Friday, May 29, 2009

Strange but true! What's happened here...?


I have been taking care of my seeds and seedlings, protecting them with plastic and watering them every night so I was really surprised when I noticed that the seeds on only one side of my container were growing...what happened to the other seeds on the other side? This is so strange! I noticed from this picture that the soil seems more moist on the side where the seedlings are...could it be that the protective plastic or the position of the container caused this to happen? Maybe a bird found its way through and had a feast but why on one side only?
Well, so many questions? Any answers or suggestions will be most welcome ~ thanks!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Just before Sunset...Glory in the Heavens...



~ Pictures speak louder than words ~


Just as we finished dinner this evening, my husband called me to the balcony to witness this beautiful scene, need I say more...I just rushed to the rooftop with my camera and here I am sharing this beautiful gift we received today.




Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Birthday Blessings




A Birthday is a special day,
an occasion for celebrating life,
for cherishing the past and reflecting on the present,
for thinking of the future and feeling happy in continuing my journey.
And most of all it is a time for thanking God for the gift of life
and for all that He has done in my life,
for all the miracles, big or small,
for every person He has put in my path ~
It is a time to think of what is really important in my life, what really matters.
It is a time to tell my loved ones how much I love them and appreciate them.
This day has come and soon is gone as all birthdays do
And just like a changing season my life goes on, as I pray
'Teach us to number our days aright
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.'
Psalm 90.12
The memories stay and these I will treasure with all my heart.
D. Scerri ©


I haven't been able to be on here for a while for several reasons but here I am at last. In a way this is a belated Birthday posting, so a belated Happy Birthday to me if I may say so : )
I wish here to thank all my family, extended family, friends, on-line 'crafty' friends whom I have never met for all the good wishes, phonecalls, cards, egreetings, emails and gifts sent, you are all truly so very precious.
I thank my son's dear girlfriend who so generously drove us to the east coast for a stroll along the promenade since we are having problems with our car ~ we really enjoyed the cake treats at one of the cafetterias there. Also thanks Mum for treating us all out for lunch last Sunday!


One of the reasons I have not been able to be here very often is the fact that, as some of you already know, my computer unfortunately stopped working (eh yes, when it rains it pours). The service people said it was the motherboard and graphic card which, besides knowing it would be an expense, I was at a loss as to what I should do but decided to wait and while and see if maybe the parts would go on sale...I was definitely not going to buy a new one. In the meantime my dear son let me share his PC for which I am so thankful.
To cut a long story short, I was totally thrilled when on my birthday my family, that is my dear husband, daughter, son and his girlfriend surprised me with ALL NEW PARTS! So as soon as we find time to save what I need from my old hard drive, my son will be installing all new programs, etc. for me but I will not rush him as he is finishing his college assignments and those definitely come first. Thank you all so much <3


So watch out eveyone, I will be back on track soon!


A Birthday Blessing
Nothing is more sacred than someone's life, and no words more precious
than words that celebrate someone's life. And so...
read more here

Thursday, May 21, 2009

MAY...I garden...

May...spring...the outdoor life, what lovely thoughts!
After the long rainy winter and the hibernation that goes with it, I feel all set to be out, stay out and enjoy whatever space is available for relaxing outdoors. Our rooftop is one of them. Yesterday evening my dear husband and I spent some time re-potting and planting. Since we do not have a garden we try and make the best of pots, pots and more pots! Unfortunately our roof is not sheltered and it gets so very hot in summer that not many plants survive in the peak hot months. But some plants do thrive and we do enjoy some 'greens' around our barbeque area in the evenings so it is well worth the effort. I do hope the seeds will come through and flower, I'm keeping an eye on them...we even covered them with a plastic sheet to prevent the birds from eating them!



We re-potted our Basil, hoping it will grow well and abundantly...I love having a herb garden and mint, basil, rosemary and chives are our favourites......mint or basil are delicious on Hobz biz-zejt, that's our traditional summery bread treat/appetizer which is slices of crusty bread with olive oil, tomatoes, salt and pepper and other ingredients like sliced onions, capers, anchovies, etc depending on the individual taste...and great after a swim!






