Dishrag Tag and Costumes of the Day!

One more post about Dishrag Tag, and I promise that this will be the last about this (until next year, that is!).

But, I received my prizes for the second place team in the mail, and I just had to share them with you!!

This is reversible small project bag--perfect for carrying a dishcloth or sock project!

And here are three lemon drop stitch markers!! They are really, really pretty--prettier than my picture!!

So, on to the news that I know you have all been waiting for--yes, the kitty moved!!!! Yeah--go kitty!!

There is one thing I don't understand though, and that is how I managed to gain this weight overnight, and it seems to be taking so long to lose it!!

So, now I'll move on to yesterday at my work. Now, I know that this is a controversial issue for some, but every year at my work we dress in costume for Halloween. This is used for a good purpose--to bring an office staff that is sometimes divided together. And our patient's love it!! People will call to find out which day we are dressing up and schedule appointments for that day just so they can see what we've done this year.

Then we always have a potluck luncheon--all of us eating together when we usually eat in shifts. It's just a fun day and a great tension reliever in a sometimes stress filled office.

So, without further ado, I will introduce some of our characters for the day:

Here we have Little Bo Peep!!


Our resident cowgirl!

The office jester!

These two are ready for the 50's dance tonight!!

And who is this?? Well, I don't even want to say--but it is me--in the get-up that my daughter decided upon for me!! I don't really know who or what I am, but I sure did get a lot of laughs!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

A Good Cause

I was just visiting my friend, Aunt Kathy, and I read about our opportunity to help in breast cancer research. Now, I don't know about you, but I've lost a good many family members to cancer, and I'd like to see this disease eradicated in our lifetime.

The goal is for 1,000,000 million to sign up at their site, An Army of Women. I just visited and there are almost 250,000 recruits now. Won't you help by visiting and signing up? There is also a contest going on as an added incentive.

In my mind, a cure for cancer would be the best prize of all!! Let's get together and wipe this dreaded disease off the map!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Just a Thought

Someone in my Small Group shared this thought on Monday evening, and I thought I would share it with you:

When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say:

"Jesus, could you please get that for me!"

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Super Simple Sunday

It is Sunday--my very favorite day of the week!! And all I can think of is PRAISE!!

Stop by Peggy's and enjoy more Super Simple Sundays!! You might even want to join in and share your own Super Simple Sunday!!

Have a wonderful and blessed day in HIM!!!

Beth

Just As I Am

This song has been on my mind a lot this week. It first came to my mind, after a long absence, when I viewed Peggy's "More Than a Friend" post earlier this week.

So, I have chosen this song, in honor of my mother. She was often critical of me, but I knew that she loved me. Was she able to look past all my mistakes, all my disobediences, all my faults, all the trouble that I somehow managed to get into, all the turmoil that I, myself, caused within my family? Was she able to look beyond the sometimes mean and hateful things that I said to her?

I often wondered about this. When I speak of my past to others, I have even had some say that they "were glad they weren't my mother".

But, she accepted me as I was, always believing that God would eventually come into my life and bring out the person that I was meant to be.

My only sorrow is that she did not live to see this occur in my life. I know that she can see me from Heaven though, and I'm sure she danced and sang with the angels the day I accepted Christ as my Savior.

So, Mom--this one is for you:

Just as I Am, Without One Plea
By: Charlotte Elliott

Just as I am, without one plea
But that thy blood was shed for me
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just a I am; thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be thine, yea, thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

And today, and every day of my life, I thank God that He was and is able to accept me--just as I am.

Yesterday

Yesterday my youngest daughter arrived from Texas for a 4 day visit. My son and I left in plenty of time to arrive at the airport well ahead of her flight arrival.

But, traffic on the Baltimore Beltway was just terrible! By the time we got to I-95 (where it is usually smooth sailing in the airport), it was 11 a.m. and her flight was due to arrive at 11:30. That was still okay, we'd still make this in time!

The smooth sailing turned into choppy waters as the traffic grew heavier and heavier into the airport. Where was everyone going? We finally get to the parking garage and can't find a parking spot!!

In the meantime, my daughter has text messaged my son that her flight arrived 20 minutes early, "I'm here, where are you?" And we're still looking for a parking spot!!

Finally, a parking spot--a mad rush into the airport--and a big welcome back to my Texan transplant!!

