Tuesday, December 25, 2012

speechless...

it's not easy
for
my husband...
.
 
...to surprise me
we work together
we share
 the same bank account
the same credit card
the same schedule
not to mention
sarah
she's not so good at
keeping secrets
up until now that is
turns out
they stopped at
my favorite little art gallery
in downtown willoughby
and purchased a set
of purple troll beads
for me
before sarah's music share night
 she finally told me about it
on christmas
i was shocked
and
speechless
which made the gift
all the more special
for all of us
so grateful for
my hubby
 and family

Friday, December 21, 2012

purple bulbs...

and a festive
glittered
butterfly...
.

i had the sweetest
 delivery
it was from
matt's girlfriend
she created a little
christmas tree
just for me
with mini purple bulbs
silver stars
and a festive, glittered
butterfly
thank you jessica
so grateful to
share the holidays with you

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

red plaid taffeta...

on the bolt
it was just
plaid taffeta...
.
 
red and black taffeta
i'd bought it not sure
what i'd make
then i turned it into
 the bottom
half of a dress for my
sweet sarah
a bow tie
for her handsome brother
even a skirt for me
 
 
on
a sunday afternoon
the 19th of december
my family of four
walked into
the state theater
for a live performance
of the nutcracker
a plain dealer photographer
captured this pose
and soon that red plaid taffeta
became the symbolism
for christmas
nineteen ninety two
i cherish the memories
so very thankful
our girl was
healthy that day
so grateful we
spent the time
together

Saturday, December 15, 2012

jesus loves the little children...

all the
children
of the world...
.
aziza caswell's beautifully heartbreaking casket decorated by her classmates
 ...red and yellow
black and white
they're all precious in his sight
jesus loves the little children
of the world
why must we bury
so many precious
innocent children
my human heart
does not understand
Jesus said, (Matthew 5:4)
"Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted 

Monday, December 10, 2012

brave

every year
the kid in me
is so excited...
.
 
...when disney on ice
comes to town
this time i really
can't wait
i'm more excited
than a child
on christmas morning
brave
my very own princess
the wild haired
fiesty
 redhead
is going to be
 rockin' ever after
and thanks
 to my girl
she has found us seats
in the front row
can't wait

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

sweet warrior princess...

it's been
a hard day
a sad day...
.

...an unexplainable day
the world has lost
another precious
sweet child
so much like our sarah
born with down syndrome
so many of the same
health concerns
tracheal stenosis
a fragile respiratory system
heart and lung defects
but
a fighter
a warrior
a survivor
until today
when infection set in
just too much for her little body
my heart breaks in two
thinking of her dear
mama
and her teenage sister
the rest of her family
broken
crushed
hug your children today
in loving memory

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

i am the tears of joy...

i had a large
envelope waiting
for me today...
.
 
...it's arrival
i do believe
has been planned
for a really long time
nearly fifty three years perhaps
i really do believe
 everything
i see here in print
yes
i do deserve
all that my heart
desires
i really do
it's taken many years
to pull back the layers
to stop
 listening to the haters
to the critics
i allowed to run
and nearly ruin
my life
to self acknowledge
that i am not
 perfect
but that is ok
i am still worthy
and loved
it has taken courage
 to see a note from a friend
and believe it
really believe it
i am the tears of joy
i am
and with that
 i am able to move on
to see that there is something
so powerful
and great
in getting to a place of
forgiveness
i can now hear...
 
 
...my own heart sing
for all the right reasons
yes sweet one
you are loved
thank you stephanie
for coming into my life
at just the exact moment
when i needed
you
you too friend
are loved

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

dreaming of beautiful family memories...

we had a
whirlwind
of a weekend...
.
 
i was wondering just
what to write about
how to approach the subject
then today i was cutting
 these labels
from a fabric collection
 by cosmo cricket
and they just spoke to me
a few years ago
i was dreaming large
i had a fantasy
only that vision
 crashed and burned
working through pain and reflecting
i became accutely aware
it was just that
 a fantasy
and what i needed to do
was get to a place of forgiveness
then live my life
 day by day
being ever so thankful
for what i did have
grateful for the simple
things in life
to take in the beauty of it all
and i needed to embrace
my husband
my own sons and daughter
hug and love them
everyday
because we are family
and i needed to create
 new dreams
outloud
and
establish new fantasies
with those who
i love
and who love me
so this weekend
we all arrived
at different times
into the same place
we slept in beds
we inflated air mattresses
we dined as
a family
we invited friends
 to join us
we were making memories
our own beautiful times
as we are family

