Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Sharing Our Spoons Week #8



Sharing Our Spoons is a weekly link-up for those of us with chronic illnesses where we support and encourage each other in a holistic way by focusing on five goals each week. The five goal areas are: Physical, Mental/Emotional, Spiritual, Something fun, and BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone each week. We'll be linking up on Tuesdays. We'd love to have you join us.



My Goals From Week 7:
1. Physical: Continue working on getting to bed before midnight every night.
Ugh, did crappy on this again this week. Egads! Will be working on this again this next week.

2. Mental/Emotional: Continue knitting on my sweater.
It's going really well plus I cast on a surprise for my niece Lola for her upcoming birthday in September.

3. Spiritual: Continue reading/journaling What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith.
Only 1 chapter this week. Making progress though.

4. Something fun: Take felted bag class at the yarn shop.
It was fun! Plus, the local newspaper came and took photos during the class for an article they ran about the Ravelry / United States Olympic Committee (USOC) brouhaha that happened at the end of last week. Here's a link if you want to read it & see Damaris (in the background of one picture) and me (in two of the pictures): http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/jun/24/olympic-letter-leaves-knitters-including-those-a/

5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week: Continue working on plans to open an Etsy shop - Finish knitting pattern I started on and knit up another pattern.
I didn't make as much progress on this as I had hoped. I'm about 60% through with the first pattern.



My Week 8 Goals:
1. Physical: Continue working on getting to bed before midnight every night.
2. Mental/Emotional: Continue knitting on my sweater & Lola's gift.
3. Spiritual: Continue reading/journaling What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith.
4. Something fun: Take two at a time toe up sock class at the yarn shop.
5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week: Continue working on plans to open an Etsy shop - Finish knitting pattern I started on and knit up another pattern.

Your turn! Link up with Jamee here. You can also join the Facebook Sharing Our Spoons group by clicking here.
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Sunday, June 24, 2012

A Prayer for Today



Keeper of our lives,
you know the hardness and gentleness of human hearts.
You call your people to faithful living.
Through the storms of life
that bring suffering and fear, joy and laughter,
teach us to turn to you for all we need,
so that we may come to know your presence
even in the midst of the trials that surround us.
Amen.

shalom signature



Prayer & Image Credit

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Sharing Our Spoons Week #7



Sharing Our Spoons is a weekly link-up for those of us with chronic illnesses where we support and encourage each other in a holistic way by focusing on five goals each week. The five goal areas are: Physical, Mental/Emotional, Spiritual, Something fun, and BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone each week. We'll be linking up on Tuesdays. We'd love to have you join us.



My Goals From Week 6:
1. Physical: Continue working on getting to bed before midnight every night.
Things didn't go so well with this. I had bad insomnia one night. Need to work on this again this week.

2. Mental/Emotional: Continue knitting on my sweater as well as working on the sample afghan for the shop.
Had to rip out 10 rows of my sweater because of a mistake I made. Boo :( Restarting the sample afghan with a new yarn because the yarn I was using we decided wasn't going to work for the shop. Not a problem because I like the new yarn much better and I'm learning new techniques.

3. Spiritual: Begin reading/journaling What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith.
2 chapters down.

4. Something fun: Celebrate Worldwide Knit in Public Day and Yarnies first anniversary on Saturday.
Had great fun!

5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week: Continue working on plans to open an Etsy shop - start nailing down patterns.
Figured out 3 patterns. Started knitting 1 of them. Knitted another of them for myself and need to knit it for the shop.



My Week 7 Goals:
1. Physical: Continue working on getting to bed before midnight every night.
2. Mental/Emotional: Continue knitting on my sweater.
3. Spiritual: Continue reading/journaling What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith.
4. Something fun: Take felted bag class at the yarn shop.
5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week: Continue working on plans to open an Etsy shop - Finish knitting pattern I started on and knit up another pattern.

