Nothing like the Smell of Home Made Bread

90 Minute Bread

5 cups warm water
5 Tbsp. yeast (6 pkg.)
1 heaping tsp. salt
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
5 Tbsp. shortening
8 – 9 cups Flour (I needed more)

Dissolve the yeast in water. Add shortening, salt, sugar and ½ of the flour. Continue mixing until batter is smooth. Add rest of the flour until there is a soft dough but not sticky. Put in a large bowl, cover and let rise for 15 to 30 minutes. Punch down and knead on a floured surface. Divide dough into four loaves and place in greased bread pans. Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove bread from pans immediately after taking out of the oven.

Second Challenge #2

JCS 2001 Christmas Special Issue

The Sweetheart Tree

Designer: Sandra Cox Vanosdall

Stitched on 14 Ct. Aida

DMC Floss

Challenge # 2

Michaels Free Project Sheet

12/30/02

Stitched on 14 Ct. Aida

DMC Satin Thread and Metalic Floss

Christmas 2008 Pajamas

Grandpa was even surprised to get some PJ's this year. I think the kids liked matching Grandpa and each other.

My Christmas Memories

This year, Ashley and Marissa gave me a book that had all the kids Christmas pictures with Santa in it and all or their favorite Christmas memories. This was priceless to me sense I had been feeling like no one cared what I did each Christmas. So with this in mind, I did this:
Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. If there are boxes I usually wrap but if there are odd sizes or small things, bags work great.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Now that we live here in Arizona I have gone artificial. I do miss the real trees and going to Carnation to cut it ourselves.
3. When do you put up the tree? First weekend of December. If it is real, we wait a bit later because it gets so dry here in AZ.
4.When do you take the tree down? Sometime after Christmas. Will keep it up for Marissa coming on the first this year.
5. Do you like eggnog? I used to but got tired of it over the years. (store bought)
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Spirograph. I loved play with it.
7. Hardest person to buy for? SIL.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Marissa, she needs a lot being on the East coast.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, Many.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Still working on it for this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don’t really remember but I did get a few things that I have wondered what were they thinking.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Christmas Box. (I love the book, The Christmas Jar)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I don’t like to shop so I am looking all year long for gifts. Most of the time, I make gifts and I work on them all year long.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, usually a white elephant type party.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I like the Eggs Benedict Christmas morning that DH fixes. It is a special treat and a wonderful tradition.
16. Lights on the tree? Small clear lights that come with the artificial tree.
17. Favorite Christmas song? I like the Hymns but enjoy Faith Hill’s Christmas CD.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at Home. I’m the grand ma and they come to me.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Most of them, I just try and sing the song. LOL
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Normally it is Christmas day, but this year we did it Christmas Eve because of our Children’s schedules.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The commercialism and crowds everywhere you go.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? No specific but ornaments that I have collected from all the places we have traveled over the years and the ones I have made.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? A prosperous New Year.
24. Angel on the tree top or a star? I usually put an angel but this year I couldn’t reach the top so it is bare.
25. Favorite Christmas dinner? Traditionally we have Turkey.

Blessings of Having the Internet

I was sent this by a special friend and thought I would add it here. I had been thinking these last few days how nice it is to stay connected to family and friends when we aren't able to be together. It has even enable me to find family that I haven't seen or talked to for many years. When doing Family History, I have felt a bond to my family and greater sense of bridging the gap between past and present. The other blessing is the opportunity to have access to geneology records. Marissa has been a wonderful example of doing Family History and I appreciate her helping me catch the vision of the work that needs to be done. So here is to all my family and friends that I am able to be with, even if it is only on the Internet.

To God.com
Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:
God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm
For they're so close to me.
And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.
Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord..
You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.
I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.
By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.
Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.
Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits 'send'.
When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to GOD.com
AMEN

Preparing for Christmas

I saw this and thought I would use this to get ready for Christmas. Sense this year I wanted to put more emphasis on the real purpose of the Holiday. I like this because it goes along with the 12 days of Christmas I did for Seminary/Missionaries.
Here are Scriptures for the Month of December:

