How to organize an artist file system, upcycle cards and reap benefits of a creative life

Collecting inspiration and useful materials for art and design.

Cards and paper ephemera have been designed to be useful or important for only a short time. Writers, artists and graphic designers are paid by card companies to create beautiful, meaningful works of art to sentimentally touch your heart. Some greeting cards are hand stamped or uniquely crafted. After they’ve been briefly cherished for the hallmark moments of life, it is acceptable to throw cards away.

How long do you keep or save greeting cards?

• minute
• day
• week
• year
• 5 years
• until I figure out a way to reuse it (often, this is me)
• forever

Why keep or save greeting cards?

• it’s handmade and so lovely
• sentimental keepsake for scrapbook or treasury box
• photo-cards for picture box, album or frame
• reminder to stay in touch or pay it forward 
• recycle or reuse it
  — tear off the signed panel
  — write a personal note on the back of the cover
  — hand deliver or find a new envelope to mail it
• upcycle or redesign cards
• use as element of collage, mixed media, altered art or assemblage art works
• cut into gift tags
• improve plain color gift wrapping, place mats, place cards
• make decorations such as ornaments, mobiles and paper chains
• frosting-glue photo cards to the inside of next year’s holiday gingerbread house before roof is added—faces show through windows

5 ways to handle used items, found objects and created artwork

1. Give it away and make someone’s day!
2. Sell it. My shop announcement at FreshRetroGallery includes this quote, “Everyone lives by selling something.”
   —Across the Plains (1892) Robert Louis Stevenson
   
3. Recycle to take responsibility in handling waste as you treat or process materials to make suitable for reuse.
4. Upcycle to honor a good, beautiful item by altering it to serve a new purpose. Create something that is often better than the original.
5. Donate to help or inspire someone who can use what you have. Find items to use in your own creative works at these places that accept donations. Donating to and supporting thrift shops such as Bethesda, Goodwill, Salvation Army and Disabled American Veterans make win-win situations. 

Creativity runs in my blood

Dad was born in 1922 and Mom in 1929, the year the stock market crashed. The Great Depression influenced their families to save things and become innovative. Hardship encouraged the practice of creativity as a necessity to make ends meet for our family of eight. Mom and Dad’s development of a seed cleaning business from the ground up is evidence of their entrepreneurial spirit.

Dad loved designing and building all sorts of things during his retirement. He’s making finishing touches on his Purple Martin house rigged with electric motor, gears, chains and cables (raise/lower/tilt) to manage the cleaning and counting of bird residents. His imagination was versatile and fun. To contrast the industrial magnitude of his works, he once made quirky little containers from plastic pudding cups riveted together to form a swivel cover… and made enough for all of his children and grandchildren. The fancy iron plant holder hanging on the garage wall, partially hidden behind the base of his elaborate bird hotel, was one of the decorative items he crafted.

Mom inspired me to make greeting cards when I was a young child. I celebrate that those little art projects influenced who I’ve become. Beyond frugality, it fueled the ability to dream, attention to detail, confidence, career focus, decision-making, motivational, structure and time management skills. Art is an important aspect of an individual’s life and should be nurtured preschool through adulthood.

Today, a printed card may cost up to $6 or more plus time to find the right one. I don’t shop for cards, instead my time is well spent in making them. The value of a handmade one-of-a-kind piece is measured by the pleasure that comes from making and sending it.

Save and organize free or inexpensive art elements in a way that makes them convenient to use in fun, quick, creative projects.

Filing system for artist

While studying Communication Art and Design at Alexandria Technical College, one class assignment was to create a “morgue file”. Graphic designers use this term to refer to a collection of reference photos and drawings for creative inspiration much like many people use Pinterest today. Artists remember that other people’s art is not to be copied, yet, it inspires us to create our own unique art. The graphic arts industry has changed over the years, but the idea of organizing and filing for creative purposes will always be useful.

Most artists have a collection of paper, text, textures, patterns, printed ephemera that’s sparked a meaningful idea or is just too cool-looking to throw away. The compilation naturally builds up from a variety of sources. We swim in a sea of “found objects” that can be glued to a card layered with colors, words, images, slipped into an envelope and sent to cheer someone up. Much better than a text, Tweet or Facebook “like” is something to physically find in a mail box, open, touch and hold.

• someone gave it to you
• you clipped it from a magazine
• prints of photos you shot
• from grandma’s closet when you helped her move
• thrift shop
• online source (bookmarks and pins)
• craft store
• old cards
• church bulletins, devotion booklets, etc.
• old paper game pieces
• band-aid, sticker, decorative tape
• picked up on a hike—feather, flower, leaf pressed in an old book
• you name it!

Artists often look for unique material sources as an alternative to the card rack at a common discount store. 

Wausau Paper® Astroparche® 60 lb. text stock and envelope sets make a classy neutral base for handmade cards

For special event money gifts or everyday personal notes, made-to-order hand stamped personalized monogram cards are a commendable choice

Design and print your own cards with FreshRetroGallery clipart for a variety of occasions. This example would be appropriate for graduation (handy to have a print file for many graduates), moving, big change, farewell to past, New Year, etc. Use it plain and simple or layer it with other colors and textures. Artists have a license to play!

