May I introduce you to.......

my newest "best~friend"?

I just love this guy........ I bought it recently at the Shelter Thrift Store, for just a mere $12.50!!!!!! And honestly, I simply love it! I have always loved to bake....... cookies, cakes, and especially bread! But, the bread, I really wasn't so good at :-(

Mostly the trouble was in the rising.... I never seemed to get it right...... but, now, oh ho! No more rising troubles........ and, how fun is this, you just simply put all the ingredients in and plug-er-in! Too, too easy!

Ok, and maybe I am a little strange {not everyone will admit that, ya know} but, I also enjoy watching this baby mix and knead the bread........ and, I am even more excited about this because it means I can still bake bread in the Summer without heating up the kitchen! This is so cool! So, today it's just me and my "Mr. Hitachi"...... the only drawback to this whole thing that I can see is the time it takes to make the bread........ but, I suppose anything good is worth waiting for, huh? Hmmm...... would it be strange to go back and buy another bread machine and have two going at once??

Well, off to visit the laundry pile and smell my bread baking........ wishing you a lovely Sunday......

"This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice

and be glad in it..... Psalm 118:24

Life may not be the party we hoped for..............

But while we're here...........

we should DANCE.......

Well, here I am ~ back again! I've been out "visiting" this morning..... my blogging friends. I do try to see everyone at least once a week... ah, so many blogs, so little time you know. But, I love it when I get a chance to see them all...... well, technically I don't think you could ever see them all. I recently heard that there is a new blog started every second ~ can you just imagine that? Well, I am glad I started mine, and am so happy about all the new friends I have made in my "travels". And, it seems I am finding new ones all the time........ and one thing I have learned........... there are some really, really talented ladies out there!! Wow, I am just in awe of some of these ladies and their creations...... I love it! And, the lovely decorating ideas/examples..... the beautiful gardens.......... and the tutorials ~ oh, don't even get me started on those! And, the swaps........... oh and the sweet give-aways.... Oh my! I just love it....... But, mostly for me, it's the kindness........ there is just an incredible abundance of kindness here in "blogland" that just makes your heart smile.... and that makes me proud to say "I am a blogger".

p.s. sometimes I really do feel like a bit of a "ditz"...... I didn't want to post here for awhile, because I liked the last post so very much. I didn't want to "move on" from the inspiring words of Helen Steiner Rice... I wanted to keep them at the top of my blog for all to see....... Well, duh I finally decided I could take her words and post them on the side of my blog as a kind of daily reminder..... and of course I am still leaving the post, because I simply love the sweet comments you all post..... have a splendiferous day my friends!

Sunday Thoughts...........

Recently seen on another blog, I just thought this was quite inspirational....if only we could all remember these things, all the time....

The personal commandments of Helen Steiner Rice emphasized optimism:

1. Thou shalt be happy

2. Thou shalt use thy talents to make others glad.

3. Thou shalt rise above defeat and trouble.

4. Thou shalt look upon each day as a new day.

5. Thou shalt always do thy best and leave the rest to God.

6. Thou shalt not waste thy time and energy in useless worry.

7. Thou shalt look only on the bright side of life.

8. Thou shalt not be afraid of tomorrow.

9. Thou shalt have a kind word and a kind deed for everyone.

10. Thou shalt say each morning -- I am a child of God and nothing can hurt me.

Once upon a time.......... A clever little blogging lady, set up a cutsie little post, just for her blogging buddys........it was awfully cute..... filled with sweet graphics and Easter pictures to make ones heart go "awww"......... she was truly happy about it..... But, alas when she returned to read it one day.......... all the pictures had vanished........ nothing left behind but words and little red "x's" where her pictures had been....... so, she decided to search for the pictures, because she so wanted to share the cuteness with her friends......

She called upon a few other friends to help her look........ Chicky couldn't find them...........

Bunny couldn't find them........ though he did bring back some lovely Spring flowers for us...............

Bunny's little cousins couldn't find them........ but they did have fun playing hide and go seek amongst the tulips!

Everyone tried to help...........

And brought back treasures of all kinds to cheer the dear blogger lady..........But, alas....... we couldn't find those cute pictures for you........ and now, ohmy! Easter has passed.......... we are sorry........ but we do hope your Easter Sunday was simply wonderful in every way!

Spring Cleaning........ do you do it? It's time you know....... have you started?

I wanted to share this little household tip with you all..... kind of like mixing a little "aromatherapy" with your cleaning....... hmmm.... it sounds kind of cool to me, I think I might try this tomorrow.......

Kitchen Cupboard Magic

It is a wonderful affirmation of the magic in the ordinary to use kitchen-cupboard ingredients in magical ways.

Simple Solution:

We don’t usually think of sea salt and basil and apples as magical, but our more earth-centered ancestors knew they were.

Here, then, is a list of some traditional herb correspondences; choose one or more according to your desire. You can add a handful to your washing-water next time you mop the floor:

Apples: Food of the Goddess, love. Add a few pieces of fresh or dried apple to your water (but not too much or you’ll end up with sticky surfaces!)

Basil: Love, fidelity, wealth, protection. A nice all-purpose herb with a luscious summery scent.

Chamomile: Serenity and calm; purification. Smells like a blend of apples and new-mown hay. While you’re at it, make yourself a cup of tea to drink after you’ve finished cleaning; it’s very relaxing.

Cinnamon: Happy home, safety, healing, protection. The primal home-and-hearth spice. Use pieces of cinnamon stick for your brew (the powdered kind will turn into a gelatinous glop in the bucket).

Clove: Purification; promotes love and spirituality. Try it with cinnamon--delicious!

Eucalyptus: Health, protection. Warm and fresh, actually kills germs.

Evergreen: Health, purification, vitality. A few sprigs of pine, cedar, or juniper growing nearby, a few sprigs placed in boiling water will add green freshness to your housecleaning brew.

Lavender: Love, friendship, peace, happiness, protection. Such a sweet, relaxing, and calm-inducing scent--and it’s also an antidepressant.

Lemon peel: Purification. It’s no accident that so many cleaning products are lemon-scented; lemon smells fresh and uplifting and cleanses negativity.

Marjoram: Love, protection, antidepressant. You can sprinkle a little of this dried herb in the corners of every room to promote love and safety.

Peppermint: Purification, healing, soothing. A wonderfully relaxing and refreshing scent.

Rosemary: Cleansing and protection; clears negativity; encourages clear thinking.

Sage: Purification, wisdom. It’s no coincidence that the word for ”wise one” is the same as the herb’s name. A traditional ingredient of many Native American smudge bundles, a strong sage tea will help clear your home of negativity.

Sea salt: Traditional for purification and protection. If you’ve been feeling vulnerable or weird and you only have time to add one ingredient to your wash-water, this could be it.

Vanilla: love, happiness. A piece of the bean or a few drops of extract will make your home smell and feel delicious.