1 1 Nephi 11:14-20
2 Matthew 25:37-40
3 2 Nephi 9:21
4 Isaiah 9:6
5 Enos 1:5-8
6 Moroni 7:33
7 Helaman 5:12
8 3 Nephi 13:19-20
9 D&C 88:7-11
10 Alma 7:7
11 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
12 Mosiah 3:5-6
13 Ether 3:14-15
14 2 Nephi 33:10
15 Mark 10:44
16 Matthew 18:20
17 3 Nephi 1:13
18 Mosiah 15:1
19 Alma 36:18-22
20 2 Nephi 26:24
21 Matthew 24:42
22 2 Nephi 31:20
23 Matthew 11:28
24 3 Nephi 1:13
25 Luke 1:10-11
26 John 1:45
27 Mosiah 3:20
28 Acts 1:11
29 John 14:14
30 Luke 2:19
31 John 14:18,27

Seasonal Stitch Along

Quick and Easy Cross Stitch

Aug/Sept 1990

32 ct Belfast Linen

DMC thread

AL MVP

Our neighbor, Dustin Pedrioa won the MVP yesterday for the American League. Dustin plays 2nd Base for the Boston Red Socks. Pretty exciting.

What House Are You In?

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

This pretty much sums it up. I do like all things Harry Potter. I guess I need to make a House Scarf In the Hufflepuff colors.

My Personality Type

You Are An ISFJ
The Nurturer
You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.
A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways.
In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.
You find it easy to be devoted to one person... a partner who you do special things for.
In love, you express your emotions through actions.Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well!
At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time.You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.
How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented
When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

Halloween Memories

Halloween Memories

As I took Sevrine to preschool this morning and saw all the kids in their costumes I reminded me of Halloweens past and the things I remember most. I remember when my brother Paul and I were in the Kimberly Halloween parade and won $5 for our rendition of the school mascot. Thanks to Sharon, we used the Bulldog suit (Paul) and I as the clown leading him along.
On a less funnier note I remember when we sponsored the family from Vietnam. Pae Ling came home from school to see the paper plate skeleton that I had made on the front door. Not accustomed to our holidays, she freaked out. Later we learned that coming from this war torn country, skeletons were everywhere and it wasn’t a pleasant site. After that I have not liked this aspect of Halloween decorations.
The trick-or-treating reminds me of when we could see if we could hit the whole town of Kimberly before our curfew. Remembering which houses gave the best stuff. In Somerset the kids made a beeline to the “Oberto” house to get the beef jerky, or the house where our neighbors in the Crest gave out samples from “Johnson and Johnson”.
Now living in Arizona, Halloween brings new traditions of sitting out on the driveway handing out candy. Not letting our pumpkins rot in the heat and resorting to painting them instead of carving. Getting full size candy bars is still a treat to be envied. At temps in the 80’s this makes for a pleasant evening. Families have turned to “Trunk r Treats” to get away from on the crazies and the treats that aren’t as appetizing. The Smurfs costumes I made have yet to be recycled. One of these years they might just make a comeback.

Tagged!

This is from Marissa. I won't tag anyone sense she tagged everyone that I would have.

TAG - You're IT!
1. Where is your cell phone? In my pocket
2. Where is your significant other? In the basement, working
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? A nurse, died November 30, 1998
5. Your father? A Veteran, died September 23, 1983
6. Your favorite thing? Doing needlework, reading and watching sports on TV.
7. Your dream last night? Can’t remember
8. Your dream/goal? Survive this crisis
9. The room you're in? spare bedroom
10. Your hobby? Needlework and reading
11. Your fear? Losing my house
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Living comfortably and serving in the Temple.
13. Where were you last night? at home
14. What you're not? Confident!
15. One of you're wish-list items? Enough!
16. Where you grew up? Kimberly, Idaho
17. Last thing you did? Stitch group.
18. What are you wearing? Cords and shirt.
19. Your TV? Baseball game
20. Your pet? Rusty (Marissa’s)
21. Your computer? PC
22. Your mood? Worried, tired and stressed.
23. Missing someone? Yes. Marissa
24. Your car? Mazda Tribute
25. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
26. Favorite store? Any craft store.
27. Your summer? Hot.
28. Love someone? Love my family and a few close friends
29. Your favorite color? - Blue
30. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? When haven’t I cried?

Endure to the End

The Atonement Gives Us the Strength to Endure
"The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the healing it offers do much more than provide the opportunity for repentance from sins. The Atonement also gives us the strength to endure 'pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind,' because our Savior also took upon Him 'the pains and the sicknesses of his people' (Alma 7:11). Brothers and sisters, if your faith and prayers and the power of the priesthood do not heal you from an affliction, the power of the Atonement will surely give you the strength to bear the burden."
Dallin H. Oaks, "He Heals the Heavy Laden," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 9

I am searching for comfort and peace while facing the challenges of the present.

