Cookies as far as the nose can smell

Today was a HUGE cookie bake fest with my youth group. We are trying to raise some funds for our trip to New Orleans for the National Youth Gathering for the ELCA.



This Sunday we will be holding a cookie and discount card sale to help with some of the expenses of the trip. It took a lot of work, but we ended up with 27 dozen cookies by the end of the day!



For the complete photo log of our cooking adventure, go to my Facebook account and look at the 27 Dozen Album. Bon Appetite!



Much thanks to all that helped today: Sue, Tristan, Venya, Hannah, Scott, Will, Delia, Hebner, and Libby. You made it a great day!

People labels or true colors?

I came across this video via Marko's blog this week. It got me to thinking...

What do you think the labels we place upon each other in society do to our relationships? Have you ever been labeled? What do you think would happen if all the labels just disappeared?



What do you think about labels?

Looking for the right words and I need your help!

Image from A year from Oak Cottage.

A few weeks ago, my office was repainted in some welcoming and cheery colors: Spice, Plum and Realm. I found my paint at True Value from a color swatch card.
"Wow - that's it!" is what I stated when I opened the envelope at the color swatch card inside. Now this is what I'm looking for - only in a quote.

At the top of the wall I have a large blank section that I'd like to place a thoughtful quote upon. This is the one I was considering:

"And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

How would you respond walking into a space with that painted upon the wall? Would it feel welcoming? What is your first impression of that quote?

If you have any quote suggestions for this project, let me know. My goal is for the space to make those who enter feel welcome and safe. Let's see what we can discover together. When the work is done I'll post the pictures here.

Have a great Thursday and be sure to give me your suggestions!

Variety bag Wednesday

This lamp can be found at Geekologie.
It was one of those days. Lots of variety, a little progress, several delays, lots of belly laughs, some sadness, a clumsy moment and a lovely bit of weirdness.

Weirdness like this lamp above - don't you love it?

Some planning for the next couple months of youth activities was accomplished, I spent too much time on an unsuccessful mp3 downloading project, for every phone message I answered - It seemed I received 2 more in their place, exercised TWICE today, I did not skip lunch, went to my Middle school group and we worked on a video project, chatted with a friend over a sad circumstance, picked up some supplies and dinner before youth group, ate dinner, played a group game called "RAGING ELEPHANT" only to wipe out on my right knee and end up with a giant purple and green ( and I hope temporary) lump below my kneecap, but besides the bag of old freezer-burnt hamburgers sitting in my injury during our lesson - I thoroughly enjoyed the group this evening. We ended the night laughing so hard! My friend and helper was in tears and my laugh consisted of my shoulders shaking violently, but my mouth making no noise at all!

Raging Elephant is a great group game that enlists elements of tag and a conga line. The "it" person is given two short sections of a pool noodle and is to tag others in the room with the NOODLE only! When another person is tagged, they join hands with the other person who is it and receive the other noodle. The game of tag continues until everyone is connected in a link by the hands after being tagged or the linked hands of the "elephant" comes apart. Either way, you start over at that point and play until all the elephants a wiped out.

The weekend is closing in - and there is lots to do. Gotta keep the laughter rolling frozen hamburgers on my knee and all!

Image from PJ Light House

Still and quiet

Image from Art by Wicks

Still and quiet, still and quiet.
I have to still myself to hear it.
If only I'd be more still and quiet
I would not have to try so hard to hear the words
that give me life.

Still and quiet, are the words that give me life.

T.L. Eastman 09'

I think these words may be the start of a song. Thanks, Mel :)

The Middle Place and designer jeans

This last weekend, I had the opportunity and time to hit the mall and wander around my local Walden books/Borders store. I was there with my daughter as she was picking out a few books for part of her birthday gift. They had a decent sale going on, so I ended up with two books of my own as I left the store that day. One was "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose, a journalistic expose on his incognito semester at Liberty University (which I just started today) and another up and coming book called, "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corigan.



About two weeks ago, a woman at the bookstore had suggested this book to me. Upon hearing that the book was based on the author's real-life dealings with cancer, I decided against it - I thought something more upbeat would be better to read.

