tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33957447871384420522024-03-14T05:24:33.729-04:00The Spunky AvocadoReenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-76726165986642543652013-03-24T15:40:00.002-04:002013-03-24T16:29:31.181-04:00356th Fighter Group - Take the Virtual Tour and Pass on the Food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo taken from Google Images</span></div>
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I typically blog on things that are positive, can promote life-change and as a way to record some milestones in our little family. I've thought about writing some restaurant critiques at times too, but never really made time for it. Today is the day to make that happen.<br />
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It's spring break in our school district and the grandparents flew the kids down to spend the week with them in Florida. So the hubby and I decided to eat somewhere nice this afternoon for brunch. The 356th Fighter Group has been under the ownership of Bob Scofield for 24 years now and I think that's quite long enough.<br />
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After discussing our experience, the hubby and I agree that we cannot remember a worse meal. I could walk you through the various disappointments of the meal from the cold sausage, to the transparent bacon, to the soggy shrimp, to the tasteless chicken breast, to the rock hard biscuit, to the floppy Belgian waffle, to the unrecognizable sediment that I discovered in the bottom of my water glass (sadly after I had already drank half of it) and our waiter that had the personality of telephone pole. But no one has time for mindless details like that. Let's focus on two big points.<br />
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Moldy cheese and a blame shifting owner. Yeah. After picking over our less than appetizing food and making our last visit to the buffet area, the hubby came back with a small variety of items and a few cubes of pepper-jack cheese. Taking a closer look, he noticed mold... on all three pieces. To which he slid his plate away and waited for Bob to walk by so he could mention the infraction to someone who might care. It didn't take long for him to materialize and the hubby motioned him over. Please understand that my dear man hates confrontation of any kind, but felt that the owner of the business would want to know. Business owners that care about the reputation of their business welcome criticism that is offered in the spirit of helping, not just complaining to complain. He didn't plan to go through the laundry list from above, he just wanted to let him know the cheese was moldy and that he might want to pull the tray before anyone else was offended. And what was the response of the owner of this fine establishment, "Hunh, well we've been having trouble with this supplier for a few weeks now." and then he walked away. There was no apology, there was no mortification and the slouch didn't even bother to take away his plate with the offending food that the hubby was clearly not going to eat.<br />
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When the waiter produced the bill he mentioned that Bob took a few dollars off, but there was no mention from the telephone pole of an apology either. I can't remember walking out of a restaurant and hoping I wouldn't get sick later in the day. But sadly our tummies are already starting that unsettling rumble as I type and anticipate the rest of the day not being as pleasant as we had hoped.<br />
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Although it is a rather enchanting place to visit because of the decor, we would recommend viewing it from the virtual tour on their website and avoid the food. Mr. Scofield, we will not be back... ever.</div>
Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-28469895545735071712013-01-02T17:13:00.000-05:002013-01-02T17:13:48.436-05:00The Insane Courage of 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9IZ5zTtNBltSzFfvpQT6y4LLZkpelOk9yTjdkqufGLP88M-MN7aDF_FONsI3puEpob4Ilpk-Li2UmrpX2mVaRgv-QE_FrRZcdOSIiWfk0kU3wO4Llh1jpFZohGKSeNb09U348RYUxjE/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9IZ5zTtNBltSzFfvpQT6y4LLZkpelOk9yTjdkqufGLP88M-MN7aDF_FONsI3puEpob4Ilpk-Li2UmrpX2mVaRgv-QE_FrRZcdOSIiWfk0kU3wO4Llh1jpFZohGKSeNb09U348RYUxjE/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I often have visions of grandeur. Visions of things that are beyond my ability to do and knowledge to pull off, but where I accomplish them and have immense satisfaction that I have touched lives. Lots of lives. I think "I could do that" or "I've thought that before" or "Heck, I've said that before." But reality sets in and I realize my limits and step back into what I've always done with only very small achievements here and there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do I do that? What keeps me from doing it anyway? Why is my follow-through horrible? One word... fear. Not so much crippling fear, but fear of the what if's. And you know what, I'm tired of living like that. I want to put feet to my ideas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We watched the movie "We Bought A Zoo" the other day and one line captured exactly what I am walking toward...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery and I promise you something great will come of it."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so that is how I want to move forward this year. This 2013 will be the year I make concerted efforts to be insanely courageous about my ideas for at least a minimum of 20 seconds. And if after putting it out there for 20 seconds it doesn't seem like it's the best thing, then maybe I'll shelve it for awhile and revisit it later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here goes nothing...</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to write a book for little children and illustrate it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to write a chapter book for elementary age children</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to look into developing an after-school creative society for Middle School & High School students that doesn't focus on only inner city kids, but those in the burbs who are just as important, but just as left behind by their parents as the others</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to paint a huge mural on my daughter's bedroom wall</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to paint our shutters and front door an entirely new color</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to draw up plans for and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">implement</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a home garden</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's just to jot down a few. Some of you may ask yourself why I would need to have courage to do or attempt those things. I needed courage just to type them. I've spoken them into reality and they are dreams no longer. And somehow, just typing them out makes them seem a little more achievable. Instead of wishing I could do them, now I have a place to start. Granted, painting my shutters a different color isn't going to touch lives, but I've feared doing it because what if I hate the color after I'm done, then the neighbors will see me repainting. Well, fry the neighbors and pick a paint color.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Insane courage.</span></div>
Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-40107542759060770352012-12-02T20:47:00.001-05:002012-12-02T20:47:56.918-05:00Another Advent Calendar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwCUJJRr-Lz9JjVPAqkUd_8qWRgVIjJuWCwrLVxokU4ApKBDKIDXcdsg0gZyWNyADfKhiQm2i-Af_jod3ITtjLEzT6KtCNuwWEIF7YvjpviPK05RSgJu5M30Lf5i-N3QLnmUIFh0x-Hc/s1600/25board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwCUJJRr-Lz9JjVPAqkUd_8qWRgVIjJuWCwrLVxokU4ApKBDKIDXcdsg0gZyWNyADfKhiQm2i-Af_jod3ITtjLEzT6KtCNuwWEIF7YvjpviPK05RSgJu5M30Lf5i-N3QLnmUIFh0x-Hc/s400/25board.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's the time of year for Advent Calendar's. Actually if you're going to do this one, you'll want to start in early November as it took a while to do this project. I wanted it to be just right since we were going to be staring at it for years to come so I invested time & resources for a satisfying finished project. I won't bog you down with the history of Advent, that's what Google is for, and there are some really great resources out there for what activities to do (I'll list the ones I chose at the bottom). </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This entry is more about the "how-to" to do the boards. The site I followed didn't give any instructions, just a finished project picture which means I made a board I thought would work and the pockets were too small and I had to rip them all off. I hope this helps you be creative by offering the measurements and brief how-to's for each pocket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I chose two matching 12x12 scrapbook pages and used a glue stick to adhere them to a more firm board (I used chip board). Try taking the firm board to the framer at your local craft store and see if they'll cut it to size for you. I cut my own with a razor blade on a self healing mat and it wasn't perfectly smooth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next, I cut a pattern for the pockets 2 3/4 inches wide, 3 1/2 inches tall. I bought a Christmas Stack of paper so it was all in a matching style. I was able to flip through the pages and pull out some that were beautifully decorated and just embellished the parts that I picked. Use the pattern to cut out 24 pockets. I then took a brown ink pad and dabbed a cotton ball on it and tapped it around all the edges to make them look aged. Then I laid them all out on the boards (4 pockets across with 3 rows for each board). Laying them out ahead of time helped me not have a bunch of red in one section with some cream and green in the corner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once that was done... I pulled out ALL OF MY CRAP :) And I mean everything. Bits of fabric, stickers, beads, ribbon, twine, paper punches, stencils etc. And that's when I started creating what you'll see below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD5zxPmB1mQpYJOk8DyDbL2SGtwdUF5gc_9nDjQapZhGNyg32NLrxO9xFvsTPvo-Li60fi4Bd2EKEPbZRKWQFB1-nPYfzBraRCqJmoHa714RGwxG3P85Ka21s9ndoIOTGdVrn0SdBOgA/s1600/1st.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD5zxPmB1mQpYJOk8DyDbL2SGtwdUF5gc_9nDjQapZhGNyg32NLrxO9xFvsTPvo-Li60fi4Bd2EKEPbZRKWQFB1-nPYfzBraRCqJmoHa714RGwxG3P85Ka21s9ndoIOTGdVrn0SdBOgA/s320/1st.JPG" width="265" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I cut out a section of paper that had the top of the Christmas tree and then strung some small green beads on a thread and hot glued to outline the tree, tucking the ends of the string on the back and used a glue stick to hold it in place. The letters are gold foil stickers outlined in black pen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iXfeBry61AXWhSfXeIndduMaQBkGEZdNOqmMLPZsPMQQWE5HrCjO-iTPgMk_GH4w5q4GKsqOaD5AZO6hYX_jXbFwC2bwl7tO2bcWsZVh3fd4MADnJGcHIffHVl6L0_ayB0g2O64xTnA/s1600/2nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iXfeBry61AXWhSfXeIndduMaQBkGEZdNOqmMLPZsPMQQWE5HrCjO-iTPgMk_GH4w5q4GKsqOaD5AZO6hYX_jXbFwC2bwl7tO2bcWsZVh3fd4MADnJGcHIffHVl6L0_ayB0g2O64xTnA/s320/2nd.jpg" width="278" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was red paper, then I cut out the candy cane on a green square and aged the edges of that as well and glued it to the center. I used a 2-slotted punch so that I could weave the ribbon in and out of the red paper, then aged the ribbon with the cotton and ink as well. I used a circle punch to create the circle for the 2 and just free handed the lettering.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHM49eSsOJRTF7eNfCLgwJZUCsW1gFhiq4DJo61FzdDJ4ILKiDbc7IHfSXur5L05lWeAzQwKwKZOcUMN90dOsXsjOlbPh-MOnqXW6Lyag0RbyKs6bGkITBTAE-GVRpz7jQOlAjfKE-ss/s1600/3rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHM49eSsOJRTF7eNfCLgwJZUCsW1gFhiq4DJo61FzdDJ4ILKiDbc7IHfSXur5L05lWeAzQwKwKZOcUMN90dOsXsjOlbPh-MOnqXW6Lyag0RbyKs6bGkITBTAE-GVRpz7jQOlAjfKE-ss/s320/3rd.jpg" width="277" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The third day was a section of paper that had a Santa Claus on in that I outlined in silver glitter glue. After the glitter dried I took a silver pen and added dashed lines around the edge and then wrote out the word Three.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusw-C2oFIhKPY6RqIV2Q4FPjkbI3FGQqRAln684u-Zr3ZTt_nrYGxn752Je-Zd-lQGfztMgeFErXlG3Qlzhns3uMV7DdGJiLscRhpAszSMkaH3xd0pFLmMUrSeq8-9CbLS8LKmdEvAxw/s1600/4th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusw-C2oFIhKPY6RqIV2Q4FPjkbI3FGQqRAln684u-Zr3ZTt_nrYGxn752Je-Zd-lQGfztMgeFErXlG3Qlzhns3uMV7DdGJiLscRhpAszSMkaH3xd0pFLmMUrSeq8-9CbLS8LKmdEvAxw/s320/4th.jpg" width="275" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was a green patterned paper that I glued a piece of scrap lace to. I used the ageing ink and a cotton ball to make it not so white. Then I used a square paper punch, aged the edge, added a white "4" sticker and outlined it in brown ink.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgbTijrqEcPn7o5wiVb_qpSzT7NZ39wvednZQ5VnpTH1Pm_aS-UnAzV57Vn63yxF91YnaRN_kY9kfWkPKpTZg6aBKLfOtl88EfzuuM-hht5WkT1V_PAElsRFboTJoC4K878VPtQWiq2k/s1600/5th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgbTijrqEcPn7o5wiVb_qpSzT7NZ39wvednZQ5VnpTH1Pm_aS-UnAzV57Vn63yxF91YnaRN_kY9kfWkPKpTZg6aBKLfOtl88EfzuuM-hht5WkT1V_PAElsRFboTJoC4K878VPtQWiq2k/s320/5th.jpg" width="260" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This green paper had white swirls with glitter on them. I found this Christmas tree on red that had beautiful swirls as well. I aged the edge and then used a stencil to spell out 5th. Then glued them on so they peeked off the edges.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtW3aAMdueaAYc1Fgg6OzE02Ps6MJ19DhXeEa0OiqKrtjCWTdiXG0xol3UD8ERRMaO-zZpSi7wR3jjiisHEkFAA_0fcPO3kBYnn8NPOuEdztjP87qcJajz-vfTsWjz0YX5z5C_IHWGrc/s1600/6th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtW3aAMdueaAYc1Fgg6OzE02Ps6MJ19DhXeEa0OiqKrtjCWTdiXG0xol3UD8ERRMaO-zZpSi7wR3jjiisHEkFAA_0fcPO3kBYnn8NPOuEdztjP87qcJajz-vfTsWjz0YX5z5C_IHWGrc/s320/6th.jpg" width="272" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I thought this one was going to be a dud until it came together. Now it's one of my favorites :) I cut the paper that had "Deck The Halls" at the top and then aged the edges. Then I used the same technique to highlight the area I liked best. Then I took brown ribbon that had adhesive on the back and made 6 flat loops (since they stuck to each other). I hot glued them on top of each other, but didn't press them down so that it gave the bow some height off the paper. I took a circle paper punch of the same paper, punched out this circle so it was smaller than the bow, aged the edges, added a gold foil 6 and outlined in brown ink. Then hot glued it to the bow.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiOaEIlgnp4J0EOVxdnqULIByDmNCMPmAvEwe4_YI8Kv2QoM7Vry8XqeYUufv1wxQknZZJ4votVTM22xtTKYBk-8BrXRD-iqf5ucAIMifV9q6Teq9CzgDOpU34Ikmo6QZknfJq_vijPY/s1600/7th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiOaEIlgnp4J0EOVxdnqULIByDmNCMPmAvEwe4_YI8Kv2QoM7Vry8XqeYUufv1wxQknZZJ4votVTM22xtTKYBk-8BrXRD-iqf5ucAIMifV9q6Teq9CzgDOpU34Ikmo6QZknfJq_vijPY/s320/7th.jpg" width="276" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wanted to use a jingle bell somewhere on my boards, so this was a stripey-glittered paper that I cut to size and aged the edges. I used the circle punch to make four different sizes and backed the lighter color with a darker to make it stand out (both aged) and used a stencil to make the lettering. Then I used some thread and miscellaneous beads and strung them so the jingle bell would weight it down at the bottom. I used a glue stick to adhere the thread to the back.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZWI6hvHn6TrVBxoz6-cmuumtO0sGjdnSzqQ6tM7oenk27W1cnJmXKyRUcCYPVuTe7RpIwXj4Er3YjHNu-WiorK9Xmjb6ya3wjtQ2V4nn-cTcr9LrwXtn30EpD4negO6eVaRIZY0bGfU/s1600/8th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZWI6hvHn6TrVBxoz6-cmuumtO0sGjdnSzqQ6tM7oenk27W1cnJmXKyRUcCYPVuTe7RpIwXj4Er3YjHNu-WiorK9Xmjb6ya3wjtQ2V4nn-cTcr9LrwXtn30EpD4negO6eVaRIZY0bGfU/s320/8th.jpg" width="272" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love scrolly things, so I just aged this paper, added some foil scroll stickers outlined in black and then used a stencil to create the lettering. Then I took a gold pen and made highlights on all the parts of the letters that were on top.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdcomS2wT32EwubPD1oLMsn0ECg4NIjKnhdwqqy9CoPp9oE0X5ySvBrcxv8i-Vq8lar3l43a21Fz-VvnrnpSzY7SaQpbnjmw3mNn_zEzMhrgZ9V9lVaQZrh93aZF_yEZE-p4Zngg7UgA/s1600/9th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdcomS2wT32EwubPD1oLMsn0ECg4NIjKnhdwqqy9CoPp9oE0X5ySvBrcxv8i-Vq8lar3l43a21Fz-VvnrnpSzY7SaQpbnjmw3mNn_zEzMhrgZ9V9lVaQZrh93aZF_yEZE-p4Zngg7UgA/s320/9th.