Random thoughts!

I Am... A child of God.
I Think... Too much sometimes to the point of worrying myself sick.
I Know... My Redeemer Lives
I Have...To let go of the past because it affects the future and doesn't let me enjoy today.
I Wish... I didn’t worry so much!
I Miss … having a free schedule during the day.
I Fear... loosing my home.
I Feel... betrayed
I Hear... Stereo…neighbors are moving.
I Smell... ?
I Crave... no demands for my time.
I Search... For answers to prayers
I Wonder... Where I will be in a year!
I Regret... Lots but would have it made a difference!
I Love... Peace of mind and heart
I Ache... For DH who has more worries than I
I Am Not... Desperate yet!
I Believe... We will get through this trial.
I Dance... With grandkids who don’t care if I know how…
I Sing... Not much, sense Colleen does all the singing
I Cry... More than I like, I’m just emotional.
I Don't Always... Exercise enough Faith.
I Fight... Trying to please everyone.
I Write... To vent my feelings!
I Win... If I can endure to the end.
I Never... Say never! It can get you in trouble!
I Always... Need my Savior!
I Confuse... Need and Want sometimes
I Listen... When all is quite and no distractions.
I Can Usually Be Found... At home, when I have time on the computer or knitting; I usually have Sevrine underfoot.
I Am Scared... That we will have to move again.
I Need... A tender mercy!
I Am Happy About... Marissa getting the job in Boston.
I Imagine... This is just a beginning to more questions!

It seems that we needed to find new tenants for the Peoria house. I dreaded the process but knew that Heavenly Father would help us find someone to rent the house. Timing becomes an issue so we won't have to miss a month's rent. Tender mercy describes the events of the last few days. I saw an add on Craig's List and replied that we have a house available. Our former tenant ended up paying July's rent sense he did not give us a month's notice. We showed the house to the new family and they liked it and put down a deposit. Now we need to clean and paint in order for them to move in on August 1st. We did find out tonight that the downstairs aircondioning unit isn't working so I will need to get a repairman in to take care of that. As I thought about the timing, I realized that the window of opportunity is short with school starting next month and the house could very well have been vacant for several months. This is another example of it always being enough. The theme for my life right now.

Marissa is heading East.

Yesterday Marissa found out she got the job and is moving to Boston. This has taken over a month but we knew this is where she is suppose to be. Now she is packing and tying up lose ends before she leaves in the morning. We are amazed at how everything has fallen into place and doors have been open at the right time. It is a testimony to how Heavenly Father answers prayers and directs his children. With Marissa living on the east coast, I am now trying to figure out how to go visit and see that part of the country.

The Sweetness of Victory

I still get excited for the coverage of the College world series. I surprised myself when I got emotional when these girls won the championship. They had a lot of heart and it was a team effort. I guess I am a true devil fan now.

Measuring Time

I don't know about anyone else but I measure time by the events that happen on a regular basis. Like the world series at the end of October, the Super bowl the end of January, Spring training in March and Seafair the first weekend of August. Now this wouldn't be so bad but I gauge a lot of what I do on the events that happen periodically. Most of these are sports related and I can remember what I did the last time I watched said sports. Take for instance the college world series. Last year I followed the girls softball games. University of Arizona had advanced through regionals to make a trip back to Oklahoma. They went ahead and won their second campionship in a row. The year before I watched the games when U of A played. I also made all the cross stitch gifts for my friends sense we were moving to Chandler. Most of the time I usually have a craft project that coincide with all these things and I can usually associate them with this calendar.
Now some of the events that chart time no longer apply to my calender like Seafair and Opening day for boating, I still look forward to the seasons. The Olympics coming this August, college football this fall, and probably the world series in October. Now just to decide what I want to make while watch all these sports.

Lots of Fun in the Sun.

The best time here in Arizona is March and April. The weather is perfect and there is a lot to do while it is so nice. I have a couple of weeks while Sevrine is in Utah to catch up on all the things that have gotten behind. The old fashion spring cleaning, yard work, and sewing projects are at the top of the list. We did get out to a spring training baseball game last week while Marissa was here and will probably do it again when Tom and Ellie are in town. Maybe with the weather so nice I might just sit outside and read one of my books that I have put aside to read.
The problem with vacation is you spend all of the time thinking about what you want to do and when you decide, the time is gone. At least I will try not to waste too much of this break.