Guest post from Bethany!

Bethany, who doesn't have a blog, is an old friend (old as in, we've been friends for a long time, not that she is old!) She offered to blog about her adventures in taking a quilting class!

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Thanks Megg, for giving me this opportunity to ‘guest blog’.  Most of your readers probably don’t know me so here is just a little bit about me.  Like Megg I moved from one coast to the other when I got married.  That was 22 years ago.  Megg is newly married and figuring out to how establish her own home and family.  I am quickly approaching empty nest and re defining my goals and priorities now that my daughters think they are all grown up. It’s more about just being mom and less about parenting.

I have started a new hobby.  Quilting.  I have been a seamstress for many years.  I made a few dresses in high school and I made the bridesmaid dresses for my wedding.  Thankfully God blessed me with two little girls who I could make countless Easter and Christmas dresses for. I confess one year I started the Easter dresses on good Friday.

I have played around with quilting in the past but nothing serious and nothing really to show for it.  So I decided to take a class.  It was Pinwheel passion and only 4 weeks.  Great I can get something finished.

The day before the class I went to the shop to choose the fabrics.  A few lights a few darks. Here is what picked the first time.

I went home and got out my rulers and rotary cutter and my mats. I just looked at them.  I wasn't ready to cut yet.

I washed and ironed all my fabrics. A very important first step.

And off to class I went.  Well it turns out this is a skills class and not a project class.  That means we are learning technique and are not expected to finish the project in the 4 weeks.  I was a little disappointed about this but at least I am learning.

The instructor went over how to fold and cut the fabric and then how to construct the pinwheel.  By the end of the night was passion for pinwheels and quilting was re ignited. 

I will though in a few pictures of my progress. I made a few mistakes along the way. And I was reminded of the importance of reading directions even when you think you remember.   So I have a pile of little seams to be ripped out. 

Towards the end of the last class the instructor showed me the quilt for the April class...sigh.  I would really like to take that class.  but I just don't want to gather any more UFO (unfinished projects)  So I will work diligently through February and March to finish my pinwheels so that I can take the April class.  The instructor said with my skill level and a nominal time commitment outside of class I will be able to finish this one during the 4 weeks.

Writing: Bridging Dreams and Reality

This is a guest post from Melanie, who writes about mesothelioma cancer on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog. Though I have a personal vendita towards pancreatic cancer, there are so many types of cancer out there, and this is one that I didn't know much about.In this post Melanie will talk about journaling as a form of therapy.

Writing: Bridging Dreams and Reality
Think about the last thing that you wrote. Were you writing out a check or were you writing a note to a friend or a loved one? While we use writing for all sorts of trivial day-to-day tasks, what many people do not know is that it is an incredibly powerful tool. Through writing, we can focus ourselves and learn more about what we want and how we can get there. People who suffer from illnesses like mesothelioma cancer to arthritis, no matter the prognosis, can use the journaling and recording process to realize their goals.

When you write something down, you are putting something into the world that wasn’t there before. For example, you are going to find that there is a big difference between writing something and simply thinking it or telling someone. If you write something down, you will find that there is now a tangible reminder of your goal. It won’t be something that you have to keep foremost in your mind. Instead, you now have an external thing telling you to start now and get yourself motivated.

For example, think of something that you want to do. It may be something mundane or it might be something that is totally out of character for you. It may be something like “put away all my clothes” or “go to Mexico.” Write out the desire and look at it. Suddenly, it is something that you can touch and look at. Even if you look away, it is still there. Tape the piece of paper to your refrigerator, your mirror or any other place that you look at often. Every time you pass by that piece of paper, look at it. It serves as a legitimate reminder of what you want to do.

Everyone knows that life is hard. Things come up that we did not expect, and we find that we may be struggling or flailing. The problem is that so many people are not struggling towards a goal. Instead, they are flailing their way towards a number of things, and these things sometimes pull them in different directions. Psychology today states that journaling your goals and your dreams will allow you to figure out what’s going on in your life. This is a good way to help you figure out what you’ve been doing and where you want to go from here.

Journaling is not something that you do instead of doing what you want. Instead, it is the thing that allows you to take the first step towards your dreams. You are going to be getting started with your dreams when you write them down, whether it is on a piece of paper or in a diary designated for the purpose. They say that a journey of ten thousand miles starts with a single step, and that getting started is the hard part, so take your first step today!

When you want to get away from the things that have been troubling you, and you want to learn more about how to start moving towards your goals, consider what journaling and recording your desires can do for you!

