Well, let me say, firstly, that I am amazed at the number of comments I have received concerning the GREAT bloggy giveaway! Wow! I have the mixes all ready to go to the lucky winner and Ed has all of the ingredients to make the fudge for the lucky winner of that prize. Oh, and if you would like half chocolate and half peanut butter fudge, that is doable,k? I'll be drawing the winners on Saturday! I think I may have said Sunday previously, but Saturday will work much better for me! Good luck, everyone and thank you so much for coming by my blog! You are more than welcome back! *smile*
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I've been seeing alot of posts and articles about Super Bowl gameday food ideas. Though we will don't usually watch the game, I loooove the food suggestions! *smile* I thought I would give you all an absolutely easy and delicious recipe that you could use if you like. I have made this for our ladies' meetings at church and everyone loves it! I don't fix it here at home because Ed is not fond of Alfredo anything. It is Chicken Alfredo Pizza:
Two prepared pizza crusts, i.e. Boboli
One jar of alfredo sauce
3-4 grilled chicken breasts
Chopped Broccoli
Mozzarella Cheese
Spread the alfredo sauce generously over the pizza crusts. I season and grill the chicken breast in my counter-top grill (similar to a George Foreman grill). Shred or cut the chicken into small pieces and spread evenly over the alfredo sauce. Top with tiny pieces of broccoli. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly!
This is soooo delicious and EASY to make. I steam fresh broccoli until it is tender, instead of using frozen broccoli. I then chop the broccoli or tear it by hand, to get the size pieces that I want. Frozen broccoli tends to be so tough and alot times it is mostly stems instead of the flowerets. I usually make two pizzas because the crusts are fairly small and one jar of sauce is perfect for two crusts. Enjoy!!
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Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Bloggy Giveaways Carnival: Winter '08 Edition!!
I am joining with many other wonderful bloggers in giving away some special prizes just for the fun of it in the midst of winter!
I will be giving away a decorative box filled with Ed's rich creamy homemade fudge! You can choose from either peanut butter or chocolate and with or without nuts!
I will also be giving away of basket of assorted mixes that I purchased from a local Amish store!
I will be posting pictures of both prizes tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29th!
If you would like your name to be entered, just leave a comment here! I will be drawing the winners' names on Sunday afternoon!
If you would like to check out the other bloggers who are participating and see the prizes they are offering, just click HERE!
Snow!
Here are two more pictures of the snow we had last Thursday! We were only supposed to get a passing flurry or two but it ended up snowing most of the day and school was canceled on Friday! We got about 2-3 inches of the beautifiul white fluffiness! The first picture was the view out my kitchen window and the other one was the view out my backdoor.
Curiosity
I was all snug in my recliner underneath my equally snuggily OSU afghan watching the ladies' finals of the U.S. Skating Championship. Ed had long since gone to bed. (WHAT? He didn't want to watch the women ice-skating championship? Uhhhh....no.) Suddenly, Ellie leaped from her warm place in my lap to the lamp on the stand pictured here. A bug was flitting about in the lampshade and she cannot resist a flitting bug. It would have been wonderful if ALL she had done was WATCH it, but she went AFTER it and ended up knocking over said lamp AND shattering the lightbulb therein. The Lord only knows what happened to the bug BUT of course, we all know that I ended up crawling out from underneath my warm snuggliness to clean up the shattered lightbulb and put everything back into place. (Yes, Ellie the cat is still among the living. She gave me such a sweet, remorseful little gaze afterward and purred around my ankles as I was crawling around on the carpet looking for stray shards of glass. How could I punish her? Sweet kitty.....)
Where was THIS when I needed it?!?!?!
A Japanese firm is now offering time-off to its employees for "heart-ache" recovery. I could have used THAT a time or fifty back when I was single and in the dating field. *sigh* I can remember going to work and being good for almost nothing as I nursed my aching heart. (yes, I can still remember, though it has become a bit more vague as the years have passed.) I am so thankful to be yeeeeaaarrs beyond all of that. It could be jungle out there, let me tell ya. Here's the article if you care to read it!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Let It Snow!
For those of you who are snow-deprived, I thought I would share with you a picture of what is going on outside of my front door, so you can enjoy it vicariously. *smile* We are only supposed to get about 1/2 inch, but I'll take it! The snow just beautifies the otherwise bleak-looking trees and hillsides and makes everything look so clean and bright!
Finally...all of your dieting questions answered!!
Q. I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I ! hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride!'
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AND.....For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wineand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you! :-)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Finally......
