Friday, January 13, 2012

Finally made soap again. I'm kind of out of my routine because soapmaking is a Monday night activity, however, due to some unexpected, but very welcome stocking orders from Etsy and Ebay, plus a few from our website, I've been too busy to make any soap.  Tonight I made Maple Syrup Festival.  It's been a little frustrating because my suppliers keep changing out the maple scents.  Grrrrrr.  I don't know if this one will darken.  I hope not, because I swirled it with a light cocoa and I would really like that to show.  But we'll see.  I have it in the oven so that if it gels, it will do a full gel and not a partial gel.  A partial gel does not affect the quality of the soap, but soapmakers do not like to see it.

 I've also been assembling various donations.  We did a Valentine Basket for a fundraiser for a cancer patient.  I wish I had thought to take a picture of it.  It turned out very nice.  I also assembled items for a fundraiser for my nephew.  And then there is the St. Mary Mardi Gras.  I love how this basket turned out!

I had intended to do a Mardi Gras theme, but couldn't find a way to tie that in with our Primitive Sugar Bush style, so I decided to just be what we are - a Country Primitive kind of business.

Today we had our first significant snowfall of the winter.  The roads were slippery going into Alma for Mass today.   I came home from church and had a nice lazy afternoon and spent some quality time with our youngest grandbaby. He is such a tiny little thing.  He's 2 months old but only weighs 7 pounds 12 oz.  He looks like a tired little old man.  Grandpa and I were able to coax a couple of smiles out of him today, though. 

Word of the day:
Friday of the First week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (c. 315- c. 367), St. Veronica of Binasco, Religious (144-1497)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:1-12.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"--
he said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."