Back to my roots.

I have been meaning to post, I really have, but I was out of time. In a week from now I am on my way to South-Africa. Today is my last post till the end of January 2010. My prayers have been answered. I will be seeing my mom on her birthday, the 4th of December 2009 and I get to give my mom the "Frog Princes" in person. This will be the first time in 21 years that I will not be spending Christmas and New Year with my husband and children, but believe me, I need this break and I need the sunshine.

I cannot show any completed projects today but I did work on a really old UFO in the evenings and nearly completed the back-stitching on it when my left wrist froze up and I had to abandon the stitching. There is so much to prepare and organise when you go away for so long. My mom did say I could post photos of the Frog Princes on my blog before leaving but I am just too scared she takes a sneak peek and it spoils the surprise. I have taken the photos but will post them when I get back. I am not taking any stitching along. We have so much planned together that I know I will not have time for it. I want to make the most of this visit, learn the maximum, travel around a bit and spend lots of time with my mom.

Without further ado I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010. Thank you all for your kindness and motivation all year round. You girls are the best and I love you all!!!

Where I am going I will not be able to connect to internet often and when I do its to open a few urgent e-mails, so I will not be able to comment or visit your blogs till I get back. Rest assured I will catch up as soon as I can.

Take care of yourselves and be blessed.
Alice
xxx

To Bee or not to Bee on Halloween!

Alice

The Little Prince's

I have been stitching a birthday present for my mom. I cannot show progress or its completion, as its a surprise. On the 4th of December 2009 I will show the Frog Prince's, adapted from the original pattern below. I think it turned out really cute with humour and a lot of heart. My mom loves frogs and I wanted to stitch these beautiful fat frogs for her.

This week is really hectic at home in preparation for dear husband's return after a six week absence. You guessed it, some serious house cleaning lol!!! Yesterday we moved one hour back and suddenly everything is all wrong. First I thought we went forward but instead we went an hour back. I just don't get it. I am completely out of my element today. Every time I look at my watch and then check the light outside its confusion. I give up!!!



Alice

Desperately seeking......period costumes!!!

I saw this stitched and framed design (first page bottom left) depicting period costumes, in a magazine some 15 years back, and never got over it. If there is anyone out there, anyone, that has this pattern, PLEASE contact me. I am breaking out in perspiration by the very thought of this pattern!

The article is interesting as it depicts Eric Tyler and all his beautifully stitched projects. This guy demands respect!!! ; )






Alice

My girls!

Some photos of my girls. Anais wanted to be part of everything and Alicea had a hard time keeping a straight face and not succumb to kissing her. The last photo is of Anais when she was just a puppy.









Alice

Halloween, what you don't want to know!

“Test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – 22



A Celebration of Evil
Halloween is a religious day, but it is not Christian. Tom Sanguinet, a former high priest in Wicca has said: “The modern holiday that we call Halloween has its origins in the full moon closest to November 1, the witches’ new year. It is a time when the spirits (demons) are supposed to be at their peak power and revisiting planet earth… Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have, or will do, that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus.”

Day of Death
Halloween has strong roots in paganism and witchcraft. It began as the Druid festival of Samhain. The Celts considered November 1st the day of death, because, in the Northern hemisphere, this was the beginning of winter, the leaves were falling, it was getting darker earlier, and temperatures were dropping. They believed that their sun god was losing strength and Samhain, the lord of death, was overpowering the sun god. The druids also taught that on 31 October, on the eve of the feast, Samhain assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year to return to their former home to visit the living.

Human and Animal Sacrifices
On Halloween, for thousands of years, druid priests have conducted diabolical worship ceremonies in which cats, horses, sheep, oxen, human beings and other offerings were rounded up, stuffed into wicca cages and burned to death. These human and animal sacrifices were apparently required to appease Samhain and keep the spirits from harming them.

Trick or Treat
To obtain these sacrifices, druid priests would go from house to house asking for fatted calves, black sheep and human beings. Those who gave were promised prosperity, and those who refused to give were threatened and cursed. This is the origin of “trick or treat.”

