For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;your faithfulness reaches to the skies.Psalm 57:10

I started a load of laundry before going to work.

~I am off my regular work schedule & felt out of sync most of the day. But,I did get everything done-worked on bulletins for Sunday & got rough drafts printed for proofing, printed out bulletins for Maundy Thursday(foolded) & Good Friday(will fold tomorrow). I stuffed eggs inbetween jobs,filling up plastic grocery bag #3. Wore my heeled dress shoes & now have a blister on my toe.

~Mike finished the laundry, swept the floor & unclogged the shower drain! And,he's cute,too!!

~We had Digorno pizza for supper.

~I worked on the Earth & Sky lap blanket.

Mmmmmm!

Ginger Cookies-recipe from the Depression Era using bacon grease instead of butter.

~Mike came to work with me an hour early to collate,staple,fold,tape,address & stamp The Magnificat newsletter. I made him a pot of very strong coffee. He finished up the last dozen or so by himself when Fr. Jim came in to work on the bulletins for Holy Week services(Tenebrae, Maundy Thursday & Good Friday). I left work at 11:45am.

~Got to Ms. Jean Black's house in Hidden Valley around 12pm. Along with Donita, Jeannine, Helen, Mary & Mari, we had a nice lunch(quiche, stuffed mushrooms, crab salad, cherry cheesecake) & talk. All the ladies have led such interesting lives! It was wonderful to get to know them all better. We all left at 3pm.

~When I got home, Mike had gotten the drive shaft changed in his Bronco, had made a run to Tijeras & declared the problem fixed. All the lunch carbs caught up with me & I took a nap.

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese sammie for supper.

~I finished the Tweed Cloche in one strand each teal green/fuzzy jade green(I call this combo "Clover Brook)& added a rose pin in Raspberry Pudding. I also worked some on blossoms & scrap granny squares.

Not selling,but still making!

Out West Hat-Wenatchee in Gray Heather/Cool Pearls. During the warmer months, I normally sell 2-3 hats a month,enough to keep my Ebay store open,until around September.

~After Big Lots, I helped Chuck load 16 bags at the food pantry. I called in payroll, printed out the nesletter pages and stuffed Easter eggs for the hunts on Sunday.

~I got groceries at WMS & Smith's.

~After putting groceries away, I used a confetti cake mix to make 9 small bundt cakes & 12 tartlets. They will be dressed up & sold at the bake sale on Sunday.

~I made Mike a bacon cheese burger sammie for supper while I had gumbo & multigrain tortilla chips.

~I finished the Cream/Green/Blue round ripple lap blanket.

Pretty!

25cent yardsale saucer in Franciscan "Desert Rose" pattern. It will be one of my dozen mismatched cups/saucers I use for tea parties.

~I went to Palm Sunday services at 10:30am.

~Back home, after changing my clothes, I worked in the front yard, cleaning leaves from around the house, picking up sticks, pulling weeds & thinning out the small evergreen bush from the flower box.

~I attended Palm Sunday services at 4:30pm. I read the part in the Passion Play of "Second Criminal". I think I'm almost ready to try reading on Sunday's.

~Mike made his own sammies,as did I.

~We watched 2012. Good visuals,so-so story line.

"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"-Capt. Woodrow F. Call

~Susan came by for yardsales. It was too cold to go with the top down. All I found was a pretty saucer for 25 cents. We had lunch at Santiago's New Mexican Grill. It was awesome!

~We went to JoAnn's for curtain material for the parish hall. It is dark raspberry with a tone-on-tone pretty design. Susan is sewing them.

~Back home, I made a Kalispell Hat in unknown Marigold(from a thrift shop) with a rose pin in RHS Country Rose(leftover from the Lobster Trap prayer shawl),which I call "Rhubarb".

~I went to music practice. We sang "I'll Fly Away". It sounded really good with Lauren's soprano & my alto. Zander helped me make copies! We also pacticed the palm processional with instruments for the children.

