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Monday, January 31, 2011

Monday Moments {Canon in D on glass harp}



When I first heard Cannon in D, I loved it. In fact, it's the only classical piece I've taught myself to play, and I'm not a pianist at all.

I have several CD's with different variations, but this rendition is the most unique I've heard. As well as having the most creative "instrument". Amazing!

Enjoy!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

What A Friend

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry, ev'rything to God in prayer!
O, what peace we often forfeit, O, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry ev'rything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness--Take it to the Lord in prayer!


Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield thee--Thou wilt find a solace there.






Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Dating Game~ The Love-Hate Relationships

Growing up, I went to a small Christian school where students practically were together since birth or a little thereafter. For the most part, it was a brother-sister relationship amongst us all and we just had fun together.

College was a whole different ball game. I sat back and watched. Boy, was there lots of drama!

Before I go any further, dating--to me--means getting to know someone with the the intent of marrying that person. You may call it whatever you want; I'm just letting you know what I mean when I write on the topic :).

The Love-Hate Relationships

I saw couples fall in love like.....and then fall out.....then fall in. I don't know if they just couldn't decide to like each other, or if they were just trying to add spice to their life. Seriously though? How can you have a hate-love relationship and call it dating? If you get together and then realize that you're actually NOT compatible with each other.....is staying apart for 2 days going to change that? I can't think of any couple who had a relationship like this and actually stayed together.

For one reason or another, either one or both parties will say "we need to take a break". Three reasons come to mind when I hear this kind of statement: 1. They can't see a future for their relationship {as in marriage}, 2. They are too wimpy to just break up, or 3. They have moved too fast and are going to end up as sophomore newly-weds.

I've been taught that when you date someone, it is with the intent of possibly marrying that person. Dating is not a game as it is often portrayed all around us. My freshman year, Preacher gave us a guideline for what one should look for in a potential mate. I also remember him saying that a person should make a list of qualities that you want your spouse to have, and then accept/reject dates based on it.

Just to clarify, it doesn't mean that you can't get to know guys/girls who are not on your list; on the contrary, you should have a wide variety of friends! Your life will be richer and more rounded if you are not intent on just dating but also making life-long friends.

In due time, God will give you the desires of your heart. Dating just for the sake of having a status, or having someone shower you with attention/goodies is not right. You are cheating yourself and the other person. God only wants to give us His best, and it is also true in this matter of finding The One. Just wait on Him.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Feasting Friday's {Waffles}

I have learned two things since taking on the new goal of doing a recipe a week. When I first had the grand idea of trying out a recipe each week, I thought it would be so simple. It's not. I do have tons of recipes I want to try, but I have found out that one dish can last me through several meals. And so, I don't need to cook as much as I used to. I think my goal was too lofty and I may have to revamp it. We'll see.

Secondly, I'm in awe of people whose food pictures look good enough to eat. I have a long ways to go!

Anyway, I was watching the M kids late afternoon/evening, and they chose waffles for supper.






In a mixer, beat 3 eggs, 1/4 cup of sugar, 3 cups of milk, 1 stick of butter {melted & cooled} and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.



To wet mixture, add 3 and 1/2 cups of flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix.


Using a 1/4 cup measurement, pour batter into waffle pan; when green light is on, the waffles are done!


Pour syrup on top--and eat!

Oh, yes, Baby Boo had her own meal...



Cereal and carrots. Yuck.


Apparently, she thought it was delicious :)


Waffles

3 eggs
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 c milk
1 stick of butter {melted & cooled}
31/2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk, and butter in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Using a 1/4 cup measurement, pour batter into a pre-heated waffle grill. Remove when green light comes on. Serve warm with syrup, honey, fruit, or powdered sugar.
Enjoy!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

A Story In Itself

My friends made this for me. I would tell you the story of why, but I think the pictures are self explanatory. Creative, huh?




Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Timeless Treasures {Rivalry}

I'm not a football fan; so the rivalry between the teachers/staff at our school is really funny to me. TS, who is a Steelers fan, put up the teams memorabilia in our display case a couple days ago {not pictured}...
Today, JD--a Packers fan--switched it up and let TS know that Wisconsin's team is the Packers--not Steelers.

I guess the real clincher will be who wins the Superbowl.




{Some of the stuff that was in the display case for Steelers team}




Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Redeeming the Time

Can you believe that a month ago today was Christmas? I know, neither can I.

I have always heard of the adage, "Time flies when you're having fun!"--but really, I don't need to be having "fun" for it to fly...time just flies no matter what. Time is no respecter of persons...it just marches on, cadence unbroken. I cannot snatch back the hands of the clock; I am helpless to gain back minutes lost. Time is a valuable commodity that should be treasured, and handled with great care. All my wishing to relive moments are in vain, because I know it cannot happen; life happens and you're forced to move forward.

What then can I do? I can live each moment to the fullest now. I can make sure that my time is accounted for and is being used wisely. I can "redeem the time" and have each day count for Christ. I can use my time to create memories with friends and family. I can use my time wisely in my classroom as I help guide four impressionable hearts and minds.

Then, I can look back and say, "Wow! Can you believe..." and know that each day was lived to the fullest.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday Moments {Fear Of The Unknown}

I have always been afraid of the unknown. Well, maybe not always, but certainly after my family moved from one end of town to the other. I was twelve years old, and I had just been displaced from the area I had called home for most of my life and having my cousins right across from me to a ritzy neighbourhood with a predominately Caucasian population.

{I have to insert here, that my family is by no means rich. My Dad worked for a family-owned business and my Mum stayed at home to watch my siblings and I--total number being 11. So the fact that we were able to move to this new area was a blessing from God. We were closer to church/school and my Dad was closer to work.}

Anyway, the move brought out the shy girl in me; I was too afraid to make friends in the neighbourhood except for the few families I baby-sat for. My Mum never understood why I hated to meet new people, or even renew old acquaintances I had not met in a while. She would always ask me, "Elsa! Are the people going to bite you?!?" and I sometimes would say, "YES!" I knew they wouldn't literally bite me with their teeth, but I was shy and didn't know how to start and hold conversations. Unless the person was younger than me or were grandparent age--then I had no problem being open and friendly and having a great time. Even if I didn't know them. As it was, I still loved being around people...just as long as I didn't have to talk and could just sit, listen and observe.

I wish I could tell you that I matured once I graduated from high school and got a job for a year before college...but, sadly no. It took me a while to warm up to my fellow workers. Three months to be exact.

 Then college. Whew. That took me so far out of my comfort zone. For starters it was in a different country, although once I arrived I realized that it wasn't that much different from Canada. Sure, they dangled prepositions at the end of their sentences and there was not a Tim Horton's in sight...but I could live with that--not everyone has had the opportunity to learn how to accurately speak the King's language or have a coffee shop like no other.

I digress.

Also, where before I was surrounded by mainly boys {having 7 brothers and all} I now lived in a dorm full of girls. Definitely a shock to my system. And, of course in college, each new day is an experience. From learning who all my fellow scholars were, to learning new procedures in the college, to meeting new faces in the church--wow. One thing I found out quite quickly is that I couldn't be attached to my friend 24/7...which was good for me because it forced me out of my bubble and meet some really nice people. Out of what I thought would definitely be a scarring experience, I came away with some life-long friends. I learned to appreciate the work that went on behind the scenes. I came to love the bus ministry. I had great esteem for my teachers--especially once I started teaching myself. From my Boss, I learned the necessity of communication {something I haven't mastered, but now understand the importance of}. And I learned so much more, from so many others.

But most of all, I learned {and re-learn} that my fears of the unknown--whether it was new faces, places, or situations--were unrealistically grounded. I don't have to know. I don't need to prepare exact lines of what I am going to say to every new person I meet; I don't need to know the floor plans and what everyone in the vicinity is doing/or will do if I visit a new place. And I don't need a rundown of whatever new situation I find myself thrust into.

