Cottage Style Blogs: a Cottage Blog, Etsy Blog, and Vintage Blog

This one was sent by Hulda.  You can just make out her pencil signature on the left.  The postmark date is 1901.

After I turn the heat up in the morning, I head to my computer and check my email.  This morning there was an email from a new blog friend who I've been corresponding with since before Christmas.  When she first wrote to me, she told me her husband had been diagnosed with a rare cancer in October and that the prospects for his recovery were grim.  Today's email contained the sad news that her husband passed away on January 2nd.  She wrote of her pain, her fear, her anxiety, and her need for a job and heath insurance.  I could relate to everything Judy wrote in her email for I've walked this path myself.



I remembered the little chalkware angel I bought at the Salvation Army the other day.  She was marked $.29 and without hesitation, I put her in my cart.  Though she's marred, glued, chipped, and tattered, there is a sweetness to her face that speaks of a holy communion with God, our Abba Father.  Abba ... Daddy ... strong Arms that hold us close ... whispered words of love that calm the panicking heart ... an unseen Presence that girds us with supernatural strength to endure our worst nightmare. 



So I would just like to invite you to pray for my blog friend Judy.  She is in a place I am all too familiar with, as I'm sure many of you are too - that place of devastating grief.  She needs our prayers.



My tattered angel is poised in prayer, gazing down upon the world.  Can you picture in your mind's eye the community of angelic beings, banding together in prayer for a hurting human in the midst of a crisis?  As I meet new blog friends and read their stories, I am often touched by how much we have in common and how thoughtful, supportive, and encouraging the blogging community is.  Today I'm seeing each one of you poised in prayer for Judy. 

It's fun to gab about Pinterest, parties, and paint, but for me, blogging has become much more than sharing a crafty project or revealing my thriftiest find.  It has become an enormous sisterhood of cheerleaders from every walk of life.  I love how we rally around each other and fuel the creative, caring spirit, without judgement and without jealousy.  (Okay ... maybe just a little jealousy ... )  But you know what I mean.  Virtual strangers connected, interested, and encouraging each other on this journey called "life."  I'm glad I jumped on board and I'm excited to see where it all goes!

Thanks for visiting Cottage and Creek.  Your comments are a joy to read and I would love you to follow along if you aren't already.  I promise to follow you right back.  And thanks for praying for Judy :)

I'm also very grateful for a weekend full of family and fun.  My daughter called me shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday to see if I wanted to go to an estate sale.  Of course I hopped to it and threw myself together so I could join Kelly and Jeremy on an outing to the town of East Aurora, NY. 

   

This country estate looked beautiful basking in the winter morning sunshine.  The iron gate whispered to us of antiques, horses, and years and years of country living.