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese sammie while I had chunky peanut butter/apple butter on wheat tortilla.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 57:5

~Now that Julie is back to Food Pantry shopping, I was able to bake first thing. I made a batch of Depression-era Ginger Cookies. They used bacon grease instead of butter or shortening! I did use Splenda,though. They are delish!

~I did a load of laundry,swept/vacuumed/dusted.

~I went to Goodwill(nothing) and Family Thrift Center(home-made prairie skirt in a tiny calico print with buttons sewn on the front). I tried the new Green Chile nachos at Carl's,Jr. & they are better than Taco Bell.

~I finished the Modern Flapper Hat in CSS Grey Heather, adding a Bright Red Star-flower pin. I also finished the Turtle "Maldon" in RHS Sage Mary/Dark Sage. There was enough Sage Mary leftover to make a Little Octopus.

~I made Mike a bacon cheeseburger sammie for supper.

Mmmmmm!

Granola Snack Cakes-I tweaked my Granola Muffin recipe by substituting 1/4 cup honey for 1/4 cup of the Splenda. They are more moist & chewy!

~I had the morning to myself at work, so I made my alterations to the Palm Sunday bulletins. Fr. Jim liked my changes. I also printed out bulletins for a memorial service tomorrow, helped Julie distribute 16 bags at the food pantry(she is well enough after her knee surgery to resume the food pantry shopping),did final corrections to the 2nd Quarter calender & added a kid's crossword puzzle to the newsletter(thanks,rn. mom!). It was a busier than ususal Thursday!

~I dropped off Granola Cakes for the Napa Boys.

~No new attendees to Date Nite from last weeks Draw Class. The Kahr K9 feels like a .22 comared to the Kahr K40! We did multiples & El Presidentes. I need to work on combat reloads(turn my wrist too much).

Prayer Shawl

Prayer Shawl in RH Pounder Country Rose(donated by Jenn) using a modified version of Shepherd's Crook Crochet Lobster Trap Scarf.

~There was ice on my windshield this morning, but Mike warmed my Jeep up for me.

~It snowed off & on all morning,everything from sleety rain to big,pouffy flakes. It was pretty. Also,the parking lot must have been much warmer than the air,because there was fog rolling off it!

~I made a few corrections on the newsletter, but still have a blank page to fill. Vicki brought a chocolate marble cake for Coffee Hour. It was AWESOME!! When I printed out first-draft bulletins this afternoon, there are 2 blank pages in the center! With the processing of the palms, there is more stuff, but I will have to decide what to with them tomorrow.

~I worked on the Grey Heather hat & the RHS Earth & Sky lap blanket,finishing one skein & adding some brown.

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese sammie while I had clam chowder & multigrain tortilla chips.

Lap blanket idea!

I can use quilt block patterns,designed with squares & rectangles,to make lap blankets in granny squares!

~Work was non-stop! Nothing major,just a bunch of little stuff. Was busy until 3pm.

~Mike drove my Jeep to the auto-body shop to pick up his Bronco.

~I started a Modern Flapper Hat in CSS Grey Heather.

~I made a package of bacon,then a bacon cheeseburger sammie for Mike's supper.

~I worked on the Crea/Green/Blue round ripple lap blanket. Looks like it will be done in one more evening.

Turtle Sold!

I sold Turtle Braiden to Joshua in AZ. He is made of older Red Heart Maypole in Cypress & new RHS Light Gray.

~I stopped at Big Lots where I found some candy on sale. I will put together Easter bags for the Food Pantry clients.

~I helped Chuck load 12 food bags.

~I got groceries at Smith's & WMS.

~I made Cocoa Banana Snack Cakes, swept/vacuumed & did a load of laundry.

~Using RHS Sage Mary, I made a 4-round Stained Glass granny square & started a Turtle,pairing the Sage Mary with RHS Dark Sage.

~Mike is getting some wok done on his truck, so I went & picked him up at4:30pm.

I finished the Prayer Shawl in RHS Pounder(donated by Jenn)Country Rose using the Lobster Trap scarf pattern by Shepherd's Crook Crochet.

The perfect gift for all occasions!

Birthdays,anniversaries,graduations-one size fits all!

~I went to church & coffee hour,did a few office things,too.

