By the time I was seven years old, my mom had left our family. My two younger brothers and I were taken care of by my father, that is until I was about twelve years of age, when he decided he could no longer do it alone so decided to not do it at all. We were brought to my grandmothers home, and she raised me until I met my wonderful husband. My two brothers have just recently left her home.
My grandmother is the truest form of a Proverbs 31 woman if I have ever known one. I pray to become even a portion of the woman she is. She gives and gives and gives of herself tirelessly without complaint and never asks for anything in return.
She lives a very simple life, with very few luxuries outside of a nonstick cooking pan and food processor.
Every single Sunday, without fail, my entire family congregates to my grandmothers house after church for a huge supper! She always has a full five course meal, complete with a salad and desert. Nothing comes from a box, nothing comes from a can... everything is homemade, right down to the peach cobbler! (I'll post the recipe soon!)
My grandmother is the person who inspired me to be so creative. She can sew anything you can think of and have it turn out perfectly!
She bought me my first sewing machine when I was six or seven.. and I was hooked ever since.
When I was about the same age... she gave me a string of yarn and a crochet needle and showed me how to single stitch. I could single stitch a line to China, and just about did that morning. After a while I asked her to show me how to connect the single strand to begin making something... and she did. However, it takes much longer and is more (how shall I say) mundane to crochet than it is to sew something. Till this day, twenty years later, I have only finished one (small) lap blanket, a couple of beanie hats, and a pair of camo hand warmers for my hubby.
Sewing has a much faster gratification rate.. :)
Now that you have followed me down the rabbit trail... time to come back to the original path... my grandma.
I honestly do not know how she does it.
She has a green thumb out of this world! She can grow anything you can imagine. I don't know how many times I have taken a plant from her home... so vibrant, lush, and beautiful... within a week it's a stringy, sickly plant struggling for survival! & I do everything she says to do!!
She can go outside and use the saw, and build her own shelves, screen door, bed frame... box spring frame!! This is a little woman, about 5 feet tall and 79 years old! She can run CIRCLES around me.. and I'm only 28!
Every morning we would climb out of our beds in the morning to get dressed for school in the bathroom, by the time we would finish, our beds would be made. She makes it all seem so easy!
One thing I will always remember about my grandmother... is her waking before everyone else in the wee early morning hours. She would sit in her favorite chair next to the living room window with her cup of coffee sitting on the window seal. She would lift the window blinds for the day, and begin to read her bible as the sun would rise into the sky.
She has begun her morning this way for all of my life.
Her favorite scripture... and she has told me this numerous times...
is Psalm 46:10...
I had often thought about buying my grandmother a new bible. It wasn't until I became a mother, and purchased a bible that was a good fit for me. You know EXACTLY what I am talking about... it's flexible... not too flexible, not to stiff. It's just the right size, not too big, not to small. The print is perfect... yeap... that's my bible. I purchased my perfect bible and over the years began to highlight in it... make notations in it... underline in it... I have post it notes in it. The cover of my bible has become dingy looking from the finger prints of little hands wanting to help me look inside or flip the pages while I read out loud to them. The cover has a permanent bend to it from being opened and read so much.
It had once got to a point where I kind of cringed when I would see the shape of its cover... and thought about purchasing a new bible. I went to the store and looked through the choices, but none of them was right... none of them was my bible.
When I got home and opened my bible... it felt like HOME! I am at home when I open my bible, its feel and pages are familiar... I have my notations in them... I remember the certain times in my life when this or that scripture really popped out at me and helped through that time. The only possible solution... was to sew a cover for it. I LOVE my bible cover. It hides all the wear and tear without diminishing the at home feeling I have when I open it.
Front of the bible with my lame little fabric flower and rhinestone.. :)
I made my others with a handle, but this one I just went simple with a tie closure!
It's equivalent to just painting your home versus moving into a different home.
I realized that buying my grandmother a new bible would never make her happy... her bible, complete with it's cracked spine and worn leather.. is her home! That is why this Christmas... I am going to make her a bible cover.. with her favorite scripture on it! (I will be posting a tutorial on how to do this soon!)
I love my grandma... I love my bible.... I love my God! :)
Who, in your life, is the Proverbs 31 model?
