Christmas Exchange

Betty (the Woodfairy) suggested a fairy or angel - fairy ornament exchange this season.  I was all over that one, boring this blog to the outer reaches of the blogosphere for a week or so with pictures of a tree fairy made to exchange with PomPom. 

Boy, did I ever reap the better part of that exchange!  PomPom sent not only an ornament, handmade and sweet, but a book and a card, all wrapped up so Christmassy that I did not want to even open it.  But I did.  Here is what she sent:

Darling girls, stuffed and embellished with heart buttons galore.

 The girls are holding flower bouquets.

And PomPom sent a sweet book Mollie Makes Christmas, with loads of Christmas crafts explained.

 

 Cute baby booties patterns, complete with beads.

Happy, happy !

 

 

Mercy says WOOF! (that means "Merry Christmas" and "see my scarf")

 

Thanks to Betty for suggesting the exchange, and to PomPom for all the goodies!  I hung the ornament on the outside wreath for sharing views with the neighbors.

 

Stefan Lochner (1442-1451

Church Banners: 26th Week in Ordinary Times

Today begins the 26th week in the church liturgical calendar of Ordinary Times prior to the Christmas Season. Decorations were changed from the ones posted here several months ago at The American Lutheran Church to the new pieces shown below.

First, the centerpiece of the wall decorations is a quilt made by Pat McCarroll who entered into this humble McCarroll clan in 1974, bringing along her crafting skills that eventually culminated in her expert quilting arts.  Unfortunately she cannot see well enough now to continue with her crafts, but she generously loaned our church this autumn quilt of a tree with a wee squirrel at the base of the tree trunk. Don't you think the purples in the quilt really make the oranges and yellows pop?

To the upper right of the wall scheme is a picture of a coreopsis I painted ten years ago.  After adding a bit of purple to the background, I then borrowed it from the living room of our house to re-hang at church.

This is the completed collage with foam board covered in coordinating fall fabrics to round out the autumnal colors.

Psalm 124 for today's reading:

If the LORD was not fighting for us when men attacked:  they would have eaten us alive because they were so angry, waters would have rushed over us and a deep river would be over our heads, the angry waters would have gone over our heads and drowned us. We will say good things to the LORD. He did not let them eat us. We are free and still alive, like a bird that got out of a trap. The trap became broken and we are free.The name of the person that sent us help is the LORD. He made heaven and earth.

May you all have a blessed 26th week in Ordinary Times.