Basket Therapy - Day 3

When I saw this b-yue (blue for any newcomers) yarn, I immediately thought of Alex, my daughter's oldest son.  He LOVEs dark b-yue.  And, he is somewhat of a hoarder collector of things... things he needs likes to have available at all times.   Little cars.  Rocks.  Stinging/glowing sea urchins (toy).  You get the idea.

We celebrated his 5th birthday at the beach during our Griswold Vacation 2014.  You can make out the basket in the middle of the table among his other prizes on his birthday morning.  I hope I'll get a better shot of him with his little basket of love soon (hint. hint. Amanda).  I did enjoy seeing him tote his "things" around in it.  LOL!

A few happy moments from the Griswold Vacation 2014...

As you can see, face painting was VERY popular.  Oh, Noni loves this little herd.  =)

Note the dark b-yue on Alex... every. single. time.

Little Miss B did not opt for any of the face painting silliness... but, she sure enjoyed her first big ride sitting all big behind her "s-ousin" as Roo would say!

Hope you swing into some JOY today...

"Life is like a mirror.  Smile at it and it smiles back at you." ~ Peace Pilgrim

blessings ~ tanna

Basket Therapy - Day 2

This is Basket #2... made of leftover yarn from Christmas Cowls.  (Number 1 and pattern link here)Did I tell you this was addictive?  It is holding scrubbies in my bath room.  You HAVE to find a purpose for your addictions, you know.  ;)

A sneak peak at a project started last summer coming home from the beach... It has been a long time coming... like lots of other things around here.  But, it is FINISHED!  And, I'm looking forward to crossing more projects off the list soon! (not just knitting!!)

Sharing a few more happy things... 

God blesses us with such beautiful gifts. 

Extravagant.  Extraordinary.  Endless... if we just notice.

Wishing you a wonderful day...

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~ Melody Beattie

blessings  ~ tanna

Basket Therapy - Day 1

So about a month ago, I made an emergency stop by Rose Path (my local yarn shop) just to sit for a short bit with my friends.  Sherri had a beautiful, giant crocheted bag she had made for holding her knitting projects.  I must have picked it up and admired it a dozen times while I was sitting there.

 She had used two patterns to come up with her big bag.  One of the two is the Chunky Crocheted Basket Pattern by Elizabeth Tranthem (Ravelry).   This little jewel of a pattern became therapy for me.

It is FAST, EASY and you can FINISH in an evening sitting.  When everything else in life seemed to be going on and on and on without end, finishing one of these was a saving grace!!!  Thank you, Sherri!  On this first one, I used three yarns with a K hook. 

 

Just sharing another of my "happies"... we found this gaudy little wind chime at Pier One.  I'm not the only one who loves it; the hummingbirds admire it daily (probably thinking it must be edible!!  LOL).

 

 

I went back later and added another row of single crochet to the top of this first basket.  None of mine match the pattern exactly... I was always only half-mindedly paying attention (making it a real winner, since I still loved them all), but I did end up adding this extra row on most all of them.  Ahhh... the value of a simple, repetitive task... good therapy, folks.  Good therapy.

"I can remember walking as a child.  It was not customary to say you were fatigued.  It was customary to complete the goal of the expedition."
~ Katharine Hepburn

"When you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row."
~ Alice Paul

blessings ~ tanna

Isolation and Standing in Deep Water...

I've been gone from blogging almost too long... I've been "gone" from lots of things... From things that bless me with connection... and inspiration... and friendship...

I've been gone from my blog friends...

Gone from my knitting friends...

Gone from my golf friends...

I like our new church... but, it is still new.

Without the connections to people who inspire us and encourage us, life begins to feel very. dried. up.

Even when it is injected with these precious ones in magical moments...

Moments are wonderful...

Moments can sustain us for awhile... but, they are not the day-in to day-out living of life...

I'll not lie that I'm not still sad, in a deep, dark-little-corner-that-cannot-be-rooted-out piece of my heart, that all of our family isn't in a place to share the mundane as well as the magical. 

But, it is in the mundane day-to-day that we must. find. our. joy.

In the day in and day out living of life, I need people to feel connected to... to share with...

Otherwise, I feel alone... and, to borrow a phrase from Jewel, like I am standing in deep water and bailing myself out with a straw...

Life has been dishing out a LOT of deep water.  That deep water has sucked up my time and, even more, my energy... my joy. It has brought on isolation from my friends and connections.  There is still work ahead.  However, I have recognized that I have to take time to feed my soul with friendships that I miss... and need...

Right now my inboxes hold 2665 e-mails... most of those are junk, but I have rooted out such amazing treasures this morning.  If for a minute you think that your life cannot really be touched or that friendships cannot be developed with people you have never met... you would be dead wrong.  To those of you who took the time to write... who gave me the sweet, sweet, sweet gift of concern, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I am blessed beyond measure.  B.e.y.o.n.d. measure.  Know that I have wondered and cared about your days too... and I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and time is nearing that I can visit again.

