Rhonda's Doings !

Oh, what a sweet sweet book!!   Jane and Elijah have settled into their Amish lifestyle, even though Jane was not raised Amish.   They are blessed with many children (I won't say how many so as not to spoil the book) and so are their family members.   Tragedy strikes in several fashions, with one of their children's lives hanging in the balance and a non-Christian doctor, who urges them to let the child die.   Their faith wins out though!!   Elijah has a chance to witness to the doctor and plant a seed.    When further tragedy strikes, Jane's world is torn apart and she returns to her childhood home to find peace.    She finds several surprises along the way.....remember her childhood friends, Penelope, and Bradley?  God brings them back together in the most miraculous ways.    Jane is able to find hope and plans to rebuild her life.    Read this book and you won't be disappointed.     It is a ...

The Little Wild Flower, book 1, Amish Romance by Samantha Jillian Bayarr This is my first time to read a book by Samantha Bayarr and I really like it! I would highly recommend it.  This is a very different "Amish Romance" as far as the genre goes.    Jane's English father moves the family to an Amish community and purchases a former Amish farm after his wife returns home from rehab for alcoholism.   Jane has suffered abuse at her mother's hands during the years of battling alcoholism.   Jane is furious to be living in the dull, boring place and especially to have left behind her friends, so she hides away for the summer.  When she finally comes out of her brooding seclusion, her eyes land on one very HOT Amish young man, Elijah.   There are a great many love matches to come in The Little Wild Flower.    What I love is that the book does deal with alcoholism, abuse, recovery, and forgiveness as well as purity before marriage and ...

Review of A Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman For a perfect mystery,  mixed up with some Amish living in Shipsewana, Indiana, read a Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman.   This is the first book of Vannetta's that I have read and I definitely want to read more.   Callie, Deborah, and Esther have been involved in some other "mystery solving", much to the chagrin of the local detective, Shane.  I did not get to read the full details of Falling to Pieces , book one in the Shipsewana Amish Mystery series,  but I can not wait to do so as many elusions to it were made in a Perfect Square.    If you love quilting, Amish things,  and mysteries, you will love this book.  It is a true "nail-biter".   I could not put the book down.  I was constantly trying to figure out exactly what had happened to the young dead Amish girl that Esther and Deborah found in the pond on Reuben and Tobias's farm.   I was just as sure as Callie a...

Review of God Loves Broken People (And those Who Pretend They're Not) by Sheila Walsh  I highly recommend this book to any one who is struggling with pain and discouragement in their lives (and who among us isn't?).    Sheila Walsh uses real-life stories from her own experiences and that of others to reach out to the broken among us.  She uses examples of great people, even Mother Teresa and her own personal struggles with God and His love.    She points out that Mother Teresa had faith AND doubt.  I once had a Presbyterian pastor tell me that without doubt, there is no faith.    I love these lines in the book:   " Nothing that happens surprises God, so trust Him in the midst of your pain.  God loves you, and nothing can separate you from His love.   God will be with you always, and whatever you have to face, He will go through it with you.           Do you believe those things?  ...

My Review of The Harvest of Grace, book 3 of Ada's House series by Cindy Woodsmall            This book was enjoyable for me, but I will admit that I had read book 1 of the Ada's House series several years ago and had never read book 2, so at times, I was a bit lost and confused.  I was able to figure most things out and it did come back to me from book 1.   There were many couples to keep up with in this book:  Sylvia and Elam, then Sylvia and Beckie, Cara and Ephraim, Israel and Ada, Grey and Lena, so it was hard to keep track of things at points in the book for me.             I do love that the book spoke a great deal about grace and forgiveness and restoring of broken relationships, thus the title :  The Harvest of Grace.   I was a bit angry with Beckie and Elam in the story, to be honest, as I felt they did wrong to Sylvia in the way they came together.   I don...

Meet Cocoa Hall miniature Pomeranian female, age 20 months and housebroken by previous owners who are having to move due to the husband's disability and we only had to pay for her shots as we took to Cocoa so quickly and he was touched!  She is so sweet and hasn't made a peep yet, but she is making herself right at home.   She and daddy are having a great time going outside repeatedly for a little exercise!  lol She is quite active and paces about and doesn't bother anything though....just paces with her little toenails clicking on the laminated wood floors...so cute!   She and daddy both fell asleep watching tv.   Daddy also paces the floor....adorable!   she is so cute perched on the loveseat !!!   

Many folks ask me where I get my patterns for my crochet projects.   Well, I have several subscriptions to some popular crochet magazines.   I love the three pictured here:  Crochet Today!, Crochet World, and Interweave Crochet.   I have a large collection of the magazines and mark my favorite patterns with sticky notes.    I also get a lot of free patterns from internet sites, such as: http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/ , http://www.favecrafts.com/ , http://www.redheart.com/ , http://www.lionbrand.com/ , and other crocheters' blogs.    I love experimenting with new stitches.    Back-post and front-post crochet stitches proved to be a challenge at first, but they are my favorite stitches now.    I also love experimenting with new yarns.....love soft ones, ribbons, ones with glitter, beads, etc.   I have even dropped hints to hubby to get some sheep and we'll let them mow ...

Crocheting & Praying! This is my all time favorite prayer shawl pattern above!! This pattern comes for Quick-to-Stitch Prayer Shawls from Annie's Attic.   I purchased the patterns and downloaded and printed them but as they are copyrighted, I can not share the pattern. The patterns even include suggested prayers and labels/gift tags to give along with the completed prayer shawls. Visit AnniesAttic.com to purchase the patterns.    Love it!!!    I have been busy crocheting and praying as I go.   I pray for the individual as I pray and this is for a very special friend.    I won't say who it's for as it is currently in the mail on the way to her.    It is my wish for her to have peace, love, joy, contentment, financial relief, safety for her and her family, and healing!     AMEN

Erica Joy Stratton, 3/2/1985 Erica, at age 3 months; we went to JC Penney's in Charlottesville, VA mall for this one....she giggled and laughed!   this is a favorite pic of mine Erica, at 18 months; went to a Photo Studio in Hampton VA in the mall.  It was super dark in the photo taking area, and she cried and cried.  That is why her eyes are "glistening". Obviously they got her to laugh and smile thru her tears though.  Erica, today, 2012, complete w/her tattoo arm band.   She is beautiful and truly is a "joy" to me still! Notes from Erica's baby book from her birth: Arrival time:  4:33 a.m. Date:  Sat., March 2, 1985 Place:  Martha Jefferson Hospital, Charlottesville, VA Doctor: Dr. Mitzi M. Child Pediatrician:  Dr. Ray Ford Parents' First Impressions and Reactions: "No earthly joys could bring more pleasure than a little child to love and treasure." I wrote in her baby book the ...

So I completed my 2nd ever quilted project for my oldest daughter, Erica Joy's, 27th birthday.  I got the pattern free from Janet Clare of the UK via Internet.  She made a miniature picture with it and so I scanned the pattern and enlarged it and made a 2 ft x 2 ft quilted wall hanging with it.  I used a fusible quilt batting and it was so easy....laid out the muslin backing, then quilt batting, and then quilt top and ironed!  Then I hand quilted the snowflakes which acted as the tacking for quilt, & hand stitched the black binding.   I was very pleased with the results and so was Erica !!  I think the little one "dancing" in front reminds me of Erica....LOL....I started to embroider her name on that one.   Now my other daughters have placed their "orders"....Lol...Alison wants a sea turtle one and Amanda wants a penguin one too.