We ran out of potting soil so we will be getting some more to finish off our planting and re-potting. My husband says he is now going to revamp our barbque next so we will be getting busier and getting more of the outdoors again soon.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Handmade cards

Making greeting cards is such a rewarding hobby. You can enjoy making cards by yourself or with family and friends. I find I really work well when I am alone and find it very relaxing. Making cards with your children is an enjoyable experience too which gives them confidence in themselves that they can make such lovely cards out of practically very few supplies.


Making your own cards is quite easy and not at all expensive. You can start by using supplies you have at home and build up your embellishments as you develop this hobby. Basically all you need is paper, cutter, glue and some items you find at home (string, ribbons, buttons, glitterglue,etc.) and/or pictures you can create by using your graphic software.
You will also need a little patience and lots of imagination!


I made some cards last week using some of the papers in the package of lovely hand-decorated papers that my son and his girlfriend bought for me. The possibilities and combinations one can achieve with these are endless and I am still experimenting.




These papers are textured, embossed, stitched or handmade paper and I also used some papers I had at home.
I love the effect achieved with the motifs I cut out of white and silver paper doilies, don't you?





I added a special finishing touch with paper ribbons
and charms...you can also add buttons or stickers depending on the effect you wish to achieve.








The joy of making your own cards and finding different ways to combine your embellishments and the fun in building up your hobby as well as the delight that these cards give to the recipient are definitely priceless feelings.
I hope the pictures and thoughts here will inspire and encourage you to try this very rewarding craft.
There are of course many different ways how to make a pretty card but I will not go into that at the moment. I have built up my supplies and techniques over many years and I know you can too.
I hope you will try this fascinating pastime ~ before long you will find you are enjoying yourself and will look forward to mastering new techniques.

Creative Gift Packaging



I am so glad I had Cellophane wrap, baskets and ribbons to spruce up my gifts for Mom's birthday and Mother's Day gifts this past week. They made a great big difference to the gifts they contained and a real difference to my Mum. The Kalanchoe Plant I bought looked really nice wrapped up in shiny cellophane wrap with a gold ribbon at the top and my basket of creams and lotions looked so heavenly, Mum said she is not opening it until her other creams are all used up as she'd like to enjoy the gift basket as it is.



It is the thought and the way that gifts are presented
that counts and not just the gift itself, I love using
my creativity in this way as it makes the person
receiving the gift feel really special.

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Hey Moms...it's back to work and some more play!



Now that Mother's Day is over, it seems it's back to normal and back to work. Whatever work you do be it as a Stay-at-home-Mom, work away from home, work from home, make sure you find some Me time. Do not wait for the weekend or for the evening...Me time can be yours at any time of the day so long as you find the time or rather make the time for yourself.
So grab that book you have been meaning to finish and enjoy a few pages (why not read it till the end) while waiting for your laundry, sit at your computer and add that little something to your blog (that is what I am doing right now!), get your cleansers, toners and give yourself some 'pamper' time, stop to look at the bubbles making their way up from your kitchen sink...You know what you wish to do or have been meaning to accomplish. The laundry will still get done, you are clever enough to whip up a healthy meal even if you give yourself a break and what if the dishes don't get done until a little later...

Believe in yourself!
Stop to smell the fresh air if you don't
have flowers in your garden
or just look at the sky at this lovely time of year.
Do give that special gift to yourself...you deserve it!

