So Long 2017

 Hello friends!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas,

celebrating our Savior's birth!

We enjoyed a really nice candlelight service and Communion on 

Christmas eve; then 

Our kids all came Christmas day.

It was fun watching our little Blakelea open presents this year.

-Seeing the wonder on her face; is something I hope to always remember.

The day after Christmas my husband and I both came down with the  flu.  

That was pretty rough.

It's really going around!

Anyways; here are now.. on the eve of a brand new year!

Yesterday I got the mood to take the decorations down.

If the mood strikes; I go with it because while decorating is fun;

undecorating is not so much.   

It looks so barren without the tree now.  

I did keep a few snow themed things out- 

We've been aching for some snow; so 

I made a little winter wonderland on the olde hoosier.

 I keep finding  myself stopping in front of it and smiling. 

It reminds me so much of our week get away in Montana.

It was just the two of us and one spoiled fox that visited every night

begging for leftovers.  

We had no wifi... no tv... no phone service. 

It was like sheer heaven on earth.  

After getting all the Christmas decorations taken down-

I've been finishing up old journals and preparing for all the things starting in January.

 Today I completed this book documenting my faith. 

One whole year full of scriptures written every day and lessons learned ...

prayers written... -- this book means so much to me now.  

Thought I'd flip through and share a few favorite pages:

 This is a tip in that I'd stamped and watercolored. 

 This page was when I'd recorded Phil 4:8 and on the back of the tip in

is hidden journaling.  Those what if's that happen to me at night... get replaced 

with the whatsoevers.  

 This page reminds me to just go with it when I feel like

sketching something...    no matter what.  

 This was a scripture picture I'd made that when I printed it;

some of the words got hacked off.  Pictures like this work great in 

art journaling.  

 This was a little sketch pondering 2017's  olw

illuminate.  

 This page was just a magazine picture journaled with a white pen.  

I so often forget to use my white signo gel pen.  

 This was a scripture picture this past year that has my new

olw in it.  

WALK.  

I've known for a while now that walk would be my word.  

To walk in the Spirit, in love, in truth... etc 

 This week I received my goodies from My intent with my word on them.

This little token will get strung on my planner this year.  

 This bracelet ... I can hardly wait to wear.  

I've been saving it for tomorrow.  :)

 Once again I signed up to olw at Ali Edwards OLW 2018 

Last year I didn't follow all the prompts but now I want to!

 Been getting my books ready and preparing for all the things 

I signed up for and am participating in.  

 This past year I ordered this Chic Sparrow and had 

Walk In Faith engraved on the front. 

At that time I had no idea walk would be my word.  

Funny how things "happen." 

 Usually this time of year I peruse the isles at all the stores looking for a wall calendar I love. 

It's tradition you know?  

Having a mechanics shop we get lots of car ones sent to us but ... I like a pretty one!  

So far the only pretty calendar I have is one for my Plan book.

This insert book is hand painted by Peggy at Journal Creations.  

She even did my name inside the cover in gold! 

I'll so enjoy carrying that book around all year! 

 Tonight I'm be writing down my goals 

both for January and the whole year.  

No resolutions though-- ... no no no!

Instead; ... dreams.  

I'm looking at life very different these days.  

I'll share more about it as time goes on.  

In fact; I'd like to start sharing a lot more here at the potting shed.  

Shorter posts; I promise but a lot more often.  

 One of the things I want for 2018 is to 

create every day.

Art journaling, sketching, watercoloring... anything!

No rules.  

You may be wondering why I'm sharing a diary from 2017- 

well it's one that didn't get used.  

A flow diary unused!  

So... this will be a redeemed art journal.  

I hope to share it often. 

 Some of you may remember that a few years back I was a Grama to three littles.  

Unfortunately a divorce shattered our family and we lost those kids that 

we loved with open arms.  The little girl was around 6 years old and we 

art journaled together.  We had matching pink moleskine journals and 

would cut pictures we liked from magazines and  glued  them into our little books.

It was so fun.  It was messy and I've  forgotten how much I enjoyed adding things like that 

in my art journals.    

 Myguy just happened to get me this paper lovers book for Christmas so I'll 

be using lots of pages from it.  If you've not delved into a flow book... 

I would encourage you to give them a look see.  :)  

 Aside from that... I'm jumping back into the world of 

fauxbonichi.  I didn't get a real hobonichi this year so will be 

making do with this blank book.  The idea is to takephotos on your phone through the  day.

Then  at bedtime...  pick a photo  from the day to  sketch on a page.  

This book ... all that white - goodness; I just can't wait to start the first page.   

  

 Along with the new year comes a new study:

Discerning the Voice of God.  

Anyone else starting?

For Christmas I was gifted this beautiful dear Diary

from my good friend and adopted sister Jean.  

This book is beautiful inside and out and through it I discovered the world 

of Wrendale Designs.  

If you've never heard of them... you are in for a treat indeed!

 New art classes are also starting.  

One I recently started taught how to make little garden prayer flags and I used the inspirations

from it to make this little banner in my art porch.  

It has all my one little words on it.  

 Heart

 Perspective

 True

 Illuminate

And now "walk."  

Before finishing up this tag, I looked through a box of ephemera my 

Mentor Cora had given me before she went to heaven.  

On a book page I found these words together:  want time to walk.  

I just knew there would be something in that box.  

Cora would say, "Lea you need to put feet to your faith."  

Now faith!  

(man I miss her) 

Well in other news and 

totally off topic but what the heck; it's New Years eve afterall.  

What blogpost would be complete without sharing your  pet chicken?

I know; I know; ... welcome to my world.  

Yes it's true.  And not only is she/he (I'm believing for a she) but

she's living in our bedroom.  

This poor little frizzle chick- more of a frazzle than frizzle hatched with

about 6 others and was doing so well.  Except since she's frazzled she's missing

lots of feathers.  One day I walked to the coop and there she was covered in blood.  

I thought something got in there somehow... until I witnessed another chicklet

pecking her behind and dining on "chicken"  I scooped this poor thing up

and I know it hurt terribly just touching her at all.  But I had to get her out.  

I made a bed in a carrier for her and have kept her in our room for days now.  

This afternoon I felt so sorry for her being alone and cooped up (sorry no pun intended.)

I carried her out to the greenhouse and let her hang out in there for the afternoon.  

Next picture is pretty gross if you don't want to see... you might want to stop here.  

But if you're curious... here she is...

She's healing up... just quite naked.  

She enjoyed the  whole afternoon around flowers and succulents  and is now 

back in our bedroom in her crate.  I expect she's going to become 

quite a pet.  I hope the barn gets done soon because our bedroom is 

taking on quite a poultry parfume.  

I cropped the photo above and made this scripture picture with her unique feathers and

the pink bloom behind her.   

It's going to be my anchor verse for the year.  

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."  Isaiah 30:21

Feel free to use and share it if you like!  

#sharethelove

If any of you choose a word or anchor verse... or have a resolution feel free to share

in the comments.  If you have any questions about any of the books I shared feel free to drop me a message.  I'll do my best to reply.  

I want to thank all of you for sharing your time with me this past year.

For your friendships and prayers and 

journeying along with me.  

I'm so grateful for YOU.   

Happy New year everyone!  

May God bless you richly in 2018.

Leaon Mary