Sharing Christmas Delights!

Today is the Day! Deena is hosting a blogging party to share our Christmas Delights! So, welcome to my home. Enjoy the Christmas music and let me show you around my home, all decked out for Christmas. My favorite new additions to my Christmas decor are: a new Christmas "tree" which is a display rack from my old shop now serving as a tree for my overflow of ornaments, a new nativity I made out of a birds nest, a vintage baby Jesus and antique china dolls (as angels), a display of three anitique glass bottles filled with gold (not real!), frankincense ( Real!) and Myrhh ( Real!) and a blue chippy chair adorned with a pinecone wreath that my daughter made. Be sure to check out the other blogs sharing their Christmas delights!

New Website!

Click Here to Visit Sleigh Hill

I just couldn't resist. Ever since I've owned my little brick and mortar shop, I NEED to have a little shop SOMEWHERE! And since I no longer have a shop with a physical presence, I've opened up an online shop full of all the things that I love...original art and crafts, unique art and craft supplies, antique and vintage finds. I have a LOT more to add to the shop, so stop by often.

I named my little shop Sleigh Hill. I happen to live on Sleigh Hill Court and always thought it would be a great name for a shop full of pretty needful things. And since I love soooo many styles; vintage, shabby, cottage, romantic, primitive... there's a little something for everyone.

Please come take a peek...

For my blog friends! Enter Cottagesh at checkout for 10% off your order! Good Through Dec.1st!
Have a Blessed Day!
Lennea

Fall in South Central Ohio

This past Sunday, the family took a Fall sight seeing car ride, which we do anually. This year the colors weren't near as vibrant as some years. The countryside surrounding where I live is gorgeous- pastoral, rolling hills, neat white farmhouses, dilapidated old barns, wooded gravel roads. Here's a few photos I snapped along the way.

I'm sure many of you have read this. I received it via e-mail and I personally think Ben Stein is right on regarding this subject ( I don't watch him much, so I may disagree with him on many other things)

If you sincerely study Biblical prophecy, you can have no doubt that there is a God and He is the God of the bible. EVERY prophecy from the bible has come to fruition and we are seeing a staggering amount of bible prophecy being fulfilled in our generation.

Our Constitution was founded with the assumption that our society would be by and large a religious society based on Biblical morals and values. The writers of our constitution knew that without moral leadership and these basic moral values as the background of our society, that our society would fail.

The problems we are seeing today in the US are precisely because we have turned our backs on these moral principles and worst of all shut God out of every public venue. God will not be mocked. We have enjoyed over 200 years of God's grace and protection from evil. I believe He is removing His protection from a country that has turned against Him. The signs are all around us.


The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters
celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to..
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

My Autumn Home

To see more autumn homes go here:
http://deenasstory.blogspot.com/2008/09/autumn-open-house.html

10 years ago my husband died

I can't believe it's been 10 years since Ken died. We were high school sweetheart , dated for 6 years before we got married, had 3 gorgeous kids together, shared a common past and common dreams for our future. Then on Sep. 26th 1998, when our baby boy was just 2 months old, after 9 years of marriage, he died.

Losing someone you love is so totally incomprehensible. When it's a spouse, your lives are so intertwined. Sometimes its hard to know where you stop and your spouse begins. You dream about your future together and then watch it unfold as you start careers, buy your first house, give birth to your children, watch them grow, plan for vacations and travel, retirement and grandkids. You know each other's biggest weaknesses and love them anyway. You know what your spouse's favorite foods are, what kinds of movies they like, how they like to spend their free time, how they take their coffee. You share the same routines. You can't imagine life without the other person. And then, one day, you're changing diapers and cleaning house, buying groceries and playing with the kids and the phone rings. And everything is changed forever.

For some, the death of loved one comes slowly and painfully after an extended illness. For me it came quickly with a car accident and a phone call.

It takes time for the mind and the heart to grasp such a violent loss. You feel like giant pieces of yourself are suddenly ripped out leaving gaping wounds. You want to crawl under the covers of your bed and sleep forever, only the baby is crying and the toddlers are hungry. Every morning you wake up and realize anew that

he's never coming back

.

You go to the grocery store and are amazed that everyone else is unchanged. You watch people laughing and gossiping and carrying on with their lives and you want to shout " WAIT!Don't YOU UNDERSTAND? THE WORLD HAS JUST FALLEN APART! HOW CAN YOU ORDER a DOUBLE NO FAT LATTE WITH WHIP CREAM?"

10 years. Longer than we were even married. He would have been 42. I still love him. I'm still mad at him for dying.

But except for days like today, when the memories come back hard and unrelenting and I cry until my well of tears is dried up, I'm amazingly ok. Life has gone on. I have fallen in love again and married a wonderful man. My oldest kids are now teenagers and thriving in school and friendships. My youngest doesn't remember having any other father than Jay who I've been married to for 7 years now. Joy has seeped back into my life.

And yet, and yet, I am no longer innocent. I have suffered. Joys are no longer pure but tinged with sorrow.

My God is no longer impersonal but deeply personal. He truly comforted me in my darkest days. He gave me strength when I ran out of my own. He gives me the hope of someday being reunited with Ken in heaven. He has provided for my every need. I've seen people who grieve without the grace of God. They become bitter and joyless. They get stuck in the grief and it defines who they are.

For Ken, I miss you, I'll always love you and look forward to our joyous reunion in Heaven.

Why You should never get a White dog

BEFORE



AFTER

Oy! with the poodle, already!

Check out my new blog!

I will continue posting about art and stuff here, but have started a new blog to rant discuss the other stuff in my life: hormones, serotonin, the kids, being in a blended family, my hot husband, pet peeves - you know, the stuff that makes up my daily life.

