Trying yet again....

Last night I finished 'Simple Guidance." (pictured above)
Out of necessity, I am starting the giveaway over. The prize is the same (I hope you can see the picture this time) and it will end on Saturday at 10 am eastern.

I will be giving away the above chart of Virtue's Ways on Saturday morning. Just leave a comment on THIS post! If you want your name entered in the drawing twice, just leave me a link to a post on your blog advertising this giveaway.

I don't know what the problem was between Picassa and Blogger. I did not have much time to figure it out because our internet connection went out. The guy finally came this morning. I know there are many vexing things in this world, but high on my list of vexations this week was waiting on hold and hearing the recorded message tell me over and over again that I could find the answers to my questions if I would just go to the help section of their website. Well, not if my problem is NO connection! Hello!

Fingers crossed as I press 'publish post!'

Are they showing up now?

Sorry for the picture trouble this morning. I can see the pictures on both posts, but Picassa is behaving strangely this morning. Maybe I will have to keep trying! The Giveaway is still on!

It was a crazy birthday weekend, and I did not get much stitching in. Here is the progress I managed to make on Sheepish Design's 'Simple Guidance'

Here is the birthday giveaway I promised last week. One lucky stitcher will receive a chart of Sheepish Design's 'Virtue's Ways.' Leave a comment on this post, and I will draw a name Thursday morning. If you would like your name entered twice - just let me know that you have announced this giveaway on your blog.

Bonne Chance!

It was a crazy birthday weekend, and I did not get much stitching in. Here is the progress I managed to make on Sheepish Design's 'Simple Guidance'

Here is the birthday giveaway I promised last week. One lucky stitcher will receive a chart of Sheepish Design's 'Virtue's Ways.' Leave a comment on this post, and I will draw a name Thursday morning. If you would like your name entered twice - just let me know that you have announced this giveaway on your blog.

Bonne Chance!

Adam Alone

I have finally finished 'Adam Alone' by Sheepish Designs! I have been dreaming of it hanging on my wall for some time now. My mom has offered to have a couple of things framed for my birthday - great motivation to finish this already!

Now for the close-ups:

Excuse you, Merlin!

Merlin, please!

Alrightie! Now that Merlin has been so kind as to relocate his fat, furry fanny...

OOOHHHH.......

AAAHHH...

Yesterday, I started another Sheepish Designs.

Stay tuned for a giveaway in the next day or so!

Now I am off to snuggle that demanding cat.

Monday

I finished up 'Scottish Alexandria' a few days ago. I have been making myself work on 'Adam Alone' by Sheepish Designs. I love it, but I have done the easy bits, and now only the hard bits are left.

As a special treat for stitching Adam's one-over-one, I started 'Canterbury Tapestry' by Barrick/Carriage House Samplings. It is teeny-tiny on 40 count!

I don't know how much stitching time I will have this week - Tuesday is the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Wednesday is the Ash Wednesday service, and Thursday is a homeschool outing to a ballet performance. In between, I will be cleaning, teaching, taxi-ing, and planning lessons and Lenten meals. I'm tired just thinking about that! I think I need a cup of tea and just one more pre-Lent butterscotch blondie!

Nothing says Spring like...

Pumpkin muffins? Okay, maybe that is a bit of a stretch, but I needed a quick, portable, semi-healthy snack for the girls this afternoon. And then I spied a bag of chocolate chips, and it just went downhill from there.

Here is my pumpkin muffin recipe in case you have a few more weeks of chilly weather whatever the daffodils and calendar may say.

Pumpkin Muffins

3 cups King Arthur White Wheat Flour (this is what makes it healthy before you add in all the sugar!)

1 1/2 cups white sugar ( I have a friend who only uses 1 cup; when I tried that, no one ate them.)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves (I like to actually taste the spices!)

1/2 tsp nutmeg (I am totally hooked on freshly-ground nutmeg - especially in my coffee with vanilla creamer.)

1/2 c oil

1/4 - 1/3 c buttermilk

3 eggs

15 oz canned pumpkin (Surely all the sugar cannot cancel out the Vitamin A!)

optional ingredients: walnuts, dried or fresh cranberries, currants, and chocolate chips. (My grandparents like it fully loaded; my immediate family does not.)

And then, you know, you mix the dry ingredients together. Then you mix the wet ingredients together. Then you combine them, adding more buttermilk if necessary. Bake at 350 until done. :)

Today, I baked some in muffin-top pans, sliced them open, and stuffed them with chocolate chips. They were a big hit! A smooshy big hit!

My heartfelt sympathies go out to the friends and family of Lisa of the Primitive Needle.

Every day is a gift.