County Fair!

Today was our County Fair day! We had all entered at least one thing--Alison and I had each entered LOTS of things! You are allowed to enter one thing in each different catagory. This was Alison's first year being old enough to enter items, so she wanted to enter EVERY catagory she could! She was SO hoping she would get a blue ribbon--I was afraid of one disappointed little girl if she didn't win a ribbon. I gave her the "Mother Lecture #38" which reminds her that we do these crafts for the fun of it, and we take them to the fair to share with others what we did and to have fun looking at their crafts as well. Don't know if my lecture would have worked on disappointment or not, because she ended up winning several ribbons, so she was not disappointed at all. This little post just shares our family items that won in their catagories. To make it not so long, I did not include every item entered. (Remember, I told you Alison entered LOTS of items!) This first picture shows a basket I made and entered. I love making baskets. I have moved a bit more towards quilting lately, partly because a quilt folds up smaller and stores easier than a basket stores! But baskets are still fun to make, and I have two in mind that I may make up over the next year......

Here is a smiling Mitch, with his winning drawing over his shoulder. Sorry it's hard to see, but he got a third place on a drawing he did of a bird house, pot and apple. Hard to explain, but it did look really nice.





Alison with her second place basket over her shoulder.








A closer look at Alison's basket.









This is a little teddy bear that Alison hand stitched and stuffed. Hard to see in the photo, but I was really pleasently surprised that she placed a first with it. There really wasn't a good catagory to enter it in--they did not have one for children's stitching, so I had to enter it under the "Misc. Toy Catagory". So I had no idea what other things it would be competing with. She did a really nice job on her stitching, though. It was just done with yarn and a blunt child's needle. I am hoping I can keep her interested in learning how to sew. So far, so good! I would like to move her on to doll clothes, but they are way too difficult for a beginner. Sounds like they should be easy because they are small--but I think the smallness makes them harder than full size clothes! Maybe when she's a bit older she can do an apron for herself.....


This is her excited face when she first saw she had placed a first place on her bear!










This is a little doll dress that I made. It is sized for an 18 inch doll, which Alison has. I made it entirely without her seeing me work on it, so she was VERY surprised when I brought it out for taking it over to the fair grounds. She thinks it needs to go to her doll Amy........we'll see. If Amy is a very good little dolly, maybe.








Alison entered the kids catagory for "Healthy Baking", using the Applesauce Cupcake recipe that I already posted here on my blog. They really ARE yummy cupcakes--guess the judges thought so too! I didn't take a picture of them, but I also entered the "Healthy Baking" catagory for adults, using a Ginger Cookie recipe I have. It also got a first place ribbon--maybe when I have the time I will post that recipe here.....







Outside there were many activities. Here Alison is enjoying "panning" for fossils. They let the kids keep whatever they found when panning. Alison even found a shark tooth! I think they kind of made sure there was something to find when each kid did it......NICE people, part of a local geology club. They also gave each kid a small bag of polished rocks.



They had craftsmen who were demonstrating how they carve animals for merry-g0-rounds.












Mitch and Alison on the little train ride. Hard to get a good picture, because we were knee to knee, and there wasn't much space for me to lean back and get a picture!






Austin next to me on the train. Again, I was really too close to get a good picture, but as my mom says, this "proves" that he was there!
Austin also entered three of his photos this year, but none of them placed. I was honestly quite surprised, because they were all three VERY professional looking pictures. My girlfriend who went with me to drop off the crafts earlier in the week could hardly believe that Austin took those pictures, they looked so nice. Maybe that was the problem--who knows. Perhaps the judges didn't believe that a kid had actually taken them--and the photography is a kid's only catagory. But regardless, Austin takes his pictures for his own hobby, not for the County Fair. And it's probably good for some other child to have a chance to win this year. Afterall, Austin has kind of dominated the Photography winnings the past several years! I actually did not get a picture of his photos hanging up at the fair, because Alison was busy dragging me with her as she scoured the room looking for her crafts, to see if she had placed in anything. But I know Austin took pictures of them, and they are lovely photos, so check out his blog at http://www.tennesseephotographer.blogspot.com/ if you want to see them!

Family Pass

As our son has entered his older teen-age years, I find myself playing the role of taxi driver more and more. All for good things, of course. Mostly taking him to and from his various part time jobs as he works to save money for his future college education.

When he finishes one of his work shifts, he will call me and ask "Is taxi service available?" His sister and I will hop into our van and scurry over to pick him up and take him home. Sometimes when we have arrived there and he is climbing into the car, just to tease him I will hold out my hand and ask "Ticket, Please." The first time I did this, he had a very good immediate come back. "I have a Family Pass," was his reply, as he smiled at my teasing.

Family Pass. My son does not worry that he does not have enough money to buy a ticket. He is not concerned that there may not be enough room. He never wonders whether we want him or not. He has confidence that the price has been paid, there is a place prepared for him, and that he is wanted.

Soon King Jesus will come to this earth with another type of taxi service. This will be a wonderous ride from this sin-filled earth to a land where there will be no more death nor dying nor sorrow. A ride like no other has ever been. Amazing sights will be seen along the way, and best of all the trip will never end! No coming home again to face a mountain of laundry, piled up bills, and other temporarily-forgotten troubles. Do you have enough money to buy a ticket to that better land? GOOD NEWS! You have a Family Pass!


"Therefore, the Son who is holy and those who are made holy belong to the same family, and Christ is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters." Hebrews 2:11 We do not need money for a ticket, because through Jesus' death on the cross we are redeemed and made family.

A place has already been made ready for us. A letter from our Brother Jesus tells us "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:2,3

We are definately wanted. Jesus tells us again in John 3:16&17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

The price has been paid. A place prepared. YOU are wanted.

