The Crafting Continues

Got a wonderful surprise call from a dear friend (with whom I used to craft)after she read my blog yesterday. What fun sharing ideas, and catching up on our lives- like we have never been apart. Yesterday, I also had ice tea at McAllister's with another friend I hadn't seen in months,what a blessing! God blessed me richly yesterday with golden friends.

So the mess continues. My husband just gave up yesterday and hid in our bedroom upstairs (we have a nice TV and comfy day bed in our room!) This picture was what started it all. Aren't the girls precious? They met as friends when my daughter attended Toledo for one semester and have kept in touch. One of their past times is crafting , so they made this when they visited together a few weeks ago. As soon as I overcome the technical camera difficulties, I will post more pics of our inventory.

Kit and I are heading to a B&B in Springfield , IL this afternoon, for a little getaway prior to school starting. I have workshops all next week, so this is my last hurrah. We will do the history thing with Lincoln's birthplace, library, etc. No crafting, no blogging, for a few days anyway. Be back Monday! Have a blessed weekend.

Long Day (Friends Part 2)

Whew! I'm tired. I've learned I should probably blog in the morning. I did start early this morning, saved it as a draft, and now have no idea where to find it. I tried at noon to no avail, so here I am. Still haven't figured out the whole blog thing. My life is constant interruptions....my daughter just walked in with her friend ( it's 10:30 p.m., waaaaay past my bedtime.) But I'm glad. I love having kids around. Which is a good thing because they are upstairs looking at which room her friend may move into this summer! (we have our son's old room, which has become my husband's closet, her room, or her sister's room.) As her sister may have to move home this summer if she doesn't get a full time teaching job, that room is not available at this time. Guess she has one option.

We've had the blessing of having a grad student live with us since January. So the nest is not so empty anymore. I guess we could be called foster parents. Anyone else had similar experiences? I have always prayed that God would use our home as He saw fit. For years we had Campus Life meetings here- 50+ high school kids, usually more , taking over the house once a week. Picture 100 shoes dumped in your front foyer....and the chaos of trying to find the correct match. And baking lots of brownies and Rice Krispie Treats. Fond memories.

Which leads me to what I started to write about this morning- fond memories of friends. When our middle daughter was entering middle school, we started a mother/daughter weekly Bible study group that remained together until the girls graduated from high school. Incredible friendships and memories were formed. I highly encourage moms of middle/tweenage years to get together with other moms and meet weekly with your girls. We often followed a book, interspersed with craft projects, or "girl's night". We did facials, watched videos, hot tub time, sleepovers, and had special celebrations. The girls are now all finishing up college and moving on in their lives. Most of us still keep in touch even while moving away.

Which brings me to my gold friend in Florida. She and her precious daughter were in that group.The blog I lost this morning (in cyber space somewhere..) talked about me finally checking an old e-mail address and realizing that I had missed the death of her husband's father. I regret not being able to be there when needed. I hate when that happens. So note to self- check my emails more frequently. Love you my gold friends, and I'm looking forward to meeting some silver. How about you?

Gold Friends Part 2

I'm so excited I found the draft!! So here it is even if late, unfinished and a bit redundant.

I was checking an old email account the other day ( I have 5- for various reasons and not the time to check even my work and home ones) and found that I had numerous emails from a friend of mine in Florida. I was so sad as I had missed the death of her husband's dad. I hate that when it happens. Sometimes the people we are closest to don't get the support at the time they need it. So my apologies and heartfelt sympathies to any of my friends that I have been unable to be there for when you needed support.



I think back to all the friends that God has brought into my life over the years and miles and am awed! Even in places we lived for a short period of time, I have friends that I can call on a moment's notice and go visit, or ask for help, or advice. What a comfort knowing that.

Gold Friends

I now blog in my head. About everything. (Does anyone else do this??)And of course by the time I get to the computer it's gone..all gone. At least the process has made me start thinking about writing again.

Anyway, two days ago a dear friend stopped by out of the blue and we hadn't seen each other in maybe three years. How can she be called a dear friend? We picked up right where we had left off. We had traveled and sat through innumerable soccer games together when our girls were in high school, and had done a mother /daughter Bible study together. Spending that much time, when we had it, through a mutual activity for our kids, allowed us to grow a strong friendship, which allowed us to pick up where we left off.


What a comforting feeling. The friends you can do that with are treasures. I think back over the years and all of our coaching moves, and am thankful for the times that God gave me to develop those friendships. There have been times when I was too busy with my own family, or "stuff" to be able to spend the time.


The dog is calling, must run, but I thank you, Donna for the unexpected visit and the reminder that the old girl scout poem reminds me: Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold. Thank you my gold friend.