Saturday Sky

Look, finally, a *blue* sky with sunshine…. : )

as opposed to our usual….

rainy day sky. We’ve had rainy days nearly every day for the past several weeks. These frequent rainy skies have resulted in this…

A *bountiful* front hedge and lots of green grass that needs mowing! I see lots of mowing and hedge trimming in the very near future. ; )

Knitting

I’ve been in knitter’s heaven lately. I am smitten with lace knitting and can’t seem to get enough. : ) This week I finished the Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark in the Fall ‘06 issue of Interweave Knits. I used size 5 Options needles and Colinette’s Jitterbug yarn in the Velvet Plum colorway. Completed in less than a week, it was a very pleasing knit. This is a gift for an unsuspecting recipient!

While blocking ….

and flying free in the wild and resting on our fiber tree.

It was later joined by the Moth shawl. This was knit from Anne Hanson’s Wing O The Moth pattern. I love her designs!

Sorry for the droopy shawl pictures, but they were a bit too big for our fiber tree.

Also, completed in May of this year and *finally blocked* is the Catharina Seaman’s Scarf from Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves.

Myrna Stahman’s designs are beautifully and uniquely constructed. I’m thrilled to have her book and have another of her patterns on the needles now. Pictures will be forthcoming.

And yesterday, I knitted with friends at L & B Yarn Shop and had a very special time knitting with Miss Syla….

Syla didn’t have her needles with her, but she was a very interesting conversationalist, very affectionate and had wonderful new yarn recommendations! I had a wonderful day yesterday with friends of both the two-legged and four-legged varities.

Currently on the needles

1. A cardigan sweater for CIC

2. Hand Painted Fair Isle Gloves for Amanda

3. Another Stahman’s Scarf

I’m also looking for the perfect yarn to cast on the Bee Fields Shawl by Anne Hanson.

Sharing From the Heart

I am so very blessed and thankful for all my family and friends….both local and long distance. My many blessings are literally too numerous to count. Each of the comments, emails, and calls have meant more than I know how to adequately express. A huge and heart felt *Thank You* to each of you.

Life is often difficult. The Lord never promised a time of easy living and perpetual happy dancing. He has promised that His love, word, and Holy Spirit will sustain us. Each of our difficult and painful times will add to our character, strength, and soften our heart … if we allow. We have a choice in this. We can *choose* to learn lessons in this time, draw closer to our Heavenly Father, learn a deeper trusting of our relationship with Him….or we can become angry, bitter, self-centered and cut off from our Heavenly Father and all others.

We are to cast all our cares upon Him and trust Him to sustain us. We are to lay our burdens down. We have to *choose* not to become self-centered and self-absorbed and demanding our own way as a spoiled child. It is freeing to trust in Him and allow yourself to be taught the meaning of *true* love. Love is not self-serving or self-centered. What greater thing can a person do than to give their life for a brother?

In an earlier post, I wrote that I chose for my life to be as lace. This post can be seen HERE. With that in mind, I shall continue. I will rejoice in the days of sunshine and blessing, and shed tears upon our Heavenly Father’s shoulder as I lay my burdens at his feet when my load is heavy and my heart is in pain.

I’m in the process of adding an additional page to my blog concerning the issues of the source of my recent burdens. I will try to have it completed this week. Please remember that all life has intrinsic value and worth. It is not measured by any of *our* determinations of quality or dignity. God’s gifts are not to be dismissed or thrown away as rubbish. Each person MATTERS … no matter at what stage or age in life! I pray that each of us will continue to have a softened heart and respect for the life of others….and not use our *opinion* of *quality* or *dignity* to choose to end the life of another for our own convenience.

I pray for the Lord’s bountiful blessings to each of you this week and the safety and care for each of your loved ones. I especially pray for those with a broken or heavy heart and those who need to lay their heavy load at the feet of our Heavenly Father.

Your Friend,

Shelly

HCSB

Galatians 6:2
Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

I Corinthians 13:13
Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.