A BIG HIT
So, the red fabric panels were big hit on Pentecost Sunday!!!!!!!!
Yeehaw!! So many comments on the color and life they brought to the sanctuary!
I still have to shorten them 6 inches. But I admit, Wow! They looked great!
One parishioner asked me just this morning where they were purchased and/or who donated them. I told her I made them!
Not too hard to measure and hem up the sides of a piece of fabric.
Doing a banner, well, that takes a vision far greater than mine and drawing abilities, which I missed out on when heaven was giving away talent in that area.
Sighhh...of all the things I've most wished for was the ability to draw and paint.
Alas, I was given only the ability to appreciate the work of others. However, every artist needs an appreciative audience so I at least I can enjoy what others have created.
Because the fabric panels went over so well, I found some green batik material and will make green panels to leave up for longer periods of time during Ordinary Time.
I will be on the hunt for some purple fabric for Lent. And I suppose that means the fabric I had in mind for the Easter season which is stashed away in our cave of a basement should be brought to light.
Looks like I have a few more hours of measuring, pinning and sewing before me this summer!! At least this minor artistic endeavor I can manage!!!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
As Seen Over at Will Smama:
Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Getting Ready for Pentecost
Wow! One of my elders put up two long skinny banners that I feverishly sewed up last week. They hang on either side of the altar on the wall in this long skinny space. The church is all off-white so these red panels now pop! It was a pretty cool fabric at the Mega Store - red and orange mottled sort of tie dye with multi-colored threads running the length of it. The multi thread lines had blue, yellow, green, purple -some colors you can see in a fire. However, most folks will be sitting too far away to really see that.
I had to shorten the panels by 13 inches (ripping out seams I doublestitched to reinforce). Now I see there are still 6 1/2 inches too long - but a whole lot better than they were. They also could be 2 inches wider.
How in the world can measurements taken in December and carefully written down, change over the winter months? I am baffled!
Well, anyway, they are as they are at this point, and still look really great.
The hope is that if the feedback is positive - we'll make a couple other colored panels and perhaps, the Spirit will lead us into making proper banners with material and not felt with glued on felt!!!
Am praying the Spirit will spur us on to greater and better fabric panels and banners!!!
May the inspiration and encouragement of God's own Spirit be especially with you this day and the days to follow!
Wow! One of my elders put up two long skinny banners that I feverishly sewed up last week. They hang on either side of the altar on the wall in this long skinny space. The church is all off-white so these red panels now pop! It was a pretty cool fabric at the Mega Store - red and orange mottled sort of tie dye with multi-colored threads running the length of it. The multi thread lines had blue, yellow, green, purple -some colors you can see in a fire. However, most folks will be sitting too far away to really see that.
I had to shorten the panels by 13 inches (ripping out seams I doublestitched to reinforce). Now I see there are still 6 1/2 inches too long - but a whole lot better than they were. They also could be 2 inches wider.
How in the world can measurements taken in December and carefully written down, change over the winter months? I am baffled!
Well, anyway, they are as they are at this point, and still look really great.
The hope is that if the feedback is positive - we'll make a couple other colored panels and perhaps, the Spirit will lead us into making proper banners with material and not felt with glued on felt!!!
Am praying the Spirit will spur us on to greater and better fabric panels and banners!!!
May the inspiration and encouragement of God's own Spirit be especially with you this day and the days to follow!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
What Do You Do With...
The phone rings for the umpteenth time and it's yet another solicitation call from some Christian company. It's amazing how often they are never upfront with who they are and what they are trying to sell you. Enough, I say enough!
When they ask for the pastor, I press them about what it is regarding. Some get huffy at that. Today there was one about the Pastor's outreach list. I again asked what their call was regarding. "It's about our service..." Yaa, it's about selling us a product or service. It's not about the Pastor's outreach list. They weren't too happy with me so I hope they don't call us again!!
Other companies want to send you boxes of items to sell as a youth group or other fund raiser. However, you still have to pay for all the items whether they sell or not. How about the previewing materials? It's all free, as long as send the items back before a very limited time. At least you can look first, before shelling out wads of cash.
Anyone else ever get bothered by all these solicitation calls?
I suppose it wouldn't bother me so much if they were just upfront about things instead of beating around the bush and telling me something is free when it really isn't, or that they really are selling something.
Recently, I received a mailing for Pastor Barbie. Maybe LH should become Ken. And we could put together a cutesy act and take it on the road. Ohhh, that was already done by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker!!!!
