Christ's Resurrection - READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

The Death of Jesus and Judas Hangs Himself

THE LAST SUPPER - Matthew 26 - Reading the Bible

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-1st Samuel Chptr. 13

READING THE BIBLE - 1st Samuel Chapter 12

5-Minute Bible Study

Reading the Bible this Year: Samuel Anoints Saul as King

The 7 Woes - Parable with Warnings from Jesus

The Wedding Parable-READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR

Jesus Enters the City on a Donkey - READING THE BIBLE

DIVORCE-What does the Bible Say

The Supernatural Ark of the Covenant-READING THE BIBLE

The Ark of the Covenant-READING THE BIBLE

READING THE BIBLE-1st Samuel 3-The Lord Calls Samuel

Hannah's Prayer-READING THE BIBLE-1st Sam. Ch. 2

Reading the Bible This Year: 1st Samuel Chapter 1

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-Matthew 15-Jesus Heals

Jesus Walks on Water-Matthew 14

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Matthew 13

READING RUTH CHAPTER 4

Reading the Bible this Year: Ruth Chapter 3

5-Minutes in the Bible-Ruth Chapter 1

Curious about Demons? Join us as we Read the Bible

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Judges 20

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Judges 19

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Judges Chapter 18

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Matthew 10 - Jesus Sends Out the 12

What does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Micah's Idols

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Samson & Delilah

Read the Bible with Us-Matthew 5-The Beatitudes

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR-John the Baptist Prepares the Way

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR-The 3 Kings

Reading the Bible this Year: Judges 14-Samson's Marriage

READING THE BIBLE THIS YEAR: Judges 8

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Revelation Chapter 22

Forgiveness in the Bible

READING THE BIBLE - REV. 20 - SATAN'S DOOM

Hallelujah! - READING REVELATION 19

Curious What the Bible Says about Prophesy?

Reading the Bible - Revelation 17 - The Woman on the Beast

7 Angels & 7 Plagues - The Tribulation in the Bible

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim - Reading the Bible

666 - The Number of the Beast - READING THE BIBLE

Joshua's Farewell-Reading the Bible this Year

The Woman and The Dragon - READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR

The Two Witnesses for God - Revelation 11

The Angel & The Little Scroll - Revelation 10

Misunderstandings Can Start Wars - Joshua Chapter 22

Cities of Refuge: Joshua Chapter 20

END of DAYS: DEMONS & DESTRUCTION

The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 5

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Joshua Chapter 21

Revelation Chapter 2 - Angels, Stars, & the Future

HAVE A PEACEFUL WEEKEND - Read the Bible With Us

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Joshua 18

Revelations Chapter 1 - Hope in Crisis

Reading the Bible-The Division of land of the Children of Israel

Our Daily Reading of the Bible

CHAOTIC TIMES - READ the Bible with Us for Peace

Join Us As We Read Through the Bible This Year

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Lies, Trickery & Deception

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: Ai Destroyed

READING THE BIBLE IN 1 YEAR: Joshua 7 - Greed, Theft & Punishment

Reading the Bible- Talking about Atlantis, Math & More

Angels...? We're Reading the Bible Today: Joshua 5

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: The Death of Moses

Generosity and Divorce are themes as we Read the Bible this year

Reading the Bible in 1 Year: History of the Children of Israel

The Nation of Israel - Reading the Bible in 1 Year

Friday, August 29, 2014

Earth-Friendly Friday

It's the beginning of a three-day weekend...and do I have plans? Well, who doesn't?

I' want to spend time out in the garden, in the sewing room, in the mountains...hiking. Yep, I have more than a few plans, plus reading, and writing...

So what does all of that have to do with Earth-friendly Friday?

Well, one of my projects is to cut up a bunch of old tee-shirts and turn them into a rug...at least that's what I'm hoping to do. I don't know if this project will turn out beautifully or be a huge craft-fail...but I guess I'll find out. And, I'll post pics on Monday, or Tuesday...

So, how 'bout you? What will you do with your extra day?

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Estela Bernal - Can You See Me Now

I spent the evening at A Children's Place bookstore listening to Estela Bernal talk about Can You See Me Now, her Middle Grade novel which is out in stores now.

This is a story about a young girl who loses her father in a car accident and has to deal with adjusting to her loss when her mother is emotionally abandoning her too.

It was a fun evening, filled with tales of writing and words of wisdom and inspiration.



Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Word for Wednesday - a writer's game

Guess what the word means...

WORD FOR WEDNESDAY:

PRIMORDIAL


Do you know what it means?

Can you guess?

If you don't know, try a guess anyway...

And if you think you know the answer....

Scroll down to see if you were "write" or wrong.



Further....


FURTHER . . . .


PRIMORDIAL MEANS:


existing at or from the beginning of time; primeval.
"the primordial oceans"

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

DIY Croakie



I wear my reading glasses all the time...because I read a lot. So I can't be putting my glasses down while I'm doing something else. That's where the croakie comes in handy. But, most of the store-bought varieties are not very pretty. So, I decided to make my own.

