Happy Labor Day!

🩷 Some Labor Day trivia. 💙 😁Skip to the end if TMI! 🤣 I’ve been through labor, (and delivered) 12 times. (The first completely alone, (in hospital) and clueless.) 😢My longest labor was 60 hrs. My shortest, just over 3.With one, I arrived at the hospital 5 minutes before she was born. With the next they remembered me, and she was born 3 minutes after I arrived.My last 5 were born at home. TMI, my water broke early in labor with only two. (Those happen to be the 2 I lost, 1 prebirth, one after.)2 were en caul.Rounding out my… Continue reading

Peeling the Onion

Healing comes in such layers. Sometimes we think things are good, and then another layer of the onion is peeled back, by new triggering events. And again, and again, we feel defeated. Not like conquerors in Christ. Not even like we’ll ever get through the battle. Defeated, alone, and perhaps ready to give up the fight. But somehow (by God’s strength, and those that “bear one another’s burdens” and pray for us) we plow through. We wrestle. We reflect. We process. And eventually we see a small ray of hope. Another layer of healing ❤️‍🩹. We don’t expect that wrestling… Continue reading

In a Mirror Darkly

Do you remember the climbing rope in gym class? You hold on so tight you’re hands are blistered. Hand over hand. After an hour you’re exhausted. You’re pouring out sweat. You’re butt is still nearly dragging the floor. That’s how 2022 feels to me. It’s been a year of hard, exhausting work with no gains. In several areas, I’ve worked hard, thought some negative issues were resolved/over, only for them to rear their ugly or evil heads once again. And the traipse continues on. It’s not that nothing good happened in 2022. Nor that it was full of life shattering… Continue reading

Time the Enemy of Passion

All my grand plans for Christmas crafting have been thwarted. All the clearance priced dies and stamps I’d waited patiently for those prices for, and have been longing to use, sit unopened on my desk. Time chose to be my enemy. Taunting me with promises of soon, only to present another barrier. The bits of downtime were necessary as truly DOWN time, not creative time. Beginning just before ThanksGiving, dad’s hospitalization, nursing home move, my business push, concert performances, finals, out of town workshop, … all took priority. The “needs” of life, pushing out the good, enjoyment of life. Yes…. Continue reading

The King is Come!

This morning the tears are freely flowing. I guess that’s something to rejoice in. It’s an expression. So much in my heart. So much in my thoughts. Always. But the expressions are still slow coming. That’s been the hardest part of recovery /rebuilding for this singer/author/creative. To you, this is just a random “post”. To me, this is an expression of the depths. It is heart and soul. Each year I do a Christmas Carol Countdown on social media, sharing some of my favorite renditions of favorite Christmas songs—old and new. This morning’s is a true mix of very old… Continue reading

ThanksGiving Reflections—In the Midst

I’ve been sharing ThanksGiving #gratitude quotes every day this month. And as I continue to press into gratitude, I also walk through this chapter of the saga. This week holds many Body Keeps the Score messages for me. Ones from previous years are healed, but scars don’t disappear. The reminder is there. Just not the sting. Sometimes of sad things. Sometimes of fearful things. Thankfully happy ones are in the mix. Always of God’s faithfulness. His strength. His love and care. Him getting me through. When I’m feeling something churning inside, and it’s not related to anything currently going on,… Continue reading

Happy Holidays?

Holidays after divorce or separation can be hard to navigate, especially that first year. Even if it’s decided where the kids are going to be, there is so much more that goes into it—especially emotionally. Perhaps you are sad that you won’t be all together, doing the things you always do. Perhaps you are relieved that he’s not there sabotaging things and causing more stress. Perhaps your emotions are a mixed bag. If it’s your first year apart, and everything is still fresh and raw, and your young children are with him, not at home with you—or if you have… Continue reading

Card Shower

Kind of. I’m showering you with pictures of the cards I’ve made over the last 3 months. Because I noticed I haven’t posted any since July! 😲 But August and September are “light” months for me, so this is only a shower, not a flood. 😀 Even though card making isn’t my favorite papercraft, I do enjoy it. And I have a large family, so it keeps me busy—especially in keeping the creative juices flowing. As I never mass make. Every one is a unique, one-of-a-kind creation, even when there are some similarities. Some are more simple. Some more elaborate…. Continue reading

Wine Rack Vinyl

One of today’s creative projects. I’m working on a few. I rarely have a glass, but I got this wine rack to review, and it matches other black metal pieces in my dining room. I had the perfect spot for it, above my “tea”/ beverage bar. One of my sons hung it for me today, and I wanted to add an appropriate saying. i.e. appropriate for a rare drinker, but who also believes an occasional glass of wine is better #selfcare than toxic pharmaceuticals. I designed and cut this saying on my Cricut. And love how this turned out. ❤️… Continue reading