Art material collecting can become overwhelming chaos without a plan. Treasures are efficiently useful when you start organizing with 3 simple items:

1. file cabinet or box
2. file folders
3. scissors or x-acto knife

Label folders alphabetically by topic, paper, color and art material categories.  Choose a few to get started or make a comprehensive file with this full list.

• anniversary
• announcement 
• baby, expecting
• best wishes, peace, cheer
• birthday
• black, gray, silver, white
• blue
• purchased clip art, envelopes, shelf items
• Christian confirmation, baptism, Easter
• Christmas, New Year, winter 
• congratulations
• drawings, sketches
• encouragement, comfort
• family reunion, mother, father, son, daughter
• friendship
• get well
• gift for you
• green, chartreuse, lime, hunter, olive
• graduation, school
• invitation
• just because
• let it go
• love
• metal embellishment, ornament, decoration
• miss you
• moving
• nature objects
• orange, peach, salmon
• pictures, photos
• printed postcards
• purple, violet, lavender
• red, burgundy, maroon, wine, pink
• ribbon
• Valentine
• sorry
• stationery, blank notes
• stickers, adhesive items
• string, yarn, thread
• sympathy
• text, letters, words for any occasion
• Thanksgiving, fall 
• thank you
• thinking of you
• trim, lace, zippers, fabric pieces
• wedding, engagement
• yellow, gold

Art materials morgue file index to print for quick reference—keep in front of folders. You may want to color code the index to match the folder tabs. Use a file cabinet or box that is large enough to fill with bulky items you collect over time.

Get out your glue, pencils, pens, paint, cutting and paper scoring tool. Start creating wonderful new personalized greeting card art, spontaneously, at the very moment a need arises.

You may discover that you want to spend hours at a time building up your own card stash. Handmade cards are fun to send one at a time or give as a gift set.

I threw a party for friends from church. We made cards together as a group. I send them from our local Lutheran Women in Mission organization to members celebrating baptism, dealing with health issues, those in the hospital and sympathy to families who’ve lost a loved one. I supplied the goods for this party, but you could ask everyone to bring something along such as paper, envelopes, embellishments, rubber stamps, old cards, clippings from seed magazines, tools, scissors, glue, etc.

Use your coordinated collection of art materials for more than cards. Try making an art journal, scrapbook, wall art or decorated box. Push the envelope and find out how rewarding it is to be an artist/creative/designer who is organized and always ready to make things.

Benefits of a creative life

Creativity

• pushes us to listen to ourselves and fight against unhealthy distractions that lure us
• helps make people happier—both the creator and the recipient of created works
• offers a sense of purpose—it fills the void, empty feeling
• reduces anxiety
• exercises mind, eye and hand coordination
• makes us resilient
• requires that we develop a schedule and routine
• equips us to solve problems in the face of hardship
• passion toward activity is healthy and allows us to work harder and longer rather than face boredom and struggle with work that is meaningless or less satisfying
• innovation requires spiritual discipline and inner strength
• ideas, perception, vision, dreams and imagination from within are given a voice and come to life in tangible art form
• feeds our spirit of curiosity
• honors God as we grow and use the gifts He created within us to love and serve others

Recharge with 

• church
• play and recreation
• physical work
• exercise
• nature
• music and performance arts
• reading
• travel
• study of paintings, photography and other visual art

Live life to the fullest and bring out the capabilities or possibilities of your artistic talent. Experiment with my methodized system to begin enjoying creativity at a new level of efficiency and organization. Pin (or bookmark) this reference to find it when you are ready or share it with someone you know who might enjoy it.

You might also be interested in Wording ideas for handmade cards, favorite Bible verses and Christian encouragement for 25 occasions

How a German-Norwegian American couple connected with a family in Poland

Time goes on, life changes, we move, downsize and let go of childhood gifts. 

My son Nathan asked me if I wanted this doll the other day. I said, “It’s such a cute thing, do you remember where you got it?” It evoked memories of a gift given it to him when he was 7 years old. Memories of my parents rushed back. Nathan has moved from home to college to seminary to a vicarage assignment and temporarily home again. He needed room for books, so the doll and some other things had to go. We let go of precious “things” from time to time, but, memories of the people we love—who have influenced us—remain in our hearts. This doll reminded me of the compassion and Christian generosity of my parents.

Boy doll with blue eyes and blonde hair dressed in a Krakowiak outfit from Poland available at FreshRetroGallery.

 

The story below was written by the late Dianne Johnson, published in Prairie Winds, Vol. III, Issue 38, Nov. 14, 1994.

_________________________ 

Walter and Ruth Busse entertain visitor from Poland

It was an exciting week for Walter and Ruth Busse as they entertained Hanna Witt-Pasztowa from Plock, Poland (a town of about 130,000 population) for four days. Hanna says she found it just as exciting, not only to tour a completely different part of the country and way of life, but also to, finally, meet first hand the people who had so much influence on her life and the life of her family.

A VERY special visitor at the Walter and Ruth Busse [residence] this past week was Hanna Witt-Pasztowa, of Plock, Poland, center. Hanna came to thank the Busses in person for the clothes, food and other things they sent to her family immediately following World War II and throughout the years since then.

The Busses and the Witts became acquainted because of a Lutheran World Relief clothing drive. This particular drive was held after World War II when people in Poland needed so much. Walter, who was about 24 at the time, put his name and address in a pocket. It was fortuitous that the family receiving the clothing was headed by a father who understood the need for knowing a number of languages. Bertram Witt, of Weilun, Poland, knew five languages, one of them being English, and he wrote back to the Busse family to thank them for their gift.

