This Page

has been moved to new address

Pearl Girls

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
/* -- basic html elements -- */ body {padding: 0; margin: 0; font: 75% Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #474B4E; background: #fff; text-align: center;} a {color: #DD6599; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;} a:visited {color: #D6A0B6;} a:hover {text-decoration: underline; color: #FD0570;} h1 {margin: 0; color: #7B8186; font-size: 1.5em; text-transform: lowercase;} h1 a {color: #7B8186;} h2, #comments h4 {font-size: 1em; margin: 2em 0 0 0; color: #7B8186; background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-header1.gif) bottom right no-repeat; padding-bottom: 2px;} @media all { h3 { font-size: 1em; margin: 2em 0 0 0; background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-header1.gif) bottom right no-repeat; padding-bottom: 2px; } } @media handheld { h3 { background:none; } } h4, h5 {font-size: 0.9em; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: 2px;} h5 {color: #7B8186;} h6 {font-size: 0.8em; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 2px;} p {margin: 0 0 1em 0;} img, form {border: 0; margin: 0;} /* -- layout -- */ @media all { #content { width: 700px; margin: 0 auto; text-align: left; background: #fff url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-body.gif) 0 0 repeat-y;} } #header { background: #D8DADC url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-headerdiv.gif) 0 0 repeat-y; } #header div { background: transparent url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/header-01.gif) bottom left no-repeat; } #main { line-height: 1.4; float: left; padding: 10px 12px; border-top: solid 1px #fff; width: 428px; /* Tantek hack - http://www.tantek.com/CSS/Examples/boxmodelhack.html */ voice-family: "\"}\""; voice-family: inherit; width: 404px; } } @media handheld { #content { width: 90%; } #header { background: #D8DADC; } #header div { background: none; } #main { float: none; width: 100%; } } /* IE5 hack */ #main {} @media all { #sidebar { margin-left: 428px; border-top: solid 1px #fff; padding: 4px 0 0 7px; background: #fff url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-sidebar.gif) 1px 0 no-repeat; } #footer { clear: both; background: #E9EAEB url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-footer.gif) bottom left no-repeat; border-top: solid 1px #fff; } } @media handheld { #sidebar { margin: 0 0 0 0; background: #fff; } #footer { background: #E9EAEB; } } /* -- header style -- */ #header h1 {padding: 12px 0 92px 4px; width: 557px; line-height: 1;} /* -- content area style -- */ #main {line-height: 1.4;} h3.post-title {font-size: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0;} h3.post-title a {color: #C4663B;} .post {clear: both; margin-bottom: 4em;} .post-footer em {color: #B4BABE; font-style: normal; float: left;} .post-footer .comment-link {float: right;} #main img {border: solid 1px #E3E4E4; padding: 2px; background: #fff;} .deleted-comment {font-style:italic;color:gray;} /* -- sidebar style -- */ @media all { #sidebar #description { border: solid 1px #F3B89D; padding: 10px 17px; color: #C4663B; background: #FFD1BC url(http://www.blogblog.com/snapshot/bg-profile.gif); font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 0.9; margin: 0 0 0 -6px; } } @media handheld { #sidebar #description { background: #FFD1BC; } } #sidebar h2 {font-size: 1.3em; margin: 1.3em 0 0.5em 0;} #sidebar dl {margin: 0 0 10px 0;} #sidebar ul {list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0;} #sidebar li {padding-bottom: 5px; line-height: 0.9;} #profile-container {color: #7B8186;} #profile-container img {border: solid 1px #7C78B5; padding: 4px 4px 8px 4px; margin: 0 10px 1em 0; float: left;} .archive-list {margin-bottom: 2em;} #powered-by {margin: 10px auto 20px auto;} /* -- sidebar style -- */ #footer p {margin: 0; padding: 12px 8px; font-size: 0.9em;} #footer hr {display: none;} /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { }

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The Dog Days of December


I hate to post another dog story, but...well, the dogs just seem to be our focus of late. Here's the latest!

We have two dogs, Pongo and Lilly. You can read about Pongo's tragic chocolate consumption (think OD) here.

Well, yesterday evening I ended up rushing our other dog, Lilly, to the animal hospital. She had slipped on the ice (we're having a terrible ice storm here). The vet thinks she might have sprained her shoulder...and she will be on pain killers for 5 days.

Poor thing!