We left the airport after collecting her luggage and went to Inner Harbor.

I've got some pics to share!!!

A momma and mallard duck swimming in one of the harbor inlets


A view across the harbor with the Baltimore Aquarium in the background


Seagulls perched on the side of a harbor inlet with the old ship "Chesapeake" in the background

The "Lady Baltimore"--still used for cruises around the bay. My grandmother took my sister and I on a cruise on this very ship when we were 12!



My youngest daughter and son standing in front of some type of wire-mesh fish!

Looking up into the rigging of a ship

Then on to Lexington Market!!

This market is just awesome!! There are over 400 vendors, and the market itself is the size of an entire city block!! We ate lunch there at "Faidley's", one of the oldest vendors in the market. My daughter and I split a crab cake platter and a bowl of Maryland crab soup. We couldn't even finish all the food that was given to us even though we were splitting this!! And, I have to say, the crab cake was the best I've ever had, and being born and raised in Maryland--I've had a lot of crab cakes. My son had the haddock fillet platter, and the fish portion was so huge that the ends of it were hanging off the plate. He couldn't finish his food either.

We had so much food left, and it just didn't seem right to throw it away. The market isn't in the best section of the city, and we saw many homeless people while walking there from the harbor and also many just hanging around inside the market.

So we cleaned up our trash, gathered all of our leftovers onto one plate and left it there on the table for someone who was hungry to have a good meal.

Then home again, and we had a very nice day, a good time together, just enjoying each other's company!! And, by the way--the kitty did move!! I thought maybe after my huge lunch yesterday I had blown the entire week, but no--my kitty moved!!

K--That's all for a while!!

Beth

Thankful Thursday

Before I begin "Thankful Thursday", I just wanted to let you know that even though I didn't post about this yesterday, I am still continuing "The Love Dare". This has gotten a little more complicated with my oldest daughter now being involved.

I am going to continue posting about this, but it will be posted on "The Power of Your Love" because I really feel that the only way I can do this is through God's power, not my own. I need His power, strength, might and love to lead and guide me in this venture. So, if you want to follow along with my "Love Dare", please stop by and visit there.

Thanks for understanding that I needed to separate this special time for building my relationship between me and and my children.

So, now on to "Thankful Thursday":

This is the verse that Iris has chosen for this Thursday, and it involves friendship:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” ~ Colossians 3:16

I have friends--most of them are new friends. And you may ask yourself why I don't have old friends--friends that I associated with from long ago, people I knew from when I was in school, in college, friends that I had made during the early years of my marriage and when my children were young.

The reason for this is very simple--these are not the friends that God intended for me to have. These are not people that bring out the best in me, have the strength and courage to point out to me where and when I am in error with my life, these are not people that point me to God.

Because of these reasons, God has supplied me with new friends, friends in Him. These are people that do dwell in Christ, and that I can trust to point me in the right direction when I am heading down the wrong path. There are many of you, and I am not going to name you each by name--I would be typing a very long time. But, each of you know who you are and what you mean to me. I will give you an example though:

Any of you who have been reading my posts, know that my biological family has not been communicating with me due to my Christian beliefs. I felt as though I were being persecuted by my own family. I have discussed this with some friends, and they have guided me in the right direction with their encouragements:

"This is why God has given you us, your spiritual family. Sometimes you own family just doesn't come through for you, and that is why you have us."


"You need to move the knowledge that you have about this in your head into your heart and pray that they will soften their hearts regarding this."


and the comment that really sticks out in my mind:


"And who was persecuted for your sake?"

There are many more, and I am thankful today and everyday that God has given me my spiritual family, each and every one of you, to lead and guide me in His wisdom.

I have one more thing to be written about today, and that is what are known as blog awards. I prefer to call these blessings--blessings that others have bestowed upon me from the depths of their hearts--to encourage me, to keep me in God's Word, to keep me seeking His wisdom and not my own.

I have received these blessings both from Peggy and Lorie. I suppose I am doubly blessed today!! I would encourage you to visit both of these wonderful ladies and read what they have written and what is on their hearts! Thank you both for thinking of me today, honoring me with these blessings, and encouraging me in my journey!

I truly am thankful to God for providing me with the friends that He knows will guide and direct me in His path.

