Sewing

I’m thanking my mother taught me and encouraged me to sew.  Even though I don’t do it much anymore I know if I need to (and I feel that need boiling in me) I can do it again!

Clothes Conscious

That’s what my mother use to say about me.  “She’s not really clothes conscious.”  It wasn’t meant in a negative way it was more to the fact that I was happy with the clothes she sewed for me.  She taught herself to sew when I was a baby; nine million years ago.  From that “school of self-taught” she would one day take in sewing/mending to earn extra money.  She took in everything from bras to be repaired to making elaborate prom and wedding dresses.  She probably hemmed around the world!!

I loved the clothes she made for me.  I always worried I would never have a new dress after she died; I’m not much for clothes shopping can you tell.  In fact, now if I can’t buy it online I avoid it altogether.

Well, Saturday I ventured into the clothes shopping world with my teenage niece.  Words like out-of-touch, sheltered, lost, frustrated, discouraged, outraged would all describe how I was feeling after our brief shopping experience.  It was like the clothes were missing their parts; the shirts were missing their sleeves, shorts were…I don’t know what they were but they were definitely missing the “leg part,” it was crazy to me.  Who wears clothes like this and more to the question why?

Time to dust off my sewing machine…

Cookie Cookie

I've kind of moved on as a cookie baker.  There are no cookie eaters except for me and Mr. Man and truth be told there is no room in our figures for said cookies.  However, some days call for cookie making so I did just that.

Snickerdoodles

2 cups Shortening

3 cups Sugar

4 Eggs

5 1/2 Cups Flour

2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Roll into small balls; then into sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes on a greased cookie sheet or one of those awesome silicone mats.

Pour yourself a large glass of milk and enjoy!!

Many Memories Monday

Today we spent the day visiting the final resting places of those who have gone before.  It has become an annual tradition.  At each spot we clean and freshen up the grave marker.  We remember the goodness of each of our loved ones.  Our hearts are full of gratitude for the example of each life that has touched ours.  Although we miss each of them terribly we know we have become better for having known them and they indeed are in a better place.

Alma 5:27

"Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?"

All great questions.............

Sending Birthday Wishes

Sending Big Happy Birthday Wishes to this Girl!!

I.Love.You.So!!
(Sorry for the outdated picture; I'm lacking in current picture department of you)

Friday

 My favorite Friday is the Friday that comes with a no work Monday!  

Favorite. 

Favorite. 

Favorite!

Blogs

I’m thankful for the blogs I read that teach me and inspire me.  I check them out regularly and always walk away uplifted. 

Remember

Remember when???  Seems like as we age we talk about the past a lot; remembering this, that and everything else.  A lot of times that remembering involves the price of gas or the price of housing or the food eat.  Sometimes the remembering involves what we did as a child.  Now that is interesting to me for this reason.  Why is it we can remember so much about our childhood but very little about last week or yesterday for that matter??  I guess it goes to show you childhood is important because someday that's all you are going to remember!! 

Spinach

Mostly I like spinach steamed just tender with a nice splash of red-wine vinegar. But sometimes I like to change things up and so I did. This is my version spinach salad using just what I had on hand.  Not only did it taste terrific but we were eating 30 minutes after we got home!!  Love that part!

Spinach

Roasted Chicken (from Sunday's dinner)

Strawberries

Purple Onion

Toast Almonds in Sugar

Dressed with Marie's Coleslaw Dressing (it's what I had)

If I had had feta cheese I would have thrown it in as well!!

Celestial Events

Yesterday we had the opportunity to watch the progress of a rare annular eclipse of the sun.  Our neighbor shared the filter from his high powered telescope for the viewing.  It was amazing to watch the progress of the moon position itself perfectly over the sun to produce a beautiful ring of fire.  


Years ago Mr. Man and I took a blanket and spread it out on the driveway to watch another celestial event; a meteor shower.  There we were on the driveway, front row seats watching a celestial show!  I love nature and all her magic!

Ecclesiastes 5:20

"For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart."

A Star

 A

Star

 is

 Born!

