Happy New Years

I want to wish all my family and friends a very Happy New Years !!! Hope all of your dreams come true in 2011 !!

New Ideas

I have some new ideas I am pondering. I hope to start working on them later this week and post pictures soon. I really hope to keep my craft business going and new ideas are alway welcome!! With todays economy it's tough on all of us!! Well I am back to my crocheting keep watching for the new ideas soming soon !!!

A scary day

A scary day ...

http://www.pocahontastimes.com/news/story/five-overcome-by-carbon-monoxide-at-snowshoe/202838

Rick Barlow's Photos - My favorite things......

Basket of Memory Christmas Ball's made by one of my best friends in High School, Angie Wilfong. These are pics of the family together last year.

Close up of Angie's hard work....Must have been 50 pictures Angie made into double sided balls. Mom loved Angie and would have loved these ornaments. They will be treasured forever!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

A friend sent this to me in an email. I cried as I read it .. hope all of my friends will take the time to read this it is the true meaning of what Christmas should be. This story is better than any greeting card. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

 The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting ...there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.

"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to
himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems." 

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see th...e biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George ...... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

Merry Christmas!!

An email from a customer ....

Angie

I received the ornaments on Friday. They are beautiful and thank you so much for the angel. I will place her on my tree.

The ornaments will make a lasting memory for my family of my mom and we can include her at Christmas time when we place her ornament on our tree.

Thanks again.

Mary

Winter is here ....

It's been awhile since my last post. Have been busy with craft shows and working on orders for Christmas. I have several orders for the Memory Bulb ... people are seeing they are not just for the holiday season they are for anytime !! As most know I am going to be a Grandma again ... things are going well with the new addition on the way. Ms. Cadence did inform us with the last sonogram picture that our baby now has a head ... that is always a good thing ... LOL !! Well I guess I need to get back to work its a tough day out there for all our officers and ems crews ... 

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !!! Today has been a busy day !! Spent time with my family, both kids were here and the granddaughter. The granddaughter is diffently a breath of fresh air you never know what she will do or say next ... I had forgotten the terrible twos ...LOL !! Wouldn't change it for anything. After dinner with hubby and son I retreated to my craft area and got several things done !! Some amazing friends are doing a craft show for me saturday while I work a 16 hr shift at my job !! I have a craft show coming up on Dec 3rd and 4th and the orders are flowing in daily !! We are so blessed!! I took time tonight to try a new ornament ... let me know what you think !!

Thankful

Yes it is the holiday season and a time to be thankful. I am very thankful that I have my health and a healthy family. I am thankful I have so many friends and wonderful customers that are making my business grow stronger everyday. The orders come in daily and we love it !!  I want to wish all of you A HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!

Our Quilted Ornaments on display in Christian Appalachian Project gallery in Kentucky. Products from the gallery can be viewed at www.appalachianhome.org.

 

Friday

Well the weather is changing ... fall is here !!! We shipped out our first wholesale order on wednesday and received another wholesale order on thursday !!! Our first order for Appalachian Home Catalog it is so great !! I have some amazing friends and a wonder family who have helped me out so much !! When you have a wonderful hubby that believes in you and stands by you no matter what ... anything is possible !! My daughter and granddaughter will be leaving in a week for a few weeks with my future son in law while he does a shut down job for about 4 to 6 weeks. God I will miss them all ... so I hope I am super busy with crafts so time will pass fast !!! Well I will post again soon it off to work on my new order !! Here are the latest creations !!!

Blessed !!

Well first I want to say I am going to be grandma again. Children are a blessing from God !! I have been blessed in several ways since my last post. My family is growing, I received and shipped my first wholesale order, am working on several other orders, working with a couple other stores with hopes of having orders, and my ornaments are going to be in the Fall issue of the Appalachian Home catalog! So I feel extremely blessed !!!

We had our famous Road Kill Cookoff / Harvest Festival and I attended the craft show and we sold a great deal !! Next craft show for us is Nov. 6 and I am setting  up a stand with a great friend so it will be loads of fun.

We have a new West Virginia ornament it's called the "Mountaineer"

Pats Posts: Bears and the Newest Bear

Pats Posts: Bears and the Newest Bear

16 Hours

It has been a very eventful day .. it started with me waking up at 11pm to get ready to go to work and work for 16 hrs straight. I was very productive since the first 8 hr shift was quiet. I made 7 ornament in the first 8 hrs ... so that means that I did very little talking ... those that know me will know how hard that is for me to do. LOL In the next 4 hrs I did 3 more ornaments and went to the PO and shipped out 3 quilted ornaments to Ms Morrison in MN. She requested that I make the ornaments out of her late sons shirt. What a way to always have your loved ones close to you. The day has been good. I woke to find out that WVU beat Marshall which is great !! My son Ben is doing a charity auction for one of the local churches in Dunmore, WV. I am so proud of my children!! Crystal just called wanting the link to a birthday cake I made last week. I have to say myself it turned out pretty darn good. And hubby Daron is home babysitting the granddaughter Miss Cadence ... but if I know Cadence she has papaw doing everything she wants ... LOL. Well it's time to start crocheting !! Have a great day and weekend my friends.

