Happy New Year ~ One Word 2014 ~ Commitment

After much thought and contemplation, I decided my One Word for the year is 

Commitment. 

I have never been a disciplined person.  I am not a goal oriented person either and I want to train myself to think of my goals as if they were sacred commitments. 

When I'm tempted to flake, 

I want the word "commitment" in the front of my mind. 

"Nope. I promised myself.  I will not quit. I will follow through."  

I also have a lot of responsibilities to my family and church 

which I tend to blow off, 

for lack of self discipline and other perfectly good reasons excuses,

more than I care to admit.  

I'm 45 now and I figure it's time to grow up and try to be more 

committed to structure, 

discipline, people and projects that need my physical and mental presence.  

“If we commit ourselves to one person for life, this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather, it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession but participation.” 

~ Madeleine L'Engle~

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”  

~ Peter F. Drucker~

“Set the standard! Stop expecting others to show you love, acceptance, commitment, 

& respect when you don't even show that to yourself.”  

~ Steve Maraboli~

“Seems to me that there is a fine line between insanity and dedication…I call that line commitment” ~Jeremy Aldana~

"It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through."  

~Zig Ziglar~

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."

~Vince Lombardi~

I laughed when I saw this.  It's so me.  I'm a Abstract Random person.
In other words, I'm in orbit around Venus.  I hope to become more firmly planted this year by staying committed and focused and what is important.

What are your thoughts?  

Does the word Commitment bring anything to mind?

If you have one, what is your One Word for 2014?

Be blessed and Be a blessing to others.

Pooh is apathetic about commitments, 

but is grateful for the ones I keep with him.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act."

Psalm 37:5

I enjoy hearing from you, so please leave a comment.

I hope you'll become a new follower too.

And join our Facebook discussions

1970's Vintage Christmas Labels

Remember these?  

The colors feel good in your fingers when you 

hold these labels in your hands.  

I never think I like 70's colors until I physically touch them.  

They capture you.
I'm sure they were on top of my Christmas packages when I received these gifts:
My Favorite Dolls 

Happiness! 

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!"

~ Charles Dickens ~ 

Behind Every Exquisite Thing ~ Oscar Wilde

“Behind every exquisite thing that exists,

there is something tragic.”

- Lord Henry Wotton.”

~Oscar Wilde~

The Picture of Dorian Gray   



An Einstein Quote that stuck

I saw this earlier and it has stayed with me through out the day...   

Interesting. Does it provoke thought?

What do you think?

A Blackbird Designs Cross Stitch Break

I can be somewhat of a workaholic.  I work myself sick and push myself so hard,
 then I crash and can go no further. 
When I get tired, I get weepy and mournful. 
I start missing my daughter or my dad, or Texas...
 just whatever my heart feels is worth a wallow. 

 

I couldn't take another minute of it today.  I snapped at 11:00 AM.  Shed a few little tears.  Went outside and laid out in the sun for some "light therapy" and vitamin D. 

 

 I came inside and pulled out a lovely work in progress. 

 

I love Blackbird Designs and wish I had the time to work
every single one of their cross stitch patterns.

I would wallpaper my whole house with them. 
(Love their fabric too).
 

I'm currently working on Anniversaries of the Heart, Pattern 5. 
 

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...........my soul sighs cheerfully and feels mended.  It's just what my afternoon needed.  I needed to rest my busy mind and back, meditate and pray for cancer filled loved ones, count my blessings....
concentrate on anything but work!!   

Sewing is healing.  I feel as if I received a Vitamin B shot today. 

Now it's off to an early bed for me.  It starts all over again tomorrow. 

 

Do you need an afternoon vacation? 

What do you do when you snap?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.”  

~W.S. Merwin~

 

 

Love is what carries you, for it is always there, even in the dark,
or most in the dark,

but shining out at times like gold stitches in a piece of embroidery. ” 

 ~Wendell Berry, Hannah Coulter~

 

“Now the Earth with many flowers puts on her spring embroidery”

~Sappho~

 

 

To sew is to pray. Men don't understand this. They see the whole but they don't see the stitches. They don't see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle. We mend. We women turn things inside out and set things right. We salvage what we can of human garments and piece the rest into blankets. Sometimes our stitches stutter and slow. Only a woman's eyes can tell. Other times, the tension in the stitches might be too tight because of tears, but only we know what emotion went into the making. Only women can hear the prayer.”

~Louise Erdrich, Four Souls~

 

 

Thank you to my son who took the photos for me.  Such a SWEET young man.

 

Blessings, PEACE and favor to all of you.

(((group hug)))

 

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Dear Watson felt sorry for mama today. 

Nothing is better than sewing and kitten cuddles.

Sharing with these SWEET places
Elizabeth and Co. ~ Be Inspired
Far Above Rubies ~ Domestically Divine Tuesday

Hot Air Balloons in Florida ~ *clicks heels*

We are way out in the country. 