Because God knows. He knows what is in front of me. He knows who I am and what I need. I can rest assured that anything that has come or will come into my life is only by His permission. As the song from yesterday's post says, My Father planned it all. And I take great comfort in that. God's ways for me are perfect and if I will but follow Him, not only will I receive great blessings, but also learn some life lessons.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

My Father Planned It All

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psalm 18:30-32


My Father Planned It All
{H.H. Pierson}

What tho' the way be lonely and dark the shadows fall;
I know where'er it leadeth, my Father planned it all.

There may be sunshine tomorrow, shadows may break and flee;
'Twill be the way He chooses, the Father's plan for me.

He guides my falt'ring footsteps along the weary way,
For well He knows the pathway will lead to endless day.

A day of light and gladness on which no shade will fall;
"Tis this at last awaits me--My Father planned it all.

I sing thru the shade and the sunshine, I'll trust Him whatever befall;
I sing for I cannot be silent--My Father planned it all.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The Dating Game

My project for today was going through all my containers and tossing out what I didn't need. The containers are not huge, and for the most part, had very little in them. Why then did I have all these containers? To take up space. Literally.

Anyway, I started going through all my college papers--reading a paper here and there, trying to make heads or tails of class notes from my freshman year-- and wondered if these papers were worth keeping. I stopped when I came across the title:

How A Girl Should Look At A Guy
{dated, September 15, 2006}

Is he spiritual
Does he pray
Does he love God
Does he have wisdom
Does he want God's will more than anything else
Does he have character
Is his room/house clean
Does he do what he is told, as well as above and beyond
Is he manly? Don't get a guy who will follow fads.
Is he loyal
Does he always listen to authority
Is he a good money manager
Does he treat his parents well
Does he have leadership qualities
Is he stable
Does he have convictions
Is he physically clean
Is he goal oriented
Is he unselfish
Is he active in his church
Is he considerate and kind in how he treats others
Does he have sound judgment on decisions
Does he control his temper
What type of friends does he have
Is he a hard worker
Does he have a healthy body
Does he tithe
Does he have discernment
Is he real/transparent

What a list!! The tables could be turned and this could also be titled "How A Guy Should Look At Girls". This list was given as a guideline to all of us mostly immature college students, but it definitely got me thinking when I read it this afternoon.

This one is a keeper, put aside for further thought {and blogging posts} sometime in the near future.

By the way, I was able to whittle down my my college things into one legal sized envelope {I started with three} and I only have two containers that have stuff in them! I am liking this purging and organizing.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Feasting Friday's {Spaghetti & Chocolate Chip Cookies}

Growing up, I loved spaghetti. It was one of the few--pardon the expression--"White-People's food" that we ate. Most of the time, we ate traditional foods from my Mum & Dad's Home country and although it was very different from typical American/Canadian meals, we loved it.

Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
Cayenne Pepper, Onion Salt, Garlic Powder to taste

Cook ground beef till no longer pink; drain. Add chopped onion and peppers. Then, I add the sauce and fill the jar 1/2 full of water; shake and pour in pot. Sometimes, I'll add about 1/4 to 1/2 c more of water. Stir the pot and add garlic cloves and spices. Cover and let simmer at least 30 minutes {2 hours for best taste}, stirring every so often.
Serve over plate of spaghetti--Delicious.

My favorite part of spaghetti sauce is it is so versatile. You can pretty much make it however way you want--and come up with a great sauce--this one is mine, and if I had more spices, I would have added them.

Anyway, my main recipe for tonight is:

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1  teaspoon mint extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet {or Milk} Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts {optional}

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.



COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon {I use a mini ice cream scoop} onto ungreased baking sheets.



BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Book List!

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

For fun, I looked through the list and bolded the books I've read in their entirety, and italicized the ones I've started but didn't finish. {Some of these, I've never even heard of~ And others that I have read, are not even on the list!} One of these days, I'm going to make my own book list.

Anyway, here goes:





1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen



2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien



3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte



4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling



5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee



6 The Bible



7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte



8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell



9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman



10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens {My teacher read this to us in high school...does it count?}



11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott



12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy



13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller



14 Complete Works of Shakespeare



15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier



16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien



17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk



18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger



19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger



20 Middlemarch - George Eliot



21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell



22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald



24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy



25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams



26 The Road - Cormac McCarthy



27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky



28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck



29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll



30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame



31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy



32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens



33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis



34 Emma -Jane Austen



35 Persuasion - Jane Austen



36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis



37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini



38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres



39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden



40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne



41 Animal Farm - George Orwell



42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown



43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez



44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving



45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins



46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery



47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy



48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood



49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding



50 Atonement - Ian McEwan



51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel



52 Dune - Frank Herbert



53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons



54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen



55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth



56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon



57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens



58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley



59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon



60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez



61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck



62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov



63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt



64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold



65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas



66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac



67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy



68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding



69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie



70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville



71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens



72 Dracula - Bram Stoker



73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett



74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson



75 Ulysses - James Joyce



76 The Inferno - Dante



77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome



78 Germinal - Emile Zola



79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray



80 Possession - AS Byatt



81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens



82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell



83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker



84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro



85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert



86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry



87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White



88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom



89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton



91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad



92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery



93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks



94 Watership Down - Richard Adams



95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole



96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute



97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas



98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare



99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl



100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo


I've read 14 of these, and started 6.

How about you? How many of these have you read, or started to read? Leave your answer in the comments section! Or better yet, you can do your own post and link it back to here :)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

First Project!

Ok, so technically, I've already made this project for Christmas gifts. But we're not here to argue technicalities, right? Just celebrating the fact that I actually can start and finish something "crafty"--anything besides reading.

Anyway, the credit of this particular project belongs to a lady in my church who makes the cutest things. For Christmas, she gave me a pair of pink fuzzy socks, and they came uniquely packaged (this is from Google Image; I forgot to take a picture of mine)


Isn't it cute? And you can do it for baby showers, birthday presents, Christmas gifts, teacher gifts...A gift that is usable AND comes in a pretty package. Good deal, don't you think?

The other gift she gave me was a post-it message holder:


I like it so much that I wanted to make one for my office and one to use in my classroom. It doesn't hurt that it gives me a easy intro to projects :)

You will need:
Picture frames {I used Mainstays from Wal-Mart; I used the 6x4 in and 5x3.5 in}
Post-it notes {any color}
Scrapbooking paper
Clear pens {I use Pentel RSVP}
Flower embellishments
Velcro attachments {circle}

{Post-it notes not pictured}

First, I take the paper out of the frame and trace it onto my scrapbook paper--design side down--and cut it out.


Slide it into the frame.




Next, cut a 3.5 in rectangular piece of the same paper. Curve up the sides of the paper to overlap them; next fit it in the unscrewed pen. Screw the pen back on, making sure the paper says overlapped. If it doesn't screw on, cut off a little bit until it does.



 




Next position your embellishments in the corner of the frame, and your post-it note centered to them. Like so:


I don't use the Velcro attachments {primarily because I have pens everywhere, and grab one as needed.} but you can put one above the post-it note with its partner on your pen. This way, you never lose your pen :) Neat idea, huh?




{This is the 6x4 in.}


 

{Final Project}




I'm sure there are a lot of spin-offs you could do; it would be neat to see what other people come up with.
 
As for me, I'm a little bit proud of what I was able to do for minimal cost and still have something that looks cute :)

Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday Moments {Mysterious Ways}

God surely works in mysterious ways. In my previous post, Crossroads, I talked about choices--today, I want to talk about my parents' choices which of course influenced me in a real way. 

My parents were both born in a small country in the North-Eastern part of Africa. When my parents were in their middle to late teens, their country went to war to be free of the tyranny of a government that was not their own. My late Grandpa, urged his newly married son to flee and protect his bride and start a new life. My parents don't really talk about what happened on their forty day walk to freedom; but, I do know that it was very dangerous and many times, the company they were in almost got caught. The horrors they faced were overwhelming, but God was protecting them, and the whole company made it safely into a neutral country.