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I definitely wanted one that had a Santa belt, so I cut the paper to include the winter scene and decided to make the belt at the top to hold the 9th (in silver pen using a stencil). I cut a strip of red paper and aged it. Then using a square paper punch on black paper I punched a piece out that was bigger than the strip. I folded it in half and cut out the inside of the square to make a buckle and wrote the number inside. Free hand wrote "Tis' The Season" because I thought it looked cute.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8B4Ghup0eddEV4XS9Ku4qDIbFg2D1jz89HWj38FWEpwlD9-bCFbQFIQCQSiU2diaU0A-yZpDJ6I02B67K23GioQ1FnGj7_K9t57qje0Xhq7-MrIzSkdpayNtVvc9Lki2kF6FxXaWpGs/s1600/10th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8B4Ghup0eddEV4XS9Ku4qDIbFg2D1jz89HWj38FWEpwlD9-bCFbQFIQCQSiU2diaU0A-yZpDJ6I02B67K23GioQ1FnGj7_K9t57qje0Xhq7-MrIzSkdpayNtVvc9Lki2kF6FxXaWpGs/s320/10th.jpg" width="270" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was a paper with an ornament on it. I made the strip at the top and glued it on. Then I took a bead and ran some cute thread through it. I hot glued the bead to the paper so it wouldn't droop over time and then glued the thread to the back. I used a stencil for the 10 and then outlined in silver ink.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AwGLSTX32d-MwAzJMhQJz2G0L4RRdGgT9hhD96ZRNzN5-8ZQiHXKisFoI3g3-E9sc93hLnqoaDAmd7ypom60UrZKoMdVeMqGnr44-GfTJ3r18PoEg-ZJLiWnCkWCuSvjYQRU14PUUxA/s1600/11th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AwGLSTX32d-MwAzJMhQJz2G0L4RRdGgT9hhD96ZRNzN5-8ZQiHXKisFoI3g3-E9sc93hLnqoaDAmd7ypom60UrZKoMdVeMqGnr44-GfTJ3r18PoEg-ZJLiWnCkWCuSvjYQRU14PUUxA/s320/11th.jpg" width="277" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I liked the shape of the scallop on this paper. I decided to add a toy soldier sticker and mirror the height by gluing decorative thread on the opposite side. It's hard to tell, but the 11th is sitting on a springy coil of paper that "boings" when you push on it. I used a large circle punch and then just kept cutting in a circle toward the center of the circle. Then I punched the circle for the 11th and glued it on the center part of the coil. I then glued the outer part of the coil only to the pocket so the rest could spring forward.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQWsCCvcShmKO1dMMD8aFWISApvapBv-KXp7CCBncn3Ng5lWfXSyRsKFzAK3xqfVqLNgmhd8Yn0ST8WzVKIAsIhlDHZ8g2a2mqyQA1wsYBGUERjzvC-8Dr6Brmowsi16VKV72GXQXtKM/s1600/12th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQWsCCvcShmKO1dMMD8aFWISApvapBv-KXp7CCBncn3Ng5lWfXSyRsKFzAK3xqfVqLNgmhd8Yn0ST8WzVKIAsIhlDHZ8g2a2mqyQA1wsYBGUERjzvC-8Dr6Brmowsi16VKV72GXQXtKM/s320/12th.jpg" width="271" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wanted the HO3 to be the focal point of this pocket, so the 12 is just an understated number using a stencil. I aged the HO3 box and had it positioned off the paper and cut the edges off. Then I used thin gold ribbon to separate the two halves and add a bow to the box.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQQjcTCfwt3Y4PZcUtd1ms5thhNJuKh8PgfGzFLIYEJPQ9T5jr3jicNALYicVLbBQK7ktczhN66WTbq3_bzNemJ2fAyApIgRYiFdpEycAkdE2bB6Gt4lggKG4rznTFKp40VVtJ0fTjCg/s1600/13th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQQjcTCfwt3Y4PZcUtd1ms5thhNJuKh8PgfGzFLIYEJPQ9T5jr3jicNALYicVLbBQK7ktczhN66WTbq3_bzNemJ2fAyApIgRYiFdpEycAkdE2bB6Gt4lggKG4rznTFKp40VVtJ0fTjCg/s320/13th.jpg" width="246" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Onto the next board! This was very simple. A patchwork paper that had the edges aged, then self adhesive ribbon at the top and bottom (aged with ink & cotton). I used the square paper punch for the stenciled numbers to go on and then stacked and glued them on.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrub7PWlV6JtJhyMvdXA2YQY1F1m1lkstkMVRiCbetOw-kd80kvx-GITzFXEjuZvIJiMLqzFDEnsBgTMD6WMu-S0CL9hqRTwJTH3N7BfujMQ77aV-57tphqOyPSWxbpZH6y_W04u_iO8/s1600/14th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrub7PWlV6JtJhyMvdXA2YQY1F1m1lkstkMVRiCbetOw-kd80kvx-GITzFXEjuZvIJiMLqzFDEnsBgTMD6WMu-S0CL9hqRTwJTH3N7BfujMQ77aV-57tphqOyPSWxbpZH6y_W04u_iO8/s320/14th.jpg" width="262" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the easiest one I did. I only aged the edges and wrote out the number fourteen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoZaKPbux3fUje8CpIcwbOkASbIn14dlyEfPSzb-oYh8RwsiG2ZR2q3RXIOQ134DLdiSZWPVTo7w51iHWTpI3VhZYrXeJqLUMl3wu2ExUkCw02mFlmDu5F8j876Ae6pZxa-UW2tLVFA4/s1600/15th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoZaKPbux3fUje8CpIcwbOkASbIn14dlyEfPSzb-oYh8RwsiG2ZR2q3RXIOQ134DLdiSZWPVTo7w51iHWTpI3VhZYrXeJqLUMl3wu2ExUkCw02mFlmDu5F8j876Ae6pZxa-UW2tLVFA4/s320/15th.jpg" width="268" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the first one that I repeated the paper on. I used a sequin piece of trim from an old project to edge the top. Then used a stencil to put 15th on an aged rectangle. Simple but pretty.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpR4kmQKPWpcrc3FgxVtxxJER5nnmlQfiydFc8292M1Q30tABqsYrkDYVFDcd4ebuf-g_9mJC4y1Jy-AWmp1AUNBlrjWYPXnReOGOraFvn6kgeI7KgEpdUlLZ6WWWqDJQf32-QkGnIVlQ/s1600/16th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpR4kmQKPWpcrc3FgxVtxxJER5nnmlQfiydFc8292M1Q30tABqsYrkDYVFDcd4ebuf-g_9mJC4y1Jy-AWmp1AUNBlrjWYPXnReOGOraFvn6kgeI7KgEpdUlLZ6WWWqDJQf32-QkGnIVlQ/s320/16th.jpg" width="258" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This one is simple too so that the poinsettia stands out. I wrote the sixteen out in green pen, then used the same color to out line the shiny petals and then make dashes along the outside.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGa7DFJ2VH9ubt4o6I8h-fOUlwHD_4OEv9XZ-IOIPVPr31k7DELHXrOv3rQr-nLCmzP0pblZZOK0bby0XPGF3xQ6EqpoHIEey9sYo-HktRa8n-0Zvy5kyWK48aRn9U3ufO3Is4qJlUdM/s1600/17th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGa7DFJ2VH9ubt4o6I8h-fOUlwHD_4OEv9XZ-IOIPVPr31k7DELHXrOv3rQr-nLCmzP0pblZZOK0bby0XPGF3xQ6EqpoHIEey9sYo-HktRa8n-0Zvy5kyWK48aRn9U3ufO3Is4qJlUdM/s320/17th.jpg" width="261" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I loved the glitter on this one and the wispy branches. Just embellished it with stenciled numbers outlined with silver ink. I made the silver go over the black to give them some definition.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhTh4nUUoUxrVx_5WQVZeRnZx-yJlhMyZTFkAsT1Q7A6iY0bYHYFRd0NIjl_QbYTVCmF9rzOqj_qiUDUy6j6eK_a05ZRJ_WlJur_Tgzvc99ceqiO0-hyukQ3OVTYg1aCvaJbkRfBJbhc/s1600/18th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhTh4nUUoUxrVx_5WQVZeRnZx-yJlhMyZTFkAsT1Q7A6iY0bYHYFRd0NIjl_QbYTVCmF9rzOqj_qiUDUy6j6eK_a05ZRJ_WlJur_Tgzvc99ceqiO0-hyukQ3OVTYg1aCvaJbkRfBJbhc/s320/18th.jpg" width="265" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another repeated paper done differently. I used white ribbon glued to the back on a diagonal, hot glued a gold bow on with a small metal tag that says "Made With Love". Then hand written Eighteenth.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv7wrxOxWE5A507J_DLU4qNxQ-_75OEyIiSw9n1v8XyW3bYzeUEKe4pR3CgAiCqcdiv5iwXiCrq0R85FiqpUmlInr590g6AYBXi_yOicIwSJc8W_f41JSr3ZRUv5-pBer2kr0wFl9zUU/s1600/19th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv7wrxOxWE5A507J_DLU4qNxQ-_75OEyIiSw9n1v8XyW3bYzeUEKe4pR3CgAiCqcdiv5iwXiCrq0R85FiqpUmlInr590g6AYBXi_yOicIwSJc8W_f41JSr3ZRUv5-pBer2kr0wFl9zUU/s320/19th.jpg" width="257" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love this one even though the Santa seems a little sour. I used gold foil numbers outlined in black ink. Then I hot glued alphabet beads to say "Ho, Ho, Ho!"</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8o7K1WZafnvQisn_gam8_W1GUpuAL207xGT-45mnEOvAXvLSzGECCNqnEL-xP4gHHeanz86knQx0vWa4iWIV1GmHqW5isjvfpO8qruKIEqf427_yPOSBLJ_n7yLRMVXoVqV_LRc5MfD0/s1600/20th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8o7K1WZafnvQisn_gam8_W1GUpuAL207xGT-45mnEOvAXvLSzGECCNqnEL-xP4gHHeanz86knQx0vWa4iWIV1GmHqW5isjvfpO8qruKIEqf427_yPOSBLJ_n7yLRMVXoVqV_LRc5MfD0/s320/20th.jpg" width="257" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This one was all about using the Holly Jolly words that I cut out of another paper block. I cut out a light piece of paper on the diagonal, glued on the aged Holly Jolly and glued the whole thing on. Then used my circle punch to create the place for the free-handed number to go and aged the edges.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZJeKxrWHaESHX1jpKZvgqs7OF2ti8k8z0Sjk61McAJzmorcIiJdu8tgfAMkxu5r7sMErnOIJ16DrT7yUslSLdWTNiBOXgX4zecxN7JL5mjYef7AmNCDigVsboXTuqoj7K09xcLKEuk0/s1600/21st.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZJeKxrWHaESHX1jpKZvgqs7OF2ti8k8z0Sjk61McAJzmorcIiJdu8tgfAMkxu5r7sMErnOIJ16DrT7yUslSLdWTNiBOXgX4zecxN7JL5mjYef7AmNCDigVsboXTuqoj7K09xcLKEuk0/s320/21st.jpg" width="254" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was the corner of a page that had great colors, glitter and fun shape. I just added some stickers, stenciled the number on and outlined it in gold ink.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01J9rDjCOdSJ5lB7vQ0NVlmtqC4bx7tKAeqR2fVWQEFULADNiQsuaLv_wpsZkqIWSc4V3TWJD6rSpgrzWzRpoFViTd_eXREZvpDsn8HShf4hSMrQSvNYyR0aXucCybdfek6BIqDzaiRE/s1600/22nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01J9rDjCOdSJ5lB7vQ0NVlmtqC4bx7tKAeqR2fVWQEFULADNiQsuaLv_wpsZkqIWSc4V3TWJD6rSpgrzWzRpoFViTd_eXREZvpDsn8HShf4hSMrQSvNYyR0aXucCybdfek6BIqDzaiRE/s320/22nd.jpg" width="253" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the repeated paper from #4. I cut out the Joy on red from another paper and glued it on. Then used my circle punch to get a place for the stenciled number. Then I cut a strip of popcorn and cranberry sticker to frame the top and bottom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtwEr_FVeFNCIanH7ZWMCAIv6LswDZx1Rhe1IGIEp9gG8xaPgwEossWuC0A_21NRgi-tL6_JyJArDSPYBMbHxL35Th-2Lbu3dSxA9AWEJA28lhsqrYM7wv7ltnXMZhOkfuFaU5N7miYk/s1600/23rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtwEr_FVeFNCIanH7ZWMCAIv6LswDZx1Rhe1IGIEp9gG8xaPgwEossWuC0A_21NRgi-tL6_JyJArDSPYBMbHxL35Th-2Lbu3dSxA9AWEJA28lhsqrYM7wv7ltnXMZhOkfuFaU5N7miYk/s320/23rd.jpg" width="258" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This one was easy as well. The paper was decoration in itself. I just aged the sides again, added some gold foil swirls then hand wrote Twenty Third.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvoUPkzn58xm218JNo3kJT4nDFURJhFZ33POBcSOwpMTLzbbpuOWUUN8KK8cHfoyRFXbSiFy4wD1XuEZg42mWNuMb_aNh7i2buVVjMCVogD0PHLYkOjVgxy_fkXH4NjFdaAMfDmPqX5k/s1600/24th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvoUPkzn58xm218JNo3kJT4nDFURJhFZ33POBcSOwpMTLzbbpuOWUUN8KK8cHfoyRFXbSiFy4wD1XuEZg42mWNuMb_aNh7i2buVVjMCVogD0PHLYkOjVgxy_fkXH4NjFdaAMfDmPqX5k/s320/24th.jpg" width="261" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I decided to not use a number on this one and write out Christmas Eve! I like the paper on this because it kind of looked like the Christmas star. I just aged the edges, used my square paper punch, aged those edges two, free-handed Christmas Eve and glued it to the center.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once all the pockets are ready, use a glue stick on all the edges (but the top) and place them evenly on the boards. Make sure your glue line isn't so wide that when it dries the tags can't be tucked inside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Use a wide ribbon to connect the two boards together. I used hot glue to adhere the ribbon to the boards and made it so there was about a half inch gap between the boards. This will allow you to fold the boards together for an easier time storing it away after Christmas. Use the same wide ribbon to tie a bow. I hot glued the back of the bow so it wouldn't untie while it's hanging. Then hot glue the tails to the back of the top board so it will hang evenly with the bow at the top.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdIjMTakXuxv8PgtrBjAewRE7jwv8kf1kWk7ym7pRbw2HuVggTgUP0Whjg7fzkU-Mk8Fwd7iOSsySu6NYeumWXqNCLsT96feHmQ6eRLBF5fijumWLn8KraTkcvPUa_xfJbnl3e-y9J7s/s1600/25tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdIjMTakXuxv8PgtrBjAewRE7jwv8kf1kWk7ym7pRbw2HuVggTgUP0Whjg7fzkU-Mk8Fwd7iOSsySu6NYeumWXqNCLsT96feHmQ6eRLBF5fijumWLn8KraTkcvPUa_xfJbnl3e-y9J7s/s320/25tag.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These are the tags that you will write your activities on. They measure 2 inches wide and 3 1/2 inches long. I used a "corner rounder" on the top corners only to make them look more authentic. Then I aged all the edges and then used a hole punch to put a hole either in the center or off in a corner. I looped through either twine, red or white ribbon. Now your ready to add your own activities, search other sites for ideas or use some of the ideas below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Advent Countdown Ideas</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make Christmas Cookies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deck the Halls (decorate your home)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wrap Presents</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wear pajamas to watch the Polar Express</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Read a Christmas book aloud</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Buy new Christmas music</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Open a gift (we do one gift on Christmas Eve)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Red & Green dinner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Play Christmas Puzzles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Purchase a gift for a needy child</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Read the story of Jesus birth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Take cookies to the Recycling Center community service workers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make special holiday breakfast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Watch a Christmas movie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Send out Christmas cards</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Decorate your home outside</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Drink hot chocolate stirred with a peppermint stick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make popcorn and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have a game night</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Drive to look at Christmas lights</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Go to Christmas Eve church service</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make baked sandwiches and watch White Christmas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make dog treats for his stocking</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make breakfast casserole for Christmas morning</span><br />
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Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-90557413433826195882012-03-18T20:40:00.003-04:002012-03-18T20:41:55.799-04:00Strawberry Shortcake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBXql9sUMJ3T4kRGjT_CG_lD5hjkLuk_FlMs7LXnQBKi-3ysVvxy8JNuagM5dlXQXV3CzH31hJdVuy_DUzvYGaqtE6KLjncXbRWdzTeD41jVd5NU1sPocrNnpd09qfpQhmB1eE0zfzm8/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBXql9sUMJ3T4kRGjT_CG_lD5hjkLuk_FlMs7LXnQBKi-3ysVvxy8JNuagM5dlXQXV3CzH31hJdVuy_DUzvYGaqtE6KLjncXbRWdzTeD41jVd5NU1sPocrNnpd09qfpQhmB1eE0zfzm8/s1600/imgres.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.prevention.com/" target="_blank">credit</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some things are just indicative of spring and strawberries are one of them. Sweet, beautifully red, pop-able, and a practically perfect seed display on the outside. But the berries I bought this afternoon were obviously grown under less than organic circumstances. They were a little pale and definitely not juicy, but I couldn't resist. These sad berries needed some help and shortcake seemed like a good answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However, the shortcake I have been accustomed to was always out of a Bisquick box. But I know now there is a healthier option and do my best to avoid food from boxes and cans. So I went on Pinterest and searched for a recipe. I ended up on the Better Homes and Gardens website with a fairly good recipe that could be tweaked to make it healthier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, from freezer </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(if you keep your flour in the freezer it makes wonderful flaky baked items because it keeps the butter cold and crumbly)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/4 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/3 cup cold raw butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/2 cup raw, whole yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1/4 cup raw honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1 egg, pastured</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 tablespoons raw milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5 cups strawberries, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3 tablespoons raw honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whipped cream (please don't use Cool Whip, blech)</span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a 2 cup pyrex measure, measure out the yogurt first then add the honey, milk, and egg. Lightly beat with a fork or small wire whisk.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Add to flour mixture and stir with a wood spoon until just moistened.