed.   So I went to Hancock's.  I'm glad I went.  You know how Hancock's has always got some kind of sale or special thing going on?  Well I found a bargain today.   I got these two wool-felt bags for $1.99 each.  They normally run for $19.99.  I'm going to decorate them with wool-felt shapes, using a blanket stitch.   The dark red bag has a zippered middle section.  The multicolored one it an open tote.

On the way to work, earlier in the week, I noticed these irises blooming.   I asked David to pull over, on our way home today, so I could take a picture of them.  

 The irises we have in our flower bed are loaded down with buds, but no blooms yet.  I think some of them will be dark purple and other a very light purple.  This will be the first year, we have a lot of iris blooms.

I'm thankful the Lord blessed us with this day.  It was a beautiful day.

Here's wishing you a wonderful rest of the weekend!

God bless and keep you,

Sonia

Trying it out...

I wanted to see how my camera would do while moving at fast speeds.   I always seem to see a good picture when I'm going down the road.   Now, understand I'm not talking about taking pictures as I drive.  No, I mean taking pictures as I ride.  :0)

Here are a few I took the other day, while riding in a car.

Well, I have to get ready for work.  

Until next time.... Have a great day!  :0)

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Catching Up...

It's been a few days since I last wrote.  This week has been a busy one and when I woke this morning, I realized it was already the weekend.

I slept in.

When I finally woke up, David was outside and when I went to the back door, there my hubby was planting flower seeds in pots to start them, before planting them.  I can't wait to see them blooming later.

Today was a day of relaxing and getting a few things done that I've been wanting to do, but didn't have time this week.

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If you have any yarn left over from projects and are wondering what to do with it, how about using  it to make coasters.

I had some yarn left over from the last set of dishcloths I crocheted.  So, I decided to crochet a coaster using the two yarns together.  It makes for a thicker more absorbent coaster.

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This week at work we had a pot luck for one of the young ladies leaving.  She is going to spend time with her children, while they are young.  I wish her the very best and think she made a wise decision. 

I have to tell you the group I work with know how to pot luck!  The potluck was Mexican themed.

Everything I tried was yummy!

I took a slow cooker enchilada casserole and it was a hit.  There was nothing left.  That's a good feeling.  :)

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The log cabin quilt I've been working on is coming along slow, but I know I will get it done.

I have a new camera and have been trying it out.   The pictures in this blog, except for the potluck pictures, were taken with my new camera.  My husband told me I need to carry my camera with me, so that I have it when ever I see a beautiful scene or something I want to take a picture of.   So, I'm going to make a small case for it so that I can carry it in my handbag.  I have a camera case for it but it is too big for me to take with me all the time.

Here are a few more pics, I've taken while learning the camera.

I guess that's all I have for now.  Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend!

God bless and keep you,
Sonia