TEA AND CRUMPETS WITH CHATTY

DONE - DONE And A Few Cute Pictures

2008-10-30T13:27:00.001-07:00

My third and final Stitcher's Angle gift is finished and I like how it turned out. I hope she'll be pleased with it. Today was the deadline, but I don't think she'll mind if I am a teeny bit late.

AND NOW FOR SOME CUTENESS!!

I wonder what the Little Princess is contemplating? Let's see if we can find out.

Hmm. I think I will buy something shiny and new.

We Southern ladies can't go out of the house without looking "just so."

It seems the Little Princess purchased a new crown while she was out.
ALL DONE

Here are more Women of the Bible blocks

2008-10-28T11:50:00.001-07:00

As promised, here are the rest of the Women of the Bible blocks that I've done. I am behind in the blocks, but it has been such a learning experience doing these and the study.

This block is for Eve - the colors I chose were to represent the bright green of the Garden of Eden, the darker green is the path that Eve, Adam, and the Lord walked in the garden. The bright yellow is for the newly created sun and of course there is that square for "in the midst of the garden."

This block is for Sarah - Abraham's wife - her name means princess. I chose fabric that I thought looked like an Indain princess - there is some fairy frost in there.

This one is for Hagar - the block is called Wandering Foot. The background was chosen to simulate the desert , the rose and light green to simulate new hope. Hagar was a slave - probably acquired when Abraham went down to Egypt. She is taken from her family, a slave, she has no control over her life, her body and she is sent to die out in the desert because she has born a son to Abraham. But God is faithful and rescues her.

This block is called Cross Roads - for Lot's Wife. I chose bright, vivid, rich colors to show her desire to remain in Sodom and Gomorrah. She had a decision to make: obey the words of the angel and live or look back towards the life that she wanted and die. We know she was turned into a pillar of salt so following her own will led to her destruction - the bright red and yellow speak of fire and brimstone.

This block is Welcoming Hand - and represents Rebekah. The blue at the center of the block symbolizes the water that she drew for Isacc's servant - a sign that she was the chosen bride of his master. The bright pink is in the shape of a cross to show that "the promise of the covenant" was still to be fulfilled in the children that she and Isacc would have.

I'll add more later. Gotta go sew.

Ode to Mangy Cat

2008-10-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

ODE TO MANGY CAT

Is it just me, Oh Mangy cat? Or do you seek to torment me.
You only purr when I give you food.
You only love me when I stroke your back (and get fur up my nose.)
You only visit me when I am sewing on my machine (and therefore get fur up my nose.)
You only rub your tail against me when I am at the computer (and thus get fur, not only up my nose, but in my mouth.)
Alac, dear Mangy cat. You do torment me.
The END

(disregard aforementioned messy sewing table)

Me thinks Mangy Cat giveth me a dirty look.

Look What I Found

2008-10-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

It seems the orchids are in bloom right now so here are a couple of pictures of what's blooming in my backyard.

Women of the Bible - 2 more blocks finished

2008-10-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

I finally finished 2 more of my Women of the Bible blocks. This is the first time I've used batiks. I love the color variations within the fabric, but I can see I won't be hand quilting this one.

The first block is for Elizabeth (NT). The lesson I learned from her story is that Nothing is Impossible with God. I chose softer colors because she was older when she conceived. The soft pink is because she was a woman and the soft yellow represents the Holy Spirit that came upon John the Baptist even before he was born.

The second block is for Deborah (OT). I have to admit I fizzled out in the study after Deborah and then started up again with the New Testament ladies. I will eventually go back and finish the others. Any applique slows me down. I do love it, but I'm just not that quick at it and I'm very critical of my work so I end up doing and redoing everything a few times. Perfectionist, I guess. I used warmer, bolder colors for Deborah because she was a judge and prophetess. She knew that God was her strength and power. So for her I used the red tone for her strong, powerful character and the yellow represents honey. The block is named Honeybee after all.

I will eventually add the pictures of my other blocks to my blog.

You Could Win a Prize

2008-10-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Brenda at Pumpkin Patch Primitives is having a giveaway. She's being very secretive about it, but go on over and leave a comment and you might be the lucky winner.

Didn't win again!!

Number 2 of Stitcher's Angel Projects

2008-10-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

Here is a little glimpse of what is coming, Maree. I just stitched the last rosebud on. Wish I'd made one for meself. I like it.

