Count Your Blessings Monday!!

Here is an opportunity for all of us to give thanks unto the Lord for a blessing in our lives. If you would like to take part great. If not that is OK too. If you would like to share your blessing, just leave it in the comments. If you want to use the picture above and list a blessing on your own site, then leave a URL to your site in the comments. There is no pressure here. I just know that I am incredibly blessed and I would like to share that and give thanks to Him who all blessing come from. This is a way that we can encourage one another. I know that I am often encouraged when someone shares a blessing with me. I think that many times we forget that it is a blessing to be able to breath, to get out of bed, to hold a baby... Share your blessings with us. We can share so many other things.... special gifts, recipes, let's take the time to share how God has blessed us!!

I am not even sure where to begin with this blessing. We have friends who are friends with Jim the Broom man. I have posted about Jim before and gave a link to his website, Gingerbread Brooms. I have always been fascinated by broom makers and have wanted to own one of their brooms. I have seen a broom maker making brooms several times in different places around the country. There is a lot of work that goes into making a broom. Then it will last you a lifetime if you take good care of it. Back to my story.... I found out that Jim reads my blog. Hello Jim!!! :) I finally got the chance to meet him in person at a viewing for a funeral. We talked about his brooms and I told him that I wanted to purchase one of his brooms. I asked about the different kinds that he made. Then after I got his website, I would look at the different types of brooms. I was trying to decide which one to get. I had narrowed it down to 3. I wrote and asked him the prices on those 3. I heard through our mutual friend that he would not take money from me. So, I sent him a round of my cheddar cheese. :)

I was fellowshipping after church yesterday and our mutual friend brought out my brooms to me. Yes, I said broomS!!! I was not even sure what to say. I was flabbergasted to say the least. I don't think I could have been more blown away or pleased if they had handed me $1000 dollars. These are a treasure and each one made by Jim.

Each broom is a work of art. I believe that all the handles are made out of Sassafras. Each handle is unique in its own way. This handle had a vine or something that wrapped around it and left its markings. He carved a flower into the handle as well.

He used different colors on the bands. If you click on this and make it larger, you can see how the larger part of the broom corn is still attached and spreads out into the individual straws.

I am not sure if he peeled some bark on this one, or that is just the coloring of this piece of wood. It is a wonderful effect either way.

This broom can be used to get down cobwebs up in the corners of your rooms.

I love the naturally crooked handle on this one.

This is true broom straw.

I love the coloring on this handle as well.

This piece of wood had a larger vine winding around it. I love the markings and groove it left.

These next 2 pictures I took off of his web site. This is Jim the Broom Man. Jim, you gave me a precious gift that I will treasure and use. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you keep on making your brooms!!!!