Sunday Snippets

R.  Rest in God alone, my soul.

Only in God is my soul at rest;

from him comes my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.

R. Rest in God alone, my soul.

Only in God be at rest, my soul,

for from him comes my hope.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.

R. Rest in God alone, my soul.

With God is my safety and my glory,

he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O my people!

Pour out your hearts before him.

R. Rest in God alone, my soul.
Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9


~~~~~


Today's Psalm was beautiful.  Of course, it went well with the gospel that we're all so familiar with:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.”

Mt 6:24-34

~~~~~~~

Great words to reflect upon on a gorgeous Sunday while not worrying about the week ahead and everything that must be done.  

Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

Yarn-along

Finished the Coronet the other day.  It's really cute---a little big for Meg, though.  It's a pretty fast knit with worsted wool

Making more progress on One Thousand Gifts, and I even started a list of gifts.  Bought a little book to keep in my book so I can count all day long.  I'm still not enamored of the book, but I like the exercise of being thoughtful and looking for things to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for the color and feel of this yarn.

But that's about it.  I actually kind of despise working with it.  It's not twisted tight enough and the strands come untwisted as I knit, so it's very easy to pick up a stray thread with the needle and cause little problems.  I found a shawl pattern that I picked up at the LYS and started it without even knowing what it looks like.  It will be a bit of a surprise, especially since I don't have enough yarn.  So it won't be very big, but I learned a new skill and I want to use this yarn and be done with it.

Joining Ginny today!

February Daybook

Outside my window...

...Cloudy today.  It's "only" supposed to get up to 69 today.  As I was getting dressed this morning, I realized that we slept with the window open last night!  What we like to call: great sleeping weather!  And it most certainly was that; I slept great.

I am thinking...

about lots of things.  Isn't that the way of a woman?  Lots of things on her mind...things to do, places to go, people to see, things to pray for.  All that, and more.  I awaken with ideas to blog about and then they flit away while I read other blogs.

I am thankful for...

...all my friends who love me.

...the friend who urged me to go on a morning retreat Saturday.  She was the Voice of the Holy Spirit, and it was a much-needed retreat where I heard His voice again and found peace from the turmoil in my heart.

From the schoolroom kitchen table...

No school today for some of us.  Pete is making up a snow-day, but the rest of us are home.  I have dibs on the computer all day for "Teacher's Inservice".  Bleah.

I'll also be doing the necessary research to start a Civil War Unit Study with our homeschool group.  Sounds interesting, especially all the field trips that are planned.

From the kitchen...

I started the day with my Tyler's Cracked Earth Chocolate Cake and coffee.  I don't see how that's bad since it has sooo many eggs in it.  

Other than that, we're eating out of the pantry this week.  It'll be like an episode of Chopped every night where I grab some ingredients and use my culinary skills to creat a masterpiece!

Snicker...

I am wearing...

Do you really want to know?  Just my jeans, as usual.  Slippers, though, not shoes.  As the weather warms up I am easing into barefoot mode because my back is so sore these days.  Taking the shoes off and wearing my vibrams or just going without makes my back feel so much better!

I am creating...

...a Coronet hat.  I made a lot of progress yesterday.

I am reading...

...One Thousand Gifts.  I even started a list.  I'm not sure yet whether I'll add it to the blog, or just keep my own private list(s) around the house.  I'm definitely looking for those gifts from God wherever I go, now.

I am hoping...

...for a wonderful new pastor at our parish.  Ours has been reassigned after 7 years. He starts next week...

I am hearing...

Dr. Who.  My kids are addicted.  I admit to loving it, too, but I don't have time to watch as much as they do.  And, yes, I do limit the amount they watch, though probably not as much as I should. 

 

Around the house...

It seems to be the season for thinking about next year's curriculum choices.  Along with that goes the desire to get rid of  a lot of old stuff.  I'll probably be culling the old books in the schoolroom today to sell on Cathswap or Amazon.  

