Merry Christmas greetings!

As carols ring and songs are lifted
we are reminded how we are gifted
with the grace of a Savior true and mild
who came to earth as a little child
strong to save and conquer all
let us answer His loving call
to love our neighbor and ourselves
and seek His will above all else
so merry christmas to one and all
and God's great love who from the stall
went to the Cross to save us all.


Merry Christmas to all our family and friends, near and far. Paul and I are blessed to have you in our lives. And we pray for 2013 to be filled with prosperity in heart, mind and soul!

Paul & Mary

Christmas time is here!

Last night we went to Carols by Candelight at a 12th century church in Astley, England. The Bulkington Brass Band provided the accompaniment to our carolling as well as performed selections for us to enjoy amidst the telling from the bible of why Jesus was born into this world...beautiful night! It is Christmas!

One carol we sang was extraordinary...the last verse tells it all...

In the bleak mid-winter frost wind made moan,
eart stood hard as iron,
water like a stone,
snow had fallen, snow on snow
snow on snow
in the bleak mid-winter long ago.

Angels and Archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but only His mother in her maiden bliss
worshipped the Beloved with a kiss.

Our God, heav'n cannot hold Him
nor earth sustain;
heav'n and earth shall flee away
when he comes to reign.
In the bleak mid-winter a stable-place sufficed
the Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man I would do my part,
yet what I can give Him:
give my heart.

Give Jesus your heart this year!  Doesn't mean it will be easier but you will never ever be alone!  Merry Christmas!

Busy week and now to relax and create!

Yes, after project managing an office move, taking care of NLI's finances for the month so far, it is time to have a cuppa and create!

But first a family announcement - Today is Daria Lynn Stanley's 2nd birthday!!!

Daria is the youngest of our 5 granddaughters and yes so lovely! She had her party last weekend with her friends but I still can't wait to see how she celebrated with her friends at her daycare.  One of her gifts was a kitchen set, with light up burners, pots and pans that double as drums and kid sized toy foodstuffs.  I didn't even know that was what was planned as her big gift and I made her an apron...

Now on to some card making...I will post some of my creations later tonight or over the weekend.  Crafternoon is tomorrow too!

Zucchini (Courgette) Bread

In my earlier post I said I was beginning my baking for Thanksgiving.  Here is what just came out of the oven...

Now to get them in the freezer so they make it to Thanksgiving Dinner!
Happy Baking!

November 11th - Remember!

Happy Veterans Day everyone!  

Thank you to all who have served to keep us free!  Thank you Dad, my dear deceased father-in-law, Harley Triller; my son in law, Jason; my brother in law, Kevin Triller; friend, Rodney Sammy-Guilarte; my nephew who has just returned from Afghanistan, Jimmy Konger; my husband's nephew, Marc Triller,currently stationed in Germany and his brother, Eric Triller currently at West Point in officer's training.  There are so many more to mention but for security reasons shall remain nameless but know I am praying for you!

I just realized that I haven't posted my 30 Days of Thankfulness statements on my blog!  Here's my catch up from my Facebook posts.  I will try to keep up here! :)

Days of Thankfulness, Day 1: I am thankful for all my friends.

Day 2 of Thankfulness- I am thankful for our precious 4th granddaughter today, Bailey June. It's her 2nd birthday! Nana & Pop Pop hope you have a fantastic day celebrating. And we hope you like your gifts and card. We will see you soon! Love, Nana

Day 3 of Thankfulness - I am thankful for my relationship with God. I love how He speaks to me through His Word and in the little things in life.

Day 4 of Thankfulness - So thankful for our home church, Lifechurch Bedworth. We definitely do church outside the walls. Found out about a new initiative to partner with area churches to help with emergency food needs across Bedworth & Keresley. One fantastic way to show Christ's love, thanks to the team for hooking us up!

Day 5 of Thankfulness - I am thankful for the blood of Christ!

And through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.
Colossians 1:20, NLT

Day 6 of Thankfulness - I am thankful that today, Election Day, is a day that US citizens have the right to vote, the right to be represented to have their voice heard. May this be a day we see this process executed properly and that this will be a new beginning, the change our country needs based on the Godly principles our nation was founded upon.

Also happy birthday to my sister, Liz. May this be a blessed year for you and the family. Enjoy your day!!

Day 7 of Thankfulness - Thank you Lord for our nation. May the next four years be in line with your will of the United States. I will continue to pray!

Day 8 of Thankfulness - I am thankful for my knitting group. A wonderful collection of ladies that inspire me in my creativity, have taught me about life in the UK and have a good laugh!