I bought new curtains for my kitchen windows, ohhhh, about three weeks ago. Welllllll, with Ed's help, I managed to get the curtains hung at the window over by the table (not pictured). I pressed the curtains, slipped them onto the rods and he hung them. But for some reason we just had a time getting the curtains over the other window, over the sink, hung. They required a double curtain rod and Ed had to put up the new brackets. Well, as you can see, we managed to finally get them hung this morning! I pressed them, put them on the rods and Ed hung them! Yayyyyyy!!
This sort of thing is a bit frustrating to me because I used to just tear into it all by myself and have it done in no time at all BUT all of that has changed because I can no longer climb up on a step stool or chair and I tire so much more easily. Now everything has to be done in smaller increments. I am just so thankful that Ed is so patient and helpful.
If you will look at the picture above to the right of the sink by the coffeemaker: there is a small gold cup. You can't see it in the picture but this cup is plastic and has gold flecks in it. This cup has been in my family since I was a wee little girl. It always set on the sink at home and when anyone wanted a drink, we used this cup. Do families do this any more? Probably not? I don't know but after Mom passed away and we kids were sorting through the house and her things and deciding who wanted what and so on, I latched onto this cup because it has such memories with it! Mother passed away in 1999 and it has been right there on my sink ever since and will, no doubt, remain there just like it did through my childhood.
Just past the coffeemaker, in the picture above,you will see a cross hanging on the wall beneath the cabinet. A young girl that I took to church for many years made this in Vacation Bible School and gave it to me. I wasn't married when she gave it to me, so I know that I have had it for at least 30 years. It is made of matches that have had the tips burned. They are then glued onto a cross-shaped piece of wood in a pretty pattern. This young girl is now married and I believe she is a grandmother, too! *smile*
An easy AND delicious recipe
I fix this delicious casserole often, for just me and Ed, and for company, and I always get raves about it!! The wonderful thing about it is that it is sooooo easy to fix! I hope you find it helpful and delicious, too!
I really don't have a name for it, so I'll just put the recipe below:
Boneless pork chops or boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs
(Use however many you will need for your family)
I season them very lightly because the stuffing seasons them.
I have browned the meat beforehand but have found that this is not necessary, so I no longer do this as it saves more time and it doesn't change the taste or flavor of the casserole.
Place the meat in a greased casserole dish. Cover the meat with Stovetop Stuffing mix (I use housebrand stuffing mix. I don't use the cornbread stuffing mix because it becomes too mushy.) that has been mixed with water. Allow the water to soak into the stuffing mix. And make the stuffing mix fairly wet.
Top the stuffing mix with mushroom soup that has been thinned to a gravy consistency with water.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake this for approximately one hour at 350 degrees. Or put it in a crockpot on low and let cook for at least 3 1/2-4 hours.
If I am fixing this just for me and Ed, I usually fix 6 pieces of meat if I am using small boneless pork chops or boneless chicken thighs. If I am using boneless chicken breasts, I use 4, topped with one box of stuffing mix and one can of soup. This also gives us leftovers for our evening meal. If I am fixing for company, I double everything. I serve this with green beans, most often.
It is absolutely delicious! I fix this almost every week for one of our meals, we like it just that much. The mushroom soup makes the stuffing so yummy! Hmmmm.....I may just have to fix this for us again this Sunday. We just had it last Sunday for dinner. I put it in the crockpot on low before leaving for church and when we arrive home, the house smells wonderful!!
I really don't have a name for it, so I'll just put the recipe below:
Boneless pork chops or boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs
(Use however many you will need for your family)
I season them very lightly because the stuffing seasons them.
I have browned the meat beforehand but have found that this is not necessary, so I no longer do this as it saves more time and it doesn't change the taste or flavor of the casserole.
Place the meat in a greased casserole dish. Cover the meat with Stovetop Stuffing mix (I use housebrand stuffing mix. I don't use the cornbread stuffing mix because it becomes too mushy.) that has been mixed with water. Allow the water to soak into the stuffing mix. And make the stuffing mix fairly wet.
Top the stuffing mix with mushroom soup that has been thinned to a gravy consistency with water.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake this for approximately one hour at 350 degrees. Or put it in a crockpot on low and let cook for at least 3 1/2-4 hours.
If I am fixing this just for me and Ed, I usually fix 6 pieces of meat if I am using small boneless pork chops or boneless chicken thighs. If I am using boneless chicken breasts, I use 4, topped with one box of stuffing mix and one can of soup. This also gives us leftovers for our evening meal. If I am fixing for company, I double everything. I serve this with green beans, most often.
It is absolutely delicious! I fix this almost every week for one of our meals, we like it just that much. The mushroom soup makes the stuffing so yummy! Hmmmm.....I may just have to fix this for us again this Sunday. We just had it last Sunday for dinner. I put it in the crockpot on low before leaving for church and when we arrive home, the house smells wonderful!!
For all of you animal-lovers out there!
