Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day full of family, good food, and festivities!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

My mom only makes her delicious coffee cake on Christmas, so it's always a special treat!

(Shelby's thoughts: I hate my life. Get it off.)

I hope everyone has a blessed, beautiful holiday!

Love,



p.s. IT'S SNOWING!

I Got Mail.

About two months ago, I arrived home from an extraordinarily long day of school, teaching, and a Hendersonville Symphony rehearsal to a large package. :)

I wasn't expecting any packages, but I opened it to find this...

Two summers ago, I spent the summer teaching with a good friend from Florida State, Alex. Her mom, when she found out I had started tatting, sent me this lovely package of all of her mother-in-law's tatting materials! It was such a sweet package full of threads and shuttles.

But she also included some gorgeous pieces that her mother-in-law had made...

Isn't this doily exquisite? I hope I can learn to tat that well eventually!

I think this long one would be a beautiful table runner.

When I opened the card (with one of my favorite Bible verses on it!), this gorgeous tatted cross was inside. It's now in my Bible and marking Jeremiah 29:11.

I'm making Christmas gifts for both Alex and her mom, and I'm thinking about something like this for Mrs. Massey...

(Three Red Apples)

There were some smaller doilies in the package, and I think it will be really special to use one in my gift for Mrs. Massey. I emailed Alex about a motto she thought her mom would like, and she said, "trust your journey." I love it!

What do you guys think?

I'll keep you posted on how it goes...hopefully with pictures.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week!

Plans

Do you ever have those days when you just don't know where your life is headed?

I've been having quite a few of those days recently. As I watch many of my friends land jobs, get married, and start new chapters in their lives, I can't help but feel I'm stuck in an old chapter, desperately trying to turn the page. As much as I try to squash it, that little voice in my head sometimes says, why don't I deserve those things? When is it my turn?

 I'm not a very patient person, and I'm ready to move on.

But then again, change terrifies me.

As I move towards my 25th birthday, graduation, and a job, part of me wants to dig in my heels because I can't see what is around the bend. But another part of me wants to plunge forward, emerging as a new - and hopefully wiser - person.

During these days of doubt - and sometimes sadness - I've turned to one Bible verse:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

(joykruse)

I trust that God has my future in His hands, and I need to have patience in knowing that these things will come in His time, not mine.

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Jeremiah 29:12-13

I hope everyone has a beautiful Sunday!

Peace

Silver Bay has such a rich and beautiful history. There are families here that come every summer. Church conferences and family reunions happen here. One of the ladies living with me in Sunnyside has been coming since 1944 and met her husband here! So sweet!

I'm on the verge of getting sappy, but I may as well continue. I went to the EMPS musical last night - Nunsense. On the back of the program, the director, Mike, wrote, among other things, "This is a place of healing and peace, of love and compassion, of friendship and family....This is truly a home and ours is a loving one." I can't think of a better way to describe Silver Bay. Besides my own home, I've never been in a place where I've felt more welcomed and loved. Although I am looking forward to going home, I am reluctant to leave such a gorgeous place and wonderful friends, both old and new, that have been so restorative for my soul.

This evening's Vespers was at Slim Point where we could see the sunset and hear the water lapping up on the beach. We took several minutes to just be quiet and still and feel God's presence. It was an inspiring moment, and I am so grateful to have been invited to play in the quartet here. Little did I know that it would be such an amazing experience.

The end. Sappiness over. Probably until tomorrow.

I'll have more pictures soon!

Em

Sunshine Award and 8 Questions

A few weeks ago my friend Mandy at Mandy's Yellow Corner gave me the Sunshine Award, and few days ago she tagged me with 8 Questions. For the Sunshine Award I have to tell 7 things about myself. For the other, I have to answer the 8 questions from Mandy then ask 8 bloggers 8 new questions of my choice.

The Sunshine Award:

1. I love chocolate. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be chocolate. Please, twist my arm.

2. I love Tudor and WWII history. I read a lot of historical fiction, especially about English history.

3. Brahms is my favorite composer. I don't think I could ever get tired of playing Brahms. Sigh...

4. I am a published author.

5. If I were not pursuing a career in music, I would love to be a pastry chef or an architect. Random, I know.

6. My favorite stuffed animal and one of my oldest friends is Disaur. He's an orange brontosaurus. His name comes from my inability to say dinosaur when I was little.

