Book Club!

I'm guest posting over at Bakow Babble Book Club today. Click here, or click on the button on the top right to join in our conversation about The Chosen by Chaim Potok (one of my very favorite books!)

I posted way too many questions for one day (hind sight is 20/20). Hopefully, people realize they don't need to do it all at once and can continue to comment through the whole next month (and/or skip over questions that don't float their boat).

The Line of No Return (but at least you can't see them!)

I've crossed the line. It wasn't my fault and my conscience is clear. But the lady said, "It's time and you need to do this."

Yes, I've joined the ranks of the single-vision-lenses-no-longer-cut-it group. They're called transitions because there are no visable lines. Far away at the top fades into tv/computer screen distance in the middle which transitions into reading distance at the bottom. My tummy is a bit woozy and it'll take a day or two, but I didn't have to hold my scriptures at arms length this morning to read them, which is a beautiful thing!

My current favorite picture of the grandbaby!

(She's the third generation to wear this dress. Is that cool, or what?)

There Aren't Words

This morning, as we ate breakfast, my seven year old Abbie and I enjoyed our Emily slideshow screensaver. Here's the conversation:

Me: "She's sooo beautiful!"
Abbie (with a bit of frustration in her voice): "No, she's not beautiful, she's something more, but I can't think of the word to describe it. Adorable isn't enough either!"

I'm with her!

My cute daughter-in-law, Jess, introduced me to Amigurumi a couple of years back.

 Jess with beautiful Emily

There are so many creative, funny, silly patterns online. I haven't done much, but having an adorable grandbaby to crochet for has spurred me on to make a couple of things.

I made this right after she was born. It's called "Pond Friends Stacking Toy" and I found the pattern here (you have to register for a free account to access their patterns, but there are TONS, so it's worth it).

The bee is my favorite, but the lily pads make me happy too!

  

I bought the pattern below from this Etsy shop.

Yup! It's rattle!! Can you say ADORABLE!!

The picture is by Mamachee because I forgot to take one before I gave it to Emily. 

I'm almost finished with another toy. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

(This is my current screensaver -- LOVE that smile!)

My memory is atrocious!! (and I don't know how to spell that word)

It is soooo like me to announce that I'm going to include a picture of the grandbaby with every post and then post the next two without pictures!!

So here's some shots to make up for it!! (Feel free to click on the them and enjoy her close-up!)

Yup, that's MY grandbaby!!

Technical Support?

Okay, this is a techy post.

I'm not great at technology. Simple, no brainer fixes, I'm all over. But if it's anything more than a very user friendly problem, I stumped!

I read blogs from my Blogger dashboard. I understand that there are readers and people who use them, love them, but my dashboard works and I know how to use it.

Now for the problem. Yesterday when I went to my dashboard the "Blogs I'm following" tab was empty and had the following notcice:

• You are not currently following any blogs. Use the "add" button below to enter blogs you'd like to follow in your Reading List. Learn more

...blink blink blink. I don't know where all of my blogs went. My profile still has a way-too-long list of blogs that I currently follow, but none of them are on my dashboard anymore.

My husband has taught me that before I start asking for computer help, always reboot (which has fixed many a glitch). But I've rebooted, I've poked around on help menues, googled my dilema and I've got nothing.

I know how to re-add the blogs manually, one at a time, but would prefer to find a fab fix that restores the whole she-bang without the time consuming monotony of cutting and pasting every address individually.

Any Techy Goddesses out there with any helpful ideas?

Funk

This is gonna be quick and dirty. The to do list is looming larger than my abilities and I've only given myself ten minutes at the computer, but I want to post about an issue.

I've been in a funk lately. I've been fairly unproductive, with less drive and determination (which means no pounds are leaving my hips and the wedding is only 30 days away! whimper!). The house is messier than average (which is saying something). The meals have been more junk food-ish. The projects I have started have been left half done. My visiting teaching needs a kick start. I've just felt thbthbbbt.

I know that the underlying problem is lack of seeking. You know the kind I mean. The real personal, soul-searching seeking that brings the Spirit into our lives.

In the rush of life, there have been more than the average days missed of scripture reading lately. When I do read, I tend to rush through and say to myself, "There, done with that!"

All this has added up to less joy and peace in my life and who needs that?!

This morning, I determined that it's time to quit going down that dead end road. As I said, my list right now is beyond me, but I put all of that aside. I spent a bit more time on my knees and when I got up, I grabbed, not just my scriptures, but my marking pencils as well. I read, pondered, flipped to cross references, marked and wondered in prayer as I went.

Wow! It's small and will need continued watering, but what a sweet little seed sprouted in my heart this morning!

I love the gospel!! It's such a happy thing in my life!

(and my ten minutes are up!)

Over on Bakow

I joined Cherie's Bakow Book Babble book club a while back (see her cute button on the right). The first book was a fascinating read and the discussion was insightful. I wasn't sure how well a book club blog would work, but I'm liking it!

It's time for book number two and I was randomnly picked to choose it!

We're reading one of my all time favorites, so come on over, take a gander, and join us in a good read!


Being a new grandma, I've decided that each post will now include a picture of the grandbaby. Here she is at her first Easter Egg Hunt!

Art thou stuffy?

As a child, I was taught that to show reverence and respect, the words thee and thou should be used in prayer, rather than you and yours. I accepted this and it has become my comfortable language of prayer.

It came as a sweet revelation to me when a few years ago I learned the proper usage of thee and thou. Contrary to the now widespread belief that thee and thou are stuffy and formal, the opposite is actually true. When those words were in the common vernacular, you and yours were also used. However, thee and thou were for addressing those closest to us, you and yours for stuffy, formal occasions and when speaking to those whom with you did not have an intimate relationship. In one of our family's favorite books set in the Appalachian mountains during the great depression, Grandpa properly expresses his love for Grandma with the words, "I kin ye, Bonnie Bee."

This past week, much of the world focused on England and we twice heard the words, "I pledge thee my troth." Of course the word thee was used. To say "I pledge you my troth" would imply that I'm marrying you, but I have no deeply held feeling for you and don't know you that well.

If Heavenly Father were an "unknown God", you and your would be sufficient. I think it's a beautiful thing that as we use the language of prayer, we are acknowledging and confirming our intimate relationship Him.