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Flatten the dough in the bowl the best you can. Take a butter knife and scored the top of the dough into 8 equal triangles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Scoop out each triangle and form a small disk on the parchment paper.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Meanwhile, combine 4 cups of berries and 3 tablespoons of honey in a bowl a lightly smash with a potato masher or something similar and set aside.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To serve, split shortcakes in half; fill with strawberry mixture and whipped cream. Top with remaining berries.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Makes 8 shortcakes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/strawberry-shortcakes/" target="_blank">Here is the original recipe if you are interested.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My kids are not fans of whipped cream, so I will typically mix up some raw yogurt, raw cream and sweeten it with a little honey. Then I drizzle it over. They prefer it that way and it sure is yummy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-14975912495870929872012-03-11T22:13:00.000-04:002012-03-11T22:19:08.848-04:00Welcome to Burger Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBIS8oBZXZcciZ4Pj55ch7BRaeaxzjiuoLKRIziPDQE8PeVTjajPDJRgT1Yyg1adTmUAdZbIOy5nVFvZkjqfXHpd0JtiR9qtTZVINs20uz5ThTPEvhSamyw8Bc5vqlBH5lmegKyTd9zU/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBIS8oBZXZcciZ4Pj55ch7BRaeaxzjiuoLKRIziPDQE8PeVTjajPDJRgT1Yyg1adTmUAdZbIOy5nVFvZkjqfXHpd0JtiR9qtTZVINs20uz5ThTPEvhSamyw8Bc5vqlBH5lmegKyTd9zU/s1600/church.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://sermon-why-go-to-church.seebyseeing.net/">credit</a></span></div>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't blogged in a while and I'm not quite sure why Blogger is putting automatic link's in my post, but just ignore them, they are advertisements. Carry on...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Hi! Welcome to Burger Church where we do church your way. How can I help you today?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Ummm, I don't see what I want on your menu board."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Tell me what you're looking for and I'll see if I can help you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I want my church experience to be a lot of fun to listen to with a side of Jesus."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Oh, you want the number 20. Would you like to biggie size your Jesus?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"No. That's why I didn't order the number 1. A small side of Jesus is just fine."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"We will do our best. Have a seat and we'll bring your order to you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Hi! Welcome to Burger Church where we do church your way. How can I help you today?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Yeah... I'd like... a number... 22 and hold the life-change."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"OK, so you want a comfortable seat and a teacher that's easy to block out. Would you like to add some stagnation to that?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Sure, why not. Does that mean I have to put more money in the plate when it's passed?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Nope. You can do what you've always done and allow your emotions to control your wallet. Have a seat and we'll bring your order to you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Hi! Welcome to Burger Church where we do church your way. How can I help you today?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Give me a number 46."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Hmmm, that's a tricky one. Only have an organ played, no colored lights, and only the hymns on the left hand side from pages 1-20 containing the word tradition?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Yes, that's the one. And can you add a side of don't sit in my seat?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"We will give it the ol' college try. Thank you for your order."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Hi! Welcome to Burger Church where we do church your way. How can I help you today?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"I would like Burger Church to be full of people who only wear their Sunday best according to my standards."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Well, we can't control who we let walk through our doors, but if you like, you could volunteer to judge them as they pass by and then talk about it with your friends over a donut."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"But if I volunteer to do that then I won't hear the sermon. What good is coming to Burger Church if I don't hear the sermon. Someone else will just have to volunteer."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Hi! Welcome to Burger Church where we do church your way. How can I help you today?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"You have stuff for kids, right?!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Would you like the DayCare children's church or the Teach'EmALessonWithFlannelGraph children's church."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Ugh. Just take my kids, feed them, clean them up and hand me the right diaper bag when I come back for them." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"DayCare it is then. You go through those doors to drop off the babies and those doors over there to drop off your elementary student."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Why can't they all just go in the same room, I'm running late."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Is that green snot coming out of your two year old?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Uh, no. He has allergies. Heh. You said through those doors, right?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The church is not a building you come to, to have your every need or want met. The people are the church. And if the church looks like the dialogue above, they can count me out. Since when did being a follower of Jesus become all about me. Nothing Jesus ever did was about him. It was about us, <b>all</b> the people of the world. So if the Bible says that we should be who we are, but allowing Jesus to live through us, then nothing about this life should be focused on us alone. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We should be going out to our communities and showing the love of Jesus and the hope He gives just by doing what we are passionate about and including others in it. I'm not saying that we should not meet together as Jesus followers. <u>What I am saying is</u> that church is not a place to give your order, expect perfection (in your opinion), and then loudly proclaim how disgruntled you are when it's not exactly the way you want it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Quit your complaining and be the doggone church.</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-35132234737721818382011-12-17T15:02:00.000-05:002011-12-23T13:25:03.500-05:00The Order Of The Big Metal Chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are twists in life that come together like a pot holder made by a kindergartner, messy but beautiful at the same time. This is one of those twists. Hang with me as I relate a string of details to bring you to one of the most hilarious mornings I have ever experienced.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am friends with two sisters, M & A. We started out as acquaintances, but through the joy of facebook, we have grown to really appreciate and love each other. A couple posts ago, I wrote about my lovely mother (<a href="http://thespunkyavocado.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-mom.html">here</a>). After posting the blog on my facebook page, M & A read it, M called A in tears saying that she wished they had a mom like that and A agreed. A really fun string between us started on facebook and the three of us decided that my mom would adopt them, unbeknownst to her. A few days later we attended a Christmas program that our children were in and M asked if "Mom" would be coming. That was the beginning of a very funny evening as I introduced my mom to her new daughters. Mom jumped in just like a trooper and had hugs and giggles for her new girls. We decided to get all the families together for Christmas this coming week and I can't wait for a house full of fun.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjhoZTTQlM09YkxUkCtDAeCSIUc9hmrEIVXDNhkCalKC4defCWGK_6TskpG_hJEynmMELFLb2YAD9s8bkV5i3xsg17mLcMcVJUDPJhJDgTWT46xiynnCemWzMfQzVEn0q9YXKgO5BkD8/s1600/The+Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjhoZTTQlM09YkxUkCtDAeCSIUc9hmrEIVXDNhkCalKC4defCWGK_6TskpG_hJEynmMELFLb2YAD9s8bkV5i3xsg17mLcMcVJUDPJhJDgTWT46xiynnCemWzMfQzVEn0q9YXKgO5BkD8/s320/The+Girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here we are at the concert: T, M, Mom, Me & A</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So back to this morning. M had posted on her facebook page a couple weeks ago a blog that sent me into peels of laughter. This woman has a tremendous sense of humor and I felt like I was right there with her. Check it out <a href="http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/">here</a>, mind the language a bit. Please read it, or the rest of this post won't make a bit of sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Things have been a little upside down in my life lately and as I was pulling out of my garage this morning to do some necessary shopping I was greeted by this on my front porch.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAt3m1Z1uULCgK4w-jQpuR01VxgiiL9k9XdVb67NEtI_zAWWqfdGzj6v2tdGHUSainQLLXSovTOqzstUeEdl_sKKNJLQ3Dnw5X4eQNySNL_cXjx2tSOqg9XS2NJwq2TBfTqvix_carQU/s1600/Big+Metal+Chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAt3m1Z1uULCgK4w-jQpuR01VxgiiL9k9XdVb67NEtI_zAWWqfdGzj6v2tdGHUSainQLLXSovTOqzstUeEdl_sKKNJLQ3Dnw5X4eQNySNL_cXjx2tSOqg9XS2NJwq2TBfTqvix_carQU/s320/Big+Metal+Chicken.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I staggered from the van and was laughing so hard the kids could here me inside the house. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was crazy, but who cares when such AWESOMENESS is before you. My sweet sister M took to heart the line from the blog "And when our friends are sad we can leave him at their front door to cheer them up." I have continued to laugh about it all day today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am instituting "The Order Of The Big Metal Chicken" and he must circulate between my new sisters, my mom & I. And we will name him at our Christmas party, something ingenious I'm sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOTE: He has been named Felix. Brilliant :)</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-33865828912045214912011-12-14T18:42:00.000-05:002011-12-14T18:47:01.371-05:00Living in Survival Mode<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is probably going to be a heavy post, so if you're not in the mood you may want to check back another time. I just need to type.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Something awful happened to me as a young person. It stripped away my sense of security. Nothing was safe. Home wasn't safe, school wasn't safe, family wasn't safe, friends weren't safe. And I have come to realize that from that point forward I have been living in a survival mode of some sort. Day to day not knowing what my existence will be, what is around the corner, the constant phrase before me of, "I don't know". To live in a continual state of uncertainty has probably not been the most healthy thing for me. When you live in survival mode, there is a constant need to store or fill. Fill your time, fill your cupboards, fill your face, fill your hands, fill your addiction, fill whatever void is there when your sense of security is threatened in any way. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are some really big uncertainties in my life right now. I don't feel like I have any security at all. I feel like I want to stuff everything. Stuff my feelings, stuff my voice, stuff my creativity, stuff my responsibilities. It would be so easy to do that. Throw up that really big wall that helped me cope through those terrible years. I was able to do that back then. No one depended on me. As long as I showed up at school, got good grades, did my homework and kept up with my chores, no one knew that I was a shell.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But being a shell, if even for a time, is hugely inconvenient when you are an employee, wife and mother. You have to be on top of it, you have to make those quick decisions, you have to come up with solutions, you have to be available at a moments notice. And forget about throwing up a wall, there's not time for that. You throw up a wall or shut down and it effects everyone. It effects your work, your marriage and your kids. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But I realize that this survival mode is self inflicted. No one told me to live this way. It's just further proof that if you don't deal with your junk when it happens, it will creep back up at the most inconvenient times and beg to be processed. And if you're going through something that needs to be survived, chances are you don't have the time or energy to give to going through that process. Yep, it's a vicious cycle.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And survival mode also throws you into irrational thought. If I don't do everything, then I will lose everything. If I don't do every part of my job plus whatever else comes my way, I will lose my job. I need my job. It's security. If I don't do everything to keep my home perfect and be everything to my husband that he needs plus whatever else comes my way, I will lose my husband. I need my husband. He is security. If I am not everything to my kids every moment they are awake, I could damage my kids. I love my kids. I give them security. See... irrational thoughts.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Isn't survival mode what the Israelite nation tried to do when they started wandering in the desert for 40 years? But God took care of them. He gave them manna to eat. And he even told them that if they collected more than they needed for just that day that it would go bad. So they only gathered what they needed and trusted that God would provide what he promised the next day. I would say that after a few days of God following through on that promise that they didn't doubt he would provide. I bet they even went about their day to day business not thinking about what they would need because God kept his promise.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, here I am, talking about how God provided for them. Do I believe the story? Yes I do. Am I supposed to believe that this story applies to my life as well? Yes. So now I need to do the work of not allowing myself to live in survival mode anymore. That's an almost 30 year habit to break. And if I'm not living in survival mode, what mode am I living in? The whole thing just makes me tired. Which is another part of survival mode.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ugh, that was ugly. I guess I have work to do on this because there is no "Spunky" in survival mode.</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-51742408413270029562011-12-07T22:38:00.001-05:002011-12-07T23:09:32.781-05:00I'm Too Old<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Have you heard this before, "I'm too old to care about being polite"? Or something along those lines.<br />
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What is that really? Too old? So what you're telling me is that you never were polite on the inside, but you were young enough to know better at one point and were only behaving yourself? I find myself being acquainted with a certain person who is aging. I had a deep respect for their business mind, character, and integrity. I would talk with them at length about such dealings and would listen intently. But true to my form, I am an observer of people and life in general. I watch an awful lot. And I have seen a steady decline in the moral fiber of this person of business I once admired.<br />
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It seems as if they have reached a point in their life where they would say, "I'm too old to do the right thing or treat people well." So the question I'm asking is this, was it all a farce? Do we spend our lives covering up who we really are inside to only have our true selves revealed in our senior years when we are just too old to care what others think?<br />
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Will I be one of those that when they are too old to care about being proper and upright, will be unkind to a care giver because I feel entitled to a certain level of care? Will the internal flaws I deal with now surface in the years when I want people to look at me and say "She's a wise, sweet old lady and I like her spunk." Or will they walk away shaking their head thinking they never knew the real me, call me a hypocrite, see my true colors and wonder why they wasted the time.<br />
