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Sunday, August 26, 2012

FAITH, PHAMILY, PINKNESS,LOVE IS....BLUE

Oh My Goodness! This weekend has nearly disappeared into a new work week! I don't like to gripe on my blog, but I have to pray to have a strong mind and faith as I prepare for the work week. I have just accepted the fact that God is keeping me there for a reason, and that reason has to do with faith. I talk to God a lot! He knows my strong will. He knows I share my opinion too vigorously sometimes and I struggle with what comes out of my mouth at times! But for whatever reason, he is keeping me where I am! So I surround myself with His word and I go about my day!
Some pinkness for my pinkies! I so love being part of Beverly's weekly fun! She is a wonderful lady with a beautiful heart, who leads us into pinkness each weekend! Thank you Beverly and all the wonderful pinkies who participate. I will be visiting you between today and the rest of this week!
This is my photo! One day I am going to learn how to use my cool Canon Rebel camera and write my Phamily Blog on my photos! This is Kansas. How about that blue sky? As we headed out there earlier this month to set Nick up at school I shot this.  Sweets and I love windmills. Not bad for a girl in a coffee coma traveling in the darkness with her Sweets and youngest son! Sigh! Come Friday morning my Sweets and I will steal out into the darkness and back to Kansas. The Lord already told me I can not sell my soul to go to all of Nick's XC meets so we are going to this one and if my Princess House sales are high enough, we will head out for one in October and the final in November. We were sad because we like the hotel we stayed in at Ark City but all the rooms are filled this weekend so we are staying in a vintage place in Winfield. Reminds me of my early childhood. In the 1950s!

As long as our room is clean and the staff pleasant we will be fine! The rate was really low! It also had some high marks on the review page! I do love those blue skies!

Wondering where I have been instead of posting Pink Saturday and Love is... Oh heavens! Our garage! Gee, how the heck can a phamily of 7 have so much stuff?! The kids say it is all mine. But that is not true! Lots of things, memories, dolls, Princess House, you name it, we have it! We should open a business in our garage! Good stuff, low prices! I love that big blue tube in the background!

So far Rebekah and my Sweets and I have sorted through a total of twelve Princess House boxes. Three belong to the kids, three are mine and the rest on the selling block! We have so many beautiful things! If you know anyone looking for something from Princess House, call me first! I see blue here too!

