sandraleecleary

What is TIME?

According to Wikipedia time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future.

I cannot believe my last post was 2021. Where did the time go? That last post was during COVID. The world stood still for so long. Getting back into the groove has taken so much longer. My writing has slowed down to a crawl. And I do mean a slow crawl. My drive wasn’t into it. Or you might say my passion wasn’t quite the same as before. I couldn’t get my thoughts down on paper fast enough. Now I’m still crawling. But the pace is picking up.

My quilting projects picked up while I wasn’t putting my thoughts down on paper. My goal is to make sure my children and grands receive a quilt handmade by Grandma. So many more to go! Lord willing, I will get it done.

So today I’m trying to figure out this self-publishing stuff out. My previous books were published through a publishing company and now I wanted to try to do it myself. Oh, my goodness, I’m so confused. I need hands on help!! So, I’m plugging away this past week I’m enlisted my faithful friend, who knows the ropes, to help me. I think I’ve run her ragged already. But, we must push on.

So, my friends keep posted.

Until then………………………………

Well, it’s about time I got back in the groove. I’ve stalled for quite some time. So much has been going on in everyone’s life. I’ve slowed down in writing…but doing a lot of quilting. I’m still learning with the quilting. It’s not easy keeping everything square. I’m not very good at measuring. never have been.

The publishing company my partner and I shared has been sold. We are writing on our own and leading others on where to have their works published. So much easier. But, it’s been harder to sit still and let the mind get back in the groove. It’s like, squirrel!!! Where was I?

This last two years we’ve been quite busy going to more funerals than I’ve ever gone to before. Maybe it’s my age, but who knows. It could be the viruses. We are in troubling times. It makes me keep my eyes skyward. End times. Like, have you read the book series “Left Behind”?? Great reading.

Grandkids are getting older. It’s hard to keep up with most of them as they all live in different states. Praise God I do have three children living close by, so we are able to keep up a few of them. Only thing is, they all have busy lives! We are expecting our 16th great grandchild in November. The Lord said be fruitful and multiply and I think I have done my share.

So, for now I will close for now and get back to working on my first devotional book. I am really hoping I will have it finished by Christmas. Prayers, please.

Until then my friend…….have a wonderful fruit filled day and meet someone new. Everyone needs a friend to lift them up.

I know I say this all the time but where has the time gone? My last blog was in April of this year and I feel like I must have been asleep all this time. I know I’ve been writing but haven’t gotten very far, but I’m working on it. I’m putting together a devotional book. I’ve written some devotionals in the past and decided it was time to put it into a book to share with others. With everything going on in this world now is the time to take a deep breath, relax, and read my Bible. Feel His presence. I know He is with me always, but sometimes I feel so far away from Him. It’s not Him, it’s me. I try to bumble along each day and do it my way, which I might add doesn’t always work out. When I let Jesus take the wheel my days come out so much better.

So here it is, what has been going on in my life. In January my brother passed. That has been hard as we were pretty close. I miss him everyday.

Hubby and I took a trip in June to the Pacific Coast to check on our daughter who had a stroke late last year then headed over to Idaho to meet with sister-in-law. We drove close to six thousand miles. It was a much needed to be made trip but well worth it. We also got to visit with grandchildren and great grandchildren who we don’t get to see very much.

Then the first of August we hopped in the car again and made our way to North East Iowa to a family reunion. My first one with my with biological father’s family. To say I was welcomed with open arms is an understatement. I wish we could have stayed a bit longer as I didn’t get to visit with some of my relatives but we got a lot of pictures. They shared stories and many pictures of my grandfather and extended families. My bucket list grew when I returned home. Top of the list is to return for another reunion and hear more stories of the family.

Carr-Kinsel Family Reunion 2021.

I was only home one day before I packed up the car and headed to Ft. Collins, Colorado to take grandson to college at Colorado State University. My daughter and granddaughter traveled with me. We got him all settled in and I have no doubt in my mind he went right out and started making new friends. He has that magnetic personality. My prayer is that his dreams and hard work come true. Although there maybe some road blocks of life in there he knows the Lord is there with him. Praise God.

My how time flies and I will add it flies quickly. Too quickly!

So now I’m home. No more trips for the rest of the year. And it’s time to get the book finished.

Until then my friend……………………………………………………..

Where did the time go? I feel like I’ve been asleep for two years! Yes, you heard me. ASLEEP.

Have I been writing? Very little. So what have I been doing. Oh yes, now I remember. Hubby retired. I’ve been helping him every time he pops his head in the door and says “Honey, I need your help here. Just for a minute.” And by the time that minute is over I’ve forgotten where I was and what I was doing. So, scratch what ever that was.

