Sunday, April 26, 2009

Today is the last day of the Syrup Festival. We always have a big parade on Sunday. As is usually the case, it is raining out - storming, actually. But I am hoping the old adage "rain before 7 sun by 11" is true because I know one little boy who will be sorely disappointed if his parade is rained on.

We were blessed beyond our expectations this weekend. I was hoping to do at least as well as last year, but with the economy the way it is, I knew that there was a possibility that we wouldn't do as well. Yesterday alone surpassed all three days of last year's festival. The two pictures above were taken on Friday after we set up. That side of the table is virtually empty now. Anna went home last night to make some more stuff to fill in those spaces. My side of the booth is looking a little bare too. I'm bringing up some of our fall scents to fill in the blank spots.

We tithe 10% of our gross from each craft show. For the past 3 years that has gone to a family who has quintuplets (in addition to 3 older children). One of our high school students took on the challenge raising funds to build them an extension on their house as his Eagle Scout project. This was finished up this past year, so our tithe, this year, for the Syrup Festival is going to the Youth For Christ organization. One does not tithe with the expectation of receiving anything, but it never fails to bless us when we do it.

A roofing company in Michigan -Michigan Metal Roofs - credits the success of their business in these trying times to the fact they they put God and then family at the forefront. In these days of political correctness, where anything goes, but heaven forbid we should offend someone by talking about God, it is refreshing to turn on a secular radio station and hear someone praising God for his blessings!
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Word of the day:
Third Sunday of Easter
Gospel
Lk 24:35-48

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
"Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things."

Saturday, April 18, 2009

I made the maple fudge yesterday. It tastes really good, but it didn't cut as nicely as the others. I'm guessing the maple syrup had something to do with it. I am going to make a batch with walnuts today and do a little tweaking.

Yesterday, Claire helped me cut the latest batch of soap. Later she was my helper as I boxed fudge. She handed me the boxes. It's nice to have another pair of hands around. While we were doing that, Clay was busy crafting some more pictures for me. He loves to make the pictures and then he will snuggle up in the chair with me and show me all the little details he put in them.

I had a few sales last night so I have to make sure I replenish the inventory for next week.

Here is a picture of our booth from last year's Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. Pictured are Anna and Summer.



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Word of the day:
Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Gospel
Mk 16:9-15

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature."

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Today will be a long one. This afternoon I experience a retreat for the school children and St. Mary's. It's my favorite way to prepare for the Triduum.

I didn't post yesterday for various reasons, mostly because I just couldn't make myself. In addition to Holy Week, our taxes are looming over our heads. They aren't done and I don't have time to deal with them this week. Sometimes things just get to me. I try to be organized and get things in order, but it seems the more I try to organize, the less organized I am.

This morning, before I leave for church, I am going to get things picked up. When the house isn't too bad, my inner chaos is easier to deal with.

Yesterday I tried a new wax. It seems to be fine. It gets rave reviews. The wax I used to get was really nice, but I am reading some disturbing reviews on declining quality. I haven't had a problem, but I can't afford to get a bad batch. The company will not take it back. So I have switched allegiance and have moved to another company. I made a batch of Berry Pickin' candles. I am testing one now. It seems to be great.

Once I get the taxes out of the way, I am going to have to hyper focus on getting everything ready for the Shepherd Maple Syrup festival.
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Word of the day:
Holy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper
Gospel
Jn 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
"Master, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later."
Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet."
Jesus answered him,
"Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."
Simon Peter said to him,
"Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well."
Jesus said to him,
"Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all."
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another's feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do."

Thoughts from the cornfield:
Tonight begins the Sacred Triduum - the holiest 3 days in the Church year. Tonight we celebrate the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. Tomorrow we remember the death of our Lord, Saturday we celebrate the Vigil of Easter and welcome the catechumens and candidates into full communion in the Church. And Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection - our cause for hope and joy! My prayer for today is that I can get my inner self in order so that I can enter into the experience.


God bless our troops!

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

I'm very late getting on here today. It was just one of those mornings where I just seemed to be spinning my wheels. I mentioned yesterday that I cleared some "sanity" space in my sewing room. I also finished the "Kitties" prayer quilt that I want to get done this weekend. The rest of the group will hand sew the binding down and tie it off.



I am also practicing my sawtooth borders with "Cinnamon Hearts" mini quilts (Thimbleberries). I am going to make them into pillow like the one shown. Piecing is a real challenge for me - especially something like the sawtooth borders. But I am determined to master those half triangles because I love the way sawtooth borders look.