Day 9 of Thankfulness - Thankful for a day to recharge and express the creative side of me. Off to the NEC to the Christmas Craft Show with Sarah Gimson and then to Anna Grainger's to practice what I learned.

Day 10 of Thankfulness - I am thankful for the roof over our heads, the warmth and comfort it brings to us, a place we share with others as it is our home.

Seems basic but with so many of our friends in places we used to live that have lost their homes or still are without power, heating, etc., I am reminded not to take it for granted.

Thank you to all of you who make it possible. I ♥ my home!

Day 11 of Thankfulness - Thankful for the Word today that Ben Wattis delivered from his heart today. It spoke volumes to me, now to follow along and not be just a listener be. Also Happy Veterans Day to all who served us to keep us free!

And what about the craftiness?  Thanksgiving Day is coming on the 22nd so the baking begins today!  Zucchini (Courgette) Bread is in the oven now!  I love how the kitchen and lounge smell with the cinnamon and cloves waffling through the house, yummy.  

They will be cooled, wrapped and frozen so they make it to the table on the 22nd! More on the prep in the days to come...

Love & Cardmaking

My friend, Ann, was scrapbooking with some Valentine's Day paper.  She finished her layout and had some much more than scraps left.  As I am a recycler, I shamelessly asked if I could have what she was throwing away.  

I am working on birthday cards and holiday cards for 2013 and using up a little of this and a little of that.  The Valentine's Day cards fit right in.  A might early but there done!

 

Today Americans are out in force!

All I can say is that I am praying!  Who will be our next president?  Whoever he is, let Thy Will be done Lord!

And the Christmas workshop is at it...

Today, after a friend's husband located and purchased the most needed candy canes, 40 Snowman Soup packets have been completed.  They are ready to distribute at our Shake Christmas party, Wednesday, December 12th.

 Now back to our 2013 birthday and anniversary cards!  Christmas cards you ask? Already done and delivered to my elfin daughter, Erin, for mailing!  What a blessing she is!

It is someone's birthday!

Today, 2nd November, is a very special day.  Our precious 4th granddaughter, Bailey June, turns 2!  Happy Birthday little one!  Love, Nana & PopPop

Here you see Bailey with her family as big sister gets ready for a costume party on the 31st!  Can't wait to see her in person for New Years!

This weekend is also when we will celebrate Guy Faulk's Day or better known here as Bonfire Night.  Here's a great Autumnal recipe to celebrate with!  To my American friends, this is a bar cookie recipe and not a pancake recipe!  Enjoy!

Sorry no photo is available for this recipe!

Cinder Toffee Apple Flapjacks (English recipe)

Ingredients:

200g (7oz) caster sugar

4 tbsp golden syrup        
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
165g (5½oz) rolled oats
1 large eating apple, grated
85g (3oz) chopped nuts
55g (2oz) butter

Method:

1. Place the sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan.
2. Simmer over a low heat until the sugar and syrup are melted together, and look the colour of maple syrup.
3. Remove the mixture from heat and add the bicarbonate of soda to the syrup mix.
4. As it begins to foam, stir in the butter, oats, nuts and apple until they are covered.
5. Meanwhile, line a 20cm square tin with greaseproof paper.
6. Pour in your cinder toffee apple flapjack mixture.
7. Bake in the oven at 160ºC for 35 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven, allowing time for it to cool slightly and then slice into fingers.

 

On to crafting today!  Created some great cards last night while crafting with my friend Anna.  

I am definitely one who is seduced by the covers of magazines.  These cards are due to one of those lovely covers.  This is not my usual designs with stamping and layering but I think they are beautiful.  Vintage all the way!

And Autumnal colors.  The first one needs a sentiment and then it is ready to go.  Many more to make from the magazine and all the beautiful papers inside but you get the idea.

And to get a very big project completed, this morning/afternoon I am working on my Christmas gifts for our Shake kids and the leaders!  Snowman Soup is in order as it is getting colder each day as we change the clocks back one hour to end British Summer!  So glad the calendar knows when it begins and ends as the weather still remains very confused on what Summer is really like.  Oh well, perhaps next year!

Happy Saturday everyone!

I am in Estonia!  I am here with NLI's Women's Development team serving the ladies of EKNK Tallinn and.  abroad.  We had a great day of touring the city.  The ladies showed me everything.  What a beautiful city!  And no that isn't a postcard!  This is the skyline from the top of the city wall view to the water.

