parenting the adult child

I am bothered.
Bothered by a comment made to someone that wasn't me.
Bothered because it hits a little close to home.
Bothered because you don't understand.

I never understood why perpetrators of sexual assault and rape could be allowed to roam free and prey on other people.
I never understood how that could be allowed to happen.
I never understood why one wouldn't do everything in their power to stop them.

I do understand that today's society is a different one that it was 20, 50 or for sure 100 years ago. Maybe even 10 years ago.
And most unfortunately, still today in so many segments of different populations.
As a parent, it would be my inclination to go after the person using the legal system and put them away.
As a parent, I wouldn't want someone else's child to go through what mine did.

There are people who hold the opinion that a certain segment of society likes to "sweep things under the rug". Admittedly, I believe at one time that was true. I also believe that victims were told to keep their mouths shut. None of that is right, nor has it ever been. If you were a victim of that kind of attitude, you were wrongly treated. You can use it as a crutch for the rest of your life and be angry about it or you can choose to move on. That is up to you. If you decide to use it as a crutch ... you're not making progress.

This isn't about that segment of society, because I am not that person. I am not that parent. Today I am the parent who wants justice. I am the parent who wants someone stopped.

I want you to understand that it isn't my choice.

As a parent, I would support the decision of my child whatever it was in this regard. And as hard as it is, I would somehow find peace with that decision. I would never tell them to shut up. I would never tell them to hide it under a rug.

What they decide to do is not my choice. It is theirs.

I'm not talking about children who are under the legal age of 18. I'm not talking about children who need me to be their legal backbone. I'm not talking about a situation where I am the adult making those decisions.

I'm talking about an adult who has the right to make those decisions themselves. They have a right to be heard by their parents. They have a right to be supported by those parents. They have a right to make those decisions themselves with full knowledge of consequences.

I really was simplistic in my thinking. Just file a report and get on with it.
Make sure this person is stopped, gets some help and pays for their crime.

And now I can understand how a perpetrator is allowed to continue.
Because you just don't file a report.
You don't just march into the police station and do something about it.

That doesn't mean something was swept under the rug.
It doesn't mean you were told you couldn't do something about it.
It doesn't mean you were told not to press charges.

You may have been encouraged to press charges with the assurance that your parents would stand beside you through the entire process.
They would gladly hold your hand and heart in public and in private.
It means that regardless of the emotional support you have around you, you can't do it.
And it is up to you.
It isn't up to me.
You are the adult.
I am here to help you through whatever that decision is.

I can pressure you. Sure, I can.
I can pressure you until your mind can no longer handle it and you find release somewhere.
Maybe it will be a complete break with reality.
Perhaps you will find solace in the bottom of a bottle or at the tip of a needle.
Or perhaps you'll pursue unhealthy relationships that fill that broken part of you.

Is that the best alternative for my adult child?
What if they can't handle the thought of a long drawn out legal system?
What if they aren't able or willing to put themselves through that?
There could be a myriad of reasons they are not willing or able to pursue the legal system.
Then what?

What are we as parents then suppose to do?
I'm sure some of you have some great ideas.
Maybe some of them are really good ones. Maybe some of them are knee jerk reactions that are coming straight from a gut that just flipped inside out.
What is the best thing I can do to help my adult child?

Maybe we as parents are completely wrong in what we have chosen to do.
But this is it.
We are supporting their decision.
We are listening to them when they are able to open up.
We are ensuring they get the best help available in the way of counseling and therapy.
Our desire is for our adult child to have a life that is full.
Not full of hatred and horror, but a life full of promise and hope.

365: week 28

187-190/365:

Racing the clock home. My map said 38 minutes. #iwon

Adding a trip to this local dairy to the wanna go and do it list.

