Celebrating and Anticipating a Forever Party

 

This summer my family had a little party at home to celebrate the forever party yet to come! 

Joni Eareckson Tada has a new book called The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party. It is a wonderful, delightful book that tells about Heaven and the amazing invitation that Jesus offers.

I won a party box from The Good Book Company that included a free copy of the book, plus all the supplies needed for a little party. They included hats and horns and balloons, much to my children's delight! This new book and fun prize package made it easy to have a simple party at the end of the day.

I read The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party to my littles. Gresham lost interest fairly quickly, but the book held the attention of both Stafford and Adelaide.

The party box included games to play, decorations to make, and even an invitation that we could decorate. If you want to have a party too, you can find the printable party supplies for free here! Just scroll down to the bottom for links to the printable pages.

My family has often talked about Heaven over the years. We look forward to the day when there will be no more sickness or suffering or pain. This book gave us another opportunity to talk about Heaven and the life yet to come. If you have young children, The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party is a good way to help explain to them what Heaven will one day be like. This book will also help to open up deeper conversations about Jesus and salvation.

The Good Book Company has a video of Joni reading this new book! If you have little ones, maybe they will enjoy sitting with you and listening to the story!

Busy Hands: Using Up Scraps

After working on many different crochet projects for the past 14 years, I have quite a stash of leftover scraps of yarn. Some leftover pieces are big enough to use for a small project. Other leftover pieces don't go far, but I want to use up all of the scrap yarn I can. I only throw away yarn if it is less than about two feet long. Here are some ways I use up my yarn scraps.

I make cup cozies. I have tried a few different patterns, but this one has turned out to be my favorite for looks, function, and ease of making it. It is made by alternating rows of single crochet and double crochet stitches and then adding a loop for a button on one end. These are nice to give away as a small gift to friends and teachers. I don't know how much they actually help to keep coffee or tea hot, but they are fun to use.

I make crocheted hairband covers. I like the way these feel in my hair when the original hairband is completely covered. I have also made flowers and then sewed them onto hair bands for Adelaide. I let her pick out jewels from my craft stash to sew on some of the flowers.

I am slowly making a Sea Penny Afghan. I learned how to make sea pennies from Julia Crossland. I started making this blanket about five years ago, but I haven't worked on it for about four years now. I need to pick up my scraps and start making sea pennies again! I hope to make this into a nice lap blanket size.

This will not be a color coordinated afghan, but it will be filled with memories. I am making sea pennies using leftover yarn from almost all of my crochet projects. I am also using some of my Oma's leftover yarn. It is fun to look through the all of the colors and yarns in this sea penny afghan and remember the specific projects and people and gifts they represent.

I would love to hear your ideas! How do you use bits of leftover yarn? Please share your scrap project ideas and patterns!

Five Minute Friday: Play

It's Five Minute Friday! I wasn't going to write this week, but then I saw that the writing prompt was PLAY, so I just had to write! 

You are invited to join us over at Five Minute Friday this week, where we are all writing for just five minutes using the writing prompt, PLAY. This is quick and easy blogging. No over-thinking or fine-tuning. Just writing for five minutes.

I love to play. It is something many people probably don’t know about me. If you come to my house to visit me, I will be fairly quiet. I will probably be lying down on the sofa for a good portion of our visit. I will talk about life and normal mom and wife things. You probably won’t see it, but I love to play.

My son often talks about my inner 5 year old. He teases me that I’m actually 75% child. Because he sees the glee in my eyes when I talk about playing and how much I like it.

My kids know that if I had the energy, I would be going to the swimming pool with them multiple times every week in the summer, and that I would not be sitting on the side. I would be swimming laps for exercise and for fun. I would be going down the water slides and jumping off the diving board. I would be playing hard. Just for fun.

If I had the energy, I would take my kids to the park, and I would play on the swings and the slide. I would go for a walk or a bike ride with them. I would play because I love it! And because I love playing with my kids.

Our play now is usually something simple like a board game. But sometimes they see my delight for playtime by the gleam in my eye when I talk about fun things. I take joy in watching them play, even when I can’t participate.

I used to figure skate when I was a teenager. I dream of someday going to a local ice rink, putting on my old SP-Teri skates, asking for permission to take Cordell out on the ice with me, and then going out to skate. Even if my legs only last for 10 minutes. I would play, and it would be fun!

This body can’t do what it used to do. But one day on the New Earth, I am going to play and play and play! I will glorify God in my resurrection body by using it to work hard, swim, skate, and play.

Summertime

William and Adelaide at Park Point Beach in Duluth, MN

Summer is here! The kids have been out of school for over three weeks now, and summer break is in full swing. I don't plan on taking a blogging break this summer like I did last year, but my writing will probably continue to be sporadic for the summer, just as it was this winter and spring.

Lake Superior and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

A few weeks ago we went on vacation with my parents to Duluth, Minnesota. It was beautiful! We had a great time. One of the nice things about Duluth is that it is farther north, and it is cooler there than where we live. I was able to be outside on several afternoons, which was great because Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior are so beautiful that you want to be outside!

Split Rock Lighthouse

There was one afternoon in Duluth when we were outside for a quick stroll through the Lief Erickson Rose Garden. It was 76 degrees, which is too hot for me to stay in for long. It was also very sunny, which makes me "wilt" even faster. My mom let me borrow her SPF 50 sunhat, and I was surprised how much it helped! I still couldn't stay outside for long, but the sunhat helped quite a bit.

On the way home from vacation, my mom found an SPF 50 hat for me, so I now have another item to help me tolerate the summer heat. I hope to use it later on this summer to go to our county parade and the county fair.

Now that it is summer, it is usually in the 80s or 90s here in Southwest Minnesota. I am mostly confined inside my house where there is air conditioning, but I do have ice pack attire, and now great sunhat too, for when I need to venture out.

Duluth, MN and Lake Superior

If you want to see more photos from our trip, you can find some on Instagram. Will and I are both sharing them here.

William and Adelaide have a long summer break, so we have many more days of summer break ahead of us. If you have been reading on my blog for a while, you know that summer is hard for me. The heat and the extra activity of summer wears me out! Thankfully, we have friends and family who are helping us out again this year.

Summers are getting easier as the kids grow up and can help out more around the house. I can already tell that (so far) this summer is easier than last summer. But the help from family and friends is still very much needed and appreciated!


What are your plans for the summer? Are summers hard for you? What tips do you have for surviving summer? Do you have a sunhat? :)

Favorite Books of 2016

I have enjoyed reading lots of books this year. Here are a few of my favorites! Plus a giveaway! (The giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered! And congratulations Angela on winning!)

Choose Joy by Sara Frankl and Mary Carver

In 2010 I found Sara Frank’s blog, and I began reading it daily. Sara shared openly about her life with a severe chronic illness and extreme pain, and she shared about how she chose joy in the midst of it all. Getting to know Sara through her blog made things less scary for me as my health declined, and I became increasingly homebound. Without even knowing it, Sara mentored me through her blog. She showed me how to live a homebound life with joy. 

Choose Joy was co-written by Sara Frankl and Mary Carver, and it was released in January of this year. Choose Joy contains blog posts from Sara that are woven together with Mary's words. Mary introduces each section of Sara's, giving the reader background information, sharing stories from friends, or sharing stories of her own.

Choose Joy will be coming out in paperback in January 2017! You may read my full review here.

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch

This is a helpful book for any parent seeking to raise their children to be grateful, Christ-followers in a world that wants to teach us that it is all about having more. Whether you are dealing with heart attitudes of wanting more, or are needing to make big changes in your family to move away from living an entitled life, this book will be encouraging and helpful. You may read my full review here.

And It Was Beautiful by Kara Tippetts

Through her blog, and through her books, Kara Tippetts has shown the world how to live well and die well. And It Was Beautiful is Kara’s final book, and it is primarily a collection of many of her blog posts. Those who have enjoyed reading Kara’s blog will love owning a copy of her blog in book form!

In this little book, Kara shares beauty and joy in the midst of the very hard grief of dying as a young wife and mother. Kara shares about the grace and peace that can be found in times of suffering. You will be encouraged to live life with joy and love, and you will learn to see beauty in the hard things in life. You may read my full review here.