I received this in an email and thought it was so funny! Granted, I don't agree with ALL of the things stated here AND I do love our children MORE than our animals BUT some of this IS true and MOST of it IS funny!! Enjoy!
To be posted VERYLOW on the refrigerator door - snout height.
Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The otherdishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.
Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight outand having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through thesame door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years--canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.
The proper order is kiss me, THEN go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!
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To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on ourfront door:
To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1. They live here.You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
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Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Usually come when called
5. Never drive your car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and......
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.
To be posted VERYLOW on the refrigerator door - snout height.
Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The otherdishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.
Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight outand having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through thesame door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years--canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.
The proper order is kiss me, THEN go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!
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To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on ourfront door:
To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1. They live here.You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
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Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Usually come when called
5. Never drive your car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and......
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Bringing back some memories
I went to visit and have lunch with my friend, Cindy yesterday. This is a picture I took as I looked out her driveway yesterday. We had had a light snowfall in the night and I thought this was such a pretty scene.
Cindy made the most delicicous chicken salad for lunch! Yummo! *smile* We talked and ate and ate and talked and just caught up with eachother!
Well, when I walked in the house, I asked her what smelled sooo good and she said that she had soup beans cooking in the crockpot. Boy, did they ever smell wonderful! Well, later in the afternoon, I stopped by my friend Pam's to see her new apartment and to visit for a bit and again, I asked her what she was cooking that smelled so divine and she said SHE was cooking a pot of soup beans!! Can you believe it? She had some ham that she needed to use and what better with ham than beans? Well, that did it! I came home and whipped out the crockpot and put some navy beans on to cook overnight! And are they ever good!! I also baked cornbread!
I remember that Tuesday's were always ironing day for my mom when I was a child. Wash day was Monday. Ironing day was Tuesday. *smile* And she always cooked a big pot of soup beans on that day. We always knew that when we got home from school in the late afternoon, that there would be beans and cornbread for supper. Sometimes Mom would fix spinach to have with them or she would fry sauerkraut or cabbage. AND sometimes she would put potpie in the beansoup. Now that WAS yummy! For dessert, if we had it, there would be a bowl of fruit that Mom had canned....raspberries or peaches usually. Mom always used white cornmeal and baked the cornbread in a black iron skillet. I remember hearing the sizzle as she would pour melted bacon drippings into the cornbread batter right before pouring it into the skillet.
The cornbread would have a hard crust on the bottom and the outside of the pieces so we kids would scoop out the soft part to eat with our beans and then spread butter and jelly on the crust and eat it.
What precious memories of the family gathered 'round the supper table! Do you have any special dinnertime memories or favorite comfort foods?
The cornbread would have a hard crust on the bottom and the outside of the pieces so we kids would scoop out the soft part to eat with our beans and then spread butter and jelly on the crust and eat it.
What precious memories of the family gathered 'round the supper table! Do you have any special dinnertime memories or favorite comfort foods?
Daniel turns 21!
Hi everyone! Well, we made it through the party for Daniel's 21st birthday. You know, in the midst of their growing-up years, you just never think that 21 will ever come. Not that you want it to, mind you, but it just seems so far away. And then....before you know it.....it's here! He's 21! A grown man. And such a good one.
Ed and I were in Walmart Friday evening shopping for food and other things for the party. I had been to the chiropractor (Ed calls him my "bone-crusher" *grin*) and I was not feeling at all well, even riding in one of the motorized carts. It was pretty agonizing. Ed turned to me and asked, "What were we thinking? We should have just given him the money, said Happy Birthday, and left it at that." While I was in agreement at the moment, I told him it was too late. We were committed to this party. People had been invited. The gym had been rented. Daniel was excited. The end. Soooooo......we pushed ahead. Saturday morning we picked up the cake and a few more things. We came home and took a nap. Then I fixed sloppy joe/hot dog sauce and Ed helped me get everything gathered up and he loaded up the car. We arrived at the school at around four, where the kids met us and helped us get everything set up and ready to go. I actually did not do much except to give a few directions because, even with my walker, walking was very painful.
So, everyone started arriving and Daniel's friends arrived and, let me tell ya....they played basketball and dodge ball from four o'clock until we left at nine. Then they stayed until ten-thirty playing more basketball and dodgeball! Where do they get the energy??? Daniel thanked us and thanked us for the party and renting the gym. His cousins and aunts and uncles were all there and Erin's parents, youth groups from both churches. We had an awesome time! Most of aunts and uncles and parents were sitting around talking, eating hot dogs, cake, ice cream, Dortios. Erin's dad said, "Do you know what the difference is between us and them?" as he motioned out at Daniel and his friends playing basketball. "They'd rather play basketball than eat and we'd rather eat than play basketball!" That would be right. *grin*
In the end, I'm so glad that we had the party at Green School gym. A new Green Elementary is being built at a different location and they will be tearing down this old school at the end of this school year. Ed's three older children went to Green. Most of my nieces and nephews attended Green Elementary and so did Daniel and Bethany before they were homeschooled. So we have lot of memories from good old Green Elementary. As I said in a previous post, we've had all of Daniel's birthday parties there, too.