One Down, Four to Go

2008-10-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a swap-a-holic!! I just love signing up for them. I am so bummed when I miss a cute one - like the Christmas Cottages over at Freda's Hive. She even has a tutorial. But I did just finish my Dear Jane Winter Holiday Swap cookies. Here are some pics.

Those handles are a bit wonky, but they are what they are.

I wish I'd picked something a little brighter for this one.
And last one --
ALL DONE - til the next one...

I Love Mieces to Pieces

2008-09-29T11:53:00.001-07:00

I found a mouse in my house. It was a cute one with a polka dot dress, frilly underwear and a pretty red and white bow. Brad caught it for me, gave it a kiss and we chased it out of the house.

REDO the DO

2008-09-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was playing around with the strawberry for my Stitcher's Angel and I really messed it up. So, instead I made this scissor keeper and chatelaine (complete with embroidery scissors) to go along with the Needle Keeper. I know my angel must be wondering what happened to me, but now I can finally ship them off to her.

I finally finished my Christmas With Jane siggies!

2008-09-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

I'm done. Finally. 165 siggies, 165 signatures, 660 pieces, and 495 lite siam swarovski crystals. Oh and a few blisters too.

It's plantin' time, honey pie!

2008-09-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Plantin' time down south is just around the corner. I decided to check out my beds to see if they needed some repairs before I started amending the soil and who should I meet while I was out there. Gertrude, you naughty girl. You even have a grass mustache. Usually, the garden is off limits to her and her cohorts, but I guess I left the gate open. No harm, I suppose, but when I get to planting in 2 weeks, she had better not be munching near here. Shoo! Shoo!

Cohort Number 1

Cohort Number 2

I've been tagged!!

2008-09-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Micki, over at Irish Muses, tagged my blog. I have never been tagged before. I wasn't even tagged in Duck, duck, goose, but now I've been tagged. So this is how the game is played. I'll go along with it Micki, but I don't know what I'm doing.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. That would be Micki.
2. Put the rules on the blog.
3. Write 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up. (What does that mean?)

Here are my 6 random thingys. Hmm.
1. I used to be a volunteer fire-fighter.
2. My nick-name in college was "Puddles." - I'll let you guess why.
3. I love box turtles.
4. I love bubble baths.
5. I collect teapots.
6. I was a cheerleader in college.

I have tagged these blogs:
Johanna Faber at http://qjoke.web-log.nl/
Sharon at http://redgeraniumcottage.typepad.com/
Rosa Robichaud at http://robich.blogspot.com/
Micki's blog at http://thedote.blogspot.com/
Yellow Farmhouse at http://yellowfarmhouse.typepad.com/

Check out these great blogs. They are so much fun to visit and you will enjoy them, I'm sure.

Stitcher's Angel Swap

2008-09-14T14:08:00.001-07:00

I'm busy stitching away on my Stitcher's Angel Swap projects. I just completed the first one. It's a set - A Needle Keeper and a Strawberry Pin Cushion. I am not totally satisfied with my stitching, but I did the best I could and I hope my "Angel" will be pleased with them.

We have a winner!!!

2008-09-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Of those who attempted to guess the song, Danielle Martin was the first to come up with the right answer. "If You Had Wings" was from the now defunct Eastern Airlines ride at Disney World - way back in the day. I remember many times when it was so hot you felt like you were melting and the only ride that had no lines was Eastern's "If You Had Wings." At one point in the ride, the car leaned back and the wind blew so fresh and cool in your face while the words, "If you had wings, if you had wings, if you had wings, had wings, had wings" sang over and over and over and over and over and ... OVER! But at least it was cool. So Danielle, congratulations. I found a cute little teapot at Home Goods and made a teacozy to fit. This is tea and crumpets with Cathy, ya know.

Long Time, No Post

2008-08-22T04:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Peeps,

I forgot how to blog. It's been so long, I had to relearn how to post. I think I'll change my template too. It's too cluttered, like my sewing room. I mean my sewing corner in my cluttered living room - I'm really Cinderella, "in my own little corner in my own little chair" - are you humming? I guess you have to be old enough to remember Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella with Leslie Ann Warren and Stuart Damon - "In my own little corner in my own little chair, I can be whatever I want to be." Man that was a good show. Why don't they play that anymore? My husband says I have ADD because I get side-tracked. But who wouldn't get side-tracked by that great show - now it's going to kill me if I can't find a DVD of it. I have to let my little girl see it. It's ever so much better than Barbie. Crumb! That's all I can remember of that song.

