Homemade Vanilla - Easy As Can Be!

Pure vanilla is expensive! This simple recipe will save you from gasping when you see the price at your local supermarket. You can look online and discover an array of recipes, but mine is by far the easiest! And, by the way, if you are thinking about Christmas gifts, as I am, then begin this now, and it will be ready for delighting all your friends in December!

This recipe needs three things: Vodka (I use cheapest, but I might break down and actually try a brandy recipe someday), vanilla beans (I get mine either from E-bay or World Market), a jar that seals (and it would be nice if it had a spout, as they have at World Market).

All you have to do is push the beans (I started with four beans, there were two in each packet I bought) in the clean jar, pour the vodka to the top, shake, put in kitchen cupboard. Each day, gently shake, to awaken the beans. In 2 -3 weeks you have yourself a very fine pure vanilla!



After that initial process, when the bottle gets down about a third of the way, top it off again with vodka. After time goes by...months, perhaps... add more beans if the extract looks too weak. That's it!

For the purposes of this blog, I emptied my bottle of vanilla and all the beans, and started over. I've had the same bottle, with the original beans, plus all the ones I've added over the years, and it just now got weak (because I neglected to fill it up till it was almost empty.... Hey, it does take many seconds to fill a jar, ya know!).



Now.... back to Christmas gifts. IT'S NOT EITHER TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT IT! You know how stressed you get at Christmastime, that most wonderful time of the year, when joy is supposed to lift your hearts heavenward? Well, I am hereby helping you! If you make a humongous jar of vanilla and set it back on a shelf and forget it for the next five months, then when December rolls around, all you have to do, my friend, is run into Michael's with your 50% off ribbon coupon, buy darling red ribbon and little glass bottles, then fill the bottles, hug that bow to the neck, and say to your friends, "Merry Christmas!" And you'll mean it, cuz you will be merry that you were so smart to have started in July!

You're welcome!

Catch Your Mintues!

Time goes, you say? Ah no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.
~Henry Austin Dobson

I like the quote above, but one thing is not so certain, and it's this: I do not always fit into the "we go" category. I can waste time with the best of them, and when I do, I'm not going anywhere... just staring off into space, woolgathering, as they used to say back in the day, or skipping my fingers across the keyboard, jumping from one blog to the next, not going anywhere, except with my brain. When this happens, time goes... without me...and my chores pile up and my creative juices remain clogged.

But not today! :)

The plan came to me fresh from arising off my cushy pillow, and here it is: clean only 15 minutes of every hour, and during the other 45 minutes, sew, read, create, dream, imagine, blog... This is quite the opposite of my norm. There is always so much to DO, that I can rarely find any leftover time for the joys of life. It's been bugging me that I work and work AND WORK, and yet, the to-do list elongates with the doing. Ever notice that (or is it just at my house?)?

So, this morning, I am putting my foot down and am reclaiming my time! Every minute counts today... and I am going to catch my minutes and make them work for me - for creating and accomplishing and dreaming and growing and laughter and freedom and play... uh...and maybe give myself a pedicure! :)

Starch Method Hand Applique

Ever wanted to know a good process for hand applique? I did, and took a class. This is pretty simple, so let me see if I can explain it....

1. Take two pieces of freezer paper (large enough for your templates) and with waxed sides down, iron them together. This makes one sturdier piece.
2. Glue template to top of freezer paper (unwaxed side).
3. Cut your template (this one is a leaf that will go on that vine I showed you a few blogs ago, when I made that bias tape). Now, be sure to cut your template on the line. In my picture, mine is not cut on the line, 'cuz I lost my head. However, I did catch my mistake and fixed it.


4. Cut a piece of fabric a bit larger than your template.
5. Iron the template (waxed side down) onto the WRONG SIDE of your fabric piece.


6. Cut around template, leaving 1/4" seam allowance.

7. Using liquid starch (store bought {Mary Ellen's Best Press} or homemade {1/4 cup Sta Flo liquid starch + 3/4 cup water}), paint around the 1/4" seam allowance. You want to get it on enough to be effective, but not so much that it seeps under the edges and dislodges the wax from holding the template onto the fabric. Do small sections at a time, as you iron as you go.

8. Iron the 1/4" seam allowance that you've starched over the template (bringing the right side of the fabric over the template). If using a steam iron -- BE CAREFUL! Dry irons are safter for your fingers, when turning the fabric.

