The Cup indeed, has Run over-

 

ugh!  I opened up the blog and have tried more than twice…lost track… to edit the type and make it larger on my previous post.  I wrote that post and had it scheduled to go up on Wednesday morning, because it was the last ICAD post and it was easier to do it that way. I like the scheduling feature. 

I finally had to open up Live Writer and make my edits (enlarge the font) and repost it.  What a head-ache.

This is just a small technical thing.  Something I used to love dealing with when it came to my blog. There was a time when I  would love sitting down to the computer and spending time dinking around in the back ground making the pages look better, putting up links or changing out photos; all because I loved babying my blog.

Its obvious that passion for blogging and the zeal and the fun that I’ve had doing those things, as well as writing posts, has waned.  Gone are the days when I had time ( NO MADE TIME)  to do all the little things it takes to run this blog.

I’ve been blogging here for over eight years.  Its been hit and miss some times.  There have been times I’ve taken leave of the blog to care for others, tend to life or just take a big fat time out. 

There are many people I’ve met, who have come through this door into my life and have been a real blessing to me and my family. You have cheered me, encouraged me, befriended me in various aspects of my life. Many of you, I have grown to love as sisters and we remain in contact via email and phone calls—regardless of the blog posts—all of you mean so much to me.  It’s a hard decision.

I have school coming up in a couple of weeks. Honestly, I’m not even registered for a class yet, You know how I procrastinate! Without going into all the details I’ll just say, I need my family and they need me. Keeping them close is important.

The time has come for me to make that final decision and leave blogging behind.

 

It’s not about content. Corn in my Coffee-Pot is ALL THE CONTENT. You know how openly I’ve shared whatever was perking. There has never been a time when I didn’t really have something to talk about here.  If I didn’t have a DIY post to share, then I would talk about life, family, gardening, health, Frugal Fodder, drop-off Dogs or grand-children.

I’ve almost always blogged without obligation—but knowing that my blog is sitting here waiting for me to make a move, type something or reach out and add to the fodder that is the Web, nags at me. It doesn’t seem right to come and go with such irregularity.

I’ve made the decision to leave the blog up. I will tweak the sidebars and also adjust some pages/ tabs making it easier for my Pinterest traffic that comes for inquiries on the Faux wood Paper floor easier to find.   Other than that, most of it will stay as is, so not to mess up links or create broken links.

As always, there is the question,”Will I return to blogging”?  That’s always a possibility and I suppose it could happen, You know how indecisive I can be! However, it probably won’t be here at Corn in my Coffee-Pot. 

Be Blessed, as you have all blessed me so very much in your faithfulness to read and kind words!

‘Til we meet again! (or you see me on Instagram)

Patricia

ICAD: 61 days

I some how lost track of the weeks for ICAD this year and believe I might have miscounted them.  I was going to title this WEEK 9- ICAD, or something just as fantastic and oringinal...  but, I think it’s week 8.  Regardless how you slice your ICAD… there are only 61 days for the Summer challenge. So this is the last installment! 

Day 57: STICKERS – I like the alpha-stickers and used them to write this important message to all who read it… Find Joy!  …it is what strengthens you! 

 

DAY 58:  GRAFFITI – a nod to ICAD.  I created this little brick wall. Then I stared at it for a few minutes… my brain was screaming… WHAT TO WRITE?!   Over all, I like how it turned out. 



DAY 59: TIC TAC TOE …nuff said.



DAY 60:  SORBET – a painted card. Its a special card, I’ll cherish for personal reasons. Because of the company I was with when I painted it. I added the ‘handwriting examples’ on Day 60! 



DAY 61: PATH  -- The finale!  I mentioned on my Instagram … that regardless what you do in life with your hands and your time and all your days and your words… Follow Truth.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”



I’ve written notes on the backs of some of these cards. Little messages to my kids, I suppose; expressing thoughts and feelings about certain days.  At this point I’m not so sure what I’ll do with them. For now, they are tied with a piece of string and put with last years cards. 

One day, I may place them in an album or a book or create an art journal--
some of them, might even be framed!  Maybe you’ve made some ICAD and are not sure what to do with them… here are some tips and ideas!



‘Til next year, fellow ICADians and readers…

I hope you enjoyed ICAD 2016—61 Day Challenge.
Now, back to IRregularly schedule programming!

Ha!

Really, Thank you so much for looking!
Patricia

A Closet Flip Around

 

So when we moved into our house about 20 years ago… there were only 2 closets.  The one pictured below…was NOT one of them!

The Honey built that closet. I called it a utility closet… but it was mainly storage and hardly ever utilized to it’s potential.