Hanna remembers it thus: “Poland was quite destroyed after the Second World War. Cities were 90 percent destroyed, including Warsaw and my small town. The people of Poland had to have some help. Of course, the first to help were the United States. You know, the United States is quite a strange country. From you all the world expects help. When do you say ‘stop with that, we have our own problems.’ But you do not do that. You continue to help. Thank God you helped my country.

“The protestant church here in the United States gathered clothes and sent it to the protestant church in Poland. My father knew English. English is the language for science and mathematics and culture so he felt it was important to know that language. When he found the note from Mr. Walter Busse in Appleton, he wrote to him to say thanks.

“You know, the first wonder is that Walter Busse was then about 24. My sons are now 25 and 30 and I don’t see that they are interested in helping somebody, although they know there are many people they could help. My father continued to correspond with Walter and the family from 1946 until he died in 1963. They were very nice and warm letters that we received from the Busses so that we knew all about this family. When Walter wanted to marry Ruth, he sent a picture, and asked my father, almost as a brother although my father was much older, for his opinion or blessing.

“The Busses sent us things we really needed or wanted. They sent me a part of my life, really.”

“We didn’t send that much at all,” Walter broke in. “We are overwhelmed that she wanted to come and thank us personally.”

“There were things that we did not even have in Poland, or if we had them we could not buy them. We didn’t have any money. My father was a teacher. My mother stayed at home to raise us three children. So sometimes I would have things, maybe sports equipment or food or even chocolate, and my friends would say ‘where did you possibly get that?’ Other children couldn’t have this help, because no one in their families could speak English. It was quite a wonder really, and certainly an influence on the quality of my life.

“It was important to me that these people who continued to help me throughout the years were protestant since we were a very much smaller group. Most everyone is Catholic.”

Hanna says her church cannot afford a building but rent the use of a Catholic church for their services. “You know, to know these nice people, the Busses, was a motivation for my whole family to learn English and that was a very good thing.”

Hanna is a graduate of a music academy. She is the manager of a small symphony orchestra composed of about 45 people, which means she organizes the concerts, invites soloists and conductors, and is in charge of the program. She is also a piano teacher in the high school of Plock.

She serves in the women’s commission of her Polish Evangelical Lutheran Church and is music commissioner in her church. She also plays organ for the church.

She serves on a committee of 10 people for the government, arranging Esperanto cultural events. Esperanto is an artificial language, which Hanna calls very logical. “Espero means hope,” said Hanna. “it was to be a language to gather people to be tolerant. The doctor who devised it was Jewish. The language is built on the idea that people are better off without wars.”

She served on the city council of her town for four years. “This was the first time we had local government 50 years under Russian dictatorship. I was the chairman of the culture, education and sports commission.”

Hanna came to the United States for the first time two years ago. She was invited by Plock’s sister city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, along with the president of her city and the president of the city council. Hanna was invited because she is chairman of the sister city committee. A part of her job is to prepare for the visits of people from Plock’s sister cities, which includes, in addition Fort Wayne, Darmstadt, in Germany, and Forli, Italy.

Her visit to Appleton at this time was possible because she was again invited to Fort Wayne for a week. Fort Wayne is celebrating a bi-centennial, and the committee purchased her ticket. She enjoyed her visit in Fort Wayne. “I felt like I was right at home, because I made friends on my visit two years ago, and some of them have visited in Poland since then, several have been to Poland twice,” she said. “The only thing is my English is not so good, you know. I read and study English, but this is only the third time I have spoken it. I just studied it by myself. English is not my best language.”

“Actually, she speaks English very well,” said Ruth Busse. That was obvious during the interview. She, like her father, is a linguist, and knows five languages.

Walter and Ruth were a bit surprised to find out how important Hanna and her family thought their gifts were. Walter and his mother began to periodically send more and more clothing and also food items after that first letter from Mr. Witt. They enjoyed the exchange of pictures and cards on the holidays, and most particularly the letters from the family.

Hanna’s husband, Roman, is a medical doctor. Their older son is also a doctor and the younger son is studying theology. “When I first heard that her husband was a doctor,” said Ruth, “I was very happy for her. I thought that finally things were going really well for her, but I now find out that factory workers receive more salary than a doctor in Poland. We were talking about cars one day and she said it was impossible that she could have a car. Her husband does have a car, but an older model and a very small car. They have a telephone now, but in earlier years if he was needed when he was at home someone had to come over to let him know. Hanna walks to work.”

Everywhere Hanna visited in Appleton, she invited people to come to Poland to visit. High on her list of priorities was her wish for cooperation between Poland and the people here. At the Soils Laboratory at Morris, she asked for an exchange of ideas and ventures with her city. At the University of Minnesota Music Department, she asked for an exchange between musical groups here with groups from Plock.

They toured the Pioneer Public TV station, the Appleton Press office, and did some visiting with Floyd Wojtalewicz about his visit to Poland a year ago when he was on an agricultural seminar. She met several other Appletonians of Polish descent while browsing downtown.

She also visited the city offices and talked with Roman Fidler, toured the Appleton Hospital and Clinic, the Appleton Nursing Home, and Pleasant View Apartments. She visited with Ruth’s mother at Riverview Apartments. She toured the Busse Seed Cleaning Plant and saw harvesting and drying at the Brustuen farm.