If you have a friend that you would like to bless today, please feel free to take one or both of these friendship blessings, and pass them on. Just please leave me a comment so that I know where these blessings are going so I can stop and visit them. Maybe I'll make some new friends!!

If you would like to read more "Thankful Thursdays" or participate, please stop by and visit Iris.

K--that's all for a while!

Beth

Why You Should Always Carry Your Camera

My youngest daughter is arriving from Texas tomorrow, and I had some errands to run this morning. I left the house without any caffeine intake (not a good thing for me!), so I decided to stop at the local Burger King for a cup of coffee.

Maybe I just really wasn't awake yet, but this is what I saw:



No, I had a cup of coffee, and it still looked the same!!

Tomorrow, I will be "dirving" to Baltimore to pick her up at the airport. Then on to spend the day at Inner Harbor and Lexington Market. I'll be sure to take my camera--who knows what I'll find!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Look What The Mailman Brought Me!!

I said I'd be back, and here I am!! The mailman brought me a surprise yesterday, and then again today!! How exciting is this!?!?!

Yesterday, this is what I received:
What is this you may ask? This is my Traveling Scarf!! I started the first section of this back in February!! Then I sent it on to someone in Washington state, who sent it on to someone else, and so on to 13 other people!! I finally received it back today!! While my scarf was being circulated around to the 13 others, I worked on each person's scarf as it came to me!! This was a lot of fun, and I had no idea what this was going to look like when it returned home.

I love it!! Each person used a different stitch pattern, a different color, and it is just outstanding!!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my scarf, and I really enjoyed working on all the others, too!!

Then, what happened when I came home today?!? I received another package!! This was from my dishcloth exchange partner for September-October, Susan. Here's what Susan sent me:


Two dishcloths that she knitted and a beautiful autumn-themed Hug-Mitt!! The pink and white one really looks like an angel!! And I love that Hug-Mitt!! Do you even know how many times I've burnt my hands (remember the big blister on my thumb from the melted brown sugar?) and arms while cooking?

But, really, this is so beautiful, that I think I'm going to use it as a table runner for Thanksgiving to place hot dishes on. I'll have my son, oldest daughter and some of their friends who unfortunately have no family to share a Thanksgiving. So, we'll make out own family, and we have so much to be thankful for!!

Oh, and I'm having a problem with Day 5 of The Love Dare!! I asked my son to tell me 3 things that about me that either irritate him or make him uncomfortable, and he said he couldn't come up with one thing!!

I told him to think a little harder!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Love Dare--Days 3 and 4

I wanted to post this yesterday, but Blogger and time got away from me!!

Day 3, if you will remember--buy something for your son that will tell him that you were thinking of him.

Well, you have to realize that my son buys most everything he wants for himself. I had no idea what to buy him. And since, he had my car, I really had no way to go and buy him something!!

I was walking past his bedroom, saw the mess of his laundry laying on the floor. He hadn't had time to take care of this!

So, instead of buying him something, I changed the sheets on his bed and washed, dried and folded all of his laundry. He came home from work to a nice, fresh bed and piles of neatly folded laundry just waiting to be put away.

His comment: That was so nice of you to do this for me. I know you had other things that you wanted and needed to do today. Thank you.

On to Day 4 which I thought would be relatively simple:

Today's Dare

Contact your son sometime during the business of the day. Have no agenda other than asking how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them.

I have already posted this on Chelle's blog, and copied it directly from there rather than retyping everything:

I called my son from work knowing that he hadn't gone to work yet yesterday. This was during my lunch at work.



Conversation (him knowing it is me from his caller ID):

Son: Yeah?? (wariness in his
voice)



Me: Hi! How's your day going so
far?



Son: Why?



Me: Just because I wanted to
touch base with you and see
how your day is going.



Son: Oh, okay.



Me: Well, how is your day going?
Anything interesting happen
today?



Son: No--I'm just going to get
ready for work.



Me: Okay. You be sure and have
a wonderful day at work and
I'll talk to you when we're
both home again.



Son: Do you need something?



Me: No, just wanted to talk a
little before your day began.



Son: You don't need anything?



Me: No, I don't need anything.



Son: (with s sense of
exasperation in his voice)
Okay, if you're sure you
don't need anything, then
I'm going to go.



Me: Alright. I'll talk to you
later. I love you!!