See my pretty blue decorative pillow? I love that pillow!We already donated three car loads of stuff to the A.R.C. and Goodwill! My Sweets will stop me cold if I try to buy it back! Laugh Out Loud! We found a box of Nick's toddler clothing. After I cried into that box Sweets took it away and headed over to the Goodwill with it! I texted Nick! He was getting ready for a run but he laughed, "Glad I'm here!" He is like his mother, he will keep little things from his childhood and I am searching for his first bible. He was a toddler at the Mt. Zion Lutheran PreSchool and Ms Coon, his teacher purchased a beautiful leather like bound bible for each child and they highlighted passages they learned! I found a second hand bible at the thrift store for Nick to take to college with him. We always encourage all our kids to read their bible! Many times we have written these words inside the bibles "This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book."
I have an NIVWomen of Faith  bible one of my dear bloggy buddies gave me! She likes to be secretive but I know who she is and I love her dearly! The Holy Bible encased in blue!
As I was reading my bible this morning and doing my daily study I was reading about Anna Cetas who said when she was 12 her dad retired from the paper mill and was given a Holy Bible inside a cedar chest. She assumed since it said "Holy Bible" it was off limits. So one day she took a peek! As she opened that bible the page fell open to the verse John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but  have eternal life." She said a clear red page fell over the page and a photo of Christ hanging on the cross. As a child she said the red film made it appear that He bled and died. She said when she had the chance she looked at that picture and wonder if that verse were true or if He too was off limits. It reminded me of my own childhood. Not because I was not raised in a Chrsitian home but because my folks had a beautiful leather bound bible that appeared to be crisp and clean and rarely uses. It also contained many of those photos but my father kept his own bible at his bedside. He often quoted the Book of James and as a child in Catholic school I was never encouraged to read the bible for myself. I always heard the words from a priest. It was like it was off limits. But I must have inherited my fathers curiosity because I thumbed through his personal bible many times. I have always felt a very strong connection with my own dad because of his bible. I wish I could have inherited it after his death. But  my darling Sweets who asked me why I didn't read the bible for myself?  When we were dating he gave me my first bible. Today it is a battered old New American Standard bible that is literally falling apart. But I read and re read it and highlighted the heck out of it! I have purchased many bibles since that time but that one is still with me because it means so much to me.
It has been a while since I participated with Charlotte and the gang over at Spiritual Sunday. It is a wonderful inspirational and encouraging group and so today I am sharing my post with all of them too. Charlotte is a gracious hostess and she loves the Lord with a passion I love seeing! I like her blue button!
"No longer do I call you servants , for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. "John 15:15 (NKJV).
I hope those of you who follow Spiritual Sunday will take this to heart. I cherish each one of you and all you share with me. I have missed being part of this group. I love butterflies and this little Hallmark verse says it all. I love giving and receiving cards! Oh my, blue skies and some pretty butterflies!
Do you ever wear your rose colored glasses so everything looks better? As I grow older I realize my time on this earth is slowing catching up with me! So I cherish more, I get emotional very easily and understand all those things the nuns pounded (sometime literally) into my head! I learned way back in the kindergarten that everything good does indeed come from God. I understand why we are born with the ability to choose right from wrong. I have very few regrets and  I value my Christian upbringing. I try to steer myself away from the ways of this world and people who think political correctness is the way to be! God loves each and everyone of us and it is ultimately up to each one of us to decide where we want to be in the next life! I never try to influence anyone with my way of thinking but I am caution around people because each day I am surrounded by people living wrong, being dishonest and hungry for money and pride and power! I pray for them because there is nothing else I can do. I am kind and very well organized in my job. I always smile and listen patiently when a patient has something to say. I respect everyone. I wish everyone respected me. I hope you will join Marydon and everyone sharing their Love is...each Sunday/Monday! When I dated  my Sweets many years ago the newspaper printed these cute little Love is....seven days a week. I cut them out and pasted them onto construction paper and made a booklet for my Sweets. We still have that and I still feel very loved after all these years of marriage! Come and join our Love is...
I fee like Cathy from the comics on Monday morning! I think I love wearing blue dresses the most!  Not a bow in my hair kinda gal though! Even though Cathy's is blue! As soon as my key opens the door those silly phones sound off! It is as if I have set off an alarm! Now I want you to visit Sally. She hosts Blue Monday each week and I hope you scan and read my post today, although it is very long, and find how many blues I shared with you! Sally rocks and she is the coolest Blue of them all!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

NUTS TO YOU!


I was going nutty trying to think of a creative N post for Alphabe Thursday! So I decided to share a favorite snack here : N U T S ! I know some folks are allergic to them! But there are so many varieties and I like to eat a handful of pistachio nuts or almonds! Those are two of my favorites! I also like to have a snack with some crunchy peanut butter! When my oldest sister was a young bride and her husband was overseas in Korea she would send him care packages. One of the favorite things she sent him was canisters filled with  cashews! I think they are too rich for my blood!
My favorite pistachios are native to Asia Minor! This is a picture of them above. Those delicious little nutty pods grow on trees! The pistachio nut is a member of the cashew family! Laugh Out Loud!  Lots of recipes can be made using various nuts.
Walnuts are nice. I like to chop them finely and mix them into the batter of banana nut bread! If you don't like nuts you can always add chocolate chips! Yummy!  Walnuts are a good snack choice too. They are heart healthy! My mother use to bake the best dessert bread! It is a Slovenian speciality called "potica". You have to use lots of ground walnuts. Here is a photo:
Sometime, perhaps at Easter, I will share the story of Easter food with you. It is a tradition from my culture and the potica represents the "Crown of Christ". As a kid I loved Easter and all the stories and traditions

I love pecans! Did you know this fun fact, President George Washington loved snacking on these and often carried them in his pocket? Neat huh?

I had to share a pecan pie with you! I have a recipe from when I was a teen that I found in the newspaper column "Dear Abby". It is the easiest and very best pecan pie! It is a Thanksgiving favorite.
Need a zero cholesterol treat? Cashews! There are lots of health benefits here too. It is an energizing food that promotes good gum and teeth health! Did you know that cashew promotes good sleep  patterns in menopausal women?

