Happy 3rd day of the New Year!

Well, happy 2012! Yes, I'm late.  Better late than never?  Anyhoo, I am hoping to do better this year, especially after the last year we had. 

Don't get me wrong last year had some great moments and it had some really tough moments that led to a lot of really great moments.  My faith was increased, my trust in God increased ...hate to say I had to have that tweaked after all His years of faithfulness :( ....my worry decreased, lessons were learned, blessings were enjoyed and in the end, God let me have my husband for at least Christmas of 2011. 

I am looking forward to starting work again in my shop, creating, painting, enjoying the talent God has blessed me with.  I am looking forward to sharing with you the things I have done.  I am looking forward to seeing what God has instore for our family through the year and how He will lead us and bless us and keep us.

This week, I am organizing, cleaning, throwing away, simplifying, planning and deciding what is important to do or not do.  I am trying to not waste time.  It is so precious and I can have a tendency to Facebook, Pinterest, surf the web and before you know it 2-3 hours have passed and I have not done what I wanted to get accomplished.  Do you have that problem?  We are to redeem our time.  This year I have several desires of the heart that I want to work on.
       
                                                                1.  Keep my tongue.

                                              2.  Redeem my time.

                                              3.  Serve the Lord.

I know that last one is pretty broad, but by that I mean be ready to meet needs of others when it is in my power.  To do my Bible study/devotiions more consistently~to get to know Him better, to let Him show me His plan for my life.   To seek and accomplish through His power changes in my life that I need to work on~physical, mental and spiritual.  To make my home a welcoming and happy place to be, first for my family and then for others~~a home open to hospitality.

WOW!  That is a tall order, but if not now, when? 

I so enjoy reading blogs that encourage family, home and godly service.  Yes even they can take away time from what I want to accomplish, so I am planning on taking a limited amout of time each day to quickly get inspiration or encouragement from them.  I live in a very rural area where there are no women like me who work from home, who have the same belief we should be keepers of home and hearth, so this is my way of seeking like company. 

Hope you have set some reachable goals this year, most importantly to grow closer to the Lord and to make your home happy, healthy, welcoming and lovely. Maybe some of that loveliness will even come from me.   God bless and Happy 2012!

Leaving you in His care,
Carla

Christmas

What did Adam say the night before Christmas?  "Merry Christmas, Eve!"

At our Christmas Eve ceremony at church tonight that is what the pastor said.  Cute.  I did so enjoy the services tonight.  I have so much to be thankful for this Christmas.  A husband still here, with me and my daughter to share one more Christmas, if we see the morning.  Christ could return tonight you know. 

I know it is already Christmas in parts of the world, NORAD has been tracking Santa ever since the clock struck midnight over in New Zealand, I believe that they were the  first to see him.  I hope that every child in the world gets a gifts from "Santa" tonight. 

The truth is every child was given a gift, over 2000 years ago.  A gift, THE Gift, that keeps on giving, as the saying goes.  The problem is, so many don't know.  The Gift will never, ever wear out, be the wrong size, color, or go out of style.  This Gift will always bring joy when sorrow overwhelms, give peace when the world brings trouble.  This Gift never gets old.  It will always be the right Gift no matter what the age.  Young and old alike will enjoy it.  The Gift will never have to be exchanged, no one who has ever accepted The Gift has ever been disappointed, it has always lasted through the years.

The Gift, is Jesus Christ.  Saviour of the World.  He came as a babe in a manger and He is coming again, returning as the King of Kings.  This Christmas look beyond your circumstances.  You may have all the money to fulfill every wish your family wants.  You may be in dire circumstances right now with little to give.  Christmas will come no matter.  Christmas is not the gifts, it is not the glitter and lights.  Christmas is Jesus. Christmas is salvation. We all can have The Gift, for you see the price has been paid.  It is free.  What Jesus did on the cross paid for it.  This Christmas, get the real gift, it will change your life. 

My family and I wish you the happiest Christmas, the best Christmas you've ever had. God bless you all.

Leaving you in His care,
Carla

Countdown to Christmas

Just letting you know NOTHING happened today.  So far at least.  That's a good thing.  Now to get some Christmas candy made.  Hope the next fews days are fun for you.  Take the time to reflect on what the season really is and when you feel overwhelmed realize some of the stuff you can actually let go and forget about, and it will still all be okay.  Let this be a time of family, fun, and faith. 

Leaving you in His Care,
Carla

Merry Christmas

September 12 was the last post I made.  My hubby had just come home from the hospital and was sitting on the porch on a perfect fall day.  We thought we had been through 'the perfect storm.'  Little did we know that we were sitting in the 'eye of the storm' waiting for the worst of it to hit.

