Commencing

Photo by Good Free Photos on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again, and I’m feeling it. Graduation-ness. The ending of eras, the approach of new-to-me eras, and watching my kids embark on new adventures too. It’s all new and yet, before we can move on, we have to finish what we started.

As we sit through all the ceremonies, we will be exhorted to remember, to seize the day, to live life on our own terms, to make the most of every situation, and to shoot for the stars. If I were giving a graduation speech (which I’m not) I might suggest 2 things to the students who are not listening as they fidget on stage, waiting their turn to walk.

1.  Live first, take pictures second. Do things, go places, enjoy life, and then snap a photo along the way in order to remember, not in order to craft a fake story online. It bears repeating: do not live in such a way as to look good online. Rather than orchestrating what you think will look interesting to others, live your life for real, pursuing your passions, loving on the people you love, soaking up the moments and enjoying them, and LASTLY, record what you did if you think about it. 

2.  Expect a twist. Every great story has a least 1 twist. The nature of twists is that they are unexpected, and they often completely change the direction of a life, a career, or a relationship. All the careful planning in the world cannot prevent your twist, and whether it seems good or bad at the time, there is always the possibility that good can come from it, and oftentimes HOW you deal with the twist will determine WHO you ultimately become. So expect the twist. But don’t be afraid of it. You can’t do anything to prevent or hasten it, so live that life (without photos) and be prepared to embrace the twist, whatever it looks like. How you approach it may determine your future, your attitude, and the legacy you leave behind.

So that’s MY graduation advice. I’m attending the last high school graduation for my children today. We attended our first college graduation last week. I’m in the thick of it when it comes to commencing. What are you beginning right now?

Jennifer Fromke is a novelist who writes from NC, where she pines for colder temperatures all year long. Northerners by upbringing, she and her husband of 27 years have raised three Southern-ish children. Jennifer reviews books at Shetalksbooks.com and you can download a free story from her website when you sign up for her newsletter at jenniferfromke.com. She writes contemporary women’s fiction.

Give It a Country Flair With a Twine Banner

Good morning, friends! 

Waterin' Hole Banner

Today I thought I'd share a little craft I did for my sister's graduation party. She wanted a country theme, so I had to find ways to give the party a country or western flair. It took me a while to come up with an idea that would work, but I was happy with the result, and it was super easy, so I thought I'd share. :)

I started with brown packaging paper that I had left from Christmas. (Brown paper packages tied up with strings, right?) I made that the backdrop for the banner. Cut it out at the size you want your finished banner to be.

Then I took some black card stock that I found at Walmart and cut out bold letters. I did the first letter as a stand-alone, and then the rest of the word in a cursive-type style so that the twine would continue without being cut after every letter.

Once that was done, I took twine that I also purchased from Walmart for a dollar or two and used it to make a cursive-type lettering over the bold, black shadow. To do this, take a hot glue gun and 'write' along the center of the black cut out letters, then press the twine to the glue trail. You'll have to do this a little bit at a time so the glue doesn't dry on you before you can get the writing situated.

After the letters were formed, I hot glued them to the rectangular piece of brown packaging paper that I'd cut out in the size I wanted my banner to be.

And hey, ho, howdy we have a banner that is light-weight enough to be taped to a wall, but country enough to hang in Granny Hillbilly's  kitchen.

Just for fun, here's a couple of other ideas we used.

Country Desserts

 Oreos as Tractor Ties, Rice Crispy treats as hay bales, and no-bake cookies as cow patties.

Forks and Spoons

I love themed parties. They're so much fun. Have you ever been to a themed party? I'd love to hear about it! I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. ;)

Graduation Day

Congratulations to all 2015 graduates! Yes, it's Tidbit Tuesday here at Stitchesthrutime, but I'm discussing that really big event. Whether it’s your own, or your child’s, or your grandchild’s, graduation is one of the most memorable events of a person’s life. Not surprising, since it represents the completion of many years of study, an accomplishment to be proud of, a new beginning.