Son: I love you, too. Are you
really sure you don't need
anything? Do you need some-
thing from the store? Do
you need me to do something-
go to the bank, change the
kitty litter? What do you
need? Why did you really
call?



Me: I just called to tell you to
have a wonderful day and
that I love you.



Son: Okay, if you're sure. I'm
going to go. I love you,
too. Bye.

Now, the above conversation took s matter of minutes. But, after this conversation, which I was really listening to (how many times do we really not listen to what the other person is saying?), I realized that the majority of times when I do call my son out of blue, it IS because I NEED something!!


I need him to go to the store for me, I need him to go to the bank, and, yes, change the kitty litter!!



His wariness in the phone call made this all perfectly clear to me! He didn't realize that I could call him just to talk with him, just to say hello--I always call when I need him to do something for me.



And, this made me stop and think. How would I feel if every time someone called me, it was because they only needed something--not because they truly cared about me, wanted to see how I was, just to say "Hi, how are you? I was thinking about you today and I thought I would call you."



I know this is not part of today's dare, but I'm going to call him again today and just touch base with him.



This young man NEEDS to know that I care for him because of who he is and not because of what he can do for me.



What I thought was going to be a relatively simple dare changed into a real eye-opener for me! Hopefully, I can also open his eyes!



And so, we move on to Day 5:

Today's Dare

Ask your son to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you. You must do so without attacking them or justifying your behavior. This is from their perspective only.

OUCH!! This sounds like this might hurt a little bit!!

I'll let you know tomorrow how this dare goes.

But, I'll be back later today when I come home from work because the mailman dropped off something yesterday that I've been waiting for--waiting for quite some time!


I didn't have time to take pictures yesterday, so I'll share them with you later today!


K--that's all for a while!



Beth

Love Dare Days 1 and 2

If you will remember, Day 1's challenge was to go through an entire day and not say anything negative to my son!! Well, I made it through!! There was a small moment that I thought to say something about the length of his hair and how he might use a haircut, but, no, I decided against it!!

This is such a small matter, that why would I think to mention it all!

So, on we go to Day 2:

Today's Dare

In addition to saying nothing negative to your son again today, do at least one unexpected gesture as an act of kindness.

This was actually yesterday. An unexpected gesture as an act of kindness? Hmmmm....that doesn't sound too hard either!!

Here is what happened: He was getting ready to leave for work late yesterday afternoon. I wrote a note telling him how much I love him, that I don't tell him that nearly enough. and I asked him to forgive me for my part in our disagreement earlier in the week.

Inside the note I wrapped up two cow tails (I know he loves these!), and I wrote on the note that the cow tails were because I have felt like "cow poop" since all this has happened!!

He never mentioned to me anything about the note or the cow tails, but today when he left for work, he said to me, "I love you, Mutti!!", and I haven't heard that for a really long time!

Today is Day #3:

Today's Dare

Whatever you put your time, energy, and money into will become more important to you. It's hard to care for something that you are not investing in. Along with restraining from negative comments, buy your son something that says, "I was thinking of you today."

Now this is a little more difficult. I have no idea what I could buy him. He has just about everything, and what he doesn't have he buys for himself. I'm going to have to put some thought into this!!

I'll let you know tomorrow how this goes!!

And, remember--mum's the word for those of you who know me and him!!

If you want to follow along with this, just jump over to Chelle's place. She'll fill you in on all the details. All I can say is that this is exciting, but I think it's going to get more difficult as we go along. That's okay with me though!! All I want for my son is for him to know that he is loved by me, is a very worthy person, and that he is not shaped by his past.

K--that's all for awhile!!

Beth

Updates and Something New to Share!

Before I tell you my "something new", I'll do the updates on my previous post.

My headache is finally--completely--gone!! Yesterday was the usual, left-over achy feeling in my head, but at least I was able to function.

My toe--Yes, I did have it checked by one of our doctors at work. She was in agreement that it could have probably used a couple of stitches, but it will heal fine the way it is. Antibiotic ointment and a band-aid--the fix all for this injury.

And, here is a picture of the baby blanket--so far. This isn't the blanket I had planned and almost completed, but I'm liking this one and I'm happy with the results so far:


And, oh, I almost forgot my "kitty tracker"! How could I have forgotten that? Here are the results of this week's efforts--down 3/4 of a pound!! According to my kitty, it looks like another whole pound, but kitties apparently don't understand the concepts of fractions!!

