The Charming Exchange is Almost Over! Wow!

The day began with sunshine and a great deal of optimism!

Both Paula and I went about our day under the illusion that this would be easy!

We knew it would be fun.

So we started out by going out to lunch.

We stopped at Barnes and Noble and at Pet Expo.

Pixie needed food.

Foolishly, we returned to my house thinking that, at most, an hour to an hour and a half would have us finished with the sorting.

We started out by sorting the hostess gifts and the charms that were sent in for Jenny.

What a wonderful selection of gifts for us!

This should have been an omen!

Do you notice the small boxes behind each bowl?

That was what I thought would hold everything!

We switched to large mixing bowls very quickly!

Paula and I started the sorting.  Notice the happy smile on Paula's face!

I thought Paula had the sun in her eyes, but she was starting to feel a bit upset!

The sorted charms began to take over the house.

First the window, then the love seat and then...

Pixie's couch!

Poor Pixie!

She didn't know what was going on!

Pixie didn't know what to do as the charms took over the house!

Envelopes took over the floor.

Diet coke helped.

Even the Charming Table was full!

We kept track of things, but the envelopes got mixed up at times.

They were straightened out, but there were a few moments of panic.

It was after five when we finished.  Talk about tired!

The good thing is that Paula is still talking to me!

and

Pixie has her couch back!

The mailing starts Monday!

Thank you, everyone, who participated!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) I have some wonderful friends, but Paula is one my best.  She spent the afternoon with me sorting through charms for the charms exchange that Deb Batten and I hosted on LE.  I could not have done it without her.  Her husband took this photo at the end of the afternoon!  We were both tired!!!!

2)  My IPad finally arrived in the United States!  I'm hoping it will be delivered today!!!!!  It's journey began in China, going to Hong Kong, to Twaiwan, then to 2 stops in Japan.  It cleared customs yesterday in Alaska, so, hopefully, it will be delivered today!  Woo Hoo!

3) It's still cool here, but I don't want to complain.  When I think of the devastation in the south from storms, I am incredibly grateful to have a home and a town that is not destroyed.  My prayers go to our suffering sisters and brothers in the south who have lost so much. 

Weekly Photo Challenge - One

As you can tell,

this is my favorite photographic subject,

Miss Pixie Marie.

Today,

for whatever reason the

URGE TO CLEAN

hit me, and I was sorting through papers.

I found Pixie's papers from her adoption.

I reread her history,

and I was absolutely stunned by what I read.

I don't know why I had forgotten this, but I did.

I knew that I was Pixie's 3rd home.

She started out in a home, after she was retired from racing,

with a mom and dad who worked a lot and with two small children.

I think there were some other small animals involved, too.   It's not that she was aggressive toward anyone in her "family," but she began to show signs of  anxiety.  She would rip her bedding and go potty on the floor.  Her biography said that her "family" tried to work with her, but they weren't successful, so Pixie was sent away to foster care.

All the anxious behaviors ceased immediately in the foster mom's care.

What I didn't realize is that Pixie had been with her "family" for two years!

In October, 

Pixie and I will mark our 2 year family anniversary.

I cannot imagine, even before our two year anniversary, sending her away. She's not a dangerous dog.

My heart would break!

I know that things get difficult with animals, at times, but I guess, rather than put her down, sending her away was a better option.

I don't know what her "family" felt, but all I can say is that I was given a gift beyond measure!

Pixie has brought me so much joy!

One day, while we were at the pet store,

Pixie saw a man in a suit come back to the section where we were.

She stopped.  She stared.  She started to walk up to him.

One of the clerks said, "It looks like she recognizes him."

He ignored her.

He turned around and walked away.

I still wonder if that was a member of her "family."

He didn't know the gift he had.

Pixie is 

ONE,

one very special and amazing dog!

I have been amazingly blessed.

One

o-n-e

One.

Bead Table Wednesday - The Charming Exchange

She started it!

Who?

 Heather Powers, of course!

What?

Bead Table Wednesday, of course!

So, since you are reading this tomorrow,

and

I am writing this yesterday,

I'll show you what my bead table looked like yesterday.

 

I have to give you a little history about The Charming Exchange.

In January, Deb Batten and I decided to co-host a charm exchange on Lampworketc..

It didn't take long for packages full of charms to start arriving.

A few people dropped out along the way, but most of the participants have sent their boxes to me.

Enough of the history.

A friend, whom I shall call, Paula the Enforcer, is coming over tomorrow to help me sort out the charms.

However, before she and I can do the final sorting,

I am doing a presorting.

By that I mean, I am recounting the charms to make sure my initial count was correct and I am checking to see if postage for the return of charms was enclosed or not.

In order to do that, I had to move the charms from the "Charming Table" to 3 two x four foot tables.

You'd think that would be enough room, right?

Well, it's going to be close and the "Charming Table" might still be used.

Take a look.

This is what the tables looked like after about an hour of sorting.

I decided to take a break and come back to finish later.

These were left after the first round of sorting

Plus mine!

I have to add some some business cards.

This is what the tables looked like after the second sorting.

Now, I've only got a few left, and I can finish those tomorrow.

They won't take long.

Don't you wish you were here to touch and drool over the charms?

Te-he!  I'm lucky!

Soon, the bead tables will be empty, 

and 

I am truly hoping everyone will be happy with their return charms.

