The Miracle of Life

God was at work again this week with one of his many miracles. This lovely child, Haven, was born on Friday to two wonderful people; my son, Adam and my daughter in law, Amber. She weighed 6 lbs, 12.6 oz and was 19 1/2 inches in length; a picture of perfection. She arrived 9 days early, much to our delight, after 13 hours of steady labor.

I thought that the experience of having my own children had to be the greatest moment in my life. I found out that the arrival of my 1st grandchild also fit into that category! I think I was more nervous this time around than when I was experiencing childbirth myself. I remembered, even though it has been almost 25 years since I delivered a baby, the process quite vividly. I kept getting these flashbacks of the painful contractions, the pushing, blowing out those non-existent candles when you weren't supposed to push, the exhausted feeling when you think you can't possibly push anymore, the excitement when the head and shoulders finally surfaced, and the unbelievable moment when you stare into that precious little face for the very first time.

The process seemed to be moving at a normal pace up until the pushing began and then Amber pushed for over two hours. She had insisted that she didn't want any pain medication during the delivery and she succeeded. I had told her that way back in the old days, when I had my babies, we weren't even given that option. Times have changed, but being a strong believer in all things natural, Amber wanted to deliver her baby the same way. There was a hint from her doctor that if the baby wasn't moving any further within the next 15 minutes, she would have to give her something to help her finish. That was all the incentive that Amber needed and she found the strength to give a few more successful pushes.

When we heard the music playing over the loudspeaker that indicated a new baby had been born, we went crazy! I couldn't control the happy tears that started and they surfaced once again when my son Adam came out to share the first pictures of his new little girl that had just been born on his birthday! I could see the pride on his face, both in what he had just experienced with his wife and in the greatest gift that they had just been given.

I've been to see Haven several times since then and she is coming home today! We have been dog-sitting for our granddog, Ella, who can't wait to see them and meet her "little sister"!! Adam brought over a baby blanket yesterday that smells like Haven for Ella to get used to so that the first meeting of the two goes well. I had a talk with Ella this morning and explained her important role in Haven't life as friend and protector. I think she got it because I proceeded to get a huge slobbery tongue lick afterwards.

I had a talk with Haven yesterday while holding her at the hospital. I introduced myself as she opened her eyes and listened to my voice, like she was really trying to understand who I was and what my role was in her life; she seems to be very smart already!! (I will try and not be as braggy in my future "Haven" posts, but I can't promise it - lol). I told her that I have alot of plans for the two of us in the future and how I plan on teaching her how to make all kinds of wonderful things like my grandmother had done with me. She seemed quite interested until her little belly reminded her that it was time to eat once again and I wasn't the one who was going to be able to fulfill that need!!

I can't wait for her to arrive at her new home and check out her beautiful bedroom! She is in for a wonderful life and Adam and Amber are in for a wonderful experience in theirs!

Here is a lovely little saying that I had seen once that says it all!

Before you were conceived, I wanted you.

Before you were born, I loved you.

Before you were here an hour, I would die for you.

This Is The Miracle Of Life!

Memere

Summer & Beach Theme Contest - Cast Your Vote - Win A Prize!!

Come cast your VOTE!!! Summer and Beach Theme Contest! Chances at many fabulous prizes just for posting and voting!

♥ ♥ Click here for a full view and to vote - http://missknitsetsy.blogspot.com/

*Entries*
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from beje - http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.147484566.jpg

from ara - http://www.etsy.com/listing/48894577/bracelet-of-summer-beach-and-fun

from luster - she did some cool soap - lets see if you can see these pics... http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii37/missknits/lusterssoap.jpg

from knitbrit - http://www.etsy.com/listing/49827276/summer-themed-pasties

from RRR - http://www.etsy.com/listing/49912823/swimming-dolphin-summer-beach-themed

from calista - http://www.flickr.com/photos/michellesthisandthat/sets/72157624361482668/

from missknits (me!) - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50265889/flower-power-crochet-tankini-sneak-peak