9. Okay, here is the backside of my leaf. It might look finished, but it's not. See the arrows pointing to the creases? You will want to iron those out as best you can, using a stiletto or your fingers. If you skip this process, no one will die, but your leaf or whatever will not be smooth on the front side. I'm just beginning to learn, so mine still are not perfect (as you can see below, where the leaf is right side up).



10. The top and bottom edges of the leaf will have to be trimmed way down and fray check added, to keep the raw edges from raveling.



11. After your leaf (or whatever) is all nice and ironed smooth, PULL THE FREEZER PAPER AND TEMPLATE OUT, glue it in place on your fabric with the tiniest drop of Glue Baste (like, smaller than a pin head). That will hold it in place instead of pins, and keep you from being poked or the pieces from moving around.



That's it! How you sew them on is this: carefully! You want to barely catch the edge of the fabric with your needle. Matching thread counts!!! The whole idea for beautiful applique is to not have any of your stitches showing. This takes practice, so be patient.... and keep trying - like me! :)

Or... I suppose you could just glue every single piece and just never wash it. lol

It is a good thing to have Scripture hanging around your house. This colorful "jotter" reminds me of a beautified index card flip over. Have you ever seen those? This one is from Dayspring, and I bought it months and months ago, discovering it only a few days ago, sitting all lonesome-like in one of my back desk drawers. Now it sits on top of my desk, and my first entry in it is from 2 Kings 18:5-8, from the Message version.



In Bible study a few years back, we studied 1 & 2 Kings, so I know I read these verses, but you know how the Word is - fresh and alive and active! Ancient, but new all the time!

So this time, I loved that King Hezekiah put his whole trust in the Lord. And it wasn't easy, as if he was outside in his well-manicured garden, sipping mint juleps while servants massaged his feet. No! The Assyrian king was riding him hard, taunting him and carting his people off. Just like when we are surrounded by trials! This is where faith is tested, and Hezzy's whole heart went into trusting the God of Israel, who keeps Israel (and us) and never sleeps nor slumbers.

Also, that verse (in the second picture above) says, "He held fast to God - never loosened his grip." It's not always easy to hang on for the duration. Sometimes, I've been known to allow doubts to loosen my grip; but not that king! Oh, and the verse ends with "And God, for His part, held fast to him through all his adventures." Jehovah did not leave King Hezekiah alone for a minute!

I wrote this as my first verse in my cute jotter so that it could stare me in the face...and hit my heart, again and again, as a reminder to grip with all my might onto Jesus!

Oh, and the cool thing about this jotter is that it's your own personal verse journal, each one telling a story of God's faithfulness when you were weak, weary, joyful, trusting... You flip through in future years and be reminded how God got you through this life! Fun!

Let me know what your first verse will be!

Be Encouraged: YUM YUM!

http://www.starbucks.com/retail/print_free_pastry.html

YUM YUM!

I discovered this from one of my girlfriends. Being one in love with Starbuck's old-fashioned donuts, I'm printing up this coupon and showing up for my freebie, first thing Tuesday morning. If the Starbuck's I go to isn't one of the participating ones, then I'll just have to sip the mocha latte as a comforting solo act! :)

Squash It Now!!!

(IMPORTANT!!! I do not control the content of the Google Ads on the left side of my blog. This morning's had one - How Jesus REALLY saves - and I clicked on it. IT IS NOT TRUTH!!! If you have any questions about it, let me know, and I'll answer from God's Word. Thanks.)

In November 2004 I came upon a Butternut Squash Soup recipe. It is probably the only squash I had never tried, but the picture in the Real Simple magazine looked so tempting, that I ventured forth where this cook had never gone before -- and have been going back to ever since! :)

First, I want you to look at this picture and see if it tempts you to attempt a go at it, too (click on the picture so you can see it up close and personal):



What do you think? Got your mouth hankering for a slurp? (P. S. YOU MUST MAKE THE CROUTONS TO GO WITH IT!!! THEY ARE BETTER THAN A CHERRY ON TOP!)

Now, here's the thing: Butternut squash is not cheap. It's not as expensive as a Mercedes or anything, but not as reasonably priced as zucchini, either. So, naturally, I decided to grow my own this year - from seed, since I could not find any Butternut plants to purchase. Look how beautiful they are!



The reason why I entitled today's blog, Squash it Now!!!, is because if you would like to eat all the Butternut Squash Soup your heart desires this fall, for practically no cost, then get your seeds planted, right away! (Same with pumpkins! Ideally, July 4th is the day to plant pumpkin seeds for October's porches to be covered with Jack-o-Lanterns.) Also, the recipe calls for sage. Buying those little packages of fresh sage leaves adds up, so I also planted a sage plant. I hope it grows up to be a bountiful adult, because right now it is being a bit of a rascal.



Anyhoo, in the meantime, till these two plants produce a succulent soup crop, I am buying Butternuts and adding them to my own garden's bounty. They brighten up and add sweetness to my roasted veggies.




All you do to make this scrumptious & healthy side dish is...

• Preheat oven to 400.
  
• Cube your veggies. I included zucchini, yellow crooked-neck, red onion, peppers, red bell peppers, and Butternut squash.
  
• Drizzle olive oil over the veggies.
  
• Add salt and pepper.
  
• Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
  
• Open oven and flop veggies over.
• Roast for another 15 minutes, till tenderly caramelized.
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  The first time I made this soup, I roasted the Butternut and yellow onion as they said. I pulled them out of the oven, and using a fork, reached down and stabbed one for a try. Ooooooo-laaaa-la! Like potato chips, I could not stop at just one! That first batch of soup almost didn't get made, because the roasted squash and onions were so sweet and yummy! So, beware! :)

And one more important thing to squash now -- feelings that rival God's truth! I know how sometimes our feelings seem more real than anything else. In times like those, it is especially important to squash them -- before they grow in magnitude and cause our faith to shrink!

Grab your Bible, open it up and read and read! Offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, that His word is truth (John 17:17), and that our God cannot lie. He never changes! We can trust Him. If His word says it, it is truth and is real-ler than real, no matter how we may feel at the moment!

"All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal" (Psalm 119:160).

Sow, go plant seeds of faith into your circumstance and Butternut squash seeds into the ground! :)

Farmer's Market Fiesta

There's one thing I look forward to every Saturday morning - hitting the local Farmer's Market! You never know what will be available each week, so it's like a big surprise. One of my favorite finds is figs. They are a rare treat for my palate (wish I owned a whole grove)! Anyhoo, I just returned from my morning's spree, and I had a blast.

Amongst my finds today were some greenish eggs! I've seen brown ones, but green ones? Never! Apparently Dr. Suess knew all about them!

You get to meet and chat with some very interesting people, too. The man in the top picture sold raspberries and lavender and all kinds of things you would not normally have in your own garden (and especially one as rebellious as mine is this year!). He handed out Raspberry Pie recipes, which I thought was extremely smart thinking! Here it is (let me know if you try it, because I haven't given it a go, yet):

Farmer's Market Raspberry Pie

3/4 cup sugar 2 cups egg whites
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen; the man above prefers you buy fresh) :)
1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash salt 1 cup whipped cream
1 pie crust, baked

Combine all the ingredients, except whipped cream and pie crust. Beat 15 minutes, till nice and thick. Fold in the whip cream and pour it all into the baked crust. Place in freezer until ready to eat. Then....slice and serve and say "Yum!".

Afterthought: It was brought to my attention that 2 cups of egg whites is a lot. lollolol. It sure is. So, if you try this recipe, better start with 2 eggwhites and work your way up...if necessary.

Lose & Tone Update!

Back in May, I wrote my first Lose & Tone blog (http://anencourager.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html). This second one is to update you on how that original plan is working for me - GREAT!

No dieting. No regimented gym-going. Instead, I decided to take a deep water interval class at this fun pool here in town. Usually, I drive by and enjoy looking at its sparkling waters, longing to frolic in one of their two huge pools, but this time, I took the plunge and just pulled right in and signed myself up! It was the best decision of my life!!!

Our class is in the deepest of water, so we buckle a thick blue belt around our waist, that keeps us afloat. We use dumbbells made for the pool, and those work our arms like crazy. Burn, baby, burn! Or rather, tone, baby, tone! Sometimes we get to "traveling". This means we use our legs and arms to push or pull us from one end of the long pool to the other. It works those muscles!

The women out there get to blab, my friend Celina joins me and we get to chat, and all the while we are toning and building muscles. It's great!

So, my mini goal for the summer was to lose 7 pounds each month (June, July, August). In June I made that goal. Then... fourth of July weekend showed up, with all its potato salad and homemade ice cream bursting forth like fireworks, and I gained back a lot of that. (So maddening how it takes a month to lose and one milli second to GAIN!!!) But, I am still plugging away, not letting it detour me from having fun this summer, while losing and toning.

By the way, scales are not everything. All that swimming and walking and riding to the mailbox are having a victory of their own, because I am losing inches - and am able to wear shorts and tops I have not worn for years!!!! Hooooray!

Inch-by-inch and we will be able to cinch in those belts! Keep at it! We still have two more summer months to have fun losing and toning!!! Good luck!

Mary, Martha, Inbetween.....OH MY!

I used to be a Mary. Hours could go by and I would still prefer sitting on my bed, Bible and ears open, MontBlanc pen at the ready, and a fresh page of my journal waiting to be filled. Spending time with Jesus was all I wanted to do (well, mostly).

Then.... I changed.

That taskmaster Martha has shown up with a vengeance and keeps me so busy that the Mary in me has disappeared into oblivion. Where, oh, where did she go?

I think the Lord misses me.

No, I know He does.

He created us for relationship...not with our endless to-do lists, but with Him, the living, loving God Almighty. It really is amazing that He desires our companionship!

So, though there's lawns to be mown, lemons to be squeezed, nuts to be cracked, baby quilts to be sewn, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, scouring.... I am choosing to put Jesus first, before all of those... well, AFTER I hang the load that just got done washing...

"but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).

Just Like Laura Ingalls!

From this....



...to this...



...to this...
Dill Pickles, my very first-ever-ever attempt.

Bread & Butter Pickles, my very first-ever-ever attempt, also.
These I have tasted, and they are goooooooooooood!!!


Marinated Cucumber Salad

2-3 Armenian cucumbers, thinly sliced (regular cukes can be used but they get too soggy)
1 medium onion & bell pepper, thinly sliced or chopped small
1 Tablespoon salt (I use waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less so that I don't die of a heart attack)
2 teaspoons celery seed, 3/4 cup sugar (or substitute), 1/2 cup white vinegar

Merely mix them all up in zippered baggie and let them marinate a couple hours. Voila!

Though all in the picture are made from Armenian cucumbers (I love the cute scalloped edges), I do have a plant of regular pickling pickles growing. None have shown up yet, but I'm not giving up yet. If they do grow, I found a blue-ribbon-winning recipe online I will try. Maybe I'll even enter them in the fair --- which would be another first-ever-ever! (Have you ever entered anything in the fair?)

...to this...

All these pictures of pickles got me to remembering times I myself have been in a pickle. Do you know what I have done? I called out to God, like crazy!

"Mercy," I begged!!!

His undeserved mercy falls on us, always, one way or another. It's mercy when He sees that it's best for us to marinate in the juices of the pickle we've gotten into. And it's His mercy when He quickly plucks us out, if that is best for us. God's mercy endures forever; and surely goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

Next time you find yourself in a pickle, don't just sit there stewing in your own juices - call on the name of Jesus! Run to the throne room where you will find mercy and grace to help in your time of need (uh...is there really any time we don't need our gracious God?) Hebrews 4:16.

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 136:1).

"The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy" (Psalm 147:11).

...such bliss!

Encouraging For You

Good Morning!

Way back in January 1994 the Lord had a plan, and early one chilly morning, while I was still lazily nestling in the arms of my ever-cozy bed, He shared His idea with me - write a newsletter, sharing about Him in the experiences and situations of my every-days.

See, at that time, we had just been scooted up to a small town, Kingsburg, a whole 86 miles from a slew of beloved friends. It was a move I did not want. How I pouted! We are to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, but I was failing in this. And it was smack-dab in the middle of this move when Jehovah shared His brilliant brainchild with me.

It was very smart of Him! As my speaker friend, Debbie Alsdorf, used to tell women about me, she'd say that I took all my lemons and squeezed out some refreshing lemonaide through my newsletter (or something like that). God knew what He was doing!

Though I've missed a few months here and there, I've kept writing ever since. That's a long time - just over 15 years! But then, there is so much to tell about our great Jehovah, and so many lessons I must learn .... and share! :)

Anyhoo, if you would like to receive it snail mail or email, just send either address to this email address of mine: encouragingforyou@gmail.com. If you click on the newsletter above, it will appear really big, and you can actually read it (from November of last year).