A Step Further by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steve Estes

This book was originally published in 1980. Joni wrote it with her friend and mentor, Steve Estes, and it was a follow-up book to her autobiography, Joni. In A Step Further Joni and Steve dig deeper into Scripture to share what it teaches regarding suffering, health, and healing. This book is good, insightful, and biblical. It is especially helpful to those who are facing life-long disabilities and are wondering why God has not healed them.

A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada

A Spectacle of Glory is Joni’s new 365 day devotion book. It released in October, and I have been reading an advance copy this fall from Net Galley. I have not finished the book yet, but I have read a few months of the devotions, and they are encouraging, challenging, and helpful. They devotions are short, and will be good for those who cannot read long chapters.

Joni has been a quadriplegic almost 50 years. She writes from a perspective of someone who has suffered a lot from disability, but also from the perspective of a woman who has walked with God for many years. Joni’s devotions are always based in Scripture. She writes on a variety of topics including joy, perseverance, suffering, prayer, difficulty, disappointment, pain, gratitude, fear, hope, turning from sin, faithfulness, and Heaven.

If you are looking for a new year-long devotion book for 2017, A Spectacle of Glory is a great book to choose! I especially recommend this book if you have a chronic illness or disability.

For Such a Time as This by Angie Smith

Adelaide and I enjoyed reading this book together this year. For Such a Time as This is a great devotion book for a mother and daughter to share. Angie tells the stories of 40 different women from the Bible including Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Esther, Gomer, Elizabeth, Mary, and Priscilla. Every page is beautifully illustrated by Breezy Brookshire. The Bible stories are well told, and there is an application section that is challenging for both moms and daughters alike. Each chapter ends with a prayer to pray for your daughter. If you are looking for a high-quality devotion book for a 6-10 year old girl, this is a good one!

My Brother’s Crown by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

This year I enjoyed reading several fiction novels. Fiction is sometimes easier for me to read on my tired and brain fogged days. I read classic novels as well as several newer ones. I especially enjoyed reading two books from the Cousins of the Dove series. It is a new mystery and historical fiction series written by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould.

My Brother’s Crown is the first book in the Cousins of the Dove series. There are two stories that unfold in this book. One story follows a Huguenot family facing persecution in seventeenth century France, and the other story follows modern day descendants of that Huguenot family. I enjoyed learning about the Huguenots while reading this book, and the modern-day mystery gave it just the right amount of suspense!

My Brother’s Crown is a great start to a fun and interesting historical fiction series. Only the first two books in this series have been released so far. Book number three will be coming out in July of next year.

And now for a giveaway! I have an extra copy of My Brother’s Crown, and I would like to give it to one of you! If you would like to win this book, please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below. The winner will be notified by email on Tuesday, December 27.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What books did you read this year? What was your favorite book? What do you recommend I add to my reading list for 2017?

Busy Hands: County Fair Edition

This year I felt well enough to visit the county fair not just once, but twice! Last year I was not able to attend at all, so I made sure to thoroughly enjoy myself this year! I watched my children having fun on the fair rides. I ate popcorn and cotton candy. I looked at all of the crafts and produce and 4-H fair entries. I visited the vendor tables and collected samples. I petted the goats. I had a wonderful time with my family! My parents were here in August, and they took the children and me to the fair one day while Will was at work. And then Will was able to go to the fair with us on the weekend. 

The county fair is one of my family's favorite events each year. We enjoy entering baked goods, garden produce, and crafts. Throughout the year I work on crochet projects and jewelry to enter at the fair. Some years I am not able to go to the fair, but I always send along some items for entry. It was a bonus that I was able to both attend the fair and turn in craft projects this year!

One of my goals this year was to win a purple ribbon for a crochet project. I have never won a purple ribbon for any of my crocheted items before, so I was thrilled when this infant sweater set received a purple ribbon! I used this free pattern. It's the same pattern I used when Adelaide was a baby. I never made the sweater for Adelaide, though, which I regret.