She worshiped at Trinity Lutheran on Sunday morning, eagerly joining in singing with the choir and very willingly provided piano selections at the evening fellowship meeting.

As time ran out she was only able to view the new high school and Prairie Correctional Facility at a distance, and had to give up a planned visit to a dairy farm.

“Hanna was very impressed with all the things at our disposal in a town of under 2,000 compared to her city of 130,000,” said Ruth. “It was astonishing to her that we had an airport. I think it surprised her to know we have so many churches and apartment buildings, they have no special living facilities especially for the elderly. It was kind of disappointing to have her see that we have to demolish our buildings here at such an early age. For example, part of the building in which her mother lives is from the 13th century, just one example of how different things like that are in Europe.”

While it was very important to Hanna to come here to thank the Busses, for Walter and Ruth the important thing was to meet her. “The family thanked us in the letters over the years,” said Walter. “No further thanks was necessary. This visit is a real bonus.”

“As we have been a part of this Witt family,” said Walter, “in the visit to Appleton by Hanna, we now too, have been touched in our lives.”

_________________________

A textile fiber art piece—woven wall hanging—was Hanna’s gift for Mom and Dad when she visited. She also brought many different kinds of gifts to give the rest of our family and our parents’ many grandchildren… wooden flutes, small ceramic bird whistles, sheet music and dolls in traditional costume as pictured above.

In 1995, the year after the Prairie Winds article above was written, Mom and Dad took a trip to Europe, planned specifically to visit the Witt family.

European trip itinerary was tucked into a decorative box that Mom and Dad brought back for my niece Jessica. Gifts were brought for everyone in our family. Their Trans-Atlantic Tour took them from Minneapolis to Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany. They were in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Czeck. They enjoyed it! The high point of the tour was their visit with the Witt family. Photo credit: Karen Meyer

The Gift of Jesus Christ in my parents’ lives and the fruit of the Spirit brought them joy in giving, not only material things, but as they often shared their faith through reading the Word of God at family gatherings.

Vintage recipes from Mom’s and Grandma’s little black books

Meals I grew up on were served with genuine love.

Parents can pray and take an active role in their children’s physical and spiritual growth.

Mom was an excellent business woman, planner, shopper, baker, gardener, cook, seamstress, bookkeeper, chauffeur and homemaker. She had Biblical-Martha virtues, but her true Spirit was like Mary in chapter 10 of Luke. Eleven years after my parents’ 1950 wedding, I was was given life—their fifth child (out of six made our family of eight). Mother had been baptized into Christ’s self-sacrificing love. She focused on Christ as she graciously placed my father and us as her priority. Her goal seemed to be to encourage us, to bond our family to our Savior. As a child, I took her nourishing, delicious meals for granted and often didn’t appreciate her religious guidance in preparing me for life as I, thankfully, do as an adult. Sharing good food and Good News has been passed on from generations before me.

4 Generations before me
Children pictured: Uncle Robert Olson and my mother Ruth Margaret Olson Busse, 1929–2011. Back, left to right: my Grandma Ida Marie Bjornjeld Olson, 1904–1994 and Great Grandmother Rebecca Sophia Hagen-Bjornjeld, 1875–1963. My Great-great-grandmother Martha Austaraa (Ostra)-Hagen, seated, was born in Suldal, Norway, June 1836. In 1864 she came to Waseca, Minnesota, USA, where she had a cousin. The trip took 13 weeks on the ocean. That year, she met and married her husband Ole. Ole was born in Roldal, Norway, nine years before her. He came to Waseca 12 years before meeting Martha. In 1866 they resided in Swift/Chippewa County. A few years ago while waiting in Benson, MN, with my mom while her car was being fixed, during a visit with my mom’s cousin and my late great aunt, I heard a story that Big Bend-Hagen was named after my Great-great-grandfather Ole. As I recall, he started the town with a mill there where Graham flour was invented (or made). Ole died in 1898. Martha died in April 1939, at nearly 103 years.

I was blessed by my parents example in their Christ-centered everyday living. I cherish Mother’s culinary wisdom and creativity during days with a tight budget and only a few convenient foods emerging. Memories…

