Serendipity Sunday

I just sent a pattern that isn’t due until May 1, 2017, BUT I have been sitting on the couch making the line drawing for a pattern that is due is 14 days, and well, I decided to stop to do a blog post~~YEP, that is how I roll…

It probably would be very scary to take a stroll through my brain.

Actually, it isn’t quite as scary as it sounds, for this was one of those ideas that was just meant to be…and flexibility is a true gift!

Charcoal is sitting as close to me as possible and he seems to be THINKING!!

Do you ever wonder where IDEAS start?  How sometimes, they come so easily, while others leave you starring at a blank page day after day after day with no inspiration.

That BIG WHITE BLANK PAGE…

Heavy sigh…

Life is like that sometimes, and if you learn to “roll with it, baby”, then you save yourself a whole lot of frustration!

This week has been very productive and I give thanks for that.

I got an order, so I cut, sanded and boxed 55 pieces of wood to head to California on Monday.

Charlie and Chester said the wood was PACKED and READY to ship!

Have I ever told you how much I dislike to sand?  ROFL

It is one of those necessary evils of life.  To have a beautifully smooth finish, you have to sand.  I am sure you have seen pieces at craft shows that SKIPPED that process and PROBABLY you had a mean thought…

Mother’s words of “anything worth doing, is worth doing well” come to my mind when I have to do one of these NECESSARY evils…she would most often say this to me when I was washing dishes.  Water would be all over me and the sink, and here she came with her “frustrated wisdom” and I can still envision myself standing there, water everywhere, and thinking, “I AM doing the best I can.”  For the life of me, to this day, I CANNOT wash dishes without getting ME wet.  I don’t know why, but it is just a fact I can’t seem to overcome.

Then, I hear Daddy saying, “Dreading is 99% of the battle.”…Boy, have I been having lots of those 99% moments as of late, and for the life of me, again, I can’t seem to overcome, BUT I still keep trying.  One day, that ole self-motivating pep talk will kick in and will conquer my fears (?)…or whatever it is…

This week, I also finished 2 more patterns and had them accepted, so that makes 3 that are heading to the 2017 www.paintingezine.com with 5 more accepted for the remainder of 2016!  I am so blessed and humbled.

This week, also presented me with the opportunity to be a guinea pig for an artist who just finished her first ecourse…She allowed me to paint it to give some feedback.  I was so excited, because I HOPE you know that I enjoy encouraging other artists, and I LOVE to learn new techniques.

You can find the ecourse at The Little Bluebird Art by Amanda Hilburn 

She also has a facebook page and an etsy page: Little Bluebird Art by Amanda Hilburn.

I love my little churches and what a fun, easy and quick design to paint for someone special!

Then I am bringing a serendipity moment from another week to this post, because it really did make me happy.

A fb friend, from South Africa, and now a US Citizen in California sent me pictures of how she used one of my patterns in her Bible School.  I was absolutely thrilled!  It was the first pattern she ever bought, which, in and of itself, is quite humbling, since she is a beautifully awesome artist!  She shared them with me and I am sharing them with you.

In today’s world, with all the evil that encompasses us, to still find people working so diligently to help TEACH our children Christian values, even thru art, gives me great hope.  To humbly think, that something I did, helped to spark an idea to share.  This encourages me.

I know, many of you think I am a fanatic, but I can honestly say, I don’t care and I WISH it were true…but when I draw something, I ask God’s guidance to steer me in the right direction…to guide my thoughts, my pencil, my brush, my words…to INSPIRE happiness and goodness and joy!  I ask that I can be used in some way with the gifts that I am willing, at the moment, to use for HIS GLORY…

I am trying to live my life, willing to be SANDED smoothly, to offer what I have to a world filled with hate, pettiness, selfishness, vanity, no self-control…

I am tired of sitting quietly by as others SLAM views that are different from theirs~~we ALL want to be tolerated, but show little tolerance for others…IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!

To see unkind remarks breaks my heart!

To see unkind remarks by “Christians” makes my stomach ache!
To SAY unkind remarks makes me ashamed and saddens God!

We look at the sins of others, failing to see that WE are the sinners and that a sin is a sin. 

I am a sinner.

I have rough edges and I need sanding…did I tell you how much I dislike to SAND?!

