Birthday Cards for friends

So, I haven't given up on the McGuffy Primer, but I decided not to make it the subject of my posts every day. I'll just post them all at the end of the week and call it done.

Today, I did some work on birthday cards. YAY!

So the first card I made was for a friend of mine who always dresses very nicely. Her clothes are very modest, beautiful and feminine, with ribbons and lace on them. I don't think I've ever seen her in pants, so it's always pretty dresses, with flower garlands in her hair. In short, she dresses in a very old fashioned, romantic style (let me emphasize, NOT HIPPY or HIPSTER. Let's just get that out of the way). Her birthday is pretty soon, so I decided to make her a personalized birthday
card.

It looks better in person, because then you can see all the detailing in the lace on the upper and lower right corners. Here's the inside:

Both the outside and inside were done with watercolour pencils that I went over with a wet paintbrush to make look more artsy. The butterfly and lace designs came from different photos I found online, some of which I combined to get a better picture. I really hope she likes it. The lettering is done with a 0.50 size black art pen, which really doesn't matter because it's just lettering.

This second one I did in markers, and is for a younger friend who seems to enjoy butterflies a bit. I have to watch that friend, because she is a tackle monster. Hoy-VEY! She's nearly knocked me off my feet a few times with her hug tackles. A very exuberant youngster, who's way stronger than she looks. She comes up behind me or on my deaf side, so I don't have time to brace myself, so I'm learning to very quickly brace or catch myself when she tackles me. Any how, here's the card:

Hooray for butterflies! I can never get their wings symmetrical. It's just not gonna happen, so I don't really bother trying it. 

Hopefully, I can get better at using watercolour pencils, because I'm not quite that good right now. It's easier than usual water colors, but still pretty difficult.

Anyhow, that's all for now!

Printing madness and McGuffy Primer Lesson 16

Can I just say that I truly hate printing? Not printing, as in using one of these...

No, I'm thinking more along the line of, printing as in the opposite of cursive. It truly is the bane of writing. I literally do not know how to size them.  I also don't know how to space them and I don't know how to make them look right without loops... I'm TERRIBLE with printing. 

Back when I took the SAT, we all had to sign something along the lines of, 'I didn't cheat on this test, this work is my own,' with our signatures on the bottom, and it had to all be in cursive. I breezed through it, not even really thinking about it. But there was this one guy...clueless. Utterly clueless. Our test was in a middle school and along the top of the wall around the room there was a list of all the letters in cursive. And this poor, embarrassed guy had to literally sit there, and write a little bit, look up, write a little bit, look up, write a little bit, look up. More. Times. Than. I. Can. Remember. Because he had no idea how to write in cursive. Oh, and he ran out of room, too, because he was writing so big. Pretty much, everyone was laughing at him because it should not have taken him nearly five minutes to write one sentence and his own name.

Now that I'm having to practice my printing, I am seriously feeling like that guy from my SAT test. I know how to do my basic printed letters, so I'm one step beyond him, but I feel like I'm failing at it as I'm writing. I have no idea how to size or space my letters when they are not connected. I'm sitting there, as I'm printing my letters going, 'how on earth do I size these things?! And how far apart should they be??!" Truly, truly humiliating.

And with that out of the way, here is Lesson 16. And yes, I did actually do the printing practice.

Lesson 16 Practice words are; big enough for you to read on your own. I wrote them enough times myself already. 

And here is my own work. My only comfort is that it's getting better. Oy vey. 

  

McGuffy Primer Lessons 11-15 and brain leaks

So, here are lessons 11-15 from the McGuffy Primer. These five lessons actually have a bit more work in them than the other ten I've done, and I think the workload will probably get bigger as I go on. I might need to cut down to one lesson a day, very quickly, here.

Lesson 11 worked on the letters "e," x," and the combination "sh" (the last one, "sh," being a bit difficult for me to differentiate from "s" in speech. Yay for deafness! *sarcasm*).