Jack-O-Lantern
The Jack-O-Lantern has its origin in the candle-lit pumpkin or skull, which served as a signal to mark those farms and homes that supported the druids’ religion, and thus were seeking the “treat” when the terror of Halloween began. The World Book Encyclopedia says: “The apparently harmless lighted pumpkin face of the Jack-O-Lantern is an ancient symbol of a damned soul.”

Dance of Death
While people and animals were screaming in agony, being burnt to death, the druids and their followers would dress in costumes made of animal skins and heads. They would dance, chant and jump through the flames in the hope of warding off evil spirits.

House of Horrors
One of the popular heroes of Halloween, Count Dracula, was also a real person. Dracula lived from 1431 to 1476. During his six year reign, Count Dracula massacred over 100,000 men, women and children in the most hideous ways. He devised a plan to rid his country of the burden of beggars, the handicapped, the sick and the aged by inviting them to a feast at one of his palaces. He fed them well and got them drunk. Then he asked them: “Do you want to be without cares, lacking nothing in the world?” When his guests yelled: “Yes!” Dracula ordered the palace boarded up and set on fire. No one escaped this original “house of horror.”

The Word of God
“When you come into the land, which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations which you will dispossess, listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.” Deuteronomy 18:9 – 14

“… teach my people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Ezekiel 34:23

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priests for Me; because you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go, then when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“That whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18: 6 – 7

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9

“Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armour of Light.” Romans 13:12

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and of the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? For what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?… Therefore, come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 17

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the Faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1 – 2

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” 3 John 11

Participating in Paganism
Instead of participating in paganism, walking with Wicca, being in harmony with Halloween, having our children celebrate cruelty, and dabbling in a day of death, we should focus our family and congregation on celebrating Reformation Day this 31 October.

Reformation Day Vs Halloween
It was on 31 October 1517, that Dr. Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door of the Slosskirche (castle church) in Wittenberg, Germany. His bold challenge against the unBiblical practices of the medieval Roman papacy inspired the Protestant Reformation. All Bible believing churches should celebrate the greatest revival of Faith and freedom ever. The Reformation was one the most important turning points in world history. The energies that were released by the rediscovery of the Bible in the common tongue led to the most extraordinary spiritual Revival in history. The Reformation freed the Christians of Northern Europe from the decadence of Renaissance paganism and led to the greatest freedoms and scientific discoveries in history.

Every Bible believing Christian should celebrate the Reformation. No Christian should have part in celebrating the occultic Halloween.

We are in a spiritual world war. Cruelty to animals, vandalism and even murders occur with far greater frequency during Halloween. Every Halloween many thousands of animals, and even people, are sacrificed in satanic rituals worldwide, while millions of other people, including well meaning Christians, participate in Halloween celebrations. Halloween is a prime recruiting time for witches and Satanists. Many people have testified that they were introduced to the occult at a Halloween party. Halloween is very religious, but it is not Christian.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

Choose Life
This 31 October, take a stand against Halloween by mobilising your family and congregation to celebrate the Reformation, and to engage in spiritual warfare, earnest prayer, praying the Psalms, and sharing the Gospel with our friends and neighbours, particularly those who may be unthinkingly participating in this occultic celebration of divination, necromancy, human sacrifice and cruelty to animals.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the Breastplate of Righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Above all, taking the Shield of Faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:10 – 18

To download this article, Halloween and the Bible, in pdf format, click here.

Alice
PS. We do not celebrate Halloween! We do eat pumpkin soup though!

Dear mom...

Thank you for once again choosing the perfect card for my birthday. It finally arrived after a long journey from Africa. I sure would have loved a cup of tea and birthday cake with you now. Three years have been a long time without looking into your eyes or holding your artistic hands that I know so well. How many tears those hands have wiped away. I miss you everyday and hope to find a way to shorten the distance that stands between us.



Do you remember this photo? I look back on these photos with nostalgie. How many things I would like to change if I could go back in time!



Everytime I walk past this wooden sign it brings back so many sweet memories. What fun we had painting it together.



Do you remember, it was the year all the flowers were red. I never had red flowers since.



This is the wonderful picture you did specially for me in stippling back in 1998, the year I bought our house in France. How many hours and hours it took you to complete this!! I can almost feel the velvet from the ribbon in her hat. Your strong point is modern and more graphic art but I loved how this period lady turned out. I will treasure it always!!!