from wren - http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii37/missknits/wrensbeachentry3.jpg http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii37/missknits/wrensbeachentry2.jpg

from sandy - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50298741/fun-in-the-sun

from bnw - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50301926/dibo-dragon-suft-in-summer-holiday

from bits - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50320844/do-it-like-depp-set-of-7-tags

from countrysoaps - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50325666/tomato-leaf-goats-milk-soap-part-of-a

from allstrungout - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50330134/ocean-jewels

from tanyaw - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50329762/paulette-the-pig-in-her-bikini

from sarah - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50334213/summer-jewelery-set

from mich - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=212834&id=49273025599&op=6#!/photo.php?pid=5777099&id=49273025599&fbid=421044530599

from liz - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50363635/miniature-painted-canvas-beach-umbrella

from susan - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50368768/wishing-you-a-cool-refreshing-birthday

from frog - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50182333/fun-in-the-sun-bear

plb - http://www.etsy.com/listing/50399173/pink-baby-flower-hat (due to late entry, please heart this hat to vote for it or post in the thread to count as your vote)


Happy Voting and Good Luck!!!
♥

Happy Father's Day Dad!

There are two holidays that usually get me down - Mother's Day and Father's Day. It's because of the reminder that my Mother and Father are no longer physically with me. Mentally, they are around constantly in the faces of my children, relatives, and in my wonderful memories of them. My Mom passed away 2 1/2 years ago and my Dad has been gone for 14 years. Not a day goes by when a memory of them isn't triggered by something going on in my life or something will happen and I just want to rush over to talk to them about it. And then I remember....

I look with envy at other people's family gatherings that include multiple generations and remember how that used to be the way it was in my family on many occasions. We still get together now but with some family members living so far away, it isn't as often as I would like. How I'd like to go back in time every now and then but I know that it wouldn't be enough just to see them again for only a day.

I treasure the memories of those times, though and am so grateful that we did have them. My Dad was the guy with the accordion wallet who would ask if someone wanted to see his family and all the different folds would open up. He would need a huge wallet now to hold pictures of all his children and 17 grandchildren! And now, there is a great grandchild on the way, and a step great grandchild that I still haven't even met yet! How thrilled he would be. He was one proud Dad!! Mom kept up his legacy after Dad passed away and would tell everyone about her children and grandchildren. Still today, we run into friends of my parents and they ask about all of us and can pretty much name spouses and children. It's funny and touching at the same time!

For those of you who still have your parents with you, enjoy every moment with them and make your own special memories. You will look back fondly on those memories some day and they will get you through many tough times.

Fathers Day: Roses grow in Heaven, Lord, pick a bunch for me---Place them in my Dad's arms and tell him they're from me---Tell him that I love and miss him and when he turns to smile--place a kiss upon his cheek and hold him for a while--Because remembering him is easy--I do it everyday-- There's an ache ...within my heart that will.....never go away!!!

Love you and miss you Dad!

Nancy

Ladies Night Out - Spring Session

A whole month has gone by without any blog postings. How quickly the time passes. I managed to squeeze in some surgery in between the semesters and have recovered nicely. Couldn't disrupt the jewelry classes!! Here is a picture of the Winter Class and all but two ladies from that class are in the Spring Class along with some other returnees!


We finished the Winter Session of jewelry classes with the Lily of The Valley Necklace, which turned out lovely for all and the Ladies Choice class, with many different projects all being done at the same time. Usually that class has me running back and forth, but that week went pretty smoothly. We are now more than half way through the spring session. Nine of my "regular addicts" have returned for the spring session and we have picked up a new recruit, Alicia.

The very first week, I was warning Alicia about this group, how we laugh, joke, and tease with each other, and how she would have to be able to hold her own. One lady mentioned to her that she was our new student this semester and when Alicia asked what had happened to the new student from last semester, I knew she would fit in just fine! By the end of the evening she was adding her own humor to the mix!

