Feeding the Ducks

Earlier this week Aiya (my mom) came up to spend some time with McCord so I could run around town and get a few things crossed off my list.  One afternoon, the three of us visited the duck pond and met lots of new feathery friends.  McCord squeeled as he saw the ducks swimming towards us from far across the pond.  I want to remember that sheer excitement from a 14-month-old's eyes forever. 

At one point we were surrounded by about 75 ducks and geese and about 10 hungry turtles peeking their noses up from the surface of the pond.  McCord got right in the thick of it and was almost the exact same height as the geese who would come right up to him and wait to be fed. 

With his naturally stoic personality, McCord took his job very seriously.  He very deliberately pinched the tiniest crumbs of bread and tossed them for all the wildlife.  One goose decided he was a little too stingy with his offering and pecked right at McCord's empty hand looking for larger morsels. 

This friendly fellow at their feet was not shy!  He'd wait patiently and then take the bread right out of their hands when they offered it to him. 

I think this guy would have come right home with us if we'd let him!

Remembering

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God of all creation, our hearts are broken over the destruction and loss we remember this day. And we acknowledge, O Lord, that on that day of human carnage yours was the first heart to break. In our remembering, may we stand with those who mourn and those who cannot stop mourning. Through remembering, may we find new comfort in your care. In our remembering, may we be drawn to a new hope for the whole world and may we gain for ourselves a measure of your peace.

You who can turn the shadow of night into the bright promise of a new day, empower us to shape a world marked by ways of life that lead to justice and peace for all peoples. Fashion in us a people who are more ready to grow in understanding than eager to judge those who are different from us. Form us as a people determined to heal wounds rather than inflict them.

We pray at last that you would cultivate such love in us that we may reach out in compassion to all those who are still wounded by the events of that day; and in seeking to heal others, may we experience a love that makes us whole. This we pray in the strong name of Jesus our Christ. Amen

(Source: National Council of Churches, prepared by Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, Ph.D., pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Tenafly, N.J., and the Rev. Jon Brown, a Presbyterian minister and Pastor of Old Bergen Church, Jersey City, N.J.)

This is a prayer our minister shared with us today, and I have been comforted by it and wanted to share it with all of you.

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Today on our morning walk, Bo and McCord and I saw a white dove flying overhead.  I've never seen one before in the wild.  It kept circling overhead and was very symbolic. 

Labor Day Vacation

We just got back from a great family vacation with my side of the family to Lake Keowee near Clemson.  It is so much fun with children! McCord loved spending time with his two cousins.  Here's a quick snapshot of the long weekend.

We made things



Christmas Ornaments

Tie Dye

(we also did leather stamping, but no photos of that)

We went thrifting where I scored this great coral lamp (in need of a new shade) for $6

The men made a sling shot

... and did some target practice with hickory nuts

We relaxed

We went swimming - what my nephew calls "living the High Life"

We tried to get a photo for the Christmas card

And we dressed alike.

Bo thinks we're a little odd, but he blends in well, don't you think?! 

Happy (belated) Birthday Poppie!

Praying

Dear God most high, hear and bless

Thy beasts and singing birds;

And guard with tenderness

Small things that have no words.

High Cotton is in High Gear

One of my friends just sent me the application to the St. John's United Methodist Church fall crafts festival.  Her son and McCord were in the same Kindermusik class and she has been especially encouraging of me starting a sewing business.  She asked me to make a personalized t-shirt for her son earlier in the spring, and so she is both my first and only High Cotton customer!

I sent in my vendor application over the weekend with fingers crossed that High Cotton will be accepted.  So this weekend, I've been working on a few prototypes to sell at the festival.  Here's a giraffe softie with gingham mane that I'm working on.  I created the pattern out of a giraffe that I sketched out.  A few changes need to be made, but the final version is nearing completion. 

I want to make sure that whatever I make holds up to lots of kids play, so here's my sewing buddy giving the giraffe a good test drive. 

I also made this leash for Rocky and am thinking about offering leashes and dog collars at my booth.   Wouldn't this t-shirt trim be adorable as a belt for little boys?!  So many fun things to work with here. 

Will keep you all posted if my application is accepted.  The festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 19th - so I have lots of sewing to do if High Cotton is chosen.  Stay tuned as I post pictures of what I'm working on and I hope that you'll all offer input on what you'd like to see featured.  

And Terri, you mentioned that you'd like to see pictures of the pillows that I made for the playroom.  Here are a couple I completed this week.  It's a little pattern-crazy now, but I have a few more to make in solid colors.  We're getting there.

Repurposing a Vintage Coke Crate

I've been in love with these rolling storage crates from Serena and Lilly for quite some time.

But I can honestly say that I don't love the price tag (they start at $88!).  So I repurposed an old wooden Coke crate that was my uncle's by buying just a few items from Lowes. 

Here's how to do it:

This was my crate before adding the wheels.  It didn't get a lot of use before adding the casters, because the grids inside the crate are fixed and I couldn't fit much inside it.  But it's the right size for McCord's cars and figurines, so this will be a perfect way to contain toys in the playroom.

I bought 4 caster wheels from Lowes (1 1/4") {If you live in my area, these are in aisle 19 all the way down on the right} and a handful of screws to fit the size of the holes in the casters. 

  

 Then I placed the casters on the underside of the wooden box and marked where I wanted to drill my holes.

Then I predrilled the holes and installed each caster.  I was able to get away with only securing 2 screws for each caster instead of 4.  This box won't be holding much weight, so I think we'll be okay with just a few screws. 

I had intended to insert the screws at the edge of the box where the bottom and the side meet, but as you can see from the picture below, the wood was bowed out on one side.  This means my screws went all the way inside the box, through the wood, and poked up on the inside.  I was afraid McCord might hurt his hands on the screws poking through, so I put a strip of adhesive felt padding on each set of screws (on the inside of the box).  This is the felt that you can get to stick on the bottom of wood furniture so it doesn't scratch your floors.  Problem solved.

 And that's it!

I already had the box, but all of the hardware probably cost $10, and now we have a great caddy for all of McCord's treasures. 

And while we're talking vintage, check out the new chair I picked up this weekend.  I love her chippy paint and mint greenish color.  I'm not sure what room she will end up in, but for now she's settling in the playroom. McCord's teething right now (molars, perhaps?!) and so we put some miles on the new rocker today - just the two of us - reading books, singing songs, and cuddling.  What a great feeling it is to know that you are a comfort to someone just by being present. 

Today I felt purposeful.