I also made a batch of our new scented candles: Maple Syrup Festival I can't believe that the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival is less than a month away. All of a sudden I feel pressed for time - but this year I have a little more of it available.
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Word of the day:
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Gospel
Jn 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
"What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation."
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
"You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, "What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?"


God bless our troops!

Friday, July 11, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
My stats for today:
Type: walk/jog
Route: Deadend/back/far edge of the woods/back
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 126
Maximum heart rate: 153
Calories burned: 239
Yesterday's Carb count: 41
I’m down 1.2 from last Friday
I got out on the road at about 8:10 or so. I can tell it's going to be a warm one. Saw a couple of rabbits and lots of deer hoof prints, but no deer.

On the business/home front:
I occasionally check out the competition's soap to see what's new on the market. I came across an ebay listing where a gal is claiming all kinds of things. Now I have no beef with claiming certain properties for skin, but when someone starts attributing soap properties to relief of muscle aches, arthritis, and high blood pressure, then I get a little annoyed. It gives the rest of us soapers a bad name. For instance, this lady is using chamomile in her soap and she says that chamomile is good for aches and pains, moodiness, cramping etc. That may be true if chamomile is taken internally - as in tea. The same with some of the other claims she is making about herbs. I don't think this person is intentionally being dishonest, but it is this kind of irresponsibility that hurts the rest of us. She does put a disclaimer on it saying that she is not a doctor, but that is laughable because in the next sentence she says that what we use on our bodies ends up in our bodies. So she is implying that her soap will do things that it won't do - unless, of course, you eat it. There are enough legitimate benefits to handmade soap without pulling some out of thin air. Okay, rant over.

I made my candles last night and changed the wicks. I think I have found my wick combo now. I'm not sure I'm happy with the scent throw so I will have Kelli and Anna test for me. I am around these scents so much that sometimes I am immune to them.

Today I am going to concentrate on cleaning and stockings. Hopefully I will be able to catch up in both areas. Tonight there will be a "Moeggenborg Girls' night Out" at my sister-in-law's house. We try to do these monthly and they are a lot of fun. They are quilting all day today and if I had planned better, I could have joined them. I have a wedding rehearsal tonight so I will be getting there a little late.

Word of the day:
Matthew 10:16-20
Jesus said to his disciples, "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

Reflections from the cornfield:
If ever there was a "let go and let God" moment, this is it. Or maybe "trust, but verify." How often do we turn things over to God only to slowly take back our issues thinking we can do it better. It's easy for us, in hindsight, to think that the disciples should have just trusted, but they were still growing in their understanding of Jesus. Indeed, Jesus himself, was evolving his mission from the lost sheep of the house of Israel to the lost sheep of the world.

God bless the troops!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

On the lowcarb front:
No workout today. I am such a slacker.
I'm also up a pound from last Wednesday. I've gotten rather sloppy. I need to tighten up the ship here.

On the home front:
I'm late getting the blog up today because we are waiting for our phone/modem to arrive and I didn't have one to connect with this morning. I made some candles yesterday with the new apple pie fragrance oil. One of the duties each time I make candles and change the fragrance or the jars, is that I have to test. I tried making a pint sized candle and switched up some wicks with the smaller jars. I need to change the size of the wick, but the scent throw is amazing. I'm always a season ahead with this stuff so my house smells like fall right now.

Word of the Day:
Matthew 8:28-34
When Jesus came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, 'What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?' Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, 'If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.' And he said to them, 'Go!' So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighbourhood.

Reflections from the cornfield:
I'm not sure what I think about this passage. I am assuming that it takes place in Gentile territory because of the presence of the pigs. What is interesting, though, is that while the disciples are still trying to figure out who Jesus is, the demons know exactly who he is and that there is a time in which Jesus will deal with them. After the demons enter the pigs and the pigs rushed down the bank and into the sea, the swineherds run of to town and spread the news on the way. The town comes out to meet, but apparently not greet, Jesus. Instead of thanking him, they beg him to leave. What a welcome. If only the people had seen in Jesus what the demons saw, perhaps they would have begged him to stay, but out of fear they reject him. We know who Jesus is. What's our excuse?

God bless the troops!

Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival

Here are pics from our booth at the 2007 Shepherd Maple Syrup festival. I forgot to bring the camera this year, but this year's booth looked pretty much the same.