• No fast food restaurants in the area we lived. There was a drive-in and a family-owned cafe or two. Eating at these places was a very rare treat, maybe to try a pizza burger or stop for an ice cream cone. 
• Pizza was made from scratch and there was frozen pizza when that became readily available, but, there was no delivery, carry out or eat-in. 
• So many comfort foods like Tater Tot Hotdish
• Norwegian ethnic foods—see How to make Lefse, a delicious Norwegian tradition 
• Apples and garden produce—raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, onions, peas, corn, radishes, carrots, potatoes, green beans, dill…
• Pigs on the farm eventually filled the kitchen with aromas of basil-seasoned pork roasts or sweet and savory country style ribs cooked so tender, the meat fell off the bones.
• Our table was adorned with special china for Christian holidays. See How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner—A Comprehensive Pictorial Guide
• To enjoy God’s creation, sometimes we ate outside on the picnic table Dad built
• Serving guests with special attention to menu and visually appealing foods is an art. My mother enjoyed entertaining as a highlight of her hard-working lifestyle. Our company varied from cousins and other relatives to couples card parties (triple-decked sandwiches) and Mom’s intimate bridge club table of four (desserts).
• Free refills of The Spirit, confession, absolution and praise at church every Sunday was often followed by a fried chicken “dinner” at noon, a nap, rice pudding with cinnamon and butter for the evening meal.
• Ice cream and cake were sweet staples throughout the week.
• Contributing to potluck dinners and smorgasbords were common in the Appleton, Minnesota community for 4-H, church and school events.
• Family meals (together) were preceded with a prayer. Relaxation and gentle teaching came afterward as mom read a daily reading and Psalm from the Bible, plus, an inspirational story from the Portals of Prayer devotion book. We closed by reciting The Lord’s Prayer.
• During my teen years I sometimes strayed away from the Word and into the world. Home from Alexandria Technical & Community College some weekends, Mom sent healthy home-canned soup and other foods back with me. I’m sure my parents were constant in prayer while I was “gone”, perhaps even more than when I was “home”. By grace, the free refills of Spirit kept the spark in me through those years. Still, it convicts me and supplies daily forgiveness when I admit that I mess up and don’t measure up. The Holy Spirit moves me to fess up and comforts me to look toward heavenly eternal promises with confidence.

I married and had a family of my own. My husband and children sometimes help with meals, but for the most part, I kept the traditional role of chief chef. I had a career outside home so I often served less healthy, more convenient, processed foods. Items like Rhodes frozen bread dough satisfy my cravings for homemade bread and hints of the past. I often called Mom for recipes, advice and companionship. When I moved to Kansas, over 500 miles from “home”, the phone became our best friend until Mom became ill and lost her voice.

Good Hot Dish and Fruit Salad—ha, such clever titles for simple recipes to serve a large family or a large crowd, right?

These inherited little black books remind me of my roots. Recipes are named after the women who introduced them to my grandma and mom. One of the books contains items I cannot imagine making such as blood sausage, head cheese and tea for 50 (3/4 cup leaves)—although I would like to try the tea.

Grandma’s and Mom’s “little black books” have handwritten and typed with red ribbon recipes. One cookbook is marked with a hot pink note, “Lutefisk in this book”. My parents often went to an annual lutefisk dinner hosted by a Lutheran church in our neighborhood. I vaguely remember going along one time when I was very young—many people were in a line to the church basement and there was a distinct scent, but I don’t remember eating it. Mom made it once when I brought my fiancé home for a visit. I remember that she claimed it didn’t turn out quite right. I don’t remember ever having courage to eat more than a taste of lutefisk. I believe I opted for the entrée options she served such as ham or meatballs. I appreciate that she offered my young gentleman, of German descent, a taste of our Norwegian heritage.

Good Hot Dish below is Grandma Bjornjeld-Olson-Thuras Sonnack’s handwriting. 

Many of the recipes in sketched these books are not fully descriptive because they were personally demonstrated or discussed from one generation to the next. Since I’m publishing them for the world, I’ll add [my thoughts].

Good Hot Dish
Brown: 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion (chopped)
1 cup celery
Add 1 can chicken rice soup
1 can cream of mushroom [or] chicken soup
[small condensed variety of soups above]
1 can mixed vegetables (with liquid)
1 box frozen peas [about 10 ounces]
1/4 lb. chow mein noodles
Bake 45 min. to 1 hr. in 350° oven or store in refrig & bake next day one hour.

Note added 1/9/15: We tried the Good Hot Dish. It’s not bad, so it must be good! The chow mein noodles came in a 5 oz. can (close enough) so I tested a few and mixed them all in. They saturate the flavors, get soft while baking except those that poke out the top get crispy. I didn’t have cream of mushroom on hand so I used low-fat cream of chicken. I tweaked the recipe by adding 4 oz. of sliced fresh mushrooms and a drained 8 oz. can of sliced water chestnuts. Nathan garnished his plate with deli-sliced jalapeño peppers and sriracha chili sauce. I added black pepper and soy sauce to mine. Stan ate his “as is”.

The fruit salad below (Mom’s handwriting) was a favorite for church luncheons and wedding receptions. 

After you mix things up and refrigerate it for several hours, the marshmallows dissolve in the sour cream to make a yummy, fluffy white coating on the fruit. Hey, sisters, if you have more details about this recipe, please let me know. I must have been playing while she made this.

Fruit Salad (one ice cream pail)
577 [I’m guessing this has something to do with number of invited guests for an event Mom may have been planning. I just checked our 5 quart ice cream pail and it contains 40 half cup servings. Wow, I never knew a serving size of ice cream was only a half cup!]
1 sour cream [1 what? cup? container? if so, what size? ha! I guess 12 oz., but your guess is as good as mine]
1 miniature marshmallows [probably a bag, but I don’t know what size. My guess is about 6 cups?]
More or less of the following: [how forgiving!]
3 chunk pineapple
2 fruit cocktail
2 mandarin oranges
[common size cans of above, well drained]
4 bananas [sliced]
4 apples [chopped]
[I imagine the bananas and apples should be stirred in just before serving]

Verses for you: Do Not Be Anxious

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV)

Thanks for reading my blog post.
Elizabeth B. Knaus

What are you thankful for? For me, an awareness of blessings, contentment and growth by facing cancer with my husband.

