Through My Eyes

Advice To The Love Worn

You first have to know what love is and what it’s not!

Let’s get the nots out of the way…

Love is not an excuse to have sex when you are too young to even know what it is!

Love is not the feeling you share when you are physically, emotionally, and mentally abusing someone you care about.

Love should not hurt, and if it does, it’s not right for you.

Love is a deep emotional feeling that should bring out the best in you. God teaches us that it is his greatest gift to us and the one thing he wants us to share.

Love is a maternal instinct between a mother and a child.

Love is timeless and crosses generations

Love is the glue that keeps relationships together.

Love is the one common emotion that is seen in most species. Our pets express love by their actions and for their young.

Love is enduring. This strange emotion can make you happy and tearful. It’s only limitation is death, and some still love their partners after their demise.

It’s a funny thing this thing called love. It can be beautiful, frustrating, and stir up all kinds of emotions. It is passionate both physically and emotionally.

People who love bond easier with other people. We all desire that strong connection. It’s like an electrical charge. As long as you have it, most people seem to function better. It is certainly easy to recognize people who do not have love in their life.

Allow yourself to love God first, then love yourself. Extend that love to your family members, friends, and even strangers. It’s contagious. It’s the one thing that you can spread that will have a positive effect on everyone.

Share the love ❤️.

Applique & Quilting

I am one of those strange people who participate in and have knowledge of a lot of things and activities but do not claim expertise at any. I like to stay busy and create new things.

Today I have pieced this block together and I am ready to quilt it. The primary block contains a country angel (yes I know she is missing a mouth) that is appliqued mostly by hand. Today I added the smaller border blocks and am now ready to quilt. My stitch size varies based on the material and batting thickness. Today’s stitches are a little bigger than I normally do.

My mother nor either of my grandmothers quilted. I did have a great aunt who was an avid quilter but she did not live close to us. My quilting journey began back in the 70’s when I took a class at our local community College. I never knew when I walked in that class just how much I would enjoy quilting. Over the years I have made several baby quilts, a lot of squares and a full size bed quilt. Not much compared to most quilters but I also have a wide array of other hobbies.

Here’s the block as I start to quilt it.

Will quilt some tonight and probably finish it up tomorrow. I will then toss it in a bin to add to a later quilt.

Check out quilting classes through your local arts council or community college system.

Get to stitching!

Doggie Diets & Disease

Let me just say I am not a veterinarian but an advocate for loveable fur babies everywhere, and this is my dog’s story.

About three months ago, my Dashund Roco began kicking his paws intensely, scratching and biting himself until he bled. Convinced it was a gut problem, I put him on a pre/prohibotic medication. While the medication did help some, it wasn’t enough. The symptoms lingered. The playful dog I loved was quickly disappearing.

Consult you vet people would say but the vet was of no help. After three months he had stopped playing with his toys, lost most of the hair on his back, his skin was literally flaking off to the second layer of red inflamed skin. I watched him closely and was prepared to watch him die.

Out of desperation, my husband and I walked into Petsense and talked to a young man. After listening to my story about Roco, he asked about his food. He said most likely he is allergic to either chicken or wheat in his food. Shocked that it could actually be his food, I questioned him further. The second thing he cautioned me on was additives. He, of course, then gave the usual line “consult your vet” because this could have severe effects.

I knew that God had put this young man in my path to save my dog. Under his advisement, I tried a different brand of dog food that contained no chicken and no wheat. Over a two week period, I could slowly see some improvement. He still had the symptoms, but they were not as aggressive.

This is one of the additives in the original food he was on: Carrageenan. This additive, as it turns out, can cause aggressive gastric disease and colon cancer. This is just one of a number of additives in dog food.

Now, four months out from the onset of this horror story, Roco’s has a new layer of skin that has healed to the point that he is now slowly growing hair back. He scratches and licks only occasionally now. This week, he grabbed his old toy and started playing again.

The moral to this story is to care enough about your pet to know what is in his food. Choose food that is at least 90% natural. Yes, it is more expensive, but you don’t want my story to be your story. Not only did my dog suffer, but I didn’t sleep for three months.

My dog is like my child, and I want only the best for him.

Have a great day!

Enough Of Politics

Good grief! Enough of politics already. I am so sick of politically incorrect MSM and the disgusting comments of American citizens who are quick to side with Zelinsky instead of our own president!

Enough of the childish nonsense! People, it is time to lay down the swords and offer the hand of fellowship in peace!

It is no longer about who did what, who’s guilty of what. It is time for peace. That being said, some people believe that is only achievable through wars. Wrong answer.

The art of negotiation is to find common ground. Not only that, you have to show respect for all parties involved. My husband used to tell me I would make a good attorney because I loved to argue. Well, it wasn’t so much that I liked to argue as much as it was I just wanted to prove my point. The next point, of course, is all parties need to listen. You can’t stop a war if you are too busy playing the victim. You have to be engaged (and I don’t mean with a rifle in your hands) ready to listent and ready to take responsibility for your actions and ready to make a plan even if it may not make you all warm and fuzzy.

The path to peace always comes at a cost, but the price is worth it.

It is time to show love and respect to each other. You don’t have to resolve the conflicts of the world, but you can resolve the ones in your own backyard!

Have a great day. Tell someone you love them.

Fear, Fact, Fantasy

Three words that could define reality or does it? Most of us in one form or another could utilize these words to define something in or about our lives.

I can’t say that I have any true fears. Clearly, there are things I don’t like and try to avoid at all cost, but I could face them if I had to. The Bible is clear on fear when Jesus says without hesitation that we should have no fear. The first time I read those words, I questioned if we could ever live without fear. Certainly, in the world we live in now, you could ask yourself that daily! I have learned to live without fear. There are still those things I don’t like and don’t feel comfortable with, but with my relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I have no fear!

The facts of life these days can be daunting. What we thought we knew is not the same. I remember back to the sixties, probably the fondest times of my life. Then, in 1963, when John F. Kennedy was shot something inside me knew that life would never be the same. I didn’t even like the guy, but it was the event itself that would lead this country on a downward spiral.

Now, as an aging adult, I have seen, heard, and lived a lot since Kennedy, Vietnam Nam, and other events that had their own impact on the world.

Now, we fast forward to today. The fantasy period where the fine lines of reality are getting harder to see. Where a guy in a soon- to-be rubber suit called himself president. But, there is still hope. Finally, hope floats. Even through all the madness, God has a plan. While America has elected a new president, he is just a man. Some call Trump hero, but who he really is will be tested.

Whether you see him or not, God is making his own way across this country. Through the greatest disaster this country has ever known, his hand is leading and healing. Miracles are happening daily in what is left of western North Carolina and the adjoining Tennesee range. The fear became reality for those people, but the fact is a lot of them did survive. In some form, the fantasy of the mountains still exists. The healing power of the holy trinity will be there for eternity.

If you don’t have a church home, that is okay. What is important is that spiritual connection between you and Jesus. God is not dead! He lives through you. Even on the worst of days, Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

Life continues and still has beauty worth seeing.

Homeopathic & Me

Let me just say up front to be clear, I am not a physician or medical professional. That being said, I am very much an advocate for homeopathic medicine.

Our healthcare system has failed miserably. This country is unhealthier now than ever before, and it all could have been prevented.

Case in point: If you look at how our native american population has addressed their healthcare, you will see an all natural approach to disease. They use everything in nature without waste, something the rest ofvus still have not learned.

The use of tree bark, leaves, stems, and even flower petals play an intricate part in homeopathic medicine. The cool part is that it works. Knowledge is power, and I can’t stress that enough. There are a lot of books out on holistic medicine, essential oils, and pain relievers like accupressure, acupuncture, reiki, Tai Chi, and more.

For example, an aggressive cough from cold or flu can be aided by putting just four drops of peppermint oil directly on the chest. In just a few moments, you’ll fill a change. You can also sprinkle a few drops in a pot of steaming water and breathe in (you know the old-fashioned way with a towel over your head). Both methods are very effective.