I love and miss you.
Alice

My new old armchair.

Friday morning I woke up with a mission. I have had it with discomfort. I wanted a comfortable armchair to stitch in so I went on a website where private people advertise things they want to sell in your area and I found my armchair the same day.



Its real leather, super comfortable (tested it at the seller's house lol) and its just wonderful to sit in and stitch in. I can sit with my legs crossed and my lower back is supported. Does anybody else stitch with legs crossed, you know, kind of buddah style, but not as severe?

The design of this armchair existed 25 years ago but its previous owners claim to have had it for only 14 years. Who cares, the leather is in perfect condition. It looks art nouveau-ish and of course I love art nouveau!! Its not the kind of armchair I want upstairs in the house. This armchair will be downstairs in the dogs room. Its the warmest room in winter and my animals love my company. My craft room in the attic has become really lonely lately and even up there the armchair that I sit in is not comfortable. Its beautiful of course, so totally my style with barley twists and all, but comforable, I think not! My back has been killing me and I thought I owed this little bit of comfort to myself. I often have pain with RA and if this is going to encourage me to get some stitching done while having less pain, its a deal!!
Alice

My projects!

Yes, I have been avoiding posting about what I am working on. Its another long story so I will HAVE to start at the beginning. When I look at a pattern, I look at the colours, the layout, the balance and nothing escapes my attention. I can analyse a pattern for hours wondering why this colour, why that element, why not like this or like that. For me to start a new project is a major issue. Everything has to be "perfect"! I want that sensation of absolute satisfaction and nothing less will do.

I know, its really annoying but that is me. I am a pain in the arse to myself. Let me explain. I got this lovely DMC kit last year with a Christmas tree. It comes with everything included, even the needle. Do you think that is good enough? Think again! I had to change the colour of the material and had to use another shade of white. I think I even changed the needle. The whiter shade of white just made it right for me. So in reality, all I used out of the kit was the pattern.



Then there is the Longdog Sampler I started called "Sonne Spot". Awesome, except for a little detail. I had to spend a week working on and off changing virtually every colour in that sampler. Either it was the same colour but deeper and richer, or a completely new colour. So Sonne Spot was transformed from beginning to end. The actual pattern did not change, just most of the colours. When Sonne Spot was attached to the rods I had a problem. The longest rods I had was too short. I had to fold the material on the sides and I could not roll up and down the project without ugly creases and perhaps permanent damage to the material. Off the rods it had to come again. Now all that takes time! Then DH offered to turn me new rods (cool to have a hubby that can turn rods). The rods from the Longdog project now measures 1m long!!! The biggest challenge yet was finding bias binding in my neck of the woods. Once that was attached I was home free. Finally I was ready for some stitching but hear this.





I could not choose between two projects so I thought hey, a rotation between three projects could be fun. It will never get boring if you know what I mean. The other project I wanted to start was the Vermillion Renaissance Band Sampler. Now here comes a major headache. Its straightforward right? You count out your project, attach it to the bias binding on the rods, and start stitching. Pfffff, if only!!! I had to go and change yet again most of the colours, and to add to my misery I had to integrate this specific Psalm through the entire pattern. That meant that not only did I change the colours, my sampler got wider by thirty stitches. Everything had to be counted out. Hours and hours of planning and counting out. But the best was still to come. I stitched the Psalm at the top and to my horror found that when I got to the "y" (why!!!) I did not allow enough space for its tail to go down and I did not want it touching the border so out comes all the stitching and start over again. Originally I wanted to use the darker blue but in the light where I stitched up in the attic it seemed too dark. That was unpicked after a false start. Then the lighter shade of blue was used till I ran into the tail problem and when I pulled all that out, I decided I liked the dark blue better and went with the dark blue again. I could not begin to count the hours I have spend "changing" this pattern. I think it would have been simpler to have created a new one.