Inspired by an Etsy team discussion, “…What are you thankful for?”, I respond:

Attaining 2,629 sales by this point in November 2014 is certainly a significant reason to be thankful that I’ve become a seller with Etsy. “Help” sections along with a willingness to learn and try new things made this possible for me. Encouragement from other sellers makes it enjoyable. Other reasons I am thankful are:

• Being born into a loving family where creativity, design and entrepreneurship were valued and encouraged by example and opportunities.
• Involvement with community “families” and teams throughout life such as 4-H, high school dance-line, church youth group, technical design college, adult art classes, Lutheran Women in Mission and book club.
• Living in and near the country with places to explore nature, swim, bike and hike.
• Being married to my best friend, a creative, hard-working guy with a good eye for vintage has influenced FreshRetroGallery. My mother-in-law inspired me to design a family tree chart. At the time, it was purely so we could chart our own ancestors—little did I know that many others were searching for an attractive, practical way to record this precious information on a printed piece that serves as a keepsake of handwriting. I am delighted that people love to give these as gifts.
• Having a son and daughter on the bottom line of my genealogy diagram. Becoming a mother made my dreams come true. Their father and I are honored to be on the next line and it was fun to fill in the poster with their grandparents and up to 3x great-grandparents. Having a grateful heart is just one of the wonderful character traits that have been passed through the six generations that my family tree chart holds.

The rest of this post touches on the journey my husband and I are taking after his diagnosis of lower esophageal cancer. Looking at the big picture, I find blessings related to even this terrible disease and its treatment.

Interactive display at the Mayo Clinic Rochester Museum

Attributes of staff and doctors at the Mayo Clinic

Tears of Cancer

Crying feels cleansing to me. It’s a way to release emotions such as stress, sadness, grief, anxiety, loneliness and frustration. I’ve read that it is healthy to cry to avoid being set up for depression. When I learned the shocking diagnosis of cancer, I was struck with the reality of human mortality—the disease’s connection to a possibility of death. Over the first couple weeks after absorbing the news, my sad, tired, worried eyes were frequently rinsed with tears.

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Psalm 56:8 ESV

On our quest to find zucchini bread, Stan’s miracle food, we walked to a bakery in Rochester and happened to see an unusual sign.

Cancer brings out the best in family, friends and acquaintances. 

Blessings of shoulders to lean on, ears to listen, kind words, hugs, cards, visits, phone calls, posts, “likes”, emails, gifts, offers to help, knowledge/experiences to share, prayers and encouragement surrounded us. We made our connection to a specific surgeon at Mayo Clinic through a friend of a friend who shared his own positive experience there just one year ago. While carrying out Stan’s treatment plan, we made new friends with special people dealing with similar cancer who could totally understand and relate to our situation. We were drawn to closer relationships through the necessity of sharing the diagnosis and news of Stan’s cancer treatment plan. This life-changing event brought our family together. It gave us opportunities to befriend others.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34 ESV

Lynne, Liz and Kaye regularly attended the Desk R waiting room while husbands Red, Stan and Alvin “caught some rays” to fight esophageal cancer at Mayo Clinic. Six weeks later, here we are connecting at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Mayo, after two of our men went through a super-major surgery. God bless you, friends—together we shared ice cream on the Mayo patio, hot dogs and live music in the street, sentiments, laughter and wife-experiences of suffering with the men we love.

Christian faith holds me together while facing cancer with my husband. 

As I put it in my Heavenly Father’s hands, trusting that His will be done, my prayers are for courage, grace, wisdom in making health care decisions, physician and medical team’s skill, mercy for a cure, full recovery, patience, comfort, rest and healing. I have hope in the inevitable death Stan and I will face some day and comfort in the loss of loved ones who’ve gone before us.

How do Christians face death? Christians face death as they face life—with their eyes fixed firmly on Jesus. We cling to the promises of His Word, which, when facing death, seem even more wonderful and powerful. One of the most beautiful promises our Lord gave to us is found in John 14:2–3 where He says, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” We realize that no matter how our lives may end, there is one thing of which we can be absolutely certain. We shall pass from death to life, from this life to the life beyond, with our Lord. And there we shall rejoin all of our loved ones and others who have gone before us trusting in Christ their Savior. (excerpt from pdf file): Read more on Death and Dying - The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Other Blessings

• Generosity, thoughtfulness and prayers of many people.
• Insurance coverage to care for Stan.
• Doctors and medical staff at Comcare, Mowery Clinic and Salina Regional Health Center in Kansas.
• Teamwork and personal attention of doctors and medical staff at the departments of nutrition, imaging, chemotherapy, radiation oncology, anesthesiology and chest (thoracic) surgery for an esophagectomy at Mayo Clinic and the caring community in Rochester, Minnesota. 
• Sandra J. Schulze American Cancer Society Hope Lodge—Rochester, MN — a wonderful home-away-from-home for cancer treatment patients and their caregivers.

On the first trip to Mayo Clinic, our daughter Laura gets fresh air and exercise with me while her dad rests. She spent a few days with us before traveling to Milbank, South Dakota to spend time with grandparents and relatives in western Minnesota. The fountain is in Central Park near Mayo’s extended downtown campus which is comprised of about 30 buildings and 5 parking ramps.