Inventory time again. #needtoplanbetter

I might have the best neighbor ever. #loadsofprojects

The map on my phone and I are serious travel companions. I check that thing every morning when I leave the house and every day when I leave work. Not from one campus to the other, but home at the end of the day. If there is an accident bogging up a freeway ... I would prefer to know about it. And sometimes I try to race the time. Actually, I'm trying to figure out which way is the fastest regardless of what the map says. Like 1 minute makes a difference?!

If you work in a hospital, or any place else, that does inventory ... aren't you just thrilled at that time of year? Somehow I need to plan my vacations better.

For the past week I noticed a nice size pile of pallets at the neighbors. When things get set next to the curb it usually means "free for the taking". But I'm shy. I hate to ask for anything. I screwed up courage and took Tia with me. He is a super nice guy who throws wood over the fence for us to use. Like, seriously? He's the reason I wait until a sort of reasonable hour of the morning to run power tools in the back yard. Being as his bedroom window is 15 feet from my chop saw I really want to keep the peace. I knocked on the door and he said "take as many as you like!" with the biggest smile on his face. And I liked all but one. They came home and I really couldn't handle looking at them just sitting there. They seriously were calling my name. So I started cutting them apart until so much sweat was running down my forehead that my eyes were burning and my hands had brand new blisters decorating them. Then it was time to move inside.

Off to the back bedroom and the sewing machine after finding my stash of denim. Use It Up is my motto right now. I really don't create on demand. I kind of have to be in the mood and currently I've been in the mood for making bags. I have oodles of bags pinned on Pinterest, but kind of like this one the best as far as patterns and size of bag. Seriously fun. Heavy bags that have a nice wide bottom. Good for a run to the grocer if you don't need those little plastic grocery bags to line your trash cans or hold dirty diapers. Perfect for the library ... they're heavy enough to hold a good size pile of books. Good for all kinds of little expeditions and explores.

All are fully lined. I just need to start adding pockets to the insides of them. 

Do you love the fraying look on this one? I pieced the strips together and tossed them through the washing machine and dryer before I put the bag together. Just snipped off the fraying pieces of fabric and started cutting and sewing.

The denim pile is still happening .. I'll have more opportunity to add pockets.

We shall see what the next week brings! Probably a clock ... a key holder ... an island ... an entry table ... whatever I can manage before the day runs out of hours. Whatever doesn't get managed will just hold over until the next week or the week after that.

Enjoy!

365: week 27

183/365:

Costco for #easylunch. Rotisserie chicken and a ceasar salad makes for pure easy and pure good.

Nasty creature found his way into our empty aquarium. I'm saving him for Jenny when gets back from vaca.  Seriously. Those things are disgusting. I'm afraid he didn't get rescued.

Gone are the days of fighting crowds and sweating. We hit the house roof and saw not much of anything. #happyfourthofjuly

Growing me some trees .. one branch at a time.

I actually spent most of the 4th playing with crafting stuff. Working at making some wooly trees and who knows what else. But for the moment we will stick with the trees. The tutorial for the trees can be found here on YouTube. I would seriously love to go see the shop someday. While they are using wool or something very high in wool content ... mine is a little less so. The shop was out of the kits online so I worked at figuring it out myself and probably adapted things a little. 

I tried several different weights of wire and I think I've settled on something I actually like. A lot of cutting and gluing action but no hot glue gun on this project! My fingers thank the creator of the tree.

Aren't they just the cutest?! This one still needs some fabric wrapped around the tree trunk, but I plan to have many more of these coming soon.

187-190/365:

#mylittleloves 

Seriously it is like having a set of twins around. They are so cute!!

I got so excited when I saw PFD .. then remembered I don't live in Alaska anymore and it means something entirely different. Jari picked up some life vests for the little boys. Have a bit of a work in progress going on in the backyard at the moment. Hoping to have her sea worthy and needing the jackets real soon.

