Merry Christmas

Here's to all the friends who are hurting this holiday season. Perhaps they are alone because their family lives far away, perhaps their loved ones have to work in this 24/7 society, or perhaps they are separated by death from someone very precious in their lives. Here's to all the friends who have hurtful relationships, illness, loss of job or serious calamity in their lives this holiday season...My prayers for you (and me) is that we would see Christmas for what it truly is - not the expectations, not the disappointments - but the awe and wonderment that God took on the form of mankind in that precious baby, His Son, who came to live among us - the only sinless man in the world because He was both God and man, the awe and wonderment that He gave His Son Jesus to be born, and then to die that we might live. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.. Put aside your hurts, fears, worries for a brief moment in time, and reflect on the BEST GIFT ever - Jesus. He knows your sorrows and your joys. Receive His gift - His love for you and His sacrifice for your sins and mine. Tell it to Jesus my friend, you'll find that He understands. And have yourself a merry little Christmas!

(reposted from FaceBook)

Busted: Island Quilters Caught Playing Strip Poker!

It started out innocently, honestly it did...

Mild mannered quilting ladies gathering for their annual Christmas party...who would have thought?

Eagerly rushing through the business portion of our monthly guild meeting....

Sharing,among other things, all about the charity quilts donated during the year and plans for the upcoming year...

Taking a little time for show and tell...

"When do we eat!" was the resounding question...

Finally it was time to party! Bring on the good times!

Quilters are known to be good cooks. (All but this particular quilter, but we're not talking about my lack of culinary skills...)

It was evident by the spread that these ladies were serious about their food!

Who would have thought that this nice group of "little 'ole quilting ladies" were fixin' to get wild!

*** warning Will Robinson***

Disclaimer:

Due to the nature of the topic

photos are not published of what happened next!

Truth be told - photos weren't taken!

The paper plates were cleared, the deserts revisited, the drinks refilled (non-alcoholic of course - after all we are NICE little ole quilting ladies).

It was time...

The much anticipated hottest entertainment event of the evening...

The excitement had been building....

Many members, myself included, waited all year for this!

An opportunity to let our hair down...

An excuse to throw caution to the wind...

A chance to be a little reckless...

The room was electric with anticipation...

The cards were distributed among the tables. Dealers were chosen. (I'm guilty. I participated eagerly with my Las Vegas alter ego leaping out of no-where as the deck was shuffled).

GASP!

Island Quilter's Guild Ladies Playing Strip Poker!

Yep, it's true, my good friends and fellow quilters with utter confidence were quick to ante-up a 2.5 inch STRIP of fabric! Cards were dealt, high card drew first from the pot. From high to low quilters chose their coveted strip of fabric - "battling" for position when there was a tie. Such reckless abandonment - I've never seen anything like it.

For four games we did this. Fast paced dealing and grabbing - hoping for the best draw and not being stuck with the "ugly" fabric. Game five was winner take all! High card won the jackpot. Oh the joy of victory, oh the agony of defeat. It's not easy letting go of fabric!

Time to switch tables, dealers stayed. New group of quilters, new fabric to covet - choices were made - do I play the pretty fabric or offer up the dogs?

Laughter could be heard among the five tables. Some dealers were faster than others (just sayin') playing more than the five games per table while waiting for other tables to finish before the shuffle of players to a new table to begin all over again ...

Yep! The Island Gals got a little wild at our Christmas party - we un-ashamedly played strip poker and I betcha' we do it again next year!

Now the challenge is what to do with my winnings!

Making Memories

This is the time of year when families get together and "make memories" - typically kicking things off with a big Thanksgiving and then the countdown begins for Christmas!

For some people the holidays can be both joyful and painful. Seems there are a lot of people I know who have family members with serious illness or have lost loved ones recently, many are entering into the first holiday season after a loved ones' passing. It never seems to get easier - as I too have once again walked through the anniversary of my dad's passing some 8 years ago....yes, the ups and downs of the holidays....

Everyone deals with their own grief in their own way. Some like to hold on to special items from their family member, some enjoy photos, others just want to keep their memory alive by recalling special times together.

Every once in a while I'm asked to make a "memory quilt" from a deceased family member's clothing so that those left behind have a tangible remembrance, a "hug" so to speak as they cuddle up in a quilt that is unique and one of a kind, one that holds special memories and can bring comfort during times of sorrow.

Recently I was given men's suits and ties along with a few special photos to make a lap quilt for a granddaughter to remember her granddad...

A few scatterings of blocks made from ties and a few photos are sprinkled in among a wide variety of fabrics from pants and suits, tied together with a little red fabric to add to the colors of the clothing with hopes to make this holiday a little more special...

It's always a privilege to be entrusted with a family's heirloom, and it is my hope that this quilt brings joy to the receiver not only this holiday season, but for many seasons to come.

As with my own dad, there are so many times I miss him....and I think of how much he'd be enjoying the family right now as my two sons have chosen their soul mates - oh how much he's approve of the girls! How he would tease them and laugh with them, and love welcoming them to the family...sometimes these thoughts are painful as I truly wish he could share things with all of us...yet because I know where he is I realize how selfish it is to want him back...the separation is truly the hardest on those left behind . Every now and then I reflect on the fact that my dad certainly knows a whole lot more than me about heaven, angels, the saints who have gone before and oh how wonderful it must be to gaze upon the Redeemer...our Savior...face to face! One day I'll share that knowledge....

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight— ⁸ we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and⁾to be at home with the Lord. ⁹ Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.