The picture above is one I found on the net
while browsing for Mother's Day ideas and thought
it was a great quote and craft which I hope to try soon.
If any of you have a craft you made for Mother's Day
and wish to send me a picture I will feature it on this posting.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Mother's Day Dedication

~HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY BLESSINGS ~
May the Blessed Mother come into your life today
with a special blessing for you.
May you always be grateful for the Blessed Mother.
Without her we would not have Jesus. Our Saviour.
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We were all born to love and care and women were born to be Mothers in an especially loving and caring way. In one way or another we are all Mothers ~ I dedicate this posting to all who are in any way mothers, those that are birth mothers, those who are adoptive or foster mothers, those who as a mother care for the upbringing of little ones especially aunts, grandmas, sisters, carers, teachers, religious persons, even dads who have taken on the role of Mum too. Especially I would like to dedicate this to my own Mum who is very special to me, I ask God to bless her and all the mothers of our family and all mothers out there who are reading this. I must not forget those who are taking care of Mothers (or parents) who can no longer take care of themselves...they are doing such a noble job. One last but very important dedication is to those who were nearly mothers but have lost their child in some way.
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M-O-T-H-E-R

M is for the million things she gave me,
O means only that she's growing old,
T is for the tears she shed to save me,
H is for her heart of purest gold;
E is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
R means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER",
A word that means the world to me.
~Howard Johnson (c. 1915)~

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Have you ever known someone
from before their birth,
Loved that person unconditionally
and known how much they're worth?
Have you ever held your child
close to your heart
And prayed that nothing would,
ever could, make you stay apart?
Have you ever sung them lullabies
Told them stories that were dear,
Dried their tears after a fall,
and taken away their fear?

And have you ever shared moments
to smell the pretty flowers
And admire the sky above
Or played in rain showers?
Have you found time to wonder with them
About the birds and the bees,
Looked at cloud formations,
Talked on how to preserve trees?

Have you ever seen their wonder
reflected in you...
And seen yourself time and again,
in them, through and through?
If you have ever shared these memories
One on one with the other,
Then deep within your heart you know
That you are A MOTHER!

Doreen Scerri © 2009
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Here is a lovely prayer/presentation I have come across and would like to share...



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In this dedication, I must not forget my friends and all those who lovingly take care of their pets and all God's creatures in a warm motherly way.


You all know who you are!



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Here is a great site for Kids for Mother's day...
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/mothersday.html
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Mother’s Day Prayer
God our Creator, we pray:
for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;
for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;
for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;
for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;
for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;
for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
for those who have children they do not want;
for those who raise children on their own;
for those who have lost a child;
for those who care for the children of others;
for those whose children have left home;
and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.
Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,
and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,
living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.
Amen.
Prayer taken from
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Last but not least let us remember Mothers who have gone before us on faith...
may God grant them peace and everlasting joy in being with their Creator through eternity ~ their reward for their work and life here on earth.
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Saturday, May 2, 2009

St.Joseph the Worker, May Day, International Workers Day

Today May 1st is a the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
who is also the patron saint of our Parish Church.



God our Father creator and ruler of the universe,
in every age you call us to develop
and use our gifts for the good of others.
With Saint Joseph as our example and guide,
help us to do the work you have asked
and receive the rewards you have promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Picture and prayer from The Franciscan ecard site...


For Maltese speaking patrons of this blog here is a link to our parish website...http://www.sanguzepphaddiem.com/








Today is also May Day, a national holiday in many countries, synonymous with International Workers Day or Labour Day. In pre-Christian times May Day celebrations focussed on the festival of Flora the Roman Goddess of flowers, also the Walpurgis Night (a religious holiday of pre-Christian origin) celebrations of the Germanic countries.





Dancing around the Maypole is another way of observing this feast in America and Europe.


The giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps is a tradition that has unfortunately been slowly fading this past century.




During the process of conversion in Europe many pagan celebrations were abondoned or christenized and today we celebrate this day mostly to commemorate the Worker and his/her rights mostly with peaceful parades or marches. Check here for more on how this day is celebrated in different parts of the world... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day






In the Roman Catholic tradition May is also observed as Mary's Month and throughout the month of May especially in various schools the Crowning of the Queen of the May is a yearly ceremony that is very much looked forward to. I remember how we used to prepare a crown of flowers or a golden tiara and one of the pupils dressed in white would crown the head of a statue of Our Lady in class, this was also a significant celebration when it was done with the entire school.



Here is a special page for children for the month of May

May the month of May shower on all of you
many Blessings of strength to work,
good will to persevere
and friendships to uplift you!
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