A Few Small Things and Scripture Picture

A few small things from my week that brought joy

and made me smile... 

... the very first ripe peaches from 

Blakelea's tree.  

This special tree was planted 

for our grandgirl after she was born. 

 Walking past moss roses and seeing 

this  gold star.  

 Smelling a wafty, sweet perfume and 

discovering it's the stargazer lilies... blooming their purdy lil heads off.

-Another gift that Trent gave me long, long ago. 

 Watering and turning free our incarcerated pumpkin plants... 

Seeing these big strong leaves; I can already taste 

the punkin pie and bread.  

 doorknobs n bloomstiks.  

I had  never grown this type of sunflower before;

it was a seed pack gift from a friend! 

 And then there is 

this!!!!!!!!!!!

Eeeeek... I lovelovelove finding hearts in nature.  

If you make it bigger you can even see the cute lil nibbles.

After putting the chickens to bed last night I was walking through 

the garden back to the house and leaving the raspberry isle it registered 

what I'd just seen.  I turned around and sure enough... 

a critter chewed the cutest heart.  

I ran inside to find my phone and went back to get the photo before

something messed it up. haha  

When I got back inside I thought, "Now whyyy did I just leave it there?

So I went back again and carefully grabbed the cluster and 

put it safely inside a book to dry.  

When the day comes that I want to use it for a stencil... but ...I can't remember 

where my safe place was...

could someone please remind me that it's in the old Draper's Self Culture book

on page: 211?  lol  

Thanks! 

I sign off tonight with a scripture picture made using the 

strawberry jar from my sweet Mama.  

"But now, O LORD, you re our Father; we are the clay, and You are our Potter; we are all the work of Your hand."  Isaiah 64:8 

Feel free to use and share it if you like... 

#sharethelove

New Reads For Lent and Shared Things

Hi friends!

That big and beautiful, brown truck stopped by, so I   

thought I'd share what it dropped off at the door:  

 -Two new books that I chose to start through Lent this season and I'm so excited about them.
This one:  Bread and Wine is alot like the Advent book called Watch For The Light.   I read the first day's entry and had to stop myself... - I love it!   

I'm not cracking it open again until Ash Wednesday.   

Also this....!!!

I'll  be art journaling through Lent again and this.... "The Art of Lent" 

is so beautiful and inspiring... -- I look forward to using it along with the other book.  

The art photos inside are  just awesome... --I did a flip thru like a deck of cards... but set it aside.   I so want it all to be fresh and new  so the two 

won't be cracked open anymore until we begin Lent.  

   

Now it's time to figure out what book to art journal  Lent inside??  Recently I bought a thick Readers Digest. The pages are sewn in, so it will be easier to remove some... we'll see how that goes. Books like that are a dollar or under  at the second hand stores here.   

So far, I've no plan  ... and no plans for prompts.    

Instead I just hope to go through these books day to day and 

see what happens.   ... thoughts, feelings, and include maybe some  photos of some of the days?  

Or else.. paint, markers, watercolor, collage,... 

It'll be fun to just be creative through it all.   

Before signing off, I want to share something  that happened this week-- ...

I was scrolling Facebook one day  and to my surprise

came across a photo some other group  had posted.  

Someone had made  a cute collage of pictures from Pinterest and one of my
photos was a small piece of the collage.
One "small" part of another part, of another part, of another part...
This collage had soooo many shares.
 One little old picture.
Never ceases to amaze me how we connect to others when we simply share something.
- when we use and share our gifts and talents no matter how
small the thing might seem to us.
When we do that... there are  ripples.

