Sunday fellowship: grief

Welcome to Sunday fellowship time 

This Sunday it's a special edition we talking about grief. As our church family members get together to plan a friend celebration of life celebration. It will be held here and the backrooms for the reception afterwards.

Matthew 5 :4

Blessed are those who mourn

Fellowship recipe....

Kids church and crafts 

We cute the round out of cardboard and used strips of tissue paper taped on as streamers.

Saturday at the library

Welcome everyone to Saturday at our local library. I brought Dot to the library for a visit and Circle time.....

If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . .

Written in the tradition of the bestselling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's If You Give a Cat a Cupcake will show everyone that Cat is where it's at! 

The If You Give... series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books are perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to "read it again!"

Other favorites in Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's bestselling series include:

• If You Give a Dog a Donut
• If You Give a Moose a Muffin
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• If You Give a Pig a Pancake
• If You Give a Pig a Partcake

Craft Time 

Todays  Cozy Read .......

Librarian Charlie Harris and his faithful feline companion, Diesel, have inherited Charlie’s grandfather’s house, along with a deadly legacy: a decades-old crime scene, in this all-new mystery in the New York Times bestselling Cat in the Stacks series.

Charlie has always believed that his grandfather had sold his house to his longtime tenant, Martin Hale. So when Martin dies, Charlie is surprised to discover the house was not left to Martin but instead belongs to Charlie. As he and Diesel check out the house he remembers fondly from his childhood, he is pleasantly surprised that it is in better condition than expected. That is, until they find a literal skeleton in a closet.

While the sheriff’s department investigates the mysterious remains, Charlie digs deeper into the past for clues to the identity of the bones and why they are there. But the cold case heats up quickly when Martin’s grandson is found dead on the farm.

As Charlie delves into his own family history, he encounters many people who might have been motivated to take a life. But Charlie and Diesel know that things are not always what they seem, and that secrets seemingly lost to time have a way of finding their way back to haunt the present.

Book Recommended by readers: 

“What the Cat Dragged In” is the very nicely done fourteenth book in Miranda James Cat in the Stacks cozy mystery series. I have read and enjoyed all the books in the series and have come to love all the characters but this is now one of my favorites as we learn more about Charlie’s family and childhood. I loved reading this as Charlie learned more about his past and discovers family he never knew he had (a nice addition to the series). I was so wrapped up in Charlie’s story that I sometimes forgot about the mystery but the mystery was well done with some nice twists and turns and a few surprises. I enjoyed the book very much and in the end, was sad to have to leave Charlie, Diesel, and friends and look forward to my next visit with them.

Today is National Take your Cat to the vet day .... So make an appointment today . 

Milk Chocolate Pudding Cupcakes

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup + 2 tbsp granulateted sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup boiling water
• 1 cup chocolate pudding
• Frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a cupcake pan with 10 paper liners.
3. Add the dry ingredients to a stand mixer and mix with a paddle attachment (or use an electric mixer), then add the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla while mixing on low.
4. Add the boiling water and mix well.
5. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners until they are ¾ full.
6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
7. Let the cupcakes cool completely, then use a paring knife to cut out circles on top of each cupcake. Remove the extra cake from the cutout circle, fill the holes with pudding and top with the cutout circle by placing back on top over the filling.
8. Frost the cupcakes as usual.

Makes 10 cupcakes

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Whether you are just starting out or have lots of experience with cupcake making, this cookbook has plenty of recipes that are easy to make and some that will challenge you more. You will also discover the important steps for making moist, decadent cupcakes there are as well as the key ingredients you need to bake them. This cookbook not only offers a variety of foolproof recipes but also gives baking and decorating tips for a perfect cupcake!

Inside, you’ll find 101 recipes like:

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Window Woes

 

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Window Woes

https://15andmeowing.com/friendly-fill-ins-week-534/

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ sparks my creativity.

2. _________ zaps my energy.

3. My dream _________ would have _________.

4. _________ is the silliest way I've injured myself.

My answer : 

1. Pintrest , facebook, instagram
2. Running errands 
3. house would have a large library. Instead of my book shelf.
4. When i was about 6 , i tripped in church and hit my head on a wooden pew. Good thing a doctor was in the house. I still have a small scar. 

Check out my Thursday post : At Home with Dot advice from the boss.....Dot 

Pressed Flowe Bookmarks

 It's Friday flower project today..