And isn't there just something about the smell of a school that evokes such a myriad of memories, whether they be good or bad ones. That combination of chalk, paste/glue, paper, books, crayons, lingering cafeteria odors, industrial cleaner. Here are some pictures from the party! Oh and Bethany and little Nathen were able to come! He is so precious! Bethany and Drew have been so blessed with such a sweet-spirited little cutie!
Johnny and Cheryl got Daniel a unique gift: A commemorative coin of the Ohio State/LSU Championship Game. It is a replica of the one used for the coin-toss at the beginning of the game.
Ed and I were in Walmart Friday evening shopping for food and other things for the party. I had been to the chiropractor (Ed calls him my "bone-crusher" *grin*) and I was not feeling at all well, even riding in one of the motorized carts. It was pretty agonizing. Ed turned to me and asked, "What were we thinking? We should have just given him the money, said Happy Birthday, and left it at that." While I was in agreement at the moment, I told him it was too late. We were committed to this party. People had been invited. The gym had been rented. Daniel was excited. The end. Soooooo......we pushed ahead. Saturday morning we picked up the cake and a few more things. We came home and took a nap. Then I fixed sloppy joe/hot dog sauce and Ed helped me get everything gathered up and he loaded up the car. We arrived at the school at around four, where the kids met us and helped us get everything set up and ready to go. I actually did not do much except to give a few directions because, even with my walker, walking was very painful.
So, everyone started arriving and Daniel's friends arrived and, let me tell ya....they played basketball and dodge ball from four o'clock until we left at nine. Then they stayed until ten-thirty playing more basketball and dodgeball! Where do they get the energy??? Daniel thanked us and thanked us for the party and renting the gym. His cousins and aunts and uncles were all there and Erin's parents, youth groups from both churches. We had an awesome time! Most of aunts and uncles and parents were sitting around talking, eating hot dogs, cake, ice cream, Dortios. Erin's dad said, "Do you know what the difference is between us and them?" as he motioned out at Daniel and his friends playing basketball. "They'd rather play basketball than eat and we'd rather eat than play basketball!" That would be right. *grin*
In the end, I'm so glad that we had the party at Green School gym. A new Green Elementary is being built at a different location and they will be tearing down this old school at the end of this school year. Ed's three older children went to Green. Most of my nieces and nephews attended Green Elementary and so did Daniel and Bethany before they were homeschooled. So we have lot of memories from good old Green Elementary. As I said in a previous post, we've had all of Daniel's birthday parties there, too.
And isn't there just something about the smell of a school that evokes such a myriad of memories, whether they be good or bad ones. That combination of chalk, paste/glue, paper, books, crayons, lingering cafeteria odors, industrial cleaner. Here are some pictures from the party! Oh and Bethany and little Nathen were able to come! He is so precious! Bethany and Drew have been so blessed with such a sweet-spirited little cutie!
Johnny and Cheryl got Daniel a unique gift: A commemorative coin of the Ohio State/LSU Championship Game. It is a replica of the one used for the coin-toss at the beginning of the game.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Friends
How can one adequately express or explain the value and worth of good friends? I have been so blessed with many wonderful friends. They are all so different, yet we fit together so well. I only pray that I am as good a friend to them as they are to me.
I think what brought this on was that I have been talking to my friend, Cindy, a little more than usual this week. My, but we do laugh and have such a great time when we talk and visit. And we have been known to shed a tear or two as we talk of the Lord and His goodness to us. Now, sometimes months will go by that we don't talk but then when we do, we just pick up where we left off. Cindy was the first person to ever really talk to me about the Lord and this apostolic truth. That was about 38 years ago. We've both married since then, had children. She has grandchildren. I've given her piano lessons a time or two. Our lives have been intertwined.
I have friends who are quite a bit older than me. And friends who are much younger. Age does not matter. I just have such a thankfulness in my heart this evening for my friends. What a treasure they are and a blessing from the Lord.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. -- Fr. Jerome Cummings
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:12-15
"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends." -- Cindy Lew
"Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. "-- Jewish Saying
"A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity." Proverbs 17:17
"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." -- Elbert Hubbard
"Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart." Proverbs 27:9
"Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure." -- Jewish saying
"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."-- Aristotle
"The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Hold a true friend with both your hands. "-- Nigerian Proverb
"A faithful friend is the medicine of life." -- Apocrypha
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."-- Anonymous
I think what brought this on was that I have been talking to my friend, Cindy, a little more than usual this week. My, but we do laugh and have such a great time when we talk and visit. And we have been known to shed a tear or two as we talk of the Lord and His goodness to us. Now, sometimes months will go by that we don't talk but then when we do, we just pick up where we left off. Cindy was the first person to ever really talk to me about the Lord and this apostolic truth. That was about 38 years ago. We've both married since then, had children. She has grandchildren. I've given her piano lessons a time or two. Our lives have been intertwined.
