For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

Sunrise over Socorro, NM

~I finished a Diamond Prayer Shawl in Caron one pound "Lace". This is a way too feminine name for this tan yarn, so I will be calling it "Desert Sand".

~Mike took me to work, leaving the sprinkler on on small south lawn. It is so brown, it may not survivie! I got the bulletins done, printed out labels for pamphlet(then forgot to put them on!), & stuffed plastic eggs with chocolate & fruity Tootsie Rolls! They didn't tempt me at all. 16 bags were given away at the Food Pantry. Mike came & watered the trees.

~Date Nite:After warm-ups, we went down range & did the "crunch" drill. You lay on your back, with your legs out straight & your shoulders off the floor, holding the "crunch" position for 2 minutes before shooting at the target about 7 yards away, in the lower belly section. We then got to rest for about 30 seconds & did it again, holding the "crunch" for about 1 minute. Holding the crunch was not hard on my stomach(I do 150 crunches every morning),but affects the breathing, which you have to keep steady to keep the sights on the target. The purpose of the drill is you've been shot in the leg & can't stand. You know the bad guy is still around & you must be ready, no matter how long it takes. This is now referred as the "Cat Drill" by the instructor, LOL.

Good Morning!

I love vintage cards. Sweet!!

~We went to work early to fold/tape/stamp/address the newsletter. I mailed bills, worked on bulletins & did PoP for all of April.

~I worked on the Rainbow round ripple, adding 3 rows of Royal blue.

~We had grilled cheesy hotdog wrapds for supper & watched the last 2 episodes of Justified Season 1.

Prayer Shawl

Diamond shawl in Candlelight. This was given to Janelle's friend, Nancy,via St. Mary's Prayer Shawl Ministry. Nancy had surgery & went into a coma for 12 days. On the day she was given this Prayer Shawl, she woke from the coma. God is awesome!

~Mike took me to work. I got a call from Fr. Jim saying he wouldn't be in til after lunch. A clergy thing down at the Diocese. Ms. Jeannine came in to do edits on the newsletter. I got them all printed & collated, some even folded! I worked on bulletins.

~I made a Sweet Skullcap in RH Lustersheen Rally Red/Deep Violet.

~We had bacon cheeseburger wraps for supper.

~Mike attended a mandatory Napa seminar.

DaVinci Syrup

A great sugar-free way to sweeten coffee. Mike uses this in the morning(raspberry)/evening(caramel) mocha drinks he makes me. I also use it to make Sweet Cream Cheese spread(1/3 fat cream cheese+2Tbsp syrup). Sadly, I can only find 3-4 (it comes in 50!) in grocery stores of the sf flavors. It is heavy,so the cost of shipping makes it prohibitive to mail-order.

~I did my normal Monday morning stuff, I just had Mike chauffeur me around! Big Lots for soup, loading food bags at the Food Pantry, Hobby Lobby for a skein of I Love This Yarn Dark Olive(used the last of my $25 gift card) & Goodwill. Mike got a shirt & used a "senior-55" discount for the first time ever! I have always told him that's why I married him-to get the senior discount 13 years early!!

~Back home, I made a pan of fudge brownies. After lunch, we went to Susan's to see what is needed to get her a/c up & running. Mike plans to do it tomorrow.

~I have to admit that i watched trash TV & took a nap!

~I worked on the Rainbow rr lap blanket, finishing off the purple.

~We watched 3 more episodes of Justified Season 1.

Exercise...

Having the right of self-protection ensures the right to free speech, religion & assembly.

~We got groceries at Walmart & Smiths.

~We attended 10:30am service, where I was Acolyte #1. Sara had called in sick. I didn't drop anything & rang the bells at the right times!

~I made a few stained glass granny squares & started a Sedona Hat in RHS Burgundy/LBVC Charcoal Print.

~We attended 4:30pm service.

Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. Psalm 83:18

~Mike & I went yard-saling. I got a little Boyd's bear, 2 skeins of yarn. Mike got a SOB holster. After lunch, We did some yard work in the back. I trimmed the rose bushes & pulled weeds. Mike worked on the sprinklers & sprayed for bugs. ~I finished a Girly hat in CSS Dark Country blue/Tan & a Fuzzy Hat in CSS Mango/LB Fun Fur Confetti. ~We had grilled hotdog wraps for supper & watched Robin Hood. It is surprisingly sweet for an action movie. It has become one of our favs!

