The Merry Little Month of May!

If I am reading the calendar correctly, we launch into summer this week.  So if I want to share spring I better get this post finished up.

Duckling Display- Around the Polo Club North, spring is the duckling exhibit time.  This Mama had nine she was showing off the day I took the picture.  I believe our resident hawk dwindled her family down to three.  Sunday Wally rescued five babies from the storm drain and another three were rescued yesterday by some window washers.  We had two residents report to us that there is a new brood of fifteen floating about.  I’m not sure why I always think I need to take pictures of them, but they are very cute!

Easter…I know, I know… that’s April, but I’m squeezing a couple in here since I neglected to do so in April.  Here’s Wally and I with our traditional picture in front of church.

We went to Robin’s house for dinner…we have not done that in a l-o-ng time!  It was a nice brunch and family time.  Well, for those of us who stayed awake!

Bible Study Fellowship- May began with an ending.  Our last night of class was May 5.  It was our Share Night and filled with wonderful testimonies of lessons learned and hearts changed from our study in the book of Matthew.  This year  BSF adjusted our lessons from 32 weeks to 30 weeks.  I did not know how they could get the material covered but  they did and it is quite nice to end class early in May!  I cannot believe it but I forgot to take any pictures this year!  Arghh!

Opera- We went to the opera!  One of our resident’s phoned the office to offer us the tickets…Wally was very good to ask me if I wanted to go when he probably would have passed.  We saw Carmen.  It was called a “bare-back” opera, meaning there were no big fancy back drops.  The orchestra was up on stage and the actors sang and moved around the orchestra.  The orchestra was beautiful.  Reading the “closed captions” to keep up with Italian singing got a bit weary .  I confess I was dosing off a bit when a man yelled out “Bravo, Bravo!”.  It did startle me!!

Bees- Wally added a second bee hive and replaced the queen in our existing hive.  We also marked the new queen before adding her.  Talk about learning through trial and error…we actually lost the queen!  After several moments of panicked searching and then asking, “Well, what do we do now?”, Wally began to close the hive up.  We could not believe it, but there on his arm, in the crease of his jacket was the queen!  We knew it was her, because she had our mark! 

And if you be wondering how it is that you mark a bee, it’s with a sharpie paint pen!  She is in that syringe type tool with a screen on the end.  We just pushed her down to the screen and marked her with the paint pen through the screen!  I wonder who thought that one up?  

Mother’s Day- We had a nice Mother’s Day dinner together.  We nearly forgot to get a picture together until Mom was heading out the door. And of course, Terry, my brother-in-law likes to play tricks, so unbeknownst to us, he is in the “Mom” picture!

I got a creative bug going and made some gifts for Mother’s Day.  This is a little album I did for my Mom.  It is in a plastic case and it pulls out.  These cases are sold by Stampin UP for their stamp storage.  But there’s a ton of crafty ideas for making them into something more fun!

This is  a different size case and it makes nice notepad holder.  I made one for Wally’s Mom, for Robin, and for Andrea.

Here’s a couple of the cards I made~

Wesley’s Birthday-The baby of the family turned 25!  So hard to believe!

What he wanted for his Birthday was for Dad to smoke him a rack of ribs…seven racks actually!  I think his freezer is nice and full of the leftovers!

The Birthday guests were our good friends Jack and Jana Pine, almost all of their kids my parents, and two girls who are two more good friends.

Trail Ridge Road- Wally wanted to take a ride to Trail Ridge Road while there was still snow.  He wants me to compare the photos of our first ride together…quite a few years ago…for our anniversary this August.  You’ll have to check back then to get the full scoop. This ride wasalso to break me in for our planned trip to Utah at the end of May.  It was a chilly ride, I wore Wally’s heated coat liner.  Going home we rode over Berthoud Pass and it rained pretty good on us, the temps dropped to 42*.  Then on Sunday, Trail Ridge got more snow and it was closed again!

Thirty-five-ish years ago we rode to Trail Ridge Road and we could not get all the way across it because of the snow.  I don’t really recall how beautiful it was way back then, (must have had my mind on something else) but it must have been as stunning then as it was now! 