I think hens really get the raw end of the deal when it comes to primers or early readers. They're called fat, their eggs are in danger... primers are just not very nice to hens.

Lesson 12 worked on "o" and "u" for new letters, and a sentence in cursive to practice.

 Lesson 13 works on the letters "o," "y," "ck," and "w."

And Lesson 14 works on "a," "o," "k," and "y," with some of the letters having been used before. Also on this page is the start of lesson 15, which is review.

Lesson 15 is continued on the next page.

And here is my homework from the lessons. As I said, it's starting to get long, to do the homework, so I might start just doing one lesson a day, instead of five a day, pretty soon here.

YAY! I actually think my penmanship is improving.

So far, the readings have been pretty dull in the primer. So much so, that I almost forget to read them, and after I've read them, I pretty much forget them. They are much less complex than Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, or John MacArthur's The Gospel According to Jesus. The first one is one my pastor is preaching on, the second is one I'm going through on the recommendation of my pastor's wife. After I finish The Gospel according to Jesus, I'm planning on moving on to Paul Washer's The Gospel's Power and Message, (which I just got in the mail, after ordering it long enough ago that I had no idea what had come in the mail for me. Hooray for snail mail!).

In other news, I want a dog. Yes, a dog. No, I can't have one, I'm too busy, but that doesn't stop me from wanting one. I've already started a list of names I could use. Here's what I've got so far;

Sir Licksalot
Puddlejumper (Puddles)
Mary Puppins (Puppins, for short)
Henry Waggersworth Longtail
The Mad Wagger (Alice in Wonderland reference)

And if you have any other name ideas, feel free too comment. All of mine are terrible (except, perhaps, Sir Licksalot...I really am proud of that one.).

Oh, and I have the answer the the Mad Hatter's question, "How is a raven like a writing desk?"
.
.
.
Both were abused by Edgar Allen Poe.

McGuffy Primer Lessons 6-10 and a HAPPY BIRFDAY!

YAY! Day 2...a day late. Oh well. It's my birfday and I'll be late if I wanna. Actually, it really is my birfday. And I am ** years old. Yes, issa verry big secret. If you wish to make my day and give me a fantastic gift, please donate a few dollars to INCOR. They help fund overseas pastors, missionaries, Bible schools, orphanages, and refugee camps in the 10/40 window. Fantastic organization, and as far as I know, everyone who works there is a volunteer, so all the funds go directly into missions. My grandfather helped start up the organization, and it has just been a fantastic ministry.

There, that's my plug, for both my birthday, and my birthday wish. YAY! ON to the McGuffy Reader.

I decided to actually do the printed letters from lessons 1-4, so here they are, in all their slightly crooked glory...

Doing the letter drills really brought back memories of the first time I did it in school. I have to say, I think my first attempts here were significantly better than my average writing when I was little. Here's some of my copywork from when I was 7. 

This was copied from Matthew 4:1-4, in case you were wondering.

Anyhow, my old work is boring. Here are the McGuffy lessons 6-10.

Here, lesson six introduces the letters "o," "b," and "g."

Lesson seven, here, introduces "e."

And here, lesson eight introduces the letter "i."

And lesson nine introduces no new letters but works on "ch," and other letter combinations. 

It seems that every fifth lesson is a review, which makes sense, since school was and is only five days a week. Here is where they give the cursive for the letters we've worked on the past five lessons.

So, how did I do on lessons 6-10? Eh...I think I might have to really practice on the letters "e" and "g."

Yeah...I'm gonna need to practice my writing a lot more. And I thought I'd be taking the summer off. Oh well. AT least it's my birthday! YAY for Birfday!

Hopechest McGuffy Madness!

In my family, on a girl's 18th birthday, her mum and dad give her what we call a hopechest. My mother has hers, and I have mine. Now what is a hopechest? I'm glad you asked.

