AMANDA'S BASKETS: SHARING HOPE

Monday, May 19, 2014

SHARING HOPE

Sharing hope with others in difficult situations can be hard for both the one sharing and the one receiving. A close friend received a terminal diagnosis out of the blue. And, although she has had a long, successful life both professionally and personally, it was a hard thing to hear.

After looking into all the possible treatments and settling on one, my friend proceeded to share with friends and family life's lessons learned along the way. Lessons centered on relationships and love rather than things and accomplishments. And these were shared in such a loving, delightful way that we forgot about the future possibilities and simply celebrated the joys of living life each day to the fullest.

Another friend who spoke to many groups frequently reminded folks that there was life before death and to not only remember that but to live it. Many of us, too frequently, forget that the only real time we each have is now...right now as you are reading this. Yesterday is gone and we cannot relive it. Tomorrow is only a possibility that we may imagine but not live. We only live now. Wouldn't you rather spend the only time you can really experience in hope?

GOALS FOR THE WEEK:

1. Finish planning/writing blog for May

2. Zentangle each weekday

3. Finish one journal page

4. Lose one pound

5. Arrange business changes

6. Finish two swaps (Mail art/Paperdoll)

7. Plan places to visit with guest

8. Exercise every weekday

THE LATEST SWAP:
I finished my tag swap, theme Geisha. I showed you how I folded the origami Geishas last week. Here are the Geishas...

And here are the tags that hold the Geishas...

And here's mine...

ZENTANGLE CHALLENGE: DAY TEN
I learning more and more designs as well as shading which I need to work on more...

That's all for today...
There's a new journal prompt posted...
Thanks for visiting...
See you tomorrow...

CRAFTING IDEAS

I decided to play with box making. (That was one of the demonstrations this past weekend but they included fabric.). So I first made a box shape out of a flyer that was card stock weight. I used my grid that makes fold marks - one size for the bottom and the same size plus one grid mark for the top. After folding, I cut the fold marks at both ends, overlapped them and glued using my stick glue. I then used scrap decorative paper to cover the entire box, inside and out. The top and bottom were loose before adding the scrap paper but after adding it, they fit nicely. It was an easy, fun and fast craft. And the result was really cute.

BOOK IDEAS

(New). I was looking through the recipes and marked many of them. The first one I want to try is the Wake-Up Potato and Sausage Breakfast Casserole. Everyone here likes the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Casserole so I thought I would try this one to see if it's just as good. The recipe is very similar except instead of bread, it calls for potatoes. Being originally from the midwest, you know that potatoes are golden for me! I would eat them breakfast, lunch and dinner and still not get tired of eating potatoes!