The Life of Mrs. Miles

BIG FAT FUN SPRING FLOWERS

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These spring flower elements are created BIG - like for a 12 x 12 layout big - so that you can keep them that way or you could shrink em too! I've created them with bold black outlines as well so you could even select the color inside the petals with a a wand and even use that as a template to 'cut' your own papers to fill the flowers? Alternately - if you're an experienced ps user you might select the areas AROUND the flowers and then invert and cut out of your own paper and paste... do you see where I am going here?

MATILDA THE FROG

courtesy of June

I hope you are reading my blog today, June, as your Matilda is being featured today. For those of you who are new to my blog, June is a friend who attended the Learning Center where my Husband works. June is a mucho talented lady. If you search back in my blog - I think in December or January, you can see some of June's fine, fine sewing and pottery talents. June showed me these sweet pictures of Matilda the frog. I hope I get the story correct. June had a neighbor in an apartment building and they bought her this frog for her patio. The lady was gaga for frogs. June, being a talented seamstress along with a good dose of humour.... decided to create some little outfits and scenarios for Matilda. Notice the bikini in the top one and furry slippers on the bottom one. The 'blanket' on the bottom is a crocheted doily. The 'food' is also created by June of beads etc... June does a lot of delightful 'miniature' work. Thanks June, for the good laugh!

June, we had a Movie Day, yesterday, at the school and it was a huge success... it was also Linda Lobb's last day... We sure miss you!!!

Because today dawned sunny I plan to hurry this entry up so I can get outside and out to the Painters and Potters group for the afternoon. I want to share a small thought tho, before I do.

I've mentioned previously that I find this time of the year just 'ick'.. this in between time. I find myself snapping and being short without my brain being aware my mouth is doing it... and that distresses me. I'm not alone, in talking with friends etc, I'm noticing its a danger right now. Meybe we all could label it 'cabin fever' ... Whatever it IS, I want to have power over it.

IS IT THIS EASY?

The other night Miles and I went for a walk, late at night. A long, long walk. We both took something to listen to. Me, a radio ( I like to listen to Delilah and be uplifted) and Miles took the ipod. Well, not far into the walk, he could not get his playlist correct... and he began to do what I will fondly call the 'ipod shuffle'. No, not talking about the music shuffling songs, but of how when one is seeking to find the songs, looking at the ipod screen and not the sidewalk, or where we are going... we unconciously start 'shuffling' our feet. Well, this happened several times... and my first reaction was annoyance... but I caught myself. My mind jumped to "why doesn't he just tell me he's going to slow down?" or mebye stop altogether? Then, I realized this was an OPPORTUNITY... this has happened to me with the ipod before... I know how annoying it is to the person 'shuffling, never mind the person with you.

So, I consciously made up my mind to be encouraging. I touched Miles on the arm each time, and I told him to take his time. I gently told him I knew how frustrating that was. I told him there was no hurry.

Do you know... he THANKED me after, without prompting.

Is it this easy? That if we can take that second, and encourage instead of thinking of the inconvenience to ourselves we can create a loving scene out of what could have been a discouraging moment?

Do you have an example you would like to share? I would love to hear from you!

THE BEST REMEDY FOR ANGER IS DELAY

JAMES 1:19 (NASB)

But let everyone be quick to hear,

slow to speak and slow to anger.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #213

Spring Clean Your Marriage

Yesterday I spoke about Spring Cleaning... but all the cleaning inside your home means nothing if you have not 'cleaned' your relationship. Your relationships benefit from the same scheduled care as your physical items. I bet many of us take more care of our homes than we do to our marriages - we don't think about it. We expect them to just go on and on without checking and maintaining them. Why not do some 'Spring Cleaning' in yours today?

SPRING MARRIAGE CLEANING

GROWTHTRAC MARRIAGE PODCAST (FREE!)