Makin', Flippin', & Goodies in the Mail...

Making...

I must admit, this was like last weekend.  Not much done this week!

I coffee stained my grandma's old doilies.  They were just too white.  I need to fix the one with spots.  I used a pizza pan to put them in the oven. Ooops.  I am thinking about offering the homemade goodies on my own selling page instead of eBay.  I will continue to offer my flipped items on eBay.

 

So, here's one of my little prairie doll pouches.  I planned on them to be able to hang on a peg. But as you see in the second picture, she's a lazy gal.  She keeps tilting over.  I need to fix that. What do you think?  A wire on the back?  Ribbon or lace hanger?

Here is my attempt at crazy quilting for my pincushions.

And finally, my apple pie for the church function last Sunday.  Apple Pies are the one thing I make well.  My husband is really the cook in our family! :)

Flipping...

Between Goodwill and Shupp's Grove, I found some goodie to sell on eBay.  Total purchase for the haul-$16.50.  There are some antiques, vintage items, and handmade folk art.  I will try to post them tonight! :)

 

It looks like an older courting candle that someone sprayed with textured paint.  It is a grey/blue with rusty areas.  It would look great with berries or pumpkins in the middle.  It is really deep!

This is a wall hanging.  But, it needs something.  I may paint it and letter it with "Welcome".  What do ya'll think?

Goodies in the Mail... 

It is a blessing to look around the house and see the works of the hands of my dear blogging friends.  I feel like I can have a part of y'all over for coffee!  I should arrange the things around the kitchen table and have a little tea party like when I was a kid (Okay, so that was last week. Shhhh...).

Salmon Falls Prims- She let me pick my colors!

The Tin Crow- It goes with my crow shelf sitter and little crows that I also purchased from her- Sooo prim!

The acorns are from Angela's Prim Attic and the quilt piece I found on eBay.  It is part of a Civil War quilt- prim and a teaching tool!  Perfect!

And, my dearest purchase- A penny rug and stump doll from my dear friend, Christine!  I was so excited to get a package from a kindred spirit from across the pond!  I just love them!  And the pillow is a creation of hers too!  They are definitely treasures from a treasured friend.

 

Morning...

   Morning

by Charles Spurgeon
 

"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings."

Psalm 112:7

     "Christian, you ought not to dread the arrival of evil tidings; because if you are distressed by them, what do you more than other men? Other men have not your God to fly to; they have never proved his faithfulness as you have done, and it is no wonder if they are bowed down with alarm and cowed with fear: but you profess to be of another spirit; you have been begotten again unto a lively hope, and your heart lives in heaven and not on earthly things; now, if you are seen to be distracted as other men, what is the value of that grace which you profess to have received? Where is the dignity of that new nature which you claim to possess?

     Again, if you should be filled with alarm, as others are, you would, doubtless, be led into the sins so common to others under trying circumstances. The ungodly, when they are overtaken by evil tidings, rebel against God; they murmur, and think that God deals hardly with them. Will you fall into that same sin? Will you provoke the Lord as they do?

     Moreover, unconverted men often run to wrong means in order to escape from difficulties, and you will be sure to do the same if your mind yields to the present pressure. Trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Your wisest course is to do as Moses did at the Red Sea, "Stand still and see the salvation of God." For if you give way to fear when you hear of evil tidings, you will be unable to meet the trouble with that calm composure which nerves for duty, and sustains under adversity. How can you glorify God if you play the coward? Saints have often sung God's high praises in the fires, but will your doubting and desponding, as if you had none to help you, magnify the Most High? Then take courage, and relying in sure confidence upon the faithfulness of your covenant God, "let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." "

Thoughts from the Schoolmarm...
      This devotional is actually from the other day, but I think it is timely in respect to all that is happening right now and in the reflection of 9/11.  I really don't watch hardly any live television.  I often talk about Netflix because, well, that is what I watch!  So, I had no idea the turmoil that was going on in our world right now until I turned on "regular" television.  The Bible tells us that the "End Times" will be filled with turmoil- wars and rumors of wars.  I don't watch the news because the thoughts of those things bring fear to my heart.  However, though man's sinful nature "wars" in our hearts with fear, God is in control of everything.   I thought this particular devotional apropos in light of what is going on right now. It is a real pep talk, not necessarily soothing.  It is a rallying, wake-up call.  I felt immediately my heart making excuses as I read it.  It is certainly a different perspective on the downfalls of fear.  I always go to Jeremiah 29:11 when times are tough. But here are the verses that are around it:

Jeremiah 29:10-14

 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

 

     This promise is given to Israel with whom God had a covenant.  The promise was partly an earthly one.  So, how can this apply to us today?  Bad things do happen!  But we are extended the covenant through Christ's death and resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  However, our "Promised Land" is not an earthly one.  The plans for our future are for a heavenly kingdom where there will be no pain or sorrow. Our trust in the Lord in these uncertain times is a testament and witness to HIS power to others around us.  If Christians cower in fear, then won't people doubt the name of the Lord and our trust in Him?  That is what I think Spurgeon is getting at.  Our faith in God in troubled times is what sets us apart in this World.  It is what allows us to be beacons that stem from the power of God.