So, now on to something new!!

I was visiting Peggy and read about the "Fireproof - Love Dare Challenge". Now, this was talking mainly about spouses of which I have none :) and :( My question to Peggy, and then to Chelle, who is hosting this study is this "Can this apply to others--my children, my co-workers?" In other words, can this study be useful in all relationships in our lives?

The answer from both was a resounding, "YES!!!"

I am going to be following along with Chelle as she does this study. I'm first going to be applying this to my children starting with my son. There have been some things going on lately that clearly point to the fact that he has not gotten over many things that have happened in his (our) past, and that this is still affecting him today.

I'm hoping to show him that I do truly love him, and with God's love, power and strength behind me, he will be able to see that the past is the past--we cannot change it--and with God behind me in this, how can we fail?

I'm a day behind, but that's okay--just a late bloomer. If you're interested in doing this, hurry on over and visit Chelle, and you can be filled in on all the details.

But, I want to share with you my assignment for the day:

Today's Dare

The first part of this dare is fairly simple. Although love is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. For the next day, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your son at all. If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything. It's better to hold your tongue than to say something you'll regret.

I've substituted the word "son" for "spouse" in the above paragraph. And, of course, you can substitute whomever your main concern is with at the moment.

Sounds easy enough, don't you think? I wonder how many times today I'll find myself biting my tongue? I'll be sure and let you know how this goes tomorrow!!

Be sure and visit Chelle for more details and a more in depth description of today's challenge. I'm sure each of us has someone (or many someones) in our lives who could benefit from our changing our attitude towards them.

K--that's all for awhile!!

Beth

Down For a Day

Yesterday was a day, I tell you!! I woke at 2 a.m. with a migraine. No problem, I thought--I'll just take some of the medication the neurologist gave me, try to sleep a little more and then head off to work.

So, off to work I go!! I was there 2 1/2 hours when I was sent home. This was definitely a no-brainer on my part--I should have just stayed home in bed. But then again, we are understaffed, one person working with a back injury and another person still in training!! I thought I should surely be there!!

But, in reality, I belonged home in bed. I came home, thinking I'll have some peace and quiet, rest and my headache will go away--just like it always does.

Unfortunately, the apartment complex behind mine was doing some sort of repairs that required jackhammers!! As if I didn't already have enough jackhammers right in my own head!!

That ferocious noise finally stopped. Ah, relief!! But, no, then the grass was being cut right outside my bedroom window. Thankfully, that went rather quickly, and I was able to get some rest.

I awoke later in the day with a very dry throat. Out to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and there I stepped on a piece of glass!! Someone (not mentioning any names here!) had dropped a glass, broken it, and thought they had cleaned up all the glass.

Obviously, this wasn't the case, because my toe found the one piece of glass that was missed! Blood dripping from my toe, I limped off to the bathroom to clean this up. But, it wouldn't stop bleeding!! So, I wrapped it very tightly with a pressure bandage and back to bed.

At least, this pain took my focus off the pain in my head for a little while!!

Finally, sweet sleep--from around 3:30 p.m. until now!! My toe is still seeping blood occasionally, and as I look at it this morning, this cut really should have required some stitching!!

Well, I'm off to work again today--hopefully, a better day than yesterday!! No progress on the baby blanket obviously!! This is going to go to work with me today to work on a little during lunch.

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Starting Over!!

I have started (again!) the baby blanket that fell apart!! I followed Dorothy's advice and chose a simple pattern that will crochet easily and hopefully quickly.

The gift is from my heart, and I'm sure that Kristan will not care or even know that it is not the original plan that I had cemented in my mind. She has already asked my daughters if I'll be making things for her baby, and she will be excited to receive anything that I make for this new little one.

I'm on a definite deadline now--my youngest daughter arrives from Texas on the 23rd, the baby shower is the 26th of this month. The best part of this baby shower is that the new mother-to-be doesn't know that her best friend is flying from Texas just for this occasion! She will be so surprised!!

Lindsay is flying into Baltimore that Thursday morning, and we're planning on spending the day at Inner Harbor and Lexington Market--should be a fun day!! I haven't been to Lexington Market since I was just a little girl, but this place brings back good, happy memories.

Hopefully, I can accomplish enough tonight on this blankie that I'll have some pictures to post tomorrow.