I entered this baby hat (left) and newsgirl hat (right). I will use the baby hat as a gift for someone. The newsgirl hat is for Adelaide to wear this winter. She even picked out the yarn herself!

I was super excited that my Bristleberry Scarf received a purple ribbon too! I made fingerless gloves out of the yarn remnant, and I will wear these gloves indoors this winter. My medical ID bracelet didn't receive a ribbon.

Since we're talking about the fair and purple ribbons, I want to share Adelaide's exciting fair news! She had never won a purple ribbon at the county fair, and her goal for the fair this year was to win a purple ribbon. She succeeded! Adelaide won a purple ribbon for her caramel candy in the junior division. She was one happy baker!

This fall I am keeping my hands busy by making a shawl. It is slow-going. I have messed up so many times that I have already taken out a total of 8 rows. Agh! Brain fog and crochet don't always mix well. I am also working on creating a little bag to hang on Myrtle. I'll show these to you when I have them finished.

What have you been doing lately to keep your hands busy? Do you ever enter your projects at a fair? If not, you should! It is so much fun!

Travelling with a Chronic Illness

Last year we made a trip to Arizona and back. There were times leading up to our departure when I thought we must be crazy for attempting such a huge trip with my physical limitations! But we needed to go, so we planned and prepared, and we made it work.

I promised to share a blog post with tips for travelling with a chronic illness, but last summer tired me out, and I never managed to get the post written. This year I am writing a travel tip post before the long days and weeks of summer tire me out. If you have a chronic illness and are planning a trip this summer, I hope that some of these tips will be beneficial for you.

9 Tips for Travelling with a Chronic Illness

1. Bring all of the necessary medical supplies and assistive devices. 

How do you make a cross country trip when you meet the medical definition of "homebound"? With LOTS of stuff! We brought along my wheelchair, a travel walker, a stool, ice packs, IV supplies, an IV pole, a Roho cushion, and lots of medications, vitamins, and supplements. My medical condition almost doubled the amount of stuff we had to bring for a 4 week trip!

We brought along IV supplies so that I could have an IV every 3 days while we were travelling. Being able to have IVs made sitting up in the car for days of driving much easier than it would have been otherwise. My husband was trained to start IVs several years ago, so doing IVs while travelling is a fairly easy option for us. If you have dysautonomia and need IVs, there may be infusion centers you could go to with a prescription from your doctor so that you can get your needed fluid boost while travelling.

You may need different supplies than I did. Bring what is helpful to you and makes your days easier. Be prepared for the extra fatigue that may come along with travelling, and prepare ahead of time for "bad days" while you are travelling.

2. Plan for days of rest. 

We never drove more than 2 1/2 days in a row. After that we would stop so that I could rest for a day or two before getting on the road again. Riding in a car is exhausting, and the time to rest was crucial. On the days when I stayed in bed to rest, Will and the children would go out exploring local sites. After they came back I got to see pictures and hear all about their adventures!


3. Drive for short periods of time.

On the days when we drove, we often didn't drive more than 4 or 5 hours total. This allowed me to get the sleep and rest I needed on most days.

4. Stay in good hotels.

Hotels don't have to be fancy and overly expensive, but staying in a hotel that has good beds and thick walls is helpful for getting a good night of sleep. Our favorite places to stay are the Holiday Inn Express and the Staybridge Suites. We know that both of these hotels will have comfortable beds and good breakfast food in the morning.

5. Bring plenty of snacks and water.

Be prepared for hunger, thirst, and blood sugar crashes. If there are long stretches of road between restaurants, it is helpful to have food and water on hand. When you have a chronic illness, waiting to find a restaurant can be very hard on your body. The fatigue of chronic illness is difficult enough without adding extra fatigue due to hunger, thirst, or a blood sugar crash.

6. Get as comfortable as possible in the car.

I bring pillows and blankets to make the ride more comfortable. I also partially recline my chair so that sitting up doesn't take quite as much energy. Because blood pools in my legs when I am sitting, I have to keep my feet propped up while in our van. I either put them on the dashboard, or I tuck them up on the seat with me. It isn't the safest position to be in, but I physically cannot sit straight up with my feet on the floor for more than about 15 minutes. 