"Rise and rise again until lambs become lions."

Hat Sold!!

Sedona Hat in Fuzzy Olive/Black sold to Dina in CA(repeat customer)

~Mike is on vacation! We get to spend the day together!! We went to the big Goodwill on San Mateo. Mike got a floral cover shirt. I got a pair of boots, some yarn & a cover shirt. At Savers, I got a sleeveless shirt. At Thriftown, Mike got a man chair. It's okay,though,because it is the same evergreen color as some of the fabric in the wall quilt. We were done by noon.

~Back home, I made bacon, swept the floors and did 2 loads of laundry.

~I worked on the Rainbow rr lap blanket.

~We had bacon cheeseburger wraps for supper & watched 3 more episodes of Justified.

Real?

I got these "pearls" for $1.99 at the Family Thrift Center for my "Pretty in Pink" costume. I don't know if they are real or not. They were heavier than the obvious plastic ones & the clasp is old-style. Either way, I like the graduated size & would wear them again.

~Mike took me to work. I got the bulletins done & 250 more labels on the church pamphlets. We gave away 20 bags at the Food Pantry. Mike watered the trees.

~Date Nite: After warmups, we did timed shooting. I.5, & 1.7,respectively. I do better if I slow down & go over it in my head(shoot 2, reload,shoot 2). I need to adjust my stance a bit to get my sights on target sooner. It's always a good night if I learn something!

Lap Blanket

Granny Square Lap Blanket in Peruvian Print, Light Periwinkle, Brown & White joined in Copperglo. For the Tom, who will be baptised on Easter Day, via St. Mary's Prayer Shawl Ministry.

~Mike drove me to work. He picked up a couple of empty boxes to sort stuff at home. I finished updating the events calendar on the website & worked on the bulletins. All the Wednesday ladies took Vicki to lunch for her birthday, so it was just me, Fr. Jim & Roy at Coffee Hour. I added 2 new names to the Parish List. Mike picked me up, taking the 2 big bags of donated yarn home.

~I worked on the Rainbow Round Ripple,finishing the orange & starting the red.

Santa Fe Carb Chopper Tortillas

Our mantra is "Fiber is our friend!" One of these wraps has 7 grams!! I have one every day for lunch with Jif Extra Crunchy peanut butter & Knudsens organic apple butter. I sometimes have these twice a day as they are fast & filling. They get brown & crunchy when grilled in a skillet.

~It has turned cold & I had to wear a tweed blazer to work! I worked on bulletins & the newsletter most of the day. Norm came in & payed the bills,which I mailed/filed. I dropped off Peanut Butter Crispies for the Napa boys on the way home.

~I started a Round Ripple with vintage Orange & finished the Light Gray/Scrap granny square lap blanket. I did have to do the edging in Black,becuase I ran out of the Light Gray.

~We watched "Legend of the Guardians:The Owls of Ga'Hoole". I wasn't too sure about it at first, but I ended up liking it. It clearly had good vs. evil & good won.

Feminist

Three ladies at the CCW class last night=three ladies one step closer to self-reliance!

~I stopped at Big Lots(meals for me, crackers for the nursery)before heading up to the church to load bags at the Food Pantry. I got raspberry syrup & juice boxes(for the nursery) & also stopped at Goodwill. I tried on 2 pair of pants, but neither fit right.

~Back home, I made Peanut Butter Crispies, swept the floors & did a load of laundry.

~I made a Durango Hat in RHS Aran Fleck.

~We had bacon cheeseburger wraps for supper.

~I worked on the Light Gray scrap granny square lap blanket.

~We watched 2 more episodes of Justified.

In your distress you called and I rescued you,I answered you out of a thundercloud; Psalm 81:7a&b

Clovis,NM

~We got groceries at Walmart & Smiths.

~I took Mike to work then went on up to the church. Anne & I talked for a while before the service about various ideas & projects for the summer. I "suited up" for Acolyte #2, doing pretty good(remembered the cushion!),but almost forgot the plates!. Jack said I did good and am ready to try Acolyte #1, which has more responsibilities. I helped Anne with Coffee Hour cleanup.

~When I got back home, I saw that Mike had left the sprinklers on & the patio door unlocked!

~I went down to Napa at 1:45pm to show Jason the Ruger LCP that Mike is getting rid of since he put a Kimber solo on lay-a-way. I think it's too tiny & would never carry it myself.

