Cards, coffee and peace on earth

Why is it that December, a month with 31 days, feels like a week? A short week, at that!

This week, I'm in the process of making Christmas cards. Last night, I debated the age-old question... coffee on the work table or as far from the project as possible?


I chose not to put it on the table. And then proceeded to splatter paint everywhere instead. *sigh*

In the wee hours of the morning, I painted the last little house and went to bed with nighttime neighborhoods drying all over my living room.


Today? Another coffee decision. Yes, I'm sticking to the safe route.

Your card? It's in the mail... soon!

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

Ornaments

I really don't like Santa. I think he detracts from everything that Christmas really is.

But, I love this guy...


So many memories are wrapped up in his bumpy shape and fading paint.

The day he was born, my kitchen was a floury disaster. My 5 kids (3-8 years old) lined the counter, each with their own clump of salt-dough. Cookie cutters were traded back and forth. Rolling pins rolled and flour flew. It was a mess! A noisy, disorganized happy mess! The kids made stars and trees, circles and canes. We pressed initials into the back of the soft dough so that each person could decorate his own creation. Finally, everything went into the oven and we waited...

We learned a variety of lessons that day.

• Patience is a virtue when working with wet paint.
• Kristy was an artist.
• "I can do it myself!" is a sentence learned early in life.
• Flour isn't any kind of mess compared to 5 kids with paintbrushes and ideas.

Every year for the last 33, all of these salt-dough ornaments have hung on the tree. We laugh and remember that day of rolling and baking and painting.

When I look at my santa and all of the other stars and trees, circles and canes, I'm glad we made the mess. Turns out, my younger son's ornaments outlived him. Precious, tangible treasures.

Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20

Seeing Red

Seeing red: a state of irritation or annoyance; the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

That's the definition for most folks. Around here, "seeing red" means something entirely different.

Like... homemade tomato soup. Add some grated Asiago.... doesn't get any better than this.


The live trap is supposed to be for coons, skunks, ground hogs, or possums. How distressing to discover this!


It was amazing to see our yard filled with birds - every kind of bird - complaining about the capture of one of their own.

And finally, the red of Thanksgiving... cranberry chutney. Oh yu-u-u-m-m-m.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Paper and paint

Oh my... where did last week go? And just watch. In another *snap* it will be Christmas.

To celebrate the flying days, the length and depth of to-do lists on the counter, and, oh... - I don't know. You pick a reason! - I played with paper and paint. What a fun day.

Isn't she beautiful? Loved building a background for her.


Then there is fun beauty... and this was soooo much fun. Zig-zag stitching, coiled wire, paint, glue, buttons, paper and more paper!


But the part that I love best is her feet... her dainty, dangling feet!


I would do this again tomorrow, but it's hair-cut day tomorrow. And you know how I love hair-cut day. grin

The steps of a good (wo)man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23

You have to try these!

Saturday was the men's breakfast at church. One of my assignments was to supply some baked goods.

I found a recipe here for Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. Cinnamon rolls in individual cupcake papers - it sounded perfect for serving a large group of men.

I made 2 batches - 4 dozen rolls - enough for the breakfast, Sunday school treats and some sampling here at home. :>)


Argh... group at the breakfast was smaller than expected ... so leftovers came home. They called my name all day Saturday. The Sunday school platter? Wiped clean... yay!!

I'm still working my way through the last dozen. I figure if I eat them 2 at a time, they'll be gone in a jiffy.

Won't that be a relief!

p.s. I would have taken my own picture instead of borrowing, but my fingers have been so sticky that I didn't want to touch my camera.

How sweet are thy words to my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Cards and cats

Christmas cards are on my mind. I know it's early November, but if you make cards, the process has to start before December hits or there is stress.... big time stress!

I've been experimenting with some ideas... and I know several things that I don't want to do. sigh But, if I keep at it, something awful will turn into a possibility. I hope.

To give my head a breather from all this thinking, I turned to a new book, Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun (by Carla Sonheim). The first assignment? Sit in bed and draw cats. Not just cats, but silly cats!

Ok. I don't own cats, know cats, or even like cats very much. I had to search for pictures of cats to even get started! The first try was pretty awful. Then I realized I was trying too hard. They didn't have to be perfect, or pretty, or even realistic!


And, what better way to pass the hours while watching/listening to the election returns than to draw goofy cats?


The pur-fect way to spend an evening!

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4

The annual CBC bonfire

Bonfire time! The night was just barely cool. No rain. No wind.

The wood was stacked... waiting. (Compare the size of the man to the "structure".)


After chowing down on hot dogs, toasted to the desired shade of black, we toured the countryside on a hay wagon. (Quite a feat for that tractor, pulling two wagons loaded with 40-some people who have just stuffed themselves with food!)

Finally, it was time for the drama.


I would like to describe the scene with "Slowly... slowly..." but I can't. Within minutes, it was a towering (no exaggeration!) inferno.



Those tiny little spots in the background of the picture are people moving their bales of hay away from the heat. It really was huge.

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures? Luke 24:32

Time cards

After 31 days of "Silly2", there is a lingering sense of silly running 'round my head. To keep it alive, I decided to work on something completely new... for me, that is.

Many months ago, at a combination garage-warehouse sale, I found this full box of unused time cards... hundreds of them! So today, what silly thing could I, should I, do with them?


They are pretty boring as is, so I started splashing paint.


I experimented with a variety of glues, rivets, and innards (which being interpreted means - lots of stuff didn't work out, so to preserve the time already invested, I had to disassemble, and start again!). I learned plenty. I felt silly for some of the mistakes I made (duh!). But now that I have two completed time card projects, I like them!

One experiment was a wire hanger. I think I like it.



As for my Silly2 class? It was great. It's amazing how much you can learn when you just let go and be silly... especially in front of other people!

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Colossians 4:5