Make sure to stop and visit me at The Power of Your Love. I have something special going on over there!!

K--that's all for a while!

Beth

I NEED HELP!!

I am so frustrated!! I am making a baby afghan for my daughters' best friend. I have known this young girl since she was three years old, and I wanted this to be special for her. Her baby shower is on October 26, and my Lindsay is flying home from Texas for 4 days just so she can attend this shower and surprise her friend!

Yesterday, I was determined that I was going to finish this blanket. Almost to the end, when "OH, NO", I found that I had made a mistake in that row. No problem, I thought--I'll just tink back and fix the error.

But, did this work out the way I had planned? Of course not!!

Instead I ending up dropping a stitch and the whole thing started unraveling right before my eyes below that stitch--at least halfway down the side of the afghan!!

So, now I need help!! There is no way I am starting completely over with this pattern! It has taken me weeks and weeks to even come close to complete to knitting this!

I'm now looking to crochet something--for some reason that goes a lot faster!!

Here's where I need your help--if you have a quick crochet baby blanket that would look nice in a variegated (very light blue to medium blue and brown yarn), please let me know!!

I'm desperate!!

Beth

I've Been Tagged

Denise, at Shortybear's Place, has invited me to join in on a tag. The rules are that I have to list 5 things about me about these 5 items--so, here we go:

10 Years Ago: (A very painful time)

I was unhappily married.
I was comtemplating moving to a new home.
I was extremely depressed.
Life seemed fruitless and exhausting.
God was working in my life to change these things--only I didn't know it!

Today's "To-Do" List:

Go to church and worship.
Finish Kristan's baby blanket.
Laundry.
Talk to my daughter in Texas.
Work on some Christmas projects.

5 Snacks I Enjoy:

Cantaloupe
Most anything chocolate
Pretzels
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
Wheat Thins and cheddar cheese

5 Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire:

Give money to my friends.
Take a trip to the beach.
Buy a house.
Help my children financially.
Donate money to my church.

5 Places I Have Lived:

Catonsville, Maryland
York, Pennsylvania
Etters, Pennsylvania
Goldsboro, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

5 Jobs I Have Had (or still have):

Candy clerk at Murphy's Five & Dime
Mom
Taxi Driver for said kids that I am a Mom to
Wife (thank you, God, for changing that status!)
Medical Receptionist

Now, I'm supposed to tag 5 people--so I tag Vicki, Aunt Kathy, Sharon, His Firefly and Knittin' Kudzu.

Anyone else who would like to join in, please feel free to do so!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Today We Meet Mrs. Robertson

No, this isn't really a picture of me as a child, but it could have been.

I was visiting my friend Kay's blog today, and she is doing a series on loneliness, about how we need to reach out to others who are lonely, if we are lonely we need to pray and think about what we can do to alleviate this feeling of loneliness. It's possible to be in an entire crowd of people and still feel lonely.

And reading her posts regarding loneliness, reminded me of Mrs. Robertson. So, I decided to introduce you to her.

Fade back about 46 years--the year is 1962--I am eight years old. My father passed away and my mother returned to work full time. My brother was 13. My grandmother lived with us, but she was a very busy lady--didn't have too much time for kids getting in her way.

It is the summer--I am alone. I'm not allowed to go out of the house to play when no adult is home, so I am more or less stuck there--alone.

Then, some excitement came into my neighborhood. A new neighbor moving in across the street!! I saw her from my living room window, playing outside with her two children and a baby in a stroller. I wanted to go outside to see the little children and the baby, but I knew I wasn't allowed.

So, I continued watching through the window.

One evening, our doorbell rang. Who was on the other side of the door? Why it was the lady from across the street!! She introduced herself to my mother and said that she really needed some help with her three small children. She had seen me watching out the window, and could I be allowed to come during the day and help her?

And, so it began.......everyday I would go to Mrs. Robertson's house across the street to help her with her children--Andrew, Meg and Beth. None of them were school age yet--she was a very busy mom.

Yes, I helped her with her children, helped her with her daily household chores, and I was so happy!

Mrs. Robertson always made all of her own clothing and all of her children's clothing. One day she offered to teach me to knit. She was so patient with me as I struggled through the casting on, the learning of the basic knit stitch, then on to purling, then on to more complicated stitches.

