God lives in the post office

My friend Lynda sends me lovely things all the time, thought I would like to share this with you.

God lives in the Post Office This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.
A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith , ' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I' m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God

A day out with baby Hannah

I can't believe its a year since our lovely baby Hannah was born where has the year gone. Her mum and dad had a party for her but I was unable to go as I was at work, so on the Sunday after the wedding Fayre I headed of to Coventry to my sisters where they were having a party and Hannah was staying the night so we could have the day together on Monday.

After a lazy start to the day playing and opening presents, we decided to go to Coomb Abbey a 450 acres country park, woodland, lakes and beautiful gardens. Its origin is 800 years old a cistercin abbey, after a very exciting history its now a very expensive hotel. We took Hannah to the children's park and she had her first swing and squealed with excitement. We took bread for the ducks and swans that surrounded us so noisily Hannah's eyes were as big as saucers. We strolled through the park Hannah in her pushchair holding my had as we looked at the birds and squirrels. They were so tame they took bread from my hand. we had a late lunch in the cafe cheesy chips and a bacon sandwich, Hannah had puree veg and a treat of a small piece of baby chocolate. I think there was more on the floor and table than actually went down her throat, but she seamed to enjoy it giggling and smiling the whole time. My sister is so great with her you can see the love she has for her every waking moment, Nikki (her mum) is very lucky to have such a good Nannie. We visited the shop. Julie brought her a soft toy of a blue tit that made the song of the tit when you pressed it. We had a lovely day and I was sad to leave after tea.

Hannah in her new coat, it was a cold day but the sun did come out for a short while.There was so many more birds than this the seagulls were a pest pinching as much bread as they could.

The gardens, hotel and lake.

January wedding fayre

Last Sunday one of the large hotels popular with weddings held a wedding Fayre and we were asked if we would like to take part. It meant all day Saturday I could play about making brides bouquets using lovely flowers. (I have a great job). At these events there is so many styles and designs you could do and there is always somebody wanting to see something you haven't done, but I take our photo album where there is a large variety of photo's from my past work. I like to have a look around at the other traders, some of the cake stands are amazing the designs so delicate. There was a fashion show with most amazing dresses and they asked us if we would let some of the girls walk on with our bouquets and I must admit it showed them off much better than just on a table. I always make myself a wrist corsage out of fressia so I can have the lovely smell on me all day. to promote our shop we give all the brides who take an interest a pink Gerbera with our shop name and phone number on as our business card. Its quite tiring and I must say I get a bit frustrated with some of the people when they are not getting married until 2011, its such big business.

This was a simple design large red rose with some feathers and pearls around the outside

Pink rose, baby calla, fressia and gray eucalyptus

White rose, white lily with dimonties and again fressia and a darker foliage french ruscuss.These were stunning pink roses no foliage each one had a pearl in the center and edged with a pearl ring.

I made this one a heart shape with St Valentine day ever approaching, with red roses with dimonties in the centre and gave it the rustic look with soft twigs from the silver birch tree.

A visit from Jeff Lucas

This photo was taken on my way to work one frosty morning last week.

On the 4th of January we were privileged to welcome to our church author and speaker Jeff Lucas from Colorado. Originally from England he now ministers in loveland Colorado a teaching post at Timberline church Fort Collins. jefflucus.org! He travels internationally in his ministry and is well known in England at spring harvest. He was in Doncaster to speak at the Doncaster city celebration serves Sunday evening so our minister asked him to come to our church Sunday morning. City celebration is where all the Church's in our area get together I think four times a year. The leaders are doing great works in and around our city and he spoke highly of their work.

He spoke a lot of common sense and made us laugh and realize how pathetic we are, like moaning about paying 5pence for a carry bag at the supermarket, or the person in the check out has 12 item's in their basket and are in the Que for 10 or under, let it go. There are a lot of more important things to worry about. So my thought for the year is let it go. viset

Things are much quieter now in the shop so we are in the process of painting the walls inside. We are putting the Christmas decoration away next week thank goodness we sold a lot of stock so not much to store till next Christmas. Apart from a more funeral work than normal and a large amount of new baby's being born business is a bit slow at the moment, is it the recession everyone is talking about or is it slow as it always is in January.

The photo's are from one of the funerals I did last week

The next big occasion is 14Th February Valentin's day and I'm dreading it. No matter how much you can prepare its never enough and we run out of space and everywhere is a mess. But we need these busy times to make up for the slow times such as now.

Happy new year

• On the Friday before Christmas some of the congregation from church all met up and went to sings carols at two of our local nursing homes. The resident's joined in and seamed to enjoy us being there. It was good to see the children joining in.
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  I never really got much chance to take many photo's because of cooking washing up etc so have taken just a few of Robert with his personal calender that I had made for him. technology is so clever. I mailed twelve photo's to this company and they turned it into a calender. They are all of the dogs and you can type a statement for each month, the hardest thing was to pick only twelve photo's. Tom wants to help open every ones presents. He likes the one's that smell of food best. Scampi loved her new soft toy she can really pull it about.
  

  I took my camera to work every day but was so busy i never got to take any photo's I did some lovely work but nobody will ever see. I went back to work on Saturday and have been busy ever since, but managed to get away at 3o'clock on new years eve. Robert and I went down to Derbyshire to a remote farm house near to where we used to live to some friends house . We have been for the last couple of years its a traditional night. There is piano playing, quiz's, hymn singing, funny poems, good conversations good food. Mum and dad joined us we see the new year in together. We come home as I like new years day at home for some reason. I fetched Fallon and her three friends at 3am they were in good spirits and also had a good time. As they were staying for lunch next day I got a turkey and we all had Christmas dinner again, It was good to Fallon home.

• We don't know what the next will bring its hard to tighten your belts when we already live a simple life but we are most fortunate and may God continue to bless us. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year.