Fall

The past few weeks have been busy. Between working some overtime at my job I have been crafting like crazy. I have sold several quilted ornaments and have submitted some to a magazine in Kentucky for review. Keep your fingers crossed that this will all work out for me. I have been doing alot of crocheting. Fall is in the air and it's sports season so why not get a crochet neck scarf in your team colors to keep you warm and show your team support. Check out all my newly posted items at http://www.etsy.com/shop/KountryKreations2008 . Well now I am off to work on a new ornament so stay tuned to see how it turns out !!!

Today

It's been awhile since my last post. I went and had my quilted ornaments prescreened for Tamarack and they go on to be juried in November. Please say a pray that they will pass the jurying. I have gotten several orders and sold several in the past couple weeks. A great friend has taken them to the WV State Fair with her to sell. Thanks Robin you are the greatest!! I have been working with the WV Living Market Place at Snowshoe, WV on selling them and Cass Scenic Railroad. I have some of the most amazing friends they have been so great threw all my family has went threw. I am going to post a couple of the newest ornaments here and the link to my etsy site so you can see them there and order if interested. http://www.etsy.com/shop/KountryKreations2008 or if you have facebook check them out there http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cass-WV/Kountry-Kreations  Please let me know what your thoughts are. Well it's time to go play with the granddaughter for awhile. Hope you have a great day !!!

Just Saying ...

It's been awhile since I have posted and it's long over due. Things have been going better for the family. I hope the things with us are finally looking up. The granddaughter turn the big 2 in June and now for the terrible 2's. I have applied to have my crafts juried at Tamarack so will keep you all posted on how that goes. I am working with The WV Living Market Place and Cass Railroad with putting my crafts there. So things are busy at my house and now comes the gardening and canning. Hope to be posting again soon.

CANCER AWARENESS ORNAMENT

Each of us know someone or has a loved one that has had cancer. What better way to show your support than with a ornament. $2.50 from each of these ornaments sold will go to assist a local cancer patient. Ornaments are not just for Christmas. Show your love today and everyday!

Each festive ornament is topped with coordinating ribbon bows. Great for hanging on your tree, in a bowl as a center piece or share one with a friend. Make a memory with this one of a kind handmade Quilted Ornament.

Makes a beautiful decoration throughout the winter and holiday season. Can also be given as a thank you gift when visiting friends or family for the holidays. What a wonderful and surprising way to give memories to a family member or friend. A unique gift for students to give to their teachers.

Each ornament is uniquely handmade, so no two ornaments will ever be exactly alike.

Ornaments are approximately 3-inches in diameter.

Please feel free to contact me at any time and thank you so much for taking the time to look at my ornaments.

Always from my smoke free pet free environment.

Baby Afaghan

This is one of the baby afaghans I have made !!

Mother's Day and What it Really Means

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY ALL !!

To understand Mother's Day and what it really means, you need to understand the person in your life called 'Mother'. Mother is one who nurtures you in her womb for nine months and brings you forth to enjoy the supreme blessing on earth, that is, Life. Mother is one who guides you through your infancy and turns the soft, helpless creature to the powerful and successful YOU. She is the guardian angel protecting you and supporting you, feeling for you and serving you silently always with a smile on her face. She prides herself watching you grow and provides you a shoulder to cry on whenever you need. She is every child's best friend.
For a child, every single day should be a Mothers Day. The essence of the meaning of Mother's Day is in the fact that we should try and make this day every year a memorable one for your mother. She should cherish the special feeling of this day and the intensity of that feeling should last her the lifetime.

This is the day to stop, remember, and pray for that special person in our life, without whom we would not have been, what we are today; a day to prove that all her efforts, towards making us a complete person, have been worthwhile and make her feel proud for us. In the broader sense of the term, Mother's Day is a day to be grateful to God for being so kind as to bless us with an angel in the form of Mother.

The Seed

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. ...
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED.. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told  his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it! Jim couldn't even grow his seed!

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed I gave you would not grow, you substituted another seed. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

MORAL OF THE STORY..............

" If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later...

