Create something (or someone) remarkable...

When I read the little quote above I sat back in my chair and thought: "What have I created that is remarkable?" The first image that came to me was my grand-daughter, Rachel. Just knowing that I played a small part in her creation through my son, David, lifts my heart and soul to heights that cannot be imagined by those who don't have grandchildren. Rachel is just as sweet as she is pretty...just as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. She knows how to enjoy life and to show it, too, especially when she has a sugared donut in each hand.

~Saint Patrick's Breastplate Prayer~

To me this is one of the most beautiful and spiritual prayers written by the hand of man, especially when it is prayed aloud with conviction of heart and spirit, braveness of the soul and a firm belief that God is in every cell of our being. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy saying it each day.

This prayer is often called "St. Patrick's Breastplate" because of those parts of it which seek God's protection. It is also sometimes called "The Deer's Cry" or "The Lorica".

Saint Patrick's "Breastplate" Prayer

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through the confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of demons,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!

My dream for a better tomorrow...

I dream of a better tomorrow
Where little chicks can cross roads
And not have their motives questioned.

So many patterns & recipes & blogs & bookmarks and so few friends & relatives & strangers...

After a fast-paced Saturday morning spent feverishly celebrating PINK SATURDAY (see below), prefaced by a Friday evening taking photos and thinking of witty, little things to say in my blog post, I generally spend Sunday morning at the kitchen table with my laptop reading and visiting and browsing and saving pages that I just can't bare to lose under any circumstances, you know what I mean? Sure you do, yes, I'm sure you do, after all, you're reading this, aren't you?

Just as I was "bookmarking" something I just HAD to remember or to keep or to make or to further think about, it hit me: "Will I ever live long enough to make all of the lovely, artistic, artsy-fartsy things "adornments" saved in my computer and in my files and in boxes and in drawers and...well, all over the place?" Even if I live to be as old as Methuselah...will that be enough time...really? Not to mention the cost of materials for making all of those Sugar Plums that stumble dance through my head at various times during the day. Now that Bernie Madoll is in the pokey, I don't think I'll ever be able to get him to tell where he put all of the billions I gave to him to invest. At least three to four million was set aside for crafts...sigh. It is clear to me, with his incarceration, that I just might have to do all of my creating with what I have stashed around this house or with the money I make at summer garage sales selling off my clothes and furniture so I can buy more supplies to feed my OC obsession creative pursuit.

And, there is the time to think about...the time spent making all of those wonderful, adorable, darling, precious goodies. There are only so many hours in my day to sit and to make or to glue or to paint or to sew or to cut. Once those goodies are completed, do I know enough people to "gift" them to or have enough family members who would like more homemade "thingies" from Mimi? Uhm, I've really piled those folks high with cute stuff over the years, not to mention the three to five crocheted or knitted afghans and sweaters and slippers and scarves and potholders and stuffies I've forced on them blessed them with either since they were born or graduated or had a birthday or married into the family!

I'm not even bringing into the equation all of the recipes that I've collected and arranged or computerized and put into the "must bake or cook or grill" compartment in my brain. Looking back, I should have had dozens more children to feed on Sunday when we gather 'round the table for a feast to bless after Sunday church service. At least then, I would have had more bodies to force on share all my containers filled with delicious left-overs culinary delight as they stumbled walked out the door with their pants unzipped...mumbling to their spouse, "Why did you answer the phone? We have caller ID for crying out loud!"

Is there enough time, really, to make and bake and give everything that nurtures my compulsive God-given talent and pushy generous personality? Oh, who knows and who cares! I live in a town where winter lasts longer than it should. During snow-storms, with wind-chill temps hovering around -42, I am doubly warmed as I sit in the family room by the fireplace thumbing through my recipes and patterns, picking out one or two out of the millions I've collected since I was approved for holding scissors by my mother. I clutch the selections to my breast as I make mental illness note of who will be blessed with the newest creation to flow from my insanity fingertips...wondering why my sister only gave me her phone number when she moved to California fifteen years ago.

Photos of craft center and spices courtesty of MarthaStewart.com

Can we find bliss eating cuppy♥cakes & celebrating Pink Saturday by not trying on bathing suits?

My gosh, PINK SATURDAY has rushed at us again. It seems like my days are just zooming by with weeks and months seeming like dreams. First, and always, a big thanks to Beverly over at How Sweet the Sound who is hostess to this wonderful, pink-a-licious event each week.

This week I don't really have a theme or method to my madness. I just walked around, found something funny or cute or sweet that I wanted to share and told it to smile as I snapped its photo. Most of the items came from my dining room with one that kinda moves from room to room as my mood changes.

