The Needle in a Haystack

Jan 6&7, 2012

So it really did seem like a good idea to give our old lab, Raven, a beanie baby to keep her company while we were at work now that she is an only dog....

           bad idea

..what you can not see in this picture are the 200billion gazillion small plastic pellets that now cover every inch of our living room rug.... they are like Christmas tree tinsel.....or Easter grass....we'll pretty much be cleaning them up for the next 10 years

  We worked the last two days at the shop.  despite that I was able to do a bit of stitching...a couple smalls. The first is almost done despite the short amount of time I had to work on it.

... this is from Sprite stitch

AND today was simply two little snowmen to go on the tree at the shoppe... We decided to do a season tree all year...

.. And keeping up with Pammy Sue's CAL

I was able to finally get to the next color in my ripple.  I have plans for this ripple I do believe a upcoming birthday in the next couple of months... 

Horrible picture... but its late and I am cleaning up plastic pellets..

So, I was able to finish up Mourning Gloria

This is a China Bayless book and I loved it as much as the others I have read...

In my read through the Bible in a year I am up to Genesis 20 and Matthew 6:18

  .One of the great things about our shoppe is the wonderful deputies that do off duty on Sat. afternoons.  They are all friends of our LEO son and we appreciate getting to know each of them better. Craig and I were having a discussion about this verse today... and I thought I would share ( he preaches at his church from time to timeand I know he is a blessing to them, he was to me!)

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

– 2 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)

Very fitting for police officers I think.. and for all of us!

Hope and pray you all ahve a fine day.................all day Long!

Jan 5, 2012

Taylor's Christmas present from his Pop was a year of guitar lessons... and tonight was his first lesson... of course I had to feed him and his mom....( we had hotdogs) , and what good is visiting MeMe & Pop's house if you can't have a bit of board game time?  I picked this game up for a buck at the flea market.... still new in the box... I remembered it from when I was a child..

  I am happy to say... I still got it!  Yep, I won a game and Pop won a game...no "just letting the kid win" around here ...~seriously~ we had a bunch of fun, as always when Kristy and Taylor come to visit.

  ..and what would MeMe's house be without cookies???

  I tried a new recipe.. Amish Cookies...from the Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook  Almost every recipe I try from this book is a keeper, and much like the ones my own Pennsylvania Great Grandmother use to cook... I was sad that these cookies were just so-so.. They are a molasses cookie with oatmeal...not sure if it was me or the recipe.  Nonetheless, I recommend the book

 I managed both my Bible reading ( Gen 13-15 & Matt 5: 1-26) and a couple more chapters in Mourning Glora and Gathering Days.

Day 5 cross stitch is Henry the Nutcracker

..and here's what I managed today

I have time on this one as it will be a Christmas present for my DIL 2012...

I'm off to work on my ripple a bit before turning in for the evening. Tomorrow is a work day for us

....let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

...Let your light shine...and have a fine day...all day long!

 

Jan 4, 2011

 Today was the day we finally ventured out a bit.  Yep the car has sat in the drive way since New Years Eve.  I can't say we were doing this formal plan for the new year sort of thing, but that is what it worked out to be.  Our business is now  15 months and it has been such a learning process for us. So,  there were business meetings.... the kind where you are reading and suddenly an idea pops in your head and you discuss it... and then either scrap it or talk a bit more about it.... and the same went for the house, and the gardens, and well, just about everything....

   But today, the grocery, the post office... and even though we live in a small laid back town.... it required actual clothes and not jammies...

Anyhow, Bible reading did get done...Gen 10-12 and Matt 4

A little bit was read in Mourning Gloria

Nothing fancy came out of the kitchen today ( having to don real clothes today was exhausting)

 I did manage my day 4 Crazy January Challenge with this little pillow from Pine Mountain

 I have several but for some reason Feb never was stitched...

AND, because I couldn't help myself...I joined Pammy Sue's  ripple along.   I mean I HAD too... I love a good ripple and the textures in this one are beautiful I think... lots and lots of ftpc and fdpc.... There is a Flicker group  here  I If you want to join I know Pammy Sue would love to have you!!