Labels:

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 4:16 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Monday, December 10, 2007

‘Tis the season to be hectic. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

‘...That’s why I’m not energetic. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Cards unwritten. Gifts not wrapped. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Cookies burnt. My time is zapped. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-LA!


Each year, I promise myself that this Christmas will be different. I will take the time to enjoy the comfort and joy of family, friends and faith. I will start purchasing gifts in September. I will take the Christmas card photograph of my daughters in July. I will not wait until the week before Christmas to put up the tree. I will sip hot cocoa by the fire while the family watches It’s a Wonderful Life. I will not burn the chocolate chip cookies……

But once again, my best laid plans aren't really coming to fruition. It all started with our Chihuahua, Pongo.

During the first week of December, he jumped onto the table and ate the chocolate sidewalk of the gingerbread house. Yes. Pongo consumed fourteen squares of Hershey’s chocolate plus a Reese’s peanut butter cup, which Katie, my youngest daughter creatively used as a planter in front of the gingerbread house. Pongo went to the animal hospital for an overnight stay, and I’m happy to report that he is fully recovered. What a start to a season of “comfort and joy!”

It’s easy to get sidetracked by the unexpected, isn’t it? And that sip of non-fat café latte just doesn’t seem to carry us through the stress. Only God can satisfy that quest for the de-stressed season of comfort and joy. As we wrap those last minute gifts, He whispers, “I already wrapped the best Christmas gift imaginable in swaddling clothes. Have you shared the gift of my Son with anyone on your list?” As we stalk the mall parking lot for an open space, He whispers, “I always have an open place in my heart for you. Please come home.” As I burn the cookies, yet again and avoid setting off the fire alarm, He whispers, “The fragrance of your faith is what I seek. Spend time with Me.”

May you find special moments to truly experience the comfort and joy of Christmas that God readily provides. Please share your traditions of capturing those moments.

May you and your loved ones enjoy the blessings of the Season! Merry Christmas!

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 3:59 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, December 8, 2007

I’m a Pearl Girl™….

With His love and grace, God covered the unexpected pain in my life of becoming an adult orphan and transformed this pain into a pearl. We are all Pearl Girls.™ Each of us has been touched by God’s gift of love and grace, and it’s a gift that I want to share with others. That’s why I am launching Pearl Girls™.

Actually, my very first gift from my parents was a pearl. The gift of my name. Margaret means “precious pearl.” So perhaps this is what I was always supposed to do. My heart’s prayer is that Pearl Girls™ will be a blessing to others – to the women who contribute their literary talent to the Pearl Girls™ projects; to the readers who are inspired and comforted by the life experiences shared through these projects and to the women and children who will benefit from the proceeds given by Pearl Girls™ to various charities. This is a win-win for everyone, and each of us has a special part in making the Pearl Girls™ projects “blessed sellers.”

After the first Pearl Girls™ tea in Atlanta, I went to my brother, Claude’s home to help sort through our parents’ boxes in his basement. It was an emotional experience and tedious process to discover what was in each box, to decide what to do with each item and to discard those belongings which we needed to let go. After several long hours of sorting, I received an incredible hug from heaven – a confirmation that Pearl Girls™ is something that is meant to be. I discovered a three strand necklace of painted pearls belonging to my grandmother from the early 1900s! Isn’t that amazing?

Thank you for taking the time to read about Pearl Girls™. Thank you to the incredible women who have so graciously written essays for the first project. Thank you to my husband, David and our precious daughters Melissa and Katie for their love, patience, support and encouragement. And thank you to God who covers us with His grace and love and who transforms us into Pearl Girls™

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 9:39 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Welcome to the Pearl Girls™ blog!

The Pearl Girls™ all began with the metaphor of the oyster – which was swimming beneath the waves when something unexpected happened. A piece of sand got stuck inside its shell and caused great pain. Nacre soon coated the piece of sand and transformed the unexpected source of pain into a beautiful pearl. Like the oyster, we, too go about our everyday lives when the unexpected happens. Yet God’s grace covers our pain and transforms it into a beautiful pearl.

The mission of Pearl Girls™ is for women to collaborate and help make a difference in the lives of other women and children. Yes. We all can make a difference. Please visit the Charity Links to see specific organizations which Pearl Girls™ will help with the first project – a collection of essays written by women to inspire and encourage others who are facing a similar journey.

posted by Margaret McSweeney @ 9:49 PM 0 Comments Links to this post