‘Ink-Re-cap 303: Random Sketches and Scribbles
‘Ink-Re-cap 303: Random Sketches and Scribbles
on a desert “winter” day after a week blessed with rain.
In the desert we never complain about rain. And early this week we got a good rain, that greened up our lawn with its natural nitrogen. Then it got cold.
Sometimes the cold is really cold, even though the temps say it’s 43° F.
But we use cold as an excuse to work indoors, and we got lots of odd jobs done. Because January is the month to do that, right? Odd jobs and organizing.
Have you redeemed the January organizing time?
Kim has been gone this week, and we can only see her between 4 and 6 each day. I haven’t gone every day. Her brother and a friend have gone on the days I didn’t. Kim isn’t progressing as we’d like. Her anger and frustration is near the surface, and she (we) request continuing prayers. Our relationships don’t work well when she’s in this mindset.
Kim’s dad isn’t able to do lengthy repairs in her barn-loft apartment when she is home, so he’s been using this time to fix things and add some lights. She often can’t handle being in the same room with him, so he has to sneak work in for her when she’s not around. (One thing we want to try to get into now with Kim is some “brain re-training” to manage some of her thought habits that cause us all so much stress. The hospital staff is strongly suggesting that she get into some programs when she’s released. I told them it would have to be on their orders, as our attempts for this have been rejected in the past.)
Meanwhile, back at the barn, we discovered we had a near disaster sometime in the past. Kim kept saying some of the plug-ins didn’t work, so now her dad dug deeper to see if he could find what he wasn’t able to before. And yes, in a large under-eave closet, a plug-in had shorted out. Most of the plastic was burned away! There must have been flames, oh horror! It could have been so bad, and we have no idea when it happened. And what is really weird, the breaker didn’t flip. So you can imagine how thankful we are we had this chance to fix it. And that God kept the fire contained so we didn’t have a building burn down!
And when (if) Kim comes back, she’ll love the new lights we’re installing.
We ordered this rope wire, and are planning to sort of imitate these lights over the kitchenette sink. We ordered this set of sconces for above the bed, but they got sent back to the seller instead of getting delivered to our house. They never said why. So now we’ll probably do something with the extra rope-wrapped wire we got.
‘Ink Re-Cap 303:
The last week’s posts:
Boho Florals Wedding Stationery
Winter Owls Baby Shower Theme Ideas
Church Ladies Potluck Lunch For Sewing Circle
6 Devotional Book Recommendations For The New Year
Fun Freebies and New Products
Owl-Always-Love-You Nursery Print
Owl Preschool Activity Printables: Cutting and Matching Skills
Owl Number Practice Printables: Color and Count to 10
Valentine Owl Tea-Towel Pattern (click to post, then use the link to our contact form to request the pattern.)
Parents Valentine Keepsake Craft
Note: There’s a side bar on all blog pages that helps you get to the topic you most want to read about. The main topics are Weddings, Babies, Kitchen, Crafts and Inspirational Stuff.
Our posts include affiliate links. If you purchase an item through the link we may receive a small commission from Amazon. This does not affect your purchase price of any items.
Inklings of Real Life
5 Things Making Me Unhappy This Week
As I explained in the weekly email, this title is a reference to Gretchen Rubin’s weekly email. Hers, of course, lists 5 things making her happy, because she’s the queen of happier.
The following paragraph, listed as number 3 on her list of 5 for this week, is so, so true. So often when someone confides in me, my brain is busier finding a solution for their problem than listening to their heart. Just listening and conveying empathy helps much more than listing all the solutions. Because, in reality, don’t we know all those platitudes already? We just need to vent before we buck up and follow the platitudes.
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We all know the feeling of wanting to comfort someone who’s upset but not being sure about what to say. I was fascinated by this round-up of recent research in The New York Times about what responses work best. For instance, it turns out that validation such as “I can imagine that was difficult” is more comforting than “Try to see both sides” or “Try to focus on the glass half-full, not half-empty.” Also, don’t tell someone to “Calm down” or “Relax,” because these admonitions tend to have the opposite effect. The good news: people really do appreciate support, even if it’s not exactly in the form that they’d prefer.
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‘Ink Re-Cap 303 Books of the week:
The titles links to Amazon. Of whom we are affiliates, so if you click over to Amazon, then buy something, we get a tiny stipend from their enormous stash. Won’t change your price, so no worries there.
Teenagers and up:
The Hiding Place
by Corrie Ten Boom
My birthday group friends and I went out for lunch today, and someone said she had started reading this book again. Also, at our Church Ladies Sewing Circle last week, the devotion time was an excerpt from this book. About forgiveness. This is a good time to remind ourselves of our blessings, about forgiveness, and the wisdom of Ten Boom. Check out her other books, too: “In My Father’s House” and “Tramp for the Lord.”
Amazon says:
“Every experience God gives us . . . is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see.”–Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler’s concentration camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century. In World War II she and her family risked their lives to help Jews and underground workers escape from the Nazis, and for their work they were tested in the infamous Nazi death camps. Only Corrie among her family survived to tell the story of how faith ultimately triumphs over evil.
Here is the riveting account of how Corrie and her family were able to save many of God’s chosen people. For 35 years millions have seen that there is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still. Now The Hiding Place, repackaged for a new generation of readers, continues to declare that God’s love will overcome, heal, and restore.
Children’s story book:
Kermit the Hermit
by Bill Peet
Chances are your children (and you) are already familiar with Bill Peet’s books. If not, this one is a good one to start with. My middle girl g’little like them all!
These books were written in the 1980s so they’re good old fashioned stories.
Amazon description:
A little boy saves Kermit from disaster, and the once cranky crab works hard to repay him.
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DO ANY OF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR BOOKS WE CAN SHARE, THAT HAVE INSPIRED YOU OR YOUR LITTLES? WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
‘Ink Recap 303 Fridge Quote
Now for the week’s fridge quote, our January Thankful list, which we may or may not be able to fill this month. I hope you can!
How To Get It:
Use this form and request Fridge Quote 303.
