The Stars In Barb's Eyes

Praying Circles around the Curio Cabinet

I inherited a desk and a curio cabinet from my mom. I had no room for these large pieces but they were special to her and I couldn't part with them Along with 5000 other things I had no room for but couldn't part with. Seriously. My house is packed with extra furniture and things and if you ask anyone who knows me, I already had plenty!

The desk was in my parents bedroom when I was very young and then always in the "den" (extra bedroom) in later years. As with all their things, it was in perfect condition and has a glass top. Where to put it? These was absolutely no room after all the other stuff was brought in. Well! when there is a will, there is a way! Our upstairs bathroom is huge. This is a very old house and it has an upper porch off the back of the house. There was once a hallway to the door to the porch but somewhere in its 91 years someone took out the wall and made a huge bathroom with the porch off of it. We had a 55 gallon aquarium in there just to take up space. We had recently gotten rid of it because there was a discrepancy in whose responsibility it was to keep it clean. Hey! it came with the marriage so I WAS SURE it wasn't mine :) So up went the desk and chair. Turns out with the door and the window in that room it is mighty bright and light in there for me to draw...

Now mind you, I have a bedroom studio and crap in my dining room too... Just sayin.

But the bedroom is for making my "folks" and no flat nice surface to draw.

Then there was the curio cabinet. I had already managed to fit in the grandfather clock, her hope chest and another buffet and china cabinet....don't even ask. So what the heck was I gonna do with that??

Luckily old houses have lots of spaces and my breakfast nook took some of my stuff in to fit her stuff in somewhere else. Again, you don't even want to know.

And as usual, it turned into a blessing. It now houses my folks. My mom was ALWAYS so proud of my artwork. It was like her grandchildren from me because I didn't give her any. (Don't worry my brother did). She carried around a little photo book, it was embarrassing. Her friends would see her coming with the book... Look what my daughter made! Brag brag brag. Whatever, I was very lucky to have such a wonderful loving and proud mom even tho I certainly didn't turn out the way she would have wanted.

I incorporated both our crystal along with the folks. I must say it really looks good. These photos are before I had it all the way filled but you get the idea.

During this time I had read the book, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. He teaches to pray circles around things. Everyday I would put my arms around this cabinet and

reach around the best I could with my nose smashed into it (to make a circle) and pray that my folks that I had submitted to Stampington & Co. magazines would be chosen to get published. Prayed for months. Arms wrapped around, nose smashed.

And guess what!