This past Saturday I went to my oldest grandson’s high school graduation. I don’t know where the years went—or how I got so old, but that's another topic. While graduations are a traditional thing, I noticed they're a bit different today. I enjoyed the ceremony like any proud grandmother, but I was jolted by how things have changed.

If memory serves, my graduation, held on the football field, was such a solemn occasion, no one would have thought of disrupting the ceremony. I think I held my breath during the entire time.

Saturday's ceremony was held inside, and we had to be seated two hours in advance. The moderator reminded us four times not to holler out when our graduate was called. If we did, security would haul us off. The first name (of about 500) was called, followed by whoops and hollers. This continued as each name was called. No one was hauled out. Are rules made just to be ignored?

When I graduated, only about ten percent of the class were honor graduates. At least one-third of Saturday’s graduating class were honor graduates. My guess is students haven’t really gotten smarter.

To this day, I remember parts of the valedictorian’s speech at my graduation. It covered the challenges we faced in a troubled world. That young man went straight into the Naval Academy and had a distinguished career as a naval officer.

I'm sure the valedictorian at my grandson’s graduation will have a successful future as well, but his speech was more entertaining than enlightening. Maybe that's what the world wants now, a speech that covers all the usual liberal causes, gay marriage, global warming, etc. Opposing viewpoints were noticeably absent from all of the speeches. No invocation. No mention of God.

Yes, I was surprised at how things have changed. But there are two things that remain the same. The accomplishment of the student and his/her parents is a testament to twelve years of study, tests, teachers, friends, sports, arts—the transformation of a little boy or girl into a knowledgeable, capable adult. Also, like the turning point in a novel, graduation is a life-changing event.

Every young person is faced with grown-up decisions after graduation, and those decisions will mark the path for the rest of his/her life. Let’s pray for them all. It may be a cliché, but they are our future.

The fondest memory I have of my own graduation day is my mother, sitting at the end of the bench after everyone had left, weeping. Of her six children, I was the youngest, the last to leave the nest.

Please share a favorite memory of your graduation.

Comment any day through May 31st for a chance to win Sins of the Mothers by Caryl McAdoo.

Camo or Duck Dynasty Themed Party - Food

My little brother is a hunting fanatic. Seriously, a fanatic. He spends all year thinking about those few months in the fall when it's open season. When he was nearing 18 and still didn't have his driver's license, my dad told him no hunting until he had it. Guess what? He got his license quick.

My family homeschools, and this summer John was graduating from high school. Since he's the only one in his class, he gets to pick what he wants his 'school colors' to be. His answer was "camouflage." I should have known, but did he really have to make it complicated? I was thinking of one, maybe two colors like blue and white, or green and gold, something more simple, but no. It was camo. It took some more creativity, but it turned out to be really fun. 

Today I thought I'd share a few camo party ideas with you today in case you also have a friend or loved one who is a hunting or Duck Dynasty fan. 

Food:

I tried to come up with some food ideas that were the camo colors of green, brown and orange. Here's what I came up with. 

Camo trail mix. A mix of pretzels, colored goldfish, green M&M's, Reeses's pieces and nuts.

Nachos with green guacamole and corn chips.

 

(left) Carrots with artichoke dip

(Right) Camo Cola Punch – This is coke mixed with a little bit of Tang, and sliced Oranges and Limes for garnish. An experiment recipe for me, but it went over well.

Last but not least, the CAKE! I found a neat video on youtube that showed how to make a cake that is camouflage on the INSIDE as well. You split the white cake mix into three bowls, and also have a bowl of chocolate cake mix. You dye one of the white mixes a light green, the other a dark green. Then you spoon globs of the different colors in varying pattern into the cake pan and bake as usual. For the decoration, I used brown, orange and green icing, a camo sugar sheet you can find at walmart, camo colored pearls also found at walmart, and a toy deer for the topper.

Sometime I'll share some of the decorating crafts/ideas that I used. 

How about you? Any ideas for camo themed food?

What is the funnest theme you've ever done for a party?

Best selling author Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest". A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft. You can connect with Amber on her website or any of the major social media sites.

http://amberschamel.com/ Pintrest - http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073165.Amber_Schamel