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"

On the Ground: Humbled by hospitality in W.Va. mine country

A Massey Energy coal silo towers over Marsh Fork Elementary on April 6, 2010, near the Upper Big Branch Coal Mine in Naoma, W.Va. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner) © 2010 AP


It would be embarrassing if it were not so humbling.

Hours after the West Virginia mine explosion Monday, scores of journalists from all over the country started arriving — in a very rural area with no communications or places to sleep closer than an hour's drive away.

When the governor began giving press briefings at Marsh Fork Elementary School (this week happens to be spring break, so the children are out), journalists began getting comfortable at the site a few miles from the mine entrance, and we never left. By Tuesday, a couple dozen satellite trucks filled the parking lot, and classrooms with tiny chairs and paintings on the walls were turned into newsrooms and bedrooms.

And all of a sudden there was food — a lot of food. Pepperoni Pizza. Pulled pork and beans. Fried chicken, potatoes and green beans. Cookies. Crackers. Doughnuts of all stripes.

Usually I lose a few pounds while covering stories like this. The deadlines are too tight, the access to food often limited. This time, I'll be going home a little rounder, and with a touched heart.

The food was cooked by residents and donated by businesses in this community. Some of it came by way of a local Red Cross, a Wal-Mart and a United Way, but even more was the home cooking of kind West Virginians who just wanted to take care of us.

Imagine, here we are, an aggressive and hard-charging bunch of journalists in the middle of this devastated community, and it's THEY who are taking care of US!

The kindness hasn't been lost on any of us. By Thursday, two plastic jars — "school collection" and "community collection" — were put out, and by Friday both had a few hundred dollars. I feel like we owe this school and these people so much more.

When I asked interim principal Shelly Prince how folks could be so giving at a time like this, she said that many felt it was soothing to help others. This situation made them feel helpless, and helping others was doing something. She also said it gave people a chance to show the world what West Virginians are "really like."

"Often on TV, we are not portrayed in such a good manner. We often are portrayed as ignorant and backward," she said. "But we are just ordinary people who live ordinary lives."

I have to disagree. These people are extraordinary.

I AM PROUD TO BE A WEST VIRGINIAN !!

Help me spread the word

As most of you know I make fabric bulbs that include: memorial, graduation, Christmas, wedding, military, special occasion, and more. I can customize the bulbs with different colors, mascots, names and photos. Memorial bulbs can be made from loved ones clothing.

Graduation bulbs for Junior High, High School and College. Bulb can be customized with school color, mascot and/or student's photo.  This one was created for a school in Webster, WV.

Monday

Well it's been a while since I posted. I have just been busy crafting and enjoying the great outdoors. Yesterday hubby and I went and picked up our girls. They came home to spend a few days which is awesome. This is going to be a stressful week for my family but with God and our true friends we will get thur it. I feel so blessed to have my family all at home at this time.
Hopefully I will get the go ahead today to start on my first big memory ornament order. So I am excited about that. It will be an order for a graduating class which is so neat. I am also working on a couple tablecloths and possibly trying my hand at a pillowcase dress for my granddaughter.
I hope all have a great week and I will post again as soon as possible. Please keep my family in your prayers as I will be praying for all of you!!!

GO MOUNTAINEERS !!!!

This is the post of alot of WVU fans on facebook today .... WVU have played some awesome ballgames and I want to wish them the best !!!

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON WV HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING FOR KY!! FORECASTERS ARE PREDICTING HIGH WATER LEVELS TO EXCEED ANYTHING IN RECORD HISTORY!!! THE WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALL WEEKEND, AS THE WATER LEVELS SHOULD RISE TO FLOOD STAGE AT 9PM DUE TO THE TEARS CRIED BY ALL THE KY FANS!!! GO MOUNTAINEERS!!

It's Monday

Well it's monday and my day started by waking up to a very quiet house. My girls left yesterday and I am not coping with this very well. My daughter and granddaughter are in VA for awhile with her boyfriend. I have not been with out granddaughter for more than a few days and then they were only a few miles from me since the day she was born. She is the laughter on our gloomy days and it is really difficult without them there. But I know that the time is coming that they both will be gone from our home along with my son too. I am not real sure how I will deal with the empty nest thingy. Going to be doing alot of cleaning and crafting. If anyone wants to share any thoughts please feel free!!

CADENCE'S FIRST HAIR CUT

Well today was a big day for both Cadence and Mamaw. It was the day Cadence got her first hair cut and she did great. We went to town and stopped in and ask our neighbor which is also a beautician if she wanted to take a try at it. She said sure and Cadence sat in the chair and let Cheryl do what she needed to do. Of course Cadence is her Papaws and Uncle Bens girl so she had to show it off to both of them when she got home. She is the pride and joy in this family!!