There will be a lot of culling in the school/craft/storage room in the coming months as my college girl has expressed a desire to possibly live there for a few months before getting her own place.  That will require a lot of rearranging!

I am going...

...to Goodwill and Michael's today.  A little fun on my day off.

One of my favorite things...

...Talking with my favorite people.  Namely my friends and my husband.

I am praying for...

...Our parish and our new pastor

...an increase in vocations to the priesthood

A few plans for the rest of the week...

...the usual.  AHG, Choir, school.

~~~~~

More Daybooks HERE

52 Weeks---Vol. 5

52 weeks of daily life in pictures: trials and celebrations, 
the extraordinary and mundane -- 
whatever is unique to the week. 

Visit Barbara for more.

~~~~~~~

Sofa pillows arranged to Little Princess's satisfaction.  I sewed new pillow covers for the big ones a few weeks ago.  I got the material from Goodwill for <$4 to cover the 4 pillows.  The light green in the middle is like a silk grasscloth (the kids think it looks like burlap, but it feeeeels like silk!).

I taught Meg how to make a rose with the playdough, and she made a ginormous one!

Cowpokes on their way to a father/daughter hoe-down with the homeschoolers.

This is what I see every Saturday a.m. when I get up.  Kids on the floor with blankets watching t.v.

In our token Non-Little-Princess photo today...I saw this in the chapel where I went for a retreat this a.m.  Snapped a quick picture with my phone because I want to make one!  I know, I know, I'm crazy, but it's beautiful quilling that has been painted on the edges with gold paint.  You could use your favorite religious greeting card picture, or prayer card, (of which I have many saved) for the center.  There was a matching Marian picture on the other wall which I didn't get a picture of.

Yarn-along Miracle

My computer finally allowed me to post my pics!  I'm scared to try to participate in Barbara's 52 Weeks photo link-up.  I still don't know what the problem is; everthing was updated and the pics still didn't show up.  I tried to post them in Ravelry, but they didn't work there either, so it must not be a Blogger problem.

~~~~~~~~

At long last, here is my scarf. 

  I love it and I love the yarn.  Spud and Chloe fine.  I think I'm going to use it again to make a summer top that I've had my eye on for a year.  It's got a lovely drape to it.

In the meantime, I've started reading Alice I Have Been for bookclub, though  I'm still working on One Thousand Gifts.  I can see where she's going, but I'm almost ashamed to say there are things I really don't like about this book (1000 Gifts).  It makes it slow going, although I am drawn to her habit of gratitude, which may be why I was inspired to buy that particular book when I was equally interested in several others at the time.  It's funny to say, but this book that I don't particularly like may be the answer to an oft-prayed prayer! 

The new project is the Coronet hat made with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Hollyberry.  The yarn was in my huge stash given to me by a friend.  I like projects that don't require a purchase!  

~~~~~~

I'm off to see if I can still link up with Ginny.  You can find other book and yarn projects at her blog!

Yarn-along FAIL

This Yarn-along is a total FAIL.  I couldn't post it yesterday because my photos won't upload.

I got them off my camera, but they don't show up when I try to add them to my blog.  Don't know if it's Blogger or iphoto.

They show up in iphoto when I open it.

If I try to blog in Safari, I can only find pics up to the caricature.

If I try to blog in Firefox, I can only find pics up to the chocolate chip cookies.  That was 2 uploads ago!

Does anyone else have this problem?  

I know you're dying to see my beautiful scarf which I finished, blocked, and wore (on the warmest day of the year!).  I looooove it.  I really needed the lift of my happy blue scarf on an otherwise Very. Bad. Day.

We're such Caricatures!

This is the keepsake from the wedding we went to on Saturday evening.

The photographer's husband took some photos during the wedding, but he spent the time at the reception drawing caricatures of anyone who cared to sit.

It was fun.  Looks more like my husband than me.  

I hope.

Tectonic Playdough

Today's "geography" assignment was to make playdough to illustrate the movement of tectonic plates.

 Pretty blue coloring and Peppermint flavoring!

See how fast I'm stirring?

 See those tectonic plates crashing together?

Nope.  Me neither.  So I made them draw them on paper instead.

Cupcake Wars

Meg's Dream-Come-True:

Red Velvet Valentine cupcakes with pink swirls of icing on top,

topped with white chocolate...thingys...

 Some of the toppers are hearts made from a mold that we got at the Tar-jay Dollar Spot.

 Others are just drizzled shapes or swirls.  All of White Chocolate Chips.

 Swirls of hair, too.

 It was kind of fun---even if it wasn't Cream Cheese Frosting!

Happy Valentine's Daybook

Outside my window...

...Sunny, cold, and clear, although I expect it will warm up to the 60's later.  We just walked home from the Honda shop in the crisp air because we didn't feel like waiting for the shuttle.  Brrr.  But it woke our sleepy selves up!

I am thinking...

...oh, lots of things.  Most of them are not good thoughts.  There's a lot going on inside my head that, quite frankly, I'd like to get out.  Among them are thoughts about gratitude from reading One Thousand Gifts, and my husband tops the list there!

I am thankful for...

...that everyone in my family is in good health these days!

Most of them seem to have sore throats now---so much for that.  

As I said, I'm thankful for my Sweet Husband who makes me smile and laugh.

I'm thankful for my 6 kids who make me very proud.

From the schoolroom kitchen table...  

Today we'll be having fun with St. Valentine along with our regular work.  Meg is playing Timez Attack, like Faith, and getting better at her times tables.  

From the kitchen...

...Sirloin Tip Roast tonight with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Red Velvet Cupcakes, courtesty of my Little Princess.

I am wearing...

...Jeans, grey knit shirt and black cardigan with a red scarf in honor of the day.

I am creating...

...Still working on my scarf. I'm determined to finish it by Wednesday's Yarn Along!!!!!

I am reading...

...One Thousand Gifts.

I am hoping...

...for a wonderful new pastor at our parish.  Ours has been reassigned after 7 years.  We'll miss him and have our fingers crossed are praying for a good new one!

I am hearing...

...a debate about whether to use Buttercream or Cream Cheese frosting on the Red Velvet cupcakes.  My opinion is that since the red has no flavor, the cake is just chocolate unless you put Cream Cheese frosting on it.  But I think I'm going to lose this debate since I would prefer not to eat the cupcakes, and if I want anyone else to, they need to be buttercream.  :-/

Jim Brickman music, courtesy of Barbara, whose blog I left open.  

Around the house...

...Laundry that didn't get done over the weekend, plus the usual Monday laundry.  

...a sick child home from school.

...cleaning a bathroom because one child neglected his chore this weekend.

I am going...

...to get my car back later and then to pick up Tom from school.  That's probably about it after our adventure walking home from Honda this morning.  I'll let them come get us since it's uphill all the way back!

One of my favorite things...

...Sleeping in my soft, warm bed.

...Not having to get out of my bed to start the day.

I am praying for...

...all those suffering from cancer.

The souls of the faithful departed.

...our new pastor.

...Graces.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

...No AHG this week, but another meeting of all the "Ministry Heads" at the parish.