We have made three projects so far, with very minimal whining! I've been greatly surprised. We started off with a lovely copper bracelet in a right angle weave. Most of the bracelets were completed by the end of the class and the ladies moved into designing their own matching earrings. I had thrown one earring together just before class and got some friendly criticism that there was only one completed earring. We got about three different designs that evening for earrings and it was great that they were feeling comfortable enough to venture out into the design direction.

For our 2nd week, they got a bit of a break. We made a cute Hummingbird Bracelet and matching earrings but they got both projects done in a short period of time. The project isn't that difficult and they all left with a finished set. Many of them hung around after class for awhile just to visit and talk with each other.

Last week made up for the short week before. We made the Summer Hues necklace, pin, and earrings set and it went well over into the NCIS time space. Now, not only do I have to design or decide on a project, keep it at a reasonable cost, and make sure it doesn't take too long to complete, I also have to make sure that we are done in time so that they can get home and watch NCIS. There is "no pressure" in this class!! That's what I keep telling myself.

I knew that this last project would take awhile to complete because of all the stringing involved and the small holes on the gemstone chips, so I actually brought a kit for me to work on in class. Usually I don't bother because I am usually back and forth answering questions or demonstrating techniques, but that night I got quite a bit of the way through another necklace in the same pattern but different colors. It was noticed by one of the ladies, who wanted to mark it on the calendar!

Most of the ladies were really focused on stringing the little chips onto the wire and it was pretty quiet on one end of the tables. The other end, however, was on the chatty side and where several of them are in the medical field, chose to share some of their "dead people" stores that they had encountered in their careers. It made for an interesting but unique conversation while beading! It was another first!

This week's project is the Tree of Life pendant and I think they are a little nervous. They thought it was very pretty, but were not sure if they could handle this new technique. They are going to give it a try on Tuesday and some have chosen different colors for the leaves. I'm anxious to see the variety of trees that will be created.

Stay Tuned!

Ladies Night Out - Week 4 - Tennis Anyone??

It's a dreary day today but not as bad here as in many other locations; so I am not complaining. It's not snowing, no floods to speak of, and no tornadoes. The weather has been so inconsistent in so many locations this winter; it makes you wonder at the changes occuring all over the country.

I have Bette Midler playing in the background - I love her voice and songs! I feel like getting up and dancing around the kitchen - who would know??? As usual I digress!

These are the lovely pieces that we made last week in class! This is the class that I had swapped with the Lily Necklace and had to call everyone to get their crystal choice... It took several hours on the computer to make sure that I ordered all the right components. There were all kinds of crystal colors picked and they all came out so lovely. The ladies were commenting as they left that they finally had a finished piece to show off. Some of them are re-doing some of the previous classes because they are getting quite picky on the finishing of their jewelry - I've taught them well!

It was a quiet class last week and I mentioned this to the ladies. I told them that they weren't giving me much to write about for my blog post!! They were all so intent on stringing the crystal sliders and silver beads and in some cases, redesigning the bracelet to fit their individual wrist sizes. Some of them also redesigned their earrings, which I'm glad to see that they have the confidence now after taking many classes to begin the designing process.

We have already completed four weeks - boy how the time does fly by! This coming week is the Lily of the Valley necklace and then the last week is Ladies' Choice. That last week is usually a little on the stressful side because quite often they all choose something different to make and I'm back and forth quite a bit. I should really wear roller skates for the last class but I'm afraid that I would break my neck!

Stay tuned!!

Have a great week!

Ladies Night Out - Week 3 - The Herringbone Technique

Wow, two blog posts on the same day!! Trying to get caught up!

This class wasn't as stressful as the previous class, at least for me, thank goodness! This was another new technique; this one I had never done before. I had been thinking of trying this technique for awhile after seeing the instructions for the technique on a bead site that I frequent and decided that it would be this semester.

I have to turn the project list in to the school quite a ways in advance of the actual classes and sometimes it is difficult to come up with new projects. Where I have a group of 7 or 8 ladies that keep coming back to the class, I have to come up with new ideas, which isn't a bad thing. I have this mental list going of jewelry pieces or techniques that I have seen and would like to make and come back to it when I am compiling the list of potential projects for upcoming semesters.

