JChase Writes-at 80 if I knew then what I know now...

Everything's a big mess in my new craft room. I clean up and then mess it up! an ongoing cycle and I absolutely love crafting in my craft room. There's going to be a craft fair at my new apartment complex in October. I understand they do so every year. Apparently I get 2 6' long tables at no charge and I can sell my crafts and keep all the proceeds. So I have begun my planning as well as crafting. My list of crafts to be ready to sell includes, hand crafted jewelry by me, refreshed old jewelry collected, origami folded paper shirts that hold money or a gift Card, junk journals and small paper books for notes titled "something to write on" designed for purse or wallet, jewelry crafts like wall hangings and yard sale items renewed that haven't sold in the past like ceramic containers with floral arrangement included and various other renewed or newly adapted for new uses items.   Have already started making, selecting things, cleaning things, refreshing things a

 Isn't it wonderful?                                                                                                                    So thankful for Mazie! Mazie  7.11#'s And she's beautiful. I've gotten lots of pictures thanks to my daughter who is with her daughter and her new baby daughter. Well, that's my big news. They live far far away but it's okay. When I was having my babies I lived far far away from my parents and grandparents. Technology may be frustrating sometimes but I'm sure thankful that I get to see her in real time on my laptop and hear the conversations  going on while I get to watch baby Mazie sleep. LOL, I think that's funny. It is actually fun and a treat to get to see her sleeping while life goes on around her she is all snuggled up sleeping.    In the mean time back at the cottage, I've unpacked the last box and busy now organizing the closets and each room, one at a time. Some rooms, like the craft room, are a continual or

 Over the past few months I've been leading a Bible Study group of generally 4 ladies, 5 including myself. I say leading rather than teaching because that's what happens. We are using a book written by Dr. Jeremiah "The God You May Not Know". Our group meets every week at the home of one of the ladies and is always relaxed and always a cold canned Pepsi is offered. We are all Seniors and range from the 60's to the 80's. My groups are usually talkers because I encourage questions and comments even small debates at times. The point is to learn from the material and each other. I truly believe Holy Spirit resides within each believer and He is our ultimate teacher and I like to hear what he has to say through each of the participants. Of course there must be constraints of sorts but that's to fit within our time limit and to stay on task. The Bible is on hand of course. This study has changed me and I am surprised and totally in! I've been a Christian, bo

You know there is a lot that goes into 80 years of living. April 15 I will celebrate my 80th birthday. As you might guess I've been considering how I got to 80. It just so happens that my life has been absolutely lived, absolutely! For some of us particular birthdays are like a time to evaluate and think about the age we are becoming before that particular number. Remember adding "a half" when you were a kid? Indicator that we were in a hurry to grow up, to reach a particular age. Maybe the age of an older sibling and a lot a times it meant we would be allowed to do something or have something when we get to be that age. Turning 80 is different. It's kinda funny to imagine now instead of saying I'm 79 and a half, it's probably more like digging my heals in the ground in an attempt to slow down and not get there so fast. Not that I don't want to be 80. Actually it's kind of a prize. What's really interesting is the looking back. At this age I'm

 What a Surprise!!!  An absolute Surprise!  Unexpected and beyond my plan... A lot has happened since my last writing and with all of that, I'm jumping to the now of it all. The IT is I'm moving May 1st out of my present place into the above half of a duplex. It's amazing to me. I was in the midst of relinquishing my present apartment for 2 weeks while the new owner renovated my apartment,when things went down a different road than I expected in the process. I decided I needed to find another place to live so I started the search online as well as contacting realtors I know personally to be on the look out for a rental house not an apartment. I got lots and lots of feed back and toured a couple of places when a particular senior complex came into view. As I looked at and considered house living and the cost and care, one of my realtor friends was pointing me towards a condo and suggesting other options other than a house. So, when the senior complex came to my attention I w

 Seems that all around me things are changing. Everything is changing. Since my last post...just the other day...you know my housing has changed. Funny thing is happening on my way to April 15th this year, I'm changing to 80! Now there's a number! 80! How does it feel? I dun-no! Actually, it feels great, absolutely great. Interestingly, I'm younger. Yes, younger. On the inside, still in my 30's, on the inside of my head that is. The body, well that's another issue. Though things are changing there too, my outlook on the whole thing is surprisingly upbeat. I'm the most comfortable with myself than I have ever been. I do things that I want to do. Want as in choose to do. Not from a selfish point of view but rather a considered decision based on is it a good thing for me and others to do what I think I want to do. That's a whole other take on living if you truly think about it. In the past I did things because, I should...someone told me to...I had to...it was

  That's the way it was just before the movers came in and took all my stuff away to a pod on the apartment complex property. I had packed and packed and packed some more until everything was in a milk box from the local grocery. Next came the hotel that Milo and I stayed in for a few days until the 16th of February. I had planned for a swimming pool and hot tub, even buying bathing suits but, alas it wasn't to be, so Milo and I took walks on the grounds of the hotel and visited the dog park which wasn't too very far away. And Tuesday late afternoon, finally home again with all new cabinetry and flooring and freshly painted walls. Same ole' address but new insides...and now the fun begins. Just a few boxes left to unpack and then it's all about finding/creating a place to put things. The bulk of my belongings is craft supplies and tools. My bedroom is now my craft room. Leaving a small space for the new twin bed, I've managed to create my new craft space. The ch

"David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod." 2 Samuel 6 Just a loin cloth, nothing more. David's wife was distraught to say the least that he, David would uncover himself before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself/" (2 Samuel 6:20) David replied, "It was before the Lord...I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes"...David's wife had no children, which likely meant to communicate that God took David's side. The time the nation's leader danced in his underwear  (blog) fumcr.com I hear every once in a while about how hymns are so much better than the choruses sung now all over the world. I'm listening to Hillsong at this writing. My husband and I went to Christ For The Nations (CFNI) in Dallas, Texas and graduated in 1987. We were in our early 40's, the rest of the

  Are you glad it's over? I find it seems to always be a bitter sweet time when the new year is present and all the decorations seem to have lost their luster. Sometimes, in some years, there seemed to be an urgency to take all the decor down and pack it away as quickly as possible. This year it's a different story at my home... I reside in what use to be a Senior Citizen complex and that recently changed to a family complex along with new ownership. In addition to new owners, a new community designation has come with complete renovation of the entire complex. The whole process had a slow start in mid Summer with much confusion and misinformation given out to the residents bringing an unsettled atmosphere among the residence, self included. Today January 7 I have begun a 30 day packing process which will end February 6. On that day movers will come and remove all the boxes I've personally packed  of all my belongings and my furniture and remove it all to a pod for storage.