A plea for help...

Okay... I'm going to be honest to you.  This post has been a really hard one for me to write.  Right now my heart is heavy for a family I don't know personally, a family who is good friends of friends of ours. A young family that has been struck with the knowledge of knowing that they might soon loss both father and husband.... to stage 4 brain cancer.   This is a family whose faith in the Lord is so strong as they have been faced with tragedy not once but twice already in their "young" lives.  When Stacey told me about Andy and Cari I asked what I could do.... well friends we have an opportunity here to reach out to this family.  January 27th a Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction is being held at the University of Indianapolis.  100% of the proceeds from the dinner and silent auction will go directly into a trust fund that has been set up the Chastain's... so I am asking that we help out this family.  I personally am making tote bags, reusable snack bags, and some baskets to auctioned.

I am sharing with you a portion of Stacey's e-mail...

"The Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction are being held at the University of Indianapolis on January 27th in honor of Andy and Cari Chastain. We are currently collecting auction items. 100% of the proceeds from the dinner and auction will go directly into a trust fund that has been set up for the Chastains. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees. Anyone is welcome to donate to the trust. Just make your check payable to Andrew D. Chastain Sole Benefit Trust. And send it to:

Andrew D. Chastain Sole Benefit Trust

8063 Madison Avenue, Box 352

Indianapolis, IN 46227

If someone is interested in giving us an auction item I need it by Thursday, January 24th. 

Andy is currently fighting stage 4 brain cancer.  His chance of remission is 25%.  They have two young boys (ages 3 and 2).  Any financial and prayer support we can give them is very much appreciated.  Anyone interested in reading their story can go to www.andyandcari.blogspot.com 

Even through this difficult trial it is their prayer that God be glorified above all else. He has brought them through tragedy before and they know He will walk with them on this difficult road as well. Just over four years ago they lost their 8 month old baby girl. It was six months after that that Andy had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor. Andy began having terrible headaches again this fall as well as some other symptoms. Thanksgiving weekend he told Cari he needed to go to the hospital and that is when we found out his tumor had returned only this time it was not good. The surgeon told Cari almost immediately it looked cancerous. Since then they have removed as much of the tumor as possible but because they did not want to damage Andy's brain they had to leave a portion of it. It is our hope and prayer that the LORD will choose to heal Andy but we also know God may have different plans that would bring Hm even more glory.

Thanks so much for your help and interest!

Stacey"

Please consider helping this young family... a word of encouragement, an item for the auction, or even a donation, no matter how small would be greatly appreciated.  If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me... I will respond back as quickly as possible.  Once again thank you so very much!  Your prayers and thoughts are greatly coveted right now!

Thanks, Peggy 

Monday's musings

Monday's musings...

brief glimpses of the week, a

way help myself be accountable, remember, and be inspired!

clearing up

sunshine after days of gloom

holiday "party" banners

to do lists
great reading, photography, & recipes
sharpened pencils

giveaway winnings
(nothing like pretty packages in the mail)
day old funnies w/ coffee on the last day of winter break

pumpkin butter candles
Harry Belafonte on Pandora

The makeover begins.....

new paint.... Sherwin Williams Agreeable gray at 75%

morning light 

inspired by this and the wreaths & other pompom creations my mom made when I was a child

artwork to be framed and changed out throughout the year....

pieces collected when i was a college student... smitten with a love of europe

which i love to this very day... but have never displayed

All parts of a surprise project which I had hoped to have completed today... a surprise to welcome home my husband after being gone for the past week.  

but alas time constraints, mental blocks, time shared with children prevailed... time well spent!

So now we will finish this project together... rearranging, adding, removing, reconfiguring!  

More often than not the journey shared is just as beautiful (or more so) as the end result!!  

I love you, babe!  

Christmas 2012 preview

Christmas traditions

The lights have been hung on the eaves with cheer,
                                   take out "Chinese" food has been ordered,
                                                                   Christmas music fills the halls,
                                                                                         the tree is up and decorated,

                                 craft supplies under the tree for upcoming projects,

                                                





birds in nests hidden in the boughs,

            hamming up it up for the camera....

                        a boy and his dog, lily! (who forever seems to be in the pictures these days. haha!)

      hand carved stamps inspired by lessons from 2012 Artsy Ornaments Workshop.

Looking forward to the next week of decorating, baking, crafting, and more surprises in store!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Comment verification

I just wanted to give you all a head's up... comment verification has been implemented for the time being as the spam has increased exponentially.   Once it slows back down (or stops completely) I'll drop off the verification.  Thank you so very  much for understanding!  I hope that each and every one of you are enjoying the preparations of this holiday season as it quickly approaches!

Have a wonderful day!

A little dining room bling.... my parent's old chandelier!

Happy Wednesday!

First of all, is it really December?  Because I am sure it has been in the 60's for the past few days.... :)

Okay to be honest I've enjoyed being able to open the windows but a certain fellow in our household is really missing winter.  Okay, make that 3 certain fellows! :)

Not a lot noteworthy going on around here, just pitter pattering about finishing up lots of little projects, going to sporting events, sorting, and such.  One of those projects was getting the old chandelier fixed and put up.  You see when my folks were back here in May for Ian's graduation Mom brought it up rather off-handedly.  In fact her exact words were...

"You don't want that old chandelier, do you?"

I jumped at it immediately... "YES!!, I love it... in fact Chris and I were just talking about it not too long ago."

"Why didn't you say something before we drove up? Oh I knew I should have asked you..."

So after more discussion it was decided that it would be shipped.... a few weeks later it arrives.  Over the years the rivets have loosened and I'm sure its jostling in through the post didn't help any.  Its old shiny brass finish was a worn in places but I didn't care I LOVED it!

So fast forward several months, different colors of spray paint, a hot glue episode, a bit of rewiring, bits of reinforcement and reattaching of all the crystals. 

And now she hangs proudly in our dining room.  You see this old gal has a bit of a history... my parents bought her in 1976 while living in Germany.  She is a bit of a world traveler as she graced our homes in... West Germany, Florida, North Carolina, a long stop in Colorado, a time tucked away in Louisiana.    Fast forward to November of 2010 and she now is proudly graces our home.... in Indiana. And who knows where our travels will take us but she will be sure to come along.

(can you tell we're a bit slow in starting the Christmas decoration process? ha ha! but we are getting there... slowly but surely!)

Have a wonderful week!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Today as I sit here watching the sunrise through the fog shrouded fields I can't help but think of all the many blessings bestowed upon us.  Some little, some large but all precious just the same!

• a husband who has served his country well and is once again able to be at home to spend this holiday with our family.
• a son who is employed in this precarious economy, able to work today
• friends who opened their home to us so that we might share this day with them
• family far and wide, even though we don't get to see them often we love them dearly and cherish the times when we are together
• a roof over our heads, small by the standard of some but DEFINITELY more than large enough for our needs... a veritable mansion by the standards of so much of the world... a place we love to call HOME!!
• a LORD who willingly gave HIS own life as a sacrifice and rose again defeating death, ultimately paying the price for my sin and yours.... a gift, as long as we are willing to accept it.  to ask forgiveness, and have HIM as LORD and SAVIOR of our lives!
• a country where we are currently able to worship freely and speak freely about our relationship with the LORD, without fear of reprisal and persecution.
• for another with my family!
• for friends, near and far... in real life and blog wide.  so many near and dear to my heart!

So THANK YOU!  

and have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!