They launch hot air balloons in the pasture behind our house. 

Literally, our back yard. 

There have been times when the balloons are so low,

they touch the tops of our trees. 

I guess hot air balloon season is upon us. 

I see them out there all the time now. 

 

Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? 

I have not.

Let's go!!

 

The quotes below are by Frank Baum, from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Of Course!!

 

“If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.”

 

“Everything you were looking for was right there with you all along.”

 

"Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't you think?” 

 

Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him; but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too.”

 

 

“People would rather live in homes regardless of its grayness. There is no place like home.” 

 

 

Blessings to you all.

Choose Joy.

 

Sharing with:

Pret a Vivre ~ Ready to Waltz

The View From Right Here ~ Weekly Top Shot

 

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Pooh and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,

ended on a high note last night with Bambi on his back. 

I'm not sure how much more he can take. 

Poor Pooh.

He said he hated me but took it back real fast out of guilt. 

 

~The End~

'Tis the obligatory St. Patrick GREEN post

I'm stumped.

 

When trying to channel my inner Irishman for this post,

all I can think of is "What Would Frank McCourt Do"?

 

I know what Frank would do.

He would take pictures of meaningless Green junk around the house

and quote Oscar Wilde. 

Sure. 

Why not. 

 

What are you favorite green treasures?

Who is your favorite Irish author?

 

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time

that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught."

 

Inherited from my mother-in-love
 

 "There is only one thing worse than being talked about,

and that is not being talked about."

Thrifted Kilim Pillow.  I win!

 

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go."

Thrifted city scape...I love it!

 

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. 

If he did, he would cease to be an artist." 

 

Thrifted vintage cross stitch in my collection

 

"Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities."

Inherited from my mother-in-love

 

"Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not."

Thrifted plate.  One of my favorite things ever!

 

"Women are made to be loved, not understood."

Thrifted vintage music book.

 

"It is absurd to divide people into good and bad.

People are either charming or tedious."

Thrifted old book

 

"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again,

there is no use in reading it at all."

Inherited painting in my son's room

 

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something

sensational to read in the train."

 

I hope you'll stop and say hello. 

Kindest and warmest regards to you. 

 

I'm sharing with:

Chic On A Shoestring Decorating ~ Flaunt it Friday

The Charm of Home ~ Home Sweet Home

The Thrifty Groove ~ Thrifty Things Friday

Common Ground ~ Be Inspired

Shabby Art Boutique ~ Shabbilicious Friday Link Party

Rooted In Thyme ~ Simple and Sweet

Romantic Home ~ Show and Tell Friday

 

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I think dat camera strap trying to killed me!!! 

Must hide behind apron strings!!!

 

Today, Choose Joy

 

~The End~

English Paper Peacing

“Mama's love had always been the kind that acted itself out with soup pot and sewing basket. But now that these things were taken away, the love seemed as whole as before. She sat in her chair at the window and loved us. She loved the people she saw in the street-- and beyond: her love took in the city, the land of Holland, the world. And so I learned that love is larger than the walls which shut it in. ”  ~ Corrie ten Boom ~

Using scraps saved from the original grandmother's flower garden

Trying to catch my breath.  My brain pushes my soul too far sometimes. 

I have to stop, refocus and remember whom I love and what it's all about.

How about you?  How is your week? 

Blessings and kind love & hellos to you all.

Sharing with:

The Sunday Showcase Party at Stephanie Lynns



Paper Piecing a Rock Pile

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it,

bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” 

 

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~The Little Prince ~

(Pssst...don't forget the giveaway. It ends Saturday night.)

 



Meriwether Lewis Quote

"I had in all human probability existed about half the period which I am to remain in this Sublunary world ... I had as yet done but little, very little, indeed, to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence, and now sorely feel the want of that information which those hours would have given me had they been judiciously expended ... I resolved in future, to redouble my exertions ... to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself."

- Meriwether Lewis, August 18, 1805, on occasion of his 31st birthday

Poor Meriwether. What a beautiful name he had. 

Bless his heart. 

No time for Autumn Moments ~ How sad

Nature XXVII, Autumn by Emily Dickinson   The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on.

Autumn is my favorite season. I have always "highly esteemed" this time of year. There isn't much time to truly envelope yourself in it as we're so busy inside planning Halloween costumes, the Thanksgiving menu, decorating for Christmas and cleaning because family is coming. 

Autumn is my favorite season for the millions of pigments found throughout.  If I was a famous artist influenced by a movement, I would probably be a Fauvist. I'm married with color; it fills me.

I also love how the first cool fronts blow away the sour wetness from our humid, oppressive summers. In Florida, I'll joyfully take each and every one sent our way.  

Be blessed! 

Dream big and make your dreams come true!

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and make a comment below.

Stay awhile.
:)