We will never forget you, Charlie.
A Funny Little Clown
When Rhen and I first moved into this little old house, the guys did a ton of renovating and rebuilding and digging and repairing before we could comfortably move live here.
A couple of years later, while digging around out back, some of the grandkids found this funny little lump of dirt with a smiling face poking out of it. They brought it in and when we washed it off–this is what we found.
It’s obviously an ancient little clown, but other than that, I don’t know what it would be used for. It’s only about 3 inches high, so not big enough to be a spoon rest but it could possibly be a ring holder.
No earthly idea.
Guesses welcome.
Gracious Rain
Eighteen years ago, when April and I were trying to figure out the perfect name for my new blog the word gracious came to my mind quickly. Did you know that gracious appears in the Bible 33 times? To me, it almost feels like a Godly word, and I have loved it– to my bones– since I was a child.
Years ago, there was a pageant director who had her contestant girls write 5 thank you notes a day for the 30 days they were training with her. She believed that “gratitude and graciousness change you in many ways, even internally and that it actually changes your appearance. The grateful, gracious person becomes even more lovely inside and out.”
So, yes. The word Gracious was perfect.
And the other thing I have loved all my life?
Rain.
Beautiful, refreshing, healing, timely, abundant…
rain.
One might even call it
gracious rain.
And so we did.
The Quilted Eagle
I know, I knowww–it’s way past July, but honestly–I worked slow on this one…
completely on purpose.
It was the most beautiful puzzle, I think, that I have put together…
and I needed it to last…
for a long time.
I began at the end of June and just finished a few days ago.
And now…I just sit and stare at it.
All the beautiful details of American life.
All the majesty the proud, noble eagle.
And all the gorgeous quilty pieces that make up the whole picture.
If you could see it in real life–it would take your breath away…
like it does mine.
Quilting. America. Puzzles. Patriotism.
Pretty easy to see why I love it–
wouldn’t you say?
Peace Be Still
“The One who had power to calm the elements of earth has power to calm our souls, to give us refuge from the storm: ‘Peace, be still.’”
— Elder Russell M. Nelson