Week 20! Oprah Blues! Doll House Love! Miniatures! Walking & Zumba!

Oprah Blues!  After 25 years, Oprah, one of my best friends, is leaving me to start another chapter in her life and she didn't even mention my name on any of her shows!  She only mentioned some of the things I was struggling with.  When I saw her last show the tears were flowing as she acknowledged God in a way that was so powerful, it confirmed what I knew all along, that she believes in the same God I believe in.  I'm better now.  Thank you Lord!

A Doll House has been sitting around looking at me for a while and thanks to The Oprah Magazine's Living Your Best Life,  I am decorating a Doll House to give to a little girl.  I will put all the love I can into decorating this little house and I'll post pictures as I go.

In the meantime, making dollhouse miniatures, walking, Zumba and Grandsons will help me continue with another chapter of My Journey to Celebrating Life!

The cute miniature beaded dress and purse in picture was made by me.  My thanks to God for the wisdom to recognize and take advantage of the creative quality He gave me.  According to the Scriptures below, creative qualities are a part of all of us. 
  
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1
So God created mankind in his own image,
   in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Thank you again for following my blog.  Words of inspiration are always appreciated.

Week 19! Pain, Pain & More Pain! Depressed? Look at The Miniature Doll!

Study this beautiful dollhouse miniature doll in the picture for a moment.  Notice the sad expression on her lovely face. Is she going on a trip?  Nice luggage.  Well, she looks exactly how I've felt all week.  I miss my grandsons and I think I must have pulled a few muscles at the end of week 18.  We finally made it to top of mountain with boys in tow, but I'm still feeling physical pain. 

Depressed?  Grandma is having withdrawal pains after loving it up with my boys for almost a week.  I don't feel like walking or dancing.  I've only walked  one day this week.  I'm sad that Arnold hurt Maria.  I feel her pain.  My heart and prayers are constantly going out to the tornado victims and all the other victims I hear or read about this week.  Misery does love company.  But as of today,  I'm cutting back on watching all the breaking news and I'm leaving my miserable company.  I'll get rid of this pain and get on with my journey to celebrating life! 

Thanks to all of you encouraging me to move forward.  I am really grateful.

Doll by Yolanda Laracunte-Romero.  Elegant hat by Felma.  Luggage unknown.

Week 18! Weather Is Not Cooperative! Shut In! Time To Reflect: Willie Wiswell!

If I had control over the weather, week 18 would've started differently.  My two grandsons are visiting for a few days and it is cold, windy and raining and they want to go hiking in the mountains. I'm not ready for that yet.  We managed a short walk yesterday.  Had to turn back when my four year old was hit by a gust of wind and loudly announced, "I'm having a bad day!" We have played games, trains, cars and karoke to our heart's content. 

I've taken advantage of my shut-in as a time to reflect.  The picture above is my miniature friend Willodean (Willie) Wiswell and me.  The first time I attended a miniature club meeting, Willie invited me to dinner along with some friends.  We had a great time!  On another occasion Willie invited me to her home for lunch and a tour of her miniature collection.  A Huge Collection of fine miniatures!  During lunch she informed me that she needed a liver transplant and without it her doctor "predicted" about 18 months of survival.  We were having lunch at month 19 and she looked great and said she felt great. Due to her age, Willie said she was way down on the transplant list, but stated that it was not going to stop her from enjoying the rest of her life to the fullest, and she did.  She lived a few more years.   Willie found goodness in everything.  I miss her.  Read her obituary by clicking on the link below or google her name to learn more about this great a lady.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lbpresstelegram/obituary.aspx?n=willodean-wiswell&pid=145071811

"Where do you find goodness when recession hits, when you lose your job, your home, when things seem to fall apart around you?  In all the things we tend to overlook:  feeling the gentle breeze on your skin, the sunlight filtering through the clouds, the sound of the rain, the wagging tail of a dog, the shiny apple you are about to bite into.  You notice the in-and-out flow of your breath, the feeling of aliveness inside your body.  And then there is the beautiful stillness behind it all, which is deep within you.  It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up."  Eckhart Tolle

My husband lost his job a year and a half ago when the recession hit.  Complications dealing with the long term side effects of breast cancer surgery has not been easy, but, as Willie, I find goodness in my miniature hobby along with hugs and kisses from my grandsons, just to name a few.  I am grateful.  Thank you God.

Thanks to all of you for reading my blog and Love To All.

Week 17! Zumba Class - Walking! Still Hanging In There!

It makes my day when I get a surprise visit from my grandsons, but sometimes this one in the picture at 18 months can be a challenge.  He knows he can take advantage of grandma's weakness, kindness, love or whatever you want to call it.  He sneaks a bag of cookies from the kitchen pantry and when I find him in the living room eating them, "Give it to grandma!" I demand.  He licks his tongue out at me with the cutest smile I've ever seen!  What was I supposed to do?  All I could do was grab my handy dandy camera and take his picture.  Children are so much fun to watch and entertain because you never know what to expect.  On a hot day last week, I decided to take him along in his stroller so I pulled off his shoes and socks, gave him a bottle of water and a few snacks to enjoy during his ride and the next thing I know he is snoring really, really loud.  I locked the wheels on the stroller and just stood there looking down at him with his legs propped up on the side of stroller, praying that throughout his life there would be lots of days like this, so relaxed, so trusting, so loved.  Thank You God.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” - Psalm 139:13-14

Week 16 ended with a very nice Mother's Day luncheon with my favorite daughter.  I went to my Zumba class or walked every day during the week and must say that I feel wonderful.  Looking forward to my first marathon in October.  Please keep the encouraging e-mails and phone calls coming.  Again, thanks to all of you for your support.  Love To All.

Week 16! Having Fun Making Miniatures! Ready For Mother's Day Celebration!

Week 16 started with Zumba.  Loving it!  Climbing Mountains.  Loving it!

Making Miniatures.  Loving it!  The above pictures show the gown I made using  gowns Janyce made as inspiration.  The gowns shown in background are some of Janyce's first and she did a great job!  Thank you Janyce for the birthday gift.  You can view the gowns I've  made and put up for auction on eBay by clicking on the link below: 

http://shop.ebay.com/anyminimore/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

Happy Mother's Day to all of you great mothers in the world!  Hope your day is as beautiful as you are.  Enjoy your day.  Love To All.

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.  Genesis 3:20 NIV

Thank you God!