Wonderful Zentangle Class

It never ceases to amaze me that the students out shine the teacher in these classes.  At least, my students do.  I just haven't totally gotten the hang of tangling on a big board.  But I get better each time.  I had invited about 20 people to come and three wonderful girls showed up.  It was to be a two-hour class, but it stretched to three.  No one was in a hurry, and everyone had a great time.  They really got it that it was about the experience.  However, their work was beautiful.  Here is a picture of their work:

We did a third tile after this picture was taken of Rick's Paradox.  They all had fun with that one.  One of the guests is a counselor, so she analyzed one of the tiles.  I thought it was very telling about the person.  So all you counselors out there, this can also be a tool for your counseling tool chest.

Here are the lovely ladies with their works of art.  One said she couldn't be creative at all.  Another said she could not draw at all.  Of course, the youngest lady had no doubts she could do it.  Aw, the innocents of youth.  Thank you ladies for allowing me to show you how very talented you are. 

HAPPY TANGLING!



Chaddar the Chipmunk

Pendleton Christian Church in Indiana is doing the VBS, Sky.  They asked me to contruct the costume, Chaddar the chipmunk, for this event.  I told them, "Sure, no problem."  I said this without seeing the pattern.  The pattern was poorly written, which added to my frustration.  This is the first time I've made a costume like this and probably the last time.  I'm thankful to the Lord that it did turn out cute.  My husband really hams it up in the pictures.  I hope you enjoy it.

Cute tail, Chaddar!

What are you pointing at, Chaddar?

OK, Chadder, the grin does not make you scary.

PRIZE OF MY HEART Book Review

Not only do I use Zentangle to Cherish Life, but I also love to read.   Please enjoy the following book review:

Captain Brogan Talvis is searching for his son who was "disposed of" by his late wife.  She gave him no clue where the boy was taken.  He adored his son but realized too late that his life at sea drove his wife to extreme actions.  He believes that his son is still alive, and because of his own past, wants to find his lost son.  It has taken him three years, but he believes he has finally found him in the home of a shipbuilder in the small New England town of Duxboro, Massachusetts. The ensuing events lead the good Captain on a roller coaster of emotions and battles with his Lord.  Lorena, the shipbuilder's daughter, captures his heart early on.  She is the only mother figure the boy knows.  This only complicates his mission of retrieving his son from the only home the boy has known.

This is a Christian, historical romance.  I usually don't choose historical romance because I'm not really a history buff.  But this book doesn't shove the history part down your throat.  The author described things as they related to that time in history.  Perhaps other historical authors also do this.  Like I said, I haven't read that much in the historical genre. The references to the Captain's faith was not overdone either.

What I really liked about this book was how the author gave you bits and pieces throughout the book of the characters' backgrounds.  You didn't have to wait until the last chapter for it all to make sense.  But by giving you little details at a time, you could better understand why the characters acted the way they did.  A lot of times, the ending of books is so obvious that you don't want to read the last chapter.  But as all the hidden truths are revealed, the reader can't be certain what actions the Captain will take.  The ending may not be a surprise, but the resolution to all the "secrets" is satisfying.

I received this book free from the publisher by responding to a Facebook post.  I would like to thank the publisher, Bethany House, for the opportunity to read and review PRIZE OF MY HEART.

In Loving Memory of Ally Gill

Ally Gill came into our lives in 1998 as a very small puppy.  We had no idea at the time how our lives would be changed.

See those precious eyes.  They could melt your heart in a second.  She belonged to Tony and Marianna, but it wasn't long until she worked her way into our hearts.  She was just a small ball of fur and energy.  We thought she would never grow out of her puppy phase, but she finally did.  We kept her own food and water bowl at our house and plenty of toys for her.

As an older dog, she loved her Christmas presents.  She really tore into them.

She even like to wear Christmas bows in her hair.

She loved to romp in the snow!

Tony and Marianna even had a birthday party in her honor.

Of course, only her closest friends were invited for the festivities.  What fun they all had.

She was your typical camera hog.  She'd always look up at you as if to say, "Take my picture, Grandma."

She loved it when Grandpa would play with her in the yard and rub her belly.

When she came to visit, she didn't like the hardwood floors, so she would patiently wait unit I finished my sewing so we could play.

Waiting for her portion of turkey was always a favorite activity of hers. Actually, eating the turkey was the favorite part.

We believe she had a stroke on Wednesday, May 30th.  That was the beginning of a quick, humane end for her.  On Friday, her dearest friends came to love on her and say good-bye.  I laid on the floor with her for hours just petting her and telling her I loved her and what a good puppy she was.  Saturday morning, Jerry and I accompanied her with Tony and Marianna to the vet.  It was to be her last visit.  Although Friday she couldn't stand without assistance, she refused to be carried into the vet's.  She squirmed out of the blanket to walk into the building with assistance and dignity.  She went to doggie heaven in peace surrounded in love.

Ally was such a gentle, good dog.  The tears have slowed, but we will never forget this wonderful part of our lives.