A Cherished Gift

The above creation is a primitive cat named Putty Tat, after our very own cat named Putty Tat (as in, I tot I taw one)  How about that!  The primitive Putty Tat  was gifted to me by Kat, from Scaredy Kat & Her Own Crow.  Kat is one of the neatest people I've met via blogland. She is a walking, breathing, talking testimony of what God can do in, and for a person when they submit to him.  Her past life was a mess, bound by addictions.  Today, she is cleaned up and  living each day to the fullest. She's got a heart as big as Texas. If you go to her blog, you'll see some of  her divine creations,  most of which seem to be gifts of appreciation bestowed  on those to whom she's grateful.  She shares some of her testimony here, if you'd like to read it and be uplifted. Kat is a hoot, and I consider her one of God's blessings to me that I got to meet her (cyberly speaking).

My son bought me these cookbooks for Christmas. Actually, the one on the left was given to me last Christmas. I love all of them (I should, as they were all on my wish list which I shared with family), but the one I'm most excited about is the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I'm going to have fun with it!

John also overwhelmed me with a new dinette set for my kitchen. I casually mentioned how much I liked this particular style when we were in a store over a year ago. I never dreamed he was even listening to me, as he tends not to, or at least seems not to much of the time.  He was not only listening, he was filing that tidbit away for future use.  I am absolutely loving the gift, and shake my head everytime I think about how thoughtful he was. He & Nikki are both extremely thoughtful gift-givers, always giving both Mr.Studley & I gifts that we  love. I'll snap a pic of the table & chairs one day soon and show it here.

This is a little hat I knit for a gift last year.  I wish I could've gotten a picture of it on the baby, as it doesn't do it justice on this too-small doll's head. It's a darling pattern which was an easy knit. The pattern was not free, but was worth the purchase price. It's raveled here.

I've got to get cracking this weekend. I still have Christmas stuff to be packed away, and I've been dragging my feet about it.  The tree is down, but the rolled up lights are still sitting on a chair in the living room where they've been for nearly a week, and that's not the half of it.  I also have plastic tubs of Christmas decor stacked in the sun room.  What I really wish I'd gotten for Christmas is a maid!

"You do not have to live with secrets that allow negative emotions to control you.  Our feelings are real and they are powerful, but they are not more powerful than God and truth."
~Excerpt from Living Beyond Your Feelings, by Joyce Meyer
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."~John 8:32 Amplified Bible