Sylvia's Simple Shots

 

It was a good week for birds.  I finally found American White Pelicans at Heritage Hills Wetlands in Sherwood Park. The Junco and the Waxwing were on my morning walks.

When I have to walk and exercise inside I found walking meditations which combine 2 things I want to start my day with.

Gratitude is always a good thing.  

I heard this a couple of days ago.  What if you only had today what you thanked God for yesterday?  That is a sobering thought.

I really appreciate being to view these on my TV so I can appreciate all the beautiful scenery that is included in the videos.

Another Angel of Love - Henry K. Ripplinger

Henry continues to get support from Mr. Engelman at the grocery store.  He is still holding out hope that Jenny will be in touch but so far not a word.

Life goes on as it must.  Things are getting better at the store as renovations take place.

Henry meet Julean Carter who comes from a different background than him.  Her family heritage is the Mormon faith.  This will play a role in the future of this young couple.

Henry and Julean marry, buy a house, have children, and still Jenny is part of Henry's thoughts and dreams.

Good clean reading in another great book in this series.

"My Quiet Time" Kit

I am working on Christmas gifts.

I put together these "My Quiet Time" kits which provides a few things for one to set aside time to be still and recharge.

I know we all want to spend time with family in these days but I believe we need balance in order to recharge our batteries.

I am an introvert so I need time alone to build up my energy.

This kit would appeal to several different practices whether that is meditation, prayer, taking time away from technology, or breathing to center yourself.

The jumping off point for this was a set of sky photographs I put into a collection recently.  They provide a contrast to my usual macro get in close type of photography and I thought gave the sense of an expansive point of view.

Thinking they would work well to be used a starting point for spending some quiet time where we can calm our spirits from the chaos of our times.

I put together a collection of 10 sky photos from several years worth of picture archives.

I was amazed that I had quite a few.  I was not aware that I regularly took landscape photos.

They fit nicely in a black metal holder which allows a person to browse through them and place the one for today's practice on the front.

They are 6x4 photographs with a nice white border around edge with no further distractions.

With the objective of engaging several senses during this quiet time I wanted to work with sight and touch.

A candle provides warmth for the sense of touch and a flame for sight.  

The flame could be used as a focus point where one can get lost in time.

It is an unscented candle as I know many people have scent sensitivity.

The candle included can be used for many sessions and when it is used up, it can easily be replaced.

Please remember: Do not leave a lit candle unattended.  Blow it out before you leave the space.

I have included some "Focusing Phrases" which are positive thoughts which one could spent time with.

They can be repeated silently or audibly depending on the circumstances of the quiet time session.

The card is stored along with the photos in the black holder.

I have added a tab so that it can be easily pulled from the holder to make a selection of a phrases in any given session.

These are only suggestions and there is room on the back to write down some personal ones.

With the idea of incorporating scent to engage the sense of smell I thought an essential oil diffuser would be a great addition.

Wanting to work the supplies I had on hand I went to my metal and wood drawer.  I had several wood shapes in there but I wanted the diffuser to have some presence and not lay flat. I found these small wood peg dolls which I thought would work perfectly.

The person can add their own favorite essential oil to the doll by placing a drop of oil onto it's head.  I placed the wood figure onto a metal disc to protect the surface it is placed on from damage the oil may cause. 

I bit of colorful thread tied in a bow around the neck added the final touch.

With a bit of research in quiet time practices it was suggested in a couple that beads could be used in several ways.  To track the count of repetitions of phrases or they could be just a way to keep your hands busy so your mind can focus during the practice.  

I am a big believer in counting blessings and the positive effect on our lives when we practice gratitude.  I would use the beads to count my blessings during my quiet time.

A person could also add a journal to their quiet time routine to record blessings.

I hope they will be a blessing to those who receive them this year.

12 Mini Meditations Photo Collection

We all need tools to manage the hectic life we live.  I wanted to create a tool for those who need to be reminded how to destress.

Meditations are a great way.  I found 12 Mini Meditations authored by Meg Selig on line.  We all can take 30 seconds to invest in ourselves. I chose only the title of each meditation for this project.  I provide the link to the full information for those who want to persue that.

I have paired my photography with phrases of mini meditations. 

This tool sits in your space whether that is your desk at work, the organization corner in your kitchen, or your home office. 

I recommend that you rotate them every week or month so that you get familiar with the concepts so when stress hits you have quick access to a way to handle it.  You can enjoy the images which provide a bit of a bright spot to enjoy each day.

I have been given permission by the author to produce these.  I am offering them in this craft season and we will see if folks see the value. 

The photographs were selected to provide a single element of focus to provide a calming composition.

The words are placed to be easily read but not overwhelming to the composition.

Share Your Cup - This Week

I received this Scentsy Silent Night wax warmer for Christmas.  It features the nativity, the wise men and the shepherds.  A light bulb provides the heat to melt the wax.   It`s navy and white which totally fits into my colors.

Several years ago I changed from candles to wax for adding scent to my place.  Safer and I can set a timer for only a certain amount of time so I don`t forget to turn it off.

I placed my favorite scent -Scentsy Cinnamon Vanilla into it and enjoyed it all day!!  It added great atmosphere to my place.



I`ve decided to add some meditative coloring to my life in the new year.  I`m starting out with a small coloring book and my pencil crayons.  I loved, loved coloring when I was a kid and look forward to applying some creative juices to these pages.  I will post my efforts as time goes by.



I made some of these Thread Catcher Bags as Christmas gifts this season.  Several of the ladies in my family sew and quilt.  My Mom has sewn most of her life.  I had to sort out a pattern for these and you can find instructions on this post.

I made these soft fleece pot protectors for my sister.  These are designed to be placed between fry pans when you stack them so they don`t get scratched being moved around.  I chose the deep charcoal color based on the colors in her kitchen.
This is a very simple design based on a circle measured with a dinner plate.  It is 2 layers thick and I sewed the seams with zigzag around the edge then trimmed any leftovers off.  I ran 3 seams across the center and you can see I did not get perfectly in the center but the frypans will not notice.   This is very washable which is important for anything in the kitchen.


I am enjoying the decorations on the trees in the homes I visit over the holidays.  My sister`s tree on Christmas day was spectacular.  Done in clear lights, mostly clear, white and silver ornaments with a few red ones.  It rotated all day but I`m not sure how that was accomplished.  This is a silver snowflake that was on her tree.


Sharing with Share Your Cup #229 hosted by Jann at Daily with Mrs. Olson.