She even let me use her sewing machine to help with some of the children's clothes, and then we made a dress for me!

At the time, I thought that I was being of a great help to her, and I'm sure that in some ways I was. But, as I look back on this time, I now know that she saw a lonely little girl looking out of her living room window, and she decided to reach out to me and help alleviate this loneliness.

More than anything that she taught me, I learned that loneliness in this life is not a necessary portion. All we need to do is reach out to someone, offer them a kind word, send them a little note to let them know we are thinking of them, encourage and affirm someone.

I ask you today to think about this--reach out and touch someone you know that is lonely in some way.

If you, yourself, are lonely, think about ways that you can help to lift your loneliness. There are many people in this world, in your own neighborhood, who need a helping hand, a word of kindness, a friend.

The best way to rid yourself of loneliness is to help another who is feeling the same way.

So, today, I thank Mrs. Robertson, for seeing a lonely little girl, making the effort which led to a huge difference in my life.

And for those who know me, the answer is yes--my son is named after her son--Andrew.

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

Movin' That Kitty!!

Today is "Weigh-In Day"!!!! As you can see from my kitty tracker, I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks!! Not too shabby, I think!!

Work was its usual self today--a lot of people calling in to schedule their flu shots, a lot of grumbling patients, and yet we still had time for a few good laughs.

Tonight, I have a couple of phone calls to make regarding new Small Group members and then on to knitting these Christmas presents. I have a cone of natural here already, so I'm going to use that for one of the market bags for Lindsay to see how it turns out. If I like it, I'll probably make her one in another color.

I started the Irish Hiking Scarf this morning before I left for work. Only about an inch of that done so far, but it's a start!

Off to The Power of Your Love to post my "Thankful Thursday".

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

A Long Day

What a long day!! But, I made it through the day at work, came home and posted some new items in my etsy shop. If you're interested in some small Christmas presents, stop by and take a look!

Tomorrow is "Weigh-In Day", and I have to say that I'm looking forward to it! I'm sure I didn't lose almost 5 pounds like I did last week, but slow and steady is the way to go!

I still haven't started on the Holiday KAL!! Tomorrow evening is another evening, and I'm planning on starting then. I also scheduled three Fridays off work towards the end of October and beginning of November, so hopefully, I'll be able to catch up and get everything finished before Christmas.

I found the perfect market bag for my "green" daughter in Texas with the help of someone on Ravelry. I think she'll really like this--not too open weave, but still has some design to it. Now, just to decide on the colors for her.

Then, I had the brilliant (no, not really!) idea that I would make an afghan for her! Where in the world do I think I'm getting all of this time? I really like this afghan, and you can make it with either a tree and house pattern or a heart and tulip pattern.

Well, I'd better go for now. I'm not getting anything done this way!!

K--that's all for a while!

Beth

Question in My Head

Computer problems last evening so I wasn't able to post anything!!!

However, this morning I have come to the conclusion that I am just going to have stop working if I intend to complete all of my Christmas gifts!!

Wait a minute!! If I quit working, how am I going to pay for the supplies to make these items?

Something to think about..........

Be back later!

Beth

Ah Ha!! I Have Found It!!

Oh, yes!! I have found the UB cable!! Miles has struck again!! After much searching, I finally gave up thinking that this would turn up when I wasn't looking so frantically. And, so it did!!

Where, you may ask? I'll tell you where!! I was folding a load of laundry this evening, and there it was--in the dryer tangled in a towel! The little bugger--he must have been in the dryer again and decided to carry this with him!

I've learned my lesson. From now on, this cable is going into my top dresser drawer. I'm telling you so that when I forget where I put this, you can tell me--because I'm sure to forget that I put this in a safe place and will always remember where it is.

So, here's two pics to share:

This is a flower that was in a bunch my supervisor brought into the office one day. She's always trying to brighten up the office with flowers and decorations for various holidays. Too bad this doesn't always brighten up some people's moods!! Oh, well--at least she tries.

And, now for a very special photo that was taken at my Small Group gathering on Friday night. These are two of my very dear friends and members of our group. This couple is very special to me, always there for me. They have four spectacular kids that I love very much, a very big dog and a very fluffy cat.

They are still very much in love--it's obvious to see just when you look at them. And to top it all off, they are best friends, too!!