The phone rings for the umpteenth time and it's yet another solicitation call from some Christian company. It's amazing how often they are never upfront with who they are and what they are trying to sell you. Enough, I say enough!
When they ask for the pastor, I press them about what it is regarding. Some get huffy at that. Today there was one about the Pastor's outreach list. I again asked what their call was regarding. "It's about our service..." Yaa, it's about selling us a product or service. It's not about the Pastor's outreach list. They weren't too happy with me so I hope they don't call us again!!
Other companies want to send you boxes of items to sell as a youth group or other fund raiser. However, you still have to pay for all the items whether they sell or not. How about the previewing materials? It's all free, as long as send the items back before a very limited time. At least you can look first, before shelling out wads of cash.
Anyone else ever get bothered by all these solicitation calls?
I suppose it wouldn't bother me so much if they were just upfront about things instead of beating around the bush and telling me something is free when it really isn't, or that they really are selling something.
Recently, I received a mailing for Pastor Barbie. Maybe LH should become Ken. And we could put together a cutesy act and take it on the road. Ohhh, that was already done by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker!!!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
FRIDAY FIVE: PoTaToo - PoTahTo EDITION
There are two types of people in the world; morning people andn ightowls, Red Sox or Yankee fans, boxers or briefs. Or people who divide the world into two types of people and those who don't. Let your preference be known here. And if you're feeling verbose, defend your choices!
1. MAC? (woo-hoo!) or PC (boo!):
PC started with it, stuck with it.
2. Pizza; Chicago style luscious hearty goodness or New York floppy and flacid?
Not even a question! A native Chicagoan who loves the luscious hearty goodness.
You can take your NY style outta here!!!! Best are Gino's East, Edwardo's
stuffed spinach pizza ( a sem favorite), and Lou Malnati's.
3.Brownies/fudge containing nuts:
a)Good. I like the variation in texture.
I'm a nut and like nuts; hazelnuts, walnuts, in my brownies and fudge.
b) An abomination unto the Lord. The nuts take up valuable chocolate space.
4. Do you hang your toilet paper so the "tail"hands flush with the wall or over the
top of the roll like normal people do?
Over the top. Just a whole lot easier to access, change, etc. And this from one
who grew up with the "tail" flush with the wall. Change is possible!!!
5. Toothpaste: Do you squeeze the tube wantonly in the middle or squeeze from the
bottom and flatten as you go, just like the tube instructs?
Swiss like things neat, so from the bottow and flatten as I go.
Bonus: Share your favorite either/or?
Pie or Cake?
Only if it's bumbleberry or French silk chocolate cream pie.
There are two types of people in the world; morning people andn ightowls, Red Sox or Yankee fans, boxers or briefs. Or people who divide the world into two types of people and those who don't. Let your preference be known here. And if you're feeling verbose, defend your choices!
1. MAC? (woo-hoo!) or PC (boo!):
PC started with it, stuck with it.
2. Pizza; Chicago style luscious hearty goodness or New York floppy and flacid?
Not even a question! A native Chicagoan who loves the luscious hearty goodness.
You can take your NY style outta here!!!! Best are Gino's East, Edwardo's
stuffed spinach pizza ( a sem favorite), and Lou Malnati's.
3.Brownies/fudge containing nuts:
a)Good. I like the variation in texture.
I'm a nut and like nuts; hazelnuts, walnuts, in my brownies and fudge.
b) An abomination unto the Lord. The nuts take up valuable chocolate space.
4. Do you hang your toilet paper so the "tail"hands flush with the wall or over the
top of the roll like normal people do?
Over the top. Just a whole lot easier to access, change, etc. And this from one
who grew up with the "tail" flush with the wall. Change is possible!!!
5. Toothpaste: Do you squeeze the tube wantonly in the middle or squeeze from the
bottom and flatten as you go, just like the tube instructs?
Swiss like things neat, so from the bottow and flatten as I go.
Bonus: Share your favorite either/or?
Pie or Cake?
Only if it's bumbleberry or French silk chocolate cream pie.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
My Day Off
Friday was my day off and after grocery shopping and filling the gas tank, I came home to tackle the one job, Maree, our invisible maid, will not do - windows!
It was a gorgeous day, bright with sunshine and not too hot. Our windows and glass sliding door were spotted with dried up rain drops and marred with doggie nose tracings, so much so, you could hardly get a good view. I like cleaning windows in spring, especially after getting the recipe for the best window cleaner ever at one church I served.