Polo Club North-May 24 was our Annual Board Meeting.  It’s kind of a big deal with lots of extra work.  This year I inherited the job of putting together the phone directory. I could not have done it without Andrea’s help.  She created a spreadsheet for me to input all the info and she merged all my existing info into the directory.  I really like the way it came out.  It’s a big improvement from what had been used for quite a few years before.  Thanks Andrea!

Sadie- Now what does May have to do with Sadie?  Nothing really except that she gets cuter everyday!

Vacation!-The morning after the Annual Meeting, we set out for Utah on the motorcycle. My first long ride.  We saw some gorgeous country…and I might have taken a picture or two. 

Thankful Thursday

Have you seen this “subway art” that is so trendy right now?  I like to call it “word art” since nothing I’ve seen in the subway looks very nice.  Anyway, it is pretty fun and easy to do.  You just choose a saying or a scripture verse that you’d like to make and call your daughter.  I usually say, “Since you’re so good at this do you think you might have time to make something for me?”  Soon in my email, I get this delightful surprise!  It works pretty well!  All that to say, I am very thankful for Andrea’s crafty computer-ness! 

She did this verse which impacted me my very first  year in BSF as we studied Israel and the Minor Prophets.  I think I had it on a 3x5 card at my kitchen sink a lo-ong time.  I haven’t decided what to do with it yet, so it is just hanging on a little clipboard on  my crafting desk. 

She also did this verse which I have loved and depended on in many a crisis.  It was highlighted in our study this past year in Genesis.  I framed it for the wall and as I come up the steps into our apartment it is hanging right in front of me!

Then in May when I was wanting to write a few “thank-you” cards and I had no time to make them, I asked Andrea if she could make it into a card size.  How wonderful to get that email that had been formatted to just print the card, cut and fold it!

And recently I asked her if she could make a little title card to fit inside a 3x5 card organizer.  I wanted to give them as a little gift to encourage the girls in my family to memorize scripture.  I was just looking for a title that read “Moments with the Lord” and she  gave me this.  It comes in three colors that I thought all us girls would like, blue, purple and green (that’s for me).

To be honest  I was thinking about Andrea and her new busy life with four little ones crying for attention.  I know the thought of a “quiet” time for her is probably a “hysterical” thought!  But it is also so necessary.  Having a handy notebook of scripture verses to look at when she sits down to nurse, and she has that encouragement, a moment with the Lord right there!  God’s Word is in her mind as she settles yet another dispute between Nolan and Elaine and she lacks the patience, or wisdom to do it rightly. 

I was also thinking about a conversation my Mom, Robin and I had over tea back in January about wanting to memorize God’s Word this year.  Well here we are at the half way point and I have made little progress in that New Year’s resolution! 

I was renewed in my desire after listening to a podcast on Revive Our Hearts with Janet Pope called His Word in my Heart.  Two things  she shared have changed my perspective. One, I have always looked at scripture memory as a “thing to get done.” Janet Pope said that she knew she could not find more time in her day to do something else, so she determined to memorize while she was doing other things…like blow drying her hair in the morning, or working in the kitchen.  Things we do all day that keep our hands busy but not our minds.  (By the way she has memorized 14 books of the Bible!)  That appealed to me because in the morning when I am showering and getting ready, I’m not quite awake and my thoughts seem to run away on their own, and I just let them take off.  So I'm discouraged as I step out of the shower and my day has not yet begun.  I know it is a battleground every day.  I have written out some verses and hung them on the medicine cabinet so a quick glance at God’s Word, His perspective really, reels those thoughts…and the following emotions…back in again.  So better yet, why not memorize His promises to me? 

The other thought that I took away from the podcast is that when you have a verse memorized, dwelling on it and meditating on it, you are actually dwelling in God’s presence!  Right in the middle of a busy day, or a difficulty I don’t know what to do with, I am transported into His very presence, receiving His help, strength, and encouragement!  That was a “light bulb” moment for me! 