I starting working on a devotional book. And that’s where I’m still at. Starting…. I add a page here and there, so by the time I get it finished it will probably take me a year. Yes, I need to speed this up a bit. I see that now.

I have three small dogs. So every hour it’s “Ok, let’s go pee pee guys.” And that takes up about an hour of my time…each day! Not only do they go outside to do their business they expect a “treat” when they come in. After all they were good by going outside to take care of nature.

Through this pandemic I’ve been learning how to quilt. I guess you could say this is what has taken up most of my time. I never knew there was so much math in quilting. And, I was not good in math. But I’m learning. So far I must say so myself I’ve made quite a few small lap quilts and two large quilts. The large quilts were for my wonderful hubby and one for my hunter grandson. They loved them which was the goal while making them.

Right now after the bad storm we had hubby and I are repotting all my flowers that were destroyed. I don’t know if my lemon or kumquat tree will ever recover but I’ll just plant another one later. Life goes on.

Now you ask so what’s your problem lady? Well my problem is there is so much more I want to do and just can’t seem to find the time to do it. And I get upset with myself. Guess I need to chill out and learn to take time to smell the roses while I continue to quilt and write and take care of the hubs!

Here are a few of my projects! Until then my friend…………………………………………..

Last but not least my colorful table runner. I love the vibrant colors.

Here we go again. A new year and looking forward to a much better one than 2020! Of course I am, just like every other person out there.

My prayer is for each one to have a blessed year. That you wake up each morning praising our Lord and Savior for what He has done for you. For keeping you in His hands throughout last year.

Let me begin by praising Him for 2020 when the doctors finally put a name to what kind of virus was attacking my foot. I started out by going to my primary doctor who sent me first to one doctor then another and another. It took almost a year to finally say I had psoriatic arthritis. What a relief. Now I take medication to help it. Praise God.

Hubby finally said he’d had enough and retired. Now I have more husband and less pay check but it’s been nice to have him home. We go places together. Even taking the dogs to get their shots! He gets to hold two and I get one! He also found out how much work it is keeping the house together!

We’ve been blessed with another great grandchild. Looking forward to two more to arrive in 2021! God said be fruitful and multiply and what do you know. We are working on the seventeenth great grandchild!!! Thank you God.

My fourth book made it’s debut on my birthday….”Dial 1-800-2HE-AVEN, A memoir. I’m slowly but surely working on my fifth, a devotional.

This year found me learning how to quilt. Who knew there was so much math in quilting. The one subject I never liked and I always had trouble with! Thank goodness for good friends that help me out, a lot!

My sisters surprised me with a visit this year. It was a nice surprise. I, in turn, sent them a special coffee mug with our picture on it. I wanted them to know how much I appreciate them.

Let me sign off for now and will be back later.

Until then my firned………………………………….

LIVING WITH SANDIE LEE

What a wonderful surprise yesterday. My newest book is on Amazon…on my birthday.

My memoir. Short stories about some of the things I’ve wanted to tell my children so they know a bit more are me. And a few things about their grandparents they never knew. Maybe you might like to get a glimpse of some of the antics I did growing up. Who knows, you may have done some of them yourself.

Check it out on Amazon.com. Available on Kindle and paperback.

If you like the stories would you mind leaving a review. We authors, me included, like to know how you like our stories.

Until then my friends……………………………………………….

I can’t believe it’s been several months since I’ve blogged. This year has gone by so fast

even with everyone cooped up in their homes, wearing masks when they go out, and

trying to stay away from people so there is no spreading of COVID19.

I have been busy. I’ve worked on another book. A book of devotionals. This has been on

my heart for quite some time now and I’m finally taking care of it. My prayer is that it

will be helpful to others as it has been to me writing it.

AND then, I’ve been learning to quilt and use my new embroidery machine. Let me tell

tell you, it’s hard to learn new tricks when you get to be my age! But I’m learning.

Making baby quilts for the twelfth and thirteenth great-grandchildren. Wish they didn’t

live so far away.

I’ve been working on genealogy off and on. I must put all my information in a book so

my children, grandchildren, etc. will have that to refer to when they are trying to figure

out their lineage. Thank you Ancestry.com for adding more and more information each

day. I try to put everything I know about the ancestor so my family will have a good

rounded picture of their heritage.

Hubby built me three big boxes for a garden. The boxes are built waist high so I don’t

have to bend over a lot. He’s even put wire tops on them to keep the squirrels and other

animals out. Right now the tomatoes, peppers, and squash are thriving. Can’t wait until

I harvest what little I’ve planted.