I wish I could show them all to you,

but that would be another VERY LONG BLOG.

The good news is that I will show you my charms after the exchange is finished.

See you next Wednesday with the results, I hope!

What Was I Thinking?

I was tired.

I came home from a mini vacation visiting my daughter for the day.

I don't sleep well when I'm not home.

I decided, I needed to move the bed.

I was going to move more than the bed, but I think that the furniture, other than the bed, will be moved to be cleaned but will stay in the same place.

I have to re hang my picture.

I have to finish vacuuming,

so, that will wait until tomorrow.

I'm tired now.

It's just about time for rest and reading my magazines. 

Wait, there is a bit of a problem.

Pixie is a bit confused.

She's never seen the room any other way

She doesn't know what to do.  So, she just climbed into her bead and went to sleep.  I hope that tomorrow, Pixie will become more accustomed to the new room.  I'm already liking it.

Now, with the little bit of creative energy being used,

I am hoping that more will come back to me when I get back to my beads tomorrow.

What do you think?

Do you think it helps you to become more creative when you express your creativity in a totally different way?

Here's  hoping!

What are the other ways in which you express your creativity?

Cindy Lynn Glass - Great Beads on Etsy

When you look at Cindy Lynn Glass on Etsy, you are going to see some great beads!

That's just a part of the journey!

Some of the most creative beads you will see are her ballon animals.

This little guy here is one of my favorites.

He's called Laguna Blue.

What a fun pendant Laguna would make!

There are other balloon animals, but he's my favorite!

Cindy makes lots of "purty" beads, too!

Look at this amazing bead!

Wow!

It's called:  Dressed to Kill, and it is!

Cindy used your basic black and added blue and green dichroic glass.  Gorgeous!

This Passionate Purple is richly organic.

This would make a beautiful focal for a necklace!

Nummy!

Crazy, Wild, and Whacky is the name of this bead,

and,

it is!

I think this would be the great start of a summer bracelet!

I don't know,

what do you think?

I do think, though, that Cindy Lynn Glass is a great store to shop for beads!

Make sure to visit.

You won't regret it!

Fun!

Six Word Story Sunday - Easter

Easter

May you have

a blessed Easter!

The Amazing Walk - Different this year, but just as amazing!

The Amazing Walk this year began behind the cross.

Although there was no Passion Play to accompany us this year,

we were still able to celebrate the last hours of Jesus' life through prayer and song.

We began our walk with the First Station of the Cross in front of the church.

We prayed, then we walked the way of Jesus through town.

There were us, the oldies but goodies, there were the young children, there were the seminarians, there were the priests and other adults walking together in the mist.

One young mother even brought her two year old son and her 3 month old daughter!

This was an amazing walk of young and old alike!

We walked past historical buildings in town.

As we walked, we found the mist even stopped.

It was cold and windy, but there was no rain falling on us.

Do you see that church in the distance?  We were going to be on the other side of the river from that church.

It was a long walk.

We stopped and prayed in front of historical buildings.

We knelt on the wet pavement as we celebrated Our Lord's greatest gift to us.

We followed the cross singing hymns and praying the rosary.

Of course there was smiling and fun as we walked!

Joy was in the air.

When we stopped at the 3rd church on our route, the sun even tried to shine a bit, but it just wasn't successful!

We stopped and prayed by the side of the highway.

We sang as we crossed the river.

We prayed where ever we stopped our walk remembering that this was the day Jesus took his walk in the Holy City to give His Life for us.

People greeted us as we walked.  We assured them that we would pray for them during our journey.

We finished our Stations of the Cross at our visit to the last Catholic Church in the city.

The walk had been cold.

We were lucky it wasn't wet, except a bit in the beginning.

My knees did not hurt.

God is good.

Now, I'm so tired, I am wondering if I will be able to stay awake for Mass tonight.

I am a lector at Mass, so I have to be there.

However, I'm not going to worry.

I will be there.

The walk was hard, but the graces flowed down from heaven on us.

The Amazing Walk helped us to feel what Jesus felt in walking His Way of the Cross.

Tomorrow is Easter.

What a celebration it will be this year!

Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Clare writes called Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) Even though the trees are still barren, and it's been cold

and the "S" word has fallen,

again,

I have to be glad that I have heat and a home in which to live.

I know that there are still so many who are homeless.

One of these days,

we will warm up and spring will come.

One of the weather forecasters said that for the last 5 months,

we have had snow!

I'm so ready for spring!!!

2) My IPad is FINALLY going to be delivered on the 28th!   I can hardly wait!  Did I say, the 28th?

3) Lunches with friends again this week.  It's great to get together and chat.  We catch up.  I'm grateful for my friends. 

Weekly Photo Challenge - Lines

Lines

Geometry.

Lines intersect and form a pattern.

Some lines curve.

Some lines become ends and points.

Some lines become triangles.

Some lines become circles.

Some lines give the illusion of movement.

Remember that math you said you'd never use again?

Guess what!

It's all around you.

If you make jewelry,

you look at the lines.

If you make beads,

you look at the lines.

If you have children and comb their hair,

you look at the lines.

Now, I can't help but see lines where I look.

What do lines become?

 

If you look at the first photo again,

you can see a work of abstract art.

Where do you see lines?

 

 Lines

l-i-n-e-s

Lines.