Take me out to the ball game! Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! I know you have to hear this song inside your head! Laugh Out Loud! You rarely hear someone says " I really love  peanuts.   Even airlines are downsizing and not serving peanuts anymore.  Jimmy Carter, our thirty ninth president of the USA was a peanut farmer! Peanuts contain more antioxidants then broccoli! It is a favorite food of starving college students (not my son Nick though!) Laugh Out Loud! You don't need very much to feel full!
Almonds and filberts are also nutty nuts! You can even use some of these nuts to create your own facial masks! Check it out!
I know I am going to miss someones favorite nut here but these are branches from a Macadamia tree. Jim Nabors who played Gomer Plyle and has a voice like an angel lives on a Macadamia  nut ranch in Hawaii! Some kind of life huh? Macadamia nuts are used in sauces and crusts and it is a flavor you can not substitute.

I know I got carried away about my nutty post but I hope you enjoyed it and will visit Ms. Jenny and all the other participates of Alphabe Thursday! It is nicely played out each week. Just don't eat too many nuts! You will get nauseous and your diet will think you were being very naughty!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Blue Monday

How about a pretty blue bouquet! I love seeing flowers in brilliant color and blue is perfect for a rose!
Rock candy! It is so much fun! I like it on the swizzle sticks and you can dip them in your tea for colorful fun!
What flavor do you suppose these jelly beans are? Blue raspberry? Blueberry? Cotton Candy? They are fun! Do you remember which U.S. president loved jelly belly's?
Writing I love you across a beautiful blue sky! What fun!
Do you have blue eyes? I do! Only my oldest daughter Noelle has blue eyes and my youngest son, Nick. Both of my grandmothers were blue eyed too!
A blue whale! They love warm waters! Did you know that the blue whale has thousands of tiny teeth? It allows the to catch smaller fish for food and the teeth releases the water from their mouth without their catch escaping? There hearts are the size of a small car! Amazing.
 Hope you enjoyed my take on blue today! Stop by Sally's and visit her and all the other participates! Have a gorgeous blue Monday!

Life :Looking At It Through My Eyes

I spend too much time thinking! Then I put all these thoughts together and here they are! Excuse my randomness but I just have to fill this blog with thoughts today. I also have lots of random images to share. Sometime things really touch a persons heart. I hope you will enjoy it!
I will not share my political views. I think sometime people get carried away. I will say this about politics, there is no one running for US president that will save America. Trust God, never believe a politician. People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. How did they get so mixed up? We love things. We tolerate people. People are used. Things are coveted. Life is sad.
How many politicians in office currently have served their country? Don't tell me if I don't stand up for our military I should stand in front of them!  I honor our military. God Bless each and every one of them who served us in this country. You are braver than most of us ever could be.
This may be hard to read! It says "There are two kinds of people in the world, you and everyone else!" My oldest daughter gave this card to me one year! But the birthday verse said she was one of a kind! She is! It is true! That would be her hanging upside down from the ballet bar!
I can not forget their faces. I will always pray for their families. Please remember their families and pray for the survivors too They have a long road to travel with their recovery. Do you see the young man, second row, fourth photo? A.J. Boik was the same age as Nick. I can not sleep at night until I pray for his mother. For his family, for all those he loved so dearly. Why was his life cut short? Only God knows. My grandmother use to say, we should not question God. One day He will reveal it all to us as our former life on earth unfolds under His heavenly realm.
Are these two birds sweethearts? Their heart shaped stance makes me wonder! The owner of this photo took a one in a million shot! This is love if you look really close.
...And you thought I did not support our military!

Do you like to kiss? Are you a good kisser?
Hmmm....looks like someone needs to work on their kissing skills! Laugh Out Loud!

Always be yourself.  You are an original. You are not a copy. You were created by a Master craftsman. He made a masterpiece!
Do you  know someone who is constantly blowing their own horn? It is difficult to be around someone like that. I found some quotes about humility that I really love. They received  no response on Face Book! Tell me what you think. I changed the quotes here:
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

"People that put themselves above others will fall long and hard." Gina Lindley

HaHaHa! I  know I have done this a time or two! I like to do laundry! It is a good time for reflection. I talk with God. I pray. I enjoy washing clothes and making them smell fresh and clean again. But when I married I came into my marriage with a "NO Ironing" Policy! Laugh Out Loud! My Sweets irons occasionally although I have done it a time or two through the years!
I am going to paint you a verbal picture! This morning my hubby and I were getting a bagel. The line was long and as we were waiting a man was trying to wrestle his child, a small boy, in his arms who was screaming at the top of his lungs "I want  mommy! He took it up another octave until dad got him out the door! I said "Sure kid, you say that now. Then you go off to college and forget all about your mommy!" Been there, done that! No other comment required!
...And this quote  rounds it all out!