My dad was able to find work as an electrician, and they were able to get along in this new country. It was here that the first four children in my family were born--I being the second oldest. Around the time of my youngest brother's birth, my parents homeland became its own nation: my parents now had a choice to make of where they would spend the rest of their lives. By this time they had been introduced to the country of Canada, and were eligible to move there.

Before them was the choice to move back to a country that was ravaged by war, or start a new life in Canada. When I ask my Dad and Mum how they came to their decision, Dad says "Your Mum wanted you kids to have a good education...and to learn about God." So, at the age of five, I and my family moved from Africa to Canada.

There is so much I can say...about the Greek Orthodox and Lutheran religious backgrounds my parents had, but who knew that there was still Someone missing in their lives--Jesus Christ...I can tell you how we almost didn't become eligible to move to Canada and how God moved the Counsel's heart.....

As I look back and see the choices that were made, I see God's Hand in my parent's lives. Although they did not know Him yet, He was opening doors and guiding us to Him.

The Bible says that God does not hide Himself, and those who seek Him will find Him. I'm thankful that my Mum and Dad were willing to seek for Truth...and even more so the God was there to show them.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Crossroads

Choices. Making a decision, that will have an impact on your life. Sometimes, your choice may be insignificant; at other times, it will be crucial. Think about the choices you have made to arrive at this point in your life and the path you are on; think of where you would be today if you had made different choices.

I have made choices that will define me for the rest of my life. The greatest choice I made, was to ask God to forgive me for my sins and accept Jesus into my heart. I have made many choices, and although I regret some of them, I know that God is standing beside me--to give me wisdom and show me the next step.


You are standing

At a crossroad

Wondering which road you should take

And you're dreading

The decision

And a possible mistake

But the will of God won't lead you

Where the grace of God can't keep you

You will never be out of His care

Remember that the Lord's already there



{chorus}

Wherever you are

Wherever you're going

God is right there beside you

Seeing and knowing

Wherever you go

He already knows

What lies ahead and what's behind

You'll always find He's never too far

From wherever you are



You are waiting

To hear thunder

And see lightening in the sky

Oh, but God can

Work His wonders

Through a still small voice inside

Just keep listening and learning

And continue on your journey

Following the One who is the way

He's the only road you need to take

{chorus}

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Check it out!

One of the things I got for Christmas, was this neat key-chain. The giver was Nicole, from  Innermost Aspirations who has made some really cool things. She has an Etsy account where she sells bracelets, necklaces,earrings...even book markers! And the best part is her flexibility--Nicole will make things to order!

Here's the keychain she made for me:



See the cute owl--




I love the colors!






Nicole does beautiful work! Make sure to visit her shop!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Feasting Friday's {My Own}

Ok, so remember my goals? Remember how I was going to test out a new recipe a week? Well...I'm going to have to tweak that for this week. I was all set to start my "Feasting Friday" posts when I realized that the meals I made this week...came with no recipe.

I just chopped, mixed, sauted, and simmered an assortment of ingredients in a pot, and got my own version of tacos. Tonight, I threw things together...and got seasoned chicken breast, rice, and a potato dish. I did a pinch of this and that...eyeballed measurements.. I like looking through my cookbooks, and recipes online...but I also love creating my "own" recipe. Especially now that I've started cooking for one, there's lots to experiment with!

I don't have a recipe to show you--at least for this week..and only have a few pictures...Next week will be better!


By the way, everything tasted so good!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Celebrate!



I have reached a monumental status.... in blog-land...

100 posts...

I thought I would never reach it....

Now that it's here, I don't know how quite to honor this posting...

I thought of sharing 100 of my favorite songs...

Or my favorite books.

I would share 100 of my projects, but I'm a little short on those.

What about 100 of my favorite recipes?

Perhaps I should post my favorite 100 photos of this past year...