We stayed 2 weeks at the Brentwood Inn before a room became available for us at Hope Lodge where we made several new friends and learned a card game called “Golf”. (camera credit: Vicki Peterson)

We met Jim and Betty at Hope Lodge. In the middle of our process, they visited us one evening as they were traveling from Worthington, MN to the State Park in the hill country of Texas where this photo of them was taken. We spent 6 weeks at home in Kansas between the 7-week stay in Minnesota for tests/radiation/chemo and the 2-week stay back there again for tests/surgery/hospitalization. Thanks to all visitors and everyone’s kindness and support during this journey.

During our second trip, our son Nathan reads a Christian devotion or blog to his dad waiting in the Hilton Building for a test to help the doctor determine that Stan could have surgery. Upon Stan’s discharge after surgery we were told that he might start feeling better in 3 to 6 months. Prayers ascend for Stan and all the wonderful people we met on our cancer journey. Praise be to God for His mercy and loving care.

Despite the awful nature of sharing Stan’s struggle with cancer—body failing and difficulties related to eating, drinking, radiation, chemotherapy, major surgery and recovery—I learn to submit rather than resist. I live with new understanding of the present, moment by moment. I focus on health, emotion, thought, imagination, creativity and living. I get in touch with my soul. I thank my Creator for gifts of medicine and healing. Through His gift of the Holy Spirit, I receive faith by hearing the Word preached in church. I have forgiveness of sins by Jesus’s suffering, death and resurrection. I trust what is true and pure.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:23

If your life is touched by cancer, may you be blessed with these words. I encourage you with some of my favorite Bible verses:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. Philippians 4:4-14

Marriage tips, wedding anniversary ideas and 30 things I love about my man Stan.

Celebrating our 30 year wedding anniversary! 

Time flies when you’re in love! Compared to men and women who’ve been married 60 years, Stan and I are only half way.

 My sister Emilie was organist at our wedding—The Recessional, God of Grace, Manz

Video organist Erik Geilenkirchen, 2008 Casavant Pipe Organ, Concordia University, Seward, NE

Elizabeth Ann and Stanley Warren Knaus, June 30, 1984
Approximately 11:30 am at Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS), Appleton Minnesota.
The wedding dress had been my mother’s. Mom and I went to a seamstress to have the gown professionally re-fitted, cleaned, pressed, a new veil fashioned from her original head piece, and a satin-covered arm loop created to carry the long train. 30 years ago, I wore the pearl necklace she’d worn 34 years earlier. All in a day… we had a reception lunch in the church basement following the ceremony. The party moved to my parent’s farm for gift opening. Stan’s parents helped us move our gifts 100 miles southwest to the house in Brookings. We celebrated the evening with a live band at Danceland by Lake Campbell. The next day we started a honeymoon trip to the Black Hills in South Dakota.

My parents, Ruth Margaret and Walter Christoph Frederick Busse
November 11, 1950, Appleton, Minnesota

I met my husband, Stan, the day a friend from my hometown came to Brookings, South Dakota, where I’d taken a job at a print shop, beginning my career as graphic designer.

I knew no one in the city except for my employer and co-workers, so I was happy to receive a call from this old friend who was on his way with his friend, Stan’s brother. In my little upstairs apartment across the street from Taco John’s, the three of us had chicken for dinner and then went to Stan’s home. He was hosting a few of his friends who were in town for Hobo Day, the SDSU homecoming celebration. When I first met Stan, I saw his blue eyes and the fact that he is 13 inches taller than me. Love at first sight is a silly concept, but it seemed that’s what I’d been struck with. This guy liked Norman Rockwell and collected antique Saturday Evening Posts … huh?!?

30 things I love about my man, Stan

1. Stanley is manly
2. Beautiful blue eyes
3. Hard-working
4. Artistic
5. Generous
6. Conservative
7. Kind
8. Respectful
9. Ambitious
10. Tall, Gray and Handsome
11. Creative
12. Thoughtful
13. Genius (pronounced with a G like goofy)
14. Sense of humor
15. Supportive
16. Spiritual
17. Father to our children
18. Friendly
19. Helpful
20. Romantic
21. Responsible
22. Integrity
23. Sensitivity
24. Faithful
25. Dedicated
26. Handy Mr. Fixit
27. Mr. Right (for me)
28. His confidence in believing he is always right
29. Ability to admit [when he can see] he’s wrong
30. He’ll love me forever

In a perfect world, I would see only positive virtues all the time. 

Utopia wouldn’t allow me to focus on things that aren’t going “my way”. Stan would be telling the truth when he jokes, “It’s been 30 years of pure wedded bliss!” I may be a dreamer, but this is not a perfect world. Life on this side of heaven is full of sin which brings out ugly junk in our hearts and actions, whether we realize it or not (and sometimes we don’t). In our real world, from time to time, every married couple experiences some form of misunderstanding, dissatisfaction, disappointment or loneliness as a result of sin.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23

How do we deal with this junk? How do we recognize it? What makes us content? Where do patience and peace come from?

The officiating minister of our marriage service required pre-marital counseling. We scheduled a date and drove 200 miles to learn from Reverend Buchholz at Trinity Lutheran Church. I highly recommend all engaged couples to seek “help” from the pastor before the wedding. He described a higher form of love necessary in a marriage. The word agape means a self-sacrificing covenantal love, the kind of love that God has for us in Christ. Every marital challenge and tough relationship situation I face in life brings me back to this concept and helps me cope.

