Thursday, September 29, 2011

Blessed to be busy

Busy, busy, busy.  In the last week or so I have accomplished more than I would normally get done in an entire month (if I was feeling good that is).  Sometimes in the pressure of having lots to do in a little time we forget to remember the joy of service and the blessing of  having the stamina to accomplice what needs to be done.  I captured some of what I have done on my camera, but most of what I have done just doesn't show. 
 I've been washing the dog every 2-3 days due to his skin infection coming back.  This is done on a 70# dog with a water resistant coat.  Since it is medicated shampoo; it stays on for an minimum of 10 minutes.  then it is rinsed and lotion applied while he is still wet.  I then I have to bleach all his bedding and his harness.  It really is a big deal and a lot of work
Then Laura had to move with her family and start all over, so I went through all of my basic things (towels, dishes, beds, bedding, dressers, shelves and just about anything and everything you could possibly need). I found what i could but that also meant the dresser, desk and shelves had to be emptied and those things contained therein had to find new homes around our  house.  Her boys now are sleeping on the beds Laura used when she was little and they have a dresser and desk that Laura also used.  I then looked at thrift shops to gather what I could there.  Next came Wal-mart  and Amazon.  Her brothers drove up to her new home and delivered what we had gathered.  I've also been gardening in the morning while it is cool.  Since Laura wants some houseplants, I have been trimming my container gardens and rooting the trimmings on my kitchen window sill.  I also got my winter greens area of my garden ready to plant tomorrow.  I've also replanted some of my herbs so they are ready to come inside when we start to get frosts.
I also made up some photos and printed them on magnetic paper to send to the people who I visit from church.  I put my name and phone # on them so, if they ever wanted or needs to call me, it would be right there on their fridge.The thing i am most proud of is on the collage at the top.  Last year our church's women's organization made totes and filled them with personal products for the local women's shelter.  I found then that I really loved making totes and designing not just the look but designing them to suit a specific purpose.  When I saw a swap of A Tote and a Note on Swapbot; I jumped at the chance to participate.  I really enjoyed this swap and designed this just for my assigned swap buddy.  She does cross stitch so I designed the tote to fit.  It was large enough to hold a good sized hoop and project book or magazine, but was narrow enough to hold it upright.  I included pockets on the inside and out with some long enough for scissors and rulers.  I added a clear pencil case so that the threads could be stored and seen there.  I also added hooks so the case could easily be taken out and some other hooks to hang things like things like keys on.  All this was done with scraps and leftovers from other projects.
Swapbot has been real good for me, allowing me to be creative in multiple ways and I am learning to meet deadlines.  If I am ever to go back to school or start my own business this is definitely a skill I need to develop.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing what I have been up to.

Enjoy
☺☺☺Johnina☺☺☺

1 comment:

ann @ studiohyde said...

You certainly have been VERY busy...it made me feel worn out - don't know how you have managed to pack so much into your life. Love the look of your photos on magnetic paper too, very clever. all the best, ann.