And if I put them collage style, I could cut space :)

Nah....I'll just let you think of 100 things.....


Excuse me, I need to go celebrate.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

King of the Hill

When I was in school, the game of choice at recess was always hockey. Rarely did we play anything else. I remember my high school teacher trying to get us into other kinds of sports. We tried European handball, soccer baseball {or as Americans call it, "kick-ball"}, regular baseball, and even some basketball. But always, we returned to the the tried and true Canadian game of hockey.

I remember playing during the cool fall days...and losing our puck among fallen leaves. Heroic saves were rare during the winter when the puck would whiz at you with alarming speed, feeling like a sledgehammer upon connection. You had to be careful with your hockey stick in the early spring so as to not shower those around you puddle water. The last couple months before school let out was my favorite time to play because we all wore our roller blades.

If there were not enough kids to play a good game of hockey, then we would play King of the Hill. After a good snowfall, all the snow would be plowed to one side of our parking lot and we would compete to see who could stay up the longest. At first we would try not to get too much snow on us...but, pretty soon our school clothes would be almost sopping. Looking back, I don't know why we played as soon as we got to school. We were miserable for most of the day!

When I stepped out of our school today and saw this


I was transported back to my school days when we would play King of the Hill...


These guys were smarter...they played after school instead of before!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Monday Moments {11 Goals for 2011}

I don't know that I've ever really sat down and made resolutions for a beginning New Year. I love to dream and plan, but I've come to realize that most times I don't follow through. I become comfortable with how things are and and have a "one day" mindset. By nature, I'm a phlegmatic--a laid back, go with the flow type of personality. One of the negatives of being a phlegmatic is apathy; not caring about some things. I am hoping with setting some definite goals for this year, to change negative aspects of my personality. In our Ladies Bible Study, we have been talking about people's different personalities and their strengths and weaknesses. One of the challenges was to work at taking your weaknesses and turning them into strengths. This is my overall goal for this year. My other 11 goals include:

1. Read my Bible all the way through from Genesis to Revelation. I have read all the books in the Bible, just not in order.
2. Win souls for the Lord.
3. Be at a healthy weight & run in a race.
4. Finish my "country" to do list: milk a cow, gather chicken eggs, ride a horse and grow my own garden.
5. Write one letter a week and respond within 2 mailing days.
6. Start and complete one project a month.
7. Travel to the East Coast to visit family and visit National landmarks.
8. Work on my writing and photography skills by posting on my blog everyday.
9. Take a photography workshop--online or in person.
10. Try a new recipe a week & organize my recipes.
11. Make mini goals for each day, week and month.

The saying, "if you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing" is true--this past weekend showed me that. I want to look back on 2011 and say I didn't waste time; I accomplished some things. I am aiming...and I will hit my goals. I know I'm not exactly starting the 1st of January, but I'd rather start now then say "I'll do it next year".

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Nursery Babes

One of my favorite ministries to work in is the Nursery.

I love when they play hide & seek...picking the same spot to hide everytime. The seeker than pretends not to know where to look. My favorite was when Sweet Pea accused Supergirl of "cheating" when the seeking lasted only a couple seconds instead of the usual 2 minutes.



I enjoy listening to their stories and make-believe...linking Cinderella with the Indian Braves foraging for food.


I love their creativity--whether it is building tents, putting chairs together to form a bus, or using the toy box as a ship on the high seas.


I love their simplicity and innocence. I love their teachable hearts and impressionable minds. They are not perfect, and they try my patience many times, but when they give me sweet hugs and kisses, everything is all right once again.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Completely Random

*Two reasons for writing this post: 1. It is true {at time of writing}. 2. Being transparent is one of my goals this year.*

I am so BORED. You probably think, how could a kindergarten teacher who just moved into a new house...be bored. And if I really think about it, I suppose I do have tons to occupy my time. But, at this precise moment, I. Just. Don't. Feel. Like. It. Pathetic, I know.

I think I'm going crazy. Or maybe I have a fever. Cabin Fever. We don't even have a blizzard up here in the Northwoods--in fact, it is a beautiful sharp clear night--but I feel housebound. It probably doesn't even help that I don't have a car right now...everything is only available to me if it is in walking distance. And, here, in the Great Northwoods, that means....one of three places--The Feed Mill, the Sportshop, or the bar. The last one is not even an option--even worth mentioning...and the other two do not hold any appeal. Perhaps if I was allowed to test their guns out for target practice...=)

I had such lofty goals for this weekend...get my room organized {mostly done}, hang up some pictures {have to go buy nails first}, go to the thrift store to get good deals {perhaps this week sometime}, and just general organization of my life {an on-going project}. Ugh. How I dislike the feeling of not accomplishing anything.

I'm off to remedy that right now. Something to redeem myself from completely wasting this day.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Monday Moments {Reflect}

With the New year just begun, and my quarter-of-a-century birthday looming ahead, I've once again started analyzing my life as it is. I have so much to change and grow in, that at times it can be a bit overwhelming. While striving to be perfect in Christ, I'm so thankful He understands my shortcomings and gives grace for each new day. So, for the year 2011, I want to change and grow...and finish this year different than when I began.

He's Changing Me

Little by little, day by day,
Little by little, in every way,
Jesus is changing me, He's changing me.
Since I made a turnabout face,
I've been growing in His grace.
Jesus is changing me!

He's changing me,
My precious Jesus
I'm not the same person that I used to be!
Sometimes it's slow going,
But there's a knowing
That one day perfect I will be!
 
Little by little, day by day.
Little by little, in every way.
I'm growing like my Lord, more like my Lord.
As I'm learning about God's ways,
And obeying what He says,
Jesus is changing me.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Christmas Past


{Winter Sunrise}



{Frost covered trees + clear, blue sky + shining sun = Wonderful Winter Day!}



{Decorating cookies with Supergirl & Co.--she was sad because there were no more cookies for her to decorate...the bottom left is her masterpiece}



{Marsh's church held a live nativity. People dressed up as Angels, Shepherds, Wise Men, Mary and Joseph. They used a doll for Baby Jesus as it would be super cold and uncomfortable for real infants. They also had some sheep and goats in the pen beside the stable. It was pretty neat to see.}



{Christmas with Marsh's Family}



{Random pictures...I love the bell and the chocolate fountain}

It's Official

Happy New Year!

I am completely moved in. I have started the process of un-packing, doing laundry {call me crazy, but I always have to wash all clothing that has been packed}, hanging and folding...

The bookshelf is organized with all my cookbooks, history & biographies, fictional and devotional books, photo albums, and CD's.

I have always wanted to do a collage of pictures in a hallway...I'm going to modify and use one of my walls instead. I was going to wait until I painted my room, but why wait till summer to put pictures up? So, that will be my project for next week, seeing as how I still have to put more of my stuff away and situate my room how I want it.

The owner said that we can use anything we wanted from The House, or garages/lean-to's {and they quite literally lean}. Well, most of the furniture we didn't want, so the Manly Men put those all in the garage. While they were out there, they saw a beautiful maple {I think?} log table with two chairs and asked if I wanted it. The set now sits in the corner of the room downstairs. I love it. It is about the height of a kitchen island, and has many versatile uses! This morning I sat there for my devotions, breakfast, and meal planning {another story in itself}!

The kitchen still needs help. While I was cleaning in there yesterday, I realized that either the cupboards were crooked, or the ceiling was sloping. It was the ceiling, so I guess the cupboards were placed to match. I personally think that it should just be gutted and rebuilt, but since that is not an option, my focus will be to make things work as they are--and get the Manly Men to help as needed :)

I'm really excited to decorate The House. Up until now, I haven't really been interested in crafty/creativity type projects--give me a good book, and I'm set. Recently though, I find myself looking at different pieces of furniture and thinking of ways to improve or change the look; I think of color schemes that would work well together in different rooms...possibilities are endless! I just may have found a new hobby for a new year!