HAPPIER POST

I'm determined that this post will be a little cheerier than the last. Life is hard sometimes, but I don't have it NEAR as hard as some people do. Maybe even some of you readers! We all have drama in our lives. Life doesn't go as planned. We're thrown a curve ball. We're unsure of the future. But there is a song by Ray Boltz titled "The Anchor Holds", and it is just what I needed to hear yesterday. Because no matter what storms may toss me or my family, or what is thrown our way, the Anchor holds us and is what we depend on. You can view the lyrics here. Maybe you'll find it as encouraging and calming as I did. Oh, and if you want to hear a clip of the song, click here.

In my determination to post a bit of cheerier news, here are some updates and "thank you's" to various swap partners for packages and goodies I've received in the past few days. These have really lifted my spirits.


CROCHETVILLE BOOKMARK SWAP

Yesterday I received bookmarks from Kathy B. Look at these lovelies that Kathy B. sent to me! I love them both! I was actually thinking of making the white bookmark and blue flower pattern this month myself! How fun to actually RECEIVE it! And I love the variegated purple flower bookmark. It has a flower charm hanging on the other end and it provides a nice extra "weight" to the bookmark.




Wednesday's mail brought this bookmark from Robin. It's a lovely mint green bookmark that has a most interesting stitch. It's very pretty.



This week also brought this sunny yellow bookmark from Tina. I loved how she incorporated buttons into the design.






And these were the ones I received from Jimmie Lu. The blue heart is made with a lovely fuzzy yarn. And the purple one is her own design!




Here are a few that I've made this past week when I needed an escape. I want to block a few of them before mailing them, however, especially the blue one. I wonder if I should let my partners choose which one they'd like to receive? If you are reading this, Partners, you may choose any one of them except the center white one. (I wonder if any of them are even reading this....) I made the white bookmark, and have already sent it, as a "Thank You!" to Marianne for the heart-shaped charms she sent to me last week. I attached one of the charms at the end of the bookmark. And actually, if anyone did want the white one, I could make more! So choose away!



CROCHETVILLE TOY SWAP

Yesterday was a good mail day. Besides the bookmarks from Kathy, the girls and TJ received their toys from the Crochetville Toy Swap!

See! Here is Jessie receiving the boxie from our mail carrier! (This is an everyday highlight of their day - running out to meet the mailman and bring in the mail.) She didn't even know what she had.




But look at all the goodies that Ann gave to the children! Wow! She really exceeded my expectations for this swap. The children loved EVERYTHING! Here are some pictures to share the joy.

She even included something for Mommy! Thank you again, Ann, for this wonderful package. It was very creative and full of talent and generosity.







CROCHETVILLE SECRET PAL SWAP

This week's mail brought a surprise package from my SP over at Crochetville. She's actually not-so-secret, but we've decided not to share her identity until the end of the swap...well, actually I've decided not to share it. There may be someone else who thinks she's their SP and if I confess that she's the one spoiling me, well then they'd know for sure she couldn't be the one spoiling them! Clear as mud? Aw, it's all in fun. I think I'll let her remain a "secret" to everyone else. I will say that she's a great SP and when I learned she was mine, I was definitely cheered up from the weight of depressing stuff around me.


Though I believe the Big Glasses were meant for TJ, Jessica couldn't help but try them on first. Isn't she just the cutest?

SP8

I'm also participating in SP8. I received this cute-as-a-button postcard from my SP from that swap. She says that it should give me an idea as to her location. It's an adorable postcard of the California Strawberry Festival. Mmmmm....I just LOVE strawberries! About as much as this little girl on the front of the postcard must by the expression on her face.



POSTCROSSING

And on the subject of postcards, as a result of one of the postcards I sent through the Postcrossing project, a friend of a recipient sent two postcards and some wonderful used stamps! What a lovely surprise! Thank you so much, Karin, for this unexpected gift. I admit I've never been very good at figuring out these optical illusion pictures, but I gave it a try! The postcards are fun even if I can't "see" the hidden picture. And you know, the "Happy Birthday" postcard with all those balloons was perfect to receive on Thursday as it was my son's second birthday! I felt like it was a birthday greeting for him!

Thank you also for the stamps. I love them all! I love the Stork stamp and the accompanying postmark. The lighthouse is a favorite, too. And the Flag stamp from Finland is so unique! It's not the typical square or rectangle shape, but the shape of the flag actually coming off the stamp is outlined. How interesting!




FOLLOW-UP ON PINEAPPLE TOP

Oh! Some of you have asked how the black Pineapple Top went over in the pageant and how did my little cousin do...well, she won the Casual Wear portion! The grandmother received lots of compliments on the top. She wants another one made now. Her daughter Heather wants one for HER daughter! Now to find some yarn in an "aqua" color. And I need to get the little girls' measurements around her ribs. I believe she's 9 but it'd be nice to know what size to make this next one! I'll get a picture up soon of my cousin in her black Pineapple Top with the white capris and matching black flowers on the legs of her capris.


CLOSING....

And as I close this long blog entry, I leave you with pictures of the boy who is now 2 years old. This is TJ today (well, on Monday actually). He's not that sleeping baby under the bearghan anymore. Such a big boy. We took these pictures at the Welcome Center which is located right off Interstate 16. Isn't this a lovely scene with the lake in the background? Normally we have geese coming up to us, but they must be off taking care of the cute baby geese on this day. We didn't get to see those little cute furballs waddling behind their mommy and daddy on this day. But TJ looks contented enough.