 

Since the my last post, we have readied and leased four units of The Old Girls with one left to go.  LOTS of cleaning, painting and a couple of bathroom remodels in the mix.  That is an unusually high turnover for us in this time frame... Some were brought on my "inviting" the tenants to move on... Another because the tenant lost their job and had to move home.... A couple that would have been normal.  At any rate, it has been brutally busy.  Without the help of these two... in particular, Zack, I would have truly been overwhelmed.  I am so grateful for his helping hands and loving heart.  Little Miss B adds a dose of sunshine when she works with us.  ;)  God has blessed me indeed. 

 

 

Hardly a day has passed in this frenzy that I have not told Zack:  God always gives us enough.  Enough time.  Enough energy.  Enough resources.  Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but it. is. enough.

"Each of us does, in effect, strike a series of deals or compromises between the wants and longings of the inner self, and an outer environment that offers certain possibilities and sets certain limitations."  ~ Maggie Scarf

"As I grow older, part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration instead of passively waiting for it to find me."  ~ Bebe Moore Campbell

May you seek and find inspiration today...

blessings ~ tanna

First Night at The Big Bah-Nilla

We spent our first night in the Big Bah-Nilla last night... there is much unpacking left to do... but, we are in!  I still don't know exactly where my camera stuff is, so I'm still using my phone.  The kitchen is more or less finished.  But, there are a few other ongoing projects.  (kitchen before here)

Just had to share a couple of bright spots in my week that arrived via texts!  Little B was playing dress up... She is such a doll!!  Her Noni is ready for a day of play, too!!  LOL!  I'm taking a quick break this morning to say hello... and I hope to return soon... We have listed and gotten a contract on The Weekender (the culprit in this move... who knew three years of weekends would lead to a new address?).  I will tell you I am TIRED of getting houses ready to put on the market and the whole process... Looks like we will be closing on it two weeks from today (barring any odd things like with our other house).  So, there is MORE PACKING and MOVING of stuff in the works... We will be pressing hard for these two weeks.. then, I am going to take. my. time. and get back to some of my normal activities... blog reading for one!  ;)  I've missed my friends. 

Until then, I'll be concentrating as hard as my Little Men (now known as The Big Boys!!  Oh, I'm missing them!) on getting the have-tos done!!  I hope all of you are finally enjoying some beautiful spring weather and good times!!  It has been a roller coaster year so far!  blessings to all ~ tanna

Slow Progress... and Happy Flowers

This is a kitchen "before".... Seriously bland.  Nice to have lots of cabinets... but, some of them had to come out!

Now, there is a larger space for a new range (perhaps the price to my sweet Beloved for my letting go of our old home... just sayin').  You know the unwritten rule that EVERY remodel project always ends up taking L-O-N-G-E-R and costing MORE than you plan.  {{{sigh}}} I KNOW this... still, it frustrates me.  Opening the cabinet wasn't really a big problem... of course, we got it right on the SECOND round.  I think adding the height and additional depth to the upper cabinet really gave the whole kitchen a better look.  Worth the second try.

Running a gas line... went right on schedule.

But, the duct work for the vent-a-hood... well, that was CONSIDERABLY more involved than anticipated.  Involved having to move and suspend the HVAC unit in the attic to allow space for the duct to run up through the roof.  UN-anticipated.  Of course, at this point, you are way too far into it to turn back.  LOL!

They have started the hardwood floors as of yesterday... Should be a 10 day job.  I've used this guy for every floor of the Old Girls.  His crews are like clockwork.  If you ever need a hardwood floor (new or refinishing) person in East Texas, Leo Bolom is the man.

I'll be happy when we can use the garage for our cars instead of for holding our stuff!

In the meantime, I've done very, very little knitting or crocheting.  I AM about to head to Rose Path for a medicinal dose of Flower Power.  We are doing a little Crochet-a-Long today and next Thursday from 10-12 and I'm going to enjoy every second of it.  =) 

Keep on keeping on...

blessings ~ tanna

Helllloooooooo!

It's been so long it is almost too hard to start back!  So much has happened in the last month.

We met the Little Men and Co. at Disney World for a fast and busy week of fun then returned home just a few days before our scheduled closings on The Brick Street Bungalow and the new house, The Big Bah-Nilla. 

It was a rough trip home... ice... cancelled flights... rented car... six hour drive that usually takes an hour and a half... arriving home to trees bent and broken by layers of ice...

There was a lot of frenzied work... of packing.. and cleaning... and clearing of broken limbs and trunks.  

Then, there were two closings and two sets of lives shifted spots...

I love that the new owner loves our grandest Old Girl in the same way I always have... Still there were tears as I mopped her big old porch one last time... as I handed over her keys... passed the torch... and hoped... for the future... 

WORK has begun on the Big Bah-Nilla...

And, in the midst of all... my poor computer became a fire hazard... and was reduced to a leftover hard drive.   I'm still not used to this new one... and heaven only knows which box the software is that goes to my camera.  So for now, the iPhone photos will have to suffice. 

I still feel like the Zurg is hot on my trail!  But, I hope to be back soon...

A special thanks for all the sweet notes and words... your generous spirits and compassionate thoughts lift my soul.  Thank you again and again...

blessings ~ tanna