Thursday, November 22, 2012

thanksgiving gratitude...

there are so very many
things to be grateful
for this time of year...
.
 
for one
the friendships
i have developed
with some amazing artists
the newest is
stephanie ryan
and website
her watercolor talents
are pure joy for the eyes
sign up for her
small sweet steps of
inspiration
they are pure joy for the heart
such a great
way to start your morning
today she shares
this...
 Gratitude is the key to abundance! 
 The more grateful you are 
 and the more you sing it 
   from your heart,
 the more beautiful abundance 
 will float into your life.
Think happy, sweet 
  thoughts of gratitude 
 this Thanksgiving 
 and everyday of the year  

Monday, November 19, 2012

the mason jar...

i had the privilege
of spending
an entire weekend...
.
 
with my youngest son
in xenia, ohio
it's an event designed
for college coaches to
observe potential players
that in itself
seems nearly impossible
how he can be sixteen
already is mind numbing
time is flying by
much. too. fast
in the middle of the
afternoon
i let him have the room
 to himself
wink, wink...

 
...and i took off in pursuit
of nearby quilt shops
 discovered three in a short radius
i just knew as soon as i
pulled in the parking lot
this would be a good one
located in beavercreek, ohio
a suburb of the dayton area
quite close to wright state university
and the air force base
charming in every way
the owner, michele mason
love her play on words
has created an inspiring
 and relaxing venue
full of antiques
 and reproduction fabric
i've definately decided when
it comes to quilt shops
bigger is not always better
same thing holds true
 for soccer players
i've observed
as we were driving home
late last night
my son said to me
he really enjoyed
 our time together
me too matt
me too
we might just have to plan
another little excursion
especially now that we have
katrina and kelsey
ready and willing to hold down
the shop for the day
so very grateful
for all
 that has come my way

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Thursday, November 1, 2012

thank you houston

fabric + fun + friendship...
that's what quilt market...
.
 
is really all about
and houston
 did not disappoint
on one single thing
for me personally
it is also
 a warm and friendly
environment
where i can take sarah
 i so appreciate that
we had such an
amazing time
we reconnected with
good friends
met new ones too
viewed lots of new fabric
hooked up with
a former neighbor
sarah rode a bull
even learned a few line dances
we ate some great meals...
 

then we spontaneously
extended our stay
a few extra days
because of hurricane sandy
we went to a bar
where sarah got carded
and then proceeded to order
a glass of milk
we smiled and laughed
a lot
we toured the city
with map, feet and transport chair
we ate lunch in a park
fed a few homeless gals
with the extra bags of food
 we purposely bought
we looked at some really
 old houses...
 
 
we met a lovely couple
 from boston
also stranded in texas
they took this picture
right before
 we discovered a tree
planted for jane ellen
we rode a train through
a tunnel full of sharks
we met a mom and her son
in the gift shop
he too had a transport chair
and a trach
and down syndrome
we chatted for a long time
sarah's story
 gave her such hope
then we saw the biggest snake
 ever
which freaked us out
big time
and i mean BIG time
body shaking
hysterical screaming
trembling limb freak out
then magically a hidden door
opened
and a handsome young man
came to our rescue
he spoke little english
but saw the fright
on my girl's face
and quickly took us out an
emergency exit
and that's when i recognized
the rescheduled flight
sarah demanding
to hit the aquarium
very late tuesday night
it was all designed
 to be a chapter
of this journey we are on
we help others
so we in turn can
trust another to help us
i am so very, very
 grateful
i am traveling down
this wonderfully, winding road

Friday, October 26, 2012

flying...

there are a few
select words
i wanted to...
.
 
put next to
 the title of this post
but then i did not want to
ruffle any feathers with
the faa
 as i have been told
they do not seem to have
 a sense of humor
you already know they
took away our right
to have
a tiny little pair of sewing
scissors
on any flight
not to worry
stitchers are a clever bunch
and soon we discovered
a dental floss container
would work just fine
to cut the thread
alas i had a very productive
flight down to houston
these little paper pieces
take me back to
 my very beginning
days of quilting
so happy to see them
surface once again
the fabric
cuzco by kate spain

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

domino...

i never know
for sure
which schnibble...
.
 
will end up with
which charm pack
but i am really loving
by carrie nelson
paired with
birds & berries
lovely quilting
by diane wantz
domino will be hanging
 in the shop
along with the pattern
 and charm packs
for purchase
and now
onto my next
schnibble