I have friends who are quite a bit older than me. And friends who are much younger. Age does not matter. I just have such a thankfulness in my heart this evening for my friends. What a treasure they are and a blessing from the Lord.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. -- Fr. Jerome Cummings
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:12-15
"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends." -- Cindy Lew
"Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. "-- Jewish Saying
"A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity." Proverbs 17:17
"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." -- Elbert Hubbard
"Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart." Proverbs 27:9
"Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure." -- Jewish saying
"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."-- Aristotle
"The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Hold a true friend with both your hands. "-- Nigerian Proverb
"A faithful friend is the medicine of life." -- Apocrypha
"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."-- Anonymous
Monday, January 07, 2008
Go Bucks!!
Ohio State and LSU are playing for the national championship (NCAA football) tonight even as I type. We are listening to it on the radio as we don't get the channel that it is being broadcast on. (FOX) But Paul Keels, the radio voice of the Buckeyes, is awesome and we almost enjoy listening to the game as much as watching it. Anywayyy....Daniel stopped by on his way home from work which was a wonderful surprise! Actually, he wasn't going home. A bunch of people from their church are going to the Bakers' home tonight to watch the game, so he just stopped by here to change clothes and then go to the Bakers, where Erin was going to meet him. He went to work today dressed as Jim Tressel! Whadaya think?
After he was here for a little while, he changed into his outfit for watching the game! He IS his mother's son. *smile* Here he is in all of his Buckeye glory. 
Wash Day
Back when I was a little girl, Monday was "wash day". My mother always did the weekly washing on Monday. She had a wringer washer and hung the clothes out to dry, even in the winter, though we did get a dryer pretty early in my childhood. I remember this because we kids were playing hide-and-go-seek in the house one day and Dad hid Johnny in the dryer!!! We never did find him, so he got an "ally-ally-in-free"! Gosh, remember those days?? Those WERE the days! Now, concerning the wringer washer, I always wanted to help put the clothes through the wringer. I just thought this was so much fun, but woe to me, if I let my hand get too close to the wringer rollers 'cause there would go my hand through the thing, but it had a safety thing on it that caused the wringer contraption to pop open....thankfully.
Well, today has been "wash day" for me: I've washed clothes, I've washed dishes and I've washed my hair and it is just now 1:38pm, so you can see that I have been busy. The clothes are washed, dried, folded and put away. The dishes are washed, dried, and put away. My hair is washed, dried and in dire need of fixing. If I were as brave as Chantell, I'd post a picture of myself with my hair "undone", but I just can't do it. *grin* The world is not ready to see my with my hair "stringing", as I call it. *smile* Sooooo, after I finish this post, I am going to do my hair and then it will definitely be naptime for me. (I love naptime)
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I just haven't felt very "bloggy" lately. I'm not sure why. Tersie is feelin' the same way, so maybe it is a January-Christmas-is-over-middle-of-winter thing,hm?
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We have record-breaking temperatures here in Ohio today. 71 degrees!!! The previous record was 64 back in 1907. Here's the proof of our warm weather today:
Well, today has been "wash day" for me: I've washed clothes, I've washed dishes and I've washed my hair and it is just now 1:38pm, so you can see that I have been busy. The clothes are washed, dried, folded and put away. The dishes are washed, dried, and put away. My hair is washed, dried and in dire need of fixing. If I were as brave as Chantell, I'd post a picture of myself with my hair "undone", but I just can't do it. *grin* The world is not ready to see my with my hair "stringing", as I call it. *smile* Sooooo, after I finish this post, I am going to do my hair and then it will definitely be naptime for me. (I love naptime)
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I just haven't felt very "bloggy" lately. I'm not sure why. Tersie is feelin' the same way, so maybe it is a January-Christmas-is-over-middle-of-winter thing,hm?