He had been home 9 days.  The first 5 days he had improved, home health and physical therapy were coming and he was doing his exercises and growing stronger.  Then on Sunday, he didn't feel as well.  His energy level seemed to drop and breathing got harder.  We had no idea we were fixing to go through a month of intense health issues that made us uncertain as to whether my hubby would make it home from the hospital.   

The next Friday morning I had to go and have minor surgery on my arm pit.  I got my mother (who is not in the best of health herself) to come sit with him.  She could get him what he needed or call 911 if necessary.  I had to be at the hospital early to get ready for the surgery.  Laying in the bed, it became apparent that something was wrong.  They changed my surgery time to later, not a good day to have that done.  Finally got into surgery and everything went fine, I was just so much later than my husband was expecting.  He called my sister in law, who went with me, once to see what was going on. We finally got home and when we arrived I went in, and my mom said "He's been sitting up in the bed ever since you left."   I went into check on my husband and oh my, he was in so much pain and his feet and legs were so swollen.  He had gotten up to go to the bathroom as soon as I had left, and then couldn't get back to the bed.  He waited and finally eased his way into the hospital bed, but he couldn't get laid down because of the pain.  He had been sitting up all the time I was gone, and my mother was in no shape to help.  I called home health and the nurse came over.  We made the decision to call an ambulance and get him to ER

That was Sept 17.   Over the next month he would be in two hospitals, go through two more surgeries, pneumonia, fluid drained from his lung, a tracheotomy, feeding tubes and not even being awake for a week, plus being on  medicines that caused hallucinations and  so many other procedures too numerous to name.  I cannot describe how overwhelming it was and I wasn't even the patient.  For those of you who have gone through it, you understand.  I've never really faced having to make decisions for someone elses' life.  Making life and death decisions, and each one seems to be making things worse.  I was not expecting my hubby to come home.  All I can say is, 'it was a faith builder' time in my life.

I learned that God is all I can trust in.  I could not do one thing to change a cell in my husband's body no matter how much I worried, laid awake at night, or cried.  It was all up to the Lord.  I thank Him for putting Dr. Augi in our lives, for putting the hospital in our lives, the nurses, the tech's, the housekeepers who kept his room clean, in our lives.  The perfect people, the perfect hospital, the perfect timing for everything to come together to make it possible for my husband to get healed. 

Although my husband came through this  and is in so much better shape than he had been all year, the truth is, it is only temporary.  God gave us more time together.  I am so thankful for that.  But all of us, who go through a life and death situations, or even those of us who haven't YET, are only temporarily healed.  Death is coming sooner or later.  We will all face it one day and being ready is the most important thing we can do.  Yes, we all want to hang on to this life.  We want to see our kids grow up and have those wonderful grandchildren.  Then we want to see them grow up too!  It is a good life, and we can't really imagine heaven being better, but it is and I've made sure that I'm going there one day.  I pray that you have too. 

Hubby had a little problem Sunday and spent the night in the hospital, but he got out Monday.  We will probably have these 'episodes' off and on through the next few years.  I don't know what our future holds, but I know who holds our future.  He is there already.  He has everything under control, and I don't have to worry. 

I haven't been doing much on Etsy.  Hopefully after Christmas, I will get back to it.  I've got ideas floating around in my head, and ready to do something creative.  We are looking at doing some things together as a family, now that my hubby feels like working in his shop.  It's been a long time since he has felt like doing some woodwork.  I don't know what we will end up making, but look forward to the time together.

Christmas will be here in 5 days.  Unless God changes the plans we will all be together for another Christmas.  We will celebrate the birth of our Savior, the babe in the manger who came to die for the world.  How much more could we ask than that?  Well, as perfect as that is, God has given us even more....more time together, a gift that cannot be bought.  Thank you, Father.  You have blessed us abundantly.  I am praying your Christmas is special this year.  Only you can make it that way.  Remember the Reason for the ALL Season(s).

Leaving you in His care,
Carla

Perfect Storm

As I sit typing, my husband in on the front porch in a rocking chair.  What is unusal about that?  It is such a beautiful, early fall day, everyone would love to be on the front porch in a rocking chair.  Hummers are flitting around the feeders fighting, (say that 3 times fast) the temperature is perfect, no air or heat needed, sun shine, blue sky-just one of those perfect days.  My husband is sitting there, along with his physical therapist, trying to get stronger and get the fluids moving from the lower level of his body.  He got out of the hospital a week ago after a  three week stay in the hospital.  That sure has a way of weakening the body.

The day I took him to the ER, I had no clue we would be there that long, that I would be wondering whether I would be bringing my husband home or not, that I was told to tell my daughter to spend time with her dad, to call his brothers in to see him, to be going through thoughts in my mind that I never thought about the day before. 

