Welcome a new blogger.

I have a favor to ask, if you don't mind. I have encouraged my oldest friend, Becky, to start her own blog. I've told her about all the wonderful people that I have met here in blogland, and would love for her to meet some you. Could you go in and just give Becky a big hello and welcome her into the blogging family?
Thanks,
Charlie

What title do I use today? A blessing was Born.

This morning as I layed in bed I got a phone call from a dear friend telling me that she and her husband were on their way to the hospital for the birth of their new granddaughter. I told her to let me go take a shower and I would be on my way. They are our "northern" friends, and Cathy and I tell others that we are sisters separated at birth. We spend a lot of our time teaching each other about our "regional" ways. We are their "southern" friends, and she believes that my husband knows everything and can do almost anything. It is so much fun when we go out to dinner and we will be talking about something and every once in a while one of us gets this totally loss look on our face. We just look at each other and just start to laugh.

Okay, back to the story about the baby. I got to the hospital about 9:30a.m. and got to go in and see Kim and Stan, the soon to be parents. Kim looked beautiful, even thought she had been in labor for about 8 hours, and Stan was right there beside her giving her the quiet strength that she needed. We left the room and went back out to the waiting room and just hung out with the family for a while. When Cathy and George, my friends, moved here they had to make sure that their children were going to come with them. Now let me explain this one to you. They have three girls, ranging in age from early thirties to mid twenties. But when they decided to move because of George's job they talked it over with the girls and their husbands. Kim wasn't married at the time, matter of fact she didnt even know Stan at the time. But the girls all decided to move down with their parents, and the husbands all were in agreement. So Cathy and George came down, found Cathy's dream home, and got settled. Then the girls started moving down, staying with their parents until their own homes were built. Kim finally came down and when she did she brought Stan with her. They said that they were just really close friends, but before long you could tell that they were more than just friends.

Cathy and George have such big, open hearts. They have family night every Sunday, all the girls are there with their families. Before long they were inviting our family to join them, and our tradition for "family night" was born. I love being around them, I think that they show others what it means to be "family". I am not saying that they have a perfect family, but they have a real family. They get upset with each other once in a while but no matter what they stand together as one. The love that they have for one another is so obvious, and one can only dream about having the same kind of family. I am a strong believer in family, cause when it comes right down to it all we really have in life is our family.

Anyway, I had to leave today and go to the studio, but my son Philip came and took over so that I could go back to the hospital. When I got there I found them still waiting. They hadn't left nor were they going anywhere. Even the brother-in-law and 6 week old baby boy was there. We got to go in and see Kim again and she was in heavy labor at this point, and you could see the pain in her eyes. But there was no panic in her eyes, and Stan was calm, at least on the outside. Kim told us that she thought that her mom should get the nurse because she felt the need to push. Cathy went and got the nurse, and let's just say that the time for the big event was there. We had all been picking times for the birth as we were sitting in the waiting room and all of sudden Cathy has a special look on her face. She started saying that she wanted the baby to wait and come after 4:00p.m.. I know it was one of those times that I had a lost look on my face, I'm thinking.....4:00? What is so important about 4:00p.m.? Do we get a discount on the room? A new doctor? What? Then she smiles and tells me that at 4:00 Kim and Stan would have been offically married for nine months. We figured about 4:15 would be more like it, and guess when our blessing was born? Nope, not at 4:15, but close. Sonya Rose came in to the world at 4:24p.m., weighing in at 8 pounds 4 ozs, and 18 inches long. Yes, she was and is beautiful. She looks like her daddy, but there is also some of Kim in her. When we got to go in and see the new little family, Kim took my breath away. There was a glow about her,and you couldn't tell that she had just given birth. Just beautiful. The joy and love in the room was so thick you could have just reached out and touched it. I stayed long enough to see the baby and then I just backed out to the room as everyone else was in there laughing, crying, kissing, and just enjoying their precious new gift. Even as I walked to my car I was surrounded by their love, and I smiled the whole way. What a special gift I had been given today, to be a part of such an occassion.

So as you say your prayers tonight please remember this new little bundle of joy and her parents, that God will grant them much joy, love, and laughter. That He will guide them in every step they take, and for the wisdom they will need as they walk down this new path.

Thanks, and remember to dream the impossible and to aim for it.
Charlie

I was very blessed today in the fact that this wonderful family allowed me to be a part of this very special time.

I LOVED CERTIFICATION!!!!

I am back and I loved my certification, the whole experience was great. Phil and I got to spend some time alone, except for all of his phone calls, and I got to spend time with my friend Sandy, and got to learn a lot about the Studio Home Dimensions.

