Notes from the Patch

What a difference a day makes!

Bill and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary on Friday.

I had an eye infection.

He suffered from a bout of diverticulitis.

I went to bed with a hot compress.

He took antibiotics.

We're such a fun couple.

I've been under a bit of stress lately - emptying a vacation home and getting ready for our annual shop hop. Friday morning I was feeling physically rotten and completely overwhelmed. Saturday I awoke to a much improved eye and the offer to help cut 1300 shop hop felt thingies from two sweet friends. What a difference a day makes!

I wanted to show you our quilt for the shop hop. The theme this year is baskets. Each of the eleven shops was to provide a 12" basket block in "basket colors". It was up to the individual shops to set and fill the baskets any way they saw fit. Although the basket idea was basically mine I'll admit that once we had all of the blocks together I was stumped as to how to set them. They all seemed so...brown, but after a few days of trying different setting ideas we came up with this and

I absolutely love it!

We have a limited number of setting kits available for presale so if you're interested please let us know.

We hope you'll join us May 3, 4, & 5 for our fourth annual Heart of the Valley Shop Hop. Our team has been putting our heads together and with the help of Pinterest I think we have some super fun surprises planned for you. (How did we ever exist without Pinterest)? All I can say is you will not want to miss the party!

Encourage one another,

          

Love thy neighbor

  Valentine's Day has gotten to be a bit, er... trying for me. You see we share a parking lot with a very popular local bakery and although we have five plainly marked parking spots reserved for Strawberry Patches employees, finding a spot to park at 9:00am on Valentine's Day is next to impossible.

I always know it's coming, and I know it's only one day, but I must admit it gets my panties in a wad when I drive up in the morning and there are dozens of cars EVERYWHERE including in our five PLAINLY marked RESERVED spots.

My first instinct upon discovering a Volkswagen Bug in my spot was to park behind it and block it in.

Mean. I know.

But then I got a grip and found a spot down the street. After all, who am I to stand in the way of love? Men, frantically rushing in before work for chocolate dipped strawberries, moms picking up cupcakes for the school party and that single young man picking out just the perfect chocolate assortment in hopes to woo his girl.

Valentine's Day. Gotta love it!

Speaking of love...

this is Les Amis de la Foret - Friends of the Forest by Patty Sloniger for Michael Miller Fabrics.

See: creatures great and small, parked there under the huge oak tree, living in perfect harmony.

Encourage one another,

Gratitude

I've been so weepy lately. I'm fine during the day but once Bill goes off to bed and the house gets quiet I loose it.

I must say I've had my share of things to be sad about. Last Friday Bill and I attended our forth funeral in less than three weeks. As we drove north to the service the news of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings broke over the radio. We listened in disbelief. So much sadness. So much senseless tragedy.

My heart aches for our friend who suddenly lost her husband of over fifty years. I'm so sad for her children and grandchildren who are trying to deal with the loss of their dad and grandpa. My heart aches for another friend whose mother recently passed away from cancer. She feels so lost and misses her mother terribly. I can't even imagine how the families of the students and faculty in that Connecticut school must feel. The whole nation grieves with them.

Early today we got news that my former manager, Amanda had to have her two day old baby boy airlifted to UCLA for open heart surgery. She and her sweet family face months of worry while living in the PICU.

Bill and I feel so helpless. We can't take away their pain. We can only cry and pray and hope they feel the love that is sent their way.

Enter my Gratitude Jar. I was going to wait until January to start it but I really need it now. I want to focus on the positive; writing down something I'm thankful for everyday. Looking for the good in the midst of all this sadness.

Day 1. Today I am thankful for the team of skilled pediatric heart surgeons who will perform surgery on baby Will. Today I am thankful for a God that loves each of us and hears our prayers.

If you would like to send a card to Amanda and her family you can send them to Strawberry Patches and I'll see that she gets them.

I'm so thankful for you all.

Encourage one another,

 

 

 

 

The road that leads us home

We lost Bill's sweet mother this week. She lived a long life filled with love, laughter and a lifetime of great friends and wonderful memories. The journey certainly wasn't always easy but she never doubted where the road would lead.