7. Enjoy the view from your vehicle.

Enjoy the scenery as you drive! If you are too tired, don't step out of the car at scenic viewpoints. Just enjoy the view from your car and save your energy. I sometimes take pictures through the van window instead of getting out of the vehicle for pictures. In fact, I often take them while we are driving! This allows me to enjoy the scenery and taking pictures without adding extra time to our trip.


8. Visit national parks.

I have discovered that national parks are one of the best places to go on vacation if you have a chronic illness or disability. There are wheelchair accessible trails that allow you to enjoy the outdoors in a way you might not be able to on typical hiking trails. There are also usually scenic drives that allow you to enjoy the beauty of nature without having to get out of your car if you aren't up for that much physical exertion. National parks have air conditioned visitor's centers and small museums that are wheelchair accessible. They are also usually very quiet, which is helpful if you get migraines or sensory overload.


9. Get an Access Pass if you qualify for one.

If you are a United States citizen with a significant and permanent disability, you qualify to receive a free Access Pass! This pass will give you entrance to any national park or federal recreation land, and you can also bring up to 3 other adults in for free with you. Children under 16 are always free. You can learn more about the Access Pass here. If you don't qualify for an Access Pass, there may be another type of discounted pass you could use.



What are your best travel tips?  If you have a chronic illness, what makes travel easier for you?

Weekend Fun

You won’t believe what I did this past weekend! I can hardly believe it myself. I went down a water slide! Yes, that water slide you see pictured above. I have been having a lot of "good days" lately, so I put my energy to good use and played with my family!

We spent time at a pool on Saturday. I enjoyed walking around in a chilly pool for exercise, and I enjoyed relaxing in a hot tub. Most of all, I enjoyed a ride down the water slide!

Will helped me climb all the way up the stairs. The steps were shallow, which made the climb easier for me. I move slowly up stairs, so there were quite a few kids and teenagers lined up behind me by the time I got to the top. But they were all patient with me, and no one complained about the slow person! :) 

Once I made it to the top, I got on a raft and rode down a dark and twisty water slide! I flipped upside down when I landed in the pool. I got water up my nose. My head was spinning. It took some time to fully regain my balance. But I did it! And it was so much fun!

After going down the water slide, I relaxed by the pool and watched my family play. Adelaide had a lot of fun on the little water slide.

I love to play. It is one of my very favorite things to do. If I have energy for it, I will go all out to have fun. And I sure went all out this weekend! I had a migraine the day after playing at the pool and going down the water slide. Too much activity always flares up my migraines, but this was a mild migraine considering the intense activity from the day before. I am still extra tired and sleepy from the weekend, but I am doing very well all things considered.

In the past two weeks my health has started improving again. I have been regaining strength and energy more quickly than I did this fall. I am so glad for the improvements. I still have to spend the majority of the day resting in bed, but I am able to do more when I am out of bed in the afternoons. My energy levels now are about what they were in June of last year, which is a significant improvement over where I was in February.

There are many ups and downs with my dysautonomia, and I am glad to finally be on the upswing again. I am trying to not get too excited about the extra energy, though. I want to make sure I keep my hope firmly rooted in Christ and not in the hope of more energy and better days. When I place my hope in better health, I am always disappointed. When I keep my hope in Christ, it anchors my soul, enabling me to weather whatever dysautonomia storms come my way.

Choose Joy Weekend

A few weeks ago my family took a weekend trip, and it was so wonderful that I just have to share it with you! In January there was a Choose Joy book signing in Sioux City, Iowa. I live too far away from most book signing events to be able to attend, but this one wasn't too far away! Will said he could take me. 

I was very excited about it, but as the day drew nearer I kept wondering if I should actually go. I was so tired, and I knew that the trip would set me back and make it even harder to recover from Christmas. In the end I decided to go anyway. I knew that it would cost a lot physically, but I also knew that I would regret it if I didn't go. So we packed and planned and prepared. And we traveled to Sioux City, Iowa for two nights. It was a wonderful time away. It was a weekend for choosing joy, escaping the house, having fun, and dealing with the consequences later. I have spent the past three weeks recovering, but it was worth it!