"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13 NAS).

Creating Your Own Bias Tape!

Okay, the pictures below are not my best effort, but time is precious today, as my to-do list is miles long...

All I want you to see on the first picture is the vine on this quilt square (the curvy line). To make that vine and have it be uniform in size, I bought a handy-dandy doohicky that takes a 3/4" strip of fabric cut on the bias and turns it into "bias tape". (They have different sizes, so I suppose you'd have to cut the fabric wider or smaller, depending on your chosen size.)
Using this marvelous little tool is a snap, as you can see from my pictures.



After you've cut your fabric on the bias (diagonal, across the grain, cutting a point on the end), push it through the tool's opening , then iron it as you pull it out, slowly, a little at a time. That's it! If you have steam iron, be careful! Using a pair of tongs, I grasped the purple tool and pulled that way. Next time, I'll remove the water from my iron.

Here's the package, so that you can see what to look for in your fav fabric store.

My Newest Treasure

This rolling gem was doing nothing but rusting on my dad's back patio. When I asked for it, he said, "Sure, for $350!" No way!!! My begging was relentless, so he gave me this old Schwinn for free. Well, not totally free; I have to take him chorizo-and-egg burritos once a month... for the rest of his life. So, in the long haul, he just might be getting more than the original asking price!

When I pulled this out of the back of my car, my bike-riding husband just shook his head. He cannot see the beauty of this blue babe as I can. I mean, look:

Rusted though it may be, it still makes that beautiful brrrrriiiiiingggggg like I remember as a kid.

And this ol' thing has a clamp-like jaw. Nothing will escape its power; even my sewing kit is safe within its grasp!

Only one of the three speeds work, and the brakes take some getting used to, as I have to push backwards on the pedals with pure thigh power to get them to stop. But they don't really stop... just rolls slower. It's not the safest bike on the planet, but it was fun riding my bike to the mailbox and tossing all my mail in the front wire basket. Yay for me and a new treasure!

When I look at this bike I smile. I can't help it. It reminds me of my childhood, but it also brings to mind Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

This bike, though old and rusty and only half working, is still functional. What it was created to do, it does. This vintage treasure will roll me along to any destination I choose, providing my leg muscles can keep up with it.

No matter how old we get, no matter how rusty our joints begin to feel, no matter if we begin to only move in one slow speed, we can still function for the Lord in the good works He has prepared for us.

So... keep rolling along!

Oh, and I almost forgot! On the net I discovered that water and balled-up aluminum foil will wipe away rust that is not too penetrated. Look below to see the one spot that worked...and it only took me two minutes to rub!

Think Happy Thoughts!

Despite Philippians 4:8 telling me to fill my mind with every good and kind and agreeable thought, my mind was meditating on the opposite. And do you know what happens when this way of thinking takes over? It turns us into complainers! Here's why:

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45.

Once our hearts are at full capacity with mischievious thoughts, like a volcano packed with molten juices, they gotta blow --- and the flow of complaining thoughts and attitudes grow. In Hawaii I watched fresh, red-hot molten lava roll down into the sea, causing great steam to rise high in the air, and below, an island was being enlarged. Negative thinking enlarges our ability to complain and pushes out the ocean of good things we could chose to think about.

Gosh, and that word 'abundance' in that verse is really getting me. One of Dictionary.com's definitions is "overflowing fullness." I knew it! Having an abundance of negative, unhappy thoughts hanging around is a sure sign of heart disease. I admit that it has attacked me! I have all the symptoms - times of depression, lack of zest, unhappy, lava-flow of complaint spurting out of my mouth...

Happy news - there is a cure! :)

It's time for me (and you???) to play The Glad Game! Did you ever see Disney's delightful movie Pollyanna? In it she plays this game where she always looks at the good side of things. For instance, one day the mission box arrived and instead of the desire of her heart - a doll - being inside, she reached in and pulled out crutches. Crutches?! Sensing his beloved daughter's disapointment, her dad gently instructed her in the ways of possessing a happy, positive mindset by pointing her thoughts to the happy side of the situation -- that they were healthy and didn't need to use crutches. See? Happy thoughts to be glad about! No moping for Pollyanna!

