Sylvia's Simple Shots

After three days of ridiculous and constant wind we got a skiff of snow over night.  Others in the province did quite a bit of the white stuff.

The temperature this morning was -11C which is very cold for this time of year so the snow could have been much worse. 

Despite that, the hares are getting brown so we will get through this.  I was very glad to see this big guy in the back yard this morning.

I finished this book - The Waymaker by Ann Voskamp this week.  I believe I have read all her books and I own quite a few.

This is her latest released recently.

The lesson in the book is that we must maintain our connection to God - Jesus as He is the Waymaker.  He knows what we need and he knows what is next for us.

I bought the book because I am having to practice patience for the time being.  I keep the house tidy at all times and await calls for viewings with the hope of the right offer.

Mom & Dad have both experienced health crisis and that requires trust that the best for them will come to pass.  

As a planner, living with uncertainty is very difficult but I guess that is the lesson to relax and trust that was is right will come.

I replaced my TV recently.  I have had the old one for nearly 10 years I think and I bought it second hand.

It was not working well for quite a while and I thought it was just the antenna but it was the TV.

There was a sale in March offering a generous discount so I just made the decision to move forward. 

I love that I can put my music on a USB stick and play it in the living room - just like that.

I have not been able to connect it to WIFI yet so I will need help with that.

The DVD player is packed so that will have wait as well.  Very happy so far!

The challenge on Flickr Macro Mondays this week was - Bulb.  The electric kind not the garden kind.

This is one of the shots I took for the challenge.   You can check out my Photostream (SMDPics) to see the image I submitted.   There was a good variety of images to see.

I bought myself a new Basil plant last week as well as the other I purchased last April was getting gangling and not very pretty.   I am very happy to say that I now have 5 plants growing in my place.  My windows face east and north.  I have given up on African Violets for now.

The Aspargus fern I bought last year is doing well.

The Dracena I got from aunt fall of 2020 continues to grow.

The Greek Oregano that my sister gave me is a bit stretched out but I take leaves it about once a week to keep it in check.

The spider plant my niece gave me last year has been moved to the north window and is making babies for the second time which I take it is quite happy there.

The Devil's Ivy has been moved further from the east window not sure how happy it is.  Just for a little while longer, I say.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #173 and Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #332. 

Have a great week!

Mosaic Monday - Recently

Bound by Rachel Hazell arrived today!  It is a book on book making and I am very excited to read it cover to cover then provide a review and make some of the projects in it.

Keep an eye out here on my blog for further posts of projects.

I have dabbled in book making but this book provides detailed instruction based on a quick perusal of it.

I love the handmade decorative paper she has created for the book covers.   If you follow this blog you will know that I love to make my own decorative paper.


I finished my second Kate Morton book today.  A friend gave me this book a month ago knowing how much I had loved The Forgotten Garden I read this summer.  I read The Lake House amidst preparing for a large craft sale which ran the few days so my full attention was not on my reading.  Fortunately, I own the book so I will be able to read it again in the new year when I have more time.

Again, this story runs in 2 time periods the 1930's and the 2000's and involves a beautiful property in Cornwall England.  A young boy disappears and at the time the mystery is not solved as not many clues are found.

A detective in London is given an opportunity to take up the solving of the mystery.  Fortunately, one of the key persons at the Lake House in the 30's is still living but it will take her cooperation to get to the bottom of it.

It has a great ending!

I am working my way through this journal from one of my favorite authors Ann Voskamp.

I have read the book this is based on "The Broken Way".  It did not resonate with me as much as her earlier book 1000 Gifts did.

I am always interested in seeing things from a different perspective and working on my self improvement.


The sale on the weekend was successful in raising a good some of money for missionaries over seas.

It helps a lot when most of the items being sold have been donated so the funds are pure profit.   I purchased a set of wooden coasters from one of the other tables.  They will be useful in my photography.

I purchased some glass beads from a lady at another table. 

They have 925 imprinted on them which implies sterling silver cores.