~Mike & I helped with CCW class.

Mmmmmm!

Peanut Butter Whopper Bars

~I finished the Venetian Rose prayer shawl.

~I attended the Quarterly Parish Planning Meeting & Acolyte training. Afterwards, I dropped off Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing for the Napa Boys.

~Back home, I pulled weeds in the front yard, made a Roseburg Hat in RHS Aran Fleck with a Camel tan flower pin & started putting to gether the scrap granny square lap blanket with RHS Light Gray.

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

~We watched the first 3 episodes of the first season of Justified. We like it!

Prayer Shawl

Diamond in Royal

~I got groceries for the Food Pantry at Smiths & Dollar Tree. After dropping them off, I went to Goodwill(dress pants)& Family Thrift Center(shirt, vest & small picture).

~Back home, I spent about 45 minutes trying to put together another acolyte outfit. I like to wear pants & have one pair of Dockers in gray heather, but they are a fall/winter weight. The new pair of pants I got at Goodwill are Ann Taylor black/gray herringbone in a thinner fabric. The shirt I got at FTC will not work because it is too short to cover what needs to be covered. The pants will work with a longer turquoise camp shirt I already had in the closet. BTW, the vest I got is a Travelsmith cargo-style that was $60 online. I got it for $4.99! Woot!!

~I added a Black cotton flower pin to the Dark Rose Roseburg hat I made last Sunday. I also made a Girly Hat in CSS Orchid/off White.

~Mike closed the store. I made him PB/AB for supper.

~I worked on the Venetian Rose shawl.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

~Mike drove me to work, where I had almost 45 minutes to myself. I used the time to cleanup graphics I use in the bulletins & newsletters. Ms. Jeannine came in around 10:30am to do the few edits to the bulletins. Her & Fr. jim then went to a luncheon, so I was, again, by myself until Chuck came in for the Food Pantry. We handed out 14 bags. I took the cart back over to the storage room & made a grocery list. Fr. Jim brought me back a slice of chocolate cake from the luncheon! He knows me too well!! I did get all the bulletins done & spent the rest of the afternoon cleanig up more graphics. Mike came up & watered the trees.

~Date Nite: Warmups followed by timed drills with combined strong-hand/weak-hand, then shooting on the move after the break with multiple targets & shooting from retention. Good times!

Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder

I have to admit, I am a Dark Chocolate ho! I love this cocoa powder because it is sugar-free & has fiber & iron. Mike makes me a mocha drink every morning & 2-3 times a week in the evenings. I will sometimes use it in baking,but have found that I need more sweetener than when using regular cocoa powder.

Cat's Mocha

20-oz. dark roast coffee

1Tbsp Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder

1Tbsp 1/2 & 1/2

2Tbsp DaVinci's sugar-free Raspberry syrup(review on this product at a later date)

Cheaper than coffeehouse drinks,but just as yummy!

~Mike drove me to owrk. At the office, I wrote up the minutes from last nights Vestry meeting, paid bills, enjoyed Coffee Hour, worked on the newsletter & bulletins. I sorted through the donated yarn & most of it is wool or wool-blend,which we can't use for prayer shawls or lap blankets. I'll have Lucy & Anne look through it. If they don't want it, I'll use it for other stuff.

~I made a Sweet Skullcap in RH Lustersheen White with Country Rose flower pin.

~We had grilled cheesy hotdog wraps for supper.

~I finished the Peruvian granny lap blanket. It is gorgeous!!

~We watched Salt. It was just ok. She was a chick with a gun(cool!), but I like movies with happy endings & this was not it.

Fight Back!

Power+Speed+Accuracy=Empowerment

~When I got into the office, there were 2 HUGE bags of yarn on the chairs! I had gotten a call last week from a lady at St. Michael and All Angels church, asking if we could use yarn. I said yes, we had a Prayer Shawl Ministry & would love it. I so wanted to look through it all,but had a busy day with working on bulletins, setting up a vestry notebook, helping Fr. Jim with his marriage counseling book & doing edits on the Seven Last Words bulletin for Good Friday. Maybe tomorrow!

~Back home, I worked on the Peruvian lap blanket while watching "Pretty in Pink". Mike closed the store, so we had PB/AB wraps when he got home. I then couldn't find my bi-fold that holds my licenses! We looked everywhere in the house & could not find it!! I had to go "nekid" to the Vestry meeting. It went good with the Sr. Warden doing an exercise to see how well we knew each other.

