A Girl in a Pink Dress

Finally spring is here.

Prom is coming!

Who will I go with?

I cannot wait!!

A date for prom with a good friend.

No pressure if I go with my friend, Ben.

It will be fun.

Laughing, laughing, laughing.

A pink dress bought and ordered in Austin.

The dress comes in.

Let's go try it on.

It fits perfectly.

Where will we eat on prom night?

My date knows someone at Navajo Grill.

He arranges a special dinner.

Exciting.

Who will we go with?

Lance and Jill are going to prom.

Please go eat with us?

Now we have four in our group.

I go with Ben to order the tux.

We need just the right color of pink for the vest and tie.

 We have to match!

The tux is ordered, now we wait.

What will we do after prom?

I am not going to a drinking party.

Can we come to the house, Mom?

Of course. What food do we need?

I have to order his flower.

I hate the word boutonniere.

A pink rose with silver ribbon trim.

It will look perfect with his tux.

Aunt Donna, are you coming down?

I need you to help me get ready.

Ticket bought.

It will be a short trip.

Friends invited for the "after" party.

No alcohol.

Swimming pool is ready.

Fire pit is ready to make s'mores.

The big day arrives.

Go with Jill to get our nails done.

Go with Jill to get our hair done.

Hers is long and curly, mine is in a curly "up-do".

Time to get our dresses on.

What jewelry should I wear?

Cameras start clicking.

Got to meet the other girls for "girl" photos.

Ben arrives. He looks so handsome.

All the parents arrive to drop off food and take photos.

Smile. Smile. Smile.

I am getting so hot taking all of these photos.

Drive to hotel for additional photos. 

Stand on the stairs. 

Now by these shrubs. 

My face hurts from smiling so much.

Hug everyone goodbye. 

I love you all. 

Get in the big truck with Dad's help.

We drive away while I blow kisses.  



Change of Direction

Fourteen years ago,

God changed the direction of my life.

A friend asked me to take a Community Ed class.

We went to the class preview and decided a quilting class would be fun.

If one class is good, two would be awesome.

We signed up.

We bought fabric.

We bought supplies.

What is a cutting mat?

What is a rotary cutter?

Why is this ruler so big?

A 1/4 inch piecing foot; that is not very big.

Scissors, neutral thread, needles, sewing machine.

Get up early (groan).

Go to class.

Learn how to cut fabric the quilters way.

Learn how to sew strips.

Learn how to re-cut and make the quilt blocks.

This is so exciting.

My first quilt blocks.

I was hooked.

I stayed up late at night.

I got up early, went to work and then came home.

I fed my family, put the kids to bed and then back to sewing.

All I could think about was quilting.

 

I took some fabric, cut it up, sewed it,

cut it up again, resewed it and then I had a quilt top.

I added batting, a backing and then
did the most awful job of sewing it together.
Finally I finished the first quilt. 

Oh my gosh, I made a quilt!

I laid the quilt on the floor and then rolled up in it.

I really made a quilt.

By now I really wanted to quilt all the time. 

My poor husband.

I talked to him about quitting work.

We have a huge mortgage payment.

We have a lot of bills.

Eventually we got a plan together.

We decided I would quit work.

We move move to a smaller town.

We would buy a smaller house.

We would use my retirement to pay down on the new house.

We would adjust and live on one salary.

It took us about a year.

That is another whole story!

Now how does God fit into all of this?

Well I had been searching for meaning in my life.

The quilting ignited a passion I had never felt.

I assumed this was God trying to get my attention.

We moved to Fredericksburg.

I started quilting all the time.

God again directed me to start a quilting ministry at my church.

I was really stepping out there now.

A corporate career woman starting a quilting ministry.

That was eight years ago.

Our quilt group does baptism and confirmation quilts

for our church kids.

We also make quilts for the hospital.

The hospital uses these quilts when a family loses a child.

I give God all the credit for helping me find my way.

I never expected to be able to serve God in such a way.

When I look back at my story, it reignites my passion. 

I am reminded that God can use all of us for his glory.

He can even take some fabric and thread
and turn it into something life changing.  