So, here they are--my brother and sister in Christ:

KEEP SCROLLING DOWN!!!!

JUST A LITTLE FURTHER~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, here they are--doing their version of a comb over and someone giving them bunny ears!

I'm telling you, these two just love to share--even hair
when one has way more than the other!!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

K--that's all for a while!!

Beth

My Weekend--So Far!!

So far, this has been a nice weekend. Friday night, my Small Group had a get-together just for social purposes. We each brought an appetizer-type food, and we sat and talked and laughed and played "Apples to Apples". I love being with them--a great group of people just enjoying each other's company.

I did take some pictures, and I spent some time looking (again) for my UB cable (see, I even know the proper name, now!) so that I could share one in particular. But, it is gone again! I'll be willing to take bets that Miles "The Sock Destroyer" has something to do with this!! It is always sitting right beside my computer, and it is gone!!

When I find it, whether the picture goes with what I'm writing about or not, I'll be sure to share it with you!

Saturday was spent doing household necessities--paying bills (Thank you, God for providing for me--there was enough to cover all the bills plus a little extra!), running to the post office to mail said bills and a book to someone, then on to the grocery store to buy only healthy food.

I'm following the e-mealz plan (point system for two). This is how I lost almost 5 pounds last week! Since I have a lot of the things left over from last week, my bill at the grocery store was only $53!!

This plan is amazing!! Only $5 a month, and you can choose which plan you want to use--regular for 5 or 6 people, low-fat for 5 or 6 people, plans for 2 people, and more. This even comes with a list to take to the store so you know exactly what you need for each recipe. I've had leftovers to take to work for lunch, so this is just wonderful.

I wasn't going to do this--thinking to myself--an extra $5 a month--but then my son who has gone from over 300 pounds to 190 and wants to stay that way--said that we should and he would pay for it! So, off we go!

This plan takes the thinking of "what should I make, what should I eat, how many can I have" right out of the weight loss problem! If you're interested, you should check it out! Just click on the link at the bottom of my blog, and it will take you right to their site!!

Then yesterday afternoon, I almost completed two new items for my etsy store. They should be up by this afternoon.

Then to top it off, I joined the Carefree Holiday-or-Not KAL. I'm going to be knitting for Christmas anyway, so a little added incentive always helps! There are only 100 spots available, so if you're interested in this, please check it out right away because I'm #69! And free yarn for prizes!! Just click on the picture to your left or the link above, and you'll be there!! For those of you who don't knit or crochet, stop by anyway and see all the spectacular items people will be receiving for Christmas presents--one of them might be you!!

Thank you, Aunt Kathy, for posting about this, otherwise I wouldn't have known!

By the way, I know that I've said several times that Aunt Kathy is not really my aunt. But, I have heard from her, and she says that she will be my aunt anyway!! Thanks, Kathy!! You know that I could really use a nice aunt in my family right now!! So, from now on, she really is my aunt!!

I know that a lot of you who read this already know Aunt Kathy, and some don't. If you don't know her, be sure and stop by and visit her. She has been my inspiration to weight loss and healthier living. Drop by and give her some encouragement and cheering on, too!!

Today--preschool class, then church, then home to finish up those etsy projects, start my Holiday KAL (oh, no--I have to find that cable now in order to post pictures there!), and finish the baby blanket for Kristan. The blanket doesn't count in the KAL because I started it before October 1st. Oh, well!!

Make sure to stop by The Power of Your Love! I'll be posting Internet Cafe Chat there!

K--that's all for a while!

Beth

BRING IT ON!!

Just quickly--because I am really supposed to be getting ready for work!! I've been kind of down the last few days (now, let's be honest--I've just been down)!!

But, the good news here is that I am on my way back up!!

I decided 2 weeks ago to lose some weight. Then I thought that I need an accountability partner in this! So, I contacted my friend Aunt Kathy (and again, she is really not my aunt!). She has been a great inspiration to me in her own weight loss and struggles with this. She has agreed to this partnership, so last Thursday I started on my yet another journey with the Lord.

And when I stepped on the scales at work today--guess what?!? Down 4.6 pounds!! There is a weight tracker at the bottom of my blog--it apparently doesn't do the decimal system and says only 4, but that 0.6 is important for me to remember.

So, check it out occasionally, as I continue on this new lifestyle of eating!

K--that's all for a while!

Beth