     Am I still fearful?  YES!  It is part of my nature, how God designed me, so much so that I have to take medicine daily for me to function (Which reminds me, I need to go do that after this).  My writing is not to point fingers or to preach to others because I have it all in order. I SO do NOT!  It is to encourage us all to lift one another in prayer during this difficult time to be examples of faith in a Solid Rock that will not move so that others who live in fear of the future will want to hold fast to that Rock as well.

My chair my daddy made for me.  I keep it inside now in my study.

I would love to hear your thoughts, interpretations, and scripture you would like to share!

Sunday Blessings to you all!

Love,

The Schoolmarm on the Couch

Hay, Diddle, Diddle... The Class and the Fiddle...

     Hello, Friends!  Long time, no speak!  Thank you for all of your prayers for my first week back at school! They were greatly felt!  I am starting to get to know my "new family" and how they operate. We have covered a milestone this week- we went on our first field trip!  We went to the Hay Creek Festival held at Joanna Furnace.  Friday was "Student Day", so students entered free.  We learned some fascinating lessons about machinery, crafts, history about the Colonial time period all the way to the 1800's and the Civil War!  It was very fun, but extremely hot, day!

Here are some things I learned about my new class:

• The boys are like a bunch of old men, sitting on every bench while the "women" shopped (HELLO!  There were prim items for SALE!),
• My one little guy is a business card collector for his mom, since she likes these kinds of crafts too (Isn't that cute!?).
• The class was fascinated by rug hooking (and I was LOVING what the woman was offering!)  The boys kept saying, "Look at how expensive it is!"  All the while, I kept saying, for the millioneth time, to stop touching everything!  They are a very tactile class (Note to self for designing lessons).  After the girls and I "yelled" at the boys that it was expensive because of the craftsmanship involved, I got them setttled down.  Except for one little guy, his remark was, "That's why I like massed produced stuff."  Needless to say, he got part 2 of my lesson-"The importance of craftsmanship and supporting local businesses" with a bonus of "Cheaper is Not Always Better". Silly kids!!!!
  

  

  "So, let me tell you about the lice..."

• Some of my kids apparently can't read signs that say "Do Not Touch," although they are in large print with a grumpy guy standing beside it!  My biggest "tactile" learner picked up the antique knife and promptly got yelled at by grumpy guy.  Which I was fine with.  Apparently his voice was much scarier than mine.  However, seriously, the knife was sitting smack in the front of the table.  HELLLLOOOO!  What boy is NOT going to be tempted to touch it!  It's Kid's Day!  Good grief! Well, he got yelled at by the guy and the girls in the class.  They sounded like little mothers, "Uh, there's a sign!" LOL!
• My students aren't great auditory learners or at putting 2 and 2 together (They were a little dehydrated, so I will cut them some slack.Seriously).  There was this HILarious, Colonial man who played many different instruments.  He started talking about the different countries that the instruments came from.  Well, he started rattling off "Do you speak...?" in different languages. So, most of the students started catching on a bit as to what country the phrase was about and that the phrases all asked if you could speak that language.  Ok.  Remember that part of the story. So, the man says, "Sprechen sie deutsch?"  I nicely added, "Ok, that's German."  The man turns to my one little guy, again after it has been established that the phrase is repeatedly asking if you can speak a certain language, and asks," What did I just ask in German?"  My student replies,"Do you have beer?"  He wasn't joking.  We all just starred at him.  I had to walk away because I was going to die laughing. Well, I guess he was dehydrated.
• My class is very verbal, but this can be good!  They were bold enough to ask questions and were pleasant and said thank you to all they talked to.
• They are a giving class.  They weren't supposed to bring money so they wouldn't lose it (Who brought money and lost $7?  The girl with 2 thumbs and is a teacher- this gal! )  Kids were lending money freely back and forth.  2 girls bought everyone drinks because we were DYING of thirst.  (I owe her $3.50 myself.  She took pity on her teacher because the teacher lost her own money.)

"Do you want beer?"

It was a lovely trip, really.  They are a really fun group! I learned a lot myself.  I learned about the job of a wheelwright.  I learned a lot about antique instruments.  One tidbit I found facinating, and I guess I just never thought about it, was that instruments were smaller and made to have a mellower, softer sound because they were made to be played in someone's parlor. I should start using that- "Parlor voices please, students!"

     Hmmm, well, here are a few more pictures of my classroom this year including my new "command center". The trend in teaching now is not to have a desk. Yeah.  That's not a trend I will be following  any time soon!

     God is such a gracious and loving God!  He has surrounded me with family and friends, new and old, that are covering me and my class in prayer.  He has blessed our school with almost 150 students, including a Middle School now.  2 years ago, we barely had 50 students and thought we would close.  God taught us that HE is in control.  It is not us, our curriculum, or our facilities. IT IS HIM! It brought tears to my eyes to see a chapel on Tuesday that was half full of students!  I have been there 12 years.  I was the first 4th grade teacher they had.  Let me tell you, it was a sight I never dreamed of seeing.  Please continue to keep our growing school in your prayers.  We are out of space!  We really need a new building for next year.  Please pray for funds and also wisdom on the parts of the School Board, Church, and others who work with facility needs.  What an exciting time!   

Thank you for listening and praying, Dear Friends!

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."