Hot Water

It is morning.
I stand in the shower.
The hot water refreshes my mind and body.

It is lunchtime.
I stand at the sink in the kitchen
The hot water cleanses the breakfast dishes.

It is afternoon.
I go outside to water the flowerbeds.
The water streams hot from the garden hose.

It is evening.
I sit in the living room listening to the laughter.
The hot water washes away the dirt from playing.

Oh hot water,
You refresh, you clean, you nourish.
Thank you hot water.

Focus

What is my focus?

Some days I feel so good.

Are those the days I am focused on God?

Other days I feel so blah.

Are those the days I am focused on my problems, frustrations, everyday worries?

Where does my focus go?

It seems like my focus is almost like the weather.

Some days it is so bright it almost blinds me.

Some days it is so foggy I cannot see it no matter how hard I look.

Some days it is covered in rain. Wet. Soggy. Miserable.

Some days are just average. Not too cold, not too hot.

Why does my focus come and go?

The painful truth is that I am human.

I try, I succeed.

I try, I fail.

I try again. 

As I get older, I wish it were easier. 

I wish my worries wouldn't overshadow my joy. 

I wish my dread of the kids moving out, wouldn't stop me in my tracks.

I wish I could sing and dance and laugh all day, every day.

My real focus should be God.

I should give Him my worries and dread.

If I did that every day would I be able to sing and dance and laugh?

Would my foggy days be clearer?

Would my rainy days be brighter?

Would my average days be extraordinary?

Focus on God.

Everyday.

Every way.

Focus.

The Battle of Coffee vs. Writing

She walked to the kitchen for coffee.

She sat on the couch with her phone.

She checked Facebook.

Nothing new there.

She checked her text messages.

Her sister was at the doctor for her annual exam. Yuck.

She read her email.

Her women’s devotion was really good today.

She sent it to a friend who needed encouragement.

More coffee.

Oh, the sun was finally out.

She walked to the backyard to check the flowers.

It was still too early in the year to see much progress.

She pulled a few weeds.

She sat by the pool and listened to the fountains gurgle.

More coffee.

She knew it was time to settle down and write.

What did she do with her notebook?

It was not on her desk.

It was not in her sewing room.

Why was it in her closet?

Where is that piece of paper where she jotted down her idea?

More coffee.

The cat meowed.

The poor thing needed food.

Why can’t the kids feed the animals?

She walked to the utility room and scooped out some cat food.

Oh, better feed the dog, too.

More coffee.

The phone rang.

Dad has news about Mimi.

The tests determined she needed more medication.

She sends up a prayer.

It is time. Focus. Come on, write just one sentence.

She wrote: She walked to the kitchen for coffee.

Green

Grass

Tickles my feet

Wet from the dew

Smells fresh after it is cut

Ow! a sticker

Car

Dark and shiny

Leather interior

Smells new

Uses so much gas

 Leaves

Glow from the sun

Litter the ground

Blow in the wind

Shade the yard

Jello

Squishy and cold

Tastes like limes

Makes my tummy feel better

Melts in my mouth

Moss

Hides behind the tree

A good place to sit

Cool to the touch

Do fairies live here?

Pool Floatie

Scratches my skin

Holds me up in the pool

Shoots water a long way

Perfect on a hot day

St. Patricks Day

Leprechauns

Don't get pinched

Are you wearing green?

Do green panties count?

Morning

The wind chimes sing on my back porch.

The cat cuddles at my feet.

I snuggle under the blanket in my chair.

I sip my coffee. Oh, it tastes so good.

The ceiling fan clicks as it goes round and round.

The sun is still hiding behind the clouds.

The dog next door barks.

I imagine he is running, searching for a cat to chase.

I say my prayers, like when I was a child.

God bless Quentin, God bless Avery, God bless Ashlyn.

Please give me peace today.

Thank you for my family.

Thank you for my talents and help me use them to your service.

Thank you.

Amen.

The wind chimes have finished their solo.

The cat kisses my nose.

The blanket has gotten too warm.

Wow, where did all of the coffee go?

The ceiling fan clicks as it goes round and round.

I see the sun. Should I come out to play?

The dog has stopped barking.

His naptime has come early today.