 .. so, I am off to ripple some more... and hopefully tomorrow I can post some pictures of my ripple so it looks like a ripple... I had to frog a few times  but I do belive it is all good now... and if its not I am rolling with the mistakes...

   Here are a few interesting articles I read today while I was crocheting ( no wonder there are mistakes)

Susan Weed on hot colds and cold colds

Free Audible Books  ( I love these things)

Making your own dough enhancer

 AND I need to say hello to a very very special new reader of my blog....My Nannie

Love you!!

Thy hands made me and fashioned me . . . Psalms 119:73

... you all ahve a fine day......all day long!

 

 

Jan 3, 2012

 After so many beautiful days ..it was just plain COLD today.   We decided to forgo our errands we had planned and stayed inside drinking hot cuppas and working on small projects around here.  All the Christmas decos are packed away except the tree which will stay up til Jan 6th. I really will miss it, a small tree, but so pretty.

 Bible reading today was  Gen . 7-9 and Matthew 3

I finished up two books while on teh bike today. One really doesn't count as it was a book from my childhood collection on Mary Mapes Dodge. It was absolutely one of my favorites when I was maybe 10 (?).. The other was a book in my Book Across the States Project I started way back Jan. of 2009. It was another Debbie Macomber book, Dakota Born.  I really liked the other book I read by her set in WA but this one seemed perdictible.I know there are two other books in the series but I am not sure I will read them.

My cross stitch  start for today was so much fun.  I am already half finished. This will be for one of my neices.

This is a freebie from Gazette94 I love her designs so much. I have done a couple and hope to do a couple more . Pour a cuppa tea and go visit her.... bonus if you read french... un peu...becoming more fluent IS on the bucket list...

 .. and what would a cold afternoon be without a bit of sweetness with our afternoon coffee/tea...

We opted for Energy Bites.   At least we can convince ourselves these are healthy.  Christopher eats them on the way to work or class... or everytime he opens the fridge...

As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

...and have a fine day, all day long!

 

Jan 2,2012

 One of the treats for the holidays was to have dinner hosted by my brother in law and his wife.  The food was delicious!  To make it easy all the way around Laura decided on breakfast for dinner.

 

  I HAD to have her recipe for the coffee cakes she made. Chris and I made this today for our afternoon "coffee/tea" time.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ c. sugar
½ butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
¾ c. milk
1 tsp. almond extract
1 c. mini-semisweet chocolate morsels
Powdered sugar

Directions:
Combine 1st 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; mix on low speed of electric mixer until mixture resembles fine.  Remove about ½ cup crumb mixture and set aside.
Add eggs, milk, and almond extract to remaining crumb mixture; mix until well blended.  Stir in chocolate morsels.  Pour batter into a greased 11x13 baking dish; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool slightly; dust top with powdered sugar.

Note:
    This is also good made with blueberries in place of the chocolate chips. 

 

It was Day 2 of the Crazy January Challenge and todays project was the January Owl from Oakhaven. He really is sweet but I do believe tomorrow's start will HAVE to be on large count material.

 

Today's Bible reading was Genisis  4-6 and Matthew Chapter 2

Almost finished with My Debbie Macomber book and read more on Mourning Gloria while I was on the recumbant bike.

I also made our laundry detergent for the next 6 months.  We have an He front loader and I was tired of paying the exensive prices for the special detergent. This recipe works fine on about a 1/4 cup in a front loader...

Laundry Detergent

• 1 measuring cup of Borax
• 1 measuring cup of Super washing soda
• 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap OR 1 bar of Ivory soap
• If desired 1 small bottle of fabric softener

I use 1 measuring cup of Borax 1 Cup of Super washing soda and 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap or you can use 1 bar of Ivory soap.  You can find the Fels-Naptha soap at Kroger and also Walmart but it is not in the isle where all the soap is in the laundry detergent isle.

Shred bar of soap with cheese shredder put into sauce pan covering the soap with just enough hot tap water to stir. Cook on top of stove on medium continue stirring soap until soap melts.

Fill 5 gallon bucket with hot tap water add all ingredients stir put lid on  Bucket let stand over night take off lid stir again ready to use I usually fill up one of my tide bottles using the tide lid full for each load washed shake well before each use  . You can also add 1 small bottle of fabric softener if desired .