Bliss...something all of us seek at one time or another. Bliss can be very elusive...and is often fleeting. The pink roses are something I asked the artist to add for me as they are all over my home, peeking at you from door knobs, on walls, nestled in the folds of fabric and, especially, in my summer gardens that surround the house.

Another cutie pie from my dining room are these sweet, but no-calorie cuppy♥cakes that I purchased from a local crafter. I just love them with their tiny bows and little sparklies here and there. Light as air, just as we hope all of our cuppy♥cakes to be, they rest on a shelf that holds some of my very dearest treasures...some that I will share with you in the weeks to come.

I wasn't too sure if I'd share something as plain and regular with you as Easter basket grass, but I just love this stuff. When I found it I was just thrilled, if you can imagine a grown woman being thrilled over shredded paper, but I sure was because, of course, it's pink but also because it isn't plastic or cellophane. It's paper. Just regular, ordinary paper. I like the simplicity and the very soft coloration. I bought all they had (I'm compulsive about pink) and realized that I had way more than one person could use in a life-time so listed the rest in my Etsy shop and on eBay.

This clock caught my eye several summer's ago at an arts and crafts fair on the Sainte Mary's River where I live in northern Michigan. After a time, it ended up on my dining room wall along with my "bliss". Luckily, I have a very large dining room with high ceilings to hold all of the goodies I bring in the back door. I have a well used hammer that follows me around whenever I get that, "Now where am I going to hang this?", look on my face.

I'm sharing again the darling pillow sent to me by my PAY IT FORWARD partner, Jennifer. If you'd like to know more about this event, please read my blog entry directly below. Lots of interest, but not many takers...hmmm, too busy, or just not wanting the obligation...don't know.


And, last, but not least...this little gal, who makes me chuckle each and every time I read her billboard reminding me that I shouldn't have eaten that second cookie or helped myself to that larger-than-normal serving of double-dutch chocolate cake. Usually I really do breathe a sigh of relief because there is no way I want to be trying on bathing suits right now...at least not for a couple of months. And my hair...it might not be pink but there have been mornings when the birdie and I have a LOT in common!

Remember, be sure visit as many Pink Saturday participants as you can today and throughout the weekend. I am always so amazed at what is shared each week.

PAY IT FORWARD ~ Good for you, good for someone else, good for everyone!

Multiplying like hotcakes at a logging camp, Pay it Forward, is touching blog-land at every corner where wonderful people gather. I first read about this event at Jennifer's blog, sit-n-chat.

I am a person who believes in the concept that goodness, care and kind treatment of others can be multiplied by how we treat others, often when they least expect it. So, after reading Jennifer's post a few times and after thinking long and hard, I responded.

Yesterday, much earlier than a year later, my postman handed me a box. To tell you the truth Pay it Forward wasn't on my mind at the time (I had been chopping ice) so when I opened the box to find a darling, adorable, feminine and perfect for me goodie, I sat down in my kitchen and felt warmed, happy and so totally sure that goodness in this world does exist...you just have to find the right people. Truly, just as my goodie suggests, I will celebrate life each and every day and remember Jennifer fondly in my daily celebration.

So, I'm Paying it Forward with hope that three lovely people who drop by my blog in the next few days will let me know that they, too, would like to feel the warmth of friendship I experienced yesterday afternoon. I will gather your names and addresses and send you a handmade item so that you, too, can Pay it Forward on your blog.

Here is what you need to do if you participate:

• The first three people who leave a comment letting me know they want to participate will receive a hand-made gift from me.

• Those three people promise to post this challenge on their blog and pledge that they, too, will Pay it Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three people that leave a comment on their blog.

• The gift can be any price range, though it is thought that keeping it small will be sufficient. You have 365 days to make and ship your gift. I will send you your gift long before a year from now and most arrive well before a year has passed. I will choose my gift by watching your blog for a little while to get to know you better so I make just the right goodie.

• If you would like to participate, just leave a comment telling me your intention and then copy this post on your blog changing names, etc. so that you can Pay it Forward to three others. In time we will blanket blog-land with good thoughts for others and a sense that the world is populated by thoughtful people who Pay it Forward as a matter of fact.

Even if you feel that you do not want to participate, a comment is more than welcome about the the Pay it Forward concept. To those of you who do chose to participate, welcome! This is going to be so much fun. I truly ♥ to give gifts! Again, thank you Jennifer for the darling gift with a message I will cherish each and every day.