There's only grace...

Today something happened that made me feel like my shameful past had come back to bite me.

How's that for a good way to start a post! ;)

When I was younger I was not a "good girl" to put it mildly. Even though I wasn't aware of it I carried guilt and shame from that type of lifestyle for a very long time. When I came to know the Lord He began to show me how it had affected me and I wept over what I had been.

Had been; those are the operative words aren't they?

Sometimes I forget. Not that I go back to that lifestyle, more like I forget that I'm a new creation and begin to feel the shame of it all over again. Most of the time these days though I don't really think about it unless something brings it up. Like what happened today. I'm not going to tell you what it was but know that I began to be pulled back into those feelings.

Feelings like I'm a sham and just pretending to be some sort of godly woman. Feelings like "if they ever found out what I really am they would be shocked and appalled!" Feelings like my poor husband got the short end of the stick when he married me.

I've made no secret of my past, I feel like those who may still be in it or just out of it might need to hear that someone else has been there. So why these feelings? I guess I just start to buy the lie again.

But then the One who rescued me in the first place reached down His hand again and pulled me out of it. I turned on the radio in my car and this is what I heard:

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame

What happened yesterday…
has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace

You're starting over now
Under the sun
You're stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun

An’ there's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me…it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace…

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back up
Get back up again

Mathew West may have been the one singing but the Lord was speaking directly to my heart.

You knew exactly what you were getting but you chose me anyway.
Thank you.

Baby Shower Cake...

I had so much fun making this thing! It's chocolate cake, whipped ganache filling, creme de cocoa moistening syrup and white chocolate buttercream frosting. I only put the syrup and ganache in the middle for one layer of filling. Next time I will torte the layers and put ganache between those too, making three layers of filling per tier. (You probably don't really care though! lol) Here's my cake...




BTW, the creme de cocoa syrup was non-alcoholic. I didn't want to use alcohol in my cakes but all the recipes for flavored essential syrups call for it. In a moment of inspiration I decided to use those coffee syrups instead. I bought some Davinci's flavored syrup and it worked perfectly! :)

Seven Things...

Apparently blogging two or three times a year just isn’t enough for some people because Shannon tagged me with this “meme” thing to force me! (What the heck does “meme” mean?) I guess I’ve put it off long enough but I don’t know what seven things I’ll be able to come up with. You’ve been warned…

1. I was the reason my parents got married. Apparently I was on the way long before they considered getting married and I was conceived in the back seat of someone’s car. This is not something I ever needed to know about myself (or my parents!) I still need therapy over this one! :)

2. I really wasn’t sure I wanted to get married and if I did it wouldn’t be until I was at least 25 but preferably later. And I certainly didn’t want children! I figured I’d just mess them up. I was going to have a career and a nice black and white apartment in the city somewhere high up.

Reality: I got married at twenty (I guess I just couldn’t resist that trick he does where he pretends to take his finger off! Sigh, he’s so dreamy!) I have four kids and I homeschool them. I live in a rural town (example: my neighbor and I buried her dog in her front yard last week. You just don’t do that type of thing in the city! Yes, he was dead.) I’m some sort of hillbilly Martha Stewart or something and I still don’t know how it happened! (My oldest says I’ve been “countrified!” )

3. When I was a kid I could turn my eyelids inside out. It was gross but the boys thought I was really cool. I won’t do it now because it hurts.

4. My mom was a truck driver and I used to travel with her around the Midwest (she was long haul). I went to more bars when I was a child than I have been to as an adult. Traveling from city to city and sleeping in that little sleeper compartment was really pretty fun. I felt so adventurous (and yes, cool!) skipping school for a few weeks at a time to travel the country. Truck stops still have a special place in my heart because it’s there that I first learned of the miracle that is the Shirley Temple drink! I’m getting’ a hankerin’ for greezy food and soda! (Maybe that’s why my dreams of city life were doomed! It was those truck stops!)

5. This one is for Shannon. I once had a big cut on the back of my heel. I took a needle and thread and sewed it shut. Myself, Rambo style. With no medication! I didn’t get an infection and I don’t have a scar there. I didn’t even know how to sew! I don’t recommend it.