It's a learned process; just as complaining is. We have choices to make concerning our thoughts and actions and words...all day long. Linda Dillow, author of Calm My Anxious Heart (which is about learning contentment) says, "What we are on the inside, what we continually think about, eventually shows in our words, actions, and even our countenances."

If you go here http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_7?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=calm+my+anxious+heart&sprefix=calm+my , Amazon.com will let you read a lot of the first chapter. You'll want to be privy to Meredith's secrets to contentment, found on those free pages. It is worth your time!

All of this just goes to prove, once again and for always, that God's Word is true! What is on the heart, will eventually pop out of the mouth. Let's be full of it --- His truth and happy thoughts!

Darling!!!

When I pulled into my driveway in the early light of this day, this is what I saw in my neighbor's yard (they have a daughter who just graduated high school).

Here is the car up close.... it is darrrrrling!

Is this the cutest paper job you've ever seen? I had to grab my camera and show you, because I've never seen post-its used before. Sooooo cute!! Think about it: You could use only a few and spell out words, like A B C magnets on a fridge (would work on large bathroom mirrors, too) - words like LOVE YOU or HUNK or SWEET SIXTEEN or YOU'RE 75 TODAY! The possibilities are endless. Oh what fun!

Have a fun day!

I Can Get Some Satisfaction

Okay, don't laugh. I'm slightly embarrassed to show these to the world, but.... (Promise me you'll double click the picture and look at it closer, so that at least you can see that what looks pink is actually red, etc.)

I just wanted you to see what I did with unlikable, but very usable scraps. Determination to use scraps, and nothing but the scraps, kept me from grabbing my keys, hopping in the car, and heading over to JoAnn's or Beverly's. There, I could run my fingers over the soft cottons, drool over the bouquet of colors and designs, and fill my cart to my heart's content. But what challenge would that be, hmmm???? (Not to mention, where would I get all the necessary money?)

The temptation to empty the my drawers into 33-gallon trash bags and haul all these bits and pieces of fabric to Goodwill on the way to said fabric stores was almost more than I could handle. However, I got a grip in time. I hope you do, too, and don't cave when your creative juices are wanting to pounce out of the bounds of the scraps before you.

Believe me, there is much satisfaction with using scraps and saving money. Oh.... but the day when I got to go shopping..... :)

A Sewing Party of One!!!

Happy Saturday!

I would love to sit and chat and upload a zillion pictures, but I am one busy gal in the sewing room! My little mini goal is to use up my drawers and drawers of scrap fabrics. There are sooooo many! If a total depression hits, I will stay out of utter despair by sewing, cuz I bet I have enough scraps to last me 2 years!!!

The downside is this: my fabs are not the updated milk-chocolate browns or gun-metal greys that I yearn after. No birds or owls to fly about on my quilts. Instead, it's old-fashioned (though I do love these colors, still) primary-colored polka dots and such.

However, I am thankful to have fabric to sew into incubator quilts for preemies. All summer, my plan is to use the fabs on hand and make as many of those 32" x 32" quilts that I can, using what has already been paid for. I'ts a labor of love and frugality.

One day, I will have used up every last inch of fabric in my stash, and then, oh then.....

Do You See What I See?

Look!


Already, I have picked two luscious green zuchinni. For last night's addition to chicken, I sliced them both thin, tossed them around in a saucepan with spices and a can of tomato sauce, topped them with cheddar, and easy-peasy-yummy.

The yellow crooked-neck is still growing, but they are my favorites, so it will be worth the wait.

And the tomatoes? The ones in this picture have already turned bright red and were picked and popped in my mouth. I grab them on my way to the pool, washing them as I swim! A great swimming snack!

But, anyhoo, I got online to tell you that I am still thinking about disciplining ourselves for godliness. Just this morning, I thought, "hmmmmm.... what can I do for this?" Then it came to me -- I will take a different name of God each day, focusing on His character.

For instance, today, thinking about my darling garden, I thought of how creative our Creator is. So, Name for the day? Creator. Today I will concentrate on much thanks, as I think it will be a natural outflow as I pay attention to all He created for our enjoyment and His purposes and glory. Like, right now, just from my window, I see roses in bloom -- many colors and fragrances - all unique, like us! And then, just looking at the pictures above - isn't it neat that He created food for us from plants - and they even give us a floral bouquet before the fruit comes!!! Thank You, Lord!