I thought I got a great deal but it turns out I paid the going rate for them.  I bought them because I liked them and they will be a great addition to my macro photography so everyone is a winner.

I love the scissors charm as I have added sewing to my balliwick of skills this summer.

I did sell several sewing projects so I am very happy about that.





Joining Mosaic Monday #1 hosted by Angie at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.  She is the new hostess for the photo linky.  The hours are better now so I may be able to participate regularly again.

One Thousand Gifts - Session 2 - Grace in the Moment

I am leading this bible study tonight - One Thousand Gifts Bible Study - A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.
Nine of us met tonight to share and learn.
I look forward to a time of slowing down, being intentional, checking my attitude and increasing my gratitude.

Session 2 - Grace in the Moment

Ann this week talks about how to live our one life well.  When we give our undivided attention to the moments of life; time slows and there is enough time.

It has been studied and proven that those who take pen to paper and maintain a gratitude list of gifts enjoy:
1. Absence of Stress
2. Progress in Personal Goals
3. Higher levels of Energy
4. Feel closer in their Relationhips
5. Experience a 25% increase in Happiness

Who does not want that!!

Another subject Ann covers this week is the hard gifts which come our way.  She was eager to take the good, easy, nice gifts but there are hard things that come.  These too come from God. How can you open a hand to the easy and close the hand to the hard. You can not.

She recounts a story of an injury her son sustained and she had to come to terms that we must accept all things that come.  God has a plan.

One Thousand Gifts - Session 1 - Attitude of Gratitude

I started leading this bible study tonight - One Thousand Gifts Bible Study - A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.
Nine of us met tonight to share and learn.
I look forward to a time of slowing down, being intentional, checking my attitude and increasing my gratitude.


Session 1 - Attitude of Gratitude

Can I write down the gifts I have been blessed with?  Can I do every day till I have counted 1000 then continue? When I start to intentionally look in my life for blessings I find them everywhere.  When I write them down the invisible becomes visible.  Providing me a place I can go back to in difficult times to remember how blessed I am.

One point I picked up this session was giving thanks is the other side of prayer. Sometimes prayer becomes a list of my needs but a gratitude journal becomes the list of blessings I have received.

We started our gratitude journals tonight and one of my blessings - Friends and Family.

One Thousdand Gifts - Session 5 - Empty to Fill

This is week five in this bible study - One Thousand Gifts - A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.  I look forward to a time of slowing down, being intentional, checking my attitude and increasing my gratefulness. The video is very well done with wonderful images. There was good attendance.

Session 5 - Empty to Fill

Ann this week talks about an experience she had with a man during a youth group event she was chaperoning.  It took place in downtown Toronto at a mission where the group of young people were going to do some outreach.  The man had lived a hard life but wanted to be a blessing.  Sometimes we limit our view based on appearance, circumstance or our own history. Ann comes to understand that when she counted blessings she received that was one half of the miracle.  She could also be the gift to someone else.

We should allow the blessing to flow through us not get stuck with us.  We have been blessed with talents, opportunities, resources, time, energy, and love to share that with others. 














As you see blessings everyday write them down in your journal but also look for the opportunities to bless.


What can I give?

• a spot in traffic
• a smile
• a kind word
• a meal                            
• a hug
• a card
• a call
• a prayer

This was our last lesson for this bible study.  The group was a blessing.  I spent time with 8 incredible ladies.  Thank you for the privilege of leading.  Some of the ladies took me out for fish and chips which was really nice and we had very good time.

I created a small reminder of our time together that they can place in their journals, stick on the fridge or bathroom mirror, or place in a small frame. I hope they will see it often and lessons learned will be brought to mind again.

One Thousand Gifts - Between Sessions

There is Between Session work in the One Thousand Gift bible study.

We are asked to continue to write down our gift list.  To always have a place to write handy - a file on the phone, the computer, a note book and or a dry erase board.

Ten more dots to write down gifts in our guide.  I will share a few from this week.