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We have record-breaking temperatures here in Ohio today. 71 degrees!!! The previous record was 64 back in 1907. Here's the proof of our warm weather today:
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Now we know
About 7 or 8 weeks ago, Dr. Gedeon had asked me if I thought it was helping me to still come to him. He is my chiropractor. I told him that I just wasn't sure. So I decided to take a few weeks off. Well, today, I have hardly been able to get around here at home even with my walker. I know, I know. We took Daniel and Erin out to dinner. Yes, I was in pain, but when I am sitting, it is bearable and it IS his birthday! (you know how we moms are! *smile*)
Anywayyyy.....when my body is like it has been today, it kind of scares me because doing just the simplest things here at home is agonizing, at least from the waist down. So I am thinking that it has indeed been helping me to go to Dr. Gedeon. At least it keeps the pain at a somewhat manageable level. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Gedeon, so hopefully I will begin to see some improvement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't remember if I told of this here on my blog, but last February I filed for disability. In June, I received a letter informing me that I had been declared disabled and although I was not eligible for a monthly check (its a long story) I am eligible to receive Medicare, which will begin in March of this year. Now, a big part of me is so thankful that I am going to have healthcare....finally....along with the Medicare supplement that Ed and I will have. BUT another part of me just wants to rely wholly and completely on the Lord for healing, which I have done these past two or three years. He has so graciously healed my burned fingers......immediately.....and another ailment that I was suffering with, so I know what a wonderful Healer He is. I am only human when I say that I don't know why He hasn't healed my back and legs, but I'll not question for He knows what is best for me. I do know that it has kept me so close to Him and dependent upon Him in ways that I wasn't before. I may have put the words to this song on my blog before , but they are worth repeating and they express how I feel so well:
"I don't need to understand,
I just need to hold His hand,
I don't ever need to ask the reason why,
For I know He'll make a way,
Through the night and through the day,
I don't need to understand,
Just hold His hand."
Anywayyyy.....when my body is like it has been today, it kind of scares me because doing just the simplest things here at home is agonizing, at least from the waist down. So I am thinking that it has indeed been helping me to go to Dr. Gedeon. At least it keeps the pain at a somewhat manageable level. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Gedeon, so hopefully I will begin to see some improvement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't remember if I told of this here on my blog, but last February I filed for disability. In June, I received a letter informing me that I had been declared disabled and although I was not eligible for a monthly check (its a long story) I am eligible to receive Medicare, which will begin in March of this year. Now, a big part of me is so thankful that I am going to have healthcare....finally....along with the Medicare supplement that Ed and I will have. BUT another part of me just wants to rely wholly and completely on the Lord for healing, which I have done these past two or three years. He has so graciously healed my burned fingers......immediately.....and another ailment that I was suffering with, so I know what a wonderful Healer He is. I am only human when I say that I don't know why He hasn't healed my back and legs, but I'll not question for He knows what is best for me. I do know that it has kept me so close to Him and dependent upon Him in ways that I wasn't before. I may have put the words to this song on my blog before , but they are worth repeating and they express how I feel so well:
"I don't need to understand,
I just need to hold His hand,
I don't ever need to ask the reason why,
For I know He'll make a way,
Through the night and through the day,
I don't need to understand,
Just hold His hand."
My, How Times Flies!
Daniel turned 21 today! Can you believe it? We took him and Erin out to dinner tonight at Bob Evans. Daniel met us there on his way home from work. So we had finished our meal and here come our waitress and every other server in the place and the people from the kitchen with a piece of cake and ice cream in hand and the proceeded to sing Happy Birthday to Daniel and totally embarrass him. In just talking with our waitress, we had mentioned that it was his birthday but we didnt' know that Bob Evans did the birthday thing BUT now we know! Oh, but it was so much fun to see Daniel turn red and be a little embarrassed. It made for a perfect birthday. *smile*For his actual birthday celebration, we are renting the Green Elementary gym on Saturday evening of January 12 and inviting family and friends. We haven't had a birthday party for Daniel every year. Just on the significant years like 10, 13, 16, 18 and now 21. And we've always had them at Green School which is just a couple of miles from where we live now and right off of St. Rt. 33, so it is a convenient location for most everyone to come to. I've always organized and done the whole party and all myself but this year much help and assistance will be needed as I am just not able to do all that I used to but it will all get done and I know we will have a great time. It is so great having it at the gym because everyone can play basketball and volleyball and there is plenty of room for everyone, especially the little kids that want to run around.
I am so thankful for the Lord's goodness and blessings upon Daniel and Erin. I can never thank Him enough.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
My first post of the new year!!