~When we got home, I found my bi-fold in the front bath. It is the same color as the squares on the throw rug & it had just blended in. I'm so happy!

Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival. Psalm 81:3

Moonrise over Taos, NM

~I stopped by Big Lots(soup, almonds, card, yarn)before heading up to the church to load bags at the Food Pantry. I also gathered recyclables, called in payroll & sorted mail.

~At Hobby Lobby, I used a 40%-off coupon on a skein of CSS pagoda & picked up 3 sheets of scrapbooking paper & an egg cookie cutter to make decor for the office for April.

~At Albertson's, I got Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, which Mike uses in my mocha.

~Back home, I did a load of laundry, swept the floors & dusted the furniture.

~I made a Modern Flapper Hat in CSS Limelight/Raspberry.

~I made the last 6 squares for the Peruvian granny lap blanket in White, then started joining them together randomly with vintage Columbia Minerva Nantuk 4-ply Copperglo(rust). It looks awesome!

~I made Mike a bacon cheeseburger wrap for supper.

Mmmmmm!

S'more Brownies

~We got groceries at Walmart & Smith's.

~I ushered at the 10:30am service & helped at Coffee Hour.

~Back home, I made a Roseburg hat in vintage Tina of California Ultra Loft Orlon Acrylic Dark Rose. I have never heard of this brand before. It is suprisingly soft.

~We attended 4:30pm service.

Hat Sold!!

Roseburg Hat in Ballerina Pink/Black Swan sold to Lynn in NY

~Mike forgot his lunch, so I dropped it off before heading up to the church. I spent about half an hour pulling weeds & picking up trash. At Prayer Shawl Ministry, I worked on the CSS Venetian Rose mesh shawl. Afterwards, I dropped off Peanut Butter Whopper bars for the Napa Boys.

~Back home, after lunch, I measured out the sugar & dry beans for the Food Pantry.

~I made a Neck Warmer in LBWEC Spice.

~I made Mike grilled hotdog cheesy wrap for supper.

~We watched Journey to the Center of the Earth. It's a fun movie!

Scarf Sold!!

Scroogey Scarf in Orange sold to Diana in NJ

~I made Ginger Coconuttys, a package of bacon, swept the floors.

~I got groceries for the Food Pantry at Smith's & Dollar Tree. I dropped them off at the church, then headed to Goodwill(nothing) & Family Thrift Center(sandals & skirt).

~Back home, after lucnh, I made a Durango Hat in 2 strands fuzzy Winter Mist.

~Mike closed the store.

Pepper Jack Cheese

I like a little "heat" in my breakfast, so I add a slice of Tillamook Pepper Jack cheese to my omelet wrap. Though a little more expensive then other brands, this cheese is thick sliced & more flavorful.

~Mike drove me to work, where I had the office to myself for about an hour until Ms. Jeannine came in for bulletin edits. Fr. Jim came in around 10:45am. I got all the bulletins done by 11:30am. I started on next weeks bulletins. Mike came by & watered the trees.

~I started a new Scroogey scarf in unknown cream/scraps.

~I made Mike a chicken bacon cheese wrap for supper. I had PB/AB wrap.

~Mike had a Napa meeting, so no Date Nite. I crocheted & watched Men in Black.

Save the spice for the kitchen!

I do carry pepper spray, just as I carry other tools for protection(knife, cell phone), but it is not my primary means of protection.

~Mike dropped me off at work, then went to Lowe's for more roach spray(killed one inthe bedroom this morning!) before coming back to attend Ash Wednesday service with me. We had 41 attendees. I paid bills, redid the Ash Wednesday bulletin for tonights service & worked on the April newsletter. Mike picked me up & we dropped off mail before heading home.

~I finished the Off-White(now known as Candlelight) Diamond prayer Shawl.

~We had grilled hotdog wraps for supper.

~I made a Roseburg Hat in the leftover "Candlelight" yarn.

~We watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It's awesome!!

Hat Sold!!

