Freedom isn't free!

Happy Fourth of July
Freedom isn't free!

A Life Uncommon: Wordless Wendsday

A Life Uncommon: Wordless Wendsday

Wordless Wendsday

Sox for Little Dove

When I make dresses for little Dove I try to do a pair or two of sox to match. I can get white sox under a $1 a pair.

Summer fun Ideas with kids

Afternoon time with the pup.
Playing in the Sunflower house.
Coffee table American Idol
Drawing at the table with good art book references, Give them their own Sketch pad a nice one, go to the dollar store. They can keep a summer journal of drawings.














Quiet on the stage our next performer...Fun for play dates














Good old roll in the grass

Squirt gun fights















The old Silly Dance to the auto key board Lots Belly laughs.





Cherri o catch, FUNNY!

Writing Birthday Party invitations
Time with Mom
Computer time


They are telling each other stories, and discussing topics related to the drawings they are created. Great dialog. Wish you were a butterfly on the wall.







Water balloons with friends!








Playing Puppy!






Lego Mania!

Making shorts (x4) for Dash Hawk (part one)

Dash is very Skinny. He is 6 but fits a size 4t-5t, he is however, young man now and would rather look his age :)
This is my process of mass production. Shorts times four.
Wash fabrics, Iron fabrics and pattern. Lay out with all folded edges carefully matched. Cut out all layers with one stroke. After cutting out (I use a power rotary cutter and mat).
Separate fronts and backs into four piles (lefts/rights) keeping the prints in respective order.

Sew the piping onto all fronts, here you don't even need to clip between fabrics just sew all four then clip and re-stack.










as you re-stack the fronts add the pockets to all, face down ,one print on the other.








Match edges and pin pockets sew them on the same way, one pile at a time, no need to clip in between.


re-stack all front rights, front lefts, back rights, back lefts. keeping them seperate from each other , and in order of prints.

Now press one stack at a time. Match front and back lefts, front and back rights and pin and stack now you will go to the machine once with a pile of eight seams to sew 4 rights and four. lefts.Stay tuned have other chores to do I"ll get back to this soon.

Summer friut in the suberbs :)

To all of you wonderful growers, how I wish I could walk your fields however, fresh produce via my local Costco.
The joy of walking into the cold of the fruit and veggie section is one of my Arizona summer pleasures. It is a simple joy that exposes me to an arctic chill surrounded by the beauty of bounty.
I painted the Sunflower sparrow in the background.

Bridge toTerabithia

Great movie!
We had our family movie night complete with hot dogs all around. The kids are allowed to sit at the living room coffee table. We do this weekly and sit all together we await to release of a new movie or find an oldie, we by the movie and can watch it when ever we want.
It cost the same as if we went to a theater,but we now own it.We eat our own healthy food prepared by our own clean hands. We can pause it when ever any of us have a need to. We learn to wait for each other, cooperate and reduce, reuse and recycle (all pop cans go into the recycle bin :).
We cuddle on the big comfy couch and the holding is great!
My kids have sensory integration disorder and so the safety of home feels real good to them and they can relax the fight /flight mechanism.
That evening I gave them each their very own sketch pad. they have been emulating the young boy at his art. They also look forward to going to the museum!

The gift America!

My children born where flag does not fly free.
My children were born in greatest of poverty.
A country half a world away .

Our land is hollowed by warriors fight
to give us our under appreciated rights.
This land is rich in a bounty of feed.

I wrap around them the greatest of gifts.
We gave them through adoption new lives to live.
A Country, a home. America
by Donetta

This is true religion to care for the widow and the orphan in their hour of need. To keep on unstained from the world.

Theola has bubbled up to the suface.

In 2005 I entered a writing contest to write 50,000 words in on month. It was November I just don't know how I ever finished those 50,000 words. I even made a sit down dinner that year.
It is time now two years later to pick up that abandoned baby and begin my re-write. It was edited by my Father in Law. It was had for me to look at it I felt so guilty for diving into a project that consumed me so vastly. It was also overwhelming to look at all those error that need to be fixed.
Theola is my novel around 300 pages of my heart, mind and body (it is hard to sit so long).
She is there waiting for the follow through.
Theola is set in the life of a hospital clergy woman who discovers more about walking in Love than most folks do. She also learns forgiveness through discovering who she is.
My dear friend over at "life in the midst of Writing" challenged me. She is now publishing her wonderful novel. Go visit her.
I have so many varied interest and such a heavy load of responsibilities that it is easy for me to neglect my writing and my little Theola. I don't even remember writing it. When I was in that season I would just disappear into it. Like into a trance. I am interested in reading my novel and seeing what I wrote. I just have not been to attached to it. I owe it to myself to be.

