"One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering."

Ida Scott Taylor


Thursday, December 30, 2010

A New Years Prayer for My Friends

I'm gearing up
for our grandchildren to get here 
in a few days,
along with their mommy (our daughter) 
and daddy so we can celebrate
our family Christmas!
As I told you in another post,
we have not seen them for over 6 months and
my heart is almost skipping beats
as it sings inside with the "cannot wait" feelings!!
I hope you don't get sick of me sharing our 
two "cutie pies" with you in my posts.
I just can't help myself!

Mommy sent this photo.
She is so proud of the necklace she just
made from a jewelry kit she received from Santa.
I think she did a great job for only being age 4 1/2 yrs. old.


Isn't he a cutie?  And you should see
how he can boogie!  He LOVES music and 
he has some great dance moves already!
I've only seen those moves, so far through 
online video. But soon he and grandma and Papaw
are going to be dancing some jigs together when they visit.
Okay, in case Papaw is reading this, I will 
rephrase what I just said.
"Soon he and grandma will be dancing some jigs 
and papaw will clap on the sidelines!"


I am looking forward to 
new things,
and getting to know YOU,
 my blogging friends even better.
I'm also looking forward
to enjoying some old things. I am a
very sentimental girl at heart,
and I 
have realized that much
of the old, including the good and bad,
are what make the new things even 
more meaningful and special.
I found a New Years Prayer 
by an anonymous author
and it said exactly what I wanted to say
to my friends.
So here it is to YU from ME  

A New Year’s Prayer


May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes 
need you most,
     and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy 
to YOU for the year ahead.

Blessings in Bushels
to you in 2011


 

Monday, December 20, 2010

From Me to YOU

Just peeking in for
a few minutes to say hi.
I sure miss you all
So sorry that life has been keeping 
me so busy lately and preventing me from
visiting as much as I like in blog land.
I'm sure you are all very busy too, 
getting ready
for Christmas this week.

"Lion Heart"
Just listed this cute little guy in my etsy shop.
He isn't the least bit of a scary lion.
Rather, I think he is looking for someone 
to cuddle with.

Speaking of cuddling! 
I hope that is exactly
what each of you get to do this Christmas.
Cuddle with someone you love or with
many someones that YOU love.


Enjoy one another!


Merry Christmas to all of YOU 
and to your wonderful families.  You indeed
have already given me a most wonderful gift and
that is the gift of YOUR friendship.
You each have blessed my life
this year
in more ways than I can count!

I thank God for YOU.
May this Christmas find you
blessed beyond measure
with the love of family and  friends
and with the
overflowing joy
that only He can give. 


If I could, I would come and grab you to go
caroling with me. Then afterward we would go to my house
for some hot chocolate.
Wouldn't that be fun?
♫ ♪ ♥♫ ♪
fa la la la la...la la la...la


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Hope Always

This is for anyone out there who 
may be feeling 
a bit too hurried or tired from shopping and getting
ready for the big holiday, or for 
someone out there who feels alone and
isn't looking forward to the holidays at all.

Today, someone has been on my mind
that may need this reminder.
  But I don't know who that someone is. 
I just hope they find their way here to read this.

God cares so much for you that he sent his
only son to be born  and also die for you.
 Now that is stronger than any human love I know!
WOW!

He knew YOU through and through,
before YOU were
ever created inside your mother's womb.
(see Psalm 139- my favorite Bible chapter)

He planned Y♥U  then created Y♥U
and then He said
this is good!

No matter how you are feeling today, know this:

You are special! 
God delights in YOU.  
He Loves YOU
more than you will ever know.

"I have written
your name
on the palms of my hands.”
Isaiah 49:15-16.


I have posted this painting before.
(altered it today for this post)
But I am re-posting it because sometimes
we need to stop and feel God's hand upon us. We need
to be reminded that He is there for us-ALWAYS!
Even in the lonely times, we are NOT alone.
He shows to me
HIS love for me every day, just like he
showed me the few minutes before I painted
His hands upon my face here.
(I do love his warm, loving  and comforting hands)

NOW, before you look at this painting, you
must do one thing first!  
Replace in your imagination, my face with
your own beautiful face.
Can you feel the love and comfort of HIS touch?
He is the one who brought so
much JOY and HOPE
into this world on Christmas night.
And He did it for YOU.