#familydays are the best ever. The girls spent several days, in shifts, with me rearranging the living room. It finally feels like a space that is comfortable and not overcrowded. The almost best part? I ended up with a shelving unit and a desk in our extra bedroom. It really doesn't qualify for a bedroom. It is so full of crafting business you can hardly put up a portacrib at the moment. But I do have a surface now for the sewing machine to live and it has sewn some fantastic miles while I try hide from this beastly summer heat.This particular Saturday Alyx cooked for all of us. Crockpot enchiladas which were super yummy! And the dog? She isn't ours but if the owners ever want to get rid of her? She can come here in a heartbeat. 

#keepingitreal  Double trouble with mac 'n cheese. 

That's about it for that week! I spent part of it on vacation and crafted as much as I possibly could. My plan had been to go to Heber for the weekend ... and that didn't go as planned. Maybe someday I will manage that one. In the meantime ... I'm keeping out of trouble and staying busy!

Enjoy your summer!

patience

pa·tience   ˈpāSHəns/

noun

1. 1. 

   the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Recently we have learned a new skill. Somehow our God, who knows all, knew that it would take this time in our lives for us to learn this new skill. That of practicing patience. 

I distinctly remember being a teen and having conversations with my dad about things that were troubling me. I wanted solutions to those things immediately. I didn't want to wait. His answer to me many times was "all in God's time". God's time was rarely fast enough for me at that stage of my life. Sometimes at this stage of our lives ... God's time isn't fast enough either.

Perhaps we are given these particular paths to walk as a lesson. We are capable of waiting. We are capable of watching. Along the way we learn that God sends people into our lives who can hold our hands while we wait. We aren't capable of doing it alone or through our own power.

I'm being vague for a reason and I apologize.

The definition above is from Google I believe. 

How does one accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset?

Delay. Traffic is a nightmare sometimes (depending on where you're living) and invariably the bigger the hurry the more red lights one meets. It doesn't do any good to get upset at the lights that are making your journey slower. I kind of get that. You'll get there when you get there. Doesn't pay to have stroke level blood pressure over something you can't do anything about.

Trouble. Does this sort of depend on the kind of trouble? Are there troubles that are easier to accept than others without getting upset or angry? Absolutely! We are human after all and each of us is affected differently by different troubles. This may be simplistic, but here goes. I miss my turn and say "oh well, do a u-ball and head back the other way". Jari needs to know exactly where he is going and needs it confirmed repeatedly on the way there. Miss a turn and the world is nearly coming to an end. I really don't care if I have to make a u-turn or go around the block. Even in this (to me little .. to him big), we are different. We deal with that trouble in a completely different way. 

So then how does one accept suffering without getting angry or upset? How does a person come to terms with the suffering of others without getting angry or upset? 

Just as grief has stages, I'm sure other things do as well. They must. I just don't know what they are. At the same time, this is grief. This is grieving. We have been placed in a position where we don't want to be and have needed to accept that place because there is nothing we can do about it. We didn't put ourselves there. We have certainly put ourselves in many predicaments throughout our marriage, this time it was a result of another persons actions.

Suffering. As I was working on this post, I searched the Bible for scripture related to both anger and patience. All of a sudden I understood why we were given this time of waiting. It was one of those light bulb moments. 1000 watt kind.

It isn't like I can say that on Tuesday of this or that month, I will give in to suffering. That sort of delay just isn't real. Nor can I say that I am a patient person while waiting for the suffering, because in reality I'm still not a patient person and I'm already suffering. However, when things aren't in your control ... you may as well just practice patience. Really, you might just grab an ulcer along the way but what's an ulcer in the grand scheme of life anyway?

The light bulb that dawned for me was this: had I not been given this time of waiting, I would have remained overcome with anger. We were given this time of waiting and learning patience so that we could act in love and not in anger. It has been quite the lesson for us. It may also continue being a lesson in learning as we aren't the ones in control. We are the like the kids at the end of "crack the whip". Someone else is in charge and we're just hanging on for dear life.

Practicing this new kind of patience.

While we wait, our hands grow a little gentler in that hold on the lifeline. We breath a little easier. We may even sleep a little sounder. Our trust in God grows and our capacity to love grows in ways we would have never imagined.