I cleaned this room out in 2010—which seems like FOR-EV-ER AGO!!! I had joined Donna at FJI for a workshop series. It’s HISTORY NOW… but just in case you like history, you can see my reveal post here.  …  and it stayed …eh! decent for a while. As time passed, we could never use it because things get dropped, laid, stacked (you name it) in front of those doors.  Not a functional closet.

Then in 2014 we thought we would be moving.  The realtor that toured the house and truly disappointed me, wouldn’t even list our bedroom as a bedroom because…

THERE

WAS

NO

CLOSET.

bummer.

I’ve wanted a closet and often wondered why we made this closet here in the mudroom/laundry room/back porch?  Why DID we make one here?  I don’t know.

Anyway, July 4th weekend, we began tearing this closet out. That ship-lapped wall you see inside that closet hides my tiny 9 X 12 bedroom on the other side. *NOTE the saw blades you can barely glimpse them at the top of that photo.  My daughters painted those for me when they were just young girls.  We’ll come back to those in a bit.

The other side of the wall is paneled…you can see below.

 

We cut the paneling out.

The ship-lap is cut away.  Now we can stand in the bedroom and look into the screened in mudroom.

Certain studs were moved from one wall to the other and we began building a wall with 1 X 4 boards.  The ship-lap was saved be couldn’t be used for this project.

Hind-sight … remove the saw blades before  building a new wall…

AND WEAR EYE PROTECTION!  I have three bite marks around my eye…the long one went in pretty deep. I thought it needed stitches, but thankfully it didn’t.

I’m all better now. 

I’ll return in a few days to show you the end results of the Closet flip around!

‘Til Next time, be blessed.

Bless your home, and bless all those that enter.

Patricia

Week 8—ICAD

What a crazy week that was!  We got a brand new grand daughter. While Momma was in the hospital, the Three Brothers were camped-out at our house!  It was complete and utter excitement!
There was hardly a minute to ICAD—I found left-over cards and somehow muddled through.
This started out as a “hero- cape” the previous week. It didn’t happen.
Baby-girl Autumn was born ( she was a surprise gender and no one knew what we were getting) I felt sure it was a girl.  But my daughter the pregnant one… Thought for sure this pregnancy was no different than the previous three. Ha!  Boy was she surprised!
So… back to the card, this cape sort of looked pink in the right light… so
Day 50: Paisley.  a lovely pink paisley blankie!
Day 51:  Purple was the theme. 
This card was also an extra—These doodles were made from a template I was trying to make Thespian style masks from the theatre or drama.  Just by using a template upside down and backwards.  I added the ticket and the PURPLE BORDER… trying to stay within the theme.

Day 52: Stairs. 
A quick sketch.  My train of thought was the last step is a doozie!
I don’t know that it played out that way, but sometimes we step into things and before you know it we’re in over our heads!


Day 53:  Fortune Cookie-  We (the Honey and I )figured out this summer that our favorite China Buffet… makes more money off us if we stay for the All-u-Can-Eat buffet.  It’s actually cheaper if we get take out and they charge by the pound.  … The reason behind this fortune.

Day 54:  AQUARIUM  another left over.  I made lots of cards before hand… just doodling around some days. This water  color started out looking like mountains. But during a hectic week with my thumb print fish ( a first grade art trick)  It quite resembles and aquarium.  It also, reminds me that I’m not swimming around in this puddle alone.
Day 55:  OLYMPICS--
I’ll admit. I’ve been a bit pre-occupied to watch or keep up with the Olympics.  So yeah… Go,Team U.S.A.!!!  (left-over card)


Day 56: TEXTURE  again… not much time went into this.  Its a rubbing of a backward template and I happen to like that I couldn’t get them straight or even.


Some weeks are just busy.  I’m glad I had all these ‘left-over’ cards and didn’t toss them.  They came in handy when there wasn’t lots of time for arting it up!
‘Til next time.
  There is one more post after this… it’s a 61 day series during the months of June and July! Thanks for looking!
Patricia

week 7 ICAD--

I might have mentioned I have an ‘ARTner’ in crime so to speak … Bree has been working at ICAD with me… she’s not generally here on the weekends and gets a little perturbed when she gets behind.  She is so much like me!
Anyway—we draw together some mornings while I have coffee! Making memories! She is a HOOT!


DAY 43 MINT--  I titled this one Mint Condition…it’s obvious and IRONIC! It reminds me of the Sesame Street song… One of these Things is not like the other! haha!