I promised Sharon from The Red Geranium Cottage that I would start blogging again. So I did. I think I have to change the name of my blog too. I have never even eaten a crumpet. And I need some pictures. Who in the world knows what a crumpet looks like? Does it resemble a "tuffet?" If I can find a picture of a crumpet, then I'll keep my blog name - Otherwise, I'm gonna have to do some major revamping to my 3 post blog. I just have so much to write about . . . Umm. Think. Think. Think.

Thanks Sharon for inspiring me to post again. The juices are flowing. My imagination has wings again. "If you had wings, if you had wings, had wings, had wings." Are you humming? Remember where that was from? For the 2 people that have ever read my blog, I will give you a prize if you can tell me where that song was from.

I came, I saw how long it's been, I posted.
Cathy

What a goofball!

2007-11-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, I decided after browsing Food Network's website that I would brine my turkey for Thanksgiving before I cooked it. It's supposed to keep the meat totally moist. Emeril does it and so does Alton Brown. I don't care for Emeril, but I like Alton Brown. I trust him. So I made this brine - with salt, sugar, water, cracked peppercorns, bay leaves, etc. and boiled it to dissolve the sugar and salt and then had to let it cool. 4 hours later, it was finally cold enough to put the bird into. Well, the bag that I had put it in sprung a leak, but no problem, I had another oven bag so I had my husband hold that bag open while I put the leaky bag inside it - whoosh, the inner bag broke. No biggy, we're still inside the good bag - until I looked down and their are multiple spouts of brine shooting out all sides of the "good" bag. We were suddenly swimming in gallons of brine. It was all over the floor and countertops. What a horrible mess. Fine, no brine. But now, I have a naked turkey - Or course, I had to take it out of it's bag to put it in the brine, right? Now, I have no brine and a naked bird that is going to dry out before tomorrow morning when it goes in the oven.

Next, I decided to make some cheese straws - a la Paula Deen - you know, something for the boys to snack on while waiting for the dried out naked turkey to be done. I bought reduced fat sharp cheddar - (I have to do my part to keep my figure) and it was supposed to form a ball of dough. I think there wasn't enough fat in the cheese or something, because it never formed a ball. Just a crumbly mess - so I added some butter til it formed a ball and instead of cutting little 1/4 inch pieces like Paula said, I had an inspiration. I decided to roll the dough out and cut shapes of autumn leaves and pumpkins. Clever, right? I have these wonderful Wilton cookie cutters, so delightful. So I cut my shapes and the first batch came out okay on my Silpat so I put the second batch in but only have one Silpat. No problem, I have some parchment paper. They are gorgeous leaves. Light golden brown and smelling so delish. Then I tried to pick them up - I found out I used freezer paper by accident. The boys will just have to snack on waxy cheese-flavored autumn leaves and pick the paper out of their teeth.

Here's hoping the bird doesn't make us sick. I bought a fresh turkey 4 days before Thanksgiving. But I see now that Food Network - did I tell you I love that site? - says that you shouldn't buy your fresh turkey until 1-2 days before you plan to cook it. Oops. Then, 3 days into the refrigeration I found out my refrigerator isn't set to 35, but somewhere near 42 degrees. On top of that, I accidentally left the door to the refrigerator open so I'll let you know if we live through this Thanksgiving dinner.

But I'm thankful. . .

One year ago today

2007-06-08T13:27:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that one year ago today, I brought Brittanie home from the shelter. She was so tiny and fragile looking. How was I going to do this? Take care of someone elses baby girl? But even before they placed her in my arms, there was a battle going on for her.

Marcia and Carmen at Kids in Distress told me about all the medications and precautions that she needed. The doctor signed her chart, "Failure to thrive." It sounded daunting for a first time foster parent. But I felt the Lord telling me, "Say yes to this one." The ladies left me to call Mike to verify that we could take in a medically needy child and the whole time the verse from Matthew 25 played over and over in my head. "If you do it unto the least of these, my brethren, you do it unto me." I prayed with Mike over the phone and then I called Carin. She encouraged me and out of the blue left me with the same verse. That was all the confirmation I needed. As we were going to pick up the baby, Marcia said "You are going to fall in love with her." Well, they were right. She was in a room all by herself - quarantined and as soon as they put her in my arms, I felt at peace. She looked like a little Indian princess.

Those first days were tough - setting the alarm every 6 hours to give her Retrovir. But after 6 weeks of that, she only needed meds 3 times a week. And now a year later, she is a healthy, happy one year old, full of fun and laughter and joy. She is the light of our lives. It was one year ago today, Lord.