During my Choose Joy Weekend I kept thinking about Sara and her quote, "I especially choose the French fries." It was a physically taxing weekend, but I determined to choose the joy, the relationships, the conversations, and the fun. And I chose the French fries twice!

The day before we left on our trip I had an IV to help me make it through the weekend. During our trip I put on a lot of make up so that I wouldn't look so tired in pictures. I still felt tired, weak, and exhausted, but at least I didn't look like it!

One of the best things about visiting Sioux City is that they have a Chick-fil-A! We had supper there on Friday night, and I chose the waffle fries. :)

On Saturday afternoon I went to the Choose Joy book signing, and I got to meet Mary Carver, who co-authored the book with Sara Frankl. Mary blogs at Giving Up on Perfect and is a contributing author at (in)courage. It was a delight to meet her and have her sign my book. She was just as sweet and kind as could be.

Earlier that morning while I was sleeping in, Will had taken the children to walk around the mall. Adelaide came back at noon excited to tell me about the carousel in the mall. She asked me to ride it with her, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to ride a carousel again. So after the book signing that afternoon, we went to the mall, and I rode the carousel with my children. It was fun to get to do something so normal with them, but the ride itself was not entirely pleasant...

What you can see is a moment of pure joy and delight with my children. What you cannot see is that I was dizzy, nauseated, and struggling to sit upright, and it hurt to sit on a carousel horse. But I chose the joy. I chose to have fun in the moment and pay for it later. I rode the carousel because my dear daughter asked me to. It is a memory we will always cherish.

The biggest highlight of the weekend was spending over two hours with Sara's sister, Laura. The moment when online friendship steps into real life is a beautiful thing. Laura and I talked and talked, sharing about our lives and about our sweet Sara. I never had the opportunity to meet Sara in real life, but I heard about her hugs. Shannon said that Sara "hugged so tight that you never wanted to let her go." And Laura hugs the exact same way!

On our way back home on Sunday afternoon we drove through Le Mars, Iowa, the Ice Cream Capital of the World. So of course we had to stop at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor!

Adelaide and I wore our houndstooth scarves, which was fun. It was the first time we had worn them together outside of the house.

As we finished our drive home, I enjoyed looking out the window and taking pictures of the fields. It was wonderful to escape the house for a few days and see the outdoors. The time away with my family was special, and meeting new friends was such a treat. I have had a lot of hard days in the past six weeks, and the Choose Joy Weekend was a bright spot in the midst of it all. It has taken me a few weeks to recover, but I'm glad I went. The whole weekend was overwhelmingly wonderful. It is a memory that I will always treasure.

Busy Hands: Houndstooth Infinity Scarves

This houndstooth scarf was one of my big crochet projects last year. I used this free pattern from the ELK Studio blog. I used a much finer yarn, though, so I had to do more stitches per row to make the scarf the right width. It took me several months to make this scarf. Working with a fine yarn, and switching yarn colors often, took a lot of time, but the finished product was worth it!

Adelaide liked the scarf so much that she asked me to make one for her too. Of course, I was happy to do that! I also made a third houndstooth scarf for my sister, and I gave it to her for Christmas. She is an Alabama fan, so houndstooth is perfect for her. 

I really like the houndstooth crochet stitch. It is pretty and classic. Making these scarves was the first time I had ever tried this particular crochet stitch. I ended up liking the stitch so much that I made a houndstooth walker bag too.

Adelaide and I love to wear our matching scarves! I made Adelaide's scarf a little on the big side so that she can wear it for several years before she outgrows it.

What have you been doing lately to keep your hands busy? Are you working on any fun projects?

Top Ten Blog Posts of 2015

Hello Friends,

Thank you so much for visiting me here on Cranberry Tea Time this year. I appreciate all of you, whether you are new here or a long-time reader, whether you comment often or simply read quietly. Thank you for taking time out of your day to be here.

I was curious about the most-read posts from this year. I looked through my stats, and these are the ones that received the most attention this year. If you are new here, or if you missed a few blog posts this year, you might enjoy reading some of these.