Come visit me and let me know what you think about the new blog!

I'ts the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Wow- it's been a looong time since I posted. I guess that's what happens when you have 4 kids home for summer. It's been three months of a constant trail of 10 year old neighborhood boys through the house ( I've tried to make my house not child friendly, but alas, they all seem to want to gather here), constant running my teenagers around ( none can drive yet- which is probably a good thing), and THE FOOD! Oy, WITH ALL THE FOOD, ALREADY! It's amazing how much food teenagers consume- especially since they don't wake up till almost noon and then drape themselves over a chair most of the rest of the day- I mean, how many calories can they need? THEY BARELY MOVE!

A few weeks ago, I was still enjoying summer - no homework, no schedules, no grumpy early mornings. BUT THEN, the kids got bored and started turning on each other. They reverted to 3 year old sharing tactics( ie NOT sharing) and pushing each other's buttons for their own entertainment. And I started to REALLY NEED SOME ALONE TIME! I would have given a kidney for an hour of silence.

So today- I celebrate. The annual migration of kids from the couch to the classroom. I have 7 WHOLE HOURS of silence, peace and peanut butter free countertops. The house is, once again, my domain. Even the dog seems happier.

Happy New School Year to Mom's Everwhere!

Fun Garage Sale find!

So...recently I went junkin at garage sales with my good friend, Deb. We stumbled upon this sale with a bucket full of these really old parade flags. We had no idea they were worth anything, but we loved how they looked. We bought the whole lot. Well, turns out, we hit a jackpot of junking, because we spent 25 cents per flag and sold them to one of the nations foremost American flag dealer for 3300 dollars! Way cool, huh? Turns out several were quite rare civil war era hand waving flags. Here's a photo of one of the flags. I'll be keeping myt eyes open for old flags!

Garden Tour for the Cure

Welcome to my Garden! Tour hosted by Sweet Annee!

Summer Sale!

I have lowered the prices on many of my items in my Creative Call Studios Shop! Go to my Sheltering Tree Studio Shop for summertime savings!

Blogland Garden Tour for the cure.

Deena has come up with a great way to show off our gardens and support breast cancer research. Please go to her blog to sign up!

Covered Bridge

Covered Bridges. Who doesn't love them? The symbolism of the covered bridge encompasses so many things: romance, simpler times, shelter, the excitement of a journey, the contentment of returning home. Covered bridges allow us to cross over an otherwise impassable path. I used a transfer of an old covered bridge photo to create this painting. At the entrance to the bridge was some kind of informational sign. The sign didn't transfer well and as I painted over parts of the transfer I discovered that all that was left of the sign was a cross. How Perfect! The cross, the symbol of Christ shedding his atoning blood for our sins. In Christ we find shelter from the storms of life, we find direction for the path He has set before us, we find our way home. Christ is our very own covered bridge.

I will praise you in this storm

"I will praise You in this storm, cuz You are who You are."

For sale in my Etsy shop.

Firm Foundation

Created for Art in the Word. This is a reprensentation of my own home. I like how it turned out - the simplicity and ethereal feel.

Tagged

I've been tagged by the glamorous and very talented Pam Carriker! You may visit her blog HERE

The rules of the game are:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.
Here are the six unimportant things about me...

1. I always love the male rockers in American Idol the best. Go DAVID COOK! The boy band singers kind of creep me out. ( sorry, David Archuletta fans)

2.The first and last time I colored my hair at home, I looked like Ronald McDonald. My family will never let me live that down. ( I made an emergency appt. at the hair salon the NEXT DAY!)

3. I am a perfectionist at heart but somewhere along the line developed an easy going personality. However, the two sides often battle it out. So, my house may be a mess and I may say it doesn't bother me, but deep down inside it really does - but not enough to do anything about it. ( yeah, I could probably use a good therapist! )

4. I love to be alone. I don't think I could actually be a monk, but I could be quite happy being a recluse 90% of the time.

5.As I am writing this, I just got a call from the nurses office that my son is sick AGAIN! He was throwing up last week, my daughter was throwing up a couple of days ago and now he is sick to his stomach again! UGGGGHHHH! (now you may better understand my answer to number 4)

6. I didn't actually pick up the phone to get the message from the nurse- it was left on my machine. I hate the phone! I find it to be an intrusion and usually screen my calls. Some people think this is rude, but if I answered my phone every time it rings I would NEVER get anything done!

New Shop Name

I have been praying about a new name for my Creative Call Studios shop. Scattered Momentos doesn't really fit what I am doing in my art right now and I wanted a name that would reflect my faith. I have decided to change my shop name to "Sheltering Tree Studio". I will keep the site addy of my shop the same for awhile as I transition to the new name. I have added some new work to my shop HERE - check it out!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all mothers who have endured the pain of childbirth and forgotten how painful it is and done it again! and again! ( did you read about the mother who just had her 18th child?). To all the mothers who wake up at 1:30 am to hear a child vomitting on the carpet ( I did this twice this week!) and who hold their child's head over the toilet while they're sick and clean up after them and then pray that they will get better soon. To all the mother's who made the decision to give their baby up for adoption instead of aborting them or trying to raise them alone ( thank you, my birth mother, wherever you are). To the mothers who adopted these babies and loved them as one of their own ( thanks, MOM!). To all the mothers who have had to bury their babies to early. To all the mothers who have had to send their babies off to war with tears and prayers. To all the mothers who have had to hold their child's hands at a hospital. To all the mothers who don't have their own children but nurture other's children. To mothers throughout the centuries who have given up their own food, so their child's tummy will be full.

To mothers everywhere! Have a very Happy Mother's Day!