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Friday, November 22, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving


Hello
I want to thank Karen at Valentine Designs for setting up my new blog look, she is patient, kind, talented and fast. If you are looking to redo your blog or just want a lift, I know you will be well pleased with Karen's work.
Is everyone working on Christmas projects? I am in the studio much of the time now, don't you just love this time of year? I have the Christmas music on, the sewing machine is whirling and all my white wool is everywhere!


 No flat surface is exposed this time of year.  




I have my etsy shop open and I will be adding new things after Thanksgiving because I am doing a show Thanksgiving weekend. 


My new buttons at the top can take you to my etsy shop or to my other blog or to my art... cool huh?
I need to do some work still on the buttons.


I am excited to have all my children and their families home for Thanksgiving. 


It is a good time even though I have to cook. I am not real fond of that dinner... so many side dishes to juggle and trying to keep everything hot from kitchen to dining room table. We have two vegetarians/gluten free, so we need to cater to them also.
We have the traditional 22# bird with dressing and yes, I put it inside the bird... it keeps the bird moist and adds flavor. I also have it on the side because our crew numbers around 25 and everyone loves dressing. When I take it out of the bird I mix it with the other dressing and that way it adds flavor. I also brown the giblets and put them in the side dressing for flavor but take them out when done and put them to the side for who ever wants them. (not me!)
There are so many good recipes out there for dressing  but I am afraid if I deviated from my mothers recipe I would have a mutiny on my hands. Once 10 years ago I took corn out of the menu and I still hear about it. 


The dressing is pretty easy and basic. I brown a couple of pounds of ground beef with onion, celery and seasoning. I use the whole sage, it isn't as potent as ground so I throw in the whole bottle. After the mixture is done I melt in a stick or more of butter and mix it with a large package of unseasoned bread cubes. If it doesn't seem moist enough I add a little water to the pan and then pour it into the dressing. I then stuff the bird after I wash it and remove any pin feathers, rub it with salt and then butter. I use a cooking bag, it really cuts down on the cooking time.


Thanksgiving menu is turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, fruit salad, red cabbage and corn souffle... Not to mention the cranberries and cranberry orange relish and pie for dessert.
Is that close to your menu?


I am so thankful that we will all be together this year, every year we are together I feel more blessed then the year before. I have so much to be thankful for I can't begin to make a list but number one would be my Lord who loves and cares for my family whether we are together or a part. There is a peace in life when you trust that all things come together for good, it is then that you can give thanks in all things.


Blessings to your house from ours this Thanksgiving,
Rebecca

Sunday, November 3, 2013

My Walk

My Walk with God...

this morning.







This song comes to mind...

Summer and winter, and spring-time and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!



Praying and walking is synonymous for me.   


As I walked in the rain and tried to take in as much beauty as I could, thinking this was a good time to bring my needs before the Lord...



I could only be thankful...

I

All my needs seemed to melt away in His beauty...


Which brought me only to praise.


I found myself praising God along with everything around me...
all the earth now shouts in color of the magnificence of His beauty and honor and power.






 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16)




This also brings to mind the chapter of Ecclesiastes 3, it's hard to read this chapter without singing it...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to week, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace and a time to refrain; a time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend and a time to sew; a time to keep silence and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.




If you read on in Eccl. it says:

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what god has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil, this is God's gift to man.
I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.

I take pleasure in knowing today, that I cannot add nor take away the glory of the Lord.
It is my time for praise...


This week I have been working with
on a new look for my blog. She has designed my blog in the past and is always a joy to work with.
I am excited to see what you think, it will be a more simple format, one that I think will compliment my style while featuring more of the content of my blog... artwork, photos and such. I hope you will like it as much as I do. 

Blessings
Rebecca