Glad I met Kristi

I was looking through my old posts, and found the first post that my blog friend, Kristi, came to visit my blog. It was my post about our fairy ring in the front yard. She said she was just blog surfing, and found my blog. Wow, what a blessing. She's been a great friend, and a great encouragement to me over the past year. I'm so glad the Lord led her to my blog. Thank you, Kristi, for being such a good friend to me. Love you in the Lord.


Thimble Thoughts
http://thimblethoughts.blogspot.com/

Handcrafter's Holiday MeMe

Gifts
Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?
I've tried making something different every year. I've given drawings, oil paintings, acryllic paintings, pottery, crocheting, prayer pillows and all different kinds of crafts.

If you’re making gifts this year, what are you making?
I printed out some of my artistic photos, and matted them, so I'm giving those as presents this year.

Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you’ve given or received?
I'll never forget when I was little, my mom making me a pillow Care Bear. It was the yellow sunshine bear, and I still have it. (my mom used to call me her little sunshine.)

A few years ago, I made prayer pillows for my 4 parents who all have birthdays in July.
I made them out of old cut out jeans, and made them into shapes. I put their names on one side, and sewed a pocket on the other for them to put prayer requests inside. The idea is to write it down, give it to the Lord, and then rest peacefully, and don't worry.

Do you have any great gift compilation ideas (a grouping of gifts just perfect for certain recipients?)
In the past, I would put together coffee themes for people, or snowman themes, and one of my sisters LOVES pigs, so I got all pig stuff. (none handmade though)

Name one thing on your personal wish list.
Display shelves for my precious moments

Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts?
We're always making something or other, but I don't have a store anywhere.
I have made jewelry, photography, pottery, and art. My sister makes beaded keychains, frames, and beautiful jewelry, and my mom knits and makes the coolest paper flowers. We did a craft show together recently, and our friend, Shelly joined in, contibuting cool gift baskets.


Traditions
What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
Christmas Eve, we light candles, and take turns reading verses of the Christmas story from Luke, and some other passages that help tell the story.

Have you started any new traditions with your family that you didn’t practice growing up?
We try to make a Birthday cake for Jesus, and sing Happy Birthday.
My side of the family also started focusing on handmade gifts the past few years. We can get other things also if we want, but we try to give something handmade to everyone.

What do you love most about the holiday season?
Decorating, and making holiday crafts, shopping for presents

What do you like least about the holiday season?
Since it's winter, it's just always dark and dreary, and I miss the sun a ton!

Anyone close to your heart that you’ll be missing this year?
I am so blessed to have all my family with me during the holidays.

What is your favorite holiday food?
stuffing/cranberry sauce

Do you have a great recipe to share?
It's my only recipe, LOL.

CORN CASSEROLE
1 can cream corn
1 can strained sweet corn
1 stick of melted butter
2 eggs
1 small box of Jiffy cornbread mix
1 8oz. container of sour cream

Simply mix all the ingredients in a casserole dish, and bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 350* for 1 hour.

It's the dish I bring every year, and I never get tired of it.

Funny From A Friend

Thanks, Kristi! This was so funny!


Tithing Pays!

Two men crashed in their private plane on a South Pacific Island. Both survived. One of the men brushed himself off and then proceeded to run all over the island to see if they had any chance of survival. When he returned, he rushed up to the other man and screamed, "This island is uninhabited, there is no food, there is no water. We! are going to die!"

The other man leaned back against the fuselage of the wrecked plane, folded his arms and responded, "No we're not. I make over $250,000 a week."

The first man grabbed his friend and shook him. "Listen, we are on an uninhabited island. There is no food, no water. We are going to die!"

The other man, unruffled, again responded. "No, I make over $250,000 a week."

Mystified, the first man, taken aback with such an answer again repeated, "For the last time, I'm telling you we ARE doomed. There is NO one else on this island. There is NO food. There is NO water. We are, I repeat, we are going to die a slow death."

Still unfazed, the first man looked the other in the eyes and said, Do not make me say this again. I make over $250,000 per week... I am a Baptist and tithe.
MY PASTOR WILL FIND US!"

CAMOlottes

My friend over in Thimble Thoughts made the coolest coulottes for her daughter, they're camoflauge, so she named them CAMOlottes! Isn't that the most inventive COOL name?

http://thimblethoughts.blogspot.com/2007/06/coulottes.html

Dorothy's Garden: Wash Day

Dorothy's Garden: Wash Day

My mom posted about how the wonderful Amish women wash their clothes. I need to remember that I have it so easy.