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Maybe that's why I am so adamant about being authentic, real and a teller of truth. Sharing my struggles (to a degree) with others. I figure if I struggle with something, then maybe someone else may too and my sharing could help them. I'm kind of at a loss in all this. It's come as a blow really.<br />
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Maybe when we try to show outwardly who we want to be in our own strength and power we can only keep that up for so long and then the steam runs out. Maybe it's when we surrender those struggles to God with the idea that He's the only one that can work on us to making lasting change that is real instead of change made in our humanity. Or if you allow the work to happen at a younger age, then it just becomes a part of who you are, part of your DNA.<br />
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I don't want to ever reach a point in my life where treating people well is something I don't care about. Where having integrity is a chore. I want that to be woven so deeply within me that this won't be something I will have to question. It will just be.</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-1945641950591002182011-12-01T16:46:00.001-05:002011-12-01T18:03:35.305-05:00My Mom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Picture taken of my mom & my daughter on a "Girls Road Trip" to PA.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's not Mother's Day, it's not her birthday, but today she made me smile. So I thought I would take a few moments and jot down some of the things I like about my mom.</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She loves Jesus. She loves to pray. I can always count on her if I need prayer about anything.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She texts. Nothing short of a novel. Brevity is not her strong suit. You can count on the fact that her texts will be a minimum of two long. So if you like your text alert, you are in luck. And when she texts she adds the sweet little nothings at the end like "xoxoxo" and "TTFN" (ta ta for now) and she calls me all sorts of sweet names you don't say in person, but are completely OK in type.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She takes the time to see things. I mean really see things. Detail. And she has an appreciation for how details can be so special.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She forgets where she is in the middle of a story. She is so allured by the details that she will forget her point in sharing the story. This apple does not fall far from the tree. I am my mother's daughter.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She doesn't want me to miss a single thing while my kids are away from me. She lovingly documents their adventures with her camera and shares them with me... while they are still on her camera.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She loves to give. In every way. Time, money, food, you name it. To anyone and everyone.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She is interested in me. She listens when I tell her about new things I learn. She is supportive of all my ventures and is never critical.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She is silly and loves to laugh. She's always up for a good time especially if it means she doesn't have to act like an adult. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She is the most amazing grandma. She works her tail off to get done what needs to be done so that when her grandkids come over, her only agenda is to be with them. She is intentional about the time she spends with them. I believe they have been to every park in our county. This is something they love to do together.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When people find out she's my mom there is always an exclamation... "Oh my gosh, I love her!", "She is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met!", "Man, you are one lucky person to have her as a mom!"</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She is kind, aware, loving, trustworthy, hard working, strong, full of joy and well loved.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Proverbs 31:10 ... her worth is far above rubies. Rubies? Not my mom. I don't think I could measure her worth by any standard. Yep, she's that amazing. Love that sweet lady.</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-43469086313597330802011-08-12T15:34:00.002-04:002011-08-15T22:21:11.707-04:00Nothing But A Suit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit</span></a></div>
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I went shopping today. I don't usually shop because I'm the kind of person that, for the most part, only buys what we need. But today I had a purpose... go to Border's. This "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TA-GALQJfM">theme-park-multi-level-homogenize-the-world-mochaccino-land</a>" has been a dwelling for our family. I have sipped coffee, took my children to story time, thumbed through beautiful cookbooks, purchased Jane Austen novels, bought my daughter her beloved copy of Little Women for Christmas, listened to a budding local singer/song writer, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/russellaldridge">Russell Aldridge</a>, and purchased my carefully selected kitchen calendar each year. Being inside has always made me hold my head higher and walk with my shoulders pulled back upon entering their doors. I felt more informed just being there, like I had entered this society I had always longed to be a part of.</div>
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But they are closing their doors. After numerous attempts at bailouts and such, no buyers were interested. The digital age, I'm afraid, has forever dented the need for bookstores. When I walked up today, there were no outside shelves holding discounted books with brightly colored photos on them to greet me, just concrete, brick & glass. When I opened the doors there were signs hanging from every possible space touting "Everything Must Go" in abrasive colors. I looked to my right and the coffee shop and seating area had been replaced with stacked chairs, empty shelves that were "Sold" and the racks that once held magazines were being stocked with the 2012 calendars they had previously ordered and are now 50% off... right out of the box. The Bargain Books section right off of that truly holds books at a bargain now. The journal/stationary/specialty gift/pen section was displayed as best they could and was heavily picked over. The DVD area was sparse to say the least and the discounts there were not deep enough to tempt me. </div>
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And all the while I am wandering around the store, I can't help thinking of the movie "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Tom Hanks opened a mega-book-mart just down the way from Meg Ryan's family owned bookstore and eventually sends her out of business. There is a scene that takes about 45 seconds, but encompassed how I felt for the employees that were left at Border's today as I pillaged through the remains of what was once a comfortable home away from home. </div>
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I wanted to tell them how sorry I was that this place could possibly be a Baby Gap. I wanted them to know that I will miss our random Friday or Saturday nights when we would wander the aisles and phone each other to come look at a new treasure we had found. I'm sure the staff that is left has dealt with the news in their own way. But for my family, it wasn't just a store.</div>
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My purchases today:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-Kitchen-2012-Wall-Calendar/dp/1449405037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313175269&sr=8-1">Home is in the Kitchen, 2012 Calendar</a></div>
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Persuasion, Jane Austen</div>
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The Tenant or Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte</div>
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Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte</div>
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A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens</div>
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Great Expectations, Charles Dickens</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Essential+Oils+Book%3A+Creating+Personal+Blends+for+Mind+%26+Body%2C+Colleen+K+Dodt&x=13&y=16">The Essential Oils Book</a>: Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body, Colleen K Dodt</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Fat-Lose-Healthy-Alternative/dp/0452285666/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313176355&sr=1-1">Eat Fat Lose Fat</a>, Dr. Mary Enig & Sally Fallon</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Fermentation-Flavor-Nutrition-Live-Culture/dp/1931498237/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313176391&sr=1-1">Wild Fermentation</a>, Sandor Ellix Katz</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Pepin-More-Fast-Food/dp/0618142339/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313176441&sr=1-1">More Fast Food My Way</a>, Jacques Pepin</div>
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Even now as I type, my children are pawing through the pile of books at my feet. Flipping through the pages of Dickens and Bronte. Giving brief quotes on how to ferment our own cheese from raw milk, and commenting about gently scrambled eggs with coconut oil, rosemary sprigs and finished with goat cheese. </div>
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We are going to miss our store.</div>
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Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-2627206761112600142011-05-27T10:29:00.000-04:002011-05-27T10:29:42.546-04:00Air Smooches<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8boAeru6QDCQaAE9nfBI-Y88WIiBaRqNgT-WRfNZw3mW0mimxhUVUUSs_L88mw75jlhPIL5PJtx-GZFN0zcfCC4ZpjPYOtiGdyX3KYMUajeiYRDsq9jbt2siZ6x13mcgqZUc7GS4sLk/s1600/Cole+%2526+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8boAeru6QDCQaAE9nfBI-Y88WIiBaRqNgT-WRfNZw3mW0mimxhUVUUSs_L88mw75jlhPIL5PJtx-GZFN0zcfCC4ZpjPYOtiGdyX3KYMUajeiYRDsq9jbt2siZ6x13mcgqZUc7GS4sLk/s1600/Cole+%2526+I.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When this photo was taken my son, C was 12. I remember trying to freeze this moment in my memory. He chose the spot and how we would stand. I loved that moment. He's almost 13 now and I could fill a book with all the wonderful qualities this budding young man possesses. You can see it on his face. Strong, confident, secure, loving. What you see is what you get. He wears his emotions and thoughts out there in the open. And at this point in time he's still not tainted enough by the world that he hides who he is. I hope he never loses that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He still comes to me for hugs every morning. He'll even reach over and put his hand on my shoulder when we're driving somewhere. He comes up behind me when I'm cooking and wraps those long arms around my waist for a quick squeeze. When I'm keeping score for his baseball team, he'll walk over to the fence, lace his fingers through the chain link on top of mine and ask me the score or what inning we're in. Even walking through parking lots, he'll sidle up beside me and grab my hand. He definitely shows his love openly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This morning when I was dropping him off at school he saw one of his buddies. "Look mom, there's Mikah!", he said excitedly. As I came to a stop he whipped out of the van, flung his back pack on, slammed the door and jogged away toward his friend. When I was about to pull away I heard him yell, "MOM!" I looked back just as he sent me an air smooch "... LOVE YOU!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Awww C... I love you too buddy.</span></div></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-9211956495505833142011-05-02T16:59:00.000-04:002011-05-02T16:59:06.235-04:00Differences of Opinion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I went to bed last night right after the kids went down. Migraines are such an inconvenience. As I pulled up my browser this morning to check the weather I was unexpectedly greeted by a barrage of facebook messages that stated Osama Bin Laden was dead. This was news in itself, but what I noticed most was the variance in the responses of my friends. This is nothing more than a copy and paste session so that I don't forget the internal conflict of the day.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Osama Bid Laden is dead.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It only took 10 years, but Osama Bin Laden is finally dead!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Well it took long enough.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">CNN Fox News MSNBC and all the networks are covering Bin Laden, but Headline News is going w/ Joy Behar's Royal Wedding coverage. Priorities.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ole G.W.B was right...we will find O.S.B., dead or alive!! And Pres. Obama is going to try to take credit but we all know that if he had his way then as he stated during his election campaign, "This is all for nothing, bring our boys home" we wouldn't of had this outcome.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Osama Bin Laden was killed in a Mansion in Pakistan one week ago!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Can we add whoever killed osama to the list of real life MARVEL heroes? yes please!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">In all of this we need to be aware that Al Qaeda will desire to prove that they are still to be feared.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Obama: "Thanks to the tireless efforts of our military!" but I still want to freeze your pay and housing allowance for the next three years.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">All I am hearing is... "ME ME ME... vote for me in 2012....ME ME ME... oh yeah, thanks troops...ME ME ME"</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Thank you, General Petraeus and the U.S. military!!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok so Bin Laden is dead, but who got fired off Apprentice? LOL</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Actualy, i take back my last post!! Osama.. you met our boys personsly! Hahaha HOOAH!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel? Ezek 33:11</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"Trying to keep in mind that how I respond to the death of my enemies says as much about me as it does about my enemies."</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Curious to what the world reaction is to this, would love to see the reaction in London, Paris, Sydney etc.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Celebrations being shown disturbingly reminiscent of demonstrations from Middle East w/burning effigies you know the ones we call disgusting.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Finding some of the response embarrassing, some of the college students being interviewed don't grasp the reality of this excuse to party.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Americans can forever remember today ,May Second, Two Thousand and Eleven, as the day that our soldiers finally captured the terrorist Osama Bin Laden!!!! For everyone that said we should've pulled out of these wars, please go to H***. At least I said please. This is the biggest day of victory that most of us have ever seen.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I just want to send a out a Big Thank You to all of our troops who fight to keep us safe! Also to all of their family members who deal with the daily worries of their loved ones. God Bless America!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Really hope he rots in h***!!!!!!!!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Just ... relief.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">As a professional who's worked with children for over 11 years, please be careful today with what your children hear you say or catch on tv....my 11 year.old already asked me who Osama Bin Laden was, and why people were celebrating his murder...I for one am proud of our troops, but think we need to be careful how our children, especially our young children, will interperate today.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I hate when the President interrupts my shows, and it is sad when people die, but last night I welcomed the news from the President that the wicked, evil Osama Bin Laden is dead! Thank you US troops for never giving up! God Bless America!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now I lay me down to sleep, one less terrorist this world does keep, with all my heart I give my thanks, to those in uniform regardless of ranks, you serve our country and serve it well, with humble hearts your stories tell,so as I rest my weary eyes, while freedom rings our flag still flies...you give your all, do what you must...with God we live and God we trust. THANK YOU ALL WHO SERVE IN OUR WONDERFUL MILITARY !</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">ding dong the "witch" is dead!! We have the brains, the heart, the courage...USA</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When people ask, "if there is a God, how could He let so many horrible things happen in the world?", I'm still trying to understand how it is that He could love me so much despite all of the mistakes I've made and all of my imperfections (and they are many! lol). Thankful for a God who loves fiercely, unconditionally, and with no holds barred.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">American Pride overfloweth! Thank you President G.W. Bush and President Obama for staying the course! America is safer today than it was yesterday. Extend a hand of gratitude to a soldier and thank them for their unending sacrifice and to the families whose sons & daughters who have paid the ultimate price for OUR freedom. God Bless the U.S.A.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Hip up to date... we killed osama statement...now I am cool...</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">While I am proud and thankful for our armed forces, I can not bring myself to rejoice in the death of someone who God created and loves passionately. Even though his sins were terrible and great, mine are equal.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Osama Bin Ladins's death may change some things, but only one mans death truly changed everything: Jesus Christ.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">While we savor the bittersweet taste of this victory, let us remember those three thousand souls that were lost on September 11, 2001 and the thousands of service members who, since then, have sacrificed life and limb for the sake of protecting our citizens and our freedom.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred." - Vatican Statement on the Death of Bin Laden</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait.</span></li>