New Beginnings

After days and days of cold and flu, I declare this day a day of healing!  I have been nursing a big pot of homemade chicken soup

 

                                                                                                                                   have been resting and knitting away as I

have been busting the stash,

            making 3 of 7 mug hugs for the girls I           am going on a craft retreat with...

           

                      

                      and getting started on gifts for our 

                      granddaughters!  One Pumpkin hat 

                      almost finished, just needs leaves and

                      vine.

And all the while enjoying some beautiful daffodils brought to me by a friend!  Happy Sunday!

All the Animals are Finished!

If you have been following along, I have been making quite a few animals the last few weeks.  These animals will eventually be a shower gift to an expecting Mum here in Bedworth.  Before that, they will be part of the shower decorations in the form of a bunting.  Claire loves buntings so why not make one for the nursery.  As this is their 4th child, this one is going to remain a surprise so many colors have been used to create this bunting.  I have knitted up a pink elephant, a pink pig, a yellow duck, a yellow lion cub, a white with blue stripes giraffe and a purplish burro.  Here is my lion cub and duck to finish off the collection...

 

Next are some tea cup cozies for my table mates at our Women of Worth Breakfast on Saturday.  Wish me luck as I need to complete 8 of these this week.  And then 6 more for our Crafternoon Craft Retreat on 30th March.  Happy Knitting!

Happy March and what a March it is going to be!

Lots of things on this month on the ministry and craft front as well. But hey before I move on to a new month, let's show you the rest of the menagerie I have knitted up for the baby shower I am helping to put on for a fellow Children's worker friend of mine.

                                                      A Striped Giraffe

                                             A Pink Pig-the tail even twisted!

                                                  And a Baby Burro!

The last two animals are a Baby Lion Cub and a Duck!  Should have them put soon!

And a fine happy birthday to our niece Leah Triller, 15 years old today!  Watch for this little lady and her team from Glenmont, NY- they are running in style and are competing in the Nationals next week.  So proud of our Lightening Leah!!!

Until next time...Happy Crafting!

Stash Busting continues...

Wow, this month has flown by, but so have the knitting needles and paper cutter too.

On the knitting front, I have been knitting up some adorable animals for a baby shower bunting which will then be taken apart for the baby to enjoy some soft toys. These are all made up from my stash of odds and ends of Caron Simply Soft.  This yarn just never seems to go away!  So far for finished animals I have a pink elephant, http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L10408.html?noImages=

 

 and a striped giraffe found at http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L10406.html?noImages=&r=1

Next on the needles of the animal variety is a pink pig!  Sewing and stuffing it tonight so hold on for my next installment.

This yarn is also used for charity knitting too, so my goal for this charity knit is 10 baby hats again using up the last of this and that to add some warmth and love to the 'Baby Shower' hampers our church continues to hand out.  Here is the first of the 10 with more on the way...

  

 Just a simple little hat...the next one is already on the needles and is the same pattern but it is a pink and white stripe hat.

Tomorrow I will make sure to show you some of the cards I have made using up this that and the other thing to make a stash of Valentine's Day cards.  Here in England Mother's Day is in March so I will have plenty of inspiration in time for our US Mother's Day...I might start tomorrow, who knows?  Hugs!
 

Old Man Winter finally arrived in Bedworth!

It has been snowing here for more than an hour!  Softly and gently the little flakes fall and it is slowly becoming a winter wonderland...ahh, a nice Saturday at home.  Just what the Dr. ordered!

Not much to brag about but it's the most we have gotten all winter long with more falling from the sky.  Beautiful! I hope there's enough tomorrow to build a snowman.

And even with the laundry to do, I gave a refresher knitting lesson to my friend, Eileen and worked on an I-cord for Penny's backpack.  Now while the last load is in the dryer...I am sewing the backpack up.  I will post the FO later on tonight!!!  

Weather permitting the backpack and her baby sister's Heart Sweater Vest will be in the mail to Colorado on Monday!

January is almost gone but the crafting continues...

Wow, where have the days gone?  Not wasted for sure...Valentine's Day cards are ready for mailing, Thank yous to our supporters are all finished.  Many of them mailed out while we were in the States and the knitting moves on.

Two projects on the needles at the moment...This first one is a Keyhole Scarf that I am using up some last bits of stash yarn.  I am stocking up for gifts next year and for charity knitting.  Every time some one from my husband's team at NLI travels, they are carrying knitted items to distribute.  This might make it in the bag next time.

Next is a close up of the stitch in Penny's Backpack.  I love how it is turning out.  It is just taking so long!  But it is back to the needles after I finish this post.

 Here is what I have accomplished so far!  

Will update soon!  Happy Crafting!