This will make 5-7 Five gallon buckets minus the bar of soap.

 

  Today a dear sister went to be witht he Lord. I have known her since I was a baby. She and her husband were a part of my life when I was growing up. They were in a car accident and June was killed instantly.  Fred is in intensive care in Morgantown , WV.  June wa sin her 80's as is Fred.  I know June is rejoicing witht he saints, but my heart aches for Fred at the loss of his bride of 60 years.

 Chris chose this Bible verse for us today....... it was a good fit..

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44

  Have a fine day....all day long

Jan 1, 2012

 We just finished up the dishes from our annual New Years Day feast of pork roast, sauerkraut, collards and blackeyed peas. Usually we have several folks for dinner but this year it was just Chris, Christopher, Daniel and I.  We have had such a great holiday but boy are we tired!

  Chris spent the day doing inventory for the business and besides doing a bit of laundry and cooking this is what I did most of the day...

  Each year I decide on a reading plan or study guide for my Bible time.  This year I will read the Bible through again using Bible Gateway Reading Plan . This will come to my kindle to read everyday.

 so today was Genesis 1-3 and Matthew Chapter 1.

No secret I am a HUGE China Bayles fan. I am finishing up another one in the series this week. I have a few copies signed by the author and am looking forward to the new one coming out in April.

   So for some crazy reason I decided to join the cross stitch Crazy January Challenge 2012 (a yahoo group). The concept is to start 15 new projects for each of the first 15 days of Jan. Then stitch at will until they are finished. Some ladies are going for 31... but I am at least a semi realist... It is fun to see what others are doing and share stitching stories from lovely ladies from all over the world.

 I decided on Bernard a Wee One: from Heart in Hand  stitched on linen

    I think if I continue to work on linen I will need a stitching magnifier....but I love the look!

and finally, I couldn't go the day with out a little crochet.  Chris and I decided to keep the tree up at the shoppe and just change out the decoration according to the season.  We are going with snowmen and snowflakes for Jan.  I thought a herd ( gaggle) of these little fellas were in order.

 

This is a free pattern from DapperToad

 we decided to keep our tree up just a few more days... its so pretty and we all enjoy it.

 Chris and I want to pray a most blessed New Year for each of you..

There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecc 3 1-8

..have a fine year...all year long!

What a busy week this has been!

This week has flown by! It seems every sunny moment we have been outside getting in a few more rows of beans and picking peas... yanking out hte spianch which has bolted and raking the chicken yard getting ready for the new babies ( Miss Hen has gone broodie!)

  Tuesday  I ventured out to a crochet group in Raleigh and met some very nice and helpful ladies.  A few new crocheters, a few old ones, a designer.... wonderful company and I do believe I will be going back for the next meet up

  Old news but if you have not done Meet up  dot com there are so many different groups out there with so many interests.

  I killed the sourdough starter some how... I should have gone with what I know and used my old sourdough recipe but I tried a new fangled starter I ordered... called "Alaskan SOurdough Starter"... and well.... I'm going back to my old method of creating a sponge...

  Two new recipes to try this coming week... the first are these

Fudge Puddle Cookies  Poke around Tiffany's blog while your at it....

Freezer Breakfast Burritos  equally fun blog to poke around

I have been meaning to take a picture of a cross stitch finish .. this is the Mitchie's Tavern kit I picked up on our last trip.. I love it.... I wish it had listed what type of fabric was int he kit because I like the texture and color of it.... IF ( a big if) I find a LNS I will try to track it down... tomorrow I will search the flea market for an unloved frame to adopt and set about getting it on the wall... I have the perfect place for it!

 

..and keeping it real on the sourdough pancake front....

and another cool picture of the pancakes cause I didn't know I had captured the heat  around them

..so rubbery I swear they bounced... even the dogs wouldn't eat them....

 Off to get thins ready for tomorrow... its a work day for us and we have already gotten calls about repair work so we will hit the ground running in the morning.. ( thinking its a Ginger Peach kinda day!)

