A skirt and a wood shed

My daughter asked for an ankle length skirt so I cut one out for her from a skirt I had recently bought for myself at a local thrift store. Unfortunately I had never had enough time to try it on in the store and sure enough when I got home - it didn't fit. I used the existing hem and put in an elastic waistband. I easily cut and sewed it within a hour - or at least it felt like that-on my treadle sewing machine. She was delighted with it and it brought me joy watching her wear it. Spring is here and there are blossoms, leaves and rain showers. We've been spending more time outside and I've been back working on the woodshed I am building. I now have three of the four 6 by 6 pressure treated posts cemented into place. Being alone isn't easy. There are plenty of tasks which seem to be physically impossible- like lifting 80 pound posts- but God gives me strength. There are other tasks that need doing. I do not know how I am going to tackle those but I know that God isn't going to abandon me. God loves me far too much to treat me that way. I know I don't deserve all His grace and so I marvel at His love. It lifts me up inside and I long to know Him more. Check out this verse. This is how I read it. "The Lord Himself goes before (put your name here) He will never leave me nor abandon me. Be not afraid nor discouraged."
Deut. 31:8
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Scented play dough recipe

I make play dough for my daughter and this is my recipe. 1 cup flour; 1/2 cup salt; 1 cup water ( may be tinted with food colouring); 1 Tablespoon sunflower oil; 2 teaspoons cream of tarter; 3-5 drops essential oil ( I use lavender for it's calming properties) Mix together the flour, salt, water, oil and cream of tarter in a medium saucepan. With a spoon stir the mixture over medium heat until it thickens. Drop in scented oil and knead with a touch of flour for about 2-3 minutes. I store it in former commercial play dough canisters and it lasts forever if put away promptly after play. All of the ingredients are in my kitchen and that makes it for me the frugal choice. This recipe I gleaned from a book titled, "Natural Beauty at Home," by Janice Cox.

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Gift of a storm

Last week I made a trip to town. After I arrived at the mainland and started my truck I found very little gas in it - definitely not enough to drive to town. I emptied a jerry can half full of gas that I keep locked up in the truck for such purposes but the thief had taken so much fuel (locking gas caps do not keep thieves out around here) that I wondered if there was enough to make it to town. In the early years of island living this was never a problem but in the last six years it has happened on occasion. The last time was when my daughter was quite small. You can read about it in a post I wrote titled - When Things Go Wrong dated July 22, 2014. The forty minute drive to town left me with plenty of time. I was reminded how the storms of life no matter their size show me my heart and they present an opportunity for me to deepen my relationship with my Husband. This is the gift of a storm. When I drove by the spot in the road where last time the truck had run out of gas I felt thanksgiving because I knew in my heart that we were going to be ok no matter the outcome. How thankful I was when I turned off the truck beside the pump at the gas station.
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