lemony lucy!

“Lucy the Lamb, will you give me a hand? I need to remind her it’s cookie baking time!”

Tip-toe,

Tip-toe.

“Excuse me but we have something to say, ‘Did you forget Cookie-Baking Day?‘”

IMG_7742

No, Helen & Lucy, I did not forget!!! I’ve just been busy with bridal showers and wedding duties and lent and stitches and stuff. But let’s not delay any longer

Won’t you please help me to pick what we shall bake this month?

And so it shall be:

Lemony ‘Lucy’ Sugar Cookies

2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon Pure Lemon Extract

IMG_7761

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat granulated sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract; mix well. Gradually stir in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed.

Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight until firm.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets.

IMG_7765
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons lemon juice
3 to 4 drops Assorted Food Colors or Egg Dye

For the Icing, mix all ingredients except food colors. (Stir in additional lemon juice as needed to thin icing or more confectioners’ sugar to thicken, if needed.) Place small amount of icing into small shallow bowls, using one bowl for each color desired. Stir drops of food color into icing until desired shade is reached.

nibble, nibble, nibble…

crumbs on the plate.

nibble, nibble, nibble…

it’s almost too late!

Hurry-Up!

Or you’ll miss the last bite

of something that is great!

IMG_7744
The perfect thing to do at the end of Cookie Baking Day…lie down with the lamb.

 

“There is within you a lamb & a lion.  Spiritual maturity is the ability to let the lamb & the lion lie down together. ” Henry Nouwen

hugs n’ wooly warm blessings!

Bold & beautiful!

560009_161250740691343_1951480182_n

It’s the beginning of Lent on our Calendar of Faith & I am pleased to announce  it took me only about 3 minutes to be told “Hey, you have something black on your forehead!”  

“No? Do I realllly???”

Giggles.

It’s okay. We Catholics know how to politely play the game! But truthfully I usually do forget the Ashes are on me. It takes me a moment to remember people are not staring at me because I’m “ridiculously good-looking” like Zoolander, or that I’ve forgotten to comb my hair before leaving the house (this may or may not have happened before.) But instead it’s the big black smudge mark on my forehead which causes the furrowed foreheads & raised eyebrows starring back at me.

I have found it best to simply “embrace the Ash” I’m wearing,  no matter the color or size of the black cross. It’s rather beautiful becoming ‘calendar reminders’ to those who pass by and declare, “I forgot today is Ash Wednseday!” (I heard this at least 3 times this morning walking through the airport between gates.) Not to mention the wonderful boldness of those at the hospital who smiled & stopped to ask during my Communion Rounds, “Are you giving out Ashes too?”

You meet people.

Others smile at you.

And of course there are the ones who rub at their own forehead hoping to signal to you again, “Hey, you have something black on your forehead.” 

 

“No? Do I realllly?”

Giggles.


hugs n’ blessings to all the #ashtags out there sporting their symbols of faith!! 

cause i’m happy!

it’s the monday giggles….

IMG_0161
Photo courtesy of Pinterest.

Ahem….

It may be a tad pre-mature, but the weather is so wonderfully unseasonable I’ve decided it’s officially time for my (drumroll…) Annual Spring joke!

(giggle.)

What is invisible and smells like worms?

(giggle…giggle.)

BIRD FARTS!!!!

(giggles!!!)

IMG_3297
“I’ve told you a hundred times Dawn…you’re FUN, not FUNNY.” Thunder

Okay, so admittedly I’m not very good at telling jokes.

HOWEVER… 

I AM HAPPIER THAN I DESERVE

AND

I DON’T CARE

HOW MUCH I SHOW IT!

AND i do always hope-ity hope everyone will join in the joy right beside me!

(giggle…giggle…& giggle.)

IMG_6035
Papa promotes happiness too!

“Have the courage to be happy!”

Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2012

In what has been tagged ‘Pope Francis’ 10 Commandments for a Happy Life,’ he stressed his motto of ‘Live and let live’ as the main ingredient for a happy life!

Here’s the list of the Pope’s guidelines to happiness, according to a Catholic News Service translation of his interview:

1. “Live and let live.”

2. “Be giving of yourself to others…If you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric…And stagnant water becomes putrid.”

3. “Proceed calmly [in life].”

4. “A healthy sense of leisure…Consumerism has brought us anxiety, [causing us to lose a] healthy culture of leisure.” [At this point, the pope also urged families to turn off the TV when they’re eating together.]

5. “Sunday is for family.”

6. “We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities, they will get into drugs.”

7. “[Environmental degradation] is one of the biggest challenges we have. I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?”

8. “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down.’ Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.”

9. “We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: ‘I am talking to you in order to persuade you.’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing.”

10. “We are living in a time of many wars, [and] the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive.”

(giggles.)

I just love our Papa!

And through Sacred Scripture, I believe God affirms what Pope Francis is saying! Here are a few of my personal favorites, which take me to my happy place.

(giggle.)

John 16:33 – I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Revelation 21:4 – And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things have passed away.

1 John 4:8 – He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

Exodus 14:14 – The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be still.

Romans 8:28 – We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are the called according to his purpose.

Lots to smile about!

Lots to be happy for!

Praise, praise, praising Him,

all the more!!

IMG_7096
Sweet Constance!

And then of course there’s this little blessing to be happy & giggly over!

hugs n’ blessings to all those “courageous enough to be happy!!”

*Music by Pharrell Williams.