God Bless Our Troops

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

It's a cool day out today - a welcome relief from the humidity of the last few days. I have a rose blooming on my bush and my garden is looking good.
I'll be pouring tarts today. My new favorite fragrance is pumpkin spice. I haven't used it in wax before, just room sprays and soap. I made layered candles the other day. The bottom layer is pumpkin spice, the middle layer is pumpkin crunchcake, and the top is creme brulee. We are calling this blend November Dreams. The three fragrances blend very well together, but my favorite layer is the pumpkin spice. It's not a sweet pumpkin pie smell, but rather a warm spicy pumpkin. It reminds me of late fall - or Thanksgiving.
Today I think I'll make some plain pumpkin spice candles.
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Word of the day:
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, apostles - Solemnity
Today the Church celebrates : Saints Peter and Paul - Solemnity
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16:13-19.


When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Monday, June 28, 2010

It's warm and humid again today. I have the basement fan going so it is bearable, but of all the weather conditions I like the least, it would be humidity.

We had a family reunion yesterday and it poured most of the day, but it was still fun.

Today I make soap - probably peppermint, but we'll see. I may put that off for tomorrow and make jar candles today hoping tomorrow will be less humid.

******Evening update*****
I made the soap, but it was Cranberry. I will probably wait on the peppermint until it is less humid. Essential oils tend to be temperamental when it's humid. Heck, soapmaking is temperamental when it's humid. I also made a batch of tarts, several batches of simmering potpourri, and some room sprays to fill out an order. Just about everything on the order was something I was low on or out of completely. That's okay, I made extra so I won't get caught short again.

I got all of the laundry done for a change - done, folded, and put away. Not much else got done. I did do my daily stocking. We are still behind and need to get crackin'.

Madison was here today. She seemed a little out of sorts and wanted me to hold her a lot. My heart melts when she staggers over to me and puts up her little arms.

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Word of the day:
Monday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (+ 202) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 8:18-22.


When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. A scribe approached and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Another of (his) disciples said to him, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead."

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Today is the 34th Annual Henry Moeggenborg reunion and in the fine tradition of every year, it is pouring out. The Henry Moeggenborg reunion grew out of a birthday celebration for Art Meyer. It was pouring out that morning too.

Word of the day:
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Today the Church celebrates : St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (+ 444)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9:51-62.


When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "(Lord,) let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." (To him) Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."

Saturday, June 26, 2010

This morning is a Clay and Claire morning. They are "crafting" at the kitchen table.





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Saturday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer - Priest, Founder of Opus Dei - (1902-1975), Bl. Jacques Ghazir Haddad, Priest and Founder of Congragation (1875-1954)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 8:5-17.

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, "You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you." And at that very hour (his) servant was healed. Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: "He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases."

Friday, June 25, 2010

Well, I am feeling much better today than yesterday. I know that those funks will eventually pass, but while I'm in one it is not good. I got a lot accomplished yesterday. I did most of the things on my list - didn't quite get them all done, but did make quite a dent. I have been decluttering with teeny tiny baby steps for a while now. I am beginning to see some progress. Yesterday I opened my catch all drawer in my dresser. All of a sudden I can now open that drawer without a bunch of junk falling through the back to the drawer below. The dungeon, however, is another story. It's going to take a whole lot of 15 minute increments to get it where it needs to be. The same goes for my craft room.

I finished another block for the prayer quilt top that I am working on. I also got another strip of Anna's quilt sewed. A couple of weeks ago I ordered some books with decorative seasonal quilts. I like making the smaller quilts and I can't wait to do one of these. But first, Anna's quilt gets finished, then a few smaller projects that I started for the girls last year but never finished, and then I need to start Justin's quilt and then . . . I can do some of these other fun things.

Harold has been eating a banana every day in hopes that the potassium will help with his back pain. There were a few that were past their prime so I found a recipe for Banana Maple Nut Bread. Harold doesn't like nuts so I tweaked it a bit, added some baking powder and it is in the oven baking. It's a pretty healthy recipe with whole wheat flour. I used white whole wheat. Maple syrup is the sweetener which is what caught my attention. We shall see how it turns out.

Update:
The Banana Maple no-Nut Bread turned out very very yummy! The white whole wheat flour adds a tiny bit of crunch - almost like corn meal. I'm not a big fan of banana nut bread, but this is really good.
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Word of the day:
Friday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. William of Vercelli (of Monte-Vergine), Abbot (+ 1142)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 8:1-4.