Now the progress you are about to see looks like nothing and I hang my head in shame. The preparation took so much time that I had a hard time getting round to actually stitch. Then there was the run-up to the hospital, with doctors, blood tests and you name it, my birthday and then preparing everything for DH's trip and absence for 6 to 7 weeks and of course winter is coming -> chimney sweeps, burner needs cleaning, wood needs cutting etc. In one month I hardly stitched because there were just too many priorities. I also want to read, garden, take photos, exercise and the rest and the days are simply too short, never mind reading blogs, writing e-mails, speaking about and hour a day or so to my mom on Skype etc. I guess that is called "living". : )



So by living, this was the only stitching I managed but now that everyone have seen my progress, I will have to do better. : ) That is the one thing a blog does. It makes fire under your backside to show progress. Now with DH out of the way I SHOULD get more time for stitching but don't forget, I have to fill the shoes of both parents during this time so its not evident. Wish me luck lol.
Alice
xxx

Forty something!

Just as I was getting comfortable being 40, I became forty something!



It sure feels like I only turned 39 the other day so how can I be in my forties now I ask you? Is this how midlife creeps up on you? Wait wait, I am running things ahead, or is it because I am so far behind with blogging? Lets start at the beginning of September. Its been a rather out of the ordinary month for me so far. I went into hospital on the 2nd of September for a "procedure". It only took me 15 years to overcome my phobia and have it done. The best news was that I got the all clear. No cancer!!! Ok, so they cannot exactly give me a diagnosis but they found nothing. The relief...where do I start...it feels as if I was reborn!!! No more living with the fear of not knowing and being too terrified to do something about it. PEACE OF MIND!!! Its priceless!! So, I was having a good (after the procedure as before it was most unpleasant) positive run-up to my birthday. ; )

Judy has put me onto "The Law of Attraction" at the beginning of August. Judy, you rock!!! I subscribed to their daily quote and took it from there.
http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php
What really woke me up was reading this.

Your life is right now! It's not later! It's not in that time of retirement. It's not when the lover gets here. It's not when you've moved into the new house. It's not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it's not ever going to get better than right now--until it gets better right now!

I knew that, or thought I did, because after reading that quote that day, I changed my attitude. How, do you ask? Lets just say I started "living" and allowed myself to live. I stopped putting my life on hold and started breathing freely, that with the freedom of feeling reborn. The daily quotes that followed gave me insight into many things and I feel as if I have grown so much in such a short time. Because you should never keep a good thing to yourself, I spoke to my "Bumblesis" Liz and told her to subscribe to the daily quotes. That took place just before my birthday and Liz decided to surprise me and bought me the book "The Vortex: Where the Law of Attraction Assembles all cooperative relationships" and threw in some humour with "Grumpy old couples". Thank you again 'sis, I never expected this but you made my day!!



I must quote two short insightful paragraphs from the book
"Grumpy old Couples".
Men don't do communication.
It's not their thing,
it's not their fault,
it's not their problem.
If mother nature intended
a man to show his emotions,
she'd have put his knob in
the middle of his face.
Jenny Eclair

This is a man's idea on romance.
Personally I think the definition
of romantic is very straight
forward: romantic is anything,
any gesture, any present, any
object that inspires
Mrs. Llewelyn-Bowen to raise
her nightie. (I knew it!!!)
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

On the back of the book they wrote this and I had a good snigger.
"We all know how hideous dating is. But once you've snared your partner,
there are worse horrors to come.
By the time you reach grumpy old middle age, over-familiarity has bedded
in: you're firmly on farting terms, and neither of you has bought new
underwear since the honeymoon." Does this ring true for anyone lol?

Now us women, we are not stupid. We are fast to snap a situation and learn from it and the second time round we are prepared. Example: For my 40th birthday my husband bought me the wrong book on Raw Feeding for 10$ and it arrived two weeks after my birthday. His excuse was that he did not know what to get me. Um, a lot of thought went into that one clearly (hope he is not reading my blog). My actual present was a trip to visit my parents in South-Africa in 2008 as I have not seen my family for several years and I miss my mom terribly. Sadly that never realised and don't ask me why. So in short, for my 40th, I got a book I did not want worth 10$. My son Karl forgot my birthday altogether and when I told him by evening its my birthday, he got mad and stormed out screaming "you did this on purpose!" Ok, so my son behaved like an arsehole and my daughter was in New Zealand. She did, as always, come out tops and send me a parcel with goodies that cheered me up. At least one of my family members were on top of things.