DAY 44—RAINBOW MACHINE  -- makes me think of SKITTLES! TASTE THE RAINBOW

FOUR PART SERIES EXPERIMENT: At some point I think in June there was a four part series prompt. I created these next four cards and set them aside. I decided to start using them this week and then CRISIS, TRAGEDY AND VIOLENCE ERUPTED.
These cards depict my heart that week and of course Scripture.
DAY 45 – WORD PLAY

DAY 46- LIGHTHOUSE—Dear France


DAY 47- MONOCHROMATIC—Love is the greatest gift we can give to those who are hurting, grieving, and at a loss.

DAY 48- AURORA BOREALIS- For God so LOVED THE WORLD

DAY 49 SUPER HERO – Freaky masked what’s his name!

That’s it for this week… emotional on all levels.
‘Til next time,
Patricia

In Other News-

We’re grand parents again!

Oma and Honey to a girl!  Autumn Roiene… Born Wednesday, July 20,2016

She weighed 7 lbs and 8 oz. and was 19.5  inches long.
Finally a girl for this Momma of three wild little boys!

This picture truly captures the energy of this One big crazy HAPPY FAMILY!
1. karate chop
2. Kick to the head
3. Finger up the SNIFFER.
and last
Two very awestruck parents!  The look on their faces says ‘shock and awe’
Congratulations to our daughter and our son in law…
enjoy the journey!
We are so in LOVE with our Autumn.
‘Til next time, be blessed!
Patricia … a very blessed Oma!

Week 4 ICAD-

Things I like best about ICAD and 61 days of doing ART on a small scale:

It frees up time to do other things.

It frees up time for me to focus on other aspects of my life.

It frees up time for family.

…time for exercise.

…time for projects.

…time for outdoors.

You’d think I’ve added another ‘thing’ to my list of things to do. But really, it isn’t like that at all. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Now, onto the cards!

22.  This day, I began walking again and exercising for my health. Working on bringing diabetes into check.  Spiritually speaking—I was looking at areas of my life that were over taken and running amok.  Exercise and Scripture coming together in ART.

23.  Days are getting warmer here--- This card’s theme WINTER.   A pause to cool off if only in my mind.

24. No time this day… I used a previously prepared ‘purple hued’ card  and added MAGENTA and some doodly-flowers.  Done!

25. Another journal type card—Sebastyan, (a twin cousin) doesn’t have a huge vocabulary yet. But he sings (on key)  Happy Birthday! … This card’s theme, SONG.  It was a perfect collaboration.

26. The theme for this card?  SPACE INVADERS.    Is it the spider invading our porch or is it us invading the spiders country setting?  

27.  This card’s theme; MOTEL.  I wouldn’t stay here (I won’t say NEVER) but… it looks a bit seedy. I’m doing lots of reading this summer as well, and this one… sparked my imagination!

28. Dogs or Cats was the given theme for this card.   This reminds me of my scruffy boy BUSTER.

Hope your summer is full of fun and creative moments!  I also hope you’re given some free time to spend with loved ones, gardening, playing, or whatever suites your fancy!

‘Til Next time, be blessed. 

Patricia

Intentional Summer Planning-

 

I’ve been hopping around reading and catching up on my blog reading--

I sent an email to my friend Gail (Hi Gail!) and told her how I missed blogging and the camaraderie! I miss gardening and crafting and projects--- and I mentioned how I hoped to dabble in all of it over the summer break.

She said, “ I hope you plan your summer… don’t let it just come and go, then regret not having fun and doing what you want when fall arrives.”

Well, … I have considered these words since I received that email reply… and I love her message back to me and appreciate her words so much! 

I’ve given it thought and really, I think her words apply to all of life, NOT just the coming summer months. I think it’s so important these days to live INTENTIONALLY! Not wasting any time and remembering that even time spent resting, considering scripture and the LORD and his Word is time well spent!

At the moment—nothing is set in stone, except the first day of school, come Fall.

 

Meaning: I have no plans.

I do have a few ideas though. On the top of the list:

Reading. Years ago, I read for leisure. Why did I stop doing that? I hardly picked up a book to read… ok, that’s not exactly true. I read many non-fiction type books. I enjoy reading analytical type stuff. Seriously, I can stand in the canned good isle at the grocer and read ingredients list, become so absorbed in it and lose complete track of time!

What I’m talking about is literature—fictional stories (and true!), the kind that move you to another place and another time; mostly, I’m talking about filling in some gaps with classical pieces of literature that slipped by me in my younger years and I want to read them. Some more current books I want to read that also were missed.

Crafts:I also have some crafting that I want to get done.  Some crocheting and sewing. If time allows—I might work on my dollhouse. I have some projects to finish up there and it’s been on the back burner for a long time now.

Household:

Whoa! the list of ideas is never-ending there. First and foremost (once the rains let up) Painting the house. We started it a couple of years ago (hangs head) and really need to finish it.