Your turn! Link up with Jamee here. You can also join the Facebook Sharing Our Spoons group by clicking here.
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Sunday, June 17, 2012

A Prayer for Today



Mighty God,
to you belong the mysteries of the universe.
You transform shepherds into kings,
the smallest seeds into magnificent trees,
and hardened hearts into loving ones.
Bless us with your life-giving Spirit,
re-create us in your image,
and shape us to your purposes,
through Jesus Christ.
Amen.

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Prayer & Image Credit

Friday, June 15, 2012

Path



Linking up today with Five Minute Friday where you write for 5 minutes about the word for today and then publish without editing or perfecting.

Today's word:
PATH

Start

One foot in front of the other.
One step at a time.
Seeing only a few steps ahead of me.
Not knowing where the path will end.

Where will this journey take me?
How will this walkabout end?
Without a map,
without a plan,
should I stop, should I go,
so many questions.

But as I keep on walking,
those steps before and behind become clear
I may not know what the end of the path looks like,
but I am content until then.

Because, you see, I am learning,
having a map is not required
because, you see, more than having that knowledge,
what is important is how I walk,
how I travel,
how I continue to put one foot in front of the other,
this journey is not about the destination,
because, you see, the destination is the journey.

Stop

Path of Pink Splendor

What about you? What do you have to say about path in 5 minutes? If you link up, let me know. I'd love to read your post.


Image Credit

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Knitting and Fibromyalgia

I posted this photo yesterday on Instagram (I'm cc_almon if you want to follow me).


For me, knitting truly is a gift. I began knitting back in 2005. I had always wanted to learn so I finally purchased one of those teach yourself to knit kits and dived in. Since then, I've knitted a gazillion afghans, scarves, baby blankets, hats, etc. I eventually taught Damaris how to knit and she has made some amazing pieces in the last year or so.

Knitting has been with me through some difficult times, through grief, through pain, through stress, through illness. Knitting has become such a part of my life that I'm rarely without a project sitting next to me or in my bag.

Knitting is part of the rhythm of my life, as the needles make their clacking sound, as one stitch after another is formed, as the yarn wraps around the needle, as a finished piece appears.

Breathing out frustration, breathing in calm,
breathing out pain, breathing in relief,
breathing out tension, breathing in peace.

As my health has gotten worse in the last couple of years, I've had people wonder how I continue to knit. But, how can I not continue to knit?
Yes, at times it is painful.
Yes, at times it is difficult.
But more times than not, the calm and relief and peace that I experience as I knit outweighs the pain.

I'd be lost without knitting. It has moved from a mere hobby to being an integral aspect of my life.

So I keep the rhythm going, as the needles make their clacking sound, as one stitch after another is formed, as the yarn wraps around the needle, as a finished piece appears.
Breathing out frustration, breathing in calm,
breathing out pain, breathing in relief,
breathing out tension, breathing in peace.

Shalom.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Sharing Our Spoons Week #6



Sharing Our Spoons is a weekly link-up for those of us with chronic illnesses where we support and encourage each other in a holistic way by focusing on five goals each week. The five goal areas are: Physical, Mental/Emotional, Spiritual, Something fun, and BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone each week. We'll be linking up on Tuesdays. We'd love to have you join us.



My Goals From Week 5:
1. Physical: Work on getting to bed before midnight every night.
6 times out of 7. Not too bad. And the other time, I was only a few minutes late. Need to keep working on this though.

2. Mental/Emotional: Continue knitting on my sweater as well as working on the sample afghan for the shop.
Making good progress on my sweater - working on the waist shaping. Finished square #2 of the afghan & square #3 is about 80% done.

3. Spiritual: Continue reading/journaling You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be - last 3 chapters this week.
Done!

4. Something fun: Have something fun planned but can't share because someone might see this. I'll share what we did next week.
Damaris finished 7th grade on Wednesday so I surprised her by taking her to the beauty college for pedicures.

5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week: Continue working on plans to open an Etsy shop.
Banner design is done, created a Twitter account & Facebook page.



