Theme: Family Traditions & I’ll Owl’ways Be Thankful
Design Team: Pixelscrapper & Scraptwist
Designer: The Rush Ranch
Location: Eastern Oregon
This morning the fog from the valley below rolled up the mountainside like a fast-moving sandstorm, racing the wind to reach the summit first. One moment I was enjoying the rain and how it made the fall colors seem so brilliant, and then the next moment I watched the fog roll over the ranch as if I was at sea. When we fed the horses this morning we could hear their hooves thunder as they ran down toward us from the far corner of the ranch. They had been visiting with the neighbor horses (They talk over the fence), but we couldn’t see them up there because of the fog.
Douglas, our adopted German-shorthair fella wants to sit on my lap this morning, all 80 lbs of him. He is such a big cuddle bug. He is actually a real good napping buddy. If you need something to curl up to when taking a nap, Douglas is at your service in a flash. He will even bring along his own favorite blanket.
I’ve been doing a bible study with some girlfriends. We are going through a study of Psalm 23, led by Jennifer Rothschild. I have a string tied around my wrist to remind myself of one important thing – That I am a lamb of the loving Shepherd. When I feel anxious or worried, I just need to look at that string and remember who I am.
Still, still…..I’m in a hazy, muddled place right now. Don’t really understand it. Can’t focus. Haven’t done any of my bible study homework this week, nor worked on building a new scrapbooking kit. I haven’t worked on a crochet project, or read a book, etc. I can’t seem to focus. I *think* it is because I am feeling overwhelmed right now with what is happening at my church. We’ve lost our pastor, so we need to form a selection committee and go through the process of finding a new pastor. But none of us have ever done this before, and it is hard to know where to start. I have searched the web for info regarding selection committee processes, and interview questions, etc. – Thank goodness for the resources available because I did find some great information. I suppose that I am also feeling that we don’t have much to offer – our funding will be small because we are a very small church of approximately 30 people, the majority of them on Social Security. We have a parsonage, but it is an old place that needs repairs. But I also need to remember that I don’t have to worry about any of that – because the Lord will take care of it. He will bring us a new Pastor that will fit right in. I have a string around my wrist that reminds me, HE is the great Shepherd. HE will send one of his teachers to our church.
My husband is in Portland right now, about six hours away. His brother, who has been in the hospital for several months now, has asked that all medical interventions be stopped. The brother wants to go home, he is tired now. He has a disease that has made his major arteries and aorta frail and thin as paper, and he keeps bleeding internally. His brain doesn’t get the blood it needs to operate, so he has had several strokes. He can’t eat so he is on a feeding tube and dialysis. His organs have been damaged beyond repair and some of them no longer work. It’s time. It’s hard on my husband to see his younger brother so frail and ill. Harder to let him go, but see’s the wisdom of it. My husband and I promise each other that we will not drag our own end-of-life medical care out like this. Those of us left behind will miss our loved ones enormously, but the one that passes will be in the presence of a loving God.
By the way, you and I both know that the world is in a troubled place. violence, politics, etc. Each one of us, you and me both, need to be the change. It starts with us. So do something kind for someone today. Buy them a coffee, let them go in line in front of you, pick up the trash in your neighborhood gutter, deliver a meal to an elderly person in your neighborhood…….please. We can do this. We can make our little space in this world a whole lot better with simple acts of kindness.
So I’ve rambled away here, enough already. Thank you for listening.

I made a “Birthday Board” that you can see in the second preview. I don’t know how useful it will be. At home I have one made out of wood, and I love it. I hang tags under each month with the person’s name and day of their birthday. A paper one won’t be of must use, but if you fortify it with a stronger cardboard background, it just may be ok. Paperclips would work to hang the tags from the board, and each other. Here is the link to the blog train on the Pixelscrapper website.



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DOWNLOAD BIRTHDAY BOARD
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For the Scraptwist Free4All Team, I made three different owls for you with my shape and warp tools. You know that making animals is new to me and I have a lot to learn. Some people can make some really cute critters, and I don’t know how they do it – perhaps a more sophisticated design program, or talent – so I stick to my shape and warp tools. I’ll eventually find a way to do it better, but in the meantime, here is “Olivia”, to welcome you to the Blog Train. She is wearing a fancy feather hat and her favorite button.
Be sure to visit the designers in the blog train list below my kits.



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DOWNLOAD SOLID PAPERS
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BLOG TRAIN ROLE:
Marniejo’s House of Scraps
Songbird Scraps Designs
KJDdesigns
Nellie Bell
The Brown Owl
Moore Blessings Digital Designs
Lady DGscrap
LEA Art Designs