When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it. Be made clean." His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Ever have those days where you wake up feeling lower than the earth, like no one cares, like nothing you do matters? I woke up that way this morning. I felt like "why bother even getting up? No one cares anyway." When I get like that, I set the timer for 15 minutes, have a pity party, and then get on with the day. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. After the 15 minutes are up, I do something that makes me feel good - like quilting or making candles or whatever. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When the timer rang this morning I went to my craft room and looked at some of the blocks I've been working on. I began to get some ideas on how we can revive our faltering Prayer Quilt group. Then I felt better.

Today is grocery day, GoodWill day, I have some orders to fill, and a stocking order to make.
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Word of the day:
Today the Church celebrates : The Nativity of St. John the Baptist - Solemnity
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66.80.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Chatted a bit online with our new pastor last night. He suggested I go to Mass in Beal City and get a feel for how he offers Mass. I was feeling a little nervous and unprepared for the changes to come. Fr. David celebrates Mass a lot like Fr. Blyman so I'm feeling a little calmer. I was surprised at the number of people who were at St. Joseph the Worker. I hope we get that kind of a turnout for daily Mass at St. Mary's.

Didn't get a lot done yesterday, but it was a good day because it was a Madison day. I think she's cutting teeth again because she wanted to be held a lot. Grandma is always glad to oblige. I got my candles poured yesterday, and some simmer scents packaged. I am finishing the binding on another prayer quilt and have worked on some squares for a new one.

I have a funeral to go to this morning for one of my favorite parishioners from St. Vincent. I'm sad for Bonnie. This is going to be so hard for her.



Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Etheldreda, abbess (7th century)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:15-20.


Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Today is a Maddie Monday. She's up to her cute tricks. She rarely crawls now, but she is frustrated that she can't get under the kitchen table anymore without bopping her head.

We celebrated Father's day yesterday with a cookout. Nina, Jamie, Sam, Kelli, Madison, and Anna were all here. Food was great! Justin, Melisa and the kids went fishing. They stopped over later.

Yesterday was the last mass for our departing pastor. It was strangely unemotional. Numbers were way down. That was kind of sad. Next week we have a sub. The transition won't really hit until we see Fr. David in the sanctuary.

Today is the anniversary of the ratification of the US Constitution. Maybe some folks in Washington might like to take a look at it. 

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Word of the day:
Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:1-5.

Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Here is the sequence of events at Madison's party last night.

Here we have a nice, clean, and very cute little girl.














Here we have a lovely cake.


Here we have a chocolate cake. (babies can't have chocolate for their first year)


Here we have Madison's reaction to the chocolate cake.


Here we have the teaser!


Demolition!!!!!!



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Word of the day:
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Silverius, Pope and Martyr, (+ 538)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9:18-24.

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Messiah of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

It's a lovely day out today - the sun is shining, not too hot. Gonna be a great day for little Madison's birthday party.

Word of the day
Saturday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Juliana Falconieri (1270-1340), St. Romuald, Abbot (c. 952-1027)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:24-34.

No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. 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 given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

We had a meeting yesterday; a transition meeting for pastors and staffs who will be undergoing a change on July 1. Tom, the facilitator,likened the process to a divorce and immediate re-marriage. A lot of people can't figure out why we need a process like this, but when you work closely with a pastor there is a bond formed. It's very difficult when a change occurs. We had a priest removed due to the scandal in 2002 and we could have used a process like this to help us heal. I'm not sure we're healed yet, but we are getting there.

Back to the meeting, there was an opportunity for us to say things to our departing pastor. I took the opportunity to apologize for not doing all I could to help him. And I didn't. As I look back over the six years he was with us, I had many chances to make his ministry a little easier and didn't. When he came to us, we were struggling and wounded, but we failed to see what a huge challenge this would be for a new priest just three years past his ordination. Instead of reaching out to him, a lot of us stood in judgement of things he did that we didn't like. Rather than confront him directly with the issues, we talked about him behind his back and generally made things more difficult. When I made my apology I found myself brought to tears at the opportunities I let pass me by. I looked up and there were tears in his eyes too.

Over the last year he and I made a lot of progress in our pastoral relationship. He told me I was like his big sister (very charitable considering I'm old enough to be his mother.) I would have liked a little more time, but I am happy we got there before he transferred. Four years ago I would have jumped for joy at this transition, but not now. It will be a mourning process. No matter what our differences were, he was truly invested in our parish and he worked very hard to become the best priest he knew how to be. My prayer is that Assumption parish in Midland will continue to help him grow in his ministry, and that they will do it with kindness and compassion.