Okay...I'm feeling a little pressure here to make this post really meaningful and reflective, but I'm not quite feeling it, so this will probably just be a habberdashery of things. *sigh* Okay, I've been up since five-thirty this morning, having woke up at four-thirty, feeling wide awake and full of thoughts. We went to bed really early last night, so that is possibly the reason why I got up while it was still very early and dark. It snowed last night and the temperature was in the low teens, so the local schools have been canceled. I am going to see if I can talk Ed into going to Bob Evans for breakfast here in a little while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, did you all have pork and sauerkraut for New Year's dinner? *smile* We did. I fixed a delicious pork roast, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. We had fruit salad and ice cream for dessert. The fruit salad I fixed was copied from a fruit pizza that I make. The last time I made a fruit pizza, I had fruit leftover so I put it into a small bowl for Ed and he loved it. I drain pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges and put them into a pretty serving dish. To this I add maraschino cherries which I have drained and rinsed thoroughly so that the red juice does not bleed into the other fruits. Next, I peel and quarter four kiwi fruit and add them to the rest of the fruit. And, lastly, I microwave between a fourth and a half cup of orange marmalade until it has thinned a bit and mix it gently into the fruit. We absolutely love this fruit salad and it is delicious eaten over vanilla ice cream, which I did but Ed doesn't. *smile* This fruit salad is also very colorful and attractive to serve.
Back to the pork and sauerkraut. When Daniel was still at home, he used to just grumble something terrible about how badly the pork and sauerkraut smelled. He would never eat it. Now he would eat pork roast if it had not been cooked with sauerkraut, but of course, for New Year's I always cook it together. I had mercy on him. I would always fix him something else for dinner New Year's Day. *smile* You know how we mothers can be.
All of my brothers and sisters had pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, too. *smile* As we were eating dinner at Red Lobster on New Year's Eve Day, I asked everyone if they had their pork and sauerkraut for the next day and everyone said yes. I don't believe our children are carrying on this tradition as they are all much pickier eaters than our generation is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After returning home Monday evening, Ed and I watched a movie and then went to bed at about ten-thirty to read. Finally, at about eleven-thirty, being very sleepy, we thought we would talk until the new year arrived, but, alas, we fell asleep, but Ed woke up a while later and said sleepily, "Hey, babe, it's 12:23am.....Happy New Year." I mumbled a "Happy New Year" back to him and slept on. Exciting, hm? *smile* We are way past having to party in the new year. Life is good. We had been invited to Daniel and Erin's church where they had services at church and then food, fellowship and games to see the new year in. That's what we did last year and it was a wonderful time. The young people at our church had pizza, games and prayer this year and they invited us to join them. But at the end of a busy last day of the year, I just couldn't push myself anymore. You see, I had breakfast at 10am with a dear friend who is home from bible school. We talked ourselves silly, while we ate, until shortly after noon. Then I went on to the church where I did the music for a young couple's wedding, which started at 12:30. I was there until about one-thirty. Then I took my car through the automatic car wash and filled it up with gas, went by and picked up my sister Debbie, came home for about a half-hour to freshen up for our dinner date and headed to Lancaster. I got home at about 7:30 that evening. Oh and before leaving that morning, I had done my morning tasks AND fixed cheeseballs for Pastor and Sis. Martin and Elder Bro. and Sis. Martin and delivered them. (Yes, I kind of overdid it for the day and paid for it in the pain department later but it was all worth it!!! *smile*) Oh, and if you're wondering where Ed was in all of this: He had to work Monday, so he was transporting his students to REACH. We kind of passed eachother and waved midst the goings-on of the day. *smile* He wasn't able to join us for our dinner at Red Lobster but I made sure he was taken care of in the food department. *grin*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We went to Daniel and Erin's yesterday afternoon for a visit. Daniel was by himself, watching the Michigan/Florida game, as Erin and her mother had gone shopping. He's had the sickness that everyone has been passing around, around here the past few weeks. We had such a good visit. The puppies have grown so much and are so adorable! They are all sold, with even little Tiny, who is deaf, being sold yesterday morning. A family had come by to see the puppy in person.....or should that be "in puppy"........that they had bought and when they saw little Tiny, who is all white, they just couldn't resist. Daniel and Erin had planned to just keep her because of her being deaf, but his family just fell in love with her, so the kids relinquished. Just in case you are unaware of this fact, which I was, all-white boxer puppies stand about a 35% chance of being born deaf. Isn't that interesting? Well, Daniel accidentally dropped something next to where the puppies were sleeping one day, making a very loud noise, and all of the puppies started stirring and whining and yipping, except for little Tiny. She just slept on. So that was how they first came to realize that she was probably deaf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another tradition that Ed and I have and many others who live in our area do also, is to leave our outside lights and decorations up through New Year's Day and then turn them on that morning and leave them on the entire day and evening. After that, they come down. Since it snowed last night, we'll have to wait for them to dry out before taking them down and putting them away now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed once again read his bible through this past year. I am still working on my 2004 reading schedule. I have about 4 books left to read and I am determined to do so. I found an interesting Bible-reading program here. Or if you just Google "Read the bible through in a year", you will find all kinds of reading plans and surely one that will suit you! I googled it for you, so you can just click here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have a great 2nd day of the New Year, everyone!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, did you all have pork and sauerkraut for New Year's dinner? *smile* We did. I fixed a delicious pork roast, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. We had fruit salad and ice cream for dessert. The fruit salad I fixed was copied from a fruit pizza that I make. The last time I made a fruit pizza, I had fruit leftover so I put it into a small bowl for Ed and he loved it. I drain pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges and put them into a pretty serving dish. To this I add maraschino cherries which I have drained and rinsed thoroughly so that the red juice does not bleed into the other fruits. Next, I peel and quarter four kiwi fruit and add them to the rest of the fruit. And, lastly, I microwave between a fourth and a half cup of orange marmalade until it has thinned a bit and mix it gently into the fruit. We absolutely love this fruit salad and it is delicious eaten over vanilla ice cream, which I did but Ed doesn't. *smile* This fruit salad is also very colorful and attractive to serve.