Roseburg Hat in Light Gray/Wine sold to Frances in TX

~It actually snowed for about 30 seconds this morning, just when Fr. Jim came into work. I tried out the new Gevalia coffee pot Jean donated to the office conference room. It works good, but only holds 8 cups! Fr. Jim & me got the ladder from the storage room to help Dorothy & Vicki drape fabric over the crucufix. I printed out bulletins for Ash Wednesday, worked on calendars for the parish planning meeting & Fr. jim helped me with the Lent bulletins. I dropped off mail on the way home.

~Mike got off early & we went up to the church for Shrove Tuesday pancake supper hosted by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. It was a great turnout! Bishop Vono joined us. He's cool!! We stayed to help cleanup.

Mmmmmm!

Carrot Applesauce Cake

~I swept the floor & started laundry before heading to Big Lots. They have no more plain Rudy's pork skins, but I did get a bag of seedy tortilla chips.

~I watered the potted calla lily someone left in the columbaria, like anne asked me to while she is gone. She plans to add it to the garden. I helped Chuck load bags at the food pantry & printed out a bulletin for Ash Wednesday for Ms. Jeannine to edit.

~I got a few groceries at Candelaria Albertson's.

~Back home, I made Peanut Butter Whopper Bars. They smell AWESOME!!

~I made kid hats with double-strands sport/fingering yarns. Girl hats in Pastel Green/Baby Print & White/Baby print & a boy hat in Orange/Navy.

~Mike had texted me that he was closing, but actually got home around 5:30pm. I made him a pb/ab wrap for supper.

The mountains were covered with its shade,the mighty cedars with its branches. Psalm 80:10

Pinon Pine atop Sandstone Hoodoo

~Mike has the day off!! We got groceries at Walmart & Smith's.

~We went to 10:30am service where I was 2nd Acolyte. I did acolyte Christmas Day, but this time, it was real. Other than forgetting to put down the cushion after closing the gates, I did ok. Mike went over & put out stuff for Coffee Hour & we both cleaned up afterwards.

~We helped out at CCW class.

Hats Sold!!

Girly Hat in Winding River/Mochatini

Flapper Beanie in Cafe/Claret

Both hats sold to Dina in CA

~I made half the pan of Fudge brownies I made yesterday into S'more Brownies for the Napa Boys.

~I attended Daughters of the King, went to Goodwill & Family Thrift Center(nothing), dropped off S,more brownies for the Napa Boys & had Beef Super nachos from Carl's Jr for lunch.

~OI made a Sedona hat in double strand Woodsy Plush & a toddler hat in single strand Woodsy plush.

~I attended music practice.

~Mike didn't get home until late,so I made him pb/ab wrap for supper.

Justice...

"Aim small,miss small" - The Patriot

~I made chocolate fudge brownies, swept the floors, vacuumed the rugs and wiped down the bath. Now to the important things like drinking tea & crocheting!

~I made a Neckwarmer in Caron Dazzleaire Olive, a Boyfriend Beanie in RHS Cafe/CD Olive & worked some on scrap granny squares.

~We had bacon cheeseburger wraps for supper.

Neckwarmer Sold!!

Neckwarmer in Wheat/Black sold to Dasa in OR

~Mike drove me to work. I finished the pamphlet labels. Fr. Jim showed me the edits on the bulletins. I had them done in no time! Mike called around 10:30 & came up for me to drive him into work since he got called in. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on Lent bulletins.

~Date Nite:After warmups, we worked on controlling recoil, which means making sure everything is locked out & watching the sights. After break, we went down range & worked on multiple bad guys with recoiling & swinging to 2nd & 3rd targets.

Mmmmmm!

Oatmeal Chocolate Rainbow Chip Cookies

~Mike replaced the thermostat & added something to the braking system of my jeep even before he took me to work! I mailed bills, enjoyed fellowship & spent most of the afternoon working on applying labels to the pamphlets. Mike came by around 2:10pm to water the trees.

~We had chicken bacon cheese wraps for supper.

~I worked on the Off-White diamond shawl.

~We watched the original True Grit. It was cool!

Janelle's Scarf

Artisan Scarf in LB Incredible City Lights

~First thing at the office, I took down the February hearts & started putting up the plaid/paisley March shamrocks. Fr. Jim came in early,as well as Fred to pick up the parochial report. I worked on an Ash Wednesday bulletin & new labels for the church pamphlets. Busy day!

~I finished the Garland of Blossoms scarf in vintage Dazzleaire Shaded orange/Olive. It is so pretty & soft!

~We had grilled hotdog wraps for supper.