My Week 6 Goals:
1. Physical: Continue working on getting to bed before midnight every night.
2. Mental/Emotional: Continue knitting on my sweater as well as working on the sample afghan for the shop.
3. Spiritual: Begin reading/journaling What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith.
4. Something fun: Celebrate Worldwide Knit in Public Day and Yarnies first anniversary on Saturday.
5. BONUS: One thing to get you out of your comfort zone a week: Continue working on plans to open an Etsy shop - start nailing down patterns.

Your turn! Our host Jamee from A New Kind of Normal is out of commission this week so if you are Sharing Our Spoons, make sure and tweet your link with the #sos hashtag so we can find each other. You can also join the Facebook Sharing Our Spoons group by clicking here.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Prayer for Today



Creator God,
you call us to love and serve you
with body, mind, and spirit
through loving your creation
and our sisters and brothers.
Open our hearts in compassion
and receive these petitions
on behalf of the needs of the church and the world.
Holy One,
hear our prayers and make us faithful stewards
of the fragile bounty of this earth
so that we may be entrusted with the riches of heaven.
Amen.





Prayer & Image Credit

Friday, June 8, 2012

Expectation



Linking up today with Five Minute Friday where you write for 5 minutes about the word for today and then publish without editing or perfecting.

Today's word:
EXPECTATION

Start

So oppressive,
expectations can be.
"I'm not good enough."
"I'll never live up to his expectations."
"I'm a failure."
"No one likes me."

Wanting to please,
a true people pleaser I am
but the more people I try to please
the more trapped I feel.

But the one who made me
who created me in his perfect image
is the only one
who I serve.

His expectations are the ones that matter
as I live out his plan, his purpose for me.

Now that doesn't mean that I never do for others
or that I never do my best.

But that yucky feeling of never being good enough
is gently falling away
layer by layer
as I learn and remember over and over again
that I'm already enough
that I'm already amazing
that I'm already loved
that I'm already chosen
that I'm already whole.

And so day by day,
I lay those expectations that hurt me, that harm me, that cause so much pain
I lay them aside
Some days I forget
but he is there to remind me, to hold me, to love me
so that I make his expectations of me the ones that truly matter.

Stop

Heart on the Beach

What about you? What do you have to say about expectation in 5 minutes? If you link up, let me know. I'd love to read your post.


Image Credit

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Goodbye 7th grade! Hello 8th grade!


(Photos from beginning of 7th grade in August & the end of 7th grade celebrated today with a pedicure)

It seems like just yesterday
she was a babe in my arms.
She began by learning her ABC's & 123's
just a drop in the bucket of her current studies.
Goodnight Moon and Dr. Seuss
up on a shelf, they're no longer in use.
They have gone away & been replaced
Harry & Hermione & Lucy are now embraced.
Writing stories, imagining what it might be like
if she were The Doctor's companion, she'd never go on strike.
The days pass so quickly
a college grad before we know it!
Goodbye 7th grade! Hello 8th grade!

So proud of you Damaris!
Love,
Mamma

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Pinterest Project #4 - Effortless French Manicure

Can't believe this is our 4th month doing a Pinterest project! Here's what I pinned on my Inspired board.

It linked to this Pop Cosmo post about doing an effortless french manicure.

You begin by applying a clear base coat to your nails and letting it completely dry. Honestly, this was the worst part because we were ready to get on to the next step and the waiting was no fun!

Next, you apply those little reinforcement stickers that you use to fix a torn hole of a piece of notebook or 3-hole punched paper. Make sure you press the stickers down well so they don't lift up mid-manicure. The first time I did it, I put the stickers up too far and ended up with very little area to paint. The second time, I put them down further (well below the "white" part of my nail) and it worked so much better. This picture is from the second time.


Then you paint 2 thin coats of whatever color you choose. From our 3 attempts (my 2 & Damaris' 1), we discovered that a darker or bright color works best.


More waiting until the polish is completely dry. Then remove the stickers and apply a clear top coat. And abracadabra, you have an effortless french manicure.

Here's mine (from the 2nd time around):


And here's Damaris':


We had fun doing this and it was much cheaper than going to the nail salon for a french manicure. The reinforcement stickers were around $3.50 for 180 of them (so 18 french manicures!!!!!!). Until next time,