Save Harry

Television.  Who doesn't love it?  I'm sure there are some who love to hate it.  But I love it.  I remember as a child watching shows like The Donna Reed Show, Father's Knows Best, The Flintstones, Bewitched, etc.  I was 4 years old when The Donna Reed Show first aired and 12 years old when it went off the air.  I was devastated.  I couldn't believe it was not going to be on T.V. anymore.  I didn't know they could do that.  In my world I thought it would be on T.V. forever!  It was my first lesson in the world of television where shows come and go. 

Fast forward.  Over the years some great shows have come and gone some way too soon for my liking.   Well, I'm sick of it! There is a show called "Harry's Law" I love this show.  Well, it has been cancelled.  I want it saved.  Help save it by clicking here to sign a petition in an effort to save the show.  Or click here to see other ways to save Harry.  If you have Facebook spread the word to help save Harry.  Wouldn't that be something if we could do it.  I think we can!!  I'm counting on you!!

Family

I can never say it enough! 

I'm thankful for my family and all their goodness!

Amen!

Water

I have a high regard for water and all it can do. As a child I was almost drowned by it. I still can recall how I felt as I struggled mightily to stay above the surface; fighting for my life as a non-swimmer, waiting for my rescuer. As a young mother some 20 plus years ago I still recall pulling the lifeless body of my then 16 month old niece from the family swimming pool. She miraculously survived without any complications from that near fatal experience.  I trembled for months afterward as I relived the event.  Another time we had a home flood because a water pipe froze and subsequently burst.  Water, water was everywhere.  We were renters thankfully; so we walked away from that home and the soggy mattress it took out as it formed a river through our house on its way out the door.

When I thought about water as my word of the week it wasn’t really those experiences that lead me to write about it.  I was actually watering the garden at the time and I was thinking how peaceful I felt as I was doing it.  There is something about watering that is relaxing to me, as I give to those plants what they crave the most….a fresh drink of water.

Water is everywhere.  It covers about 70% of the earth’s surface.  The human body is 55% to 78% water, depending on body size.  Some of my greatest life experiences have been shaped by the force of water.  But in the end it is the peace I feel in my garden when I'm watering that makes me think of water today!

The Faster I Go

Seems like the faster I go the behinder I get.  At the first of the year I worked especially hate to get rid of clutter.  I did pretty good for a while.  But recently it has slowly returned like a bad penny.....whatever that means.  All I know it is bad.  Now it is the middle of May and I looked at a daily calendar I have and the last time I changed the date was February 19th.  Sad.  

I always look forward to Spring and Summer.  I love those months.  I just don't love when they fly by.  I'm happy to report the garden is planted.  I look forward to the fresh vegetables in the weeks ahead.  I just hope the next time I change the calendar it won't say September.  I'll keep you posted.

Mom Memories

I’m not sure if this memory is from Mother’s Day or my Mom’s birthday but it is a Mom memory nonetheless.  She had gone on a little trip to Utah most likely with her sister and her mom.  In her absence I decided I wanted to make something for her.  I wanted to make her a dress.  Why I thought I was capable of such a feat is a mystery to me and how I got my dad to agree to finance this endeavor is an even bigger mystery. I wasn’t much older than 11 or 12 at the time and had very little sewing experience but I was determined to make my mother a dress.  Seriously how hard could it be?  I’d watched her make a million dresses for me. I remember dad dropped me off at the fabric store and with the help of what I’m sure was a very experienced clerk I purchased the needed supplies. My fabric choice was linen; what mother wouldn’t want a linen dress made by her 12 year old-ish daughter?  Well the memory of the experience pretty much fades from here as the dress never really made it past the cutting out stage.  I remember that it was at this point I realized that although I was very determined to make her a dress my lack of sewing experience was more powerful than my determination!  So I decided to make her a cake!  Sadly that didn’t work out too well either.  I did learn though that you have to keep the oven door closed or your cake will fall!  But the greatest lesson in all of this was, it was the thought that counts!!  And that thought still counts today!!!

Happy Birthday Wishes

Sending Big Happy Birthday Wishes to this Girl!!

I.Love.You.So!!
 

Killdear

This little mama

Shouts killdeer, killdeer

And spreads her wings

As she tries to distract

me from these:

Happy Birthday Wishes

Sending Big Happy Birthday Wishes to this boy!!