If you are tired, or if you are lonely this 
holiday season, I hope these truths will be of 
comfort to you.  Please know that I also have a
listening ear if you just need to talk or want
to know more about anything I've 
written here.  
You can leave me a comment or email me at 
this address: 
leeannisafriend at gmail dot com
(written out here for spam protection)


~ ~



Saturday, December 11, 2010

The Child Like Spirit At Christmastime


It's beginning ♫♪..♫.to look
a lot like ♫..♪♪ Christmas..♫
           everywhere I go ♫ ..♪..♪ 


I've been listening to lots and 
lots of Christmas music and
preparing for the holidays.
I bet you have been doing the same.
I am so excited that we will
soon get to spend time
with family.
We will be celebrating our Christmas
during the first week of January
when everyone can make
it home.

Love this photo of our granddaughter (age 4).
Her mommy said she went over to the
tree one morning and just said
"I love our tree"
and smiled in awe as she looked it over.
Precious huh?


I cannot believe it has been
6 months since we've 
been with our grandchildren
and oldest daughter and son-IL.
That is the longest stretch we've 
ever gone between getting together.
That long time gap has
been sooooo hard 
on the ole'
heart.

So for those of you who
have all of your family close by
including your precious
grandbabies- please 
know how very blessed YOU are. 
Never take it for granted.


Sporting a new "Colts" team hat. 
At first she didn't think it was
girly enough, but she did want to wear it to bed! ha
  She is such a sweetheart!



Our 1 1/2 yr old grandson! 
Doesn't he look like a cool dude? 
I cannot wait to look into his eyes and kiss his cheeks.


He loves animals....as you can see the love
written all over his face.




So how are your Christmas plans
coming along?

"Never worry about

the size of your Christmas tree.

In the eyes of children,

they are

all 30 feet tall."

 Larry Wilde

 

Thanks for letting my
grandmother's heart share
her treasures
with you today.

Candy cane Hugs,

Thursday, December 2, 2010

A SPLASH OF HAPPY


I sure haven't been a very good blogger
lately.  I told you in another post recently that
I started a new part-time job, and yes,
I am still in the new training stage.
It has kept me a little more tired than
usual, along with some health issues
that I've dealt with recently.
But I'm okay now, just have to get used to
the new changes in my schedule.
So please know that I haven't 
forgotten YOU. 
That would be impossible!!!!
Just bear with me and I will soon get
back into the groove.

I've always been a girl who loves variety and
new adventures, but as I get older,
along with learning something new seems
to come with it some stress.
But I have no doubt
that I will make it through to
the place I need to be to do this job
well-eventually!
In the meantime, 
me and my new partner in crime at work
 Traci,
(we do have fun together!)
decided that our
  little office space  needed 
some happiness to greet us while we
were working away.
So my imagination, and paint brush went to
work and came up with this-
A SPLASH OF HAPPY

(sorry the photo I took is a bit blurry)
This is on a large canvas and sits right above and between both of our desks

"Happiness is a form of courage."
~Holbrook Jackson


"Cheerfulness is what greases the axles of the world.  
Don't go through life creaking. "
~H.W. Byles


I have found out that sometimes you need
to come up with things that bring 
you happiness!  Even if it is just singing a tune
or listening to some music or taking a walk or even
building a snowman. 
Or better yet,
finding a way to make
someone else happy
brings about a special joy that we 
don't expect to get back ourselves.
But it returns to us in bushels anyway!

Here is my new co-worker Traci

YOU bring me happiness too.
Truely you do!
I love my bloggy friends.
Yes I do!

 You have made known to me
the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in
your presence.'
(Acts 2:28)


So what splashes
your happy heart and
makes it smile?
I may want to join your party so
do tell your secret.


Splashing away,

 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Your Name Is On My List


Wishing you all a wonderful
and filled
Thanksgiving holiday!

This year I have added YOU
  to my blessings list 
that I am so thankful for. 
Truly, each of you
are special to me and have blessed
my life in such a wonderful way.
Too wonderful to put into words! 
I know it is not just by chance that we
have become friends, but 
instead I believe
God ordained our meeting.

I've added one of my favorite quotes below
to one of my watercolor paintings.
I hope you will like this quote that
reminds me of you.

Thank Y♥U 
from my heart!



author of quote is.... Corrie Ten Boom
and watercolor painting by me,
 Lee Ann Garrett

Happy Thanksgiving!