~Back home, I made a Boa Scarf with unknown fuzzy sport Scarlet Red/Caron Feathers Seagul(black/gray-I call it Black Swan).

~I picked up Mike at 3pm to go down to the shooting range to help with CCW class. I just assumed I was there to help the ladies, but it turns out that the men seem to have no problem with me helping them. One even shook my hand as he thanked me for my help. Again, it was my own mental thing getting in the way. The students see a more-experienced shooter, not a woman.

Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. Psalm 55:17

I have decided,since we have so much 9mm ammo,that I will carry the Kahr K9 for a while instead of my Kahr K40. They are basicly the same gun,except the K9 carries one more round.

~I attended the quarterly Parish Planning Meeting. Though I sent emails to heads of committees, there were only 5 people there. It lasted about 1 hour.

~Back home, I made Granola Muffins, substituting 1/4 cup Splenda with honey & adding dashes of cloves,allspice & ginger along with the cinnamon. They are awesome! Will try 1/8 cup honey substitution next time.

~I made a Sedona Hat in RHS Water Lily/Aran, a Durango Hat in RHS Aran & Turtle "Yvette" in RHS Water Lily/FrostyGreen.

~I was up at the church for 4pm music practice,but noone was there. I called & found out it had been postponed until 6:45pm!

~I madeMike a bacon cheeseburger sammie for supper.

~I worked on scrap granny squares.

~We both tried a "Shock Top" wheat beer. It was good,but we still like Blue Moon winter ale better.

Cute doll!

Cute little Shaker Girl spool doll. It reminds me of KY!

~I went to Smith's, Albertson's & Dollar Tree for Food Pantry groceries and a few of our own. I dropped the groceries off at the Food Pantry.

~At Goodwill, I found a t-shirt & short-sleeve denim cover shirt. At the Family Thrift Center I found another short-sleeve cover shirt in blue/tan plaid with a little silver thread thrown in.

~Back home, I finished the Turtle in RHS Gemstone/ILTY Navy and named it "Morris".

~I picked up Mike from work at 4pm & we headed down to the range to help with Draw Class. The majority of this group is good & safe.

Lap Blanket

Checkerboard granny square edged in red for the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

~I got everything printed/folded by 11:30am. I then started working on all the extra things for Holy Week. I reminded Fr. Jim about his article for the newsletter. It turned out to be very inspiring. Chuck & I gave out 12 bags at the Food Pantry. Fr. Jim & I made a "road trip" to OfficeMax to order letterhead stationary in smaller sizes for thank-you notes.

~I forgot to take the Napa Boys cookies after work, so I dropped them off when I picked up Mike at 4pm. We headed down to the range to help with Draw Class. Turns out I was needed by one lady who seemed intimidated by the guys. It was a fun time & it helped to reinforce all we have been learning the past 5 1/2 months.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I made roast beef/veggie cream cheese/wheat tortilla pinwheels for the party tonight.

~At work, I mailed bills, worked on bulletins & PoP. Vicki gave me a few hints at Coffee Hour as to making my Chocolate cookies more moist.

~At home, I made Apple Craisin Pecan salad & cut the pinwheels into 1" rounds.

~Thursday Date Nite was moved to tonight. I found another disadvantage to a smaller 3 1/2"-barrel gun. Class 3 malfunctions(empty shell not ejected from chamber)cannot be cleared without running a screwdriver down the barrel to remove the cartridge. But, I did 2 perfect head shots at 25 yards & did 1.68 on the 3-yard drill.

~We did got to a St. Patrick's Day party for about an hour. I took the pinwheels, apple salad & chocolate mint brownies.

Common Sense

Never open your front door until you know who's there.

~At work,I edited bulletins,Prayers of the People & Magnificat. Some of the Brothers of the Hood came by to do some work & I made them a pot of coffee. I also worked on the calenders for the Parish Planning meeting on Saturday. I typed up thank-you letters for donations,starting with January. From now on,I will write letters every week,if there are new donors. I dropped off mail on the way home.

~I started a Turtle in RHS Gemstone/Caron Dark Navy.

