Anniversary Sale!

I can hardly believe it myself, but Pear Creek Cottage is celebrating their one year anniversary.

You too can be part of this celebration by receiving a 10% coupon on all items in the shop from now through March 10Th! Just check in at the shop to get the coupon code.

A big thank you to all my customers who helped make my first year such a great experience! I learned so much from all of you, and I appreciate your feedback and comments as they continue to help me strive to do better.

Having this shop has been very rewarding and also lots of hard work! I wouldn't trade the friendships I've made along the way, for truly the relationships that one has is what makes their life rich and successful. So a big hug and thanks to all of you; you know who you are!

Please come by and visit.
Thanks so much~

Hearts to Save Animals

 

DONATE and help SAVE a LIFE:

 

HAVE A HEART FUNDRAISER

How it works:

Donate a dollar.

Put your name on a heart.

Hang your heart on the tree.

 

Where to buy hearts:

Abrios's Brick Oven Restaurant, Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Associates, Friendly Paws Pet Supplies and Grooming, Import House and Lamborn's Studio and Custom Framing for the month of February. Hearts will also be sold at the ACHS February adoption event at the Market on State.

and at Baker Center, Ohio University, Feb 4^th and Feb 15^th.

 

What will this money be used for?

To help the spay/neuter and adoption programs for cats and dogs coordinated by the Athens County Humane Society.

 

Note from Jan~

I was commissioned to make paper hearts for the Athens Humane Society as a fundraiser to help spay and neuter cats and dogs.

 

Who would have thought that a paper heart could help save an animal's life?

 

It was a privilege to work for such a great cause. If you are in their area, please stop by and purchase a heart for $1.00 and help save a "furry friend".

Prayer Bears

I was commissioned to make some special needle-felted prayer bears from a friend who is a marathon runner for Team in Training. Cindy is currently living with her blood cancer but is raising money, awareness and support for others who suffer from this disease.
These special bears were made in honor of Kathy and Caleb. I feel honored and privelaged to be able to remember them and pray for them and to be a very small part of their lives by making these fuzzy reminders that they are being prayed for. Kathy's bear is holding a running shoe and has the "TNT" initials on her bears shirt. Caleb is a lover of the New York Yankee's, so his bear has a felted jersey similiar to that of his favorite team.
Kathy and Caleb, I am so blessed to "know" you through Cindy, and want you to know that I do pray for you.
For those interested, her is Cindy's web page with more info on these two honored hero's!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/pfchangs11/run4one.

Grandma's Rocking Chair

I recently inherited my grandmother's rocking chair. A gift from my parents as I am awaiting the arrival of my first grandchild. What a treasure it has been to have my morning Advent devotional time sitting in my grandmother's chair and...remembering. I am so thankful for her faith in God and the times she sat in her chair, praying for me and the rest of her grandchildren.

As a new season and chapter of my life begin, I ask; "Father in Heaven" that I can be faithful to You as my Grandma was. Help me instill in my grandchildren Your unconditional love for Your creation.

I am so thankful for special memories of my Grandmother and her sitting in her chair. I remember sitting in her lap, I remember sitting at her feet as she would read to my sister and I. I remember playing "chase" around the chair. My grandmother would shuffle her feet on the ground as if to pretend to chase my sister and I, then when we were least expecting it, she would quickly reach out and grab us and hug us.

Now, the adventures continue with a new generation, but same chair. What stories will the chair have to add to it's already existing repitoires? It will be a pleasure to live the stories out!

Surprises

It has been quite sometime since I've posted on my blog. So many changes happening all at once in our lives, that it is hard to keep up on the writing and documenting of them.

We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild...knowing that when God says, "Today is the day", it will happen.

We were rewarded with a totally unexpected surprise when our son who was recently deployed showed up on our doorstep with out warning. We were thrilled and overjoyed to be able to spend time with him and his family. We are the kind of people who enjoy surprises so this was an A+ experience.

It has been a reminder to me to look around every day and see the surprises that God has all around us. The bird singing a tune in the middle of rain showers, or the black squirrel scurrying up a walnut tree to prepare for his winter. So many "little" things that surround me everyday.

Father God, as we are in the "waiting" and "expecting" period as we anticipate the arrival of our grandchild, I pray that You would give me eyes and ears that are turned and tuned to You, as well as an expectant heart for Your surprises that are abundant.

The Snowfamily!

I just had to share what fun I had while working on this project. I started knitting the first snowman (Dad) while we were visiting family in Washington State. Sitting in front of the fire, with fall decorations surrounding me, the whole feeling was one of comfort that is found surrounded by family.

As we traveled back home, I started on Mom snowman...by now feeling more confident in the pattern with increases and decreases. My mind traveled over my life as a mom. What a joy...what a privilege...what an adventure, being a mom is.

The two smaller snowmen were created after we arrived home. I guess it's kind of appropriate since my husband and I are empty nester's, that I finish the family while sitting in my quiet house. If I listen carefully, I can still hear the laughter in the walls of our home. Such wonderful memories which anchor my heart to home. Soon, we will have children noises in our house again when our new granddaughter arrives before the end of this year. It will be so fun to hear giggles and laughter again.

This snow family is such a reminder to daily cherish our families. There is nothing that can ever replace them and their impact on us.

Brr...time for some hot cocoa or maybe a mocha...Enjoy!

Cancer

The word alone just sounds scary! C-A-N-C-E-R! I don't think there is a family that hasn't been touched in someway by this dreaded disease.
The stories abound. "Recovery from", "going through", and of course, the dreaded: "battle lost". Two words; that describe such heartache and pain.

In this blog post I want to honor my friend Cindy who is currently a vibrant cancer survivor. She has gone through breast cancer, and is currently living with blood cancer. She has taken up marathon running for Team In Training which raises money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her cancer journey began about 5 years ago.

Watching her go through the ups and downs gave me a new appreciation for the term courage and courageous.

Recently we were just informed that another extended family member has cancer. She will be undergoing surgery and treatment at the same time in Texas. Her name is Carole.

In honor of these two brave and beautiful women, I created the needle felted prayer bear. I wanted a visual reminder to give to each of them knowing that they are not forgotten. They are being prayed for...they are special and unique and I'm so glad that they are in my life.

You can follow Cindy's journey at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/pfchangs11/run4one. Once again she is running to honor her two hero's Kathy and Caleb.
In Cindy's words: "Perseverance is a synonym of Victory! Run Cindy Run!!