That Still, Small Voice

I just read this story in a newsletter I get in my email each Tuesday::

We’d seen eight inches of rain fall in our hometown in a matter of hours, swelling the ditches and bayous and making lakes out of front yards. My friend was outside her house with her kids talking to another buddy on her cell when her children began asking if they could wade in the ditch. Vicki nodded, unwittingly setting in motion every parent’s nightmare. Within
seconds someone was yelling that nine year old Kenley had disappeared. She’d gotten too close to the culvert, and a current no one was aware of had pulled her under. Kenley was underwater, struggling unseen to hold onto the concrete sides of the pipe against the current trying to suck her on in. She was losing her grip when she heard these words, “Keep your arms stretched out above your head and you’ll come out the other side.” That’s exactly what she did. Kenley, seventeen inches in diameter, went through the eighteen inch pipe, face down, arms extended. Her frantic mother saw her pop out the other side. The seconds had felt like years. Her grateful family believes Jesus was with Kenley in that storm drain, telling her what to do; so do I.

I share their story as a reminder to parents of the very real dangers of an innocent looking ditch. But this story also holds a beautiful analogy for us all. Regardless of the trial you’re facing, going through face down with
outstretched arms will always be the best posture to bring you through and out the other side.

~Shellie Rushing Tomlinson~

Well, that IS an awesome thing to have happened. It reminded me that pretty much the same thing had happend to our son. He was a teenager, and a fairly new driver. He was driving our brand new car to pick up his paycheck from the Sears Outlet Store where he worked, about a mile away from our house.

He was on the access road of one of our Houston freeways - not quite as bad twenty years ago as it is now, but still. He overcompensated in steering, trying to avoid hitting a schoolbus that changed lanes in front of him and lost control of the car. He heard an audible voice saying, "Take off your seatbelt and lay down on the seat." He did. The car flipped totally over on its top side and actually slid up the on-ramp to the freeway.

The car was a total loss, the top of the car was flattened to the level of the seat tops, but our son had absolutely no injuries! Glory to God!

I don't know exactly how people get through this life without the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the third Person of the Trinity, but I am so glad and so thankful that He is there for us all the time, always warning us of things to come. All we have to do is listen and obey.

Have a wonderful day!

~Elaine~

Log Cabin the Easy Way

Okay, seriously, why did I never know this? I am so intimidated by the whole quilting thing. I've made a couple, but still, I'm nowhere near where I want to be with quilting. :)

I recently found that I could actually order quilt blocks already cut out and ready to sew together. I ordered a set on ebay (one of my favorite places!). It came with all the beautiful fabrics cut out and ready to assemble.So, I set up a little assembly line on the extension of my sewing machine and got started.

Before I knew it, I had four blocks completed!!! How awesome is that!I had to take them outside into the natural light so you could see how the fabrics really look. Aren't they gorgeous!


This is so much fun. I've got to get back to it and make some more.

Here's where I got this batch, if you're interested: Jordans of Oregon

Have a great day!

~Elaine~

Goodies in the Mail (I Love ebay!)

I just met the nicest lady on ebay. Her name is Rose of RAGGSTOROSES. And she sold me these beautiful fat quarters. They just came in the mail today. Yummy! They are so much prettier than the picture in the auction. I'm glad I bought them. And Rose was so nice, she even included a bonus - the piece of fabric on top of the pile:). I just love it when what I buy is better than I had hoped for, and when the seller is so nice!
Now I just have to make something extra special with all this goodness.

Have a great evening!

~Elaine~

Baking in the Hot Texas Sun

Yes, it is HOT! So far we're keeping it all alive and well, but it's taking careful watering.


Even the things that love the heat, like these crepe myrtles are feeling the lack of moisture, and if you look in the lower left of this picture
you can see the angel's trumpets wilting in the heat.

It is beautiful though, and as long as I don't have to spend large amounts of time out in the heat, I love it!

Here's a sneak peek at the quilt I'm making for our older daughter. Far from perfect, but made with a lot of love!

Have a great day!

~Elaine

Catching Up

Wow! Two postings in one day.

I was just reading Jessica's blog and saw this great test for choosing paint colors for home decor. Don't know how accurate it is, but it was fun.

Here's what I ended up with for my number one color choice. Pretty good, especially considering that virtually every room in our house is blue:) !

Give it a try!

Have a great day.

~Elaine~

Could It Be the Dog Days of Summer Already?

I'm going to blame the heat. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I do have several projects going right now, but I haven't been able to make myself blog about them. One of the things I'm making is a Yellow Brick Road quilt for our older daughter. Here are the blocks all completed and ready to put together. I'll let you see what it looks like when I finish it.

I'm going to make a baby quilt in that same pattern for a niece who's expecting in October - a girl. I have the generosity of my neighbor to thank for these two endeavors. She's showed me the basics of this particular quilt and let me use her pattern. Score! Thanks, Sandy!

I'm really loving working with fabrics right now. Something about the coolness of cotton on hot days. Not that I'm out in the heat that much. Cave dweller in the air conditioning - that's me!

Hope you're finding something bearable to do right about now!

~Elaine~

Yesterday's Wisdom

How true it is that we usually don't value what we have until we don't have it any more. Or in the words of the old country song, "You don't miss the water 'til the well runs dry".

As I was preparing lunch today, I was thinking about my grandparents. I was unusually blessed to have both sets of grandparents all the time I was growing up. I was especially close to my paternal grandmother, and not a day goes by that I don't miss her. She lived the longest of the grandparents, until I was a grandmother myself.

I learned so much from all of them. They were Godly men and women, my maternal grandfather a pastor, all pillars in their local churches and respected in their communities. They had all lived through The Great Depression and knew how to stretch their resources. They knew sadness and loss, but all came through that fire of testing strong, faithful, and with a great sense of humor. They showed me that a good laugh will always make you feel better.

Both my grandmothers were excellent seamstresses, cooks and gardeners, and my grandfathers could turn their hands to most anything that needed to be done. How I'd love to go back and really listen in all those times I just let their wisdom pass by unheeded.

Hope you're listening to that wisdom!

Have a great evening.

~Elaine~