Well that’s about it for my life during this pandemic. I will still stay close to home, wear

a mask when I do go out and pray for this year to end peacefully and with grace. What

is your prayer?

Until then my friend………………………………….

Happy 4th of July to everyone. It was a quiet one this year. Talked to brother in Idaho and daughter in Washington. Wish they lived closer or I lived there. Right now I could use some of their weather. It has been over one hundred for two days now and we are looking forward to more of the same.

Now that the weekend is over I must get on with the world. Always so much to do even being shut in like we’ve been. Rearranging things, cleaning things out, throwing away things, etc. It never ends.

And then there is the my writing. I’ve finished my legacy book and now to get it published. The title is 1-800-2HE-AVEN. Kind of catching isn’t it? Wait until you’ve read it and you will get the meaning. So….watch for it. Please….

Like I said before I have several small quilts that need to be quilted and I’m working on a special one for Mr. “C”. I’ve had the makin’s for over a year so I guess it’s time to put it together. Keep an eye out for that also.

Okay I need to get down to business so will close for today. Have a super, great, wonderful day to each and every one of you.

Until then my friend……………………..

By now we are all feeling a bit overwhelmed by the Covid19/Coronavirus. We are shut in our homes and every time we go out we must wear a mask. It’s hard to breathe and talk behind the mask but I do understand why we need to do this. I don’t like it, but I also don’t like being sick and if I do catch it I don’t want to pass it on to someone else. SO I wear the mask!

So, what have I been doing while being cooped up? A bit of writing, a bit of cleaning and throwing out what I really don’t need plus trying to play catch up on things I’ve put aside for another day. The big thing is I’m learning new things on my embroidery machine (new and upgraded) and I’ve pieced together three lap quilts and two baby blankets. Now to get them all quilted. They are not looking too bad if I say so myself.

Hubby has built me two above ground vegetable garden boxes and right now I have cherry tomatoes (tasting so good) and small hot peppers I’ve gathered. The vines are looking good for the cantaloupe but no fruit as of yet. Mr. “C” is working on another box for me so I can try something else. We shall see.

I’ve been watching more uTube “how to” videos. I think I’m learning something. Now that you know what I’ve been up to, tell me what you’ve been filling your days with.

Until then my friend……………………………

Another day quarantined, I’ve lost count. Oh my, I’ve even lost count of what day it is, and now it’s May. Where has the time gone?

When they first told us we’d be quarantined I thought, well I can do it. Let me see what I can get done around my house that I’ve been pushing aside hoping I’d get more time to do. Which, of course, hasn’t happened. Until now. Like most everyone else out there, I’ve organized my pantry, cleaned out outdated spices, canned goods, and food in the freezer that looked like petrified mummies.

Then my next big project was get ahead on my writing, which hasn’t happened. I keep pushing that back,  too. I wanted my legacy book to sit for a while, then go in and make sure I had all my ducks in a row. The ducks are still swimming around in the abyss.

I cleaned out my sewing/craft room next. Went through some unfinished projects and tried to get caught up. My embroidery machine was catching dust, so I brought out the t-shirts I bought to practice on and proceeded to work my magic. What fun trying to figure out what I wanted to put on each shirt. So glad I didn’t pay much for the shirt. My pretty olive green t-shirt got a white butterfly. Really nice, I say so myself. Then I thought, let’s put another one on the other side. A colorful one. Almost finished and a big bird’s nest developed under the sewing. No problem, I knew how to fix that, after all my instructor showed me how to cut away the thread. I did, and I also put a big hole in the shirt! In all my STUFF I knew I had some iron-on butterflies and sure enough I found them. My shirt has a nice yellow butterfly almost covering the other colorful butterfly and the hole. The rest of my t-shirts came out much better.Yes, I embroidered a handful of tea towels, too. Can you guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year?

Like most of the other women out there I’ve spent more time in the kitchen than I’ve spent since the all the kids left home. Hubby is gaining weight. Well, so am I! I’ve baked more cookies and breads than I had in ages. And hubby is a diabetic so I’ve been giving all cookies and cakes away. Well, truth be told, I saved a few cookies for us and I’ve split the cakes.

Last but not least I’ve helped hubby with some of the things he’s been doing. You know what I’m talking about…..”Honey, can you come help me with this” and “I need your help out here.” Yep, that’s it.

So I guess I’m off to the other room (sewing room) right now and try to figure out what project I’m going to finish today. That is get started on as it’s almost time for dinner and you know where I’ll be.

Until then my friend……………………………