Lemonade Award

I got my first blog award on Thanksgiving week. Barb at Southern Dining Diva gave me the Lemonade Award. It is an award for those who show great attitude and/or gratitude on their blogs. I am guessing it is called Lemonade because of the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

Here's the cute award:

I know I am not always positive. But I do try to be encouraging. I think if I am not at least somewhat open, I present an untrue picture of myself and life.

I think it is discouraging when I read blogs where someone appears to be perfect and have a perfect life all of the time.

And make crafts and good food and take walks and have sheer, crisply starched curtains billowing in the breeze at the windows while trendy soothing music plays.

And babies play at her feet as she knits -- after homeschooling kids who always have happy hearts and are good artists.

Even though she has never had a professional pedicure and doesn't need time to herself outside of reading the latest quilting magazine and decorating her home and preparing gourmet meals to the delight of her ALWAYS adoring husband.

It's the comparison thing I talk about in my "Why But I Had A Tiara" post on my sidebar. I get that feeling that I just can't measure up.

Well, because I can't.

So I hope that is my little bit of encouragement to you -- don't compare yourself to what you read here or on anyone else's blog. You are only seeing what you are shown. And we don't like to broadcast our shortcomings and struggles as much as the happy things and the things we do have a handle on (even if we don't, it's not that hard to make it sound like we do!).

If you think for a minute that I have my act together, you are deceived:)

I am supposed to pass this award along. I am just so happy that I know TWO women who have been miraculously healed in the past month of serious sickness. How many times do you hear of THAT? They have had hearts trusting God through it all.

I asked for prayer for Elizabeth a few weeks ago. She is my friend from church and our small group ("House Church") who I got to know at Women of Faith. I want to make sure you read her update on her blog "Elizabeth Embracing Life". She was HEALED and it is documented in medical records! She is a mother of five, and was looking at horrible treatment but she was trusting in the Lord all along.

Deena is another lady whose blog, "Can I Be Pretty In Pink?" , I read regularly. I was initially attracted to her blog because of the little bird on her header. But, boy! I have been blessed by her spirit and grace as she has walked through serious, life-threatening cancer.

I'd like to give this award to these two ladies. Because when life gave them lemons, they not only made lemonade, but they looked around to see who might want some.

And I hope they will pass it on.

You ladies bless me.

Thank you Barb for the sweet award, my very first one. It will also remind me for the future how powerful our words are.

Pink Chocolate

I have to say I can't believe it.

I appreciate each beautiful sunrise, each flutter of a delicate bird's wings as they fly past my admiring eyes, or when I see one of my babies do something precious (or, for you Donna, when I see "Sunlashes":). I believe these are all miracles and I expect them, fully believing they are each a thought-out and specific gift to me from The Creator. He knows what I love, even more than I do.

It's not that I don't expect He will send miracles, so much as it is feeling like I have many lessons to learn, and some will require painful losses to register and to embed all of the learning...

If you know me personally, it is likely you know that I love vintage jewelry. It is so unique - history walking through life on someone's lapel or neck or whatever. I love to think about the story of the original owners of pieces. I like to try to think of the economic trends at the times they were made and contemplate if it was a sacrificial purchase for a treasured someone, or if it was an incidental "no skin off my back" token. Who bought it? Why? Who was it for? Where are they now?

I have pieces from several eras. I go for pieces that I will enjoy wearing, not a certain brand or year. I have no desire to have a drawer or jewelry box full of dusty items just so I can say I have them or collect them. They are for wearing and enjoying.

Of course I have my favorites, like everyone does with their clothing and jewelry. One of the pieces I love is a brooch. It is speculated to be from the late 1800's but I have not had it confirmed.I would guess later, maybe 20's or 30's, but I am by no means an expert. I fondly call it my "Pink Barnacle Pin". I bought it several years ago from a lady back east, a collector selling off her collection, from whom I have acquired several pieces. I won't bore you with details of how it looks as you will see a picture below. I think you will know why it reminds me of barnacles.

With a little one, I don't wear brooches often at this season of my life. But this morning I wore it to church on the lapel of my pink jacket.

I was hot during church, in the Cry Room where I sat with my little boy. And I took my jacket off.

When church was over I picked up my jacket to put it back on. I caught a glimpse of the Pink Barnacle Pin and glanced appreciatively over it's tiny pink barnacles, each with a little rhinestone in it's tip. All 16 of them. Screech. Halt... 15 of them!!! 15 of them??? Oh no. OH NO!!

One little barnacle is missing.Very little.




The problem with unique vintage jewelry? You cannot get missing components replaced.

My husband came in about then and we searched. I rehearsed where I'd been. Oh no.

I wore it to the Women Of Faith Conference yesterday at the Rose Garden Arena.This is the big arena in Portland. Think NBA. And, in my efforts to meet Mandisa and Nicole C. Mullen, I walked around quite a bit. In fact, I was wearing this brooch when I met them both.

I figure it is lost forever.

I do touch briefly in my memory on my high school days when I find a diamond chip that has fallen out of a small ring I had, after playing basketball in the school gym. My friend Julie's wedding ring got lost in the ocean on her honeymoon and a young boy found it. My 100 year old friend told me about a lady who lost her ring in the outhouse at church once and, many years later it was found on the church property.

I know of a few stories. But I figure the Rose Garden Arena is not a location where my tiny pink barnacle will be found. I say "Okay God. That's okay. It's just a thing. It was fun to have. I will paint that spot pink so it won't be too noticeable and I will still wear it. I am thankful for what I do have. My family is healthy"...blah, blah, blah. You all know what I said because you've said it yourself a hundred times.

Fast forward six hours or so.

I had been snuggling with my baby but come downstairs as I need to get to a few things. Little Mister stays upstairs to watch "amnimals". I am now in my kitchen starting some clean up for the week and trying to get the house pretty enough to photograph for my post on the 15th for Deena's Autumn Open House.

My baby comes downstairs, handing something toward me saying "totluht (chocolate) mama".

In his chubby little fingers, being clutched clumsily,

is something very tiny...

and pink.

Not believing it, I run upstairs to see which remaining barnacle he picked off of the brooch. There are still 15.

My two year old child found my barnacle.

Instead of doing what most two year olds, including him, would normally do and putting it in his mouth, he obediently brought it to me to ask if he could eat it. For all I knew, it was at the Rose Garden Arena. I never would have known to check for it if he ate it. You KNOW what I mean.

He was met with squeals of delight -- and a piece of chocolate from Daddy's last Europe trip.

Yes, son. You may have THIS chocolate!

(Here he is with his famous cheesy grin -- and his "totluht")



Thank you God, that You care about me, even in my silly feminine ways --- and you care about my pink barnacle too, and are going to let me enjoy each piece of it awhile longer (after I take it to a professional for repair).


(Sorry the pictures aren't a little better, but you get the idea. I will try to get a better picture tomorrow.)