For more information on Mesothelimoa cancer, visit the MCA blog.

Dear 16 year old...

Today's guest post is from Amy at Feathered Friendsy! She wrote a letter to her 16 year old self.

Dear Sixteen Year Old Me,

You're a mess. You seem to think that what everyone else thinks about you matters, and it doesn't. You try to please everyone else but you're making yourself miserable in the process. These people don't matter – and the ones who do, they accept you as is. The girl in your algebra class that makes your life unbearable every day? She will end up in jail for drunk driving your first summer out of high school. That guy who calls you fat all the time? He ends up gaining nearly 100 lbs in college. Those shoes you want so badly that your mom can't afford? They'll be out of style in a week.

Look, 16 year old self, you gotta listen to me. I'll be 26 this year and life is nothing at all like what you're planning. I...we are not a lawyer. We're not famous. (We?) I'm not insanely rich. But you know what I have? I have true love. And a gorgeous family. And honest-to-goodness happiness. And those things are all way better than anything you have planned for us.

So here's what I propose. You go ahead and enjoy your childhood – and yes, you are still a child. Stop trying to grow up so fast and worry about marriage and careers. Concentrate on things that make you happy. Enjoy being a “band geek.” Learn to love your body – it will go on to do amazing things. Ditch that loser of a boyfriend you're with right now and take care of your true friends instead. Get closer with your mother sooner. She won't be around for much longer – you need to enjoy every second you've got.

Oh, and one more thing. You grow up to be basically the same person you are now, only happier. You're still dorky, geeky, nerdy. You still enjoy reading more than movies, music from the 90s, and corny jokes. You still view the “popular kids” as lame, but better than that, the rest of the world does too because when you're an adult, high school/college popularity means absolutely nothing.

So dance, 16 year old me. Dance to the rhythm of life. Listen for the music in every day things. Have your own style, love the things you love. You're more valuable than you think.

Sincerely,

The 25 year old future you

A Southern Thanksgiving

My friend Elizabeth, from Life, Love, Librarianship kindly agreed to guest post for me! Enjoy her rendition of Thanksgiving in her family...in Alabama!




Funnily enough, my Thanksgiving memories and favorite Thanksgiving moments actually have very little to do with Thanksgiving.  Sure we do the big meal and watch the kids attempt a back yard football game, but Thanksgiving is really just a stepping stone.  Just another (albeit food-laden) day to complete before we get to the big show: Christmas. 

Part of the reason Thanksgiving feeling like a tacked-on holiday is because my mom doesn't host Thanksgiving at her house.  My parents and I go to my mother's sister's and we celebrate with her husband, their three kids, spouses, and grandchildren, and my grandparents.  Sometimes there are other random family members or close family friends, but mostly it is our fairly small family.  It actually used to be pretty quiet before everyone started having babies and now there are 6 kids, ages 18 months to 10 years (4 of those kids are boys) so it's certainly not quiet anymore.  But the kids do make it way more fun.  

My aunt makes the turkey and the dressing (this is the South - none of that stuffing business at our table) and few side dishes and then everyone brings a dish.  I bring the rolls (my rolls are the best.  you should try them.) and a dessert for the grownups and one for the kids.  My mom brings her famous sweet potato casserole and the most requested dish, macaroni and cheese.  We eat the cranberry sauce from the can and yellow gravy (basically cream of chicken soup, giblets, and hard boiled eggs - it's delicious, I swear) that only my grandmother can make correctly.  We all eat until we are sick, watch the kiddos run around a bit, and then that's that.  Thanksgiving's over.  Time to get ready for the big show.

My mom and I officially kick off Christmas on Thanksgiving night by watching White Christmas, our favorite Christmas movie.  We'll watch it 5 or 6 times during the Christmas season and even though we know all the lines, it never gets old.  The next day, while the rest of America is waiting in endless lines, we break out the decorations.  

My mom is VERY into Christmas and her house is decorated from top to bottom with two trees, wreaths on every door and front-facing window, her collection of Santas displayed on the mantle, and the focal point - her Christmas village.  It takes all day to get the house fully decorated and while it's exhausting, it's one of my favorite things to do.  We put on our favorite Christmas albums (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban, and Barbara Mandrell just to name a few) and reminisce about each decoration as we lovingly pull it from the box.  We eat Thanksgiving leftovers and sit around as a family, soaking up the joy of the Christmas season.  It's quiet and simple, which is exactly what my family is all about.  

For my small family, Thanksgiving really isn't about the food or the shopping or even getting ready for Christmas.  It's about spending time together, making memories, and enjoying the thrill of the holiday season in our own way.

