This weeks challenge for Inspiration Avenue is:

"What's in Your Christmas Ball"

When I read the theme I thought of the Christmas Trees that are decorated each year with a different theme, never the same from year to year. They might be all Snowmen, or Santa"s, a certain color like Blue & Silver or Red & Gold. In our 44 yrs of marriage this has not been the case. Our trees have always been decorated with ornaments handed down from family member, homemade ornaments or that special ornament picked out specifically at a Christmas craft show. When the Christmas boxes come out & the ornament boxes are opened the memories flow:

"Oh remember when we got this one in Hawaii?"

"Oh here are the ones we bought for Shelly's first Christmas"

"Aunt Hazel made one of these for all the family members"

"I remember getting this one at a Ornament Exchange when I worked at Gallagher"

"We got these for each family member & had them personalized in Ketchikan"

"Shelly & I, each got one of these at a Christmas Bazaar in Illwaco"

"I never thought I would get all the pins in these sequins when I made this one"

I could go on & on, but I love opening the box with the few fragile glass ornaments, that my parents got before I was born. The colors aren't as bright & the hooks are gone, replace by modern ones. Yet when you look at them they seem to say:

Heirloom

Aged

Fragile

Generations Past

Treasured

Below are pictures for these precious ornaments, that are still in our family, hanging on our tree. In the middle is the Angel tree topper & Rudolph ornament from my first Christmas.

So here's my interpretation of:

"What's in Your Christmas Ball"







Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"Aged Beauty"

"Grandpa Charlie's Saddle"

This saddle belonged to my Grandfather

Charles Raymond Johnson. I never got to meet him, because he died in a hunting accident when my own father was only 16. The saddle was kept by my father & stored in our garage attic. When it came time to clean out my childhood home, the saddle was found, by my cousins husband, Bob. I did not know that it was still in the family. My mother had told Bob, that he could have the saddle, which we gave to him. It is proudly displayed in his office and used when he & my cousin, Velma, compete in Chuck Wagon Cook-offs. It has been completely restored, an

"AGED BEAUTY".



I wanted to capture the beauty of this lovely Mum Plant. It was given to me by a very special lady, I have come to know at Mountain View Funeral Home & Memorial Park. She comes in many times when I am working to get the key to the Mausoleum - to go visit her husband. I was drawn to her & her daughter when her husband passed away. It seemed I was always working when they came in to make arrangements for his Memorial Service/Reception. So I was honored to work as the hostess for the Reception. As I look back on the events I can see Gods hand in all of it. He used me to help this family through a very difficult time of loss. I just wanted to be there for them & to continue to offer support for them afterwards, with a smile, a hug or simple "How are you doing?" It seems like such a small thing to do for someone who is grieving. One day recently when I arrived to work, there was this lovely Mum Plant waiting for me. I was so surprised. When I read the card attached to it, tears came to my eyes. It simply said

"Loretta, Just Because, Sincerely Ingrid".  

We do not know when God is going to use us, but we need to be ready & not question that gentle nudging from Him. Because you have no idea how you will be blessed by blessing someone else.



This past week I really had hoped to get a submission in to Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge "Masquerade Ball" - but my week just didn't have a lot of just fiddling on the computer. So today I decided - I missed the challenge but I still wanted to put together what had been swirling around in my head all last week.

A few years ago my sweet granddaughter, Kayla, came down to go with her boyfriend to his high school dance. We had so much fun - well I think "WE" did.....I sure did...lol. Find a dress, shoes, and making a mask for her to wear. Oh my creative energy went bananas on that mask. We went to every craft store around looking for just the right items to make it special.  She looked so cute taking all kinds of pictures of herself in the different stages of creating "THE LOOK". Luckily she was using my camera, so I still have them to enjoy.

Below is my creation of "Masquerade Ball".  Maybe some of you ladies from Inspiration Avenue will pop in to see my beautiful Granddaughter in her Mask for the "Masquerade".



We have has so much fun watching these little guys.

God, Thank You for the gift of these amazing

little birds.

 

On a recent visit to our daughters we were blessed with an amazing sunset. I especially liked this one because it shows a field being watered at sunset.

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"SUNFLOWERS"

 Pictures taken while spending time with my daughter, Shelly.

"God's Promise" This week at Inspiration Avenue Challenge "Over the Rainbow"

"God's Promise"

PURPLE and GREEN

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

I didn't get my submission to

Inspiration Avenue in time to enter it. But decided to go ahead a post it here on my Blog.

The challenge this week was "Angel".

This picture was taken a couple of years ago of my Garden Angel. She skirt is a bird bath, which is added sweetness to the garden when little birds come for a drink. The Moss Roses seem the really thrive that summer.



Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"MOTHER"

I have enjoyed this weeks challenge.

In the above pictures is one of my Mother, many years ago. I miss her so much. She has been in her heavenly home for 11 years this past Thursday. Which makes this Challenge especially sweet.

The other picture is a 3 Generation picture of Mothers.

My Mother, Wilma, Myself & My Daughter, Shelly, with her 2 children, Raymond & Kayla.



"Hello Spring" Inspiration Avenue Challenge

Took while on a walk with our sweet Toby 

He stopped to smell the flowers.

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

"BLACK WHITE PINK"

Inspiration Challenge of the week

"I Dream in Color, How 'bout You?"

"Colors that I am Drawn to and Inspire me"

 

Winter Sunset

Being drawn to the many colors, especially in a

Winter Sunset

began when I was very young.

Many Sundays I would go with my parents out into the mountains

and my father would either go duck or rabbit hunting.

On the way home it would be late in the afternoon or early evening.

Going home we drove west into the setting sun.

My Mom & I would play this "If you could have..." game.

It would go like this

 "If you could have anything the color of the sky,

what would it be?"

She would pick things like a bedspread, blouse, dishes or maybe curtains.

I would always pick a

 ROBE or PAJAMAS.

To this day when I see the beautiful colors in a

Winter Sunset,

I am reminded of the special game
Mom & I had.

I am thankful my Mom made

Winter Sunsets

so special.