The Blessing Tree

Do you ever just take a minute and just count your blessings? I think it's a wonderful practice. Corrie ten Boom was one who could make a blessing out of a commandment and I've always been in awe at how people see that glass as half full, when I view it as half empty.

In the blessing loop, I was just blessed by a visit from my husbands family. How on earth they stuck it out at my house for 5 days of toddler chaos and 106` heat, I will never know, but they walked out (rather briskly now that I think about it) to catch their plane (...oh maybe that's it) on two legs and upright. So I guess that's a good sign that they made it through the week none the worse for wear.

I am always blessed by my online buddies, and a conversation with Judy sparked a memory of when I was 4 years old. I had one grandma, my mother's mother, and she lived in Arkansas, and we lived in Los Angeles. So we would go back to see her every summer when I was a kid up until about when I was 12 years or so then I just don't remember if we visited that often or not. We would drive accross country.

It would take us about 4 or 5 days I think, my memory is a little foggy. We didn't have airconditioning and we would drive through the deserts at night in Nevada, Arizona and Texas. We would get a big block of ice and put it in the car to try to cool it down, my dad would dip a wash cloth in the melted water and try to cool off with it, I don't know how we did it all those years ago. We had a coup.

It would be pitch black and they would have the radio on. I remember Doris Day singing Che Serah Serah and I would just sing along at the top of my lungs in the pitch black desert in that car. I'm lucky they didn't pull over. But I do remember desert stars, the sky is filled with them suspended in mid air. There were always a lot of turtles on the road. And the biggest bugs that you have ever seen in your life!!! Or maybe I was a itty bitty kiddo, and it all just looked bigger. I don't know.



In my snoopings and ramblings I found a really nice poem/song from Amy Grant that she wrote about her grandmother. Find complete here: http://www.amygrant.com/amysblog.htm. Its a wonderful story that inspired this;

We sowed our seeds. Watered with tears. Waiting for signs of growth.

Took months of days and then took years.

We took our steps. We took our falls.

Somewhere along the way we just got lost and we lost it all.

Nothing ventured nothing gained. The risk of living is the pain.

And what will be will be anyway.

Oh, it's better not to know the way it's gonna go.

What will die and what will grow? It's better not to know.

Those tiny stems became these trees.

With dirt and storms and sun and air to breathe.

Like you and me.

And some fell down and some grew tall and those surviving twenty winter thaws

Have the sweetest fruit of all.

But innocence and planting day are both long gone. So much has changed.

And if we got to do it all again ...

Oh it's better not to know...

(Amy Grant)

Take a look at the canopy of blessing words overhanging my house. I hope you allow your self a handful today!

Caribbean nights, blue skies, and calm seas

A Bajan Speaks

Welcome to my home, my island, my paradise
and share the sunshine, the flowers and the rain
walk with me along our glorious beaches
and your heart will say come again, come again.

Listen with me to the surf upon the shore
whispering stories of far distant lands
and see the flash of green at sunset
that tells you, you are safely in his hands.

Smell the myriad tiny blossoms of the frangipani tree
and hear the birds greet you as you go
feel the soft warm breeze surround you that makes the red blossoms wave a glad hello.

There is fruit in all abundance piled high upon our carts
and peace beyond understanding for the world weary heart
Join us in our worship, sing a joyous song
clasp our hands together and my world can not go wrong.

And when you leave, if leave you must, take with you my prayer
that your travels may be peaceful and free from worldly care,
and that one day you will come again to greet me as a friend
then my island will embrace you and hold you till the end.
H.Hargreaves

Thanks to: http://www.barbados.org/poetry/bajanspk.htm
Photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/videoal/160357182/

Dreams of Barbados... http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28638746

Beaded necklace in boho style with a tropical twist, this super long piece will meet you at the bar for Caribbean Jerk Shrimp With Melon Salsa.

It’s square blue art glass beads have interesting mini dots in an assortment of earth colors sharing beading wire with super serine, ultra blue, cats eye glass beads mixed with an assortment of bead elements from the earth, red and blue ceramic, fired ceramic metal glazed, opalescent fired golden glass beads, and mellowed out with a thoughtful silver repeater.


82 inches long, wear single strand to your navel, wrap it once and equal for an opera length, wrap it once short at the neck for a choker/long look, wrap it three times for an impact choker, wrap wrap wrap it around your wrist, this is pure drama. This piece will satisfy for any look.

Caribbean Jerk Shrimp With Melon Salsa
http://www.recipezaar.com/caribbean-jerk-shrimp-with-melon-salsa-373620

Cards For Heroes Christmas Challenge. Yes you heard me right!!! Christmas challenge...

"I was raised with passive patriotism. Stand up for the national anthem. Say the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school. Barbecue on the Fourth of July. Put a troop-support bumper sticker on your car, and be grateful for heroes, at least from a distance."

So begins an article found in The Federal Way Mirror,a newspaper serving the residents of the city of Federal Way, Washington. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/fwm/opinion/letters/51040622.html

This article was written by Sandy Allnock the founder of Cards for Heroes, and in the article she describes her journey, starting from one funky box sent to a deployed soldier, then finding that 2 short years later, she has started something that is turning into a major outreach type of link for Americans who are waking up to the fact that freedom comes with a price, and we want to thank those who are paying that price.

Click that link and read her story, she is just an awesome lady.


Cards for Heroes is just my cup of tea. I find myself in good company, I love to hang with an artsy crowd, and even though my cards are those of a rank amateur I was embraced and even applauded at our last blogathon. I garnerned 127 comments, I blush. but that just goes to show you what a great group of carders this is. I once again am blessed to participate with them again.


Which brings me to my point...shameful and long winded aren't I...

It's time to saddle up again...
saddle up those reindeer, get ready to ride!!!

Time to suit up...red suit that is, the one with the floppy hat and the white fluffy ball at the end.

The challenge has been issued and with it comes rewards...hmmmm...sounds suspiciously like the Christmas legend, the challenge: be good...the reward: presents under the tree from that fat jolly old elf.

Well our challenge is to make some Christmas cards and send them to Cards for Heroes. Here's the link: http://cardsforheroes.org/challenges/ We are also having a mini blog hop which makes me so excited, I can't wait to see everybody's cards that they have made. It is such a huge amount of creativity-so much fun. And let me not forget, there is a reward!! Submit some cards and your name will be entered into a drawing for a craft box loaded with carding stuff.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas...

So I have posted my humble creations in this post and want to invite you to make a snow angel or two, and have a cup of virtual hot chocolate with me as you make your own blessings to be sent to a soldier. Merry Christmas everybody!!