Celebrate our failures

                               My first attempt *ever* at water color flowers.

 "We need to own our failures, celebrate them, share them, and learn from them" ~ Margy Malan from Green Renaissance video "Make Mistakes - Abandon your 'Perfect Life'" Oct 2, 2019 

Celebrate our failures? Most of us want to forget our failures. 

I am learning there is wisdom in my failures. 

How would I know that using a double acting baking soda will make my gluten-free biscuits rise? Guess how I know. Because I have used regular baking soda that wasn't fresh. Ooops. 

 I have longed to start a project and make it "just so" when I start. Then failure to meet my vision sets me back. 

 Ms. Margy teaches me a new perspective. Celebrate it! Woo hoo! It didn't turn out, now...what did I learn from that...and go forward. 

 Don't stew in it. Don't give up. It's in the trying again that we succeed just a little bit better than last time. 

 There is an old saying from when we lived in Okinawa many moons ago...7 times fall down, 8 times get up. 

 Have a blessed day!

Letters from the heart

  

   

Old fashioned Homemakers postcards found at an antique shop. "Drop a line", "What's cooking here", "Between pressing issues" are some of the sweet quotes.

Fun stickers to decorate envelopes!

 Hello Ladies~

Today I want to share the lovely art of letter writing. Some of you may already do this, and some may not or have not learned the skills. This is something we can keep alive in this time of technology. Technology is helpful, but it is so thoughtful to write letters and take a few moments for  phone calls. 

Please keep this close to your heart - people still need to know you take the time just for them. Even if just 5 minutes to write a note. 

Something to brighten their mailbox.

I try to write at least one letter a couple times a month. Usually to my dear cousin, sometimes my sweet grandchildren (they are so delighted at this) and sometimes to a homemaking friend I have met here, blogging.

National letter writing day is December 7th, but I have learned there is also National letter writing to an Elder and a Day of Letter writing. How fun that we have so many opportunities!

When writing a letter, the traditional way is to date the top left corner. Then comes the salutation: Dear Lisa, or Hello Mr. Snicklefritz. 

Writing thoughts or questions are always nice and show concern: "I hope my note finds you well" or "How are you doing since we last spoke?" 

Ideas for writing? You may think "what do I write about I talk to her all the time" or " we email/text daily". This is the time to write from the heart. Those lovely things that don't get shared when sending a one sentence text. Or 3 sentence email.

How's your homemaking decorating? Have you had new ideas you want to share? Maybe you want her ideas for new front door decorations? What projects are you working on? What have you participated in that you enjoyed? Have you taken and "adventures" like a drive through the country? Did you finally get to a to-do project and you feel grateful for. 

It's my humble opinion to stay clear from negative and opinionated statements about somebody. You want your letter to be sharing about YOU, not gossip of what someone else has done.

Something that Amy from On the Journey does, which I love, is break up the page into various portions. You can see a picture of what I am describing by going to her blog and looking at her "Snail Mail" link at the bottom of her posts. 

She usually has a quote or scripture written at the top and various tips or ideas written in various ways. Maybe even a quote that your friend will find very uplifting or a reminder of how much they are loved. 

Lydia and HomeLiving has done letter writing in the past and has a post about it on her blog. As well as Mrs. Sherman. 

My book of months with dates and sweet cards I find at antique shops and thrift stores.

                           

My book I have that I keep cards in shows how me what birthdays are coming up or anniversaries so I can make sure to have them stocked. (If not I keep a few in my letter drawer in my desk just in case ;-) 

Decorating the envelope is something else I love to do. That is my "touch". I know a friend who draws on my envelopes. I am not quite that talented. I can do a flower :-) 

I usually have a stash of stickers to decorate the envelope or box. It really is so much fun. 

I hope you have enjoyed my ideas of what I do and want to encourage you to get a small paper and envelope to write a little note to someone you know. Just to say "I'm thinking of you!"

Have a lovely day,

Mrs. Peterson

My cozy craft room

My little inspiration corner.  I don't keep the candle lit while I weave.   My nickname is Lucy (like I love Lucy) and I know better than to tempt.   My little bird here is cousin to the other 3 in my kitchen.

Hello Ladies~

This week I want to share where I create.  There are many years I didn't have a craft room.  It was a corner of the dining room, or the dining table itself.  One tour overseas, it was the corner of the living room.

Today, older & wiser (at least from experience), I have learned it's necessary for me to have my own space. With children grown and gone and my husband's office is our 3rd bedroom, it's very easy for me to stay too busy with homemaking and trying to keep things appealing and cozy. That is creative too, but I like something in addition to that.