7. My last name, Blankenship, is derived from the English Blenkinsopp, a locational name in Northumberland, England. There is a medieval Blenkinsopp Castle, which is now unfortunately in ruins. But I still kind of want to go claim my turf.

Since I'm doing these together, I am only going to tag a few people...

1. Amy @ Forever Curiouser

2. Wendy @ a & w

3. Tammy @ StitchnStudio

8 Questions:

Here are Mandy's questions...

1. Your house is burning down and you and your family are all safe. You can only grab one thing. What do you take?

I would definitely take my Bible. I've been using the same one for many years - the one that I received when I officially joined our church. Although I was baptized as an infant, I made a conscious decision to accept Jesus as my Savior and join the church at age 11.

2. What is your favorite color and why?

Purple. That was easy. The why is a little harder. I love deep purple tulips, the way the sky looks almost purple at dusk, violets, lavender, victorian lavender silk...

3. What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

Sweet bread. Look it up.

4. Is your hair its natural color right now?

I've never dyed my hair.

5. Are you most comfortable in a dress and heels or jeans and flip flops?

I'm most comfortable in jeans and flip flops, but I LOVE getting dressed up and putting on an adorable dress and heels.

6. Where would I find you at 10:00 AM on a Saturday?

You would most likely find me still in bed...I'm a little embarrassed to say that, but I like sleeping in. Can you blame me?

7. What station is your car radio usually set to?

NPR. Nerd alert.

8. After an hour at the pool are you tanned, burnt, or the same as before?

Burnt. To a crisp.

Tagging these lovely ladies...

Tara @ Cape Cod Drifter

Crissy @ No Sweeter Name

Clare @ L. B - voyages

Here are my questions for you...

1. What chore do you dislike the most?

2. What did you want to be when you grew up?

3. Would you rather get up early or sleep in?

4. What was the last book you finished reading?

5. If you could have dinner with a famous person, past or present, who would it be?

6. What is your favorite thing to do at night?

7. What is your dream vacation if money is no object?

8. Have you ever traveled outside the country in which you live?

Things here at Silver Bay continue to be beautiful. The quartet is working on new music this week - the Dohnanyi Piano Quintet and Britten's String Quartet no. 1. Yesterday, Chloe, her husband Ben, and I went to the Walmart in Ticonderoga to get her a bathing suit. (Yes, we're doing the team triathalon!) Apparently they don't stock bathing suits up here past July. After a long (long) time thinking about our predicament, the light bulb finally went off, and we realized the fact that I have a one-piece bathing suit. And Chloe and I are the same size. Duh.

Anyhow, we decided to check out downtown Ticonderoga but kept driving and ended up taking the ferry to Vermont. I have to say it is a strange sensation to be in your car floating across Lake Champlain. Vermont is indescribably gorgeous with towering mountains and huge farmland fields. I'm still kicking myself for not carrying my camera with me everywhere here, and alas, I have no photos. We spent the afternoon in Middlebury puttering around in used book stores. I inevitably found a place with craft supplies and bought some. The best part about the trip - a fabulous dinner. If you had eaten Silver Bay food for almost two weeks now, you would understand the sheer joy of eating in a restaurant.

Ok, super long post over.

:)

Em

The Adirondacks

First of all, I must apologize for my extreme lack of posting this week.

For the past few days, I have been getting settled in my new home for the next three weeks in Silver Bay, New York. Silver Bay is located on Lake George in the Adirondacks. I'm playing in the string quartet here, and we are having a marvelous time. A long-time and very close friend is playing first violin, and it has been so wonderful to spend time with her. This week we are working on Shostakovich's String Quartet no. 3 and Turina's Prayer of a Bullfighter.

Words cannot describe how beautiful and peaceful it is here. The people here are also some of the nicest I've ever met. Besides rehearsing with the quartet, I have enjoyed kayaking, reading by the lake, playing for Vespers, a watercolor class, and rocking on the front porch of the Inn. Tomorrow, the violist of our quartet has promised to take us sailing on the lake!

I am so inspired by the tranquil beauty of the lake and mountains. I've found it to be a great place for reading the Bible and quiet reflection.

The one bummer so far: I was attacked. By a spider. And my foot is now swollen. And red. Sad. However, after pretty much bathing in cortisone cream it has begun to feel better. And I must apologize to the spiders I had to kill in my room. Sorry, little buggers, you had to go.

Ok, other bummer: my camera's batteries died the moment I got here. No joke. So pictures will be on the way soon! I can't wait to share the incredible beauty of Silver Bay with you all!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!