It's a wooden chest that a girl uses to hold things for when she gets married. Thus, the hope, part comes into play with the hopes of getting married and having children. Mine has some baby blankets that were mine as a baby, some of my old handmade baby clothes, a handmade quilt that belonged to my grandmother, some beautiful children's books, and now, added to my collection, recreated McGuffy Reader set. YAY!

The McGuffy Reader set is actually, mainly what this post is all about. Lookie lookie!

I've heard that old primers (first level books), and readers are a really good way to start children on reading. And since I plan to homeschool my children if I ever marry, these seemed like the perfect buy. Got the entire set of six books for $20 at a secondhand book store. 

I looked at the last book, and frankly, it might be beyond me (and I have a college degree!). So, in order to not only test how good these books are, but also to see if I can expand my own reading and writing skills, as well as seeing if I can raise the bar on my own handwriting (since my mother says my cursive looks like that of a 10 year old).

I think I shall try to post my progress here as much as I can. Since this book is copyrighted in 1909...

the primer, at least, falls under the category of public domain. So, I can post pictures of what's in the book. YAY for old books!

Ok, first thing I did was try to copy their alphabet in print. Here's theirs:

Pretty formal and basic. You'd think I'd just try to make mine have the same shape, but, nope! The artist in me protested that, and wanted to recreate their letters. Good practice, I suppose.

Wooo! Ok, so I know you're all dying to see lessons. You've all missed school, the summer's been long, so here's some school work for you to help ease the pain of summer. You'll thank me for it later, I'm sure.

The artwork in lesson one is truly beautiful, and it seems to go throughout the whole book. For the artwork alone, the book is a good study. 

Lessons 1-4 don't seem to have any writing practice so I just read them and moved on. Here are lessons two and three.

 Followed by four and five...

Because there was writing at the end of five, I figured it was a good time to try practicing the writing, especially since they have cursive there, which is what I'm wanting to improve. Here is my attempt at their handwriting style, followed by my own handwriting.

It's definitely different. I find that my own style is less rounded and has more closed letters. 

This is definitely going to be an interesting ride. I wonder if I can actually stick with it...

Light Hearted for a change

Ok, I'm on a 1940s-1950s fashion kick right now. Actually, I have to admit, it's been about the past 2-3 years I've been on this fashion kick. I love the style, I love the modesty, and I love the colors. It's so cute!

Snagged from Pinterest

Isn't that just lovely? Or How about this?

Snagged from Pinterest.

My Dad really liked the blue dress suit. I like it a lot, too. Very elegant. Here's another pretty for y'all.

Snagged from Pinterest

I really love having a skirt and top, combined with a wide belt where they join. I even have a big red belt. I find this a classy and elegant combination, especially with the long skirt. 

Snagged from Pinterest

I just love the above dress. I usually don't do too many dots and stuff because too much patterning on my clothes can literally make me feel nauseated, but this is just exquisite. Add a small white shrug, a white parasol, a little white purse, a pair of low black or white heels and a wide white sunhat, and you're ready to step out like a lady. Very classy. Maybe put on a pair of white wrist length kid gloves if you're feeling fancy. 

Truly, though, I didn't always wear pretty things. Even now, my things are more down to earth than some of the pretty things I like. You might not believe it, but when I was really young, I used to wear army fatigues, big baggy shirts, and army boots, dreaming of joining the military, and beating my older brother at video games. 

Yes, big turn around. I'll write about that change in a later post. But for now, here are more pretties from Pinterest. 

Here's simple, yet very elegant.

I love the floral print on this one. I would have a shawl or little sleeves on it, but overall, it's really adorable.

And this last one is just simply elegant. I really just love how simple and yet so classy it is.

Glory To GOD

You might not know this, but I am completely deaf on one side, and on my other side, I am losing my hearing. And I will admit, I hate being hard of hearing sometimes. I'll just say that straight up. I'm tired of struggling to hear people, I'm tired of having to explain, and I'm just tired of trying to hear. It's truly exhausting. Am I ashamed of being hard of hearing? Well, no. But I'm just plain tired of the struggle. It gets old.

