Captain's Log, Stardate 12.31.2008 Apologies in advance to chicken lovers (most notably my friend Shelley Adina ) but I thought this was hilarious. I got this off the background image of Cheryl Wyatt's Twitter page .

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.30.2008 I love this recipe for making cinnamon rolls using a bread machine . It makes it so easy! I substitute 3/4 cup milk for the 3/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons dry milk. Otherwise, I follow the recipe exactly. The rolls turn out sooooo good! I forgot to take pictures of when I was rolling out the dough, spreading the filling, and cutting the rolls, but here I am drizzling icing over the baked rolls. And guess who’s highly interested in possible droppage?

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.23.2008 I made this shawl for Captain Caffeine’s work gift exchange. He works with mostly women, so I figured he’d get major kudos for this gift. I used this really nice blue heather wool laceweight yarn that has purple highlights. The pattern is from Victorian Lace Today . (If you’re on Ravelry, more info on the yarn, needles, etc. is here .) These are low resolution pictures. If you want to see higher resolution pics, you can visit this album in my Photobucket.com account .

Today's Wild Card author is: Debbie Viguié and the book: The Winter of Candy Canes Zondervan (October 1, 2008) They’re fun! They’re quirky! They’re Sweet Seasons—unlike any other girls’ books you’ve ever read. You could call them alternative, God-honoring chick lit. Join Candace Thompson on a sweet, lighthearted, and honest romp through the friendships, romances, family, school, faith, and values that make a girl’s life as full as it can be. Seasons change and so will life for at least one park employee. Christmas is coming! And an elf outfit and the minty scent of what seem like a gatrillion candy canes aren’t the only adjustments for Candace. Her biggest worry what to get her boyfriend for Christmas turns into a much larger project after Candace is reminded that real needs can be hiding right around the corner. Can this elf capture the true meaning of Christmas in time to make a difference? ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Debbie Viguié has been writing for most of her life. She

Today's Wild Card author is: Linore Rose Burkard and the book: Before the Season Ends Harvest House Publishers (December 1, 2008) In her debut novel of what she calls “spirited romance for the Jane Austen soul,” author Linore Rose Burkard tells the intriguing story of Miss Ariana Forsythe, a young woman caught between her love for a man who doesn’t share her faith and her resolution to marry only a fellow believer in Christ. Trouble at home sends the young woman to her aunt’s townhome in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Ariana is soon neck–deep in high society and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London’s current darling rogue. Then a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her heart, her faith, and her future are all at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent’s attention. Will Ariana’s faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it’s Ariana’s heart th

Mike Hamel and his book: The Sword and the Flute (Matterhorn the Brave Series #1) Amg Publishers (January 22, 2007) ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mike Hamel is a seasoned storyteller who has honed his skill over theyears by telling tall tales to his four children. He is the author of several non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles. Mike and his wife, Susan, live in Colorado Springs, CO. Their four children are now grown and their two grand children will soon be old enough for stories of their own. From His Blog's About Me: I am a professional writer with sixteen books to my credit, including a trilogy of titles dealing with faith and business: The Entrepreneur’s Creed (Broadman, 2001), Executive Influence (NavPress, 2003), and Giving Back (NavPress, 2003). I also edited Serving Two Masters: Reflections on God and Profit, by Bill Pollard (Collins, 2006). My most enjoyable project to date has been an eight-volume juvenile fiction series called Matterhorn the Brave .

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.19.2008 Just to warn you, I might have several knitting blog posts this month since I’m finishing gifts. I just completed a beautiful scarf from Victorian Lace Today in a taupe heather color wool laceweight yarn. I’m very proud of this scarf because it’s the first time I knitted with beads. I used these “crystal honey” color beads that I added to the florettes on the two end borders and in lines along the sides of the scarf. (If you’re on Ravelry, more info on the yarn, needles, etc. is here .) This is what it looked like while I was still knitting it. And this is the finished product. These are low resolution pictures. If you want to see higher resolution pics, you can visit this album in my Photobucket.com account .