Two more?! I’m not that interesting!

6. I was a brazen shoplifter as a kid. You know those electronic things at the front of the store? They probably invented those because of me. I once went into a store, got a paper grocery bag and filled it with stuff (unpaid for) then just walked out. I had posters sticking up out of the top of the bag and no one stopped me. I also once stuffed umbrellas up the sleeves of my ski jacket and walked out of the store. That is the extent of my life of crime. I’m not on the FBI’s most wanted list or anything so you will get no reward for turning me in.

7. I wanted to be a Solid Gold Dancer. Do you remember that show? I loved those sparkly, flashy costumes! I would practice with my sister and our cousin in front of the TV trying to do those moves. I also loved watching American Bandstand! We’d dance to that show too.

Phew! I made it to seven! Anything I’ve said should not be used against me! (Or I will make all of you join me in a Solid Gold style dance expo at the chili cookoff!)

Lead me...

We skated in at the last minute for church tonight. I hate doing that but sometimes it’s unavoidable with Jon’s schedule. We did make it right before worship started but when that happens I’m all distracted and it takes me awhile to settle down and get my brain focused. Then, just as I started singing I got something in my eye! Grrr! I made several trips back and forth to the bathroom attempting to get whatever it was out. Finally, I found the culprit; one of those tiny, thin little fuzzies that for some reason are attracted to my eyes. I got it out and put some eye drops in then tried to rejoin the worship.

My Josh sat right behind me tonight. This little boy has said for a very long time that he wants to be a worship leader so he can praise the Lord. We’re trying to do what we can to help him by providing piano lessons and encouraging his practice. We’re also trying to teach him that to really worship the Lord it has to be with your whole life, not just a thing you do on Sunday or Wednesday. We’ve told him that he should be the lead worshipper, not just a worship leader.

As he sat behind me tonight I listened to him sing, “Jesus draw me close, closer Lord to you. Let the world around me fade away….for I desire to worship and obey.” And then a few minutes later I heard him sing “I will praise you, O my Redeemer!”

He sang with gusto! He sang with vibrato and emotion in his voice! I snuck a peak back at him and saw his eyes were closed and he was smiling as he sang. He worshipped the Lord and my heart smiled. Being late, getting kids into class, pulling fuzzies from my eye; they all disappeared like a mist when the sun comes out. His singing was so sweet that I couldn’t help but praise the Lord.

He may only be seven but tonight he led me into the presence of the Lord.

Tonight, he is a worship leader.

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" Matthew 19:14

The Most Incredible Cake Ever!!!!

Okay, I have here the most beautiful cake that has ever graced my kitchen!

You may not agree when you look at it but I have my reasons.

I frosted the cake itself and planned to put some flowers or something on there to dress it up but before I could, help arrived in the form of one seven year old boy. He was peppering me with questions about the different tips I have. He rearranged them all quite a few times and even made a couple of towers out of them.

I have to admit I was getting a teeny, tiny bit irritated! :) But it finally dawned on me that this little boy just wanted to be involved with what I was doing. I had an idea that I'm sure was inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

I handed over the frosting bag.

You would have thought I just gave the boy the keys to Disney Land!

"Really!?" He squealed

"Yup." I said. "Do you want me to show you how to make a star?"

I gave him some instruction and let him loose. He found some pretty creative ways to use that star tip! After awhile I changed the tip to the one that makes "grass" and we had some more fun. He made grass, piles of spaghetti and "string decorations" as he called it. Then he tried the leaf tip; butterflies, leaves and looooong squiggly lines abound!

The frosting on top is probably almost two inches thick and I may need medical attention after all that sugar but have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

I know I could go a hundred different directions with this post. There are bunches of things I could say, parallels I could draw between this instance and our relationship with the Lord. But I'm not feeling very profound at the moment. All I will say is; don't let yourself get too busy for the important people in your life. Jesus was never to busy for the people who needed Him, even when they interrupted His plans.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

I'm afraid I've been thinking....

It’s snowing again! I have to admit I’m ready for spring but what can you do? It’s hard to be grumpy about the snow when it’s so beautiful and the kids are doing such fabulous happy dances! When the girls were smaller I hated letting them do anything that would cause them to get dirty or worse, get my house dirty (like playing in the snow!) Not too long ago though I made a conscious decision to relax about stuff. Maybe it was when I realized that I was quite a messy person myself? (Shh, don’t tell anyone I said that! Lol)

No, I think it was actually when I realized that my little ones weren’t quite so little anymore. My time with Jessica and Arielle is dwindling and I know from experience that the time with the other two will fly just as fast. So, I’ve determined to enjoy them, messes and all! It used to be that I wouldn’t allow them in the kitchen without hovering over them (which meant nagging them about everything). Now I send them in there to make their breakfast or lunch, the girls cook dinner sometimes and Jessica has become our designated cookie baker. And trust me, that girl is as messy as her mother when she’s creating something!! Arielle is learning to cook and bake too but she’s not quite ready to go solo yet. Sometimes I’ll go in there and supervise but more often I let her go at it and just make sure I’m available if she has questions (I’m usually sitting at the kitchen table pretending not to notice the flour on the floor or the butter she splatted on the wall when she cranked the mixer to mach two!)

Even Josh can make his own scrambled eggs on the stove now (he is a manly seven year old you know!) Gracie seems so small to me but I brought her into the kitchen and baked cookies with her last week too. She made a mess but she was so proud and happy that she baked cookies with mommy.

I want my kids to be able to figure things out and troubleshoot when something gets tricky. If I give them the basic understanding of how baking and cooking works then they can create beyond the basic recipes (and they will because their mother can’t stick with a recipe to save her life!) If I give them the freedom to make mistakes without making them feel stupid but then lovingly help them figure out what they should have done won’t they be better off in the end?

As a mom I don’t want my kids to remain dependant on me (okay, well maybe just a little, teeny bit!) I want them to grow into adults who can manage life without me. If I don’t let them handle things themselves and learn from it they won’t ever feel confident enough to go it alone.

Taking this out of the kitchen, I want them to learn to seek the Lord for themselves too. Am I training them to search the scriptures for themselves when they have an issue? Do I direct them (and show them by my example) that prayer should be as common to them as breathing? Do I live out Proverbs 3:5-6 the way I want them to? Do I model repentance when Psycho Mommy makes an appearance? (I really don’t like her!)

As a mom I have made just as many (probably more) mistakes as my kids make. I’ve made a whole lot of messes over the course of my life too! But God is loving and patient with me. He waits for me to realize I’m in a mess and gently cleans me up. He never mocks. He never belittles or shames. He gently points out where I went wrong and shows me how it should have been done.

I want to be as gentle and loving as He is; with my husband, my kids and all those He's entrusted to my care don't you? If we look around and see someone making a mess of things are we gentle and loving with them? Or are we to busy noticing the mess they've made? Every mistake is an opportunity for learning and growth; mine, theirs or both. My prayer is that my life, all of it; public and private, would reflect His gentleness and love, especially in my family.

Valentines Day Cake...late

Well, Jon was fasting so I waited a couple of days to make my cake. When I did do it I got the frosting waaaaayyy more pink than I wanted. (I was going to do a pale pink but I only had red tint and got too much.) Being the newbie that I am I will learn a new lesson everytime I decorate a cake.

Lesson one, don't use red to get pink!

Lesson two; frost the whole cake before coloring any icing (otherwise you may barely have enough to frost the cake!)

Lesson three was kind of throw in a few days later but I will mentally file it away for when it matters.

Lesson three; when your husband builds a rip snorting fire in the woodstove and the house gets up to 80 degrees the frosting will melt and slide right off the cake! (I will keep this in mind for the summer months.)

Lesson four; melted frosting still tastes good. ;)

Okay, here is a picture of my cake. I got a little carried away with the roses but they were working this time! All I can say is, it was a very bright cake! Whatever, it tasted good (white cake with apricot filling and buttercream frosting).

More Cake...

Well, I missed the last class so I didn't get instruction on how to make a rose. I had the cake in the freezer all week and finally had a chance to decorate it today. So, I tried the roses myself. They aren't that great (I think my frosting was a little too stiff) but they look like flowers and you only get better with practice. My kids picked the color for the flowers so don't be surpised if they aren't a traditional color. ;) Okay, here it is. Be nice...

Week 2: Figure Piping

Okay, I wasn't very motivated to do figure piping. The class project was clowns but they have some other options if you don't like clowns.

I don't.

I made a bear instead; quite a goofy looking bear too I might add! I'm sure that at some point I will want to know how to do the figures and there are quite a few cute little animals you can make.


But for the moment, I'm not in to them. Keep that in mind when you look at my cake... :)

A New Hobby...

I have wanted to take a cake decorating class for a very, very long time. Unfortunately, getting my money and my time together at the same time is very tricky! (I don't think they like each other.)

Until now.

For Christmas this year my very sweet husband bought me a Wilton starter kit and signed me up for cake decorating classes! Last night I decorated my first official cake. (Okay, so I've done cakes in the past but they were usually things like a cowboy boot. I have a picture of that one too. Maybe I'll tack it on to the end of this post).

It should be obvious to you that I have the attention span of a two year old. I stayed on track with the teacher and brought home my cute little cake. However, this morning I couldn't stand it and just had to try the basket weave that is for course two (I'm in course one). It's not the best looking cake ever but it's a start and I'm pleased with my first attempt. If I practice, it can only get better from here, right? (Please tell me I'm right!)

The bonus of all this is that my kids (who hate handwriting practice!) are now seeing me have to practice. I love it when I can show them that if you want to get better you have to work at it! It doesn't hurt that I've told them if they practice their handwriting they'll probably be better at writing on cakes than I am. Gives them a goal to work toward! lol

Josh's new eyes...

Josh got his glasses today! The poor kid couldn't see anything! He was so amazed at the world when we came out of that doctor's office! He saw birds and trees and he could see detail that he didn't know was there. He kept looking at my face like he was seeing it for the first time. I was thrilled that he could see things now but I was also sad that he's missed so much. At least he has the glasses now though right? His eyes are 200/20 with a wicked astigmatism. The doctor was amazed that he'd even been able to read with as bad as his eyes are. I am excited to see how well he does now! He is at this moment playing XBOX and enjoying being able to see the stuff on the screen! So, here is my cute son...

Hide me

I was studying Isaiah chapter 30 this week for our women's group when I was captivated by these two verses:

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."
But you would not,
And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses"--
Therefore you shall flee!
And, "We will ride on swift horses"--
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! Isaiah 30:15-16

Now, I'm not a hunter personally but my husband is and on occasion he will hunt birds. Pheasant can often be found in large fields where they will hide among the tall grass to find protection from their enemies. When they stay hidden, they are safe.

I imagine that this is a very hard thing to remember when the feet of the enemy begin to draw near.

I don't know if you're familiar with pheasant hunting techniques but the typical method is for several men to walk abreast through the field. As they walk the birds are scared into flying, making themselves an easy target for the hunters. They forget all about the safety of the grass and in their panic they put themselves right in harms way.

How many times do we do the same thing? Instead of trusting in our hiding place, the Lord, we try to flee instead. The verses in Isaiah remind me that resting in His strength is where I will find my deliverance. My comfort comes not from fleeing from my enemies but in surrendering to the Lord.

It is when we panic and take flight that we put ourselves out in the path of danger and make ourselves an easy target. I can relate to those Israelites who wanted to flee and make alliances with other countries; we don't seem to feel safe unless we're doing something. The people that Isaiah was addressing didn't just panic, they deliberately ignored the word of the Lord to them and laid other plans. They sought to protect themselves and refused to trust in the Almighty, but to truly be safe we need to take refuge and let Him be our defense.

Psalm 91:1-6 says,

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday."

Abide in Him, then when the feet of the enemy draw near you won't be tempted to flee because you've made Him your dwelling place. The person who trusts in God is the one who lives close to Him.

one, two, three, dip...

As I often do when I hear his truck tires crunching along the gravel road, I went out to the front yard to greet him. I waited patiently as he got out and put his things onto the hood before turning to give me a hug. As usual, he opened his arms to embrace me and I gladly came to him.

But then he did something completely unexpected; he dipped me!

Yes, that's right, he dipped me. Swooped me right off my feet, twisted around and bent low to the ground, looked into my startled eyes and after all that grand swooping simply said, "Hi."

"Hi!" I breathlessly replied. I felt completely helpless dangling there supported only by his strong arms. A quick kiss and I was back on my feet as fast as I'd left them. He gathered his things and flashed a michevious grin at my stunned face.

I'm sure that first dip didn't look as romantic as it might sound because I remember flinging my leg out and wildly clutching at his shoulders. It probably looked more like a drowning woman grasping at a life preserver than a graceful dip! I hate to admit it but I just didn't trust him not to drop me!

He has dipped me many times since that first one and though I am usually still caught off guard by the suddenness of it, I no longer flail about. I have learned to trust that his strength will hold me fast. I have learned not to struggle but to just lie peacefully in his arms, knowing that I will be upright again in a moment. I have learned to enjoy the ride. When he dips me, all I can see is his face looking lovingly into mine and the world falls away for those few beautiful moments.

As I reflect on the gift that I have in my husband I can see that there are bigger, stronger arms than his holding me. Whenever life has knocked me off my feet the arms of the Lord have been there to catch me and set me upright again. When an old hurt rises like a Pheonix from the ashes of my memory His arms encircle and protect me. He whispers reassuring words to my heart that soothe and calm.

There is something wonderful about learning to just lie peacefully and know that I am in the care of one stronger than myself.

"If I say, "My foot slips,"
Your mercy, O Lord wil hold me up.
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul."
Psalm 94:18-19

Kid Speak

I love the way kids get things garbled or mixed up when they're speaking. Gracie is almost two and she's says a lot of very interesting stuff! I'm not sure what most of it is but I hang on every word. Here are some of her words and their translation:

Mee, mee = Excuse me!

Tate tu = Thank you

Eeez = Please

Da bouche = garbage (I think this is one of my favorites!)

For banana she sticks her tongue out and moves it back and forth across her lips while making noise. (I love that one too but there is no way I could draw you a picture of it. You'd just have to see her do it. )

As they get a little older the things they say are much more sophisticated. Josh used to call vanilla yogurt "ballilla logurt" but not anymore.

*Sniff*

He just turned six in February and now he is quite the linguistic artist. He pronounces most things correctly these days but he still uses some amusing terms.

Just last night he was holding Snowy (his completely gray kitten) when he exclaimed; "Mom! I didn't know Snowy got so bumpy when he purrs!"

I love that kid. :)

A few weeks ago we went to Alfy's Pizza with a group of friends for an after church lunch. Josh had eaten his required piece of cheese pizza doused liberally with Parmesan and was now eyeballing the candy dispenser. All those colorful little balls of candy were too much for him and he began his quest for a quarter. He turned the full power of those big blue eyes on the adults present and the loose change began to flow!

Sadly, the M&M dispenser was jammed. Despite the Herculean effort of Mr. Miller to jar those candies loose Josh never did get his chocolate fix. At one point he turned to me (the Mommy who can fix everything, don't you know!) and asked if I could "get the pizza cooker guys to come get me a candy?"

If I had thought those pizza cooker guys could get him one I would have pulled one out of that kitchen by his ear!

Funny isn't it? They know what they want and they don't worry about the proper way to ask. Jon and I were talking last night about praying and how we all do it differently. Some people will use King James English and some will use flowery, extravagant terms. Others just pray simply. I love the story of the guy who had just become a Christian and was invited to join a group in prayer. The other members were praying with big religious sounding words but he simply said, "Hi God, in case you don't remember me, it's Bob. I talked to you last week and now I'm back..."

I used to worry about praying in front of others. I had been in a church where the Women's Ministry leader would go along after everyone who had prayed and correct everything they had said. You can imagine the impact that had!

It's taken some time but as I've gotten to know the Lord a little better I've realized that He's like any parent would be. He just loves it when we come and speak to Him. I don't have to use big fancy sounding words or try to impress Him.

I think it pleases Him more when I come to Him like Josh did to me; expecting that He will hear me and take action on my behalf.

I am so comforted by that because most of the time I sound more like Gracie than someone scholarly anyway. He is so amazing, so awe-inspiring that all I can manage is, "Tate-tu!"