Olive Bread

1) Have your lovely kitchen assistant mix 5 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup white flour, 4 1/2 tsp. yeast, and 1 tsp. salt in large bowl.

2) When dry ingredients mixed well, add 2 cups warm water and 2 T olive oil, mixing to a soft dough.

3) Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

4) Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.

5) Turn out onto floured surface and punch down. Flatten out and sprinkle on 1 can black olives and one jar green olives, sliced. Fold up and knead to distribute the olives.

6) Shape into an oval loaf. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Make deep cuts in top of loaf and gently push sections over. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 30-45 minutes, until double in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven for 400 degrees.

7) Brush the bread with olive oil and bake for 35 minutes. (I use Pam Olive Oil spray instead of brushing, as you can put on a lighter coating that way.)

8) Enjoy!

Just look at those lovely olives peeping out at you! This is probably my kids absolute favorite bread in the whole world. Mine too! Original recipe called for all white flour and only 1 cup of whole wheat flour, but I switched those around. If you have family members who are scared of whole wheat, you could always switch it back to all white flour. But I lay bets that if anyone will be "converted" to a whole wheat bread eating person, this is the recipe to do it with! Hope you enjoy!

God is my Janitor

Being a Janitor is not usually one of the jobs that everyone wants to do. It typically is thought of as involving lots of work, little pay, and zero prestige. You know how it is--when a young child is asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?"--how many of them answer "I want to be a Janitor!"???? I've never heard this answer given--though I confess I do know one college student today who wanted to be a garbage collector when he grew up. But that was because they got to drive around in those neat trucks!

A job as a Janitor is often one of the jobs that a teen-ager can get. You know, until they get more training and can move on to something "better." I currently live with a Janitor, as our son at this moment is doing two different part-time janitor jobs, saving his earnings towards future college costs. Again, we have looked at it as a great "stepping stone" for him. A means to an end, but certainly not the end in itself, right Lord????

I had a conversation early this morning with a Janitor friend of mine, John. Most days of the week--when I'm good and don't just turn off the alarm and roll back over to slumber--I get up and go walking at a nearby Wellness Center. Every morning I see my friend John, who is the head Janitor of the building. He is very much a witness to me, in that he is always bright and cheerful, in spite of the fact that HIS work day begins at 3:00 a.m., so that he can get certain parts of the building cleaned before people come and start exercising. Well, this morning as I was leaving to head back home, John and I started talking about Janitor work, and how my son is also currently a Janitor, and how frustrating it can be when people just mess things up from carelessness--more than the normal use type of soiling. John shared how at one point he was very discouraged about his job. As soon as he cleaned something, it was messy again. He would go into the bathroom to clean, and there would be urine all over the floor. This was NOT the job that John wanted to keep doing!

John told me that he prayed/complained to God about all the mess, and about how he did not want to keep doing this job--and God answered him. The Holy Spirit talked to John's mind, and brought out the thoughts that God is OUR Janitor. That every single day, without fail, God cleans up the sin from John's life. That John's sin is every bit as repulsive as the urine mess is--in fact, even more so. That just about the time God gets the sin all cleaned up--there we humans go again, sinning again and our souls are just as soiled and nasty as they were before. Even dirtier. But God does not complain. He does not quit. He does not walk away from the job of cleaning us up--therefore we have a hope and a future.



I am so happy that Jesus is willing to be OUR Janitor. He is willing to clean us up. Both inside and outside. In Matthew 8 the story is shared about how Jesus was walking along one day. "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.' Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!' Immediately he was cured of his leprosy." (verses 2&3) Jesus was willing to touch leprosy. Jesus is willing to touch our sin. But he loves us too much to leave us this way--just like he did not leave the man with leprosy, but cleaned him.

Jesus may not call every one of us to be a Janitor by profession. But He does call every one to accept His cleaning.

Thank you Jesus, for being MY Janitor.

Lessons from Lizards

Have you ever caught a lizard by the tail only to have him escape your grasp leaving his tail in your hand? I admit I do not usually reach out trying to grab critters, but today at church our pastor shared how he had done this once--only to be startled when left with one tail but no lizard!

Somehow, built into this small creature, God placed the ability for the lizard to know when it is time to go--let go! Paul wrote "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14 The lizard is a good illustration for this text! He does not sit down first and lament that he will have to leave without his tail, and mourn about all the time he will have to live without one before a new tail can finally be grown. I suspect the lizard does not even give it a second thought--he simply sheds the thing that is tying him to captivity, and leaves immediately in freedom! We need to emulate the lizard in this trait. Anything that is keeping us from God we need to learn to let go. Then we can grow a brand new experience WITH God.

Another trait of lizards is that they can change colors. This allows them to blend in with their environment. If they are crawling on green leaves, they will be green. A brown tree trunk, they change to brown. Perhaps a red brick house, they will appear red! What are YOU hanging around? Are you hanging around Jesus? If we do hang around Jesus, through Bible study, prayer, and studying about His life, we will indeed be changed to be like Jesus. "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33

And finally, lizards can be found living in MANY places. It's hard to keep them out. I have even found them in my own modern house several times--or perhaps I should say my cat has found them! I have no idea how they come in--perhaps around the dryer vent? Maybe crawling under the door? Possibly when someone was leaving the door wide open in order to carry in something? Proverbs 30:28 says "A lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces." A lizard may be found living in a shack. But if he wants to, he can also make his way into a palace! With persistance, WE can also enter the throne room of the living God. But unlike the lizard, we do not have to crawl or sneak inside. No, instead we are honored and invited to come in as children of the Highest Power in the Universe. The invitation is given to each one of us..."The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22:17

(Credit for ideas contained in this post go to Pastor Gettys, if you would like to listen to his sermon it can be found at www.mcdonaldroad.org)