Making the demo for this class was pretty uneventful. The instructions were easy to follow. Given the fact that working with wire is stressful for some of the ladies, I decided to design a bracelet with just a few herringbone links and then connecting them with these cute silver swirls. This way, they could practice the technique a few times, perfecting it as they repeated it and get the bracelet made quite easily after.

A comment was made in the class that "Nancy likes working with wire". I do like working with wire, so it wasn't an untrue statement. I did remind the ladies, though, in fun, that they were paying for a class to learn different techniques and that was what I was trying to do. I asked them if they wouldn't get bored just stringing beads on wire and crimping them; they've already learned that technique and do that at home. I just got alot of smiles in response - they are there for the socializing and the jewelry is just a perk - who am I kidding!! No, many of them actually make up some of the designs we make in class as gifts later on when they can do it in the comfort of their own homes and at their own pace.

I enjoy teaching so much more than I ever thought I would and the ladies that keep coming back are such a fun group! I also do it for the socializing and would miss it if the program was ever dropped from the school.

I like watching the new ladies come in to the class, hesitant at first, but by the third week, with their own little cases of beads or tools. I just chuckle and say - addicting isn't it???

Ladies Night Out - Week 2 - Knotted Pearl Necklace

This semester of jewelry making is just flying by! We are on week four already and are having alot of fun. Granted, there is some whining going on, but I think I would be disappointed if I didn't hear any anticipated whining from my "regular" whiners!! It is all in fun. We spend most of our class time laughing at jokes. One comment by one of the ladies and it is turned into some joke with hidden undertones.

As usual, I get sidetracked.... Week two wasn't without some stress both prior to the class and during the class. The project for the class was pearl knotting with some lovely freshwater pearls. I had only done this technique myself a few years ago, so it was a refresher for me as well. I had purchased a beautiful strand of kelly green freshwater pearls from The Beadin Path; talked my husband into yet another trip to Freeport!

Once home, I proceeded to take out the nylon cord, which has an attached needle on one end, and not even reading my own instructions, eyeballed what I thought was the correct length of thread to use for an eighteen inch necklace and began the knotting process. You see, the technique for a strand of pearls is to have this evenly spaced knot in between each lovely pearl. I was moving along, the knots weren't looking too bad but I was struggling some with making sure that they were just touching the pearl, when I suddenly ran out of cord on the end with the needle. I thought I would add a few more pearls on the opposite end that I had started on but quickly found out that you can't thread the pearl with the cord without a needle - it frays...

Of course, this was just a few days before the actual class, so I began trying to come up with Plan B; maybe only make a necklace for a little girl, cut off the pearls and restart with some other green beading thread that I had in my jewelry stash, or wait until I could get to Freeport again on the weekend and get more of the nylon cord and do it right this time. I decided to try with the thread from my stash and cut all the pearls off the original cord to begin again.

This new thread was much thinner and it required two knots after each pearl. I got about halfway done and really looked at it. I didn't like the way it was coming out and if it doesn't meet my specs, it isn't going to cut it for class or my website. I'm very picky that way. I decided that I would leave it alone for class and bring it in the way it was.

I started the class with a new approach - I explained to them that I had an unfinished demo with me and it was because I had done everything wrong that could possibly be done in pearl knotting so that I could teach them how to do it correctly. I was trying to save them the aggrevation. They didn't bye it and seemed nervous about starting. Once they got going, "the correct way", most of them were getting the hang of it. A few struggled with it and want to remake theirs. I guess if I can do it multiple times, so can they! One of the new ladies, who shall remain nameless, seemed so stressed by the time she left the class. I joked with her that she needed to go home and have a cigarette but she informed me that she doesn't smoke and she gave up wine for lent - so she was really stuck!

I did make it to Freeport the following day, got some more green cord, and finished the necklace. I was pleased with the results and it made it to my website!!

Isn't the expression - Third Time's The Charm!!