Shirley & Marcy

This was an email sent to me by my cousin. I have seen this before but it is so touching I wanted to share it with you . If we could all see others and the world threw the eyes of children.

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.
So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.
The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week.
As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally she said to Timmy, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week?
Do you know her?' Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.'
The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?'
'That's just Shirley Goodnest,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy.'
'Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? 'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much.
And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always.

Cadence Made Her 1st Biscutes ... So Cute !!!!

This evening Mamaw was making biscutes and my granddaughter just had to help. I have to say that for 20 months she didn't do to bad. It was fun to watch her do what I was doing. I just had to post some pics of her. Hope you enjoy and you can find Cadence and Mamaws biscute recipe in an earlier blog.

THE SNEEZE

This was an email from my husbands uncle .... we need more of this !!!

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.


Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.

The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.

All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED !!!!

The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, 'GOD BLESS YOU'  And he walked off the stage...

The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.

Isn't this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends.........and GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland

Oh, how I love West Virginia

It's winter in West Virginia ,


And the gentle breezes blow,

70 miles per hour at 2 below!

Oh, how I love West Virginia ,

When the snow's up to your butt;

You take a breath of winter air

And your nose is frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful,

I guess I'll hang around.

I could never leave West Virginia ,

Cause I'm frozen to the ground.
 
 
This was an email from a friend and so funny I just had to share it.

SUNSHINE TODAY !!!

It was a beautiful day! I actually got to see the sunshine for the first time in several days. I know there is more snow coming but it was so nice today. I have had a couple days off and got to spend time with my beautiful granddaughter. God she is a hand full !!! I made some laundry soap a friend told me about and I love it!! Well I need to finish dinner beef stew and hot homemade rolls... YUMMY !! Hope all my friends near and far have a wonderful weekend !! GOD BLESS YOU ALL !!!

A NEW SPIN ON VALENTINE

This is a new and very touching spin on VALENTINE! We should all see it this way!!!

Biscutes

Ok its snowing again ... I know hard to believe!! I just to share a simple and cheap BISCUTE RECIPE

6 cups of self rising flour
2 tablespoons of mayo
and milk or water

mix all ingredient til firm and roll out and cut out your biscutes and bake for 25 min at 350

The Snow is BACK

Well the snow is back. We seem to go from one extreme to the other. I guess God is blessing us with the moisture to make things grow. Not only do we have about 15" of new snow now it is going to be very cold. It was a semi busy day at work but thankful nothing major happened. There was a loss to a family I have known all my life. They lost their daughter to a battle of cancer. I know that there is so much sorrow for them now but she is in a better place and is free of the pain. My heart goes out to each of them. Please keep them in your prayers!!!

Diamond Baby Afghan

This Diamond Baby Afghan is a must for that new baby!

Why not give an heirloom, instead of just any old gift, to a newborn? We moms know that it’s the handmade blankets that are cherished and saved.

This 47" x 43" Diamond Baby Afghan made from soft mint green, soft yellow, and varigated soft baby colors this is of soft 100% acrylic yarn.

This style also available in other colors by custom order. Just contact me, I'm happy to make any color combinations you choose

A beautiful way to welcome a little one!

Machine wash gentle cycle and dry on low heat.

I have crochet many afghans they sell quickly. I will be posting more of my crocheted items soon. If you have a request please contact me.


Always from my smoke free pet free environment.

Please remember that these are handmade and no 2 are exactly alike.

Well it flooded our little town again

It started raining again yesterday and woke me several times during the night raining so hard. When my hubby left for work he soon returned home as the road was covered with water. My son finally made it home from work about 3 hours after he got off work. I made it all the way to the local Rite-Aides and when I phoned one of the deputies he told me there was no way I could get to the 911 Center. So nothing left to do but head back home. I pray that the ones in the flooded areas are OK and didn't have a lot of loss. Some that I know have been threw so much when it comes to the floods of our little town. Now it is snowing again ... and the temps are suppose to drop very low again. I guess it is one of the old fashion winters. The picture above is my Aunts house my heart and undying love goes out to her and all that have to deal with this once again.

Crochet Beanie/Hat (Adults or Children)

This is a creation of my own. My grandaughter needed a new hat I thought so I made her one. This hat is done in a soft yarn and is a soft blue color it has the ear flaps.
This is a great crochet beanie/hat, so nice and soft to the touch, a delight to wear. It is machine washable on delicate cycle and dryable on low heat.