Bookmarks

One of the reasons I love these pressed flower bookmarks is because the materials are so simple! You probably have most of what you need already.

Materials

• fresh flowers or leaves
• heavy books
• heavy weight 
• Bookmarks
• One of the reasons I love these pressed flower bookmarks is because the materials are so simple! You probably have most of what you need already.

1. Pick your flowers or leaves. (Freshly picked works best.)
2. Place them in a thick, heavy book. Make sure that they are slightly spaced apart. Also ensure that they’re placed in such a way that when the book closes, they’ll flatten nicely.
3. If you have it, place a heavy weight on the book. We used a 20 lb dumbbell and it worked really well! Alternatively, stack a few more heavy books on top of the one with the flowers in it.
4. Wait at least 2 days and open the book up. If they’re sufficiently pressed, you’re ready to go! If you want them more flat or dry, leave for another day or two.
5. Cut a bookmark-shaped strip of clear contact paper. Remove the backing and place it on a surface with the sticky side up. Then stick some pressed flowers to it. It looks cool if some of them hang over the edge! You can trim later.
6. Next, cut a slightly larger piece of contact paper and sandwich the flowers between the two pieces.
7. Finally, trim the larger contact paper to the size of the smaller one.

Friday flowers craft

It's more fun with Decopodge today.... I made a flower design on cardboard base.

And I fussy cute the first l over clock design on a circle from dollar tree. 

Painted in brown and highlighted with paint colors to match flowers. 

Check out my Friday post: fabric, flower, family favorite....lisa

At Home with Dot

This week we celebrated Black cat appreciation day 

So I thought what do you know about black cat 

Please support black cat in shelters...

• Black cats aren’t rare—just overlooked.
  One reason black cats are common in shelters is that there are simply more of them. The gene for black fur is dominant in cats, and it's represented in over 20 recognized breeds.
  
  
• Some black cats change color.
  Under bright sunlight, black cats may reveal hidden reddish or copper highlights, thanks to the underlying tabby gene. This makes every black cat visually unique.
  
  
• Their eyes are especially striking.
  The same high melanin content that gives black cats their deep, glossy coats often results in bright orange or amber eyes, creating a dramatic contrast.
  
  
• They might be more resilient.
  Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that black cats may have a genetic resistance to certain illnesses, including FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). Their dark fur might be more than beautiful—it could be protective.

How to help : 

• Adopt: Consider welcoming a black cat into your home. You'll be gaining a loyal companion with personality and resilience. Check your local shelter for black 🐈‍⬛ promotions.
• Donate: Your contributions support shelter pets by funding food, medical care, and lifesaving transports.
• Volunteer: Help your local shelter photograph, socialize, or foster black cats to increase their adoption chances.
• Share: The more we challenge outdated myths, the more black cats find loving homes. Use your voice to advocate for these beautiful animals.

Aug 22 is take your cat to the vet day !  Schedule your appointment now...

Aug 23 International Blind dog day

Silver Creek Cat Rescue mystery...

A cantankerous former mayor.
A dead man with a secret.
A magic gift in the middle of it all.

When forty-nine-year-old Eleanor Rockwell got laid off from her soul-crushing corporate job, she headed north of Austin with her daughter, Evie, and opened Silver Circle Cat Rescue in the small town of Tablerock, Texas.

Five years later, Silver Circle is Wildebridge County's largest shelter for rescue cats, so it's no surprise when Deputy Markham brings Belladonna — former mayor Fiona Blackwell's cat — to the shelter after she's arrested for murdering her husband, Beau. But why, Eleanor wonders, did the Deputy bring a silver drink tray with the sullen cat — and why is Belladonna talking when she walks on it?

Something strange is going on in Tablerock, and Eleanor is determined to get to the bottom of it. Can she figure out who's really running this town before Belladonna's ninth life — and her own — runs out?

Crystals, Belladonna, and Murder is the first book in the Silver Circle Cat Rescue Mysteries — a purr-fectly cozy cat midlife series set in the small town of Tablerock, Texas with just a touch of magic.

Book Review : 

When the Silver Circle is asked to take a cat whose owner is being held for murder by the police things get complicated. The murder suspect sent over a crystal tray with the cat. They discover a hidden compartment containing articles stating that the tray enables cats to talk. Trying to figure out what is going on involves them in the murder investigation. Fun, easy read.