My husband has a myriad of problems.  In 2005, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  2 months later he was diagnosed with kidney cancer.  In January of 2006, he had his kidney removed, went through seed implants, radiation therapy, then later in the year, he had his gall bladder out.  That is when they discovered he had NASH.  A form of cirrhosis of the liver.  Since that time he has dealt with the disease as best we can.  The liver does not heal, nor is there any medicines that help.  It only gets worse.  I guess that week in August, everything came together for the 'perfect storm' healthwise.

He had began retaining fluids in his body cavity, then it went to his feet and legs.  He had a parencentasis on Tuesday, went to the ER on Wednesday, stayed in hospital till Friday, came home, went back Saturday to ER, admitted to hospital then stayed there for over 2 weeks growing weaker, having surgery, laying on his back, losing muscle mass and wondering if he would come home.  So many things that were wrong just came together at the same time, it was hard to treat one thing without effecting other things.  It is a dance, trying to co-ordinated meds, breathing treatments, physical therapy, rest, food, etc that I have tried to come up with organizational sheets to help.  This med has to be taken with food, this one needs to be taken an hour before or two-three hours after eating.  Use this breathing treatment every six hours and this one if you need extra, and it can be taken every four hours!  Getting up through the night when he is on lasix, emptying the urinal and measuring how much he is putting out.  Going without sleep all those long nights and coming home to take care of things here when I feel I can leave the hospital has caused me to do something I never used to do.  Take a nap in the afternoon when he is napping.  Also choosing what is most important to get done and what can be left alone.  I am finally getting more sleep the last two nights, thankfully.

We are still on a journey.  Trying to get him back on his feet and strength restored.  We have learned if you take your eyes off the Great Physician, you are not looking at the one who does the healing.  I am so thankful for all the doctors, nurses, technicians that helped bring him through this, but there is only so much they can do.  The Power that raised Jesus from the dead, who called Lazarus from the grave, that same Power still exists and we saw Him at work in restoring my husband to a point he could come home to me and my daughter again.  God is still restoring the cells in my husbands body, building, strengthening and filling him with health.  Will he be perfect again?  No.  We are all headed toward the same end, but he has spared his life this time till he determines it is time to take him home and heal him perfectly.

 I am so thankful our prayers were answered, that we have more time with him, even though there is lots of work to do.  I have learned that even though God may decided to take my husband home one day, the worries of who will take care of us are unnecessary because the One who has ALWAYS taken care of us will still do that job.  I have learned how quickly things can change, so we all need to be ready for our turn, we never know when things will happen in a 'perfect storm' that could change our lives in a day.  Hug your family, tell them you love them, be ye kind one to another. Be ready to meet your Maker. That's what is important.

Leaving you in his care,
Carla

Back Again

Hi, I've been gone a while, can't believe over a month has passed.  So much has been going on and I just haven't had the time to blog.  I am trying to recalculate everything and get in charge of what is happening in my life.  I have made some decisions.  Trying to tie up some loose ends and making a list of what I actually need to strive for.  

The last two months have been a whirlwind.  I made a decision to do something and once I started, it became apparent it wasn't going to work.  I was stressed, getting behind in things that I really should have been doing and taking care of, and just absolutely burning the candle at both ends, which is not good for anyone.  

Although I enjoyed so much the creativity of what I was doing, it was also a drain on me physically.  I have backed up, taken a good look, talked to my husband and family and have decided to go in a different direction.

I love my home, but I have neglected it lately.  I have so much to do anyway and adding an extra obligation, that in my younger days I feel I could have handled, but at this point in life became a little overwhelming.  I have things I need to do at home first, get organized, finish some projects in my home, finish some obligations to other people in my business and then take another look at a new direction that we are going to go.  Something that will not take away from my time at home as much, that will not cause me to spend a lot of time and money for traveling expenses.  

I am excited that my creative juices will not be stifled, but that it will be in a more controlled atmosphere.  Trying to keep a booth full at a flea market nearly 35 miles away, when most every item you took sold very quickly, was somewhat overwhelming.  It was a blessing monetarily, but the Bible says to 'redeem your time' and I wanted to make sure my time was being redeemed properly.   God, family and home first......that is my desire.  When life is said and done, I want my family to know that they were so important to me that I wanted to create a home environment that was happy, welcoming, godly, refreshing and an oasis in a world that does not always have their best interest at heart.  I want to serve others and show them the love of God by my service to them.  

I will still create, only I do not want it to be the main thing in my life.  I will use it to bless my family and others, but not that the creating becomes the controller.

I wish you all a happy day.  It has started out very well here, we had a beautiful rainstorm during the night.  There is nothing like being awakened by the rumbling of thunder, lightning and the sound and smell of rain and knowing God has answered prayers..........that in the desert of life, He has made it rain for me!  

Leaving you in His Care,

Carla

Re-do's of boo boos

Why would anyone think those old plaster, chalky statues and placques were pretty?