Heavy sigh…

BUT I will continue to SAND my life so that God can be better pleased with my thoughts…my words…my actions…my heart…

Maybe ONE person will see my life and it will cause them to SEARCH the heart of God in ways to start SANDING their own life…

I am GRATEFUL for what I have and I continue to pray for needs that somehow, will be met, because He PROMISED that fear is not necessary and that ALL my needs will be met…I BELIEVE!

May you find moments of serendipity as you continue your journey of this roller-coaster ride called LIFE…~~I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡

On the TWELFTH Day of Christmas, Monday, December 22, 2014

I made it 12 days in a ROW…WHEW…thanks for the kind remarks and support…I’ve enjoyed taking a walk down memory lane and yet, there are more trails to follow, but TODAY, I have saved the REAL MEANING of Christmas for last.

  

I don’t know when it started, but it was a LONG time ago.  Our Church started having Come-and-go Christmas Eve Communion.  Families were invited to come to the church and take communion (The Lord’s Supper, The Eucharist).  The Sanctuary would be lit with the Chrismon Tree and Lights/Candles in the window and Christmas music  playing.

We would enter the Sanctuary and sit and wait until it was our time to go to the Altar to take communion and to pray with our Pastor.  While the people who were with us changed from year to year, SOME things remained the same.  Mother would immediately begin to silently pray and CRY as I am sure she remembered the events of the past year~~the friends lost and gained, trials and tribulations, milestones, Praises…Daddy and I would sometimes look over at her as we both would look at the room and reflect on the year past.

 

 Mother was a woman of GREAT FAITH.  Her prayers were beautifully recited and VERY Specific.  I was blessed to have a praying Momma…I am SURE that many times when I was where I should not have been, or with people I should not have been with or doing things that I should not have done, it was BECAUSE of her prayers that I was safely returned home. 

In the early days of the Christmas Eve Communion, we would attend with good friends, David and Dana Moore, the former pastor of the Church (Central Christian) that was formed from where Daddy attended as a child, and their children.  We would go and pray and then on to my house for the Adults to have Oyster Stew, Daddy’s FAVORITE Christmas Eve treat, and LOTS of snacks for the kids.  I can remember hearing the Adults chattering and laughing as I and the other kids would sit in the front room, with the lights turned off as we just sat and looked at the lights on the Christmas Tree…THAT remains one of my most favorite past times EVER…to just BE STILL and listen and to reflect.

As I got older, it became only Daddy, Mother and Me and we would do our BEST to arrive BEFORE the Nicholson’s and the Earheart’s arrived with their HUGE families so that we could get back home and finish cooking, wrapping and cleaning BEFORE the family arrived for Christmas Breakfast.

When Daddy died, Mother and I still attended, but it was never the same.  Nothing has ever been the same.

Today, as I sit and reflect on memories, much of my heart is sad for what was and I miss it terribly, BUT that does not in any way remove any of the JOY I have for how I was raised and the values I was taught~~NOT by words, but by the actions of my Parents.  We were surrounded with GOOD people.  We were taught the importance of family and friends.  We were SHOWN that GOD was the head of our family and Church activities always took precedence over anything else.

  

AS an adult, it made me sad to realize that so many people did not get to experience the family that I had.  We had little money, but we were surrounded by friends and family to help us during the hard times.

Charcoal (my 10 month old black lab) and Barney(the stray cat) and I will spend the day as we always do~~letting the cat/dog in and out, throwing the rawhide bone, picking up pieces of paper that Charcoal shreds, possibly painting or sketching~~ BUT I will take time to REFLECT on the reason for the season and the GRACE that continues to cover my life.  I BELIEVE in the MAGIC of the Season and I will do my BEST to keep the magic alive through the New Year as I continue to search for my place in this world and HOW I can be a better person, friend and citizen.  I have no legacy to leave that will make a difference in the world as a whole, BUT I hope that somehow I have made a difference in the lives of those that I come into contact with and that I will BE A REFLECTION of the LOVE of Christ and the LOVE of my parents…

I wish you more BLESSINGS today than you can count…~charlotte♥

Oyster Stew

 2 pints (approximately 32 ounces) small to medium-sized raw shucked oysters with their liquor* (adjust amount according to taste)

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups milk (a little added cream may be added to make it richer)

1 or 2 dashes Tabasco, optional (Mother did not add any)

Salt and pepper to taste

Minced parsley, sliced chives, or sliced green onions (your choice) (Mother did not add any)

Butter

 Preparation:

The most important factors in preparing Oyster Stew are do not boil the milk and do not overcook the oysters. Be careful to avoid overcooking oysters, which causes them to become tough.

