You can always count on your family to give you new gray hairs on a regular basis.  No need to look for a place to learn about how to become stronger and better at being who God called you to be.

Listening is so important!!!!  I just read in the book "The Art of Loving" by Eric Fromm, that when we do not listen well to the other person, we tire easily, but if we DO listen, we are not exhausted and even sleep better.
I look at my grandson and my swells with hope and gratitude.  I love to just watch him as he goes about my house discovering what he can get into.  He's ALL boy!
What a gift!
Even though he isn't talking (he's only 11 months old), he has a lot to say.  He can fill me with so much joy, just with his big grins.
Everything gets put on hold when he comes to visit!

Meet George

Meet George the newbie. He's a year old and this is as big as he gets. Nancy (the big horse) is not quite thrilled with him yet, but I'm hoping she will adopt him into her heart as she has in the past with other animals. It's been about a month now and George is still getting in trouble now and then. Nancy makes a sound like a dinosaur which I find upsetting, but I guess she knows what she is doing. Meanwhile, Elle and I have been working on some new paintings and experimenting with paint and sewing machine combos. I'm not sure where I'm going with this lamp on blue jean material tho!

Binky on my lampstand

Table tops are Mount Everest conquered everything, anything must be moved (by him or me) put him down to crawl, pointing him in the direction of places less adventurous, which doesn't work for longer than 15 seconds. Wilma and Fred's BamBam comes to mind. So, when he goes home, I yell "Timber!" and crash. Next morning over coffee I see his forgotten binky. I think to myself, what a treasure God has given me! The most costly interior decor could never light a candle to that binky of my lampstand. Blessed be my little Henry♥

Hearts Opened and Lessons Learned

April 25, 2012 - Our Lady's Message to Her children: "Dear Children, Also today I am calling you to prayer and may your heart, little children, open towards God as a flower opens towards the warmth of the sun. I am with you and I intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to My call." Our Lady has answered my prayer for a couple young people who were on the brink of disaster. She pulled them back from the edge of heartache. I see so much good that has come out of this recent struggle. My faith is stronger and I love more deeply. Praised be Jesus!

Trust, trust, trust, Home, home, home

The older I get, the easier it seems to be content, however, maintaining peace in my heart is tricky, especially when the phone rings and all of a sudden my sweet, peaceful morning spent painting goes kaput. To watch loved ones who are younger and trying hard to make it in their chosen lives, take a hard fall, robs me of my peace. Having to watch someone you desperately love suffer is one of life's most intense emotional pains. How do we survive each others turmoils? No wonder so many suffer alone because we don't want to upset anyone. We become isolated. Like that lone lost sheep Jesus goes after. I try to remember that Jesus is close to the brokenhearted. He hears their cries. This reassures me and I truly believe. However, my body is slow to grasp these words of Truth. I notice this by the fact that I'm not breathing, I can't eat and I feel my entire body slowing down, almost to stone. The Lord has said many times not to fear, but to trust. Okay, He said this so it must be possible not to fear, think the worse, croak under the pressure of exaggerated anxiety. I remember our priest speaking about Our Lady at the foot of the cross, how she must have recalled all the things in the past that God did, so that now, faced with this unspeakable pain, she was able to reassure herself that God is real, He is with her. Maybe she recalled how she became with child in the first place........"yes, that really happened via God", she may have thought. "Yes, my Son will rise again, I believe". Did she instantly feel fabulous? No. It takes time and that reminds me, "Wait, wait upon the Lord." I think back on times when I thought my world was coming to an end only to find out that it was a new beginning, much better than I could have ever imagined. Trust, trust, trust. Stand firm, keep faith! My loved ones belong to God. Period. And, could it be that the rough road they have to travel is the very road necessary for their redemption? I bet it is. Sometimes we have to get out of the way and let God drive. In this one Litany, it says, "Mother of Risk". I understood that when I faced my son's death. When we love someone, they are out there walking around with our heart. A couple weeks ago, I was praying hard for this person and I reminded the Lord that they were walking around with my heart and I understood Him to say, "And Mine." Difficulties pass just as great times pass. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Heaven and accept the trials here below as gifts because how could God let us suffer if it wasn't necessary for our sanctification and to get us to Heaven? I'm a blessed soul, for I totally believe God and His Word. No doubt whatsoever in my mind, heart, body or soul. I completely believe and yet, I have fear issues. I'm praying for the ability to keep my imagination under control and in the realm of facts! Trust, trust, trust. Home, home, home. That's what my dad said when a nurse asked him how his Thanksgiving went. He was in a nursing facility at the time and was able to go home for the holiday. These words have stuck with me these past 12 years. They direct me. Trust God and keep eternity (home) in mind, always.