I gather up old newspapers and my homemade window cleaner and I spray and rub until, WOW, when it looks like there's no window there at all. Everything looks more vibrant, clean with a clarity that opens your eyes. The house seems more expansive, as if everything has opened up along with the budding leaves on the trees. It's as though you can breathe more easily and deeply with a freshness only Spring can bring.
And you take in the spaciousness of creation that opens your soul.
Along with the windows, it's as if, in the rubbing and wiping away the grime of winter, I have been rubbed clean as well, made new in this season of Easter when God is making all things new. Now I can perceive it!!
What is God rubbing and cleaning away from your soul, life or spirit in order to welcome God's expansive love and spacious grace so that you can perceive the new things, new life God is bringing to you?
This is a spring ritual that opens me to welcome all that God longs to bring me in the coming months.
Friday was my day off and after grocery shopping and filling the gas tank, I came home to tackle the one job, Maree, our invisible maid, will not do - windows!
It was a gorgeous day, bright with sunshine and not too hot. Our windows and glass sliding door were spotted with dried up rain drops and marred with doggie nose tracings, so much so, you could hardly get a good view. I like cleaning windows in spring, especially after getting the recipe for the best window cleaner ever at one church I served.
I gather up old newspapers and my homemade window cleaner and I spray and rub until, WOW, when it looks like there's no window there at all. Everything looks more vibrant, clean with a clarity that opens your eyes. The house seems more expansive, as if everything has opened up along with the budding leaves on the trees. It's as though you can breathe more easily and deeply with a freshness only Spring can bring.
And you take in the spaciousness of creation that opens your soul.
Along with the windows, it's as if, in the rubbing and wiping away the grime of winter, I have been rubbed clean as well, made new in this season of Easter when God is making all things new. Now I can perceive it!!
What is God rubbing and cleaning away from your soul, life or spirit in order to welcome God's expansive love and spacious grace so that you can perceive the new things, new life God is bringing to you?
This is a spring ritual that opens me to welcome all that God longs to bring me in the coming months.
Monday, May 07, 2007
BEN'S BIRTHDAY
Hard to believe that Ben turned 9 last week (May 2nd). Sweet, gentle Ben. I keep telling him not to turn too old too soon. After nine years, he' still afraid of loud noises, things that fall on the kitchen floor, shirts on the clothesline flapping in the wind, raised voices, and of course, those colorful four-letter words - he knows them all. Sure makes you wonder how those idiot trainers must have yelled at him with those awful 4-letter words all the time. After nine years of never being yelled at, Ben still has not forgotten. He is the sweetest greyhound ever, gentle and humble of heart. He teaches me to be more gentle. For all he lacks in courage he makes up for in utter sweetness. Ben would never hurt a fly. He doesn't demand although he will lean on you 'til you near fall over and he'll glue himself to your thigh.
Lately, because Jett is the confident, prima dona, rascally rapscallion, and demander of attention, Ben has been a bit more forward to get equal time and attention for hugs and rubs. Ben still defers to Jett to be the first through the door.
So Ben is now a senior citizen greyhound and even the backs of ears are turning white.
I wish dogs wouldn't get old so fast. But I am grateful and thankful that we share our home, hearts and couches with them. And that when Ben crosses Rainbow Bridge, we'll welcome another grey into our lives and gave that new grey a second chance at life.
Hard to believe that Ben turned 9 last week (May 2nd). Sweet, gentle Ben. I keep telling him not to turn too old too soon. After nine years, he' still afraid of loud noises, things that fall on the kitchen floor, shirts on the clothesline flapping in the wind, raised voices, and of course, those colorful four-letter words - he knows them all. Sure makes you wonder how those idiot trainers must have yelled at him with those awful 4-letter words all the time. After nine years of never being yelled at, Ben still has not forgotten. He is the sweetest greyhound ever, gentle and humble of heart. He teaches me to be more gentle. For all he lacks in courage he makes up for in utter sweetness. Ben would never hurt a fly. He doesn't demand although he will lean on you 'til you near fall over and he'll glue himself to your thigh.
Lately, because Jett is the confident, prima dona, rascally rapscallion, and demander of attention, Ben has been a bit more forward to get equal time and attention for hugs and rubs. Ben still defers to Jett to be the first through the door.
So Ben is now a senior citizen greyhound and even the backs of ears are turning white.
I wish dogs wouldn't get old so fast. But I am grateful and thankful that we share our home, hearts and couches with them. And that when Ben crosses Rainbow Bridge, we'll welcome another grey into our lives and gave that new grey a second chance at life.
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