Now the lesson I have learned from my last birthday, is to plan ahead, which I did. I decided that since DH always have a lame excuse for not buying anything for our Anniversary, Christmas or my Birthday, saying he could not find anything, I will buy the present HE will give me on my birthday. That way I get exactly what I want, he is happy, I am ecstatic and my birthday is a roaring success!!
So for my 40 something birthday I got a Torque by the artist and sculptor Aristide Szendy and I love it. If you look carefully, you can see the face of an owl. The two black eyes and black little beak. I love owls so this is a bonus.



Thank you DH. : )) Your gift was PERFECT!!! : ))) I could not have chosen it better myself. What I forgot to mention was that I actually got my birthday present in July, or so DH said, when he bought me a leather bag at the big Harley Davidson get together in our town. Totally wild and you got to see it over my shoulder to appreciate it. Pam, you keep on telling me I am a hippie with a hippie name like Meadow Lotus Song on Facebook so this confirms that I have a tendency to go "that way"! The photo does no justice to the bag. Its awesome. You have to see the movement of the fringes when I walk, especially from the side...raw animal magnetism!!! Life only starts at forty you see. : ))



My daughter...you got to love this girl, made me the most gorgeous card for my birthday!! It took her all evening to make it and she even missed Desperate Housewives because of it. I found the card the following morning next to these two parcels. One was of course familiar to me. Alice gives a sneaky wink.; )



The day before, Alicea went off to Autun and walked her feet blisters (again!!!) to buy me a birthday present. I told my sweety pie not to get me anything as she has only a little bit of savings left but she just gave me that "zip it" look and left. This is what my daughter got me!!!



I feel like a sex goddess in leopard print. With knickers like these I will be irresistable. The best part was fitting the bra on. I am hopeless with bra sizes but my daughter takes one look at my bossom, fully clothed, and comes back with a bra that fits PERFECTLY!!! Don't ask me how she does it. She's a genius!!! If my daughter thinks I still have it, I DO!!! Thank you my sweetheart. You are the best daughter any mother or mother in law could wish for. You are my Miss. Sunshine. : )

Now my son did not think it was worth getting up till 3 in the afternoon but did manage to give me a hug and wish me Happy Birthday where I was making cupcakes. His contribution to my birthday was what you read inside the card Alicea made. Actually, he did not remember my birthday till Alicea had him write in the card the night before when he said to her "Is it really mom's birthday tomorrow?" I rest my case!!



Did I forget to tell that I twisted DH's arm and we went out for supper as a family for the first time in 10 years and had Chinese? My birthday was perfect and what's more, I could share it with my family at a restaurant and not spend it cooking for the family. We all had the buffet where you can eat as much as you like but trust me, that is easier said than done. We all ate more than we normally would and I am sure we don't need Chinese food anytime soon, but it was good fun and I even had a bit of wine. I don't normally drink any alcohol as it goes straight into my bloodstream and knocks me out cold. No photos to show us all in the restaurant as they came out blurred. Tsk Tsk!!

Now what is life without good friends. Karen, you are the best friend anyone could wish for but you took it a step further and still send me a gift. Thank you again for the beautiful and most appropriate issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly Fall 2009. Its a treasure and yes, there is a peacock in both those samplers ladies! Karen and I love old samplers and we both go weak in the legs for period clothes and designs of a bygone age. In many ways we are like twins. Even our birthdays fall on double dates which is most uncanny.



Then there is my Virgo friends. Rozelle, thank you for that long distance call from New Zealand catching up on everything. You have been my best friend for 18 years and I hold you very dear. Cindy, thank you for the gorgeous heirloom scissors and the beautiful card. Real treasures!!! You really did not have to spoil me like this but you did and I appreciate it more than you can imagine. You are such a good friend to me. I will be cutting all the threads on my samplers with these scissors. They are fit for a Queen. Thank you again.



Then I want to thank all my internet/facebook buddies for their e-mails and good wishes. A special thank you to Jackie for always giving advice and support and being such a good friend. You are much appreciated and loved. Ok, before this turns into an Oscar "I want to thank everybody" speech, I say my adieux.
Alice
xxx