And thankfully, that is enough.

"Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Mathew 18:2-4 NKJV

My New Podium...

My darling husband finished this new podium for church. I get to teach the Women's Bible Study a couple of times a month and had been hinting to him "that it would sure be nice if I didn't have to use a wobbly music stand!" He finished it two weeks ago in time for me to use it. He was so sweet! He wasn't sure he'd be able to finish it it before my night came up. I told him it was okay, I'd use it the next time. But he wanted me to be the first to use it so he hurried and got it done. When I went in that night this beautiful creation was there waiting for me.

Daddy's Home!

My little Gracie is almost two years old now and she is very adept at making herself heard. This little girl is into everything she can reach and even some things she can't! From the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep she is busy, busy, busy! She hops, she skips, she even gallops along like a little pony.

Her favorite things to say are, "No!", "Mine!", and "Bye, bye!"

She wants to be just like the big kids and she loves everything to do with music. You can't keep her attention for long if there is anything with a rhythm playing. She can't help herself, she has to dance. Her little head will start bobbing back and forth, then her feet lift in time to the music. Soon, her rear end is swaying back and forth. The rest of us can't help it, we giggle endlessly (which makes her dance all the more!)

There is only one thing that will stop this girlie in her tracks; the sound of Daddy's footsteps on the front porch.

As soon as she realizes that he's home whatever she had been doing is forgotten and chubby little arms are flung into the air. She flies to the front door screaming, "Daddy!!!!!!" (Only it sounds more like Da-yee!)

As soon as he manages to get the door open without smacking her with it Daddy is expected to drop everything and swoop that little chunk into his arms. A task he is only too willing to accomplish.

I love to watch them together; he holds her close and breathes in her scent (a mixture of baby shampoo, peanut butter and possibly the deodorant she tried to eat earlier). She lays her little head on his shoulder and strokes his hair with pudgy fingers. His strength is tempered by the tenderness he feels for her and she knows his arms are a safe place.

So focused on each other they forget that anyone else exists, they both close their eyes and relish this moment of bliss. They are the picture of contentment.

~

Though I am no longer a toddler there are days I think I am as active as one. There are meals to prepare, rooms to clean, laundry to wash and put away. A busy husband who needs my help and support. Four kids; three of which I homeschool while trying to keep the fourth occupied. Grace is screaming, the girls are fighting and Josh is mad that somebody broke his Lego creation. Jon needs help finding something he misplaced and there are many chores to be done before bedtime.

The world is calling and I am tired.

Sometimes, I am too busy to hear His footsteps on the front porch. I get so wrapped up running around doing things that I forget to drop everything, fling my arms up and run to Him.

Oh, but when I do...

...He gathers me close and wraps strong arms around me. I rest in the safety of His embrace and I find peace and contentment.

I could stay here forever.

"The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice. My beloved spoke, and said to me; "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!" Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Time Flies!

Wow! Has it really been over three months since I posted anything? It doesn't seem like that long! I've been trying to decide what to do with this blog since I haven't been posting anything. I've been trying to decide whether I should just delete it or if I should keep it going. I think for now I will keep the blog but I'm going to allow myself to post different types of things. Household tips, patterns, something I'm knitting or sewing at the moment; whatever strikes my fancy. Then, if I have the time I will try to actually write something meaningful. Since I'm probably all alone on here now I don't see this as a problem for my audience! :)

For today here is a recipe I tried last night:

Chicken Curry
4 cups cooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup TOMATO sauce
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Brown onion and green pepper in olive oil until tender; add chicken breast. In a separate bowl combine tomato sauce, flour, curry powder, sea salt, garlic powder, water and lemon juice and stir until smooth. Pour mixture over chicken and stir until combined. Spread rice in a 9x13 baking dish then spread chicken mixture over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

I liked it plain but my kids put some sour cream on top and ate it that way. It's got quite a lot of flavor but it's low in calories and fat. My kind of dish! Bon Apetit!

This is an easy and fast to make poncho pattern. E-mail me if you want the directions. (I have directions for sizes from Toddler to Adult.)

Gracie saying "Cheese!"

Pink Version...