Stan and I have a date at least once every week. 

Every Sunday we get together with a group of other people who personally confess their own junk and are eager to learn about agape love. Together, we hear a sermon prepared by an ordained minister—a well-educated theologian with a master of divinity degree. Our souls are filled with the Wisdom of God which convicts, shapes and forms each of us. As we commune at our Savior’s table, through Spirit led confession/repentance, we receive forgiveness. We pray, sing and give thanks to our Creator. We’re fueled by the Good Shepherd’s counsel, pointing us in the right direction! Every week we need our faith to be refreshed, over and over again.

Stan is an antiquer, dumpster diver, American picker and junker. 

Many nights he stayed up late cleaning and fixing “one man’s junk” to turn it into “another man’s treasure”, dedicated to help pay for our children’s college tuition and contribute to our nest egg. Fascinated with history—the story each item contains—he appreciates the utilitarian potential these items hold to be re-used, recycled, up-cycled or simply to enjoy for decorative beauty.

Compare this interest in antiques to the love God has for us in Christ. 

Stan picks up obsolete, forgotten, discarded, rusty, broken pieces of junk and restores them to fresh merchandise. Jesus suffered, died, was buried and rose again in order to take away the sin of the world. Sin makes us rusty (weak), broken (damaged), obsolete junk (worthless). By hearing the Word, we’re picked up by The Spirit, led to repentance, washed clean, restored for eternal life through our baptism into Christ—built up with potential to share this Living Good News which draws others to faith. God’s essence is grace and mercy. Out of thanksgiving, we seek to improve and do beautiful things.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:3

Nathan and Laura playing with antique building blocks.

In 30 years, two of our greatest blessings are named Nathan and Laura. 

The Lord’s help, through support from our extended families and community, enabled us to nurture these babies into adulthood. What a wonderful opportunity to love and honor each other and God. He placed us and our children here!

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

I found these sweeties while we were vacationing in Park Rapids, MN.
Definitely a gift for Stan—he loves hugging! They also remind me of my parents who had a gray set of salt and pepper shakers like this, tucked in their china cabinet. Bunny hug, yellow bunnies, designed by Ruth Van Tellingen Bendel,
circa 1947, made by Regal China.

Designed to compliment each other, we are not alike—we’re unique.

Opposites attract. Physically and psychologically, God created us differently, uniting us in marriage with His blessing, for His design.

• Man and woman
• Salt and pepper shakers
• Connection and adventure
• Catsup and mustard
• Hamburgers and buns
• Bride and groom
• Security and freedom
• Garbage and trash can
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Left and right—gloves, shoes
• Ascending and decending—flight patterns
• Husband and wife 
• Support and challenge
• Flowers and vases
• Sugar and spice
• Paper and pencil
• Tooth brush and tooth paste
• Father and mother
• Comfort and intensity
• Car and gasoline
• Nuts and bolts
• Swimming pool and diving board
• Wine and cheese

Faith is a gift of The Spirit—we’ve also been given the free will to think for ourselves.

We can reject faith (failure to trust in Christ alone for forgiveness and salvation) or we can regularly receive it’s power to strengthen and mature us so we may share spiritual intimacy. Our selfish human nature is contrary to God’s plan. Holy and True love turns adversity into character-building function for His name’s sake. When we receive our Heavenly Father’s involvement, healthy balance, confidence and positive growth are brought into our relationship.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:12-17

At our Bible-based church we are in agreement and fellowship with other believers on “God’s design for marriage”. 

We are in disagreement with certain church bodies, politicians and individuals on the topic of what they call “gay marriage” or same-sex civil unions. I was pleased to see action to protect our religious liberty at the Faith Lutheran Church Quarterly Voter’s Meeting, March 30, 2014, when an Amendment of the By-laws of the Constitution was made by adding:

ARTICLE XII – MARRIAGE: (passed by unanimous vote) The marriage policy of Faith Lutheran Church, a member congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, is and always has been consistent with the Synod’s beliefs on marriage. We believe that marriage is a sacred union of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24-25), and that God gave marriage as a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride the Church (Eph. 5:32). The official position of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, as set forth in 1998 Res. 3-21 (“To Affirm the Sanctity of Marriage and to Reject Same-Sex Unions”), is that homosexual unions come under categorical prohibition in the Old and New Testaments (Lev. 18:22, 24; 20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:9-10) as contrary to the Creator’s design (Rom. 1:26-27). These positions and beliefs can be found on the LCMS website, along with other statements, papers and reports on the subject of homosexuality and same-sex civil unions and “marriage.” Our pastors will not officiate over any marriages inconsistent with these beliefs, and our church property may not be used for any marriage ceremony, reception or other activity that would be inconsistent with our beliefs and this policy.

Anniversary card I designed—this plus other occasions printable art and blank stationery is available at FreshRetroGallery. Past posts you may be interested in: How to make cards on the computer and Wording ideas for handmade cards.

How to celebrate a wedding anniversary

• Thank the Lord for taking us through this year. 
• Confess shortcomings. 
• Forgive one another.
• Pray for myself and my husband.
• Reminisce about the past, learn from experiences.
• Celebrate present moments.
• Talk about the future.
• Re-commit the vow—the promise we made to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.
• Pray that by the grace of God, we continue to accept each other’s unique individuality and ask the Spirit to lead us to love as Christ loved us.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2