Two Cute Bags and Rambling

Here are a few random rambles about my weekend.

First off, I LOVE the homemade laundry soap! I can not believe it. It is a surprise to me. The big test was washing our boys McDonald's uniforms. Two of our boys work grill and the laundry usually smells like McDonald's but not after using the new laundry soap. Nice!

Sunday night some of the kids slept outside in the yard. In the middle of the night one child came in and said there was a mouse on him? Hmm... He said he was sleeping and reached his hand out and felt what he thought was a stuffed animal so he grabbed it. The stuffed animal started to move and fell inside his shirt. The boy caught it in his shirt and brought it inside the house, found a wash cloth and captured it in the wash cloth but dropped the washcloth and mouse on the floor. Not knowing if the mouse was still in the washcloth or not he grabbed the washcloth and put it in a zippy bag and threw it all in the trash. Jeff and I could not find the mouse anywhere. We even brought up a few cats to see if they could smell mouse on our boy's shirt or around were the mouse might have escaped to. Nothing. No scent trail. Was this a dream or reality? Do we have a mouse running around our house? The young mouse catcher though the mouse must have been eating some chips that were by his blankets while he was sleeping. Interestingly, there were also a few cats sleeping close to him. Could the cats not see the mouse eating the chips? Perhaps the cats were too tired to bother with a mouse so late at night? Isn't that a great story? I do not know what to think of it but I will always remember it.


I made two child's messenger bags this evening.

Cute!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Just Sitting

I was just sitting at my Farmer's Market table watching the traffic go by hoping that the rain would hold off until I got home.

It was looking like a good strong rain was approaching.

The other three sellers left around 11 or so but I wanted to stay until noon.

To entertain myself I was taking pictures with my Ipod.

Here is the view of the very edge of downtown Waseca as seen from my table.

Not much of a view but I am very fond of it.

My table.

As you see it did not change much from last week.

My mini rhubarb, banana, chocolate chip breads.

I had extra rhubarb batter and extra banana chocolate chip batter so I mixed them together!

They do not look as appealing after a few hours in the sun,do they?

My big loaves of bread.

It drives me nuts how the bread bags fog up like that.

The jars Josh painted.

They are very pretty.

Looking forward to next Saturday!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Random

Starting my morning baking for the farmer's market tomorrow.

Ah, rhubarb chopping.

Some good music.

a few mini loaves hot out of the oven

More mini loaves ready to go for tomorrow

Let's see...rhubarb bread, rhubarb with banana and chocolate chips, banana bread, banana with walnuts, chocolate chip banana. Still in the oven is lemon poppy seed bread.

and the dresses I completed this evening.

I am pretty tired tonight.

Parenting is so hard and I am not very good at it.

I really do not like being the 'bad guy'. Ha Ha. Who watched Survivor this past season? I am the Enforcer. I would gladly give that title to someone else (Hint. Hint.) but there are no takers.

Could I at least have a shield bearer...

This day does not seem like a 'shake it off' kind of day.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Farmer's Market

Today was my first day at the farmer's market!

It was a fun day.

Things do not pick up until later in the summer season but these first few weeks when it is quieter helps me gain a little confidence and work out the kinks in my farmer's marker day preparations and table set up.

I am looking forward to this summer season!!



Thank you to all who stopped by to say hello and help get Grant to Ghana!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Farmer's Market Count Down

I did indeed sleep in today.

This coming Saturday is the start of Waseca's Farmer's Market!

I did not think I would be back out there selling this year but to Ghana Grant is going so I will happily do my part.

Last year I was the only booth out this early in the year and felt a little silly but I will be out there again this year.

SO as you are driving around town Saturday morning

and you see that lady pulling her green wagon with what looking like her household belongings down main street...

perhaps talking to herself,

It's just me.

No need to worry.

I did a little experiment to see if making little cakes would be a good Farmer's Market thing to sell.

These are white chocolate orange mini cakes. The kids liked them. I might try to make them look fancier.

Gee.

I have absolutely no baking imagination.

~SIGH~



LOVE this picture!



Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Bondage or Freedom

"Tina,  keep your chin up and do not be ashamed of who you are and the place the Lord has put you at this or any moment in time."

I was struggling with that very thing today.

When I woke up.

As I was getting ready for the farmers market.

My walk there.

Sitting at my table.

Chatting with those around me.

Walking home.

Most of the day.

I was struggling to get my mind focused on being thankful for the person I am even with my zillions of quirks, oddities, dorkiness.

I was struggling to remember that I (me, Tina, the awkward, ugly duckling) was a person God handcrafted himself and thought valuable enough to die for.

It is easy to see why God has placed value on others.

Not always so easy to see it in myself.

It could be because I know my sin personally.

The ugly depth of my own sin.

I know the things that so easily entangle me.

I forget that Christ has set me free from my sin so I can love and follow Christ with wild abandon.

I forget that Christ has set me free from my sin so I could freely pour my life out as a drink offering to him.

Anyway, I am not sure if most noticed today but there was a war in my mind between bondage and freedom.

Bondage would be believing a lie.

Freedom is choosing to stand firmly on God's truth.

I would look at my over baked bread. My average sewing talent with average fabric. My very (I mean very) awkward communication style. My silly wagon. The outfit I wear almost every day because blue is my favorite color.

The war raged in my head.

My baked bread,  my average sewing talent with average fabric, my awkward communication style, my silly wagon, even wearing my outfit...

This was my offering to my Lord today.

It was not much.

It was not fancy.

It was what I had to give.

I was embarrassed by what I had to offer.

The war was between bondage or freedom.

I have to say bondage won out in the end.