A great big thank you!

Thanks to Christine from "Are we there yet mom?" Your help on my blog was such a fantastic encouraging gift!

We had a wonderful BBQ, Play date and Blog work time.
What a nice family. Kids will steep well tonight.

All That is Real

ALL THAT IS REAL

The flower shines, as I pass it by.

Sweet songs of praise raised up by

my winged friends.

The softness of the soil,

tenderness as I step.

A sky so sadden by its murky mire,

cries out for clean.

Cry out! Cry out! "Oh how I want to be sheer and to shine!"

Warmth as I rest upon my place, this hardness,

the rocking of the bench as it sways.

My shadow it moves! It's alive within.

Who is she? She asks ?

I am, that is enough!

Oh sing for me your glorious song.

Your chatter that holds meaning to your kind and to mine.

I cry aloud for you sky,

can you set yourself free?

Well up a breeze.

Shall I sit so immersed in song without a joy full within me.

How can one not be enriched by sound?

All that is old remains, unlike the new.

My breath is stifled for in it lies the dust of the earth.

Warmth has become heat, its tenderness gone.

It becomes a torment, a heated fire.

Oh bless me now with a breeze,

a gentle touch to give me ease.

Mountain range where have you gone?

Don't hide yourself!

I long to see your crested buttes,

your canyon shadows, but you do exist, and that's enough.

I rest my yearning for your view.

Hollow chime sounds out of this fashioned stone.

As I rock it tells me I am not alone.

Oh sing a song my feathered friend!

Laugh for me once again.

Soil so rich, such tender steps.

Farewell fine tree, who's leaves I long to see.

Fussy, fashioned flowers.

The tenderness of all that's real.

by Donetta

Heroes

Well all packed up an backed into a spot right in front of the sewing guild door. The most wonderful elder man, his name was George, walked right behind me and noticed my load. He was so kind. I was wondering how I would manage all my load with the sewing machine, work bag and ice chest. This fellow offered help. I received with a grateful smile. I told him what I was up to. When I spoke of the V.A. Hospital he said "there were few fellows as brave as the medics". "They were the real heroes". He walked me all the way into the back room. Where I noticed that they had the room set up oddly. I turned to him and holding his hand with both of mine told how he was a gift to me today because my knee was hurting me so. Then I said to a lady standing there looking at me that "this fine man was a veteran" , He said "good- bye", and she turned to me to tell me I was a week early. The meeting is next week end. I smiled told her that it was alright my sister moved today and I was a little distracted. Got my days off by a week. She was to start her class in a moment I told her I would get right out of her way and apologized. The fellow in the scissors sharpening window stepped up and kindly helped me back to my car. I told him I was glad I hadn't made the two gallons of home made lemon aide. He loaded my old 1950's phaff and was fascinated with what was within its case . He was very intrigued for he too had a love of the old machine, the ones built like tanks. I was listening to a lovely CD of "calling all angles" music on my I POD all the while and I just drove home and did some shopping at a Costco on the way. Nice morning

George vanished.
"The real heroes were the medics of Vietnam." he said.
Makes me wonder...

Now years ago the Lord taught me that I have a ministry to the medical community at large. I did not like hearing that at the time for it meant that I had a journey that was very physically painful. I have had so many operations, and cancer scares, my body was ravaged by brutal hands my first 20 years of life.
To heal the Pain for those we depend upon to fix ours is a great honor and a privilege. I have been so many times under the knife to see doctors and nursed weep and heal. Fractures on my pelvis that disappeared only to have the orthopedic doctor fall apart in the exam room right in front of me and pour out his interactions with a physic. He closed his lucrative practice down only days later.
We have in who we are a duty to the Love of God in the world around us right where we are. It is who we are that He uses. We are created His workmanship. Be yourself today, Your true self. Do what you do with passion find joy in it it is our privileged lot.

"IN WHO YOU ARE WILL BE FOUND THE TRUE HERO"

It's the dog days of summer

The Queen Rena



Willy Wonka bar

AC and a cool drink. A dogs life ain't so bad :)

Re-tarping and roping the jungle gym

I had enough to also make a table cover. Now that I have my patio furniture out of the shed! The chair pads were my Dads inheritance to me. I am so glad I spoke up to get those well used. I have been up very early to read my bible now that I have a nice place again.
This is the new cover for the jungle gym. I found 6 yds? of it for 80% off when the fabric store closed down. I still have the grommets to install and get beloved to help me mount it. This was a big remnant all taped up and reduced to $30. I got it at 80% off of that!
We re-roped the ladder too. We used boating rope to save us some trouble. It was pricey $40. , it is my hope that it will "weather" better.


This is before.
I'll post the after when I get finished, I was also hoping to find some sealer for the red wood.

Little dove turns 10 this month.

This is the quilt I just finished for her.

She loves space exploration

This morning a drive to the grocery caused a moment of pause at 8:15 a.m. I thought out of the blue about this young mother and I was just told this evening that the baby was born at 8:15 a.m. Baby boy was born today.

His mother was an infant in my arms the day I married.

His parents are missionary and military folk who are passionately patriotic. Kids after my own heart. This is to wrap baby boy in. I just finished it on Sunday.

Christmas in July!

Isn't it Christmas everyday in our hearts?

My Arizona Sewers Guild meeting is this Saturday. We are making Christmas stockings for the V.A. Hospital. Cutting with a rotary cutter is great, BUT The electric rotary cutter, I purchased from my Sister, would to grow hair on my chest! Count them 8 layers so fast that "no one speak to me my life is risky"! FYI ( top photo) reversing your pattern layout will leave you with very little waist (don't ya wish it were that easy har har). In our city we are losing the fabric stores at an alarming rate and for we, who make our families clothing it has become a dieing art.

Corn field suprise!

We were driving home from our full day of Summer school, Dash Hawks therapy and a farewell visit (she does not allow good bye) to my Sister.
The children chimed "I wish we could walk through the corn field Momma", as we drove through the reservation ( I avoid the freeway, cause like Dash Hawk says it is not always free). I said "no"," its hot". Then I remembered who I was, i thought more of who I am and what I wanted to give them. Than to their amazement I pulled over and stopped. "Whats the matter momma?", Lets walk through the corn field, "OH BOY!" rang the chorus, "OH MOMMA!"
I showed them how to avoid the mud and then thought "so What" they get a little muddy boo hoo is it really something I need to stress about, this will be the last stop before home, and then I let it go. I entered a row a few feet and just let them walk in a few yards. "OH MOMMA!!
We then crossed the road to look for rocks to scrape the shoes "use it as I tool"I taught them.
There was a three foot wide two food deep water four foot deep from grade ditch full of running irrigation water. I encouraged them to throw rocks, and do the chicken dance to get the mud off the shoes. They were so cute. Then the jackpot not one but two balls a float in the ditch. Little Dove with her simplicity was not to be deterred so I showed her a search for an extension to her reach. I thought the use of a branch for a tool. Her ball a large smiley face seemed perfect and Dash found a blue one and we used the same "tool" The perfectly rake like tree branch that was feather weight from drying out in the sun.
I took them back over gave thanks and tore off a corn stalk each. We put those the balls into the trunk and after I washed them off with sanitizing wet wipes sat them down one by one and removed the shoes into the trunk as well.
The drive home seemed really loving the air in the car full of a wonderful contentment.
Upon our arrival home we removed the balls and shoes set them out to be washed and sanitized. Then the fun they each in their own was un pealed the corn ears. Little Dove had a new friend a green caterpillar she named "Pickle" and to my joy dash who slowly pulled back one section at a time made a new friend as well we call him "Batman " a black caterpillar. The corn is feed corn so we left it for our bird buddies.
Yes it was 110* My hat was on the seat from when the trunk had the groceries replaced it this morning. Yes it was very hot. The joy in my heart and the fun and pleasure of my children living my hearts desire out for them. Melted away the attitude that can be much worse than the temperature outside!