1. A good result from my tests last week.

2. A visit from my sister.
3. A friend called and we made plans.
4. Fellowship with ladies.
5. My sisters grandson is getting better.

Our ugly-beautiful moments are moments when we can excavate the experience deep enough to see Christ.  Many times we cannot, at times all we can do is cope, at times we can be grateful, and then other times we can be transformed by the moment.

One Thousdand Gifts - Session 1 - Attitude of Gratitude

I started leading this bible study today - One Thousand Gifts - A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.  I have seven ladies registered and I look forward to a time of slowing down, being intentional, checking my attitude and increasing my gratefulness. The video is very well done with wonderful images.

Session 1 - Attitude of Gratitude
The book was the result of a challenge to Ann from a friend to write down 1000 gifts.  Joy came in the writing down - in the naming the invisible became visible. 

One of the images from the video that resonated with me was the act of making bread. In this session Ann is making bread.  I really enjoyed that imagery as my mother makes bread every week so it is a comforting reminder of love for me.

We are encouraged to live with our hands wide open and not close fisted.

Gifts in my life:

1. Family
2. Friends, Fellowship
3. Time
4. Health
5. A desire to be useful

Check out this 100 day calendar where you can start writing your your blessings.  Take the dare.  Start today!

You Don't Have to Work for Christmas Freebie - Ann Voskamp

I taught an Advent Class - Be Present for Christmas this fall.  The lessons were based on the book by Canadian author Ann Voskamp - The Greatest Gift.  The message on the left is the most important message I got from the preparation and presentation of this class. I gave one to each of the participants in my class.  I included several more in my Christmas cards to people who I thought needed the message.  I printed it  3.5x5 inches so they would fit inside my card envelopes.

This is one of Ann's free resources available on her website.  A Holy Experience. She has several really good books. I have her on my blog roll so check out her website if you like.

Be Present for Christmas - Lesson 6 - God With Us

This week the lesson focus is God With Us - It's the story of Joseph.
This week we make a twig ornament because every Christmas tree is shadowed by a Cross tree.  I collected the twigs this summer on my walks in the park.  I applied a bit of hot glue to tack down the cross piece then tied the join with red string in a crisscross pattern.   Once tied off at the back I applied a bit of hot glue along the back of the back piece to keep the string aligned and make the ornament hang straight.  I added a nice scroll ornament hanger.
Joseph is given the privilege of naming the Baby.  The angel says you will name Him - Jesus - the Lord Saves - God is With Us. The God who loves us and likes us and isn't merely 50% or 73.2% for us, but the God who is always, unequivocally, 100% for us - the God who likes us, the God who is so for us that He is the God that chooses to be with us.

I'm selecting my lessons from The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.  The book provides 24 lessons for each day of Advent of which I have chosen 7 for this class.  We will have readings, questions, discussion, and an activity each week.

Be Present for Christmas - Lesson 5 - Be a Dwelling Space for God

We continue to assemble our Advent Calendars.  See last weeks lesson here. There is sewing on of buttons and adding strings to the envelopes.  We then place our scripture readings and activity sheets in envelope.  I will leave the writing of their chosen activities to their own time.  The envelopes can now be hung on the buttons.

This week the lesson focus is Be a Dwelling Space for God. It's the story of Mary. When you make space in your words, in your wants, in your ways for Jesus, He comes and lives in the most miraculous way in your heart, too. Only one thing is necessary - just let your hands and your heart be a space for love to come into the world.
Is there anything you need to take a break from for a while to make more space for Jesus?

I'm selecting my lessons from The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.  The book provides 24 lessons for each day of Advent of which I have chosen 7 for this class.  We will have readings, questions, discussion, and an activity each week.

Be Present for Christmas - Gratitude

I'm teaching a class I've called "Be Present for Christmas" and the first class is tonight.  It is a class to help people slow down, focus on the reason for the season, and prepare their hearts for Christmas.

I am starting with Gratitude.  I've read Ann Voskamp's 1000 Gifts from which I have taken a small excerpt about this very subject.  Living with an attitude of gratitude changes us.