I went to Joann Fabrics and bought some beads and went to work. First you need little fastenings, which you can get at any craft store, including Joann's.




 Now I have a green croakie, a purple one and even a black and blue one.

They are fun to make and very easy.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Homemade Peach Pie

It doesn't have to be beautiful to taste yummy and it will leave mouthwatering memories your kids and family will remember long after the pie is gone.

Here's how I made my pie:

Ingredients:

DOUGH:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 sticks of butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

(1/4 cup extra flour for rolling out your dough).

Mix the ingredients together well and separate into two balls of dough. Then roll out two sheets on floured cutting boards (place cutting boards and dough in refrigerator to chill for 1/2 hour)

Peaches must be skinned and cut into chunks. I also rinse mine.




FILLING:

10 large ripe peaches
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg

Blend everything but the peaches together and then add the peaches.





 INSTRUCTIONS:

Use one sheet of dough to layer the bottom portion of your pie pan (bake at 450 for 10 minutes) then pull out of the oven and pour filling into pan. Let cool (but do not put in refrigerator-as pan could break from sudden change in temperatures), cut strips of dough and layer one way then the other across your pie pan. Use one extra strip of dough to edge the pie and bake at 350 for approximately 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. If edges get too dark, cover with tin foil.


If you're careful, you can get even strips, I just cut away and don't worry about it.

I like to add an edge of dough around the circumference to give it a more finished look.

I pinch the edges to make it look finished.
Then I pop it in the oven.

My edges tend to get overly brown, so I cover them in foil.
And when I pop it out, it's ready to eat.
Sweet!




Thursday, August 21, 2014

Shakespeare in the Park

This weekend at Laurelhurst Park on Sunday afternoon at 1:00, Aug 24 - As You Like It, OPSF

The Original Practice Shakespeare Festival is a fun theater group that performs in the park during the summer. 

So bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and come see a show.

It's a wonderful way to spend a day. 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Thought for Thursday

If you have trouble with grammar or, if you don't really know when to use affect versus effect, you should definitely pop over to Grammar Girl's blogsite and check her out.

She has some great tips, hints and tricks to help you remember when to use what.

So, if you want a little extra help in the writing department, bookmark her site and maybe watch a tutorial or two.

Good luck with your writing.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Making Minions



This is such an easy food craft that kids can do it.

INGREDIENTS:



WHITE (or yellow) chocolate
marshmallows
candy eyes
 Black frosting and/or molding dough
(candy sticks/lollipop sticks)
(a big cup to hold the sticks)

Optional:

fondant (in colors you want to use to decorate)

First you need to put the marshmallows on the sticks. I put them in a broad based cup to hold them while I decorate them.



You can microwave the chocolate until it is smooth and creamy. All you need is some chocolate (white or yellow), if you use white, you will need some yellow food coloring to dye your chocolate to the proper color for minions.



Then you dip your marshmallows in the chocolate and put them in the fridge to cool. Then use the left over warm chocolate to "glue" the candy eyes in place. You are nearly done.

You can decorate as much or as little as you like.



I also made a minion holder.

This came pre-packaged from the local craft store. All I was supposed to have to do was put it together.

But the instructions were in Spanish...:(

Still I tried.

But I had to ask my hubby to help and he actually ended up using his drill to make the lollipop holders larger.

Of course I had to decorate it with a little ribbon.









Monday, August 18, 2014

Another Exciting Weekend in the Kasch Household

I don't know how you spend your weekends but around my house it's one exciting adventure after another...NOT!

We seem to spend a lot of time remodeling...and this is something we've been doing for about 30 years.

Well, at least this weekend we made a little headway on the chimbrary...my little library behind the chimney.

And, when I say we I mean my hubby. He of course of was sitting up in that little space installing the beautiful wainscoting I wanted.

Here's a pictorial progress report:



Sunday, August 17, 2014

An Agent's In-Box

Krista Van Dolzer is hostessing a contest and for any writers out there, it might just be worth your while to check it out.

Just pop over here and see if this is for you.

But for those of you who don't want to click over without knowing if it's worth it, here are the rules as they appear on her blog:

"The Rules

1. To enter, your manuscript must meet two conditions: First, it must be COMPLETE, POLISHED, AND READY TO QUERY, and second, it must be in one of the genres The Agent represents (which are listed at the bottom of this post).

2. IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN FEBRUARY’S ROUND OF “AN AGENT’S INBOX,” please DO NOT participate in this one UNLESS YOU HAVE A NEW MANUSCRIPT that meets the criteria listed above. I have a pretty good memory, and I will disqualify previous entries. If the entry slots don’t fill up by Tuesday, August 19, I may allow previous participants to enter, but I’m not going to make that decision right now.

3. All entries must include A QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. You must paste these items IN THE BODY OF YOUR E-MAIL; otherwise, I'll disqualify it.