~We had pizza for supper.

~The Vestry meeting lasted 1 1/2 hours.

Hat Sold!!

I sold a Roseburg Hat in Fancy Suede/Seasong to Debra in RI.

~I stopped at Big Lots before heading up to the church to help Chuck load 7 bags for the Food Pantry. There are 2 refrigerators in the old kitchen that are used only a few times a year. They have been cleaned,newspaper & baking soda added & Chuck & I added petroleum jelly to the seals to keep them flexible. I took the Easter flower offering inserts out of last weeks bulletins before recycling them. I called in payroll & sorted mail.

~I stopped at Dollar Tree(a bag of Easter candy) & got groceries at WMS.

~Back home,after putting away groceries, I made a pan of Bahama Mama bars & read the paper while having lunch.

~I did 1 1/2 loads of laundry.

~I worked on the Caron Claret Durango Hat,got to the last 2 rounds & ran out of yarn!I unravelled the yarn & made a Kalispell Hat,adding a rose pin I had made previously from unknown black yarn wrapped in a strand of shiny red/green/gold thread, which I took off a previously made Kalispell Hat in Black. To that hat,I added a previously made fuzzy Yellow rose pin. I also finished the Little Octopus in RHS Gemstone.

~My Gardeners Vest arrived from Duluth Trading Company. It will work wonderfully as a concealing garment. Mike is jealous at the lightness of the fabric.

~I made a chicken bacon cheese sammies for Mike's supper.

~I worked on the Cream/Blue/Green round ripple lap blanket. One more evenings work should finish it!

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.Psalm 52:8

I did not feel good this morning. I got light-headed with ringing in my ears & sick to my stomach. I laid back down for a bit & felt better.

~After breakfast, I made raisin bread little sandwiches,some with peanut butter,some with cream cheese, for Coffee Hour.

~When I left the huse, it was raining a little,then turned to huge snowflakes!

~At church,I didn't do too bad my first time co-ushering. Small number for Coffee Hour. The leftovers will be served at the 4:30pm service.

~Back home,I called mom & we talked for 1 hour,20 minutes!

~I started a Little Octopus in RHS Gemstone.

~I played with the kids before Contemporary Service,Mike was surprised. We sang "Amazing Grace" & Lauren's solo was beautiful! Someday, I may get the courage to try a solo myself.

~More rain & snow.

~I worked a little more on the octopus.

Hat Sold!!

I sold a Cheyenne Hat in Iris/Yellow to Ellen in MA. The color is like the color dot. My camera has a hard time with purples & green-blues.

~I went out around 9am to see if I could find some yardsales. I stopped at one,but passed by 2-3. I went to Goodwill & found a Tshirt.

~At 10am, I met Lucy & Anne at the church for Prayer ShawlMinistry. I started a new lap blanket in RHS Earth & Sky. Anne & I discussed writing an article for the monthly newsletter,telling what we do & taking special requests for items other than shawls & lap blankets.

~Back home, I made Chocolate Mint brownies for St. Patrick's Day. I made a Roseburg Hat in LB Cotton Ease Plum & started a Durango Hat in Caron Pounder Claret. I watched The Princess Bride. It was wonderful!

~I attend music practice. The parish hall was rented to the Society for Creative Anachronism. It was neat seeing all the costumes.

~I made Mike a ham/cheese/bacon melt for supper.

~I worked on the Country Rose prayer shawl. We watched "Gamer",which was almost to strange for us.

Mmmmmm!

Craisin Pecan Oatmeal cookies

~I made Cocoa cookies,one sheet plain,2 sheets with peanut butter chips. I used Splenda & mostly wheat flour. They taste good! If anybody knows,would this be considered diabetic-friendly?

~I went to Smith's for food pantry groceries and a few of my own. Since I had yogurt, I came back home to put it away before going back out.

~I took the groceries to the church & took the mail into the office.

~I didn't find anything at Goodwill,but did get a Tshirt,wallet & earring wires at the Family Thrift Center.

~I finished a Durango Hat in Yarnbaby Turquoise,adding a single antiqued silver-tone metal button.

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese sammie for supper.

~I finished a Checkerboard granny square lap blanket,edging it in Red.

The cost of freedom

ABQ Journal-03/11/10
"Concealed Guns OK'd in Beer,Wine Eateries"
~Concealed carry licensees will be able to take their handguns into NM restaurants that serve beer and wine starting July 1. Restaurants opposed to the bill will be able to opt out by posting signs that declare firearms are prohibited. Supporters of the bill said guns are routinely stolen from parked cars-including police cars-and argued it's better to allow licensed carriers to take them into restaurants. State law currently prohibits carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence of alcohol but it is unclear on whether that means it's illegal to consume alcohol while carrying a concealed weapon.

~Loads of snow this morning,about 4",but was melted by noon. It looked like Christmas!

~Printed/folded bulletins with 2 inserts(liturgical readings & Easter flower donations).I brought in the bags of food & eggs for the food pantry. Julie,who has been off for knee surgery for 3 weeks,came up on crutches about 5 minutes before we opened. I will continue to do the shopping for a few more weeks. We gave away 7 bags, the lowest number ever,according to Chuck.

~I dropped off Ginger Coconut bars for the Napa Boys and deposited a check in the credit union.

~Date Nite-lots of timed shooting from 3-25 yards. Close to the end,at the 2-yard mark,first shots,lowest at 1.67.

Hats Sold!!

Durango Hat in Roasted Pumpkin
Durango Hat in Hot Red
Tulsa Hat in Black

I sold all the above hats to Carol in MO.

~I started a load of laundry before leaving for work.

~With work being slow, I was able to fellowship with the "Wednesday Morning Mafia" after 10am mass. It was great! I worked a little on everything & mailed bills.

~Mike finished the laundry for me!

~I started a Durango Hat in Baby Bee Hushabye(50% acrylic/50% cotton) "Surfmommy"(turquoise blue).

~I made Mike a bacon cheeseburger sammiefor supper. I has chicken corn chowder.

~I worked on the Cream/Blue/Green round ripple lap blanket.

The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. Psalm 50:1

~At work, I dropped off the sorted dry beans in the food pantry & the mini wheat bagels in the kitchen freezer. I worked some on bulletins, PoP & the newsletter. I washed down a few spots where the trash cans are in the conference room. Fr Jim said we should repaint the walls. I agree! I made new Easter Lily donation sheets that should fold/fit easier in the envelopes.

~At home, I made bacon. Mmmmmm!

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese sammie for supper while I had crunchy peanut butter/apple butter on a wheat tortilla.

~I worked on the Lobster Trap Country Rose prayer shawl.

Scarves Sold!

Boa Scarf in Sundance/Ablaze

Boa Scarf in Berry Twist/Garden Sprout

~I sold 2 Boa Scarves to Crystal in PA.

~I got a few things at Big Lots before heading to the church to help Chuck load bags for the food pantry.

~I stopped by Goodwill(nothing)before getting groceries at Albertson's & WMS.

~Back home, I swept,vacuumed & dusted.

~Using an unknown multicolor in spruce green/cornmeal yellow/merlin blue that I call "Norse", I made Turtle "Kell" with a RHS Light Periwinkle body, a 4-round Stained Glass granny square and a Little Octopus.

~I made Mike a bacon cheeseburger sammie for supper.

~Lynn,our neighbor from across the street,came over for a 1/2 cup of flour. This was a first for me!

Buffalo Gourds

Buffalo Gourds grow wild here in the foothills. I found tese dried ones at a rummage sale & sent them to John to see what he can do with them. I have 2 on the back patio drying,but the process takes about a year!

~I finished a Boa Scarf in Smoked Almond(brownish sport yarn from "The Yarn Fairy")/NoBo eyelash/confetti Frothy Cream.

~I attended 10:30am mass & had a nice talk with Ms. Edla. I also was asked by Ms. Jean to attend a brunch she is planning in the next few weeks.

~I went home,changed into work clothes & did more Spring Clean-up at the church. I timmed bushes & helped scoop up pine needles. It was windy & sprinkling off & on, but we got alot done in the 1 1/2 hours we were all there.