Like today;  I read a testimony a gal shared about their house
burning down and everything burned to the slab...but her bible did not!
I cried reading about her story...
tears just a streaming.
Something terrible happened and yet her faith remained strong.
Her sharing it... touched my heart to crying  and strengthens my faith too.
As I look deep across the span of this day... so many things  shared
between others... has blessed me.  Like a city mouse from Brentwood sharing  about Julian of Norwich.  I  share it with a Scottish lassie and she heads for the Julian centre...  amazing really.    Sometimes shares spark  in ways so different than you'd even think or imagine. Like hearing about one thing makes you think of a person from your past maybe... - even giving you a deeper appreciation for that person or what you learned from them long long ago.  Maybe you'll call them, or write them... all because someone shared something totally different that sparked this beautiful thing.
Or maybe a song someone shares .. and listening to it- maybe it gives you that bit of courage
you really needed in that moment.  Often we learn something new ... even learn new words
we've never heard before.
Art, and pictures can inspire us or a recipe can have you branching out to trying something you've never eaten before.  Shared stories of kindness can inspire you to open your heart wider and its
contagious coz all of a sudden you want to do something kind too.
Sometimes just a  shared smile or nod to a stranger can make all the difference.
Someone's kind words can literally  fill your pockets full of joy. 

   One never knows....
the ripples

  

  

Day 14 Gratitudes, Watercolor Play

 Hello friends,

So yesterday was the last day of prompts for my little Love Book.  

Valentines day seemed the perfect day for it and part of 

me doesn't want it to end.  

Good thing I have shelves of old books to start something new.   

 Yesterday's prompt was gratitude.  

As I think  of all the things I'm so grateful for..

the loves in my life- well; it makes me rather emotional.  

It was easy to just write ... and give thanks.  

This heart is very full.  

The night before Valentines day we went to our grand daughter's house

to leave her a valentine.  When we went inside she ran into my arms 

and clung to me so tight.  The love I felt was ... incredible to say the very least!  

When we had to leave she even cried.  Oh what a tug it was!  

I journal this memory with absolute gratitude.  

I need to write them in the book I keep for her as well.  

-- so all the prompts are finished now but I still have three or 

four pages left.  

What to do with them? ...

 I'd ordered this little set of watercolors called

Hopeless Romantic from Alchemy Soul Arts, 

and they came yesterday!  

This afternoon I got  to play with them.  

 This set will be great for skin tones for me.  

 I made some doodles and 

blew out the color.  I set them out to dry and 

this evening will add to them.  

  At the flea market, I recently found a couple vintage butterpats.  

They may find their way to Blake's mud kitchen this summer but

until then they work great for mixing.  

When I finish these little watercolors, I think I'll cut them apart and 

add to my final pages.  

Last but not least is this!!!!!!!!!! 

My sweet, dear friend Susie sent me the most amazing book of my childhood 

hometown.   She also made  a homemade

valentine! ...  The valentine and a copy of this  photo has to go 

into my book as well.  This is the old Catholic church and her Momma 

thinks the church was added onto.  It's where I was confirmed!

So while the church looked different when I was little... this old  church

may be within the walls.  Isn't that something?  

I have such strong feelings and memories about this place. 

The priest was very dear to me and I can still hear him singing

I've got that Joy joy joy joy down in my heart.  

I had no idea the seeds that were being planted inside of me then...

but I do now!  

So I will tuck this photo into my special book.  

 After this evening it will be finished.  

She's chunky and chock full of love.  

I leave yall with a new scripture picture.  

These are my valentine roses from Myguy and I'd love to share with you.  

Feel free to print them and share.  

Thanks for visiting me today!

Day Ten I love this medicine....

I love.... 

to laugh. 

Especially the giddy, completely inappropriate kind.  

Often it happens when it's sure NOT the place to laugh.  

But you and usually someone else 

arc this charge that flatout explodes 

into uncontrollable 

bursts of ...the giggles.

You try to stop... 

you force yourself to breathe but

again it rolls out in tears and snorts

and hilarious 

bahas.  

Before you know it --you're roaring.. 

and others are too and by the time you catch your breath.. 

no one really even knows 

what was so funny????

Who knows??... but sure feels awesome.     

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:

 but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

The Surprise On My Walk and Day Four

 Hello friends,

Some of you may remember that we've gotten back into raising a few cows.  

Holding onto them has been quite a struggle with the drought last Summer.  

Hay is so high around here; not to mention.. scarce.  

It's been a miracle that we've not had to sell anything yet.  

When we started back in - we had all heifers and a bull.  

This one crazy heifer we call Popeye because her right eye has always been huge

and she's blind on that side.  Anyways she didn't get bred when the others did and 

so we missed a whole year on her.  We knew she was getting close though now and yesterday

when I went for my walk ... look what I walked up on!  She'd just had it!