Instead of my honey this is me thinking about Nick! It feels like he is so far away!

Head over to Marydon's and join us for Love is.. I think we can post these each week and not come up with the same one. There are so many of these sweet little reminders of what is really important in life.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Pretty in Pink

Welcome to Pink Saturday! I hope you visit Beverly and other pinkies for a day filled with lovely pinkness! I have a few shares myself today:
My little niece all pretty in pink! Heading off to the first day of school.

Next year I am hopeful I have these filling my front yard. My mother had four o'clocks filling our front and back yard. My dad always laughed because some of them were blooming over the ground where the septic tank was! He said that was why they were so pretty and full!. I love how they bloom on command at 4:00 A.M. and again at 4:00 P.M. I think my blooms will be pink and yellow!
Enjoy your pink day!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

"M" is for Moon

I don't want to miss my "M" post today!  So I want to share one of my very favorite things, the moon!
This is a full moon! I like to see the moon shine down on us when it is full. Sometime in the Autumn it looks like a ball of orange fire! So exciting and beautiful!

"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."  Genesis 1:16

Did you know that the moon may appear blue after a volcanic eruption? This moon is lovely.
I think this moon looks like a bowling ball! Shiny and gorgeous!


"From The Rime of The Ancient Mariner"
By Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1824)

The moving moon went up the sky.
And nowhere did abide:
Softly she was going up,
And a star or two beside.


This moon is setting against a lone tree. Reminds me of the upcoming fall and cooler weather.

The last photo image from google sets the mood for a fun children's nursery rhyme from the 1700's

Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such a sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon!

I hope you enjoyed my moon tonight! Please visit Ms. Jenny and all the Alphabe Thursday's folks! We have so much fun and always learn something new!

Please read my previous post. I would greatly appreciate you if you did that for me!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A New Journey


Dreading this day and here it is. Nick boarding a plane, leaving for college. Who thought of this idea? Although I am very proud of this young man I am sad. My heart hurts! It feels empty because I will no longer have my lunch buddy. For nearly 19 years this child of mine has sat across from me and had lunch with me! We shared our day with each other. We spent lots of time together watching "Arthur" on T.V. In case you don't know, Arthur is an aardvark. We watched Arthur grow up on PBS.

Do you know the song "You Are My Sunshine"?  It plays in my head as I write today. But I say you are my "son"shine! I like music, it helps make me feel better.  But if someone walked through my door and turned on the radio and I heard "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison I would burst into tears again! You see, I happen to love that song! It is one of those songs you can crank up on the radio and sing along to! Nick's sisters and I have trapped him inside the car and sang that song at the top of our lungs! You see, Nick dislikes that song, intensely! So whenever I hear it I think of Nick!

I know leaving home and getting a college education is a good thing. I know Nick is blessed. He will receive lots of wonderful encouragement. He will run with a new team and make new friendships. It will be a wonderful experience.

I will learn to handle it all. I start to think about loved ones and many people I don't even know who have lost their children and will have to wait for eternity to see them again. So I know I am fortunate to have Nick. I will hug him, kiss him and hold him close than I will turn and let him go. He deserves his own adventure. His journey has just begun.

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." Honore de Balzac

"Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process." John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." Abraham Lincoln

"Be careful to leave your sons well instructed, rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant." Epictetus

NOTE:  I participate in the Senior Birthdays over at Colorado Lady.  I have my cards ready to mail and each senior gets one dollar for most of us that participate. One month a sweet little lady in the nursing home had no shoes of her own! Our dollars helped her get a pair so she would not need to borrow shoes from her friend. It is just a feel good kind of program to participate in. I purchase cards at the Dollar Tree store so I get a lot of cards for my money and they are beautiful and thoughtful.

I am just asking anyone who would send Nick a birthday card (August 20) to email me for his address. He seems to be ok but I think he will feel a little sad on his birthday so far from home. If you want to send a card e mail me at phamilybusiness1@aim.com and I will send you his address.

I have found that making a person smile is one of the most joyful things we can do. If you don't participate with Suzanne please stop by her blog and she will gladly send you the names and addresses of the seniors. Also if you have a senior to share just e mail her and she will add them to the September list and so on. Thanks for listening, Enjoy your day!

"A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money." John Ruskin