"I'm Just Sayin" by Alan P. Scaglione

“I’m Just Sayin’”

by Alan P. Scaglione

“Again! Life Is Good!” To fully appreciate that comment, you have to have one thing- a time when… life was not “so good!” It’s all about that point of reference when your life was not the best, was not happy, not fulfilled, not complete, not full of joy! Maybe, you’ve had a moment of that in your life?…well, maybe more than just one moment?

It’s all about contrasts. We say, “Youth is so good, why do we waste it on the young?” and “I really love kids NOW that I have GrandKids!”

I like to say it like this: “All you need to know…to know Good…is, to have had Bad!”

Contrasts!

 I have lived through a really unhappy divorce, one that affected everyone in my world! And now-- 12 years of wedded bliss, which I sincerely wish for all my children to experience!

I have gone thru 19 months of unemployment…not good for a person’s self image! And yet, I have had employment periods when I was King of the World, calling all the shots!

But the one that really hits home…I have just spent the last 20 months of my life, recovering from a heart attack, starting to believe that, for me…the “new” good day, was at best, just okay.

If you’ve ever gone through a health crisis, maybe you know what I mean…when you have to adjust your expectations of a good day to say, “if it was okay, then I guess that was good!”

And after the bad, if you’ve had a life that is now full of “good” days, you know where that frame of reference comes from! Having had bad, you now know good!

I know, from first-hand experience, what a good day feels like, what an okay day feels like and now, the BEST kind of day…when Again, Life is Good! (ALG!)

After 2 months of ALG Days, I am ready to stop holding my breath, too afraid to talk about it because…I may jinx it and may cause “okay” days to come back!

Nope, I am ready to shout from the rooftops!

AGAIN, LIFE IS GOOD!

I owe it all to a 21 day fast Bella and I started the first part of January. Most people will give up food, and I applaud those who do. The Bible says, “I will not offer anything that costs me nothing”

And these days, for the two of us, giving up food is NOT that big a deal…NOW--what is a big deal? Giving up TV for 21 days! YIKES! Now, that one, that hurts! That IS a Sacrifice!

We always TiVo everything, so…we are never home at the time something is aired, but...when we want to watch it, we just click and watch, sans commercials! Gotta love it!

So…with 2 of our children in Crisis, we committed to fasting and prayer for them.

Never thought, in our wildest dreams, that God would answer our prayer for my health! Hmmm…could be a word of wisdom there? While praying for others, we received what we needed!

It started one day, then two, then a week, then a month! I was afraid to use the words, but…when I started singing in the shower again, I knew! “By George, I think He’s BACK!”

The Word states in Psalm 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation!” You can’t Restore until you have STOREd! And, “new and improved” is NEVER as good as “good as new!”

So…whether it’s a spiritual or physical restoration, I pray a string of ALG days ahead! And before long, you too will be singing, you’ll be shouting, AGAIN, LIFE IS GOOD! 

Until next time,

I’m Just Sayin’…

Brother “A”

"I'm Just Sayin" by Alan P. Scaglione

Teeto and Alan

“I’m Just Sayin’”

by Alan P. Scaglione

Friendship can be a funny thing: they say people come in your life for a season, a reason or a lifetime. Shared life experience provides the birthplace for lasting friendships. It is also said that, after a certain age, if a man has one good friend, the kind you can call at any time to talk you off the ledge or out of buying that red “mid-life crisis” sports car, then you are blessed.

Guess I am triple blessed! There are 3 friendships I have collected, each friendship is at least 25 years old-each fed with time and love and shared respect. I met “J” in 1972 in our 85 voice youth choir, travelling across the nation. She was our piano player, and I was the youngest choir director we ever had- and we both loved to laugh! I met “T” in the summer of 1983 when we both joined IBM. We had daughters the same age, raising our family was priority, and again, we loved to laugh! Then there’s “S”- my “across the street, suzie homemaker, happy to be a mom, puts handprints as a chair railing down her hallway” neighbor back in 1984 that we have always stayed in touch. We have gone through divorce and children’s crises together, cried together and yes…laughed much! These ladies are my core crew that have seen me through it all—

I salute each of them!