4. THE ENTRY WINDOW OPENS AT 1:00 P.M. EDT (OR 10:00 A.M. PDT). Once the entry window opens, I'll accept the first 20 entries. I won't accept any entries sent before the entry window opens or after the first 20 slots fill up.

5. If your entry makes it in, I'll send you a confirmation e-mail with a post number. If your entry doesn't make it in, I'll still send you an e-mail, but it won't have a post number.

6. If your entry makes it in, YOU MUST COMMENT ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER ENTRIES.

The Prizes The Agent will select both the winners and the prizes. The Agent might pick 20 winners, or he or she might only pick one. The Agent might offer full requests, or he or she might only ask to see another page. It all depends on how good the entries are.

Please keep in mind that THIS CONTEST ISN'T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. I've encouraged The Agent to treat the entries exactly as he or she would a normal batch of queries. Essentially, The Agent will be answering the question, "How much of the entry did you read, and if you didn't read it all, why did you stop?" I think this process will be instructive for all of us, but if you enter, you need to be prepared to hear exactly what The Agent thinks of your query and first page.

So get those queries and first pages polished up, then meet us back here on Monday, August 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT! At that time, you may send your entries to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com. Looking forward to it!

The Genres

MG fiction (all genres)
YA fiction (all genres)
NA fiction (all genres except erotica)"

REMEMBER THIS ISN'T MY CONTEST IT'S KRISTA VAN DOLZER'S SO IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, HOP OVER TO HER BLOG BY CLICKING HERE

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Hawthorne Street Fair - this weekend

Hawthorne Boulevard will be closed from SE 30th to SE 38th Avenues! Sunday event highlights include: live music all day, beer gardens (located outside Bazi Bierbrasserie with a live DJ and beer tastings, and at the Eagles Lodge with live bands during the course of the day: both beer gardens are family and pet friendly, and are cash only), kids events at toy store Kids at Heart including face painting, circus activities, prizes and more! PLUS our friends at Lounge Lizard have some surprises up their sleeves! Make sure you pop on over to Hawthorne Boulevard this weekend for this fantastic street fair!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about new horizons and looking for the good in even the worst of situations. It's also a story about love and looking for a connection with another person and loving them.

Zora Hurston wrote this novel in 1937 in seven weeks.

It's the story of Janie Crawford, a young black woman who grows up during the course of the book and her search for love and her own identity.

Zora was a woman who wrote this story in a time when it wasn't easy to be an African American female writer.

Though the text might take a little time getting used to, it is well worth the effort. I would rate this novel a 7-8 on a scale of 1-10. It was a little slow in a couple of spots (one being the very beginning) but over all it was very entertaining and interesting.

SCBWI Oregon Retreat

If you want to get away and relax while being productive all at the same time, then you should check out the SCBWI-Oregon Retreat:


2014 Annual Fall Retreat

Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/16/2014 - 10/19/2014
3:00 pm - 12:00 pm
Location
Oregon Garden Resort
895 W Main St - Silverton, OR 97381

Monday, August 11, 2014

A Weekend Wedding

My brother got married over the weekend and it brought the family together from all over the country...well, at least from Minnesota, California, Washington and Oregon. And it was so much fun seeing family I haven't seen for quite some time.

And it was a wonderful thing to see young cadets doing an honor guard crossing of the swords for the bridal party.

And then--of course--there was the kiss that sealed the deal, while everyone stood by and watched.

And then we partied with food and fun.

All-in-all, I couldn't think of a better way to spend a weekend.




Friday, August 8, 2014

Cooking Class

I took an outdoor cooking class

At the Farmington Gardens  

where they have From the Garden to the Table classes

It was a sunny, warm day and it was fun to sit outside and watch the ladies cook and smell the aromas floating around the air, and they even fed us what they cooked. So it was a yummilicious time.

And on August 9th they'll be having another class on peaches. Wouldn't you like to learn how to make chilled peach soup?

I think it sounds interesting.


Monday, August 4, 2014

DEMON'S INK

I'm excited to announce I've SOLD my first young adult novel: Demon's Ink!

The story is set here, in Portland, Oregon. And Mt. Tabor will feature prominently in the storyline. The main characters attend the local high school and street names and locations will be obvious to any Portlandian.

I'll post more, as I get more news. But for now, I just wanted to share my happy news with all my friends.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

BIG News Coming here tomorrow

Just want you to come back and read all about it!

:D

Hope you're having as good a weekend as I am

Friday, August 1, 2014

Taking a Class

Have you ever wanted to take a class? I'm not talking about school. I'm talking about learning something you can really use in life...like cooking.

Well, I have.

And this weekend I'm signed up for my very first cooking class. Now, I've taken decorating classes, like cake decorating and knitting and sewing classes before...but cooking is something we can all use.

So Monday, I'll tell you all about it but right now I'm pretty excited about learning something new and useful.

How 'bout you? Doing anything fun this weekend?