Weave and Sew Dust

Life with Holly Go Lightly

Holly will chase balls wherever she finds them, even TV golf games! L is also playing--with Nonna's DS game

A New Flame

I had every intention of starting a new way of sending Christmas cards this year via my blog. . .and now it is already December 28 and I haven't written in my blog in ages! I hope that everyone had a beautiful day and without further ado, I wish everyone good things in the new year. May everyone be abundantly blessed!

Below is my "card" photos for the new year. My kids know of my love for cats and I have been without one for a long time. So this year they surprised me with a flame point Siamese kitten named "Holly Go Lightly." She is a riot. . .follows us all over the house, has already climbed almost all the way up the Christmas tree, quick to made her needs known, and not shy at all. She is a rescued kitty  and is eating like crazy to put some flesh on her little bones. She is super affectionate and has even won over my dog-loving husband.

Thanks, Cara and Kyle, I didn't realize how ready I was to have a little ball of fur back in my life. I am so blessed with your love and the love of your children. Little people and little creatures under foot. . .the stuff of Christmas! As tiny Tim so eloquently spoke, "God bless us everyone."

I think this photo looks like an old oil painting.

and I couldn't resist adding this cherub. . .

 

 

What does love look like?

For us, love looked like a cute little blond with sparkling blue eyes and a Southern drawl who flashed into our son's life nine years ago, along with her darling daughter, Kayla. "Windi", as her grandfather nicknamed her at her birth, was so full of life and love that one would never know she had a heart transplant in her late 20's. At the time that she gave birth to our grandson, Christopher, eight years ago, she was one of only 40 women worldwide, who successfully carried a baby full term after having a heart transplant. . .our miracle baby from one of God's most  loving mothers. 

This past North Carolina weekend, the weekend she left us to run to her Maker, was picture perfect--like God made nature look and feel like Windi. . .the blue of her eyes in the sky, the leaves turning yellow gold like her hair, a spunky breeze, the just right warmth from the sun, and, at night, how the stars twinkled. She would have soaked in the glorious day with her family because she knew how precious life is in every day that she had. . .who should care about laundry and matching onesie socks. . .she had her priorities straight.

When I finally got into my car that day, the very first song that played on the radio . . ."Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie."  I am so going to miss you, my daughter-in-love.

In Memory

Yesterday was the first anniversary of my mom's "going home." A friend of mine, Maria, had designated a Mass in her memory-- a distinctly Catholic custom. Mom would have liked the Mass. It was the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul and I know she is with both her brothers, one who was named Vincent,and her sister, as well as my dad. The song for the Mass was "Sing a New Song" by Dan Schutte (1972, OCP Publications) and taken from Psalm 98. This is such a joyous song as is the Psalm that inspired it.

"Yahweh's people dance for joy. O come before the Lord. And play for him on glad tambourines, and let your trumpet sound."

Mom loved to dance and I can remember her at her Polish club in Florida dancing the polka with her friend, Edna.

"Rise, O children, from your sleep; your Savior now has come. He has turned your sorrow to joy, and filled your soul with song."

God turned my sorrow at her passing to joy in 2010 when, in her final months, I found I was gifted to create some paintings that gave me much joy.

"Glad my soul for I have seen the glory of the Lord. The trumpet sounds; the dead shall be raised. I know my Savior Lives."

I know my Savior lives and so does Mom!

"Sing a new song unto the Lord; let your song be sung from mountains high. Sing a new song unto the Lord, singing alleluia."

We need more singing these days.

As I got into my car after the Mass, I turned on my radio and an instrumental started playing. It played for the entire ride back to my  house.  The poignant song --"Going Home." I miss you, Mom.

A little bit of sunshine

 A budding jewelry designer! Visit www.greenheartstudios.com

New look for one of my favs

Greenheart Studios is refreshing its look and, of course, the jewelry is always refreshing. One has to respond quickly to buy a piece of Cara's jewelry collection 'cuz they are, for the most part, one of a kind! All are meticulously hand-wired and only personally selected gemstones are used. Check it out at  http://www.greenheartstudios.com/ She does custom orders too!

When you visit Greenheart, you can also see one of the sweetest jewels, my granddaughter, Lila, who loves to model her own necklaces.    

Butte to Butte

Here we are at Skinner Butte Park (4/21) overlooking Eugene--who's that baby with the blue eyes?

 

We had just finished playing in the park. . .

 

when Mommy wears sunglasses, you know who has to wear them too!

A happy whirlwind named Lila

Ten wonderful days in Eugene, Oregon with this cutie-patootie and her mommy and daddy!

Life's been a bit of a whirl lately (part 2)

The tornado caused much sorrow for some of the Hispanic families that attend Sacred Heart. Four children died having sought shelter in a bathtub only to have a tree fall on their mobile home. Their mobile home park is a mess of damaged trailers. One of Chris's Vietnamese families had a tree fall on their home in a nearby subdivision. Luckily, he had arranged a good insurance policy for them. Catholic Parish Outreach lost power and had just received the month's delivery of meat. They quickly put everything on dry ice.Their old distribution center lost part of its roof. I think tornados are much worse than hurricanes--so little time to prepare and the whole thing is so random. Believe me when I say that I counted my blessings, that Chris and I were able to  proceed with our planned visit to see our daughter and her family in Oregon only a few days later. 

Life's been a bit of a whirl lately

On April 16th, Chris and I were helping feed the homeless at Moore Square with the Sacred Heart ministry team. One of our members kept getting an update on the weather as we sped up our production line to put together the lunch/dinner bags. Normally, the meal is served on the sidewalk at Moore Square, but it was drizzling when we arrived, so much to the Salvation Army's chagrin, we set up under their concrete overhang.The sky got darker and darker.With final word of the tornado's imminent arrival ,we scrambled to put up our supplies and seek shelter behind the exterior walls of the Salvation Army.One of our ladies was protected by a circle of homeless men.It was like watching the movie "Twister" in 3-D from a front row seat. Honestly, though, I think it lifted somewhat, because I didn't hear the train sound and some portable tents in Moore Square were still in place after the tornado passed through. In addition to the darkness, there was a terrific roar and shredded leaves, branches, and rain all flew sideways. Chris, who was the last person protecting our little huddle of people, found the back of his sweater covered in bits of leaves. It was over within minutes. We were very fortunate because the tornado brought death and destruction to the south and north of our location.