A Most Blessed Day...and It's Not Over Yet!

I believe that every day with all its good and bad is blessing. But some days come along with extra goodness. Today is one of those days.

A good part of today's blessings started over 4 years ago. I met a very special lady at a homeschooling conference. She was there giving a talk about GraceWorks planners and how to make the best use of our time for His glory. I was already familiar with GraceWorks but just needed a "reboost" on using the materials. The talk was encouraging and I found the vendor's booth and spent considerable time there choosing what planner sheets I wanted to use. I took way longer than I needed to because I just enjoyed talking with her and her daughter. I remember going back to their booth later in the day saying that I wished I lived closer to her because I'd like her for a friend. That was a so-not-me thing to do! I told my husband that I hoped I hadn't seemed weird about that, but I had just felt a connection with her in many ways.

Eight months later on a boring, winter evening, I looked up GraceWorks and its blog. Poking around I looked at the "about me" and saw that Tricia had two other blogs. Well, you know how one thing leads to another when you're online. Before I knew it, I was viewing The Stamper's Stitches blog. Oh, cross stitching. I used to do that before I had all these kids. Wow! Look how the patterns have changed since the 90's! They're so pretty and way less backstitching. About a month later I dug out an old stitching piece and began to finish it. I lurked about on blogs for about a year before starting my own. And here I am today - back to stitching and meeting all of you.

And meeting Tricia again! I had been praying about meeting her for some time and today was the appointed day. If I even try to express what a blessing our time together was, I know it will come up short. Meeting halfway between our houses for coffee, we talked cross stitching, blogging, schedules, families, special diets, and learning about what grace really means. When I had thought back years ago that we had things in common, I found out today how even more so that is true. If she hadn't looked at her watch, I think we would still be sitting in Starbuck's sharing, laughing, and shedding a couple more tears.

Earlier I had sent her a chart to stitch for Christmas in case our meeting didn't work. Here is the sweet gift she made me. I love it!

Thanks again, Tricia, for your friendship, the pillow, and our time together. It was a gift from above! I sure hope a road trip will be in our not-so-distant future! : )

When I got home after 2:00, more blessings were in store for me. My oldest girl had come over to teach school this morning and get lunch for the chili peppers. There was a delicious smell coming from the oven as they were baking a gluten free pumpkin applesauce Bundt cake with a maple frosting glaze. Then she tells me that she cleaned my bathrooms and did 5 loads of laundry. Oh, my!

But that isn't all. She invited the peppers over to spend the night with her and her husband. My two oldest sons are both gone for the weekend. This is the first time in I don't know when that BNH and I will have the whole house to ourselves for the evening and part of tomorrow morning. He has no idea so I need to go hurry and get ready for a blessed evening as well : )

Wishing you a most blessed day too!
Victoria