How quickly I make everything about me and my drama and insecurities.

Oh Tina, how quickly you forget and abandon the truth.


It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery

    Galatians 5:1


So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

     John 8:36

The nice thing is although bondage won for the moment, the battle quickly turns.

I took a nap and wrestled with my thoughts, looked to the Lord for renewed encouragement.

The battle in my mind is turning quickly.


And then she adds pictures...

My snickerdoodles

My bread

My awesome tin that I keep change in.

My table

My wagon display

My mini cake plate so cutely holding the snickerdoodles

I just love this!

A cat that I see most Saturdays on the way to and from the farmers market.

"Hello sweet kitty."

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mom

What's Up With This?

Remember my mention of making a few Halloween princess dresses to sell at the farmer's market?

~sigh~

After laboring at the sewing machine this evening I came to a few conclusions.

The first is that dreamy ideas should not be thought of standing in the fabric isle of Walmart. They should be thought of well in advance.

The second is some ideas should stay dreamy ideas.

The third is I should not sew when I have a headache.

My final conclusion is that I really, I mean really, really do not like sewing silky thin fabric. Maybe that was the source of my headache.

I sew certain things well but this princess dress, this monstrosity looks pretty much like a small child (perhaps a toddler) got into mom's sewing bins...

and silky fabric like this is not kind in hiding even minor sewing mistakes.

Against my better judgement

and

Because like the quote I shared yesterday,

"I risk humiliation because I have a genuine interest in participating."

Here goes.

Gee, the silly dress did not even have the kindness to look princess-y or even photograph well.

Do not ask why I thought the yellow ribbon would look good. It must have been that enchanted way the fabric at Walmart called out to me, entranced me, impairing my better judgement.

I will let you know this is the only dress of this silky kind I will ever make and it will not be making an appearance at the farmer's market this Saturday or ever.

It is not an item I desire to perfect.

I do know Lily will like it.

So if you see her out and about Waseca with this beauty chuckle quietly please.


Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mom

Grant's Ghana Fundraising Update

I would like to thank everyone who has stopped by my farmer's market table to say hello and to help raise money for Grant's Ghana trip.

As well as everyone who has responded to Grant's Ghana fundraising letter!!!!

He is getting closer!

I think he has about $1,100 left to raise out of the original $3,700 amount.

Not bad at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you would like to help with Grant's trip I included a donation button. This is my regular Paypal account and the donations would be non tax deductible but I promise it all will go to Grant's trip. If you would like to donate directly to ASON on Grant's behalf instead of Paypal leave me a comment with your email address and I will send you the info. Either way THANK YOU!!!!

Back to the farmer's market fundraiser!

I have five or six more Saturdays before Farmer's Market season comes to an end.

I have only missed two Saturdays since the beginning of June and I walked up with my wagon every time!!

The wagon only flipped twice.

I was stared at a few more times than that,though...

I think I was pointed at...

And pretty sure I was laughed at.

Could not be sure on the last one because I was 'burning wagon rubber' down the street.

Laughs and car noise kind of sound the same in this mom's early morning mental fog.

Anyway!

Pretty impressive for not being fond of early mornings or good at baking.

I usually make 18 loaves of various breads in the zucchini, banana, apple, and pumpkin variety.

I usually have one or two extra loaves that I do not sell. One Saturday I sold all 18 and I was very excited!

The breads that go first are usually my 'hybred' breads. Those are the breads with banana, chocolate chips, and blueberries (yes! All three in one loaf!! Yum!!) or apple (or zucchini) bread with pineapple and coconut. A close second is anything with chocolate chips in it, third would be banana or zucchini with walnuts.

I find the men who buy my bread lean towards the non traditional combinations. Women seem to stick with more traditional breads. But of course, there are always exceptions!

I have my bread baking down pretty well. It takes between 3 to 4 hours to make 18 loaves. If I am not distracted.

I also have been selling some of my sewing items at my table to help Grant along on his fundraising.

Here is a peek at a few things that sold so far.

I hope to start making a few princess Halloween dresses to bring to the farmer's market to sell on Saturday. If I get them finished I will let you have the first peek!


Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mom

How Cool is This??!!

Guess what we have?!!!!

We have our very own Internet!!!!

Yes!!!

No more 'borrowing' from others.

No more trips to McDonald's

Well, that is if I had my laptop which I don't.

*sigh*

I miss you laptop...

No more not blogging!!

So what should my first post be about using our very own Internet

after a month of no posts??

It should be something spectacular.

Something worth the long absence.

How sad of me.

I seriously only took these few pictures the whole month.

Seriously.

Lame.

But the blogging must go on!


A bowl of bean soup.

It was pretty tasty.

Ok, these are cute.

Lily helping me make bread to sell at our local farmer's market.

This is a fun picture ,too.

Josiah's football game.

Josiah is #22.

Those are my pictures.

I have a little time so want to ramble together?

Here is one of my ultimate favorite quotes of all time.

It sums up my life, my motives.

It explains a whole lot about me.

I would like to be the best at everything, but that is not possible. I risk humiliation because I have a genuine interest in participating.

~ Steve Fossett

Love it.

Here is a little trivia.

Who is on the $500 dollar bill?


Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

What Do You Think of That!

I am pleased.

Yesterday at the Farmers Market I sold seventeen out of the 18 breads I made.

That was nice!

I also sold (at the Farmers Market) this cute dress I made last week!

Little by little thanks to some kind individuals and our Farmers Market sales Grant is getting closer to his Ghana mission trip financial goal!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Helpers

My helpers mixing

The loaves

My secret sample

Shh...don't tell

I do not really want to share.

Very tasty!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy