A favorite book

One of my most often re-read books is “A Woman’s Guide to a Simpler Life” by Andrea Van Steenhouse.

This is not a how to book, but a listen to your heart book.  And I think that’s why I find myself returning to it time and time again.

In these times of change, stress, economic upheaval, and everything that goes along with that, I find this book to be very comforting and challenging at the same time.  It comforts me to remember that I am in control of my journey, and it challenges me to listen to my heart and walk on that path.

It reminds me that simplicity in my life is how my heart chooses to define it.  It asks me to listen to my heartsongs, and to follow them.  It doesn’t tell me that if I do that all will be well.  It doesn’t tell me that when I do that I won’t disappoint or disillusion other people.  It actually cautions that as I follow my heartsongs and not other peoples expectations, I probably will disappoint or disillusion some people.  And that’s okay if I’m being true to my heart.

Let me “read” you an excerpt from the introduction:

Simplicity looks different in different lives  because each heart holds it’s own themes.  It looks different at different time of our own lives because our tempos change with age, events and experience.

Simplicity is not a matter of time management or efficiency or organization.  It does not consist of shedding one set of life furnishings in order to make room for another.  Rather, a simpler life is one in which the knowledge of what matters dictates all that surrounds us.  It is a life lived with the courage to let go of what our hearts know does not belong.  It is a more balanced life, not a more expert balancing act.

……There is no right or wrong in the search for simplicty.  It is not a destination, like a house we move into, but a direction, like the path that leads towards the house.  Where it takes us, if we dare to follow, is back to our hearts.

Yes, this is one of my favorite books to read, especially in times of change.  And we are living in a time of changes, on all levels.

Do you know your heartsongs?  Do you know what at your very core matters most to you?

Do you know your heartsongs and are you following them?

This and that

Over the weekend I did a bit of  “this and that”.  A bit of this, a dash of that, many little things, some of which seemed major at the time.   DH was home so we worked a lot in the yard doing spring cleanup, here’s a pic of the cherry tree just before dusk one night.

And one night, after working in the yard, we treated ourselves to dinner out.  He gave me options, Statesville or Mooresville, I chose Statesville.  Why?  Because the bookstore in this county is in Statesville!!  And I don’t get there often.  But that night I found a new book I just love:

What’s so special about this knitting book?  It’s got split pages with multiple patterns.  The top of the pages are pictures of cuff variations, the center of the pages are body variations and the bottom of the pages are heel and toes!!!  And each variation shown has the pattern in the book. What you do is pick the cuff, body, heel and toe you want, band the pages open (the book has a band but it doesn’t stay well so I’m using a rubber band.  Then you work the pattern for that section from the front pages.   Unlimited (well almost) possibilities for socks!

And my first pair from this new book:

These are going to be like the last pair (the beige ones), a bit loose, but good for comfort.  I did have to order another set of needles last night, I needed a set of size 1 DPs to get the guage that I truly want.  I never thought I’d be knitting on size 1 or 2’s!!!!  When we lived in Canada, I was a bulky yarn girl!  Mum W owned size 1 and 2 needles, but not me!  LOL

Now, just in case you think I’ve not been quilting much, I have.  The last two quilts were full customs (one queen, one king), and I have three more customs booked up next, so pictures will be slow in coming as custom takes so much more time than overalls.  But here’s a sneak peak at what I’ve been working on this week:

As you can see, I’ve got more to do yet, so I best get myself into the studio and to work this morning!

Have a great day!!!!!

Friends

Friends are a blessing we are privileged to enjoy in our life.  I have, over the years been blessed with some very special friends.   And although some have gone, others have come into my life.  Some live close by and I see regularly, some live a distance away and our times together are cherished, and some I have never met in person, yet their compassion and wisdom are treasured.

This week has been special, thanks to the generosity of those friends.  In my last post I alluded to my fiber art group, FAB……Over the last 2 years these women have become dear friends.  The kind of friends you know you can count on to be there, to encourage, to laugh with you and to cry with you, to push you when you need pushed, and to give you a soft place to land when you fall………special friends.

Each year we exchange gifts at the holidays from a name drawing we do in the summer, this year I was gifted by Grace with a handmade journal.  I wonder if she knows how much I treasure this gift?  I remember the day we were shopping and she was questioning me on my preferences of brands of different papers…..lol……yep, that’s my dear friend Grace, she knew what she was doing, even though I was clueless. Although I admit to wondering why she was so curious about brands and weights of watercolor papers!  LOL

This is the journal she gifted me with, isn’t it wonderful!!!

And details of the journal (love the circles Grace!)

And the papers inside:

I have yet to make a mark in this journal, but I promise I will use it.  Right now I am still in the process of admiring it (and touching it daily….I am a tactile person!).

Another friend of mine, who I met online and was lucky enough to meet in person and now consider one of my dearest friends, sent me a gift this week.  I am always amazed at what she hears when we talk.  This particular friend has a gift of getting to the heart of the issue, reading between the lines, and then helping in her way…..be that advice, a ready ear, or something to make the job easier.  And a while ago I was struggling with photographing a quilt for a show submission….really struggling….the quilt was black and white and shades of gray…..with lots of details that weren’t showing up.  This week I received a package containing this:

Little did she know, this book has been on my “I have to get it” list since before it was published, but I just wasn’t able to get it.

Today I will attend the wedding of another dear friend’s only daughter.  I am grateful to be invited to this momentous event.  I will laugh with my friend, cry with her should she cry, and cherish her joy at seeing her only daughter take this step in life.

Then I will come home, check in with a few online friends who are having struggles during this season…..and finally tonight, sit down with a cup of tea and be grateful for the blessings of friends.  I only hope that I can be as good of a friend as the friends I have been blessed to know in my lifetime.

When I was a child I was told 2 things….one is that you are lucky if you can count the number of true friends you have and use all the fingers in one hand….and that in order to have a friend, you must be a friend.  I am lucky to be able to fulfill the first, and hope that I can live up to the second.