(I love Chris Mann's beautiful voice) 

 

 Roads

There are roads in this life that we all travel
There are scars and there are battles where we roam
When we are lost or wherever we may go
They will always lead you home

There are roads that have lead me to another
To a friend or to a lover I have known
For every turn is a year that I have grown
As I walk along these roads

Some are long and some are weathered
Some will lead you through a storm
When you've gone astray you will find your way
As you walk along these roads

There were times when I stumbled and I wondered
But every choice and every step I don't regret
Cause I have lived and I have loved like no other
I won't fear what lies ahead

Some are long and some are weathered
Some will lead you through a storm
When you've gone astray you will find your way
As you walk along these roads

There are roads in this life that I have traveled
There are scars and there are battles, this I know
Cause I'd be lost, but no matter where I go
They will one day lead me home
They will one day lead me home

May, I'm sure heaven is a little more fun with you in it. 

Welcome home!

 

Encourage one another.

Remembering

Jeff would have been 43 today.

These last few weeks have been tough. My daughter in law reminded me that it's probably easier to have the day he went to heaven so close to the day he came to earth. She's probably right.

Jeff taught me so many things in his life and in his death.

43 years ago he taught me what it is to be a mother and about unconditional love. To me he was the most beautiful baby in the world and I defied anyone to say otherwise. Those first few weeks were hard though since I was used to being in total control. Suddenly this little seven pound - eleven ounce perfect baby boy was calling the shots. Little did I know that throughout his life he would continue to do so.

Jeff was extremely creative, smart and full of mischief and he often came up with creative ways to drive people crazy . He was the only boy I knew to be expelled from Vacation Bible School and suspended from preschool in the same year. Jeff went to a small private christian school and every year from first grade through sixth his teachers retired early after having him and his little band of hoodlums friends in their class. A coincidence? Em...probably not.

He drove his brother crazy too with his incessant teasing. And the bickering... all I ever wanted when I found out we were pregnant again was to have a brother for Jeff so they could be best friends. Jeff adored Bryan but sometimes had strange and annoying ways of showing it. To this day I doubt Bryan knows how much Jeff really loved and admired his little brother.

Through all his antics Jeff was the glue to our family. While the rest of us are more quiet and laid back, Jeff was the one that kept things hopping and through all his shenanigans, I never doubted his love for me and our family. At his funeral several of his friends came up to me and asked if I knew how proud Jeff was of me. My answer was always yes. I knew. He was so proud of the business that I had created and loved to show off my work to friends by having me make them baby gifts. Jeff was my biggest fan. He was the one who would call three times a day to tell me about Jake's latest achievement or brag about Nathan's newest trick. He was so proud of his kids and the home and life he and Cherene were creating for their family. I sure do miss those phone calls.

The last few years of his life things were different and it took awhile for us to understand what the real causes were. Not only did he have ALS but also frontotemporal dementia which changed his personality and ability to interact. Bryan's first clue that something was terribly wrong was when the teasing stopped. Jeff just wasn't Jeff anymore.

In death Jeff has taught me the importance of faith, family and friends. I couldn't have gotten through this time without my faith and the prayers, love and support of our family and friends. So many blog friends, many of whom I have never met, prayed for our family and offered their love to us. You need to know how much that meant to me then and still means to me today. I will never forget your compassionate outpouring of love.

I believe Jeff is happy and whole in heaven today and is surrounded by grandparents and friends that have gone on before us. I don't know, but I doubt that there is celebrating in heaven for worldly birthdays. Today I just wanted to remember for me and for the family and friends he left behind. 

Happy birthday baby.

Mom

Two years ago today

Do you suppose they celebrate anniversaries in heaven? If we observe memorable days here on earth with special dinners and cake with candles, surely the day we arrive in heaven is celebrated for eternity.

I'd like to think that there is a gala celebration in heaven tonight with a six course meal, perfectly paired rare wines, German chocolate cake for dessert and music - probably an Irish band and front row seats.

Missing you Jeff,

Mom

Heaven on earth

I received this in an email yesterday. I gasped as tears welled up in my eyes and spilled into my lap.

It's a photo of the block of land that was named after our son. The Jeff Zingg Block. Isn't it magnificent?