Just as love grows, empathy grows as well. I'm learning and it ain't an easy learn. Patience. Love. Empathy. All at the end of the whip.

If you are riding with a death grip on that life line right now ... keep hanging on. You are there for a reason.

Trust and be patient.

ppp

You looked at the title of this post and thought perhaps one of my grandbabies got ahold of the keyboard didn't you?

ppp

pinterest fail to plant propogation

I've had my eye on some Pinterest pins for a long time. The bottles were sitting under the kitchen sink waiting patiently for my attention.

So attention day finally came.

The goal was to cut the bottoms off the bottles and make some hanging candles with some cute doodads hanging off of them.

If you need a visual ...

Something like one of these but with creativity let loose in the making.

So I tried cutting the bottle without buying any glass cutting equipment. Don't tell my hubby, but I'm not sure where to put anymore tool doodads at the moment. Another jaunt through the internet will tell you to take cotton string and wrap it around the bottle. You can either soak the string before or "paint" it after it is on the bottle. Either way .. the string was soaked in acetone and then lit on fire. Smart person somewhere in my meanderings suggested having a lit candle at the ready. I lit the string. Waited until the fire had burned around and extinguished itself. 

Then plunged it into ice water. It is suppose to crack off nicely. Straight edge doesn't really describe what I ended up with. And this is the thinnest bottle I had! 

I had at it again ... and it didn't work any better the second go around.

Into the trash bin went that bottle.

On to the next one.

Well that didn't work so well either. 

I have no clue what I'm doing wrong, but that ends that little attempt!

Maybe next year I'll have me a glass cutter and have a go at it.

For now ... I'm off to the next project as there are so many of them waiting for me.

Boredom?

Not likely unless I lose some of my senses.

The last bottle was the recipient of plant clippings from my pathos plant.

They are sort of starting to litter every surface around here and I'm enjoying watching them sprout not only roots but new leaves as well.

I'll enjoy these while I can before they leave the house.
Maybe we will fill it with candles next time around.

365: week 26

177/365:

#vacationfun

Oops. I'm posting backwards. Post about what I did with frames can be found here. Seriously .. loads of therapy in this pile right here.

178/365:

Dinner menu = mutton.

Tia has had us playing Settlers like crazy. 6 nights in a row ... 3 games each night. We may have missed a night, but we're wearing out the game this week.Who needs dinner anyway?

179/365:

Maybe it would be fun to go shopping/lunching together but this ... melts my heart.

My daughter is a girl after my own heart. She's as creative and crafty as I love to be. If someday she finds a guy to share her world, I hope he'll understand as well as her dad does.

180/365:

Cruising through farming country. #crafty #rugsforfun #countrylovin

This one is for you Jane! Remember all those little 2 inch squares you cut for me? I used them and cut many more to make this little rug. I have so much cow print that I don't know what I'm going to do with it all. Alyx drew me a cow spot shaped rug and I added on squares and squares and squares. Looks downright cute inside the teeped I made with some of it.

181/365:

Perfect day for ham bone soup and homemade peasant bread. #theonlybreadicanmake

I use to make a lot of peasant bread. One loaf that requires no kneeding and not much of anything else but is pure deliciousnes. Fresh bread with homemade soup. 

182/365:

Sadly ... a Pinterest fail. #ontothenextone

happy birthday brock!

You've come a long way from this boy of 12. Today a husband and a father ... and always a son.

Wishing all the best for you in the coming year with days that are filled with the humdrum goodness of life, bright moments that light your eyes and bring a smile to your face, dreams that are fulfilled and just all around goodness and love.

Love you bunches.

365: week 25

170-173/365:

When your glasses lose one of those nose protector thingamajigs.

Beating the heat with a hot glue gun.

I'll park a mile away to get the shade of one good tree.

5:34 a.m. still counts for Thursday right?

Alyx and Tarron went to Alaska for a loonng weekend and we did a little bit of child tending over here. Dominic (bottom right of top photo) was being weaned ... doesn't take a bottle .. and really likes his mom. I will admit that I was incredibly thankful that Tia is still living at home. Whew! The first night with this little man was a bit interesting and a lot sleepless. By the time morning rolled around tho', I had him figured out. He was mad as a hornet and pitches an 8 month old fit like a raging 3 year old when he wants his mom and not his nana.

The rest of the time went famously. We got sleep figured out and he did great. Sebastian did a great job of being a big helper and he is mighty fun and easy to have around. We kept the boys until Sunday when they went to their own home to spend time with their other grandma until the parents came home.

174/365:

We got this!

I have a new lens on my camera and haven't downloaded photos for a good while. It is full of pictures of these little muchkins .. Tia is a bit of a shutterbug.

175/365:

Then men's section at #targetoptical. Really?!

In our quest to find out why dear hubby has had a headache for a month ... we headed for an eye exam. Checking all the boxes .. one at a time. Except for needing reading glasses, his vision is 20/20. Go figure. He does have a "freckle" somewhere close to the optic nerve that we are going to see a retinologist about. Maybe that is causing a problem?

Post retinologist - freckle is nothing to worry about. Altho' they can be melanomous (is that even a word?), his is hot diggety fine. We saw a super cool doctor. You know she's great when the pickiest patient in the entire world liked her. She learned that we had spent time in Alaska and then really wondered why he was being sent to see her. Alaska folks are tough stuff and don't end up in her chair for eye freckles. She, herself, has spent time in Alaska and is a photographer. Makes me want to hop on a house with wings ..

176/365:

If I drink a pbj smoothie while reading the Christmas issue of #countryliving ...

Blended PB&J

1 scoop protein powder (recipe calls for vanilla whey ... I used peanut butter non whey)
1-2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tsp raspberry jam (home made is best)
1/2 c frozen mixed berries
1 cup ice

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

******************************

Week 25 is done and over with. Almost to the halfway mark of the year. Where on this good earth is time going and what is happening to it??!

365: week 24

166/365:

Oh my aching feet.

Nothing more needs to be said.

167/365:

#onceinawhileshesurprisesthem

Green chili chicken enchiladas. Might I say they are about the easiest thing in the world? And I have come to the point where I cheat in the biggest ways. I live very close to 2 (count 'em!) Costcos where you can buy the cheapest and most tasty rotisserie chicken ever. I'm not sure I used it in this recipe, but I use it often. One of those benefits to only have a few mouths to feed. One bird now gets us at least 3 meals.

168/365:

#crafting

The end of June was curbside bulk trash pickup. This nicely weathered pallet had sat here for a long time serving a purpose but we were pitching. I kept this one out and used up every single board. I'm still going to add some more little rosettes on the heart ... but recycle, reuse and redecorate with 3 pieces of wood. This piece really isn't staying here ... I've just run out of places to put projects headed for market. So I figured .. why not? I'll enjoy for a few months and then ship it out of here.

Incidentally, I've often thought I should do a post about pillows. In our world, pillows are also an indicator of how life has changed. This is how it use to work. For years, Aunt Martta would come for a visit every July. Before she came, I would head to Walmart and buy fresh pillows. Those $5 pillows that last about $5 worth. After she left, the pillows would move to our bed. Our pillows would move to the kids' beds and the kids' pillows probably headed to the trash bin. Really, we never had extra pillows. Today I will make the bed and prop 7 pillows up against the headboard. If I dare admit ... sometimes it has even been more than that. Whatcha suppose to do? You need one to keep your head up. Another to keep the aching hip from being in the wrong position. Yet another to keep .... 

169/365:

Happy Fathers Day!

We made it. All the way up the mountain and out into the woods for a drive.

And a selfie.

365: week 23 and into week 24

Earlier this week, I spent hours trying to catch up in the blogging department getting posts in order to share with you. 