Prayer time this morning and journaling, the memories of how easy it is for me to allow all the "little" things of home fill my days.

I need creative time.  My temperament needs it, and my spirit.

There have been many books of old that speak of the necessity of having daily "recreation" or creative time. A break in the day, even for 15 minutes, to sit and write a lovely letter, crochet a bit on a project, putter in the garden and tidy, or create a basket.

For me, basket weaving is one of the many things I enjoy but can be a couple of days project. One basket can take a minimum of 4 hours from start to finish. More detailed handles (my special touch) can add 2 to 3 hours on top of that.

I enjoy it.   Please join me in my "studio" and bring a bit of tea, I love to visit while I weave...

Here is my table where most of my work is done. Whether weaving, sewing, clay bears angels, or learning silk ribbon embroidery (thank you FlowerLady!). I am creating a pattern here.  I made that small basket  in the picture years ago and it holds my clips, ribbons, and pony tails.  I didn't have a pattern anywhere so I am measuring the reed sizes and writing it down. 

 

The base is being laid. Water in the bucket on the floor has the reed for weaving the sides. The coil on the floor behind me is how it comes when I order it.  I keep them put away in bags or I look like a cat all tangled up in yarn, except the yarn is the reed all wound up around me! Trust me, I won't have a picture of that one.

Done! A cute little catch all.  I will stain it with Min-wax wood stain, I like Oak. It gives baskets an "old time" feeling.  I have hopes to make a few along with some other things I love (soap apron covers, flower pins for winter coats, handmade dishcloths  etc) and sell them at the winter craft show....but I keep giving the baskets away as gifts! My cousin just got one with a handle that was really cool! Her birthday is coming and I wanted her to have something fun that I made.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little tour of weaving. It was fun to have you.  

A few years ago we had folks from church here for dinner. The ladies wanted to see my "studio" and  it inspired 2 of them. One friend, she had never seen or heard of the idea of crafting.  Within the month she bought yarn and a crochet needle and made a long scarf for her son. Her first project! I was so proud of her.

Last weekend she dropped off a mask for me. Pink with white polk dots and she crocheted the loops out of a lovely soft white yarn.  I was so impressed! From a lady who had never heard of crafting!

Have a lovely week, stay cool!  An old time homemaking tip to keep cool: ladies would take down their curtains and dip them in a bathtub of water, re-hang them and the air passing through cools the room.  I have used a squirt bottle and sprayed them.

It also works on sheets. Spritz your sheets before bed, the cool air will allow you to sleep for a bit until the air cools down.

May God's peace be with you,

Mrs. Peterson

Baskets, sewing and soapsuds

Hello Ladies~

small market basket

I just finished and mailed this cute little basket. A friend of my husband requested a small one for his side table.

This one is woven with the handle is part of the base, so it is very strong, though the handle is flexible.

The natural color is more of a cream, and I chose to stain it in Golden Oak. I like the way the color turned out. It looks antique.

I am going to be doing a bit of patch work sewing today and some repairs of tiny holes in favorites. Like a pale pink of warm, soft socks I love but have worn a hole in them from many uses through winters.

There is a booklet I found to teach me how to do this:

A booklet from 1942 I found that explains in detail how to repair clothing so they last just a bit longer.

This sign was next to a store I drove by when I lived in Ohio and drove to an Amish/Mennonite bulk store each week.

A bit of spiritual inspiration before I go. Early in the morning when I am doing my walking in our little make shift gym, I like to listen to the AM station that has many wonderful sermons, hymns, and 2 min inspirational moments.  Many are current, but some are from days long ago.

There is a favorite of mine that comes on and makes me smile. It's called Sunshine on the Soapsuds by Beneath Jones. She always address the homemaker in a way that is uplifting and from her experience. And makes me think.

Todays was about worry.  She shared how she worries about her husband and all his conferences, she worries about how so many people want his time even into the evening, she worries about things she is doing. But noticed her prayer time is general. "Lord, please protect my husband today and bless him."

The question posed: shouldn't our prayer time be full of the details and our worries be more general? Then our minds can be on the Lord more rather than worried about the details of things.

This really meant a lot to me, since I worry in details but pray in general.  Tonight as I kneel by my bed and tomorrow morning in my prayer time I want to practice praying in detail and then letting go of my worries.

Have a lovely afternoon,
Mrs. Peterson