</ul><br />
Despite all this, I have to admit one of the most humorous posts appeared just one hour prior to the presidential address. A friend on facebook posted the link to Jeff Dunham's, Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Language aside, I love this mans comedy and thought it highly ironic as I scrolled backward through last nights post. "I Kill You" :)</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-19293502435651669682011-04-26T19:58:00.000-04:002011-04-26T19:58:37.469-04:00This One's For The Ladies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE732MeRP-BWSUjFRhKI3tOK5ycHfqhTnJlra-YVGTDYvzE7nSU6zt9m-f3istbBCtc9FdINP6k9l9R23XkoNr1vQYLvjAHHN6XihfyjZWBcr2l-K3HfXzr2J7nlikqei40tkP-HKlmM/s1600/Cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRE732MeRP-BWSUjFRhKI3tOK5ycHfqhTnJlra-YVGTDYvzE7nSU6zt9m-f3istbBCtc9FdINP6k9l9R23XkoNr1vQYLvjAHHN6XihfyjZWBcr2l-K3HfXzr2J7nlikqei40tkP-HKlmM/s320/Cart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=67770"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">credit</span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have made an observation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Did you know that they have very specific people that "stage" stores? Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, Drug Stores, Mega Marts, etc. Stagers are employees specifically hired because they know a lot about marketing. Each store is carefully mapped out according to shopping strategies and is made to lure you from one aisle to the next. They also love to target impulse buyers. End caps are a specialty. They laugh their little fannies off when they walk in their stores and see the end caps have been picked over. It's a job well done.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But I am convinced within myself that the majority of stagers are of the male persuasion. One reason alone has brought me to this scientific conclusion. Feminine Hygiene Products. When shopping for feminine hygiene products there is little allure. It's a get in, get what you need and get out mentality.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you were to ask a women to design her perfect aisle at that time of the month, the hygiene items would be in the center of the aisle, the concoctions to ease pain, discomfort and irritability would be to the left and to the right she would be greeted by an entire section filled with <a href="http://www.twix.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Twix Bars</span></a>, <a href="http://www.demetsflipz.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Chocolate Covered Pretzels</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.mms.com/us/about/products/darkmms/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Dark Chocolate M&M's</span></a>. That's right. Our necessary products would be flanked by meds on one side and candy on the other. And to make us feel even better, they could have fresh flowers, like daisies or lavender in lovely vases.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And the bonus... when you walked up to pay for your necessities at the counter, the clerk would see the items that had been carefully picked from the aisle made just for you, look at you sympathetically, tilt her head and say "Would you like a cappuccino on us? Here's your complimentary <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Starbuck's</span></a> gift card Miss, you deserve it."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just as a side note:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Did you know that back in biblical times they had what was called the red tent? Believe it. It was a tent designated to women on their cycle. They entered the tent because they were considered unclean and needed to be away from other people. This is BRILLIANT! They sat on piles of hay and drank wine all while being attended to by older women who were past this stage of life. Can you imagine? An entire week where you sat around without husband, children or duties. You could chat with your girls about anything and everything, take naps, have a cocktail. This is something we should seriously look at bringing back into fashion. Who's with me? :)</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-10451262158897735322011-04-13T11:24:00.000-04:002011-04-13T11:24:45.315-04:00Vegas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPbpc1ZRcD9LuY8EPLcQAHKT3ceZa1Gc703qrtahmBVqo2gTNb6uM8r5isfxZZByD33RO6_Gedi5Cb4148731tcTyz3eYps8eeCIzRPhdSzqDZ9dfgbX-15KXNBvPq1RpSZhwPPRhl3M/s1600/Vegas+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPbpc1ZRcD9LuY8EPLcQAHKT3ceZa1Gc703qrtahmBVqo2gTNb6uM8r5isfxZZByD33RO6_Gedi5Cb4148731tcTyz3eYps8eeCIzRPhdSzqDZ9dfgbX-15KXNBvPq1RpSZhwPPRhl3M/s320/Vegas+Sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://travelingmamas.com/">credit</a></div><br />
I recently took a 3 day trip to Las Vegas. I had been there before with my husband, but this time I went with my bff. It's great to just get away with your best friend no matter where you go, but the electric energy of Vegas kept us going and we had a really great time together. Below are just some random thoughts from different points in my trip.<br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Flights</span></u><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>People on planes who take up their seat plus 2/3 of yours should be required to pay for 2 seats or my massage the following day to unlock my "S" shaped spine from sitting like a contortionist for an hour and a half.</li>
<li>Four hours strapped in a seat requires more than an all natural stress reliever. Sedate Me!!</li>
<li>Flying by myself makes me feel like singing Elton John's <i>Rocket Man</i>.</li>
<li>You don't need to be in an accident to get whiplash. Just watch the people around you sleeping on the plane.</li>
<li>Flight attendants asking me if I want cookies or pretzels with my water makes me feel like I'm back in pre-school. And that makes me smile.</li>
<li>Breathing Basil Oil* on a plane is frowned upon by some. "Sir, I promise you, this is not an illegal substance."</li>
</ul><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Shopping</span></u><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>When staying in Vegas, a 24-hour bus pass is worth its weight in gold.</li>
<li>When shopping on vacation, be sure to ask the people who know you best if you are making a heinous mistake when purchasing a hat. By the way... I'm still loving mine :)</li>
<li>$900 for a scarf is unacceptable.</li>
<li>I must have an accent. People kept asking me if I was Canadian.</li>
</ul><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Drinking</span></u><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Bring me something fun" is a great way to order a drink. By the time dinner was served, there were 8 more "something funs" peppered down the length of the table and I was deemed brilliant. Brilliant but sober, I didn't even make a dent in it.</li>
<li>There's always one of these in each group- the obnoxious person who drinks excessively and becomes monumentally obnoxious. Then there's the one who drinks too much and throws up down the front of her dress while waiting for the show to start but is too drunk to realize she should leave so the rest of us don't have to smell her nastiness. Sorry... was that last one too specific.</li>
</ul><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Personal</span></u><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>People in Vegas don't stare at my hair. There's more entertaining things to look at.</li>
<li>Sitting, drinking coffee, and watching life is a delectable way to spend a morning.</li>
<li>I saw an elderly woman with spunky hair, a great top and black leather pants sitting in the same open air cafe as me. When she stood up to throw away her trash, she had white velcro athletic shoes, oxygen tubes and a walker. This is a possible glimpse of me in 40 years- minus the oxygen :)</li>
<li>Sitting at a vanity to apply make-up makes me feel pampered.</li>
<li>A lighted, magnifying facial mirror should not be made available to people over the age of 35. BAD!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pfchangs.com/index.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">P.F. Chang's</span></a> <a href="http://panlasangpinoy.com/2010/03/02/easy-kung-pao-shrimp-recipe/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Kung Pao Shrim</span>p</a> is still a good idea at 3:00am.</li>
<li>Making people in the service industry smile is an art form best left to those people who have charm, not those who are naturally offensive.</li>
<li>I love that human creation can bring me to tears by the sheer beauty.</li>
<li>BFF's don't require a lot to have the time of their lives.</li>
<li>I appreciate more fully the relationship that has grown over the years between my husband and I. Love, respect, understanding, honesty & transparency.</li>
</ul>It was a wonderful trip with amazing sites and awesome times of interaction. I made new friends and reconnected with old ones. I missed my husband and my kids and was greeted with hugs, kisses and flowers. I'm still catching up on sleep and getting back in the swing of things a little more slowly than I anticipated. I guess that's what it's all about in Vegas... go till your legs fall off and you can't keep your eyes open. You can always sleep at home. I am presently signing off to take a delicious nap :)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">*Basil Oil</span>- Basil essential oil is a natural antibacterial. Take a folded tissue and tap out some of the oil on the tissue. Put it in a snack size zip top plastic storage bag. When you are on the plane, pull it out and inhale deeply through your nose, hold the breath as long as you can and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this as often as you like. The essence of the oil will cleanse your nasal passages and the air in your lungs. This is also a good idea to do each time you return to your hotel room from being in large crowds. This practice has kept me from getting sick on any trip that has required plane travel where you are forced to breathe recycled air.</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-52117123937057026862011-04-06T12:11:00.000-04:002011-04-06T12:11:11.260-04:00Punch Bug<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6KgRNM5Fr7VWAJQsuzuuDyFn9Qk1PbU-EPIZGwy6i4dxm6StJevnt6_RestWCojECjL06qP-fXiOrCVfP8xspwiAL5C75_3nm6uWm5vcQp3NtObDX1Z9v9USJkxsQeBlBRCsGg-RebQ/s1600/Volkswagen_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6KgRNM5Fr7VWAJQsuzuuDyFn9Qk1PbU-EPIZGwy6i4dxm6StJevnt6_RestWCojECjL06qP-fXiOrCVfP8xspwiAL5C75_3nm6uWm5vcQp3NtObDX1Z9v9USJkxsQeBlBRCsGg-RebQ/s320/Volkswagen_Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://imgsrv.movin1007.com/image/kymv/UserFiles/Image/Paulo/Volkswagen_Logo_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://movin1007.com/pages/9066450&usg=__cHMWlSLvdLvb8pLaUqfhD8i200w=&h=450&w=600&sz=109&hl=en&start=54&sig2=y-n9QRk5egiQc2hhgVM5JA&zoom=1&tbnid=PwjvFlbci2oMqM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=177&ei=2ImcTf3XFJHGsAOdlsmDBA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DVolkswagen%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D643%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C1599&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=125&vpy=345&dur=5911&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=87&ty=98&oei=4YicTbjXO4ragQeW-_SwBw&page=4&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:54&biw=1366&bih=643">credit</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you ever played the game Punch Bug? It can also be called Slug Bug. The basic premise is that while you are riding in the car, you look for Volkswagen Bug cars. When you see one, you punch the person next to you and yell out PUNCH BUG and the color of the car. This is great fun and keeps the kids interacting with you on long trips. As a child, I believe it was the goal of my brother and I to see who could hit each other harder without crying. It kind of defeated the fun of the game as we came out bruised and beaten, but it was still a novelty from time to time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The game has morphed a little in our home to encompass all Volkswagen cars so there is a better chance of seeing more and we have dropped the Punch Bug and just say "blue one" or "yellow one". Through playing this game we have realized that our son needs glasses :( But I digress...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recently we had driven from our home in Ohio to pick up our children at the Pittsburgh International Airport. They were lucky enough to spend spring break with their grandparents in Florida for a week. Don't get me wrong... we were lucky too :) The time away did all of us good. What a wonderful reunion when we saw them coming off the plane. After hugs, kisses and baggage claim, we headed off to a favorite diner about 20 minutes from the airport for raspberry french toast and then back to Ohio.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we waited at a stoplight, the two of them were in the backseat chatting happily about their adventures in Florida, when my daughter starts wailing on our son "blue one, red one, tan one" Wham! Wham! Wham! What in the world! My husband and I are feverishly looking for all these Volkswagen's... "green one, black one, yellow one" Wham! Wham! Wham! My son is just stunned, sitting there with his jaw dropped open. None of us know what hit us until she points across the street and I figure it out. It was a Volkswagen dealership. We laughed so hard my husband almost had to pull the car over. </div><br />
</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-774686677453576552011-04-05T22:31:00.000-04:002011-04-05T22:31:11.428-04:00Restored Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wRbTDzrS92Q6vvsUXG2Mpvl_lYvsDdL6NOpAI114yjdEFb5ZXC4Bf7AFzxt9ucHJEfM92ElZHMw64gTCl5khAZz5c6T54URQBJ77adSuJdiAjh3SrKWxCBGjXZCZ4blFzUQU9ViR0Lw/s1600/beautiful+chalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wRbTDzrS92Q6vvsUXG2Mpvl_lYvsDdL6NOpAI114yjdEFb5ZXC4Bf7AFzxt9ucHJEfM92ElZHMw64gTCl5khAZz5c6T54URQBJ77adSuJdiAjh3SrKWxCBGjXZCZ4blFzUQU9ViR0Lw/s320/beautiful+chalk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.coolfreeimages.net/images/beautiful/beautiful_03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.coolfreeimages.net/beautiful.php&usg=__g8A2ROWPTe3hGR2IM0iNiJ2LtZ4=&h=400&w=500&sz=59&hl=en&start=109&sig2=j86WtR47ZmcjWfvizd_a9Q&zoom=1&tbnid=9j_efIgQGz-6bM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=172&ei=GcSbTcq5LcyD5AaCiZXjBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbeautiful%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D643%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch0%2C3033&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=513&vpy=170&dur=9418&hovh=201&hovw=251&tx=153&ty=113&oei=tsObTeL4K4fYgQeP0_jfDw&page=7&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:109&biw=1366&bih=643">credit</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So I was re-reading tonight some bits of the bible that I had touched on a few days ago. For those of you who read the bible, you will understand the idea that you can read a passage and have it mean something to you that time and then read that same passage another time and it can speak to you in a completely different way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And that is where I am finding myself. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This certain section of Isaiah meant nothing out of the ordinary to me 36 hours ago, but today, after the internal struggles I've been through, this passage is larger than life.</div><blockquote>"O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,<br />
I will build you with stones of turquoise,<br />
your foundations with sapphires.<br />
I will make your battlements of rubies,<br />
your gates of sparkling jewels,<br />
and all your walls of precious stones."<br />
-Isaiah 54:11-12</blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">What could this possibly do for me? How could this archaic ramble be relevant in my day to day?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have had some storms. Some big storms. Where I didn't feel comforted in the slightest. I felt completely alone. I felt I had no one to turn to. And when I did reach out for help, I was dismissed, pushed aside, not valued. I was afflicted. I was distressed with mental pain and greatly troubled. Damage was done. Deep.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">But this... this tells me that He will rebuild ALL that was destroyed and make it beautiful. He will rebuild my self-esteem and make me feel majestic. He will fix the cracks in my heart and my love will be exquisite. Those harsh words I speak to myself because they were spoken to me, He will replace them with words that are loving and divine. The body that I have been given and wreaked havoc on, not respected, not loved, pushed aside... somehow, He will make it beautiful and precious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And maybe God has already done some of these things in me. I believe He has started the work of rebuilding some of what was destroyed. I can see where he is bringing beauty from the ashes. But I think the bigger step for me is to stop looking at myself through the scars and start looking at myself through His eyes. Because He loves me. He sees me through the eyes of Jesus who IS love. I want to see what God sees. And maybe if I see what God sees, then maybe... just maybe, I will value the creation he calls Reena.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Maybe I will care about what I put in my body the same way I care about what my kids eat. Maybe I will care that I am active enough so that my body is working in a healthy way, the same way I care for my kids activity levels. Maybe I will speak encouraging words to my heart.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I want to see what God sees. Yeah, that's what I want. Because when He looks at me, he shakes his head, smiles and says "Man, I love that extraordinary woman." That's what I want to see.</div></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-33255368663884031082011-03-29T23:20:00.000-04:002011-03-29T23:20:54.767-04:00On The Watch...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wIDMfZuE2lovxxVTeyShZzfF05cJ4-jNSPZAU3wx-NgYMzpotOL8JQz_FYm46MhntlC25cY99dDUa23NILqxujHeE-4FjTaMx8pdYFq5MHMTr7wPifZsLSqVsu6bmvZJd40shvkMQUQ/s1600/Little+Women+Jo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wIDMfZuE2lovxxVTeyShZzfF05cJ4-jNSPZAU3wx-NgYMzpotOL8JQz_FYm46MhntlC25cY99dDUa23NILqxujHeE-4FjTaMx8pdYFq5MHMTr7wPifZsLSqVsu6bmvZJd40shvkMQUQ/s320/Little+Women+Jo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://femalenetwork.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit</span></a> </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">I'm feeling the need to share a few things that God has been impressing on my heart.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">I enjoy movies. Not to the point where I have to see them as soon as they come out, but I like things that take me out of my life and submerge me in another place. A place where I can feel what the characters are feeling, see what they are seeing, experience their emotions. And then there are those movies that have legendary quotes that will stick out and be repeated over and over in years to come.</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">"I'm your Huckleberry" - Tombstone</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">"Feeling lucky, Punk" - Dirty Harry</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">"I feel the need, the need for speed" - Top Gun</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"You've got mail" - You've Got Mail</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Tomorrow is another day" - Gone With The Wind</span></blockquote></div><div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">One of my favorite movies is Little Women, if you are a guy stick with me. For me, this movie has many quotes that apply to my life today. But two quotes seem to keep rolling about in my head lately.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The main character, Jo, is a young woman who is unsettled in the stage of life she is in. During a discussion with one of her sisters she's trying to figure out where she fits into the scheme of things within her family, her circle of friends, her community, and she says,</span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“I want to do something different. I don't know what it is yet, but I’m on the watch for it.” </span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And at another point in the movie she is having a discussion with her mother regarding what she should do because she again feels unsettled.</span></div><div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">"I love our home but I'm so fitful and I can't stand being here. I'm sorry, I want to change, but I can't and I feel like I'll never fit in anywhere." </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To which her mother responds “You have so many extraordinary gifts, how can you expect to lead an ordinary life.” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She’s not at peace with herself, she feels like she is on the cusp of something big but she doesn't know what yet.</span></div><div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">I feel so deeply within myself that this is where we are as a church. We are on the cusp of something big and we love our home and we feel unsettled at the same time and we want to move forward but at times we feel stalled. But while we are in God’s holding pattern, we should be “on the watch” for anything and everything God shows us. I think we should show up on Sunday mornings and start each service saying “We don’t know what’s going to happen today, but we are going to open this place up to any miracles God wants to perform no matter how unsettled or fitful that makes us. We are going to move forward today with the expectation that the ordinary is not going to happen. We are giving God full permission to show us the extraordinary!”</span></span></span></div><div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">Through a course I have taken on Spiritualities (a.k.a. Spiritual Gifts) the past couple months, I have learned that there’s more to me than what I do in the everyday. And if God took the time to give me these Spiritualities and mirrors of himself in me… how can I expect to lead an ordinary life. We were made for more than just the mundane. We were made to be extraordinary people. I can’t stand the idea of looking at myself and thinking… is this as good as it gets? Is this all I was brought in this world to do?</span></span></span></div><div dir="LTR" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">I am in that fitful spot, where I am unsettled and teetering on the cusp of something big, but I don't know what it all looks like yet. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have been given so many extraordinary gifts, to waste them on a life lived in an ordinary way would be such a disappointment. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And so I am on the watch for God and looking to see how he might use me in ways that aren't ordinary. I will look for those extraordinary things during the day to day, be they little or big, and celebrate each one. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us"><span style="color: black;">I hope that this has encouraged you, or caused you to think or maybe see the church through a different lens.</span></span></span></div></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-22840543195387200362011-03-15T21:54:00.000-04:002011-03-15T21:54:39.943-04:00Tree of Irritation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJEk09LrL0hSRr1DWG67L1SngrDXGaO8g7rpamOA40erttg9FSFI60M3u65L6lGDSJaycDCuUaDjawdvhXMKLvwmHafaotj-Unv84-44tkgR41oy8xxQRI0YZOCL46oNwv7FyTr8mJII/s1600/200px-New-tree-6303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJEk09LrL0hSRr1DWG67L1SngrDXGaO8g7rpamOA40erttg9FSFI60M3u65L6lGDSJaycDCuUaDjawdvhXMKLvwmHafaotj-Unv84-44tkgR41oy8xxQRI0YZOCL46oNwv7FyTr8mJII/s1600/200px-New-tree-6303.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Pretend there's a tree in my front yard.<br />
<br />
This tree has been here since before I owned the house. In fact, when I moved in, the previous owner told me that the tree had been there since he bought the house and that was a full 40 years. This tree has been around a good while. But there's a problem. It doesn't grow. It never gets any taller or thicker. It does not leaf out in the spring, it does not exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen and it does not produce any kind of fruit. It doesn't perform any of the tasks a tree is supposed to perform. And yet... it remains in my yard, highly visible for all to see.<br />
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Each day I leave my house, I see this tree that does not live up to its potential and I find myself starting the day irritated. There must be something this tree needs so that it can grow, thrive, flourish. I need this tree to see in itself what its possibilities are. So I decide to make a concerted effort to talk to the tree, invest time in it by pulling weeds, making sure the soil is just right, giving it living rain water instead of chemically treated water, researching exactly the right kind of food it needs to really take off. I have set aside my irritation with the idea that if I work with this tree, it will begin to function as a working part of my yard. I will give it the love and time it needs so that it will see that I value it and that it can be a part of a really great yard that others will want to visit and maybe grow in the same way.<br />
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Everything is lined up. I have crossed every "T" and dotted every "I" so this tree has the best chance of not only growing, leafing out, exchanging gases and producing fruit, but becoming beautiful as well. But as I spend time with the tree, giving it everything it needs I notice that it's still not growing, still not changing. It is still irritating me that the conditions are optimal for growth and it's not happening.<br />
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You see, the tree has existed all these years in the same state. It grew to a certain point and then stopped. It was content with being small. It had no reason to get bigger. It had no desire to entertain the new idea of leafing and producing fruit. It had no desire to learn how to take a gas that can suffocate and turn it into life giving air for those around it. In fact, the tree took more time and energy than it ever gave back.<br />
<br />
There comes a time in life when it can become necessary to yank out this life-sucking, time-sucking, non-fruit-producing, irritating tree. Give it the freedom to find another yard to be stagnant and toxic in. My energy is better spent with the trees and plants that want to grow, that are open to new ways of growing and readily entertain the idea that how they've always been shown to grow may have worked in the past, but time brings new intelligence, new understanding and if my plants are open to me helping them, they have the ability to reach their full potential along with all the other plants.<br />
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I need to do some time investing and pruning and plucking and nourishing and talking and loving. I need to make sure that the things in my life, regardless of how long they've been there, are the things that will help me reach my full potential and hopefully I'll bring others who are willing along with me.</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-23147586057887014712011-01-26T00:09:00.002-05:002011-01-26T06:22:17.630-05:00A Journey From Hate to Health - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtkOdLd_1tWj0Jh_-JxEYlLzX-QU9fVVHyFmMf6Gdgt-Jw8NsOSt4sirCA0h6bE-0yRQAXcSAW8CnHf57kWQ7Gf5eT-4OauiGMV6p6E6ekH1hUBnkk4rekpj8WL1hyp8FIB9jSyh5nko/s1600/Pills1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtkOdLd_1tWj0Jh_-JxEYlLzX-QU9fVVHyFmMf6Gdgt-Jw8NsOSt4sirCA0h6bE-0yRQAXcSAW8CnHf57kWQ7Gf5eT-4OauiGMV6p6E6ekH1hUBnkk4rekpj8WL1hyp8FIB9jSyh5nko/s320/Pills1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1111307">credit</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Drugs & Perspective</u></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The only night I can remember spent in that much pain was the day I heard my dad had died. That kind of emotional pain can at times feel physical. But at least there is an ebb and flow, good memories are mixed in with the despair. And with childbirth, there is an ebb and flow as well, there is rest between contractions, and the knowing that it won't hurt forever gave me the wherewithal to plow through. But there was no respite this night.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was up early out of bed, showered and ready to make an appointment with my general practitioner. I needed something to make the pain go away. Just give me drugs. Make it stop hurting. When they heard I had been in an accident, they agreed to see me right away. After a brief discussion of what happened, he wrote me a script and I was on my way to being pain free. I may have even cracked a smile feeling the anticipation of being normal again. Only, I didn't feel normal. The drugs didn't really take away the pain, they just made me stupid. I was numb all over. The pain was there, but I didn't care. That was about the extent of it... the meds took away my ability to care... Oh yeah, and to speak in complete sentences. My staff... the people I managed at work, laughed at me for two days straight before they said enough was enough. Not only should I not be working, but I shouldn't be driving while taking the drugs either. I went home early that night and went straight to bed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The following morning I attended a weekly bible study where we broke up into small groups and shared our answers to questions that we had worked on the previous week. The group leader asked me to answer a question. I began with an apology and a chuckle that explained the events of the week and that my answers probably wouldn't make much sense due to my drug induced state. After our group time, one of the ladies came up to me and asked if I had ever considered chiropractic care. She felt that her husband would be able to help me and offered to make the appointment right then. Within minutes I had an appointment scheduled right after our study time. To be honest, the only things I had ever heard about chiropractors were they were quacks and that whatever they did, you had to keep coming back to have it done. It was a never ending cycle. You see that's how they make their money, or so I had been told.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I made my way to the office, handled paperwork, answered questions and waited. Not for long though, apparently I had an "in" and I was ushered to the back part of the office where they did a scan on my spine, x-rays and I answered more questions. I finally met the doctor and he asked me more questions. My GP never asked me any of this stuff. I had never met a doctor like this. He didn't speak. He thought. He contemplated. He mulled. He processed. After what seemed an amazing amount of silence, I was about ready to ask him if HE was alright when he finally spoke. As the appointment progressed, he started to educate me on why the medicine wasn't helping me improve. The medicine wasn't designed to fix what was wrong, it was designed to target the pain and make what hurt, seem like it didn't hurt. It was like taking a massive ibuprofen for a pulled muscle. The muscle is still injured, the ibuprofen just makes the brain think it doesn't hurt so you can keep doing what you want to do without much interference <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(in a nutshell & in my verbiage)</span>. The injury is still there, you just don't think about it as much. He had described my experience exactly. He also explained that if any part of your spine is not in perfect alignment, it can block the nervous system from functioning properly and that can have adverse effects on any number of things depending on where you are out of alignment. That explained a lot of other weirdness I was experiencing besides the drug induced stupidity.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He conveyed his plan to me on how he was going to proceed with treatment. At that point, I didn't much care what he did as long as "pain free" was in my near future. I can't remember everything he did that day, but I did leave his office with a new perspective on how the body worked and that meds really weren't the answer for anything I was going through. I quit taking the medicine (I threw it away actually) and followed his orders on how to manage my pain. I remember laying in bed a few days later in just as much agony as I had the night of the accident. I picked up the phone to see if I could get an appointment before their office closed. But when they answered all I could get out was my name and I just started crying. They had told me not to worry about a thing. The doctor was getting ready to leave for the day and would stop by my house in a few minutes. WHAT?! I almost laughed. A house call in 2002. Did they still do that? You betcha.</span><br />