I so wished I had taken a before photo, but I just wasn't thinking that these were going to turn out so pretty!  Lesson learned.

Someone gave me a set of 'french looking' and I use that term loosely, gentleman and lady.

They were the chalky white with bright gold daubs and dabs of paint where they were trying to add an accent to make them look better.  NOT!

No wonder they went out of style.

Here's a photo of the re-do of the boo boos. 

I think they are quite fashionable now.  These sold the day I put them in my booth.

I'm loving these 'tiffany' blue items.  I don't know if it is an exact match of the beautiful Tiffany blue boxes and wrappings that you get at the store, but it's close, and actually it is a spray paint from Wal-Mart or your local big box stores that is called Blue Ocean Breeze.

Whatever, it makes old ugly things, turn into be-ute-ti-ful things.

I think they would be gorgeous hanging over a master bedroom suite....okay on the wall above the bed!  I'd hate for them to come crashing down during the night.  What the........?

Aren't they adorable!

I also added a few other items to go with them.

"Always Kiss Me Goodnight",

a shelf, that was a horrible bright gold, with those cute glass knobs, and a candlestick that turned out so cute.  If I were redecorating my bedroom right now, I would have like to keep these things, but ya know, you gotta make a little bit of money back.

I've got some other items, but I found them all in the old vintage green color and they are so calming.  I will post them later. 

Hope you are having a great week.

Leaving you in His care,

Carla

Le Table

Okay, maybe it's supposed to be La Table.....I do. not. know. but I know I finally got it finished.  Well of course, except for that one little knob.  I have it, it just wasn't in the shop when I made the photos, so will put it on tomorrow!

What ya' think?

Just one of those standard desks.  I thought it turned out pretty good, except maybe it looks a little youngish.  I was looking for more uh, old mature styling. Maybe it's the pink.  I like it, but I think next time there will be more white.  Anyhoo, this is what I got and it does go well with the frou frou chair.   

Here are a few more shots.  The drawers are painted inside with a little extra sumpin' sumpin' and a touch of classy (hopin') on the end.

Don't know if you can see inside the drawer, it has a fleur di lis inside.

....and here's the end.  Hope you like it.

I've got two tables (a coffee and an end) that I'm thinkin' bout.  Been shabbying up a storm on some items I picked up at an estate sale and some yard sales.  What do you do when you want to keep everything yourself?   8D

Oh yeah, I've got an order for a couple of signs and a dresser!  woot! woot! Ex-cite-ted.  It's been slow going, but I think hope it will pick up.

Well, the water's risin' momma.  We are getting rain and more rain.  Bless those who have lost so much.  I just pray that God spares them more troubles by holding back on this rain. 

Hope you all have a great week.

Leaving you in his care,

Carla

Ooh La La

Well, the past month has been just absolutely overwhelming.  I mean I feel like I meet myself coming and going.  The days have flown by and my house, yard, and shop look like a horde of

frat boys have lived here for that month.

I've got the best intentions.  Really, I do.

I start in one room, and then get side tracked to another room.  Do I do laundry?  Vacuum? Mop floors?

Dust?  Pick up the yard, weed-eat, clean windows, whatever it would take to get everything back in order.

Look, I know I just had the laundry room empty, those books and magazines put up, the dishes done and beds made.  What happened?!

This week has been a wearying one.  I've taken my mom to a total of 4 doctor visits on three different days.  It was going to be 4 different days, until I threw myself on the mercy of one doctors office and got them to let us come by a day early.  Anyhoo, went with my husband to a doctors visit too.  It's been wild.

Have you ever had to dust your range?  Well, I've been throwing quick stuff together to feed my family and lots of left overs heated up in the nuke machine.

What I really want to do is paint.  I've got stuff started and need to finish.  I've got ideas rolling through my head and they don't let me sleep at night.  Finally, today I finished up one project, well almost. I have to screw the seat down, and it will be finished. 

Before...........................

After..........

It's all going to get better.  Next week we've only got one doctor visit, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed something will get done around here that make this mess look like a place! 

Leaving you in His care,

Carla

Praying

Just a quick note this morning, praying for all those who lost loved ones here in Arkansas last night. Seven people so far, lost their lives.  Also, for those who have lost their homes.  I know that stuff can be replaced, but it is going to be a whole lotta work.  I pray that God will give His peace to the families who have lost someone who can't be replaced and strength and encouragement for those who have a big job ahead.  Those of you who have tried to 'redo' a room or whole house know how much work it is.  For those who have got to go through the rubble, clean up, rebuild homes and lives....it is going to be a long journey. I ask that you say a prayer too.

We are going to have another round tonight. Pray that the storms are lifted and that everyone is safe.

Leaving you in His Care,

Carla