After the first hour, our new pastors came to our table and our departing pastors went to meet their new staffs. Continuing the marriage theme, our new pastor greeted us with "hi honey, I'm home." That broke the ice and got us all laughing. This new priest will be unlike any we have had - but that is the case with every pastoral assignment. He is one year past ordination, we are his first full-length assignment. He is excited and full of ideas. He's energetic and in love with his ministry. He will do things that some will like and he will do things that some won't. My hope is that we will remember the pastor at Assumption who gave us six years of his life, and that we will learn from our mistakes - that we will treat our new pastor with the kindness and compassion that we sometimes failed to use with our departing pastor - that when the time comes for the next transfer, we will send this pastor off with fewer regrets of the things we could have done, should have done, but didn't.

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In other news:
I have a ton of stuff to do today. I didn't get all of my list accomplished yesterday and after the meeting, I was too wound up with conflicting emotions to do much of anything.

The doll I was making for Madison didn't turn out the way I'd hoped. When our girls were little, Anna and Melisa (Nina hadn't arrived yet) I made them some really cute dolls. I wish I could find that pattern. So today I will be shopping for Madison's birthday present. Today is also grocery day. I have tarts to pour for an order. And I have tons of cleaning to do. The house is a wreck.

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Word of the day:
Thursday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Herve, Abbot, (6th century)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:7-15.

In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

First of all, a very Happy Birthday to my little sweetie pie, Maddie MacDoogle. She turned one-year-old today.


Yesterday was not particularly productive. I got the soap packaged and a new batch made, but mostly I spent a lot of time trying to get Madison on video tape taking her first steps. I would post the video, but that option seems to be gone from the blog. Hmmmm. Anyway, it was a day well-spent.

I did get all of the laundry done, but not folded. Got some work done for the Prayer Quilt group. This group seems to be disintegrating so I am going to allot a little time each day to doing something. I figure if I give up Farmville on Facebook, I can use that time more productively.
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Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : SS. Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia, Martyrs, St Aurelian
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:43-48.


You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

This year I have been much more interested in the flower bed that I have out front. One of my roses is finally starting to bloom.

Harold's plant, (I call it the potty plant) that he put in this antique potty chair, sat in the old farrowing house all winter. Imagine his surprise when he went to bring it out to replant only to find that the ivy had survived the winter. I think the whole thing is ugly as all get out, but it IS amazing.

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Word of the day:
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (1195-1231)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7:36-50.8:1-3.

A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?" Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Yesterday was most productive. I packaged some simmer scents, made a huge batch of grungy cinnamon scented tags, Claire and I worked on the flower garden, but I didn't get any stockings made so that is today's task - besides cleaning, of course.
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Word of the day:
Saturday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time
Immaculate Heart of Mary, memorial
Today the Church celebrates : St John of St. Fagondez, priest (+ 1479)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2:41-51.


Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Finally, I'm catching up on chores. Out of all the stuff I had to do this week, I have it scaled down to 4 stockings, a set of grungy tags, and I need to finish measuring the oils for 5 batches of soap. Plain olive oil will be my next soap batch. I sold the last of it yesterday. I have one customer whose daughter needs it due to nut allergies. Most soap has coconut oil in it and she's allergic. Olive oil soap, because it is 100% liquid oils, takes a lot longer to cure so I need to make it soon. My customer ordered a dozen bars yesterday so hopefully this batch will cure before she runs out. I should probably make a couple batches. Since I am only dealing with one oil, it is much simpler to make.

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Word of the day:
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - Solemnity
Today the Church celebrates : St. Barnabas, Apostle
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:3-7.


So to them he addressed this parable. What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Ah, I love Thursdays. I have absolutely no commitments for today. I am going to take a trip to GoodWill and then reward myself with a trip to JoAnn's. I need some quilting needles, a rubber cap, and some batting. My supplies came from the lady who teaches a really cool hand quilting technique. I ordered a larger thimble because the one I ordered was a little tight.

The house smells like blueberry cobbler due to some tarts I poured this morning. I need to pour another batch later. After my trip uptown, I am coming home to put in some quality quilting time!

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Word of the day:
Thursday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Margaret of Scotland, Queen (+ 1093)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:20-26.


I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Never got on here yesterday. My baby turned 28! I remember thinking how old I was when I was 29.

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Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Ephrem of Syria, Deacon (c.306-373)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:17-19.


Jesus said to his disciples: «Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Monday, June 7, 2010

It's a chilly one this morning. Madison is here. We have a bit of a routing change because she can no long nap in her swing. She's figured out how to get out of it so it's time for something new. She is also taking a couple of steps at a time each day. It won't be long now until she's walking. Oh, and I need to think about a quilt for the new baby and a "big girl bed" quilt for Madison.

Today is bill day, laundry day, and soap day. I am just about finished sewing down the binding on one of the prayer quilts I took home.

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I got the soap made. The last time I tried to make pumpkin spice soap, it seized up on me. Today's batch behaved itself.

Today was the last day of school at Shepherd.  It is a tradition for all of the farm kids to drive their tractors to school.  I can't believe that 9 years ago Sam drove his to school.

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Word of the day:
Monday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Robert of Newminster (12th century)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:1-12.


When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

I knew it was too good to last. The tech guy for our ISP came and swapped out the tower on our grain leg. He replaced our antenna. I was in my glory. I could now watch videos online. I was reveling in the joys of learning a new hand quilting technique. Oh it was lovely. "Was" is the operative word. We are back to dialup. (Thank goodness I never did replace my phone.) This time the problem is unique to us; everyone else is up and running. Grrrrrrrr

********************Evening update ***************
Apparently our internet problem has to do with our dish on the tower. That will be fixed tomorrow. Okay - we'll see.

I went to JoAnn's with Anna this afternoon to find a tool that I saw on Quilter's TV. It's a finger protector called "Aunt Becky." When I asked about it at the fabric cutting table, Anna said she could hear the laughter from her vantage point of a few aisles over. No one knew what an Aunt Becky is. Well, I found her. I am not very skilled at hand quilting, but I love the way it looks.



This looks very promising. I started piecing a very expensive quilt last year. I really want to hand quilt it, but I don't want to spend years doing it. I also have carpal tunnel in my left hand (which is also my quilting hand) and this is supposed to eliminate a lot of movement.

Speaking of quilting, I left for church last night without the quilt. It wouldn't have mattered because there were card players in the room I planned to use. I layered the quilt last night and applied the binding this evening. I should be able to get it stitched down by tomorrow night.

Word of the day:
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) - Solemnity
Today the Church celebrates : St. Norbert, Bishop (c.1080-1134)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9:11-17.


Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of (about) fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

We have been having much frustration with our internet service. Today the guy is here to put up a new tower and to replace the antenna. He assures us that we will be "happy as heck" when they are done. Considering how unhappy we have been, I hope the happiness factor is in direct proportion.

Even though I haven't posted regularly, I am still plugging along with getting the house decluttered. My sister-in-law dropped in the other day and I was able to show her the new bathroom without wanting to drop off the face of the earth from embarrassment.

The dungeon is slowly being put into shape. I have to work in very small 15 minute increments in order not to be discouraged. When I get the dungeon de-cluttered, I hope to be able to use the big table down there. Howard told me if I get the basement cleaned up, he'll help with the ceiling and lighting. That would be so cool. I think we have the water issues mostly solved. We're still waiting for the cabinet guys so we can put in the sink.


I took home a couple of quilt tops from church yesterday. The Quilt Group is sadly behind and I feel bad that I haven't had time to do much. Tonight after church I will layer top, batting, and backing and pin it so I can put the binding on. I don't have a good, big, surface to spread it out so I'll do it in the meeting room.

Evening update:
Well, the high speed internet was very nice while it lasted. We're down again. It has to be our equipment because everyone else is up and running.

Word of the day:
Saturday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (+754) - Memorial
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:38-44.


In the course of his teaching Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation." He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

It has been so warm lately, and our internet connection has been a pain. I am trying to be patient, but it's been a couple months now and we should be able to have more stability here.

Spent some time down in the dungeon. I am making progress in very small increments, but it is still progress all the same. I made a batch of candles, packaged up some simmering potpourri, sorted my rusty candle pans, moved a few things around. The average person wouldn't notice any difference, but I do.

I am getting my music straightened around. We will be getting a new priest in a few weeks, and I'm a little nervous about the change. I guess I'll feel more secure after I get to know what he wants. With each pastoral change it's a challenge to stay grounded. It takes me a long time to adjust to changes - I'm talking years, not months. But it always works out. I just need to trust that.

This week's zone is the entry way. I have a front hall that needs decluttering in the worst way.

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Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates : Sts. Peter & Marcellinus, Martyrs (+ c. 304)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:18-27.


Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and put this question to him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants. So the second married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise. And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died. At the resurrection (when they arise) whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them, "Are you not misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, 'I am the God of Abraham, (the) God of Isaac, and (the) God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled."