The great procraftinator

I have always had a bit of a short attention span, unless it comes to reading a really good book ( I have just finished reading Jeffrey Deaver's The Twelfth Car , sort of borderline ADD when it comes to new projects. Loving crafts and all things pretty and frivolous as well as now having a great intent connection ( thanks to hubby) I do not know where to pick up and where to leave.  Pinterest has so much wonderful inspiration and just reading Lucy at Attic24 or Stephanie at Imagine our Life makes me want to start a new project. At the moment I am busy with a lovely crochet bag, care of Lucy at Attic24. We have just had our Easter holidays and in between tending sick children and a sick self as well as throwing out bags of clothing, I started a take along play mat as well as Stephanie's absolutely gorgeous Fire engine quiet book at Imagine our life.

 Winter is coming at a dizzy pace and I have wanted to knit hats for the children for a while, so today I finally started a pink one, which I am planning to customise with a flower ( or two ). Please note the operative words in all these projects....... I started. Maybe by blogging about it, I will have a bit more motivation to finish at least one of them. But there are so many others I would love to try.. a daisy granny square blanket, a ripple quilt, a flower cushion, a playhouse, a flower garden. I also have a few ideas for a winter wreath, inspired by Lucy at Attic 24.

Just on the side line, I have also started a cake decorating business. Orders are slowly trickling in ( follow my progress at www.purpledaisycakes.blogspot.com)  and I have already completed a Barbie cake, Liverpool cake, Ben10 cake and am busy with a paintball cake

for Friday. This would also explain why my posts are not as frequent as they could be. 

My biggest problem is that there just NEVER seems to be enough hours in the day to do all I need to do as well as all I want. Is this true for other working, blogging, crafting moms out there? Please let me know what you are busy with. I would love to see photo's

Jump without a visible safety net

Every Friday Lisa-Jo over at Gypsy Mama invites all to  join in on
five Minute Friday. The idea is to write non stop for five minutes on the topic given and then post what you have written.

This week's topic is Jump.

Here goes...

Jump....when the cliff feels so high and I cannot see the bottom. When so many tell me about the insanity of this jump. When I know jumping will take all my courage and that I have no guarantee of a safe landing, when I know the fall will bumpy. But how can I not jump as I read one more story of a baby left in a dustbin, a plastic bag, an open veld to die. When I hear of another baby abandoned in hospital, no loving arms to hold her, cuddle her, comfort her when her tears fall like a grief unquenchable. How can I not jump when in my heart I have heard His call to jump. So I pray and draw on His courage for this immense leap of faith. Then I take the first step to the edge of the cliff, not seeing the safety net, not knowing how or if I will land but knowing that somewhere a baby girl with big brown eyes and coffee coloured skin waits to call me mama. So I jump........

Tomorrow

As I sit writing, there are dishes piled high in the kitchen, school bags to be packed, washing on the line and a million other things calling for my attention. Tomorrow seems like a mountain ahead of me as the new school term starts. As I look ahead I am so unprepared, both physically and emotionally, for what the next few months will bring.  The challenges seems overwhelming and I feel so small. Why do I feel as if I have to do this on my own, as if God is not in control and has so many more resources to meet my needs than I could ever dream of ? I know that I need to rest in Him, trusting for peace and for Him to meet the needs that I know I cannot. Just today, as I was fretting about winter clothes for the children and how on earth was I going buy two new winter wardrobes when we barely have enough for the basics, there was a knock at the door, a generous neighbour bringing a bag load of clothes for my daughter. What a blessing. Why is it so hard to trust my Heavenly Father, when He has proved over and over again His ability to provide?

Rest

Late yesterday afternoon I sat next to a large pond at the conference centre after a very hectic day of learning about all things I needed to know if I had to report abuse of a child. This conference followed on the heels of a flooded upstairs bedroom and hallway, a week of a child having temperatures of 40 degrees due to tonsillitis and a 4 day stay in hospital, a blown engine that had to be replaced, three days of working on a cake order that was a complete disaster, a six monthly report and a monthly statistics report, two training sessions, a new dog ( see previous post) and all the usual business of being a working mom and wife.

