Thursday, May 17, 2007

A Corner in My Home


When I was a little girl I remember the summertime in Primary (the children's group at church). Each summer after a young girl turned 8, her teacher would introduce a program designed to teach the girl homemaking arts; knitting, crochet, and crossed stitch embroidery.

To be honest I can't remember which one came first, however I remember struggling through trying to learn them all and make something worthy of the effort.
Knitting was a complete disaster! We were given some yarn, patient instruction and a pattern to follow that would wind up being a pair of cozy slippers. I struggled and struggled and never finished the slippers. I felt horrible and as if I had failed, because in reality, I had. I still don't know how to knit, and now as an adult there is that little voice inside that begs me to call on the gal in our area who teaches knitting. I want to learn to knit!

Crochet was something that was a struggle as well, but I remember being able to catch on. I was successful enough that I made a pretty little baby blanket and was inspired enough by the "ooh"s and "ahh"s of admiring adults that I made a full sized afghan with an even more complicated pattern. Unfortunately I dropped the crochet habit until well into my married life and well, I can remember one certain stitch, but after that, I am an example of "use it or lose it" when it comes to this talent/skill. Again, there is that seed of desire that begs me to pick out the prettiest skein of yarn I can find and crochet something marvelous.

Cross stitch embroidery came very easily to me and I have kept this skill all my life, adding to my skill and precision and also the the variety of stitches and patterns. I find new pieces all the time which inspire me and artists who make the most lovely patterns!

My first attempt was a basic cross stitch on a plain piece of soft fabric. I ironed on the pattern and followed the tiny blue "x"s to create the piece above. I was way into symbolism even back then as a little girl and so I decided that I would add symbols to my piece and make it my own.
The words state: "I will bring the light of the Gospel into my home." For me, that meant I would bring Jesus Christ into my home. In the Bible and other scripture Jesus was often described as the "Light", in my mind this should be thread in white, the symbol of purity. So I stitched it with the brightest white I could find. The "Gospel" was worth more to me than anything I could think of because it was the Gospel of Jesus Christ that would not only "save" me, but bring me back to my Heavenly Home and lead me through a good Christian life. That word had to be thread in gold. I had been taught that I was a literal Spirit daughter of God, so I had worth. The "I" had to be in gold also. My "home" would grow and grow with children that I knew it had to be in shades of green and blue...the colours of life and growth. The center of my life is my heart. All of my feelings direct my thoughts and the word "into" meant that the Gospel would be the heart of my life, so it was shades of red and and pink, for hearts and love. My life would be filled with so much experience that it would be very colourful, so all the other letters/words would be a variety of colour. Even the little house was coloured symbolically, red roof covering the house in love, white walls to surround our home with purity, and golden windows to reveal the Gospel of Christ within. Yup, I was serious about symbolism.

Unfortunately I didn't think about how the colours would look on the creamy beige fabric... a mish mash of lettering and the most important words almost invisible! But, as I look back on that one piece from my childhood I remember how important it was to me and how important the Gospel of Jesus Christ was and is.


I kept the cross stitch all those years and a few years ago had it framed. I love to see it everyday and it still reminds me of what is most important in my life and that it is up to me to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those in my home and also those in my life.

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Post Mother's Day post

O.k. it's been forever since I have been here so here's what you get today:

I went to Women's Conference and had a pretty good time, then came home and went to work with a bunch of "church stuff" which kept me away from pretty much everything. But I had one of the best Mom day events -ever. Then went away again with Thor, more about that later.

Forgive me for bragging, but here goes...

While I was at WC the two girls got together and planted the bed in front of the porch with flowers! This was not an easy task. #3 paid for the goods and #5 did the labour. Much had to be taken out...tons of dead stuff from the freeze and from last year and so forth. New plant food and new plants and WOW! it looks terrific. My girls understand just how much I adore a flower bed full of fresh little heads greeting all who walk by. I LOVE IT! I can hardly wait for the heat to come so that the air is filled with the sweet loveliness that the alyssum will bring! I am so excited about this gift. That and Thor saw their gift and added to it by putting in two new lattices for the morning glories and wisteria to climb! woo hoo!

#4 made me a cute little wooden box that is perfect to hold THE AMAZING bracelet his lovely and talented wife made for me. It is the perfect shade of green mother of pearl chips strung between fresh water pearls! They know I am a pearl girl and this bracelet is absolutely gorgeous. She is gearing up to sell her jewelry soon, and baby, I can't wait. Her things are beautiful. I have already commissioned a matching necklace.

#2 brought me a new potted bamboo...but his wife and children made me the cutest ever pages for my scrapbook. SO cute in fact they won't be going in a book but rather in frames and hung in my craft room. The colours are perfect for the room and the subject? Well it's hands and feet from my little boys and one swirly finger painting from the Little Man. I adore these! They are amazing, the best!

Then #1 and his wife brought me a really pretty photo frame with three photos. On the top- themselves, on the bottom - the puppies, and in the middle this: "?"-January 2008.

I am going to have another grand baby!!!!!

I dare you to top those gifts! My kids rock!

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Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Carlton's log, Women's Conference


Over 25,000 women....that's a lot of estrogen.
"Jordan Bluth"...phenomenal voice, one of my favorites!

Elder Jeffery R. Holland and his wife, Sister Patricia Holland. Wow. More on their talk later.

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