Back to the pork and sauerkraut. When Daniel was still at home, he used to just grumble something terrible about how badly the pork and sauerkraut smelled. He would never eat it. Now he would eat pork roast if it had not been cooked with sauerkraut, but of course, for New Year's I always cook it together. I had mercy on him. I would always fix him something else for dinner New Year's Day. *smile* You know how we mothers can be.
All of my brothers and sisters had pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, too. *smile* As we were eating dinner at Red Lobster on New Year's Eve Day, I asked everyone if they had their pork and sauerkraut for the next day and everyone said yes. I don't believe our children are carrying on this tradition as they are all much pickier eaters than our generation is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After returning home Monday evening, Ed and I watched a movie and then went to bed at about ten-thirty to read. Finally, at about eleven-thirty, being very sleepy, we thought we would talk until the new year arrived, but, alas, we fell asleep, but Ed woke up a while later and said sleepily, "Hey, babe, it's 12:23am.....Happy New Year." I mumbled a "Happy New Year" back to him and slept on. Exciting, hm? *smile* We are way past having to party in the new year. Life is good. We had been invited to Daniel and Erin's church where they had services at church and then food, fellowship and games to see the new year in. That's what we did last year and it was a wonderful time. The young people at our church had pizza, games and prayer this year and they invited us to join them. But at the end of a busy last day of the year, I just couldn't push myself anymore. You see, I had breakfast at 10am with a dear friend who is home from bible school. We talked ourselves silly, while we ate, until shortly after noon. Then I went on to the church where I did the music for a young couple's wedding, which started at 12:30. I was there until about one-thirty. Then I took my car through the automatic car wash and filled it up with gas, went by and picked up my sister Debbie, came home for about a half-hour to freshen up for our dinner date and headed to Lancaster. I got home at about 7:30 that evening. Oh and before leaving that morning, I had done my morning tasks AND fixed cheeseballs for Pastor and Sis. Martin and Elder Bro. and Sis. Martin and delivered them. (Yes, I kind of overdid it for the day and paid for it in the pain department later but it was all worth it!!! *smile*) Oh, and if you're wondering where Ed was in all of this: He had to work Monday, so he was transporting his students to REACH. We kind of passed eachother and waved midst the goings-on of the day. *smile* He wasn't able to join us for our dinner at Red Lobster but I made sure he was taken care of in the food department. *grin*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We went to Daniel and Erin's yesterday afternoon for a visit. Daniel was by himself, watching the Michigan/Florida game, as Erin and her mother had gone shopping. He's had the sickness that everyone has been passing around, around here the past few weeks. We had such a good visit. The puppies have grown so much and are so adorable! They are all sold, with even little Tiny, who is deaf, being sold yesterday morning. A family had come by to see the puppy in person.....or should that be "in puppy"........that they had bought and when they saw little Tiny, who is all white, they just couldn't resist. Daniel and Erin had planned to just keep her because of her being deaf, but his family just fell in love with her, so the kids relinquished. Just in case you are unaware of this fact, which I was, all-white boxer puppies stand about a 35% chance of being born deaf. Isn't that interesting? Well, Daniel accidentally dropped something next to where the puppies were sleeping one day, making a very loud noise, and all of the puppies started stirring and whining and yipping, except for little Tiny. She just slept on. So that was how they first came to realize that she was probably deaf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another tradition that Ed and I have and many others who live in our area do also, is to leave our outside lights and decorations up through New Year's Day and then turn them on that morning and leave them on the entire day and evening. After that, they come down. Since it snowed last night, we'll have to wait for them to dry out before taking them down and putting them away now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed once again read his bible through this past year. I am still working on my 2004 reading schedule. I have about 4 books left to read and I am determined to do so. I found an interesting Bible-reading program here. Or if you just Google "Read the bible through in a year", you will find all kinds of reading plans and surely one that will suit you! I googled it for you, so you can just click here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have a great 2nd day of the New Year, everyone!!
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