Christine's Thoughts: The Big Day

Christine's Thoughts: The Big Day

Here is a picture of my sister's and my duet. It was fun singing with her.

Dorothy's Garden: Amish Country

Dorothy's Garden: Amish Country

Sunshine Pie

"A pound of patience, you must find
Mixed well with loving words so kind.
Drop in two pounds of helpful deeds,
And think of other people's needs.

A pack of smiles to make the crust,
Then stir and bake it well, you must.
And now I ask that you must try,
The recipe of this Sunshine Pie."

Whiskers on Kittens

Whiskers on Kittens:
"'Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.'
~*~ Longfellow ~*~ "


I just want to say how heartwarming it is wandering through our little Blog neighborhood. I'm finding more and more "kindred spirits". I'm reading words of wisdom from scripture, from mother's hearts, from women of gentle grace, from authors of old quoted with love. It is indeed, a pleasure to meet you all.

A Place Called Home

A Place Called Home

this lovely woman has a post about our talents and gifts, it's such an encouragement, i hope you can stop by and read it. it's her Sept. 20th post.

The Sparrow's Nest: Keeping a Tidy Home

The Sparrow's Nest: Keeping a Tidy Home

I'm saturating myself with words of wisdom about cleaning house, and decluttering. This is a wonderful list of advice.

Pleasant View Schoolhouse

Pleasant View Schoolhouse: "How to Think About Housework
Don't think: I just cleaned that.
•Think: Good thing I'll be cleaning that soon.

Don't think: I have to clean up after these messy people.
•Think: It's a blessing to live in a clean and tidy house.

Don't think: It takes too much energy to do that.
•Think: I'm exercising. This is good for my body.

Works for me!"

The Sparrow's Nest: Counting Down to Thomas

The Sparrow's Nest: Counting Down to Thomas

this is a post from a fellow blogger, and they're going the Day out with Thomas also! They made a cute little countdown chain. I had to blog it. lol.

we got tickets to go to Day out with Thomas for next week, and I am so thrilled about it. Gabey has no real clue about it. We've been talking about it and stuff, but I don't think he's understanding what's really going on. I have a feeling he's going to faint when he sees Thomas in person. He'll be shaking (those of you who know him, can picture his excited shake, lol... he clenches his fists, and every part of him shakes).

The Sparrow's Nest

The Sparrow's Nest

What a delicate, feminine site to wander into. I love this blog. The owner is Godly, old fashioned, and talented. Thank you for your ray of sunshine in our lives.

Thimble Thoughts

Thimble Thoughts

This is the blog that started broadening my blog horizons. The owner is a wonderful Christian woman, who is fun to read about, laugh with, and catch wisdom from. Thank you, happymamma. :):)

Thimble Thoughts

Thimble Thoughts

This fellow Christian blogger is doing a series on "why i believe in eternal security" i've read the first 3 posts in the series, and it's wonderfully well thought out, and has a plethora of scripture to back up her views (which is essential in any spiritual belief). i'm happy to blog her, and hope you will follow me to her site to read some great scripture to back up why we believe in eternal secutiry in our salvation through Jesus Christ.

Skeeter Bites

i was trying to post pictures of the farewell party for michael this afternoon, but blogger was being tempermental, so i didn't get to. i'll try to do it at another time.
my sister, nicole, said such nice things in her blog about the party and about michael, so i'm going to paste it here for you, and you also can visit her blog...
Skeeter Bites

"Last night we went to Joe's brother Michael's farewell dinner. He is leaving for his first tour of duty to Iraq next Saturday. There was a pretty big turnout of friends and family to support him.Michael fixes medical equipment so he will be working in 1 of the 2 hospitals over in Iraq.We will all miss him and will be praying for his safe and healthy return. Also, if you happen to think of her, please pray also for Melissa. She is Michael's girlfriend of 5 years and is having an (understandably) difficult time with his leaving. Michael has been told he will be gone for at least 1 1/2 years. They could extend his time there. :("
-Nicole

GranGran's Graphics- such a cute site :)

I put the web address for GranGran's Graphics in my profile, but it didn't show up as a link, so I thought I'd put a little blip in here.
I really like her graphics, and have used them for my church website www.northcoastbaptist.org

and now, i am using it for my blog.


http://home.att.net/~scorh2/

Christine's Thoughts (my sister's blog)

Christine's Thoughts

sweet! my sister's blog has even more Gabey baby pics!!