"The church needs to rid itself of all false glories that torture scripture by inserting personal ideas into the Scripture which lend to it their own sense. No! Scripture, Scripture, Scripture!

For me, constrain, press, compell me with God's word."

~Martin Luther

Spring is Coming!

Is anyone else getting just slightly excited to start planting and working your gardens again!? I am!

With last year being my first veggie garden year, I'm already looking to start ordering my seeds for this year. One of the best ways to grow veggies is to start with organic, non-genetically modified seeds. Using the word 'heritage' is helpful when you're searching. Otherwise most garden supply shops and nurseries give you a blank stare as you stress the words non-genetically modified.

Baker Seed Company specializes in organic, non-GM seeds, and I'm planning on getting alot of my seeds from them. here's a link to their home page. You can order a catalog, or shop online.

http://rareseeds.com/

Here are some things I'm hoping to order

Bradforshire Cumber

New England Sugar-pie pumpkin

Dragon Tooth beans

I can't wait to start gardening!!

Buddies

She'll Never Do It....

"She's too wimpy. She's a wuss. She'll chicken out. No way. When pigs fly"....

These are only a few of the brilliant attributes given to me by my wonderful family when I told them I was considering having my ears pierced.

But I must have a bit of a stubborn streak in me.

So today, when we were in Bellingham, I bravely marched up to the jewelry counter in Walmart, and told the lady I wanted my ears pierced.

She cheerfully mosied over behind the counter and had me pick my earrings. I plopped myself down on the low stool (it was low, but my feet still didn't touch the ground. sheesh.) and resigned myself to my self-brought -on fate. "Oh come on," I said to myself, "you probably won't even feel it."

The lady took her own sweet time filling out the paperwork, and I confidently scribbled my John Hancock on the dotted line, and resumed my seat. After much ado about making sure the dots were even, she placed the thingamajigger up against my ear, and after an eon or so expired she asked,

" Ready?"

"Yes." I squeaked, looking at the four piercing in her left ear.

BANG!

At least that's what it sounded like to me when she finally squeezed the trigger.

Me: blink, blink, gulp.

" Well now, that wasn't so bad. In fact, it really doesn't hurt much."

Nice Lady with the gun: "Oh good, that's what they all say! Ready for the next one?"

Me: Bring it on.

BANG!

Oh bad, that hurt. I mean really hurt. Come on Em, suck it up, bite the bullet...

Nice Lady: "Ok?"

Me: "Umm, actually, that one hurt alot more."

Nice Lady: "Oh, that's what they all say."

I didn't think I wanted to know what else "they all" had to say after that second one, and I'm sure I wouldn't repeat it on a blog.

I stood up and my loving mother said that she thought I was going to pass out.

Determined to do nothing of the kind, and really feeling quite well, (except for having just had spikes driven into my ear at lightening speed,) I snatched up my bottle of disinfecting solution, thanked the lady, and triumphantly exited the building.

Five hours later, I feel almost no pain, and am everlastingly grateful that I had it done. So far.

Precious Treasure from a Priceless Friend

My dear friend and neighbor gave me four quilt blocks on my grauduation day, and told me she was making me a quilt. When she had the top almost finished she let me see it, and it was in my some of my favorite colors, blue and brown! I was so excited, and then, just last night, she brought over my finished quilt! It is beautiful; and it is one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received.

She even made a matching pillow with some left over blocks! She is amazing.

It has a coffee cup patch on the back (we're calling it the coffee quilt because of the cream and coffee colored pieces in it)

with the date and my name on it. We're both coffee lovers, and it is so fun that she brought that out in my personalized quilt.

Isn't it cool how it looks like it's been woven?

The coffee cup patch.

Beautiful leaf design quilting on the edges and on the back.

Thank you SO much dear Nancy for the wonderful gift!

Fender Bender

Yesterday on her way to Bellingham, mama was in a little fender bender (in one of those ridiculous roundabouts of course!) Everyone is fine, and it wasn't her fault, but it caused us all to be so very thankful that it wasn't worse! The Lord is so good!

Our poor little Jetta car suffered the most, and we now drive a silver car with a bashed left corner and no hubcap on the left front wheel. Eeew. But it will be fixed when all the insurance companies calm down and decide who has to pay for what.

Oh, and they made it on the Bellingham Herald! :) I can't even find the article. It must be buried somewhere in local news, but mom read it, and said that they don't mention names or anything.
And there's only one really bad picture from a roundabout.

So that's been the buzz in the Clarkie house! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and stays safe during the left over holiday traffic!

Christmas Cookies and Decorating

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately, but I am subject to a crazy schedule (as we all are this time of year) But the time I haven't spent blogging has been spent in enjoyable holiday hubub and activities. Some of my favorite things to do at Christmas time are bake cookies, and decorate.
So... today was cookie bakin' day. Shortbread, Cherry Flips and Almond Roca for starters. (Yes you can make your own Almond Roca, oh so yummy!)

Oh umm..that's not Crisco...umm...really. OK, OK, it is Crisco shortening. But the ONLY time we use shortening is in Christmas cookies and lighter desserts were you can taste the lard. Promise!

Cherry mice and peanut butter thumbprints are up next.

Mrs. Williams gave me this adorable idea for holiday candle holders. Cranberries is canning jars with tea lights in the center. SO cute!

Ready for the tour? Welcome to the 'House of Christmas' as we like to call it. :)



Mom and Daddy's mistletoe. :) Like they needed another excuse...

The Christmas tree looks the same as it does every year, but our angel is on straight this year, this year we're not going to let her fly. :)

Hand crocheted angels made by my great-grandma for each of us girls.

My mother has hand embroidered each of our beautiful stockings.



So the tour wasn't that long right? Thanks for hangin' in there with me. This could very well be my last post until after Christmas, unless something absolutely incredible happens.

(i.e. It snows six feet, Ali sits on her Guinea pig, or I win the lottery. which would be amazing since I don't play the lottery)

It was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man posessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so as Tiny Tim observed, "God bless us, every one!" ~Charles Dickens

So Merry Christmas my dear blog readers!

Blessings this Christmas,

Emily