Love.You.So!

Triple Play

Laughter, Lunch and Friends.  Doesn't get any better than that. And for that I'm thankful.  Yesterday I took an extra long lunch.  It was good to catch up, it was great to laugh and even shed a few tears.  So blessed and incredibly thankful for my awesome friends.

Trying to Succeed

'Tis a lesson you should heed, try, try again.  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.'

The proverb has been traced back to 'Teacher's Manual' (1840) by American educator Thomas H. Palmer and 'The Children of the New Forest' (1847) by English novelist Frederick Maryat (1792-1848).

On some days it is harder than others to succeed....even when I try my best!

Even Numbers

I love numbers but mostly I love even numbers.  Numbers like 14.  Now that's a great number.  In fact right now for today 14 is my best number.  Although I would be willing to see it increase if it ever wanted to.  In fact if it decided to be added upon and it became an odd number I would be perfectly okay with that as well.  I would sacrifice the love of the even number for the increase.  For the record no increases are currently scheduled or planned, just sayin'!  This little number brings me to my perfect 14!

Air Travel

I've established the fact that I'm not a fan of mud. There is another thing I'm not a fan of and that's a bumpy flight. When we woke up this morning I knew we were in for a bumpy flight home. There is something about being thousands of feet above ground and being on a flight that feels more like a roller coaster. Roller coasters and I aren't friends either. My dad wanted so much for me to like them. I never did.  I just prefer to keep my feet on the ground.  The flight home from Albuquerque was a bit more bumpy than I like. So glad when we got above those bump causing clouds.  After that it was smooth sailing flying. 

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Helaman 5:6

Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.
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Mud

I don't do mud.  It doesn't interest me.  But apparently others are quite taken by it.  Still not me.  It's called Warrior Dash.  Today S2 was a participant.  Check this out.

 The above two pics are the end of the course!

That's barbed wire above their head!

Please leave your shoes at the door!

Big Hunks

I know you were thinking I was talking about something else.  But I wasn't.  This is the Big Hunk that is my favorite today.

I love these candy bars.  That's why when I buy them I buy them like this.

It is cost effective!

Mistakes

I didn't do my usual morning post and because of that I have had a day of thankful thinking and pondering.  My mind kept floating back to a recent situation at work in which an error was made by a company we use in the bidding process that cost us about $70,000.00 on a job we bid on.  On the day of the bid we were third so the error was of no consequence at the moment.  But subsequently the first two bidders were found to be non-responsive for other reasons.  This left us as the low bidder but with a glaring (to us anyway) $70,000.00 mistake.  What to do?  Well we accepted the mistake and have taken steps to prevent that same mistake from happening again.

So how am I thankful for that experience.  Well I learned again, we are all human and no matter what, we are going to make mistakes, that's just life. But in the end it is what happens after that mistake that is most important and for that I am thankful!

We Have a Choice

My word for today is choice.  We have a choice you know.  Seems so often we think we don’t and just go along with the flow too afraid or tired to rock the boat.

I remember saying to my children you have a choice; you can go happy or you can go mad……but you are still going!  I realize I was manipulating their choice a bit but the bottom line was if there was something to be done the choice of being happy about it sure made the day a lot more palatable when they took the happy road. 

Every day is full of choices. Some are easier than others to make.  That’s just how life works.  So for me today and always I will do my best to make choices that make a difference.  Today I choose to do my best!

Pizza Pizza Pizza Party

Seriously who doesn’t love pizza?  I know of no one.  But getting home at 6:30 or later can make it hard to get pizza dough made in a timely fashion.  I know I could make some dough up a head time but some days I just can’t think that far in advance.  Now I don’t have to, with the discovery of ready to make pizza dough at Safeway.  (We don’t have Rhodes dough where we shop; besides it is frozen…….which requires thinking on my part.  On most days I’m done thinking by 6:00 or so!)  This fresh dough is the greatest.  Add your favorite toppings.  On this day it was pesto, steak, mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and topped with some feta.  So so good.  The crust is perfect and the toppings so tasty.  From start to finish 30 minutes!  Now that is my kind of pizza.