As I sat next to that pond listening to the waterfall and hearing the geese squawking, I could feel myself relax and my shoulders unbunch. My breathing slowed down and I could feel a peacefulness steal over me. Just a quiet half  hour out of a hectic schedule but I felt so refreshed. Is that not what we need to do sometimes. Steal a few quiet moments to come to rest and renew our spirits. A time to pray or just to be quiet in order to recharge and fling ourselves into the fray. Why is it so difficult to do as women and why do we never seem to realise how much we really need it?

A new family member ...

Oscar in his favourite position

I am not someone who easily posts about our animals but I really had to do a bit of bragging.We have recently welcomed a new family member into our home. Not the two legged kind ( that is a post for another day) but the furry four legged kind. Daisy came to us after much searching and false starts. We got Oscar, our lovely boy, as a rescue last February. His family were going off to Central Africa on a four year contract and were very hesitant to take him with. We found him through a wonderful rescue organisation who rehomes Labrador's and golden retrievers. He is a lovely dog but I think has been a bit lonely.

I have been searching for months for a lady companion for him but with no luck, as each dog I saw was sort of right but not perfect.... until I saw Daisy.What got me hook,line and sinker was her big, soft brown eyes.She is a cross collie/shepherd with a gentle nature and enough extra fur to build a completely new dog.

Daisy's first night at our home

She has made herself at home here very quickly and has wriggled her way into our hearts. It was love at first sight for Oscar and he spent the first two days licking her from top to toe. They have become great friends almost instantly.Thanks to Wendy, the very kind lady who rescued her from death row and brought her to us. We plan to love her for many years to come.

A short post

A birthday cake for a fairy princess

Another princess cake for a special friend

Hi again, I have not visited here for a while.The past few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride ( mainly with me hanging on for dear life). We have celebrated two birthdays in the family and two birthday parties for close friends. I am getting a new venture of the ground ( see photo's above) . I spent 4 nights in hospital with a very sick little girl, went away for a wonderful weekend with my husband as a birthday surprise and have ended the month with a car engine that blew and had to be replaced. We have also welcomed a beautiful young lady into the family (of the four legged kind). Our boy Oscar is madly in love and spends all his time running circles round her and wagging his tail. No excuses but life has been a little bit hectic for me.

A bag in progress ( pattern by Lucy at Attic24)

I have managed to retain some sanity by following Ann at A Holy Experience.Thank you, my wonderful sister in Christ, for words that have spoken to my heart at the right time and with the right gentleness. As a treat to myself, I bought One thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp and am keeping it for my holiday, so that I can savour each word. I have also loved visiting Lucy at Attic24. Her world seems so gentle and peaceful and colourful. Her lovely crocheting inspires me and the beauty of her surrounding takes me away for a short time from the harsh realities of living in a large South African city, with all the frenetic rushing around and constant fear of crime.

Got to go now but I will hopefully not stay away so long again.

Always again

Over at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog called Tales from a gypsy mama, she has a five minute challenge every Friday. Her topic this week is " again" Here goes..........

Those words again! That tone of voice used again! How I hate myself when I hear my voice and those words coming out of my mouth.

They are unkind, harsh, sarcastic, breaking down instead of building up. In the world outside my home those words would not be used and that tone of voice never heard. I seem to keep these specially for my family, these two beautiful children with gentle spirits, who are so easily bruised. A great husband who I should be thankful for and yet those words are used to break down and hurt and pick fights. Even the poor dog suffers on a bad day.

Why do I do this? I know better and each time I fail I feel more and more ashamed of myself.
This is when I turn to my Father, who knows the words come from feelings of inadequacy, fear, rejection and unsolved issues in my life. My Father holds out His loving arms and enfolds me as I sob into His chest, hearing as He has so many times before my regret at what I have said and done. He wipes my tears away, telling me He loves me and I am His child, made in His image, not yet perfect but a work in progress. And I can turn to those I love and ask forgiveness and start over  again...