Top Ten Blog Posts of 2015:

• Free Ebook: Chronic Illness and Friendship
• Five Minute Friday: When
• Free Ebook: Hope for the Hard Days
• The Year of Adventure
• The Amazing Story of a Simple Coin Purse
• Hold Me,Jesus
• Invisible Illness Awareness Week 2015
• They Just Showed Up
• Eight Reasons I Am Thankful for Dysautonomia
• Help Save Midodrine

Thanks again for being here. I look forward to chatting with you more in the new year. If you want to keep in touch, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Periscope. You can also subscribe to Cranberry Tea Time to receive blog posts through email.

Happy New Year! See you in 2016!

Blessings and joy,

Rachel

Busy Hands: County Fair Edition

One of my favorite events each year in Minnesota is the county fair. This year I was unable to attend because I was too tired and weak, but I was still able to participate from home! I gathered several of the craft items I had made in the past year or so, and Will brought them to the fair and entered them in various crochet and jewelry categories for me.

My parents were here for the week of the fair, and they took William and Adelaide to the fair each day. My mom texted me photos from the fair, and she let me know what ribbons the children and I had won on our entries. I don't think people in their thirties are supposed to get so excited about ribbons, but it is always so fun for me!

It has been a long time since I have written a Busy Hands blog post, so today I would like to share with you the crafts I entered at the fair.

Houndstooth Walker Bag, Houndstooth Infinity Scarf, and Fingerless Gloves

Last year I learned how to crochet a houndstooth pattern, so I've been having fun making houndstooth items! I hope to share more about the walker bag and the infinity scarf this fall. You can read about the fingerless gloves here.

Crocheted Necklace and Medical ID Bracelet

Baby Booties and a Baby Hat

The pattern for the baby booties is available for free online.

Thanks for letting me share my crafts with you! What have you been doing lately to keep your hands busy?

The Mini Adventure

This fall I have been working on recovering from the toll that the summer took on me. I have had to spend a lot of time resting, and I have been more homebound than was previously typical for me. Two weeks ago I was itching to get out of the house, but was so tired that I wasn't sure how it could happen. We decided that I should have IV fluids, get some extra rest, and then do what it took to get outside. The IV infusion was just the boost I needed to be able to get out of the house for a day.

The outing was absolutely wonderful. I got to see outside, take pictures through the van windows, see a national monument, and spend the night in a hotel. It was a delightful escape! I had to spend time recovering after we got back home, but it was so worth it.

As we started our drive, William and Adelaide said, "It's The Great Adventure!" I laughed and said, "Oh no! This is The Mini Adventure."

We went to Pipestone National Monument, and it was beautiful! The fall colors were stunning and the air was nice and chilly. My parents have taken William and Adelaide there before, but this was the first time I was able to go and ride on the trail. We skipped the museum because I have seen that before, and I wanted to put my energy toward being outside.

The trip was so fun that I wanted to share it with all of you. Some of you may have already seen a few photos from our trip on Instagram. Here are a few more. I hope you enjoy them!

I had fun watching Will, William, and Adelaide hike to the top of the waterfall.

I sat at the bottom of the falls and waved.

William and Adelaide had fun hiking, and I had so much fun being with them!

While we were at Pipestone National Monument we picked up a 4th Grade Pass for William. Did you know that every 4th grader in the United States can get a free pass for the family for all national parks? It's a great deal! You can learn more at Every Kid in a Park.

I know that many of my readers are disabled, so I also want to share about the Access Pass with you. I wish someone had told me about this 10 years ago! If you are a U.S. citizen and have a significant and permanent disability, you can get a free Access Pass to all national parks. The pass will give you entrance to any national park or federal recreation land, and you can also bring up to 3 other adults in for free with you. Children under 16 are always free. You can learn more about the Access Pass here.

After seeing Pipestone National Monument, we went to a hotel, which was a treat because it let me see 4 different walls. :) I also got to watch the sunset from our hotel room.

What a wonderful trip it was! Thanks for letting me share it with you. If you want to see more pictures from our drive that weekend, you can find them on Instagram.

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