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.18.2008 Where Do I Go? by Neta Jackson A story of seeking-and finding-God's will in unlikely places. Gabrielle Fairbanks has nearly lost touch with the carefree, spirited young woman she was when she married her husband fifteen years ago. But when the couple moves to Chicago to accommodate Philip's business ambitions, Gabby finds the chance to make herself useful. It's there she meets the women of Manna House Women's Shelter; they need a Program Director-and she has a degree in social work. She's in her element, feeling God's call on her life at last, even though Philip doesn't like the changes he sees in her. But things get rough when Philip gives Gabby an ultimatum: quit her job at the shelter or risk divorce and losing custody of their sons. Gabby must take refuge, as in the song they sing at Sunday night worship: "Where do I go when there's no one else to turn to? . . . I go to the Rock I know that's ab

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.17.2008 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Bags because they’re HECKA EASIER! HELLOOOOOO! Besides, save a tree. 2. Real tree or Artificial? I like the smell of real trees (had them while growing up) but cleaning up the needles in January was a pain in the petootie! Gimme a fake one anyday! I’ll burn pine logs to get the smell. 3. When do you put up the tree? That should probably be IF we put up a tree. Since it’s in the living room, the Christmasy eye candy is lost on us. 4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year’s Day. Sometimes a few months after New Year’s Day ... 5. Do you like eggnog? Yup! Full fat! Bring it on, baby! 6. Favorite gift received as a child? Books! (Come on, you saw that coming, right?) 7. Hardest person to buy for? My parents! They already have pretty much everything they want. If they don’t have it, they’ve already bought it. And anything they do want is WAY out of my price range. 9. Do you have a nativity scene?

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.16.2008 I got this joke from Love Inspired romance author Debra Clopton : Q: How many women with MENOPAUSE does it take to change a light bulb? Woman's Answer: One! ONLY ONE!!!! And do you know WHY? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb! They don't even know that the bulb is BURNED OUT!! They would sit in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it out. And, once they figured it out, they wouldn't be able to find the #&%!* light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CABINET for the past 17 YEARS! But if they did, by some miracle of God, actually find them, 2 DAYS LATER, the chair they dragged to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE WRAPPER THE FREAKING LIGHT BULBS CAME IN!!! BECAUSE NO ONE EVER PICKS UP OR CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THA

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.15.2008 I was blogging at Girls, God, and the Good Life yesterday about something I think many of you can relate to: Camy here, talking about Spring ... er, Winter cleaning. Yes, my house is SO MESSY that I need to start in Winter to finish my Spring cleaning. Oy! Click here to read the rest of the post. Then comment to tell me if you have any ideas or if you want to commiserate with my woes. :)

Live, online chat with author Robin Jones Gunn at Abunga.com on Dec. 17 from 2-3 p.m. EST. Gunn has written more than 60 books including the popular “Christy Miller,” “Sierra Jensen” and “College Years” teen series and the “Glenbrooke” and “Sisterchicks” series. During the Abunga.com chat, she will be taking questions and talking about her new book, “Engaging Father Christmas.” To join in that chat, log onto www.Abunga.com/AuthorsAtAbunga. You can submit pre-chat questions now at the log in page.

Today's Wild Card author is: Nancy Wentz and the book: Cursebreaker Whitaker House (January 5, 2009) A ten-year-old boy known as Luke escapes from his abusive father, and a local pastor takes him in only to discover that the boy is a prophet with a powerful anointing from God. Luke s gift of prophecy leads him into direct confl ict with the Fratellis, a powerful mafi a family with a generational curse of demon possession dating back to the sixteenth century. As Luke navigates the spiritual world and the streets of Depression-era Denver, Colorado, he is befriended by three unlikely people: a member of the Fratelli family, the crusading attorney trying to take down the family, and Clara Crawford, an intriguing woman who is caught between the two sides. Will this boy and his gift be enough to save lives and souls before the cycle of revenge and demonic possession destroys everyone he knows? His only weapon is the all-powerful name of Jesus.... ABOUT THE AUTHOR: