As ye have done to the Least

I understand that dressing up as nuns is popular particularly on Halloween. I am sure many little girls are excited today about dressing as The Little Flower for All Saints' parties tonight or tomorrow.

But many, male and female, will be dressing to mock the Christian religion. The Nun, or The Pregnant Nun is such a cliche in our culture that no thought is given to what is actually being mocked. Yes, there are and have been "bad nuns," but I can hardly think that gives license to mock the many, many women who over the centuries have dedicated their lives to healing the sick, teaching the young, and caring for the poor and abandoned.

They are persecuted and murdered under regimes all over the world. And what calls them forth? Do they choose this life for their own glory? Does the devil call them to serve the lowest among us and spread Christian charity throughout the world?

When you heedlessly dress as a nun, you are mocking Christian Charity.

For the non-Christian, perhaps this does not matter, but for the Christian, mocking these Brides of Christ is a grave mistake.

Do you realize that they have dedicated their lives to prayer? They gather to read scripture and pray together throughout the hours of the day and the night. At night, while you slumber, nuns all over the world are praying for those known and unknown to the them. A nun was asked why she would rise from her bed and pray in the dark and cold. She responded that in the middle of the night people are frightened, attacked, and murdered, and she offers prayers for all in need. These are the women you are mocking.

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40

Harvest Time!

Ha, Ha! Did you read the title and think I would be sharing pictures of all the autumn bounty I gathered from my garden - the garden I spent so much time and money on? Well, let's just say I learned more than I actually harvested! So I am channeling all my "store-up for the winter" energy into COOKIES! Why not? I have been baking, then freezing the dough-balls until firm, and then sealing them up in the Food Saver. Whenever we want a dozen fresh baked cookies - ZIP, ZAP-They're done! I have plenty of room for a batch of peanutbutter, a batch of oatmeal, a batch of chocolate-ginger....

This week I have been stitching "Mercy Me" by Notforgotten Farm. It is cute and fun and A LOT OF BROWN!

MommyLawyer and I have decided to sell up and just grow a corn maze for our future livelihood! 15 dollars a person!!! Thank goodness we went with a Girl Scout Troop and got a whole dollar off per person! Whew! We actually had a lot of fun! What an exercise in Group Dynamics!

Hope you all are having lots of Harvest-Time Fun!

Honey or Cheese?

The bread's ready! Come on over! The big decision is whether to eat it with a drizzle of honey or a slice of cheese. Of course, I will eat it both ways, but which to start with?
Here is my current favorite recipe. It is adapted from one of the Nitty Gritty breadmachine books.

1 1/4 c water
2 Tbs veg oil
3 Tbs molasses
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs demerara sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp light flax seeds
1 tsp dark flax seeds
1 heaping Tbs steel-cut oats
1 heaping Tbs wheat germ
1 heaping Tbs oat bran
3 Tbs rolled oats
1 cup King Arthur White-Wheat Flour
2 cups bread flour


****Sorry!~ I forgot to write 2 teaspoons of yeast!!******

I put this in the machine on the dough cycle; it is pretty sticky. Then I take it out and put it into 2 8x4 pans, or I would have if I could have found the other 8x4! I baked it once in a 9x5 and it was not attractive! ! baked it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. This will be the perfect snack before we head to the corn maze on this cool, bright autumn day!

Just a few stitches

This has been a busy week. We are always busy, but this week surprised even me! I do not think I have stitched since Monday! But I do have these two lovelies to share. I started and finished "Mr. Darcy" Sun/Mon, and I finally finished up "Earth Sampler." I have not been staying with my rotation, although I really believe it works and have already enjoyed quite a bit of fruit! I enjoy stitching seasonal designs during that season, not for the coming season. So I think I will stitch with the rotation for Jan- Sept, and then take the last 3 or 4 months of the year to stitch seasonal designs at will. I make my own stitching rules, right? ;) Now hurry over to Tanya The Sampler Girl's blog or online shop to buy some of her lovely patterns for just 5$!

A finish, a start , and some cuteness

I finished Phebe Tree a couple of minutes ago! Hurray! I stitched my own name and the year in the cartouche - but not my age!

A few days ago I made a start on The Shepherdess from The Scarlet Letter. I bought it on Ebay. Yes, I know I whine a lot about one-over-one stitching, but stitching a picture is much better than stitching words!

Here are some pictures of the girls: Nutmeg and the kitties, and Buttercup and the playdoh. They took about 30 pictures of their playdoh landscapes!

I have been cooking up a storm the past few days. I added a new blog in my favorites sidebar - The English Kitchen - WOW! I have made three of the recipes, and printed out many more to try. The Apple, Blackberry, and Cheese Torte is phenomenal!

Tomorrow we will start a fresh week - I hope we have some more of this wonderful sunshine. I have come to realize that I am solar-powered!

Beginner's Luck has Vanished

I made a few pinkeeps and thought, "Wow, I can do this! I bet I could even stretch and lace my own stuff before going to the framer's!" Well, I am over that sentiment now. I made two more pinkeeps this weekend, but I am not feeling so smug. In fact, I have tried stretching a finished cross stitch, and it is not going so well. But here are the two newest pinkeeps. I just do not have the patience to measure, nor do I have the skill to eyeball. Nevertheless, my little basket of Autumn pinkeeps is filling up! (puckered though the little darlings may be!)

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Here is my progress on Agnes Scott. I need to put it down and finish up Phebe Tree.

Here are a couple more kitty ( and Buttercup) pictures - I could not resist! They are bright spots on this gray, rainy day!

Agnes Scott

This is my start on Agnes Scott by With My Needle. I wanted you to get an idea of its size!!! Any guesses on when it will be finished? It is an absolutely lovely reproduction Scottish sampler featuring many design elements common to that region. I know that last year I wrote that Dutch samplers were my favorite, but Scottish samplers have now stolen my heart. There are many common elements between Dutch and Scottish samplers, my favorite being the illuminated alphabets.

Here is a red and green grouping in my front room. I think Agnes would be overpowering in this small room. Also I would have to completely redo this grouping which would mean begging my usually easy going husband for more nail holes. He was mild when he saw me bring two more beasties into the house this week compared to the stink he would raise about more nail holes! Apparently I "compromise the structural integrity of the house" when I make and then change wall groupings.

And here is a gratuitous shot of two stinkin' cute kittens!

Why yes, Mom, I have lost my mind!

I have long been convinced that my parents can read my mind - long distance if need be. They always seem to sense when I am getting into trouble, or even thinking about getting into trouble. They may not actually realize that I am plotting, but they always seem to call just at the right moment. Case in point - my mother called Tuesday night as I was heading to get these little poop machines, I mean, darlings. I am 36 years old, and my mother just happens to call when I am in the car. Then my sister just happened to call. Hmmmm. It just makes me wonder. What is that Butterfly Effect Thingee - Michele plots to gain yet more animals, and the breeze created is noticed by my cat-disliking family? Maybe I should go back to school and do a thesis on that... Yeah, right.

Well, may I introduce you to Miss Dorothy Gale and Queen Ozma of Oz. Anyone want to pry them away from these two little girls? Didn't think so.