Gardening is out, in the way of planting and cultivating. But there are some areas that need tending and cleaning. We’ll probably get to some of that.

Anyway, I’m taking Gail’s advice and planning the summer months…but not over planning. I hope to do just enough to be satisfied and rested when school starts! Thanks Gail!  (*edited to say:  Speaking of Gail… if you like listening to POD casts and you like repurposing and DIY tips then you’ll love listening to her on the new Pod Casts she is doing… DIY with MRL.  Follow the link here and her pod cast is linking at the bottom of that post!)

For now, the last few weeks of May… are casual and I’m easing into Summer.

Oh! and I plan on blogging some of it… so come back and see me!

 

‘Til then, be blessed!

Patricia

Late September

 

If you had the time, I’d invite you to come for a visit, and we could sit outside on my bench, out in the yard. We’d have tea and catch up with each other on all of life’s happenings. 

It’s still warm here, only a few days left of summer. I actually took a swim in the pool today. As long as the weather stays nice and warm, and the water is clear and warm then I will continue to do this for exercise. After that, I’ll be popping in the dvd and walking once the weather finally changes.

In the past, I would come to the computer and sit down to work, research cultured food recipes and blood sugar information, or I’d pay bills.  At some point, I’d end up being distracted with blogs.  I’d read and then I’d write,but school is keeping me busy. Now, it seems I’m trapped in some sort of alternate state. I come in here to blog and say hello or visit with all of you… and instead, I find myself logging into my online classes to do practice work or homework.  If I get near the computer to take care of household business—I’m on and off the computer lightening fast! I don’t dilly-dally anymore.

We no longer have lots of LITTLES running around the place.  They’ve all gone to school,too. I keep thinking how fun it would be for Haiden (3 yrs) and Vincey (2 yrs) to play together and having both the twin cousins here… 4 boys here, would be fun! You know me, I love having them here.

Oh yes, Monday through Friday we have HAIDEN.  You may remember Haiden. He once painted my kitchen floor white, a happy accident.  I had to come behind him and spread it around evenly. He’s 3 now. We are getting to see him more and more; I’ve become quite close with this little boy.  He is the image of his daddy, our oldest son. We also have Liam here about 3 days a week. He is the youngest of the twin cousins, and they are 7 months old now; both are crawling!

Vincey and Bash are at home with mommy now. I miss them,so we try to make a point to see them during the week if we can, or on Saturdays.

Today, I saw my first sono images of our next grandbaby. He (or she) will be here in February 2016. My DIL is having a gender reveal thingy.  I’m not big on finding out before they’re born, but this will be fun! It’s an exciting time right now.

Things are changing here.  I’m getting into a different sort of groove. I’m finding a balance with my health, with my home life, my family and school.  The schedule is flexible.  I’m in a comfortable place at the moment. 

Late September.

‘Til next time-

Grace and Peace

Summer, Fall and the Start to Something New

The summer is winding down.
The summer is winding down.  Forgive me, I just had to read that ONE MORE TIME.   It’s been a long time since I’ve thought in terms of summer coming to an end; along with Fall being the start to something new and fresh—like school!
I don’t even know where to begin to tell you about what led to this event. 

Camper Décor for Cuteness Sake

*affiliate links to follow

I spent the biggest part of the weekend finishing up some paper work for school.  Most of mine was complete. However, my oldest daughter is going to school; along with our youngest “the nurse”  (she’s returning to get her RN degree, she is currently an LVN) The oldest needed a transcript.  Yeah… do you think I KNOW WHERE that paper work is 10 years later?   Not to mention, I lost some files a few years back when the computer went CAPOOT!
LUCKILY, I found a couple of my notes and was able to get one put together.

The rest of the weekend, Sunday… Campering!

Taken Up with Old Ways…

This summer has definitely been a season of change for me.  I’ve had my hand in things I don’t normally do; for instance drawing.  I enjoyed ICAD 20.15 – so much I bought a sketch book and have continued to draw or sketch regularly.
I recently, began crocheting again… making cute little hanging towels for my daughters kitchens! It made the time go quick at the hospital today… and it’s nice when the weather is too hot to be outside, but I want something to do with my hands!  It’s light work…so it doesn’t make me hot, like crocheting a blanket would!
I’ve also been taken up with old ways…

The Official update on the Honey-

Late last week I gave a brief update on the hospital visit in Dallas for The Honey… (if you’re new here… The Honey, is my husband)
I’ve had several of you continue to ask about him, telling me that you’re praying for him and for me; I appreciate that so much! More than you know.

Here is the official update: