Just Finished!

Well, this is just because I'm in a Christmas mood.

This is the latest pb album . . .
and my little birds.
Enjoy

Holly Daze

Thanksgiving is over and I made my first run at Christmas decorating tonight.

We also got a hide-a-bed couch from Ralph tonight. This is the second time I've gotten a couch from someone I work with. A new collection! Anyway, that brings our sleeping arrangements up to 8! No excuse not to come. . .

Muy Bien! Great Value!

Evan and I went home to Decatur over the holiday, and my Mom and Dad met us there. We had a good time and I got my Christmas present early -- a Cricut. That was a surprise, but we got it for $120 - which was cheaper than even the pricetag. I also got quite a few things at Big Lots and Hobby Lobby, so I'm hoping to get some of my pending projects finished so that I can start on new ones.

I've been working on a Christmas paper bag album this week, but I think I also have a few orders from home since I took my autumn pb home with me. I'll post it's outcome soon.

I'm also getting ready for the Christmas musicals this coming weekend -- we had our final Pre-school rehearsal Sunday night, with parents helping make their costumes and crowns. We had a good turn out and I think it's going to be really cute. More pics on that too.

I'll be starting my Advent meditations on the parkviewnaz.org site next week. Michaels has a nice size wreath suitable for an advent wreath for $1.50. Hobby Lobby has advent candle packages or you can make your own with votives.

Baked Potato with Sour Cream

A couple boardmeetings ago there was a hot potato being tossed around the room.
That potato was Sunday Nights.
Apparently, any other activity besides sitting in a pew, singing old gospel tunes and listening to sermon seconds does not qualify as an appropriate reverence to God. Some were trying to lead to the deeper issues at work. Although I was not there, reportedly, the discussion degenerated into mocking and harumphing.
To me, this might as well be the color of carpet.
I'm so sick of this bickering and petty talk. I am very sure that our local church is not alone in side-of-the-mouth whispering and self-righteous back-biting, but it does seem to be particularly good at it.
As Christians we're often accused of being the source of war and division in the world. Unfortunately, that is true. Wars, death and destruction have certainly been waged in the name of Jesus Christ. And are these things really worth fighting for? Maybe they are . . . the personhood of God, the existence of God, the uniqueness of God . . . these things may just be worth fighting for. And while the violence speaks to our poor twisted machinations in a sinful world.
. . . But are the pieties of Sunday night really worth adding to an athiest's unbelief?
Our criteria, in Wesleyan circles, is not what do I know, but what must I do to be saved? This is important because it colors our answer to the next question, am I willing to die for this?

What Remains . . .

My Apple-glazed Chicken turned out very well, as you can see. I did have to call my mom for some advise on what to tie it up with -- yellow yarn, thank you very much. There really wasn't much of an apple taste to it, a little sweeter than usual, but overall very tender and juicy. Jen brought Carmel Apple Crisp which was perfect for an apple themed night. You'll have to ask her to send you the recipe.

We used the left over chicken tonight (Saturday) for Chile Blanca - the best recipe from the side of a can you'll find - with the Lethanders. Andy ate 3 bowls, so he must have liked it.

Let's see, what else . . . ? Oh,Amy and I did a craft show today at BCN. Amy wore her lucky socks (sorry, no pix). We did better than West Chester - she sold at least 3 bag books and I sold 3 accordian books. I'm happy.

Here's my latest paperbag album, for autumn. I also did paper piecing as you can see here. I'm planning to post this on Ebay tomorrow, as well as the round candy corn one and see how they do.

Turkey Chicken

Do you like my turkey? See above.

I have a hard time decorating or even enjoying Halloween, but I love autumn. So most of my fall decorations tend toward Thanksgiving. True, it is secular and latently patriotic, but at least it reflects some better qualities than pretending to be someone you're not (costumes) and gluttony (candy). If someone can name them, please post them here.

I think we, as Christians, should choose to celebrate All-Saints Day instead, but our Protestant selves seem to be more scared of our own (read Catholic) Christian saints than devils and witches.

Of course, I do love Buffy. . .

So, out come my turkeys.

The other good thing I can say about Thanksgiving is that it does provide an open door for explaining The Great Thanksgiving, or Eucharist, to our children. They can immediately identify with the feast and the familial elements of the seasonal celebration. This makes a simple transition into the eschatological and celebratory aspects of the Lord's Supper.

Ahh, Christ is indeed redeeming all things. . .

11-13-07

Yesterday was 50% off at Valley. Amy and I went last night. She got a bunch of baskets that she's going to use for gifts. I got 3 skirts and some other stuff. I'll add pix this afternoon.

We're getting ready for a craft show on Saturday. Otherwise, I'll start posting some of these little albums I've done on ebay. I'll post those too. I just have covers left to finish on the autumn bag book. I need to make some more Christmas explosion albums this week.

Tonight I'm painting Evan's ship so that it wil be ready for Wednesday night. Board meeting is tonight as well.

Thursday we have Dinner & Prayer at our house. I'm making Apple-glazed Chicken. I'll let you know how it goes.