Jeff was an avid wine collector and a long time customer of the prestigious Sine Qua Non Winery. When Elaine and Manfred Krankl heard of Jeff's passing they wanted to do something to honor him so they named this beautiful spot in Napa after him. I know Jeff would have been so honored and proud. I know his family is.

Encourage one another,

 

My Garden of Eden

Our beautiful Eden roses are just beginning to bloom.

They are so big and heavy that they remind me of huge pink grape clusters drooping under their own weight.

Although they bloom off and on all spring and summer they are never as gorgeous as they are right now during this first bloom.  I look forward to them all winter and every morning as I pull out of the driveway I glance over to the brick wall that runs between us and our neighbors to check their progress.

I got up an hour early this morning to finish reading Heaven is Here by blogger Stephanie Neilson.

Reading Stephanie's blog after her accident helped me so much during the time I was caring for Jeff and preparing myself to live the remainder of my life here on earth without him. I know so many of you are going through tough times and I want to recommend this book to you as a source of hope and inspiration.

Stephanie writes about her life after a plane crash where she was burned over eighty percent of her body and how her faith, family and community helped pull her through some unbelievably horrific times. She reminds us that it's what's in our hearts that really matters and urges us to be kinder and more compassionate to one another. 

I love that.

In this crazy, busy world, it's our love and compassion and our connection to one another that really matters. With a positive attitude, our faith in God, and the love and support of our family and friends, we can do anything. It is possible to once again find joy through our pain and sorrow.

Have a wonderful Wednesday my friends!

Encourage one another,

 

 

 

 

Twenty 12

I've been thinking a lot about my word for 2012. You know, the one word that summarizes what I want to work on to better my life in the coming year.

This year my word is simplify.

sim·pli·fy  (smpl-f)

tr.v. sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing, sim·pli·fies To make simple or simpler, as:

a. To reduce in complexity or extent.

b. To reduce to fundamental parts.

c. To make easier to understand.

Simplify summarizes what I hope to accomplish in my life perfectly! Let me be clear. I'm not striving for a simple life, there is nothing simple about me - just ask Bill! What I hope to accomplish is to reduce the extraneous things in my life so I can fully enjoy the things that matter to me most.

Here are my plans:

1. This year I will strive to simplify my life by cleaning the clutter from my office, my sewing room and my closets; my life in general. I really want to feel and be more organized!

2. I will strive to list what I hope to accomplish and revel in the satisfaction of crossing off those lines one. by. one.

3. I will document my experiences and share my feelings more regularly here on my blog through words and (better) photos.

4. I will simplify my life by remembering that people are more important than things. That holidays aren't just about elaborate decorations and shopping lists but about spending quiet time with the people I love.

5. I want to eat simple, healthy foods (not necessarily those pictured here - sorry Peggy) and continue to strive to eat a sugar free diet.

6. I want to take more long walks on the beach and capture the simple beauty in nature through the lens of my camera.

7. I want to sip and savor this life to its fullest and share it with people I love.

8. I want to simplify my life by unplugging more often from computers, iphones, ipads, televisions and radios. In this crazy busy world I want to find quiet moments to reflect.

So, for me tonight there will be no crowded parties and fancy gowns. I will simply surround myself in the comfort of good friends and the man I love and toast to a bright and promising New Year.  

Cheers!

Encourage one another,

One more thing. I couldn't let this year go by without thanking you all for gathering here and encouraging me through your comments. As corny as it may sound, my life has been forever changed because of this blog. Your coming here means so much to me. Thank you! xo 

   

SARAH

 It was just me and Sarah on Saturday. 

We stayed home and decorated her room.

Papa Bill and Michael went on a Boy Scout camp out.

The girls had Chinese take out and watched a movie.

The boys roasted hot dogs over an open fire.

She slept under new sheets in a freshly decorated bedroom.

He  slept in a tent under the stars.

If you were to ask anyone of us, I think we'd all agree it was the perfect weekend.

Eleven is a magical age. Serious and grown up one minute.

Silly the next.

 

 

 

Tomorrow there is a soccer game, shopping and putting the final touches on her room. Our little tomboy has developed quite a love for the bling and a delightful since of style.

She already understands color and balance. She also understands a room CAN have too many peace signs.

You can learn a lot from an eleven year old.

Encourage one another,