Picture thought for the day...

~~~~More Daybooks here~~~~

Google Hits

Someone got here by googling:

shower american girls

D'ya think they found what they were looking for?

I think I prefer the reader who searched for

stories about people who do corporal works of mercy.

Friday Fun

Not much time to blog today...While Meg is having Valentine craft fun with her homeschool friends, Pip and I are busy


---playing Saint Guess Who?  Thanks to Jessica who has amazing computer skills.

Putting it together.

---and making cookies for the Pro-Life Bake sale this weekend

Prayer Card Table

For our latest homeschool activity, we met at a home where they have 4 children.  I love Angela's modest home, the way the spaces are wide open without tons of furniture.  There is plenty of floor space for little ones to play, as well as several large tables to do projects on!

This is the table in the family room, which she had just done.  It was an old table, not in very good shape, and she wanted to cover it with something other than paint because the surface was so rough.

She was inspired to decorate it with her large collection of holy cards, which I think was a brilliant idea!  The surface is clear and hard.  Perfect for little children and their crafts!

They simply used masking tape around the edge of the table, and then poured a clear, self-leveling epoxy over it.  I don't know exactly what the name was, but it was something like these: Bartop coating, Epoxy.com.  They got theirs at Home Depot.

This website has some good instructions and tips for making a similar project.

Angela did say that they put the first coat of epoxy down and then pushed the cards down into it, and that she would do it differently next time.  Some of the cards "floated" out of place or curled up on the edges.  She suggested gluing them in place first, and also removing the masking tape as soon as the epoxy begins to harden.

I almost wish I had a crummy table hanging around that I could fix up!

How to spend a quiet afternoon...

...when you don't have to pick up your high schooler until 5:30, after drama practice.

The day is just wide open with possibilities:

Knit

Sweep

Mop

Knit

Fold laundry

Wash laundry

Knit

Read a new book

Play on the internet

Knit

or, you could just take your 12 year-old amateur whittler to the Immediate Care Center for a few (four, to be precise) stitches.

Sorry I didn't get any pics of the wide-open wound.  It was quite deep.

After stitches, but before the dreaded Tetanus Shot.


He did great with that, too.  The nurse had some numbing spray for his arm so he didn't even feel the shot!  Evidently the scariest part of the day was having to tell me what he had done!  But how can you be mad at a child who is actually hurt and contrite?
  

Frosty, Gray February Day

Outside my window...

...Dark.  We're expecting rain and yucky winter weather this week.  Not the fun kind, just the tedious kind---sleet.

I am thinking...

...about how I let so many days slip past without visiting my blog!  Some days are just busy, busy, and I honestly don't have the time to put the thought into a post----maybe I think about it a lot, but can't sit down and write it!  And there are the other days, like Saturday and Sunday, when the kids use the computer more and I'm getting things done around the house, and I really don't care to do more than check my email on my ipod and be present for my family.  That's a good thing.

But we won't talk about the days where I sleep too late to post anything before computer time is up.  

I am thankful for...

...that everyone in my family is in good health these days!

From the schoolroom kitchen table...
...a model of the earth's layers.  

 Everyone looooved this little project!

From the kitchen...

...My famous chili tonight.  I made it for the boys who didn't want to go to the SuperBowl party last night because they didn't know anyone or had homework to do. The rest of us get to eat it tonight!

I am wearing...

...Nightgown still.  I hate to get dressed to my shoes as soon as I wake up...if I have time...so I lounge in my pj's until time to get to work!

I am creating...

...Still working on my scarf.  I finally reached the halfway point.

I think I'm going to take some cotton in the car and start crocheting dishcloths. Our dishcloths are getting gross and need to be replaced, but I like the handmade ones the best.

I am reading...

...The Rite .  Still not finished---I hit a slightly boring part.

I am hoping...

...for a wonderful new pastor at our parish.  Ours has been reassigned after 7 years.  We'll miss him and have our fingers crossed are praying for a good new one!

I am hearing...

...the cereal box because Tom's up.  Dh is starting the coffee.  My time is just about up here!

Around the house...

...nothing new there.  The usual clutter and balls of yarn.

I am going...

...to the usual places today:  school, to drop off and pick up.  And home, to sit by the fire during the yucky weather!

One of my favorite things...

...Sleeping in my soft, warm bed.

I am praying for...

...a friend who lost her mother yesterday.

...a new pastor.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

...AHG, Choir, and maybe some more blogging.

Picture thought for the day...

Learning how to replace an outlet.