When we got to class on Wednesday morning, Sandy got us seats right up front and there were these boxes in front of each chair. It was like Christmas, and you could feel the excitement in the air. When we started opening our boxes we were shocked at everything that was in there. I would show you everything but I haven't taken a picture of it all but if you go to Sandy's blog you can see all of the cool tools that we got. I have never worked with clay before and had no idea what all of the tools were for, but it didn't matter cause I was just getting excited looking at everything and knowing that I was going to get to do something with them. Then the class finally started with introductions, all of the ones there to get certified and the ones that were helping Donna teach. The two women from Polyform, Iris and Amy, were there and were very helpful. And Amy shared a story with us about her love for working with clay and even sang a little song for us.

Donna was her usual creative self and loved sharing her talents with us. And I have to tell you , she is just as nice in person as she appears on t.v. I really have been fortunate in the fact that she has done all three of my certifications, and I hope that she will be the one that does the one that I'm going to in March. And I got to meet a lot of nice women at this certification, and I'll get to see some of them in March.

This is Sandy and I on the last morning of the certification. Yes, we both look tired but it was so worth it.

This picture is the samples of all the things that we could do with the clay. Take the time to look at the some the close up photos.

Aren't these nice looking?

This is Amy's letter that she did. I of course

did a "C". I'll post it after I bake it.

There are other photos, but I'll save them for another time. But I do want to show you the photo of Donna and me. She was signing my book and also writing a sweet note to Mom.

Okay, I am tired and ready to go to sleep so I'll say goodnight for now and I'll pop in later to write more. So, remember to dream the impossible and aim for it.

Charlie

One World One Heart

I am so excited that I am getting to be involved in my first giveaway in blog land. I am in Florida right now, so I will need to wait until I get back to the studio in Hampstead, N.C. to post what I am going to give away. I think that I am going to try and give a few things away, just need to get home so that I can take pictures and post them.


For you whom are new to this, here is what you do. Just make a comment on this post and I will put your name in a drawing, that will take place on the 14th of February. I'll post the winners and will send you your prize. Isn' that easy? Also, click on the picture below and it will take you to Lisa's blog where all the bloggers that are participating are listed. Go in and visit allthe blogs and sign in for a chance to win. There are really some neat giveaways out there.









Remember to dream the impossible and aim for it.
Charlie

No snow.

Well, we waited and waited but still no snow. Phil and I really thought about going to Raleigh to see some snow, but we went ahead and came home last night after the basketball game and went to bed. I know, we sound like an old couple,don't we? Oh well, hopefully we will get some snow one of these days. LOL.

Guess what I am going to get to do this week? I am going to Orlando, Fl. for another certification with Donna Dewberry and Dewberry Designs. I am going to learn how to work with Polymer Clay and how to teach it. I am really excited about getting to learn something new, not just for me but so that I can pass it along to all of my students. I just love learning new things and sharing it with others. This week is going to be really nice, besides the certification, because Phil is going with me. He is going to play golf during the day and then we can do things in the evenings. Then, a friend that I meet at convention a few years ago is going and we will get to see each other and get caught up on things. Her name is Sandi, and she is the one that actually got me started in blogging. I've been reading her blog for about two years and I wanted to have one so that I could share in all the fun. It just took me a while to figure out how to do it. She has a great blog, go check her out at http://dreamcreateinspire.blogspot.com/, she is so talented and is such a blessing. Also, my friend JoAnne is now living in Jacksonville, Fl. and I am hoping that we will get to spend some time together. So, needless to say, I will probably not come in and write to you while I'm gone, but then you just never know, I might. But when I get back I should have lots of good stuff to share with you. So until then, I want to share something with you that a friend shared with me......Jesus is our hope, and I am hope-full.
Charlie

Snow or no snow?

Just have to share some exciting news, they are calling for snow here in Wilmington, N.C. We haven't had any snow here since 2003, and then it was only here for a few hours. Then about 2 hours away they are calling for about 4 inches of snow there, and we are talking about driving there so that we can see snow for sure. People are really excited about the possibility, it s like being children again.

Well, happy weekend everyone. I'll be in touch soon.

It was a fun morning.

This morning my friend Joanie came to the studio and we worked on our ESTY Shop for a few hours. Of course neither one of us really know what we were doing, so it took a while for us to get things going. The most fun this morning was writing the part about us, and of course we got silly, and of course it shows in what we wrote. If you get a chance, go and check us out.

As promised, I took pictures of the batiks that I was working on with the wax and without the wax. I just love doing this art!!! I never really know what a piece is going to look like until I iron all the wax out.

This piece still has the wax on it.

And this piece is finished. I had done this one before but it had too much brown in it, but I really like it with more of the red tones in it.

This one I had to work with some. When I took all of the wax off I didn't like the way it looked so I added some more watercolor to it. What do you think?

I also want to add a plug for the blog that I mentioned last week. I am addicted to this blog and I go in everyday to just read it and to read the comments that people leave. You always wonder if you can ever make an impact on someone else's life, and I have to tell you that this blog is making an impact on my life. If you get the chance go in and read it.

http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com/

Okay, remember to dream the impossible and aim for it.

Charlie