I recommend these oils for your medicine cabinet: peppermint, camomile, frankincense, eucalyptus, and tumeric. These are all good for cough and flu, camomile for sleep, frankincense is for pain. The most common complaint I hear is “oh they are too expensive”. My answer, not compared to a doctor visit! These oils are concentrated which means you can use them with a carrier oil like olive or coconut oil if you are concerned about cost. These last a long time and carry a shelf life longer than over-the counter meds.

Two sites I have found that are reasonable:

pipingrock.com

The Essential Oil Company

Ask about sample oils.

Stay healthy. Don’t forget to like and share.

Crochet Mania

If you are around me long, you will find I always need to have something in my hands, a cup of coffee and/or paintbrush, crochet hook, knitting needle, and more.

While I spend a lot of time designing, I am now beginning to focus more on creating the patterns for some of the designs. You can find these patterns through payhip and ravelry. Here are two with their links.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shells–more-tote

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hooded-baby-blanket-7

Come back often for patterns and more. Have a great day.

More Than Words

In the song by Extreme “More Than Words, ” the author explains that it is not just words that are important but our actions as well.

In the matter of love, it relays that communication is not always verbal but just as powerful.

If you have that deep committed love, your partner should feel your wants and needs without having to find the words to express it.

While over the last four years, as we have been censored, it didn’t mean we should stop communicating. It doesn’t apply to just social media but to how we function daily. Censorship just means you have to get more creative at expressing your view.

While I am probably as vocal as anybody, I have tried to tone it down and put others first. Sometimes, you can accomplish just as much with what you don’t say.

It takes more than words to form relationships. It takes more than words to accomplish some tasks. It takes more than words to raise a family.

And most importantly, it takes more than words to be connected to the holy trinity. Yes, prayer is words, but if you don’t have that spiritual bond, words are not going to be enough.

Words are important, but what is more important is how we feel. God’s greatest gift to humanity is love. Don’t just tell someone you love them, make them feel it.

Have a great week.

What’s Your Craft?

I have been blessed to enjoy a number of hobbies and crafts over the years. For me, these activities didn’t just fill up spaces of time, but they were also coping tools.

Some people tend to hide under the covers or over indulge in unhealthy habits. Me, I pick up my camera, a paintbrush, or a crochet hook and make something beautiful. It’s the whole turning something negative into something positive thing.

I hear people say, ” I don’t have any talents.” That is really not true. Most of our lives are spent working a job or tied up in some kind of negative situation that distracts us from finding that creativity in us.

How do you find your talent? Start with things you like and are drawn to. If the first thing you try doesn’t work out, find something else. Despite the fact that there are a lot of things I can do, there were just as many things I tried that I did not do well at or simply did not like. Take a class or two, watch videos on different crafts, attend craft fairs, and talk to artisans.

It has actually been proven by medical professionals that having a hobby is beneficial to your health by lowering blood pressure, calming anxiety, and promoting a healthier attitude and lifestyle.

Okay, get off that couch and get to crafting!

2025….New Beginnings

Well, 2025 has already come in with not only a new president but also with new hope and promise for the future.

Today, it brought in new fallen snow, something we haven’t seen in eastern North Carolina in a while. When my little doxie had to go out this morning, his first response was with clear rejection when he stepped out the back door to snow almost the height of his leg. He immediately made a u-turn and was shaking the show off his legs as he came back through the door. It wasn’t until my husband cleated a path across the deck and down the steps that he reluctantly ventured out to do what he needed to do.

No, snowman for me. As I bundled up, my husband looked at me and said, “You’re not really y going out?” Of course, I respond with an emphatic.”Yes. ” I always take pictures of the snow even if I can’t get any further than my back door.

My husband worries about me falling, but I would rather risk a fall than have no fun at all. I am always cautious and very intune to the needs of my body and the conditions around me.

Here’s my yard…