Thanksgiving and Africa

My friend Bethany, who does not have a blog to link to, agreed to guest post for me about her Thanksgiving growing up in Africa and how grateful her experiences have made her. She was also kind enough to include pictures!

A few weeks ago, Megg asked me if I would be willing to guest post during Thanksgiving, and I said, “Sure!” but since I’ve never been asked to guest post, this may not sound very guest posterly to you. If that is the case, please heed this caveat and leave the pitchforks and torches at home. Asante sana.

“What is that foreign language?” you probably just wondered it. Heck, you might even be googling it right now, in which case, I’ll wait for you to come back so I can just tell you.

…

“Asante sana” means “thank you very much” in Swahili. Now, let me be honest, I do not speak Swahili or any other African languages. However, I did spend my childhood and adolescence in Africa, so I know bits and pieces of several languages spoken in Africa, and—what’s that? Oh, you want to hear more about growing up in Africa? Funny you should ask…Megg thought that would be fun for me to me to talk about how I grew up and how we celebrated Thanksgiving in Africa—since this is a Thanksgiving-ish post and all—so hey, let’s talk about that. (Btw, we usually had chicken instead of turkey.)

To begin with, my parents are missionaries, which is why, at the age of one and a half, I was whisked halfway around the world and raised as a minority of sorts. A lot of Americans ask me what it was like growing up in Africa, but I usually end up asking them, “What was it like growing up in the US?” because I don’t really know how to describe my childhood. Growing up in Africa was just growing up for me.

Now, before we continue, let me clarify a few misconceptions people may have. First of all, we did not live in round mud huts. We did not ride elephants to school. (We were homeschooled!) I never met Tarzan. I don’t speak “African” because that is a language that does not exist. I did not live in a state in the country of Africa. Africa is a continent, and we lived in the countries of Ghana and Chad. (We went to boarding school in Kenya.) We didn’t own pet monkeys. Also, saying “chai tea” is redundant as chai means tea. And why the heck do you people put spices in chai? Bleck.

So far, this post probably sounds like a rant, but I needed to say all of that to lay the groundwork for what I’m going to say next. See, I didn’t have some of the exotic experiences listed above, but I did grow up overseas and have traveled extensively. For that, I am grateful.

I am thankful that not only did I have the opportunity to swim with dolphins off the coast of Zanzibar, but that I also had the opportunity to share life stories with a Buddhist monk in Thailand. I am thankful that I was able to visit the Vatican in Rome, but I am more thankful that I got to play tag with Gypsy children in Romania. I am thankful that I was able to climb to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, but I am also more than blessed to have prayed alongside my Indian brothers and sisters in the Mumbai ghettos.

I am thankful for a broad worldview. I am thankful for an incredibly supportive family that made home exist no matter where we lived, even if we were living out of suitcases for half a year. I am thankful for a roof over my head, a job that pays the bills, and a loving husband who is as big of a geek as I am. I am thankful for friends like Megg who can make me laugh and can share even the little things like a trip to Target or a love of sushi. I am thankful for the hellspawn that we also refer to as “cats” because occasionally their furry cuddles make up for the insanity they otherwise cause.

Most importantly, I am thankful for a relationship with a Savior who has been with me through all of the ups and downs in life, who is constant when I am wandering far, and who has carried me through some very dark times and brought about the blessings for which I am currently grateful.

Guest post!

I'm guest posting over at Luckiest in Love today while Laura is on vacation!

Laura requested that I talk about the ways I'm living frugally. Though I am far, far from an expert, I was thrilled to write about a subject that I'm passionate about! So go check it out!

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Guest post AND giveaway!

It's a big day for me on the interwebs, guys.
First, I'm guest posting over at my friend Elizabeth's blog...
And my Etsy shop is also being featured in a giveaway over at Fabulous but Evil!

This is excellent because now I don't have to come up with a post for today. So check them both out. The guest post is kinda a big announcement (big at least for me) and the giveaway is awesome because, well, it's my Etsy shop! So go check them both out!

Guest post!

I'm guest posting over at Stress Case today, so go check it out!

Guest post!

I've got a guest post over at Believing Boldly! Go check it out! Warning...it's about politics!

Clean kitties say it's important to vote!

Check me out!

I was so excited when my friend, and fellow librarian, Elizabeth asked me to do a guest post on her blog! I've been waiting for this all week, ever since she told me it would be published on Thursday!

What are you waiting for? Check me out!!