Best part was the baby was up n goin.  Love when things work out like that!

Myguy had to work all day so I'm so glad it didn't have to be pulled.  

 It was 70 degrees here too- what a great day to have a baby.  

 In the afternoon I walked back down there and Popeye  was just a doting on her.

I just love hearing those momma moo's when they're sweet talkin

their new baby.  Reminds me when I had our first son and I didn't know 

what I was doing.  I'd talk to him kinda like a new momma moo cow.  

"Are you okay?... Momma loves you.. are you wet?  Are you hungry?

I love you... I really really do... 

Have I said I love you?  

Ohhh you're so cute... I really love you!!!

You Mommas know the drill.  

Today's prompt:

Day 4 -- A love connection.

A love connection to me is the bigger picture that we can't see?

You know how you take a road trip maybe and go into several states.  

All those houses you pass on the road... all the cars... all those people?  

Everywhere you go moment to moment you see all these people living out their own

journey and story.  Then imagine all the other countries in the world...

it's all so ..what's the word for big; that is "that" ginormous?  

My small little mind can't find a word.   

-- Then think of all the people from the first memory you have from a child..

across the timeline of your beautiful little life?  

Relatives, friends, acquaintances, every person you've ever had any contact with at all.  

To me it's like we're all dots connecting into God's big beautiful story and plan.

So that's what my expression is today in my journal. 

It's all a love connection.

Dot to dot.  We're all dots.  

I look at it and it is not what I'd like it to look like exactly ... 

but it's alright.   

Thought I'd leave yall with a scripture picture that came to be from my 

reading this morning.  I can't remember if I have written anything about them here or

not but we have a couple miniature horses.   Blue is the bald faced boy on the left and Fiona

is the mare on the right.  Blue's eye became a little photo shoot 

for the scripture picture  below. 

His eyeliner always looks just right.  

I heard a sermon on this and this verse really got me.  

Feel free to keep and share if you like it.  

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.  Do not be like the horse or mule which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you."  Psalm 32: 8-9

Until we meet again,

#sharethelove #itsallaboutthelove

The Word and Prayer Ink Sprayed

 Good morning from the potting shed. 

This morning I found myself reading about a man who had two sons.

After reading my lesson, I wondered what would happen if I wrote it out 

on coffee stained paper in the pink glitz ink.  

In an art class I took last year we used hand written papers sprayed with water in collage.

It smears beautifully if you don't use a permanent ink and when cut up and collaged it creates

a really pretty effect.    

 So I grabbed a few papers and wrote from my bible. 

 As I wrote... I found myself flipping back to Deuteronomy.  

I remember Deut 6:5 was once my anchor verse, so I 

penned a heart to maybe use in the next two weeks.  

When I sprayed it... it really really smeared.  In one part of the paper the

coffee and ink ran and created almost a watercolor affect.  

I think that one little piece will definitely go in the love book.  

No one else will know what was written there... but I will.  

 I love brown ink ... anything sepia or  coffee colored .. or mulchy  makes me happy so

I grabbed two regular sheets of copy paper; just the cheap walmart stuff and a brown pen  and flipped

my bible to Psalm 139 and wrote the whole thing out.  I mean cmon... if  Psalm 139 doesn't

ooze love I don't know what does.  The last part of my paper turned into my prayer.  

When finished, I grabbed my water spray bottle and gave it a light spray.  

I kind of love it.  It's drying now and is goin  in the basket I shared to pull from.  

Before signing off today, I thought I'd share my advent art journal from  this year.

The cover was real plain so I painted it.  I didn't know it at the time

but we ended up having a big ole Christmas moon too so the book means even more to me now.  

Don't think I'll paint the cover on this next one  but who knows?  Anything can happen.

So I leave you today with 

some pooh love... 

Over the summer, my Michelle colored a heart on Blakeleas picnic 

table with pink chalk.  When they left I took this photo.  

She'd also left a love note in chalk on the privacy fence that day. 

You never know later when pics like that can turn into a scripture picture

or note from you know...  Winnie the pooh?  

Feel free to print and share the love.

#itsallaboutthelove 

#sharethelove  

xoxo 

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