Mom, Robin, and I are starting with Psalm 1.  It is only six verses and they are familiar already.  They are reminders of how blessed our life is when we choose to delight in His Word!  Robin is taking her little book along to chemo and she texted me one day that she had written out the verses and is “all snuggled down in memorizing mode!"   What a good picture of what His word in our hearts is all about!  I have heard Mom and Robin quote verse one already! 

How thankful I am that God’s Word is alive and full of power for my every need!  And it is also very accessible when it is hidden away right in my heart!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Easter Fun

This post is just some fun stuff I have made for Easter this year.  One good thing (and the list is not long) about always running behind is that this banner I started last year was easy to complete this year!  Here is the idea I saw and followed. Their banner was designed to hang down on a wide ribbon.  I think that is where I went astray last year…I never bought the ribbon.  This year I didn’t take time to run to Joann’s either so I went with punching holes in the corners and hanging it over our fireplace.  I think I am a little disappointed that the letters do no stand out more…especially in a photo.  But I did like using the floral paper and  I love the spring colors.  I was thinking I might do a “He Is Risen” banner also.  Maybe I could start it this year and finish it next!

I tried to scrunch the squares up to get it in a photo.  It just was hard to capture the entire thing and to have no shadow. 

Here’s a close up of just one letter…the banner spells “easter.”

I am filling in for one of the Sunday School teachers at our church for a couple of months.  It has been fun teaching older kids.  I have the 4-6th grade girls.  I made these little treat boxes for them last week.  We won’t be having class this Sunday because of the Easter drama the church is presenting.  You can find the video tutorial for these at my chic’n scratch.  She’s one of my favorite blogs on cards and paper crafts.

I picked up a couple cute stamps at Hobby Lobby recently…thinking of my grandkids.  I love this little girl, she has a Bible in her basket.  All I did was stamp them on paper ( you know I ‘m a big stamper, right?) and punched them into tags.  I tied them to a  for a milk carton full of jelly beans for Elaine and Nolan.

I didn’t make these plants but they have been fun for me to watch this Easter season…Christmas cactus in bloom!  Last year I watered the plants for one of our residents when he leaves for the winter.  This year he is not returning.  He decided to sell and stay in Arizona.  His kids have been clearing out the house and they gave me the Christmas cactus plants…and a pretty nice wrought iron stand they set on.  I had wanted to repot them every time I went to his house and watered, they were in such small pots.  So, now I did.  I don’t know if that motivated them to bloom or just why, but bloom they have.  I find it interesting that my Christmas cactus and his are both blooming now for Easter.  Also interesting is that my cactus used to be a pink flower but it is more red now.  They are really pretty. 

I hope you do some fun things this spring and Easter!

A Tea-Riffic Idea

Awhile back I came across an idea for a gift card wallet.  One creative person made it into a tea-wallet.  I thought it would be a cute idea for Birthday gifts to my sisters.  Then I got a little overwhelmed with Christmas card making…did I ever share that I made cards for all the residents here at Polo Club? Wally even helped me do a lot of the cutting.  So I put Robin’s gift on hold and told her it was coming.  In January when it was Jo’s birthday, I was still a little overwhelmed, this time with thank you cards.  I think I made 63 thank-you’s  for the residents who also gave us gifts over Christmas…I’m thinking I did not share that either.  Probably I was overwhelmed! 

Well I finally got my tea wallets made and delivered.  Yes, Robin’s Birthday was in October but she just got hers last week.  Jo’s was not quite that lat.  I’m a big believer in “better late than never!”   They really turned out cute!

You could put just about anything in the little pockets. Since Jo’s wallet was her entire gift, I put a Starbuck’s gift card and some cash in the little pockets. She is having a little get away with her roommate and I thought she might get to do some shopping.

Oh and here’s my Christmas cards.  I did not use my belief in “better late than never” here, they were all made and delivered by mid-December.

Gift Card Holders

Recently I wanted to say thank you to a couple of people and thought a Starbucks card was a great way to do so.  I used this tutorial to make the gift card holders.  It is so easy and you can decorate it anyway you like.  I have used it numerous times.

And Kenny received one with a Birthday check inside:

It makes gift giving easy and still unique!