HUSBANDS, BABIES & LENT

Each year for Lent I try to learn a lesson that is intended for me. I have no idea what it is at first, but usually I get the message from seeing, hearing or reading the same thing here, there and everywhere, until I finally GET IT! Last year's challenge was to speak softly, gently and slowly and not to speak more than necessary. This was wonderful as it gave me a key to become a better listener and allowed silence to become a good companion. I became aware of how much sarcasm there was in my speaking and how much there is in television, etc. This world is a glut of sarcasm and people trying to be funny. This year? it's about relinquishing my private time/space when asked, without hesitation or resentment, but to give it freely as God directs. Let it go! So far, so good. I'm learning that when my private time is interrupted I can answer that call with a loving heart. It doesn't mean I'll say yes to every request, rather, it means to respond in truth which is sometimes a no. Either way, if I'm following God's lead, I have peace and a bit of excitement to share whatever it is He sent my way, with Him. Having a retired husband around all the time and me being a hermit like creature, meant I needed help to respond to this life change with goodness. Point being, ask God for help and be prepared not only to listen for instructions, but see how much better life goes when you are doing what God wants you to do. Also, it keeps one in the present moment. I do get time to paint and the painting seems twice as enjoyable as it used to. I make better use of my time I guess, again, another lesson. This morning as I was praying in front of Our Lady's statue I heard in my heart the word, "believe". Believe in Her messages: forgiveness, conversion, prayer from the heart, firm faith, peace, penance, Holy Mass, message of hope and love. I was encouraged to believe that the messages Our Lady has given us are a definite remedy. To believe is to try to live them in every circumstance. PEACE

Thoughts from the Art Room Window

Snowy days are such a treat if you are lucky enough to be able to stay indoors, in your art room with peace and quiet as your closest companions! With or without snow, this is the first time in weeks/months that I've had a couple hours to call my own. Lots of time and energy go to my number one priority: family. But today, I had some time for painting and made a few still lifes in acrylic, pen and ink, pencil and gold marker. Ah, such fun! I see a color scheme, for example, in an old quilt at an antique store, then I pull some color swatches from my Benjamin and Moore case and try to duplicate them using basic colors in acrylic. Once this is done, I start to work on an interior sketch, put that to canvas or board and then decorate with my color scheme. I love putting together an idea, it's my favorite part of any project whether it be sewing or painting. To see a beautiful sunset then think about how those colors would work in a still life gets my creativity stirring. All this takes time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, it's only a fraction of what is involved. Much of a day could be spent on practicing drawing a chair, or an eye or a shoe. Time is zapped in so many different ways. Even getting my blog updated is a major challenge (I'm not complaining, just whining).l Sadly, sometimes life takes our energy and time because of enduring a loss. I lost my beloved sheep, Betty this past December. I miss her terribly! I had her for 11 years. She was a companion to my horse whom I worry will become depressed. I now spend more time in the barn keeping my horse company and trying to figure out if I should get another sheep for her to mother. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my wonderful grandson Henry is coming for a visit. I've so much to be grateful for! Speaking of being grateful, here is Our Lady's message of January 2, 2012: "Dear Children, As with motherly concern I look in your hearts, in them I see pain and suffering; I see a wounded past and an incessant search; I see My children who desire to be happy but do not know how. Open yourselves to the father. That is the way to happiness, the way by which I desire to lead you. God the Father never leaves His children alone, especially not in pain and despair. When you comprehend and accept this, you will be happy. Your search will end, you will love and you will not be afraid. Your life will be hope and truth which is My Son. I implore you, pray for those whom my Son has chosen. Do not judge because you will all be judged."