This one that recaps a short few days of our lives is hard on the heart. It is late. It is still hard to add to.

155/365:

The best laid plans ..

My dear hubby has been struggling with some health issues. Work has been impossible for him. On a Sunday morning we packed up some stuff and headed toward Payson for the day, thinking a drive in the fresh mountain air would be good for him. We didn't make it halfway ... turned around and came home. He doesn't have any life threatening illness. He is busy doctoring and finding that he is a healthy man for his age, yet unable to function as he would like to. We will get answers at some point and he will be back ticking on all cylinders again. In the meantime, it is day by day and pray for things to turn around.

156/365:

When the phone rings and you think your heart will stop beating.

#prayingfor levi

If you are reading this and don't know the story behind this ... Levi was swimming in the Crow River with friends and disappeared that Monday evening. The search began. He had graduated high school the day before and was beginning his adventure into an adulthood filled with promise and dreams. 

157-160/365:

#clothesforthehubby

#flighttime

Searching the river and making decisions regarding my own future river adventures.

#peonies

Jari went to Minnesota on Tuesday and I went on Wednesday. We had planned to be in Colorado that weekend for a wedding so I had Thursday off. Even though hope is eternal ... the clothes were packed. I was able to spend some time on the river on Thursday in hopes of finding Levi. He was found later that day ....

It is interesting how things in life give us a new perspective into our own activities and the things we are no longer willing to do. We believe that our days on this earth are numbered by God before we are born. While we understand that Levi was called home on the day God needed him, I saw just a small amount of the torment his family, friends and community went through in the search for him. I saw the Crow River and in my mind I saw the eddy in the Verde River. The eddy that I was saved from by landing in the V of a tree ... kayak hanging above the water. And I was done. Maybe that was a decision made in the midst of a heart wrenching struggle. Maybe it will change. I decided that day that I was done. Give me a hard kayak and a peaceful lake, but you can take my inflatable kayak and the dangers of the river. I'm not a physically fit 18 year old male. I'm really getting to be an almost older lady who, although her days are numbered as well, does not want her family searching a fast flowing river for her body.

The end of this day saw heartbreak and relief. Relief that they could bring him home and to his final resting place. Heartbreak that touched so many who had never even met him .. 

161/365:

Precious visits.

Oh, we are also blessed beyond measure to have these parents with us still. Loss of the young mixed with the laments of the aged.

162-165/365:

"Safe in the arms of Jesus .."

#airportracket when the bank of outlets is in a restaurant.

#wishingiwasthere 

We drove over some downed power lines in MN last weekend without knowing. Saw a sign on I-17 warning not to do that. "whowouldathunk

I had to come home Sunday so was not able to stay for the funeral. Jari stayed and came home later that week. I wish there was a way to ease the heartache of those who were the closest to Levi. A call. A text. A hug. Many a prayer.

Lanterns

It's vacation week and I'm not traveling. Rather, I'm home catching up and crafting. Pure bliss for this lady.

One day I took a trip to my favorite HHH and the Dollar Tree. Incidentally, HHH is Home Depot, Hobby Lobby and Harbor Freight. The hours of crafting in this little pile should keep me out of trouble for a minute or two.

First project was the frames. The brown ones on top are a little smaller than the black ones.

First order of business was to disassemble them all. Wrappings and backings all went into the trash.

The glass was removed and safely stowed on the kitchen counter in a pile. Where else would you store plates of glass? My family does put up with a little bit from me I think.

I made some of these earlier and actually used the brad nailer to put them together. However, the frames at the Dollar Tree have gotten even cheaper in quality if that's possible. One smack with a brad nail and the thing might not make it. So I took to E6000 glue and started gluing sides together, two pieces at a time. After they were dry, I attached both pieces together to make a box.

(Please ignore the sawdust in the photo below.)

Next stop was to attach a bottom to each of the squares. I didn't take a photo of this process. Sorry about that.