But look at these verses:

Psalm 139:13-16;
 "For YOU formed my inward parts;
YOU wove me in my mother’s womb.14  I will give thanks to YOU, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are YOUR works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from YOU,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;16
YOUR eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in YOUR book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.(NASB)"

John 9:1-3; "As HE passed by, HE saw a man blind from birth. 2 And HIS disciples asked HIM, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind? 3 JESUS answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of GOD might be displayed in him.(NASB)"

1 Corinthians 1:26-28; "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but GOD has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and GOD has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,28 and the base things of the world and the despised GOD has chosen, the things that are not, so that HE may nullify the things that are. (NASB)"


2 Corinthians 12:9; " But HE said to me, “MY grace is sufficient for you, for MY power is
made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of CHRIST may rest upon me."
~~~
Did you catch that? HE MADE ME. This is not a deistic view of human creation, where GOD set the world in motion and human birth is just a common natural process. HE MADE ME. HE FORMED me. I was MADE this way with a purpose. I was "skillfully wrought." Not a mistake, not an accident, but created purposefully by a perfect GOD.

Why was I made this way?  It was "so that the works of GOD might be displayed" in me. Because HE chose me to shame the strong and to nullify the things that are by displaying HIS glory through me. My deafness is not about a mistake; it's about a divine and holy purpose set in motion to glorify GOD.

Does this mean that GOD did this solely for my good, like in Jeremiah 29:11? ("For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." ESV) No, because that was a promise to the Israelites in the Sinaitic covenant. That promise is not valid for Christians. JESUS said in John 16:33b, "In the world you will have tribulation...(ESV)" Not might, WILL. So this is not about GOD doing something for me to make my life easier. Believe me, it's not easier.

This is solely for the glory of GOD, so that what HE does through me can only be contributed to HIM, for HIS glory and HIS honor. HE made me hard of hearing so that when I serve HIM and others see, they will realize and understand that it is not through my hearing, my ability that I do things. It is so that they realize that it is GOD who is working, and not me, and give glory, honor and praise to HIM. I am Deaf/HOH solely for the glory of GOD, and I am thankful.

Why am I thankful? Because my struggles will not be wasted in meaningless despair. They will be used to glorify GOD and honor HIM. So I am not cursed with a disability, but blessed with an opportunity to glorify GOD, even though it is hard.

The Most Terrifying Thing...

One of the things that's been on my mind for the past few years has been something that is utterly terrifying; hell. It's not just the suffering or pain or separation from GOD; the most terrifying part is how long forever is.

When your life is over, and if you are unsaved, you are sent to hell with a one way ticket. And that is not meant to be cheesy. When you get to hell, you get no reprieve, no second chance. You're there. GOD's not going to come by and say, "Hey, it's been a few thousand years, would you like a second chance to change your mind? Maybe you want to love me now?" No, it doesn't work that way.

You go there and you are there for the rest of eternity. You can't go back and undo it. You don't just slowly fade from existence. You can't die to be released from it. You are there in eternal suffering, separated from GOD and all that is good with no way out.

Hell is not a holding place for souls that need an attitude readjustment. It's not there as a holding tank until a set time when GOD relents and changes HIS justice. HE doesn't relent and HIS justice never changes. HE sent HIS SON to die for our sins to satisfy HIS justice, but if you don't accept that gift, HE will pour out HIS righteous wrath on you for your sins, your lawlessness, and your rebellion. And that wrath is poured out in hell for all eternity.

See, the terror of hell is that you don't get to try it out and decide, 'oh hey, this is really bad, I wanna have GOD now." No. It's done. It's final. No second chance, no undo, no way back to life. You are eternally stuck with your decision, in hell, separated from GOD and all that is good, in a place of eternal torment with no end date, ever. THAT is the most terrifying thing ever.