Saturday, April 16, 2011

This morning's funeral was one of the hardest I've had to do in a long time.  The kids were troopers and I had 4 students come over to help with the music.  As long as I didn't look at the parents, I was okay, however during Communion one little girl walked over to the red casket and just stood looking up at Owen's picture.  I had to look away.  I can't imagine the kind of pain those parents are going through.

Tonight we had Palm Sunday Mass.  It went well, but we had to have a short procession because of the rain.  Tomorrow the choir will be there. 

Here is the Fairy Tales soap cut up and also the 3 cupcakes I made.   I listed the slices on Artfire and it has had 14 views already!!! 

Word of the day:
Saturday of the Fifth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St Engratia, Virgin and Martyr and Eighteen Martyrs of Saragossa (+ 304)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 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?"

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Another episode in the continuing saga, Soap Diaries.  I was not a happy camper when I cut my soap this morning.  I jumped out of bed, excited to see how my fantastic idea turned out.  Everything looked promising as I hoisted the loaf from the mold.  As I peeled down the paper I noticed that it looked very greasy.  Undaunted, I cut the first slice.  Crumbles.  What?  I quickly did a "zap" test which told me that it was not lye.  (A zap test consists of touching ones tongue to the offending leakage to determine if it is lye or oil.  Do not try this at home.)  I did not get zapped.  And, by the way, fragrance oil is not good for breakfast.  I finally determined that the crumbles were from the layer of soap shreds that I had sprinkled between the layers.  It did not have the desired aesthetic result that I was trying to achieve.  As I cut each slice, it oozed fragrance oil.  You can see it in the picture below. The bottom is darkening.  As it cures, its exposure to the air will continue the darkening process.  The top surprised me in that it hasn't darkened at all. 

I am not yet ready to call this a failed batch.  We'll do an assessment in a week or so.  I think the soap shreds, because they were at a different stage of saponification, did not incorporate well as a layer.  It's possible that the two layers will come apart.  Again, we shall see. 

I am now headed for the shower with a slice of Monkey Bar soap which turned out very nice indeed. :)

Word of the day:

Saturday of the Third week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St. Francis of Paula, Hermit (1416-1508)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:9-14.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.
Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'
But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."