Gina's Drawings

Gina Sutton is a member of my Designing Artists Women's Group (DAWG Team) and one of my facebook friends (Gina Sutton).... she's another talented artist and also does miniature art (ACEO's) She sells on Ebay under Ginasdrawings. Here's the link to her Ebay My World LINK I don't think she has any auctions up a this time.

She has such beautiful art. The last thing I saw on Ebay was a really cute handpainted toddler jacket....too bad it was too small for Mason!

I tried to copy the photo from Ebay but it wont let me sooooo here's the link to her last auction LINK

A Good Turn....

...deserves another. Well as most of my friends and family know I've been sick for over a week. I guess the blizzard was a blessing because it didn't tempt me to go out but made me stay and lay around.

Well today I was checking email and one of the Members of my Etsy.com Old Farmhouse Gathering Team did a feature on 3 members and I was one! I instantly felt so much better. So I was thinking I need to get back to featuring people again. I have been so bad at my blogging and featuring the 2 teams I belong to.

So today I begin. First off I should tell you a little about the 2 teams I belong to. Both are made up of wonderfully talented women. The first is Designing Artists Womens Group (DAWG TEAM) which features primarily miniature art (ACEO) artists. The other is Old Farmhouse Gathering (OFG TEAM). OFG is made up of mostly primitive artists but there are a few of us on the cottage end. Our former leader Linda (Prairie Rose) was on the cottage side. She recently passed away from a massive heart attack. What a great loss to the world and our team. She was the driving force and a wonderful person who always was there to help us out).

The team member who featured me today is a member of the OFG Team. She does beautiful baskets. Her name is Rose. As I was going through her etsy shop, I was thinking her prices are so reasonable. I think about those Longaberger baskets and the prices people pay for them. Her baskets are beautiful and priced so reasonably that I think she can give Longaberger a run for their money! AND she does beautiful quilts. Here are a few of my favorites from her shop....please go and browse she has 49 items in her shop and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Christmas is Almost Upon Us

and the year is almost over. I was thinking, I used to be so good at this blogging thing. Almost everyday I would post something but I've gotten out of the habit. So I'm taking a moment to blog today. Not that I could do much else with a couple of feet of snow LOL.

The snow is so beautiful but it is so deadly. I was watching the news at all the accidents caused by it. How can something so beautiful be so deadly. I guess it's just one of those mysteries of life.

Christmas is almost here and thank God I'm finished. Everything has been bought and most things are already here and wrapped under the tree. I am hoping that Christmas doesn't bring us more snow. I would like to be able to spend this Christmas with my grandson.  He's so cute. He's  just 3 and amazed that Santa knows he has 2 houses and he will get Santa gifts at both houses. And also that he will get lots of gifts from other people in the family.  His big thing is "Why".  I told him, "Why? Because everyone loves him and he's special."  This Christmas will be even more fun because the Christmas thing is really making sense to him now.

I'm hoping we won't have more snow for Christmas. Glenn is working and I have to drive to his Sister's house. I'm not a fan of driving in snow...I should have gotten 4 wheel drive in my SUV...lesson learned...next time I will.

But I'm ready for the next snow. I spent yesterday doing lots of online shopping and one of the things I ordered was a snow blower..it was worth the money. I'm too darn old to do that shoveling anymore. It's electric so it's light weight. That way if Glenn is working, it's not too heavy for me to do myself.

The moon santa picture is a metal plate. It has a hook on the back for hanging on the wall. Click the picture to go to the link at my Bonanzle Shop it is $25.

Thanksgiving Reflections

Boy when I think about Thanksgiving I have a ton of things for which to be thankful. But today I reflect on my wonderful family & friends.

I am so lucky to have a wonderful husband of 33 years. My parents both in their 80's have been through quite a few health events but are still with me. My children..I have always said all mothers love their children but not all mothers like their children. I like mine (well at least most of the time LOL). Then there's that adorable little grandson, Mason. He is so cute.

In fact the other day I said, "Mason why are you so cute." And he said "Because" and I said "Because why?" And he said, "Because you love me." Then there's my brother, Joe. He's always there if I need him or if my parents need him. He just did a beautiful set of brick steps with the first step being a half circle...gorgeous. And crazy as it seems, I have online family...cousins who I haven't been in touch with for years who I've found online. Even though I don't see them, they are still a wonderful support to me.

I have so many friends online and in the flesh. The whole online thing never ceases to amaze me. For example, I had known an artist online for years on Ebay and not long ago we met for lunch in Baltimore. It is such a blessing to have so many people in my virtual life that sometimes carry over into my real life. Those people have always been a wonderful support for me too.

Anyway, if you are reading this, thank you. That means you are in some way connected to me, either in the flesh or virtually. Thank you for all the times you've given me encouraging words, for all the times you've made m laugh, for all the times you've prayed for me and my family. And thank you for us being you. God bless you this Thanksgiving and always.

I leave you with the following prayer from one of the Saints for this Thanksgiving:

St. John Chrysostom Prayer Of Thanksgiving

What praise, of what hymn, or what thanksgiving, or what recompense shall we offer unto Thee, the Only God, Who lovest mankind?

For when we were condemned to destruction and immersed in our sins, Thou didst bestow freedom upon us, and hast given us the immortal and heavenly nourishment of the Body and Blood of Thy Christ.

Therefore we pray Thee: Deliver us from judgment, together with Thy servants who minister unto Thee.

Keep us and them in honor and holy living; and those who pray with us, and who have been partakers of Thy Mystical Table, preserve free of condemnation unto their last breath.

May it be unto them a sanctification of soul and body, unto the keeping of Thy Commandments; and thus may we be granted tp attain Thy Heavenly Kingdom, together with all who have been well-pleasing unto Thee from all ages:

Through the prayers and intercessions of our holy, all-pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Birth giver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, of Saint N. whose memory we keep, and of all Thy Saints, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Amen.

Sacrifices

I reflect today on sacrifices. The sacrifice a mother makes for her children. Sacrifices of those going into the religious life or priesthood. Sacrifices those who volunteer make to serve others.

And of course the sacrifice those who serve our country make. They give up their time, their families, their comfortable way of life and sometimes the greatest sacrifice...their lives. They do this to keep us safe, to preserve our way of life and our freedom.

I am eternally grateful for everyone who makes a sacrifice for others and today I am most thankful for the sacrifices made by the United State Military Men & Women. And I think of the military families like my cousin Tiffany Yori-Brown who awaits the return of her beloved husband. God Bless our military men & women and their families.

Pumpkins & Witches & Crows OH MY

The Fall Challenge for my Old Farmhouse Gathering Team (OFG) team on Etsy has begun. Our team members are a bunch of talented people which lots of wonderful things from primitive to cottage. Check them out. You can also search on OFGF in tags and titles on Etsy to see all of the wonderful crafts prepared for this Fall event.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade JYWheeler.etsy.com

Circle of Seasons

This morning I had to run an errand for the people I used to work for so I was up a little earlier than usual. It was so chilly that I was pouting over the fact that summer is over. It was so cloudy and grey it kind of made it even sadder to me.

I really love summer and I wish we didn't have to have Fall because that means we get Winter. I'm not a fan of the dead depressing look of winter nor the cold. But then I remembered without the death of winter, we don't get the new life of spring nor the sunshine of summer. So I guess for the next couple of months I can put up with it. And I look forward to next summer!

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the picture is of a watercolor ACEO available in my Artfire shop. Click on it to go to the listing.