Chocolate chip cookies

My mom who was a very good cook and baker, was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. Since she can no longer make them I took it upon myself to "try" to perfect the recipe. This is my latest attempt. (Last weeks were enjoyable but not in the running) Two brothers independently rated them at 8.5 out of 10 - 10 of course would be just like moms. This score could even climb to 9 depending on how they taste frozen.

Mom often baked at night and would leave "some" out on a plate and the rest hidden in the freezer so they would last longer. Of course we figured that out pretty quickly and now prefer them frozen. You may like yours golden and crispy but there is a secret ingredient in these and a way to bake them that makes them soft and oh so yummy!!

The Boatyard Baby - more details

For those of you who were fortunate to receive the e-mail announcing the arrival of the boatyard baby this will be a bit repetitive. For those of you who did not receive the announcement I am sorry but we were a bit busy over the last couple of days and I could not remember everyone’s e-mails. Porter Bradley Roenfanz was born April 24 at 5:10 AM. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 1.3 oz and was 21 3/4 inches long. Our first 24 hrs with baby has been a whirl wind and we are finally out of the hospital and ready to tackle life with baby in the real world. Meaning no nurses to relieve you of parental duties in the wee hours of the morning. However we do have something better....Grandparents who are more then happy to hold baby and help out. :-0

and of course they need houses

Can't you tell I am not an architect? I also do not own a ruler yet :-)

The bird series - my favorites

Aren't they "tweet"?

the acrylic paint attempt

Well - here are the first of the pencil drawings

All the colors are more vivid than here - need to practice more with the camera. The lilacs were inspired by mom's spring tablecloth.

This one is a "Matruska" - nesting doll from Ukraine.

When I don't blog for awhile...

It usually means we are experiencing some changes with mom and I am having to adjust my schedule/or lack thereof or I am overwhelmed - once again :-). We now have physical therapy coming in 3 times a week and a nurse checking on mom at least weekly. We were trying to get her built up enough to walk down the 3 front steps so we could get her outside and take her to an adult day care a few times a week. We were recommended for her to try it out. Turns out it was wishful thinking as it is waaaay beyond what she can do.

It is taking more and more help to keep her at home but we are getting the help, Praise God. This weekend is supposed to be the nicest weather so far this year. Can't wait!

There have been some recent "perks". I ordered HBO addition to our television cable so I could watch the new HBO series "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency". The series is surprisingly well cast and sticks closely to the book series written by Alexander McCall Smith. Imagine my surprise when I also got about 100 other channels (Duh!) including 3 Christian Channels. Hallelujah!!! I am REALLY loving it!!

Another "perk" - my friend who is working 5 nights a week here - paints and draws and submits her work to greeting card companies. She and a friend of hers gave me supplies to try my hand at it drawing or painting (again). Well, it has been a real blessing and as a bonus a stress reliever. I am just fooling around with colored pencils and have tried acrylics and will post some of the results. I always did like to color :-). An added blessing is that mom is so proud of me! That is especially sweet as she is often really upset with me. She is increasingly confused and disoriented. We would sure appreciate any prayers sent this way. Blessings

It's a boy!!!

Introducing Porter Bradley Roenfanz. His dad is Travis and his mom is Rebecca Duke daughter of my close friends Rhon and Kit in Alaska. I am part of their extended family. Porter is now our newest little "precious". He was born on Thursday April 23 at 5 am (Alaskan time) and he and mom are doing great and should be home tomorrow. He weighed in at over 8 pounds and over 20 inches long.

Congratulations to the new mom and dad and the happy grandparents.

The River - April News

You may remember last October when the River Church in Poughkeepsie, NY had a devastating fire. They are currently meeting as a guest of the local Reform Church.

These many months later they have produced a humorous, tongue in cheek account of the challenges before them. It is not meant to offend any groups of people (but they are a group on the edge with their graphic creativity!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq7prLPop5Q


There is a place to comment on their youtube account

Alleluia! He is Risen!

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome (Certain Women!) bought spices that they might come and anoint Him..And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" But when they had looked up, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away- for it was very large.

Do not be alarmed or amazed. Jesus isn't here. He is risen!

May this resurrection season cause you to look up and see and may every large stone and obstacle before you be already rolled away - because He lives! Happy Easter

Hosanna in the highest!

John 12:12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him and cried out:

"Hosanna!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The King of Israel!"

John 12:14 Then Jesus, when He has found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: (Zech 9.9)

"Fear not, daughter of Zion:

Behold your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey's colt."

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

And He is coming again. Hosanna in the highest!!

Just when I think my life is..well...random....

Patricia on the phone and Mary in the middle with me

......I find (once again) that God is at work very specifically.

The story - on Wednesday my "mom minder" was able to come for me to go to our local Dollar Store to buy this month's greeting cards. Turns out April is a big month for family birthdays and Easter so I was in the store for some time and even had time to browse which was a little unusual. So, I perused the book section and found a wonderful book about Billy Graham. It was a small book, not his biography but about his New York Crusade. It struck me as a valuable and interesing book as it contained the 3 sermons he preached in his historic 2005 campaign in New York City. His first campaign in New York was in 1957 and this 50th anniversary campaign was likely the last time he would minister there. So, I bought it for Pastor Wally (I thought).

That evening, I got an unexpected call from an old friend Patricia. She "thought" she had seen me at a local department store that day (it wasn't me) and so she tracked me down. On Thursday she had organized a luncheon at her restaurant and she wanted me to come and surprise a friend with whom we had worked years ago. I said I would try to get the "mom minder" but she was unavailable. No problem, I called Jack but he was in county finance meetings all day. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to go but I did say, Lord if this is from you make a way. As the day unfolded I realized the health aid was coming to bathe mom, so I asked Ellie, if she needed me. I helped her get started and then ran to "Patricia's" just to hug Mary's neck. She was so delighted to see me. There was a table full of women, most I did not know so Patricia put me right next to Mary. Amazingly, in my 30 minute visit, I got to share with her a little of my testimony and the gospel. Praise God!

Mary said are you talking about being born again and and when I said yes she said she was Catholic BUT she often watched, listened to and prayed with.......Billy Graham but she missed his shows. SO, I said I have a book of his and I will send it to you!! We exchanged numbers, took a quick photo and back home I went - Praising God all the way!! Just when I think my life and actions are so random He shows me once again - my footsteps are ordained by Him. Thank you Lord.

Please pray for Mary and I to have another longer time together. She has already called me and I have her book ready to mail - God is so good!! This was a great encouragement for me. Thanks for your prayers especially as mom is getting even more frail and is increasingly disoriented for longer periods of time. Thanks.

We have the best dogs in this family!

This is Delila - she lives 2 doors down and belongs to my nephew JB. She is an Alaskan Malamut. She loves to go for walks but prefers runs and you must drop her leash if she sees a cat or a rabbit because she is off like a flash. She is not too interested in a doggie biscuit when she visits buts always heads for her toys and then starts tossing them around.

Miss Liberty "Libby" is a pure bred yellow lab of the English type. She was to be a show dog but she has a chipped tooth. Then she was to be a police dog - probably sniffing for drugs but the police didn't need her so she went up for adoption and my brother David and his family took her in. That was some years ago and she is one of those dogs who should be training other dogs - she is so good and sweet and a great family dog. She loves to sit next to you, preferably on your feet or leaning on you.