We pack big thermoses on work days mine with tea and Chris has coffee in his... strong coffee..

One word about the end of the world due on Sat.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  2 Peter 3:10

  End or not I am fine either way.. My confidence is not in things of this world!

Have a fine day...all day long!

 

JodyDesigns, Teddy Bear Hats, and washing it all away....

...Recently Ms Stitchy McFloss had a bloggy give away sponsered by Ms Jody  with one of her designs from Jodydesigns.  I love her work... she has such whimsey  and fun things... I can't wait to get started on this little project!

  In between outside day things, and evening night things ( it IS that planting season), I have been stitching on a SAl, a lighhouse and the Mitchie Tavern  kit I got on our last get away.. BUT, I have also been making a few things for my annual NICU donation and decided my new little neice who will make her grand entrance in May needed a few things too...

  Like a teddy bear hat....

The pattern is one of Kristie's wonderful patterns. I ahve mde several of hers... always easy to follow... this little freebie can be found  @this link on Crochetville

 we are having a bit of a thunder storm here right now.... I am so thankful!  The pollen has been making Christopher a bit sneezy  and hanging clothes  a bit tiresome when you have to shake the pollen off....the trees are doing their  thing....

..and the rain is doing its thing :)

It never fails when I see this year after year that I think of the old hymn

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

 

 

we use to sing it in church all the time, but today you hardly hear it with the new music out.  I do love new praise songs but  I miss the old hymns . I wonder  if the author was watching a spring rain when he wrote the words...

Or maybe King David....

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Psalm 51:2

Have a fine day...all day long!

One Year Ago Today, A lIttle Purchase..and a Finish

Know where I was one year ago today?

 Attending the wedding of my oldest son and his bride... A wonderful joyous day.. one we thank God for everyday! To celebrate they are winging off to Paris in a couple of weeks....  A fitting place for two love birds!

.. I rarely buy anything from the folks with the spot across from ours but today I couldn't help myslef

..a tiny little leather suitcase  that just had to come home with me...

 Especially when there was a sweet little note from a soldier to his mama....1943... it sort of made me tear up a bit ..I was so in love with it our friends who own the shoppe let me have it for a mere 3.00.... I said it surely was the mama note that put me over the top wih it... so of course the joke was they were going to but "mama notes" in all thier merchandise ...LOL...seriously, some young one in boot camp thinking of his mama....

... I had plenty of time to finish my April cross stitch pillow  on Friday when Chris had karate. I am in love with these Pine Mountain designs.. This sweet little thing took no time at all

 Now I think I'll just sit and look at my tow fvorite things today...

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," John 19:26

have a fine day.............all day long!

Prayers, Peas, Dinner...and a UFO

.. We really haven't much energy around here lately... I mean everytime I begin to eat, or wash my hands, or shower... all I can think of are the folks in Japan.... it makes me heart broken... I get teary eyed for them... people with no faces, and no names... whose lives have been topsy turvy at the blink of an eye...and while I can't hug each and everyone of them... I CAN pray for them... and I do..

~sigh~  I do know God can and will bring good from bad.... because good always overcomes evil in the end...

  After 2 weeks of planning..then rain... and planning... then rain... we finally got the peas in the garden today... 2 weeks behind schedule.  These peas have a short season so we hope they don't bolt before harvest.... Working in the garden we were so anxious to get the rest of the garden in and  get the brooding light going for a new batch of hens.  Spring is a time of renewal.

   Saturdays have become by far our busiest days  at the "shoppe"  We have increased our hours from 9-5 and usually both of us are constantly meeting with customers and answering questions... By the time we get home and unpacked cooking dinner is the farthest thing from our minds... but eating it is!  Last week I whipped up a simple LoMein... I had precooked beef from a roast we had earlier in the week..peppers, onion, edamame,  and angel hair pasta seasoned with soy sauce and beef broth... we enjoyed it and it hit the spot after a long day on our feet.

After finishing up some gifts for March birthdays I found time to finish up a UFO (un finished object)... this wil have to get tucked away for next Jan.  But very very cute... I have Feb and March to do also....

I leave you with our memory verses for this week... how very fitting

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going

   both now and forevermore.

 

Pray.....