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Favor of Your Words!

Hi everyone! 
Hey, would you do me a favor if 
you have some extra time?

 

Our oldest daughter
  and family moved
to a new city in Pennsylvania last summer. 
I have always lived 
in the same Indiana county
most all of my life
and have lived in this 
same home for over 30 years.

Our daughter, Jessica
doesn't live close by our family
  and she is a young wife and mommy. 
They love their new residence
but there are times 
 that I know she wishes
and I wish that I could go over
and tell her to go out and do something
just for her
and I watch the kiddos so she could enjoy some 
quiet time by herself.
I know she yearns for this too.

Do you remember those days
of being a young mommy?
Wishing you had some coffee quiet time to yourself?



Recently, Jessica wrote
this post on her blog.
 My mind went back to those mommy days of 
remembering
how hard it was to feel you were doing it all well 
(trying desperately to be Superwoman)
and  still find time for yourself.

I really didn't have
lots of words of wisdom,
but knew that
I could ask my blogging friends
to do something really special 
that I know
would encourage her.
Woman are so good at doing
that encouraging thing for one another. 
You certainly have for me so many times.

If you get a moment, 
would you click over to her blog

and give 
her some encouragement and 
even some laughs about
this time and how
it shall pass
so quickly in her life?
(no pressure, because I know how busy life is)

Thank YU
my dear encouraging
blogging buddies!
♥♥♥

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Impossibilities Give Room For Miracles

Whoa!  I am so glad to be back to blogging 
and am more than ready to 
check in on all of you again.

I have missed my time with YOU...
You have all become such a big
  part of me.
Whoever thinks when
they begin blogging for the first time,
such as I did in the fall of 2009,
that they will meet so many wonderful
and real friends through a computer screen?
I think the bond is because we all  have
some what of a writer's heart ♥
or we wouldn't be drawn to this type of format.

“Impossible situations can become possible miracles.”

Robert H. Schuller 


When changes come into our lives
they can be disguised 
as bad things when really they are good and 
sometimes wonderful things.
This past summer I unexpectedly lost my job.
It was a job in a school system, which
fit my life perfectly and allowed
me to be off work in the summertime
which then allowed me more time to be
creative and pursue my love of art.
It also gave us time and money to travel
to go and visit our sweet little grandchildren
and their mommy (our oldest daughter ♥)
and daddy,  who live nine hours away.

Even though I was off work
in the summertime,
we still counted on my paycheck 
through the school months and stretched it out.

I began to fear, but pressed on and 
created more and more
with my time instead.
God taught me
some very great lessons
about myself
and showed me how to dig deep within  and
pull out more parts of ME
that I didn't know existed before.
But...........
HE knew they were there all along!
In times of crisis we often
become
more creative out of necessity and 
new and great things can come 
from that painful stretching and growing.
Things like the:
"We've been there" moments 
that we get to share with our children and
grandchildren when we find them 
going through something 
painful and stretching later on in their lives.
I even grew in the area of selling my creations
and my imagination seemed to expand
during this time.
 It also gave me a deeper heart for
those who suddenly find themselves jobless.
Whenever we get
a deeper heart for others,
we really do become better people.
Don't you think so too? 
 ♦
  Everyday, 
no matter what  YOU are going through,
I believe God is doing
little miracles
  for YOU all along the way.
Just like he has 
and will continue to do for me.
We just have to remember to watch for them.


Then you know what God
 did for me next? Out of seemingly nowhere,
He provided for me the 
most wonderful opportunity.
He gave me a new part-time job at a place
I have for many years wanted to
be a part of.
Since it is part-time, I will also have 
time to continue on with
my dream 
of creating my art.
 My new job is at a very special place.
I believe it fits well 
with the gifts God has placed 
inside of me.
I am now working at a Hospice organization
called New Hope Hospice.
And what is even greater is I get to see this sweet face!

 This is our youngest daughter Jaymie.
She is a Social Worker at New Hope Hospice.
Woo Hoo! 
Even my sweet daughter wanted 
her momma to come and work where she works!
That is a very special blessing to me.
Don't you love her eyes?
I think she got the goofy gene naturally
from you know who.
Balanced of course with wisdom! (grin)


So to YOU my friends,
  watch for your special miracles.
I just know that God 
has them planned for YOU too!