Not to be disappointed...

The Art and Craft Fair....

We used to do debriefings after certain events and/or meetings.  So  decided to do one of my own here.  

The good: 
lots of compliments and very nice people that stopped to talk and talk about my paintings.  That was nice.

The not-so-good:  not much traffic.  It was Black-Friday and Small Business Weekend and there is a reason no other craft fairs were going on.

I hope you all will bear with me...I am going to be making some changes to this blog and I will be offering my paintings for sale on the internet.

There were only 7 of us but this is what you missed:


 Smilebox slide show

Let the season begin!

 

Paying It Forward Gift Giving

It is just about the official start to my Christmas season.  I would love to do so much more than I physically and financially can but I CAN DO SOMETHING!  It may not be as big as the next guy, but I do believe if everyone does SOMETHING it could be SOMETHING BIG TO SOMEONE!!

While I was cruising around the Internet, this caught my eye.  It doesn't have to cost more than a couple of dollars and it is something more than someone will have...

Whether you are putting something together  for a charity, Sandy victims, troops, shelters, etc there is  something here you can put together or send a case directly, if applicable and if possible.

Care package ideas  that are easy and practical for all.  And then get care package labels (pdf) here  from Dollar Tree. 

And have a holly jolly season...

 

Thanksgiving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  

Whether you are spending the holiday alone or with your dysfunctional family, count your blessings.  If you are alone: count your blessings it isn't with your dysfunctional family.  If you are spending it with your dysfunctional family: count your blessings you aren't alone.  Isn't that the way it is?  The grass always seems greener on the other side. We always think it would be better, if only...

I have always loved the holidays.  It was always a family time.  But after moving to Florida and my immediate family all back in New York, my holidays have changed.  Being alone, I started my own traditions.  My Thanksgiving consisted on cooking a complete turkey dinner for myself (a couple of times my brother joined me).  While the turkey cooked, I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV.

I do Believe!

  Besides being from New York and the parade taking me home,  I had the pleasure and experience to go to the parade one year.  It was fun and my sister's little Maltese was dressed in Santa's coat and hat.  Mrs. Claus spotted him from the float and pointed him out to Santa and the elves and we got lots of waves from them all and looks from the crowd... we had dinner at my sister's after in her apartment in Manhattan.  Now,  I always wait for Santa to see if it is the same one; so far it is!

This year  I wasn't counting on cooking a complete dinner but a easier turkey dinner just the same BUT I was invited over to a new friend's home here in the park.  I am very thankful.  After waiting for my coffee yesterday morning I knew  was no where near ready for the holidays, no less Thanksgiving!  I've been concentrating on the craft fair forever!

So this year's plans are breakfast with the Macy's Day Parade and dinner around the  block with friends...and thankful for it and all the memories of past Thanksgivings.

Whatever you do, where ever  you go, be thankful for what you have.  There are so many families displaced this holiday season due to the hurricane Sandy on the northeast coast...keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  Remember, it is not what we have but who we are that defines us.  "Things" can be rebuilt or replaced, people can't... not even dysfunctional families!

God Bless you and keep you.  
 

 

Breakfast on the Beach- Day One

I started reading "Breakfast on the Beach (Finding God at the water's edge)" last night.  There's a chapter you read before you start and I read the first day this morning with coffee.  Although it's designed to read in a week on the beach, it takes you to the beach just as easily if you aren't there.

In the "Introduction: The Beach Before Me", Mark R. Jordan writes,  "Jesus loves the beach, and He wants you to love it, too."  No longer an adept Bible reader, I'd forgotten just how much and how often Jesus was along the beach.

It's a mini guide to the depths of spirit of the beach and awaking your self and your spirit.  I don't know about you but the beach, to me, can be such a temple with a feeling of oneness and all is good with the world at the beach.  Mark's writing is so clear that if you have ever seen a sun rise, you will see it again in your mind's eye as it breaks the horizon he describes.

In the FIRST DAY: THE SUNRISE,  God reminds us, "...for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good," (Matthew 5:45).

The sunrise, the sky, the sea and the shore all join hands together to create your own sanctuary.  The sea birds are your choir, and the beach is your chancel.  Speak of  His goodness in the morning.  The Psalmist wrote, "God will help...when morning dawns,"  (Psalm 46:5)

And I learned a new word, Selah.  Each chapter ends with it and it is apropos with the book but also for the beach.  It means to "pause, reflect, and to consider what has come before."  I love that he describes it as a spiritual speed bump.  Psalm 46:10a, "Be still and know that I am God."  (NIV)

Some Christmas to you!

Another list:

1. I live where Santa vacations
2. Peace at the Beach
3. A Child is born...
4. HARK!
5. JOY
6. Peace on Earth
7. Peace
8. Imagine
9. Count your Blessings with the shells
10. Trust your troubles with the tides

Doing the Happy Dance

If you've been following along, I recently started cleaning up and out my shed and cleaning up my patio.  Allot of this were ruined due to branches hitting the metal shed and denting the roof, thus, when it rains,  it rains in the shed in some spots... so while in there I moved things around, looked for closed containers to condense and protect things... still work to be done... but made progress.

Then we got our dose of Sandy... NOT as bad at all as up north but a good tropical storm...and a small leak in my living room ceiling.  I thought about it but decided to wait till Monday to call but on Sunday while I was outside cleaning up some after the storm, Mal came over and sealed my patio and my roof!!!  I was so happy!  I was racking pine needles and cleaning up the patio... I had a box of things...signs ...lights... from  Ocean Styles that I have been waiting to put outside... and now I can!!

Before we go back outside, I just got a delivery from Ocean Styles that I want to share with you:

pillow

finger star fish

glass turtle

sugar starfish

This post has been a long time coming and obviously I'm not done.   So...
to be continued!

brought out my box of Ocean Style goodies

hung my glass float lights and signs

right by the door!

rest time!

More to come but this is as far as I got!!

Enjoy your weekend!