The Imperfect Perfection of Handmade Gifts

Dear Lissy,

Your sweet Grammy Julie has been in the arena for the last two months showing God strong through the trial of breast cancer.  The Holy Spirit spoke a verse into her life after a  kind-hearted nurse took a few extra moments to wrap her in heated blankets at a time that she felt cold and vulnerable.  I wanted to purchase a piece of art with that verse for her as a memorial of God's lovingkindness.  Unfortunately, Psalm 91:4 is almost never done in the King James, the version she "hears" when God speaks.

Sarah at Joy-Filled Days created this tutorial for a watercolor earlier this year, and I decided to use her project to create a custom piece of art.  My painting didn't come out anything like Sarah's, and I made a few slips with lettering.  I was going to throw it out and start over:  The watercolor was obviously done by an amateur, the verse was crooked, and I even included a grammatical error for good measure when I capitalized "trust."

Daddy convinced me otherwise.  All mommas see gifts from their children through a lens of love.  My handwriting is familiar to my momma, and will be cherished more than a friend's calligraphy or computer lettering.  The painting itself isn't going to improve until my painting technique improves, something that won't happen before Christmas. Yes, I could drag the photo into Inkscape and make a perfect version of my watercolor attempt that would be truly Pinterest worthy.  But in a world of computers, the imperfect perfection of something handmade is dear.  Daddy also knows that my Mom has portions of Scripture (almost all of them hand-lettered or decoupaged or cross-stitched by friends) hung on almost every wall. This little birdie will be right at home.

Love,
Momma

One Quick Tip: Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis) Home Remedy

Dear Lissy,

Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) ran through our family this week, and the doctor decided not to call in a prescription for us.  Sigh.  I went with an old remedy of 2 Tbsp raw honey in 3 cups green tea.  We bathed our eyes with the solution, and it cleared up the pink eye in about 24 hours.  I don't know if the pseudo-honey at the grocery store would  work as well or not -- the bees are fed HFCS to produce it, so it's an entirely different product.

Normal recovery time is 72 hours, so 24 hours was a  pretty substantial improvement.  Matt and Nate were through the pinkeye by the time the doctor's office would have seen them on Monday afternoon for Urgent Care.  You, Daddy, and I got it midweek, but the honey and green tea solution worked so well, we decided it wasn't worth the trouble of a doctor's visit.  Breastmilk will always be the best choice for treating pinkeye, but if that isn't available, the honey/green tea solution worked almost as well.

Love,
Momma

Operation Hygge House

Dear Lissy,

In one short week the darkness of Standard Time will descend over New England.  The cold already has us in it's grip.  Sadly, we can't hibernate, so this year I'm determined to make our home a "hygge house".  Pronounce that "hue-guh" and imagine you're in Denmark.  Cold.  Dark.  Happiest nation on earth, and not surprisingly the creators of hygge.

Hygge: (hue-gah), noun.  Convivial coziness, " "fireplace warmth with candles and family and friends and food, tucked under blankets on a snowy day, cup-of- coffee conversation, scarf-snuggle, squiggly, warm baby love." (NPR's Clare O'Neill)

In the summer, hygge is embodied by friends and family gathered around a campfire roasting sausages.  When winter settles over the mountains, hygge moves indoors to light candles, kindle a fire, simmer a stew, brew the coffee, and let the conversation flow.  Or not -- Danish hygge is just as well embodied by a tromp through a snowy woodland with a friend and a thermos of cocoa.  In short, hygge is about replacing the warmth and light of the sun with the warmth and light of relationships.  A hygge house is inviting and embracing, even if it is a long, cold, dark night.

Du er min lille hyggelig pige,
Mama

Cheap Tricks: Keeping Littles and Campers Warm While They Sleep

Dear Lissy,

Stay toasty-warm in a sleeping bag on the cheap by layering an auto sunshade shiny side up between you and your sleeping pad.  For very cold nights, slide it right into your bag.  This is also a great alternative to an electric blanket for babies and toddlers.  Place the sunshade (again, shiny side up) between the mattress cover and mattress.

Stay Warm,
Momma