Unexpected Grief

The Last Gift

I had a sort of a meltdown the other night at Target.

Christmas 2014, my sister gave me a Target gift card. It was the last gift she ever gave me. I’ve been carrying it around in my wallet, not intending to spend it. But how stupid to let it go to waste (she wouldn’t have liked that). Spend it and save the card, silly.

So my daughters and I were in line at Target and I gave the guy two gift cards (Dawn gave me the other one). It was quite hectic and he was an idiot, so in the moment of Dawn and I trying to bag stuff up and him using the two gift cards plus my debit card, he failed to give the gift cards back to me, and I forgot to ask. I usually use them in my crafting (they’re great for applying paint and glue), but I wanted to keep Martha’s card forever.

When I asked him for my cards back he said, “Oh, I threw them away, sorry.” And I said, “But…I’d like them back, please.” He looked down at the garbage box at his feet and started to bend down, but he didn’t and just said, “Sorry, they’re in the garbage.” And so I said, “But I’d like them back, please. My sister gave me one of them and now she’s dead.” He looked at the garbage again and just shrugged his shoulders and repeated himself. So I thought, okay, you’re making this into a bigger deal than it should be, it’s just a card. I finished paying and waited for my daughters to buy their stuff.

But the longer I stood there, the more I wanted her card back, and then I started getting anxious and teary. I kept telling myself, it’s just a card, stop being a baby about it. But I couldn’t and so I mumbled to Dawn I had to leave and ran/walked out, crying, unable to control myself. I sat in the car and bawled. Over a stupid piece of plastic.

And then Dawn called me and asked what the card looked like, did it have penguins or dogs on it and I said penguins, but when she brought it to me I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to just keep it and pretend it was okay because I was being stupid and their thoughtfulness trumped everything.

But they wouldn’t let it go and went back inside to the register and rummaged through the garbage bin themselves and brought me every single card they thought was anywhere near what I thought it looked like. They embarrassed themselves in front of all of those customers and made that guy allow them to look through that nasty box of garbage at his feet.

My daughters did that for me!

And so I continued to cry, but it was from happiness from the love they showed for me. This was in-my-face-we-would-do-anything-for-you love, but they did it with grace.

They did that.

For me.

Paper Doll and Art Journaling In Miniature

I'll never grow up.

I love playing with these Julie Nutting paper doll stamps! This one's for another swap and her name is Audrey. I can't wait to see what my partner sends me.

Aaaand, I'm in! Going through my 2015 art journal affected me in an unexpected way, so it encouraged me to keep on keepin' on. This is my first Journal52 2016 prompt, "Word Of The Year." Going to literally be doing a little each week. *snicker*

My daughter Dawn suggested I use Project Life cards, both small and large, because I wanted to go smaller and less complicated. Then she suggested this 2"x2" format and I was immediately enamored with this idea. Making my first one validated that feeling.

Dawn even gave me a little binder with sleeves that was made for photos this size. I'm still contemplating on how I'll be altering the cover. What I really like is that the binder allows me to expand entries to 2"x4" or 4"x4" if I'm feeling extra artsy fartsy. Sometimes I get in that zone and don't want to stop, so this pleases me immensely.

Here's to another year of crafting and making the world a happier place in which to live.



Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no cost to you, I may make a tiny commission if you decide to make a purchase. The products I link to are those that I believe in, regardless of any commission I may make from them. My goal is to help you easily find the tools, products, or other items that you will need to complete your project.

Happy New Year 2016!

Photo by Dawn Walker

Throws confetti!

Simple Scones

SCONES

Just the word brings back the great memories we made in England.

My best friend sent me 3 (three!) bottles of clotted cream. We found a taste for it when we went to England a couple of years ago.

So, of course, I had to make these Simple Scones sprinkled with lemon sugar.

It was a pleasure to make these. I felt like a real baker!

There wasn't a whole lot to these, and I didn't even have to break out the rolling pin. After mixing everything together, the recipe gave the option, after separating it into two pieces, of rolling out the dough or patting it into 6"-inch circles. Patting was no muss, no fuss.

When I sent my friend pictures, she asked for the recipe and immediately made them.

Here are the photos she texed me:

She had a lemon, so she was able to use real lemon zest in the sugar. I didn't have one nor did I have lemon juice, so I used lemon extract.

She also added cranberries and served them with a local jam.

Exchanging photos and throwing around ideas to change them up really brightened my day. I just wish we could have done it in person over cups of hot tea.

You're Never Prepared

This was taken in 2001. I’m with two of the most important mentors of my life, my sister Martha and my mother-in-law Joyce (and I’m holding Thistle). As of this morning, I’m the only one in this photograph still living.

My mother-in-law, my friend, passed away in the middle of the night after a long struggle with pain. She was a Lymphoma survivor which never reoccurred but left her broken, and she battled other things that were thrown at her during her 82 years on this earth with all that she had in her. She taught me a lot about life and I will always miss her. Please keep our family, especially her husband of 61 years and my husband, in your prayers.

Making 'Tater Pancakes

This is what I do with my
leftover mashed potatoes.

I found a fun app in my phone that turned my little video into this. It's a little clumbsy, but it's fun! And these potato pancakes are so yummy and easy, you don't even have to use real potatoes from scratch. I use instant potatoes and you wouldn't even know it.

Stir an egg into your bowl of cold potatoes. Season your flour with lemon pepper (or whatever you like). Take a heaping spoon full (a little smaller than the size of the palm of your hand), drop it into the flour, then pick up the ball of potato by scooping your hands under the flour so it won't stick to your hands. Turn it over into the flour to coat the rest. I form the patty by kind of tossing it back and forth from one hand to the other. You can feel the potato flatten with every toss. If it doesn't, just pat it with your hand.

I actually fill the entire pan, cooking about a dozen at a time.

Fry the potato patties in about a half-inch to an inch or so of hot Canola oil (or whatever you prefer). I like to add a splash of Sesame Oil for extra flavor. Let them brown, then turn and let the other side brown. I found the safest way to flip them over is to use a spatula in my right hand and a big spoon in the left. I use the back of the spoon to steady the potatoes as I turn them over.

It only takes a few minutes on each side. Be sure to place them on a plate with several paper towels to help soak up the grease. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is one of my family's favorites.

And now I want some more.

My Art In The Wild

A friend posted a photo of her nativity scene on Facebook. It touched my heart to see that she placed the silver and gold embossed star I made for one of our ornament exchanges right at the top of the creche.