 Drain the oysters, reserving their liquor. NOTE: I like to strain the oyster liquor with a fine strainer to remove any sand.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add oysters and simmer very gently for about 2 to 4 minutes or until the edges of the oysters curl.

While the oysters are simmering, in a separate saucepan over low heat, slowly heat the milk, cream, and oyster liquor (do not boil).

When the oysters are cooked, slowly add the hot milk mixture to the oysters, stirring gently. Season with Tabasco, salt and pepper.

Remove from heat. Serve in warm soup bowls and garnish each bowl with parsley, chives, or green onions and a generous pat of butter.  Serve with oyster crackers!

The Little Church at the Edge of the Woods, Sunday, November 9, 2014

I posted on my Facebook page last week that I had painted my primitive Church on a new ornament and it ALWAYS makes me think of the song, LITTLE BROWN CHURCH IN THE VALE (DALE) and THAT always makes me think of the small church where my Daddy was raised.

This is Dozier Church.  Most of the community went to church here.  I'm sure they only had services about once a month because it was the tradition of small churches to SHARE pastors.  

Most every community had their own school...This is the one-roomed School where Daddy went to school...It is to the left of the church.

The church moved to town sometimes in the 50s and became known as Central Christian Church.
My FAVORITE thing to say about Mother and Daddy was: Mother was a Baptist and Daddy was a CHRISTIAN UNTIL he married Momma...NOW they are Cumberland Presbyterians...

Mother didn't CARE WHERE they went to Church, just as long as they were TOGETHER to worship each Sunday.  Daddy didn't want to join a church that REFUSED to accept his baptism (he was sprinkled...GASP...ROFL) and Mother thought it was best for them BOTH to start fresh, so they found a Church were they served FAITHFULLY until their death.  Mother sang in the choir the last Sunday she was able to attend.

This is inside the church.  Each Fall, Central Christian holds a picnic on the grounds.  So many of the OLD FOLKS have gone to be with our Lord, BUT this is the Calvert's on the back row...They were such dear friends of Mother and Daddy's and were part of the PITCH (card group) players who would gather at least once a year for the men to play cards, usually at Christmas.

This is another inside picture of the church...Those wooden floors are beautiful and the Christian Church has done a WONDERFUL job of keeping the grounds and the buildings in wonderful condition.

This is the inside of the School House...They have made some changes...it used to have PEG HOLES in the bottom of the floor because Daddy would chew tobacco during class and spit through those holes...BAD BOY...BADDDDDDD....

The school ALSO had a pot belly stove because Daddy told of running through the field to get to school (probably about one mile) FIRST so he could start the fire...

I've often said that is was AGAINST the LAW for my Family to throw anything away...BUT on days like this, I'm so thankful!

Daddy's teacher was his Aunt Ellen, the old maid sister of Uncle Bud.  Uncle Bud and Aunt Jenny raised Daddy since his mother died when he was 22 months old and his Father was doing his best to take care of 3 other children.  Granddaddy would NOT let them adopt him because he always wanted Daddy to know that he loved him and wanted him.  Daddy was always in his family's life.  Aunt Jenny was Grandmother's sister.

I drive by Dozier School/Church at least once a month and it takes my heart back to years gone by...I'm lucky to be able to see this part of my heritage and I'm so glad that somebody made sure this property was maintained...What a BLESSED girl I am...

Be sure to pass on YOUR STORY...you would be surprised that people REALLY do want to hear it...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

Chasing Butterflies

I have been trying VERY HARD to get caught up this week...

Last night I tried to Pay FORWARD my esty treasuries...

I got 11 done...sigh

Part of that meant that I had to get back to BLOGGING...

I did pretty well...

I have blogged here TWICE this week and NOW

I've added a blog on my Folkart and Primitive Team's Blog(FAAP)

SO I am GETTING BACK ON TRACK...

On my FAAP, I have been trying to share my thought process on some of my designs...

Please click HERE to visit my FAAP Blog, Chasing Butterflies, and learn WHY Butterflies are so special to me...

...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