~I went at 3:55pm to pickup Mike from work. We went down to the range to help with the CCW class. I am getting more comfortable helping out with weapon handling & stance. Hard to believe that this was me only 2 years ago! I've come a long way,baby!

Mmmmmm!

Peanut butter cookies with peanut chunks & mini Reeses peanut butter cup chunks.

~At 8:30am, I went up to the church to help with Spring Cleanup. I blew the leaves out of the rose garden(the main thing I wanted to do) then helped clean up along that side of the church. I also cleaned up branches trimmed from the evergreen trees in the front. It was a productive morning with all the others that helped.

~I did 2 small loads of laundry.

~I made a special-order Cheyenne Hat in Caron Pounder Iris with a rose pin in Jiffy True Yellow.

~I attended music practice & let everybody know that Mike & I will be attending Sunday afternoon service every other week.

Americans Safer

"The Districtof Columbia's murder rate plummeted by an astounding 25% last year, much faster than for the US as a whole or for similiarly sized cities." John Lott on Big Government

~I went to Smith's to get groceries for the food pantry. I also went to a different Dollar Tree than I usually do & was glad to see they still had the 2 for $1 condensed soups we use for the food pantry. I took the groceries to the church & put them away.

~I went home & put my groceries away then went back out.

~At Goodwill, I got 3 T-shirts. At Family Thrift Center I got 1 T-shirt. I had Taco Bell for lunch.

~I made Turtle "Jonina" in unknown Verbena(shaded from medium purple,pink & pale gray)/Medium Purple.

Hat Sold!!

I sold a Girly Hat in Lilac/Cornflower/Fern to Courtney in TX.

~Got all the bulletins, readings & POP printed/folded by noon. I helped Chuck hand out 11 bags. I went over to the food pantry & wrote a grocery list before leaving church.

~I dropped off Craisin Pecan Oatmeal cookies for the Napa boys. They have rehired the dispatcher & brought another guy over from another Napa store 3 days a week.

~Date Nite was educational. We spent all evening working on short distance timed shooting. While I can go fast at 3 yards(lowest number 1.83),I need to work on myself mentally to get comfortable doing it. I know,it sounds strange.

It is beautiful in its loftiness,the joy of the whole earth. Psalm 48:2a

At work,I worked on 2nd-quarter calender for the planning meeting in 2 weeks. I worked on the bulletins. I showed Fr Jim how to put new backgrounds on his deskstop & he showed me how to blind email.

~I came home,then Mike & I went back out to the credit union. He cut his own hair!

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese sammie while I had chicken corn chowder.

~I worked on the Cream/Blue/Green round ripple lap blanket.

Candy Bowls

Set of bowls from Goodwill($1.99). I plan to use them for my office to hold candy. Mike said they looked like 1940's,though they are new. I will,most likely,make an oval doily for them to rest on.

~The week after newsletter printing always seems so slow. I worked some on bulletins, POP,printed out 3 welcome letters. I handed out several new keys.

~Mike finished the laundry for me!

~I worked on the Country Rose prayer shawl.

~We had pizza for supper & watched "Up". It was too cute!

Lap Blanket

Lap Blanket in bright shade of pink, turquoise, yellow & lime join in purple.

~After breakfast, Mike came with me to Smith's to pickup pork & beans, mac & cheese, vienna sausage & tomato soup for the food pantry.

~I stopped by Big Lots(nothing)before heading up to the church & unloaded groceries & helped Chuck load food bags. I went to the office to call in payroll & sort mail.

~I stopped at Goodwill & found 2 coordinating bowls that will look better on my office desk to hold candy than the cheapy basket that are there now(leftover from the last person).

~At Dollar Tree, I got crackers & soup for the food pantry.

~I got groceries at WMS.

~Back home,after putting groceries away, I cleaned the house.

~I made a Girly Hat in CSS Mango/Limelight & worked on granny squares.

~Mike had to close the store,so didn't get home until after 6:30pm. I made him a bacone cheeseburger sammie for supper.