“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Our youngest son celebrated a birthday recently.
And both Cuppycake & I were so very grateful he invited us to share this special day with him.
(At least we were invited to parts of it!)
Whenever we are together there are so many smiles to go around it is like a bathtub filled with bubbles! And always one must check themselves at the end of the night to remember & take their smile off at the departure door. I’ve caught myself, on occassion, wearing the same smile hours after we’ve left him! (Removing a frozen smile can be a painful experience, although who can complain?)
I decided however, this time as we said our good-byes, to leave the smile in place for the Monday giggles which were just around the corner!
So today I dedicate these special giggles to my tender-hearted-little-boy-now-turned-creative-young-adult-man and thank him for all the smiles he so generously provides to all whom he meets!
My dear son,
in honor of the bubbles you chase & those you create…
I feel so blessed God gifted you to our family!
Never sing in the bath! Singing leads to dancing. Dancing leads to slipping. Slipping leads to falling. Falling leads to Paramedics coming and seeing you have no dance-moves. So, don’t sing in the bath!
The following bath bomb products were created by our son & his business partner, who recently started providing these lovely products to others through their company,
“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?‘”
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
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.
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!
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
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!!!)
“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 joyright beside me!
(giggle…giggle…& giggle.)
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!!
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!!”
hugsnblessings 