But, what about those season and reason friends? I just got “unfriended” due to a text message that I sent at 10:15 on a Saturday night! I didn’t know it was too late to share a funny observation about Key West with a friend. I didn’t know that he was suddenly tired. All I knew was…by the end of the evening, facebook no longer had him listed as my friend. I still don’t know the “reason”; guess the “season” is over for me- right?

Then there’s the “reason” friend!  I have a friend at work - my son’s age, and I am his father’s age, but..we have bonded in the last 18 months, taking a hundred calls a day. He never knew me before my heart attack. He said he had heard about me(never knew what that meant?) Teeto has invited Bella and me to birthday parties, get togethers and even “just drop by when you want” moments. He even writes down some of my sayings and promises he will be the guy at my funeral who recites all of my “alan-isms” to the attendees! Teeto reminds me that, even during this crisis, I am friendly and worthy of friendship.

Friendship is a two-way street, both parties responsible to cultivate and protect the friendship with an investment of time and care and trust and confidence…and laughter! I prescribe laughter!

Take a moment to review your “friendships”. Place them into:  lifetime, season and reason categories. Ask yourself what have you learned and taught, gleaned and shared, received and given?

How many friendships have you discarded because…somebody sent a text too late at night? Or some other reason that may seem trivial now, but so important at the time. Wish you had waited til the morning?

The Word says in Proverbs 18:24 “A man who has friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother!” Both are equally important: being friend-LY AND sticking close!

Upon reflection, I am blessed with the following: 3 lifetime friends; my sister-in-law “K”, the sister I never had; and, cousins who are friends! Guess it is possible to have more than one treasured friend!

And then there’s Teeto…guess he is a lifetime “friend-in-training”. Hey, I gotta keep him…he’s the only one who wants to speak at my funeral!

Until next time,

I’m Just Sayin’…

Brother “A”

2011 Spring Line Now available at GrannyZann's

Finally I have the first part of my Spring line posted in my shop check it out here! I will continue thru out the weekend adding more a few pieces at the time until I have all items loaded up and they are sooo pretty if I do say so myself :)

Here are a couple pics from the items still left to be posted and I have added in about 1/4 of the total new items so just keep checking back thru out the weekend and see all the pretties.

Isn't she a total doll baby

This tunic is available in Mommy and Me sizes - Kaylee is so beautiful in this blue Rose set

 

I have added in a couple of items this season that will be available in both adult and childs sizes so check those out as well.

 

Please remember that Alan P. Scaglione will be a guest blogger for me on Sunday morning with his wonderful "I'm Just Sayin" column which is always a joy to read and will touch you in many ways I promise.  Please sign up to follow my blog if you wish to leave Alan comments here or just to keep up with what is happening around here the rest of the time and you may also leave him comments on Face Book.

Let me know what you think about the new Spring offerings in my shop, what you may want to see int he future. I am working on fabrics for the Summer line and have at least narrowed it down but not made a firm decision. I am also happy to announce i will be bringing back my little boys line stronger than ever this year with the help of one very special little fella and I know you will fall in love with him at first bite..uummm I mean glimpse. You will see what I mean. I have chosen 8 different fabrics for the little boys and they will have shorts (the longer length), t-shirts with way cool appliques, a vest or two and some cute as all ties for those dressier occasions :).

Till next time hugs and prayers
Suzann

"I'm Just Sayin" by Alan p. Scaglione

Bella and Alan

“I’m Just Sayin”

by Alan P. Scaglione

It’s Valentine’s Day! A day for roses, chocolates- that perfect card and dinner! That’s how we express our love, right?  How we show them that we care? So they’ll know they matter, that they count?

But, how does love really express itself? Could it be love is that presence that shows up when everyone else has walked out? Or, is love the whisper that reminds you that, no matter what the circumstance, you are more than your surroundings, more than your situation, more than what you settle for….love thinks the better of you, sees the “best” you and  knows the real you. Loves sees thru you!

My wife Bella has had to deal with a lot lately. Life’s unexpected changes! We’ve been through a lot in the last 11 years of marriage. Economic downturn, trying times involving our six children.  Hard decisions that have left us being the unpopular parents; being their friend IS the easier job.  Then there’s that one time she travels out of town for a few days, and I have to go and have a heart attack. It’s been 19 months of adjusting to unexpected changes in her knight in shining armor; same knight, a few dents and tarnished armor. A lot of unexpected changes - not the life we expected when I promised her that I would give her the world.

But isn’t that life? It’s what happens when you’re making other plans!        

Yet, through it all…love never let me forget who I really was; love reminded me that I was more than this new physical disability, that I was not a shadow of my former self, I was still the same me…and love never left, never wavered, never gave up-- on me! Love’s quiet strength lifted me up when I couldn’t stand. Without saying a word… love loved!

Maybe you know this kind of love…in a brother, a sister, a spouse, a friend…someone who truly loves the best right out of you! It’s that love that we celebrate each day of our lives—grateful to be loved!

I Corinthians 13 tells us “Love is patient, Love is kind; love believes all things, hopes all things, bears all things, endures all things!”

Everyday, honor love in your life—appreciate the ones who have been there for you, through thick and thin. When the world walked out, loved moved in….to stay!

"I'm Just Sayin" by Alan P. Sacglione

The Saglione Boyz and their sweet brides

“I’m Just

  by Alan P. Scaglione

Some people have a birth day, but I have a birth month! I always say every day is a gift and each year is a milestone, so celebrate the milestones! All month long! The last of my birthday celebrations occurred this past weekend when my two brothers and their wives got together with Bella and me for dinner. We spent the evening together, laughing, discussing world events, reminiscing with stories of me as a child. We even shared a poem by Rudyard Kipling (not his popular IF, but an obscure ditty called “The gods of The copybook headings”).

The ladies spent time in their corner, talking about the newest grand kids; the boyz in our corner, talking about The Colts and the Super Bowl; there was this sense of family and belonging like you only feel with people who have known you your whole life; they know your stories, the good ones and bad ones: your accomplishments; your failures, your hopes and… your disappointments. They know you…the real you (the one you don’t always show others) - and accept YOU- all of you!

I looked around and suddenly remembered times that I have been estranged from each brother over silly, stupid things that family sometimes squabble over; things that some families have allowed to divide them for a lifetime. But, here I was, laughing and sharing my life with my brothers, and I was so glad that forgiveness is the key to true family love. Learning to forgive the past, letting it stay where it belongs so it doesn’t steal the possibility of sharing moments, which is all we get.  It’s not the days we remember, it’s those moments…they warm us when we’re cold and make us laugh when we’re sad; they remind us of the best we can be and how someone out there knows us, the true us…and loves us—just like we are!

And, I owe it all to forgiveness!

The Word tells us “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead of me, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!(Philippians 3:13-14)

Forgive somebody today…a brother, sister, mom, dad, friend!  They tell us that we really need to forgive to help ourselves! Look at all of the laughter and reminiscing that you have just waiting for you!

Until Next Time,

I’m Just Sayin’!

Brother “A”

Spring Photo Shoot

The Grandbabies :)

We had the best time today with Jennifer doing the Spring photo shoot and I will get the pics out to you all just as soon as I can next week :) I was very pleased with most all of the new items and will be making some adjustments regarding sizing/fit as some of the new patterns definitely ran larger than I had thought they would. It was also interesting to see which items the girls loved the best and the ones that Heather and Jennifer liked best. I was very surprised that one of the fabrics that I dearly love did not look like I had hoped it would on...bummer so now i have to re-think that design design completely.

Please remember that that Alan Scaglione will be a guest blogger for me on Sunday Feb. 6th and this will be (should be available) to read at 6 AM however I will not be up at that time to update it to Face Book so pop on over here for a great read. Alan has once agaon provided a very touching story and scripture for study and reflecting.  Enjoy and please let him know if he has touched your heart in some way.

Hugs to all,

Suzann

Sneak Peak for Spring Line Coming

To the left is a small pile of scraps from the cutting and sewing I have been up to for the past couple of weeks. I have been having a great time putting fabrics together and making up the new patterns. I have been pleased with almost all of the new patterns that I have tried and have made adjustments as needed on my samples so they are ready for the photo shoot Sat.

Here are a couple more shots to teaase you :)

Alan P. Saglione will have his column " I'm Just Sayin" out on Sunday morning this week so please be on the look out for that on Feb. 6th !!

Hugs,
Suzann

Hugs,
Suzann