Link Roundup - Farmer's Market Edition

So yesterday I participated in the farmer's market in one of the nearby "cities". I don't get up early for much anymore, so that was tough . . . on top of my usual insomnia magnified by nerves, it was a short night! I didn't quite have time to get everything done that I wanted to beforehand - such as going to Wal-Mart and checking their prices, eating breakfast, getting change - you know, the little things. :>) I pulled it all together pretty well, though.

Unfortunately I totally forgot to bring my camera to get a picture of my display! I opened my trunk and had a whiteboard propped up that screamed INDIAN CORN AND GOURDS so people knew at a glance what I was selling. I used baskets, enamel pans, milk crates, and a dishpan to hold my wares, and I used turned over laundry baskets and a couple of those canvas chairs that fold up into a bag to get things off the ground so people could see them better. I thought it worked pretty well! They had a special, so I didn't have to pay for my booth the first time which meant everything was profit! I probably sold around half my stuff and made about $50, which isn't too bad.

The funny part is that the organizer first told me to take one spot, then turned around and sent me to the other side of the market (don't worry - it's not very big) since a vendor right next to the initial stall was also selling gourds and Indian corn. So I pulled in and was busily setting up, and I didn't pay too much attention to the guy in the stall next to me who arrived a bit later with a load of onions. Once I finished, I started chatting with him about how to grow onions (since mine don't get very big) and after that, we chatted about a number of things. When I mentioned the town where I grew up, he said "I KNEW you were a (insert my maiden name here)!" Turns out he graduated from high school in my brother's class! For some reason, I was recently reminiscing about high school drama (the actual stage kind, not just the hallway stuff) and was remembering that I'd attended a pool party at his house when we were both cast in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers when I was a freshman and he was a senior. Good times!

It was also quite serendipitous because he is a flight instructor and can help my hubs out with some training he needs for a plane he's rebuilding. I haven't seen this guy in probably 18 years and had no idea he was even in the area. It was fun to catch up with him!

So - links!!

MAKE
I just died of cuteness: little yarn apples at Make and Takes.

Turn burp cloths into cupcakes at U Create.

I had forgotten about things like these tissue paper vases at Let's Explore - cute and easy and cheap!

EAT
I think this came via Katie at Kitchen Stewardship - black bean brownies. I'm very intrigued. Not only do I love chocolate waaaay too much, but I really, really like black beans.

Goose and I need to get back to baking! We ought to start with these buttermilk oatmeal muffins at And Then I Do The Dishes. (What a cute blog name!) Interestingly, you start by soaking the oats in buttermilk! I've been eyeing that process, but haven't jumped in yet.

This sounds kind of like one of my kitchen incidents - at Cooking During Stolen Moments, Butterscotch No Bake Cookies. Except this turn out for the better . . . I usually end up with something questionable!

Sigh . . . this is really getting to be quite a list - diet? What diet? Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake at Annie's Eats. I think I just gained five pounds.

LEARN
Here is an article from the Archdiocese of Denver regarding actions by a group called the "Ecumenical Catholic Communion". It has good information on why the Catholic church does not ordain women as priests.

Jennifer at Conversion Diary posted The Ultimate Burnout Survival Guide. She knows about that which she speaks.

This is a good compilation and comparison of the different Natural Family Planning methods, at CatholicMom.com.

Michele at Frugal Granola pointed to her participation in a post on cloth-diapering a newborn. (at Keeper of the Home) ESPECIALLY since my honker seems to be well on the way to potty training, I need to get my post written about our cloth diaper experiences.

Bethany at The Apple Cider Mill has written three posts as a way of introducing the rosary. They are: An Introduction to the Rosary, Prayers of the Rosary, and Mysterious Mysteries. Her perspective is excellent and she writes in such a way as to introduce the rosary to those who don't know anything about it or perhaps have been misinformed on the hows and whys of the rosary.

Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog has revised her Sewing in Baby Steps Workshop so that there are no start and end dates - you can register at any time and learn at your own pace. I thought she did a great job with it initially, and this makes it all the better!

This week, Catholics celebrated the feast of St. Therese of Liseux (whether they realized it or not). Faith and Family Live has a great post on God's Hand and the Little Flower (as St. Therese is often known) and how she very nearly didn't come into being. I've read bits and pieces about her here and there, but this year it is all coming together. She knew to serve God in the very little things, and that's a lesson I would do well to learn.

I've mentioned before that I'm a self-proclaimed stats geek, and I loved messing with numbers and charts back when I was paid to do it. Faith and Family Live pointed out a link to an article on a project by Kansas State University. They made correlations between the seven deadly sins and things such as violent crime, STDs, and numbers of fast food restaurants. Nebraska, of course, was found to really be the good life. :>)

RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES
Jennifer at Conversion Diary does this to me about once a week. This week, it's post that connects St. Francis de Sales with commenting and blogging as a Christian. I'd have never pulled those two together, but man, it's clear. Go read!