I have used left over fence board or any kind wood that is wide enough for the base.

This time I went to Home Depot (see ... I really am a fan!) and looked through their 70% pile. There was a leftover piece of board there of a kind I've never used before but figured it would work. It came home with me, got cut into appropriate sizes and was attached to the bottoms of the squares. This was another job for the E6000. Next up was spray paint. White paint layer after layer.

No lantern is complete with a top, right?

Whatever kind of wood you've got works just fine! The top is actually a triple layer. The middle layer sits on the top of the lantern square. The smaller piece on top probably doesn't need to be there but certainly adds. 

When I did the original one using this link and this one from Pinterest, my goal was to have the tops close using tiny itty bitty hinges. Tiny itty bitty hinges going into a frame from the Dollar Tree. Not really a math equation that adds up well. My hubby is just the smartest person out there. Sometimes I get a little stubborn about the way I want things done, but if I'm smart ... I listen to him. He is the reason for the bottom part of this 3 piece top. It is cut to fit directly inside the square and keep the top in place without sliding off. And no hinges needed!

Being as these pieces were all the real deal wood ... I used wood glue to put them together and clamped them overnite. Now that would have been the other smart person's idea. My dad. He was here when I was going to brad nail them together. Saved hauling out air compressors with his idea! I'm seriously surrounded by smart guys.

Because I sometimes use less than premium wood and am not a finish carpenter ... there is caulk. I now know how to watch the edge of the blade on the chop saw so I know exactly where the cut will be, but goodness! I still use wood that may be a bit distorted. After the pieces were all where they were suppose to be ... the seams that needed it were give a bit of caulk to clean them up.

Following the caulking session came a bit of sanding and another spray paint session. By then it was getting rather dark outside so I hope I managed to cover up everything that needed covering!

Next up was glass knobs for the top of each lantern. I kind of like the glass ones for these projects. Checked Hobby Lobby online to find out if knobs are on sale this week and found it was my lucky day! Off to Hobby Lobby I went and came home with a few. (Hint: there is rarely any reason to pay full price for anything at Hobby Lobby ... although I really do enjoy supporting their business.)

Holes were drilled nearly through all 3 layers of the top. Knobs were threaded on and the tops were done!

Now for the glass. Note: these will not be conducive to candle burning. Please do NOT try that. I want glass on these so I can fill at least some of them with winter scenes .. complete with fake fluffy snow. Glass pieces were cleaned and attached back to the places I originally took them out of using some hot glue. A bead of hot glue on the frame in several places and plop the glass in very carefully. 

Four of them are done and ready for filling!

Spray paint takes a bit longer to really cure and dry than does regular paint. The main reason (other than cost) I rarely use it ... I like things done quickly. I've taken the tops off to let them cure, but this gives you an idea of possibilities for the inside. When my mom was in town, she went home with one of the first ones I did. She placed a small fake succulent in it and it looks darling.

These will be filled with removable winter scenes .. I can't wait to share those with you!

As a teaser ... I found piano wire ...

365: week 22

149/365:

Miniature princesses bring miniature bouquets. 

We have a lantana bush that is ginormous! Sometimes I wonder if there is a world record for that kind of bush like the world's largest rose bush in southern Arizona. When it is blooming ... we get flowers from the little people. Sometimes it might be an entire bloom like this one. Other times it will be a handful of individual petals from this ever so tiny bloom. Melts my heart every time.

150/365:

Getting the crafting going!!

Pinterest and I have a relationship that is ever evolving. I pin all kinds of things, some of which I later discard in "what was I thinking?" moments. Others may take me until next year to finish. This would be one of them. My stash for Market is starting to grow!

151-154/365:

Cloudy skies can stay all summer as far as I'm concerned! 

#amazondelivery

Love when he has a minute to share a handy trick that makes my work (play) so much easier.

Farewell breakfast with mom and dad before they take off on the long drive home. #travelingfolks