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This was the kind of care I was given on a consistent basis. But with him, it was never just about fixing what was wrong or out of alignment, he wanted me to understand and learn through this process. I just couldn't believe I had never questioned the whole "health care" thing before. What he was teaching me made so much sense and what I had been doing most of my adult life didn't. Take care of the root of the problem, don't just treat the symptoms. It's so simple. It is a shift in perspective. It is a whole different thought process that in American society does not come naturally. This is not second nature to our generation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It took a while for me to heal. I did physical therapy to strengthen and build my muscles back up. When I was done with my appointments, I remember hugging my doctor. For those of you who know me well, I'm not a hugger. Not. But this was a time of celebration, and gratefulness. I left with a new hope and new purpose. I wanted to change the way I looked at our health. I wasn't going to blindly take what was given to me anymore. I was going to make the choices that were best for our family.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A friend of mine, Rob Hill, posted this the other day...</span><br />
<blockquote>"Don't let unforgiveness keep you from the healing and restoration God has for you. Besides forgiving others and yourself, check to see if you need to remove any hurt, blame, anger or hardness of heart you feel towards God. If you are mad at God confess it to Him and release it."</blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't hate that young man anymore. In fact, I hope that he didn't have problems because of the accident. I'm not mad at God either for allowing me to get hurt. It is evident to me that God has a plan for my life. If I had never had that accident I believe I would have blindly moved forward and that our family would be among the masses of Americans that are on the road to poor health. My perspective would never have changed.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I still wake up each morning in pain. There are some days that my shoulder muscles never release. There are days I wake up and can tell that at some point in my day I will have a migraine because that one specific vertebrae is out of alignment again. And most times if I just keep moving, at some point the muscles may relax on their own and I'll have a good day. Other days, not so much. And so each morning I have to put myself into a state of gratefulness that I am where I am on this journey. It doesn't always feel good, but it sure is a whole lot better than where I was.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And so the next few blogs will be me sharing briefly what I have learned along the way these past eight years. I'll share why we do what we do as a family with the resources so you can search it out on your own if you're interested.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Please know this...</span> this is a path we have chosen for our family. We don't always get it right. We don't expect what we choose as a family to be what is best for everyone.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> <b>We don't judge others for making different choices</b></span> and we don't offer our opinions or share what we've learned unless someone asks. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">If you are reading this, consider yourself asking :) </span>This is what's best for us right now. And what's best for us right now may change in the future based on further education.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's a journey and I welcome you to join me as I learn and grow in my understanding.</span><br />
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</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-20006757424877755692011-01-24T21:54:00.001-05:002011-01-24T22:05:12.898-05:00A Journey From Hate to Health - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUS-TMwdUB6zoaKdjy1aRFZsl4VEVVX04G6wju_H0E9LDFrxXjZjPqEd8go0CKKvoJ3RSz1ltiWhGCkq_xPZCOsooSaOlVm7kztbwcBbU85QaEYmN4F3htj16z9W2Dpr6bfctdio0MueE/s1600/Skid+mark+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUS-TMwdUB6zoaKdjy1aRFZsl4VEVVX04G6wju_H0E9LDFrxXjZjPqEd8go0CKKvoJ3RSz1ltiWhGCkq_xPZCOsooSaOlVm7kztbwcBbU85QaEYmN4F3htj16z9W2Dpr6bfctdio0MueE/s320/Skid+mark+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=316032">credit</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>The Accident</u></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was 2002, I was a mother of a 4 year old and a 2 year old. I was a stay at home mom during the day and worked at a family business in the evenings. Life was good and easy. It worked for us. We were happy. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A typical afternoon found me driving north on I-77 to work when I spotted flashing blue & red lights ahead on the right. Traffic was congested, but not horrible. I moved into the left lane figuring it was an accident or someone caught speeding. Traffic had slowed considerably as people looked to see what going on. In my mind I kept hearing my dad repeat over and over "assured clear distance". I had a good 30 yards between myself and the car in front of me when I passed the police car that was sitting on the side of the expressway all by itself. A quick glance told me that whatever had happened was over and he was merely finishing his report. Traffic came to a stop. I still had 30 yards between my van and the car in front of me, that is until the guy behind me plowed into me and pushed my stopped vehicle into the car in front of me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was thrown forward and then flew back with such force that it laid my seat back. The entire back of my van was crushed to the rear tires, the front was damaged to the point that my electrical system was disabled. Stunned, I unbuckled my seat belt, stumbled from my van into the median strip and sat down in the grass. The guy from in front of me came over to see if I was alright. His first question was "How in the world did you hit me? You were so far away!" The guy that obliterated my van came over and said "It was my fault, I was looking at the cop car and didn't know traffic had stopped. When I looked back it was to late to stop. My foot never hit the brake. I don't think I hit you that hard though, I was only going 25 mph."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The other driver and I looked at each other with a "yeah right" glance and then we noticed a very irritated Highway Patrolman walking toward us. There was no disputing what had happened. By this time the young man's dad had shown up... and he was an insurance salesman. Enough said. He proceeded to try and convince me that this was nothing compared to other accidents he had seen and that surely my vehicle was drivable. "He knocked out the electrical, it won't even start. Not to mention that my rear bumper is making my tire look like a balloon. Are you serious? You consider this drivable?"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The police officer stated that due to the fact there was so much room between myself and the car in front of me that I would not be cited for his damage. Everything fell on the young guy. I assured the officer that I did not need an ambulance, that I was shaken up and had a headache & very minor neck pain, but nothing that warranted a visit to the hospital. My husband showed up, the van was towed (later it was deemed "totaled") and I went home.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That evening when I went to bed I was moaning and rocking in pain. My neck hurt so bad. I am not a wimp. I delivered two children, both natural, with NO DRUGS! I have a very high pain tolerance. This pain was unbearable. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I laid in bed, I hated that kid. I hated him for not paying attention, I hated him for gawking, I hated him for lying about his speed, I hated him because he was the reason I was in so much pain, I hated him because I couldn't sleep, I hated him because I couldn't make the pain stop, I hated his dad for treating me the way he did, I hated the fact that daddy showed up to bail him out. It was obvious that he was the kind of kid that got rescued from his mistakes and daddy made it all go away. I bet he got a new SUV out of it, because unlike mine, his vehicle was not drivable. Stupid insurance salesman.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was not in a good place and I had no intention of stopping my thought process. Somehow, he needed to feel as bad as I did to pay for what he had done. And if my thoughts could will it... well then, so be it. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To be continued...</span><br />
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</span></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-88887438964537584772010-11-08T22:46:00.000-05:002010-11-08T22:46:28.048-05:00Kindle me this, Kindle me that<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA2PjNsPZnlnYlpbvUsuciUs-JXt1fXzCw_jyfOMDV_6sSefGvTgBoKSLvzYx-eEr1PDR-GjpuAi9Ry2u-DL0bCmUsrRFhMuAj7viDlFATCQC0RfJub2Y1wk1s1KdMW14qHMR94vHZF8/s1600/old+books1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxA2PjNsPZnlnYlpbvUsuciUs-JXt1fXzCw_jyfOMDV_6sSefGvTgBoKSLvzYx-eEr1PDR-GjpuAi9Ry2u-DL0bCmUsrRFhMuAj7viDlFATCQC0RfJub2Y1wk1s1KdMW14qHMR94vHZF8/s320/old+books1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1179698">photo credit</a></span></div><br />
I believe I may be a purist. There seems to be something amiss with this whole digital book thing. I get that it saves trees, that it's thinner than any book worth reading, that you have a virtual library at your fingertips 24 hours a day and that it has the potential to be less expensive than purchasing paper copies. But... there is something so completely wonderful about holding a book in my hands.<br />
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My love of books started at an early age. I remember spending hours pouring over pictures and taking myself into their world. Whether a family was on a picnic with sandwiches cut into perfect triangles, a monster came over to swing and I was the one sitting in his lap or a cat was being shooed away from a pie on a windowsill, I would go on wonderful adventures inside my books. As I grew, the books changed and I put myself into stories where there were no pictures. I could walk along the road with the children who were abandoned by their crazy mother, I could feel the heat on their shoulders as I anxiously turned page after page. I could see that if I kept on reading at that feverish pace, I could finish the book before midnight. I can remember my first year of marriage where we lived only a few blocks from the local library. I would check out book after book and sometimes stay up all night, reading straight through until morning. When I heard my husband get up for work, I would pretend to have fallen asleep reading because I knew he didn't understand how a book could be so good that you would give up sleep for it. Just one more chapter, just one more chapter until I could see dawn coming through the front window in all it's pink hues and wonder where the time went.<br />
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I developed a love of Jane Austen novels and the language she used. If I were to live in an era other than this, that is where I would choose to time travel. And I can sit in my living room and look at the bookcases that flank our big, glowing television screen and see the spines of my beloved novels and remember certain scenes that took my breath away or made may laugh. They are like old friends that I sat up and conversed with late into the night. They didn't mind my tears, they didn't glance at me sideways when I read the same paragraph over and over because I had lost myself in my imagination. They even let me use my lame English accent when it's needed without judgment or snickering. I read my books as if I'm a narrator, with all the inflection and passion you would expect to hear from a movie trailer. And with each turning page the excitement builds.<br />
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I have passed down my love of books to my children. Even now at 10 & 12 years of age, I still read books to them with all the voices and I can feel their fear and listen to them laugh. They hear their favorite stories in new ways and have become fearless in putting their own ideas into action when they read a new book to me. They love when I pull out my old storybooks from when I was little and share them. I even have a few of my mothers storybooks from when she was a child. I have saved my kids books from when they were toddlers. One day when they have kids of their own, I'll pull them out and read their favorite stories to my grandchildren. We have books for each season as well, that get packed away with the decorations and then brought back out again the next year. Their favorite part of decorating is finding the books at the bottom of the bins. All decorating stops when the books surface and we'll sit and read and look through the pictures. I've already bought two new Christmas books and it's not yet Thanksgiving.<br />
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I just don't see how a handheld screen could bring these joys. I look at a screen all day at work. I want to look at my books and remember the times I had with them. I have no interest in passing down a kindle. I have the distinct privilege to pass down a legacy of being a great reader who enjoys bright colors and vivid imaginations with the sound of the pages turning almost like rustling leaves. It is a beautiful thing.Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-19059864312115701072010-10-31T19:04:00.000-04:002010-10-31T19:04:29.009-04:00Squash Quesadilla's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">One of the more fun foods we have on occasion at our house is</span></span> quesadilla's. You can put all sorts of things between two flour tortilla's and make a meal... or dessert (thin sliced apples, crushed nuts, honey). But on this particular day, my daughter was having her best friend spend the night and they had all sorts of fall activities planned. When I saw the idea of a squash quesadilla, I thought it was pretty cool. However, pureed squash and cheese just didn't give me the festive dinner I was looking for. So I improvised and what followed was a really delicious, fun meal that my family and our little guest requested I make again, very soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">What you'll need: butternut squash, onion, olive oil, cilantro, chili powder, a 1/4 cup liquid (butter, heavy cream, chicken stock, veggie stock, etc.), cheese, flour tortilla's</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
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Wash the outside of you squash, cut the top off, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub a little olive oil on the orange flesh and then place them flat side down on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil that has been rubbed with olive oil. Roast them in the oven for about 40 minutes at 375-400 degrees. You should be able to insert a knife through the rind easily when the squash is done cooking.<br />
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While your squash is roasting in the oven, dice an onion and put it in a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Saute the onions on medium until they are translucent and slightly caramelized.<br />
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While the onions are caramelizing, chop up about 1 ounce or 1 bunch of cilantro. When the squash is done roasting, scoop it out and put it in the pan with the onions. Add 1 tsp of chili powder and 1/4 cup of liquid. If there isn't any liquid, it gets really thick. Choose whichever liquid you like according to taste and diet. Also remember that all of these items so far have no seasoning, so salt and pepper would be appropriate at this time.<br />
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Stir it all up so it's nice and hot. Even with the 1/4 cup liquid, it's still going to be a little thick. That's a good thing because you don't want the mixture oozing out from between the tortilla's.<br />
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Take a large spoonful and spread it around on the tortilla leaving a 1 inch margin. This will allow for melting items to not escape as easily when they are pressed and heated.<br />
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Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Just a word to the wise, shred your own cheese. The cheese that you buy pre-shredded in a bag is packed with sawdust. Yep... I said sawdust. It probably reads on the bag as cellulose or something like that. They use the sawdust to keep the cheese from sticking in a big glob in the bag. So, unless you are seriously lacking in fiber, say no to the bag.<br />
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We were lucky enough to find a sweet little quesadilla press at a local store for a great price. If you don't have one of these beauties, a skillet on your stove top will work just fine. Put the tortilla with the squash mixture and the cheese on the bottom plate.<br />
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Top with another flour tortilla and close the press.<br />
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After 3 minutes, lift the lid and using a spatula transfer the quesadilla to a dinner plate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1gtuWQ8EFSDqFK326jWTJ38WhsczSo7usBqRisuiVvPkVXTdlUnnRz2eKY6wlg9U-RMllIBA3MQ4_VQiw1l5dPhchlHWVmcTaANInmIMH-Vk7SYIupAfPeW_0A1DFaJkXeINNUFl888/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1gtuWQ8EFSDqFK326jWTJ38WhsczSo7usBqRisuiVvPkVXTdlUnnRz2eKY6wlg9U-RMllIBA3MQ4_VQiw1l5dPhchlHWVmcTaANInmIMH-Vk7SYIupAfPeW_0A1DFaJkXeINNUFl888/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Using a pizza wheel, cut the quesadilla on the pressed lines. You can serve them with sour cream, salsa or whatever you like best. When we make these again, we'll probably add some cayenne pepper for heat and a little garlic. Hope you enjoy them!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLVxIMRnITTrGD8C__V3Ny2NWuvJg3CHJy4qWIRTQV8HwrGHftJ8DXDfpMM4iYq8l291pufpyzaN7h731OF9oorleMaix2A0-Ggj82icN6TuscWfoI4TsohuBSJjYEtYY8xvtFCSPdcE/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLVxIMRnITTrGD8C__V3Ny2NWuvJg3CHJy4qWIRTQV8HwrGHftJ8DXDfpMM4iYq8l291pufpyzaN7h731OF9oorleMaix2A0-Ggj82icN6TuscWfoI4TsohuBSJjYEtYY8xvtFCSPdcE/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-23293809850738716772010-10-29T23:32:00.000-04:002010-10-29T23:32:42.100-04:00Pretzel Cabin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_TaXLkxGWbAjujMmdrMI8Rta2zRFsCjr77HRKCNMd8v5hL-flocShCH5V4_wo9hZehT5k-SvMQadu7GM6cd5paYn5QGDn_5mZxLaBAQ25ZXH3U6npIn_Y6Qn46N-m_Rh1YapbhnuEnI/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_TaXLkxGWbAjujMmdrMI8Rta2zRFsCjr77HRKCNMd8v5hL-flocShCH5V4_wo9hZehT5k-SvMQadu7GM6cd5paYn5QGDn_5mZxLaBAQ25ZXH3U6npIn_Y6Qn46N-m_Rh1YapbhnuEnI/s320/7.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I saw this craft idea years ago in a Martha Stewart Magazine and decided I couldn't wait for President's Day to make it. It's really simple and my daughter and her best friend had a great time with this project.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>What you need</u></b>: 1/2 pint dairy container, peanut butter, thin wheat crackers, pretzel sticks, pretzel squares, graham crackers</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHtcZhp13UtHQN8Je3mDBSNpbDRRsmkuzUzavOpbbkizfK0EYvMwhW1-DYaswmzz-naYyzCMKlZYmBQDUEoTVOLbVwzhwpoBHmAgOTU_IwkOImXBAnPk8-f6PtGy4dZ_5m0Qh2meBMgI/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHtcZhp13UtHQN8Je3mDBSNpbDRRsmkuzUzavOpbbkizfK0EYvMwhW1-DYaswmzz-naYyzCMKlZYmBQDUEoTVOLbVwzhwpoBHmAgOTU_IwkOImXBAnPk8-f6PtGy4dZ_5m0Qh2meBMgI/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Empty the carton of the cream and rinse thoroughly with hot water. Tape closed the top where you opened the container.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W1XaxDCshQZ9g0U-bWvys81zKUjnaYNWvUR4i4IkMzTghfpeTSugswtKFXry6AIcJpMp8n_4dFLZBmZrLJaOLBMkEerQyT_Z6Ulisw4nJH4nKZzsXNpnzjwzb-RCjffN7iuQCw_MRuU/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W1XaxDCshQZ9g0U-bWvys81zKUjnaYNWvUR4i4IkMzTghfpeTSugswtKFXry6AIcJpMp8n_4dFLZBmZrLJaOLBMkEerQyT_Z6Ulisw4nJH4nKZzsXNpnzjwzb-RCjffN7iuQCw_MRuU/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Spread a thick layer of inexpensive peanut butter all over the outside of the carton.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZkeDbpgcfyMWgn6Cgat6H2N56_CRR_m0QbJUtWLpKEkilByf-ZdKbPzfmXC1Eeos8h-ecOsN5A6qklFsVnUTlpEswboDEzn994UR_IKPwGPCBo1bU50pJ5sjqZIaFo85Kbu092747xk/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZkeDbpgcfyMWgn6Cgat6H2N56_CRR_m0QbJUtWLpKEkilByf-ZdKbPzfmXC1Eeos8h-ecOsN5A6qklFsVnUTlpEswboDEzn994UR_IKPwGPCBo1bU50pJ5sjqZIaFo85Kbu092747xk/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Be sure to fill the open triangle with peanut butter because it will show if you don't cover it with pretzel sticks.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QDI7zQ5nAxYj2BWp1YsZCstXOo_V6tVt-tXkTPN132qvjVjgy_pfBBVrLoJTQGCT0difCA0dasFhp0yv-D0o5XTTTeYKJ3JBsqv7dJhgXG5esT3gN344voJgKpEvdMw4Tp2h5BV3jyI/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QDI7zQ5nAxYj2BWp1YsZCstXOo_V6tVt-tXkTPN132qvjVjgy_pfBBVrLoJTQGCT0difCA0dasFhp0yv-D0o5XTTTeYKJ3JBsqv7dJhgXG5esT3gN344voJgKpEvdMw4Tp2h5BV3jyI/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Put all of your pieces in a dish so they're easy to grab quickly. It's also a good idea to use scissors to cut your pretzel rods to shape over this dish so the pretzel crumbs stay somewhat contained.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ggMdjxFfIjXqDUpRZjJ_fcbk29yCtma6c7uMP8U0xtGM7McL_u8AKlQ3700nZj9CAnBEGQlqRHzKCJ-GEyJG1Ej6Peb9yuUviHHEHCchnvwGDSfCIuheAKRLTfvqzqV-qLVvnZHmdl4/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ggMdjxFfIjXqDUpRZjJ_fcbk29yCtma6c7uMP8U0xtGM7McL_u8AKlQ3700nZj9CAnBEGQlqRHzKCJ-GEyJG1Ej6Peb9yuUviHHEHCchnvwGDSfCIuheAKRLTfvqzqV-qLVvnZHmdl4/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Use the checkerboard pretzels for windows, the thin wheat crackers for the roof shingles and the pretzel sticks for the logs. The graham cracker makes a great front door. My daughters best friend got a little creative and used a spare piece of pretzel for a small door knob.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You could even decorate this with holiday candy to make it for a festive occasion. If you make it without the candy, you can put it out for the birds and squirrels. Have fun, I know we did!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-53231836074376301492010-10-29T20:46:00.000-04:002010-10-29T20:46:04.207-04:00Butternut Squash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikyP3VUrSNPI27ZR0dh0ujjzNLymGP6K9NZnv2yNYCVQ-aEFIwL-ICiT-Y5ENBQEDsgYD5hRGZaTSD5E9beou-7Ll7A40zvbnZVeEIuitnJZjs60z33b0ZyudGJdqngTfLQl0FdqC4H4/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikyP3VUrSNPI27ZR0dh0ujjzNLymGP6K9NZnv2yNYCVQ-aEFIwL-ICiT-Y5ENBQEDsgYD5hRGZaTSD5E9beou-7Ll7A40zvbnZVeEIuitnJZjs60z33b0ZyudGJdqngTfLQl0FdqC4H4/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Have you ever looked at these in the grocery store and thought they were fall decorations that go next to the bumpy little gourds by the indian corn? I did for a really long time. Aside from their odd shape, they really aren't much to look at. Their drab color doesn't do much for them either. But once you get to know this gourd, you might find that it holds a lot of interest. It's mighty nutritious. Go <a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodtip&dbid=45"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">here</span></a> for more information on that, you won't be sorry. There are many ways to cook and serve it. My biggest goal in this particular blog, is to dispel the mystery on how to use it. My family likes it roasted, so that's what we're going to do.<br />
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Before you start, make sure you place a damp paper towel under your cutting board. This will keep your board from sliding as you maneuver this odd shaped vegetable.<br />
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There are two ways to peel it. You can use a pairing knife or a peeler. When using a knife, number one... use extreme caution. The outside layer is slick and hard. Peel around the top first.<br />
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Then run your knife down the side to the place where the squash bumps out.<br />
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Once you have peeled the top portion, cut it off so that the bottom is easier to handle.<br />
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Then use your knife to peel around the bottom. Again using extreme caution.<br />
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Now I don't know how many of you have this kind of peeler, but I am still questioning myself as to why I waited so long to get one. Maybe because it's not what I grew up using in my mom's house. But I broke down and bought one so I could see if it would make the job of peeling this monster easier. DON'T WAIT!!! Go buy yourself one right now! I will never be without this kind of peeler again.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It made ridiculously quick work of this squash. I almost had tears in my eyes it went so fast. Again... GO BUY ONE NOW!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjLmrMloFN2jN90dWbsVMtnQ9nzx61ElWcLrzq9DZRuA83e1o8bN5xq8HHheovcDxpEFuG3olQiROcxSDikRsj2C23pCWLANA0zJeLXwZ4s_1Veb9On2vDdES4jRLgOY6SgcTgt-ULHc/s1600/6c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjLmrMloFN2jN90dWbsVMtnQ9nzx61ElWcLrzq9DZRuA83e1o8bN5xq8HHheovcDxpEFuG3olQiROcxSDikRsj2C23pCWLANA0zJeLXwZ4s_1Veb9On2vDdES4jRLgOY6SgcTgt-ULHc/s320/6c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I can't believe how struggle free it was. All done peeling in a matter of minutes and way safer. However, a side note would be that when I have used this peeler on smaller items like apples, I took a nice chunk out of my finger. So use a little more caution with the smaller produce.<br />
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Take the top portion of the squash and cut it in 1/2 inch slices.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then cut those in 1/2 inch slices</div><br />
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Then 1/2 inch chunks.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next cut open the bottom half. This will look like the inside of a pumpkin since they are both squashes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlbbuquovXNtDDxHyATHr5JQDdSmZFU1sJ1VcHgFa0YDOSOUyYFar0mHnUehrFfHynf5pBKHUIMxP0obZsmWCjnBWe1Cu7T0Y1sV1d71neAgHWf_5y7AaWrumG7kZisuDrhflYSpFvkg/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYGR6kZ6wh8cxEWmH8MWwn975Bt0DbmE3hgKp7q4K3KVM0dlMae6zdkxxI0voRgw6LrqF3o3mwxhrvHFtOsTX1TlS4T1A7EYoPRiRBhqZPvzpKh77jRgRosTBSlWBQhIymS_ern3q4mE/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYGR6kZ6wh8cxEWmH8MWwn975Bt0DbmE3hgKp7q4K3KVM0dlMae6zdkxxI0voRgw6LrqF3o3mwxhrvHFtOsTX1TlS4T1A7EYoPRiRBhqZPvzpKh77jRgRosTBSlWBQhIymS_ern3q4mE/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Use a spoon to scoop out the insides and discard. I suppose you could clean them off and roast them or dehydrate them like pumpkin seeds, but I've never tried it.<br />
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Cut the little bottom buttons off.<br />
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Then slice the bottom half into 1/2 inch slices.<br />
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Turn them on their sides for safety and cut these, one by one, into 1/2 inch pieces.<br />
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Throw them in a bowl, toss with some olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.<br />
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Layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.<br />
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<b>This is what not to do!</b> I put too many on this sheet and when they were done roasting, some were burned and some were just soft. None of them caramelized and got yummy and sweet. Look back at the oven shot and see how they were sitting on top of each other. Now look at the picture below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG1UIZZOtFe8ZtGWaXzXpG_9jhWHT1CYxprSHD1XxveRYee8yxcA50azsEDFru5KMuAipLoPlj_U7S6lpmBNymkC7hghYCIPlfocqw2RfsR0xvx9no6IIoRQgH2BbhbQO23i5oEN7VLc/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG1UIZZOtFe8ZtGWaXzXpG_9jhWHT1CYxprSHD1XxveRYee8yxcA50azsEDFru5KMuAipLoPlj_U7S6lpmBNymkC7hghYCIPlfocqw2RfsR0xvx9no6IIoRQgH2BbhbQO23i5oEN7VLc/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are all in a single layer. They are crowded, but most importantly, they are in a single layer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0mdMf2W0CxpXx5r3a5NG3_hc1cQmcR7MCmb0cBWg8N5O5lcsG8TG5JC65bUykJ8Uzfm-xk0EYf29pXsRMYN8ZgvxZJ5jZQpfhMwq1lv8HNe7mRuDTRDoE1WkXGn9bTUh95h06Asf5gIc/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0mdMf2W0CxpXx5r3a5NG3_hc1cQmcR7MCmb0cBWg8N5O5lcsG8TG5JC65bUykJ8Uzfm-xk0EYf29pXsRMYN8ZgvxZJ5jZQpfhMwq1lv8HNe7mRuDTRDoE1WkXGn9bTUh95h06Asf5gIc/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you look at this, the only ones that burned were some small ones on the outside edge (that's normal). The other ones shrunk beautifully and caramelized like a champ. I serve these just as they are as a side to some sort of protein. If they aren't quite sweet enough for your young ones, you can drizzle a small amount of local maple syrup or some raw honey on top. We seem to do just fine without that though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really hope you try this if you've never liked this squash before (pureed, uck!) And if you've never tried it, I hope you will give it a go.</div>Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3395744787138442052.post-11024616579648477682010-10-06T19:32:00.000-04:002010-10-06T19:32:28.234-04:00The Wisdom of Marilla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlv9sdtzXGBRyJRFQztWeilh8L61alEtmZ5_Ot5yyxD_nFijiYo7ungk6bAvv3R8-NNXq4yAaJUDndi0d8afQuKVhNTbmpGwVOYMVutCGQA9niqkPn1uQMyIs05FU04F-9ovVb1p83qg/s1600/Anne+&+Marilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlv9sdtzXGBRyJRFQztWeilh8L61alEtmZ5_Ot5yyxD_nFijiYo7ungk6bAvv3R8-NNXq4yAaJUDndi0d8afQuKVhNTbmpGwVOYMVutCGQA9niqkPn1uQMyIs05FU04F-9ovVb1p83qg/s1600/Anne+&+Marilla.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Green_Gables"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Anne of Green Gables</span></a> has been a movie I have cherished since High School. It's a story of a young orphan girl that is adopted by an elderly brother and sister. Through a series of verbal exchanges though, the information was skewed and instead of them getting a boy to help on the farm like they had requested, they got Anne. Upon finding out that Marilla planned on sending her back because she wasn't a boy, Anne replies "I'm in the depths of despair." to which Marilla's responds, "To despair is to turn your back on God." The meaning didn't stick with me so much as the memory of the exchange between them.<br />
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Yesterday, I found myself in a state of despair. I found myself in a situation very similar to Anne where I had been anticipating an event for months with every fiber of my body. I could not wait for it to happen. I had made all the necessary preparations to be there at the exact time, with the proper materials, I was eager. I waited... for almost an hour. And as I resigned myself to the fact that no one was coming I trudged slowly out to the parking lot. My heart was heavy and disappointed. And the tears began to roll. I wasn't actually crying, but my body was weeping. Big, fat, hot tears slid down my cheeks as I closed myself in my vehicle. The silence was deafening. And I thought, "I'm in the depths of despair." However, I am highly realistic and reminded myself that this was nothing that warranted that description. Maybe I wasn't in the depths of despair, but I was despairing. And being a realistic person, I realized the first thing I needed to do was get myself out of the dark parking lot in a not so good part of town and go somewhere where I could process what just happened.<br />
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As I drove I ended up turning my focus away from my despair on to what Marilla had said, "To despair is to turn your back on God." What did she mean by that?! If I let myself get into such a state that I'm despairing, I have centered myself more on my issue than where God is in my situation. I am in essence telling God that he can't pull me out of that place. He's not able. This is more than contrary to what the Bible teaches and what I believe. And so I decided to do the grown up thing and not despair... I sulked.<br />
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After doing some searching on my computer I found an email I had neglected to read that informed me that the class I was so eager to attend had been postponed until February 2011. I am no longer sulking, but eagerly looking forward to February.<br />
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Lesson learned: read my email. They are important.Reenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02474342835745664521noreply@blogger.com2