This weekend, yet another woman at the book store tells me that "The Middle Place" is a must read. Either I was overcome with book greed or the red buy one get one sticker went to my head, but I got the book and decided to give it a try on Sunday afternoon.



Kelly Corigan has a wonderful way of telling her story. Its as if you are invited to sit down over a tall glass of iced tea and are told the most endearing, realistic, and compelling stories of hers and her families lives. Hours passed by on Sunday as I learned about her teenage years and her great desire for a pair of Guess jeans. When I was a kid, I always wanted a pair of Jordache jeans. According to her story and my personal experience, both our Moms had something in common. They both thought it was absurd to spend $50.00 on a pair of designer jeans.

Yes, Kelly's book is about her fight with cancer, but it is about so much more. The story revolves around childhood memories, the tension of growing up, the balancing act of relationships and the evolution of life. I was surprised by this book. I spent more time laughing than I did crying, but I did cry a bit too.

There are not too many books that I can read in a day, but this was one of them. Thankfully, I had Monday off so I could read it to the very last page and sleep in the next morning.

Go ahead, give yourself permission to check out for a few hours and become acquainted with "The Middle Place" and Kelly Corigan's life. You may find part of her story to be part of yours; designer jeans and all.

SWB: So much to be thankful for

Some days it's funny how emotion just can roll over me like, well. A steam roller.

If I only relied on my emotions - (as I often do) loving my gut instinct and all - I'd really miss out on some serious bread.

Bread as in consolation, I mean. Not the green kind.

The desolation of the last week was a dear friend and co-worker be hospitalized, but thankfully he is home and on his way to recovery.

I had a check up of my own last week and had my own share of tests.
Have you ever had the possibility of a health issue totally freak you out? Now that I'm on the other side of the results, although they are good results; I find myself weepy.

This seems weird to me - shouldn't I be doing jumping jacks?

Maybe now that I know its safe, I can let the tears roll.
Do you know what I mean by this?
But really, the roller coaster of health issues is not a fun ride.
There is too much uncertainity and lack of control in the medical arena -
so back on the exercise and food journaling wagon I go.
That at least, I can control.


On to the consolation.
I was encouraged in my ability to teach art this week.
More schools want me to come and teach some classes!
This will be both financially and creatively helpful.
I enjoyed preparing for and celebrating my daughters 16th birthday.
It included Saturday shopping, cake baking and new recipe tasting.

Reading a good book is so wonderful. After all the birthday hurry, I opened the paperback, The Middle Place and read the whole thing by midnight on Sunday night!
(Don't worry, a book review is on the way!)

Reading this makes me greedy for another book fix.
I've got many more to read and think it is time to go pick one up, relax and check out for a while.

So much bread in the face of uncertainty, seemed certainty and whatever life throws our way.

In all of it, I know this.
There is bread, sigh and a sense of thankful relief.
There is good, wonderful bread.

Sunday Pasta Dinner

(Image from Immanuel Lutheran School web page)

Sigh... a busy morning at church is over
and we load up the Toyota with bags of food.

Garlic bread wrapped in foil and already sliced;
ready to go into the oven and fill the house with garlic butter goodness.

Spicy Alfredo Pasta in a deep dish pan and topped with shredded mozzarella.
A lidded and bagged pan of red sauce with meatballs is ready to go.

The friendly decorated birthday cake and 20 cupcakes with fresh fruit on top
are secured in foil and a cupcake carrier.
Two kinds of soda and ice cream are ready and waiting to accompany the dessert.
They make good company.

Birthday pasta dinner at Grandma's house is on us this week.
The tossed salad is there all ready and waiting for us -
oh and the family is waiting for us too.

Oh, oh and the presents - don't forget the brightly wrapped PRESENTS!

The birthday-mobile is on the road with everything we need to celebrate:
Food, the birthday girl and even the candles.
Yes, can you believe I even remembered the candles this time around?

Sunday pasta dinner is home. Sunday pasta dinner is noisy. Sunday pasta dinner is much of my Sabbath.
Is it yours?