Monday, October 22, 2012

justsew to tellsew...

a tiny little thing
perhaps
or maybe not...
.
 
i rarely go to bed
before checking
i love her family so much
her kristen has been
the force behind
so much of what
 sarah and i have created
tonight
as i read how her sweet
daughter kim
had taken kristen's coat to the hospital
to wrap up in while she labored
in the birthing room
i could not help but think
that kristen was there
making sure everything
was just perfect
for the delivery of her little niece nora
and so i left a comment
to let polly know that i
truly believe that kristen was there
as i hit the enter tab
my security word was
tellsew
that is just what we do
we tell people about kristen while we sew
and last week
sarah all of a sudden decided
our new car should have
a special license plate
that reads
justsew
because that is what we do
just sew to tell others about
kristen and her light
that always shines

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Saturday, October 13, 2012

little boy blue...

he came to see me
all dressed up
my little boy...
.

heading to homecoming
so handsome
so sweet
so loving
 i am so very blessed
and grateful

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

quilt shop needs you...

have you ever
dreamed of
working...
.
...in a quilt shop
if so
we are looking for a few
creative souls
to join our team
experience is not necessary
as much as
being trustworthy
smiling a lot
being friendly
and having a
love for fabric
we need coverage
for daytime hours
as well as
wednesday and thursday evenings
all day saturday
and possibly an occasional
 off site quilt show or two
if interested email me

Saturday, October 6, 2012

dream a little...

dream
and it just might come
true...
.

this is happening
today
in the sewcial lounge
the one named after
my girl
in our store
the one bearing
 my creative name
in memory of
polly's sweet gal
two moms
on different journeys
working together
for one mission
to carry forth kristen's light
for all the world to see
truly humbled and honored
that we have been chosen
to help with that endeavor
even more grateful that
jennifer has lead
the way with her pillow case mission
and that she is coming
to share in our
little corner
of the earth
update...
.
 
an amazing day
we had
a total of 219 pillowcases
were completed
lots of friendships
were developed
and new skills shared
with many
more than a dream come true
thank you to all who participated

Friday, October 5, 2012

a miracle indeed...

just about this time
four years ago
life started to take...
.
 
a twist and a turn
sarah's health was failing
quickly
right before our eyes
i recently came across this pic
and posted it on facebook
 with the following caption...

 
Do you believe in miracles? I'm currently uploading photo cards from prior years. This pic just caught me by surprise. It was taken about three months after I left my job in 2009 to care for Sarah fulltime. Her doctor suggested it was time to write a dx of COPD and bring in hospice, as there was nothing more they could do for her. Looking at her tiny frail body, I can almost see why. I am so thankful I was given the courage and strength to not give up on her. Thankful too that my hubby was able to step up his business so we could continue to pay the bills. To-date, we have been hospital free now for 3 1/2 years-the longest stretch in Sarah's 23 years of life.
 
the seventy two likes
and many comments
took my breath away
it seems our girl
is an inspiration
to many
it's a good reminder to me
to follow the lead
of our creator
the path that is ours
has been masterfully
orchestrated
and i know now
more than ever
we are where
we are supposed to be

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Sunday, September 23, 2012

flight of a bumble bee...

there is a certain
undefinable
excitement i feel...
.


...when the first signs
of autumn appear
the days are still filled
with sunshine
although there
is a slight chill
 in the air
i spent the afternoon
walking
down a trail
enjoying
the changing elements
of nature
while my youngest son
crouched and ducked
in the woods
with his friends
dodging
 paintball pellets
i closely followed
the flight
of this bumble bee
as it would forage about
 from flower
 to purple plower
in search of nectar and pollen
i suppose
the more i observed
i was reminded
how fast paced our life
can be
if only i would take
more moments
to simply watch
 and observe
the more grateful
 i would be
for the amazement
yet complexity
of our creator's plan
 it is all around us
even
in the flight
of the bumble bee

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sunday, September 16, 2012

gifts...

when an ultrasound
suggested
our third child...
.
 