I have crochet many beanie/hats they sell quickly. I will be posting more of my crocheted items soon. If you have a request please contact me.

For Hygenic reasons hats are not returnable.

Always from my smoke free pet free environment.
Please remember that these are handmade and no 2 are exactly alike. If you have a request for a certain color contact me and we will see what we can work out.

More Crafts

This arrangement is made using an old lunch box as the container. The lunch box has been painted with the crackle type paint and accented with ivy. The flowers are fall flowers and fall leaves. I have done other arrangements and this one is the talk of every show.

The lunch box measures 10 inches long and arrangement over all is approximately 12 inches at the tallest point.



This sign says Seasons Greeting on the front with a church wood burned on the left. This is made out of oak lumber. The edges are routered. Two sawtooth hangers will be shipped with the sign so that you can hang if you desire. It measures 9 1/4 x 22 1/2 x 1. The "Seasons Greetings" is also routered into the board and the church is woodburned into it.

I do all different types of signs from silly sayings to welcome. I will be posting more wood working soon.

Please remember that these are handmade and no 2 are exactly alike.

Bad Weather is Back

Well it was nice to have a few days of warmer weather. Now it's back to ice and snow. I am glad that myself and daughter don't have to be out in it but worry about my son and hubby that do. I just pray that all out on the roads are safe. I have stayed in today and cleaned house and worked on crafts. I have been so blessed by so many that have purchased from me and now going to work on Valentine's Day ornaments. I will be posting pictures of them soon. Everyone have a safe and wonderful night and prayers to my friend that lost her sister this week. God be with you all.

Something We Need To Do More Of

This email has been sent to me several times for a long time. It's something we all need to do more of. We tend to dwell more on our own problems. A friend of mine and her family are dealing with a very tough situation at this time and I pray that God will comfort them at this time.

I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back.
The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.
The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll.'
Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny,are you sure I don't have enough money?''
The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''
Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.
Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.
'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas.
She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'
I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.
But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'
His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.'' My heart nearly stopped.
The little boy looked up at me and said: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.'Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.''I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.'
Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!'''OK' he said, 'I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.
The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!'
Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me!'''I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.'''My mommy loves white roses.'
A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket.
I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started.
I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local news paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy?
Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the news paper that the young woman had passed away.
I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.
I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed for ever.. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.
And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.
What faith, love of God this boy had. A Christian lady helped this child with Love of
God in her heart. This is being Christ Like.

Sunday

Sorry for not posting for a few days. I was out of town helping a friend on Thursday and Friday. Then it was back to work on Saturday and for the rest of my week. Well the snow has let up and now we have the rain. We are under flood watch so let pray now that we don't flood. I have been doing a lot of crocheting the past few evenings. I decided my granddaughter needed a new hat so I came up with a pattern and crochet her one. So that has led to several orders for which I am thankful. Well my work day is coming to and end and now it is home to spend some time with the family before some head off to work later. I promise I will get better at posting. Hope all of you have a wonderful evening.

Monday

Well today has been and very enlightening day. My one coworker Sherry isn't feeling the greatest so she in trusted 911 to the care of Florence and I. With that came dealing with our loving boss. We had a great day in less than 2 hrs we get to go home to our families. Which brings more task such as laundry and cleaning and lets not forget cooking. I hope to finish a crochet cap for my granddaughter and possibly do an order for one I have. I love crafting and it's what relaxes me and after some days at my job I truly need it. I hope to get the new craft idea I have pulled together soon. Also coming soon will be a post on the new store in Webster that I have been fortunately enough to have my crafts at Make It Personal Boutique. Also I will be helping friends advertise their products and dreams. Everyone needs some spice to their lives and I am truly blessed.

"THE FIX"

This is an email I received and with all the problems in our country today I think this man has the right idea!

The Fix

There recently was an article in the St. Petersburg Fl. Times. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on: "How Would You Fix the Economy?" I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan":
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!!


P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes...

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!
I really believe he NAILED IT !!!

New

Well this is all new to me and was suggested to me by a friend. I am a wife of almost 26 years a mother of one son and one daughter. I am the lucky grandmother of one very active and loveable granddaughter. I have been crafting for more years than I can remember. One of the most rewarding craft is the Memory Bulb. I have made several from articles of clothing of lost loved ones. What better way to cherish a lost loved one than with a Memory Bulb. Email me a photo that you cherish or an article of clothing and let me create an ornament for you to cherish for a lifetime. Each ornament is uniquely handmade and no 2 will very be exactly alike.
You can see more of my items on etsy www.etsy.com/shop/KountryKreations2008 and at my facebook fan page Kountry Kreations.