...was likely a boy
our oldest son
asked to name him
a scary proposition
as one of my friends
had also just been through this
and her son's choice
for his soon to be little brother
was alfalfa
still i trusted
 the wisdom of our
eight year old
he chose matthew richard
the middle name i understood
 completely
it was after my father
the first name
came out of nowhere
so i looked up the meaning
gift of god
is what i found
sounded logical
as i believe all children
are gifts
today i had the pleasure of
spending the entire afternoon
with the now teenager
we shopped
for shirts and ties and suits
we dined at panera
his suggestion
we drove around
with him at the wheel
we talked
we reminisced
we connected
it hasn't always been like this
there were days
in the early years that
i would truthfully have
entertained returning
the gift
he was challenging
full of spit and fire
and then one day i recognized
it was partly my fault
he did not have my
entire heart
it was intertwined in anger
full of self doubt
it was living in a state
of denial
i was too concerned about
my fantasy of what
i thought life should be
rather than living
in the here and now
i had to first love myself
before i could expect him to
i had to get rid of the
negative energy swirling
around our life
i worked hard at that
thankfully
i openly shared my journey with
my husband
and found he too had arrived
at the same place
at about the same time
we worked together
as a team
as a couple
each time we plateaued
 divine intervention
would take over
threatening phone calls
came into our lives
at just the right time
untruthful letters arrived
that made us start over
just as we thought
conclusions had been reached
a nasty email was opened
which made us dig even deeper
and with
each mile of the journey
each step of the way
it was matthew
who grew right beside us
as our hearts became whole
so too did his
as positive energy
replaced the negative
so too did his
behavior change
as our souls became
spiritually driven
so too did his
i recognized today
as i held his hand
as i looked into his eyes
as i watched him interact
with those around him
that he truly is a
gift from god
i am grateful beyond words
for his patience
for his love
for giving me an even greater gift
that of forgiveness
for it is that which
truly opens your heart
to the possibilities of living

Friday, September 14, 2012

he makes house calls...

imagine this
a doctor
who still...
.

...comes to the house
sure hope he can
diagnose
and patch up our
wounded johns
seriously
a fourth generation plumber
in mayfield hts
came highly recommended
by a fellow quilter
i trust my stitchy friends
so we brought him in
honest beyond belief
clean and efficient
job well done
we're back in flushing order
now about that
leaking skylight...

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Friday, September 7, 2012

making progress...

and it
feels
so good...
.
 
...absolutely love
 the moment
when you turn it over
and see all 
four quadrants
stitched together
seams lined up
colors working
squared to perfection
ready now
 to tackle
the miniature white border
and the pieced
outer border

Thursday, September 6, 2012

oh fiddlesticks...

not entirely sure
where
that expression...
.
 
...came from
but it seems most appropriate
for the exact moment
when you
think you are done
and
ready for the next step
only to realize
you've made a mistake
and a few seams
will need
to come out

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

birds & berries...

today was
one of
those days...
.
 
...that my mind and body
were craving
the motion of sitting
 at the machine
with the motor humming
it's a peaceful
and relaxing position
started a new
 project today
another schnibble
the newest
by lauren + jessi jung
a mother/daughter team
i seem to be partial to those
types of duos

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

the beautiful future...

i believe
the children
are our future...
.
adam, maria, julie & tj
...teach them well 
 and let them lead the way 
show them all the beauty 
 they possess inside 
give them a sense of pride 
 to make it easier... 
thoughtful lyrics by the
late whitney houston
play over in my mind
as i had the privilege
 of spending
the weekend with these
four amazing and delightful
human beings
they are our future
male cousins by blood
friends for life
with their soul mates
divinely and spiritually driven
to make a difference
moving forward with the best
of intentions
with the love and support of
their families
so very grateful
to be able to share
in their lives

Thursday, August 23, 2012

rum raisin

i've been
waiting for this
moment...
.
 
...for more than a month
 i just walked into my
sewing studio
 and felt a slight draft
so i reached for it
the box marked
rum raisin
and very slowly
dipped
my chilly size ten toes
into the soft
sheepskin lining
of my new classic short
 uggs
they likely will never see
 snow or ice
nor will i ever likely see their
australian home
 we are bound to be
 best friends though
i discovered last year
they make the most
amazing house slippers
and of course
as soon as i saw this new
color
i knew it was meant to be
ahhh
my feet thank me
now i wonder what else
i can find in the house
bearing the words
rum or raisin

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012

dreams do come true...

we just wrapped
up our sweet
treat extravaganza...
.

...at jellen's house of fabric
to celebrate our
second anniversary
i still pinch myself
almost daily
we are having so much fun
and
at the same time
making a difference
we had
cameras in the store again
this time for a book
being written to illustrate
all the things that
 persons with down syndrome
can accomplish
such as...


...sewing on a machine
it's simply amazing to me
to look at this picture
and visually see
just where we have come
all because i was born
with a love of fabric
so very grateful
for that